Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Life as she knew it was over. In the blink of an eye, the brush of a hand, her destiny had been severed from that of her friends and encased in stone. She'd never truly known what it meant to be alone in the world until that moment. Completely and irrevocably alone. There was no one left to stand by her side. They faced their fate and it showed them no mercy.

Blood pounded through her skull, carrying sharp, sickening pain in its wake. Eyes forced shut by the blinding light, she attempted to shield herself with one hand. Abrasive rope bound her wrists together beneath her body. Aches and pains rose to the surface, riding the wave of her growing consciousness. A shadow passed overhead, gone in an instant.

Lilly's dried and cracked lips parted in a silent cry. For help or in anguish she knew not. Her throat burned from dehydration. The heat was unbearable, oppressive, claustrophobic, pressing in on her prone form like a sarcophagus.

A flicker of darkness crossed her skin once more. Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted towards the sky. Pure, unadulterated blue stared back. This was a stark contrast to the heavy foliage of the shrouded forests they'd explored in Fillory thus far. A grandiose creature of snowy white feathers circled far above her. It was a bird, that much she could tell. It was nothing she'd seen on earth, nor read about in any of the Fillory books. She had a distinct feeling that whatever it was, was watching her.

Lilly used her minimal strength to hoist herself upright. Her spine twisted and popped and muscles stretched out days of constant strain and brutality. She rested against a thick wooden post that shot up higher than she could reach. A line of five or so more was assembled a few meters apart from each other. They were assumedly used to restrain prisoners, though she couldn't help but notice the resemblance to a sacrificial pyre. This was the extent of her man-made surroundings. The land before her was barren, a wasteland of sand and scorching sun. Only one thing could come from a place like this... death.

She tugged fervently at her binds. Her fingers slid skillfully together, folding and unfolding in the correct pattern of Popper 46. A familiar release of energy rushed through her, indicating the spell had run its course. Lilly hastily yanked her hands apart. Fibers cut into her delicate skin, refusing to give. A storm of fear and confusion surged behind her soft brown eyes. It should have worked. She should've been free.

"Your magic won't help you, little witch." A disembodied voice rang out from behind her. Sharp and metallic, it sliced through the thick air like a knife. "Not as long as you're bound." A shiver ran up her spine at the presence of another.

"I don't know who you think I am, but I assure you I'm not a threat." Lilly schooled her voice into one of innocence and compliance.

"You're all a threat, whether you realize it or not." Grains of sand shifted as the woman approached. Lilly faced forward, refusing to yield to her alluring presence. She didn't need to wait long for her captor to be revealed. The woman's body took up residence between Lilly and the glaring sun. The agony in her skull was eased slightly by the temporary shade, "why have you come?"

She was stunningly beautiful, her skin sculpted from the very sand she stood upon. Intricate braids of midnight hair peeked out from beneath a head covering of lightweight cloth. She was dressed for the climate and armed for a fight, or an execution. She could only hope it wouldn't be the latter. Sunlight glinted off the menacing dagger clutched in the woman's hand. She reminded Lilly of such a weapon, beautiful, sharp, and lethal. She was a warrior, that much was clear. Lilly hesitated a moment, trying to recall the lie she'd spun in the woods.

"I got separated from my friends. I was trying to find my way back to them."

"And you just happened to stroll through our wards by chance? I don't think so." Her voice curled into a ferocious snarl. "There hasn't been an outsider within our borders for years."

"I didn't mean to trespass It was an accident, I swear. I don't even know where I am. This all just a misunderstanding."

"Don't play coy with me. I know he sent you." She crouched in the sand before Lilly, leveling her gaze with that of her enemy. Brandishing her weapon she twirled it around her fingers in a skillful figure-eight pattern. "What I want to know is how a scout, like you, managed to not only find us but break through our defenses?"

"I told you, I'm just lost, no one sent me!" Lilly squirmed away from the warrior's frost laced glare. She was getting nowhere. Panic and frustration had begun to culminate in her chest, joining the overwhelming grief that'd branded itself there the night before.

"What is your name?"

"Lilly," She stated simply. In her previous life, she would've lied, given her the name of another, but this was a new world, a new Lilly. Her name held none of the same strength and connection it once had for her. Her friends, her family, there was no one left that she loved. This warrior couldn't hurt her. She was already broken beyond repair.

"If you don't offer up the truth willingly, I'll be forced to use more invasive tactics. Is that what you want?" Lilly raised her chin, setting her jaw in determination.

"That is the truth." The warrior shook her head and motioned to something behind Lilly. The blonde strained to look behind her, but the post obstructed her view. Sand shifted once more and soon another woman revealed herself. She was much older than the first, her dark skin wrinkled with age. Her kinked hair grew past her breasts in a chocolate halo. Thin robes had been draped over her body, flowing around her as she moved. Pools of pure wisdom swirled behind the elder's dark eyes. Lilly felt stripped bare, her soul on display for this woman.

"Yakia, she's all yours." The warrior pushed herself up to stand, moving a few feet away. Yakia took her place, crouching down in a way normal women her age wouldn't have been able to. Lilly instinctively pressed herself against the post. Yakia reached out one rough and wrinkled hand, clamping it around the blonde's jaw with an uncharacteristically firm grip. Lilly fought to break free, but Yakia held strong. She would be forced to meet this woman's unearthly gaze. The warrior crossed her arms, watching the exchange with furrowed brows.

Lilly expected one of them to begin an interrogation, berate her with questions and punish her if it wasn't what they wanted to hear. None of that happened, only silence. Yakia kept her grip tight and her eyes trained on Lilly's. The minutes seemed to drag on with every one of Lilly's attempts to break free thwarted. She resigned to stare back with a set jaw and narrowed eyes.

A trail of energy brushed against the edge of her mind. Lilly flinched at the sensation. Her nostrils flared as she slammed her mental wards shut on the intruder. Yakia never broke eye contact. Lilly felt a surge of spite and smirked back. Yakia's magic pressed against her wards. Lilly's walls were solid brick, but this woman was a wrecking ball. Before she knew what was happening, the old woman's magic flared, crushing Lilly's wards from every direction. Lilly reinforced as much as she could, creating wall after wall to replace the ones crumbling to dust. Tendrils of energy slipped past her wards, licking at the edges of her inner workings. Flashes of light, blood, and moths overwhelmed her. She caught glimpses of Penny, Quentin, Margo, the rest of her friends, lying dead on the floor. Lilly let out a strangled gasp, slamming iron-clad walls down between herself and the woman. In an instant, Yakia's grip on her mind and her chin were ripped away as if she'd been burned. Lilly panted heavily and fought back a wave of nausea. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks and dropped to the sand in silent procession. Yakia took a step back, turning to face the warrior, who looked quite shocked herself.

"She's strong," The elder rubbed her temples, "she's had training. I caught glimpses, but not enough to reveal her purpose here." The warrior stepped forward.

"What did you see? Is she a scout?" She gripped her dagger eagerly, ready to slit the intruder's throat at any moment.

"There's a darkness around her. She is not a scout, but she's nothing good." Her eyes fell on Lilly, appraising her with worried eyes. The warrior on the other hand scowled and brandished her weapon.

"We have to kill her then," the warrior began to move towards her, but Yakia held her back.

"Saia, no," Her voice was stern, a mother scolding her child. "We take her to Bloodreigna. He will decide her fate." Saia was displeased, but she nodded. She reached Lilly in one stride, slicing through the rope binding her to the post in one fluid motion. Lilly's hands were still bound securely behind her back. Saia roughly hoisted her to stand. Lilly swayed unsteadily, head spinning from the sudden movement.

"Move," Lilly allowed herself to be dragged in the direction she'd previously had her back to. She gasped, taking in the sight. They stood in the shadow of a massive mountain range that stretched toward the horizon west and east. Straight ahead, no more than half a mile from their position was the strangest patch of lush green forest she'd ever seen. It looked as if the mountain itself had been cleaved in two and within the narrow valley left behind, an oasis had sprouted.

"Those are The Copper Mountains, aren't they?" Lilly gaped, her eyes as wide as saucers, "and The Wandering Desert." She received no response, she didn't need one. She'd studied the Fillory map hundreds of times and The Wandering Desert was the only place she could be. As they approached the edge of the forest, Saia's grip on her arm tightened to a tourniquet. The trees looked much like those of the rest of Fillory, and if she concentrated, it almost felt like she was back with her friends. Within the forest, the pressure of sweltering heat lifted completely, replaced by a warm, but pleasant temperature that she would expect of a late spring day. The sudden change baffled her and she knew there was magic at play.

Through the underbrush, she could see a grouping of cottages. Some built as treehouses, raised from the ground with rope bridges joining them together. Others burrowed into the ground like Hobbit holes, mounds of grass and moss covering the roofs before continuing back in their natural pattern. Villagers milled about, carrying baskets of fresh vegetables or buckets of water. A few children played, swinging from a bunch of vines like monkeys.

They all halted when they saw Lilly. The forest clearing went silent as their eyes tracked her every movement like a pack of hungry wolves. Their expressions ranged from furry to terror. One of the children, however, took a step towards her. His eyes held none of the same ire as his peers and instead, he watched her with innate curiosity. She gave him a weak smile and continued her march towards likely death. They arrived before a massive oak tree which must've been a few hundred years old at least. Built into the base was a two-story stone cottage with a thatched roof. Vines grew up the walls. Nature had claimed this village as its own.

Saia banged on the arched wooden door, keeping a tight grip on Lilly's arm as she did. Heavy footsteps approached and the door swung open to reveal a man. He must've been in his forties, judging by the early signs of aging. He was of fair complexion, though he carried a light tan due to the desert sun. Straight blonde hair streaked by salt and pepper was cropped short and left to its own devices. He had a slight stubble, just enough to leave a shadow around his thin lips. Bright blue eyes met hers. He wasn't immediately disgusted or afraid as the others had been, much like the little boy. His lips curled in a soft smile.

"You must be our intruder," he stepped aside and gestured politely for them to enter, "come in." Saia guided her into the cottage, which was much more spacious than she'd initially believed. A cozy sitting area had been arranged around a grand stone fireplace, natural light illuminated the area through the various windows. A little kitchen and dining table were located to her left. It was unexpectedly homey for someone with a name like Bloodreigna.

"My apologies for the unpleasant visit." Saia and Yakia dipped their heads toward the floor as a sign of respect for the man.

"She resisted our questions and I was forced to incept her mind," Yakia explained, "as far as I can tell, she's not a scout, but she's not innocent either. She's been trained in the art of Occlumency. I was able to get enough to tell that she doesn't work for him, but nothing else." Bloodreigna took a moment to observe Lilly, her blood-spattered, sandy clothes, greasy, knotted hair, and haunted eyes.

"Sit," his tone was pleasant enough to mistake it as an offer of hospitality. Saia shoved her harshly down into one of the overstuffed armchairs. "You may leave us," this was directed towards the other two women. Yakia nodded respectfully and turned to vacate the cottage.

"She could be dangerous," Saia eyed Lilly, who tried her best to look innocent.

"It will be fine, Saia," Bloodreigna reassured, "I've still got quite a lot of fight left in me." Saia hesitated, looking to her leader with concern.

"I'll be right outside," she shot Lilly a warning glance as she left. When the door shut behind her, a moment of silence passed between them. Lilly wasn't exactly sure what to make of him.

"What's your name?"

"Lilly."

"You're from Earth, aren't you, Lilly?" She noted the way his eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled.

"Yes," her brows furrowed skeptically, "how'd you know?"

"You aren't the first child of Earth I've come across," he suddenly stood, freeing a dagger from the waistband of his pants. Lilly flinched and he held up both hands to calm her. "Relax, I'm going to cut your hands free." Her muscles softened, her fear replaced by confusion. Lilly leaned forward and allowed him to slice through the rope.

"But, why?" She rubbed at her raw wrists. He knelt in front of the chair and took her hands in his.

"Well," He began rewrapping the rope around her wrists separately, "I can't let you go completely. I can't have you using magic, but I like to think I'm still a magnificent fighter, even if I'm not as young as I once was." The knots he'd tied were intricate enough that she couldn't untie them with one hand but loose enough that it wouldn't irritate her inflamed skin.

"Thank you," her words were genuine. Lilly sank back in the armchair for some much-needed comfort after the last twenty-four hours. He returned to his chair and rested his elbows on his knees pensively.

"Now, as much as I'd love to keep this pleasant, I must decide how to handle the situation."

"I simply got lost trying to find my friends. I mean no harm to your people, I swear."

"That may be, but Yakia sensed something off about you and I trust her with my life. You entered our borders in the night, refused questioning, and resisted Yakia's interrogation. You do not add up." Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat. Danger was rising and if she wanted to survive, she had to start thinking fast. "I'm not going to kill you, but I can't let you go either."

"If you let me go, I promise to never return. I just want to go home. You can ask Yakia. I'm telling the truth."

"I can't take the risk of you sharing what you've seen here with anyone. I need to think of my people, their safety comes first, always." He pursed his lips, locking eyes with her. "I sentence you to a trial by combat."

Chapter Text

Quentin rolled his neck back and forth irritably. It still ached from when The Beast had nearly choked the life out of him. None of them could shake the memory of their murders. If it hadn't been for Alice's god power, they wouldn't have survived. Sitting around the picnic table in the back garden of the Knifemakers cottage, the Magicians were attempting to recuperate after their failed mission and unforeseen betrayal.

"So this Reynard's still out there?" Margo asked as Quentin massaged his temples to quell his pounding headache. He was unsure if it stemmed from explaining Julia's motives or the residual effects of his near death.

"As far as she knows. Yeah, it's why she needed the knife and why she needs The Beast." Quentin had spent the past half hour explaining Julia's resurfaced memory of Reynard The Fox. How the trickster god had intercepted her summoning of Persephone, and instead of healing her, Kady, and their friends, he'd massacred them and raped Julia.

"Okay, I get it now," Eliot conceded, "but I also have to say it's the dumbest thing she could possibly have done." Fen placed a platter of baked goods, fresh vegetables, and meats on the table before them. With a warm smile, he thanked her

"Like I said, she's not sane right now. I wouldn't be," sighed Quentin.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"We find Lilly and kill The Beast," Penny spoke up from the end of the table. Since their temporary deaths, he'd been uncharacteristically compliant. He'd suffered the most as was evident by his stumped arms. Clutching the box containing his severed hands close to his chest, he looked to his companions earnestly. The absence of their friend had taken a toll on all of them. The empty seat at the table did not go unnoticed. Lilly was the glue that held them all together. How were they meant to pick up the pieces without her?

"He's right, y'know, it's awful, but Julia chose to double-cross us," Margo crossed her arms and sat back.

"Look, I'm pissed too but I'd like to point out--" Quentin started, only to be cut off by Alice.

"Okay, we don't have to take a vote right this second. Penny's right, first things first. We need to make a plan to get Lilly back and deal with The Beast. Penny, can't you just go pop over and tell her we're alive." Penny nodded towards his heavily bandaged stumps.

"I went back as soon as I woke up, but she was gone. I barely had enough energy for one trip, I can't go traveling all over Fillory to find her."

"Well, then we'll just do a locator spell," Elliot supplied.

"There's also the little problem of Alex being possessed." Quentin sighed, this was yet another wrench in the cogs of their nonexistent plan.

"If The Beast has control over him, then Brakebills is in some serious shit."

"So, find Lilly, stop Alex, kill Beast, piece of cake. Anything else we forgot to mention?" Eliot took a long desperate swig from his flask.

"If we're gonna do a locator spell on Lilly, we'll need something of hers." Margo rested her hands authoritatively on her hips.

"Oh! She left her pack with me last night. I'll go get it!" Fen jumped at the chance to be helpful. She'd been hovering as restlessly as a hummingbird since they started, trying to keep up with their plan. The others seemed to have forgotten she was there and were startled by her sudden outburst. As Fen hurried into the cottage, Quentin flipped vigorously through the pages of Fillory and Further.

"Um, okay, this might be something." Quentin paused on a page a little more than halfway into the book, "so there's a-a-a place called The Armory."

"Weapons?" Eliot cocked his head with interest.

"Books. Uh, So Rupert Chatwin, uh, he realizes that back home, World War II is still raging and he tells Jane and Martin that he is going-- he's--he's going to go fight. Before he does, uh, he spends all night in The Armory reading. Uh, and, uh, you know, like, whatever he finds, it doesn't say, but his next move is to petition Ember and Umber for strength." Quentin looked to each of them in turn, "I mean, what-- what if he found something? What if he found, uh, a spell or a piece of, I don't know, Fillorian Battle Magic that was so strong that he couldn't do it without--"

"Without juice?" Eliot seemed to perk up at this, leaning forward to see the page Quentin was reading from.

"Yeah, because the-- okay, the thing is, this is, uh, December 1944."

"I mean, he shows up right in the middle of the--"

"Battle of the Bulge," Alice's brows furrowed. "Wait, are you saying that Rupert secretly--"

"I'm saying, uh... maybe he found something powerful enough to help."

"And win World War II?" Alice's voice was disbelieving, yet tinged with hope.

"Maybe."

"Well then, I need The Armory. Where is it?" She demanded, jutting her chin towards the book.

"Castle Whitespire. Accessible to... the King." Quentin looked around the garden as if the answer would be written on a sign hidden within the ones labeling the tomatoes and carrots. "And if we can find the road, there's, um, a carriage that runs in a continuous circle, uh, also at the disposal of the King, so..." He patted Eliot on the arm lightly.

"Oh, hey..." Eliot mumbled unenthusiastically.

"Okay, Whitespire it is." Taping the table with his fingertips, Eliot declared their next destination. "I'll pack snacks."

"Yeah, uh, about that. My hands are in a fucking box," Penny pointed out despairingly, "so, Chatwin's Torrent?

"I-I know that one," lifting a finger, Eliot explained, "It's, um, it's a healing river."

"Can it reattach hands?"

"Maybe," Quentin shook his head with uncertainty.

"Then I'm going. If we're gonna get Lilly, it'll be a hell of a lot easier if I can travel," Penny's tone was dejected. He loathed being this useless when someone he cared about was in possible danger.

"Wait, no, I don't think you should be going alone." Alice eyed his missing appendages worriedly.

"I'll go," Margo volunteered, earning a handful of curious looks, "um, healing water? We're going to battle. I'll grab, like, a gallon." She brandished a waterskin facetiously.

"I got it!" Fen rushed over to them, slightly out of breath and carrying Lilly's backpack in her hands. "It's a lot heavier than I thought it'd be." With a thump, she deposited it onto the table, and Margo eagerly zipped open the top. Reaching her arm in, she rifled through its contents, discarding the countless items Lilly had packed until she found what she was looking for. With a triumphant smile, Margo produced a worn, paperback copy of Fillory and Further. Quentin recognized it immediately. This was the book Lilly read the most. Though it's value was no more than a soda can, its pages had seen everything from the train to the beach, and now Fillory. Corners had been folded over, leaving permanent kinks in the paper and a bow in the cover from where she'd held it open.

"What a fucking nerd," she chuckled, "I need a knife." Margo looked to Fen expectantly, and the young woman hastily pulled one from the pocket of her skirts. Once again, Margo reached into Lilly's bag, this time to grab a cheap, novelty map of Fillory. Lilly bought it off amazon in anticipation of their trip. The others helped her lay it out flat, using nearby stones to anchor the corners. The knife glinted in the afternoon sunlight as Margo lifted the tip to her finger. With a hiss of pain, she cut a small gash across her skin and lifted her hand above the map. Dark crimson blood dripped down onto the paper. Alice held out a cloth and Margo sloppily wrapped it around the wound, then lifted Lilly's book with her uninjured hand.

Fen looked on incredulously as Margo began to chant in a low voice. Her companions leaned forward to get a better look at the blood that had begun to trail across the map in a very deliberate and concise line. Margo's brow twitched in concentration as the blood inched along at a snail's pace. Instead of observing the map as the others had, Alice examined Margo intently. Her fist clenched around the book until her knuckles grew white, her skin tinged a faint shade of red. A vein had begun to bulge from her forehead.

"Margo, are you alright?" Everyone was staring at her now, and they too noticed her strain. Margo's voice turned hoarse, and as Alice glanced towards the map, she saw that the blood had begun to sizzle and steam. The crimson liquid roiled on the paper and ink as if fighting against Margo's influence. The map charred at the edges of the blood trail, until, all together, and not without due theatrics, the map burst into flames. Recoiling, they stared at the mini bonfire in disbelief.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Fen squeaked.

"No, it most definitely was not."

➺➺➺➺

Stiff brown leather clung to her every curve. As she observed her appearance in the mirror, she found it in herself to be appreciative of the ensemble. Lilly wished that the fighting leathers were only a fashion statement, but this could be the difference between life and death for her that night. During the trial, her torso and upper thighs would at least be protected if her opponent used a blade. Her arms were bare, save for a leather circlet around her bicep. It was to be assumed that these people favored mobility over full protection.

Lilly rubbed her precious clock necklace between her fingers pensively. She was eternally grateful that it hadn't been taken away when Saia searched her. Holding the pendant up towards her lips, she placed a tender kiss upon the cool metal. She prayed that wherever Eliza and the rest of her family was, they'd be watching over her tonight. Lilly tucked the necklace securely beneath her armor so it rested above her heart.

Her pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. The Bloodreigna made his decision and would not be swayed. She'd been ushered into one of the cottage bedrooms to change into her armor. They'd trustingly left her alone, and for a split second she'd had the urge to run, but to what? To whom? There was nowhere to go and no one left that she loved. Nothing left to fight for. The only training she had in combat was a women's self-defense class she'd taken freshman year of college. She was sure that they hadn't had this situation in mind when designing the curriculum. The ropes were still fastened securely around each of her wrists when a knock sounded from the door. An unfamiliar face poked his head through.

"It's time."

As she breathed in the fresh night air and followed the glow of firelight, she felt a sense of peace. It was not what she expected of a walk that would surely end in death. When her opponent delivered the final blow, she didn't know what would happen. Would she see a light at the end of a tunnel? Or would she simply cease to exist? Lilly wanted to believe that she'd be with her family again. Her mother and father, Jane, her friends, all taken from her by The Beast. She gripped the hilt of her dagger tighter, fists white with anticipation. Yes, she would die tonight, but she would not go down without a fight.

Tribal drumming matched the rapid thump of her heart. Through the trees, she could now make out the massive bonfire burning high enough to kiss the stars above. Shadows danced across the light and laughter floated along with the breeze towards her. All the joy extinguished the moment she stepped into the clearing. There were no children now. No- there wouldn't be, this was not for their eyes. Murmurs grew as the villagers stared at the foreigner.

Lilly kept her head high as the guard guided her to the center. Bloodreigna sat upon a throne of vines, intertwining in intricate twists and turns. Massive gnarled thorns armed the outer edge of his seat. On the back of his chair was perched a magnificent snow-white bird, roughly the length of her torso. Her mind somehow made the connection between this bird and the one she'd seen soaring above her in the desert. In the shadow of the angelic creature, the Bloodreigna looked anything but. Like a god in the firelight, his gaze pierced her armor with no resistance. This was not the peacemaker she'd met in the cottage mere hours before. She was in the presence of a warrior king, a Bloodreigna.

Beside him, stood Saia, strong, and proud. The lightweight desert clothing had been replaced with her own set of armor, similar to Lilly's. Her hair was pulled into elaborate warriors' braids, her arms left bare for mobility. The familiar dagger clutched in the warrior's hand confirmed that Saia would be her opponent. The guard stopped her before them and Bloodreigna raised a hand to silence the drummers.

"The rules are simple," he spoke loud enough for the entire clearing to hear. "The first to yield is the winner. Saia will represent The Valley in this battle. Should the outsider win, she walks free. Lose, she will be executed." Lilly kept her expression neutral and nodded stoically in acceptance. Saia smirked sadistically and stepped up so their shoulders were aligned. She leaned into Lilly's ear.

"I'll make it quick, Little Witch." Lilly clenched her jaw as Saia strode a few paces away to get in position. The villagers gathered, forming a wide ring around the fighters. A flicker of movement caught Lilly's eye from above. In the canopy of trees, she could just barely make out the shape of a child watching the proceedings from a secret vantage point. She wished whoever it was would return home before things turned lethal. Saia now appraised her with a feline gaze. Lilly knew not what to do, other than to grip her knife and prepare for the inevitable.

"Begin," silence fell upon the spectators as the women circled each other. Unwilling to break the temporary calm, Lilly waited. It didn't take long for the fight to start. In a flash, Saia crossed the distance, slashing her knife expertly. Lilly somehow managed to dodge the blow with a swift sidestep. She lashed out with her own weapon but struck only air. Saia danced across the firelight, an artist with the blade and Lilly her canvas. Lilly stumbled back to avoid her advances, but she was severely outmatched. Saia grabbed Lilly's knife arm and pulled the other woman against her chest. A millisecond before Saia's knife slit her throat, Lilly managed to throw her hand up between herself and the blade. The blade sliced deep into her palm and a shriek of agony cut through the night. In the moment that followed, Lilly hooked her foot around Saia's ankle and brought her to the ground with a grunt.

Saia recovered almost instantly as she hit the dirt and dragged her blade across Lilly's calf. Lilly fell with much less grace. Her head slammed down with a debilitating jolt of sharp pain. Her vision blurred and the moments seemed to slow to a snail's pace. Agonizing, ceremonial, final. In a show of defiance, she hoisted herself onto all fours. Her weapon glinted in the firelight a meter away. If she could reach it she may just have a chance. But as she crawled towards it, she was abruptly yanked back by her hair.

"Not so fast," Saia hissed, her hot breath sent tremors of fear through Lilly. The knife's edge nicked the delicate skin of her elongated neck, pressing hard enough that she felt a familiar trickle of blood being drawn. The spectators cheered at her compromised position. Lilly was in a bind that she couldn't wiggle out of. She reared her head back in hopes it would catch Saia off guard, but it only resulted in opening a gruesome gash on her throat. She felt the cool metal of her clock necklace slip from its hiding place and dangle tauntingly in the firelight.

"Enough! Stop!" The command startled both opponents into releasing each other. Bloodreigna had jumped up from his throne in a panic, the whites of his eyes on display as he stared her down. Lilly scrambled back away from Saia the moment the knife was removed and snatched up her own. Her dirt-caked palm pressed against the bloody wound on her throat and she emitted a strangled cry of pain from the contact. "Guards, bring her to my dwelling, immediately."

Three armed spectators split from the rest of the crowd instantly, not even hesitating at her feeble attempt to fight them off. The knife was ripped from her hands and strong arms gripped hers so tightly she was sure they could snap her bones without effort. Murmurs of confusion and cries of outrage followed them through the forest and back to Bloodreigna's cottage. Their leader's interference clearly was not planned, nor welcomed. The door slammed shut behind them and they were back in the privacy of the living room. The silence was strange in comparison to the near-riot they'd left behind. The guards kept their grip on her as Bloodreigna appraised her. His expression was astonished, disbelieving, terrified. Saia watched him closely with furrowed brows, confused and frustrated. He'd stolen her kill right from under her nose, and she was furious.

Bloodreigna's gaze dropped from Lilly's face to just below her clavicle, the spot where her necklace now fell on full display. Lilly's stomach sank. This was dangerous, even more so than before. The Chatwin name was a curse to those who bore it, and the only evidence of her lineage was now written plainly across her chest in the form of that very necklace.

"What the hell was that? I had her!" Saia spat, all decorum lost as she seethed at her leader. Bloodreigna took a step closer to Lilly as she squirmed in the guard's grip, ignoring his subject's seething.

"Where did you get that?" There was no mistaking who and what he was referring to. She needed to tread carefully, for one misstep could result in more than her single death. He continued to examine the piece of jewelry with a fervent gaze.

"It was a gift." He stepped closer and reached out hesitantly. Mere centimeters from the key, he paused, his breathing erratic.

"You stole it, didn't you?" The wonder in his eyes morphed into rage as he finally tore his gaze from the necklace and up to her face. Lilly leaned back as far as possible with the guards still holding her and set her jaw so as not to show weakness in the face of such hostility. "The only way you could have this is if it was taken by force." The accusation sent a jolt through her.

"It was given to me willingly," she defended.

"By whom?" He spat through clenched teeth.

"Jane Chatwin," Lilly's whisper was tentative. She had no way of knowing if this confession would be her salvation or her downfall. Bloodreigna stepped back abruptly.

"That can't be. She'd never- unless," the ire that had erupted at the sight of her necklace vanished in an instant. Lilly examined every flicker of emotion that crossed his face, for fear that this confession would be her undoing. Confusion, sorrow, disbelief, and hope? "Evelyn?"

"How do you know that name?"

"She's my-"

"Elias don't," Saia stepped forward, her voice as harsh as a bark.

"That's enough, Saia!" A cold fury ignited in Bloodreigna, Elias's eyes once again. It was unclear if it was due to her request or the informality of calling him by his given name. "I need to know," his voice softened at the end and he turned back to face Lilly. "You're her, aren't you? Evelyn," Lilly shook her head minutely, swallowing the lump in her throat at the mention of her mother's name. How did this man know who she was?

"No- no, Evelyn's dead," Elias's shoulders sagged in defeat and he sank into the nearest armchair. "Who was she to you?" Lilly eyed him skeptically and Saia shot him a warning look. Elias ignored her and lifted his chin to display misted eyes.

"My daughter," The breath caught in Lilly's throat. Her blood drained to her toes. There was a moment of heavy silence before the ghost of a smile quirked her lips.

"She was my mother."

Chapter Text

Rubbing soothing circles into her bandaged wrists, Lilly watched silently as Elias cleaned her bloodied wounds. She couldn't keep her eyes from nervously flitting to glimpse the man knelt before her. After being sequestered mid-trial, and discovering her connection to the leader of The Valley, she'd swiftly been released. Elias' subjects had been less than thrilled, but Yakia performed another attempt at mind-reading, this time with no resistance. This was all the evidence they needed. Lilly was the granddaughter of the Bloodreigna.

Now it was just the two of them alone in the little cottage. Neither could find the right words. So many questions brewed between them. They'd shared so much heartbreak without knowing the other existed. Lilly hissed as he poured a stream of antiseptic onto her leg.

"Sorry," Elias muttered and reached for a jar of greenish-brown salve. As he unscrewed the top, a deep earthy scent wafted towards her. Elias scooped out a handful and promptly smeared it over the deep gash across her calf. Lilly instantly relaxed. The burning pain was soothed at his touch. She slumped back in her armchair with a sigh of relief. "I apologize for this evening. If I'd known who you were I never would've done it. We assumed you were working for The Beast." Lilly saw only sincerity in his piercing blue eyes.

"You did what you thought was best for your people. I've been guilty of the same thing more times than I can count, I understand." Elias wrapped her leg meticulously as if she were a porcelain doll liable to crack at the slightest use of pressure. "What exactly is this place? How are you still alive?" Elias sat back on his heels and pursed his lips. He looked more forlorn than displeased.

"This Valley has been home to our people for a thousand years. We used to live in harmony with the rest of Fillory, but humans fear what they do not understand. They forced us to leave the kingdom and start anew. We've been here ever since." He reached out to cup the clock necklace resting against Lilly's leather armor. Twirling the pendant between his fingers contemplatively, he seemed to be in another world entirely. "I met Jane when The Beast was beginning to gain power. She was desperate to sway him from the path of darkness. In the end, it was too late. Jane had no choice but to flee Fillory, but before she left, she placed a powerful protection spell around The Valley. This place exists outside of time and space itself, and I, well, just as Jane slowed her own aging, she did the same for me. But that too is gone, and I'm afraid time is catching up to me."

"So, if this place is protected, how did I get through the barrier?" Lilly went over the past day in her mind, trying to connect her experience with the information he'd just revealed.

"Jane's time magic began with her. It was a gift from Ember and Umber themselves. Martin may be a Master Magician, but he does not possess the god-given gift Jane did. It's possible some of that power trickled down to you."

"But, I'm not a Horomancer. I've never done time magic in my life." Lilly's brows knit together. She'd never entertained the possibility of her inheriting some of Jane's gifts. But, she was a shifter. What other powers could be lurking beneath the surface of her skin?

"Just because you've never used it doesn't mean it's not there. But, it's just a theory."

"How do you know about my mom? I thought Jane left Fillory before she knew she was pregnant." Lilly ran her fingers along the rough surface of her armchair. For the first time in a long time, she felt at ease in this little cottage. She had one last tie to her family. One last thread of hope.

"She did, but a few months later she managed to send word that she was with child." He smiled grievously, "I would've given anything to hold my daughter just once." Lilly grasped his hand in hers. Her heart ached for him. She couldn't imagine the pain of never laying eyes on his own daughter. All the while knowing that she was out there somewhere, unaware that he even existed. Elias looked at his granddaughter with misty eyes and soon her own tears began to fall. They weren't tears of sadness, nor joy, but some strange mixture of the two.

"So, you're a Shifter?" She wiped at her eyes. "Is everyone here like me?"

"Indeed, I am." He smiled up at her, "most are human. A child rarely develops the ability to shift, even if both parents are Shifters." For so long she believed she was alone, that she had to figure out her powers all on her own. But no longer would she have to fear her potential. She had someone to teach her. She'd believed that Jane's knowledge died with her, yet, here it was. "We're safe within The Valley. You are too. I won't let Martin take you away from me again."

"You haven't been outside this valley since Jane left? You haven't tried to stop him? All these years you've just let him run rampant in Fillory?" Lilly felt the familiar burn of frustration at the thought. Why had he just given up? How could he stay behind these wards while the people of Fillory were suffering? Elias sighed deeply and sat back on his heels. His eyes dropped to the floor in shame.

"The last time I fought The Beast with Jane by my side, he nearly eradicated my people. My sister, Rose, sacrificed herself to protect The Valley. I won't let that sacrifice be in vain." Haunted. That was the only way she could describe his expression. A contemplative silence ensued as Lilly mulled over this new information. "My people come first, always. I will not gamble with their safety. I won't gamble with yours either." Lilly was taken aback by this statement. Elias leaned forward and took both her hands in his. "I'd like for you to stay here, learn our ways, be safe. This valley is your birthright. Eventually, if you prove yourself worthy, you could take my place as Bloodreigna. If you want to, that is." Lilly's jaw dropped open. Her brain was at a standstill.

"I- I don't know. This is just a lot." Pulling her hands from his, her fingers raked through her dirty and knotted hair.

"I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself." He held up both hands to calm her, "all I want is the chance to get to know you. I was robbed of that opportunity with Evelyn. I can't bear the thought of losing you as well. I've only just found you." Lilly suddenly felt out of breath. She rested her elbows on her thighs and placed her palms over her face in a weak attempt to calm herself. It was all too much to process. In a matter of twenty-four hours- or at least what felt like twenty-four hours- Lilly had lost her friends, her almost-boyfriend, and any hope of killing The Beast. Now, she was faced with a whole new world, the opportunity to make a new life for herself. One without the looming threat of Martin. She could get to know her grandfather. It was tempting, almost too good to be true. A small part of her still screamed to fight, to not let her friend's deaths be in vain. But a larger part of her was done. Done fighting, done with constant pain and paranoia. She wanted this, she deserved this, didn't she?

"I think... I think I'd like that." Elias looked surprised like he'd expected to be rejected. It'd been so long since Jane had left. He'd never gotten the opportunity to be a father to Evelyn, or a grandfather to her. This sudden opportunity must've felt as foreign to him as it did to Lilly. Gradually, a brilliant smile lit up his features. It was such a joyful expression that for a moment, Lilly was taken aback. It had felt like years ago that she'd seen something so pure and unburdened. For a while, she wondered if she'd ever experience that kind of happiness again.

Elias stood and offered her his hand. Lilly hesitated for a split-second. Taking his hand would mean much more than she was sure she was ready for. Taking it would mean she was moving away from her friends and The Beast and towards a new goal. A new life. Without thinking, Lilly wrapped her arms around him. Elias stiffened at her touch. Then his arms were around her too. She'd never had the love of a father in her life. She'd only ever had Evelyn. Lilly found that she felt at home in her grandfather's arms, and it was a long while before they broke apart. They were both starved for the love of family that they'd been deprived of for so long. This was a new sensation, but it was one that Lilly was sure she'd never tire of.

"Come," he lead her towards the front door. As he swung it open, Lilly was met with the same star-filled sky she'd believed would bear witness to her brutal death that night. Instead, it marked a new beginning and a sorrowful end. Saia stood stiffly a few paces down the path, watching Lilly like a snake ready to pounce. Elias gave the warrior a nod and miraculously, Saia relaxed. Lilly held tight to Elias's hand as they made their way back to the clearing and his restless subjects. She heard the angry voices before they even broke through the tree line. The crowd parted when they saw their leader, and their shouts dulled to conspiratorial whispers. All eyes were on them as Lilly and Elias made their way to his menacing throne of thorns.

The white bird which had perched tall and proud above the Bloodreina remained. It too watched the pair as they took their rightful place before the people of The Valley. Elias held out his other arm and the bird took flight. Lilly flinched as the monstrosity landed gracefully on Elias's outstretched arm. Its snowy feathers seemed to glow in the firelight, it's dark-eyed glinted in a supernatural way.

"I know you all would like answers to what took place tonight." A few people nodded, others openly glared at Lilly and their joined hands. "The valley has long since been isolated and protected by the wards surrounding it. As you know, that is all thanks to Jane Chatwin. However, many of you don't know that when Jane fled Fillory, she was pregnant." A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd. Lilly squeezed Elias's hand tightly, receiving a soft smile of reassurance in turn. "Our child grew up to have her own daughter, and as fate would have it, that daughter found her way back to us. The rightful heir to the Valley has returned." The crowd grew restless, no one seemed to know how to process his words. Elias nudged Lilly forwards lightly. She took a dubious step towards the crowd.

"I- um-" Her voice wavered as she racked her brain for something to say. She was sure she looked like a bumbling idiot right then. She glanced back at Elias with fearful eyes. He simply smiled, and somehow, that was all she needed. With a steadying breath, she addressed the people. "My name is Lilly Cole. I came to Fillory with my friends to kill the beast that has hunted you all these years. He killed them all and I alone survived. I had no one left, but then I stumbled past your wards and I feel as if I've been given a second chance. I may be the rightful heir to The Valley, but I'm a stranger to you. All I want is a chance to learn. I don't expect any of you to trust me. But If you'll allow me to try, I'd like to prove myself. I'd like to stay here. That is if you'll have me." For a long while, no one uttered a word. Lilly cringed under the scrutiny of so many. The people of the valley stared at her as if trying to detect if she was who she claimed. Lilly couldn't blame them. Here she was, a stranger in a hostile world, asking to be accepted as one of them. She felt crazy even thinking about it. Lilly hung her head in shame, trying to hide the pain painted plainly across her features.

Then there was a rustling amongst the crowd. Lilly dared to peek through her lashes and what she saw had her heart clenching so tight she thought it might burst. One by one the people in the crown knelt before her. Their heads bowed as Lilly's had been moments before. But this was not from shame, this was respect, acceptance. Elias placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She barely felt it. Lilly smiled through the tears threatening to spill. She wasn't alone.

➺➺➺➺

"The crowns of Fillory are yours." The five Magicians grinned triumphantly as the knight protecting the crowns bowed to Eliot. After a bizarre test involving pop culture trivia from the nineties, they proved victorious and thus worthy of the crowns. With one flourishing bow, the knight disappeared, leaving them alone. Quentin looked around the stone platform tentatively. Waves lapped at the base in a soothing rhythm. The crowning ceremony overlooked the endless ocean. They savored the fresh breeze and open atmosphere after their long journey through the forest. Eliot knelt before the iron chest, careful not to dirty his pant leg as he did. It opened smoothly at his touch and four pristine crowns were revealed. Each one was unique, meant for two kings and two queens.

"So, I guess we just put them on." Eliot picked one randomly and began to lower it onto his head.

"No, God, stop!" Quentin threw out a hand. "This doesn't feel right."

"You're right. She should be here." Penny sighed, flexing his reattached hands impulsively. They each thought of their missing friend. Lilly deserved to be a Queen just as much as any of them. She deserved to be there.

"I wish she could be, Q." Margo gave him a sympathetic, yet patronizing look, "but this is the only way to get to Whitespire. We can't waste any time." Quentin bristled at her dismissal, but in the end, he resigned to a simple nod.

"I mean, we should at least do a ceremony. This is only gonna happen once. We are becoming kings and queens, so...it's important, and we should honor it. Just give me that." Quentin motioned to the crown and nimbly took it from Eliot. "If Lilly found out we didn't do a ceremony she'd kill us all." Everyone nodded with amusement. Quentin stood tall before Eliot and formally squared his jaw. "Kneel, Eliot Waugh." Eliot rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Would you just do it? It's gonna be quick, I promise." Snickering, he complied. "So, destiny is-- it's bullshit, but you are High King in your blood, and somehow that makes sense, you know? And I-I just-- for what it's worth, I think that you are going to be a fantastic king." Quentin cleared his throat in an attempt to distract from his emotional words. "Um, so, um, I-I dub thee, um, I don't know. Would you say, like, you're more brave or merciful?" He whispered to Eliot uncertainty.

"I'd say I'm neither, but I still plan to be a spectacular monarch." Quentin smiled proudly at his friend's words.

"I hereby dub thee, High King Eliot The Spectacular." Slowly and dramatically, Quentin placed the circlet atop his head, taking care to place it on straight. Eliot took a deep breath and smiled.

"Wow, this feels as natural as underwear." Placing his hands in Quentin's, Eliot stood and gazed into his eyes affectionately, "thank you." The moment lasted a tad longer than it should've, but neither cared. This was something to be savored. Next, was Margo, who knelt before Eliot eagerly. She beamed radiantly as he spoke, soaking up every word.

"By the power vested in me by... I have no idea, I do hereby crown you High Queen Margo The Destroyer. I mean that in the best possible sense." Eliot crowned his best friend, then turned to the others and waved his hands to prompt some fanfare. "Uh, all hail. Everyone clap." Pulling her close, he whispered tenderly in her ear, "I have known what you truly are since the day we met. Long may you reign." He capped off his tribute by placing a tender kiss upon her forehead. Then, it was Alice's turn. Things were still a bit tense from their betrayal of her, but she offered him a wry smile all the same.

"I feel it's incumbent upon me to promise never again to betray you as I did. I really-- really am sorry. I have some character defects. I'm working on it, honestly." Tears sparked behind both of their eyes at the vocal apology. None had been offered by either Margo or Eliot, and the gesture was grand in its own way. Alice knelt, looking up at him with watery eyes.

"I'm working on some too."

"Well, on that note, I crown you, Queen Alice the Wise." As Alice stepped away and Eliot bent to retrieve the fourth and final crown, Margo stepped forward.

"No, wait. Since we're cleaning slates and shit, give me. Q?" She summoned him forward, and he hesitantly complied, though he didn't immediately bend his knee. "I could start by saying something cruel yet totally hilarious about you. Let's be real, you're an easy target. But, that's, well, that's because you're honest about what you love. And underneath it all, that's... inspiring. And I'm sorry too. Not about the sex, I don't even really remember it. Mostly my part in fucking up something that was good for you." Her voice softened towards the tail end of her speech, and Quentin had to fight to retain his stoic features.

"Thanks, I think I fucked it up just fine myself." He shot Alice a forlorn look, which was retrieved with equal amounts of longing and ire.

"Now that we're ruling a kingdom together, I hope we can be whatever we were again."

"I guess you could call that friends."

"Let's go with that." Margo grinned, "I hereby crown you, King Quentin the Moderately Socially Maladjusted. Scrunch down." She ordered, and he hastily dropped to his knees before her. They all applauded as the final crown found it's king.

"Royalty, bitches."

The Magicians made camp along the bay, and Penny found himself wandering along the lapping water's edge. Tendrils of smoke joined the cloud above from the campfire Alice had conjured for them. The relations between party members had thankfully become less hostile after the crowning. Penny only wished that Lilly had been there to witness it. If anyone was worthy of queendom, it was her.

However, Lilly wasn't the only problem plaguing his thoughts as he stared at his rippling reflection in the water. He had the troubling suspicion that the Chatwin's Torrent peddler had tampered with his newly reattached hands. With extra precision, Penny moved his hands in the pattern of a frost charm atop a pile of dead leaves. For a moment, nothing happened, and his stomach lurched. Then, the crystallized coating formed over the pile of leaves. With a relieved sigh, Penny began to turn away. But within a second his right hand swung around of its own accord and yanked him along with it. The frosted leaves burst into crackling flames.

"Shit."

"Hey, everything okay?" Margo asked as she approached, the crown still balanced delicately atop her head.

"I'm going back to the Torrent," he declared.

"You think that guy did something to you cause you were a raging douche?"

"I'll sweet-talk him. Get him to fix my hands, then-- then I'll head to the castle. Everything's under control." He tried to keep his voice steady, but his concern was clear as day.

"Really? Cause it sounds like everything turned to shit as soon as Lilly left." Penny grumbled, shaking his head at her observation. He began to move, but Margo put a hand up to stop him. "Look, I get it, everything would be a hell of a lot better if she were here, but I promise you, we'll get her back. Even if I have to kill that motherfucking Chatwin all by myself, we're gonna bring her home. She's out there somewhere. It's only a matter of time." Penny swallowed hard and nodded.

"Thanks, Margo," and with that, he was off on his own journey while the kings and queens of Fillory went to claim their thrones.

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since that fateful night that had set her upon this course, but the ache in her chest still stung with a potency that would not soon fade. Lilly stayed with Elias in his cottage, as there were no free dwellings available in The Valley. Their oasis was everything he'd promised it'd be. The people had warmed up to her after the announcement of her lineage, and even Saia had softened her stony exterior.

The Valley was a safe haven, something Lilly had found herself wishing for during her fight with The Beast. Now she had it and it was all she'd ever dreamed. She had family, and the more she got to know Elias, the more she understood herself, understood the power within that she'd so feared. She didn't need to be afraid here. She was amongst family, people like her. But No matter how she phrased it in her mind, she couldn't ignore the pull towards the world beyond.

She'd chosen to give up, to live a life of peace and solitude, but the nagging loss, anger, and guilt still clawed away at her. Lilly found herself channeling her frustrations into daily training sessions with Saia. Their early morning rendezvous in the desert had become both a dreaded and welcomed distraction from her troubles.

As it turns out, the women were much more akin than they'd initially thought. It was often Saia's company Lilly sought out when she wasn't with Elias.

Lilly's muscles screamed as she pushed herself off the ground for the hundredth time that day. With a huff, she dusted the sand from her leather armor and turned to face Saia. The warrior didn't bother to hide her amusement. Lilly shot her a humorless smile and flexed her fingers with agitation.

"Come on, Princess, you can't be tired already. We've only just started." Saia wasn't even winded from their sparring match. It didn't take much effort on her part. Whilst the Magician was well trained in the art of magic, she was completely inept at physical fighting.

"I'm not a princess." Lilly brushed a stray hair behind her ear with a huff.

"Technically, no. But the principle still stands." Saia smiled and beckoned her forward. The gesture was so relaxed that Lilly couldn't help but bristle at how inconsequential a threat she was. If this mortal woman perceived her that way, no wonder she'd fallen at the hands of The Beast.

Rolling out a kink in her shoulder, Lilly dropped into a familiar defensive stance. The fighters circled one another, much like they had that first night in the firelight. Setting her jaw, Lilly lunged.

The next hour consisted of Lilly being knocked about like a ragdoll. Even now, Saia showed no signs of tiring. Sand scorched her exposed skin as Lilly lay sprawled on her back. Saia's form shaded her eyes from the blinding sunlight as she held out a hand to her opponent. With a begrudging sigh, she took it.

"Don't feel too bad, there's only one person in this valley who's ever bested me in a fight."

"Who's that?" Lilly struggled to shake the sand from within her armor.

"Your grandfather." Saia strode towards the pack of supplies and produced a full waterskin. Lilly was thankful she'd spelled the water to remain chilled, for the days heat was growing increasingly unbearable. "Though you may be a horrific fighter now, I have hope that you'll improve."

"Thanks," Lilly rolled her eyes at the backhanded compliment and began to trudge towards the treeline. The air was a good ten degrees cooler within the forest and a welcomed moisture kissed her parched skin. Lilly plopped down against the base of a massive oak tree. Saia did the same a few feet away, however much more gracefully. They swapped the waterskin in comfortable silence, allowing the calls of the birds and rustle of leaves to lull them into a trancelike state.

"Have you ever considered leaving?" Lilly wondered aloud, eyeing Saia with innocent curiosity. For a moment, there was no answer as Saia mulled over the question. Lilly regretted asking almost as soon as she said it.

"Of course I have." Saia's lips curved in a melancholy smile. "Everyone has at some point or another. But thinking and doing are two very different things." Saia brushed her braided locks across one shoulder and plucked a tiny dagger from the vambrace around her right wrist.

"Why haven't you?" Saia twirled the blade across her knuckles pensively. She wasn't sure she even knew the answer.

"There's no guarantee you'll ever find your way back again." She didn't look up as she spoke, instead tracked the movements of the glinting weapon in her hand. "Jane's wards are impenetrable. It's been over seventy years and The Beast has never found us. There've been a few people to make the crossing, but no one's seen or heard from them since."

"Well, it's not impossible. I found you."

"Yes, but you're a direct descendant of the woman who created the wards." She was right. It seemed Jane left her with more than just a necklace. The last thing Lilly wanted was another mystery, but when did she ever get what she wanted? "What's it like? The world."

"Aside from the homicidal beast?" Lilly laughed humorlessly and Saia's lips quirked in a mirroring bitter gesture. "It's beautiful."

"Your friends, they were children of earth as well?" A lump formed in Lilly's throat. She knew it had been there the whole time, just waiting for the right moment to choke the life out of her.

"Yes," it came out as a strangled croak.

"You loved them." A statement, not a question. The silence was answer enough. "Death always claims the best of us." A cool breeze tickled the curves of Lilly's face, as if to comfort the mourning woman. Lilly's head snapped up at the sudden crack of a branch. In an instant she was on her feet, dagger in her hand.

"Woah, relax!" A small voice called from above. Lilly tilted her head towards the canopy of trees. Knees hooked around a thick branch, a little boy dangled upside down above them. Lilly's shoulders instantly relaxed at the familiar sight. Omari, one of the village children, smiled mischievously down at the two women.

"Omari, what is it this time?" Saia laughed, now standing beside Lilly. It was a valid question. Since Lilly had been in The Valley, Omari had gotten into more than a little bit of delinquency. Whether it was stealing from the baskets of freshly harvested fruit, or switching the sugar for salt, you could be sure Omari was behind it.

