Dyani moved through the night to the destination on the paper. She wished that she knew of more magical travels other than the Dysc. This travel would have taken only moments instead of close to half an hour. However, Dyani knew that getting to any place in the city at night was practically impossible, even with transportation. As it were, Dyani was stuck walking alone to the destination. Thankfully, it was only a couple of miles down the way and somewhere that she was familiar with. Britt had chosen something close but far enough away that connecting it to them would take a lot of work to prove.

When she got to the shopping center, one that made her suck in a sharp breath, Dyani closed her eyes to give her racing heart a moment. At the same time, a slight noise made her raise her hands in alarm. Dyani saw Britt walking before she could yell out in surprise or even scream at being startled. She knew this very place due to it being the same plaza that she had been kidnapped from only a few months prior. She suspected that Britt was not aware of this particular detail. Had he known, she was almost positive that he would have suggested a new rendezvous point.

Britt stopped beside her, scanning her face before frowning, "What is it? Did you have any issues on the way here?"

Dyani kept her eyes away from the very spot where it all went down. Except that she couldn't help it. Eyes wandered and zeroed in on the exact spot. It was hard to forget that night. Dyani's breathing hitched and became rapid. It was already dark outside, but darkness was spreading over her vision. There was a soft touch on her hand and it was brought up to rest against another's body. She could hear a voice, deeper and soothing, but the words were not distinguishable. Instead, she could only see the flashes of light and the women screaming. She could feel the arms wrap around her, but she felt the pain of the ritual knife cutting into her skin instead of warmth.

"—reathe. That's it. Just brea—," the voice was going in and out of focus. Something must have been going through her head because the darkness and the memories began to fade. In their place was a much brighter and soothing light. It encompassed the person that her hand was resting against. His voice came through slowly, but the sound of it brought her out of her panic.

"Come on, Dyani, just follow my voice. Follow my breathing. Deep breath in. Now, breathe out. You are safe. I am right here."

Dyani felt her heart slow and the panic of the memories dying with them. Around her, the crisp night air brought her back into reality. Dyani closed her eyes and focused solely on Britt's direction and voice. The first thing she noticed was the feel of his skin against her palm. Next, it was the beat of his heart against it. Without thinking, she moved her hand upwards to his neck, feeling the smooth surface. She reached out with her other hand and found the other side of his neck.

Fingers threaded through his hair while her other hand rested against the side of his neck. Between the softness of his hair and the low thrum of his pulse, Dyani's panic faded away into the night. Her eyes opened and she found herself much closer to Britt than expected. His green eyes were bright in the night and she could not look away from them. Britt held still, watching her with deep concern on his face.

Dyani, realizing the position that she put them both in, stepped away with a muttered apology and a pink face.

"What happened?" Britt's voice was soft but hard.

Dyani sighed and turned so that her back was away from the shopping center, "this was the place I was kidnapped."

The colorful vocabulary that came from Britt's mouth would have impressed her on a normal day, but instead, she just shuddered at the lingering emotions. Britt stepped up beside her, reaching out a hand for her to take. Dyani turned slightly and placed her palm over her.

"I am so very sorry Dyani. I had not known that this was the place. I would have never brought you here had I known."

He gently pulled her hand, giving her time to pull away. Instead, she buried her face into his neck and the tears ran quietly down her face. She hid them in the crook of his neck, hoping he would just hold her. No words were spoken, but that was precisely what she needed right now. The comfort of someone knowing and that she was safe once more.

One arm wrapped around her waist while the other wrapped around her upper back, hand resting on the back of her head. His fingers carded through her hair gently and she hiccuped as the tears slowed down. She would allow this weakness, but after this, she would need to move past it. She couldn't let this moment control her. She would own and control it.

"I am sorry, Dyani."

"It's not your fault," Dyani muttered. "You couldn't have known."

"I should have. I am responsible for your well-being."

