It wasn't easy navigating through the treacherous thick forest that Serius had to offer.

The paths were rugged and the weather was harsh on them. Tangled mazes of trees and vines led to dead ends and creatures with rows of razor teeth and poisonous bites were a frightening threat.

It seemed like a matter of life and death and death was hot on their tales but by the grace of whatever miracle was following them, Venix, Lucien, and Rheynoak were approaching the town square of Serius.

It was a hot afternoon, the autumn breeze brushing past their tanned faces and the sun rays raining down on them as they navigated their way through the town square. Rheynoak was grumbling some nonsense to himself, hazel eyes narrowed as he examined everyone while Lucien walked beside Venix, writing away in a black journal he had bought.

Venix didn't have much thought really, only following Rheynoak who led the way because of the bond he shared with Onyx. His usual black cloak blew around in the breeze but his usually tamed hair was shaggy and disheveled and a scruff was growing around his jawline.

They had to blend into their surroundings and showing up in clothes that were woven of fine material wasn't going to cut it. So a quick break to the seamstress store and a couple of threats and compulsions later, the trio walked out in ripped clothes that could have been fished from the gutter.

Rheynoak had decided to keep his cloak but everything was a dull color of gray and brown. Grey shirt shredded at the sleeves, a working man's stained brown pants, and rubber boots that did no good. Even his face looked slightly gaunt, his cheekbones more prominent.

Lucien had decided to ditch his cloak and put it in his bag, wearing a dark colored shirt that was missing a few buttons and pants that were slightly too baggy at the ankles. His feet were in stressed sandals that seemed to be falling apart, his bone white hair flowing about his face. The journal book and his beige bag completed his look.

Venix groaned to herself once again as she looked down at her maroon dress hat was shredded at the sleeves and ankles and had holes poked around the bust. Her comfortable shoes were traded for a pair of flip flops and her hair was bundled up in strained curls and held together with a clip.

The scolding hot weather only made the material more unbearable, sweat clinging to her dress and her skin. "Can you please work that pretty head of yours quicker?" the BloodBone hissed at the tribe leader as they maneuvered their way through the town square, easily blending in with the colors.

"Your stubborn friend put up her walls" Rheynoak growled back in a lone tone. "I can't see much of anything" he continued, pushing his way through the crowd as they attempted to get out. "Well if you hadn't threatened her so many damn times, she wouldn't have done so."

A scoff escaped his lips, locks of dark curls flying about in his hair. "Please. If she had obeyed orders and bought Alesandria to me, we wouldn't be in this mess right now."

"If you haven't caught the message by now, Onyx doesn't follow the rules" the BloodBone scorned him, waving away flies and pests that flew around her. Another mocking laugh escaped his lips as they pushed past an elderly woman who was selling oranges.

"I wonder where she got that from."

Five minutes later, they were out of the busiest part of the town square but were still unable to find where they were going. Several curses fell from the tribe leader's lips as he pleaded to Onyx through the bond to open up to him, just a tiny peak.

But all seemed to be silent as they waited in the shadows of an old building, dirt and crumbles falling over their heads. When he seemed to have enough, the tribe leader banged his fist on the brick wall of the building, frustration coloring his face. "The farthest I saw was a tavern," he said to both Lucien and Venix, shaking his head. "A tavern with a really bad taste in drinks."

Lucien tucked his book away, his blue eyes looking around for a friendly face that seemed helpful. A couple feet away were a few women that were passing him stares, giggling as he let his gaze travel to them for only a millisecond before moving on.

The BloodBone frowned.

On the other side were Immortality Prayers, mortals who worshiped immortal creatures and often passed their treasures and words of wisdom to others who usually scowled them for their love of the so called, 'inhuman, wicked hearts.'

If only they knew.

A group of children passed them by laughing, stopping only a few feet away from them, colorful handkerchiefs in their hands that were twisted into magnificent shapes. There were four in all. Two boys that were darkly tanned with sandy hair and two girls that were also deeply tanned with fire-kissed hair. Freckles dotted their faces.

"Are any of you good with children?" Venix asked, darting her gaze over to the two Hell Siphons. Lucien looked away, avoiding her gaze while Rheynoak scowled. "I haven't had contact with children in years" Lucien finally explained, his cheeks red as he scratched the back of his neck.

"And I hate children" Rheynoak simply explained, shrugging. The BloodBone rolled her eyes. "Of course you do." Leaving the tribe leader in the shadows, the BloodBone and the Hell Siphon next to her approached the group of children, composing themselves.

Their beady eyes immediately darted to them, curiosity lacing their facial expressions. "Hello" the Hell Siphon greeted in a sweet, deep voice, his lips tilting into a smile. The children waved back at her eagerly. "Hello, are you new here?" the one boy with the sandy hair and brown eyes asked.

