Getting back to the palace didn't take too long. The carriage came to a stop, and Isaac helped me out.

"Mother is waiting for you in her office. This way." Isaac nodded towards the right-wing. We walked for a little bit in comfortable silence. I saw his swaying hand and unthinkingly reached for it. He jumped and looked down at our hands. He smiled warmly.

We turned down another corridor and stopped in front of a massive set of doors. He turned to me fully, a hesitant expression on his face. "Here, good luck. I'll... I'll see you later?" He took my hand and kissed it gently, the corner of his lips turning up slightly. I felt my face redden, a dopey smile overtaking me.

I'm so glad I met you.

Gathering myself, I entered Lilith's office. It was impressive; it reminded me of Dumbledore's office from the Harry Potter movies. There were many bottles and containers full of unknown liquids and plants. A collection of books lined the bookcases on the loft. The windows were open, letting the breeze come in, giving the space a nice fresh feeling. Lilith sat at her desk, pouring over a couple of ancient-looking tomes.

The floor creaked beneath me when I took a step, alerting Lilith. She jumped up from her seat and beckoned me over to a chair. "Ah, Elizabeth, come take a seat."

I sat and folded my hands nervously in my lap. Lilith quickly finished what she was doing then turned to face me, giving me her full attention. Her eyebrows raised. "Why is your face red? Are you ill?" She shifted to get up, but I shook my head profusely.

"No, no. I'm fine. Maybe just a little nervous. It's not every day you find yourself in a new world and sit with the leader of it." I fanned my face, suddenly hating the effect Isaac had on me. Lilith's eyes squinted suspiciously as she glanced back at the door.

"As you say..." She moved on, "Isaac came to me last night and told me about your concerns. The magic in you is indeed strong and can pose a danger to anyone around you. With no one to check on the dampener, it has weakened over the years. I can remove the dampener and give you an imbued bracelet to allow you to train safely, but that... may take a while."

My chest hurt, and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I didn't want to hurt anyone else, most of all my father. "What about my friends? My dad? I can't just disappear. They're probably already losing their minds wondering where I am."

Lilith nodded and got up. "I gave this a great deal of thought last night." She pulled a book from one of the shelves. "I found something that may be able to help. It's not something that is easy or done very often. I found a spell I can use to alter the memories of those in your life. I can make them all believe you went to study abroad at a prestigious boarding school. Which wouldn't be that far from the truth, considering."

I shifted nervously in my seat. "It won't hurt them? Will it?" Altering memories seemed like a big deal. But I couldn't go back until I wasn't a danger. How long would that even take?

"It's entirely up to you, Elizabeth. I can just as well replace the dampener on you, but I do not know how long it would last."

"What about communication? Jessica and my father would still go crazy without any word from me." I asked.

Lilith seemed to consider for a moment. "You could always write letters and give them to me. I can send them through the veil for you." After thinking about it a bit longer, I agreed. Once I learned to control this power, I could go home and see my friends and father again. They would never have to worry about me again.

"At dinner, you mentioned being able to see visions, is there anything else that you can think of?" Lilith asked.

"Um... Sometimes when I touch a book I know everything about it without ever reading it, and I sometimes hear voices." I've never had to think about my symptoms as actual abilities. It was strange and a relief. I still couldn't believe I wasn't actually sick.

"That lines up with what I thought. You are a psychic. It's a power granted to very few; I can teach you to hone your powers along with some basics. But first, we need to get rid of that dampener." Lilith got up and waved her arms out with force. All the furniture got pushed back against the walls, including the chair I was sitting in. I couldn't help the squeak that came out from the sudden motion.

Lilith motioned for me to stand, "Come stand with me in the center of the room."

Fear crept into me. "Is this going to... To hurt?" I asked.

"Maybe a little. It depends on how deep the dampener runs. I'll try my best to be gentle. We can consider this your first lesson." Lilith pulled me in front of her and hovered her hands around my head. "When you perform magic, it's all about intent. Some simple spells only require a word or phrase to be spoken. More complex spells require ingredients and phrases. The more complex the spell, the more it drains your aura." She closed her eyes and her hands started to glow.

