The card began to vibrate between her fingers and a cold chill ran down the length of her spine. Gripping the card tighter, she repeated her request over and over in her mind.

      Claire had never wanted anything more in that moment than for the magic to work. 

      When she felt a sudden tugging sensation, she opened her eyes to see the card was trying to pull itself free. Not knowing if this was normal or not, Claire let it go. Instead of floating to the floor, the card shot away, making several laps around the room before coming to a stop at its center. It hovered for a moment then it began to spin in place, faster and faster until it became a silver blur.

      At its center a picture began to form and Claire stood up and moved closer so she could get a better look. At first it felt as though she were looking through ice or frosted glass. All she could make out were colorless shapes moving back and forth. As the card spun on, the image began to clear and she could make out the figure of a woman standing in the center of the room. Her attention seemed fixed on something that Claire could not see and it was evident the woman was speaking though Claire could not hear what was being said.

      The woman was tall and elegant, her skin pale as snow and her hair a shade of blonde so light that it almost looked white. Claire watched as the woman paused mid sentence and, to her surprise, turned to look at her. Well, in her direction, or so Claire assumed. There was certainly no way that the woman could even know she was watching.

      Still, the expression on the woman's face grew dark and Claire watched with growing unease as the woman began to stalk in her direction. As the woman drew closer, it appeared as though she was looking for something, her eyes scanning the space even as her hands reached out to grasp the edges of something Claire could not see.

      "Who's there?"

      The voice sounded disjointed, as though she were submerged in water.

      Claire found herself backing up, uncertain as to whether or not the woman on the other side could actually see her.

      The face came in closer, her doll-like features twisting into a sneer.

      "Who is spying on me?"

      The woman reached out, the surface of the vision shimmering and then splintering as the tips of her slender fingers began to push through it into the space Claire occupied. She could only stare, terrified and awestruck by what was happening.

      Though frozen with fear, Claire knew she had to do something to stop whatever it was that was happening.

      "Stop," she said at last, her voice a whisper. "Stop, please, stop!"

      With each consecutive word her voice grew louder, her command directed at the card which she had been begging for help just minutes earlier. She grimaced when instead of stopping, the splintering sound grew louder and soon the woman's hand all the way up to her wrist had pushed through the doorway she had opened.

      "I can see you girl..." the hand thrust further into the room, managing to grab a fist full of Claire's shirt before she was able to react. The fingers curled tightly, sharp, pointed nails tearing into the fabric as the owner pulled Claire closer.

      "No! Stop!"

      Claire pulled back against the woman's grip, her arm now exposed all the way to her elbow. The fabric finally gave and she stumbled back, her foot catching on the corner of the trunk causing her to crash to the floor. She ignored the pain, her eyes fixated on the distorted face of the woman attempting to reach her.

      Beyond the woman there was movement and another face appeared, even more blurred and distorted than the first making it impossible to make out any details, Claire, however, couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that it was someone she knew.

      Without warning, the door to the cabin burst open as Draz, Valerick and Rollan pushed their way inside. Draz stopped short when he saw the arm protruding from the window Claire had unintentionally created. "What the hell is that?"

      Valerick cursed under his breath as he crossed the room in two long strides, drawing a card from his pocket in the process. He tossed it into the air where it spun briefly then exploded outwards in a brilliant flash of light. There was a distant shriek, the arm recoiling backwards to wherever it had come. Seconds later the opening swirled closed with a loud clap.

      The card Claire had used glowed briefly then fell to the floor.

      "Are you okay?"

      Claire looked over to see Rollan kneeling beside her, a concerned expression etched onto his face. She nodded though the truth was whatever had just happened had scared her to death.

      Valerick reached down and picked up the card. He examined it before turning sharply to look at her. "What the hell were you thinking? I told you not to act impulsively. This isn't a game, this is dangerous magic and you could have gotten yourself hurt."

      She knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier to stop the tears welling up in her eyes. Valerick seemed to notice and let out a heavy sigh.

      "I'm sorry, Claire... I shouldn't have shouted," Valerick said. "We just heard you yelling and..."

      "We were scared you were in danger," Rollan finished when Valerick seemed unable to find the words. "What exactly happened?"

      "I just... I just want to find him," Claire managed, the tears she had been holding back finally breaking free to stream down her cheeks in thin, wet lines. "I want to know if he is okay... I just..."

      She buried her face against Rollan's shoulder in an effort to muffle the sobs she was no longer able to contain. She felt his arms encircle her shoulders and took solace in his embrace, leaning into him and just letting it all out.

      "It's okay to cry," Rollan assured her, his voice quiet.

      "I'm going to kill that idiot the second we find him," Draz muttered.

      When the sobs eventually gave way to the occasional hiccuping sniffle, Valerick took the initiative and spoke.

      "Can someone explain to me just what is going on? Just who are we looking for?" Valerick asked.

