"Jase, do you have a six? Also, can I see you guys in wolf form?"

"Go Fish, bitch," Jase responded to my first question with a grin and was rewarded with an elbow to the ribs by Isaiah for the last part of his answer. As Jase and Isaiah descended into bickering, I reached over Landon to grab a card from the top of the pile, grinning when I saw I had drawn a six. I sent Morgan a wink, and she feigned innocence, as if she hadn't been helping me win the last few rounds. Once I had drawn my card, I settled my eyes on Cassius, patiently awaiting an answer to my second question.

"Maybe after the press conference," he said after thinking for a moment. He set his cards down in front of him, face down so no one could peek, and leant back, seemingly still lost in thought. "As much as I know you'd love to see right now, it's five AM and you're supposed to be ready by eight."

I blushed as I realized how truly absurd it would be to see them in wolf form right now, which exactly what I had been hinting at when I asked. Rather than heading to bed after my minor break down, we'd all gathered in the library, desperate for each other's company, support, and comfort. About three AM, Mik had found a deck of cards and insisted we play something. Since then, we had each been taking turns choosing a card game to play. My knowledge in card games was lacking, so when it came to me, I chose Go Fish, a game that I used to love to play with Carson.

I set my own cards down, running my fingers through the fur of the grey cat that had somehow ended up in my lap. He had wandered in about a half hour previously, and had taken quite the liking to me, plopping down on top of me and purring so loud that everyone else could hear him. I scratched behind his ear emitting purs from him again, my thoughts drifting back to the dreaded press conference.

"We should head back to your room to get ready soon, mon cheri," Morgan spoke up, her voice tinged with regret. I glanced up and saw her blue eyes watching me, darker than their usual sky blue. I huffed out a heavy sigh, leaning against Landon who sat on my left side. He wrapped an arm around me, rubbing my back, while Mik squeezed my knee.

"It won't be that bad..." Mik tried to console me, and I shot him a look. The way he recoiled, retracting his hand so fast that I hadn't even been able to see the movement, I knew I'd made a mistake. The reasonable part of my brain scolded me, urging me to apologize, but the other part, the one that had consumed me, was pulling me into a black hole of nothingness.

"Onyx," the name and voice washed over me, causing me to shiver. There was only one person in the group who could get away with calling me that, and there was no possible way to ignore him. I met his steel and stormy grey eyes, flinching. "I think you should probably go with Paisley and Morgan now to get ready. We'll see you in a few hours."

I shooed the cat off my lap, pulling myself to my feet as the familiar sense of dread and depression formed in the pit of my stomach. I had messed up by upsetting Mik, and I knew it, yet there was no time to dwell or try to make good; Paisley had taken hold of my hand, eagerly dragging me out of the library. I locked eyes with Isaiah, silently pleading, and he shrugged indifferently, his chocolate eyes reflecting the same sadness I had seen in my own eyes several times before.

My heart quivered and I gripped Paisley's chilled hand tighter, relying on her exuberant bubbly personality as a distraction from the whirlwind of thoughts inside my head.

I nodded along to her incessant chattering about the white dress she had picked out for me and why she had chosen it, but internally, I was shutting down. In order to get through the press conference and introduction to the future Coven, I knew I was going to have to cushion myself. Morgan caught my eye and grimaced, causing me to start. It was almost as if she could tell what I was doing and disapproved. I forced myself to look away and concentrate on Paisley instead, flashing her an artificial sugar smile.

I drifted through the prepping for the conference, barely present, mostly trapped in anxious thoughts of what could go wrong. Not for the first time, I wished that Xander was by my side, reassuring me and teasing me.

When I swam back into present time, I was standing in front of a mirror, Paisley standing beside me. She was beaming with pride, probably over the way she had gotten me to look: wholesome, pure, and innocent. I was none of those things, but I was sure as hell going to play the part if it meant that I didn't get sent away again. So far, I looked the part all thanks to Paisley's insanely good sense of fashion, hair, and makeup.

My hair was pulled up into a loose knot at the back of my head, shorter and loose strands falling around my face, framing it nicely. My makeup was lighter than what I usually did, all sparkling gold and white dusted across my eyelids and over my cheek bones; the glitter and sparkle was definitely the faerie coming out in her, and my lips even quirked up at the thought. My lips were painted pale pink. The dress was pretty; the top was lace and hugged my body and the bottom fanned out into a silky folds that stopped above my knee.

Now that I looked the part, all I had to was play the part.

I blew out a breath slowly, then shot Paisley a thankful smile. "Thank you, Pais. If it weren't for you, I'd probably end up going to this thing in jeans and a T-shirt."

"Of course, babe," Paisley exclaimed, beaming as she pulled me into a hug, resting her chin on my shoulder. Her voice was a whisper when she said the next part. "Thank you for being my friend. I don't have many of those."

