Althea awoke the next morning earlier than normal. Since she'd arrived at the institution, her night terrors had severely dwindled. She assumed this was due to the safety she felt here. But after yesterday, her slumber had not been so kind to her. However, in her thoughts now was Jasper. Her mind had been filled with the encounter they’d shared the night before. The way his soft lips covered hers in a gentle caress.

She was dressed and ready in her training garbs before the clock chimed six. Although she wanted to see Jasper at breakfast, Althea had decided to just grab something light from the cooks in the kitchen and arrive early to her training spot. To her surprise Arsalan was already there. She watched from a few yards away as his body flowed in a way she'd never seen anyone move. Each manoeuvre looked like the sequence of a dance, but it was obvious the movements were a part of a fighting ritual. Suddenly he paused mid-step, the muscles in his back flexing. She swallowed as she studied the hard pads of solid mass beneath his tan tunic.

With a whoosh, he hurled his dagger at her.

Out of complete instinct she curled into herself, both physically and mentally, and she could feel the buzzing that accompanied her adrenaline. When she didn't feel any impact, she moved her arms from around her head and watched the dagger, mere inches from her face, hovering mid air. She had stopped it before it reached her, she realised. Her heart still beat rapidly but she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

"Good work," a voice gave her a start to her side. Arsalan grabbed the hovering dagger and sheathed it once more. He certainly did have a flare for the dramatic. First he had threatened to violate her, now he had attempted to butcher her in order to gain results. She willingly let go of her hold on time and Arsalan seemingly teleported in front of her now.

Althea crossed her arms over her chest, scowling. She was really beginning to despise this guy.

He studied her body language, then the expression on her face and laughed. The bastard actually laughed at her. She could feel her face, ears and neck heat as anger simmered within her.

"Do you have to be such a brute?" She meant for the words to come out with more intimidation, but her voice was softer than she would have liked, and the last word came out as more of a tremor. But he did wipe the smug smile from his lips, still looking at her.

"You think me to be a brute," he asked, tossing the dagger back into his pack by the tree. She rolled her eyes. Could he really not see why she may think that after all he'd done to her in the short time she'd spent with him?

"Well let's see, in the first ten minutes after we met, you groped me, and now you nearly beheaded me with your dagger." Her nails squeezed into each arm as she gripped herself tighter. She felt like she could implode with how smug he still looked.

"In my defence, you did sneak up on me," he retorted. Snuck up on him? She would have said something had he not tried to kill her before she could.

"Who else would have been coming out here? One of the other cadre members? Luckily it wasn't one of them, or you'd now be a wanted killer," Althea exclaimed, holding her hands in the air above her head. God he was infuriating.

"No, I knew it was you. I wanted to see if you would use your ability in a life or death situation..." he trailed off, smirking, "I, of course, would have grabbed it if you hadn't summoned your ability, but you're learning quickly."

His whole demeanour reeked of pride and arrogance. She rolled her eyes. How would she tolerate him through these lessons? She already wanted to strangle him!

His icy blue eyes glimmered with satisfaction at her silence. It was only now that she noticed the inky skin visible just above the collar of his shirt. Her eyes scanned the length of his tunic sleeve down to his wrists, noticing the dark ink there too. She'd heard of the ink marks on people before, but never had she seen them on someone. She found her mind lingering at the idea of what might be sketched on him under the shirt.

She hadn't realised she'd been staring at him until he pulled his sleeve down over his wrist, covering the visible ink.

"I can take it off if you want, but you'll probably be too distracted to train that way." He smirked at her. She could feel her face heat and she knew she had turned red. She hated that she did. It was only because he embarrassed her, not because his words were true, she couldn't care less what, besides the ink, he had hidden beneath his clothes.

"No, better to leave it on, I wouldn't want you to become mesmerised by yourself and lose track of my training," she said, rolling her eyes.

He just smirked and turned towards his pack.

