"Do you have any idea where she might have gone, Hale?"

We were still in the library – 'we' being me, Adision's mother, and the man I assumed was Baltor. Bloom was sitting in the chair across from me, looking a little lost. Because of that, Baltor was doing most of the talking. Of course, 'talking' was more like questioning me. However, he didn't make it sound like it was my fault, something that immediately made me like him more than Sky. "I don't know," I said, blinking rapidly. (My contacts were killing me.) "For all I know, it was poison."

"No," Baltor said, pacing the length of the room. "The light around her meant she was being transported. But that strong… it had to have been a long distance."

"How far are you thinking?" Bloom asked, still looking off into space. I'd never seen her like this before.

"Who knows? She could be as far as Omega, for all we know."

"Can you guys track the spell?" I asked.

"We'd need a remainder of some kind," Baltor said, shaking his head a little. "Whatever the liquid was, what it was contained in…"

Bloom seemed to snap out of it a little. "Where did she even get it?"

There was a little tingle at the back of mind, willing me to remember. "I remember she had it somewhere," I found myself saying out loud. "I know… it was recently…"

"How recent?" Bloom asked.

"Hang on…" I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to focus. "It's there somewhere, I know it."

While I was thinking, I saw Bloom's gaze drift off again. I watched as Baltor came up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "We'll find her," I heard him whisper, so not to distract me.

She gave a faint nod, leaning back against him. "Of all the nights… when you finally came back…"

It hit me then, right in the face; I'd seen that vial on her neck this morning, when I'd found her at that hotel with Bridgette's friend. If I hadn't been so furious, maybe I would've noticed it sooner. And if Bridgette had given it to her, there could've been a number of different (and terrifying) scenarios for where she was. "Damn whore," I cursed.

Bloom's head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

"Bridgette!" I exclaimed, smacking my palm against my forehead. "How could I have been so stupid, letting her go there?"

"What are you talking about?" Bloom said at the same time Baltor asked, "Who's Bridgette?"

"She's a psychic we found on Earth a few days ago."

Bloom nodded. "Sky mentioned you two went there. He seemed upset, though I just disregarded it as him PMSing."

I smirked a little. "But she told Adision that she had a friend who could bring Baltor back. When I got up this morning I found out she'd already gone to see her. If anyone knows where she is, it's Bridgette."

"An Earth psychic," Baltor muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "What was she thinking?"

"She was thinking that she missed you. Both of you," I said, gesturing to Bloom. "Adision always said she wanted you to have a better life. She remembered everything about the night Sky lost it; she watched it all from this same balcony. She just wanted you to be happy. And to have her father back."

I watched a slightly guilty look pass over both of their faces. Something in the back of my mind told me I should feel a little bad about the way I'd phrased it, but I didn't care very much at the moment.

Baltor was the one to break the silence. "Where can we find this woman?"

"The last I knew, she was in Las Vegas, down at Caesar's Palace for some sort of psychics' convention."

Bloom stood up abruptly. "How did you get here, Hale?"

"The magic transport system. The guards let me in."

"Surprising," she muttered before turning to look at me again. "Okay, there's a portal upstairs I'm going to open. More than likely there are alarms on it, so you and Baltor keep the guards busy. You have a Phantom Blade?"

I patted my side pocket. "Never leave home without it."

She gave a small but genuine smile for the first time that night. "Good. Do me a favor and jam the doors for me."

I knew Adision enough to understand Bloom, and 'go jam the doors' meant 'leave me alone for a few minutes to talk'. So with a brisk nod, I turned and headed up toward the balcony; one of the side doors was there, and the guards would most likely try get though it first. But even then, I could hear their voices.

"You know how to work that now?" Baltor was asking, sounding surprised.

"Well after eleven years of house arrest, you tend to get a little bored."

There was a few seconds' pause. "He really kept to his word on that."

"He kept to his word on everything. The locking me up, keeping a close eye on Adision…"

"The heir?" Baltor asked, his voice sour.

I glanced over my shoulder. Baltor was on the arm of the chair, Bloom's head in his lap as he combed his fingers though her hair. "Yeah," she said quietly. "That too."

I watched his hand freeze. "I see…"

I turned back and focused on jamming the lock of the door. It was eerily quiet, and for the first time, I felt the true annoyance Adision had towards Jonathan. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to take the little brat and throw him off the side of Red Fountain.

Finally, Bloom's voice reached my ears. "I'm sorry."

There was a sigh. "No, don't say that. You didn't have a choice…"

"I never thought I'd see you again."

"Trust me darling, I didn't either." He wound a piece of Bloom's hair around his finger. "Besides this, how is she?"

Bloom let out a slightly strained laugh. "She was good, as far as I knew. She has good grades, spends as much time as she can away from here… She loves drawing. She's fantastic at it. From what she's shown me, she could really make a living off of it."

He nodded, looking a little lost in his own thoughts. "And her friend…"

"Hale. He's a great kid. They started talking a few weeks after… everything. He keeps her grounded – or at least, he tries to. But I think she drags him up sometimes too. They're good for each other."

"Well, despite his eavesdropping problem, he seems like a very nice kid."

I bit my lip as I realized Baltor was staring right at me, a smirk on his face. I quickly turned to jam a chair under the doorknob, even though I knew I'd already been caught. When I got it secure, I turned back, finding both of them looking at me. Bloom was smirking a little herself. "Alright, so that door's done. I suppose the next one we need to block is the main door?"

