Don't you love it when your family keeps secrets from you because they think they're 'protecting' you from whatever? Because I'm the youngest, my family has a major habit of doing this to me. It really is quite annoying to be the only one in a room who has no idea what is going on. Thankfully, this time, my friends were just as clueless as me.

We all were up early for a large breakfast. All of us were starving and half asleep but it was worth it. We'd worked ourselves to near-death helping fix up Crystal Square. It was safe to say we weren't the only ones who would have preferred to sleep in but found ourselves with our appetites getting the better of us.

Troy had a healthy breakfast of some extremely sugary cereal. Isaiah gave him disapproving looks as he drank his usual morning iced coffee. Imogene frowned at her toast as she tried to figure out how to eat without burning it. Sky was doing his best to keep his own cereal away from Troy's war path. Maddie was trying to hide her smile at this behind her cup of steaming-hot tea.

It wasn't just us this morning. Mum's P.A., a Lyriumian guy around our age named Ryan Chalut, was also with us. I guess you could say he's an honourary member of our group. We don't hang out that much outside the Palace but we do work together so we all know each other relatively well. With him was his boyfriend Alex Miller (Lyriumian-Fae). They were also going to sit in on today's meeting and were also clueless about what was going on. Alex had said something about how the "adults were being annoying" when we asked. Maddie had to remind him that he, too, was now an adult. He didn't like that.

After breakfast, we were all led by Luna to one of the many meeting rooms on the first floor. Mum and her Court weren't the only ones waiting for us there. My aunt Xix and her two Courtiers—Ema Tana and Axel Haynes—were with them, as was my grandfather Lvaane. It wasn't normal to see everyone gathered in the same room. Actually, I'd never seen it before. Whatever was going on, there was no way it was a good thing. We took our seats and the lecture begun.

"I presume you all know the story of the Forbidden Magics?" Mum asked.

"Not a clue," Alex said.

"Same here," Troy added.

Mum huffed, "Honestly, do either of you pay attention to anything?"

"When we want to," Troy answered.

"There are three forms of Forbidden Magic on the God Worlds," Xix said before mum could start giving the school talk. Xix raised a finger as she named each magic: "Time, Blood and Resurrection. Each one is forbidden for their own reason and have been for as far back as our records go."

That was saying something. Some of our records go back beyond the Time of the Ancients.

"Blood Magic was forbidden because it could be used to access energies beyond our control," Carmin said. "It could be used to take over the actions and minds and others, to create Essence Bombs. Proper powerful magics."

"Resurrection Magic is forbidden because, well—" Mum gestured to herself, to her Court, to me— "Obvious reasons. We weren't entirely sure until it was used on me." She pointedly glared at Colt who had the decency to cringe. "When Resurrection Magic is used on a Balance Keeper, the Gods power bounces back to them and can't be passed on as far as we know. It's still pretty mysterious all things considered, but we're learning. All we know for sure is it can sent ripples throughout Creation. The dead aren't meant to come back." She added quietly under her breath, "Not this way."

"Then there's Time Magic," Xix said. "Time Magic gives its holders the abilities to travel through time, to change things. Important things. It has the power to tip the Balance more than Blood or Resurrection. The entire past, our entire history, could be changed to something better or worse."

"Terrible things have been done to people with Time Magic due to the fear surrounding it," my grandfather said. "Entire families have been wiped out, people have been put in status. It only became worse after Ixasis begun interfering directly, giving who they came to call the Vessel of Time their power."

"The God Worlds are by no means a perfect place," Mum said. "The fear of the Forbidden Magics has been so deeply planted throughout our history that it may never go away."

"There are movements all across Creation," Leo added. "They will go to all lengths to stop holders of Forbidden Magic from being able to use it. That woman who confronted you was no doubt part of one, possibly more."

Because that was encouraging to hear.

"We've been keeping an eye on them since before any of us were born," Mum said, sharing a glance with my grandfather. "None of us in this room agree with the movements nor what they stand for, but there's only so much we can do. They haven't done anything illegal in centuries. This was the first confrontation I've ever seen."

"That would be because Hathor's predecessor gave them a piece of her mind," my grandfather said with a faint smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"My wife, your grandmother, was a Vessel of Time."

Okay, that I hadn't expected. I knew my family had a strong connection with the Gods but seriously? My grandmother was like me? It figures mum would be keeping more family secrets from me—there's always something, I swear—but this was something next level. Why wouldn't she tell me something this important?

Mum's eye twitched. "Geez, Hathy. I only found out a few months after you got your power. This one's on your grandfather who said he would tell you."

