A/N: This is my longest chapter. Ever. So I apologize if it feels a tad rushed. I practically got into this huge writing mood this weekend and typed this all out. A lot more will happen next chapter, I promise. But, to make up for my tardiness and somewhat-confusing chapters, I did drop a small plot hint into this one. Eventually, I will be getting right into the plot and reveal everything. Well, not everything... you know me.

Okay, so I'm not going to force you or come find you with lighted pitch forks in hand, but I'd really love a review. Mainly critique. I feel that I can improve by about 500%. No joke. And I'm still extremely young (no age given) so I know I'll develop by each book I read, each chapter I write, each remark, whether it be good or bad. But, for this chapter, I'd like critique. Especially on Chloe's personality/character. I feel as if she's kind of turned bipolar (LOL) but I'd really like to know from your point-of-view. If you think she has completely altered into this morbid, death freak who has no control over her mood, then fine, but I do have an excuse for that later. :)

Anyways, thanks again for reading! I know I say this every chapter, but I seriously do mean it! :D

Disclaimer: Me no own Darkest Powers. Sadly, me no lie. (Man... me wish me was humorous enough to come up with great disclaimers!)

"Hide the truth,
Hide it now.
Behind artificial doors,
And sealed mouths."

Speechless. I was absolutely speechless.

Time froze as Simon waited for my response, his eyes clouding over with worry as the already prolonged silence expanded. I glanced at Derek, searching for help. I could see that he was distraught, but it was difficult to configure emotions with him. He shifted positions so his face was hidden from my view. I switched my attention back to Simon who was now fidgeting awkwardly with his fingers at his side.

He cleared his throat and then said, "Look, Chloe. I'm sorry if this is going too fast and-"

"No," I stated quickly, not wanting to sound like a complete jerk by not answering him. He built up the courage to ask me in the first place and all I was accomplishing was tearing down his confidence. What did I say earlier about losing my friends? No, I wasn't going to lose him.

"What I was going to say was..." My sentence trailed off as I tried to find the correct words. What could I tell him? I've been daydreaming about your mutant brother so I don't think that it is going to work out? No, I was going to be the better person here. I continued my sentence by saying, "I'd love to, Simon. I can't wait."

The largest grin I had ever seen displayed itself on his face. He gave my hands a tight squeeze before releasing them. "Thanks, Chloe. I mean it." He was just about to leave when he hesitated and then did something that caught me by complete surprise. He leaned down and brushed his lips against my cheek, the move gentle and swift but still caused my face to heat up. Derek grunted and looked away and I thought I heard Tori choke on her food in the kitchen. Simon pulled his face away from mine and then left with a smile. My feet were rooted to the floor, my legs stiff and unable to move. I raised my hand to my cheek and traced where Simon had placed his lips. Oh boy... I was farther in than I thought.

I sauntered into the kitchen and joined Tori at the table, whose mouth was now filled with food. Andrew already had my plate laid out and ready to eat, which I was grateful for. I forked a piece of sausage and stuffed it into my mouth, fulfilling my famished stomach's requests. My stomach's constant growling ceased as the warm food slid down my throat. Derek turned on the television to the news, probably wanting a diversion from what was going on. Every now and then, I saw Tori peeking glances up at me, possibly watching to see if I was still angry. I wasn't, but I could tell that she was so I didn't let last night drag on in my mind and decided to simply forget about it.

I was still shoveling food when Tori got up abruptly and bolted for the bathroom. Her hand was over her mouth and I could tell that she was going to be sick. I started to get up to check on her and make sure she was okay when I heard her heave into the toilet, the sound so wretched and so excruciating that I had to cover my ears with my hands. My face transformed into a grimace as I pushed my food away from me. While the thought was diminutive and negligible, I couldn't help but think that Andrew was the cause of this, that he had poisoned her food. I didn't know why he would do it, just that his malevolent mood was probably the source of these thoughts. It was then that I realized that I didn't have one ounce of trust reserved for this man.

I stood up and dumped my food in the trash can. I'd make my own food later. But now, there was something else that needed to be done.

I marched over into the living room and flipped off the television. I stood in front of Derek, my arms crossed and my stare solemn. He was about to protest when he noticed the seriousness in my composure and nodded his head, already understanding what my request would be.

We needed answers... immediately.

The library came alive as I stepped foot into the room. This was my second time visiting, but it felt as if it could have easily been my first. The books that seemed so suspicious yesterday lit up with liveliness and promising hope. Pages and pages of words and theories that could solve all of my problems. The room appeared to expand and grow at every stride, overflowing wth desired knowledge. While normally I would be overwhelmed with stress at the thought of getting caught, but Andrew had announced that he was going to the store to pick up some essential items so it gave Derek and I full reason to do some research. Derek looked excited to finally get some answers, but I could tell that he was delighted for the same purpose I was: we could finally escape into a soothing setting.

