Selena sat in the chair and watched as Catlynn primped and readied her for her dinner with Gedeon. Her black hair was now curled to perfection and tied up in an intricate bun with strands hanging around her face. She was given an emerald gemstone necklace to wear that matched her dress perfectly. Selena felt uneasy getting this dolled up to see her captor.

What could he possibly want with her? Why was she so dressed up?

She watched as the sun dipped below the horizon and stars replaced the sky. The once busy street full of beggars and knights was quiet as patrol guards strolled through the streets. Selena heard them chastize anyone who was out of their house at this time of night.

Selena's heart drummed quickly in her chest at the same rate that it had all day. She was a ball of anxiety as Catlynn finally stepped away from her and smiled. "You look beautiful," she said.

"Thanks to you," Selena said. "I was a disaster before your help."

She toyed with the bracelet with the purple gem on her wrist. The bracelet had blocked her power, and the more she tried to pull it off the tighter it seemed to wrap around. She held it up to Catlynn quizzically.

"Are you able to take this off of me?"

Catlynn frowned. "Afraid not, Lady," she said. "That's a spelled bracelet. Only the one who spelled it can take it off of you. Or deactivate it for someone to take it off for you."

Selena pouted and walked over to the window. She looked at the stars and the sky and she wondered if they were the same ones that her friends were looking at back in Saffron. Had they been looking for her? She felt tears well into her eyes and began to blink rapidly. She took her pinky fingers and placed them in the corner of her eyes to stop the tears from spilling over and messing up Catlynn's hard work.

"It will be okay, Lady," Catlynn said. "We will overcome this. You're a holder of a Dominion. A powerful one at that. When the others arrive to save you everything will fall into place."

What if they didn't come?

Selena tried to erase those thoughts from her mind as they battled to get to the forefront. Over and over she had to remind herself that her friends were not the kind of people to leave her to rot. They were doing everything in their power to get her back. In her head, she knew that but staring at a blank cell wall day in and day out made that hard to remember. Why hadn't Gedeon tried to kidnap any of the others yet? Why had she been the lone person to get taken? And why was this freaky purple darkness thing reaching out to her in her dreams?

She was jealous of her friends.

She hated being here. It was like a vacation from hell and she had a first-class ticket. Though it pained her to think and admit it, she realized that she wished it had been one of the others. Maybe that was the reason that Gedeon picked Selena. Maybe he saw some darkness in her. The kind of darkness that would wish for her friends to go through someone like this instead of herself.

Selena hated herself every time she had those thoughts.

A knock at the door sent Selena's head in a tailspin. She looked at Catlynn with fear, and her first response was to try her hand at escaping through the window. She felt her body begin to move when the door opened and Delmar stood in the doorway.

"Let's go-" he paused and looked at Selena confused. "What are you doing?"

Selena didn't realize how close she was to the window. She turned and looked at the night for what could be the last time in a while. She stuck her head out the window and took a deep breath in. "I just wanted to look one more time," she said as she turned regrettably and walked toward the door. "I don't know when I'm going to see it again."

Delmar had a sick smile as he chuckled and began to walk out of the room. Selena gave a nod to Catlynn who gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. When she got back into the hallway Delmar walked toward the end of the hall. Selena peered around him trying to get a sense of where she was. At the end of the hallway was just a stone wall. There was no turn to the left or right. Just a wall.

"Erm," she said aloud. "Delmar?"

He ignored her and continued to walk toward the wall. When he arrived he held out his hand and Selena watched as the stone shimmered. The once solid wall was now completely transparent. Her jaw dropped as Delmar ushered her through. A cold sensation pulsed over her as she moved through the shimmering stone and on the other side of the wall was a luxurious castle.

Black marble shined in a way that had to be magical. The marble was encrusted with golden lines that weaved into a beautiful web-like design. Golden chandeliers with diamonds hung delicately from the ceilings. Woven tapestries of Gedeon lined all of the walls. All of them made him look much younger and toned than he was in real life. She shuddered as she stared at his bald head and red beard.

None of the tapestries showed the veins that he had from his dark magic.

Maids and butlers moved around the castle silently. Each doing their task efficiently. There were no smiles, no laughter, no talking. Strictly business.

"This was what I imagined the castle to look like," she whispered to herself.

