so heres another update. thanks for all the reviews!

sergeik- i laughed so hard when i read your comment about lauren accidentally setting the bed on fire. especially since i know kenzi would have a field day if dr. hotpants's sex was literally on fire haha thanks for brightening my day

Lauren

I panicked at the Ash's words and looked to Bo, not sure what to do. She stared back with her blazing blue eyes and shook her head. I didn't know how to interpret the gesture. Was she telling me to lie or not? I couldn't see any other option besides telling the truth and I regretted bringing her with me. I understood that she would want to protect Trick and Dyson, but my main priority was to protect her.

The Ash had obviously seen the exchange. He turned to Marcus, leaning in to whisper something to the mage.

Marcus bowed quickly and made his way over to Bo. It didn't take long to figure out his intentions.

"Ash, please. She doesn't know anything," I pleaded.

"Even if that were true," the Ash said in an aggressive tone, "you do know. And she is your weakness, doctor."

Marcus began to move his hands around the air in front of Bo and, just as I was about to tell the Ash about Dyson and Trick, she cried out, doubling over.

Before I knew it, an intense, uncontrollable rush of heat spread throughout my body. I didn't realize what was happening until the guard holding my arms yelled in pain and let go, the scent of burning flesh filling the room.

The Ash's eyes widened in shock as my new ability was revealed and I knew then that I may have just ruined my chances of getting out of the compound alive.

I couldn't take the time to dwell on this; I had to make sure that Bo would be safe.

I raised my hand towards Marcus, forcing him to cease his hand motions.

"I'll tell you everything," I said, looking back to the Ash, "but you have to give me your blood oath that you'll let Bo go, unharmed."

The Ash seemed to be considering this when I saw Bo straighten up in my peripheral vision.

"We found it on one of the bounty hunters," she said loudly and I turned to face her in shock.

Did she really think the Ash would believe we would try to protect a bounty hunter?

I recognized the desperation in her eyes before returning my attention to the Ash as he clenched his jaw in anger and said, "Lying to me will only make this worse for both of you."

Suddenly, the enraged guard I had burned regained his composure and took hold of the arm I had raised to Marcus and wrenched it back, slamming his fist into the back of my elbow and shattering the bones.

I'm sure I screamed as my arm bent the wrong way and I felt bone rip through skin. My legs gave out and I landed on my knees, spots clouding my vision. I fought to hold onto consciousness and the contents of my stomach.

The Ash was yelling something but as the blood rushed in my ears, I couldn't make out the words.

It was as I was starting to regain control of my senses that I felt something in the air change. I looked up just in time to see the guard, who had been holding Bo, fly through the air and crash into Marcus, sending them both to the floor in a heap.

Still somewhat dazed, I turned my gaze to Bo, not knowing how she could've possibly done that. The guard had to have been three times her size and all muscle.

Then I saw it in her eyes. It wasn't Bo looking back at me; it was something primal.

Megan, the Ash's assistant, entered the room as Bo, or whatever had taken over her body, raised her arms out, her skin glowing with golden energy.

I was paralyzed by fear as I watched everyone around us freeze, their heads falling back. Bo started draining them of their chi, simultaneously, until they all collapsed to the floor, including the Ash.

Looking back up at Bo, she met my eyes and began to speak in a booming, demonic voice, "We can be the most powerful of them all. There will be no Light, and no Dark. They will fall at our feet. You, as my queen, and I, as yours, will rule even the gods."

"Bo..."

She began to sway, her eyes turning brown again. She passed out and I tried to catch her before she hit the floor, but moving even the slightest bit caused excrutiating pain in my arm. I carefully crawled over to her and shook her, willing her to wake up.

"Oh, Bo," I whispered, looking around at all the bodies on the floor, not sure whether they were dead or just unconscious. "What have we done?"

Bo

When I came to, Lauren was leaning over me, her skin was a ghostly white and her breathing was harsh and labored. The last few moments before I blacked out came back to me and the sickening sound of Lauren's arm breaking and her scream of agony played through my head. My eyes went immediately to her mangled arm which hung limp at her side, and though she was wearing a jacket, I saw the blood flowing down her hand and pooling on the floor. Not wasting another second, I sat up and brought her lips to mine, breathing my chi into her. When I pulled away, her breathing had calmed and the pain in her eyes had been replaced by panic.

"Bo, we have to get out of here now," she said in a rushed whisper.

I finally let myself look at the scene around me. "What happened? Did... did I do this?"

I scrambled to my feet and Lauren got up, too. "I dont know how but you drained them all at the same time," she said, shaking her head.

Terror seized my chest and I ran over to the Ash. He was still breathing, barely.

"Bo, we have to go."

"I need to save them," I told her before leaning down and breathing just enough chi into the Ash to bring him from the brink of death but not to consciousness. I repeated this with the other four, coming to Megan last. Just as I finished with her, the Ash began to move.

I got up and took Lauren's hand, dragging her behind me as I ran out the doors and through the halls to the exit. We only passed one Fae, who had looked at us startled, before jumping out of our way.

When we reached the doors, the two guards stationed there attempted to block our way.

I kicked the first one between his legs, and Lauren froze the second so I could deliver a hard punch to his throat. Once they were both on the ground, gasping, I grabbed Lauren's hand again and we ran out the exit and to my car, jumping in.

My hands were shaking so badly I could barely get the key into the ignition. As I sped away from the compound, I gripped the steering wheel tight, anger and nausea taking me over.

