Lilly scrambled back across the floor, lungs heaving tortuously until her back hit the edge of the sofa. Heart pounding sporadically, she searched wildly for any danger. She couldn't remember where she was or how she'd gotten there, only the residual terror from where she'd come. Assessing her friends, the memories came flooding back.

She placed her head between her knees, wrapping shaking arms around herself. In and out, in and out, in and out, in and out. She repeated the mantra inside her head to calm her nerves. A soothing hand gripped her knee, and she peeked out from behind her legs to see Penny. He'd returned from the Neitherlands a few days prior after Quentin and Alice performed some sort of sex spell to pull him back through. She'd happily abstained from that encounter, and let them do the heavy lifting.

"You okay?" He rasped, watching Lilly as one would an injured animal. She swallowed hard and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He knew she was lying. Her mental wards were in complete ruin after the trauma, and he could hear her panicked thoughts as if she were speaking through a megaphone. He'd watched as The Beast ripped her heart from her chest in the Neitherlands. Their hopes to negotiate with the monster were misplaced. She crawled back over to the circle and tucked her knees to her chest protectively.

"What happened to you?" Quentin asked her and Penny, who sat beside her rubbing his neck.

"Beast ripped my head off and Lilly's heart out in the Neitherlands. So much for negotiating my freedom."

"This was a dead-end," Eliot groaned.

"Well, I hate to say I told you so, but--" Quentin proclaimed, rolling his head lazily around on his shoulders. "You know, actually, I don't- I don't hate that," Alice reached for the probability coin in the middle of the circle, still panting from her death inside the simulation.

"This is the last one." The symbol on the front, which once gleamed bright gold, was now completely burned out and mundane, "it's dead."

"Ugh, we're not learning anything new. In every scenario, The Beast comes next week.

"There was one time we didn't all die... when we went to Fillory."

"No, everything went white. It's not necessarily better."

"Well, I agree with Quentin," Alice interjected.

"Oh, that's because he blows you!" Margo shouted.

"I agree with him too." Everyone turned to Lilly, "I'd rather go to Fillory and maybe get killed than stick around here and wait for him to pick us off," Quentin nodded in approval.

"Seriously, eight tries, we get seven deaths and one mysterious? I--give me that," Quentin begged. "I don't think we have a choice."

"Nah," Penny shook his head, "I choose to get the fuck away from all of you." He broke the circle and headed for the door. They listened to the sound of his shoes dissipating, Quentin rolling his eyes.

"I'll go talk to him," Lilly volunteered, pushing herself to stand on shaky legs. "In the meantime, keep working." She jogged in the direction of Penny's dorm, assuming that's where he would go. She caught up to him halfway across the quad, slowing her pace to walk beside him, "hey."

"I don't need you yapping in my ear about how I need to go back. It's not going to happen," he sniped.

"Look, I know you're scared-" she started, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"I'm not scared-" he finally stopped to turn towards her. Lilly didn't pause at his words and kept going.

"I'm scared too, we all are, but you can't just walk away from this. Like it or not, you're a part of this mess."

"I'm not like you, Lilly. I've got survival instincts, and right now, they're screaming for me to cut and run. I know how this is gonna end, and It's not something I wanna stick around for. If you were smart, you'd run too." He started forwards again, suddenly stopped, and stood stick-straight at the edge of the stone steps. Lilly caught herself before walking past him.

"Look, you were in that probability spell too. You know that if you leave now, The Beast will kill us and never stop hunting you. Just-"

"Fuck you," he spat into the open air, not even turning to face her.

"Excuse me? I'm just trying to help, you d--"

"No- not you," he put out a hand.

"Who? What are you talking a--"

"Just- shut up for a sec," he ordered, and Lilly was about to say more, but he added a whispered, "please." She waited as he stood as still as a statue. Eerily still, Lilly could see his breath quicken by the puffs visible in the cool fall air. She was beginning to fret over his behavior when he broke his stupor and startled Lilly back a step.

"Agh!" He groaned, clutching his head in anguish. Lilly reached out to support him.

"Penny! What's going on?" His breathing was ragged as he attempted to compose himself enough to speak.

"It's The Beast," he spat. "He's in my head."

"What?" Lilly's eyes widened.

"He just popped up in there like a fucking parasite. He wants me to turn myself over to him, and he's gonna make me go bat shit crazy until I do."

"Come on," she pulled him by the arm towards the main building, "we need to get you to Dean Fogg." They hurried across campus and though Penny tried not to show it, whatever The Beast was doing, was working. Now and then, he would flinch from whatever torture was being inflicted upon him. Dean Fogg's secretary wasn't too thrilled about them ignoring his questions and barging straight into his office unannounced, but as soon as Fogg saw them, he allowed them to sit- not that he had much of a choice in the matter.

"What's wrong?" The Dean's voice was laced with concern.

"It's The Beast. He's in Penny's head. He wants him to turn himself over to him," Fogg stayed silent, pondering the best way to proceed.

"This is quite the predicament you are in--"

"No shit," Penny spat, clutching his head. Fogg didn't bother to acknowledge his outburst.

