Knorah tried to turn on her bed but every bone on her body protested with the slightest movement. She felt like crying as she tried to get up. She had a class that morning but thanks to Reid's tutoring last night, she felt like she couldn't go. Her body was entirely polluted with energies from Reid and from the professor.

Currently, she was more than convinced that Reid hated her. He didn't think to try and make it easy for her. He attacked over and over again without so much as a warning.

He was brutal, and a savage, and she hated him with every aching fiber in her body!

He forgot that he was a pureblood Mage. Their energies left the worst residues in a person and Knorah was sure he left a gallon or so in her. The male had sheer determination to exterminate her written in his eyes. She never took him for someone who needed to prove himself to anyone but last night she felt that was what he was trying to do. 

He didn't need to prove anything to her or the others. Everyone knew how good he was and with the trend that he was building at the university, Knorah felt he was going to graduate top of his class.

"Rot in hell, Reid." She grumbled as she finally sat up but her body screamed and her muscles cramped up. "Fuck!" She cursed out loudly. She felt a thousand years older with every bone-socket croaking at every turn or movement she did. The toxic energies were already soaking into her flesh and bones, poisoning her and soon enough she would be too sick to even get up.

She wished she had a free period that morning, so she could detox Reid's energy from within her but unfortunately, she had a lecture.

Her mother was very good at making detox remedies because she was a Mage of light. She made these remedies for people who had stress-related issues, who got mistakenly poisoned by something, or the removal of energy residuals within someone.

"Good morning, Knorah." Billie burst into her room with her hairbrush in one hand and her phone in the other. She was busy scrolling something with a frown on her face. "Did you check out the student website today?"

"I don't even know where my phone is." Knorah frowned as she looked around her bed and bedside table for her phone. The last she remembered seeing it was last night when she had that gruesome session with Reid. She was always careless with her things and misplaced them most of the time.

Billie rushed to her and practically shoved her phone to Knorah's face. "You and Reid are popular this morning."

Knorah yanked the phone from Billie and studied the photograph of her standing with Reid in the training room. She remembered this was the only time he warned her of what was about to come before he decided to rearrange her skeleton and drown her in toxic energy without her permission.

"They said he asked you out, but you stomped all over his confidence and left him wounded." Billie chuckled as she brushed her wavy hair. Mirth glowed in her eyes as she spoke.

"Are they serious? Reid's confidence is immortal! No one can kill it. And he wasn't even talking about asking me out. He was warning me and telling me to concentrate on creating my defenses." Knorah could think of someone who would want to do that to her. "I literally died and came back to life after that. That male is a savage!"

Knorah didn't expect university students to act like high schoolers. She expected people to act mature and mind their own business--like passing the difficult courses for example--instead of wasting time digging for gossip that wasn't even there. It seemed maturity of the physic could be reached but mental maturity was still a blistering myth!

"I know Millia did this." Knorah looked up at Billie who was using her fingers as a flat iron. She was a half-blood Glaeder Dragon, a bloodline that was second after the royal bloodline. She was quite powerful though she couldn't take the dragon form. She was very good in most of her classes and didn't have a problem taping into her Mage abilities. Sometimes Knorah felt like Billie could do a whole lot more if she put her heart into it.

Violet scales rippled on her hand to protect it from the heat and she combed her fingers in her hair, giving herself silky and shiny chestnut locks that fell around her oval face. "She is head over heels in love with Reid." She sighed as the scales rippled back underneath her skin and her nails retracted back to a perfectly manicured set.

"She hates me with every breath she takes." Knorah pouted as she dragged herself from the bed and did a long stretch to get her blood circulation working again.

She missed home where she didn't have people snickering behind her. They loved her back home because, unlike other Noble sons and daughters, Knorah took the time to mingle with those below her. She had friends in all circles.

She was not the one to apologize for being born privileged, but she never flaunted it in everyone's face. Her parents loved her very much and gave her everything she had ever wanted but they always taught her about respecting everyone. Her Mage side also refused for her to degrade anyone because she was able to see the light and goodness in everyone whether she liked it or not.

"Just ignore it. It'll go away like all the others." Billie sighed and turned to Knorah's dresser before picking up her favorite pink lip-gloss. "Aren't you going to Professor Ellaine's class this morning?"