"You were in the servant's quarters. That room that you were in all day is a reward for guards that do their job well."

"Like you?" Selena snapped back.

"I liked you better when you were too shaken to speak earlier."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Each step into Gedeon's side of the castle seemed to get more and more luxurious. Selena would have been impressed had the circumstances been different. She felt like she was on that show where celebrities showed off their houses.

Delmar led her to a large two-sided oak door. The doorknob was pure gold with a ruby embedded on the tip where you wrap your hand around it. Delmar lifted his large purple hand and knocked on the door loudly.

A quiet mousey looking man opened the door. His red hair was shaggy and short. He couldn't have been older than twenty-three. When he saw Selena his eyes widened and he looked around the room anxiously. He immediately opened the door and allowed her and Delmar to step inside. From the moment he closed the door and walked back to his spot against the back wall he didn't take his piercing blue eyes off her.

The room was enormous. The same black marble with golden etchings was still in this room. On the far side of the room next to two huge windows was a fireplace with two lavish maroon chairs sitting in front of it. The fireplace stretched across several feet and two black diamond doors sat in front of it.

There was a giant golden table that sat in the middle of the room. Multiple chairs were around the table, all as beautiful and golden as the table. Various doors led off into different parts of the wing.

"Boo!" Selena heard from behind her. She yelped and turned to see Deidre laughing hysterically behind her. Selena had been waiting for her to make an appearance in her cell again after she threatened but she never did.

She had secretly hoped she had gotten locked back into the prison.

"Missed me?" Deidre asked with a shrill smile.

"Been wondering where you've been."

"I was instructed to leave you alone," Deidre said rolling her eyes. "He's never any fun when he's trying to make plans. Hopefully, Ander hasn't been boring you too much. I used to go down and see him but all he did was talk about how hideous he looked."

Selena was confused why Deidre was being so pleasant with her. She must be truly bored to interact with Selena in this way. Especially after she stated how much she hated Selena.

"Megara," a deep voice said from behind her again.

Selena felt the color drain from her face as she turned around and looked at Gedeon. He was wearing a golden tunic and black pants. His red beard was neatly trimmed, and the veins on his head looked darker and more intense. His skin was paler than when she fought with him at the castle of Glorianna.

"It's Selena now, Gedeon," Deidre chimed from behind her. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Deidre you're not needed for the night's festivities. You're dismissed," Gedeon said as he turned and walked back into the room.

Deidre scoffed and tried to hide the embarrassment on her face. Selena looked at her and tried to hide the feeling of satisfaction she felt from her getting put in her place. Deidre disappeared and Selena was left alone in the room with Delmar, Gedeon, and the man that opened the door.

"Delmar you're dismissed as well."

Delmar turned without comment and disappeared behind the large oak door. Gedeon smiled and sat down at the head of the golden table. "Please sit," he said looking at her. "You look lovely tonight."

Selena instantly felt the ick upon Gedeon calling her lovely. It took her legs a minute to comprehend what her mind was asking her to do, but eventually, she started to move toward him at the table. There was a plate sitting directly next to him, but Selena refused to be in such proximity to Gedeon. She walked to the opposite end of the table and sat down in that chair.

Gedeon nodded and motioned to the man standing against the wall. He ran over and grabbed the dining place that was set up for Selena and placed it in front of her. "Very well," he said. "I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here tonight."

It was weird seeing Gedeon act so...civil. Was this the same man that overthrew realms? That struck fear in people and kept Elora locked in a tower for seventeen years? How did he just turn off that ferocity and talk to her like he didn't just kidnap her and leave her to rot in a cell?

He raised his eyebrow at Selena and she realized that he expected her to answer. "Deidre was right. My name is not Megara. At least not anymore."

"Right, that spell that Elora cast and sent you off into a world where we couldn't find you. What was your new name? Selena? Well, I must say, Selena, you and your friends are good hiders."

"I didn't know I was hiding," Selena said.

Two women came out and laid a golden plate with a covering in front of Gedeon and her. They removed the cover and a blue liquid sat in a bowl with a spoon next to it. "Coventry delicacy," said Gedeon. "Wildberry soup."

