The early morning sun and the touch of cool fingers against her sweaty skin alerted Onyx awake, her body trembling against the thin blanket as she turned away from the sun.

Instead, she opened her eyes to see those hazel eyes that bore into her soul the night before and the quiet familiarity of violet eyes flickering over her confused face. "Five more minutes" the Siphon mumbled, pulling the blanket over her head.

Laughter filled the air, fingers gently tugging the blanket down to her chest. "Even on the brink of death, you still find a way to complain about the early sun" Venix uttered in a quiet tone, watching as her friend grumbled again.

"I'm not on the brink of death. I'm already falling" the Siphon said, a metallic taste lingering in the back of her mouth. "I'm just waiting for the impact that will end it all." Muttering those words to herself, flashbacks of the nightmare she had and the horrid terror in the bathroom flashed in her mind.

The images of blood pooling from her mouth and her skin crawling with fire as she screamed in pain for mercy filled her mind and for one second, she thought she was actually in hell, the hairs on her neck sticking to her skin.

"Am I dead yet?" the Siphon asked, running a hand down her face. More laughter rang in the air, this time a calloused hand landing on her shoulder. "Probably. He's here" her friend said, gesturing over to the tribe leader beside her.

Rheynoak scowled, running his fingers through his long locks of dark hair. "You took a nasty fall in the bathroom. Nearly split your skull in half" he muttered, walking over and sitting down beside her. Onyx frowned, kicking the blankets off of her body.

Her skin was still smooth, a little too smooth for her liking and not a single scar lingered on her flesh except the ones on her back and the few marks of birth. Her fingers danced around her neck to find no marks and nothing on her shoulder as well.

"And I am still somewhat alive?" she said, breathing out gently. The tribe leader laughed, locking his gaze with her eyes. "What happened? One minute you were sound asleep in my arms and the next, you were bleeding to death in my arms?"

"Do I even want to know what you did with him yesterday?" Venix said, raising her brows. The Siphon's cheeks turned a rosy color, keeping her gaze on her toes to keep her body from igniting from his touch.

"Something you and Lucien haven't advanced to, dear BloodBone."

The witch scowled at him, her violet eyes flashing. "Have I ever told you how much I wished you were dead?" she growled back, her once pale cheeks now flushing with color. The tribe leader laughed, his hazel orbs glowing like fire. "I'm so glad we feel the same about each other" he replied back, sweet sarcasm dripping off his words like honey.

Their banter went on for what seemed like hours as Onyx sat there and pondered on what had happened last night. Besides her passionate time with Rheynoak, her memory seemed to blur into one red smokey flashback of gore and pain. Screams of the ancient ones rang in her skull and the feeling of fire crawled on her skin.

Her eyes stung with unnecessary tears, her fingers becoming numb as a wave of sensations hit her body. "I-I don't really remember what happened last night" she whispered so only the two magical beings next to her could hear. "My mind is just one big collateral damage."

A sigh escaped their lips, briefly exchanging hateful stares. "Get some rest for now, okay" Venix suggested, stooping down to hug her. Onyx smiled into the embrace, feeling a sickly cough escape her lips when her friend's arms squeezed her tight.

"And no training for you today" Rheynoak announced, his fingers tracing the curve of her cheek. "You need to gather your energy for another time when you are feeling better" he assured, brushing the strands of dark hair away from her golden orbs.

"You better be referring to training" Venix whispered, letting go of her friend. The tribe leader smiled wickedly. "Training comes in many shapes and forms, bloody. Now run off to Lucien and he can show you a thing or two about training."

The witch scowled at him once more, muttering foreign curse words underneath her breath Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her friend one more time before rising from the bed and retreating to the door. Her long hair swayed to the rhythm of her hips, dancing around her curves as she exited the room.

When the door slammed closed and the footsteps retreated, Rheynoak tenderly let his touch run down the skin of her neck, tickling her sensitive skin. "You gave me a scare, Onyx" he whispered to her, gazing into her emerald ringed orbs. "I thought you were gone."

A breathy laugh escaped the Siphon's lips despite the ache that burned in her stomach. Grasping his wrist gently, she gently placed a kiss on his wandering fingers. "It takes a lot more than a measly illness to kill me," she said in a bold voice. "You and I both know that."

"You don't have to remind me" Rheynoak whispered back to her, leaning his forehead against hers. "Thank you for trusting me last night, by the way. It means a lot to me that you did."

A blush crept up on Onyx's cheeks, the clear memories of last night surfacing in her mind.

It had been her first time with anyone and she was shaking as she finally gave herself to him. He had been gentle and she slowly relaxed as she let herself be completely absorbed by him.

