The insinuating screams of agony and chaos erupting from the palace could be heard from a mile away. The skies seemed to bleed a bloody red as Onyx whipped past buildings and twines of trees, receiving lashes on her skin as she fought to save what would be left when she arrived.

The smokey palace hovered just above the mountain curve and the mind siphon sped up until her feet collided with the dying grass of the palace courtyard. The cold wind settled into her skin, seeping through as she sprinted towards the door, beads of sweat trickling down her face.

She yanked open the doors, practically throwing herself on the floor.

"Onyx!" Azura's voice called out to her, a warm hand landing on her shoulder as she pulled the princess back to her feet. A spot of blood was bleeding from her split lips, her black wings retreating into her back with a strong gush of wind.

"I'm fine" Onyx quickly replied, brushing her hands over her dress. She looked around, heading towards the staircase and looking up to see the dimmed staircase. She raced up the stairs, her feet gradually slipping on pieces of broken glass and torn fabric. The banister slowly became slick with blood, some dried and hanging off to the edge like a haunting raindrop.

It was only when she descended upon the infirmary floor did her heart sink to the floor. There, waiting by the stairs, face forever scarred, and a haunting smile etched on his face, was the body of a dead palace guard. Shards of glowing glass stuck out from his chest, the ground around him, twinkling with the same mysterious glass.

"No...no." A broken croak came from Onyx's lips as she wandered around the floor. She could feel her heart prickle and the tears in her eyes gently trace her cheeks as she stumbled over palace maids and rivers of blood and broken glass. Weapons laid abandoned by their wielders and coat of arms were ripped to pieces.

The walls were smothered in bloody handprints and outlines of terrified faces before their lives were taken away from them. The drapes were abandoned on the floor, leaving the windows unprotected. Many of them were glassless or had an intricate spiderweb cracking into the glass.

A cold wind pushed its way through, rustling the carpet up to reveal more pools of blood. With each step she took, Onyx could feel her heartbeat quicken and her feet sink into the blood-soaked carpet as she approached the skewed door of the emperor's infirmary room.

The doorknob glistened with blood; the glass was broken in on itself. The guards guarding it were nowhere to be seen.

Either dead or somehow managed to escape.

"You don't have to go through, Onyx" Raiyah spoke out, stopping her in her tracks. "I could barely do it every day. I don't want you to face the worst. The absolute worst possibility that Draco might be...might be..."

Raiyah's words were cut off by a soft sob, choking the words of her sentence as tears streaked down her face. Onyx turned around to see Raiyah sobbing into Orion's shoulder. "I know, Draco" Onyx whispered, turning away so that the tears would fall without any witness. "He's resilient and an invincible force. It takes a lot more to strike him dead."

And with those powerful yet hesitant words in mind, the siphon pushed the door and stumbled into the dark and disheveled room. The bed was flipped over on its side, streaks of blood dripping into the soft cushion of the mattress. Broken glass covered the floor and the medicine and flowers that had been used were battered and sprayed across the room.

The dark curtains were torn, strangled, and thrown on the ground with pools of blood soaking into the fabric. The windows were broken in and the walls seemed to be streaked with knife imprints and bloody finger stains that refused to fade.

But in the mist and darkness of the room, the emperor's body was nowhere to be found.

"I'll alert the other leaders. We'll open a wide investigation that covers all the grounds of the Inner Circle and the desert tribes. Surely, they are behind this." Azura's harsh voice cut through the suffocating atmosphere of the room.

"Don't jump to conclusions" Iredine stopped her, raising a bony hand. Her fingers seemed to tingle, and her eyes grew large as she looked around the room. "I sense his magic. He's not completely lost. Can you feel him, Onyx?"

"I-I don't know how to sense him" she replied, her words breaking in between her hyperventilating sighs. "He's gone" she stuttered out, clutching her chest as she bent over in agony. Iredine rushed to her side, her cold hands biting into her warm skin.

"He's not. Look, I need you to calm down and listen to my voice" she said, raising Onyx's head so that their eyes met. "He's here. I just need you to sense him."

