Chapter 19

"You.. What?," I demanded, dumbfounded. Magnus throws his hands up in the air, surrendering.

"I love you Lio. I always have. Ever since we were younger. Since I first met you, All I ever tried to do was prove myself to you. Be someone you can admire. And when you took everything I taught you and ran off, that's when I started to get angry at you. Because I gave you my everything, and you took it and ran off to be in a world without me. Now I'm finally back in your life. We may have our problems but..," He stopped, covering his face with irritation.

"In my eyes it's better than nothing. You want to give this all up, fine. But Im not gonna sit back as you sell your soul for power. I cant do it," He finished with a scowl. I looked at my hands.

"I.. I," I struggled to come up with words, with some reasonable response. He loves me... He loves me. He loves me. In that moment, all my rage seemed to fade, along with the desire for blood.

"I thought as much," He murmured, turning to walk away.

"I love you too! Just dont go!," I begged, clenching my fists and looking down, my face burning. He stopped in his tracks but didnt move, or turn.

"Magnus.. My dad abandoned me at a very young age... My mother was a psycho who abused me every day for years until it's all I knew. She was taken away from me too. I was forced to move away from all my friends into a home with a stranger. I meet you. I look up to you. Then You begin to treat me like trash, all because I wanted to expand my friendships, not abandon you. Then I was kidnapped, tortured, you came into my life, my mother died, you left, I come to find out you think I'm a cold blooded killer and now Ryan's dead I mean what the hell am I supposed to do!," I practically screamed, my hands trembling. I looked up, barely seeing his eye locked on my from the side.

"If you left me too I couldnt do it.. I cant do it.. So please dont leave me like everyone else... Please," I begged, my eyes filling with tears. He turned storming over to me in a cold silence, his eyes locked on the floor. He stood inches away from me, glaring into my eyes.

"You love me huh? Prove it," He commanded. I bite my cheek, my face turning red. Before I could chicken out, he pulled me into a hug, his chin pressing down on my head. Has he gotten taller or is it just me?

"You're such a damn chicken Lio," He grumbled. He stepped away, giving me a small smile.

"Its ok though. I'll kiss you whenever I feel like. That way you cant chicken out," He added. I frowned looking down.

"I... dont know how to do this," I whispered, turning red. He stopped, giving me a weirded out glance

"What?," He demanded. I looked up, feeling my face burn even hotter.

"I've never dated anyone before.. You were kinda my first kiss," I murmured a little louder. He stepped away, his eyes widening with shock.

"Oh," Was all he said. Oh? I looked up st him with a glare. He laughed in my face, pointing at me excessively.

"Why are you so red!," He exclaimed, laughing even harder. I poured, glaring at the floor.

"I DONT KNOW WHY ARE YOU SO- SO DUMB!," I retorted. He smiled, walking up to me. Without another word, he finally kissed me. I froze for a second before relaxing a little bit, reluctantly putting my fingers in his hair. It was so soft. I pulled away giggling as I tugged at his hair. He yelped, trying to swat my hand away.

"Your hair is so soft!," I cheered, rubbing my fingers through them once more. He turned pink, looking away with a growl.

"My mom chose my shampoo and conditioner... NEVER TELL ANYONE THAT GOT IT!," he roared. I nodded stepping backwards with a laugh.

"Sure- ," I froze, glancing to the door. Standing in the doorway. were three familiar figures. My mother. Sarah. And Charles. I turned red, and I could almost feel the smoke coming out of my ears.

"So, I shouldve known," Sarah screams with frustration. She glared at me, Charles mimicking her look.

"Were going to chat about this later mkay.. But for right now, the four of us have something to discuss," She said in a low tone. I looked at my mom, and for the first time see the look of disappointment on her face.

"You kids have so much drama. My life is boring!," She moans with a huffy before stomping out to the kitchen. I smile, scratching my neck and looking at Magnus, which hasn't said a word. He hasn't even turned to look at Sarah or Charles, his face a bright pink.

From the door, I saw Sarah maddogging him, her eyes piercing through his head like lazers if she could shoot them from her eye sockets.

"Should we let my mom in on this? She deserves to know," I asked. Magnus straightened out, looking at his hands.

"No. As of right now shed onky be in danger, especially if Lyra is back," He retorted, rising to his feet. He turned, finally making eye contact with Sarah.

The look on his face was one to behold. He went from being calm, to locking eyes with her death stare. Almost instantly, he started sweating, his face contorting with fear. I swear he turned blue. Charles looked between the two. I remained silent, also glancing between the two.

Sarah stormed forward, stopping right in front if Magnus with a scowl. For someone so short she almost seemed like a demon three times her size.

"Listen here, bucko. You hurt Lio ever again, and I mean EVER!," She emphasized on the word 'ever,' a sneaky look crossing her features. She stabbed her finger into his chest.

"I will... And I mean it... I will Castrate you, and strap it to your forehead. Got it?," She warned menacingly. Magnus's eyes widened further as he nodded eccentrically. She smiled and backed off.

