Zilferia

My dream starts out like it always does- just a random mix of things that I had seen and/or thought of during the day, except nothing is very clear. It’s all in color, but it’s fuzzy and out of focus. First, I am playing on the playground with Kiki. Then her friends come over and they all suddenly are little mermaid kids, biting each other. I yell at them to stop, but then Nehru steps up with the Trident and paralyzes me. Nehru then turns into Vlad, and, with an evil grin, he begins torturing me. It goes on and on like that. I fight to escape the dream, but I seem to be locked into place.

Then it all fades away- the pain disappears, Vlad and the Trident aren’t there anymore, and it’s just me. I look around and see that I am once again at Dragon Mountain- as a human, but there are no toxic fumes to hurt me. How did I get here? I wonder. And why am I here?

I hear a familiar chuckle. I look around, but no one’s there. “Who’s there?” I call.

“Do not worry, child,” I hear deep in my head. I look around once more, and a huge, golden dragon flickers into view just in front of me. “I have ended your previous dream so I can talk to you. Why are you so tortured as you sleep, young one?”

“Gale!” I gasp with relief. “I just… I don’t know. I can’t control it. I guess my brain just plays on my fears… thank you for stopping it.”

“Why do you fear? You are part dragon, and not only that, you have all of our support, as well as that of your own people- Nathan’s at the very least. You do not have to face this alone. What troubles you?” So I tell him. I tell him everything since I last saw him. It’s a long tale, but it doesn’t seem to take very long in the dream, for some reason. My eyes are filled with tears by the time I finish.

“I… I don’t know that I will be able to help you, Gale. I no longer have the power of a dragon.”

“Hmm. That may be, but you have us to help you, and what more do you need than friends? It is possible for a few to overtake many. I have seen it many times. It is what changes the outcome of a war. You can do this. Besides, being a dragon is a part of you. You may no longer be able to transform fully, but you can still have our power within you. You have since the day you were born. You can still change your eyes, can you not?”

“…I don’t know,” I say. “…If I try now, would it work like it would in real life?”

“I believe so.”

I try switching my eyes out, and for the first time, they actually seem to resist, but I push harder and they turn around. I look around and see that they work the same as always.

“You see, they cannot take away your entire identity. You are still one of us, whether you look like it or not.”

“…Thank you, Gale,” I say quietly. “You don’t know how much that means to me. …But how did you know I needed you?”

“I… didn’t. I was just contacting you to tell you that the sapphire clan is planning on trying to convince you to help us tomorrow. I was going to ask…”

“There’s no need for that,” I interrupt.

“What?” he says, obviously surprised.

“Yeah… I decided… I’m going to do all I can to help you, the mermaids, and all the other races destroy the Dragon Hunters.”

“Really? What made you change your mind?”

“Well, it was partially the mermaids, as well as the Dragon Hunters’ own fault. They brought the fight to me personally, and I can no longer ignore the harm they are causing- to everyone. That, and I couldn’t take the guilt of leaving you all alone. It was eating me up from the inside out.”

“…Oh. Well, then. I’m glad. Just so you know, we are all behind you on this. If you need our help, just yell my name with voice and mind and I will hear you and come to your aid with all the dragons I can rally. I’m sure the mermaids and the Sohos would do the same. We also feel guilt for leaving it all up to you.”

“Thank you,” I say, touched and reassured. He suddenly starts fading. “What… no! Where are you going?”

“It seems you are waking up. It’s alright, I will see you later. Goodbye, Crystal Dragon, and good luck…” His voice fades as his body does and I am alone on the mountain, although it’s not for very long.

I open my eyes and see Dallas’s face looming over me. I blink as his face swims into focus. “W-what?” I mutter as I sit up, drowsily rubbing my eyes.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your sleep, but Thaddeus wishes to speak with you and Nathan before the ceremony tonight. He sent me to wake you as well as protect you.”

I groan a little, still drained from the last Challenge. “Thanks.” He nods, then leaves so I can get dressed. After I’m ready, I wake Nathan, then step outside for some fresh air. The sky is blue, with a few white clouds floating lazily by. A cool breeze dances through the trees, causing them to sing once again. It is a peaceful day, and for once, it matches my mood.

I feel refreshed, although still a little tired. All of a sudden, the meaning of the winner’s ceremony actually hits me. “Whoa… wait a second… we won?”

