Phoenix entered first, alone as planned--intending to throw off those inside and catch the Ancient unaware. What she didn't expect was to find Aundreya dead on the ground and everyone staring at her in horror.

Helena recovered first. "I'm not falling for this twice." She turned to the soldiers standing with their swords half raised, looking confused. "It's Canya! Kill her!"

"Canya?" Phoenix said with a laugh, pulling her own sword free of its sheath. "Oh Canya--they're calling you."

Audra stepped in, taking the form of the wild woman she'd been forced to wear for so long. At the sight of her, Helena sucked in a breath, turning back to Phoenix. "You're alive? How?"

"Apparently I'm an improvement on your model of mortality--a lot harder to kill than you'd think." She took a step closer, but Helena stood her ground.

"Phoenix, stay back." Roman hadn't moved, true fear on his face as he glanced between them. "It's Helena--Helena's the Ancient. She just--she just killed Aundreya by touching her. Don't let her get to you."

This brought Phoenix up short. She faltered, glancing from Roman to Helena. Aundreya was dead, which meant Roman spoke of his own free will.

"It's true," Noelle said, and Phoenix realized her friend was far too close to Helena for comfort--mere steps away. "She's the Ancient who killed Helix and Tremaine. She said so."

"I said nothing of the sort," Helena said, a wicked grin playing across her lips.

"You said Tremaine gave away the gifts--you said he tainted humanity by creating offspring powerful enough to kill an Ancient." Roman pointed at Helena. "You said you that's why you tried to have all the Guardians killed--to keep any of them from growing strong enough to kill an Ancient without falling from grace."

"Tremaine was a fool, I admit." Helena sauntered closer to Noelle, her hands splayed before her. "He created his own demise by making his choice to bed a mortal woman."  She no longer seemed like a woman of advanced age, her movements lithe and agile, her face ageless even with all of her wrinkles.

"And what did Helix do?" Phoenix asked, a stirring of understanding growing inside of her.

"Helix was the worst of them all," Helena said, her voice low as she dropped her gaze. "She loved Tremaine--more than any one being has loved another. She would have given anything for him. She fought for him, protected him--and what did he give her in return?"

"A broken heart," Phoenix said.

"An awakening," Helena retorted. "He opened her eyes. Nothing she would do would ever be enough. Even after his beloved human died, he continued to care more for his generations of offspring than the one who stood by his side through every moment of grief. He chose to live amongst them, protecting them and teaching them, even though they were beneath him."

"All while Helix fell by the wayside. Forgotten." Phoenix gripped her sword tighter. "He never loved you. That must have hurt. Watching him fawn over his descendants who would each die--watching him grieve every one of them, his heart breaking every time--a heart he'd never give to you."

"And so you killed him." Castor stepped into the room, apparently unable to stop himself. Finny and Altair followed. "You killed him because he chose them over you."

"That isn't love," Finny said, a glower of disgust on her face. "That's obsession."

"And now you want to finish what you started," Altair continued. "You want the last of the Guardians who could stop you to die so nothing will stand in your way. Tremaine's descendants will be wiped out. Your vengeance complete."

"Not just his descendants," Helena said. "I want to watch them all die." She surveyed the three newcomers. "I should have known. You all stink of self-righteousness. I already knew Finnestra," she shot a contemptuous look at Finny. "And Castor revealed himself to me some time ago--that must make you--"

"The Circle." Qi appeared beside Finny. Suddenly the border of the room hosted the entire circle--all reunited except Tremaine.

"Helix," Elyo said, standing beside Selene on the east wall. "How could you?"

"Save your shock," Helena said, rolling her eyes. "Faking my death was easy--after all, Tremaine died in a burst of magnificent light." She brought her fists up and made a little explosion with her hands. "I simply vanished with him. And who would ever think that the loyal lapdog would turn on her master?"

"You've been in hiding this past century, biding your time." Zenith's disgust was as pronounced as Finny's.

"Tarvril was my chance. Moldable, vain, and easily seduced. He was supposed to give me exactly what I wanted."

"But you didn't count on Narissa and Bainon's reaction." Juno stood with Zenith on the west wall. "You never thought ahead, not even when you were thinking clearly."

"I thought well enough to cover my tracks and keep either of you from finding me," Helena teased, grinning at them. "All of you, fooled. You even worked by my side." She looked from Altair to Finny. "You trusted me."

Finny snorted. "Trusted you? Please. I thought you were an arrogant little wretch. I was there for Maverick and only Maverick. But did I realize who you were? No, I admit. I didn't know."

"What are you going to do?" Helena said, biting down on her tongue and grinning. "Kill me? Risk falling? Remember, I can kill any of you and I won't suffer any consequences."

"We aren't here to kill you," Elyo said. "We're here to warn you."

"Take your chance, now, Helix," Zenith said. "Or risk your own demise. Give yourself up."

Helena let out cold, humorless laugh. "Never."

"Then face what you failed to destroy," Juno said. Then all of the circle vanished except Altair, Finny, and Castor. Helena considered them, standing in front of the doors to block her exit.

"What," she said, smirking. "Are you what I failed to destroy?"

"No." Maverick entered the room, followed by Gwen, Bainon, and Eric. "We are."

"Oh my heavens," Helena said, placing a hand over her heart. "A bunch of scary humans against little old me? I'm shaking." She turned to her soldiers, who, until this moment, had been entirely dumbstruck and useless. "What are you waiting for? Get them."

If it weren't happening to her and those she loved, Phoenix might have thought the whole situation humorous. The soldiers snapped to attention, rushing forward in an attack. There were twice as many of them, and Gwen didn't even have a sword.

