Solyerian. The one holiday Rheynoak had detested for over a century.

It was the one thing he would rather burn himself over. Even the simple mention of it had his blood boiling and his heart racing to jump out of his chest.

Needless to say, the tribe leader was less than excited to celebrate Solyerian. Even if he was the host and would have the honor to celebrate the holiday with other tribe leaders, it still wouldn't make up for all the losses and the devastation it had marked in his life.

Tired hazel eyes flickered open to the welcoming morning sun, scanning his surroundings of his bedroom. The bed was warm yet abandoned, the presence of another warm body gone. His fingers moved to grasp the sheets were Onyx usually slept by his side.

Yet nothing but thin air slipped through his fingers on the cold side of the bed.

Confusion struck him first, his eyes searching frantically for his lover followed by panic when he kicked the silk sheets off his body and stood up, ignoring the bristly cold air that brushed through the open windows and the silk curtains. His heart was beating at the speed of light, vision going blurry with every few seconds that passed by.

It wasn't until his eyes landed on her silk robe that she had left in his room that he suddenly remembered she wasn't talking to him, practically ignoring him for wanting to protect her.

Ever since she had gone under the Catalyst Oath and was transformed into a demi-hybrid, Rheynoak has been doubting that it was the same Onyx he had known before. Before any of this happened, she was never submissive. She was always challenging him, getting on his nerves, knowing what buttons to push. She had the fire in her eyes that always burned him even when he wasn't around her.

She even looked like pure hell.

But now, she had grown more humane, more submissive, weaker even. She wasn't the same person he had fallen in love with. She didn't challenge him, she didn't excite him. She didn't trigger him.

Cautiously, the Hell Siphon walked over to the robe that was draped elegantly on the crown of the chair, letting his fingers graze past the soft silk and rough lace that kissed his skin. A bit of her scent lingered on his skin, reminding him of what they shared.

The fight they had yesterday was the first sign of the old Onyx he knew.

As much as he hated to admit to it, she didn't seem to have the same effect on him that she had before. Which was ironic considering how she looked more hellish than ever with those gold eyes that seemed to be made of pure fire and hate.

Yet still, he couldn't find it in himself to blame her for the sudden change in behavior. At the end of the day, it was still his fault for deceiving her. Switching the rubies was a faulty plan, he realized that now.

But there was nothing he could do. Except let the truth come out itself.

Hugging the robe close to him, he sighed and willed himself to move past the little pieces of Onyx that were scattered in his room to the bathroom, the door creaking closed when he entered. Hot air met his flushed skin.

Turning the sink on, he splashed his face with a blast of cold water, running his wet fingers through his hair as he proceeded to wash his face and brush his teeth. Silence surrounded him, the noise of the world shutout in the encased bathroom.

After ten minutes of rinsing his mouth and going through his daily skin care routine, he turned off the sink and proceeded to turn on the bath water. As the tub filled up with warm, steamy water, the tribe leader shrugged out of the black, loose pants he wore, abandoning them near the hamper.

When the tub was halfway filled, he allowed himself to gently sink into the welcoming embrace of the warm water, letting himself sink further down into the tub until the water was up to his collarbone.

His fingers danced around the water, his mind swarming with thoughts that had nothing to do with do with the relaxing bath he was taking. The first day of Solyerian, the one that he had to be the most cautious about. After spending a good night in the conference hall inviting many tribal leaders to the tribal grounds, he got little to no sleep, contemplating on what would happen.

The other tribe leaders would be itching to see Alesandria, the girl who possessed the impossible powers of Mind Siphons. They would ask her questions, touch her, examine the siphon heritage mark on her shoulder that seemed to be changing every day.

They would be dying to sink their precious, poisonous claws into her fragile skin and string her out until she was nothing but shredded threads of magic. And he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.

Over his damn dead body.

Somehow, the Hell Siphon had to figure out a way to shield Alesandria's presence away from the others while still making sure she blended in with the crowd and was within seeing range. He had to make sure she was protected for the next two days.

Because if anything happened to her, if a single hair on her head was misplaced, everything would go to hell.

