The next few weeks were slow with consistent progress.

Despite their fatal injuries, most of the Inner Circle leaders managed to wake up from their coma state and join their forces with Elsavior. Some leaders, like Seron and Cayah, were still visibly weak, but still refused to back down from the fight.

The wall that separated the Inner Circle from the rest of the world was still standing but was noticeably a weaker defense as opposed to the barrier that stood only a few weeks ago. Still, the other leaders pushed to reinforce their powers around the wall, creating a mini barrier that would hold out minor predators, but would certainly not stop the tribe leaders from invading.

Alesandria returned to the palace a week after the attack and immediately was drowned with minor details about Draco's condition, but she didn't seem to pay any attention. She spent her time wandering around the palace and participating in strengthening her powers.

Raiyah watched her with peculiar eyes as she grew closer to Onyx and would often question her powers and abilities and status with Draco. Castrin and her had seemed to grow incredibly close as well and he would often be right by her side or chasing her heels during training.

It was quite disturbing to Raiyah, but she knew that she had better things to worry about.

Like curing her brother of the coma he was trapped in.

Raiyah visited her brother's body every day to the point where the guards wouldn't question her presence. Even though a month was creeping up around the corner, he has not shown any signs of progress.

He was still stone-cold, rigid, and barely responding to her touches. Even his magic wouldn't respond to her. It only seemed to acknowledge her presence when Onyx accompanied her to visit his body.

His tattooed and Ruge arms were the only thing that seemed to respond to her. With each visit, there would be a new Ruge on a bare spot she hadn't noticed before. Recently, the silhouette of another Ruge has been forming on his right arm where there used to be a bare spot.

It didn't match any of the Ruges she had on her arm, but it seemed to take a life of its own and grew darker with each passing day. On top of the collateral damage that she was standing on, the other leaders have begun to question Raiyah's leadership abilities since she had not ruled by her brother's side ever since she fled Elsavior centuries ago.

She understood their concerns. No one would want an inexperienced leader to take over the throne, even if it was only temporary, but it still hurt to know that the people she considered her friends doubted just how well she could handle her kingdom.

Sure, she refused to rule the kingdom and settled for a life of adventure and traveling but she was still her parent's daughter. She was still the crowned princess of Elsavior, and she knew her kingdom's defenses better than anyone.

There might not be a crown on her head, but she still held a decent amount of authority over her kingdom.

All these thoughts in her head were creating a searing migraine that seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. With a glass of wine in her hand, Raiyah wondered around the castle to the training grounds where she frequently checked on Onyx and her progress.

She had to admit. The siphon was beginning to earn a soft spot in her heart. Sure, she was cruel and unruly and never thought twice about her words, but there was no denying her skills, power, or agility. Within months of living in Elsavior, she had managed to control her unsolicited powers that were passed down from her hell-bent parents.

It was scary quite frankly.

Cradling the glass in her hand, Raiyah made her way down to the open courtyard in front of the castle where she saw Onyx surrounded by Alesandria, Sahara, Yongui, and Falcon. They attacked her from all sides in different forms. Falcon was flying above her, surrounding her in a cloud of darkness and battling with her in headlock combat while Yongui decided shooting arrows. She flew around the hybrid in a circular motion, her deadly arrows ripping through the air.

Sahara was coyer and chose to attack her in her shadow form. She crept around her silhouette, blasting wicked spells that would have knocked any magical being off their feet of five feet into the air. Alesandria, however, was the most intriguing of them all. She didn't with weapons or her flying abilities. Instead, she attacked her mentally with chantings. Her mouth moved in various forms as she spoke the ancient witch language, Iztezani. A language that inflicted one of the many dark mental curses of the witch empire.

Raiyah watched in horror and amazement as Onyx switched from her shadow form to her Silostrian form. Her black wings rose high in the air as she outsmarted the wicked path of Yongui's arrows and flew around her dodging her shots. Falcon came up behind and aimed a wicked kick to her spine before grabbing her wings and bending them back.