Neither did Roman, but he didn't waste time jumping into the fray, tackling one of Helena's soldiers to the ground and wrestling the sword free from him. Gwen, for her part, ran away--not out of cowardice, but in a fight for her life as she avoided a swinging sword. She sailed across the room with impressive speed, drawing two soldiers after her. In their distraction, they didn't see Maverick coming, and he knocked both out in two swift blows.

Phoenix watched Helena, the cool disinterest and amusement chilling her. It was as though whatever happened to her soldiers didn't matter. She'd win anyway.

Because she had Noelle.

Noelle hadn't even tried to escape. She stood at Helena's side watching with wide-eyed wonder and horror, but she didn't run to her friends. Fog rose around them, and Phoenix spotted Mygel hiding in a corner, delight in her eyes as she obscured everyone's vision.

A wild wind whipped through the room, dissipating the fog at once. Phoenix, Helena, and Mygel's attention all shot to Castor, who controlled the air with ease. She saw Helena's arm shoot out, and without even thinking, Phoenix ran for Castor.

A bolt of lightning shot across the room, straight for Castor, but Phoenix was ready. She slammed into him, knocking them both to the ground even as the bolt hit her instead. A jolt of pain shot through her in a flash, but she absorbed it. Castor's hands gripped her arms, having grabbed ahold of her as they fell.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, pulling her behind a column. She couldn't answer. It wasn't the bolt of lighting, but the flood of emotions that hit her. Pictures, images, and feelings hit her like a brick.

A young man watching her with a quill and ink, writing out a note, his brows furrowed in concentration. When she asked if he ever wrote letters, he answered that he'd seen them written before. He always had alien answers like that, a naive curiosity for the most basic things.

The same young man held her tight against him, a blade to her throat, threatening Altair to release Eric or he'd hurt her, but she knew he'd never hurt her. Despite the steal against her throat, she felt a betraying thrill of being so close to him.

His face, afraid and concerned when she arrived at Osha castle with Abigail. He pulled her into a dark corridor. His lips against hers--the feeling of his arms around her.

"Samson," she breathed, stunned by his presence, and even more so that she could ever forget him.

Castor's eyes widened, his face twisting in panic. "No. No. No, no, no. Not now." He swore, letting go of her. "You need to snap out of it." He looked around the column, eyes roving over the room. "We need to get this under control. I have to get rid of this fog."

Before she could respond, he'd jumped out, beginning again. For several long seconds Phoenix couldn't concentrate, the emotions she'd been hit with almost too much to handle. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to focus.

Eric. Trey. Helix. Noelle. Get yourself together!

Pushing to her feet, Phoenix stepped around Castor, not looking at him as she strode in the direction of Mygel's hiding place. The woman she'd known wouldn't hide away while others fought, but Phoenix had seen the burns on her arms. She could sense Mygel's fear from here.

Fear of her.

A shout of rage sounded from behind her, and Phoenix whipped around to see Mygel flying at her, having snuck around. Phoenix brought up her arms, realizing she'd dropped her sword when she'd tackled Castor. Flames shot up her arms, and she prepared herself to grab Mygel's blade, but no need.

Before Mygel reached her, a sonic blast of sound hit them both, and once again Phoenix was on the ground. She looked up and saw Quilla rush Mygel, the two of them engaging in battle.

"Go!" Quilla shouted. "Take on Helix."

Phoenix scrambled back to her feet and ran for Eric, who fought off a soldier who had escaped the others. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Helena spot him.

"Eric! Duck!"

Her brother dropped just as Helena shot another bolt of lightning. It hit the soldier, blasting him back. Something dawned on Phoenix as she slid to Eric's side, helping him up.

"That's how she killed Aundreya by touching her," Phoenix said, speaking to everyone and no one all at once. "She hit her with lightning right to the chest. Instant death."

"How are you still alive?" Helena shouted at Phoenix.

"Keep hold of my hand," Phoenix said. Eric gripped her tighter.

"Can I ask why?"

"I'm just hoping if lightning hits us that I can deflect it from you if we're connected. It hurts like hells, but it shouldn't kill me." She turned and saw Audra, who had taken on an inhuman shape and was mauling a soldier. The creature looked up as Phoenix focused on her. Audra disappeared instantly, going to Trey, who was still outside the doors.

Helena had a hold of Noelle's arm and dragged her forward, facing off with Eric and Phoenix.

"You really think you can win?"

"We know we can win," Eric said. "That's why you're so afraid of our kind."

"Not with her at my side," Helena said, an electric bite in the air around her, crackling and sparking.

Phoenix caught Noelle's eye, and Noelle gave the faintest twitch of her head. She was signaling something, but what, Phoenix wasn't sure. Above them, dark clouds formed, roiling into the room and creating a sky upon the ceiling.

"Not even he can frighten me now," Helena said. Still, her eyes flickered to just between Eric and Phoenix as Trey appeared, brought by Audra.

"You certainly look afraid," Trey said, his tone one of observation.

Quick as can be, Helena's arm shot up and a bolt of lighting shot right toward them. Eric stamped his foot and a wall of ice sprang up from the floor. It shattered into thousands of pieces as the lightning hit, but they were unscathed.

Phoenix shot a blast of fire, but pulled it back as Helena shifted Noelle into the path of danger. Helena let out a barking laugh.

"That's the problem with mortals--you're never willing to place the big bet."

Another bolt of lightning came toward them, and this time Phoenix reached out and grabbed it, taking it into herself.

"Concentrate," Trey and Eric said together, as though they both sensed Phoenix's plan.

She purged it back out in a scream of pain, and though Helena brought Noelle in front of her as a shield, she misjudged. The bolt hit the ceiling and stone broke apart, crumbling down. Helena and Noelle had to jump out of the way, separated at last.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Phoenix remembers Castor! Feeling the heat yet?