I’m not sure how many hours have passed, or whether it’s another day or night, when the sound of their animalistic love making stops and Malbious has returned to sit beside me. It’s his stench that draws me out of myself as I finally put down my arms and look at him. A wide smile spreads across his face as he looks at me.

“Haven’t you ever wondered….”

“Of course, I have. It’s a temptation in itself, but knowing I’ll lose my powers if I don’t first enter into a bonding ritual with that person first, that’s a whole new temptation,” I explain.

“If it’s freedom you seek, why don’t you just give your powers to me,” Malbious says with a chuckle.

“Because that option has consequences. Besides, why would I give up my powers now when I yearn for the day I can use them to destroy your people,” I say with a wicked grin. Malbious’ face grows serious for a moment as he contemplates my words. He has already seen a sample of my power and I’m sure the full force of my will scares him. It scares me too, I think as I turn away from him. The sand in the hour glass is halfway empty and I know I need to do something before the time runs out.

I pull my last piece of magical chalk from my pocket and start writing on the ground beside me. If I’m going to die in this place, I want to at least tell my mother where she can find my body. I write the message in the floor and after I have sealed it with a spell, I crumble the rest of the chalk and smear it into the message. Then I wipe it away with my hand and simply stare into the remnants. It is possible she can write me a message back so I don’t dare disturb the mess.

I stand and don’t bother looking over at Eliana as I begin walking around the house, again looking for a way out. I check every door and window only to find them lock. After all, that would be to obvious. Then I start checking the corners of each room, seeing if the walls push away into an escape route. When I don’t find anything useful, I start opening cupboards in the kitchen, the oven and fridge, but I don’t find anything. Not even the box of donuts I had left on the counter. Once I realize they are missing, I start to wonder why I don’t feel anything. No hunger or thirst, the need to use the restroom, or tiredness in my body. Though I have never entered the supernatural realm before, the last time I was stuck in a dimensional prison I remembered feeling pain.

“Self-inflected, I assure you,” I hear Malbious voice behind me as I turn to see him with my box of donuts, enjoying the last jelly filled one. Even as I watch him eat, my body doesn’t scream out in hunger.

“What do you mean?” I ask, leaning against the kitchen island as I start to trace my hands across the surface, looking for any clues.

“The pain you felt the last time. It was emotional, self-inflected pain. You are much calmer this time,” Malbious continues between bites.

“How do you know so much about what happened before?” I ask as I glance over at him before continuing my search of the kitchen.

“A mixture between your memories and what I know and hear. Unlike humans, supernatural beings are connected. It’s easy to tap into each other. Just imagine what you could feel and know if you shared a connection with another person. The sex is amazing by the way,” he finishes as he tosses the empty box aside. I roll my eyes, wishing I could just end this now.

“Then just end it.” I lose focus as I look over into Darien’s face. His voice forces me to look at him, even though I know it’s not really him. “Surrender your powers and return to our world a normal human. Then we can finally be together,” he says as he walks over to me and places his hands on my hips, just like he did the day before. Or was that last week?

“And what life would we live is the supernatural beings cross into our world because they are able to burn down the barriers?” I ask as I move away from his touch and keep reminding myself that Darien isn’t here and that this place doesn’t exist in my realm. I’m starting to wonder if things would be better if I just destroyed the token and all of us inside.

“Do you really think I could handle you dying?” I hear Darien’s voice again. “After getting you back in my life after all of these years, do you really think I could handle losing you again?”

I try to ignore the words, but they none the less carry some sort of truth. I feel foolish for coming all this way to see Darien. I should have listen to my mother and allowed her to send someone else. I should have never let my emotions get in the way and distract me. Now I’m stuck in another dimensional trap without a way out.

“No matter what you choose, Princess,” Malbious says, returning back into his own form. “I will win no matter what. You can either give me your powers and I set you free with them. Or I sacrifice my muse and use her powers to escape. Even if you shatter the token and brake my hold on your world, I will find my way back home.”

“After all these years, you’d really do that to me?” I hear Eliana say as she enters the room. I look between them as Malbious stands calmly and Eliana looks like she is ready for a fight.

“Of course, I would. Your nothing more than my personal good-luck charm. Why else would I keep you around?” he spats at her, causing Eliana to boil with rage.

