AN: Vilbyr thank you for being my only reviewer thus far - this one's dedicated to you! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Chapter 6

Wiccan was running for the main hall as fast as he could, scared for his life. When he turned at the bottom of the steps and could see the foyer from the landing he was standing on he pushed himself to move even faster as he headed straight for the door.

"Wiccan? What are you doing?" Kate's voice came from by the fireplace as she and Eli saw him coming.

"Getting out of here." He told her as he rushed.

"No! You can't!" Kate shouted.

"Stop him!" Eli yelled before giving a whistle and the doors and windows shut and locked themselves. But even with only a little magic Wiccan knew he had enough for this.

"Lockunlock." He muttered under his breath as the lock to the door slid open and he plowed his way through, running outside into a blizzard. He didn't let the weather stop him as he took off. He'd fought through worse things then a bad storm. All he had to do was get away from this strange winterland and he should get his full powers back. He could go home. He could tell Speed he was okay. And they'd never have to go near this castle ever again.

It took much longer then he hoped to reach the main gate, the courtyard was so vast and the blinding snow didn't help, nor did the maze of shrubbery he jumped over - but eventually he made it. He ran through the metal gate that was still propped open and headed into the forest. Unfortunately it wasn't long before he heard footsteps running up behind him. For a second he thought it could be Dorrek but then there was a howl that cut through the night air and several more pounding steps joined in. Wiccan contemplated standing his ground and fighting, it was just a pack of wolves. But with less power he didn't know if he'd be able to win that fight, especially outnumbered. If he only could make it to beyond the snow, just a little further.

Then he was tackled to the ground and rolled in the dirt, his cape twisting around his shoulders like a cocoon. He looked up and saw a wolf licking its jaws in front of him as it's pack caught up. Wiccan hurried to his feet and his hands glowed blue ready to fight. But they didn't glow as strongly as they usually did and Wiccan said a quick prayer that he had enough magic to frighten the wolves off and show them he wasn't an easy meal.

The wolf snarled at him as he took a fighting stance. With a wiggle of a few fingers and a twist of his wrist he gathered a ball of energy in his hand and threw it at the wolf knocking it back. Then two more of the pack caught up and leapt into the small clearing. They each prowled in a different direction as they circled him. Wiccan tried to keep his eyes on both knowing whichever one he turned his back on would be the one to pounce. The one on the left seemed a bit closer though so Wiccan turned and pushed that one back with his limited magic then he quickly ducked as the second wolf went soaring over his head and crashed into its friend. There was a soft snarl and Wiccan looked over his shoulder to see the first wolf had recovered from his strike and the last two of the pack stalked through the shrubbery and flanked their leader. Meanwhile the other two wolves had also gotten up and were making their way back over to him.

Surrounded, Wiccan tried to fly, just one good shot into the air and maybe he could grab onto a tree branch and wait til morning. He was about five feet off the ground when one wolf jumped and bit into his cape dragging him back down and hitting his back against the frozen dirt hard. The wolf fell back when it landed from the jump but as Wiccan propped himself up on his elbows another one leapt at him going for his jugular. He moved quick and threw his leg up kicking the wolf over his head where it tumbled. Wiccan rolled onto his front and pushed himself onto his elbows as the other wolves moved to block any path of escape. He was tired and burnt out, the adrenaline rush from Dorrek starting to wear off. He also felt his magic dim inside of him and knew he didn't have enough to stop another attack. His lungs burned with each deep breath he took as he tried to collect what strength he had left to stand back up and fight – or run. When the wolf in front of him crouched and got ready to spring all Wiccan could do was duck his head into the crook of his elbow and hope it would be over quick.