The little boy had grown on Lilly, as he was unafraid of her from the moment she'd arrived. Despite knowing that she was the heir to their village, many were hesitant to approach her. It wasn't until Omari took her by the hand with a brilliant smile and began his incessant chattering, that she felt at ease in this new world.

"Bloodreigna wants to talk to you." He kicked his legs out and dropped to the ground in a graceful flip. He popped up instantly with the spring of a kangaroo.

"Do you know what for?" Lilly asked. Omari simply shrugged noncommittally and reached out to grip her hand. The boy's head reached only a few inches past her waist, his dark coily hair buzzed short. The dark and light of their skin contrasted greatly, but his little hand fit within hers perfectly. Without warning, he began to skip towards camp, yanking her unceremoniously along. Saia laughed heartily at her helpless position and followed.

Omari chatted merrily about this and that. What pranks he'd pulled, or which villager was angry with him today. Lilly was thankful for his presence. Innocence was such a rarity. It was certainly something she herself had nothing left of. Omari delivered her to Elias' cottage and the three parted ways. Saia hurried off to wash the grime of their training session from her skin and Omari left to stir up some chaos.

Lilly didn't bother knocking, It was her home too now, as Elias had stressed time and time again. She found him seated at the kitchen table, a cup of steaming tea and a half finished book open before him.

"How was your training session?" He asked as she sat down across from him with a full glass of ice water.

"It went as well as to be expected." She shrugged, which meant not well at all. "But Saia said I show promise of improvement." Elias chuckled at that.

"That's probably the closest thing to a complement you'll ever receive from her." Lilly nodded and sat back into her wood carved dining chair. Lilly and Elias had settled into a comfortable dynamic, after spending the first week of their relationship learning all there was to know about each other and their pasts. Lilly had spent much of her time describing Evelyn to him. It was strangely comforting to look back on her fondest memories of her mother. She'd avoided his questions about her friends. The wound was still too fresh, and she feared if she let herself delve into the depths of her sorrow, she may never find her way out again.

Lilly was soaking up her moments with Elias like a dry sponge. He was more than she could've ever hoped for. He'd taken the time to personally show her around The Valley, and teach her about its history and her ancestors. Though her heart still ached, Lilly had hope that with his help, she could heal.

"Omari said you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes," Elias nodded and stood from his seat. "There's something I've been meaning to give you." Lilly's brows furrowed in confusion. Her deep brown eyes tracked his movements as he knelt before a solid wooden chest. The rusted hinges creaked when he lifted the lid. Carefully, Elias reached in and brought out a large bundle of cloth. He returned to the table and placed it gently before her. Lilly simply stared at it for a moment. With a jut of his chin, Elias urged her to open it.

Lilly ran her fingers lightly across the canvas, feeling for the time worn edges. Pinching the corner between her fingers, she began to unravel the cover. Her eyes slid across the ornately carved wood with reverence. Each grove felt like a mark of history. How many times had Jane's hands traversed it's curves and held it's string? The bow in her hands was a legacy in its own right.

"It was Jane's. She would've wanted you to have it." After Jane rescued a dryad of The Southern Orchard, the tree spirit had gifted her the bow, carved from the wood of her own branches and enchanted to never miss its mark. The weapon had saved the girl's life more times than Lilly could count. Never did she imagine she'd be in possession of it.

"You've had it all this time?" Elias nodded and stood to walk around the table to her.

"Jane left it with me upon leaving Fillory. It's too conspicuous a weapon on earth. If she was here, she'd pass it down to you, like she did with her necklace." Lilly fingered the feathered ends poking out from the accompanying quiver of arrows. The wood knocked together lightly at her touch.

"Thank you," Lilly looked up at her grandfather with a smile. Leaning down, Elias placed a loving kiss on her temple and squeezed her shoulder in a sign of solidarity. They both missed Lilly's grandmother dearly, but together they felt their connection to Jane rekindle.

"There's one more thing." Elias knelt beside her chair and met her eyes. "When each of our people come of age, they are marked as a member of our tribe. I think it's time for you to receive yours."

"Are you sure?" Her brows rose in surprise. She hadn't been expecting this.

"You've shown your character to be true. It is your birthright. No one can deny you that." Lilly contemplated his suggestion for a moment. The Valley felt like home, and it had been so very long since she'd had that.

She had nothing to go back to, Alex, Dani, and Ava would either be dead or on the run now that the beast had the button. Lilly was tired, so tired. So, she made a selfish choice. She'd remained with Elias in The Valley, she'd given up. But she had nothing left in her to rethink her decision. For now, she would follow her heart's desire.

Lilly nodded as tears sprung up in her eyes. Elias's grin washed her worries away and soon he was pulling her into a bone crushing embrace. Lilly melted into him, thankful that she at least had one person left who loved her.

Lilly melted into him, thankful that she at least had one person left who loved her

Lilly stared down at the bowl of ink as it swirled and undulated beneath her gaze. In the three days leading up to this moment, Elias had remained somewhat elusive in his preparations. Lilly had asked if she could be of any help, but her offer had been dismissed immediately. Training with Saia worked her to the bone every day, but both women were beginning to see an improvement in her fighting skills.

Weapons training was added to her daily routine. Though she'd been gifted an enchanted bow, Saia insisted upon training with ordinary weapons. Enchantments may not always be there and Lilly needed to learn the skills of a warrior if she wanted to stand a chance against The Beast if he came knocking. After training that day, Elias finally summoned her.

"The ink is enchanted. It takes on a form that best represents the essence of the wearer." Elias explained. They'd brought her to a small clearing, empty save for a raised stone dias, which held a bowl of swirling onyx liquid at its center.

"What was it for you?" Lilly eyed the telltale black tendrils that poked out from beneath Elias's shirt. Saia stepped forward, unbuckling her vambrace.

Adorning the tan skin of her forearm was an ornate spotted jaguar. Mid-leap, the predator spanned almost to her elbow, the darkened lined curving and joining into the visual representation of Saia's essence. Lilly had to admit that the Jaguar suited her. Her gaze flicked to Elias questioningly. He smiled and stepped forward, taking Saia's place before her.

He pulled at the neck of his tunic. Lilly had to bite back her gasp. Across his left pectoral was the massive profile of a wolf's head. It's fur so detailed and eyes so piercing that it may as well have been jumping off his skin. As her eyes trailed past it's head, it's body dissolved into a series of complex interwoven lines that disappeared down his arm and beneath the cloth of his shirt.

"The mark of a Bloodreigna is bestowed upon the heir during their ascendancy." He released his collar and began rolling up his left sleeve. Dark, lethal thorns wrapped around his wrist, and up his arm, assumingly to connect with the wolf at the top. It was as if the thorns from his throne had burrowed beneath his skin and taken up permanent residency there. "If you decide to ascend, you'll have it, too."

"Has it ever been wrong?"

"Not once," Elias assured and Lilly nodded pensively. She'd never gotten a tattoo before. The permanence of it had dissuaded her in her life before. Even now she was hesitant, and she had no idea what it would manifest as.

"But there's a first for everything." Saia added with a mischievous smirk. Lilly shot her a halfhearted glare before facing the bowl of midnight liquid once more.

"Dip your fingers in the ink and allow it to do it's work." Lilly eyed it apprehensively, but she trusted her grandfather. The tips of her fingers were enveloped by blackness and all was quiet. The ink ceased to stir of its own accord the moment her hand pierced the surface. Her skin began to tingle. The sensation reminded her of shifting. The warmth that spread throughout her body as she took another form.

But rather than morphing into someone else, dark veins of ink began to creep up her arm. Lilly hissed as the tame tingling turned to hot pain. On instinct she tried to wrench her hand from the bowl, but it seemed to be rooted to the spot. She turned pleading eyes to Elias and Saia.

"Calm yourself. The pain will only last a moment." Clenching her jaw, Lilly's nostrils flared as the ink crept past her elbow. By the time it reached her neck her left hand had found its way to grip the stone table with a viggor that turned her knuckles white. Her arm was completely consumed. The veins swept across her chest like shadows. A groan escaped her. Lilly squeezed her eyes shut as the burning flared in one final crescendo, then ebbed away as if it had never existed.

When she peeled open her eyes the web of ink was gone from her arm. Elias and Saia smiled knowingly. Lilly glanced down at herself. Just below her collarbone sat a beautiful bird, its wings spread in mid-flight. Long plumage curled up and over her shoulder, disappearing down her back.

"It's a Calladrius." Saia turned her head towards the sky and sure enough, Ithena circled high above, an identical creature to the one tattooed across her skin.

"You're one of us now," Elias beamed. A pang of familiar sorrow shot through Lilly at his words. She was one of them. No longer was she Lilly Cole, a student at Brakebills trying to loop survive. Now she was a part of something new. Her smile faded.

"Are you alright?" They took notice of her sudden shift in mood.

"It's nothing." Swallowing down the rising emotion, Lilly forced a smile upon her face. "I think I just need a moment." Before anyone could question her further, she turned on her heel and calmly headed towards the forest. Saia and Elias shared a look of concern, but neither followed.

The second she was out of sight, her legs broke into a sprint. Wind whipping through her hair, she ran until her body grew tired. Tears streamed down her cheeks and onto the forest floor in rapid succession. With a heart wrenching sob, Lilly collapsed onto the moss covered forest floor. Her whole body shook with sorrow, so violent that it felt more like convulsions than simple cries.

It wasn't until that moment that she realized she hadn't given herself the opportunity to grieve. She'd kept herself so thoroughly distracted that she'd managed to bottle up her pain completely. Penny, Quentin, Margo, Eliot, Alice, even Julia, were all gone. She hadn't asked for any of this. She didn't ask for the world's fate to be dropped upon her shoulders.

Lilly let out a screech of anger and agony. Digging her nails into the cool, damp earth, she ripped a handful of moss and hurled it as far as she could. She felt like an insolent child throwing a tantrum, but she couldn't have cared less.

Her first instinct would be to call Quentin, or Margo and Eliot. There would be no one to answer her call. Penny would've wiped her tears and talked her down with his calming words. All she wanted was to see her friends. Her heart yearned for their presence, their silent unwavering support.

"Why are you crying?" Lilly screached, scrambling back from the voice. Through the blur of tears, she could just barely make out the shape of a boy. She huffed in annoyance.

"Jesus, Omari," she scolded. "Has anyone ever told you to announce yourself before popping out like that?" The boy hung upside down from a thick tree branch right above her.

"All the time." He grinned, showing a row of pearly white teeth. Lilly couldn't help but think he resembled a bat. "But where's the fun in that?"

"Good point," with a strangled laugh, Lilly rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What's wrong?" Omari asked as he flipped off the branch and to the ground. He came up beside her and sat. The damp moss didn't bother him. It seemed nothing really did.

"My friends," Lilly croaked, avoiding his dark eyes. "I lost them right before I came here. I miss them more than anything." Her most recent swipe across her runny nose left behind a trail of mud that streaked her porcelain skin.

"Where'd they go?"

"Somewhere I can't follow." Tears leaked out in slow succession. Her attempts to stop their flow was in vain. "I just wish I could talk to them. All this is just really overwhelming." Lilly waved her arms to encompass the whole of The Valley and Omari nodded as if that explained everything.

"Isn't that part of the job? I mean, you are the heir."

"Yeah," Squeezing her eyes shut, Lilly took a shaky breath through her mouth. "I guess that's me now."

"Don't you want to be Bloodreigna?" Omari reached forward and began to absentmindedly rip the grass up by its roots.

"Yes-" She began, "and no. It's just- My friends and I were on a quest and we got separated before we could complete it. It's hard to feel content when you have unfinished business. I just don't know how to continue without them." There was a long pause where neither spoke. Lilly plucked a daisy from the ground and twirled it between her thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sorry about your friends," Omari whispered.

"Me too."

"If it helps, I might know a way for you to get some advice." His voice perked up with a hint of excitement. Lilly's brows raised slightly in interest. Omari pushed himself up so his back was straight, like he was about to give a presentation in front of his class. "There's a creature outside the wards. A Suriel. If you can catch it, it will answer any questions you ask. It can't lie."

"How do you know this?" Lilly was taken aback to say the least.

"Yakia tells us stories sometimes. I pay attention," he shrugged casually.

"It was you in the trees the night of my trial, wasn't it?" Lilly's eyes narrowed in accusation, but her lips had curled upwards slightly. Omari grimaced, his back slouching with shame.

"Promise not to tell? Yakia will kill me if she finds out." He pleaded, using his best puppy-dog impression. No one could withstand that.

"It'll be our little secret." He let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "If you tell me how to catch this Suriel." Omari made a show of contemplating his options, but they both knew his decision already.

"Deal."

Chapter Text

Lilly wiped the moisture from the clouded bathroom mirror. Thick dark lines of ink contrasted against her porcelain skin, curling and winding along like smoke on the wind. She studied her bare back in the reflection, her gaze trailing across the Caladrius's tail feathers that caressed her shoulder blades.

A few white puckered scars littered her body from her run in with Prudence Plover. Every now and then she'd feel the ghost of a scalpel drag across the marks, as if her scars were reliving that moment on a loop. Lilly doubted they'd ever fade, neither would the marks she couldn't see. The guilt surrounding the housekeepers children had nestled into a dark corner of her heart, dormant, but ever present. She'd made a vow to free them from their spectral prison. Though she doubted it would be a promise she could keep.

As she changed into her silken nightgown, she tried to keep her thoughts away from her lost friends. Since she'd been in The Valley, Lilly often found her mind retracing the events leading up to her friends slaughter. Penny seemed to be at the forefront more often than naught. He'd given her one last chance at life when he'd traveled her to safety. There were moments when she felt grateful, and others where she wished he'd let her die alongside him. If the roles had been reversed, she would've don't the same to save him.

Elias was already sitting in his usual armchair when she padded across the natural wood floors to the kitchen. The tea kettle clinked lightly against the stove as Lilly set to work making them some tea. It wasn't long before she sat across from him with a steaming cup of camomile.

"I feel it's necessary to say that you have no obligation to take my place as Bloodreigna." Lilly looked up at her grandfather with curiosity. "I hope I haven't been moving too fast. I've just been so happy to have you here that I may have gotten carried away. It was never my intention to pressure you into anything you weren't ready for."

"You've done nothing wrong." She assured, setting her tea down on the coffee table between them. The steam rose in swirling tendrils, obstructing her view with its ghostly appearance. "I've been...struggling to move on from my life before. My friends and I, we were very close."

"I'm sorry you were pulled into all this. You should've been happy and safe on earth." He sighed heavily, "I wish I could help you stop Martin, but I'm afraid it's beyond either of our abilities now."

"Why can't you?" Lilly sat forward with a sudden spark of resilience in her brown eyes. "Your people are warriors. Saia alone would be a great ally against him. If you gathered the valley and went to face him. We could take him down once and for all."

"I will not risk the lives of my people for a kingdom who would have us all hanged for simply existing." Elias's tone grew cold at the suggestion, but still she persisted.

"There are innocents in Fillory too, would you have us abandon them all for the faults of a few?"

"My decision is final. We stay in The Valley. I can't lose you too." Elias's voice split on the final sentence. His eyes grew misty as he watched her reaction. Lilly stayed silent.

"If we stand by, we let him win." Lilly's voice was but a whisper. The pain she'd endured shone through for the world to see. She was broken, but she would not stop fighting. Elias stood slowly and crossed the distance between them.

"We'll discuss this more in the morning." He leant down to brush a soft kiss across her forehead. "Get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you, too." She sighed as he shut the door to his bedroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Guilt gnawed at her. There would be no discussion the following morning. For Lilly had made her decision. She was going to fight The Beast. Even if she died trying.

She sat there for a long while, until she was sure Elias was asleep, then crept towards the chest that held her armor and bow. She cringed at the deafening creak that sounded from the lid. Kneeling on the cold floor, Lilly gathered her things.

She took a piece of parchment and a quill from Elias's desk and scribbled down an explanation. Her heart clenched as the ink scrawled across the page. She was unsure if this was the last time she'd ever see him. The note sat propped against a candle on the coffee table. He couldn't miss it. Gripping the handle of Jane's bow, Lilly steeled herself, and took off into the night.

➺➺➺➺

The Bowstring was coarse and taught between her fingertips as Lilly lined up her shot. From her vantage point, she could survey the entirety of the clearing. A luxurious emerald green cloak lay folded upon blades of equally vibrant grass. Wildflowers dappled the ground in patches, illuminated by spots of sun filtering through the canopy. Wildlife flourished here, as if The Beast had left a little piece of Fillory behind when he decimated their world.

She'd followed Omari's instructions to the tee. No stone left unturned. The carefully crafted snare lay in wait beneath the cloak, ready to trap the unsuspecting creature. Nerves buzzed beneath the surface of Lilly's skin, like angry bees in a jar.

Then the forest silenced, the wind seemed to still, and the hair on Lilly's arm prickled with energy. The Suriel has arrived. For a long moment, nothing happened, and the anticipation was suffocating. Brown eyes scanned the treeline from behind thick lashes, searching for any flicker of movement.

A cloaked figure parted the underbrush, and glided out from the cover of the tree line. It's tattered robes covered every hint of it's appearance, but Lilly could tell by the way it moved, like smoke on the wind, that this was something otherworldly. Lilly tensed as The Suriel approached the elegant cloak, Falling perfectly into her trap. It's foot stepped into the snare, and her arrow flew.

A bone chilling screech filled the clearing as the arrow struck home, ripping through the flesh of it's shoulder with a sickening thump. Lilly swung down from the tree with the grace of a cat and landed lightly on the ground. Arrows knocked together as she reloaded and cautiously approached the wounded creature. It's back was to her, hunched in pain, it's body shrouded. Lilly's boots crunched conspicuously against the forest floor. Both knew the other was there, but the Suriel didn't turn to face her.

"I have questions." Her voice was strong, no hesitation. "You will answer them."

"You play with forces much larger than yourself, girl." It's voice whispered as a chorus, at once many and one. There was no way to distinguish its age, nor gender, it simply was, and wasn't.

"Yeah, well, what's new?" Lilly tightened her grip on her bow. "You're one of the Suriel?" She asked, raising her chin in question.

"Indeed, I am. I suppose I should've seen your little wicked trap coming. You humans always were clever little mongrels." The hooded creature straightened and stood. Lilly held her position. It's body was permanently hunched, tall and sinewy, so thin that the hard knobs of its spine could be seen through the tattered, blood stained fabric of it's robes. Gradually, it turned, and Lilly had to bite back her gasp.

Corpse-like ashen skin clung to bone, it's hollowed cheeks so severe that it resembled a living skeleton. Bare gnarled feet protruded from the hem of its robes. Lifeless eyes gazed into hers, yet Lilly had the distinct impression that behind them was an infinite pool of knowledge.

"I haven't spoken with a human in an age. But you aren't just human, are you? You're something rare, I can smell the power coming off you. Come closer, girl. Let me look at you." Lilly remained rooted to her spot. A cold, humorless laugh leaked through a lipless mouth and rotting teeth. "How did you learn of me? Few know the truth of my kind."

"My family told stories of Suriel's when I was a child."

"Lies- I can smell the lies on your breath," it hissed. "What would a human woman want with a Suriel?"

"If you're as all knowing as the stories claim, then you tell me," Lilly shifted lightly between feet, keeping a keen eye on the snare wrapped around its ankle.

"I am no gypsey, girl. I have no interest in proving myself to you. Ask your questions and be on your way." Even with a bow pointed at its heart, The Suriel showed no fear, only cool calculated curiosity.

"What do you know about The Beast?"

"More specific. You must be more specific. I know a great many things about Martin Chatwin." It tutted like a teacher scolding a child.

"How do I kill him?"

"Very ambitious for a mortal." The Suriel mused, a ghastly smile dancing across it's haunting features. "You alone cannot defeat him. Find the kings and queens of Fillory. You are strongest by their side. Find them, and all will be righted in Fillory and Earth."

"And Brakebills? Has he gotten to it yet?" Lilly tried to keep the desperation from seeping through.

"Brakebills remains, but if Martin Chatwin isn't stopped soon, it will fall into ruin." Lilly took a breath. Alex, Dani, and Ava would still be alive. "Your place is here, in Fillory, and in Fillory you must remain. The damned one is your destiny, but destiny is not infinity. You must let him go if you are to keep him.

"What?" Lilly furrowed her brows. The Suriel's cryptic remarks were hardly helpful. If it meant to warn her, then it seemed she wasn't getting the message. Suddenly, The Suriel's skeletal head whipped to the side, like a startled deer.

"We are not alone..." it hissed. Lilly scanned the edge of the clearing warily. The Suriel looked spooked, and that alone was enough to unnerve her.

"Your blood is power, you must learn to weild it if you are to survive this." The Suriel rushed out, it's haunting voice tainted with desperation. "Now, you must set me free and run, human. Heed my words. Find the Kings and Queens of Fillory and all will be righted."

"What is it? What's coming?" Lilly asked, now even more alarmed. A flock of small birds took flight from the forest canopy, fleeing some mysterious predator.

"The Naga..." The Suriel wasn't looking at Lilly anymore, instead it's dead eyes flicked from one spot to the next anxiously. "Fairies made of shadow and hate and rot. They heard my scream and smelled your scent. To be caught by them is a fate worse than death. Free me and flee." No sooner had The Suriel finished speaking, than five figures stepped out into the clearing. Lilly's mouth went dry. The Suriel's unnerving appearance paled in comparison to these monstrosities.

Male humanoid creatures watched them with hungry slotted eyes. Serpentine faces tilted to the side as if to examine their newfound prey. Their bodies were covered head to toe in iridescent dark scales. Powerful arms ended in savage polished onyx talons, ready to carve into their prey.

"It seems fate has been kind to us, brothers. We've been sent a gift." The Naga's blood red eyes pinned The Suriel with a feral glint. Then their gazed turned to Lilly, and a chill ran up her spine, "and a meal." The Naga grinned, showing off razor sharp rows of teeth, so lethal they could cut through tendon and bone in one bite. If given the chance, they'd rip her to shreds. They began to step further into the clearing, closing in from all sides.

"Girl!" The Suriel cried, looking at Lilly with shockingly human desperation. Lilly took a step back, and the Naga followed. Then another. Her hands came up between them and a flash of light filled the clearing. Lilly loosed an arrow and sliced through the snare that held The Suriel. The Naga screeched and stumbled back, stunned. Lilly took this opportunity and ran.

A collective cry of fury sounded behind her, more chilling than that of the Suriel's... more deadly. Her footsteps thumped furiously against the hard packed earth as she darted between the underbrush. Animalistic snarls tracked her, only a breath behind.

Lilly fumbled with her hands as she ran, trying to muster the slightest bit of magic that might save her. When she felt the surge of power she spun and released a ball of energy that slammed straight into the closest Naga. It's body exploded, leaving behind a pile of severed limbs. She didn't have time to brace herself as two more replaced it. Lilly drew her bow and fired two shots into the largest creature. It dropped, but three more remained. They were on her a moment later. Razor sharp fangs snapped mere centimeters from her throat as Lilly spun, kicking a Naga's legs out from under it. With trained precision she whipped an arrow from her quiver and plunged the tip into its neck. Blood spurted up, splattering her skin onyx.

Talons raked across her shoulder, ripping through skin in an instant. Lilly hit the dirt hard. Her chest constricted with desperation as she tried to pull air into her lungs in the same moment that the monster pounced. Lilly grappled with the Naga with all her strength. She just barely managed to keep enough space between them that it's teeth couldn't rip out her throat.

Hot breath fanned across her face, reeking of death. Lilly ripped the hidden dagger from her vambrace and sliced it across the Naga's neck. She threw the body off of her and fought to stand. Nails ripped into her ankle as the last Naga pulled her roughly through the dirt. The dagger slipped from her grasp and Lilly flipped onto her back just in time to stop it from plunging it's talons into her chest.

Now it was a pure power struggle, as Lilly pushed and kicked and shoved to try and get the monster to release her. Her energy was draining and the Naga was just as determined to skin her alive.

Metal glinted in Lilly's periphery and before she could react, the Naga's head was severed from its body in a shower of blood and gore. In its place stood Saia, gripping a blood soaked sword tightly in both hands. Lilly shoved the headless body off herself with a disgusted grunt.

"I leave you alone for all of five minutes and you get five Naga on your tail." Saia rolled her eyes, holding out a hand for Lilly. She took it gratefully, trying to ignore the blood and guts sticking to every inch of her body.

"How'd you find me?"

"I heard you scream bloody murder and figured you needed some help." Saia's lips curled but the gesture did not reach her eyes. "Looks like you paid attention during our training sessions." She eyed the mutilated creatures lying on the forest floor with mild interest.

"You followed me. You left The Valley," Lilly stated with disbelief. Saia nodded as she crouched to wipe her massive broadsword on the back of a Naga's body to remove the blood.

"It's my sworn duty to protect the line of Bloodreigna, even if that means leaving The Valley to do it."

"But, you may never be able to go back."

"It was my choice to make." Saia sheathed her sword across her back in one fluid movement. Lilly watched her closely and saw a look of determination etched onto her face. "There's more than just The Valley that needs protection and you were right to leave. I can't stay behind those wards when there are innocent people dying. This Beast is going to regret making an enemy out of me." Lilly stood frozen in place. She hadn't been expecting such a passionate declaration.

"Thank you." Lilly's eyes showed genuine appreciation, and she hoped that Saia could see the true extent of her thanks. The warrior held out a hand to her future queen. Lilly reached out and gripped it tightly, and thus an alliance was formed.

A branch snapped behind them and both women whirled, brandishing their weapons defensively. The Naga behind them were all dead, no threat remained. Then their eyes landed on the little boy clinging to a low tree branch, staring at the body's littering the ground with a mix of horror and fascination. Saia and Lilly shared a look.

"We are so fucked."

Chapter Text

"Well, we can't bring him home." Lilly ran a hand roughly through her hair and glanced at the boy trotting happily alongside her. He'd quickly recovered from witnessing the brutal fight with the Naga. There hadn't been time to pause and work the situation through. After all, there could've been more Naga drawn by the commotion. Saia doubted they cared about her at all, but Lilly knew better than to assume safety.

"Remind me why you decided that following us was a good idea?" Saia gave Omari a disapproving look that any sane child would've run from.

"I wanted to help." Omari ran his fingers gently along passing branches, eyes roaming across every detail as if drinking in every sight, touch, feel, smell, and taste he possibly could. He had never seen the world beyond The Valley, and though so far it wasn't much different from what he was used to, it was uncharted territory. Saia was secretly in just as much awe.

"I have a friend, Fen, in Asterbourne whom he can stay with. That is, assuming she's still alive."

"No!" Omari whirled, his tiny hands balled into fists. "I want to come and fight. I can help!"

"Well, all you've done so far is put yourself and us in a lot of danger." Saia crossed her arms and looked down her nose at him. "How are we supposed to stop The Beast when we're on babysitting duty?"

"I've got just as much right to be here as you do! Just because I'm young, doesn't mean I'm weak!" He put his hands indignantly atop his hips and inclined his chin. Lilly and Saia shared a look. Omari was persistent, they had to give him that. If they didn't give him what he wanted, he'd take matters into his own hands. At least this way they'd be able to keep an eye on him.

"Fine," Lilly sighed and a triumphant grin spread across Omari's lips. "But as soon as we get to Whitespire and find the Kings and Queens, I'm bringing you to Fen." He looked about to protest again, but Lilly raised a brow and any words died on his lips.

"Don't push your luck, kid." His shoulders sagged, but a moment later he was back to his chipper demeanor.

"Do you think the King will let me wear his crown?" Omari skipped ahead, leaving Saia to narrow her eyes at Lilly.

"You're gonna regret that."

"Probably," Huffing a laugh, Lilly followed after the boy. Paper crackled as she unfurled the map of Fillory she'd packed for her journey. It was easy to locate The Wandering Desert as it spanned almost the entire southeast corner of the map. The Valley, while uncharted, would be nestled within The Copper Mountains. From there it would be a days journey at least to reach Castle Whitespire. "I only packed enough food for myself, did you bring some?" Saia nodded, gesturing towards a pack slung across her back. She'd clearly been expecting to leave. "Omari?" The boy smiled bashfully.

"I didn't really think that far ahead, but I did bring my slingshot." He brandished a makeshift weapon and a small rock from his pocket proudly. Saia rubbed her forehead to quell her rising irritation.

"Great," Lilly feigned enthusiasm for Omari's sake, but as soon as he'd turned away, she too was massaging her temples.

"We're so screwed." The women followed after the skipping boy with matching furrowed brows.

"As long as The Suriel was right, and there are Kings and Queens, we'll be fine. We can refuel our packs there and make a plan of action. If Fen's still alive, maybe I can convince her to help." Lilly shoved the map back into the front pocket of her pack, cringing at the crinkle of paper.

"Well, I suppose all we can do is hope," Saia mused.

They kept well off the beaten path, never following the roads Lilly had traversed with her friends. It was too dangerous now. Martin knew she remained alive and in Fillory, and though he hadn't found her yet, he undoubtedly continued to search. She was more than just a loose end, she was his blood.

Omari's smile never faltered. His constant chatter was at once a nuisance and a welcomed distraction. While it resembled a mosquito in her ear, it also kept her mind from stewing over the consequences should they fail. Every time they stopped for water, the boy would show off his slingshot skills. He was very proud of his little weapon and the particularly sharp rocks he'd collected along the way.

The sun had warmed to its final crescendo before sunset and now cast a golden halo upon the traveling trio. Lilly stood atop a high point in the terrain. The trees had parted in a rare respite from the deep forest path they'd blazed. Saia's eyes sparkling with wonder, her pink lips parted as she loosed a breath.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Castle Whitespire gleamed in the path of the sun's descent beneath the horizon. The last time she'd seen it, she'd been by Quentin's side, in a drastically different version of Fillory. She was in the afterworld now, and the once sparkling towers no longer seemed to pulse with power and might. The heart that had once drummed within had thumped to a final stop and now only a shell of the magnificent structure remained.

"I never thought I'd see anything beyond The Valley." The ghost of a smile curled Saia's lips. "It is truly a sight to behold."

"We're going there?" Omari had sidled up between them, mouth agape. He looked as if he'd just struck gold. Lilly made a mental note to watch his sticky fingers when they arrived. Omari had a habit of acquiring shining bobbles that didn't technically belong to him.

"Yes," Lilly looked down at him earnestly, "and you'll be on your best behavior when we get there, right?" Omari wrung his fingers together and shifting between his feet. "Right?" Her tone was more of an order than a request, and Omari huffed like an insolent child.

"Fine."

"We only have an hour left of daylight. We need to get moving." Saia took a swig from her waterskin and gestured for Lilly to do the same. "I don't want to run into whatever creatures patrol these woods at night." They were all in agreement with that sentiment.

By the time they'd arrived before the iron gates of Castle Whitespire, they were indeed shrouded by the cover of night. The entrance was bathed in golden torchlight and four heavily armed guards stood post, dawning in the colors of the Fillorian Royal Guard. Saia kept a firm hold on the collar of Omari's shirt, lest he decide to do something stupid and get them all killed before their journey even began. They were concealed in the treeline, weighing their options. Lilly looked to her companions questioningly.

"We can wait for a changing of the guard, but they likely won't leave their post unattended. Their armor will slow them down enough that I can take out two without issue, but I'll need the element of surprise, and a second hand," Saia whispered.

"If we attack their people we'll be starting a war. What we need is an alliance." Lilly pulled the enchanted bow and arrows from her back as quietly as she could. "We stash our weapons here and come back for them." Saia raised a brow in protest and Omari clutched his slingshot possessively to his chest.

"We'd be completely defenseless!" Her harsh whisper raised the hairs on Lilly's arms.

"They'll take our weapons and see us as a threat if we go in like this. I don't like it any more than you do, but if we want their help, we need to play by their rules." Saia clenched her jaw. "Besides, we won't be entirely vulnerable." Lilly twirled a tiny butterfly blade between her fingers before tucking it into the front of her armor. It took a few minutes to find a suitable hiding place, but in the end, they left their weapons behind in the depths of a hollowed-out tree, though not without a few protests from her companions. But they would not be wholly defenseless. Lilly was still a Magician, a Shifter, and the granddaughter of Jane Chatwin and The Bloodreigna of The Valley. If it came to it, they would make it out alive. They had to.

Hands held high, palms shown in a sign of submission, they stepped into the light. The guards were armed and ready almost as soon as they revealed themselves. Swords were unsheathed with a glint of metal in moonlight. Omari hung back, sticking to the feigned safety of Saia's shadow.

"We request an audience with your High Kings and Queens." Lilly's voice cut through the night like a lance, deafening to her own ears. It was the voice of a dignitary, a warrior. Two guards approached, swords raised.

"State your business." The nearest man commanded, now only a foot away.

"Hey! Hands to yourself!" The other guard began to pat Saia down rather coarsely. They didn't bother checking Omari, and she was thankful he'd been left unruffled.

"We seek an alliance against Martin Chatwin." The guards shared wary glances and gestured for the others to open the gates. A deep, unsettling groan filled the night as the iron gates swung open. They were shepherded through and into the walls of Castle Whitespire. Lilly and Saia eyed the weapons still pointed at them cautiously. The guards seemed on edge, and given the current political climate in Fillory, it wasn't all that surprising.

Vines crept up the arched hallways, clinging to the stone-like their lives depended on it. Firelit sconces hung every few feet, illuminating the dark castle with warm flickering light. The guard's boots thumped against the flawless marble floors. They flanked the three foreigners on each side and one behind. Saia and Lilly could easily take them if needed. Their clunky movements gave away their skill level. They relied on brute force rather than speed and tact. The women were adders in a den of bears.

"Let me do the talking." Lilly glanced over at Saia who alternated shooting lethal glares at each of the three guards.

"What? Don't you trust me to play nice?"

"No," a playful smirk curled Lilly's lips. Saia, she'd realized, had a very different definition of nice.

"--We always just thought it was just infighting." A female voice, soft and lilting like a lullaby floated through the castle to meet them, growing louder with every step. It was a challenge to make out the muffled words, as they ranged from sharp to unintelligible.

"This curse is fucking determined, I'll give it that." A deep male voice grumbled in response, and Lilly's attention piqued at the familiar tone. It was echoed and soft, but she could've sworn she'd heard it somewhere before. Saia shot Lilly a curious sidelong glance as she quickened her pace as much as possible without spooking the guards. "How do we reverse it?"

"Curses are tricky."

"You don't say," The man spat back. By now, their conversation was almost totally overheard by Lilly and the others. Their exchange seemed to have grown more frantic and strained. In a few moments, they'd turn the corner and see the pair of strangers exchanging their hushed words.

"They usually end once they've run their course, and not before."

"Well, that doesn't help us. This one seems to want to run its course until they're all dead." They paused their conversation as the sound of approaching guards warned of potential eavesdroppers. Lilly rounded the corner to see a pair hunched in a conspiratorial stance, their backs to her. They looked over their shoulders at her approach, expecting to find guards on their scheduled patrol of the castle.

Lilly stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart thudded sudden and painful halt, and for a moment, every plan was forgotten and every instinct overwritten. Even the fact that she was held at sword point. All she knew was that he was alive. He was alive and standing before her in flesh and blood.

His eyes widened as he took her in. Fighting leathers clung to her like a second skin, the dark lines of her Caladrius tattoo peaked out from beneath and curled across her chest in midnight swirling ink. So much had changed in their few weeks apart. She'd been sharpened into a weapon, but the woman he knew before remained behind those dark brown eyes.

Lilly's companions looked between them in confusion, and Omari tugged at her hand impatiently. She was too shocked to respond. Penny looked just as she remembered, though dark shadows had settled beneath his eyes, as if he hadn't slept since the day they were torn from each other.

"Lilly?" His lips parted as he sighed her name involuntarily. It was as if the name was an instinct, and it took only the sight of her to pull it from his lungs. His voice alone was enough to spur her towards him. The guards were too slow to stop her from flinging herself across the expanse. Her arms wrapped around his neck with such force that Penny had to take a step back, so they didn't go toppling to the ground together. She hadn't realized she was crying until he embraced her and the tears turned to wracking sobs. She clung to him like he was a life preserver in the midst of an open sea, and he was the only thing keeping her from slipping beneath the roiling waves.

"I'm here, it's me." His voice was warm and soothing like honey. Her hands trembled against his shoulders and he pulled her tighter against him in response. Warmth enveloped her as she inhaled the familiar scent of brown sugar and cloves that always clung to him.

"I thought you were dead. I thought- I thought I was alone." Her voice shook and cracked mercilessly. She pulled back just long enough to press her lips to his. The kiss was reckless and desperate as they savored the touch of the one they'd been so desperate to hold. Warmth spread through her chest, stomach, down through her legs. Her toes just barely scraped the floor as he lifted her up to meet him. The slight scruff he'd grown in her absence scratched at her fingertips as she traced the lines of his face in a longing caress.

It was a long moment before she managed to pull herself from his embrace. She wiped desperately at her wet cheeks, trying to stop the incessant tears from flowing. They weren't tears of sadness, these were of shock, relief, and happiness. She wasn't alone and at least Penny was alive and well. She pressed her palms lightly his shoulders as if to assure herself that he wouldn't disappear. "Is everyone-"

"They're all alive. We're all fine." She looked behind him to find Fen grinning brilliantly. The weight that had pressed down on her like a ton of bricks seemed to lift with that one statement.

"How? I saw them die before you took me out."

"Alice, she's god powered." He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I came back to get you as soon as she revived me, but you were gone. We were so worried."

"So, The Beast is dead then?" She breathed, wiping the last of the tears, though Penny didn't seem to mind her wrecked state. Her eyes were hopeful as they met his, but the look he returned was anything but.

"No, Julia double-crossed us. She took the blade and used it to strike up a deal with the Beast." The fury seeped through his tone like acid. "We've been trying to find a way to stop him ever since." Lilly clenched her jaw. Julia. It seemed she had burned through the last of her chances, and in the process, she'd nearly killed the lot of them.

She took a deep breath and turned a fond smile on Fen. Her hug was much less desperate, and Lilly kept a hand on Penny's arm. Neither wished to break away. Someone cleared their throat, and Lilly turned back to her companions with reddened cheeks.

"Who's this?" Omari stood with his arms crossed, staring down Penny with a deadly glare. The expression didn't quite have the desired effect. He looked more like an angry kitten than the threatening man he was trying to emulate. Saia stood beside him with a bemused expression, and the guards remained utterly baffled. Fen had thankfully ordered them to stand down and not kill Lilly where she stood. Clearing her throat conspicuously, Lilly plastered a watery smile across her face.

"Penny, Fen, meet Omari and Saia."

"Huh, we all thought you were dead." Saia eyed him with mild curiosity. She'd heard a lot about Penny from Lilly during their training sessions. It was strange to put a face to the name. Penny looked between Lilly and her companions with a storm of questions behind his eyes.

"As much as I want to catch up, we're in the middle of a little situation right now." Lilly instantly sobered.

"What's happening?" Penny opened his mouth, but his reply was drowned out by the unearthly roar that shook the castle walls. Waves of sickening vibration went through her and in an instant he stomach dropped.

"Fucking hell!" Hands instinctively flew up to cover their sensitive ears, but Penny was already jumping into action. Eyes panicked, he turned and began sprinting down the hall in the direction of the commotion. "Stay here!" He managed to call over his shoulder. Saia was already in step with her as she took off after Penny. The butterfly knife was in her hand, ready to be wielded against whatever monster awaited. Their boots slapped against the marbled floors furiously as they turned left, then right, into an arched corridor. Lilly skidded to a halt behind Penny and came face to face with a living nightmare.

"Jesus Christ." Penny fumbled frantically with the edge of his sweater. A creature of pure darkness bore down upon them, born from the body of Margo Hanson. Quentin gripped a massive crossbow with both hands as he stumbled away from the creature and its master. He aimed in a futile effort, a steel-tipped arrow pointed straight at Margo's exposed chest. "Penny says, go free!"

Lilly lunged for Quentin, tackling him to the hard ground just as he pulled the trigger. The arrow soared across the hallway. It veered off course mere feet from Margo and embedded itself into a marble column. Lilly grappled with Quentin, and as she looked into the eyes of her best friend, she saw a madman staring back. Her training gave her a significant advantage, and she ripped the crossbow violently from his grip just as a second earth-shattering roar filled the hall.

Darkness plumed from Penny's exposed back, rising to form a second demon-like creature, this one poised to fight the first. Lilly gasped, as Saia pulled her away from the imminent war zone. Quentin advanced with fury filled eyes and reached for the crossbow she'd taken. In one fluid movement, Lilly slammed blunt end up into his jaw and kicked out his feet. His body slammed against the floor with a painful smack and an answering groan.

The creatures screeched their final battle cries and flew at each other. In a spectacular flash of light and smoke, the demons collided. Roars rang in the air even after their shadowy forms had dissipated into nothingness. It was a few moments before silence settled upon the hallway in the aftermath of the fight.

Quentin gripped his jaw in pain as he attempted to pick himself off the floor. Before he could try anything else, Lilly had loaded an arrow into the chamber and aimed directly at him. He narrowed his eyes at her. There was no trace of the familiar warmth she was accustomed to.

"Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!" She shouted, brandishing the weapon in her hands with trained accuracy.

"You just had to let him save ya, huh?" Margo spat across the hall to Quentin, who returned her glare with just as much ire. "You're such a girl."

"You know, I would like to see you dead, regardless of your gender." Quentin crept towards his adversary with a challenge in his eyes.

"Shut up, both of you," Penny ordered. "They're cursed. They're trying to kill each other for the throne." He didn't dare take his eyes off of the others. "I'm gonna take you someplace safe, but if I have to have Lilly shoot you to get you there, I will make sure it hurts."

"Gee, thanks, but I'm enchanted." Margo rolled her eyes and turned to leave. A click sounded, and a whistle sang, then an arrow had buried itself into Margo's backside. She yelled out a stream of obscenities and clutched the spot where she'd been struck.

"Your enchantment's weak." The others gaped at her, all except Saia, who grinned proudly at her protege.

"You shot me, you cock! I thought we were friends."

"Friends don't let friends kill people."

"Why didn't you shoot her in the neck?" Quentin whined. "The carotid is right there?" Lilly didn't respond, simply reloaded her weapon and pointed it straight at Quentin's dick with a look none would dare challenge.

"Fair enough."

Chapter Text

There had been no time for any pleasantries since Lilly discovered her friends were still alive. She'd imagined it a thousand times over in the weeks since she'd last seen them. If they'd somehow managed to get away. If The Beast hadn't killed them. But never in her wildest dreams did she believe it to be true.

The Kings and Queens of Fillory we're out for blood. There were no remnants of her friends in the vicious monarchs she saw now. Quentin and Margo hadn't even acknowledged her in the heat of their death match. Saia had run off to retrieve their weapons from the tree they'd stowed them in. But Lilly remained with a crossbow pointed at her best friend's heart.

Penny hurriedly explained their predicament to her, between Margo and Quentin spitting insults at each other from across the room. Though she tried her best to keep Omari from the ordeal, he'd unsurprisingly sneaked his way in. Fen was more than happy to keep an eye on him, and Lilly was infinitely grateful to have an extra hand with the mischievous child.

"Bad news... you're cursed." Penny held his crossbow at eye level, ready to fire at any given moment. "Good news... I think there's a way out." The nine of them filled the cavernous throne room, with every door locked and guarded. Eliot, Alice, Quentin, and Margo stood as far from each other as possible, with bows and swords poised to strike if they made a move.

"Does it involve your beheading? 'Cause, that's the ending I'm voting for right now." Eliot cocked a brow in warning. Each monarch eyed the others with eyes full of murder and distrust. They had been sequestered to the throne room one by one. Saia and Lilly had handled the brunt of the conflict, while Fen wrangled Omari and Penny looked on in awe. The tension in the air was palpable, and the slightest shift in any direction could spur a rampage.

Lilly and Saia were more than capable of taking them out, but they weren't too keen on taking the risk of someone being killed before they stopped it. Penny and Fen were armed with palace crossbows, but with the right opportunity, things could easily devolve into chaos. Omari watched with wide eyes from the middle of the armed pack.

"I second that. My ass still hurts," Margo smirked maliciously at her opponents.

"I'm glad you're back, Lilly, but if you try to stop me from killing them, I'll add you to the list." Quentin narrowed his eyes at his best friend. There was no sign of the man she knew, only the curse holding him hostage.

"Good luck with that, Q." Lilly pointed her bow at him, "I've picked up a few things since I last saw you."

"Oooh, we're so scared." Alice's words were like acid off her tongue.

"Enough!" Penny silenced their squabbles by raising his crossbow higher. "Listen, we can't stop the curse, so the plan is we're gonna let it run its course. By killing you. All of you."

"No, likey." Eliot stepped towards the cover of a nearby pillar, but froze once he caught Lilly's threatening glare.

"What's to likey?" Quentin held his hands up by his head, with an expression of utter betrayal.

"The part where you're dead sounds perfect." Alice slinked towards them with the grace of a feline. Saia brandished her sword, twirled it above her head, and leveled it with Alice's neck. She stared the blade down with a saccharine smile. "Does mommy know you're playing with the kitchen knives?"

"Bitch, try me, I dare you. I'd love nothing more than to chop that pretty head of yours clean off." Alice huffed a mocking laugh, but Saia showed no indication of a bluff.

"Now, I took a little trip to get supplies." Penny gestured towards the table laid out with eight identical syringes. He held one up to the light for all to see.

"Oh, goody, heroin. I always suspected this was how I'd go." Eliot drawled, seemingly resigned to the possibility of a drug-related death. Lilly scrunched her nose up at him.

"Potassium chloride will shut down the heart. Adrenaline will kick-start it. You die. Curse ends. We revive you." Penny showed each in turn as he explained his plan. The others looked unnervingly blase for four people about to die.

"Except, what if any part of that plan doesn't work?" Penny whirled on Quentin the moment he formed the complaint.

"Look, asshole. You don't like my idea, why don't you go find someone else to save your annoying fucking life? I have about a thousand things I'd rather be doing right now." Just as the words left his mouth, an arrow shot from his crossbow and buried itself inches from Quentin's head. The weapon slipped from his fingers and slammed against the marble floor of the throne room. "What the hell?"

"Penny? What's wrong?" Lilly turned towards him, taking her eyes off of Elliot. Penny was slumped over the weapon, attempting to grasp the hilt with fingers as limp as a fish.

"You good over there?" Saia called out, her eyes still firmly planted on Alice. Fen had lowered her bow as she watched Penny flounder in confusion.

"I'm fine. My fingers are a little numb due to the anti-curse things." The crossbow hit the floor again and again. The clattering echoed throughout the chamber, making the hair on Lilly's arms stand on end.

"What?" Lilly furrowed her brows. Her attempts to both help Penny and hold Quentin and Eliot at bay were spreading her thin.

"It's a long fucking story, Lil." Penny's voice was frantic now. The energy of the room was charged with a sense of impending doom. The monarchs were predators, and they had just given them a clear shot at their necks.

"Well, that's just perfect." Margo's lips curled into a serpentine smile.

"It's fine. Uh, it's fine!" Penny's voice raised in pitch as they looked between each other. It was only a matter of time before someone stepped out of line. Lilly gripped the handle of her bow and pulled the string taut.

"So, are we still hostages or what?" Alice's tone was probing.

"Yes. Yes, you are." Lilly took a step back, blocking Omari from view. The boy made a grunt in protest, gripping the back of Lilly's armor.

"Would you point that thing at their fucking heads?" Penny shouted frantically at Fen, who fumbled with the weapon in her hands. "Everyone please, please just stand in your corners and just quietly..." a small groan cut through the chaos. Lilly whirled to find Margo had plunged a syringe into Quentin's neck.

"Damn it, Margo." Quentin choked out just before he collapsed to the floor with white foam leaking from between his lips.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Margo smirked maniacally at her remaining targets. "You're dead." Lilly and Saia shared a look of mutual dread before the throne room devolved into a war zone. All three of the remaining monarchs sprinted for the syringes. Lilly pulled back her bow and aimed.

"Don't shoot!" She hesitated, looking to Penny who had managed to fall back in time to avoid getting caught up in the fight. Grabbing the collar of Omari's shirt, Lilly hauled him off to the side and shoved him behind her. Saia twirled her sword between Eliot and Alice, ready to take down the first to lunge.

"Saia, stand down." The warrior immediately lowered her weapon and stepped back with Lilly to where Penny and Fen watched the fight with horror.

"I suppose this is one way to get the killing bit over with," Fen muttered. Alice went down before their eyes, and now only Margo and Eliot circled each other like dogs.

"Yeah. This is what I was planning." Penny had not planned this. With a vicious battle cry, Margo pounced, and Eliot dropped like the others. She wrenched the syringe out of his chest, turning on Lilly and the others with crazed eyes.

"Ha! I won, bitches. I'm High motherfucking Queen." Lilly stepped in front of Fen and raised her bow.

"Get the other needles. Hurry." Saia lunged for the table just in time to snatch up the four life-saving syringes.

"Hey! Stay back." Lilly cocked her head in warning. Her fingers gripped the bowstring taut. It'd only take the slightest twitch for the arrow to fly. Margo fell back, scanning for any weakness in their group.

"Margo, we don't have time for this. We've got to revive 'em now." Penny held out a limp hand in an attempt to reason with her. Omari tried to step between them and Margo, readying his slingshot for war. Lilly effortlessly sidestepped him and glared.

"Omari. Stay back," she growled.

"But I can help!"

"Omari!" Her tone was deadly, and the boy took a step back from the ferocity of it.

"What's best in life, Penny?" Margo spat.

"What?"

"What's best in life?" She repeated, gripping the needle so hard her knuckles turned bone-white.

"I don't know."

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women."

"Margo, put down the gods damned syringe before I shoot you." Lilly took a step forward, only for Margo to raise the needle higher in warning.

"Come at me, Elle Woods." Lilly was about to give her what she wanted. Margo's arm trembled in effort, as her limb seemed to betray her. Within seconds, the final syringe was stabbed into Margo's own neck, and she joined the other dead monarchs.

"That's one thorough fucking curse." Penny gaped at the bodies of their friends strewn about the throne room.

"Is it wrong to say I find her death extremely satisfying?" Fen asked no one in particular.

"Not at all," Saia smirked down at the body of the fallen queen. Penny was the first to pull himself from the shock of Margo's miraculous suicide.