"Wow," I muttered, this being the best word I could uncover to describe the room. I ran my finger along one of the shelves, dust collecting and sprinkling into the air. I rubbed my hand on my pants to get rid of the dust and attempted to stifle a sneeze.

"How long do you think it has been since someone has used this room?" I asked. It had to have been a while for this much dust to gather.

Derek answered with, "I don't know. It must have been ages." For the first time since we entered the room, I felt his eyes go on me. I lifted my head away from the books and faced him. I let out a tiny smile before I realized what I was doing and hurriedly covered it up. If only hormones came with a leash and a collar.

Derek started walking down one of the longer isles, his eyes scanning over the titles rapidly. His forehead scrunched in confusion as he read them carefully. His thoughts must have been moving faster than his eyes. Eventually, he nodded as he came to realization. I was glad that someone here was coming to an understanding.

"The books... they are organized by subject." He rushed down the row of books until he found what he was looking for. He fingered the spine, testing it, before he pulled it out from its containment. He ran his hand over the cover, the dust spraying off from the trace of his delicate hands. His eyes lit up a like a five-year olds before he flipped the book over so that the cover was facing me.

"Necromancy: The Fight Against Rising Death," Derek stated, reading off the title of the book.

I winced. "Morbid, much?" I grabbed the book out of his hands and held it gently in my own. On the cover, there was a picture of an old man with his hands placed firmly in front of himself. His skin was scraggly and tore off at a couple of places, his hair completely gone. He reminded me of myself in my nightmare last night. Dead and sulking. But, unlike myself in my bad dream, this man was determined. Powerful. Sparks were projecting off of his fingers as he was summoning a bunch of zombies forward. As I looked closer at the drawing, I noticed that there was this dark black jewel tied around the man's wrist, this piece of the sketch sending chills up my body. It resembled my lost necklace immensely. The sharply-shaped structure, the mysterious glowing reflection... the pride. It was all too familiar. I swallowed shakingly as the image of the monstrous cover placed itself in my mind. I looked at Derek to get rid of the rising panic.

"Do you think that you can find something a little less... grotesque?"

He raised his eyebrows, the move completely skeptic, and said, "Chloe, I doubt that I can find a book with compassionate zombies prancing through a field of flowers on the front."

I threw him a sneering stare and then marched over to where he found the book on necromancers. Surprisingly, there weren't many books presented that were on the topic of necromancy. Just two others, excluding the book in my hand. I balanced the book currently out on my leg while I reached for the other two. I took them out carefully as they were very old and held them side-by-side. One had a flesh-eating necromancer on the front while the other book's cover was blank except for the word "necromancer" scribbled in rushed handwriting. No author, no publisher. Just... emptiness. I quickly shoved the vomit-inducing one back into its place and held the simple one up to Derek.

"How about this one?" I put on my best innocent look as he took the book from my hands and skimmed the pages. Dissatisfaction must be contagious because as soon as it displayed itself on his face, it became aware on mine, too.

"This is a journal. You can't trust the information in those type of things. They are compelled by emotions, not logics."

"Which is why you don't keep a diary..." I muttered, my words flowing together.

"What?" He knew I was annoyed, I could tell that by the way he snapped. I just wish I knew why he cared about the nauseating book so much. Unless he wanted me to continue to have more nightmares, I didn't really see the point. But, then again, I'll never really understand Derek.

I put on my best irritated look and said firmly, "Nothing." A straightforward response, really, one that did not involve the dwelling of the subject. Fortunately, he caught my hint and continued on with his reasoning.

"You'd really be better with the other book, Chloe. It may be gruesome, but it can prepare you for the future." Great, I thought, I was going to be some death-freak when I grew up?

I snatched the journal book from his hand, grabbed the book with the black-jewel and ambled over to the couch in the corner. It was a red-velvety color, one that seemed to be misplaced in a room such as this one. It was smooth and relaxing, though, so I sunk back into the corner of the armrest. The comfort of the cushions helped ease my anger and I soon found myself feeling rather foolish for going off at Derek like that. He was only putting my best interest in mind while trying to keep my future intact. I wanted to get up and apologize, but I knew I couldn't. I could only hope that he could forgive me. Hope. It was such a misleading word.

I opened up the black-jeweled book cautiously to the Table of Contents and browsed through the different topics. I was about to flip to a random page when one certain subject caught my eye: Necromancers and the Captivation of Energy. Curiously, I turned to the page number listed and began to read.

