"Aria, twist out of my grip like I taught you," Lucian instructs calmly while I struggle in his arms. 

It looked so effortless when he showed me how to do it about twenty times but I can't seem get out of his suffocating hold. 

I wriggle like a worm but his arms don't budge. They are a cage encompassing me in all my thoughts and worries. I know I should be concentrating on our training but all I can think about is Cassandra and her bruises. 

Stela claimed they were harmless but I found that hard to believe. There were too many and they were so big. How can anything claimed to be caused by love look so painful? And it was Lazarus who had caused them. The same Lazarus who had me by the neck because I refused to dance with him. 

I remember the way he whispered in my ears about how he would take pleasure in hurting me and shiver at the thought of Cassandra being alone in a room with him. Why would she choose him as her suitor after seeing how violent he was?

"Hello, Aria are you in there? What are you waiting for?" Lucian loosens his hold around me and when I don't react he releases me and turns me around to face him. "What is up with you today? You've barely paid any attention to me this evening. Are you still angry about last night?"

"No, we're fine," I reply quickly. Instead of continuing our combat session I sink to the floor and get on my knees, ready to do some push ups. At least if I concentrate on the floor I won't have to think about jabs, round kicks, over hands or pressure points. 

I do one and then a few more before I collapse to the floor again. An image of Lazarus hitting Cassandra in the stomach flashes before my eyes and I nearly scream in frustration. 

Why did she choose him? 

My chest burns as I realize I want to help her more than anything but I can't and the helplessness almost paralyzes me with guilt. I roll around and lie on my back only to see Lucian crouching over me. His face remains impassive but I can't help but wonder if there is concern in his eyes or I am seeing things.

"You're still angry with me, aren't you? For last night and this morning. I'm sorry for snapping at you and assaulting you, although I was only aware of one of those things," He gives me a small smile and I sit up to face him so that his face doesn't loom over mine. 

"It's not you. I apologize for being so distracted. You are a very patient teacher," I reply politely. 

"Then what is it? Something is clearly bothering you and it is getting in the way of your training," He frowns at me and slides back until he is resting against the foot of his bed. "Talk to me."

I study him carefully. My eyes follow the sharp outline of his jaw, all the way up to his cold blue eyes and the silver hair that falls over his forehead. He could easily pass off as Lazarus's brother but the similarities end there. 

Unlike Lazarus, Lucian has never once assaulted me consciously. In fact, aside from his snide remark this morning he has been nothing but accommodating and pleasant. He is the first person to ever apologize to me and now he is asking me to talk about my worries instead of beating them out of me.

The only other person who has been nice to me is Cassandra and that is why the thought of her fragile body being beaten makes me sick to my stomach. 

Lucian sits cross legged and waits for me to speak. My heart momentarily softens at the thought of having someone to talk to like this and yet I stare at him warily. My expression is as guarded as the secrets I keep locked in my chest.

Can I trust him?

"It's really nothing. Just girl stuff," I say hoping this will make him lose interest but inside I'm praying that he doesn't because I want him to ask again. I want him to push me until I open up to him. He is the only person who might know Lazarus better than anyone else and he would know what he is doing to Cassandra.

"Just girl stuff?" Lucian tilts his head to the side and eyes me suspiciously. "Just girl's stuff and you're barely able to fight let alone do ten push ups? Come on Aria, it's either you take me for a fool or I over estimated your willpower."

"I don't know if it's my place to say anything," I reply cautiously.

"And why is that?" Lucian says patiently.

"It's about Lazarus IX." I bite down on my lip hard when I notice Lucian's face darkens considerably. He looks almost mad, like I just insulted him.

"What about him?" He asks a little too quickly. "Did he approach you again?" 

"No, it's not about me. It's my friend, Cassandra. I saw her today with bruises all over her neck and I was told that she is his paramour," I almost cry as I say the words out loud. I can't imagine the things she must be going through and what Sergeant Atmos said about Lazarus plays in my head like a broken tape recorder. 

Lucian's face lights up in surprise at this piece of news and I am slightly shocked that he didn't already know about this. Weren't the Trinity supposed to be close to each other?

"Is he going to kill her?" I finally ask after waiting for him to respond. 

"He has killed his paramours before." Lucian strokes his chin as he speaks and my hearts drops to my stomach at his words. 

All I want to do at this moment is grab Cassandra and escape this horrible place but right now the chances of failure are too great. Everything seems so hopeless and my body slumps in exhaustion and pain. I just want to squeeze my eyes shut and waste away in a dreamless slumber. Maybe that is the only escape I will ever have.

"He won't kill her," Lucian says and I am interrupted from my self pity. "He won't kill her because she isn't his paramour. Trust me."

"Wha- how do you know?" It's a stupid question considering he is a part of the Trinity but Stela seemed so convinced when she told me about Lazarus just now. She was so heart broken and jealous unlike her usual smug self. I know her well enough to know she wasn't lying.

"He would never be stupid enough to get another paramour when he and Luna are to be married by next year," Lucian explains. "He has planned to marry her since we were six. Once they do, he will be in the position of highest power with the entire Plutonian army at his command."

"He is going to be the sole leader of the entire army?" My eyes widen in dismay. "What about you and Luna?"

"Luna's never been interested in war. She'd much rather stay here and watch over the city," Lucian smiles to himself as he speaks of her but his smile disappears when he admits that he will become second in command. 

"Why would she marry him?" I can't help but ask. He is by far the most vile Plutonian I have met and it makes me wonder if she is just as horrible. 

"She has loved him since we were kids," Lucian's eyes glaze over as he talks about her with a palpable sadness in his voice. "I will never understand why because she is nothing like him. She's always been kind and gentle. It is what makes her an easy target during our missions. Lazarus has never hurt her and I don't think he ever will, not if he wants to keep his rank and position."

"You don't think he loves her?" 

"I honestly can't say. Lazarus has never been the type of person who falls in love but with Luna he is different, so I'm not sure," Lucian replies skeptically.

"I hope he does for her sake," I say quietly. I don't know Luna but I am now thoroughly relieved that Cassandra has nothing to do with him. 

"So you're certain she's not his paramour?" I ask again just to be sure.

"Positive. The only human he has shown interest in recently was you. He could not stop raving about how he enjoyed your match so thoroughly but I doubt he would have made you his paramour now that Luna is his betrothed."

My face scrunches up in disgust as I remember Lazarus's hand on my back and his lips on my ear.

Lucian notices and immediately bursts out laughing. "Ahh, there's the expression that made my day. I can't tell you how happy I was to see someone treat him the way you did. He always gets away with what he does because everyone allows him to."

"I never thanked you for saving me that night," I hold my neck and smile at him gratefully. 

"So I guess that makes us even?" He puts his hands up and stares at me innocently. 

I laugh in response and nod my head. "For last night, yes. For tonight, I'm not sure."

"Oh yes, about that." He gets up and walks to the large cabinet by his bed. He pulls out a drawer that looks big enough to be a coffin and takes out a tiny syringe. 

The bright yellow liquid swishes inside as he walks over and holds it out for me to take. 

"If I attack you tonight I want you to inject me with this sedative," He says.

"This will knock you unconscious?" I ask in surprise.

I hesitantly wrap my hands around it's thin body as I feel the weight of its contents in my palm. It probably weighs less than a cream roll but it's potential strikes me like a bolt of lightning. 

I remain deep in thought, staring at the bright yellow liquid. I look up at the white skin below the sleeve of Lucian's shirt and then my eyes shift to the library at the end of the room.

Heyyy hope you liked the update! Are you guys relieved that Cassandra is not with Lazarus?