Poison finally did cry. She broke down in her room and sobbed.

She creid for her mother, finally cried for the wman she had loved.

She cried for her father, who had turned his back on the very thing that now kept her alive.

She cried for Adrian, because of everything he had faced and what he would face.

But mostly she cried for herself: a twisted, tormented creature who didn't even have enough deceny to try adn stop the only thing she cared about from hurting.

He was enraged, furious. He threw the book across the room and it caught fire. He tossed his chair backward as he stood up and he launched his fist as the wall. It shattered violently, sprayed delicate crystal shards across the room and down into the garden below. He had to burn something...burning something made him feel better.

He turned around and looked out his window, taking in a grove of yews not far away. That would do. He snapped his fingers and they ignited. The fire was not orange, not yellow, not red, not even blue or white hot. It burned purple. Within not even a second, the trees were gone, not even ashes remianed. He subsided the blaze, and noticed his hand was bleeding horribly from his contact with both his sword and the wall.

Poison felt searing heat in her back and then heard the telltale ripping. The wings pushed through her skin, covered in some clear, sticky fluid. The delicate purple feathers were plastered together and she bit her lip as they grew.

The pain on her thigh told her the thorns were claiming their true place also, as did the tips of the purple spikes sticking out of her clothing. Blood trickled from them, but she didn't care.

Poison bent over and spread the wings. They started to dry and she looked up, not seeing anything, just simply staring into space.

He sat down on the dge of the bed, with the sword in his hand. His armor was heavy on him. He had no idea from what means he could die...

Poison couldn't stand it and invaded his mind.

'What ARE you doin?'

'What...good God you scared me...'

He shoom his head, as if trying to shake her out. He knew it was pointless.

'Just...working...is all.'

'I hate you.' Her voice sounded bitter, but there was a touch of falseness to the words.

He didn't respond. He was crushed. He sensed her voice falter a little. Perhaps he hadn't meant it? But she had said it.

He said nothing, but did not evict her from his mind.

'You broke my heart and I didn't even know I still had one.'

'I'm not going to listen to you complain about something you don't even understand yourself.'

Still he let her stay. She could whine all she wanted, she knew he still loved her just as much as he had when they met.

'Oh yes you are, you lying bastard.'

Poison felt the band of thorns tighten and loosen, as if it were breathing. Her energy was really out of hand, but she didn't care.

'Curse and scream at me all you want. Come over here and beat me to a pulp, I won't lift a God damn finger.'

He was silent.

'Oh? Why not?'

'I don't need to justify myself to you.'

He didn't want to tell her he wanted her back. He was already hurting without her. She knew it, but his foolosh wouldn't put it into words.

'I could kill myself, like I tried to earlier.'