(Amaia)

"I will come for you and I will find a safe place for us to live." I hold Aziel one last time. Parting with him again is not easy but I have to for his sake. To keep him safe.

"I will wait." He reassuringly smiles at me. Even with everything he has been through, they couldn’t break his spirit.

We hide Aziel between the medicine boxes to transport him out of the academy to TJ’s home.

"I will take care of him,"

Larissa assures me before taking him away in the carriage. TJ remains behind.

With a heavy heart, I return to my mates. They will need me after these devastating truths are revealed. All of them are in vulnerable situations.

Opening the partition, I enter our safe space again. Saiph is holding an overwhelmed Alnitak. Embracing him like the eldest brother he is. Trying to calm him down, telling him it’s not his fault.

I can imagine how difficult the truths must have been for Alnitak. He is devastated. Knowing that your mother whom you basically worship turned out to be the monster from your worst nightmare.

He most probably is in denial.

I have seen the love he holds for his mother. Mintaka has told me how he fought Saiph and was at times jealous of him because he was closer to her.

Moving nearer to a devastated Min, I hold him and he hugs me to himself.

"I never thought she would turn out to be the one behind all this," Min regrettably says, in a broken voice.

Taking a step back, I squeeze his arm and place my other hand on his face, letting him vent. "I still can’t believe it. How can a mother do this?"

Devastation seems to have hit Mintaka. His eyes appear haunted.

"I understand your pain, Min. I am so sorry."

This is so traumatic for them, I am not even sure how I am going to bring them out of this.

How will they be able to face her? Agree to our plan of getting rid of her because no way I am going to let my mates be anywhere near that monster.

Alnitak lets go of Saiph and wipes the tears from his sullen face with the back of his arm.

"What are we going to do?" He questions, his tear-filled eyes find me.

Alnitak’s tears feel wrong. I have gotten so used to his smiles and optimism that it’s harrowing to see him so broken.

"Go to him, he needs you more." Mintaka gently pushes me forward.

Saiph makes room for me, getting up and approaching Min. I lower myself between Alnitak’s legs and hold his shivering hands.

"Hey!" I softly say, gently rubbing circles on the back of his hands with the tips of my thumbs. "I won’t say that what you are going through is by any chance easy but I am here for you if you want to speak about it."

A tear wanders down his grieved face. "I feel like my whole life is a lie. Is it possible that we speak with her? Maybe...maybe there is a misunderstanding or an explanation," he pleads, lifting his gaze and focusing on his brothers.

"We can’t risk her knowing that we know. What if she curses all of us again or hurts someone," Mintaka counters.

"Let Alnilam come and then we will decide our next course of action," I gently tell him, letting him grieve.

He is fixated on Saiph. "You are our brother. I wish we had known. I wish we had treated you better."

His breaths come shallow, his tears won’t stop. My sunshine is having difficulty breathing. The loss of blood and cold have affected him and I fear that he is not properly healed. This situation is devastating him even more.

"Alnitak, stop blaming yourself. Even I didn’t know, how could you have known?" Saiph keeps one arm around Min and with the other hand, he presses on Alnitak’s shoulder.

Alnitak hiccups. TJ needs to have a look at him.

"Come I will take you to TJ." I help him up. Saiph and Min assist me.

"I will come with you," Min quietly says.

My eyes turn towards Saiph.

"I will stay here, in case Alnilam brings Rigel back." I nod at him. He needs to meet his twin.

We guide Alnitak towards the infirmary. For once I am not even sure what assuring words to say to my mates. What to even say when the mother turns out to be an irredeemable psychopath?

We lay him down in the inspection room and let TJ examine him. Min and I stay beside him, telling TJ everything that had happened.

He thinks for a short while, the wise man knows Alnitak’s condition is not only physical but something deeply emotional.

"Amaia, I understand you healed him. But you only healed the physical wound caused by Mintaka’s icicle. The coldness of that place also affected his lungs plus the blood loss and the emotional turmoil he seems to be going through. Everything has amassed. Let him rest for now. Stay with him."

TJ gives some mixtures to Alnitak and then orders him to rest and not overthink. The mixture must have a sleeping agent because he instantly falls asleep. I sit beside him, holding his hand while Min paces the room, deep in thought.

"I always felt so irritated by Saiph that he tattled to Mama. But now I know how she hurt him to reveal everything to her. He protected us. I feel horrible," Mintaka quietly says.

"He is your elder brother. I am sure he is proud of himself for protecting you and he will do it all over again. Some of us have to take on those roles. Saiph and Alnilam did. It shouldn’t have been this way but at least they were there for you guys."

My heart trembles thinking about Rigel. There was no one for him in that dungeon. How many nights he must have cried himself to sleep all alone.

Oh! Rigel, I want to hold you and take all of your pain away.

Alnilam! Please bring my Rigel back.