Onyx knew the headache that rattled her head was Rheynoak's doing and her foolishness for trusting him.

She had woken up to sunlight on her face and her body covered in sweat. She looked around briefly, recognizing the bookshelf to her left and she sighed in relief.

She was in her room.

Her body was numb as she attempted to roll over and sleep, her fingers gripping the sheets. She closed her eyes to recall any memory of what had happened after but a blank slate sat in her mind.

She tried for what seemed like an eternity to recall her memory but the harder she tried, the more scattered her memory became.

In the last attempt, she managed to crawl out of bed and take a bath, changing into a pair of clean clothes and gathering her sword before she ventured outside.

She had to speak with Venix. She always had the answer.

The tribe grounds were unusually quiet as she looked around, a frown on her face.

Was it the same day or had weeks passed by?

Her memory failed her but she knew one thing for sure. The aching of her bones suggested she had slept through more than one day.

The door to Venix's hut was open when the Mind Siphon was close enough to see the fragile hinges of the door hanging completely off the scale.

Immediately, her frown dropped, her hand curling around her sword as she closed the space between the door and her.

Placing one hand on the broken door, Onyx pushed herself into the hut to discover the filth Venix had made of her living space

Thousands of pages were torn and scattered on the floor. Broken objects were shattered into ruins, glass scraping against the floor.

An ink jar was spilled across the carpet, tainting any piece of paper it touched, and in the middle of everything frantically sat Venix.

She flipped through the pages of a book in her hand, her hands fidgeting as her violet eyes scanned across the words. Her hair was a mess, her skin sickly pale and sweat and blood stained her thin shirt.

Onyx watched with surprise and confusion as her friend launched the book into the air, watching as it hit an item off her desk.

She bent down to take a closer look at the scraps of paper, her eyes growing wide when she realized they were torn pages from the books she had taken from the book of Aysein. She picked up a page, sighing at the ruined words.

"No, No!" Venix screamed as she ripped the piece of paper out of the book and crumbled it in her hands. Then just as quickly, she tossed it to the floor.

"Venix!" Onyx hissed her name, rushing into the room to her friend. The BloodBoone lifted her eyes to meet hers, her fingers shaking.

A gasp left her lips, followed by a sloppy attempt to get up. Cold, clammy hands grabbed her wrist. "Inerisinyanimesimatiyichilali. be'inyahulumimesimatiyichilali" the witch uttered, taking in deep breaths to stabilize herself.

The Siphon watched in panic, her wrist locked in the deadly grip of her friend. "Venix, what are you rambling about?" she asked, shaking her head.

Venix pulled her to the floor, pinning her wrist down as she shouted in her face. Her knee dug into her chest, pain biting into her bones as she gasped for air. A strangled gasp of pain left Onyx's lips, her bones numbing to nothing but air.

The bones in her wrist cracked, pain shooting through her hand as Venix snapped it backward. Onyx stifled a scream, biting down on her lip as Venix held her there on the floor, staring with wild eyes. Before she could comprehend anything that was going on, the BloodBone has already buried her sharp nails into her skin, drawing blood.

Onyx snarled, inhaling a sharp breath as she kicked her legs in the air, aiming for a weak spot. The front of her boots crushed against her ribs, hearing bone crack on impact. The force was strong enough to push Venix off her and onto the floor, her head cracking against the carpet and her eyes going black.

Cursing to herself, Onyx wrung her wrist in her hand, snapping the bones back in place and cracking her fingers. She kept her eyes on her friend as she got up from the bed, looking around the room for any answer that would explain what she had just witnessed.

She looked down at Venix who was rocking on the floor, knees drawn to her chest and her face flushed red."Inerisinyanimesimatiyichilali. be'inyahulumimesimatiyichilali." Venix muttered the words of the Hell Siphon language, shaking her head as she did so.

"Cum ego non rebar posse dementius." A sigh escaped her lips as she reached down to gently grasp the neck of her friend.

Her eyes searched her body for punctures, pulling down the neck of her shirt and turning around her wrist to look for clues.

