Frustration bubbled within him as he stood watching Avelon's unmoving body. He could feel his anger become tangible as black tethers of darkness snapped at his feet. He hissed at his feet, but the darkness did not falter.

"She should have shown some sign of an affinity by now." Balor snarled through clenched teeth, his displeasure palpable.

Elha felt the colour drain from her face at the venom in his voice. A wave of the darkness that followed him, swept over his features, making his demeanour seem unnatural. She swallowed hard, ignoring the bead of sweat that rolled down the side of her cheek.

"I suspect she has," At Elha's words, Balor's dark eyes slid toward her in expectation.

She shuddered, although she was unsure of her suspicions, she continued, "She did not drown. Any other fae would have- Any fae without an affinity for healing or water or even air. Her friend's affinity must have aided her in some way. She has something in her blood." Elha could feel the guilt build in her stomach at her revelation, however she shoved the feeling back into the depths of her mind.

A small, vindictive smile spread on Balor's face as he readjusted his gaze to Avelon. Elha was relieved by the absence of his gaze on her.

Balor pressed his lips into a thin line, "Yet, I am still disappointed that her body gave out yet again." Balor murmured, his voice a chilling caress as he circled Avelon's sleeping form like a vulture.

You are disappointed with everything. Elha pursed her own lips, swallowing the words that she wanted to say.

She felt rooted to the spot, her unease growing as Balor moved with feline grace. His aura unnerving her to the point of making her squirm.

"I do believe her near death experience drained her strength and endurance." Elha defended Avelon easily, the words slipping from her almost against her will. Balor stopped moving, turning his dark gaze back to her.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her.

"I don't care if she arrived on the brink of death- I expected more!" Balor's voice rose, echoing off the walls of the small chamber. At the rise of his voice, and temper, the darkness surrounding him grew.

"You," He pointed towards her, "Elha dear, retrieved her. If she fails, so will you."

Elha's body trembled at his words. She closed her eyes as sadness washed over her. Balor could not witness the emotion.

She had known where to find Avelon, and the memory of it would haunt her forever.

"She will not fail." Elha's voice did not waiver as she reopened her eyes. She did not challenge Balor, but she could feel the truth of her words burning in her gaze.

She knew what Avelon was capable of and that her ancestry would not allow her to die. Elha could only hope that Avelon would make the right choices. Even though Elha was determined that her ancestors would not allow her to die- Avelon still held the key to that decision.

Balor hummed thoughtfully in response, cracking his neck. Absentmindedly, he inspected the wound on his arm. His hand drifted to the dried blood, wiping it away along with the wound itself. Elha's eyebrows shot up in surprise as the evidence of the experiment disappeared completely. Balor slowly approached Avelon, repeating the motion and making her wound disappear as well.

Elha had wondered how the mark of the transfusion had disappeared from Avelon's arm after the first experiment. She had suspected it to be fae healing that manifested within her. Disappointment tugged at her as she considered the possibility that Avelon might not have any abilities within her after all. Elha's eyes glazed over in thought.

"I hope that you are right, Elha. For the sake of what is most important to you." Balor's icy touch on her cheek snapped her back to reality. She forced herself not to flinch.

"See to it that she is returned to her room." Elha nodded as Balor made to leave, his presence almost immediately replaced by another.

"You can give her a dose of ciorra, but make it stronger this time. She needs the rest." Elha nodded her head towards Avelon as she met the eyes of the fae assisting her. Her lip curled in distaste at him, almost sneering, as she backed away from the table where Avelon lay. He nodded briskly, not missing a beat as he approached to powder the dried plant. He mixed it with water and gently opened Avelon's mouth do pour it down her throat. Ciorra was effective as a powder, more so when powdered with the root and completely incapacitating when ingested. Avelon would be completely incapacitated for at least two days.

Elha frowned, shaking her head. Being part of something so utterly despicable had her insides twisted her insides. She knew she had to see it through, for both of their sakes, though every day she wished that Avelon had already made the awakening. She would have been able to fight back, instead of being denied her power. Everything that had happened thus far, had played right into Balor's hands. Elha could only hope that the odds would shift.

***

"What the fuck?" Brianne screeched, her voice echoing off the cold, stone walls of their cell. Two guards, unfamiliar and rough-faced, dragged Avelon's limp, unconscious body into the room.

