Avelon sprinted back to her room, each step felt like a mile as if the distance had grown longer with every heartbeat. Her stomach churned violently, an uncomfortable edge of nausea gripping her. Bile lingered at the back of her throat, its acrid taste mingling with the unsettling memory of Lugh's lips pressing against hers. The sensation of the kiss, so unexpected and invasive, clouded her thoughts and overwhelmed her senses.

The door slammed open, and Brianne's head jerked up from the bed, her expression shifting from groggy confusion to wide-eyed alarm as she took in the sight of Avelon. The blood drained from Brianne's face, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking some hidden threat.

"What happened?" Brianne rose warily from the bed, silently assessing her. Luckily, Jeera was nowhere to be found.

"Oh Gods!" Avelon's voice was a mix of disbelief and distress as she frantically wiped at her mouth, as though trying to erase the memory of the kiss.

"Slow down, what happened?" Brianne's voice trembled, her hands instinctively raised in a calming gesture. Her brows furrowed, and she took a hesitant step closer. "Did Ernin do something?" The mere mention of Ernin made Brianne's face flush with a mix of anger and concern. Avelon could almost feel the ground trembling with the intensity of Brianne's rising tension- the sensation was alarming.

"No, no, shit not Ernin. It's Lugh," Avelon blurted out, throwing her hands up in frustration. "And his brother—Balor has two sons. TWO!" Her exasperation was palpable, and she cast a frantic look around, as if searching for an escape from the chaos inside her head. "Why didn't I listen to you? Why didn't I think for myself?"

Avelon's words came out in disjointed pieces, her fingers continuously scrubbing at her mouth as if trying to rid herself of the taste of regret. Brianne, her gaze fixed on Avelon, tried to piece together the fragmented story. Her eyes widened with a mixture of curiosity and dread as she took in Avelon's distress.

"Lugh..." Brianne's voice trailed off, his name tasting sour and strange on her tongue. "You've met him?"

The slow, deliberate pace of Brianne's words cut through Avelon's chaotic rant. Avelon blinked, trying to clear the fog from her thoughts as she focused on Brianne's expectant face. Only then, did Avelon notice that Brianne wore a vibrant and elegant deep maroon tunic and beige tights- something she had not seen before. She tucked away the questions regarding her new attire.

Avelon winced, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I kissed him—well, he kissed me," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. The admission hung in the air, and Avelon felt a deep blush creep up her neck. Brianne's eyes widened as she choked on her breath, her face reflecting a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You kissed him?" Brianne screeched, her voice trembling.

Avelon winced again, her face contorting with discomfort as she tried to explain. "Unfortunately. But that was before I knew who he was related to." Her words tumbled out.

"Oh Gods, Avelon." Brianne covered her face with her hands, her fingers pressing into her temples as she tried to process the revelation. She bit down onto her lip, trying to stifle her growing anxiety.

"I know, Bri. The worst part is that I liked it." Avelon's voice was barely a whisper, her gaze dropping to the floor in shame. Brianne's reaction almost made Avelon burst into a fit of laughter as she gagged at the admission, her face contorting with disgust.

Yet Avelon did not laugh, rather she groaned deeply, her eyes rolling up to the ceiling in frustration.

"How did you put two-and-two together, though?" Brianne paused her exaggerated retching.

"And how the hell did you guys meet?"

"Also, before you explain, how did you end up spending the rest of the afternoon with Lugh and not with Ernin?" Brianne's face twisted in confusion, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of everything.

Avelon snapped her gaze back to Brianne, opening her mouth to start explaining, but Brianne held up her palm to silence her. "Actually, just start from the beginning. Explain everything, from how you met Lugh to the kiss." Brianne nodded to herself, her tone was both commanding and concerned. Folding her hands onto her lap, she waited patiently for Avelon's explanation.

Avelon stifled a chuckle at the whirlwind of thoughts that Brianne's had voiced. With a deep sigh, she rubbed her forehead and rounded the bed to sit down, facing Brianne.

Avelon recounted the events—how she met Ernin and Lugh at the event, and how she had instantly disliked the both of them. To the surprising reappearance of a very charming Lugh after the ritual — Avelon described his smile, warm and sincere, and his eyes twinkling with an intensity that momentarily melted her reservations. Brianne's composure cracked at the vivid descriptions of Lugh. She responded with a range of emotions, her face shifting from disbelief to anger to amusement as Avelon described each encounter in as much detail as she could. Avelon laid bare her feelings and questions, not sparing any details, from her meeting with Ernin.