      "Aleksandr Drosselmeyer," Draz replied after a moment of hesitation.

      Valerick's expression grew dark. "Drosselmeyer? What business does my daughter have with that family of traitors?"

      "Alek isn't a traitor," Draz replied.

      "After everything that has happened, you really expect me to believe that?" Valerick asked, fists clenching.

      Claire, who had been content to let Draz handle the explanations, lifted her face away from Rollan's shoulder and looked towards her father.

      "No," she replied, her voice cracking with emotion. "I don't."

      "Claire?" Draz asked, clearly confused by her response.

      She rose shakily to her feet prompting Rollan to rise with her, hands hovering in case her legs suddenly decided to give out.

      "It's okay," she continued, looking towards Draz. "You didn't always believe in Alek either, remember?"

      Draz rubbed the back of his head and reluctantly nodded. She turned her attention back to Valerick. He seemed unable to meet her gaze, but that didn't stop her from trying to meet his.

      "I know what you must be thinking and I'm not even going to waste my time asking you to believe us. All I am asking is that you trust me, and give him a chance to prove he isn't like his father," she said. "Please."

      He stared hard at the floor and for a moment Claire was afraid he would refuse her request. She wasn't sure what she would do if he did, they needed his help if they had any hope of finding Alek.

      "All right, fine," he said at last.

      Claire was so relieved that she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered. He went very still before finally patting her awkwardly on the head.

      "I have one condition," he replied.

      "Anything," she said.

      "Next time you want to find something, or someone, ask me first, there are things that can be done to make such broad requests a bit safer," he said, brandishing the card she had created. "And I am going to keep this for the time being."

      Claire nodded.

      "Now, let's get some rest, we've got a long journey ahead of us."

      The next morning dawned bright, bringing with it clear blue skies and a feeling of optimism Claire hadn't felt in days. She drifted in and out of sleep until the sound of a knock on the door finally roused her out of bed. When she opened it she was surprised to see Luci standing there looking awkward.

      "Captain wanted me to give you these," she said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. Claire looked past her and saw two other crew members standing there holding several boxes. Confused, she stepped back and motioned for Luci to enter. She swept inside followed by the men who placed the boxes down before standing back to await further orders.

      "Don't you ingrates have work to do?" Luci barked, causing both of the men to jump.

      "Yes ma'am," they both stammered.

     "Then get to it!"

      They scrambled to obey the order, tripping over each other in their haste. Claire looked away, doing her best to stifle a laugh. When she looked back she was surprised to see Luci grinning at her.

      "Bunch o' lazy bums," she said, "Gotta keep 'em on their toes or else they'll start thinking they can get away with whatever they please."

      Claire smiled and turned her gaze towards the boxes. "What is all this?"

      Luci shrugged and ambled over to the desk. "Beats me, I don't ask questions," she said. "Captain seems to have taken a fancy to you."

      "Oh, I see," Claire replied, lifting the lid to one of the boxes for a peek. She caught a glimpse of color, a soft pink hue that shimmered ever so slightly in the sunlight, and realized it was clothing. "Take them back please."

      "Pardon?" Luci asked, looking at her in surprise.

      "I can't accept them," Claire said.

      "I thought you were a strange girl, but now I'm certain of it," Luci said, opening one of the boxes. It was another garment, this one a deep blue with gold threads woven through in an intricate pattern. Luci ran her fingers over the fabric. "Do you not like them? They're not my style but I think they'll suit you nicely."

      "Of course I do, they're lovely," Claire replied. How could she not? They were beautiful.

      "What's the problem then?" Luci asked, fixing Claire with a curious stare.

      "I've already... I just don't want there to be any misunderstandings..." Claire wasn't sure how to explain without sounding foolish. What if she was simply overreacting? It was presumptuous to think that Xeiren viewed her as anything other than a means to an end, but Claire decided it was better to look foolish now than to cause unnecessary trouble in the future.

      All of a sudden Luci grinned. "I see ...you already got yourself a man?"

      Claire nodded, she was relieved that Luci was perceptive enough to pick up the unspoken meaning behind her words.

      "I don't want there to be any confusion," Claire concluded, a blush rising to color her cheeks.

      Luci began to laugh and Claire smiled sheepishly. She wasn't sure what was so funny.

      "Darlin'," Luci said with a shake of her head. "Keep the clothes, wear the dresses, let the Captain treat you like a little doll and don't think too deep about it. He's for sure a flirt and a scoundrel, but he's not lookin' for romance."

      "Are you sure?"

      "Trust me," Luci said, "He gave his heart away long ago and has suffered endlessly because of it. I can't see him being so reckless again any time soon."

      "What happened?" Claire asked.

      Luci thought for a moment and then shrugged. "It's not for me to say, but you're welcome to ask the captain if you're curious."