"Phew," Yael stops just outside the door, doubling over to hold his stomach. "you guys were right." He breathes deeply before standing back up, his eyes scanning back to the gymnasium doors. "I should start working out." He coughs out a sigh.

Noah and Bob both laugh, but I'm too distracted. My head is still on the other side of the doors where the main and strongest Custodes are gearing up for something. Something I desperately want to know about. Something I'd do anything to be a part of.

"You literally ran for less than a minute." Noah chides Yael and his lack of athleticism.

Bobs nods. "Yeah, more like fifteen seconds, and that's being generous."

Yael argues that he would of course tire faster than the both of them thanks to his large frame and extra muscular weight, but I ignore them, turning back to the door to peek in through the small window. They are all still being super weird all of their backs turned towards me. I practically press my face into the glass.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Yael gasps, rushing to my side. "They'll see you spying." He grabs my shoulders and I expect him to pull me away from the door, but he just adjusts my position, pulling me down to where there is a crack in the door large enough to put your eye up to and be able to see just fine. "There, that's better."

"What are you?" Noah asks in her monotone, and Yael chuckles to himself quietly.

"I keep telling people I'm cool." He says.

I grin, happy for this view. "I think you're supposed to let other people tell you that you're cool." I say, pausing for his huff. "Which, by the way, you really are."

As much as Yael can sometimes embarrass me with how much he doesn't care about what anyone thinks of him, including the instructors and those in charge, sometimes it comes in handy. Like now. He doesn't mind breaking a few rules, and he's willing to help me when I do it too. That's a true friend.

They walk up the hall together, leaving me to my spying spot in peace.

I can only see the backs of the people in the back of the groups, but I watch anyway, looking for any clue as to what's going on that has them so worked up. I can hear the rumble of Serge's deep voice, but not what he's actually saying, but the more he talks, the more people's bodies begin to shift. I recognize Maxum towards the back, his humongous broad shoulders and wild curls unmistakable. I follow his arm down to where he is holding someone's hand, I can only assume it to be Iris since someone is standing behind the person blocking my view.

Serge shouts something, and Maxum's hand slides away, pulling his hair up into a bun on the top of his head, which means he's about to fight. They all are. Their groups spread out and I've finally got a better view.

A few of a person I did not expect to see.

Courtlyn and all of her bald beauty, because yes, she does still look gorgeous without it, is in the middle of one of the huddles. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before that she was part of one of the main groups at The Hub. Maybe I just hadn't seen her as being strong enough to be on one of the three groups, and I hate myself for how arrogant that sounds. Just because we've had our differences doesn't mean she can't still be a bad ass Custode.

Everyone begins to stretch, not a soul talking or smiling. They are beyond focused and it only makes me jealous to be out here instead of in there.

Serge appears again, dragging two large bags from a back room, opening them up.

All of the other Custodes move towards him, grabbing things out of the bag at random. They each come away with strange looking weapons, some like hooks, some daggers, some even have long pole-like things, but they all have something and all of the weapons are a sparkling silver.

I'm giddy with excitement as they pair off and begin.

As I watch Courtlyn and her partner, it becomes obvious pretty quick that she is in fact not that great of a fighter. More than once I worry she's about to injure herself with her own weapon, which must mean her strengths lie elsewhere. Definitely not in the fighting.

The clanking of their weapons, the shouts of their battling, it all looks so fun. I know I'm probably a bit crazy for being so into it when the ones partaking look miserable, but I can't help it.

On their own accord, my eyes drift to find Oliver who is fighting some man I don't know. They both have the long heavy looking silver hooks, jabbing and slinging them at each other in a way that makes me nervous someone may actually get hurt in this practice...maybe even killed.

I don't want to watch him, but his movements are just too fluid. He's so well trained. He moves his body with such an effortlessness that I wonder just how long he's been here training to have gotten so good. I want to be that good too.

At least that's what I tell myself about why I chose to watch him.

I haven't spoken to him at all in days, avoiding him at every turn, which hasn't been hard with his new schedules. I've seen him around some though, and as much as I want to talk to him, even if it's just to ask him what's going on with the Custodes, I don't. I've seen him with Courtlyn, and even some other Newb in Noah's group. Every time I'm tempted to give in and talk to him, I remind myself that I'm not special and that everyone can't be wrong about him.

So I keep my space, even knowing he's the one person I could talk to for some answers. Even with the temptation of the fact that he's been more than forthcoming with information since the moment I met him, even when others wouldn't whisper me a word, I force myself to be smart and not give my trust to someone who so clearly has a list of broken trust around here.

Absently I notice it's gotten quiet behind me and I turn to look around the space but I don't see my friends anywhere. They must have gotten tired of waiting on me. They're probably back at their rooms by now, getting some sleep like I should be. I've stayed behind so long already that I won't have time to read any tonight before I have to sleep to be able to survive my double training tomorrow.

I sigh, knowing I should get out of here too, but I just want to watch five more minutes.

As soon as I turn back to the door though, putting my face against the crack, the door pushes open, slamming into me and sending me sprawling on my back.

"What the-." He says, then quickly shuts the door behind him with his eyes wide and scanning the area. When he doesn't see anyone else, he glances back out towards the gym and then lowers his voice. "Malikah are you insane? You can't be here." Oliver snaps quietly, jerking me off of the ground by my upper arms.

"You're bleeding." I say dumbly, looking at his chest where a thin gash is opened over his left peck and blood slowly oozes out.

He releases me, looking down at it. "Yeah, I am." He walks away, towards the restrooms and I follow him. "You know if anyone else had found you you'd be in major trouble, right?"

