《Before the Day Is Done》


 Chapter One

    It did not belong among the trees and animals. Everything about it was unnatural. Surrounded but avoided. Sounds from nature filled the air everywhere, except for in the small cottage in the heart of the forest. It was as if the animals could not bear to come near for the very air around it was sickening both from decay and dark magic. The cottage was rotting on the outside and the inside, but she didn''t mind. It had room only for a small cot, table, chairs, and a chest to sit at the foot of the bed. She sat on the chest, ignoring the rough, uncomfortable wood. Mari had no use for it other than for sitting; she had nothing to store.


    She clasped and unclasped her hands. Her feet kicked up dirt as she dragged them over the floor. She shifted her weight and leaned on her hands, trying to be patient and failing. She was unfamiliar with the idea of waiting. Before leaving, the Seven told her to wait there for them. As if she would dare to leave the cottage without them. They barely ever brought her outside with themselves; Mari had never imagined being in the cottage without them, much less go anywhere else without them. They would return soon; she hoped soon wasn''t too far away. She understood the concept of leaving and returning, but they had never left all at once. One of them had always been with her until now.


    Whatever this was, this not being with them, it made her feel ill. She did not have anything to do, what could she do when there was no one else with her? Of course, Mari could use her mind, but it was such a slow, dull almost painful thing to think, so she did not. She didn''t know what else to do other than sit on the chest and stare at the window, watching the sun move.


    It was late when she felt them return. Mari''s heart leaped forward. They were coming back! She could feel their imminent return in such a strange way. If she had to put it into words, she would say it was like a pulling on her insides. It was strongest in her heart, but she was smart enough to realize it wasn''t a physical pull. She didn''t know what to call it, but it tugged on the deepest part of her, what made up her being.


    The sky had turned orange and red when the Seven appeared in the cottage. They looked like people in some ways, but she was old enough to know they were not. They were not human, but she was, whatever human was Mari did not know, only that it was different from them.


    "Oh," the tallest said. Her voice hit Mari''s ears with a familiar lofty twinge. With long, clean hair and a pristine dress, Rekema never looked like she belonged in the cottage unlike Mari who nearly blended into the filthy floors and rotted walls. Rekema beamed from across the room. "Come here, doll, there is so much to tell you."


    She noticed the other six were quite pleased as well. The air was warm and thrumming with their energy.


    She stood up and obeyed. As she walked, she asked, "What is it Rekema?"


    The leader of them, Rekema, set a hand on her shoulder, commanding her full attention. "Mari, we have finally received the order from Underneath."


    Mari looked at Rekema; they had mentioned the Underneath before, but to Mari her words were meaningless. Rekema''s claws dug into her shoulder; however, Mari wasn''t one to complain. Before Mari could ask a question she wasn''t even sure she should ask, the two smallest of the group ran by her, squealing with laughter. Their tails bumped across the floor, hitting her in the legs. The dirty, raggedy boy reached up and jerked her arm. Mari was almost dragged around by him, but one of the others swatted him in the head forcing him to let go. He moved in front of Mari, protecting her from the twins mischief. Mari rubbed her, wrist and the boy, Meeko, laughed. The girl, Mallory, leapt off the walls, cackling in her young, high voice.


    Rekema sat Mari at the table, away from the twins. She looked up at the others, standing around her, unable to contain their grins. One of them came over to Mari, the one who swatted Meeko, and he placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. She leaned into him. His voice was deep and smooth, drowning out all other noise. "Pet, we''ve been given an important job to do. We''ve been waiting a long time to do it. Don''t mind the twins, they just don''t know how to contain themselves."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Muraad," Mari said. Her voice was soft and almost unheard because of the ruckus of the twins. "What is a job?"


    One of the Seven scoffed; he was a stout figure covered in a combination of muscle and tattoos. To Mari, he was Balak, and if she was honest, he made her feel smaller than she already was. The one next to him, who looked like a woman, shushed him. Mari called her Apep. Apep was just barely taller than Balak, and wore a dark robe and hood, casting everything but her eyes into shadow. Mari liked Apep well enough, but not more than anyone else except for Balak.


    Rekema shot a glare in Balak''s direction, but turned and smiled sickly sweet at Mari. "Don''t you worry about that now. We''ll be taking care of it; no effort from you is required. What you need to know is that everything is going to change for us."


    Mari squirmed in her seat, mumbling under her breath.


    "What''d you say, pet?" Muraad asked with a pleasant hum as he played with her hair.


    Mari tried to speak louder, but it was only enough to be heard. "What is change?"


    Balak made another noise like laughter, and Mari bowed her head. Muraad said, "Change is where things become... different. Change is when things do not stay the same."


    Mari turned to face Muraad. "Why are things not going to stay the way they are?"


    Rekema sighed, rubbing her forehead. The twins rushed over and pulled Mari out of her seat. She stumbled as they lead her about. Meeko looked up at her with bright eyes. "Because it''ll make us happy."


    Mallory pulled on Mari''s sleeve, forcing her to bend down to her level. She blinked and titled her head. "Don''t you want us to be happy?"


    Mari stuttered. Her voice faltered. It was just barely heard; no one understood.


    A figure, hidden by the shadows, stepped over to Rekema. She threw up her hands. Mari called her Bidkar, and she always wore the strangest clothes. Muraad had once told her they were the clothes a warrior would wear, but Mari chose not to ask him what a warrior was. She said, "What does it matter what she''s saying? Who cares?"


    "No!" Mari straightened up. Silence fell for the second time ever in all of Mari''s time at the cottage. "I want to do this, uh, this job."


    The Seven stared at her. Under their gazes, Mari just wanted to crawl under a blanket and hide. She settled for staring at her bare feet. "I want things to... change. I want you to be pleased."


    Mari glanced up. Rekema''s eyes sparked. Mari was always highly aware of their nonhuman features, but never more so than at that moment. The scales on Muraad glinted in the dying light, and Rekema''s claws reflected the light into Mari''s eyes. Bidkar''s horns and fangs sent her heart racing. Apep''s face glowed with old symbols while Balak''s tattoos moved across his thick inhuman skin. The twins'' tails skittered across the floor, and Mari resisted the urge to jump away when they skimmed over her feet again. She had grown used to it, almost. Rekema''s bright, pink eyes pierced Mari''s heart, freezing any thought she might have had. Rekema motioned Mari over. Everything started to haze over. Mari stumbled forward. Rekema nodded. "Good, because I have an idea I think we''re all going to like. A little fun before we officially start."


    Mari''s frozen heart sunk, and her stomach churned. She wasn''t sure what to call the feeling, but she knew she didn''t like it.

 Chapter Two

    Mari had never seen anything like the thing she saw in front her now. Rekema had taken her, and they appeared in an unfamiliar gray building. At least, it was gray on the inside, and the wall was rough and coarse when her hand brushed against it. Rekema knew where she was going, so she walked Mari there. The rest of the Seven followed behind. As she stumbled under Rekema''s control, Mari saw several figures that looked like people, human people.


    One of them had seen her appear out of thin air, thanks to the Seven''s power. He had nearly collapsed, but run off soon after. Rekema didn''t pay the people any mind, so Mari didn''t. Step after step, Rekema brought Mari to a large set of doors. The layout of the building couldn''t be more confusing to Mari. They walked through so many of those narrow spaces where doors were attached every so often. Now, after all that, there was a set of doors larger than any she had ever seen. It had strange markings, and even though they were clearly wooden, they had a shiny, polished material decorating it. Mari had no idea what was behind the doors, but the Seven were licking their lips, bouncing up and down, cracking knuckles, and rubbing hands. Mari had to guess whatever was behind the doors was something good.


    Rekema pulled back her hands; Mari did as well. Power surged through Mari; a sickness turned her insides. Rekema thrust her hands forward, and Mari pushed the doors open. They flew back with great force, and if Mari had been standing on her own power, she would have fallen. Rekema continued moving her hands and arms; Mari took slow, awkward steps forward. Her torso pitched slightly forward, and her arms were limp at her sides.


    She could hear her feet slap the ground. The floor was cold. She heard someone stand up, and Rekema jerked her hands. Mari''s head flew up; she saw people like her standing in the large room. Windows were on the walls, and the room was illuminated in a yellow glow from several ornate fixtures hanging from the ceiling. As strange and new as it was to Mari, the people captured her attention more than anything else. Most of the people surrounded a man in clean clothes with a shiny headpiece that looked like it was made of the same material as the decoration on the doors. The men around him wore clothing that matched each other and all made of the polished, shiny material. It didn''t look like fabric to Mari, but it looked strong.


    The man with the headpiece cleared his throat. Mari absentmindedly noticed he looked younger than most of the other people. He asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"


    Mari heard Rekema speak, but with Mari''s own voice. They said, "We want this."


    The man stared at her. "What do you mean?"


    Rekema chuckled and let go of Mari. Her shoulders collapsed, and Muraad took over, pulling her back up. He had her take a step forward. They said, "I mean, we want it all. The city, the castle, everything."


    Mari wondered what a city was, and for that matter, she wanted to know what a castle was too. The man narrowed his eyes and clenched a fist. "You''re threatening us."


    The twins took over. Mari vaguely heard Rekema say something about everyone getting a turn. Mari''s shoulder rolled back unnaturally. Whispers broke out among the polished men. Mari heard another word she didn''t know. One of them called her possessed. Meeko laughed. Mari''s giggle grated against her own ears. Mallory hardened Mari''s voice. They said, "It''s not a threat. We are going to take this place. And, it''s not going to be pretty."


    Meeko laughed again. They said, "Well, depends on your definition. It''ll be pretty to me."


    Out of the corner of her eye, Mari saw Balak nodding with a smug grin.


    "You want it all? The wealth, my kingdom, my crown?" the man asked. Mari didn''t have to know what any of those things were, but she understood he was the leader of these people, these people like her. Like Rekema was the leader of the Seven. Mari wasn''t sure exactly what was happening, what the Seven were doing and why, but she understood enough. It was serious. The Seven wanted something that was clearly important to the man.


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    Bidkar took over. With a few motions, Mari stumbled closer, several of the polished men pulled out what looked like extremely long, large knives. Bidkar spoke, and while Mari''s voice came out smooth, something about it unnerved her, "It''s a bit more complicated than that. You see, you could give us that, but what we''re after isn''t just material possessions."


    "I will stop you," he said. "Whatever twisted, sick game you''re playing with me, with all of us, I won''t stand for it."


    Bidkar laughed. The man closest to Mari shuddered. Bidkar let go. Mari nearly crashed into him, but Balak stopped her when he took over. He roared with laughter, but it was different from Bidkar''s. Her laughter came out cold; his laughter was painful and loud.


    Rekema spoke, but only Mari and the rest of the Seven could hear her, "Go for it, Balak."


    Mari felt her arms swing about and several of the polished men were tossed aside. One of them flew into the window. Whatever prevented him from flying outside cracked under his weight. It shattered across the floor. Balak spoke through Mari. Mari panting, just barely able to speak, "You can''t stop us. Nothing can. Nothing can help you, not your soldiers or your armies. I will tear this city to pieces."


    One of the ornate golden fixtures above creaked. Balak and Mari swung their arms, and it came crashing down in front of Mari. What had once lit the room in a soft glow burned bright and painful as it ate through the curtains. The men hurried away from the fire. The one in the headpiece stood still. Balak and Mari said, "I can burn this entire city down, this kingdom down, and all you can do it watch."


    Apep took over. Mari pulled up and her arms hung behind her. Her head tilted up. Apep forced a twisted grin on Mari''s face, imitating her own. Mari spoke, yet they were not her words, "Are you scared yet?"


    The man stood his ground. "Why? What do you stand to gain from causing pain and creating destruction and scaring people?"


    "Everything," Apep and Mari spoke. The fire cackled in the background. Apep let go. Mari staggered. Rekema took over once more.


    "What are you? A demon?" he asked. The fire glinted off his headpiece. If Mari even had the ability to answer, she wouldn''t have known anyway.


    Rekema pitched Mari forward; she was bent over herself with her head up.


    "We''re demons, but knowing that certainly doesn''t change anything." Rekema had her step forward. Mari was close enough that she could touch him, "Don''t you get it? There''s nothing you can do, so you might as well lay down and die. It doesn''t matter to us. We get to enjoy ourselves either way."


    "I''m afraid I don''t believe that." He stared her down. Mari had never seen another human up close. How strange.


    Rekema smirked, and they said, "Then you''re delusional."


    Rekema walked Mari towards the door. The Seven fell in line behind Rekema. Rekema had Mari speak over her shoulder, "You''ll see. We may be demons, but we don''t always lie. Not when the truth is so much more satisfying."


    Mari hated that most of the conversation went over her head. There were so many words she didn''t know, but she picked up a few things. The man with the headpiece wasn''t going to give into the Seven easily, and the Seven were more than happy to force him to. Mari just wished she understood why.

 Chapter Three

    Mari stared up at yet another wall, squinting at the bright sunset. It differed from other walls. It was gray, but it was much larger than any other wall. Not to mention, there was only one wall, and they were outside. She turned to Rekema, squinting in the bright, but fading light. "I don''t understand."


    Muraad wrapped an arm around her and ruffled her hair. "Don''t even think about it."


    Mari''s stomach always turned when he said that. She knew she wasn''t good at thinking, but the idea of not doing it wasn''t pleasant. Rekema crossed her arms. "Just trust us."


    Mari bit her lip, but before she could respond, Balak had taken control of her. Everything hazed over, and her skin crawled. Mari stumbled forward as Balak moved his hands with a grin. Mari felt him channel his power through her. She rushed forward and thrust her hands out, crashing into the wall. A large crack appeared, and the small pieces of the wall hit her.


    "Good, keep going, Balak," Rekema ordered. Mari''s stomach turned. She couldn''t think straight, but she wasn''t fond of this power flowing through her. She was human, even if the Seven weren''t; her body wasn''t made for this.


    Balak pulled her back; her head lolled to the side. Her arms fell limp. Mari just barely realized he was about to do it again. A surge of power hit her body, and she stumbled forward.


    She stifled a grunt as a large piece hit her shoulder, and another hit her head. She heard Muraad mutter something behind her. Bidkar chuckled as a response. She blinked and looked to see the crack was almost to the top of the wall. Mari wished she could shake her head to get rid of the ringing in her ears.


    People above her yelled. Mari saw more of the polished men on the top of the wall. Mari wondered what they were doing up there and if they had a name. There were so many; it seemed they were a group, and groups had names, like the Seven. As she pondered, one of them held up a thin wooden thing Mari had never seen before. He was doing something with it. She saw him hold it with one hand and pull back with the other. Something settled in her heart; it was telling her to move, but she couldn''t. Her mind didn''t even register the strange instinct. Mari idly wondered what the wooden object did.


    "Balak!" Muraad shouted.


    "Move her!" Rekema shrieked. Mari had never heard Rekema shriek about anything, ever. Her mind couldn''t keep up with these new discoveries and objects.


    Something flew towards her. It was small, wooden, and had a sharp tip. Mari wondered if it would hurt. Balak jerked his hands, and her body flew to the side. She hit the ground, rolling several times from the force Balak used. She hissed at the stinging pain in her arms and legs.


    "You reckless idiot!" Mari saw Rekema shout at Balak, storming over to him. Her fists were clenched so tightly that Mari couldn''t believe Rekema wasn''t hurting herself. She wondered if Rekema would hit him. She would be okay with that.


    Rekema grabbed Balak by the collar. "Pay more attention! Do you need a reminder of¡ª"


    Mallory cut her off, "I don''t think this is the best place to have this discussion. Those guys aren''t going to stop shooting just so you can yell at him."


    Mari staggered to her feet unwillingly. The men on the wall continued to yell, but Mari''s mind was too clouded, the pain too loud, for her to make anything they said out. More of the sharp sticks flew towards her.


    "Balak!" Muraad said. Mari heard him rush towards her.


    "Lay off, I got her," Balak said. He moved his hands. Mari''s legs moved, and she tripped backwards, seeing the sticks hit around where she used to be.


    "Take down the wall!" Apep shouted, "I want to see them run."


    Balak let out a savage cry, and it tore through her throat. He made her run; she slammed into the wall once more. She heard a crunch in her shoulder. Mari opened her mouth and let out a soundless cry of pain. She gasped as more pieces fell and hit her on their way down.


    Meeko giggled, and out of the corner of her eye, Mari saw Mallory tug on his arm. "It''s coming down!"


    Bidkar took a deep breath, tilting her head back. "I can hear them scream. One of them is crying. Isn''t it beautiful?"


    Balak released her, too absorbed in what he created to notice. Mari staggered back, wiping dirt and dust from her face. Muraad ruffled her hair. Rekema stepped in front of her and looked at the remains. A hand stuck out from under the pieces. It twitched. Rekema took control of Mari. "Let''s keep going."


    Mari stifled a whimper as she stumbled over chunks of wall. Rekema wasn''t precise or careful with Mari''s steps. Mari kept quiet as it didn''t take her long to finish climbing over it. The rest of Seven stuck close by. Muraad stayed a step behind her the entire time. They stopped at the sight that awaited them on the other side. Rekema loosened her hold, and Mari''s mind cleared slightly. She flexed her toes; the ground was much harder, and there was no grass. She shivered, having never seen so many people like her. They were running away, and Mari was certain that pleased Apep to no end. Mari could tell by the way her eyes and markings glowed brighter. Mari turned her attention back to the humans and one of them started to fall at the sight of her. Another person rushed them away, not even daring to look at Mari.


    Mari had enough control of herself to be able to look at Rekema. Her voice came out raspy and soft. Her throat burned, but she had to ask. "Why are they¡ª"


    A familiar voice caught her attention. "Shoot her down."


    "Balak, take over!" Rekema scowled, and she let go of Mari. Balak didn''t even give Mari time to blink as he pulled her back. Mari''s mind dulled again, and his disgusting power filled her veins. Mari had no doubt. Balak was the strongest of the Seven which only made it worse when he took over.


    Muraad glared at the men on the sections of the wall that still stood. "Don''t let them hit her."


    Mari''s head was jerked back, and she saw the man from earlier, the one with the headpiece. He was on a horse. Mari remembered seeing one once. She forced herself to hold onto the thought. She strained her mind. It had been lost and stumbled across the cottage. Muraad had told her what it was and to leave it be. It would leave soon enough, and the sooner it did the better for them. Mari didn''t understand then, and she certainly didn''t at that moment. She was surprised she could even remember that in her current state.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The man with the headpiece was surrounded by the polished men who were also on horses. As Mari staggered, the men pulled out the long knives and the wooden tool that shot sticks. Balak''s grip tightened on her. Her head hurt, and it became even further clouded. He moved her arms and flexed her wrists. The house near her broke, and the pieces flew out around her. Several of the horses reared up. Balak rushed Mari forward, avoiding the sticks shot at her. His power surged through her. It hurt. She tore through the first line of men on horses. The men screamed, and the horses'' high-pitched cries made Mari want to cover her ears.


    "King Dainan, get back!" one of the men said to the man with the headpiece. Her thoughts were cluttered and constantly moving. It was like anything that entered her mind slipped from her grasp. She had trouble keeping up in this state; she didn''t know what a king was, but Dainan sounded like a name, so she held onto that. This was something she wouldn''t forget. It seemed important, and she didn''t want to be stuck calling him the man with the headpiece forever.


    Mari couldn''t but let out a cry of her own when one stick hit her arm. Muraad growled. Mari saw the Seven out of the corner of her eye. Bidkar had her eyes closed with a smile on her face, feeling Mari''s pain just as much as Mari did. Rekema gestured to the wall, where the stick had come from. "Do something about them!"


    Balak raised one arm, and Mari followed. Through his revolting power, the shards of the house lifted into the air. With a shout, they hurled the shards at the men on the wall. Balak''s savage satisfaction surged through her, causing her head to throb.


    "Kill her!" Dainan ordered. A group of his men charged towards her on the horses. Balak had her meet them head on. Mari watched herself break the horses'' legs. The men fell off the horses as they collapsed. Faster than Mari could blink, she was tearing through their protective clothing, hurling them into walls, and seeing them go limp under her stained hands.


    Apep watched with an approving eye. "Should we kill the king? Cut off the head and watch them flail about?"


    Rekema chuckled as Mari was stood up. Rekema shook her head. "Not yet, but I promise once we''re done here, you''ll get your fill."


    "What if we kill him?" Bidkar pointed to the man on Dainan''s right.


    Rekema nodded her approval, and Balak let go of Mari. She pitched forward, unable to stand on her own. Her chest tightened; Mari could hardly breathe. Bidkar took over and pulled her back to her feet. Her mind hazed over once more. Bidkar sent Mari hurtling towards the center of the men. She blew through them, grabbed the man beside Dainan, and pulled him to the ground.


    "Stop her! Do something!" Dainan shouted, as he was pulled away by his men. Had Mari been in control, his voice would have made her stop. It struck her chest, causing her to wonder if it were possible for words to physically hurt her.


    "Get the king away from her!"


    Mari pinned the man to the ground, and Bidkar had her plunge her hand into his chest. His expression tore at her heart just as much as Dainan''s words did. She forced herself to close her eyes and waited for Bidkar to finish, trying desperately to ignore, to forget what Bidkar was doing to the man. If she had control of her hands, she would have shredded her ears to pieces to get the sound of his scream out of her head.


    She felt him go still beneath her, and Bidkar cackled behind her, ecstatic beyond belief. Dainan''s voice hit her ears, strained and hoarse. It was so distant to her. Her mind so far gone. She had the fleeting thought he had been screaming too. Dainan gestured to his men. "Fall back! Get to the castle!"


    Mari opened her eyes and saw him leading his men toward a huge, complex gray building. Mari assumed that was the castle. She watched them go, their horses moving faster than Mari thought possible.


    The Seven approached Mari. Bidkar loosened her control. Mari crawled for a moment, scraping her hands and knees before retching onto the ground. Muraad patted her good shoulder. "We did good."


    The twins laughed, dancing around the rest of them. Bidkar tightened her control, forcing Mari back onto her feet. Rekema sauntered up beside them. "Oh this is very good. The city might as well be ours. That castle can''t stop us."


    "May I?" Apep asked, facing Rekema, "I can practically smell their panic. It''s killing me."


    "Of course." Rekema turned to Bidkar, her face said everything. Bidkar let go, and Mari swayed. A second later, Apep controlled her.


    Apep spoke in a language Mari did not know. Her own voice joined with Apep''s. Mari was kneeling, arms out, with a strange sickly green light enveloping her. A wave of strange, foreign emotions engulfed Mari, going through her to Apep. She didn''t know what to call any of them, but they made Mari feel absolutely wretched. She wanted to run for as long as her feet could carry her, to throw up until she had nothing left in her stomach, to curl up into a ball, and to cry until there were no tears left to shed.