"Okay, come on. We have to hurry." He grabbed the pile of syringes from Saia's grasp and handed one to each of them. Lilly hurried over to Eliot's body, splayed across the steps of the dais in a horrific display. It was a dramatic way to go, and she suspected he wouldn't be too put out if the death stuck. She abandoned the bow on the stone floor and hurried to rip open the front of his shirt, revealing his bare chest. With one steadying breath, she steeled herself for what was to come. Then dug the point directly into his heart and pressed down the plunger.

Three horrific gasps filled the throne room. Eliot shot up just as Lilly removed the needle. He gripped the top step to steady himself as he panted uncontrollably. It took a few moments before he registered the woman knelt beside him, rubbing comforting circles into his back.

"Oh, hey, Thumper. When did you get here?" He rasped, never failing to sound unfazed by the fact that he'd been certifiably dead a moment before. "Love the outfit, very Xena." Reaching out a hand, Lilly pulled him into her and placed a feather-light kiss on his temple.

"Why's everyone so serious? You'd think someone died or something." He joked, evoking a breathy laugh from the woman beside him. She glanced about the room to find all eyes on her. And for once, Lilly felt a sense of relief. They were all alive. Though Quentin seemed less than enthused about Penny being the one to stab him with a needle.

"Welcome back, Lil." Margo pushed herself off the floor with a groan. She knelt beside them gently and wrapped her arms around Lilly. She melted into the tight embrace of the woman she'd come to consider a sister.

"I think we have a lot to talk about." Quentin stood hesitantly off to the side, unsure whether he should join in on the reunion or not. Lilly decided for him. Quentin didn't fight the tug into Lilly's embrace. The gesture was so familiar and warm, that she felt a lump grow in her throat.

"In a minute." She smiled into his shoulder and breathed in the scent of his cologne. She was safe and happy, and with the people she loved. For the first time in a long time, all was right.

➺➺➺➺

"And that's how we ended up here." Lilly sat on the floor of the throne room, weapons long abandoned, surrounded by her friends. Omari sat beside Lilly with an expression of pure joy and curiosity. Lilly had taken the time to tell her friends of her journey since parting ways with them. The Valley, her grandfather, Saia and Omari, The Suriel, and the culmination of it all that brought her to this moment.

"So this kid just followed you into a war zone?" Margo observed Omari with one brow raised. He bristled at her condescending tone.

"I'm not a kid." Omari crossed his arms in defiance.

"That's exactly what a kid would say." Omari opened his mouth to argue.

"We couldn't bring him home, we don't even know if we can get back through the barrier," Lilly interjected a little louder than necessary to keep Omari from prompting a fight. She was sure Margo wasn't above arguing with children.

"It all explains so much about Jane's origins. How she escaped to Earth, how Martin never found her, or you and your mom." Quentin mused, the familiar spark of excitement igniting behind his eyes. "If she could create an entire dome around The Valley, who knows what kind of magic she used to cover her tracks."

"It just begs the question, how much of that power was passed down to you." Saia looked pointedly at Lilly, and instinctually her hand lifted to grip the clock necklace that had become a rock to her in tumultuous times. Silence settled over the room as they each contemplated her words. How much power had she been given?

Alice hissed and shook out her wrist involuntarily. The key to the wellspring, as explained to Lilly, had been acting as a meter of sorts. Only someone with god-level power could bear to hold it. Alice wore the tint metal ball around her wrist, and as her power began to fade, the harder it would be to hold it. The skin around her makeshift bracelet looked as if someone had poured acid over it. Lilly bit her lip at the sight. No doubt the pain was nearly unbearable by now.

"It's time. Don't know how long I'll have to cast the Rhinemann." She announced, anxiety tainting her voice. The last whispers of the god power she'd received from Ember was ebbing by the second. "Ugh, Eliot's right. It's a stupid name." Alice's brow creased in pain as she took a seat on a nearby settee. Penny shifted uncomfortably to her right, his hands still hanging limp.

"That doesn't look right." Quentin winced at the sight of his lifeless appendages.

"I can't believe you insulted the man who was helping you." Lilly raised her brows at Penny. He shook his head in slight irritation. He had missed her. Even when she called him on his shitty behavior.

"Yeah, I know. I deserve it." Lilly nodded decidedly as Penny turned on Quentin. "Does it require me playing Rachmaninoff? If not... we're fine."

"Look, you still gotta grab The Beast. What happens if you take the bracelets off?"

"That's a bad idea." Penny shook his head, remembering how the curse had almost made him choke three people before he'd gotten help from Professor Sunderland.

"Well, then, how are you..."

"All I have to do is touch him, right? So I'll tackle his ass, okay?" Penny seemed unsure, but it was all they had at the moment.

"Well, we are down two cacodemons. Any ideas on how to slow up The Beast now?" Quentin looked about the room. Everyone seemed to be at a loss.

"Actually, we only have one. I let mine go." Alice sheepishly admitted, bracing for the inevitable verbal assault.

"Oh, Jesus. Come on." Margo threw up her hands theatrically.

"I could feel it. Alive and in my skin. I couldn't stand the idea of it being trapped in there." Lilly felt herself begin to roll her eyes, but none of that would help their situation.

"Saia and I can fight, but that won't do much if the Beast is at his full potential. Magic trumps physical combat."

"Says you." Saia flicked out a knife and twirled it to prove her point.

"Okay. Idea. Do you guys remember the Sumerian shield charm we learned in PA?" Alice asked, and they all shared a look of surprise.

"Like, to keep you safe from shattered glass or something?"

"Yeah, we learned it on the first day of class." Lilly eyed Alice quizzically. The last time she'd tried to use that spell against The Beast, he'd pierced it like a tack through paper.

"It's a simple spell, but that doesn't mean it's not powerful."

"Yeah, especially if all four of us are casting it." Quentin straightened his back at this and peered over at Alice beside him.

"Use a first-year spell to stop The Beast? That sounds like suicide." Elliot scoffed.

"Which I've already tried today, and no, thank you." Margo flicked a hand to the side as if brushing the idea off the table completely.

"We already tried one method, and we all died." Lilly leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "If all of us cast the shield, it should keep him in one place so Alice can hit him with the Rhinemann."

"It just needs to distract him long enough for her to power up the spell," Quentin added. At this point, the others seemed to be considering it.

"Alright." Lilly balked at Eliot's easy submission. She'd expected more of a fight. "At this point, we might as well embrace the unexpected." Margo surprisingly nodded as well.

"We either kick his ass or go down trying."

"Alright then," Lilly surveyed her friend's faces with solemn conviction. "We're gonna need all the help we can get to pull this off. Alex, Dani, and Ava know battle magic. I'll go to Brakebills and bring them back. Then we fight." Furtive glances were cast throughout the throne room as an instant sense of unease settled upon the group. Quentin shifted in his seat, his eyes looking everywhere but at her face.

"Lilly, there's something you should know."

"What is it?" Her heart dropped like a stone.

"It's about Alex."

Chapter Text

The dungeons of Castle Whitespire were surprisingly clean and well kept, with windows lining the corridor to illuminate each cell. Plumes of ivy crept up the ancient stone walls and wove themselves around the bars. Lilly followed behind Penny, craning her neck to see past his broad shoulders and down the row of cells. The moment she spotted his hunched form within the furthest cell, she abandoned all decorum and sprinted to meet him. Lilly gripped the cold metal bars so tight her knuckles went white, and to her shock and dismay, Alex didn't move towards her with the same desperation that she had expected. Instead, he sat against the far wall with his elbows resting limply across his knees. The slump of his spine and forlorn expression were uncharacteristic on his usually sweet and cheerful face.

"Lex?" He refused to meet her gaze. His eyes fixated on the cold stone floor in shame.

"He hasn't spoken much since we told him." Ava sighed, her eyes drooped with exhaustion. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days. "He's been missing time. There are blank spots in his memory. I looked into his mind, but from the looks of it, The Beast isn't controlling him anymore. He insisted on the cell. He's in a bad way, Lilly. I don't know how to help him."

"We'll figure this out, I promise." Ava swallowed forcefully, her eyes misting as Lilly squeezed her hand. It was a bizarre sight, Ava with such sorrow and helplessness in her eyes. The fire and strength had dimmed to mere embers within her. "Why don't you go clean up and get some sleep? I'll stay with him." Ava looked between Lilly and Alex hesitantly but nodded in resignation. Then it was just Alex and Lilly. Penny remained at the end of the hall, close enough to jump in if needed, but far enough to give them privacy.

"Alex," Lilly's eyes softened upon his slumped figure. "Talk to me, please. Everyone's so worried."

"How can you still look at me like that?" Alex's voice was a hoarse shell of what it once was.

"Like what?" her forehead crinkled in confusion.

"Like, I'm not a monster." He whispered, eyes still glued to the floor.

"You aren't a monster, Alex." His gaze snapped up in an instant, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I murdered your mother! For fucks sake, Lilly. You should hate me! You should want me dead, too. Lord knows I do!" Magic lashed out from him, disappearing into electric blue waves as the cell neutralized his power. Lilly flinched but stood her ground. His heart was aching, and she wouldn't back down when he needed her most.

"Alex, listen to me when I say that this was not your fault. You didn't do this. Martin Chatwin did." Each syllable was edged with fervency.

"Her blood is on my hands." His voice caught, and tears slipped down his cheeks.

"That's bullshit, and you know it." This time, her voice was sharp as a knife. Lilly stared into the deep brown of his eyes, now tainted with sorrow. "You didn't do any of that. You are not responsible for his actions. You are still my best friend. I still love you just as much as I did before." She held out a hand to him, like one might do to a frightened dog. "Come here." He hesitated, looking between her hand and face. But to her surprise, he stood, and tentatively crossed the distance to the edge of his cell. His sneakers squeezed as he halted before her and looked down again.

"I don't -- I don't know how to go on knowing what he made me do." Alex stared at his hands as if he could see the blood that had stained them. Lilly sank down and rested her shoulder against the door.

"You won't be doing it alone. I'm here, Ava, Dani, Margo, and Elliot. You have a family." Alex sat beside her, so their shoulders touched. "We'll make it through this together." Although she meant it to comfort Alex, Lilly found the words reassuring to her raw nerves. Reaching her hand through the bars, Lilly grabbed his and rested their intertwined fingers on Alex's lap. They sat together for a long while, enjoying each other's silent company. It would be a difficult journey back from the darkness that had latched itself onto Alex's heart. But Lilly had faith that together, they would make it back to the light.

"Lilly!" The familiar flash of magenta was the only warning she got before Dani threw herself atop her.

"Jesus, Dan," Lilly groaned. Dani pulled back with the biggest smile she'd ever seen across her face.

"We were so worried!"

"It's true," Alex managed to muster a small, tired smile as he looked upon his two best friends for the first time in weeks. "She wouldn't shut up about it."

"Oh, screw you," Dani narrowed her eyes teasingly at him. "You were just as upset about it." As she pulled back from their embrace, Lilly could see the telltale glimmer of tears in Dani's eyes. Dani rocked back on her heels, her hair falling over her shoulders in a wild mane of curls. "I guess you're all caught up then." The corners of her lips turned up, but it was a sad attempt at a smile.

"We're gonna figure it out," Lilly set her jaw with determination. Dani and Alex shared a look of apprehension through the bars of his cell. "Alice is still god-powered, and if we kill the beast, there's zero chance of him controlling you again."

"I want to believe that's true," Alex shook his head and squeezed Lilly's hand lightly. "But even if you destroy him, I don't know how to come back from this. I'm not the same person I was." He ran a hand down his face and swallowed hard. "Ava, I don't know what to say to her." Ava's drained and heartbroken face flashed through Lilly's mind, and she frowned.

"Ava loves you. If I know one thing about her, it's that she doesn't shy away from a challenge. She can handle whatever it is, whatever you need to do to heal." Alex nodded thoughtfully and reached through the bars to grasp both of their hands in his.

"I love you guys."

"We love you, too." Dani leaned her side against the cool metal, so she faced Lilly and Alex on their respective sides of the bars.

"I think we all deserve a long vacation when this is over." Lilly giggled, and Alex smiled appreciatively. Turning her head, Lilly glanced down the hallway where Penny leaned against the vine-covered wall, arms crossed, with a content smile upon his lips. If they could make it through this, perhaps, she'd get a chance at happiness.

The three friends remained clustered around the front of Alex's cell, and no matter how hard they tried, Alex still insisted that his incarceration was a necessary precaution. Lilly considered using her power as the best friend of the High King to throw him out herself, but she would respect his wishes.

Ava returned a while later, and a spark of something like pleasant surprise lit her eyes. It was then that the women decided it would be best to give them a moment alone and left to assist the battle preparations. As soon as Margo saw her enter the throne room, she swept her off into the maze of hallways.

"I asked the servants to throw together a room for you." Margo strode down the arched stone halls as if she'd lived there all her life. She'd already managed to find a gown befitting her Queenly status, and the gold embroidered train cascaded along behind her. "Only the finest, of course. You may not be a queen, but you're basically a princess by default."

Lilly grinned at the magnificence of Queen Margo, who wore the crown atop her head with grace and command. There was no one more befitting of the title. Hiking up her skirts, Margo guided her up a set of spiral stairs, lined with windows left ajar to allow a soft breeze to wind its way up and down the many stories of the castle. They ended up on a balcony of sorts, open to the balmy Fillorian night. Massive sets of hand-carved double doors lined one side, while the other looked out upon the distant Copper mountains to the south. The two moons were high in the sky, illuminating the magical landscape of their new world.

"These are the ambassador's quarters," Margo announced, flourishing an arm to encompass the entirety of the open hall. "For visiting dignitaries and other boring fucktards of the like. Except for you, of course." She ended with a mischievous smile and a wink and turned to shove open the final door. Lilly rolled her eyes and didn't bother replying. "This is your room." Lilly's eyes widened as she took in the rooms that were now hers. Carved stone pillars lined the room, winding up to form a cathedral ceiling. The far-right wall was lined by four magnificent archways, leading out onto a private balcony. A massive four-poster bed at the center of the room was draped with colorful fabrics. The scent of lavender and apple blossom permeated the air, and Lilly instantly relaxed into the new environment.

"I had the maids draw a bath for you, so I'll leave you to it. Get some rest." Lilly just managed to call out a thank you before Margo swept out into the hallway and disappeared. With a contented sigh, Lilly strolled over to the bed and threw herself carelessly upon it. The silk sheets were soft upon her skin, her hair falling in tendrils of gold about her head.

"Seems like someone's making themself at home." A teasing voice called from the doorway. Lilly didn't bother lifting her head, just turned it to the side to glare blindly at Penny. His deep laughter echoed through the room as he stepped inside and shut the double doors.

"Fillory really knows how to entertain." Lilly decided, running her fingers along the collection of throw pillows beside her.

"I can't tell whether I should be offended that my room is a quarter of this size and a glorified broom closet." Penny leaned against the bottom post of her bed, and Lilly turned her head to look up at him.

"Knowing Margo and Elliot, I'm sure you should be." Her lips quirked in amusement at the truth of it. Penny's eyes softened as he watched her until his eyes became a pool of emotion.

"I'm really glad you're here." He said, brows furrowing slightly. Lilly reached out a hand and brushed her fingers along his.

"Me too." Her heart clenched at the memory of her time alone. She'd thought he was dead, and the pain had been unbearable.

"And now that I'm in this royal suite, I'm going to take a bath and finally get some rest." She announced, reaching her arms up and waving both hands as a sign for him to pull her up. Penny chuckled and shook his head but gripped her hands and hauled her up to standing.

"I'll leave you to it then." He nodded, turning to head towards the door.

"Or, you could join me?" Lilly fiddled with the edge of her top nervously. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her.

"Are you sure?" He stared, trying to gauge her reaction. She nodded shyly. Penny hesitated, his heart pounding so hard that it was difficult to draw breath. But his legs chose him, and he reached her in four strides. Her cheeks warmed, and a faint hint of pink bloomed across them as she gazed up into his golden-brown eyes. Pushing herself up on her toes, Lilly pressed her lips against his in a feather-light kiss.

(warning: minor smut)

She laced her fingers with his and pulled him gently towards the archway leading to the washroom. Candlelight flickered as they entered, shadows dancing across the walls and illuminating the massive clawfoot tub filled with steaming milky water. Lavender and bergamot wafted towards them, and Lilly suspected that Margo had instructed only the finest oils be used to draw her bath.

She slowed beside the basin, turning to glance at Penny, whose mood had sobered and intensified. Lilly took a steadying breath, her nerves buzzing with anticipation. Her leathers were long since removed for care, leaving her in a soft cotton tunic and breathable dark brown trousers.

One pale hand lifted to brush along her collarbone and hook the edge of her top. Penny's eyes followed every movement with burning intensity as she pulled the fabric down to expose her bare shoulders. Goosebumps formed wherever his gaze traveled as if phantom fingers ran along every inch of her body.

"Do you want this?" She whispered, her voice coming out much more delicate than she anticipated. The light flickered across his face, painting it in warmth and reflecting deep within his eyes.

"Absolutely." Penny reached out a hand to cup her face. His skin was warm and soft, so gentle and caring. Never had someone touched her or looked at her the way he did at that moment, and as his lips met hers once more, it was as if a tidal wave crashed upon them. His lips trailed down her body, nipping at the delicate skin of her neck in a way that made her gasp for more. Soon she was grasping at the fabric of his shirt, pulling and twisting until it was cast aside. Lilly's whole body burned, her heart ached for more of him, and she was getting what she wanted.

His fingers grazed her hips as he wrenched her shirt over her head, leaving her torso bare. Cool air caressed her skin, laced with the steam of the bath that twisted around them. His mouth dropped lower, kissing down her chest, her breasts, her stomach. Lilly grabbed his chin and pulled his face back to hers. Their lips melted together in perfect harmony. Her hands fumbled for the button of his jeans, but warm hands enveloped hers, pulling them back.

Lilly was about to ask what was wrong when his hand slipped past the waist of her pants. Her lips parted in a silent gasp as her knees buckled and his body pressed into hers, guiding her to the edge of the tub. Her back arched against the arm wrapped around her, her breasts pressing against his chest. His fingers swirled and kneaded, evoking soft whimpers and answering squirms. His lips captured hers as heat spread through her core, and she came undone in his arms. Her head fell forward, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. Penny pressed his lips to her forehead as his fingers slowed their pace, and she gradually regained her senses. His hand remained, and Lilly placed a tantalizing kiss on his neck.

Pulling her arms between them, the pads of her fingers traced teasing patterns down his chest until she reached his between her legs. She pulled at the fabric of her pants, dragging them down until she could easily step out and cast them aside. Her body was utterly bare before him, and while his gaze clouded with lust, there was something else, something much softer. His heart was in her hands, and hers in his. Lilly placed one leg in the milky bath water, pulling herself over the edge. Penny watched as she sank slowly into the water, her eyes locked on his.

"Care to join me?" She smirked, laying back against the edge, so the entirety of her was on display. Penny let out a deep sigh and shook his head in disbelief. Then accepted her offer entirely.

Chapter Text

"For the last time, Omari, you are not coming with us!" Saia shouted at the impotent little boy who stood before his guardians with crossed arms and a childish scowl. The iron gates of Castle Whitespire cast a dark shadow over them and the two lavish horse-drawn carriages awaiting their arrival.

"I can help!" The statement had become commonplace any time there was an adventure to be had. So far, all Omari had helped with was making Saia and Lilly's life a living hell.

"If I go back to The Valley without you, your mother will skin me alive." Saia glared right back at him without a flicker of sympathy. Lilly sighed and knelt before him. His pouting face turned to her.

"Look," her voice was soft and resigned. "I know you want to help, but right now, the best way to do that is to stay behind." Omari opened his mouth to argue, but she held up a hand to silence him. She tried to ignore the fact that she was acting like her mother. "Alex needs someone to keep him company, and I need someone to keep an eye on things at the castle while we're gone. Here," she unhooked the sheath at her hip and pulled out the tiny steel forged dagger. His eyes grew to the size of saucers as she flipped it in her hand and gave him the hilt. Reaching out, Omari took it meticulously from her, lifting it like one might a glass slipper. Gradually, a grin broke out across his face.

"I'll keep everyone safe, I promise." Lilly grinned and nudged him gently on the shoulder. Saia rolled her eyes and hurried to shoo him off into the castle. Dani just managed to dodge the boy hurtling towards her, and watched him go with amusement.

"Hey," Dani sidled up beside her, the telltale signs of stress wrinkling her forehead. "I need you to do something for me."

"Of course," Dani's brows furrowed as she took in Lilly's somber expression. Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, Lilly produced the tiny lifeline to her friend. "Um, what are you doing." The button looked as mundane as ever Dani could sense the energy rolling off it in waves. Her skin tingled at the mere sight of it.

"Brakebills still needs someone to protect it. The button is too valuable to risk it falling into the hands of The Beast." Dani shook her head, knowing exactly what she was asking of her. "Take it. If we don't send word that we won, you need to destroy it."

"I can't." Dani took a small step back in panic. "You're gonna make it back. Brakebills will be fine." Lilly crossed the distance in one long stride and took hold of Dani's hand, pressing the cool metal of the button's case into her palm. Their eyes locked with new intensity.

"Please," the gravity in that one word struck Dani like a hammer. She swallowed hard in an attempt to crush the rising tears. Then she nodded.

Lilly let out a breath, her shoulders sagging. She wrapped her arms around Dani and squeezed. "I'll see you soon," she promised, all the while the familiar stir of dread filled her stomach. With a reassuring smile, Lilly headed for the King's carriages. Dani watched her go and it wasn't until the door shut behind them and the horses kicked into a trot, that she let the tears fall.

Lilly sat restlessly beside Penny as the carriage rattled along the kingsroad at a snail's pace. Margo and Eliot sat across from the pair. They were back in their earth clothing that now seemed out of place on the Fillorian Royalty. Lilly's eyes flicked to Penny every so often, her mind still racing with the memory of his hands on every part of her. Elliot and Margo shared a knowing look and smirked.

"You two totally fucked." Margo snickered, leaning back with her arms folded across her chest. Lilly's eyes widened in shock, cheeks blooming red as a beet.

"Margo!" She snapped, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh my god, you so did!" A grin spread across Eliot's face, and Margo raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Fuck off," Penny snapped, glaring across the carriage.

"Oh, come on, we're all friends here." Margo waved a hand as if to bat away his protest.

"Are we?" Penny looked about ready to choke her. Lilly placed a soothing hand on his thigh.

"Seriously, guys?"

"You would've told us about it eventually." Margo scoffed, and Lilly rolled her eyes at them. She sent Penny an apologetic look, received with a tiny smile. It was a few minutes more until the carriages squeaked to a stop, and the company began their trek into the forest. They walked until they found a small clearing. The chances of anyone stumbling upon this location were slim to none. If things went south, they prayed that there would be no casualties.

Ava and Saia stood beside one another, having become acquainted during their short carriage ride. Lilly wasn't entirely surprised that they got along. Alice stepped up to the center of the clearing, the others filing in behind her. They would wait for her direction. The tension was thick as they watched Alice's shoulders rise and fall with steadying breaths. A lump of fear and dread formed at the base of Lilly's throat.

"We ready?" Quentin looked uneasily between his companions, and they each shared grave nods. They'd gone over the plan once more before their departure that morning, and without question, they began to disperse into a loose circle. Lilly shot Penny a sorrowful look, and he inclined his chin in a sign of understanding. They were back in the same position as they were three weeks before, and no matter how prepared they were, the risk was still immense.

As Alice took her place amongst the circle, she shook out her hands worriedly and looked to Penny. Her hands began to twist and fold in the pattern of the Rhinemann Ultra. The others commenced their casting. Lilly repeated the same pattern over and over. The power grew within her like pure sunlight warming her chest. With one last glance towards Lilly, Penny disappeared. It would be mere moments before he returned, this time with Martin Chatwin. Saia stood beside her, sword drawn and ready to fight. Her presence was welcome as Lilly felt marginally more secure with her there.

Nerves gnawed at Lilly's stomach as she prayed to whatever god there was, that Penny remained safe, that they all made it through this. Her heart skipped as the space within their circle shimmered and rippled. Alice's spell was nearly at full power, and the pure white shapes began to take form. She would have one shot to destroy Martin. If she missed, well, Lilly didn't want to think about that. In the blink of an eye, Penny reappeared. A small gasp escaped Lilly as she saw that there were not only two bodies, but three. Penny sprinted out of the circle, and Eliot shouted.

"Now!" A shimmering shield encased the circle, connecting at five points. It was then that Lily recognized the third person. Julia Wicker. Her gaze instantly shot to Quentin in alarm.

"Julia," he whispered.

"Quentin, no!" Lilly shrieked, but it was too late. Quentin dropped the shield and ran towards his friend. But just as he shoved Julia out of the way, Alice released the spell. Quentin's hesitation was all it took to give Martin a chance to turn and run. The energy of the Rhinemann shot past The Beast, hitting him in the shoulder and throwing him back. The full impact of the blast collided into a nearby tree with a deafening crash.

They stood in shock as the Beast pulled himself to his knees, and the tree toppled through the forest like a wrecking ball. Alice barely hesitated and began casting as fast as humanly possible. The white light shone blindingly bright as she aimed at Martin once more. He stood shakily and turned to face Alice with a look of provocation. Ava hurried over to Lilly, as she was the closest to where The Beast had fallen. His arm was a bloodied stump of meat. His shirt melted into what remained of it. Murder glinted in his eyes as he smirked. Alice moved faster than any thought possible, her eyes growing wider by the second. Martin lifted a hand and vanished.

"No!" Alice's spell fell to shambles, and she sprinted forward as if she could catch him. "I missed him! I missed him!"

"I had Reynard, he was right in front of me!" Julia rushed up to Penny, shoving her face in his. Her eyes were crazed as they bored into the Traveler's

"Yeah, then you screwed up our plan, again," Margo spat. They all rushed to join the commotion.

"She just grabbed me." Penny shook his head, running a hand through his hair. Lilly placed a hand on his arm protectively and glowered at Julia.

"You really know how to fuck shit up, don't you, Julia?" Lilly hissed at the woman who had cost them so much in mere seconds.

"You don't understand. I had Reynard, I had The Beast! Julia cried, looking at everyone with desperation. All she got in response was anger and disappointment.

"Fuck this, we're out." Penny stepped forward and grabbed Julia once more. In an instant, they were gone.

"He's headed to the Wellspring," Alice announced, turning back towards where they'd come. Lilly hesitated, Saia beside her with a look of consternation on her face. Ava was pure fury. Lilly wondered how she'd refrained from gutting Julia right then and there. Quentin hurried after Alice, and soon Lilly was stumbling along behind them.

"Are you sure?" Elliot asked as they arrived at the edge of the dirt road.

"He's injured, where else would he be? He has to be at the Wellspring." Alice repeated, not bothering to face him.

"The Royal Carriages can get there in under an hour." Eliot supplied, pointing to the horse-drawn carriages that awaited them.

"But if he could just blip in, then--"

"Well, Hopefully, his accuracy isn't at its best right now. I know mine wouldn't be." Alice yanked open the door to the cab with more force than necessary. Quentin leaned in to whisper to Alice, and Lilly took this opportunity to turn to Ava.

"Hey," she sighed, "I know you said you wanted to help, but that was before our whole plan went to shit. If you want to back out I--"

"You think I'm gonna chicken out because things didn't go according to plan?" Ava raised an accusatory eyebrow. "That asshole mind jacked my boyfriend. I wanna see the look on his face when we kill him." Her determination was admirable, and though Lilly felt responsible for the life she'd be putting at risk, she wasn't about to argue.

"That makes two of us." She set her jaw in a hard line. Jane, her mother, and now Alex. She wouldn't let Martin harm anyone else.

"Okay, we should send El and Margo for help." Quentin turned back to the group as Alice slid into the velvet upholstered seat.

"Wait, you don't want us on the suicide mission with you?" Eliot looked genuinely wounded at being excluded.

"Ember's temple is nearby, so just go and uh, petition him for a re-up. Just in case we-"

"Fail? Die?" Margo suggested dryly. An uneasy silence ensued. "Sorry, reflex," she shrugged apologetically.

"Okay, fine. We'll go." Eliot resigned and grabbed Margo's hand, pulling her towards the second carriage.

"Saia," Lilly faced Saia, who had been strangely silent. "Would you go with them? Make sure they're safe?"

"My duty is to you, not them." She shook her head, hand still resting on the hilt of her sword.

"Yes, but right now, I need you to make sure they make it to Ember. Then to the Wellspring." Lilly's eyes were pleading. There was no way she was sending Margo and Eliot into the forest alone while The Beast was still unaccounted for.

"I don't like it." Saia mused, "but I'll do it." She looked far from enthused, but Lilly shot her a thankful smile.

"Thank you." Lilly placed a hand on Saia's arm and squeezed. "We'll see you guys soon." With that, she and Ava joined Quentin and Alice and began the trip to the Wellspring. Lilly sat across from Ava and fiddled with the string of Jane's bow anxiously. Penny should've come right back. She reminded herself time and time again that he could take care of himself, but her heart still clenched with concern.

Quentin and Alice began to murmur to each other, and Lilly pretended not to listen as he spoke of what they would do once this was all over. She hadn't given herself the space to hope for anything beyond what was right in front of her. There were too many unknown variables for her to begin to think of the future. She watched the endless stream of green pass outside her window until the whispers blended, and she forgot for a moment that she was headed towards possible death. It took close to an hour for them to reach their destination, and from there, the four magicians made their way through the underbrush, trying their best to remain alert.

Faint voices drifted towards them, and they all shared looks of bewilderment. The glow of the wellspring peaked through leaves and branches. Quentin pressed a finger to his lips and beckoned them forward. Creeping towards the clearing that held the source of magic, Lilly flinched at every crunch and snap beneath their feet until they came up behind a large boulder.

"I pooped in it. Am I not making this very clear?" Peaking their heads around the side, they took in the strange scene. Umber- it was unmistakably him, given the horns protruding from his head and the legs of a goat -- smiled gleefully before The Beast. Martin clutched his arm in agony and growled at the god.

"You wretched Bastard. I know your true game. I know every twist of it, you-- you twisted man sheep!" He shouted, taking a few threatening steps forward.

"Oh, my heavens, look at the time. I really should be going. Although, technically I already went." Ember laughed, and it resembled the bleating of a sheep. "I never tire of these jokes. Ta!" with the wave of his staff, Ember vanished in a whirl of leaves and light.

"You stinking man-sheep. You're no god! You're no god, you're a farm animal!" Martin whirled, screaming into the empty as if Ember could hear him all the same. For all they knew, he could.

"Ember took a shit in the Wellspring? Well, that can't be good for Fillory." Quentin whispered, all the while The Beast continued his crazed beratement of Ember. The Wellspring, which remained locked inside the disheveled shack, flickered dimly between the gnarled wood planks of the door.

"Quentin Coldwater! Lilly Cole!" All four of them froze.

"Shit"

"Oh, fuck," Lilly and Quentin exclaimed in unison. The Beast wasn't even looking at them, his back to the boulder they hid behind.

"Why don't you all come to join me?" He raised a hand, and with a snap of his fingers, they were swept up and deposited mere feet from Martin. Lilly promptly readied her bow. Martin turned to face them with a stare of pure loathing.

"Lilly, Dear, it seems you've learned some new tricks since we last met." He eyed her bow with mild interest. "My sister always loved that piece of junk. It didn't do much to save her in the end, though." Lilly clenched her jaw at the thought of Jane's kind eyes and motherly demeanor.

"Go fuck yourself, Martin." Lilly shot the arrow without hesitation. It would've struck home, had the beast not flicked his wrist and cast it astray. He let out a slow taunting laugh.

"Mm," he examined Alice as one might a vintage car, "you're weaker."

"And you're down six fingers." She spat in return.

"More than enough to kill you all." Martin smiled at her attempt at intimidation. He lifted a hand as if he'd only just remembered an important piece of information. "Hard to cast when you're sliced in two." It took them a millisecond too long to comprehend his intention. His hand sliced through the air, sending a thin blast of energy towards Alice. Quentin lunged between them. A sickening rip of flesh and bone sounded as blood splattered across the mossy ground. Quentin collapsed with a gash running the length of his shoulder that had almost severed his arm completely.

"Quentin!" Alice's hoarse cry echoed. Lilly threw a spell towards Martin, only to have it deflected effortlessly, just as he had with her arrow. Quentin groaned, clutching his wound a few feet from them.

"You're a tough piece of meat, aren't you?" Martin rose both brows in surprise, "no matter." He raised a hand again to finish him off, but Alice was already casting. Her spell hit his shield, distracting The Beast just enough for him to leave Quentin be.

"Ava, stop the bleeding," Lilly ordered, raising her own hands to begin casting. Ava hurried to kneel beside Quentin, pulling her jacket from her back and using it to put pressure on his gaping wound. She muttered an incantation over and over as blood began to seep through the fabric and the gaps between her fingers.

Alice shot off another spell, followed closely by Lilly's. Bright spots of light shot from their hands, hitting the crumbling shield Martin was putting all of his energy into maintaining. By the third spell, the shield melted away, and the blasts began to explode against Martin, showing him back again and again as he howled in pain. Lilly and Alice advanced side by side, determined to finish him off once and for all.

"Lilly!" Ava screamed. Lilly had no time to dodge before a spell hit her. The force hurled her across the clearing and into the unyielding trunk of a tree. Pain lanced through her and her vision blurred. Lilly pushed herself up on her elbows and lifted her eyes to her attacker. Bile rose in her throat. Before her, drenched in blood, was Alex, his deep brown eyes glowing an unnatural electric blue.

Chapter Text

Blood matted blonde hair plastered itself to her forehead. Lilly pushed herself up on shaky elbows to face the puppet of a man that had struck her. Alex strode purposely towards her, leaves crackling beneath his boots. His entire body was splattered in blood, and none of it his own. Lilly glanced frantically towards Alice, who hadn't broken her focus from The Beast, despite their unexpected guest. Locked in a battle of strength and longevity with Martin, neither seemed to be long for this world.

Stumbling to her feet, Lilly threw up a weak shield just in time to block Alex's following spell. A sadistic smirk curled his lips. The man before her may look like her best friend, but this was Martin Chatwin's doing. Alex's mind was a slave to The Beast's will, just as it had been the night he murdered her mother.

"Alex!" Ava abandoned Quentin's writhing body to chase after him. Her attempt was futile, as before she could reach him, he threw out a hand, and Ava crashed into an unyielding wall of magic.

"Alex, this isn't you." Lilly croaked, blinking rapidly to dispel the dark spots at the edge of her vision. Her arms stung from where they'd been scraped raw by tree bark. Dirt and pine needles clung to the sticky blood dripping down her forearm. "You're stronger than this. I know you are."

"You think he's still in here. That's cute, it really is." Alex quirked a brow indifferently, the electric blue flashing dangerously within his eyes.

"Lex, please, listen to me." This time it was Ava who spoke, her voice trembling with unchecked emotion. Fear and sorrow struck her as she stared at the man she loved more than any other. There was no spark of familiarity there, none of his signature warmth and subtle humor. The man before her was The Beast incarnate. "I know you can hear me. Come back to me." For a moment, Alex seemed to hesitate, his brows furrowed in an unreadable expression. But as soon as it happened, the hesitance dissolved, and without warning, he threw out a hand to blast Alice with a ball of sapphire light.

"Alice!" Lilly rushed towards her, but her path was blocked by Martin. Alice flew through the air. The Beast, who had been close to defeat, was left clutching his arm as if to keep it from falling off. He glared at his niece with a venom she was sure could burn through a cement wall. Her eyes darted from one opponent to another. Quentin and Alice were down for the count, and now it was an even match. There was very little hope left, but her mind grasped at every loose string in an attempt to piece together one final plan. "Ava! Fireflies!" Across the clearing, Ava's eyes widened with panic and recognition. There was no time for confirmation, for Martin had begun to focus his efforts on his troublesome niece.

Lilly, however, did not attempt to use force against him, and to Martin's bewilderment, she deflected attack after attack, never throwing a curse back at him. It was clear that Ava had indeed understood her words, for Martin stumbled, and his attention flicked to his puppet worriedly. Lilly monopolized on his brief distraction and folded her fingers in an all too familiar pattern.

It felt like ages since she'd cast this particular spell, but the movement came as second nature. Not for the first time, Lilly thanked Jane's rigorous training. Magic pricked at her skin like warm rays of sunlight. In the past, she'd taken the path of an Illusionist. She'd crept amongst the shadows of her prey's mind until she slithered her way between the cracks in their wards and took control. Her mission was not to control but distract. Lilly took a sharp breath and threw her magic into Martin's mental wards. Her power clanged against rusted metallic gates of pure iron, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Everywhere she touched was cold and unfeeling, no remnants of the boy he'd been. Martin had crumbled to dust in the shadow of The Beast.

Lilly slammed into his wards over and over like waves crashing over rocks in a violent storm. The Beast stumbled back as if she'd physically shoved him. His wards wavered, the gates groaning against her power. Alice stirred and gripped her head where she lay sprawled. Lilly held her concentration and prayed that Ava was doing her part. With Lilly's magic distracting The Beast, Ava would have only a moment to steal Alex's mind from him.

Lilly pressed harder and harder into his mental wards. The blood loss took a toll on his defenses, and with one last herculean effort, Lilly opened the floodgates and breached his mind. Darkness wrapped around her, squeezing and pulling until she thought she might choke. The Beast tried and failed to fortify his defenses. She felt the emptiness of his soul, the anger and resentment seeping in like poison. His mind scraped across her own with talons of fury, and she let out a cry of agony, yet against it all, she persisted.

Images flashed by, dissipating as soon as they'd come. The Beast desperately fought against her but she was more powerful than he'd anticipated.

Lilly fought to stay afloat amidst the memories and images bombarding her. A young version of Martin, only a few years younger than he'd been when Lilly met him. He smiled, and the world brightened in response. He ran through fields of vibrant wildflowers, his small hand intertwined with Jane's. They were so happy, carefree. Yet as she watched through the lens of The Beast, the joy that should have been felt was only a cloud of apathy. The world darkened, and Martin was older, this time alone. He sat with his back pressed against the famous grandfather clock that had first transported him to Fillory.

"Why won't you take me? Please, why am I being punished?" He whispered, salty tears pouring down his cheek. He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Christopher Plover smiled down at the boy and crooked a brow.

"Dear boy, what is wrong?" Martin's entire body turned rigid as a block of ice. He swiped at his cheeks in panic.

"Nothing. I'm fine." He tried to fake a smile, but his emotions betrayed him.

"Come, let us have a little chat over some camomile tea. How does that sound? Spend some quality time together." There was a slight edge to his voice, though it was not unkind. Martin seemed to withdraw further into himself. He glanced up at the pendulum as it ticked away the seconds. Martin willed it to stop, for he knew what was to come. He gulped and clenched his jaw with conviction. Plover lead him down the hall with a gentle hand on the small of his back. Fillory would not take him. His home would not take him, and while his sister went on glorious adventures, Martin remained in the Plover mansion, trapped behind closed doors, steadily fading from this world and the next.

Lilly wanted nothing more than to withdraw from The Beast's mind, to shut her eyes and live in blissful ignorance. Yet the tendrils of power that kept Alex under his thumb were still intact, though immensely weakened. If they were to free him, she would need to bear witness to the unspeakable events that carved the sweet child of Martin Chatwin into the monster she now fought. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched every agonizing moment transpire and felt the desperate claws of The Beast dig into her consciousness until the pain was all that remained. Martin roared, his magic flaring, shoving her back and out of his memories. Their magic grappled in an all-out war of the mind.

Ava thought back to Mayakovski's brutal lessons that she and Lilly had suffered. The game of mental chess that she would need to play against a far superior opponent. Yet, she was not alone in this fight. Lilly used all of her strength to pull The Beast's attention from Alex to his own protection. As she ran her magic along Alex's mental wards, she found that The Beast and Alex were far more intertwined than they'd anticipated. Like the roots of an ancient sycamore tree, The Beast had burrowed his power into Alex's mind until it was almost impossible to differentiate his influence from the man she loved.

As Lilly threw herself into their opponent with all her might, Ava felt his grip begin to slacken and pull back. There was no guarantee how long she'd be able to fight him, so Ava pounced on the opportunity. With great care and haste, she used her power to pull and loosen the tendrils of power, dispelling them as light does to shadow. Alex's body stalled in his advances, and he clutched his skull in pain as war was waged within him.

Blood pounded through her ears as she used every bit of power and concentration to navigate his mind. The Beast was like a plague, eating away at everything good and pure in Alex's mind and shoving it down into the darkest depths, where it would be nearly impossible to retrieve. Gradually, his grip loosened and pulled back as it took more and more power to fend off Lilly's advances. Alex looked up at her then, and Ava saw a flicker of familiarity behind his eyes.

"Please," A tear trailed down his cheek as he managed to voice the single word that had her heart-shattering. The pain in his voice, his eyes. She felt him fight against The Beast, push against the bars imprisoning him.

Lilly was inches from caving in and losing herself to the darkness of Martin's agony. Despite the white-hot pain rushing through her, she still held on. The Beast fought her tooth and nail, and she met him head-on. She felt as his power grew as he withdrew from Alex's mind to defend his own. She was succeeding. A spark of hope ignited within her chest, and by some miracle, she found it in her to push harder. Alice pushed herself up from the dirt with fury burning in her eyes. She set her jaw in determination. This time she would not fail.

"You're not even a real Magician, are you, Martin?" Alice ground out tauntingly. "You're just a scared little boy. You wouldn't last an hour at Brakebills." Fury surged in Martin's mind at her words, and Lilly felt his power stir. He lunged, and a fireball soared towards her. Lilly grinned through the pain. He withdrew further from Alex's mind, and by now, Ava was almost in control. Alice easily dodged the meager attack and screeched. She flung out an arm, and The Beast went soaring into a boulder with a sickening crunch. He slid to the ground and looked up at the two Magicians standing over him. His eyes fell on Lilly, and slowly a smirk grew on his face. Lilly let out a harsh gasp and swayed on her feet. The constant force of her power against his was abruptly silenced, and her magic filled the entirety of his mind. He no longer fought against her, instead, his magic lashed out in a storm of darkness and chaos, all directed upon his pawn in this lethal game.

"No!" The scream was ripped from the deepest part of her and reverberated through the forest. Ava felt it before anyone else. A sensation of water slipping through her fingers, a sudden unsettling emptiness that hollowed her out completely. Alex swayed, the electric blue glow fading to brown and the spark of life dissipating with it. His body collapsed with a sickening thump to the forest floor.

"Alex!" Ava and Lilly sprinted across the expanse and fell to their knees beside him. He lay on his side with one arm pinned awkwardly beneath his body. But his eyes- oh his eyes. They remained wide and unseeing. Ava let out a strangled sob and threw herself atop his body. "No! No, no, no!" She shrieked, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Hot tears streamed down Lilly's cheeks as she, too, wailed into the universe. Reaching out a trembling hand, she brushed a lock of blood-stained hair away from his lifeless face. The pain was unbearable as if someone had wrapped a fist around her heart and squeezed until it popped. Her cries intensified, and she leaned over to bury her face in his chest, fingers bunching up the fabric of his shirt. His familiar cologne still cling to him, making it all the more real that he was dead beneath her.

"No, Alice, stop, It'll--" Quentin's voice filled the clearing as he called out in despair. Lilly vaguely registered Alice's dismissive response, but she was so overcome with grief to care. "Alice, no!" Quentin screamed it this time, and Lilly looked up through the blur of tears to find Alice still facing off against The Beast, this time with shockingly uncharacteristic ferocity. She was casting the Rhinemann Ultra, but the magic was growing unpredictable, volatile, and it was beginning to consume her.

"Oh, God, no." Lilly choked out, just as Alice's body was engulfed in blue flames of pure power.

"Alice!" Quentin's cry was drowned out by Alice's blood-curdling screech as her body was burned alive. Lilly watched in absolute horror until there was nothing left of Alice but the echo of her cries. A shrill mirthful laugh filled the silence. The Beast stumbled towards them with a grin upon his lips and eyes alight with his triumph. Lilly clenched her teeth as tears slipped down her cheeks and fell onto Alex's body. Ava's hysterical sobs continued, despite Alice's failed spell.

"Oops, too far. Too bad." He taunted, shooting Quentin a false pout and turning to take in the women in mourning. "Poor boy, what a waste."

"Rot in hell!" Lilly shrieked, her eyes ablaze. The Beast sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Let's finally finish this." Quentin struggled to push himself up to his knees, and the strength it took almost destroyed him. He fought to crawl across the bed of moss and pine needles to reach Lilly. She raised her chin defiantly and stared straight into the eyes of The Beast.

"So be it." She spat and shifted so that her body shielded Ava's. The Beast raised a hand to end her life, and Lilly prepared to meet her end. But before he could, a hand reached out to clamp around The Beast's wrist. Lilly gasped at the sight of Alice, Alive and well, standing behind him with an air of indifference and authority.

"I did it on purpose." She whispered conspiratorially. The Beast turned his head to look at her. It was then that Lilly realized what Alice truly was. A Niffin. Blue and white energy surged beneath her skin, leaping out every so often in tiny tendrils of white-hot power. In the blink of an eye, Alice reappeared before The Beast, and before he could lift a finger to cut her down, she cast her own spell. The Beast choked on his words as she froze him where he stood. "Go on, something you want to say?" Alice tilted her head slightly, face void of any emotion. She lifted a finger and touched it lightly to his lips.

"Alice, we can make a deal." He choked out, and for the first time, Martin was terrified. "Think of the fun we could have together. You don't have to--"

"But I want to." She cut him off from his proposition. He was pleading for his life. But this was not Alice. She was no longer human. With the grace of a cat, Alice stepped forward and placed her hands on his chest. Then with a sickening crack and squish, she ripped his chest open, releasing a mass of fluttering moths. Lilly gagged, lifting a hand to her chest at the sight. The Beast fell to the ground in a heap and made no move to rise. "Disappointing." She sighed, like a child who'd lost interest in a new toy. Turning on her heel, Alice set her sights directly on Lilly. "Now, you." She spoke in a sickeningly innocent manner, her gaze devoid of any familiarity. Lilly's stomach dropped, and she attempted to push herself up, only to stumble and fall in her panic. "You have something I want."

"Alice, don't!" Quentin stretched out an arm as if he could stop her. He was only a yard from Lilly, but he couldn't reach her in his state. He crawled across the dirt on his stomach. A trail of dark blood stained the pine needles beneath him. Alice turned and raised an inquisitive brow. He wished she'd listened. Alice faced Lilly once again and uncurled her hand, which glowed with lethal magic. Quentin shut his eyes to steel himself for what he must do. "Quentin says go free." Smoke shot out from the tattoo on his back. The Cacodemon roared triumphantly at its freedom. It set its sights on Alice and shot across the clearing. The sight of blood seeping into earth was the last thing Lilly saw before the world went white.

Chapter Text

Faint words of mourning drifted through the cemetery that darkened Tuesday morning. A fresh grave had been dug in anticipation for the newest addition to the collection of departed souls laid to rest. Mourners draped in midnight gathered before a sleek black coffin adorned with yellow and white roses. A few umbrellas were scattered throughout the group in preparation for the angry storm clouds that rolled in, tinting the cemetery a gloomy shade of grey-blue.

A few rows back, tucked beneath a towering oak tree stood a hidden figure. Had the mourners turned, they may have noticed her gaze trained upon their service, on the photo of a smiling young man who would never be seen again. But no one turned, and Lilly remained undiscovered as she thumbed at the buttons of her rain jacket.

She watched as they lowered the coffin into the grave, as they showered it in roses and treasures, and as the mourners began to thin. A man and woman hovered long after the others, flanked by two girls and one familiar young man. Alex's parents shook with grief, and the children seemed to be forcing themselves to stay composed, but the cracks in their facade would soon crumble. They watched in solidarity as the grave was filled with fresh dirt, and the final page of Alex's book was turned. Lilly waited until they, too, made their way out of the cemetery, leaving her alone with the fresh grave of her best friend.

She knelt before the gravestone, ignoring the dark dirt that stained her jeans. Her eyes scanned the engraving like somehow she may have imagined the whole thing. That this was someone else's grave, someone else's body. Alex would appear, and this would all have been a cruel joke.

Alexander Griffin

Loving Son, Brother, and Friend.

His entire life was reduced to a sentence. It was a sharp slap to the face. But how were they meant to portray all that he was, all that he could have been, in the space of a few inches? Between her fingers, Lilly twirled a vibrant yellow rose. With a heart-wrenching sigh, she placed it upon the edge of his stone. They were his favorite in life, and she was sure if he had a say, he'd wish them to be with him in death. Lilly twisted her fingers above it and cast a simple charm. While the other flowers left behind would fade with time, the rose would remain forever fresh and lovely.

"I'm so sorry, Lex." a painful lump expanded in her throat, and soon, tears overflowed onto her cheeks. "I should've been stronger. I should've been able to protect you." She ran her fingers along the smooth surface of his headstone and let out a heavy sob. There was no warmth or familiarity, only cold marble.

"Hey." Her head snapped up at the voice, and she found Thomas standing above her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his dress pants. "I saw you during the service." He stated blandly. The usual humor and joy were nowhere to be found. He hiked up his pants an inch and sat down beside her. Lilly dug her fingers into the dirt and stared at it as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.

"Do they know?" she whispered. It was a vague question, but Thomas knew precisely what she meant.

"I told them everything." He crossed his ankles and draped his elbows across his knees with a sigh. "I just couldn't have them thinking he died in some freak car accident. They deserve the truth. He died fighting for what was right." Lilly wiped at her cheeks feebly and lifted her gaze to his. His dark eyes were just as she remembered them, even if the spark within had dulled to a faint glowing ember.

"I'm so sorry." Lilly choked, her chest heaving with the weight of her failure. The soft balmy breeze swept across the cemetery, pulling her honey blonde hair up and into the air. Her trailing tears chilled as the wind licked at her rosy cheeks.

"It wasn't your fault." Lilly scoffed in denial, shoving her nose up at the thought. "I know my brother, and he would have gotten involved whether you liked it or not."

"He did have quite the stubborn streak, didn't he?" A small huff of laughter filled the air.

"That he did." Thomas's lips twisted up in the ghost of a smile. "How's Ava holding up? I tried calling her, but nothing."

"Not well." Lilly shook her head minutely. "She decided to stay in Fillory. Barely talks to anyone." The thought of Ava's heartbroken face brought a fresh bout of tears to her eyes. Alex seemed to have taken a piece of each of them along with him, and she wasn't sure they'd ever recover what they'd lost. "Dani left with Saia to travel worlds, Quentin and Penny are off at some Centaur healing retreat, and Margo and Elliot are ruling Fillory. I'm all alone." Thomas reached out and took her hand in his with a gentle squeeze.