I nod behind him. "Yeah, I do." He stands at the counter in front of a row of mirrors and sinks, running warm water onto a towel and then patting the injury gingerly. "You aren't going to tell?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

He looks up into the mirror, his red hair tumbling down his forehead into his blue eyes that meet mine in the reflection. "No, Malikah, I'm not." He frowns, wincing slightly as he reapplies the water. "I think I'm low on the list of people with the business to be telling on others, don't you think?"

His stare becomes too intense, even through the mirror and I look away. "Guess so."

"Are you going to ask me, or are you going to pretend you don't notice me like you've been doing?" He says, drawing my attention back. He's watching me intently in the mirror, hardly even dabbing the right spot on his chest anymore.

"Ask you what?" I scrunch my brows, then frown. "And I haven't been pretending to not notice you. I notice, I'm just not interested in being another one of your little girl toys."

He turns so fast and looks down at me, closer than I'd thought we were. "Who says you would be?" His eyes bore into mine, and it's too much. I'm about to look away when he does it first, then turns back, fixing me with a smile. "Don't you want to know what we are doing?"

There he goes again, one thing one second and then flipping the script on me and leaving my head all mixed and confused by what's going on in the next. "I swear, sometimes you're two different people." I say aloud.

He blinks back at the mirror, staring at himself instead of looking at me. "Interesting." He says, then pats his wound dry and throws away the towel. "We're getting ready to raid the nearest werewolf pack." He tells me with a grin. "Serge thinks it has to have been them who found us and tried to have him killed."

"So the others know all about that then?" I assume, one question that had been bothering me finally answered.

"Yeah, we do." He nods. "No one knows about your part in it of course. Only that there was a premeditated assassination attempt on Serge that went south and that it was a werewolf behind the attack. Serge would have been a major loss. He's one of the best trainers that The Hub has ever had. You saving him was a big deal, and I'm sure when you're official and we've dealt with them, he'll tell everyone it was you. I'm still impressed by the way."

I shake my head. "I don't care about any of that. No one has to know it was me, and besides, it was Serge who killed him. I just-."

"You just threw yourself in the way of a werewolf totting a gun with the intent to kill your trainer. I don't think many people would think lightly of that." Oliver says cutting me off. "Anyway, we will be leaving likely some time tomorrow. We're going in with the surprise attack the same way they did us."

"Is that a good idea?" I ask and Oliver's head turns.

"Why wouldn't it be?" He folds his arms over his chest and leans back against the row of sinks. "We don't usually announce attacks or visits ahead of time."

I shrug it off, looking for anything to look at that isn't him. "I just mean, what if it wasn't them? There are lots of packs out there, if you attack the wrong one, that'd be bad, wouldn't it? Isn't there a leader you can talk to first or something?"

Oliver crosses his ankles and I can feel his stare. "The wolves aren't as organized as the vamps or even the casters. They don't recognize one particular leader or boss, each pack has an alfa, and each alfa hates any and all other alfas, so no. Not anyone to talk to."

"Oh." I sigh, still thinking there should be another way than blindly choosing a pack to attack. But what do I know about warring? I'm only in mid-week two of Custode training, so I keep my mouth shut.

"So that's what we are doing." He adds. "Getting ready to go. That's what you wanted to know, isn't it?" I nod once and he comes towards me slowly. "Since I've got you alone," He lowers his voice and I keep track of his movements out of the corner of my eyes. "I wanted to tell you, our best chance to go is going to be right after we come back from this raid. Guards will be down afterwards, and we'll all get a few days off to rest up from our mission. It'll be easy for us to disappear for a few hours without raising any sort of suspicions."

I face him slowly. "Our chance to go?" I say and he grins slowly, dangerously.

"You know what I'm talking about." I did. His stolen talisman that he promised to use to take me to the other realms. My heartrate piqued at just the thought of it. Fairies in Wingslyn, Drako Drinkers, Worthy in Utopia. It was my weakness. My need for exploration and my incurable curiosity. I could even visit Tawny... "You look worried." He says. "I know it's scary but I've done it a lot of time before. And if you're wondering...I've never taken another girl with me before." I wasn't wondering that at all, but now that he said it, I couldn't deny the fact that I kind of liked the information. He was likely just trying to make me feel special again though. So I hold strong as I can.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea anymore." I whisper, wishing I wasn't saying that. "I think I'll just stay here."

I nearly jump from my skin and leave my body behind entirely when his hand reaches out and brushes my hair back, his knuckles grazing my cheek before he fingers the ends of my hair. I look up, eyes wide, but he's looking down at my hair in his hands. "It's up to you." He says. "I'd never force you to do something you don't want to." He finally lets go of my hair and his eyes burn into mine. "With that being said, I am still going when I get back, should be a few days, and if you change your mind between now and then, the offer will be open."

"Uh-hmm." I can't speak. If I did, I might agree to go on the spot. On the list of things I want, seeing the other realms is so close to the top that it makes my chest clench at the thought of turning down the opportunity, but I know I shouldn't go.

His smile fades slowly. "I should get back." He whispers even though his body seems to sway closer to mine. "They'll send someone for me if I'm gone much longer."

"Yes." I agree, needing him out of my space so I can think and breathe clearly again.

He walks to the door before turning back to look at me over his shoulder. "Oh, and Mali?" He says. "I really hope you change your mind."

He disappears and I'm left standing there thinking I hope I change my mind too. I don't know what it is about him, but I can't think like I should. I want to go with him. I want him to show me the other realms. I'm desperate to jump on the crazy train and ride away with him, but that always present voice in the back of my head just screams and screams.

Bad news.

Oliver is bad news, but maybe I don't care.

**Want more? Read as far as Chapter Twenty right now on Ficfun.com! The next update here will be next Friday!!