"Well, what about this?" Theresa asked sharply, gesturing to her form.

"What about what?" Wildwood asked as if it were not obvious.

"How is it that I turned back into a cat? I thought I was cured. Had you set it up that way, in case I tried to escape? What do you want from me?" she hissed, as if she was still cat in truth.

Wildwood smiled slightly at her accusation and she longed to wipe it from his annoyingly attractive face. "I suppose that you've helped me discover the limit of my magic."

"The limit of your magic? Why did you not tell me of this?" she retorted. She was not going to be taken in by his mild comments and his self-effacing attitude .

More than likely it was a ploy designed to make her trust him and she was not going to fall for that.

His wry smile remained. "I did not know. Most spells that I cast are not affected by range; or rather the amount of magic I possess renders range a null issue in most scenarios. Likely I could maintain a simple spell at the farthest point in the world."

Theresa did not bother to respond. She simply waited, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.

"However, the counter transformation that I cast on you requires a great deal of power to maintain even at close range, even more than a transformation spell would alone. I have to suppress the magic of the original transformation while maintaining the counter spell. Then, there is also the matter of maintaining the spell that hides your trace. Apparently, when the distance became too great I could no longer maintain the heavier spell."

He ran a hand through his hair. "The abrupt return of my magic was rather unsettling. It woke me, then shortly thereafter I realized you had gone. Sir Thomas was quite upset when we discovered your sister had also left."

Theresa frowned, she would not left herself be distracted by Thomas' concerns.

"So you are saying that I must stay near you if I want to remain human?" Theresa asked sharply, although she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"That seems to be the case," he confirmed. "For now."

"Then how did you go about your estate business?" she asked.

"Clearly I stayed near enough that range did not mitigate the spell. I did find my work those days oddly tiring. Perhaps that explains that, as well. It's rather interesting."

Theresa realized that she had simply exchanged one cage for another. "That means Francine's spell is still upon me," she said. She did not want any cage.

"That's true," he said and she heard regret in his voice as he confirmed the terrible truth.

Theresa sighed, her anger diminished. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I began to, immediately after I counter transformed you, but you ran from the room to find your sister before I could explain. Then, you were so delighted with your human abilities I found it difficult to broach the subject. Do you recall that I told you I had something to discuss upon my return?"

"I suppose you did."

"Well, this is that discussion, my lady. Don't fear, I will find a way to remove it entirely eventually. It's just taking far longer than I had hoped. Your aunt is strong. Very strong. She rivals the best."

She nodded. She understood, hope failing.

"I thought to visit the library at Rothforth's when we arrive at the capital. It has the largest collection of magical literature in Edelland," he explained.

"Is that why you wanted to escort us?"

"Yes," he agreed. "In part."

Theresa wondered what the other part was. "Wildwood, er, Lord Wildwood, why are you helping me, us?"

"Because the Wizard Jim asked it of me. He knows I enjoy a good intricate magical problem and this time he's sent me the best."

His words sounded true, but she sensed there was more to it than that, but she could not imagine what. She was so tired.

Wildwood spoke again softly. "Please don't leave again. It's hard on your sister. Let me help you."

Of course. It was hard on Daphne. Perhaps Daphne was the other, unspoken part of Wildwood's reason.

Was he as infatuated with her sister as Thomas seemed to be? It would make sense, but it made her feel something as unpleasant as it was ridiculous. She should be used to people preferring Daphne by now.

"I won't leave until we all go to the capital. For Daphne. I'm going to go lie down, my lord," she said slowly.

"Goodnight, Lady Theresa," he said.

* * * * *

Daphne was waiting in their room, already dressed in her nightgown and sitting on the bed. She had clearly been waiting for Theresa.

"So we're not running away any longer?" Daphne asked in a tone that implied she was not going anywhere either way.

"We weren't running away. We were simply leaving," Theresa corrected moodily. Why did no one understand the distinction?

"Leaving, then. Are we still leaving?" Daphne asked in a slightly concerned tone.

"No," Theresa snapped.

"Good, because I'm tired. Walking is murder on my toes."

Daphne went into her room and lay down on her side on the bed, her door still open but her back to Theresa.

Theresa glanced at her sister. Perhaps Daphne had some just cause to be angry this time. She remembered what she had done to her when she had been a cat.

She could well remember the scent of Daphne's blood.

She walked to the edge of Daphne's room. "I'm sorry for scratching you, Daphne," she said.

"I forgive you," Daphne said in a most unforgiving tone.

"I'm sorry for scratching you all the times I scratched you, even the accidents," she added.

