It was dark for a long time, and Victoria drifted numbly through the cold, black nothingness. She had no sense of anything; whether it was day or night, or where she or anyone else was, or whether she was even alive or not. Sometimes she would see glimpses of her parents, or blurry, soundless fragments of memories. Every now and then a muffled flicker of sound would echo faintly from somewhere deep in the darkness; like a deep voice mumbling far in the distance.

  Is this death? Is it over?

  She had no sense of the passage of time, and it seemed she didn't have the strength in her to care, but she felt as if a lifetime passed in the empty darkness. She nearly ignored the tiny pinprick of light that appeared in the darkness, far in the distance; at first dismissing it as another muddled flash of memory. If not for the tiny echo of sound that followed its appearance, she may never have known it was even there.

  Victoria. It was barely a whisper, but it was undeniably a voice; a familiar voice, but one she couldn't quite place.

  With agonizing slowness the light moved closer, and the barely audible wisps of sound grew in frequency. The light grew brighter, and behind it, just barely visible, something seemed to be moving. The sound grew louder, from something she wasn't sure she was even hearing, to a low warble that echoed dully around her. Through the unending numbness she felt warmth, and for an instant, Soren's face flashed before her, clear as day. Then the light began to grow, expanding like white flames until the darkness receded behind her and the world around her grew bright again.

  Victoria's eyes fluttered open, squinting against the sunlight that filled the room. Several hushed voices began speaking and moving nearby, some she recognized, others she did not. She felt a warm pressure on her hand and she turned her head to see Soren next to her, smiling with tears in his eyes. His other hand cupped her cheek, and she leaned into his warm comforting touch with a soft smile.

  "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered. Unshed tears streamed down his face, and he leaned forward, showering her face with kisses, grateful that she was alive.

  Victoria lifted her hand to gently caress his cheek, and felt her body become suffused with a strange warmth that radiated from her chest. Unexpected tears welled up in her eyes, spilling like hot rivers down her cheeks as she looked into his eyes.

  "I love you." Her voice was little more than a raspy whisper.

  Soren's smile widened before he bent his head to kiss her deeply. The heat in Victoria's chest grew, expanding to encompass them both in a pale golden glow. When he pulled away they were both breathless and smiling through the tears that continued to flow freely. They were too lost in one another to pay any notice when Jasper and Astrid approached.

  "Alright, son," Jasper said gently, laying a hand on Soren's shoulder. "Give her some space. Let the poor girl get her wits about her before you go smothering her."

  Soren and Victoria chuckled, blushing as they parted and wiping the fresh tears from their faces. Lying back against the pillow, Victoria got her first real look around at the room she found herself in. The room itself was fairly simple, but elegant, with its tall arched windows, and walls of white marble that reached to a high vaulted ceiling. The two longer walls were lined with simple beds; a few held other sleeping figures, but most were empty. A handful of tall, willowy women bustled silently about the room, engaged in various tasks.

  "How are you feeling?" Astrid asked as she seated herself gently at the foot of the bed.

  "Alright, I guess." Victoria continued to look around the room. "Where are we?"

  "Astheas," Jasper said, his tone turning gentle. "You're in the infirmary, Victoria. You've been unconscious for nearly three days."

  "Three days?" Victoria whispered to herself. Her hands came up to cover her face, grinding the heels against her eyes.

  "Do you remember anything that happened?" Astrid asked.

  "The last thing I remember is hiding in the tree line," she said. "How did we get past Assyria?"

  The three of them looked at one another for a moment before Jasper turned to her. "We didn't get past her. You drew her to you, and your friend intervened."

  "Drew her? My friend intervened?" She was confused for a moment before her eyes went wide and she sat bolt upright. "Miss Lilly?! What happened?! Where is she?! Is she okay?!" She began frantically scanning the room.

  "Easy now, don't get yourself all worked up," Jasper said gingerly. "She's alive, though she's a bit worse off than you. The king's personal physicians have been tending to her, and it may take some time but they expect her to recover."

  While she was relieved to know that Lilly was alive, she was gripped with guilt. Lilly was lying in a hospital bed because of her. "What happened? I need to know."

  So they told her. It wasn't a long story, the events themselves happened quickly anyway, but by the time they finished, Victoria was pale. She'd lost control again, and this time someone she cared a great deal for was hurt for trying to stop her. They would probably all be dead right now if it hadn't been for Lilly.

  "Can I see her?" Victoria's voice cracked as tears stung behind her eyes.

  Jasper shook his head regretfully. "She's been tended in private quarters since we arrived. Only the king's physicians have been allowed in."

  Victoria hung her head, sighing defeatedly. "Did anyone else get hurt because of me?"

  "Captain Gilmeare, Soren, and myself," Jasper replied gently. "Just scrapes and bruises, and only because we went after you. Running the way you were, you were too far ahead to reach you, but we were still close enough to the blast for it to knock us back pretty hard."

  "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Victoria whispered as the threatening tears spilled forth.