“Fine then, have it your way. But I will not find my life’s end in the presence of you!” she yells as she turns and disappears.

“Come back here!” Malbious calls after her. In a moment, he is gone as well as large thuds erupt from upstairs. Not wanting to discover what they are doing, I continue my search for the exit. As I cross through the front room, I glance down at my chalk mess on the floor to see a message has arrived. As a kneel down, I notice my mother’s hand writing and quickly read that she plans to fly into town and find an exit from the outside. For a moment, I am filled with relief as I brush the message away with my hand. But then I remember the spell I have put on the house that won’t allow anyone inside.

This must be what my uncle felt, I think as I sit on the floor and focus my eyes on the outside world. My escape feels so close, yet there has been near clear exits out of this trap. I remember my uncle frantically looking for a way out as I sat and cried for what seemed like days. Only when he told me I was about to die did I finally lose control of my emotions and power. Though I was able to burn everything away and escape, I had killed my uncle in the process. Since then, I had been hesitant to ever use my powers again.

“I have made a decision to force your hand,” Malbious speaks as he appears back in the room. As I look over at him, I see Eliana sitting on the stairs, this time with a bruise over her eye. It appears that Malbious has won the fight.

“How so?” I ask as I grab the wine bottle from where I had set it on the floor and slowly stand to face him.

“Eliana, as a muse, has the ability to influence humans. Hence the reason why people are so tempted to drink Mr. Yung’s wine. I supply the addiction why Eliana causes the attraction. You can see why I love her so much,” Malbious rambles as he glances down at Eliana, but she refuses to look at him. “So, I have promised Eliana her freedom if she agrees to influence your precious Darien to come and open that door.”

I can’t help but laugh as I point to the spell behind me. “Can you really not read your own language anymore? I have sealed this house from anyone getting in or out of this place till you are either contained once again or destroyed.”

“Oh, my dear child. It is my language that I can do with as I please. You might be the author, but I am the controller of all things in this place. Therefore, I can dismiss all notions of your silly spells and do as I wish,” he spats at me. For a second I simply believe he is lying to me, but as I look at Eliana I can tell she is happy at the news. In that moment, she disappears, only to reappear again in front of Malbious.

“It is done,” she says as she bows before Malbious. He gives me a wicked grin as he claps his hands three times and motions for Eliana to rise.

“You are free, you wretched creature. Now, once I have the princess’s powers, I’ll free us and send you back to the pits,” Malbious says before he shoves Eliana to the ground.

“But you said I would be free!? I want to return to my family!” she yells from the crumbled spot on the floor. Malbious ignores her cries as he keeps his focus on me. Then a small grin crosses his face as he points towards the window.

I turn and see Darien’s face as he stands on the front porch, looking down at the door handle as he moves to open it. My heart starts to beat rapidly in my chest as I wonder if this is just another illusion to keep me from looking for a way out.

“Either give me your powers, or we all die, including the boy,” Malbious says in a low voice from directly behind me. I quickly turn and strike out at him with my rage, but he is already gone. All that remains is Eliana weeping on the floor. I look at Darien for just a moment longer before I turn and begin frantically looking for a way out. I place my hands on every inch of the walls and floor, feeling for something loose that I can ripe away and reveal my way out. I imagine a tunnel or doorway appearing before me that will allow me to escape. But every time I make it back to the front room, all I see is Darien at the front door, stuck in time as he reaches his hand out to open the door.

The crying has stopped as I look over at Eliana. I’m surprised by her form as now she appears in a white, long dress with a high collar. Her hair is braided tightly around her head and a small silver pendant hangs from her neck.

“You look better,” I comment as she looks up at me while she brushes the tears from her face. She walks up to me and looks to see if Malbious is around. She appears confident that we are alone and quickly places her hand on my forehead. Before I can strike her hand away, my vision blurs as I appear in a dark space with only Eliana.

“We don’t have much time, so listen closely. What I’m about to tell you will change everything your people know about the supernatural realm. Where you are in right now is not a different realm, but we are simply trapped in your mind. When you touched the token, you fell unconscious and we all ended up here. That is why you can’t find a way out because there is nowhere to go but out of this dream. You appear in your spirit form and are able to communicate with us. When your people cross over into our realm, you don’t travel with your bodies but through your spirits.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask softly.

