What a horrible place, Sylphiel thought with a shudder as she walked into the jail and started breathing in through her mouth the avoid inhaling the putrid stink as much as possible. A guard stood to attention as she entered and Amelia walked the brief distance from the window to the bars of her cell. She looked miserable, her eyes were red rimmed and her face was puffy as she looked at Sylphiel with an expression of disbelief. "How did you stop her?" she asked incredulously.

Sylphiel smiled, "I broke the spell that Lina had placed on Mr. Greywards."

Amelia looked confused, "Spell?"

Sylphiel nodded, "Lina is an evil witch. She placed a spell on you, Mr. Greywards and my husband to make them do her bidding. But now I'm going to cleanse you."

Amelia shook her head and said, "Lina did no such thing!" as Luna fought her way through the crowd of townspeople to where Sylphiel was standing as the guard looked at her for directions.

Sylphiel made eye contact with Amelia, begging her to play along as she started doing the same song and dance routine she had with Zelgadis. But Amelia just stared at her in shock. Sylphiel locked eyes with her, "Amelia, please!"

Amelia shook her head as tears continued to dribble from her eyes, "I can't. I can't lie! I'm in here because I lied!"

Sylphiel grabbed her hands, "You're here because Lina put a spell on you. And I can get you out, but you just have to let me cleanse you!"

But Amelia shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't lie anymore, I can't!"

"There's a good girl." Luna said to Amelia before setting her sights on Sylphiel, "And now that's enough of this charade! And that's all this is, a charade played by a desperate, jilted wife to save face."

Sylphiel reddened as Amelia lowered her head. Sylphiel opened her mouth to retort when she heard Phil's booming voice from outside the jail crying, "Out of the way! Let us through!"

In seconds Phil was in the jail, followed by Christopher. "Let her out." Christopher ordered the guard.

"She lied during a missing person's investigation!" Luna insisted.

"That's enough!" Christopher said, "Your sister fled, the town is better off without her and good riddance!"

The guard fumbled with the keys for a minute and then undid the door. Amelia ran into Phil's arms and started sobbing. "Come on, let's get you home." He said as he sent Christopher a grateful look. Then he gathered his daughter and left.

Christopher glared at the citizens still crowded in the jail, "Show's over." He said.

They started to disperse. Sylphiel took a deep breath and started to head towards the door. "Sylphiel." Luna said.

"Yes?" Sylphiel asked as her anxiety ricocheted. She'd been so appalled by Luna's behavior earlier she hadn't even given much thought to what could happen should she evoke Luna's ire. But then, she had just lost her husband. What else could Luna do to her?

But Luna just smiled enigmatically, "Good luck picking up the pieces."

"Father!" Sylphiel screamed as she woke up.

The room was pitch black. It looked to be the dead of night! Sylphiel felt so disoriented as she heard someone get up from the room next to hers. In seconds her door opened, "Sylphiel?" her father asked, holding a candle. She could see her mother behind him.

She got up and ran to them, throwing her arms around them, "I had the most horrible dream!"

"Shh." Eruk said as he stroked her hair.

"It just felt so real." She whispered, "Like it had really happened."

She stopped suddenly feeling very foolish. Her husband leaving her was no reason to act like a child! "Sit down." Her mother said as she guided her back to the bed. "I'll make you a cup of tea."

Sylphiel nodded as Eruk set the candle on the bedside table. "What happened?"

Sylphiel shook her head, "It sounds so crazy. But I dreamt that a mad man had come to the city and destroyed it. You and everyone else I knew except for a handful of people were killed. And…"

She stopped. Eruk put a hand on her knee. "What is it?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "Father, I'm worried I'm losing my mind! But I dreamt that Lina's delusions were reality, that she was a powerful sorceress who was fighting the madman!"

Eruk pulled her into a sideways hug and patted her shoulder reassuringly, "You're just trying to make sense of why he left you. If she was a powerful enchantress it would make sense."

Sylphiel bit her lip nervously. Eruk was probably right. But the dream felt so real and was so detailed that it felt more like a memory than a dream!

Her mother walked in and handed her a steaming cup of tea. Sylphiel gave her a small smile as she accepted it. She sat down beside her and wrapped her in a hug as Eruk said, "Look, Sylphiel, you'd better not tell anyone else about this dream. We don't need any rumors going around that you're going Lina's way."

Sylphiel nodded as Eruk continued, "It's bad enough, the circumstances. People are probably already speculating about you, wondering what's wrong."

"Eruk!" her mother said in admonishment.

"It's okay." Sylphiel said as she worked to stifle the dull ache in her head, "I know he's just saying what people are thinking."

