Edited by KitWulf                                        12-6-2021

*

"Do you now realize why you are so important to us?" Marric beckoned for her to come over.

Azura was standing a bit away from the table, staring out windows that weren't there, and pretended to not see him. She longed for fresh air, to feel the sun on her face, and a long run to clear her head.

"Your ancient soul is the key to the survival of our kind." Marric continued, undisturbed by her ignoring him. "That's why we asked you to come and Killian has done an excellent job of bringing you back. It's only fair you know the truth about who you are and the history you and your mother have here."

It'd been a couple of hours since Lucas had left with Zahair and she hadn't seen or heard from them since. During this time Marric had talked more, elaborating on the importance of ancient souls and their purpose on earth. It all had sounded a bit over the top to her and she had caught herself barely listening at times as she was getting more and more worried about Lucas's whereabouts. Sometimes Marric left for a short while, leaving her alone with two guards and Killian. The rest had been ordered to leave and the times they were left alone were filled with just the sounds of their breathing. It was killing her from the inside and her nerves were crawling up the walls.

"Killian?" Her voice seemed to echo along the walls and triple in volume. "Where are Lucas and Zahair?"

His uncertainty showed for a brief moment before the cold facade took over again. He was worried just as she was.

"With Marric's advisors just as he said they would be." There was no emotion in his voice as he spoke but his eyes pleaded for her to stop talking.

Taking the hint, she'd remained silent and tried to focus on some good memories to keep her from going insane. She'd suspected Killian's coldness had to do with the head guard, who was the same that had interrupted them this morning. He seemed to hold more power than any other guard and they clearly weren't on the same page. Bored out of her mind, she had dubbed him Xav and the other guy Hav.

Even with lunch, neither Lucas nor Zahair were present and Marric had left her alone for that time as well. Xav also disappeared and Azura had hoped she would be able to talk to Killian then, but again he kept his distance. She'd been aching to speak to him even more as Zahair and Lucas were still gone. Unfortunately, Hav was keeping a close eye on them. The two men sometimes conversed so quietly she couldn't overhear them but these moments were short. Talking to Killian in private wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Marric returned soon after she was done shoving the food around her plate. Several of his lackeys followed and took their former positions at some of the doors. Xav followed not far behind and took the remainder of the lunch away. Hav and Killian both hadn't eaten much either. Before Marric even managed to sit down, Azura spoke up. The fire within sparked and enhanced her annoyance.

"When is Lucas coming back? There's no need for him to be elsewhere. I want him to hear all this." Growing impatient without her partner by her side; the fact she felt like she needed him was something she didn't like at all.

"He's fine. My advisors are with him, discussing terms and ways to reunite our two species. I've been there a couple of times to check in on them. It's a good thing you brought him here you know, seeing what type of soul he has. He knows his kind the best, of course, and I really want this to work."

Marric smiled at her but she noticed it was just his lips again. His eyes told her something else but she wasn't sure what it was yet exactly. A cold chill ran down her back; a sign she'd ignored in the past but wouldn't now. Something was amiss, but what, she couldn't yet say.

"Alright... So what are your plans?" She twiddled her thumbs and took a couple of deep breaths trying to settle herself down. The Phoenix made its presence increasingly known as Killian's words at breakfast slipped once more through her mind. Despite everything that felt off, she still needed and wanted to know more. Not specifically about the ancient souls and reuniting the two species but mostly about her mother.

"As a keeper of an ancient soul, you are a born leader. They are the wisest and strongest ones of our kind. Seeing how old you were when you first shifted, your werecat soul is the strongest we have ever witnessed here. Your mother got scared, saw the potential you had but also saw the danger it held. That's why she ran away with you. She was not informed well enough and did not believe me when I promised her you would be kept safe here. We would not let any harm come to you and we would have given you proper training to be the leader that we needed. Your mother saw it differently, was afraid we would rob you of your childhood, indoctrinate you and use you as a tool for war. It was obvious she had spent too much time in the vicinity of humans and with her foolish husband. She could no longer think clearly, going mad with grief after losing your father. She tried raising you the best she could but your resemblance to her late husband made it harder and harder for her to see things in the true light."

He's lying. It's not the whole truth.

The voice comforted her now that Lucas was not present.

Marric paused and passed her a snack and some water. He sounded sincere enough but what he was telling her now sounded so wrong in her ears. Azura glimpsed at Killian, tried to read his face to find out if Marric was speaking the truth but he kept it stoic and just stared straight ahead. She had to know...

"Marric, I need to know. Was my mother mentally ill?" From the corner of her eye, she saw Killian flash his eyes at her for just a moment.

"Yes... I'm afraid you guessed right, Azura." His voice gave her shivers. He didn't even pause and the words rolled off his tongue so smoothly. The day before, he had actually shown that he had cared about her mother once, but that wasn't apparent now. "I tried voicing it differently before... The truth is rather harsh."

