Tyrell waited for his sister outside the door. He was eager to talk to her early tonight since he had been holding off on discussing the matter of the Cruce with her for some time and now he had a gig with STRYFE tonight. If he didn’t talk to her soon, he wouldn’t get a chance to until tomorrow and she was supposed to have some sort of dance lessons scheduled.

He knew why he hadn’t tried to discuss it with her over the course of that week. Everybody just seemed so edgy after the attack on the dance. Luckily, Dominic had managed to return to school that Monday, fairly unscathed, and looking just as withdrawn as usual. Lucian had spent most of the week trying to explain to Kat why he had bailed out on her after the fiasco. She seemed to think that it was her fault for trying to kiss him without his permission. When Tyrell first heard about that, he was quick to agree with her method of denouncing herself, but Lucian had said otherwise. Though he had told Kat that he wasn’t all that thrilled with the unexpected kiss, he was not mad at her for it and had only left to tend to Dominic. That answer had seemed to settle her bundle of nerves. Lucian had even promised her another date by the end of the week to prove that he wasn’t angry with her. Tyrell still didn’t see why Lucian should have to prove anything.

As for Tashira, she was furious that she had missed the fight as well as the opportunity to stand alongside her brother. Tyrell had yet to tell her of the unusual behavior that the redhead had shown toward the end of the match. He didn’t want to cause further problems for the twins. Even Angelique was somewhat downhearted at the thought of being unable to assist Tyrell during the dance. She had apologized whole-heartedly for being so difficult about the type of music they danced to and had offered to spend the rest of the night comforting him over the condition of Dominic.

The fact that the dark-haired youth had recovered so quickly sparked an interest in Tyrell. He had seen how far Dominic had fallen and he had seen the blood that surrounded his body, as he lay there unconscious. Though he hadn’t actually seen what had happened afterward, he assumed that Tashira and Lucian had found some way to administer aid to their companion. What still stood out in his memory was the look of total horror that had covered Lucian’s eyes as he watched his partner crash to the ground. Lucian had obviously become very attached to the eldest boy. As unusual as that was, Tyrell was slightly happy that Dominic had finally found someone who he didn’t absolutely detest. That might mean that he would be a bit more approachable from now on. Still, Tyrell was not so sure as to how Lucian had managed to bring Dominic from that near-death state.

He had hoped that Lucian would have come to him for help and asked Angelique to use her Amethyst to cure him. Then, he remembered how upset Dominic had gotten the last time they had suggesting using Angelique’s power on him. Something about her didn’t sit well with his oldest comrade. It seemed that Dominic had even developed an aversion to Angelique herself and never spent too much time around Tyrell whenever he was with her. Whatever he had experienced due to the Amethyst’s energy had hurt him deeply and now he wanted nothing to do with either the power or the person who wielded it. Lucian had understood this and therefore, had chosen not to bring his partner to her.

The rest of the week, the teenagers had spent avoiding the subject of the Chimera altogether. Progress reports were coming out soon and Tyrell wanted to focus most of his attention on getting a decent grade that would please his parents. Dominic, Erik, and Lucian had shown an interest toward talking to him about something that had occurred during the fight but he had shied away from them, claiming to be way too busy with studying and schoolwork. Lucian had accepted this excuse and with much wheedling, managed to force his companions to concur with his decision as well.

Tyrell was afraid that he would have more trouble with Erik since she didn’t exactly work with the rest of his Guardians. Fortunately, Erik had not been in school since the first day. She mentioned something about going to see her father. He was curious as to why such a thing would interfere with her school attendance and she had mumbled about him being sick with some sort of disease that would require both her and her mother to keep an eye on him for a while. She had also appeared annoyed at the idea of going to spend time with her father. Tyrell, being rather close to his own parents, couldn't’ relate tot his attitude at all. From what he had gathered from the blonde's reluctance, her parents were a touchy subject with her. He guessed that her father wasn’t thrilled with Erik’s choice of attire or her preference to masquerade as a boy. But how could he blame him? Erik’s actions were a bit on the strange side.

Erik’s personal issues aside, he had more problems to deal with. His choice not to use the Cruce in battle was a major one. He had seen the consequences of this first hand when it had led to Dominic nearly getting killed and the rest of the Guardians getting a fair share of pain. Maybe it wasn’t the best of ideas. That was why he was eager to talk to Kat. Though his sister acted flighty from time to time, she was good with the cunning aspects. He was sure that she could give him a suggestion that would help him hold back the Chimera without risking the Cruce.

He still felt bad with himself for not sharing this new information with his Guardians. They were the ones who regularly risked their necks to protect him from getting killed. It was only right that they were kept up to date on anything that could attribute to the defeat of the Chimera. Yet Tyrell was afraid. Erik had told him a while ago that the Cruce was the only thing that the Guardians wanted from him. If he revealed its location, would they simply take it and abandon him? He didn’t want to lose his friends like that. He didn't’ even want to think of the possibility that what Erik said was true. If it were, then everything that was between him and any of the Guardians would be false. All of the kind words of Lucian, the heroic rescues by Dominic, and the soothing promises of Tashira would be nothing more than lies. Tyrell knew that he couldn’t stand such a truth. For him, it was better not to introduce any element that could result in such a revelation. He would continue to hide the knowledge that he wore the Cruce away from them until he had determined why the Chimera desired it.

Leaning against the wall, he tried to dispel all the unpleasant worries from his mind. He couldn’t pine over this now. He had to stay in spirits for tonight’s concert. Maren had promised to let him do a duet. It would be the first time that the older boy had ever let him sing for the band. Maren usually did most of the vocals since Cyrus thought that Maren had a more provocative voice.

But the other day, Gayle had caught Tyrell singing a few lines to himself as he waited for the others to get back with some refreshments. She had clapped for him, startling him, and then had proceeded to praise the quality of his voice. He recalled some of the words she had used including raw and moving. Soon after, she had insisted that he perform a piece for the other two boys. They too had been amazed at his hidden talent and Maren had begrudgingly agreed to allow Tyrell to assist him in their final number. He said it was just to check out the audience’s opinion of his voice before they decided whether or not to let him do his own numbers. Tyrell was ecstatic. Maren was going to let him sing. He was going to get to sing his own lyrics to the crowd. It was going to be awesome. He just wished that he could tell Angelique and Lucian about it. To have them there would have made the night perfect.

