My skin was cool, but I didn't feel cold.

My stomach was empty, but I couldn't be moved to look for food.

My heart hurt, but there was nothing to ease the pain.

I had spent a very long time, hitting and screaming and clawing at the door, and now I had nothing left to offer the darkness but a hopeless shell. I couldn't help Schula, I couldn't find Thain or Eberon or Puko. I couldn't even help myself.

I don't know how long I sat on the cold ground staring at where the door to my prison must be. Not that I could see it. Not that I could see anything at all. All there was, all I could sense, was me, the hard floor beneath me, and darkness.

Softly, I would sometimes hear a clicking noise but with the echo I had no way to know where it came from. Though it was quiet, it was a grating sound against the silence that blanketed me. I shivered when I heard it and was left with a sense of unease when it stopped.

My stomach made a noise that sounded like a roll of thunder in the empty space. With my new ears I could hear a slight echo of every movement I made. That must be because I was in a large space, right? Perhaps more cave or another carved portion of the mountain.

I traced the lines of goosebumps on my arms as I continued to stare into the blank space that was the door.

What was happening to Schula right now? The Winter court didn't seem to like her for some reason.

And where was Thain? And Eberon? They should have caught up by now. Maybe they had, maybe the Winter King sent them away.

I would even cry out in joy for Puko at this point. His soft feathers a familiar comfort. They reminded me of home and of Mila.

My stomach growled again. I sighed and sank until I laid on the floor, curled into a tight shape for warmth.

And I slept.

~

I woke up with the sensation of gravel pressed into my cheek. Or perhaps it was coarse sand. I sat and gently picked the pieces off of my skin, trying to orient myself to where I thought the door was again.

The gentle growling of my stomach was replaced by little pangs of discomfort. I ignored them as best as I could.

Then I heard the clicking again.

I stopped to listen. It went on for only a few heartbeats before it stopped once more.

I let my muscles relax. I hadn't even noticed when I tensed them.

Then, I continued to stare. I rubbed my fingers over my hands. The small cuts I had given myself when I tried to claw my way out of the darkness were already gone. I'm sure there were flecks of blood still on my fingers. But now I just sat and waited for a sign of life to come my way.

Maybe they would bring food. Maybe DuVarick would send for me.

Maybe they would toss someone else in here so I wouldn't be alone.

There wasn't much for me to do, so there I sat.

And waited.

In the darkness.

~

What was taking so long?

The king wanted to see me, right? He had invited me! Did he even know the found youth was in his prison right now? If I could get the message to him, would he even listen?

I clenched my fists, still staring ahead at the door. This was stupid. I couldn't claw my way out. I couldn't see. I was back to being the same stupid helpless girl I was in the mountains!

I smacked my fist on the door in front of me, and a spark spit out of my hand on landed on the ground, extinguishing itself instantly.

I gasped.

Fire. Had I imagined it? But how had I made it happen? Eberon had intended to teach me about fire magic but we never got the chance. I had thought I didn't have a way to make it happen, but maybe I could try some things. I mean, it's not like I had anything else to do.

I stared at my hand. Or where my hand probably was since I couldn't say for sure. I tried to imagine another spark coming to life in my palm. Nothing. I tried making a fist again. I tried hitting the door again. I tried moving my hands like I had seen Eberon do. Nothing.

I stood, getting angry now. Just when I thought I could do something about my situation it was yanked out from under me again. I flexed my hands, I hit the wall, and I yelled.

"Why won't it work!"

My voice echoed through the cavern, as did the sob that followed. I felt the tear streak down my cheek and I even heard the soft splat as it hit the floor.

I sank onto the cold ground and sighed. Yelling and cutting open my hand wasn't going to get me anywhere, but neither was sitting here. If only I had something that would help me find my way back to the door if I went exploring, I would feel better about moving from this spot.

Then the clicking was back. My back stiffened until it passed. I sighed, quietly scolding myself for making so much noise. Or maybe I was just going crazy.

I was frustrated. I was tired. I decide to try and get some sleep. I usually handled problems better in the morning. Whenever that was.

I laid down again and thought about fire until I fell asleep.

~

When I heard the footsteps, I thought I was imagining things. I scrambled to wake up and be on my feet, ready for whatever was coming through the door. Another prisoner? Brute? The king?

I slid my feet in the position Schula had drilled into me, and waited. I did my breathing in the back of my mind. One... Two... Three...

The door swung open and I was nearly blinded. I remember when I was thrown in the light was so dim outside this door I could barely see my fingers in front of my nose, and now it was bright enough to stun me.

I was yanked by the arm until I fell forward. A huge pair of biceps was the first thing to come into focus, and I recognized with more than a small amount of fear that they belonged to Asher.

My throat tightened and I allowed myself to be carried away. My eyes focused painfully as I tried to peer through my eyelashes with the smallest amount of light I could. I couldn't tell where we were going though, and all the hallways looked the same as we passed by.