Dyani stuck her nose into his collarbone. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. His scent was woodsy and earthy, like walking through a forest that had just rained. It was something she had not smelled in quite some time. At least, not since she last went camping with her family a few years ago.

"I care about you." The words were soft, and Dyani wondered if she had heard them correctly. Britt smoothed a hand over her hair and turned his head to the side, kissing her temple. This action alone soothed her nerves and she stepped away, wiping the remnants of the tears. Britt took one of her hands into his. She looked up.

"You can come to me at any point if you need help or if you just want someone to talk to you. I am not going just to leave you after these past few months."

Dyani nodded and gave a shy smile. Britt pulled her in close. They stood like that for a few more minutes before separating for the final time.

"We need to keep moving. You are covered, but I must be careful not to tip off the Headmistress. Let’s get going to your home. How far is it from here?"

Dyani raised an eyebrow but nodded, knowing that his words were true, "It is about twenty-five minutes with driving. We didn't live within D.C, but on the outskirts near Arlington, closer to the Arlington area."

Britt sighed and ran a hand over his face. He took out his PMA, the personal one, and clicked it off once the message was sent. He turned to Dyani.

"We can't afford to travel through the normal means, so I will have to do something that skirts the legality. Do you agree to do this if you keep quiet about it?"

Dyani gave a silent, sharp nod. She knew that she would keep quiet, short of murder, if that meant that she would be able to contact her family. That was more important than questionable magic, and Dyani wondered if it really should have been "illegal" in the first place.

"This is going to be uncomfortable. I'm sorry for that. I need you to think of your house—preferably your backyard. Think very hard about it. I need to see it within my mind."

"Within your mind?" Dyani's curiosity couldn’t ignore that.

Britt hummed in acknowledgment, "Yes. I will be reading your surface thoughts to see where we need to go. My... specific brand of magic will then take us to your home."

Dyani stopped and stared at him. This is the magical transportation that she had wanted to know more about earlier. This would have made it so much easier for her than walking all the way. Dyani huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest. Sensing her shift in mood, Britt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"This is a magic that is very specific to who can use it, Dyani. I'm using this out of necessity rather than the desire to."

The girl stared hard at him with her eyes narrowed. It was a minute or so of tense silence before she huffed out a breath and deflated. The tension in Britt's shoulders eased up and he stepped closer to the woman.

"I need you to think of your backyard very clearly. Especially if it has foliage or trees."

Dyani cocked an eyebrow at the specific request but did as asked. She gave a nostalgic smile as she remembered the large tree swing in the back. The house had changed slightly, but she knew the tree was still strong a few months ago. Dyani doubted that in the time she had been gone that it was torn down. Her mind floated with the memories of swinging on it and she felt a calming magic encase her body. Britt's magic was much different than normal. Her eyes opened and stared into the emerald green of the handsome man in front of her. It was only for a quick blink of an eye, but Dyani would swear up and down that Britt's features changed when she felt his mind connect with hers.

It was too fast for her to get a decent look and she was distracted by the surge of foreign magic that coursed through her body. Britt's mind latched onto the memory and his lips curled up at the sweetness of it. The handsome man stepped forward and brought Dyani into an embrace that would have brought a pink hue to her cheeks if she wasn't already focused on the soft caress of Britt's mind. It was gentle and calming, but she could feel the strength of power behind it.

His magic swirled up around them and Dyani felt herself being wrapped. It was light and flowing. She couldn't get a sense of what was happening as she was too absorbed in the forged mental connection. Britt's forehead rested against hers and she stepped closer to the man who had spent hours upon hours each day for the past few months with her.

Of all the people who could have done this, Britt was the only one that she would have felt safe and comfortable with. The thought crossed her mind and passed into Britt's with ease. Realizing this, Dyani flushed and bit her lip. Britt's response was to squeeze her waist and continue focusing on the tree and the swing. What felt like hours was, in fact, only a moment in time. Their feet gently set down onto the ground and Britt moved to catch Dyani as she stumbled.