    Mari couldn''t move, but she felt drops of water roll down her cheeks, clearing away the grime on her face. She continued to chant with Apep, but her voice shook. It was too much. She felt too much. It was as if all the feelings from the humans in the city were in her. She couldn''t stand it. How could anyone handle it? These feelings? Mari wished she would never feel again. Not if emotions could do this, not if they hurt like this.


    To Mari, it seemed like she was in this state for an eternity, but Apep had to stop eventually.


    Mari was vaguely aware of Apep''s voice halting. Apep let go, and Mari fell onto her face. She only had just enough strength to curl into herself. Her chest burned, and she took great gulps of air, shaking. She forced one hand under her, pushing up. In the distance, far up and far away, Dainan looked down at her. Mari didn''t know the name of the emotion, but it reminded her of shock and what Apep had just made her feel. Was there even a name for emotions so terrible?


    "Come on, Mari." Rekema took over, dragging Mari up by her shoulders with a few hand motions. "We still have work to do."


    Mari watched Dainan and his men head inside the castle, unable to generate a single thought, everything in her was so heavy.

 Chapter Four

    Mari knew the only reason she was still standing was because of Muraad. He had taken control before they went into the castle. When he had done so, he had supplied her with enough strength to continue on. No matter what it did for her, Mari couldn''t help but wish he had let her collapse as opposed to forcing something so sickening and painful on her. Mari, despite years of exposure, couldn''t stomach the awful side effects that came with the Seven using their inhuman strength through her.


    She had no choice in the matter, so there she was, outside the same room they had visited once before. Mallory had called it a throne room; Mari didn''t understand why, but she supposed it was only right it had a name. They hadn''t run into any more humans until outside the throne room. They weren''t a problem for long.


    Hands dripping, Muraad had her stumble to the doors, pushing them open. She registered several gasps and a rush of footsteps as she entered the room. Mari''s head was pulled up. Orange and red light flickered around the edges. Shadows flickered across the ground. She saw more of the polished men than had been there before. That was strange. They blocked the path to Dainan. Beside her, Rekema was beaming.


    "I believe we''ve been in this position before," Dainan spoke over his men. His voice was tight. Mari thought it was like he was trying to hold something back, but she could clearly see that wasn''t the case.


    Muraad smirked. Mari spoke his words, "Are you ready to give me what I want?"


    "What are you after? Not to offend, but the last time we talked you weren''t exactly clear," Dainan said. The twins giggled behind her.


    Muraad laughed, and Mari''s throat burned from the strain. "We want your surrender, or we''ll take it, doesn''t matter to us."


    Silence fell, except for Mari. Her own labored breath and the muttered words between the Seven rang in her ears. The twins in particular squealed, and Bidkar shushed them. The men turned to their leader. Mari watched, curious. She knew she didn''t understand everything, but she could tell the Seven wanted Dainan to stop resisting. Mari thought everything would be easier if he did.


    "And if I surrender, what happens? What will you do to my kingdom? My people?" Dainan asked. She wondered what he meant. What made them his people? Was it about leadership? Did Rekema consider the rest of the Seven and Mari to be her people?


    The men behind Dainan started to whisper to him. Mari couldn''t remember what she had just been wondering about. Their voices caught her attention, but she couldn''t catch the words. Muraad turned to Rekema and received her permission. She gestured one hand forward for him to continue. Mari heard herself say, "If you surrender, we would consider leaving your kingdom to continue on, only under our leadership. As much as it would please us to destroy this kingdom, we are considering letting you and the majority live in exchange for you complete and utter cooperation."


    Dainan said nothing. More whispers. Mari caught words like "crazy," "possessed," and "betray." She had never heard them before. Muraad sighed deeply and rolled his eyes; Mari stayed still.


    Rekema said, "Forget this, give me control."


    Muraad paused, bowed his head, and stepped back. Mari folded over, and her knees buckled. The moment Mari moved, the men pulled out their long knives and readied themselves. Rekema caught Mari and pulled her back up. Rekema''s power filtered through, not as powerful as Balak''s, but it still turned her blood cold.


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    With a gesture, Rekema and Mari cleared a path to Dainan. The men yelled, and their protective clothing clanged against the ground. Mari''s steps were stunted, and Rekema barely kept her balanced. She saw Dainan''s face shift as she approached. Mari never had been good at reading people, especially when it came to emotions she didn''t know.


    "Still think you can stop me?" Rekema spoke through Mari, bringing her right up to Dainan.


    Dainan said something, but Mari missed it. Rekema had her step closer, tilt her head, and hum. "Hmm?"


    Dainan looked up, and Mari didn''t like the look in his eye. It reminded her of the look on the man Bidkar chose. She had seen it right before she closed her eyes. It hurt her chest. Dainan spoke up slightly, "No."


    Rekema and Mari grinned; her own being far more painful and forced. "Are you ready to die? Dainan, is it?"


    He set his jaw.


    Rekema continued speaking through Mari, "Are you ready to be responsible for the slaughter of this kingdom?"


    Another pause. Mari was beginning to hate the sound of silence. All the things left unsaid filled the air and pulled at her skin. She wished someone would scream, cry, yell, anything to stop the dreaded absence of noise.


    Dainan finally said, "No, I''m not."


    Despite the protests from the men behind him, Dainan dropped to his knees. Her removed the headpiece, offering it to her. Mari didn''t know what to do with it, but Rekema had her take it.


    "I surrender," Dainan said as the headpiece slipped from out of his hands.


    Rekema turned Mari around and had her hold up the headpiece. Rekema''s power surged through her. Rekema yelled, and Mari''s voice tore at her throat, "We are in charge now. You are under my rule. You serve me, obey my every order, cater to every whim, and heed every word that comes out of this mouth."


    Mari took a deep breath, staring down the men before her. There were so many; they stared back at her. Their faces imitated Dainan''s from earlier; the sight made her heart stop.


    Something moved behind her; both Rekema and Mari heard it. Muraad called out, "Rekema, look out!"


    Rekema jerked her hands, and Mari was pulled to the side, holding the headpiece with one hand. The man tripped on her feet and dropped his knife as he fell. Rekema had Mari pick up the blade and kneel over the man. Without a moment''s pause, Mari saw her hand drive the blade into his neck. Out of his mouth, came blood and a sickening gurgle. Everyone winced, except for Mari who would have if she could.


    Mari watched herself pick up the man and hold him up in front of everyone. Mari felt the strain and pull in her arms. Freezing power filled her arms, chilling her heart. Rekema had Mari hurl the man to the feet of the crowd. There was a thud, and Rekema had Mari take the headpiece in both hands, staining it with red. Rekema moved her fingers, and Mari set it on her own head. Mari''s voice rang out, but she remained detached. "Disobey and suffer the consequences. Suffer my wrath. Now, bow. Kneel before your queen, Queen Mari Annette."


    The men before her dropped to their knees and kept from meeting her gaze. Mari wasn''t sure what a queen was, but she knew she had just taken Dainan''s place. All she wanted to do was go back to the cottage and sleep until the awful heavy feeling in her bones disappeared.

 Chapter Five

    What happened after Rekema made her wear the headpiece was hazy to Mari. Rekema had made many demands and orders through Mari, so many that Mari couldn''t keep up, not with the everlasting fog around her mind. She remembered the men; Rekema called them guards. Rekema had them take Dainan and the men who talked to him away. Mari couldn''t remember where. Before she could dwell on it, Rekema had Mari follow some of the guards up a flight of stairs. More orders were given, and Mari found herself in a room that reminded her of the cottage, only larger and cleaner. Rekema let go of Mari, and she stumbled to the bed. She barely pulled herself onto it. Her eyes couldn''t stay open; she couldn''t even move her legs or arms to get into a more comfortable position. She fell asleep to the excited chatter of the Seven.


    Mari didn''t dream. Never. Not once in her life did she remember one at least. Muraad had said it was because she had nothing to dream of. She had everything she wanted. At least, Muraad said so. She had never been exposed to anything she could dread. Mari thought it was true, even if she wasn''t sure what dread was. Nothing desired, nothing dreaded, nothing dreamed. Why should she dream? Why should she see anything in those strange, lost hours of the night?


    That night, Mari discovered the dream of dread. The nightmare.


    With a quick breath, Mari''s eyes flew open as she convulsed. She moved as if trying to tear herself in two. She couldn''t help but let out a short grunt when she hit the floor, even though her throat burned in protest. Mari heard a flurry of movement.


    "What are you doing?"


    Mari saw Mallory and Meeko standing above her; Meeko hung behind his twin, covering a laugh.


    Mari''s throat felt raw and scraped, even if she had an answer, she wouldn''t have wanted to risk using her voice. She pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at the soreness in her arms.


    "Okay, you two back up," Muraad stepped into Mari''s line of sight. Mari sighed, smiling slightly.


    Mallory huffed, but stepped back, forcing Meeko back as well. Muraad tilted his head, and with a quick hand gesture, Mari was pulled to her feet.


    Mari fell back onto the bed. Muraad sat next to her, "So, you finally woke up."


    Mari blinked and tried to clear her throat. Muraad pointed to a table in the middle of the room, saying something about taking control while she was unconscious to get it for when she woke up. There was a tray of odd looking food. She forced herself over there and tore into the food. In seconds, it was gone. She coughed, forcing it down. Once done, she grabbed the glass with one hand, supporting herself on the table with the other. She drank like she hadn''t seen water in months. It spilled down her face, onto her neck, and stained the torn collar of her dress.


    "Don''t choke," Mallory called out.


    Mari pulled the glass away from her mouth, bowing her head. She hobbled back to the bed, ignoring Meeko''s giggles. Her voice came out rasped and harsh as she coughed, "Was I asleep for long?"


    "Two days." Meeko jumped onto the bed and towered over her.


    Mari glanced up before quickly bowing her head again in submission.


    Meeko pulled on her hair, jerking her head to the side. "Don''t be like that. I''m not the one upset."


    Muraad scowled and pushed him off the bed. "Go tell Rekema that Mari''s up."


    Meeko stuck his tongue out and screwed up his eyes. "Whatever you say."


    The small boy disappeared, but his twin stayed. Muraad turned and glared. "Go with him."


    She threw up her hands, rolling her eyes. "If you absolutely insist."


    The girl had gone.


    "Get up, you''re filthy. You need to wash your hands and face." Mari turned to Muraad. He ruffled her hair, and at her blank look, he turned her around. "Over there on the dresser."


    Mari stood up and let Muraad point her to a bowl of water with a square piece of cloth next to it. She walked up to the strange chest. It was a dresser, according to Muraad. The dresser had an odd, clear, reflective material on the wall behind it. She ducked her head, picking up a rag and wetting it. She shrugged off the strange furniture and focused on removing the reds, grays, and browns from her skin. Once she was done, she wiped her face dry with her sleeve. Without looking at her reflection, Mari turned to Muraad.


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    "So, pet." Muraad leaned against the pillows. Mari sat at the edge of the bed. He crossed his legs. "You going to tell me about your first dream?"


    "I thought..." Mari looked at her hands, still seeing flecks of red under her nails. She frowned, barely lifting her eyes, "But, you said I do not desire anything, so I do not dream anything."


    "Yes." Muraad''s scales caught the light of the room. He sat up, and Mari kept her head bowed. Her stomach rolled, and she wished she hadn''t eaten. Mari couldn''t guarantee it was going to stay in her stomach. Muraad stared at her; she could feel it. "So, something changed. Tell me what you dreamed about."


    "It was dark." Mari fiddled with the frayed edge of her skirt. "I was outside, in the middle of the uh, city. There were many people around, but they didn''t move, at all. It was just me, and I¡ª"


    Mari stopped as she felt a pull on her. A second later, Rekema appeared. She tossed her hair back, and with a smile, she said, "You''re awake, Mari. Perfect, come on, Muraad. We have much to do Underneath."


    Muraad sat up. "Now?"


    "Yes, now! All of us need to be there. This is important." Rekema put a claw on her hip.


    Muraad stood up and walked over to her. He spoke softly, but Mari heard him, "And just leave her with no supervision?"


    Rekema rolled her eyes. "And who would stay? You trust the twins with her? Balak? Apep? Bidkar? I certainly can''t do it."


    Muraad looked down; he didn''t say anything.


    "Face it, Muraad, the only one you trust Mari with is yourself. We''ve left her without us once before, and we''re going to have to do it often, now that everything has begun." Rekema leaned in, keeping her voice low, and Mari only just heard what she said.


    Muraad stepped closer. "What if someone tries a stunt like the one from the throne room?"


    Mari wasn''t sure what he meant. Her mind hadn''t been in a good place, so much had happened, and she didn''t know what a stunt was.


    "Oh, please. No one is going to come in here, the guards will stop anyone. They''re loyal to us, remember? They don''t have a choice," Rekema said. Mari thought back to the throne room, straining her mind. Her memories cleared slightly. She remembered a surge of power and realized what Rekema meant. She had put the guards under a spell.


    Muraad growled; his scales seemed to multiply across his skin. "Fine, you win."


    Mari stared at the ground, not wanting them to be upset with her for listening. A hand came down and ruffled her hair. She stood up. Murrad couldn''t meet her gaze, "We''ll be off then, but we won''t be gone long. I''ll be back soon."


    Mari swallowed, wishing she could tell them not to go. She remembered the hours sitting in the cottage. Wanting things was strange and new to her, but she knew that was not what she wanted.


    Muraad sighed, and stepped backwards. He said, "It''s important, or else I wouldn''t do this. Don''t give that look. It''s for the best."


    Rekema made a noise in her throat. She spoke quickly, "We''ll be back as soon as we can. When we get back, we''ll have lots to do, so just wait."


    Mari nodded. The two disappeared. She pulled her legs up onto the fluffy bed, to begin her wait. Did waiting always begin with a sinking feeling in her stomach? Did it always involve this strange crushing, suffocating sensation? The hollow feeling, the emptiness, how long would it last? She was filled with questions, and she was beginning to believe there were no answers.

 Chapter Six

    It had only been a few hours since Rekema and Muraad had left, but to Mari it felt like an eternity. She stared at the window, thinking time might go by faster if she watched the sun move. She was wrong, but at least the sky was pretty enough to occupy her attention. The sky had just started to turn a bright orange and red when there was a knock on the door. Everything in her froze. She stared at the door from across the room. Another knock. Mari debated whether or not she should crawl under the bed in case they came in. Could she fit?


    "Your Highness?" a voice filtered through the door.


    Mari sucked in her breath, digging her fingers into the covers on the bed.


    "Are you awake?"


    Mari edged away from the direction of the voice.


    "I have dinner. I''ll leave the tray out for whenever you''re ready for it," the voice said, "When you''re done, just set the tray back out here."


    Mari held her breath, straining her ears until the footsteps faded. She waited more, but she couldn''t wait forever. She kept on her toes as she crept across the plush fabric covering part of the floor, opening the door slowly. Mari took a moment to look about before seeing the tray waiting for her, on a table just outside the door. She picked it up; her thin arm wobbled a moment before she steadied the tray with her second. She set it down before hurrying to shut the door. She sighed as she sat down, taking a moment to examine the food. It looked strange to her, but her stomach wasn''t giving her a chance to refuse. After a hesitant first bite, Mari found herself shoveling it down. She had the vague notion of it making her sick, but she didn''t care. She didn''t realize just how hungry she was.


    It was gone far too soon, but once it was, she set both of the trays back outside, like she was told, as always. She couldn''t get back inside the room fast enough, shutting the door quietly, but quickly. Once done, she ran back to her bed to resume waiting.


    She continued like that for the next few days. She would sit on the bed, eat an hour after food was brought, resume waiting, go to sleep until the dream that made her sick woke her up, and continue waiting.


    Mari had slept two times before she dared to do anything different. One afternoon, she did more than use the window to check the time of day. She slid off the bed and placed her hand on the clear material. It was cold, and she pulled back her hand immediately, but still peered out. All the people, walking in the city; they were so small, so far away.


    She stepped closer, seeing a large wall circle the city. A section of it was broken, and it was devoid. She could see people everywhere else except for by the broken section of wall. Mari grunted, grabbing at her head. Images of people running away filled her mind. Cries rang in her ears. Houses around her were broken, destroyed. Were people trapped under them?


    She choked on air, burying her head further into her hands. Mari shook her head, stumbling backwards. The images wouldn''t fade. People weren''t moving. They stayed on the ground with a stillness that made Mari want to move. A scream started to build in her throat. She grabbed at her arms, digging her nails into them. She kept her eyes closed, but felt small drops of blood roll down her arms. It wasn''t until her feet tangled underneath her that she realized she had been backing away.


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    She grunted and rubbed her head as she sat up. The images started to fade, leaving her head pounding. As she forced herself back onto her feet, Mari kept her eyes away from the window. She crawled onto the bed, not bothering to think about what had just happened. Her head hurt too much. She buried her face into the covers, letting sleep take her.


    Over the course of the next few days, Mari explored her new room. She would lie on the floor fabric, running her fingers over it simply because she liked how soft and warm it was. After one of her meals, she started picking at the smooth, bright material that lined the already smooth wooden chairs, finding it to cool to the touch. Not long after that, she gathered her courage one day and pulled open a set of door. She didn''t quite expect it to be filled with clothes. Did someone really need all of them? Did they wear different ones for different reasons? All of them were strange to her, but she took a liking to a large white shirt. It might as well have been a dress on her it was so big. It was made of fabric far softer than her normal dress. She found it to be more comfortable to sleep in now that she was prone to waking up in a cold sweat.


    It was the seventh morning when Mari forced herself to inspect the dresser. She went through the small boxes, finding more clothes. She didn''t quite understand the use of all of them. Some of them seemed to be made to go over a pair of feet, but Mari was not so adventurous as to try them. To her delight, Mari did find more white shirts in one of the boxes. There was one box with many small objects, including the headpiece. Mari figured that when Muraad used her while unconscious he also put it there. She left that box alone, having no desire to go through it like she did with the others. She stood up, taking a breath, and she stared at herself in the reflective piece. Mari wasn''t surprised with what she saw. She was well aware of herself and what other people would see when looking at her. While there was much beyond her understanding, she wasn''t stupid.


    Mari paused. There was one thing she didn''t know about herself. She leaned in and widened her eyes. All the Seven had such distinct eye colors; she wanted to know hers. She crawled onto the dresser to see clearly, staring at her eyes to be sure. Gray stared back at her. She felt disappointed. She thought it was a dull and lifeless color. She had hoped her eyes would match Rekema''s pink, or Muraad''s purple, or even Mallory''s blue.


    Sitting back down, Mari wondered if gray eyes were a human thing.


    She didn''t have long to consider it as she felt a pulling on her, and she leapt to her feet. The Seven were coming back! She grabbed the bedpost, trying to steady herself, but was unable to stop herself from rocking on her feet.


    The Seven appeared before her. Rekema immediately took control. Mari''s mind started to fog over once more. She staggered, unused to the sensation after being without it for the past few days. Rekema had Mari go into the dresser and put on the headpiece. She said to Mari, "We''ve got work to do, and no time to waste."


    Mari was more than relieved and excited to have them back, but the gleam in Rekema''s and the others'' eyes suddenly made Mari happy to have gray eyes.

 Chapter Seven

    "They''re on their way, your Majesty." A guard came into the throne room. His voice echoed around the room.


    Rekema had Mari perched on the throne, Rekema was either unaware or unconcerned at how uncomfortable it was for Mari. Mari acknowledged it was beautiful, but what did it matter if it was beautiful when it was bad at doing what it was meant to? Her mind was wholly devoted to the question. Well... as much of her mind as she could use in her current state.


    Her concentration was disturbed by the Seven''s movement behind her. She had been on the throne for a while, waiting for the people Rekema sent for. Apparently, they were important. Rekema had called them scholars. Muraad told her they were intelligent humans who had answers for them. Mari''s mind drifted to these people and their answers. She wasn''t sure what questions Rekema was going to have her ask, but Mari had a few of her own. Although, she doubted she''d get the chance to voice them.


    Mari heard herself speak, "It is in everyone''s best interests that you bring them now."


    With the way Rekema''s voice sounded to Mari, she wouldn''t want to be the scholars when they found out how long Rekema had been waiting.


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The guard stepped out of the room, keeping his head down.


    Rekema was completely still, her claws resting on the back of the throne. Muraad was on her right and Bidkar her left. The twins climbed over Mari and everything else they could get their hands on. Balak paced, and Apep leaned against the wall.


    Everyone stopped moving when the doors started to open. Rekema pulled Mari up straighter, and the headpiece slid, in danger of falling off at the next movement.


    Several guards came in with a man and woman dressed in long, dark clothes. The woman''s eyes narrowed at the sight of Mari. The man reached out and caught her wrist. It seemed to be a strange gesture, but Mari shrugged it off.


    Rekema pulled Mari out of the chair, and she staggered toward the new arrivals. Rekema cleared Mari''s throat and said, "I sent for the smartest scholars in this land, and they bring me you."


    "Your Majesty, we have dedicated both of our lives to the pursuit of knowledge. I am Aeary and this is my husband, Prentiss," the woman said.


    "What can you tell me about the history of magic in this city?" Mari was maneuvered closer, and her voice filled the room. Had she ever been so loud before? Wait... history? She didn''t know what Rekema wanted with magic history, but Mari hardly ever understood why the Seven did what they did.


    The man, Pre¡ª? The name was starting to slip from her grasp. He coughed and said, "There''s not much really, magic is much stronger in the other, eastern kingdoms. Occasionally, in times of crisis, the rulers of this kingdom would call on those with magic for help, but very rarely."


    "Tell me, what kind of spells? Where were they cast?" Rekema asked through Mari. Mari''s feet slapped against the cold floor. The guards backed away. They looked at each other, readjusting their grips on their weapons. The woman, Aea¡ª? Her fists clenched. Mari''s head swam. This time it was worse. She could hardly hold onto any independent thought.


    "We don''t know," the woman snapped. An image of a fox with its teeth bared, snarling, appeared in her head.


    Mari was stopped in her tracks. She felt her shoulders roll, and Rekema tsked through her. "You don''t know?"


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    Her stare chilled Mari to the bone.


    The man held the woman''s hand. Why?


    A few more steps, and Rekema and Mari spoke, "Alright, I''ll give you one more chance. If you can''t tell me that, then tell me everything you know about the eastern kingdoms'' magic forces."


    The pair exchanged a long glance. Mari remembered what happened to the fox.


    The man squeezed her hand and gave her a nod.


    "We don''t know anything about the eastern kingdoms and their magic forces." The woman smirked, keeping her head held high. Bared fangs.


    "See, why don''t I believe you?" Rekema let go of Mari. Mari pitched forward; arms swaying. The headpiece crashed onto the floor. Her head throbbed. She blinked, unable to remember what was happening. Rekema said, "Bidkar, take it from here."


