Maertien faced Vaxon with a scowl. "You die here, Vaxon."

Vaxon doubled over with laughter. "Do you seriously think I'll let a little boy take me out? You don't even know how to use that thing."

The young Seer's scowl deepened. "I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't know how to use it."

"Do you even know what you have in your hand?" Vaxon gestured to the blade.

Maertien stared at the kris, which was now glowing dimly. "It's Alket's Kris. It was supposed to be a myth, but legend has it Alket saw something that caused him to create a blade that could take the life force of one who could take the life force of all other living things."

Vaxon crossed his arms. "Well, someone is well-versed."

Snorting, Maertien crouched in a ready position. "That's beside the point."

Hia curled up on the throne, and Maertien couldn't help stealing glances at her. She seemed terribly familiar to him. It was almost as if something dormant inside of him and wakened, and he felt as though he'd found the companionship he'd been craving his entire life. A slow smile slipped over her lips.

His gaze snapped back to Vaxon. "We can do this the easy or the hard way, Vaxon."

Vaxon raised a brow. "You don't really expect me to just give up and die, do you?"

Maertien shrugged. "Obviously, not. I already knew you wouldn't."

The corners of Vaxon's lips tugged upward. "Of course, you would."

Just as the two launched at each other, the doors to the throne room flung open, and a contingent of Zhols burst in. Hia's eyes widened, and she shot to her feet. "Vaxon, what is the meaning of this?"

Vaxon narrowly missed carving Maertien's throat out with the dagger he'd hidden in his boot. He somersaulted to a stop, coming to his feet in a smooth, fluid roll. Maertien's fingers pressed to the side of his neck where Vaxon's dagger managed to cut him when he'd dodged the attack mid-air. Getting slow, I guess... He winced when his fingers came away coated in blood. Father would be so disappointed. His fingers clenched on the hilt of the kris.

"What do you mean, Hia? I just did what any responsible soldier would; I informed my superiors that I found intruders and that the king was assassinated." Vaxon turned his wicked grin on her.

Hia stormed down the steps and grabbed Maertien's hand. "Hold on, Maertien. We need to get out of here now."

Maertien's gaze remained fixed on Vaxon. "He was supposed to die here," he muttered to himself.

With slumped shoulders, Hia transported them out of the throne room before the Zhol soldiers could stop them from leaving. She clung to Maertien's hand as they traveled through the vortex to a location far from the city.

The place they landed remained untouched by the war and destruction. No one else seemed to be about when the two of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Maertien's vacant eyes stared into her face as she lay on top of him. He remained still, but his shallow breathing told her he was alive though stunned. Their faces hovered inches apart from each other, and Maertien finally spoke.

His lips parted, and her name ghosted off his lips. "Hia. Vaxon called you Hia."

She moistened her lips and nodded.

"I was supposed to kill him there, but I failed."

A shiver ran down her spine. "We'll have another chance. He can't escape his fate." Her fingers traced up his wrist to the blade he still held.

"We're the same race?" His fingers raised to brush over the marbling granite pattern on her pale shoulder where her dress had slipped down.

She found herself without words and just nodded.

He smiled, his fingers running over her cheek and then wandering to her lips. "What am I?"

She trembled. "You're a Guthrien."

"Does my skin do the same thing as yours?"

"Marble, you mean?"

He nodded, his sightless gaze glued to her face. "I always wondered why my skin went all weird when I cut myself. But yours looks different."

She chuckled. "I'm a female. Of course, it looks different."

"Why is it different?"

"Well, females are more vulnerable than the males of our kind."

"So why does your skin go all glittery when the granite protects you? Mine doesn't."

"Because I'm a girl." She rolled off him and sat in the grass beside him.

Maertien stared up at the sky where the invader's ships soared overhead. Even with many of them landed, there were still too many hovering above the planet to see the sky. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"You're the Seer." She elbowed him in the side with a smirk. "You tell me."

Maertien grimaced. "The visions didn't cover this part."

She laughed. "It's okay, Maertien. I can teleport us off planet to a safe place once I regain my strength."

He rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand. "Hia?"

