LUCIEN QUOTES MAKE ME SWOON A MILLION TIMES!

Venix was losing the last shred of her sanity.

With each day that passed by, with each whisper of the wind that brushed past her face, with every word she heard, she was truly driving herself mad.

And she couldn't find a way to stop it.

The day was hot, a sticky kind of humidity that clung to her skin and plastered the stray strands of her bone white hair to her sweaty forehead. There was no cold wind slicing through the atmosphere, as sizzling and dehydrating as a desert should be.

Even the clothes she wore, a loose top with skinny straps that stuck to her shoulder and black tights that stopped at her knees were enough to make her feel hot once again.

Of course, Rheynoak would choose the hottest day of the week to practice inside. Gods, curse that damned Hell Siphon.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her coiled hair, picking at the strands that fell in front of her face. Her violet eyes scanned the area of in front of the training building.

It was a big building, made of stone with tall pillars that made it seem as grand as a castle. Tumbleweeds and desert flowers sprouted from the sides, the bricks gray and cold.

But as soon as she entered the facility, the whole building was a humongous training center. There was no hallway of introduction, no red carpets splayed out on the floor, no vases decorating the corridors.

Just a long, dark hallway that led to a gray room with strong lighting and a bright ceiling covering the top. Nothing was extraordinary about it. Just a huge ring in the center of physical fights, iron bars and spiked weights for building strength, stretch ropes and running courses for speed, and punch bags to release the anger.

And the BloodBone was feeling particularly angry today.

Others were in the training room, a musky scent in the air as sweat dripped down everyone's faces. Some were practicing and improving their speed while others focused on building muscle.

Yet it was so loud and so hot, sweat dripping and blood gushing. The scene made her stomach turn, her head spinning from the enormous amount of heat dancing around the training room.

There were no windows so it was either train or die. Not that they were both good options anyway.

After Iresil had kindly explained to her and Lucien about the history behind the Catalyst Moon and explaining the Catalyst Oath and why Mind Siphons weren't supposed to exist, her mind has been turning ever since.

Her fingers have been clawing back and forth at the books that Lucien had left in her possession, reading their ancient words and trying to piece together a piece of the puzzle she was still missing.

Days and nights passed her by and her body was aching, her eyes burning but she still couldn't find what she needed to.

Worst of all, Rheynoak had stolen Lucien away to deal with some training discussions and weekly meetings.

A scoff escaped her lips just thinking about it. Breathing throughout her nose, Venix walked over to the punching bags, balling her fingers into a fist. She raised herself up to the platform, her right feet behind her left.

Violet eyes concentrated on the leather punch bag, her bruised knuckles raising up to meet the center of the bag. The first contact of her hands against the bag was relieving, a satisfying crackle splintering through the air.

The first drops of relief rushed over her body and immediately took over her mind and body, focusing her gaze, her magic on nothing but punching the hell out of the bag that hung in front of her face.

Turning her neck over to the side and cracking it, feeling her bones twist and sigh in relief as she cracked her bones, she took another breath and let her fist do all the talking.

The second punch was a relief, her bones snapping once again underneath her skin. And for a while, Venix ignored everything that was going on and focused on her pain, her anger and the internal demons she fought with.

Every noise, every face blurred in an instant, her eyes concentrating on nothing but the bag that swung in front of her face. Her body moved, dodging the swing of the bag and her fists not missing a beat as she hit the center over and over again.

Sweat dripped down her Venix's face, her hair clinging to her forehead and rushed breaths falling out of her mouth as she punched and punched and kicked until her body could feel numb and nothing more.

With each punch, she realized there was so much sadness, so much pain and anger boiled up inside of her that she had kept bottled up. Her feelings went beyond the frustrations of flipping through those ancient books and closing them with more questions than answer.

Every single painful moment she has ever been through, every whip that has ever touched her skin, every man that has ever tainted her body with the affection she didn't want, every backbreaking labor and the aching in her heart.

It all suffocated, consumed her until she was nothing but little bits and pieces. Everything within her seemed to shatter, her spirit splintering into pieces as she let all her anger out.