"Here, lean up against this tree and sit." He nodded towards the trunk of the large tree. She paused a moment to admire the extraordinary oak, with its gnarled bark and heavy, thick branches housing the leaves that kept them cool as they trained in the heat.

"Before you can master your power, you must first master your mind," he said, setting seven stones out in front of her. They were all brightly coloured and arranged in the way a rainbow spread across the sky on a rainy summer day. "Each of these represents a part of yourself that is not yet mastered."

He pointed to the deep red stone, then the orange one next to it and so on, naming each of them, "stability, creativity, determination, love, communication, intuition, and divine connection."

Hearing those words from his tongue made her wonder if perhaps she may have been too hasty to judge him. Now, kneeling in front of her he intimated her, not with his physique but with his mind. How could someone so obnoxious be so knowledgeable on matters of meditation and spirituality? He smirked as if reading her mind.

"During my training many years ago, my instructor Keo told me that in order to unlock your full potential, you need to look deep inside of yourself and take the worst parts… all the times when you were angry, or scared, and shape them into something you can grow from. He told me to take my pain, and my misery and embrace them because it takes you being at your worst, to know when you are at your best." He stared down at the stones in front of her.

"It was probably rubbish," he chuckled, "just something to get me to listen to him... but I never forgot those words. And I want you to know that you were put here to achieve greatness, and I will help you accomplish that."

She smiled at him, and for the first time she felt as if she could take a breath around him without feeling nervous. It wasn't that she thought he would hurt her... but it was hard for her to be near someone who she knew had the power to hurt her, after she'd had so many bad encounters with men.

"Okay, so today we are going to focus on your foundation. Sit like this," he instructed her to sit with her legs criss-crossed beneath her, "and close your eyes."

He sat in front of her, mirroring her pose. She watched as his blue eyes fluttered closed. She followed suit, allowing herself to demonstrate another vulnerability in front of him. It irked her, but she took a few deep breaths to steady herself, listening to the sound of his deep throaty accent as he continued to speak.

"I want to help you rebuild the foundation that has been torn down. I see the way you guard yourself when you walk, never looking straight for too long, for fear that someone may try to sneak up behind you. But you are strong Althea, and you have the power to not only protect yourself, but guide others to their protection as well."

Althea could feel her shoulders beginning to relax as she listened to his words flowing around her. He instructed her to breathe deeply, and focus on her body's connection to the earth and the tree behind her. She envisioned the glimmering shadows of leaves on the grass beneath the large tree.

They continued this meditation for the remainder of their lesson, but to Althea's surprise, it hadn't felt tedious or dull, but relaxing and revitalising. She hadn't even realised the constant state of apprehension she'd felt over the last few months. It felt good to let a part of herself be vulnerable, and to feel at ease.

Once their training was through for the day, Althea was surprised to hear the clock strike nine o'clock upon her arrival back into the institution. Had they really been out there for nearly three hours? It hadn't felt like so long, but she supposed that was a good thing. She'd rather it go by fast than drag by, each passing minute feeling like hours.

Before their lesson ended, Arsalan had given Althea the seven stones he had set before her. Six of them she held in a cloth baggy. But the seventh... she clutched the deep red one, the one representing stability, in her palm as she walked towards the stairs. She planned to spend the rest of the morning and afternoon reading as she normally did.

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"Althea!" She turned her head in the direction of the voice to see Jasper approaching her with a bright smile.

"Oh greetings Jasper!" she said, pausing her step to fully face him, and putting the red stone into the baggy with the rest of them.

"We missed you at breakfast, did you sleep in this morning?" he asked, looking at her with some kind of anticipation. He glanced down at the baggy she moved to hold at her side, but didn't say anything. She wondered if he had thought about her as she had him last night and this morning. She could feel her cheeks beginning to heat just thinking of the way he had caressed her jaw as his lips moved perfectly in sync with hers.