A lilting whimper caught his attention as he heard Lucian’s voice resound from further down the hall. "But it wasn’t my fault!" he wailed as he trotting up to Tyrell with Dominic following and smacking him on the head with a folded workbook. Lucian cringed, as the older youth walloped him again though not as hard as the initial strikes. "You always blame me for everything," the redhead grumbled as Dominic cursed under his breath.

"One more detention! I swear if you get me just one more detention, I’ll lose it. I have too much work to do to be wasting my time in that godforsaken room," the violet-eyed youth complained.

"Hey, I wasn’t the one who was talking. If I remember correctly, it was you who starting cussing me out. I simply responded," Lucian asserted ducking from another swipe of the workbook. "Would you be more careful? That thing’s heavy!"

"You were drawing ridiculous pictures of me while I was trying to take notes!"

Tyrell gaped as Lucian reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled ball of paper. He smoothed it out and stared at it for a second. The youngest youth could see that it was a picture of a stressed-looking Dominic with black wolf ears and a tail. Above it were various math problems, letting Tyrell know that Lucian had been using his Calculus notes as a sketchpad. Leaning over, he got a better look at the drawing and was forced to choke down his laughter. Lucian was no artist but the picture had been done with perfect detail, even featuring little stress zigzags floating above Dominic’s head as he bent over the desk to finish a problem. Maren would have been proud to see the work of a fellow slacker.

Noticing the younger boy, Lucian lifted his head and dashed over to him, throwing and arm around his shoulder and pointing toward the sketch. "I don’t think it looks that ridiculous. Do you, Tye?"

The other boy let out a tiny giggle and shot an amused look at Dominic. "Actually, I think you captured Dominic’s essence perfectly. I doubt I could have done any better."

"You kept that?" gawked the dark-haired youth in disbelief as he stormed over to the pair. "I can’t believe you actually kept that thing. Didn’t the teacher take it away after you wrote that profane word on the back?"

"What word did you write?" asked Tyrell, bending the paper so that he could view the back. He caught a glimpse of a bold F and smiled at Lucian. "You had to serve a whole hour, didn’t you?"

"Damn right we did. After he flashed those wonderful pieces of vocabulary at me in plain sight of the teacher, I’m surprised we didn’t get more. For god’s sake, this is a private school, Ambrose! They don’t tolerate profanity," Dominic bellowed as Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"They probably don’t look too kindly on the words, ‘Give me that paper or I’ll rip your hand off’ either," he stated as the other boy huffed.

"At least I didn’t cuss," the oldest youth mumbled.

Tyrell shook a finger at Dominic and added, "Carthala is pretty strict about verbal threats too. Maren once got three days of detention just for saying that he was going to throttle some kid." He turned back to Lucian and returned the paper to the picture of wolf-Dominic. "So how did you get this masterpiece back, Lucian?"

Lucian smiled proudly and held up the drawing. "That old guy’s eyesight isn’t too keen. When he made us drop of our homework at the end of the class, I just snatched it from his desk. I doubt he was planning to use it for evidence or anything."

Before he could bring it back down, Dominic lurched over and tore the paper from his hands, ripping it half. "You should pay more attention to the teacher and less to your daydreaming, Ambrose. How ever do you expect to graduate? Or do you even expect to graduate at all?"

"Hey!" cried Lucian as he bent down to scoop up the shredded pieces of paper. "I spent two whole class periods working on that!"

The youngest boy patted his shoulder consolingly and helped him gather up his torn artwork. He gave Lucian a soft smile and motioned toward Dominic. "He is right though, Lucian. You have to be careful if you want to get out of this place by the spring. Stuff like this could look bad on a college application."

Straightening up, Lucian shoved the halves of his sketch back into his pockets and glanced at Tyrell. "Don’t sweat it Tye. I can handle school. Though I may have just arrived at Carthala this year, I have gone through three years of high school. I just went to the school closer to where I live. Coming here is a bit out of the way, but it’s the only way I can keep an eye on you."

"How sweet," mocked Dominic as the red-haired youth glared at him.

"Anyway, what I was trying to say before I was so RUDELY interrupted was that I’m going to graduate this year without any problems. It’s okay if I zone out from time to time as long as I do well on my examinations." Seeing Dominic rolling his eyes at his words, Lucian scooted up to Tyrell and stretched his arms while uttering, "So how’s Kathy?"

Tyrell failed to notice the fire streak through Dominic’s eyes as the mahogany-haired teenager pointed to the door behind them. "She’s got a study session right now. But she should be out soon," he responded with a sigh. Why did Lucian always have to bring up Kat? He still wasn’t used to the idea of them dating. Lucian was just not Kat’s type. It was just to make up for that stupid kiss, wasn’t it?

"Cool. Because I have to ask her about that date," Lucian chirped, putting extra emphasis on the last word. "Since someone is being a prick, I think I’d rather hang out with her right now," he supplemented, watching for Dominic’s reaction.

"Do whatever you want!" snarled Dominic as he jerked away from the other two youths and began walking toward the building exit. "I’m sick of listening to your whining anyway. I’m going for a walk. I’ll get more intelligent conversation by talking to the squirrels."

Something odd struck Tyrell about the boys’ conversation. It was almost as if Lucian was deliberately trying to show Dominic that he was going out with Kat. He was flaunting it. Even when Lucian was with Kat, he was never exceedingly happy. And he had never ever tried to show off his relationship. Why was he doing it now? For that matter, why was he doing it to Dominic of all people? Dominic could care less who dated who. He was interested in that sort of nonsense. Dominic was into practical matters such as studying and planning for their next move. Why would he care whether Lucian was going on a date with Kathryn?

Yet the abrupt manner in which Dominic had trudged off indicated that he did indeed care who Lucian was going out with. Moreover, he was not happy about it either. The realization spooked Tyrell and he looked to Lucian for answers. The other boy had become quiet and was staring in the direction that his partner had gone with a look of consternation etched across his face. He also looked somewhat guilty for forcing Dominic away like that. Tyrell was confused. Hadn’t Lucian wanted to drive the eldest youth away? Why else would he have rubbed the fact that he was seeing Kat in his face?

"Damn it! I’m so stupid!" he heard Lucian hiss to himself as he turned away from the hall. "Doesn’t that idiot understand reverse psychology?"

"Lucian...." Tyrell began before the door behind them flew open and a crowd of excited students rushed out, tittering excitedly.

"Wow! She practically gave us the questions on the test!" one girl chattered.

"She’s the best study instructor in the world," came the high-pitched giggle of another.

"I’m going to get an A for sure this time!" yet another girl chirped.

"This one is going to be sooo easy," a louder student bragged as she pushed her way through the crowd.