"You have me." Her gaze softened on their joined hands.

"I haven't even asked about you." She chided herself and gave him a sympathetic smile. "How are you?"

"As well as to be expected, I guess." He shrugged dismissively. "I took a job with some bank doing Illusionary security. It pays well, and I can visit Mom and Dad whenever I want, so it's good for now. It's just a matter of learning to live in a world without him." Lilly's heart sank at his final words. Learn to live in a world without Alex? It wasn't something she ever wanted to do. She didn't want a world without him. She didn't want a world without her mother, or Jane, or Alice. Yet here she was, trying to find her way without any of them by her side. Lilly lingered for a long while, listening to Thomas speak about Alex's life before Brakebills and the love he had for his little brother. It wasn't until the first drops of rain began to pitter-patter on stone that they made their way to the gates.

"I'm sure my family would love to meet you. The Wake should've already started. You can come with me if you want." Thomas offered as he shook open his umbrella and held it above their heads. Lilly shook her head sadly. She couldn't face them yet. Despite Thomas's words of assurance, the guilt still weighed heavily upon her.

"I can't." He nodded in understanding, his eyes searching hers. "I have somewhere I need to be." Lilly hugged him in farewell and headed off down the street. Pulling her jacket tight around her, she traveled through the light rain until she found a private street. The portal she summoned deposited her before a classic brick townhouse with window boxes overflowing with vibrant flowers.

With a sharp intake of breath, Lilly stared at the door before her. She visualized all the ways what she was about to do could go. But despite the anxious beating of her heart and the guilt she felt for what she had put her friends through, all she could think of was how she wanted to see Cara's face. She craved the comforting touch of her friend, the voice that never failed to made her feel at home. She wished to tell Cara that all this time, she was okay and that she missed her.

Now, standing in front of her door was Lilly's chance to explain it all. She could see her best friend again. She let out a trembling breath before raising her fist and hesitantly beating on the apartment door. After three knocks, she dropped her hand, her breath quickening as she waited with anticipation to hear the adorable bickering of her friend and her fiance about who should open the door. But she was only met with silence.

She stepped back, defeat settling in her chest as she contemplated what to do next. Before she could trap herself in her grieving thoughts though the sound of heavy footsteps approaching and muffled bickering ensued. Lilly clenched her teeth, frozen as she waited for the door to be pulled open. What was she going to do? Say? What do you say to someone you quite literally ghosted?

With a loud creak, the door opened to reveal a young woman with intricate chocolate braids piled atop her head. Wrapped in a deep emerald robe with a mug of steaming tea clutched in her hand was Cara. Lilly's chest fluttered with a deep excitement she hadn't felt in a long time- the kind she only felt on her days out with Cara, where her crazy friend would teach her to have the time of her life.

Cara's lips parted, eyes wide in disbelief, and Lilly, although she was expecting to see her friend, had a similar expression. Seeing Cara brought a flood of memories through her mind that she hadn't recalled for quite some time. She couldn't believe that she was seeing her, that she could finally tell her the truth.

"Lilly?" Lilly leaped forward and jumped to Cara, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. "I can't believe this..." Cara's words came out through heavy, shaky breaths as she wrapped her arms around Lilly, burying her face into the crook of her neck. They remained in the position for several moments, enjoying each other's embrace. Lilly found herself sinking further and further into her best friend's arms, melting into her warmth.

"I missed you so much," she sniffled, blinking back tears.

"Oh my God, it's actually you." Cara pulled away. She used her thumb to wipe tears from under her eyes and mentally debated whether she was angry with the blonde for disappearing or just grateful and happy to have her back. "Where the hell were you all this time?"

Before Lilly could answer, the door opened wider to reveal Jiada. "What's going on?" Once her eyes landed on Lilly, they expanded, and she brought a hand to her mouth in shock. "Lilly?" The woman leaned forward and pulled her into a gentle hug. "We were so worried about you! Come in, come in."

Cara clasped onto Lilly's cold hand and pulled her into the apartment, leading her into the living area. Lilly sat on the sofa next to Cara and smiled when Jiada returned with a glass of ice water with a single wedge of lime hanging off the edge. Just the way she liked it. "Thanks," she placed the glass on the wooden coffee table before her.

"I can't believe you're back," Cara gushed again, refusing to remove her eyes from her friend. "What happened to you? Where were you?"

"That's what I came here to talk to you guys about." Lilly bit her lip as she stared between the two women. "I'm so, so sorry you guys had to postpone your wedding because of me. I really can't begin to tell you how guilty I feel about that."

"Lilly, are you insane? You don't need to apologize for that. You were missing."

"That's the thing," Lilly sighed and stared at her hands in shame. "I wasn't missing. Well, not in the way you're thinking."

"What are you talking about?" Jiada furrowed her brows, staring expectantly at her.

"I wasn't missing... I just had to go out of town," Lilly explained vaguely, her heart beating too fast for her to process her thoughts. Cara's features darkened at Lilly's words.

"You're saying you had us thinking you were kidnapped or- or dead or something when you were just out of town?" She hissed, her eyes blazing.

"It's not like that-"

"Lilly, you had us so worried! I thought I lost my best friend!" Cara's voice cracked, and Jiada placed a soft hand on her fiance's shoulder.

"I know, and I'm so, so sorry I put you through all of this," Lilly's voice was shaky, her heart shattering into a million pieces at how upset and angry her friend appeared to be. "I didn't mean to hurt you guys or cause you any trouble. I just couldn't-"

"Send a simple text saying "I'm okay"?" Cara hissed.

"If you just let me explain, then you'd understand!" Lilly exclaimed, exhaustion lacing her melancholy voice.

"Explain, then."

Lilly looked between the couple, taking in their intimidating stares. They looked at her with such frustration and expectation. She began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt before she started to speak. "Magic is real," she declared, looking at Cara and Jiada and waiting to see any reaction from them.

They both stared at her blankly, almost as though they hadn't heard her, but then Cara shook her head and let out a cold scoff. "You're unbelievable. I'm calling your psychiatrist."

"Wha- I'm telling the truth! I'll prove it to you!" They watched impatiently, eyebrows raised in disbelief while the blonde picked up a sheet of paper from the coffee table. With her shaky fingers, she began to fold it into the form of a tiny paper crane.

"Wow... origami," Jiada mumbled, at a loss for what to say to the woman whose justifications appeared weaker and weaker with every passing second.

"How magical. You've really wowed us, Lilly." Cara's voice was harsh and cold, but Lilly ignored them as she placed the crane delicately onto the table. "Just give it up, Lilly, okay? Nothing you do can make me forgi-"

But then, Lilly began to circle her two hands around each other. She drew her hands apart and angled them toward the crane. With a minor movement and wave of her fingers, the folded piece of paper shifted in its spot on the table as though the wind had pushed it forward. Cara and Jiada's eyes darted to the window to see that it was firmly shut. They looked back at the crane apprehensively. With a few more waves of Lilly's hand, it's wings began to flutter. A few feet up from the ground, it floated, and when Lilly flicked her wrist forward, the paper coursed through the sky like a living bird. As it flew, it carried an air of freedom with it- the kind that, deep down, everyone wished to have.

With slackened jaws and wide eyes, the couple watched, dumbfounded, as a piece of paper flew through their apartment. It traveled past their kitchen door, their bedroom, and every other inch of their home as though it knew just where to float to avoid crashing. Except, all of this, it was by Lilly's manipulation. Cara reluctantly drew her eyes away from the crane that continued to fly and focused on Lilly, who used her index finger and thumb to navigate the crane.

"H- How are you doing that?" Jiada's voice was shaky, and her eyes darted between Lilly and the flapping bird, at a crossroads between which to glue her eyes to. Lilly said nothing and instead drew her index finger and thumb closer together as she began to guide her creation back onto the table. It landed smoothly without a bump or a sound, leaving Lilly's friends even more awestruck than before.

"I'm a Magician."

Lilly's stomach roiled as she stepped past the wards of The Valley with Omari by her side

Lilly's stomach roiled as she stepped past the wards of The Valley with Omari by her side. He squeezed her hand, but her nerves were too raw to respond with anything other than a slight twitch that she'd intended to be a smile. She was overjoyed to find him alive and well, if not a little traumatized when she'd returned to Castle Whitespire. He'd survived Alex's murderous rampage by what many would say was sheer luck. Lilly knew the little boy well enough by now to know that his escape was due to his tiny stature and affinity for stealth. According to him, he'd fought valiantly to defend Fen's life. That story had swiftly been disproved by Fen's account. Omari had apparently shot Alex with a slingshot and nearly gotten himself killed had Fen not defended him with her knife skills. Lilly didn't care how it happened, only that he was alive and well.

Their shoes crunched lightly on the underbrush as they weaved through the forest towards the village where their people waited. The balmy warmth wrapped around her and softened her feeling of unease. She hadn't exactly left this place on good terms. She hadn't left on any terms, just disappeared in the night. The note she left behind explained it all, but Lilly had no idea how her grandfather would respond to her abandoning him.

"Omari!" Just as they parted the trees to the outskirts of the village, a woman called out excitedly. Omari broke out into a giant grin when he saw her. He dropped Lilly's hand and sprinted to meet her. Yakia scooped him up into her arms and held him so tightly Lilly thought she'd never let go. Their love was infectious, and Lilly found that she, too, was smiling now. It faded when she caught sight of the man approaching. Elias stared at her with an unreadable mix of emotions. He stopped a few feet from her. The tension between them could've been sliced with a knife.

"We killed him. He's gone for good." It felt as if she were reporting to a superior, not reuniting with the only family she had left. Elias gave a curt nod.

"Then you did what I could not." His bright blue eyes lowered. "I was weak."

"You weren't weak." Lilly shook her head in confusion, but he held up a gentle hand to silence her. Yakia wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders and lead him away from their conversation.

"When the moment of action arose, I chose the path of a coward." He sighed pitifully. "You did what a true queen would have. You helped those in need, whether they be your people or not. I could stand to learn a thing or two from you." A small smile quirked his lips, and a spark of humor brightened his face.

"You aren't angry with me?"

"I was." He admitted, and she looked down at her hands. "But I realized that I was treating you as a child when you're already a grown woman. You have a mind of your own, just like Jane."

"I always thought I got it from my mum." Chuckling, she saw the slight mist of tears gathering in his eyes.

"I hope I haven't tarnished our relationship beyond repair."

"Of course not." She quickly banished the thought with a vigorous shake of the head.

"Then I hope you will forgive me." He held out a hand, palm facing up towards the heat of the sun. Lilly took it without hesitation, and he pulled her into a tender hug. Chin resting atop her head, Elias closed his eyes to savor the feeling of his granddaughter in his arms. It was a long while before they pulled away. Lilly held on to his arms with her own as she took one step back and looked up at him. "I have no expectations for you, other than that you be willing to let me into your life in some capacity. However, if you wish it, the offer still stands for you to remain here. I can teach you all there is to know about our people and your powers. You may come and go as you please, of course." She bit her lip thoughtfully, brows furrowing. His voice was so eager and hopeful it made her heart lift in excitement.

Lilly thought of her friends in that moment. Penny and Quentin were still healing from the battle, and the others were all off on their own new adventures. It felt as if everyone had turned a new page except for her. She'd contemplated returning to Brakebills for the new semester, but the thought of being there without the others, without Alex and Alice, felt deeply wrong. Lilly needed a fresh start, a new purpose. Elias was her family, and so many secrets remained undiscovered when it came to her past and magic.

"I think I'd like that." Lilly grinned up at him through thick lashes. Her grief seemed to lighten slightly with the utterance of those words. She was moving forward, however slowly. One step was enough for now. That she could do. For Alex, for her mother, for all those lost along the way. So Lilly allowed Elias to guide her further into The Valley and whatever awaited her beyond.

Chapter Text

Lilly's skin buzzed with the familiar rush and thrum of magic. The change came swiftly now, as easily as slipping into a warm bath after a long day. It was as if her body wasn't learning something new but instead recalling some long-forgotten memory. Her blood sang in response to her call, ready to be wielded in whichever way she commanded. Magic before felt like a dull sword in comparison to the perfectly sharpened blade it was now.

Lilly's lashes fluttered open to find Elias grinning back at her. They sat in his sunlit cottage, a place that had quickly come to be a home to her. A hot cup of herbal tea sat between them, the steam interrupting their view with its thin white tendrils. Lilly bit her lip and waited expectantly for Elias to speak. The lines beside his green eyes crinkled, assuring her that what he had to say at least wouldn't be too bad, even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

He'd grown years older in the months since The Beast had been defeated. Blonde hair, once peppered with gray had now morphed entirely into silver strands. His skin had collected wrinkles faster than Lilly thought possible. Each day she saw a change in him. The magic Jane had used to keep him young was fading with every passing day now that she was gone. She couldn't help but think that soon he would be too.

"You're a natural. You even got the eyes right this time." He proudly held out the hand mirror, and Lilly hastily checked her handiwork. A second identical version of Elias reflected back at her.

"It took me six months to do it. I don't think that means I'm a natural." She scoffed, her voice deep and undeniably his.

"You changed through eye contact, Lilly." He met her gaze in earnest. "It can take years for Shifters to make a perfect shift using blood, decades even for optical shifts." Lilly picked at a loose thread of the armchair pensively. Signing, she shut her eyes once more. Elias's identity slipped away like water off her skin, and when she returned to her senses she was once again herself.

"I can't help but think that if I was stronger, then maybe I could've saved him." Her voice was her own, and the pain that laced every word was achingly familiar. She sat back in her chair, and Elias gave her a saddened look.

"I know what it's like to blame yourself for losing someone dear to you. My sister, Jane, Evelyn, you. I tore myself apart for so long, just thinking there was something I could've done differently. I know your pain, and I know that it's all too easy to let it consume you. Alex would want you to move on. Both of you." Lilly wiped at her eyes, though only a slight mist had formed. It was a conversation they'd had many times, but it never got any easier. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lilly stood, eyeing the ticking grandfather clock in the corner.

"I should get going," Lilly announced, cutting through the growing tension like a knife. Her fingers compulsively smoothed the wrinkles of her shirt. Elias eyed her knowingly but said nothing. "We have a lot to discuss today." She gave her grandfather an apologetic look and a chaste kiss on the cheek. He didn't try to stop her as she hurried out the door. The fresh air was a welcomed distraction from her troublesome emotions climbing their way up her throat. She made the short walk in a daze. It was second nature now, finding her way through the ancient trees and moss-covered homes of The Valley.

Sweat had begun to form on Ava's brow, her cloak long forgotten in the midday sun. Lilly stopped at the treeline, watching as she swung at the open air with trained grace. Ava leaped into the air to avoid the swing of a nonexistent opponent. Her blade glinted, shooting beams of light off in different directions. Her sword twirled around her head and sliced diagonally down, stopping short centimeters from the ground. A small projectile flew through the air and struck her in the arm. With a cry of pain, Ava lost her grip and dropped the sword with a thump.

"Damn it, Omari!" She yelled, immediately pinpointing the source with a vicious glare. Lilly let out a soft laugh, stepping into the clearing and easily spotting the little boy perched in the trees. He had taken to watching them practice, and he'd even managed to weasel his way into a few lessons.

"You're getting good." Lilly bent down to retrieve Ava's weapon from where it had fallen. It had some weight to it, but the balance was perfect, making it a superior weapon to many.

"If you don't watch your back, I'll be better than you." She handed it back by the hilt, and Ava tucked it away in its sheath with a smirk.

"It's sweet that you think that." Ava glared at her, though it was good-natured. She pulled the waterskin up from its place next to her cloak and took a much-needed swig. The liquid had warmed from sitting in the blazing sun.

It had been six months since the battle, six months without Alex, and six months of nonstop training. Lilly and Ava had settled into a new normal within The Valley. It seemed they had similar ways of coping with their loss. They'd thrown themselves into action. For Lilly, this meant focusing all her attention on assuming her duties as heir. Elias had been teaching her everything there was to know about Shifting, and for once, she no longer felt lost when it came to her identity. She knew where she came from, and she was moving towards a new goal. Ava had taken to swordplay, and she'd grown to be quite the warrior.

Yet still, each night, Lilly's sleep was plagued with memories of that day. Screams rang through darkness, blood-stained grass, and Martin's satisfied smirk forever remained behind her eyes. Ava suffered just the same, and on the worst of these nights, they would seek comfort in each other, clashing swords in a moonlit field. It was easier to fight than it was to voice the demons clawing to get out. But they didn't need to. They knew what each other saw in their nightmares because they were one and the same.

Lilly glanced to the edge of the clearing with a fond smile. Her eyes landed on the man sat with a book in his lap. Penny scanned the pages of a massive leather-bound spellbook with a look of consternation on his face. In the months since he'd had his hands fully healed by The White Woman, the sight of Penny with his head in a book became commonplace. While his hands were once again his to command, magic was lost to him. His Traveling abilities remained intact, but he was incapable of even the most minuscule spell.

Lilly leaned over his shoulder, her braided hair tickling his cheek. He looked up at her with a smile, though his eyes were strained. He hadn't taken well to his handicap. Lilly couldn't blame him, they'd all become reliant on magic. It was a part of them, just like the blood in their veins. He'd nearly exhausted both The Valley's and Castle Whitespire's wealth of knowledge, and Lilly could feel him growing hopeless.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked, and he shut the book with a heavy thump.

"Yeah," he gripped her hands and allowed her to heave him up to standing. "I'll drop you off, but I have a date with Mayakovsky, and you know how he gets when I'm late."

"You don't have to put up with that, you know." She sent him a meaningful look. Penny sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Let's not get into it now." Lilly let out a forlorn sigh. His insistence upon regaining his ability to cast was straining him, and as a result, Lilly too. It pained her that he felt inadequate, despite her constant assurance that he was no less valuable. She looked over her shoulder to Ava, who lay sprawled on her back in the middle of the field.

"Ava," her head rolled to the side to look at Lilly. "Could you stop at the market and grab some ingredients for dinner tonight? I might not be back till late."

"Yes, your highness." Ava flourished an arm exaggeratedly. "Have fun at your tea party." Lilly didn't bother responding. Penny tucked the book he'd been reading into his bag and held out a hand.

"I just need to change into something more presentable," she announced, looking down at her plain pants and top. "Queen Margo has a dress code."

A sky-blue waterfall of chiffon brushed across the marble floor like fluttering wings. It swept along behind her as she paced restlessly back and forth. Margo and Eliot lounged across the seats of the massive oak meeting table, nursing full goblets of wine. The throne room was empty, save for the three of them and a few guards posted at each entrance. While they'd met each week since The Beast was defeated, it seemed that they were no closer to solving any of the issues plaguing Fillory.

"Another one of my people went missing this week. Darrow was supposed to send a bunny letting me know he was okay, but it never came." Lilly knotted her fists in the fabric of her skirts, wringing and releasing anxiously. "I thought since The Beast was gone, it would be safe enough to let a few people leave The Valley."

"And you think they're what, being picked off?" Margo leaned her elbows on the table and followed Lilly's fidgeting movements.

"I don't know." Lilly stopped to grip the back of a dining chair as her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Fillorian's are notoriously superstitious. Shifters are the monsters in countless children's fables. If he showed signs of being one, they may have done something to him thinking they were protecting their families." Elliot took a sip from his goblet and raised a brow.

"You don't actually think they'd do that, do you?"

"Salem killed twenty people because a couple of little girls said they were possessed by the devil." Lilly shrugged in defeat. She didn't like the thought any more than they did. "Fear is a dangerous thing."

"Not sure how well they'll respond to palace guards poking their noses in their business, but I'll send a few to ask around anyways." Elliot offered, and Lilly sent him a thankful nod.

"The barrier still seems to be unaffected by the brownouts, but I worry if the situation with the Wellspring worsens, we'll be exposed." The possibility had been at the forefront of her mind. Any time magic flickered out like a candle, her attention would turn to the wall of protection that stood unwavering between The Valley and the rest of Fillory. "We have highly skilled warriors, but the majority of us are civilians. I don't know if we can withstand an angry mob of Fillorians if they come knocking." Lilly remained the only one capable of opening the barrier, through some mysterious gift inherited from Jane, or something else, Lilly had no idea.

"There's got to be a reason why the barrier is holding. If we could ally with your people, then maybe we can figure out an alternative to The Wellspring's magic." Margo spoke with purpose, her crown glinting as she shifted in her seat.

"We can't make a political alliance until there's written protection for The Shifters. We've been over this." Lilly shook her head determinedly.

"I know what you said, Lil, but we're currently being ass fucked by Loria and I really need a nuclear deterrent. If not, they're gonna Red Wedding me, Eliot, and probably Fen and our unborn niece or nephew within the week." Margo gestured forcefully between herself and Lilly at the end. Fen was indeed growing by the day and the safety of hers and Eliot's baby was of the utmost importance. A child in the midst of a war was a very unsavory thought.

"If it comes to it, Fen is always welcome in The Valley. But my people are not going to be a nuclear deterrent for a war they have no part in, Margo." She crossed her arms, careful to avoid the pointed edge of her golden ambassador's pin.

"Well, I need something! They already managed to castle-nap Whitespire and a secret army of Shifters would be pretty fucking convenient right about now." The incident with Prince Ess of Loria had thankfully happened without Lilly needing to intervene, though she'd heard the entire story from Penny and later a more dramatized version from Margo and Eliot.

"It's not my fault you waged war on them before knowing if you could even win." Lilly shot back with a pointed look.

"Ugh," Elliot groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I'm gonna need something stronger than wine if we're going down this road again." He waved a finger and summoned a servant to supply him with whatever drink he desired.

"Okay, look. If we're going to fix anything around here, first we need to solve the issue of your finances." With a frustrated sigh, Lilly pulled out a chair and settled into it. Her skirts billowed around her, and she looked every bit the queen.

"Our gold shitting Beatles have come up constipated, so it's not looking too good." Margo drawled, leaning back in defeat.

"I might have a solution to that." Lilly whirled at the familiar voice.

"There's our little king."

"Quentin, you're back." Lilly stared at him as he hovered uncertainty in the doorway. Lilly hadn't seen him since he'd borrowed her bow to hunt The White Woman. Penny had returned to her with his hands intact, but Quentin was nowhere to be found. She'd tried countless times to contact him, but he seemed to have disappeared. Lilly wanted nothing more than to run and wrap her arms around him. The circumstances of their separation gave her pause. "How are you?" He shifted between his feet, never truly meeting her gaze. Much had changed since the battle of The Beast.

"I'm...managing." The dark circles under his eyes said otherwise. Clothes wrinkled and hair unkempt, it was hard to believe he was doing anything short of suffering since the loss of Alice. Lilly couldn't help but feel wounded by his distance. The others had seen him in passing, whether at Brakebills or in Fillory, but it seemed that he was hell-bent on avoiding Lilly. Quentin's gaze shifted between his friends and the archway he'd come through as if weighing his chance at escaping. In the end, he scurried into the throne room, eyes cast downward until he reached the table and took a seat beside Eliot. Leaning her arms across the table, Lilly observed him.

"Ember shitting in The Wellspring really screwed us in a cornucopia of ways."

"So, praytell, little Q, what's your solution? And don't say Alchemy. We've already talked to Dani, and apparently, anyone claiming they can turn lead into gold is a lying cheating Illusionist. No offense, Thumper." Eliot looked to Lilly, who rolled her eyes at the insult. Quentin paused, seeming to ponder something. He stared at the empty space beside Lilly with furrowed brows. She looked beside her, wondering what he was looking at. Before she could ask he blurted out the most absurd question he could've asked.

"How would you guys feel about robbing a bank?" Dumbstruck faces stared back at him. Slowly, Margo and Eliot's lips curled in matching troublesome smirks. Quentin's eyes shifted from each of them to flick nervously at the spot of empty air beside Lilly.

"A bank heist, wow." Margo raised a brow in interest.

"I think the time we've invested in him may actually pay off." Eliot reached across the table to grip Margo's hand like two proud parents. Lilly shook her head at their antics and huffed.

"I should probably be the voice of reason here, but we're so desperate I don't have it in me to care." She scoffed humorously.

"Okay, first, there's something I have to tell you." Quentin shifted in his seat, wringing his hands together in a familiar gesture.

"It can't be more shocking than you telling us you want to rob a bank." Lilly raised a brow, wondering what he could possibly have to say that would have him in such a state of unease. Quentin took a steadying breath and grimaced.

"You're not gonna like it."

Chapter Text

Lilly scowled through the outstretched tray of martinis. The unfortunate target of her wrath being Julia Wicker. It was a wonder how the ice in her gaze hadn't frosted the glass. Lilly begrudgingly plucked a drink from the tray, still less than keen on the idea of helping the woman who'd quite literally left them to die. She sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor of the Physical cottage, her back pressed against Penny's legs as he sat on the settee.

"To our little thievery corporation." Eliot lifted his glass towards the sky. Lilly didn't join in his merriment.

"PS, we still hate you," Margo gave Julia a pointed look. "But it's the 21st century. Shouldn't be this hard for a girl to get an evil demigod abortion."

"And we're emotionally advanced. We can hold resentment and sympathy for a person at the same time." Eliot took a sip of his martini and fiddled with the lemon rind that garnished the rim.

"And Fillory's broke. We need gold. So lucky you."

"Thank you." Julia sent them a grateful smile. Lilly felt at war with herself as she gazed at the broken woman across from her. Julia didn't deserve what happened to her. No one did. Yet, it was because of her that Lilly nearly lost her friends. Penny lost his hands because she chose revenge over their lives.

"Just to be clear, I'm doing this as a favor to my friends. If you do anything to jeopardize their safety again, I'll kill you myself." Lilly narrowed her chocolate brown eyes even further. She'd help, but she wouldn't let her guard down this time.

"Okay, so on that note, uh, if this heist is happening, any ideas as to how?" Quentin cleared his throat in an attempt to soften the mood. He sank into an armchair, and the others followed suit, setting into their chosen spots.

"Well, we cased the bank. There was a pretty gnarly ward around the vault." Kady addressed her peers from the arm of the settee.

"Who here's actually robbed a bank?" Margo piped up, her signature smirk quirking her features in a way that promised trouble. Trouble came in the form of her hand raising high. Everyone's eyes went wide.

"When was this?" Eliot cocked an impressed eyebrow.

"Senior year of high school. I had some issues," Margo declared proudly.

"Remind me never to underestimate you." Lilly shook her head in disbelief.

"Sweetie, you wouldn't dare." Margo grinned at her former protege and turned to address the rest of the circle. "Who's up for a little field trip?" Margo forced them to stand in a flurry of movement and frantic hand waving. Lilly just managed to gulp down her martini before Margo ripped it from her grasp and pushed her and everyone else through a hastily conjured portal.

The wretched stench of piss and trash hit her before she even registered her surroundings. Honking horns and squeaking bus breaks filled the city street. They'd emerged into a side alley beside an overflowing restaurant dumpster and some overly comfortable feasting rats. Lilly was unfortunately used to this, having lived in New York almost her entire life. The dark recesses of the city were nothing to be desired. Lilly peered around Eliot's towering frame to examine the main street. A sign for Hamilton National Bank caught her eye. This was to be their victim.

"Okay, listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna go through this shit once. Any bank worth robbing uses one of a handful of security systems. All the usual bells and whistles." Margo took center stage as the others closed in behind her. Their attention trained on the bank and its steady stream of customers. "But what most idiots don't know is, those companies are all owned by Magicians."

"Wait, so the people that work there--"

"Clueless. Tellers, managers, security guards. They're all Muggles. They have no idea the vault has a secret feature."

"Serious wards." Kady supplied with a nod. None of them were surprised at all that she knew the answer.

"Designed specifically to keep out Magicians," Margo confirmed with a devious smile. "Now, in the case of our target, their fingerprints control the alarm systems. It takes two managers scanning their prints simultaneously to do this." As if on cue, a trio of suits exited the building. "Librarian, Neck Beard, and White Privilege. They're the managers. We need two of their prints. The good news is, they all go to the same lame bar after work. Take your pick, ladies." Margo nodded between Lilly and Kady. Kady gave her a withering glance, scrunching up her nose at the less than appealing options. Lilly, on the other hand, was already examining her targets with calculating eyes. "Oh, nut up. It's just a finger. Walk up to him, grab his hand, and say, 'Can I borrow this?' Dip his stupid finger in his drink to sanitize it, and pop it in your mouth, walk away, yet stay emblazoned on his heart for a lifetime. Done and done."

"Fine," Kady grumbled, crossing her arms in indignation.

"As for you, Lilly, just do your thing." The nicknames Margo had given the managers were undeniably accurate. The blonde, middle-aged woman, in an excruciatingly practical pantsuit was clearly 'Librarian'. 'NeckBeard' was self-explanatory. Last, but not least, there remained 'White Privilege'. He was most likely in his early thirties, his blonde hair styled to perfection.

"Why's it gotta be Kady? It could be Penny or Eliot." Quentin looked pointedly at the rest of the group.

"Or you," Margo pursed her lips.

"Yeah, sounded like volunteering," Penny smirked, his arms folded across his chest.

"Okay, fine, I'll take the librarian." Quentin sighed, a frown pulling at his lips.

"Great. Quentin will go in my place. Thanks, Q." Kady patted him lightly on the back with a laugh.

"Leave White Privilege to me. He's got no wedding band. Something tells me he wouldn't mind me loosening that tie for him." Lilly smiled, knowing that she'd no doubt get what she wanted within moments. Margo grinned.

"They grow up so fast." She wiped two imaginary tears from each eye, before launching into her explanation once more. "Once both the alarms and the wards go down, you've got ten minutes to get downstairs, past the armed guards, and enter the correct ten-digit combo. If you screw up the combination or you take longer than ten minutes, you're fucked. Now, basic bitches trip all the standard alarm systems, but Magicians? We also trip the magic wards, which means battle Magicians. Full-time security employees on the DL, with benefits. You see one, run. They only ask questions post-mortem. But our ace is you, Penny. Once we nab prints and drop the wards, you travel straight in."

"You really don't think a bank vault, of all places, has anti-traveler protection?" He raised both his eyebrows condescendingly.

"Oh, they do. The entire floor of the vault is one big anti-traveling sigil. You get locked in till you run out of air." Margo shrugged as if it were a small sacrifice.

"Yeah, pass. I like air." Penny declared with an infinitely baffled expression.

"Relax, dummy. You only get stuck if you hit the floor." Margo scoffed, rolling her eyes at his lack of faith.

"Oh, so it's like "Mission: Impossible," Quentin spoke up, adding his signature pop culture reference to the equation.

"That movie was stupidly unrealistic. It's so much easier to just levitate."

"Yeah, I don't know-how, and in case you guys have all forgotten, I can't do magic." Penny held out his hands as a reminder of his handicap.

"Oh, that's fine. This is gonna get done to you. It's a little thingy any Physical Kid can make in their sleep." Eliot looked very proud of that bit of information. Anything to show superiority over the other disciplines.

"Gravity belt, exactly. Once we drop the wards, float Penny, he zips in, he zips out payday." Margo's hands flourished about to deliver her point. An animalistic screech sounded from the recesses of the alley. They all whirled and Kady shoved past them towards the sound, assuming a defensive stance.

"Julia, run!" Kady yelled, watching intently as a flurry of trash was thrown into the air of its own accord. Bins and discarded trash bags were jostled and thrown forcefully into the bordering brick walls. No one moved, too shocked by what they were seeing to do anything other than stare. "It's there, you just don't see it. Go!"

"I thought it was dead," Julia spoke, never tearing her eyes from the whirlwind of destruction headed straight for them.

"I guess it's got friends." Whatever the creature was, it was closing the distance fast. Julia finally came to her senses, turning and bolting towards a nearby subway entrance. The rest of their group hurried after her, save for Kady. She stayed her ground, clenching her jaw in determination. Penny hesitated, grabbing at the witch's arm in an attempt to pull her along.

"Kady, come on!" Lilly turned, following Eliot towards where the others were making their quick escape. "Kady!" She was just about to take the stairs two at a time when she heard Penny's voice, still at the mouth of the alley and not anywhere close to escaping.

"No, you go. I'll catch up." Kady yanked her arm from his grasp as Lilly watched from the subway entrance. Her fingers were white where she clutched the railing. "Kady!" Penny still stayed beside the hedge despite her assurances.

"Penny!" Lilly screeched. The invisible creature was getting too close for comfort. Yet there he was, by the side of a woman who wanted nothing to do with him. "What the hell are you doing?" His head snapped in her direction with wide eyes, then back to Kady. He reached out for the dark-haired woman again.

"Kady!" His voice was frantic. He wasn't about to leave her. She cut off his next attempt.

"No! I need to kill it. I'll be fine."

"Why?"

"Penny!" Lilly cried. Their friends had disappeared from her sight and made it to safety. They'd probably already hopped through a portal to Brakebills. Penny glanced her way but still didn't budge.

"I need its spoon," Kady told him, just as she sprung herself towards the monster.

"Spoon?" He called after her, startled into pursuit. Lilly took one last longing glance towards the safety of the subway before chasing after them.

After helping Penny and Kady get the bloodied spoon from whatever invisible monster had been tracking Julia, Lilly managed to open her own portal home. Though she'd tried her best to discourage Penny from going, he'd chosen to accompany Kady as she tracked down whoever sent it. Lilly deposited herself outside the Illusionist castle and sent a quick text in their little group chat to let everyone know she'd made it back safely. Thankfully none of the other Illusionists bat an eye at her as she made her way to her tower. She wasn't sure she could handle a conversation about what had happened over the past year.

As she ascended the main staircase, she felt a familiar twist in her chest. She hadn't been back here since Alex was killed, and the memory of such events was still as sharp as the day it happened. A few of the doors were open as she passed, exposing each individuals living quarters to the rest of the castle. It wasn't unusual, as many students preferred the open environment and the socialization that came with it. Alex had been one of them, and as she approached room number 37, she saw the door ajar, as if her best friend was still inside, waiting for her to flop onto his bed and vent about her day. She yearned for his radiant smile and infectious laugh. She craved his wise words and ever-present shoulder to lean on. When she reached his open door her heart sank even further.

Gone were the photos of his family plastered across the corkboard and the messy desk only he knew the order of. Closed were the blinds, which had always been open in welcome to the endless sunshine and sea breeze. His furniture was replaced by that of a stranger. All the warmth and familiarity was gone, and Alex had been scrubbed from existence here as well.

"Can I help you?" An unfamiliar voice sounded from behind her. Lilly jerked in surprise, turning to see a young man with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was only a few inches taller than her, but due to his proximity, she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze. For a moment she just stared at him. He looked so innocent, burdenless. He had no idea that he'd taken something so dear to her and eradicated it. Lilly forced the lump in her throat down, shaking her head minutely and plastering a shaky smile onto her face.

"No." Her voice didn't betray a thing. It never did. "I was just passing by." She didn't give him the chance to speak again. She whirled and hurried up the staircase to her room. The moment she shut the door to her room she was frantically wiping at her eyes, though no tears had fallen. One, two, three, shaking breaths later, she was taking inventory of her duties that night. She wouldn't allow herself to fall down the rabbit hole of grief, not again.

While the others would be spending their night building a gravity belt and ironing out the kinks in their almost flawless plan, she and Quentin would be returning to the city. They'd chosen their targets and knew their timeline. She only had an hour to get ready before meeting Quentin and beginning their mission. Over the next half hour, Lilly went through the motions of preparation quickly and concisely. Shower, hair, makeup, and finally clothes.

Wearing only her undergarments, she rifled through the dresser drawers, trying to find the perfect combination to get the job done. She needed something sexy, but not too provocative. She had a hunch that 'White Privilege' liked a classier look.

"Hey," Lilly jumped, slamming her head into the edge of the dresser.

"Shit!" She clutched the spot she'd hit and carefully straightened to her full height. She knew his voice well enough to know it was him. "Penny! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"

"Apparently a few more." He chuckled softly. The crinkles beside his eyes portrayed no remorse. She glared at him, though it soon dissolved as he approached, leaving a tender kiss on her injured head, "sorry."

"It's okay," she sighed, turning back to sift through her clothes. "How'd the spoon hunting go?"

"Well, they won't call it off unless they pay." He explained as he settled down onto the arm of her couch.

"Lucky for her, we'll be rich tomorrow." Lilly pulled a dress from the mess of clothes, laying it across the bed to undo the zipper. She stepped into it in one fluid motion and presented herself to Penny with a silent request. He zipped it up to the top and watched her inspect the ensemble in the mirror.

It was all black and fell to just above the knee, hugging every curve perfectly. The bottom edge was trimmed with lace, balanced out by a pop of the same scalloped material lining the low neckline. The spaghetti straps showed off her prominent collar bone in a sensual but sophisticated touch.

"How do I look?" Lilly did a little twirl, assessing his reaction.

"Hot," he looked her up and down appreciatively. "He'd be crazy not to fall for you."

"That's just what I needed to hear." She slid her feet into the strappy heels she'd selected and fastened them securely. "I guess I'll see you later." Penny nodded, his eyes tracking her movements as she snatched her bag from the bed and slung it over her exposed shoulder. She stepped towards the door, her hand pausing on the knob. Her body hesitated, though her mind pushed it to keep moving. "I just have a question." Lilly turned to face him, her brows knitting together. "Why did you stay?"

"What?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"I mean," Lilly's feet carried her towards him, now fully committed to the conversation. "Kady, she can take care of herself. Yet, you still refused to leave her earlier. There was a monster coming straight at you, and you still stayed. I know you guys have history, and I know you didn't get closure, but you still haven't told me the full story of what happened between you. I just need to know if you still have any feelings for her. Because, If you do, this is only gonna end in heartbreak. I'd rather rip the bandaid off than drag out the inevitable."

Her words came out in a rush, and once she'd finished, they stood in contemplative silence. Penny leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. Lilly analyzed his movements anxiously. Her heart pounded in her ears, and the longer the silence was prolonged, the surer she was that she'd be sick. Why had she chosen that moment to broach the subject? She regretted the decision the second she'd finished. Penny looked up at her for a moment, and she internally squirmed. He stood, and every step he took felt to Lilly like one more nail in her coffin.

"You're right. Kady and I do have history," her heart sank, "but It's just that." Penny leveled his gaze with hers, "I told her I loved her the night of the third trial. I told her my deepest truth, and in return, I learned hers. She was only using me to steal shit from Brakebills. She didn't care about me. It was all a lie."

"You don't have to--"

"No- I want to." Penny cut her off, stepping towards her once more, now only inches away. "For a while, I didn't even care that she'd used me. I still loved her. But over time, that faded, and I was able to see how toxic that relationship was. Most of that was thanks to you." Lilly reached across the distance to intertwine their fingers. "Kady and I were close, and despite how things ended, I don't want anything to happen to her. She had a rough life, and she's never had someone to look out for her. I don't have feelings for her, but I won't abandon her. Besides, I kinda have this thing for another girl." Penny grinned down at her and reached out to caress her cheek.

"You're a good guy. You know that?" Lilly leaned into his touch. Her muscles relaxed, her nerves placated.

"Ugh, don't remind me." He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.

"It'll be our little secret." Lilly chucked, reaching up to pull his face to hers. Their lips met, slow and sweet. She allowed herself to live in the moment, shutting out the worries and doubts she had. It was a while before they pulled away. Neither one's desire satiated. "I really don't want to ruin this moment, but I kinda have to go seduce another guy."

Chapter Text

The following twelve hours were nerve-wracking, to say the least. Their plan hinged on so many variables that Lilly found her stomach turning at the mere thought of Penny being the one who'd suffer the most if this all went topsy-turvy. First, there were the bees. Eliot had a friend in New Jersey who raised them. She didn't want to ask how they knew each other, nor did he share the details. So, that morning Elliot and Margo had gone to pick up a truck full of highly bothered bees and when the time came, released them upon a bank of unsuspecting civilians.

It was then that Lilly, Kady, Quentin, and Eliot suited up as beekeepers and arrived just in time to manage the bizarre infestation. While the entirety of the bank's employees and security waited outside, they rounded up the insects with a spell and got to work. The moment Kady and Lilly pressed their borrowed fingerprints to the scanner, the ten-minute countdown began. Penny would have precisely that before the wards and alarms activated again.

Lilly bit her lip as she glanced at her watch for the thousandth time since the countdown commenced. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kady pace feverishly back and forth while Eliot leaned against the open van doors and Quentin chewed at his stubbed nails nervously. A bundle of nerves reared up inside her chest as she glanced around the narrow alleyway. One minute left, and still no sign of him.

"Penny's only got one minute. Where the hell is he?" Quentin's tone strained, and this only made Lilly's anxiety worse.

"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?" Eliot sighed in relief, and Lilly whirled to face him. She'd expected to find Penny with a bag full of gold, but still, they were the only ones in the alley. "So, where's the booty?" Eliot looked up and down as if assessing a particularly risque outfit.

"Eliot, who are you talking to?" Quentin looked between Eliot and the others, who shared his look of bewilderment.

"That is overly complicated." Eliot shook his head at something only he could hear. "Oh, that is not good." His eyes widened, and Lilly's heart leaped in her chest.

"El, what's happening?" Kady came to stand beside Lilly.

"Is Penny okay?" Lilly searched his expression for any indication of what he'd heard.

"How do I put this?" Eliot cringed, "Penny fucked up."

"What do you mean? Is he alright?" She and Kady shared frantic glances, and Kady ran a restless hand down her face.

"Penny's incepting my-- never mind. Just trust me, we need to get him out of that vault now." a shrill chorus of beeping filled the alleyway. Lilly gulped as she saw the row of zero's flashing ominously at her wrist. "Or, say some time in the previous ten minutes."

"Fuck."

"Shit." Lilly and Kady hissed in unison. "Let's go!" Kady gestured, the fear in her eyes overwhelming. Lilly's breathing hitched as a lump began to form in her throat.

"Well, way to mix the message." Elliot groaned in response to something Penny had said and went to tap on the driver's side door. He leaned in to speak with Margo, who sat restlessly waiting. "Margo, keep the engine running. I'll inform the bank manager that the bees are resisting extermination and everyone needs to stay clear a little longer." She nodded dutifully, and Eliot faced the other three. "Let's go, kids, we're going back in." They rushed to suit up in their beekeeping uniforms, painstakingly aware that every moment that passed, Penny was losing air. Lilly shifted back into the body of the executive and she and Kady pressed their thumbs to the pad together. Breaking into a jog, they made their way down the corridors towards the vault. Quentin was in the lead and, had he not shot out an arm to stop her, Lilly might've sprinted right around the corner without a thought.

"Oh, shit." Quentin peered around the wall to get a better look at the office area.

"What?" Lilly fidgeted. If he held her up much longer, she might plow past him and deal with whatever awaited her through brute force alone.

"Guards," Quentin hissed. Two people leaned casually against an empty desk, speaking in hushed voices. He could tell by their body language that they were more than friends. Guns and tasers were holstered at their sides. They were distracted enough that if he shot off a spell, he might be able to take them out.

"I thought they evacuated."

"Here, maybe I can talk our way in." Lilly went to shift again, but Eliot put a hand on her arm.

"How do you think that will end when his partner isn't with him? I got this. I brought the perfect weapon." He smirked, and the familiar glint of mischief appeared in his eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. It took two thumbprints to get past the security. If White Privilege showed up alone, it would raise major questions that she didn't have the answers to. Eliot reached into his jacket pocket, and something shimmered in the low light of the hallway.

"You did not bring that thing with you." Lilly gawked at the miniature disco ball in his hand. The device was created by Eliot in an attempt to get people to dance at his little cottage soirees. Unfortunately for everyone in attendance, he hadn't thoroughly tested it, and the night ended with them quite literally dancing until they dropped. Lilly would never let him live that one down.

"The Wrecking Ball is a weapon of peace." He clutched it to his chest like she'd just kicked his puppy. "Trust me. I'm a genius." He reached into his pocket again and handed them each a set of earplugs. While they put them in, Eliot stepped up to the corner and knelt. The ball roll across the floor with a low rumble. They pressed their backs against the wall and waited. A blast of light and sound erupted around them, and the office turned into a nightclub. The beat reverberated through every surface, and Lilly felt the vibration to her core. Eliot looked around the corner to see his handy work. Both guards were in full party mode, dancing wildly together. Lifting his hands, Eliot guided the disco ball out of the room, and suddenly they were in silence again. Lilly pulled out her earplugs and hurried towards the vault as fast as she could.

"A thank you would be nice." Eliot scoffed, and Quentin placed a hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him. Lilly was singularly focused on saving Penny. Her hope for success was severely dampened as they arrived before the massive bank vault door. One look and they knew they were in trouble. It was covered in the most complex set of wards any of them had ever seen.

"Shit. There's no way we can pick this lock." Lilly ran a hand down her face as her heart began to race and her breath quickened.

"Penny! We're going to get you out!" Lilly yelled, the lack of response made her more anxious than before.

"Maybe we can brute-force it." Kady dropped into a fighting stance, readying to blast the door with her strongest battle magic.

"Hold on. I think this door is too thick, even for you." Eliot placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Lilly made a window with her fingers and studied the wards with a keen eye.

"Okay, just so we're all on the same page, we've got less than four minutes." Quentin's words were rushed as he glanced at his watch and then the wards.

"I don't even think Alice could do this in under four minutes."

"This would take at least half an hour if we're lucky." Lilly's brows knit together, and she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. "I don't know what to do. Oh, God." She ran a hand through her hair and began to pace as she pondered every possible way to crack it. None of her training could help her with this. Shifter magic could do a lot of things, but there was no way to work around this. The only solution she could see was to solve it head-on. She couldn't cheat her way through these wards.

"Okay, okay. Maybe we break this up. We split up the work."

"I don't even know where to start."

"Well, we can't just stand here! He's dying!" Lilly's vision blurred, and her breathing was coming in sharp gasps. She felt an intense weight settling on her chest as the panic truly set in. It seeped through her skin and poisoned her mind. Eliot hurried to her side and cupped her cheeks with his hands, so she was forced to look at him.

"Thumper, look at me. Just breathe. We'll save him, but you need to calm down. Breathe with me." He counted down from ten, making sure she took deep, even breaths, all the while tears spilled down her cheeks, wetting his hands still pressed against her skin.

"Are you talking to yourself?" Kady looked to where Quentin had stepped away from them. He'd begun to mumble with his back facing them.

"No. Yes. Uh... Yes. I'm just... I'm doing long division in my head." He whirled and strode past Lilly and Eliot to stand before the vault and its keypad. "Move. Move." He shooed Kady to the side and set his shoulders. His hands moved without hesitation, folding and sliding as he solved the impossible puzzle of the wards. Lilly took a shaky breath and broke eye contact with Eliot to stare slack-jawed at Quentin.

"How are you doing that?" She sniffed. Those wards were far more complicated than she thought possible, and here he was, solving it in less than a minute. It shouldn't have been possible. The keypad lit up as each number was entered until a buzzing sounded, and the lock flashed green. Quentin turned to find everyone staring.

"I've always been good at math." He shrugged, avoiding direct eye contact with any of them. Lilly pushed past him to haul open the door with Kady's help. With a great hiss, the air seal broke. Penny knelt on the ground, slumped and pale. Lilly sprinted toward him, throwing herself to her knees and wrapping her arms around his neck. He gasped as air returned to his lungs.

"Are you alright? I thought-"

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He pulled back far enough to wipe the shimmering tears from her cheeks and place a tender kiss on her lips. With Lilly and Kady lifting each of his arms, Penny shakily stood.

"All right. Princess rescued. Let's collect our reward and go." Eliot Grabbed a bar of gold from the stack in the center of the vault and gestured for them to hurry out the door. Quentin hefted up Penny's satchel full of gold bars and slung it over his shoulder just as a shrill beeping began. All eyes turned to his watch. They were out of time. Quentin whirled in a panic and ran to the door.

"Q, stop!" Kady shouted, but it was too late. Red light filled the vault, and an alarm sounded in a bone-chilling rhythm.

"Oh! Shit! Oh, no." Quentin walked backward, shaking his head frantically. Everyone froze. This was not good. Suddenly, the alarm halted, and the light returned to its usual white fluorescence.

"Let's go!" Penny shouted, and it seemed to shock everyone into action. In a flurry of movement, they sprinted out of the vault and into the hallway. But just as they reached the main room where the two guards had stood post, they were confronted by a menacing battle Magician standing between them and their exit. In her hand was an electrical nightstick that could surely kill someone with one blow.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Quentin shouted and began shoving everyone back the way they came. The battle magician lifted her weapon to strike. "Go back! Go back! Go back!" They narrowly avoided the rope of electrical energy that shot out like a whip. Quentin and Eliot pulled the vault shut behind them with a cry of effort.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Lilly cried, staring at the vault door where a battle Magician patiently waited for them to either run or suffocate within the vault.

"Kady, I think you should take the lead on this," Eliot suggested, eyeing her cautiously.

"Well, why should I go out there first?" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"You're the battle Magician." He countered in a tone that was nearly an impotent whine.

"What about another Wrecking Ball?" Quentin pointed to Eliot's pockets hopefully.

"It was a one-off." He sighed. A familiar beeping sounded from outside the door, and soon the buzz on a vault unlocking filled the chamber.

"Oh, shit." Quentin and Eliot stepped back as the door swung open and there she stood.

"You're the... the battle Magician." Lilly shook her head and blinked rapidly at the spot where their enemy had stood. The vault door was once again tightly shut. Quentin and Eliot stood on either side as if nothing had happened.

"Wait, did we just..." Quentin looked as bewildered as everyone else. Kady's eyes lit up as she connected the dots. She gripped a tiny golden necklace between her thumb and forefinger with a grin.

"Go back in time? Yeah." She lifted the necklace to her mouth like a secret service agent might with their coms. "Julia?" She called. Lilly hadn't paid much attention to the matching jewelry set she and Julia wore. Each necklace was half of a heart, the words, Best Bitches, engraved into the face. It seems they'd created a communication channel linking them together.

"Julia's outside. She's watching with a machine that can rewind time." Kady explained, proceeding to have a conversation with Julia.

"Never thought I'd say this but thank god for Julia." Lilly shook her head in disbelief. If Julia had changed, this was a good step towards proving it. The world shifted, and the room was again reset.

"We only have four rewinds. Let's go!" Kady shouted, and Quentin ripped open the vault for them to dash out. A blast of blue electricity flew through the air. Then they were back where they started, with Eliot halfway through a sentence. Three rewinds left.

