I drove home slowly after my revealing teatime with Layla, unknowing what I would end up to saying to John. Realizing that, in our vows to one another, we had sworn before God to remain as man and wife, for better or for worse, I knew that we could solve whatever this was between us, no matter what happened. We absolutely had to, because I knew that simply ending things with John would, quite literally, break my heart.

I pulled into the driveway and hurriedly got out of the car, ran up the walkway, and let myself into the house. I hesitated on the threshold before I shut and locked the door behind me, and gasped aloud when I saw John just stepping out of the living room, a copy of Northanger Abbey gripped in his hands. "Hello," I said softly, unknowing what else I could possibly say in that moment, save for a proper greeting.

"Hello," John replied.

I bit down hard on my lower lip. "How is the book treating you?" I asked.

John briefly afforded the book he held a glance. "Catherine Morland is certainly a step-up from Fanny Price and Emma Woodhouse," he said at last.

I smiled. "Oh? How so?"

"Miss Morland stands by her convictions, whereas Miss Price is bullied until she is finally rescued, and Miss Woodhouse refuses to see what is right in front of her," John said at last, and I raised my eyebrows at that.

"Does she?" I whispered.

John nodded and stepped closer to me, setting down the book on his way, before he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me gently to him. "I have no wish to quarrel with you, Alexandra. Please accept my forgiveness."

I blinked. "All right," I said, hating that I was backing down so easily, but, honestly, I just wanted my husband back. "Thank you. I apologize for pressing the issue."

John nodded. "Thank you. You are forgiven."

"As are you," I responded.

John gave me a tentative smile, before he pressed a kiss upon my forehead. "How was your outing with Layla, then?"

I blinked. "You knew I was out with Layla?"

John kept his arm around me as he led me into the living room. "Yes. Toby called, asking if you were home yet. He mentioned that the two of you were likely out somewhere."

I nodded, slowly sitting down upon the couch. "Yes. She had tea and I attempted to drink some hot chocolate."

"I know it is your hot beverage of choice," John put in, sitting beside me.

I blinked. "You don't think is blasphemous?"

"Please," John said, shaking his head. "I know you enjoy a good cup of tea as well."

I afforded him a small smile at that. "You'd be correct," I informed him.

"How was Layla, then?"

"She was well," I replied. "She left her shift at the hat shop early so that she could take me out for a drink. We discussed the two of us, actually."

John raised his eyebrows. "Did she help?"

"I believe she did, yes," I said quietly.

John cocked his head to one side, and shook his head. "Nevertheless, you still appear to be quite troubled. What happened?"

"I was sick during our conversation," I said.

John looked utterly shocked at that. "Dear God. Are you all right? Do you need to see a physician, Alexandra?"

I shook my head at him. "No, it's passed," I assured him. "No. I explained what had happened with Headmaster Radclyffe, and she wanted to know if he had...violated me..."

John gritted his teeth, clearly angered at the prospect. "Other than the assault he committed upon your mind, did he violate any other part of your person?"

I sighed. "No," I replied, "and I told her as much. The prospect of it at was far too great for me to even imagine, which was what made me sick in the first place."

John pressed a kiss to my temple. "Oh, my darling, I am so sorry," he whispered.

I shut my eyes then, trembling against him. "She knows."

John pulled back at that. "What? What are you talking about?"

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "Layla knows the reason why you offered to marry me in the first place."

John's eyes widened. "You told her?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, you don't understand. She knew. Layla has known about mine and Toby's past since she was pregnant with Alexa."

John looked positively horrified. "Dear God," he whispered. "And you're sure that Toby still is unaware of it?"

I nodded at him. "I'm sure," I replied. "Daddy was still working when Layla was pregnant with Alexa, and, given Toby's busy schedule, her not being as close to Kira and Mary, and me being in my first year of teaching, she spent most of her time with Mama."

John nodded. "Of course. That seems logical."

"She was feeling ill one day, due to the pregnancy, and so Mama agreed that Layla could stay behind at the house," I explained further. "Layla took it upon herself to look around, as she had never been there on her own before, and found herself in the attic."

"Where Toby ended up falling from the ladder and breaking his leg," John put in.

I blinked. "Oh, my goodness. I really do tell you everything..."

John smiled. "Now that we are man and wife, I would hope so."

I laughed a bit at that. "Well, Layla didn't know that, so I suppose Toby is keeping secrets from her as well... Anyhow, Layla came across a folder while in the attic, the same folder that the darling headmaster dangled in front of me on the day you proposed to me."

