Lords and ladies stood about as my parents sat beside James. Taking a deep breath, I took a seat beside him. He looked over, smiling, and squeezed my hand. My mother picked at the food before her not eating much.

"Have you told them?" I asked

"Not yet. I was waiting for you."

Nodding my head, I turned my attention to the rest of the people. Chewing the inside of my cheeks, I wished my stomach would stop churning. At least for a moment. There was no way I could tell my parents that I was leaving again. Not so soon. They would never have it.

"Are you alright, Evelyn?" Father asked.

"Yes. Quite well, father. Thank you," I mumbled.

The image of James's arm engulfed in flame burned in my mind. I couldn't forget it.

What kind of accident did he have? Why would his father never tell him of his forced bonding?

James took my hand and led me around the great table to the dance floor. Music wafted through the air as the minstrels began to play. James held me close enough that I could smell the distinct smell of his cigars and fire. My cheeks burned as I glanced about us and noticed so many of the nobles staring at us. We were inappropriately close. Even for an engaged couple.

"People are staring."

"I don't care about them, Elie."

"They will talk."

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"No."

"How do you want to tell your parents?"

"About what?" I asked, attempting to seem oblivious to our matter at hand.

"You know what, Evelyn."

"I don't know. They're not going to take it easily."

I closed my eyes as we twirled about the floor, the music seemed so distant. I wanted to spin off the dance floor with James and run away. Run as far from all the problems as we could go.

"Do you want to get out of here?" James asked.

"Yes. Very much so."

James bowed to me, held out his arm for me to hold, and ushered me past everyone. They bowed and curtsied as we strolled past. Once we escaped the confines of the great hall, he broke into a run pulling me behind. My heart sped up as we burst through the front doors into the cool Scottish night. My breath puffed up like little white wisps of smoke as we ran across the front lawn. He slowed only once the castle was out of sight. A shiver ran up my spine as the cold night air seeped through my thick dress.

"Where are we going?" I asked through chattering teeth.

"Not much further."

"It's so cold."

"I know. I promise we're almost there."

We broached the forest and squeezed through the heavy brush and trees that seemed to be closing in on us. A tree branch seemed to reach out and slap me in the face. The stinging echoed throughout my head as warm liquid slid down my face. I reached up, wiping it away.

"I'm bleeding."

"What?"

"I was hit in the face with a tree branch."

"Sorry. We're almost there."

More trees seemed to reach out for us. The skirt of my gown was caught on something; I reached down and tugged on the fabric until I heard a rip.

Elizabeth is going to be furious.

We breached the tree line and entered a circular clearing. James led me to the center and stopped. The moon hung high in the sky, casting eerie shadows around us. It was so dark I couldn't see much further in front of my face. The wind blew across the field, bustling my skirts about my legs.

"Why are we here?" I asked quietly.

"We're waiting."

"W-waiting?"

"Yes. Be still and you'll see."

I pursed my lips and clutched James's arm. I wasn't sure what we were waiting for or why we were in the center of a field. In the distance, a small blue flame-like light seemed to appear from nowhere. It hovered above the ground as if it invited us to go towards it. I took a step forward, but James grabbed my arm.

"Wait."

"I don't understand."

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"It's a wisp."

"A wisp?" I asked. "Those don't exist."

"You've seen dragons, magic, and immortals while here and a wisp is unbelievable?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I suppose it fits in with the way life has been going."

As I watched the small wisp intensify more appeared, forming a trail into the opposite end of the clearing.

"Now we go."

"Go? Where?"

"Wherever they lead us," James said.

"Aren't they deadly? Won't they take us to our death?"

"They haven't led me astray as of yet."

"You've followed them before?" I inquired as we walked across the clearing.

"Yes."

The blue glow of the wisp lit up James's face. He appeared hypnotized by the fire that bounced in front of us. Releasing James's arm, I reached out to touch the wisp. My fingers went through the cool flame. My hand and arm tingled as it traveled up my arm.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"I don't know. I've never tried to touch it before."