Nothing.

Her fingers gently caressed the side of her friend's head as she turned her over. She snuck a white hair behind her ear, pausing on a scar just above the witch's ear. It was red and the size of a coin, with red lines and symbols, inscribed into the mark.

Anger ran through Onyx's body as she eyed the mark of a Hell Siphon, gritting her teeth together.

The mark of revenge. He was looking for something. He wanted to know something and Venix just happened to be his vessel.

Her body shook as she looked at her defenseless friend, feeling the heat of her body flush to her cheeks.

She was going to kill him. She was going to find him and bleed him dry forever laying hands on her friend.

"Curses" the Siphon hissed, cradling her friend's head close to her chest in an attempt to calm her down. She stroked her hair as she searched around the room for something, anything to temporarily break the bond Rheynoak had placed on her.

The scattered pieces of paper were no use but just five feet from her was a piece of wood, sharpened and shaped to a slicing point.

Perfect.

Reaching over Onyx took hold of the wood in her hand and held it just above the mark. It wouldn't be a permanent solution but it would buy Venix temporary relief.

With little hesitation, the Mind Siphon sunk the sharp point into the BloodBone's neck. A piercing scream, the sound of a thousand birds dying rattled the hut. Outside, she could see the others stop to peer into Venix's hut, their eyes widening at the sight. Onyx looked up, locking eyes with them as she raised her brow, daring them to challenge her actions.

They held her gaze before looking away, quickly brushing past the scene.

Black blood dripped onto her arm as she broke the stick off, throwing it on the floor. The mark was open, oozing out as much blood as possible.

"Liber sum." Life seemed to rush into Venix's eyes, her lips swelling with color and her skin flushing pink. She was warm and conscious now, pulling herself to an upright position.

"I'll take that as a thank you," Onyx said with forced humor, getting up.

The BloodBone Witch steadied her breathing, one hand resting over her heart while her other hand scrambled to get up, holding on to the edge of the bed.

With a groan, she pulled herself up while the siphon stayed on the ground, her eyes concentrated on the papers. "It's nice to see you awake from your slumber as well" the witch uttered, sighing. "I've been trying to wake you up for four days."

Four days. She's been out for four days.

How much had she missed?

Onyx couldn't even begin to think as her eyes traced over one of the papers in her hand. On one side of the crinkled sheet were symbols from different witch languages. Black ink smeared the page, erasing half of the words.

"Yashrufrridrglhisawakouweinsneaipolo" she read to herself, squinting her eyes carefully to decipher the words."If the stars aligned at the shadow of the moon."

"What do you have there?" Venix questioned as she stooped low next to her. "I don't remember keeping this in my spellbook."

"You won't remember a lot of things, wicked one" Onyx informed, shifting her attention to the other side of the paper. Drawn in the middle were vicious animals, a cross between a dog and some wild jungle runner. The beady eyes were shaded, their paws leaving prints.

A kingdom's symbol bore in between the animals, the symbol smudged and erased from ink spilling on it. An unpleasant shiver ran up her spine as she dropped the paper, shaking her hand against her pants.

"What do you remember?" Onyx asked, turning her head over to Venix. The witch blinked, a frown tugging at her lips. The color of her eyes had shifted to a garnet shade, a red ring outlining her iris.

Rheynoak's magic was still there.

"Rheynoak had me on the floor and stabbed me" she whispered, her hand grazing the flesh around her throat. A fading red ring lined the base of her throat. "I felt a lot of pain and then everything went dark."

Another frustrated groan left Onyx's lips as she pushed herself off the ground, lending Venix a hand as she pulled herself up.

This day was turning out to be impossible for her.

"I think we need to visit the leader. He has some explaining to do" Onyx seethed between locked teeth.

"And a grave to be in" Venix uttered with a vicious tone, blowing a strand of hair out of her face as she stomped out.

Rheynoak's chamber was quiet and lifeless as the two women pushed their way past the double iron doors that guarded his room.