    "Gladly." Bidkar stepped forward. Mari rolled up as Bidkar took over, losing her senses. With a small smile, bright eyes, and a vicious cry, Mari lunged forward.


    The fox, Mari recalled. It had taken Mari days to get the red out from under her nails.


    The man screamed. Mari shut her eyes, but heard a crack. Several more cracks. Mari realized Bidkar was breaking fingers.


    Bidkar had her drop him and stumble towards the woman. The woman stared her down. Bidkar dug Mari''s hand into the woman''s shoulder, but she didn''t cry out. The sounds were sickening as well as what she felt beneath her fingers. Bidkar squeezed Mari''s hand tighter; the woman''s knees buckled. Bidkar pushed, and the woman fell.


    Bidkar pulled Mari''s hand away. Her hand was soaked; it dripped. She had Mari grab the woman by the hair and pull back. Her shriek clawed at Mari''s ears. Something grabbed at the hem of her dress. Without sparing a glance, Bidkar took Mari''s hand and smacked the man, knocking him back.


    "Do you know now?" Mari heard herself ask. The woman tried to pry Mari''s hands off her hair. Her nails cut into Mari''s hands.


    She coughed, spitting onto the ground. "No."


    "Oh well," Bidkar and Mari said. Mari knew Bidkar was the farthest thing from upset.


    Faster than Mari could follow, she slammed the woman''s head into the ground. The man yelled in the background. Her head throbbed.


    After the third slam, Rekema ordered, "Back off, Bidkar. We want them alive."


    With a noise of disgust, Bidkar had Mari drop the woman. The man crawled towards the woman, saying something, but it was too distorted for Mari to understand. Maybe it was her name. Mari felt she should know it, but she couldn''t remember it.


    Bidkar smirked, and Mari watched her foot connect with his head. It snapped back, and blood dripped from his nose. Without missing a beat, Rekema took over. Mari''s mind clouded even further. They called out, "Guards! Take them to the dungeon, and separate them."


    The sound of her feet echoed through the room. Rekema had her scoop up the headpiece before marching her back out of the room. It turned red.


    "I know that wasn''t what we wanted..." Mallory started as Mari was walked up the stairs, fighting the sick rising in her throat.


    "But that was fun," Meeko finished.


    Mari had only heard the word a few times before, but she didn''t think she liked this fun.

 Chapter Eight

    Mari watched the Seven whirl around her bedroom. Muraad sat behind her on the bed, playing with her hair. Mari stared at the headpiece in her hands. She asked, "Rekema?"


    "Not now, we have to go," Rekema said. Mari blinked and bowed her head further.


    Barely lifting her eyes, Mari turned to Muraad. "You are leaving again?"


    Muraad let go of her hair. "Yes, but we won''t be long."


    Mari leaned against the post, stretching her legs and moving her feet across the plush fabric on the ground. Apep and Bidkar left. The twins were ignoring Rekema''s orders. Muraad sighed as Rekema yelled at them. "You''ll be fine. You''ll barely even notice we''re not here."


    The twins left, sticking their tongues out as they went. Balak followed a moment after. Mari knew the Seven liked to say they told the truth, but she could feel it in her gut when they chose to lie. Mari put the headpiece in one of the boxes from the dresser. When she turned around, Rekema and Muraad were gone.


    Mari looked at her reflection, wondering if she would spend the next days just staring at it. She sighed, lying back on the bed. Mari stared up at the ceiling even though she could already see it with her eyes closed. When that became too boring, she rolled onto her side, closing her eyes and resigning herself to her new life of waiting.


    The days went by, and Mari was left with her thoughts. More often than not, they turned to her broken and hazy memories of the throne room. She thought about the scholars. There were many humans in the castle, but the scholars seemed to be the ones who knew the most about humans, kingdoms, and even magic. Mari didn''t quite understand the term, but thought it sounded interesting and important.


    Mari began having the strangest sensation. As if two people were pulling on her in opposite directions. Even more, Mari would say she was torn in half. She had such a problem on her hands. She had never gone anywhere without the Seven, but... she had questions about everything. The more she waited, the more questions she had, but she had no one to answer them. The scholars were her first thought. Surely they, of all people, could answer her many questions, but Mari remembered something. The scholars hadn''t answered any of the Seven''s questions, but maybe they would answer hers if she wasn''t with the Seven. Maybe it was just the questions the Seven were asking; maybe they would answer hers if she asked the right ones in the right way.


    She felt sick at the thought of it, and her feet wore a path in the fabric on the floor. She wasn''t sure she could approach the scholars, not without the Seven, but could she really spend the next however many days wearing a hole in the floor? Her reflection didn''t answer her. She coughed, a suffocating feeling taking hold of her. Her heart shuddered. She couldn''t.


    She stared herself down. Mari set her jaw and opened part of the dresser. She picked up the headpiece. What did it mean? What was so important about it that Rekema had her wear it every time she left the room? She turned it over in her hands; it glinted in the light. It seemed to mean something to everyone except her. The feeling tightened around her chest. She felt the cold seep into her core. The feeling was deep within her, and it was awful. It was worse than what Apep had made her feel. It was personal. Could she do it?


    The headpiece, maybe it was all she needed. No one had to know the Seven weren''t with her; she was the only one who could see them after all. The feeling in her being... if she hid it, acted like Rekema no one would know. She could have her questions answered and be back before the Seven knew it.


    Mari, for the first time in her life, made a decision without the Seven.


    She put the headpiece on and walked to the door. Her eyes closed for a moment before she set her shoulders back, took a deep breath, and lifted her head. She opened the door and walked down the steps, trying to ignore how her heartbeat thundered and her footsteps echoed.


    The guard at the bottom bowed his head at the sight of her. "Your highness."


    Mari refused to show any emotion; for she knew whatever she was feeling would not help her create the effect Rekema had on people. She opened her mouth, and all of her thoughts left her head. She shut her mouth, and the guard looked up, eyes widening. He prompted, "Is there anything I can do, your highness?"


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    Mari forced herself to keep going. She couldn''t stop now. She hardened her voice, and her mind scrambled for the right words. "Yes, you can take me to see..."


    Something occurred to Mari. A flash of a memory appeared. The woman scholar, regardless of the Seven''s presence, or of the proper questions, Mari didn''t believe she would answer, but maybe the man would. She tried to remember his name, but her mind was infuriatingly blank. She had to say something. "Take me to see the man from the throne room."


    She stuttered; her mind whirling. What had Rekema called them again? It started with an "s," but now she couldn''t remember. She had sent them where? Mari straightened her posture. "He''s important, and he should be in a... dungeon."


    "The man from the throne room?" The guard furrowed her brow.


    Mari nodded; her chest loosened ever so slightly. "He would know a lot about the kingdom, very, uh, intelligent."


    She hoped she used the word correctly. She could feel her blood rushing through her veins. Mari hated how she had forgotten anything that could have been of use. The emotion that caused her heart to race had also wiped her mind clean, not that there was much left after the Seven were done with her anyway.


    The guard said, "I will take you to him, your highness. If you will follow me."


    Mari nodded; her throat closed up. The headpiece shifted when she moved. She resisted the urge to touch it. Rekema made it feel so easy to balance it.


    The guard led the way, and Mari was pleased to follow someone again. He seemed to know who she was talking about, so Mari stopped worrying herself over remembering any more helpful details. She didn''t think remembering his name would help her now that they were already going to him. Maybe he could explain why she forgot if he was as knowledgeable as Rekema said.


    It wasn''t a long walk, but for Mari, who as of late, had been walking the length of a room, it felt like a long time before they stopped. They stopped in front of a door, and he took out a strange circle, with pieces of shiny material hanging off of it. He took one off and handed it to her. "He''s in there, your highness. I assume you want privacy, and he''s restrained, so he poses no threat, Your Majesty."


    Most of that went over her head, so Mari just nodded. She didn''t think she could say anything that wouldn''t make her feel stupid. Without betraying her emotions, she took the object from him and walked up to the door. She hesitated before she saw a small hole that appeared to match the carved edge of her object. Her hand shook as she put it in there, wondering if that was right. She glanced behind her and saw the guard still watching. She fingered the remaining section that stuck out from the door, turning it slightly. There was a click, and Mari hoped that was a good noise. She pushed on the door and it moved. Masking a sigh of relief, Mari stepped into the room.


    The first thing she noticed was it was small, comforting. It was like her cottage.


    "You?"


    Mari turned and saw someone sitting just outside of the light. All her courage left her as well as her voice. She couldn''t move. The figure stood up and came closer to the meager light that filtered through a small window.


    She narrowed her eyes, frowning. This wasn''t the man she meant. She dug in her mind for his name, feeling a sense of importance about it. It took her a moment, but it came to her. She whispered, "Dainan."


    His gaze burned, and Mari was struck by how he looked nothing like the man who had stood before her no too long ago, in the throne room. He was filthy, hair unkempt, hunched over slightly. She realized her mistake. She should have been clearer.


    "Should I be flattered by the fact you chose to remember my name or by the fact you came to see me?"


    Mari didn''t know what the word "flatter" meant, but he spoke to her at least. Taking a step closer, she felt the headpiece slide more. She caught it before it fell, bringing it in front of her. She ran her hands over it. Dainan wasn''t the man she was looking for; he was no scholar, but maybe he could still answer her questions. He was king, whatever that meant. The guard thought he was intelligent, and Dainan had spoken to her easily. It was better than nothing.

 Chapter Nine

    "Well?"


    Mari looked up and swallowed. She struggled to find her voice. A small noise scraped her throat. Dainan didn''t seem to hear her. Dainan moved, and Mari''s thoughts were distracted further by a strange, grating sound. He asked, "Are you just going to stand there?"


    "No," Mari said, gripping the headpiece. Her voice surprised herself. Mari''s hands shook.


    Dainan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Then what do you want?"


    Mari hesitated again. She wanted answers, but it was more than that. She didn''t want to stay in that room. Not like she had been. What did she say? She peered through her hair. "I want... I desire to... to not be..."


    She wanted to act like Rekema would, but she wasn''t Rekema. She couldn''t help herself. Stepping forward, letting her face reflect herself, whoever that was. She was herself, speaking her own words. Staring him down, Mari asked, "Is there a word for when you are without others? When you have no one but yourself, even when you don''t want to be?"


    Dainan pushed off the wall. He eyed her, and Mari wondered if she shouldn''t have said anything. He bowed his head for a moment before speaking softly, "Yes, there''s a word for that. It''s called being alone."


    Mari shut her eyes. That word. She shivered; her heart shuddered. So cold. She drew her breath, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Then what I desire is to not be alone."


    From the way he looked at her, Mari had the feeling he didn''t believe her, but she chose not to say anything. She couldn''t be sure, and what could she say anyway?


    "So you came to me. As you can see," Dainan said. He stepped back, raising his arms up. Mari squinted at the odd, bulky gray object around his wrists. He said, "I''m not exactly in a position to refuse you. I''d offer you a seat, but I don''t have any."


    Dainan dropped onto the ground. The scraping noise hit Mari''s ears, causing her to wince. She took a moment before following his example and sitting down from him. "I, uh, didn''t mean to come here... but... I am, uh, not good with words."


    He raised an eyebrow. "You didn''t seem to have any trouble before."


    Mari shook her head, searching for the right way to explain it. "Before was different. Those words weren''t my own."


    "What do you mean? I clearly remember them coming from you." Dainan propped up his chin on his hand. Mari was distracted by the object on his wrist for a moment.


    "I don''t know how to say it. It may have been my voice, but they weren''t my words." Mari frowned, running a hand over the headpiece. "Can I ask you a question?"


    Dainan was silent for a moment, staring at her with his brow knit together. He blinked and said, "Alright, but I have one condition."


    "Alright," Mari said. She didn''t know what a condition was, but he would let her ask questions. That was all that mattered.


    She started to lift the headpiece, but was stopped by Dainan''s voice. "Wait, you''re not even going to ask what it is before you agree?"


    Mari paused, unsure of what was happening. She masked her confusion and played along. She set the crown down, "What is it?"


    Dainan eyed her, and she thought of when Rekema would eye a rat before deciding whether or not to kill it. She swallowed thickly as he said, "Here''s my condition: for every question you ask that I answer, I''ll get to ask you a question and you answer."


    Mari stared at her hands. It sounded fine to her, but one thing made her hesitate. She fidgeted. "What if I can''t answer your questions?"Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Dainan''s face twisted; Mari wished she understood what his expression meant. He said, "Then we can move onto a different question. Agreed?"


    Mari tried to read him. She wasn''t good at it, but she didn''t think he was trying to trick her. She also told herself the even if he was, what would he accomplish? At the end of the day, he would be in the dungeon. She would have the headpiece; which meant something, she just didn''t know what.


    "Agreed." Mari nodded. She lifted the headpiece, making sure the light hit it. "You wore this once; does it have a name? What is it for?"


    Dainan drew in a sharp breath. He reached out his fingers, taking his time, and let them skim over the edge. "You don''t know what it is? It''s called a crown; you''re supposed to wear it on your head, like you did when you came in."


    "No." Mari frowned, frustrated with the idea she should know. "I didn''t know. I''ve been calling it a headpiece in my mind."


    There was a pause before Dainan spoke, "My turn. How come you didn''t know what it''s called?"


    "I have never seen one before." Mari''s grip on the crown tightened. "Why did you give it to me, that day, in the throne room?"


    Dainan''s eyes widened. "Because you''re the queen."


    Mari groaned, dropping the crown. It was all too much. This was a bad idea. The burning sensation that rose in her chest. She should have stayed away. She was... she was... Mari felt like Balak did. It was awful.


    Her voice rose as she said, "I don''t know what that means! Why do you and other humans expect me to know what''s happening when I don''t? I can''t know, not when everything is new to me and no one bothers to explain anything to me. I don''t even know the proper words for anything anymore!"


    Mari stared at him. The only sound filling the room was her labored breathing. Her vision blurred slightly. She shut her eyes, clenching her fists.


    "Take a deep breath. You''re not helping yourself by getting all worked up." Mari opened her eyes to see Dainan had one hand out as if to stop her from doing anything else. She glanced down, and small red droplets ran down her palms. She wiped them off and looked back up. His expression was much different now than from before. Mari couldn''t put a name to it, but she was certain she had the unpleasant sensation written on his face. He said, "I didn''t mean to upset you. I was caught off guard. From now on, I will do my best to answer clearly without any judgment. Feel free to ask any questions about anything I say that confuses you."


    She took a deep breath, trying to erase her emotions. Dainan was right; it did her no good to yell at the only person she had to answer her questions. She clasped her hands together in her lap before giving Dainan a restrained nod. He smiled slightly; it was nothing at all like when the Seven smiled, not even when Muraad did. Dainan gestured towards her; the object around his wrists clanged as he moved. "How about you ask me another question?"


    Mari opened her mouth and was about to ask more about the crown, but her mind went elsewhere. She couldn''t help but stare at his hands. Without meaning to, she asked, "What is that around your wrists?"


    Dainan blinked and followed her gaze. "They''re manacles; they keep me from being able to run or attack the guards if I had the intent."


    Mari nodded, understanding the idea even if there were a few words that she didn''t quite get.


    At her silence, Dainan looked up and asked, "You say everything is new to you, why?"


    Mari wanted to stare at the ground, but the look in his eyes kept her from moving. She didn''t want to talk about herself, but she did agree to answer the questions that she knew the answers to. She sighed, saying, "Everything is new to me because, before now, I was always in the same place. Where I used to be is nothing like here."


    Dainan didn''t respond, Mari thought he was confused, but he chose not to ask at the moment. She stared at the manacles again. "What are they made of?"


    "Metal," Dainan said. Had she heard that word before? He shifted his legs. "Where did you live before here?"


    Mari leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes; she could see it perfectly. How long had it been? It seemed like an eternity since she had last seen it. "It was a cottage. Behind it was a stream, and it surrounded by trees. So many trees. Occasionally, they took me out and we walked around, but I never saw where the trees ended. For the longest time, I just thought they went on forever. Muraad called it the middle of nowhere."


    "They? Muraad?" Dainan asked. Mari opened her eyes, and her heart sank.


    "I, uh, believe it''s my turn." Mari stuttered, keeping her eyes from his.


    "Right," Dainan said, ducking his head, "go ahead."


    Mari saw the crown sitting in front of her lap. She picked it up again. "You said you gave this to me because I''m queen. I vaguely remember being called that once, but what does a crown have to do with being a queen?"


    Dainan reached a hand towards it. Instinctively, Mari let him take it. He held it between them. "Being a queen means you are the ultimate authority. Kings and queens wear crowns because of that. The crown is a symbol of your authority, of your power. Come here. "


    He lifted the crown, and Mari bowed her head. Dainan carefully slid the crown back onto her head. Mari didn''t know why, but it felt different when he put it on as opposed to when Rekema did. It felt... right.

 Chapter Ten

    Once he let go, she sat up again. She blinked. His mouth had pressed into a thin line, and his eyes were half closed. Mari didn''t know what to make of it.


    He sat back. "So, there are a few things that I need clarification on. You said your words weren''t your own, even though you said them. Just now, you said mentioned a ''they,'' and a ''Muraad.'' What do you mean? Who are you referring to?"


    Mari pulled her knees up and set her head on them. "It is ... Um... They are... I call them the Seven. Muraad is one of them. They were the ones whose words you heard. They spoke through my voice. I do not know how better to say it."


    Dainan hummed. His face was neutral. Mari had no idea if he understood or not. Mari admitted to herself it would be nice not to be the only one confused for once. She cleared her throat and asked, "Why do kings and queens need a symbol of power?"


    "It''s so everyone knows that they''re the king or queen. Without it, it''s not obvious. I mean, kings and queens don''t inherently look different from everyone else." Dainan''s face softened. "Will you tell me more about the Seven? If it makes you upset, or if it''s too personal, you don''t have to."


    Mari paused, taking a moment to think about it. She didn''t want to talk about them, thinking about them left her with a dark, painful rolling in her gut. He called it alone; the thought that the Seven left her alone hurt. Why would she want to dwell on that pain? But... Mari was beginning to like Dainan. He answered her questions, and he didn''t make her feel stupid. Maybe talking to him about it wouldn''t be such a bad thing. She lifted her head up. "I''ll tell you about them. There''s Rekema, she''s in charge, and Muraad, who''s closest to her and who I like best. Then there''s Bidkar, the twins Mallory and Meeko, and then Apep and Balak. All of them have been with me since for as long as I can remember; although, my memory isn''t that great. They''re not like me or you; I''ve always known that. But that day, in the throne room, they were with me, but you only saw me; it finally became real to me."


    "Why are you the only one who can see them?" Dainan asked.


    Mari shrugged, almost tipping the crown off her head. "I don''t know. I just know I''m the only one who can see or hear them, except when they take over. They can control my movements and use my voice to speak their words. Every time I''ve seen you, or really anyone, they''ve been in control. This is the only time I''ve ever talked to another human with my own words."


    "You expect me to believe that?" Dainan asked. His voice did not sound unkind. It came across to Mari as utter confusion; she understood. It was as if the idea was so new and strange he just couldn''t quite get it. Mari couldn''t blame him.


    "I have no other answer. I have no proof. How can I prove what only I see or hear?" Mari stood up. She didn''t want to go, for she had so many more questions, but something in her told her it was time to leave. Mari could tell she had given Dainan much to think about. She should let him be.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Mari headed toward the door, forcing her gaze ahead. Rekema wouldn''t look back.


    "Will you come back?"


    Mari took a breath. She didn''t have to always do what Rekema would because she was not Rekema. Mari didn''t quite know what that made her, but she knew it brought her to that cell. She glanced behind her, and the frown on his face caught her off guard. "Do you want me to? You just said yourself you don''t believe me."


    Dainan glanced her over, looking at the crown. He gave her a small unhappy smile. "I desire not to be alone."


    "Then I will come back." Mari returned the smile. It didn''t reach either of their eyes. She left, and as she let the guard lead her back to her room, she couldn''t help but be pleased with herself. She enjoyed talking with someone who would listen. Whether or not he believed was a different matter, but he had listened to her, let her talk. It was new, but Mari found she liked this particular new.


    * * *


    Mari knelt; her hands filled her sight. They were caked in brown and red. She tried to breathe, but every shaky, shuddering breath felt like a knife in her chest. She forced herself to look up. Her vision blurred. She rubbed at her eyes; the grime smeared across her skin. She blinked, and when her vision cleared, she gasped, wincing at the pain in her chest.


    There were so many humans all around her. No one moved, except for herself. Houses, buildings, she had seen them once, when she had first broken through the wall, they were gone. All of them were scattered in pieces across the ground.


    With a grunt and more pain, Mari forced herself to stand up. She swayed, and for once, no one caught her, forcing her upright. The only thing keeping her upright was herself, frail and weak as she was.


    She coughed, trying to spit out the rough, dry feeling in her throat. Mari stumbled a few steps forward. "Is anyone here?"


    She glanced around. No one answered. She forced herself to keep walking. "Anyone?"


    She raised her voice, still searching, "Anyone else? Anyone at all?"


    Her foot hit a chunk of stone. She hissed as she forced herself up from her fall. She choked at the pair of open eyes right in front of her. The crown rested in his hands on the ground.


    "Mari."


    She shot up, scrambling to get away from the figure in front of her. She twisted and turned; her hair flew about blocking her vision as she spun. "Muraad? Rekema? Mallory? Meeko? Bidkar? Apep? Balak?"


    "Mari."


    "Who''s there?" Mari could not find anyone. She bowed her head, and her shoulders shook. "Please, anyone, anyone at all. Don''t leave me alone here."


    Something moved; she heard it.


    Pain erupted in her stomach. She grabbed it, stifling her groans.


    "Had enough?"


    Pain in her head. She held it, tearing at her hair, unable to stop the inhuman shriek which tore from her throat.


    "Then let''s keep going. There''s always more left."


    She tore at her ears, breaking skin, but her actions did nothing to stop the voice.


    "Always more. More, until there''s nothing. No one left."


    Mari''s voice gave out. She could make no more sound, but the voice didn''t stop. It was what the voice said next that finally registered with her. When she could no longer speak, Mari finally realized.


    "No one left in this forsaken land. Do you feel it? Now that you''ve gotten a taste of it, how can you not? That pure, utter desire? The desire to leave nothing left? To leave this in your wake?"


    Mari turned around, seeing herself wearing the stained crown.


    It was then, always then that she woke up, screaming, crying, tearing at herself as if she could somehow tear the nightmare out of herself with her hands.

 Chapter Eleven

    Mari gasped for air as she screamed and writhed about, unaware of anything other than the nightmare.


    "Hey!"


    Someone grabbed Mari''s arms, holding them away from herself as she thrashed on the bed. She kicked her legs; the sheets fell away, and her foot connected with an arm. Mari opened her eyes, wincing at the rush of light. Muraad came into her field of vision and was holding her wrists together. She took a deep breath, and he let go, stepping back. "You know you nearly gave me a heart attack. Well, if I had a heart."


