Two months. That is how long it has been since Persephone was brought in by Orion and Vega, and since then, she has shown very little progress. Her movements were tight and low. She often regarded every one with sharp eyes, similar to a feral cat. Her forest green eyes seem to pierce everyone's heart and soul, no doubt looking into their memories to see who they are and what they have done. Orion may have thought this was an invasion of privacy, as anyone was entitled to their own thoughts, but Persephone was a rare case. She hardly spoke a word, and normally expressed herself through body language, specifically her wings.

Being a Wind-Walker, Orion knew how the language of wings worked, though it was hardly ever used now that most would communicate verbally. He could see the conflict in Persephone's look, she was unsure, scared, and lost. A child. Even though she had to be, at least, over 1700 years old, she was very much an adolescent and still relied on her parents for food and shelter.

There was limited knowledge of these rare group of flyers. Some scientists believed that Persephone's kind was related to Wind-Walkers since they had wings, but that was the only similarity they had. It was like trying to find similarities between a fox and a wolf just by comparing the fact they are classified as canines.

Persephone's kind is incredibly rare. So much so, it was thought they were extinct. Then Orion and the other Protectors received a tip that Grimtrix and other rogue sorcerers from the Order of the Wand were spotted in Italy, snooping around a wooded area. Sure enough, when Orion and Vega went to investigate, they were stunned by the massacre before them. Grimtrix had managed to kill a man with gold and red wings, a very rare color pattern among Wind-Walkers. Before the man died, he let out a bone-chilling shriek, the kind of which Orion has never heard of before. A second shriek, this much louder, responded and in the air rose a ball of fire that took the form of a massive bird. A phoenix.

The Phoenix Shifter Shifter launched herself down and attacked Grimtrix, her flames dissipate to reveal her human form. She had light olive skin, raven hair, and golden eyes. Those golden eyes flashed with unyielding fury when she spotted her mate tossed carelessly on the forest floor, and the female Phoenix Shifter Shifter fell into a fit of blinding rage. She managed a few good sliced on Grimtrix before he used a dark magic spell to knock the wind out of her and then proceeded to stab her chest, tearing out her heart.

Orion and Vega moved to intercept, but the former members of the Order of the Wand shot at them with powerful blasts of magic.

They hurried out of the way, barely avoiding the attacks.

The two took higher to the skies, as the sorcerers hurried to cut up the hearts into smaller pieces, pocketing most and sharing a few pieces amongst each other.

Orion contacted the other Protectors, summoning each and every one of them. With so many powerful sorcerers and sorceresses in one area, he and Vega would need all the help they could get. It won't take long, he knows they will get here soon, and then they can arrest all of these traitors.

He goes to call for Vega on reflex but finds his companion staring out in the distance with a troubled look on her face. "Do you think there are more?" She asks him, worry flooding her eyes.

"I don't know," he said, casting a mournful look down at the horrendous sight. "If there is, we must get them to safety."

Vega nods and takes the lead, soaring through the open skies with ease. Orion watches her go and sends a quick message to his fellow Protectors, he was happy to hear that Crysta and a few others were almost there, it would take them only a few minutes to arrive at their coordinates, much to Orion's relief. He told them that he and Vega were going to investigate the area and to stay alert.

They soar straight onward to the forest ahead and soon spotted something moving in the trees.

It was another one! Much smaller than the main pair with smaller grayer wings. She possessed light olive skin with raven black hair that swept along the small of her back and deep forest green eyes.

She had to be about 15 with hints of baby fat around her face, but since her race aged much slower she would be 17 instead. The girl wore a large white and red tunic with a green cloak clipped around her shoulders by a golden broach in the shape of a feather.

Orion knew immediately who she was and could see she was using her powers as the poor girl's eyes flash white for a second before they widen in horror while her whole face grew sickly gray. The girl screamed loudly, like an angry bird, and took to the skies in a blind fury.

"Wait!" Vega cried and she and Orion took chase, barely keeping up.

The girl led them back to the cottage where her family had been slaughtered. The sorcerers were still eating the pieces of their hearts. She shrieked down at them, her hands turn to claws, and shot down like an arrow with her arms extended to grab one of them.

