Who am I?

At night Carissia Martin dreams of demons and awakes in tearful fright as images of people swim before her vision. Her mother always said she wasn't attached to this world, that her mind wandered from her body and floated to distant lands, leaving Cari with a blank stare. Perhaps it all worked out for the best, because Cari was here now, lying in a decadent suite, put together for her by John Mandrakes servants.

She awoke and shot up, greeted by a balmy summer night. She sighed before throwing the silken covers off and padding over to the window. The clock ticked three in the morning as she observed the darkened silhouette of Londons skyline. She glanced behind her to observe the enormous room furnished with ridiculously expensive vintage love seats and end tables. Nearly five bouquets were starting to wilt near her vanity, which was currently covered in boxes of outrageous diamond-studded necklaces and earrings. She sighed at the persistently flamboyant spending of her fiancée, yet she admitted to herself that John had indeed been exactly what she was looking for. With any luck he would replace the prime minister within the next year. Surely their wedding would be the best attended event of the century. She herself was no dunce, even held up next to the invincible John Mandrake. Cari Martin had quite nearly become a household name in London. Her eyes wandered to the latest issue of London Fashion Monthly magazine, her own face gazing back. The world at her feet and she still wanted to run. While she was still attending oxford and security was no concern she would fly across the pavement, streetlights flashing orange above her. The blanket of midnight endeavors and anonymity no longer covered her. Her legs twitched in protest, but she lay back down instead, choosing the morning tea date with Mandrake over the dull ache in her chest. She dreamt that the world was made of ether and all the things in it swayed gently, before wisping away into clouds of purple smoke. The lines of her body blurred and drifted away to join the rest of the misty mess.

"I hope you slept well."

Cari looked at the slender man acrost her, his legs elegantly crossed. She squinted in the brightness of the sun to make out his sharp features. The garden was quite sunny already, despite the early hour.

"Yes, certainly. I always sleep better here."

John nodded and blew on his tea. "Yes, well I do feel that you're safety is less…compromised here."

She grinned at him and nibbled at a biscuit. "Is that youre polite way of saying that you feel protective of me? Goodness, you'll make me blush." John flushed slightly red at his collar. Despite having known her six months, her frank disposition and charm still had its desired effect.

"at the very least I should make a meager attempt to make sure my fiancée is taken care of. Speaking of which, will I be picking you up for the gala tonight?" He cocked his head and took a sip of tea, clearly trying not to sound eager. This would their first event after having announced the engagement and he was yearning for the opportunity to introduce her as his own. She smiled from under her lashes and his ears went red.

"Ill be expecting you at eight sharp, Mr. Mandrake." She knew she had laid it on too thick, because he stumbled slightly getting up to escort her to a car. She left him with a burning kiss and slid into the car, giving the driver directions to pick up her dress.

Nathaniel was admittedly nervous when he went to pick her up. The gala for devareauxs birthday was the largest political gathering of the year, and the company would be overall harder to please than the frivolous museum openings and operas the two of them had attended. He had no concerns that his fiancée would come off as anything less than intellectual, but he fretted that the petty behavior and rude commentary of his fellow magicians would upset her. She was a gentle creature, like a deer gazing up at him with forest green eyes and long lashes. Though, he found himself surprised often by her tenacity. She joked that her small frame made her easy to underestimate and there was truth there. With a long neck and miniscule waist, she seemed ethereal at times. However, all his worries were wiped from his mind when he saw Cari step out onto the steps and flutter to the car. She wore a deep blue vintage gown that was collared at the neck and fluttered out at the bottom, displaying stemlike legs. She wore a pair of jade earrings he had given her, her engagement ring and one white flower in her hair. He jumped out of the car, realizing she was nearly to the car, he had been so busy gaping through the window. She glowed at him as he held the door open for her.

"I see chivalry is not dead after all." He looked down, standing nearly a head taller than her.

"The party of the year awaits you, Ms. Martin. I hope youll be joining me in refreshments. It's the only way I get through these things." He slid into the car after her and shut the door behind him. When they arrived, Nathaniel was one glass of champagne in and apathetic to the hordes of vicious people that awaited them. With Cari at his side, he felt happier than he had ever been in his entire life.

Cari was more miserable than she had ever been in her entire life. The opportunities for decent conversation were incredibly limited. Most of the magicians were pleasant enough to her, but she sensed that they didn't want to discuss themselves or anything relating to themselves whatsoever. The intensive secrecy narrowed down appropriate topics considerably. She found herself discussing the construction of a new bridge in west London, along with varieties of tea popular in high society. She excused herself from John to powder her nose, but ended up sitting in a stall to breathe for a while. When she returned, John had already grabbed her a glass of wine, much to her displeasure, seeing as she had either been misplacing hers or quietly pouring them in the trash. The ballroom swelled with company and the prime minister began making his rounds, his face reddening as the whiskey in his glass dwindled.

"john, how have the scouts been going? Heaven knows, we haven't heard a peep from the rebels in two years, I'd say it as a miracle if I didn't know we owe it to you." Cari didn't get to hear Mandrakes reply as the ceiling was torn apart by several massive detonations.