Chapter Four

AVA-MARIE

Charlie had a role to play here in Ilamanthe, and so did I. As Ilamanthe's princess, the Elves were looking for me to guide them. I planned to fulfill that role to the best of my ability.

An Elvish woman led me down the hallway. A servant offered to push my chair, but I refused, preferring to move myself. These people needed to see I could be a capable leader, not a precious little thing who expected everyone to wait on her.

"My name is Elrye. I am in charge of the monarchy's daily operations, as I have been for the past three-hundred years," the woman at the head of the group told me. She was tall and beautiful, with long silver hair and a staunch expression. "If you need to organize an event, summon members of the royal court for meetings, or are simply confused on what your duties may be, call for me, and I will be able to point you in the right direction. I have served many Elvish royals, and assure you, I am the best at my job."

I didn't doubt it. This lady was over three centuries old. I bet she saw me as nothing more than a child.

"As you've been told, the first item of duty is to decide your personal court. A princess needs allies and friends, and your court will be loyal to you alone," Elrye said.

She pushed open a door to a beautiful parlor room, one with an open balcony and flowers blooming along the walls. Elvish servants puttered around the room, taking care of the flowers and arranging the space.

Kallie was there, along with Opal. They were both dressed in lovely gowns, and were having tea by an open window. Opal gave me a nervous wave as she chewed on a pastry, while Kallie lounged against the chemise couch, indulging in the lap of luxury.

"I have summoned a few of your friends to help you with this task," Elrye noted. "Choosing a court is no small task, and your lady-in-waiting is the most important position."

"I thought Kallie would be my lady-in-waiting," I replied.

"The Grand Duchess is a princess in her own right, and will have other duties here in Ilamanthe working for the King of the Arcanea, serving as a fae diplomat on his behalf," Elrye said. "It wouldn't be proper of her station to be your lady."

"My brother needs me to do work here, as much as I'd like to always be at your side," Kallie said, and she slowly sat up. "But I can help you choose a valuable court. I have experience with this kind of thing."

"It's your decision on how large or how small you wish your court to be," Elrye noted.

"I think it's best to keep it small," I said. More ladies meant more people to watch, and I had more important things to do than keep an eye on potential traitors who'd stab me in the back.

"Very well. At the minimum, you will need a handmaiden to help you with daily tasks. This includes bathing, dressing, and getting ready for the day, as well as someone who can bring you food, who helps keep your quarters clean and fetches anything you may ask for. There are servants to help you with these kinds of tasks, but your handmaiden will be your own personal maid, in your service only," Elrye said.

It felt a little uncomfortable to have someone waiting on me so heavily, but I supposed that it was required— not to mention having a helping hand would really be beneficial now that I was a wheelchair-user. Charlie had to help me out a lot at the Institute, but he'd be busy with other obligations now, so I was glad someone else would be stepping in.

"I would like my handmaiden to be someone I personally know," I said. I wasn't comfortable with strangers touching my body, and if this person was going to help me bathe, I'd at least like to be able to hold a polite conversation when I was buck-ass nude. "I request Opal, if she's okay with it."

"I'd be happy to be your handmaiden," Opal said, in a voice so quiet I barely heard her. "I don't have a job here to do in Ilamanthe, and I think it would keep me busy."

A happy squeal erupted from the other room. A young girl with aquamarine hair in pigtails toddled in, running circles around Elrye before she tripped over her multiple skirts. She pushed herself up, and rushed to Opal with arms out wide.

"This must be your daughter," I said as I smiled at the child. She gave a wide grin back.

"Yes. Your parents brought her here," Opal said, and she lifted Marina onto her lap. "Unfortunately, the foster family who took her in died during an attack on Atlantis. The Elves worked together with the Toaqua to find her and bring her back to Ilamanthe. I'm very grateful."

I understood. Opal cared about me, and she wanted to help. But being close to me meant she and Marina could be in danger, because I was the princess, and therefore always a target.

But that also meant I had plenty of guards around to protect them at all times. I needed to keep them close.

"Excellent. Elves love children. We find, after living for so long, that they bring a sort of youthful energy to the room," Elrye replied. "You will also need a personal guard, princess. We have many to choose from."

She clapped her hands. From another door marched a variety of guards, who turned at-attention in unison. They were all brawny, tall, and armed to the teeth.

"Our guards are trained from the moment they are able to walk. All are skilled in both fighting and magic, and each one has taken a vow to lay their life down for any member of the monarchy should it be required. These Elves will fight to the death to defend you," Elrye stated.

I surveyed the faces of the guards carefully. Each of them looked the same, and there was nothing distinguishable about any of them. "Those who've seen battle, step forward," I said.

About half of the guards lined up before me. I tapped my fingers on the armrest of my wheelchair and asked, "Have any of you killed an angel?"

Only one guard emerged. I gestured for her to speak, and she said, "I have, princess. Only one, and he nearly killed me. But I harnessed my magic to drain his life-force energy, and used that power to end him."

The guard was over six feet tall, and had layers of muscle. I figured she could stop a train coming toward her head-on and throw it in the other direction. She looked like somebody who could keep her mouth shut if shit went south, and even better, she was a woman. I wanted an all-female team, and if she had killed an angel, she was strong enough to defend me against nearly anything. "Perfect. I want you."

"A fine choice. Eldin is at the top of her battalion," Elrye replied.

The rest of the guards left the room, and Eldin went to stand guard beside my chair.

"Finally, you must decide on a lady-in-waiting. Your lady is different than your handmaiden, as she is required to be Elvish, and is more of a companion than a servant. She will keep you entertained, and accompany you to public engagements," Elrye stated. "She is also responsible for arranging your schedule, and fulfilling any demand you may have of her."

Elrye clasped her hands together. "If you had been born an Elf, and married Charlie among us, your lady-in-waiting would've been bonded to you after the ceremony, much like the prince is bonded to Edwyrd. But since you are an Elementai, a change is in order, and you must choose your own. For all these reasons we simply must insist that the lady you choose is of Elven blood, someone who knows our customs and can teach you about our way of life. A princess usually has several ladies, but since you wish to keep your court small, we shall keep it to one."

I didn't want to be bonded to anyone but Charlie and Oberi. This position sounded like a big deal, and honestly, I didn't trust any random ass stranger with the job, although I would have to pick one.

"Choose carefully," Kallie warned me. "My cousins were my ladies-in-waiting, and they were very valuable to me. You lady-in-waiting isn't just a friend. She's a tool, one you have to use effectively to retain control of the court."

I looked to Elrye. "Who do you suggest?"

"In my opinion, I believe you should choose Abigail," Elrye said.

At the name, another person entered the room. The girl was around our age, and had beautiful brown curls with big hazel eyes. I was surprised to see she used a wheelchair, like me.

When she wheeled before me, she shakily stood, and gave me a short bow. "Princess, my name is Abigail. I am an Elvish lady here at the court, and am an ambulatory wheelchair user. I retain the ability to walk and stand, although I can't do so for long periods of time."

I noticed her ears weren't pointed. "You're only half-Elf," I stated. "What other supernatural heritage do you claim?"

"I am an angel. I am of the Taurus family— in fact, I am the sister of Esther Taurus, who I'm sure you've met," Abigail said dryly.

Revulsion churned my insides. I wanted to puke up my breakfast. "You're a Taurus? Why is she even here?" I demanded of Elrye. "She should be thrown out of the city! I want her out of here at once!"

I was pissed. The Elves had brought this girl in here because they'd thought we'd bond over being wheelchair users, but she was just another manipulator, and I didn't want that in my court.

"I understand your reaction. It's true that I am Esther's sister, but there's a long history between us," Abigail said. "In truth, I am half-angel, half-Elf. Esther and I share the same father, but not the same mother."

"Why do I care?" I spat. "Leave!"

"Please, allow me to explain," Abigail said, and she slowly sank into her seat. "I would like you to understand my position."

I was about to tell her to go to hell, but Kallie caught my gaze, and something in it said to let Abigail speak… even though all I wanted to do was to cut her throat. "Fine. But nothing you tell me is going to change my mind."

"Very well. May I come join you for tea?"

I didn't want her anywhere near me, but I felt Oberi prodding me through the bond. This could be an opportunity, she said gently. Keep in mind you're in a royal court now, and this is how the game is played. Information is invaluable here, and if Abigail is a Taurus, she might have some.

I couldn't let my personal feelings get in the way of gaining intel, so I said, "Sure. Whatever. State your case."

"Thank you." Abigail wheeled up beside me. She poured herself some tea, then took the cup and saucer in hand before she began to speak.

"Esther and I are around the same age. Our father had an affair with my mother before Esther was born. I am older, but only by a year," Abigail explained. "My mother was an Elf living among the angels in secret. After the Elven genocide during the Great Supernatural War, my mother went into hiding in Celestial City. Her entire family had been slaughtered, and she believed that she was the only Elf that was still left alive. To hide her identity, she cut off the tips of her ears, and made them round in order to fit in amongst the angels. She was beautiful, and immortal, so they believed she was one of them."

I wasn't buying this story just yet. "Go on."

"She met my father after he was already married to Esther's mother," Abigail said. "My mother didn't know that he was married, so she thought she was the only woman in his life. He was attempting to live a double life. As I've heard it, he liked the power it gave him, to have two different families."

The Taurus brothers loved toying with people's lives, apparently.

"The secret came out after I was born. My father couldn't hide the affair any longer, and he was found out," Abigail explained. "Once the affair was revealed, my uncle— Doctor Taurus, as you know him— discovered my mother was an Elf, and considered it proof that the Elves were still alive. He tortured her, looking for information on Forevermore. But my mother didn't know anything, because she believed herself to be the last Elf alive. She died under his questioning."

Although I didn't want to, I felt a small stab of pity for Abigail. No one was exempt from the Warden's cruelty. He'd harmed everyone I knew, whether they were a stranger or my closest friend.

"I was given to Esther's family," Abigail went on. "I was never told of my true heritage, and I was raised by Esther's mother. She treated me with kindness, but was distant and cold. I thought she didn't like me because Esther was her favorite. I did my best to earn her love, but she never showed any affection toward me. My father wasn't particularly warm, either. I don't think he truly loved my mother, just loved the attention she gave him. He didn't want a child to come out of the affair, but he was stuck with me."

Abigail sipped at her tea. "Despite feeling like an outcast in my own family, Esther and I were very close. I loved my sister, and I knew she felt the same way about me. We did everything together. There was a time in my life I would've died for her, had she asked."

Abigail's tone became flat as she said, "Then… Esther came of age and got her powers. My uncle discovered she was a demigod. Doctor Taurus told us the truth about everything, thinking I might've inherited some sort of spectacular magic as well from my Elven heritage. But I didn't show any signs of talent, so he lost interest pretty quickly. Esther, though…"

Abigail gave a sigh, one that was a combination of bitterness and hurt. "She couldn't handle the fact that our father had cheated. She wanted that reality to go away, and I was a reminder that he'd been unfaithful to her mother. Any love she had for me was lost. She used her demigod abilities to conquer me in a fight, when I was just trying to get away from her, and she ripped out all my feathers."

"That sounds awful," I said honestly. I couldn't believe Esther had done something so gruesome to someone she supposedly loved. She was worse than I'd ever dreamed.

"Angels are weak without their feathers, and they can't survive if both of their wings are taken. It's their connection to the divine and the source of their magic," Abigail explained.

"So you can't do magic anymore?" I asked.

Abigail shook her head slowly. "I have some Elven abilities. But they're not very strong, and I'm unable to harness angel magic at all."

Abigail stirred her tea with a slight frown. "Esther left me for dead. I probably would've died, had the Demigod Guardians not found me. They'd been looking to convince Esther to join them, but after spying on her and seeing it was a lost cause, they rescued me instead, and took me to Ilamanthe."

"When did you come here?" I asked.

"Around the same time Esther arrived at the Institute. So… nearly five months ago?" Abigail set down her teacup. "I've been studying to become an Elvish lady since my arrival. My mother had been a high-born Elf, and it would have been my station, had I been raised among the Elves in Forevermore. As I understand it, Elves are born into their roles, and study to become them their entire lives. I don't fit in anywhere else in Elvish society, and I depend on the monarchy to care for my needs, so I've vowed to serve them. As your primary lady-in-waiting, I'll be here to guide you in your new role as princess. I've been working very hard to learn the customs here. I can teach you everything you need to know about Elvish culture, and I can keep you company. I can even spy for you amongst the court, if you so wish."

"It's safe here in Ilamanthe. The Elves practically worship the monarchy," I rebutted.

"The Elves are a loyal people, but there are always one or two in any royal court who are only looking out for themselves," Abigail replied. "And it goes without saying that you have married into a mob family, princess. If you want to govern properly, and keep your head, you need allies who can slip in and out of places undetected."

"How can I trust that you'll be loyal to me only?" I crossed my arms. I wasn't so sure she wouldn't sell me out.