Dallas looks at me, a little surprised. Then he smiles. “Yep. You are officially the winners of the Games this year!”

“We… we won… we won! WE WON!!! I… I can’t believe it! This... this means that the nightmare is finally over!” I laugh, feeling better than I ever have before. This is astounding! This is spectacular! I… I can go home soon… But as I am thinking this, I remember my promise to the dragons, mermaids, and Sohos. I need to first finish off the Dragon Hunters. I feel a sudden urge to run; just run back home and forget all about this freaky place.

No… I couldn’t do that to my friends. The Dragon Hunters would kill them and destroy this world if I don’t stop them… I have to do my duty. There’s no backing down. Somehow, this thought doesn’t hinder my good mood at all. The good, hopeful feelings I had derived from my dream still linger in my mind and heart.

When Nathan comes out, we follow Dallas to the hospital. Nathan and I go inside to check on our Familiars. They are doing better, but they are not yet what they used to be. Nora can form thoughts well enough to communicate now, so I can tell she’s pleased and excited that we won the Games.

“I’m not surprised,” she says proudly. “From the moment I met you two, I knew that you would be the winners.” I smile and tell her that I’ll be back to check on her tomorrow. “Could you bring a fresh mouse? The food here stinks!” I laugh and assure her that I will if I can catch one.

From the hospital, we head to the square. Before we get there, Thaddeus catches up to us. “Congratulations,” he says, smiling broadly. “I knew you could do it! Now then, the ceremony will start as soon as you two arrive.” He looks us up and down, frowning. “However, first you need a shower and some new clothes. Come with me.” We follow him to another building and take a shower. When I come out, there are some clothes laid out on the bed.

Once again, it’s purple. I slip on the dark purple sleeveless dress and put the matching jacket on top. There are some high-heeled shoes and black necklaces and earrings as well. There is a brand new watch on the bed, which is good, since mine wasn’t waterproof, and it got ruined in the last Challenge.

As soon as I am dressed, two women I’ve never seen before come in and begin doing my hair. As they do, I admire my new watch. It is the nicest watch I have ever seen. After inspecting it, I see that it is waterproof, it tells the time, the temperature, and I find when I push one of the buttons that there is actually a map with both my location and Nathan’s as well. At the top of the map is the label ‘ZILFERIA.’

“That watch actually adjusts to whatever universe you are in. I have one myself. They’re very handy.” I spin around and see that it’s just Thaddeus. I sigh with relief. My hair dressers then leave, their duty done. “In fact, they actually programmed yours to be able to connect with Nathan’s and vice versa. You can talk to him. Go ahead, try it. Just twist the circumference of the face of the watch, and lift it a little.”

I do as he says, and suddenly a picture of Nathan’s face is projected from it. I watch as he looks at me with surprise. “Whoa!” he exclaims. “How did that happen? Crystal? You have a watch too? Aren’t they cool?”

I laugh. “Yep, they’re pretty awesome. Hey, where are you?”

“Right behind you,” he laughs. I turn and the door opens and he walks in. He’s wearing a nice black suit with dark purple lining, just like the rest of our outfits. His hair is actually done up for the first time since I’ve seen him. He looks almost completely different from what I’m used to. He smiles.

“You look… nice,” he says. “I’ll have to get used to that!” he laughs. I laugh too.

“Well, don’t get too used to it. I’ll be back to normal by tomorrow.”

“That’s good. It feels weird to be all dressed up like this.” I agree.

Thaddeus glances at his watch. “Oh, dear- we’re going to be late if we wait much longer! Let’s go!” He then hustles us out the door and down to the square, where we are greeted by a huge cheer from the crowd. My eyes widen. I’ve never seen so many people in one place at the same time! There is a path cleared right through the middle of them, so I assume that that’s where we are supposed to go.

Nathan and I walk side by side down the aisle, waving and smiling at the people with Thaddeus right behind us. After several minutes, we reach the stage where Nehru is waiting patiently for us. We climb the steps and stand on her right while Thaddeus stands on her left. The noise from the crowd is deafening, and it continues for a couple more minutes before Nehru can quiet them down.

