I woke up sitting in an ice-cold room. My head was throbbing, my mouth was dry, and every inch of my body ached. I slowly tried to peel my heavy eyelids open, frustrated when all I could see were blank walls.

Where am I?

Trying to straighten up, it became immediately apparent that I was tied up at my wrists and feet once more with physical restraint magic. I was unable to counter it, just like that last time at Savalle's hideout. Which meant... I stiffened in place as I remembered the events before I was knocked unconscious. Groaning with embarrassment at how easily I had been tricked, I looked around, surprised when I saw Savalle sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. His posture was relaxed, the picture of a gentleman waiting for his afternoon tea rather than a villain staring at his kidnapping victim. Seeing my eyes open, he smiled humorlessly.

"Welcome back. You woke up sooner than I thought you would."

I stared at him, trying to put my scrambled thoughts into some semblance of order.

"How long?" My voice was raspy, my throat burned with the words. Had I been screaming?

"Only a few hours, not long at all." His gaze slid down me and off to the side, as if remembering something pleasant. "You had quite a number of interesting poisons on you, dear. I killed four of my men just testing them out." He looked back at me. "Don't worry, I only used the slow acting one on you."

Panicked, I took a brief inventory of my body. My clothes were seemingly undisturbed, but the weight of my blades were gone. I was disarmed. The black bonds of the restraint magic were uncomfortable and prevented easy movement, but not too tight to cut off circulation. I had a general ache throughout my body, a sore throat and a headache. I considered my symptoms, sighing uncomfortably. "Mirkroot."

Savalle applauded. "Very good. It's not often I meet someone with a wealth of knowledge of poisons similar to my own." He leaned forward in his chair, studying me closely. "How interesting."

"So what next, we wait the 3 hours or so I have left before the poison kills me?" I was scared. I didn't want to die.

He looked offended. "Of course not. After all, you went through all that trouble to bring the antidotes with you, just like any good poisoner." He held up a light green bottle, one I recognized as the cure for the poison that was slowly killing me. "I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"Go choke and die." I was scared, not stupid. He would never let me go, not after I had seen his face. I had been lying to his people and trying to thwart his bid for the throne the entire time, he had to know he couldn't trust me.

"Such harsh words." Despite me refusal, he looked excited. With a sinking feeling, I realized he was hoping I would resist. He stood up, walking closer and leaning down too stare into my eyes. "But I'm not worried. I think I just have to find the right sort of leverage." He studied my face closely, as if looking for an answer. "What will it take to break you?" he whispered.

Ugh, why had I written such a creepy character? To be fair, I don't think he was this bad in my book. Obsessed with the throne, yes. Willing to sacrifice other to achieve his goals, of course. But this sadistic, twisted shell of a human who's only concern seemed to be to see the suffering of others... he was beyond what I had envisioned. Again this world had grown beyond me, leaving my poor imagination in the dust as the characters grew and changed on their own.

Why couldn't he have changed into a nice, forgiving character. I wondered grumpily.

"You're doing it again!" His hand gripped my chin in a painful grip, forcing me to look at him. For the first time he seemed truly irritated, a crack forming in his typical disturbing pleasant façade. "I hate it! That look on your face like you're not a part of this. Like you're watching a play with all of us as actors. It's like you don't consider us to be human at all. Like we're...Like we're..."

"Like you're characters in a book?" I whispered.

His eyes widened with shock, his lips forming a snarl.

"SHUT UP!"

Before I could react he swung a hand, striking my face and knocking me to the ground. I saw stars as my head cracked against the hard floor, but I grimly clung to my consciousness. The last time I passed out he poisoned me. I didn't want to find out what he would do next.

He stepped back, smoothing back his hair which had fallen out of place and with great patience, reformed his unconcerned expression.

"How impolite of me. You'll have to forgive my temper dear, I sometimes act before I think, you know?" He gently reached down, pulling me off the floor and sitting me upright again. "I would urge you not to anger me in the future. It's bad for your health."