Knorah groaned thinking about how Reid would be brooding because of what was written about them. Did she really want to see his face that morning? "Can't I skip this lecture? Just this once?"

Billie chuckled as she pushed her out of her room towards the bathroom that the two girls shared. "Come on. It's not that bad."

Eyes sought her out as Knorah and Billie made their way through the corridors. It was always like that and Knorah thought she would get used to it with time, but boy was she wrong. She hated the eyes on her. Sometimes she felt that people feared power and rejected it and that was why it was happening to her. The fact that she was a direct Noble Daughter and wasn't acting the part had people puzzled or annoyed. What they didn't understand was that she also bled when cut and she was not a god.

Her father and mother warned her about it but Knorah never thought it would have been that intense. People didn't need to tell her that she was not welcomed there. If looks could kill, she would have been dead by then.

As Knorah opened her locker to get her books, someone grabbed her arm and forced her to turn. She was startled when she met Reid's brooding eyes assessing her face a body. Her heart lurched into her throat. Though she expected him to be mad about the picture on the student website, she didn't expect him to be out for her blood!

Reid's aura wasn't as calm as it always was on normal days. This time, his energy was spurting all around him, reacting to his anger. He was getting stronger, Knorah noted, and soon he would be promoted from a charm caster to what they called a spell weaver.

"I didn't do it." Knorah quickly defended herself feeling that if she didn't, he would embarrass her in front of the whole student body. Everyone watched in immense and depraved fascination seeing the two direct Noble Children bicker in the hallways.

Reid's on and off friends were behind him and snickered at her, assuring her that she was in deep trouble with him.

Finally, Reid was going to show his true colors of how he felt about her and Knorah knew how painfully humiliating that was going to be for her. Reid was not much of a talker but when he did, he didn't care what anyone else thought about his ideas. It was the reason why people liked it. He said it as he saw it.

"Damn right you didn't. Do you want to die?" He growled at her, his eyes flashing with energy.

Knorah's eyes widened. "Wha...." Her voice faded. Reid's death threat was punishable, right? Knorah was a Noble Daughter and if anyone so much as disrespected her in public, that person could receive punishment.

But Reid was a Noble Son...did it apply to him too?

"Hey. Give her a break." Billie quickly inserted herself between Reid and Knorah.

"Do you want to get hurt, Billie?" Reid narrowed his eyes and again, Knorah saw Reid's energy haze flare.

Billie pursed her lips and took a step back. She knew better than to challenge a noble son.

"You." He jerked his chin to Knorah. "Come with me."

Knorah didn't have the chance to refuse because he captured her arm and dragged her away.

She's going to get it now. Suits her right. She will never be part of this community. Those were the words that followed Knorah as Reid led her toward the training grounds. A large and painful lump lodged itself in her throat. Maybe she didn't belong there.

She stupidly convinced herself that she was strong and that she could handle the pressure, but she felt the brave façade she had put up for everyone to see was slowly disintegrating. The cracks were already showing, and Reid was about to bring the whole façade down in front of the student body.

"Reid, stop!" She tried to pry his fingers from her wrist, but it was as if she was trying to force open a steel clamp wrapped in velvet. His entire body language was hostile. His height dwarfed her, and he was a very physical male who enjoyed outdoor activities more than studying indoors so he packed out really well. She didn't stand a chance of fighting him.

He stopped and turned to her, his eyes blazing. "You have a high disregard for your health. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I didn't do it—wait...what?" She stopped struggling when she heard what he said.

"You didn't detox, did you?" He ground his teeth and Knorah feared his cheek tendons would snap because of her.

"Wait. I thought this was about the circulating photograph on the student website." Knorah frowned up at him in confusion allowing him to drag her across the hallways because she was just too dumbfounded to have any strength left to make a solid thought.

"Is this the first time they did that? Why should it bother me?" He asked as he dragged her into the locker room and forced her to sit on one of the benches before forcefully shutting the doors closed behind him. Knorah didn't understand why he would be that angry with her when most of the time he ignored her or perhaps even forgot that she existed.

Knorah winced at the force he used on her. She couldn't blame him though because being the best meant he was much stronger and didn't have a clue how much. He walked across the rows of lockers as if looking for something in particular then opened one of them and that was when Knorah realized she was in the boys' locker room. Heat flashed on her cheeks as Reid removed a clear gel-like substance from a container before wrapping it in one of his clean white t-shirts and approached her once more.