"Yes?" She glanced up at the sky.

"Why did you mark Alastair?"

Her gaze shot to him. "That? I wouldn't actually have killed him. But if I hadn't brought him to Ilkos, I would've been killed. So, I just used that as a way to make sure he'd cooperate." Shoulders slumping, she looked away from him and drew her knees up to her chest.

"You feel bad about his death." Maertien shifted into a seated position.

She let her glowing blue and white hair sheet over her face. "Yes. I never imagined Ilkos would let him fly that ship to his death. His father wanted him to take over as ruler of the Dragon Empire."

Maertien chuckled. "I can't really see Alastair cooperating with that."

"Honestly, I can't either. He fought from start to finish. The people who demonized him were clueless. He was one of the best men I knew." Hia dropped her head onto her knees.

Maertien reached out to pat her shoulder. "You didn't kill him, Hia."

"I know. But I let him be pulled into my schemes just to gain Ilkos's trust. All for what? I killed him, but I still can't make any difference."

"Why did you kill him?" Maertien's vacant gaze fixated on the trees and the smoke trailing into the sky from the palace miles away.

"He killed so many people. And those he didn't kill? He turned them and inflicted terrible pain on their loved ones. No one like that deserves to live." Hia's voice dropped to a whisper. "He wiped out our people, Maertien. I didn't want to see that happen to another race."

Maertien's fingers clenched into fists on his thighs. "Vaxon is going to do the same things, isn't he?"

She nodded. "He'll do something of the sort. While he may not be their leader, he's serving his own good, not theirs."

Heaving a sigh, Maertien rolled his shoulders. "Having the fate of the world resting on your shoulders sure is a heavy load."

Hia scooted over and rested her head on his shoulder. "It gets easier when you're not alone."

He rested his head on hers and entwined their fingers. "I hope so."

They were silent for a few moments.

Then Maertien asked the question on both their minds. "There's nowhere safe for us. I saw that in my visions, but I thought it had to do with everything leading up to today. Since it doesn't, what do we do now?"

Hia sucked in a breath. "We run. And we find a way to survive on our own. Since you don't radiate your mathanos like a normal Magi, we should be able to hide more easily."

"Did any of my guildmates survive?" Maertien ran his fingers through her hair, amazed by the companionship he already felt toward her.

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Maertien." Hia brushed her fingers over his arm with a sad smile.

"It's not your fault." He sat up and wrapped his arms around her. "Hia?"

"Yes?" She inhaled sharply as his nose pressed against her neck.

"Why do I have this feeling I've known you all my life and that we belong to each other?" Maertien hesitantly pressed his lips to her shoulder.

"Because." She whimpered when his lips softly brushed her temple. "The prophecy we're part of us foretold that we would."

"So, I never have to be alone again?"

Her fingers wove through his matted hair. "Not for a long time," she whispered.

He responded to that with an uncertain glance at her lips. Her cheeks reddened, but he didn't move to take it further. She let out a huff when he kept staring at her mouth but didn't attempt anything. "Oh, for heaven's sake!" She grabbed the front of his tunic, and her lips collided with his.

With a gasp, he tensed, but when she slowed and eased him into it, he gave in. The sun's rays broke over them as Hia helped him to forget the pain of the previous night for a few minutes.

***

Eiridan, Jaeyria, and Kyren huddled in a small circle. Eris and Mordzar huddled together in another corner of Rovad's small ship. The Magi he'd saved sported various injuries, some worse than others. While Rovad had passed on due to his wounds hours before, two of Silent Phoenix's surviving pilots were able to take over, and they now controlled the ship. Eiridan's shoulders slumped, and his head hung against his chest.

Jaeyria rubbed his back. "You did everything you could, Eiri. It's not your fault you're out of Mathanos."

Kyren grunted, crossing his legs. "She's right. You've healed everyone you can."

"I should've known they would ambush us." Eiridan dropped his head into his hands. "I never should've taken everyone in there."

"Would you have been able to live with yourself if you just left all of them to die without lifting a finger?" Kyren fixed him with a hard stare. "We all knew the risks going in, Eiridan."

