Silvan Arrow: WHEEEEE!!!!!! I'm finally back!!!!!!
Raina: Oh great…
Silvan Arrow: And I really think you guys will like this chapter! Let's just say one of the Temporal Knights is finally going to feel the love…
Raina: Are you trying to gross me out before the chapter even gets started?
Silvan Arrow: Sheesh, aren't you just a ray of sunshine…
Raina: You're the one who made me the cold, emotionless psycho blader, so I don't wanna hear it.
Silvan Arrow: Well if you're going to be like that, then you can go ahead and do the disclaimer.
Raina: Tch, fine. Silvan Arrow does not own Beyblade or any of its characters. She just owns her OCs, and I happen to be one of those unlucky souls…
Silvan Arrow: I think she needs a boyfriend… This chapter is dedicated to all you guys that read and reviewed while I was gone. I wouldn't still be writing without your continued support, so thank you! All right, while I plan out Raina's attitude adjustment, here's chapter 13!
Chapter 13: Panic and Comfort
"So, what do you think?" Ramona asked, turning to look at Vala.
"About…?" Vala trailed off, casually twirling a pen knife between her fingers.
"Our so-called rivals, the Temporal Knights," Ramona finished. Currently, the girls of Omega Platoon were gathered in a hotel room in India, reviewing strategies for their match tomorrow against the PPB All-Starz. Ramona and Vala were sitting around a desk performing some routine beyblade maintenance. Alannah was sitting in a chair in the opposite corner of the room while Raina occupied one of the beds.
"Eh, they don't seem too special to me," Vala replied with a shrug, too engrossed with the blade of her knife to glance at her teammate. "I mean, they just got thrashed by Justice 5. Garland made Eri look like a freakin' amateur."
"Yeah, we would have won all our matches if Xhaiden hadn't made us pull off those suicides back in Italy," Ramona added. "I hate having to keep a low profile."
"Zip it, both of you," Raina snapped, sending them a warning glare. Her two subordinates immediately fell silent. 'Why did I have to get stuck with two chatty ones?' Friendship wasn't exactly a priority with any members of Omega Platoon. They only bladed together because of Xhaiden's orders. "You haven't seen them at full strength yet, especially Eri. If I know her, she's been holding back this whole time to avoid revealing her best moves."
"So…what's your point?" Vala asked, flicking her pen knife shut and turning a sideways glance towards her captain.
"They won't risk holding back again after a loss like that, so expect to see more of their power in the next round. Make sure you observe them carefully. Xhaiden wants a full report later," Raina explained. She glanced over at Alannah, who had been silent during the whole exchange. Raina narrowed her eyes as a wicked smirk played across the Irish girl's face. Behind her quiet, stoic exterior laid the most sadistic temper Raina had ever encountered. Even her own teammates had to be careful around her, especially during training. Raina still bore a few scars from some practice battles where Nithhogr went on a rampage.
In Raina's mind, she felt Dregore start to stir. The manticore paced restlessly within the mental barriers she had set up to contain him. She groaned inwardly. It took a near-constant vigil to keep him under control. Years of cruel experiments in Xhaiden's Abbey had all but eradicated Dregore's gentle emotions, leaving behind a savage shell of a bit beast that only hungered for battle. That was one reason why Raina kept her emotions suppressed. Dregore would feed off them, and things would get ugly… 'Patience, Dregore. You'll have your fun soon enough,' she said. She heard him growl in frustration at having to wait.
Just then the phone in the room rang, and Raina picked it up. "Belikov here." She listened for a few moments. "I see… Understood. As you wish, sir." She hung up and met the questioning gazes of her subordinates, a broad smirk on her face. "We're going to have a special visitor tomorrow…"
'Ugh…that's the last time I use Tala for a pillow,' Eri thought as she sat on a bed in her team's hotel room and tried to work out a nasty crick in her neck. They had just arrived in India a few hours earlier and were delighted to find that they had the first day of battles off, especially since they were already a day late.
Oh come on, you know you enjoyed it, Pyrix remarked with a wolfish grin. Eri tried to ignore her. I'll take your silent blushing as a yes.
The faint sound of a giggle drew the Russian's attention. She rounded on her teammates, wincing at the pain in her neck, and asked, "Okay, what in the world is so funny?"