"Dear God in heaven," John whispered. "She looked through it, then?"

"Yes. She said it was clean, and looked out-of-place, so she decided to have a look within its confines," I said quietly, despite the fact that we were quite alone in the house. "She saw all the photographs that Headmaster Radclyffe showed me, and, although deeply disturbed, didn't tell Toby, and instead told Daddy what she'd found."

John was clearly uncomfortable. "And what did Nate have to say, once she brought the information to him?"

"Daddy demanded to know if Layla would be willing to not only overlook Toby's past, but still remain married to him, with Alexa, and any future children the union brought," I whispered. "It was he who ensured that Toby never knew, and Layla kept her word. She didn't breathe a word about knowing about any of it until today, and only because I opened the door to the topic of conversation in the first place."

John sighed, and seemed to be considering something for a moment. "When you introduced me to Headmaster and Mrs. Radclyffe..."

I nodded. "Yes?"

"Mrs. Radclyffe mentioned that she knew your mother," he continued.

I nodded. "Yes. Ursula Radclyffe was Mama's first friend when she, Daddy, and all of us moved here from England," I explained. "After her beauty pageant days, Mrs. Radclyffe became a real estate agent, and actually found us our home through the company she worked for."

John raised his eyebrows. "Everything is connected, it seems."

I sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is. It was through her that Daddy and Headmaster Radclyffe became such good friends, and Daddy got involved in the high society circles thanks to the family. They were always at our house for various functions throughout the years, and we would go over to their homes and well..."

"Did the Radclyffe's have any children?"

I blinked. "Yes, four," I replied. "Their sons were Charles Jr., Anthony, and Franklin were all called to serve in Vietnam, and, unfortunately, never came home. They actually were all in the same unit with Isaac and Sebastian, and while my brothers came home, none of their sons ever did, except in coffins..."

John looked unwell at the prospect. "And the fourth child?"

"Josephine," I replied. "We used to play together as children, and were more like cousins than anything else..."

"What happened to her?" John asked.

I smiled at the memory. "Josephine followed in Mama's footsteps and became a nurse, and we were all so proud of her," I told John. "Well, Josephine was determined to be a nurse on the front lines of Vietnam, but her parents forbid her from going, blocking every path. Back then, I thought it was because they couldn't bear to lose her, and we had a terrible fight over it. So, she packed up and moved as far away as she could get..."

"Where did she go?" John wanted to know.

"Switzerland," I said. "She got a job in a hospital there, and ended up marrying a board member and senior physician for the hospital she was employed at," I went on. "She had private lessons in French and Italian growing up, and she took German in college. So, she was well-prepared when she took the position at the Children's Hospital in Geneva."

"Have you ever considered reaching out to her?"

"We are on Christmas card terms," I told him. "She has three daughters now with her husband, Christian, named Charlotte, Antoinette, and Francesca," I said, shaking my head.

John straightened up then and stared at me. "Alexandra..."

"Yes?"

John appeared to be onto something. "When was the last time Headmaster Radclyffe or his wife were over at your parents' home?"

I considered that for a moment and my jaw dropped open. "They always get together after the Professor's Ball," I whispered. "I told Mama that Mrs. Radclyffe wanted to hear from her, and so Mama called her after the ball. They scheduled a dinner at Mama and Daddy's house, and it was three days after the ball. They spent the night..." I covered my mouth with my hands and looked fearfully at John. "You don't think..."

"I certainly think that Grayson would have had enough time to sit down with Jackson after the Professor's Ball, and for his cousin to weave a tale in Grayson's favor," John spat, clearly exhibiting his feelings for the Humphries boys. "Dear God... Do any of them know where to draw the line?"

I shook my head, burrowing into John's arms, feeling relieved when he held me close. "Please, tell me something good," I whispered. "Anything..."

John sighed. "Well, another reason for Toby's call was to discuss Valentine's Day."

I gently eased my way far enough out of John's arms to look up at him. "What?"

"He apologized in advanced for doing this to us on our first one together, but he essentially begged us to watch the girls and Trevor for the weekend," John explained, and I raised my eyebrows at him. "He managed to get time away that weekend from the airlines, and wants to make a weekend of it with Layla. He told me he understood if we couldn't, but that he thinks the children would likely respond better to a weekend with us as opposed to your mother and father or that of Mrs. Fairfax next door."