"Come on now girls, let’s not get too full of ourselves," advised a voice that Tyrell recognized as his sister, cutting through the noise of the yelping teenagers. "We should still study a little."

"Don’t let her get to you. She’s just feeling all special because Lucian Ambrose promised her a date this weekend," argued one of the girls, waving off Kat’s comments.

Another girl pushed the other girl aside and rushed up to Kat. "Ooh is it true Kat? Seeing you two at the dance was amazing. You’re so lucky!"

"Yeah lucky. Too bad the hottest guy in school chickens out from a teeny peck on the lips," sniggered the first girl, tossing a nasty sneer toward Kat. "Or maybe it’s just you."

Kathryn put her hands on her hips and threw back her head in an arrogant manner. "I would be insulted if this wasn’t coming from a girl who allowed Brad to take her to the dance, whom everybody knows only dates girls who he knows he can bed," she snapped as the first girl clenched her teeth.

"At least my date isn’t afraid to show his appreciation!"

"Appreciation? What? Is that a euphemism for ‘I need a man that will make me feel like a slut?"

With an enraged shriek, the other girl threw herself at Kat, raising her nails to scratch her across the face. The remaining girls screamed and ran to the sides, eager to see a cat fight. It wasn’t unusual for Kat to have to prove her authority from time to time. Because she won all these skirmishes, she was given the reputation of not only being the most popular girl in Carthala, but also the toughest.

Finding themselves in the center of the melee, Lucian and Tyrell stared at the two girls who were getting ready to make each other bleed. "Kat, cut that out!" ordered Tyrell as the girl facing Kathryn turned her head to see who was interfering with their fight. As she did, Kat slapped her across the face as hard as she could, flinging her to the ground. The other girl leapt up to smack Kat back only to be blocked by Lucian who caught her wrist.

"Could you ladies hold off on tearing each other apart until me and Tye can get out of here? Neither of us are looking forward to getting slashed by one of these killer claws?" he joked, releasing the girl who backed away and stalked down the hall.

Kat watched her opponent race down the hall and flipped back her long braid. "Well, I guess I can just teach her a lesson later," she chuckled as the rest of the girls disassembled and continued on their way home. "What are you doing here Lucian?"

Lucian snatched Tyrell’s arm and pulled him closer. "Tye here was waiting for you so I decided I’d help him since he looked so lonely and forlorn."

The girl grinned and then moved her head from side to side, scanning the halls with her sapphire eyes. "Where’s your partner?" she prodded cautiously.

"Nicky’s...he’s...It doesn’t matter. I came here to pick you up for our date. How’s about we check out Carpe Diem?"

Cupping her mouth, Kat let out a surprised shout. "Carpe Diem! That place is expensive!"

"Hey, I ruined the dance so it’s only right that I make up for it. Come on, my treat."

Tyrell couldn’t take much more or this. Lucian still felt that he had an obligation to Kat. What sort of a relationship was that? He had to do something to put an end to this farce. Not only that, he still had to talk to Kathryn about the Cruce. If they went on a date right now, he wouldn’t be able to see her before the concert. This couldn’t wait until Saturday night when Kat returned from her dance class. He had been putting it off long enough. It was time to tell someone.

He put his arm on Lucian’s to stop him from leaving with Kat. "Lucian, I kind of have to talk with Kat about something."

"Oh, it can wait Tyrell. I’ve been waiting for this all week," Kat insisted, brushing off her brother’s plea. "We can talk when we get back."

"No we can’t!" growled Tyrell, pushing her away from his friend. "This is important."

Kat glared at him and slapped at his shoving hands. "Oh grow up Tyrell! You can’t make up this pointless excuses just get me away from Lucian all the time. If what you had to say was so important, you would have mentioned it this morning."

"I did! You were too busy going on about your dance course to Maren. You weren’t even listening!"

His sister smiled apologetically and hooked her arm under Lucian’s, dragging him toward the exit. "Sorry brother, but if we want to get good seats, we had better get going."

Tyrell charged after them, gazing up at Lucian with hopeful eyes. "Please Lucian. I need to talk to her before tonight."

"Why can’t it wait?" the redhead asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Can’t you just talk to her tonight. After all, I did promise her I’d take her somewhere to make up for running out on her at the dance."

The younger boy shook his head violently. How could he tell Lucian? Nobody but the members of STRYFE was supposed to know about his involvement in the band? If he told Lucian, he would more than likely suggest that he stay out of situations that could pit him against the Chimera at night. Returning back from a gig was an ideal situation for getting jumped. But he couldn’t let his Guardians keep him from STRYFE. They needed him for the guitar. It would sound crappy with just a bass player. What was he supposed to do now? Lucian would leave with Kat unless he gave him a good reason and there was no way that he could come up with anything plausible. Tyrell knew that when it came to lying, he was the worst there was.

"It’s just that...that...Oh, I don’t know! This just can’t wait!" Tyrell tried to explain as Lucian shot him a reassuring smirk.

"Don’t worry, Tye. We’ll try not to be that long. Maybe we’ll even get back before night."

"Lucian!" whined Kat, giving her boyfriend a playful poke in the ribs.

The older boy faked a wince and clutched his side. "Maybe not."

"But...." the green-eyed youth murmured as Kat tugged Lucian out the door. Why did Lucian always let people drag him around like that? Tashira. Dominic. Kat. It didn’t matter who it was. Lucian was so complacent with everyone. It irked Tyrell as he watched them disappear through the front building. He kicked at the wall and rested his forehead against the hard surface. "But I can’t wait that long."

Dominic flipped through channel after channel, amazed at the utter lack of anything decent on the array of 150 choices. He had just returned from his walk. It hadn’t made him feel any better. Usually at times like these, he would turn to his notebook, but didn’t feel like writing in it for once. Actually, he felt like tearing the whole damn thing to pieces. He was that angry. Though the notebook was one of his most prized possessions, ripping something apart would sure make him feel better right now. It was better than taking it out on some real person anyway. Some person with gorgeous red eyes and a vibrant mane of crimson. Some person who was probably wooing his girlfriend with inane drivel and lame jokes right now. Some person who should have been with him instead of dining at a fancy restaurant.