"Why me?" the Siphon questioned. "Why not Raiyah or Azura or Orion or anybody else in this room. They've known him longer than I have."

"Trust us, Onyx. Your connection with Draco goes beyond the number of years we have known him for. You share a deep bond, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not and he cares about just as much as you care about him. Maybe even more" Yongui explained. Her usually empty eyes were filled with the slightest hint of tears, her cheeks red with fever.

"Maybe you don't want to acknowledge it right now, but we need you to find him. Please." Onyx sighed, nodding as she wiped her tears and closed her eyes. "Now just focus on nothing, but Draco. What he looks like, sounds like, any strong presence of magic will do."

Yet, Onyx chose to do none of that.

Instead of focusing on his brilliant eyes or the glorious map of tattoos that tainted his skin, she chose to focus on him and how he made her feel. How every touch felt like her soul was being lit up by fireworks and just the presence of him in the room was enough to seize every automatic movement in her body.

The way his words managed to steal every breath in her lungs and his eyes seemed to focus on her like she was the only one standing before him.

How his never-ending generous acts embodied his smile that shined like a glorious ray of sun in dark times.

He was infinity and above the stars. Everything and nothing she had ever dreamed of. He stood by her through winds and storms, sun and rain, always supporting her, but never feeling the need to overtake her place or pushing her to irrational decisions.

He was loving, cunning, selfless, free, witty, ambitious, and ruthless. He was Draco Vaolcris, the emperor of Elsavior. The realm of nightshadows and stars

He was, in every way, her equal. Whether she chose to believe it or not.

Waves of strong magic flooded her body as Onyx opened her eyes to see her arm glowing brightly. It had an incomplete Ruge imprinted on her skin and tiny strings of light shot out of the Ruge, weaving a way that led to the back of the room. It was a dark corner with curtains thrown on the floor.

The magic light fell to the floor and illuminated the ground, forcing Onyx to stoop down and pull back the heavy material. There, lying underneath the curtains, was Draco, half-conscious and clutching his chest. He seemed to be breathing, but a wince came from his chest whenever he pressed the open wound on his skin.

"Draco..." Onyx reached over and pulled him to a sitting position. A grunt seemed to escape his lips, his dark hair covering his eyes as he shook himself alert. He looked down at his chest and pulled back his hands to reveal the wound. He cursed under his breath before looking up to meet her eyes. His expression went through a million faces before settling on a shocked expression.

His eyes grew wide and his mouth opened as he stared at the Siphon. "Onyx?" he questioned, reaching out to brush his hands over her face. She shuddered at his touch, tears streaking down her face.

"Draco" she breathed, barely managing to get the words out. "You're alive!"

With a gripping force, she enveloped him in a tight hug, reckless sobs coming from her lips as she hugged him close. A wince escaped from his chest as an arm snaked around her waist, pulling her up to her feet as she held onto him tightly as if she was going to lose him again. "I can't believe it! You're still alive!" she managed to stutter out through a shaking voice.

Before Draco could reply, he was swarmed by his court. Raiyah threw her arms around her brother's neck, sobbing into his neck as she shouted incoherent sentences that were mixed with joyful tears. Yongui greeted her old friend with a handshake before hugging him tightly, her eyes watering as she did so. Orion, Falcon, and Castrin enveloped him in a big hug, their teary eyes refusing to spill any tears.

When the noise calmed down, Iredine stepped in front of him, her eyes examining his open wound. Her eyes traced anywhere, but his face, a distinct red blush coating her cheeks. "I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but how do you feel Draco?" she asked in a soft voice.

The emperor took a deep breath, taking one shaky step towards his friend. She held her breath as he came closer, reaching out to touch her familiar red locks. Before Iredine could react, Draco threw his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. "Thank you" he whispered. "Thank you for helping me."

"Of course, Draco. I would do anything for you" she replied, pulling away. "But seriously, how do you feel?"