Onyx screamed in agony as she fell to the ground in pain, but the determination in her eyes never seemed to die. Her blood-soaked nails dug into the earth as she pulled herself up again. Her wings were still new and a bit weak, but the siphon had gained skill and knowledge as she used her Bloodbone magic to twist their blood in their bodies. She muttered chants underneath her breath, watching as the two magical beings screamed in agony.

They dug their fingers into their hair and dropped any weapon that was in their hand. Onyx didn't seem to mind, continuing to chant as she evaporated into her Shadowreaper form, consuming both in a cloud of darkness.

Then, like a blinding light from the sun, she used her Black Magru powers to cast a light spell that completely sucked the energy out of both warriors. Yongui and Falcon flew back a few hundred feet before landing next to the Palace stairs in a tangled, bloody heap.

Next, she came after Sahara. The skilled hybrid dodged her spells and chants with her protection charms. The two danced in their shadow forms, hitting and absorbing any energy that the other provided for them. Raiyah could see Onyx's true form underneath her shadow form. Her gold eyes were now a dark shade of green. Her fingers were talons and her pretty face was covered in blood, sweat, dirt, and tears. Eventually, Onyx got the upper hand when she casted a light spell that momentarily blinded Sahara. She seized the opportunity to attack her head on, scoring a straight punch towards the base of her skull. Sahara screamed and tripped over her feet, her head cracking against the floor.

Onyx towered above her and stooped down to sink her talons into her temple. Sahara's bloody cries shook the early morning sky as Onyx siphoned a part of her soul out of her body. Blood dripped from the base of her skull and Raiyah could see the light leave her eyes.

Before her last breath, Onyx grasped her neck and threw her across the courtyard, her body landing in a thorn bush in the far corner of the courtyard.

Now it was just the two sisters and they both seemed determined to kill one another. Raiyah finished her glass of wine and headed down the palace staircase where she examined the fight closer. Onyx was the spitting image of her mother, her dark hair stuck to her face and her teeth bared in a threatening manner as her eyes narrowed into suspicious slits.

Alesandria, however, resembled her parents equally, her eyes shifting from green to grey and the green ring around her eyes pulsating underneath. "Umŭt vi e moĭ i shte bŭde razrushen. Dushata ti e moya i shte bŭde razrushena" Alesandria whispered underneath her breath, her hands quivering as she summoned her sister and tortured her under the dark curse.

Onyx, despite being half Black Magru, fell to her knees in a weak effort as Alesandria slowly took over her mind. Raiyah could hear Onyx chanting a reciprocating spell that blocked Alesandria's. "Nijedna sila na ovom svetu me ne može vezati za tvoju tamnu dušu." The words were soft-spoken, but powerful and seemed to be working as Alesandria struggled to withhold her sister any longer. The two battled, locked in an intense mental war. Onyx's thirst for blood and revenge matched Alesandria's psychotic eyes. Raiyah watched in horror as the two beings slowly drained the life out of each other. Their eyes turned white and their skin began to pale as their powers refused to give in to the other.

The calm morning wind was now a rapid storm, sweeping leaves and dirt and the warm temperature had now dropped to an unbearable cold tundra. She watched in horror as the two sisters slowly crumbled to the floor, their powers to strong for one another. They held on for a minute or two before collapsing and falling to the ground, a huge wave of force sweeping their bodies further away from each other.'

The wind calmed down and the cold temperature became warm again. Raiyah looked around at the fallen bodies and stood among them as a witness, knowing well that this was the first of many wars.

"She's getting stronger. A bit too strong for my taste." Sahara sat at the long conference table, wiping the blood from her mouth as she collapsed into the chair. She was beaten and badly bruised from their morning training session.

Raiyah nodded and sighed, looking at the others around the table. Yongui could barely feel her bones and Falcon was wrapped in several healing bandages and had to carry a cane for the next few days before his wings completely healed. Across from them were other leaders. Emperor Seron, Empress Cayah, Empress Misa, Emperor Mavian, Empress Creslin, Emperor Reybeck, and Empress Imperia all sat on the other side of the conference table, each of them visibly weak with pale skin and closing eyes.

