A/N: Oh man, what has it been? 5 months? What? I can't even comprehend that!

I apologize to any readers of this. Just so I'm not giving one excuse after another, I'll just tell you that the main reason I could just not get this finished was the fact that I had sort of a small writer's block. I knew what I wanted to happen in the chapter and where I wanted it to end, I just got stuck on one stupid sentence! With that being said, I was so excited to finish this that I didn't get to critique it as much as I would have liked. Therefore, the writing is kind of suckish, especially towards the end. haha.

Anyways, thanks for reading and please review! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Darkest Powers trilogy, but I'm back, baby! :D

"Freedom,
From this world you've created."

The day's hours rolled by without my noticing... and my consent.

After the library search, I spent the rest of the day lying on my bed, letting all of my long-lasting questions ring through my head, and truth be told, I was fine with that. I needed some time alotted for a reality-check and a boost of self-confidence, which was already running low from the day's earlier events. Having time to myself was the most efficient task I had accomplished at the Victorian house and I had received far more answers than any frightening book I had encountered before. I knew who I was- Chloe Saunders, the director- and I had a goal set, which was to find my necklace and cleanse myself of any death-provoking thoughts. Additionally, I would be going on a date with Simon- every girl's dream-boy- in a couple of hours. Cliché to say, but I was in the best of moods and nothing- nor no one- could bring me down.

Or so I thought. Too bad Tori had to ruin my bliss.

I was resting on my bed, fingering a loose thread on the sheets, when the door busted open with an ear-splitting boom. Tori stood in the doorway, her shoulders squared, indomitable. Her dark brown eyes met mine and I could sense the power surging in her gaze, yet that was exactly how she wanted me to feel. Degrading others was one of Tori's finest aptitudes and she could do it with just a single stare.

"You," she spattered, pointing a finger in my direction. "Spill. Now."

I raised from my bed and took a step behind it, as if hiding beside an old bed would stop an enery bolt. "What do you mean?"

Tori rolled her eyes cynically. "You know exactly what I mean. Tell me everything you know about Andrew, and if you even think about lying, just remember that my 'guns'," she wiggled her fingers, "are loaded."

I shook my head immediately, covering up the part of me that grew scared of what she already knew, and what she was capable of. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh, save the bullshit, Chloe. I know everything."

"Then why do you need me?"

In a flash, she was right in front of me, so close that I could feel her ragged breathing tickle my neck. Her eyes bulged, and she appeared... insane. "Do you see this," She pulled down her sleeve and shoved her arm in my face. "Do you see what is happening to me?"

All of the air rushed out of me, like I was punched right in the stomach. I raised a shaky hand to my lips. "Oh my God."

She quickly rolled down her sleeve, as though the air would eat away what was left of her skin. She glared directly into my eyes, and for the first time, they looked fearful. "Now will you help me?" Her words tumbled out forcefully.

I crossed my arms and attempted to meet her harsh gaze, but I could not successfully accomplish this without looking away repeatedly. "I... I don't know."

Tori raised her hands furiously before taking a step back. Sparks flew off her fingers and I ducked as one came incredibly close to me face. Tori's eyes were closed, and I could see that she was trying to control her powers, although they had a mind of their own. Irritated, she sat down on my bed, her hands tucked under her thighs.

She took a second to breathe before glancing up at me. "This morning, right before breakfast, Andrew pulled me aside and informed me that he had been doing research on multiple types of supernaturals, specifically ones from the Edison Group experiments. I asked what kind of research, but he simply answered that it was something he had been working on for awhile. I was still confused, but figured that I'd go along with it. What was the worse that could happen?" Her lips twitched until they formed a straight line. "I'm so stupid."

I walked over to her bed and sat down, facing Tori and her loss of confidence. "I don't know if this'll make you feel better, but you're not the only one."

"Don't tell me that you bought his shit, too."

"No, no... I try to keep my distance from him," I shuddered. "I think Simon went along with it."

"Harry Potter?" She laughed. "Ha, no. He's way too perfect." Her words made me cringe.

