Zia didn't know what to do. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. She didn't even blink for fear that if she did she might do something to upset him and she'd earn another beating. She was six again, staring in fear at the fat lump in front of her, desperate to do anything to escape him.

He had lost a lot of weight and had gained some gray in his hair, but it was definitely him. Same brown eyes and yellow, crooked teeth.

Zia thought back twelve years, after Daxtor had been tried and sentenced to death. He had told her, Watch yourself, you useless worm. She remembered how she had lifted her chin high and said proudly, You're the worm, as he was carried away to the cells to await his execution. She remembered how brave, how free she felt at the moment and tried to draw strength from it, but her mind wouldn't allow her to stop there. She thought of how, only one day later she cowered in fear as Daxtor approached her, knife raised to end her life. The same terror that had gripped her then clung to her now, and no matter what she did she couldn't shake it off.

Then Zia was angry. Angry with Daxtor for having the audacity to even breath after what he did to her, angry at the Skilaens for not stabbing the foul man the second he set foot in their camp, angry that Daxtor could make her feel so afraid, angry at herself for allowing him to.

"What are you doing here?" Zia barked as she glared at him. If looks could kill, Daxtor would have been incinerated on the spot, nothing but a pile of ashes.

"Same as you, my darling daughter," Daxtor smiled. "I'm doing my duty to my country."

"I AM NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" Zia roared. She had never heard such a fierce sound come out of her mouth, but Daxtor didn't even flinch. "And I'm not an idiot. I know you. You're not here to serve Otar."

Daxtor laughed cruelly. "Oh, I know you're not an idiot, my dear. After all, I raised you."

"Arch raised me, not you."

Ignoring her, Daxtor continued. "But you are right, I am not in the service of Otar. I am here to serve my native ruler, King Holen."

"You're Skilaen?" Ike blurted. 

Zia had been so focused she hadn't even noticed that her friends had entered behind her. Jay was staring at Daxtor like he had seen a ghost, his mouth open and his eyes wide.

Heath was observing the man with a calculating hate. Zia remembered that Heath had never met Daxtor before, and she was a little confused at his instant hate of the man, but she appreciated it at the same time.

Ike was looking Daxtor up and down, as if measuring him up. Zia was worried Ike might steal her chance to pin Daxtor to the ground and slap him silly if the opportunity presented itself, so cold and calculating was his frame.

Elaina was just looking ahead with a blank expression, as if the life had been sucked out of her. 

"Yes, boy, I am," Daxtor said proudly. "I don't know how no one figured it out in my years living in Otar." He paused, as if to consider the thought. "Then again, I suppose, your inferior minds would have taken at least another three years to figure it out."

"Mind how you speak, you insolent, supercilious clotpole!" Jay roared. "I would have your neck in a noose faster than you could blink were we in my country."

Daxtor smiled. "Why, Captain, it's been far too long. Such a pleasure to meet you again. Yes, I'm sure you would love to have my tongue removed-"

"I'd prefer your heart," Heath muttered darkly.

"-but, as you said, we are not in Otar. You are in my country now and, as luck would have it, my prisoner." He cackled unpleasantly. "Isn't Fate artistic?"

"If you hate Otarians so much," Heath growled, "why would you live among them for so long?"

Daxtor smiled at Zia. A mocking smile that made her cringe. "This must be your betrothed. I must say, it's rather improper to not seek the permission of the father prior to the engagement, but I guess times are changing. Besides, I like this one. He asks the real big questions."

"He's not my betrothed, and you're not my father." Zia said, turning slightly pink. Her voice was low and dangerous, a voice that would have made any enemy think twice about facing her, but Daxtor seemed unaffected. 

"The real question however, young man, is not why I stayed, but why I went in the first place."

"And why was that?" Heath asked, getting annoyed with all the delays.

"Same reason you are here, I expect- Zia."

Zia reeled back. "Me?"

Daxtor nodded. "You are quite right, my dear, I am not your father. Well, at least not biologically."

Zia could have told him that. She had known for years there was no way on earth she was the offspring of the disgusting  thing sitting calmly before her.

"I left Skilae for the same reason I am here- the Golden-Eyed One. You see, I had heard of the legendary power and might of the Golden-Eyed One, and I knew that by finding her and bringing her to my people I would be a hero to Skilae until the end of time."

"So that's why you went to Otar?" Ike demanded. "For glory?"