He felt a strong whoosh past his head and heard a whimpering. When he felt no pain or attack he got confused, looking up he saw Dorrek had flown in and threw back two of the wolves with his hands, striking another one with his wing and using his leg to kick back the final two. Wiccan pushed himself up and started crawling backwards to the edge of the clearing. He pressed his back to a tree and pulled his legs closer to him as the wolves pounced on Dorrek and bit at him, quickly wrestling him to the dirt. Two were on his stomach pinning him to the ground and he held them back just enough so they couldn't bite his throat. Another one had Dorrek's leg in its jaws and was tugging at his green limb. After struggling for a minute Dorrek was able to throw the two off of him before he punched the one on his leg making it go still. Then the alpha leapt onto Dorrek from behind and started mauling at his shoulder and Dorrek spun trying to get it off. His wings spread wide as he flew up then purposefully came down, crashing onto his back and crushing the wolf. The other wolves were recovering as Dorrek got to his feet, they shook the snow from their fur as they readied themselves to rejoin the fight.

But when their alpha didn't get back up their ears all pressed against their heads in fright and they ran off.

Dorrek watched them go as he took deep breaths that came out in snarls, then he swayed a bit before he stumbled and collapsed into the ground. Wiccan swallowed as he used the tree trunk behind him to help him stand. His fingers still shook a bit from the shock that his body was fighting off so he grabbed one of the tree's low branches to help keep him from falling over. He turned and stepped away intending to keep going home, but paused. He looked over his shoulder at Dorrek and saw how wounded he was. His trench coat was torn to shreds and the bloody wounds underneath didn't look good. His thicker and scaled skin had been ripped open by the wolves' teeth and the puncture wounds looked deep. Wiccan didn't know why it bothered him, this man had captured his brother, locked him up, then made Wiccan his prisoner, said he could starve, then nearly cut him open with his claws just under an hour ago.

If he really wanted you suffering in the tower then that's where you'd be. But you're not. Wiccan sighed and looked at Dorrek again. He wouldn't make it through the night out here in the cold. And if anything else came along it would finish him off easily. Wiccan grabbed at his neck and pulled his cape off as he approached Dorrek and crouched beside him. Silence surrounded them aside from the gentle crunching of the snow as Wiccan moved. He threw his cloak over Dorrek's shoulders and his blue eyes opened and stared at him from under his sweaty blonde hair.

"It's okay." Wiccan said before he mustered up all the magic he had left and used it to levitate Dorrek as he got him back to the castle.

.

.

"I told you the place was hidden. Hidden places often don't want to be found." Tommy said as he, Noh and Av-rom trudged through the woods along the highway. "We just have to find the snow. Once we see snow we're close."

"Snow in June?" Av-rom asked in a mocking tone.

Tommy ignored him as he racked his brain trying to think of the exact spot where the tree had come down and nearly crushed him. He kept looking to the highway trying to find some road sign or a particular curve that he could use as a marker. Unfortunately he hadn't been thinking like that the first time he'd been through here. And when he'd been released he'd run home so fast to get help he hadn't thought twice about marking the trail. Idiot. He scolded himself. Wiccan was usually the twin who thought of those logical things, Tommy was always more impulsive and acted without thinking. Now his brother was paying for it. Damn! He hung his head ashamed of himself – that's when he saw it. Two identical lines in the dirt, where he'd dug in his heels to slow himself down when the tree fell.

"Stop! Here!" he shouted as Noh turned from Av-rom and whatever hushed discussion they'd been having and they looked at the silver blonde. Tommy looked ahead and saw the tree, only now, now it was standing upright. How could that be?

He had to stop asking that. Nothing about this whole thing made sense. All that mattered was he had to get Billy out of there. Who knew what horrors he could have been enduring all this time?

"This is the tree!"

"I thought you said it fell?" Noh asked skeptically.

"I did. It did. But the magic must have put it back. . . " he trailed off knowing he was sounding crazy. Maybe he should have just pushed his distrust aside and sought out the Avengers. Dr. Strange at least wouldn't make him feel like a fool for talking about magic.

"So that would mean the castle is. . . that way." Tommy pointed to the right.

Noh sighed and rested his hands on his hips. "This highway runs through the mountains. The only thing that way is a steep incline to the top. There's no room for a castle, especially one with a vast garden and courtyard like you've described."

"I know it sounds crazy! But I'm telling you, that, that Beast –"

"There are other things then a beast in some castle to worry about, even if what you're saying is true. There's wild animals that will tear us apart as well and I'm much more likely to believe there's danger from them and not some –"

"If you didn't believe me then why did you come all the way out here with me? There must be easier ways to get into by brother's pants –"

"You absolute idiot!" Noh growled storming over and grabbing Tommy by the collar of his shirt.