    Mari sat up and leaned against the pillows, pushing her tangled hair out of the way. "Where, uh, where are the others?"


    "They''ll be along in a minute. Something important came up at the last minute." Muraad took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Rekema sent me ahead to get you ready."


    "For what?" Mari climbed off the bed, looking up at Muraad.


    "She didn''t say, but I''m assuming we''ll try again with the scholars," Muraad said, facing away from Mari as she changed into her dress.


    "Oh..." Mari said as she pulled the skirt into place. What she remembered about the scholars was hazy, but what she did remember wasn''t good.


    "But," Muraad said and turned, patting the place next to him, "while we have a moment, do you want to tell me about that dream?"


    Mari obediently did so. She fiddled with her skirt. "What about it?"


    Muraad sighed, taking her shoulder and turning her to face him. "What happened in it?"


    Mari glanced up briefly. Her hands twisted into her skirt. Her nails pierced through the cloth. "Well, I''m, uh, not sure. There were a lot of people, and they, uh, didn''t move. I..."


    "What else?" Muraad gripped the covers, bunching them under his fists.


    Mari opened her mouth, but froze seeing his cold eyes in front of her. His eyes had been alive yesterday, but the only thing she saw was the dream. She was shocked out of it when she felt a pulling on her. A moment later, the rest of the Seven appeared, and a wave of heat hit her. The air was as hot as boiling water. She blinked and realized it was from the Seven''s rolling emotions. Mari thought she would be sick.


    Muraad stood up. "What is it?"


    "Ugh!" Rekema threw up her hands, and her claws flashed in the light. Mari moved back on the bed. "You want to know what happened after you left?"


    "And he got her started again," Mallory said to her twin. Rekema and Muraad walked off to the other side of the room.


    Mari couldn''t understand what they were saying. Their voices were too low, and Balak and Apep carried on another hushed conversation. Mari tried though; she caught a few words, but she didn''t know them. Mari considered that they might be speaking another language. Mari watched them snap and hiss at each other. Their hands moved wildly; Rekema pushed Muraad away.


    "Enough!"


    Everyone turned to look at Rekema as Muraad regained his balance. She tossed her hair with a scowl. "There''s nothing we can do about it now!"


    No one spoke for a moment. Meeko hung onto his sister''s skirt, and Mallory shifted her weight. Muraad let out a sigh and plopped back down on the bed, but there was no sign of his presence. Balak cleared his throat, "So, what do we do now?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Rekema smiled, and Mari pulled her knees up to her chest. "I have a wonderful idea. I think we can make this work in our favor after all."


    "Whatever it is, it sounds perfect," Balak laughed.


    Muraad reached over and rubbed Mari''s shoulder. Her stomach contorted, and a burning rose in her throat.


    * * *


    "Bring them all out!" Mari and Rekema screeched. "I don''t care who, I just want a crowd!"


    "Your Majesty¡ª" someone said. One of the guards stepped towards her.


    Mari was whipped around and backhanded him. The man fell to the ground. Was that the man who led her to Dainan? Her throat burned. "Do it or you''ll be part of the example!"


    The rest of the guards muttered their assent and scurried out of sight. Her mind clouded from Rekema''s control over her. All she felt was Rekema''s frustration and rage.


    They were outside. The wind buffeted her hair, obscuring her sight. The Seven were scattered about the area. She was in front of the castle. People had started to come out of their homes to see their queen.


    Mari didn''t understand. She had just been in the room with the Seven, and before she realized it, she was outside, screaming at people. Had she screamed something about dungeons and prisoners? Mari hoped it didn''t have to do with Dainan, his belief in her or not, she didn''t want the one person willing to talk to her get involved with the Seven. She didn''t remember things going well for him the last time he encountered the Seven, and she had a feeling the next time he did they would leave him far worse off than before.


    "Your Majesty, there''s simply too many to bring out." A guard appeared behind her, bending over to catch his breath. He kept his eyes on the ground. "We''re bringing out those who can easily walk and leaving those who would require assistance."


    "Fine," Rekema and Mari snapped, "And gather the people. This is important."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," the guard said and hurried off. He never looked at her.


    Moments later, the large area in front of the castle started to fill with people, both prisoners and townspeople. Bidkar was getting excited; Mari knew from the way her skin tingled. Rekema had the prisoners marched out in front of her. She walked Mari down the line, emphasizing the unnatural way that she moved with her legs snapping and torso rolling.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Mari saw the female scholar, but for some reason, Rekema ignored her. Rekema had Mari lunge forward and grab a small man from the middle of the line. She dragged him forward by the manacles around his wrists.


    "What''s this kingdom''s history in regards to magic?" Mari''s throat burned from growling out the words.


    The man didn''t speak; he only stared at the ground. Mallory giggled somewhere behind her. Why did no one look up at her? She said, "Oh, I was hoping this would happen."


    Rekema said through Mari, "You won''t tell me?"


    They turned toward the female scholar. "This is your doing, hm?"


    "They won''t tell you anything! None of us will," the woman spat at Mari''s feet.


    "Well..." Rekema and Mari sighed, tilting her head. A second later, Mari''s leg snapped up and came down on the man''s head, shoving it into the ground. She glanced at the line of prisoners. "You would listen to her over your queen? Have you no loyalty?"


    Her heel pushed down. A woman screamed. Rekema and Mari turned and saw a woman in a simple, dirty dress running forward. Mari fleetingly thought the woman resembled herself. Two small humans huddled together behind her. The woman had tears streaming down her face. "Stop! Please!"


    The woman threw herself at Mari''s feet, grabbing at her ankles. She sobbed, and Mari couldn''t make out what she was saying, except for one word "mercy." What was that? Without even blinking, Rekema forced her power into Mari and had her grab the woman and toss her back. Mari was not sure if it was possible for the woman to survive.


    "By not answering my questions, you are committing treason against your queen. I can''t really threaten the lot of you with prison, you''re already there, and if I threaten your families with prison you''ll just be reunited with them, which isn''t really a punishment." Rekema and Mari paced up and down the line. Mari saw Bidkar coming towards them. With a long, dramatic sigh, Rekema and Mari said, "It seems, the problem is, my loyal, loyal subjects, that you have forgotten what happens when you disobey me. Now, because I am generous, and kind I will overlook what has just happened, and only punish one of you, and the rest of you will remember your loyalty."


    "We do remember our loyalty," the female scholar said. She staggered to her feet. She raised her head high. "Our loyalty to our king, King Dainan!"


    "That''s not what I want to hear," Rekema and Mari said. Loyal to Dainan? How? Why? What could these people gain? Dainan was just a man in a cell? He couldn''t help for them.


    Rekema shook her head and let go of Mari. Mari tumbled to the ground; her head spun, and her whole body throbbed. She curled in on herself, blocking out the whispers and gasps of the people around her. Everything hurt. She just wanted to sleep.


    Her mind fogged, and her head was jerked up, causing several people to cry out and back away. Bidkar had taken control.

 Chapter Twelve

    Mari was slowly forced back to her feet in a painful and awkward way. People shuffled away from her as she huffed, and her head whipped around. Bidkar grinned, and Mari''s stomach turned. Bidkar had her rush towards the female scholar and grab her by the neck. Mari''s fingers tightened according to Bidkar''s hand movements.


    The scholar coughed, but did not reach for Mari''s hands. Bidkar growled, and Mari watched the scholar hit the ground. She hovered over her a moment later and grabbed the woman''s leg. A pause, and then Bidkar thrust her hand up, clenching her fist. A second later, a crack and a scream filled the air.


    Bidkar tossed her head back and laughed. Mari didn''t know how to describe herself. She was blank. Bidkar''s excitement and pleasure thrummed through her, but it wasn''t her own. It was just there, and she herself didn''t know what she thought or felt. What did this scholar''s pain mean to her? She slowly realized it had always been like this when the Seven had taken control. What they felt, she felt, but it wasn''t hers. She said things, but they weren''t her words. She did things, but they weren''t her actions. So what did that make her? Who did it make her? If she was separate from the Seven, like the time with Dainan, who was she?


    "Does anyone else want to test me?" Bidkar said through Mari''s cold voice. No one rose to her challenge. Mari staggered to her feet; her arms hung at her sides. Bidkar raised her voice, and Mari''s own matched. "Now, who''s going to tell me what I want to know?"


    A moment of silence. The prisoners looked at each other. Mari caught one of them looking between the woman who had been thrown aside, the man who had been pushed into the ground, and the small humans that had been with the woman. He shut his eyes for a moment, but his lips moved. His head turned slightly upward, and no sound came from him. Whatever he said to the sky caused him to open his eyes with his face hardened. The prisoner shakily stood up. "I will."


    Mari did not understand what he could have possibly said that would give the strength to stand up when no one else would. The Seven turned to face her. Bidkar moved her fingers, and Mari walked towards the prisoner. The prisoner closed his eyes and took a breath. "Our kingdom has a few magic users, but they are few and far between, and not at all strong. They are reclusive, preferring to live on the borders. The previous king''s grandfather was the last king to call on one."


    Rekema smiled and gave Bidkar a short nod. Bidkar''s fingers twitched, and Mari stepped away from the prisoner. Before Mari even realized it, she stood above the other prisoner who had refused to answer the Seven''s questions. Her foot connected with his stomach, and she hauled him up by his shirt. Bidkar''s searing power surged through her veins and then her hand came out the other side of his stomach.


    Another surge of power. She threw him into one of the nearby buildings. He went through one of the walls, bringing it down. Balak laughed somewhere behind Mari. Bidkar let go, but before Mari''s legs could give out, Rekema had taken her again. With a voice so cold and unfeeling, Mari didn''t even know her voice could sound like that, she said, "Now I trust you all know where your loyalty lies, with me. I expect nothing less than your complete and utter cooperation from now on, or I won''t be as generous and merciful as I have been today."


    So this was mercy? Somehow, it didn''t quite seem right.


    * * *


    "Hey, don''t go passing out on me. I am not dragging you back to that room. Either stay conscious and put a little effort into walking, or I''ll leave you to lie on these stairs."


    Muraad. Mari couldn''t remember what was happening. The others had gone, and Mari could barely stand. Bidkar''s inhuman power had left her barely able to open her eyes much less walk or think.


    Muraad''s grip slipped, and Mari fell to her knees, starting to wretch up what was in her stomach. Even after her stomach was empty, she continued to spit up, trying to rid her mouth of the burning pain.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Muraad forced her to her feet; strangled breaths barely escaped her. She staggered up the steps again, bumping into the walls. Her vision blurred. She felt disgusting. What happened? Her memories were jagged and painful to touch. She tried anyway. A man lying in the dirt. Mercy. A crack. Mercy.


    Tears leaked from her eyes as she fell into her room. Muraad let her collapse on her bed. She fisted her hand into the covers, curling herself around it. Sharp pangs coursed through her stomach and chest.


    "Bidkar shouldn''t have¡ªIt was too much, ugh, look, pet, you''ll be fine tomorrow. You just have to wait it out," Muraad said. Mari groaned burrowing her head deeper into the bed. "I know, pet, the next few hours are not going to be pretty for you."


    Another groan. Mari squeezed her eyes shut.


    "I have to go. Just stay here and wait it out. I don''t know when I''ll be back."


    "No..." Mari tried to sit up. She forced her arm out from under her, reaching for him, but he had gone. She set her head down and for the next hour faded in and out of consciousness. The nightmare flashed in and out of focus. Her own voice taunted her. His frozen, horrifying eyes. She was so cold. It was so heavy. This crushing weight on her heart. The sun had begun to set when Mari found the strength to pull herself out of bed. "Muraad?"


    "Anyone?" Gritting her teeth, Mari forced herself upright. Mari forced herself to the door. She had to lean against the wall as she climbed down the stairs. It was nearly impossible, but she had to keep going. She couldn''t stay in the room. She was certain the silence would suffocate her before her strength left her completely.


    As her fingers scraped against the rough wall, Mari''s head bobbed up and down, not paying attention to her steps. A moment later, her legs tangled underneath her, and she tumbled down the stairs. Once she finally came to a stop at the bottom of the staircase, her head throbbed. She coughed and laid there for a moment, hoping the pain might fade. Mari groaned and forced herself to her feet. The world spun around her. Mari couldn''t put her thoughts together; however, she knew where she was going. That one thing was clear to her. She remembered the way. She had to stop several times to catch her breath, but eventually she made it. The guard outside the room stepped aside as she approached. She fumbled with the handle as she pulled it shut behind her. Her legs shook, and she swayed.


    "Mari?"


    "Dainan," Mari muttered. She dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach and head.


    "What are you doing?" Dainan hurried toward her.


    "I couldn''t stand it." Mari doubled over. "I needed someone, anyone. Alone, in pain, all of their feelings. I couldn''t bear it alone."


    She reached out a hand to steady herself, and Dainan caught her. "You mean the Seven? They left you again?"


    "You... believe?" Mari looked up at him through her tangled hair.


    "Yes." Dainan helped her lay down. He set her head on his lap. "I saw what happened through the window. You couldn''t, wouldn''t do that, not on your own."


    "You saw?" Mari stared at him, not even bothering to mask whatever strange emotion coursed through her. How did he know she wouldn''t do that on her own? How did she know she wouldn''t do that on her own?


    Dainan pulled a thin blanket over her. "Yes, I did. All that pain, there was a moment, you fell, and I saw, for just a moment, your pain. It was... before then, you acted nothing like you, and then there was that moment. I could see you, the you that came to me, the you that told me all you desire is not to be alone. I may not understand fully, but I know what I saw, and the things that happened, they weren''t you."


    Mari took quick, shallow breaths, staring up at him. Now, for a moment, she was the one who didn''t believe. He pulled her hair out of her face and adjusted the blanket on her. "The Seven may have left, but I''m here. We barely know each other, but we''re alike. You don''t have to bear this pain alone. You don''t have to bear anything alone anymore. Not now, because for what it''s worth, from a man stuck in a cell, you''ve got me."


    "I¡ª" Mari took a sharp breath. Her eyes fluttered shut. "I''m not alone because of you. I cannot express the relief that gives me from this burden."


    She wanted to say more. But where were the words? She tried.


    "Shh... you need rest. Don''t worry, you''re safe."


    Safe? Was that like being not alone? She hated being alone. She would take any company, any measure of comfort, anything offered that would ease the pain on her heart no matter how small. Dainan, locked away in his cell, stripped of his crown, was there. He was the only one offering her anything, and he didn''t even know her. He made her feel less alone. Truly, she had no words to express what that meant to her. Was there even a word for such a feeling?


    Mari fell into unconsciousness again. She did not dream; she had no nightmares. Not that night.

 Chapter Thirteen

    The incident, as Mari referred to it in her mind, had brought her and Dainan closer. He believed her, and he had watched over her when she was completely vulnerable. Ever since then, Mari had continued to go back to his cell and see him every day. She quite enjoyed the visits; she learned so much. Things were slowly making more sense; she could give things their proper names again.


    "So, you say I am a queen, and before you were a king, and the area a king or queen has control over is kingdom or queendom?" Mari tapped her fingers over the crown that sat in her lap.


    Dainan smiled, but shook his head. Mari huffed; he tended to do that right before he told her she understood something wrong. He said, "It''s called a kingdom even if a queen is ruling over it."


    "Why?" Mari slumped forward. Why did she always make the wrong assumptions?


    Dainan shrugged. "I don''t entirely know. I would guess that it has something to do with the fact most queens don''t rule alone. It''s rare for a queen not to have a king."


    Mari leaned onto her fist balancing it on her knee. "So, many kings and queens rule together. But, you didn''t, and I don''t, does it depend on the kingdom, like an aspect of it? For instance, large kingdoms require both, but small kingdoms do not?"


    Dainan leaned on his hand, copying her posture. "No, kings and queens rule together because they''re married. Sometimes they marry to increase their kingdom''s power or to secure peace, but the inherent size or power of the kingdom has nothing to do with whether or not there''s a king and queen. In order to manage large kingdoms, kings and queens have lords under them who are responsible for certain areas of the kingdom."


    Mari groaned, burying her head further into her palm. "This is all far too complicated. So, why didn''t you have a queen? If, uh, marrying one would increase your kingdom''s power, why not?"


    "Good question." Dainan shifted his foot; the chains scraped against the ground. Mari no longer paid the noise any mind. "Truth is, we''re both very young to a ruler. I had only been king for a year before you arrived. My father, who had been king before me, passed away, and once I took over, it was chaotic. I didn''t really have time to consider it."


    "Father?" Mari frowned. Had she heard that word before? She didn''t think so. "What is that?"


    Dainan sat up, causing Mari to sit up as well. He quickly wiped the surprised look off his face, but Mari saw it. Much to her surprise, she didn''t mind as much anymore. She could not blame him for being surprised at her lack of knowledge anymore than she could blame herself for not having the knowledge. He never made her feel lesser for not knowing, and that was enough.


    His eyes glazed over for a moment; Mari wondered if that was how she looked when the Seven took over. He shook his head and gave her all his attention. He said, "A father is...well, everyone has a father and mother, they''re called parents. Parents are the ones who have children and raise them. Children then marry other people and have children of their own."


    "I do not have these parents," Mari said, testing the word out with her own voice. It sounded awkward when she said it as opposed to Dainan''s eloquence. Parents... She struggled to wrap her mind around the idea.


    "Some people lose their parents when they''re young, so they don''t remember them, but someone had to give birth to you. You wouldn''t be here otherwise." Dainan screwed his face up, and Mari could tell he was thinking. Mari was almost certain her face was the same; she was struggling with her thoughts and words as well. As much as she was struggling to understand, something about this idea of parents appealed to her.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "You say I had them once, but lost them. Where did they go? What happened?" Mari leaned forward. Something in her burned. She needed to know.


    Dainan held his hands out towards her, palms up. "I don''t know. It''s possible they died, like mine. Or they could be out there somewhere, and you were somehow separated from them. Are you sure you don''t have any memory of them whatsoever?"


    Mari slumped forward again. Her hand tangled in her long hair, pulling it out of her eyes. "I don''t. My whole life, the only ones I remember are the Seven. And even any recollection of these parents were somewhere in me, I could not dig deep enough to find it. My memories...they are...scattered, chaotic, confusing."


    Dainan stared at her, and her heart dropped. He said, "If you don''t remember, then the only people who could tell you about your parents would be the Seven. I''m sorry."


    Mari put on a tight smile. She did not know what ''sorry'' was, but she did not want to change the subject just to find out. Deciding to ask later because she had more important questions, she said, "Just, tell me about your parents, so I might know more about the concept. What do they do? How does one ''raise'' a child?"


    "Well," Dainan said, taking a deep breath. He took a moment, and Mari patiently waited, watching him. He glanced back at her and said, "My parents were busy people. We didn''t see them much when we were young, but they tried to make time for us. My mother would sing to us in the evenings, and my father, when he could, would tutor me. He taught us how to fight, and specifically he taught me what I needed to know to eventually become king after him."


    He paused. His mind seemed to be elsewhere as if in a memory. Mari waited. He smiled at her, but something didn''t quite seem right to Mari about it. He continued saying, "Parents are supposed to love their children, teach them right from wrong, teach them what they need to know to be independent, so they can take care of themselves when the parents aren''t around, so that their children may one day be able to do the same for their own children. My parents, they did their best."


    With a long sigh, Dainan stared at his wrists. A storm gathered on his face, pooling in his eyes. He folded in on himself, retreating to his mind. There was no way Mari could know what was occupying his thoughts, what he was remembering. Her heart shuddered; it reminded her of looking into the glass that showed her an image of herself. His voice wavered, beginning to fade. "They did their best, but sometimes, I feel like I''m the one who is failing them."


    Mari bowed her head and closed her eyes; she did not want to see his pained expression. She had no desire to watch his shoulders shake. She pretended she did not hear him cover his mouth in an attempt to muffle his sharp breaths. There was a long pause before there was no more, and Mari sat up, asking, "You, uh, you mentioned ''we.'' Who else were you referring to?"


    "Did I not tell you before?" Dainan looked up, rubbing at his eyes. "I have a sister, Regan."


    "A sister?" Mari watched him steady his breathing. He kept his gazed lowered as if he could not bear to look at her, or to let her see his struggle. Mari did not know which, but her heart continued to throb.


    He nodded. "Yes, Regan is my sister, and she''s the other child my parents had. When parents have several children, they''re called siblings, and to each other brothers and sisters. As a whole, they''re called a family."


    "Is she also," She paused. Mari had the idea she should not ask for fear she would cause more pain, but she needed to know. She continued, "uh, lost to you?"


    "No." Dainan shook his head. "Not at all. She was in the castle when you came and was placed in the dungeon with my old advisers. I haven''t seen her, but I believe she is still alive."


    Was she not with the other prisoners when the Seven had them all brought out? Mari wondered. How odd. She needed answers, and for once, Dainan couldn''t give them to her.


    Mari picked up the crown. She turned it over a few times before standing up. "I should be going."


    "Right," Dainan said. He stood up, brushing dust and dirt off his clothes, but it was pointless. His clothes would never be clean again. "Will you come back tomorrow?"


    "Yes," Mari said. She bowed her head, placing the crown back on it. "Provided the Seven do not return, I will be here tomorrow."


    Dainan smiled. Her lips twitched, unsure of herself. She turned and left the cell. She carefully shut the door behind her, catching a glimpse of Dainan staring at her as she went. The door shut with a click, and she locked it. Dainan had explained the concept to her. She did not quite like the idea of locking him into the cell, but she reasoned it didn''t matter as his chains did not even reach the door.


    As she walked away, she had much to think about, and while she wasn''t good at it, for a lack of practice, Mari found it preferable to waiting.

 Chapter Fourteen

    The next day, Mari wandered the halls. She took her time, still convincing herself her plan would work. How hard could it be? She could do it. She was completely capable. Mari just wished she believed it.


    This time, she decided not to ask one of the guards for assistance. She could have asked the guard at Dainan''s cell, but the look he gave her every time she went unsettled her. Normally, it wouldn''t be a problem, but before she went to see Dainan, there was something else she needed to do first. She was certain of that. She felt she needed to do it on her own.


    As she made her way down a flight of stairs, she found a pair of guards stationed outside a door. When they noticed her, they whispered to each other. Mari straightened her posture and focused on twisting her face to match Rekema''s. The crown weighed on her head. The guards bowed their heads, and one of them opened the door for her.


    "Your highness," one of them said.


    Mari held her head high. She stuck out her hand. "Give me the keys."


