Alesandria trained vigorously the next day. She woke up before dawn broke through the stormy skies, put on her best clothes that Draco had kindly provided to her, and made sure to keep her newly sharpened dagger with her.

Training was every bit as difficult as she predicted. First, Draco and Castrin led her over to a near mountain just on the outskirts of the lake and demanded her to climb it. Needless to say, she earned herself many cuts and bruises as the crumbling stones nearly took her life. After that, she practiced more mental training with Yongui, Venix, and Onyx before sparring with them and learning to use her powers to her advantage.

It wasn't easy calling on to her powers, knowing that her powers liked to make unsuspected appearances in the midst of fear and anger and confusion. But with the help of not so pleasant memories and angry slurs, bright lights of her magic shot from her veins and we surprisingly a little more tameable.

After being mentally worn out, Lucien and Rheynoak taught her the ways of a desert warrior. Rheynoak was less engaging as his unhappiness with her decision still weighed on his mind but even Alesandria had to admit that Lucien was a skilled fighter. His moves were smooth, perfectly times and his fingers knew their way around weapons and blows.

He taught her how to perfectly time her moves, how to avoid the jabs a sword and the quickness of her feet when under attack unexpectedly. The Hell Siphon made sure to not miss a single step with her as he taught her his ways of a true desert warrior.

Towards the end of her training, Alesandria had to put what she learned to the tests. She up against everyone, hybrids and powerful immortals of all kinds. Compared to them, she was a mere human with a heart that did nothing but bleed for mercy, for pity.

First, Onyx attacked her with her sword, knocking her on her feet before Rheynoak took over to throw her against the walls. That was all the encouragement it took for the village girl to come on strong. She fought with the anger and pain that burned through her veins, the years of backstabbing and hunger that flashed through her mind and the undeniable feeling of what it felt like to be on top of the world for once.

Blood and sweat dripped down her body as she dodged hits and pushed back harder than she ever had before. The immortals around her recovered each time, stronger and faster but she made sure to memorize their attacks and use them against each other.

The evening was already in the night sky when everything was finished. They had all cleaned up and took a break, exiting the training room and sitting down at the long table in the dining hall. The delicious aroma of dinner that Parcia was cooking drifted from the kitchen, the sounds of Eros laughing as he helped his mother.

The rest sat at the long dining table, discussing what was to be expected tomorrow. Lucien had brought out the books that fit together to create the map of The Catalyst Moon, Yongui picking up the forest green book in her hands and turning it around.

"Where did you achieve such books?" she asked, her voice low and attentive. Her indigo eyes flickered over to the Hell Siphon who rested his palms on the surface of the table. Snow eyes flickered over to the hybrid, her fingers dancing around the bare inside of the book. "I found it hidden away in the shadows" he replied back to her.

A hum escaped her lips, careful eyes tracing the hardcover book. "The Book of Crojesian" she whispered so only those around her could hear. "I didn't think I would see this book again." At the sound of the name, Onyx raised her head, lifting her brows as she gazed at the emerald book.

"What do you know about the Kingdom of Crojesian?" she asked. "Beautiful kingdom, lovely family, bright future yet, unfortunately, they all died in one of the bloodiest wars Asxairo has ever witnessed" Yongui whispered, setting the book down. "The king, the queen and their daughter."

The Mind Siphon furrowed her brows, her memory briefly flickering to King Ferdin before she killed him. He himself had mentioned something about Crojesian, about a war that nearly destroyed everything.

Her emerald-ringed eyes glimmered, her gaze hardening on the book. "Which daughter?" Rheynoak asked, capturing everyone's attention. He simply shrugged, leaning against the table with a dagger in his hand. "There were two."

"The first one died when the kingdom was attacked the first time. The queen bled to death while her baby was kidnapped and supposedly slaughtered" Castrin informed, picking up the scarlet book with its pages missing.

"And the second one supposedly burned with her parents during the war. They never found her body" Draco replied back, snatching the two bare book covers away from his companions and returning them to the center of the table. "Return the pages back to the book when all is done," he told Lucien, avoiding eye contact.

The Hell Siphon pondered on his words but eventually nodded.

"Now according to this map, we have to perform the oath at the highest peak of the moon when the moonlight is the most powerful," Venix said, pointing to the center drawing of the ancient moon. "And we need a clear view of it. Nothing to render us of any distractions."

"The Erabon mountains are perfect" Alesandria chimed in. Her breath momentarily hitched in her throat but after seconds passed, she spoke without a halt, "When Onyx and I went there to train, we were standing on a flat edge, enough for all of us to fit on and there was a clear view of the sky."

"Perfect. The Erabon Mountains it is" Draco said, clapping his hands together. He paced around the table, keeping his gaze on the books that were close together on the wooden table. "According to this map, we need a witch to perform the ceremony and a clear memorization of the ancient words."

Castrin casted his gaze over to Yongui but she scowled him immediately. "I can't. My hybrid powers would interfere with the oath. We need a pure witch to perform the ceremony" she said, crossing her hands over his shoulders. "And unless you know one lingering around, I suggest you better start memorizing, summoner."

