Kallen watched as Ariadne ran away from him. He watched as she tumbled and hit the floor. He walked into the room and went to run after her.

Iyrena was at his side quickly, hands placed on his arms, as her nails bit into his skin. He hissed and drew a breath, shaking her off.

"Let me go," he growled.

"Give her the space you promised. You do not want her thinking Fae cannot even keep their word, do you?" Iyrena raised an eyebrow at him.

"I would listen to her, brother," Lena's voice floated from the shadows behind the pillars flanking an alcove.

Kallen snapped his fingers and the unlit torches sat in the brackets either side of the alcove sprang to life, illuminating his sisters form. Lena was leant against a column inspecting her nails casually. Kallen's eyes swept between both Iyrena and Lena.

"Fine!" He sighed.

His heart gave a sharp tug as he watched the Fae crowd surround Ari. His fingers twitched, and he couldn't stop the slow burning beginning to build in his blood. Iyrena shook his shoulders.

"Look at me," her voice was like warm caramel, it wrapped around him and soothed his wounds briefly.

Kallen's gaze turned icy as he saw Orin step forward and give Ari a hand up. Ari's lips moved in soft thanks, and she took his arm. That should have been Kallen's arm that Ari took. It should have been him Ari was thanking. Instead it was Lord Orin. Jealousy gripped his shoulders and he whirled on Iyrena. He shoved her aside roughly, and she stumbled.

Lena took a step forward, and caught Iyrena, steadying her. Lena glared at Kallen, her eyes flashing.

"Brother, consider your actions for once! Whatever actions you choose will just prove every one of her legends true," her voice was harsh, a warning.

"Fuck her legends," Kallen snapped.

"Brother, do not cause more strife because of jealousy. This land has been torn apart once before because of it. Do not make the same mistake as her."

Kallen's temper flared and the flames in the torches jumped higher, leaving scorch marks on the walls. Lena stared at her brother, before turning to Iyrena. The floor beneath them began to shake. Chandeliers tinkled and swayed from side to side violently. The glass in the windows wavered.

Lena turned to a shaking Iyrena, and grasped her hands beneath her own.
"Evacuate the ball room, kitchens and any rooms on the ground floor," she whispered frantically.

Lena let Iyrena go and turned to face the ballroom. Fae ran about pushing and shoving, as the glassware on the tables shattered. Shards flew everywhere, some caught Fae across the face, others glanced off shields Fae were hastily casting. Others weren't so lucky. The lesser Fae were pushed against walls as high Fae began to selfishly scamper for the doors that had been flung open.

"QUIET!!" Lena commanded.

The Fae fell silent and watched her as she ascended the dias that would have held the high table full of food, had they even reached the feast. Lena tilted her chin, and pulled herself up to her full height. She towered above everyone. Lena took a breath.

"Form two lines and in an oderly fashion, exit the ballroom. Return to your rooms. The ball is over."

Fae began whispering, gossiping as they pushed and shoved others into two panicked lines. Lena clapped her hands and the sound of thunder crashed through the room. That got them to stop talking.

Fae immediately fell into line and quietly filed out of the room. Just in time as the doors closed and the floor rolled, chandeliers came crashing down from the ceiling complete with their sockets. The windows blew inwards and Kallen roared.

It shook Lena's bones as she quickly cast a shield around her. The glass flew towards her. The pieces that broke through her shield grazed her arms, and side of her face. The rest turned to powder, creating piles of dangerous shimmering glass dust.

Lena retreated as shadows danced over her brothers skin. They billowed up and out, forming a blanket of smoke, hiding him from her. They crept across the floor and filled the room. Lena could barely make out the Shadow of her brothers form as he stalked the length of the room.

Tables flipped over and more glass shattered. He had rolled his wrists, and the objects around him obeyed. Tapestries hung in tatters from their holdings, strips of once colorful thread fluttered in the wind that came from nowhere. The torches in the brackets flared and the flames swept across the ceiling.

Lena backed away to the door. Her arms protectively crossed her chest. When the torches died and the flames were gone, the room was left cold. Deathly so.

Kallen kept coming. Flicking his wrists and growling in anger. He paused to physically kick over chairs and throw the few remaining glasses unfortunately left standing. More glass shattered of walls as their remains littered the floor.

Kallen stopped three feet in front of Lena. Her hands shook. If she hadn't cast her shield, they would have stood nose to nose.

Kallen was comepletly lost to her. The brother she knew had been replaced by his shadow wolf, gripped by the hands of jealousy. His eyes were jet black, no trace of stars left. His once short nails had elongated to sharp, black curved claws. They gleamed wickedly as he opened his mouth and snarled at her.

Kallen was bent forward and his body contorted as he shifted. There, on four strong legs, prowling before her was a gigantic black wolf. It's body was made of darkness and shadows. Tendrils of black mist blew from its monstrous jaw. It's lips curled back over its sharp, white teeth as it's mouth opened and a bone jarring snarl ripped through the room.

Lena bent at the waist, and she felt her own skin ripple and fall away. Claws of her own sent cracks racing across the stone as she stomped a paw, and sent a shockwave of power crashing towards Kallen's wolf form. Her magic was more powerful in this form. She hoped it would be enough.