Feeling his finger prune underneath the lukewarm water, the tribe leader bathed himself quickly, grabbing a robe behind him when he was done to dry himself off. He ran his fingers through his hair, wet footprints slapping against the bathroom floor as he exited out the bathroom.

A blast of cold air met his skin when he entered his room, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin as he got ready. He shrugged on his usual black attire, buttoning the middle button on his blazer and tightening the cuffs around his sleeves.

The only thing that stood out was the midnight blue cloak he wrapped around himself, adorned with gold detailing throughout the material. The cloak reached all the way to the floor, the only cloak he owned that signified his position as leader of his tribe.

Securing it tightly around his shoulders, Rheynoak turned around to glance at himself in the mirror, hoping what he had on would be enough to impress the other tribe leaders that would soon be visiting his grounds.

And to capture Onyx's attention as well.

Stars and Gods, he hated Solyerian. He hated it with all his heart and soul. He hated Draco for dragging him into this pathetic celebration that should have never existed. But most of all he hated himself for being so weak and falling into his trap.

What kind of leader was he if he couldn't even stand up to his own enemies?

Nodding once to himself, he cleared his throat and walked away from the mirror, heading towards the door. His hand rested on the doorknob, the cold biting into his skin.

The next three days would be holding his faith in fragile hands, determining whether disaster would meet him halfway or if by some miracle, everything would be okay.

Under whatever circumstances he would meet, Rheynoak knew he had to mend at least one broken relationship before all hell fell.

Crossing his fingers behind him, he casted one more look over to his empty bed, hoping by some mirage that Onyx would be there, snuggled under the covers.

But one blink and it was gone, nothing but the empty bed standing in front of him once again.

Cursing under his breath, he swung the door open, letting it close behind him with a loud echo before he rested his back against it, running his hands down his face,

He had a duty to protect Alesandria from wandering eyes and greedy tribe leaders who would love to sink their teeth into her skin.

But the only woman he was worried about now was the one with fire for eyes and a soul full secrets.

"Right, left, uppercut, and twist."

A cry of pain left Alesandria's lips as she grasped her broken wrist, wincing in pain as she felt her knees buckle and her whole body give out on her.

Just as she was about to draw in another breath, a great force knocked into her stomach, sending her flying into the air and colliding with the concrete walls of the training room. Her spine cracked under pressure and she fell, coughing and spitting out blood as she did so.

"And that, mere queen, is how you attack your enemies in basic training."

Standing in front of her in all her hellish glory, her golden eyes burning on the edge of amber in the early morning sun and her lips pulled into a rather gnarly snarl was Onyx Ashrevion. The Mind Siphon was rather impatient and cranky this morning, her stares as cold as ice.

She even managed to send shivers down Ian's spine, her personally assigned guardian that was to assist her everywhere. Even though he was feet taller than her with biceps that could outshine the highest sand dunes and turquoise gems for eyes, he seemed a bit scared of her.

Hence why he kept his distance on the other side of the room.

"I thought it was supposed to be a simple tactic" Alesandria complained pulling herself up from the floor once she realized the Mind Siphon wasn't going to spare her any pity. "I thought this was supposed to be a basic training session."

"It is basic" the Mind Siphon snarled back, cracking her knuckles. "But your simple mind just can't wrap around it. You are still a fresh demi-hybrid. It takes a while for your brain to adjust to your new powers" she informed, wiping some sweat from her brow.

A scoff escaped the demi-hybrid lips, running her fingers through her hair. Even through her hazy, she could see the frustration raking off of Onyx's body. She sensed it the minute she walked in to find the Siphon standing in front of a leather punching bag, wrapping chains around her knuckles and Ivan icing his knuckles in the corner of the room

She didn't dare question what had gone wrong in the last twenty-four hours although she had a few guesses herself. Wiping the sweat from her face, Alesandria ungloved her hands and ran her free fingers through her hair, taking a few steps back from the Mind Siphon.

"I'm taking a break," she said, resting her back against the cold wall. A pain tingled her shoulder where her Siphon marks were. It was only present for a moment before disappearing. "Whatever keeps you from passing out" Onyx replied back, not looking over her shoulder.

