Sorry for the long hiatus. School is murdering me. I have so many papers to write it's ridiculous. And my we finally started Fiction writing in my CW class...which terrifies me. I mean--I've chosen creative writing as a major...what if my prof thinks i'm terrible at it? We only had to write a two page scene with conflict and I ended up writing two seperate ones because I couldn't decide whether or not the first one was good enough. -sigh- Anywho, enough with my angst about school.

This chapter lacks m/v stuff...but it explains some things. I hope you like it. And once again I'm sorry about not updating.

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To say that Virika's eyes held only hatred in them would be a lie. They also held an ounce of fear and more than a little lust leftover from Murtagh. She was breathing heavily her chest rising fast. Virika's hands clutched her burning ankle as she looked up at Murtagh.

He was staring down at her his eyes reflecting the same as hers. He was quiet as he stared at her. The humming sound of power coming from her was slowly subsiding. When it was gone Murtagh murmured the words to make the anklet stop burning Virika.

Murtagh approached her slowly like one would a venomous snake. Indeed, Virika looked for all the world like a wounded animal just ready to strike the next person who came along. Her eyes followed his movements accusingly.

Roughly Murtagh jerked Virika to her feet. He held both her wrists in his hands and when she tried to move away he shook her viciously. Virika glared up at the man holding her captive feeling something move in her heart. She wanted to hate him—wanted so much to detest this man but she found she couldn't. The way his dark eyes shone down on her made her heart beat speed up and the fingers that gripped her wrists tightly scorched her skin.

Just being near him made Virika want to taste his lips again. Made her want to feel his body against hers. Her rapid breathing came faster now as she remembered what only moments ago he had just done—how he had just made her feel.

"Why did you push me away?" he asked her harshly.

Virika turned her head from his searing gaze. She didn't want these feelings that were rushing through her—she wanted them to go away. Ignoring him she stared down at the floor blankly.

Murtagh looked down at her watching how when she avoided his gaze and looked at the floor her hair had fallen around her face. Those copper curls contrasting sharply with her fair skin. A single curl slipped off her neck once again revealing that strange tattoo behind her ear.

"Why did you push me?" he asked again with a deadly cold tone.

Virika realized that he would hurt her again if she didn't answer and turned back to face him. The expression on her face was cold, blank and remote. Murtagh felt a surge of something flow through him at the expression.

"Because you called me Rika," she whispered flatly.

Murtagh let out a humorless chuckle. "I can call you whatever I want, slave. You forget, I am the Master here. If I want to call you Rika I can. You have no say in the matter."

Fury hot and dangerous as lightning flashed in Virika's eyes. "Don't call me that," she said softly her mouth twisting in a grimace.

"Rika," Murtagh answered with a sneer. "I shall call you what I wish."

"Stop it."

"Ah, ah, ah, Rika, you don't get to make the rules. You're only allowed to obey them," Murtagh mocked.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Virika cried out her eyes filling with tears. She tried desperately to pull away from Murtagh. She thrashed against him, pounding at his chest and attempting to kick his shins.

Murtagh remained impassive as she struggled to move away from him. Even when her tiny foot made contact with his leg he didn't move—his grip was iron clad. Instead he laughed at her outburst. It was a mocking, cold laugh, one without humor or feeling. It was a laugh that covered up Murtagh's real feelings. The feelings he had that made him want to reach out and wipe the tears from her face.

"STOP IT! LET ME GO!" Virika was desperate.

"No, I won't," Murtagh paused for effect, "Rika."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she yelled with anger. "Only Tanlin's allowed—!"

The pressure on her wrists increased and Virika gasped in the middle of her outburst at the crippling pain it caused. She wavered and her knees almost gave out.

Murtagh's face was one of twisted anger. "Tanlin?"

Virika remained silent the tears streaming down her face and landing on Murtagh's arms. She stared at him refusing to answer.