It is said that necromancers are given a certain power source at birth. This supply outlet is integral when it comes to keeping a necromancer's powers under control and not wreaking havoc. Legends state that this item or source encloses the entirety of a necromancer's force and strength, keeping the power captive and out of sinister hands. When missing, though, this can be extremely fatal to the necromancer as the control and balance of his or her powers are absent. The necromancer's powers then intensify gradually until this source is found. Without the finding of this vital item, death lurks at every corner for a necromancer. Insanity breaks loose as the demons underneath come out and invade the human world, the target solely the necromancer. Many die from the madness while others commit suicide. If the ghosts don't kill off the necromancer, then the consequences of fear do. Death truly is a working thing for the necromancer.

I stopped reading there. D-death?

Oh no.

My necklace- it couldn't possibly be my power source... could it? It would make sense... dear God. Someone was trying to kill me.

My necklace. It was missing. Someone stole it so my powers would get out-of-hand. So I would go crazy and kill myself just like Uncle Ben. But... why? Why?

The fear completely shook me, my eyes widening as I felt myself go numb. Goosebumps were placed in a nice, neat array on my arms and legs, all of the hairs on my limbs shooting straight up. Any rational thoughts, such as 'Well, it did say gradually. Maybe I can find it before I go completely bananas' got lost in scenarios of death and lunacy. Visions started to play before my eyes. A face appeared very lucidly out of the darkness, this motion revealing who was to blame for all of this. Half-dead zombies were tearing at my skin, biting and biting until all that was left were my brittle bones. My eyes rolling in their sockets just like something out of a fun house. I suddenly became what I was in my nightmare: a freak, a monster... dead.

Gentle fingers at my shoulder caused me to lose all sanity in the moment. I kicked and screamed as the book went flying out of my lap.

"Get away," I yelled viciously. "Get away!"

"Chloe, it's me." Derek's voice echoed throughout my raging thoughts of death and darkness. He continued to whisper words of reassurance and I soon found myself slowly pulling back into reality, into sensibility. I reached out and grabbed onto his arm for support as I felt a wave of dizziness take charge. My small, chubby fingers didn't even begin to wrap around his bulky arm so I decided to concentrate on that. It was like a young child clutching an over-sized toy. Deliberate that, Chloe. Focus on that.

I squeezed my eyes shut and began to envision a wolf. A black wolf with flashing green eyes. The big beast- no, animal- darted throughout the trees, dodging small, unnecessary objects such as tree limbs and tiny birds, not having a care in the world. This... creature was comparable to the wind. Free. Wild. Careless while shaping the earth and surroundings as well. Protecting all of nature's beauty. I opened my eyes to find Derek's face hovering in front of mine. Worry streaked his face, his green eyes dazed with concern. I felt my heart slowly decelerate back to its usual pace as I caught myself finally looking back at a piece of normality. My words were a little slurred as I spoke, but they were audible enough to be understood.

"H-how do you do it?"

Derek stared at me long and hard, probably trying to figure out if I was possessed by some crackhead spirit. I couldn't blame him for thinking this. Right now, I probably was about as commonsensical as a circus clown lost in a makeup shop.

Derek's anxiety showed as he said, "Chloe, do you want me to get you a glass of water or-"

I cut him off as I elaborated to make myself sound more sane... if possible. "How do you live with such a beast? How do you live with yourself when you know you can snap any day and hurt so many people? How?"

Derek sat down beside me on the couch. His weight caused the couch to shift and I ended up leaning against his thigh. I budged farther away to give him some space- well, that and I was not in need of another pounding heart moment.

"I don't," he said simply. His words were effortless, yet so well-constructed. I glared at him in complete disbelief. He might as well have been the strongest person I knew- mentally as well as physically. I allowed him to continue on with his outlook, though. "Back in Albany. When I broke that kid's back. I-I didn't have to. I could have walked away. But I didn't. Instead, I changed someone's life for the worse. He will never be able to walk again. And it's all my fault." Guilt played into his words, tugging at the tears barely concealed behind my eyes. His eyes stared straight ahead, not watching a specific thing, but reliving the memories that have been carried around on his back for so very long.

"Don't say that," I reached out and laid my hand supportively on his arm. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, you know that?"

He let out a rough sigh, this movement relaying that he believed otherwise. I removed my hand and placed it at my side. He would never understand the truth. Never.

"How did this conversation suddenly become about me?" Derek asked.

I let the words I have been thinking ever since the bus-stop trip escape my mouth. "Ever since I've been so concerned."

We sat in silence for a minute. Although I was just a necromancer- not a mindreader, might I remind you- I still knew we were both thinking the same things. Worry about the other. Concern. Feelings. Something only I brought out in Derek. It was just then that I decided that whenever I let myself go, whenever dark thoughts crossed into my mind, I would remind myself of that.

I mutely stood from the couch to grab the mistreated book off of the floor. I sat back down beside Derek and flipped to the page that I was on before. I wordlessly pointed to the paragraph that caused so much distress and passed the book to Derek. I sat there without a sound as I watched Derek read the section.

