Despite it being almost five in the morning, there's still light coming from under the door of Mortimer's office. I pound on it, listening to quiet shuffling, then it cracks open with a soft creak.

"Talia!" Mortimer exclaims, opening the door wider. "Did something happen to Willow?"

"Yes actually, it did."I shove my way past him, throwing myself into the only available chair in his cramped and cluttered office. "Whatever you've been doing with her, meditating, calming flowers, it isn't working. That... thing was back tonight and attacked her." 

He shuts the door slowly behind me, hesitating a second before making his way to his desk, skirting around piles of books. 

"I can assure you, I'm doing everything I can-"

I raise a hand, cutting him off. "That's not why I'm here. I need you to tell me everything about Queen Evelyn and her madness."

I hadn't known if the gossip Kassia told me was simply that, had wanted to believe he wouldn't keep something like this from me. But he looks away, guilt in his eyes, and I know it's true.

I grip the edges of the chair until the wood creaks, fighting with everything in me to hold back the rage. "How could you keep this from me? When you've seen how Willow is struggling and everyone thinks she's going crazy! You've had information that could help her."

"My dear, it's not that simple."

"Don't act like I'm an idiot," I snap. "Queen Evelyn's madness has to be connected to Willow. She's being haunted by something that's driving her insane. What if the same thing happened to the queen? What if you've known something that could help us figure this out all along?"

"You're right. It's fair to guess that they are connected." His tired eyes meet mine, his wrinkles seeming more pronounced. "But what I know isn't something that will help this all make sense."

"What do you mean?"

Mortimer's sigh is one of pure, bone deep exhaustion. "All of Melora's Blessed, all of the queens... They all go mad."

The world tilts sickeningly. "What are you talking about?" I whisper. He can't be right. Someone would have told Willow, would have warned her.

"I'm sorry, dear girl, but it's true. They all end up hearing voices and seeing things, going mad before their end. And they all die too young." 

Die too young. He says it in a factual, unforgiving tone of voice, like it's going to help. All it does is give my rage more fuel, burning hot enough that I can't hold it in. I don't want to.

I stand up, grab the chair and throw it at the wall. It doesn't break like I'd hoped, just clatters back on the floor, mocking me. I scream, pick it up again and smash it into Mortimer's desk. He backs away quickly, avoiding the books and knickknacks that go flying.

I can't seem to stop, my anger and rage feeling endless. I bash the chair until it's shattered, broken and useless like me. I throw books and statues, scattering papers across the floor in a wave. Things tear and break, but nothing feels as ruined as my heart.

Then I'm on the floor, panting and sobbing, the salt of my tears stinging against my cheek. I lift a hand to wipe them away and it comes back bloody. A piece of wood from the chair must have flown off and cut me. I don't care.

"How could you not tell us?" I choke out, looking at Mortimer through the dark curtain of my hair. At some point, my braid had come undone. 

"How could I?" he says, simple and unapologetic. He doesn't look remotely alarmed by my outburst, by the state of his office. "There's nothing you can do about it. Sometimes, the mind breaks under pressure and the weight of power." 

I can't stay here, can't listen to his calm voice, unaffected by the fact he's just told me that he's known Willow will go mad, that it will drive her into an early grave.

My mind flashes back to the meeting room, to all the portraits of queens on the walls. None of them older than thirty. My stomach twists.

I push myself to my feet, staggering out of the room. Mortimer says nothing to stop me. 

My thoughts race, struggling to put everything together. There has to be an answer. If Melora gifted these women with powers, how could she let it drive them mad? Mortimer had said that they heard voices and saw things, but I had seen the same thing as Willow, the darkness in her room. So unless the food was drugged, it wasn't a figment of her imagination. Was this part of a larger plot then, someone faking Willow's madness or trying to drive her to it? How then, would that fit in with generations of queens going crazy as well?

I'm walking without realizing where I'm going, until I end up outside. The air nips at me with cold teeth, the sun just starting to rise. The recruits would be getting up soon for laps, but I have other business.

I make my way to the training clearing, finding my sword on the rack and strapping it on. I'm not allowed weapons into the castle but now that I can come and go, they might not think to stop me. I need my sword to hold it at Darius's throat until he gives me answers. If they take my sword at the door, I suppose I can always steal one once inside.

I head back towards the castle, purpose pushing me forward. Darius can give me answers, reveal what game he's been playing and maybe, just maybe, stopping him will stop what's happening with Willow.

"Talia!" Hale's voice calls out, butting through my thoughts. I can hear other recruits with him, probably headed to run laps. I keep walking.

He jogs over, grabbing my arm. "Hey, I was-" He cuts off, brows furrowed. "What happened? You're bleeding." Hale reaches out to touch my cheek and I see him take everything in; the wild tangled hair, sword strapped to my hip. I can only imagine my expression.

"Did someone hurt you?" he asks lowly.

I shrug off his hand on my arm. "Leave me alone." I don't have time for his concern, for the kindness and worry I know I'll find in his green eyes. 