"That should be easy enough," Baltor said, leaning Bloom off him and standing up. "I'm sure Hale and I can push some of the bookcases in front of the doors, don't you think?"

I nodded, still feeling like a little kid caught stealing a cookie before dinner. "Sounds good."

"Alright then. Go ahead and start getting that portal ready. Hale," he said, turning to me, "let's chat."

Bloom gave me a small smile, and I gulped. I wanted to get Adision back; hopefully I'd still be in one piece when that time came.

I was aware of very little around me. People came by, giving me hugs and words of encouragement, talking about a wedding and calling me 'Bloom'. I wanted to speak – the words were right there in the back of my mind, just within reach – but my mouth kept saying different things. Part of my brain was suppressing the other, and the winning side kept disagreeing with what I thought was right. I felt trapped.

It's Bridgette, something said in the suppressed side of my head. She's spelled you so you can't worm your way out of this. Remember who you are, Adision!

It was a good thought, and I tried to fight off whatever was happening to me, but it was tiring. And the more energy I spent trying to fight, the foggier that thought was. It was… no. What had I been thinking?

People whirled in and out of my vision, which seemed disorienting in itself, even though I knew perfectly well I was talking coherently to whoever was around me.

"…is the big day," I heard a voice say, as a blonde woman temporarily became clear to me. She reminded me of someone. My mind focused on the word Selena for a moment, but this woman wasn't Selena, despite looking a bit like her. And her voice was an octave or two higher.

"I know. Talk about being nervous," I heard myself say.

Another voice spoke; this one softer, and a bit gentler. "I wonder if Sky's freaking out as much as you are."

Sky. There was something about that name that I didn't like. But again, it was trapped; just something in the back of my mind that didn't really have a meaning. The other part of my head overtook me, and I started laughing. "I know. I hope he'll still have hair by this time tomorrow."

"Well, that or you'll rip it off tomorrow night."

"Stella!" the soft voice said, though there was a laugh in it. I thought I might be laughing too. I knew I was blushing, but I couldn't remember why.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," the supposed Stella said. My vision came back for a moment, and I saw her holding up her hands in defense. "It's just a joke for the bride-to-be, right Bloom?"

I felt my head nod involuntarily.

Things passed on. People came and went, and I stayed inside, trapped. It was as if time dragged on, but it also sped up. Memories came back to me with brutal force, only to slip away after a few minutes, leaving me lost again. It was the weirdest phenomena, but at the same time it suffocated me.

"Excuse me?"

My eyes focused, and I saw there was a girl in front of me. She was dressed differently than the other people I'd seen – black skinny jeans and a pink and silver shirt. Her hair was blondish, and her eyes were green. Those were what caught me the most. They had a kind of defiance in them, but they were understanding. "Yes?"

She stared at me intently for a moment, and her eyes widened. "Oh no…"

I felt my eyebrow rise, for once something I wanted to do. "What?"

She was shaking her head. "Goddamn it, Adision. What have you done?"

The fog in my head dispersed a bit, like when a really important memory came back to me. I stared at the girl for a few seconds, her appearance slowly becoming familiar. "…Huh? I'm–"

"No," she automatically cut me off. "You're not Bloom. You're Adision, you've got to be."

I didn't know how, but I crossed my arms. "According to what?"

"Besides the attitude?" she questioned, her lips turning to a smirk. "You voice is a little different. And your eyes… there's something wrong with your eyes."

A small chill raced down my back. The fog was gone. "I… I know you."

She nodded. "We talked a few days ago, but I don't think I got to introduce myself." With a smirk, she held out her hand. "I'm Isabel."

My eyes widened. I remembered sitting on my mother's lap, facing a mirror and seeing the reflection of a man in it. Talking about a daughter. "Oh my God," I said, putting a hand to my mouth. "Baltor's daughter. You're Baltor's daughter."

The smirk on her face faded a bit, almost looking painful. "…Yeah. Guess I am." She sucked in air between her teeth. "Blimey, no one's called me that in a while. Feels strange."

"I thought you were little when you died?"

She nodded. "Seven years old in 1997. My mother–" she stopped, her eyes staring at nothing, and her pupils shrinking as though she was living in a memory. She looked about as confused as I'd previously been. "My mother. She… well I guess she… wouldn't really care about me. "

This was the point where I should've jumped in with some amazing words of wisdom about life and family (after all, my birth father pretty much hated my very existence for eleven years). But looking at her face, I could see the distinct pain in her eyes. Unlike me, it seemed obvious Isabel had wanted both her parents, not just Baltor. And I had no reaction for that.

So I did the next best thing; sarcasm. "Didn't know ghosts could age," I remarked wryly, purposely light and trying to be humorous.

Her eyes focused a little, and Isabel smiled. "Well, slowly. I've technically been dead for over twenty-five years and gone from seven to fifteen – not very impressive."

"Speak for yourself. How did you get back?"

"You," she said, before it seemed her head fully came back to reality. She looked at me and shock set in her face. "Holy crap, you. We still have to figure out how to get you in control of this body." She turned and walked over to the large vanity in the room, grabbing a perfume bottle and an empty glass. Opening the bottle, she sniffed it, and poured some of it into the glass.

I watched from the chair I was in (I hadn't even known if I'd been sitting or standing before). "Um… mind if I ask a question or two?"

"Shoot," she said, opening another perfume bottle. Again she took a whiff of it, but this time she shuddered and put it down.

