"What do you mean?" Cinder asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth in shaken fear. "I-I.... I saw what it means to fall into black magic. There was no controlling that."

"There isn't. Well. Not that we know of anyway," Jika said. 

His uncertainty didn't help Cinder. A cold silence had fallen after the druid spoke. It was heavy. At least that was how it felt to Cinder. It was almost as if he couldn't breathe. Like something was crushing down on his chest. The idea that his father wanted him to go black was insane. Cinder's hands were shaking, the terrifying thoughts sent a flood of adrenaline through him. The kind that made him want to run and hide away forever. 

Kydyn shifted and took hold of Cinder's hand. He tightened his grip, giving Cinder something solid to cling to. "First off. That prick isn't going to succeed in making you black. I'll kill him first. Secondly, we'll figure out what it is he knows. If there is a way to control someone who's gone into black magic. Then we'll be prepared."

Cinder stared at Kydyn in shock. Was it possible for the warlock to have been... comforting him? It was hard to tell. After all, his lips were pulled up in the usual grin, and a wild light burning in his gaze. Cinder could only nod in agreement though. Whether he meant to or not, his words had helped. Even if they were venomous. Kydyn tightened his grip even more before he let go. The warmth that had soaked into Cinder's fingers tingled as it started to ebb away. 

"We have a lot to do then," Syl said. "We also can't stay here for much longer. We're lucky to have Jika with us to heal the wounded as quickly as he has."

"Where are we going?" Cinder asked.

"Another hide out. We have several spread throughout the city. Some are underground. I think that's where we'll go. The one on the southern end. An old underground railway station used to run the length of the city. In any case. Anywhere but here. Dean's transportation spell left a trail. One that Iriyn can follow quite easily. I'm sure he's following it now. The sooner we move the better."

That ended the meeting and Syl's group got up from the table where they'd been sitting. As they left the room, Syl remained along with Cinder and Kydyn. She was watching Cinder, her fingers laced together up next to her mouth. It was a little unnerving, to stare into her rust colored eyes. As the door closed to the room, Cinder took a breath and settled his raging thoughts enough to ask her what he'd always wanted to know. "What were they like?"

"Who?"

"My parents. Did you know them?"

Syl hummed softly, her eyes closing as she leaned off to the side in her chair. "Yeah. I knew them. Iriyn and Reesa. At first glance, they were nice people. The perfect couple who most everyone else envied. They did everything together. It was rare to see them separate of one another. Unless they were working, but that was a given of course."

"So he wasn't always a douchebag," Kydyn butted in.

"You don't have to be here," Syl retorted, glaring at him. 

Kydyn just shrugged and flashed a smile. He tilted the chair back and might have put his boots up on the table, but Syl's mouth twitched into a brief frown accompanied by a darker look that kept him from doing it. Cinder ignored him. It was getting easier to do, much like Jika ignored him almost all the time. "What changed?"

"Not sure." Syl shrugged, then rested her chin in the palm of her hand, fingernails curling up to her cheek. "Reesa was pregnant with you. Iriyn started working more. Said it was to help pay for the hospital bills. Though everyone knew your parent's were more than well off. After you were born, they took time off. They were gone for a good six months or so. Advantages of being rich I suppose. Then, when he came back to work. He was different."

"Different how?"

Syl was looking up into the dark corners of the room. She seemed lost in memory, a kind of glaze over her eyes. "Colder. He didn't like having too many people around him. Odain and a few others were with him all the time. That's when they started research on the magus. I was brought in because of I worked the research center at the time. I knew more about our systems than anyone else. I knew what we had and didn't have and if we didn't have it, I knew where to get it."

"They used you," Kydyn said.

"Yeah. I wasn't an idiot. I understood I was disposable. And as things got more complex, the research on the magus became highly classified and I was eventually reduced to a mere secretary for Odain. A way of keeping an eye on me."

"How did you create the Ivory Guard then?" Cinder asked.

Syl smiled then. A knowing smile that was filled with a bit of mischief too. "Oh I was already a part of the Ivory Guard long before I was a researcher for the council. The Ivory Guard is as old as the council is. We've been here for generations. The true rebels, if you want. I'm just the newest leader. Though we're nothing like what Odain has imagined us to be, or painted for the public. We don't go around destroying buildings or offing people just because. Our prime purpose is to keep an eye on the council and if need be, kill them."

"Have you? Killed any of them that is?"