Every student was recommended to have a detox because of the intense use of energy in the school.

"Bend." He commanded and Knorah did without question. She was still shocked that he was angry over the negligence of her health and not about the photo on the internet.

She felt his warm and damp fingers brush her hair down from her nape. He combed his fingers through the black silk as if he couldn't quite help himself. Knorah shivered slightly when he placed the gel on her nape. The effects were almost immediate. She could feel the toxins infuse into the gel and strength returning into her bones.

"If you don't rid your body of these energies, they will drain you dry. You would fall sick and it will take weeks to get back on your feet. That was the first lesson Professor Wruid taught us before we started the course this semester—where was your head?" Reid chastised her as if he were talking to an errant child and pressed his knuckles against her hair.

"At home, I guess. Ouch!" Knorah yelped as she pushed his hand away. "I would have done that this morning, but I was late for my class."

"Your health is more important than one mere lecture." He berated her and moved away as he placed his hands in his pockets, but his eyes remained on her, cautioning her from trying anything stupid. "Besides...all morning sessions are canceled. They are preparing the cremation ceremony for Professor Xandov."

This was the first time Reid had ever said more than two words to her and she didn't know how she felt about it—but what took the cake was the fact that he was worried about her. He was a little rusty in trying to make conversation, but she preferred this over the way he kept her guessing what he thought of her any day, any time.

All that time she was convinced the male loathed her with every ounce of energy in him...but the fact that he took it upon himself to take care of her proved otherwise.

"Oh...yeah..." Knorah pursed her lips staring down at her boots. It was funny how she could see everyone's true nature, but she couldn't see her own. She wondered what color her Fae aura was and if it had wings like her father. She wondered if she would be able to see her parents' auras when she went back home. "I planned to go."

"The detox takes about thirty minutes." Reid paced closer and his boots almost knocked against hers.

He touched the t-shirt and Knorah felt him pump a little energy into it to speed up the process. His energy warmed the pack and it seeped straight into her, chasing away the fatigue that was settling into her like lead.

"Thanks, Reid." She found herself blurting out and sighed in contentment because the energy was just too comforting.

"I am not doing this for you. If you collapse in the Arts in Arms class, I would be held responsible and I don't want to tarnish my perfect student reputation." He assured Knorah, making her eyes snap open and narrow towards him.

Knorah rolled her eyes and muttered. "Asshole." How the fuck did she even begin to think Reid was a sweet guy? Was it his hot face and body that momentarily deterred her from reality? Or maybe it was the full sentences that he was suddenly using to communicate with her. She couldn't tell but she was suddenly jarred back to the harsh reality that nothing was what it seemed.

"I heard that." He bent down and smirked at her, his blue eyes piercing into hers. She watched as his smirk smoothed away as he stared at her for what felt longer than necessary. "Your eyes..."

Knorah glared at him flatly, waiting for him to crack a smart-ass joke about her heterochromia eyes but then it didn't come because someone suddenly burst into the locker room breaking interrupting the moment. Knorah was a little relieved because she had heard just about every joke there was about her eyes.

Reid moved back and went to lean on his locker watching the boy who entered dangerously. Sometimes Knorah felt Reid wasn't entirely Mage--that he probably had beast blood in him because of how he could become so intimidating in seconds.

"Sorry, I didn't know there was anyone in here—what is she doing in our locker room?" The boy stuttered.

"Get out." Reid slashed his eyes at the intruder who gulped hard and walked out muttering his apologies along the way.

"With that attitude, it's no wonder you have no friends," Knorah muttered softly as she adjusted the pack on her neck.

"And you do?" He asked her as he crossed his arms on his wide chest.

"I have Billie, who do you have?" Knorah challenged him, mimicking his stance.

One side of his mouth quirked up in a smirk. "Do you believe that Billie is your friend? You are more stupid than I first thought."

Wow, this boy needs a serious ass-whopping! Knorah thought vehemently.

"Take that back, Reid. You are being unpleasantly rude." Knorah snapped at him.

"But I am telling the truth. You will remember this one day in the future. See, people like us don't get the luxury of having genuine friends. I have accepted that, but I see that you haven't." He sighed as if being in her presence was the most boring thing he had ever done. He looked down at his watch and turned back to her.