Beginning to pace around the room, he would pause occasionally to glance at me, all the while talking to himself. "I can't help but feel that you know something I don't. That you are the key to me obtaining something greater than anything else I've ever imagined. More powerful even than the throne I was striving for." He paused, looking at me closer. "But what could it be?"

I shook my head, scared and defeated. "You might as well kill me. I have nothing for you. There is no value in you keeping me hostage, you might as well discard me."

"You sell yourself short." He laughed, resuming his pacing once more. "You have plenty of value even outside your... unusual secrets. Tell me, why are you so eager to die?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Even the most simple of living beings cherishes their own life. I am no different. If choosing between life and death I would certainly want to live. But what you don't understand is that there are things in this world worth dying for."

"Really, what is worth your life?"

I smiled. "I've had only two purposes over that last three years. Two reasons for every moment I've suffered, every lesson I've learned, every drop of tears and sweat that I've shed. And by kidnapping me, you've helped me achieve both."

Surprised, he sat back down on the chair in the corner, resting his chin on his folded hands.

"Well now you have to explain."

"First, I wanted to protect Autumn from your grasp. She never should have to suffer at your hands. I've planted enough suspicion on you and your mother with both the Duke's guard and the royal palace that with my kidnapping, you will never be free of guilt in their eyes again. You will never get close enough to hurt her."

He inclined his head. "That may be true, it will be difficult to arrange her death or capture with my movements watched so closely." Shrugging, he looked unconcerned. "She was only a means to an end anyways. My goal was always the throne." His eyes widened, "Was your second reason to prevent me from obtaining the throne? I like the idea of being a part of your only reason for living." I shuddered at his satisfied smirk, shaking my head no.

"The second reason was to prevent someone from coming here for the ransom. You were meant to kill that person tonight. And now that you've chosen the wrong victim, no one will die at your hands but me."

There was silence.

"How... selfless of you, although rather misinformed." Standing up, he moved next to the blank wall in front of me. "I suppose it would be easier to show you. I am proficient in external magic, as you have experienced yourself" He gestured towards the black bonds that held me in place. "But I also have a little talent in internal magic, at least enough for a viewing spell. Let's have a look at what's going on outside right now."

A blue light collected on the wall, and I recognized the beginnings of a viewing portal spell forming. The light spread until it was the size of a large window, and then with a bright burst it became clear, as if there was a hole in the wall that led to a different place. I stared, shocked at the scene before me. One person was fighting against ten men, throwing magic and swinging a sword without rest. He was covered with minor wounds, but still pressed on despite the blood dripping down his arms. His face was tired, with a serious expression I knew all too well.

James.

"No." I whispered. "This is an illusion. You're trying to trick me."

Savalle frowned. "Don't be an idiot. Your expertise is in internal magic. You should be more than capable of distinguishing between a false image and a viewing spell."

He was right, I could feel the magical energy, and it wasn't an illusion. Despite all my efforts, despite saving Autumn, he had still come to the place where he would die. "No. I don't understand. Autumn is safe! Why did he come?" I didn't realize I was talking out loud until he laughed delightedly.

"Finally an honest reaction! As to why he's here, well, I sent a ransom request. I was actually hoping for Lady Autumn or her men, someone I could use for more leverage, but as soon as the Duke heard of your plight he rushed right over here to save you. How wonderful." His voice ended on a sneer, his eyes fixed on my terrified expression.

I swallowed nervously. "Let him go; kill me instead."

"... So he is the person who's life you wanted to save tonight. Not what I expected, to be honest." He looked confused.

"You would sacrifice your life for this person?"

I didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"I don't understand." His face was distorting again, stalking closer to me, his whole body trembling with rage. I leaned backwards, but there was little I could do to get away. "You remain composed, aloof from all us mere mortals. You stare at me like a bug in a jar, like a broken doll that you don't remember crafting. You sit apart from all of us like a judgmental deity but for HIM you throw away everything? What is he that you would have such eyes?! STOP LOOKING AT HIM!"

