"Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous things to make – bombs, for instance, or strawberry shortcake – if you make even the tiniest mistake you can find yourself in terrible trouble. Making assumptions simply means believing things are a certain way with little or no evidence that shows you are correct, and you can see at once how this can lead to trouble." – Lemony Snicket, The Austere Academy.

I woke to find a man's lips upon my own, and though the weight of a body against mine was frightening, I felt myself react without thought. Attacking with the full force of my arms and legs, I beat the offending force till it was removed from me and I found myself suitably restrained. It took me a moment longer to realise I was no longer trapped in my vision or being attacked by an unknown man, but that I was back in the Castle with Raff and my friends.

Breathing deeply, I tried to calm my beating heart. My hands shook, so I clenched them into fists. It helped, slightly. I felt clammy and frail and could only imagine what I looked like. I was grateful when Maya handed me a large slice of chocolate cake and I welcomed the sweet treat into my mouth with gusto. I ate like a starving man and though I felt a little better, I couldn't shake off the fear and the fighting instinct that the vision had filled me with.

Valarie had been convinced that her attacker had been Victor Madden, come for his vengeance before she'd thought of it being anyone else, but I was convinced that her attacker was someone else. Since the attacker hadn't been unmasked, I had no way of knowing who it truly was.

"What happened?" asked Maya, concern evident from the wrinkle in her brow. "You were so peaceful and then suddenly you were twisting around like the bed was on fire. We were worried."

"Things were jumbled. I saw two different points in Valarie's history. I never see things in the right order, I can only make sense of what I've seen when I return to the present."

"What scared you so? You were fighting Raff like your life depended on it."

"Sometime during Valarie's time at Flyzroy, a man accosted her in the gardens. Raff was away I think, and she was enjoying time spent outside. When the sun started to go down, she chose a longer route to the Castle so that she might enjoy the garden for a little longer. Soon, she felt she was being watched and it quickly escalated with her being chased across the grounds. The unknown man came up behind her and restrained her. She fought hard and tried to unmask him, but he was too strong. She thought her attacker to be Victor Madden, come to take his revenge against her rejection."

"Impossible," breathed Raff.

"Why? Valarie believe it could be him and it certainly fits the theory. He had motive to hurt her and probably worked out that the Valarie staying with you was the same that had once spurned him."

"It is impossible because I know Victor and he would not have left London unless it was urgent."

"Maybe you just didn't know him enough. I've seen his darker side and it's not pretty. He definitely had it in him to hurt Valarie and he practically told her that he would someday kill her."

I don't know why I was arguing with Raff when part of me knew it hadn't been Victor Madden that had chased Valarie across the Castle gardens.

"Valarie probably deserved it. She wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy. She was cold and calculating and I wasn't the first person she played the game of love with. I'm sure that Victor wasn't the only one that got burned by her."

"Of course, I forgot that that Valarie was a liar and a cheat. She couldn't possibly have moment of clarity where she spoke the truth," I said sarcastically. "She was so scared in the garden Raff, terrified that her life was about to be ended. The man was earing a top had and carrying a cane, wasn't Victor partial to those things?"

"So was half of society, Valera. You're clutching at straws here, trying to fuel your assumption that it could have been Victor and only him. There are lines Valera, and you're crossing one right now."

"Why are you so determined that it not be him? I was the one in the vision, I'm the one who feels everything Valarie does. Every thought and feeling she has is shared with me!"

"Did you actually see him? Did you see the face of the attacker?"

No but—"

"Circe Valera! You must stop this. Whatever you or Valarie might have thought, Victor Madden wasn't involved. You need to drop this personal vendetta against the Madden family because it's getting in the way of what's important. I think you've spent so much time in Valarie's past that you've started to become her. Don't cross the lines here, your experiences are your own and so are Valarie's, but they don't cross. At least, I didn't think they did, now I'm not so sure..."

Raff got up from her bedside and stormed from the room in a furious manner. I watched him go with a heavy heart and a stomach churning with betrayal and guilt.

"People tend to speak vaguely when they're angry," said Ben. "It couldn't have been Victor. I remember the night in question because Valarie wouldn't talk about it. I was the one who found her, and I comforted her as best I could. It was impossible for it to have been Victor because Raff was away conducting business with both Victor and Victor's father."

I found myself in a tight spot, but this was one of my own making. I hadn't meant to make Raff so angry and it seemed now that he wasn't the only one who was annoyed with me. The twins, Georgina and Freya, couldn't make eye contact with me and were starring dejectedly at the floor, while Ben just looked disappointed. Maggie was glaring at me with thunder in her eyes and she quickly pushed everyone from the room until only Maya remained.