Daphne pushed herself up and looked over at Theresa. "I'm sorry for the ways I messed up, too. Sorry for panicking and not knowing what to do."

Theresa smiled a bit. "I can never stay angry at you for long."

Daphne smiled faintly. "But I really am tired so I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Theresa."

Theresa put on her nightgown, feeling sort of strangely disconcerted when she recalled running away in a rage and becoming a cat again. She still felt a bit guilty for scratching her sister, although Thomas had already taken care of the evidence.

Her mind returned to Wildwood. He sounded so reasonable when he spoke that it made Theresa feel like she was little more than an animal running amok amongst civilized humans.

Theresa sat down in front of the mirror and picked up Daphne's brush. She began to brush her hair. It was tangled and full of knots, much as it had been the other time she was restored to human.

Not that she really was properly restored, she thought as she studied her image.

She now understood that all that was granting her original form to her was a spell. What Wildwood had done was retransformed her, but under his magic, Francine's wretched spell still lingered.

She wondered why Francine's worked at such a distance. Was it because she was unimaginably more powerful than Wildwood? The thought terrified Theresa.

She did not know. She had been thrown into an unfamiliar world and she was completely at the mercy of all these spell casters.

No matter how hard she tried, Theresa could not remember when Francine had begun using magic to compel her. Her memories of her years with Francine were vague and foggy.

But she could remember she had felt so terribly and completely alone when her parents had died. It had actually been a relief that Francine was still there to protect them. The thought seemed foreign to Theresa now, but she remembered how much she had loved her aunt.

Francine was never an emotionally demonstrative woman, but she had put on an outward appearance of caring for her nieces' futures. Theresa had been certain that Aunt Francine was nearly invincible, that she could do anything and handle any problem that arose.

They were safe, because their aunt would never leave them like their parents.

When Theresa had first began to suspect that Francine was controlling her mind, she had not wanted to believe it, but slowly her suspicions took form and she had been unable to ignore the truth. It had hurt so badly. Theresa had really admired Francine.

While Francine had never been a soft woman, there were times over the years when Francine would make Theresa feel special. Their aunt had treated her nieces equally in her cold way, but at times it had been clear that she preferred steady Theresa to the flighty Daphne.

Theresa glanced into her sister's room. Daphne was snoring lightly, but she looked beautiful even now. Her brown hair was like silk and if she opened her eyes they would be huge and clear blue. She had a delicate form.

In a castle full of servants that had adored the cute, delicate younger sister, it had been nice to believe someone thought Theresa was special, too.

Theresa shook her head. It had not been as though she had been mistreated by the servants. It was just that Daphne had been smaller and adorable. Her personality had been softer and sweeter. Even Theresa had adored her when she was not annoyed. Theresa wanted to protect her.

She had simply been eclipsed by Daphne's radiance. For a long time Theresa had believed that she and her aunt had been something of kindred spirits.

How terrible it was that the one person who had seemed to prefer Theresa turned out a manipulative, evil witch.

Francine's care had all been an elaborate illusion, just as the face and form that she could see looking back at her in the mirror was simply a trick of Wildwood's magic.

She continued to brush. She felt foolish liquid pressing at the back of her eyes. She wiped it away.

Wildwood. He surely loved Daphne, just as Thomas and everyone else did. It would make sense and it would explain that hidden motive beside curiosity.

Theresa probably had not wanted to see it before since it was so terribly clear to her now. Perhaps she had been blinded by jealousy.

Not jealous specifically about Wildwood, she assured herself, but rather jealous of the trait that made Daphne so loveable.

She loved Daphne and she could not allow herself to become resentful.

If Wildwood was only helping Theresa for the sake of Daphne, at least Theresa might gain her freedom and her true form. That was what she wanted, really.

She doubted that that Daphne would even know how Wildwood felt because she already knew he was not a man who would easily put such things into words.

He was sparing in his speech, the only exception she had seen was when Theresa had vexed him into diatribes.

Wildwood knew that Daphne was uncomfortable with him and he would not want to frighten her. He really was being considerate.

While the thought of Wildwood's feelings for Daphne still gave Theresa an uncomfortable twinge, understanding his feelings meant that she she had been right to trust him.

She had felt relaxed in his presence and she thought that he felt the same way. She thought perhaps they had been becoming something like friends, unless that had been all messed up.

She truly hoped she had not ruined it with her temper. Theresa decided that she would talk to him in the morning and tell him everything. Perhaps she could repair the damage that had been done.

Plan set, it still took Theresa a long time to fall asleep.