"Well… you didn't tell me how you got back, or why I can suddenly control myself… er, my mother." I said, glancing in the mirror. Isabel was right about my eyes; they looked like Bloom's, but there were flecks of green that I'd always had (apparently from my biological grandfather, Oritel). I wiggled my fingers at my reflection, still making sure I was in control.

Isabel opened a drawer and pulled out a vile of smelling salts labeled Vanilla. She didn't hesitate to pour some of it into the glass. I had a feeling she was concocting some sort of potion, but she still answered me. "Okay, so remember how the creepy lady said she could use Dad's ring to bring him back?"

I nodded. "She said she could extract the DNA or something."

"Right. Well, where else can you find that man's genes?"

"I don't know, clothing?"

"Offspring," Isabel corrected, grabbing a violet from the vase on the vanity. "Ergo; me. When little Miss I-know-everything-magic activated that spell, she forgot to set it to one person only. Therefore, the magic also sought out my soul and rebuilt my physical form. I landed across the library and rode your magic trail here."

Well, that made more sense than anything else I could think of. "So… since you have traces of that woman's magic because she brought you back from the dead, you're canceling out the spell that's making me an obedient slave girl?"

Isabel paused as she reached for a fruit display on a large table near the vanity. "Um, I've got no idea on that one. But sure, let's go with it. Sounds good."

I giggled a bit. "So what exactly are you concocting over there?"

"Well," she said, reaching for a cherimoya fruit, "I'm assuming I can't stay here until the wedding tomorrow morning without drawing some attention from your father's security detail, which means you'll fall into that funk again. But I'm hoping with this potion can sort can keep it at bay until I can get back in here tomorrow."

"So… like a magic blocker."

"More or less. I'll mix half a dose now, and the other half tomorrow should completely erase its effects."

I nodded. "And after that…"

"Then we take this wedding and crush it into little tiny pieces. You break it off with Sky, he goes crying to Delora–"

"Diaspro."

Isabel shrugged. "Whatever. He goes to her, we go back to the right time, crush him again, and let him have Diaspro."

"And… you won't mind if Baltor and my mom…"

Her hands froze. "Well, I've never met your mother – formally. But… hopefully I'll grow to like her. I haven't really had a mother."

There was the little silence again. "Did…" I paused for a second, debating whether I should continue. "Dad and your mother… were they… happy?"

Isabel met my eyes in the mirror. For a second I wondered if I'd made the wrong choice asking. But to my surprise, a second later she grinned. "No way in hell, girl. When Dad met her…" She made a slightly obscene gesture with her hands. "Let's just say his head wasn't the one thinking."

We both burst out laughing. "So let me get this straight. The dumb guy goes for the dumb girl, the smart boy goes for the pretty girl… what do the smart girls end up with?"

Isabel's grin widened. "Cats, mostly."

"Stop in the name of the King of Eraklyon!"

"No thanks," I grinned, going at the guard with my Phantom blade. The sound of the blades crashing against each other gave me an adrenaline rush. This wasn't combat class at Red Fountain. If I lost, I didn't just get teased for a few minutes; I lost my life, and I lost Adision. Thank God the guard couldn't see how scared I was under my cocky outer shell. "I hate blondes, anyway. Everyone knows brunettes are where it's at."

The guy didn't look amused. He swung his blade at me, and I had just enough time to duck. In the reflection of the blade I saw another guy coming at me from behind, but before he could make contact a fireball hit him from the side, knocking him into a bookcase.

The first guard turned to the shadows, where the fireball had come from. "Come out now, Your Highness, and we won't hurt the boy," he called, a smirk on his face.

A few random beams of fire shot out from various points of the darkened library. The guard looked around wildly before I saw Baltor materialize behind him. "You know, normally I would knock someone out for assuming I'm a girl, but life's short; I shouldn't be a prick about those kinds of things."

The man spun around, his face paling at the sight of Baltor in front of him. I watched Adision's father raise an eyebrow and smirk himself. "Boo."

I flipped the sword around so I was gripping the blade, and swung at the man from behind. It made contact perfectly on the side of the head, and he went out like a light. The other guard started stirring, and I pressed the button to put the blade away, then threw the sword sheath. It hit the side of the bookcase just right, and the whole thing toppled over, crushing the man beneath the official Eraklyon laws. "Sleep tight, gentlemen."

"You're incredibly experienced with this kind of stuff," Baltor remarked, using his magic to lift some of the bookcases and press them against the main doors to the library. I had no idea how the guards had managed to get in so fast, but it was glaringly obvious now that we needed to take extra precautions.

"Thanks," I said, regaining my breath as I went to retrieve my sword. "I've always been kind of good with stuff like that. I assume my biological parents were good with that kind of thing."

"Quite possibly. Or it could just be you."

I laughed a little. "Adision always says that. I thought it was… nice of her." I noticed Baltor had fallen silent, intent on getting as many bookshelves as he could to barricade the doors. "You know," I said, not having the courage to look the man in the eye, "Adision really is great. She's creative and hard-working, and she always tries to help, but at the same time she's a little stubborn and hot-headed, but sometimes when she explodes you can't help but laugh at her and I…" I trailed off as I saw a smirk slowly spread across Baltor's face. "Is something wrong?"

That comment made the smirk widen, and he turned to look at me. "It feels a little bit like being given a sweet drug and then getting beat upside the head with a tennis racquet, doesn't it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Beg your pardon?"

Baltor chuckled. "Falling in love, I mean."

A blush crept into my cheeks. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Sure you don't. You just always act so protective of girls when you think they're making a deal with the devil."

