Benjamin leaned back away from Nazalia, and she stared at him bewildered. "You should get some rest," he told her.
Nazalia shook her head and told him, "No, I have to stay here with Evon."
Benjamin caressed Nazalia's cheek, and she felt her body relax at his touch. She wanted Benjamin so badly sometimes it hurt, and her want for Benjamin was trying to overthrow all other emotions. She wished that Benjamin would take her and show her a world away from pain for the night, but she knew he wouldn't. She knew that Benjamin would never touch Tyrney's little sister so inappropriately. So, her mind returned to her guilt and pain.
"Evon doesn't know you are here, Nazalia. He's not even aware of his pain right now."
Nazalia stood up and screamed, "How do you know that? How do you know he's not in pain right now? He could be in pain and not be able to escape it!"
Benjamin rose to his feet and ignored Nazalia's screams of rage and grief. She was suffering from knowing she'd been so close to Evon when he was attacked. He grabbed hold of Nazalia's shoulders. "Look at him one more time, Nazalia. You can see in his face that he is not aware of how his body is broken."
Nazalia didn't want to look and see her brother's body because it was so broken. It was the Evon she knew, but it was the Evon that she would remember from that day forward. She shut her eyes and told Benjamin, "I was suppose to protect him."
Benjamin stroked Nazalia's hair and let her hold onto him. He looked over and watched Evon's chest rise and fall, sometimes labored and sometimes not. A few times, Evon's didn't take a breath, and Benjamin knew there wasn't much time left. Evon's fighting spirit was fading fast from his body, and there was nothing to be done. "There isn't much time left," he said quietly, mostly to himself.
Nazalia heard Benjamin's comment and glanced over at Evon. She realized Benjamin was right. Evon's breathing would stop for several seconds before resuming, and those stops were becoming more and more frequent. "Oh, God," she whispered as she buried her head in Benjamin's chest.
Benjamin wanted to help Nazalia, but he had no comfort for her. He could show her no intimate side, even if the time wasn't so inappropriate for being intimate, because he basically had promised Tyrney that there was nothing going on between him and Nazalia. Benjamin knew he had lied when he'd told Tyrney that, but he didn't want to lose his friend. But truth was, Benjamin wanted Nazalia as bad as she wanted him. But, he could never act upon those feelings, which made having Nazalia holding onto him a little difficult to deal with.
Nazalia stared over at Evon, and she realized she had to go over to him. She let go of Benjamin and walked over to where her brother was lying. She saw how bruised his chest was and how blood had seeped through the cloths on his shoulder. Tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry I could not save you, Evon," she whispered. She brushed her brother's hair off of his forehead. "I should have been there so you didn't have to call out for me. I should have been closer to you when you were attacked. Then, you wouldn't have fallen off the cliff, and you would be all right." Nazalia closed her eyes and saw her brother slipping out of her grip and how he apologized to her. "You should not have apologized to me. You had put up a fight while I had done nothing." Tears choked Nazalia up and she put her right hand to her face.
Benjamin walked over to her and pulled her away from the room. "You need to rest," he told her again.
Nazalia pulled out of Benjamin's hold. "No, not yet." She walked back over to Evon and stared down at him. His breaths were very scarce and brief when they came. She told Benjamin, "I can't imagine the pain his body's in." Frankly, Benjamin couldn't imagine the pain either.
Nazalia knew her brother was only moments from death, and she felt peace coming over Evon's body. She didn't want to see him die, so she knew she had to say her goodbyes. She kissed her brother's forehead and told him, "I am sorry I failed you, Evon. But, I will see you again." She held his hand, which was so much larger than her own, for a moment and shuddered at how it was limp. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she said, "Goodbye, Evon."
Nazalia walked on and let Evon's hand slip from hers as she moved away. Benjamin took her with one arm and led her out of Evon's room. She clung to his side and sobbed to him. He slowly led her towards her room, where she could get some rest. Nazalia realized she needed it.

Victoria appeared in Evon's room after Nazalia left. 'I thought she'd never leave.' Victoria thought. Victoria walked closer to Evon, intrigue filled her eyes. She saw the boy lying on his bed, and she stepped right up to him. 'He's been injured pretty badly,' she thought. 'Charp told me he was. That little gnome knew what he was talking about.' Victoria scanned Evon's face and found a light of hope. 'Perhaps this boy could be of use to me. I may not have succeeded in getting his brother under my rule, but this one has nothing left but death for him. I may as well claim him to do my bidding.'
Victoria pulled the bloody cloths away from Evon's shoulder. 'Tsk tsk, to think I used to love using griffins,' she thought. 'Now, all they do is make a mess.' Victoria placed her hands over the sewn gashes, and she used her magic to heal the scars and remove the thread.
After a moment, Victoria moved her hands away to find Evon's shoulder as good as new. 'Good," she thought. Then, she turned her attention to Evon's badly bruised chest. "Looks like his ribs took a hard hit," she said quietly.
Victoria ran her hands along Evon's bruised and swollen chest. She could feel the bones mending themselves back together under her touch. 'Yes,' she thought. 'Mend, that's what I want you to do.' She could hear Evon's breathing grow stronger at every rib that mended from her magic. Victoria could not stop the evil grin that spread across her face. She was thrilled that her magic was still as strong as ever, even after hiding underground for twenty years.
