A knock sounded on Makeeda's door, making her jerk her head up from her book.

"Come in."

Peter, Edmund, and a man Makeeda had never seen before entered her laboratory. She closed her book, standing up.

"Makeeda." Peter said, smiling.
"Hello." she replied, eyeing the man with him. "Who is this?"
"His name is Brom."

Makeeda shook the man's empty hand; the other held onto a stone.

"A pleasure to meet you." he said.
"Brom has requested your presence. He has come to possess a peculiar stone." Peter explained.

Makeeda looked back to Brom.

"I found this in the forest, hunting for food." he told her. "It is not valuable in the town, and I sense something… Evil about it… Dark magic."
"Why do you say that?"
"It's unusual in color and surprisingly hallow. I cannot damage it. At night… It makes noises… Screeches, horrible screeches, in the dead of night."

Makeeda was not convinced of the man's concerns of magic being involved.

"May I?" she asked.
"Please." Brom replied, handing her the stone.

Makeeda did indeed feel magic against her hands upon touching the stone. She sat it down on her table, tapping it lightly. It was hallow, as Brom had said. She picked it up again and shook her head, turning back to the men.

"What is your guess?" Peter asked.
"It is not dark, but it does hold magic. It is not dangerous." Makeeda told him.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. I'll have to see if I can't find anything in my books about it."

When she tried handing the stone back to Brom, he refused.

"Please, my Lady… Keep it. If you are not sure, I do not want it."
"I am sure it is not a danger."
"Dangerous or not, you are the sorceress. It should be in your possession."
"After I found out what it is worth, then what? Will you be wanting it back then?"
"No, my Lady. I wish you to have it. I do not want it."

Makeeda nodded.

"Very well. I will offer it again, though, once I find out what it is."

She shook Brom's hand again.

"Thank you, your majesties." he said to Peter and Edmund.

Brom was escorted out of the room by a guard while Peter and Edmund turned to Makeeda.

"You really don't have a clue what it is?" Peter asked.
"I do not. I have never seen anything like it." Makeeda replied honestly.
"Keep us updated."

Makeeda nodded and Peter left the room. Edmund sat down at her desk.

"It looks like a well-polished stone." he said, looking at the rock.
"This was not hand-made."
"What?"
"This was made by magic, there is no question about that."
"Is it dangerous?"
"In the wrong hands, it could be."
"Where could he have found it?"

Makeeda was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

"A lot of questionable things happen in the forest. Narnia has a mind of her own."
"What will you do?" he asked.
"Keep it in here, under protection."

He nodded.

"Please be careful…"

Makeeda felt her stomach drop at his words.

"Why, Ed?" she asked, holding in her smile. "Are you worried about me?"
"Yes." he said.
"I will see what I can do then."
"Thanks." he laughed, leaving the room now.

Makeeda stared at the door after he had closed it. She had grown fond of Edmund. He was more than a friend to her. She simply felt more than that. It was irritating to her at times, because she was never sure if Edmund would consider her in that sense. She shook her head, turning her attention to the stone. She noticed there were dark veins all over it. They looked faint, barely visible to her eyes. Strangely, she felt no pulse on the stone.

Hours passed as Makeeda read her books and studied the stone. She wondered if it could be some kind of bird, but found nothing similar to what she read on the birds of Narnia. She read until her eyes hurt and before she knew it, the day was gone. Yawning, she didn't even bother to put all of her books away. She laid her head down on her desk and fell asleep quickly.

It wasn't even dawn when Makeeda was yanked viciously out of her sleep. She hadn't known what had done it, sitting up in her chair in the darkness of her room. It was silent for a moment, then she heard a blood-curdling screech throughout her room. She stood, lighting up her hands with magic to see if anything was in the room with her. There was no one in the room except her. She heard the screech again and looked at the stone. It reminded her of a baby bird that called for it's mother to feed it. She went over to the stone and held it in her arms, convinced there was something inside of it. It was hot to the touch, almost burning her hands as she held it. She cast a cooling charm on it, laying down on the cot she kept in the room. She was happy with her work, as silence filled the room, the stone screeching no more.

After breakfast the next morning, as Makeeda walked back to her lab, she could hear the screeching from outside the door. She put her ear up to the wood, hearing something fall and crash on her floor. Opening the door slowly, Makeeda took a deep breath. This did nothing to prepare her for what she saw though. She closed the door quietly as a little dragon licked up a spilled potion from her floor. As the sound of the door latching reached the creature, it looked up at Makeeda, startled. It blinked at her as she stared in awe. It eventually grew bored with her though, flying up to her desk and knocking another potion onto the floor. It hopped back down to the ground, licking up the new potion now. It blew smoke out of it's nose and coughed, backing away from the liquid and looking up at Makeeda.

"Where did you come from….?" she breathed, kneeling down to the creature. After sniffing her, the dragon let her pet it. As soon as she did, Makeeda regretted it. A seering pain jolted through her hand and throughout her whole body. She screamed, curling up on the floor. After what seemed like hours, the pain went away slowly. She laid there as her whole body shook, feeling the dragon curl up next to her. She almost felt soothed by it. She sat up after a while and touched the dragon again, hesitantly. It didn't hurt her this time. She looked at her hand, taken aback by what was there now. On her right palm was a defused white oval. It burned and itched. She stopped looking at it to see the dragon. It was peering up at her, content with laying by her side.

It had shiny black eyes with a solid black body. It was a beautiful creature. She looked around her room as the dragon continued to watch her.

"You must be hungry." she said to aloud, noticing almost all of her potions spilled onto the floor. It didn't pay attention to her anymore, laying it's head down now. Makeeda stood up, trying to think of a plan. "Meat… You are going to need meat."