Phosphenes dance across my vision as I open my eyes to bright sunlight. The sky is bright blue and the sounds of birds singing echo through the fluttering of the leaves. I lift my slender fingers in the air. Round overlapping shadows from leaves play in and out on my palm, my fingers dancing to an unheard tune. Butterflies with their shiny azure wings circle my wrist like an enchantment spell. Everything is serene-calm-soft like home-like a hug. I feel the brush of tender hands on my forehead, the tinkling of tiny silver bells hanging from a bracelet and the sweet smell of jasmines-Mom?

I try to get up so quickly that my head spins and I fall back again. Phosphenes cloud on my vision, swarming like bees, greens and yellows and blues-dancing like bubbles-and they clear and I'm back in the same place, except the forest now reeks of something ominous. The shadows are still playing on my hands in the air-kissing the pale skin, tiny scratches and the deep scars alike. If they hurt, I wouldn't know because I don't feel a thing. The scar marks are a tender crisscross of stories waiting to be told.

A cruel face appears in my vision-snowy white hair and freezing eyes that never thaw. "There's no time to laze around. Get back to practice young lady, or else..."

The world spins again, accompanied by a wild throbbing that seems to rise from the back of my neck and spread across my temples and around my eyes. The light against my shut lashes is too harsh.

"Light!" I try to say but my voice is inaudible, almost a whisper. I hear a scuffle of steps and the light is dimmed immediately. I force my eyes open slowly. The ceiling is stark white with yellow ceiling lights around the edges. It's a room I don't recognize.

"What happened?" I ask groggily.

"Well, a part of a balcony collapsed."

"Ergun?" I place my palms flat against the bed, raising myself. My head feels heavy but I'm not a weakling. I've been through hellfire before but somehow the explosion had blacked me out.

Ergun is peering at me with a look of concentrated worry. He looks nervous and restless. "You okay?"

"Mhmm." I nod, still trying to process what happened. I look around. It's a small dorm room overflowing with things-books, maps, papyrus-tiny artefacts made of shells and metals on the study table-wooden charms, tiny plants in pots. It's like one little magical den in there. "How long was I out?"

"Ten minutes I guess. You gave me only enough time to carry you in." he gives a small laugh, but I can see that it doesn't reach his eyes. Something is bothering him. I can hear a commotion outside, lots of people talking at once, shoes scuffing against concrete and barked orders. The commotion is coming towards us.

"Sir!" I whip my head back to see a guard burst into the room. He's dressed in black from head to toe, with little gold braiding on the shoulders to designate them as parts of the royal troops. It is strange because the royal troops come on campus only on celebratory occasions. The campus security is qualified enough to investigate any happenings on campus.

"We need to hear the girl's version too." He fidgets on his feet, almost apologetic.

"Not now."

I look at Ergun in surprise. I've never heard him speak in that tone of authority-like a man who's sure of who he is.

"But Sir!" Wait, Sir? Why?

He just glared at him.

"Sorry, Sir!" The guards retreat hastily.

"They won't bother you. You need to rest and calm yourself. Don't panic. You are safe in here," he says gently. Being an assassin, I'm always treated like a soldier-tough, resilient-disposable. There's no place for indulgences and pampering. I don't remember the last time someone treated me with care-maybe my mom. Hemlock cares for me, but not in that way. He knows I'm strong and he'd never babysit me. As much as I hate to admit it, the softness of Ergun's gesture feels good for once. Maybe I'm tired of being strong. Ergun is the first person who has looked at me like I'm human, and that I might have feelings of my own, no matter how tough I appear from outside.

Guilt floods through me quicker than I can harden up my heart. An hour ago, this is the guy that I wiped the memory of and almost tried to hurt and he saved me from whatever it was back there. I am an unfeeling creature. His back is turned towards me and the tinkling of metal against glass makes me think he's making something.

"What happened out there?"

"An overhead balcony collapsed," he replies unmindfully, turning and walking towards me, mixing some sort of blue juice in a highball glass.