"My station here, as well as my reputation and my long-term stability, relies on me being a valuable member of the royal court. I have to be useful to my princess; otherwise, I can't stay, and I have nowhere else to go. I don't have much magic, and without magic in this supernatural world, I'll be at risk without the protection of the court," Abigail replied. "I can understand if you don't want to trust me, and I know I have to earn your respect. But you can believe me when I say that I am loyal to the Elven monarchy, and to you. Esther and my uncle think that I'm dead, but if they knew I was alive, they'd certainly kill me. If I want to stay alive, I must be of use."

I liked that she wasn't trying to bullshit me with noble proclamations of loyalty she didn't mean. She was intent on staying here in Ilamanthe, and I was a means to that end.

That was fine. Her goals aligned with my own, and people who were working for themselves were easier to control than people who served you because they loved you. I could predict what a selfish person could do; I couldn't predict what one of my friends might do if I or someone else they cared for was in danger. Abigail needed me to favor her for her own benefit, which meant I could use her as my pawn. But I wasn't convinced it was the right move.

"I need some time to think about this privately," I said.

"We shall give you a moment," Elrye replied. She and Abigail, along with all the other Elves but my guard Eldin, left the room.

I leaned in toward Kallie and Opal. "Did you buy any of that crap? That sob story she was spewing was such bullshit."

"I think she was telling the truth," Opal said, and Marina slid off her lap to go play with the flower petals scattered on the floor. "She seemed very serious."

"She's a very good actress." Whatever Abigail said, I didn't trust that she had completely lost her affection for Esther. There was a dark shadow in her eyes when she said her sister's name that told me she wasn't ready to let go of her yet.

Kallie tapped her chin. "I think we need to hire her."

"You trust her?" I asked in disbelief.

"It's not that," Kallie said. "But choosing Abigail is a clever move. She was close to our enemies. If we get to know her, we can pry her for information on Esther and the Warden. Then we can use that information against them."

A wise decision, Oberi agreed. Keeping the enemy close, and learning about them in the meantime.

"She knows Esther's weak spots, as well as the Warden's. If she turns out to be untrustworthy, we can get rid of her," Kallie said with a shrug. "But I think this is too valuable of an opportunity to throw away."

The way Kallie said get rid of her didn't imply firing Abigail. I supposed that was good enough for me.

I summoned everyone back into the room. Abigail appeared… almost nervous. She was excellent at keeping a flat mask, but I was good at reading people, and she definitely wanted this position. Whether it was to keep her place here in Ilamanthe, or because she wanted to spy on me for the Warden, I guessed we'd find out.

"I suppose you can stay," I said. "But it's going to be a while before I'll know for sure if this situation is going to work out."

"Understood," Abigail replied. "I will do everything I can to serve you well."

An immense rage boiled inside my chest and flooded outward. I found myself consumed by a red-hot anger that caused my skin to burn. I thought my Fire magic was going to come erupting out of my form and reduce everyone in this room to ash.

I didn't know where it had come from, but I thought my rage was directed at Abigail, and how absolutely insane it was she thought she could serve me when she had previously been connected to Esther and the Warden.

Then I realized the fury wasn't coming from me. Holy hell, Charlie was mad, and I could feel it.

"Is there something wrong?" Opal asked, and she wiped at her face with a napkin. "You've elevated the temperature around us by at least ten degrees."

Sweat formed on the faces of others in the room. I subdued my Fire magic and gestured for the servants to open a window. "It's my husband," I explained quickly. "He's absolutely fuming. Something bad must've happened."

I was really worried. Was Charlie safe? Who could even attempt to hurt him here in Ilamanthe, where he was a prince and had total control?

"I believe he was scheduled for lunch with his father," Abigail replied. "The servants were gossiping about it this morning."

That would explain why I wanted to pick this table up and hurtle it across the room. I didn't think the reunion with Charlie's dad would go well, but something hurtful must've been said. I felt Charlie's anger rise and fall, then explode. He briefly lost his bearings as magic was siphoned out of him.

Shit, he must be fuming. Someone— probably his grandfather, as I thought he would be the only Elf powerful enough to do so— had taken his magic for a moment to calm him down. I felt him come around, and magic flooded back into his body. I attempted to reach out, but he was so pissed I didn't think he heard me.

We should give him some time, Oberi noted. This is not a problem we can fix. Charlie and his father must resolve it on their own.

Or I could just settle it with Cameron myself, I shot back.

Unlikely. Let it be.

I felt Charlie's anger dim, and resolved we'd talk about it later. This was between Charlie and his dad, and I knew better than to get involved unless the situation absolutely required it… though if Cameron continued to hurt Charlie, I was going to lose my patience and take matters into my own hands.

"We should move along," Elrye stated. "There is still much to see."

Elrye took us out of the parlor room and down the hall, to another set of double doors. "This area is known as the Ladies' Court. This tower is strictly reserved for the women of the palace. Only females are permitted in this area, and it is an area that is under your control entirely. Not even the Emperor or the princes are allowed to enter."

A pair of servants opened the double doors, and we roamed inside. I was delighted to see a beautiful area that was full of Elvish women. There was a lovely round pool beneath a waterfall that fell from one of the palace roofs. Around the pool were lounge chairs, and there was a bubbling tub that had been built to resemble a hot spring. Palm trees provided shade, and a female band played relaxing music in the background. There were massage tables, and people were getting manicures near a drink station which served mocktails that changed color. A mini-workout station stood on a platform above the pool, where Elvish women lifted weights and practiced sparring.

"Awesome, no men around." Kallie gave a broad smile. "Might as well call it paradise."

Clearly she wanted somewhere to hide from Marcus.

I was ready to get in the pool immediately, but Elrye led me on. "There are other bedrooms here, if you wish to take some time to yourself."

"It's not like I'm going to need it." I couldn't imagine a situation where I'd need a bedroom separate from Charlie's. It wasn't like we'd ever sleep apart, but maybe I could use this place for a girl's night.

"Perhaps you will, one day," Elrye replied. "All your clothes and treasures will be stored here as well."

Treasures? I didn't know what she meant, until I did. Elrye led us to an absolutely enormous walk-in closet the size of a small house, and when I ventured inside, I nearly died of happiness. Clothes and dresses lined the walls on hangers at my level, and designer bags were lined on top of dressers according to color.

And ancestors, shoes, glorious shoes spanned the entire length of the closet in small cubbies that were easily accessible for me to reach. There were literally hundreds of them. I could wear a different outfit every day for a year and still not go through everything in the closet. I swear, a tear slipped out of my eye.

"We wanted to make sure the princess was well-dressed, as we heard from your friends that you enjoy fashion," Elrye said with a coy glimmer in her eye. "I hope that you'll come to cherish every piece."

"There's so much pink!" I squealed. I hugged the ballgown closest to me and buried my face in the puffy tulle skirt. I loved Charlie, but it would've been worth marrying him for the closet alone.

There was a dressing room area, where couches circled around mirrors. There, I could try things on. There was a ramp I could use to venture up onto the raised dais, so I could look at outfits in front of the mirrors. The entirety of the Ladies' Court had been built to be accessible to me in mind, and I could get anywhere and do anything without having to ask for much help. I was absolutely touched by how generous the Elves could be.

I wanted to start playing dress-up immediately, before Elrye hurried us along. "The back of the closet is my personal favorite."

Ancestors, there was more? How could there be more?

Elrye took us to a door and indicated that I should open it. I did so and almost passed out. Gorgeous necklaces, earrings and bracelets lay on velvet pillows underneath white spotlights. Priceless gems and jewels were everywhere, ready for me to wear. There was a literal pool of fucking diamonds in the middle of the room. I absolutely couldn't believe it. "Are those real, or illusions?"

"Real as can be," Elrye stated. "Everything in this room is certified and genuine."

I was completely blown away by the abundance the Elves had. "You can't give me all these diamonds," I insisted. "They belong in the royal treasury, to all the members of the monarchy."

"Oh, this is nothing," Elrye said with a casual wave of her hand. "Trust me when I say the Emperor has more than enough to spare."

"How'd you get it all out of Forevermore before the Warden took it over?" Kallie asked.

"We didn't store most of our treasures in Forevermore. The monarchy was careful to hide our true wealth in secret magical stores all over the world, just in case our city was discovered," Elrye replied. "Of course, we did lose quite a few treasures from the siege of Forevermore, but let me assure you that what we have here in Ilamanthe is more than enough for everyone."

She could say that again. Finally, I was living my best Ava-Marie life as I was meant to experience it. I was born for absolute luxury. I wasn't sure what to bathe in first, the pool or the diamonds.

Looking around at everything the Elves had, I was confused. "The Elves have so much wealth, and so many resources. Why didn't they use them to win the last Great Supernatural War?" I questioned.

"Money is a wonderful resource to have in a time of suffering, but diamonds don't win wars, princess. People do," Elrye responded. "We had three very powerful magical societies fighting us from all sides. The fae were as wealthy as we were back in that time, and the angels and vampires had their own stores of riches. Our allies, the Elementai and the witches, weren't as well-equipped, and we had to share what we had with them to bolster their forces as well as our own. We can throw all the wealth we desire at obtaining weaponry, but we were vastly outnumbered, and back then, most of the supernatural world had the goal of exterminating us, simply because we were so powerful."

"But you had everything at your disposal, magic and otherwise," I stated. I wasn't trying to argue, but understand. If I was to be the princess of these people, I needed to comprehend how the Elves had failed, so we wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"A beetle is far stronger and more powerful than an ant, but if a thousand ants swarm one beetle with the singular goal of destroying it, the beetle will die," Elrye responded. "Our enemies were wise, because they came together to capture our most powerful warriors, and either imprisoned or killed them all before the war truly began. It left most of us defenseless. Our money was all but useless by the time we had to go underground and hide within Forevermore. Hopefully we can utilize it better this time."

"Are you sure there's enough to go around?" Kallie asked. "The Elves are so generous. I can't help but wonder if it's going to run out."

"The Elves have a different way of thinking. We believe abundance is infinite, that there's always more than enough for everyone, and always more to be had," Elrye replied. "Yes, we did earn most of our wealth through crime, but we also elevated our society through trade and magical goods long before the first Great Supernatural War. Our people have been around since the dawn of time, and we've used that advantage to compile everything we've ever wanted. We offered to give away some of that wealth to the other races in times of need, but even as we did so, that caused many to resent us."

"No wonder people wanted to wipe the Elves out," I said quietly. The jealousy alone from the other magical races, witnessing the Elves living in such prosperity, would inspire hatred.

"Indeed. Many of the other races, most prominently the angels, didn't believe everyone could have what they needed. They thought that the Elves hoarded everything for ourselves, so they attempted to take what we had," Elrye said heavily. "But such conversations shouldn't be had on a day like today. You have some time before the next item on your schedule, princess. Feel free to use this area how you wish."

Abso-freaking-lutely. I spent the rest of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon basking in paradise. I put on one of the adorable bikinis I had in the closet and went to go swimming. It was much easier to get in the pool, due to the lift they had for wheelchair users. The Institute never had one, which meant someone always had to carry me in. The Elves had thought of everything to accommodate me.

I used my Toaqua powers to swim around by myself for a while, while Opal splashed with Marina in a shallow area of the pool. Her child had the cutest turquoise mermaid tail, and she could already swim well. Oberi busied herself with getting a massage, nickering as the therapist kneaded her back while two Koigni girls braided her Fire mane and tail.

Abigail and I had made small talk while we swam in the pool, mostly about the city. She'd brought me a couple of drinks and had offered to reapply my makeup once I got out of the water.

Having a lady-in-waiting felt like having a paid best friend, and I wasn't sure if I liked it much. It felt fake.

While Abigail was chatting with Opal, I took my chance to get away from her so I could approach Kallie, who hadn't said a thing since Elrye had left us to our own devices. Kallie lounged on a reclining chair by the pool and soaked up the sun.

I paddled up to her and rested my arms on the edge of the pool. "Hey. Why don't you come in? It's a beautiful day."

"I will in a minute," Kallie said. "I'm just… distracted."

"How come?" I rested my chin on my hands. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we should enjoy it while we can."

Kallie gave a sigh. "Honestly… I'm still thinking about the Dollmaker."

The hated name soured a beautiful day like today. The Dollmaker was a mass murderer who'd killed multiple young women in Malovia. Charlie and Kallie had done some investigating before we'd left the Institute, and they'd discovered the Dollmaker was actually Kallie's ex, Valen. He'd compelled her after she'd broken up with him to assassinate her brother, and although the attempt to take Kazim's life had failed, it had gotten her sent to the Institute. The police were looking for him, but at the moment, Valen hadn't been caught.

"You upset he's still on the run?" I asked.

"Yes, but there's more to it. I'm wondering how he was able to compel me to kill my brother, and not have me remember it. That's some strong magic," Kallie said.

"Wouldn't a fae be capable of pulling something like that off?" I asked.