Unsettled by the direction, in which his thoughts were flowing, Dominic switched off the television and threw the remote to the ground. From the corner of his eye, he could see Tashira boiling a set of eggs while checking her watch ever so often. She had not been too keen on her brother’s decision to take Kat out tonight either. Dominic figured that the fact that she felt that she would be stuck with him all night had something to do with her discomfort. Tashira and him did not work well with each other. She saw him as an immediate danger to her brother, while he saw her as a codependent who allowed Lucian to continue his self-destructive practices. Either way, the two had consented themselves to refusing to talk or even look at each other until Lucian returned. It was working out okay for the most part. He could probably do without the constant death glares that Tashira shot at him whenever he cussed at the lack of programming.

The flustered feeling inside him bothered Dominic and he decided to take a nap to get his mind off things. When he had been younger, sleeping had always aided him in easing his troubled thoughts. Maybe, the old remedy would still hold true. What the hell? At least, it gave him something to do besides brood. And as much as he hated to admit it, Dominic knew that that was exactly what he was doing right now. Brooding. Brooding over the fact that his partner had chosen to go on a date with Kathryn rather than spend time with him. It was stupid. He was fully aware of that. Dominic also knew that he was letting this whole thing preoccupy him when he should be doing more important things. But after his talk with Lucian the other day, he found it hard to keep his mind of the younger youth.

Lucian was just one big enigma. He had suffered a childhood comparable to his own and still acted like he didn’t have a care in the world. He had torturous nightmares that harassed him every night, but by the morning, he was just as jubilant as always. Dominic was beginning to wonder if his partner had schizophrenia. It would explain a lot, especially why he had tried to kill him that one night. His eyes had seemed so cold and shattered. He had not looked like himself at all. Dominic was positive that the Lucian he saw that night had not been the same Lucian who was drawing imbecilic pictures of him that afternoon. That person was a killer. Lucian was an airhead.

Just then, the doorbell rang out and he opened his eyes, not making any attempt to get up. Tashira glowered at him from the kitchen and waited for him to show some sort of movement. She probably thought he would answer the door since he was closer. Too bad she was wrong. He didn’t feel like doing anything at the moment. He just wanted to lie there and clear his head.

"Dominic! Answer that stupid door! I have to watch these eggs so they don’t crack!" Tashira barked at him as the dark-haired youth rolled over and faced the back of the couch. "Dominic!"

Dominic continued to ignore her and plowed his face into the armrest. She could answer her own damn door. What was he? Her servant?

Tashira stomped out of the kitchen and hurried past the couch, kicking the armrest by Dominic’s head with as much force as she could muster. "I swear you are without a doubt the laziest son of a bitch that I have ever met," she hissed. "I will be so glad when Luce is sick of this stupid game he’s playing with you."

The older youth felt his stomach lurch at her last statement. She was right. Lucian was just playing a game with him. He wanted to see how long it would take him to crack. Still, the way Lucian had been so determined to get him to trust him did seem to disprove the theory. Which brought up another question. Why was he still here? Lucian had fixed his shoulder and if he wanted to, he could take off right now and Lucian wouldn’t have reason to complain because it had been their original deal. The thing was that he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave. He was starting to get used to spending his time with the twins. It was like he had his own family again. It might have been a warped version of a family, but he didn’t want to lose it just yet.

He just had to spend a little more time here and figure out Lucian’s secret to getting through life, then he could return to his own and try it out himself. That was his only reason for wanting to stay. He just wanted to know how to get on with his life after all that had happened. It didn’t have anything to do with Lucian himself. It didn’t.

"Wait a minute. You say you’re looking for Dominic Solanis?" Tashira’s tenor echoed from the doorway as Dominic raised himself up to see the silver-haired youth standing by the entrance and speaking with someone in front of her.

"Yes. Someone named Lucian said he was staying with him and his sister. I asked Kat where Lucian lived and she told me to come here. So do you know if he’s here?" the other person questioned. Dominic knew that voice at once. It was Nadia, his gentle Nadia. So she had come to find him after all. But she had promised to leave him be. Nadia would never break a promise. There must be some other reason for her to be here.

Tashira coughed and then motioned Nadia inside. "Yeah he’s here. By the way, I’m Lucian’s sister. Call me Tashira. And you are?"

"Nadia Auriel." She followed the older girl into the family room as she noticed Dominic rolling off the couch. "Dominic! You are here! I knew it." Dominic tried to walk away from her, lowering his eyes and turning his shoulder to her.

"Who is she, Dominic?" called Tashira as she scooped the hard-boiled eggs out of the pot and set them in a strainer to cool.

Dominic sighed and allowed Nadia to catch up to him and hug his waist. "She’s my sister."

"You have a sister? You have a family? Why don’t you live with them?"

"Shut up!" he spat as he ran his hands through Nadia’s ebony hair, the same shade as his own. He hugged her back slightly and ran his finger across her cheek. "I told you not to look for me. You promised me that you wouldn’t do this. You promised me, Nadia."

Nadia clutched her brother’s hand and pulled it close to her chest. "I know I promised you, Dominic. I didn’t want to come but there’s something I need to know."

"What?"

"I know that you’re staying away from me only because you’re afraid that I’ll get hurt. You think that what happened was your fault. It wasn’t! You know it wasn’t! You couldn’t have done anything! He would have died before he let anything happen to you. It was his choice."

Dominic pushed her back, his eyes glowing with cold fury. "Stop it! I don’t want to talk about it! Now, Nadia, either tell me why you’re here or get out!"

His sister looked heart-broken as she stepped back from her maddened sibling. Dominic hated seeing that miserable look in her eyes. She was too beautiful to wear such a frown. He hadn’t meant to sound so cruel to her. All he wanted was for her to stop talking about the past. She knew how much it hurt him. He had once told her. It had been the last thing he had said to her before he had left. Why did she want to bring back such painful memories? She loved him. Didn’t she? She had said so often enough. People that loved you weren’t supposed to try and hurt you. He knew that from common knowledge, rather than experience.

"Nadia, don’t listen to him. You don’t have to leave; this is my house," Tashira broke in, leading Nadia over to sit on the couch.

"I am going to leave soon. I don’t want to hurt you Dominic. I’d never hurt you. But I just want you to know one thing," Nadia sobbed as her voice sounded like it was forcing back tears. She glanced up at Tashira. "Could you please excuse us, Tashira? I want to talk with my brother, alone. We won’t be long, I promise." Tashira nodded her head and went up the stairs.

"Nadia. Secrecy does not become you," Dominic said disapprovingly as he sat next to his sister. Nadia smiled at him in her usual comforting way and took a deep breath.

"Dominic, I told you that I understand why you’ve been avoiding me. You’re afraid of people getting close to you. You think that you’re cursed. All right, I’ve accepted that. But if that’s true, why are these people you’ve been staying with just fine?"