"Like I've been asleep for a hundred years. I don't feel too good. I ache everywhere" he complained, rubbing his wounded body. He examined the scars on his skin, picking at them as they started to bleed

"Well, there are bigger issues we need to deal with" Onyx informed him, wiping at her face. "The Inner Circle is minutes away from imploding on itself and we need all the help we can get now that Raebar is awake."

The emperor's eyes grew wide as he turned over to the rest of his court, anger setting into his expression. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? What happened?" he seethed, his cheeks burning red under his steel gaze. Raiyah sighed, walking over to her brother and settling a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to catch you up on a lot" she whispered, pushing him into a nearby seat.

Together, all of them explained the mishaps he had missed ever since he fell into a coma. The war, the capturing of Rheynoak, the evacuation, the breaking of the barrier, Onyx's trip into the cave and her encounters underwater. The story seemed to stretch on forever and by the time the tale came to an end, Onyx could have sworn the sky had turned darker and the sun was slowly descending.

Draco's gaze turned over to Onyx, his lips drawn into a straight line. He cocked his head to the side as if seeing her for the first time. "So Rheynoak is currently locked in the dungeons of the palace and Raebar has awoken once again? I must have been dead for that to happen."

"To be fair, you were just in a coma" Iredine explained. "It is possible that your heart could have given out for a minute or two, therefore, rendering your magic powerless and breaking the barrier around Raebar's body."

"I never flatlined" the emperor jumped in, cutting off her words. "Sure, I was unresponsive, but I could feel and hear everything around me. I couldn't see or speak, but I knew who was in the room and who or what was next to me." His gaze traveled over to Onyx who shielded her eyes away from him.

"But that doesn't make sense. If you were never dead, then how did the barrier around Raebar's body vanish?" Orion asked.

"You were still in a coma, Draco. Even though you were not technically dead, you were unconscious for a long time. The barrier probably grew weak and broke" Iredine suggested.

Draco frowned and nodded his head, his hand wandering over to a pulsing wound in his chest. Onyx eyed the scar, the way it bled from the initial incision.

Without any warning, she stooped down to examine it. Carefully, she pushed his hand away and dug her fingers through the opening of the wound. The emperor hissed and pain and reeled back as the Siphon felt the torn muscle underneath.

"This is a fresh wound," she said after a minute passed by. She pulled her hand out of the wound, her fingers coated with slick blood. "It's barely an hour old. You must have received this wound while you were still unresponsive."

"And how can you be so sure?" Iredine questioned. "There can be many possibilities for what could have gone wrong."

"I am a trained assassin. Killing people and examining wounds was what I did daily and I can tell when someone has self-inflicted a wound on themselves, how long it has been, and what object they used" Onyx explained. "And from the looks of this, this wound was made with a knife. The puncture is clean but deep and the skin around the opening is split as if he was stabbed multiple times."

"It could have been Rheynoak" Orion explained. "He's the only one with any means of getting revenge on the Inner Circle."

"But it wouldn't make sense for him to turn on everyone else. Rheynoak may be insane, but he is certainly not stupid. He is a calculative killer. He thinks his plans through, and he wouldn't be dumb enough to pull something like this."

"Trust me, Rheynoak is capable of doing a lot of stupid things" Yongui replied, rolling her eyes. "Think about it, Onyx. The Inner Circle is in a very vulnerable position, especially since the barrier is not there anymore. It's possible that he either did this on his own or has some connections that go beyond our knowledge."

Onyx opened her mouth to fight back but closed it, her cheeks burning red.

Draco sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Whichever path was taken, this is a dangerous situation. I won't be able to put that barrier back up once it has been broken" he explained, chewing on his lips. Onyx turned to him, brows furrowed. "Why?"

"While the majority of the barrier was composed of my magic, I enlisted the help of other magical beings to fully concrete my magic around his body so that there would be no way of him escaping in case he ever woke up. The only loophole around this rule was death."

"And who were these particular magical beings?" Iredine asked. "They should be more than happy to help us if they were willing to do it once."