"Fae magic can compel people, but it's very hard to do, and the magic requires a lot of effort. It's usually only something sorceresses can pull off, not shifters. Valen's good in battle, but his magic wasn't that powerful. I don't think he was strong enough to compel me on his own, especially not since I'm a demigod," Kallie said.

"You think he had help?"

"He must've. Either he had someone cast a compelling spell on me, or he had some sort of object that did it for him. I'm thinking it must've been the second option, because if he kept the item in his possession, he could've used it during other murders to keep his victims from fighting back or escaping," Kallie said.

"If it was an item, I bet a vampire created it. They're basically masters of compulsion magic. Valen either convinced one to give the item, or stole it," I said.

"Or he's working for a powerful vampire, one who's willing to give Valen materials as long as he kills people this bigwig wants out of the picture," Kallie noted darkly. "Gods, I hope the Union catches this bastard soon. I'd give anything to go through his tools of terror and see what he's got."

"They're too busy looking for us." I scowled.

"Yeah, and I can't exactly leave here to search for him while we're still looking for the keys. I know those have to come first, but I still wish that sick bastard was behind bars."

"He will be, Kallie. He can't run forever."

"I know." She sat up and braided her hair back. "If only I could be out there right now, hunting him down."

"I know you feel responsible for what he did, but you're not to blame for his crimes," I insisted.

"He started killing people because I rejected him," Kallie said. "If I had just said yes?—"

"If you had agreed to be with him, you would've been miserable, and he would've made your life a living hell. Not to mention it probably wouldn't have stopped him from killing, anyway. He would've done it regardless, because he's wired that way to get a thrill out of hurting others," I pointed out. "You could've done nothing, Kallie. Let's get the keys first, then we'll kill him, and you can put it behind you."

"Right." Kallie gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Put it behind me."

We munched on a charcuterie board for lunch, then sunbathed until Elrye told us it was time for my next appointment. I decided I was already bored of my outfit from that morning and decided to choose another one, although Elrye told me to be dressed for some exercise.

I chose the cutest two-piece tracksuit, and was feeling absolutely extravagant as Elrye led us to another area of the palace— a massive room that was open to the sky and the size of a football field. The walls were made of stone, and the floor underneath us was some sort of bouncy, cushiony material that would be supportive if someone fell.

"This is the palace's training arena," Elrye informed us. "It is where you'll be practicing your abilities. You don't have to worry about holding your powers back, as it has been magically reinforced for demigods."

Kallie looked around. "We could practically blow this place up with our magic and it would still be standing. We don't have to worry about experimenting with spells that are too powerful."

"Precisely," Elrye said, and she inclined her head. "I will leave you to it. Your companions and the Demigod Guardians will arrive shortly."

Charlie was already there, leaning against a wall and waiting for the rest of us. He'd slipped out of his suit and changed into a t-shirt and workout pants.

His expression was pretty flat— which I never knew whether to take as a good sign or a bad one. I felt his bitter emotions flood our bond, though, and they were pretty wounded. Something had happened.

"Hey, babe," I said lightly, trying to cheer him up. "How'd this morning go?"

Charlie frowned. "I met up with my dad. And his wife."

Oof. I didn't know Cameron had remarried. No wonder the conversation hadn't gone well. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, as long as he stays away from me."

Not well at all. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What's to talk about? He's moved on. Why bother being upset about something that happened years ago, anyway?"

He shut off his half of our bond, so I couldn't feel his emotions anymore.

Charlie was obviously hurt, and I wouldn't make him talk if he didn't want to. I knew he'd come to me eventually, so I steered the conversation in another direction. "Did you see your grandfather?"

Charlie brightened considerably. "Yeah. It was great. He taught me how to portal through mirrors."

"That's awesome." At least the day hadn't been a complete disaster for him.

Marcus ambled in shortly after we did. He hung out with Rishi at a distance, and didn't make eye contact with any of us. He didn't say anything, not even a hello, which told me something was bothering him.

Professors Amber and Wykoff entered the room. This time, Amber was followed by her orangutan Familiar, who was carrying a harp.

"I hope you're up for a workout!" Wykoff announced. "Today we'll be doing some hardcore training."

Right. Couldn't just laze around all day. I was here to do a job, to protect the people of Ilamanthe, and it was time to work.

Abigail gave me a nod. "I'll leave you to it, princess. If you need me, I'll be nearby."

She exited the room, and Eldin went to stand guard outside the door. Hm. I suppose if Abigail was going to spy on me she'd stay to watch my magical performance. But not excusing herself looked suspicious, too.

I put Abigail out of my mind. I needed to focus on my training, not her.

"Danny's late," Charlie commented snidely. "Does he think we have all day to wait around?"

Wykoff checked her watch. She shook her head, gave a sigh, and stated, "We might as well begin without him. Who knows when he's going to show up."

"We're going to start with a meditation, to delight the senses and invigorate the mind," Professor Amber cooed. "This way, your body will be delightfully prepared for the intense experience you're about to endure all over your form!"

Is she talking about meditating or having an orgasm? Oberi asked.

We didn't know, but Amber gestured for us to sit. Everyone but me took a seat on the ground, and the orangutan began strumming the harp.

"Close your eyes," Amber hummed. "Let yourself float away on the waves of delectable delight. Feel the tremors electrifying through your skin as tingles run on energy currents, from your soul into your earthly form. Transcend the limits of time and space, and become an endless being, one that expands outward in order to encompass all the universe, indulging yourself in sensual pleasure."

I don't know what she's talking about, Charlie whispered telepathically.

I don't either, but just go with it. My dad had told me Professor Amber was a little weird, but he never explained how much. This was supposed to be an experience, right? Might as well play along.

Oberi was getting into it. I am life. I am death. I am the ending, and the beginning. I am one with the earth and sky!

I attempted to relax, but it was hard when I was connected to Charlie's mind. He kept thinking that this was pointless— that meditating was a waste of time and we needed to get to work on practicing, so we could be strong enough to beat the Warden.

I cut that connection off. I knew he was impatient, but I needed to ground myself before we began. I listened to the sound of Professor Amber's voice, and soothed myself to the music of the harp until I felt a faint buzzing throughout my torso. When I had a clear head, I could feel my Fire, Water, and Spirit magic resonating inside of me, and I had a stronger connection to it. Ideas of what I could do with my magic came to me, and how I could utilize them in battle. I was glad we'd started the session with meditation, because it enabled me to center in on the moment so I could think straight.

"Do you feel the vibrations?" Amber prodded. "Can you sense the titillating, intimate caresses of time and space?—"

The meditation was brought to a screeching halt when one of the doors to the training arena slammed against the wall. My eyes shot open, and I jumped in my chair. Kallie gave a gasp, and Marcus fell over beside me.

Danny strutted into the room like a cocky rooster, did a spin on his heels, then flicked his hair out of his eyes. "I'm here, everyone. No need to get alarmed."

"Danny, you're late again," Professor Wykoff said patiently.

"I would've been on time, but the ladies needed me," Danny replied. "So are we working today, or what?"

Danny made a show of tossing off his jacket and doing a couple of arm stretches that were obviously meant to display his muscles. He was dressed in a tight shirt and pants, a hilt holding a short, small blade against his calf.

"I suppose the meditation is over," Wykoff noted. "Everyone rise, please."

The others got to their feet, and I said, "The ceiling's open to the sun. Why aren't you frying your ass off right now?"

"The palace has a ward around it so vampires don't burn," Danny said. "I can frolic in the sunshine as much as I please here."

Charlie scowled. "We need to move on. What's next?"

"We'll begin with sparring," Wykoff said. "The four of you will be going up against Danny. He'll be defending himself alone."

"The four of us against him? He's not going to be able to keep up," Kallie said skeptically.

Danny gave a small laugh. "We'll see, sweetheart. Unless you're too afraid to challenge me, even as a group."

"We're not afraid. We just know you're going to get torn to pieces once we're done," Charlie rebutted.

"Please," Danny scoffed. "You have no idea what I can do."

I expected this exercise to last all of five minutes. "Whatever you say."

Oberi knelt before me, and I slid out of my wheelchair and onto her back. The illusion saddle pad appeared as I got on, and Charlie fastened the straps for my legs before we faced off against Danny.

Amber and Wykoff moved out of the way. Once they were standing at the wall, Wykoff said, "I would like you all to treat this as an actual fight. Don't hold back. We have healers to help you recover, should you get injured, but we cannot afford for any of you to go easy on each other when we have so much at stake. Begin."

The four of us flung magic at Danny at once. I threw out a combination of Fire and Water, Charlie blasted Air magic, and Kallie and Marcus tossed battle orbs. Danny used his super speed to sprint out of the way, and all of our hits missed.

Kallie transformed into a wolf, so she could keep up with him. She ran after Danny and opened her jaws wide to catch him. He rolled out of the way of her snapping fangs and tripped her up. She went tumbling to the ground, and as he did so, he reached out.

Danny grabbed Kallie around the waist, spun her around and tossed her across the arena with his super strength. She smashed into the wall, and a bit of concrete crumbled off the side. She groaned as she hit the floor, struggling to get up.

"Kallie!" Marcus shouted. He created a battle orb and Rishi jumped into it, zooming around the room. Rishi went after Danny, but Danny grabbed the battle orb that Rishi was in and smashed it with his hands. Rishi yowled as pieces of magic shattered like glass, and he went skittering to the other side of the arena to hide.

Danny ran toward Kallie again. I wasn't sure why he was making her his target, as she was already down for the count, but Marcus didn't stop to think. He slid to a stop in front of her, putting himself between her and Danny. Marcus flung his arm out, and I watched as a silvery specter began hovering outside of Danny's body. Marcus was attempting to rip out Danny's soul as a gut reaction to protect Kallie.

Danny leveled Marcus with a heavy stare. Once Danny's eyes fixed on Marcus, he gave a cry of agony and dropped to the floor, landing heavily on his right arm. Danny had practically turned him into a limp rag doll.

"Don't try to rip my soul out of my body, pal," Danny warned. "You ain't gonna like it."

I wasn't sure what kind of power he'd used, but Danny's magic had completely incapacitated my friend. Marcus rolled on the floor, wincing in pain.

Danny had taken down two of our teammates in seconds. We were underestimating him. Oberi cantered around Danny in a circle, while I observed him as we went around. Charlie waited, looking for the right opportunity to strike.

This guy was too good. There was something off about him. We needed to figure out what that was before we tried to take him down. I blasted off different types of magic in succession— first a fireball, then a stream of Water, then orbs of Spirit magic, to see how he'd react to them and how he countered each one.

He didn't react how I expected. Instead of dodging the magic, he ran toward me and slid underneath the shots I was firing. He pulled a dagger from the hilt that was attached to his calf and slashed it upward. The cloth cinch holding the saddle pad in place was sliced clean through. With nothing to hold me on, I toppled off and to the ground. Oberi nickered in surprise as I crashed downward, and Danny sprinted to the opposite side of the arena.

I tried to push myself up, but I found that my hands were stuck to the floor, and I couldn't move any part of my body. I realized that when Danny had cut the cinch, he'd also nicked my knee, and a tiny cut was oozing blood there. I glanced up, and saw Danny focusing his gaze on me.

He was using my blood to compel me. I couldn't fight back. "Oberi!" I called.

I can't move, either, Oberi nickered, and she let out a huff. Danny had cut her, too, and although the injury was barely visible, the few droplets of blood that dripped out of the cut on her belly were enough to enable Danny control of our bodies.

When Charlie realized that Oberi and I were down for the count and that he was on his own, he went ballistic. Charlie siphoned Danny's vampire strength and speed. He hurtled at him, raising a fist to drive it into Danny's face.

It seemed like Charlie wasn't able to take all of Danny's magic, because Danny kept his abilities. Charlie did what he knew how to do best and began throwing punches that became blurs due to the high speed. I heard Danny laughing, like he thought this was a fun game as he flung back hits of his own.

Charlie realized this wasn't going anywhere. He used his Elven illusion magic to conjure a sword, and he swung it at Danny's head. I was pretty sure the Elven healers couldn't sew Danny's head back on should Charlie knock it off, but Wykoff and Amber didn't stop him. Danny ducked and allowed Charlie to swing at him carelessly time and again before eventually, Charlie lost his footing and stumbled.

Danny took the opportunity to twist Charlie's wrist, and Charlie loosened his grip on the sword. Danny ripped Charlie's weapon out of his hand and kicked his legs out from under him. Charlie fell backward, and Danny pointed the blade at his throat.

"Surrender," Danny said. "You're done."

Charlie sneered, and Danny took a few steps back. I felt the compulsion magic holding me and Oberi break. The unicorn knelt to the floor, and I pulled myself back onto her. My group hobbled our way to the center of the arena, where Danny tossed the blade to the floor.

"Are you sure these guys are demigods? They don't seem like they're at the top of their game," Danny said, gesturing to us.

