The impact of his body meeting the ground and a burning sensation across his wrist jolted Rheynoak's senses awake.

His view was blurry and unstable as a groan croaked from his mouth, followed by wince when he tried to move his hands, only to realize that they have been chained behind his back. He looked up to see the black ceiling with water dripping through the cracks. A window was to his right although too high for him to reach and the stench of rotten food filled the cavity that was his cell.

The tribe leader looked down at his clothes only to realize that his shirt had been torn and his abdomen was stained with blood. An open wound was bandaged and pulsing with blood, the red liquid soaking through the bandages.

"He looks terrible," a faraway voice said, capturing his attention. He looked around his cell, a migraine forming in his head as his thoughts beat themselves against his skull.

"Nothing he's not used to" another voice replied, this one a lot lighter and drenched in sarcasm. A foot reached out to nudge his jaw and he jolted up to see two shadowy figures sitting on a bench across from him.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he asked, struggling against the restraints on his wrist. "Let me out!" he pleaded, banging his head against the concrete wall.

"Stars and Gods, if you wanted to die, you could have asked one of us to do so" a voice spoke out to him. Rheynoak closed his eyes and shook his head, opening them one more time to see his vision refocus, this time a bit clearer. The two figures sitting on the bench revealed themselves to be Yongui and Castrin, eyeing him with calmness.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around his cell. "The palace dungeons" Yongui replied, her eyes fixated on him. "Right above from the royal stables." The tribe leader looked up again, now understanding the wretched stench and dirty water leaking from the ceilings. "How long do you plan on keeping me here?" he pressed on.

"As long as we need to, bastard" Castrin cut in, making him flinch. The dark magic summoner scowled at him with disgust, getting up to take a few steps towards him. "It's not like anyone will miss you anyway." A scowl appeared on Rheynoak's lips, despite the small river of tears that welled in his eyes.

"Don't call me a bastard. You embody that definition more than I do" the tribe leader shot back. Castrin grabbed a hold of his jaw, pressing the base of his skull against the concrete walls. "Don't you dare speak upon me like that again, you filthy bastard" he spat, his fingers pressing against the flesh of his skin. "You're lucky I'm not alone in this cell or else, I would have ripped your tongue apart by now."

The tribe leader growled at him, despite his sore head being banged against the concrete. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Yongui roll her eyes. "Men" she uttered, running a hand through her silver locks. She got up, wandering over to Castrin and pulling him up by his collar. "Ease up. If anyone gets to torture him, it's me" she said, earning a glare from him. "Stop showing sympathy. You remind me of a mortal" he hissed at her.

Yongui clutched his collar again, this time twisting the material around her bruised fingers. "Don't disrespect me Castrin" she said in a low tone that would have made anyone shiver. She let go of him, turning back to Rheynoak. "Besides, one of us has to have a soul."

"This is the man that was torturing Alesandria and Onyx for goodness sakes. He doesn't deserve sympathy!" the dark magic summoner explained. "If it was up to me, he would have been beheaded and thrown into a ditch by now!"

"Luckily, you're not the emperor" she replied, squatting down in front of Rheynoak's face. He took in her pretty face scarred with open wounds and thin slits of scars down to her arms and clothes caked in blood. Her eyes were still as resilient as ever, her hands curling around his neck to straighten his gaze solely on her.

"Rheynoak Telian Casvionel of the Casvionel-Shenga Bloodline" she whispered, her nails digging into the lower skin of his jaw. "It's a shame you refused to drop your mother's maiden name. She was a lovely woman."

"My mother did nothing for me" he replied, earning a surprised look from her. "She certainly did a lot more than your father" she shot back, her harsh words causing him to shrink back. "Hell Siphon. No special abilities or hybrid powers. Former leader of his father's tribe." A ticking sound left her lips. "He would truly be disappointed at what has become of you."

"You don't know a thing about me" he hissed back, causing a frown to pull on her lips. She pushed his jaw against the concrete wall, digging her nails into his skin until little streams of blood trailed down her fingers and she could easily distinguish muscle from bone.

A pained scream left his lips, but he was immediately shut up by a slap. A heavy breath escaped his lips as she stood up, wiping her hand on her shirt. "You would be surprised Rheynoak. Now, tell us what the tribe leaders want with Raebar's body?"

