"I'm going to kill him..." Ethan repeated tirelessly for about twenty minutes.

His fingernails had turned into long, sharp claws that he scraped nervously against the metal armrests, and his eyes had darkened considerably, giving him the look of a raging demon. He couldn't spread his wings while leaning against the back of the chair, and so much the better. The young vila was losing his footing, his mind intoxicated with the rage he felt.

He had finally rescued Mia from the claws of that filthy wizard, and he now found himself chained away from her in a cell smelling damp. Even though Vassili had assured him that no one would hurt her, he simply couldn't believe a single word that escaped from the vampire's mouth. He had manipulated them, risked their lives for the rebels' little show of force, and separated them yet again, as the couple had finally bonded.

It was clear that the rebels had also taken the time to dress his wounds while he slept since they were almost healed, which, had he not been blinded by rage at that moment, could have been seen as a pledge of good faith. Nothing would tip the balance in their favor until he found Mia.

Suddenly, the vila heard a knock-knock sound against the heavy metal door.

"Vassili, I swear to you that I will kill you if you–"

"It's not Vassili, little brother," exclaimed a voice he didn't recognize as he entered the cell.

The arrival of the stranger destabilized him and cut him off in his burst of rage. Ethan finally stopped gesticulating in his chair, turning his head towards the man who had spoken to him. Uncomfortable, he watched his face carefully, shivers creeping up his spine. There was something familiar about this stranger, something he couldn't explain.

Another Vassili scheme? He's still not done messing with me?

"I don't have a brother," the vila replied curtly, suspiciously following the movements of the man who was closing the door behind them.

"Ah," the stranger whimpered, placing a hand over his heart to mimic his sadness. "Mother didn't tell you about your big brother Adam?"

Ethan's eyes narrowed to a thin line. He couldn't deny that they had a family resemblance, his interlocutor having the same ash blond hair – curly, unlike Ethan – and the same blue eyes. If he had to look for familiarity in the features of his face, he would deduce after an observation that he strongly resembled his father, unlike himself who took after Impervia to his greatest displeasure. The conclusion of his analysis simply did not make sense.

"Adam died decades ago," the young vila said coldly.

"And yet here I am before you!"

His supposed brother moved to the back of the room to sit comfortably on the single bed, not the least bit concerned about the handcuffs that held Ethan prisoner. If he thought he was going to believe him just because they looked alike... It was inconceivable, but the situation still allowed him to turn things in his favor.

"I see," he resigned himself falsely, "so you can untie me, can't you?"

"Not so fast, Ethan," his brother said with a smirk. "I know you don't believe me, and I don't want to have to beat you up if you ever go wild here."

The vila winced, annoyed by the failure of his little manipulation. He was already beginning to lose patience. The more time passed, the more the memory of Mia's presence at his side a few tens of minutes ago faded, leaving only dull anguish and rage in his heart.

"Where's Mia?"

Adam sighed as he ran his hand over his forehead, his confident facade cracking for a moment.

"She's safe, Ethan. She's not in any danger. Shaun is showing her around town. Knowing the kid, he must have taken her out for a bite to eat. He only thinks about eating, that one," he joked to try to lighten the mood.

Ethan didn't care about his little jokes, and he wasn't so gullible as to believe the words of a stranger, even if – especially if – they claimed to be his dead brother. He closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate on the magic aura of the stranger to make sure that he was at least a Vila and not a total impostor. A second later, his analysis was over. Indeed, he hadn't lied about it, but that didn't mean that the rest of what he said was true.

"You can feel it now that you're bonded, you know. In time, you will also be able to probe her emotions, even if she is miles away from you. I know you have probed my aura. You can do it with her, by concentrating."

"Humans don't have magical auras," Ethan retorted, unable to help but contradict the man.

"It's not a magical aura, it's the soulmate bond you share with her. Try it, you'll see. Try it," he repeated before the young vila could dispute his words again.

Ethan, therefore, resigned himself to listening to his supposed brother and concentrated on Mia. He knew full well that Vilas and their soulmates could achieve such feats once bonded, but he couldn't bring himself to obediently obey someone who was clearly on the side of those who had once used them previously.

His spirit escaped from the four walls of his cell to travel through the city. He had no idea how he was supposed to find her in such a vast place, especially when there were other magical creatures nearby. Scanning auras was a bit like closing your eyes in complete darkness and glimpsing faintly luminous spots that varied in color depending on the magical signature of the individual's race. They weren't as concentrated as at the Arena, but his mind had to travel long distances to cover the entire city.

To his surprise, it only took him a few seconds to find Mia. She had no magical aura before he bit her, but her being now shone with a bright glow that he could spot from hundreds of meters away now that he knew what he was looking for. Her aura, unlike that of other magical creatures which were one-colored, was made up of a multitude of different colors and shades, in a symphony of hues he couldn't understand.

She was accompanied by an individual with a slightly amber magical aura that did not particularly reassure him. It was usually the color of werewolves, although the individual's hue was duller and less vibrant than he was accustomed to.

A hybrid?

He couldn't deny, however, that seeing that she was alive and well gave him some relief. The two auras were moving very little, they were mostly immobile. The Vila would have liked to have access to her emotions as his interlocutor had explained to make sure that she was fine, but their bond had not yet evolved enough for him to do so. After all, they had bonded yesterday and hadn't spent much time together since. His hatred towards Vassili burned a little more intensely when he thought of the distance that currently separated them.

"Reassured? Can you listen to me now?" asked Adam, patiently waiting for his younger brother to calm down.

"If you really are my brother, how did you survive Mother? I find it hard to believe that she would have let you go."