"She's my best friend, okay? It's not like that."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "She doesn't have a clue, does she?"

I looked at him for a minute, then gave a long sigh. "Not even a little one. I yelled at her this morning that I was in love with her – though I did it in Danish. I didn't have the courage to say it in a language she knew."

I cringed as he laughed. "The language barrier. How appropriate."

At that moment, Bloom appeared on the balcony. "You guys alright?"

"Fine," Baltor called back. "But I'm sure reinforcements aren't far behind. Did you get the portal working?"

"Set and ready."

"Good. Let's go before those guards get back." He headed towards the stairs, and I followed close behind, hearing shuffling behind the doors.

I glanced around the room for any more guards who may have worked their way in the library. "So I don't get a lecture on how if I break her heart, you'll kill me?"

Baltor laughed again. "Considering we're discussing Bloom's daughter here, I have no doubt she can put an end to you herself if you step out of line. However," he said, turning to look at me, his voice deadly serious. "On the off chance she doesn't, I will hunt you down and put you through a torture worse than death." Chills raced down my spine, as he gave me a cat-like grin. "But we won't have that problem, will we?"

I gulped. "N-no, sir."

"For God's sake, Baltor, stop harassing the boy," Bloom cut in. She'd been watching us from the doorway near the portal, obviously amused.

"I'm not harassing him," he said, putting his hands up in an innocent gesture. "I'm simply giving fair warning."

I mouthed 'thank you' from behind Baltor, and Bloom laughed. "Still, maybe you should try to be a bit less… frightening."

There was a loud crack of wood from downstairs, and the sound of guards swiftly entering the library. A moment later, I heard the crack of guns. "Leave the Queen, shoot to kill the rest!" a voice rang out.

Baltor grabbed Bloom's shoulder with one hand and mine with the other. "Let's discuss my 'frightening' demeanor later, dear. For now, running seems like a good idea."

"Fabulous," she agreed, and the three of us turned and ducked into the narrow hallway, the bookcase swinging shut behind us. I could hear footsteps on the stairs as we quickly moved down the corridor. Old-fashioned torches burned on the walls, and the area eventually opened up to a large room with a huge metal contraption resting at the other end. It was generating the blue portal near it, looking like it came out of a sci-fi thriller. "Can they track where we go?" I asked.

"Most likely," Bloom replied, "but they can't follow us without totally blowing their cover, which they won't do."

"Somehow, that doesn't comfort me."

There was a deafening crack. "Don't focus on the comfort," Baltor said, turning to face the guards. "Just go. We won't be far behind."

I wanted to debate, say that that didn't sound like a good idea. However, when facing guards who have direct orders to kill you, it's usually best to listen to the man who's been living for the better part of forty years. I turned and jumped through the portal.

And promptly hit someone.

I crashed into a table, hearing a rumble and a distinct crash. I flinched until I saw that I'd only knocked over a cheap-looking vase. Looking around, I saw I was in a hotel hallway, with a view of the Las Vegas Strip out the window to my left.

"What the hell!" a voice snapped. Oh yeah; I'd hit someone. I turned towards the voice, ready to give an array of apologies as to how I'd randomly come out of nowhere (well, a giant blue portal). But when I saw her face, I stopped.

Her eyes were old, and there were obvious signs of aging on her. She was dressed terribly – a short red dress and black-and-white-striped tights, with way too much lipstick. When her eyes met mine, an almost incomprehensible fury engulfed me.

"Hale," Bridgette said, sounding rather bored. She stood slowly, looking me over with eyes that were too cautious. "I would say I'm surprised, but I'm really not." I couldn't speak, so she kept talking. "I would love to sit around and hear about how I'm nothing more than a mockery, but I really must be–"

"What did you do?" The words came out calmly, in no way matching what I was feeling inside.

She raised an eyebrow, but it was too rehearsed to be real. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think?" I shouted, watching her calm demeanor melt. "Adision, the girl you met a few days ago, the girl I've known for almost ten years and the person I would give everything up for! What the hell did you and your fucked up clan do to her?"

It was amazing how she tried to stay calm and make it seem like I was crazy. "I assure you, I haven't–"

I reached into my pocket, pulling out five small, lightweight ninja stars. Before she could blink, I tossed them one by one: two pinning her shoulders to the wall, two at her waist, and one landing between her knees. I snapped my fingers and they started morphing, creating a cage that sealed her to the wall. "I assure you," I spat, "you have."

There was a rush of wind behind me, and Bloom and Baltor stepped through the portal. Bloom was breathing hard, but she was standing tall. I noticed Baltor had a cut on his cheek, almost mimicking the one Sky had. "You're just in time," I said emotionlessly, turning to look at Bridgette. "Look who I found already."

A silence fell over the halls. "You're sure?" Bloom asked, though she already looked convinced.

"Positive; that's her. " I nodded at Bridgette, who was still locked against the wall. Bloom, who looked pretty damn pissed, raised her arm and moved her hand with a small gesture. Suddenly, fire chains were keeping Bridgette secured to the wall, my weapons falling to the floor.

She glared daggers at me, the lines in her face looking more prominent. "What did you do, boy?"

"He didn't do anything," Baltor said, stepping forward. I saw Bridgette's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before her face set in stone again. "Now, I am going to ask this one time, and I expect a straight answer." He stepped closer, his face a few feet away from Bridgette's. "Where the hell is my daughter?"

Her facial expression didn't change. "I don't know."

