2

VICTORIA

I ran so fast I could feel the beating of my pulse in my ears. I had used magic, and he found out. I ran through the trees jumping over logs and dodging rocks. I was in my pyjama bottoms and a tank top, but he had beaten me so badly I had to use a little magic to heal my broken bones before they set. He had come into my room when he smelt my magic being used. The thing with my kind is magic leaves a metal-coppery smell in the air. Only strong Alpha's could smell it when not close by, but as if he knew I would try and heal myself after he broke my leg, he was there in the doorway of my room. He backhanded me across the face, and I flew into my dresser. I grabbed my silver letter opener and stabbed it in his leg, a roar so loud it shook my room. I darted past him and into the hallway.

I just needed to make it to Damon's room, but as I neared his door. I remembered he was away at Alpha training. Damn it! I ran down the stairs and out of the packhouse. I needed to make it to the cabin. Esmerelda would protect me. I almost made it to the clearing where her cabin sat, completely saturated by moonlight. I could see it, feel the warmth of the fire, the safety in her small embrace almost there. Before I could take another step, his wolf bit into my leg, yanking me back, and I screamed more from the fear than the pain. I stopped feeling pain a long time ago.

"Victoria, Victoria, Victoria" SLAP! A slap jarred me awake.

"What? Where?"

"It's okay. I am here, but you have to calm down. If they hear you, you know what they will do." Oliver that Blonde by from the library he had become my closest friend. His room was above mine, so he must have heard the screaming. He handed me a glass of water. Sitting at the end of my bed.

"Thanks," my voice barely a whisper as I drank down the water.

"You want to talk about it?" I just shook my head. My long black hair a sweaty mess.

"I...I... I can't. It's my cross to bear." He rubbed my arm, and my whole body heated for a second and then the tremors were gone, and I felt lighter. Like a weight had lifted from me. I gave him a questioning look.

"I am strong. Let me help you with that cross," he smirked and climbed into bed with me. He was a good friend. He held my hand, and he drifted off to sleep. I laid there a while listening to his heartbeat. Why had he helped me? I knew we were friends, but he could get into trouble for using his magic. He could be beaten, starved or sent to the pit. Yet he thought I was worth risking it for. I thought for a moment about what it would be like to be a normal six-year-old—playing with barbies or dolls. Tea parties or sleepovers. Well, this was kind of a sleepover. I drifted off, daydreaming of Tea Parties.

MATICE

I heard the screaming, and I covered my face with the blankets they would deal with her. They didn't care how old you were. Nightmares were part of the world we lived in. I felt bad for her. She was older than they usually brought in. I wondered what gave her nightmares when she hadn't even been sent out on her own mission yet. I covered my face with my pillow, and I was about to fall back asleep when I smelt him. Oliver. NO! NO! they would punish him. My room was next to hers, and I knew he was taking away her pain. He was the light in this dark evil place. He was strong. His heart was unmangled by the horrors of what they made us do. Child soldiers. He was a few years younger than me. He had been here since birth like I was, never knowing a mother's love. Only wet nurses and tutors. He had already finished all his schooling. They were starting him in high school education this year. He was only eight years old. He showed more potential both in combat skill and intelligence than any of us. Yet his warmth and smile never faltered. I slipped into the hallway outside her room, too afraid of my own punishment to shimmer. I tried her door it was locked. I pulled the Bobbi pin from my hair and unlocked the door. I could tell he used magic. He was curled up beside her. I could tell he was calming her enough to get her to sleep. Planting happy dreams in her mind. She would need her strength for tomorrow. He was too good for this place. I made a decision. I used my own magic to cover his scent, and I shimmered him back to his bed. I left him asleep and went to my room to await my punishment. I knew it would be bad, but I was the oldest, myself and Amon, and we needed to protect them.

I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up, I was in chains in the pit. I had a feeling it would be the pit. There were ancient stones in the pit, blocking out magic and utter darkness. I used to cry when I was sent here, not anymore. It was horrifyingly quiet, and all I could hear was the drip of water as the pit would fill with acid-like water and slowly burn your skin, not enough to scar but enough to make you wish you were dead. It was a lesson—a lesson not to interfere. I couldn't imagine that tiny girl in here, her black hair, her cries if that nightmare had made her scream as it did. I didn't want to imagine what this place would have done to her. I tried to remember my mother. Before they killed her. Oliver had gone into the depths of my mind and found a memory of her. I was too small to ever have that memory naturally so I knew it was his gift to me. Something to hold onto until the pain made everything numb. I don't know how long I hung in that water, my skin raw and warped. It must have been a day or two as I felt the chains move and they pulled my body from the pit.

"take her to the healer." He spit at one of the guards.

"Did you learn your lesson girl?" I just nodded not opening my eyes. "If you use your magic again I will have it sealed and you won't be able to use it on your next assignment." I nodded again. They removed the chains and tossed me over their shoulder. The healer would use herbs to help the skin return to normal not a trace of the punishment left. I felt them lay me on the hard metal table. The healer clicked her tongue.

"What did she do?" the women asked the guards, with zero emotion.

"Magic" he grunted before leaving, closing and locking the door.

"Matice, when will you learn? " Her voice softened as she spoke to me, softly applying the herbs and bandages to my wrists and ankles where the shackles rubbed away my skin than was normal.

"I had to, the new girl. She is too young. I thought I could spare her and Oliver."

"She will have to learn eventually."

"I know but I just, I dunno," I looked away trying not to show how broken I felt.

"Girl, you need to lock up that heart before it gets you into a heap of trouble." I nodded knowing she was right.

"Sleep girl, heal."