Emptiness. Beautiful emptiness of my mind, but it lasted only a second. Then I realized what was going on. Elisabeth! No! I wanted to go back. I wanted to stop the time.

But I was just falling down, feeling cold air and rain on my face. That horrible feeling in my stomach made me scream…but I couldn't scream. My eyes were tightly closed.

Suddenly I hit something hard and stopped falling. Was I dead? The ground was still moving under me and I shivered when I realized someone was holding me.

I opened my eyes and saw him. Murtagh. I smiled stupidly. Did his image follow me even into death?

"You're still alive." he whispered into my ear.

"Oh." I gasped "Oh, thank you!"

"I thought you wanted to die." he smiled.

"I thought that too…" I whispered "But I was wrong…terribly wrong."

"Good then." he said.

"Wait. What are you doing here?" I asked suspiciously "Aren't you supposed to be miles away?"

"Yeah…" he said "I saw you're not feeling well these days so I…I came."

"You saw?" I asked. How could he see me? Was he here all the time?

"Magic." he smiled "I invoked you. It's easy because you don't have anything to protect you from being found."

"Oh." I said. That was good…wait, no it wasn't! He was able to watch me all the time? Watching every step I made…oh, great.

"Oh, come on." he said "I didn't look at you all the time. I have better things to do than watching you undress."

"Hey!" I really hated him sometimes. But I was glad he did it and saved me.

"I'm going to take you home now." he said.

"What? No!" I got worried "Dorian will be mad! He'll want to kill you."

"Listen, honey. You're not really in condition to go home by yourself." he said "Especially not after what you did."

"I'm fine!" I protested but as the dragon landed on the ground and I got off him, I felt like we were still flying. Everything was spinning around me. I almost fell but Murtagh lifted me into his arms.

"Your husband can't do anything against me and you know it." he said "Just keep up with the story he already has in his mind."

"Why don't you stay here with me tonight? And I'll go back home tomorrow when I'm feeling better." I suggested.

"I can't. The king will kill me if I don't come back soon. I was supposed to check something for him but instead I came here." he said "He's expecting me in Urû'baen tomorrow. It won't be good."

"Oh, that's…" I didn't know what to say. He came to see me because I was feeling bad. So everyone noticed something was wrong with me except me! Well, maybe I did notice but I didn't want to admit it.

"Can you walk from here?" he asked as we approached my house. I was glad Dorian was inside. Maybe he won't see me.

"Sure." I felt dizzy when I got onto my feet but I could walk and that was the only thing that mattered.

"Don't try to do anything stupid…because I probably won't be here to save you." he smiled and I kissed him passionately. We stood there for a moment, just kissing in the rain. Then he smiled and went into the dark. I sighed.

At the moment I opened the door, Dorian almost jumped on me. He hugged me so tightly that I almost stopped breathing.

"Where have you been?" he asked "Oh, honey. You're all wet!"

"I'm fine." I said and this time I really meant it. Some strange peace came over me. I was happy again.

"Are you sure?" his eyes were red. Was he crying because of me?

"Yeah, I'm sure." I said "I'm going to change. Is Elisabeth sleeping?"

"Yes, she is." he said "Don't worry about her. She's just fine."

I went to the room. I felt so tired. This night was definitely too much for me.


I was looking at my reflection in the mirror when a sharp pain passed through my head. I couldn't see anything for a moment. There were just strange memories; suddenly it all came back to me! All dreams and all visions! They were back!

I saw Selena, saying all those things to me…danger for my child! I panicked. Then I realized I wasn't standing in my room. I was back to that room where I've been before and there she was again.

"I'm so proud of you. You made it." she smiled.

"My child is not in danger!" I said "She's here with me and nothing can happen to her."

"Your other child is." she said.

"I have just one child." I said. My mind was again playing with me. Just when I thought it's all over. Apparently Murtagh visiting me few days ago made those dreams alive again in me.

"Look better." she laughed "Didn't you notice something different about you…?"

"I…" I looked at her "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't be silly. When was the last time you felt like this?" she said.

"I don't know…" I tried to realize what she was talking about.

"Look in the mirror. Don't you see something different?" she pointed at the mirror in the corner. I looked at myself reluctantly. Then it came to me.

"Last time I felt sickness like this…when I felt like crying one moment and the other completely opposite…it was when I was pregnant with Elisabeth!" I was confused. Could I be pregnant? That was a crazy thought! It made me laugh.

"Finally!" she clasped her hands "Now you know you're pregnant! That's why I came! "

"No." I said "That's impossible. I don't believe you."

"You don't believe what you see?" she asked.

"I don't believe you." I said "You're a dream…vision…and you're dead! You can't be talking to me and use magic on me or whatever you…well, I don't know how you did it! You're no more than my imagination. "

"Oh, fine. I admit…" she smiled "Selena is dead. I was her friend."

"Then why do you look like her?" my visions were really driving me crazy sometimes. No, not sometimes; always.

"Because you activated her magical mirror…we used to talk through that. And I don't think you would believe a word from a person you haven't seen…ever…not even on a picture! Besides, everyone would believe Selena...she just had it in her." she said "Now when you know who I am, I'll come to visit you so we can talk in person."