Tears gathered in my eyes and I blinked hard to ward them off, not wanting to ruin Paisley's hard work. I hugged her back tightly, and didn't even flinch when I felt another set of arms going around me, already aware that they belonged to Morgan. I leant into their touch, clinging to them. I couldn't even begin to express the gratitude I felt towards them.

Morgan slid her into hand into mine as she pulled away, guilt flashing across her face for a moment. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's time to meet the others. The Chancellor isn't exactly a patient person."

I nodded in understanding, though I wanted nothing more than to curl in on myself and disappear just so I didn't have to deal with this. The girls didn't give me time to dwell or over think; they clung to me and dragged me down the hall, towards what I recognized as the entrance hall. Clustered together were the boys, and then off to the side, was the Chancellor and Liliana.

Liliana looked up as soon as we arrived and scanned me over, something like approval coming over her face. She gave a nod, verbalizing her approval then turned to look at her daughter who immediately stood straighter. "Dear," Liliana's voice was enchanting but by the note it took on, I knew she was about to deliver disappointing news. "I'll need you to either remain backstage or in the audience. The only people I want up there with Miss Blakely is Cassius and Morgan."

I had to give it up to Paisley; she didn't flinch or reveal the fact that she was most certainly bothered by the fact that she couldn't stand by her best friend's side. A smile as sweet as honey came over the blue haired girl's face, though resentment gleaming in her eyes really took the sincerity out of it. "Of course, mother," she cooed, sweeping into a mock curtsy. I hid my face in Morgan's shoulder to keep Liliana from seeing the pleasure I got out of her daughter mocking her. "As you wish."

"Paisley, I don't know what you're-" Liliana was cut off abruptly by the Chancellor joining us. I stiffened, pins and needles spreading through me as his eyes landed on me.

"Don't you look lovely, Onyx," the Chancellor said and a sick feeling settled all over my body. I'd gotten used to Cassius calling me by my full name, but when Chancellor Mattias did it, my head spun.

"Just Nyx, sir," I said quietly, averting my eyes to the painting behind his head. I started, realized someone was blocking it, only to relax slightly at the fact it was Isaiah. He leant against the wall, his eyes watching me, keeping an eye on me like always. With the boys near, it was easier to feel comfortable in my own skin.

"Of course..." The Chancellor's eyes trailed over my body, causing me to start as I noticed he was checking me out. Morgan's grip on my hand tightened and she narrowed her eyes, obviously noticing the same thing. She reached around me, discreetly smacking Paisley, urging hre towards the boys. "You and your mother look astonishingly alike."

A sickeningly sweet smile formed, taking pleasure out of what I was about to say. "I've never met my mother, let alone seen a picture of her, sir."

For just a moment, his eyes sparked with anxiety and I could have grinned. I was going to take as much pleasure out of disconcerting him as I could. I opened my mouth, prepared to go in for the kill by asking him if he knew my mother personally, when Cassius came up to my side. His hand smoothed over my back as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. To anyone else, it would seem casual, as if he was here to find out his orders; to me and Morgan it was an act of protection and possession. The Chancellor tilted his head, as if he was intrigued by the fact then any of the boys could be interested in me romantically.

"Cassius," Chancellor Asshole said, his mask falling back into place. "I didn't know you and Nyx are dating."

"It's not official." I proclaimed, my lips pressing into a thin line.

"She's not ready for it to be official yet," Cassius corrected, his eyes sliding over to me. I could have bit him but instead raised my chin haughtily.

"Make it official at the press meeting today then," the Chancellor decided for us, causing me to jerk my head back and squint at him, irritation flooding my systems. "The more political figures they see supporting her, the more people will want to support her too."

"Sir, with all due respect," Morgan concealed her anger well, but by the way she clasped my hand hard enough to form a dull ache was enough to tell me she was playing a part she was well versed in. "I don't think that's a good idea. Nyx is sorting through a lot of things, finally settling in. She shouldn't have to maintain a fake relationship on top of that."

The Chancellor gave her a chilled smile that had me stepping closer to Cassius. "It's not a fake relationship, Miss Morgan." His gaze settled on me and I shot him a trembling smile. "Now, let's get going."

I was escorted to the meeting hall in a limo with Liliana, Paisley, Morgan, and Cassius. Morgan and Cassius became plastered to my side the moment we stepped out of the limo, each taking a hold of my arms on either side of me. I almost tore away from them, then froze, sighting the people crowded around the stage I would be standing on in mere minutes.

Paisley swam into my line of sight, effectively blocking my view of the people I would shortly be speaking to. There was a frown marring her delicate face, and she reached out, gripping my shoulders. Her mouth was moving, but I didn't hear a single thing she said. I blinked and she was gone, maneuvering her way through the people towards a door that must have lead backstage.