Dyani broke out of the trance that had captured her, sucking in a choked gasp.

"You'll be okay, Dyani. It's intense at first but the feelings will soon pass."

The dark-haired woman leaned against the tree. Her breaths were shallow and she felt more emotions than she cared to. Britt was rubbing her back in a soothing motion.

"That's it, take deep breaths."

Dyani stood and took a single deep breath before looking around. It was her home. She had finally returned to the place she had longed for.

"How?" The question was whispered, but Britt heard it clearly.

"Earth Magic. I have a connection with the Earth and the Trees, the Plants and the Wind. I can connect with them and move with them as one."

Dyani tore her eyes away from her childhood home to stare at Britt. "Thank you. I don't care how. I don't care at all. Thank you."

Britt's smile was gentle and understanding. He motioned for her to move to the house. Dyani knew that this would be the hardest part. The first was not to get shot on sight and the second was trying to explain exactly how things have changed. She believed wholeheartedly in the fact that her family would support her. There was almost no doubt that it was the separation and the control over her that they would not like. Similarly, she was not finishing her schooling at the college, despite her desire to complete her degree.

Her steps were light as she walked up the stairs, wood creaking underfoot at the shifting weight. The deck was newly polished, having been varnished earlier that summer. She remembered her father cursing up a storm at the project. Their deck was immaculate and even the hot tub and pool were ready for use. Dyani sighed wistfully at the places where she spent the most of her time outside of school.

Dyani walked to the back door, hoping beyond all hope, that she was well received. Dyani rapped hard on the window door, the glass making a sharper sound than the wood. It would be more distinct. It had the upside that everyone in her family preferred to tap the glass than the wood.

It took a while, which did not surprise her. In fact, she was amazed that it took only a few minutes for the hall light to turn on and one of her brothers to come into the kitchen. The light flooded into the room and out through the glass to cover part of the deck. It took one look from her brother for him to start yelling. That was one thing that she could count on. Her youngest brother was the loudest of the household. The door slammed open. She could see that the rest of the family tripped down the staircase and spilled into the kitchen, all eyes staring at her in disbelief.

"Dee?"

The girl stepped forward and reached out to her mother, the one who had gone whiter than a sheet of paper. Behind her, Britt stepped into the house and closed the door as quietly as he could. It took a stilted moment before her entire family converged on her. Everyone was crying and asking so many questions but Dyani just took it in. She was not sure how long they stood there before her family let up and stepped back. On the other hand, her mother continued to cling to her to reassure herself that Dyani was indeed there.

It was silent, so it was easy to hear her father's question, "Where have you been?"

Dyani looked over her mother's shoulder to gaze at her father and three brothers. She did not know how she could have gone through this change without them. They had always been there through everything. Now, she couldn't have been more grateful to Britt for reuniting her with her family.

"It's a long story. One that I am unsure if we have the time to explain." Dyani looked back at Britt, silently asking his opinion on the matter. The family took notice of the handsome man that accompanied their daughter.

"Who are you?"

Her eldest brother's voice was sharp and she knew that if she did not mediate, it could get out of hand soon. Dyani stepped away from her mother's embrace to stand next to Britt. She placed a soft hand on his arm, giving her family a soft smile.

"This is Britt. He was the one to smuggle me out to get me back to you. He's been planning this for the past few months, from what I can tell."

Britt nodded but refrained from saying anything.

"Smuggled you out? Dyani, what is going on?" Her mother's voice was on the verge of hysterical from the shock of seeing her missing daughter.

Dyani's eyes met with Britt's. She could feel the remnants of the mental connection that had been forged when bringing her to the house. A flush spread up her neck and Dyani shook away the memory of the feel—another time. Britt's eyes crinkled in silent laughter, knowing right where her mind had gone. His eyes flicked over her head and at the family waiting for her to answer.

"It's your choice, Dyani. I will support either."

Dyani nodded her head and let her hand slip down to his, giving it a brief squeeze before stepping away. The action did not go unnoticed by any of her family.