"No!" Orion yelled he swooped down after her, somehow catching up and seized her by her middle. The girl thrashed about, screaming and scratching at him, her claws leaving thin bloody scratches on his face. Vega hurried and grabbed the girl's wrists. She, of course, fought harder to get free, shrieking and hissing at the two protectors, while down below the sorcerers watched in amazement.

Orion could barely hear the astonishment in one of the voices below, most of his attention focused on keeping himself from getting scratched.

"There's more! I thought you said these two were the last of their kind!"

Their leader chuckled, "There is always room for error." And then he summoned his wand, shooting at them with blasts of deadly magic. Orion and Vega barely managed to dodge the attack. The girl continued to thrash in Orion's grip, hissing and snarling like an angry beast.

"We need to leave," He calls to Vega. She nods and they take off higher in the skies, by then the girl had stopped her attempts at escape and instead whimpered while looking longingly back at her home.

Hearing such a pitiful sound made Orion's heartache, "I'm sorry, little one." He whispers to her and was met with a sharp glare. His apology couldn't bring her parents back.

Persephone was her name. They learned that when Vega noticed Persephone's necklace, a Lunula, a crescent moon shape amulet made of gold, with her name etched into it in Latin. Persephone, no doubt she had been named after the Goddess of Spring. It was a good thing that her name was written on her amulet, or else they may have ended up dubbing her "Phoenix Shifter Shifter Girl" since Persephone never talks.

Normally, it was her eyes that spoke, or her wings, she would glare at someone and raise her gray wings, trying to intimidate them and show her dominance. The way she glared, reminded Orion a lot of a little feral kitten he tried to tame as a little boy living with his mama. The tiny thing was scared and angry, spitting at everyone if they got to close and puffing up its fur until it looked like a ball of hair. After a few feeding sessions, he managed to earn its trust and the kitten became one of the sweetest pets he's ever had a child.

Persephone was a lot like a kitten, she was alone, scared, and had a temper. Sometimes she would yawn very loudly to show off her fangs before she would lay down to sleep. Her message was very clear to all of them. Attack and I will fight.

And she will. He didn't doubt it. Persephone was a Phoenix Shifter Shifter. Despite the dormant birds that would explode when startled, her kind was much more aggressive and warrior based. She could fight, she could hunt, and more importantly, she could get into someone's mind. She saw what they thought, learned their deepest fears and secret desires. If she didn't want to be in the Protectors' presence there was hardly much they could do to stop her.

So that means she's here of her own free will. That means there's hope for her to socialize with others.

Orion could feel Persephone's hot gaze burning holes in the back of his head. He wondered if she was peering into his mind or not. In case she was he didn't bother to hold up any mental walls. He wanted her to trust him, to see him as a friend. He brought up his own memories to the surface so it will be easier for her to get to know him.

He thought about his mother. The little village he grew up in with his friends and family. How he was recruited to be a Protector of the Mystic Isles. How he knew about her and how terrible he felt when she lost her family. Orion knew what it was like to lose loved ones. While his family didn't pass away brutally as hers did, it still hurt to watch his parents slowly fade away as they got older and grew weaker. He recounted the last time he spoke to his mother, holding onto her hand so tightly and listening to her as she praised him.

Looking back at Persephone, he saw a flash of sympathy reflect in her eyes before they harden and she looked away.

It seemed she did look into his mind. While normally such a thing offended Orion, he felt this was one step closer to winning more of the young Phoenix Shifter Shifter's trust. Yet, while this was progress, Orion felt there could be more improvement in Persephone's socializing, and thus an idea formed in his mind. Persephone might open up more if she were around someone her age. While Phoenix Shifter Shifteres age different than humans and Wind-Walkers alike, she was still a child mentally. She just needed to meet someone like her, someone who could connect with her on a deeper level.

An image of a red-haired young man, close to the same age as Persephone came to mind. Simon. Yes, he could work.

Simon wasn't much older than Persephone in terms of how similar they were in their respective ages. And even though Persephone refused to speak to him and the other Protectors, perhaps Simon can coax the young Phoenix Shifter Shifter out of her shell.

