Chapter 27

'She was my Sen Khine,' Catilin frowned for a moment, 'one of the six?'

'I can't say fur sure she's one of they six, but a Sen Khine is more than likely,' Nurse Guillyham tilted her head. 'Youse not encounter one before now I take?'

'No,' she hesitated. 'Wait… yes, I did, back when I was on Sil all by myself, I met one then. But not one of the six. I'm the oldest of the six so I couldn't have met one of them back then. But I did meet a Sen Khine, but… she didn't call me Sister or anything I don't think…'

'Something happened I take lassie?'

'I… I'm not sure… it was back when my mind was kinda foggy, I don't really remember a whole lot.'

'Y'know there's a deep bound between a person and their Sen Khine that extends beyond all reality.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean it just as it sounds lassie.'

For a few long moments Catilin was silent. Then a strange thought began to dawn on her.

'This isn't your reality, is it?'

'Realm dear, and no youse wouldnea be far wrong there.'

'And it's not mine either, is it?' She lowered her head.

'What would make youse say that?'

'Because I'm not in Kansas anymore.'

'Were you ever,' Nurse Guillyham shot her a strange look.

'No, it's what Sister said; I think it was some kind of quote from something, it seemed familiar somehow, but I think it means I'm not where I belong.'

'Does it now?'

'Have you not heard of it either?'

At that a strange smirk pulled its way across Nurse Guillyham's face. A deep chuckle then began to roll out of her like a barrel down a hill.

'Aye lassie, I've heard of it; but the expression on yur face was worth it.'

For a moment Catilin narrowed her eyes on her, then she joined in with the Nurse's laughter. There was something some refreshing about the act of laughing that almost made Catilin forget where she was. As there laughter slowly died, Catilin found herself meeting and holding Nurse Guillyham's gaze with a strange kind of seriousness.

'So this isn't Kansas, is it?'

'I'm afraid not lassie,' the Nurse's voice was steady, 'not for either one of us.'

'But why?'

'Why what lassie?'

'Why did the Teen bring me here?'

'Where better t bring someone youse trying to make appear mad, then somewhere where everything they say will…'

'Make them look mad,' Catilin finished.

'Aye lassie.'

'What kind of reality is this?'

'Again, Realm dear, and I'm afraid I cannea answer that for y'lassie.'

'Why not?'

'It's not allowed.'

'What do you mean?'

'Just that it's not allowed lassie, tha's all you need to know.'

Helen felt as though she'd been doing nothing but thinking the last few days. It wasn't that she minded the meditate nature of it, more that what she was thinking of didn't exactly sit well with her.

'I love him, I love him not,' the words were almost sarcastic as she found herself half wishing she had some poor flower to pull the petals off of.

Something about the thought of plucking petals off of a flower suddenly felt cruel to her. She didn't know what it was exactly, but she the thought of being cruel just left her feeling kind of cold inside. Sighing heavily to herself, she got up from the bed and made her way towards the window. In the whole time she'd been here she'd not bothered to check the view from her window, something about the thought of it had always seemed rather grim to her.

Now that she was looking out of it, however, she couldn't help but wonder why she'd delayed it. Although the view was grimacingly dark, she also found it strangely beautiful. Hell wasn't a barren hole like a lot of Giya was; it had a life of its own. A life which flourished despite its miserable conditions. A life which felt so somehow so…

'I love him, I love him not,' she found herself climbing onto the windowsill. 'I want to be Queen, I don't want to be Queen,' with her feet hanging over the drop, she stared down at the ground far below, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. 'I wanna spend eternity in hell, I don't wanna spend eternity in hell,' closing her eyes she began pushing herself out of the window. 'I want his child…'

'What are you doing,' a voice sounded from the room.

Glancing back she saw a small child staring up at her. There was something familiar about the child's face, but Helen couldn't be sure what it was.

'What are you doing here,' Helen pulled herself back in slightly, 'this place isn't safe.'

'Why not?'

'Because…' she frowned. 'Wait, are you a demon?'

'A what,' the girl blinked at her strangely.

Pulling herself back in, she jumped back down into her room and approached the child. Kneeling down next to her Helen was instantly hit with a strong sense of unbelievable power. At that a strange smile appeared on her face.

'I think you know exactly what I'm talking about little girl.'

'Do I,' the girl maintained her innocent act.

'I can sense your power.'

'So you haven't forgotten how to do that then,' the child smirked.

'Why would I?'

'Oh I don't know, the lure of evil blocking out all your other senses maybe,' as she spoke the girl transformed into a pixie like ghost.

'What the…' Helen stepped back slightly. 'Why…?'

'Because I can,' the phantom pixie laughed. 'I can do anything I want.'

'You're the one Ni warned me about,' she gasped.

'You mean Ni feels threatened enough about me to lie?'

'He wouldn't lie to me.'

'He's the devil Helen, of course he'll lie to you.'

'And you won't?'

'I never said that, now did I?'

'What do you want?'

For a few moments the phantom was silent, then she turned away slightly.

'Don't marry him Helen, you've a better destiny than the one he has in store for you.'

'How do you know that?'

'Because he knows it,' her voice was firm, 'that's how.'