Rubbing his temples, Eiridan exhaled slowly. "I guess I couldn't have sat there doing nothing while they died."

Xanader's voice came through the ship's crystal com system. "We have company to starboard side. Hold on, everyone. This is going to be a rough ride!"

The remaining Magi scrambled for a seat and strapped themselves in. Moments later, the ship shook and trembled. No one spoke over the com again for quite some time. The Magi gripped the armrests of their seats, each Magi's wide eyes meeting the equally terrified gazes of the others.

Jaeyria slipped her hand into his and squeezed. "Eiridan," she whispered in his ear. "I just want to tell you I was the happiest woman alive when you made me yours all those years ago. Thank you for being the rock I could anchor to when the sea of life got rough. I only hope that I offered you similar security and love."

Eiridan tugged her into him as the ship lurched from side to side with the evasive maneuvers Felix and Xanader were performing. He pressed his lips to hers, gently tracing his hands down her form. She whimpered and tangled her fingers in his hair. "You made me think I'd died and gone to heaven when you said yes." He nipped at her bottom lip, drawing a gasp from her, and then he sucked on the injury to soothe her. His hands rested low on her hips, and he rested his forehead against hers.

Kyren coughed in the seat next to them. "I understand that we're all concerned we could die here, but maybe you can keep the kissing and copping feels to a minimum?"

Jaeyria just about choked, and she yanked away from Eiridan's embrace. Her cheeks blossomed a deep, cherry-tomato red, and she pressed her fingers to her swollen lips.

Eiridan shot a glare at Kyren, but he didn't respond to his best friend's jibe.

The ship rattled and trembled. With no windows to see what was happening, the group could only pray and guess what might be going on.

Felix's voice crackled over the com. "I'm sorry, everyone. I did what I could. It was nice knowing everyone."

Eiridan and Kyren exchanged glances. Jaeyria's fingers entwined with his, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The hatch flew open, and the Zhols stormed in. Behind them, Eiridan could see the inside of a hanger. All of the shaking must've been the ship fighting to escape some sort of traction beam.

Another figure followed behind the Zhols, and his breath caught in his throat. "Is that...?" He choked off, staring at the individual striding into their tiny space.

"Well, it's been a long time since I've seen you five!"

Kyren snarled and flung himself toward his father. Eiridan and Jaeyria grabbed his arms and hauled him back, struggling to keep him from strangling Vaxon. He hissed and fought their grip. "We killed you!" Kyren screamed, breaking free of Jaeyria and Eiridan's restraining grasp.

Vaxon snorted. "When will you learn, boy? You'll never be free of me."

Kyren tackled Vaxon, but his efforts only earned him a punch to the face. He sprawled out on the floor, his lip bleeding freshly as his nose also trickled blood.

"Are you ready to admit you've lost?" Vaxon kicked Kyren in the ribs.

Kyren rolled away, coughing and clutching his side.

Eiridan ran to him, pressing his hands to Kyren's side and pouring what little mathanos he had into Kyren's body to knit together the cracked ribs. Kyren tried to shove his hands away, but he didn't have the energy left between the previous night's battle and his injuries.

Vaxon stalked up to them. "I should've known you'd all be together. You two are still filling my foolish son's head with nonsense, I take it?" He grabbed Eiridan's shoulder and yanked him away from Kyren. "Let him suffer. He deserves it."

Eiridan whirled about and dealt a swift uppercut punch to Vaxon's jaw. "How dare you treat your own family like this?"

Vaxon's fingers clamped around Eiridan's upper arm. "You're going to pay for that."

Jaeyria put her hands on her hips, and Eiridan shook his head sharply, willing her to stay put and to stay quiet. She didn't.

"Unhand my husband. If you think we're going to let you take us down without a fight, you're wrong."

Vaxon swept his languid gaze around the small cabin just as Felix joined them, his shoulders tense and his jaw clenched.

"Ah, how kind of you to show up, Felix. I take it Xanader is hiding in the cockpit like the coward he is." Vaxon shoved Eiridan back toward Jaeyria.