She confessed that his abilities were intact and that he seemed to be in good health, and briefly mentioned the heated argument. Brianne's posture stiffened at the mention of it, a shadow passing over her expression. Avelon hesitated a moment, her voice wavering as she delved into her moment with Lugh, expressing the electricity that had sparked between them and the sudden, interruption by Balor- who broke the news of Lugh being his son.

When she finished, silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Avelon knew that Lugh's lineage made the concept of being with him an overall bad idea, though she could not help but wonder about the possibility. Her hands fidgeted, gripping the edge of her bedspread as she struggled to contain a bubbling laughter that seemed almost hysterical.

"I kissed him." Avelon said, her voice cracking with laughter as if she was trying to convince herself more than Brianne. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, searching for validation in Brianne's eyes.

"I know, and it's disgusting." Brianne's tone held a lightness, but her eyes remained serious.

Avelon's laughter quieted, replaced by a contemplative silence. "Is it though?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Brianne's amusement faded.

"He's Balor's son, Avelon. Balor— the very embodiment of all that's wrong in Vexar," Brianne said, her voice low and intense, worry etched into every line of her face.

"I know," Avelon nodded, squaring her shoulders, ""But what if he's more than just his lineage? I've seen a different side to him. We've shared moments of laughter— surely someone who aligns with darkness would only show darkness, right?"

Brianne sighed deeply, her eyes narrowing as she weighed Avelon's words. "I think it's way too coincidental that one of Balor's sons have shown a liking in you. Also, I firmly believe that you can make people believe anything by wearing a mask- figuratively speaking."

Avelon's shoulders sagged. "You're right. I barely know him, except for his impressive lip-smacking skills," she added, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

Brianne shook her head, a chuckle escaping her despite the seriousness of their discussion.

"Gross," she said, shaking her head in mock disgust.

Both of them sat in silence for a few heartbeats- needing a breath to process. Avelon lowered her gaze to the ground, staring at nothing in particular.

"It's really nice having someone that gives you attention, other than you of course." Avelon said quietly, feeling her heartbeat quicken at her confession.

"I know, Avelon." Brianne responded, her voice soft. Avelon could hear the sympathy in Brianne's tone and hated it.

Avelon dragged her eyes up to meet Brainne's softened gaze. She resisted the urge to sneer in her direction. It was not that she was angry at Brianne for caring, it was merely the fact that she felt like a child. Avelon felt like scolding herself for placing herself in such a situation. Avelon signed, hating herself for being so oblivious and unaware. The linkage was staring at her in the face, yet she chose to ignore it.

"We should visit the library," Avelon suggested abruptly, her voice flat as she tried to steer the conversation away from Balor, Lugh and Ernin.

Brianne straightened her spine, noting Avelon's abrupt attempt to change the topic "It's okay to confess your feelings, Avelon. I, of all people, understand how it feels to be drawn to one of Balor's sons," she said gently.

Avelon sighed.

"Also, I know what it's like when someone projects one image but is different underneath," Brianne continued, rousing something within Avelon.

"I don't think Ernin wanted to hurt you," Avelon said thoughtfully. The statement seemed to hit Brianne like a physical blow.

Brianne hesitated, "What makes you think that?"

"You mentioned a darkness following him that day- I think somehow Balor was involved." Avelon said, her voice tinged with worry as she gauged Brianne's reaction.

Avelon was clutching at straws but hoped that Brianne would see her reasoning behind her suspicion.

"As in, he might be controlling Ernin- or has controlled him before?" Brianne's brows furrowed in concentration. Avelon could see the realization dawning on her.

"You thought so too," Avelon said firmly, her tone more of a statement than a question. Brianne nodded slowly, confirming the suspicion.

"I'm not crazy then, if you think so too," Brianne said softly, her fingers twisting together nervously. "I had my doubts about what happened with Ernin, but I still blamed him for everything."

Avelon rolled her lips, taking a deep breath. "I think Balor's capable of a lot of things, and I think he's into some crazy uncharted things- hence my suspicion of mind control or something similar."

"What aren't you telling me?" Brianne's eyes bore into Avelon, searching for answers.