"And look who has an early start on breaking everything?" Rheynoak's voice pierced through her thoughts, breaking her concentration. She let her fist uncurl, her arms fall to her sides and her palm press against her knees.

Her breaths were rushing in and out in arrhythmic movements, her hair now flowing down her back in a messy heap. She realized now that the sweat dripping down her face was mixed with tears, salty as it touched the tip of her tongue.

Turning around, Venix saw that all eyes were on her, from Rheynoak's taunting gaze to that of Iresil's concerned eyes. Her gray orbs stared at her, a sympathetic smile on her thin lips. She was surrounded by some Elementalist, blending in perfectly with them.

And beside the tribe leader was Lucien, his ever-gazing blue eyes meeting hers, a light sparkling as he stared at her. His muscular arms were crossed over his broad, defined chest, his bone white hair tied up into a bun, revealing his worried expression.

"Fuck you, Rheynoak" was all the Bloodbone could spit out as she lowered herself off the platform. Her footsteps whispered past the steps as she descended, locking eyes with everyone.

A smile slipped on the tribe leader's lip. "Well, wouldn't that be something new to talk about" he purred at her, raising a rather cocky eyebrow. He was a few feet away from her, his arms crossed over his chest but his suggestive smile said something else.

"That's Lucien's job" he said in a tone that was loud enough for the everyone to hear. Venix sucked in a breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest. A hot blush crawled up her face, tinting her pale ears in a cherry red. A few stifled laughs drifted throughout the training room, enlarging the embarrassment for her.

His right-hand man casted him a look of disbelief, raising an eyebrow in defense. "You can be a real ass" he said in a cold tone, shaking his head. Rheynoak shrugged, casting him a sly smile. "I never said anything about being nice Lucien" he retorted back before turning his attention to the rest of the class.

"Alright everyone, gather at the ring. We are going to be testing all your strength and speed" the tribe leader announced in a bold voice, nearly shaking the walls. "You better stretch."

A groan left the crowd as they shuffled over to the ring, following the tribe leader. Venix half expected Lucien to follow his friend like he always did but surprisingly he didn't.

Instead, he walked towards her.

Sighing, the BloodBone casted her gaze down to her knuckles, dripping and blistering with blood making her hands slick and slippery. She ran her fingers through her hair, breathing in and out again to calm her untamed heart.

Cold fingers danced at the curve of her shoulder and she knew it was the Hell Siphon. She could practically smell him. Keeping her eyes closed, she let him drag her all the way to the corner.

His fingers left her skin and the BloodBone opened her eyes once more, the ocean in his eyes and the complexity within them the first thing to meet her gaze. His touch danced all the way to her arms, easing them down to her hips once again.

"What's wrong?" he asked her in a rather deep voice, the hoarseness in his tone sparking a heat inside of her once again. Shaking her head, Venix shrugged his touch away, twining her fingers together.

"Nothing, just stress from the last few days" she replied in a rather flat tone, untangling her fingers from her white hair and crossing her arms over one another. Lucien squinted his eyes at her, shaking his head once more.

"I saw the anger you were fighting with when you were punching that bag" he uttered to her in a soft tone that was only meant for her. "I saw the way the tears rolled down your face, Venix. You can't tell me that that was nothing."

A frustrated sigh escaped the BloodBone's lips, her curled fingers smacking against the concrete walls of the little corner they stood in. The others, the ones that stood in the ring with Rheynoak ignored them, too busy beating each other up to pay attention to the talking.

But Venix knew that the tribe leader was cautiously watching them with those hateful eyes of his.

"You don't know anything about what I have been fighting inside" Venix said to the Hell Siphon standing in front of her, licking her chapped lips in between her words. "What you see is only a small piece of the puzzle."

Lucien tilted his head, his blue eyes taking in the BloodBone Witch that stood in front of him. He scanned her sweaty face, how red her eyes were and the way her frown pulled her lips into a permanent frown.

A smile pulled on his lips. If only she knew what he has been through. "It might be a small piece of the puzzle but it says a lot, Venix" he said in a gentle tone that seemed to calm her. "I know what it feels like when the world turns against you."

