"It says that you die three times." His hands hold the notepad loosely. My hand snatches out and I take it from him, and read it. Right there in black ink:

Dies 3 times

What?

Edna skims through her book calmly. "How do I die three times? You only have one life given to you."

She only shakes her head. "Ask your mate about your first death."

My head spins to Connor, his eyes staring at the pad in my hands. "What is she talking about?"

Connor looks away, staring out the window. He's silent, and I almost ask again. Before I can though, he clears his throat and begins to speak. "You died that night. You died. They revived you, but you died, and I couldn't do anything." A soft, shaky breath passes his lips and he looks to me. "I felt it. Both the bond and I were shred to pieces. Everything stopped in that time." I stand up and walk to him, placing my hands on his face. "I gave up, on myself, on everything." Connor places his hands over mine, holding them. "When they revived you, I promised the moon goddess that I'd never give up ever again, not as long as you remained safe and by my side."

"No one ever told me." He nods. "Why?"

"I told them not to. I didn't want you to know how weak I had been, not when I'm supposed to keep you safe." He drops his head. "I didn't want to seem like the failure I had started to become."

My head shakes, and I force him to look at me. "Losing a mate is the most painful thing anyone can experience, you can't possibly think that I'd shun you for feeling that pain?" Connor only looks away from me, pulling my hands gently off of his face.

"I'm an alpha. My duty is to be strong, to protect those that I love. I failed, and I'll never forgive myself." He won't look at me. My mate won't look at me.

"Well I forgive you." I pull him to me, my arms securely wrapped around his waist.

He tenses, then puts his arms around me. "I won't fail again." He whispers softly to me.

I nod against him. "I know you won't. I trust you."

"Thank you." He doesn't pull away from me, he doesn't try to move either. We just hold each other.

I finally understand why he's so overprotective. He's afraid I'll die again, causing him to feel that pain again, to lose me again.

Another realization dawns on me. I'm going to die two more times. Will he blame himself for the second time? Maybe even the third and final time?

A pain develops in my chest, one that makes me pull him that much closer. How could I not have known?

Edna makes an "awh" noise and I look up to see her staring at us in adoration. "You two are too cute."

I clear my throat and pull myself together. I'm not alone with him like I wish I was. "So, magic?"

"You're not going to read the rest of that?" She asks, gesturing towards the pad of paper.

I glance at it, but quickly shake my head. "Knowing things in advance only makes you fear the future. I don't want to be held back by my fears."

Edna nods proudly. "Smart girl." She lifts the pad of paper in her hand, then places it in her pocket. Edna sets two plates down in front of two seats. They have ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, and she also hands me a smaller plate of sardines. Yumm, salty fish. A smile spreads across my face and I sit down by the plate with sardines. "We'll start working with magic once you finish eating." I nod and chow down. I haven't eaten since this morning, and that was a small meal.

When we're done, Edna takes the plates and washes them. "So, what are you going to teach me about magic?"

Edna looks at me then turns back to her washing. "Lesson one: patience. Magic isn't a natural talent, even for a witch. It has to be grown, nurtured even. If you believe you'll be fantastic at it before you even start, then all you'll do is fail." Her hands scrub at a dish as she speaks, and I sit quietly, watching her wash each dish, then gently place them on a drying rack. When she finishes, she turns to me with a soft smile.

"Can you tell me more about yourself?" I ask. Obviously this witch is a good woman, or else she wouldn't be helping my dad. I just feel I should get to know someone who's going to teach me how to use what's inside of me.

Edna dries her hands, then comes to sit beside me, between Connor and I. "I was raised much like you. My father was a very powerful warlock, feared by many, but revered by many more. My first experience with magic was terrible. I ended up tearing down a building." She laughs lightly as she stares off out the window, obviously seeing a memory. "My father was patient with me. He taught me everything I know." Edna looks to me. "I live by myself, part of no coven. I've taken myself out of politics, they're boring anyway."

"Why are you here?" Connor watches her with mild curiosity. "Besides protecting the house."