Victoria pulled her hands away from Evon's chest, the bruises and swelling gone, and he took a deep breath. She watched the boy begin to stir, and she leaned closer to him. His warm breath tickled her cheek, and she saw his warm brown eyes open. 'Yes,' she thought. 'You haven't lost your touch.' Victoria congratulated herself.
Evon saw the dark-haired woman and stared to speak to her, but she put her hand in front of his mouth. Victoria appeared so sweet and innocent, but Evon's eyes searched her for answers to his questions. He wanted to know who she was and what did she want from him. She smiled sweetly and brushed hair out of his eyes, and he leaned away from her. She spoke to him, "It's all right, dear boy. I will not harm you. I've just saved you from death."
Evon glanced over to his shoulder and found no claw marks, and he knew there had been claw marks from his run in with the griffins. He looked over to Victoria, and he had a look of fear in his eyes. 'I know I was injured, and I know I fell had to have fallen into the river.' Evon thought. 'How am I here?"
There was an unusual darkness to Evon's room, and he saw features move in that darkness. He looked closer and saw creatures come out of the darkness. They were mangy creatures with gnarled wings and glowing red eyes. Evon felt his heart speed up, and he sat up. Victoria continued to smile at him, but the smile was no longer so sweet and innocent. Evil had crept in, and Evon knew he was in trouble. "What do you want," he asked trying to remain calm, which was a losing battle.
Victoria strolled over to her creature friends and twirled around until she faced Evon once again. She held her hands out to her sides, and she stared at Evon along with her grotesque creatures. Evon knew they wanted him to join them, but he did not know why. His throat felt very dry, and he had a need to run. Danger was clouding the air, and it was slowly suffocating Evon.
Victoria walked closer to Evon once more then held out her hand. "Come, Evon, join us," she said gently.
Evon leaned back away from Victoria's hand. "What do you want," he repeated as he stared wildly into Victoria's eyes.
Victoria's eyes held Evon's gaze, and he noticed a power to her eyes. He ignored it when she spoke. "Because I helped you survive. And, a witch's help always requires something in return." Evon could see the evil in Victoria, and the evil she wanted to involve him in. He wanted no part of it, and he started to get up.
Victoria grabbed Evon's arm and squeezed it as hard as she could, and she had a tight grasp because of her magic. Evon's face twisted in pain, and he was pulled over to face Victoria. Her eyes were hypnotic, and Evon could do nothing while his mind was overthrown by her powers. He caught a glimpse into her plans before he lost all of his will power to her magic. Evon wanted to scream, but it was all ready too late for anything to save him from Victoria's evil grasp. He was hers to command, and his true self was forced to the back of his mind.
Victoria watched Evon's head slump forward for a moment, but he raised his head up soon enough. He opened his dark eyes, and Victoria was overjoyed at the crazed look in his eyes. She laughed and said, "Even after so long, I still have no limits to my power." Evon smiled at her evilly, and Victoria buttoned up his shirt while instructing him. "Evon, you will come with me, to my lair where we will devise a plan to teach your family a lesson."
Evon nodded but asked her, "Why do they need taught a lesson?"
Victoria scowled. "They treated me like a monster when I knew them, and that is not acceptable. Besides, you get less attention than your brother and sister. Why not punish them for your parents poor judgement?" Victoria knew she was lying and Evon was treated as equally as his siblings, but her words seemed to affect Evon.
His face darkened while his gaze hardened. "All right, I will help you."
Victoria clasped her hands together. "Wonderful," she told him. "Now, pick up your weapons."
Evon glanced over at the floor beside his bed and saw only one of his revolvers. 'Oh yes, I lost the other when Nazalia didn't come to help me,' he thought. His anger rose as Victoria's lies overthrew his memories. He believed his sister had refused to help him because she wanted him dead.
Evon jumped down off of his bed and picked up his revolver and ammunition. He slipped the revolver into its holster and walked up to Victoria. She touched his shoulder and waved her hand in front of her. The darkness began to swirl until a portal came into view, and it held entrance to a dark hallway. "Come, let us enter my lair." Victoria told him. "It is deep under the ground where no one know to look."
Evon walked along side Victoria, and her creatures followed. Evon felt nothing but hate swirling inside, and he was happy to leave his room in the manor. Victoria took one last look around Evon's room then grinned with satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'I may have not managed to snare Tyrney in my grasp when he was a baby, but I have Evon in my grasp. I believe he will do better than Tyrney ever would.'

Victoria led Evon down the dark hallway; her hand was on the center of his back. He was taller than she was, but she knew she was in control. He glanced around curiously as he took in his surroundings. There were torches along the walls, that only shed light on the bleak mood. There was nothing that adorned the walls, just the light from the torches. The walls were all black, and Evon didn't know how they could have color if they were underground.
"The rock has changed color this far down." Victoria told him when she noticed his gaze had fixated on the black stone walls.
Victoria noticed Evon take in the information, and she found he was very peculiar. 'The boy is very quiet. I wonder why. Perhaps I can get him to open up the longer he is with me. Although, why should it matter. I will just have him kill Tyrney and Nazalia. Why does he need to talk to me if he is just my puppet of destruction?' Victoria smiled at the thought of the pain Anna and Gabriel would be in if their two children were killed by their younger brother. Anna and Gabriel would be devastated, especially after they found out Evon was loyal to her. 'I will enjoy the look on their faces that day.' Victoria thought.