T H I R T Y - S I X

NOVA

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"

Kassian glanced over to the security panel, eyes widened as he jumped up and unlocked the panic room's door.

"Phoenix?" He gasped "Atlas?"

I jumped out of my seat and ran towards the door, trying to peak over his broad shoulders that were blocking the entrance to the room.

I gasped when I saw what awaited at the door, more specifically, who stood there.

"Phoenix!" I choked, my eyes dropping from his bloody body to the person he was carrying, who looked like he was ten seconds away from meeting the Grim Reaper "ATLAS!"

Kassian ushered them in, slamming the door shut behind them quickly before reengaging the panic room's security system.

Phoenix lowered Atlas gently onto the couch I previously occupied, his blood immediately soaking into the soft beige couch.

My lips quivered as kneeled next to him, cataloging all of his injuries as my eyes bounced from one wound to the next.

Almost automatically, my hands hovered over the largest wound on his stomach, as if they willed the blood to stop oozing from his body.

"That monster caused all this damage?" I looked at Phoenix who gave me a terse nod "And where is it now?"

"Dead" he said bluntly "Before he managed to get maimed nearly to death, the Bastard took down that creature. I only provided the distraction he needed to kill the thing."

My eyes roamed over him from head to toe as he talked, my heart beating dangerously fast as I checked for any wounds he could be sporting.

When I found none, well no obvious ones, my eyes slid back to the man at my side.

"Good" I whispered, pushing back the blood stained wisps of hair away from his forehead "How did that thing get in the Academy anyway? I thought you said we were safe here? That I was safe?"

Silence.

I didn't have to have eyes on the back of my head to know that Kassian and Phoenix were giving each other secretive looks.

"We figuring out that now" Phoenix said "I have the less psychotic Butcher twin working on it."

A throat cleared and my head snapped over to where an older woman stood in the corner of the room, her critical gaze bouncing from me to the guys and then back once again.

A small growl slid from my throat as I covered Atlas' body with my own, protecting him as much as I could from this unknown woman.

"Who's this?" My eyes narrowed at the matronly woman "And what is she doing here?"

"Relax Starlight" Kassian put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently "This is...was... my Nanny Amethyst. She used to care for me when my parents would travel the world for their research."

"And she's here because..."

"Because she's a Witch" he spoke softly "And a very powerful Healer. She'll be able to help Atlas better down here."

I eyed her, wondering just how powerful she was considering she looked like the live action version of Mrs. Potts.

"Why down here?" I questioned.

"What?" Kassian gave me a confused look "What do you mean?"

"Why does he have to be healed down here?" I clarified "Why can't he go to like, a hospital or something where he can be treated properly?"

I looked at his wounds once more, emphasizing my point, before meeting their eyes again.

"He's in really bad shape Nix" I said, looking at the self-proclaimed leader of the group "He should be taken to someplace that can provide better care..."

"Nova," Phoenix grabbed my hands, helping me stand and blocking the others from view "Trust us, Amethyst is the best Healer in the entire Academy. If anyone can Heal him, it's her."

"He needs more support than just her Phoenix" I whispered "He needs real doctors and nurses and testing."

"Things work differently here than they do in the human world Nova" he said softly, his calloused hands drawing circles on the back of my hands "Healers are better than any human Doctor or test.  If anyone can save him, Amethyst can and will."

"But why are we healing him in the Panic room?"

"Because if anyone see's him like this, it'll leave doubts of his capabilities" he said "And if that happens, someone might get the crazy idea in their pea sized brain to challenge him in front of their entire Pack while he's at his weakest."

My eyes widened "Someone would actually do that?"

His snort of derisive had me gaping at him "Ten someones would do that at once for the chance of a seat at the table."

I glanced at Atlas, gnawing at my lip in worry.

I was pissed and worried at this entire clusterfuck of a situation, the worst combination for an over thinker like me.

At this rate, I was going to be an insomniac shifter with anger issues.

"How long will he need to be down here?"

He glanced at Amethyst in question.

"A week, maybe longer" she supplied, her eyes sliding to me for a quick second before returning to Phoenix's "It all depends on how well he responds to the treatment."

"Won't the Penta be wondering what happened to him?" I asked "Won't his father or siblings want to see him?"

He shook his head "Normally, after an assassination attempt, we're all on lock down until the threat is secured."

"Assassination attempt?" My mouth dropped open "That's why that creature was here? To kill Atlas and me?"

"We don't know who the intended target was" His lips pursed "And until we find out who they were after, or we're sure that another attack isn't going to occur, all Penta Members and Heir Members are to remain in their safe rooms."

"Does that mean you and Atlas have to leave?"

"The protocol would dictate that we should leave."

My heart raced at his words, at the little hope that they inspired in me.

"And will you?" I asked "Leave us?"

~~~~~~~

Phoenix

"And will you?" She asked, her icy colored eyes blinking innocently up at me "Leave us?"

My heart, the one the boys said was identical to my mother's, soften at her words.

I can't believe this beauty in front of me was mine...well, 1/3 of mine, but still mine nonetheless.

She was trying to be strong for Atlas' sake, hell for all of our sakes, but I could tell from the slight tremble of her bottom lip, and constant shake of her hands that this whole experience really shook her up.

And I understood what she was going through...the memories shuddering through me so quick that I didn't have enough time to lock them away in that dark place where they belong.

"Please Father" My ten year old self pleaded, pulling against the silver chains, the cuffs digging into my skin as I tried to wrench away from the biting sting of the aconite poison my father dipped them in "I...I don't want to do this!"

"Quiet boy" he backhanded me so hard that I saw stars "You will do this or else I'll go back to the house and drag your sister out of bed to make her do what you can't. The choice is yours boy."

The thought of my six year old sister being forced to do this...to do what he wants in this moment...made me physically sick to my stomach.

My entire body trembled "I'll...I'll do it."

"Stop stuttering boy" He back handed me again "I will not have an imbecile of a son soiling the Fenrir name."

With those final words, he threw me into the Arena.

I could never forget the hot breath that washed across my face, the smell of death and decay permeating the air around me.

I didn't have to look up to know that the red eyes of a Feral were locked on me.

How in the hell he managed to capture a Feral and drag it here, to the Fenrir Coliseum on the Academy grounds, was mind baffling to me.

But then again, it shouldn't have been surprising to me considering that Tÿr Fenrir was shady as hell to the point where it bordered on almost criminal.

"Your mother kept you weak" he sneered at me from the safety of his balcony "But tonight, I will purge you of that weakness. I will help you reach your full potential as my Heir."

At those words, the Feral attacked and I was forced to live through one of the worsts nights of my life at the hands of that sick bastard who enjoyed watching the innocence bleed from my soul.

That night, as I looked up at satisfied face from the coliseum floor, the chains still wrapped around the Feral's broken neck, my hands stained in blood, I vowed something to the universe.

I vowed that no matter what happened in my life, how twisted or sadistic I became, I'd use those skills he forced upon me to end his very existence.

The monster he created, the one he formed with his bare hands that night, and thousands of nights thereafter, would be the one to end him.

Just like how he ended my mother the moment she found out about his abuse towards his own children.