When Brendan and I step out of the underground prison, the air around us is anything but fresh. We race for the cover of the trees, trying to keep as quiet as possible in the near dead air. The trees are different here, not fully alive, not fully dead. They stand tall, yet half is filled with green leaves while the other is rotting away. They're a visual representation of who I am and I try not to react to that truth. I must make a noise, because Brendan feels inclined to explain.

"This place is the In Between to all things. It's the state of being not one or the other. If we stay here long enough, we become part of the uncertainty. We need to get out."

I'm thankful he's still treating me the same, like someone who needs his help. I don't want to shatter that illusion, but there's something we need to do first.

"Not yet."

Brendan stares at me as if I've lost my mind, but we can't leave yet. I have to find Cornelius. I need to know if he got out or not. The secret that only I carried is now out in the open. While Brendan might not realize what happened in that room, I'm sure Cornelius does. I can't let him get away.

"Brendan, he knows about me now. We have to find him." It's the best explanation I can give him, but it's enough. With grim determination, the boy follows me through the woods. His trust in me is blinding, and I hold on to it for dear life.

The small opening that let us out of the dungeons is half hidden by the hill. We circle back around, trying to keep quiet and I know when I hear them first.

Putting my hand out to stop Brendan's progress, I point to our left. He nods, then moves his body a few more feet before crouching down. I peer through the trees, my eyes landing on Cornelius instantly. He's walking away, a regiment of his monsters close behind. I move, but don't make it far before Brendan's arm is on my own.

"You can't take them all. There's at least fifty of them."

"I have to try, Brendan. I can't let them roam around with the knowledge they now possess. They won't stop until they've destroyed every single person I love to get to me. Just look at what they've done to you."

That's the closest I've even come to saying the words out loud and we both freeze at the confession.

“Cal …”

"Now is not the time, Brendan,” I say, moving away from him before I succumb to that look in his eyes. The moment of distraction has already cost us. The creatures have moved farther away.

"I'll come from the front. I need to stop him."

"Calista, it's suicide. We've barely gotten out alive as it is."

There's that panic in his eyes, the panic only I can put there. I want to take him into my arms and tell him that everything will be okay. I want him to realize that I can take care of myself, that I can take care of him. When we were little, there was always that partnership between us. Now, I need that back.

"You forget, dorogoi Brendan. That was before I knew who I was." I give him my most dazzling smile.

He blinks at my sudden use of our native tongue and the confidence behind my words. Maybe he hasn't realized until now just what kind of revelations happened to me in that torture chamber, but he will follow me into the battle. I can see it written in his eyes.

"And who is that?"

"The most powerful creature you have ever known."

The hardness behind my words does not escape him, but years of knowing me push it aside. He nods at my determination, running one of his hands over my cheek. I want to lean into the gesture, because I'm afraid he won't ever want to do so again, but I don't. Now is not the time for weakness.

Without another word, I move to the front of the convoy, utilizing my volshebnii speed for the first time. I've forgotten how wonderful it feels to skip through the elements. The rush of nature over my skin is like coming home. I feel alive again, for the first time in over a year, and I curse everyone who played a part in taking that away from me. I stop right on the outskirts of the group. I know Brendan has taken his position at the other side of them. I wait exactly forty-five seconds before stepping out of the shadows.

"Leaving so soon?"

The creatures are instantly on guard, their swords drawn before I can even finish my question. For the first time, there is fear on their ugly faces, and I smile. Cornelius is pushed back behind his entourage, but he's the one who speaks.

"You cannot win this war, Calista."

"Come out here and say it to my face, Corny."

He growls, the sound full of anger and hatred. The earth shakes under that noise, the power pushing at my defenses. I stay grounded, keeping my attention on Cornelius, but I feel Brendan's movement behind the group. He's waiting for my signal.

"You do not know the extent of our forces. Kill me now. Kill all of us, but that will not stop the inevitable. The High Realm will fall, and you will bow down to the Glava of Shadowlands."

"Well, I like the idea of you dying. Can we start there and see where it takes us?"

"You think you are so clever, playing with the task which was given to you. But you are not so clever that you will win."

I know Brendan is listening to our every word and I'm terrified that Cornelius will say something I don't want him to hear. I stand my ground, my eyes on Cornelius, as I twirl the sword I pulled out of my own mesto in my hand.

"You don't know half of what you think you do, Corny,” I say, keeping my voice as low as possible.

"Don't forget, I know who you really are. I know where your loyalties lie. And we both know it's not with Skazka."

I move before anyone has a chance to blink. My sword is in my hand, as I plunge the blade straight into the closest minion. My right hand flies to my knives, and I let them soar, straight and true, right into the heads of two others. Out of the corner of my eye I see Brendan cartwheel right over the top of one of the monsters before cutting the head straight off.

I don't stop to think, I swipe and slice, my focus on Cornelius. I cannot let him leave. I cannot let him live.