When it has finally diminished to a few cat calls and whoops, Nehru steps up to the microphone and clears her throat. The crowd finally goes silent. “Welcome, one and all, to the Games’ final Ceremony of Winners!” More cheers. “And a hearty congratulations to our winners… Crystal Shay and Nathan Anderson!” I just now remember that the majority of the people have no idea I’m their ‘lost’ Princess. I suppose Thaddeus may have been tampering with the video feed throughout the Challenges- especially the parts where I used my dragon eyes. As the cheers die down, I hear a sudden shout from four girls near the stage, “WE LOVE YOU, NATHAN!” I laugh as he smiles a little and waves at them. They swoon and fall over, which just makes me laugh even harder.

“Now we will have the audience ask a few questions from either Crystal or Nathan.” Hundreds of hands immediately pop up. Some people are jumping up and down.

Nehru picks a random guy. “Crystal,” he begins. “What happened after you went into the castle? None of us know- the cameras went out.” At this, there’s a bunch of boos- as if it was someone’s fault. I smile a little as I think that it was indeed, but they don’t actually know that.

“Well, when we went in there, there were these really cool torches that burned underwater so we could see, and the King came in and had his servants feed us. We asked him for the Trident, and he gave it to us.”

Another person from the crowd. “Surely it wasn’t that easy?”

I swallow. I can’t tell them the whole truth. “Uh, well the King just liked us, I guess. He said he saw how I was nice to the mermaid kids and he was impressed. Yes, he did take a lot of convincing, but he eventually decided to trust us.” This seems to satisfy them on the subject.

Nehru then picks a guy toward the back. “Crystal, will you marry me?” he asks, shouting over the distance. The crowd bursts into laughter as I blush. Luckily, I don’t have to answer because he wouldn’t be able to hear me anyway.

Then it’s another girl. “Nathan, do you love Crystal?” I look over at him and see that he’s blushing a bright red. I am as well. He doesn’t answer.

“Are there any serious questions?” Nehru asks. Most of the hands go down. Nehru fights a smile. She picks another person, saying that this is the last question.

“How do you think you were able to win?” they ask.

I let Nathan take that question. “Um, I don’t know,” he says. They boo at his lack of response. “All I know is that it wasn’t because of anything I did. Thaddeus helped us a bunch, but it was Crystal that got us through it all.”

“What?! No I didn’t!” I protest.

“Yes, you did pretty much everything. Remember the werewolves? If it weren’t for you, I would have died. And the Zyloff- you died and I couldn’t do anything, but when I died, you saved me!” I start to protest more, but he cuts me off. “And at the maze, I got knocked out pretty fast. I was worthless.”

“So did I! I didn’t do anything spectacular there but be clawed to shreds by a freaking giant cat!” The audience watches with amusement as we fight.

“…But most of all with the mermaids,” he continues as if I hadn’t said anything. “You were always in control, you never panicked. You were the one that sweet-talked the King while I just sat there. You were the one who led us through the maze… need I continue?”

I won’t just stand here and be complimented when he deserves praise too! “But you helped too! I kept getting knocked out, and you helped me because I was a useless sack of flour, basically. You were the one with the shape shifting skills. I just barely got my first Gift!”

Nehru cuts us off there. “Alright, that’s enough. You were both very impressive. You two were obviously a great team- you won every single Challenge! And now for your reward!” She has us sit in the two seats in the middle of the stage. Once we are seated, Nehru hands Thaddeus two small boxes about one square inch big. He then walks over and hands us the boxes, then moves off to the side of the stage.

We open the packages to find a silver and gold ring. The silver band is sandwiched between two gold bands. Nathan’s is the opposite- gold on silver. I look at Nehru, confused. She smiles. “Those are Matter Rings. They enable the wearer to walk straight through solid objects! And anything you are touching when you put it on will become intangible as well, but as soon as you are no longer in contact with that object, you will not be able to touch it again while you are wearing the ring.

“However, those rings do not make you invincible. If you are fighting someone or something that is smart enough to realize why they cannot touch you, then you had better protect that ring, or else they can just pull it off and you will become solid again. Therefore, the only thing you can touch while you are wearing this ring is either another person wearing one or the ring itself. Once it is off of your finger, you will return to normal. So while you are not using it, I would keep it in your pocket if I were you.”

Not wanting to lose it, I immediately slip it into my jacket pocket. Nathan puts his in a pocket as well. After that, Nehru spotlights Thaddeus. When asked how he got us so far, he responds, “They’re just talented kids. I could tell that from the beginning- that’s why I chose them to advise. What I did didn’t matter much- they never really paid attention anyway,” he says, winking at me. I blush, embarrassed because I know it’s true.