"I don't know!" he said, squeezing his eyes shut. Tears flowed down his cheeks, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. "They wouldn't tell me a thing!"

"How could you not know? It's your tribe!" Castrin exclaimed!

"In case you haven't noticed, my tribe has been overtaken. I don't even have control over my tribe members anymore. The whole world has turned against!" he screamed, his throat raw. An awkward silence followed, Yongui and Castrin exchanging a grim look.

"Come on, Rheynoak. We don't have all day. Either tell us what you know, or we torture you. We can't kill you. That would be too much of a reward" Yongui sweet-talked him, bending down to push his smudged hair out of his face. He shrank back at her touch, shaking his head. "I swear on my father's body if I knew I would tell you."

"Would you?" Yongui questioned him. He nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "Honestly, I have nothing to lose."

A huff escaped her lips as she rose once again. "Okay Castrin," she said, locking her eyes on her friend. "Do you worst."

Before Rheynoak could even comprehend what was happening, a dwelling pain settled in his head and exploded throughout his body. His screams could be heard from the dungeons as Castrin performed a memory unlocking spell on his mind. Rheynoak thrashed against the wall, his hands proving to be useless as his mind yielded to the dark magic used on him.

His mind slipped into unconsciousness and for a minute, he saw and heard nothing but his screams. The pain spread to his body, his back arching as it broke underneath the spell placed upon him. His body seemed to give out, his chest heaving for more air. A shroud of darkness surrounded him, submerging him in a never-ending daze. The world was silent then calm before a wave of reality pulled him back into his current situation.

The pain stopped and Castrin cursed underneath his breath, banging his head against a wall. "His mind is a dark vessel. There is nothing there" he confirmed, watching as Rheynoak spit a pool of blood on the floor. "He knows nothing."

"Bullshit," Yongui said, grabbing Rheynoak by his throat again. Blood gurgled from his lips, staining her hand. "Tell us anything or else I will rip your throat and feed to the creatures above me" she threatened, banging his head against a wall.

"Alesandria is not who you think she is! There is something darker going on with her! You have to keep her away from Onyx or Draco if you want both to survive!" His accusation caused Yongui to let go of him. Castrin turned around, his eyes wild as he approached the tribe leader. "What nonsense are you talking about?" he pressed on.

"Rashnov, Irene, Heather, all of them! They are manipulating her! You have to stop her!" Rheynoak warned, looking at the two confused immortal beings. "I swear I am telling the truth!"

"Excuse me, but I find that very hard to believe. Especially coming from you!" Castrin screamed. He aimed a kick at the tribe leader's ribs that caused him to double over in pain. The open wound on his abdomen pulsed and more blood soaked through the bandages.

"I'm getting the hell away from here! I don't need to hear this shit from him" the dark magic summoner exclaimed, using his magic to unlock the lock on the dungeon door. "Really? Just because you're lovestruck?"

"I am not lovestruck! This is the same man that tortured and enslaved two of the most powerful beings in Asxairo! He's lied and manipulated us for years! Why should I believe him?" he exclaimed. He took one last look at the tribe leader and back up to his friend. "I'm sorry Yongui. Maybe you can stand his presence but if I stay here any longer with him, I might slit my throat open."

With that, Castrin left, his heavy footsteps shaking the staircase. Rheynoak turned his attention back to Yongui who was getting ready to leave as well. "Yongui. Look at me. Please." His voice came out raspy and the hybrid stopped herself, turning back to meet his eyes.

He looked at her hesitant eyes. Violet and daring. The same eyes that used to bring him joy. "You're still as beautiful as ever" he managed to push out, earning him an eye-roll and a heavy sigh from her. "Yeah. Red is my color, don't you think?" she said, raising her blood-soaked hand and gesturing towards her battered and red clothes.

She turned to leave once more but he spoke again. "Please Yongui. You must believe me. Alesandria is dangerous" he said, shaking his head. "And why should I believe you?" she challenged, raising a brow.

"Come on Yongui. We used to be friends once upon a time."

"Friends?" The word came out of her mouth like a curse. Rheynoak shrugged, licking his split lips. "Well friendly at least" he whispered.

A mocking laugh left her lips, her fingers running through her silver hair. "If I remember correctly Rheynoak Casvionel, we used to be more than just friends" she corrected him, her face set in a hard look. "Or has all your bullshit and lies cloud your memories?"