Stepping forward, I gasped as the wisp vanished. We followed the trail of orbs into the forest. There was no way to tell how far we'd gone before they stopped in front of a door. The house it was attached to was small and unassuming if not odd that it was in the middle of a Scottish forest. Reaching out to knock, James grabbed my hand and shook his head.

"Why not? They led us here for a reason, right?"

He held a finger to his lips and crept to the side of the house, motioning for me to follow. A small window was a glow from a fire that raged in a massive fireplace. A black cauldron bubbled as a shadow crossed in front of us. My breath hitched, and I ducked down so the occupant wouldn't see me. James remained positioned in front of the window.

"Young royals, do come in through the front door," a voice called from the front of the house.

"She saw us?" I whispered.

James shrugged.

"I see all, dear child."

The woman had retreated into the dimly lit house by the time we crept back around to the front.

"Do we go in?" James asked.

"I think."

"Yes, yes! Do come in. You're letting the heat out."

"Who are you?" I asked as James closed the door behind him.

"Someone who has answers. Otherwise, those pesky wisps wouldn't have led you here. Sit, have some tea to warm yourselves."

"Do they lead people to you often?" James questioned.

"No. You're the first in quite some time."

"How long?"

"It has been about eighteen years I suppose. Not since a young king and his queen brought their child to me for saving."

"My parents?" James asked in a gasp.

"Yes, young prince. Your parents."

"I don't understand."

"Sit."

He nodded and we took the mugs of steaming tea from the old witch.

"When you were not but a babe you had a terrible accident. It was tragic for the young king and queen seeing as how they were unable to have children and had waited so long for your arrival. They begged and pleaded for me to save your life, which I obliged. They'd been very open with the wonders of the world and did not hunt down my kind, or Reginald's."

"Who is Reginald? What happened to me?"

"Reginald was the dragon who gave up part of his heart and his tears to save your young life."

"So it's true? I am bonded."

She nodded her head and took a bit from a biscuit.

"What happened?" I reiterated.

"You had fallen quite from quite a height onto a dagger. It pierced your small heart."

"The scar..."

"Yes. You still have the scar. By the time your parents had found the wisps and brought you here, you were dead. Your small body was so cold and lifeless. Reginald stopped by for a visit at the exact moment the king and queen arrived. He knew how important you would be to the future of all and agreed to bond with you despite the fact you weren't his rider."

"You were able to bring me back to life?"

"Aye, young lad."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"He's still about. He returned to his clan's grounds and remains as their leader."

"Why are we here now?" I asked.

"You need me again."

"Why?"

"I do not know," she answered.

"You don't know?"

"The wisps do what they believe needs done."

"We don't know why we're here," James said.

"No? How peculiar they would bring someone here that didn't need help."

James and I glanced at each other, sipping the tea. I tried to think of all the reasons why the wisps would lead us to such a powerful witch. Nothing had happened except for the Guild.

The Guild!

"Have you granted immortality to anyone?"

"I have."

"Who?"

"There were three young men quite some time ago who sought me out. They begged for lives that never ended so that they may help rid the world of evil and to preserve the world's kings and queens."

"The Guild."

"I do not know of any Guild."

"Agnolo, Vincenzo, Berard?"

"Yes. Yes, those are the men."

"How did you give them immortality?" James asked.

"Why are you so curious?" she asked.

"The power has gone to their heads. They take young girls from their families and force them to become assassins. If they disobey, they're killed."

"Aye. I did hear whispers of a great rebellion by your mother some years ago, and the great escape orchestrated by you."

"You know?"

"I'm a witch. I know all."

I sat back and stared at the old woman in awe. She continued dunking her biscuit in a mug of tea, acting as though everything that happened should have happened. As though it were all predetermined.

Is this our destiny set into motion hundreds of years ago? Are we meant to save the young nobility of all from the evil of the Guild?