11

The afternoon sunlight was bright as I sat in the courtyard and looked up at the clear blue sky. In the warm air, it almost felt like the horrors of the night before had never even happened.

The light of day tended to make the terrors of the night like fleeting nightmares to me. It seemed like a fitting analogy when I thought about everything. Perhaps Heaven and Hell were just like night and day too.

The morning had been very quiet; much more than I would've imagined. Chris and I had gotten up early and we'd found Zane already downstairs in the den. He had a stack of seven thick leather-bound volumes on the coffee table in front of him, and was looking through the eighth one, which was laid out on his lap. He'd barely even noticed us for his concentration.

"You're up early with this." Chris pointed out as we walked over to him.

"I wanted to get a head start, considering I don't think we'll have a lot of time. Even if Jade's barrier is strong, there's still a chance of betrayal from within if it's a known Fallen." Zane responded, not bothering to look up from his reading.

"You really think someone here would do that?" I asked as I sat beside him.

I glanced at the book that was currently open on his lap but couldn't make heads or tails of the weird writing in it. It reminded me of ancient Greek or something along those lines.

"I'd hope not, but I'm also not one to take a lot of chances. Just give me some time. I will figure this out for you." Zane promised.

"You're making a lot of bold promises this morning."

The three of us looked over to see Saffron standing in the doorway. He was leaning on the left side of it with his arms crossed, watching us with disinterest. Even his eyes seemed a bit blank. If he was feeling something about this, he was hiding it well.

Chris frowned at him, "You know about last night then?"

"I sensed it, but I'm not surprised. I figured that one might target her eventually. It's not only those angels that you have to watch out for in our world. You all are well aware of that." Saffron replied.

I glanced at my pendant, "Do you know what Jade had to do?" I asked him.

Saffron shrugged, looking towards the nearby window, "I'm aware. The stone was cracked as it was, so there was no choice." he answered, sounding just as indifferent as before. Yet I had the distinct sense that he was disgusted now. He just wasn't owning up to it, most likely out of foolish pride.

Zane glanced up at him, "If you know some of what has happened, are you aware of which one it was?" he asked.

"If I was, do you believe that I would tell you?"

"You realize that it may be in Ariana's best interest if you do, especially if one related to this Fallen is among us." Zane reasoned.

Saffron brushed him off, "Even if that's the case, there is no concern. She is here among you three who have tended to protect her, so there is no reason for me to tell you such a thing." he responded. He then disappeared in a flash of shadows.

"Bastard." Chris muttered.

"It doesn't matter. I can still figure this out with or without his help. Besides, I'm certain that if there was immediate danger, he'd more than likely handle it. He is rather protective." Zane reasoned, turning back to his book.

Zane's words echoed in my mind as I sat under that tree and looked at the sky through the leaves. He did have a point about Saffron being protective before, but that didn't seem like it was the case now. Saffron had seemed awful indifferent to me when we'd seen him that morning. I wondered if he was getting tired of me because I wasn't buying into his acts anymore. Maybe that was a deal breaker for him, or maybe I'd crossed the line in implicating that he may have actually loved my mother.

Still, I knew that there was no changing what was already done.

I thought about going back into the house and finding something to do now. Chris and Will were looking into things with Zane. They'd figured that maybe they could save time if all three of them researched together. I'd sat with them and looked at the books I could actually read for a while, but soon found that I needed some fresh air to clear my head. All of that reading about Fallen Angels and the Levels of Hell was starting to get to me.

I suddenly became aware of a shadow falling over me. I opened my eyes to see Lennox standing there.

"I didn't think I'd find you out here. I was certain that you'd be staying with the rest of them after that scary little encounter I heard you had last night." he commented.

"I'm not in the mood for your games right now. Go away." I responded.

"You really don't like me too much, do you? But I guess I deserve that. I do have a bad habit of letting myself get under people's skin." Lennox admitted, not bothering to move.

"I said leave me alone." I repeated.