"Normally, I would call in Eliza to help, but..." he didn't have to say it, they all knew. "Have you tried your Occlumency?"

"Yes, I thought it was supposed to prevent shit like this from happening in the first place."

"Clearly, this Beast is very powerful," he sighed. "I can call in a specialist, but it could take some time for them to arrive..."

"Please," Lilly pleaded, "there has to be something?" Dean Fogg looked hesitant, and she wished she could see the eyes behind his glasses.

"There may be someone," He spoke cautiously as if even now he was unsure if it was a good idea, "but I doubt she'd be willing to help."

"Well, we can try," Lilly said hopefully. Dean Fogg assessed her, eagerly leaning in to hear the name he was about to speak.

"Your Mother, Lilly."

"My Mother?"

"Her Mother?" She and Penny blurted concurrently.

"Yes, Evelyn was a very talented student of mine. She was an Illusionist, but she happened to be very talented in the area of Occlumency and mind control."

"But, she doesn't do magic anymore."

"That is the problem, isn't it?" He mused, and Penny looked between the two of them in bewilderment.

"Your mother?" Penny questioned as if it was an alien concept to him.

"Yes, Penny. I have a mother."

"Huh, I always assumed you crawled your way up from hell," he teased, and she hit him softly on the arm. He managed a small smile, though it was not even close to reaching his eyes, "I thought she was a muggle?"

"So did I until recently."

"If you can speak to her, maybe she would be willing to help?" Fogg suggested, but Lilly wasn't so hopeful.

"Last time I spoke with her, she seemed pretty adamant that I shouldn't be getting involved with magic."

"I'll try to locate a specialist to help, but I strongly suggest you speak with her. Until then, Penny, I think it would be best if you try self-medicating. As I recall, you are quite good at that," Penny stood haughtily from his seat.

"That's all you have? Should've known you wouldn't do anything. I'll figure this out myself." He opened the office door and headed out into the hallway. Lilly gave Dean Fogg an apologetic look before chasing after him.

"Where are you going?" She struggled to keep up with his fast pace.

"I think I know someone who might be able to help."

"Who?" She dodged a student passing them in the narrow hallway, earning a dirty look.

"My mentor, he's a Traveler."

"I'll come with you," she declared, "Just let-" they stepped out into the open air and Penny gently grabbed her arm.

"He lives in Texas, Lilly, so unless you discovered you're also a Traveler, I'm gonna have to go it alone." Lilly wanted to help, but he was right. He hadn't learned how to take people with him yet. "Go talk to your Mom," he urged, but she wasn't quite ready for that option yet.

"I think that's going to be a last resort. I'll see what I can dig up on my own first. Good luck, let me know when you get back." He gave her a thankful smile, closed his eyes, and disappeared into thin air. As soon as he was gone, she set to work. If Eliza was still alive, she'd know exactly what to do. She was the one that'd taught them Occlumency. They were on their own this time.

She made an extensive trip to the library and gathered up as many books as she could on Psychic invasion and prevention. If The Beast was in Penny's head, it wasn't just his problem. This meant that anyone was vulnerable to an attack. After receiving word from Quentin that they'd found a possible solution for fighting The Beast, she checked every one of her books, much to the dismay of the Librarian.

She read as she walked, the rest of her books floating along behind her. As soon as she reached the cottage, she plopped herself down at one of the outside tables and barely spared her friends a hello.

She worked and watched as they set up a wine bottle on one of the tables, trying and failing to perform the battle magic they'd found. They filled her in on the possibility of battle magic helping in their mission, but she hardly listened. Now and then one of them would ask if she had any idea of how to do it. She just waved them off. While they were working on finding a weapon, she was saving their friend. Hours later, after many failed attempts, they moved into the cozy living area of the cottage to strategize. Lilly's eyes drooped with fatigue as the others shouted ideas at each other.

She was beginning to think Dean Fogg was right about her mom when her eyes caught on an interesting potion. She skimmed it, swiftly taking in the information. It was a few different herbs and magical ingredients that she could easily find in Brakebills stores. She simply had to brew it into tea. It seemed simple enough and the effect would supposedly numb Penny's Psychic abilities, making his mind harder to access. She hopped up from the couch, ignoring the calls of her friends and rushed into the small kitchen. She sent out an emergency group text to Alex and Dani, asking them to collect the few ingredients not already in the kitchen and meet her at the cottage. Dani responded, saying that she was at her family's house and couldn't get away.

Lilly flitted about the kitchen like a madwoman, gathering the supplies. She hoped she'd be able to handle the potion without Dani's help. Alex's text came in a few minutes late, and Lilly physically relaxed at the fact that he was on his way with the things she needed. The only problem was, Alex wasn't any better than she was at potions.

"Lilly?" Alice poked her head around the door, eyeing the disaster zone that was the Physical's kitchen.

"Don't worry, I'll clean it up," she was quick to say.

"We're going to talk to Penny. We think Kady might be able to help with the battle magic, and he was the closest with her, you coming? Penny may be less likely to kill us if you do." Lilly shook her head, leaning into the counter beside her.