"Not exactly. While the glory was definitely a bonus, my real goal was the same as it has always been, and always will be- to avenge my ancestors and destroy the very dirt on which you filthy Otarians live. Of course, it takes much more than just brute strength to overthrow a kingdom. Then it hit me- the Golden-Eyed One. What better way to destroy your country than by using its own secret weapon against it? So I left my old life behind, my wife, my beloved infant girl, and went to Otar. For a whole year I traveled from town to town, from village to village, from hamlet to hamlet, from city to city looking for the Golden-Eyed One. Finally, after months of search, I heard of a woman who had just given birth to a girl with the most peculiar-colored eyes. So I broke into the newborn's residence and stole the child, setting a fire in my wake to cover the tracks." He spread his hands. "And the rest, as they say, is history."

Zia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had never given much thought to who her real parents were. She figured that they didn't care for her if they allowed her to come under the 'care' of a man like Daxtor. But now she had discovered that her parents hadn't allowed for it to happen, Daxtor had stolen her! He had stolen her as a child to try to use her as a weapon against her own country. Her hate for this man increase sixfold.

"But why did you stay?" Jay demanded. Despite all his faults, Daxtor was an excellent story teller, and the tale had them all engrossed.

"Well, I couldn't very well bring a useless infant back to my country without any assurance of any real power, could I?" Daxter said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I had to be able to prove the girl's power when I took her back home. I took great care of her, I can assure you, young man," he said to Heath with a nasty smile. "I gave her everything she could have desired."

Zia felt her blood rush up to her face. "Liar!"

Daxtor, as always, seemed unfazed. "Oh, I assure you, my girl, I am being completely honest. I was very kind to you. But, of course, you wouldn't remember, you were far too young."

"Kind? Kind?" Zia's face flushed red with hate and rage. "You call beating me sore for missing a speck of dust on the floor after slaving after you all day kindness?"

"Well, I must admit, I sometimes did let my anger get carried away with me from time to time," he said, as if it were a minor thing. "But that was much later on in your life, Zia. For two years I gave you everything your little heart could imagine, but still no power presented itself. Then, one day, it hit me- I couldn't make your power show by giving you heated baths and ribbons in your hair. The power of the Silver Dragon is to bring instant calmness and peace to all those around him, and, by extension, so is the Golden-Eyed One's. So, I reasoned, I would have to give the power a reason to work. And I couldn't very well start a war all on my own, so beating you was the next best thing. Then, of course, that didn't end up working, did it?"

"I don't have any power," Zia said, gaining a little happiness. She could live with the fact of being kidnapped as a babe knowing that he had wasted seven years of his life because of it.

Daxtor rolled his eyes. "I take back what I said about you not being an idiot. Of course you do. Do you think I would leave my wife and daughter if I didn't think you did? Anyway, after I escaped my execution- and I really dodged the arrow there, I must say- I returned home to my wife and daughter. They were happy to have me back; it's not an easy life that a single mother leads. I decided to turn a new leaf and become a family man. For years I worked my way up to the top until I became the stupid King Holen's commander and chief of his armies. Then I realized that in my obsession with you, Zia, I had forsaken my family. So I decided that I would end it. I would end the search for the Golden-Eyed One by starting a war and demanding King Donathan to hand you over or we would tear Otar apart brick by brick until we found you. As it turned out, you came right into our waiting arms. Some might call it dumb luck, but I like to think that it was my own brilliant planning that did the trick. And now that I have you, Zia, I can use your power against your people and force them to surrender to Skilae. And once that is done and finished, I can finally live out my life in peace with my wife and daughter."

"I'm right here." 

Zia turned around. Elaina stood behind her, her arms crossed over her chest and her hip jutted out. She was tapping her foot on the ground and she had an annoyed expression on her face. 

Daxtor smiled. "Yes, you are, my dear." He opened his arms in an offer of embrace. Elaina quickly ran forward and threw herself into his open arms.

Zia's mind couldn't keep up. Things were happening too fast for her brain to compute at the rate they were coming. When it finally sunk in what was happening, Zia's jaw dropped. She looked over at the faces of her friends around her and saw expressions that reflected her own-confusion, anger, bewilderment, hurt. Heath, however, had a strange look on his face. It was one of grim- almost guilty- satisfaction. 

Suddenly it dawned on her. Heath was right the whole time.