After that, we go to a huge banquet where we don’t get to eat much because of everyone questioning us. After a while, we decide to take turns with the questions, so we are able to eat something. Thaddeus has the same problem, but he doesn’t have someone to take over so he can eat.

We are finally able to slip away after midnight as some of the people begin to leave. We quickly head back to our house, change, and crash into bed, falling asleep immediately.

There’s a knock on our door before the sun comes up. I groan, looking over at Nathan. He’s still asleep. There’s another knock. I sigh and haul myself out of bed to answer the door. When I open it, I’m surprised to see Dallas. He looks at me, worry clear in his eyes.

“Dallas? What are you…”

“No time. Hurry, get dressed. I need your help.”

I nod, suddenly alert. I shut the door and quickly get dressed, putting my Lightning Shoes on and making sure my Matter Ring is in my pocket. I quickly put my hair in a ponytail and head out the door. Dallas doesn’t say anything, just starts hurrying towards the woods. I have to jog to keep up. After a while, he stops and I catch my breath.

“What’s the problem?” I ask him. He’s looking into the distance, ignoring me. “Why are we here?” I demand. He turns and looks at me. Suddenly and unexpectedly evil grin crosses his face. I back up. “Dallas…” Next thing I know, he’s dressed in black- a hood, gloves… everything is covered. I feel a rush of fear and turn to run. I have only taken a few steps before another hooded figure runs in front of me. I spin around. I’m surrounded.

“What more do you guys want?” I plead, my voice cracking with fear. “You already took my ability to be a dragon.”

‘Dallas’ steps forward. “We want you.” He simply states. My eyes widen with fear and for a moment I’m too afraid to do anything. Then I subconsciously switch my eyes into dragon eyes and my fear seems to burn and become power and rage. I feel like a dragon, even though I’m not one. Gale was right, I do have the power of a dragon all the time, I conclude, feeling fierce joy.

Turning, I sprint towards an unsuspecting Dragon Hunter and knock him down. I try to continue onward toward the village, but the guy grabs my ankle and I fall forward onto my face. I kick him in the face and stand up, but they are all in front of me now. I grin, excited to demolish them. I bare my teeth at them as my tongue probes the ends of my teeth. I’m surprised to find them sharp, like the mermaids’ teeth, but the men don’t flinch.

I run up to one of them and punch him so hard he flies a few yards and lands with a thump. To my surprise, he starts to pick himself up and dust himself off. He’s just fine, and that makes me mad. Growling, I punch another and another of the cloaked figures. Then ‘Dallas’ comes up from behind and grabs my arm, twisting it behind my back. Undeterred, I swig backwards with my left arm and nail him in the gut with my elbow. It’s like hitting a rock. He isn’t even affected. Fear starts to settle on my heart once more, making it hard to breathe.

“Alright, I think that’s enough,” he growls, waving a thin man over. He inserts a needle into my neck and I fall to the ground as he releases me, no longer able to control my muscles. My brain becomes heavy with fog and I can barely think. ‘Dallas’ then picks me up and carries me further into the woods- in the direction the other two Dragon Hunters had tried to take me. I then fall asleep, completely devoid of energy. Apparently using the power of a dragon while not actually being one uses more energy than it would otherwise.

I wake up on a simple, clean white bed that is not mine. I sit up and look around. I’m in a small room with clean stone walls and no window. There are torches on the walls, though, so I can see. The room doesn’t seem to be very old, or else there would be moss growing on the walls. I swing my legs out of bed and find a rug on the floor. I stagger to the door and try to open it, my socks protecting me from the cold stone floor. Not surprisingly, it’s locked. Sighing, I shuffle over to the rocking chair I saw by the wall opposite the bed and plop down. I just sit there and stare at the wall without a single specific thought rumbling through my brain.

I don’t know how long I stay like that before I pull myself out of my ‘coma’ and think. The first thing I do is take stock of what I have. I am wearing different clothes- a basic, black T-shirt and some worn jeans- so they must have taken my other clothes, which means they have my watch, the ring, the shoes, and any hope I have of ever escaping from here. I sigh and put my head in my hands.

A few minutes later, the door opens and then shuts again. I don’t even bother to look up. “I don’t suppose you’re going to let me go,” I say.