"We aren't very patient people," Bloom spoke from next to me. "And I'm not sympathetic anymore."

"I was told. Look, why are you bothering?" She was able to move her fingers a little to gesture to Baltor. "You have him back. It's what Adision wanted and she's paid the price for it. Why are you wasting your time trying to undo it?"

"Because that's my daughter. She risked her life for me, even when she didn't have any reason to. So how can we fix things to get her back?"

"You can't," Bridgette replied. She had enough guts to turn her lips into a smirk. "That type of a spell can only be preformed once by any person, and even then it takes a significant amount of power."

"So bind with us," Bloom said after a few seconds pause. "If Baltor and I combine the Dragon Fire with whatever you have, it would be enough. And more than likely, we could make it back with Adision."

"Hmph," she said, the smirk widening. "How do you know you'd even find her? You have no idea where she was sent back to, and you'll never find out."

From the corner of my eye, very slowly, I saw Baltor's face grow cold. In a movement that seemed to take place within a fraction of a second, he reached into his coat. A moment later, a handgun was drawn out, loaded with a magazine, and pointed right at Bridgette's forehead. I heard Bloom gasp, but she made no move to stop him.

Baltor leaned in close to Bridgette, whose face was considerably paler than it'd been before. When he spoke, his voice was a soft, murderous croon. "I will tell you right now, I am not a very patient man. Ask her." He nodded his head towards Bloom. "And you know what else? I swore to myself, the night Bloom was taken away from me, that I would never act like this. Because I know what it's like when you're looking at it. It's frightening.

"However," he continued, pulling the safety of the gun. The sharp click made her flinch. "I will shoot you, if I have to. Even though we all know you're not worth a bullet. So I'm giving you a choice. You can tell us what you know about Adision, help us get there, and I will never bother you as long as you live. Or, I can shoot you, and then we can go to your other little friend."

It was a few seconds, but it seemed like years of silence. Finally, I watched Bridgette take a deep breath. "She told Adision she could go back and change time, make everyone happy again. But, the thing is… you can't. Not really. What she was offering was the chance to create an alternate reality, outside this timeline. And no matter what she does, it won't affect us here. She can't change that; no one can."

"So why send her away?" I spoke for the first time since I'd identified Bridgette.

"How should I know? That's not my kind of magic to deal with."

"So you just don't ask?" Bloom said, not sounding particularly concerned for Bridgette's life.

"Same thing."

"But where is she?"

She didn't look at us. "May eighteenth, 2010."

Baltor and I exchanged a look. Nothing about the date sounded particularly interesting. My birth date was more than a year after that, and so was Adision's. I was about to speak, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bloom's calm mask disintegrate to a mixture of shock and horror. "No," she whispered.

Slowly, Baltor lowered the gun and turned to look at her. "What, Bloom?"

She was shaking her head. "That… I mean… May eighteenth was my wedding. When I married Sky."

Realization struck all of us, even Bridgette, who obviously hadn't realized what it meant. In the distance, I heard the gun clatter to the floor. "She couldn't," I whispered, my mind going into immediate denial. "She never would, I mean… for God's sake, her own father?"

"You know Adision," Bloom said. "She hasn't called Sky her father since she was four years old."

"Good girl," I heard Baltor mutter behind me. "But still, taking your place at your wedding? She'd never–"

"Oh yes she would," I cut off. "She's been interested in paranormal research since she was ten. That girl has gone to the edges of the known universe to try and get you back. Trust me when I'd say she'd go that far." As I said this, I saw a pang of guilt radiate across his face, making me a little guilty at the way I'd phrased it. I really had to start thinking before I blurted stuff out.

Still on the wall, Bridgette was shaking her head. "I had no idea…"

"What, because you don't ask?" Bloom snapped, before taking a steadying breath. "You need to get us there. Now." Bridgette nodded, and the redhead snapped her fingers. The fire chains disintegrated, and the other woman dropped to the ground.

"The roof will be a perfect place to open the portal," she said, straightening her dress a little. "If you'll just follow me."

We all exchanged a glance, and simultaneously nodded. Bloom and I started walking, but after a moment I saw Baltor grab Bridgette by her arm and pull her back a little. He whispered something in her ear, and after a moment she whispered back, her voice too soft to hear. She pointed to a door down the hall and he nodded. He walked forward and took Bloom, kissing her cheek softly. "I'll meet you in a second," he said, louder, before turning and going the opposite direction, grabbing the fallen gun in the process.

Bloom looked curiously at him, and then at Bridgette. "What did he ask?"

Her face was grim as she nodded toward the door. "He was curious about that friend of mine. I told him she was staying in the other room."

We exchanged a glance. In the background, I heard the sound of wood creaking open. "What was her…" Bloom started to ask.

She was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot ringing out through the hallway. Her mouth stayed open for a second, and then closed slowly.

Bridgette only glanced back. "We should hurry."

"So, this is going to work?"

"It should," Isabel replied, staring intently at the now-full glass. The contents had settled to a light purple-looking liquid that smelled sweet. However, considering it was filled with perfume, flowers, smelling salts, ground up fruit (along with the toxic fruit seeds), and the remains of a Cherry Coca-Cola, I was hesitant to even take a sip. She noticed my look and rolled her eyes. "It's only half the glass. It won't kill you."

"True, but it could make me sick."

"Hey–"

"You put a flower in there!"

"Psh." She waved it off. "Flowers are extremely good for you."