"They probably would," I admitted, knowing that when Mama and Daddy had gone over there on New Year's that it had very nearly devolved into disaster. "All right. We'll give Toby a call and let him know we're on board. That is, if you don't mind..."

John smiled at me and shook his head. "Of course not. I love the girls, you know that, and it will give me ample opportunity to bond with my godson and nephew."

I gave John a small smile. "I love it whenever the two of you get time together."

John raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Really," I replied, leaning closer to him and pressing my lips to his. "If I were to really consider it, the proper term would be...frisky."

"Frisky, eh?" John asked me, grinning as he wrapped his arms around my waist again. "And what then, my beautiful wife, can I do to remedy said friskiness?"

I gave my husband a smirk. "One way to find out," I replied, and let out a playful shriek as John lifted me up into his arms and carried me out of the living room, up the stairs, and into the master bedroom suite, whereupon he dunked me onto the bed without ceremony, and the pair of us hastily undressed ourselves, and experienced the true joy of a married couple, for the first time in nearly a full month.

~*~

The Valentine's weekend in question arrived, and I finished my classes that day with a spring in my step. I had managed to avoid Headmaster Radclyffe's wrath, although I had it on good authority that my father was going to give him what for, especially after John had given him the full extent of the story. One look in the attic had my father screaming down the phone that, no, the folder filled with photographs was no longer in the attic, which meant that there would soon be hell to pay.

As for Grayson, he had kept firmly away from me, which I was all too glad for. I knew that the headmaster had likely told him not to engage me in conversation, which I was mightily pleased about, and I avoided him at all costs. The last thing I wanted was for a repeat of the Professor's Ball, or an untoward shouting match that would likely only land Grayson in hot water, while I myself would likely be out of a job. Determined not to let that happen, I continued merely focusing on my classwork, students, and grading and, surprisingly, January had melted away to February with nary a snit from any of the offending parties.

I left my classroom and the school on time, getting in my car and driving out of the parking lot. I had kept up with my grading, as I knew I likely wouldn't have much time for it this weekend, so as I could spend it with my nieces and nephew, as well as my husband, distraction-free. I would be swinging by the house, picking up John and our luggage, and driving directly to Toby and Layla's place. Toby was currently off from the airlines and Layla had arranged only to work until noontime that day, so they would be waiting for us upon our arrival.

I met John in the driveway, and my husband was quick to inform me that he had already locked up the house and we could be on our way immediately. I allowed him to put our luggage into the trunk of the car, and we promptly drove to my brother and sister-in-law's home. It was truly a lovely house, as I had explained to Layla several times, and there was plenty of room in the driveway to accommodate my rather large vehicle. I unlocked the trunk again and John took out our luggage, and I lead the way to the front door, which almost immediately burst open.

"Auntie Alexandra! Uncle John!" Alexa cried out as she dashed forward, Ruthie just at her heels, their hair swinging back and forth.

I dove downwards and grabbed Ruthie as she ran for me, while Alexa zipped past and ran for John, who dropped the luggage to pick her up. "And how are my darlings?" I asked them, pressing a kiss onto Ruthie's nose, earning a shriek.

"Mommy and Daddy go bye-bye," Ruthie said, her tone very serious; she had turned three just two weeks before, and was absolutely adoring her status of being a year older.

"That's right," I told her, walking up to the still-open front door.

Alexa, meanwhile, was five and had started kindergarten back in September, and was absolutely loving the school she was attending. "You're staying with us, then, right?" she asked John from behind me and Ruthie.

"Of course we are," John assured her, walking into the house behind me.

Toby came hurrying down the stairs, one suitcase in his hand, and beamed when he saw us. He set down the suitcase and took Ruthie from me, kissing me on the cheek and Ruthie on the forehead, swinging around his younger daughter, who squealed with glee. "Layla should be ready in a few minutes," he explained. "She's a bit worried about Trevor."

"She doesn't have to be," John said quickly, and I glared at him.

I turned back towards my brother. "Of course she is, Toby. This will be the first time she'll be away from him for the night. I hope you're not giving her a hard time."

Toby shook his head. "Of course not. I learned my lesson with that one," he replied, pointing at Alexa, still in John's arms. "Why don't I help you bring in your bags, John?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you," John said.

"I'll help!" Alexa volunteered.

Ruthie threw her fist in the air, still in Toby's arms. "Me too!"