  "Hey." Soren reached up and gently tipped her head to look at him. "You have nothing to be sorry for. No one blames you for anything that's happened. None of this is your fault." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, stroking her hair until she could compose herself.

  "You're right," Victoria sniffled. "It's his fault." She gestured to the stone that she only now realized wasn't around her neck, and her anguish shifted to panic. "Oh no, where is it?!"

  "Calm yourself, Victoria. The stone is safe," Jasper said. "Master Agarus took possession of it once we entered the palace, and he gave it over to King Naverion, who has promised its immediate return to you upon your waking."

  Victoria sighed heavily, relieved that she hadn't lost her ticket home, and fell back onto the pillow. From the moment she had opened her eyes, her mind had been so occupied with waking from essentially a three-day coma and filling in missing memories, that no thought had been spared for her physical needs. A fact that would be ignored no longer as her stomach rumbled and growled, empty and complaining loudly for sustenance.

  "Let's see about getting you some food first before you go worrying about getting that thing back," Astrid said, chuckling.

  As Astrid stood from the bed, the door to the infirmary swung open. As if on cue, one of the grey-clad women swept gracefully into the room bearing a steaming bowl of broth and a small porcelain teapot and teacup on an elegant silver tray. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow on her pale flaxen hair as she glided through the room, sweeping up at Victoria's bedside with a gentle smile.

  "It is good to see you wake, child." Her smile never wavered, and her light hazel eyes shone with genuine kindness as she proffered the tray. "A strong broth to strengthen the body, and a strong tea to sooth the mind."

  How's that for timing? Victoria thought to herself as she scooted upright, allowing the woman to set the tray over her lap. The broth smelled delicious, and her stomach reminded her again that it hadn't been fed in three days. "Thank you very much," she said as she eagerly picked up the still-steaming bowl and brought it carefully to her lips.

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  "You are quite welcome." She turned to face Jasper. "Shall I send word to His Majesty?"

  "No, thank you. I'll go myself," Jasper replied. "If you would though, please send for the king's physician."

  "As you wish." Casting her lovely smile around to them all, she excused herself, sweeping away as gracefully as she had come.

  "I'm sure you'll be well tended in my absence." Jasper cast a sly glance at Soren. "I'll go inform the king that you're alive and well. Perhaps I might persuade him to let you see your friend." He smiled kindly before he turned and strode from the room.

  "You really think I'll be able to see her?" Victoria asked once Jasper was gone.

  "We can't say for sure," Astrid replied, resuming her seat at the foot of the bed. "If she's still in bad shape, then most likely not. But Ozan made sure to inform the king that the two of you know one another, so there's a chance he may allow it." She shrugged helplessly, unable to give a better answer.

  Victoria sighed. "I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that much for now." She drank a good portion of the broth before setting the bowl back down on the tray. "So what happened to Assyria? Miss Lilly and I aren't dead, so I think it's safe to assume that she's not dead either, right?"

  "I wish we could tell you she's dead," Astrid replied. "We all hoped that she was."

  "Early this morning the king received word from a city on the northern coast," Soren said. "An injured woman was spotted on an island some miles out at sea. When they attempted to approach the island they were driven back by creatures they described as 'red-eyed and possessed by evil.'"

  Victoria muttered something under her breath as she filled the teacup from the small pot. "Basically it's just a matter of time before people start dying again."

  With nothing heartening to say on the matter, Astrid and Soren simply shared a sad look.

  "I'm sorry, guys," Victoria said. "There's just been a lot for me to take in in the short amount of time I've been awake. I just need a little time to absorb everything."

  "Stop apologizing, Victoria," Astrid said kindly. "You've every right to feel the way you do, and no one will argue that. Hell, we said as much about it when we heard the news as well." She stood from the bed. "You're tougher than you realize, and I have faith that you'll do whatever it is that must be done. In the meantime, I'm going to go check on the whereabouts of this physician. Behave." The last word was directed with a pointed finger at Soren as she turned to leave the infirmary.

  Victoria found herself staring into the empty air; something in Astrid's words had struck something in her memory. "Must be done..." Frustration and confusion were written plainly across her features as she repeated the words.

  "What's wrong?" Soren asked.

  Victoria nearly dropped the teacup when the answer finally revealed itself. "This must be done! There was a voice! There was a voice when I ran from the trees and again right before the flash! Something took control of me, it made me run away from you all and lure Assyria to me, and it kept telling me 'this must be done.'"

  "Whoa, slow down. Do you remember if it was a voice you know?" he asked.

  "No. I don't...I don't know." She squeezed her eyes closed, willing herself to remember more, but to no avail. "I have to talk to Miss Lilly. I think she's the only one who might know what happened and what to do now."

  "Then I think this physician needs to hurry up so that you can speak with the king." Soren said, watching the door to the infirmary. "Drink that." He nodded to the teacup still clutched in Victoria's hands. "It's supposed to sooth the mind, and there's nothing we can do but wait at this point anyway."