I thought about getting up but decided to hold my ground. If anything, Chris might see him out there and come out to set him straight again.

Lennox didn't listen. He stepped over and sat down beside me, "Now don't be like that. Just hear me out, okay? Barely anyone does anymore, and it gets a bit disheartening."

I sighed, deciding to give in just a little. It couldn't hurt anything. Chris had said that the ones like him were usually persecuted more. Maybe I was being too harsh.

But I wasn't letting him off so easily either, "I get that, but you know that you didn't exactly make the best impression on me in the last few days. You're not that nice."

"I'm well aware of that fact, and I will apologize for it, though I can't deny that it's in my nature too. I'm sure that Christoff has decided to at least level with you a bit about my father. I regret to say that some of it does come from that bloodline. We're born cynics unfortunately." Lennox admitted.

"So why talk to me now? Are you worried about Chris and the others catching you or something? Because you know they can see out here." I reminded him.

"I know, but I'm not worried about them. I just thought this might be a better time to speak to you one on one. I am curious about you too. You're not like the other females I've gotten to meet before. You actually stood up to your father last night and you harmed him as well, whether you meant to or not. That's a pretty amazing feat. I'm quite impressed." Lennox continued.

"You are huh?" I gave him my most suspicious look.

"I am." Lennox responded. He raised his right knee and tapped a long, slender finger lightly on it, "It's not every day that you get to see such a thing with the ones like us, and to top it off, you've got some incredible power that Saffron's locked within you. I find myself wondering if Jade even knew about it before this. I figure that he must have, considering the interest he's taken in you. Jade's never interested in anything unless it suits him for his own gains."

"And what would he have to gain with my power?" I asked him.

I was getting interested in what Lennox was saying now. Although a part of me took it half-heartedly, I knew that some of it might be lies mixed with the truth. Perhaps Lennox had an insight that the rest of us didn't, given his more neutral position with me.

Lennox smiled, "What wouldn't he have? He has to consider that Christoff is very much in love with you. There's really no doubt when one looks at the hard time he gave him over seeing you again. On top of that, Jade has his own very complicated relationship with Saffron and the soul that was your mother's. Perhaps he even sees you as a piece of them melded together. It's such an odd thing when one thinks about it."

I stayed quiet, letting his words sink in. Seeing me as a piece of Saffron and my mother's soul. That actually did make a lot of sense when I thought about it, and it didn't hurt that Chris tended to give him such a hard time over me. I could only imagine the fights they'd had as Chris was recovering without me.

"Now you understand more of this." Lennox continued, "Jade had good reason to intervene like he did last night. He wants to keep you around for his own benefit. He may even hope to force Saffron out of the picture. An easier task when you yourself don't really like him being around. But who could blame you? Saffron's smothered you your entire life. He hid the truth from you, and that could've cost you your life if Chris hadn't been so hell bent on finding you before you awoke. There's really no reason to feel anymore attachment to him when all he does is use you as he deems necessary."

His words stung a little, but at the same time, I knew they were the truth. Saffron hadn't really helped me that much in my life. Even when I thought he'd been good to me, he'd still been hiding so much from me; and when he'd been locked away, he hadn't been able to tell me the truth about what I really was. Did he expect that Mama would do it? Or did he just assume that Chris would find me and take care of things? Either way, what he'd done was anything but fair. Maybe he did deserve to lose me.

"What do you say? Are my words true?" Lennox asked, leaning a bit closer as he looked into my eyes.

I hesitated as I looked at him. All at once, I was feeling more than uncomfortable with this. Just what was Lennox trying to do here? It really seemed like he was deliberately planting seeds of doubt in my mind against Saffron. But I couldn't get where such a thing would've benefited him. Why would he care if Saffron and I parted ways?

The tense moment was interrupted by someone stepping in front of us. I fully expected to see Chris there when I looked up, but it turned out to be Israfel. I felt surprised as I looked at him. For a moment, I could've sworn I was looking at the silhouette of someone else; someone I'd only seen once before yet would've known anywhere.

