My entire body felt like it was on fire. I ached with every muscle I moved. My very bones shook with every movement I made. My skin was covered in angry red marks that stung with even the slightest touch. I now knew to never cross Elijah again.

"Caley, you need to learn how to shut up," Gerrard told me as he set me down on the bed. I was breathing heavily, my head was pounding, and all I wanted to do was curl up and make this pain go away. Gerrard brushed my hair back from my face gently.

"I-I didn't think he actually would," I managed to get out.

"Elijah doesn't like it when people challenge him. What you were saying was dangerous because it could have potentially lost Elijah supporters," he told me.

"I was just saying what I thought," I said.

"Next time, just keep it to yourself," he said. I frowned, but nodded. Anything to keep from feeling like this again.

"I feel like dying," I said.

"I'll make a remedy. Just lay down for a bit," he said, helping me lie down on the bed. I winced with every movement, feeling a jolt of pain run through my veins.

Gerrard got up and left the room. While he was gone, I fell in and out of consciousness, jolting awake every time I closed my eyes and saw flashbacks of my torture. He came back with a mint green colored tonic that he told me to drink. I instantly felt a calming relief fall over my aching muscles.

"Better?" he asked. I nodded.

"Thanks," I said, closing my eyes.

"Hey, you can't sleep here. You've got to go back," Gerrard said. I mumbled something incoherently and pulled the covers up over my body. "Caley..." he said.

"I'm so tired, though," I said.

"We can't risk anything. Here, come on. I'll help you get up," he said. Against my will, he picked me up bridal style because I was too weak to actually walk myself. He walked outside and the cool late fall air felt nice against my skin. I felt the familiar suctioning feeling of being transported and opened my eyes when we landed. Gerrard helped me to my feet gingerly, but I held onto his shoulder for support nonetheless.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I asked as the world steadied itself around me.

"I honestly don't know. I don't act like this with anyone. Not even Isobel," he replied.

"What's different about me?" I asked.

"You're innocent," he replied. "And you remind me of your mother," he added.

"You knew my mother?" I asked. He nodded.

"She really liked me. I met her when Elijah first found me. I was really young, then, so it was kind of like having a mother," he told me. I felt myself smile a little.

"She took care of you?" I asked.

"In a way, yes. She gave me a childhood, that's for sure," he replied.

"How do I remind you of her, though?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I don't really know how to describe it. I guess maybe it was the fact that she seemed so much kinder and less scary than everyone else at the time. It was like, she was the only ray of light in a place that was so full of darkness, and as a child, I was drawn to that. And now here you are. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, you're innocent and you're pure and you have a goodness in you," he explained.

"I'm really not that innocent," I said to him.

"Maybe not in that sense, but overall you are," he said. We were silent for a few moments.

"Can you tell me what she was like back then?" I asked him. He smiled a little sadly at me.

"Another time. You should get back to your room and rest," he said. I sighed, but nodded. He started to walk away, but I called after him. He stopped and turned and I went up to him, putting my arms around his waist. He stood a little awkwardly at first before hugging me back.

"Thanks for being nice to me," I said.

"Thanks for helping remember that there once was a better time," he replied. I looked up at him and he smiled at me. "Now, go. You're pale as hell and you look about ready to pass out," he said. I chuckled and nodded.

"Bye, Gerrard," I said.

"I'll see you later," he replied and then vanished.

I stood for a moment, swaying on the spot, thinking of what he said. Maybe it was possible for me to stay good even though I was on the dark side. If my mother did it, I could, too.

                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~

"...we will be making a bone-healing tonic today," Professor Folia told us in Potions. "It's a bit more difficult than the potions we have been making thus far, but it is a helpful one at the same time," she explained. "You will mix the following together..." she said and listed off ingredients for the potion.

"God, this class is ridiculous," Lance muttered from behind me.

"Did you have something to say, Mr. Mayor?" Folia questioned, stopping her spiel abruptly to call him out. Trey and I snorted. We didn't even have to look; Lance's cheeks were bright red.

"Umm, no ma'am," he stammered.

"No, please. Do tell. I'd love to hear what you had to say to Miss Greene," she said.

"I-I just said how excited I was to make this tonic," Lance lied. She gave him a look and he slouched down in his seat. Trey and I tried to stifle our laughter, but Folia saw us.

"Do you think this is funny, Mr. Vulcan, Miss Lucia?" she questioned.

"No, ma'am," Trey said curtly. She looked at me.

"I thought it was pretty funny," I said honestly.

And my little quip earned me a detention.

"Damnit. I can't believe she gave me a detention," I said. "It's freaking university. We're not supposed to get detention here."

"You should learn how to keep your mouth shut," Abbey said.

"I was just being honest," I defended.

"Despite what most people say, honesty isn't always the best policy," Trey said.

"Oh, hush you," I snapped.

"I'm hungry. Let's get lunch," Lance said. The others agreed.

"I'm going to pass," I said.

"Why?" Abbey asked.

"I have to talk to my father," I replied. I felt Trey's gaze on me, but I refused to meet his eyes. I knew what he was thinking and I didn't want to lie to him. Not yet, at least.

"You're on speaking terms with your father again?" Abbey asked. I nodded, still avoiding Trey's eyes. "Oh! Good for you!" Abbey exclaimed.

