The lengthy, dim tunnel that led to the caverns where the many inmates were shackled was traversed by Aria and Adrian. The new inmate was given his own little cave. She could hear metal chains adhering as they got closer, indicating that he was attempting to break them. When they saw him and went inside, he stopped. Aria knew that werewolves were immune to cold, even though he was bare-chested in the chilly cave.

The prisoner did not move; his black eyes turned to the door and gave them a resentful glare. Aria has always made an effort to stay away from these animals. She used to see them from a distance, but today she was closer than ever before, save for

Aria flinched when the prisoner took a step forward, the chains allowing him to take a few more if he wished. But they were standing out of his reach so she didn't have to be fearful.

Adrian remained unfazed. He had done this many times before.

"Since you made me your pet, perhaps you could name me too." The prisoner replied.

Aria shivered. His voice was as rough as the rest of him. His face was all harsh lines, his body hard muscle, taut at the moment from defying the magnetic force of the graviton. The magnetic metal was attached to his arms and legs and a large one was attached to the wall behind him. The size of the metal told her the force of the pull he was defying was great. He was strong.

"I would prefer to have your name," Adrian told him.

"If you insist." The prisoner said. She could hear the sarcasm in his voice. "My name is Marcus."

Adrian was about to write something when he paused. Why? Did he know of him?

He looked up from the notebook in his hand. "That is a good name." He said. "Messenger of God."

"It is and I have a message for you. You will die soon."

"And I am guessing you will kill me."

"Good guess." The prisoner said.

Adrian ignored the prisoner and turned to her. He gave her a nod to ask her questions. The prisoner shifted his gaze, his dark coffee eyes settling on her blue ones. Aria froze in place. She could suddenly not bring herself to speak. Her mind went back to the terrors she had witnessed caused by his kind.

"I see…" He began taking a step forward, those intense eyes not leaving hers.

Aria choked on the scream that rose to her throat but she remained still. Clearly, her anger wasn't enough to help her overcome her fear yet. She couldn't be like this in front of the creature she hated. She couldn't show weakness.

"I like the smell of fear." He said. "It brings me joy."

The smell of fear? What about the screams of fear? The screams his kind had caused.

"I don't doubt it." She said but that was all she managed to say for a while. Time seemed to stand still and then finally she managed to open her mouth again. "Do you recognize me?" She asked.

He tilted his head to one side and seemed mockingly thoughtful while watching her. Aria's face already twitched with disgust.

"I am not sure." He said but she could tell he was only saying that to annoy her.

"Why did you look at me earlier?"

"I was just being fair. You watched me and I watched you back."

He was still standing straight, counteracting the force of the graviton. At this point, his muscles would grow twice the size.

"Are your kind using human females to breed?" She asked straightforwardly.

"Why?" he raised a brow. "Do you want to become a breed mate?"

"I hate to compare you to such. Breed mates are honored and respected and you… well, I don't find you fit to carry our offspring." He looked her up and down, his eyes displaying revulsion. "Your hips are too narrow."

"All of you. Too fragile. Too scared. I would rather be flogged to death than to have my blood mixed with yours." He said it with disgust.

"You didn't answer my question." She told him.

"I know." He replied making sure she understood he would only reply when he wanted to and how he wanted.

"You hate our kind and don't want our blood mixed with yours, yet you will breed with our females." She tried to get answers in some other way.

"Well, it sounds terrible to breed with the ones who kill us but it also sounds like the greatest revenge. Will the mothers kill their children? Will humans kill half-humans? I understand why some would do it."

"You disgust me." She spat. She was sick to her stomach, her rage almost causing her to shake.

"The feeling is mutual." He said looking her in the eyes.

"I will kill all of you." She promised him.

"No, you won't," he said calmly but his eyes stormed with vengeance. "While you are busy with your experiments, I will kill all of you. You will go to bed every night thinking if that will be your last night and when the night of your death comes, you will ask yourself why you didn't kill me earlier before I burn you to ashes." His voice was low and threatening. "And then the wind will blow your ashes away. There will be nothing left of you. Nothing!"

Aria felt the cold spread from her fingertips to her whole body.

"Except for perhaps the one you are looking for?"

She stiffened. "You know where she is?"

He sighed. "I am tired of the questions." He let himself get pulled back by the graviton.

"Wait!" She stepped forward but Adrian stopped her before she could go any further.

"He is doing it on purpose. Let's go." Adrian said.

Aria knew he was taunting her. He was going to use that information against her but she didn't care at this moment. She wanted to know where her sister was.

Adrian took her by the arm and began to lead her away but Aria resisted.

"Listen to the old man. You don't want to know where she is."

Aria pulled her arm away. "Where is she?"

"Perhaps in the arms of some werewolf or several." He said his smile of the evil ones. "Producing some werewolves…"

"Shut up, you monster!" She yelled and before she knew her rage led her closer to him.

He quickly raced through the distance meeting her halfway but even that didn't scare her. She wanted to kill him! She was so close. If Adrian had not caught her and pulled her away the beast would have taken her.

Adrian had his arms wrapped around her and almost carried her away while she yelled. "I will kill! I will torture you to death! I will show you what pain is, you monster."

The prisoner was angry she got out of his hands first but as he watched her get dragged away while she yelled threats his expression changed. He looked at her almost surprised but Aria was too angry to wonder why.

Adrian carried her all the way through the tunnel and only released her once they were far away and she had run out of threats. The old man was stronger than she thought.

He put her down and shook her slightly. "What is wrong with you? You almost got yourself killed?"

Tears streamed down her face. "Did you hear him? My sister…"

"Nothing is sure. He just wanted to hurt you."

"I'm not sure. However, she is dead if she is not a breeding stock. She wiped away her tears and regained her composure. Tell me which is superior. Which one ought to be my sister's wish?

"Everything was shared between us. Even our mother's womb, and then she simply vanished one day. She would seek me out if she was okay. She refused to abandon me. She would experience the same sense of emptiness that I do.

She was led back to the Zenith by Adrian, who put his arm around her. He didn't say anything. He wasn't the type of man to make unfounded promises that might backfire. He was aware that there were more negative things in store for them in this world than positive ones.