"Can we go to the living room? I'd rather be comfortable with this conversation. I've missed home."

Dyani's mother took her by the arm and guided her while Britt followed. Dyani's father and brothers were close behind, making the hair on the back of Britt's neck stand. It took a few minutes to get everyone settled. Britt remained standing even though he made sure that the curtains were pulled shut and the lights were kept to a minimum. The last thing they wanted to do was to attract attention to the house. He would not take risks, despite the Headmistress not knowing where Dyani's family lived.

Her family had settled around her, with Dyani in the middle of the long couch. The woman's father was a broad-shouldered, muscular man that Britt knew would be difficult to best in a physical fight. Green eyes glanced over the woman that had captured his attention these past few months. She looked exactly like her mother, their features being soft. However, Dyani had gotten a strong figure from her father and the same intense eyes. It would come as no surprise if Dyani's temper and penchant for bravado were also inherited from her father.

The other three men were a conundrum to Britt. He was not prepared to deal with more than two or three people. Instead, this was a larger family. It was interesting to him that there were families with more than one child. To have four of them must have been an exciting time when they were children. The boys all looked quite the same, which was another baffling thing, especially since it was apparent that Dyani was the third oldest and the others were a few years apart. He shook his head to clear the thoughts, preferring to keep special attention on the conversation.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Mother, Father. I would like to introduce you to Britt. Britt, I want to introduce you to my parents, Serena and Caltan. The three lugs on the loveseat, from oldest to youngest, are Ferran, Dylan, and Kieran. This is my family."

Britt shook each of their hands before taking his place at the fireplace's mantle. It was the best place in the room to keep an eye on the doors and windows and give him the best route to grab Dyani and leave if needed. Dyani crossed her hands on her lap and hunched in on herself slightly. Her parents shot a concerned look over her head.

"I was out with Mary, if you remember. We were shopping in the plaza when something happened." Dyani faltered and her mother covered her hand. Dyani's eyes flickered over to clash with Britt's. He knew that she was holding back her panic at the memories that were threatening to overwhelm her again.

Ignoring the others in the room, even if they were family, Britt crossed the room to the woman. He knelt and placed his hands on her thighs. His thumbs rubbed the tops of her thighs as he guided her through the calming motions as he had done earlier. Dyani's shuddering breaths calmed and her eyes glazed over. Britt gave a light squeeze. Dyani's family kept quiet.

"There were sudden flashes of light. They were so very bright. The night was lit up and it was chaos. People screamed and I lost track of Mary. She was already on the ground. I tried to run over to her, but arms grabbed me around the waist and a light overtook my vision."

Dyani sucked in a deep breath. Britt took one of her hands into his. Without thinking, he reached up to place a hand on her cheek. Black hair brushed against his skin as she leaned into his touch, the long strands splaying over his forearm. "I am here, Dyani. He cannot harm you any longer."

The girl nodded absently, though she could see that the knuckles of her family had grown white while gripping the furniture at Britt's words.

"I woke up. I didn't know where I was. I heard screaming. There was a coppery smell on the air. So much blood."

Dyani gasped as the memories tried to flood forward. Britt moved her hand to his chest before cupping her face between his palms, "Follow my heart and breathing. That's it."

"I could feel the knife on my skin, the fingers in my wounds. Blood everywhere."

"That's enough. You don't have to go on," Britt took over speaking while keeping his breathing even, eyes staring into Dyani's to help her remain calm. "I come from a world that resides alongside yours but is separate. It is hidden away."

"What world are you from where a woman is tortured?" The voice was sharp and harsh, though Britt recognized that it was from the eldest male rather than the father.

"Don't blame Britt," Dyani snapped before taking a shaking breath. "I was kidnapped and brought to a stone altar, where this man carved into my body. He was chanting and saying things I could not understand. But I heard all the screams. So many women were dying and tortured."

