Petra felt a change in her senses. She quickly found that animals were reacting to something that she could not see. In a panic she deduced that it was another witch. Quickly, she whirled and Levi stirred. He groaned and asked why she was that agitated.

"Levi, they're after me!"

"What?"

"The government, they want me."

"So?"

"They're coming!"

"What of it?"

"Run."

"Why?"

"So that they don't get you. They've found me and I can't cast a cloak, so you run."

"But Petra, I-"

"I'll make you run."

"It's day."

"Fine." Petra leapt out of the tent and ran in the opposite direction of the scared animals.

Levi was overcome with grief. He wished he could do something, but his stupid nature rendered him weak. He cursed and wished he could sense as Petra could, see something indicative of her state.

Petra reached the army quickly and saw that they had not cloaked their visibility, only their witch sensitivity. She conjured the illusion of a white flag. The army noted, but they did not trust her enough to put away their rifles. A blonde emerged from the ranks and the cloaking spell vanished. The blonde was a weak witch – weak enough to be hidden in society. "Ms. Ral."

"How may I address you?"

"First lieutenant Leonhardt."

"Well, lieutenant, I would love to know your terms."

"Terms?"

"Surely you would have a few seeing as you have not yet killed me."

"Your unconditional surrender."

"Unfortunately, I will have to condition that: I want to live."

"You shall, and comfortably as long as you comply."

"Then guide me to my comfort." Petra was politely escorted to a carriage. Inside, she was accompanied by Leonhardt and two guards. "I hope the ride is not very long."

"Unfortunately it's to London for you."

"I see." Petra folded her legs on the seat, uncaring for the common courtesy of keeping legs straight. Her dress did still cover everything, thus she did not care what the soldiers thought. In fact, a female lieutenant was surprising to say the least.

Petra closed her eyes, trying to seek her way around the woods. She found Levi quite quickly and began to focus. She attempted to conjure a small flame. Quickly, she sensed it. She could conjure flames from far away. She focussed further, trying to burn discernible words into some trees. After much trial and error, she wrote Levi a brief message on a tree in front of him. "I'm fine. I'm off to London and so far they won't kill me." She inscribed successfully.

She found herself and saw that she was three hours North of London and it had taken an hour for her to write on the tree. She was exhausted. "What are your powers?" Leonhardt asked.

"Same as yours, I sense."

"I know you're much more powerful than I am."

"Then my senses must have lied."

"Or you are lying."

"Well, what are your powers?"

"Incantations as you know, conjuring small images and sensing nearby objects."

"It's all the same, all I can do in addition is stronger incantations." That was a lie – all her abilities were stronger, it was merely that Petra knew that her power would, in this situation, get her killed.

"If you insist, you see we cannot prove anything."

"Unfortunate, that must put you in a most uncomfortable position."

"It does, you see, we are not sure we can trust you."

"I'm pretty sure you would shoot me before I am able to do much damage. I cannot believe these guards are not the best of the best."

"You understand quite well."

"Glad to know we are on even terms."

"Quite." There was a chill in the carriage as the two witches tensely pretended to be fearless and friendly to each other.

Soon enough, within the three hours, the carriage cantered into the city. The crowd would have slowed the hansom down, but the late evening timing reduced the congestion on the streets. The carriage did not lose much speed as it entered the Tower of London. It slowed to a stop as Petra moved her legs, anticipating their awaited use.

Wobbling after her first long carriage ride, Petra stepped out and was greeted by more guards.

Petra was led through a maze of corridors on the outer rim and quickly pointed to a cell. "Quite as comfortable as the tent, I see." Petra sarcastically mused.

"You will be given better lodging if you agree to comply and join the military."

"And if I don't?"

"We deprive you of your senses for as long as it takes. If my power is any measure, your immersion here would be complete."

Petra did her best to act petrified. She prayed that Leonhardt would be ignorant enough to fall for the trick. "I…" She even faked trembling. "I…" She hoped the stuttering would add to the effect. "I hope you are wrong…" If only she could fake tears. "But I… I must have courage. I can't side with that which shunned me…" She conjured a sob. "I will be brave."

Leonhardt smirked. "Try a day, see how it is."

"I… hope I can last…"

"I hope not." Leonhardt was, fortunately for Petra, under the impression that she had the upper hand.

"I guess I'll see you… tomorrow."

"Yes, you shall." Leonhardt stepped back and added: "The cell is charmed to kill you if you try to break you. You will be able to sense the runes I have left you if you see that option fit."