"Tell me! You owe me that!" Azura slammed her fist on the table. She wanted the truth and not vague information which was contradicting each other. Marric did not react to her flare-up but was staring at his hands as if contemplating what to do. Eventually, he moved his head up and looked her straight in the eye.

"We don't know what happened in the time she had been gone and was with your father but when she returned here, heavily pregnant and without him, it was clear she was suffering. When you were born she loved you so much but the sight of you also pained her, and she had difficulty raising you. We had her under tight supervision, gave her medication to prevent her from going insane, and kept you near her so she did still feel like she was raising you. Sadly Eliora had been fooling us all and had stopped taking her medication a while before you first shifted. When you did, she freaked out and got so scared she wouldn't listen to anyone anymore. In her desperation, she tried to save you from her own demons. She had started living in her own truth and we were the bad guys in that dimension. One night she took you and fled. We never found you but eventually, we did find your mother. Eliora was delirious, covered in blood, and it was no longer possible to communicate with her. We took her back here and kept searching for you out there to no avail. In the end, we were afraid she had killed you. Your mother did not survive very long after that. Losing you after losing her husband took its toll and she stopped eating and drinking, ultimately leading to her demise."

He's still not telling the truth.

Azura's gaze caught hold of Killian who was staring at his feet. He had his hands folded over one another and his head seemed to move slowly from the left to the right. She had to take a second glance but he was back to his normal posture staring straight ahead again. Azura's breath hitched in her throat as she felt her muscles tense up and goosebumps spread across her arms. As she caught Marric's eyes again he had that same smile on his face where his mouth was laughing, but his eyes were anything but. That familiar feeling of rage and anger started to build up inside of her. It felt like needle pricks at first but she knew it would soon be growing into something so much more.

"You're lying. She knew... She knew what your plan was!" Azura threw her seat back as she quickly bolted to her feet, her eyes spewing fire as Marric's reaction this time told her she was right.

Power oozed from her body, challenging him. Marric jumped up in reaction to her power display. They locked eyes, both resting their hands on the table as their dominance clashed. Eventually, one of them would back down, would lose to the other. Wanting the flames to support her, Azura found the Phoenix to remain absent.

This is your story, not mine.

Curling up her lip in dismay, the powerful male before her responded. A powerful boost surged through her, through the whole room. Her knees momentarily wanted to buckle, to acknowledge his superiority but she remained standing and in response let her own flare out. Her focus was solely on him, everything around him had darkened and blurred except for him.

A smirk formed on his face seeing how she rivaled him. "Shame you got your mother's temper and wits." The older man kept his strength up against hers, their impasse still standing. "We need you to take them down, to make them submit as you have already done to the strongest of them. The ancient soul is the only one strong enough to make them bow to us and to ensure our species' future. Don't you see, Azura? We are far more superior to them! You have seen Lucas, how out of touch he is with his true nature and instincts despite his soul. Their kind is a disgrace and we can save them but only with your help!"

She snarled in response, unable to form words and respond. Part of her wanted to tear his throat out but if she were to move now, she would lose the battle. To break eye contact meant submitting and that was something she simply could not do. The power play was addicting while in the back of her mind she knew there was something greater coming. Marric had no idea and it was infuriating her knowing he wouldn't listen to her.

"Fine. If you won't comply we'll have to do this another way." Marric leaned forward and as she spoke up, she could swear his canines had elongated. The glint in his eyes and the slow way he spoke brought goosebumps to her skin "Bring him in."

Those three words broke the spell she was under. The power around her shattered as a gasp escaped her lips. Azura blinked and her knees gave way. Somehow she managed to catch herself on the table before her head could have a close encounter with it. Clutching the sides of the wood surface, she turned her upper body around, only to see the guards and everyone else getting up on their feet. Killian included. Not soon after, two of Marric's men opened a door and Lucas stepped through.

He was being guided by the arm by the one man she still hated to see. She stopped breathing as she saw him walk in with no notion of her being there. He was physically there, but something was amiss. Lucas would never allow that guy so close to him. If anything, he despised him as much as she did. Azura closed her eyes in desperation and realized she had made a huge mistake.

"Lucas?" Every bit of resentment had left her voice as she called out to him.

He didn't respond. Marric just smiled wickedly as he looked at both of them.

"You decided not to join us. Lucas has made a different choice. Please, Lucas, show your devotion to us."

Azura shifted to Lucas as he looked up. His green eyes had no life in them. She gasped as she found no sign of recognition at all. This was not him. A thousand thoughts ran through her head. Had they replaced him, found a doppelganger, or even brainwashed him? His scent was still the same. Crisp air with a hint of snow in it with an undertone of fresh pine trees. He had always smelled like home but as she inhaled deeply, the scent was tainted. This was Lucas alright but just his body and not the man she loved.

Like a robot, he moved towards her with big determined steps. Azura slowly backed up coming closer to a pillar until she felt the cold marble against her back.

"Fuck...me..." She said it so soft only she could hear it. She turned her head to Marric and scowled at him.

