Lili cursed.

It was as if she was trapped in an invisible box. There were no visible chains, but she was confined to the wall of the eerie reflective hallway, nevertheless.

She knew she passed out after the trip. The hunger pangs were violent, just as they were when her and Julian arrived in Faerieland.

Julian, she thought, miserably. She couldn't bring herself to think about what he was enduring in the Seelie Queen's bed.

"Lili. Thank God, you are awake. I thought you were dead."

Lili turned as far as her invisible containment would allow and she could barely make out a the figure of another girl, but the voice was unmistakable: Zandra.

"How did you know it was me? I can barely see you." Darkness swallowed her figure and she couldn't see more than a foot in front of her.

Zandra laughed halfheartedly,"I passed by you as I was dragged into this hellhole."

Lili strained to look around, but only accomplished making her neck sore along with the rest of her cramped body.

"How long have I been out?" Lili asked as her stomach felt like it had begun to eat itself.

Zandra sighed,"I've only been here for a little while. I think she's had you longer. I'm not sure, Lili, honestly."

"It good to see you, despite the circumstances," Lili intoned,"You were with Audric and Hamilton, right?"

"Yeah. We ended up in the vampire realm. Where did you and Julian end up?"

Lili felt fury rise in her chest, just thinking about it,"Faerieland."

"Damn. Was Julian okay?"

Lili laughed humorlessly,"No. Last I checked the Queen took him to her court. How about all of you? Anything interesting happen?"

"Shit," Zandra mumbled,"I don't care for Julian all that much, but he doesn't deserve that. But it was kind of crazy, Lili, we met a creepy vampire girl. Hamilton died-"

"Hamilton died?" Lili practically shrieked.

"It's ok," Zandra muttered,"he's won't be dead for long. They are letting him rise as a vampire."

Lili sighed,"I hope he's okay. I hope all of them are okay."

Lili closed her eyes and let herself feel what she ignored earlier: fear.

She was terrified. She wasn't trained for this. She hadn't been a Guardian long. Lili just wished she was normal. She wouldn't be here if her mother was just the boring security guard she had thought she was her entire life.

"They will be. Audric will get him and Hamilton home. Halo will be able to get Isadora home. Julian is resourceful, he will manage. We have very powerful friends, Lili. They will come for us," Zandra said simply as if everything she said were proven facts.

Lili couldn't be sure if Zandra was trying to reassure her or herself.

"They won't find you. That I can guarantee."

A man stood directly in front of her. He was tall and his shining green eyes reminded her of Zandra's.

Realization struck Lili hard. It was Zandra's father, Chrissilande's husband, and her uncle: Dantonio Rosebay. Rosebay, because men take the women's last name in the Guardian realm. That was something Audric teased her about and she appreciated the memory.

"Hello, Father," Zandra practically spat, as if her words were poison.

Dantonio smiled,"Hello, my beloved daughter. I'm sorry you have to be confined in this way. You too, Liliana. My deepest apologies."

Zandra scoffed,"If you cared about us, you wouldn't have taken us here. Where the hell are we?"

Dantonio smiled,"We just want our family back together, Zandra, surely you understand the importance of family."

Zandra laughed humorlessly,"I do understand the importance of family. That's how I know I have to avenge the death of my mother."

Lili stayed silent. Zandra could keep herself together and withstand anything they wanted to do to her. Lili was angry, but she wasn't quite sure if anger was enough to make it out of this alive.

Dantonio sighed,"Zandra, Gwynn was not your true mother. She was the surrogate and your babysitter. Do you know how foolish you sound claiming she was your mother?"

"She carried me for nine months. She raised me until she died. That's what I call a mother," Zandra replied defiantly.

Dantonio sighed, again,"This is truly unfortunate, Zandra. As my daughter, I had high hopes for you. Liliana, I suppose you feel the same way?"

Lili's lip trembled. The tone of his voice rattled the inside of her skull. She desperately wanted to say no and to pretend she accepted him until help arrived. She couldn't leave Zandra behind, could she?

She wasn't cut out for the life as a hero but she didn't want to wind up the villain, either. Lili just wanted everything to go back to normal. She wasn't religious, but right there, where she stood, she prayed to no avail. Lili sighed and glanced over at Zandra.

Zandra looked back at her.

As terrified as she was that she couldn't hold up well under pressure, it was better to try and fail than to give up without trying to succeed.

Her mother taught her that one.

Lili's voice shook audibly; she could feel tears burning in her eyes, and spoke haughtily,"You are not my family."

She hated way Dantonio's thin lips turned into a smile and his beady eyes examined her, stripping her raw. All she wanted to do was rip his throat out, but she wasn't stupid. She knew she did not possess the skills to do what her rage demanded.

"Then forgive me, my blood, but it appears I will have to pass your fate to Chrissilande. I wanted to at least give you an opportunity to choose the inevitable."

At that, Dantonio disappeared.

"Why didn't you go with him?" Zandra asked suddenly.

"Why would I? I don't want to be part of their family. They killed my mom."

"Yes, but Chrissilande is going to torture us. That is how she gets what she wants," Zandra added, quietly.

Lili protested,"I don't know. Wouldn't she want to play nice, to win us over?"

Zandra replied,"That is what dear old dad was doing. Playing nice. It is all a means to an end with her."