"That wasn't fair," Charlie spat as he caught his breath. "What's his demigod power? It gave him an edge."

"I had an edge, sure, but you still should've been able to overpower me. You guys are untrained as a team," Danny said. "If you noticed, most of the maneuvers I did were to avoid you, not to fight back. I only went on the offense when I saw an opening and you guys left yourselves defenseless. I didn't have to kick your ass or be the strongest guy in the room. I just had to outsmart you. You guys fight well as individuals, but not together. We're not gonna last if we can't battle as a unit."

"I agree," Professor Wykoff added. "The four of you should be helping to protect each other, so there are no openings. Instead, each of you went on the most aggressive offense possible, instead of taking turns to attack while the others held the enemy off."

Talk about our greatest weakness. Danny was right. Esther and her demigod goons had been able to beat us the other day because they worked together, and we hadn't. He'd pointed out our biggest flaw.

"Can you see people's weaknesses, like Esther?" I asked Danny.

"Nah," Danny said. "I'm kinda the opposite. I see people's deepest desires— what they want the most. That's my demigod power."

"That doesn't mean anything," Kallie said. "You being able to see what we desire shouldn't have given you that much of an advantage."

"Sure it does. It was easy," Danny replied. "Once I knew what you all wanted, it was simple to manipulate. Marcus wanted to protect Kallie. I had to disarm her first, so he'd be too distracted trying to save her and would be unable to defend himself. Ava wanted to figure me out, and her trying to guess what my demigod power was threw her off, leaving her vulnerable. And Charlie was focused on beating me up, not winning the match, so I took advantage of his anger and used it against him. I knew he'd fuck up and get sloppy. I just had to wait for when."

"With that kind of demigod ability, you can do anything," Marcus said. His tone held a shiver of fear.

"It's not perfect," Danny argued. "I can see people's deepest desires, yes, but it's still hard for me to utilize. I can't tell when someone is lying, to me or themselves, and if someone has two opposing desires that are equal in want, I'm not always sure which one to manipulate. It's not a sure thing, and sometimes I get it wrong— and sometimes, I have to ask people what their deepest desire is before I can manipulate it, because I can't always see it. Wards and magical protections can trick me and get in the way."

"Marcus can protect our minds. It shouldn't have worked," I argued.

"I can't protect you from everybody, especially if I don't know what I'm protecting you against. I've protected us from Seers— witches who can mind read or predict our intentions— but some mind manipulators like Alistair can get through," Marcus panted. "Looks like this guy is one of them."

Danny chuckled. "What do you truly desire, Marcus? You don't need to tell me— I can guess."

Marcus flushed and turned his back on Danny, mumbling something under his breath.

"That's an unusual power to have," I stated carefully. Demigod powers were influenced by personality. Danny's demigod power indicated that for all his bravado, he was a huge people pleaser.

Danny let out a huff. "Yeah, well… as a kid, it was a lot safer for me to cater to what other people wanted. Having a super sensitive alarm system about my parents' feelings kept my ass out of some shitty situations."

It got rather quiet, and no one dared to ask him to clarify. I changed the topic, because I could sense this wasn't something Danny wanted to talk about. "What kind of magic did you use on Marcus?"

"Yeah, I wanna know. It dropped me to the floor," Marcus said, giving a grimace as he rubbed the arm that he fell on.

"Blood distortion. It's when a vampire takes control of a person's blood and uses it against them. Sometimes, a vampire can use blood distortion to make people their puppet. In some cases, a vampire can use it to disable a victim and make them feel pain, as I did with Marcus," Danny stated. "I don't need to make him bleed to do it. I can manipulate what's in his body from a distance."

"That's similar to what a Toaqua can do with water in the blood," I stated, impressed. I could use Water magic to move limbs, but was otherwise limited.

"Yeah, but I'm kind of shit at it, and I can only use it every now and then. Not to mention it doesn't last— I had to pull it back quick with Marcus, if you couldn't tell," Danny said. "But it's useful in a pinch. Maybe one day I'll be strong enough to use it properly, but for the moment, I still get too drained to harness it well. It's hard magic. Most vampires can't use it."

For Danny to admit that he couldn't do something told me how difficult blood distortion really was. Still, he was a tough demigod. I respected what he could do.

"Let's try working together as a team," Wykoff suggested.

We practiced for the rest of the afternoon. We sparred a little, though it was nothing as brutal as the first time around. Wykoff and Amber instructed the four of us to fight Danny again, but this time, she had us alternate who was on the defense and who was attacking, giving us instruction as we sparred.

It definitely made a difference, and I saw we were more effective. If we had worked together like this when Esther had found us in the woods, maybe we would've been able to chase her cronies off.

Danny kept trying to help, but he could be a little too honest, and his pointers pissed Charlie off more than they provided any kind of advice. By dinner, I was worn out and starving. Wykoff and Amber dismissed us, and Danny dipped out the moment we were let go.

"Ancestors, that guy's a prick," Charlie complained as we left the arena. "I didn't hit him hard enough, because if I did, he would've shut up. He was babbling the whole time."

"Danny pointed out all our weak spots. We learned a lot from him today. He can teach us what we need to know," I said.

"He's so full of himself. I've never met a guy more in love with a mirror," Charlie mumbled.

"I mean, he's kind of a jackass, but I really do think he wants to help. Being arrogant doesn't make him evil."

And I wasn't so sure Danny's attitude wasn't all an act, either. Charlie was a quiet guy, so it wasn't any surprise his and Danny's personalities clashed. But they'd have to figure out a way to work together, because we were on the same team.

Marcus and Kallie followed us as we were led to another beautiful balcony overlooking the palace gardens. A long table had been set up, and food had been placed out for us. Dinner was served— spinach-artichoke pasta, with glazed salmon on the side and lemon-lavender sponge cake for dessert. All of our friends were here, chatting as they ate.

I noticed Abigail was sitting beside Eddie. I acknowledged her with a nod, and she nodded back, although neither of us said anything more.

"Did you enjoy your first day in Ilamanthe?" Eddie asked as he took another slice of cake.

"I loved it. What's next on the agenda?" I asked.

"All that's left is a lesson after dinner. Since you are monarchs, you and Charlie will have to learn Elvish," Eddie stated.

Charlie gave a short sigh. "I feel behind. I don't even know Hawkei, and now I have to learn Elvish, too."

"I can teach you Hawkei, and we'll learn Elvish together," I told him.

"Easy for you to say. You already know four languages." Charlie frowned.

"It'll be five soon. I've been teaching her Italian," Ivy said— very unhelpfully, I might add.

Charlie's frown got deeper, and he poked at the food on his plate. He was getting so down on himself, and I didn't like it.

"You learned braille. You can learn this, too," I replied.

"I'm not fluent in it yet," Charlie argued. "I've been learning it for less than a year. I'm barely literate at braille."

"I believe in you. I know you can do this."

Ivy kept ducking their gaze. Every time a servant walked by, they hunched over and hid behind Chancey, avoiding attention.

I took an olive from my plate and threw it at them. It bounced against their head, and they yelped, "Hey, what was that for?"

"Why are you acting weird?" I laughed.

"I'm trying to keep a low profile around here," Ivy whispered, glancing from side to side.

"Why? There's nothing to worry about. The Warden can't find us here," I said.

"It ain't the Warden I'm worried about," Ivy replied. "It's people figuring out who I am. I'm in enemy territory."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm a Bianchi. My family and Charlie's family have been going at it for centuries," Ivy said worryingly. "We're sworn enemies. My dad thought he'd gotten rid of the Elvish mob after the Great Supernatural War, but now he knows they're back, so some sort of gang war is bound to start up again."

"I didn't know the Bianchi family and the Wahkin family were rival gangs," Charlie said.

"Excuse me, but your family name isn't Wahkin, sire," Eddie piped up. "The Elvish royal family has a different title."

"Then why does it say that on my birth certificate? Why's my dad called that?" Charlie questioned.

Eddie cleared his throat. "Your father chose a different name once he fled Forevermore and hid himself in Kinpago, before he met your mother, in order to keep his identity hidden."

"Great, now my name isn't even real," Charlie growled.

"It is real. It's ours," I insisted, and I touched his hand lightly. "That's what makes it special."

"Aponi Wahkin was your grandmother's name on your father's side. She was the Air elemental married to Emperor Cassiel, so it does have some meaning to you," Eddie explained. "In Hawkei culture, it's traditional for the family to take on the mother's name. So it's actually accurate that your father took on the Wahkin name when he moved to Kinpago, as he was reclaiming his heritage."

Charlie relaxed, but his expression was still stony. "Okay, so what's the family's royal title?"

"Your grandfather's full name is His Imperial Highness Cassiel Majestica, Emperor of Ilamanthe, and your royal title, properly, would be Prince Charles Majestica, Grand Duke of Ilamanthe," Eddie said helpfully.

"Why don't I get to choose?" Charlie asked.

"Well, you do," Eddie said. "But your royal title is always going to be different from your legal name. Monarchs have many monikers that they go by, and always have been. It's your decision on how you want to be introduced, in what situation, though you'll come to find some names are more helpful than others in certain circumstances. It's not the same thing, sire. Names are power, and you want to utilize them as tools to get people to do what you want."

I'd say. If you wanted to walk into a room and make sure people knew you were powerful, being introduced with a long, formal title was better than some average name. Though I could sense through our bond Charlie didn't see it that way.

"Isn't it so wonderful to have so many titles?" Eddie gushed. "If you get tired of one name, you can just pick another! I only get to choose between Eddie and Edwyrd, and I am very jealous."

"Charlie Wahkin is just fine," my husband grumbled.

"Yeah, and the Majestica family ain't nothing to mess with," Ivy emphasized. "You wanna talk about bodies piling up on the streets, take a look back at some of the showdowns between the Bianchi mob and the Majestica family during the 1920s. The two sides hated each other, and if your grandpa decides that he doesn't want a Bianchi running around his palace, I'm dead meat."

"That rivalry was over a hundred years ago. I get that vampires and Elves are immortal, but not even they can hold on to bad blood for that long," I argued.

"Precious, you and your man have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into. These Elves like to play royal, but they ain't no saints," Ivy replied. "Both of you need a run down on how mob families work."

"So tell us." I leaned forward.

"First things first, you got the head of the family, which is the boss. In organized crime, there's a hierarchy. All major decisions are made by the boss, and power trickles down to other people within the family that are beneath him, such as underbosses," Ivy explained. "The wives of the family have their part to play, too, standing by their men no matter what goes down, prison, death or otherwise. You can't refuse an order given by the boss, or one of the underbosses, because otherwise, you're kaput. The dirty work is done by all the thugs at the bottom, but acceptance into the family isn't freely given. You gotta earn your place and swear to be loyal to the family above all, even over the gods and your loved ones, because the mob comes first. And you can't ever get out once you're in. If you try, you're sleeping with the fishes."

"Then why are you still here?" Kallie asked. "You left your dad's gang."

"I got tossed out on the street because my dad's the boss, and as much as he hates me, he didn't want to kill me," Ivy explained. "The only reason I'm still alive is because I'm my dad's only child. He thought throwing me out would make me reconsider my life choices and make me subscribe to living his way, since I'm bound to inherit the head position once my old man finally corks off— if he ever does."

Ivy sank down in their chair. "Which is why if your grandfather wanted to get a big hit on the Bianchi mob, all he'd have to do was make sure I was taken care of."

"My grandpa isn't going to hurt you," Charlie assured him. "You're safe here in Ilamanthe."

Ivy made a skeptical noise. "Sure, boss."

After dinner, we had a short lesson in Elvish before Eddie told us we were free for the rest of the evening and it was a good idea we get some rest.

One of the rooms in Charlie's suite had been converted into a mini-greenhouse for Sprigs. The little guy was enjoying jumping from leaf to leaf, sunbathing underneath the heat lamp. He gave us a squee as we went by, and I waved back.

Oberi wanted to fly around the city and stretch her wings. I watched the phoenix go as she leapt off the balcony, soaring over the palace towers as her white feathers contrasted against the sunset sky. Charlie leaned against the balcony, and I smiled as I observed the wind brush back his hair.

"How do you feel about being a prince?" I asked.

Charlie shrugged. "I'm torn. Some of this is great. I get to be part of a big family, one that has a noble cause and all this history."

His shoulders slumped. "Then, at the same time… it's also a lot to take in. Sometimes too much."

"It'll get easier. It's only the first day," I promised.

"I don't know if it will. My grandpa makes it sound like there's a lot of responsibility. If I had grown up with this, it might've been easier, but I've been thrown into it."

The setting sun cast rays across his darkened expression as he added, "I don't like my dad, but when I see things from his perspective, I can understand why he ran away. Even though I would never leave, because I do want this. It almost scares me… how easily I'm willing to do bad things for the family. My dad wasn't comfortable with it, because he grew up in Forevermore and never had to be that bad person in order to survive. I have. If my grandpa were to ask me to do something morally reprehensible for the family, I'd do it, because I've already done bad things, and I wouldn't flinch. I don't know if that makes me a bad person… and honestly, I don't really care if it does."