"We need her to be strong. This retaliation is happening in a couple of days and we cannot have her at her weakest point. She needs to be powerful and indestructible if she's going to be the driving force of this war."

"You saw her out there this morning" Yongui exclaimed, holding the side of her swollen face. " I don't know what witch she visited overnight, but she has grown to be skillful than any of us. If she can take down the four of us with little effort, I can't imagine what she will do to an entire desert tribe."

"I don't want to imagine" Falcon chimed in, shaking his head. "I've never met anything like her."

"Which is good" Raiyah encouraged, pounding her fists against the marble table. "If we are going to have any chance of overpowering the desert tribes, we need Onyx to be at her maximum potential. She needs to be a full-blooded, magic-wielding beast if we have any chance of winning this retaliation."

"What is the point of retaliating back, Raiyah?" Empress Cayah questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not to insult your authority, but Draco would never go through with such an irrational plan. We don't gain any benefits by retaliating back. Instead, we encourage them to attack us once more. If we want to stop this war, this is not the way to go."

The other leaders hummed indecisively. Raiyah could feel her cheeks burn underneath those who disapproved of her plan and suddenly, she felt small and worthless again. She could feel herself wanting to shrink back into the cloak that draped over her shoulders.

"This war is going to happen whether we like it or not" she protested. "The Inner Circle and the Desert Tribes have been locked in a cold war ever since we killed Raebar and took his body. Stealing Onyx, their only weapon, was the final straw. Whether we decide to take the high road or not, they are going to slaughter us if we don't do anything."

She glanced at the unconvinced faces of the leaders, some of them passing her dirty looks while others simply shook their heads. "We don't need what happened to Crojesian and Durvalieon to happen to the rest of our kingdoms" she continued. This time, she captured the attention of everyone in the room, a jarring reaction she wasn't prepared for.

"What do you know of Crojesian and Durvalieon?" Emperor Mavian questioned, a stone-cold look on his face. "While we were fighting in those wars, you were traveling to mortal kingdoms, ignoring your royal duties. Now you want to control the throne when your brother is on death's bed?"

"Don't you dare question me!" Raiyah exclaimed pounding her fists against the table. She rose from her chair, black clumps of hair falling over her pale face. "Whose students did you use as warriors when your armies were not big enough? Who did you ask to travel underneath the city tunnels to retrieve enemy weapons when you were too cowardly to do so? I may not have fought physically during those wars, but I risked my life the same way you risked yours! You, out of all people, should know why I stepped off my royal duties! Yes, I chose not to rule by my brother, but I contributed in ways you never could! I train young immortal beings! I risk my life traveling to those filthy mortal kingdoms to study their weapons and test their poisons to contribute to your cost. I have suffered and died and been resurrected many times all in the name of keeping the Inner Circle safe so don't you dare question my authority!"

"Raiyah" Empress Misa spoke out in a stern voice. " I don't think Mavian meant it in that way."

"I don't give a damn what he meant, Misa! I am sick and tired of all of you questioning my abilities as a proper leader!" Raiyah pushed on, ignoring the rest of her sentence. "I'm trying my hardest to keep Elsavior and everyone else safe. I don't want to see the kingdoms crumbling and I want us to survive this war, but if you truly want me out of here, I'll be more than happy to leave."

Raiyah took a deep, calming breath, focusing her gaze on the emperor who defied her abilities. Emperor Mavian wore a look of disbelief, his knuckles white and his brows drawn together in worry. His lips were pressed into a thin line and pushed his wife's hand away, balling his fist into his lap.

"I may not have a crown on my head or the title of an empress, but I am more than capable of ruling this kingdom and it starts now. We are attacking the desert tribes with our armies. Onyx is going to be the leader executing this attack. If you have any objection to this, gladly leave." With a final huff, Raiyah settled into her seat and took another deep breath. The rest of the leaders traded glances with the court members, but neither of them refused to speak upon the infuriated leader.