Sonja, Nakia, and Hina gave their captain perfectly innocent looks. Somehow they knew something that she didn't, and it was going to drive her crazy until she found out. "Nothing," Nakia replied. However, Eri noted that she had both hands behind her back.
Eri stood up and slowly approached, backing them into a corner. "Oh please, you three have been giggling and snickering about something behind my back for the past hour. Don't think I haven't noticed." Without warning, her hand darted behind Nakia's back and produced her open cell phone.
"Wait! You don't wanna…"
"No, I really think I do," Eri cut her off and looked at the image on the phone. Her eyes about bulged out of their sockets upon seeing the picture of her and Tala asleep on the plane. She gave her teammates a positively murderous glare.
Sonja and Hina quickly pointed at Nakia and yelled, "It was her idea!"
"Oh gee, thanks for the support, guys," she remarked. She gulped as Eri put down the phone and cracked her knuckles menacingly. "I'm…in trouble, aren't I?"
Five minutes later…
"HELP!!!!! MAD WOMAN ON THE LOOSE!!!!!" Nakia screamed as she dashed madly down the streets of New Delhi. Eri was right on her heels, waving her loaded launcher in the air.
"COME BACK HERE AND FACE YOUR THRASHING LIKE A MAN!!!!" Eri shouted, chasing after her renegade teammate. Nakia may have been the distance runner of the team, but an enraged Eri was nothing to take lightly.
In a nearby street, the Blitzkrieg Boys were taking in the sights while trying – and failing – to decipher a map. "I can't make heads or tails with this piece of junk!" Ian complained.
Just then, the sound of screaming drew their attention, and they looked across the street to see Nakia fleeing for her life with Eri still giving chase.
"Do I even want to know?" Bryan asked, one eyebrow raised quizzically.
"Just walk away, Bryan. Walk away," Tala advised. And that's exactly what they did.
The next day…
"Aaaaaand…we're back with the Beyblade World Championships coming to you live from beautiful New Delhi, India!" DJ Jazzman shouted into his microphone. The packed stadium came alive with raucous cheering.
"Owwww…that's the last time I ever try to blackmail Eri," Nakia groaned as she massaged her calf muscles. She was sporting quite a few sore muscles from yesterday's mad dash from her enraged captain.
"Stop complaining. Remember why we're here," Eri ordered. The Egyptian fell silent. Eri had been on edge all morning upon learning that Omega Platoon was competing today, and she shuddered to think how they would make up for their loss back in Italy. 'I'm sure Xhaiden ordered them to suicide their matches so they wouldn't draw too much attention. Max and his team might just be in for a thrashing today.'
"Our first match pits Omega Platoon against the PPB All-Starz!" DJ Jazzman proclaimed. The crowd cheered as the two teams entered the stadium and took their respective benches. "And if this tournament weren't already exciting enough, we have a special guest joining us today!" Eri quirked an eyebrow. Special guest? She glanced at her teammates, who gave her equally confused looks. "That's right, Omega Platoon's coach Xhaiden is here today in his first public appearance of the tournament!"
Four sets of eyes widened as the man they despised with every fiber of their being entered the stadium and waved amiably to the cheering crowd. However, it was hard for the Temporal Knights to believe that this was the same brutal drill instructor that had nearly driven them to madness all those years ago. His right arm was missing, with only a stump covered by his knotted-up shirt sleeve, to show where it had been. Numerous ugly scars marred his face, which actually used to be rather handsome. His long, black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. That part hadn't changed, and neither had his piercing cobalt blue eyes.
'He must have sustained all those injuries when we destroyed his house the night we escaped,' Eri thought.
In Eri's mind, Pyrix snarled viciously at the man who had brought so much pain to her mistress. That man is a cold-blooded killer. He has the blood of hundreds of his hands.
Tala gave an almost imperceptible start as the beyblade in his jacket pocket suddenly turned frigid. He pulled it out and regarded the bit chip, which was glowing light blue. 'Wolborg, what is it?' he asked. The only response Tala got was the ice wolf's incoherent snarls and growls. Waves of primal rage battered the Russian's senses, along with a feeling of…protectiveness? Tala knew enough about wolves to remember that the alpha male of the pack reacted violently to any perceived threats toward his mate. 'This doesn't make any sense.' Tala doubted that even Wolborg knew the source of his distress but was simply reacting out of pure instinct.
Back in the stadium, DJ Jazzman approached Xhaiden with his microphone. "Xhaiden, is there anything you would like to say to your team? They sure have battled hard to get to this point in the tournament!"