"Yes, we are and we were wondering if you knew a tavern nearby," the BloodBone asked, smiling gently. The children tilted their head at them, their eyebrows raised in confusion. The girl with the slightly darker hair asked, "What are your names?"

A question not to be expected, the two magical beings stuttered, trading glances with each other as they attempted to come up with a name. "Well, my name is Layah" Venix managed to come up, licking her lips. "And I am Salin" Lucien replied back, mustering a smile.

"You have very pretty names" the two girls complimented, giving them a toothy smile. The two magical beings smiled. "Thank you," they both said at the same time, growing impatient. "Are you together?" one of the boys asked, tilting his head.

A thick silence crackled through the air, flickers of the kiss ringing through the BloodBone's head as she contemplated an answer. Her gaze momentarily landed on the Hell Siphon next to her who had a stone cold face, his gaze directed down.

A slick, icy feeling ran through her veins.

"Can you please hurry this up? We don't have all day" Rheynoak's voice barked, snapping through her thoughts. Scowling but nodding, the BloodBone turned her attention back to the kids, approaching them carefully.

"Please, all we need is a nearby tavern." The children contemplated, trading whispers to each other. After a few minutes, the boy with the blue-grey eyes spoke. "There is one a few blocks from here. It is next to an abandoned alley" he said, shrugging. "The drink are supposed to be good."

Bidding them a good day and trading some hugs, the trio abandoned the children as they walked quickly over to the tavern, the rays of the sun beginning to die out. Rheynoak walked faster, his cloak blowing behind him like a dark wind. "You know, both of you didn't answer their question of whether or not you are together. Seems like you are hiding something."

He turned his head slightly so that those piercing hazel eyes could meet her gaze before he tilted his head. "Well, are you?"

Venix shared a gaze with Lucien, his blue eyes churning with so much mystery and stories, her breath seemed to be caught in her throat. Her chest tightened, her blood boiling and for a minute she didn't know whether she wanted to talk or kiss him again despite the protests shouting in her mind.

A smile seemed to pull at his lips, red coloring his cheeks and her heart hammered against her chest.

Damn his insanely charming voice and beautiful eyes.

But he broke his gaze with her and turned back to the tribe leader with a cold scowl. "Shut up and keep walking."

They found the tavern, drunk people stumbling in and out. The smell of alcohol and sweat penetrated the atmosphere, a musky scent that could have been smelt from miles.

Except the tavern wasn't next to an abandoned staircase but rather a set of stairs that led down to a door. A smell radiated from their direction, not exactly pleasant but tolerable. "A secret staircase" Rheynoak breathed, running his fingers through his hair. Lucien reached out to touch something invisible, his fingers seeming to hit it.

He knocked on it twice and the sound of heavy glass echoed back at him. "A magical barrier that conceals the true location" he breathed, nodding as he let his fingers slide down. "It's smart."

"And an ideal place where Onyx would hide," the tribe leader remarked, earning a dagger-sharp look from Venix. The three went down the steps, each step echoing louder and louder until they reached the bottom. A beautiful black horse, grazing absently shrubs of grass, peered up at them when they arrived.

It didn't seem gaunt or alone from being out for so long, instead cole black eyes reflecting their expressions. Its mane was soft and shiny, kissed so many times by midnight. A whine left it lips before going back to grazing on the grass.

"She's fine and protected by the magic barrier," Lucien said, leaning down to pet the horse. The creature whined happily, kicking its hooves before going back to munching on the grass. A smile pulled at Venix's lips, her violet eyes brushing past his gentle strokes before looking away.

"The bond is becoming more tuned, persistent" the tribe leader said, capturing their attention as he faced a door. "She is definitely here. I can smell a Mind Siphon from a mile." The BloodBone rolled her eyes.

"That would have been useful a few minutes ago," she remarked, earning herself a stern stare. He ignored her, letting his hands trace the signature cross embellished on the door before he turned the phoenix shaped door handle open.

The hallway was dark and musty when they entered, the smell of ancient dust and books wafting through the atmosphere. Candles burned and died, dripping oil. Magic was pungent and alert in the air, suffocating almost.

"Bleeding stars" hissed Rheynoak, clutching his head suddenly as he collapsed on a wall, trying to steady himself. "Damn this bond" he hissed as he turned another hallway and stumbled his way down a long, windier set of stairs. The two magical beings followed him, watching as he panted and quickened his pace.

"The bond, it's growing stronger. She's closer and she's trying to keep me out" he explained when they hit the bottom staircase, stumbling through another long hallway. Sunlight was spilling through a window from somewhere, voices being heard.

The tribe leader groaned again, beads of sweat breaking on his forehead as he walked closer, his vision becoming a dizzy blur. The voices seemed to stop, listening to their steps. All three were close to the sunlight, just a few more steps.