Selena picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl. She filled the spoon and brought it eagerly to her mouth. It was the first time that she had eaten anything other than the disgusting gruel that the dungeon served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She put the spoon in her mouth, and the tangy flavor danced around her tastebuds. The soup was delicious!

"I imagine the cuisine is a lot better than what you receive in your cell."

Selena didn't say anything. Instead, she continued to shovel soup into her mouth.

Gedeon mirrored her silence until Selena's bowl was empty. She licked her lips and then looked up at Gedeon who was still working through his soup.

"Why did you take me? Why haven't you gone after the others?"

Gedeon smiled and motioned for the plates to be taken away. The women grabbed the soup bowls and two more women brought out another plate. They lifted the cover and Selena almost wept. Chicken, potatoes, and some unknown vegetables sat on her plate. She instantly grabbed her fork and began to use it to cut into the chicken.

"Why work harder when you can work smarter?" Gedeon asked. "I only needed one of you. I knew if I took one, the others would come to get you anyway. So here we wait on your friends to come and try to save you. Though, I mean you no harm. In fact, I'm willing to let you go. Right now. Tonight."

Selena sat down her fork and looked at Gedeon confused. "What do you mean? Let me go?"

"All you have to do is forfeit your Dominion over to me. How's that sound?"

Selena felt her blood run cold. She would never do that. Allowing Gedeon to get any of the Dominions meant he was one step closer to getting his goal. Whatever he wanted it for. Selena took a bite of her chicken and then looked at Gedeon. This was not just a dinner. This was an opportunity. A chance to get to know her enemy just as she was sure that he was getting to know her.

"Why do you want the Dominions so badly?"

Gedeon chuckled. "You have a habit of not answering questions," he said.

"Only ones that I don't want to answer."

"Well," said Gedeon. He still hadn't touched his chicken. Selena put her fork down. Even though she felt a small piece of her die when she did. "That's a long story."

"We have time," Selena said. She was determined to keep him talking.

"When I was a boy I had nothing. My parents were poor. My life was poor. I was going to die poor. It wasn't until one day I came across a wizard in the marketplace that took pity on me that I realized I could make something of myself."

"That sounds very fairy tale," Selena told him.

"This story isn't a happily ever after," said Gedeon. "The wizard though he took me under his wing, the man was cruel. He taught me simple spells, but mostly I was there to be his punching bag. He would beat me. Everything that went wrong was my fault. Even if it wasn't."

Selena felt uncomfortable as she looked at Gedeon. He could be making all of this up. Even if he wasn't, he was still evil. No matter how bad his childhood was it didn't excuse him for what he became. She refused to feel bad for him. "So what did you learn?"

"Magic is light or dark, but that doesn't mean that light can't be corrupted and dark cannot be purified. It depended on the person using it. I was fascinated with the dark arts. Fewer rules, more freedom to do, well, whatever I wanted really. The wizard that adopted me as his own was dark, but he was only teaching me light spells. I wanted to bask in darkness. He was getting in the way."

"I started to work on magic quietly when he was sleeping. It was a lot to teach yourself, but eventually, I learned enough to help me in the day-to-day. Dull the pain of this man while I learned everything I could."

"And then what?" Selena said.

"Then I killed him," Something about the way he said that sentence made Selena's stomach fall to her feet. It was so nonchalant, with no remorse whatsoever, just stated as a fact. As if killing someone was normal. "I killed him for what he put me through, and I took everything from him that I learned and put it toward obtaining more magic."

He got up from the table and began to pace behind his chair. "Magic is not just something people are born with. Magic is created. Whether people think it's by the universe or by the gods, magic is everywhere Selena. So much of it has yet to be discovered. Not all of it is as strong as the next, but when you find strong magic, and you master it, there's nothing that makes you feel more alive. Magic was treasure and I was obsessed with hunting for it."

He paused and gripped the edge of his chair and Selena watched as the veins on his head began to twist on his scalp. Selena looked down at her chicken and began to move the food around her plate. It was gross to look at.

Why are the veins growing?

"In my quest for power, I came across Glorianna. I had heard about the powers of the Dominions and I had hoped that one day I would be able to obtain them. It was the strongest magic that I had ever come across, and a little girl just had it thrust upon her? No work, no nothing? She just got all that power? I worked my way up the ranks and was quickly trusted as a mentor for your Queen, Elora. She was strong but naive. She was too trusting. It was easy to corrupt the magic inside of her. I just needed her to fully give herself over to the darkness and then it would have been mine. The elders in your realm had other plans."