She circled the black wolf, and he circled her. He snarled and snapped at her heels and she spun around him, bringing her behind his flank. She swiped a paw at the back lower portion of his outstretched leg. He whirled and snapped at her. She artfully dodged and raced away. She circled the room, and turned back to face him.

It was a standoff between light and dark. Brother against sister.

Lena opened her jaw in a sinuous movement and a deep, guttural growl blossomed from the pit of her stomach.

Kallen's growl back was equally as loud, as equally as unrelenting. Unforgiving and wild. Their growls built into a crescendo and Lena raced forward. Kallen sped towards her.

She felt her claws slip forward and dig into the floor, pushing her forward. Her back leg muscles tightened and she pushed off as they released. Her body leapt upwards and she felt the rush of air between her fur and she opened her mouth. She watched as Kallen's jaw likewise opened.

********

Ariadne gripped the arm that was offered to her as she struggled to stand up. Her eyes swept up the length of the powerful legs standing before her. Lord Orin's hand was outstretched. Ariadne took it as tremors began to shake the room. The sound of glass shattering followed.

Orin gripped her arm, and dragged her alongside him from the room. Ariadne had to trot to keep up as Orin lead her out of the room and round a corner. He guided her with his hand at her back, and she blindly followed. Her breathing became laboured and she tugged Orin's arm. They stumbled to a stop.

"You okay?" Orin asked.

"...no..." Ariadne panted.

Suddenly the walls around them began to shake as sonorous growls filled the air around them. Orin's face paled and he gripped Ariadne's arm tightly.

"Ow, you're hurting me," Ariadne gasped.

Orin loosened his grip and took Ariadne's hand.

"We need to get as far away from here as possible," he tugged her.

Ariadne tugged back. The glass windows along that corridor began to wobble. Cracks began forming along the length of the panes.

"Ari, we do not have time, come on!"

Ariadne took his hand and they raced forward again. Ariadne's ribs burned and sweat beaded her brow. Behind them the sound of glass hitting the floor chased them. Orin looked backed over his shoulder, and he turned back, pushing Ariadne ahead of him. They rounded the corner and Orin pushed her down to the ground.

Orin's body was on top of hers, shielding the length of her. Ariadne felt his heart thumping against her back as he breathed rapidly. She let out a breath and tried to roll. Orin's arms either side of her made that impossible. She bucked and Orin's arms strained as he pushed himself off her.

Blood dripped from lacerations down Orin's forearms. It dripped from another across his cheek and Ariadne stared. Orin looked down at her, his lips an inch away from hers. Ariadne turned away.

"Any chance I can get up now," she breathed.

Orin dipped his head closer to hers, before it was gone and Orin stood above her. He once again held out a hand. Ariadne shook her head and pushed herself up, and stood before him.

Ariadne turned on her heel, taking in the corridor. Glass littered every inch of the stone floor. The once beautiful stained glass lay broken in large and small shards. Every window had blown inwards leaving the high arches glassless. Wind swept through the corridor and Ariadne's arms hugged her chest and she ran her hands up and down her arms.

Slowly, heat began to come back into her limbs. Orin stepped forward and Ariadne put a hand against his chest.

"Stop, your hurt."

"But you are cold, are you not," Orin said.

Ariadne shook her head.
"I'm fine," she lied.

Orin frowned but didn't push her. Ariadne watched in amazement as the wound across Orin's cheek began to seal and only the blood remained. Her eyes slipped down to his forearms, and the wounds there began to heal too.

A pained howl swept down the corridor and Ariadne met Orin's gaze.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Orin's jaw ticked restlessly.

It sounded again, it was a deep whimper that had the hairs on her arms dancing again. It raked at the space in her chest where her heart sat. Without thinking, Ariadne stepped towards it and glass crunched beneath her shoe.

Orin's hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Ari, don't," his voice was gravel.

"Someone's in pain, and I can feel it here," she tapped her chest.

Orin sighed.
"I will take you back, just this once, but you must promise me, if I tell you to run, you do it."

Ariadne nodded wearily. Together they made their way back to the grand ball room. Carefully, they wove a path through the glass. Orin gently kicked the glass out of his way.

The growls and snarling grew louder the closer they got. Until it built into a teeth shattering crescendo. It was a pair of snarls and snapping. They rose and fell hauntingly, and Ariadne shivered. Orin placed a hand in front of Ariadne when she went to open the door.

Orin shook his head, and placed a finger to his lips. Quietly, Orin lead Ariadne to a window set in the side of the wall. Ariadne looked through the empty window.

There in the centre of the room were two wolves. Both of them were larger than the usual wild wolves that Ariadne had witnessed in the woods surrounding her home back in Lys.

One had a body full of oddly familiar white fur, and black tattoos down its front legs and down the left back leg. Turquoise eyes never left the other wolf. The other was the opposite, rough blue tinged black fur rippled down the length of its powerful body. While familiar grey coloured eyes roved over the white wolf.

Both were locked in a tangle of limbs, and claws. The white wolf locked its jaws around the neck of the black one. Ariadne stared, horrified as the white wolf flipped the black one on its back. The black wolf seemed to let it happen. The white wolf bit the scruff of the black wolf.

Ariadne gasped. Both wolves turned to look at her. Turquoise and grey eyes bored into her.

Ariadne knew those eyes. Her mind raced ahead of her. Surely not.