The Four Protectors

Seventeen

1st Person POV

I woke up feeling stiffness in every single part of my body, like I'd just shifted. My hands and feet were still tied to the chair. I groaned as I rotated my neck in an effort to loosen up my stiff muscles.

I didn't know how long it had been since they'd dropped that vial of liquid down my throat but so far, I didn't feel any different.

The door swung open and the creepy nice lady from earlier walked in. She extended a glass of water to me, like my hands weren't tied and I could just take it from her. I opened my mouth and she poured it down my throat.

There was no use of me dying of dehydration.

"How are you feeling dear," she asked.

"Stiff," I replied stiffly.

She nodded sympathetically. She returned to her original position, back against the wall. Her eyes were kind and motherly as she looked at me, and for a second I really wanted to believe she cared.

"Why are you doing this? What could you possible get out of making the supernatural world stronger and faster," I asked.

The pieces still didn't fit in my head. These people used chemicals to make supernatural creatures stronger and faster, or better as they put it. That promise probably lured people to their operation.

If you were younger or weaker you would eventually go insane with bloodlust, as she'd put it. I probably didn't have too much time then but I tried not to dwell on that too much. The big picture still eluded me though.

What was the purpose?

"We're just trying to make the world a better place," she said sincerely.

"By pushing young people towards murder," I trailed sarcastically.

"We're constantly improving our formula to make sure that doesn't happen as often," she explained.

"So you're really just trying to make a stronger race," I asked.

"Yes dear. Yes don't you see," she asked softly.

I was about to reply when a blaring alarm sounded followed by flashing red lights. I was sorely reminded of the pack lands we'd escaped from. If only I'd known that that I would get caught up in a mess so much bigger. The woman before me jumped in shock before running out of the cell.

She left the door open just a crack and I craned my neck to see through it.

People in blazers rushed down the corridors. As a man ran past, I managed to catch his words.

"That weird kid they brought in from the academy managed to escape," he said.

3rd Person POV

Cassius didn't bother trying to mend fences with his father and brother. There would be enough time for that once this whole mess was behind them. It was finally one of his mother's oldest friends, Cassandra, who led them to their rooms for the night.

Cassius woke up the next morning agitated and restless.

He grabbed some breakfast before going down to the indoor training ring. It was smaller than the ones outdoors but fewer people used it. Cassius figured it was best if he avoided people while he was this irritated.

He put up an old punching bag before getting to work.

It was close to lunch when Desmond and Azriel found him. He was still punching away but his energy never seemed to drop. There was so much pent up pressure that he'd been putting away for weeks now. There was so much that still needed to be done, so little he could actually do.