Mari gasped for air as she screamed and writhed about, unaware of anything other than the nightmare.

"Hey!"

Someone grabbed Mari's arms, holding them away from herself as she thrashed on the bed. She kicked her legs; the sheets fell away, and her foot connected with an arm. Mari opened her eyes, wincing at the rush of light. Muraad came into her field of vision and was holding her wrists together. She took a deep breath, and he let go, stepping back. "You know you nearly gave me a heart attack. Well, if I had a heart."

Mari sat up and leaned against the pillows, pushing her tangled hair out of the way. "Where, uh, where are the others?"

"They'll be along in a minute. Something important came up at the last minute." Muraad took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Rekema sent me ahead to get you ready."

"For what?" Mari climbed off the bed, looking up at Muraad.

"She didn't say, but I'm assuming we'll try again with the scholars," Muraad said, facing away from Mari as she changed into her dress.

"Oh..." Mari said as she pulled the skirt into place. What she remembered about the scholars was hazy, but what she did remember wasn't good.

"But," Muraad said and turned, patting the place next to him, "while we have a moment, do you want to tell me about that dream?"

Mari obediently did so. She fiddled with her skirt. "What about it?"

Muraad sighed, taking her shoulder and turning her to face him. "What happened in it?"

Mari glanced up briefly. Her hands twisted into her skirt. Her nails pierced through the cloth. "Well, I'm, uh, not sure. There were a lot of people, and they, uh, didn't move. I..."

"What else?" Muraad gripped the covers, bunching them under his fists.

Mari opened her mouth, but froze seeing his cold eyes in front of her. His eyes had been alive yesterday, but the only thing she saw was the dream. She was shocked out of it when she felt a pulling on her. A moment later, the rest of the Seven appeared, and a wave of heat hit her. The air was as hot as boiling water. She blinked and realized it was from the Seven's rolling emotions. Mari thought she would be sick.

Muraad stood up. "What is it?"

"Ugh!" Rekema threw up her hands, and her claws flashed in the light. Mari moved back on the bed. "You want to know what happened after you left?"

"And he got her started again," Mallory said to her twin. Rekema and Muraad walked off to the other side of the room.

Mari couldn't understand what they were saying. Their voices were too low, and Balak and Apep carried on another hushed conversation. Mari tried though; she caught a few words, but she didn't know them. Mari considered that they might be speaking another language. Mari watched them snap and hiss at each other. Their hands moved wildly; Rekema pushed Muraad away.

"Enough!"

Everyone turned to look at Rekema as Muraad regained his balance. She tossed her hair with a scowl. "There's nothing we can do about it now!"

No one spoke for a moment. Meeko hung onto his sister's skirt, and Mallory shifted her weight. Muraad let out a sigh and plopped back down on the bed, but there was no sign of his presence. Balak cleared his throat, "So, what do we do now?"

Rekema smiled, and Mari pulled her knees up to her chest. "I have a wonderful idea. I think we can make this work in our favor after all."

"Whatever it is, it sounds perfect," Balak laughed.

Muraad reached over and rubbed Mari's shoulder. Her stomach contorted, and a burning rose in her throat.

* * *

"Bring them all out!" Mari and Rekema screeched. "I don't care who, I just want a crowd!"

"Your Majesty—" someone said. One of the guards stepped towards her.

Mari was whipped around and backhanded him. The man fell to the ground. Was that the man who led her to Dainan? Her throat burned. "Do it or you'll be part of the example!"

The rest of the guards muttered their assent and scurried out of sight. Her mind clouded from Rekema's control over her. All she felt was Rekema's frustration and rage.

They were outside. The wind buffeted her hair, obscuring her sight. The Seven were scattered about the area. She was in front of the castle. People had started to come out of their homes to see their queen.

Mari didn't understand. She had just been in the room with the Seven, and before she realized it, she was outside, screaming at people. Had she screamed something about dungeons and prisoners? Mari hoped it didn't have to do with Dainan, his belief in her or not, she didn't want the one person willing to talk to her get involved with the Seven. She didn't remember things going well for him the last time he encountered the Seven, and she had a feeling the next time he did they would leave him far worse off than before.

"Your Majesty, there's simply too many to bring out." A guard appeared behind her, bending over to catch his breath. He kept his eyes on the ground. "We're bringing out those who can easily walk and leaving those who would require assistance."

"Fine," Rekema and Mari snapped, "And gather the people. This is important."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard said and hurried off. He never looked at her.

Moments later, the large area in front of the castle started to fill with people, both prisoners and townspeople. Bidkar was getting excited; Mari knew from the way her skin tingled. Rekema had the prisoners marched out in front of her. She walked Mari down the line, emphasizing the unnatural way that she moved with her legs snapping and torso rolling.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mari saw the female scholar, but for some reason, Rekema ignored her. Rekema had Mari lunge forward and grab a small man from the middle of the line. She dragged him forward by the manacles around his wrists.

"What's this kingdom's history in regards to magic?" Mari's throat burned from growling out the words.

The man didn't speak; he only stared at the ground. Mallory giggled somewhere behind her. Why did no one look up at her? She said, "Oh, I was hoping this would happen."

Rekema said through Mari, "You won't tell me?"

They turned toward the female scholar. "This is your doing, hm?"

"They won't tell you anything! None of us will," the woman spat at Mari's feet.

"Well..." Rekema and Mari sighed, tilting her head. A second later, Mari's leg snapped up and came down on the man's head, shoving it into the ground. She glanced at the line of prisoners. "You would listen to her over your queen? Have you no loyalty?"

Her heel pushed down. A woman screamed. Rekema and Mari turned and saw a woman in a simple, dirty dress running forward. Mari fleetingly thought the woman resembled herself. Two small humans huddled together behind her. The woman had tears streaming down her face. "Stop! Please!"

The woman threw herself at Mari's feet, grabbing at her ankles. She sobbed, and Mari couldn't make out what she was saying, except for one word "mercy." What was that? Without even blinking, Rekema forced her power into Mari and had her grab the woman and toss her back. Mari was not sure if it was possible for the woman to survive.

"By not answering my questions, you are committing treason against your queen. I can't really threaten the lot of you with prison, you're already there, and if I threaten your families with prison you'll just be reunited with them, which isn't really a punishment." Rekema and Mari paced up and down the line. Mari saw Bidkar coming towards them. With a long, dramatic sigh, Rekema and Mari said, "It seems, the problem is, my loyal, loyal subjects, that you have forgotten what happens when you disobey me. Now, because I am generous, and kind I will overlook what has just happened, and only punish one of you, and the rest of you will remember your loyalty."

"We do remember our loyalty," the female scholar said. She staggered to her feet. She raised her head high. "Our loyalty to our king, King Dainan!"

"That's not what I want to hear," Rekema and Mari said. Loyal to Dainan? How? Why? What could these people gain? Dainan was just a man in a cell? He couldn't help for them.

Rekema shook her head and let go of Mari. Mari tumbled to the ground; her head spun, and her whole body throbbed. She curled in on herself, blocking out the whispers and gasps of the people around her. Everything hurt. She just wanted to sleep.

Her mind fogged, and her head was jerked up, causing several people to cry out and back away. Bidkar had taken control.