The Young and the Dark

Five

Nyx's reaction to Archie's entrance was as quick as lightning.

Dropping the toast, he leapt onto the bed with a growl then pounced on him. Archie cursed and stopped mid-stride as Nyx's weight rammed into him, the force of the collision sending them both crashing to the floor.

"Stop it!" Vita shouted.

She ran to them, but Archie smashed his fist into Nyx's jaw before she could intervene. Nyx grunted, briefly dazed, which gave Archie time to push him off his chest and pin him onto the carpet. Nyx's head hit the floor with a thud. He let out a low groan of pain that made Vita's chest ache.

"I said: stop it!"

She grabbed Archie's arm and pulled him off Nyx. Her fingers locked around his arm like a vice, pushing him toward the bed with a heightened force she still wasn't used to. He stumbled back when she let go of him, his face twisted in anger.

"Don't protect him!" he said. "He attacked me!"

Meanwhile, Nyx had recovered from Archie's blows, and he was off the floor again, crouched in a fighting stance. His nostrils flared, his fierce stare on Archie.

"Don't attack him again," Vita warned him.

Her voice shook him out of his violent trance. His gaze met hers, and he drew back, retreating against the wall.

"He's a bloody public menace!" Archie said, out of breath, his clothes rumpled and his hair dishevelled. "I want him out of this house!"

"Will you stop it?!" Vita replied, her temper rising. "You're the one who hurt him in the woods. How is he supposed to understand you're not a threat if you keep hitting him?"

"So I'm supposed to let him strike me without reacting?" Archie shouted back.

"You're supposed to let me handle it!"

Irritation raced up her spine, spreading heat along her body and into her cheeks. A stunned silence met her reply, and she realised she stood tall in front of Archie with her wings and claws out. He gaped at her, wide-eyed, and Nyx cowered against the wall when her gaze fell on him. His fear made her anger vanish instantly.

"Just go," she told Archie, her tone quiet again. "I'll come and find you in a moment."

To her relief, he didn't argue. His back stiff, he walked out without sparing a glance for Nyx.

"I'll be in the corridor."

The door slammed shut behind him. With a sigh, Vita folded her wings and stooped to try and catch Nyx's gaze. But he retreated to the corner of the room, his eyes on the floor, and she bit her lip, guilt rushing through her.

"I'm sorry," she said, her tone as soft as possible. "I didn't mean to frighten you." When he didn't move or reply, she held up her open hands. "I apologise for shouting and losing my temper. I'm not angry with you. But Archie loves me. He'd never hurt me. You need to stop attacking him."

Nyx finally met her gaze and stood up, wary and hesitant. Vita couldn't even begin to fathom what he was thinking or feeling. She wanted to give him the time and space to adjust to the situation, but questions kept swirling through her mind, and Archie was right: something was terribly wrong here, and she needed to find out what it was quickly.

"Nyx," she started, and he tilted his head to the side, his focus suddenly sharp. "Has this happened to you before? Finding yourself...human?" She waved her hand in the general direction of his body.

He blinked, processing her question. "No."

His tone was assured, and she placed her hands on her hips to ponder her line of questioning. She had to keep him at ease, and make sure he understood what she asked.

"Did you do this yourself?" she said after a moment.

"No."

"Did someone do this to you, then? Do you know who?" In her eagerness to find answers, she closed the distance between them, and Nyx shifted on his feet.

"No."

He lowered his head again, and she worried at her lip. Archie was right. Someone, or something had done this to Nyx, to make him vulnerable, and in turn, to ensure whomever he was protecting was more defenceless. Was this a prelude to an attack? Had the Parisian phoenixes plotted this scheme to get to her, and through her, to Holden?

Before she had time to drive herself mad with these questions, Nyx spoke again.

"Master."

Vita released a frustrated sigh. "Nyx, I told you, he's not here! I understand you want him, and you think he's the solution to everything, but Holden. Isn't. Here."

But Nyx leaned forward and settled his fiery gaze on her. "Master. In America. Vita. Nyx. In America."

Vita couldn't help a laugh, then. He made it sound so simple. As if Archie would let her go abroad to look for a phoenix, when she had no idea where he was. As if she could leave her mother and the estate behind. As if a trip to the United States, yet another phoenix territory she didn't know how to navigate, wouldn't be fraught with dangers.

"I wish it were that simple."

This time it was Nyx's turn to grind his teeth. In a display of very human emotion, frustration crossed his features and his voice grew louder.

"Simple. Nyx human. Master not safe in America. Vita not safe alone."

His effort to make her understand his meaning was so obvious all her sarcasm left her. Her brows drew together as she focused and the weight of his words settled on her.

"So, you being human means that something happened to Holden too?" she asked. "That's what you're telling me?"

A measure of relief softened Nyx's face. "Yes."

Vita's heartbeat quickened, and she started pacing the bedroom to relieve some of her mounting energy. It made sense. Holden and the chimeras were linked. An event as tremendous as one of the creatures turning into a man had to mean something about Holden. And they wouldn't know what until they spoke to him. Nyx was right. As irritating as it was, Holden was yet again the only one with answers, and her safety would be at risk until he gave them to her. There would be no wedding plans with Archie and no peaceful future at Weatherly as long as supernatural events kept happening without explanation.

Vita stopped her pacing, the seed of a plan growing in her mind. Going to America wasn't as outlandish an endeavour as she had first thought. She knew Holden had gone to New York first on his way to Los Angeles – she would start her search for him there. Her mother and the estate could survive a couple of weeks without her – they may very well be safer in her absence, since no phoenix would be interested in Weatherly if neither Holden nor she were there.

All she really needed to do was convince Archie.

*** 

Thanks for reading! If you've enjoyed this chapter, please feel free to vote and comment.

And let me know what you think Archie's reaction will and what Vita should do...