"And I'll go check on Layla," I decided, and, once the plan was in place and everyone had a job to do, I went upstairs on my own, making my way towards the nursery, which was attached to a bathroom, which ultimately led directly into the master bedroom. "Layla?" I asked, turning the final corner, and peered inside, seeing Layla standing by the window, humming softly to Trevor, who was wide awake and smiling up at his mother.

Layla turned around at the sound of my footsteps and smiled at me. "Thank you for doing this for us, Alexandra," she said. "I know that if Toby hadn't planned all this, and you and John weren't available, I wouldn't have said yes to going, no matter how amazing Biltmore is supposed to be," she went on, her tone wistful.

I nodded, stepping into the nursery. "Toby said he wasn't giving you a hard time about leaving Trevor for the first time. Is he being honest with me?"

Layla chuckled lightly at that. "Of course, but you know Toby," she said, shrugging her shoulders at that. "He's always one to be on time for things, and he wants to be able to get there by dinnertime."

"Of course," I said quietly, stepping forward the rest of the way. "How about I hold onto Trevor for a moment, then?"

"Oh, we're already packed," Layla assured me, but nevertheless handed my nephew over to me with a small sigh. "I know, I need to go and have this time with Toby. I trust you and John implicitly with Trevor and the girls. It's just..."

"Fear of the unknown," I replied, settling my nephew in my arms, and he let out a little cooing sound when my scent became recognizable to him. "Of course, John and I will keep the children safe, no matter what, but, because you won't be here, you won't know for absolute certainty what could happen. And, I assure you, nothing out of the ordinary will happen," I told her, and moved to settle Trevor in his crib, and Layla nodded her head.

"Of course I know that," she replied, although she still held herself stiffly. "Rationally-speaking, I know that."

I took Layla by the hand and led her out of the nursery, holding tightly to the baby monitor in my free hand as I shut the door softly behind the two of us. "John called Daddy the other day," I said quietly to her.

Layla immediately turned and looked me in the eyes as we walked towards the master suite, presumably to collect her suitcase. "About the folder that Headmaster Radclyffe was in position of when he threatened you?" she whispered back.

I nodded. "The same," I replied. "John urged Daddy to go and search in the attic to see if it was still there where you left it."

Layla looked uneasy as she moved towards her suitcase. "And was it?"

"No," I responded, "it wasn't."

Laya whipped around, looking shocked. "When was the last time Headmaster and Mrs. Radclyffe were over at the house?"

"Just after the Professor's Ball," I told her, relieved that she still picked up her suitcase. "I have a running theory about what's really going on here..."

Layla blinked. "You do?"

"I do. I think it has something to do with his boys not coming back, and Isaac and Sebastian managing to come back."

Layla looked gobsmacked. "You think this dates back to Vietnam?" she hissed, deliberately attempting to keep her voice down. "You honestly think that Headmaster Radclyffe would dredge up the morbidity of yours and Toby's pasts, just because he's upset that his sons died but your brother's didn't?"

I nodded at her. "That's exactly what I'm thinking, Layla. Death of that nature results in trauma for those close to the deceased, and, if left unchecked, can fester to the point of madness and pure corruption. I also think that he blames me for Josephine moving."

"Josephine? Their only daughter?" Layla asked.

"Yes. I was her best friend, and, even though we did argue, I did support her in taking that nursing position in Switzerland. Even though Headmaster Radclyffe acted supportive of her after she left, he was always cold to me, and his emotions were never as genuine as they were before. I suppose he believes that, by targeting me and dismantling my life, that it is justifiable revenge for what happened in his."

Layla shuddered. "Well, I hope you can figure it out," she replied, and we moved out of the master bedroom and down the stairs, seeing that the girls, plus John and Toby, were all in the living room, listening to Alexa talk about her school. "All right, all right," Layla said, hurrying ahead of me and into the living room, "all set to go."

"Brilliant!" Toby crowed, getting to his feet and taking the suitcase from Layla. "Now, the phone numbers are on the bulletin board in the kitchen, and Mama and Dad are on standby if something else goes wrong, because they're closer. Now, do you have everything you need?"

I nodded. "Of course we do. I'll direct John to the guest room later to put our things away, and Trevor is down for his midafternoon nap."