The door to the meeting room flew open and the silhouette of Onyx walked into the room. Behind her was Alesandria and Castrin who put a fair amount of distance between the siphon. Everyone held their breath as she took a seat at the farthest end of the table, a paper in her hand.

"Welcome back Castrin" Sahara said after an awkward minute passed by. He turned around and nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "Sorry I was not able to make it to this morning's training session. I was at the border wall."

"Is everything okay?" Raiyah asked, earning a reassuring nod from him. "Better than ever."

"And where is Orion?" she asked, noticing the missing court member. "At my house. I told him to look after Aznar and Estel along with Parcia and her son" Yongui answered before anyone could press the issue further. "He'll return later in the day."

"I'm not here for small talk." Onyx cut through the thick tension with her harsh voice. "I'm sure you are all aware of my powers and my improvements in the past week. I have devised a plan for the attack, including areas of weakness for the desert tribes." With a flick of her fingers, gold magic streamed down her nails and onto the table. An elaborate map began to carve itself on the surface of the fine marble. It twisted and turned until the tabletop became a weapon of war.

"This is a map of Rheynoak's tribal grounds" she explained, pointing at the familiar brass gate. "It's not protected by any charms or spells since it's so far into the desert. There will be no use going through the brass gates. However, the front entrance of the tribal grounds holds security, weapons, and is usually where Rheynoak is for the day besides his castle."

Her fingers trailed to the dunes farther back towards the end of the tribal grounds. "We should attack from the back. It's mostly stables and training grounds, but there is little security which means it will be the best spot for us to overtake."

"What about their tactics?" Empress Cayah questioned. "Surely they have some form of defense against attacks." Onyx nodded, moving over to the castle which Rheynoak resides in. "The castle is probably one of the best defenses. Only him and a select few can enter since it is surrounded by a very selective barrier. If anything, he will try to hide out in there so we should break the barrier first. As far as any physical defenses, his members are his best bet. Rheynoak rarely fights in combative situations. He's usually behind in the shadows and shields himself with the strongest members of his tribe."

"So, we kill them before they can kill us" Alesandria chimed in, pointing towards the huts. "The rarest creatures usually live in the first few rows of the huts while the more common ones tend to live in the back. So, we can split our army into several different areas. Some will attack the huts in the back, some will attack the castle, and some will slaughter the powerful creatures."

"And what about the other tribes residing on the tribal grounds?" Empress Misa asked, looking over the map sprawled out before her. "Rheynoak has been accompanied by some of the most powerful tribe leaders in the Desert Tribe circle. Surely, they will bring their armies as well."

"Yes, but they will all follow Rheynoak's tactics" Onyx explained. "The desert tribes tend to conform their fighting tactics to that of the tribal grounds they are currently staying on. It's something they do out of respect to the tribe leader."

"Well, I am not sure if they will go through with Rheynoak's tactics" Emperor Seron pointed out. "Considering they are using him as their bitch. If anything, they will go through with Rashnov's tactics since he seems to the one in charge these days."

"But it will all fall under the same tactics. They'll sacrifice their members first and go into hiding before even thinking about defending themselves" Onyx said, shrugging her shoulders. "They're all the same."

"It's a bit of a risky plan considering that the Desert Tribes will probably have more security now that they have attacked us" Yongui commented crossing her arms over her chest. "But this might work. It's worth a shot. I say we go through it."

Yongui passed a look to her fellow court members who passed indecisive looks. "We have nothing to lose," Falcon said. "The Inner Circle needs our help to defend it and we are its only hope. I think it's worth the risk."

"Draco would want us to" Sahara chimed in, her words striking an uneasy chord in everyone. The Inner Circle leaders tensed up and passed uneasy glances towards one another. Raiyah shrank in her seat, her fingers intertwining together. Finally, Empress Cayah spoke up. "We'll meet you at the wall tomorrow. If we are going through with this, we should plan an elaborate escape as well."