The BloodBone stared at the Hell Siphon, her scowl deepening. Her violet eyes took in everything about him, from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. Even with his poetic voice that sounded like rich cream and the wind and with his blue eyes that went far beyond the oceans and mountains, she reminded herself that he was Rheynoak's, right-hand man.

No matter how many kind words he uttered to her ear or how many soft fingers he danced against her arm, she reminded herself that his companion was an asshole, a selfish brute who would do anything to save his own neck.

So the BloodBone shook her head, licking her lips as she held her gaze with him and uttered words that cut through his skin like knives, "Why do you care, Lucien? Why do you care so much about me?"

His once caring eyes seemed to melt into a puddle, his mouth wide open as he stared at her with disbelief. "What kind of question is that?" he asked her in a rather brash voice, attracting the attention of several others in the ring.

Still, Venix ignored them, raising her brows. "Answer the damn question. Why do you care so much about me?"

Lucien frowned, grabbing her wrists and dragging them further away from the tribe leader's wandering eyes. He dragged her to the far corner of the training room where no one could possibly hear them. She shook his hands off quickly, plastering her back against the wall.

The BloodBone held her breath as he neared her, the sweet scent of fresh snow and crashing ocean waves arising her senses. His body leaned in closer to hers, his hands plastered above her head to create little space she could escape out of.

Gently, he leaned in close and whispered to her in a soft voice, "I care about you because I know what it feels like to be lonely and broken, Venix. I know what it feels like when you have lost everyone you have ever loved and there is nothing you can do about it. It's a terrible pain, a pain that will never die but I don't want you feeling as lonely as I feel."

Venix sighed, looking deep into those eyes that she admired so much. There was pain beyond those great orbs that replicated the ocean, an unbearable pain that even she couldn't feel. "Do I really look that broken?" she asked in a whisper, licking her lips.

"Maybe not to everyone but when I look at you, I see a broken woman. A woman that has endured so much pain in her life and is constantly haunted by her demons." His blue eyes burned deeper into her violet orbs as he stared at her with such intruigment and spoke in such a soft voice, a cold shiver ran up her spine, a red blush flushing her face completely red. When he spoke to her next, his words were more precious than rubies, ringing pure truth, "But I also see strength, a fire burning in your eyes that never dies."

His words left her breathless, his body parting from hers as his arms fell to his sides. Blue eyes twinkled underneath dark lashes as he said in a predatorial voice, "If that's a bad reason to care, then stake me already."

Venix felt the tight restriction in her chest, the way her heart ached as he parted away from her. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until she let out a big breath, her chest heaving.

"Lovebirds, we don't have all day" Rheynoak's voice hissed at them, breaking the atmosphere surrounding them. "Lucien, I need you now instead of frittering around with this poor excuse of life!"

The Hell Siphon darted his gaze over to his friend who was in the center of the ring, sweat dripping down his face and blood spraying his knuckles. A wounded follower was moaning at the base of his feet, holding their hand close to their mouth.

"Give me a damn minute!" he barked back at his friend, surprising both himself and the tribe leader. Even the BloodBone stiffened, her eyes widening as she took in his figure. Lucien was never one to growl back so this side of him, the untamed side caught her attention.

Turning back to face her, he only nodded his head at her. Mustering a smile on her lips, the BloodBone managed to peel herself off the wall and utter, "Thank you, Lucien" before walking away to join Rheynoak.

That's how it was for most of the training class.

Venix went around, continuing her training and sparring with different followers while Lucien and Rheynoak split themselves up to by advisers to everyone. Lucien mostly helped with the muscle building and speed while Rheynoak decided to stay with fighting, his iron fists spraying blood as soon as they made contact with skin.

Sometimes, she would look back at the Hell Siphon, casting him a smile as he assisted someone. Other times, he would come behind her during her defense move practices with the punch bags and rest his hands on her hips, straightening her posture.

But most of the time, her violet eyes caught the sight of the sneering tribe leader as he observed their signs of general respect, frowning at both of them.