"I don't have the time to sit here and listen to your shit." Knorah yanked the detox gel from her nape and threw it to Reid's feet. She was not only angry because he was a selfish bastard only thinking about himself, but he thought he knew her and was judging her friend for no good reason. "You know, you don't need to pay anything to be nice every once in a while. Being a Noble son is not a ticket to being a dick. You might have the perfect scores in class and the perfect face and physic, but your rotten heart makes you appear green and ugly and it will get you nowhere."

"The detox isn't done—" He started as he pushed himself from his locker.

"But I am!" Knorah walked out, slamming the door behind her. She hummed angrily as she stomped away not caring about people wondering what happened between her and Reid in that locker room all those minutes they were in there. She didn't care anymore.

Storm and all the Royal Army warriors of the Northern Sector who were under Drake before he left for the Fire Realm were there. They were all in their honor uniforms usually worn in a royal cremation. This was because Professor Xandov was honored for serving the former king Gregor and attained the title of the Royal Historian Elder during that time. He was wrapped in Mayolin, a material the royals were wrapped in for cremation.

Storm also noted that both Nobles, Naznin and Lund, were there settled amidst the Noble sons and daughters of the university and just behind the pro-chancellor and the head scholars. Other students littered the other chairs away from them and it just went to show that no matter how much the Lord Mage tried to seam the two classes together, there was still a wide demarcation between them.

Storm knew if the Lord Mage could break away from his duties in the capital city he would have been there but he called and he asked that every available Noble and warrior in the Northern Sector attend the cremation.

Storm took his place near the others with Byron on one side and Blaire on the other. He adjusted the collar of his honor uniform which was like their normal uniforms with the exception of the silver meticulous embroidery around the band collar of their side-button up leather jackets. The embroidery also appeared in the cuffs of their jackets. The normal honor uniform was black but for commanders, it had one arm sleeve made of white leather where their badges and medals were supposed to hang. It was not a very practical uniform because it snugged tightly around him and was meant to impress people--which it did--but Storm knew he would rip it apart if he needed to fight.

The atmosphere was solemn. Other than the professor's sister who had not yet been brought in, Professor Xandov had no other family. He had dedicated his entire life to being an Elder and later one of the most highly appraised professors in the university. He was a male of worth because he stayed true to the very end. He had lived to see two generations of the royal family and never once had he turned his back on the light to seek out power like the other greedy Mage who had fallen.

The ceremony began, and they all stood up just as a tiny female with straight jet-black hair and a complexion reminding Storm of milk and honey came in. She stopped and looked around for a moment and Storm could feel her rage rippling in the air. The student body turned to her and some began to whisper behind their hands.

Storm saw the way her fingers curled up into small fists as she quickened her steps and rushed towards where the Nobles were sitting.

A Noble daughter. He took in her fragile appearance, elegant lines, and planes that molded her petite body. She had elegance in the way she walked although it was brisk. She had elegance in the way she took her position in front of one of the empty seats and raised her chin up before she looked directly in front of her. Her spine was straight, and shoulders set, a posture well deserved for a Noble daughter of her stature.

It was something they grew up in. They were taught how to conduct themselves in public, how to address everyone they met and how to live the rest of their lives. Their arrogance and disregard for their subjects were things that had been passed on for generations, so Storm didn't see it change any time soon.

Storm was not one to take interest in someone's movements but there was something about her that was eye-catching. He didn't know whether it was her smaller structure that he could almost resemble her to a dot, or the fragile movements of her lithe fingers as she swept her silky hair from her face revealing it to him. Her profile was unforgettable and for some reason, she stood out among the other Noble daughters. He could see that he wasn't the only one who she caught attention from. Other visitors as well as Noble Lund who turned around and greeted her warmly were also allured. What he knew as a solid fact, however, was that he could be discharged dishonorably from the Royal Mage Army for so much as looking in her direction.

With that in mind, Storm trained his eyes towards the entrance of the hallway, just in time to see a male he had come to know very well.

Reid.

He groaned lightly when the male went to sit with the rest of the student body.

He had always been a rebel and Storm had had an encounter with him back in Opsan Forest several times. He was a very quiet and reserved male. Most of the time, he spent his days in his father's library sleeping. He reminded Storm so much of his older brother, Cyrus, who was barely noticed to be around but his presence was acknowledged when someone pissed him off and he brought out the fires of Hades.