“Because I’m as good as dead if Malbious is going to take me back to the pits. I’ll be sold as a slave to another creature and continue my existence in slavery. I rather be dead than end up there. So, I’m sharing these secrets with you so you can destroy Malbious, even if it means my own death. If you want to free yourself, shatter the token and this dream. Unleash your true power and simply wake up,” Eliana says quickly.

“But won’t that destroy Darien too?”

“Darien is close by, but he is not alone. Unleash your power now before you run out of time…” Eliana screams as she removes her hand, forcing us back into the townhouse where Malbious holds his hands around her neck.

“What have you done?!” he yells as he throws Eliana to the ground.

“I’ve secured my revenge,” she spats at him as she tries to move herself further away from him.

“I should have killed you when I had the chance,” he growls as he closes the distance between them.

“Do it now!” Eliana screams at me. Confused by her words, Malbious turns towards me as I throw the wine bottle as hard as I can towards the ground. Malbious dives to the floor, trying to catch it before it shatters, but he fails as glass and wine spray against the floor. The room begins to spin as day and night mix together, making it hard to see what is happening around me. Feeling begins to return to my body as immense pain fills my body. I can’t help but scream as I turn away from the djinn and muse as I try to focus my last moments on Darien’s face. A part of me wonders if this has all been Malbious’ plan to escape as rage boils to the surface and overcomes the pain I am feeling.

I will gladly burn it all down, I think to myself as I unleash a powerful scream and every ounce of power I have ever once felt. Blue fire erupts around me as the room catches on fire as though it has been doused in gasoline. I can hear Malbious and Eliana screaming as a feeling of relief feels my body. For once in my life, it feels good to finally let go and not fear about what may happen when I release my power. Despite the burning creatures around me, it almost looks beautiful to see the fire rage from my body.

I begin to feel weighted down as the room grows dark besides the flames. I feel the sensation that I am falling as my eyes catch sight the ceiling. My eye lids flutter as I feel an overwhelming need to shut them and sleep. But all I keep thinking is that I want to see Darien one last time before I die. Even if this is all an illusion, I just want to see his face one more time as I struggle to keep my eyes open and search for his face.

I hear his voice as I close my eyes. It grows louder as I realize how stiff my body feels on the ground. I start to hear multiple voices as I feel someone shaking me. Hands are on my chest, forcing my blood to pump through my veins as my eyes shoot open. I shove the hands away from me as I finally open my eyes. I see sunlight above me and as I look down, I see the wine bottle still clutched in one hand as the other grips Morgan’s shirt. As I glance around me, I see Darien on the other side of me with tears streaking down his face. With my eyes on him, a smile begins to grow on his face but then his expression changes as he continues to look into my eyes. I quickly turn away as I notice the scorch marks on the wine crates and ceiling.

“How do you feel?” Morgan asks as I push myself into a seated position.

“Horrible,” I say softly as I look at the wine bottle in my hand.

“You were dead for a moment,” Morgan replies as he places an arm around my waist to pull me to my feet.

“How long has it been since we last saw each other?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“Two days, Anna. It’s been two days,” he says as he helps me to walk across the room and out of the house.

“What the hell just happened in there?” Darien asks, his voice wavering as he follows us down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

All I can think about is my next meal and hopefully a shower as I lean heavily on Morgan. He leans me against the car and opens the door for me, but I pause and look back at Darien. It seems there is no hiding now as the sunlight rests on my face.

“I’ve been trapped in that house for two days, completely unconscious. Morgan will take me to recover and then I’ll be by to explain everything,” I tell him, unsure of what words are the most appropriate for the situation.

“Then come to the house. We can take care of you there,” Darien quickly responds as he walks up to me, afraid of what is going on. I look away from him as I glance over at Morgan.

“That’s probably a good idea, Anna. We shouldn’t stay in the city after that explosion,” Morgan admits. I nod my head in agreement as I sit down into the passenger seat. I hear Darien climb into the back seat, followed by the sound of the engine starting and the feeling of the car pulling away.

“Try to stay awake, Anna,” I hear Morgan say, but I can’t help but fall asleep knowing I’m now safe.