"Drink the potion, you stupid girl!"

Cassian was trying to force feed a bottle of blue liquid down Lily's throat, splashing some of it onto her cheeks and neck. Dr. Disraeli passively watched from afar, mentally wondering why she was resisting now when she had accepted it so obediently before.

"That's enough, Cassian. We don't want to waste any more of my precious concoction."

Lily stopped struggling as the boy released his grip, handed the doctor the half empty bottle, and simply walked away. Jizabel stepped forward and held up the translucent tonic that swirled in his hand, and appeared to be entranced by its cerulean glow.

"I wonder, my dear, if someone deluged to you my secret ingredient, not that it would matter if they did. I highly doubt you would even know it by name. But still . . . what has caused to you distrust my prescription?"

"I can't drink it anymore! My stomach feels as if it's being ripped apart, and I am absolutely sure that your 'concoction' is doing something to my child. Tell me—what sick experiment are you trying to perform on me?!"

Jizabel looked down at the floor and smiled a wry, crooked smile.

"We are merely preparing you, my dear. The true experiment has yet to come."

"Preparation for what? Ransom? My father will gladly pay whatever sum you ask for and—"

The doctor cut her off with a stern glare. "Don't even dare to assume that money is of importance to us. We have much higher aims than that."

Lily grew silent for a moment, but didn't stay that way for long. "Then at least tell me what your secret ingredient is. I feel that I have the right to know."

"Your precious high society rules don't apply here, my dear."

Then she peered deeply into his cold gray eyes.

"Does that go for you too? I can only imagine what kind of prison this must be for you."

"You would believe that wouldn't you? Your pity is better off being saved for the poor."

He turned to leave, but something in her voice made him stop.

"I've heard that you carry the name of Death is this awful place? Does it truly suit you that well?"

"Why, yes, my dear," the doctor started laughing. "I'd say that it fits me like a glove."

He faced her once more. Lily was beginning to worry that she had pushed too far.

"In fact, I would even say that it lingers all around me and infuses everything I touch . . . including this," he breathed as he held the bottle close to her face. She could see her breathe clouding up on the glass.

"Inside this potion is a substance called ectoplasm. It is literally the essence of the dead. Does that disturb you?"

The horrified look on her face answered his question.

"My colleagues and I recently discovered how to obtain from the many spirits that haunt this dismal world. We capture their energy, concentrate it, and use it to make the living more receptive to the supernatural. We have yet to see it work successfully in a human subject, but that is where you come in, my dear."

"Those poor souls . . . you selfish monster! What kind of sick man would use the dead to harm an innocent girl and her unborn child?!"

"Not even a madman would dare to pursue the dangerous path that we take."

"Damn you! Damn you all to hell!" the distraught girl screamed as tears streamed down her pale face. The doctor merely closed his eyes and raised them to the heavens.

"I have been damned since the day I was born . . . and once we accomplish our final goal, not even the devil himself will dare to touch us."

Now Lily was completely speechless.

"So drink up, young lady. We want you at your best when the Day of Judgment comes."

He threw the bottle next to her on the couch and finally walked out of the room. Her sobs could be heard echoing all the way down the hall.

Phew! I know this feels like it's taking forever to get to the good stuff, but it shall come, faithful followers! I promise! We just happen to be taking a few detours along the way . . . : ) Hang on to your underpants!!! (R & R)