Not to mention what I'm thinking. What is wrong with me!?

"We have to work hard to repair our image after this." Eruk continued.

Sylphiel nodded as she took a long sip of tea, "I will. I won't talk about this again." She took a deep breath, "Thanks for checking in on me. I think I'll be okay now."

Her parents smiled as they got up and wished her a good night. But after they left Sylphiel lay awake in bed, images from the dream playing through her mind and frightening in their familiarity.

Amelia lay listlessly in her bed. Though the sun was out, she could not gather the gumption to get up and get the day started. Humiliation over having been arrested and thrown in jail coursed through her. She simply could not get up and face people after what had happened. Everyone now knew she was a liar who had been sent to jail. It was unbearable!

Amelia pulled the pillow over her head as someone knocked at the door. She heard Phil walk down the hallway to answer it. "Zelgadis?" he asked, "Are you wanting to see Amelia?"

"Please."

"Come in." Phil said, "I'll get her."

Amelia closed her eyes. She was having a hard time even summoning the willpower to talk to him. What if he was mad at her for forcing him into such a position? But before she could think about it too much her father was at her door, "Zelgadis is here." He said.

Amelia pulled the pillow off her face and sat up. She owed it him to face him. "Just a minute."

She pulled a robe over her nightdress and slipped out of her room, keeping her eyes downcast, barely looking up when Zel asked, "Amelia?"

"I'm so sorry." She said.

"Why?"

"If I hadn't lied then Luna never would have…"

Zel reached out and grabbed her shoulders, "I wanted to help them. It's not your fault."

"I shouldn't have put you in that position," Amelia said as she broke down into sobs, "It must have been horrible for you!"

He brushed her hair from her face, "Stop doing this to yourself! Look, I don't blame you, but I need to know you'll be okay."

Amelia scowled, "Why?"

"I have to leave, Amelia." He said, "I can't stay here anymore. People will poke around my cave to look at the freak."

Amelia went stiff for a moment, "So you're going to leave me, too."

Zel squeezed her shoulders, "I'm sorry. But I can't stay here."

"If I had only…"

"I was planning to leave even before this happened!" Zel yelled, "As soon as Luna found my cave I knew I would have to leave."

Amelia looked at the floor, "I don't deserve to have anyone."

Zel put his finger under her chin and tilted it so she would look at him, "You deserve so much more than me. And you will find that person."

Amelia shut her eyes tightly and then ran back into her bedroom and slammed the door. Zel shook his head in frustration. This had not been how he'd expected their last meeting to go. But at least he'd gotten to say goodbye even if it hadn't been well received.

Zel was about to let himself out when Phil walked in, "You know, we really could use an extra hand here." He said.

Zel sighed, "Under different circumstances."

Phil nodded, "Take care then."

Someone was pounding at the door. Amelia groaned and pulled the pillow over her ears and wondered when her father would answer it. While it was most likely a customer, Amelia could not completely drown the hope that it was her sister, finally returned after years away, or even Zelgadis having a change of heart. But deep inside she knew they would never return for her.

Whoever was at the door kept knocking, and her father did not answer. Amelia groaned in annoyance and got out of bed. She knew that she looked a mess with her face red and puffy and her hair disheveled, but she couldn't bring herself to care too much as she walked down the hallway and opened the door.

"What?" Amelia asked as she saw Luna.

"I need to see your father." Luna said as she walked in without being invited.

Amelia looked at her warily, "What about?"

"That's no concern of yours."

Amelia debated between going back to her room or following Luna down the hallway. In the end, her anxiety was high enough to override the overwhelming depression she was feeling, so she followed Luna. "Phil!" Luna called as she reached his office and pushed open the door.

Amelia felt the world lurch as she saw her father collapsed over his desk. "Daddy!" she screamed as she ran to him and grabbed his hand. It was stone cold. He had been dead for hours.

Zelgadis bit back tears as he continued to walk forward. Leaving Amelia had been agonizing, but it was the right decision. While he had known some kindness from a few of the townspeople, even as he was being healed, crueler villagers had poked their heads around to stare at him. He would be a sideshow freak if he tried to make a life for himself there with Amelia. He could not live with that.

But it still hurt.

He moved off the trail to sit on a boulder and grabbed his canteen and drank deeply. That was when he noticed a group of men on horseback on the horizon. Zel stayed off trail to let them pass, and was a little alarmed when they stopped. His stomach curled as he recognized several of Luna's men.

"Zelgadis Greywards?" one of them asked as he dismounted.

"Yes." He asked tiredly. Out in the middle of nowhere he wouldn't put it past them to beat him.

"You're under arrest." He said, "For the murder of Philionel the Scribe."