With his destination set, Orion left to find the red-haired young man. Simon was a legal adult, with a highly sophisticated mind and polite mannerisms to match. He was a gentleman in nearly every sense of the word. It was the complete opposite of who Simon had been in the beginning when he first arrived as a prisoner.

He had been such a rude child that Orion wasn't sure if they could ever get through to him. Luckily, as time passed, that mean little boy they had arrested all those years ago, chipped away, revealing a polite young man who renounced his evil ways and made amends with Sofia the First and earned her friendship in return.

Not only that, but Simon was much friendlier, offering a hand when he felt someone needed it, and happily conversing with those around him. Yes, he would do well in helping Persephone socialize.

Getting Simon aboard wasn't hard, the young man was eager to prove he was redeemed and happily obliged to Orion's proposal, promising to do his best to help Persephone.

However, Persephone was not keen on making friends.

Upon meeting Persephone, Simon smiles and offers the Phoenix Shifter Shifter girl his hand, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Persephone." He says merrily, his tone polite and a bit regal; his attempt to make a good first impression.

Persephone glares, her lips curl in a low hiss. The feral sound made Orion and Simon back up a step. Orion, feeling sheepish, applies a comforting pat on Simon's shoulder, "Give her some time, she is still upset over her loss."

Simon's blood-red eyes soften with sympathy, he knew loss as well, "I understand. Don't worry, Orion, I'll do my best to help her."

Orion pats Simon's shoulder again and leaves.

Now it was just Simon and Persephone. The red-haired man looks at his new companion curled into a corner, her white and gray wings wrapped around her person almost like a shawl or cloak. They were lovely, beautiful even, with a heavenly touch as the noon sun shined on them making the feathers glisten with silver specks.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Simon carefully eases down to sit a few feet away from her, drawing his knees up to his chest in a similar position. He looks at Persephone and smiles kindly, "I understand your hatred, Persephone."

She glares, her feathers ruffling making them fluffier and a bit intimidating.

Simon continues, ignoring her hostile stare, "I was once like you, hate-filled and hurting. I have done several unimaginable things. Things I still wish I could take back; that I would take back if I was given the chance. I have worked hard to redeem myself and have earned the trust of those around me. I sincerely hope you and I can become good friends very soon. I would like to get to know you better."

She continues to glare.

Simon sighs. He isn't surprised by her distrust, nor is he upset either. Orion had given him a quick explanation of Persephone's life and it was quite unfortunate that she had lost her family in such a manner. Yet, he found himself curious about the legend regarding Persephone's heart. Could eating the organ grant immortality?

Simon's attention shifted back to Persephone, she twists around, moving one of her wings and stretching them out. They were incredibly lovely when stretched to their full length.

But, he notices some red specks on a few of her white feathers. Blood? Was she bleeding?

Simon sits up and watches her carefully. Persephone doesn't speak, she glares at him and scoots away. One of her hands goes to a wing, she grabs a few of the feathers and tears them off harshly, wincing as she does so and letting the feathers drop, blood dripping to them from where they had been roughly torn.

The sight sent Simon into a sharp panic, he immediately rises to his feet, "Please, don't! You're hurting yourself!" He reaches for her, as she tears off more feathers, and grabs her wing.

Bad move.

Persephone's eyes instantly grew sharp and predatory. Too fast she flips around and tackles Simon to the floor, screeching like a banshee. Simon manages to hold her back by her shoulders but it does no good as she immediately claws at him, her sharp nails digging into his nice dress shirt, dragging large gashes across his chest. Hot pain sears Simon's body, as Persephone tries to bite at him, her fangs large and dripping with saliva. He winces, managing to raise his knee to shove her off him and then scramble to the other side of the room.

Persephone flaps her wings and tackles him to the ground once more, this time she pins him with her claws piercing his shoulders, making Simon scream as blood seeps out, soaking through his white shirt.

Seeing the look of utter murder, Simon conjured his own magic, feeling it burn from the depths of his soul, and screams his spell. Magic shifts around the two before swiftly grabbing Persephone and throwing her against the wall, pinning her in place. Simon scrambles for the door again, just as Orion and Vega rush in to investigate the noises.