There’s a slight laugh. “No. Not yet, at least.” I slowly look up and see yet another man in a black cloak.

“Not yet?” I repeat. “I have a hard time buying that you are ever going to let me go.”

Another chuckle. “Yes, you may be right… although I am actually thinking about it. A few things provided, of course.”

“Of course,” I sigh. “I figured you would want to use me in your little war. I’m not much of an aid now that I no longer have the power of a dragon at my command, though. I guess that one backfired on you,” I say. He smiles.

“You are very smart,” he notes. “And calm, I see.”

“Yeah, well. I don’t see much point in fighting when I have no chance of winning.”

“Oh? And how do you know you have no chance? You fought my people with very impressive strength and stamina. It appeared to me that they might fail in capturing you, but I shouldn’t have worried. Not with Hunter there.” The name rings a bell in my memory.

“Hunter?” I say, confused. “Isn’t that…”

“Your brother’s name? Yes, it is. The one whom you met as Dallas- and Brandon back on Second Earth, actually- is your brother, Hunter.” At my confused look, he continues. “Hunter was sent in to retrieve you from Second Earth before Vladimir could, but we were just a little too late on that one… which is too bad, really. I could have taught you everything you needed to know- more than those fools could have. And yes, we also snuck him into your little village- shortly before my sub-commander failed to bring you here. I, of course, had him… fired… for his mistake.”

“Killed,” I state, no emotion in my voice. I don’t know how I know that this is what he did, but it’s like I know this man’s heart- just like a dragon can see into people’s hearts! I realize.

“Why, yes,” he says, surprised. “How did you… never mind. It doesn’t matter. Just a guess, I’m sure. You just assume that an evil guy who kidnapped you would kill a guy who is inadequate. …And perhaps you’re right.”

“You… you are killing more than just Dragons,” I growl, my emotions finally starting to push through my cold indifference. “The mermaids, the Sohos… my family!”

“Yes, well there is more to our organization than you will ever know,” he says cockily.

“Who are you?” I finally ask, even though I have a feeling I know the answer.

“My name is Patrick, and I am the leader of the Dragon Hunters,” he says, voice full of pride. This doesn’t surprise me at all.

“I see. Why did you kidnap me? To anger my parents even more? …Because they don’t even have any idea that I’m here. They went into a coma shortly before I came to Zilferia. What you do to me won’t affect them.”

“Oh, I know,” he says. He doesn’t continue on the subject of my parents. “I kidnapped you so I could… show you a better way.”

“More like twist my mind until you can use me as a weapon to destroy countless others,” I bite back.

“Perhaps,” he says, mirth in his voice. “If I can find a way to control you as a dragon, then I would give you your power back and then we would see. Although you may not even be worth the trouble. It’s far more likely that I would grant the power of a dragon to your brother, for I know that he will obey me, without question.”

“Does he know who he is?” I demand. “Does he know that he’s a prince, loved by his suffering parents? Does he know that I am his sister? Tell me that!”

“Yes,” he replies, staring at me coldly. “He does know that you are his sister and that he is the child of those two traitors. But he is not under the delusion that they love him. Oh, no. He’s smarter than that.”

“It seems more like you are the traitor to me,” I state. His face gets red and I can tell he’s getting angry, but I don’t care. “You’ve been lying to him, deceiving him. …I’m going to tell him the truth,” I threaten.

“Alright, I think I’ve heard enough out of you,” he says, and shoots something into my neck. Darkness immediately closes in and I am unaware of anything around me.

I wake up with an awful headache. I groan and hold my head in my hands until the pain diminishes. Once again, the door opens and shuts behind someone. I assume it’s Patrick. “Go away,” I grunt.

“Why?” he responds. “Don’t you want company?”

“No.”

“Well, you need to hear the truth.” I look up and glare at him.

“I already know all I need to know,” I bite back.

“Oh? Do you now? …Because I thought you would want to see what happened the day you were born yourself.”

“That… that’s impossible,” I say. “You can’t go back in time.”

“No, but I did record the encounter so I could teach Hunter the truth. It seems I now need to show you as well.” He steps forward and hands me what seems to be a pair of sunglasses. “I had a man turn invisible to observe and record what happened that day you were born. Look at it, if you wish. If you do not, then there is an option nonetheless.” With that, he turns and leaves, locking the door behind him.