That last part was directed at Lvaane who visibly flinched. Okay, so mum wasn't lying. That much was obvious. So why didn't my grandfather think of mentioning this sooner? I've had Time Magic for, what, a year now and no one thought to bring it up? Man, my family sucks sometimes.

My grandfather reached under his jacket and pulled out a locket. He flicked it open. A holo-image of a woman appeared. This will probably sound like a weird thing to say about a long-dead woman, but I swear she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen in my life. She was dark-skinned, had pale purple eyes, and long, curly hair. Even from the picture I could tell she was a force not to be reconned with.

"Aiyana was the love of my life," Lvaane said. "We were around your age when she first discovered her Time Magic. Unlike you, we were able to keep it a secret for the most part. No one really questioned it. I was the future King and held the power of Naiu. While I was not at your mother's strength when she was your age, people still knew better than to confront either of us."

Mum chose now to interrupt. "And you already had the love of the people, your family, the Queen at the time."

"Amber," he sighed.

"Amber!" Mum exclaimed triumphantly.

We all shushed her.

"Over time, people begun to come after Aiyana," Lvaane continued. "She was never afraid of them and was always able to make them stand down." He laughed lightly. "She turned more than a few people away from their fear, proving the many movements wrong and gaining many allies. She truly was quite a woman."

"What happened to her?" Maddie asked.

My grandfather sighed. "They called themselves the Fighters of Light."

"I've heard of them!" Sky exclaimed. "They show up in the news every now and then."

Troy sat back with his hands behind his hand. "Yeah, especially now with the whole Peace Treaty thing."

We all stared at him.

"What?" he asked. "I told you, I pay attention when I want to. The news is more interesting than school."

Nikki sniggered. "Can't argue with that logic."

"They can be a noisy group when they want to be," Lvaane said. "When word of Aiyana's power spread after our marriage, the Fighters of Light came after her. It took time but they manage to confront her." He sighed sadly. "We fought them together but it wasn't enough. Even with all the allies willing to stand with us, the Fighters got through."

Maddie looked at him sadly. "She didn't make it, did she?"

Lvaane shook his head. "Aiyana's power came out of her in full force. She used her most powerful spell—Speed of Ixasis—to take out the Fighters. Our allies were spared as the Fighters aged rapidly right in front of our eyes. They all turned to dust. She saved us from the Fighters, turning to dust alongside them. The Fighters backed off after that. I've barely heard anything from them since."

Mum placed her hand on her father's shoulder. "Most of the movements backed off after that. Let's be real, it was me who riled them up again. Hathy getting Time Magic was just the icing on the cake."

"If I had to guess," Ryan said, "I would think that prophecy Maddie told you about was what really got their attention."

"'The Vessel of Time will stand on the crossroad of life and death as a darkness of old threatens the Worlds'," Isaiah repeated. "Could this darkness of old be one of the movements?"

"It is possible," Jay said, leaning back. "They've probably got their claws in everywhere by now."

"I wouldn't put it past them to be playing the long game," Zoe agreed.

So not only did I have a prophecy to deal with, I had a whole bunch of loonies who wanted me dead for having Time Magic, for being my mother's daughter, and for being chosen as the next Vessel of Time. Great. Just great. What else could there be?

"They may have breached the Academy by now."

I glared at Dan. "Thanks for the support."

"Sorry, Hath, but it's true." He sat forward, a stern look in his orange eyes. "Students are young and easy to manipulate, even more so after that business with Nephthys the day your powers activated last year. There are people out there who blame you for the attack and loss of life, not just the rest of us."

"But none of us had anything to do with that!" I exclaimed. "None of us knew—"

"They need someone to blame, Hathor," Carmin cut in.

"But why me?"

"Because they are scared of you and the power you possess."

"But—"

"People fear what they don't understand," Xix said, her ruby eyes glowing with a quiet fury.

That I couldn't argue against. Xix knew that better than all of us, even my mum. And that was saying something. As the daughter of the Dark King Enliatu and the new Queen of Terpola, Xix spent basically all of her life being feared for who she could become. Even thought she'd proven them all wrong by not being overtaken by Naka's power and doing her best to help her people, there were still plenty that wanted her gone.

It was Imogene who broke the silence. "What can we do?"

"Keep going about your lives as normal," Kayla said.

"Keep an eye out for danger," Nikki added.

Jay nodded. "Watch out for any of the movements coming after you."

"Do what we can to help you learn to use your power," Lvaane said.

Mum smiled darkly. "Business as usual, guys. Business as usual."