"Elaina?" Ike's voice was small and disbelieving. Zia felt her heart break for him. "What are you doing? What is he talking about?"

Elaina seemed to have gone deaf.

"You've done well in bringing them to me, my dear," Daxtor told Elaina. "You played your part splendidly. I'm very proud."

Elaina's face beamed with pride. "Thank you, Papa."

"Come," Daxtor said planting a kiss on her cheek, "we have a lot of lost time to make up. And let's get these horrid shackles off you." He nodded to the guard who had been silently behind them the whole time. "Take these ones back to their cells. Keep the girl alive. One we reach Otar, we'll hang the men's bodies from their castle's flagpoles."

The guard saluted and Zia felt herself being dragged out of the tent as she watched Daxtor embrace Elaina- his daughter- once more before the flaps closed and cut them off from her vision.

Zia didn't say anything. What could she say? She looked over at Heath, who was dozing softly in the corner, and guilt crashed over her like a tidal wave. She had to say something, even if she didn't know what that something would be.

"Heath," she said quietly. He didn't stir. "Heath." Louder this time.

Heath's eyelashes fluttered open and he lifted his head sleepily. He blinked a few times in confusion until his eyes landing on Zia. "Zia?" he said, his voice raw from his sleep. "What's wrong?"

Zia didn't say anything, just stared at the wooden floor of their cell.

Heath sat up. "What is it?" he asked gently.

"I'm so sorry, Heath." Zia's voice was soft and guilty, like a chastened child's. "I called you so many mean names, yelled at you, and almost ruined our friendship because you didn't trust Elaina. And you were right. I am just so sorry."

Heath was silent. He just stared at her for a while. Finally, he spoke. "To be fair, it's very hard to match my skill with this 'trusting' thing." He smiled at her and she felt the ends of her lips turning upward slightly. She did feel better, but her stomach was still twisted in guilt.

"It's alright, Zia," Heath said earnestly. "I'm not upset with you. I understand. Really, I do. I would have done the same thing if our roles had been reversed."

The knot in Zia's stomach lessened a bit, but only a bit. "I'm still sorry, Heath."

Heath smiled brightly. "It's alright. You can make it up to me by rubbing my feet."

"Guilt is gone," Zia said instantly. 

"Are you sure?" he teased.

"Positive," she affirmed.

And this time when Heath smiled at her she didn't hesitate to smile back.

Zia woke up screaming. She sat up, swinging her arms blindly in the dark.

"Whoa! Zia, calm down! It's okay. You're safe." Zia couldn't see him, but she could hear Heath's voice coming from her right.

Zia slowly stopped making swipes at the heads of nonexistent enemies and gradually calmed down, her chest heaving.

"More nightmares?" Heath asked as he stood.

Zia nodded as Heath closed the distance between them and enveloped her in a hug. It made her feel better to know he was there, that she wasn't alone in this dark cell.

"Daxtor?" he asked.

Zia nodded again, her face rubbing against his chest. "I keep trying to run, but he keeps finding me. And when he does..." She couldn't go on. It was too terrible to say, as if giving the events words would make them a reality.

"It's alright," Heath promised. "Just try to go back to sleep."

Zia shook her head as she pulled out of Heath's arms. "I can't. Every time I close my eyes I can see him standing over me, ready to kill me. And to know that he's right out there..." Zia shuddered.

Heath nodded thoughtfully. He stood silently for a moment, then he said, "Try to get some sleep, Zia." Zia was about to shake her head again, but Heath cut her off. "I'll stay awake with you until you fall asleep, alright?"

Zia was about to protest that she shouldn't keep him up all night, but he once again spoke before she could. "It's bad enough I have to be locked in here with you, Zia. Don't make it worse by being grumpy because you're sleep deprived." He smiled at her to let her know he was joking. Then he pointed over to the spot Zia had claimed as her sleeping area. "Now go lie down, close your eyes, and if I hear one peep out of you, young lady, you'll go to bed without supper tomorrow."

Zia smiled and obeyed, stretching herself out on the ground. "Goodnight, Heath," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Zia."

Are you alright? Zia signed to Ike across the camp. The only way they could communicate with each other was through Ike and Zia's secret language because they would get yelled at every time they called out to each other. Besides, they were going to have to plot their escape, and they could hardly keep it secret if they yelled it across the entire camp.