"What is going on?" Orion was the first to ask, his attention focus solely on Persephone, who was hissing and growling, thrashing about in her invisible confines. He turns to Simon who is struggling to catch his breath, trembling badly. "Simon, are you alright?"

Simon shakes his head, "N-No, she attacked me. I was trying to help her but then she turned rabid and attempted to kill me!"

Persephone continues to hiss and growl, her wings uncomfortably stuck between her and the wall, thrash around, sending more feathers loose and covering the floor. Orion picks up one of them that was speckled with blood and examines it, noting quietly how the hollow shaft appears splintered with bits of blood stuck in it. The afterfeather, a fur-like fluff around the base was not at all soft like it should be, but it was matted together and felt hard to the touch. He noticed, as well, a strong ashy odor, something that made his nose wrinkle in disgust before he sneezed.

"Orion," Vega calls, "Simon says that Persephone has been tearing out her feathers."

He looks back at Persephone, the Phoenix Shifter Shifter girl is still upset, fighting and thrashing about with her claws scratching in Simon's direction, making the sorcerer flinch in fright.

Orion watches Persephone, she was too dangerous at the moment to let go, but he needed to know why she attacked Simon. "Vega, take Simon outside please, I will speak to Persephone alone."

Simon's eyes widen, "You can't be alone with her, she'll kill you!"

"No, she won't." At least he hoped she wouldn't, but Persephone was pretty unpredictable at this point. For Persephone to tear of her feathers was a very bad sign, destructive feather plucking wasn't a joke among the Wind-Walker community. Just like birds, when a wind-walker or in Persephone's case, a Phoenix Shifter Shifter girl, viciously tears of several feathers at once, it can cause permanent follicle damage, making it almost impossible to regrow any more feathers.

"Please, both of you must leave so I can speak to her," Orion looks back at Vega, who nods and ushers Simon out. Once the door closes shut, the magic holding Persephone lets go and the Phoenix Shifter Shifter girl immediately screams at him, her wings stretch out and flapping viciously, lifting her a foot from the ground.

Orion lowers his wings, allowing them to droop a little. He releases a deep purr from within his chest, a noise used to communicate contentment and comfort to mates or offspring. He watches as Persephone continues to hiss at him, her wings beating heavily, before she finally calms down and stands before him, and folds her wings to rest. They are still pretty beat up, with some feathers barely hanging on by their hollow shafts.

"I'm sorry," Orion speaks gently, keeping his arms down, "I don't understand why you're this upset with Simon. But whatever he did, or said, you must not attack him. He was only here to help you..."

Persephone frowns and her eyes flash white again. A replay of what had happened earlier with Simon, from Persephone's perspective enters Orion's mind, playing from when Persephone was telling Simon to leave her alone, to when he touched her wing. Orion winces a little, but he cannot blame Simon for that mistake. "I'm sorry, Persephone. Please, understand he has no ill intentions towards you, and I'll be sure to talk to him about it as soon as possible."

She snorts, glaring hard at him, and crosses her arms, her feathers ruffled.

Yeah, she was very upset, not that she didn't have any right to be. If Simon knew what he had unintentionally done, he would no doubt want to properly apologize to Persephone.

It took a good five minutes to calm Persephone down some more before Orion could leave. Simon and Vega were waiting outside, Simon with his body bandaged and in new set clothes, steps closer. "Is everything alright, Orion?"

"Yes, everything is-" Orion stops himself mid-sentence. He nods at Vega, "Could you give us a moment, please."

Vega nods and leaves.

Simon watches her go before looking back at Orion.

"Simon, did you touch Persephone's wing?"

He nods, "Yes, I was trying to stop her from tearing out her feathers. Why is there a problem?"

Orion thinks over his next choice of words carefully, if he was too hard on Simon, the boy might feel he was being punished for something he did not quite understand. However, if he wasn't strict enough accidents like this could occur again, Orion doubts Persephone would allow Simon to slip away without losing an eye or worse.