"My skin, maybe. But I am not drinking it."

Isabel glared at me. "Would you rather get married to your father in the morning?" I looked at her for a moment, pretending to think it over in my head. Isabel looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Adision."

"Alright, fine! But I'm trusting you that this won't taste like shit."

She smiled, and passed it over. It still smelled sweet, like vanilla and cherries. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the glass to my lips and took a long swallow. It didn't taste bad; I could make out the cherry Coke the most, and the cherimoya fruit. There was also an oddly grainy, overly sweet part (the smelling salts) and a sour juice,most likely from the plant. I took another gulp so the glass was half full, and set it down.

And promptly gagged as the perfume aftertaste hit me. "God…" I sputtered and Isabel burst out laughing. I reached behind my chair and grabbed a pillow, tossing it at her. She caught it midair, and let the force knock her back onto the couch opposite of me, continuing to laugh as I sputtered. "Janey Mack," I couldn't help but murmur.

"Who's Janey Mack?" Isabel asked, taking the glass from me. She poured the other half of the drink into the vial and set them both on the end table.

My laughing abruptly stopped. "She's… or he's… I don't know. My friend Hale says it all the time. He's never told me."

"Oh yeah, Hale. The dorky one with the glasses?"

"He's not a dork!" I protested. Isabel gave me a look, but I didn't waver. "He's not a dork. He doesn't spend all his free time at Pokemon conventions and playing World of Warcraft."

"Really?" she questioned, playing with a lock of her hair. "Pray tell, how does your little friend spend his free time?"

"He spends it with… me."

Isabel's gaze flickered, a small smirk on her face. "Ooh-la-la. Are you two an item?"

My cheeks reddened. "No! Of course not! We're just friends, nothing else."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"I'm serious, Isabel!"

She laughed. "All right, but answer me this – is there no relationship because it's strictly platonic, or have you just been too scared to add something else to the equation?"

I glared at her. "Of course not… Well, maybe a little… or even…" I sighed. "I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it before."

She smiled at me. "Uh-huh."

"I'll talk to him about it… if we ever get out of this."

"Of course we will," Isabel insisted, tilting her head up to the ceiling, her expression thoughtful. I watched a small smile spread across her face. "We, you said? Huh. I quite like that."

I smirked a little. "Isn't that what family's for?"

The smile widened. "I always wanted a sister, you know."

"Me too. I mean, I hate Jonathan with all my guts, so in a way I never really had a sibling. So far it's… fun."

Isabel snorted. "Wow, if this is fun, I'm almost scared to see what you do when you're bored. Rob banks?"

I laughed. "Very funny. I just mean…"

"Yeah," she said quietly, her eyes still on the ceiling. "I know."

We fell into silence. Through the window, I saw the sun slowly setting on the horizon. Everything was shaded beautifully, the sky a mix of purples and oranges. "I once heard that the reason there are so many colors in a sunset is because of all the toxins in the air. When it mixes with the sunlight at the right angles, it forms those colors."

Isabel brought her head down to look though the window. "Really? Makes you wonder, I guess. I mean, were they always that bright? One or two hundred years ago, did anyone see this?"

"I know. And are they all the same, or is each one different, like a fingerprint?"

"All important questions. Where's Bill Nye when you need him?"

I chuckled. "He probably doesn't have a wedding to break up."

Isabel nodded. "Just think; come tomorrow, we're going to give that pretty boy a run for his money. Boy is Sky going to be upset when you're not walking down that aisle."

"I know. His perfect little life is about to be shattered."

My sister laughed. "Oh, is it ever. That man better enjoy his bachelor party while it lasts."

"Actually," a voice spoke from behind me, "that was last night."

Isabel and I looked at each other. Her face was frozen in fear, and I could only guess how bad mine was. Like a scene from a cheap horror movie, we both turned slowly to look at the opening to the room. There were two menacing guards, each with plasma guns in their hands (fully loaded too, I would assume). And standing between them was none other than Prince Sky of Eraklyon.

Wind

That was the first thing I registered as I regained conscience. I could feel wind blowing through my hair, crisp and cool. There was sunlight beating down on my back, and I was lying on something warm and soft that was shifting easily under my weight.

…Sand?

A seagull squawked. I suddenly heard a loud crash, and before I could think I felt water dump all over me, drowning out the sun and making me gasp for air. I broke free of the surface, now fully awake. Thankfully I could stand, and I managed to get out of water before the next wave came in.

I was on a beach. I didn't know where, but it was a beach. The sun was low in the horizon, perfectly nestled between two islands in the distance. There were lounge chairs scattered around, and in the distance I could hear the beat of drums and people chattering.

It all came back to me: Bridgette setting up a portal with Bloom and Baltor, leaving both of them drained of power. The three of us jumping though, and Bridgette saying she'd jump after me. "A beach," I found myself saying aloud. "There aren't beaches on Eraklyon."

"Tell me about it."

I glanced over my shoulder. It was Baltor, sitting on one of the chairs. He looked like he'd gotten hit by a wave too – his hair was hanging in wet sections around his face, and he was squeezing water out of his jacket. Bloom was sitting near him, still dazed from the crazy limbo we'd experienced traveling here. She looked relatively dry.

"Why," Baltor continued, sounding very, very angry, "do I get the feeling this isn't right?"

"Probably because it's not." I glanced around the beach, looking for any signs of life. "I think there's a building through those trees.

Baltor turned to look at Bloom. "Can you walk?"