When the first rays of the sun hit him, the tribe leader went down, collapsing on his knee and his fingers digging deep into his curly hair. Venix and Lucien ran after him, their shoes scuffing against the floor.

Lucien tried to help him up, pulling him by his arms but one yank and the tribe leader had him tumbling, his body hitting the floor with a loud thud.

"Venix?"

The BloodBone looked up at the sound of her name and nearly gasped.

Dressed in a loose midnight blue dress with golden eyes and familiar curls that tumbled around her face and a sword strapped to her hip was none other than Onyx Ashrevion.

"Onyx, Holy crap, you're alive!" She ran to her best friend who immediately welcomed her with a huge hug, pulling her in. The smell of burnt ash and fresh springs surrounded her, a huge smile on her face.

They pulled apart, laughing as they did so. "You're wearing a dress!" the Mind Siphon exclaimed, taking in the maroon colored dress that hugged her best friend's body. "Against my will, trust me." The BloodBone let a laugh escape her lips, shaking her head.

"Aren't you going to introduce us Onyx?" At the sound of a brooding voice, the Mind Siphon turned around remembering there were others that surrounded her. "Right" she replied back, clapping her hands. "Venix, this Castrin Madarlon and Yongui Mesacrai" she introduced, pointing the two hybrids that held heavy bags in their hands, books and clothes shoved into them.

"And this is Parcia and Eros" she continued, pointing to Alesandria's family who was sitting on a chair, reading books absently. The little boy that sat on her lap barely gave a nod in her direction, too focused on the words in front of him.

"And last but not least, this is Emperor Draco Vaolcris of Elsavior," the Mind Siphon said pointing to the handsome leader that raked his tattooed fingers through his hair, writing down notes in a notepad. "And Alesandria Erovex."

Venix's gaze landed on Alesandria, taking in the girl with pale skin and dark hair. She wore a creme dress that complimented the mirage of green-grey that were her eyes, a knife in her hand and a carved piece of wood in her other hand. Her gaze was lethal as she raised it to meet Onyx's gaze.

"It's nice to know Onyx has some friends," she remarked bitterly, whittling the wood with her knife. The BloodBone casted a gaze over to her friend who paid no mind, instead directing her gaze to Rheynoak who was still regaining his vision.

"You did this" he hissed at her when their eyes met, a growl emanating from his lips. "You cause so much damage everywhere you go. You can't even follow a damn order!" His fingers balled into a tight fist, veins highlighting his neck as Lucien let go of his arm. His gaze landed on Onyx, nodding at her briefly.

A scoff escaped from her lips, her arms crossed over her chest. "Maybe if you weren't a psychotic, impulsive being with the need to control everything, we wouldn't be in this situation right now" she spat back, feeling that bitter stab in her side every time the tribe leader was around her.

Out of all the things she missed about him, that was definitely not one of them.

"He's always been psychotic." The sound of Draco's voice had everyone's' attention, eyes swiveling to meet his gaze as he slammed a book onto a table and finally diverted his gaze upward, arms tucked behind him. His hard gaze lingered on Venix, questioning her before moving on to the tribe leader.

"Long time no see, Rheynoak" the emperor spoke in a gentle tone, contradicting the tribe leader's voice when he barked back, "I thought you were nothing but bones by now." A mocking laugh escaped his lips, short and simple as he shook his head.

He took several steps towards Rheynoak, not touching him but simply just staring at him. He was at least a couple inches taller than Rheynoak and he seemed more powerful with those dark set hooded eyes of his. Yet the tribe leader stared right back into those eyes, an ember burning in is eyes.

Ruby ringed eyes lingered on to his right-hand man who was silent, his winter eyes taking in everything around him. "Nice to see you again, Lucien" he uttered to him. The Hell Siphon looked away.

"So this is the famous Rheynoak we've all heard about," Yongui said, setting the bags in her hands on another nearby table that was nearly clustered with books. "He's more handsome than I had imagined."

"I am not some wild, rugged beast" the tribe leader spat at her, wiping his mouth clean. Yongui chuckled again, shaking her head. "You sure act like one," she said, running her fingers through her hair, gold bangles clicking against each other.

Alesandria stood up, letting her knife and piece of carved wood clutter to the floor. Parcia looked up, her eyes filled with intruigment as her daughter took several steps towards the tribe leader, inspecting his gaze. Rheynoak took her in with his eyes, smelling the magic off of her. Oh, she was a pure one, filled with an ancient, raw magic others would kill to have.

"So you are the man that sent Onyx to get me" she whispered to him, raising her brows. "The same man that wanted to hold me captive in a desert in the middle of nowhere" she continued, tilting her head towards the tribe leader.

Rheynoak sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "You are even more magnificent than I thought," he said, taking several steps towards her. She didn't move nor flinch, watching with careful eyes as his fingers grazed down her jaw. "And beautiful too."