"What?" gasped the older youth, feeling a congested ache surrounding his chest. He hadn’t thought of that. Was he putting Lucian and Tashira in danger? He couldn’t be. Only those who cared about him were affected by his curse. Lucian didn’t care about him. Yet, he had healed his wounds. He had come to his aid whenever anyone else threatened him. He had even understood that he didn’t want to talk about his past. What if Lucian did care for him? Did that place him in danger too? A danger that Lucian wouldn’t be able to escape from this time?

Nadia moved herself closer to him and placed her palm over his hand. "You’re not cursed Dominic. It’s all in your head. What happened was fate. It had nothing to do with you. How can you still think that it did? Your friends are okay, right? Even that one, Lucian, the one that was so upset when you broke that glass. Even he is fine. And he’s close to you. I know he is. I can see it in your eyes just as I could see it in his. He is your friend, right?"

"He’s not my friend!" Dominic roared. "He’s just someone I’m staying with until I can get some things fixed. He means nothing to me. He’s not in danger because he means nothing."

"How long are you going to try to convince yourself that Dominic? You can’t fool me. I’ve known you for most of your life. We shared everything. He’s more than just an acquaintance to you. You care about him," she pressed as her brother leapt up from the couch.

"Get out Nadia! You told me what you had to say. Now get out!"

The young girl couldn’t hold back the tears this time and they rushed from her eyes. "Why do you say these things, brother? You have never acted like this to me before. What are you trying to prove to yourself?"

Oh god, she was crying. Dominic didn’t know what to do. He wanted to make her stop. He wanted to make it all better, tell her that he hadn’t meant any of what he had said. But he couldn’t. There was nothing he could say. He didn’t want to hear any more of what she had to say. It was forcing him to realize the one thing that he had been fighting to ignore this whole time. He was endangering his partner. He was endangering Lucian.

"Nothing. Just please leave, Nadia. I can’t talk to you anymore," he moaned as Nadia tossed something toward him. Dominic caught it with ease and looked down at the object that he held within his hand. It was a beautiful ring fashioned from white gold with a stunning amethyst pearl in the center and two chips of diamond at either side. He felt at the ring with his fingers, running them along the engraved name in the back. He traced the sinewy S and followed along through the looping E and then the slanting L. He continued this pattern for the remaining E, N, and E, shuddering at the unwanted memories that the name called out from within him. He turned back to Nadia with a lost expression. "Nadia, where did you get this?"

Before Nadia could answer, Tashira came back down the stairs and ran into the kitchen, most likely checking on the state of the eggs. Ignoring the fact that they were no longer alone, the black-haired girl rose from the couch and went to her brother’s side, wiping the tears from her face with her fingers. "I found it in your old box where you used to keep all the presents that Uncle gave you. All of your pretty necklaces and earrings and stones and flower pressings. I had thought that you had thrown everything out that night you...." she paused for a second as though having trouble with the end of the sentence.

Dominic shifted his eyes as he tried to block out the invading memories. Nadia sensed his distress and continued her story, omitting the final line of the last phrase. "But you didn’t throw everything out. You left this. Your mother’s ring. The one Selene gave to Uncle when she made him promise to find you. When you were gone, it was the only thing that you had left me to remember you with. I treasured it and even wore it on a chain around my neck. The chain broke the first day I started school this year. I guess it was an omen. It told me that I no longer needed the ring because I finally had you again. Even if you won’t speak to me, I can still see you when you walk by in the halls. I can catch a glimpse of you during lunch. Now I even see you with that red-haired boy after school. I can live with the fact that you want nothing to do with me. As long as I can still see you, it’s okay. I can be happy with that."

"Why?"

"Because I love you and I just want to make you happy. Even if it hurts me, I just want to see you happy again, Dominic."

Her brother dropped the ring in his pocket and shook his head. "I’ll never be happy, Nadia. I can’t without....."

"Dominic...."

He put his hand around her shoulder and laid his head down for a moment. "But that’s not what I asked. I want to know why you’re giving this back to me."

Nadia smiled as she caressed the rough strands of her sibling’s luscious jet-black hair. "I told you, Dominic. I don’t need it when I have you." She pulled away from him and started for the door. Holding it open, she looked back toward Dominic and waved her hand. "Bye Dominic. Oh, and by the way, I think that your friend’s way of calling you Nicky is cute. It makes you sound sweet. He must see something in you that no one else can. Don’t force him away." With these words, she crept out the door and returned down the way that she had came.

Tashira walked back into the room, glancing over at the distraught Dominic who just stood in the middle of the room, stunned by his sister’s advice. She seemed to examine him for a moment as a look of sorrow crossed her eyes. Quickly, she replaced it with her usual disdain toward him. "Hey Dominic, you should get her to come over more often, I do believe that you’re actually nice when she’s around," she called out to him in an overly joking tone. What was going on? Was Tashira trying to make him feel better now? This was like a parallel universe.

"Yeah," he replied distantly as he plopped himself back down on the couch.

"Want to bake something?" the silver-haired girl suddenly asked as Dominic gave her a perplexed look.

"Huh?"

"I don’t know. I have this crazy urge to bake all of the sudden and it’s usually Luce who helps me out. Well, he’s not here so I have to find a substitute," she stated, watching him with a concerned eye.

"You want me to help?" Dominic inquired in a doubtful voice.

Tashira grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him upright on the couch. "Come on, you’re wasting time just lying there like a slug."

Dominic jerked away from her and tumbled off the furniture, lying in an ungainly heap on the floor. "Have you been sharing drugs with your psychotic brother?" Tashira ignored him and wrapped her fingers around his arm, and then she began to drag him toward the kitchen.

"All right. I admit it. No matter how much I despise you, I can’t stand seeing anyone look that sad. I guess it’s just my motherly nature. Baking heals. So come on." She dropped Dominic’s arm to the ground and bent under the cabinet, pulling out various baking supplies. "Besides, Luce loves cakes, especially German Chocolate cakes. I wanted to try my new recipe for one. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to know that you helped."

"Why?"

"God Dominic, you are dense. He worships you like some omnipotent god. Why do you think he puts up with half the crap you do to him?"

The older boy shrugged. "He likes the danger I bring him."

"Is that it?" she posed. Dominic had no response for this as he stared back at Tashira in disbelief. She shoved a box of cake mix at him and pushed him toward the refrigerator. "Start gathering the ingredients already."