She nodded, shrugging off the black bomber jacket she was been wearing (it looked like it'd gotten the worst of the waves). She left it hanging on one of the chairs as we made our way down the beach to the building.

Baltor glanced around suspiciously. "In all my years in the magical dimension, I don't think I've seen this place."

I glanced around the beach, the sounds I'd previously heard growing closer. "It could be a remote location on Tides. Or maybe the Resort Realm?"

Bloom, who'd been relatively silent since we arrived, was looking around the area with suspicion. "No… it isn't one of those."

"Then where are we?" Baltor asked, his jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Um, guys?" I said, pointing over to the clearing in the trees. "I don't think that's part of the Resort Realm."

I was looking at what appeared to be a large rope swing. All around there were pools and rocks and lounge chairs. I could see a water slide hidden between two rock faces. The music was much more pronounced, and I saw a speaker hidden behind a palm tree. "What the hell?"

I saw Bloom groan. "Oh no."

"You know where we are?"

Bloom nodded. "This is the Grand Wailea."

Baltor gave her a look. "And that is…?"

"A resort. On the coast of Maui, near Hana."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, remembering all my geography lessons. "Maui, Hawaii? As in Earth?"

"Unfortunately."

Next to her, Baltor let out a low growl. "If I ever get my hands on that woman, I'll bounce her around the planets like a pinball."

"If we can." Bloom pointed to one of the resort signs, which displayed the date and some of the activities going on. The sign read May 17, 2010 in faded white letters. "Looks like Bridgette still kept her word on sending us back."

"Right," I sighed, flopping down on a lounge chair. "We're here, but we're three whole realms away with no power to get us anywhere else. We're screwed."

Baltor gave me a look. "You're giving up now?"

"Well, do you have a plan?"

His gaze stayed on me for a second more, and then Baltor sighed too, leaning back against a palm tree. "We're still a day early. If we get enough rest, we should have enough power to get to Eraklyon."

"But no power to fight off guards."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Bloom said. "I know all the weak spots in the security detail. Unless, of course, one of you trained with the Flying Bikers without me knowing." Upon seeing our looks, she shook her head. "Never mind."

"Okay, but what are we supposed to do for the night? A place like this looks like it'd be booked pretty fast."

Bloom shook her head. "There are over seven hundred rooms. There must be something."

We stopped talking as a couple walked by us, laughing about someone named Nancy. They both had drinks in hand, and looked a bit tipsy. "I suppose," Baltor finally spoke once they'd passed. "But I have one condition."

Bloom's cheeks flushed, and I felt my jaw drop. The thought hadn't crossed my mind until now, but it was obvious Bloom was thinking something along the lines of a room together. (I'm a nerd – that means I'm not stupid.) "Yes?" she squeaked

He obviously caught the catch in her voice. Glancing at her, Baltor's lips curved into a smug smile. "I was going to say, if you dare try to put one of those floral shirts on me, I'll throw you back into the ocean."

"I didn't know I was interrupting." Sky's voice was cold, just like it'd always been. There was something different though; his eyes. I thought. I hated the way his eyes were looking at me.

Isabel's face had gone to an iced calm state. She remained sitting, her only movement drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair softly. "So," she spoke, her voice steady and unwavering. "I suppose you're the blonde with the PMS issues. I have to say, I thought you'd be taller."

One of the guards growled and pointed the plasma gun directly at her forehead. "You should show some respect for the King who decides your fate instead of mocking him."

She shrugged, a small smirk on her face. "I mock; I'm a mocker. Family trait."

"Don't hurt her," I found myself saying as I saw the guard's face grow cold. "This is my fault."

"I don't doubt that," Sky said, speaking directly to me for the first time. "'A wedding to break up,'" he mocked in my voice. I shivered. "'His perfect little word is about to be shattered.' You know, what's wrong with 'I'm not ready to be married right now,' Bloom? Too simple?"

"She's not Bloom," Isabel spoke before my mouth opened. "If you really knew 'the love of your life' like you claimed, you'd have figured that out."

"Interesting your lecturing that, when I don't even know your name." Sky remarked dryly, her eyes looking over her nonchalantly, like she had no value.

That didn't go over nicely with Isabel, who when his eyes glanced back to her, let out a long, low growl fierce enough to startle him. "My name is Isabel Noelle Madeline Camarena. I started my magic training when I was three years old from the most powerful wizard in the magic dimension that more than likely haunts your nightmares. I have enough energy to bounce your flimsy little ass between here and Solaria like a pinball. Capire, Vostra Altezza?"

All right, Izzy, I mentally cheered. Sky however, looked less than pleased. He gave one of the guards a nod, and they both sprang forward, each grabbing her by an arm. The one who'd first spoken gave a cold grin as he jammed a gun into her head, his hand on the trigger.

"Stop it!" I yelled, shooting up out of my chair. "Let her go, Sky! Please!"

Sky looked genuinely uninterested as he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "Why should I? I don't know her."

"You know her father," I spat before I could think. Isabel looked momentarily surprised, but she smirked, assuring me she liked the plan.

"Do I?" Sky asked, slowly entering the room so he stood a few feet in front of Isabel. "She doesn't look that familiar, and I don't recognize her name."

"Well maybe her father's will ring a bell for you. It's Baltor." I took pride in watching his jaw drop in surprise.

"Who by the way isn't dead," Isabel added, looking smug. "He's connected to the real Bloom with the Dragon Fire. A connection so strong nothing in the known universe can break it. And by the way, ten points for not noticing this lovely girl isn't your bride to be. Considered contacts, jackass?"