"My, my Lennox. I wouldn't have thought that I'd find you out here, and with our young lady nonetheless." Israfel commented.

Lennox immediately stood up, "I simply wished to speak with her when I had the chance. If you'll excuse me." he said, brushing past him to get back into the house. He seemed angry now. Something about Israfel's presence seemed to have upset him.

Israfel wasn't bothered by his attitude, "No surprise there. He certainly hasn't liked me since I came here. But I do think that at times I offend his sense of being, considering they tended to like my personality much better." he commented. He offered me a hand to help me up.

"You almost sound like you're bragging." I noted.

Israfel laughed, "I suppose I am to an extent. I admit that I do like thinking that I have a better personality then him, but one can't blame others for their faults."

I glanced towards the house where Lennox had gone in. The door had slammed shut, as was his signature exit when he was mad, and there was no sign of him now.

"Did you need me for something?" I asked, deciding that it was better to change the subject. No telling where such a conversation could end up.

"Not really. I just saw you sitting out here, and I became curious when I noticed that he'd joined you. I do feel like it was better that I stepped in though. Lennox seems to have a tendency to cause trouble between people, and I'm sure that he'd enjoy feeding the fire between you and Saffron at this moment, given his own rocky ground with his father." Israfel admitted.

"You might be right. He didn't seem to have a problem with talking down about Saffron." I agreed.

I felt a bit relived that he'd brought that up. I already had my doubts about Saffron, and I didn't need anyone adding to them, which was apparently what Lennox was doing.

Israfel gently patted my shoulder, "Don't worry yourself too much about all of that. I'm sure things will work out as they need to in time."

I stared into his eyes as he said that. This couldn't have been, yet I felt so certain of it.

"Hey Israfel, are you...?" I started.

But before I could finish my question, I was interrupted by someone calling my name. It sounded like Zane.

"Ariana, are you still out here?"

I quickly pulled myself together, "I'm here!" I called back.

Zane came out from the nearby glass doors. He seemed relieved to see that I was with Israfel.

"Ah, there you are. We were starting to get worried. It's been over an hour."

I looked at my watch, "Wow, you're right. I didn't think I'd been out here that long."

"Time can fly when you let yourself relax, but there's no harm in it. This is a very safe place for you." Israfel assured me.

"Did you go out this morning Israfel? We haven't seen you up until now." Zane noted. He seemed calm as he spoke to him, almost like he was grateful to see that he was still there.

"I did actually. I wanted to check up on a few things of my own. I'm sorry if I had any of you worried." Israfel apologized.

"It's fine. With what's been going on recently, we're just a little on edge, but I couldn't see you causing any trouble either." Zane admitted.

"Not at all, although you may want to be careful about that other one. He seems to mean well, but he could drive the rift for Ariana a little deeper without realizing it." Israfel warned him.

I had the distinct feeling that Israfel was covering slightly for Lennox. That was admirable. He must have known about the tensions with him, yet he wasn't feeding into them.

As for me, I was a little more wary of Lennox now. He'd been way too eager about throwing Saffron under the bus.

Zane seemed to agree, "I see. I can't say that it's that surprising, but we'll just keep an eye on it for now. In the meantime, it might be better for us to bring Ariana back inside. The afternoon's wearing on and being out in the twilight isn't always good around here." he suggested.

"Don't remind me." I complained, walking with them back to the house.

Zane laughed, "Even bad memories are worth keeping to learn lessons." he reminded me.

It was bittersweet to see Zane look so happy now. It seemed like all the sadness that had troubled him for so long was somehow washed away. I didn't quite get it. Just what had happened to him after Saffron had taken me? Or more precisely, what had Israfel done to him?

The questions bugged me throughout the rest of the afternoon. Even sitting in the kitchen and watching Zane fix dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Hey Zane, can I talk to you about something?" I finally spoke up.