Dyani sobbed and gasped to catch her breath. She curled in on herself. Britt ignored all and pulled her from the couch and into his arms. They sat on the floor with him cradling her, running his fingers through her hair. Dyani clutched at his shirt, crying out the tears that had not been released.

"You need to release this, Dyani. You haven't coped with it; you have suppressed it. I told them they should have gotten you a Mental Specialist."

"I know," she choked out. "I know I do, but it hurts. It's all pain. It's so terrible. I can't. I can't!"

Britt pulled her face up to look at him properly, "You are the bravest person I have ever met, Dyani. You went through something that has never happened in the history of our world. You survived. You survived and came out so much stronger."

Dyani hiccuped and rested her head on his shoulder. She stared at her brothers, who were settled into the loveseat. They stared at her in horror and shock and confusion. She couldn't blame them for the last emotion. Her explanation was all over the place. Dyani could barely cope with it herself.

"Dyani?" Her mother's voice was worried and scared. The woman was clutching her husband and staring at their only daughter in fear and sorrow. "Please. We don't understand."

Britt raked a hand through her hair and softly said, "Let me take over."

Dyani nodded and laid her head down underneath his chin. Britt's movements were soft and gentle.

“Your daughter was put through something that we call a ritual."

"Excuse me?" The father's disbelief cut through the house like a whip.

"You heard me correctly, sir. Your daughter is a survivor of a ritual. Please let me explain," Britt hoped they would give him a chance to speak without interruption. "As I had mentioned, I come from a world that resides next to yours. Only we are hidden from your world. In this world, magic exists."

He waited for the outburst but was only met with disbelieving stares. It was better than he expected, so Britt forged on.

"The magical world has been around for hundreds of millennia. Only within the past few thousand years have humans become a part of it."

"I knew it!" Everyone's head whipped around to stare at the youngest brother. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "You know I have been studying many different obscure areas. I came across some interesting things during my research proposal."

"Please, continue. Forgive my son's outburst."

"It was the summer solstice when a massive magical backlash ripped through the tri-state area. It would have felt like an earthquake to those who are nonmagical."

There was a quiet 'so that's what that was' from one of the brothers, but Britt ignored it. "Officials arrived on the scene of a massive ritual area. It appeared that the ritual had gone wrong. Although, they were surprised to find that there was a bright silver light in the middle of the ritual circle. In this light was a woman floating. After about ten minutes, she was lowered to the ground and, to the surprise of everyone, alive. Dyani is the first living being to survive a magical backlash of that scale."

"Wait a moment, you are telling us that not only does that magical world exist in the first place, but that our daughter was the victim of a crime and only by sheer chance did she make it out alive? That doesn't explain why she has been missing for two months!" Caltan's voice was sharp and he dug straight to the point.

"That is because she is now a part of the magical world, whether she desires to be a part of it or not. She has come under extreme scrutiny and many government officials are looking to control her."

The entire family stared at him scandalously. He knew exactly what was going on in their head.

"It's not Britt that is the issue. And I am not being kept as an experiment. I'm more or less on lockdown. They think that going unchecked will cause issues with nonmagical people finding out and that I could potentially kill someone. While I agree that I need help with this. I do not believe they need to control me so tightly."

Britt nodded, "She is correct. Dyani is an incredibly strong woman. She will be able to leave once she goes through the education that shows that she has control. They cannot stop her returning so long as she has control by their standards."

"He's right. I'm trying to learn as fast as I can, but I have to catch up on about twelve years or more of learning. Up until the later years of levels, everything was relatively easy once I could work on it around the clock."

Britt sent a scowl in her direction. She had caught up but at the cost of pushing herself to near magical exhaustion. Dyani caught it from the corner of her eye and promptly ignored it to calm her family.

“Please. Mom, Dad—” she turned to her brothers, “guys. Please. I could barely do this without Britt. I need my family.”

Britt watched, ready to move at a moment's notice. Serena stood up and crouched down to level her eyes with Dyani’s.