"They stopped me. To this day I have no idea how I was so careless, but you see, this was the first time I had lost. I wanted the Dominions not because they were the most powerful. I wanted them because for the first time there was a challenge."

Selena rolled her eyes and stood up from the chair. "So this is just a stupid game to you?"

"Not a game," Gedeon said returning to his spot. He raised his hand and Selena felt a force push her down to do the same. "It's vengeance. Had my plan gone accordingly, I wouldn't have had to go search for the Vein. Only this level of dark magic could possibly counter the Dominions. It was there for the taking, but it-" he stopped. " I wouldn't be-" he stopped himself again and looked away from her. It was the first time Selena saw behind the mask he was putting on. "I wouldn't be in the position I am today. I need them. I need your magic."

The room was quiet. Selena wondered if Gedeon could hear her heart thud as it quickened in pace. "You know I can't do that." she finally said. "I can't do that to my people."

"Very well."

Gedeon raised his hand the black marble and luxurious castle faded around her. Selena now stood in a living room. A white leather sofa sat in the center with a coffee table in front of it. Sitting on the sofa were Judah, Elle, and Asher. Jayden sat on the recliner that was next to the sofa.

"Guys?!"

They looked up and their faces dropped. Selena felt her knees buckle as she ran over to Judah and threw her arms around him. It was him. He was really there. She grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. When she pulled apart she wept.

Why had he let her go?

"Selena how are you here?!" Elle asked. "Where is Gedeon?"

"He's having me at some creepy dinner. Please don't let him take me back!" Selena pleaded. She grabbed Judah so tightly that her nails dug into him. "Please, please don't let him take me-"

The room faded away and Selena was back in the room with Gedeon. He smiled from his spot at the table and Selena sank to the floor. Tears stung her eyes and she sobbed as she curled up on the floor.

"I figured I should give them a reminder of where you are," Gedeon said. He turned his attention to his dinner and began to eat. "And you a reminder of what you're missing out on."

Selena stared at her empty fist. The fist that had just been holding onto Judah's arm. She touched her lips that had just kissed his. Tears stung her eyes.

"You-" Selena said. She didn't know what she wanted to say. She opened up her mouth, but Deidre suddenly appeared next to her. She was hidden under the table. She placed her finger to her lip telling her to be quiet and then reached over to her wrist and flicked off the bracelet. Selena looked at her wide-eyed.

"This will teach him to be disrespectful to me."

Deidre disappeared.

Selena stood up. Her magic was coursing through her veins for the first time in forever. She looked at Gedeon and held her hands out in front of her. Lightning shot from her hands and hit him in the right shoulder. He fell backward and onto the floor. He roared in anger and the world began to shift. The veins on his head danced around as his body floated toward Selena. He raised his hand and slapped her across the face. Selena crumbled to the floor. Her cheek stung from the impact of his hand. Blood dribbled down her lip. Gedeon raised his hand again and Selena prepared for him to hit her again and closed her eyes. Instead, when she opened her eyes she was no longer sitting in the marble room, but in the dungeon. "Filth doesn't deserve to sit before royalty!" Gedeon's voice echoed

Selena crumbled to the floor and wept. She formed a fist and pounded the ground over and over. She hit the ground until she could no longer take the pain of hitting her fist on the stone. Then she screamed louder than she ever had before. It was different than the screams when her sister and her would fight.

That was childish screaming.

This screaming was rage. Pure and unleashed rage.

Rage because she hadn't been outside in forever. Rage because her friends were right there in front of her! She touched them. She felt Judah's lips on hers. Rage because her family probably thought she was dead. Rage because with a wave of Gedeon's hand she was powerless.

She screamed until her voice was raw and her screams sounded more like grunts and moans. When she could no longer bear the physical pain in her throat, she curled up in a ball on the ground and looked at the wall.

Deidre suddenly appeared where she was staring and shook her head. "I guess that's the difference between the good guys and the bad guys," she said with a shoulder shrug. "If I was in your position, I would have gone for the kill shot."

She disappeared and Selena was left in the darkness of her cell.