"Serena, Goddess of the moon and sun, Hayde, God of the earth and the sky, Esmeralda, leader of the Winterborne Icelandic Tribe, and Theodora and Odon Methuselah, the rulers of the underworld," he replied after a few minutes. "They were the only beings strong enough to help me solidify the barrier."

"Esmeralda? As in Lucien's sister?" Onyx asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure who she is related to or where she is now" was his reply.

"And where are these magical beings now?" Yongui asked. "If we don't get that barrier up, Raebar will surely slaughter us all."

"Serena and Hayde are always traveling, fulfilling their duties. I don't know if Esmeralda is dead or alive, but as for Theodora and Odon, they are almost always in the realm of the dead, so they are the easiest to contact."

"We can make calls later" Iredine suggested. "But as of right now, we need to alert the other leaders that Draco is awake, clean up the palace, and send temporary guards to Raebar's burial site. If we split up the tasks, it will be much easier to handle."

"I can contact the other leaders" Raiyah suggested, reaching to take the crown off her head. "I won't be needing this anymore. The true leader has arrived" she announced, placing the bejeweled crown on her brother's head. He smiled at her, patting her on the head. "I will check on the migration to Navidia and send guards to check on Raebar's body."

"The rest of the court can split up. Half of us can clean the palace while the rest of us travel to the Desert Tribes and track their activities. We will make frequent reports back to the Inner Circle and prepare for battle."

"And what about you Onyx?" Draco asked, turning over to her. "What will you be doing?"

"Questioning Rheynoak until he cracks. I have my ways with him" she replied. The emperor nodded, patting her shoulders. "Just try not to kill him. We need him as an advantage against the Desert Tribes."

"No promises but I can try" she responded. "Come on. We need to get going."

With a huff, Onyx grabbed Draco's hand and headed for the door, the rest of the court following her. She made her way around bodies and pools of blood, turning right to a narrow hallway that was once white, but now was stained with remnants of blood.

Onyx took a few steps forward, her brows furrowing. Dark magic sizzled through the air, disturbing her magic pulse in her body. Her body froze, her fingers squeezing Draco's hand as she remained silent, ushering the others to stay silent with a finger to her lips.

The Mind Siphon snuck around the tall pillars, every step seizing the magic in her body until her foot tripped over a lump on the ground. The figure was rather long and the white dress it wore was flipped upward to cover the face although the large lacerations curling around its arms were visible as daylight.

Carefully, Onyx kicked the dress down and her heart stopped in her chest. Every movement in her body froze as she stared down at the pale face of Alesandria staring back at her with wild, lifeless eyes, her mouth slightly agape to allow a river of blood to pool down her lips.

A knife was protruding from her stomach, blood coating her fingers as she laid there, bleeding to death.

"Alesandria!" Onyx fell to her knees, her arms immediately wrapping around her sister's shoulders. She felt around her face for a pulse, hugging her sister's lifeless body close to her chest.

A slight pulse could be felt underneath a jaw and Onyx breathed a sigh of relief, tears falling down her face.

"Please, Ales. Speak to me. Anything" she whispered through salty tears, but nothing but a grunt escaped her sister's lips, her body slumping against the Siphon. The magic in her arms glowed faintly but that seemed to be the only sign of any life.

Castrin gently wrapped his arms around Onyx and helped her up, taking on the weight of Alesandria's body and carrying her in his arms. "We need to perform a procedure to remove the knife unless she is going to bleed out if we pull it out now" Iredine commented. "I would help, but I don't have any medical tools with me."

"I might be able to help" Raiyah suggested stepping forward. "I'm no expert but I've been stabbed enough times to know what to do." She grabbed Alesandria's pale hand and examined the bulging veins. "There might be more wounds present on her body. We need to get to a resting area quickly."

Raiyah pushed Castrin towards the quickest exit, getting ready to follow along as well. Before she could get any further, Onyx grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "Will Alesandria be okay?" she asked, her voice cracking on the last few words. "She can't die. Not now."