"It's okay to be conflicted." I took his hand. "Maybe you'll become sure of yourself once you spend more time here."

"Maybe." Charlie turned toward me and took both of my hands. "Let's forget about it. I have a present for you."

"A present? Where'd you find time to get me a gift during your busy day?"

"You'll see."

Charlie led me back to our bedroom and in front of a large floor-length mirror. He pressed his hand to it, and a portal began to open. "There's a panic room on the other side of this wall that only I can get into. It's meant to be a safehouse for us if there's an emergency, but I had a better idea for it."

I wheeled through the portal and into the room. An enormous smile spread across my face as I took in the area. In the middle of the room sat a king-sized bed with restraints attached to each of the posts, along with a bar overhead that had been drilled to the ceiling. On the wall hung all kinds of toys— whips, chains, rope and ribbons.

A dresser sat beside the bed. I went to it and began opening drawers. Vibrators, rabbits, cuffs, blindfolds and other toys were laid out on the velvet pillows within the drawers. Everything in the room was shades of black and green, and burning black candles hovered in the air as the only light.

"You turned it into a secret sex dungeon." I was absolutely delighted. It was better than Christmas morning.

"I knew you'd love it." Charlie's grin was just as eager as mine. "The best part is— it's soundproof."

"So I can scream as loud as I want?"

"Even louder, baby girl."

I found a set of black lingerie in one of the drawers. I'd never worn anything like this for Charlie before. This was going to be fun.

I unzipped my tracksuit hoodie. "Want to help me get dressed up?"

"As long as I get to touch you."

Charlie knelt before my chair. He slipped off my pants before his fingers caressed my legs gently. He pulled the lingerie bottoms over my legs and adjusted them around my ass, taking his time to touch my smooth skin. The panties were lace and had an opening at the bottom so I didn't have to take them off in order to fool around. There were straps that crisscrossed over my ass, and they matched the bra, which I fastened around my breasts. The top had slits for my nipples, too. I had never felt more alluring.

"I feel sexy." I shook my hair around my shoulders, which fell in waves. I knew I looked hot.

"You're always sexy." Charlie explored the lingerie. I shivered at his touch as his hands wandered everywhere, discovering where there was lace and where there was bare skin. I gave a small yelp as Charlie lifted me out of the chair.

He carried me to the bed and sat me down. "You're to do everything I tell you to, understand?"

"Absolutely." He'd get no protest from me tonight. I wasn't in the mood to be a brat. Right now, I just wanted to please him.

Charlie rummaged through the drawers, until he pulled out some sort of expandable stool. As he unfolded it, I observed that it was big enough for one person to lay under, and had two thick elastic straps with a slit in the middle. There was a handle on the top of the stool to grab, though I wasn't sure what it was for.

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"It's a surprise. No more questions."

Charlie placed the stool beside the bed, then began undressing. As he slid out of his clothes, I observed him hungrily. We'd messed around after we'd left the Institute, but we could never be as crazy as we wanted to, because our friends had been around. Now that we were in this secret place, we could do whatever we wanted, and nobody would know but us.

Charlie sat on the bed. "Lie back."

I did so, lying beside him. He reached into a drawer at the bedside and pulled out a small device that was shaped like a budding rose. He turned it on, and it began to vibrate.

Charlie propped up my legs, then placed the vibrator directly on my clit. Holy hell, I swear, the world opened up when that happened. Sending me to a new dimension. The vibrator used air to suction onto my clit, and pulsed intensely. I usually had trouble distinguishing what was pleasure and what was just sensation during my spinal injury, but I had no problem knowing just how good this device felt. The effect was similar to Charlie's tongue. It was like he was giving me oral. I became dizzy, and fell into a lull as Charlie's other hand rubbed the inside of my thigh.

The moment I was about to go over the edge, he moved the vibrator from my clit to one of my nipples. The effect was just as delirious. Damn if this wasn't an amazing tool. He alternated from my nipples to my clit until I was writhing on the bed, before he drew the vibrator away.

"Don't edge me right now," I begged. I was way too close to getting off.

"I don't want you to come until you're on top of me," Charlie said lowly. "Be my good girl and behave."

I was confused. I hadn't been on top since my spinal injury. It'd just been too difficult, because my legs couldn't hold me up anymore.

Charlie set the vibrator aside. He leaned over to grab the stool, then set it so the legs of the stool were on both sides of his hips. He lifted me onto the chair, and as I sat down on the elastic straps, I finally got what he was getting at. Charlie adjusted my legs, and a thrill of exhilaration went through me as I imagined the possibilities.

Charlie adjusted himself, and I used the elastic straps to sink down. Delight exploded throughout my senses, and Charlie gave a sharp hiss. I realized that he was inside me, I was on top, and with this chair, I could ride him as much as I wanted.

This sex stool was my new favorite accessibility aid. I realized what the handle was for; it was posed in front of me, right before my breasts. I grabbed it, and used my arm strength to pull me up and down. The elastic straps I was sitting on helped me to bounce, and I found I could use them to adjust my position and go deeper without any effort. I didn't have to rely on my legs at all!

Charlie gave a moan, and I became completely invigorated. I used the sex chair to move on top of him, sinking down on him as far as I could and picking up speed.

Charlie let out a ragged gasp and managed to force out, "Slow down, pidge. You're going to get me off."

"That's the idea." I let out a wicked cackle, before giving a moan of my own.

"I want it to last. Go slow, now."

A command, not a request. I slowed up and used the chair to take long and teasing strides instead. Charlie fumbled for the vibrator and pressed it against my clit. My eyes rolled back, and I had to resist every urge in my body telling me to fuck him faster as I forced myself to follow Charlie's order. I felt an orgasm build and release, and as I clenched around him, Charlie made a gasping breath.

"A little faster," Charlie said, and I increased my pace. Charlie continued using the vibrator on me and reached up with his other hand to pinch and twist my nipple. I let out a soft sound and enjoyed the feel of his hand on my breast as we became entangled in the moment. I rode him for a long while, and changed up the angle, so I was taking him in deeper. As his dick rubbed against my g-spot, I swore, my body began to elevate.

"Faster," Charlie ordered, and I fucked him as hard as the chair would allow. I felt his release building quickly, and at his excitement my own began cascading, too. He fisted his hands in the sheets as he came, and I went right after, fireworks exploding behind my eyes as the world turned into a dazzling array of colors and light.

I had to take a few minutes to catch my breath. My arms were burning from lifting me up and down, but damn, it had been worth it.

Charlie appeared stunned. He took a few moments to recover before he helped me off the stool, then put it away. He reached into a mini-fridge sitting on the dresser, which was stocked with water bottles. He gave me one, then took a couple of long drinks himself. "Hell, it feels like we ran a marathon."

He winced, before he added, "Poor choice of words. Sorry."

"It doesn't bother me," I said. "You don't get offended when I tell people we saw something."

"I guess not." He got a bottle of lotion from the dresser drawer. "Lie on your front."

I turned over onto my stomach, and Charlie began rubbing my back. I almost didn't know what I liked more— the sex, or the aftercare. Even when sex wasn't particularly dominating, Charlie always spoiled me after. I think he liked taking care of me as much as I enjoyed being pampered by him.

As Charlie massaged my shoulder, I sniffed, and my lip quivered. I had tears in my eyes, though I tried to hide them away.

"Pidge, you crying?" He turned me over and wiped a bit of wetness away from my lashes.

"What you did was very thoughtful," I said shakily. "I never thought I'd get to have sex in that way again."

"It's not like I didn't get any enjoyment out of it," he said, amused.

"Yeah, but… you wanted to make sex accessible for me. How'd you even think of it?"

"I know it's a little weird, but I had Eddie's help setting this place up," he confessed. "I sent him with a list of stuff to get, and the chair was one of the things he suggested. It's a tool he and Alistair have used. He thought it'd be helpful for us to have one of our own."

I didn't think it was weird. On the contrary, I thought Eddie was being very kind, to be so open in order to help us. "Even if it wasn't completely your idea, I'm still touched. You remembered that I loved being on top, and you came up with a way to make it happen."

"Of course I did," Charlie said, and he tucked me into his chest as he kissed the top of my head. "I'd do anything to make my pidge happy."

I knew he would. This room was made for us, but he'd created it for me.

"It's wonderful," I replied with a sigh. "Our little sanctuary."

"I think this room needs a name," Charlie said. "That sounds about perfect. Our Sanctuary."

I snorted and put a hand over my mouth. "It sounds like we're screwing in a church."

"What we do in here is holier and more sacred than anything in any church could be." Charlie reached over to pull me on top of him. He gave me a light kiss, and I rested my head on his chest.

This place was our Sanctuary. We had tools we could use here that would make our time together truly ours. Nothing had to be missed, or left out.

Now that we were free, we could experience every aspect of our intimacy together, like any other couple would. There didn't have to be any barriers in our way. It made me dare to think we could just be… normal.

Though I cast that idea aside almost instantly. Now that we were part of the Elven mob family, normal would be something we'd never get a shot at ever again.

As the days passed in Ilamanthe, Charlie and I were kept busy with royal duties and growing our magic. We had demigod practice every single day, and it was made clear to us that harnessing our abilities to their fullest extent was our most important task. Charlie's team was looking into the vampire key, but so far, they hadn't found anything conclusive that could lead us to where the key might be.

One morning, while Abigail was curling my hair, she said that my family wanted me to visit for lunch. I kissed Charlie goodbye, then left him to go practice mirror portals with his grandfather. Opal, Marina, Abigail and I hurried off to the suite where my family was staying. Kallie didn't come, since she was in a meeting with a couple of Elven diplomats about fae relations, and I didn't want to bother her.

Oberi walked beside me with his head held high. Each day, Oberi wore an even bigger and more ridiculous hat. Today's hat was in the shape of a large mushroom, with a bunch of little mushrooms stacked on top of it. It was wholly obnoxious, and I knew that's why he loved it. He had his own personal room now in our quarters that was solely devoted to his hat collection, and I'd never seen him so happy.

A servant opened the door for me to my family's suite. The area was set up like a full-size condominium, with a kitchen, living room and all. Mama was at the stove, working on her famous Italian. The Elves were amazing chefs, but not even they could measure up to Mama's cooking.

Alana was sprawled out on the couch with her tigress Familiar, Zareen. She practiced Water magic by making a stream of water spin in mid-air. Maverick tinkered with tools and mechanical gears at a desk nearby, though the project was so jumbled I couldn't be sure of what he was working on. Daddy sat in front of the widescreen with a black cup of coffee. He watched the latest updates on the supernatural news with a scowl.

Daddy was always glued to the news stations these days. I was worried it was turning him into a different person.

"Oh, good, you're all here," Mama said as she set garlic bread out on the table. "Ez should be along soon."

Not a moment after she said that did my brother waltz in. Tahoma squeezed through the door behind him. The peryton had to tilt his antlers in order to fit through the door, even though it was wide. The moment she saw him, Marina gave a squeal and went tottering toward my brother.

"There's my big girl." Ez reached down and lifted Marina on his hip. She gave a happy squeal.

Ez kissed Opal, and added, "And there's my sweet girl."

Opal blushed, and I smiled. Opal and Ez were so cute together, and Ez did such a good job of taking care of Marina. Daddy side-eyed Mama, but she didn't say anything.

None of us had sat Ez down and had a private conversation about where his relationship was going with Opal. I was waiting for Mama and Daddy to bring it up, but so far, they hadn't. I thought it was pretty weird, seeing as how Ez was already acting like a dad to Marina. I figured they'd tell him to slow down or something, but nobody mentioned anything. I guessed we'd have to see where it led.

"This looks wonderful, Mrs. Mitoh," Abigail noted as she rolled up beside me, taking a napkin and putting it on her lap.

"I made more than enough. Take whatever you wish," Mama responded kindly.

Abigail got along well with my family, which was good for her, because I would've fired her if she didn't. Alana enjoyed her company, and I trusted my sister's judgment, so I let my walls down with Abigail just a little.

Throughout lunch, we talked about what everyone was doing in Ilamanthe. Mama and Daddy were doing their best to hold the tribe together with the other chieftains, while Alana and Maverick were getting accustomed to the schools in Ilamanthe.

"What about you, Ez?" I asked as I finished my plate. "I haven't seen you around much."

"I'm studying healing full-time. The Elves have a really intensive medical program, and I've immersed myself in it. I don't have time for much else," Ez stated.

"Ava, have you stopped by to see Maddie yet?" Daddy asked, abruptly changing the topic. "She's been waiting for you."

"I'm a princess. I've been busy."

The excuse was flimsy. I'd been avoiding going to see my aunt, because I wasn't sure what she'd tell me next about my prophecy. I knew that's what it had to be about. She wouldn't summon me for a friendly catch-up.