"Yeah sorry," she choked out, "I wanted to get an early start training with Arsalan today."

Jasper's wide smile faltered ever so slightly, she just barely noticed the curve shift.

"Oh right, yeah I understand," he chuckled, unable to hide the nervousness in his tone. Had he been nervous because of her? Because of their kiss? Perhaps she should say something of their encounter... but what could she say without sounding awkward?

"Yeah," she breathed out, brushing back the few stray curls that had fallen from the tie at the top of her head.

"I—" she started but he began speaking at the same moment.

"About last night..." he swallowed, Althea felt her heart plummet. Oh no, was he to say it wasn't what he wanted? Had she been too forward with him? "I'm sorry if I was too forthcoming with you. I shouldn't have cornered you like that and I... I apologise," he finished sounding defeated. But Althea was just relieved he hadn't come to regret the incident.

She smiled, looking into his soft hazel eyes. "Not at all. In fact," she whispered, moving closer to him, "I've been thinking of how I might repay you all morning."

His eyes brightened and his flowing, sandy, hair framed his face as he looked down at her curiously.

She leaned up, closing her eyes and letting her lips come into contact with his. The warm, soft touch of his lips made her toes curl in the training boots she wore. Suddenly his fingers made to caress her waist, tracing small circles with his thumbs over her clothes. She tangled her fingers through his hair which he hadn't yet tied up. Each strand was silky on her skin as she gripped it.

This time it was she who took the lead, bringing her tongue to his lips and then to his own tongue. She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she was desperate for more. Althea craved the sensual passion from the night before, and as Jasper's cool fingers slithered beneath her elastic shirt, she found it. The feeling of his skin on hers electrified her. It also terrified her, but for the moment, at least, she pushed the fear to the side and let her aching for the moment take over.

When they finally pulled apart, both Althea and Jasper were breathless as they stared at one another. His eyes held a glossy stare of awe as he gazed down at her. She wanted to kiss him again, but stopped herself for fear she may not be able to pull away so smoothly a second time. That, and because two cadre members made their way down the stairs to their left. She knew that here at the institution, social rules were much different than in regular society, however, it still made her feel odd to display her emotions so openly in front of others.

Jasper didn't seem to feel the same though, as he removed a hand from her waist and brushed a loose curl back behind her ear. He leaned down and placed a small delicate kiss on the corner of her jaw, causing her eyes to roll back as she closed them.

When he pulled away, a slight smirk lay on his crimson lips, red with the excitement they'd experienced only a moment earlier.

"I should probably get up to the library," she blushed, watching the two cadre members peak back at Althea and Jasper as they walked into the dining hall.

"Well I don't have to meet with James for another half hour, perhaps I could join you?" He smiled down at her with such charm that she wanted to say yes.

But she knew she couldn't read the materials she'd been researching without raising suspicion from him. So she reluctantly replied, "I would, but I'm afraid I'd get no reading done with you there to entertain me." That also wasn’t a complete lie.

He chuckled, weaving a curl through his fingers beside her face. "I suppose you're right... but I'll see you in the dining hall for dinner right?"

She nodded, bringing her hand up to his neck again and tracing her fingers along his skin beneath his hair.

"Yes I—"

Suddenly the door from the outside sprang open causing both of them to startle slightly. To her surprise it was Arsalan looking much less calm than he had only twenty minutes earlier. She wondered what had angered him so.

His ice filled eyes landed on hers, then scanned Jasper whose hands fell to his sides.

Arsalan looked away quickly, and walked past the two of them without saying a word to her as he stomped up the wooden steps.

"Who was that?" Jasper asked once Arsalan was out of earshot. She swallowed. His eyes were not filled with rage but the urgency in his step made her wonder what had him so unsettled.

"That..." Althea said lowly, "was Arsalan... my new trainer."

Jasper's eyes widened as he looked up the stairs, as if to catch a glimpse of Arsalan’s shadow.