    He did so without hesitation. Mari gripped them so tightly she thought their pattern would remain indented on her skin for the rest of her days. She strode through the doorway, and she didn''t express any surprise at the sight before her. The dungeon seemed to just be a hall made of cells that had metal bars separating prisoners. She fought to keep from shivering as the cold seeped through her feet and into her core. Her eyes strained to make out the shapes in the darkness. There were a few torches scattered every so often on the walls that lit the hall in a dim, sickly yellow light.


    She took a deep breath and headed down the hall. Her footsteps echoed around her, and the sound of chains skittering across stone hit her ears. It was a bit like the twins'' tails snaking across the ground; she held her arms, tightening her grip to keep from shaking. She glanced around, catching sight of a few people in the cells. They all moved away the moment her eyes focused in their direction.


    Mari supposed they remembered the last time they had seen her. She wished she did; her memories of that day were blurred and broken.


    It wasn''t long until Mari caught sight of a vaguely familiar face. He was the first person not to hurry away at her gaze: the scholar. The man she originally had wanted to see. What a strange thing. A simple misunderstanding was all it took. Her bad memory and poor way with words. Strange, the idea that if things had gone the way she meant for them to, she would have been brought here. What would have happened if she had been brought to him and not Dainan?


    "Get away, you monster! You''re not getting anything from me, not after what you did! Did you really think you would gain anyone''s loyalty? Demon!"


    Mari grunted when something hit her face. It stung, and something dripped down her cheek. She ignored it and continued walking. She had her answer.


    Continuing down the hall, she glanced over the cells for a woman. She saw the female scholar, curled up on the ground, but that wasn''t who she wanted. Dripping could be heard. It wasn''t water that left a trail behind her and stained her feet. Only when she reached the last few cells, did Mari see her.


    "Regan?" Mari walked up to the door, testing out the name.


    The woman sat up, keeping something held close to her chest. She was not lost, good. She glanced up at Mari, and the moment she saw Mari, or rather the crown, her gaze hardened. Her grip tightened on what she was holding. "What?"Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Mari took the keys and unlocked the door. Pulling it open, she puffed and tried to hide how much effort it took her to move the heavy door. Mari turned to the woman who still sat on the ground, turned away from her. Mari took a deep breath. "Come with me."


    Regan stood up, and Mari saw what she held. She frowned. It was a strangely shaped object. Mari had never seen one before, but it seemed harmless enough. At the very least, it didn''t seem like Regan would part with it easily, so Mari ignored it.


    "Why? What do you want with me?" Regan shifted the object in her arms. Pained noises filtered through the air. Someone nearby seemed to be wailing.


    "I don''t," Mari said, "but someone else does. Now, come with me."


    "And if I don''t?" Regan pulled the object even closer and stepped away from Mari. Mari scowled. How did she explain this? The whole matter hardly made any sense to her, not to mention there would be so much to explain if Mari wanted to do it properly.


    "Come. It is important to someone who is...he is..." Mari glanced down and saw the small puddle forming at her feet. Drip, drip. She did not want to say his name outright where anyone might overhear. Her hands shook; she fisted them into her skirt. She was afraid that if somehow the Seven found out about her visits to Dainan, and she was absolutely terrified what they would do once they did. She did not want to take any risks especially with Dainan. Mari lowered her voice, saying, "He needs to see you, to know you are not lost to him."


    "What?" Regan stepped closer.


    Mari rubbed her temple. She had never been more painfully aware of how bad she was at explaining things. She grabbed Regan by the sleeve and pulled her along. Regan stumbled at first before falling in rhythm with Mari. Whispers hounded their steps. Chains rattled. Someone started yelling. Several small objects hit her arms and legs. Her skin stung, and in some places, Mari felt blood well up. Her only indication of what they did was to straighten her posture and let them watch the blood roll off her skin. Mari dropped Regan''s sleeve as they left the dungeon.


    She ignored the looks the guards gave her on the way out. Once out of sight of anyone except Regan, Mari still resisted the urge to look at or touch her small wounds. Her blood pounded in her veins. Was she doing the right thing? Once Dainan had Regan, would he still have time for her? Should that even matter? Mari paid no attention to anything around her. She was too focused on her path despite the fact she knew the way by heart.


    Behind her, Regan was muttering to the thing in her arms the entire time. Mari found it to be an odd thing, to be the one that someone followed. Mari had not decided whether or not that was a good odd or bad odd. Did she want to follow or be followed? Did it have to be one or the other? Regan finally fell silent when they reached Dainan''s door. The guard saw Mari coming and went in the other direction, but he always stayed nearby. He gave her an amount of privacy; although, she suspected he did so for his own sake than for hers. Mari imagined he did not want to know what she did in there. She did not blame him; he had no reason to think she treated Dainan any differently than how the Seven treated other prisoners. As much as it made her stomach turn that he thought of her like that, she was relying on it. She needed his fear to keep him silent. As of the moment, she had no other way to keep him quiet. He was a risk; the next time the Seven came, it was possible he might mention something. Mari knew she would have to take care of him sooner rather than later. She could not live with herself if the Seven found out about Dainan and intervened.


    She lifted her head and wiped the blood off her cheek, knowing it would still be stained red like the back of her left hand. Her arms and legs still bled as well. She had no idea what had been thrown at her; rocks or shards of something seemed likely. She was sore; her limbs stung and burned. Red stained her skin. What did it matter that this one time it was her own? Her hair fell in front of her face, hiding the cut from view. Dainan wouldn''t be able to see any of the wounds, but Mari would know it was there. Was she ready? Mari didn''t have the answer, but she knew why she was doing this in the first place. No matter what happened afterward, Mari had to believe it was worth it, or else she would never be able to open the door. She took one last look at the red stain on her hand. Why she did this... It was enough. Mari pulled out her key and unlocked the door.

 Chapter Fifteen

    "Mari?"


    Mari''s lips twitched as she stepped into the room. She opened her mouth, but never got a chance to say anything. Regan saw the occupant of the room from over her shoulder. She pushed past Mari and ran towards Dainan. Mari stumbled, bumping into the wall, ignoring how that only made the pain in her arms sharper.


    "Regan? Is that¡ª?" Dainan asked. Regan dropped to her knees and threw an arm around him, clutching the object to her chest with the other.


    "Dainan, I hope this isn''t a dream," Regan said into his shoulder.


    "It''s not. It''s me. I''m right here," Dainan said, unable to fully return the embrace because of his restraints. He looked over Regan''s shoulder and at Mari, who had not moved from where she had fallen into the wall. His voice was soft, and his eyes wide, as if he didn''t quite believe Regan was there. "You did this for me?"


    Mari pushed herself up. Something in her hesitated at the idea of telling the whole truth. Her heart clenched; the words eluded her. Maybe if it were just her and Dainan she would, but she did not know this Regan. Mari tilted her head, letting her hair fall across her front. "I wanted to know more about this family you talked about."


    Dainan laughed as Regan pulled away. It was a beautiful sound. Mari just wished he would do it again. Regan said, "I can''t explain how happy I am to see you safe, alive, but I don''t understand. That''s the woman who¡ª"


    "It''s complicated," Dainan said. He leaned back and a wailing noise rose up.


    Mari winced and covered her ears. She glanced about before realizing it came from the object in Regan''s arms. Regan looked at the bundle before bouncing it and shushing it. Dainan didn''t bat on eye at the object. Mari waited until the noise stopped to take a step forward. She peered out from under her hair, trying to catch a glimpse at it.


    Dainan saw and gave her a nod, gesturing her closer. "I suppose you''ve never had a chance to see one before. Come look."


    Mari sat down beside him, wanting to look, but not wanting to be too close to it. "What is it? Why does it make that sound?"


    She watched the object squirm in Regan''s arms as she stroked it. Dainan pointed to it, smiling as it reached for his finger. "No, he''s not an it. You remember how parents raise children? That''s a child, Regan''s son, my nephew. He''s family."


    "That''s human?" Mari leaned closer, watching him wiggle underneath the dark cloth wrapped around him. She couldn''t help herself; she reached a hand forward.


    "Excuse me! Human? What do you mean? Are you saying¡ª" Regan pulled the bundle away from Mari, holding it against her chest.


    "Regan, calm down!" Dainan put himself between the women. Mari pushed herself away from Regan and moved so she was further behind him. There was something in Regan''s face that caused her to clutch his sleeve. Dainan turned to his sister. "Mari doesn''t mean anything bad by saying that. She hasn''t had much interaction with other humans, so she''s never seen a baby before. That''s why she''s confused."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Mari couldn''t help but glance over Dainan''s shoulder to catch a glimpse of the small human''s face. Before realizing it, Mari murmured, "I''ve never seen one so small and squishy."


    Regan sat back, still keeping her child away from both her brother and Mari. Her face was harsh and cold, like Bidkar''s was most of the time. "Explain."


    Dainan turned and seemed to be trying to ask Mari a question with nothing but his expression. Mari, much to her own surprise, thought she understood. She gave Dainan a small nod. She trusted him. Dainan turned back to his sister and started to explain. Mari was content to let him. He was better with words, and while this time it saved her from making a fool of herself, Mari found herself bothered by the fact he understood her situation better than she did. What did that make her? Stupid is the first thought that came to her mind. She had lived with the Seven her entire life, but after a few poorly worded explanations, a man in a cell understood her abnormal existence and explained it better than she could.


    Dainan kept his explanation simple, but Mari was only vaguely aware of his voice. He told his sister of the Seven. He called them demons, and while Mari didn''t quite grasp the meaning of it, she remembered hearing it several times. It sent shivers down her spine, and she thought it fit the Seven. It gave her an odd, sickly, rising feeling that she had started to associate with the Seven.


    Oblivious to her thoughts, Dainan continued. He told Regan how the Seven could take control of her. He paused, and his face contorted. Mari was pulled out of her thoughts as she watched him think. He cleared his throat, saying, "Because they can take control like that, they can do awful things. Things no human can do. That''s how they were able to break through the wall, and how they were able to do everything that followed."


    Mari sat up; something in the room changed. Something Dainan didn''t say hung between the siblings.


    "These ''Seven'' were the ones responsible for everything that happened that day? You''re telling me that this girl was just their tool, and she''s somehow not responsible?" Regan''s grip on her child tightened, and he cried out. Regan loosened her grip, but her expression remained tight and vicious.


    Mari stared at Dainan, waiting for his answer. She held her breath. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Mari wondered if he was in pain. He opened his eyes, and his eyes were as cold and hard as metal. "I don''t blame Mari for that day. Not for a single thing."


    "I-I," Mari stammered. The unspoken words pushed down on her shoulders. The tension in the room choked her. Her stomach twisted. A weight settled on her heart. She should not be in the room, but she did not understand why. "I, uh, do not understand what you two are talking about."


    "Don''t you remember?" Regan spat. Her eyes blazed, causing Mari to push away from her out of instinct. She hid her shaking hands in her skirt. Regan moved towards her, ignoring her baby''s cries. "You don''t remember shredding my husband''s heart to pieces? Because I remember, and believe me, I''ll be spending the rest of my life trying to forget!"


    At her words, a sharp pain exploded in Mari''s head. She gasped, clutching her head tightly. The broken and hazy shards of her memories, of her actions when the Seven took over were always in her head. Each time they let go of her, the memories shattered, and she struggled to put herself back together. There were times she remembered a few things. Often, memories only came rushing to her mind because of an expression, an object, a word, or an image, but they were hardly ever useful or a memory she wanted. When it came to trying to recall them on her own, her memories more often than not stayed out of reach.


    Regan''s words resonated in her head. Mari groaned, scrambling to her feet. Dainan''s voice was a faint whisper around her. She stumbled away from it. Her head throbbed as if the jagged pieces of her memories were embedding themselves back into her mind. She couldn''t see anything. Her eyes had been closed, but she was reliving the moment anyway. Screams pierced her ears, and the heart pulsed in her hand. Mari choked on air and tried to cover her ears. It did no good. The screams were still in her head. She could feel what Bidkar had done with her hand. Mari scratched at her ears, thinking surely if that didn''t stop the noise then maybe the pain would distract her. Surely the pain would be better.


    "Mari!"

 Chapter Sixteen

    "Mari!"


    Something pulled her hands away from her head. Her vision began to clear. Someone said her name. The child wailed.


    Mari blinked, and Dainan was holding her hands away from her head. Blood welled up and rolled down her cheeks. Mari''s chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. Her legs shook. Mari''s stomach rolled, and something burning rose in her throat. Pushing Dainan away, she dropped to her knees and emptied her stomach in the corner of the room.


    She didn''t notice until after that Dainan had held her hair back. Mari coughed and looked up; her throat was too raw for her to speak. He handed her a torn scrap of cloth, matching the old, ratty blanket he had. She smiled and took it, wiping her mouth. Mari rubbed at her throat, but froze when Dainan touched her face. Cloth scraped against her cheek and around her ears, and they stung.


    "You really scratched yourself up," Dainan said, "but they''re all shallow cuts so I wouldn''t worry about them."


    Mari stared at him, not wanting to speak because of the burning in her throat. As she sat up, Dainan spoke just to fill the silence, "Regan wasn''t the best at holding her alcohol when she was younger, so as her little brother, it was my responsibility to make sure she didn''t do anything stupid. I became quite good at taking care of someone when they had to throw up."


    "Little?" Mari coughed, unable to keep quiet any longer. "But you are taller and broader than her."


    Dainan paused before letting out a short laugh. He smiled as he said, "Little as in younger."


    Mari turned to Regan who struggled to calm her child. The woman''s face softened; it was far kinder now that her attention was away from Mari. A hollow pang settled into Mari''s chest. Dainan''s description of a parent with their child didn''t do the scene justice.


    Dainan followed her ling of sight and sighed. He took Mari by the arm and helped her back to where they had been sitting. Even though her child had quieted, Regan did move her gaze from her son. Silence. Mari kept her eyes on her torn and layered skirt.


    Dainan broke the silence. "Mari, can you... can you tell us what happened?"


    Regan looked up. Mari chewed on her lip, but nodded. "I''ve told you, my memories are broken, hazy. They don''t always make sense to me. That''s how I ended up here in the first place. I was looking for someone else, but I couldn''t remember their name. I misspoke and was brought here. Sometimes, sometimes images, or, uh, words can force a memory to the front of my mind. Sometimes, depending on the, uh, power of the memory it can be like I am reliving it. This time was like that. I was back in the same state, but this time I had control over my body, and I was able to do what I wanted to then."


    Dainan reached out to touch her shoulder; Mari couldn''t bear to see their expressions. There was a moment of silence, and then he said, "Regan."


    Mari peered through her hair. The woman looked up as well; her face twisted between emotions Mari didn''t have names for. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to cause that kind of reaction."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Mari pushed her hair back and shifted her weight. That word... Dainan had said it once, but she hadn''t understood. She furrowed her brow. "What does that mean? To be sorry?"


    "Sorry is what you say when you feel bad for something you''ve done. It''s for when you hurt someone. You say it to try and make up for what you''ve done." Dainan''s soft tone and gaze caught Mari''s attention. Mari struggled to wrap her mind around the concept.


    She turned to Regan. "And this word it just fixes it?"


    "Ideally," Dainan said. He glanced between the women. "Unfortunately, though, apologies are rarely so simple."


    "I see." Mari took a deep breath. "Then I wish to express this for I do not feel good about what has happened. I am sorry."


    "You don''t have to," Dainan said. His hand hovered over her left arm.


    "I know, but if sorry is meant to make up for what has been done, regardless of my unwilling participation, I must say it. The Seven never will, and if it will help either of you, please know the depth of...of my..." Mari closed her eyes, frustrated with her lack of knowledge of the proper word.


    "Regret." Regan''s voice sounded thick, and her child stirred at the sound.


    "Please know the depth of my regret." The word was odd, but regardless of its true meaning, Mari thought it made her point.


    The child started to fuss again. Mari tilted her head and watched it squirm, waving its small fists in the air. After a hurried conversation, Regan passed the child to Dainan, who took a moment to adjust because of his chains. Mari found herself leaning in closer. The child''s face was covered in red splotches. His eyes were screwed up; Mari struggled to believe she had ever looked like that.


    It did not take Dainan long to calm the child. He smiled at the baby and made strange, cooing noises. Despite the abnormality, the noises worked. Once the baby was gurgling happily, Dainan shifted his arms. "Come here, Mari. Take a closer look."


    Mari started to move, but paused and turned to Regan. The woman pursed her lips, but gave Mari a small nod. Mari leaned over Dainan''s shoulder. Her head hovered a short distance from the baby''s. The child reached up and tangled his fist in her hair. Mari didn''t even blink as he pulled on her hair. "People choose to have these children? And they grow to become people like us?"


    Dainan laughed as the child let go of her hair. "Yes, well, some people choose to, and, yes, they do grow into people like us. There are different stages of life. So, when humans are young, they''re called babies or children. It''s after they stop growing, and can have children of their own, that they''re considered adults. So one day, he''ll be an adult like us."


    Mari leaned back. Dainan passed the child back to Regan. She had once been that small. As she watched Regan, she wondered if a woman had once held her like Regan held her child. A mother was what Dainan had called them. Had she been held by a mother? A father? A family? Had she ever even had any family at all? Dainan had said she had, but Mari wasn''t sure. She couldn''t remember any. With the way Dainan and Regan had held and looked at that baby, Mari was almost certain that if someone, anyone, had ever held her or looked at her like that, she would know. Her memory was in shreds, but if that had happened, something so warm and gentle Mari didn''t even have a word for it, she would remember it. Even if it was just for a moment, Mari would know it. She would know it if only because of the fact that it started to make any good memory with the Seven feel weak and worthless.


    That baby... being held by a woman in rags and gazed upon by a man in chains. Somehow that baby had come into the world with more than Mari could ever dream of. How was it possible that such a creature who could not speak, walk, or do anything of value, had so much? To have people care about him before he could even know what caring was. To have people value him for doing nothing more than existing. Just being in the presence of that scene, being an outsider, like always, left Mari feeling empty, void. She felt incomplete. Hollow.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Mari stared up at the ceiling. She had nothing to do except lie on her bed, awake. She already explored every inch of the room, twice. There was nothing left to do. She didn''t want to fall asleep. The nightmare kept coming back. If there was anything she could do to avoid it, she would.


    Before, Mari would have gone to Dainan to stay occupied, but ever since she met Regan and arranged for her and her child to be moved into Dainan''s cell, she hadn''t seen him. She recalled the guard outside the cell looked at her strangely, but did what she said. Mari supposed what mattered was Dainan had his family with him. The thought reminded her of why she had stayed away. There was heavy pang in her chest; that was the reason why. She didn''t want to be the outsider. They were family, and she was just... well, she wasn''t sure. It was so much easier for her to know who she was not than who she was. Mari knew she was not family.


    It was true that Mari had received a ''sorry'' from Regan, but Mari did not believe Regan liked her. If Dainan''s family did not like her, Mari couldn''t help but wonder if that meant he did not like her. Had he ever liked her in the first place? Was she just someone he put up with because he had no choice? Now that he had Regan, would he even want to see her again? As much as she wanted to see him, she didn''t want to be where she wasn''t wanted. The last thing she wanted was to have these thoughts confirmed by Dainan.


    Mari didn''t know what to do, and while it wasn''t a new state of mind for her, she wished she could stop experiencing the uncertainty. She thought over everything again and again especially the concept of family and the possibility of her having one. Mari had no idea how to imagine who would have been her parents, but she imagined a sibling. She imagined a boy. Probably older than her and taller. Mari gave him dark, thick hair, but much shorter than hers. Maybe even a girl, younger than her. If they really existed, Mari wondered whether or not he would like her, but Mari liked the idea that they would. If she was being honest, she imagined the boy to be a lot like Muraad.


    As she tried to paint a clearer picture of the girl, the pulling on her insides returned. Some of the Seven were coming.


    She sat up, and her heart sank when Balak and the twins arrived. No Muraad. What were they here for? Why wasn''t Muraad with them? Her face twisted, trying to contain her questions.


    Balak frowned at her. "It''s just us, Rekema and Muraad are busy."


    "Oh." Mari bowed her head. She couldn''t hide her thoughts all that well. Would they be able to tell she had been leaving the room and seeing Dainan?


    "Get up!"


    Mari jolted forward. Balak''s dark, boiling emotions flooded her. How did she not notice it before? She choked on the thick, sickening feeling rushing through her. He twisted his hands and his tattoos slithered across them. Mari stumbled off the bed. His voice tore at her ears. "We''ve been in dull meeting after dull meeting, wasting our time. I''m tired of being bored. So, we''re going to have fun."


    The twins shrieked. It was that word again, ''fun.'' Meeko grinned from ear to ear; his tail twisted about on the floor. He had too much emotion to keep it still. Mallory rocked back and forth on her feet, tail curled up so tightly she seemed about to burst. Fun, Mari wanted to grab her stomach. She thought she might hurl again. Her head spun as Balak forced her down the stairs. As her feet tangled beneath her, she bumped into the walls. The twins continued to laugh.


    Mari knew what was about to happen. She didn''t want to though, but she didn''t have a choice. Memories flew in and out of her head. It hurt.


    Balak slammed Mari through a set of doors, having her stagger outside. Mari blinked. Buildings filled her vision; people milled about the streets. These people... Images, memories of people screaming and running flooded her mind. It was when she broke the wall. She didn''t want that, not again. Something twisted in Mari''s chest and clicked in her head. The people ran. Regan''s husband... his heart... Awful. The memories, the experience when she was under the Seven''s control. Her memories always fragmented after the event. Always after the Seven were done with her. What if...?


    Mari tried to cry out, but her voice was not her own. Disgusting power surged in her veins. Balak lifted his hand and slammed her into a stone building. It cracked; someone started screaming. Balak was laughing. Mari would have given up her ability to hear anything ever again if it meant she would stop hearing his voice right then.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    She caught hold of her thought. What if she could fragment her mind now? What if she shut her mind down? She didn''t have control over anything except for her eyes, nose, mouth, and some of her mind. Maybe...


    Mari held her breath, hoping Balak wouldn''t force her to speak or tighten his grip on her further. That was the only thing that could stop her. Her head continued to spin. Her chest burned. She refused to give in. She would not breathe. Her head was light. Her vision blurred, and everything in her screamed at her to breathe. She would not. Mari felt hot. She would not be part of this. The Seven could destroy and hurt; they could use her body. Mari had no choice in that, but she would not be part of it anymore. She didn''t want to be part of anything that resembled what she did to Regan''s husband. Not again. She would not be part of it again.


    Balak continued laughing. The twins were cheering. Everything faded away to Mari.


    * * *


    "¡ªall the stupid, reckless, completely¡ª"


    "We get it! You''re not happy."


    "Of course not! Look at what you did!"


    Mari blinked her eyes open. She was back in the bedroom. Her fingers twitched. She was lying on the bed; her head throbbed. Everything hurt.


    "As much as I love watching this, she''s awake," Apep said. There was a flurry of movement. Rekema''s face appeared in her sight. Rekema pulled her up into a sitting position.