"Hm." Daddy made a face before he stood up from the table. "We have a surprise for you, peanut."

People hadn't stopped spoiling me since I'd become princess, and I found it delightful. "Ooh, what is it?" I asked eagerly.

"It's waiting outside."

A little while later, I found myself sitting by the side of the cobblestone street outside. The palace had a garage area to store vehicles in order to get around Ilamanthe. My gaze instantly jerked to the side when I saw a beautiful red sports car turn the corner. It was low to the ground, with big fat tires and an engine that roared so loud it made my heart stutter.

"No way?! You got me a car?!" I yelped.

"An adaptable car, one you can drive," Daddy clarified.

"Yeah! Me, Dad and Bren have been working on it!" Maverick added eagerly.

The car stopped in front of me, and Bren got out. He was a friend of the family, married to Chieftess Vanessa. He'd owned a shop for sports cars in Kinpago. I guessed he'd transferred his business to Ilamanthe after the Elementai had fled California. I couldn't believe he'd put this together for me.

"The look on your face is priceless," Bren noted with a chuckle. "Definitely worth it."

Maverick hopped up to the car and began explaining everything. "It has sensitive electronic controls for the fitting brake, and accelerator controls to the steering wheel, so you don't need to use your legs to drive. You can control everything with your hands. The accelerator is like a motorcycle's, and there's a knob on the steering wheel so you can steer with one hand, while controlling the speed with the other. It also has a rotating driver's seat, to help you get in and out, and a specialized space for your wheelchair."

"It can also convert to regular controls, just in case you need someone else to drive," Daddy added.

I figured I'd be driving some big-ass handicap van the rest of my life, and would never be able to tear up the roads again with a fast vehicle. I started blubbering. "I can't believe you did this for me!"

"We know you love going fast," Maverick replied. "It was so much fun to work on!"

"Can I take it for a drive?" I asked eagerly.

"Absolutely," Bren said. "Hop in."

I want to ride! Oberi cried out. His hat came tumbling off as he jumped into the back.

I was able to use the handlebars of the car to lift myself up and get into the driver's seat all on my own. My wheelchair folded up, and I found that it fit perfectly behind me. Daddy rode next to me on the passenger's side, and Maverick and Bren sat in the back. Mama and the rest of them waved me off as I revved the engine. Bren explained the controls to me, teaching me how to go forward, speed up and slow down.

I didn't want to take it easy, but Bren basically made me, because he didn't want me to be too reckless. I drove the car outside of the palace walls and into the city. We took a few winding roads that overlooked the ocean, and I experimented with the speed.

"I think you've got it," Bren said. "Just don't get too crazy, all right? I know this car can haul some ass, but I don't want you crashing it in the first week."

"I would never." This shiny new toy was my baby. I got such a hard-on for fast cars. Monica and I used to love them— probably why we'd stolen a few and taken them out for joy rides back in the day.

My husband was waiting in front of the garages when I returned, having a conversation with my mother. I rolled down the window and leaned my head out, revving the engine again and making the turbo pop.

"Charlie!" I screamed. "I have a new car!"

He laughed. "So I've heard! Let's go for a ride, pidge."

Daddy, Bren and Maverick got out, and Charlie got in the passenger's seat. We drove together through Ilamanthe, and now that Bren wasn't here to make sure I was a good girl, I was riskier. I took turns too sharp and pushed far past the speed limit. Oberi stuck his head out the window, panting as the wind blew back his fur, and Charlie let his hand fall up and down with the wind. Charlie didn't tell me to slow down, rather, only urged me to go faster.

This was seriously the best. The sun was shining and I was flying free, with my husband beside me and my dog in the back. Nothing could beat this feeling.

By the afternoon, I knew how to drive her like a champ. I was riding a high like never before. I'm telling you, living in Ilamanthe was the life.

I didn't want to beat on the car too badly, so we left her to cool off in the palace garage while Charlie and I headed back to our room to rest before our demigod lesson. I sat on the balcony, drinking pink lemonade. Oberi sunbathed beside me, soaking up the sun in his husky coat.

"Pidge?" Charlie came onto the balcony cautiously and took a seat beside me in a lounge chair. "Can I ask you something?"

I smirked. "If you want to eat me out later, I'd prefer it in the bathtub."

He smiled, but it wasn't as bright as it typically was. "I'll take you up on that offer, but… it's something else."

He sounded serious. I felt my insides drop as he reached out to take my hands in his. "I had an idea, but you're not going to like it."

Oberi lifted his head, appearing anxious. What are you talking about?

"Spit it out," I demanded. I didn't like being kept waiting, and this was really starting to worry me.

"To beat the Warden, we've got to be the best we've ever been, and use methods we never have before," he insisted.

"You know I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"You sure about that?" he questioned. "Because I've had the idea that… we should start using pistols."

I felt sick. He'd just said a simple word, and I already wanted to throw up my drink. I thought about what happened when I'd used the pistol down in Cellblock 9, and already didn't agree with this. My hands began to shake. Charlie tightened his grip, so they steadied.

"Guns only have one purpose," I said. "It's not like magic, which can be used for good or bad. Pistols are only used to kill people."

"Which we've already done," he pointed out. "And we need to keep doing it, because unfortunately, this is a war and people die. As long as we aren't the ones six feet under, I don't know if it matters how we do it."

"I know I've killed people," I spat, and I wrenched my hands out of his. "But I don't want to see someone's head explode again."

"This will be different. I think we can use simultension to fuse them with our magic. It's the same as using a wand," he explained. "It's just a way to focus our powers."

"I understand where you're coming from, but pulling the trigger is different than casting a spell," I stated. "It's more personal."

"This fight has become personal, pidge. We can't avoid getting our hands dirty," he said. "And I'll do anything to anyone if it means protecting you."

"Every time I even think about using a gun, I'm back in Cellblock 9. I… I can't go back there."

"I don't want to make you repeat your trauma, but pistols could help us avoid something even worse in the future. If we had these pistols back in Cellblock 9, or even the Infernal Underground, maybe we could've avoided everything terrible that happened to us. We didn't have to be tortured, pidge. We can use these guns for good to protect ourselves and help people. They don't have to be used for an awful purpose."

I was unable to speak, so Oberi did for me. Pistols are human weapons.

"Not the way I've conceived them," he explained. "During my lesson with my grandfather, he had me practice creating a pistol. I've been studying them since, learning all the different parts and how they work. I understand them now, and how we can use them to concentrate our powers to the best of our ability."

Those late nights when he'd waited to come to bed until after I was asleep were starting to make sense.

I didn't like this. But if it helped us win, I was going to have to learn to be okay with this, because if the Warden was in my place he wouldn't think twice.

Charlie noticed my hesitation and rushed to say, "We don't have to use these if you don't want to. I don't want to force you to do this. I know you have a problem with guns, since?—"

"How I feel about something doesn't matter if it can help us win," I said harshly, cutting him off. "Just… tell me how they work."

Charlie… Oberi warned. The unease throughout our bond told me my Familiar wasn't keen on this, either. I didn't like that Oberi was as clueless about this as I was. Charlie had kept both of us in the dark.

Charlie hesitated, before he began to explain. "It's not like it's a real gun. It's made of illusion— it shoots magic. It just enables us to cast faster, and the accuracy is more precise. It's much easier to harness our power through them. We can fire a few rounds quicker than the time it would take to conjure and throw a single battle orb with our hands."

I felt the blood drain from my face as I said, "You've already created one."

He nodded. "Yes. I just wanted to see if it would work. And I tried it— it does. But it'll only work for demigods, so you don't have to worry about it being produced on a mass scale. I had Chancey and Alistair try to fire it, and it wouldn't work for them. Not just anyone can pull the trigger, because it focuses your magic. The magic doesn't come from the illusion. You have to combine your powers with the illusion of the gun, and only demigods are strong enough to fuse it with the technology. Normal, or even talented supernaturals can't access it, but we can. And this is a weapon we can use to beat the Warden."

It could be. These weapons could be the edge we needed. We had lost the fight with Esther and her demigod cronies, and we couldn't lose again. If these pistols could prevent that, I had to learn to get comfortable with them. "Are you sure these can help us?"

"We need to have something that can fire faster than our regular magic can, just in case we get outnumbered again," Charlie said gently. "I get that this is tough, but what happens if we aren't fast enough at the end of the day? We might lose a friend, or worse, we might lose each other. If you don't want to use it, that's completely fine, but I feel like I have to. To protect you, if nothing else, because you're the most important person in the world to me. Nothing's taking you away from me again."

"If you're carrying a pistol, I should be, too," I insisted. "I need to be able to protect you as best I can."

We need to be careful, Oberi objected. I'm worried this could have more consequences than we realize between us.

"Look. We weren't strong enough fighting Danny," Charlie said. "He wiped the floor with us, and he's not half as strong as the Warden is. But I think these will give us an advantage. Are you okay with going forward with this? Because we need an edge, and this could be it."

Charlie was right. I needed to get over it and get with the program. No matter how I felt about using pistols, we were part of a crime family. I had to be willing to do whatever it took to defend that family and make things right.

I was a chosen one. I didn't have the luxury of making choices, like normal people did. I had to do what was right for the world, no matter how uncomfortable I felt.

"I'll be fine," I stated. "Let's do it."

Ava, are you sure? Oberi asked. He knew I was lying, but I didn't think Charlie noticed.

"Yes. We have to at least try them out," I said. "Let's go early to our demigod lesson, to experiment."

Charlie seemed relieved. I caught a stray thought of his that I'd taken this idea better than he figured I would.

Yeah, well. If it came down to making myself comfortable or defending Charlie's life, it'd be Charlie, every time.

We left our suite and arrived in the training arena a short time later. The professors hadn't shown up yet, and neither had Danny. I waited by the door, while Charlie and Marcus got to setting up targets for today's practice.

Kallie strode in, carrying a wooden chest. She conjured a table, then set the chest on top of it.

"What's in there?" Marcus asked curiously as she opened the top.

"Pistols," Kallie replied. My stomach dropped as she began distributing them to Charlie and Marcus. "Charlie made them, but I perfected them with my illusion magic to work out any extra kinks."

Kallie hesitated as she looked at me. She knew my problems with guns and wanted to double check if this was okay. "Did Charlie talk to you about this before I made them, Ava? I didn't want to help create the pistols without you knowing about it first."

I frowned. "Yeah. Of course. Let's get started."

Charlie didn't say anything, and I bit my lip. I didn't like how he'd waited until the last minute to spring this on me, but I somewhat understood. He knew there was a risk I wouldn't take it well, and he didn't want to upset me before they were ready.

"Guns? Really?" Marcus asked skeptically. "This is stupid. Magic's much more powerful."

"These aren't your typical pistols. They shoot magic, not bullets," Kallie said.

She took her pistol and aimed it at a target. When it went off, I jumped in my chair. I watched as a bolt of purple illusion magic burst out of the gun and hit the target, completely obliterating it to pieces.

Well, I guess it was effective. And it was just like casting a spell, except you had to pull a trigger instead of wave your hands, so I guess it wasn't that bad. Just magic with fewer steps. Basically a wand, right? Witches used those all the time. It wasn't a big deal.

Charlie turned the pistol in his hand, observing it. The speculation on his face was curious.

"Do you think it'll help?" I asked him quietly.

Charlie nodded. "Marty was shot by someone carrying a gun. If I have one, too, I can stop that from happening to someone else."

I didn't know if that logic really worked out, but for Charlie, it was his way of justifying keeping the pistol.

We agreed that we'd have to make some tough choices in order to save the world, Oberi reminded me gently, and he put a paw on my knee. This is one of those decisions.

I nodded. "I know, Oberi. I just wish it didn't have to be this hard."

Kallie fired off a few more rounds, then turned to us. "They have silencers, so they shouldn't be as loud."

She paused, before she reached into the box and handed a pistol to me. I knew she'd added the silencers for me, but they didn't completely take away the sound of the gun as it went off.

I slowly took the pistol. The weight of it in my lap reminded me too much of what I'd done in Cellblock 9. It almost sent me careening back there again.

Marcus put two hands on the pistol and fired at a target. He screamed as it went off, and nearly fell over. The magical stream that had come out of the gun hit the top of the wall, and Rishi scattered out of the way as stone came crumbling down.

"Marcus, come on. You need to know how to do this," Kallie snapped. She stomped over to him and began teaching him, showing him the right stance and adjusting his arms so he knew how to shoot.

Charlie raised the gun. "Pidge, where should I aim?"

I indicated through our magical connection where he should fire, and the gun went off. Charlie's Air magic hit the target and made it explode instantly.

Charlie had practice knowing where to throw his magic, due to the three of us working on his general awareness through our magical bond. Oberi and I worked as an anchor for him, so he could understand his surroundings even though he couldn't see. Every time Charlie fired the gun off, the magical stream hit its target dead-on.