The High priest suddenly entered with Aryella behind him. His thick robes swished on the floor as he approached the body that was laid to rest on top of a pile of Jeruf cassia wood. Its resin was highly flammable, and the wood reached high temperatures, easily turning flesh and bone into ash in mere minutes. It also had a very comforting scent while it burnt.

Storm noticed that Aryella was clutching something tightly on her chest. Her mouth was in a thin line and her eyes glassy and red with unshed tears. She wore the black and white garment for mourners, her hair plaited in a large braid dangling on her shoulder. Flowers were woven in her hair and Storm knew most of them were for calming her.

Marianda; the Highland White Queen for most, Shermy, Nerobella; also known as Morning Tears and Pompus.

Each one played a vital role in reducing anxiety and helping her accept what had happened.

Aryella looked so fragile as she sat down at the designated area. Once the body was cleansed for cremation, no one could touch or unwrap it so Aryella couldn't touch her brother again or say any last words to him.

The ceremony was well underway and as they settled down, the High Priest began praying for Professor Xandov.

Storm's eyes swept across the room for anything suspicious. The uneasiness of that place weighed heavily on his shoulders. His ultibreed form was just under his skin, eagerly urging him to let it out. It wasn't like what he experienced when he had the Leo. Now, it felt like it was all him. It was easier to control because he didn't have another voice urging him to do other actions, but the one downfall was that he felt his humanity had been reduced.

Most of the things he did were due to his primal instinct. Like the fact that he wanted to walk out of there and just go hunting in the nearby forest. He was more beast than before.

He recalled the times when life was brighter and fewer worries clouded his mind. Back then his Leo was as carefree as he was. It was the reason why he and Ruvin clicked. They enjoyed the ladies' company and attention together, never turning down any offers that came their way.

Being brought up in an environment where he was never spoiled by the love of his mother and father, where he was taken care of in a way that one day he would go out on his own and not even his mother would worry about him made him a male who sought that kind of love from other people, from the females. That changed drastically the moment he realized that he would have died that day the rogue dragons attacked the convoy from the Great Hall.

'Take this message to the Lord Mage....' one of the dragons had sneered at him and shoved the badly wounded Lyrah to his side before the rogue and his brothers took off.

He had felt powerless and forever indebted to the Dark Queen for not being able to protect her better. He never wanted to find himself that helpless again, so he cleaned up his act, trained better, and carried out his duties as how he was supposed. It was only at that moment he understood why the Leo beasts raised their young with very little attachment; so that their duties came first before anything else.

When the High Priest finished his prayers, he turned to Professor Xandov's body and an orange energy ball sprang to life in his hands. He muttered several words and left everyone awed as the fire began to dance in his hands. He directed the fireball to Professor Xandov but everyone inhaled sharply when what looked like an energy field wrapped itself around the professor's body, preventing any destruction to his body. The flames cracked around the energy field and died away.

"What the fuck?" Byron jumped from his seat with Sheila just behind him. The Mage was already scanning around the hall for any signs of tampering.

Storm rose from his chair, slowly opening up his mind and registering everyone's reactions, their body temperatures, and their scents to try and catch the culprit. His fingers had already gripped the gun on his side and the leather moaned as his muscles bulged within, readying him to attack at any second.

"Sorcery?" Someone asked.

Aryella's eyes were wide in shock. She stood from her chair and looked frantically from one side to the other. Storm could no longer ignore the fact that she could be in danger. He made his way to her, his muscles thickening and his height increasing as his ultibreed side took over. There was nothing in that hallway that was malevolent, but sorcerers knew how to hide their scents and identities and he wasn't taking chances.

Professor Xandov's body levitated to the ceiling of the hall where no one could reach, and Byron and Sheila went after it, wanting to protect it from whatever this was.

As the High Priest turned for the door, Tyfera shifted to a jaguar and leaped towards the male, toppling him before he could make it to the door. He would have flashed away if Amun didn't imprison him with an enchanted thread.

"Close the doors!" Storm snarled catching everyone by surprise. "No one is to leave until I say otherwise. Alderon, Uther, protect the Nobles!" The doors were quickly closed and Remington--a half-blood centaur and Blaze--a dragon--stood guarding them.

"What are you doing?" The High Priest commanded struggling against Amun who held him while Storm made his way to Aryella. "You are interfering with the ceremony!"