"What did you do to him, you bastard! What the fuck did you do to him!" She felt the anger flare up within her but she could not act on it. Not yet anyway. The Phoenix urged her to remain calm, not to act, and not to fight. It took all her restraint not to. If it was up to her, she would go into a killing mode in a blink of an eye but she knew she could not show them the Phoenix. That would have disastrous results. Marric just shrugged and calmly answered.

"Your mother was one of our first experiments. It didn't end well, unfortunately. That foolish boy Johnathan did not last very long either. Lucas here seems to have responded much better. Then again, Johnathan was a new soul and Lucas is an ancient one. It makes quite a difference apparently. He was quite a handful though. Managed to hurt several people including poor Zahair."

Azura's eyes widened at the last revelation and she snapped her head to Killian who seemed just as much in shock as she was. Had he known of Marric's plan? Had she trusted him while she shouldn't have? Was he just upset about Zahair or because of what Marric had done to Lucas? The questions filled her mind and she tried to ignore them. There was no point in wondering about those right now. She needed to keep her head in the game more than ever at this point.

"Now, it's a shame to keep an ancient soul trapped in a person that doesn't know what to do with it. So it's better to set the soul free so it can bond with another that will be of more use."

He nodded to Lucas who had stopped as soon as Marric started talking. Lucas turned his attention back to Azura again and started walking towards her again with his robotic and unnatural movements she recognized from her dreams.

"Lucas? What are you doing?" She was almost crying as he stopped right before her, doing nothing yet. She raised her arm and placed her hand on his arm. For a moment, she saw something flash in his eyes. Maybe a hint of his true self.

"Please... Lucas, listen to me. Don't do this." She pleaded as she softly rubbed her thumb across his cold skin.

He blankly stared at her face, no emotions visible. She swallowed hard as she realized what would happen and what she would have to do to stay alive. In the back of her head, she heard the Phoenix urging her to remain calm and to trust it. She wanted to but by doing so she would sign her own death sentence. This was not setting the world on fire, this was not at all what she had imagined would happen when they arrived. This was not the way she would have believed to die.

The word failure rang in her head. If she resisted, if she would fight, she would start a war. Ben would have his way, could blame her for it and she would have to kill Lucas just like she had done so many times in her nightmares.

The idea alone made her sick to the stomach.

She closed her eyes as he moved his arm up, trailing her left arm with his hand. She felt his fingers brush past her arm and shoulder to her neck. For some reason, she felt her body respond as if he caressed her like he normally did. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she felt her breathing become more irregular and superficial. Any moment now, he would move in and cover her lips with his own. Any moment now, he would press his body against hers, start tugging at her clothes to get them off. Any moment now...

She opened her eyes again and knew the moment would not come.

"Don't.. please... You would never do this." Tears fell as she started crying.

The Phoenix's voice urging her to remain calm, to let it happen made her whimper but she would trust it. If she would start a fight, she would kill everyone including Lucas and most likely, herself. It was not worth it. She was not a feral beast.

His fingers wrapped around her throat and she gasped as he pushed her against the pillar and slowly lifted her with just one hand. His strength was inhumane. Azura desperately placed her hands on his, but he only added his second hand around her throat as well. The more she clawed at his hands, the more pressure he applied. He was crushing her throat, the pain was so intense it made her eyes roll to the back of her head. She tried to focus and every little bit of air that was still able to slip through helped ease the burning feeling in her lungs but it was far from enough. She could still stop this, end it with just one last burst of energy but the outcome, she knew, would devastate her.

Her feet could no longer touch the floor and for once she could look him straight in the eye. There was not a single hint of recognition in them. Those lively green eyes, those eyes which so often had a mischievous look in them seemed like stone now. She wanted to scream, pound at him until he would regain his senses but she felt her body weaken, her lungs burning and her mind starting to shut down. Her lips slowly started to turn blue as she was no longer able to breathe. It felt like her eyes were bulging out of her skull. Every beat of her heart was thumping in her head. It became louder and louder until it was the only thing she was able to hear. Her mouth hung half-open gasping while nothing came in. Black dots were forming and dancing in front of her eyes as she felt her legs starting to twitch involuntarily. The pain of him crushing her throat seemed to falter as she slowly felt her consciousness slip away.

Stop clinging to life, my dear, and give in already!

As if the Phoenix gave her that last push to let go her body jerked a final time in Lucas's grasp. He let go of her throat as soon as her body had ceased twitching and she slumped to the floor. Her eyes had rolled to the back of her head, her mouth hung half open and her chest was no longer moving up and down. Lucas stepped back, his hands twitching and shaking. Marric approached the lifeless body of the woman and knelt down next to her. He took her wrist gently in his hand and felt for a pulse. After waiting for a full minute in silence a big grimace came across his face and he got back up again while turning to Lucas.

"Well done, my friend. I did not expect you to actually listen so well so early in testing already. Although we do have some more work to do. You're still twitching and shaking and moving around like you're still struggling against it. Don't worry though, that can be solved easily before we send you back."