He swung at me again; this time I felt the skin of my cheek split under the edge of his ring. Blood ran down my face as I stared at the floor, unable to pull myself up. Between the effects of the poison and the strict bonds on my arms and legs, I was trapped on the ground, not even able to look up at my enemy. I heard him walk away, muttering darkly to himself.

"This cannot be. It's a mistake, an error. I'll kill him. That will make this right again. She'll return to how she was, untouched by this world. I will be the one to break her. He must be erased. I'll tear him apart, make him regret ruining this."

I wanted to cry, from pain, from exhaustion, from fear. I was trapped by a madman, listening to him plot to kill the man I loved. I was in the worst possible scenario, with no tricks left....

Wait.

I focused on my wrist, lifting the spell I had cast earlier today. A red vial appeared, still attached securely to my wrist. The illusion spell had prevented it from being taken off me with my other weapons, although maintaining the spell for so long had nearly drained my magical energy.

It just might work.

I pressed my wrists together, cracking the vial between them. The red liquid ran down my arms, touching the bonds that tied my hands together. The bonds dissipated instantly, I quickly rubbed my wrists on my legs, dispersing those bonds as well. Then, with the last of my magic, I formed the illusion that my hands and feet were still tied.

Savalle turned back towards me, seemingly having sensed my movements. "You did something. What did you do?" He looked me over suspiciously, but thankfully didn't seem to notice the exchange of real bonds for illusionary ones.

"Do you want to know the secret of this world?" I asked him, keeping my face calm.

"What?" He didn't trust me, of course, but curiosity warring openly with the distrust on his face, he slowly made his way towards me.

"The truth..." I whispered as softly as I dared, he leaned closer to be able to hear. I could see my knife tucked into his belt.

"What is the truth?" He asked, his eyes filled with a obsessive need.

I leapt forward, grabbing my knife and shoving it in his chest just to the left of his breastbone. His face pale, he crumbled to the ground, weakly clutching at my hands holding the knife.

His eyes were wide with shock, his lips formed a single word, unable to force enough breath out to give volume to it:

HOW?

I laughed, a dark sound I hardly recognized as coming out of my own throat. "It's called a deus ex machina, the author's ultimate privilege." I showed off my wrist, the red liquid now clearly visible. "A hidden vial of Autumn's blood."

Autumn the one being in the world who had the ability to cancel out magic. It had been a big deal in my original book, but was a characteristic often overlooked since I had arrived and she had stayed out of the spotlight. A drop of her blood was more than enough to dispel the magical bonds that held me, even with me being unable to counter external type magic.

Savalle was trying to laugh, air and blood escaping around the knife in his chest.

AUTHOR? He tried to ask one last question, but before his lips finished forming the word, the light in his eyes faded. As he died, a door appeared on the wall to my right, the illusion he had used to hide it fading with his passing.

I struggled to my feet, trying to sort out my thoughts. Why did I hurt so much? Oh yeah, the poison. I patted down Savalle's corpse, shuddering at the cooling form, until I pulled the green bottle from one of his many pockets. I tried to pull the stopper off, but to my frustration my arms and hands weren't cooperating. Between the severe depletion of my magic, the effects of the poison and blows to the head I had taken, I was barely able to stand. Keeping the bottle grasped tightly in one hand, a knife in the other, I pushed open the door and left the room. My vision was slowly being invaded by darkness.

Where should I go now?

I stumbled out, confused. A man with a sword, his mask and clothing marking him as one of Savalle's henchman, ran towards me weapon raised. I closed my eyes, too tired to struggle.

BAM! The man was struck my magical flames, and collapsed to the ground at my feet. I stared at the body in confusion, my mind numb.

"KATRINA!" A familiar voice called my name. I looked up to see the man that I loved racing towards me, reaching out. I smiled and lifted a hand.

"James." Before I could touch him, darkness swallowed me whole.