A smile erupted on Raiyah's face as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I'll gather the weaponry. Onyx, we should work more on your shapeshifting if you are going to survive this attack."

"And what about me?" Alesandria asked in a harsh tone. "Am I not a part of this?"

"You are, but Onyx knows the tribal grounds better than you. She'll be the leading force in this attack. You can train with Castrin to build your physical strength and try to break in your wings before we attack. Flying will be crucial."

With that final say, Raiyah excused the rest of the Inner Circle Leaders into the dining. They got up in silence, each of them bowing to Onyx as they passed by. Some of them acknowledged Alesandria as well but the princess paid no attention to them. Empress Cayah of Krayos was the last to leave, giving Onyx a reassuring squeeze on her shoulders.

The others waited until the door closed before breathing out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Onyx" Raiyah softly spoke, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "I would not have survived that meeting without you."

Onyx smiled, using her magic once again to make the map disappear from the table. As quickly as it appeared, the carving blended into the marble tabletop until it was indistinguishable from the cluttered pattern of the table. "Don't thank me. You deserve the credit" she replied. "Although, I have something else to discuss with you all."

The Siphon casted a look down to the paper in her hands, her eyes scanning the words scrawled on it. "What is it?" Alesandria questioned, leaning in to see what was written on the paper. Onyx pulled back immediately, folding it close to her chest.

"Listen. I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I had a dream a few weeks ago and it revealed to me that someone close to us might be a traitor" she said, setting the paper down on the table. "I've been having these dreams for a while now and I didn't pay much attention to them until the last one a few weeks ago."

"Who was in this dream?" Sahara asked, sounding concerned for the first time since she met Onyx. "This might be a cruel witch playing tricks on you." Onyx shook her head once again. "That's impossible. I haven't talked to anyone besides you guys. Anyway, I wrote down as much as I could remember from the dream."

Onyx went on to read what the mysterious figure in her dream had spoken to hear. She tried to read it with the same ominous tone that she had heard it in but her shaking voice and trembling hands said otherwise. Once she was done, she looked up to see pale faces and wide eyes staring at her.

"Are you sure you don't know who was in your dream? Do you remember what it looked like?" Raiyah asked.

"She was tall with dark hair and gold eyes and she wore a crown of emerald jewels on her head. She wore white with some gold embellishments" the Siphon described her, shaking her head. "All I remember is that she was very convincing about this warning. She told me to figure it out." Raiyah stood up from her chair, ordering the others to do the same. "It might be someone trying to contact you from beyond. We'll keep our eyes open" she promised, walking over to squeeze her shoulders reassuringly. "For now, keep that warning close to you. We have other things to worry about."

Raiyah walked out of the meeting room in a huff, the Siphon following her with Sahara, Yongui, and Falcon close on her heels. She pressed the paper close to her chest as she exited the meeting room, never looking back to realize the burning stare Alesandria shot in her direction as she stalked behind her sister with Castrin right on her heels.

"I hope you heard everything" Alesandria growled as she looked at herself through the mirror that hung in the bathroom. Her fingers lingered underneath the dark circles underneath her eyes to her thinning air that hung limply to her waist.

"Of course, I did, you swine" Heather hissed at the back of her, her voice echoing in her mind. "It's the only decent thing you have been able to do these past few weeks except for kill Draco!" Her voice vibrated down the bond, nearly snapping her mind into two fractured pieces.

"Now we won't be able to do so. Whatever forces are warning Onyx must know that you are under my control. How in the world are we supposed to execute the plan?!"

Alesandria clenched her head at the sudden increase of volume in her head. She winced and braced onto the sink for balance as the pressure in her head built to intolerable pain. "Every time I try to, Raiyah and Onyx are usually in the room. If it's not them, it's the rest of the court."

"So, slaughter them all, dammit!" Heather fought back, inflicting more pain. This time Alesandria collapsed on the floor, groaning and digging her fingers into her scalp as she attempted to stop the voice in her head. "Okay, I'm sorry! I promise I'll kill him" Alesandria pleaded with the tribe leader. "Just stop! Please!"