It had been two days since Zia's last nightmare, and five since Elaina had revealed herself as Daxtor's real daughter, and Zia had tried to contact Ike and Jay many times since then. Only now did Ike answer her call after she yelled for him for five minutes, braving the wrath of the men guarding her and Heath's cell.

Ike shrugged. How are you and Heath? he signed back, avoiding the question.

We're fine, Zia told him. We're both worried about you.

I'm fine, his hands told her, but his face said otherwise.

We need to get out of here, Zia said, changing the subject. And fast. We need to warn the King before the armies are outflanked and destroyed.

Ike held up a finger, which meant, One moment. I need to talk to Jay.

Zia waited patiently as Ike turned back in his cell to speak to the Captain.

"How is he?" Heath asked, showing up next to her.

"I thought you were asleep."

Heath shrugged as he stood back and began to walk absentmindedly around their small cell. "I feel like that's all I've been doing for the past week. I need to do something."

Zia nodded. She fully agreed. She hated being cooped up in this cell. She would be just fine with being held prisoner if only she could be outside, feel the wind on her face, smell the fresh mountain air, sleep under the billions of stars in the sky. Nearly every night of her life she had been able to gaze up at the diamond sky, but now she could only see what little sliver of sky the window allowed.

"How is he?" Heath repeated, pulling her from her thoughts.

Zia shrugged. "As well as can be expected as far as I can figure. He's still shocked by it, I think."

"I am too," he said, "and I saw it coming. Ike really liked Elaina. You don't just get over a betrayal like that, especially when you're betrayed by someone you love."

Zia nodded thoughtfully. "To be perfectly honest, I'm still a bit shaken myself."

"I'm not surprised. Seeing your abusive 'father' after all these years, after hoping and praying he was dead, and suddenly he turns up and is commanding a giant army that is set to destroy your country would be enough to throw anyone off balance."

Zia was about to reply when she saw Ike back in the window and turned her attention to him.

Jay says he's been developing a plan, but it might take a few days to make it work.

How many days exactly? Zia asked.

Ike turned back around (to speak with Jay, Zia guessed) and when he faced forward again he signed, Two to three days.

That long? she asked, hoping Ike could see the desperateness on her face, as if that alone would solve all their problems and Ike would convince Jay to find a way to get them free in the next ten minutes.

Ike nodded and shrugged. He says 'These things take time'.

Too much time, Zia told him bitterly.

A sudden jolt knocked Zia off balance and she fell to her knees. She tried to center herself, but she was thrown across the cell as the cell gave a little shake.

The day after they had seen Daxtor, Zia had realized that their cells had wheels at the bottom. She had discovered this when the Skilaen army resumed their journey down the Westfell Pass. For some reason unknown to her, the army had not continued traveling for a few days after Zia and her friends had been captured. But early in the morning after having fitful nightmares of being a young little girl again and being beaten by Daxtor, Zia was mercifully jolted awake by the wheels of her cell moving and jumping over a large rock. Heath had jolted awake suddenly and demanded to know what was going on. Zia had explained her findings to him and every day since then they were suddenly thrown across the cells as the wheels found another large rock to jump over.

"Zia!" Ike's shout was heard across the camp.

"Shut up, little maggot!" one of Zia's guard yelled at him.

Ike ignored him. "Zia!"

"I said shut up!" the guard hollered back.

Zia quickly got back to her feet and ran for the window. She found Ike and waved at him. It's alright. Just a bump. She didn't want him to receive a beating Zia was sure the Skilaens wouldn't hesitate in giving him if he were to continue shouting.

Ike looked relieved. I thought something had happened to you.

Zia shook her head and smiled at him. I'm fine.

Now it was Ike's turn to shake his head. You're not fine. Don't think I haven't heard you screaming at night.

Zia looked down, embarrassed. Her nightmares had stopped more or less since Heath had offered to stay up with her until she fell asleep every night. She had felt bad enough for keeping Heath awake because of her stupid nightmares, but knowing that she was also waking Ike (and probably Jay too) made her feel even more guilty.

Just some nightmares, Zia told him, waving it off. But I don't have them much anymore.

The look Ike gave her told Zia that he didn't believe her one bit.

It's true! Zia insisted. Really, I'm fine.

One didn't need to know their secret sign language to know that Ike didn't believe her.

Zia rolled her eyes. I'm fine. Just keep me up to date on Jay's plans to get us out of here.