"A connection," Sky spat, at her, his voice growing cold and a bit hysterical, "is not the same as love. People can be connected by magic, but that does not mean they are anything more! Especially in the case of mortal enemies!"

"Opposites attract." Isabel stated calmly.

What happened next was out of a horror movie. With a fierce growl, Sky reached forward and tore the plasma gun out of the guard's hands. Before I could move, he clocked it, pointed it at Isabel, and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud bang and a sharp scream. When I looked at Isabel, she was hunched over on the ground, the guards standing back in surprise. Pushing past Sky, I raced over and dropped down next to my sister. "Isabel!" I cried, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Are you ok?"

She groaned a little, dropping her arms from around herself, grabbing my shoulder for support. The side of her leg was sliced open from the plasma gun, a small amount of blood seeping out. "I'm okay," she said between her teeth, looking pained.

Before I could move, one of the guards grabbed me by the back of my shirt and dragged me away from Isabel. I struggled and yelled, but the guard clamped his hand over my mouth. In a move of desperation, I bit his hand hard enough to taste blood. I gagged at the overbearing metallic taste. I heard him yell and swiftly drew his hand back. A second later, a hand slapped across my check, snapping my neck back hard.

My vision was fuzzy from the blow, but I saw Sky step forward and drag Isabel up from the ground. One of his feet was on her good foot, making it so she couldn't move. He gripped her jaw in his hand, his face now set in cool stone like it'd been before. He looked her over from her head to her toes, his eyes lingering. Despite her defiant face, I saw her eyes flicker with uncertainty. "You know," Sky said slowly, bringing Isabel's face close to his. "You and your sad excuse for a father are more alike than I thought. The resemblance, as well." he turned her face to the side, Isabel whimpering in protest. "It's uncanny, really. Besides your eyes, of course."

"He's going to kill you when he sees what you've done to me." I heard Isabel say, her voice stronger than I expected.

"That depends of if you're still alive." I tried to convince myself I was imagining Izzy tensing up at his words. "But," Sky continued, turning her face back to look at him, "if you tell me where your father and my fiancé are, I can assure you nothing else will happen to you, Isabel."

"You finally notice I'm not your girl?" I somehow managed to speak.

Sky turned to look at me, not releasing Isabel. "The same goes for you. And should I even bother to ask your name?"

I saw Isabel's eyes widen a little, as if coaxing me to tell him the truth. I looked at her for a moment, and then turned my head, not having the courage to look at her. "I'm…Sarah."

"No!" Isabel yelled. "Tell him the truth!"

"He won't believe the truth!"

"I can hear you," my birth father remarked dryly, "and I could possible believe you."

"I…" I looked between him and Isabel, who looked weaker than I'd ever seen. "If I were to tell you that I'm your daughter, and I came here to try and help my mother, what would you say?"

Sky turned from Isabel to look at me. His eyes were nothing like I expected; shocked, of course, but…lighter. They were almost…gentle, and maybe even understanding. It was a look that tickled the back of my head like a faint memory. Very slowly, I saw his tight grip on Isabel's jaw lessen. She sighed in relief, and when he lifted his foot she rushed back, collapsing onto a couch. "Pray tell, Adision," he asked, his voice soft, "if you're telling me the truth, why come back here? Why try and take Bloom's place?"

"To protect her," I insisted, felling the guard's arms go a bit slack around me. "She's been…trapped."

"Trapped by what?"

I bit my lip. "Trapped…by you."

Wrong words. Just as the remote and almost gentle understand had been on his face, it was replaced with a cold fury. "Me?"

"I –"

"I would never hurt Bloom."

"Not intentionally," Isabel spoke from the couch. "You kind of…went off your rocker. Lost a few bricks? Had one too many cocktails? Been –" One of the guards pointed a gun to her, and she immediately fell silent.

"And your father's so much better?" Sky questioned, his eyes still furious.

"Baltor's a good man!" I yelled, since Isabel was still frozen with fear. "Better than you've ever been to me!"

"Enough!" Sky snapped viciously at me. He raised his hand, and for a second I thought he was going to hit me. At the last second, he lowered his hand, his face set in stone. "Take Miss…Camarena, to the dungeons. Bandage her leg first. And as for you," he turned back to me. "I suppose since I'm such a horrible person, the last thing I can do is interfere with you plans. And I suppose you can play the part."

My jaw dropped as I saw the look in his eyes. It was amusement, and a kind of hunger. "Why you –"

Sky snapped his fingers. "The dungeons, please."

"I can walk myself," Isabel snapped as one of guards reached for her arm. With what looked like a great deal of trouble, she stood up, carefully balancing on one leg. She turned to look at me, and I saw tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

I bit my lip, now fighting my own tears. I walked over and gave her tight hug. "It's not your fault. Be careful ok?"

I felt something slip into my front pocket. I didn't acknowledge it though as Izzy hugged me back. "You too."

She stepped back, and allowed the guard that hadn't threatened her to put her arm around his shoulders and help her walk out of the room. Sky followed them, blowing me a mock kiss that made my stomach churn.

Once he left, I collapsed onto the couch, not able to feel my legs. After about a minute to make sure Sky had really left, I reached into my pocket to get what Isabel had put in it. I pulled out the vile, still filled with the purple liquid. Attached to it was a small note. Carefully, I unwrapped it from around the vile and opened it.

Meet you in the morning. This isn't over yet.