Dominic was dumbfounded. Why was Tashira being so friendly to him all of the sudden? Did she really mean what she had said about Lucian worshipping him? It made him nervous to think that anyone could worship him. Great! There was another lousy feeling to add to his collection of woes right now. Tashira’s suggestion of baking to soothe the soul was starting to look pretty good. It was more productive than taking a nap. That was for sure. He scrutinized the label on the side of the box and opened the refrigerator.

Spearing another piece of fillet minion, Lucian nibbled at the end of the fish and then dropped his fork back onto his plate. Kat was finishing up her meal as well while slurping from her virgin daiquiri as she watched her date with calm blue eyes. He had been a lot more energetic and talkative during the start of the dinner, but now the redhead had quieted his loquacious charm and settled for poking at his food in a bored manner.

"Lucian?" Kat said, causing her companion to raise his head from his plate and look over at her.

" ‘Sup?" he answered as he tried to sound interested in what the other youth was about to say. It was hard though. He just couldn’t focus on her at all. Everything had started fine. Thought they had arrived late and without reservations, they had spent the time messing around and chatting over what they had been doing over the past week. Kat had entertained Lucian with tales of how she was accepted to join a prestigious dance class after she had auditioned the weekend after the dance. Lucian had amused her with several narratives of Dominic bickering with Tashira. Then when they were seated, they had been blessed with the slowest of waiters available. Still, their spirits hadn’t been dampened and they had kept themselves interested by checking out the nearby customers and commenting on either their choice of attire or the disgusting dishes that they ordered. It was when the food had arrived that everything had gone downhill.

Kat had switched the topic to discussing why Lucian had been avoiding her for most of the week. What could he say? He hadn’t had much time for her because Dominic had kept him constantly busy with this or that. He had forced him to spend hours poring over Internet connections, searching for any information about either the Chimera or the Amethyst. Once, he had even passed out on the computer just to wake up to several indents of keyboard keys on the side of his face. But Dominic hadn’t merely kept him busy with Guardian work, he had convinced Lucian that he had better study for his exams if he didn’t want to have a failing grade by mid-semester. This recommendation had led to a study group consisting of him, the older boy, and Tashira. Several hours had been devoted to reciting passages, theorems, formulas, and historical events. Then, when Lucian had complained about how all this studying was frying his brain, Dominic had insisted that they take the study sessions to the park. That had been okay. It had been nice to spend some time in such a peaceful setting, especially when Dominic had even helped him master the soliloquies of Hamlet.

He found it somewhat unusual for Dominic to suddenly be interested in spending time together. Things had been a little different since Dominic’s near-death experience. He had been more subdued and less eager to lash out at him for minor offenses. Of course, today had been another story. He hadn’t figured that Dominic was even watching him when he was sketching his skewed portrait. Well, that hand slamming down on his paper had certainly proved that Dominic had been watching and was not pleased with what he saw. That threat had taken him by surprise, which is why he had flashed the curse word at him. The detention had not been any better with Dominic turning away from him every time he had sneaked a glance in his direction.

Then again, none of that chaos had compared with the sheer aggravation of that afternoon’s argument. How could Dominic have ripped up his paper so carelessly? After all the time, he had spent on it, making sure every detail was exact. He didn’t know why he had felt the urge to draw his companion. All he knew was that he was bored and Dominic was the most enthralling thing around him at the time. Once he had started, he just felt inspired to finish. He had enjoyed looking at the older boy with an artist’s eye. Dominic was rather handsome.

The only reason that he had even added the canine attributes was because of the way that Dominic had growled at him at the end of one class for not paying attention to the instructor. His voice had reminded Lucian of the wolf he had seen before the alley the other day. Dominic truly resembled his other form. The ears and tail had suited him beautifully and though Dominic looked just as bitter as ever, the drawing also portrayed a softer side to him. It worked on many levels. Lucian had been quite satisfied with it. Then, his partner had to go and destroy it.

Something about the viciousness in that action had caused a reaction in Lucian. He felt the need to make the dark-haired boy pay for what he had done. Dominic had trashed something that meant something to him. He had to get him back. The first thing that had come to mind was Dominic’s opinion of his relationship to Kat. He had been expecting the words to make Dominic regret what he had done. But instead his partner had chosen to leave. Seeing him vanish on him like that had made Lucian long for someone who would take his mind off the older youth. He knew that he always felt out of it whenever he was around Kat and for once, he wanted that possessed feeling. If he was busy fighting to keep from losing control with Kat, then he wouldn’t be able to worry about Dominic.

So here he was, dining on elegant French cuisine with Kat and still just as stuck on his partner as ever. The preoccupation of his mind had even managed to push aside the usual feeling of lust that he had when hanging with Kat. It was good to know that something could counter it, but right now he didn’t want to counter it. He needed it there so he could focus on it instead of Dominic. The realization had turned the rest of the dinner into a total purgatory for Lucian.

"Are you okay?" Kathryn questioned as she gazed at the blank expression on the boy’s face. "You don’t look too good. Are you getting sick like last time?"

Lucian shook his head and took a swig of his iced tea. "Of course not."

The girl swirled her daiquiri with her spoon as she stared into the strawberry foam forming on the utensil. "I was just worried. You’re not being very talkative."

"Maybe I can’t think of anything else to talk about," offered the redhead in a miffed tone. "A person can’t talk endlessly."

"Not normally. But you’re talented at it," laughed Kat, blowing a few bits of the drink’s pulp at the older youth.

"I guess."

Reaching over the table, Kat stabbed her knife in his uneaten fish and held it up to him. "You’re not eating much either. Are you sure you’re okay?"

Lucian didn’t know if he was okay. It was as if he didn’t want to be there anymore. But leaving would be unfair to Kat. He had promised her a great date to erase the memories of the horrendous dance. Still, was it fair to only keep her here to wipe his mind of all other thoughts? Wasn’t that just using her? It was. Just like the way he was using Dominic to feed his addiction. Damn! He was doing it again. Couldn’t he even have just one thought that didn’t find a way of bringing up his partner? At this rate, he was probably going to mumble his name in some phrase to Kat. She would take that well. He was sure that his mentioning Dominic’s name during their date would just make her day.

"I’m not very hungry anymore. That waiter took too long and now my appetite’s shot," he lied as he backed away from the knife.

"That’s okay. We can just talk some more," Kat replied as she placed the staked meat back on his plate and leaned back in the seat. "So is there something on your mind?"