"Talia-" he starts, reaching for me again. Then his eyes are pulled to something behind me.

"Late night with the captain?" Maddox says loudly, and I can hear the sneer in his voice. I close my eyes.

"Looks like you like things rough," he continues, coming over to yank on a lock of my hair. "You like being put in your place, treated like the trash you are?"

"Back off," Hale says in a low, dangerous voice.

The sound of my sword leaving it's sheath is loud in the early morning air. Silence that throbs with tension follows.

I turn around, sword held loosely. I can feel heat spreading up my neck, thumping in my ears. 

"Draw."

Maddox just stares at me then throws back his head and laughs, a harsh, condescending noise. "You can't be serious."

I see the other recruits gathering around, looking confused. Gareth shoots Elias a conflicted look but he shakes his head.  

"Draw," I repeat. I'm done. I'm absolutely done. 

Maddox turns away with a snort, like I'm not worth his time. Then he draws his sword suddenly, without warning, and lunges at me. 

But I'm expecting it and my sword flies up to meet his. The force of his swing still knocks me back a step though and I grind my teeth, skipping back lightly. 

He comes at me again, swinging high. I duck, rolling under the blade and coming up around him with a smooth jab, my arm and sword one, just like Hale taught me. But Maddox is faster than I expect, and metal meets metal. He leans in, muscles bulging, eyes shadowed. His sword grinds against mine.

I disengage, his weight and momentum sending him stumbling, and I swing at his open side. He twists away, off balance but beyond the reach of my short sword.

We circle each other tensely, and I can see it in his eyes, that he will cut me down if he gets the chance.

He grows impatient and charges me, taking the offense. The force of his blows jar my arms and it takes everything in me to meet his sword with my own. I dart side to side, barely catching his sword in time. I don't have a second to catch my breath, to pull away, to fight back.  

Then, Maddox stumbles. His eyes flick down just for a second, distracted by whatever caught at his feet, but I see an opening. 

I feint right then spin to his left, kicking out, crunching his knee. He howls, dropping down one knee and I have my sword against his throat in a second, victory mine. I'm about to demand he yields, when the expression on his face stops me dead.

Confusion. Dark brown eyes meet mine, pain and confusion swirling in them. My sword droops. It's like looking at a completely different person.

"What-" he starts in a scared, lost voice, then his face spasms and his eyes turn black right in front of me, lips curling back into a snarl.

I freeze, Willow's face flashing in front of me. My hesitation costs me, Maddox taking advantage of it and backhands me, knuckles colliding with my face.

The world spins, then I'm in the dirt, my sword on longer in my hand. I taste blood and my ears ring. 

I hear my name, a dull roar above the ringing, then a hand twists in my hair, ripping me to my feet. I shriek, fire racing across my scalp, the sound cut off as Maddox wraps a hand around my throat. 

I claw at his hands, the force of them crushing against my throat, air beyond my reach. He lifts me and shakes me like a doll. 

I see a flash of gold behind Maddox then I'm dropped, my back hitting the ground roughly. But air is flooding my lungs. Burning, painful, sweet air. 

I cough, hacking loudly and look up through watering eyes, expecting Hale or maybe Gareth to holding Maddox back. But instead, Kassia is standing above him, a shiny black boot pressed against his throat, sword out.

"Dishonorable swine," she snarls, while Maddox's face is slowly turning purple. 

Then Hale is there, helping me to my feet. He grasps my chin in his hand, turning my face gently towards him.

"I'm fine," I rasp, wincing at the burn in my throat. I push his hands away. 

Kassia pulls Maddox to his feet, binding his hands behind him with a set of manacles from her belt. "I'm sure Captain DeGray will be thrilled to hear that you tried to kill one of your fellow recruits."

I stagger over to her, hand pressed against my throat.

"You okay?" she asks lightly and I nod.

"Seems I owe you some thanks."

She smirks. "True, but I saw the fight. You beat him fairly and cleanly. It's not your fault he has no honor."

Maddox doesn't even look remotely worried, just smiles at me like he knows something that I don't. It unnerves me almost as much as the change I saw earlier. His eyes are no longer black.

"I came to find you." Kassia lowers her voice, aware of all of the curious eyes watching us. "Mortimer and Willow were talking and he wants to see you."

"You can tell Mortimer I'm done listening to his excuses. I don't want to hear anything he says right now."

Kassia doesn't say anything or try to convince me, she just nods. "I'll tell him."

She turns and starts hauling Maddox towards the castle, hopefully to drag him off to the dungeon. 

Hale, Gareth and Elias are waiting for me, obviously expecting some kind of explanation right now. I don't have the energy. I don't have the energy for anything. I don't know what I was thinking, planning on attacking the prince, and actually starting a fight with Maddox. Though I technically won, I don't feel remotely triumphant. 

"I can't right now," is all I say, walking by my friends without looking at them.

I go to the barracks and lay down in my bed fully dressed. All I want is to be alone.