“That is your new trainer?” he asked looking from the stairs then back to her again. He wore an abhorrent expression, curling his upper lip slightly.

"Yes... but he's really not very bad, he was just in a bit of a rush I think," she said, trying to make her tone sound reassuring.

"He's just so... well, intimidating..." Jasper said, his words steeped in concern. "After what you," he paused, questioning what he should say next, "well I just want to make sure you feel safe."

She smiled up at him, cupping his cheek in her hand. Althea appreciated how much he cared for her. His nurturing temperament is what had inclined her to speak freely about her experiences in front of him from the beginning.

"Thank you Jasper," she said softly, almost a whisper, "I do feel safe, and I am learning to understand myself and my emotions thanks to my training."

His smile reappeared on his face before he leaned down to give her one last peck and they parted ways.

When Althea made it to the library, she greeted the book keeper Dalia. Dalia was an older woman with long golden hair, blended with grey, that she usually kept tied back in a braid. Since Althea had begun coming here, Dalia had been of much help to her. Although she wasn't too revealing of what it was she was looking for, Althea asked her where to find books on the history of the cadre, its board, and the powers of its members, specifically time manipulation. She had given Althea a new list daily. Today however, Dalia had no list for her. Althea furrowed her eyebrows at the woman.

"I fear, lass, that you have exhausted all volumes we have on such matters here in this library," the old woman shrugged. Her eyes widened as she stared at Dalia. That couldn't have been everything could it? She had found no information on why her skin burned, barely anything on her own ability and as for the cadre and board, she had read a lot, but nothing that answered the question of what exactly they were doing. What was their mission? She couldn't very well believe that they spent so much time and energy training new recruits to their cadre for nothing. If there was anything she'd learned from her father, being a businessman, it was that you never put resources into something you expect to gain nothing from. She found it baffling that this board of elders in the sky just wanted to teach people of their power and give them a place to practise. No. There had to be more, there had to be some kind of drive that pushed them to want more members. But what?

"Okay, I thank you kindly Dalia," she said with a small, faltering smile before walking away.

"Mm, wait dear," the woman's withering voice called lowly to her. There was unease in her tone as she walked towards Althea.

"You be a very clever lass, Althea... so hearken unto me when I say..." the old woman paused, looking around her as she said, "Thou art to the west as they be to the sky. The roots shall bid thee safe passage. Follow the silver scales and thou shalt find the answers thou seeketh."

Althea blinked at her. Had she gone mad? Had this poor old woman finally kicked the bucket into absolute lunacy?

"Remember those words, lass," she urged, pointing up to the glass ceiling of the library. Beyond it, the sun shone down through the panes. She wasn't sure what she was meant to be looking at, but when she turned her head back to face the woman, she was gone.

Althea looked around but couldn't find her anywhere. She was already struggling to remember that which the crazy old bat had spoken. She walked quickly from the library, repeating the words as best she could to herself as she fumbled down the stairs.

"Thou art to the west as they be to the sky, the roots shall bid me safe passage... um... follow silver scales to find the answers I'm looking for?" she said aloud to herself. She was fortunate others rarely took the stairs, for she would surely resemble that of a maniac right now.

When she reached her chamber, Althea raced to her vanity, dipping her quill in the ink pot and writing the words the old woman had said to her.

As she waited for the ink to dry, she stared down at the riddle written in front of her. What did it mean? Were these just the ramblings of a crazy old woman or were they actually important to her?

They were her last hope... her final chance of understanding this place, these people... before she gave in and begged for the truth from her friends. But she wanted to find these answers herself, she hated the way Monique and Jasper hid things from her, and she didn't want to plead for answers she had every right to know. Though she found a certain kind of solace in this place, it it wasn’t enough to completely mask the undercurrent of secrecy and deception. The charade, ostensibly meant to safeguard her, left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She needed answers before she went completely mad. And one way or another she would get them.