"Noh!" Av-rom shouted making his friend turn. He rushed over and Tommy pushed Noh away freeing himself from his grasp as he took a few steps back. Av-rom rested his hand on Noh's shoulder and started whispering calming things to him quietly enough that Tommy couldn't hear.

"Just breathe. Deep breaths. Go back to the Cube. The screams of the new additions. The blood. The tears." Noh calmed and turned back to Tommy who was looking at them confused.

"Look Shepherd. Why don't we head back home? I'm sure your brother is back by now –"

"Billy is not at home!" Tommy insisted now definitely regretting his decision. "He's being held prisoner-"

Noh stepped forward and grabbed Tommy by his upper arm, just below the end of the sleeve of his green tee shirt, "The only prisoner Wiccan will be is mine when I'm hauling him to the Cube!" Noh shouted in his face and Tommy's eyes went wide with both horror and rage at the admission. Noh didn't look embarrassed though that he'd let that information slide. In fact, he looked as cocky and confident as ever. He smirked at Tommy's shock and went on.

"Did you think the Warden forgot about you? Or wasn't intrigued when you and your twin started showing up in headlines? I may have failed to seduce Wiccan into a trap but make no mistake, I will see to it that he's strapped down to the same table you were when the Warden starts cutting into his skull."

Tommy pulled his arm back from Noh's grip and stepped back shaking in rage. There were too many violent thoughts running through his head for him to really act on any of them. He wanted to blow up Noh, he wanted to blow up the Cube and the Warden with it. He also wanted to hold his twin in his arms and know his brain wasn't about to be poked at, prodded with surgical tools as he endured that pain while he was awake and paralyzed. The cell he'd been in back with the Beast now seemed like a blessing. At least there Billy was safe from a horrible fate as an experiment.

"You will never take my brother to the Cube." Tommy sneered through his clenched jaw, "Not as long as I'm here."

Noh smirked again, his arms at his sides and he tapped a button on his belt. The next second Tommy was overcome with pain as something started sending electrical shocks through his body. He fell to the ground and noticed it seemed to be coming from his arm. He mustered up the strength to turn his head and he saw a small circular device Noh had planted on him when he'd grabbed him. It had imbedded itself into his skin when Noh activated it and was where the tazing was coming from. Black spots started to dance in Tommy's vision and he knew the electricity was about to make him pass out.

"Well then it's a good thing you won't be here for much longer Speed." Noh said as the blonde passed out.

.

.

"OW!" Dorrek howled. "That hurts!"

Wiccan pulled back the damp cloth from his torn open shoulder blade. He'd tried a healing spell but it had barely done a thing. They had to resort to using bandages but the gashes in Dorrek's skin still needed to be cleaned to stop any infection. Dorrek was in his bed lying on his side shirtless as Wiccan tended to his shoulder blade, or, rather he tried to tend to it anyway. It was difficult with Dorrek's wing in the way, and all his moving around.

"If you held still it would hurt less." Wiccan said staying calm as he tried to dab the cuts again.

Dorrek grit his jaw as Wiccan continued to work but when his patience was worn thin by the pain he muttered, "If you hadn't run this wouldn't have happened."

Wiccan's hand froze as his eyes snapped up to Dorrek who was looking away from him, "Well if you hadn't swung at me maybe I wouldn't have run." He said in a harsher tone losing his cool.

"Well you shouldn't have been in the west wing!" Dorrek argued back turning to look at him now.

"WELL YOU SHOULD LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR TEMPER!" Wiccan shouted before dropping his voice, "If I hadn't jumped back, you would have killed me."

Dorrek's hard blue eyes stared at Wiccan's equally harsh brown ones for a long moment before Dorrek turned back on his side so he wouldn't have to look at Wiccan as he pouted. His mind tried to come up with excuses that disproved Wiccan's statement but the only thing his thoughts seemed to be able to focus on was the image of his claws tearing through the young mage.

