"Damien, have you seen Zia? Ansel asked as she ran up to him.
Damien had just begun to catch his breath from running up to the circus borders.
"What do you mean? She is supposed to be in recovery." He replied, confused.
"Well, she isn't there. I just checked. I thought you may have removed her from that dark place, finally." She said.
"Great. Where the hell is she?" He growled.
"I will keep looking for her. She is in no condition to be wondering around on her own." Ansel said, worriedly.
"You better find her before I do; she cannot be too far." Damien said.
Ansel began searching for Zia after taking time to recover herself, she was afraid what would happen without her checking on Zia regularly.
She seemed different lately and it scared Ansel. She wondered if Zia would leave on her own regardless of the dangers of the darkness.
Ansel decided to look for Aeson. Maybe he would have answers. She left Damien to go find Aeson.
Damien was furious.
Damien began walking briskly in his search for answers. Zia couldn't have healed enough to leave the circus on her own, could she? He questioned himself.
Couldn't that girl simply do as she is told? Why did she have to make things difficult for herself? Her wondered.
As he made his way through the circus grounds, the old man that informed Orion about Damien taking Emrie away, stopped him.
"Damien, Orion was asking about you. He was looking for the Elephant. He had Zia with him. She didn't look so good." The old, fragile man informed him.
Damien rushed towards the old man and grabbed him by his shirt, restricting his air passage.
"When did you see her and where did they go?" He asked with his face an inch away from the old man.
"I, I can't breathe." The old man struggled to say.
Damien let go of the old man's shirt so he could speak. Gasping for air, he took a moment to catch his breath.
"Hurry up, old man." Damien rushed.
"I spoke to Orion about two hours ago. Looks like Zia had a spill. I saw Orion carry her off that way." The old man said pointing, as his voice cracked.
Damien was burning with anger and jealously. He left the old man and head over to Orion's cabin.
What the hell was Orion doing with Zia. He wondered.
Damien continued on the path to Orion's cabin. So many thoughts ran through his mind, but jealousy was his leading emotion.
Of anyone he thought Zia would be attracted to, it would be Orion. The thought of it burned his chest. Why did she have this effect on him? He thought.
He arrived at Orion's Cabin and walked up the steps. Afraid of what he might find, he hesitated to knock.
Damien took a deep breath and pounded on the wooden door with the side if his hand.
A few moments later, Orion cracked the door. He said nothing and showed no emotion when he saw Damien.
"I am looking for Zia. I was told she might be here." Damien said.
"And if she is?" Orion replied plainly.
"Then she needs to come with me." Damien replied.
"Why? She is eighteen now. She can make her decisions for herself and she doesn't care to go with you right now." Orion said, not opening the door further.
"Is she here, Orion?" Damien asked, annoyed.
Orion opened the door to allow Damien to enter his cabin.
Damien's eyes focused on Zia sitting on Orion's bed, wearing his shirt.
Damien rushed towards Zia to grab her. Before his hands could connect with Zia, Orion grabbed Damien from the back, holding him into a headlock.
"Don't try it. You're not touching her." Orion said through his teeth as Damien pulled at Orion's arm to release him.
Orion spun Damien around and pushed him towards the door. Damien nearly fell down the steps backwards.
Damien caught himself and walked back through the doorway, rushing Orion with his blood, red eyes glaring at Orion.
Zia crept back towards the wall behind her while on Orion's bed and pulled her legs to her chest.
Her heart beat increased as fear consumed her.
With his fangs and claws bearing, Damien attacked Orion. Orion didn't flinch at the sight of the beast before him. He knew these beasts too well.
Orion flicked out two sets of metal claws from his hands spinning out of the way as Damian slashed his claws at him.
Orion spun back towards Damien and slashed his shoulder across his chest as Damien growled in pain.
Damien launched at Orion once more, slashing Orion's forearm with his claws as Orion picked up a chair and broke it on the side of Damien's head, causing him to stumble.
Damien recovered quickly and rushed Orion, clawing him from both directions wildly, slicing Orion's ribcage.
Orion pushed Damien off of him and ejected electric bolts from his claws, temporarily immobilizing Damien as he fell back against the wall.
Zia had never seen Damien in this form. She tried to swallow the bile that crept up her throat. The only time she had been this frightened was when she encountered dark stalkers.
At that moment, Zia realized why Damien didn't treat Orion like the rest. Orion was not afraid of him. He seemed powerful, as though he knew how to handle his kind.
She pulled herself together and ran towards Orion, who was bleeding profusely from his side.
"You are hurt." She cried.
"I am fine, Zia. I will heal." He said, as he applied pressure to his injured side.
"Let me help you, please." She pleaded.
"How?" He asked.
Zia directed him to his bed and let him lay down. She wasn't sure how she would help Orion, but something was guiding her. It was like her body knew what to do.
She closed her eyes and placed her hands over Orion's wound. She began to feel a warmth build in her hands.
A spear of energy began to form as she withdrew the pain out of Orion as his wounds sealed.
Orion sat up in disbelief at what he had just experienced.
Suddenly, Zia felt lightheaded and lost consciousness.