Zia and Heath set up rotations to keep watch by the window in case Ike tried to contact them. As each moment passed Zia found herself wishing more and more that Jay would quickly figure out a plan and get them out of there.

What on earth am I doing? Zia thought to after once again feeling sorry for herself. Why should I be waiting for him to figure out a plan?

So she stopped waiting on Jay. She started to draw up her own plans, thinking of every possible thing she could do to escape and make it over to Ike and Jay's cage without being seen, from going around the camp, to fighting everyone in her way. But for each problem she solved three more would appear.

Zia began to pace as she thought, just like she had seen Arch do on many occasions. Many times he had found a miraculous solution to the Thieves' problems whilst pacing, and Zia knew it was foolish, but she half hoped that the same would happen to her.

"Time to shift already, Borton?" The voice of one of the guards outside the cell door pulled Zia out of her helpless thinking.

"Not quite, but I thought I'd relieve you early. I assume you've heard that the General has allowed the men to celebrate the Winter Festival, and I know how much you like to celebrate. I'm doing double duty, watching both the cells."

Zia couldn't see the man, but she could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, "That's right kind of you. I was worried I'd miss the opening ceremonies."

"Wouldn't want to miss the human pyramid," the man called Borton agreed.

Zia heard the guard stand and gather his things. "Thanks, Borton. I owe you one."

Borton said nothing as the man left, whistling merrily to himself to join the festivities.

Zia listened as the new guard, Borton, settled down into the old guard's place and made himself comfortable.

Sure that there was nothing of more interest happening, Zia resumed her pacing. She walked from one end of the cell to the other in four long strides, and she soon got dizzy because she was turning so much and she had to sit down. But even sitting down her restlessness continued. She tapped her foot as she sat on the pile of smelly hay, making a quick tap, tap, tap, tap, tap sound on the wooden floor.

"Calm down, Zia," Heath said, because Zia had regained her bearing and begun to pace again. He was seated by the barred window, keeping an eye out if Ike were to relay any messages for them. "You're making me edgy. You need to rest."

Zia shook her head. "No, I need to think."

"And you're taking up thinking now because...?" He left the sentence hanging in the air.

Zia stopped her pacing and stared at him with a look on her face that said, Really? You're so stupid sometimes.

Heath smiled brightly at her look. "There, that's my girl!" When Zia began to pace again he said, "Relax, take a seat, drink some water. You'll feel better."

Zia shook her head and continued to pace. "I'm fine."

"Zia," Heath said, now serious, "either you drink some of that water-" he pointed to the bucket that was filled with clean water each day for them by the door- "or I will dump it over on your head."

Rolling her eyes and sighing dramatically, Zia made her way over to the bucket and dipped her hand in it. The water was cold, but she brought her cupped hand to her lips and drank. She took another drink, and another. She even rubbed some of the water on her face. It was cold and left her shivering, but it felt great. It got her mind moving again, so she rubbed in more.

"When I said to drink the water," Heath said, "I didn't mean to drink all of it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Zia apologized. "Did you want some?" She flicked her wet fingers at him, sending water droplets onto his face.

"Gah!" Heath recoiled at the sudden cold on his face. Zia surprised herself as she giggled like a little girl. She covered her smile with her hand, but Heath had already seen it.

He wiped the water off his face and smiled mischievously. It was a look Zia knew all too well.

"Oh, no," she said, her smile gone as she backed away into her corner. "You stay away."

Heath's smiled widened as he drew closer. Zia shrunk back into the wall, wishing she could disappear through it.

Suddenly Heath's hand shot out. He poked her in the side and Zia jumped from surprise, unable to help the squeal that escaped her.

Zia shuffled away quickly. Heath turned to face her.

"Go away," Zia said, but the smile on her face ruined the seriousness of her statement. "Leave me alone."

Heath's mischievous smile widen as he tried to look innocent. "Why would you say something like that? What did I ever do to- you?!"

When he said "you" he poked her side, causing her to giggle once more.

Zia tried to run away again, but Heath's arm flew out and snatched her as she passed.

"No! Please, go away! Leave me alone!" Zia squealed with a laugh as Heath trapped her in his arms and began to tickle her even more. She crumpled to the floor and crawled away, trying to shrink into the corner. Heath approached her slowly. "No, stay away. Keep back!" Looking at him coming at her, Zia couldn't help it. She laughed as if he had poked her again, even though he was two feet away and hadn't touched her. She laughed again and again.