I continued with what I was saying. "Not only do I believe that he fell for it, but I think he's in cahoots with Andrew."

"Abetting Andrew in turning us into undead creeps?" Another derisive laugh. "He's stupid, but not that stupid."

I shook my head. I tried to put the pieces together in my mind, but they just didn't fit. Why would Simon do that? Betray his own brother, someone he has known for almost his entire life? Someone that has saved him from harm on multiple occasions? I took a deep breath. "The first morning we were here- the day I lost my necklace- Andrew asked to speak to Simon alone. It was during breakfast... do you remember that?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I do. But, how does that prove that Simon is guilty of going along with the experiment?"

I let out an aggravated sigh. "It doesn't. But, I did ask him about it later, and he started to panic, as if he was strictly told not to let anyone know."

Tori took a second to soak in this information. Once she heard my words, loud and clear, her face turned to a bitter state. "So, he couldn't inform his 'girlfriend' what was going on?"

I looked at the hands in my lap. Girlfriend? Was that what I was? Yeah, we were getting closer... but girlfriend? Did I even want to be called that?

"Chloe!" Tori's voice snapped me out of my trance.

"Yeah, I don't think he trusts me."

Tori snorted. "Ironically, you don't trust him either."

I swallowed. I didn't trust him... yet I was going out on a date with him tonight. Our first date. Suddenly Simon didn't feel like the bad guy anymore.

After a moment of silence, Tori asked, "Any word on who stole your necklace?"

I gnawed on a fingernail. I didn't think she'd care, let alone remember. But, now that the question was addressed directly to me, I fumbled with my options. I could tell the truth and blame my only verdict, Simon. Or I could cover it up and say that I was still left with confusion. I cautiously bit my lip. My bottled-up opinion was eating me alive. I was sick of lying.

A deep breath. "Once again, Simon. I just... have this feeling. It's difficult to explain," Tori nodded with agreement. I continued, "I think he's ignorant to the severe consequences, though. The strings attached."

Tori urgently leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper, "Wait, severe consequences?"

My teeth dug deep into my cheek until I could feel the blood trickle onto my tongue. I swallowed slowly, wincing at the metallic taste.

"Yeah," I lied. I just hoped that my words appeared as nonchalant as my attitude. "It's no big deal, though. It doesn't affect me."

Tori mumbled something unintelligent under her breath before glancing away, as if she would rather be dead than caught caring about something that involved me. Lucky for Tori, her future looked favorable for that to be arranged.

Unfortunately, she didn't drop the topic. "You know, I saw Simon in your room the day we arrived here. You were still sleep-walking downstairs from the long car ride. He could have been snooping then and stole your necklace." She was talking about the night Andrew brought us here. It was two in the morning and I honestly could have fallen asleep standing up. Apparently, not everyone was as tired as I was.

I thought about what she had said. Really thought about it. And at the end of my thinking process, I determined that I did not like this new information at all. In the back of my head, a tiny voice, one barely audible, told me that Simon was not guilty, that I was just paranoid. And truthfully, I wanted to believe it. I wanted to forget every assumption that had crossed my mind, forget every deceitful word that had left my lips. That wasn't me, that wasn't the Chloe I knew and longed for that existed a month ago. Where was she? Condemned to a small voice in the back of my head, one that shrunk by every piece of new information? Soon, I wouldn't even recognize her. Maybe she'd even disappear, leaving me with the new me, who evidently didn't care about her friends or anyone else around her for that matter. I decided right then that I hated my necromancer powers, and that I hated the Edison Group for taking away who I rightfully was. They'd pay, even if it was the last thing I ever did.

A flash of recognition displayed itself on Tori's face and she stood, knowing that I was in pain. "So, Simon and I are both turning into zombies some time soon," Tori said. "Of course it'd have to be him."

She groaned. "I'm calling dibs on Derek's brain," she joked.

I slightly smiled. It was nice to see that undead creep or not, Tori could still lighten the mood. A small spark ignited somewhere deep inside of me.

