Zandra burst into the clinic, as soon as she had received word.

Her body was sticky with perspiration and the cotton of her clothes was warped in the scent of a gym bag, but she was in a hurry so she didn't bother to change.

After Adri's meeting earlier that morning, she went for a run to clear her head.

She wanted to come up with a plan.

Zandra finally had an opportunity to avenge her mother and she couldn't blow it.

She winced looking at her wrist. She adjusted one of the many bracelets she wore to cover the fresh pink lines.

The last time was simply that, the last time. It was addicting, the numbness that relieved any sort of pain. Any ailment could be fixed with a slice of her flesh. The tears stopped rolling down her face. Her head was clear and she could forget all her troubles.

But Zandra knew what would happen if anyone found out.

She would be sidelined.

And she couldn't rest until Chrissilande was dead.

Zandra was in the shower when she received a DL from Julian.

Liliana's blood test results were in and Zandra was curious.

Liliana was another target of Chrissilande's. If it came down to just her and Lilliana, she hoped her gift would be useful and, more importantly, easy to master.

Zandra's gift development had taken years and would probably take a few more. Fear was unique to each person. In theory, she should be able to inflict it on any person through sheer will.

She was still working on it.

When Zandra attended the Academy, her instructors had raved at her development.

Many Guardians gifted with manipulating fear didn't show real progress until they were adults. Zandra was able to dose just about anyone with a mild case.

Just enough to make them hesitate.

All she needed was one moment to drive a blade in, anyways.

"What's the verdict?" Zandra asked Julian.

She swallowed her surprise at his appearance. This morning, he looked nonchalant but he was obviously hurt, physically. Busted lip. Limp.

Bar fight, she had presumed.

But now, his eyes were somewhat puffy and he had bruises down the sides of his neck.

Julian wore hickeys as daily wear but always took care to carefully conceal them. In that moment, Zandra could see he didn't give a shit about his reputation.

Zandra knew he was an asshole. He was reckless, selfish, and treated her as if she was a child when she was only a year under him.

Zandra looked at him and saw his soul; he felt pain and it was crushing him.

Julian hesitated,"Inconclusive. They messed something up."

Zandra glared him whilst she spoke,"I am not stupid and I am not a child. Don't lie to me."

Julian grinned,"Technically you are a child. Seventeen isn't adulthood."

Zandra rolled her eyes, covering amusement with annoyance.

"By that logic, you are a child too."

Adri interrupted," The results are inconclusive, though I understand why you didn't take Lord Julian at his word, Duchess."

Zandra automatically cringed at her title. She took on the title from her mother at her death, but still was not used to it. She was a warrior. A Guardian of the Tellurians and her kingdom. She wasn't a dainty duchess followed by a mirage of servants to tend to her needs.

"Inconclusive? How so?" Audric asked, gruffly, behind her.

Zandra doubled back. Audric's words were clear. Which meant he wasn't drunk.

"Are you sober?"

Audric snickered, with a look Zandra understood well. Of course not.

He flipped over his arm, as an explanation. Zandra could see the tiniest of holes and bruising against his fair skin.

"I could give you some alcohol if you are out, Audric," Zandra said simply, trying not to curse aloud. She hated when he took drugs, it was terrifying.

Audric smiled, somewhat sadly.

"And why should you own alcohol, cousin? A duchess of seventeen owning liquors? Do you dabble in the art of numbing your own problems away? I respect you enough not to taunt you with your own coping methods; I expect the same."

Audric looked solemn but Zandra knew he was floating in the clouds, riding out the euphoria that came with the prick of a needle.

Sometimes it was easy to forget Audric was several years older, because sometimes he acted like such a child.

"Somehow or another the results say Liliana shows affinity of two Manifestations. Which is impossible," Julian said.

"It's not impossible, though. It has happened before," Zandra said thoughtfully.

"Apparently way back in Guardian history, but it was never proven," Julian said.

Adri sighed,"I guess we just proved it, then. Affinities for both Sadness and Horror."

Adri looked tired with faint purple under her eyes. Worry lines creased her forehead, making her look several years older.