The noise of the battle is all around me, but I'm calm. I reach for that inner power, pulling at the Knowledge that rests within me. The ground shakes, making the creatures stumble, even as Brendan and I stay upright. I twist my blade into the gut of the closest monster, his cries are like music to my ears. It's fueling my hatred, and it's strengthening my resolve.

I drop to my knees, missing the blow coming at me by a hair. The one who attacks me doesn't make it far. As he reels his arm back to swipe at me, I stab him in the stomach, spilling his insides in front of me. The shouts that resonate from within me send the clearing trembling. Cornelius is shouting for them to keep fighting, but they're terrified.

They're horrified of me.

And that knowledge makes me smile.

I take a deep breath, rising to my feet. Once again, I reach for the power inside. The hand that isn't holding my sword flies up, and a tornado follows. It sweeps through the trees, picking and choosing as it destroys one creature after the next. The majyk awakens the deepest parts of me, intensifying every movement, every noise.

"Silly girl," I hear Corneliuses voice, twisting to watch as he steps to a light suspended in the fabric of Perehoda. I try to go to him, but there are too many creatures between me and him. "You think you have it all figured out, but you have no idea what and who you're dealing with. They trust you now, but just wait and see how will they trust you after they know who you truly are."

With the final words, he disappears into the light, the doorway slamming shut behind him. I scream in rage, the light exploding from within me and wiping out the rest of the minions Cornelius left behind. Brendan and I land on our knees, both of us breathing heavily with exertion.

Our clothes are plastered to our skin. The smell of death and blood clings to our essence. We don't talk about what happened. I know he heard what Cornelius said, but I hold onto the hope that he misunderstood the meaning. Or he trusts me enough to explain. When he takes my hand, I breathe a little easier. He leads me toward the forest, reaching into the veil, but when he goes to open the gate he stops.

"Where to?"

The question takes me by surprise because I don't know. I know we have to go back to the Human Realm. I left Jemma in Maxwell's care and I know he may be able to help us figure out what to do next, how to fight in this war. Yet, I also know we have to go back to our realm. Cornelius could've gone either way and we can't follow him by ourselves. I need time to figure out where I stand and how I can use it to my advantage. So I go with our best option.

"Let's go see Maxwell."

We step out of Perehoda, behind Maxwell's cabin.

Brendan is staying quiet, but he hasn't let go of my hand and I have to be thankful for small things.

"We'll get cleaned up, regroup, and see—“

"You're back," Maxwell's voice interrupts the rest of what Brendan is trying to say. We twist around and meet his worried gaze. He stands on the porch, his arms crossed in front of him. His eyes dart between our faces to our clasped hands and back up again. I give him a small reassuring smile and he breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Were you worried?" I tease, before I'm swallowed in his arms. He doesn't seem to care about the smell or the blood, but holds me close.

"You've been gone for nearly a week. Of course I was worried. Jemma is—“

“Calista!" Now it's Maxwell's turn to be interrupted as my best friend bounces down the stairs and grabs me right out of the boys' arms. "Where the stink have you been? And you look disgusting. Smell even worse, actually." She crinkles her nose, but doesn't slow down. "But I don't care because you're alive and you have so much explaining to do. Max here told me some of what's going on, but I want to hear every detail from your own lips, missy. I can't believe you put me through this much worry. I could strangle you, you know." She runs out of breath, squeezing me until I pry her off me.

"Max?" is the only thing I can manage to ask. I remember him despising that name. I glance at the boy in question, who runs his hands through his hair, looking a bit sheepish. Well, look what we have here.

"Wait, did you say a week?"

I completely forgot that time moves differently in the In Between. I glance at Brendan, realizing just how long we endured the torture. How long he suffered because of me. He reaches for my hand again, giving it a small squeeze.

"Cali, there's something I have to tell you," Maxwell begins, glancing down at our hands once more. There's something in his voice that tells me I'm not going to like what I hear next.

“Oh, yeah,” Jemma exclaims, slapping me on the arm. "How is it I find out from Max that you're engaged to the tall blonde and sexy?"

"Yes, Calista. How come?"

The voice that I don't wish to hear—ever—speaks up from the shadows of the porch. I focus on the boy as he takes a step into the light. William is all gold where Brendan is darkness. His hair is perfectly styled, his clothes are impeccable and scream royalty. He glares at Brendan, before taking the last few steps toward me.

"Hello, Duchess."

"William."

Brendan drops my hand as I say the other boy's name, straightening up beside me. There's always been hostility between them, even before I was part of the equation.

"I'm going to clean up now," I announce, while the two continue their glaring contest.

"Wait a minute—“ William begins, but I wave him off.

"No, now."

There's authority to my voice that the other boy cannot ignore. He inclines his head in acceptance, but I can see it costs him. Not that I care. Without meeting anyone else's eye, I head into the house, with Jemma close on my heels.

"This is some kind of a mess, Cali,” she says, following me into my room.

"Isn't it, though?" I reply, and in reality, she doesn't even know the half of it. I grab a change of clothes and leave her in the room as I head into the bathroom. The moment I turn on the water, I breathe a little easier. Keeping up the pretenses is really getting tiring.

