What Lies Between ✔

Entwining Paths

45.

Thorne

It was with a great deal of emotion that I returned to the Arx, anger and self-disappointment being the most prominant. I did not take my eyes off of Lidia, who was unconcious in Ethan's arms. She should have been dragged back to Purgatory in the dirt like the filth she was. What she had done, letting Nameless leave with that thing, attempting to kill Pyralis, was absolutely unforgivable.

The memory of red eyes staring back at me went through my mind, and suddenly my anger was more than I could handle. I shoved Ferris and Ciro out of the way to storm up to Ethan, ripping Lidia out of his grasp and slamming her against the hallway wall. She woke instantly, crying out as I grabbed her broken arm.

"Thorne!" Ethan yelled, clamping a hand down on my shoulder. I pushed him off.

"Where is he taking her?" I screamed at Lidia, who was struggling to breathe through the pain.

"Thorne!" Ethan yelled again in a firmer tone.

"Let him!" Maya told him.

"Answer me!" I yelled at Lidia again, slamming her a second time against the wall.

Large hands grabbed my shoulders, and I was thrown back, hitting Maya and Lexi who held Pyralis. Zepher stood in front of Lidia, who slid down the wall to slump on the floor.

"What the hell?" I barred my teeth at him.

"She is still, for now, my Master," he said, squaring his shoulders. Chloris joined him in front of her, but when they both looked to Hali, she just shook her head sadly at them, disagreeing. Galen, who was restrained by Basil and Antares, glared at her. He was a traitor too, they all were.

"If you're against us as well, then – "

"Thorne," my Father's measured tone drifted down the hallway, cutting off my words.

Everyone felt the power he resonated and instantly went still. His steady eyes swept over all of us, and then he spoke softly, "I assume that you all would have enough respect for me, as your Lord, to trust that I would be the one to make the best decision as to what is to become of one of my Masters, or is that not so?"

"It is, My Lord," all answered but me. Father noticed, his eyes locking with mine.

"Then, please, Ethan, take Lidia down to the holding cells, and all but the Twos return to your rooms for a well deserved rest. Galen will join her there later, but first he will heal the injured."

"Father, Lidia could phase into spirit form and – "

"Thorne," his voice was stern, "Trust that I know what it is I am doing. I will temporaily strip her of that ability, for I have the power to do so." In there, somewhere, I was sure I heard a veiled threat aimed at me if I didn't settle down.

"I will not be healing anyone if I am not permitted to also tend to my Master's wounds," Galen spoke up.

"Swine!" Scorpia hissed at him.

"It will be done," Father said, sparking outrage amongst us, but we all quieted the second he raised his hand. "We are not cruel here, we are not Demons." That had everyone ruefully glancing away from him."Twos, with me please. Everyone else, to your rooms. Understood?" he asked us. They all nodded while I grinded my teeth together.