"Yes. Iriyn, Odain, and the rest of their group were growing dangerous. We figured that Iriyn's son –you that is—was a magus. He was planning something. What that plan was, we didn't know. But they were getting close to success and we feared what that might have been." Syl paused in her speech and finally looked at Cinder. The tight lipped frown on her face gave Cinder chills again. 

"What is it?" Cinder prodded. Whatever it was, he needed to know it. Despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. 

"We killed several of the council men. But the fight wasn't what we expected. Reesa knew about Iriyn's intentions. I'm sorry, Cinder. If we had been faster. We could have saved her."

"Who killed her?" Cinder asked, his voice tight with emotion. He knew the answer. But hearing it again would solidify it for him. 

"Iriyn. The house was up in a blaze when we got there. We managed to get inside and went after him. Some of the council was already there. A meeting of some sort was what we guessed at, we just had the location wrong in the beginning. Iriyn had escaped at some point, but we killed several of the people he was conspiring with. And failed to save Reesa. We thought you'd died in the fire too, or that Iriyn had you. We couldn't find you and the fire was getting dangerous."

"How did you know to go to my house?" 

"Reesa called my sister. They worked together, were close to one another. When she called, Iriyn was trying to kill her. I lost my sister to the fire. She fell off the balcony on the second floor with one of the council members."

Cinder sucked in a sharp breath. "That's who I saw. I thought it was him."

"So he did alter your memory. There were enchanter's there, weaving spells but we didn't know who they were targeting. I'm sorry, Cinder. I wish I could have been there sooner."

Cinder shook his head. "If anyone is to blame it's him. He's the one who killed her. If you hadn't come, there's no telling what he would have done with me."

"Turned you black," Kydyn said, anger thick in his Irish accent. 

"And he's still trying. The sooner we get to a safer place the better. Then we can start figuring out what it is Iriyn knows that we don't."

It was like a caravan. A line of about fifteen people walking through the dark tunnels of the underground subway station. It was eerily quiet. Cinder was near the middle of the train. Still, he couldn't help but to keep looking back as if he thought someone was going to start killing people from the end of the line. The idea had his throat drying. Swallowing didn't help, neither did water. 

"What the hell are you so afraid of?" Kydyn asked. He was walking in front of Cinder. Looking over his shoulder, Kydyn frowned at him. Cinder returned the harsh glare that he received from the warlock. 

"It's freaking dark in here. And it's creepy."

"Afraid of the dark?" Kydyn chuckled, a mischievous grin on his lips. 

"Fuck you."

"You keep telling me that, but we actually haven't fucked yet. There are plenty of dark corners through here. I'll take your mind off that fear."

"You're disgusting." Cinder said as he looked around in the darkness. 

Kydyn growled at the back of his throat. "What was that? Am I disgusting to you?"

"What? N-no! That's not what I meant! You're not disgusting, Kydyn. I was saying that it's nasty to do it down here!" Cinder hissed his response, trying to keep his voice low. The last thing he needed were the others listening in to their conversation. 

The anger changed over to amusement again. Kydyn's emotions were a rollercoaster that Cinder was just barely used to. "Oh? So you do find me attractive. You want me don't you?"

"You're delusional!" 

"Not what you said when I was kissing you. In fact, if I remember correctly, you said it was pretty fucking great. Which means you think I'm great. Don't you?"

Cinder groaned and was thankful for the darkness because he could feel blood rising across his cheeks. At least the warlock wouldn't be able to see his blushing, that would only make the teasing worse. "I said it was 'nice' not great. And no, I don't think you're great either."

"Nice, great. Same thing."

"Not really."

"I could do this all day, princess."

"Stop calling me that," Cinder snapped, anger bristling over his earlier embarrassment. 

"What? Princess? Why should I? You come from a rich family. And it's not like you're topping me."

"I wasn't even considering it to begin with! Not like I'd let you on me either!"

"Not what I remember."

"Oh really? And what the hell did you remember and when?" Cinder asked, the words heavy with irritation. 

"Let's see here. When you star gazed you were moaning my name. After that bastard tried to kill us, you moaned for me when I kissed you."

"So just because I did that makes me a princess."

"Yes," Kydyn answered and he sounded rather proud of himself. 

Cinder wanted to deck him. "And what happens if you moan for me?"

"Not happening. Though you're more than welcome to try."

Seething, Cinder glared at the back of the warlock's skull. He wanted to take up the nearest blunt object and bash Kydyn's head in. God he was so full of himself! Cinder held his breath and forced himself to concentrate on something else. If he continued to let his mind focus on Kydyn he'd just end up pissed off for the rest of the day. Not something he wanted to deal with. 

