"Saron! Saron, come save me!"

"Mom?" I yelled, tears filling my eyes.

"Saron! They're going to kill me. Please help me!"

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I took down flitting throughout the forest yelling, "Mom!" I stopped, shaking my head. This wasn't real. Narxus warned me about it. But it felt so real.

Hearing my mother's melodic voice once again had broken something within me. I suddenly felt enraged, terrified Liam would use my mother against me. If he wanted to kill me, that was fine. But how dare he use my mother? I felt my body heat up as my anger intensified. My thoughts became dark as I imagined ripping his heart out and making him suffer. My body began to shake as I failed to calm myself. I felt my eyes change to a deep, red. I looked up into the glass box, glaring at Liam with fire emerging from my fingertips. His face bore a blank expression as he watched me with envy. I screamed, unable to keep in my emotions any longer. My roar shook the entire forest, bringing down the trees as they came crashing down all around me. I felt one tree crash into me, sending me rolling across the rainforest before I crashed into a fallen tree. My fingers, still ablaze, touched the tree setting it on fire. After that, everything went dark.

I vaguely remember being lifted up into someone's arms while muffled voices screamed my name. My eyes fluttered open as my blurry vision only showed me figures. Too weak to remain awake, my eyes closed once more as I sunk into the darkness.

I woke up to find myself in a hospital bed. I looked around, recognizing the white walls of the Infirmary. I shot up as panic filled my body. Thoughts flooded my head as I tried to understand what had happened. How did I get here? Where was Liam? Where were my friends?

"HEY. Hey. I'm here. Saron, it's okay," Zion said, grabbing my face and facing me towards him. I calmed down once I saw him grabbing him and pulling him in, tears escaping my eyes.

"Are you okay?"

He laughed dryly as he retorted, "You're in a hospital bed and you ask if I'm okay."

"Guys, she's awake," he called out loudly.

Tom, Jeremy, Star, and Joel came rushing in. Tom grabbed my hand as he asked, worried, "Are you okay?"

Suddenly remembering they watched the skills assessment, my eyes widened at the realization.

I looked at each of them before saying, "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you guys, I swear. It wasn't safe. I didn't even want to tell Zion, he just found me and-"

Star grabbed my other hand, squeezing it before stroking my hair. "We know. Zion told us everything. We understand," she said softly.

"Yeah and the Five are going to have to get through us if they want you," Joel said confidently.

"So they know?"

"Everyone knows," replied Jeremy.

"Wait, how am I not dead?" I asked, confused.

"We thought you were," said Zion with pain in his eyes.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "The last thing I remember is falling and setting the forest on fire. What happened?"

"When you screamed, you didn't just take down the forest. You cracked the glass we were in. We tried to get out of it to help you sooner but it was indestructible. Or so we thought. Tom flew in and scooped you up out of the fire and brought you to the Infirmary. Mr. Sharp accused Liam of killing you but he denied it before disappearing. We haven't seen or heard from any of the Five since your test," Joel explained.

"How long have I been here?"

"Two weeks."

"WHAT?" I yelled, shooting up in the bed.

"They couldn't find a cure to whatever they poisoned you with so they just treated you the best they could, hoping your magic would heal you. Clearly, it did," replied Star.

"Why haven't the Five made a move yet?" I asked, perplexed.

"They will. It's just a matter of time," replied Zion.

"And what am I supposed to do until then? Just lie in this bed and wait for them to come and finish the job?"

"We will think of something," Zion reassured me, grabbing my hand.

"No," I said, pushing him away. "I'm not letting you guys risk your lives for me."

"It's not your choice," said Joel, with an expression that told me he wasn't going to change his mind.

"You've been keeping this from us to protect us for so long. Now it's our turn to protect you," said Star, smiling at me.

I looked at them all, shocked that they were willing to get in the Five's way to protect me. "You all saw me in the assessment. You saw what I'm capable of and you still want to defend me?"

"Yes," Zion replied, without an ounce of regret in his face.

"Hell yeah," Joel piped in.

"Yes," added Tom.

"Saron, we love you. Of course we will," answered Star.

Shrugging, Jeremy said, "Why not? Got nothin better to do," causing us all to erupt in laughter.

I grinned, overwhelmed with gratefulness that I had friends willing to do anything for me, despite all I put them through. I had friends who accepted me for who I was and weren't afraid of me and a mate who loved me. I would do anything for them and they'd do anything for me. What more could a girl want?

I swung my legs off the bed hopping out of it. "Whoa, where are you going?" Zion asked, putting a hand on my arm, stopping me.

"What does it look like? I'm leaving."

Joel offered, "Maybe we should get the nur-"

"No. I'm not staying here a second longer or reporting to anyone. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" asked Joel

I looked at Zion, silently asking him if it was okay to share our secret spot. He nodded, giving me permission to continue. I grabbed Tom and Star's hand flitting them to the room. I gasped, suddenly understanding how tiring it was traveling with two other people. A few seconds later, Zion arrived with Joel and Jeremy.

"That is so cool!" Jeremy remarked.

"I'll never get over that," Star said, watching me in awe.

Sitting down to steady my breathing, I stated, "I can't go back to the Wing now. The Five know where I stay. Plus I don't want to live around girls who probably hate me now that they know who I am."

Zion agreed before asking, "Does anyone know where we can hide out until we think of a plan?"

Jeremy, Joel, and Tom shook their heads before Star said, "I heard of this secret tunnel. I don't know if it's real, but it's supposed to lead to a different chamber. If we could find it, we could hide there."

"I've heard of it too. It's called the Reavard. No one has ever found it though," Joel added.

"Well then, I guess we are going to have to. Does anyone know where we can start looking?" I asked.

