Felicity appeared to sleep soundly. Her dark lashes never stirred from their rest on her pale cheeks. However, sleep was rarely sound for her anymore. She stirred slightly, and began to dream.
She was spinning around and around and staring into the blue, blue sky... She and Pippa slowed to a stop and fell back into the grass giggling like little girls, holding back nothing. They laid silently, not because there was nothing to say, but because they knew there would be many years together in which to say it. Felicity closed her eyes and let sleep take her as Pippa did the same. After dreams she would not remember, Felicity opened her eyes. The Huntress stood over her. "Did you bring the sacrifice?" Something different in her manner caused Felicity to fear her. " Is that your sacrifice?" the Huntress asked, gazing at Pippa longingly. " Well chosen." She reached out to touch Pippa with a long shadowy finger. As the finger stroked Pippa's cheek Felicity screamed "No!" "Too late!" cackled the creature that was once the Huntress, but was now growing larger, more shadowlike. "She has already been taken! Run while you can little one. Circe will have you too. Just wait…We will find you.
Felicity woke with a start, wild eyed. "Pippa!" she cried. Then she looked to the bed across the room and remembered. Pippa did not share that room anymore. Silent tears poured down her face until the morning came with a light bright enough to break even this darkness.
It was bright and shining on the morning of Pippa's funeral. Felicity looked at Pippa's sad, beautiful. It had gazed at her from across classrooms and ballrooms. This time, it stared out at her from a coffin.
She shed no tears now. Her tears had been for herself as much as for Pippa. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "It's my fault. How could I let this happen? I shouldn't have listened to the huntress." Felicity whispered to the hand. The hand's owner, Gemma replied, "It's not your fault. She chose to go. She was finally happy. Don't blame yourself," Gemma firmly said, grasping Felicity's shoulder harder. "I don't worry about her anymore," Felicity whispered back, turning to face Gemma. "But what about me? What if I'm damaged? Such horrible dreams..."
Gemma finally smiled a little, the first time in days, but it was a sad smile. "We're all damaged somehow." They linked arms and walked over the hill and out of sight.
But in the shadows lurked something, and it whispered, though none could hear it. "Circe is coming, little one, just you wait." It lurked off into the darkness, nothing more than a shadow.