She started walking to the door when she stopped and faced me. "So, are you going to help me or not?"

This time, my cold eyes daggered straight into hers. "Give me one good reason why I should."

"Because instead of trying to figure it out on my own, I came to you for help." And with that, she left the room.

"It's getting dark out. Be back by nine."

Simon smirked reassuringly. "Sure thing, Andrew."

I stood awkwardly by Simon, who had been engaging in a conversation with Andrew for almost ten minutes. They talked casually, as if they had been best friends for years... which worried me. How much had I missed hiding out in the library? I had begun to feel like I was the ghost, waiting for someone to finally acknowledge my presence.

Andrew continued with his list of rules. "And remember, you can't start showing off and initiate any mysterious fogs. The Edison Group could be lurking around." His glare was solemn, although his lips were twisted into a small smile.

"Got it," A pause. "Wait, does this mean I can't levitate a monstrous bear if one crosses our path?"

"Only in a form of self-defense." Andrew winked.

Simon raised his fist, as if he was crying out in triumph. "Guess we've covered everything then," Simon said. I bit my lip to keep me from blurting out anything I'd regret. Simon's chilly hand wrapped around mine and a couple goosebumps appeared on my arm, distracting me from the words saturated with fury flashing through my mind. He looked straight at me for the first time tonight, his almond eyes overfilling with animation. "You ready, Chloe?"

I nodded, then offered him a tiny grin. Simon was unlocking the back door when Andrew called out, "Have fun!" Simon shot him a thumbs up while I released Simon's hand and sauntered out the back door and into the cold night. After ten seconds, Simon wandered out with me, quietly shutting the door behind him. He grasped my hand again, and this time, the goosebumps remained suppressed.

Simon stared directly into my eyes, and I couldn't help but squirm and glance away, although that same voice in my head screamed that that was a mistake, that I was doing this to make Simon happy, not for my own pleasure.

I felt his hands tremble in my own. "I'm really nervous."

I faced him. "Me too," I lied. An uncomfortable pause, then we decided that we only had an hour before our curfew would be hanging above our heads, reminding us that we could only have so much fun.

Once we stepped foot onto the grass, though, an urge started to fill my veins and occupy my mind. No matter how hard I bit my lip and buried my nails into my skin, the voice in my head chimed above all the rest, which, of course, were my more reasonable ones. And before I could prevent myself, I was asking Simon, "So, I'm guessing our date will be taking place in the woods?"

He stopped. "How did you know?"

I immediately glanced down at my feet. "You had been talking to Andrew about it for the past fifteen minutes."

I felt his eyes rest on me, inspecting. And they stayed there. And stayed there. And stayed there. Could he sense my aggravation? I wasn't that transparent... was I?

After what seemed like years had flown by, Simon finally spoke up. "Oh, uh, right. About that-"

I looked at him. "It's fine. It's only time we're wasting, right?" My burst of sarcasm astonished me, and apparently Simon as well, who was left with his mouth open wide. I wasn't sarcastic; that was an area left best to Tori and Derek. So, where did that come from?

Simon awkwardly reached behind his neck and scratched a bug bite that didn't exist. "Okay. Cool. We should hurry on then."

He squeezed my hand then pulled me forward and into the woods. Of course, he didn't say one word for the next five minutes of trekking over fallen pine cones and brittle leaves. His eyes were left vacant, as if lost in thought, and I could not decipher a single emotion. As much as I wanted to believe that he had forgotten about it, memories of the way he forcefully clutched my hand made me think that time was the last thing on his mind.

I mentally slapped myself. Our date hadn't even officially begun, and I was already acting like a jerk. I had to be on my best behavior for the rest of our date if I wanted to end the night with some peaceful sleep.