More like someone. This was getting irritating. Now everything he heard made him think of the violet-eyed youth. Too bad him and Dominic were never able to have nice talks like this. All of their talks involved a lot of shouting and cussing. They had ended nice enough lately with Dominic walking out before he could get angry enough to strike the younger boy. But they were never relaxed like this. They were coiled bundles of tension waiting to spring open with sharp broken edges and slash at anything they could reach. God, their entire relationship was so twisted; Lucian almost found it funny.

"Actually, Kathy there is. If I told you that most of what you know about me is a lie, what would you say?"

"I would tell you to quit pulling my leg. What’s this about, Lucian? Are you lying to me about something? Are you only pretending to like me?" the girl anxiously as she tried to get closer to him.

"I like you Kathy. I just...." Lucian stuttered as he felt the longing feeling return to him. He was glad to have it for once. But it didn’t allay his old problems. It just made them far worse. Now he was just confused. Both emotions were having there way with his heart at the time and he couldn't figure out which was real and which was forced. Everything was one big mess. It was time to bail out of this situation before he could upset Kat. "Maybe you’re right Kathy. I am feeling a little strange. Perhaps, we should go."

After dropping Kat off at the Arteme household, Lucian had started for home. He just wanted to get some sleep. Sure, it would be hell and would just bring about those hideous nightmares, but afterwards he could just forget about this whole thing. Tomorrow he would give it another go with Kathryn and maybe this time, everything would work out the way it was supposed to. Or was it even supposed to be this way? Obviously, someone wanted him with Kat. He just wasn’t sure if it was himself or someone influencing his life. Since something or other had influenced the majority of his life, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to discover that there was another force behind his feelings for the girl.

But sleep wasn’t the only reason he wanted to return to the house as soon as possible. He wanted to talk to Dominic. He needed to let him know that he felt crummy for bragging about Kat to him, after he knew how Dominic found something wrong with his dating her. Maybe Dominic would also be willing to make an apology for ruining his drawing. It was doubtful but with the way Dominic had been acting over the past week, anything was possible.

This was nuts! Was he expecting his partner to transform into some sort of saint just because he saved his life? And why did he even want him to? If Dominic decided to make a turn to Mr. Nice Guy, then that would mean the end of the game. There would be no winner. It would just stop. That idea didn’t sit well with him. Even if it meant having a kind Dominic around, he didn’t want to trade in his fun just yet. He wasn’t willing to trade in the wolf for a pet puppy. Still, it would be cool to have Dominic showing something toward him other than frustration and authority.

He was having serious trouble focusing on the road with so many thoughts going off in his head. It would probably be a good idea to pull over until he was more collected. That way he could avoid a crash. This car had been expensive and Lucian was not sure if they had enough money in savings to pay for another one if he totaled it. Money aside, Tashira would kill him if he messed up their only car.

Taking the first turn on the road, Lucian decided to stop at the nearest gas station and step inside for a moment. Perhaps, the bright lights and the myriad of conversations would help him get rid off all his carping thoughts. But just as he was about to pull into one, he caught sight of a large group of people hanging out by a makeshift stage. There was an intense melody careening from the stage accompanied by a savagely beautiful human tenor. It was a concert. Most likely, it wasn’t a professional band. He could tell that from the infancy way in which the stage was set up. It was one of those town bands struggling to become famous. In any other situation, Lucian would have forgotten about the band and continued on with his original plan. He didn’t like most young bands since they usually just played meaningless repertoires. But this band was different. This music sounded good, so full of energy and rage. It appealed to the danger junkie inside of him, taking all of his emotions and forcing them out through the inanimate objects of hard-core metal. Every note screamed with defiance, pulling him into its thrall of anarchy.

Tossing aside his prior idea, Lucian shifted direction and parked next to the lot. He locked the vehicle and shoved the keys down in his pocket as he headed toward the crowd. It was easier enough to track the entrance from the way the wailing music got louder the closer he got. Cutting through the thick of the mob, he was able to work his way near the stage. As he did, he realized that he knew the voice that was roaring out the intoxicating lyrics. Looking up, he confirmed his assumption as he saw Maren holding the sides of a microphone with his eyes closed while singing into it with the most stunning voice he had heard. Also on the stage, he caught sight of a young blond striking her guitar with pure fury in front of a sandy-haired boy who kept the tempo on his drum set.

Moving his way to Maren’s other side, his eyes fell upon another figure that made him gasp in shock. There was Tyrell decked out in a set of fairly revealing clothes, ranging from the half-open ivory blouse to the incredibly tight pants. But the exotic style of the younger boy didn’t stop there. It extended to the lightning slash sketched over his right eye and the spiking of his hair so that the bangs dangled just over his gray green eyes, casting a slight shadow over them. The effect was amazing. Tyrell barely looked like himself. If not for the innocent emerald eyes, Lucian was sure that he would have recognized him. The mahogany-haired teenager was creating most the ravenous notes with his skilled plucking of the chords of his guitar. The way his eyes were half-closed gave him a look of pure concentration as he brought the pick across the strings in a rending strike.

But as astonished Lucian was by Tyrell’s playing, nothing could prepare him for the awe that went through him as Maren held out the microphone for Tyrell to join in. Trying to hide his smile, Tyrell leaned over to the other youth, still keeping the beat on his guitar. The sound of his voice reverberating through the microphone nearly dazed Lucian. Tyrell could really sing. He even sang better than their lead vocalist Maren did. He had a splendid voice. The way he combined his normal gentle timbre with the raw emotion in his voice worked magic on the lyrics. With Maren singing alongside him, the sound was sensational and when it faded from the stage, it left the audience demanding more. Seeing the energy of the crowd, Tyrell dropped his serious visage and adopted one of unbelievable delectation. He joyfully thanked the audience and rushed over to help his fellow members gather up the sound equipment as the people began to disperse.

All that Lucian could think of was running up on stage and congratulating Tyrell. But as he took one step forward, his head was assaulted with unbearable pain. He put one hand to it and tried to steady himself on his feet. But his action was just met by another more malignant stab of agony. The boy screamed as the splitting feeling permeated every inch of his skull. It hurt too much. It had never hurt like this before. What was going on? This was even worse than that one night when Dominic had helped him. His vision blurred before him as he felt himself sinking to the ground, everything swirling around him in one gigantic whirlpool.

"Tye," he whispered as he felt himself being shoved into the dark chasm of his mind.

A second later, his body pulled itself to its feet and wiped the dirt from his pants. The garnet eyes were speckled with brown as they trained on the image of Tyrell assisting Cyrus with carrying his disassembled drum set to Cyrus’ truck. As Tyrell hurried back to untangle the speakers, the red orbs bore into his form, finding the onyx cross peering from beneath his thin blouse. Lucian’s face broke into a smile of anticipation as he felt the back of his neck, nudging aside the hair to reveal a tiny red tattoo of a hexacle on the flesh just under the start of his mane.