The pain echoed in her head as Heather shouted through the bond, her shrill voice the equivalent of daggers driving into her skin. Eventually, the pain stopped and Alesandria collapsed to the floor in a breathless huff, sweating beading down her forehead.

"We can't do it now because everyone is at the edge of their seat" Heather whispered down the bond. "Do it after the attack. Grab something, sneak into the infirmary room, and stab Draco directly over the heart. He's already weak so he will die within a minute or two when the dagger enters his heart."

"Why do I have to kill him?" Alesandria questioned. "Why can't I just seriously injure him?"

"That won't be enough to break the magical protection around Raebar's body. Draco needs to be completely obliterated for us to restore Raebar's soul into his body. Do I make myself clear?" Heather's voice was threatening and Alesandria knew that if she failed, no mercy would be shown in her direction.

"Crystal clear, master" she responded, bringing herself to her feet.

"Good. Never question me again." With a groan, Heather disappeared down the bond, her voice fading into the darkness. Alesandria groaned as she turned on the pipe and splashed cold water onto her face. The faucet drowned out any noise she could hear, including the knock that sounded on her door several times.

As soon as she turned off the pipe, she noticed the consistent knock on the door. Grabbing a towel and wiping her face, Alesandria walked out of the bathroom and to the door where she opened it to reveal Castrin. He stood in front of her with shy eyes and a frown. His cheeks were red, and his hands were shoved in his perfect.

"Castrin. What's wrong?" she asked, gesturing for him to walk in. He did so and turned to her with a concerned look on his face. "I should be asking you that question. You seemed irritated at the meeting. What's going on with you?"

With a sigh, Alesandria threw the towel on the bed and took a deep breath until her nice persona settled into her soul. She opened her eyes and batted her long lashes, running her fingers through her hair. "Everyone seems to care about Onyx and not about me," she said, taking a few steps towards him. He didn't seem to shy away, instead welcoming her with open arms.

Alesandria obliged, stepping into his comforting arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. She made sure that her fingers skimmed the delicate skin of his jaw, a weakness he shuddered at. "At first, it didn't bother me, but now it seems like I am the one being left in the dark. I always learn about plans weeks after it has been organized and Raiyah is treating me like I don't exist. It's starting to annoy me." Her last few words were hard and cold, her eyes flashing like white flames.

Castrin took a hold of her face, his thumb stroking her flushed cheeks. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Onyx is the last heir to the bloodline so she's the one everyone is focusing on. That doesn't mean that you don't matter. Your time will come. I promise you that."

Alesandria frowned even as his arms encircled around her waist and she could feel his heartbeat through his thick shirt. "And as for Raiyah, she's under a lot of stress right now. Her brother is unresponsive, and the other leaders are scrutinizing her."

"I can see why" she muttered underneath her breath, earning a glare and a playful shove from Castrin. "She's trying her best to hold everything together and focus on what's important right now. Give her some time. She'll come around."

Alesandria frowned and huffed, glaring at Castrin. "So, I have to continue to live under my sister's shadow?" she asked. Castrin shook his head, his fingers skimming the dark wisps of her hair and tucking them behind her ear. "Tell you what. I'll be there for you. Any plan we come up with, you'll hear it from me directly."

This promise sparked a wicked smile on Alesandria's face. She pulled him closer until their foreheads were touching. She could feel his breath on her face and his fingers lightly caressing the skin of her back. "Promise?" she asked in a sultry voice, stroking his face.

"Heart and soul" he replied, taking her hand and pressing a kiss upon her knuckles. He then placed that same heart over his heart where she could feel his heartbeat. She looked up into those eyes she knew loved her so dearly and deceived him once more.

"Good. I'll be needing your help from now on."

A/N: And that is the end of Chapter Thirty One!

I am so ready for this attack and for things to slowly descend into an inferno. It's the best part of my job here on wattpad.

Writing plot twists and turning characters against each other for pure entertainment. 

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