He glanced up at me when he had finished. He had the same look on his face as I had before. I felt the panic bubble up inside knowing that he was just as worried about the entire situation as I was. He noted this and quickly helped me get through it by saying, "Chloe, you don't know if this is true. It could be just some big joke."

I shifted so I was facing him and then mimicked him by saying, "But I thought it was full of logics," I shook my head to get rid of the unneeded anger flaring up inside. "Then where do we turn to? If all of this is fake, where do we get our answers? I don't believe we are as truly helpless as we seem to be. I know someone has lived in this house before. And-and I don't think they're alive anymore. I can feel it. Maybe it's just my necromancer instinct, but I think that there is someone still here that can help us and- I'm babbling. Sorry."

"No," Derek stated. "I think you have a good point. Maybe later tonight, while Andrew is asleep, we can do some practice summonings?"

I nodded my head to show that that would be fine. But, there was another thought tugging at the back of my mind. I realized that I hadn't told Derek of the "incident" that occurred last night with the mysterious ghost and the window. I promptly told him of everything that had happened. He listened to every bit and piece of what I was saying, but didn't interrupt, which I appreciated. When I was finished, he developed a quizzical expression as he was in deep concentration.

"Do you have any speculations," he asked.

"No." And I didn't. Not a single one.

He gently closed the book and laid it in his lap. He caught me by surprise when has asked a question completely off-subject. "Do you have a clue regarding who stole your necklace? Or do you still think that it is my excessively charming brother?"

My face flushed at the last part. "W-will you let me explain to you my reason behind why I suspect Simon?"

He nodded his head lazily, but I justified my rationale anyway. "Simon's been acting... strange lately. Every time I catch him in the house... he, I don't know, looks suspicious, like he's up-to-something. I mean, all of this could be a big joke, that he just took it to tease me. Um, t-that's what p-people do when they l-like someone, right?"

Derek's stare made Greenland look warm. "I know you're seriously not asking me this question."

"I-it was rhetorical. But, even if Simon doesn't know it, this is a dire situation for me. And I know that he will always respect Andrew since he's been so close to him all of these years, but I don't like that he's in cahoots with Andrew. It doesn't help the circumstances at all. I guess to sum it all up... I don't really trust Simon." I peeked at Derek to see how he was taking that last bit. By the way his dagger eyes made me cringe... not very well, I assumed.

"Look, Chloe-"

Echoing footsteps right outside the library door made us both stop and freeze. My breathing came to a halt as I tried my best to not move, to not blink, to not... anything. Each step took was like a ticking-time bomb, just waiting to go off... just waiting to get caught. Time slowed as the pitter-pat of someone's feet retreated down the hallway and into another room. Into Andrew's room.

I leaned down to Derek's ear and whispered hastily, "It's Andrew! He's home and he's caught us!" Derek signaled for me to be silent with a finger over his lips. I was.

After a very long minute of listening with his bionic-ears, Derek motioned for me to make a bee-line to the door. I walked hurriedly to the door. Every step felt like forever, but when I sped up, I got a reminder from Derek to be very quiet. Derek was putting the books back on their shelves when I grasped the doorknob and tiptoed out of the room. Next time we went in there, we'd seriously have to consider putting up an alarm-system.

I was on my way to my room when someone grabbed me from behind. I let out a horror-movie worthy shriek as cold fingers grasped my arm. I stood still. Completely still.

When I turned around, though, I didn't see who I had expected.

"Simon, don't you ever do that again," I declared playfully. Simon's face lit up as usual as I hit him lightheartedly in the arm.

"Hey," Simon said, his words warmer than ever. "I was just checking to confirm our date tonight. I consulted Andrew earlier this morning and he said that it would be fine... as long as we went around the back way."

"The woods?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "You got it."

Another part of his sentence caught my attention. "Wait... where are we going?"

Simon gingerly touched my arm, teasing. "That you'll find out later." He winked to close off his remark. I smiled back at him to conceal my beat-red blush.

"So... I'll find you at seven?" He raised his eyebrows as he said this.

"Of course." I went on my normal route and retreated back into my room. When there, I flopped down into the bed and let my thoughts of the day so far seep into realization. I was going on a date- no, my first date tonight. And not with just any boy. Simon. The boy who makes girls trip over their feet. The boy who can make any day brighter. The boy who I overlooked just five minutes ago as dishonest, as an enemy. The guilt was never going to stop flooding in. Never. And it didn't help that when I read that paragraph earlier... the affects afterwards...the face... it was Simon's.

I traced pictures on the ceiling with my eyes. But, the guilt would have to halt because I was going to have a wonderful time tonight. No matter what.