Being a princess who had to run a kingdom she hadn't quite inherited yet was hard work. It had to be. Always being given the runaround because she wasn't Queen, but trying to do her best for a kingdom that quite obviously needed new leadership. Zandra knew she would have never been able to do it.

Running a kingdom would have killed her spirit. Zandra belonged in battle defending her kingdom with nothing but a sword in her hand. Far from the politics of Inferno, the beloved Guardian capital she had only visited and never grew fond of.

Once Chrissilande was dead, she promised herself she would go for it.

Audric replied,"Someone ought to tell her because she's not here."

Zandra narrowed her eyes,"Where the Hell is she then? Liliana was with you earlier. "

"Relax, cousin. She is with Isadora. Lili wants to help with the plan. Isadora is filling her in on the details. The finer points of Guardianship," Audric replied, somewhat annoyed.

Zandra wasn't quite sure why he was annoyed, after all, he was the one last seen with Liliana.

"I sent Isadora a DL," Julian announced, breaking the uneasy silence, abruptly, as if he was unaware of the tension.

Adri looked directly at Zandra,"You know that means Liliana has some serious training to do in a short amount of time. If you don't mind, Duchess, I want you to take the lead. You are her cousin, after all."

Zandra nodded curtly,"Of course, Your Highness."

Adri nodded and took her leave, trailed by Julian.

Zandra sighed. She didn't want to train Lili, who was no better than a Tellurian. It wasn't a hassle, Zandra simply didn't have the patience.

Orders were orders, though, and Zandra was a soldier.

She left the clinic in pursuit of the library and Liliana. Climbing down the winding stairs in a hurry for they would have to start training immediately. The Unseelie Court was the most dangerous realms on Earth, which meant not safe for a glorified Tellurian.

All fey magic was slippery and chaotic. However, the Unseelies had no interest in human affairs; they simply were not tolerant of human endeavors, unlike their Seelie counterparts who were well known to lure humans into their court as their pets. A Seelie would give a human a warning if they were offended, because they were so used to Tellurian carelessness, but Unseelies were known to be malevolent without any specific causes. That tidbit was well-documented.

An untrained Guardian was not any better protected than a Tellurian.

Even a Guardian with two gifts.

Finally,!she was walking down the little corridor where Zandra noticed the library door was cracked open.

"Found you," Zandra muttered, under her breath, pushing the door further open and walking through the opening.

Liliana was sitting at one of the tables with Isadora and a mountain of books. The familiar woodsy, musty scent of the library wafted throughout the room, as a sort of invitation to join the girls digging through seemingly the Outpost's entire literary collection.

"...so all creatures like, vampires and werewolves and warlocks, they are all creatures of Hell? Created from fallen Manifestations but allied with us nevertheless?" Liliana asked.

"They don't like the Knights either. Or Ferals," Isadora answered.

Zandra interrupted,"I don't think Liliana knows what Ferals are."

Liliana smiled, somewhat embarrassed, her cheeks turning rosy. It was her first day, therefore, Zandra wasn't quite sure why she would be embarrassed for not knowing something.

"Oh, like hellhounds," Isadora explained, not missing a beat. Her words seemed warm enough, but her rigid movements and the way her eyes adverted told another story about how she felt about Zandra's company.

Zandra stood, awkwardly, not quite sure what to say,"Her Highness wants me to train you so you can join us on our quest. You can't just expect to just walk into the most dangerous land in the realms and wing it."

Liliana nodded,"Ok, then. What's first?"

Zandra was surprised at Liliana's shift from the stubborn, closed off girl she had met prior, to the girl she presented now. Agreeable, forthcoming. It was interesting, to say the least.

"Honestly, I don't think physically speaking, we will be able to accomplish much in such a short span of time. So, while you are going to train in basic weaponry, I don't expect much. I want you to focus on your gifts," Zandra spoke carefully.

"Right. Horror and Sadness. Lucky me."

Zandra knew Isadora was not her biggest fan, however, for the life of her, she could not figure out why. It wasn't as if she did anything to her. She stood in her own lane and did her own thing.