"As a matter of fact, I would," Xhaiden replied in a deep baritone voice that Eri knew all too well. It still had that sickly sweet tinge to it. "I am truly honored to be here today. I regret that my poor health has kept me from being by my team's side during this tournament, but I want them to know that they will have my undivided attention and support from here on out."
Apparently his little speech moved DJ Jazzman, because he exclaimed, "Now that's what I call dedication! I think this coach deserves a round of applause!" The audience obviously agreed because their cheering was even louder than before, if that were even possible.
'He's completely won over the crowd. This is not good,' Eri thought grimly. At that moment, Xhaiden looked up into the stands and zeroed in on the Temporal Knights with a foreboding glare. 'He knows we're here.' Pyrix, Lunash, Uskadu, and Arashi sensed the threat and immediately wrapped their mistresses in an invisible, protective aura. They harbored no affection for that wicked man either after what he had done to their mistresses.
"Teams, please choose your beybladers for the first round!" Omega Platoon sent out Vala to face Michael. "Bladers, take your stances!" Vala and Michael readied their launchers. "3…2…1…LET IT RIP!!!"
'Hm…I've been interested in watching Vala battle,' Eri mused as the Icelandic girl's pale green beyblade circled Michael's orange one.
"Fafnir, attack!" Vala ordered. Immediately, her beyblade kicked up speed and pelted Michael's beyblade with a series of hard, fast strikes. Hers was easily one of the fastest beyblades Eri had ever witnessed.
Michael grunted in surprise at the sudden ferocity of Vala's attack. "Hang on, Trygle! Fight back!" His beyblade picked up torque and swerved around the dish for a slam, but Fafnir darted out of the way.
A broad smirk crossed Vala's face. "Is that it? You might as well be standing still," she taunted. "Time to show you some real speed. Fafnir, do it!" A green beam of light shot up from her bit chip, and a wyvern bit beast materialized in the air with a screeching battle cry. Fafnir had a slender neck, body, and tail, with a set of monstrous wings in place of forelegs that seemed almost too large for his body. In terms of size, Lunash dwarfed him easily, but his wingspan and insane speed made up for it. His body was colored a dull green with lightweight tan chest armor.
"Go, Trygle!" Michael called, summoning his own bit beast. The gold eagle emerged with a shriek as he squared off against Fafnir. The two bit beasts grappled in the air with fang, beak, and claw.
After a few minutes, Vala decided to break the stalemate. "Fafnir!" The wyvern responded by cuffing Trygle on the head with his wings, which gave him enough time to gain altitude. "Flare Zephyr!" At Vala's command, Fafnir tucked his wings against his body and went into a steep dive, spinning rapidly to create a whirlwind. Flames spewed from his mouth that combined with the winds to produce a heated tempest.
'Fire and air… Interesting… Fafnir is a dual element bit beast,' Eri mused.
The speed with which Fafnir reacted and created his attack caught Michael completely off guard. "Trygle, Fastball attack!" he called desperately, but the eagle didn't have enough warning. Fafnir slammed into bit beast and beyblade in an explosion that sent shockwaves pulsating with heat rocketing through the stadium. Michael's badly damaged beyblade clattered to a stop at his feet.
"And Vala takes the first round for Omega Platoon in an impressive display of skill and power!" DJ Jazzman shouted.
Vala returned to her bench, her emotions carefully masked beneath a stoic, blank expression. "Excellent… Well done, girl." Xhaiden crooned with a smile that more closely resembled a sneer. He turned to his next blader. "Alannah, if you would be so kind." She stood up without a word and strode to the dish to face Rick.
"You'll find that I'm not as easy to take out as Michael," Rick stated, glaring at his opponent.
To his surprise, Alannah smirked in satisfaction. "That's good. I prefer it when the prey squirms before losing."
"Why you!" Rick began but settled for a low growl as he readied his launcher.
"3…2…1…"
"LET IT RIP!"
Eri was so engrossed in watching the battle that she almost didn't hear Pyrix's voice. Following her bit beast's prompt, she looked over at Sonja, who was sitting between Hina and Nakia, and immediately grew concerned. The Greek's eyes were trained on her former drill instructor, her pupils tiny pinpoints of black and every muscle in her body locked like steel out of fear, as if remaining motionless would render her invisible.