"But I agree... Ryan was murdered. I have no doubt it has something to do with that no good Gang you were kidnapped by," She added with a sigh, twirling her hair. I looked at my hands.

"About that. The day I came home, I murdered the so called Leader of that gang by freezing her and knocking her body over. Turns out she was a pawn in a much larger game and now she is back as a Robot out seeking for Magnus's head. She claimed it was Flares will, but I'm sure shes all too happy to use him to get at me," I spat out in a quick second. Sarah and Charles backeduo with shock.

"You killed someone?," Charles demanded. I nodded looking down.

"But she was coming to stab him. I couldnt do anything because I was too slow and I had already reached my limit defrosting Lio the night before. It wasnt his faukt," Magnus cut in, his face dead serious. He points at me.

"He did what any of us would've done in his situation, dont hold it against him. Please," Magnus asked. I looked at him with shock. He stood up for me.

Sarah scratched her head.

"I believe you. Charles does too. But shes a robot now?," She demanded. I nodded, still staring at Magnus.

"I believe there is more people after me. I doubt Flare would just send a robot. She took one hell of a hit from a combined attack Lio and I used on her, but we didnt even stop to check on her. As far as we know shes a tangled mess right about now," Magnus stepped up, informing the group.

"So basically the psycho bitch who took you from me wants revenge?," My mother summed up from the doorway. For the first time in her life, her expression was serious. She walked in holding a large pot of coffee, setting it down on the table and turned, looking around the group, ignoring our dazed stares.

"Sarah. You were the one who found Ryan's body yes?," She asked, turning to Sarah. Sarah nodded with a glazed look in her eye. Were all confused as she nods, pouring herself a coffee.

"What you need to do is sneak back into the house and check out the crime scene. The scene shouldn't have been cleaned up besides the bodies, so it can tell a story. Look for differences in the blood pools. Lio, If I understand it you killed The Gang Member who kidnapped you, but it was in self defense yes?," She demanded, turning to me. I nodded, gulping. Her eyes squinted shut.

"You just swallowed and your eyes blinked away from me. You clearly didnt come up with that story, meaning it's a lie. You lost control and you killed her. In a trial, that would get you know where, but..," She gave me a devilish smirk, a whole different side of her shining right now.

"No body no evidence. No body, no case. And better yet, No body, No trial. If the time arises, and you get the chance to kill that robot bitch, take it. When it comes down to situations like this it's always a fight to the death, trust me," She finished. She pulled her hair up in a bun, rising from my bed. We all stated at her dumbfounded as she sips her coffee, turning to Charles.

"What's your power?," She demanded, her eyes piercing his. He gulped, locking eyes with her.

"I guess... I dont know, its embarassing," He murmured. My mother raised an eyebrow. He shut up and looked away from her.

"I can turn shapeshift into anything I want aslong as I have a clear image of it in mind... I also gain the powers of that animal, however I must know them by heart, and they have to have some to begine with... When I first got my powers I accidentally turned into a unicorn in front of my whole class... I had to transfer schools," He grumbled, looking away with flushed cheeks. She nodded, a devilish grin flashing on her lips. She turned.

"I don't know about you, but I'm fed up waiting for a broken down Police Department to stop these thugs, and I'm fed up with waiting here while they relentlessly attack us. I think it's time we do some real work boys," She cheered. Everyone in the room gained a huge boost of confidence, roaring with approval. However, Sarah on the other hand.

"I'm not a biy," She grumbled. My mom turned with a slight blush.

"I'm sorry. I didnt mean that you were a boy but-," She face palmed, before turning away with a sigh. She raised her fist.

"Let's bring these bastards down!,"

A few hours later after a long day of everyone playing the role of my mothers bitch, Sarah and Charles went home. My mother went to sleep, so Magnus and I just sat on the bed awkwardly, looking away from each other.

"Who could've known your mom was such a badass?," Magnus demanded, looking at me with a look of admiration.

"Shes got spunk!," He cheered. I looked at my fingers.

"She went through alot as a child, but there still is a lot I dont know about her. I've never seen that side of her Magnus.. It was scary. She went from being my mother to being... I dont know... A leader. A commander," I struggled to explain. Magnus nodded, grabbing my hand. He smiled at me.

"Be happy... I have a feeling that means she can defend herself alot better than you think," Magnus warned. I looked at him.

"I know... That's what scares me. If she can defend herself all this time... Why didnt she fight Flare back when our house was almost melted to the ground?," I demanded. Magnus looked at me, before scratching his chin.

"I dont know...,"

Michelle Hall

After I retired to my room, I toss my long hair over my shoulder, remembering the way it used to feel back in my day. I smiled, sitting down on my bed and brushing my hair calmly.

Hes grown up so much. I opened my phone, dialing a number on speed dial.

"Hello?," A burly voice demanded on the other side of the phone. I set my brush down, pressing the phone to my ear, a feeling of utter calm overcoming me. Though I know I should be terrified.

"Lyras back,"