"Yeah. So I'm going to go now. I'll see you guys later tonight," I said.

"Ok, bye!" Abbey called, taking Lance's hand and pulling him towards the diners on campus. I finally looked up to meet Trey's gaze.

"Promise me you're not going to mess things up with him again," he said.

"I can't make that promise, Trey," I replied. It was the truth, after all. I knew that once Elijah formally declared war, I would be on my father's enemy's side. And if I didn't know any better, I would say that that would definitely mess things up between us. But I didn't want to think about that at the moment.

"I should go," I said. Trey pursed his lips, but nodded. Pecking him quickly on the lips, I turned and walked away quickly, trying to rid myself of the guilty feelings that welled up inside of me.

I knocked on the door to my father's office and entered when the door opened on its own accord. My father was at his desk, a pile of papers in front of him. He had his glasses on a crease in between his eyebrows. He was stressed.

"Hey, Dad," I said, striding in and taking a seat in front of his desk.

"Caley. This is a nice surprise," he said, taking his glasses off. I noticed how the stress lines immediately disappeared when he saw me. I felt another bout of guilt, but pushed it aside, trying to focus on the fact that the man sitting in front of me was the sole cause of my mother's death.

"Did you know they give out detentions here?" I asked. I saw a small smile form on his lips.

"I take it you got your first one today," he replied.

"It's ridiculous! This is college. There shouldn't be detentions," I complained.

"It's just a way to maintain order," he said.

"But in college, we're adults. We don't need order," I argued.

"Everyone needs order, Caley," Dad said. I had a feeling there was a double meaning to that sentence and he wasn't aware I understood it.

"Ok, well. I still think it's dumb," I said.

"I can't change the rules just because my daughter got a detention," he said. I frowned.  "What was it for?" he asked.

"I gave my honest opinion on something," I replied. He gave me a look. I simply shrugged.

"I actually had a question," I said.

"Continue," he replied. I chewed at my bottom lip, wondering how to approach this. Elijah was getting annoyed at me for moving so slow in regards to infiltrating the Order. I needed to find a way to get in to my father's secret circle of elites so that I could feed Elijah information on what they were planning on doing.

"If you and I are the last Lucias, will the water masters officially die out after I'm dead?" I asked. I saw something flash through his face. I already recognized that look, though. He knew he was lying to me about him not having any relatives. But it was all right; I was used to the lies my father had woven.

"Technically, you aren't a full water master," he said.

"What? But I have blue eyes--" I started.

"Yes, but your mother had amber eyes. You are both of our child, which means that you have the capability to master both water and fire. However, since you eyes are blue, the part of you that is inclined towards water is stronger. But you aren't full blood," he said.

"Are you?" I asked. He nodded. "So my grandparents--your mother and father--were both water masters?" I questioned.

"Yes," he replied.

"Is it possible that there are others that can be water masters out there that we don't know of?" I asked.

"Why are you so interested in this all of a sudden?" he questioned. I quickly thought of a lie.

"It's the topic I chose for my final paper in History," I replied.

"It is possible, but it is highly unlikely. There may be some witches or wizards out there that are partial water masters, but it's more than almost certain that I'm the last of the full bloods," he told me.

"What if someone that was half met and reproduced with someone else that was half?" I asked.

"Then you would get a quarter-blood. Didn't you pay attention in Biology of the Wizard?" he replied. I frowned.

"Obviously not," I mumbled.

"Now I have a question for you," he said.

"Shoot," I said.

"Why is it that you are asking me these questions? I'm sure your professor would have been more than happy to answer them for you," he asked. I shrugged.

"Because I wanted to ask a real water master," I said. "And besides, what you just told is basically what I was already thinking. I mean, you have to be the only person alive that's a full blood water master. I know you wouldn't lie to me about that," I added, watching him carefully to see how he'd react. He shifted slightly in his seat and to the untrained eye and mind, it would just have been a slight movement, but I knew better.

"Did you have anything else to say?" he asked. I tapped my chin for dramatic effect.

"No, I think that's it," I said, getting up. I started walking towards the door.

"Caley!" he called out. I turned to look at him.

"You will be spending Christmas with Trey again this year," he said. I frowned. "But this time, I'll be there, as well," he added. I raised my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"Christopher and Natalia invited me. I decided I'd take a few days off to have a real Christmas. But we won't be at our home in New York. We'll actually be staying at the Vulcan's residence," he explained.

"Oh," I said.

Well, this was going to be slightly awkward. Staying at my boyfriend's home over the holidays with both our parents around. It would definitely make it more difficult to do anything crazy.

"Ok," I said.

"All right," he replied.

"Bye, Dad," I said.

"Good-bye, Caley," he said. "And try to behave," he added.

I rolled my eyes. He still insisted on treating me like a child.

_____________________________________________________________________

A/N: The Christmas break chapter will be REALLY interesting. I promise. And I don't just mean Trey-Caley wise. I mean it will have some juicy information in it. =)

Sorry I'm lame and don't update this story too often. It's been like a month and that is completely unacceptable. Shame on me.

But like I've said numerous times before, this story's plot is really difficult and I want to give it the time it needs.

If you're still with me, even after all this time, thanks for being patient!

Comment and vote!

XOXO