The tribe leader sighed and sank back into the wall. He shook his head, watching as she rolled her eyes once more and left the cell. "I should have let Castrin kill you," she said, giving him an icy stare. Rheynoak frowned, watching as she disappeared up the stairs.

He breathed out a sigh and let out a soul tormenting scream, hoping the Gods would feel some sort of mercy for him.

"We lost over five hundred warriors in this attack, Raiyah. What in the world have we gained from this?"

Emperor Mavian's voice was harsh and judgmental as Onyx listened to him bicker with Draco's sister. "We gained a lot including Rheynoak. Do you know how amazing that is? We have one of their own! We can use him for information!"

"Oh please. Rheynoak is nothing but a pawn. They gave him us so easily" Emperor Reyback corrected her. "He's nothing important to them." Onyx sighed, intertwining her fingers with Draco's as she listened to them.

They were in the infirmary room where Sahara and Orion were currently being tended to by the palace maids. Emperor Seron sat with his mate's hand in his hand as she slept, blood staining the pillow and bedsheets. The maids had stripped her naked and wiped the blood from her body. The wounds that they could heal they tried their best too but some wounds, like the lashes on her face and back and her bruised wings, would take a little more time healing.

Orion's condition wasn't any better. He was caked in blood and bruised with heavy lashes from the face down and more covered his back. His skin was torn and bandaged, and his lips were so swollen, it was to understand anything he said. The wounds were healing themselves but slowly and he would be bedridden for the next couple of days.

Azura and Falcon sat by him, each of them bandaged and badly bruised as well but still capable of walking on their own. Falcon suffered a near-fatal wound directly below his heart and Azura had a deep scar near her mouth she was not sure would heal. Still, they sat by their friend, holding his hand and praying for his recovery.

"But he knows their plans. He knows the desert tribe leaders better than anyone! We have the upper hand!" Raiyah defended herself but was quickly shot down by Empress Imperia. "Oh please. We should have known better than to follow through your delusional plan. Look what you have done!"

She gestured towards her wounded friends, huffing. "Is this what you call a successful attack?!"

Onyx turned around to see Raiyah huff, wiping her face. "It was quite successful in my opinion" she muttered getting a glare from Imperia and her husband. "You're delusional. Out of your mind if you think this was anywhere near successful." The Empress shook her head, a hand resting on her hip. "Your parents and brother would be very disappointed in you."

Raiyah looked up, her wild eyes blazing with hatred. "You utter bitch! Don't you dare degrade me!" she said, earning an icy look from Imperia. "Please. If you had a better plan, I wouldn't have to stand here and lecture you!"

"That's quite enough Imperia! Give the girl a break!" Empress Misa said, cutting her off. "Honestly, this plan was better than doing nothing. The Desert Tribes were after us and we couldn't just sit on our thrones doing nothing or wait for Draco to wake up. We had to do something, and this attack did entirely what it was supposed to do. Show them that we are not going to back down."

"We could have gone about it in a different way" Empress Imperia protested but she was once again cut off by Empress Cayah. "Imperia, give it a rest! We attacked! Get over it! Yes, we lost noble warriors today, but we gained an advantage. The Desert Tribes will crumble anytime soon. The Inner Circle has been nice for too long and Raiyah is doing something to make us seem stronger. If you have a better plan, please speak up."

Empress Imperia's jaw set into place, her cold eyes scanning the emperor's sister with a scowl on her lips. "What are we going with Rheynoak? The desert tribes will surely attack to take him back."

"He's the least of our concerns right now. We have to protect Raebar's body and keep Draco alive so that they won't have access to it" Raiyah explained, running her fingers through her hair. "God knows that if Raebar's soul was restored, we would not be standing here."

"Your optimism is charming" Empress Imperia commented, making Raiyah frown once again. However, Emperor Seron and Emperor Reybeck stepped into her defense against the determined leader. "Your pessimism is not needed," Seron said in a calm tone, his eyes not even meeting her own as he stroked Sahara's cheek. His mate twitched at his touch but didn't open her eyes.

"Your mate was beaten, bled out, and her wings were bruised! You should be livid! If it wasn't for the attack, she would not have sustained those injuries!" Imperia pressed on, but Seron cut her off in a raised voice. "This is not the first time Sahara has sustained these injuries! She fought bravely for her kingdom and the Inner Circle, not fearing the worst, but hoping for the best! Despite what she went through, she would have gladly done it again! Besides, if we didn't do anything, we would have risked putting all of our people in danger of being imprisoned or killed!"

