(This'll be a short chapter, but I hope it's not too bad)

Chapter 3: Branded

When Overstrand had left the room, Lucian smirked to himself. Of course she would say no, were the others stupid? Yes, they were.

"Do anyone got an idéa about who could join?" Augustus asked. Lucian was close to snort. He was emperor and he had no idéa.

"Maybe Phileus Porter, Naomi's brother?" Darius suggested. Naomi grimaced.

"No, he's so childish." she said, "What about one of Melchior's sons... Joseph- or whatever his name now is- what about him?" Augustus snorted.

"No." he answerd coldly and sighed again.

"Errol, what do you think?" Naomi asked Errol Nolan. The fat man disgusted Lucian more than anything. Errol were (in Lucian's opinion) more alike a pig than a human with his light pink skin, and all his body-fat. Lucian was quite athletic and he was tall, but no one liked him because he was rude, cruel and violent. Not to mention cold and cunning. Or well, he was married, but it was not a happy marriage. And he had his brother, who was much younger than him.

"I don't know." Errol said, and looked down. He was very shy, and not even a wizard. Hector thought that it was a shame that they even had people who weren't wizards in the Wise Seven. If he was emperor...

"I have an idéa." Lucian said, "There is this... this man called Gwayne." Naomi pursed her lips.

"Well, yes, but I've heard horrable things about him." she said.

"Only gossip." Lucian snapped.

"So that the young girl's death is only gossip?" Naomi snapped back.

"Take it easy, you two." Oberon Woodall hissed. He had darke skin, and wizard green eyes. His voice was rough, and he was too strong for Lucian, who didn't like when people was stronger than him in any way.

"It's late." Augustus said, "We can take this tomorrow, instead." Errol, Darius and Goddwin muttered assenting. The Wise Seven (or more like the Wise Six) left the room.

It was about midnight when someone knocked at Naomi's cabin. Naomi moaned, and pulled on her dressing-gown. Then she went to the door to open. Directly when she opend the door, something- or someone- attacked her, and pushed her up against the door. The man, Naomi supposed it was a man, ripped a whole in her dressing-gown and her nightdress.

"What are you doing!" Naomi, who had problem to talk loudly because of a spell that the man had thrown at her, hissed. Fortunatley the spell didn't work so good.

"Shut up!" the man snapped.

"Lucian!" she squealed. The man, also know as Lucian, pulled out a- Naomi couldn't believe it- seal. Her seal, with her family crest on it.

"Rolac!" Lucian whispered, and the seal got red by the warmth. (A/N 'Rolac' is 'Calor' backwards, and 'Calor' is 'Heat' in Latin.)

"What the hell are you doing!?" Naomi exclaimed, as Lucian pushed the seal towards her stomach, a few inches over her navel. She cried out in pain as the seal burned into her skin and flesh, but Lucian put an hand over her mouth. No one would be able to hear her. Tears begun to stream down her eyes.

"What do you want?" she tried to say, and even though it barely was hearable Lucian understood.

"Not a word about this, okay?" he hissed, still pushing the seal into her skin, but he took away the hand over her mouth.

"I won't say anything! Please, just stop it!" Naomi pleaded.

"And you votes as I do, otherwise something very bad will happend." Lucian commanded. The pain that the seal caused begun to be unedurable.

"Yes!" Naomi cried, and Lucian letted her go. Naomi fell down at the floor.

"And not a word about this little... visit." he said, as he closed the door. Naomi putted a hand over the brand. It still felt like her skin was burning on the spot, and she looked down at the brand. The brand was her family crest, which depicted a graceful 'P', with an owl over it. Naomi was too shocked to really understand anything. It had to be a dream. She didn't like Lucian at all, but Lucian wasn't evil, was he? No, if she just'd went back to sleep, it would show up that everyting just was a dream. Just a silly dream. Naomi went back to her bed, and closed her eyes. When she'd woke up, everything would be fine.

(A/N As said; short.)