She wasn't going to lie that it had been one of the best sensations and moments she had ever experienced in her life. Alone, with her love in a room lit only by the strings of moonlight. It was something even her sweetest dreams couldn't live up to.

"It was my pleasure," Onyx said, smiling at him. She threaded her fingers through his dark locks, pulling him closer until their lips were only inches apart. "Literally."

The two shared a breathy laugh, Rheynoak's hands dancing on the curves of her waist. "Maybe you'll receive more pleasure tonight" he muttered back, his minty breath hitting her skin. A smirk pulled on her lips, her body shifting over so that she was closer to him. "I can't wait," she said, tilting her head back to capture his lips.

A moan left his mouth, his lips curling into a smile as he kissed her slowly. His hands grip onto her hips, the other hand drifting up to cup her face in his hands. His kiss tasted of mint, sweet and refreshing as the tribe leader tilted her head back and kissed her deeper.

"Rheynoak" Onyx moaned breathlessly, taking in a quick breath before he stole her breath away in another kiss. Seconds passed before they broke apart, his hazel eyes kind and soft. "I'll save some for tonight," he said, kissing her lips lightly. "Now get some rest."

The Siphon nodded, untangling her fingers from his hair and turning over on her side to sink underneath the blankets. He kissed her cheek once again before getting up and heading over to the door.

She waited until the door clicked close before fluttering her eyes open, pondering on the bloody scars of the nightmares that lingered in the back of her mind.

A flash of black hair crossed her violet eyes, quick and alerting as she watched her competitor go down,

A satisfied smirk pulled on her lips, her head tilting as she watched Alesandria groan and roll over on the black floor, sweat matting her hair to her forehead and dripping down her face. "And another point for me. Although I have to say, you lasted a bit longer this time before falling on your ass."

"Curse you, Venix" Alesandria groaned, letting her sore body relax on the cool floors of the training room. It wasn't crowded as much today, the classes being a bit smaller and everybody dividing into groups.

Today was a physical combat lesson, the BloodBone's favorite as she got to crush whoever she was paired up with. The lesson itself is meant to train everyone into being active and using their powers to their advantages when facing an enemy or a mere mortal. No one would seriously be injured during the lessons.

But in Venix's eyes, it was her time to spill some blood. Fire and anger were constantly battling through her veins, the ache and pain of it all dying to unleash from her soul. With her, bones would always be crushed and someone would walk out with blood on their hands.

No one was an exception to her wrath, not even Onyx.

"You weren't that bad. Just work on the whole 'busting your ass' part and you are golden" the BloodBone laughed, cracking her knuckles against the palm of her hands. Her dark eyes watched as the hybrid pulled herself up, rubbing her back. "You know, if you wanted to break all my bones, you could have just given me a head start."

The BloodBone shrugged. "Maybe next time."

Wiping the sweat from her brow, the two magical beings headed over to the towel rack and wiped their face clean, careful not to stumble on the bruises on their skin. "So, is Onyx okay? I heard that she nearly died yesterday."

"Word travels too fast around here," Venix said, circling the towel around her neck. She crossed her arms over her chest, surveying the room in front of her before moving closer to Alesandria. "She's fine and well but she has been acting strange ever since the oath. She's sick and weak and is coughing up blood. Something is obviously wrong but no one knows why."

"Maybe she's pregnant" Alesandria suggested, earning a glare from the witch. "I would rather not think of Onyx carrying Rheynoak's child, thank you very much" she snarled, sarcasm dripping down her words. "Besides, I hardly doubt she is. It is very hard for immortals to get pregnant and it is usually painful when they are."

"Give her some time then" Alesandria suggested, running her fingers through her hair. "The oath was a huge change and her body is probably adjusting to her new powers. All she needs is time."

Still, Venix snarled, resting her hands on her hips. "Time is a bitch."

Tossing their towels aside, the two magical beings resumed with their training. The sun was blazing bright even in the early morning, the heat in the training room conjuring sweat that dripped down their backs and down their skin in rivers.

It was close to noon when Lucien walked into the training room, his white hair tied up and dressed in nothing but black. His movements were quick, hasty even as he pushed his way through training groups, his icy blue eyes searching.

When his gaze landed on the BloodBone, he quickened his pace, his chest rising and falling. "Venix" he called out to her, capturing her attention. The witch stopped midway in her training, his fingers fastening around Alesandria's incoming fist.

Her competitor hissed, crying out in pain as the witch twisted her wrist and pulled her forward, aiming her kick into her stomach. Bones cracked underneath her skin and the dark haired hybrid fell, rubbing her abdomen in pain. "Son of a bitch" she hissed, managing to pick herself up.