Suddenly, Murtagh smiled causing Virika to shiver. "That name, it does sound familiar. Very familiar."

Virika marched straight to the queen her eyes blank and her mind made up. Through the rows of nobles and others she marched. The short figure looking insignificant and plain next to these tall beings. The elves watching made no move to stop the girl as she approached Queen Islanzadi.

"I will do it. I will go into the capital and gather information. I'm a human—I would not be suspected," Virika said with bravery.

Queen Islanzadi stood and looked down at the human who stood in front of her. The human's fists were clenched and her chin trembled but Queen Islanzadi could feel the fierce determination in the child. She frowned—there was something else coming from this girl.

"Virika is it? Why do you wish to go on this mission? Do you know that you could be killed?"

"I know I could be killed, but I wish to go anyway."

The queen nodded and motioned for Virika to follow her out of the great hall. Outside the queen led Virika to a garden grown by the elves and filled with an array of gorgeous flowers blossoming even though it was fall. The flowers gave of a thick, sweet aroma that would make normal humans drowsy. Twilight blanketed the garden and all its plants in a sea of blues and purples.

Virika followed the beautiful queen out into this garden stopping only when the queen did. Turning, Queen Islanzadi looked down at the human with sorrow in her eyes.

"Why do you want to go Virika?" she asked softly.

Virika's fists clenched tighter making her knuckles turn white. "I want to help."

Islanzadi blinked her eyes slowly like a cat. "I know you wish to help. But I would like to know why all of the sudden you want to." She wandered towards one of the rose bushes that were in the garden and carefully plucked a rose from the plant. She looked back at Virika. "You were raised by our kind so I have no doubt that you would be more than capable of learning things in the capital. You have a personal interest in this do you not?"

Virika's eyes widened and she quickly shut them squeezing them tightly. After a moment of silence she opened her shiny eyes back up. "Yes," she said softly before taking a deep breath. "I wish to avenge someone."

It was the queen's turn to widen her eyes. She stared at the girl. "Surely not your parents—they died here with us of natural causes."

"No. Not my parents," Virika replied trying to keep her tears from over flowing, "A—a . . . friend."

Queen Islanzadi's eyes softened at the tone of Virika's voice. She looked at the girl again. She was looking at the grass and kept sniffling as though to keep from crying. Her hands were still clenched tightly and she shook slightly.

"Tanlin," Islanzadi said quietly.

Virika's eyes snapped up from the grass. The queen sighed at the look in the girl's eyes. "Tanlin is this . . . friend. I see."

Virika shook her head back and forth violently. "No, you don't."

Queen Islanzadi raised an eyebrow.

"You don't see," continued Virika in a strong voice, "because we're still out here discussing this when I could be on my way by now. We're standing here discussing why I should go instead of when I should go. I want to help. I want to avenge Tanlin. I don't want to sit around in a tree watching everyone else being useful and doing something when I can't! I don't want to be this pathetic watcher—a—a burden any longer! I just—I just want—"

The queen looked on as the child dissolved into tears. "You just want him back."

"Yes," Virika whispered, "more than anything. I want Tanlin back."

Queen Islanzadi watched as the girl wiped her tears on her sleeves and met her gaze straight on never flinching. She was determined, motivated and although her first explanation was logical enough for the queen to say yes, Queen Islanzadi had wanted to make sure. Islanzadi reached a long graceful hand out to Virika pressing the rose into her hands.

"Go," Queen Islanzadi said. "Go and avenge Tanlin."

Virika's grip on the rose tightened as she turned and ran her blood leaving a trail in her wake.

As the queen watched her run away she spoke softly to herself.

"Marked she is by the lady of the night

And by the arrow pointing to the path

Power that destroys is the birthright--

The power that the marked will have

The one who is marked

And not raised by her own

Will fall into the dark.

And here her true power will be known."

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I apologize for my crappy poetry skills. Lol.

reviews are nice. :)