Here is the beginning of the second part of the trilogy I've written. Please enjoy!

Oh, and some time has passed. Sofia is fifteen now. She was eleven in the first one. :)

Also, this entire story is uploaded in audio form on YouTube.


Sofia knocked twice on the door then opened it to see Cedric carefully dripping something green into something blue. She quietly shut the door then seated herself to the side and pulled out her Sorcery homework. Cedric didn't even glance back, his lips pursed as he concentrated. His consciousness pet hers lightly before retreating as far back as it could.

"Just a little more…" he murmured, and Sofia smiled. He talked to himself while making potions, but he claimed it was Wormwood he was speaking to. She knew the truth, though.

One final drop and the potion turned purple. He cried out his accomplishment then sat back.

"It's done!"

"Took you long enough," Wormwood derided.

"Be quiet, Wormy." He turned to grin at Sofia. "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm okay. What are you making?"

"A potion for your father. It's to try to cure his allergy to cats. I've tried several others, but this is the strongest I can make. That stupid allergy seems almost magical!"

"Oh. I know just how allergic to cats he is," Sofia replied. "Don't I, Wormwood?"

"Stupid girl," the bird muttered.

"Do tell," Cedric said.

"Amber once made a bad wish in the well, you know, that one in the garden? that made me a cat. It was quite the adventure to turn back into a human. And Wormwood was trying to steal my amulet the whole time."

Cedric smiled. "Well, he hasn't tried that in a long time, has he?"

"No, Cedric."

The sorcerer nodded at her then moved to clean off his bench, corking bottles and setting them back on their proper shelves. The girl hadn't called him "Mister" since their first trip to the Mystic Isles four years before. Now Sofia was fifteen, and they had been there many times. They used the time there to talk and catch up, especially after particularly busy periods of their lives. They were planning to go there again very soon.

"What are you working on for school?" Cedric asked as he replaced the final vial.

"Advanced ice making. We're working on designs. I was thinking of doing one that looks like Clover."

"Ooh, ice making. How difficult," the man teased, his silver eyes sparkling.

Sofia laughed. In the four years that had passed since they had been linked magically, both of them had become far more powerful. Neither of them really needed a wand, but they used them to keep up appearances. When Cedric had kept using one despite the freed magic, Sofia had asked why.

"Well, what I am, what we are, is so rare, Sofia. I don't want to cause a fuss. And there would be all those questions on why I was so bad for so long. That brings up Ambretta, and besides you, I'm not comfortable discussing her with anybody. Especially not your father. So, if I use a wand, or appear to, I will avoid those things. I would appreciate if you did, too, but I won't force you."

Sofia had understood, and she had been content to use her magic without a focus, but when the other students started to stare at her, she had grown severely uncomfortable. Then the teachers started whispering about her, and then Miss Flora had, quite seriously, asked if things were alright. Unable to stand the judgement in other people's gazes, Sofia said yes, just that she felt funny and that it would pass. After that, she never performed magic without a wand in her hand unless it was just her and Cedric and their pets.

Both the sorcerer and the princess were content in their own tasks for a couple hours before Baileywick came and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Cedric called, writing out some notes.

"Princess Sofia, dinner is ready," Baileywick said, bowing.

"I'll be there in a second."

"You have a hundred and twenty," the steward replied then turned and left, closing the door behind him.

"I better get to the dining room," Sofia said apologetically.

"I bet my dinner's ready, too. I've got to feed Wormy then I'll head down and get it. How about we take a nice stroll in the garden after dinner?"

"Sounds great! I'll see you, Cedric."

"Goodbye, Sofia."

The girl left, and Cedric could feel her going, and he could feel that she was hungry. Their link had deeply unsettled both of them at first. They could skim thoughts if they focused on it, and sometimes, if they were strong enough, they didn't even need to try. Emotions could leak over the bond, and they always knew the exact location of the other, no matter where they were in the castle, kingdom, or world. When it had started, they couldn't really concentrate on anything else, but they soon grew accustomed to it, and now they rarely thought about it unless they wanted to.

"I'm still hungry, Cedric," Wormwood said pointedly.

"Oh, hush," the sorcerer scolded. "I'll get your food."

After feeding his pet, he hurried down to the kitchen to find a nice plate of duck and potatoes. Settling into his own little dark corner, he ate his hearty meal, sharing his experience with Sofia, who was having a much different version of duck. It was so much fancier and a bit delicate. Cedric much preferred his own meal, but hers was delicious, too.

