The Dark Side of the Moon

F I F T Y - F O U R

"Hey!" I yell in his face as I notice he's losing consciousness. He groggily flutters his eyes until he focuses on me. "I'm going to go save our mates, but you can't die on me. You can't die on Axel, okay? Focus on him. Stay awake, stay alive, for him. I love you." 

I hug him and release him quickly.

"Wait! Thea, you can't go back there, it's suicide!" Cooper mumbles but I know there would normally be a lot more power behind the words.

I pull the syringe Grayson gave me out of my pocket. Cooper only shakes his head.

"That was only for emergencies! If you couldn't get away. You can run now!"

I give him a smile that doesn't reach my eyes and I back away from him. He screams after me, but I sneak towards the other side of the hallway where the witches are fighting. I may not be as strong as a werewolf or as sinister as a witch, but I'm loyal to a fault. There is no chance that I'm leaving Grayson and Axel trapped by wards for Elina to torture. 

I peek around the corner and am immediately blinded by a blue light show. Through the haze I can see Grayson and Axel pounding on the wards. Grayson's eyes widen when he sees me. His eyes scream "Run!" but I slowly sneak through the hallway until I find Elina's back facing me. I wait for a break in their magic for me to make my move.

The syringe Grayson gave me was intended as a last resort. He didn't want me to be defenseless against Elina, but he wasn't sure if the injection would be enough to tame her. She could very easily kill me if the injection wasn't strong enough- hence the last resort comment.

From what I understand, Madeline- Cole's mate- had friends from another witch coven who gave her this drug. It temporarily weakens a witch's magical connection, therefore cutting off all magic for a certain period of time. Apparently, this is the drug that covens use on powerful warlocks or witches that are coming into their powers and struggle controlling their magic- or for out of control magic-wielders. 

Apparently, this drug is extremely rare and difficult to find. Grayson gave it to me if Elina or Elle were somehow able to corner me and he or another pack member couldn't be there to protect me. At the time, it seemed ridiculous that things could come to that, yet here we are.

I know Grayson would rather I leave him and Axel behind the wards, but I can't leave them defenseless. Once the witches stop fighting, all of their power and attention will fall on them. They could be hurt or worse. Also, the only way that I have a chance at saving Cooper is by getting the wards down so they can contact the pack doctors. Hopefully they'll make it in time. I can't lose another friend today.

Elle's intensifying magic breaks me from my thoughts.

"I hate you!" Elle screams at her murderous mother.

"You'll thank me soon when your new powers come in," Elina yells back as she shields herself against her daughter's attacks. 

"What the fuck does that mean?" 

"It means," Elina replies, "that when a witch or a warlock has a twin, and that twin dies, they gain their power. Magical twins are so very rare- they're almost unheard of, actually. Most magic-wielding parents with twins would choose the stronger baby and kill the other one. All of the most powerful witches and warlocks were twins- like me."

"Wait... So, you're telling me that I had an aunt or an uncle that was killed? How fucked up is that?!"

I can't say I disagree with that. That's... barbaric. 

"Our family has always been different- stronger. It can be difficult to decipher at birth which child will grow to be more powerful and more in control of their magic. My parents raised me and my twin brother until we turned 18- then I decided that I wanted the power to myself. How do you think I became such a powerful coven leader?"