He lost his footing and stumbled, landing hard on his rear end in the middle of the floor. Jaeyria helped him up and pressed closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to offer comfort through the bond.

"Here's how this is going to work." Vaxon clapped his hands together. "I just want Kyren, Jaeyria, Eiridan, Eriswen, and Mordzar. And honestly, I don't even care if you don't give me Mordzar. But no negotiations on the first four. You give me them, and I'll help you escape this hell-hole of a planet."

All eyes shifted to them. Eris clung to Mordzar, her ice-flow blue eyes pooling with tears. She lost control when she saw the hardness in the eyes staring at the five of them, and she buried her face in Mordzar's shirt. He hesitated, but after a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed soothing circles on her back.

Felix bit his lip when Eiridan looked back at him with a raised brow. "Sorry, Eiridan."

Jaeyria glared at the others, who were avoiding the gazes of the five Magi Vaxon had named. "What's wrong with you all? Are you seriously going to hand us over to the enemy without a word? You're all flipping cowards!"

Felix winced under her accusation, but he didn't seem persuaded to change his mind. "Sorry, Jae. But five lives aren't worth the rest of our lives. If we die here, there will be no chance for the rest of the galaxy. But we're keeping Mordzar, Vaxon."

Vaxon chuckled. "Wise choice. Guards, take the prisoners to the hold."

Vaxon's lackeys swarmed around them, clapping irons around their wrists and dragging them from the ship. Eiridan and Kyren went without a fight, mostly because neither had the strength to keep fighting the ill fortune Fate seemed to like dishing out to them all. Eris seemed in shock, and her injuries still hadn't healed enough to allow her to put up a fight. Nonetheless, the guards had to drag her out of Mordzar's arms while she screamed and wept.

Jaeyria, however, lashed out, hissing and lashing out at anything that came near her. Her fingernails caught one of the less cautious guards in the bicep, drawing blood. She clawed at him when he tried to restrain her, and her teeth sank into his wrist.

Finally, the guards settled for hemming her in and keeping her where she was. The Magi watched her with wide-eyed stares, and she let out a guttural growl like a feral mountain cat. The guards glanced at Vaxon for direction. Jaeyria's stormy eyes met his, and he smirked. "Still as rebellious as ever, I see. I wonder..." He stalked over to her, a blackness seeming to ooze off him.

Jaeyria quivered, her gaze locked with his in a battle of wills. She tried to back up, but one of the soldiers with Vaxon shoved her into his grasp. He latched onto her wrists with his bruising grip, and she winced. He leaned closer, laughing when she still refused to look away. "I wonder how that spineless husband of yours managed to tame you."

She bared her bloodied teeth at him. "He didn't need to because he has my respect! Unlike you."

He grinned, and her stomach clenched. Still, she tipped her chin up, refusing to be cowed into submission.

His free hand stroked her cheek.

She snapped at his fingers, but she wasn't fast enough. His cruel fingers gripped her chin, holding her head in place. "There are ways to quench that fire you possess, woman. You know, Kyren's mother had a lot of spunk to her too, but even she and her cold heart bowed to me in the end."

"I'm not Vashti."

"No. But you're just as breakable." His teeth grazed her earlobe as he quietly threatened.

Now she did tremble under his grip.

His lips quirked up in a twisted smile. "I can handle this one." He waved the guards off. "Go help your companions secure the other three."

Jaeyria's heart thudded against her ribcage, beating a tattoo into her chest. His gaze trapped her in place, and for a moment, he dragged her a few steps with no resistance from her. Then her brain kickstarted into action, and she realized what he was likely going to do. I'll die before I let him lay a finger on me. She planted her feet on the floor of the ship, tugging back against Vaxon's grip.

He spun around, his jaw winding up even tighter. "You do not want to test me, woman."

She glared at him, still pulling away even as he held onto her chains and forced her inexorably closer.

Felix's voice came from behind her, heavy and worn. "Jae, please. Just do what he says. You'll be better off."

She turned to look back at him, twisting away from Vaxon's punishing tugs on her chains. His gaze was downcast, and his jaw was set tightly. "You don't want to do this, Felix!"