My body felt tingly, and Lilith continued, "Try to keep it together. This can get unpleasant. Right now, my aura is moving through you. The dampener is hidden right in your core. Please take a deep breath."

I did as she told, tightly gripping the edges of my seat.

"Destruesque!"

Something snapped deep inside me and a sharp pain erupted. I let out a small groan. It felt like a dam had been broken as a wave of energy rushed through me. Woah! It was dizzying, I had never felt anything quite like it.

Lilith looked at me, mildly confused. "Strange... It wasn't as damaged as I had thought. Someone must have patched it."

I rubbed my stomach, hoping the dull ache would soon subside. "Could it have been the people who kidnapped me?"

"No, I don't think so. If they were planning on recruiting you, they would have broken it right away."

That was strange. Who repaired it? I wonder. A faint memory tickled the back of my mind, but I couldn't recall it.

"Anyway, please excuse me!" Lilith walked up to me and casually plucked a couple of hairs from my head.

"Ow!" I exclaimed. Why was magic so painful?

She smiled apologetically. "Sorry, dear, I need this for the memory spell. Isaac will probably be in the library, so Ember may assist you to get there. She's right outside. I'll see you at dinner?"

I nodded, and she opened the door for me. Ember stood there, just by the door. She bowed to Lilith, then led me to the library.

Guilt came over me. Is it wrong to feel excited to stay here a little longer? I wanted to go home, but at the same time, I wanted to learn about this new world and my magic. I'll be honest, even the thought of having more time with Isaac and possibly getting closer was exciting. I know my father and friends will be okay... but I couldn't help but feel so guilty.

We entered a long hallway with tall ceilings and a row of giant windows. Everything in this palace was so elegant, I could never find my way around here. I wonder how the staff manages to? I thought to myself. Trees rustled in the wind and through one of the open windows. I stopped to take it all in. Maybe tomorrow Isaac and I can go outside, and he can show me more of this world.

"Miss? Come along now. You don't want to get lost." My guide called from the end of the hall.

"It's so lovely outside. What season is it?" I asked, catching up to her.

"Late Summer, Miss. If I may suggest, you should check out the palace gardens. Everything should be in full bloom."

Ember hurried off to perform her duties after dropping me off, mumbling something about a handsome guard she needed to see. I walked to the center of the oval room where there were dark mahogany tables that looked quite heavy and matching armchairs with cream seats and lyre shapes serving as the splats. I looked up. The library was extensive and had multiple floors. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and millions of books. How on earth am I supposed to find Isaac? If I hadn't known where I was, I'd swear I stepped into a fairytale library.

My head suddenly felt light, and it became hard to breathe. I leaned a hand on one of the tables.

"I-Isaac? I'm here," I called, trying to get around by leaning on from one table to the next. I began to feel nauseous. Everything was spinning and fading in and out."Isaac? ISAAC!"

I fell to my knees. Images flashed across my vision— a flash of emerald, the cloaked figure running through the forest. A pair of slender claw-like hands came out of the darkness and gripped the sides of my head. I cried out in pain and tried to shake them off, but it only made the unseen creature's grip tighten.

Make it stop! A thousand voices surrounded me, their screams sounding like they were being tortured. Make it stop! It filled my brain, the pain only continuing to grow. Hot tears trailed down my face as my screams joined theirs.

Just as I thought I couldn't take any more, it all vanished. I was comforted by the sweet sound of nothingness. I stared up at the ceiling, blinking, my vision red and watery. I heard rapid footsteps down the hall. I sucked in deep breaths, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat.

"Elizabeth!"

Barely awake and on the library floor, I saw Isaac rushing over to me. He knelt beside me with a panicked expression. Lights danced across my vision, and my head felt like it had split open.

"Are you okay? Elizabeth?" He cradled my head on his lap and brushed the hair out of my face.

I rubbed my watering eyes, which stung."What... happened?"

He pursed his lips. "I heard you shout my name and found you lying on the floor convulsing."

When I pulled my hand away, it was covered in blood. "Whaー" My eyes were bleeding?

"Shit. Hold on, Liz..." He reached into his bag and pulled out a strange-looking herb. He crushed it and rubbed it between his hands, quickly mumbling, "Ut per vulnus sanandum." His hands glowed a soft white, and he held them up to my eyes. Despite his focus, I could feel him trembling.

