AXIUM

CHAPTER 17

 XRenia and Verin appeared on the balcony. She ran into the sitting room. "Dad. Grandfather!" She yelled.

No one answered.

She dashed in to the next room dragging Verin behind her and shouted again.

Still no answer.

She poured her magic into her voice and shouted at the top of her lungs.

The Palace shook and Verin stepped back in shock.

A portal opened up beside her and her mother stepped out.

"Mom! Where's dad and grandfather?"

"Your father is in a meeting and your grandfather is dealing with a personal matter in the dungeon," Her mother answered her eyes full of worry. "What's wrong?"

"Lord Shan and headmaster Alton are about to poison Verin!" She exclaimed in a panic.

Her mother glanced towards Verin and he gave her a shy smile. She furled her eyebrows in confusion. "He looks fine to me dea.."

Verin gasped and clutch at his chest.

XRenia's mother's eyes grew wide and she snapped her fingers sending a bright flash of light through the room. Almost instantly her grandfather and grandmother appeared.

Her grandfather took one look at Verin, reached out his hand and violently yanked it back.

Gashes ripped open in Verin skin and through his clothes causing blood to spray out all over her grandfather's arm.

XRenia screamed in horror.

"Oh, calm down girl. All I did is pull the poison out of him."

"There is more," Her father's voice said from behind her.

"That's not possible."

"He's right dear," her grandmother said.

Her grandfather returned his full attention to Verin. "Ah. I see." He raised both his hands and his nose bridge scrunched as he visibly exerted effort.

After a few seconds of this her father stepped forward. "You can't close it." He reached out his hand and yanked it back just like her grandfather had done.

More gashes appeared on Verin in blood squirted out all over her father's arm. Verin moaned in pain and collapsed to the floor.

"I don't think he'll survive more than a few more of those," her grandmother cautioned.

"It appears they are intent on saturating his system," Her father stated.

"It would seem so," her grandfather grunted. He glanced up from Verin. "Solutions?"

"The chamber." Her grandmother offered.

"That's an extreme risk." Her father countered.

Verin's mind opened up to her and what he was feeling slammed into her. It was as if someone had poured out of control fire into him and it was burning him up from inside. She fell to her knees beside him and grabbed his hand. "Hang in there Verin!"

"It's the only way." Her grandmother insisted.

"It is," Her grandfather agreed raising his hand and once again yanking it back. "But is the boy worth such a risk?"

This time XRenia felt the tiny particles of poison ripped through Verin's blood vessels and skin as they were violently torn from his body and she stifled her own whimper.