Zandra sighed and let the thought dissipate as quickly as it appeared. It was no matter; no one mattered to her, either. She had set her priorities a long time ago.

Isadora snorted,"I will leave you to it, Lili."

Zandra watched her go with a twinge of jealousy. She only wished her brunette tresses were replaced with Isadora's fiery curls.

"So. Let's go visit the training room, I guess," Zandra said with a shrug.

"Right now?"

Zandra smiled,"My mom used to tell me 'There ain't a better time than today'."

"Your mother sounds wise. My mom used to tell me to stop eating cereal in the wee hours of the night."

Zandra smiled,"Did you?"

"Of course not. Cereal smacks at one AM."

Zandra walked a little lighter, leading Liliana to the training room. It helped knowing the girl could make a joke.

Liliana promptly picked up a sword, once inside, and swung it out on the practice mat.

"En garde."

Zandra knew it was a joke, but couldn't resist the challenge.

In a flash, Zandra knocked Liliana's arm back and the sword fell onto the mat. Zandra scooped it from the ground and held it to Liliana's throat.

"Ok, ok. I get it. You have years on me. I do know how to throw darts, though," Liliana recalled.

"How about you try butterfly knives? You throw them and that's sort of like darts."

"I never said I could throw them well," Liliana murmured.

Sure enough, Liliana missed four out of five targets. The one that landed seemed a bit more like dumb luck than actual ability.

"Ok. I suck. I admit it," Liliana said, her lips turned into a frown.

"It's fine. Let's focus on your gifts," Zandra said.

Liliana nodded,"Alright. So what do I do? Concentrate on making you sad?"

"Close your eyes and relax your mind," Zandra commanded.

"Focus on your own sadness. It's crushing. Devastating. You want to pass it off."

"Concentrate."

Zandra could feel it.

Ever so slightly.

It was stupidly easy to fight, but for a first try, Liliana's practice was astonishing.

"Not bad, Liliana."

Liliana smiled hesitantly.

Zandra could see a shiny tear trickling down Liiana's face.

"I know it hurts. My gift is Fear. You have to face it, take it head-on, and then embrace it before you can wield it. I lost my mother too, Liliana. Chrissilande killed her."

Liliana sniffled,"I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this. I don't understand why I keep crying!"

Zandra put her arm around her,"I understand. I know this is going to be hard. I have been training for years and I still don't have full grips on my power. You have to remember why you are doing this. It isn't about you. You have to avenge your mother. That's what I tell myself."

Liliana nodded,"Let's try this again."

She took a deep breath and shut her eyes.

Liliana's hands shook and her breath was wobbling.

She was a stubborn one.

A moment later, Zandra felt a wave of sadness.

It was still weak, but progress was progress.

"Better," Zandra nodded.

Liliana smiled,"Hold up, let me try something else."

Zandra sat still and braced herself.

Nonchalantly, she reached for the handle attached to her belt

Just in case.

Slowly, she felt a sense of horror wash over her.

She tightened her grip on the weapon.

She felt nauseous and her palms started sweating.

"Whoa. How did you do that? That was," Zandra started, feeling her heart beat rapidly,"good. It was amazing."

Zandra let go of the handle and played it off as if she were trying to itch.

Liliana didn't notice.

Liliana smiled triumphantly,"I did what you said. It's all about revenge now."

Zandra smiled, genuinely,"Yes, cousin, it truly is."

Revenge would be sweet.

Zandra knew in that moment, her and Liliana were the same.

They wanted Chrissilande's death more than they wanted to live.

Liliana's tears proved that. Her agreeable persona wasn't natural for her. She agreed because she wanted to commit a murder.

Liliana stood with her arms crossed, stubbornly.

Her determination was a trait that ran in the family.

So was her courage. For Zandra wasn't afraid of the Unseelies, either.

But one thing she knew for sure was the Unseelies damn sure be afraid of her.

After all, if she couldn't make them fear her with her power, she was convinced her blades were enough.