“My daughter. You mean the world to me. To us. We would support you through anything. That’s what our family has always stood for. You know this.”

“I know,” her voice cracked. “I know, but this is something that goes against all that you know and believe.”

“Honey, you know that despite the weirdness that your brother has put us through, we are still with him. This is no different.”

Dyani stood and embraced her parents before her brothers decided to join in the moment with their sentiments.

“I have to go back.”

The family was silent at her admission. She knew that they knew it was inevitable. It was her father who stepped back to face Britt.

“What can we do?”

For the first time, Dyani witnessed the most devious smile on Britt’s face.

“Let’s talk about that.”

While Britt went off with her father and two older brothers, Dyani stayed with her mother and Kieran. She was unsure what the older men were talking about and wasn’t quite sure she wanted to know.

“Tell me more about this new world.” Dyani’s mother guided her over to the couch where the three of them sat.

“It’s magnificent. There is so much more to the world than I could have ever fathomed. Everything from mythology is real. Well, at least, that is what I have researched so far. I’m moving into the more complex subjects once term starts.”

“This is incredible. I just can’t believe it.” Serena shook her head. “I want to, but it is so hard. But if it means that it brought you back to us, then who am I to question how? We thought we lost you, Dyani.”

Kieran took over while their mother sniffed, “Mary has been beyond terrified. She dropped out of college. Seeing you taken right in front of her changed her. We barely see her anymore.”

Dyani felt her heart clench at knowing her best friend’s state. She knew that she would have been in the same mindset if she had witnessed her best friend kidnapped. Instead, Dyani had lived it. She nodded solemnly, not knowing how else to respond. It was a few moments before Serena broke it.

"What are you going to do with this semester? It's supposed to be your thesis year. What are you going to do?"

Dyani sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. It took a few moments of thinking before she pulled out her PMA. Her mother and brother leaned it to gape at the device.

"What is that?"

Dyani, focused on finding the correct application, spoke, "It's a PMA or a personal magical assistant. Think of it as the magical equivalent of the touchscreen phones. As well as a library resource in your hand."

Fingers flew over the screen, clicking through different application screens before she grinned in triumph. "Found it."

"What, honey?" Serena leaned over to get a better look at the screen. Her brother was also doing the same due to their interest in seeing something from the magical world.

"I logged into my college email. I was unsure that the PMA could link up with the internet."

They both seem stunned at the admission. Dyani shrugged, "I haven't been using it for very long, and the few magical people I have been around are somewhat clueless about our technology. Anyway, I sent out an email to my Chair and the teachers. I explained that due to the incident, I have been having difficulties being able to leave the house. I've contacted the student center with the same information seeing if they can work with me. I hate to do it, but I think this is the only way to complete my Master's."

Serena placed her hand on her daughter's, "Dyani. Even if you were not returning to the magical world, do you truly believe you could be on the crowded campus to get to your classes?"

Dyani flinched, knowing that her mother was right. She would not have been able to function in crowds. Being within the group at Dalition and in the Marketplace was a struggle. The men broke away, with Britt shaking their hands and seeming pleased with whatever was discussed. Her father seemed proud of the deal, or what she assumed was a deal of some sort. Her father stayed back, allowing Britt to sit down beside Dyani.

"We worked out the details. I will be keeping in contact with your family as my private PMA is not tracked, nor will it be. Everything your family will need to send you will come through mine, and then I will forward it to you. It'll have to be that way until we can get you away from the scrutiny."

Dyani nodded, "I've contacted the college. I am in the last year of my Master's degree. I need to finish. It will be a lot but I will work on that thesis alongside the classwork."

"You have already taken on enough. Are you sure that you can handle it?"

Dyani gave a noncommital shrug and focused in on her mother. "In the email, I have given them written permission for you to access all the information. I explained that you would be my liaison for my schooling and communication. Do you think that—"

"I'll speak with Gary. He'll cover for you and write out a form to make it so that you have to be supervised within the house to cope."