"Adding on to that, you were one of the first people that supported fighting back on the Desert Tribe's attacks. Seeing you now, a shallow excuse for a ruler belittling someone who was honestly trying their best to help us, I can't believe you sit on a throne." Empress Imperia scoffed at his commentary, balling her fingers into fists. "How dare you insult my wife?" Emperor Mavian's voice rose.

"Is it an insult if everything I am saying is true?" Emperor Reyback challenged him, causing Mavian's face to explode in a flurry of red. "I should rip your tongue out through your teeth for uttering such filthy words towards my wife!"

Before Reyback could respond, Onyx interjected. "Are you all done arguing amongst yourselves?" she said, rising to her feet. Her face remained calm and composed but her fingers balled into fists. "What is done is done! I do not want to hear another word about the attack!"

The room fell silent at her words. "Draco is still unconscious and we have Rheynoak and Raebar's body to worry about. I want to be taken to his body tomorrow. I will alert Castrin to see if he can find any spells and I will reach out Iredine and let her know that any ritual where we can restore his soul will be appreciated."

"That filthy wench? She's caused enough trouble in the Inner Circle. Draco is the only one who would take pity upon her" Empress Imperia expressed. "And now I will" Onyx retorted back, causing Imperia to pass her a cold stare. "If you are against us, simply leave. We don't need you here."

"Please. You need me here more than you realize" Empress Imperia stated. "All of you need to put your humanity aside! We are not filthy mortals!" she expressed, turning around to address the room. "When we agreed to be rulers of the Inner Circle Kingdoms, we swore to protect our people! By blindly following a mere siphon who doesn't even know her bloodline, we are risking everything we ever stood for on the line! Look at all of us! Standing here covered in blood and bruises and standing over some of our very own! Is this what we have come to?"

"What is your point?" Emperor Seron asked. "Or are you just here to campaign for a throne you'll never get?"

"We should focus on protecting our people and moving them to a safe place not fighting petty wars with our enemies! Let them attack! We should devise a plan before we foolishly unleash ourselves like a pack of barbarians fighting over food!"

"To hell with your plan!" Raiyah exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair. She sized up the empress standing in front of her with a disgusted glare. "The same amount of people would be killed in each situation! What you are proposing leaves our entire kingdom and its citizens in jeopardy. Our people could be killed, enslaved, beaten, raped, and tortured if we just deliberate and doubt ourselves! The reason why you were elected as leaders of the Inner Circle was that your people saw you were fit for the role! The oath you took was to act and protect your people and the kingdoms of the Inner Circle with no doubt in your heart! Act now, beg for forgiveness later!"

"Did you not forget the last time we acted on our instincts! People suffered and died in our hands!" Empress Imperia imposed. "You two should know out of all people!" she exclaimed, pointing towards Onyx and Raiyah. "Your parents are dead because of their idiotic, senseless mistakes!"

A stunned silence fell over the room. Raiyah opened her mouth to argue back, but something in her eyes seemed to die off and she closed her mouth shut, turning away from the seething empress in flushed fury. Onyx hardened her gaze on Imperia, her fingers curled into iron fists. She took a few steps towards the Empress, lowering her steely gaze until their eyes were connected.

"Don't you dare speak ill of my parents with that sharp tongue of yours" she warned in a low tone. "If you even try to defy their legacies, I will personally skin you alive and hang you dry like a winter coat for the next season. I should have your tongue ripped from your mouth and stretched out as a meal for the forest creatures, but I would never try to poison them with such filthiness."

Empress Imperia tensed up as the mind siphon ran a sharp nail past the delicate skin of her throat. "The things they did for their kingdom you wouldn't even dare do for your own."

With a final nod, Onyx backed away, leaving Empress Imperia to grab her husband's hand as support. Her eyes were wide and dull, and her fingers were visibly shaking. The color had drained from her face, leaving the ghost of a terrified ruler etched on her face. The Mind Siphon turned her attention over to Raiyah whose back was still turned to the rest of the room.

