~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CHAPTER 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I put the silver stairs on fast mode and hurried up to the top floor. Marcia's doors recognized me and flung open. I saw Septimus sitting on her sofa, with worry etched into his face. He saw me running in and asked, "Why were you so late?"

"Buzz off!" I told him as I dashed into my room, leaving Septimus hurt and bewildered. I wanted to scream. Because of Jenna, my parents, and especially how I yelled at Septimus. But I couldn't. I knew that if I did, Septimus would come in and ask me what happened, and I'd have to tell him, which I really didn't want. It didn't matter to me that I didn't want certain people to know my weak spot. At this point, I didn't want anyone to know my weak spot. I buried my head into my pillow, willing it all to go away. At that moment, Alther flew in. I really just wanted him to get lost, but I couldn't say anything bad to him. I'd already done enough bad things today. "Hello, Sierra," he said gently, as if everything was normal and fine, which was definitely not the case. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, thank you for asking Alther," I replied a little more harshly than I had wanted to. "I am doing completely, absolutely terrible." I closed my eyes tight, telling myself to calm down. I did another unacceptable thing. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "It is all right. I'm sorry too. I was in the Palace tonight," Alther replied guiltily. At this, I started crying. I was using everything in me to keep it silent. I really hoped it was, but I couldn't hear myself over all the yelling I was doing inside my head. Curses, screams, insults at myself. How could I be so stupid? I thought. To say everything that I wished to hide out loud? Unaware that other people might be hearing? What is wrong with me? Die, die, die, I kept saying in my head. I could tell Alther was watching my concealed breakdown. "Sierra," he said, putting a ghostly hand on my back. "You're alright. It's fine. You're fine." I calmed down a little. My tears didn't come down as fast. "Could you hear?" I asked. "No, you were quiet. Not a sound. Where did you learn how to do that?" Alther hugged me. "I-I don't know," I whispered. "I j-just d-did it." Alther's hug felt like a warm summer breeze, and it was like someone put a stopper in my eyes.

"You're special. Don't beat yourself like this. You did nothing wrong. It was mine. I brought up that I overheard. And I'm sure Jenna was just worried and concerned for you." I smiled gratefully. "Now, get some sleep. Marcia told me that I should help you in your studies." I nodded and lay my head down. "Goodnight," he said, before floating out the window.

I slept for a long time. Longer than usual. When I woke up, my timepiece said it was 11:30 AM. I quickly dressed in my robes and rushed out of my room. I was meant to be in the Pyramid Library researching on Projections. I threw open the door to find Alther already sitting there. "Ah, Sierra. A good night's sleep?" I nodded. "Very nice. Then you must be feeling better." I nodded once more. "Well, now that you are refreshed, then I suggest you get going. Performing a Projection is a tricky thing." I smiled. Alther's approach was refreshingly different from Marcia's. And so I spent the next hour and a half successfully Projecting an ant scuttling across my desk. "Very nice," Alther said when I was finished. "I must tell Marcia about this when she gets back. You are a very talented girl." I blushed. "Thank you, Alther, but I'm sure others could do a lot better. Take Septimus for example. A hopping trash bin. That's something you could be proud of."

"Yes, Sierra, but most Wizards can't even Project a slice of bread on their first try. But you have Projected a living thing, and successfully on the first try, and that is astounding to me."

"Thank you, Alther," I said again. No one had ever said something like that about me before. It was if someone had given me a thousand crowns. But even one crown would have been nice. You know what? Give me a crown any day, but it would never be as valuable as this. "Sierra, I believe you have been overworked by Marcia. You can have the rest of the day off, considering the- the incident that occured." I smiled gratefully and walked out of the Pyramid Library. The sun was shining so bright through the windows, it was blinding. I shielded my eyes and walked into Septimus's room. There was something I had to sort out first. I found him lying on his bed, staring at the constellations he had painted on his ceiling. I gently closed the door behind me. "Sep, I'm sorry. About yesterday, I mean," I said, uncertain whether he would take his eyes off the ceiling and look at me. He did. "No, it's fine. You were stressed. I could tell," he faltered. "You didn't mean it."

"You're right, I didn't. You did nothing wrong," I said, a bit uncertainly. "Thank you for understanding." I hesitantly walked out and jumped on the silver spiral stairs. I wanted to see Beetle. He must know when Septimus is telling a lie and when he wasn't.

The Manuscriptorium was a mess. Beetle made the mistake of leaving the window open and the gale threw all the papers on the windowsill on the floor, walls, and even in the scribes' hair. Foxy appeared. I didn't notice him before because he was covered head to toe in papers. I don't know how I stifled a giggle but I did. "Can I help?" I asked. "Please do," came Foxy's gruff voice. I took a piece of ancient Magyk paper from my Apprentice belt. I laid it on the windowsill, took a sheet of Manuscriptorium paper, and placed it in the middle of the ancient paper. "Like to like together spin, like to like gather in," I muttered, and made a circling motion with my right index finger above the ancient paper. With a blue flash of light, the Manuscriptorium papers whizzed around in circles and stacked themselves up. I quickly closed the window before the next gale blew in. I snatched the ancient paper out of the bottom of the pile so fast that the stack of papers above it could not fall, and so quickly that the ancient paper was not damaged. I sighed, and put it back in my belt.

"Sierra, you're amazing," Foxy praised. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I need to see Beetle."

"Okay, he'll be in the Hermetic Chamber."

"Thanks, Foxy." He tipped an imaginary hat and put it back on his head. I smiled and went on my way. In the Hermetic Chamber, I saw Beetle hunched over an ancient Charm, inspecting it. He looked up and smiled. "Hello Beetle," I said. "How do you know if Sep is lying or not?"

"When he says what you want him to say. Why?"

"Nothing. Just asking. For future situations, I guess. But what if he's not lying and says what you want him to?"

"If he waits a few moments. But seriously, why are you asking?"

"Well, last night I got stressed and told him to buzz off and today I apologized. He said he knew I didn't mean it. But I'm not sure."

"He'll be fine in a few hours' time. Don't think about it."

"Thanks, Beetle."

"Don't mention it."

And so, my afternoon went exactly as planned. Go to the Manuscriptorium. Come back to the Wizard Tower. Do nothing. Be bored. And occasionally think of my parents and how it would be like if they were still alive. But mostly think how it would be like if I took their fate.