Dyani sighed in relief and slumped back into the couch, closing her eyes momentarily. It was tense, something that was not familiar within their home.

"Dee, I know you said that all this happened, but I know I am not the only one thinking it. Is magic truly real? Please don't take this the wrong way, but look at it from our point of view. This is something out of a fantasy and not reality. I need more than just your word, even though I trust you with my life."

Dyani's eyes cracked open to see that Britt's grip on the couch's arm was white. She placed a hand on his shoulder and stood up. Facing her family, Dyani tried to focus. After a few moments of nothing happening, Dyani huffed in frustration. Using her focus would draw attention, but she would not put it past the Headmistress to put some form of tracking on it. Britt stood and approached.

"Dyani, there may be something that we can use to show them. Know that we wanted you to be in a more stable mind. It's been so rough on you these past few months, especially with burying yourself in work and study. I know that you have not faced what happened to you."

His voice was soft as he spoke to her but the room was quiet that everyone could hear. Dyani turned her head away in shame. Britt caught her chin, "Don't be ashamed of being a survivor. You are coping and doing what you need to move on. We were just afraid that seeing your scars would prevent you from moving on."

Dyani nodded and took a deep breath, "Go on."

Britt took in a deep breath and cupped her cheeks between both hands. Words unlike any she had heard before, flowed from his mouth. They were soft and lyrical, sounding close to the Elves' language from Tolkien's world. Though she knew they were nothing alike, just similar in how it was heard.

Dyani felt a wave of magic roll over her body. It felt as if blankets were lifted off of her that she did not know was there. In its place, she felt a power rush from inside. Britt stepped back.

"We dampened the effect of your magic. Just so that you would learn control. It was supposed to fade away slowly over the past two months. I can see that someone changed it. I will be working with you more when we return to school."

Dyani nodded absently as she was too focused on the subtle silver glowing from her skin. Each of the runes that had been carved onto her body from the ritual was alight with the same silver magic. Even the strands of her hair had a slight sheen to them. Dyani broke down at the sight, not expecting to see her skin marred with proof of that night. She had figured that magic had healed her wounds.

As if sensing her thoughts, Britt said, "You are saturated with magic, as are the runes. We tried to heal them, but they had already healed over and scarred."

There was a whispered 'holy shit' from one of her brothers, but Dyani could care less. She stared at her body in horror. The magic was giving off a subtle light that was easily seen in the dim room. Dyani's breathing picked up as she felt the bile rise in her throat. Britt's soft hands pulled her attention. He had brushed her hair behind her ear and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever you are thinking. Whatever you are feeling. Know that you are strong. You have survived and you have the scars to prove it. Yes, this is hard and I know that you feel ugly and ashamed. You have every right to feel the way that you do. It is completely valid.”

Britt rubbed his shoulder, trying to help soothe her with touch and his own grounded magic.

“Know that you are very beautiful with or without the glamor. These markings only reflect the inside of the woman that I have come to know. Do you understand, Dyani?"

There were soft hands that took Dyani's. Serena took a moment to run her fingers over the silver scars. The other family members were coming over to do the same or speak with her in low tones. Britt stepped back and gave them the space, knowing that her family's support was precisely what she needed.

Britt pulled out his PMA and looked at the messages. There was one message he had yet to see due to being caught up in conversations. Sherinya had given an update. His fingers clicked against the screen to send her a message back. As soon as he sent it, one came through.

Sherinya: Get back here, now. The bitch is here.

Britt cursed, drawing the attention of the family. Dyani stepped forward with a concerned expression.

"We need to leave now. I'm so sorry."

"How are we going to get back there?"

"A very illegal way.

The brows on some of the male's faces would have been funny if it were not more serious. Dyani gave her mother a brief hug before standing next to Britt. He turned his attention to the father, "Please send her things along through the address I gave you. I will get it to her."

The man nodded and Britt pulled Dyani into his arms.

"This is going to be very unpleasant. Take in a deep breath and brace yourself. Do you remember what we did last time?"

