The Price of Feathers

The thickness of blood...

Dagne stormed through the halls, rage and hurt churning inside her. How could Silver and Leech betray Raven like that? After all they had endured together. She trusted them, considered them family. Now everything lay in ruins.

Reaching the dormitory common room, Dagne found the rest of the Dark team already gathered. Her entrance drew their gazes, conversations dying as they took in her thunderous expression.

"Is it true?" Dagne demanded without preamble. "Did you know?"

The teammates exchanged uneasy glances, avoiding meeting her eyes. Only Aphrodite held Dagne's stare unflinchingly. That was answer enough.

Dagne released a scream of anguished fury, flames erupting to scorch the ceiling. Her friends, her found family - they had all conspired behind her back. The sting of betrayal pierced her heart like a blade.

"Dagne, be reasonable..." Viper began in a placating tone. His words only stoked her rage. With a vicious swipe, she knocked over a table, sending cups and books crashing.

"Vy, glupyye predateli!"Dagne shouted, chest heaving. She called them stupid traitors and her inner flames were biting to come out. The others backed away warily. "You," she growled directly at Aphrodite, "You used me... so our bonding was what to you? A distraction? Pretended everything was fine whilst plotting Raven's ruin!" Her blazing eyes threatened to ignite the whole room.

"It was strategy, nothing personal," Aphrodite said bluntly. She met Dagne's wild gaze without flinching, unafraid. "Only one side can win. We did what was necessary."

Dagne trembled with the effort to restrain her fire. "Necessary? To ambush and abduct your own friend?" She turned an accusatory glare on each in turn. "Look me in the eye and tell me you condone what they tried to do!"

The teammates shuffled uncomfortably, avoiding her demanding stare. Only Aphrodite held firm, unrepentant.

"You would all stand there while they took her, without even trying to stop it?" Dagne continued heatedly. Their silence condemned them. Disgusted, she spat, "Cowards. Traitors. You disgust me."

"That's enough." The quietly authoritative voice belonged to Amara. Dagne whirled to see their leader regarding them solemnly from the doorway. The room's other occupants seemed to shrink under Amara's disappointed gaze.

"I know you're upset, Dagne," Amara said gently. "Rightfully so. But turning against each other only advantages our enemies."

Dagne trembled with barely contained emotion. "How can you defend them?" she demanded hoarsely. "Anyone who threatens Raven is my enemy now!"

A tense, heavy silence followed her words. Amara stepped closer, one hand extended beseechingly.

"The bonds we share here run deeper than blood," she implored. "What we have built together, have sacrificed for – we can't just throw this away. Raven made her choice and... we're... We'll figure that out. Until then, I will not have my team breaking the rules and behaving like scum." She turned to look directly into Silver's eyes before switching her gaze to Leech. Her gaze was ice cold and steeled. She was trying to keep a level head but all of it was getting to her. In an ideal world she could rip those too apart and wait for them to respawn but this was not going to happen this time around so she needed to keep her calm.

Dagne stood rigid, jaw clenched. She wanted to cling to her fury, make the others atone. But Amara's words eroded her defensive anger, leaving only weariness and sorrow. These people were still her family, for better or worse.

Reading the change in her, Amara pressed on earnestly. "Our strength lies in unity, Dagne. Do not abandon that now, when we need it most. As for the rest of you, the tournament is a week from now and then we're going into war. We have until then to prepare ourselves and preserve what we can."