The next few minutes elapsed by sluggishly and each second that passed with silence only suffocated me more. My throat was crowded with the words I wanted to say, only they wouldn't leave my lips. Time hovered in front of me, before stabbing me in the heart and slicing me in two. I had to say something, anything, even if it was the most blameworthy thing I could think of. A long breath. "I'm sorry. You've been nothing but nice to me, and it's our first date, and I-"

"It's okay," Simon said lightly. He glanced down at me with a grin, then moved in closer. "I'm with you, aren't I?"

I couldn't help but let my mouth drop a bit. I'd had enough of lying to everyone, especially ones I cared about. The truth was choking me, fighting to get out. And frankly, I didn't think I could force it down anymore.

I released his icy hand and stopped. My arms immediately crossed across my chest to gather heat, but there was no use. The air was freezing. I let my arms hang at my side. "I-I can't do this."

The warmth in Simon's eyes slithered away. "Do what?" He placed a hand on my forearm. It was colder than ever.

I yanked my arm back. "I can't please you when it's killing me."

Simon's eyes traveled over my guilty face, my trembling hands, my feet rocking back-and-forth. I swear, they wandered over every inch of my body. After he was complete with his examination, he glared at me, and this time, the familiar Simon I knew and longed for was missing. "I understand."

My voice piped up. "You do?"

"Yeah," he said, making sure he displayed no emotions in his tone. "I understand completely."

"Good... great. I was worried that-"

"I understand that you don't trust me."

My heart dropped. "W-what? N-no, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you went around my back and whispered shit to Derek."

I stood there, baffled like a complete idiot. "I-I-I don't know where y-you got that idea."

"Earlier today, while you and Derek were 'chilling' in the library, I heard you. I heard every word. Especially the part about you thinking I stole your necklace," A shaking of his head. "No, I heard that part the loudest."

I bit my lip to restrain the tears, though one slipped out on its own. How could I be so stupid? How could I be so... cruel?

"Simon, I didn't mean for you to hear-"

"Which makes it hurt even worse," he snapped. He took one step away from me, although it seemed like we were miles apart.

I was at loss for words. Every time I started to speak, I cut myself off, afraid that what I had to say would be taken the wrong way. I mean, what could I say? That I trusted Derek far more than him, far more than anyone? That even though Simon went out of his way to make me feel welcome at Lyle House, while Derek just watched me fail miserably, I'd still run to Derek for advice any day? It was even difficult for me to comprehend myself. But, things had changed...

I choked on my words. "I-It's not what you think."

"No, it's exactly what I think." The night sky enveloped him and I had to struggle to see his appearance. Simon's eyes altered to black, his warm grin no where to be found. Eventually, he'd vanish into thin air, only to appear again to remind me that he was to blame, just as in my vision earlier.

Simon continued, venom oozing from his lips. "I mean, if you didn't like me this way, you could have just said so, instead of making me feel like a fool by going on a date with me."

"I've just been so confused lately. Strange things are happening and-"

"And me stealing your necklace isn't one of them." A moment of eerie silence. The only thing I could hear was the voice in the back of my head ringing, teasing me by saying, "I told you so!". Why didn't I believe it? Why didn't I just stop and think for once? I kicked the ground underneath me. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

"I thought I knew you, Chloe," A pause. "How could you?" I stared at the ground, not daring to lift my eyes to his. They were probably as dark as coal right now.

"Here," he muttered harshly. I heard him reach inside of his pocket and grab something wispy-like. He forcefully placed it into my hand. "Take it. I don't want it anymore."

A few footsteps and then complete stillness. I stole a peek only to find that Simon was no where to be found. I raised my head, confirming this. He had left me. In the middle of the forest. With no direction whatsoever.

I clutched the paper in my hand. I gingerly opened it, careful not to rip it as my hands were unsteady. A gasp. It was a beautiful sketch of me in my bedroom at Andrew's house. The area surrounding me was blurry, drawing complete focus to myself, relaxing on my bed and looking distant. I was sporting my shiny blonde hair with red streaks, which flowed carelessly over my dark green jacket. I was simple, yet poised and elegant. It was amazing how he could describe what I yearned for with a small stroke of a pencil. And, of course, around my neck was my pendant, which in the drawing was a glowing red. The tears from eyes fell onto the sheet, distorting the colors until they all ran off the page. Something inside of me snapped and without hesitancy, I tore the paper into hundreds of tiny pieces, now floating away in the wind. I slammed my back in a nearby tree and slid to the ground, the tears pouring down my cheeks. I covered my face with my cold arms, ashamed.

