"Rough day?" Via asked. "I mean, you sat with us yesterday, that's kind of weird."

"What'd you find out about Tsynis?" Harmony asked eagerly.

"Something bad, I just... won't tell you yet. It's a secret. But I might eventually, if anything happens," Savi explained.

Harmony shrugged. "Knowing Tsynis, it's got something to do with the Neverseen."

"Harmony... you have to promise you won't tell anybody. I don't know. It feels like I can't tell on him, you know, since we were friends." Savi looked at the ground.

"We won't tell anyone," Harmony and Via promised at the same time.

Savi transmitted it to them. He's a member of the Neverseen.

"Did you tell anyone?" Via asked softly.

"No," Savi admitted. "Should I?"

Harmony rubbed her chin. "Hate to say it, but Tsynis hasn't appeared evil yet, so maybe wait a little while? I can tell my parents and grandparents, they'll know what to do. I mean, I suppose we should give Tsynis a chance."

"Thank you, Harmony," Savi whispered. She hadn't expected kindness from Harmony, after everything.

"Just a note, Savannah? I never hated you."

"You can call me Savi," Savi whispered.

Harmony smiled. "I've still got a no-nickname rule. You know Via tried to call me Money yesterday? And you kept calling me Harm – so that's a no-no. But I do like the sound of Army."

"You do know what that is, right?" Savi asked. "There's no way I'm calling you Army."

Harmony smiled ruefully. "Well. It was worth a try."

"Definitely! Armpit," Via added before sniggering.

Harmony slapped her playfully. "This," she said, "is why you shouldn't hang out with Via."

Via stuck out her tongue at Harmony. Strange, but it felt good to be around girls, instead of Cerulean. Without all the prejudice hanging between them. With Harmony and Via, she could talk freely. They insulted each other for fun. And maybe, just maybe, they could get along. The friendship could work out.

But she did tell Harmony and Via that she was going to hunt down Cerulean at lunchtime to officially end their friendship.

"Breaking up so soon with your boyfriend?" Harmony tutted, but then she leaned in and whispered, "Just to let you know, I totally approve."

Savi couldn't return the quirky smile Harmony flashed at her.

She reached the canteen and found Cerulean sitting alone. She joined him at his table and immediately felt lots of emotions coming from him. Apprehension, sadness, guilt, fear and so many others that she couldn't translate. The guilt was overpowering, though, stronger than it had been the previous day, crashing on upon her.

"Look... I really think it could have worked out. But not anymore. I'm sorry." Savi stood up with her lunch tray and prepared to leave.

His lips curled into a sad smile. "But that's the saddest thing. We could have been friends, but now I'm forced to do this."

She barely had time to read his mind and find out what was going on before he grabbed her arm and whisked them away in a flash of light.

She appeared in a dark cave, briefly illuminated by the light from the leap, and crashed onto the ground, her head throbbing painfully. Someone put something on her head, and instantly, the emotions from Cerulean winked out. An ability restrictor? She remembered Sophie had complained about when Uncle Dex had made her one of those. She pressed harder, the headache crushing her, but she could feel the soft hum of Cerulean's thoughts. He was expecting someone, but she couldn't make out the name. Her consciousness was already fading, so she stopped trying to break into his mind. The headache faded.

"Why?" she whispered into the darkness.

"I didn't want to," Cerulean replied, softer than ever.

"Have you got her, Tsynis?" a cold, shrill voice asked. "And thank you, Anna, for not telling your parents. I thought I'd warn you for fun, to throw some new variables into the mix, but Little Miss Predictable got all emotional over Cerulean and blocked everyone out."

Savi knew that voice from Keefe's mimicking. He mimicked his mother on occasion, and Lady Gisela's voice was fairly familiar to her. "Lady Gisela," she whispered.

The shrill voice tutted in the darkness. "Not Grandma?"

"I'm not related to you."

"Interesting, because that renounces your ties with my son," Lady Gisela said. She didn't sound surprised, merely cold and calculative, the same way Savi always seemed when she was blocking everyone out. "You know why Keefe and Sophie didn't pay much attention to you?"

"They were focused on the twins," Savi snapped. "What else?"

"Interesting that you speak so harshly of the twins. Don't you love your brother?"

"I did. What's your reasoning, then?"

"Well," Lady Gisela said, "it's because you remind them of me. You've always been cold, secretive, and you withdraw from family when you're scared and feeling alone. It's funny, how you don't seek people when you're lonely, you shy away from them."

"I can't trust anyone," Savi hissed. "That includes you."

Lady Gisela laughed. "If you trusted me, Anna, I would question your sanity."

"Yours is questionable as well. Why do you call me Anna?"

Lady Gisela seemed to be mocking her, judging by her tone when she replied, "You're family, of course I need a nickname."

"What should I call you then, Grizzly?"

"Oh, heavens no," Gisela laughed. "No, I'd prefer Grandmother."

"Not in your life."

Lady Gisela sighed. "Fine. I happen to need you, Anna."

