Andrew looked all around at the grand entrance hall at the Rydell mansion. He had not met the captain yet and he didn't want their first meeting to be now. He didn't trust the captain's son and was wary. The boy had said Ebony was here in his house. There had to be something that Nikolaus was not telling him about. Men did not go around rescuing people from dungeons without having ulterior motives. Andrew did not even know if he was telling the truth or not. Ebony could be safe back at the Gilded Leopard and Nikolaus could be lying. There were so many things that didn't add up with the man's story. Andrew kept alert as he followed Nikolaus through the lavish hallways to a bedroom. Upon entering, Andrew could tell this was not some spare room, but Nikolaus's own personal chambers. Ebony was sitting in the center of his bed with two large black dogs. Seeing his little sister in some strange man's bed made him want to throttle Nikolaus then and there, but for Ebony's sake he refrained. He wanted to hear her side of the story first before jumping to too many conclusions. She looked well at least and that was something.

"Andrew!" She said in surprise. Ebony crawled off the bed and the two dogs jumped after her. "What are you doing here?"

Andrew opened his arms and Ebony stepped closer for a hug. "Nikolaus has told me some interesting stories about what has been going on these last few days. I am wondering if there is any truth to what he says."

"Kol wouldn't lie," Ebony quickly said - too quickly for Andrew's liking. It sounded suspicious to him that his sister would so readily jump to defend such a man.

"Still I want to hear the truth from your lips."

With head bowed, Nikolaus opened the door and stepped out. "I'll leave you two alone. I'm sure there is something I can learn from my father about what he knows about the mockery escape."

Once he was gone, Andrew pressed his sister for what had happened and what Nikolaus's motives in all this were. She pulled him over to sit on one of the couches and the dogs followed. By how familiar she was with Nikolaus's pets, Andrew could tell this was not the first time she had been here. The urge to throttle the man came back instantly. "Giselle has gone mad." Ebony started. "First she used a spell to make me obsessed with this horrible man. I barely escaped him. She is bent on getting Christian for herself because she thinks he likes me better, but he doesn't. She is so deceived by her jealousy that she thinks that I am in love with the prince. She said I deserved to be locked up and then that horrible mockery came…"

Ebony shivered and Andrew put his hand on where hers were restlessly fidgeting in her lap. "It's going to be alright. I'm here now. So Giselle is set of destroying you at any cost?"

His sister nodded. Andrew had always known that their stepsisters could be cruel and spiteful, but he never thought Giselle would be capable of this. He knew he would not allow Ebony anywhere near Giselle again. Even if he had to take her with him on patrols, he would make sure that she stayed well away from their insane stepsister. She would be happier with him. News of Victoria's wedding had spread and if Giselle was caught Ebony would be returning home alone. He knew she hated living in that town even though she never said. Everyone was always too dazzled by Giselle and Victoria to pay much attention to Ebony. Somehow he would find a way to take his little sister away from all that.

"What about this Nikolaus, what is his role in all of this?"

"Kol is my…friend." Andrew caught the pause and Ebony's glance to the door. "He has done more for me than I can ever hope to repay. He is the kindest person I have ever met."

Nikolaus did not seem very kind to Andrew. From the moment he introduced himself as the captain's son there seemed to be some undercurrent of animosity towards Andrew which made him untrustworthy. He was glad that Nikolaus seemed to have taken care of Ebony after her ordeal with Giselle, but he had to have other intentions. "Has he asked for you to repay him in any way?"

Ebony shook her head. "He hasn't asked for anything. Even though I thought perhaps," Ebony did not finish her sentence and looked down at the ground.

There was sadness in her voice that Andrew did not like. "You thought what?"

"I was just being silly. He is already engaged and it was wrong of me to assume. I shouldn't have kissed him at the ball because he already had Paislee."

Andrew's eyes widened. It sounded like Ebony wanted to marry Nikolaus, but that couldn't be. He was absolutely certain that the arrogant rich boy was not worthy of his little sister. Still, it hurt him to hear the sadness in her voice. "You love him." It was not a question.

"It doesn't matter. He is marrying someone else soon."

Andrew remembered Nikolaus's hands when he had laid the sword before him at the tavern. "He was not wearing a wedding band. It would be odd for him to not wear it if he is getting married soon. Are you sure he is engaged?"

The door opened and Kol came in. "My father won't tell me much about the mockery. He did say that there would be extra guards posted around the palace tonight just in case. He doesn't want me to worry. The ball will be held in the garden ballroom so if we can get the mockery out into the gardens we can keep the people attending the ball safe. I'm sure I can find a guard somewhere that I know and explain what is going on. If they are alerted of the danger then they will know what to look for. I think you should stay here though, Ebb. It won't be safe for you there where you could be confused for the mockery. In a case like this, the men are instructed to kill first and ask questions later."

Ebony stood up in defiance. "I am not staying here while you two go and face what is possibly the most dangerous beast imaginable. I read those books. If I am there the mockery will be weaker and easier to fight. You won't stand a chance if it is at full power. I'm going with you."

"Nikolaus is right, Ebony. I won't risk your life." Andrew tried to talk some sense into his sister. He had seen this look before though and she was not going to give an inch on her decision.

"No, I am not going to let you two do the fighting for me while I sit back and wait around for news that you have either won or died. I couldn't bear it. If you want me to stay here then you are going to have to drug me or tie me up because I will not be staying willingly."

"You will be safe here and you are staying," Andrew ordered.

Ebony crossed her arms. "No, I am not. If you two want to go off and fight the mockery I'm coming to help."

"Then you will need this," Nikolaus stepped forward and offered Ebony the small silver dagger he had gotten from that woman. "It is silver and will be able to hurt the mockery."

"What are you doing?" Andrew bellowed. "She cannot come, it's too dangerous!"

Nikolaus would not even look at Andrew. He was watching Ebony as if trying to memorize her face. Now Andrew knew that this boy was too foolish and headstrong to be trusted with his little sister. He could not fathom why Ebony was in love with him. She was not the type to fall so easily for a handsome face.

"She has a right to fight for her own sake. The mockery is impersonating her after all. Ebb is right; we do not stand a chance with the mockery being at full strength. There is also the little detail of the transference of pain. If the mockery is injured then Ebb is as well. I don't know about you, but I do not want her locked in here writhing in agony because we cannot see how much pain she is in. If she is there she can tell us what is linking her to the mockery so we can destroy it. She doesn't have to face the mockery in combat, but it would be better for her to be nearby." Nikolaus explained much to Andrew's annoyance. He still didn't want his sister anywhere near that monster, but what Nikolaus said made sense.

"Fine, you can come," Andrew conceded. "But you have to stay away from the fighting. I don't want you hurt."

Ebony attached the dagger to her belt. "Then let's go. It's only a two hours until people start arriving for the ball. We have to be ready by then."

Are you ready for the final showdown?