"No need to" Venix interrupted, sighing. Her violet eyes traced the picture of the moon, frowning at the damned thing. "I'll do it. I am nothing more than a BloodBone Witch. I can go through with the process."

Onyx directed her gaze over to her best friend, shaking her head. "No. What if you die during the process?" she asked, worry lacing her tone. The Bloodbone only shrugged, tucking a strand of white hair behind her ear.

"Then I die. There is nothing else to say or do." Her tone was final, set in stone and the sincerest in her voice earned her a smile from Draco and a tear-glazed blink from the Siphon who took a deep breath and nodded.

"Perfect. You can start memorizing tonight" Draco said, stopping beside Rheynoak once again. "No objections so far?" he asked his old foe, raising his brows. "I am utterly shocked, to say the least."

The tribe leader growled at him, pointing the dagger in his hand towards the emperor's chest. "Rot in hell, bastard" he hissed. A smirk pulled at the emperor's lips, a taunting laugh falling from his lips. "As long as you open the gate for me."

And with that, he continued his steps towards Alesandria, resting a hand on her shoulder. "And for you dear, Alesandria. I have something for you that you can use during the oath." Draco reached into the pockets of his jacket, pulling out a hand-crafted diamond dagger with a ruby embedded in the middle of the head.

He placed it gingerly in her hand, watching as her light eyes sparked with intruigment. "What am I going to do with a dagger?" she asked, twirling the weapon in her hand. "During the oath, you have to sacrifice your blood. First, you will simply cut your palm and bleed out just the right amount of blood."

Silence passed in between his words, his throat too dry to utter the next words. All eyes were on him, waiting for what he had to say, what he didn't want to say. "But then, you will have to stab yourself in the heart and be on the brink of death before you fully unlock your powers."

An outrage exploded through the dining room, numerous voices shouting and cursing at him. Words overlapped, overwhelming both the emperor and the village girl, some whispered in languages they couldn't understand and some whispered in threatening voices that were too hoarse to decipher.

"Stupid, idiotic fool, you will kill her!"

"We might as well stab her in the heart right now. The plan was for her to become her true self not to die in the arms of the oath."

"She doesn't have to sacrifice herself. There is no point to the oath then if she dies in the middle of it."

Voices crashed against each other and tempers rose. Alesandria hissed, burying her fingers in her hair in frustrated grips and sighs that burned deep within her skin like an ember. An aching force was eating at her heart, painfully and slowly and another piece of her mind fractured.

"Stop it! All of you!" The village girl pounded her fist on the table and golden light burst from her fingertips. It was fueled by anger, driven by fear and her powers shook the room in a blinding storm. It sent a wave of raw energy that rippled through the room and captured everyone's attention, knocking some off of their feet.

"I don't care if I die during the oath. All of you have made the decision to sacrifice your happiness, your life, even your powers to help someone like me. An abandoned orphan who is still so confused about her life. All of you came from far regions, kingdoms and realms I had no knowledge of yet you came to save me."

Her voice cracked in between her words, salty tears spilling in her eyes as she took a look at the people around her, those who she had come to call her saviors, her friends and her soulmates. Those who threw away their futures, dreams to save her broken soul.

"Thank you all for helping me, for going on this crazy journey with me and helping me discover who I really was. Without you all, I might not have lived up to this point. My heart is no longer pure as my body is not and who knows how many years I have before my death meets me. But thank you all for staying with me. " Alesandria paused momentarily to wipe the tears away from her eyes, sniffling as she did so.

She turned her gaze over to the dagger in her hands, stroking the ruby jewel embedded in the middle of the sword and down the crafted point.

"If I die tomorrow, then so be it. It was meant to be and my family will no longer be tarnished by my spoiled reputation. Don't weep if I die. Do fight if I die." Her thumb pricked against the sharpened edge, blood drawing from the nick on her sensitive skin "Just let me go"

Silence dawned in the dining room, nothing but labored, choked breathing and sobs escaping Alesandria's lips and the indecisive expressions on everyone's faces. Darkness settled in the sky outside, the moon twinkling high and mighty in the sky.

"You are very welcome, darling. Your heart is pure, Alesandria even if you don't see it. I can see the light in you" Draco whispered to her after minutes passed by, his tone hoarse and deep. "Keep it. I lost mine a long time ago.

The village girl mustered a smile, gripping onto the dagger.

"We all want what's best for you, Alesandria" Castrin spoke to her softly, capturing her attention. Those starry eyes stared into her green-gray eyes, a red hot spark burning between their gazes. His lips frowned, his steps moving closer to her until they were only inches apart.

A thumb brushed against her flushed cheeks, wiping away the tears. "We all want you to live." This time, the Dark Magic Summoner cupped her cheeks, stroking the skin of her cheeks. "You won't die tomorrow. I swear on the stars."

Alesandria stared down at the dagger in her hand again, shaking her head as she brought her gaze to meet his again, a painful smirk on her lips. "Don't curse the stars, darling."