"It's going to be okay," I heard Morgan whisper and I reached out to grab at her, but then we were moving, heading towards the stage. All eyes were on us as we followed Liliana and the Chancellor onto the stage, and I felt my heart stop beating momentarily. Morgan clung to me for a moment, holding on for as long as possible, but then she was releasing me and nudging towards the front, next to Liliana.

"Thank you for coming." The Chancellor's voice was magnified by the microphone he spoke into, and consequently, I winced. "Today we not only have an important announcement but a very important person to introduce to you. Once, her mother meant a great deal to you and we still miss her everyday. Thisbe was a tragic loss, and even more tragic was when the government that came before me, sent away her daughter."

Gasps came from the crowd and I smiled wryly; if only they knew the half of it.

"Today, I stand up here with that loss daughter of Thise. I present to you Onyx Blakely, the daughter of Thisbe Starlee and Cain, King of Hell."

I took that as my cue to step forward towards the mic, and as I did, I stumbled, nearly diving off the stage. I inhaled deeply before stepping in front of the mic, taking the spot that the Chancellor had vacated. He stood behind me close enough that I could feel his body heat on my back; a watchful guard dog or perhaps a warden.

"Hello," I breathed into the microphone, a hand fluttering up to rest above my racing heart. From the way it was beating so fast, I thought I might pass out, but somehow, I was still painfully wide awake. "I'm Onyx, or as I'm more commonly known, Nyx. This week has been a whirlwind for me. I've just found out who I am, what I am, and now I'm here. It's very surreal. But I'm willing to answer any and all questions."

I pointed at the first hand I saw shoot up, disregarding the face and concentrating on the vaulted ceilings above their head. It was a female voice that spoke. "What do you know of your duties and your mother's duties before she passed?"

I swallowed hard, finding it suddenly rather difficult to speak about myself and Thisbe. I pushed on, but only because Liliana was shooting me a deadly glare that told me I would regret it if I didn't stand there and look pretty. "Well," I spoke slowly, turning my words over in my head before letting them out into the open. "I know very little, but I have been made aware my mother was the leader of the Coven, which will very soon be my good friend, Morgan Hudson's, job. I've been informed I will be joining the Coven."

"So you are at least part witch, right?" The question left me squirming in my spot, my palms beginning to sweat.

"Yes, that would be correct," I replied, working hard to keep a hysteric note out of my voice. A hand rested on my shoulder and I jumped, fully aware it was Chancellor Mattias. He squeezed, hard enough that it would probably leave bruises; a not so gentle reminder that I needed to keep myself in check and continue to play the role assigned to me.

"But of course you must be part demon too?" Someone called out and I backed away slightly, blinking at the question. At a loss for words, I timidly nodded. It was hard to discuss the part of me I was afraid of, a side of me that had made me feel insane for many years.

"Why haven't we sent her to Hell where she belongs?" A person shouted, a surprising amount of anger tainting their voice. "She's just like her father. Next thing you know, she'll be cutting off the Chancellor's head and taking his job. We can't trust someone like that. Either kill her or return her to her father."

Panic formed so rapidly that it became a ball in my throat, preventing me from defending myself as voices raised and murmurs of agreement arose. The Chancellor grabbed my arms and practically threw me at Cassius, who caught me with ease and ushered me through the door, behind stage. I heard Chancellor Mattias begin to talk, but I couldn't make out his words due to the roaring in my ears.

"What the hell happened out there?" I heard Isaiah practically growl, his rage nearly palpable. And just like that, my panic and hysterics disappeared, and I was left with the familiar feeling of fury consuming my body. I'd been an angry little girl growing up, and I was happy to return to that state, one I could control and understand.

"I was set up," I spat out, the truth becoming clear in my eyes. The grim look on Landon's face made it clear that he knew exactly what I was talking about and he approved of it just as much as I did. "Mattias knew how this was going to end and he made it happen anyways. He wants me to crumble like my mother, but it's not going to happen. They won't get away with this twice."

"Damn straight." Mik said with a startlingly serious face. His arms were crossed and a scowl was on his usually smiling lips, and for the first time I was struck with the fact that he was just as old and just as dangerous as the rest of us.

I smirked and nodded. "They don't know who they're fucking with."

Disturbingly excited looks formed on my friend's faces, but I couldn't blame them. For so long, they had been pushed around by the bullying government, and I wouldn't let it stand for one more moment. I yanked myself away from Cassius, and without much thought, wrapped my arms around Mik's neck, plopping a kiss on his nose.

"Your ready to raise hell with me, babe?" I questioned in a low voice.

His familiar sunshine grin touched with a hint of mischief formed and his lips brushed against my own, though there wasn't time to think about what he had done. "I'll do anything as long as you're by my side."

a/n: I wanted to write something nice here but I'm on the verge of tears so how bout have a good night and I love you thank you for your support.

xoxo,

ry.