"We'll try our best to save her" Raiyah replied, squeezing her hand. With a reassuring hug, she nodded and left alongside Castrin and an unconscious Alesandria.

Onyx tried to wipe the tears from her face, but there was no stopping the tears. "We should get going" Draco reassured, turning to everyone else. "All of you know your assigned roles. I expect you to follow them to perfection."

The court and Iredine nodded promptly before disappearing into thin air. Wisps of smoke was the only trace of their existence. Onyx sighed, raking her fingers through her long tresses. Draco's hand settled on her shoulder, turning her around to face him.

"We'll figure this out, Onyx. Somehow, we will" he reassured, stroking the curve of her cheek. Onyx forced a smile on her lips, breathing out a little sigh of relief. "I know" she uttered in a soft yet unsure tone. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Speaking of, thank you for checking up on me when I was in a coma. You didn't have to do that" he spoke in a quiet tone. His words were whispered, and a shade of red was crawling on his cheek, flushing his face as if he had been in the sun all this time.

"You could sense me?" she asked. The emperor nodded before pointing towards her Ruge. He extended his right arm to reveal an exact copy of the incomplete imprint on her arm. "This kept me bonded to you even when I was in a coma. I could sense the others as well, but you were always a constant presence. Even when you were far away, I could feel your magic and read your emotions. Almost as if I was in your mind."

Her heart jumped inside her chest, a blush coating her cheeks. "Well, at least you had someone to keep you company."

A smile lit his face, his hand falling to trace the outline of her arm. "You've improved greatly. Better control of your powers. Your mental state of mind has grown stronger as well as the physical aspect of your body and you have finally attained control of your wings. I bet they're glorious."

"Better than yours" she replied, earning an eye roll from the emperor. "We'll see about that."

"In any case, I have someone to question and possibly hurt," Onyx said, backing away from the emperor. "You're more than welcomed to join me if you choose to do so."

"I'm not exactly dressed for the role" he replied, gesturing over to his ragged appearance. Onyx shrugged, tugging him along. "You just woke up from a coma. It's acceptable not to look your best."

"How insulting" Draco retorted. The Mind Siphon rolled her eyes, descending the stairs. "I'm getting a head start. I'll see you downstairs if you ever make it."

Draco looked on as she disappeared down the stairs, wondering how he had lived this long without her in his life.

The blurry outline of the dungeon ceiling spun in Rheynoak's eyes as he struggled to keep conscious. His stomach growled with hunger, his aching fingers struggling to set him free from his confinement.

"I'm sorry father for I have let you down and tainted our family name" he whispered to himself, coughing into his knees. Drops of bloodstained his skin, a copper aftertaste lingering in his mouth. With a sigh, he leaned against the wall, praying for the sweet relief of death.

In the silence, a creek from an opening door could be heard and Rheynoak straightened himself out as footsteps whispered amongst the floor. Adrenaline rushed through his body, his heart beating insanely in his chest as a silhouette appeared in front of the cell door.

The lock to the door began to jiggle and glow bright red before it finally gave out and opened against its will. A figure stepped into the darkness followed by another before the door swung shut again.

"If you're going to kill me, I prefer a rather quick death" Rheynoak requested, leaning his head against a wall. "I'm not going to kill you unless you provoke me to" a familiar voice spoke out to him. His eyes went wide as he turned his head around to see Onyx step into the dim light of the cell.

His mouth fell open as he eyed the siphon in front of him. Gone was the girl he once knew and fell in love with. Gone was the girl who struggled with the concept of uncovering who she truly was.

With her long mass of dark hair and pulsating gold eyes, she had become a magnetic force to be reckoned with. A woman who was so powerful that the Gods would quiver at her presence. She approached him with conscious steps, allowing the light to shine on her companion.

A map of tattoos met his eyes as Draco stepped into the light, scarred and bleeding but still as threatening as ever. With a whimper, Rheynoak pulled at his chains at a desperate attempt to free himself but it was rather useless.