The subway opened up to a platform and it was there that they stopped a few hours later to eat and rest. Cinder tried to imagine it full of people waiting for the next train to arrive. Signs hung from the ceiling. They might have mapped out where the trains destinations were, but Cinder couldn't see it. The square metal was rusted out and faded with age. The most he could make out were white lines that were cracked and peeling.

Taking a long gulp of his water, Cinder leaned back against the tiled wall that was chipping and falling apart, revealing the inside. Rebar could be seen through the holes in the concrete. Cinder flinched at the sound of something scratching through the rock and pulled away from the wall. Frowning at the dark holes, he scooted away from it and a little closer to Jika and Lyn. Lyn was leaning against Jika's back, legs stretched out in front of him and his head tilted against the druid's broad shoulder. 

"Ugh, I'm so tired," he moaned.

Jika smiled and moved forward a little more. Lyn squirmed and gave him grunt of irritation. He muttered something about being comfortable. "Not too much longer."

"You said that last time."

"I was trying to appease you."

"You failed," Lyn said without missing a beat.

Cinder smirked as he shook his head at them. Lifting the water bottle to his lips again, he took another deep drink of it. The platform they were all seated on groaned and in the next instant, shifted. Water went all over Cinder's face as he choked on it, startled by the sudden motion. Questions filled the air as people go to their feet. The tension was tight. 

There was an eerie grinding sound that echoed through the tunnel. Cinder got up as well, Jika and Lyn following after him. He moved over to the edge, looking down the railway into the pitch black. His heart thumped hard, a lump in his throat as he tried to see what had caused the rocking. The concrete under his feet groaned and Cinder felt it shudder again. He swayed, knocked off balance by the motion. Earthquake! 

"Out of the station!" Syl shouted. "Now!"

Someone grabbed his arms as the shaking increased. Yanking Cinder from the edge, the person pulled him around. "Get your ass moving," Kydyn snapped at him. The warlock put Cinder in front of him and shoved. Stumbling forward, Cinder managed to catch himself to keep from falling flat on his face. He ran for the stairs, rushing after the others who had obeyed Syl's order. The concrete beneath his feet rolled, the motion making it hard to climb up out of the subway station. With Kydyn yelling at him to move faster, Cinder was lucky he wasn't getting his feet tangled up as fear and stressed worked against him. 

Gripping the railing tightly, he used it as leverage to keep moving. It was the railing that saved him from the fall. The concrete fell apart under his feet and with a shout of fear, he clung to the bar of steel. Cinder's body hit the wall of concrete that had built the staircase, underneath him was nothing but pitch black and his heart seemed to constrict his throat. 

"S-shit!" Cinder squeaked the curse. 

"Fucking son of a bitch." Kydyn was right there with him, swearing in English first then Irish. Cinder's chest constricted as he struggled to hold onto the cold, slick bar. It seemed like the tighter his grip, the easier he slipped. The void beneath him sent chills down his back. It wasn't natural, the darkness that seemed to go on forever. Cinder had tried not to stare down into it, but he couldn't help it. 

It was mere seconds after the stairwell had fallen apart from under his feet that he felt something slither up his left leg and tighten down all the way up to his thigh. Cinder gasped, the high pitched sound too loud in his ears. A harsh tug down undid his grip on the railing and he screamed. Kydyn shouted, and the warlock was lunging forward for him. Cinder squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he fell, arms stretched up over his head. The weightless feeling ended with a jolt. 

Chancing a look up, Cinder was relieved to see Kydyn leaning forward, holding onto his forearm. Cinder curled his fingers around Kydyn's arm to help keep the connection. He was desperate for anything at that point, so long as it kept him from falling into the darkness. Cinder felt the coil around his leg tug again and he yelped. Throwing his other hand up, he caught hold of Kydyn and clung to him desperately. The warlock was straining as he pulled up, but whatever was around Cinder's leg wasn't letting go. 

"Kydyn!" Cinder cried his name, feeling the burn of tears as terror flooded him. 

"I have you," he said. The firm determination helped to ease some of the ache in Cinder's chest.

Cinder could feel his heart thrumming rapidly, the pulses were almost awful. Then came the hyperventilation. The idea that something was wrapped around him only fueled the fire to his horror. It squeezed tighter and Cinder groaned in pain. Kydyn cursed under his breath, the Irish thick and heavy in his tone. Cinder's arms were beginning to burn with the strain of Kydyn pulling up and the thing around him yanking down. For a mere moment, Cinder considered loosening his grip if only to ease the threat of dislocation to both shoulders. 