"Why were you running?" Storm grabbed the male by his neck and raised him up until they were eye to eye. "And what the fuck did you do to Professor Xandov's body?"

"Stop!" A female voice rang.

Storm felt the warm touch of her hand on his arm before he was able to see the female. Aryelle came forward, her face full of determination.

"I know what this is. Now, put the High Priest down, Commander. I will explain everything." She told him.

Storm was already on the edge as it is but Aryella had the right to be listened to because her brother's body was levitating so far up the ceiling that the only way, they could bring it down would be to have either a dragon or a Mage go up there for it.

Storm's hand loosened around the gagging High Priest's neck and he let him down. The enchanted thread that prevented him from escaping slowly shimmered away and the male sagged to the floor whizzing. Storm calmed himself enough to take back his humanoid form, but he could still feel his energies above normal. Somehow, he felt stronger and edgier than any other time he was there. Were the evil energies getting stronger around them? He stepped back to give the male space to recover while Aryella exhaled the breath she must have been holding without knowing.

"We need to talk somewhere in private." Her eyes darted cautiously around the hall and Storm nodded instructing several of the warriors to follow him and Aryella out.

Aryella stopped briefly in front of the Noble Daughter who had arrived late, and it was as if she wanted to tell her something but quickly ducked her head down and went out.

That was a suspicious act that had Storm stare at the Noble Daughter longer than intended. When she looked up at him, Storm's heart stuttered, and he stopped breathing altogether.

A quake started from the top of his spine all the way to the bottom and the hairs at the back of his neck flared up. Her eyes were most peculiar, but they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever looked at for as long as he could remember. The icy blue one was clear with shards of silver and cobalt and it reminded Storm of the clear springs in Guldamo while her hazel one reminded him of autumn, syrup, and the evening sun setting on the horizon.

She did a little gasp, her pink full lips popping open to let out the small sound. He watched as those beautiful eyes strayed over his head and color leached from her face. Fear replaced the surprise and she took a step back from him. Storm wanted to approach her, ask her what she saw but as he took a step towards her, Noble Lund slipped between them.

"As the Noble of Jude, I am obliged to protect any Noble son or daughter that is on my premises. If you have anything you want to ask Knorah, please don't hesitate to ask me first." The Noble spoke but Storm didn't hear anything that the male spoke of other than the name.

Knorah...

The name was as enchanting as she was. It was perfect for her.

Storm looked down at the insignificant male in front of him to Knorah who had turned away from him, but he could still see the way she was rapidly breathing and he was sure her nails were biting into the soft skin in her palms by how tightly she had curled her fists.

Without another word, Storm moved around the Noble and followed Aryella out. Byron, Blaire, Sheila, and Amun were right behind him. The pro-chancellor and the head scholars left after that though the remaining warriors tried to calm everyone down until the commanders found the reason behind the commotion.

"That's a protective spell," Aryella explained once they were in one of the offices where they could speak more freely without the commotion. "It can only be cast by a Mage of Life."

Storm frowned as he crossed his arms across his thick chest. "The only known Mage of Life is the Dark Queen, Lyrah." And Meldina, Queen Noelle's newly born baby but he couldn't say it out loud because the prince and princess of the Realm of Spells were not ready to be introduced to the public. Even though their greatest threat was destroyed, no one knew for sure if evil could stay dead or if it left someone behind to take its place.

The Lord Mage was a distrusting male, so it was going to take a while until he was able to announce the children to the world.

Aryella nodded. "Yes, but our mother was too—a powerful one at that. When Xandov and I were younger, my mother showed us how to harness enough energy to create a protective shield around our bodies during the times our lives felt threatened but we never could get it because it came naturally to her. She was able to make the energy cocoon whenever but for me and my brother; while he was Mage of Truth...I am Mage of Flora."

"You are?" Sheila sat up suddenly intrigued by what was being said.

"Don't these attributes have an ending?" Storm groaned softly brushing his thick disheveled hair back, but it returned to his forehead. "What is a Mage of Flora?"

"A Mage that has an affinity for flora; plants. There isn't a plant I don't know, and plants react to my presence—" she removed the Nerobella from her hair and its bluish transparent petals opened up, even more, basking in the attention that it was receiving from Aryella. "Do you know why this is sometimes called Morning Tears?"