It wasn't until the end of training that he made his move.

Venix had just picked herself up from the middle of the ring, wincing as she rested her hand on her hips. Training was over and most of the members were getting ready to brace the heat outside, even hotter than it was before.

"Well well, if it isn't the hell bringer herself." The tribe leader's taunting voice followed her as she stepped down the steps of the ring, running her fingers through her tired hair. He followed close behind.

"I believe that is you, Rheynoak" the BloodBone replied back, heading over to the bars that held small towels near the door. "After all, you are a Hell Siphon."

His sharp laughter sliced through the air, even managing to make her flinch. "Oh Venix, what a comedic idiot you are" he whispered to her in a hoarse voice that made goosebumps rise from her skin. The witch only ignored him, pulling a random towel off the bar.

She dabbed at the blood that dripped out of her nose and her lip, making sure not to tear the wounds any further. Rheynoak walked in front of her, his tall figure towering over her. His dark hair tumbled in front of his hawk-like hazel eyes, taking in every single detail of her.

Casually leaning against the wall, his said to her in a voice that could have been heard by a few eavesdroppers, "I see you have managed to pull the attention of Lucien into your direction."

Venix tossed the bloody towel into a nearby trash bin, turning her body around to face his. "Why would you care? You don't seem to care about him now" she spat back, the metallic taste of blood still lingering in her mouth.

Another sharp bark of laughter. "You see, dear BloodBone. I try to warn him about filthy, cheap woman like you" he purred at her, his hands reaching over to stroke her hair. The witch shrank back at his touch, his cruel fingers brushing past her face.

"Twisted, bloody whores who use their magic to hypnotize even the greatest into their falling depths." The tribe leader's words cut to close to home and torture for Venix, her body turning around to walk out of the other door that revealed itself on the other side of the room.

She pushed through other people that were crowded around the room, trying her best to ignore him. But it was so hard to do, so hard to push him out of her mind when he was following her close on her heel.

Halfway across the room, he caught sight of her hand and grasped it, forcing her to turn back to him. Her instincts kicked in and before she knew it, she had swung her hand in viscously slapped the great tribe leader.

"The only filthy one here is you" she hissed at him as he grasped his jaw tightly. "Don't you dare ever call me a whore. Save that for the women you take advantage of when you lure them to bed."

By now, the few civilians that were left in the training room - including Lucien- had stopped whatever they were doing to stare at the exploding scene. The tribe leader's right-hand man dropped his towel on the floor, his curious gaze traveling to his master.

Another harsh laugh fell out of Rheynoak's mouth, his lips twisting into a smile. His other hand grasped her wrist, pulling her close to him. "At least I have a purpose in this world" he hissed at Venix, those hateful eyes of his burning into her soul.

His grip on her hand tightened, burning a red circle around her wrist. "At least the gods put me in this world knowing what I would become, the greatness I would possess instead of turning out to be a scared girl cheaping herself out and throwing her body into the arms of the first man that finds her worth any beauty."

Lucien took a few steps forward, an angry expression on his face. His fists were balled, tight with the anger burning in his soul. Even his once kind eyes were a dark shade of blue, a ferocious winter forest.

Venix felt the urge, the words pushing out of her soul and onto her tongue. All the pain, all the anger, and suffering built inside of her were ready to explode in reckless words that she would later regret.

Before Lucien could do anything - his hands landing on Rheynoak's shoulder - before Rheynoak could turn around, her words were already out and shattering into the room. "At least I have a heart, Rheynoak! At least I am not an egomaniac ass with a selfish attitude who would abandon friends at the least minute!" she shouted in a loud voice, ringing her wrist free from his grip.

"I have a soul, compassion...sympathy, unlike your kind who are useless pieces of shit with no soul and no mercy for others! I hope all of you perish in hellfire!"

As soon as those words left her lips, the BloodBone immediately regretted them, seeing the way Lucien's arms fell at his sides. His icy blue eyes twinkled with pain, his steps retreating.

Rheynoak laughed quietly, shaking his head as he casted his look at his companion. "Are you sure ALL of us are as selfish and egomaniacal as you would like to believe?"

