Chapter 14: The Real Culprit

"You still don't realise it, do you?" She walked in circle around me. "Did you forget the trip in the forest? Who do you think lied to you about Luna going into the forest?" She laugh hysterically. "What do you mean?" I asked. My doubts were turning into reality. "You're confused aren't you?" She cupped my face. "You did seriously think it was Valencia who was trying to kill you and had kidnapped you, didn't you?"

"How can you be so stupid? It was me who told you about Luna being in the forest, I was the one who put nightshade in Jacob's drink and it was also me who kidnapped you!" She grinned at me. My eyes widened, I was in complete shock. "But how did you know...?" I asked. "Oh sweetheart! I already knew it from the very beginning and about the nightshade incident, I heard your conversation with Valencia in the washroom. Of course I wasn't going to exposed myself so easily!"

"Why telling me this now?" I gave her a death stare. "I couldn't wait any longer! O needed to kill you. Sometimes I pity Valencia, poor girl always getting herself in trouble for something she never did!" Valencia was right then, the someone who was betraying me was no other than Eliana.

"Oh don't worry about me Eliana! I always knew it was you. A bitch like you, don't need to pity me!" Valencia stood just behind me. "Did you think that I didn't know about you pretending to be a 14 years old girl who's actually 17!" She looked at me quickly before looking back at Eliana. "Seems you know a lot about me!" She smiled at me while grabbing my arm tightly. "Oh I know a lot more than you think!" Valencia replied giving her death stares. "You think I'm going to stand like this while you start a rumour about me! How about I get rid of you then I'll kill Hannah!"

"I'd like you to try that!" She replied confidently. "She is just a human leave her alone she's got nothing to do with this!" I grabbed her arm but she pushed me away causing me to hit my head in the wall behind me. Eliana transformed into a Phillipine eagle. She looked at her prey fiercely, ready to snap at any moment. I press my hand on my head to calm the pain but when I removed my hand I saw blood, my wounds were not healing.

"You've got problem with us not her so fight us!" I heard Luna's voice. Eliana wasn't listening she was focus on killing Valencia. My sister had no choice but to transform. Just as she was about to attack Valencia, Luna came in front of her grabbing her talons and pushed her away. "Valencia! Run!" I yelled as I tried to stand up. My wound wasn't still healing. Valencia ran towards me and helped me stand up. "Sorry for blaming it all on you." After all that had happened, she was still helping us. "No I should be the one saying sorry!" She looked down.

Just as we were about to walk away from the fight, we heard a loud growl from behind. I looked at the back to see a black wolf growling at us. It's eyes were of a dark gray color and it was pretty much almost the height from the ground to my shoulder. "Vanity." Valencia said softly. The black wolf stopped growling to look at her. "Vanity is a wolf?" I asked. "Yes. She is a fenris alpha wolf and she's basically a lone wolf. She has always been helping me and she was the one who knew you were an eagle and everything else." Valencia explained while patting the head of the wolf.

Suddenly a loud cry was heard. Luna was hurt, Vanity started growling again. She immediately ran, grabbing the Philippine eagle and threw her to the side. The Philippine eagle started become bigger almost the size of Vanity. Is she an... overpowering eagle?

She started flying towards her and away from her, making her confuse. I knew exactly where this was going. She is doing exactly what I did when I was doing the test.

Just as I tried to walk to stopped them, I felt a surge of power flow within me. I had got my powers back. 'Wanna beat someone's butt?' I nodded in agreement and I walked between Vanity and Crystal, who was in front of Ivy.

"You have problems with me so leave them alone!" I yelled at her which came out pretty threatening. "So you finally decided to fight?" Her eagle's feathers were all fluffed up which seemed that she wanted to challenge me. "Yes!" Do you think I'm going to stand still while you rip my friends to shreds.

She suddenly launch herself towards me which I took it as an opportunity by moving to the side for her to hit the fence just behind me. While everyone was busy looking at her, I felt another presence behind Luna and Vanity.

I turned my gaze to see a red-haired boy transforming and he didn't seem to have noticed me looking at him. Two fire-like wings started to form behind his back and crimson red feathers were growing on his arm until his body lit up on fire and he turned into a Phoenix. I'm pretty sure even Valencia saw it.

"Rhys?" I whispered silently as I looked at him with disappointment. He turned to me with a shocking expression and looked back at Ivy. How could it be him? He is not the type of guy who would do this to me right? He flew towards the fence and landed on it. He dropped a tear on her and her whole body started to glow. The injuries were healing. "But how could this be possible!" I muttered in shock.

"He's a Phoenix, he has the power to ressurect himself and to even heal others with his tears."

Why does it always have to be me? Why do my friends always have to leave me? 'He can hear you, you know.' Spark said. I look over to Rhys who really was looking at me, his eyes like hot lava was full of sadness. Please you don't need to give me a look of pity.

He looked back to his partner who was ready to attack me. I trusted you Eli. "Why are you doing this? You know Hannah always considered you as her best friend!" Valencia yelled at her. "I did not! I didn't consider her as my friend in fact I came to take her powers."

"You never told me that! You have always told me that she killed your friend and that you wanted to take revenge on her!" Rhys barged in the conversation.

"It's because of that too." She seemed a bit hesitant when she said that though. Besides I did not kill her friend. I don't even know what she's talking about.

"When did I kill your friend?" I barged in. Is she blaming me for no reason just because she wants my power?

Rhys looked at me again, he seemed to be believing me but then again he wasn't sure what to do.

"You did kill my friend three years ago. Remember Luna?" Everyone looked over to Luna who was a bit surprised by her. Is it the test that she's talking about? What did my sister do?