I glanced around to make sure that it was just the two of us. Right before this, Jade had come back and requested to talk to Chris and Will alone about something. I suspected that it may have had something to do with my nightmare the night before.

"Yes? What is it?" Zane replied as he cut up some of the greens for dinner.

"What exactly happened after Saffron took me back in Fallsburg? Don't take this the wrong way, but you've been acting really different since I got here." I told him.

"You really think so?" Zane responded, looking puzzled.

I rested my cheek against my hand, "I know so. It's not that you've been strange or rude or anything like that. You just seem... I don't know... happier."

Zane shook his head as he turned back to what he was doing with a content look on his face.

"You may be right. I have been feeling much happier than I've been in a long time. I admit that it was a long road for me to make it to this. I have Israfel to thank for that." he confessed.

"It is something that Israfel did?" I asked.

"Yes and no." Zane responded, continuing his work, "Part of this had to come from me as well. I had to be willing to let go of many things, but once I allowed myself to do so, it allowed Israfel to cleanse my mind, so to speak. Honestly, I've never felt so new before. Even though I am what I am, I feel like my existence isn't so much of a curse now. My mind actually feels free of the burden."

"Free of burden." I mumbled.

I wondered what that felt like. I didn't think I'd ever know at this point with how much was on my own mind.

I didn't get long to think about it before we heard a commotion from the nearby hallway.

"Absolutely not! We're not doing it!" Chris declared as he stormed in.

"There is no choice, Chris! You heard what Jade said. If we keep her here, she will be in danger. The best thing we can do is to start allowing him to train her and hope we can break some of that stone's hold on her power." Will reasoned as he followed him in. He looked as unhappy as Chris was about whatever had just happened.

"It's all a convenient excuse for him to get close to her. In case you've forgotten, Jade doesn't even like that she exists in the first place, and with Saffron here, he'll use her however he can, just to get back at him!" Chris argued.

"Stop being so damn stubborn about this! We don't have a choice! We cannot train her ourselves!" Will shot back.

Zane stopped what he was doing to look at them, "Sounds like this hasn't gone well." he noted.

"No, it hasn't." Will replied, the red flashing in his eyes. He was clearly trying to control his temper.

"Just calm down and let's talk like civilized people about this." Zane instructed them. He gestured for them to sit at the table with me. He continued once they did, "Now, as we think about this, why don't we consider you trying to train her on this blocked power?"

"I'd love to, but I can't. I could help her control them with a flex seal if that stone is broken completely, but I can't teach her to harness them otherwise. It's just not something I know how to do, and none of them have ever taught me." Will admitted. He looked frustrated as he tapped his fingers on the table.

"I get that, but like I said, it's not a good idea to let Jade just take over. I know my father. He could really end up hurting her without realizing it. He's not going to go easy on her just because she happens to be a female, and to add to that, she's Saffron's kid. That'll probably affect him too." Chris explained.

Zane sighed in resignation, "Is there really any choice though? Just stop and think about it for a moment. We've already put Ariana at a bit of a disadvantage for the fact that we've tended to be overprotective. All three of us are very guilty of that." he reminded them.

"We know that, but this is completely different. I can't sit here and just let Jade take over. I think we did fine before with teaching her at least a little bit about fighting and defending herself. The trick now is to get her to figure out the power inside of her and let her harness it little by little. I think it would go better that way with us." Chris reasoned.

"Maybe, but seriously, I can't even feel that right now, so that's going to be really hard." I told him.

Chris wasn't giving up, "We can probably figure that out with some meditation, but I'm not going for Jade's suggestion. I just can't see it turning out good for her."

He wasn't budging at all, and the other two seemed to realize that. Will made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat.

"Okay, I get that, but we're going to have to work fast. My father's been on the move, and that stalemate that they've had in the Heavens isn't going to last that long. If we can't teach her more defense, then she'll be a sitting duck when they decide to attack again." he reminded us.

"You really think they will?" Zane asked, concern showing in his green eyes.