"Can't, I've got to finish this and Alex is on his way here already," Alice nodded, turning to leave, "but, do me a favor and tell Penny I'll meet him in his dorm in a bit, okay?"

"Alright, good luck with... whatever it is you're doing."

"You too, let me know what you guys find out," as soon as Alice left, Lilly let out a long exasperated sigh. She set to work again, chopping and crushing the ingredients she had. Her hair had grown into a bush of frizz from the pot of boiling Ramillion Oil she'd set on the stove.

"Good God, Woman!" Alex stalled in the doorway. "What the hell happened here?" In his hands was a brown paper shopping bag filled to the brim with colored jars and leafy greens.

"Thank you so much for coming!" She cried in relief, throwing her arms around her friend and squeezing tightly.

"Anytime," he was still a bit startled. She was sure she looked like a witchy hag, brewing a potion to turn people into toads. She supposed that assumption wasn't far from the truth. "I hope you don't mind, I brought an extra pair of hands," it was then that she saw Ava, standing uncomfortably over his shoulder. Lilly felt the familiar pang of irritation at her presence, but for Alex's benefit, she plastered a warm smile onto her face.

"Of course, it's fine. I need all the help I can get." She would be taking the high road today. Unfortunately, Ava was not.

"Obviously," Lilly heard Ava mutter, but she was too busy to give her a second glance. Lilly explained what she was doing and put Alex to work prepping the ingredients he'd just arrived with. Ava sat casually on the counter and observed the work being done around her. She'd perfected the art of the condescending look. Lilly didn't know why Alex brought her if she was just going to watch, but she wasn't going to complain about the extra help from him.

"Here's the recipe," she pointed to the old book on the counter. "If you could keep stirring the pot, I'll get started on the Sopophorous beans," Alex nodded while Lilly grabbed a handful of the beans and a sharp knife. The students at Brakebills affectionately called them Jumping Beans and for good reason. When approached by a knife, they had a tendency to jump out of your hands. Lilly heated the knife on the stove until it glowed red-hot, and seized the bean with gloved hands. To her utter frustration, the bean sprang from her grip over and over again, flying across the room like a bullet and banging into the walls. Ava ducked, narrowly missing the bean, and glared at Lilly.

"Here, I'll do it. If you want to help your friend, you've gotta do it right." Ava hopped down from the counter and took the knife from Lilly's hand. She didn't even bother to use gloves as she pressed the flat edge down over a bean. "You need to crush it, not chop. It gets the juice out much easier." Ava squeezed the required amount into the pot Alex was stirring. The potion turned a deep shade of purple, just as it was supposed to.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Let's get this finished so you can help Penny, and we can go do something more fun with our night." Lilly nodded gratefully, and the three worked diligently to produce the vial of liquid.

"If it doesn't work and you want us to come with you to see your mom just let me know, okay?" Alex offered.

"Thank you both, you are the best friend I could ever ask for," she pulled Alex into a tight hug and hurried off to deliver the potion to Penny.

She'd gotten to his dorm as fast as she could, but the thin sheen of sweat on his brow told her she wasn't fast enough. He downed the potion immediately, and they waited impatiently to see if it took effect. Lilly jumped as he chucked the empty vial at the wall. It shattered across the floor like diamond dust, glittering in the sliver of sunlight creeping in through the crack in his drawn curtains. Penny groaned, gripping his head in agony.

"It's not working! I'm going fucking crazy! He's getting what he wants!" Penny shouted in distress, Lilly hurried across the room to search for a dustpan.

"You're going to be fine. I'm not going to let him win, we're go--"

"You don't understand!" He stressed, his eyes pleading with her to listen, "I went to see my Mentor. This isn't happening to just me, it's every traveler, everywhere! The only way to stop it is for me to give myself up to him or blow my brains out. He shot himself right in front of me! And Alice said she knows another Traveler who killed himself. How long until I'm just a number in a body count?" Lilly froze. She'd assumed it was only him, she never imagined others would've been targeted as well. If they'd gone to the ultimate extreme to escape the torture, how long could Penny last? She approached him cautiously, eyes soft, and stopped inches away. Her head tilted down with the few inch difference now that he sat at the edge of the bed. She placed a calming hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"I promise you, I won't let that happen. You are going to live to fight another day, just hold on a little longer, okay?" He looked up to meet her gaze. They seemed to have met a silent agreement through this alone. Lilly pulled him into a firm hug and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Face buried in her neck, he took a steadying breath to prepare for the last stretch of his mental battle. Lilly was the first to pull away, crossing the room with a purposeful gait. She located a dustpan shoved in the far back of his closet and wondered how often he actually used it. She cleaned up the mess the vial had made and emptied the glass into the trash can. Next, she headed to the bathroom, collecting his razor from the sink.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Penny asked, puzzled.

"I'm confiscating all your sharp objects until we have you back to normal," she stopped before him once more with a look that meant business. "Cough em up," he shook his head but complied. Together they cleared all the things he could potentially use to hurt himself and Lilly threw it into her bag for safekeeping. "Alright, I guess it's time for you to meet my mother."