Charlie was way too much of a natural at this. But honestly, it was kind of sexy. He was a mob boss, so it made sense for him to carry a pistol. I was turned on by the sight of him firing the gun. It was so compelling to watch him shoot, because it made me view him in a light of power. The dominating aura he emitted while he shot at targets reminded me of how in control he was in the bedroom. It was hot.

Well, if I was attracted to the sight of my husband shooting a gun, I might as well give this a chance, right?

"Ava, do you want to try?" Kallie asked gently.

She seemed a little worried. It was wrong to make my best friend concerned. I needed to show her I could handle this. I lifted the gun and aimed, putting my finger on the trigger to fire.

Try as I might, I couldn't pull it. My hands shook, and I found my aim was unsteady. Just do it. If Charlie can, you can, too.

Though I attempted to force myself to pull the trigger, the movement wouldn't come. I sighed and lowered the pistol without success. This was much harder than I thought it was going to be. I still didn't understand how I really felt about this. How could I be perfectly fine with Charlie using a gun, but I still hesitated to aim? We were supposed to be one and the same, soul partners and equals. I needed to be comfortable with this if we were going to beat the Warden, so why couldn't I be? I was perfectly okay with Charlie using the pistol— even attracted to the idea. The temporary fantasy of him putting the gun to my head while we fucked in the Sanctuary immediately made me swoon, and I daydreamed about how pleasurable that would feel, no matter how messed up it was.

The thought of me pulling the trigger, though, and using a pistol to hurt someone again? Practically impossible. I didn't understand how I could find this romantic and traumatizing at the same time.

I didn't know how to feel.

"You don't have to right now," Kallie said. She took the gun from me and put it back in the chest. She sighed as Marcus fired his pistol again and missed.

Eventually, I grew somewhat desensitized to the sound of the pistols. They were going off, and nobody was getting hurt, so that was okay.

Maybe I was getting over it.

The doors to the training room opened a little while later, and we put the pistols back inside the chest as Professors Wykoff and Amber entered. Wykoff glanced at the guns, but she didn't say anything before Marcus subconjured the box. She didn't seem bothered by them— it was confirmation for me that pistols were basically the same as wands to witches.

Amber, though, noticeably scowled, which I'd never seen her do. She didn't approve, but didn't go to stop us, either.

"Danny won't be joining us today," Professor Wykoff said. This time, Amber's orangutan was carrying a small leather drum.

"Great, is he slacking off again?" Kallie asked sarcastically.

"I believe he is ill," Wykoff replied.

"Didn't know vampires could get sick," Charlie said.

"They can, with magical afflictions and other things. We've checked on him, and we think it's best to let him rest," Wykoff said.

Well, at least they'd double-checked that Danny was telling the truth, and not just blowing the lesson off so he could get laid somewhere. Though I had to wonder what was so bad it could make a vampire miss practice.

"It is nothing to worry over, for tonight, we descend into the past!" Amber stated triumphantly. "We shall guide you into the depths of the unknown, revealing what has previously been hidden from spiritual sight."

"What does that mean?" Kallie asked tiredly.

"Before he went missing, Professor Takahashi told us that you four believe you've been chasing after the Divinity Keys in your past lives, and have been hiding them throughout the centuries for your current selves to find now," Wykoff stated. "Professor Amber and I can put you into a trance, so you can insert yourself into a past life meditation and remember where one of you might've stored either the vampire or the Astromancer key."

"We should be careful with this," I said. The last time we'd put Kallie into a trance so she could remember her past life as Amalie, and recall where she'd hid the merfolk key, she'd almost gotten hurt. The practice had summoned a lot of dark spirits who were looking to hurt us.

"This is a safe place, and many precautions have been taken," Wykoff assured us. "I taught Meditation and Inner Magic at Miriam College of Witchcraft, so I am trained and experienced to guide you here. The meditation you're about to undergo is simple. Professor Amber will be leading the practice, using Elementai magic to induce the meditation. It is an ancestral technique, aided by the spirits of Hawkei who have passed on. I will be monitoring the situation. If any of you show any signs of distress, I'll pull you out of the meditation right away."

I trusted Hawkei magic more than any other kind, so I was ready to go in. Wykoff instructed us to lie down. Kallie conjured yoga mats for us, and Charlie helped me down to the floor as we sprawled out and got comfortable.

The orangutan began playing the leather drum, making a steady beat. Oberi lay between Charlie and me. He had already fallen asleep, giving loud snores— not exactly what we were supposed to be doing.

Amber began uttering a low chant, singing words in Hawkei as she cried out to the ancestors. I understood what she was saying, and allowed the words to wash over me as I closed my eyes.

"Ancestors, make what is unknown clear,

Ancestors, show us the guided path,

Ignite the things forgotten,

And bring us to the past."

The beat of the drum lulled me into a state where I felt my presence was no longer attached to my mortal form, but floating outside of my body. My soul hovered forward through a tunnel, racing forward to a stream of light.

"This is what must be done, Illari."

Red smoke filled the sky, blazing against the murky sunset. My husband and I stood at the edge of a pool, connected to a shimmering waterfall. Redwood trees grew around us. The forest was quiet, waiting for an impending doom to swallow us all whole.

Both of us were dressed in the respective Elder regalia of our tribes— he, Koigni, and I, Toaqua. A monstrous brown wyvern flew overhead, keeping watch as to warn us if someone was coming.

In my hand I felt the cool metal of a key. And the heavy burden of what would come if I threw that key away.

"Soleil, you don't understand," I insisted harshly in Hawkei. "This key— it can be used to cure the tribe of our problems. The Houses are already becoming divided. We can use the key to unite them again."

"Our ancestors have made it clear. The key must be hidden within the depths of this waterfall, so that a new Toaqua chief may find it, and bring it to the ones who will use it for good," he insisted.

"This is a risk. There is already talk of separating the Houses. If sides are taken and lines are drawn, our marriage is at stake, Soleil! Fire and Water will not be permitted to be together!"

"We are responsible for this. We're minai, ones who share a soul, and we are connected through one Familiar. This key has been given to us because of that gift, and it is our responsibility. We have to give up our lives, if we must, to keep it hidden from our enemies."

"The prophet has seen what will happen to the tribe if we don't use the key's power to bring them together. The Houses will go to war, and our future Elders will sacrifice our children in a trial, so they can prove themselves worthy. We can't allow that to happen!" I hissed.

"What will happen if that key isn't hidden is even worse," he insisted. "Trust me, Illari."

I trusted him with my life. Though I wasn't sure if he knew of the consequences this would bring.

I tossed the key into the water. I watched it float down to the bottom of the pool, and along with it, the tribe's future…

The vision changed. I found myself hurtling forward through the tunnel again, then coming to a harsh stop.

My hair was in a short bob, and the swish of fringe skimmed across my thighs as my flapper dress clung to my lithe form. The noise of a brass band struck up a jazzy tune as couples twirled on the speakeasy's dance floor, and a couple of vamps at the bar ordered some illegal booze.

I was thirsty for blood, but that wasn't anything unusual. I always thirsted for blood. What I was looking for tonight was a connection.

I skimmed the men in the room, but wasn't interested in any of them. They were the same old vampires I'd been with a million times before, nobody interesting or new. This town could be a real drag.

"What are you here for, honey? A dame like you shouldn't be drinking alone."

I swished my cocktail as I turned to take in the person who'd spoken. His voice was like velvet, warm and inviting. He was a tall, handsome vampire, one with dark hair and even darker eyes.

Instantly, I felt my cold skin begin to warm with desire. My body responded to his without him having to do so much as look at me.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," I stated, and took a sip of my drink. "Haven't seen you around this shindig before."

"Just got outta the pen, myself. One of my so-called pals ratted me out to the coppers." He gave a wink. "But between delivering shipments to the speakeasy, I've found time to call on sweethearts like you."

I had to smirk. "Well, aren't you the cat's pajamas."

"Lawrence, ma'am," he said, and he took off his hat to nod to me.

"Lucille," I purred. "And how do you know I'm interested?"

Lawrence grinned as he reached out and grasped me around the waist. He pushed me up against his bar, against his body, and I nearly writhed in delight.

"Come on, pidge. What's a fella gotta do to take you out on a date?" Lawrence smirked, and shivers rippled up my skin.

I didn't know who he was, because I hadn't met him before, but I didn't care. There was something between us that sparked and said this was the guy for me. It was just what I needed.

"Follow me out to the back." I took his hand, and we walked through a secret door hidden behind the speakeasy's stairwell.

We'd barely been alone for a few seconds in the alleyway before Lawrence gave me a rough kiss. I responded in kind, tearing at his suit jacket with my long nails and ripping it off.

Lawrence undid his pants, and hitched me up around his waist. He fumbled to push back my dress as he slid inside, and my head rolled back in ecstasy. He thrust into me, and I felt like the kind of connection we had could go on forever…

The vision abruptly shifted.

My hands were on a steering wheel, and a Model-T rocked back and forth as explosions rocked the car from side to side. I pinned the pedal to the floorboard, pushing the car as fast as it would go.

"Keep driving, pidge!" Lawrence held on for dear life as we sped away. Masci Taurus had sent angels after us, and they were hot on our tail, chasing us with several cars. We'd been fleeing them for days, and hadn't been able to shake them. I didn't think we'd survive this.

We'd been doing this for a while now, Lawrence and I. Our specialty was smuggling things nobody else wanted to transport, and we'd spent the past few years making good money doing it.

Until we stumbled upon something we shouldn't have. Something that was too strong for either of us to mess with.

I just wanted to pitch it. Get it away from us, before it killed us both. But Lawrence insisted we had to do the right thing, because this was bigger than us.

One last job, pidge, he'd told me. We get the vampire key to Europe, we dump it in the vault at the Banque Surnaturelle de Paris, then it's easy street.

Beside him in the backseat, another vampire clutched onto an ivory box. My soul jolted as I recognized him, and in a thick New York accent, the vampire said, "This ain't looking good!"

"Hold on, Mister Coffrey!" I yelled. "This isn't over!"

"Sure looks like it!" the vampire responded.

"We're gonna make it out of here, Frank!" Lawrence cried, but I heard the fear in his voice. He knew this was the end of the line.

Magic exploded ahead of us on the road. I swerved to avoid it, and drove right into an oncoming battle orb.

Frank jumped out of the moving vehicle with the box and managed to roll safely to the side of the road, but Lawrence and I didn't make it in time. The battle orb collided with the engine, and the car exploded. The screams of Lawrence and I mingled with the night as the flames instantly overtook the car, singing our marble bodies to ash.

My eyes shot open. I hurried to touch my skin, certain the flames were still licking up my sides.

They were gone. That had happened in the past, over a hundred years ago, and I was Ava-Marie now, not Lucille.

I managed to sit up. Charlie blinked a few times as he came to, and he instinctively reached for my hand. I took it. The feelings that flowed to him to me through our bond were powerful. We both remembered details of previous lifetimes, and though we couldn't remember everything, I knew we'd loved each other back then as much as we did now.

Amber gasped above me. Her orangutan Familiar was slumped on the ground, taking shallow breaths.

"Are you all right?" Wykoff asked in concern, and she laid a hand on Amber's back.

"I barely got through," Amber said weakly. "The ancestors nearly didn't respond to my request."

She put a hand on her Familiar, to steady her. Undergoing the ancestral chant and calling to the ancestors for aid had completely worn Professor Amber out. What she'd done had been difficult magic. She must be a talented supernatural for her to pull this spell off, especially since she'd had to reach past the broken boundary between Earth and the spiritual realm for the ancestors to hear her.

Oberi had changed into her phoenix form sometime during the meditation. She blinked her cool eyes and ruffled her feathers, seemingly puzzled.

"I had multiple visions," I said, and I looked at my husband. "What about you, Charlie?"

"I did, too," he confirmed. "In the first one, we were Hawkei Elders. Oberi was there. We spoke Hawkei, and though I don't know it, in the vision, I understood every word. We hid the key in a waterfall outside of Kinpago, because the ancestors had told us it would be safe there."

"I experienced it just like you said," I added. "Did you see the second vision, during the 1920s?"

"Yeah. But we didn't get to the end of that one," Charlie said darkly.

Hell no, we hadn't. We'd died in a flaming car wreck. "Masci Taurus— the Warden's father— he sent those men to kill us. He knew we had the vampire key. And that vampire who leapt out of the car with the key. Frank Coffrey— I remember his name," I said. "Do you think that was?—?"

"It was definitely Chancey," Charlie confirmed. "I felt it, in my spirit. He was helping us. He must've died at some point after he took the key. That's why he's reincarnated now, as an angel."

"We were taking the key to some vault in Paris. Do you think Frank got the key to the vault before he died, or do you think Masci killed him first?" I asked.

"Either are possible," Charlie said. "We can't be sure."

"But we do know that in our previous life, we did our best to hide the vampire key," I insisted. "I think I can recall the name of the bank. It was the Banque Surnaturelle de Paris. We need to check to see if it's still there now, and if Frank made the deposit."

