▪︎Author▪︎

"Good night guys" Verena greeted the two guards in the hallway, surprised when they looked at her nervously, swallowing hard.

Had she been unintentionally rude?  Didn't she hide her bitter mood well?

One of them asked her to follow them, still exchanging apprehensive glances.

What's happening?

Arriving in the school's inner courtyard, Verena saw Andreas, Beatrix, Luna, the Winx, and all the students around. In the midst of it all, Rosalind with her hands behind her back, looking disappointed. Beside her, Viperine was with her arms crossed and a devilish smile. Her eyes brimming with malice.

Behind them, her friends who should have been on their way home by now were in handcuffs.  The ones who were fairies, the magic limiters pierce their skins.

"What the fuck is this?" Verena exclaimed trying to go to them when she was held back by three guards twice her size.

Her arms being pulled back causing crackling, big, heavy hands on her shoulders pushing her down bringing her to her knees.

"Verena. You've always had a fog around you. I've never been able to see anything but her" Rosalind said calmly. Too calm "So Viperine, were kind enough to tell me that you're a fairy. What you did to Callum. That you have a connection with Bloom. That you're ill. That you've been sleeping with Saul Silva." Andreas, who was unaware of this last fact, looked at Verena, looking sick. "I decided to check the memories to see if I could find anything else. Holes that's what I found. Dark holes. Memories erased. Or in the case of your favorites, impossible to access. You're no mind fairy, but you're strong. Which I admit, I'm impressed."

"If you ask nicely, I'll tell you" Verena hissed angrily "But that doesn't explain why they're handcuffed"

"You and your friends will be arrested" Luna replied stopping behind Rosalind "As will Nicolai and Dorian when they are found. Andreas will take care of Cassian"

"Arrested?" asked Verena "I'm going to be arrested for not telling you something that was none of your business? And them just for being my friends? Now you've outdone yourself"

"You got romantically involved with a traitor..." Luna leaned closer maintaining a confident pose.

"He was lied to. He did what he thought was right" Verena cut in trying to move forward, being held tighter.  One of her arms was twisted drawing a scream from her.  She saw Sky and Riven try to go to her, being stopped by Andreas who, as much as he tried to hide, looked worriedly at his eldest daughter.

"Saul Silva betrayed and tried to kill your father" Luna said raising an eyebrow "And you got attached?"

"You know nothing about what happened between me and Saul"

"Saul?" Rosalind repeated thoughtfully, "The way you say his name…is worrying. We'll arrest you just in case. We can't risk you trying to release him. And we all know your little group will do whatever you ask."

Verena hissed in pain and surprise as something thin and metallic wrapped around her wrists. When what felt like thick needles tore through her skin, a sting spread through her arms. Now released, she looked at her wrists seeing runic limiters.

"We underestimated you once." said Luna with a smirk "We won't make that mistake again"

Verena glared at the queen. The two always hated each other. Verena hated Luna for many reasons, the way she treated Stella was one of the main ones.

Luna hated Verena for never having treated her with the respect she deserved as queen. For her, Verena has always had a lot of freedom. It was time to set limits.

"You're underestimating me now," Verena nearly growled, fury consuming her. Her friends gulped. "If you think these toys will contain me"

On her exposed chest, a black shadow formed, spreading across her skin like ink. Dark veins ran up her neck to her face. Her eyes filled with darkness, irises glowing red and gold.

Lifting her hands, Verena showed the bracelets going deeper into her flesh. Healing over the top, her new skin bore the designs of runic limiters, like a tattoo.

Rosalind, Luna, Viperine and the three guards who held her were lifted into the air.

"You know, I absorb any energy or magic" she said getting up and going to her friends "They become mine, part of me."  With a simple wave, the iron handcuffs and bracelets crumbled to dust "Magic already don't have much effect on me. Especially after I control a person's mind so they never do anything strong enough to hurt me. But now, you guys gave me the power to stop someone's magic in a much simpler way. Thank you for that" Smiling, she turned to the three men who looked at her in terror.  Entering their minds, she saw things that disgusted her "Cassie, Nocole, katelin. Do you recognize those names?" they widened their eyes "Girls you harassed. Amber, Hazel, Cora, girls you raped. Oh my god Luna, what kind of people are you hiring?"

Luna was in shock at what Verena was doing, and what three of her soldiers were doing in hiding.

"If I were you, I'd check out the rest of your people."  Verena suggested seriously, "Lucky they weren't fairies. If not we'd be in big trouble." When she turned to the men, they opened their mouths trying to breathe, the air being forced out of their lungs. "I'm not going to get so much weight on my conscience getting rid of you"

Like the handcuffs and the Burned Ones, they began to crumble into dust and light. Their lives being sucked into Verena. The more she absorbed, the more memories became visible.

She continued, wanting to know more. She continued until there was nothing left. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the fairies and Medusa suspended in midair, trying to ignore the terrified looks everyone was shooting at her.

"I'm not hiding anymore. So there's no reason not to return all the memories. Feel free to look, Rosalind" The memories of Verena losing control, killing the Burned Ones and the rumors that she had transformed with Bloom returned to students.

Placing them on the floor, Verena transferred Stella and Viperine's feelings into Luna's mind. So that she would know what they went through. It also made her relive her own bad memories.

She turned to Rosalind

"You're lucky Bloom and I need you," she said calmly, the darkness fading from her skin and eyes, leaving only the mixed glow of red and gold. Her face lost what made her frightening. Now her expression was serene and delicate, almost angelic. Very different from a few seconds ago.

She turned to Viperine.

"I really believed you wouldn't go that far. I convinced myself I could give you one more chance. I've learned my lesson now." she said disappointed "I'm sorry about this Viperine. But I need to" Viperine frowned in confusion. Verena tapped her forehead, gently. Nothing happened. Yet "Try not to scream so loud tonight."

Standing up, she walked over to her friends and turned to the rest of the school. Her gaze stopped on Andreas.

"Want to know something interesting?" asked not waiting an answer "Saul had to raise your son. And you, helped raise his"

Andreas and Sky's disbelieving face was the last thing Verena saw before she disappeared into a clearing with her friends.

Leaving Alfea's air in chaos.

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