"I left his feeding schedule on the bulletin board as well," Layla told me, as Toby hurriedly put her in her winter coat. "He feeds every four hours, and I made sure there were enough bottles for him for the time we'll be away in the fridge. I just fed him twenty minutes ago, and changed him as well, so you'll know when he wakes up that he won't need to eat for another two hours or so, but we've been over all this with the girls before..."

"It's all right," I assured her, squeezing her hand. "You don't have to worry about a thing, either of you. John and I have lots of plans for our weekend. The two of you just need to worry about getting there and having fun."

"Thank you," Toby said, grinning at me. "I mean it."

I shook my head at him. "I know you would do the same for me."

"I would," Toby assured me, nodding effusively. "Our children are precious gifts, and the most important things in the world, to any parent."

I could practically feel John stiffening from behind me, but knew that this was not the time to address it. Instead, I hugged and kissed both Toby and Layla goodbye, and told Alexa and Ruthie to say goodbye as well. I was relieved when John stepped forward and afforded my brother and sister-in-law the same treatment, and we all stood in the doorway, waving goodbye to them, with Ruthie back in my arms and Alexa back in John's.

"He's right, you know. Toby."

I blinked, looking over at John, thankful that the girls were sufficiently distracted. "What?" I asked him, although I already knew the answer.

John sighed, turning to look at me. "Children are precious gifts, and the most important things in the world to any parent."

I plastered a smile onto my face. "Of course," I replied, turning back towards Toby and Layla to continue waving goodbye, although what I really meant was, I'll take your word for it.

~*~

The rest of that weekend was wonderful, although I could sense that John was slowly but surely pulling away from me, and it was sufficient enough to break my heart all over again. However, I was mindful of what had happened the last time I had called him out on his behavior, and it had not gone over well as all. Determined not to allow history to repeat itself, I threw myself into being the perfect wife for him, and although he truly seemed happy with me as my partner in life, I could sense that the distance was not going to dissipate so easily.

The rest of February sped by, as did March, and John winced at every mention of St. Patrick's Day, and I regaled him with stories growing up of Mama's Irish grandmother, Brighid, who attempted to make her and all her siblings eat corned beef and cabbage, and was the only Irish woman, let alone person, who was so passionate about the dish itself. Mama had hated the dish, as did I, and for years we laughed about Brighid and her attempts to persuade her daughter, Anne, as well as Mama and her own brothers and sisters, to eat it.

Finally, on the first Sunday of April, which was Easter, I went all out for the evening meal and made Cornish hens, due to my dislike of ham. No one in my family ever made me feel negatively for this trait, and so the meal seemed to go off without a hitch. Nothing, I realized, however, was going to mend the bridge between me and my husband, no matter if we were in mixed company or just at home on our own. He was kind to my family during the lavish meal, but I was the only one who saw the façade for what it was. No matter what I did, I was going to have to live this way, I realized, if John was to continue being my husband.

A fortnight later, I woke up to an empty bed, and the other side of it was cold. Dread filled me then as I tossed the blankets aside and dressed quickly, my heart thundering in my breast. I knew where John had gone almost instinctively, and yet had slept so heavily the night before that I had been unaware of his departure. Putting on the first clothes I could find within the confines of my dresser, as well as ignoring the fact that I didn't call anyone to accompany me, I left my house and got into my car, getting onto the main highway as quickly as I could.

It was already past dawn, and yet the sun did not rise, letting me know that it would likely turn out to be an overcast day. Hardly caring about the weather, let alone other seemingly appropriate topics of conversation, I instead concentrated on my driving, heart hammering from with me, as I realized, upon looking in the mirror, that, in an effort to persuade John to stay there, with me, I had put on the necklace he had given to me on Christmas Day. Ignoring the fact that it still looked so wonderful with my engagement ring, I kept on staring at the lonely expanse of road beyond me, only aware of the lack of traffic and my erratic heartbeat.

I was relieved when I finally arrived at the ferry dock, and parked my car in the typical lines of spaces just beyond. I was in time to make the ferry, still docked at the port, and paid for the crossing along the surface of the water, my hands trembling as I counted out the required fare necessary to do so. I stood out upon the top deck, once I got upon the vessel, mentally begging for it to cast off so as I could get onto the island and potentially stop John from leaving me, for I didn't know how I would ever survive such a thing.

I dashed off the boat at a run, my handbag swinging from my arm as I hurried towards the bus stop, managing to catch it before it left. I perched upon the edge of the first available seat I could find, positively trembling at the notion that John could have left already. When the bus finally arrived at the correct stop, I flew through the doors, landing hard upon the ground beneath me, and stared at the entrance to mine and my family's favorite path, and could feel the sensation of magic swirling up from within the trees.