"What did you do Luna?" Please prove her wrong? Tell me you did not kill her friend. 'It was just a mistake, I didn't do on purpose.'

'For goodness sake what the hell did you do?'

'While I was trying to kill a wolf I caught an eagle by it's neck but I did try to cure it...'

'So she survived right?' I asked giving her worried looks.

'I don't know. It fell unconscious after that so I took her in a cave and left her over there. I didn't know what to do I panicked.'

"That means she did not killed her, instead she helped her!" I protested. Rhys stayed quiet and I couldn't help but look at his sad eyes. I did not expect you to be involve in this Rhys...

I knew he could hear me but what can I do? I was dumbfounded when I saw him transform and then joining Eliana in her game. "Enough talking now and let's finish what we came here for!" The Philippine eagle yelled.

Without giving me time to transform she rushed to my direction pushing to the ground but what actually happened was that I didn't even touch the ground because Jacob came behind in time and we both fell down.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I lifted my weight off him. "Yeah I'm good!" He said with a smile on his face while rubbing his arms. I knew it! He was hurt. Just as I was about to talk to him, he pushed me away from him as the other eagle came clawing his arm. I crawled to him to see he was bleeding so badly. Vanity and Luna came in front of me and Jacob.

Seeing them trying to protect us I stood up and gave her a threatening look. My brown eyes were filled with rage. The Phoenix decided not to get involve anymore and left by lighting himself on fire and disappeared into the air. "We'll meet again Hannah!" She said with determination at the same time a little bit of frustration was filled in her eyes.

As soon as she flew away I couldn't help but let the tears stream off my eyes. I couldn't help but cry. I fell on my knees sobbing like a baby. Everything fell into a silence only the cold and chilly wind could be heard. "Come on stop crying... they aren't worth it." Valencia consoled me with a hug.

After crying for a while, I finally decided to stop. Luna had gone to change her clothes with Valencia and Vanity. The only persons left was me and Jacob.

I wiped my tears and stood up. "Where are you going?" Jacob shouted to get me out of my sad state but I didn't listen to him, instead I walked inside the old house and sat in the living room. I felt his presence behind me. He sat next to me and gave me a hug. I couldn't hold my tears and I ended up crying again.

"What did I do to deserve this?" I buried my face in his chest as I tightened my grip on his shirt. "Everything we'll be fine. Don't worry." He rubbed my back, trying desperately to calm me down. "If I never did that test neither Luna nor I would have been in this situation now!"

"Don't say that. I know they have betrayed you but you have to stay strong... I know you can do it." Jacob tried to console me but I was too stick to the fact that I was betrayed.

"I'm not strong Jacob..."

"But for me you will always be my strong girlfriend." He said. He wiped off my tears and smiled at me warmly. "Thank you Jacob." I smiled back and he hugged me tightly.

"Don't ever give up on yourself."

"I won't."

"How did you know I was here?" I questioned. "I somehow felt your feelings. I don't know how but I could feel that you were sad so I went to your home and your parents told me that you went to your old house and that's how I ended up finding you." He explained.

The atmosphere suddenly became silent because I didn't know what to say. "What were you doing here anyway?" He asked. "My parents wanted the house to be clean a bit for us." I replied happily but when I looked at him, he was blushing and eventually the same happened for me. "It's not what you think alright! Us means me, Luna and our group of friends!" I looked away immediately so that he doesn't see my face.

"So you were cleaning the house?" I look over to Jacob and nodded. I was a bit excited to tell him everything, "Yeah, I was cleaning the bedrooms, Luna was cleaning the living room and El-" I stopped midway as soon as I heard the word come out of my mouth. "And Eli was cleaning the kitchen!" I plastered a fake smile on my face.

I had to get out of here or I'll end up crying again. I have to make an excuse,"Oh it's getting late now! I have to go home. Take care bye." I stood up walking out of the door but before I could do so, Jacob hugged me from the back. "Forget about her, will you?" He whispered in my ear.

"I'm fine Jacob. Don't worry about me!"

As soon as I reached home, I walked to my room and close the door. I let myself fall on the ground and started sobbing as I started to recall what had happened today. Suddenly my mother started knocking at my door, "Are you okay Hannah?" She seemed to be worried so I quickly wiped the tears off. "I'm fine mom don't worry I just got injured while running." I answered and luckily she stopped and walk away.

As the days past, we ignored them. Eliana had already left the school. Everyone claimed that she got transferred because of her dad but we knew why she really transferred. As for Rhys, we haven't talked to each other since that incident happened.

In class whenever he would sit near me, I would just stand up and change my seat without even arguing. But I guess not today.

I saw him entering the class, I knew he would come and sit beside me so I stood up as always and walk past him but he grabbed me by the arm. "Not today Hannah." He walked me back to my seat and gestured me to sit down. I did what he said and turned away, looking outside. "I'm sorry... I didn't know that she was lying." He explained and I remained quiet.

"For how long will you ignore me?" He snapped as he noticed I wasn't paying much attention to him. "I don't know." I finally answered but I didn't look back at him. "Look I know what I did was something unforgivable but you can punish me if you want." Again I remained silent. "Talk to me!!" He grabbed my shoulder and turned it to face him.

He was surprised when he saw tears in my eyes and my face had a blank expression but then he started feeling guilty. He looked down and turned his face to the other way. "I'm sorry..." He repeated eccept his voice was a bit faint this time. "You don't have to say sorry because I don't care anymore." I said.

Finally I stood up and walk away. "Miss are you ok? Where are you going?" The teacher asked.

"I'm sick of someone!" I could hear everyone gasping at my answer. I turned slightly at Rhys who looked a bit shocked and walked out of the class.