The slithering beast shifted again and Cinder jolted in Kydyn's grip, an agonized scream ripping from his throat. The thing was biting him, tearing into his leg. To Cinder it felt as if the creature was trying to saw his leg off. The pain was unimaginable. Cinder couldn't stop screaming. He clawed at Kydyn's arm, tugging as if he could pull himself up out of the pit. Kydyn must have chanted something after Cinder started screaming, because he felt as if he'd just stuck his finger in a socket. Every muscle seized up, including his throat. The screams became garbled noises that just barely squeezed out of his mouth. 

Whatever had a hold of his leg loosened and fell away. Cinder couldn't feel relief though as Kydyn hauled him up out of the hole. Air ruffled his hair and cooled the searing heat of his body, but the pain was still blinding. Cinder couldn't tell if Kydyn was using magic or not. Focusing on the warlock was impossible. It was all he could do to keep air flowing in and out of his trembling lungs. 

Cinder's fingers trailed down his side to his throbbing leg. He felt slick heat coating his hand and he flinched. Whimpering, he dared to look. His leg was a bloody mess. It looked as if he'd stuck it in a shredder. Cinder could feel the blood draining from his face as he stared in horror. His body heated considerably, sweat trickling down the hairline. Next to him, Kydyn was cursing both in English and in Irish. Wiggling out of his jacket, he jarred Cinder several times though Cinder didn't really feel it. 

Throwing the denim around Cinder's leg, he moved the ruined limb and apologized several times as Cinder hissed and yelped in pain. Kydyn tied the jacket as best he could and Cinder had the brief thought of if it was going to stop the bleeding or not. He didn't think so with how Kydyn had wrapped it up around the entire wound. Cinder's thoughts were immediately blown apart as the warlock pulled him close and hoisted him up off the stair that he'd set Cinder down on. 

Cinder wrapped his arms around Kydyn's neck and held so tightly that he was pretty sure Kydyn had snapped something about choking him. Whether or not he loosened his grip was in question as he was jostled several times while Kydyn worked around the broken portion of the stairs and continued up out of the subway. Hands brushed against Cinder's arms and shoulders as Kydyn carried him. Voices assaulted his ears too, but he couldn't focus long enough to discern who was who. Instead, he shivered as he clung to Kydyn. He was sweating, but cold as ice. Cinder tried to get closer to Kydyn as he was the only source of heat that somewhat helped ease the chills that spread. 

His head was lolling on the warlock's shoulder, nearly unconscious, when he felt a horrid burning pulse through his body. Cinder woke with a start, voice cracking as he cried out in pain. He kept his face away from where someone had taken the jacket off his leg, hiding against Kydyn's neck. Kydyn didn't mind, in fact it felt as if he was condoning it. Holding the back of Cinder's head firmly and keeping him against his chest with the other arm, Kydyn didn't push him away or say anything in regards to Cinder's weak state. 

"Please tell me you can do something." Kydyn was talking and it sounded like he was scared. But Cinder thought that was impossible. The warlock wasn't scared of anything. Least of all for Cinder.

"It's going to be difficult, Kydyn. I'll do everything I can." It was Jika who answered him.

"Tell me he's going to survive this!" Kydyn's voice was strained and Cinder groaned as the warlock made a sharp motion. There was a muttered apology followed by what Cinder could have sworn was a press of lips against his ear. 

"I don't know." Jika's answer was like a stake to Cinder's heart. He trembled and tightened his grip around Kydyn's neck. The strength of his hold waned after a moment. He could feel himself slipping back under. It was so difficult, trying to concentrate on their voices and stay awake. 

"Jika...."

"I'll do everything I can. But there's a possibility. Just keep that in mind. There's also the possibility that I won't get all of it. Whatever it was that attacked him, it pumped grey magic into his system. It's going to pull him from the white end of the spectrum."

"To make him black...." Kydyn whispered the words but with Cinder so close to him, he could hear it. The warlock let out a huff of air that was akin to a fearful exhale that shook horribly. His arms crushed Cinder to his chest, who groaned at the feel of his neck being dug into by Kydyn's collarbone. The hold loosened, but only a little. "Jika."

It was a plea. The druid's name held so much desire it in, Cinder had the drowsy thought that he could have cried at the way Kydyn sounded. It was like Kydyn was accepting defeat. No matter how much he despised hearing Kydyn's dejected tone, there was nothing he could say to change it. 

That was because he knew. Cinder could feel the wash of energy flooding through him.The way it warped his magic, forcibly pulling on it to try to change it. Cinder feared that when –no, if—he woke up, he wouldn't be white anymore.