When Alesandria was out of ear shots, Venix directed her gaze over to Lucien, willing her eyes not to look past his chiseled chest through his tight black shirt. "What's wrong?" she asked, flipping her gaze up. "I heard about Onyx? Is she okay?" he asked, worry laced between his words. The BloodBone sighed, nodding her head as she repeated the same thing she had told Alesandria.

"Just give her some rest," she said at the end of her explanation. The Hell Siphon nodded, directing his blue eyes across the room, his fingers shaking slightly. "Come with me" he whispered to her in a hoarse, silent demand.

The BloodBone barely had time to protest when he wrapped his grip around her wrist and yanked her aside. She stumbled, tripping over her own feet as he dragged her across the room like a broken banner.

Whispers drifted around the room even as he pulled her into a dark, remote corner, caging her body between his own and the arms he placed on either side of her head. His heart was beating rapidly through his chest, a melodious drumbeat that rang inside the BloodBone's own ears.

"I'll ask again" Venix whispered, her voice echoing in the sheer darkness. "What's going on?"

Blue eyes - wild and untamable - met her own eyes in a frantic search, looking beyond her dark violet orbs and into her soul. His breath relaxed a bit, slowing to a steady stop. "I just heard a word that Draco is paying a visit towards us tomorrow. He's expected in the early hours of the morning."

Venix frowned, furrowing her brows as she uttered back, "For what reason? I thought he retreated back to Elsavior after we all arranged for Alesandria to come and stay with us" the witch reminded him, the memories of their long meeting back in his manor flashing through her mind.

A loose sigh escaped Lucien's lips, his head shaking."I'm just as surprised as you are, Venix. Something about his visit seems unnatural, wrong on all the wrong scales." His words lingered with vulnerability, his glowing eyes pooling with the first signs of fright behind the gray flakes that swam inside.

"Well, he and Rheynoak are sworn enemies. It would be odd if you didn't feel the slightest hint of distress" the witch gently reminded him, relaxing her hands against her hips. "I could give a damn if he and Rheynoak want to rip each other's throats out" he hissed, a fire sparkling in the depths his eyes. "This is something more sinister, I can feel it. Something is disturbed, unbalanced and I have a feeling that Draco's visit will not make it any better."

The two stood there in silence, Venix shifting herself to make her body more comfortable. The Hell Siphon observed her movements with careful eyes, seeing the uncomfortable expression written on her face. He took a breath, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip before pushing himself off the wall.

He briefly brushed his fingers through his hair before shoving his hands in the pocket of his pants that were riding on his hips. Violet eyes flickered to the floor, hoping the darkness was enough to hide her partially inflamed face.

"Then you and I will just have to figure out the mystery on our own" she finally said, licking her chapped lips. Lucien looked up, her words confusing his mind for a minute. "You have an instinct, Lucien" she explained, taking a step towards him. The veins underneath his skin seemed to tense up, his muscles going numb.

"You sense that danger is near and knowing immortals, we always trust our instincts. So I'll help you sort through this mystery" the BloodBone acknowledged, holding his gaze. She uttered her last words in a whisper, her tone deadly and compelling.

"Count on that."

Still dread weighed in those blue eyes of his, his chest heaving and falling. "Please, don't utter a word about this to anyone. The last thing I need is Rheynoak pounding on my door in the middle of the night."

Venix couldn't help the laughter that escaped her lips, light and soulful as she took in his frightened demeanor. "Wow, I never thought I would see the day where the great Lucien Northorn is scared of Rheynoak Casvionel," she said, shaking her head.

He only offered her a shy smile. "I won't utter this to a soul. I promise."

A haunting smile pulled on Lucien's lips, nodding slowly. "Thank you. Your loyalty is more than I could ever ask for" he whispered to her, pure sweetness dripping off his words like melting butter. Those words penetrated through the BloodBone's chest, causing her heart to skip at an unnecessarily annoying pace.

"Please," she said, pushing herself off the wall and tucking her hands into her pockets. "Don't think of it as being loyal. Think of it as a friend helping another friend in the time of desperate needs."

"We're friends?" he questioned through the darkness. A hint of a smile pulled on her face at his utter confusion.

"Of course we are. To the stars and back."

A/N: And chapter two is complete!

Sorry for the long and overdue wait. I was pretty sick due to all the heat and I was also dealing with a huge writer's block. I took a few days off to get better and to sort through the story before posting again. 

I would rather post a good chapter after taking a week's break than post a crappy one with no direction. Hope you understand!

But anyway, I am excited about this story! I can't wait to share all the surprises I have planned for the sequel!

 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