Her instincts kicked in and her hand swung towards his cheek, slapping him so loud, the windows seemed to shake. "Alesandria!" Parcia roared in fright. "That is no way to handle someone." The brunette only laughed bitterly at her mother's comment.

"If you knew this man, you would slap him too" she hissed, watching as he grabbed his cheek in pain. Draco bit hit lip to stifle a laugh, casting his gaze over to Castrin who nodded his head in approval, crossing his hands over his chest. "Killer Instincts" he commented, a laugh falling in between his words.

"I give you points," Onyx said, her gaze lingering to Alesandria for only a second. Yongui nodded too. "Nice right arm" she commented, holding back a laugh.

The tribe leader growled at her, still holding his cheek. "I just wanted to keep you safe. There are others out that want you dead! If I didn't send Onyx to get you, who knows what would have happened to you!"

"Anything will be better than talking to the man who wanted to keep me as his own personal trophy" she growled back, raising her eyebrows at him. A voice cleared its throat and Lucien stepped up, resting his hand on Venix's shoulder."About that" he said in a calm tone, "Rheynoak wants to tell you something Onyx."

The Mind Siphon scowled. "What could he possibly want to tell me?" she asked, darting her gaze to him. "It has to deal with the mission. The real reason why he sent you."

All eyes were on Rheynoak now, even Eros who had looked up from his book to see all the commotion. When he didn't speak, Venix aimed a kick at his shin, causing him to nearly tumble again. "Speak, bastard!"

"What's your name?" Draco asked the BloodBone to which she frowned and said, "Venix Draywin. Listen next time, sweet eyes." Hearing her name, Castrin looked up, his eyes growing wide and his heart immediately falling to his stomach.

He traded gazes with the Emperor who only shrugged and smile.

Knowing there was no way out of this mess he had created, Rheynoak took a deep breath and told the truth. He spoke only for a few minutes but his words seemed to shatter something within the atmosphere. Every word he whispered seemed unbelievable but knowing their bond, Onyx knew it was true.

When he was done, impatience was replaced with anger. "Seems like we got some things wrong," Draco said, frowning in Rheynoak's direction. "How could you let her take the fall for it?" Rheynoak hissed, rubbing his sides. "Things got complicated" he simply replied back after a while.

"Unbelievable, you selfish brute! You sold me to death to save your own ass!" the Mind Siphon exclaimed, stepping in front of his crouching figure. "And you are preventing Alesandria from finally fixing her problem!"

"You don't get it!" he yelled back at her, banging his fist on the wall. "If she goes underneath The Catalyst Oath, she might die! The ritual is so cruel, so powerful that it can possibly kill whoever is being turned into a full hybrid. The same fate can happen to Alesandra."

"She can make decisions for herself, Rheynoak! Not everything has to be dictated by you and you are sure as hell are not going to show up here and demand everyone to fall underneath your power" Onyx hissed at him, banging her palm on the table, her face mere inches from his. Fire burned in those amber eyes, so bright and alive they almost burned.

"You are going to shut that mouth of yours and not intervene. She wants to go through with it so we see it through that she makes it out alive. And if you try to intervene even once Rheynoak, you will be the one dead by the end of the day, not her."

Taking a deep breath, Onyx finally relaxed, her chest heaving up as she took several steps back from his face, running her fingers through her short hair. The tribe leader was left at loss for words, his mouth stuttering as he tried to form words but ultimately fail.

Venix was even surprised at her friend's outburst, seeing how fired up and tempered she was. Even Yongui and Castrin stared at her with astonishment, seeing the amount of power that radiated off of her. Alesandria watched as the Mind Siphon raked her fingers through her hair once again, running a hand down her sweaty face.

Maybe, there were some initial good intentions in that cold heart after all.

The sun was beginning to sink, its light slowly dimming. The Mind Siphon brushed past her companion, resting a hand on her hip. "Listen, guys, we are leaving for Draco's estate by tomorrow so we can prepare Alesandria for The Catalyst Oath and keep her family safe " the Mind Siphon informed Lucien and Venix.

"I will explain more on the way but are you in or out?" she asked. The two magical beings traded glances with each other, momentarily passing their attention over to Rheynoak who was still stunned back to the determined face of Onyx and the broken soul that hid underneath Alesandria's light eyes.

There was no questioning.

"We're in."

A/N: And that is the end of another chapter!

Ten more chapters to go! *dances with The Septic Curse in her hand*

Ahh..lovely XD

There isn't really much to say here except the whole gang is here and shit is about to get crazy! So much is going to happen and The Catalyst Oath is going to happen and who knows if Alesandria will survive. Just so much!

And it's going to be great writing it and all the suspense XD

I want to know what your favorite scene was in this book so far? Was there a particular moment that you enjoyed reading? Tell me!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Thank you all so much for your constant support! It means so much!

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May