"The violet room," Vania whispered, eyes sweeping the room as she sat up. Her gaze stopped at Eddin, slumped in a chair beside the hammock, snoring. "Eddin?"

He straightened, blinking rapidly as he rubbed his eyes. "Vania? You're awake!" He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders, peering into her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Disconnected," Vania replied vaguely, looking at her hands in her lap. "Everything hurts." She looked up at him, one long-fingered hand grasping at his. "What happened this time?"

"You... don't remember?" he asked, squeezing her hands. "I know you said you'd been conscious during her last few escapades."

"No. Not... not this time." She looked around the room once more and returned her gaze to him again before asking, "Why are we at your mom's house? What happened?"

"She... took offense to something I said, so she burned down our house. Well..." he amended softly as she paled, "...not quite burned down. It's mostly stone. But, the lightning burned the roof, so it's not safe to be there right now."

She gripped his hands tightly, her own hands shaking. "Was anyone hurt?"

"No," he replied quickly, shaking his head. "Everyone made it out safely."

Vania sighed, eyes closing. "Oh, goo—" Her voice stopped as her eyes opened.

"Then I'll try harder next time!" the woman proclaimed. She grinned viciously at Eddin. "But now you know better what I'm capable of. You'd best start treating me with more respect."

"I'll show you respect when you show Vania respect," Eddin replied, pulling his hands away from hers and turning away.

"Maybe you need some suggestions in how to treat me," she said, smirking, as she slid off the hammock and took a few steps toward him.

"I don't need anything from you other than for you to leave Vania for good and inhabit someone else."

"First," she said, ignoring his glare as she held up a finger, "you need to—" She half-stumbled, rapidly blinking as she took a few more uncertain steps, lurching as she fought for balance.

Vania screamed, clutching her head as she bent double. "Stopitstopitstopitstopit!"

Eddin watched her warily as the screaming stopped and an uncanny silence fell in the room.

Vania's hands slid over her face and she began sobbing, knees buckling.

Eddin reach out and caught her, pulling her close. "Vania," he murmured as he settled on the floor with her in his lap. "Are you all right?"

"No," Vania whispered. "I never will be, as long as she's still here." She leaned into him, burying her face against his chest. Her hands reached up and gripped his shoulders. "Please. Please, Eddin." She raised her head slowly to look up at him. Eyes rapidly filling with tears, she said, "I can't do this anymore." She squeezed his shoulders. "I love you, and I don't want it to happen this way, but I just can't keep this up anymore, Eddin. She's winning. I'm losing myself. She—"

"—is having the time of her life!" the woman gloated, grinning viciously.

"No, you're taking time away from Vania's life, you parasitic bitch," Eddin replied tightly, growling slightly as he glared at her.

The woman threw back her head and laughed, the glint in her eyes at odds with the tears still welling in them.

The woman choked, coughing, and the laughter turned to sobbing. Vania slid backwards, out of Eddin's arms, hiding her face as she sobbed. "G-get out of here. Eddin. Sh-she's... out of c-control. Sh-she w-wants... t-to hurt... y-you..." Pushing herself backward across the floor with her feet, she shuddered. "H-hurry. B-before... sh-she takes o-over a-again. I-I c-c-can't... s-s-stop... her..." Vania reached out and grabbed the leg of a chair, knuckles white, gripping as if, by keeping a firm physical hold on something, she could keep hold of her mind, as well. "G-go..." she sobbed.

"Vania," Eddin whispered. He slowly stood. "I love you, Vania." He swallowed. "I will go for now, but I'm never going to leave you. I will be back." He turned and walked stiffly to the door, mentally cursing his perfect hearing as Vania and her parasite began arguing out loud. Tears ran freely down his cheeks as he stopped in the hallway, leaning on the closed door.