    "Is she alright? Harmed?" Muraad asked. He hovered at the foot of the bed, partially blocking Balak from her view. The glint of his scales caused Mari to flinch.


    "Like I said earlier, her injuries are minor." Bidkar sat on the dresser, resting her chin on her hand. "Her mind on the other hand... I can''t quite tell how much damage there is, or if there even is any more damage than usual for her."


    As she reached up to rub her temples, Mari noticed her hands shaking. She groaned, trying to push the thick, confusing thrum out of her mind. Peering around her hands, she blinked. "Muraad?"


    "What is it?" He knelt by the bed. "Do you remember anything?"


    For once, she did. Not all of it, but she remembered enough that it made sense. Everything seemed to freeze at that realization. Mari remembered enough that it made sense to her. It made sense to her. She couldn''t tell him. How new. Mari had never done that before, shutting them out, taking any kind of control back from them. She mumbled, "No. It''s all a blur. It hurts."


    "See?" Muraad shot to his feet, raising her voice. "What if you had done irreversible damage? What would we do then, huh?"


    "Muraad!" Rekema barked. She grabbed his arm and pushed him away from Balak. "I''m not thrilled about it either, but at least there was no irreversible damage. We just need to be more careful, especially now. It wouldn''t do if we had to start over."


    "Start over?" Mari sat up straighter, trying to keep the pounding from drowning out Rekema.


    Bidkar shushed her; Mari shrunk back into the bed. She could barely hear. Balak raised his hands. "Look, I didn''t know. It won''t happen again."


    "It better not." Muraad crossed his arms. The twins snickered from their place on the floor, earning them a glare from Muraad that told them he hadn''t forgotten about their participation.


    Rekema tossed her hair. "Good. I won''t tolerate anymore foolishness. Bidkar pulled me out a very crucial meeting for this, and now I have to explain to our higher-ups what the emergency was. Letting off some steam was fine before, but we can''t afford that anymore. We need her in her best condition for the next phase."


    "What?" Mari shook her head. Had Rekema said something about a ''phase?'' What was happening? She crawled closer; the blankets tangled around her, and no one paid attention to her.


    "Her mind is fragile enough as is, so from now on we have to be careful. We can''t risk anymore damage to it." Rekema glanced over the rest of the Seven, looking each of them in the eyes. Everyone gave her a solemn nod.


    Mari reached out to Muraad, but Rekema swatted her hand away. Rekema gave her a withering glare that sent her scrambling away. Smirking, Rekema turned to Bidkar and said, "Now that that''s settled, Bidkar, you and the twins need to do some research. Balak, Apep has a few tricks to help you increase your power and control. We''re going to need it. Muraad and I will return to our meetings and finish the plans."


    "Understood," they chorused. As they left one by one, Mari scrambled out of the bed.


    She grabbed hold of Muraad. He turned slightly, blinking at her. "You''re staying here, pet. We''ll be back in a day or two. For now, you just recover. We''ll have lots to do soon."


    He was gone. That wasn''t what Mari was going to ask about! She wanted to scream she didn''t want this anymore. Her fingers only caught air. She was... Mari dropped onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. She was alone. The room darkened and started to spin. She held onto her stomach; it turned and jumped. It was revolting. The Seven were... Had they ever been what she thought they were? Were they always like this? Mari briefly entertained the idea of going to Dainan, but knew she wouldn''t make it. Curling into the covers, she hoped more sleep would make it pass, the sickness, the pain, and the loneliness.

 Chapter Eighteen

    Mari woke up as the sun filtered through the window. She forced herself to get out of the bed and to eat breakfast. It took a few minutes, but she began to feel somewhat better after eating. Her head still hurt, but she was able to comfortably walk about the room. That was good. She couldn''t waste her day trying to recover. There was too much in her head for her to stay still.


    She ignored the red stains on her dress and on her that had not been there earlier. Thinking about it would only make her feel worse. Sliding the crown onto her head, Mari decided she needed to see Dainan despite her hesitations. She determined the only way to sort through her conflicting thoughts was to go to him. She had much on her mind, but more than that, she found she missed him. It was strange. Mari thought more, realizing she missed him even more than she missed Muraad and the rest of the Seven when they had left her on that day in the cottage. That day felt like years ago to her, but Mari knew it had not been that long. Did she miss the Seven as much as she used to? No, Mari couldn''t enjoy their presence like she used to, not when they made her feel so... so...


    She stopped in the middle of a hallway; her stomach churned. That feeling returned. The one from the day she first met Dainan, like being torn in half. She increased her pace; her mind reeled from the thoughts in it.


    She sprinted the rest of the way. Her feet burned, and her footsteps echoed around her. The guard in front of it hurried out of her way. He glanced over his shoulder at her, and Mari realized she must look frightful. She didn''t care; there were far more important thing at hand than what that guard thought. Mari burst into the cell, slamming the door behind her. Coughing, she bent over to catch her breath. Her sides burned; she tried to speak, but nothing came out.


    "Mari! What''s wrong? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Dainan took her by the arm and helped her sit down.


    "Give her a moment to catch her breath," Regan said. She bounced her baby, coming a few steps closer, but maintained a safe distance.


    "Sorry." Dainan winced as Mari''s breathing slowed.


    She kept her head down; her eyes watered, and her throat constricted. Her voice came out broken, like she had swallowed shards of glass. She said, "I''m not alright."


    Something flickered in her sight. She glanced up to see Dainan kneeling in front of her. Regan had stepped forward, forgetting about distance. Her face... She placed a hand on Mari''s shoulder and held her baby with the other. Dainan took a deep breath. His face was warm, concerned. It was so different from the way the Seven looked at her. Better different, even better than how Muraad looked at her. "Tell me, what''s wrong?"


    Mari took a shuddering breath, coughing. She had to tell him; that''s why she was there, but a pang coursed through her heart. She had to do this, but her hands shook. If the Seven knew... Mari clenched her fists. She had to. She said, "I¡ªThe Seven. Balak. He, he was frustrated, upset ¨C it was so hot, boiling, and ¨C he and the twins, they ¨C they wanted to destroy, and people got hurt. I¨CI couldn''t do it. I did something. I couldn''t watch it. It hurt too much."


    Tears leaked from her eyes, and her shoulders shook. "I don''t understand it. Dainan, I don''t want to do this anymore, but I don''t know what to do!"This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Strangled noised came out of her throat. Tears rolled down her cheeks, etching their way into her skin. "The Seven... I want no part in it! They use me, and people get hurt, but what can I do? I just feel so... wrong. Confused? So... alone."


    Chains rattled softly. A pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into an embrace. As much of an embrace as someone who was restrained could manage. Mari wouldn''t have known the difference anyway. His voice steadied her racing heart. "That emotion, Mari, it''s called being lost. We''ve all been there."


    Mari clutched his shirt, struggling to breathe. It was like she had lost control of herself, but this time she had no idea who was pulling the strings. "How do I make it stop? What do I do? I feel like I''m being torn in half, and I can''t stop it. Please, help me."


    "Mari," Dainan said. He pulled away slightly. "Look at me."


    She wiped at her eyes and looked up. He said, "I promise I''ll help you. We''ll figure this out, together. You''re not alone; you''ve got me. I''m with you every step of the way."


    A hand brushed her face. Another hand rubbed circles into her shoulder. Mari pushed her hair back and took a deep breath. "Promise? What does that mean? I don''t understand. How do I know you won''t leave me alone like the Seven did? You said you believe me. But, I want to, I truly do, but how do I believe you? I want your help, I do, but you''re just a man in cell."


    "That''s what a promise is for, Mari. A promise means, well, Mari, it means you can believe me. A promise means it doesn''t matter what''s in the way, what I have to do, I will follow through. It means you don''t have to worry." Dainan said, taking her hand. Mari stared at their hands. Hers was so small compared to his. It was so bony and frail. How was it possible she hadn''t broken until now? Maybe... maybe it was because she had always been broken, damaged beyond repair. Was this what it was like to be healed?


    Everything came rushing at her again. How could she possibly do this? Her hands shook. How could she make it through this in one piece? Dainan''s grip tightened. How different their hands were. Hers covered in grime, stained red. Mari did not believe it could ever come off compared to Dainan''s clean, normal hands.


    He continued, "I may just be a man in a cell, but when I promise you I will help, you can believe me. I will help you through this. Mari, I''m not going to leave you. I know how you feel. I''ve been lost and alone. Facing the Seven, the day you first arrived, I had no idea what to do. Just like you do right now, but it''s going to be okay, for both of us. Do you remember what you said that day I told you I believed you? You said you weren''t alone. I''m never going to let you feel alone because I''ve been there, knowing that pain. I''m not going to stand by and watch."


    Mari stared at him, steadying her breath.


    "I believe you."


    "Good." Dainan smiled.


    The baby made odd, gurgling noises. Mari peered through her hair. Regan wore an odd expression, but it was a king expression. Regan said, "We''ll both help you through this."


    "I¡ª" Mari wiped at her eyes for a different reason than before. Her fears from before, about Regan and Dainan not wanting her around because she was an outsider, were gone. She had never been so glad to be so wrong about something. "I''m so glad, glad to have you, both of you. It means more than anything I could ever put into words. Thank you."


    "We''ll get through this," Dainan said. "We''ll stop the Seven, I promise."


    Mari bowed her head. She believed him. She did, but she knew it wouldn''t be easy. It would be the hardest thing she ever did, she was certain. It would be even harder than the day she decided to seek out Dainan. Could she really do it? Go against the Seven? Go against everything, everyone she had known her entire life? Could she fight the creatures that defined her? Who would she be without them? Could she do this to Muraad? Could she last without them? Mari had a sinking feeling like it was going to kill her to go through with this.

 Chapter Nineteen

    Dainan and Regan had to calm her down before they could start to examine how they would go about stopping the Seven. Regan and Dainan discussed a few ideas, and asked Mari a few questions, but she had no answers. Mari didn''t know what the Seven were trying to accomplish; she couldn''t remember anything. Dainan told her to rest, promising he and Regan would start working on a solution based off what he remembered during his meetings with the Seven. In the meantime, she should sleep, organize her thoughts, and try to remember anything about the Seven that would be useful. Mari willingly did so.


    She lay on the bed, shifting through her mess of a mind. She wasn''t sure what would be useful. What was Dainan looking for? What were they even going to do with the information? What could they possibly do to stop the Seven? Mari was the only one who could see, hear, or touch them. The more Mari thought about it, the more she confused herself.


    Pushing herself up, she buried her head in her hands. She groaned. Stopping the Seven... Mari had to stop them; she couldn''t take it anymore. What they were doing, people were getting hurt. Mari still saw Regan''s husband still beneath her red hands. She recalled the pain in Dainan''s voice from that day. The wreckage around her was burned into her mind. Her own image stood in front of her, taunting her. Dainan, sitting in the dark, dirty cell, the farthest thing from the king he used to be, all alone.


    No, Mari couldn''t let the Seven continue to use her to do that to people. On the other hand, Mari certainly didn''t want to go against them. What choice did she have? They were her life until most recently; they were everything. She couldn''t imagine her life without them. Actually... that wasn''t right. She could imagine her life without them.


    She pushed herself off the bed. She needed to talk to Dainan, to get a clearer picture. Mari reached for the door when the pulling returned. Her heart raced in her chest. She scrambled for the bed and made it the second before they arrived.


    This time, it was Rekema and Muraad. Mari held her breath, doing her best to appear normal. For once, she didn''t want their attention.


    "Let''s get straight to the point," Rekema said. She walked up to the bed post. With a flick of her wrist, Mari''s body seized up, and her mind hazed over. Her last clear thought was simply that she hoped the water in her eyes didn''t overflow.


    "Don''t worry, pet," Muraad said as Rekema had her put on the crown. "We''re just going to look at some books."


    Books? What were those?


    She opened her mouth, but was ushered out the door. What had she been about to ask? She blinked and stumbled down the stairs. The crown shifted, and the guards at the bottom frowned. Her movements were different from normal. Normal... since when had she considered her own movements to be normal? Since when was the Seven''s control not normal?


    Her mouth opened, but Rekema''s words came out. "Take me to the library."


    Library? Weren''t they looking for something else? A b¡ªbuh¡ª?


    "Right this way, Your Majesty," one of them said.


    The four of them, even though to an observer there only seemed to be two, made their way through the halls Mari had become fairly familiar with. Despite that, it didn''t take them long to reach a completely new area Mari had yet to explore; although, to be honest, it didn''t look all that different. It felt different. If Mari hadn''t been under Rekema''s control, she would have shuddered and held her arms.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Rekema and Muraad did not speak the entire way. Mari''s gaze was forced ahead so she could not even see their expressions. While Mari was still poor at deciphering them, all the time she had spent with Dainan had started to help her improve her understanding of expressions. She could have used the practice on the two of them; maybe she would come close to understanding Regan''s odd, withdrawn expressions.


    "Here it is, Your Majesty." The guard stopped in front of a large, ornate door. Mari stumbled out of her thoughts and took it in. Bright, polished metal shined in complicated patterns. This door was second only to the doors of the throne room. What kind of priceless treasures would be in such a room? For if Rekema and Muraad were after it, it could only be something incredibly important.


    Mari still couldn''t see Rekema, but she heard Rekema whisper something to Muraad. Mari didn''t catch it as she was forced to push the door open. It creaked and groaned as it slowly swung back.


    The sight before her eyes... Mari didn''t understand it, but her legs trembled at the sight. It was magnificent.


    The front of the room had several tables with plush chairs around them as well as chairs and long chair like pieces of furniture that seemed to be built to seat multiple people. Beyond the tables, gigantic wooden structures that looked like hollow boxes filled the room. Mari could not even see the back of the room. There was a staircase off to the side that led up to another floor with even more of the hollow boxes. Each of these boxes had strips of wood and on them rested small boxes of a different material and colors. Mari didn''t know what the purpose of them was, but just the sheer amount of them filled her with awe. Dainan must have been the wealthiest kind of all the kingdoms to have so many of those boxes filled with smaller boxes. The smaller boxes must each contain something beautiful, elegant, or precious, and each must be unique to have such a vast quantity. They much also have been of the highest quality; they could only be so because for a kind would have no use for them if they were not valuable.


    "This is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Muraad groaned.


    Mari''s thoughts slowly turned. She told herself to ask Dainan about needles and haystacks when she saw him next. Mari wasn''t sure it was important information, but she would rather have too much information than not enough.


    "I''m not looking forward to it anymore than you are. But unless you want to deal with the twins or Balak''s antics, I suggest you stop whining and get going," Rekema said, letting go of Mari. Mari stumbled forward, swaying as her mind cleared. Books! It came back to her; Rekema had said they were looking for books.


    "What is happening?" Mari asked, facing both of them.


    Neither answered her. Muraad just rolled his shoulders; red scales rolling over his tan skin. "I''m just saying maybe if Bidkar could find something useful to narrow our search, we wouldn''t have to do this."


    "Those scholars aren''t talking, and there''s not much on this kingdom in our archives Underneath, so taking advantage of this library seems to be our only option for the moment. If we don''t find anything soon, we''ll bring Bidkar and try again with the scholars. Unfortunately, while that way may be the easiest option, the higher ups want us to try this first." Rekema crossed her arms and tossed her hair. "If it were up to me, we would have already finished, but the others have their plans and strategies, with that comes patience, despicable thing it is, it is necessary."


    Their conversation made little sense to Mari, which was nothing new, but this time, Mari took care to try and remember what she could. She wanted to keep a tight grip on it because while it may not make sense at that moment, maybe with Dainan''s help, it would make sense later. There had to be something useful in what they said.


    Muraad sighed, "I think you just like the sound of your own voice, but fine. Let''s get started."


    They turned back to her, and Mari kept her face neutral. At their looks, Mari had a feeling that no matter how magnificent those boxes seemed to her, they would turn them into something awful. They certainly had with everything else.

 Chapter Twenty

    To Mari''s utter disappointment, the boxes were just filled with something Muraad had called paper. Even more, the papers were covered in strange markings that Mari did not understand. She could not comprehend why they were so important, but Rekema and Muraad had her running about anyway. They had her gathering them and opening them up to certain places as they themselves could not touch them. For some reason, the markings meant something to Rekema and Muraad.


    Mari did not know what they were trying to find in the strange markings, and she was given no chance to ask. Muraad would take control and guide her through the shelves, taking books from the shelves and releasing her. Mari would stumble and almost drop the book, once her mind had cleared she''d run the book back to Rekema who would hover over her shoulder, watching as she turned the pages. It wasn''t a fast process, but every so often Rekema would tell her to stop and to return to Muraad.


    Mari wasn''t sure how much time had passed when they finally stopped. Her feet throbbed from standing up and rushing about for so long. Rekema never gave her a chance to sit down. She had been fetching so many books that she could barely see over the pile of books that had been stacked across the table.


    "Muraad! Here, come look!" Rekema said, looking up from the most recent book Mari had been flipping through. A moment later, Muraad came rushing out from behind one of the bookshelves. Rekema leaned over Mari''s shoulder, pointing to a section of the markings. Muraad leaned over Mari''s other shoulder, blocking part of the page from her sight. His eyes darted about the page, easily understanding whatever the strange markings were meant to communicate.


    Muraad straightened up and grabbed Rekema by the shoulders. They took a step away from Mari. He beamed up at her. "Just like we thought."


    Rekema smirked, tossing her hair. "Exactly like we predicted! It''s perfect, just like I said it would be! Oh, I can''t wait to shove this in their stupid faces for ever doubting me!"


    Mari had no idea what was happening, but she had a sinking feeling it was important. She moved closer as if shortening the distance could give her understanding. Mari narrowed her eyes, and put her finger on the page, tracing the markings. They meant nothing to her, but she tried to cram the image of the page and the markings into her mind. She glanced at the cover, committing it to memory as well. The book was rather large, and its cover was a deep reddish brown with gold markings on it.


    A hand crashed down on her head, ruffling her hair. She jumped, dropping the book. A deep chuckle hit her ears, and she glanced up. "Don''t worry about the book, pet, we still have a few more things to take care of, but we''ll tell you what you need to know later."


    Need to know? What about what she wanted to know? Why did they get to decide what she needed to know? Mari wondered, what are they doing? What aren''t they telling her? Why aren''t they telling her?


    Muraad pulled her hair back, and she continued to stare at him. Her face was blank, but her mind was a storm. She was screaming, but he couldn''t hear. What was she to the Seven? She had a family once, like Dainan did; she must have, so when did that change? How did she come into the Seven''s possession? And why? What was her purpose as the only one who could see them? What did they want? Why her?


    All these questions... Questions without answers. She wanted to know the answers, but more than that... there was one question Mari needed answered more than the others. It was far more important; could she live without the answer? Mari did not think she could; the not knowing tore at her heart. It made her want to throw up. More than any other question Mari had come up with before, Mari had to know... Who was she?


    "Muraad," Rekema said, pointing at the book, "I''m going ahead. Clean up here and put this book somewhere safe. When you''re done, take Mari to the room and join me."Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Muraad nodded, and with a pulling on Mari''s being, Rekema was gone. Mari''s spine straightened as Muraad lifted his hands. The moment before it happened, Mari knew it was coming. She knew why he was about to do it; it would be far easier for him to use her than to let her do it on her own. In that moment, Mari scrambled to hold onto her memories. She buried them to where she hoped they would not be touched when her mind shattered once they were done. Her mind clouded, and she could no longer remember what she had just buried in her memories. It was important, so what was left of herself decided to leave it be for later.


    Together, Mari and Muraad put the books back where they belonged. Yet again, Mari lost track of time until they came to the last book. The red brown book with the gold markings was in her hands. Muraad directed her up the stairs to the second floor. Mari did not get a moment to marvel at how many more shelves there were up there. Muraad glanced around before steering Mari toward the back corner. She blinked, but saw where they were headed. In the back of the room, there were a few chests sitting out. Muraad sent a jolt of power through her hand, and she watched herself crush the lock on one of the chests. It clattered to the ground. Mari watched her hands shuffle through the other strange papers and objects in the chest before burying the book beneath them all.


    As Muraad stood her up again with a flick of his hands, Mari continued to stare at the book even though it was out of sight. He walked her out of the room; the guard who had brought them had stayed. Muraad ignored any attempt the guard made to try and help. Not that the guard tried more than twice; the guards had become used to Mari wandering about by herself. As long as she did nothing to them, they were content to leave alone. It relieved Mari in a way, not having to explain or use words, but it also bothered her. Was she truly only insignificant that the only time anyone paid attention was when she wasn''t herself? She didn''t count Dainan. He was locked up in a cell all alone. She had forced him to notice her. She was certain he wouldn''t have paid any attention were their circumstances different.


    She stumbled into her room, alone. She blinked and vaguely recalled Muraad''s departure. There was some hair rustling, a goodbye, and a time frame. He said a few days.


    Mari lay on her bed sighing. Her legs groaned from all the running about she had done, and her arms refused to move any higher than her waist. As much as she wanted to see Dainan, she decided it would be best to wait until the next day. She did not want to have to travel all the way back to that room, a library was it? And after that, travel to the dungeon and then up the stairs to her room. Mari could do it, but she had made enough exhausted trips to Dainan that she knew how much she did not want to. Not to mention, Mari was certain Dainan would tell her she should rest instead.


    She glanced at her reflection, watching it follow her as she tilted her head. It was decided. She would go to see Dainan later, but before she subjected herself to her nightmare. There was a question. She had no one to answer, but she had to ask.


    She pushed herself off the bed, forcing down the soreness in her limbs. She winced as her arms strained to pull herself onto the dresser. She wobbled, almost falling and almost bringing the dresser down onto her. Mari breathed out as she safely made it to the top of the dresser. She settled herself on her knees and stared herself down.


    What was it? Was it in her face? Did that hold the answers? Did no one notice her because she had a forgettable face? How could that be? She looked different from most of the other humans she had seen. Was it because she was different? Plain? What made a face plain? Was it simply little things like the curve of her jaw? Sunken cheeks? The dark curved skin under her eyes? Or was it her eyes? The gray, lifeless color? Did that define her? Her eyes, her face? Did they hold the answer to the question no one could answer for her? If she just looked hard enough, could she find the answers etched into skin?


    Mari lifted her hand and ran it over her face, closing her eyes. She let her fingers drag. She had them trace across every part of her face, every bump, every line, the grime on her skin. Mari wondered if her touch would bring her any closer to the answer.


    Her head dipped, and Mari woke herself up in order to keep her balance. She rubbed her eyes and slid the crown off her head. She set it beside her and took one last look. What a mystery.


    Mari slowly climbed down, not wanting to nearly tip it over again. She shivered as her feet touched the cold ground. She swayed as she walked to the bed. Mari rolled onto the soft covers and buried her head in them, unable to fight off the nightmare any longer.


