Herbert waited until he was in his study, far away from prying eyes, before he collapsed with exhaustion. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt fatigue. He would have rather died than let anyone see how tired he was.

When Herbert looked at his face in the mirror, he felt as old as he was. His muscles were so stiff and sore. Putting a kettle on fire, he returned to his seat to massage his sore shoulders. He hadn't had a good night's rest since the young Telepather had arrived at his doorsteps with her Synergy and the Necromancer.

Like most Telepathers, Herbert avoided getting attached or committed. Telepathers understood more than anyone else what it meant to commit to the wrong thing or person which was why marriage and love was difficult for them. The nature of their powers made it difficult for them to love and to be loved.

As a Telepather advanced in age, things like love and hatred, power, and greed became insignificant. It wasn't that Telepathers didn't fall in love or marry or even have children; it was however rarer than a taking bubble bath in a draught. Telepathers took wedding vows very seriously and rarely took on life-long companions. Considering how long they lived, it was understandable why they were so wary.

Another reason they hardly formed romantic or human attachment was that once they fell in love, it was almost impossible to fall out of love. Knowing how unreliable and manipulative humans are, it was understandable to see why an average Telepather wouldn't want anything or anyone to dominate them. Vulnerability is a very distasteful attribute, after all, and no one likes to be taken for granted.

Herbert had broken the rule the first time by allowing himself to love Anne. At first, he had assumed it was a passing fancy and that he would forget about her soon. He wasn't one to act on mere attraction so he didn't make advances when he first became infatuated with her. He soon discovered that he couldn't help himself. He started paying more attention to her noticing that as each day passed, she only became more beautiful.

Only a handful of elders in the castle knew their leader had a soft spot for Anne and only the oldest ones knew that this soft spot was indeed love.

Herbert hated himself for falling in love considering how advanced he was in the magic of Telepathy and swore to never allow himself to get attached again. It was bad enough that he'd been foolish enough to fall in love with one of his subjects.

Sadly, when he discovered the young Magi holding his Synergy's lifeless body in his arms, he discovered that he had once again broken his vow.

"Such rare power," Herbert mumbled, remembering how awful Benjamin and Edith had looked. He had ever known a Necromancer could show that much emotion.

Most people believed Telepathy was an amazing power that was difficult to comprehend. They believed Telepathers could easily brainwash people. What they didn't realize was that Telepathy could take on different forms and not all of them would be evidently displayed. Though the basic principles were the same, every Telepather's magic was as distinct and different as a human fingerprint.

At first glance, Selene didn't look significant or special. To the ordinary eye, she was a girl who didn't possess extraordinary beauty or talent. However, Herbert was everything but ordinary. He had known Selene was unique the day he met her.

She possessed rare, innocent beauty. Although she had worked hard to ensure it stayed hidden, all you had to do was look close to see it. If she wanted to, the child could be even more beautiful than the first Selene. In fact, he believed she had the potential to be the most powerful Telepather that had ever existed.

Her beauty and power were different from anything he had ever seen in his lifetime. He had lived for several centuries and he'd never come across anyone like Selene Feather. He had known she was beautiful but hadn't been certain about what her powers were until he saw the young Magi's face. Herbert realized he too had fallen for her powers when he desperately struggled to bring her back to life.

Selene's power was her soft vulnerability, insecurities, and general sweet nature. She exuded a charm similar to what you'd see in small children. A charm that would make you want to love and protect her. A charm that would make it impossible to say no to her.

Within the few hours that Herbert had spent with her, he didn't realize that she had charmed him. She made it hard for anyone to not care about her. Herbert began to see her as a child he wanted to succeed despite the odds against her.

He smiled as he remembered how much effort he had put into making sure she'd wake up. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such fear. He couldn't find the words to express how relieved he was when she finally opened her eyes.

Selene had experienced so much tragedy. She would forever carry the stench her mother's death had left on her. There is nothing that hurts more than knowing you had the power to stop something but had been unable to. The pain her mother's death had left was a double-edged sword. That and the fact that she cared too much.

It could be the very thing that would destroy her. When he had been trying to heal her soul, he'd touched some part of her essence. Her soul was one of the most purest things he'd ever come across. Soft, kind, and pretty as a little dove. At the same time, he'd seen the darkness, pain, and regret she carried.

He knew everything she had been through. He knew a fraction of what was to come. He feared she would never be able to overcome the pain. He feared that she would fail.

The smile on his face bled away when he remembered the current ruler of Rodia, Her Majesty. Herbert made it his business to know everything about each ruler to ensure he could protect his people. There was so much he didn't know or understand about the woman. Even the things he knew couldn't be shared.

Selene had to find her own path. She had to solve her problems on her own. He couldn't give her the answers and interfere with her destiny; he could only guide her.

She still hadn't discovered the first major piece of the puzzle. If she didn't...

Someone knocked loudly on his door, breaking his train of thoughts. The young Necromancer barged in without waiting to be asked to enter. Her face was more distressed than her rude entry.

"Selene...please...help." she panted.

Herbert pushed back his chair and followed her quickly. He shut the door ignoring the hot cup of tea on his desk. His fatigue was replaced with adrenalin.

When he entered her room, he saw her Synergy kneeling by her bed trying every spell he could think of.

"It won't work," Herbert said, calmly pulling the boy away.

"Why? Who is doing this?" Benjamin asked.

Once again, Herbert was reminded that Benjamin was a prodigy. If he had been a Telepather, he would have been almost as powerful as Herbert himself.

"I don't understand," Edith said.

"Someone has summoned Selene's spirit. We can't bring her back until they end the spell. Ordinarily, it shouldn't be this easy to summon a Telepather but considering the previous ordeal..." Herbert shrugged.