"What do you want from me? I am no use to you!" he exclaimed, holding up his chained hands. "Please, set me free."

"You are very useful to us" Onyx replied, sitting down in front of him. "To make a long story short, Raebar Casvionel has awoken. We don't know how but we have our suspicions as to who is responsible for it."

"There is no need to lie. Just tell us how you did it" Draco added on. "We won't hurt you too much."

"I've been chained in this dungeon for days with barely any food or water to survive. How the hell would I be able to escape and resurrect my father to life? Did you ever think of that?!" He exclaimed, pulling at his chains.

"Yes, I did Rheynoak, but it is not out of your realm to pull these kinds of stunts behind other people's backs. I have been with you long enough to know how your twisted mind works but this is beyond my comprehension! To release your tyrant of a father back to society to wreak havoc on all of us has crossed the line! Do you ever think of the innocent people you might be affecting besides your enemies!"

"Don't you dare call my father a tyrant!" Rheynoak shouted at Onyx, pulling at his chains. "He was a better king than your weak father! Couldn't even protect his own family, much less his kingdom!"

"Your father died in hatred and blood!" Draco hissed. "You have no right to speak!"

"Like your father was any better! Overpowered by a shallow woman! How a weak man could overtake the throne is beyond my knowledge!" Rheynoak spat out causing Draco to lunge at him. Onyx quickly inserted herself between the two men, grabbing hold of Draco's arm before it collided with Rheynoak's face. "Both of you, stop it!"

"How dare he talk about my father?" Draco asked, his chest heaving. "He has no right to speak on that topic!"

"He insulted mine as well but that is not the way to handle this situation" Onyx reminded him, lowering his hand. She gave him a questioning look, raising her brows. The emperor sighed and calmed down, sitting down on the ground.

"I do not care what side you are on. Right now, the Inner Circle is in danger of imploding and the Desert Tribes are this close to being wiped out from existence. If you help us, you might get the better end of this battle. So just tell us what you know, and we will work from there."

"I don't know anything! You can ask Yongui and Castrin! They questioned me the same way you two are doing right now and I told them everything I know!"

"Did you know about this?" Draco asked, turning his gaze over to the Mind Siphon. She shook her head. "I didn't. They never told me."

A scoff came from Rheynoak's lips, a mischievous smile curling on his face. "I guess you can't trust everyone around you. Not even your court. Right Draco?" The emperor narrowed his eyes at the tribe leader but said nothing more.

"Reiterate what you told them" Onyx demanded in a hard tone.

"Alesandria is not who you think she is. Heather has taken over her body and mind and is using her as a weapon against the Inner Circle! And she is not the only one orchestrating an attack. Rashnov, Irene, Arsen, Caldwin and other tribe leaders are behind it as well. And I suspect they are the ones responsible for killing Draco."

A silence hung in the air, Onyx, and Draco exchanging a look as they let this new information settle in. Onyx locked eyes with Rheynoak, eyeing him with utter hatred underneath her steel gaze. The tribe leader shuddered, backing himself into a corner to escape her wrath. "I swear I'm telling the truth."

"I'm not questioning you" she responded. "I'm pondering."

"On what?" Draco asked.

"Whether or not I should confront Alesandria" she replied.

"Don't" Rheynoak interrupted, earning him an icy glare from both. "Look, if you confront her, it will not go well. She will deny it and the desert tribe will know that you are suspicious of their actions. It's better to examine her behavior and catch her at the right moment."

"I can't let Alesandria be tormented by Heather! Are you mad?" Onyx screeched.

"I'm not mad, but I know how their minds work. Trust me on this" Rheynoak pleaded.

"I don't trust you at all" Onyx retorted back in a dead tone. "But I appreciate an immortal who relies on their instincts. How can we stop your father?" she asked.

"You can't. Once he has awakened, it's going to be hard to put him back to sleep. Especially if there is no magic barrier around to keep him at bay. Now that he is awake, he is going to be searching for a soul to fully restore him to life. My guess is he has already disappeared, or he is waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

Onyx turned over to Draco who had his brow raised. "So, what's the move now?" he asked.