"What for?" Savi asked irritably. Believe it or not, all she wanted to do was go back to Foxfire and hang out with Harmony and Via. They were probably wondering where she'd gone.

"To test Cerulean." Gisela smiled widely. "Now, this will not be pleasant – for either of you. Cerulean?"

"What test?" Cerulean asked, looking stricken. It matched his emotions, which were displaying shock, fear and apprehension.

Gisela was just feeling contempt and cruel.

"You ask me what test?" Gisela asked, smiling wider. "I want you," she said quietly, "to kill Savi."

A beat of silence followed.

"I..." Cerulean looked like he didn't have any words to say. "Killing is... wrong."

"You didn't have a problem killing William, so why not Savannah?"

"Wait," Savi gasped, "you killed Will?"

Cerulean froze. "I didn't!"

"You did," Savi hissed.

"It wasn't like that." Cerulean hung his head. "Will was dying, so I wanted to put him out of his misery."

"But there was a chance of his survival!"

"Savi," Cerulean whispered, "what kind of life would Will have lived? Being Elwin's permanent resident, almost never seeing daylight? He deserved a real life, but he couldn't get one."

Savi looked at the ground. Maybe he'd had reasons – and valid ones. But he'd still sped up Will's illness, robbing her of time with her brother. He was right in some ways, though. Will's life would have been full of love, but Will would've felt useless all the time. Seri would've eventually gotten bored of him since she was Seri, and Savi would've gotten busy in the Elite Levels, and she couldn't have handled losing her brother in the midst of her exams. So, maybe it was good that he was gone. Not that she wanted him to be, but if he was going to die eventually... best not to drag it out.

"I can sort of forgive you for that," Savi said, "but being with the Neverseen?"

Lady Gisela sounded legitimately surprised when she asked, "You can forgive him for killing your brother, but not being with the Neverseen?"

"He didn't kill Will, exactly," Savi argued. "He would've died on his own anyway. But being with the enemy? That's traitorous. And I stood up for him."

"I considered leaving, you know," Cerulean said quietly. "But I thought you'd leave me if you ever found out the truth, and the Neverseen wouldn't accept me back. So I stayed."

"You made the wrong choice," Savi whispered, "because I'll never trust you again. And really, what do you want with me?" she demanded of Lady Gisela.

"Nothing. I want Keefe. Not you. And Cerulean. You won't kill her, will you? Won't prove your loyalty to me?" Lady Gisela asked airily, her eyes sparkling maliciously.

Cerulean stared at the ground. "I'm loyal to you. But I can't kill Savi."

"But if it ever came down to me or her, who would it be?" Lady Gisela asked. She sounded airy, but Savi knew it was a test. She mouthed the words 'say her', knowing any telepathic conversation would give Cerulean a shock and give everything away.

But Cerulean didn't say that. "It would be her, over and over."

Lady Gisela's eyes glinted. "That's interesting. I thought you swore fealty to the Neverseen? And what if she asked you to join the Black Swan?"

"Then I would say no," Cerulean said firmly, and sincerity radiated off him. Savi knew he was telling the truth. It didn't mean he was evil, though. He probably just didn't want anything to do with the Black Swan.

"Very well." Lady Gisela didn't look convinced exactly, but satisfied for the moment. "Keefe is coming. So is... Sophie. That's interesting. I thought she'd stay behind with your measly sister."

"She is pretty stupid – my sister, not Mom – but Mom wouldn't stay behind with her. Actually, she probably would. She doesn't care about me."

"Interesting, because she and Keefe are racing against time to find this place." Lady Gisela raised her eyebrows at Savi.

Savi snorted. "Trying to save their image. How bad will the Lost Cities' heroes look if they don't bother searching for their own daughter?"

"How'd this hate build?" Lady Gisela asked, sounding like it was out of genuine curiosity. Savi didn't trust the curiosity. Lady Gisela only did schemes. But she answered truthfully anyway.

"They've never cared about me. I told you, remember? And you said it's because I remind them of you."

"I didn't say it was definite, but it's a distinct possibility," Lady Gisela answered curtly. "And remember, Anna. You will always have a home with me."

Was Lady Gisela being caring, after everything?

"You asked Cerulean to kill me!" she protested.

Lady Gisela shook her head. "I knew he would never do it, I was just trying it to test him. And Savi? Be mindful with your accusations."

Savi hung her head. "I'm sorry."

Lady Gisela's surprise was evident. "There's no need to apologize to me, Anna. I'm your grandmother, whether you like it or not. And I did need a guinea pig for some experiments. Don't worry, it won't be as bad as you think. How would you like to be a Mesmer?"

"Like Grandpa?" Savi asked, surprised. Lady Gisela was offering to let her be a Mesmer? That was too good to be true.

"Yes. Like Grady Ruewen. He's not your grandfather. You know that, right?"

Savi shrugged. "Adoptive's good enough for me." She paused, thinking, before finally admitting, "Yes, I would like to be a Mesmer."

"Excellent," Lady Gisela announced. "But I do need you to do something for me."

"What?" Savi asked.

"I need you to swear fealty to the Neverseen."