Ash,Meghan and Keirran sit either side of Skylar's bed. The scene was so dull, more so because of the enigmatic person it was revering. The gash on my chest sizzled with hot pain but I did not move to ease it. It felt like it would somehow be a offence to Ash; that I deserved to be going through this small bit of pain since I had inflicted unimaginable suffering on him and his family. Skylar had obviously been more to them than just a member of the family; she held it together apparently. The three relatives looked completely unbound without her between them.

Meghan looks to be floating somewhere in a daze, her eyes wide and watery with the shock. She clings to Sky's hand like a lost child as though the girl could actually sense her. Of course she couldn't. The only hint of Skylar being alive was her pulse. Other than that, she was just a shell, her soul and spirit having retreated into the confines of her mind.

Keirran couldn't be more different. His face was incredibly pale, his blonde hair stuck up from the many times he had run his hand through it. His eyes were fixed on me, narrowed viciously. The prince was probably swearing vendettas against me now and, honestly, I didn't blame the princeling. I deserved it. Even if I chose to stand against the Iron Prince, I stood little chance. He was just as lethal as his father, if not more so.

And Ash . . . I can barely bring myself to look at the winter prince. Ash's eyes were completely hollow, devoid of any emotions, as though his soul had up and left him. He was so deadly still that he could be frozen in place. If Skylar never woke up, I'm sure Ash would be this way forever. That girl meant everything to Ash and I had let her get poisoned. This was on my hands. My princess was perhaps mortally wounded because of me. Ash was about to strike me down, there and then, in the courtyard. But he didn't. I don't know why. I would have let him without a fight. Forget crossing the line, for this I was several hundred miles over the line. My life hadn't been spared, merely prolonged. The winter prince would definitely kill me for this.

Meghan burst into tears suddenly, putting her head into her hands. Ash didn't move an inch for her and I knew for a fact I wasn't wanted. Ash's eyes find me in the corner, his eyes flaring up with anger, grief, hurt and betrayal. In a way, it was kind of relieving seeing even the slightest feeling in him. He stands up abruptly and leaves, instinctively I follow him out of the room. He carries on walking for several hallways until he leads me into an small, empty ballroom. So this is where I was going to die. Not the classiest place, admittedly.

Ash slams the door behind us and turns on me instantly. I close my eyes and spread my arms out.

"Make it quick then, ice-boy."

There's a long pause as I wait for the blade to go through my chest.

"I'm not going to kill you, Puck." he says tonelessly.

"What?" I say incredulously, opening my eyes.

Ash looked back at me, his eyes glittering darkly. I knew that look; I was not out of the woods. A part of me, the moral part, wanted Ash to punish me for my responsibility.

"Well if you're going to kill me eventually, I'd rather not stand around waiting."

"I want to know what the hell happened today." he says, stepping toward me. I open my mouth. "All of it, Puck."

I tell him. I tell him everything that happened since I first saw Skylar this morning. I owed him that much atleast, poor guy.

"I brought her back here and . . . well you know the rest." I finish. Ash sits on the edge of a stone bench, deep in thought.

"How did a wraith get into Summer's territories?" he mutters.

"That's what I want to know, ice-boy." I reply. "Aren't wraiths the Unseelie's buddies?"

"No. They have no allegiances, normally." he says defensively, some old loyalty glaring through. "It doesn't really matter to us anyway. Leave it to Mab and Oberon to argue over."

"So . . so why aren't going to slaughter me?" I ask nervously. He looks up and his expression makes me want to cringe. So tired, so beaten, so un-Ash.

"It wasn't your fault, really," he sighs. " . . so no, probably not."

"Well I must say having your blade off my throat is relieving but it won't matter. I'll be dead within a week or two, tops." I say pessimistically, thinking of Keirran. Ash frowns confusedly. "Your pampered little prince will be at my neck as soon as I step out of here and I'm sure you don't really want him jumping on the path to becoming a megalomaniac."

"Leave it, Puck.." he says sharply.

"Just a kid." I snort derisively. "As far as the prophecy goes, he hasn't been doing very well has he? Proving he's not the potential evil overlord."

"Take that back."

"No, I won't. It's true and you know it."

"Keirran is good." he insists naively.

"Oh really. Maybe you'd like to know that your precious son has been flaunting the rules in front of your face all these years. Even today. Did little prince tell you where he'd been today, huh? I'll tell you where he went, Perilyn Falls, exactly the place where he knows he isn't allowed to go. He asked Skylar to go too but she didn't!" I retort, my voice rising to a shout. "So don't you stand here and tell me that Keirran is your good little angel. He's well on the way to becoming exactly what the prophecy predicted he would be and you're just too blind to see it. The whole of fey will pay for your stupid mistake! Including your daughter who you supposedly love so much."

"I'll let you in on a secret, prince.You took away the first girl I loved and I thought I would never get over that. I loved Meghan. I didn't get it, I didn't get why she loved you so much. All you did before was break her heart and she still went running back to you. I didn't think that I would ever find someone even remotely close to her. Until Skylar. She's incredible, Ash. She's strong, loyal, kind, funny. I'm not her knight, you are, but I would do anything in my power to keep her safe. I would also do anything to stop that prophecy becoming the reality."

I don't wait for Ash to reply. I turn on my heel and leave, slamming the door behind me.