"I don't doubt it. This whole thing can't end that easily." Will told him.

Avision passed before my eyes as he spoke, but it didn't make much sense. It looked like the inside of a large church. There was a giant stained-glass window in the ceiling and the large room had pews with a center aisle that led up to a large altar. Standing at that altar were two small figures with beautiful multicolored wings coming from their back and where their ears should've been.

But as quickly as I saw it, the vision was gone. I was again at the table listening to the three Shadow Wings with me argue about what to do with my locked power.

"Then we fight and make sure that she's protected. We've been able to do it before." Chris was saying.

"And we've met with disaster before. Don't forget the last time that Judiel descended. You nearly got yourself killed defending her. Certainly, you don't want to put us, let alone her, through that heartache again." Zane reminded him.

"I'm a lot stronger this time. I could probably handle the situation better." Chris responded.

"Strength along isn't enough. Not against the ones like him. We need to make sure that there are no hitches with this redemption that's being attempted, and I believe that Ariana has become a key player to those Seraphs that want it to happen. She is the one who is proving to them that we have no ill intentions and are no different in reality then their half breeds. That's why it's important that we train her properly and keep her safe." Will told them.

"You really think that I'm that important to those Seraphs?" I asked him.

"Trust me, I know you are, and the thing is, you're important to the Fallen as well, although it's a very different reason for them." Will answered.

Chris agreed, "It's because they want to use you to prevent any redemption from happening. They know that if they can make you look like you're an evil being, then the Higher Ones and even the Holy Trinity may change their minds."

"But why me? Why not judge our race as a whole?" I pointed out.

"It's painfully simple." Zane responded, "It's because you were the one who came to them."

I looked down, "But I wasn't trying to. It seemed like I was drawn to Kinsley Martell."

"Perhaps you were, but the facts remain as they are, and it puts us in a hard position too. Either we make sure that you don't get corrupted and become strong enough to stand at least somewhat on your own, or we lose everything we're working so hard for." Will went on.

He grunted in frustration, slamming his fist on the tabletop. The loud bang echoed through the large room. I could see a large crack in the table where he'd hit it.

Chris glared at him, "Don't lose your temper. You said you don't want to scare her, remember?"

"Yes." Will breathed. He stood up, "Excuse me for a while."

We watched as he walked out. Zane frowned as he turned to us.

"This isn't good. Perhaps you shouldn't have argued the point so much Christoff." he quietly stated.

"The point needs to be argued from time to time, and he knows it. It's not like he's that comfortable with all of this either. He knows the risks of letting Jade take control." Chris retorted.

Zane sighed, "Perhaps you're right."

I looked back at the doorway, thinking about Will's reaction to all of this. He certainly had seemed upset over the options. But they weren't good ones either. I considered whether or not I should talk to Saffron about all of this. Maybe he'd offer some insight if I played my cards right.

"And by the way, don't even think of asking Saffron for help with this. He may only make things worse." Chris added, looking over at me as he stood up.

"You really think he would?" I asked as I stood with him.

"Trust me, I know all about how they do. It's better if you consider keeping your ties strained for now." Chris warned me.

I followed him as he went out to the foyer, "Wait a minute, Chris. Don't just walk out on me!" I complained.

Chris stopped, suddenly pulling me into a hug.

"Chris?" I managed to say after a moment of shock.

"I'm sorry. Just give me a minute, okay?" Chris whispered back. He sounded like he was shaken up.

I stood still, holding onto him and wondering what was going on. It was starting to worry me. Could he have known something more about this that I didn't?

He finally spoke again, "Sorry. I needed to do this with everything that's been happening."

"Okay. I guess I could get that, but seriously, is there something else going on?" I asked as I stood back and faced him.

Chris shook his head, "No, and I mean that. It's all me this time. I've just been worried about what could happen now. I didn't think things would get this out of hand." he confessed.

"You really think that this power inside of me is that bad?" I guessed.