"She can only go back fifteen seconds. Let's go!"

Two rewinds left.

"Penny!"

One rewind left.

"Okay, we need a plan," Quentin said, just as they reappeared within the vault.

"Okay, I'll blast the bitch. You all run left. She's always on the right." Kady instructed, looking to all of them to confirm. Lilly nodded in agreement and took a few steps towards the door.

"Is she? Cause last time, I thought she was more in the middle." Quentin sputtered, his nerves beginning to overtake him.

"Fifteen seconds!" Penny shouted.

"Kady and I will take her out. You guys need to run. Wherever she is, just run around her. She'll be too focused on us to catch you."

"Wait, hold on--" Penny tried to argue, but then the keypad was beeping, and the buzz of the door brought them back to the task at hand. Kady and Lilly shared a look of understanding, and as the vault swung open for the last time, they rushed out to face their opponent. But where the Magician had been the previous four loops was empty air. A familiar electric buzzing sounded.

"Quentin!" Eliot shouted, and Lilly turned just in time to see him shove Q out of the way and take the electric whip across his chest. Blood sprayed from a sickeningly deep slice and splattered across the stark white walls. Lilly shot forward, bringing her arm up to stop the Battle Magician's next swing. With a harsh twist, the woman's arm cracked, and Lilly was able to grab her weapon, just as Kady threw a magnificent punch across the Magician's jaw. The woman crumpled to the ground in a heap, arm bent at a sickening angle.

"Nice one." Lilly gave Kady a look of approval.

"Right back at you."

"Eliot!" Quentin collapsed beside him and tried to press down on his gushing wound. Lilly hurried towards them, but she could tell by the growing pool of blood that it was already too late for Eliot's Gollum.

"Q, it's alright, it's just a Gollum. Eliot is safe in Fillory." Quentin couldn't tear his gaze from Eliot's lifeless face.

"But-" He stuttered, shivers overtaking him, "but-"

"Q," Penny hauled him up by his arm and began to drag him after Kady, who'd already disappeared down the hall. "We need to go, right now. Eliot's fine. It's clay."

"Hey! Stop!" All three of them whirled to face the new voice close behind them. Lilly threw up a shield, just as a ball of purple energy launched towards them. It crashed against her magic and spider-webbed out until Lilly could see her opponent. "Lilly?" Her heart sputtered inside her chest as their attacker lowered his hands in shock.

"Thomas?" She breathed, staring slack-jawed at Alex's older brother. His eyes were wide as he took in the scene before him. Penny and Quentin standing behind her warily, eyes darting between him and Lilly. Her gaze pleaded with him as their silence stretched on. Thomas looked to his right, to the security alarm he could reach out and pull so easily. Then he brought his attention to her and the overwhelming dread painted across her face.

"Go," he whispered, torn between his duty and his loyalty to her. Penny and Quentin didn't hesitate, but Lilly gave him one eternally grateful look and ran after them. Quentin numbly allowed himself to be dragged back through the bank and out the door before he finally regained some autonomy and followed of his own accord. Lilly half expected him to sprint back inside for Eliot's Gollum.

"Julia!" They broke into a race as they heard Kady scream from the alleyway. They found her bent over Julia's body, shaking her gently as her head lolled to the side. "Jules. Julia? Talk to me."

"What happened?" Quentin rushed to her other side. His shock dissolved at the sight of his friend in trouble. Lilly spotted Margo passed out against the dumpster, her head dripping blood from where she'd been thrown.

"That invisible goblin came back for her. I fought it off, but she needs help." Lilly knelt beside Margo and cast a healing charm over her wound. Margo came back to consciousness and clutched her head with a horrible groan.

"We need to get them back to Brakebills." Lilly helped Margo to her feet. She swayed and leaned heavily on Lilly's shoulder.

"It's gonna be fine. We're gonna get help. It's gonna be okay." Quentin whispered as he scooped Julia into his arms.

"Take Margo," Kady hurried to open a portal, "Julia needs to get her abortion as soon as possible. I'll meet up with you guys after." Lilly nodded and handed Margo over to Penny while she opened a portal to Brakebills. As expected, Quentin went with Julia and Kady, though Lilly was sure he'd be in Fillory within the hour to check on Eliot.

Professor Lipson took Margo into the infirmary immediately, barely waiting for an explanation before she began casting over the dripping wound on her forehead. A few nurses came to shoo them out and into the waiting room. Lilly's shoulders slumped with exhaustion as she looked up at Penny through heavy lashes.

"We should go get cleaned up. Margo will be here for a while." She took his hand in hers and began leading him towards the door. The infirmary luckily wasn't far from the Illusionist's clubhouse. Soon Lilly was in her room and stripping off blood-splattered clothes. She had to keep reminding herself that Eliot was safe and unharmed in Fillory. The blood wasn't blood at all, just part of a spell to fill the Gollum. But as she stared at her red-stained palms, she couldn't help the tremors that ran through her like a tidal wave.

Her mind flashed to the blood that soaked the moss-covered clearing in Fillory. To the four bodies that littered the ground and the cries of pure anguish that would be forever seared into her memory. Ava's tears soaking her shirt and her own falling to mingle with them. She didn't realize she'd started to sob until Penny wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his warm embrace. Lilly clutched at his shirt as she shook with grief.

"I thought I was going to lose you. I thought- I thought you were going to die, too." He hushed her with the gentlest tone she'd ever heard from him.

"I'm fine. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Penny stroked her hair and guided her towards the overstuffed armchair. He pulled her into his lap like one might a child, and Lilly felt completely safe and protected in his arms.

"I love you." She whispered to him, burrowing her tear-streaked face into his neck. Penny froze, and Lilly thought she might've overstepped, said too much too soon. She'd felt it for so long, but she'd stayed silent. He'd been through so much with Kady. She didn't want to be the reason he got hurt again.

"I love you, too." He murmured against her hair, a contented smile curving his lips.

Chapter Text

Eliot lay beneath a canopy of shimmering white crystals, each one refracting iridescent rainbows across the stone walls of his chamber. Lilly and Quentin sat on either side of his bed, surrounded by five furiously casting Fillorian healers. Quentin's trembling fingers brushed a stray hair from Eliot's pale face, his eyes studying every detail as if to memorize every dip and curve of his jaw. He'd barely left Eliot's side since his Gollum had been slaughtered at the bank. Margo was even more bossy and sharp with her servants than usual, and they'd taken to giving her a wide berth whenever they heard her heels tapping purposefully down the halls.

It had taken a Herculean effort to convince a pregnant Fen to leave her husband's side and get some sleep. Dark circles had settled beneath their weary eyes, and a somber weight found its way into each of their chests. Hope was gradually slipping through the cracks each time the magic would sputter out, and the healers were forced to start their enchantments anew. Lilly had summoned two of the best healers The Valley had to offer, and still, Elliot hung in the balance between life and death. The spell, if completed, would bring his consciousness from the clay of his Gollum and back to the flesh and blood of his true body.

"Is there anything else we could be doing?" Quentin muttered, his eyes never leaving the face of his fellow king. Margo crossed her arms and gave a deep sigh. Her expression was grave. The weight of her crown had grown tenfold since Eliot fell ill.

"Hold off the war until he gets back." Quentin looked about to argue. He loathed being useless to help Eliot. They all did. "I had a pigeon drop a confusion spell on the Lorian castle. They should be moving slowly about now."

"How can I help?"

"Honestly, you can go back to Brakebills and check on Julia. You know you want to."

"If anything changes--" He looked desperately between Margo and Lilly. The latter of the two reached out to squeeze his hand as Margo cut him off gently.

"I'll enchant a two-way mirror to Brakebills, like when Rupert yelled at Jane through the vanity table in the books." Her voice was soft and comforting. It was rare for Margo to show her soft side, but her friends knew that when it truly mattered, Margo would be there for comfort, protection, and anything in between.

"And I'll try to stabilize the brownouts enough for them to finish enchanting. He'll be okay, we're watching over him." Lilly nodded to show her conviction was true. Quentin's eyes began to sparkle with tears, and he hastily wiped away any evidence.

"Hey," Margo crossed the distance and sat on the edge of Eliot's bed. She reached out a hand to stroke the side of his face tenderly. "Don't worry. My takeaway lately is that anything can happen at any time. So, just be there for your friend while you can. Here," Margo reached into her breast pocket and held out the portal button. Quentin hesitated a moment as if waiting for permission. When none came, he took the button and placed a lingering kiss on Eliot's cheek before hurrying out of the room. Lilly and Margo shared a sorrowful look.

"Go," Lilly jutted her chin towards the doorway. "I'll make sure he's okay. You need to see to your duties as interim High King." Margo bit her lip and nodded. The guards stepped away from the doors to allow her out. Lilly sighed at the sudden emptiness. The healers still worked vigorously around Eliot, but it was silent and unbearably lonely. Eliot's personality had been an undeniable presence that calmed her without a word when she felt herself losing her grip. The responsibility she'd inherited from Elias as the heir to The Valley, and then ambassador to Fillory, weighed heavily on her. But Eliot seemed to make it less like a burden and more like an adventure, despite his constant complaining. This empty vessel of a man gave her no comfort.

"I don't know if you can hear me, El, but if you can, I need you to come back to us," Lilly whispered over him. She reached out a hand to intertwine her fingers with his. "Margo and I, we can't run a kingdom without you. We couldn't even handle waking up every morning knowing that you wouldn't be there. I've lost too many people I love already and I need my big brother. I know it seems like I don't need anyone, but I need you. So, please, don't leave me." Salty tears spilled down her cheeks and dripped onto their joined hands. His skin was so cold and lifeless, that when she pressed her forehead against the back of his hand, it felt as cool as a slab of marble. A healer, Alek, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and whispered a request for her to move so that they could reach the correct area for their spell. Lilly hastily wiped her cheeks and settled a little closer to his legs.

She watched in a trance as they worked, unsure how much time passed before Fen returned, changed and fresh-faced. Her eyes had none of the light happiness they usually held, but she had at least slept. Lilly found herself doting on the young woman quite often. It was a habit she hadn't been aware of until Penny pointed it out to her one night after Lilly ordered him to travel to Brakebills and get Fen a cone of mint ice cream to curb her pregnancy cravings. Lilly smiled fondly across the bed as Fen settled into an empty armchair, her skirts billowing around her.

"Has anything changed?"

"We had another brownout while you were sleeping. They've only just begun again." Fen swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned her elbows on the edge of the mattress. Her eyes trailed over the golden silk threads fanning out from a wrap-around Elliot's head and leading up to the shower of crystals. Light pulsed through each one, waxing and waning as the wellspring struggled to produce the necessary magic. Lilly grabbed Fen's hand with both of hers and ran her gaze over her face, assessing each line of worry spider webbing across her skin.

"I know that this wasn't what you imagined when you dreamed of your future with Eliot. I know you must be terrified of what would happen to you and the baby if--" She swallowed hard, unable to voice the possibility of Eliot not pulling through. "I won't let any harm come to you or the baby. You'll always have a place with me in The Valley. Margo might come off a little prickly sometimes, but I know she loves you, too, and she'll fight tooth and nail to keep you safe. You have a family with us, okay? You don't need to worry."

"Things haven't been conventional. I'll give you that. But I do love him. He's my friend, and if I can't have a lover in him, then a friend is all I need. I just want him back." Fen sniffed, rubbing at her eyes with a free hand, then reaching down to hold the tiny bump of her stomach.

"Me too. We'll bring him back. I promise."

Queen Margo gathered up a pile of official documents from the heavy wood carved table of the throne room and turned

Queen Margo gathered up a pile of official documents from the heavy wood carved table of the throne room and turned. Waves of black chiffon fanned out around her as she faced her companions. Penny looked out of place beside the two women dressed in the finery reflective of their station in the kingdom. Lilly's gown made him look more akin to a beggar than a royal consort.

"Penny, could you bring this to Dean Fogg, have him look it over?" Margo held out the bundle of parchment. The edges fluttered with the force of the movement. "He said he'd help us rule, so let's see him put his money where his mouth is and get off his cushy tenured ass." Penny looked displeased but nodded all the same.

"I'm not your royal carrier pigeon, you know." Margo scrunched her shoulders.

"Debatable."

"I just can't sit on my thumbs in Fillory, Q." They looked towards the entrance, where a very irritated Julia Wicker stomped in. Quentin trailed after her, looking like he wished to be anywhere else.

"Look, you had the thing before, the Haxenpaxen, that... that was making you invisible, right?" Julia stopped to face him and crossed her arms. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a little huff. "So, we're in Fillory. There's a lot of crazy shit here. So find something else. Then you can go back." The glare she gave Quentin could've killed him on the spot.

"You don't get it. There isn't time." Her protests were ignored, and Quentin finally acknowledged the three others in the throne room.

"Uh, okay, look, I am going to go back. I'll help Kady. We're... we're gonna keep working." Quentin held out a hand to grab their attention. "Margo, Uh, Julia needs to stay here for a while. It's an emergency."

"Fine." Margo rolled her eyes with a grumble.

"Thank you." His shoulders visibly relaxed, and he turned his pleading gaze on Lilly. "Could you keep an eye on her, please? I need someone I trust implicitly." He glanced pointedly at Penny as if to say, anyone but him. Penny rolled his eyes. As much as they liked to pretend they weren't friends, it had been proven time and time again that they would risk their lives for one another. Quentin twiddled with the sleeve of his shirt, eyes flitting about the room as if to avoid landing on something or someone in particular.

"Dude, are you okay?" Penny crossed his arms and raised an inquisitive brow. "You're singing that stupid Imagine Dragons song in your head again." Furrowing her brows, Lilly looked between them questioningly.

"I'm fine. Nothing to see here." Quentin's words blurred together in a rush. He flicked open the button's case as quickly as he could and disappeared.

"It's a nice place." Julia looked around the castle appreciatively. Margo scoffed and turned on her heel. Lilly's look of disdain was enough to convey how she felt about this situation to Julia. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest and swept towards the thrones lined up at the apex of the room.

"Somethings up with Q-tip." Penny stared pensively at the place Quentin had stood moments before. "He only ever sings that obnoxiously when he's trying to hide something. His mental wards are still shit." He shook his head. Despite their Occlumency classes with Jane, Quentin was still as easy to read as a stop sign.

"You really need to stop calling him that." She let out a light laugh at the nickname anyways. "He's been avoiding me." Her smile melted into a frown. She'd voiced this thought many times to Penny over the last months, but she'd given Quentin the space he wanted. She wondered if that was the wrong decision.

"I'll try to get something out of him. But he's a grown-ass man. I can't force him."

"Technically, you can." Part of her thought that might be a more efficient way. "Just make sure he's safe." Penny smiled in a way that Lilly had come to know as a silent promise.

"Hey, uh," Penny reached out to grab her hand, and she turned to look up at him. "Can I talk to you about something? It's kind of important." Penny swallowed hard. She could see in his eyes that he was conflicted.

"Of course," Lilly placed a comforting hand on his arm and guided him away from where Julia spun to observe the architecture.

"I went to The Library the other day to fetch a book for Mayakovsky. While I was there, the Librarian sort of offered me a job. She said they could help me get magic back.

"What's the catch?"

"If I sign the contract, I'd be agreeing to an eternity of servitude to The Library."

"Well, fuck."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't considering it. Mayakovsky has had me picking up his fucking drycleaning for half a year. I'm useless without magic."

"That's complete bullshit and you know it." Lilly gave him a stern look and pursed her lips. "You are more than your magic. I don't love your magic. I love you. And if you sign off on an eternity of servitude, you're signing away everything we've fought so hard for. We will find another way. We always do." Lilly set her jaw and stared into his eyes with an intensity Penny felt with his whole being. The slightest shimmer of tears lined his lids, but after a moment he looked away and cleared his throat.

"I gotta fetch some stupid plant book from The Library for Mayakovsky, and I want to check in on Kady, see if she needs some help with this god-killing shit. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Alright, just be careful." She squeezed his arm, and he leaned down to press his lips to hers. She shut her eyes for an instant, and when they opened again, he'd disappeared. Lilly turned her gaze on Julia, who'd been watching their conversation out of the corner of her eye.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"None of your business."

"Guess we're stuck with each other. Come on, you can help me do some research."

Whitespire's archives couldn't hold a candle to what they'd been before The Beast took hold of Fillory. A majority of the texts had been destroyed or lost to neglect. But there was still a sizable collection of scrolls and spellbooks filling the shelves. Lilly glanced up from the massive leather-bound book to assess Julia sat across from her. She'd taken to playing with the book worms, whose job it was to sort and maintain the texts. They seemed to enjoy the company, and Lilly listened to pages flutter as Julia flipped through each book and set it aside for the worms to reshelve.

"I know we aren't friends, and you don't like me. Totally get why, by the way. But I was wondering if you could help me with something?" Lilly straightened at the request. Julia leaned both elbows on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hands. "You're an Illusionist, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Lilly resumed skimming the page of her book, though she wasn't paying attention to what any of the words meant.

"I need something." Of course, you do, Lilly thought. "I'm in Fillory because Reynard is hunting me. I got rid of his baby, and now he wants me dead. I can't go back without something to hide me from him. If you're an Illusionist, maybe you can help me."

"You want me to make you something strong enough to hide you from a literal god?"

"Yes," her resolve was admirable. Julia's eyes had a steely quality that Lilly had rarely seen in anyone. It was the look of a survivor. From what Quentin told her of Julia's past, and what she now faced, Lilly knew that was true.

"I wish I could, but I'm still in training. To make something that strong, you'd need a Master Magician." Lilly frowned at the book in front of her. "I can help you find one, but The Beast killed almost all the Magicians in Fillory. You'd have better luck at Brakebills."

"That's not really an option right now." Julia's expression soured at the limitation Quentin had imposed upon her.

"Q just wants to protect you."

"My brain knows that." Julia leaned back in her seat and watched as the book worms hefted up the literature she'd been skimming and carried it off down the table. "But I don't feel anything."

"You lost your shade, Julia. We don't know how that's affected you yet. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"What do you care? You hate me."

"I don't hate you." Julia raised a brow. "Okay, maybe a little. But despite our differences, I don't think you deserved what happened to you. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. You saved us at the bank. You saved Penny, and I won't forget that."

"I'm different now. I don't know exactly how, but without my shade, I don't feel like the me that did all those things. It's like a weight is off my chest, all the guilt and pain and trauma is just gone. But I know that I need to stop him. Kill Reynard so he can't hurt anyone else like he did me."

"I hope you succeed. I really do." Lilly gave her a sympathetic smile. Julia was beginning to prove herself. Her words lingered in Lilly's mind long after their muttered conversation had ended. She mulled over what this might mean for Julia. Would she be a better version of the troubled woman she'd proven to be, or would her loss of shade only amplify her unreliable nature? Quentin seemed to be cautious when it came to her, but would he be willing to stop her if she pulled another deadly stunt? Heavy wooden doors swung open with a deep groan, and in marched Margo with her trademark look of determination.

"Lilly, what do you know about Fillorian trees?" She asked, stopping at the end of the long table they were working at and placed both palms flat to lean forward.

"Uh, hello to you, too." Lilly rotated her body so she was facing the queen.

"That bald Illusionist dick is messing with us again. Has a whole ass army on the other side of The One-Way Forest of intelligent trees or some shit. Apparently, they're endangered, and I can't chop them down without starting a civil war, so I need solutions, and I need them fast." Margo snapped multiple times to emphasize her need. Biting her lip, Lilly wracked her brain for any useful information.

"Jane tried to cross the one-way forest in the books." Her memory of the Fillory books was still as sharp as ever. Knowledge of the childhood stories had saved their life ten times over.

"Yeah," Julia sat up in her chair, her eyes alight with interest. "The trees had some sort of ambassador, a dryad. You need to negotiate with her." It was easy to forget that Julia had once been as in love with Fillory as Quentin was.

"That worked for Jane? Sold."

"Great. I'll come with you." Julia hopped up from her seat, the chair legs scraping against the tile as she did.

"Yeah, no, that's not happening." Holding up a hand, Lilly gave her an incredulous look. "I promised Q I'd keep an eye on you."

"Yeah, I don't care." Julia placed a defiant hand on her hip. "Look, I know the books almost as well as Quentin does. Margo can watch me just as well as you could." The glare she received was lethal. "I'm bored. Let me be a little useful, okay?" Her voice softened at the end and she gave Lilly a look almost like a child asking a parent if they could go outside and play.

"Fine. But you're on probationary status with me. Don't do anything to fuck it up." A grin broke out across Julia's face.

"Yes, Mam." She did a mock salute. Margo nodded and looked Julia up and down appraisingly.

"I do the talking. You just stand there and look vaguely indignant or whatever." Her heels began tapping as she flipped her hair over a shoulder and swept off down the corridor. "Let's go."

It wasn't long before Lilly had exhausted the castle library. Eliot's healers were still no closer to finishing, and she feared it wouldn't be long before the damage was irreversible. The royal carriage took an hour to reach The Valley, and when it did, she sent it on its way without her. There were many unseen eyes in Fillory, the trees had ears, and a royal carriage parked in the middle of the forest would raise too many questions. The Valley would remain a secret until Lilly was positive her people would be protected. Slipping through the almost invisible rift she'd left open at the northernmost edge of the barrier. Penny used it most often so that Lilly didn't have to open it every time he came home.

Nodding a quick greeting towards the guards watching the rift closely, she hunted down her grandfather. She found him with the children, a smile stretched across his face as laughter filled the air. His hair had greyed completely now, and his face showed the age that was swiftly creeping up on him. Lilly watched as he scooped up a little girl who'd been pulling at his sleeve and hoisted her up into the air. If Jane hadn't been forced to flee Fillory, maybe that could've been her in his arms.

The spell that retained Elias's youth was a special sort of Horomancy, one that Lilly had failed to replicate. If Elias was right, and Jane had passed a bit of her power to her, she hadn't found it. So, now she watched, as day by day, her grandfather aged at a rate she would've thought impossible. He looked up as she approached, and with a few words and a gentle nudge, he sent the children scurrying off to play among the trees.

"I need to speak with you about something important." She gave him an apologetic look, wishing that this was a social call instead. She'd had very little time recently to spend with her grandfather, and she felt every moment of wasted time. Her training sessions with him were often cut short now due to one emergency or the next. Ava had been less than agreeable since Lilly had missed three of their sparring matches that week.

"How is the king?" Elias asked, a somber expression replacing his lighthearted one.

"Not good. The healers can only do so much. The Wellspring situation is proving more meddlesome than we thought." Lilly hooked her arm in his and pulled them into a leisurely stroll through the village.

"I'm sorry, I wish I had another option for you, but I'm afraid his ailment is rare, and the healers we sent are the best we have." His hand enveloped hers, and he gave it a light squeeze in comfort. She leaned into his touch and rested her weary head upon his shoulder. The comforting touch of a grandparent was something she'd always wondered about as a child.

"It's not that I need a solution for." Lilly took a breath and let the light scent of cherry blossoms calm her raw nerves. "I think that if I find a way to stabilize the time between brownouts, maybe they can heal him." Elias hummed softly in thought, and Lilly looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Our magic is different." His tone was not unlike that of a teacher. "We draw from magic reserves within us, as well as The Wellspring. The brownouts don't fully affect us." It hadn't escaped her that The Valley wasn't afflicted with the same total outages of magic that the rest of Fillory was.

"Why?" She looked around at her people, going about their days as usual as if they would hold the answer.

"We're magical creatures. Magicians are those who've learned how to manipulate the ambient magic The Wellspring provides. We are magical ourselves." He slowed to a stop, pulling back just enough to look down at her. "I can give you an amplifier. Something to strengthen that part of you enough to help stabilize The Wellspring. I don't know how long you'll be able to maintain it. They'll need to work fast if they're going to save him." His conviction was soothing to her. Her hope had begun to dwindle with each brownout, but he remained ever positive. Never did he tell her to give up her efforts or prepare for Eliot's inevitable passing. It was his faith in her that kept her going.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." A grin broke out across her face, and she lifted herself on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. Eliot might just have a chance now. If she had anything to do with it, he'd be back on his feet by sunrise.

Chapter Text

Sweat beaded on her forehead with every passing moment. The uncut pure white crystal pulsed against her chest like a second heartbeat. Lilly pressed her eyes shut in concentration as waves of power washed through her and into the crystal. Five healers hovered around Eliot's bedside, fingers twisting and folding as fast as they were able. Margo gripped onto Fen's trembling hand, the steady pressure calming her just as much as it did Fen.

"You doing okay?" Margo stared at Lilly with furrowed brows. She only nodded. Her concentration was too delicate to risk a verbal response. Lilly had sensed the impending brownout five minutes ago, and since then, her power was working to its limit, trying to act as a magical generator for the healers. A buzz of energy ran across her skin like silk, and a fog settled over her mind. The world around her faded in and out through a haze of light and colors. It was as if the crystal had at once heightened and dulled her senses. Or maybe it had launched her into a different level of perception. But every few moments, she'd dip back into consciousness, and she'd feel the heavy toll it was taking on her body.

Every muscle in her body ached and burned, but still, she pushed on. She was the only thing keeping magic from flickering out and extinguishing Eliot's life along with it. Lilly thought this was what Atlas must have felt as the world was dropped upon his shoulders, forced to hold it while his body was ripped apart.

Light began to fill the room. Thousands of tiny lights traveled up the web of strings from Eliot's Gollum to his true body. Margo took a breath as the light refracted off her widened eyes. It was working. Lilly pushed herself harder. Every second that passed, the Wellspring grew weaker, and so did she. The surge of energy brought on by the amplifier crystal trickled away like water through her fingers. All at once, they plunged into darkness.

"What happened?" Margo stood abruptly and placed a hand on the small of Lilly's back. Lilly swayed and clutched her head. For a second, she thought she might faint. "Well, did it work?" One of the healers checked his wrist and examined the dulled crystals.

"No, but--"

"Then get out," Margo spat. They paused, but one look from her and they scurried out the door. Lilly blinked rapidly to clear the daze, and gradually her senses returned. She felt the coarse crystal clutched in her hand, felt the sticky blood dripping from where she'd gripped it so tight it pierced her skin. When her eyes dropped to her hands, she saw that the once pure white crystal had turned a charred black color. Every ounce of power had been drained. The amplifier was burnt out.

"No, no, no." Lilly searched the crystal for any morsel of magic, any hope of helping Eliot. She came up empty. "Goddamnit!" Lilly chucked the blackened crystal across the room in blind anger. Her cry of frustration was muffled by the hand pressed against her mouth. Margo crouched beside her and placed a hand on her knee.

"Lil, it's okay. We'll find another way." Her words felt false even to her. "It's gonna be okay." Fen took a step forwards, tears welling in her eyes. She clutched her baby bump for any morsel of comfort but found none.

"I'm pregnant. We're about to go into war. We need the king. I need my husband." Fen's voice cracked at the end, and Margo grabbed both her hands in hers. Leveling her gaze, Margo stared intensely into her eyes. The fire behind them was not of anger or defiance but pure care and unquestionable devotion.

"I'm gonna take care of you and the kid. I will untangle this war shit somehow. I know the High King has the power, but I will hunt Ember to the ends of the world to have that stupid rule rewritten. Everything El promised, I'm gonna deliver. You hear me?" Fen hesitated only a moment before she nodded.

"Yes." Her voice was as delicate as a field mouse.

"Listen to High King Bambi." All three of them whirled to find Eliot watching their exchange with weak amusement.

"You're alive!" Fen threw herself upon him with a squeal of joy. Eliot happily embraced his friend as she clung to him. But when his eyes turned to the other two, there was an unmistakable urgency there. He tried to push himself up to sit once Fen released him.

"Where's Q? Is he-"

"He's fine, Superman. Don't worry." Margo pressed gently on his shoulder and he sank into the pillows with relief. "Not a scratch on him, thanks to you." Eliot shut his eyes and leaned his head back.

"Good." He nodded as if to assure himself. "That's good." Margo went to help Lilly move to sit at Eliot's bedside. She swiped a damp cloth from the table and instructed her to clench her bloodied hands around them. Eliot reached up to stroke Lilly's hair as she sat beside him. He knew that his recovery was thanks to her.

"I don't need to tell you how profoundly stupid that shit you pulled was. But it'll make me feel better, so I'm gonna do it anyway. That was fucking stupid!" Margo would've smacked him for good measure if he hadn't just come back from the dead.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Won't happen again, I swear. Scouts honor." He held up three fingers in salute.

"I know full well you were never a boy scout." Margo scoffed, but she was smiling. It was the truest smile she'd had in a very long while.

"Eh, technicalities."

"You missed a lot." Fen was the first to acknowledge his time away. Eliot lifted a finger to silence them and took a long deep breath.

"Alright, lay it on me."

"Well, Julia committed genocide against a forest of intelligent trees yesterday. So we're kind of on the brink of civil war. She's in the dungeons right now thinking about what she did."

"Is there ever any good news around here?"

"Well, I'd say you waking up counts as good news." Lilly have him a tired grin. There was a light knock, and suddenly there were five. Penny leaned against the doorframe like he owned the place, and even he couldn't hide the relief that flooded him at the sight of Eliot up and smiling.

"Nice of you to finally join us, El." The words were sarcastic, but it was more of a welcome back than anything else.

"You're welcome." Eliot drawled and twirled his fingers in the air in a mock bow. Penny rolled his eyes, and when they landed, they'd focused on Lilly, who looked much paler than usual.

"Lil, can I talk to you for a sec?" He jutted his chin towards the hall. His gaze flicked from her to Eliot with what she could've sworn was pity.

"Sure," she gave Eliot's hand a light squeeze. "Be back in a minute." Picking up her skirts, Lilly let Penny lead her out into the hall, all the while a sense of dread settled in her stomach. Penny fidgeted with the hem of his scarf and bit his lip. Looking over his shoulder nervously to make sure Eliot was out of earshot, he turned back to Lilly with a worried expression.

"It's Q," he whispered, and Lilly immediately sobered. "I figured out why he's been so shifty these past few months." She searched his face for any hint.

"What is it?"

"It might be better if I just showed you."

Her concern was only heightened and by the time they arrived outside the Brakebills Wards, Penny had given her a cursory explanation as to the situation at hand. He lead her to one of the outermost campus buildings. The one Jane had been murdered in. Her heart sputtered as she walked down the hall in which Eliot had been forced to kill the man he loved and stepped into the very room where her Grandmother's life had been extinguished so violently.

Water dripped lazily from the ceiling onto cold concrete stained with the rust of iron bars. Clinking chains cut through the heavy tension filling the room. Quentin Coldwater stood in the center of an impregnable cell. Runes and Roman numerals were welded into the floor and walls around it. Brakebills built this place for creatures far more powerful than the man entrapped within it. But it wasn't just Quentin they were holding. Alice was in there too. What was left of her, at least.

All this time, Quentin had kept her Niffin contained within his Kako trap. The tattoo that wound itself across the skin of his back was red and raw as a brand. It was never meant to hold something as unpredictable and malicious as a Niffin. Lilly had seen the signs. The way his gaze would flick to empty air, the irritation, the avoidance. She should've known. Maybe she would've been able to help. Yet he'd avoided her like the plague.

"Seriously, you guys, I'm in a cage. You think this is, uh, a tad redundant?" Quentin nodded to the thick irons clamped around his wrists that bound him to the ceiling. Professor Lipson circled him, studying him through a series of revelatory glasses.

"Protocol." Dean Fogg stated from outside the ring of wards. Lilly stood beside him, still dressed in Fillorian attire with her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Penny placed a comforting hand on the small of her back and eyed the way she chewed absently at her thumbnail.

"For werewolves." He gave the cell beside him a pointed look. Josh Hoberman stood behind the bars of a second cage. He was not looking at all like himself. His usually clean-shaven face was covered in a thick beard of fur. Animalistic pupils darted about the room as if unsure of his surroundings.

"Okay, technically, I have sexually transmitted lycanthropy... a very mild case. Would've been cool to actually fully wolf out." He howled at the ceiling, and Lilly couldn't mask her disdain. "Either way, it's totally curable."

"Treatable. There is no actual cure." Dean Fogg interjected. Josh pulled inward like a puppy being chastised by its owner.

"Well, silver bullet." Penny chuckled, and Lilly smacked his stomach with the back of her hand.

"Quentin, you're dying." Lipson looked him straight in the eyes with a gravity no one ever wished to see.

"Yeah, well, aren't we all?" He rolled his eyes with a huff of indignance that made Lilly's hackles rise.

"You are dying quickly. You cannot keep this thing inside you much longer." Quentin sniffed as another trickle of thick blood dripped from his nose. Lilly rushed forwards and handed the professor a handkerchief from her skirts. Lipson smiled pitifully at her and used it to gently dab at Quentin's bloody face. His eyes trailed along the stained concrete floor and focused on the lace that trimmed the edge of Lilly's lavender dress.

"Well, I can't let her go," he whispered.

"Which is why you must box her." Fogg's hands were tucked into his trousers, and his spine bent with resignation.

"I'm not doing that to Alice." Quentin immediately defended. His eyes locked onto the reflective surface of Fogg's round-framed glasses.

"Quentin, there is no more Alice." Irritation seeped through Dean Foggs' usually demure voice. No one could blame him. Quentin was being particularly bullheaded and reckless.

"This is uncharted territory. Nobody knows."

"Well, I know that you will be dead in days if you don't rid yourself of her." Lipson pulled her wheel of colorful glasses back and tucked them into the pocket of her white coat.

"Hey," Lilly held up her hand to silence any other scolding comments. "Can I have a word with him in private, please?" No one moved, and it seemed her request would be denied. Then Professor Lipson sighed and removed herself from Quentin's cell. Metal screeched as the heavy bolted lock slid into place. Penny gave her an encouraging nod before ushering Fogg and Lipson into the hall.

"Just pretend I'm not here." Josh made a zipping gesture over his lips and threw an imaginary key over his shoulder. Lilly smiled half-heartedly at his gesture, however small.

"Q," her eyes were tired and sorrowful as she leveled her gaze with his. "You can't keep going like this."

"I've been doing it for months now. I can do it a bit longer." He swallowed hard, the edges of his throat felt like sandpaper.

"Alice wouldn't have wanted this." She whispered, taking a step towards him. Lilly yearned to reach her hand through the bars and cradle his face in her palm. The runes glowed red at the mere twitch of her fingers.

"You don't know shit about what Alice would've wanted." Quentin spat, his eyes locking on hers for the first time since she'd arrived. The venom was enough to make her flinch. It took a moment of calming thoughts to school her features.

"You're right. But I know that she loved you, and she'd hate herself if she was the reason you wound up dead." It was the truth, and they both knew it. Quentin had the sense to looked ashamed, at least.

"Alice wanted to live. If there's even a sliver of a chance I could bring her back--"

"You can't bring her back if you're dead."

"I know that." He whined like a scorned child.

"Really? Cause it looks like you're trying to die." This time there was irritation in her voice.

"I can't box her." He mumbled, looking at anything but his friend.

"You don't have a choice." She was stern and unyielding as she spoke. "But Alice did. She knew the consequences of going through with that spell and she did it for you, for us. Killing yourself makes all of that meaningless. You'll be adding yourself to The Beast's body count." It was a cold dose of truth that he wasn't ready to hear. Quentin bit his lip and tried to ignore Lilly's presence.

"Look, I'll be here when you're ready to box it. But don't expect me to stick around and watch you kill yourself." Lilly whirled and stomped towards the door. She paused as her hand rested on the cool metal of the handle. Staring at the dark wood grain, she sighed. "I love you, Q." With that, she wrenched open the door, and three pairs of eyes looked up at her ashen face. Lilly ignored their questioning looks and trained her attention on Dean Fogg.

"Could you send me a message if anything changes?" His lips quirked in an apologetic smile.

"Of course." Lilly grabbed Penny's hand.

"I think I should go home," Penny said nothing, and she was thankful he didn't try to comfort her with words that could do nothing but acknowledge her pain. "He doesn't want me here." She left the Professor and Dean Fogg with only a nod and let Penny guide her through campus and past the wards, where they whisked away to Fillory. Lilly couldn't face Eliot and Margo, not when seeing them would mean explaining exactly where she'd been and the new problems that weighed on them. She didn't want to give Eliot anything more to worry about. Especially something like this.

Lilly felt most at home amongst books

Lilly felt most at home amongst books. Yet as she strode down the endless rows of shelves that made up The Library, the only feeling she could summon was one of unease. Her head was held high as always. It was a stance she'd developed in her months with Elias. A queen must project an heir of authority, and that would come in handy in this situation. She wasn't in one of her usual gowns, but instead a simple pair of jeans and a striped shirt.

She'd come straight from Brakebills, where she was beginning to feel more like a hindrance than an asset. Quentin seemed determined to self-destruct and her presence was only making it worse. So for most of the days, she stayed away. Close enough to be there if he needed her but out of sight. She was secretly thankful not to have to see him deteriorate. It was far too painful.

Lilly approached the front desk, where a slim tall woman examined two massive opened books. Her hands rested in the air beside her as delicately as snowflakes. A pair of cat-eye spectacles rested on the tip of her nose, and as Lilly approached, the woman lifted her eyes to look over the top of them.

"Are you Zelda?" The woman straightened and cocked her head slightly to the left. Lilly stopped before her and crossed her arms.

"Lilly Cole." Zelda raised her brows in a form of acknowledgment. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Her fingers twiddled in the air like a spider spinning its web. Hers was a voice not unlike a songbird, soft and lilting.

"You know me?" Lilly's forehead crinkled in confusion.

"Of course, I know all of the Life Books in this library. Especially ones as important as yours. Now, what brings you to my little corner of the universe?"

"I'm not here for a friendly chat. I'm here to negotiate." Lilly fished the roll of parchment from her pocket. "This contract is a load of shit." Zelda looked taken aback by the force with which Lilly spoke. She took the parchment and unrolled it, the paper crackling and hissing as she did. Her eyes scanned the printed words with practiced speed.

"This contract would give Mr. Adiyodi a means to regain his magic. That professor Mayakovsky has him running errands when he should be helping him." Though her words were accusatory, Zelda's voice remained ever soft.

"Signing his freedom away to an organization that only wants him to further their own agenda is even worse. Magic is not worth an eternity of servitude."

"So you're here to reject the offer, then?" Lilly paused as if to consider her words.

"No," she declared, "I'm here to propose an amendment." Zelda's brows rose in surprise.

"The contract is the same for everyone and I'm afraid I don't have the authority to make changes." Her fingers flitted in the air beside her at every dip and soar of her voice.

"But you know who does." Lilly leveled a knowing gaze on the Librarian. She maintained her cool demeanor, channeling her mother's negotiating skills.

"Well, of course, but—"

"Then you can give them a message from me." Lilly cut her off with a strong and steady cadence. "I'd like to propose a freelance position for Penny. He works for you in exchange for a library card. He can end the arrangement at any time with the condition that he returns his card and forfeits his benefits." Lilly nodded her head to the side at the last bit. She left no room for a refusal.

"They would never agree to something like that."

"Tell me what would make them agree, then." Lilly placed a hand on the front desk and leaned in. Zelda eyed the movement warily. Her eyes flicked between Lilly's hand and her stony expression.

"Well, there is one thing." Zelda sighed as if she'd much rather continue shelving books. But Travelers were much too rare to give up a chance to have another in their organization.

"Well?" Lilly nodded for her to continue and Zelda pursed her lips.

"You're a Shifter. It's been nearly a century since we've even heard of one in Fillory or any world for that matter." Zelda fidgeted with her glasses. They were attached at either end to a beaded necklace, so when she removed them they hung around her neck. "The Library's collection on them is severely limited. But if you were to give them something infinitely valuable to our cause, they'd have no choice but to agree to your offer."

"What did you have in mind?" Lilly gave her a skeptical look. If their idea of a fair contract was a life of servitude, she didn't want to know.

"A vial of your blood, perhaps?" Zelda gestured to the hand Lilly had resting on the desk. Lilly pulled it back like she'd burned it on a hot stove.

"You're joking." Zelda's eyes showed no humor.

"Our interest in it is purely academic, of course. The Library is built around the pursuit and preservation of knowledge and knowledge alone."

"Surely there's something else that would persuade them?" Lilly gaped at the audacity of the request.

"I'm afraid it would take that for them to even consider it." Zelda raised her brows in a show of finality. Biting her lip, Lilly mulled over her choices. Penny had so few options, and here was an opportunity for him to regain his magic and finally feel whole again. So many nights they'd spoken of his feeling useless without it. She'd give anything to make him happy.

"Fine, but I have one more condition." Crossing her arms, she set her jaw. "You offer Penny the new contract as if it was your idea. I was never here."

"Confidentiality is highly valued in our line of work. I will not breathe a word to Penny." Zelda gave her a cordial nod.

"And you must promise that no harm will come to anyone as a result of your academic pursuits with my blood." This took a moment of deliberation on Zelda's part, and Lilly nearly pulled the plug on any negotiation. But then the Librarian gave a single dip of her chin.

"You have my word."

"Then we have a deal."

Chapter Text

Lilly's eyes shot open to a familiar darkened bedroom. Moonlight filtered through the windows of her cottage and left shadows and patterns on the bedsheets. It was never silent in the valley. Animals chirped and croaked into the darkest hours of the night. The wind coming off the copper mountains hissed through the thick foliage like the whispers of those long departed.

It was rare that she got a full night's sleep. Most nights she lay awake with Penny fast asleep beside her, unable to shut her eyes for fear of the nightmares that plagued her. Not nightmares- but memories. Memories of that day and all the moments before it that culminated to one catastrophic end.

Lilly watched as Penny's chest rose and fell in a calming rhythm. It soothed her to see that someone was still beside her. She wouldn't wake him. She never did. It wasn't that she didn't want him to know. He could tell by the dark circles she covered up in the mirror every morning. In the beginning, he would be awoken by her screams or thrashing limbs and hold her while she sobbed herself back to sleep. The nightmares still came nearly every night, but Lilly found that sleep would evade her no matter what she tried. It was easier not to try at all.

Bare feet slipped from beneath cool sheets to tiptoe across the dark wood floors. Penny didn't stir, even as she swiped her fighting leathers and knives from the wardrobe. A muffling spell did most of the work for her. So there was no one to call her back to bed or whisper loving words in her ear. That wasn't what she needed on nights like these. Penny came home that night ecstatic. He wasn't the slightest bit suspicious about The Library offering him a secondary deal. But a Lilly knew, and she'd do it all again a thousand times over. Her deal with Zelda was just another reminder of what they'd lost in that battle.

With a click, the door shut behind her, and she darted past darkened homes until she came upon one she'd become particularly familiar with. Ava's legs dangled from the rope bridge connecting her cottage to the network of walkways swooping from one house to the next. She twirled one of her twin blades in her lap, the freshly sharpened edge glinting in the dim moonlight. Her eyes lifted to meet Lilly's, and there was deep unending sorrow there. Lilly tried to smile but barely managed a twitch of her lips before it fell.

The bridge shook as Ava stood and walked to the rope ladder. Halfway down the rungs, she pushed off and landed gracefully on booted feet with a light thump. They said nothing as they walked towards the training grounds. It wasn't that they had nothing to say. It was that they knew better than to voice empty comforts that did nothing but rub salt in the wound.

The crash of metal on metal echoed through the vast field. Empty, save for the two opponents, who swung their blades with vigor. Cloaks long forgotten on the hard ground, Ava swiped at her adversary's legs. Lilly, however, was much quicker and jumped to avoid it, reaching an unnatural height. No man could jump that high, but this was no man. She wasn't even completely human.

She whirled her daggers as delicately as one would glass, the larger of the two the length of her forearm. Lilly blocked another advance, stepping back from the force of the blow. This didn't stop her from reaching her foot up to kick Ava back. She stumbled away a few paces, leaving Ava room to slice her sword through the air. Their weapons met with another clang, but they were both quick to attack again.

Lilly swung for her neck, and if Ava hadn't ducked down, her head would've detached from her body. She used this opportunity to block Lilly's next attack, twisting her sword around and pushing against her weapon. Lilly's sword dropped to the ground. The sharp edge of Ava's blade was quick to find the side of her neck, pausing just before she sliced the delicate skin.

"Any last words?" There was a stretch of silence between them. Lilly knew she'd been defeated. There was no hope of escape. Espresso dark eyes glared into hers, and Ava smirked while Lilly scowled. She waited for her to respond, and slowly, her scowl turned into an amused smile.

"And the student becomes the master." Ava removed the blade from her neck, smiling brilliantly at her victory.

"That would imply that you were the master to begin with, and we both know that's not true." Lilly let out a hearty laugh, moving to retrieve her dagger from where it had fallen.

"It's sweet that you think that." Ava glared at her though only in jest. She collapsed where she stood, kicking her feet out in front of her with a huff. The forest began to lighten and the world around them was tinted in gray as the sun prepared to peak over the horizon. The village would awaken soon. Farmers would rise to feed their animals and tend to their crops before the hottest part of the day set in. Crafters would set to work and prepare to open their doors. Lilly sat beside her and crossed her legs beneath herself. She leaned back on both arms and glanced to the side to observe Ava's solemn stare.

"I uh, wanted to talk to you about something."

"If it's about the Psychologist again, I don't want to talk about it--" Before Ava could continue, Lilly interjected.

"It's not." Her eyes darkened, and she tore them away from Ava's. She cleared her throat, gaze not once leaving her hands. "Elias is fading. He likes to act like he's not, but I can feel it. He'll be gone soon, and I'm going to need to step up." As the words left Lilly's mouth, it was like tension was being released from her shoulders and making its way to her chest. She had thought this out numerous times; she knew Elias's time was coming. And while it took all her might to say it out loud, she still struggled to accept it. Time after time, Lilly continued to lose everyone she loved. What would happen when it got to the point where there was no one left to lose?

"Lilly," Ava sighed, reaching a hand over to give her thigh a comforting squeeze as though she could take away the pain Lilly was feeling. The two girls had shared so much pain Ava only wished she could ease Lilly's somehow.

"No," Lilly shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "It's true- my grandfather's time is coming and I'm going to need to step up as Bloodreigna." The weight of the words as they brushed past Lilly's lips were like pounds of iron slamming into her already weak, frail body. Her lip quivered at the thought of no longer having Elias, and she had to blink several times to force the tears away. "And I'd like for you to take over as ambassador." It took Ava a moment to process the words, her eyes and squeezing heart initially too focused on empathizing with Lilly.

"What?"

"There's no one else I want in this position but you." Lilly declared with a wan smile. "You've become a part of The Valley. The people love you, and you know how to handle Margo and Eliot. I can't be running between Earth and Fillory like I am now. I need someone I trust to handle things."

"I don't know. After everything, I'm not sure I can handle-"

"Of course you can! You're one of the strongest people I know. What happened with Alex- It doesn't define you. At some point, you need to take a step forward." Lilly's teary eyes were boring into Ava's almost pleadingly.

"Please do this for me." Ava found it hard to tear her gaze. She sighed and ran her hand over her face before nodding reluctantly.

"Fine, okay, I'll do it." As a grin grew on Lilly's face, Ava couldn't help the one that appeared on her lips.

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you right now." Lilly's shaky voice cracked as she leaned in to pull her friend into a deep hug. She melted into Ava's embrace, allowing her eyes to close and a tear to stream down her cheek and onto her shoulder.

"Okay, that's enough touchy-feely shit for me." Ava wiped her face and extricated herself from Lilly. Chuckling, Lilly let her sit back and straighten her clothes as if to regain some dignity.

"You know you love it."

"I really don't." But Ava was smiling, and Lilly knew that she'd made the right choice.

"How the hell did this happen?" The room in which Quentin was being held, was empty

"How the hell did this happen?" The room in which Quentin was being held, was empty. The heavy iron door had been left open, and there was no sign of where he might've gone.

"It appears Ms. Wicker is no longer a prisoner in Fillory, and she decided to let Alice go. In Quentin's body." Dean Fogg fixed his shirt cuffs, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"This place was supposed to be inescapable!" Lilly whirled on him with fury in her heart.

"It is. But Julia let him out." Fogg was in no way perturbed by her accusatory look. He stood beside her a few paces back from Quentin's cell. A group of specialists examined the broken lock and Professor Sunderland loitered across the room with her revelatory glasses and a bag of books at her side.

"Well, what the fuck are we supposed to do?" She ran a hand through her honeyed locks and shifted her weight between feet. The soles of her shoes scuffed against the concrete.

"He escaped sometime in the night. It's possible Ms. Wicker thought she was helping save Quentin from himself. I'll try to track him down, but for now, all we can do is hope that he boxes Alice before it's too late."

"That's not good enough." Lilly pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and scrolled through her contacts. "He could be dead by nightfall. We both know this won't end well, and I don't want to see what'll happen if that Niffin gets free." Pressing the call button, Lilly whirled towards the door and strode down the hall. She tried to ignore the bloodstain on concrete from where Mike's body had fallen dead.

The dial tone grated on her nerves more and more as it went on. It went to voicemail, and she was left staring suspiciously at the name that lit up her screen. Kady was the one person sure to know about Julia's whereabouts. But she was a clever hedgewitch, and her wards were far too complex for a tracking spell to be effective. Penny was just as unresponsive to her calls and texts. With Quentin missing, she had no one to ask for help. Lilly needed to think.

She reached the Illusionists castle in record time, thanks to her breakneck pace. It was times like these that she was thankful to Dean Fogg for keeping the tower bedroom reserved for her. It was the least he could do, considering his role in the events with The Beast.

Lilly Kicked off her shoes the moment she entered and trod barefoot through the room. The dark wood floors of her bedroom creaked beneath her weight as she paced back and forth. Quentin was a resourceful man and a damn good Magician. But he'd proven himself to be irrational in his quest to preserve Alice. Her Niffin was nothing more than magic and energy. There was no soul, no love, no warmth left within her. Quentin was grasping at straws for the hope that he could somehow save her. This was why Lilly worried so terribly. He would do anything for this walking shell of the woman he loved, even if it cost him his life.

Lilly ran a hand through her hair as she snatched a bottle of tequila from her table. The stopper popped as she pulled it and tipped the bottle back. The liquid burned on the way down, and she savored the comfort that followed. Glass clinked as she flipped over a cup to pour herself a generous portion in a more civilized manner. Her fingers swirled atop the rim of a thin martini glass. She crossed her index and middle fingers over and under five times. Just as the spell was about to take effect and make the drink infinitely stronger, Lilly felt the power drain from her fingertips. The Fillorian lantern on her nightstand faded to black as magic dissipated once again.

