"LUCY!" I whisper scream. "WHAT... HOW... HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!?" my heart pounds in my chest a mile a minute.

She flips her silky curls over her shoulder. "I used to be your servant. I know a lot of back entrances."

I narrow my eyebrows. "Where?" I ask, my patience run out.

"Your closet. Trap door on the ceiling. By the way, you are a mess without me. Clean out your closet once in a while."

She goes to walk out of my room, apparently the normal way. "Wait! What are you planning? I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what is going on... AND what was that all about?" I ask pointing towards the direction of the Study? "How could you possibly say that?"

Her face remains stone cold, unbothered. And when she speaks, her voice is scary calm as she says, "I told Axil what he needed to hear, and now I'm telling you what you need to hear. Pack your things and meet me in the stables, quickly. I'll explain then."

Before she walks out of my room she pauses and cocks her head behind her. "Remember what I told you. Clean out your closet. I would hate for that mess to hide something you're looking for."

And then she's gone. I shake myself back into reality. You can't just run away, I tell myself but the other side of me says, you know Lucy. Has she ever steered you wrong? You have to trust her.

So, I do exactly what she says. I pack my things. Mostly casual clothes and shoes meant to blend into a crowd and I leave a little space left in my bag for the book Mr. Griffin gave me. Perhaps there is something I might have missed.

I look to my dresser. The pearl bracelet Axil got me sits in the corner next to the picture of Mika and my mother. I could break it. I should just leave it here. But again, I go against my better judgment and slip the bracelet on my wrist.

Throwing the bag over my shoulder I'm surprised at its lightness but then again; I don't have many possessions to bring. Opening my closet door, Lucy's right, I really do need to clean up. Shoving boxes and loose clothes aside, I part the hangers and use the bar to hoist myself up. I push as hard as I can against the ceiling of my closet until I can hear it give.

Oh, you really lost a lot of strength living life as a wanna be princess. I shove the thought out of my mind and give the trap door one last push before a small square opening breaks away and topples against my arm. I push it hard to the side but it falls and clatters.

I wince, covering my mouth with my hand and squeezing my eyes shut. I listen for the smallest of movements but the only thing I can hear is the soft ticking from the clock on the wall. When no one comes barging in, I take a deep breath and pull myself up through the hole.

Darkness fills this small tunnel, and as I curl the rest of myself in, I'm met with a choice. Right or left?

There is a tiny glimmer of light as I look to my left in comparison to the total darkness of my right so naturally, I follow the light.

It's a lot smaller of a tunnel than I had originally expected. "Okay" I whisper to myself over and over again as I carefully crawl closer to the light source.

"You shouldn't be doing this."

At first, I think it's my own voice. Only after a moment do I realize it's much too regal to be my own. Eden.

I steady my voice to answer her. I know she can't hear me but I can hear myself, and into the dark I whisper, "Yes, I should."

Crawling onward, the light gets brighter. There must be a vent that connects to this tunnel and if that's the case, how many are there around the whole palace. 20? 30?

I don't have time to think. Tiny enraged whispers bite through the silence and I stop in my tracks.

"We shouldn't be doing this," says the voice, definitely female and youthful. "I don't think you really want to hurt anyone. You're just scared."

Looking through the slats of the vent all I can see are white walls. But the sweet aroma that fills my nose makes me confident that I'm on top of the kitchen.

"Darling," says another voice, this one thicker and more mature. "This is what we were brought here for. Do you know how much we will be rewarded when we get back? More than we're worth, that's for sure."

"I don't want to go back," the first voice argues.

All of the sudden I am feeling de-ja-vu. Almost the exact conversation John and I exchanged.

"This dump is not our home. Where is your loyalty?" the second voice hisses.

There is a slight pause and for a moment I'm convinced they must have heard how hard my heart is beating.

"Listen to me. You will do as I say and follow every order. You are to bring this to the queen. What is it?"

"Fruit punch," the young voice answers.

"Who is it from?"

"Me. I made it."

"That's right. You will not leave until she drinks it. How many sips?"

"Three."

"Good. Now hurry along before she leaves the Throne Room. If you are not back in ten minutes, I will find you."