"No, I don't think it's really a bad thing, but it's not good that we can't help you control it, and it's frustrating all of us because of that, especially me." Chris explained.

"No kidding. It seems like it's really doing that to Will too."

Chris let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair, "Yeah. I think it's a bit more than you know, but Will's just like that. He's always tried to make things better for those under him, and it bothers him when he feels like he can't."

I definitely believed that one. It made sense when I looked back on everything that had already happened. Will was always trying to help us. Even during that frightening argument that he'd gotten into with Chris after the fight with Norma. Will had proven his point to Chris when he won that fight, and in doing so he'd made Chris realize that he did have a flaw that he needed to think about. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if Will really was wiser then he liked to let on.

"I could see that, and I'll talk to him about it later, but seriously, please stop worrying so much about me. If I have to let Jade train me, then I have to. I'll be okay. I promise." I reassured him.

Chris smiled, shaking his head in resignation, "Alright. I get it, but it still doesn't mean I have to like it."

Zane looked out of the doorway as he said this, "You know, I could still use some help in here. That is unless I'm interrupting something important." he teased.

Chris and I both laughed. Of course Zane was going to make fun of us when he could. It had always been his habit before. In a way, it felt good. The mood was finally starting to lighten a little bit.

"Okay, we're coming." Chris told him as he patted my back.

The next few hours passed by very peacefully. Though there was no sign of Jade or Saffron deciding to show up again, the Shadow Wings in the house seemed to converge at least for a meal. While Lennox didn't seem that thrilled with that, he held back on any real complaining. For their part, Chris and the others seemed to lay off him too. I was kind of glad of that. We needed some peace to pull ourselves back together.

Washing the dishes after our meal in the kitchen, I reflected on all of that. A part of me felt a bit of pity towards Lennox. Watching him like I had, I was beginning to think that it was very difficult for him to feel like he fit in with the rest of us. Was that because of who his father was?

But at the same time, I considered that none of us asked for this existence. Lennox certainly hadn't been asking to be born with this curse over his head. Maybe he wasn't exactly the nicest Shadow Wing. Maybe he was a born troublemaker, but he was still one of us.

A hand reached over and picked up one of the dishes in the rack. I glanced over and saw Lennox standing there with a towel in his hand.

"I thought you might like some extra help." he said, keeping a poker face as he began drying the dish.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." I responded, looking back at the sink. I hadn't been expecting this and wasn't sure of what else to say.

"It's no problem."

The kitchen was quiet for a few minutes as we worked. I could hear the sounds of birds fading outside with the incoming darkness. Looking up at the window over the sink, I felt a bit sad. Another day gone, and we were still no closer to finishing things.

Lennox finally spoke up again, "By the way, thanks for allowing me to speak with you earlier. I hope I didn't cause any more trouble."

I looked back at him, "It's fine, although you could've left the stuff about Saffron alone. It's been a little hard dealing with him lately." I confessed.

"I see. Sorry. It's just a terrible habit I tend to have when something interests me enough. I just have to know what the other party may be feeling." Lennox apologized.

"You're basically saying you're just nosey." I surmised. I was being blunt, but he seemed to bring that out in me.

Lennox laughed as he finished drying the dishes and put them away, "You know, you really are something. I'm beginning to see why the others have become so fond of you."

"Are you trying to say that you might actually like me a little?" I teased, drying my hands and turning to face him.

"You could say that." Lennox teased back, "But there was something that I wanted to speak to you about earlier. I just didn't like the fact that Israfel happened to come out there and interrupt us. As you may understand, I am not as trusting for a Shadow Wing that I do not know that well."

"I guess I could understand that." I looked around us, but it seemed that we were still alone, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's something that might be able to help you. I tried to mention it to Will, but he never takes the time to listen to me. They all tend to do that with me anymore. But I think I know what I'm talking about. I believe that I may have an answer on helping you find that power sealed within you on your own." he explained.

Now he had my full attention, "You're serious? You know a way?"

