As Diana and Sage trudged on through the misty forest, the shadows grew darker and darker. Eventually, all Diana could see was the light at the tip of Sage's wand, and the hand holding it.

A couple of times Sage would stop and ask for directions, and once she had to jump into a battle and save two young students who were about to be defeated. The students reminded Diana of Ryan and Alex. The thought just made her more worried, as she couldn't stand to imagine her little brother and sister questing in this dark place.

Finally, Sage paused. They were standing in an empty, very desolate sort of clearing. It seemed to belong to somebody, because there were iron gates around it. There were two openings, one leading back into the forest that they had come from, another forming an archway. Behind the archway though, there was just a wide stretch of flattened grass.

"We're here," Sage said in a trembling voice, "this is Morganthe's palace."

Diana frowned. "What palace?" There wasn't a stone in sight, let alone a whole castle. Sage stepped forward and held out her hand. She put it right next to the archway.

Diana waited for the hand to go right through, but instead it met some invisible resistance. Sage pushed harder, and a small blot of color appeared. It was a dark purplish gray, it seemed to be a kind of rocky wall.

Sage lifted her wand and swished it in front of the spot, and the color grew, forming walls and a roof, towers with ramparts, the archway became a set of heavy wooden doors.

"Remember," Sage said, "don't join any fight unless I really need help. And then, don't try any magic if I have the chance to heal myself."

Diana nodded, only half listening. Sage glanced at her for a moment, before leaning against the door and pushing with all her might. It slowly swung open, making a loud creaking noise. There was nobody on the first floor, but a long spiral staircase. They climbed in silence, only stopping when they came to the landing. The stairs didn't continue; they were at the top. There was a door just on their right.

Sage took a deep breath and opened the door. There didn't seem to be anyone around. She started across the room, when a voice stopped her.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The voice was loud and clear, yet sort of raspy at the same time. A huge bee creature flew into view, blocking the doorway on the other side.

"The Shadow Queen will not see anyone today, unless they would like to join her army," the bee continued. "And you don't look like much that she would want. But," the bee added, peering at Diana, "I'm sure she would be very interested in you... very interested indeed..."

Before Diana could ask what the bee meant, Sage called out, "We haven't come to join the Shadow Queen's army. We have come to challenge her!"

The bee flew lower. "To challenge the Queen, you'll have to get through me first!"

Sage sighed. She reached into her bag and pulled out a deck of spell cards. She took out a few, shuffled them, then ran forward, ready to confront the bee.

The monstrous creature didn't stand a chance against the Ravenwood valedictorian.

Sage summoned power pips faster than Diana could eat her favorite chocolate cake, and the bee was soon brought down by two ice wyverns and a forest lord.

Sage ran back to where Diana stood, and fished around in her backpack. She took out a small purple potion bottle, and gulped it down. Instantly, her cuts healed and she looked alive and full of energy.

"Let's go," Sage said. Diana remembered what was in her pocket, and reached down to make sure it was still there. It was, and unless it was her imagination, the Shadow Pip was pulsing with a little more force. Sage looked at her skeptically, and Diana immediately withdrew her hand and shrugged.

The two girls walked across the room, and when they reached the door, Sage blocked her.

"Don't come in," she whispered, "not unless I call for you."

Diana nodded and stepped back as Sage opened the door. She could see a dark figure standing with her back to them. The figure was standing over a large cauldron and whispering something.

"Morganthe!" Sage called, startling the woman so that she dropped the heavy tome she was holding. Morganthe turned around.

"What do you want?" she snapped. "I told Ambrose. I won't stop! Soon, the whole Spiral will be mine!"

Sage shook her head, "Not if I can help it!" She shrugged off her backpack and took out an ornately carved golden box. She removed the lid, it was full of golden spell cards.

"Very well," Morganthe sighed. "We duel."

Sage ran forward, casting a Tempest right away. Morganthe responded with a Scarecrow, which reached so far that Diana had to leap away from the door to avoid getting hit.

Sage battled more fiercely than Diana had ever seen her before. It was all going rather well until Morganthe healed herself. Diana could tell Sage was running out of spells. But Sage didn't call for her. She kept going, using her last Tempest, and reshuffling her deck to get more. Then a Shadow Pip appeared at Morganthe's feet. Morganthe's face grew a malicious smile.

"You must have known, young wizard," she began, "that you cannot defeat me." The. She cast a Shadow Spell. Immediately, Morganthe became taller, darker, rising up until she was a towering, shrouded figure draped in black.

Sage gasped, and was almost wiped out by Morganthe's sudden heckhound.

"Diana!" Sage practically shrieked, "I need you to join!" Diana ran into the room, and skidded to a halt outside the battle circle.

"In my backpack!" Sage yelled. "The extra stuff!"

Diana reached into the backpack, and pulled out a long, blue combat robe and a matching pointed hat. She threw them on quickly, then her hand closed around- a wand.

Gripping her new weapon and gaining confidence, Diana joined the battle. Sage managed to heal, but not very well. Diana felt the power of the wand, but there was something stopping her; no pips were appearing at her feet. Diana groaned. She had been so stupid. After all this, her horrible curse of a disability was stopping her from saving her best friend's life.

Giving a yell of frustration and anger, Diana fell to her knees, partly from the force of Morganthe's meteor strike.

Then she remembered, and her hand flew to her pocket. She took out the Shadow Pip, and threw it upon the ground at her feet. Sage gasped, and Morganthe's eyes narrowed.

Diana finally felt something she had never experienced before: power, and magic.

Her instincts guided her to cast the Shadow Spell, and her Shadow form was bigger and more powerful than Morganthe's.

It only took one Judgement spell. Diana even hit critical. When the combat circle disappeared, Diana went back to her regular form.

Sage was standing, open mouthed and shaking, as Diana wiped dust off the wand.

"How... how did you...?" Sage mumbled.

"I don't know." Diana whispered. "Come on. Lets go home. Merle Ambrose might have some explaining to do."