I put the glasses on the floor and climb back into bed, refusing to look at them. Thaddeus already told me all I need to know. Seeing it for myself would change nothing. I wait for a few hours, expecting food to come at any time. I haven’t eaten since I got here, and I figure he doesn’t want me to starve to death.

After a while I realize what he means to do. He wants me to watch his little movie, so he’s not going to feed me until I do. He’s trying to train me to do as he wants, like I’m a dog! Well, I’ll show him. I can outlast him. He has to feed me eventually.

So, still ignoring the glasses, I wriggle under the covers and fall asleep.

When I wake up, everything is exactly the same, although my hunger increased from a dull ache to a pain so sharp it’s all I can think of. After all, he hasn’t fed me even once since I’ve been here, and I’ve been here for at least two days.

After a few hours, I am more bored than I think I have ever been in my entire life. I sigh and continue my wait for food. After another hour, I finally give up. What’s the point? I’ll just watch the video. It doesn’t mean I have to believe it- I’ll just get food for doing so.

Feeling almost… guilty, I pick up the glasses and put them on. I am immediately immersed in the past. I’m standing in a smallish room next to a woman on a bed. I start as I realize how much she looks like me. I guess that’s my mom, the Queen.

The door opens and a tall man with an aura of authority walks into the room. His face softens as he sees the mother and her three kids on the bed. He sits down next to her and I see that his eyes are like mine. The two talk for a while, naming us. I now know that my other brother’s name is Rex. Not the most creative, like mine and Hunter’s, but it works.

I watch as my mom hands me over to my dad. I blink and open my little eyes. When I blink again, they are my dragon eyes. I’m astounded, just as they are. I can’t believe it. I was just born, and I was already using my dragon eyes. My mother says just about the same thing, calling me a prodigy and a… useful tool. They then talk about Hunter, calling him worthless and how he will never have a Gift- but if he did, he would probably only have one, and he wouldn’t be very good at it either. Something feels wrong about this conversation, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Could it be just that they are different than the parents I had imagined- loving and accepting of everyone? Kind and gentle?

I shake off the feeling and watch as the man who wore the glasses takes me after the King as he leaves so the Queen can sleep. ‘We’ slip through the door as he says goodnight to her. I see the man in black- Patrick- before the King does. He shuts the door silently and turns. He gasps as if Patrick came out of nowhere- but, of course, he didn’t.

I then learn why he acted like that when he hadn’t seen Patrick in a long time. He said that he assumed he was dead. Patrick then asked him if he mourned, and he said no. Again, this does not sound like the parents I have been imagining, or the ‘good King and Queen’ everyone’s been saying they were. Good ones would care for others, but what I’m seeing now shows otherwise.

Patrick then tells him a long story about a dragon and meeting the Dragon Hunters. I listen, hoping to learn all I can of this man- my kidnapper. When he finishes, Alexander suddenly jumps on him and pins him down. I gasp as his face is revealed. I understand now why he has that huge hood- he’s trying to hide his ugly scar! Alexander is surprised as well, but he just jumps on him again. Patrick makes a dragon-like growl and swarms of Dragon Hunters come into the hallway and drag Alexander off of him. They plunge a syringe into his neck, and he loses control of his body, just as I had.

Angry, Patrick sends two guys back into the room. They pull out Kate, the doctor I met in the forest, and three babies- my brothers and I. They hand Hunter to Patrick, and he talks about how great he can be, even though Alexander and Pearl don’t believe in him. He says that they can do whatever they want with Rex and I, though. He doesn’t really care what happens to us. It’s only once Patrick says this that Alexander gets angry. It really does appear that he doesn’t care for Hunter at all.

He is suddenly filled with power, and his dragon eyes come around- again, looking just like mine. He stares hard at Rex and I, and we suddenly disappear. Alexander slumps to the ground and passes out, completely drained and exhausted. The Dragon Hunters quickly recover from the surprise and flee into the night, back to their hideout- where I am now.

Then it’s over. I pull off the glasses and find a tray of food by the door. It seems I was correct in assuming that this is what he wanted. The food is actually very good quality, and I’m surprised. He gave me scrambled eggs, bacon, muffins, orange juice, and even a doughnut. I haven’t had a doughnut for a long time. I long to dig into that first, but I force myself to save it for last so I can properly savor it. I take the food to my bed so I can eat it somewhere other than the floor.