Avelon swallowed hard, her voice steady but thick with dread. "Balor's practicing blood bending."

Brianne's expression froze, her eyes darting away momentarily before she met Avelon's gaze again. Avelon stood abruptly, her ears heating with a surge of emotions.

"You knew?" Avelon bellowed, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Unfortunately." Brianne's mouth formed a tight line, her eyes closing.

Avelon's mouth opened in shock, a strangled noise escaping her throat. "You knew what he was doing to me, and you did nothing to stop it?

Brianne's face drained of colour as the gravity of Avelon's words sank in. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Doing to you?" Brianne stuttered, her voice cracking.

Avelon's gaze hardened.

"Yes! Blood bending. Balor has been experimenting with it on me. How could you know about blood bending but not realize it was being used on me?" Her voice trembled with frustration.

Brianne's gaze dropped to the floor, her shoulders slumping as she grappled with the enormity of what she had missed. "I knew about blood bending in theory, and that Balor was studying it. I've seen drawings and notes scattered on his table," she admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "But I had no idea it was being used on you."

Avelon remained silent. She had been dumped in their room after each experiment, and she had refused to share information on what had happened to her. It was not Brianne's fault for not helping her.

Brianne's face twisted with guilt and regret. "I am so sorry, Avelon. I truly am. I had no idea it was this bad.

"I guess we both have a knack for shitty judgement." Avelon offered Brianne a tight smile.

Brianne's smile was strained, uncertainty shining in her eyes. "Clearly."

"So, what do we do now?" Avelon asked with raised eyebrows. Unimpressed by the events of the day.

Brianne lifted her gaze, "We have to do something. We need to understand blood bending fully—how it works, and why it's used."

Avelon nodded, "We should start with the library. There must be something there—anything that can help us understand blood bending better."

Brianne's face set into a determined expression. "I'm sure the library will know what we need once we are there. The Quillshifter might even help us."

The tome that had beckoned Avelon on their first visit to the library suddenly flooded her senses.

"There was a tome, that called" Avelon scrunched her nose at the word, "I think called is appropriate. Anyway, it called me the first time we where there. Then I had the unfortunate encounter with the Quillshifter."

Brianne smiled in amusement. "That could be exactly what we need to gain the upper hand in understanding what Balor has planned. The library always knows."

They nodded at each other, and simultaneously announced. "Let's go"

They left the room in a hurried silence, their steps echoing down the halls. Evening light streamed in through the very few, scattered windows. They remained silent, ensuring that no other Fae would hear them. Fleetingly, Avelon had wondered where Jeera was and where Brianne had found the time to scour new clothing.

"Where did you find clothes?" Avelon suddenly whispered in question, breaking the silence.

Brianne's eyes glinted with mischief. "I bought them at the market in town."

Avelon's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You went to the market?"

Brianne nodded enthusiastically.

"Where did you find coin?" Avelon tugged at Brianne's sleeve.

The mischief in Brianne's eyes seemed to grow, "Oh, I found some." She said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Avelon laughed aloud, the sound too loud for the quiet hallways. Clamping her lips shut, she stifled the urge to laugh further as Brianne threw Avelon a cross-eyed look.

Avelon wanted to laugh even harder at the absurdity of how quickly the mood had changed.

Women are crazy. She thought.

Too quickly, they had made their way down the spiral stairs toward the entrance of the library. It's door opened by itself, as though the library was expecting them.

They entered warily, the familiar smell of old books and parchment wrapped around them like a comforting embrace. Avelon welcomed the library's warm, dusty glow. The atmosphere had felt like home. The soft blue light from the torches cast a warm glow on the towering shelves, their contents seeming to beckon with hidden knowledge.

Brianne gestured toward the section of ancient texts closest to them. "Let's start here. The tome you mentioned might call to you once we start looking."

Avelon nodded, her eyes scanning the rows of dusty volumes. Somewhere within the library, Avelon heard the faint hoot of an owl. She smiled at herself, thankful to know what entity had dwelled within the stacks of books. Along with the sound of the owl, Avelon faintly made out a distinct humming sound.

"Do you hear that?" Avelon turned her head towards the sound.

Brianne's looked up from a book that she held in her palm. "No." She muttered.

The humming grew louder, eliciting a faint tug at Avelon's heart. Her eyes widened in realization.

"It's the tome."