"Man, those naturalists are really getting on my nerves!" Accalia said, as she was tapping a wet cloth on Andrew's palm. The scar was faintly visible now, thanks to her and Simza's magic. The Ielele was smart enough to leave the siblings alone, after healing Andrew and taking the potion with her.

"Those naturalists have saved us countless times already," Andrew muttered, still a little weary after last night's events. The sun had just risen, bringing them even closer to the inevitable. Pearl would definitely come to visit. And Barbara would've informed Lucious by now of the attack; thanks to Simza.

"If that is your idea of saving, Andie, I think I'll pass," Accalia hissed as she turned the cloth upon Andrew's wrist and patted it softly.

"It's not like they haven't made mistakes, Lia. But we've done plenty ourselves," Andrew said, as Accalia was now pressing the cloth more fiercely than before; as if by doing that, she'd take Andrew out of this place. "At least now we've got everything we need. We just have to experiment a bit."

"Experiment? This is our lives we're talking about, Andie! I wanna avoid death for as much as possible! So forgive me if I'm not willing to make few trials just to please those naked freaks!" Accalia snarled. By the look upon her face, Andrew knew there was no reasoning with her; not now.

"Very well then. We'll talk about this again once I'm out of here," he simply stated and sat up on the hospital's bed. His bones had healed completely and only the bruises all over his body where proof of the Pricolici's attack.

"Which will be the day after tomorrow," Larentia said, padding closer to Andrew's bed. Sometimes he forgot how catlike his older sister could be, even for a Loup Carou.

"I don't understand why wait that long," Accalia sniffed. She had focused all her energy into making last night's scar vanish, something that had started to annoy Andrew actually.

"The Ielele made everyone think Andrew had just a concussion. He'll stay here for two more days, long enough for the Silver girl to calm down and don't get suspicious. And it'll give Father and Barbara plenty of time to come and visit, and take us all home for Thanksgiving," Larentia said in a relaxed manner and sat at the right side of the bed, across Accalia. "What? We need to act as humans. You said it first," she stated, as Andrew goggled his eyes at the sound of her words.

"So what are we going to do in the meantime?" Accalia asked, looking at Larentia hesitantly. The now reddish cloth was laying gracefully upon her lap, leaving Andrew's palm and wrist as soft as a baby's could be.

"We're gonna figure out what went wrong with the Ielele's potion, of course!" Larentia stated, as if there was no need to ask.

But before Accalia had time to make a protest regarding her sister's statement, Mirela and Simza appeared in the centre of the ward, more fay looking, and daunting than ever before.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Mirela hissed, looking down at Accalia, sniffing at her from across the bed.

"What the fuck are you talking about? From what I see, you're the ones who didn't do what you had to," Accalia growled, staring around at the hospital's room and her brother, and jumped out of the bed.

"Shut your mouth, you insolent child!" Simza snarled, paralysing Accalia exactly where she stood. "The potion didn't work. And you're the one to blame!"

Everyone, even Accalia, stood speechless for a moment; for none of the Loups Garous expected such a revelation. And thinking about what could happen if they ended up on the bad side of the Ielele, well that was a completely new level of terror. They weren't generally considered evil genii. Yet Accalia had provoked, offended them. And she had done so too many times since they first met.

Andrew locked his gaze upon his sister, staring at her with bated breath, as she walked pass his bed to confront the Romani Faes. Pretending to be a patient didn't seem like a good idea at all at the moment. So when Accalia bore down on Simza, Andrew instantly jumped out of the bed, not carrying about what he'd probably blew away. With his peripheral vision, he caught Larentia moving closer to them as well.

Lia... Please, let me handle this! We've lost enough already! Andrew pleaded her silently through their mind connection.

We not crush them instead? Seems so tempting... Accalia hissed, not taking her eyes off of the Ielele; especially Simza.

Because I had to make a bargain with Simza... Andrew whispered down the bond, making both of his sisters focus on him.

But before any of them, both his sisters and the Ielele, could say a thing, the door of the ward opened once more. And for the first time after this disastrous night with that innocent girl, Andrew felt safe; powerful again. For at the threshold stood Lucious, along with his mother; exhausted, yet alive.

Barbara looked at him, a big smile covering her face, her eyes glowing with pure, unconditional love. Andrew was able to feel that, just for a brief moment. An instant later, another female dragged his attention.