Wiccan took a deep breath and got back to work. He tried to be careful but the anatomy of his patient was so foreign to him. Dorrek's shoulder was covered in hard armor like scales that reminded him of a medieval knight's armor, a single large scale covered the whole expanse of his large shoulder and layered with two more underneath it. They left rough ridges that laid over each other which made the cuts in his skin ragged and harder to clean.

Cassie, Kate and Eli kept coming in and out of the room bringing supplies to help their master. They all seemed hesitant to leave the pair alone but as their shouting match stopped and Dorrek stayed quiet as Wiccan did all he could, they seemed to become more at ease hanging around the room in case they were needed.

When Wiccan had finished cleaning the wounds in Dorrek's back he tried muttering one more healing spell. There was a very dim glow of cobalt blue across his hand and the cut in Dorrek's shoulder glowed with the same light, but only for a few seconds and when it dimmed completely the wound looked nearly the same.

Wiccan sighed, "Try to get some rest. It will help."

Dorrek grunted in acknowledgement and Wiccan rose from the side of the bed and collected the rag and bowl of water he'd been using before he joined Cassie where she and Kate were leaving food by an old vanity. The mirror was covered in dust and didn't even show a reflection anymore. There was a long crack in it too and a few slivers were missing but other then that at least the piece of furniture was still standing.

Meanwhile Eli was standing like a soldier keeping watch at the foot of Dorrek's bed. Even Eli, who normally wore a mask of emotionlessness, had a saddened look in his yellowed eyes as he watched the injured young man he felt responsible for.

Wiccan himself felt tired and sore all over. He was sure he had more then a few bruises from when he'd tumbled across the frozen ground and trying to push his magic hadn't helped his health. He also felt dirty from head to toe, his hair was stiff from mud that had gotten in it and there was a layer of brown caked into the crevices of his fingers. He desperately needed to bathe. But something in him told him he couldn't leave, not when Dorrek was in such worse condition because of him. It wasn't entirely his fault, Wiccan knew, but still, Dorrek's accusation hadn't been wrong. Wiccan had played a part in what happened. He was at as much fault as Dorrek was, neither of them were guiltless. Wiccan only wished Dorrek didn't try to make it seem like he was the only one to blame.

"We cannot thank you enough for bringing him back here." Cassie's voice broke him from his thoughts as he turned back to her, not realizing his gaze had moved over his shoulder to watch Dorrek who still had his back to the three of them, his wings folded up to make him more comfortable.

"We're eternally grateful." Kate added as she poured a cup of tea for Dorrek.

"Why do you all care about him so much?" Wiccan asked quietly not wanting Dorrek to overhear. "He treats you just as rudely as he does me."

"We've known Dorrek for much longer then you have dear." Cassie replied, "No one mistreats others without a reason. Dorrek has his reasons. But they aren't ours to tell."

"Let's just say his upbringing wasn't the best." Kate added but didn't go on. Wiccan knew from his time with her that Eli tried to shut her up whenever he thought she was saying too much or overstepping. He knew Kate had no problem telling others exactly what she thought or what was going on. So if she was keeping quiet it must really be something personal to Dorrek.

As he looked at the two women he did notice that the green rash on Kate's neck had grown and also started to creep up her jaw, touching the bottom of her ear. Her hands were covered in white gloves leaving Wiccan to assume her hands were now not just fully green underneath but possibly her nails had started to change too. Cassie, because her uniform covered most of her, was harder to tell but Wiccan did see a touch of green peeking out from the collar of her jacket. And the whites of her eyes were starting to look yellowish, though not as yellow as Eli's.

Wiccan looked back over his shoulder at Dorrek, thinking over what Kate said. Something that personal must be a cut deeper then any of the wounds he had right now. Wiccan had assumed that Dorrek just thought he was above everyone else, growing up in a big luxurious place like this. He was obviously rich and came from an important family. Kate had even said he was a dignitary. But maybe Wiccan had assumed wrong when he'd judged the man. Maybe Dorrek had been hurt and his bad attitude was his way of keeping people at arm's length. To keep himself from getting hurt again.

Now Wiccan felt even guiltier, first for getting caught up by the wolves and now for making harsh judgements about someone he barely knew.