"Sonja." Eri reached out and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, which made her jump. Hina and Nakia also pulled their gazes away from the battle to regard Sonja with concern. Normally, she was always aware of her surroundings and almost never got taken by surprise, but Xhaiden's sudden appearance had obviously shattered her concentration and left her emotions in turmoil.
"I'm sorry," Sonja muttered as she met the eyes of her three teammates. Just then the sound of Nithhogr's roar echoed through the stadium, and a fresh shiver ran down her spine upon seeing the five-headed dragon. Carefully blanking her face, Sonja got up to leave. "I'll be right back." She felt a whisper-soft probe from Lunash and blocked him from her mind. 'Not now, Lunash. Please.'
Kai regarded the beyblade in his hand curiously as the bit chip flashed a distressed red. Dranzer hadn't been this restless in a long time. 'What's wrong?'
I'm not sure, Dranzer admitted with confusion. I sense an unusually high amount of tension in the stadium, along with fear. So much fear… I can't pinpoint the source. Kai's gaze instinctively roamed through the stands until he found the Temporal Knights. One seat, however, was strangely empty.
'I think I can.' Without another thought, Kai stood up and headed for the exit, ignoring the questioning looks of his teammates.
Kai wandered through the halls underneath the stadium, following Dranzer's mental directions, until he found himself in front of the Temporal Knights' locker room. He entered the small room to find Sonja standing with her back against the far wall. Her hands were crossed in front of her chest and gripped her arms like she was cold, and her body trembled violently. As Kai carefully approached, he could hear her mumbling incoherently under her breath. Her eyes stared down at the floor, looking but not seeing, as if she were lost in her own little world.
'She's having a panic attack,' Kai finally realized, though the reason behind her distress was beyond him. 'But why here? Why now?'
It's impossible to say, Dranzer replied. All we can do now is try to calm her down. She's blocked Lunash from her mind.
"Sonja…" Kai called softly once he was standing in front of her.
Immediately Sonja's head snapped up to regard him with wild, unfocused eyes. "Stay away!" she shouted, flattening herself against the wall. Her breath came in rapid, shallow gasps.
"Easy…I'm not going to hurt you," he said gently, taking a step closer and reaching out with one hand. Sonja flinched away from his touch in a manner that reminded him of a frightened, caged animal. Kai knew he had to be careful with her in such an emotionally disturbed state. If Lunash perceived him as a threat to Sonja, things could get really ugly really fast…
Before Sonja could bolt, Kai reached out and grasped her shoulders with both hands. She cried out and tried to get free, but his grip was firm while still careful not to hurt her. "Sonja, it's me, Kai." She scrunched her eyes shut and kept her head turned away. Carefully, Kai took one hand off her shoulder and gently grasped her chin, turning her head to face him. "Look at me," he commanded softly.
Sonja opened her eyes, and recognition dawned briefly. "K-Kai?" she asked innocently. He nodded, and her breath hitched in her throat. "Oh Kai…"she whispered brokenly before being drawn to his chest in a warm, soothing embrace. Silent sobs shook her slender frame, threatening to make her knees buckle.
Without pulling away, Kai gently coaxed Sonja down onto a nearby bench. He bent his head to her ear. "Easy…it's all right. I'm here," he said in a low, husky whisper that made Sonja's eyes drift halfway shut.
Sonja's arms latched around Kai's waist, and she huddled closer to him, subconsciously seeking his warmth and security. She buried her face in the folds of his scarf. "Hold me," she pleaded. "I'm cold. So cold…" Kai's protective instincts flared, and his arms tightened around her, drawing her closer, as if his body alone could shield her from whatever haunted her. He used one hand to guide her head to his chest, running his fingers tenderly through her hair, while the other traced long, slow circles on her back. Sonja focused on the strong, steady cadence of Kai's heartbeat as she willed her pulse to return to normal and her sobs to quiet.
Eri cringed in sympathy as she watched Eddy and Steve help an injured Rick, who was hobbling on one leg, back to the bench. 'That ankle will probably have him out of commission for the rest of the tournament.'
"I can't believe no one's crying foul for that!" Nakia exclaimed. "There was no need for Alannah to do that to him!"
"It's no good, Nakia," Hina stated. "After that little speech Xhaiden gave, no one's going to say anything."
DJ Jazzman quickly confirmed Hina's declaration. "Wow, the Omega Platoon bladers are really on their game today! Having their coach by their side has done wonders for their morale!"