Not again. My brain suddenly becomes devoid of all thoughts and I immediately start to crawl further into the tunnel. I have to make it to the queen first. Lucy will understand.

"I'm not so sure." Eden's voice fogs my head again. "Lucy will think that you have abandoned her, just like everyone else."

That's not true, I try to tell myself. This is her mother, the Queen of Lumbridge, we're talking about. I have to follow this little girl.

"You took everything from Lucy. You owe her your life. You will forever be in her debt."

I look into the next vent. Thick black mist fills the hallway, fear and guilt constricting this child.

"The queen is not the only one on a timeline. Don't leave now... Lucy will leave without you. It's your choice." Eden's last words drift off like a bad dream.

"Come on, come on, think," I whisper to myself. There has to be a secret passageway to the Throne Room. Just keep going.

"You've rebelled once again. I always told you how much of a disappointment you would be."

I had never forgotten Eden's words to me in her own Throne Room atop the mountain. "Under your magic the kingdom will surly die."

Under my magic...

I take hold of the tiny pendant around my neck. It sparkles at my touch. "Show me to the Throne Room," I whisper.

The magic swirls around the pendant until it dives deep inside the crystal. The gemstone starts to glow and then an emerald whisp of magic swims out in front of me and rounds a bend, making a trail.

"Thank you," I whisper and follow its lead.

The glowing whisp is the only thing I focus on as I scramble through the dark tunnel. I run and turn and run and duck until the magic points downward. There is no other place to go. It's a dead end.

I certainly don't like to use more magic than I have to. Crista has warned me about abusing the power, but there's no other option. I leap through time and space, welcoming the cool rush of "The In-between." Like walking down an empty street with the soft glow of lamp lights.

I look through the pockets of time until I see the Throne Room and I jump through, seeing the queen taking a sip from the goblet.

"STOP!"

"Zaria?" The Queen stands up from her throne. The king is nowhere in sight. "Honey, what is going on?"

"How many sips?" I ask quickly, out of breath. "Of the fruit punch, how many sips?"

She looks at me puzzled. I turn my gaze to the little girl. So tiny, she cowers in the corner knowing she was caught, her cheeks flaming red.

"Two," she says figuring it out. "I took two sips." She looks over at the little girl.

"It's not her fault. There's someone else in the kitchen that made her do this."

The queen sighs, and she hangs her head. "I know the woman. I let her in this past month. Begging on our doorstep, she pleaded her story. I should have known she wasn't banished from Malaka. She came here with a mission."

I flinch at her last sentence.

"This is what the Queen thinks of you as well. You're no different."

No. I have to tell myself. This is not you. Not anymore.

I look back over at the child. Her hands fold in front of her as she stands completely still.

"I'll find a place for her. Please, let her stay here. She can't go back."

The queen sets the goblet down and stands. "I'm not planning on it."

Nodding, I say "I'll alert the royal guards. They'll find the woman and get you an antidote." I start to hurry off, but she lightly grabs my wrist.

"Don't. You must go. I can manage." She looks back over to the child. "Come," she says.

The child sheepishly walks towards her. I notice her stained cotton dress and matted hair and if I look close enough, her eyes almost spark familiarity.

The queen takes her hand and the child tries to squirm away. "Willow, go with Zaria. She'll find a place for you to stay," the queen says calmy holding onto the wriggling child.

"No," she fights. "No. No. No. No," she says over and over again.

"You're scared. Don't be," she says placing Willow's hand in mine. I keep a firm grip. The child's got some strength.

"Zaria, thank you." She lowers her head in a I-know-what-your-doing type of way. "And be careful."

I nod in confusion. Lucy must have told her mother that we were leaving. She turns and walks out the door, her poofy skirts following her.

I look down at Willow and she glares up at me. "Follow me."

"You're gonna hurt me," she says trying to pull her hand out of mine.

My heart shatters into a million pieces. "Of course not. I'm going to take you to a really safe place. The house I'm taking you to is filled with sweets."

She remains silent but leaves up on the death grip she has around my fingers.

"Come on, I'll show you."