Venix stepped through the room first, standing in the middle of the large room with her arms crossed over her chest. She hummed as Onyx joined her side. "So either he's invisible or he isn't here" the witch informed, her narrowed eyes looking over her shoulders to a dusty corner near the door.

"Or he's sleeping with yet another woman" the Mind Siphon added, scuffing at the mental image.

Rheynoak has never been shy when it came to the woman he slept with. Personally, Onyx felt a bit of disgust knowing just why the tribe leader was able to attract so many women. She, unfortunately, had been one of them a long time ago.

However, the feelings had long since died and now she cringed at any thought of any other women in his arms. Unless they enjoyed sleeping with someone who was no short of the spawn of some demon from the deepest depths of the underworld.

"I wouldn't be surprised if one of them were carrying his child right about now" Venix commented, walking around the room with a graceful kick to her step. Onyx laughed as she wandered around the room, taking in his impressive collection of weapons and trophies he had displayed across his walls.

Rheynoak's room was everything including impressive.

It was fit for a king.

The walls were a porcelain creme and long velvet shades covered the glass windows, barely any light spilling through the crack.

The walls were embroidered with metallic designs, and books arranged categorically into the shelves of oak bookcases. Next to it, a glass display of wine, whiskey, and other alcohol sat fermenting, and above were paintings of himself, of wars, of his prized possession that was displayed in a large frame.

It was all Rheynoak. Boastful and expensive. To say the least.

"We have to find him. I can't stay under his power any longer" Venix hissed, itching her neck. "It feels like a million needles are bleeding me out through my skull"

"He's not anywhere near the training camps or the dining or conference hall. So he has to be here" Onyx reminded her.

As soon as those words left her lips, the sound of water running was cut off and the shuffling of feet on the floor caught both of their attentions.

Onyx darted her eyes over to the bathroom door where she could hear Rheynoak whistling to himself. Panic surged through her, her feet moving towards the door.

"Well, seeing him naked can't be too bad," Venix said with a smug expression on her face as she impatiently waited for him to come out.

Onyx raised her brow as she turned back around, laughing to herself. "You are insane" she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as they waited.

"It's my middle name" she whispered.

The silence surrounded them like a thick blanket, the click of the door opening the knife that cut through the tension.

The tall, muscular figure of Rheynoak walked out, a towel crossing his hips to cover his decency. Onyx felt a knot tie in her stomach as she drank in his muscular form, feeling the heat of her body flush to her cheeks.

At this moment, she thanked her brown complexion hiding her blush.

"See, I told you it wasn't the worst thing to see him naked." At the sound of Venix's voice, his head shot up, hazel eyes wide with surprise to see the two women standing in his room.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised to see you two standing in my room" he whispered after a moment, a barely-there smile on his face. "It's something I'm used to."

Venix scoffed, followed by a mocking smile as she shook her head. "And while your fantasies might give you the wrong idea, we are here for something else."

A puzzled look crossed his face. "Oh really?" he questioned, sliding his gaze over to Onyx who was speechless for the first time in her life. "She seems to be here for me."

Onyx frowned, clearing her throat. "Break the bond Rheynoak" she demanded, looking over to Venix who was currently losing her warm complexion once again. "Break it and we are out of here."

The Hell Siphon hummed in amusement, running his fingers through his drenched locks as his eyes darted between them. His gaze was cold, not a drop of sympathy in his eyes.

Onyx watched him under an intense gaze, straying her eyes away from his chest. He smiled again as he matched her gaze, clicking his tongue against his teeth before turning away.

Maybe it was his dark-set eyes or the consistent smirk on his face that made her want to decapitate him every time she saw his face. But something held her back every time.

It might have been his broad shoulders or dark hair or how dominant he looked standing in front of her in a powerful stance, her throat becoming dry under his intense glare.

Whatever it was, she cursed herself for it.

"I think you want more than that Onyx" Rheynoak teased, walking towards her. Onyx took two steps back, repositioning herself back with Venix as he neared.

Under the sun, he looked ethereal, almost angelic with the way his eyes pooled gold and bronze and the sweeping manner of his gaze as he looked her up and down.