Afterwards, they met in the garden and strolled through the hedge maze, joyfully talking about their days. It was a simple pleasure, but it was one they greatly looked forward to. They parted after an hour, got ready for bed, and fell asleep. For the first time in a long, long time, there was a memory.

Cedric stood outside the closed door, shaking. Roland glared at him then gestured for him to go in.

"She wants to see you. The doctor said she doesn't have much time. She wants to see you alone."

The teenager went in, bracing himself for the worst. Ambretta lay in the large bed, too thin and pale for his liking. The door closed behind him, and he shyly walked over.

"Ambretta?"

He was afraid for a moment that he was too late, but then her chest rose and fell ever so slightly. She opened her eyes, her beautiful golden eyes, and there was resignation in them.

"Have you seen them?"

"The children?" Cedric asked hesitantly. "Yes, they are beautiful. Amber and James. They both have your eyes."

"You'll watch over them while I'm gone, won't you? You'll take care of them?"

"I…Ambretta, please don't…" He couldn't say it, and tears fell down his slender cheeks. "You can't leave me here with him. He'll hate me forever. Please, stay."

She smiled that one smile, the one she had never given her husband once, the one she only gave to him. "Don't forget me. You won't, will you?"

"I promise I won't. I swear it. I'll remember you always."

"Thank you. Give me a kiss?"

Cedric's heart leapt into his throat. Kiss the king's wife? But she had asked for it. Cedric moved closer then leaned down. An inch from her lips, he stopped then moved to peck her cheek. She smiled, and when she spoke, her voice was far, far away, farther than Cedric had ever gone before.

"Such a sweet man, Cedric. I love you. Love you so…"

The last word never fell from her delicate lips, and Cedric pulled back and watched the light fade from her eyes. From her beautiful, golden eyes. The eyes that would never watch a brush go over her paintings again, that would never see her own children grow up, that would never light up in laughter when he did something awkward. He carefully arranged her arms then walked to the door.

When he got out of the room, he heard his own voice speak words, but they were garbled. Calm floated around him, otherworldly calm. The calm before the storm. He walked to his room, shrugging off his parents' concern. Without a word, he lay down and stared at the ceiling. His heart hadn't begun to hurt yet, and he didn't want it to. He wanted to forget, to go away forever and ever. He wished it so fiercely as he fell asleep that he practically felt his mind flying away. Maybe he would go and be with Ambretta. That sounded so perfect…

Cedric opened his eyes to see a silver orb in the sky. There were no people around, and it was quiet. Very, very quiet. And that's when he screamed until his throat was raw.

The sorcerer's eyes flew open and he found himself howling. He rolled over to stifle his sobs in his pillow. The screams wouldn't stop, and when a gentle hand was placed on his back, he couldn't even acknowledge it. It took a good half an hour to calm himself down to where he was able to relax his grip on his poor, misshapen pillow. He was handed a cup of steaming hot chocolate, and he gulped a good third of it in several seconds. The heat made his tender throat hurt. Sofia was rather numb herself after the violent outburst, and they sat there for a while, drinking their cocoa and staring at nothing.

"I've never seen that one before," the girl finally whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Sofia," Cedric said, his voice low and rough. "I am so very sorry."

"I've never seen anybody die before," she said softly, her gaze on his books.

"I wish I hadn't. I think she held on just to see me one last time. I…I don't think that was wise, for my own sanity's sake. But I would have regretted not seeing her more."

"So that's when you went to the Mystic Isles for a while?"

"Yes, my dear. That's when I went to the Mystic Isles. I don't know for how long. The memory is one long blur of pain and trying to forget. My magic never worked right after that, and I became much clumsier. I needed a wand to do things, even simple things that I had done before without a thought. When I came back, I forgot, but not her. I couldn't forget her. I promised I wouldn't, anyway."

Sofia nodded, still drained from such a huge burst of emotion, both from the dream and the aftereffects from it on her friend. They sat there a bit longer, then Cedric shook his head.

"You have school tomorrow, Sofia. Go to bed if you can. I'll give you a sleeping powder."

"I'll take it."

After carefully measuring the blue powder, he slipped it into two cups of water.

"Drink this quickly when you get to your room. Don't do it beforehand or you'll pass out in the hallways. Lay down and pray for no more dreams tonight."

"Thanks, Cedric."

She paused at the door that led up to the sorcerer's workroom. Looking back, her blue eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Cedric. I'm so sorry."

He gave a halfhearted smile then turned to get back into bed. Taking his own glass of water, he downed it then settled back as the sleeping draught began to do its work. Once Sofia was settled, they both drifted off to sleep. Thankfully, there were no more dreams.