"Let him do whatever he wants, Jaeyria." Felix's gaze met hers and hardened. "Maybe if you actually swallow that pride of yours and keep him happy with you, you'll even come out of this richer for it."

He's telling me to sell my body and soul to this monster? He really doesn't have any idea what he's doing, does he?

In that moment, Jaeyria realized no one was her ally. All of her real friends were being locked away in the hold where they couldn't help. Even Mordzar remained on the floor where he'd been, his arms wrapped around his torso. His gaze fixated on the space where Eriswen had been moments before the guards had taken her.

"Mordzar, please don't let them do this." She stretched out her hand.

He didn't even look at her. It was as though he couldn't hear her.

Vaxon stood and watched the exchange with a snicker, but he let her plead with the others.

No one would meet her gaze, and she whirled to face Felix. "Felix, please. I'm begging you..."

He shook his head, refusing to look at her. "You heard him, Jaeyria. You don't want to test him. He's your new master now; I suggest you avoid frustrating him."

She choked back a sob, but she straightened her back and held her head high. "I am no one's slave."

Vaxon wrenched her back into his arms by the chains weighing down her wrists. "You are now." His lips brushed her ear again, and he bit down hard enough to make her yelp. "And you'll do whatever I tell you to. You never should've crossed me all those years ago, Jaeyria Lightwood."

She slammed her fists against his hard chest. "It's Lightsworn now!"

He threw her over his shoulder and hauled her out of the ship. "It'll be neither for very long." His supple fingers slid up the back of her thigh, and she gasped, striking him in the back with a fist. He didn't even flinch, and laughter rumbled through him.

Isn't there anything I can do about this? Her pulse galloped, and her breathing became painfully fast. Blood rushed to her head, suffusing her cheeks with heat. She reached into herself for any spark of mathanos to use to her advantage, but her reserves were dry.

Unable to escape, she slammed her hands over her mouth and suppressed the sobs. Even so, she knew Vaxon could tell he'd broken her down when his body shook with cruel laughter. She fought with her body, trying to refuse him the satisfaction of seeing her cry as he carried her away from the friends she had come to consider a family. The hatch closed, and Felix's unwavering gaze was the last thing she saw before the engines roared back to life, and the ship soared out of the hold with an escort of Zhol fighter ships.

With a slam of the hold doors, her last hope of escape disappeared. I may never be free again. She swallowed down a cry. And I might live the rest of my life in bondage to Vaxon's every whim.

His fingers clenched on her hip, and he lowered her to the floor in front of a door. He kept a tight grip on her right wrist while he opened the door. The panels of the door slid back, smoothly clicking into place on either side of the opening.

Her gaze wandered about the room when he shoved her inside. The exploration ended the minute her gaze landed on the giant four-poster bed in the center of the room. Turning, she decided she'd take her chances making a break for it.

Vaxon blocked her path, and she smacked into his hard chest when she whirled around and stepped toward the door. He placed both hands on her waist, using his height and weight advantage to force her to step back until the back of her knees collided with the bed. One shove from Vaxon, and she lost her balance, tumbling onto her rear end on the bed.

"I'm going to kill him." Vaxon's gaze wandered over her frame, undressing her as he stared. "But before I do, I'm going to make him feel every bit of fear and pain you're going to feel as I have my way with you. That bond is intact still, isn't it?" He grabbed her hand and flipped her palm up. "Maybe after I make him feel all of this through the bond, I'll make him watch too."

She tried to tear her hand from his grasp, but his iron grip held it in place. His other hand moved up, and his fingers traced over the ancient words on her wrist. "Ubi occursum lucem ac tenebras," he murmured, his fingers swirling in circles over the words. "Where light and dark meet. How fitting."

He pushed her down onto the bed, his knee pressing between her legs. His lips hovered over hers. "Too bad I'm going to snuff out all of that light." His mouth crashed into hers, forcing her lips to part. His tongue explored the inside of her mouth.

She tried to bite him, but he pulled away before she could, slapping her. "Don't test me," he hissed. "Unless, of course, you're into the more abusive side of things?" He raised a brow.

