Kymra apologized profusely for leaving me alone with the Magister after she found out what he told me.

"I've always thought he was a little out of it. But nothing like this."

I hugged my arms - still feeling the chill of his words. "He gives me the creeps. Does everyone trust him?"

She nodded as she led me back to my room. "He's the oldest of us all - knows the most magic. He protects the castle."

I still shivered. "I think I just really need a hot bath and I'm going straight to sleep. I think I've lost my appetite."

"Of course, Lady Emylin."

We said our goodbyes at my door and I was left alone for the rest of the night.

The bathroom had both a shower and a tub. The giant clawfoot tub was large enough for me to be fully submerged which I took advantage of. I took whatever scented oils were on the counter and poured them into the water until the steamy water mixed with them giving a heavenly scent.

I undressed and placed myself in the water turning it off when it was close to overflowing. I let the water work on my tired and tense muscles and before I knew it, I was crying.

For everything.

For placing my parents in danger, for putting myself in danger, for the semester I was about to fail, the job I was about to lose - and the girl who had been a bystander cut down too soon in her life.

Mostly, I cried for Mia.

The girl who had nothing to do with everything but paid for it with her life.

What kind of aspirations did she have? Did she get along with her parents? Did she want to get married eventually? Did she want to have children? Would she have been a good mother?

She probably saw herself growing older, getting a great paying job she would love, coming home to a wonderful husband. She would have met her husband at a coffee shop - a shy boy that would write her messages on his napkins, leaving them for her to find. They'd date for a while and find that they were perfect for each other.

They'd have a small intimate ceremony for just family, happy that they found each other.

She'd have two boys - twins. The light of her and her husband's eyes. They'd probably want to play soccer and she'd load them up in her minivan after school and drive them to practice.

Robert, the younger of the twins by two minutes would be the first one to make her a grandmother - one of the proudest moments of her life. Her other boy James would still be in law school-

A soft knock on the door followed by a loud splash snapped me back to reality. Water fell on me soaking my otherwise dry hair.

"Emmy?"

I recognized the voice as Oren's immediately. "Yes?"

"Are you all right?" His voice was full of concern.

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Can you meet me in the hall at your convenience? Please dress warmly, there should be a coat in the closet."

"All right," I called out.

I splashed water on my face and started to drain the water, getting out of the tub carefully. My feet touched wet tile beneath the tub.

I frowned. How did I manage to get so much out water of the tub?

I gathered a couple of towels from the counter and cleaned up the mess after I wrapped one around myself. Once in the room, I dressed in a similar dress from earlier with a long coat over it. It wasn't like anything I would ever wear but I didn't have much of a choice.

The dress was soft pink that tied in the back and was still too big for me. The coat was heavy on me - a dark black with silver stones and embroidery around the hems, sleeves, and hood. They were both, very easily some of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I'd ever seen. Briefly, I wondered if the fabric from here was different than that at home.

I placed my feet in some silver slippers nearby and when ready, I opened the door to my room quietly.

Oren stood at my door again and turned to me when he realized the door was opening.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

He placed a finger to his lips then beckoned me out of the room with a nod.

I followed him quietly through the halls, down the stairs and finally out a pair of grand doors.

The doors led to the most beautiful garden I'd ever seen.

There was a small stone pathway that wound around the exotic flowers and trees. Some of the trees were overgrown and cascaded flowers overhead making it look like the pathway led down a long maze of trees and flowers out of view.

There were fountains, ponds, small waterfalls and bridges weaved throughout the garden within view. It was completely dark around us save for some small lights that bounded in and out through the thick trees and over the water. They were as small as fireflies in impossible colors never seen back home in nature. They were blue, purple, teal, turquoise, magenta -

I continued forward as Oren stood behind me. I knelt down close to one of the large ponds and found small colorful fish inside illuminating the small space. It was like they were bioluminescent giving their own light in the space.

A small light came toward me making me reach out to it. It rested lightly on my finger with barely any weight.

It was alive but wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. It wasn't an animal, just a small light exuding energy. Damien had mentioned them once.

I turned to Oren "Is it a sprite?"

Oren nodded as he approached. "Yes. Left over magic."

The light seemed to brighten as it touched me then eventually it left.

"Where are we?" I continued to walk through the garden following the path already laid out. My steps echoing in the quiet garden over the bubbling fountains.

"Royal gardens," Oren answered. "I thought you'd like to stretch your legs."

I laughed, recognizing that he was echoing my own words back at me from earlier in the day.

He chuckled as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I'm breaking about a dozen rules right now."

I gingerly touched a flower that seemed to bend nearer towards me as I approached it. "This is so worth it."

He followed closely as I continued to explore the garden, never being farther than a few steps. The flowers and leaves on the trees seemed to bend towards me the nearer I got to them. I giggled as I watched a small creature jump across the pond to get closer to me in curiosity.

How I had begged Damien to let me see his world when I was young. I was always jealous that he had something that he wouldn't share with me.

I breathed in the night air and magic around me, shutting my eyes as I did, allowing the frosty air seep into my lungs as much as I could handle. I wanted to remember this moment forever. I laughed as a small sprite nuzzled closer to my neck tickling me then flew away into the night.

I followed it through the trees, along the circular paths until we came back to the doors where we originally came in from. I turned to Oren with a wide smile. "It's beautiful!"

Oren nodded and followed me until he was standing next to me, still taking in the beauty of the small garden.

I gave a small smile and nudged his arm with my shoulder. "Thanks."

He smiled back, the colorful sprites casting different colored lights across his handsome face. "You're welcome, Emmy."

The wind picked up, making me hug my arms.

He turned back towards the doors, "We should head back. It's getting late."

I laughed. "You also don't want to get caught."

He shrugged. "Maybe." He extended a hand towards the doors. "After you."

He led me back to my room where it was much warmer.

After wishing each other a good night, I shut the door for the rest of the night.

Sleep came easier than most nights afterward but it didn't last long. A strange sensation of being watched came over me as I slept.

I struggled to open my eyes against the slumber.

A figure came into view in the dying light of the fireplace. As soon as I grabbed my glasses, I recognized the man.

I couldn't forget the long black hair and stark white eyes. My heart raced and my breathing became labored.

The Tattooed Man was back and he was in my room.

I screamed.