Dyani stared at her family in longing before giving a sharp nod, "Yes."

"Good. Imagine your room."

The image of the room and the whole process with Sherinya came easily. She could see the details of the floorboards to the crumpled blanket on the bed. Everything sharpened. There was a surge of magic around her and she could feel Britt's mental presence within her memory again. It was gentle like before and she shuddered lightly. It was intimate, but this time, they had an audience.

"I'm sorry," Britt said as they slid through the magic to appear in the inn's room.

Dyani gasped before throwing up violently over the floor. The golem melted and faded away the moment that they returned. Dyani's magic flared and she bent over to continue throwing up.

There were voices outside the room, and Britt guided Dyani to the bed. He covered her with blankets just as she threw up into the pail he conjured for her. The door burst open and the Headmistress charged through with a spitting Sherinya behind her.

"See? I told you that he was here ensuring the girl was fine. She's had bouts of sickness throughout the day."

It was a very well-placed comment as Dyani began another round of losing her stomach. The Headmistress' shoulders relaxed and she shot a glare at Britt.

"How long has she been going like this? When did her glamor come down?"

Britt held the woman's hair away from her face and answered as smoothly as possible, "For a few minutes. It comes and goes. However, this time, it's been much longer between. I took the glamor off when we returned to the room and away from the others. I figured that the magic of the glamor, the Dysc, and her wild magic caused a low backlash. I wanted to give her body a break from holding the glamor up."

The Headmistress nodded before turning around, "Term starts in a few days. I expect you to return before the end of Sunday. That gives her two days to travel again. I expect that glamor to be placed back up."

The woman stalked out of the room and Sherinya closed the door behind her. The smaller woman slumped against the door and glared at Britt.

"Of all the methods to get back, you decided to use that one? You know how it affects mortals."

"It was the only option and the fastest."

"There are always more options. But that is neither here nor there now. You must take care of her tonight. I'll grab some of the supplies from Agria. Hopefully, she's more resilient."

Sherinya shifted on her foot and disappeared from the room without a sound. Dyani jerked in surprise only to groan at the movement. Britt shifted and conjured a glass of water for her.

"Drink slow. You want the magic to purge from your body."

"What did you do?"

Britt sighed and set the water down on the side table, "I used a form of magic that is linked to summoning. That is all that I will explain because your naivety to that branch of magic will serve you well for the moment."

Dyani's brow crinkled and she took a slow sip of water. The woman waited for another bout of sickness to hit but it did not. She tentatively took another sip of water and felt rejuvenated. Dyani held the water up to examine it.

"What did you do to the water?"

"Nothing, why?"

Dyani shrugged, "It's just calmed my stomach. I don't feel as sick anymore. Just a light body ache."

Britt pulled out his PMA and dialed, and an annoyed voice picked up. "Don't bother grabbing things. She stopped showing signs just after you left."

There was a commotion on the other end before Sherinya appeared in the room. Without a word, the woman stalked over to the bed and gripped Dyani's chin lightly, bringing her face up to meet her gaze. It was a few moments before she stepped back.

"How unusual. It's more of a reaction of someone not used to it rather than the violent one that mortals have."

Britt nodded, "I agree. She should have needed the grounding but didn't."

"I'd keep this quiet. Who knows what would happen to her if the Mags find out."

"Mags?"

Sherinya glared at Dyani, "If you know what is good for you, keep your mouth shut about this and never mention that name again."

"Stop scaring her, Sherinya."

She scoffed and turned away, "If the drama is done for this early ass morning? I'm heading home. Don't bother to contact me for a few weeks, Britt. You owe me for this shit show."

The woman disappeared once more after flipping Britt an obscene gesture. The man slumped against the back of the bed with a massive sigh. Dyani laid back beside him and stared at the ceiling.

"Well, this has been an interesting day."

Britt snorted, "Understatement of the century. Get some sleep, Dyani. We have two days to get you ready for the school."