When I arrived in the woods of Ocracoke Island, the air was sweet-smelling around me, the lush-looking greenery fitting the part of an enchanted forest. Somehow, despite my mind being pulled systematically in too many directions to count, I retraced my steps until I found the correct path to lead me to John, as well as the circle of stones. I rounded a bend and soon came upon the grove of trees, something humming in the background not too far away, which intensified with each step I took. I continued towards the sound, and it rose in volume, morphing into that of a buzz instead of a mere hum within my ears, and, as I stepped closer, I saw the stone circle coming into view.

"John!" I shouted, seeing him, poised, before one of the stones, and found myself glued momentarily to the threshold, staring at the man, now dressed in his miliary uniform he'd arrived in so long ago. "John, wait!" I begged him, my voice desperate, shaking, as I wanted more than anything to charge forward.

John turned around, and there was torture in his dark eyes, which filled me with a strange sense of relief at the notion that this was as painful for me as it was for him. "Alexandra... Please." He was begging me as well, that much was evident, as I stumbled towards him. "This is... This is the way it has to be."

"It doesn't!" I cried out, running forward, taking him by the hands as I felt the waves of desperation falling off me as I wanted nothing more than to hold onto him as tightly as I could and never let him go. "John, it doesn't have to be this way! None of it does..."

"None of it was supposed to be this way," John said, deliberately not looking me in the eye, although he didn't shake off my grip upon him. "I was never supposed to travel two hundred years into the future, experience life in the twentieth century, meet you..."

"But, John, we can... We can be happy!" I said, tears flooding into my eyes before I could stop them, and felt a tremor flowing through me at the notion that I was about to be parted from John forever. "I... I'll do better, John. I know I can do better, I promise—!"

"Is that what you think?" John asked, loosening one of his hands from mine, and gently placing it upon my cheek. "Do you honestly believe you make me unhappy?"

I felt tears upon my lashes, before they snaked down my cheeks, hating myself that I was so easily swayed by him as I leaned down, pressing my cheek into the very depths of his palm. "I don't know," I admitted, and there was a particular crushingness to my tone. "I know this is different for you, and not just the distance of two hundred years separating you from all that you once knew..."

John used the pad of his thumb to dry my tears, before he used his fingers to gently tilt my face upwards to look at him. "I know that, in the beginning, leaving William was not something I ever contemplated doing," he whispered. "However, you ensnared me so quickly with your passion, intelligence, stubborn nature, fire..." John gave me a small smile. "Everything, Alexandra. You should know by now that you mean everything to me."

"Then why are you so dead-set on leaving me?" I whispered, clutching at his shirt, my fingers feeling frozen and ineffective in their grip upon him. "You don't have to leave me, John, and you know it. I promise, I'll never argue with you again. I'll do whatever you want, whatever you need, just please... Please, don't leave me."

"We are from two different worlds, Alexandra," John said, the mask in place as he gently eased my hands off from his person. "This... It always had to come to an end."

"And how does that justify the means?" I asked him, gripping my lip between my teeth for a moment so as it would stop trembling, but knew entirely well that the action wouldn't do any good, given the state I was in. "You know entirely well that Headmaster Radclyffe will fire me as soon as he realizes you're no longer in the picture..."

"Which is why I informed him that I was ill," John said quietly, and something inside me broke at his words. "I'll go away for a while, perhaps for a cure, whereupon you will produce a letter I've already written, telling you that it was much too late, and now I am gone..."

"No," I cried out, standing on my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck, utterly frightened at the prospect of facing any of this alone, without him by my side, to fight the battle that was Headmaster Radclyffe, once my trusted mentor, my uncle, on my own. "It doesn't have to be this way, John, please..."

John pressed his lips to my forehead. "I am so sorry, my darling. But this is the way it has to be, my darling girl..."

I sensed that his voice was breaking as he stepped away from me, towards the stone that seemed to be making the most buzzing. I watched as he placed his hands onto it, and then something snapped within me all at once. "John, no!" I cried out in anguish, falling forward and stumbling upon an unseen uneven portion of the ground, inadvertently knocking him out of the way of the stone, as the buzzing intensified, and I found myself spinning somewhere I couldn't even contemplate, and then there was nothing but darkness to envelope me.