"She's finally waking up. Don't knock her out this time Sarav."

I raised my hand to my head as my eyes drifted open. Sarav's blow had really hit its mark. My head was killing me.

"If you don't want us to harm your friends, I suggest you listen to me carefully and do exactly what I say," Bay said, coming to stand in front of me.

"What do you want?"

"Liam seems to think you're interfering with his magic."

I cocked my head back, laughing before I was able to stop myself. I mean really, how pathetic could she be? All of them. Liam was a psychopath and yet, here they were doing his bidding. What could they possibly gain from this?

"Aren't you tired of being Liam's lapdog?"

"I told you we should just kill her. We aren't going to get anything out of this," Sarav said stepping forward threateningly.

"She's barely been awake a minute. Can you try to restrain yourself?" Bay snapped, standing between her and me.

"What is it? Money? Power?" I persisted, curious to know what was driving their foolish loyalty to Liam.

"What are you talking about now?" Bay asked, turning her head towards me in annoyance.

"What did Liam offer you? Because I refuse to believe the same woman who came to me saying Liam was corrupt and had to be stopped suddenly had a change of heart and decided to follow him again. So it had to be someth-"

I tried to continue but I could feel my throat closing in on itself as Bay shot a murderous gaze my way. I clawed at my throat, but it was no use. There were no hands around my throat, this was magic. And from the look on Bay's face, she wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon.

Suddenly, I saw her go flying into the wall so hard, she cracked through it leaving her stuck within it with only her legs hanging out. With Bay under attack and her focus broken, my throat opened up leaving me coughing and wheezing as I gasped for air. Before Sarav could process what was happening, she joined her on the opposite wall. I looked around in confusion before I saw him. In a blue, Crexus was standing in the center of the room, syringe in hand the next he was speedily injecting it into Sarav's dangling arm and Bay's leg. They both went limp immediately.

"Took you long enough," I said, trying to push myself up but dropping back down to the ground.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, noticing my weakened state.

"Why haven't you been responding to me?"

"The Headmaster has been listening in. I couldn't risk it."

"She can listen in? How? With magic?"

Nodding, he stepped forward, pulling me up before lifting me up into his arms easily.

"Where are you taking me?"

In a blur, I was at the Infirmary being laid on a bed.

"You'll be alright here. I have to go back to retrieve them."

I opened my mouth to ask more questions but he was already gone. Damn it Crexus. I need answers.

"Hey, what seems to be the matter?" A white haired nurse with a warm smile asked me.

"I think I was drugged."

"Oh no. By who?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, just lay back and relax. We'll figure it out and have you out of here soon."

"Okay, thank you."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket slowly, which took more effort than I expected it would before texting Zion.

At the Infirmary. We have a problem.

I laid back against the pillow, waiting until I heard the whoosh signifying his arrival.

"What the hell happened?" He said, looking over me for any wounds.

"I was drugged but that's not important-"

"What do you mean that's not important?" He snapped, angry of me making light of my situation.

"Zion, just listen to me dammit."

"Fine. Go."

I explained the situation to him in the shortest way possible without leaving out crucial details. I could feel myself getting weaker and it was just a matter of time before I was going to pass out again.

"So are the Five back together?"

"I don't think so. They're just banding together against a common enemy."

"So now we have to worry about not just Liam but his four sidekicks as well. Great," he said sarcastically.

"Technically 3. Crexus took down Bay and Sarav and they're definitely worse than Caesar and Sam."

"So what do we do?"

"Nothing. Liam is clearly weak or else he wouldn't have sent them. I don't think he'll be showing up anytime soon."

Nodding, he sat in the seat nearby the bed.

"Alright, all we need is a blood- oh! You have company," the nurse said, walking over with a syringe before noticing Zion.

He nodded in acknowledgement, eying the syringe.

I held out my arm for her to take blood before Zion knocked the syringe from her hand. The woman screamed, backing away scared as he blocked the exit, slamming the door shut.

"Zion, what the hell?" I yelled.

"That syringe already had liquid in it. She was trying to put whatever was in there in you not take your blood."

I swiveled around to glare at her.

"What's in the syringe?"

She laid, crumpled on the floor silently refusing to answer.

"She's not a vampire. Make her answer," I told Zion, sensing she was some kind of fairy.

She turned away, staring everywhere but Zion's eyes as he approached her. She tried desperately to wriggle out of Zion's grip when he forced her to look at him but he was stronger.

"What was in the syringe and who put you up to this?"

"It's Lockdust. The werewolf told me if I didn't do it, he'd kill me."

"What werewolf?"

"I don't know. He used to be one of the five."

"You gave her the lockdust. Now walk away and forget this happened."

Her eyes dilated before she stood up and walked out without a look back.

"That's Sam. If Sam's here, Caesar probably is too. You need to warn everyone," I said quickly.

"You're coming with me. I don't trust keeping you here alone."

"What about the antidote for Lockdust? They probably have one here."

"Edward probably knows something about it," he said scooping me up and flitting through the Academy.

He kicked open the door, revealing Edward on the floor buried in papers. He looked up, scrambling to his feet immediately once he saw me.

"What-"

"The other members of the Five, besides Liam. They're here. Crexus took down the two women but the men are still around. They drugged her with something called Lockdust."

I stared up at him perplexed as to why he was being so honest. I still didn't trust Edward, knowing he was going to tell the Headmaster everything we told him.

"What else was I supposed to do? It's not like he wouldn't have asked questions?" He whispered, answering my annoyed glare.

"It's a simple weakening potion. You just need to eat. The longer you go without food, the weaker you'll get."

"You mind?" I said, nodding over to the blood bag he had sitting on the opposite side of the room.

Zion zipped over, grabbing it and handing it to me.

"Go ahead," Edward said, nodding.

I downed it in an instant, already feeling stronger. I nodded to Zion, letting him know I was good enough to walk again.

"Until next time," I said, walking out of the door with Zion on my heel.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To warn my friends."

With that, I took off as quick as I could until I found them walking through the greenway, which was a shortcut to our wing.

"Shit," Star jumped, tripping back.

"Sorry," I apologized, realizing us appearing out of nowhere had scared them.

"Something's happened. We need to-" Zion started.

"Where's Tom?" I asked, noticing he wasn't with them.

"I don't know. He's not answering his phone. We tried call-"

I didn't hear the rest of what he said because my heart was racing so fast. I knew without a doubt Sam and Caesar had taken him.

"What is going on? You guys look like Liam just showed up."

At our unamused faces, Jeremy's smile quickly faded replaced with a look of concern.

"Is he-"

"No, just his four sidekicks. And I'm willing to bet they took Tom."

"Wait, they're all here?" Jeremy asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, Bay and Sarav drugged me but Crexus saved me and took them. Sam and Caesar probably took Tom."

"Shit, how do we find him?" Joel asked, scratching his head in frustration.

My eyes were already shut as I was thinking of Tom and imagining him in vivid detail. A portal started to widen before me, expanding big though to fit a person.

"Go," I ordered, straining to hold the portal open as all of my friends hopped in. I waited for them to go before hopping in myself.

As I'd expected, Tom was unconscious and lying on the floor, nobody else in sight. The threatening presence I felt around us however, said otherwise.