Lili could feel her head starting to pound and her mouth was dry. What she would do for a glass of water was astonishing.

"So, we wait?"

"We wait," Zandra affirmed.

Lili sighed. She hated waiting, but she was willing to wait forever if it meant Chrissilande would never come.

"God, I could kill for a drink of water," Zandra groaned.

Lili pushed saliva down her dry throat, hoping to satisfy her dehydrated body,"Same, honestly."

Zandra laughed weakly,"I never thought I'd see the day where I missed my Auntie Laurel's cooking, but I do. A burger sounds amazing right now."

Lili smiled, despite herself,"Stop talking about food. You are making me hungry."

Lili could hear Zandra laugh beside her and she laughed right along with her. The unexpected lightness slightly alleviated her throbbing headache and Lili was immensely grateful.

"So," Zandra started,"what are your intentions with my cousin?"

Lili froze and turned her head as far as she could in Zandra's direction to gape at her in disbelief.

She could hardly make out Zandra's expression, but it appeared to be a grin.

Lili frowned,"You can't possibly think this is the right time to be discussing my personal life."

Zandra laughed with an air of flippancy,"What else do we have to talk about? Would you prefer to talk about the grim situation that surrounds us?"

Lili didn't answer but her lips tugged into a half smile, amused by Zandra's forwardness.

"Well?" Zandra persisted and Lili couldn't tell if she was asking in concern of Audric or it was genuine curiosity.

"We are friends," Lili allotted,"just friends."

"But you definitely spent the night with him," Zandra replied.

The teasing in Zandra's tone made Lili cringe.

"He was drunk and could barely make it down the hallway! What was I supposed to do?"

Lili, however, did not find out what she was supposed to do, because their conversation was cut short by the infamous Chrissilande Rosebay, looking quite intimidating with her arms folded against her black bodysuit.

"I overheard your desire for water, girls," Chrissilande said sweetly, a wicked sort of smile painted on her face.

Chrissilande dropped a glass of water in both of their cells. Lili wasn't sure how she managed the feat, but assumed it was some type of magic that allowed others to come in, but the didn't allow the prisoner to leave.

Chrissilande waved, slightly, and disappeared like Dantonio had done before. She didn't have much to say, which was worrisome, but at least they had water.

"Don't drink it," Zandra mumbled quietly,"I don't know what they did to it, but I am sure it's something sinister."

"I wasn't planning on it. I'd rather dehydrate than drink poison," Lili said, only slightly tempted to guzzle down the water.

Zandra laughed,"You value your life. You'll go far, Lili."

Lili narrowed her eyes,"What do you mean, Zandra?"

Lili wasn't quite sure what Zandra meant. Of course she valued her life. She missed her mom, but she knew her mom would want her to continue on. Was Zandra implying valuing life was a bad thing?

Zandra laughed,"I'm not judging you, Lili."

"Then what are you trying to say?" Lili asked quietly, unsure how to feel about the current turn of conversation.

"I drank the water."

Lili's eye widened and she spluttered,"You- You drank the water?"

Zandra laughed,"Let's wait a while, see what it does. If I die, don't drink it."

Lili couldn't move. Zandra drank the probably poisoned water. Lili thought Audric was crazy and he was, but while he probably wanted to die, he didn't actively seek it out. Zandra was the type to willingly tango with death and revel in the madness of it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lili asked through gritted teeth.

Zandra laughed,"Too much, little cousin."

Lili shook her head slightly at the little cousin remark. Zandra was only a year older but Lili didn't bother to protest.

"What happened to you? I know your mother was murdered, so was mine. But you don't see me over here practically tongue kissing with death, do you?" Lili challenged furiously.

"Don't pretend to know my life. We are blood, but we just met. You don't know a thing about me," Zandra replied, her voice slightly climbing in pitch.

Lili took a deep breath, harshly. She couldn't believe that this even became an argument,"Zandra, that was stupid. It was reckless and impulsive and insane."

Zandra spoke carefully, her voice was calm and even, despite their source being an actual trainwreck,"They aren't going to kill us outright. And eventually, one of us was going to have to drink it."

"Yes, Chrissilande probably won't kill us outright, but you said it yourself, she is going to torture us. Why would you jump directly in her chance to do exactly that? We could have come up with a plan, waited for help! Something. There were a million things we could have done differently, but you chose the stupidest one," Lili finished angrily.

She was trying so hard to be brave and stick this out until help arrived, but Zandra was only trying to get herself killed.

Zandra answered with a whimper.

"Zandra? Are you okay?"

Lili strained to look over at Zandra's limp body. She couldn't make out what her face

"Zandra?"

Lili could hear Zandra's sharp intake of breath and what sounded like an involuntary groan.

"Are you okay, Zandra?" Lili asked cautiously.

A growel and loud thumping were the response.

Lili grunted, allowing her adrenaline to aid her into twisting her body in her magical prison, so she could see Zandra. Lili's body protested with every movement and pain shot through her body, shocking her nerves.

Lili could feel her heart racing and her stomach soured with dread. Her hands were trembling, the fear pumping through her body fueling her will to power through.

As she finally managed to maneuver her body slightly, putting Zandra in plain view, Lili shrieked so loudly, it could shatter glass.

Tears of scarlet leaked from Zandra's eyes as her body convulsed, only supported by the wall sof her invisible prison.