The next few days pass by in agonizing slowness.

For the first day, I stood by the window, watching the sun rise and set as wolves came and left the house throughout the day. Some of them looked curiously up at me, but quickly looked away, like they had orders to leave me alone.

After the first day, when Finn came in and saw me standing on the shattered glass by the window, he cleaned the glass and brought in a chair and placed it facing the window.

He brought me food throughout the days, none of which I touched, the idea of eating making me nauseated. He begged for me to eat something, anything, but I simply ignored him.

His sister, Kallista, came into the room a few times, no doubt sent by Finn to try to get me to eat something, to say something. I ignored her too.

Even one of the rogues, Dean, the twin with the scar, came in with a glass of water and threatened to pour it down my throat if I didn't drink it myself. "You know how many girls would kill to have me threatening them?" He boasted, and it was the first time I cracked a smile since Grey's death. 

I drank the water, and he sat on the floor next to me for awhile, telling me about the hottest "chicks" in the house, and which ones he successfully "conquered". He reminded me of Gwen, and I was thankful for the distraction, that he was the only one who didn't seem interested in what happened to me, or at least was smart enough to not ask.

On the seventh day since Grey's death, I woke up in the chair just as the sun began to rise, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders and another on my legs that wasn't there when I went to sleep.

A soft knock rapt on the door, and I didn't take my eyes off of the sunset.

"I brought you breakfast and tea," Finn said softly from behind me.

I ignored him, not turning away from the window. The morning air was crisp, cool.

"You have to eat, Onyx," He pleaded. "Just one bite and I'll leave you alone."

"Not hungry," I say, my voice raspy.

He sighs, and turns the chair away from the window, making me scowl. "I'm taking you back to Blue Moon."

Dread fills me. "No!" I shout in horror. "I won't go back there."

"You're dying, Onyx!" He shouts back, making me flinch. He hadn't ever raised his voice at me before. "You haven't eaten in a week, you're wasting away right in front of me."

He grabs my wrist, holding it up for me to see. Skin is pulled tight, barely covering the bone, and I avert my gaze.

"I don't care if it takes you going back to Thane for you to be healthy again, but I won't let you sit here and waste away," He threatens.

"Don't say that name to me ever again," I hiss, yanking my wrist out of his grasp.

His eyes soften. "What happened, Onyx? Please, just tell me and I'll help you."

I laugh humorlessly. "You can't help. He's already dead."

Finn's face contorts in confusion. "Thane isn't dead."

"No, I'm not that lucky," I say bitterly, wrapping the blanket tighter around me.

His eyes darken. "What the fuck did he do?" He snarls, his hands shaking in anger.

"He killed him," I say, my voice trembling.

"He killed who, Onyx?"

"Greyson," I whisper. "He killed Grey."

His hand clasps mine. "Who's Grey?" He asks, his voice soft.

I swallow thickly. "He was my best friend." 

His gaze softens as he looks at me in sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Onyx."

I get up, turning the chair back to the window, and Finn sits on the floor next to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks gently.

"No."

"You can't just stay locked in here forever."

"What's the problem, Finn?" I ask drily, my voice dripping in sarcasm. "I thought this is what you wanted. A prisoner."

He sighs. "I just want you to eat something and see a healer. Hurting yourself won't bring him back."

I ignore him, staring at the orange sky.

"Why did you wake me up so early?" Grey grumbled, still wearing his pajamas.

I grinned, crawling through my window and on to the roof with a blanket in my hands. "Come on!" I say excitedly, waving him to follow me.

He barely fits through the small window, cursing the day I was born as he does so. I lay down the blanket, sitting down and stretching my legs out, and Greyson does the same.

The sun had just begun to rise, and the sky was a flurry of orange, pink, and yellow. "Look how pretty it is," I smile at the sky.

"Very pretty," He agrees, but when I turn to look at him, his gaze is focused intensely on me.