    She couldn''t help but whisper, "Who am I?"


    It was quiet. No one answered. It was painfully quiet.

 Chapter Twenty-one

    With the heavy, red-brown book in her hands, Mari made her way to Dainan''s cell. Her legs and arms still ached, and she struggled to keep her eyes open, but she needed to see him. She shifted the book every so often, trying to help keep it in her arms by bracing it against her hip.


    She puffed her cheeks as she turned down the hall that led to Dainan''s cell. Mari sighed when she noticed the guard was nowhere in sight. Mari was certain the man was suspicious; all these visits to Dainan, moving Regan to his cell and leaving her unrestrained. It wasn''t what the Seven would have done. Mari knew he must be thinking something, but she had no idea what. He was a risk, but he wasn''t her biggest priority.


    Her biggest priority was the book. She had absolutely no doubt Dainan would want the book and able to understand it. Mari wasn''t deluding herself; she knew Dainan couldn''t possibly know everything, but she believed in him. The book was in his library after all; he must be able to understand the markings that filled the pages. He was her best chance.


    Mari bounced the book up on her hip as she fumbled with her key. Her hand shook as she tried to turn the key.


    It took her a minute, but she finally pushed the door open.


    "Mari," Dainan said, standing up at her entrance. Mari shut the door behind her, still balancing the book on her hip. His eyes flickered to the book before returning to her face. "You''re back, did you find something?"


    "Yes, uh... I am not exactly sure, but I believe you will be able to figure it out." Mari said, stepping forward. She lifted the book higher, turning the gold markings towards them. Regan''s brow furrowed, and she set her sleeping child on the makeshift bed before joining Mari and Dainan.


    Dainan walked up to her, and Mari passed the book to him, sighing once the weight was lifted from her hands. Dainan sat down, and Regan kneeled beside him. Mari watched his face as his eyes traced the markings.


    Dainan''s eyes flickered back up to her. As she sat down in front of him, she said, "Yesterday, Rekema and Muraad appeared, and they were looking for something. They brought me to a place called a library. It was filled with things like that, books, they said."


    Mari glanced between the two siblings focusing on their expressions. Regan was looking at the book while Dainan continued to look at her. She took a shaky breath, catching Regan''s attention. Mari stuttered, "We, uh, they, uh... they had me pick up a lot of books and turn pages for them because they cannot touch them. I do not know what they were looking for. The books were filled with strange markings that meant something to them, but nothing to me."


    Mari reached forward and tapped the book with her fingers. "When they looked at this book, they found what they were looking for. I do not remember where, but I thought you might know more. It is a start, at least, to finding out what they are after."


    Dainan turned the book over in his hands before giving Mari a brilliant smile that sent her stomach churning, but not like the times the Seven had done the same. He said, "Thank you, you''re wonderful!"


    Mari blinked. She didn''t quite know the meaning of the word, but it meant something good. It seemed like she would never stop experiencing new things. No one had ever told her she was wonderful. Never before had she felt so warm inside after someone told her she had done something good or right. Her face heated up. "Why? All I did was bring you something that I don''t understand."


    Dainan shook his head. "This is the first step in stopping the Seven, finding out what they''re after."


    "Mari," Regan said, looking up from the book, "did they say anything to you that could help us narrow down what they were looking for in this book?"


    Dainan kept his gaze on Mari. Mari frowned, shutting her eyes. She folded her hands into her lap. Could she remember? There must be something she remembered that would be useful. There was something, she was sure of it. Mari said, "I remember something about plans, strategies, and having patience. There was also something about the others and what is happening Underneath."


    "Underneath?" Dainan set the book down.


    Mari nodded. Did they not know about Underneath? Mari didn''t know much herself, but Dainan and Regan seemed to know so much more than she did. Mari just assumed they had. "When the Seven aren''t with me, they''re in a place they call Underneath. They''ve never explained it to me, but there are more of their kind in the Underneath."


    Regan turned to her brother. He handed her the book and moved closer to Mari. The chains made a soft scraping noise as always. "Mari, that information is priceless. With that, and with what we''ll find in this book, I''m more certain than ever that we''ll come up with a plan. Trust me."


    Mari smiled. "I do."


    Dainan smiled in return. "Good, now let''s get started."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Dainan took the book back from Regan. Mari stared at the markings once more. "So, you know what these markings mean?"


    Regan stood up and went to check on her child as he had begun to wave his arms around and make small noises. Dainan shifted so that he was side by side with Mari, leaning against the wall. He placed the book between them so she could see. He opened the book up and pointed to the markings on the top of the page. "These markings are a way to represent language. Each word we speak has a certain mark or several different marks put together to represent that word. It''s called writing and being able to understand what the marks mean is called reading."


    "How do you know which markings mean which words?" Mari let her finger trace over the markings. She couldn''t quite believe the markings were really words. Could words really be something seen and not heard?


    "Learning, practice," Dainan said. He shifted the book closer. "Many people don''t know how to read. It''s simply not a tool they need, but nobles, kings, queens, scholars, they normally learn to read from a young age."


    "So..." Mari paused. Her hand froze as well. The question was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn''t say it.


    She didn''t have to. Dainan turned to her. His warm smile caught her attention. He said, "Here, I''ll read to you."


    Mari bowed her head. Her throat closed up, and her eyes watered. She couldn''t say anything. She did not have the right words. She never seemed to have the right words especially around Dainan. He always seemed to find a way to render her speechless.


    Fortunately, he did not need her to speak. He turned a few pages, saying, "The book is about our kingdom''s history, starting from the beginning and going up to a few decades ago. My father may have commissioned it, or his father."


    He landed on a page, lifting the book slightly. Mari moved closer to see, even though the marks didn''t mean anything to her. Dainan started to read, and Mari found herself lost in the story. Dainan''s voice put together an image in her mind.


    She could see a young man, looking somewhat like Dainan, barely escaping with his life. His older brother, who took a similar appearance to Balak, ordered anyone who found the man to kill him. He ran from town to town, driven out by his own people because they feared his brother''s wrath. Weeks of running, hiding, starving. He had no more food or water, no way to survive, and no reason to survive. He stumbled across the border into another kingdom and was found by a young woman. Now, he didn''t know it at the time, Dainan said, but that woman was the daughter of the nobleman in charge of the land, one of the small kingdoms between Dainan''s and the east. She helped him to a small cottage in the forest where her friend lived; however, her friend was away in the east. Every day the woman came back and helped nurse him back to health.


    "Why?" Mari asked when Dainan paused to take a breath. It just didn''t make sense to her. Dainan turned his head, and Mari blinked up at him. "Why would she help him? She did not know he was a prince so what could she stand to gain from helping him?"


    Dainan leaned his head against the wall and gazed down at her a faint smile on his face. "Sometimes, just sometimes, not as often as we should, but we do things for people not because we expect to gain anything tangible from helping, but because of the satisfaction of helping them. We do things like that because what we really want is for the other person to be safe, healthy, and happy. You''ve never done something for someone else simply because it was for their good and not your own?"


    Mari paused, catching a glimpse of something in Dainan''s eyes. It unnerved her. Was she supposed to know the answer? She stared at her lap, studying the lines in her fingers. Her hair spilled over her shoulder, hiding her. Had she ever done something for someone even though she would gain nothing? Even if it might hurt her in the end?


    A wail sounded from across the room. Mari peered through the strands of her hair as Regan rocked her baby back and forth. That was it; Mari remembered. She had done something for someone even though she ran the risk of getting hurt. She had nothing to gain other than seeing Dainan happy.


    She pushed her hair back and turned back to him, smiling slightly. "I think I have done that. Is there a word for it?"


    Dainan''s face lit up as he chuckled. "Well, there are several things people can call it. I think the one you''re looking for is what describes the action. It''s called selflessness."


    "Selflessness," Mari tested the word out. She pursed her lips and tried again. "Selflessness. That is the word because the action is not about one''s self, but it is about another."


    "That''s exactly right," Dainan said, turning a page. He gave Mari a look she didn''t quite understand. She had never seen an expression quite like it. She had no idea what it meant. "You''re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for."


    Heat filled her face, and she let her hair cover her face again. She reached over and tapped the book again. "What happened after that?"


    Dainan adjusted his position, and his arm bumped into her. He lifted the book again and continued to read.


    Mari started to put her mental image back together. Once the prince was well enough to be moved, the young woman''s friend came back and helped her move the prince to her father''s home. Her family provided him shelter, but the prince kept his identity secret.


    Mari closed her eyes, smiling as Dainan continued reading to her. He did not seem to notice as he kept telling the story of his long gone family. As Mari began to give into sleep, the thought occurred to her how different she was from Dainan. He knew who he was, where he came from. People even recorded his family history so it would always be remembered. He would never have the questions she did about herself. Did that matter?


    Maybe... maybe it didn''t. He was still there regardless. She could figure this out. She could figure out who she was. Who she was without the Seven. She had him. He wasn''t perfect, but he was there to help her, he said. Mari didn''t want to fall back into the same kind of mindless dependence she had with the Seven, but she didn''t want to do it alone. She didn''t have to do it alone.


    Mari''s eyelids fluttered as she took one last look at the man sitting beside her. He was nothing like the Seven. Their relationship was nothing like she had with the Seven. He was selfless. Mari needed that, she realized. She needed someone to be selfless. She needed him, not in the way she used to need the Seven. She depended on him, but she was not without her sense of self anymore. Mari could never do this on her own; she needed him and Regan, and that was good. She could do more than she ever thought she could before because of them. All the Seven ever did was keep her from doing anything good. Dainan and Regan encouraged her, inspired her to do good. It was okay to need people, Mari decided. She didn''t think any of them were built to be alone.

 Chapter Twenty-two

    When Mari woke up, Dainan was still sitting by her side, except he was reading silently. Mari blinked her eyes, but did not move. She watched him as his eyes darted about the pages. He had his brow furrowed in concentration. Mari kind of liked just watching him. It was quiet. It was peacefully quiet. What a difference that word made.


    Dainan rubbed his head and set the book down. He turned his head and jumped slightly at seeing her already awake. Mari sat up and he asked, "Have you been awake long?"


    Mari shook her head and stretched her arms. "Have you been able to figure out what the Seven want with the book?"


    Dainan leaned his head back, digging his fingers into his hair. "No, I thought it would be obvious once I started looking, but the book is just about the history of our kingdom, nothing I wasn''t already familiar with. I can''t imagine what they found in here that got them so excited."


    Mari lowered her head. The bright warm feeling from earlier had faded. The book wasn''t helpful at all. She wasn''t helpful. "I''m sorry. If I remembered more, I would tell you, but I don''t. Rekema questioned the scholars twice about something, and mentioned she would go to them again if they did not find what they were looking for, but I don''t remember any of the details. I just remember the scholars refused, and Rekema was so angry."


    "The scholars?" Regan asked from across the room, sitting up. "You mean Aeary and Prentiss?"


    "Are those their names?" Mari asked pulling on her skirt hem. "I had forgotten."


    "I remember, that day when they brought out the prisoners. Several of us were left behind because we couldn''t make it out of the dungeon without assistance. I was left behind because of my son, or possibly because the guards still had some loyalty and didn''t want to put me at risk. Prentiss was left behind as well. He couldn''t walk." Regan''s face clouded. She did not seem to be looking at anything Mari could see. "He screamed and fussed the entire time because his wife, Aeary, had been brought out."


    Mari closed her eyes, rubbing her pounding head. Sharp images flew in front of her sight.


    "Mari, are you remembering?" A hand touched her shoulder. "I remember that day as well. It was the second time you came to see me. You came to me right after this happened. It was the day I told you I believed you."


    "I remember..." She grunted, bending over further. Clutching her head and stomach, Mari choked. Every breath hurt. Each word hit her like a knife in the chest. Someone was screaming, but Mari was certain she was the only one who heard it. She forced her head up and opened her eyes. "I... Bidkar... We broke her leg. Her name is Aeary, you said?"


    "Yes, once the prisoners were returned to the dungeon, what happened, well no one wanted to talk about it. Apparently, whatever had been done was extremely effective. Everyone was pretty quiet about it, but I did overhear the entire thing was all about the fact no one was willing to answer your questions." Regan knelt down by Mari and Dainan; her skirt pooled around her.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mari lurched forward. Her nose brushed against the cold stone; her hair spilled over her face. She cradled her head, digging her nails into her scalp. "I can''t remember the questions. Why... Why can''t I remember?"


    The sound of bones breaking echoed in her head like a bell toll. She couldn''t breathe. A word came to her, but what did it mean? "Mercy."


    "What did you say?" Dainan leaned in. His hand was on her back.


    Mari shook her head. "I don''t know. I can only remember useless things."


    "Don''t hurt yourself trying to remember. That won''t help any of us." His words drowned out the other noise. Mari seized the opportunity and took back her mind, shutting out the other fragmented memories vying for her attention.


    She rubbed her head. "I''m sorry. It seems like the only memories I can see are painful and not at all helpful."


    "We''ll figure something out," Regan said.


    Mari sat up, pushing her hair back. Dainan rubbed her shoulder. She sighed, leaning into him. Dainan muttered, "What if..."


    Mari and Regan turned to him. He cleared his throat. "Why don''t we go directly to the scholars and ask them?"


    Mari groaned, "After our previous interactions, I don''t think they will."


    She reached up and let her fingers brush over the mostly healed cut Prentiss gave her. "I fear they wouldn''t be as kind or willing to answer my questions as you have been."


    "We just need to explain everything to them." Dainan''s eyes softened, seeing her fingers trace the scar on her cheek. "It won''t be just you. Regan and I will support you. With us, they''ll be willing to help."


    His voice dropped. "You don''t have to worry about anything happening to you."


    Mari stared at her hands. She didn''t say anything.


    "Dainan''s right," Regan spoke up. "The scholars could be the key. We have to try."


    Mari balled her fist into her skirt. "I know."


    She pushed herself off of the ground. "I will bring the scholars with me tomorrow, but there is one more thing."


    "What is it?" Dainan asked, rising as well.


    Mari glanced at the door. "The guard who brings you necessities, who watches over you... I worry about him."


    "What do mean worry about him?" Regan asked.


    "Surely," Mari said, twisting her face. Mari still wasn''t used to using her mind to develop ideas and reach conclusions, so when she did, she had trouble being certain. "He must suspect that something odd is happening. I had him move Regan and her son into this cell. He must notice I don''t treat you, leave you in the same state as the Seven do to the other prisoners."


    Dainan frowned. "You''re right. Do you think we should bring him in as well?"


    Mari let her gaze flicker to her feet. She rocked back and forth on them. "I think so. I mean no wrong to you, but he could be incredibly useful. The guard can help me from the outside. You can''t. If you left the cell and someone saw you... it could get back to the Seven because it is odd. If I were seen with just a guard it would not be as strange. He could also help control anything that might get back to the Seven when they return."


    "That is..." Dainan started, giving her a kind, soft smile. "That is very wise of you, Mari. I agree, you should bring the guard with you tomorrow."


    Mari ducked her head. No one had called her wise before. No one had called her wonderful or smart. Could those things really be true? She, who could barely maintain a single independent thought, was smart?


    She gave Dainan a nod. "It is decided. I will bring him."


    Mari reached for the door. Dainan''s voice followed her. "Until tomorrow then."


    Mari smiled over her shoulder. "Until tomorrow."

 Chapter Twenty-three

    Mari shut the door to Dainan''s cell behind her, sighing. The book may not have been as useful as she had hoped, but they had a new plan. Keeping one hand on the wall to steady herself, Mari had to admit to herself that the plan... uh, what had Dainan called it, fear? Or was the right word afraid? The plan made her afraid. Despite Dainan''s and Regan''s warm words, Mari was not as certain as they were that she could convince the scholars and the guard. The only way she had been able to convince Dainan was not through words or even actions of her own. The only thing that convinced him were the actions of the Seven, how they used her. Regan had been hostile and unwilling to believe her even with Dainan''s help. It was only the fact Mari had a fit over the memory that caused her to believe Mari.


    Displaying the Seven''s control over her was certainly out of the question, and Mari would not like to try to send herself into a fit. She had no control of herself while in that state, and she had never consciously caused one. If Mari tried to use it to convince the scholars and the guard, she had no guarantee she could do it or that it would work.


    Mari stepped into her room. She carefully shut the door, turning and letting her head rest against the cool wood. Her temples throbbed. It took Mari a moment before she breathed and pushed off the door. She sunk her feet into the plush fabric on the floor, carpet, Dainan had told her once. Mari stopped at the dresser. The crown sat on top of it. Mari blinked and tilted her head. She had not remembered to grab it this time. She looked up at her reflection. Why did she normally take the crown with her every time she left the room? Why did she forget it this time? The first time she had worn it, Mari wanted everyone to look at her like they looked at her when the Seven controlled her. She certainly didn''t want that anymore. When people looked at her like that, they weren''t seeing her. She wanted people to see her as who she was, not as the Seven''s figurehead. What did Dainan see when she wore his crown? Did he see the Seven? The girl who had taken everything from him? Or did he see her despite it all? Maybe she should ask. Maybe she shouldn''t.


    Mari groaned and rubbed her head. She wondered if she would ever stop having questions. Mari was beginning to believe she would always have them, even about the small things that didn''t matter, like the story Dainan had been reading. She had so many insignificant questions she held back. For example, she wanted to ask if Dainan''s past relative wore a crown and if that crown was actually the same one she had before her. How odd that would be, but she still wondered. What happened in the rest of the story? She had fallen asleep and had not heared the end. Did the prince ever take back his throne? What about the young woman who helped him and her friend who lived all alone in the forest?


    Mari could have hit herself. She was getting distracted. Shutting her eyes, Mari ran her hands over her face and through her hair. Dainan had to be mistaken. She wasn''t nearly as wise or smart as he seemed to think. Mari peered around her fingers. There was a problem to solve. How was she going to convince the scholars it had been the Seven who had done everything to them and that she didn''t remember the details?


    The pounding in her head made it difficult to focus. Mari took a seat on the edge of the bed. The room tilted, and she felt rather lightheaded. Had she eaten today? Mari grabbed her stomach, gritting her teeth. Her blood bubbled. She had to focus. She had to stop thinking about insignificant things. Her hunger could wait. Mari had to solve this problem.


    Holding her head in her hands, Mari decided the best way to solve the problem was to examine her options. The easiest option before her was to do nothing. Mari could let Dainan explain everything for her, like with Regan. She could leave it to him to convince the scholars and guard. Mari trusted him that wasn''t what caused her hesitation. It was the fact that this was her problem. Whether or not she ever agreed to this or liked it, the Seven were her issue. They were, in a way, part of her. They were the reason she was the way she was. They were her past. As the only person who had any contact with them, as their pet, Mari felt this was her problem to fix. She couldn''t sit back and let everyone else fix it for her. She had to do something. All her life she had been a passive tool. Mari was sick of being passive. The Seven were her problem and her responsibility.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    It may be easier to let Dainan do it for her, but it was the opposite of selflessness. Mari wanted Dainan''s help, but she didn''t want him to do everything for her. She needed him, yes, but she didn''t need him to do everything for her. Mari didn''t have to do this, but she wanted to. Mari wasn''t willing to let go of her responsibility simply for her own comfort.


    On the other hand, Mari knew that even if she could explain her situation, she still lacked anything convincing other than Dainan''s word. The scholars hadn''t been in the city when the Seven destroyed the wall. That was the only instance Mari could remember and could use as an example of the Seven''s inhuman power. Maybe something had happened the day the Seven confronted Aeary again, or the day Balak and the twins took over, but Mari couldn''t remember the details of the first instance and had blacked out for the majority of the second. She knew Balak had destroyed several buildings, but Mari did not know where or if it could be proof. Even so, would it be enough proof? If Mari could get her memories back of the day with Aeary, well... If Mari had her memories they may not even need the scholars. Mari''s missing memories could solve a lot of her problems. But the only way she knew how to get them back was through a fit, and there were far too many issues with that, Mari''s lack of control being the first.


    A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She was relived to find dinner had been brought up. She hoped eating something would clear the dizzying fog around her thoughts. Mari ate quickly, hoping the awful feeling would pass, but she was all too aware the only one to blame was herself. How could she forget to eat? Well it had always been rather easy for her to forget. It took Muraad''s reminders when she was littler to remember to eat. He always seemed to enjoy her eating much more than she did. Mari knew it gave her energy, but when the Seven had been around all the time, she never really seemed to crave the energy. Now that they had been leaving her, she seemed to need to eat more often than she was accustomed to. She had been too caught up in her excitement and worry over the book and any information it had to remember to eat.


    Of course, she had not realized before that eating too quickly when she felt faint would not help her either. Once she was done, her stomach continued to groan. Mari decided to lie down. She wanted to stop being so dependent on others, but she couldn''t even take care of herself. How stupid was she to forget to eat that morning? It was a wonder she had managed to survive long enough without the Seven to even meet Dainan in the first place. She hated it. Mari hated how she wanted to solve this problem, but could not find an answer. She wanted to be active, to do good, to help, but she felt utterly useless. How could she help anyone when she couldn''t help herself? She couldn''t take care of herself much less take care of Dainan or Regan. How could she stand on her own feet when her entire life someone else had held her up with a set of strings? Her legs couldn''t bear the weight. If she did not have Dainan and Regan to help her, she would fall.


    She curled her legs underneath her and gripped the covers. Mari stared out at the empty bedroom; her stomach rolled as thoughts about the next day filled her head again. Her own voice questioned her, doubted her, and tormented her. She wanted to sleep hoping the pain she caused herself would go away, but was terrified of the pain she knew would come in her dreams. Either way, it would be her own harsh voice tearing her apart, forcing her to her knees.


    What would happen tomorrow when she tried to stand? Mari did not know. She let her eyes close as she curled into the sheets. She had not solved her problem, and the nightmare was coming.

 Chapter Twenty-four

    Mari rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear her vision because what she saw before her simply could not be true.


    "Finally, she wakes up after all that screaming. Did she always sleep that much?"


    Mari wanted to pull the covers over her head. Her stomach churned. Apep''s eyes pierced Mari''s soul. Could she tell what Mari was thinking? Did she know Mari had been leaving the room? Could Apep see right through her?


    Apep sighed, shaking her head. Her hood fell back slightly. Mari did not recoil at the ritualistic patterns on her face. Even though Mari seldom saw Apep''s face, she was not entirely unaccustomed. "You have no patience, which, normally, is fine, great even, but we''re dealing with Mari here. You''re going to have to have a little patience, Balak, or else we won''t get anywhere."


    Mari shrunk into the bed as much as she could. Her mind froze. It didn''t make sense. Why were they there? All Mari could do was stare at them.


