Thia was startled by the sound of groaning and shifting. She ran over to where Jen and Grom lay to tighten their bonds but saw that they had not moved. She then realized that it was her friends starting to wake up. Because they were going to plan an escape, she tore a piece of black fabric from Jen's pant and wrapped it like a blindfold over his eyes. She ripped another piece and wrapped it around his ears so that he wouldn't be able hear them. Then, she did the same to Grom.

Thia got up to go to her friends when she noticed something on Jen's leg. The skin that had been revealed by the torn fabric made her breath hitch. His leg was covered in scars. All over him, scars crisscrossed each other. Long and short, deep and shallow, there was nowhere that didn't have a scar. The only place she could see that wasn't scarred was his face. But maybe...

Thia worked up the courage to pull down his mask. What she saw surprised her.

Under the mask, Jen's face was perfect. Handsome, even. But above that, a single scar ran from his right temple, across his neck, and down to his collarbone before disappearing under his shirt.

"Who did this to you?" she whispered, horrified. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling pity for someone who had kidnapped her, but no one, not even kidnappers, deserved that.

Thia felt a drop on her hand and realized she was crying, but she didn't know why. She knew, deep down, that it was because she felt bad for him. It was because in the short time they had talked, she had begun to like and care about him. She just hadn't realized it until now.

---

"Thia, what's going on?" Michelle's voice was slurred and groggy.

Thia ran over to her friend's side and helped her sit up. "Jen kidnapped us. But I knocked him out and learned about some cool new power I have and once everyone wakes up, I'm going to get us out of here." She realized that it was too much for Michelle to take in, so she said quickly, "When everyone wakes up, I'll explain."

They didn't have to wait long though, because about five minutes later, everyone was awake and standing, their minds clear and refreshed. Thia got to work explaining everything that had happened while they had been asleep.

"I think you guys have this new power too," she finished.

"Both my parents are Lunar though," Garry said.

"True. So, this won't work for you."

"And only Dad is Lunar, but he doesn't have his gift anymore," Ruby spoke up.

"Also true." Thia thought for a second before answering, "But your mom was one quarter Lunar so maybe you guys can do it. It might be weaker, but it could work."

"My mom is a Shell," Leo added.

She blew out a breath and tightened her messy ponytail. "Yes, but maybe you still have the gift. After all, full-Lunars can have Shell children so why can't Shells have children who are able to use glamour? Look, I get that you all just woke up and have no idea what is going on, but we need to get out of here. Our parents are probably worried sick. We need every weapon we can get and if that weapon is ourselves, so be it. Maybe it's not, but we'll never know until we try. Please, just give me a chance to try and teach you guys because with or without the Lunar gift, we will get out of here."

---

It wasn't long before everyone except for Gary started using glamour to some degree. Michelle, Maha, and Leo's glamour was a little bit weaker, but Ruby's surprisingly almost matched Thia and Rikan's. By the time they were exhausted and sitting against the wall, everyone had more or less mastered their glamour enough to knock someone out for an hour or two.

While they had been training, Thia had put Garry to the task of finding a way out of the stone room. What he found was surprising, but also expected. One of the bricks opened up to a secret doorway, but only when pressed by someone's hand. Their hands and Grom's hands didn't work, so the tried Jen's and it worked. The bricks folded away to reveal an unlit tunnel that they could not see the end of.

"Are we going to take the bad guys with us?" Ruby wondered.

Thia replied, "We should, but I don't feel like hauling them around. It's going to slow us down."

"What if you wake them up and threaten to use your gift on them if they don't cooperate," Leo suggested.

"Sounds good," Thia agreed. "But let's leave Grom. He's useless to us."

"We could use him as a human shield or part of a trade," Garry pointed out.

"Fine," she relented. "But I'm not waking him up."

Michelle woke up Grom while Thia worked on Jen. They undid the blindfolds, ear coverings, and the leg restraints, leaving only their hands bound.

"If any of you step a toe out of line, we will not hesitate to put you in your place," Thia threatened before they left. Jen only smiled at this, and she growled, "What?"

"I know how you feel. I know that you will not kill me," Jen said.

"Oh really?" She narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to him. "Do you really know how I feel?"

"Yes." His confidence did not waver.

"Fine. You may think that you know how I feel, but do not forget that I know how you feel." Thia was pretty sure that she wasn't imagining the blush that crept up his cheeks when she said that.

"What's up with them?" Maha whispered to the others.

"Maybe they're having relationship issues," Garry snorted.

Thia spun around to face him and hissed, "We are leaving now. Rikan, you lead with Grom by you. I'll take the rear and watch Jen. Let's go people!"

A/N:

Hi guys!! How do you like the building relationship between Jen and Thia? *raises eyebrows*

Sorry that this chapter was a day late. :(

I don't really have anything else to say so bye!!

~Bookworm 😜