(Amaia)

The power of my wrath is embroiled in the storm I have created. It blisters towards the stunned enemy who watches my transformed look and embraces themselves for the impact.

The plasma shield is obliterated like paper in an uncontrolled fire. The chaos hits them and I see their bodies evaporate like specs of dust. Just like those scum Reavers, the three companions of Meissa scatter in the cold winds—black ashes scatter like dust and burnt remains of an ember against the pristine white of this land.

Only Meissa remains standing, stunned, and that smile she always carries has cracked. Her mouth forms a small ’O’ of horror, eyes blown wide, so is her hair as she stares from me to the ashes of her companions.

A special shield with numerous burning numbers and symbols has protected Meissa, I don’t know where it came from.

"Lift your powers from my teammates or you will be ashes too," I dangerously warn her. My wings frantically flutter behind me, closing in the wrap themselves around Alnitak as if protecting him from further harm.

My body is shaking with rage and pulsing with impatient magic that wants to burst forward like a flash flood, wiping everything in its path.

"I...I release them...and I yield," she timidly says, taking a step towards me.

My hateful gaze leaves her and focuses back on my mates. While Alnitak is still unconscious, wrapped safely in my wings, Mintaka drops down to his knees, right in front of us, almost collapsing.

"Ali!" His voice comes out choked and pained. "What have I done?"

"You weren’t yourself..." I quietly say, placing my hand on Alnitak’s wounds, to heal him. My magic sizzles out like a bright blue light and absorbs into Alnitak’s skin, patching it up so there won’t be any more blood loss.

But one of the wounds is near his heart and I am not sure how much damage that has done. I can only heal, not create blood in his body which he has lost plenty of.

Rahria and Kacir transform and rush to our side. Their eyes were blown wide seeing me and witnessing the horror that had taken place.

"How is he?" Kacir asks in a grim voice.

"Not good, we need to get him to a hospital. He will need blood." My eyes won’t leave his serene face.

"Guards will take him to the infirmary like they do other injured recruits who can’t fight," Meissa’s concerned voice has me lifting my head and giving her a death glare.

"Stay back or I will eviscerate you."

I don’t know if she has been acting before or is doing it now but I don’t want her anywhere near my mates.

"I am sorry....I meant him no harm...I," it feels like she wants to say something when the ground near us splits open and two glass capsules emerge. Istrale guards rush out of them, armed to the teeth.

So they have been watching us all along.

They spread all around us, making a circle. The most authoritative-looking woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun, walks forward with a face set in stone.

"Princess Meissa, are you injured?" She asks in a robotic tone.

Meissa shakes her head. She nods to the guards and two of them gather around her, taking each of her arms, ready to take her away.

Meissa turns her head towards us in one last glance. "Let them take Alnitak. He won’t survive in these cold conditions," she says in a pleading voice before being taken away.

The stern-looking lady’s gaze lands on me. Disgust seems to be etched on every inch of her face.

"What’s it going to be?" She asks with a wrinkle of her nose and a tight jaw.

It feels like she doesn’t want to breathe the same air I do. I know the hatred they carry for my kind and I won’t even be surprised if they arrest me right now.

As much as I hate to, the best option is to let them take Alnitak. If they are watching, so is Alnilam and King Orion. He will be able to get to our mate.

My eyes lift to a grief-stricken Mintaka, Rahria and Kacir. They offer me solemn nods. They agree with the decision. My hands move but my wings are almost deflated over him, not wishing to let him go. I take Alnitak’s face in my hands. Bending down I place a kiss on his forehead. His hair is spread on the snowy ground like red ribbons. I gather them, tucking them underneath him.

"I will come for you soon. I promise." My instincts scream to go with him but I don’t think they will take me until we forfeit. Alnitak will never want us to do that. We have to win, for him, for Jamina. They have taken enough from us.

"Take him," I say quietly. Two more guards march forward and collect Alnitak from my arms and defeated wings. "Anyone who hurts him and I will individually hunt you down," I warn them with as much hatred as I can muster.

It’s like snatching a part of my heart and ripping it away. Without Alnitak’s quips, charming personality and jokes, the world appears so dull.

"You can still complete the final task but after that..." The lead female guard, with a tight bun that seems to pull even her scalp, leaves the sentence hanging with a snort.

Mintaka helps me stand and holds me. The guards leave through the glass capsules. They disappear into the ground and it seals shut behind them as if never existing.

I hide my face in Mintaka’s chest. Tears are on the verge of slipping out but I hold them. I have to be stronger, for Alnitak, for my team, for Orion. Everyone is counting on us and I am not going to break and give the enemy satisfaction.

"He is going to be fine. We are going to be fine. We will deal with whatever will come our way." Mintaka takes my necklace from my hand and places it in his pocket. He doesn’t try to conceal me again.

Now that the truth is out in the open, I am not going to hide anymore. I am going to be myself.

Come what may.

I turn towards Kacir and Rahria. They are watching me with dilated but confused eyes.

I understand they have a thousand questions, marching through their brains.

"I am a Fae. I will explain everything later," I quietly say through the mindlink. Knowing that cameras are watching our every move, they only nod and don’t ask me any questions regarding the topic aloud.

"We will discuss it once we are out of this perilous situation," Kacir smartly says.

Mintaka’s grief bleeds into mine. Alnitak’s silence in my chest is killing me and yet I won’t stumble, I will complete this task.

"We should keep moving," Rahria quietly says. "Don’t worry, Amaia, we are by your side," she barely whispers and I offer her a broken smile.

Rahria takes my hand and squeezes. "I have never seen someone as beautiful as you are."

Our people were known for their timeless beauty and yet it couldn’t save us, save the fate we were met with.

It’s still cold but adrenaline and hatred are pumping in our veins.

Kacir grabs Alnitak and Mintaka’s weapons. He gives Alnitak’s battleaxe to Rahria so she can hold it.

We drag ourselves forward. Mintaka is lost, so I keep my arm looped with his. The toll of hurting his twin is going to weigh heavily on him. He already blames himself for so much, this is going to be an addition to that.

"It wasn’t your fault. None of it was. All of you tried to fight it. I am sure," I try to ease the guilt he is carrying when Rahria asks.

"You weren’t affected. Right? You remained in your complete senses."

"I sensed how sweet her voice was but I didn’t fall under her spell. What did you guys feel?" I ask.

"It was like being pulled into a pure honey trap. I wanted to do everything she said. Even falls into her feet," Rahria explains. "Everything else ceased to exist, just her voice, calling us to obey and hurt each other. Thankfully, Rahria and I didn’t fatally wound each other, before you stopped her," Kacir answers.

I can see the bruises on their faces and the torn uniforms from their bellies and arms but they are scratches and will heal sooner.

"I do wonder why Meissa’s power didn’t affect me."

"I know. That’s exactly the reason they wanted to commit a genocide." Mintaka’s deeply disturbed eyes find me and I understand when he speaks through the mindlink.

"Some of their deadliest powers don’t work on Fae people. Just like it doesn’t work on you. I am very concerned about your identity being revealed to them but remember I will die protecting you."

Mintaka’s words make my lips quiver but I only blink at him. Our emotions are colliding and we want to stay strong in this situation.

This could be true. Maybe we had some kind of unique resistance to the witches and warlocks’ magic, which is one of the strongest in our world.

We spot a black door ahead. Like a tiny black blemish on the pristine white canvas. The door comes into view. It’s some kind of heavy metal.

This is it. This is what it has finally come down to. We can only hope no other team has crossed over.

Rahria pushes it open and we leave this frozen piece of land behind.