"I'm fairly sure that I do." Lennox confirmed. He reached over and held my hand, "It's actually something I've seen before with the more powerful Shadow Wings who had a hard time connecting with what they had within them. There's a special mirror that you can look into and will reflect what's hidden inside. That mirror is right in this house."

"It is?" I said in disbelief.

"Indeed so. It's part of Jade's collection here. I could take you to it, and we could use that to help you." Lennox offered.

His offer was very tempting. A mirror that could tap into what was inside of me and show me what I needed to see. But at the same time, I was a bit wary.

"It sounds good, but why wouldn't Will suggest that in the first place? He's been just as desperate as any of them to help me without turning to Jade." I reasoned.

"I understand where you're worried, but you have no reason to be suspicious of me. Will isn't even aware that the mirror is here, and as I said, he really doesn't feel like he has any time to listen to me. It's not like Jade is going to offer up the information either. After all, he wants you to himself for whatever he's planning. But I managed to find it when I was exploring earlier, and I immediately thought of how it may help you." Lennox explained.

That did make sense. Jade wouldn't have offered up that information to any of them, and more than likely, Will had pushed Lennox aside in hearing suggestions because he didn't believe that the mirror was anywhere close to there.

Looking down at my pendant, I made up my mind. I wasn't going to let Jade control anymore of my destiny if I didn't have to.

"Okay. Then show me where it is."

Lennox quickly agreed, "Yes. Come. Let's get down there before those others come back to look for you."

Maybe following him without telling the others anything about this wasn't the smartest thing to do, but at the same time, I was so determined to make all of this stop that I just didn't care, so I allowed Lennox to lead me to where the mirror was.

The wooden stairs creaked as the two of us slowly walked down to the basement of the house. It was very dark there, and I had to strain my eyes a bit to see. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, Lennox reached up and pulled the cord to a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. It illuminated a large, grey room with a dirt floor. All around us was furniture covered by dusty sheets.

Lennox looked towards the very back wall, "It's over here."

I followed him around the covered pieces until we came to a large piece sitting against the back wall. It stood slightly taller than Lennox, and I could feel a strange energy coming from under the dirty sheet.

Lennox pulled the sheet off, revealing a large, oval shaped mirror that was set in ordinate brass. I felt a slight chill run up my spine as I saw our reflections within the glass. Even though they seemed crystal clear, there was something that felt off about our eyes.

Lennox took a step back, "This is it. Go ahead and touch it. It will show you what you need to know." he instructed.

"Okay." I reluctantly agreed.

I took a step closer, determined to give this a try, and gently laid my hand against the glass of the mirror. It was very cold, like touching ice. Looking at my reflection, I waited to see if anything showed up, but I couldn't see anything different.

What am I supposed to be looking for? I wondered.

"What in the world is going on here?!"

I turned my head to see Zane standing across the room by the stairs, looking shocked.

Lennox huffed, "So you noticed us." he muttered.

Zane quickly tried to come towards us, but Lennox raised his hand. In a flash, the covered furniture was thrust in his way to block him.

"What are you doing?" I demanded as I began turning away from the mirror.

But as I did, I suddenly felt something grab my hand. I stared in disbelief as my own reflection smiled evilly at me and grasped my hand through the mirror.

"Ariana, get away from there!" Zane yelled.

"Too late boy." my reflection said, although it spoke in a deep, menacing voice. I immediately recognized it as the same one from my nightmare.

I struggled to pull my hand free, but it was no use. Zane brought out his wings, pushing the furniture away with all his strength. Will and Chris were coming down there now as well.

"Stop them! He's handed her to him!" Zane yelled at them.

My arm was already halfway pulled into the mirror as he said this.

"Chris!" I yelled, pulling as hard as I could.

But the grip was too strong. Before I knew it, I was completely pulled inside the mirror and into a terrible darkness. The cold surrounded me, pulling the breath out of my lungs, and all I heard were two words:

"Got you."