"It’s time we had a long postponed chat, Tyrell Alistar," he purred in a content murmur.

Tyrell adjusted his guitar in Cyrus’ truck, along with the instruments of Gayle and Cyrus, as well as all of Maren’s sound devices. Maren just insisted on having as many sub-woofers, speakers, and amplifiers that he could fit around the stage. He said it made them sound louder and projected them better. Tyrell had to agree that he was right. Maren knew practically everything about sound waves and their transmission and frequency. It was a good thing too since science was probably the only class that he was getting an A in this year which boosted his grade just over the low D mark.

His heart was still pounding due to the rush he had received upon standing next to his best friend as they performed the opposing tones of the song. It had been better than he could have ever imagined. Singing let him forget everything. He could forget about the Chimera, about the Guardians, and the Cruce, and about his concerns with Angelique. It was as if he was in his own private world where no one could touch him and everything was at his command. The crowd roared at his cue and his members sped up their pace with the signals of his voice. Hearing the audience cheer them on had given Tyrell such elation that he had almost fainted on the stage. Here was something he could do that he didn’t have to worry about or ponder the deeper meaning behind. He could just do it. He could sing and lose himself in the atmosphere of sound.

Yet he was a bit downhearted that none of his other friends could see him. What good was such a wonderful gift if you couldn’t share it with the people close to you? Knowing that the crowd loved the band was warming but the crowd wasn’t whom he turned to when he was upset. It wasn’t the crowd who joked with him and tried to make him smile. The audience was just an impersonal mob; they were not his friends. No matter how much he pretended, they would never see him as anything other than an object. Something that created breath-taking music and possessed an exhilarative voice. They could never give him the satisfaction he craved from having all of his friends enjoying his talent.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Maren trotting over to him with an enthusiastic grin. Maren smacked him hard on the back and mussed his hair fondly. "You sing pretty good, Arteme. From now on, I’m thinking about you and me should divide up the songs. It will be nice to have another voice unless mine decides to go hoarse on me for some reason."

"Thanks Ren," Tyrell responded in a soft voice. "I just hope that one day, I’ll be able to sing like you."

"Who are you kidding? I’d almost say that you’re on the same level, maybe a little bit higher," praised Cyrus as he looked over at the pair from where he was dismantling the final speaker system. "It was a shame that you had to hide your talent from us for so long."

"Hey buddy, let’s not over do it. Do you want to give him a big head?" Maren chuckled as he shot Cyrus a warning glance.

Cyrus laughed lowly and removed his glasses, which had one of those sunglass attachments to make them look more like shades, wiping them with his shirt. "Feeling threatened, Maren?"

"Hah hah. Aren’t we the comedian, Cye?"

Gayle skipped over from where she had been tuning her guitar and began to help Cyrus with his work. She leaned close to him while they finished removing the last wire. Handing the wire to her hazel-eyed companion, she turned back to Tyrell and batted her eyelashes as she clasped her fingers by the side of her head. "I think Cyrus is right, Tyrell. You have a lovely voice. I’m so glad that I caught you practicing or we never would have known."

Maren looked like he was getting tired of all this attention toward his friend. He stepped over to the other two youths who were picking up pieces of the sound system. "Um guys, who’s the lead singer here?" he whined as Tyrell let out a tiny giggle from behind him.

"You don’t have to worry, Ren. I have no intention of taking your place. I’m happy enough to share the songs with you," he assured the raven-haired youth. Maren appeared to take this into consideration for some time and then nodded his head.

"That’s cool," he replied, returning to Tyrell’s side as he took a glance at his watch. "Say Arteme shouldn’t you be getting home? This gig is way earlier than our usual ones. Maybe your family will notice if you’re out until late."

The second Maren mentioned his parents, Tyrell knew that he was right. His family would be wondering where he was at this time. He had told them that he was going out with Maren but that was several hours ago. It was so much easier when STRYFE had its midnight gigs. Then, he could sneak out of the house without anybody being the wiser. But as things were right now, it would be a prudent idea to head home as soon as possible.

"You’re right Ren. I’ve got to go. See you later," he shouted as he hopped off the stage and ran toward his bike. He climbed onto it when he sensed someone approaching behind him. "Chimera?" he whispered as he carefully slid his feet off the petals in case he had to fight.

"I never knew you had such a good voice," answered a rumbling voice as the figure walked toward him. Something about the voice sounded familiar, but the cryptic quality in the compliment was foreign to him. Weren’t all of his friends supposed to be elsewhere? How could anyone he knew aside from the band members be here? Not comfortable with not knowing the identity of the fan that spoke to him in such an informal manner, he whirled his head to the side. The instant he did, two spheres of glistening red appeared before him.

"Lucian?" he queried as Lucian appeared from the darkness and sent him a pleasant smile.

"Surprise."

"Lucian! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be eating at Carpe Diem with Kat?"

The redhead rested his hands on the handlebars of Tyrell’s bike and leaned toward him, eyes shifting over his body in a scrupulous examination. "I was. Unfortunately, Kathryn and I had some problems. So I was on my way home when I ran into your little band. I must say that this is quite an impressive group you have here, Tyrell."

His voice disturbed Tyrell. It wasn’t the normal playful style that he was speaking to him with. Lucian was speaking to him in a more detached tone, devoid of any of the vivacity that Lucian usually possessed. He sounded a lot like he had during the fight on the night of the dance. What was going on with his friend as of lately?

Tyrell placed his feet back on the petals and looked into Lucian’s serious crimson eyes. "Thank you. But you’re not supposed to be here. Nobody is supposed to know that I play for STRYFE. My parents would kill me if word got out that I’ve been sneaking out to participate in some heavy metal band. And I’m sure that Dominic would flay me for leaving the house so late at night and setting myself up for problems with the Chimera."

"Don’t worry about tonight. I won’t tell anyone. I just remembered that I had to talk with you about something," Lucian replied solemnly.

"About what?"

Lucian backed away from the bike and shot Tyrell an underhanded smirk. "I would prefer to talk about it somewhere else."

"Um....okay. You can come over to my house. I’ll just tell Kat that I bumped into you while I was out with Ren. Since it’s already so late, I don’t think that my parents would mind if you spent the night," the younger boy offered as he began to descend from his bike. "So how are we going to get home?"

"I brought my car. Follow me."