"The reason, I ask is because wings are incredibly important to Wind-Walkers. We use them to fly of course, but several centuries ago our wings were used to communicate to one another and to display our emotions. They are very important, so much so that even today it is considered an act of assault to touch someone's wing without their consent."

Simon's eyes blew wide open.

Quickly Orion holds up his hands in defense, "I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad, I know that wasn't your intention and I should have been more specific when I asked you to spend time with Persephone. That is my fault. I am only telling you this for future reference if you are alone with her again. You must never touch her wings unless she explicitly tells you otherwise. Do you understand?"

Simon nods mutely, still a little shaken up.

Meanwhile, back inside her room, Persephone was still tearing out her feathers. Every vicious yank was painful, but she couldn't stop. Something was wrong with her wings, they were itchy and seem to pinch her. She runs her claws over each pin feather that was left, but it still wasn't enough. The pin feathers were not bright and colorful like her mother's or her father's, they were pale and had a thick sheet over them, that was almost black like night.

Persephone has had gone through molts before. She knows from experience how uncomfortable they can be. The itchiness was a common symptom, but when she molted her feathers would drop naturally, like leaves during the autumn months. Yet, hers didn't fall off naturally, she had to be ruthless in tearing them out. It hurt. Every time she touched her wing, she flinches, anticipating the burning sensation she was going to feel before pulling herself together and yanking the feathers out by the fist full. The itching increases though and she feels ready to tear off both of her wings instead.

When she finally exhausts herself, Persephone sees her hands are covered in dried blood from the plucking and some bits of her feathers. Blanketing the ground is everything she had pulled out of her wings. Each feather is stained with tiny spots that make her skin crawl a little.

Something is not right.

A normal molt isn't this bad. Itching occurs, but it had never been so overwhelming like it is now. She knows it isn't parasites. Phoenix Shifter Shifteres pride themselves on their grooming. Parasites are incredibly annoying and they ruin the wings, making it hard to catch the attention of a mate. Bright wings were a sign of healthy, the brighter the wings, the healthier the individual was. Not only that, but it aided in courtship as well.

Looking at the mess, her once pretty white and gray feathers tainted with specks of blood, made her whine in the back of her throat. She looks at her wings and sees several bald patches, all glowing red from irritation and feeling hot to the touch. She carefully folds her wings back and sits down, drawing her knees to her chest.

It has been several weeks, but the knowledge that she is the last one continues to hurt, it was like an arrow had pierced her heart and soul, leaving Persephone with a massive hole in her chest.

She is the last one. The last of her kind. What can she do now if she's alone?

Silent tears burn her eyes, and she buries her face in her arms, sobbing quietly to herself and the feathers now lying scattered in thick clumps on the cold floor to be swept away just like everything else in her life.

Grimtrix did not feel much different and neither did his associates. The heart of the two adults Phoenix Shifters should have given them eternal life, but neither he nor anyone in his group felt all that immortal.

Considering his steps, Grimtrix retrieved his notes, rereading everything he had read before and finding nothing. The only thing that they could do now is to test it.

Grimtrix isn't a fool though. He shouldn't fear death, but here he was, questioning if it had worked. He didn't want to test it on himself because it can only be done once.

One of his associates, an old witch named Verma, speaks up first. She was an old gnarly witch with knotted knuckles on each of her ten fingers and sharp yellow nails on each end. Her face was pale with wrinkles abound, and her wispy white hair pulled tightly in a small knot on the back of her head.

Grimtrix swears she's gotten uglier since they ate those hearts.

Verma rasps, knotting her fingers together out of habit, "Well, how are we going to test this out? Should we pull straws and see who has the shortest one?"

It wouldn't be a bad idea, Grimtrix thought, he looks at the others, they all shift around uncertainty, and mumble amongst themselves. Finally, Grimtrix devices a plan, one that could benefit only himself. Seeing the rest grumble to themselves, Grimtrix opens his arms invitingly, beckoning everyone to come closer.

"My friends, we shouldn't be in such a hurry to test out our immortality. Instead, we should celebrate to have such a blessing. Surely, you don't doubt I, Grimtrix the Good, would lead you on false pretenses?"