Onyx stepped out of the bathroom in her scarlet nightgown, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Dinner had settled into her stomach and after that long and exhausting meeting with Alesandria, she craved nothing more than a cold bath to wash away her worries and drown her mind.

Although her mind was still buzzing with the effects of the wine.

But what she didn't expect was to find Rheynoak by her bed, her sword in his hand as he admired the ruby embedded in the middle of her weapon. "Put that down before I use it on you," the Mind Siphon said, taking several steps towards him.

The Hell Siphon looked up just in time to see her snatch the weapon from his hands, placing it underneath her bed before letting the sheets conceal it from plain sight. His hazel eyes scanned her exposed skin in the scarlet nightgown she wore, his throat tightening when his eyes grazed upon her chest.

"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her hand over her chest. "Come here to finally apologize for this mess you've dragged me into?" Rheynoak snorted, running his fingers through his dark, damp hair. "Apologize for what, Onyx? There is nothing to plead your forgiveness for."

"Nothing to plead my forgiveness for? Bloody stars, Rheynoak you give yourself too much dignity" the Siphon snarled, leaning herself against the headboard of her bed. "How about apologizing for lying to me, all of us. You knew about Alesandria for months and you could have sent yourself on this mission yet you chose me to come and risk my life. You treat Venix like she's not worth the crap on your show and you constantly strangle Lucien with your pathetic lies! The least you can do is apologize!"

"You don't anything about what I have done" the tribe leader retorted back to her. "Yes, I lied to you. I treat Venix like crap because the bloody witch has more power than she realizes and she's too stupid to see that. I strangle Lucien with my lies to shield him away from the horrible truth. There are others out there that want to hurt you. Different leaders, tribes that all have their eyes on you. If I don't suffocate you all with some of my lies, you might as well be dead."

He spat the last few words at her, her hazel eyes glowing as he shortened the distance between them. His fingers grazed past her arm, her gaze hardening on him. "I lie because I care."

"You care? I didn't even think that word was in your vocabulary" Onyx replied back, shrugging his fingers away. "Do you even care about me at all Rheynoak? About all of us? Because sending me on dangerous missions, letting me risk my life out there for your benefit is not what you do when you care about people! Constantly making Lucien feel like crap and outcasting him is not caring and damning Venix to hell is not caring! Just say it Rheynoak, dammit!"

"I care Onyx! For goodness sakes, I care!" His palms slammed against the wall, backing the Mind Siphon into the corner. "Me creating a bond with the Ruges to keep you connected to me is my way of showing I care! Taunting you in your conscious, sometimes even doubting you is my way of showing I care! Pulling my head apart at night, wondering if you are okay is how I show I care!" His voice was heavy, deep. Onyx's breath caught in her throat, those golden eyes watching him as he breathed heavily. His breath was cold, his face only mere inches away from hers.

"I care about you so much. More than you'll ever know" he said in a calmer tone, cupping her face in his hand. "Yes, I don't know how to show it. Hell, I'm terrible at showing how much I care."

His touch grazed underneath her chin, down to her fingers and for a minute, something softened in those torturous eyes of his. His words were gentle, perhaps heart-shattering when he whispered, "And it's not just because I'm in love with you."

Onyx caught her breath, her eyes searching his for any ounce of lies. But there was nothing this time, only hazel eyes that held her gaze as he uttered those words to her again. "I'm in love with you, Onyx Ashrevion."

"I can't do this with you, Rheynoak" she whispered back, shaking her fingers away from his touch. "I can't get involved with you for one night no matter how much I want you too."

"Then, don't" he grunted back, cupping her face in his large hands. "This isn't about wanting or needing, Onyx. You drive me insane, almost to the point of insanity and I can't take it."

His gaze caught her off guard and the closeness of his body against hers had her cheeks burning, her heart racing against her ribcage. "This doesn't have to be for one night. This can be forever." Her breath was uneven at his words, her heart aching.

"Be mine, Onyx. Be my queen."

Not waiting for her answer, the tribe leader lifted her chin and crashed his lips with hers. The kiss was fast, hasty and fueled with a fire that burned her. His lips were warm, delicate and Onyx found herself sinking into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him closer to kiss him deeper. Her body arched against his and her hips buckled, a curse falling from her lips as she did so.

A moan crawled from his lips, meetings hers as he lazily traced her curves through the silk gown she wore, grasping hold of her body tightly.

"Your queen?" Onyx moaned as he caught her lips between her teeth, sucking gently before letting go. Rheynoak nodded, intertwining his fingers in her hair, his hazel eyes flickering towards her.

"My queen."

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

Well, Onyx and Rheynoak finally kissed and boy was that a build up! So much tension, so many confessions and feelings combined into one moment. So many secrets and mystery lingering in the darkness.

Ahh..let's save that for another time XD

The Catalyst Moon is coming up in the next chapter and with that, The Catalyst Oath. And boy will that be a showdown!

Hehehe!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

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

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May