"Old building. Maybe-"

"There was an explosion, Lark. I heard it. It's attempted murder, not an accident." His expression is unreadable as he holds out the glass.

I narrow my eyes at the swirling liquid.

"It's a concoction for strength. Don't worry."

I eye him cautiously while lifting the glass and smelling it. It smells like some familiar plants. I take a gulp slowly. It is a bit bitter but the tang feels refreshing.

"But why would someone want to kill us?" I ask as innocently as possible.

"Nobles have lots of enemies. The real question is how did they get in? If not then it's someone on the inside. That's what the guards are investigating." He gestures to the glass. I down the rest in one go and hand it to him.

"That's bad then. What will happen now? Will they close the uni?"

"They've sealed the gates. No one can escape now. Everyone will be questioned." There was a strange professionalism in the way he said it, as if he has done it before and I wonder where?

"You seem to know these things very well."

"When you move in royal circles you have a lot of different experiences." He took the glass gently and placed it on his table. "Lark. I can't hold off the guards much longer though. So if there's something that you're not telling me, now's the time."

"The attack was targeted at you. I should be the one asking why." I point out.

He sighs. "I wanted to do it differently but you are a tough nut to crack, Lark! I'll call the guards in and they will-"

"Fine!" I hiss. I need to play this smartly. "What do you want to know? If I have enemies? If yes then I'll tell you I-"

"Why were you in the library Larkspur?" I stop short in between my concocted story.

"What?"

"Oh come on. We both know you were at the library for a reason and you had the keys too and this Hemlock guy is the one that orchestrated this plan."

"How do you-"

"For your kind information, Miss Lark, compulsion doesn't work on me." He what? There's not a single magical creature that compulsion doesn't work on.

"So you-"

"I was pretending, yes." He leans in closer, his face just inches from me. To anyone else, this would look like an intimate moment, but between us, electricity crackles in the tension. "I want to know what you were finding."

"I was searching for more information on the Prince. There's a book on royal bloodlines up there somewhere." I figure a little bit of the truth might help save the situation since the only other options weren't something I was keen on just yet.

"Why on earth are you so interested in the prince?" He throws his hands in the air and glares at me. There is pure mistrust in his eyes and that expression hits something in me. It hurts physically-his rejection.

"Because"-my fingers reach up to my chest and fiddle with the little square locket hanging from my neck. It'd take just one second to flip it open and- "my life depends on it. I can't tell you why or how but you need to trust me on this one."

"Trust you, after everything? No thanks!" he scoffs, getting up and pacing the room. Anger bubbles from somewhere deep in me. How does it matter anyway? If this mission fails, I die. If this mission is successful, I doubt they'll keep me alive to tell tales. It's death either way for me. I'm very tempted to tell him the reason but I laugh instead.

"You don't have to trust me. But the moment you hand me over to the guards, you won't see me again, that I can assure you. So it's your choice." I don't laugh. I don't smirk. I just sit there on his bed, fixing him with a disinterested stare.

"I need to know why though." I can see his resolve falter, he's melting.

"If I tell you that, there's no point in me getting to know the prince at all. I might be dead."

I can see the conflicted emotions flitting across his eyes. He holds my gaze for a moment as if trying to search for something. Then his shoulders slump in defeat. "Your magic has worked on me. I don't remember the library thing. Are we clear?"

I am so stunned, I forget to respond.

"Lark!" He snaps his fingers on my face.

"Ah yes!" I nod.

"And about the balcony thing, that was probably for me, so you don't know anything. The answer to all questions there is no."

I tilt my head slowly.

"Good, now I'll call the guards in to talk to you about the incident. Be careful."

"I will." There was no mockery or contempt in my tone and it surprises me. I was never known to be anything less than sarcastic. But I guess Ergun's kindness is rubbing off on me. I take a deep breath and drop my shoulders, putting on my most vulnerable face to trick the guards.