Onyx pressed her lips together, pushing him away with a grunt.

"Just break the bond. Let her regain her memory. Then you and I can talk" she offered, straightening her posture to look more serious.

A playful smile toyed on his lips as he rethought the decision. Onyx narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was going to do it. He always did in the end.

But being the impulsive ass he was, he loved prolonging moments.

"Do the damn thing already before I rip your throat out" Venix threatened when five minutes passed. "At this point, my hair will turn grey before he makes a decision."

Rheynoak smiled mischievously, taking several strides until he was in front of the witch. He glared at her with an intense range, so hot it could have burned a hole through her.

Onyx watched afar, witnessing how the tribe leader placed both his hands near the witch's neck. His arms illuminated embers as he absorbed the magic on the mark he had left until it was nothing but a fading bruise.

"Don't hold your breath" he warned, pressing both hands on either side of her head.

And as quickly as he had her by the neck, he grasped her head and snapped her neck. A clean snap was heard as Venix collapsed to the floor, still and breathless as death.

"Venix!" Onyx fell to her knees as she cradled her friend's head. She could still feel her pulse underneath her fingers and see the slight movement of her chest rising and falling.

Something within her snapped, a surge of anger flooding her senses and in a minute, Onyx rested her friend's head on the floor and stood up, locking eyes with Rheynoak.

Within a few seconds, the Mind Siphon stood in front of the Hell Siphon, her eyes lit and blazing with a fire buried deep within her. A snug smile drew across the tribe leader's lips.

Before she could comprehend her reaction, her hand reached back and collided with his face, his head spinning as he pulled back in surprise. A surprised look crossed his face as he massaged his jaw, the side of his face already bruising.

"You are vile" she spat in his face, the words hissing out of her locked teeth "Absolutely wicked."

Rheynoak scoffed, straightening his jaw. She heard the faint crack of a bone slipping in place, eyeing him as his eyes, now burned like a raging fire, concentrated on her. She saw the muscles of his temples twitch, his hands curling into a fist before falling apart.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, closing the little space between them. He held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity. She could smell the mint on his breath, watching for any flicker of emotions as he traced her face with his eyes. She felt her body relax, suddenly feeling small under his watch.

His hand wrapped around her throat, closing her airway as he held her there. Her body stiffened, a gasp escaping her lips as she clutched on to his hand. The last bit of air she had stayed in her lungs as he watched her struggle, every muscle in her body twitching under his grasp.

"Watch your tone with me. I wouldn't want to rip your tongue out of that beautiful mouth of yours" he whispered to her, tightening his grip.

Onyx gulped, holding her gaze with him despite feeling her chest burning.

He loosened his grip, planting her back on her feet. Onyx breathed in a sigh of relief, feeling her lungs fill with air as her body shivered underneath his. She swallowed her words, gnawing on her lips instead.

"Why would you do that to her?" Onyx questioned, looking him in the eye. "You didn't have to do that to break the bond. You didn't have to mark her in the first place and control her. You could have simply asked what you were looking for."

"Don't you think I tried asking? She didn't give me any answers so I did the next best thing. She proved herself to be useless once again but she will be up and fine in a few hours" he informed.

He walked over to his bed, grabbing the red shirt he had laid out. "While I would love to stay and tell you the long story, I can't. I have things to arrange" he informed.

The siphon watched as he tugged the shirt over his head and down his back, concealing his muscles. The tattoo on his hand flexed as he turned around, a smug smile on his face.

"So let me make it simple" he continued. "Your friend knows something and she won't tell me. Something Lucien already knows. Something you already know. I saw them talking this morning and I have no doubt she knows about your schemes as well."

"Lucien? They barely know each other, much less talk" Onyx stated. She scoffed again, shaking her head. "You're lying."

He chuckled again, shaking his head. "Whether they know each other or not, they share a common knowledge that I don't know and I promise on everything I love, I will do anything to find out."

His eyes went to Venix who was unconscious on the floor, a frown on his lips. His eyes locked with hers, this time determination sitting in his glare. "And I intend to do just that."