Her gold eyes returned to the leather punching bag only a few feet away from her, swinging ever so slightly in the dry atmosphere. "I'm taking a few more swings at the punching bag. Busy yourself with whatever pleases you."

Those were the last words the Siphon spoke to her before striking a powerful punch to the leather punching bag, nearly knocking it off its chained hinges. Everything turned into a blur, nothing but the swinging bag becoming her target as she struck it over and over again.

While the Siphon released all her anger and pent-up frustration, Alesandria simply dabbed at her sweaty forehead with a damp towel, casting her gaze over to Ian who kept his gaze locked on his bruised knuckles. She walked over to him, settling beside him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You want some help with that?" she offered him, noticing how bloody and beaten his knuckles really were underneath the pack of ice that rested under his skin. Cold eyes met her, a scowl etched on his lips. "I got it. Thanks" he simply grunted, shaking his head and walking away from her towards the back of the room to exchange the pack of ice for another.

Rolling her eyes, Alesandria watched Onyx with an admiral gaze in her eyes, seeing as how the Siphon never broke concentration and how she aimed precise punches and aims at the leather bag swinging in front of her. She moved so quickly and fluidly with so much ease, it was easy to mistake her for just a gust of wind.

Enchanted by the siphon, she did not notice the double doors swinging open with a sudden bang and a tall figure strolling in through the darkness. A glorious cape draped on to the floor, hazel eyes inspecting the near-empty training room.

The hybrid took one look at the tribe leader and felt her whole body freeze, a sliver of fear chilling her spine. With his midnight black outfit, nothing but the glittering cape catching the first drifts of sunlight and his eyes shining like two topazes left out in the sun, he looked like the definition of a true leader.

Cunning, dangerously beautiful, and disastrous.

"Ian" the tribe leader spoke once, startling the young man that was supposed to be looking over Onyx. He looked up, another ice pack in hand and Rheynoak simply shook his head at him, rolling his eyes before turning his gaze over to Alesandria.

Her muscles seemed to tense in place, her heart pounding against her own rib cages as he stared her down with cold, dead eyes. Silence filled the void between them, his eyes taking in her beaten, broken down form and sweaty, matted hair.

"Don't slack too much Alesandria" he advised her, shaking his head. "It's not good practice for a future queen."

For a second his words baffled her, this being the first time Rheynoak had truly acknowledged her of who she was truly meant to be. She felt her shoulders relax, her mouth opening to utter a word of thanks to him.

Yet so quickly, she couldn't even calculate it, he had turned his back to her, completely ignoring the fact that she existed. His hand was rested on Onyx's wrist, stopping her in the middle of her training. The Siphon did not look too pleased, her cheeks red and sweaty and her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Save your breath if you came here for apologies. I don't want to hear it" she hissed at him, yanking her hands-free from his grip. "And I most certainly do not want to see your pathetic face lingering around me this early."

"Onyx, you seriously are not still mad at me for doing something that was only meant to protect you?" the tribe leader argued back, his tone surprisingly calm and even. "Everything I have done up until this point has been nothing but good intentions. Stop casting me as the villain in this situation."

The Siphon scuffed, raising her brows and crossing her arms over her chest. "Me casting you as the villain? Can't you see? Are you that blind by your own ignorance?" she sneered through locked teeth, golden eyes blazing under her thick lashes. "You are the villain in this situation! You're doing it to yourself. I do not have to play a role in order for anyone to realize that."

Even from where she was sitting, Alesandria could still hear the soft growl of Rheynoak's frustration slipping through his locked teeth, his knuckles twitching and cracking with pressure. "It seems as if you are the only one blinded here love. I am doing all of this to protect you" he reassured once again, this time his voice not being as gentle as he started out with. It was more jagged, rough, sprinkled with impatience.

Unfortunately for him, Onyx was a true challenger. "Ever since I became a demi-hybrid, you have done nothing but ignore and confine me to a corner! I have not had the chance to use my new powers of even receive proper training. Instead of being there for me when I need you the most, you have simply thrown me aside like a piece of trash and focus your attention on others that don't need it!" she expressed, her tone raising higher and higher with each word she spat. Her anger was present now, a thick, foggy presence that surrounded her like a blanket.