Venix ignored his question, ignored him in general as all her focus turned to Lucien. His eyes didn't even meet hers as he backed away, keeping his gaze plastered onto the floor. He was quietly backing away, distancing himself from her.

She stumbled on her words, finding what to say as the distance between them grew. Every bone in her body ached, her eyes burning as she took several steps towards him, reaching out with her hand.

"Lucien, I wasn't talking about-" But he cut her off before she could finish her sentence.

"I think I understand enough." Then with a final bow of his head, he casted her a cold look before walking away, his silhouette disappearing down the hallway.

The one person that has cared for her since Onyx left, the one person who always saw the light in her when all she saw was blood and darkness. Gone from her life, like the tribe leader always said.

Rheynoak chuckled at his friend's retreating figure, a haunting sound that seemed to stab her in the heart. "Like I said, a useless excuse of life. You just seem to cause destruction wherever you go."

Yet his words meant nothing to Venix as she stood there in the middle of the training room, arms wrapped around her as she wept internally in her cold misery, her heart crunching underneath her tears.

Lucien's back hit the wall of the small bathroom he had cramped himself in, his head rested back among the gray walls. His hand was dragging down his face, wiping the sweat away from his face.

Hurried breaths and a whimper escaped his lips as he shook his head, simply letting himself slide down the wall until he hit the floor and draw his knees to his chest. The pain started in his chest, spreading slowly - like a virus - throughout his entire body.

His fingers twitched, his whole body shaking as he took in breaths that would calm the pain of Venix's words, blinking several times so that the tears springing in his blue eyes would die.

Lucien was well aware that her words were not directed at him, that she didn't even direct her gaze at him once when she uttered those hateful words to Rheynoak. Yet everything she said, everything she uttered about Hell Siphons...

He couldn't help but direct it all back to himself. He couldn't help but compare her words to the sins he has committed in the past, to the blood he has spilled on his hands.

Unlike your kind who are useless pieces of shit with no soul and no mercy for others! 

Venix wasn't wrong. Hell Siphons, though they were put in the world for good have committed some of the deadliest crimes, himself included. 

Lucien couldn't help but wonder if that his how the BloodBone saw Hell Siphons in her eyes...is that how she viewed him? An emotionless, ravenous being with no concern for others and a mission to kill and only kill?

The thought sprung some few tears in his eyes, one tear falling down his face as his eyes burned. He managed a sniffle, reaching up to wipe his eyes dry of tears.

The Hell Siphon didn't blame her if that is how she saw him. Directing his gaze down to his shaking hands, he could see why. He was a monster, a horrible being that she could never love.

Pushing himself up, he walked over to the sink and turned on the water, splashing his face with cold water that chilled his skin. The mirror was slightly foggy when he looked up, still managing to see his reflection.

Blue doe eyes were dull and strands of his white hair fell across his flushed face and red cheeks, seemingly dull and lifeless underneath the poor lighting.

A broken spirit with no purpose in the world.

Standing there with his hands braced in front of the mirror, he whispered Venix's last words in his mind, wincing as they echoed loud and clear.

I hope all of you perish in hellfire!

Breathing out a sigh, he shook his head once more, the pain never fading. Deep down in his heart, he hoped he perished in hellfire as well.

A/N: And that is the end of another chapter!

Heyy, I added a Lucien and Venix scene. Granted, there is now, even more tension between them and things got a bit more personal than last time...

BUT HEY! It's a Lunix scene and you know these two will make up for their mistakes. Especially the whole misunderstanding with Venix and Lucien.

But I like this chapter. There is a nice dynamic between the two and Venix seems a bit more open to Lucien which is huge considering she doesn't trust anyone but Onyx and herself.

And of course Rheynoak, wrecking relationships. But not to fret, his reasons will soon come and you will all soon understand why he despises Lucien's and Venix's mutual understanding for each other.

A quick shoutout to @winterinheaven for creating the incredible gif banner I put up in this chapter. Your work amazes me every time! Thank you a million times to the stars and back!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May