Thana had the shapes above her head memorized by now. If she closed her eyes, she could probably still picture them. She lay stretched out on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The dress she had found beautiful earlier was now completely wrinkled, and she knew her eyes must be red from the tears she had shed. Thana couldn't understand why she had reacted the way she did. Davion had kissed her, but she had been the one who agreed to it. Wasn't she just as much to blame as he was? Yet it didn't feel that way, as if his words had sent her heart and mind into a frenzy. They were promises too good to be true, and she had realized this far too late. Life wasn't a book where the girl fell for her antagonist, especially not when her heart had long ceased to be hers.

There was no alarm clock next to her or a clock on the wall. Once again, Thana wished she had charged her phone; then it would have been lying next to her on her nightstand. Everything would be so much easier to solve. The only indication she had that time was passing was the growling of her stomach. Thana also noticed she had to start fighting off sleep, as it had been the middle of the night when the monster had come for her. Thana tried to remember what Saskia and Davion had called it, but nothing came to mind. They were the only two people she had been able to talk to; she didn't count the monster. Thana pushed herself up in bed to sit up straight. Carefully, she began to unwrap the bandage around her hand to inspect the wound.

Her hand still looked quite red, and a sort of rash extended almost to her elbow. Although there was no more pain, she still had Davion to thank for that, according to him. Thana let out a deep sigh and looked at the door when three soft knocks sounded. She jumped up as the door opened, ready to tell Davion exactly what she thought of him. However, it wasn't Davion who came in but someone she hadn't met before. It was a girl about Thana's height. She moved around as if it didn't surprise her at all that Thana was locked in the room. "Just stay on the bed, ma'am," the girl announced, closing the door gently. "I don't want any trouble either," she continued in a much softer voice.

Thana's mouth fell open at the girl's words. "Are you here to help me?" she almost begged, too surprised to walk towards the door. "Please, get me out of here, I just want to go home! That's all!" Thana quickly added. There was no answer. The girl simply placed the tray she was holding on the table next to the door. She shook her head, and the hope Thana felt began to fade again.

"I'm here to bring you food," the girl corrected her. Though Thana's stomach growled in agreement, it didn't improve her mood. "Delilah at your service," the girl continued solemnly. "If you need anything, just call for me." With those words, Delilah turned to leave. Thana wanted to stop her; she seemed the most normal thing she had encountered since receiving the necklace from her aunt. But the finger Delilah placed on her lips gave Thana another plan, and she hesitantly nodded. She didn't know why she followed Delilah's instructions, but something told her it was her best option. She had already been kissed and slapped by the others; she wouldn't let this third chance slip away.

Silence had never been Thana's best trait. "Can you help me?" she whispered to Delilah. But Delilah shook her head again. "Please?" Thana tried again. "I swear I'm not Mara or whoever Davion thinks I am! I'm Thana!" The more she spoke, the louder her voice became, causing Delilah to glance back at the door in alarm. Hearing no sounds from behind it, Delilah let out a deep sigh.

"Can't you keep quiet?" the girl hissed. Her harsh tone startled Thana, completely different from the way she had entered with the food. "If you can't act normal, I can't do anything for you. Do you understand that?" Delilah wiped her hands on her skirt and then looked at Thana with a gaze she recognized all too well. She had probably looked at Davion the same way just moments ago. "I know you're not Mara," Delilah continued. "You could never come close to her!"

The words stung. Thana didn't quite understand why. She was relieved that the girl knew who she was, yet she also felt put in her place and compared to someone she didn't know. What did Mara have that she didn't? Still, that small voice in her head reassured her. She wasn't crazy, and her memories were still her own. No so-called shield had made her remember another life. Thana decided to brush off the insult and smiled broadly at Delilah. She was the first person who treated her normally. "Okay, glad we got that out of the way," Thana forced a smile. "But you said you could help me. Can you get me back home?"

The sigh Delilah let out reminded Thana of how Saskia had treated her, as if she were a child needing everything explained to her. "I said I could help you, not that I could get you home," Delilah responded, taking the dishes off the tray. "Besides, you'd be much older if you were really Mara. Time in the world she fled to works very differently than here. Something Klaida probably didn't realize when he took you." She shrugged as if talking to herself. "I must say, it was a smart move by Mara to give up her necklace and book. She must have been truly desperate." Thana didn't understand any of it and could only stare at the girl with her mouth open.

Annoyed, Delilah sniffed. "But none of that matters to you." With the empty tray under her arm, Delilah opened the door to the hallway again. "I have to go," she announced. "Don't forget to eat before it gets cold. We wouldn't want you to be dissatisfied. Kilnusis has insisted that you be well taken care of." There was more muttering that Thana couldn't make out before the door closed again and the lock clicked shut.

Delilah's visit had been like a whirlwind, leaving Thana completely confused once again. She had so much to think about and new impressions to process. On the other hand, she had missed this chance to escape. Thana now knew that Delilah would bring her food so she wouldn't starve. And if she was being honest, it smelled delicious. She could plan later; for now, Thana just wanted to eat. She realized all too well that she could use the plate to knock out the next person who entered her room. Not that she was strong enough for that, but she could always hide behind the door. Was this the help Delilah had promised? Thana didn't know, but she noticed that many gears in her mind were starting to turn overtime, coming up with ideas to regain her freedom.

Or had she misunderstood the girl? Thana cursed under her breath and decided she'd better eat something. She wouldn't be able to think properly on an empty stomach. After that, she would investigate the room to see what she could find. Maybe Mara had left something behind before she left. Thana decided to bet that this had been Mara's room. Delilah's words still lingered: she had said something about time. Davion didn't seem much older than she was, so Mara couldn't be much older, could she?

The food turned out to be delicious, and Thana looked at it with wide eyes. It might not compare to the treats her mother always made, but she could get used to this. Thana decided to dig into the food; it didn't seem like she would have to share the meal with anyone. Besides, no one was likely to see the stains on her dress anyway.