    Balak huffed and eyed Mari, but did not respond. Apep cleared her throat, and Mari''s mind started to turn again. Her heart contorted, and something deep within Mari, deeper still than the Seven''s grip on her ever had been, pleaded. She did not know to who, but she pleaded anyway. Please, don''t let them be here for Dainan. Mari didn''t care whatever other kind of pain it may cause her. Just don''t let them hurt him.


    "Mari, get up. Rekema sent us to start preparing you," Apep said. For a moment, Mari''s heart loosened. A freeing sensation flooded her. They weren''t there for Dainan. She had been answered.


    Mari sat up; Apep''s words hit her. She clenched the sheets in her hands. Something was about to happen. Something bad. Something terrifying. Something painful. Mari would gladly bear it in place of losing Dainan. "Prepare for what?"


    Apep scowled, and Mari recalled how she used to follow along silently, asking few questions. If she was not careful, it wouldn''t be long before they figured out how much she had truly changed. "You don''t need to know yet. Now, get up."


    Mari forced herself to let go of the sheets and stand up. Her heart started to beat faster. She brushed her skirt off, waiting for one of them to take control, like always.


    Balak grunted, "Let''s go."


    The two turned towards the door. Mari stared at them. They had not taken control. They wanted her to follow them willingly.


    Apep glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. "I need you focused and in your best condition for what we''re about to do."


    Mari stumbled forward. This sounded awful. She didn''t want to go with them. The way Balak''s tattoos moved sent shivers through her heart. His anticipation filled the air, and Mari had learned by now that anything that filled Balak with excitement filled her with dread.


    She followed them anyway, comforting herself with the fact Dainan would be safe. No matter what was about to happen, she could make it through. Dainan would be on the other side. Any suffering in between, Mari could take it. Was that selfless of her?


    * * *


    The second Mari stepped out of the castle, she noticed how the air changed. For a moment, just a moment, right before anyone had seen her, the world seemed bright, lighter, and warmer. Mari wanted to throw her arms open and her head back and bask in the light. It was an atmosphere unlike any she had ever felt before, but it was gone in an instant. Apep and Balak were not far behind her. The moment they joined Mari, the air turned dark, heavy, and cold. Mari froze.


    People in the streets slowed. Their kind, loud chatter slowly faded away to rough whispers. People glanced over their shoulders, going still at the sight of Mari in front of the castle. She was not wearing the crown, but that did not matter. No one seemed to look at her any differently than when she did wear it. Apep nudged Mari. "Come on. Don''t mind them. We''re going somewhere else."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Mari sucked in a deep breath, resisting the urge to wrap her arms around herself in an attempt to hold in any remaining scrap of warmth left from before. She forced herself to give Apep a nod, trying to be as submissive and passive as the Seven believed her to be. "Where to?"


    Apep opened her mouth, but before Mari could hear, Balak grabbed Mari by her hair. He dragged her behind him, muttering under his breath. Mari grit her teeth, not surprised or unused to Balak''s treatment of her. For as long as she could remember, he had liked pulling on her hair even though he could just as easily control her the other way. Mari thought he did it because he wanted to watch her wince and stumbled over her feet. Mari''s teeth dug into her lip, struggling to keep up with him. She would not let him get the better of her. She pushed forward, getting her balance back and keeping up with his pace. He grunted, giving her hair another harsh pull. Mari''s response was to bite down harder.


    Before Mari even realized it, all the people and complete buildings around the castle had faded into the distance. She was now surrounded by no one and broken, ruined buildings. Apep was huffing as Balak came to a stop, shoving Mari downward. Mari thrust her hands out, barely catching herself. Sharp, burning pangs hit her hands, and the taste of metal seeped into her mouth.


    Apep grabbed Balak''s shoulder. "How could you already forget what I said about patience?"


    "I didn''t forget," Balak said. Mari glanced up to see him staring at the blood dripping from her lip and onto her chin. Mari wiped it off, trying to keep her face blank. He turned to Apep. "I just don''t care."


    Apep pushed him back a step. "You''ll care when Rekema comes down on you about not following orders. Now shut up, we have work to do."


    Mari looked around. She did not recognize where they were. A breeze lifted her hair. Maybe it wasn''t so unknown... a voice whispered in her head, but she didn''t quite make out the words.


    Every building nearby was either a broken shell or nothing more than debris. Anyone who had been in the area before was long gone. When had this happened? During one of the gaps in her memories? During her black out? Nothing was left. Why had they come there?


    "Sit up, Mari," Apep commanded. She hesitated for only a moment, but Apep''s sharp eyes narrowed. Mari obeyed, and Apep said nothing. Her hands still stung, but Mari ignored it as she sat up. Apep took a seat across from her, dragging Balak down as well. He huffed, but copied her crossed legged position. At Apep''s forceful look, Mari mimicked the position as well.


    "What are we doing?" Mari asked. The moment the words left her mouth, she snapped it shut and stared at her lap. She hadn''t meant to speak. The Seven never seemed to enjoy it when she asked questions, so Mari had grown used to keeping most of them to herself. Back in the cottage, Mari hadn''t minded because she didn''t have many questions. Recently, however, Mari had grown used to being able to ask Dainan any question she liked.


    "Hm," Apep pursed her lips. "Relax, close your eyes."


    Mari glanced at Balak; her heart started to beat faster. She didn''t want to close her eyes while he was there. Not being able to see him left her afraid he would take control. It wasn''t rational; he could take control and force her to do all kinds of awful things regardless of whether or not her eyes were open. Why did it have to be him? What would happen when she shut her eyes?


    Apep cleared her throat. Mari had to; she had to get through this. It took every shred of courage she had for Mari to force her eyes closed.


    Her hands shook, so she buried them in the fabric of her skirt. The wind swirled about. Her hand brushed her face. Apep and Balak''s presence thrummed in her mind. That was odd. Mari knew exactly where they were even though she couldn''t see them. The inhuman energy seemed to be etched into her beyond just her physical senses.


    "I told you to relax. You''ll only hurt yourself if you don''t," Apep said.


    Mari took a deep breath. As she let it out, her shoulders slumped forward. Her fists loosened. However much Mari hated it, every interaction with the Seven told her to follow instructions. Bad things happened if she didn''t. Bad things happened if she did, but at least following them lessened some of the damage to herself.


    "Better, now clear your mind, continue to breathe deeply. Ignore everything." Apep''s voice was lofty as if she was amidst the clouds, completely detached from anything solid.


    Mari focused on her breathing. How monotonous. The constant in and out. But Mari did it anyway, in and out, trying to ignore everything else.


    Balak stood up. Mari couldn''t help but notice his large, suffocating power move. She continued to breathe to the same slow beat as before, but her focus was on him. His presence came towards her. Mari fought to keep her heart from beating out of her chest and to keep her breathing steady. Her hands clenched in her lap; she couldn''t help it. He kept coming closer. Why was he coming closer? What was he about to do?

 Chapter Twenty-five

    A hand came down onto her head. Balak''s grip tightened; her skin would bruise. Apep murmured something Mari didn''t understand. She said something else, and Mari knew it was in another language. It made no sense. Balak started to speak it as well. Her lungs started to burn; she hadn''t noticed she had stopped breathing.


    The language the two were speaking chilled Mari to her core. Why wasn''t she running? His hand seemed to be crushing her head. Mari whimpered, but it didn''t matter. He had no regard for the pain he caused Mari. He never had, and he never would. He wasn''t made to care. The two continued speaking. Their words drowned out all other noise. Mari didn''t understand.


    What were they doing? What were they saying? Why were they saying it? What was supposed to happen? How horrible was their task that they had to bring her out to where everything was already destroyed so they could do it? The biggest question she had was why had they left her in control of herself?


    Her mind was halfway through her next question when her body seized up. It was not the same as their control of her mind; this wasn''t mental. Her being was hit with inhuman power. Mari would not know how to describe it except as something Dainan had once described to her. She was hit with the equivalent of a flood breaking from a dam. Mari never stood a chance. They had left her with her mind, but because of the revolting power coursing through her, she did nothing but suffer like she did every single time the Seven took control.


    Mari began to shake. She burned. Apep''s and Balak''s voices were lost among a distant shrieking cry. Her mind barely registered it as she was far too absorbed in the deep, wrong power pumping in her blood and bones. It surrounded her, choking her. It tore at the deepest part of herself.


    Something smelled like it was on fire. Was she on fire? Smoke seemed to filter through her limited senses.


    It was hot. It was Balak''s power in her; she could tell that was the cause of the intense, crippling heat. Everything burned. Maybe the whole world was on fire. Mari began writhing; she was not unfamiliar with Balak''s power. She had felt it in her times before, disgusting and sickening. That was one thing Mari had trouble forgetting, no matter how much she wished to, but this was different. Her body had never fought this much. It was more than Mari had ever had to endure before.


    Mari felt something rising in her throat. She coughed, making wretched, awful noises trying to keep air going in and anything else from coming out. Mari tried to breathe, but she began to fear there was no more air. She couldn''t tell. She couldn''t see. Mari was relying on her other senses, but could barely make anything out past the pain and power that enveloped her.


    The longer it went on the more her world just became pain and power. Small questions forced their way to the front of her mind. How could she possible survive this? Her body was not meant to contain this power. Mari was human; she was not made to hold back the raging flood of Balak''s devastating power. It wasn''t natural, and she felt it. She wasn''t compatible with it, but her body had always begrudgingly accepted it no matter how awful it felt. This time, however, she couldn''t contain it. It was not possible. She was the dam, and she didn''t know how much longer she had until she broke. Then, everyone else would have to deal with the flood because she hadn''t been strong enough to hold it back.


    Then, almost, almost as if it had never happened, the power was gone. The water had receded, but the pieces of the dam still littered the ground. The pain lingered. Mari realized she was shrieking and shaking, writhing on the ground. She didn''t have control of herself, but neither did the Seven. No one did. Mari forced her eyes open. Her hair had flown across her face, blocking most of her vision, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Balak lying on the ground as well. He was completely still, but Mari kept convulsing. She saw her fingers twitch in front of her. She couldn''t stop; she was still shrieking. All that Mari could consciously do was stare at her hands moving in front of her. Patches of skin were red and blistering. An acrid smell filtered through the air like smoke. Her voice gave out. Her ears rung. Wind drifted by, lifting her hair slightly. Her nightmare... Mari''s fingers came to a stop. Mari stopped moving. Everything continued to hurt. Her eyes were the only thing she dared to move, but they quickly watered and blurred her sight.


    "¡ªalak?"


    The ringing lessened, and she began to hear again. Mari''s mind sluggishly told her the voice was Apep.


    "Balak, get up!"


    With a great amount of effort, Mari forced her head up slightly so she could see. Apep knelt over the massive figure collapsed in an indent in the ground. Had that indent been there before? Apep''s markings glowed as she shook him, staring down at him. She seemed to be waiting for a response, but she did not get one. Mari wondered if Apep liked that feeling any more than Mari did. "You idiot! She wasn''t ready for that much power! I told you to have patience! This never would have happened if you had listened to me!"


    Apep looked back over at Mari. Mari met her gaze. Apep narrowed her eyes, and Mari felt the urge to run again. Apep muttered, "Then again... if it had been anyone else... We''re lucky she didn''t burn out. I need to..."


    Balak mumbled something. Apep growled back in their language. Mari blinked. She could not process just what had happened. What was Apep talking about? Her core twisted, and when she opened her eyes again, they were gone. She stared at the space where they had been. The ground was broken and scorched from what she could see. Mari had lost all concept of time. She just laid there alone once again. Her body was too sore to move and her mind too dazed to process anything. All she could bring herself to do was breathe.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Then, as her mind started to churn again, Mari knew she had to get up. No one was around. No one would find her and help her up. Anyone who might find her, however unlikely that was, would most likely leave her there or do something to Mari that she didn''t want to think about. The only way Mari would be getting up was on her own, and she had to. There was a man in a cell and woman with a child waiting on her.


    Mari forced her hand closed. Pain shot through her, but Mari ignored it. She squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed her hand underneath her.


    When she opened her eyes again, her vision had blurred. Mari gasped as she forced her other hand beneath her. She coughed and licked her lips, wincing at the harsh metallic taste. They were rough, chapped. They stung just like everything else. Mari took a deep breath and pushed her torso up. Her arms wavered. How long could her arms hold up half of her weight? Long enough to get her legs underneath her, or would the sharp agony shooting from the angry red patches on her hands get the better of her?


    It was slow, and hot, salty water cut across her face, but Mari got her legs beneath her. Had her voice not been gone, she would have cried out as she staggered to her feet. Mari was not aware enough to know whether in would have been out of pain or from joy.


    Her legs shook, and doubt coursed though her worse than any of the pain still in her bones. Was she strong enough to remain standing? She didn''t know, how could she? How could she possibly know what she was capable of when she was always held up by someone else? Would her legs be able to bear her weight? Could she gather the will to take that first step back to the castle? Even if she had the will, was it even possible for her to make it?


    Mari didn''t know. She was afraid of the answer, but Mari couldn''t hide from it. She knew what would happen if she did not take that first step. It was not an acceptable end. The only possible way Mari could ensure a good result was if she stood on her own two feet and discovered whether or not she could bear her own weight.


    With a shaky breath and a wavering hand, Mari pushed her hair back for she could not make it if she could not see the way. She would trip and stumble and fall. Mari could feel it in her bones. If she fell, stumbled, stopped for any reason, she would not be getting back up. That was not an acceptable outcome, not when she had people waiting on her.


    However, knowing all of that, all of it swirling in her head, did nothing to help her when she finally saw what laid before her feet, or what didn''t. Wind whistled around her, blowing her hair about. The buildings which had already been desolate ruins when she arrived where gone. What had been broken and empty was nothing more than splinters and scorch marks on the ground. Whatever had happened, nothing had been spared. Everything was destroyed, broken beyond repair, including herself, as was the way with the Seven.


    She had done that, not knowingly, but willingly. The Seven hadn''t taken control of her, but she had followed them, anyway. Could she have done anything different? What would happen the next time the Seven expect her to follow willingly? This time, was this her fault?


    Mari was completely frozen. She had done difficult things before. One of them being going to Dainan in the first place, another being making the decision to stop the Seven. Those two were hard choices; Mari did not doubt that, but nothing, nothing, was harder than Mari reaching deep within herself, deeper still than the Seven''s hold on her for the strength to take that first step.


    She grit her teeth and steeled her nerves. It was a small step, and the burn on the bottom of her foot shrieked when it hit the ground. The pain jolted through her. Mari gasped, wanting to cry out, but she could not. She had done it. She had taken the first step. It was painful and awful, but she had done it. Something filled her chest, something good. Now that she had taken that first step, something in her, from the same place where she had begged Dainan to be spared, told her this was possible.


    Her own voice haunted every painful step she took.


    Leave nothing left. To leave this in her wake. Was it still a nightmare if it was starting to come true?


    * * *


    Somehow, Mari had made it back to the castle. People had stared at her; they had whispered, but they all stayed away. She was surrounded, but avoided. Her chest heaved and her arms screamed in protest as she threw her entire weight into opening the castle doors. The guards outside watched, yet none of them approached her. Mari assumed it had something to do with the state was in as well as their semi-awareness of what had just happened. They didn''t see a small, exhausted girl struggling; a girl in desperate need of help. Why would they? She wasn''t a girl to them; she was a monster. Did she blame them? Would she blame the scholars for not giving her a chance? Would they really be as smart as everyone thought them to be if they allowed themselves to be swayed by the woman they believed had it out for them? What rational, logical person entertained the ideas of a monster? No, Mari couldn''t blame them.


    Monster she might be, but when she came to the stairs leading to her room, all she wanted to do was cry and hold onto someone, Dainan, Regan, Muraad, even Regan''s child would do. But she did not have them, she would have to do with on her own. Hadn''t that been what she wanted? To stand on her own two feet? It was so much harder than she thought it would be.


    Mari took step after step and breath after breath. Her skin still burned and sent pangs through her every time one of the red marks or blisters hit the rough stone wall and floor. Every agonizing slap of her bare feet rung in her ears.


    Had there always been that many stairs? Mari couldn''t remember. Wasn''t that always her problem? The door didn''t shut behind her. Mari''s foot caught on the rug, and she scrambled for the bed post. She leaned against it, ignoring the burn on her cheek. When her legs trembled, Mari crawled onto the bed, clenching her teeth as the blankets scraped against her skin. The cool fabric helped absorb some of the heat, but irritated the skin. Her eyes started to shut, but before they did, she pulled her hands up in front of her face. They were raw and red. The burns formed an odd pattern of spots and lines, filling her sight. She shut her eyes. She knew how she was going to convince the scholars and the guard.

 Chapter Twenty-six

    Her fingers tangled into the scraps and tears of her skirt. The crown had lost much of its shine. There was far too much grime and stains on it to glint and gleam like it did the day the Seven first brought her to the castle. Her reflection tilted its head, blinking back at her. The reflection touched the harsh red marks on her face; Mari hissed in pain. Was it normal for burns to be the same shape and size on both sides of her face? They were perfectly identical on both cheeks and under her eyes, maybe she should ask about it.


    She frowned. She had to focus. One deep breath later, Mari tried to shut out all the lingering pain from the red patches decorating the rest of her. She didn''t know what she was going to say; that wasn''t new for her, but this was important. This time it mattered what Mari said. She had to convince them. She could not bear to think of what it would mean if she failed.


    Mari forced her shoulders to relax. Dainan always seemed to have the right words naturally. If he could do it all the time, surely she could manage it just this once. Mari had to convince them not just for her own sake.


    The crown stayed on the dresser when she left the room. Sharp pangs shot up her feet and legs as she walked. The harsh red marks on the bottom of her feet scraped the rough stone. Mari bit her lip, trying to ignore the pain. She nearly split her lip open when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She fought to keep her expression neutral so the guards wouldn''t suspect anything. Their eyes flickered towards her, and their brows creased as they took in the state she was in. The urge to sprint away from their gazes hit her, but she forced herself to maintain her pace.


    It seemed to take much longer for her to get past them than usual. If Mari didn''t know better, she would have sworn their eyes scorched more patches into her skin. Once she was out of sight, she let out the breath she''d been holding in. Mari increased her pace knowing no one was around to think oddly of it. The speed seemed to help occupy her mind. At the very least, it gave her something to do with her nervous energy. She reached the hall connecting to Dainan''s cell. The guard was there. He had not noticed her yet, which surprised her. Mari thought he would have heard her footsteps. Mari froze, trying to collect her thoughts and her words.


    Her pained steps rang out, and she cleared her throat. The guard looked up and his face twisted as he noticed her skin. He bowed his head and turned to walk down a connecting hallway.


    "Wait!" Mari''s voice grated across the air like stone pulled across stone. Her voice had not fully recovered from the day before.


    He froze. Mari''s breath caught in her throat. He turned back to her, asking, "What is it, your Majesty?"


    Mari coughed, trying to ignore how her throat ached. She could not force her voice to be any louder. "Take me to the scholars. I have a matter of importance to discuss with them."


    "Of course, your Majesty." The guard bowed. He straightened up stiffly and walked towards her.


    Mari looked up at him. His hair had specks and streaks of gray mixed in it. His face had several creases in it. He didn''t really look like anyone else she had seen before. Mari asked, "What''s your name?"


    The guard stared at her as if she had said something she wasn''t supposed to. He frowned and shook his head slightly. Mari wondered if she had broken some unspoken rule of conduct. She just wanted a name so she wouldn''t have to keep calling him the guard.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Helmuth." He didn''t wait for a response from her. The echo of his boots rung in her ears, drowning out the sound of her own bare feet as they walked in the direction of the dungeon. He led a few steps in front of her as they turned down a hallway. Helmuth did not look back at her, but rubbed at his forehead every so often. Mari decided it would be best to wait until they had the scholars before making her next attempt to speak. If she was going to make a fool of herself, she only wanted to do it once.


    Her pace slowed as the dungeon came into sight, but his did not. He went up to the men at the door. They spoke in quiet, shaky tones. They glanced at her and she straightened her posture, twisting her face, letting her discomfort show. She knew they would see it differently than how she truly felt.


    The clinking of the keys filled the air, and the door was opened. Mari followed Helmuth into the dungeon. The others kept their heads down as she passed. Mari heard one of them draw in their breath as well. She clenched her fist. They were afraid of her, or the Seven, or both? There was no difference between her and the Seven in their eyes.


    She repressed a shiver as the cold air hit her. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light. Helmuth was a step ahead of her, but he didn''t go too far ahead of her. The whisper of chains mixed with the sound of their footsteps. Like last time, Mari paid no mind to the small voices that would filter through the air when she walked by cells. Helmuth would glance in the direction of the voice, twisting his face up, but their words meant nothing to Mari.


    Mari stopped when she spotted the cell she was looking for. The man, Prentiss, scrambled to a sitting position, keeping one hand on his leg.


    "What do you want now? You''ve already taken Lady Regan from us! We don''t care what you do, no one will tell you anything!"


    A pang of fear shook her heart. Would anything she said matter? How could she possibly convince someone to trust her when they had already made up their mind about who she was?


    The guard turned to Mari, saying, "Your Majesty, are you¡ª"


    "Yes," Mari said. She already knew what question he was about to ask; she had just asked it as well. She was certain she had to do this, no matter what. The guard hesitated, but unlocked the door. As Helmuth placed restraints on Prentiss, he pulled away, lashing out at the guard as best he could. Helmuth forced him down, moving his leg and causing him to cry out.


    Once Helmuth finally forced Prentiss'' hands behind his back, the sound of heavy metal locking rung in Mari''s head. Prentiss'' nose dripped blood onto the ground. Mari watched. It seemed somewhat fitting in a way that he be injured after he had cut up her cheek by throwing a rock; however, Mari found no pleasure in it. She didn''t really want to restrain him in the first place, but Mari knew it was necessary. The guards and other prisoners would talk if she did not; they had with Regan. There was also the high possibility Prentiss would attack her again.


    The guard hauled Prentiss up, frowning at the fact Prentiss could not support his own weight. "Your Majesty, he is restrained, but still dangerous. He can barely walk, but with the way he reacted¡ª"


    "He comes," Mari cut him off again. Something was off with Helmuth. There was something about him. Mari couldn''t put her finger on it, but it reminded her of herself when the Seven were with her. Mari shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. She frowned. "There is no way he cannot walk on his own?"


    "Of course I can''t!" Prentiss'' voice rose. "You''re the one who broke my leg in the first place! You horrible¡ª"


    Helmuth jostled him halfheartedly. Mari blinked and turned to the guard. "Broken leg or not, he comes."


    He grunted and heaved Prentiss over his shoulder like a sack. Prentiss fussed and tried to resist, but could do nothing to Helmuth who reminded Mari of a large rock. The only discomfort Helmuth showed was from the noise rather than any of the blows Prentiss struck. Mari didn''t even pay attention to the racket. She had certainly heard worse and sounded worse herself.