In the furthest corner of the room, a new young fae girl sat huddled, wide eyed and frightened. She watched, paralyzed, as the guards threw Avelon onto the bed with uncaring grunts. Brianne demanded answers but received none, only stony silence flowed from the guards. As the guards exited, Brianne spat at their retreating figures, her anger palpable. Brianne rushed to Avelon's side, her movements frantic as she inspected her friend with trembling hands, treating her as though she were a fragile piece of broken glass.

"Is she dead?" The young fae's whisper was barely audible, but it cut through Brianne's frantic thoughts, making her pause- her hands hovering mid-air. Her gaze snapped towards the new arrival, realizing she had been so consumed with Avelon that she had forgotten about her.

"No Jeera, she's alive." Brianne said, her voice straining with forced calm. She brushed Avelon's dishevelled hair from her face, relieved to see a faint hint of colour in her friend's cheeks, though it was far from reassuring.

Brianne's eyes darted back to Jeera, who had fallen back onto her bed, her dark skin glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. Jeera's shoulders slumped, a mix of relief and some other emotion evident in her stiff posture.

"She's not dead, but she's far from okay." Brianne rephrased tightly. Jeera's shoulders scrunched up with tension at Brianne's words.

Jeera looked up with a timid expression, "Can I help with anything?"

Brianne motioned to one of the bedside buckets with a disgruntled sigh. "Can you get me a rag and some clean water?"

Brianne readied herself to expect something horrible when Avelon did not show up after dawn. By evening she expected death and when evening passed, she was out of her mind with worry. Having Avelon dumped just before noon the next day, after their earlier conversation, was just as unsettling as her worst fears. Every fibre of her being was awake and screaming at her that Balor had done something to Avelon. Avelon's body gave away nothing- no marks were left to give the inclination of anything wrong, though Brianne knew to trust her instincts.

She closed her eyes, a deep sigh racking her body. Her thoughts spiralled into regret and guilt—she should have pressed Avelon for more details, should have turned back to ensure her safety. She knew Elha meant nothing good, and yet she returned to the palace.

Perhaps, you should have turned back for her.

The harsh voice in her mind accused her of failing her friend, she flinched at the truth. She should have, but she did not. Her shoulders slumped as she reprimanded herself for leaving her friend and believing that she would be fine. She truly believed that Avelon was capable of handling herself, which means that Elha must have caught her off guard.

"Here." The jostle of water and Jeera's voice had Brianne shooting up into a fighting stance.

A snarl slipped from her lips as she studied Jeera's unsure expression, "Gods, you're too quiet."

Jeera flinched, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sorry."

Brianne chewed on her lip as she took the bucket and handful of rags from Jeera. She hesitated, her words catching on her tongue as she met Jeera's frightened dark chocolate eyes. She knew that fear, lived through it a thousand times. Yet, it had been a long while since she experienced a fear that took hold of her soul and made her gasp for air. Avelon was her friend- the closest thing to family and seeing her in a state of what had looked like near death, had sent her reeling. Slowly, Brianne set down the bucket and rags at the foot of the bed where Avelon lay.

"She'll be alright." Brianne said, her voice wavering as she tried to comfort both Jeera and herself. Her eyes flickered between Jeera and the unconscious Avelon, her heart aching with worry.

Jeera nodded quickly, retreating to her bed with a hurried, anxious glance. She had chosen the bed furthest from the door, in the farthest corner of the room. The arrangement of beds—three between Jeera and Brianne, and then Avelon's—was a painful reminder of their separation. Something she would tend to at a later stage.

"I need to be close to the door." Brianne recalled Avelon's confession in the first few days of being in Teine. Avelon had tried moving around a few times, however always ended up back in the first bed. Brianne had often found herself wondering why Avelon had preferred it that way.

Brianne mentally vowed to ask Avelon about her strange habits when she woke up- If she woke up. Brianne shot her gaze to the roof, taking deep breaths to steady her racing thoughts and emotions, before returning her glazed eyes back to an unconscious Avelon. To any other fae, Avelon would have appeared to be asleep, but Brianne knew she had been purposefully knocked out. Brianne also knew, in her heart, that if she had been wiser, she could have prevented whatever happened- or at least have stalled it.

She should have sensed the danger.