"Don't look at me like that, you brought this on yourself," said Maya.

I was unaware that I was looking at her any particular way.

"I don't understand why everyone is angry at me when you all encouraged me to 'seek out a vision.'"

"Well, maybe we were wrong in that. Perhaps we shouldn't have pushed you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Valera, that person who argued with Raff wasn't you."

"What do you mean? Of course, it was me."

"No, it wasn't. You were mean and judgemental. The Valera I know would never act like that. Besides, we'd already ruled Victor out as a suspect, what made you consider him again?"

"Maybe I had a change of heart."

It was hard hearing these words. Tear streamed down my face as Maya slapped me. I was so unprepared for it that I'd got the full force of the slap. My skin burned and flamed red in response.

"Snap out of it Valera and stop acting like the Valarie that everyone hated. I don't know what happens when you go into a vision, but you have got to remember that you and Valarie are not the same person. Don't become her or you're going to find yourself completely alone here."

"I didn't, I don't—"

"Somewhere in this Castle is a man that cares for you deeply and you've wounded him. This man isn't like any other. The devotion he held for one woman got him into this mess but his devotion to you will kill him if you don't sort things out."

"You're all so quick to condemn me but you are resistant to hearing how difficult it is living this double life. You are all so quick to want the details but never have you asked what it is like for me. The curse is what is important here, but no one cares how the information comes, as long as they get it."

"Don't play the pity card Valera."

"I'm not. I'm just opening your eyes to what this experience has been like. You can judge me all you like for my actions but yours haven't been plain sailing either. The way I see it, everyone is as fault here. We've been so concerned about ending this curse that we've forgotten to look after the people it affects. Did you really have my best interests at heart when you decided to make me force a vision? Or was it just a desperate attempt to learn more and put me at risk?"

I maintained eye contact with Maya, taking in every detail of her face before I turned to leave.

"Remember who you are Valera, because you're a pretty special person."

"Perhaps you should take note of those words yourself."

My stomach churned but I forced myself to walk away with my head held high. I could think of many factors that were at fault in this situation. It wasn't just hanging over my shoulders like everyone seemed to believe. I wondered how long people had been confusing me with Valarie, it was impossible not to take on some of her traits when I was connected to her with the visions, but I knew my own heart and I knew who I was.

I felt the whole ordeal was a bubble of emotions. Blaming my behaviour on Valarie was an easy escape. When actually, I had just been standing up for myself in the face of a group of people who seemed resistant to listen to the views of the one who could save them. Yes, I did want it to be Victor Madden because that would have been easy, but no, I wasn't resistant to other theories. My anger came from Raff refusing to listen to me, I began pushing an idea I didn't really believe in because he wouldn't accept what I had seen with my own eyes.

I wasn't being stubborn, I could take blame when blame was due, but I was angry with the others for heaping it all on me and for being reluctant to admit they had a hand in the blame. Mostly I was just angry that I had given into peer pressure and forced a vision when I had known it wasn't a good idea. I wished I had been stronger but perhaps there would still be a chance for me to be the strong woman I knew I could be.

'Stop, please.'

I turned in the hallway but there was no one there.

'You don't understand.'

Again, I stopped but I could see no one in the hallway with me. I suspected that I was just overthinking again. The visions always scrambled my brain and left me feeling tired and drained. I was surely imagining things.

'He means everything to me.'

'He means nothing, and you will leave here.'

I stopped for the third time and this time I knew that I hadn't imagined the voices. If only I could figure out who was speaking.

'Please, you don't understand.'

'I am your ending. I am the hell that's been waiting for you. Don't you recognise me?'

'It can't be...but why?'

Turning in circles, I strained to hear more. The air around me was cold to the touch and the hairs on my arms were a standing salute. I knew one of the voices was Valarie's, but I couldn't work out the others.

'We have a long story, you and I'

'You left me,' whispered Valarie.

'I never left you. I have been with you since infancy.'

'How is that possible?'

'You'll find out on your last night.'

'My last night where?' asked Valarie.

'Your last night alive, my sweet.'

I swallowed the lump in my throat as the voices disappeared. I'd been expecting to see the ghost of Valarie but had been more scared by not seeing an apparition. I knew not what it was about the voices that had scared me so, but as I tried to regulate my breathing, I knew I must continue my search for Raff and put this unsettling experience behind me. The last thing I needed was to blur the lines between Valarie and I even more than they already were. Even if what I'd heard had been fear inducing, I couldn't fixate on it.

With one final look over my shoulder, I continued down the corridor. The voices might have gone silent, but I had a feeling that the darkness still lingered.