I’m somehow full by the time I do get to the doughnut, so I am actually able to slow down and enjoy it. It’s my favorite kind- a maple bar. When I finish it, licking the sweet glaze off my fingers, the door opens and Patrick comes in.

I laugh. “You are so predictable.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I don’t know why you were so desperate for me to watch that, but I did. I knew you would only feed me once I did. I’m not a dog, you know.”

“Oh, I know. That does not, however, mean that you do not need training to obey me.”

I laugh. “Obey you? What a joke! I already told you, I’m not going to be a weapon for you. There’s no way I will help you hurt my friends. I was actually going to come here and stop you from doing just that. …You just beat me to it.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Ha! And how were you planning on doing that when I have hundreds of men at my command?”

My voice diminishes as I respond to him. “…I was going to sneak in and kill the leader and his second in command.”

He laughs some more, tauntingly. “Really? Let’s just assume for a moment that you actually were able to kill me if you followed through on your plan. Who would you kill then? Do you even know who the second in command is?”

“No,” I weakly reply.

“That’s what I thought. …The one going to rule after me is your brother, Hunter.” My eyes widen in dismay. No! But… I can’t kill him! …Maybe I can still…

Patrick seems to read my thoughts. “But I’m still here. I am the leader, so go ahead, try and kill me,” he invites. I raise an eyebrow, disbelieving. I stand and look him in the eye- the only one I can see.

“…What trick is this?” I demand.

He smiles. “No trick. I just want to see if you have it in you to kill anyone- even me. Go ahead. I won’t even fight back.”

Suspicious, I turn away from him. But realizing that if I kill him I might be able to get away, I suddenly turn and charge at him, catching him off guard. I pin his arms and legs to the ground and pull a knife out of his boot. Surprise fills his eyes. “How did you…”

“I’m very observant,” I say. “People tend to walk a little different when there’s something in their boot- or up their sleeve.” I reach up his sleeve and pull out a vial. “What’s this? Poison?”

He smiles. “Kind of. It’s just a sedative. A large enough dose will knock a person out for a week.”

“Hmm, useful,” I comment. I lay the blade of the knife on his exposed neck. A drop of sweat rolls onto it. He’s frightened, even if he doesn’t admit it. “But I think I’ll just get to the point… don’t you think?” His hood was thrown back when I knocked him over, revealing his face, but I’m unaffected. I just saw it through the glasses, so it doesn’t startle me, although I am a little surprised at how much better it is.

Patrick, although he is frightened and staring death in the face, still manages to muster the nerve to taunt me. “Go ahead,” he invites me, his voice shaking. “Go ahead and kill me. Just a downward slash, right? Easy. And then you could run along back to your mom and dad, who don’t even want you anymore. I’m sure they’ve forgotten about you.”

“No… they care. They are suffering because they have no idea what happened to Rex and I,” I say, trying to convince myself more than him.

“Really? Are you certain? Have you seen them since you’ve arrived?”

“Well… no, but…”

“Have you asked them why?”

“…No. But Thaddeus said…”

“Oh, old Thaddeus told you something? How does that make it true?”

I press the knife against his throat, drawing blood. He stops talking. “Don’t you dare insult Thaddeus,” I whisper threateningly.

“I wasn’t,” he assures, despite the knife. “I’m sure he was telling the truth… at least as far as he knows.” I swallow. “I’m sure that if you kill me, you can go and find out yourself. …But where would you go once you realize that you have no friends or a loving family? …I know Hunter wants to get to know you. Do you want to meet your bother? Or are you going to go on a wild goose chase after Rex? I…”

I cut him off, again pressing the knife into his neck. I’m tempted, oh so tempted, to just finish him off and go home but… what he says drives a knife into my heart. That and… I’ve never actually killed anyone… the closest I came was watching the Zyloff kill Roxane.

Finally, after a minute of turmoil, I release the knife and get off of him and sit on my bed. He looks surprised as he stands and dusts himself off, but it quickly turns into a gloating look. “I knew it. I knew you couldn’t do it.” I just sit on my bed, head down, and don’t respond. He retrieves the knife and sedative and leaves, again locking the door behind him. As soon as he’s gone, I silently cry to myself, despair again creeping over me, freezing my heart until each heartbeat is painful.

I’ll never see the light of day again, will I?