Xhaiden grinned sadistically at the deafening roar of the crowd. "Everything is going according to plan. Raina, kindly show these people just how serious we are."
"Yes sir," Raina replied emotionlessly as she prepared to square off against Max.
Back in the locker room, Kai and Sonja sat together in silence for several long minutes before Sonja lifted her head to meet Kai's gaze. Concern and sympathy were obvious in his normally stoic expression. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, not knowing what else to say.
"What happened to trigger that attack?" Kai asked.
Sonja shook her head. "I don't know…" she lied. Of course it had been Xhaiden. Who wouldn't have a panic attack after seeing their worst nightmare standing before their very eyes? In some ways, Sonja had had it worse than Eri during their years at Xhaiden's Abbey. Eri had grown up in the Abbey for as long as she could remember, so the grueling training and beatings were just another part of her daily life. Sonja, on the other hand, had spent enough time with her parents to know the love of a family, and the first thing Xhaiden did upon her arrival was crush those tender emotions until only a small seed remained, guarded by her steel-clad mental barriers. Sonja's heart was so much like spring, promising warmth but still often clinging to the chill of winter, a fact Kai was just beginning to comprehend.
Kai had a feeling Sonja wasn't being honest with him. "Do you not trust me?" he asked. 'Of course she doesn't trust me, not after the way I treated her. Me and my stupid jealousy…'
Sonja looked away, ashamed at herself for having to lie to him. But she couldn't tell him about Xhaiden. It would put his team and hers in danger. "It's not that…" she trailed off. Kai's hand cupped her cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze again. This time, however, a tiny smirk played at the corner of his mouth.
"I suppose I'll just have to win your trust then," Kai stated. Sonja's eyes widened as he dipped his head and his lips claimed hers in an achingly gentle kiss. Fear quickly gave way to passion as the feel of his mouth moving on hers made her eyelids drift shut. Sonja's hands moved up to rest on Kai's shoulders as she tentatively returned the kiss.
After a few moments, Kai started to pull away, but Sonja followed, wanting more. Smirking against her mouth, Kai's tongue flicked across her closed lips, begging for entry. Sonja granted him the entrance he sought, and Kai wasted no time in laying claim to the inner cavern of her mouth. A low groan escaped Sonja's throat as her arms twined around his neck, one hand reaching up to play with his hair.
Need for air finally drove the two apart, and Sonja had to take several deep breaths before asking, "What was that about?"
"Exactly what I said," Kai replied with a smirk. "I want you to trust me."
"And you intend to accomplish that by kissing me?" she asked skeptically.
Kai's voice dropped to a husky whisper that tickled Sonja's ear. "I don't remember hearing you object."
"Well, I…" Kai didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence.
"Hang on, Draciel!" Max shouted encouragingly to his bit beast. The black turtle cried out in pain and held up his forelimbs to shield his head as Dregore continued to tear into him with relentless attacks. Max's heavily defensive strategy was the only thing that had kept him in the game for this long.
"Time to finish this, Dregore! Magma Explosion!" Raina ordered coldly. Dregore leaped back and called up jets of lava that spewed up from cracks in the dish.
"Aqua Shield!" Max called, summoning his final attack. Draciel created a massive tidal wave that surrounded him in a protective cocoon and blocked the first onslaught of fire. However, the collision of the two attacks kicked up a cloud of steam that shielded the dish and the beybladers from view. "What's going on? I can't see a thing!" Suddenly Dregore's form broke through the mist, lunging for Max with claws and teeth bared. Max cried out in surprise and terror, but Draciel came to his rescue by placing himself between his master and Dregore.
"DRACIEL!!!!"
Eri strained to see through the mist, but unfortunately she didn't have long to wait. Max was suddenly flung backwards out of the steam and landed on one knee, his arms crossed defensively in front of him and covered in bleeding cuts and scratches. Compared to his beyblade, though, he got lucky. The attack ring was completely destroyed, and the weight disk had melted down. Max looked down and breathed a small sigh of relief upon seeing that at least the bit chip was still intact. Max reached out to his bit beast with his mind but got no response. Draciel had paid a great price to protect his master, and it would be some time before he woke up.
'It seems this tournament is just full of surprises. Wouldn't you agree, Pyrix?'
Indeed, Eri. Not even I could have predicted that Xhaiden would be so brazen as to reveal himself in the middle of the tournament, Pyrix replied.