"Let me go!"

His hands slipped across her chest, lingering everywhere. Her chest heaved, and her palms rested against his chest as she fought him. Growling his irritation, he pinned her arms above her head with his twisted mathanos and yanked her tunic off in one fluid motion. She gasped when the cold air in the room hit her bare skin. His lips went to her collarbone and then drifted lower, and her body convulsed as a sob tore out of her. Once again, I'm a pawn to hurt Eiridan. Her eyes filled with tears, and they trickled down her cheeks into her loose hair and the pillow beneath her head.

Vaxon's hands continued to explore her body, making her heart clench with adrenaline and pain.

I can't let him use this against us.

A white-hot wave pulsed from her hand where Eiridan's mark lay and spread throughout her frame. Her heart beat frantically against her chest, and she cried out when she felt the anger and disgust washing off Eiridan as the bond let him know what she was feeling.

"Can he feel it?" Vaxon growled against her abdomen. "Can he tell what's happening to you right now?" He snickered. "Is he angry? Or maybe, he's disgusted? Does the soft-hearted healer still want you now, shadow witch?"

Jaeyria screamed, trying to buck him off.

A snarl escaped him. "I guess you do like things rough." He jerked her off the bed and toward a storage unit in the room.

She slapped him across the face, her nails scratching jagged gashes into his cheek.

His jaw clenched, and he slammed her back against the wall. "I could make this so much more painful, you ungrateful witch. I suggest you stop fighting me if you don't want that."

She slid down the wall, ignoring the burn in her arms as he held them above her head, threatening to dislocate them with the downward pressure she was applying. Her tears fell, and all shame fled. He had already shamed her beyond the point of tears making a difference. And the shame wasn't over.

Vaxon released her hands. "Don't even think about running. There's nowhere to hide and nowhere to go." He rummaged around in the closet.

She drew her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. Her tears were salty on her tongue, and the sensation of Vaxon's wicked fingers on her form wouldn't go away. Her lower lip trembled. She desperately wished for a shower to scrub away the sense of violation.

He hasn't even gone the rest of the way, Jae. The worst was yet to come.

He finished rifling through the closet's contents. Jaeyria lifted her head, and her eyes widened when she saw the ropes in his hands. Her whole body trembled, and she scooted away from him, shaking her head. "P-please... I'll do anything, j-just..." She got to her knees and turned to put more space between them. I can't... It's bad enough that he's violating me. But to be utterly unable to fight back? Why couldn't he just kill me?

A wicked guffaw of laughter slipped past his lips, and he stalked toward her, grabbing her ankle when she tried to crawl away. His strong arms caged her in and scooped her up. She found herself lying on the bed again, facing toward the ceiling. Vaxon's calloused fingers grabbed her right wrist and wove the rope around it. He knotted it around the bed post and proceeded to tie the rest of her limbs similarly. The rope chafed against her bruised wrists, and she tugged against it. Bristles and stray pieces of the rope bit into her skin, drawing thin pricks of blood and creating a burning sensation in all the places it cut off circulation. "Vaxon, please. Don't tie me." She gasped for breath, her chest restricting further.

Eiridan, I'm sorry. Tremors ran through her frame when Vaxon straddled her, the smirk still on his face.

"No more fighting me. Take your punishment for defying me like an adult. Unless you're a coward?" His fingers danced down her sides and then up again to her shoulders. "Are you a coward, Jaeyria?"

A strangled whimper escaped her. I'm so sorry, Eiri. I know this will kill you, but I have to do this. If I do, you won't feel the pain of what's about to happen. "Quid est tenetur dimittere."

Red-hot pain shot through her, and the bond mark on her wrist flashed white. Vaxon ignored it at first, stripping her the rest of the way. Her lungs seized, and the sense of loss invaded her every sense. Her mind drifted, unable to take it. She screamed again when Vaxon's rough hands ran over her chest and then down to her inner thighs. Every nerve seemed to be alive with fire and lightning.

Vaxon snickered. "As much as I love to hear you scream, you really need to calm down. I haven't even done anything painful yet."