"Fucking hell, Ember!" Tilting her head back, she screeched at the ceiling, where she figured at least one god was watching. Her cry went unanswered. It wasn't like Ember cared for their plight. The brownouts were a result of his chaos. Had he thought to delay Martin in any other way, they wouldn't be dealing with this. Instead, magic ebbed and flowed like the ocean tides. Groaning, she downed the drink in one go, cursing the god of Fillory for all that he'd done. Almost all of their problems stemmed from Ember and Umber if she thought far enough back. If they hadn't prevented Martin from returning to Fillory as a child, he mightn't have chosen the path he did.

"Well, someone's throwing a tantrum." The voice was taunting and achingly familiar. Lilly chilled to the bone at the cascade of thoughts and memories that flooded through her at the sound. The floor creaked as her visitor took a step towards her. Spine stiff, Lilly set down her glass so gently that it made no sound at all. She turned on her heels and lifted her chin.

"Alice." She was just as she'd been the day she died. When she'd sacrificed herself for them. It felt like she was back in that clearing, watching as Margo and Eliot tried to pry Quentin from her lifeless body.

"Not quite." The creature smirked and tilted her head to the side in amusement. "Alice adjacent." The humor in her tone was hollow and sinister.

"You can't be here. The wards--"

"You mean, the wards that just poofed out of existence when the Wellspring crashed?" Alice waved a hand towards the window. Lilly's eyes flicked to the clouded skies and rough sea below. "I just walked right in."

"Get out right now, or I'll box you." Gritting her teeth, she narrowed her eyes at the Niffin.

"Oh, Lilly. Same old lying Illusionist." Alice began to circle the room like a wolf with its prey. "Quentin trashed that box right before he let me go. So I don't think you have much to be threatening me with. I, however, have lots. So, I need something from you."

"Go to hell." Lilly spat, scanning the room for anything to use for a weapon. All the while, she tracked Alice's movement from the corner of her eye.

"Been there, done that." Alice reached into her skirt pocket and flicked out the silver tip of a dagger. "You know, plain old Alice Quinn never knew how close she was to something so powerful. So useful. She had her suspicions, I'll give her that, but as a Niffin, I see you for what you truly are. A Maegi. Right beneath my nose." Alice's eyebrows lifted as if to emphasize every word she spoke.

"If you know so much, then you'd know I'm not so easy to kill." Lilly began backing towards her dresser, where a dagger lay tucked within the top drawer.

"I don't need to kill you. I just need your blood. Just enough for some experiments, and this will all be over. So why don't you give me what I want?" Alice seemed almost bored, so confident in her plan that she thought it hardly worth the effort.

"Fuck you." Lilly snarled, and Alice let out an exaggerated sigh. Her shoulders slumped like a child.

"Oh well, I tried to play nice." Alice lunged as quick as an adder, swiping towards Lilly with the knife outstretched. Had Alice been able to summon magic, it may only have taken one spell to extract Lilly's blood. But the playing field was even. The little advantage Alice had by showing up unannounced had worn off. Lilly dodged the first swipe and spun back towards the bar cart. Alice righted herself and flung out a hand, knocking Lilly's shoulder with her flattened palm.

Stumbling back, Lilly's body slammed into the bar, and a plethora of bottles toppled to the floor with a deafening smash. Alice grinned maniacally, Licking her lips in anticipation of the kill. Lilly's hand gripped around the stem of a bottle, and with a thrust, she crashed it down on the edge of the table. Jagged edges remained in a makeshift weapon as the debris showered around her and added to the shimmering pile of alcohol and shards.

She had no choice but to step atop the pile to avoid the swing of the knife as it came at her. A sickening scream filled the room as glass pierced the bottoms of her feet, and blood stained the floors. Alice pressed forward.

The knife sliced across Lilly's forearm, shredding the sleeve of her jacket and digging deep into her skin. She gave herself half a second of shock before she swung her uninjured arm through the air and cut a thin line across Alice's cheek. But where she'd expected a bloom of scarlet, came a dull glow of pure energy. She bit hard into her tongue as Alice kicked out her legs with an unnatural speed. Lilly's back slammed onto hard floors, glass cutting into her arms and side.

Her makeshift weapon rolled under the bed, and when she reached for it, a boot slammed down upon her hand with a sickening crunch. A cry of agony ripped its way through her. Just as she thought she couldn't take anymore, the glint of a blade shimmered above her. The knife plunged into her stomach. Alice's eyes glinted with madness. Lilly tried to crawl away but only managed to slide her back over the blood and alcohol slick floor. She watched through blurry eyes as Alice reached into the small satchel strapped around her waist. The blood bag was unmistakable. Tubes and needles came next, and it was apparent that Alice planned to bleed the Shifter dry. Hot tears streamed down Lilly's face as she pressed down on the stab wound in her stomach. Her shirt, once white, was clouded in a dark red stain, and the thick blood plastered to her like glue. Her mind raced with every possible plan. Alice assembled the blood draw with trained speed.

Penny, her mind whispered. Penny, help me. She had no idea if he would hear her, but as she screamed silently into the void, she prayed that somehow he'd hear her. Otherwise--

A buzz of warmth rippled about as electricity danced across Lilly's skin. She knew this feeling. Felt it so many times over. But as it grew, it surpassed anything she'd ever achieved in her lessons with Elias. Her mind slipped in and out of consciousness. But still, the sensation grew. Alice knelt beside her and brandished the needle. Lilly flinched away, and as Alice gripped her arm so tightly she thought it might snap, a surge of indescribable power exploded from within her.

Light flooded the room, hot and blinding. Lilly felt nothing but the wave of ecstasy, pure power, unfathomable chaos, all releasing from the deepest most inaccessible part of her. All the pain, fear, and hopelessness she'd felt these past years burned through her veins. And she let it all go free.

Chapter Text

"She's gonna be fine." Ava placed a comforting hand on Penny's elbow, and he swallowed the painful lump forming in his throat. His eyes lifted to the ceiling, anywhere but at the woman slowly bleeding out on the bed. Ava tightened her grip and pulled him to face her. When at last he met her gaze, tears had begun to spill. Penny wished to be beside Lilly, to hold her hand and tether her to this realm by sheer will alone. The moment he'd placed her bloodied body on the mattress, the healers had shooed him back to begin their intensive work. Blood was everywhere, staining her blonde hair, smeared across her collarbone, and seeping into the cracks of her clock necklace.

"I should've been there sooner." He whispered, and the sound was so broken and empty that Ava almost cried for him.

"How? You know just as well as I that you did everything you could."

"I was getting a stupid book for the Library. The guy tried to run, and it wasn't until I had the book in my hands that I heard her voice in my head." He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled until sharp pain lanced through his skull. He couldn't help but think he deserved it. "She was so quiet. She was dying alone on the floor, and I was getting a stupid fucking book." Penny tried to pull away from Ava's grasp, but she was much stronger than he gave her credit for.

"She's going to be fine. And when she wakes up, she'll tell you how ridiculous you sound." Ava's forehead creased with concern, and with a grounding hand on his back, she guided him away from the troubling scene. "Let's get some air."

It was a mild night, still and quiet, as if the world was holding its breath in anticipation for the dying princess. Penny slouched against a tree trunk and buried his head in his hands with a groan. Heavy footfalls thrummed from the forest, and Ava pulled a dagger from her belt. There was a crescendo of rustling leaves, and then Quentin stumbled out before them, tripping over his limbs like a baby horse. He wheezed, leaning over his knees to catch his breath, and Ava sheathed her weapon with an exaggerated sigh.

"I got your bunny. Is she alright? What hap--" Quentin stumbled back as Penny surged forward and shoved him with all the strength he could muster. Quentin cried out with flailing arms as he fell flat on his ass in the grass.

"This is your fault." Penny's eyes blazed with unchecked fury, and had Ava not gripped his arm, he might've punched Quentin in the face. The latter gawked at him with a hand rubbing his chest in small circles.

"W-what? I didn't -- I'd never hurt her." He fumbled over his words as he always did when his nerves got the best of him. Quentin shot Ava a pleading look, but she was the least bit merciful.

"You let your little pet Niffin off the leash, and she tried to kill Lilly." She hissed, stepping forward in a way that promised a slow and painful death should he say the wrong words. Penny's accusation seemed to dawn on Quentin, and his lips parted in shock.

"Alice? I didn't-"

"That thing isn't Alice!" Penny's shout was as sharp as a bite, slicing through Quentin's bumbling apology. "You're so fucking blinded by grief that you didn't even think about how your actions affected everyone else! The real Alice would never hurt any of us! You know that, and still, you hold onto this stupid notion that she's still in there!" Penny was shouting now, and the forest seemed to still in the wake of his outburst. The men stared at each other, Quentin's eyes welling with shimmering tears. After a moment, he pushed himself off the ground and dusted off his pants. Ava kept a hand hovering over Penny's forearm, preparing to yank him back at any moment.

"I didn't know she'd do something like this." Quentin's voice came in a whisper. Lips quivering, he stared down at his dirtied shoelaces in shame.

"Of course you did! You let Alice go because you couldn't handle boxing her. It's your fault Lilly almost bled out!" Clenching his fists, Penny fought the urge to throttle him. But then he shut his eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of cherry blossom and fresh earth, and his thrumming pulse slowed. When he opened his eyes, Quentin was watching him with a mix of pity and terror.

"Get the fuck out before I kill you." The threat sounded almost tired. As if Penny had lost the fury that fueled him, and all that remained was grief and hurt.

"I'm gonna make this right. I promise." Quentin held up a finger and stumbled back the way he came.

"You can't." But Quentin was gone. Penny sank to the soft mossy ground and rested his forehead on his knees. Ava glanced towards the warm glow emanating from the cottage. Figures danced to and fro within, working with all their might to heal the future Bloodreigna. It was a long while before Elias stepped out from within. He clutched a crimson-stained cloth in his hands, and he carefully wiped the blood from his fingers. There was nothing to be done about his clothes. They would be forever stained with that night's horrors. Penny scrambled to his feet and took a step towards Elias.

"She's stable. We managed to stop the bleeding in time. The healers are working on replenishing her blood now." Both Penny and Ava visibly relaxed, and Ava worked up a small smile. Penny took another step forwards, a question on his tongue.

"Can I see her?" Elias glanced behind him, uncertain.

"Give them some time to clean things up. You don't want to go in there now." He winced at the memory of Lilly sprawled across her bedroom floor, drenched in her own blood.

"I don't care. I just want to be with her." Penny's forehead creased in consternation. Pursing his lips, Elias gave a reluctant nod. That was all it took for Penny to rush past him and into the room. He nearly halted at the sight that greeted him.

So pale, so fragile and lifeless. It looked as if a bucket of scarlet had splashed across the bed. Lilly's clothes had been cut away from her wound, and three healers delicately wiped at the still-wet blood staining her alabaster skin. For a moment, Penny thought Elias had lied, and Lilly was dead before him. But then he saw the faint rise of her chest, and a wave of overwhelming relief crashed upon him. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he hastily wiped them away with the palm of his hand.

He waited for the healers to finish cleaning the residue before pulling up a chair and gripping her hand tight. Pressing her chilled fingers to his lips, he found himself turning to something he never thought he'd do again. He prayed.

For so long, his relationship with religion was tainted by the countless traumas he'd endured. As a child, his mother would take him with her to prayer and told him that whenever he felt hopeless, to turn his chin skyward and ask for strength from those beyond. And he had. Every night he'd lay in bed and ask the gods to help his mother. Help her see that the world wasn't such a horrible place and that she needn't be afraid of the shadows in the dark. He would pray for her to see that what was most important were the people that loved her. But he'd lost touch with that part of himself when his mother left him, and his father began to beat him. The gods had done nothing but watch it unfold. Yet here he was, praying to any who'd listen, that he wouldn't lose the one he loved most. And soon, his eyes grew heavy beneath the lamplight.

Penny was faintly aware of fingers running gently through his hair. Soft voices rumbled around him like rain on tin rooftops. He didn't know when he'd fallen asleep, only that the sky was beginning to lighten outside the window when he did. Elias had come to sit across from him, and Penny took comfort in his steady presence as he clutched onto the limp fingers of the woman he loved.

His eyes fluttered, and he found the room was alight with sunshine. A slight breeze blew through from the garden outside the bedroom window, and Penny could smell the faint scent of lavender and rose. Lilly had planted the roses herself not two weeks before, and with a little nudge of magic, they now bloomed pink and full. With a slight groan, he pushed himself upright on his elbow. He was greeted by a familiar glowing smile.

"Good morning." Lilly barely got out the greeting before Penny was frantically checking her over for any signs of distress. He found none beyond the bandages wrapped around her exposed abdomen.

"Why didn't you wake me up? I was so worried." He touched his forehead to hers and found that the cold sweat that plagued her most of the night had at last vanished, replaced by a subtle flush to the apples of her cheeks. Though Lilly was pale and weakened, she looked more or less healed.

"Elias told me you were up all night. I figured you needed the sleep." Penny sat back and looked over at Elias, who was in the same seat as before. He gave the man a disapproving frown.

"Not as much as I wanted to know you were okay."

"I'm fine." She squeezed his hand. "Hardly a scratch." Penny glanced pointedly at her bandaged stomach, and she at least had the sense to look ashamed for joking.

"When I got there I thought--" his voice caught with emotion, and she reached out her other hand to caress his cheek. He leaned into her touch, savoring every second he had with her.

"I'm fine now. You don't need to worry." She tilted her chin down and looked searchingly into his eyes. Lilly wanted him to know that she truly meant it.

"But how are you fine? Magic was still down when I got there, and Alice, she was running. She left everything behind and ran. How is that possible?"

"She's a shifter, that's how." They turned to stare at Elias, who had adopted a solemn expression. He sat forwards in his chair and rested his forearms on his thighs.

"What do you mean?" Lilly asked, unsure if she really wanted to know. The wrinkles beside his lips tightened. He narrowed his eyes at the floor as if studying them for a sign.

"Shifters aren't like the people who go to Brakebills." Lilly scrunched her nose in confusion. She knew this. He'd taught her all about Shifter magic in their lessons. "Magicians can manipulate the magic of The Wellspring and use it as their own. Shifters, Fairies, The White Woman, we thrive off the very magic used to create us. The magic that runs through our blood and the blood of others." Elias glanced up at them with a somber expression.

"Blood magic?" Lilly thought back to all of her lessons at Brakebills. Blood Magic was seldom mentioned, and if it was, it was strongly discouraged, forbidden even.

"Maegi, Blood Wielders. Shifters are one of them. Our magic is not dependent on the Wellspring."

"That's why Alice wanted my blood?" Everything was beginning to make sense. The first thing Alice did after burning out in battle was to come after her. She wanted something Lilly had. And when she'd ambushed Lilly in her dorm, she did it to steal her blood. Even Jane had warned her before she died. It was why the Library was so eager to get their hands on it. What was the worth of a Traveler when they could have the power of blood magic on their side?

"There are legends of power transfers. A higher being giving a piece of their power to a mortal. It's said that a drop of a Maegi's blood can be used to adopt their power as your own." Lilly suddenly felt sick.

"Alice wants to become a Maegi." She thought aloud, and even as she spoke it, a bitter taste settled in her mouth.

"We need to box the bitch right now." Penny straightened, looking between Elias and Lilly in alarm.

"We can't," Lilly mumbled, staring unseeing at the stark white bed sheets draped over her legs.

"What do you mean, we can't?" Penny was taken aback, and he felt a growing argument between them.

"Quentin destroyed the box. Alice told me." At this, she looked up again, and there was fear in her eyes.

"Fuck! Niffin boxes aren't just lying around. They take months if not years to enchant them." Penny ran a hand through his hair and stood. He walked a few paces to stand at the end of her bed. His anxiety was too strong to stand still.

"Then until we get a new one, I can't leave."

Lilly hadn't left The Valley in over two weeks

Lilly hadn't left The Valley in over two weeks. With Alice hell-bent on acquiring her blood, there wasn't a safe place outside The Valley for her to go. Ava had been incredibly tight-lipped when it came to the affairs of Fillory. She'd effortlessly slipped into the role of ambassador, and in an attempt to keep Lilly from running off to help with the never-ending crisis, hadn't told her a thing. It had gotten to the point that Lilly was so bored, she'd taken to reorganizing the archives.

For a while, that occupied her, but then she'd seen Ava carry a few practice swords that they often used for the children and bring them out past the barrier. This caused quite the stir as she knew instinctually that this had something to do with the looming war between Fillory and Loria.

Penny did his best to keep her entertained, but he still had duties at the Library. She assumed that this particular afternoon would be just as infuriating as the last. But as she sat across from a fidgeting Quentin Coldwater, she found herself longing for the monotony with her entire being.

"I'm so sorry, Lil. This is all my fault." He refused to meet her gaze and instead trained his eyes on her stomach, where he knew a stab wound was still healing. Lilly crossed her arms across herself as if to block a vulnerable spot from an opponent. She never thought she'd feel anything but trust towards Quentin. But that was before he released Alice upon the world.

"Why are you here, Quentin?" He shifted in his seat and ran a hand through his unkempt hair.

"I spent the first week after the attack searching for any way to get rid of Alice-" Lilly raised a brow in annoyance. Quentin rolled his neck, swallowed hard, and gritted his teeth. "I, uh, kinda went off the deep end for a few days, and I got this, uh, cupcake from Josh. It- it doesn't matter. The point is that I had a vision. Julia- her shade, talked to me. She said she's lost."

"I'm sorry," Rubbing her temples, Lilly went over his jumble of words in her head. "You think a hallucinogenic cupcake you got from Josh Hoberman let you talk to Julia's shade?"

"I know it sounds insane- but it's- it's real. I know it is." Quentin's hands flailed about as they often did when he was trying to make a point.

"Julia's shade is gone." Lilly sighed. A dull pain had begun to bloom between her eyes.

"But where? They can't just stop existing. They must go somewhere." His voice grew more impassioned as he went along, and soon, he pushed himself off the seat of his chair and began pacing anxiously about the room. "So, I started to do some research, and I came up with nothing. But, I talked to Dean Fogg, and he said there's someone that knows a lot about shades and would probably be able to help. It's Alice. Alice from timeline twenty-three."

"Are you fucking hearing yourself, Q?"

"I know, I know, but hear me out." Quentin held up two fingers to keep her from speaking, only succeeding in provoking a glare from her. "Fogg said that she used her research on shades as a way to bring her brother, Charlie, back from being a Niffin. Now, granted, it didn't work for her. But if she knows that much about Niffins and shades, maybe she can tell us how to get rid of our Alice without enchanting a Niffin box."

"This is-" Lilly shook her head in disbelief and flipped back into the cushion of her armchair. "Quentin, you sound insane." He hurried over to her side, crouching down before her like a doting subject.

"Look, it's my fault Alice tried to kill you. I've been beating myself up all week for being so fucking selfish. I destroyed the Niffin box. I fucked up. I'm trying to fix this." His gaze was so sincere that Lilly felt her heart clench for him.

"Quentin, I can't just go on a wild goose chase like that. The minute I leave The Valley, Alice will find me." It wasn't an angry response but resigned.

"Not necessarily." Quentin's eyes lit up with the brilliance of an idea. "Julia has a necklace. It's enchanted to hide her from anyone, even a god. If we're with her, It can hide you, too."

"You want me to work with Julia? I've lost track of how many times she's screwed me over."

"I know, she knows. She wants her shade back. She wants to be good. If Alice twenty-three can tell us where the shades are and how to get rid of a Niffin, then we kill two birds with one stone." Lilly shut her eyes for a moment, taking three deep breaths. She was thankful that Quentin didn't push the matter further.

"I don't like it." She said, " but I can't let Alice run free while my people are at risk." By the end, her resolve had returned, and Lilly was eager to finally have a purposeful task other than twiddling her thumbs and doing minor tasks for Elias.

"We'll fix this. I promise." Quentin gave her a sad smile. It took a moment, but she returned it.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"This one, I will." His gaze grew steady, and for a flicker of a moment, she believed him. She wanted to believe him. But so rarely did she get what she wanted.

Chapter Text

"The Tesla Flexion has only been successfully employed once before. Luckily, we're using the original equipment, left to Brakebills by the man who invented it." Lilly stood uneasily beside Julia, listening as Dean Fogg presented them with the proper spell and execution. It was a highly nuanced spell, and while she was sure both she and Julia could execute it, she didn't like how volatile the contraption was.

"Nikola Tesla?" Quentin asked, his eyes growing wide with excitement.

"No, Fred Flexion," Fogg corrected. At this, Quentin deflated. "And it's only been used once before because-- Three people died trying to shut it down last time."

"Lovely," Lilly huffed. There was always a catch. Her sneakers squeaked against the concrete as she stepped over trailing wires. They reminded her of the bundles of knotted vines and roots that erupted from the Valley's forest floor. The canvas flaps of a tent-like structure glowed with diffused light from the fluorescents illuminating the empty classroom. Round bulbs with coils of wire lined the interior of the tent. They would amplify the spell and allow the fabric of their timelines to intertwine.

"What's the tent for?" Quentin asked, eyeing the contraption dubiously. Lilly paid no mind to the words spoken next, too focused on reworking the spell in her head and flexing her fingers in preparation.

"The Flexion is a fold between two different realities. The tented area is where they cross over." Fogg turned to face the tent and the women positioned themselves on opposite ends of it. "Now, Ms. Wicker, Ms. Cole, and I will work together to cast the Flexion, but if we hold it longer than two minutes, we will all die."

"Well, don't sugarcoat it," Quentin mumbled like a scolded child. The Dean ignored him and continued in earnest.

"Get the answers that you need, and then get out. Understood? And try not to touch anything in there. Matter from different realities occupying the same space can create a paradox, more like an explosion. As well a mess of problems for the people who'd find what's left of our bodies. Touch nothing." Quentin swallowed his rising anxiety and turned towards the tent.

"Got it," he nodded, the assurance more for himself than Fogg. Once he stepped inside, the three others took their positions around the tent. Lilly looked to her companions in turn. Each could see the others from their vantage points, and within moments they were ready. With silent nods, they began to cast.

The results were instant. Magic flowed through them like electricity down a conductor, and the lights began to flare and buzz incessantly. Lilly couldn't see the inner workings of the Tesla Flexion, only the one, then two shadows conversing within. Her ears strained to hear, but she couldn't discern anything above the whir of the machine.

If all went well, The Wellspring would hold up long enough for them to finish. She didn't want to think of what would happen if magic cut out in the middle of their spell. Lilly tried not to dwell on the unsavory possibility too long and focused all her attention on the repetitive motion of her hands and the magic she wielded. Just as her arms began to grow tired, a shrill chime erupted from the alarm clock, and Dean Fogg shouted a warning to Quentin. The shadows grew close, so close that for a split-second, Lilly thought he'd ignore the warnings, and doom them all with a single touch.

The lights burst in a shower of sparks and glass. She barely managed to fling her arms up to shield her face before shards rained down on them. The hum of working machinery gradually faded until there was nothing left but the still shrieking alarm. Julia silenced it with the snap of her fingers. The two shadows had once again become one. Quentin pushed aside the cloth draped entrance with one arm and crunched over glass glimmering in the fading light filtering through slatted blinds.

"Well, how do we kill a Niffin?" Lilly picked her way over wires and glass as she spoke, stopping a few feet from him as Fogg and Julia followed.

"You can't. Not really." Quentin ran a nervous hand through his dark waves and shook his head. "In all her research, she only ever came across one Niffin being killed. In Victorian London, a man's wife Niffined out, and he used an ancient Mayan spell to bind his soul with hers so that when it inevitably killed him, she'd come with him. I don't think any of us are ready to make that sacrifice." A deep frown curved her pink-stained lips.

"So we'd need to trap her inside one of us? Like you did with the Cacodemon sigil?" Julia asked, eyeing his shirt as if she could see the dark lines of the tattoo Alice was trapped in.

"Except, this time, we'd need to let her kill us." A grave silence fell over them, and Lilly rubbed her forehead to dispel the tension gathering there.

"There has to be another way." She looked over at Dean Fogg, who seemed to ponder Quentin's words with great deliberation. Quentin shuffled, and bits of glass clinked together beneath him.

"There is- sort of." Quentin began, using his hands to emphasize his words. "When Alice was trying to bring Charlie back, she thought that if she could find his shade, she might be able to repair the connection between body and soul. Therefore, reversing the transformation to Niffin. But that's a shot in the dark at best." Despite his admittance that it would be close to impossible, Lilly saw the spark of hope in his eyes. Hope was a dangerous thing.

"If we find where the shades are kept, we can try to take Alice back with us," Julia suggested, watching Quentin's expression in a way that told Lilly she too recognized the familiar and troubling look on his face. Quentin's unwavering faith in Alice's Niffin had already resulted in deadly consequences. He would grasp at any chance to bring her back, and Lilly didn't like having a loose cannon of a friend. There were too many ways it could end in disaster.

"Shades go to The Underworld. It's only accessible to the dead. But there's a catch. The living can access The Underworld with the help of a Gatekeeper. An ancient one. A being older than the world itself." Quentin began to pace across the room and back as he spoke. It was a sure sign of his manic tendencies, and after a moment, Lilly took his arm and guided him over to a covered table where he perched himself atop it.

"Okay, how do you find one of those?" She asked him, trying her best to give him something specific to focus on. When Quentin got excited, he often struggled to find the words to express his thoughts and ended up blabbering about this or that as his brain ran a mile a minute. Giving him a purpose, a trajectory for his mind, was always helpful.

"She's still looking." He huffed, tucking his legs beneath him like a pretzel. He glanced over at the Tesla Flexion and bit the inside of his cheek. "Whatever happened in that timeline, it fucked her up big time. She was not our Alice."

"Well, that bodes well for us," Julia muttered.

"I did warn you," Fogg reminded them. He crossed his arms over his chest. He loved to say he told them so.

"I know, I just didn't think--" Quentin ran a hand through his hair anxiously.

"So, we find a Gatekeeper. We've done the impossible before. We can do it again." Placing a hand on Quentin's back, Julia gave him an encouraging smile. It didn't reach her eyes. Lilly nodded absentmindedly, too focused on reworking all the information of the past few minutes.

"I'll check with The Valley. You two research here." She finally announced.

"Okay, I'll let you know if we find anything," Julia responded for Quentin, who had once again been swept up in his racing thoughts.

A cloud of dust flew into the air as Lilly slammed shut a book that she was quite sure hadn't been touched since long before The Chatwin siblings were even born

A cloud of dust flew into the air as Lilly slammed shut a book that she was quite sure hadn't been touched since long before The Chatwin siblings were even born. The Valley archives had become quite familiar to her, and she'd come to know their keeper, an old man named Hector, well in her time spent there. She'd lost track of the hours she'd spent with her nose in one text to another, searching for a solution to whatever problem plagued Fillory that day. This time the solution she needed was for herself and The Valley.

A ceramic bowl piled full of food was placed on the table before her, and Lilly glanced up to see her grandfather. It was strange that she hadn't even heard him approach. He made much more of a commotion coming and going now that he was forced to walk with a cane. She had to squint through the glare of indirect sunlight to see him. Thankfully he pulled out a chair and took a seat beside her, propping his cane against the table. It was enchanted by Yakia to ease aching joints and help with mobility. But there was only so much it could help. Elias shook as he lowered himself down into the carved seat, and she was overwhelmingly aware of the toll time had taken on his body.

"I figured you hadn't eaten yet." Lilly looked at the bowl of rice, beans, and vegetables piled high before her. It smelled divine, and it was then that she realized just how hungry she was. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Penny was more often than not the person to pull her from her obsessive research and make sure she was tending to her most basic needs. Since he began working with the library, she'd seen less and less of him in the daylight hours. Elias had taken to making sure she was eating and taking breaks. He liked to tell her that she got her fixating tendencies from Jane, and to distract her from the pile of worries she'd accumulated, he'd tell her stories of their time together.

"You'd be correct." Lilly gave him a bashful smile and pulled the meal closer to her. "Thank you." She took a few bites and immediately felt better. It was often hard to tell how much of her discomfort was from stress and how much was from not eating.

"You aren't Bloodreigna yet, you know," Elias observed her closely, his wrinkled hands resting on the table before him. "You don't need to make sacrifices like this. Our people will understand if you take a day off now and then." His voice was cracked and strained with age, and a wave of sadness went through her. She pulled a half-hearted smile and glanced back towards the book she'd just finished reading.

"If Alice somehow found a way into The Valley, if even one life was lost because of it, I could never forgive myself." Lilly put down her spoon, her appetite suddenly vanished. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Alice is my responsibility. I will make whatever sacrifice I have to if it means The Valley will be safe."

"At least I do not doubt your ability to rule. Who taught you to be so good?" His eyes sparkled with joy, and it warmed her heart to see the pride in them. She loved her grandfather so very much.

"Must be in my blood." She teased, and Elias laughed lightly.

"Well, If I can't stop you, would you like some help?" Lilly glanced around at the piles of untouched books and sighed in defeat. Elias raised both eyebrows in his infuriating, 'I know you need it', sort of way.

"I'd be an idiot to say no." There was no way she was going to make it through all of them, even with the aid of a speed reading charm. Instead of struggling to stand again, Elias waved a hand in the air. One of the books atop a far pile flapped its pages over at his command. It settled with a small cloud of dust onto the table.

"Alright, what have we got here?" He flipped through the pages, scanning the first few for a hint of the subject matter. His fingers expertly drifted across worn pages, and she wondered how many times he'd been in these archives when he was young. Elias spoke of his time before leadership fondly, but it was clear that he loved his position and the people he cared for. Lilly prayed that she would slip into the role as seamlessly as he had.

"These are all the books that mentioned The Underworld, Gatekeepers, or Ancient ones. So far, I've got nothing." She shrugged, dragging the next unbearably thick tome before her and heaving it open to scan the index.

"Have you tried looking for information on portal creatures?" Elias didn't look up from the book he was reading. "Mermaids, unicorns, Suriels, and such?" Lilly furrowed her brows in question.

"I didn't know they could create portals."

"They've been in hiding since The Beast took over Fillory, fleeing to one world or the next." He waved one hand in the air as he spoke, adding a flourish to his words. Shifters were by no means the first magical creatures to be forced into hiding by The Beast. "Quite a few went to Earth." Lilly thought back to her first-year trials when she'd been forced to dive for Margo's ridiculous bracelet. They'd mentioned mermaids in the lake, and she wouldn't have believed them had she not seen the glimpse of a massive tail and dark hair in the depths.

"You think one of them could bring us to The Underworld?" She watched his face intently, though he did nothing more than scan the page and purse his lips in concentration.

"Undoubtedly," he nodded. "Finding the right one, however, is a much more difficult task."

"So, we narrow it down." Lilly bit her lip and scanned the stacks with a decisive eye. "Eliminate based on origins, range of abilities, and access." She listed each one out on her fingers. When she looked back at her grandfather, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Brilliant girl." Elias reached out to brush a finger beneath her chin affectionately. She couldn't help but duck her head and smile. "Let's get to work." With Elias's help, they quickly narrowed their search. Books rearranged themselves and flew around the room, now and then plucked from the air by Lilly to be flipped through. It went on like this for almost half an hour until Elias called out in triumph.

"Ah, here we are!" He still sat in the same chair, unable to rush about the room and snatch up books like his granddaughter. Lilly was more than happy to do the heavy lifting. After all, he had cut her work down to almost nothing. She leaned over his shoulder, casting a slight shadow over the page. On it was a charcoal drawing, and words scrawled around it in haste. "Your Gatekeeper is a dragon." Sure enough, the drawing depicted a massive scaled beast, breathing fire. A creature older than time. A Gatekeeper of The Underworld.

"Where were you four hours ago?" Lilly beamed and bent down to give him a big kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe this will teach you to ask me first." His tone was one of humor, but she did take note of that for future endeavors.

"I need to send word to Julia and Quentin. Will you be alright walking home?" She assessed his current state, his frail arms, and stiff legs.

"I'm not as fragile as I look." He shot her an indignant look. When she hesitated, he began to shoo her out the door. "Go, I'll be fine." Lilly rolled her eyes but stepped out into the evening air.

"I love you!" She called, waving over her shoulder with one hand while the other clutched the book they'd found to her chest.

"Love you, too." He replied, but she was already sprinting down the path.

Lilly sat cross-legged on the soft blanketed mattress of her cottage, tracing idly along her quilt with the swirling patterns

Lilly sat cross-legged on the soft blanketed mattress of her cottage, tracing idly along her quilt with the swirling patterns. It had been a gift from the seamstress, Mirella. 'For the future Bloodreigna', she'd said. Lilly had nearly refused it. A gift given so easily was something she'd never been too used to. But before she could pull a few coins from her pocket, Elias had placed a hand on her arm and thanked the woman.

Lilly wasn't sure she'd ever get used to being a leader. No one in The Valley had ever been anything but kind to her. Never said anything about having a foreigner for a queen. She had a sneaking suspicion that she was the only one who felt strange about it. As time went on, she settled into her role, and now she stood before a choice that could save or doom her people.

"We had a bit of a development on the Reynard front today." Penny stepped out of the bathroom, mussing up his wet hair with a towel. Lilly glanced up at him curiously. "I collected this book for The Library, and long story short, the woman who had it, Harriet, put a Motus Hex on it. The guy who stamped it ended up killing himself just so he wouldn't open a door and get something for her."

"Holy shit." Her back straightened, and her brows knitted together with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But it turns out that behind that door is something called the Poison Room. It's where they put knowledge so powerful and dangerous it could destroy worlds."

"You think that the key to killing Reynard is in this Poison Room?"

"We know it is. Harriet packed up and disappeared, but she left a call card behind for Kady. The Ars Deicidium." He reached over to his desk and lifted a small parchment note card as if to prove it.

"And you're going to get it?" Penny nodded, scanning her face for a reaction. For a moment, she said nothing, just sat in contemplative silence while Penny shifted his weight fretfully between feet. "You don't have to do this."

"And you don't have to go to the Underworld." He came to stand before where she sat at the edge of their bed. Chin tilted upwards, Lilly gave him a sorrowful look.

"The Poison Room. I don't like the sound of that." Penny placed a hand on her cheek. Shutting her eyes, she leaned into his warmth.

"If we're going to kill Reynard, I think this is the only way." He muttered. His eyes trailed over every crease and line of her face, reveling in the beauty of such tiny details. Her lashes fluttered open, and their gazes met. They'd been through so much together, stood as one against so many foes. It was so easy to see the resignation in each other's expressions. Lilly licked her lips with a sigh.

"Killing a god." Her chocolate eyes shone with tears. "We've all lost our minds." A bitter breathy laugh erupted from Penny's chest. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips.

"That ship sailed a long time ago." She gave him a teasing shove and a halfhearted laugh. It dissolved almost instantly. Lilly once again looked up at him, and this time there was an unmatched intensity there.

"You come back to me." It was more of a command than anything else. But the fiercely protective love was all Penny saw.

"Only if you do, too." He leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead, letting it linger a second longer than usual. This wasn't goodbye. There was no finality but a promise to never go anywhere the other couldn't follow. Lilly snuggled under the comforter and watched as Penny made his way to his side. With a sharp click, he flicked out the light and climbed in beside her. In the darkness, Lilly laid her head on his chest and let the steady, reassuring thump of his heart lull her to sleep. Just like every night before, and everyone to come.

Chapter Text

Lilly pulled the hood of her jacket tighter as they turned left into another identical pathway. Their flashlights illuminated the shimmering beads of condensation dripping from the rusted pipes and down the brick-lined New York sewers. The scents of city waste were heightened by damp tunnels. If she hadn't cast a scent-blocking spell, she might've gagged. Lilly walked a step behind Julia and Quentin, studying the puffs of breath that would appear at her exhalation.

"Look, you guys didn't have to come with me. I don't think that you should." Julia's voice brought her back to focus. She'd been silent during their trip, only piping up to offer direction to her companions.

"Noted, but we're coming," Quentin replied, looking back at Lilly in confirmation.

"I'm not about to let my best friend go to the underworld without backup." Lilly shivered as she spoke. She and Quentin weren't exactly on the best of terms, but the words had slipped out before she could think twice. She love him, even if she wanted nothing more than to throttle him for being so irresponsible as to set Alice free. "And despite our past disagreements, I don't think you deserve to live your life as a shell of a person." A ripple of energy went up her spine, and they instinctively turned right. "How'd a Hedge Witch learn Ancient Greek, anyways?"

"Marina Andrieski. Brakebills Alum turned Hedge Witch. She took me in after Brakebills rejected me. It's complicated. Or it was. Reynard murdered her, too." Lilly frowned deeply.

"I'm sorry." A thick silence fell over the group. While Julia didn't feel any of the pain she would have with a Shade, it was still an unpleasant subject. Lilly was sure the images of Marina's murder were dancing behind her eyes, just as Alex's did in her own.

"Oh!" Quentin stopped short and began fishing through his little backpack. He pulled out a handful of three little black devices and held them out with his flashlight shining on them.

"Pagers?" Lilly scrunched up her nose and gave Quentin a dubious look.

"They're spelled to work literally anywhere. Even The Underworld. If any of us get separated, we'll still be able to find the others."

"Huh, surprisingly insightful."

"You flatter me, really," he deadpanned. To Lilly's surprise, she giggled, despite being with two of the last people she'd want to share a laugh with right now. Julia caught her eye and smiled lightly, though there was no spark of amusement that should have been there. It was Julia's shade that would've laughed along, and Lilly could tell, the smile she mustered now was merely an echo of what was once there. Julia was performing based on memory, going through the motions of human emotion like it was a choreographed dance and not an instinct like breathing or drinking. Lilly didn't let her smile drop when she met Julia's gaze, she might've before, but there was a part of her that knew that Julia was clinging to any semblance of human connection, of pure kindness.

So Lilly gave it to her, not caring that she'd double-crossed them so many times. Because, at the core of it all, Julia was only a woman. A woman who had been battered and bruised at every turn. She tucked the pager into her back pocket, thankful that Quentin had the foresight to bring them along. As they continued on their path, they began to see little things that didn't belong in the underbelly of New York City. Their flashlight beams glimmered and Illuminated giant wooden barrels, typewriters, jewels and pearls, dresses and statues, anything and everything they could think of.

"We must be getting close." They nodded as they approached a turn. The moment they stepped up to the edge of a dimly lit cathedral subway room, their lights flickered out. Quentin thumped on the side of his to no effect.

"This dragon better be fucking cool," Quentin grumbled, side-eyeing his friend. It was enough that they had to climb into the sewers of New York, now they'd be forced to traverse its depths without their flashlights.

"I certainly like to think so." A rumbling female voice echoed through the tunnel-like a great gong. "Come into the light, Little mammals." Lilly glanced at her peers and hesitantly stepped into the lit area. She looked up and around for any sign of where the dragon hid. The hulking outline of something scaled and massive was tucked behind tiled pillars and shrouded in darkness.

"Uh, greetings, your Ladyship." Quentin gave a slight bow, but it ended up more like a curtsy because of the way he tucked one foot behind the other. As she stared up at the towering pillars and the dark shadows they cast upon the floor, she was overwhelmingly aware of how minuscule she and her companions were.

"Your Ladyship? I am a Queen of the Great Worms." The Gatekeeper's voice was elegant, condescending, and had a slight rasp to it like she'd smoked one too many cigarettes. If the legends were true, and it could breathe fire, Lilly thought that would explain it.

"Of course you are. Uh, that's awesome--I wasn't suggesting that you weren't." Quentin looked over at Lilly in a panic as he stumbled over his apology. She reached out to tug on his sleeve gently, a sign to get himself under control. It was safe to assume that a dragon wouldn't be the most amenable creature out there, and she worried that any weakness, or even false praise, would result in a less than desirable outcome.

"Your manner does not endear me to you, human." It was a statement laced with disdain. Julia took this as a cue to step further into the light and raise her voice.

"We seek passage to the Underworld, oh, Ancient One." Julia was quite the opposite of Quentin. Steady, cool-headed, regal even. They peered into the darkness, straining their eyes for any hint of the being with which they were speaking. As if intrigued by Julia's declaration, a single glowing golden eye blinked open. Lilly had to clench her teeth so as not to flinch when a dark charcoal scaled head shifted into partial illumination. The Gatekeeper remained in shadow but close enough for them to make out her enormity when she straightened to what must nearly have been her full height. It must've been at least fifty feet to the top of the arched ceiling.

"Hmm. You seek to die."

"Uh, no, actually, we were hoping to come back after." Quentin swallowed hard, his eyebrows knitting together to form a peak in the middle.

"Suit yourself," The dragon sighed, and a puff of gray steam hissed into the light. "I require a gift."

"A gift?" Quentin glanced at both women with a nervous yet hopeful expression. "Um yeah, I mean, name it, and we'll get it for you."

"You already have it. It's in your pocket." For a second, none of them understood, not even Quentin himself. But then he reached inside his pocket, and when he opened his hand for them to see, the portal button rested in his palm. Lilly and Quentin froze.

"No. Pick something else." To their surprise, it was Julia's sharp denial that cut through the hot thick air of the sewer.

"No, if it gets you your Shade back--" Quentin lowered his voice and turned away from the dragon.

"If that deal is not to your liking, I would accept the Shifter in place of the portal." The greed in The Gatekeeper's voice sent a shiver of unease up her spine. Lilly raised one brow in defiance and placed both hands on her hips.

"Uh, no," she held up a finger. "I'm not on the menu."

"Could we please have a moment to discuss?" Quentin stepped forward to stop that suggestion from progressing. With a huff, the dragon begrudgingly agreed, but Lilly could practically feel its beady eyes and uncanny hearing assessing every one of their moves. Julia lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.

"No. Fillory is your home. And what about your friends? What if they need you? We can't."

"If it takes giving up my way home to save my people, I'll do it happily. It won't matter if I can't find a solution for Alice." Lilly pursed her lips. The Valley was still a very closely guarded secret, despite having more outsiders within its barriers than they'd had in over seventy years. However, if Alice wanted her blood, Lilly wouldn't put it past her to begin hunting all Shifters. They were making such positive progress with Eliot and Margo as the rulers of Fillory. She wanted her people to be free, not hunted.

"Queen of the Great Worms. What if we, uh, needed to borrow it in the future, just super briefly?" Quentin asked this as one would a favor from a friend. The dragon's gold eyes flared to a crimson like the embers of a dying fire had been stoked back into flame.

"No. If you wish to return home, you must find other means. The first door remains open, little mammal."

"Great, um, I super love riddles." A low rumble radiated towards them from the shadows, vibrating through their very cores. The Gatekeeper lowered her head and pushed forward until her muzzle was illuminated. They stared down a steaming maw of razor-sharp teeth.

"Are you giving me the button or not?" Lilly looked at Quentin and swallowed hard. She tried to push the growing dread down. With a decided nod, Quentin placed the button before the great beast. "Your bodies will stay here, and your souls will travel. You have 24 hours to return to the portal."

"Or?" Julia asked.

"I sit patiently, waiting for you to come back." The dragon's response was sickly sweet. "No, I eat you--I'm a fucking dragon. What do you expect?"

"Great, good to know," Quentin mumbled. Lilly scrunched her face up and nodded like she understood the creature's logic. It was an expected response, though it was still quite jarring when staring straight into glowing reptilian eyes and a steaming maw of prehistoric fangs.

"Then it's settled." Before anyone could speak another word, The Gatekeeper let out a huff of thick smoke, which blew over all three and enveloped them in a silver cloud. Sparks stung at Lilly's skin, and without thinking, she inhaled a deep lungful of air. Her body instantly rejected it, and she began hacking up any remnant of it.

"Ugh, ever heard of a breath mint?" Lilly waved her hand in front of her face to dispel the rancid mist.

"Jesus, a little warning next time, honestly." It was then that Lilly spotted the bizarre sight before them. Three bodies lay sprawled across the tiled floor of the sewer.

"Really." Julia agreed, clutching her chest in discomfort. "Q, look." Her eyes had settled on the bodies, and she pointed to it with wide eyes. Lilly blinked a few times and lifted her eyebrows to her hairline, wondering if she was somehow hallucinating an out-of-body experience. But when she looked at her companions, they were equally unnerved.

"Time to go." None of them particularly enjoyed walking away from their bodies. Lilly felt a sharp pull in her chest the further she got. It was like her soul was still tethered to her body, and as she got further and further from it, it pulled taught. She wondered if she got far enough, would it snap her back like a rubber band or break apart completely?

As it turns out, the entrance to The Underworld was an elevator. Lilly tapped a finger against her thigh, watching anxiously as the roman numerals across the top lit up in rapid succession. She didn't believe that The Underworld was limited to just ten floors, and she had the sneaking suspicion that the numbers really meant ten thousand or million. They wouldn't give a soul access to the entire Underworld on their first day. Her stomach sank as the elevator settled on level 5, and the chrome doors went from reflecting three anxious faces to opening on a floor that looked more like a hospital waiting room than the gates to hell. A man dressed in a bellhops uniform of red and gold stepped up to greet them with his best customer service smile.

"Welcome to the Underworld. Please take a number." He held out a hand towards a ticket dispenser as a deli might have.

"The fuck?" Quentin looked around the lobby with a slack jaw. Lilly and Julia shared amused glances, overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all. With a shrug, Lilly walked towards it and ripped off a number. 168 it read in small black type. Quentin and Julia took theirs and meandered into the room, joining the other departed souls.

"Congratulations, you're dead." A gentleman's voice sounded from her right. She turned her head, expecting to find another bellhop or even an usher of some sort, but instead, there was a small flat-screen TV, crowded by a handful of others. On it was a man in a tan suit, sat in an armchair by a roaring fireplace. A golden retriever sat dutifully by his side. It was comforting, in a superficial way. "You've passed through the veil to the Underworld. Is this your final destination? No. It's the first leg of your journey." Lilly made her way over to the back of the crowd, and Quentin grabbed a pamphlet that read-

'Don't Panic. You Probably Aren't Going To Hell.'

"Isn't that reassuring," she mumbled, her voice drenched with sarcasm.

"We designed this part of the Underworld for you, based on your life and personal expectations to facilitate a comfortable transition. You've been grouped with others who have similar expectations. Perfect, right?" There was a sharp intake of breath, and Lilly jerked her head to the side. Julia winced, clutching her stomach.

"Ow."

"What?" Quentin asked. With meticulous hands, Julia rolled up the hem of her shirt. Lilly sucked in a harsh breath.

"Fuck," she hissed. "That's not good." Where Julia's stomach should've been was a gaping hole through her body. It was so big that Lilly could see through her to the elevator. At the edges, her skin was shredded like string cheese.

"Settle into this next stage of your existence. In the unlikely event you're missing your Shade, please report to a bellhop immediately. Enjoy your wait." The program ended with a closeup of the golden retriever, gleefully panting, and it went dark with a click.

"I guess we need to find a bellhop." No sooner had Julia finished her sentence than a blaring alarm cut through the lobby with nerve-shredding shrillness.

"Security, we have a Shade-less patron!" Someone shouted, and all three of them whirled when two uniformed men strode across the lobby and hooked their arms around a middle-aged man and began dragging him along with them.

"What? Hey!" The man protested, his head jerking every which way in a panic. Lilly opened her mouth to say something and took one step towards the scene. Julia clamped her hand around Lilly's wrist and pulled her back.

"We can't." She whispered, her eyes sharp with meaning. Lilly almost tried to break free, almost ignored her warning, and barreled after the man. But she couldn't. It was too late for him, and if she tried to help, they'd be in even worse trouble.

"Take him away." A young man in a black suit and tie and slicked back blonde hair instructed. He wore a name tag that said, Tom. Just Tom, no last name, no title.

"Why? Where are you taking me?" The man bucked and squirmed in the guard's grasp.

"Thank you, thank you." Tom smiled as if they'd cleaned up a simple spill on the tile, not just dragged a man off kicking and screaming.

"Read me my rights! Hey, let go! Wait, ow!" Lilly clenched her teeth and watched it all unfold.

"Or, you know we don't say anything about the shade situation." Julia corrected. The man and the guards were gone now, and Lilly had a pit in her stomach that wouldn't go away.

"168!" Lilly's head shot towards the call. Tom had returned to his station behind a marble-topped desk, as cool as a cucumber. When he caught her looking, he beckoned her forward with a full-toothed smile. Quentin and Julia trailed after her until they reached the counter, and Lilly presented Tom with her number.

"Place your hands on the counter for identification, please." He pointed to the line of circular lighted screens on the counter. They did as told, and the light began to pulse and swirl.

"Hey, do you know where they were taking that guy just now?" Quentin asked him, nodding in the direction they'd disappeared. He tried his very best to look nonchalant, but Quentin was never a good actor.

"Oh, his soul is missing a little piece. They just took him somewhere where he would be more comfortable." Tom's tone was condescending at best. It was like being back in kindergarten and asking the teacher a question too adult to receive a truthful answer.

"So he could be reunited with it?" Julia pressed, and Tom shook his head.

"I doubt it. That's very difficult to do. Especially after a prolonged separation."

"Yeah, but you can't just take--"

"I assure you, all the Shades are safe and well protected for their eternity. Nothing to worry over." Tom cut Julia off without a second thought, and as soon as he'd finished brushing her off like a common pest, he returned to scanning his computer screen. "Ah, here we are. Cole, Wicker, and Coldwater. Oh. Oh, my." Tom looked up at them with concern, and for a moment, Lilly thought they'd been caught.

"What?"

"You've both died 39 times. Lilly Rose Cole, 23 times." They all nodded awkwardly. "Aha--time loop. Thought so, our computers do not handle these well. This will take a bit to sort out." They all visibly relaxed at that. Tom pulled out a massive black book and began flipping through it. "Once you're in the system, we'll reunite you with your immediate karmic circle, but until then, I'll need to stick you somewhere. Do you like skiing?" He asked with his signature sickly sweet smile. Lilly truly wanted to gag looking at him.

"Look, I thought this was just a waystation. -- We're kind of in a hurry."

"Oh, it is. But souls do stay a while until they're ready to move on." His expression sobered to one of pity, then lit up with false enthusiasm, going from sympathetic to hyperactive in half a second. "Snorkeling? Art museums?" It sounded like a parent who didn't quite know how to occupy their children and avidly suggested options to get them out of his hair. They shared looks of uncertainty. It was Julia who finally offered up something.

"Actually, is it possible to check on a few names?"

Chapter Text

Pristine white walls and exquisite marble floors flowed down hallway after hallway. Each one held countless paintings, sculptures, photographs, and anything in between. Works of Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the greats were illuminated by white light. As Lilly strolled past them all, it was almost impossible not to gawk at their brilliance. She found that there were more pieces she didn't recognize than ones she did. Perhaps these were the masterpieces forgotten by history and taken by time.