It seemed like no matter what I do, I cause those closest to me to worry. His face fell, and he suddenly picked me up then hurriedly headed out through the open doors.

"What's going on?" I asked faintly. My face still felt wet. The blood had started to drip onto my shirt.

Isaac didn't answer; he just ran. His body seemed to glow as his speed picked up. He took me to my room and set me on the bed, keeping my head a bit elevated with the pillows. He walked into the bathroom and came back with two warm wet towels. Taking one of them, he used it to gently wipe my face and my neck. Wiping up the trail the blood left behind.

He placed the other towel over my eyes. "This should help." And it did; the warmness felt nice on my sore eyes. "Do you remember anything?"

I coughed. "I suddenly became dizzy, and then I must have passed out. I saw and heard weird things."

I heard him give a deep sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed. "What did you see?"

"I saw the person who took me and they were running from something. Then these hands came out and grabbed my head. I heard a bunch of muddled whispers. I couldn't understand what they were saying. I just wanted it to stop... There was so much pain. It all happened so fast." I trembled as I recalled the vision. What did it all mean?

Isaac took my hand and squeezed gently. "Wow... sounds like one hell of a vision. Seems powerful too, since I couldn't stop the bleeding. Something bad must be coming if Hepelia sent you a vision that strong."

"You think so?" I sighed and lifted the cloth to look at him. "Has it stopped?" He nodded, and I sat up. "What does it all mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to look into it and see if I can find anything." He smiled tiredly. "So, what brought you to the library? Did Mother tell you that I often hung out there?"

I gave a low chuckle. "Yeah. I wanted to tell you that I've decided to stay and learn how to control my powers. Lilith removed the dampener and is doing a memory spell to help keep my friends and family calm."

His face lit up. "Really? That's great! There's so much I want to show you here. Hopefully, we can find time between Mother's lessons. I warn you, she can be pretty intense."

I laughed. "I don't doubt it. What were you doing?" I asked, scooching a little closer. Being near him made me feel better.

"Oh, I was researching an event in our history. I noticed a lot of your relatives died the same year, even the younger ones. The year sounded familiar, so I looked into it more." He pulled a book out of his bag and opened it, flipping through the pages until he found it.

I leaned in to get a better view of the text. I felt his eyes staring at me; I had caught him off-guard! He shifted and placed his arm around me, settling his hand on my hip. His touch was gentle and warm. I looked up into his emerald irises. Our faces were inches from each other. I cocked my head to the side and smiled knowingly.

"You were saying, Isaac?" His name came out as a whisper. He glanced at my lips, and then he seemed to snap out of it.

He cleared his throat, "Ahem," There was a slight blush on his face. "It was a dark time in Arvora. Remember how I said my mother saved us? Well, we were at war with those beyond the Deep Groove. It was bloody, and a lot of the southern cities fell. My mother ended that war."

"How so?" I asked.

"Mother is powerful. With the help of her closest friend, she managed to unite the country and lead a charge against the opposing forces. The people looked up to her. She managed to get through to the leader and convinced him to end the war. He did, and to keep the peace, they set up trade between them. But it wasn't without sacrifices- lots of people died, and mother's friend was among them."

Poor Lilith. I wondered if that's why my mother left. It must have been hard.

The door suddenly opened, and Ember walked in. Isaac and I jumped up but ended up fumbling and falling over. He landed on top of me. My face turned red, and so did his. Ember stared, shocked and slightly amused.

"Miss... I came to inform you that dinner is ready." She nodded towards Isaac, who had gotten up quickly, covering his eyes in embarrassment. "Master Isaac, I was just about to go looking for you, but it seems you made my search easier. I take it you can take Miss Elizabeth to dinner, hmm?" She suppressed a giggle and left the room.

"...Is she gone?"

I giggled and sat up. "Yes, she's gone." He uncovered his face and smiled shyly.

"Shall we go to dinner then?" He held out his hand to help me up, and I took it gratefully.

©2021 Jessica Powell. All Rights Reserved 

*****Thank you to my wonderful editor Arco*****