"I'll tell my team to look into it right away," Charlie said. "At least we're making progress."

"I'm glad you guys got some clues. I didn't see anything," Kallie said. "My mind was blank."

"Marcus?" I asked. "What did you see?"

He cleared his throat. "I… I saw…"

He jumped to his feet and swallowed visibly. "You know what? It's nothing."

Without another explanation, Marcus ran out of the training arena. Kallie's expression became deeply concerned.

Wykoff helped Amber to walk, and the orangutan Familiar hobbled after. "I think we've covered enough today. Well done, Charlie and Ava. Hopefully this tip about the bank vault will lead us somewhere."

"Are you going after Marcus?" I asked Kallie as she stood. Charlie helped me back into my chair. Kallie paused for a second before shaking her head.

"No," she stated. "I can't quite be sure, but I think whatever he saw has something to do with me. We still share a bond. And if I didn't see what he did, that means he's either blocking me out, or I wasn't around to witness whatever he did back then."

There were no clear answers, and until Marcus fessed up, we weren't getting any.

Kallie walked away, and I looked to Oberi. "Did you see anything, girl?"

Glimpses and pieces of the past, she replied. But nothing that would help us, as far as I could tell.

"Shit." I sighed. "I wish this was easier. I want to find the rest of the keys and get this over with."

You two think your quest is the hard part? This is merely the final step, Oberi said. You've been chasing keys throughout the millennia, spending decades, sometimes even your whole lives, to locate and hide these keys, only for you to find them at the proper moment at this shred of time.

"Were there any past lives for you to examine?" Charlie asked.

From what I can piece together, I don't really have a past life, because I've never truly died— it's just one long continuation of this current life that I don't fully grasp. I kept bouncing between Earth and the spiritual lands in your various lifetimes, Oberi replied. When you were Elementai, I came here to be with you on Earth, then once you died, and transitioned into new supernatural forms, I remained in the spiritual realm until you summoned me again as your Familiar. The constant go-between from one place to another has completely altered my memory. I can hardly tell what is real and what may have been made up. It is why I cannot give you any clear answers.

Oberi paused to contemplate. If I recall correctly, I went into a deep sleep before the two of you were born into your current lives on this Earth, and I didn't awaken until it was time for Charlie to bond with me. Now we know why I was not there to defend you when you were children. I am very sorry, my beloved.

"Did someone put you into this sleep, or did you do it to yourself?" I asked.

I don't remember anything about it, save for that I agreed to it. It must've been important. Oberi shook her head.

"What happened to us as kids isn't your fault," Charlie said kindly, and he stroked her feathers back. "There's a bigger meaning to all of this."

Though I may agree, it does not dull the sorrow. Oberi flew onto Charlie's shoulder and began preening his hair.

Charlie pushed me out of the training arena, and I gave a giggle. "We had some fun when we were a couple of horny vampires, screwing within five minutes of meeting each other," I cracked.

"In that lifetime, maybe, but we've been together forever," Charlie said. "It doesn't take long for the two parts of our soul to recognize each other."

My insides softened into goo. "We really have been together forever, haven't we?"

Centuries, even, Oberi said. We cannot be aware of the time when our soul fragmented into two. We assumed it was at Charlie's birth, but clearly, it was not. You two have loved each other throughout time.

If that didn't make me all warm and fuzzy to think about.

"I've gotten to love you through multiple lifetimes, and in a million different ways," Charlie commented. "It's incredible, really."

I reached over my shoulder to touch his hand. "Well, no matter how long it's been, I'm still your pidge."

"I guess part of me from back then bled over into this life." Charlie gave a laugh. "Thankfully, that was the only corny slang I still took with me."

"You've called me a dame before."

"Yeah, I have." Charlie brought me to a stop before we got to his suite. "Do you think we should check on Marcus? He ran off after the meditation."

"Probably. He was freaking out. Maybe if we talk to him, he can tell us what he saw," I said.

We returned to our quarters and headed toward Marcus' room. I heard a crashing noise long before we got to the door. The sound of things being smashed and torn apart echoed through the walls. My heart dropped.

"Marcus?" I asked. I put a hand on his suite door. My spirit tore as I took in the sight of the destroyed room. Paintings were laying all around the room with holes in them, the canvases shattered and torn in half. It was a complete mess. My voice became still. I was unable to speak as I watched Marcus stomp one of his paintings underneath his shoe, and punch a fist through the canvas of another.

He'd been doing nothing but painting since we'd gotten to Ilamanthe, because it seemed to be the only thing that soothed him. Now Marcus was turning his treasured works into fragments, destroying everything he'd created.

"Marcus, stop!" I cried. My shout mingled with Rishi's yowls. The cat seemed to be pleading with his warlock to take a moment to think. "You're destroying your paintings!"

"It doesn't matter! It's all garbage anyway!" Marcus raged. "My work sucks! It's trash, just like I am!"

"Marcus, calm down." Charlie hurried forward and grabbed Marcus, holding him in place. Marcus tried to fight back, but Charlie was stronger than he was, so Marcus was forced to stand there and take deep breaths in the remnants of his self-created disaster.

Charlie kept his voice even. "Marcus, why did you do this? You worked so hard."

"I don't know what's wrong with me!" Marcus replied tearfully, and he shoved Charlie away. "Why don't you just give up on me, huh? Why do you bother being my friend?"

"Marcus, of course I'm your friend. It's okay." Charlie wrapped Marcus in a hug, and Marcus sobbed on his shoulder.

Marcus didn't understand what was going on with him, but his meltdown was apparent to me. Whatever he'd seen in the vision had triggered him, and he'd been struggling with leaving the Institute worse than the rest of us had.

We all wanted out of there. Marcus didn't want to stay a prisoner. But the Institute had sunk its claws into him. He wanted to be out, but he'd become so accustomed to prison life he'd forgotten how to live outside of it. He was struggling to adjust now that we were in Ilamanthe, and that stress was making him lose his grip.

"What's going on?" I heard Kallie's voice echo from around the corner, and I froze. She walked in, and Marcus' expression went from enraged to devastated.

Kallie took one look at the mess around the room. Then she pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered, "For fuck's sake, Marcus."

Her lack of compassion shocked me. Couldn't she see how badly he was hurting?

"Kallie, don't start," Charlie warned. "He needs us."

She rolled her eyes. "He always needs us. You guys think it's disturbing because this is the first time you've seen it, but this isn't even the first time this week I've dealt with it."

"So don't," Marcus spat at her. "Leave me alone."

"Like you mean that. You'll be at my door in an hour or two with an apology, begging me to let you in," she sneered. Her words were so cruel.

"Kallie, why are you being this way?" I asked. I sensed Marcus wasn't the only one in pain here.

"Why shouldn't I? Marcus showed up to my room drunk off his ass last night looking for a booty call!" Kallie cried, flinging her hand out.

"It wasn't like that! I just wanted someone to talk to!" Marcus burst, and he staggered away from Charlie to face her. "Nobody understands how I feel!"

"And I'm here for you, but not if you're going to show up completely wasted!" Kallie said.

"I didn't know you've been drinking," I said. It so wasn't like him.

Marcus shrugged. "I haven't been. It was just the one time. I had a couple of drinks by myself last night, and got carried away, because…"

Marcus trailed off, and didn't need to finish. Because he got lonely, and he didn't know how to deal with it, or reach out for help.

"I've seen this movie before!" Kallie shouted. "You call me up, looking for a friend. We talk about things, we fuck around, then the next day you act like nothing happened, or worse, you get pissed off and purposefully act cruel, because you want to blame me that your life's fucked up. But in reality, you don't know what you want and you don't know how to make yourself happy! It's the same old story, Marcus, and I don't want to keep playing the reruns!"

"You can't keep shaming me for reaching out!" Marcus yelled back.

"I'm not shaming you for opening up! I'm just tired of being your punching bag, your emotional dumping ground, and your fuck buddy who you think doesn't deserve a commitment! I refuse to keep cleaning up your shit!"

"You're always trying to fix me and solve a problem, when I don't need a solution. I just need you to understand," he begged. "Asking for help isn't easy for me, so I had to get drunk to do it. And every time I ask for help, you make me feel like shit about it. I try to get vulnerable with you, and you treat me like I'm a bad person for having feelings."

"Oh, really?" Kallie put a hand on her hip. "I make you feel like shit? I haven't sat there and listened to you for hours without a word when you needed a friend? I haven't held you when you needed someone to cry with? For fuck's sake, I haven't cried with you? I've done everything I can to make you feel better. Hell, I've done whatever I needed to just to get you through the night, and I'm still falling short. You act like I haven't sacrificed whatever I had to in order to support you, and even with all of that, you keep telling me that it's not enough. I keep trying to pull you out of this black hole of self-loathing that you've put yourself in, but you refuse to come out! What else do I need to do to prove to you that I want this, and that I'm not going to abandon you?"

"I know you've put in the work, but this shit is hard for me!" Marcus exclaimed. "I know it hurts you to see me this way, and I don't want to hurt you, so I try to help myself, but that doesn't always work. You obviously don't want me bringing all my baggage to you, so I feel alone, because you're supposed to be the one person I can talk to about this stuff. But I can't, so I haven't figured out how to deal with it yet."

"Oh my gods, Marcus, you're just making it worse!" Kallie screamed. "I can't be your everything and nothing all at once! What do you want?"

She spun on her heel to storm out. Marcus reached out to grab her shoulder. "Kallie?—"

"No! I'm sick of this game!" She wrenched herself out of his grasp, and left the room. Charlie, Oberi and I hurried after her into the hall.

"Kallie, wait!" I cried out. My arms were burning trying to keep up with her. I could only spin these wheels so fast.

She paused to catch her breath. I brought my chair to a halt beside her. She hunched over her knees, quivering like she was about to cry.

"I can't… I can't keep dealing with him, Ava," Kallie said in a strained voice. "He's killing me."

I couldn't blame her. I felt sympathy for Marcus, and for his pain. I didn't know what side to take.

But I understood why Kallie wanted to give up, because watching someone you love fall apart without being able to do anything about it was basically hell.

I wasn't sure what to say, but I forced myself to find the words. "He's going through a hard time. The Institute left scars on all of us. He's just… not sure of how to heal them."

"I'm so tired of him putting me on a pedestal one moment and despising me the next!" Kallie yelled. "I'm either his savior or his devil, and I can't keep going in circles on this merry-go-round, because it's making me sick!"

"I understand that has to be terribly frustrating," I said. "But maybe if you just talk to him?—"

"There's no talking! The guy's crazy! He's either sitting here proclaiming that he wants to have this big future with me, or he's screaming that I'm going to leave him and never talk to him again! There's no middle ground." She huffed.

"He's put you in the worst position ever, I agree. But I think there's something else going on here," I said. "He acts like he doesn't need you, but I promise you he does."

"I need myself. I need to be happy, more than I need to keep him in my life if he's going to act like this," Kallie said shortly. "I've dealt with this for over two years, and there's still no progress when it comes to us being together. If anything, we've backtracked, and my patience is running out. I don't want to be with someone who keeps accusing me that I don't love him."

"Kallie…" My voice got weak.

"I'm sorry." She staggered away, holding up her hands before she turned tail. "I can't handle him tonight."

She walked away. I didn't have anything else to offer that might comfort her, so I watched her go.

"I'll talk to her," Charlie said. "Maybe she needs someone to listen."

Charlie rushed after Kallie. I rolled my chair down the hall to return to Marcus. Oberi let out a coo as she settled on the back of my chair.

I found Marcus sitting on the ground, surrounded by his damaged paintings with his head in his hands. I rolled up behind him.

"She doesn't mean it," I whispered softly. Rishi gave a soft meow.

Marcus sighed. "I'm just… I'm having one of those really hard days where I'm trying not to hate myself."

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and laid my chin on his head. "I know."

We sat like that for a while, before Marcus sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve. "I think I need to talk to my Mom and Dad," he mumbled. "Catch you later, Ava?"

"Okay." I really hoped that's where he was actually going. His parents might be able to do more than I could.

I'll make sure he gets there, Oberi said, and she flew off after Marcus as he dragged himself out of the room.

All I could do was observe the mess Marcus had made, wondering if we'd ever find a way to fix it… fix him.

I couldn't lose another friend. But it seemed like Marcus was determined to push all of us away. He was sick. All my healing magic wouldn't do anything to cure him.

For as much as I loved Marcus, Kallie, and all my friends, I couldn't save them. I couldn't save anybody. No matter how much I wanted to take their pain away, I was helpless to stop their suffering.

That absolutely wrecked me. I couldn't live with it. The world couldn't go on when there were people who suffered so terribly in this way.

So I dared to think that one day, maybe it wouldn't have to. I was a demigod. I had the power to change things.

I swore to myself right then and there, whatever it took to make the world a better place, I'd do it. That way, people like Marcus didn't have to suffer…

And if there were consequences, I'd go through with them. No matter what they might be.