Lauren was standing inches away from his mother and Lucious. And all the safety and strength he had felt, suddenly melted away.

***

"I don't understand how this happened. You said our blood and their blood would be enough," Lucious said.

They had all silently walked out of Andrew's room to avoid the judging looks of the human nurses and doctors; too many visitors and two naked fairies in a ward would seem suspicious, even with all the Ielele magic involved. Luckily for all of them, the Ielele had once again glamoured themselves, looking even more human than the real humans did.

"Don't forget the pendant, Father. They said they needed something silver, too," Accalia hissed, glaring at Simza and Mirela. They, on the other hand, didn't blink an eye.

"Maybe their magic isn't strong enough," Lauren intervened and looked at Lucious. "Maybe we should talk directly to the Council."

"We shouldn't do anything," Lucious snarled. "I'm gonna do what I have to do," he went on, taking both of the Ielele by the hand and dragged them to a dark corner down the corridor.

There was a storage room at the end of the hall and aside from the cleaning ladies, no one would come to disturb them; or so he hoped. Staying with all those females though, their thoughts echoing, both silently and loudly, wouldn't end up well. He knew that.

Lucious stood across the Ielele, staring at them from head to toe.

Should I trust you on this? he asked, sending his plea to the Faes' minds. Simza's nodding was all the answer he wanted.

"Listen, I don't know what went wrong, but this isn't the time for making mistakes. The kids kept their end of the bargain. They brought you what you needed. I'm not gonna allow you experiment while Andrew's life is at stake!" Lucious said, his voice remaining firm. "If you need to make the potion from scratch, use my blood instead. It's safer up in the mountains, anyway."

"Are you sure about that, Lucious?" Simza purred, smirking at him.

"What are you implying?" he asked, although he already knew what her answer would be.

"I'm not implying anything, dear Lucious. I'm just concerned," Simza said. "We're Faes. We've seen many things in this world. Good things and bad things. And what's happening right now, well, that's really bad!" she whispered, turning at Mirela; either for confirmation or support, Lucious couldn't tell.

"I know that Andrew is your favourite, the one you desperately desire to take your place one day," Mirela stated.

It was true. Andrew had something his daughters didn't have; pure blood. He was a direct descendant of Louvel and Nacre. No blood impurities. Or at least, not as many as the rest of them had. Because, somehow, Barbara had managed to remain cleansed; and she had passed that gene down to Andrew. She had passed down that honour, that pride as well. For they had never tasted human blood, ever, from the day they embraced the Loup Garou heritage.

It was a risk he had taken eight years ago; and it had to pay off! If they wanted to become pure and cleansed again... If they wanted to defeat the silver, and the Silvers, once and for all. Until all of them, the pure and the filth ones, would never be enslaved to the silver, ever again. More importantly, if they wanted to return once more to that lunar pride Louvel and Nacre had created; hunt down the Pricolici, protect the humans. And they would honour them and adore them; as if they were gods!

It was as the Ielele knew what he was thinking, for they didn't speak for a while. They were just traveling through his memories, his plans; Lucious could feel them in his mind. And he let them see, every dark corner of it. Because his deepest fears had come to life.

"You have two more kids Lucious. You surely can't expect the Council to give them a fair trial. They seek neutrality, no matter what. No matter who gets hurt in the process..." Simza murmured, dark and sparkling shades spreading upon her face all at once, her black eyes glowing, making their pupils barely visible; the only proof she wasn't human after all.

"Mutiny... Right under my noice..." Lucious muttered.

"We can't be sure yet..." Mirela whispered. "But we can't loose more time, either. They've found us once. And with the Pricolici at their disposal, I don't know what else they're capable of!"

"So what do you propose?" Lucious asked. Though he still seemed like he was at his early forties, deep wrinkles spread upon his forehead and next to his eyes.

"I'd propose you trust only the pure ones," Simza said, placing her hand atop his shoulder and squeezing him softly. "I know it's hard, but it's the only way. Call the next pack's hunting. And make sure Andrew brings the Silver girl with him. If you can't hunt them directly, you'll have to deceive them," she stated.

"I can't see why you're so eager to kill the girl, Simza," Lucious sneered at her.

"Well, aside from getting our revenge, dear Lucious, the rest is between your son and me," Simza purred and winked at him.

© Victoria Moschou. All Rights Reserved 2016-2017.