Cushioned light blue benches ran down the middle of each corridor. There were very few souls that occupied the museum, but Lilly knew that even if filled to the brim, she would've recognized her mother anywhere. Her breath caught in her throat the moment she spotted the woman sat alone before a gold-framed oil painting. It couldn't have been more than two feet wide and depicted two women and a man performing music in a grand parlor.

Lilly took a hesitant step forward, and Evelyn must've sensed her because before she could prepare herself, Evelyn turned her head and met her gaze. Lilly's throat bobbed. The first emotion to cross her mother's face was confusion. Her face scrunched in an achingly familiar way that reminded Lilly of her childhood. Then her blue eyes brightened with a spark of uncontainable glee.

For a split second, it was like looking in the mirror, and Lilly felt a stab of shame at the reminder that she had begun to forget her mother's face. But, watching her now, it all came flooding back. She didn't care about the times they'd fought or when she hadn't been there for her. All she knew was that here she stood, the picture of grace and intelligence. If Lilly were to reach out, she would feel smooth skin, warm and tangible, and if she rested her head upon her chest as she had as a child, there would be a steady thumping heartbeat.

"Hi, Mum." She whispered, her voice thin and broken. Her pink lips quivered with emotion, and somehow, Evelyn's smile grew.

"Lilly." It was as if Evelyn was greeting her after she'd run off to the garden, and soon she'd offer her a cup of tea and allow her a single sugar cube as she always did. Tea parties had been a staple in their home growing up. Evelyn had even set up a tea table in the back garden just for her.

A heavy sob ripped out from her chest. Lilly threw a hand to her mouth as thick tears streamed down her cheeks. Startled, Evelyn stood and hurried over to her. She wore an all-white suit set, perfectly tailored to her, and hugging her thin frame. It was the sort of suit one would pay thousands for on earth. Her high heels tapped on the floor as she stopped before her daughter. The moment her arms wrapped around her, Lilly melted into her like water on dry soil.

"What happened? Why are you here?"

"I'm not-- well, I am, but-- I'm not dead, exactly."

"What have you gotten mixed up in now?" Evelyn sighed, almost like she was disappointed, but a small smile still curved her lips. She was more resigned to her daughter's troublesome tendencies than anything. Lilly had the sense to look bashful, and her mother chuckled. "Come, sit. Tell me everything." Lilly let Evelyn guide her to the bench with a grounding hand on her back. They sat for what must've been nearly an hour while Lilly told her everything that had happened since Evelyn was killed. How they'd managed to kill The Beast, and Lilly had found Elias and The Valley. Then the reason she sat in The Underworld at that very moment.

"I can't believe you met my birth parents." Evelyn shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Me neither." Lilly squeezed her and grinned. "Elias, he's the greatest grandfather. I wouldn't have made it through all of this without him."

"I'm so glad you aren't alone." Evelyn reached a hand up to cup her daughter's cheek, and Lilly pushed down another round of crying. She wiped at her cheeks despite them being dry.

"Is Alex here?" Lilly asked, looking around the gallery as if she expected him to walk out and surprise her with his gigantic puppy dog grin and sparkling dark eyes.

"He was." Evelyn's lips quirked in pity as Lilly's lips dipped into a frown. "Moved on not long ago."

"Why are you still here, then? He died after you did."

"Crossing over isn't first-come, first-serve. Alex was fortunate. He was entirely unaware of his possession. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the dungeons of Fillory, and then, poof! He was dead." Evelyn made a poof gesture with her hands, and Lilly nodded. She was disappointed and couldn't hide it. But she was also thankful that he had found peace.

"So, he didn't feel it? He didn't see what happened?" She thought back to the gruesome details of her mother's death, how The Beast had possessed Alex and used his body to slaughter Evelyn.

"Not a thing. His passing was as easy as falling asleep."

"That's good." Lilly ran the back of her hand beneath her eyes. "But, you didn't have that." For the first time, Evelyn's smile faltered. Her eyes glazed as if reliving the very moment her life brutally ended.

"No, no it wasn't." Her tone was as fragile as glass.

"I'm so sorry, mum." Lilly squeezed her hand, and Evelyn turned her palm skyward to intertwine their fingers.

"Darling, it is not your burden to bear."

"It was my fault he found you. I should've--"

"There is nothing you could have done to stop it. I'm just grateful that Alex didn't witness what that Beast used his body to do." "I still have healing to be done. It may be a while before it's my time to go, but it will be worth it. I'm glad I got to see my baby one last time before I go." Lilly glanced again at the painting they sat before. Beneath it was a metal placard labeled,

Joannes Vermeer, The Concert, c1666

"I spent my life dreaming of seeing this again. I saw it when I was young. Only a few months before it was stolen. It was never recovered."

"It was taken in the Isabella Stewart Gardner heist, right?" Evelyn nodded.

"You brought me a book from there when I was seven." Lilly smiled wistfully. "It's still in my room at Brakebills."

"Are you happy? In your life?" Lilly took a moment to ponder this. She stared at the painting, studying the imperfect brush strokes and earthy tones. Her mind ran over the people and places that made up her reality. Penny, Elias, Margo, Eliot, Ava, all of them were part of her family.

"I am." Evelyn smiled proudly and pulled Lilly closer to place a loving kiss on her forehead. The tranquility couldn't last forever, and as they pulled away, a shrill beeping echoed from her pocket and down the hall. Lilly pulled the pager from her back pocket and deflated.

"Go, you have a life to get back to."

"Will you come to say goodbye? At the Elevator?"

I wouldn't miss it." Lilly stood and took in the sight of her mother once more.

"I love you," she said, and it was more than just a declaration. It was a thank you.

"I love you, too." Lilly left the gallery, feeling at once unburdened and torn apart.

As it turns out, the Shades were kept in Hades and Persephone's mansion at the very edge of The Underworld. Elysium, it was called. Lilly remembered it from all her studies of Greek Mythology in College. This was where only the greatest heroes resided. Only an act of true greatness could grant you an afterlife of pure happiness and peace there. Demigods and their families were among the residents of the Elysian Fields.

It was easier to sneak in than she would've thought. But then again, how many people sneaked into the underworld of their own free will? Deep mahogany floors and pink floral wallpaper covered every surface of the interior. Crystal chandeliers, antique clocks, and artifacts that must've been millions of years old at least were on display for all to see. It could've all been a depressing mix of history and cavernous finery, but the halls of Persephone's mansion were filled with joyous laughter. Children anywhere from five to eleven ran about in mindless games. Lilly had to swerve to avoid two little boys sprinting down the hall and shrieking with laughter.

"You're it!" one called and rounded the corner while the other shouted in protest.

"It's like a Shade orphanage," Quentin muttered, his eyes trailing over every detail of the house warily. They stepped through a set of white painted french doors into what must've been the sitting room. A pair of children played chess on one of the pink settees. The pieces moved across the board with nothing but a glance from them. Now that Lilly thought about it, all the children were using magic. A red-headed girl by the window was making a rose bloom into scarlet with the twist of her fingers.

"We should hurry. We're running out of time. We should split up." Julia suggested, stopping just inside the room.

"I kind of have a thing about splitting up in houses full of creepy kids." Quentin flinched as the children playing tag zipped by without warning. Lilly nodded in agreement. While she didn't believe these children, or shades, had a malicious bone in their little bodies, she didn't trust that they were the only things in this place.

"After The Plover Estate, I have a thing about splitting up at all." A shiver ran up her spine, and she instinctively clutched her clock necklace as the memory of those poor murdered children raced through her mind. Quentin shot her a look of concern, but she avoided his gaze by scanning the room dutifully for any sign of Julia or Alice's shades. There were about fifteen children in the sitting room alone, but there was no shock of straight blonde hair or anyone who looked remotely like the woman standing beside her. Yet when her eyes landed on the love seat tucked into the corner, her breath caught. Her stomach dropped to her feet, and her eyes widened to saucers.

"Oh my God," she whispered. Quentin placed a hand on her arm, and even that couldn't tear her gaze from the boy sitting across the room.

"What? What- holy shit." He'd seen it too, she thought. She wasn't hallucinating. The boy was pale, with a spattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks. His dark hair was cropped short and fell in curtains to the sides of his forehead. A ten-dollar bill floated in the air as his hands dipped and twirled like that of a musical conductor. Mouth quirked to the side thoughtfully, mossy green eyes fixated on it with complete undivided attention.

"That's Martin Chatwin's Shade." Lilly's lips hung open. Her face was devoid of anything other than complete shock. The paper money floated down towards the coffee table like a feather, disappearing into a ripple of reality before it could settle on the surface. This Martin was quite a few years younger than the one they'd met in past Fillory. He mustn't have been more than ten, with a tiny frame and innocence to him that the teen Martin had lacked. This was the light of Martin Chatwin, the part of him that helped them find Jane in Fillory, the part that just wanted to escape to a world of magic and adventure. This was what The Beast had been missing, what he saw as a weakness, rather than what made him strong, and true, and good.

As if summoned by the mention of his name, the boy lifted his eyes and caught sight of them. A brilliant smile curled his lips, and a glint of excitement bloomed behind his eyes. Martin jumped up from the loveseat and sprinted towards them.

"Lilly!" he cried like she was his best friend. Before she could register any of these events, Martin threw himself into her torso and wrapped his arms around her. She let out a faint huff at the impact. Lilly couldn't bring herself to hug him back, only to stand stick straight as the boy buried his face in her stomach. Julia and Quentin looked aghast and stared at the sight of a little Martin clinging to his adult grand niece in the middle of The Underworld.

"What kind of fucking Twilight Zone is this?" Quentin blinked rapidly, expecting the boy to vanish once he cleared his eyes. But Martin just pulled back and looked up at Lilly with eyes full of admiration.

"What are you doing here?" Martin asked, still grinning ear to ear. Arms wrapped around Lilly's waist, he had to rest his chin on her stomach to look up.

"Uh," Lilly stared down at him and swallowed hard. "We're looking for some people." Her hands came up to rest lightly on his shoulders, meaning to push him away, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to do it.

"Martin, can we ask you a question?" Julia asked, stepping towards him. Martin pulled back and smiled up at her.

"Sure!" It was such a simple response, so easy and eager.

"What was that? That you just did with the money?" Julia gestured towards the loveseat he'd just vacated.

"For the little boy?" Martin's brows furrowed in question. Quentin had finally shut his mouth and now waited patiently for the Shade to answer.

"What little boy?" Quentin shot Lilly an inquisitive look as if she had any more information than he did.

"The little boy with the shitty dad." He said it as though the answer was obvious. But when he saw the puzzlement on all three of their faces, he continued. "He ran away and now he's cold and hungry. He'll find it on the sidewalk any minute." Martin turned and pointed to the small table in the adjoining sunroom. The little girl they'd seen upon first entering was still there, a vase of flowers floating above her lap. Each flower, once wilted and fading, began to lift and return to lush, vibrant life. "She's in a hospital room. She's making them bloom. It's a really obvious miracle, but that's okay. The girl in the room is gonna die anyway." Martin shrugged with a forlorn sigh.

"So you're all making miracles?" Julia gave him a breathless smile.

"Just little tiny ones, though." He looked up at Lilly and swung their joined hands gleefully. "You're my favorite person to make them for." Lilly's brows furrowed in bewilderment.

"You- you make miracles for me?" He nodded feverishly, his joy never faltering.

"You deserve them." All Lilly could do was stare blankly at the little boy grinning up at her like she was the sun to his moon. She'd never imagined someone was looking out for her. All this time, Lilly thought she was alone. She opened her mouth to say something, though she had no idea what. But Quentin began speaking before she could.

"Um, maybe you can help us? We were looking for some Shades. Julia and Alice." As if to clarify, Quentin looked around the room again, though no one had entered. Martin gave a little jump of enthusiasm.

"I just saw them! They've stuck together since Julia got here. She was a mess. Didn't even know what happened. Alice is pretty well-adjusted, you know. Didn't take her long." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's easier when you know someone already." Martin began pulling Lilly along down the hallway. She glanced back at the others to see they were trailing behind them. "This way." Martin lead them out of another doorway and down a wide hallway filled with a deep mahogany grand staircase.

"Up those stairs. Last door." He pointed up the towering flight of stairs. "They sometimes sneak into Miss Persephone's room even though we're not supposed to go in there."

"Martin?" Julia called, her voice far away and thin. She was standing before a portrait of a woman, shrouded in white surrounded by divine light. Lilly hadn't even noticed her fall behind.

"Yeah?" The little boy dropped Lilly's hand and went to stand beside Julia to look up at the portrait adoringly.

"Who's that?"

"That's Miss Persephone. She hasn't been here for a really long time, and no one knows where she is." Persephone was as beautiful as the myths depicted. Her skin was rich and warm as soil after a fresh spring rain, her eyes sparkling green like the leaves of a blooming wildflower.

"That's Our Lady Underground," Julia whispered, her misty eyes locked on the portrait.

"What? The one that you-" Quentin stopped short. He didn't know what to say. The one that you worshiped until she left you to be raped and nearly murdered by a trickster god?

"So you were real all along, huh? Just completely AWOL. Self-centered bitch. We were so stupid to love you." Martin frowned deeply. He didn't say anything, though.

"Jules -- I'm sorry." Placing a hand on Julia's shoulder, Quentin's face softened with pity. She shook him off with a scowl.

"For what?" Her neck muscles were tense and strained like she was trying to keep tears at bay, but they knew this wasn't the case. "Look, I'm glad I know. It's always better to know, Q." Julia whirled briskly towards the staircase, not looking back. Her head remained straight, avoidant of the other's eyes as she spoke. "Lilly, you keep watch. We'll sneak in and find the part of me that already snuck in." Quentin and Julia took the stairs two by two, disappearing to the upper floor without a second glance.

Lilly looked down at Martin and swallowed nervously, uncertain with how she'd handle being left alone with him. What to say, how to act- she couldn't even begin to think of ways to behave around him with their immensely complicated history.

"I know why you don't like me." Martin broke the silence. His voice was soft, much like his frown. Innocently, he pushed up his glasses with one finger, his mannerisms entirely different from the previous man she once knew. The Beast moved with a flourish, like an actor on the stage. He was bitter and volatile. Martin's shade was reserved, bright, carefree.

"I do like you." She said it automatically, and it was only after the words left her mouth that she thought about what she'd said. This was the person who'd killed Jane, Evelyn, Alex, and even herself in past timelines. But the man who did those things was so very different from the boy before her. "It wasn't you that hurt me." Cocking her head to the side, she wondered if she was saying this as a means of reassurance for Martin, or herself. He looked up at Lilly through wide, glassy eyes. She wished her words could erase the guilt behind them. Guilt, that was what would've kept The Beast from doing what he did.

"I'm sorry for what you've been through. I wish I could do more than just little miracles. I wish I could make every problem disappear." He sighed, his frown turning to a pout. Lilly placed a gentle hand on his back and guided him over to a set of armchairs tucked beside the staircase with a vase of purple lilacs between them. Martin hopped up into one of the seats and dangled his legs over the front. Lilly smiled subconsciously at the child's adorableness. She crouched down before him.

"I should've just taken you with me when we first met." She thought back to that scared boy who followed them through the portal to Fillory to escape a monster at home. The atrocities committed by Christopher Plover had far-reaching consequences, and even now, Lilly felt the aftershock of the abuse inflicted upon Martin. Everything that happened could be traced back to him. Tendrils of pain and suffering spiderwebbed through time, through each time loop, tainting it with blood and sorrow.

"If we keep focusing on what could have been, we'll never move forward." It was strange to hear such words of wisdom come from a child. But Shades were not children. They were the truest forms of human souls.

Martin reached out a hand and touched it to Lilly's cheek. It was so small that it barely covered a quarter of her face. His skin was smooth and warm, not calloused from years of hard work. It hadn't been used to maim, kill, and torture. These were to bring kindness to the world. A lump formed in Lilly's throat as she reached up to place her hand on his and cradle it to her skin.

"When I got here, I was inconsolable. When someone takes advantage of you the way Christopher Plover did me, it leaves a dark spot on your very soul. A shadow." Martin let his hand slip from her face and fall into his lap. He looked forlornly at his chest as if he could still see the dark handprint Plover had left there. Then he smiled at Lilly, and the pure joy in his eyes was staggering, warming her heart. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt something like that. "I have a new purpose here. I get to help those who are still struggling as I did on earth. Kindness is a powerful weapon." Lilly smiled gently, and although she was happy to see Martin this way, she couldn't hide the sorrow and pain that tarnished her heart at the thought of having to leave him behind.

"I wish we could've had time together." Lilly reached over and took his hand in hers once more.

"We did." Martin grinned. "You just didn't know it." Lilly smiled up at him through watery eyes. Four sets of footsteps thumped down the stairs above them. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket just as Julia and Quentin rounded the corner again. Their hands were both held by two little girls. Julia stood beside a girl who was unmistakably her Shade. Young Julia had the same light wave to her long brown hair and the same eyes. Beside her, hiding slightly behind her and Quentin's intertwined hands was the spitting image of Alice Quinn. When Lilly took in the faces of her older companions, she found they were not as joyful as she would've anticipated.

"What's wrong?" Lilly stood, and Martin jumped down from his chair beside her. He peaked around her curiously and waved to his fellow shades.

"There's a problem with our plan. We can only take one Shade."

Chapter Text

"They need a body to leave." Julia eyed Quentin closely. He was staring off into space in consternation.

"You can only bring one of us back." Julia's shade spoke up from beside her older counterpart. Lilly glanced between the young shades, with Martin holding onto the hem of her jacket like he expected to be separated at any moment.

"We take Alice." Julia declared, nodding her head as if she had just now convinced herself.

"Jules, what the hell?" Quentin's eyes went wide, and his brows furrowed, making it look like his eyeballs were about to fall out of his head.

"This isn't up for debate." Julia looked down at her shade forlornly. If she did this, she would never have her back.

"This decision affects all of us, so yes, it is." Lilly crossed her arms in defiance. Quentin nodded, taking a step closer to Julia. He leveled his gaze with hers, his eyes betraying how conflicted he felt. Despite being Shadeless, Julia still avoided his gaze, as if she knew that with one look, he'd have her pinned. Perhaps she did it out of habit, or maybe she just didn't want him to see how empty she was inside.

"We came here so that you could--"

"Yeah? So? Things change." Julia snapped. It wasn't harsh, just solid and unwavering.

"Julia." This time it was Lilly who moved closer. Her voice was soft, sympathetic. Quentin stepped aside so that she could take his place before Julia. "I want to save Alice. Stop her. You know I do. But this is the only chance you have to get your shade back. With Alice, we have other options. There are other ways." She didn't like to think of what those options were. "If you give up your shade, you give up everything that makes you, you. The kindness, the love, the sadness. The good and the bad, all gone."

"I want to do it. For Quentin." Julia swallowed and took Alice's hand in hers. The little girl looked up at her with sadness in her eyes. Julia would be giving up so much. The finality of her decision was something that weighed heavily over them all. The air was thick with tension, and when Quentin finally spoke, it was with resignation.

"No. I can't let you." Quentin swallowed hard, blinking away tears, and knelt before Alice. His face was almost level with hers, just low enough that he had to tilt his chin to meet her eyes. "You were the first person I let myself truly fall in love with. You understood me in ways no one else did. But I've been wasting my life clinging onto what we had. The truth is, our relationship broke long before I cheated on you." He took both her hands gently in his and held them as if to make a promise. "You will always be my best friend. I love you, and because of that, I can't live with myself If I'm the reason Julia never gets to experience a love as we had. Even if it's just as fleeting. We had our time. What kind of friend would I be if I chose my selfish wants over Julia's life?" He watched Alice's face, willing her to listen, to understand why he had to leave her behind. Lilly could practically feel his heart-wrenching grief. Alice cupped his cheek with a tiny hand and smiled.

"I understand, Quentin. I want you to be happy. I think you already are. You just need to look around you. There are so many people who love you. I know for a fact you love them, too." Alice was sweet as sugar, so pure and light. Lilly thought that this was what Alice was in life too. Without all the circumstances weighing her down on earth. She was pure, and she was happy.

"God, I miss you so much." Quentin choked out. This time when he tried to blink away his tears, they poured down his cheeks.

"I miss you, too," Alice whispered, and Quentin had to purse his lips to hold back a sob. Lifting herself on her tiptoes, Alice craned her neck to scan the sitting room. She waved to someone across the room, and soon a little boy, blonde, blue-eyed, and beaming, bound over to them. He skipped along like he was running through a field of colorful wildflowers.

"Don't worry about me. I'm not alone here." Quentin looked over at the boy who stopped beside them. Alice pulled the boy closer, and he waved frantically in response. "This is Charlie." Quentin's mouth went slack. His eyes darted between them in disbelief. It was so obvious now, looking at the two of them beside each other. They could've been twins, with the same glint of intelligence in their eyes. This was the Charlie who they'd tried to summon all those years ago. The Charlie that brought them all together. The one that Alice had gone to Brakebills to find. He'd been a Niffin too. They were together now. Here, where they were purely themselves, without the pain that life caused.

"It's nice to meet you." Quentin's voice cracked as he gave them a watery smile. Alice's grin grew to show nearly all her teeth. Alice would be alright, he thought. He could see it now. He'd been fighting so hard to bring her back. Beating himself up time and time again for letting her go. All along, she was taken care of. She was with Charlie now.

"Q, it's time." Lilly placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He took a shaky breath, his eyes darting back to Alice to soak in every last second of his friend's Shade. It would be the last time he'd be with her. Alice nodded in Lilly's direction. She was right, Quentin couldn't stay.

"You have to go now. There's a portal in there, back to reception." Alice pointed towards a door to their right. "I'm glad we got to say goodbye." Quentin sniffed and wiped at his cheeks. Then he took her hands in his, gazing deep into her eyes.

"Um, I'm gonna be back here for good one day, and I am going to find you."

"Okay." Alice wrapped her arms firmly around Quentin's neck. He held her so tight, wishing he didn't have to let go. But he did. Lilly bent down and pulled Martin into a long hug. He gave her an encouraging nod, and she wondered if he somehow knew that things would turn out for the best. She stood, placing a soft hand on Quentin's back, and guided him over to the portal. When he looked back at Alice, she was smiling. Charlie's hand was in hers, and together they waved off the three Magicians and Julia's shade. As Quentin turned away, he knew that Alice would be alright. So would he. Even if it took a while, he'd be alright again.

Evelyn was waiting for them just outside the main lobby when they arrived. Tucked away in the adjacent hallway, they wouldn't be disturbed by bellhops or secretaries. She smiled fondly at her daughter, holding her arms open for Lilly to walk right in. Taking a deep, long breath of her mother's perfume, she committed it to memory. A splendid mix of Peony and something she couldn't identify. She wanted nothing more than to take her home. Evelyn could meet her father, see the life she should've had. Fate had different plans. Lilly pulled back, and there were tears in her mother's eyes.

"I love you, darling."

"I love you too, Mum." Lilly meant the words with every fiber of her being. She squeezed her mother's hand tight, then let it slip away.

"Now, get out of here." Evelyn shooed her lightly. "Live your life." Lilly smiled at her mother and looked over her shoulder to Julia and Quentin, who watched the scene from a respectful distance. Lilly jerked her head towards the Lobby. With her mother beside her, they stepped into the same place they'd arrived. The welcome video played on a constant loop with a fresh batch of souls watching intently. They made sure to look like they belonged, which wasn't particularly difficult. But as they passed the final pillar and arrived before the elevator Lilly stopped short with a strangled gasp.

"What the fuck?" Quentin stared ahead of them at the person who'd just stepped out from the Elevator.

"Penny?" The blood drained from Lilly's face as she stared at the man she loved, standing mere feet away from her. Penny was wearing the same clothes she'd seen him in that morning when he'd kissed her goodbye as he always did. His perfectly tailored suit that The Library required of all their employees. It was so very out of place on him. There was a girl beside him, sixteen at the most, with long dirty blonde hair. She wore a sweatshirt and jeans, and she looked between Penny and Lilly with recognition.

Penny's dark eyes met Lilly's, and once the flicker of shock had passed, there was deep sorrow pooling within them. All at once, Lilly felt like she'd been shoved down a well of grief and agony. The more she struggled against it, the higher the murky waters rose around her until she'd be forced to succumb to its depths. There was only one reason he could be standing in The Underworld, only one reason he ended up in that elevator.

"No." she couldn't tell if she'd actually said it or if it had been an exhalation of breath. But Penny stepped towards her, hand outstretched in a way that should've been comforting. It was anything but. She sucked in a sharp breath, jerking back as if she'd been burned. Her eyes were wide with panic. Clutching her stomach for support, her hands trembled furiously.

"That's her?" The girl asked Penny, pointing to Lilly curiously like the world wasn't crashing down around them. "She is pretty." Penny pushed her aside without a second thought.

"Not now, Sylvia." A soft touch brushed along the small of Lilly's back, and without looking to see who it was who'd offered comfort, she rolled her shoulder to push them off. Every attempt to calm her seemed to stir the wild tangle of roiling nerves within her even more, like stoking a dying flame back to its blazing peak.

"You can't be here."

"I'm so sorry."

"This isn't real." Her words overlapped with his in a storm of apology and denial. It was all just too much, too much, too much. His presence, once a comforting hand in hers, was now a fist closed around her throat, and she found herself gasping for air before him.

"I tried so hard to make it out--" Tears had begun to pool in his eyes as he tried desperately to make contact with her. She shook her head over and over as if the movement would somehow make it so.

"No!" Lilly's hand jutted out to halt him from coming any closer. He stalled a few feet away, his gaze darting to Evelyn with pleading eyes, then to Quentin and Julia, who watched with both pity and unease. A few heads had turned, and now their moment had become a spectacle.

"Lilly, we have to go," Quentin whispered, his eyes searching the lobby for the bellhops or any of the Underworld workers they'd spoken to earlier. Lilly turned on him with blazing eyes, teeth clenched, and nostrils flared with fury, but he could see that beneath it all was a festering wound that had just sliced open again. Before his eyes, the pain that she'd lashed out with surfaced, her lips pursed, nostrils tightened, and tears began to spill over and onto her pink cheeks.

Lilly looked back at Penny, and a wracking sob ripped from her chest. It was this release of pain that prompted him to rush forwards and pull her into his chest. He was warm and strong beneath her trembling hands that twisted into the fabric of his shirt. She buried her face into his chest as if she could disappear within his familiar scent and loving arms. If she shut her eyes, she could almost pretend they were home, laying intertwined within their bed, listening to the morning rain roaring against the rooftop.

"I'm so sorry." He buried his face in her hair, and she could feel the wetness of his tears as they fell atop her head.

"You need to go. They have likely already been notified." Through broken sobs, Lilly heard Evelyn mutter the warning to Quentin and Julia. She tightened her grip on Penny as a surge of panic roared through her chest. Her breath came in short spurts of rough air, the sobs taking over completely.

"I need you to know that I love you," Penny whispered so softly that only she could hear. His warm breath tickled the tips of her ears. "I love you more than I could ever say."

"Please don't go." Her words muffled against his chest, but he tightened his grip on her to show that he'd understood.

"I wish I had a choice." Lilly clung to him as if her life depended on it as if he was her life raft amidst a roiling sea. If she lost him, she would be swallowed whole by a sea of despair.

"I'll stay. I'll stay with you." The conviction in her tone was jarring, and Penny pulled back, pushing her far enough away so that he could look into her eyes, red and puffy as they were. His hands came up to cup her cheeks, they were hot and red and soaked with salty tears, but he forced her to hold his gaze. She shied away from the intensity there.

"No, you have so much left to live for. You have your people, your friends, your grandfather." Each word was as forceful as if he'd shaken her out of a maddened thought. "You are not done yet." He said it with such conviction, such passion, that for the slightest second, she almost believed it. "None of that means anything if you won't be there with me."

"I found them!" A man shouted from across the lobby. All five of them jerked their heads towards the sound at once. Tom, the receptionist who'd checked them in, and ordered the removal of the Shadeless man, was pointed straight at them, his head bobbing above a crowd of departed souls. "Stop!"

"Lilly, we need to leave, right now." Quentin stepped forwards and tried to grasp onto her arm, but she slapped his hand away. "We have to go." Lilly let out a rough sob, her chest heaving as she threw herself upon Penny, her arms wrapped so tightly around his neck that he had to take a step back.

"No, no, no, no, no." She repeated the word over and over like a prayer, hoping that somehow, someone would listen to her. That someone would put a stop to this madness. She'd had enough. She wanted nothing more to do with any of it. Wanted the life that they'd planned together. A life of I love you's and unbroken bonds, not this. "You can't leave me. Please don't leave me. not you, too." Lilly buried her face into his neck and breathed in the scent of him, cinnamon and cloves. It wouldn't be long until she'd forget his face like she'd begun to forget Evelyn's. Each time Penny tried to pull her away, she'd cling to him tighter.

"I have to." He choked out. Each word of denial from her lips was like a hammer to his heart.

"No, I can't, I can't." Her fingers dug into the skin of his back enough that he felt pinpricks of pain. He didn't care. "You promised me! You promised you wouldn't leave me."

"I tried. I really did. I fought till the last second, but I couldn't win." Penny shook his head. He hated himself for being so careless. He hated that she was in pain, that it was because of him. "Listen, I need you to tell Kady that it wasn't her fault, not yours either. It was my choices that lead me here. If I could take it back, I'd do it in a second."

"Come on, or we'll lose her, too." Julia beckoned Quentin towards her, her eyes flicking to the group of guards pushing their way towards them at an alarming rate. Any moment now, and they would be on them. If Lilly, Quentin, and Julia were still there, then none of them would be returning to life. Penny gave up trying to push Lilly away, and with a deep trembling breath, he pulled her against him and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you." Penny's eyes locked with Quentin's, and with an almost imperceptible nod, he lifted his right hand to the back of Lilly's head. By the time Lilly realized the pattern in the way his fingers trailed across her scalp, it was too late. She recognized the sleeping spell just a second before it was completed. Her hands tightened around him, just enough for him to feel the last burst of resistance, before she collapsed into his arms. "Take care of her." He gazed longingly down at her head, draped limply over the nook of his elbow in a mess of blonde waves. Quentin took her from his arms and threw her body over his shoulder.

"I promise." He said and hurried into the elevator. Penny followed him all the way there, ignoring the shouts of the guards pushing their way towards them. He felt a hand wrap around his. It was soft, soothing, and when he looked down, Evelyn was there beside him, her eyes rimmed with sparkling tears.

"You can't take that Shade!" Julia reached across Quentin, her left hand holding that of her younger self, and pressed the elevator button. The doors began to close just as the guards burst through the crowd. Quentin stared forward, ever conscious of the heavy weight across his shoulder. Through the crack in the doors, he saw Penny and Evelyn standing together, their hands intertwined as they watched the woman they both loved dragged off to live a life without them. Quentin managed one last nod of solemnity before the doors sealed, and they were both gone forever.

"It's all going to be okay, Quentin." He looked down as Julia's shade took his hand and smiled. It was such a hopeful smile, one of pure joy and optimism. He only wished he could believe her.

Chapter Text

Lilly had woken a few times. Once, Quentin had roused her to drink a glass of water that she was too tired to protest. Again, when she felt cool cloth dabbing at her forehead and caught sight of Eliot's familiar face. Finally, in the late afternoon, she'd managed to drag herself from slumber long enough to go to the bathroom and stare into the mirror for what could've been hours or merely seconds. It had been Julia of all people who barged in to find Lilly sprawled across the floor in a fit of hysterics. Once the floodgates opened, it was all she could do not to pass out from the poignancy of her grief. It crashed upon her with soul-crushing intensity, and Lilly could do nothing but let it overtake her.

She didn't know how she'd ended up tucked beneath the sheets of Quentin's bedroom again, nor did she remember when she'd fallen asleep. When her eyes opened once more, the room was lit by a single lamp at the bedside table. The untouched soup had been cleared away. In its place was a tiny glass vase with three fresh daisies poking out. They seemed to mock her with their beauty. How wrong were they to represent joy and life at such a time? She felt the urge to knock it to the floor and crush their perfect petals beneath her heel. How dare they live when he was dead.

"How are you feeling?" Lilly's gaze lifted from the flowers to the source of the voice. At the far corner of Quentin's bed, sat a young woman in dark jeans and a cropped shimmering tank top. Her hair fell past her chest in bright magenta curls. If Lilly could summon a smile, it would've lit her face with joy.

"Dani?" It was as if saying her friend's name aloud opened the floodgates to the endless well of grief inside her. Lilly gasped through pouring tears. Without hesitation, Dani crawled across the bed and wrapped her arms around her. Her embrace was so achingly familiar to Lilly that it was second nature to snuggle closer. Delicate fingers stroked her hair, and Dani whispered into the silent room words of comfort. Though they were nothing more than empty promises that everything would be okay, her assurance seemed to soften the sharp edges of her pain. She let herself be cradled in Dani's arms until she hiccuped with the dregs of her tears.

"What are you doing here?" Lilly croaked, lifting her chin from Dani's chest to look up at her friend.

"Is that a joke?" Dani lifted a brow with displeasure. "Did you think I'd just ignore this?" Lilly thought about it for a second. She didn't know what she expected anymore. Nothing ever happened the way she'd planned it, and she'd come to expect the unexpected. "Quentin called me as soon as he got back. Saia's downstairs. She doesn't really do crying." Lilly sniffed in a sad attempt at a chuckle. She hadn't realized how much she longed to have Dani by her side until now. It was like living your life without seeing the sun, only to realize that all this time, you'd been missing such an integral part of life.

"I missed you so much." Another round of tears ripped out of her in a gasp, and Dani pulled her closer.

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." She cooed, adjusting herself so that her head rested on the pillow beside Lilly's. Dani ran the pad of her thumb across Lilly's damp cheek. Her gaze fell to the mattress beneath her, and a crinkle formed between her eyes.

"What is it?" Lilly whispered. Dani took a deep breath.

"When Alex--" Her voice trailed off before she could voice the word. "I just needed to get out. I couldn't stick around knowing that he wouldn't be there. But I should've stayed with you. You and Ava. I hate the bitch, but she shouldn't have had to go through that alone."

"Listen," Lilly lifted her hand to grip Dani's. "You did what you needed to. We all grieve differently. I don't blame you for leaving. You're here now. That's what matters."

"Saia and I kept each other sane." Dani smiled wistfully at the thought. "You should've seen her when we went to Disney World. She was like a kid in a candy store." Dani chuckled, and Lilly gave her an assessing stare. She wondered if this was how she looked when talking about Penny.

"You two?" Lilly let the words trail off in a question. Dani's cheeks burned, and she tucked her chin to hide the smile that lit up her whole face.

"Yeah," she nodded, brushing back a stray pink hair from her forehead. "We're good."

"I'm glad you're happy." Lilly's eyes softened with sincerity.

"You will be, too." She muttered so softly that Lilly could scarcely hear it over the rustle of sheets as Dani pushed herself closer. "If I know one thing about you, it's that you're resilient. After everything that's happened, you're still standing."

"I wouldn't call this standing." Lilly gave a bitter scoff at that, the lump in her throat swelling to the point that she could hardly swallow. Dani knit her brows together, frowning. She pushed herself up on one elbow and cupped both hands around Lilly's cheeks. Lilly was forced to look her in the eyes.

"You're alive, aren't you? You're breathing. That's strength." There was such ferocity and conviction in Dani's voice that Lilly wondered how this woman could have such fire inside her. "Resilience isn't limited to acts of heroics. Sometimes staying alive, breathing, takes more strength than any battle." Dani's dark eyes welled with tears of her own, the pain within mirroring Lilly's. "If you can do that, I know you'll be alright."

Lilly's eyes had been trained on the same spot of Quentin's ceiling for the better part of an hour

Lilly's eyes had been trained on the same spot of Quentin's ceiling for the better part of an hour. She wasn't thinking of anything in particular. It was enough to sit in silence and try in vain to cope with the unbearable weight upon her chest. Her legs propped on the edge of the mattress, she couldn't bring herself to do anything else. For twenty-four hours straight, Lilly had done nothing but cry. Now the tears had dried, and all that remained was a pit in her stomach. She was so damned tired. Despite having done nothing but sleep, eat, cry, and repeat since returning from The Underworld.

Sunlight filtered through the open window across the room. Quentin had insisted on opening it, claiming it would do her good to have some fresh air. Lilly wondered if Evelyn had somehow managed to slip him an instruction manual on mothering. She'd always been a firm supporter of fresh air for the soul. The light breeze that rustled the dark curtains soothed her puffy hot cheeks and made her feel just slightly more alive.

Quentin left her that morning with a lingering hug and a promise to return with a way home. Now that they didn't have the button or Penny, they were stranded on Earth. Eliot had gone with him. Quentin hadn't spared her the details, but he did say that Eliot was banished by Ember on a whim. Lilly wasn't too concerned about it. Ember and Umber banished the Chatwins loads of times, usually when they grew bored and needed some entertainment. She hadn't missed the way Quentin had taken Eliot's hand in his before walking through their portal. He was beginning to move forward now.

Quentin was so much lighter since saying goodbye to Alice's Shade. She was sure it helped to know that she was taken care of, and had her brother. Martin, too. It was still strange to think of the little boy who'd been so pure and kind, to know that the true Martin was watching out for her. It was so hard for her to see everyone around her be so happy. As if the universe wanted to rub salt in her wounds by sprinkling good luck on everyone but her. Just as she thought things were starting to work out, a rug was pulled from beneath her.

Her limbs still felt bolted to the floor, and she was thankful to Julia for helping her into the bath earlier and washing the sewer grime from her hair. It was still damp and her skin was soft and lavender-scented from the oils Julia added. Dani had made a trip to Lilly's Illusionist bedroom to collect her clothes and essentials. It was overwhelmingly evident that none of them wanted to let her stray too far from their sight, and she couldn't bring herself to blame them. She walked about the cottage like a ghost, never saying more than two words, never leaving Quentin's bedroom for more than a few minutes. Lilly rolled her head to the side as a set of footsteps creaked down the hall and stopped just outside Quentin's room. Three gentle knocks sounded, and she gave a heavy sigh.

"Come in." Her throat was still hoarse, and her voice came out more like a croak. She stared down the line of dark stained hardwood to the door that swung open on its hinges. Kady stood uneasily at the threshold, taking in the woman sprawled across the floor with her legs on the bed.

"Hi," she said simply, her expression solemn.

"Hi," When Kady didn't step into the room, Lilly patted the spot beside her on the floor. Kady's leather boots thumped with each step until she sat beside Lilly and kicked them off to prop her legs up in the same fashion. Dark curls splayed out beneath her head, and Lilly scrunched her nose as one of them tickled against her face. She returned her gaze to the ceiling with another sigh. They didn't speak for a while, just sat together. It was easy to be silent. Not only because words felt too inconsequential compared to the pain, but because they could sense that the other was experiencing emotions akin to their own.

"It's my fault he's gone," Kady whispered, and in Lilly's periphery, she could see the tear streaming down the side of her face. Lilly's immediate impulse was to disagree, to comfort. But all of that died on her tongue. It occurred to her that she didn't know what the truth was. After all, Penny was getting that book for Kady. It was for that reason that he went into The Poison Room. "He got the book for me. For Julia, too." Kady wiped roughly at her damp cheeks. "Julia told me you saw him before you left the underworld. Did he- did he say anything about me?" Lilly let her head fall to the side again. Kady turned hers so that their faces were mere inches apart, and when Lilly looked into her jade green eyes, she found her own grief reflected within them.

"He told me to tell you that it wasn't your fault. It wasn't any of our faults."

"Bullshit," Kady breathed, and despite her venomous words, her tone was resigned. A tear trailed across the edge of her nose and fell to the floor with the faintest splat. "Penny didn't die in the Poison Room. He made it home."

"What?" Lilly's brows furrowed, but she didn't sit up.

"He showed up with the book in his hands, coughing blood, paler than I've ever seen him." Kady wiped her cheeks again, but at this point, she couldn't wipe them fast enough. "I tried everything to save him. I promise you I did." Kady took a shuddering breath, and now her tears had escalated to wracking sobs. Lilly let her tears drip down the side of her face and tickle her nose. Reaching out a hand in the space between them, she took hold of Kady's fingers and squeezed. "He told me to tell you he loved you. God, he loved you so much. I mean, really, he wouldn't shut up about it." A bubble of laughter escaped her, and Lilly gave a single chuckle. It died out after a moment, and they lay together until their cries subsided to little sniffles.

"Was it quick?" It took Kady a long time to say something in return. She seemed to debate how much of the horrific scene to share.

"Yeah," Kady decided. "He was only here for a minute, maybe two before he died in my arms."

"I'm glad he wasn't alone, at least." Lilly was at once thankful and bitter that she wasn't with him when it happened. She wasn't sure she would've survived the man she loved fading before her eyes, clutching his body close until his blood ran cold. Kady had been unfortunate enough to see it. The wound it had inflicted upon her was plain as day. "The book. Does it have the answer?" Lilly wasn't sure if she actually wanted to know. If it wasn't the right spell, then Penny died for nothing.

"Julia is working on it now." Kady squeezed her swollen eyes shut tightly, then blinked rapidly. "But I think it does." Another tear welled up in Lilly's eyes at the confirmation. She clutched Kady's hand tight and was grateful that she wasn't alone. Swallowing hard, Lilly set her jaw with determination.

"I want to help." Lilly nodded to herself. "He died getting that information. I want to make sure it wasn't in vain." Kady was already shaking her head.

"Lilly, this isn't your fight. Reynard, he's even more psychotic than The Beast was. Even more powerful." Kady's eyes bored into hers in earnest.

"All the more reason for me to go with you. You need all the power you can get."

"I don't think Penny would want you putting yourself in danger." Kady rose one brow as if to hammer in her point. Lilly rolled her eyes.

"Penny would know better than to tell me what I can and can't do." The little smirk of defiance was so achingly familiar to Kady. It seemed Penny had rubbed off on his girlfriend, or maybe Lilly had rubbed off on him.

"Yeah, he was a lot of things, but he wasn't an idiot." Kady chuckled lightly and bit her lip in thought. After a moment, she sighed in defeat. "Don't do anything heroic, okay. Penny would come back to haunt my ass if I let anything happen to you." Lilly gave a watery grin and lifted her hand from Kady's to hold it between their faces. Her pinky finger stuck out from a closed fist.

"I promise," Lilly nodded once, and Kady squinted her eyes with mistrust.

"You better not be lying to me." She deadpanned but brought her pinky up to wrap it around Lilly's anyway.

"Let's fuck Reynard up." They lay there together for what must've been at least an hour, sharing stories of Penny, laughing and crying together like they were old friends. Lilly had never considered her a friend, even when they'd been at Brakebills together. They just never seemed to mesh well. But now, her company was as easy as slipping into the warmth of her bed after a long day. Lilly wondered how it had come to this. How had they grown to the point where they fit together like two puzzle pieces, carved separately but undeniably akin to each other?

It was a bizarre turn of events when she thought back to their first meeting when they'd summoned Alice's brother, Charlie. They were barely more than hostile to each other. Then again, it had once been like that with Penny, and she'd grown to love him more than she ever thought possible. If that could develop from hating each other, surely being friends with Kady wasn't the strangest thing to happen.

Julia was sitting with Dani at the dining room table when they finally descended the stairs together. A massive leatherbound book with aged thick pages lay open before her. Saia had perched herself on the window seat with a single ring dagger spinning around her middle finger. She wore an all-black ensemble, a cropped shirt, joggers, and white running shoes. It was bizarre to see her in earth clothing. She'd only ever worn fighting leathers in Fillory, but somehow the outfit suited her just as well. Her hair was pulled into two dutch braids that fell down her back like onyx serpents.

"Hey," Julia looked between Lilly and Kady with soft eyes, assessing their features for any sign of how they were coping. "How are you feeling?" Julia was so different now that her shade had returned. She was no longer aloof, distant, light. She was soft, grounded, and empathetic. The trauma was undoubtedly there, lurking behind brown eyes and leaving a dark stain on the shade within. It was just as Martin had described. 'A dark spot on your very essence.' But beyond that, Julia was strong and caring, and though there was a shadow from Reynard's assault, she was strong enough to shine through it.

"A little better now." Lilly managed a weak smile. "Thanks." Julia returned it with a soft lift of her lips. Dani gave her an assessing look and seemed to deem her lucid enough not to bother doting. Saia kicked her legs out and over the side of the window seat and leaned forwards on her knees.

"She offered to help." Kady rounded the banister and took a seat beside Julia to peer into the open book. She tilted her head to the side in an attempt to read the words upside down.

"Are you sure? It's going to be--"

"Yeah, yeah, it's dangerous. I got the parental warning from Kady already. I'm coming."

"Okay then," Julia nodded, only vaguely taken aback by their sudden passion for the cause. "Good news, I found a spell here, turns metal objects into god-piercing weapons. And if it can be anything, a gun, right?" She gestured to a silver handgun laid across the table beside her. "But it will take every bit of god power John gave us just to make one bullet." John. Lilly had heard about him from Penny. He was Reynard's son. A U.S. Senator, too.

"So we've got one shot." Kady eyed the gun skeptically. "We better not miss." She ran a hand through her hair anxiously.

"I used to be pretty good at those arcade shooting games." Dani offered with a shrug, reaching over to scoop up the pistol and point it at a vase across the room. Luckily it wasn't loaded, and when she pressed the trigger, there was only a sharp click.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna cut it." Julia reached out to push the barrel of the gun down. Dani complied with a frown. She continued to fiddle with it like a child with a new toy. Her pink hair fell forward into her face as she leaned over it.

"Don't worry. I got this." Saia stood up from her seat and reached into the waist of her joggers. She came back out with two massive daggers and placed them on the table. Then she proceeded to lean over to pluck a gruesome paring knife from a strap around her ankle.

"The fuck?" Kady's lips had morphed to a grimace, her eyes bulging at the weapons Saia had produced.

"Were you carrying all that around the city?" Lilly picked up one of the larger blades and turned it over to inspect the perfectly sharp edge. She sincerely hoped Saia had a couple of sheathes tucked into her waistband.

"Of course." Saia nodded decidedly, oblivious to the looks of horror and disbelief on the faces of her peers. "What kind of woman doesn't carry a knife?" Lilly shook her head with amusement, and Dani rolled her eyes. She'd grown accustomed to Saia's arsenal while traveling together.

"You can't come," Julia announced, Saia's expression soured. "This plan hinges on Reynard being surprised. The more people we have, the less likely we are to succeed."

"Well, if she's coming, we're coming." Saia crossed her arms and nodded determinedly. "Any chance to fuck up a rapist is one I'm gonna take." Dani placed a calming hand on her arm and interjected.

"We'll be back up." She shot Saia a pointed look, and she huffed in response. "If things go sideways, just shout, and we'll be there." Dani tapped her temple twice to remind them of her Psychic gifts. Before anyone could further that line of questioning, Lilly returned the blade to the table and picked up the bullet Julia had stood upright beside the book. She rolled its smooth edge back and forth across her fingers pensively.

"How about an arrow?"

Chapter Text

Thunder cracked overhead, reverberating through the earth like the footsteps of an approaching goliath. The sky grew murky and sinister with every passing second until it was charcoal grey as far as the eye could see. Soon the constant flashes of lightning were almost the only source of light. Lilly, Julia, and Kady stood within the safety of a derelict barn in Upstate New York.

All around them stretched miles and miles of farmland, and if anything were to happen, the three of them would be the only witnesses and the only victims. Aged white paint peeled off the side of the barn in thick rotting strips. There hadn't been animals in the stalls for quite some time, and all that remained were a few overturned tin buckets and scattered strands of hay. The gigantic sliding doors were wide open, and wrinkled dead leaves skittered across the dirt and brushed past their ankles like the fur of a cat.

"Well, this is it. The sign Reynard's been waiting for." Kady looked rather pleased with their display, and Lilly had to admit that it was quite the collaborative weather spell they'd cast.

"Come on out, asshole," Julia smirked, scanning the horizons as if he'd suddenly appear walking towards them from the road. "Something feels so right about tricking him with goddess omens." Kady gave her friend a wicked grin and nodded.

"Amen."

"I know you're here!" A shrill male voice called out amidst the wailing of the wind.

"There he is," Julia whispered. A pale-skinned man with reddish hair and a slightly hooked nose fought against the wind, his head darting in every direction. They pressed their backs against the stall doors when his eyes trailed over the barn entrance. Reynard wore a poorly tailored suit and tie, something middle management at an office would wear.

"That's him? He looks more like tech support than a god." Lilly scrunched up her face at the very non-threatening man.

"It's not his body." Julia spat, peaking around the edge of their hiding spot to assess Reynard's position.

"The lightning, the wind... Always were a drama queen!" He shouted towards the sky with a sadistic smirk upon his face.

"Let's finish this." Kady nodded towards Lilly, and Julia stepped back to afford her room to string her bow. Notching the arrow, Lilly leaned far enough around the edge to aim, but as she tried to line it up, Reynard stepped far enough away that all she could see was the left half of his arm. If she stepped out further, she'd reveal herself. Lilly pulled back with a groan. "I can't get a clear shot."

"I thought it never misses." Julia eyed the bow in question with vexation.

"Yeah, but you do need to actually try to aim for it to work. I can't line it up from here." Lilly looked around the barn for a better vantage point, but anything else would reveal their position. "Here," she handed Julia her bow and the god-killing arrow. "Go on the other side. I'll get you a clear shot."

"How?" Kady looked at her like she was insane. She may very well be.

"I know what Persephone looks like. I've got this." Lilly shut her eyes and conjured up the image of Persephone's portrait that had been on the wall of the Elysium mansion. Dark sun-kissed skin, flowing chocolate locks, sparkling green eyes. It felt like recalling a dream, reaching out only for her fingers to sink through the image like it was nothing but mist. But when Kady gasped, she knew that it had been enough. Lilly's eyes shot open just as another flash of lightning cracked overhead. The wind whipped at her face, and the hair that swept up in it was dark and long.

"Holy shit." Kady stared slack-jawed at the spitting image of their Lady Underground. The only thing missing was the flowing white robes. Lilly could alter many things, even her voice, but the jeans and jacket remained the same.

"Trust me. I'll buy us time." Lilly smiled encouragingly and hoped that her face didn't show how scared she was. Lifting her chin, she schooled her face into an expression of motherly grace. If Lilly was to embody a goddess, hopefully, this was good enough. Otherwise, she'd be dead the minute Reynard took a look at her. With a steadying breath, she strode into the archway of the barn opening before she could change her mind.