Petra let herself get dragged into the solitary chamber, hopeful for the ignorance to last. She meditated, trying to follow Levi's sleep schedule to allow communication. She caught him reading the message on the tree. She smirked, noting the smile on his face. She conjured the figures of letters, imagining the figures of "Hello, Levi." They appeared in from of him as purple cursive letters, contrasting the night sharply.

"Petra!" He called, despite himself.

"Yes?" Petra conjured.

"Damnation! This is amazing!"

"Tell the others."

"I shall."

"Go now. I'll be waiting."

"Why don't you tell them?"

"Fine."

"I'll come to you."

"And do what? I'm trapped and a witch has the keys."

"I'll find a way."

"Don't harm yourself in the process."

"I'll do what it takes." Levi began to flit and Petra tried to find the camp.

The camp was getting busy cleaning the remnants of a breakfast. Petra conjured a fire to grab the camp's attention. Then, in her neon cursive, she wrote: "Hello friends, it is me, Petra, I am 'writing' to tell you that I have been captured and am in London. Levi's coming to get me." She picked up a murmur in the group. "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you alright?" Hange asked, nearly wailing.

"Perfectly fine so far. Do not worry."

"We'll come and help!"

"Please do not. It may complicate matters and ruin any chance of my escape."

"But-"

"Forgive me, I am tired and cannot hold this for too long."

"Best of luck!"

"See you soon!"

Petra quickly slept and woke up the next evening, only made aware of the time by her superior senses. It was seven and she found that Levi had been awake for two hours.

She explained the charmed door and how there were two ways out: death or becoming part of the government. Neither of the choices were good: death was obviously bad and joining the government was also seen as bad, especially after all the legalities (a lack thereof) involved – being non-human in Levi's and Petra's sense were both punishable by death.

Thus they were left to plan. Levi quickly saw a way out: if Petra drank some of his blood and then died, she would be sired.

Yet, Petra did not want that and tried to see if there was a usable spell. She sifted through her mental collection and stained through Hange's library, asking the woman herself through some floating letters.

The night passed revealing no alternative and Petra slept during the day. Early in the evening, at around four, Petra woke to a loud knocking. "I know you're not dead!" Leonhardt was outside.

Petra knew that she would have to act insane to be convincing. "Dead?" She laughed as richly as she could, false mirth echoing down the corridors. "Dead might be nice."

"How's solitary?"

"Solitary? You say it as if I'm alone." More fake laughter.

"You are alone."

"You hurt Lewis' feelings! Apologize, please."

"Who is Lewis?"

"You can't see Lewis?"

"No, I can't."

"Come in, he's much easier to see that way."

"If he exists."

"He does!" Petra hoped her acting was playing off.

"Fine. Listen, I have important work to do, I'll come to talk to you about Lewis later, alright?"

"Please do, he'd be happy to meet you!" The door slammed and Petra threw off her insane smile and looked for Levi. Leonhardt was so convinced that she seemed ready to dispose of Petra. Petra was not going to be of any use to the government and figured she would die soon.

Levi was just waking up and Petra quickly questioned him about a plan. Levi improvised a simple idea: he would sneak in and give her a vial of his blood and then, casting the spell, Petra would die. In a day, she would rise as a vampire and be free once more.

There was an urgency as Petra was not sure that Leonhardt would not return. Leonhardt did seem to want to settle down for the night, but Petra was promised a chat about Lewis. Maybe that was a lie.

Levi cut himself and filled a small vial. Petra did not watch.

Levi flitted to the Tower of London and reached Petra's cell quickly. Petra helped, conjuring indications of her location and warnings about guards. Levi reached and found that the small grille on the top of the door could be opened. He slid the vial and Petra grabbed it.

She closed her eyes, placing the cap between her lips. She drank quickly, hoping not to taste anything or be put off the blood in any way. With her eyes still shut, Petra cast the incantation. The door swung open quickly and she smiled despite knowing what it mean. Quickly she fell, dead.

Levi saw the smile and ran in, catching the corpse as it fell. He looked at it sighing. He found the vial and rejoiced its emptiness, hopeful that the trick paid off.

Levi flitted with her body, reaching the encampment quickly. "Levi, did you let her die?" Hange asked, masking anger and sadness underneath an abnormal calm.

"She's sired – I'll explain in a minute." Levi walked to Furlan and Isabel's tent. "One of you get the other tent, please." He called out before returning to Hange, still holding the body.

"Well?"

"She had to die to cast the incantation to open the cell. We found that they would kill her the next day as well."

"And so she'll wake up as a vampire."

"I hope." Furlan returned with the tent and quickly put it up. Levi put Petra in before lounging outside, wondering what to do, in a secret panic for her sake.