"We watch but keep our weapons close. We send more guards to Raebar's burial site and I think we should close all connections points between his burial site and the rest of the desert tribes and mortal kingdoms. That way, he will still be trapped in the Inner Circle and we can deal with him from there. We also keep an eye on Alesandria. And if anything goes wrong to the point where she a could lose her life, we snap the bond between her and Heather" Onyx explained. "Meanwhile, I'll question both Yongui and Castrin why they didn't inform us of their confrontation with Rheynoak earlier. They held out valuable information that could have been useful a while ago."

Draco nodded and stood up, offering a hand to the Mind Siphon. She took it and pulled herself up, letting go of his grasp. "We'll talk soon," Onyx said, turning her back to the tribe leader. As she made her way out with Draco, Rheynoak spoke up.

"Wait. Onyx" he suddenly spat out, capturing her attention. She turned back around to see him pondering on his words. "Monitor the borders between each Inner Circle kingdom. Knowing them, they will attack the kingdoms closest to you" he uttered. She nodded and turned back around when his voice called out to her again.

"I'm sorry for everything I put you through, Onyx. Truly. I was only trying to protect you, but I realize now that I did more damage than good. Still, I loved you so much and I still do. I let my feelings and greed distract me from being a reasonable person and I am truly sorry. I hope, someday, you can forgive me."

Onyx stood in front of the cell door, her hand resting on the cold metal bars. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sound of his apology, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. An undeniable pain spread through her body, memories of their short-lived relationship flooding her thoughts.

"You don't have to confront him. Not now at least" Draco's voice spoke from behind, a warm hand settling on her shoulder.

She nodded but knew she couldn't wait another day to talk to him. One more day and she would implode on herself from all the shame, guilt, and sadness she had built up from their relationship. With a heavy sigh, she nodded her head, resting her hand on his.

"I have to. For my sanity" she replied, turning around. She locked eyes with her former lover, the man she thought she would spend the rest of her days with. His eyes bled for forgiveness but Onyx's conscious wouldn't allow her to give him that satisfaction.

Not now at least.

"You hurt me, Rheynoak," she said, her voice wavering. "I thought I made the right choice when I chose to be with you, but instead you made my life absolute hell. Looking back at it now, I must have been incredibly drunk or out of my mind to agree to be your lover. You have made the last eight years of my life anything but pleasant. You have tormented me mentally and psychologically. You have called me revolting names, struck me with weapons and insulted my family. You have broken me down to my very core. And I don't think I can ever forgive someone who is as heartless as you. I hate myself for being your lover. I hate myself for giving a piece of me to you. I hate the fact that I once craved your touch for pleasure or sought your approval for my actions. I hate everything about our relationship, but I can't change it. I can only give it time."

"Onyx" Rheynoak pleaded, his eyes watering. "Please."

"I'm sorry, Rheynoak. While I appreciate the apology, I cannot bring myself to accept it. You have simply done too much damage" the Mind Siphon replied. The tribe leader clasped his hands together, tears streaming down his face. "Please, Onyx. All I ask for is your forgiveness."

"And I can't give that to you right now" Onyx replied, a single tear rolling down her face. "I hope this serves a lesson to you. Don't betray the locksmith who holds the key to the right door."

And with that, Onyx pulled Draco's arm and walked out of the cell, tears streaming down her face. It was only when she closed the door to the dungeons did, she finally break down and cry. "I'm going insane" she croaked wiping her tears away.

Draco pulled her into his arms, his hand stroking the back of her head. "Not insane. Just overwhelmed. It's okay, Onyx. It's okay. I'll be right here with you."

And even though she didn't believe it, Onyx nodded and let herself sob into his chest. 

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

I have been packing for college and working nine hours a day for the past six weeks so I never had the chance to update! I am so sorry!

Life has been crazy!

But I hope you all enjoyed the chapter because we are nearing the end. Sixteen more chapters to go!

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Love you guys! 

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