"Onyx?" Finn's voice snaps me out of my memory.

"Hm?" I mumble distractedly.

"I told you that if you don't eat voluntarily a healer will come to sedate you and put an IV drip in you," Finn says, his eyes pleading to just cooperate.

I glare at him, and accept the plate he holds out. "Good girl," He says in approval as I take a bite, though the fruit tastes like ashes in my mouth.

He hands me a cup of tea and I take a few sips, even though it had grown cold. "More," He orders, looking pointedly at the food.

I roll my eyes, taking another bite.

"If you finish half of it, we can take a walk through the gardens," He bargains, and I perk up slightly.

"Gardens?" I ask, and he nods, smiling slightly.

"Ronin has quite the affinity for gardening, he loves those plants more than anything," He laughs.

I take a few more bites, but I feel sick from eating after my stomach was empty for so long. Finn seems to understand, because he takes the plate and doesn't badger me to eat more.

"Get dressed and we'll go, okay?" Finn says softly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before he leaves the room.

I get out of the chair, wincing slightly as the movement hurts my ribs. I could have used my magic to heal them, but the pain is a welcome feeling. My punishment.

Throwing on the first articles of clothing I see in the closet, I go into the bathroom, and stare at the mirror. I hold a hand up, making sure my reflection is really me. I don't recognize myself.

My cheek bones jut out sharply, my face hollowed. My eyes, normally a bright blue, look pale and lifeless. Even my collar bones protrude from my chest, and I can see what Finn meant. I looked like a corpse.

Breathing in deeply, I try to shove the image of Grey's dead body out of my mind.

I go back into the closet, finding an oversized hoodie which, based on the smell, belonged to Finn. I pulled it on over me, drowning in it, but desperate to hide my emaciated body.

You fight the darkness instead of using it.

"Stop," I say aloud, rubbing my temples. I just want it all to stop.

"Onyx?" Finn calls out from behind the door. "Are you okay in there?"

I don't answer, and just go to the door, stepping through where Finn is waiting. I don't argue when he takes my hand in his and he starts guiding us through the maze of hallways.

We pass by a few wolves, who greet Finn, and look at me with interest, but say nothing, and my eyes are trained on the floor.

"Well, well, well," I hear a familiar voice say. "The prettiest princess in the castle decides to join us peasants."

"Shut up, Dean," Finn says, annoyed, but I smile faintly at the scarred male.

"Worried I'll steal your girl, Finnley?" He jests, his eyes alight with mischief, but soften as they rest on me. "You look good, Onyx. It's nice to see you out and about, I mean it."

He's obviously lying, since I look a day away from death, but I nod anyways.

"Leave us alone, Dean," Finn tells him, rolling his eyes. "We're going to the garden, you know you're banned from there."

Dean scoffs, crossing his arms. "You set one fire- accidentally, mind you- and suddenly you're public enemy number one."

I giggle slightly, and they look at me in surprise. "Ah, well, take it up with Ronin, my hands are tied here," Finn says after the shock wears off.

"You bet your ass I will," Dean promises. "I'll see you around, Onyx," He says with a wink.

Yup, definitely a male Gwendolyn.

We go outside through a side exit, and I'm thankful that the gardens are empty with no one in sight. Bright, exotic plants go on for what seems like miles, and I'm surprised that I hadn't seen it before in the clearing.

We walk through the gardens, my hand still in Finn's as we do so. I stop at a patch of colorful orchids. Hard to take care of, and I'm impressed by Ronin for growing them so beautifully.

"Are they your favorite?" Finn asks softly as we look at the flowers.

I shake my head. "Not mine. They were my grandmother's. Proof of the Moon Goddess, she would say."

He smiles at that. "What is your favorite flower then?"

"Poppies," I tell him, and think of all of the times Luke had grown them for me when I felt down. I suddenly wished he was here. He would know what to do, what to say.

And the Moon Goddess knows I could use a friend in this eternal Darkness.

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