She turned her compassionate eyes to Storm who shook his head lightly. He knew absolutely nothing about botany apart from what he had been told. He wasn't the male to sit in a library or computer and start researching plants. He was the type of male to look for the latest gadgets and weaponry out there.

"It's because back in the days the males used to leave this behind after luring young maidens to their beds and leaving them the next morning without a word. It sent the message that she wasn't the one and many cried because of this beautiful flower." She chuckled softly. "But people failed to understand that this flower had a strong calming effect for the wary and anxious mind and I believe the reason the males left it behind was so as to calm the ladies they lied to—"

"Which is still a criminal act," Blaire muttered vehemently. "Cowards."

"Let me get this straight if both of you could not create your own protective cocoon because of your attributes, how did Professor Xandov's body get one and why would it show up now of all times? Why didn't it protect him when he was being attacked?" Byron asked taking them back to what was truly important.

"Firstly, my mother managed to create these cocoons for us and we thought they would disappear once she left this world but they remained intact to this day. Secondly, these cocoons only come out when we feel immense fear for our lives so whoever killed my brother might have known of it and killed him in a way that Xandov couldn't react quickly enough to activate it. And thirdly, I don't know why it has reactivated now when he is dead." Aryella sighed in defeat.

Storm frowned and looked at the little gold and black box Aryella was grasping in one hand and asked. "And what is that you have there?"

Instinctively, Aryella grasped it to her heart. "I found this at my doorstep the night Xandov died. It had instructions that I give it to someone."

"Knorah perhaps?" Storm asked and Aryella's eyebrows snapped up in surprise.

"How did you know?" She asked running her fingers over the carved surface of it.

"Were the professor and Knorah very close?" Storm leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. He didn't know why but he felt like this question held some significance as to understanding the kind of female Knorah was.

Aryella smiled fondly. "Xandov was very fond of Knorah because he believed she was special. He was also her academic adviser. One day he told me that he was onto something concerning her and that if he proved it correct then it would have been dreary news for her and her family back in the Realm of Light. He always spoke of how he regretted wanting to know just how special she was for the fear of what he would discover but being the Mage of Truth, he couldn't stop himself."

"She's a light Fae?" Storm hoped that it didn't sound as surprising as he heard it in his ears. Though he was interested in knowing exactly what made the professor regret trying to help Knorah, he couldn't help but catch the Fae phrase like everyone else in that room.

"She is a Mage-Fae to be exact. Her father is the Noble light Fae Kheelan of Nevira; the largest District after the capital." Aryella explained. "Xandov made it so that I met her and when I did, I fell in love with her personality. She is an amazing female."

Someone scoffed, and Storm knew why. The Mage-Fae relationship was just in a tedious place and just thinking about it made his head ache. It was no wonder people whispered behind her back. Being a Fae at that moment in time in the Realm of Spells was not the best. Remington got away with being half-Fae in the army because everyone was already used to him and knew how he worked. "What did the professor discover about her?"

Aryella sighed sadly and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He was very anxious about it up to the end, but he never got to tell me what it was that he discovered. Maybe the answer might be lying in his office somewhere or in this box."

Storm made a mental note to return there because if the professor knew something about the Noble daughter that everyone else didn't then it was to say they must find out what it was in order to protect her from it. His eyes turned back to the box Aryella was holding. "What's in the box?′

She held it up. "I don't know because I can't open it. I have been sealed by a spell."

"A recognition spell; Infusia personifikary." Byron explained, and the other Mage present nodded in agreement.

"And what the fuck is that?" This was getting more difficult to understand by the minute.

"It's a spell embedded in an object or entrance that is designed to recognize specific people. It's a blood spell meaning if this object was supposed to be given to Knorah then somehow the professor was able to get her blood to seal it and only her blood can open it." Sheila explained. It seemed like there was nothing the High Mage couldn't do. So now they were personalizing spells like the bloody fingerprint scanner on the phone!

"Call Alderon and ask him to bring Knorah in here." Storm commanded feeling exhausted suddenly. Too many things were happening around them and somehow, he felt the Noble daughter was amidst it all.

"But what about my brother's cremation ceremony?" Aryella asked.

"I am guessing whatever is in that box is the answer we need to bring down your brother's body and proceed with the cremation ceremony. The faster this female is brought here, the faster we can all deal with it." Storm said.

Blaire nodded as dialed Alderon's number...