Sometimes I wish I could just go back to being a regular girl, with no special powers and no greater destiny. But alas, wishes are pointless at this stage of the game. William coming here means that the royal courts have been alerted of the happenings in this realm. Everything is spinning out of control now and I must find my footing and finish my mission before it comes apart at the seams.

I have overstepped my bounds with Cornelius and he will make sure there is hell to pay. I know it like I know the sky is blue. I’ll have to work harder at making sure all of my memories return, and soon, so that I can use them to my full advantage. I can’t afford any mistakes.

When I'm dressed and ready, I step out of my bathroom and find Jemma sitting on my bed. She doesn't say anything at first, just watches as I braid the hair off my face.

“Your hair is much more purple now,” she comments, and I glance down to realize she’s right. Must be the side effect of the majyk. I don’t say anything and we lapse back into silence.

"Are you all right?" she finally asks, her voice as gentle as I've ever heard it. Maybe I don't need to explain anything to her. She isn't part of this war, and I don't need her to be. I just need her to be herself and I need her to be my friend.

I take my place beside her on the bed and she places her arm around my shoulders, pulling me to her. She doesn't speak, just holds me as I try to come to terms with my life. Everything that has happened, everything that will happen, it's tearing me to pieces.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I do. But I can't.

"It's too much, Jemma. Everything that I'm finding out about myself, it's just too much. I don't know if I like myself very much anymore. What if I don’t want to be her?" It's as close to the truth as I can allow it to get. I'm afraid if I reveal any more, I'll lose her too.

"You are the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful person I've ever met," Jemma says, placing her hands on my shoulders and looking deeply into my eyes. "Don't you ever doubt that and everything else will come together as it should."

And that's exactly what I'm afraid of. If my plan succeeds, if I allow the darkness to rule my actions, my friends and family won't want to be around me anymore. They'll hunt me down like the traitor that I am.

“You really are supposed to just follow all these rules?” she asks, and I know she means William.

“It’s my duty.” She doesn’t say anything, but she does squeeze my hand in comfort.

"We should go,” I finally say, pulling away from her. She nods, but before we can leave the room, her hand is on my arm.

"I know it's your duty, but is it possible—“ I don't let her finish. I know she means Brendan, and I won't let her ask the question. I can't allow her to put into words the desire of my heart. It already hurts too much.

“No,” I say, and lead her out of the room.

We find the boys in the library. Brendan has taken a shower as well, his hair still shining with droplets of water. Maxwell is leaning against the desk, his arms crossed in front of him as usual. William is on the other side of the room residing in a chair, his back straight, shoulders back, as if he's at court. As far as my memory goes, he always looks like he's at court. My jeans and a T-shirt make me feel completely inadequate when I look at him.

My eyes find Brendan involuntarily, and his are already fastened on mine. His gaze is ablaze with emotion that steals the breath from my lungs. I want to go to him, but that's not proper. That's not something I can ever do. Instead, reluctantly, I turn my attention to the other boy, asking the question that's been nagging me since the moment I saw him.

"William, how did you find me?"

He stands, rising to his full height before answering.

"The Keeper contacted the courts when you were attacked.” I breathe a sigh of relief to hear that she’s alive. “She should have contacted us the moment you were found." The disapproval is evident in his eyes as he stares at me. For some reason I know he's not actually blaming Elizabeth. He's blaming me. And Brendan.

"Brendan," William begins, turning his attention to the other, "it was your duty to return the Duchess the moment you found her. You have failed, and I will have to report you."

"Now, wait a minute," Jemma exclaims, and I kind of want to hug her.

"It is of no concern to you, Miss Kelly. These are the dealings of our people."

"Well, Calista is my people so too freaking bad." I reach for her before she can march her tiny self up to William and do something we all would enjoy too much, but will regret later.

"Brendan was following my orders," I announce, taking a step forward. William isn't the only one who can play the royalty card and I outrank him in every order. "No harm will come to him in regard to those orders. Am I clear on that?" My eyes flash at my words, the hum of power right under my skin and I see William take a step back as he nods. He shrinks away from the display before him and I give him a cool smile.

"Now, that we've established that. Why are you here?"

"My Lady, I'm here because you are needed back. The circumstances since your disappearance have grown worse. Every day, the land grows weaker."

"What do you mean, the land grows weaker?" I ask when he doesn't continue.

"Just that, Your Grace. Since coming to this realm, I see the effects of the war have shown their ugly face here as well. The land grows barren, the storms come every day. Her Majesty misses you. She's been distraught since the day you vanished." William may be a lot of things, but first and foremost, he's proud. His words ring with fake respect and I would like more than anything to wipe that half smirk off his face.

But his words squeeze at the place where the Relic pulses with power, where it calls for home, for Skazka. Leaving was the right choice, and choosing to have my memory erased was even a better one. I needed the reassurance that no matter what anyone has said, I had some good in me, that I had the power to choose. No matter how much I don't want to give William any points, he's right on one. I have to go back. I turn to the rest of the people in the room before announcing my decision.

"We're leaving. Now."