  Reluctantly, she agreed, drinking off the remainder of the cup and refilling it.

  To their relief, they didn't have to wait long. By the time Victoria finished the contents of the small teapot, a tall, grey-robed man with long, silver hair, and who looked to be of middle age strode purposefully into the room. Soren rose to take the tray from Victoria's lap and setting it on the empty bed beside them as the man fetched up next to Victoria's bed.

  "Suilad, young lór padad. It is good to see you wake. Life becomes you much more than the pallid sleep of the dead. I have kept an eye over you these few days, though I doubt you'd remember." He chuckled lightly, and his kind brown eyes twinkled as he smiled. "My name is Orrian Daphyras, the King's Physician, and unless I'm mistaken, I believe you would be very happy to leave this place."

  "Yes, very much so," Victoria said with a smile.

  The King's Physician smiled and nodded curtly, stepping forward to begin his examination. Though he acknowledged her desire to be released from the infirmary, he checked Victoria over carefully and thoroughly; checking the myriad scrapes and bruises that dotted her from head to toe, gauging the swelling in her joints, testing the extent of dexterity and mobility in her limbs. Her ordeal followed by three days of immobility had greatly reduced her range of motion, but he assured her that she would regain her mobility in no time, and cautioned her not overexert herself in its pursuit. After several more minutes of prodding, Orrian Daphyras straightened with a nod of satisfaction.

  "Your body seems to be mending itself satisfactorily. Enough so that I feel you are hale enough to be released. You must not push yourself lest you undo the progression of your healing, and miss no meals. You cannot regain strength without sustenance. Since I do not believe you wish to return to convalescence, I will trust that you will do this," Orrian said with a kind smile. "You are free to leave, lór padad, I will see to it that one of the attendants brings you your own garments."

  "What is that?" Victoria asked as the physician turned to leave. "What you called me, you've said it twice."

  "Dream walker." Orrian's soft brown eyes rested on hers. "You are not of this world, yet you walk among those who are. The impact you have on this world will have no effect on your own. Is that not nearly the same thing as walking in a dream?"

  Victoria considered his words for a moment. "Not sure if I like the implication, but I guess you're not wrong." She sighed then looked back at the physician. "Can you tell me if I can see my friend?" she asked hopefully.

  Before he could answer, the door to the infirmary swung open, announcing Jasper and Astrid's return. Soren, who had been silent and unobtrusive until now, rose as they entered, anxious to hear whatever they had to report.

  "I've good news," Jasper said to Victoria. "The King and Queen are heartened to hear that you've awakened, and have agreed to let you see Lillaine."

  Victoria's eyes lit and she made to jump to her feet, only to be halted by her still-stiff joints and muscles. Orrian Daphyras winced and caught her elbow, helping her to stand slowly. Soren came around to steady her and help her walk.

  "Remember what I said about overexerting yourself," Orrian said gently, as if to a child.

  Victoria's clothes were brought to her, and with some assistance from Astrid she dressed as quickly as she was able to. Her garments chafed uncomfortably at the worst of the scrapes and bruises, but it was bearable; she would carry the pain without complaint as a sort of penance for bringing harm to one she cared for. Once she finished dressing, they all took their leave of the infirmary, and with one of the attendant women to escort them, made their way to the chamber that housed Lillaine.

  It was to the far end of the hospital wing of the palace that they were led, to a door flanked by a pair of elven guards.

  "By His Majesty's order, the Lady Lillaine's convalescence is to be disturbed as little as possible." One of the guards informed them. "Lady Victoria is the only one permitted to enter, the rest of you must wait out here or occupy yourselves elsewhere."

  Victoria flushed, being referred to as "Lady" wasn't something she'd expected and it caught her slightly off guard, and she suddenly felt terribly underdressed. She ducked her head tentatively as she stepped forward, and the guard who had spoken turned to admit her into the room.

  Soren squeezed her hand when she hesitated. "I'll be right outside this door." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Go see her."

  Victoria took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway, and the guard closed the door behind her. Inside the room was dim, heavy curtains drawn against the sun's brightness, and lit by only a few oil lamps; just enough for the physicians and attendants to tend to their charge. Across the room in a large canopied bed, a small figure lie unconscious beneath the clean white linens. As she approached the bed, she could hear the rasping sounds of slow, ragged, breaths, and she began to tremble and tears stung at her eyes.

  At the sight of Lilly's bruised and battered face, Victoria's breath caught in her throat and the tears ran down her face like twin rivers as she fell to her knees. Choking back a sob, she forced herself to stand and close the short distance left between them. Jasper had told her that Lilly's condition was worse than her own, but nothing had prepared her for the reality of it.

  "Oh Miss Lilly, I'm so sorry." Victoria's voice cracked as she stifled a whimper. She dragged a chair to the bedside and dropped onto the cushion, leaning forward and pillowing her head on her arms. "What have I done to you? This is all my fault. If I was stronger...If only I could've...I'm so sorry..." Her words trailed away as she buried her face into the bed, muffling her anguished sobs.