"No, why?" I got scared. Someone was playing with me all the time? That was no good. What did that woman want from me? If she was a woman…who knew what was hiding behind Selena's image.

"You and your child are in danger!" she said "Do I have to repeat it four thousand times?"

"Umm, it would help." I said. I tried to stop the vision but I've never had such a control of it.

"I'll visit you tonight." she said "Until then say nothing to anyone…"

The vision disappeared and I could see again my own room. I sank to the floor and started to cry. My body was shaking. Why was this happening to me? Was my life cursed? Maybe that's why Murtagh came to save me…to keep up with the curse.

Someone was coming to talk to me and I was helpless. People were always helpless near magicians, witches or Dragon Riders. But I was more helpless than that. My crazy husband could at least take a sword and die fighting…I wouldn't even have a chance against other people…I was a woman and all I should be taking care of is my family.

But how could Dorian help me if I wasn't supposed to tell him anything? I knew he would defend me no matter what. I considered telling him everything for a moment but I was sure he wouldn't believe me.


The night came too fast. I was very nervous but Dorian didn't notice it. I put Elisabeth to sleep and Dorian went to the room. I've told him I would be there in a minute.

"Come outside." I heard a voice in my head and shivered. How did they do that? What is the difference between ordinary people and those who use magic?

I went out, closing the door quietly so Dorian wouldn't suspect anything. There was no one on the street. I realized that person must be waiting for me in the dark behind my house, so I went there.

I saw a woman dressed in black standing under one tree. It was too dark to see her clearly; the moon wasn't giving enough light. Her hair seemed to be black too. I stopped somewhere in the middle between her and the house.

"Don't be afraid." she whispered and walked to me. I felt like someone cut off my legs because I couldn't move even if I wanted to. She could say whatever she wanted but that didn't make me feel any safer.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked "Please, just leave me…"

"I'm here to help you." she said.

"Help me? But how?" I asked.

"You're pregnant, honey. The baby is not exactly your husband's so think about it!" she said "You alone just wouldn't do any good. That's why I'm here…to guide you."

"But what am I supposed to do?" I said desperately "I will find a way to tell this to Dorian…if it proves to be true."

"Oh, please! Don't be stupid!" she said "Your child is in danger! No one mustn't find out who is the father…not even him!"

"There is no way to hide it!" I said.

"There is always a way! So listen to me carefully because I don't have much time." she said "You're lucky you live far from Urû'baen. The king already forgot about something so insignificant as you so that's a good thing. And about your husband…well, you'll have to sleep with him! Then we'll do everything to hide your pregnancy for some time and when you give birth he'll think it's his child."

"What?" I was shocked "He'll find out the truth! Too much time passed!"

"Does he count the nights he was with you?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, but…!" I wanted to say.

"There, you see? He won't know…three months more or less…what he knows?" she said "Besides I'll change his mind with magic if he suspects anything, but that only if necessary."

"No!" I protested. If everyone had to be inside my mind, then I don't want the same happen to Dorian!

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine." she said.

"Murtagh will find out." I said "He already saw me somehow…"

"He won't." she smiled "I'll give you something for protection so he won't be able to see you again."

"But he can come here if he suspects something is going on!" I said.

"He won't. The king won't let him." she said "Besides he doesn't care about you. He came here to save you just because he had something else in mind."

"That's not true." I said "He's not evil. I think he has the right to now about me…"

"Are you crazy?" she frowned "He would kill you if he knew!"

"No, he wouldn't." I said.

"You really are stupid." she rolled her eyes "He made you think he cares but he doesn't!"

"Why are you helping me? What do you want from me?" I asked. Magician or a witch…they're definitely not helpers because of their good heart.

"Look, Murtagh is just like his father. And he stayed alive just because Morzan needed him to control Selena! Murtagh doesn't need you because you can't serve him for anything, especially when your visions are failing…that's why your child wouldn't survive." she said.

"But he saved my life!" I said.

"He did. But he was hoping you'll get a vision…so he can get free of Galbatorix!" she said "However, you didn't get a vision! He doesn't care about you anymore."

"No." I whispered; tears appeared in my eyes.

"You see? That's why I'm helping you! I don't want Murtagh to hurt you like Morzan did with Selena!" she said "I see now why he was so interested in you…you're so naïve!"

"So he is evil?" I cried.

"Yes, he is! So listen to me and everything will be fine." she said.

"You said you were Selena's friend…" I wasn't really sure what I was about to ask.

"Yes, I was." she said "Until Morzan came between us. I failed to help her and…now I got a chance to…"

"You think helping me will make you feel better about failing your friend?" I asked.

"I hope so." she said "But that's not important now. Your life and life of your unborn child is in danger!"

"Fine." I said; I felt hurt, embarrassed and angry. Who was he to play with me like this? Who was he to ruin my life?

"I'll do whatever you say." I said "But what's your name?"

"You can call me Lily." she smiled mysterious. Maybe I wasn't supposed to trust this woman, but what else I could do?