"Raiyah" she spoke, placing a firm hand on her shoulders. "As much as I hate to admit it, the witch is right. Tomorrow, we should begin evacuation into the neighboring kingdoms. Start with the major capital cities of Elsavior and direct them to the northern region of the kingdom where they will crossover to Navidia. As for the rest of us, those who died in the Battle of the Barrier shall receive a proper burial in a week and I am to be directed to Raebar's body tomorrow. Iredine will accompany us."

"What about Draco and Rheynoak?" Azura asked, directing her gaze over to her longtime friend. "What will become of them?"

Onyx looked down at Draco's unconscious body, taking in his beaten appearance and swollen skin. Gently, she knelt and took his bruised hands in hers. She held it close to her lips, planting a light kiss on his torn knuckles. A warm feeling trickled down her arms, but she ignored it, excusing it only as a natural body response to the cold draft in the room.

"Draco shall continue to be cared for by the maids. No changes are to be made, but Iredine will surely help in the process to research how to wake him up again" Onyx informed, reaching out to push his hair out of her face.

"And as for Rheynoak?" Falcon asked.

"Leave him to me" Onyx replied. "Now leave," she said in a demanding voice. "All of you."

"But Onyx" Misa interrupted, but the Mind Siphon shook her head. "Please. Just leave." With a heavy sigh, the emperors and empresses cleared out, leaving only Onyx, Azura, Falcon, and Seron.

The Mind Siphon hugged Draco's hand close to her chest, whispering against his fingers. "We'll find a way out, Draco. I promise." She looked up to see Emperor Seron cradling Sahara's hand in his. He pushed back her burnt hair and ran his fingers down the broken bones of her wings. She seemed to shudder at his touch but did not awaken.

Azura and Falcon laid beside Orion's bed. The wounded warrior tried to communicate through his swollen lips but his torn skin and blood caked tongue made it impossible for words to be comprehensible. Azura shook her head and put her hand over his lips, begging him not to speak anymore.

"I'm sorry I dragged you all into this. This is my battle" Onyx said, capturing the attention of all of them. They all looked up to meet her eyes and the siphon shrunk underneath their confused expressions. "Your battle? Onyx, this feud has been going on for centuries. You just happened to be the spark to light up the fire."

"Because of me, Orion and Sahara are on their deathbed. I should have just stayed in the desert tribe." Onyx ran her fingers through her hair, wiping away any tears that fell down her face. Azura and Falcon got up and walked over to their emperor, putting their hands on her shoulder. "Onyx, look at me."

Onyx looked up and met Azura's dark eyes. "This is not your fault. To be frank with you, this is not the first time the Inner Circle and the Desert Tribes have been at war. However, with you, Alesandria, and Raebar's body being at stake, this time around is a little more tedious."

"Everything is a little more tedious when I am involved" Onyx pointed out, rising to her feet. "I've been staying here for months and I still don't know anything about myself or my family or the history of the Inner Circle. How am I supposed to help when I don't have a clue where to start?"

Azura sighed, diverting her eyes to Falcon who gave her a sympathetic look. "Maybe it's time she knew the history of her family and Crojesian. She is the heir after all. If she's going to help us, she needs to know."

"Know what?" Onyx questioned, turning back to face them.

"Your parents, your bloodline, and what responsibilities lie in your hands," Azura said, getting up. She cupped the Siphon's hands in her own, squeezing them lightly. "Believe it or not Onyx, you have the power to rewrite destinies and it all starts here."

"Tell me Azura. Please. I'm just trying to help" Onyx whispered, her voice breaking on the last few words. Her eyes gleamed with tears, the color draining from her face. "I'll do anything. Anything."

"Let's wait until tomorrow" Falcon compromised, gently leading the two women to the door. "You need to rest, Onyx. All of us do" he said, passing a tired gaze around them. Azura nodded, running her hands down her face. "Come on, Onyx. You need to rest."

Even as the Siphon's cries echoed in the empty halls, they led her away from the infirmary room and back to the guest room where she would await tomorrow's fate. 

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

Wow, I didn't realize I have been gone for this long! So sorry! I have been preparing for college and dorm shopping and getting ready for my high school graduation. I needed a little time to get my life together for this new and exciting chapter in my life!

I hope this chapter will make up for my absence! We are more than halfway through the book so I should be done with it by early to mid-July since I will be free in the summer. Stay tuned for the conclusion. It's a big one!

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With love, May