"What can we do? Will they kill her?" Edith asked.

"No. However, there are worse things than death." Herbert's eyes turned ice cold.

***************************************************************

While Selene was trying to tell Edith some emotional garbage to make the girl feel better, she suddenly began to feel very hot. It felt like her body was a kettle on the fire and her consciousness or mind was the water within the kettle.

As her body got hotter, so also did the bubbles of her consciousness increase. She felt her spirit leave her body in the most irresistible and spontaneous manner. For a while, she floated in oblivion, neither alive nor dead.

Suddenly, her spirit condensed in one spot. Though she had no physical body and was resistant to temperature, she shivered violently as she tried to figure out where her spirit had been summoned to.

It appeared to be a dark, badly lit room. Selene tried to turn her neck but it felt like her entire body was tied down. She couldn't move her head, her hands, or anything else. She could barely see a thing.

Her mind was covered with a thick, dark fog. Her heart started beating fast and she began to hyperventilate. What was happening? Where was she?

"Concentrate." She ordered herself.

This wasn't the time to be afraid. Though she didn't know where she was, she was fairly certain nothing bad would happen to her. After taking deep, shaky breaths, her heart rate became steady, her vision cleared and she finally realized she wasn't alone.

"Remarkable. Then again, you are a demon child. I wouldn't expect anything less." The person said. If the figure Selene beheld could even be called a person.

At first, Selene couldn't tell if the figure was masculine or feminine since the black-robed caricature could belong to any gender. However, when the person spoke, she was certain it was a woman.

Every inch of the woman's body was covered with black robes. She wore a thick black veil which shielded her face from view. It made Selene nauseous since she knew the woman could see her clearly. Selene wasn't sure she even wanted to see the woman's face.

The woman's voice, though strangely child-like and innocent, sent shivers down Selene's spine. There was something captivating and terrifying about the woman. Just by looking at her, Selene felt her heart tremble.

Selene kept her emotions in check. The woman would sense her fear and use it to her advantage. She couldn't let down her guard.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Ahhh! It speaks! I'm disappointed that you don't recognize me. I mean, I had my people hunt you down for two decades. One would assume you wouldn't forget such a thing easily." The veiled woman chuckled.

"Debbie," Selene said in a hushed voice.

Even though it was difficult to tell underneath all that black cloth, Selene could sense that the woman went stiff the moment she uttered her birth name.

"I no longer go by that name because that person no longer exists. You may refer to me as Her Majesty, Supreme Leader of the Province of Rodia." Her Majesty said coldly.

"Why did you bring me here? To kill me?" Selene asked.

"I didn't bring you here to kill you. I mean, where's the fun in that? Don't get me wrong: I will kill you but I simply prefer to hunt down my prey, making them believe they can escape before I pounce. It's more fun that way." Her Majesty chuckled.

"Where are we?" Selene asked trying not to get overwhelmed with fear.

"It's a bit difficult to explain. I summoned your spirit. I'm surprised it worked. Perhaps you're not as powerful as I thought. I brought you here so we can be properly introduced! It's so nice to finally meet the Child of Black Day. You look exactly like your mother. Though that's not really a compliment since she was extremely plain." Her Majesty said pleasantly.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother! You killed her!" Selene snarled. She was amazed by the burst of anger that flooded her veins.

"Aye! There's some of that Telepathy power! A pity your anger is misdirected. I've done a lot of horrible things but I didn't kill Tabitha Feather." Her Majesty said.

"That's a fucking lie!"

"I'm sure you have accessed the memories stored in your mother's necklace. You killed her, child. You had the power to wipe out the army but you left her to die in your stead. You allowed her give her life for you." Her Majesty tutted.

"That's not true!" Selene snapped.

"But it is, Selene. You didn't act when you could. She died casting a protection spell for you just so you could escape. Magis can only cast that spell once because they die immediately after. It's so sad. She wouldn't have died if she didn't have you. None of those other kids too." Her Majesty said.

"You can't change the narrative! You're the one who killed them, not me. You killed them all because you couldn't find me."

"I was only following the Prophecy, child. I did what was necessary to survive. If you had offered your life willingly, then none of this unpleasantness would be taking place." Her Majesty said.

"You expect me to offer my life to you? Willingly? You must be out of your damn mind!"

"Vulgarity doesn't suit you, child. I don't think I ever heard Tabitha Feather swear in her lifetime. She was simply a plain, insignificant girl." Her Majesty said.

"Isaac didn't think she was insignificant. He thought she was exquisite and kind. Everything you're not." Selene rolled her eyes. It was a petty attempt to infuriate Her Majesty but it worked nonetheless.

"You foolish girl! How dare you?! You know nothing!"

"I know everything that happened that day. He said he didn't want to be friends with you. He knew you were an insane bitch. He loved my mother and not you."

Selene watched the woman struggle to compose herself. Though she couldn't see the veiled woman's countenance, Selene could tell her face would have become ugly with anger. Her Majesty scratched her body violently in a manner that would have drawn blood.

"It seems you're learning how to use your powers to infuriate me. I'd have killed you on the spot. Luckily for you, I still have an iota of self-control. Besides, it wouldn't do to get so upset before making my proposition. I brought you here to negotiate and not to fight." Her Majesty said after the angry spell had passed.

Selene eyed her warily. Though she hadn't intentionally tried to frustrate the woman, she was amazed Her Majesty regained her composure so easily.

"Let's hear the proposition you keep talking about," Selene said.

Her Majesty chucked with glee and clapped her hands happily.

"Wonderful! I knew we would get along splendidly. Gimme a few minutes to contain my excitement." She said.

After cackling like a witch, Her Majesty stretched her hand as if she wanted to embrace her.

"Offer your life to me, Selene. That's my proposition."

#M.M