Phases

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

   Propping his elbows on the table, Jimin leaned forward. "I only had a basic idea of what to do," he admitted. "We're so in the dark about it all ... it's difficult to know where to start."

"It's obvious you hope to contain the lykos with silver and wolfsbane," Yoongi's brows creased as he worked it all out. "But ... then what? Are you certain those items will even weaken the beast?"

   Jimin ran his hands through his hair. "I did some experimenting on my own."

   Marianna huffed as Yoongi reached across the table to smack the younger man's head.

        "You fool," he scolded. "Wolfsbane is toxic."

        "I cannot continue to sit idly by," Jimin argued, rubbing his head. "And watch yourself, mage. I'm still lord here."

        "And I'm still your elder," Yoongi continued, undaunted. "Since you're here with us, I'm assuming you were unaffected."

        "Oh, I was affected," the lord winced at the memory.

         How bad was it? Marianna directed her thoughts to him.

        "Bad. Most importantly, it weakened me and slowed down my healing time."

   Yoongi pressed steepled fingers to his lips. A deep crease formed between his eyebrows as he contemplated all that Jimin had said. Marianna chewed restlessly on her lower lip, as a new thought formed in her mind. As her thought took flight, her anger boiled to the surface. Hearing her thoughts, Jimin began to shake his head.

        "We need more than that, Marianna," his voice was firm and his gaze unwavering.

   Yoongi's eyes darted back and forth between the two. "What am I missing?"

        "Marianna is questioning why she was even needed here if I already knew the lykos could be contained without her." Jimin pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers as Marianna's hot gaze bored into him.

        "The answer to that is simple, sweetheart," Yoongi shrugged.

   Marianna slapped both hands on the table's surface, her lips soundlessly mouthing out 'why?'

        "Use that pretty head of yours and think," the mage pressed. "He's not had his first change yet. Which means that he tried all of this in human form. That isn't enough. Aside from that, the goal is still to break the curse, if such a thing can be done. You may be needed for that as well."

   Marianna resembled a petulant child as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her face away from the men.

        "I like you, but that is twice in the span of one night that you have disrespected me," Yoongi warned. "I will not tolerate a third time, sweetheart."

        STOP calling me that! Her green eyes showed a flash of gold as she sneered at the mage. His eyes widened briefly before, quick as lightning, he had her wrist in a vice-like grip.

        "Let go!" she rasped aloud.

        "Silence," the mage's voice deepened with his command.

   His grip on her wrist never faltered as he strode around the table and stood at her side. Marianna fought against his hold, green eyes spitting fire. In one graceful motion, Yoongi swept a tiny dagger out from the sleeve of his robes and pressed the tip to the pad of her thumb.