We arrive at Court during the evening of the second day. Cranmer and Cromwell are waiting for me. "Gentlemen." I nod to them as I get off my horse. "I do apologise for I behaved the other day."
"While our noble king was surprised that you ran off with Wiltshire without a word, he said he would send you a letter wishing you the best," Cromwell says, "but he refused to fill the seat you left on the Council."
"Which is partly why I am here. Things did not work out with Wiltshire. I do not love him." As I say the words, I realise they are true. The only reason why I thought I loved Tom—Thomas—was because he offered me freedom.
"Love? Love does not—"
Cranmer holds up his hand, silencing Cromwell. "It is good to see you, Emma. While I am saddened that things did not work out with the Earl of Wiltshire, I am glad you are here." He looks past me. "Who are your friends?"
"This is Matilda and Alice, Your Grace. They are here to assist me."
Cranmer nods. "Do you trust them?"
"They are fellow hybrids, and Mummy trusts them."

Cranmer leads us inside and to the room I used to share with my parents. "His Majesty said this will be your room if you ever returned."
I look around the familiar room and find a candle. I hold it up, and Cranmer uses his to light it. "Are you going to serve Queen Jane?"
"The real Jane has been kidnapped. I need your help to find and rescue her."
Cranmer nods. "I will do my best to assist you." He begins walking towards the door. "I shall see you in the morning." He heads out of the room and shuts the door.

Matilda smiles as she unpacks one of our trunks. "We are going to love it here."
I shrug. "Court is a dangerous place. You need to keep your wits about you." I look at the two hybrids. Matilda is looking up from her needlework that she is unpacking, while Alice turns from the window. "This is nothing like Hybrid Palace. If you anger the wrong person, you—"
"Could lose your life?" Alice asks. "Remember that priest you killed the other day?"
How can I forget? He always had a bad word for the hybrids Mummy helped. "I'm surprised he stayed there for so long. Didn't he say that all hybrids go to Hell?"
Alice nods. "While you and Sarah Jane were away, he rounded up the babies and toddlers before anyone could stop him. He threw the babies on a pyre and watched them scream and burn." Her brown eyes fill with tears. "We saved some of the toddlers, but..." Her voice wobbles, and she closes her eyes. "I had to watch my little brother burn."
"Wh—ho—" I struggle to find the right words.
"That devil deserved all the pain he got and more."
"If I knew, I would have let you torture him."

Matilda joins Alice and hugs her. "We were too scared to tell either of you what happened."
"Mummy will try to ensure it will not happen again."
"I know." Alice dries her eyes. "Sarah Jane is a good woman, but even she has her limits."
"I agree with the first bit." Matilda picks up her needlework and shoves it into Alice's hands. "Why don't you continue it? I will sort out Emma."
"But I will ruin your work."
"Nonsense!" She forces Alice to sit on a stool and uses the flickering candle to light a fire. I smile as the flames leap and dance in the darkness. Matilda begins unpinning and untying me from my dress and slips a nightgown over my head.

My dreams that night are plagued by Jane trapped in a tower room. The stone walls are bare, and the wooden floors freezing under my feet. She looks up at me, her green eyes full of tears. "Emma," she rasps. Her voice has changed drastically since I last met her. "You need to get out of here."
"No, not without you." I find a candle burning on a table and put it on the floor near Jane. "I will get you out of here."
Jane is handcuffed to the wall. I grab the chains and start pulling. It doesn't even creak or groan. I pant as I try to think of other options.

Someone laughs in the darkness. I pick up the candle and walk towards the doorway. A figure is standing there with her back to me. She has blonde hair tied in a ponytail and wearing modern clothes. "Emma, what is it going to take for you to give up on Jane?" I realise that is Esther's voice.
"Nothing, because I'm not giving up on her!"
"You will now." The woman turns round to reveal Mum. "Give Jane up, or I will kill—"
She doesn't even need to finish her sentence as I start screaming.

"My lady!" I wake up to Matilda shaking me. "My lady, are you all right?"
"Since when did you start calling me that?"
"Since Cranmer believes we are your servants." She and Alice give me concerned looks. "Are you all right."
I sit up and hang my legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine when we find Jane." I hope that is the truth, because if Luke and Jane are right, we won't find her until Christmas. "First, we must discover who is in Jane's place. Once we know that, we can hopefully narrow down the list of people who kidnapped her."
"Or you could contact your brother and ask what happened."

Of course, I still have my phone. It is still an option. But do I want to rely on what people in the future tell me? It would not be as exciting, but it might mean we find Jane sooner. I cannot let Jane suffer.

I begin searching for my phone when someone knocks on the door. Alice opens it to reveal Cranmer. "Ah, Mistress Smith—what are you doing?"
"I'm searching for my phone." I get up from my hands and knees after looking under the bed. "My brother said that Jane has been kidnapped, and I hope to call him. He might give us more answers."
"What is a phone?"
I am about to explain when I stop myself. How on earth can I explain a mobile phone to someone who will most likely never leave Tudor England? I sigh as I think about it. "It is a device that allows me to talk to people when they are not nearby. It is also a way to send messages and take portraits and even moving portraits."
Cranmer looks stunned, and I don't blame him. "Do you need such a thing to call your brother?"
"Luke is not in this time, and it's the only thing I can use to contact him. I'm sure I had it with me." I begin patting myself down and checking my pockets and find it. "Oh, thank goodness." I open my messages and text Luke.

InEveryAge: Hey, did Jane say who kidnapped her?
GeekSmith-White: No, but it was a Qetesh with pink tentacles and a matching stomach. She thinks that the colour of the tentacles and stomach show what family the Qetesh belongs to, unless they are children, which means their stomachs are red until they begin going through puberty.

That gives me some answers about my own situation, and it certainly points to Captain Smith being my father. At least it also shows how we can identify some Qetesh.

I don't think I've ever seen one with pink tentacles. Not even the other hybrids have pink tentacles! How am I supposed to find her?