Heath drew his head back in confusion as Zia continued to laugh hysterically. "I'm not even touching you!"

Zia could not answer because she was laughing to hard. Even though he was not tickling her, Zia could still imagine the tingle of his touch when he did, and just the thought of being tickled tickled her.

Suddenly Heath began to laugh, a confused look on his face. He looked so odd that Zia's laughing increased in volume. This, in turn, made Heath laugh even more. Soon they were both rolling on the floor holding their sides. The sound of their laughing was so loud Zia was surprised Borton the guard didn't yell at them to shut up like the other guards had done.

"My face hurts," Heath said, trying to stop smiling.

"Mine too," she agreed. Of course, trying not to smile just made it twice as hard to do so. "Ah! I can't stop smiling."

"I like it when you smile," Heath said, with a small grin. Zia didn't know how to reply, but it turned out she didn't have to, because Heath continued to say, "Then I can tell you when you have spinach in your teeth."

She rolled her eyes at him and hit his shoulder lightly. She rolled onto her feet with a grunt. "I'll take next watch," she offered as she seated herself by the window. "You should get some sleep."

Heath laughed mockingly. "Yes, mother."

They fell silent for a time, Zia gazing out the window at the other cell. Ike was not there.

"Do you miss her?" Zia asked suddenly. Instantly she wished she hadn't. Heath didn't talk about his parents. It was a sensitive topic for him, and Zia did her best to respect that, just as he had with Daxtor. Heath's mother had died shortly after his father. Their farm had been struggling because of a drought that had swept across Otar, and his parents had been secretly giving Heath their food, and as a consequence they had starved to death. Heath lost both his parents in less then two weeks.

Now Zia regretted opening her mouth, scared that she had overstepped his privacy.

Heath drew back in surprise at the sudden question. "My mother?" Heath shrugged when she nodded. "Of course I miss her. Some days it feels just like the day she died, a week after my father." He fell silent for a moment. Zia continued staring out the window, but she was focusing on every word that was being said behind her. "You remind me of her, you know."

Zia didn't turn around, but she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

Without even looking, she pictured him nod in her mind's eye, just like she had seen him do a thousand times. "She was very... free-spirited. She had a very strong will. She was the only one who would stand up to Father." Heath chuckled lightly. "She would always be the first to tell him off. She stood up to him every time she thought he was wrong. I remember one time when Father had spanked me for not closing the gate to the pig pen and all the pigs escaped. That night Mother threw a fit, telling him that he could sleep with the pigs for all she cared, but she would not live with a man who cared more about swine than his own flesh and blood." Heath smiled fondly at the memory.

"Now, how does that sound like me?" Zia joked.

He smiled a small smile.

"But," Heath said, his voice softer, "she was so gentle. She was the kindest soul I've ever met. She had made it her life's goal to help anyone and everyone. And she did. Right down to her last breath. Now I can understand why Father was so upset about the pigs. Maybe if I hadn't let them out they wouldn't have died."

"It's not your fault- your parents' deaths," Zia said, finally looking at him. "They made their own choice."

Heath smiled sadly. "I know. I just wish they had made a different one."

"If you could bring them back- get your old life back- would you?"

Heath surprised Zia by shaking his head slowly after considering the question. "Honestly, no. My life is... strange, but it's good. And I know my mother would roast my hide if she thought for one second I was wishing for her back. She would tell me not to miss her for one moment and that if I did I would get no bread with my milk before bed."

"She sounds wonderful," Zia said. "I wish I could have met her."

"I do too," he agreed. "I think you would have got on quite well." He fell silent before he asked, "What about you? I know you never knew your mother, but what do you think she was like?"

Zia shrugged. "I don't know. I've not really thought about her much. Besides, I was taken away from her, remember?"

"But you've been thinking about her a lot since you found that out, haven't you?"

Zia shrugged. "Yes, I suppose so." And she had, but the thought that she actually had had a mother who might have loved her and cared for her was so foreign to her that it didn't make any sense.

"Well, what do you hope she was like?"

Zia's reply was cut short by a jangling of keys as the door to their cell opened with a creeeeak. Framed in the door was the figure of a man. It was dark outside and his face was cast by shadows. The only thing she could see were his clear blue eyes that seemed to glow at her through the dark. It was the man who had captured her, who knew her name.

"Come on, Zia," the man said. "We're getting you out of here."