"Fuck!" I yelled in frustration. I had lost control, worse than anything before, and now, the Ash would be after us. "I can't fucking believe this! How could they do this to us? I know Dyson might have been pissed about me breaking up with him, but seriously? And Trick! Fucking Trick and his fucking lies, thinking he knows everything. God! Why didn't I see this coming?"

"Bo, you need to calm down," Lauren said, reaching over and putting her hand on my thigh.

The contact instantly made me feel safer and my heart slowed. I eased my foot off the gas pedal, realizing I had been going twenty miles over the speed limit. The last thing I needed right now was to be pulled over.

"You really think they knew?" she asked.

"You don't?" I countered, giving her an incredulous look.

She sighed and looked away, "I don't know."

"We have to leave town. I have to get Kenzi and then we'll go, lay low for a week or so. Until we can get this taken care of."

"Where will we go?"

"I don't know, yet."

"The Dal is a sanctuary," she volunteered timidly.

"You can't seriously be suggesting that we go to Trick for help? If you haven't noticed, that hasn't exactly worked out so far."

"We don't know that he had anything to do with it. He could be innocent," she reasoned.

"Don't you think that if I believed that even the tiniest bit, I would've told the Ash? Don't get me wrong, I am unbelievably pissed at him and Dyson, but I don't want them dead. Severely injured, maybe... but not dead." I pulled into the driveway and turned off the car, shaking my head. "We can't go to the Dal."

"I know you don't like it, but it's the best option. And despite what Trick may or may not have done, I know he will protect you."

"I'm not going to risk him putting us in more danger. None of this would've happened if he hadn't lied to us. I don't even know what happened to me back there, Lauren. I don't remember anything and I could've killed five people without knowing what I was doing. Do you get how messed up that is? I really am a fucking monster," I whispered before opening the car door and getting out.

I was almost to the house, trying my best not to let the tears escape my eyes, when I felt Lauren's fingers close around my wrist and I stopped, bowing my head but not turning around.

She walked in front of me, and lifted my chin slowly until she was looking me straight in the eyes, "You are not a monster. I don't understand what happened, either, but it wasn't your fault; you were provoked. They were torturing you and you reacted in self defense. They're all still alive, okay? You saved them."

"What if it happens again? What if, next time, I can't save them?" I asked her, my voice coming off harsher than I intended. I took a breath to calm myself. "What if I hurt you or Kenzi? I could've killed you!"

"But you didn't. Even though you weren't aware of what was happening, you didn't hurt me, which means you can learn to control it."

I wanted so much to believe her, but I couldn't help the feelings of anxiety and fear.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned away from her, heading to the door, "I have to get Kenzi."

Lauren

I had forgotten Tamsin was with Kenzi and when Bo and I walked in, the first thing we heard was, "Take that, you dirty robot skank!"

"Dude, what the hell?! You just shot me!" Kenzi yelled.

"Well, get out of my way then- Shit!"

"Ha! Karma's a bitch."

They both looked away from the television at the sound of the door closing.

"You guys look like shit," Tamsin deadpanned and Kenzi dropped her controller, standing up.

She walked over to Bo, "What's going on?"

"We have to go," Bo answered. "Pack whatever you need, I don't know how long we'll be gone."

The younger girl nodded and turned without a word, rushing to the stairs with Bo behind her.

"How come whenever I see you, you have a new injury?" Tamsin asked as she came up to me. "Who was it this time? Bounty hunters? Under Fae? Santa Claus?"

I realized she was referring to the fact that my hand was still covered in blood. "It's another one of those long stories... Thanks for staying with Kenzi, but as you can see, we kind of have a situation. You should probably go."

"You still haven't told me why they're after you, and seeing as I no longer have a truck because of it, I think I deserve to know."

"Listen, I'm sorry you got involved in this but the less you know, the better."

"Where are you going to go?"

"That has yet to be determined. Maybe the Dal."

"You realize that's the first place whoever is after you will look, right?"

"It's sanctuary. We'll be safe there."

"Yea," Tamsin rolled her eyes, "for a day. Two, at the most."

"We'll be fine, but thanks for your concern."

Bo came down the stairs and started hurrying around the living room and kitchen, stuffing various things into a Duffel bag.

"I think I might know a place you can go where they definitely won't find you."

Overhearing what Tamsin said, Bo stopped her rummaging and turned to the blonde, "Why do you want to help us? We barely know eachother."

She did have a point; Tamsin's behaviour was a little odd. Most people would take off in a heartbeat after nearly being killed for their association with someone they hardly knew. At least, I imagined the sane ones would.

Tamsin crinkled her nose and looked up at the ceiling in a mock pensive expression. "I don't know. I guess I'm developing a soft spot for your warmth and kind words," she said sarcastically.

"Right," Bo rolled her eyes, "Well if you don't mind, we have things to do."

Tamsin sighed and shook her head, "What's that saying? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth? Which I don't really get because, what are you supposed to do? Accept it and hope soldiers don't crawl out of it later and kill you in your sleep? I don't understand humans."

Bo and I just stared at her and then glanced at eachother, not sure what to say.

"Anyway," the blonde continued, "It's safer than the Dal and I think that since I kind of saved your life earlier, you should give me a little more credit."

I had to agree that she hadn't given us any reason to not trust her. Bo must have thought the same because she was the first to speak, "I don't have a lot of room in my car."

"I'll take the SUV, you'll be able to pack more if you want," she offered.

I waited as Bo seemed be deciding what to do. Finally she shrugged, "Fine. Where are we going?"