With a growl of frustration, Brianne snatched a rag from the pile, dipping it into the cold water of the bucket. The chill against her fingers was sharp, but it quickly subsided as she wrung out the rag.

Bending over Avelon, she gently placed the damp cloth on her forehead. "Does this happen often?"

Jeera's small voice echoed across the quietness of the room, breaking the silence. Brianne shot a glance over her shoulder, "It does and doesn't. It depends on which side of interest you are on. Avelon seems to have caught the worst of it."

Brianne's tone was harsher than she intended, her irritation bleeding through. Jeera looked taken aback, clearing her throat. "Avelon is a unique name."

Brianne closed her eyes, pursing her lips.

"I don't mean to be rude," Brianne began, her voice trembling, "but I really have no interest in making small talk when my friend is laying here half-dead." Brianne snapped, turning fully to face a wide-eyed Jeera.

Brianne's outburst hung in the air, the silence heavy with tension. Jeera swallowed hard, not daring to speak.

"I'm not dead." Avelon's gravelly voice, barely more than a whisper, made Brianne's heart skip a beat. She spun around, her breath catching as if the floor might give way beneath her.

"You're awake?" Brianne's voice was a mixture of disbelief and relief.

"I am," Avelon replied, attempting a nod that only made her surroundings tilt dizzily. "Unfortunately."

Brianne's relief overflowed as she yelped and pulled Avelon into a fierce embrace. Avelon's eyebrows shot up in surprise, Brianne never hugged her.

"Are you dead?" Avelon voice, though weak, was laced with a playful edge.

"No, Gods no- just relieved to know you're not!" Brianne swiped at her face to relieve the strain of constant frowning.

Avelon managed a faint smile, her gratitude mingled with the discomfort of her battered body. The sound of Jeera moving caught Avelon's attention, her head turning with effort.

"Who are you?" Avelon asked, her voice hoarse, her throat desperately needing moisture.

"I'm Jeera, I arrived here Yesterday." Jeera's smile was timid as she watched Avelon.

Avelon's gaze slid slowly towards Brianne, her eyes filled with surprise. She had not expected the room to fill up quite so soon.

"Refusal?" Avelon muttered the question, wondering aloud.

"Yes, I don't agree with murder." Jeera's words carried more confidence than she had physically portrayed, her eyes shining with defiance and fire amidst her nervous fidgeting.

"Good, we need more fae like you." Jeera's eyebrows furrowed, not expecting their quick acceptance.

Brianne smirked, "What Avelon means is that we feel the same way, and it's good to have more of us sticking together."

Jeera smiled, "Are we doing anything about it?"

The question came as a shock to both Avelon and Brianne. They both knew they were looking for a way to end things, though an in-depth discussion surrounding the topic had yet to take place. They shared a brief look, considering the consequences of letting Jeera in. Brianne nodded so slightly that Jeera would have missed the movement, rousing up a spark of revolution within Avelon.

"Not yet, do you have any proposals?" Avelon managed to painfully prop herself up onto her elbows, earning a clear view of Jeera.

She was beautiful in a way that can only be described as a warm hug. Her dark, smooth skin was contrasted by her black hair which ends' were a light blue and white hue. An interesting look that may have reminded her of Elha, but she cautiously swept the unnecessary comparison aside. Jeera's chocolate eyes were warm, comforting, trustworthy and kind- the polar opposite of Elha's.

Jeera studied Avelon just as closely, considering her companions carefully.

"I don't, but I would like to believe there's a better way of living. For my little brother's sake." Jeera's voice caught at the end of her words, her pain and sorrow evident.

Silence filled the room once more, a bit lighter and more comfortable. Jeera's words hung in the air to contemplate and evaluate. Avelon's eyes fluttered as exhaustion overtook her, she could hardly believe she had even managed to wake up. Her body was barely functioning on reserve.

"You should get some rest." Brianne gently clasped Avelon's shoulder, her eyes still reflecting concern.

Avelon was relieved to have found Brianne. "I think I might take you up on that offer," she replied with a lazy smile, her words slurring.

She would sort through everything that had happened once she awoke, but for now, her body needed to recover.

"Jeera." Avelon's tone was firm, making Jeera stumble forward on the bed in anxious anticipation.

"Move closer, would you?" Avelon winked before collapsing onto her bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, exhaustion took over.