It took me a few seconds to process it. We stared at each other from across only a few meters of snow, before I found my feet were moving without me paying attention to them. I ran towards him tears welling, once again at the corner of my eyes. I nearly tripped because everything was blurry and moving in slow motion. I crashed into Felix and threw my arms around him.

    Felix tensed, and reached just one hand out from under his cloak to return the hug. We hung like that for a few seconds in that awkward I'm-crushing-him-and-he's-half-returning-it embrace. Before I let him go and he swayed backwards. I had to wipe my face before I could form a single word.

"Craig?" He asked slowly, staring up at me like he barely recognized me.

"Yeah it's me! It's me. We found you! Are you okay?" I peppered him with questions wringing my hands in worry.

"I'm...I'm..." He trailed off, looking backwards at the other hooded figure that accompanied him. "I'm doing fine. Why do you ask?"

My grin faltered slightly. "Felix you've been missing for months, we've all been so worried. Your mom is just about torn to shreds over you."

He stared at me, but it was like his mind was somewhere else. "My mom was...worried....about me?'

I put my hands on his shoulders. "Yes. We've got to get you home now. Where did you get those scars?"

"Hey Craig?" Ryan said gently from behind me with the other five as they watched. "Are you sure this is him?"

I scoffed. "Of course? Who else..."

I turned around shapely to face Felix again. He was still starring blankly at me. One of his eyes was paler than the other, and there was something creeping up his neck on his right shoulder.

"Felix? Are you sure you're fine?" I repeated. "Who's the person over there?"

A nasty feeling in my gut told me it was some other person allied with Katestra, but I wanted to hear from him first.

He tilted his head. "Of course I'm fine. That's my mistress, she's been taking care of me this whole time. I owe her a lot."

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. "Come we've got to go now, you have to get away from her."

I reached for his hand but he shied away. At his knees, Matri whined loudly. I looked up at Felix's scarred face again and searched for something in his blank monotone.

"What...? What does this mean to you?" I reached down the front of my jacket and pulled out the onyx pendant he made me for my birthday so long ago.

He titled his head in the other direction. "It's a rock on a string. A pendant. Used for the decoration of oneself."

I stepped back and few feet and let the necklace fall back into my jacket. "Who are you?"

Felix blinked, long and slow. "Felix Vlasta, son of Chief Vlasta."

"Somethings wrong with you." I realized. "What did she do to do you?"

"Who?"

"That evil woman, Apophis."

As soon as I spoke her name, Felix stiffened, then exhaled, sending a white puff of condensation into the evening air. "Right."

Then all of a sudden the forrest was filled with hooded figures. We were surrounded by all sides. All of them with either swords or brandishing handheld fire. Each one of them took off their hood to reveal a feminine face with terrifying war paint. It was the first time I saw omorfiá used in a violent way.

Then Felix slipped off his hood completely and let the cloak fall to the ground. The six of us audibly gasped in horror and disgust. I stumbled backwards, nearly falling over.

Felix's entire right arm was reduced to nothing but flowing and dripping pitch-black goop. With the cloak gone it didn't take me long to notice the rancid, rotten, reeking scent that drafted into the air suddenly. My gaze was transfixed on it as I struggled not to vomit from the smell alone, he circled his fingers into a fist and held it out towards me. The movement caused the unidentified liquid to fling off of him and hit the snow, sizzling. Behind me I heard Eryan let out a wretch, as she dry heaved and coughed.

We walked right into a trap.