"Witches find their purpose in mysterious ways. When Alpha Desperte asked for my help, I was inclined to say no, but this little voice in my head kept telling me to do it. I asked about you, my intense desire to understand pushed me to. That's when your father caved, told me you were still alive. Immediately, I knew there was something about you." She takes my hand again. "As soon as I saw you, I knew. Her presence is unmistakable for anyone who has ever met her. I can see her here." She points to a line on my hand. "Here." Her other hand lifts a strand of my hair. "Here." Edna points to my heart. "And here." Her eyes meet mine and I gasp, the dark purple tinge catching me by surprise. "Relax." Edna's tone is soothing and I feel myself calm down just from one word. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm just going to show you your sisters, some of them anyways."

One of her hands gently cups my cheek, while the other holds my hand.

The kitchen melts away, a city taking its place. The alley, from my dreams. It was so long ago, but the image never left me. I see all of the faces, the people from before. The man in the tux, his face is no longer hidden.

He has warm brown eyes, love and adoration shining in them. He stares at a woman. She looks so much like me, from her hair, to her eyes, it's almost as if we really are sisters.

Her body relaxes against him, and the scene begins to melt away.

Now I'm standing in the middle of a clearing. Instantly I recognize it too, and all of the people writhing in pain. A white tiger walks around, watching all of them closely, taking care of them. I know that feeling, the need to take care of everyone you love. That's the way I feel for my clowder.

The kitchen comes back, pulling me from the clearing. "What was that?" I stare at her in shock, feeling her hand leave my face.

"That, my dear, was me showing you just a little bit of your ancestry. I told you that I had met some tigresses in my time." Edna gives me a soft smile, brushing down the front of her shirt. "Along with a little of what you can do."

I stare at her, confused. "But you did that, not me."

Edna shakes her head. "I only helped you honey. You have access to all of your ancestors. Tigresses before you. If you can pull from those, you'll master magic faster than with me spending day and night shoving magic down your throat. All that they learned, is sitting inside you, dormant. The only thing you have to do, is remember." Her words sink into me. Was I somehow looking into other tigresses' memories as I slept? Could I have been?

I look to Edna, she's scratching away on a notepad, one different from earlier. "I've had dreams." Connor stares at me, his lips parted in shock. I blush and look away from him. There may be a chance that I may have never told him about them. They just seemed so odd, so confusing. "I've seen what you showed me, before. Except, there was more. I dreamt of a tigress fighting in a war, or at least giving orders during one."

Edna's brows scrunch up. "That's not possible. A tigress has never been involved in a war Sophelia." I shake my head.

"I know what I saw, and it was definitely a battle of some sort." Her eyes widen and she stands, rushing to her book.

I try to keep myself from looking as she quickly turns through pages. Connor is staring at me, so I turn to him. "You've never told me about any weird dreams." I can hear the hurt in his voice.

"It didn't seem all that important. To be honest, I didn't even know what they were. I only had them once, when I first got to the academy." I give him a sheepish smile and he nods at me.

"Ah-ha! Here we are." Edna carries her book over to the table and places it for us to see. "Right here. There are talents yet to be undiscovered. There may be a possibility that you can see the future."

I shake my head. "That doesn't make sense. I'd never engage in a war. Ever. I don't believe in war, as cliché as that may sound."

"Sometimes war is unavoidable Sophelia." Edna gives me a grim look and I sigh.

"I won't let it happen. If there is going to be a war, it'll be when there's nothing else for me to do to resolve it peacefully." Edna and Connor stare at me and I get frustrated. "What are you two staring at?"

"Your hair." Connor mutters out.

"My what?" I stand up and go to the mirror in the hallway. My hair has gotten lighter. It's not dirty blonde anymore, but more of a light blonde. Connor shows up beside me and lifts a strand of it.

"It just changed, like you had dyed your hair." My head spins. My hair can change colors? What the heck?! That was something I'd never been told before.

I walk into the kitchen. "What just happened?"

Edna shakes her head. "I'm not sure. Every other tigress has had the same color hair, as far as I know. This is something completely different and new."

"So my hair is just going to start changing colors?" I ask, exasperated.

Edna gives me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry Sophelia. We've ventured into unknown waters here." I sigh, going back to the mirror.

"Great. Next it will be purple or something." Connor is standing right behind me, and I look at him through the mirror.

His arms wrap around my waist and he rests his chin on my shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with a little change. We'll figure this all out, like we always do."

I nod and look at my hair again. It's not that bad. I guess I could get used to it. "Alright." He steps back and we walk back into the kitchen, hand in hand. I sit down and Connor stands behind me. "How do I learn from my memories?"

Edna smiles. "I thought you'd never ask."