"I understand why you would be training Alesandria first as she is the queen of Crojesian and needs to learn how to stable her powers but for bloody sakes, I'm a demi-hybrid! If anything, I should be receiving the same amount of training as she is getting! I should not have to subside to my usual routine and be assigned a personal watchdog to follow me around" the Siphon continued, casting an icy glare at Ian who immediately concentrated his gaze on anything but her.

"I should be training and getting proper medical care. The only treatment I have been getting is to calm down my nightmares and my killing illness which seems to be a symptom of my transition. And even that is little care."

The air was thick with tension, the two magical beings standing at opposite ends of their argument. Rheynoak tunneled his fingers through his hair, heaving out a great sigh while the Siphon stood there with one hand now rested on her hip, the other dangling mindlessly at her side.

So much energy surrounded her, wild and untamable energy that even Alesandria herself could sense. The slight hue of blue glowed around her friend's veins, her soul not ready to give up until he heard every single word she had to say.

"Here me out Onyx" the tribe leader pleaded, reaching out for her hand. The Siphon took several steps back, slapping his hand away. "No, I'm not done yet" she continued, sounding anything but friendly. "I have grown weak and extremely vulnerable, Rheynoak. I feel as if my powers are being drained from my body and you just don't seem to give a damn about that. I am nothing but a disturbance, a bother to you that you don't seem to acknowledge. "

This time Onyx took a few steps forward until they were face to face, their eyes meeting. "I may be your lover in bed but above everything, I am Onyx Ashrevion. I am Mind Siphon and an assassin. Hell, I'm the best one in Asxairo. And now I am a demi-hybrid. And if you think for one second, you can degrade and confine me all for the sake of my safety or for the fact that we are lovers, you have another thing coming for you, Rheynoak. Don't play any games with me. Remember, we used to be foes. I know all your tricks."

"Onyx, please-"

She stopped him before he could finish his words. "Save the excuses and save your breath. I don't want to hear it. Not today or tomorrow."

When all was said and done, Rheynoak took a breath, seeming truly defeated with sagging shoulders and unclenched knuckles. His expression had softened, his once hard eyes now pooling with more guilt than anyone has ever seen.

For a split second, he seemed like a truly lost boy, frightened and alone. It almost made him look innocent, pure for once.

But that was only for a second.

"I never knew" the tribe leader whispered to the Siphon, reaching over to take her hand in his. Although Onyx still winced at his touch, she didn't pull away, instead keeping that disapproving scowl on her face. "And I'm truly sorry for misleading you this past month. In due time, I will tell you the truth, I promise. But today is Solyerian and the other tribe leaders will be here soon to celebrate with us. So can you find it in your soul to put this behind us for now and celebrate with all of us?"

The eerie softness of his voice had the Siphon questioning his true motives, his grip on her fingers becoming a bit too tight. And as much as she would have loved to scream and shout at him all over again, something within her began to thaw and the anger that had taken over her mind and body minutes ago seemed to lessen.

"Only for now" Onyx finally agreed to, pulling her fingers out from his grasp. "But don't think I won't hesitate to strangle you if you break your promise."

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

I know it's been a long time since I update. A month and a half to be precise and I apologize for that, I really do! This past month and a half have been kind of a crappy one and for a moment, I lost a lot of motivation to write. It just felt as if all the creativity and passion I had was lost.

I didn't even have the time to finish NaNo. 

Terribly sorry for keeping you guys in the dark and waiting for so long. It was truly never my intention and I hope you can understand and forgive me for delaying so much without notifying you first. 

But I am doing a bit better now so I will be active a bit more! 

So tell me what you guys thought of this chapter. Do you agree with what Onyx is saying or do you think she is being a bit overdramatic with her accusations? Do you think her and Rheynoak will last? Anybody else you are shipping her with?

Any specific scenes you liked! Any conspiracies? I would love to hear them!

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