Her bottom lip trembled when his lips pressed to her shoulder.

"So why are you screaming? What was that flash? Whatever you think you've done, it hasn't worked." Vaxon's teeth sunk into her skin enough to draw blood but not much deeper.

"You won't be able to use today's assault on me to hurt him anymore." She gasped when his tongue slid along the puncture marks he'd made in her shoulder. Her burning nerves shrieked in protest.

He bit her again, this time harder. "That isn't possible."

She quivered, her vision growing dark. "Definitely possible..." Her breathing came in harsh rasps. "Done it once b-before."

His fingers bruised against her hips. "You're lyi—"

Before he could finish his statement, she lost consciousness.

***

Kyren and Eiridan sat with slumped shoulders and long faces in the dim hold. Neither spoke, and Eiridan fought the sensations sweeping over him through the bond between him and Jaeyria. He gritted his teeth when pain and despair flooded over him from Jaeyria's side. She felt utterly humiliated and guilty. Usually, feelings were all he got, but in moments of intense emotion, he sometimes caught images.

What he saw this time made his stomach churn, and he clenched his fists at his sides, pacing the cell. Kyren let him, still not saying a word. Eiridan appreciated his friend's silence. For the first time in a while, he felt rage building inside of him, urging him to punch someone or something. Preferably someone.

Eiridan's mark flashed in the dim light of the hold, and he dropped to his knees, crying out. His fingers scrabbled against the cold floor, and as the sensation of being stabbed by pins and needles in a million different locations intensified to a burning sensation that crept over every surface of his body, he curled into a fetal position.

Kyren crouched beside him, his bruised face dancing in Eiridan's unstable vision. "Eiridan? What's the matter? What was that flash?"

His voice grated on Eiridan's sensitive ears.

"That arrogant witch's son—" He cut off with a muffled scream of pain. "How the heck does this hurt more than last time?"

"Last time? Eiri, what's going on?" Kyren's hands hovered near Eiridan, but he didn't touch him.

Through slitted eyes, Eiridan saw the grimace on his friend's face and the shine of concern. "She b-broke the bond, Kyren." He burst into tears. "She didn't want me to feel everything she was feeling."

"What? Why not?" Kyren settled into a cross-legged position, his shoulders hunching.

"Because your father was using the bond to punish me while he raped her."

The muscle in Kyren's jaw ticked. "I'm going to kill that arrogant fool. How dare he?"

Eiridan just stayed curled in a ball and let himself weep. The initial pain was wearing off, leaving behind only emptiness yawning in his chest and a headache pulsing in the back of his head. He sat up when the sick feeling passed and wrapped his arms around his knees.

Kyren shocked Eiridan by wrapping his arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Eiridan. It's my fault we're in this mess."

Eiridan shook his head, clinging to his friend for one moment before pushing Kyren away. "It isn't your fault, Kyren. Your father wants to punish us all, not just you. He's always been sick in the head."

Kyren glared at the metal floor. "I really want to bash his head in."

Eiridan's gaze fixated on the darkness beyond their cell. "I don't. I want to see him suffer as much as everyone else he's hurt has."

Gaze snapping up, Kyren examined him. "Dangerous ground to tread on, Eiridan. You don't want to be turned too, do you?"

Eiridan shook his head. "Of course not."

"Then keep that anger in check. It isn't in your nature to maim or kill anyway." Kyren leaned back against the cell wall and shut his eyes.

"So, we just settle in and wait until an opportunity to escape comes?"

Kyren laughed, but the sound was hollow, and his eyes didn't open. "No. We accept the fact that we will die here. And when we do, Vaxon will do us a service because we will finally be free from this torture others call life."

For once, Eiridan had to agree with his friend's grim assessment. And maybe dying wouldn't be so bad after all, Eiridan thought. The pain and emptiness in his heart was worse than anything he'd felt to this point, and he shed a few more tears for everything his wife was enduring at Vaxon's hands. He laid down, his cheek pressing against the cold floor. His fists rested helplessly against the chilly surface. "Then we will meet the end with wide open arms."