It wasn't long though before I was thrown onto a carpeted floor. Ignoring the pain of my eyes in the light I looked wildly around me. I was in some kind of private office chamber. Asher stood guard by the door. In front of me was a large desk and behind that was DuVarick.

I sucked in a breath and watched him. He stared back at me unblinkingly until finally he waived his hand and about half the candles around the room extinguished themselves.

I almost sighed in relief of the dimmer lighting, but I was too scared of what might happen in this room to do it.

The king spoke, and it was the loudest sound I had heard in probably days.

"How did an abomination like you come to exist?" DuVarick asked slowly.

I swallowed and answered exactly as he wanted me to this time. At least until I had a better grasp of what was going on.

"I don't know my parents, your Majesty. I was abandoned as a baby. None of the humans of the mountain know where I came from."

He grunted and folded his hands on the desk in front of him, leaning forward. "You look just like her."

From the corner of my eye I saw Asher stiffen. I would remember that to think about later. More importantly, the only 'her' I might look like should be...

"My mother?" I breathed. I clamped my lips shut, hoping the outburst wouldn't earn me another slap from Asher.

The king glowered at me.

"Do you even know what you are?" DuVarick sneered.

"The found youth?" I whispered. "A half fae?"

He snorted and stood from his desk. "Leave us."

Asher bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

My heart was thunder in my chest, I didn't want to be alone with the frightening Winter king, but he knew my mother. He had the answers I had been looking for all my life. And I wanted them badly.

DuVarick paced behind his desk a moment, then came around to where I was still on my knees on the carpet.

"Stand," he ordered.

I did, slowly, not taking my brown eyes off of his pale blue ones.

DuVarick stood tall with broad shoulders but a lean build. Looking at him up close I noticed a surprising lack of scars for a fae so old. His clothes were a very fine material too, but a simple design. Like many of the other males in his court, he had no shirt but wore kilted loins and short boots somewhat like the Autumn court's.

He approached as I stood and raised a hand. I flinched, thinking I was going to be struck, when he did something much more surprising than that. He stroked my hair, from my temple to the braid over my shoulder. Even though I must have been a filthy mess with strands of hair pulling loose, he stared at it with fascination. I was suddenly very aware of the breast band and torn leggings I wore in his presence. My dirty skin and scratched up hands were in need of a bath.

"You have her hair," he said softly. "And her nose."

His eyes trailed all over my face, it was awkward to say the least but I had to know more. I had to take a risk, and maybe he would give me what I'd been looking for.

"What was her name?" I asked, pleading.

The king's soft face turned hard and dark as he snatched his hand back. He frowned as he walked around me while I stood perfectly still.

"You shouldn't exist, you know." His boots made soft footfalls on the carpet as he circled me slowly, leaving goosebumps to crawl up my back.

At my back I jumped as a finger traced the place where my seal had been. He took his time, running over every line that had been there. "So that's how you fooled them."

I didn't know what the seal had done to fool anybody, and frankly I knew better than to say it.

He continued circling me when he was done at my back, inspecting me for who knows what.

He stopped to my left and leaned in, raising my heartbeat to a painful level as I felt his presence right by my face. I felt his fingers brush my hair again, but I didn't move.

He lifted my braid, pulling it away from my newly formed ears and let out a low growl.

"I knew what you were the moment I smelled you, but I had to see it for myself," he said.

I was afraid to ask what he saw, so I remained still and silent.

He dropped my hair and walked slowly back to his desk. I let out a slow breath as he sat back down.

"What to do with the abomination of a betrayer. Shall I skin you?" He tilted his head as he watched the blood drain from my face in horror. "No, the other courts will complain. Perhaps I should keep you as a sort of pet? I'm sure you'd be obedient enough after a few more days in the darkness."

I swallowed hard and couldn't keep my composure any longer. I was not going to stand around obediently for him, and I would start proving that to myself right now.

"You can't keep me here, I haven't met the Summer court yet," I insisted. "And I'm due back in Spring for the Equinox..."

"Fools," he snorted. "They don't know what you really are. With your tricks gone you have nothing to hide the sin that you are. You're lucky I have a personal stake in your existence or you would have been slain the moment you stepped on these lands. Don't think that fool Baeleon would have done any better. When word comes about that you tricked him he will want you and those that found you on the end of his sword."

Thain. My heart thudded.

"What is wrong with being a half fae?" I asked, a tremble in my words I wish I had been able to hide better.

"Half fae?" he laughed darkly. "Not a damn thing. ASHER!"

The door opened almost instantly and Asher appeared in the room, ready for orders.

"Take her back and give her something to eat until I decide what to do with her."

"Yes, my king." Asher bowed and gripped my arms in his giant hands.

"Wait! Where is Schula? Who was my mother?" The sudden realization that I would be back in that black cavern had me throwing all my caution to the wind.

DuVarick had given me a tiny taste of who I was, and I needed more.

But my answers wouldn't come, because Asher dragged my flailing body back to the blackness.

And once again I was alone.