Insults jabbed towards me raced through my brain. Foolish. Callous. Irrational. Useless. Seemed like all four of these words could fit me perfectly.

My sorrow evolved into anger, and I slammed a fist into the earth below. All of the birds in the area grew silent, all of the leaves stayed in place. A second passed before the ground beneath me began to shake ferociously. I lifted my head. The woods around me sent multiple chills down my spine. An earthquake? In New York?

I warily stood on my feet. Something wasn't right...

As if on cue, a dozen dogs barked in the distance, sending me flying into the air. Once my heart was at a normal pace, the dogs stopped. No snarling, just a quiet forest, as it was before. They must have retreated.

I was beginning to head back in the direction I thought to be the house when they continued yelping again, and I noticed that they weren't just still here, they were getting closer.

Edison Group. They had found us- no, found me- and were in the process of tracking me down. Judging by the sound of the dogs, which now grew louder, they were only a minute, maybe only a few seconds, away. My instincts told me to rush back to the house, warn the others, but I couldn't act on them, at least not yet. I'd seen the movies with the heroine leading the villian straight to the others. I had even laughed at the stupidity of it all. For now, I'd have to hide long enough for the Edison Group to file out of the forest, so then I could successfully escape.

I glanced around me. The darkness concealed most good hiding places, but I managed to find a particularly thick bush. I was halfway covered when I halted. Two red orbs floated in front of my face, only inches away. My breath hitched. I was silently praying that it was a group of bees and I was disturbing their nest. But, unless these bees had consumed some red glowing chemical...

I hastily slid out from the bush. Hiding in infested shrubs proved to be a mistake. The seconds were ticking off in my head as the barking echoed. I panicked. If only Simon hadn't left me alone, then maybe we'd be safe by now. I shook my head in disgust. It was no time to be playing the blame game.

I raced towards an exceptionally tall tree and reached for the closest branch. After several failed attempts, I grabbed the limb and hoisted myself up. I repeated this until I was sure I was concealed by the tree's leaves and the darkness, then I sat hunched over, absolutely frozen, waiting. I didn't dare move a single muscle. The Edison Group would surely be equipped with special tools to help them find me.

Just as I took a small breath to relax my heart, I heard them. And they were closer than I thought. I could feel their presence beneath me, searching. Images of them flashed vividly in my head. Prodding through every shrub that their dogs noticed, annoyed when they found nothing. I just prayed that the dogs didn't pick my scent up in the tree.

Minutes passed. My ears didn't pick up any evidence that they still lingered in my area. I peered over the edge of the branch, shifting all of my weight to my left leg. I didn't see anything...

Snap! The branch flew out from under me and I found myself flailing through the air, landing on the ground with a hard thud. Pain shot through my skull and I winced. I delicately touched the back of my head, a red sticky substance staining my fingers. I brushed off my knees and then stood, holding onto the trunk of a tree as I did so.

My vision blurred and spun. Trees warped into huge rocks and vice versa. I bit firmly into my lip. I couldn't afford to lose conciousness, not now.

My eyes cleared and I could see what was around me. And I wasn't alone.

The red orbs I saw earlier multiplied into dozens, surrounding me, circling me. They got nearer and nearer until they stopped, forming a ring. It was then that I noticed they weren't mild bees. They were a pair of eyes.

Eyes attached to a dog. A vicious, scraggly, half-dead dog. And not just one... I counted ten.

They snarled their teeth, which was seeping with an odd green substance. The bile rose up in my throat. Some were missing body parts.

They stared at me- stared straight at me, as if peeking into my soul- for a solid ten seconds, before exchanging one last look with each other.

And then they charged at me.