"I heard it's near the paths we go through for class ," replied Zion.

Nodding, I grabbed Star and Joel, darting to the dim hallway. I waited until Zion appeared as I scanned the surroundings, searching for an imperfection, anything that could lead to a tunnel.

I heard a bang as Zion landed clumsily, stumbling forward and hitting the wall. Jeremy and Tom regained their balance, walking towards us. I closed my eyes, focusing as I ran my hands over the wall, slowly walking forward. I reached out with my mind trying to find the tunnel when I started to hear whispering. My eyes shot open as I whipped my head around to find Zion and the others silently following me.

"This way!" I yelled back, walking in the direction of the whispers. I narrowed my eyes as I focused, gliding my hand across the walls as I walked through the dark hallway coming to the crosspaths. I stepped forward and the whispers quietened, letting me know I was going in the wrong direction. I stepped into each path, each proving not to be the right one. Confused, I placed my hands on my hips while I continued to stare out into the paths.

"What's wrong?" Zion asked, stepping towards me

"It's here, I can feel it. But, when I step forward, I lose it."

Star, grabbing Joel started feeling up the surrounding walls before ordering Tom and Jeremy to join her. I bent to my knee, placing my hand down on the dirt ground beneath us, pressing my fingers to the ground. I felt a charge of power shock me as I heard the whispers grow louder, calling out to me to find them.

"It's here. It's beneath us," I announced.

"How are we going to get down there?" Star asked, stumped.

I looked to Zion, unsure of what to do. I stomped on the ground with a hollow thump telling me it was a strong foundation.

"Can't you just make a hole in the ground the same way you made the trees fall?" Joel asked, carefully.

"It's not that easy. I lost control. I never intended for that to happen. I don't know what I could do if I lost control again. I don't have control over all my powers yet I could kill you all," I replied, terrified at the thought of hurting my friends.

"It's okay. I have an idea," Zion heartened me, grabbing my hand, dispelling my fears. I smiled as magic began to pump between our bond, strengthening me. My heart began to quicken at the proximity of his body to mine.

"We are strong together because of the mate bond. If we combine our powers, I think we could create a hole."

I nodded, eager to try something else. I focused on sending my magic down the mate bond as his magic combined with mine, bonding our strength. I raised my hand above the ground, focusing all of our magic towards the ground. I released it, sending a blast of magic so powerful it sent us all flying back, crashing into the wall. Smoke surrounded us all at the explosion. I got up from where I had fallen, looking through the smoke, calling out, "Zion?"

"I'm fine," I heard him reply, a few feet away from me.

"Star? Tom? Jeremy?" I called out, checking to see if they were alright.

I heard Star croak, "Me and Tom are fine." I rose up, walking towards her voice to see her and Joel climbing up from the ground.

"Where's Joel and Jeremy?" I asked, scanning my eyes through the thick smoke.

"Over here," Zion answered. I followed the voice, with Star and Tom closely on my heel.

I spotted Zion, rushing over to him to find Jeremy slowly coming to, squinting up at us.

"Joel is hurt," said Zion, softly. I rushed over to Joel who was breathing raggedly crushed underneath a piece of fallen stone.

"Joel!" Star screamed, rushing to his side and grabbing his hand.

Zion immediately lifted up the rock from on top of him with ease as Joel groaned in pain. I immediately placed my hands on his chest, healing him before I understood what I was doing. I gasped as I felt magic rush out of me, into his body. I could feel the magic repairing his crushed bones as I started to feel myself weaken, drained of my magic. I forced myself to focus as I fought consciousness, determined to heal him completely. Joel's breathing started to steady as he strengthened, sitting up.

He shot me a smile, thanking me before squeezing Star's hand in comfort.

I got up, stumbling. Zion's powerful hands caught me before I lost balance and fell to the ground as he watched me in concern.

"Did we do it?" I asked, smiling at him weakly, trying to stay strong.

"Damn," Jeremy breathed looking down at the enormous hole we had blasted into the ground leading down into a dark tunnel.

I smiled before closing my eyes, unable to stay awake any longer.

"Hello, Saron," a voice I didn't recognize greeted me.

I focused my eyes into the darkness, searching for the owner of the voice. Bay stepped out of the darkness, narrowing her deep, brown eyes at me in interest. I gasped as I frantically looked around for an exit.

"You're not going anywhere. I'm in your head."

"Wait, but how?" I asked, perplexed as to how I ended up here, with her invading my mind.

Rolling her eyes , she snorted at me in a way that made me feel like the dumbest person in the world.

"Listen, child. If you care about your friends, you will leave them and come with me. Have you forgotten who we are? How foolish of you to think you and a couple amateur students could escape our grasp. We know exactly where you are right now and you can either sacrifice your friends fighting a battle you can't win or come quietly."

My stared at her silently, realizing she was right. They were the most powerful supernaturals with decades of experience. There was no way we had a chance at beating them, despite how powerful I was. I barely had a hold on my powers.

"I don't want to kill you," she admitted.

I glared daggers at her, not believing her. Noticing the distrust in my gaze, she continued.

"The others want you dead. But I think we could help one another. The last thing I want is you dead."

"Why would I ever want to help you?" I spat back.

"You're the only one who can."

I eyed her suspiciously, waiting for her to elaborate.

"You're Arogen. Your kind have been extinct for decades after we had them all destroyed. Since then, the Five have become corrupt. I no longer want any part of it and you're the only one who can stop them. Think about it. You save your friends and get rid of the Five, the people who want you dead."

I thought carefully, realizing this was the only option that didn't result in what my friends did. I reluctantly nodded, refusing to speak the words.

"Find a way to escape your friends and meet me near the South exit," she ordered, disappearing quickly into the darkness."