At present, Eri was back in her team's hotel room working on her laptop. Sonja had come back after the match with Omega Platoon, looking a little shaken but otherwise fine. She, Nakia, and Hina had left to go out to dinner, but Eri had stayed behind, claiming that she had work to do. In fact, she was working on some upgrades for her team's beyblades. After witnessing Omega Platoon's raw display of power, the Temporal Knights would need every advantage they could get.
A knock at the door broke Eri's concentration. 'Who on earth…?' The girls had a room key, so they would have no need to knock. She went to the door and opened it to find, to her surprise, Tala. "Tala? What are you doing here?" she asked, more out of confusion than anything.
"We need to talk," Tala said, abruptly shoving past her to walk into the room.
"Ex-cuse me?" Eri asked, more than a little perturbed by Tala's sudden cold attitude.
"Kai tells me your teammate Sonja had a panic attack today during the matches," Tala stated, pinning Eri with a hard look.
'What? Why didn't she tell me?' Eri thought with alarm while she carefully hid her surprise at Tala's announcement.
I'm not sure. Lunash has not spoken of it either, Pyrix replied. I'm sure it was Xhaiden's appearance that caused it.
Eri knew she had to choose her words carefully. Tala couldn't find out the truth about Xhaiden or her team's past with him, no matter what. "If something were bothering Sonja, she would have told me. Kai must have been mistaken."
Tala crossed his arms over his chest, not believing Eri's excuse for a minute. "Somehow I highly doubt that. I've always thought there was something…different…about your team, and Sonja's panic attack only helps prove my point. What are you hiding?"
"Since when do you think you have a right to shove your nose into other people's business, Volkov?" Eri hissed in a dangerous undertone. "What goes on with my team is of no concern to you." She could feel her anger building, despite Pyrix's warnings to keep her emotions in check.
"Hmph, of all people, Eri, I never thought you would be the type to not care about the well-being of your teammates."
Upon hearing that statement, something snapped inside Eri's mind, and she rounded on the male Russian with a furious glare. "How DARE you accuse me of not caring! You don't know the first thing about me!" she exclaimed, her voice rising until it carried down the hall of the hotel. "I would give my life to protect them, which is more than I could probably say about you."
"Oh really? Now who's making rash judgments?" Tala shot back. "And besides, I don't have to worry about dying for my teammates because, unlike yours, they can actually fend for themselves!"
That about sent Eri over the top. Tala could insult her until he turned blue in the face, but insulting her teammates, her most trusted friends, was another matter entirely. "Are you looking for a fight? Just say the word, Tala, and we'll settle this right her, right now," Eri challenged, gripping her beyblade firmly in her hand. The bit chip pulsated with an angry red aura that covered her clenched fist as it fed off her anger.
"Why bother? It would be a waste of my time."
"Then why are you wasting your precious time talking to me in the first place?"
"You know what? Forget it. I don't even know why I bothered coming here in the first place!" Tala exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air to emphasize his frustration. Furious, he pivoted on his heel and headed for the door. "See if I ever try to help you out again."
"I don't recall ever asking for your help!"
"Fine," Tala hissed through gritted teeth. He slammed the door behind him with enough force to rattle the walls.
"And don't bother coming back!" Eri shouted at the closed door.
After a few moments, the adrenaline that had been feeding her anger vanished, and she had to sit down to keep from completely collapsing. She groaned and dropped her hand into her hands as the reality of what had just happened caught up with her. 'What have I done?'
Oh Eri… Without a second thought, Pyrix assumed her physical form and sat at Eri's feet. With a small whimper, she placed her head in her mistress's lap, hoping to offer at least a shred of comfort with her presence.
Numbly, Eri reached out with a trembling hand and stroked Pyrix's fur, using their bond as an anchor while she worked to re-build the tattered barriers around her anger. She dropped her head into her other hand and gritted her teeth in frustration. She hadn't come that close to losing control since her days at the Abbey. At that moment, all she wanted to do was cry over how stupid she had been, but she couldn't.
'Because I have no tears left to cry…'
End chapter 12
Author's Note: Whew…that chapter turned out longer than I thought! I just got on a roll and couldn't stop! I'll try to keep them from getting that long in the future, but I figured this would help make up for being gone for so long. I know it's been forever, but please review and tell me what you thought! Take care!