Verma snorts, displaying what the others had been thinking, "You honestly believe we would fall for such an act, Grimtrix the Good. We sacrificed everything to achieve your promise of immortality and yet we have no way of testing it without putting ourselves at risk! Surely, you had a plan for proving what we did was justified?"

The others nod in agreement.

Grimtrix rolls his eyes as he swiftly spins around to retrieve a small bottle from the cask of Amontillado he had been saving for such an occasion. "Justified," he repeats the word curiously while pouring the dark red liquid in a few goblets rimmed with gold, "What can possibly justify any of this? We have killed two innocent people, parents for that matter, all for the selfish purpose of being immortal. We invaded their homes, tore out their hearts, and ate them without a hint of remorse."

He pauses to give Vernma a quick, tolerant smile, "Now tell me, my dear, how can that be justified? Are you really questioning your motives now, even though we have committed several terrible acts out of sheer lust for immortality? Killing a man and his wife, orphaning their only child, and perhaps brutally scaring the little girl for life after she witnesses us consume the flesh of her parents' hearts. You now wonder if we can 'justify' our aggression for doing such an unforgivable act." Angrily he shoves the drink in her hands, some of the liquid splashes on her violet gown, staining it, but Vernma could not bring herself to speak and neither could anyone else as Grimtrix's words weight down heavily on them.

Grimtrix gives the others their goblets too, before moving to retrieve his own and filling it with Amontillado. He raises his goblet for a toast, "What's done is done. We cannot change the past or justify our actions to anyone but ourselves. Now, friends, drink, and be merry!"

He brings the goblet close to his lips but doesn't drink. Instead, he watches as the others drink theirs, gulping down each drop until their goblets were empty.

3

2

1

Grimtrix watches without remorse as the poison he had lined their goblets with takes full effect, starting with their faces turning pasty white and their eyes glowing bright red before they fell like flies on his floor.

Grimtrix turns his goblet over, dumping its contents onto the floor, and then throws it against the stone wall, shattering it into several large chunks. He storms to his private library, stepping over several bodies, and grabs the book. The book was an old worn and torn piece of garbage that he should have tossed away a long time ago, but by some miracle he hadn't, and for one reason.

It was alive.

He knocks his knuckles on the surface three times and barks at the cover, "Malchior, wake up!" The book flips open to a torn page with only half a picture of a man's face. "You called?" He speaks soothingly, sounding rather bored and uninterested.

Grimtrix slams his hand on the table, causing the book to shake a little, "You have tried my patience, Malchior! I followed your instructions and ate the hearts of the Phoenix Shifters, but when I tested the immortality it didn't work! Why did you lie to me, or do you care that I can end your miserable existence without a second thought?"

"You tested your immortality and claim I failed you? Grimtrix, one of us isn't getting enough sleep."

"You darn fool, I didn't test it on myself, I had others do that for me. We each ate pieces of the hearts and none of us are immortal. I gave everyone poison and they died. Now I have to figure out a way to clean up the bodies before they starting making this place smell worse than it already does."

Malchior chuckles, much to Grimtrix's annoyance, "I see. Well, there is your problem, Grimtrix. You cannot eat mere pieces of the heart, you have to have the entire thing. Surely, you didn't expect the same results did you?"

Grimtrix hums, "I have to eat the entire heart? And how can I test to see if it truly works?"

"I'm afraid that since you ate the hearts of the last Phoenix Shifters in the Ever Realm, you won't be able to test it out."

Grimtrix smiles, "There was a third. They had a daughter. If I eat her heart, I will obtain immortality?"

"Without question."

Grimtrix's grin grows more sinister, "Then I have not failed. Where do I find this child? Show me, book!"

AN: So firstly, I plan on changing the rating after posting this chapter. Special shoutout to Aqua Turquoise who allowed me to use her OC, Simon the Silent, in this. :D You're the best! And yes, to anyone who might ask, Malchior is obviously the guy from the Teen Titans cartoon. :D I just wanted to include him. I wouldn't say he's the same character, but if you want to believe he is, then so be it. :D Also kudos to anyone who sees the Edgar Allan Poe reference. Thank you guys for reading, I hope you enjoy this. :D