Reynard cackled towards a tumultuous sky, spinning round in taunting circles with his arms spread wide. When he caught sight of Lilly, wearing the skin of Persephone, his lips curled into an animalistic snarl. She wasn't prepared to be analyzed by the yellow-slitted eyes of a snake.

"You're here." His voice was dangerous, and Lilly couldn't tell if the energy running along her skin was from the lighting in the air or the sheer power of the Trickster God before her. "Never thought I'd see the day you stooped so low to dress in mortal clothing." Reynard spat, and Lilly silently thanked her relentless training for keeping her safe. She kept her face smooth and soft, even as she stepped forward into the open and towards the monster that could rip her heart out without even blinking.

"I can hardly even look at you. This is how you wish to use your power?" The disgust on Lilly's face was more reserved than it would've been if she was herself. It was the disgust of someone so high above everyone else, immortal and irreverent. She looked down her nose at Reynard like he was nothing more than a cockroach. In reality, he was far worse. Reynard's nostrils flared with fury. He took three long strides towards her, and she nearly stepped back in terror. Persephone, however, would not cower.

"You're the one that left me! Abandoned me!" He pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. Lilly swallowed, willing herself to stand her ground. She was so exposed, standing amid a dirt clearing beneath a raging storm of magic.

"You've used your power to wreak havoc on earth. You've raped, murdered, tortured. You are a plague. And you wonder why I left you?" She looked him up and down with disdain. A fire raged behind Reynard's eyes. He took another step forward so that if he reached out, he could almost touch her. His fingers erupted with golden crackling energy, so close that she could feel the heat on her skin. Lilly took a sharp breath, and her foot took one involuntary step backward. She stopped before she could do anything too obvious and regained her composure. But the damage had already been done. Reynard lowered his hand and tilted his head to the side. His snake-like eyes were calculating and dangerous."

"You're not her." He spat, lifting his hand with a visible threat. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Persephone, Goddess of Spring and--" Reynard roared, his magic flared, and this time Lilly didn't bother keeping up her facade. She stumbled back, throwing up a shield just in time to block the blast of energy he threw at her. The shield shuddered under the force of it.

"You bitch! You liar!" His voice took on a quality like ice, cutting deep into Lilly's chest.

"Hey! Reynard!" Kady sprinted out from the cover of the barn and stopped beside Lilly. Reynard let his magic fizzle out as if he thought Kady to be no threat at all. To him, she was as inconsequential as a mosquito.

"I should've known. Who the fuck is this?" He pointed to Lilly, who let the appearance of Persephone melt away with the pouring rain. Droplets had begun to pelt them, coming down at an angle, and soon she was dripping. . "Where's Julia?" He looked around, leaning forward to peer inside the barn where Kady had emerged.

"She couldn't make it." Kady crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. Lilly's fingers twitched against her thigh, ready to cast with all she had.

"I doubt that very much." Reynard let out a bitter, taunting laugh. "Julia! Come out, come out, wherever you are! Come out and play!"

"You want to play?" Lilly smirked, and her eyes flicked to something just behind him. Reynard took a step forwards.

"Let's play." Upon hearing the voice of pure venom from behind him, Reynard whirled to face the woman who'd managed to sneak up on him. Julia snarled, in her arms was the enchanted bow, with a god-killing arrow notched and ready to fly. Her finger twitched, and if she'd had half a second more, the arrow would've buried in Reynard's chest. The darkness that had culminated above the barn gave way to bright sunlight, the thunder silenced, the lighting and rain cut off as if a switch had been flipped.

"Kady, what...?" Julia began, flicking her eyes to her companions. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw what had caused the change. Persephone, the true Persephone, stood beside her in all her glory. Her white robes flowed around her, settling flat against her dark skin as the last of the wind dissolved into preternatural stillness.

Reynard stood as frozen as a statue. Lilly and Kady were just the same. The only bit of them that moved was their eyes. They could see and hear everything going on around them, see the goddess holding them still. Lilly felt her divine magic like a straight jacket around her. Snug and warm, but a prison all the same. She strained against it so arduously that pain lanced through her chest. "It's you. You ignored us, and now you're here? All of a sudden? Why?" Julia spat, her arrow still poised to fire at Reynard.

"To ask you to spare his life." Persephone's face was pleading, sorrowful, and terrified. Her emerald eyes darted between Julia, the arrow, and the Trickster God it could destroy in a second.

"I don't understand. Why do you care?" Julia shook her head and pulled the string of Lilly's bow tighter. It groaned in protest, crying out to be released.

"He's my son." Persephone's voice cracked with pain, and her eyes pleaded with the mortal.

"Did you know what he was doing?" Julia looked at The Lady Underground with unbridled betrayal. "Of course, you did. He raped me! Your son! He murdered my friends and raped me! And when I thought it was finally over, I found out I was pregnant with this psychopath's baby. I lost my shade in the abortion! So fuck you, He deserves to die."

"Let me deal with him." Persephone was so infuriatingly calm in the face of a woman so broken. It made Julia feel like a toddler throwing a tantrum over a pair of shoes, not someone teetering on a tightrope of revenge and mercy.

"Why would I trust you? Come the fuck on, lady!"

"There are consequences to killing a god, Julia." Persephone's eyes searched Julia's for some sign of understanding.

"I lost my friends. I lost everything. He turned me into a monster." Tears of anger, frustration, agony slipped from her cheeks.

"You're a survivor. You're still capable of mercy, Julia. Don't let him rob you of that." Persephone's words struck something within her. Some deep chord that had been untouched since the day Reynard violated her. Persephone's voice seemed to soothe and heal where Reynard had scraped and clawed. "It's your choice," Persephone whispered, and Julia believed her. Persephone was truly giving Reynard's fate to her, a mortal woman who'd been profoundly wronged. It was poetic that it should be Julia to decide if he lived or died because he'd once held her life in the palm of her hands and crushed her until she felt like nothing more than a beating heart. Julia blinked rapidly and lowered the bow. Persephone nodded with respect and moved to stand before Reynard's petrified form.

"I am so disappointed with what you've done." Persephone's voice was severe and unyielding, so different from the one she'd used with Julia.

"You left me. You left me." Reynard whimpered like a wounded child the moment she unfroze his mouth.

"Well, I am back. And it's time to go." She cut off further arguments he might've had and looked over at Julia again. Her eyes softened and warmed.

"You are good, Julia. Your mercy has proven that you are pure of heart." Persephone reached out a hand and pressed two fingers into Reynard's chest.

"What are you doing?" The pure panic and terror sent shivers down Lilly's spine, and there was nothing she could do. She didn't know what she would do, even if she could. This monster deserved whatever punishment was coming. Persephone's hand phased through his chest in a shower of pure golden light. "No, you can't! No, please, I'll change, I'll do anything!" When she pulled back, a shimmering circle of light was pinched between her fingers like a precious gem.

"It's too late for that." Persephone's voice was cold, and Julia sensed a tinge of regret beneath it all. Julia's eyes went wide when the goddess turned to face her.

"Julia Wicker, I bestow upon you a seed of divine power. You have proven yourself worthy of it time and time again. It is up to you whether you grow it into something more. I have chosen you. I hope you will take this gift and do better than my son ever did." Julia took a step back in shock.

"What? I don't-" Persephone's hand pressed against Julia's chest before she could protest any further, and a rush of power poured through every inch of Julia's body. She shut her eyes on instinct as a light shone all around her in a halo of unearthly grace.

"Goodbye, Julia," Persephone whispered. When Julia opened her eyes again, the light was gone, and so was the goddess.

"No, no!" Lilly shrieked, running up to the spot Reynard had stood.

"How could you do this after everything we've been through?" Kady turned accusatory eyes on Julia. Both of her companions were seething. Lilly ran both hands through her hair and pulled until pain bloomed through her scalp.

"Penny died to get this information! He sacrificed himself to get that stupid fucking book, and you just threw it all away!"

"It was the right thing to do," Julia whispered, still frozen in shock. Persephone had given her a gift of power. But it had come from a monster.

"For whom? You?" Lilly whirled, stomping up to Julia until there was barely any space between them. She panted with pure malice rushing through her veins.

"I'm sorry," Julia mumbled numbly.

"We lost Penny, Reynard gets off, and you get a gift." The rage burning within Lilly was almost consuming, and before she knew it, a ball of flames had flared up in her palm. Julia took a step back, and Kady placed a warning hand on Lilly's arm.

"Lilly, calm down." Kady's voice was low and warning. It was ironic that now Kady was the level-headed one. Once upon a time, Lilly might've been the peacemaker, might've stowed her anger into the far corner of her heart, and let her brain override the blood-boiling instincts. That was before she'd been broken down to nothing, and her heart desolated with grief. Before, she might've chosen kindness, forgiveness, but where had that gotten her? Julia seemed to register the change within her, and fear flickered behind her eyes. She held out a hand.

"Wait," Julia's head tilted to the side as if to remind Lilly to be reasonable, not to make rash decisions. Lilly only ground her teeth in response and raised her flaming hand.

"Shit." Kady's eyes glued to the sky, wide with recognition. A jet of bright blue light shot across the horizon towards them. If they didn't know better, they might've thought it to be an angel, a messenger from the gods.

"Fucking hell." Lilly dropped her hand to her side with a groan. In an instant, they were once again on the same team. Julia hurried to stand beside her with the bow still in her hand. They stood as one before the blazing comet that once landed in the clearing before them, materialized into the ghostly shell of Alice Quinn.

"Hello, Lilly," Alice smiled tightly, and the tension was palpable.

"Alice," Lilly sounded almost bored as she drawled out the Niffin's name.

"Quite the display you put on. It was pretty impossible to miss." Alice looked around at the now clear skies and wet ground as if assessing someone's home for the first time and being mildly impressed.

"Can we just skip the villain speech and get right to the part where we fuck each other up? I've already had quite a day, and you don't want to test me right now."

"But we have so much to catch up on. I'd love to hear how you managed to block my tracking spells." Alice's eyes were wide and sickeningly innocent.

"Usually, when I block people, they get the message that I don't want to see them."

"Oh," Alice gave a comical pout. "But we've always been such best friends. Remember when we used to stock up on candy and soda and study together on the patio? You always loved those little red gummies. I remember you'd pick every one of them out of the mix and just eat those. Now I find out you dumped me for these two? I'm hurt, really. I thought we had something."

"Would you just shut the fuck up and get to the point?" Kady spat.

"Kady," Alice changed her focus to the woman beside Lilly. "Last time I saw you, you were crushing Penny's heart like a bug." Lilly flinched at the name said so carelessly. Kady took a furious step forward and snarled.

"Fuck you."

"Oh, touchy subject. My deepest condolences, by the way." There was a whoosh of air behind Lilly, and Alice's hand shot up faster than the eye could see. Lilly's stomach dropped when she saw the single arrow suspended in the air before Alice. The one meant for Reynard. They watched in horror as Alice plucked it from the air like a feather and began to examine it.

"Nice try, Julia. But this only works if you have the element of surprise." Alice ran a delicate hand over the intricate spell carved into its wood. She paused halfway down its shaft and gripped both hands around it. Lilly bit back her gasp of protest as a sharp snap filled the air, and Alice tossed the severed arrow to the ground like a common twig. "Oops," She shrugged in a way that made Lilly's blood boil. "Now, I don't care how I get your blood. You can give up willingly, or I can slit your throat open and suck you dry by force."

"Over my dead body." A pulse of silver magic flew through the air as Kady summoned her battle magic. The spell exploded mere inches from Alice and spread through the air to reveal a wall of magical wards surrounding their enemy. It dissipated into crimson veins until it vanished, and Alice remained untouched. The Niffin let out a deep sigh as if she'd hoped they'd choose differently. But the feral glint in her flaming blue eyes told Lilly this was anything but true. Alice was itching for the kill. She reminded Lilly of a cat playing with its food.

"I guess we're choosing the second option." Her voice turned glacial. Lilly tried to warn the others, tried to cry out. All she could manage to do was fling her arms up to build a shield before Kady and Julia were yanked from either side of her and thrown violently into the barn wall. Their bodies crumpled to the ground in a heap, blood seeping from unseen wounds and matting dark hair.

Chapter Text

Alice's fingers glowed violet as she dragged her joined hands diagonally through the air. Lilly dropped down and rolled, narrowly avoiding being sliced in two. She could only hope that the wounds her friends had suffered were minor. Mud covered Lilly's pant leg and soaked her sneakers, but she had no time to care. Throwing up a hand, she summoned the power inside her and threw it all at the wards protecting her opponent. Alice took a step back as it impacted, but her shields remained unbroken.

"Fuck this," Lilly clenched her fists and pushed herself up onto her feet. Just as Alice released her next attack, she released her own. Lilly sprinted straight for her, and with all the strength she could muster, tackled Alice around the waist. They went down hard in a mess of limbs. Lilly pinned her to the ground and slammed a fist into her face.

Three punches and still no blood. There was nothing left of Alice's body to bleed. Alice kicked up her legs and locked her arms around Lilly's neck. She let out a cry as her body was thrown over the Niffin's head and into the mud. There was no time to waste, and before anything else, she shielded the spell Alice had conjured. Lilly flipped up to her feet and swerved to the side, scarcely missing a punch to the gut.

With the flick of her fingers, she summoned the dagger strapped to her ankle and threw it forwards. Alice screeched as the blade buried itself into her thigh. Lilly immediately slammed one foot, then a roundhouse kick to the Niffin's temple. Alice stumbled back from the force, but Lilly hadn't seen her hands come up to fold together. Light flashed between them, and Lilly was thrown backward. Her body hit the ground and rolled, dragging across mud and rock to a stop two yards away. Blood dripped from her side, her shirt ripped and torn from the jagged rock she'd slid across.

"There it is." Alice grinned, her eyes shining with manic glee at the sight of blood. Lilly pushed herself up on both arms, struggling as her vision blurred. Alice strode towards her, and Lilly fumbled to her knees. Alice twirled her fingers, and pure blue energy swirled at the ready.

"This power doesn't belong to you." Lilly gritted her teeth and spat a wad of blood onto the ground.

"It will," Alice smirked. She took one more step, outstretching her arm to reach for Lilly's throat. Lilly swung her leg around and swept Alice off her feet. The spell meant for her flew off into a fence post. It exploded in a shower of splinters and sparks. Alice scrambled to stand and blocked Lilly's next swing.

They fought and countered, twisting and shoving in a vicious dance of hunter and prey. Lilly wasn't sure which was which. Hot blood soaked her shirt from the deep gash in her side. Had it not been for the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she might've collapsed long ago. Alice shoved Lilly's back with such force she nearly fell flat on her back. She panted in exhaustion. Every attack was thwarted by Alice's magic, her wards, or her godly stamina. Her eyes darted to where Kady and Julia still sat slumped against the barn. She couldn't tell if they were even breathing.

Lilly blocked another magical cut by the skin of her teeth, and then they were back at it. Lilly clawed at Alice's face, and had she still been human there would've been bloodied gashes all along her body. Any blow Lilly dealt the Niffin was healed within seconds, and all she seemed to be succeeding in was making her unfathomably angry.

A blood-curdling scream escaped her lips as Alice shoved a fist into the throbbing gash in Lilly's side. She collapsed to her knees against her mind screaming at her to shove Alice back. Alice clamped her hand around Lilly's neck, and in a flash, Lilly pulled her closer and used the momentum to toss her over her left shoulder.

Lilly searched the ground for the remains of the only true weapon at her disposal. The arrow was mere feet from her position. She lunged across the muddied ground, fingers closing around its pointed end. A hand wrapped around her ankle and dragged her back through thick mud. Lilly kicked out and jammed her heel into Alice's nose. She heard the furious screech but didn't have the luxury of looking back to see how much damage she'd done.

Lilly scrambled up to her knees and whirled, swinging the snapped arrow through the air in an arc. Alice grabbed Lilly's hand mere inches before the arrow ripped into her stomach. She had somehow managed to stand in the time it had taken Lilly to wield the weapon against her. Alice snarled down at her, bloodied and battered. She, too, was caked in mud and hay and a million other things that lay in the field they fought.

Lilly used her second hand to push the arrow with all her might. Alice fought back with matched strength and determination. They'd found themselves locked in a battle of sheer tenacity and will. Lilly looked up at Alice's unnatural glacial blue eyes and glared with a virulence she'd never shown to anyone else.

Neither of these women was as they were when they first met. Innocence spoiled quickly under duress, and for Lilly, it had hardened into a fierce unmatched power. Alice's magic was all that remained in this shell of a person. The arrow inched back from Alice's stomach ever so slowly. Lilly's arms shook with exertion. If either one released their hold, it would all be over. The severed end of the arrow was jagged and splintered, and if she failed to pierce Alice's skin, her own would surely be the sacrifice.

Alice's body jerked forward, her eyes growing wide with confusion. Her mouth parted with an exhalation of breath. The arrow slipped from her grip, and Lilly plunged the tip hard into Alice's stomach. The pointed edge of a serrated blade protruded from the Niffin's chest. Looming over her was Saia.

Lilly fell back onto the ground, her body collapsing from the lack of rivaled force. Alice stared forward with glazed eyes, her body swaying for a moment. Lilly's tiny dagger still stuck out from Alice's thigh, and pure blue light spiderwebbed out from the wound. The light surrounding Saia's long dagger was much brighter, and her chest was alight in a woven constellation of raw magic.

"Lilly!" Dani sprinted towards them from across the clearing. Her face was painted with concern and terror. Saia yanked the blade from Alice's chest and watched as the body crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Lilly couldn't move. Her legs felt like jelly, her arms like lead. She looked to Saia, who was much more composed. She seemed completely unfazed by the fact that she'd defeated Alice with one blow. Lilly let out a harsh breath and began to stand.

Blue light flared, and Lilly cried out as a blade cut through the muscle and tendons of her shoulder. Alice was before her, alive and without a scratch. The arrow was clutched in one hand, and Lilly's dagger was now lodged in her own shoulder.

"You didn't really think that scrap of wood and metal would kill me? Did you?"

"Get away from her!" Saia charged, slashing her dagger through the air. She would've succeeded if Alice had not flung out a hand and hit her with a pulse of magic. Dani, who had been beside her, was caught up in it too. Before Lilly could do anything more than scream their names, Dani and Saia were suspended before her. Their hands clawed at their necks in vain, where an invisible force had coiled around them.

"That is enough of your games!" Alice snarled a demonic screech that one might hear from a territorial wildcat. Her stark white hair whipped around her face as she jerked her head between the two women dangling at her mercy, and Lilly, who watched in terror. "Either you give me your blood, right now. Or I snap their necks."

"They have nothing to do with this." Lilly tried to keep her voice strong and unwavering, but the pleading was unmistakable. "Let them go."

"They just stabbed a dagger through my back. Do you think I give a fuck?" Alice's fingers twitched, and Dani cried out, her legs kicking desperately for any hold.

"Wait! Wait!" Alice raised a brow in interest as Lilly shouted. "I'll do it. Just let them go." Alice's smile made Lilly's stomach churn.

"Wise choice." Saia and Dani collapsed to the ground, their bodies still as the grave.

"No!" Lilly tried to push herself up and run to them, but her legs betrayed her.

"Oh, relax." Alice rolled her eyes at the dramatics. "They're just paralyzed. They'll be free as soon as you're dead." Lilly swallowed hard and turned her head to face Alice.

"You let them live. All of them," Lilly nodded in the direction of Kady and Julia.

"Yes, Yes. Now, get on with it. You know what to do." Alice eyed the dagger buried hilt deep in Lilly's shoulder. Hesitantly, Lilly reached up to grip it. Setting her jaw, she yanked it from her flesh with a groan of agony.

And then, with a sorrowful glance towards her friends, Lilly brought the sharp bloody edge to her palm. She let out a sharp hiss as she dragged the edge across her skin, leaving a thin trail of blood behind. Lilly did the same for the other, and there she knelt in the mud of an abandoned field, before a monster of pure magic. Her blood began to mix with the murky rainwater that had yet to sink into the earth. Alice pulled a small bottle from her pocket and held it out before her. Words of the ancients joined the soft rustle of long grass in the wind, and the harsh breath of Lilly, gradually bleeding out.

The blood began to lift from the ground, from her palms, and draw into the bottle. Alice grinned with such triumph that Lilly wanted nothing more to cry, to fight till her last breath. This was not the death she wanted. Knelt before an enemy, helpless and imperiled. There was nothing to do but let it happen. The others would be dead otherwise. Alice took three taunting steps forward, looking down upon her prey in indulgence.

"You forgot one thing." Lilly pursed her lips and lifted her chin in defiance.

"And what is that?"

"Blood magic is far more powerful than anything a Magician can ever contain. And you come from the power of a Magician." Lilly shot her bloodied arm out to clamp it around Alice's forearm. "I'm a Maegi." Alice tried to pull back, the sudden panic washing over her face and dissolving any trace of smug triumph. Lilly began to chant, over and over, the ancient Mayan spell she'd spent hours upon hours memorizing.

Quentin had emerged from the Tesla Flexion and revealed the only way to kill a Niffin. Lilly made the decision so long ago, not knowing if she would ever need to put it to action. Alice began to thrash and pull and screech with all her might, but Lilly felt the point of no return. Saw the cracks in Alice's skin flare with cerulean light and expand until she could no longer keep her eyes open. Lilly flinched back as the light swelled to an unbearable crescendo and then vanished altogether. Lilly's eyes fluttered open to find herself alone in the middle of the clearing, covered in her own blood that still gushed from open slashes.

"Lilly!" Feet thumped across the ground towards her as Lilly swayed on her knees. The world was beginning to grow from sharp and unyielding to dull and hazy. She was so exhausted. It seemed to crash upon her all at once. Her body collapsed against Dani's, head lolling to the side as the strength to hold it up faded from her body with her very lifeblood. A hand clamped around hers, and frantic words murmured. Water dripped onto Lilly's shoulder, and she couldn't see where they were coming from. Maybe it was beginning to rain again. Maybe the darkness around her vision was only the clouds rolling in, and soon the thunder would return to shake her awake.

Lilly wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite form the words, neither in mind nor on her lips. She felt the familiar warmth of magic flow through her and felt herself dip in and out of cognizance. Kady brushed away the smeared mud on her pale skin. Julia knelt beside her, a hand pressing down on her hand and another on her shoulder. Light blossomed behind her eyes. She faintly heard Dani whispering words of comfort in her ear. It would all be alright. She'd be fine. They'd help her. It would all be alright.

As if she'd been shot up with pure adrenaline, Lilly's eyes shot open. Her body bolted up with a strangled gasp. Julia jumped back so as not to smash heads with her. She'd been leaning over Lilly's body, her hands pressed into her gushing wounds as Dani shook, cradled, and rocked the limp form of her best friend.

"Oh my god." Dani pushed herself up on her knees and threw her arms around her. Lilly was too confused and shocked to do anything other than a blink away the fog and sit upright. Her eyes drifted down to where her hands lay palm up in her lap. The bloody jagged gashes had vanished, and in their place were two neat pink puckered lines. There was no pain, no throb of anguish coming from her shoulder.

The dagger was tossed to the ground beside them, lying forgotten in a pool of blood. Soaked in scarlet from head to toe, Lilly shivered as a gust of frigid wind blew through the fields and chilled the clearing. Dani pulled back swiftly with wide eyes. "Oh, shit! You must be freezing, of course!" Before Dani could remove her jacket, Kady draped a sweatshirt over Lilly's shoulders and pulled the front tight around her. It reminded her of her childhood when Evelyn would bundle her tight in winter clothes and woolen mittens.

"How-" Lilly breathed, her eyes glued to the deadly ruby red stain around her body. She should be dead. "How am I here?" Julia gave her a wan smile.

"I think our Lady Underground gave me one last gift." Lilly stared slack-jawed at the woman who had saved her. Of all the people in the world, she never would've guessed Julia would be the one to save her life. Julia dropped her gaze to where she knelt in the still damp mud.

"Thank you." Lilly nodded shakily, and Julia looked up to find that her thanks were sincere. Her dark brown eyes were steady, and Lilly furrowed her brow in earnest. "Although," she frowned, looking over at Dani and Saia wistfully. "I'm not sure how much time it bought me." She may not have been in pain after Julia's miraculous healing spell, but she was no longer alone within her body. Alice roared deep beneath the surface. Kady set her jaw and lifted her chin. She reached out to take Lilly's bloody hand in hers.

"Enough to find a way to save you."

Chapter Text

None of her companions were pleased with how the battle with Alice had unfolded. Lilly wasn't either. A part of her regretted telling Julia to take her Shade and leave Alice behind. But she knew deep down that the choice was the right one. If not Alice, Julia would've remained a menace and put The Valley in danger. Lilly had endured the scolding of both Quentin and Eliot. It felt like being lectured by two fathers at once. Above it all, Lilly was tired. Alice's presence within her was already draining. She wondered if The Niffin was destroying its host as a way to force its release. Alice would be sorely disappointed when it only ended in a sooner death for the both of them.

Lilly stood before a mahogany grandfather clock that had found its new home in the Physical Cottage. It was a beast of a clock, with a big fat brass face orbited by four smaller dials tracking the months and the phases of the moon and the signs of the zodiac, and God knew what else, all framed in dark wood. Erupting from the crown were two ram heads, one might assume to represent the sign of Aries, but any Fillory fan knew that these were the Gods Ember and Umber. Carved from the enchanted wood of a Sunset Tree, the clock was very likely the only portal left. Jane had destroyed almost every one to prevent Martin from reaching her and learning of Evelyn and Lilly's existence. In the end, it hadn't been enough.

The only reason the clock had survived was that it was in the possession of a very alive god, Umber. While Quentin and Eliot were unable to convince him to return to Fillory, they managed to acquire this clock.

"So this is it, huh?" Lilly mused, studying every curve of its unsurpassed craftsmanship. "The clock that brought the Chatwins to Fillory." This was where the story began, her story. The tale of Jane, Martin, and Rupert. Her family. It all seemed so innocent and sinister at the same time. The Chatwins had discovered it as children when magic and Fillory were the stuff of fairytales. But their incredible discovery had lead to so much bloodshed.

"It's poetic, isn't it?" Quentin ran his fingers along the carved edges in thought.

"More like a dark cosmic joke." Kady scoffed, her arms crossed as usual. Quentin shot her a look for ruining his moment and shook his head in irritation. He turned back and with a slight click, unlatched the door. Golden sunlight erupted from within, where an ordinary clock would have swinging pendulums and spinning cogs, this one lead straight home. Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to hide the way her lips drooped in a frown. She was going home, but would it feel that way without Penny? Lilly didn't afford herself the time to dwell on that and took a step towards the light.

"Before we go," Eliot blocked her path with his arm, as one might a child before a car accident. "There's something I should probably tell you." Lilly stepped back and turned to face him. Eliot bit his lip and winced under her scrutiny.

"You're worrying me." She tilted her head to the side, trying to predetermine what he was going to say. He glanced around at the others and found none willing to step in. Quentin actually took a step back as if preparing for an explosion. Eliot rolled his eyes and pouted like a toddler.

"Margo is sort of in the dungeons because she made a fairy deal to fix The Wellspring." Lilly narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Why is she in the dungeons for that?" Eliot shifted his weight uneasily.

"Well, she used Fen and my baby as a bargaining chip. And now they've been kidnapped and taken to the Fairy Realm." He grimaced when he saw the anger begin to boil in Lilly's eyes. "Oh, and since Margo is locked up, Fillory is most likely being ruled by Josh and Ava."

"What the actual fuck did I just hear?" Lilly blinked rapidly and took a long deep breath. "Why haven't I been informed of these developments?"

"It just didn't seem like the best time to drop those bombs. I mean, you were already sinking like the Titanic. I wasn't about to capsize the lifeboats."

"Well, my sister-in-law and future niece or nephew are missing in fairyland. I think that's something I should know!" Lilly's fists clenched beside her, and her brows had risen to furious peaks. The others looked between them with varying interest or panic.

"I thought I had things under control." Eliot shied away from her gaze.

"Since when do we ever have things 'under control'? Ava has probably killed Josh by now, or worse - the entire kingdom is up in flames!" She threw her hands in the air at the end. To Eliot's utter relief, Quentin took this as his cue to step between them.

"Guys, let's save the fighting for after we get Eliot back on the throne." He reasoned, and Lilly managed to compose herself with the roll of her shoulders.

"Fine," she huffed. "Eliot, we are going to have a serious conversation about transparency when this is all over." She narrowed her eyes at him, and he managed a very innocent smile in return.

"I don't doubt it." He mumbled as she ducked down to head through the portal. "I love you!" Eliot called after her, trying his very best to soften her up before that dreaded conversation. She stopped with one foot into the clock and looked over her shoulder with pursed lips.

"I know what you're doing." She narrowed her eyes on him again, and Eliot gulped. After a moment of deliberation, she sighed in annoyance. "But, I love you, too." He grinned from ear to ear. "Don't think that means you're off the hook!" Lilly called as she was swallowed up by Fillorian sunlight. Eliot mouthed a thank you to Quentin and followed after.

They were very relieved to find that Castle Whitespire was still standing, and beyond some very high guards that had definitely been eating Josh's muffins, everyone was alive. The royal advisor was overjoyed to find Eliot alive and well and lead them through the maze of hallways towards the throne room. When they passed through the arched entrance, Lilly was relieved to Find Margo, dressed in her usual finery, scolding Josh for something he'd done. She had her back to them with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"I am this close to taking that fake crown on your head and shoving it up your ass!" It was in that moment that Josh spotted their party entering. The look of relief on his face said it all.

"Eliot! You're back!" Margo whirled, her skirt flowing about her in waves of midnight organza. Lilly stopped short when she saw her friend's face. Margo's left eye was covered with a bejeweled black eyepatch.

"What the hell happened to your eye?" Lilly gasped, crossing the distance between them to examine her closer. Quentin and Eliot followed close behind.

"I went to the Fairy Realm to get Fen back." Margo's gaze drifted over to Eliot. She assessed him warily, unsure if he would be happy to see her. His expression gave nothing away. "She won't come back without your daughter."

"But they're both alive?"

"For now," Margo muttered, her frown deepening.

"Then we have time to get them back." Eliot declared, and Margo looked the slightest bit hopeful that maybe she could win back his trust. Quentin took Eliot's hand in his and squeezed. Lilly glanced around the throne room. Julia tried her hardest to catch Kady's eye, but she seemed determined not to acknowledge her friend. Kady was still furious with her for letting Reynard go, and Lilly truly couldn't blame her. Dani and Saia spoke in hushed tones with their heads bent together. "Where's Ava?" Lilly asked. Ava was strangely absent, despite the chaos unfolding with the Fairies. Margo's face fell even further, and she looked almost nervous.

"Lilly, she-" Margo swallowed, her expression turning from guilty to pitying. "She's back in The Valley. Elias, he's not doing well." Lilly's face paled, and she turned to see Saia's head had snapped up to attention.

"What happened?" Lilly tried to keep her voice steady, but there was a telltale tremor that gave away her distress.

"I don't know." Margo shook her head. "Ava got a bunny a few hours ago and took off." Lilly shared a look of panic with Saia, but she was hesitating. Fen was missing. Her niece was missing. She needed to be here to help, but she couldn't stay when Elias was dying. Quentin chose for her.

"Go," he nodded to give the permission she was clearly seeking. "We'll figure out a way to get Fen back. Be there for your grandfather." Lilly nodded, but the guilt remained. She wrapped her arms around Quentin in thanks and then did the same with Eliot. Margo squeezed her hand in sympathy, and Lilly savored the bit of strength it gave her. She was sure she would need it.

As she stepped within the barrier of The Valley, she felt the Niffin within her stir

As she stepped within the barrier of The Valley, she felt the Niffin within her stir. She felt self-conscious walking through her home as if everyone could see straight through her to the creature slowly ravaging her body. Alive was like a parasite living just beneath the surface, forever locked in a battle for control. The sensation could only be compared to the chaos of anxiety clawing a hole in her chest. She was thankful that though she could feel Alice's presence, she wasn't able to see her as Quentin had. She wasn't sure she could withstand a wailing harpy around her all day and night.

Lilly kept a cage around Alice, buried deep within her in the darkest most corner. For now, the Niffin was contained, unable to harm anything or anyone. But Lilly knew better than to believe it would last. No matter how powerful a creature Shifters were, they couldn't survive holding a Niffin inside forever. She would inevitably be faced with the same choice Quentin had. Box Alice, or die, and if they couldn't acquire a Niffin box before then, she would have no choice at all.

The bedroom of Elias's cottage was too full. It felt to Lilly like every wall was closing in, growing closer with every breath and shaking step. There were healers all around him, three of them. But none seemed to be doing anything other than tuck the quilt closer around his fragile frame or ring out a cloth of cool water to drape across his forehead. His hands rested palms up above the covers, motionless and exposed. Lilly stepped inside the room, and the healers gave her a look that could only mean one thing. The Bloodreigna was dying. They filed out of the room without a word, knowing that she would want a moment alone with him. When the door clicked shut, Lilly mustered the strength to approach his bedside.

"Elias," she ran the tips of her fingers along the wrinkled skin of his forehead. His eyes cracked open to look up at her with tired eyes.

"You are not alone, are you?" His voice was strained and broken as if even his vocal cords had deteriorated beyond repair. At first, Lilly assumed he'd meant Saia or Ava, but when she glanced over her shoulder, it dawned on her that he didn't mean any of them. He'd meant Alice.

"No." The candle at his bedside flickered, blown astray by her exhalation. Shadows danced across Elias's face, bringing the lines of age into stark focus. "I had to make a choice."

"I had hoped you wouldn't," he frowned. "My darling girl. You've suffered far more than you ever should have. I wish I could have protected you." Lilly squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"I had a life because of you, because of the sacrifice you and Jane made. I didn't grow up living in fear of The Beast. I was happy."

"You will be again."

"I'm not so sure." Lilly looked down at her fingers and swallowed hard. "Penny's gone. He didn't make it back from the Poison Room." The words seemed to solidify in the air and press in on her like a sarcophagus. "I think I may be cursed." Elias's face tightened, and his eyes softened with compassion.

"I know the pain you are feeling. I lost my Jane so long ago, yet I felt that grief every day, saw her in the littlest of things. I see her now, in you." He smiled up at her, but it didn't meet his eyes. "You and Penny had the sort of love that lasts longer than one life. You will find each other again. I'm sure of it." Lilly sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"Please, don't leave me." She whispered her face scrunching with the effort it took to hold back her tears. "Not you, too. I can't rule this place without you. I'm not ready." Elias cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing away the drops that had fallen.

"You're wrong." His eyes softened, and Lilly's heart ached in response. "I've seen you put our people's needs above your own more times than I can count. You are more worthy than I was when I ascended. The Niffin you carry inside you is proof of that." Elias placed his hand above her chest.

"I don't think I can handle being alone again."

"You've never been alone." He shook his head at the absurdity of her words. "If I could stay, I would. But I am fading from this world. I've lived a longer life than I ever should have, thanks to Jane's magic." Lilly took hold of his hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I'm so glad I got to know you."

"It was one of the greatest blessings of my life to see you grow into such a strong, extraordinary woman." Elias gazed up at her as if she were as radiant as the moon, and to him, she was. "If you would grant your dear grandfather one last gift, it would be to live a full life. And to do that, I believe I must make one last sacrifice for my family." His eyes trailed down to her chest, and it was then that Lilly understood the meaning behind his words.

"No." She shook her head, the denial coming so quick and forcefully that she'd barely made the connection before saying it. Elias knit his brows together and tilted his head to the side.

"I'm already dying." It was true, and Lilly knew it. Having a Niffin inside him would do nothing but speed up the process. "I do not wish to suffer in my last days."

"I'm not ready to say goodbye." Her voice cracked with pain.

"It's my time. Yours, I hope, won't be for a long while. Which is why you must let me give you one last gift." Lilly was silent for a moment, her heart clenched and swelled. She took a long shaky breath.

"Alright." Lilly wiped at her eyes. She leaned her head onto his chest and let herself cry for every person she'd lost and the one she was about to.

Over the next hour, Elias's cottage saw a handful of visitors. Dear friends knelt at his bedside just as she had and whispered words of parting to their leader. Saia was the last to speak with him, and when she left, tears were glistening in her dark eyes. Dani and Ava both gave Lilly tight hugs and kind words before they retreated to the front garden, where they would await Lilly's call. Each one lit a candle as they left, and when Lilly finally closed the door, The Village was alight. Every single window flickered with candlelight, a sign of respect and love, and a farewell to Elias's soul. She turned back to find he was smiling, his blue eyes reflecting the golden light streaming in through his open window.

"Are you ready?" Lilly whispered, moving to sit at the edge of his bed. She took his hand in hers, and he squeezed. His strength was nearly nonexistent now. Elias turned his head to look up at her and nodded. His eyelids were heavy, but he didn't seem weighed down by his exhaustion. He was content to let it sweep him away like a rose petal on the breeze.

"I'm going to see my girls." He smiled, and Lilly couldn't keep the tears from falling.

"Evelyn is going to love you." Her voice shook with pure sorrow, but she was happy for him. He was ready. "Just like I do." She leaned over and placed her lips to his forehead. She let them linger for a moment, and when she sat back, she knew that it was time. Lilly felt Alice's Niffin clawing, spitting, and screeching within her. A bird in a cage, knowing that every second brought it closer to a brutal end. She felt a pain begin to bloom between her eyes, and a trail of something wet and sticky seeped from her nose.

Lilly ignored every stab of pain, every cry of protest the Niffin gave. She pressed her hands to the center of her chest and began to mutter the ancient words of her incantation. She felt a fever seep through her, and then a blinding azure light filled the room, illuminating every nook and cranny of the cottage. Elias shut his eyes against its brilliance. Lilly knew the moment Alice's Niffin was extricated from its prison within her. A pulsating orb of glacial blue energy floated between her outstretched palms. The sensation of a roar of angry bees inside her chest had vanished. The pain swept away with the exhale of her breath. Alice's Niffin thrashed within Lilly's hold, swirling and flaring her light with a fury. Lilly kept her restrained with all her might.

She looked over at Elias and found that he was once again smiling. He would be at peace. He gave her a final nod of confirmation. Lilly shuddered as her tears picked up their intensity, and though she wished nothing more than to ignore his wishes and take Alice back, she brought the ball of energy towards him. Lilly stopped just above Elias's chest and looked into his eyes one last time. Then she pressed the Niffin into him.

It took only a moment for the magic to overpower his already fading body. Lilly clutched his hand in hers as his breathing grew more and more shallow, his eyes turned to the sky, and the soft smile turned dreamy. She sensed his soul as it slipped from its vessel, leaving her alone in a room with nothing to do but cry with his limp fingers pressed to her lips.

Chapter Text

Lilly sat at the edge of her bed. The one she'd shared with Penny. His scent lingered in the air, like a spectral reminder that he would never again kiss her hello or goodbye. She brought her hands to her face and rested her elbows on her thighs. Golden Blonde hair curtained her periphery as tears dripped onto her jeans and stained them a dark blue. Beside her lay a thin purple scarf, wrinkled and worn. Penny had draped it over a kitchen chair in a way that made Lilly infinitely irritated with him. She'd always nagged him to put it in the laundry where it belonged, yet still, he put it over the damned chair. Now she would do anything to have him do that again.

They'd buried Elias that morning, right beside his sister, Rose. She'd discovered that they'd put a headstone for Penny, too. It must've been Elias's idea. Everyone was gone. There wasn't a single blood relative of hers left in any world, Earth, Fillory, or otherwise. Her best friend was dead because of her. Her mother was gone. Now the love of her life was in The Underworld, and Lilly, she was left behind. Lilly thought of all the people she did have. Quentin, Ava, Eliot, Dani. But despite being surrounded, she felt so utterly alone.

Everything in their cottage was just as she'd left it. A towel hung from a hook on the bathroom door, leftover from the last shower Penny had taken. A book of poetry sat on his bedside table, marked on page 138. She knew if she opened it, she'd find a stupid photo strip of them together on his birthday. He always used it as a bookmark, despite her complaints that she looked ridiculous in all of them.

Lilly's chest burned. Hot air filled up every crevice and crept up her throat. She wanted nothing more than to scratch and claw at her skin until the sensation released, and she was once again herself. Her breathing grew ragged. It was all too much. So Lilly did all she could do. She screamed.

Doors flew open with a crash, drawers shot out from her dresser and the desk, filling the room with a storm of papers and arrant clothing. Glasses shattered in the kitchen, coating the wood floors in shimmering shards. Still, she screamed, letting the agony and grief rip out of her like a hurricane. She was pure chaos, destroying everything in her wake. But Lilly didn't care. She needed relief, needed to breathe, to not care about anything other than letting her magic go free. Everything she'd trapped inside and let fester like an open wound. Her hair whipped around her in a frenzy, caught up in a cyclone of unnatural crisp wind. Wood began to splinter and crack. Her world was coming apart at the seams.

When Lilly finally ran out of air, she gasped, and it was so desperate and painful that she felt as if every bit of her had gone into that cry. All that remained was emptiness. Her throat was raw and burning, but the burning ache in her chest eased, even if only slightly. When her eyes lifted, she found herself immersed in a cloud of parchment and pure white feathers. They filtered down like snowflakes and settled upon the floor atop piles of shattered glass and splintered wood. The kitchen chairs were nothing more than firewood now, the scarf beside her was lost amid the chaos.

Lilly watched, emotionless and worn as the surrounding storm settled and the fluttering of papers silenced. It was a miracle no one had knocked down the door, and she supposed she had the soundproofing charms to thank. Part of her wanted someone to come.

Her eyes trailed over her desolation and every shattered memory that lay in the ruin of a wasted future. Pictures in broken frames, clothes that still smelled of him, books he had yet to read and now never would. Then her gaze caught on a peculiar object that she was positive she'd never seen before. It wasn't hers. She was sure of that. A tiny vintage royal blue velvet box, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, was partially covered in dust and splintered pencils that catapulted from the now overturned desk.

Lilly stood and picked her way over to it, careful to avoid broken glass. The box was soft against her palm as she turned it over to examine. She wiped at her nose with her other hand. The tears had slowed and now all that remained were soft hiccups. Her insides felt like they had been carved out like a pumpkin. Lilly hesitated before lifting the top. It was Penny's, not hers, and she felt the nagging in the back of her mind that she was somehow invading his privacy. But then she realized that she couldn't possibly do that if he was dead. It wasn't like he had a next of kin to send his belongings. She was his family. With two fingers, she lifted the top. Her hand flew to cover her mouth as she sucked in a harsh breath.

Nestled in the center of pillowed blue silk sat a ring. A plain thin gold band set with a small oval sapphire and surrounded by tiny shimmering diamonds. It was stunning. Lilly held it up to the light, pinched between two fingers. There was no doubt in her mind what it was -- an engagement ring. Lilly trembled with grief as she brought the ring to her left hand and slid the cool metal onto her finger. It fit so perfectly as if melded to her skin. He should've been the one to give it to her. To ask her to be with him in this life and the next. She would've said yes, without a second thought. He was her person, and she was his.

As she stared at the sapphire gleaming in the light, something stirred within her -- sorrow, love, and biting rage. She stood abruptly, scanning the floor for everything she would need. With the help of her magic, Lilly sifted through the wreckage of their cottage. She found her fighting leathers beneath a mountain of clothes and splintered dresser drawers. Her travel bag was packed and ready to go at a moment's notice. Gripping her bow and arrows in one hand like a lifeline, Lilly glanced down at the ring on her finger. She would do this -- for Penny.

The Clock Barrens were Just as Lilly had pictured

The Clock Barrens were Just as Lilly had pictured. So long had this been a place of horror in the mind of her childhood self. But now she knew that The Watcher Woman who resided here was anything but a villain. Her grandmother may have died in this timeline, but the magic of The Clock Barrens was more powerful than death itself. Ages-old trees erupted from moss-covered earth. Their trunks were as big as small houses, and each one was inlaid with hundreds of ticking clocks of every design imaginable, from watch faces to cuckoo clocks. The ticking was nearly all-encompassing, drowning out the natural sounds of the forest with the clicking and grinding of mechanics. It would be easy to find this place intimidating, to write it off as the lair of a wicked witch intent on creating chaos. Lilly stopped in the very center, in the middle of a circle of five massive clock-filled trees. She searched amongst the forest for any sign of The Watcher Woman, but she saw nothing beyond gears and ticking hands.

"Jane?" She spun in place, calling out into the forest without care of what may hear. "It's Lilly. I need your help."

"Oh! Hello, Dear." Lilly started and whirled to find Jane a few paced behind her, smiling like it were simply an unexpected afternoon visit. A basket of various clock parts hung from the crook of her elbow. Untamed red curls were pulled into a messy bun, and she wore the all-black cloak that identified her as The Watcher Woman. "You'll have to excuse me, but which version of you am I speaking with?" Jane's head tilted to the side as her coffee-colored eyes raked up and down Lilly's body for any sign of which variation of her this was.

"Uh," Lilly hesitated, trying to think of how exactly to identify herself. "Timeline 40?" Jane gestured for her to continue. "We just defeated Reynard and Alice's Niffin." Jane's eyes sparkled with recognition, and her grin grew.

"Ah, yes." She waved a hand in dismissal. "Sorry about that. Sometimes you show up completely out of order, and it all just gets a little topsy-turvy, timey wimey. It is always lovely to see you, Darling. Come, sit." With a flourish, Jane conjured up a tree stump with two small stools. Atop it was a dainty English tea set with a steaming pot ready to pour. Lilly followed her grandmother towards it and settled down in one of the seats. Jane set down her basket and swept up the skirt of her cloak to tuck it beneath her as she sat. She began pouring them each a piping cup of tea with trained eloquence. "Sugar?" Lilly shook her head at the offered cubes, and Jane proceeded to plop two into her own cup. Jane then settled her hands into her lap and looked at Lilly with her usual knowing smile. "Now, I suppose you're here about Penny?" Lilly dropped her gaze to the pink-tinted tea in her cup. It smelled sweet and somewhat like berries. She twiddled with the delicately curved handle, tapping her nails lightly against the ceramic.

"I want you to send me back in time. Back to before he died." Jane gave her a wan smile, eyes softening with sympathy. She took a sip of her tea and set it down with a clink.

"My existence and my power is limited to the space between time. Specifically, The Clock Barrens. I cannot affect the universe outside it. I'm afraid I cannot help you, even if I thought it wise to do so." Jane brushed a stray curl from her face and shifted in her seat.

"Then you can tell me how to find someone who can. You can't be the only being who can manipulate time."

"No, not even close." Jane looked like she had hoped Lilly would take her word and give up. But she was her granddaughter, after all. "I'm sure you've heard of the butterfly effect? One event rolls into another, and so on. Messing with time is like a game of Jenga. You knock the wrong brick astray, and the whole thing collapses." It was a peculiar metaphor to hear from a time witch, but it made sense at least. Lilly's raised a brow, frustration blooming in her chest.

"You created a loop, and you're trying to tell me not to mess with time?"

"I'm telling you," Jane leaned forward and reached across the tree stump to take her hand. "That time is fragile. It takes decades of training to master its manipulation. What you want to do is not as simple as telling Penny not to go to the Poison Room. You could end up reversing everything you've achieved. The Beast could end up killing every single one of you. Reynard could destroy Persephone and doom the world."

"I can't lose him." Lilly swallowed hard. Her eyes pleaded with Jane to understand. "I know that you would've done the same for Elias. There is a way to make it alright, to fix everything. Some combination of events has to end with everyone alive, and The Beast and Reynard defeated. I don't care if I spend my whole life figuring it out. I just need to save him." Jane sat back, observing Lilly in a way that felt very much like a teacher to her student. Lilly was reminded of a time when that had been the entirety of their relationship.

"I cannot do what you ask of me." Lilly deflated and slumped in her seat. "But I can teach you." Jane's words made Lilly sit up straight, her eyes darting up to meet Jane's.

"Please, just tell me how." The desperation in her tone was pitiful.

"You already have the key." Jane nodded towards her. "Quite literally. Around your neck." Lilly's hand flew up to grasp the clock necklace that always rested against her chest.

"What?" Jane chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She took another sip of tea. Lilly's remained untouched.

"Have you ever heard of The Tale of the Seven Keys?" Jane asked.

"It's a Fillorian children's tale." Fen had shown it to her when collecting stories to read to her future daughter. It was a very popular story in Fillory. Though, it had never been mentioned in Fillory and Further.

"No, it's more of an instruction manual. That is if you have the original copy. The Seven Keys were scattered across worlds, each one holding a different power. One of which can manipulate time."

"You're telling me that this is a golden key?" Lilly tilted her chin down to examine the clock face inlaid in a worn old key. It certainly didn't look like anything described in the story.

"Ember gifted it to me as a girl. It is where the majority of my time magic comes from. It is what keeps The Clock Barrens alive." Jane reached into the front of her shirt and pulled out the same clock necklace. "When I died in your timeline, I left it to you. But it seems it's gone unused."

"You didn't tell me it was a Golden Key!" Lilly protested when she saw Jane's disappointment.

"Yes, I suppose in retrospect, that might have helped a bit." Jane shrugged, holding her teacup with both hands. "It's really not your fault. I did put quite a strong cloaking spell on it. Jane reached across their makeshift table and swirled her fingers out and back into a fist. The necklace shimmered and rippled. The clock face began to melt like hot metal but disappeared entirely before it hit the ground. Rusted metal brightened to bright unmarred gold. When the Illusion had slipped away, Lilly held a perfect key, the handle rounded with a triangle in the center replacing the clock.

"All this time it's been right under my nose," Lilly whispered, her eyes wide with awe.

"It will take training to master it. You will need to explore every possible outcome before going back to change things." Lilly hesitated. She was Bloodreigna now. Her people were looking to her, and she couldn't abandon them. "Every moment, every timeline, exists at once in The Clock Barrens. You can stay however long you need to, and when you leave, not a moment will have passed in your world. You won't have aged a day."

"I need to do this." She set her jaw, her eyes piercing and determined. Jane observed her for a moment, then sighed in defeat.

Chapter Text

[Fillory, Timeline 40, Age of The Beast]

A soft ethereal haze settled over the village where The Magicians had taken shelter. The Knife Maker's cottage was a stone's throw from the little cobblestone bridge arched over a small winding river. Fen had been kind enough to lend Julia a warm woolen shawl, and she wore it wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned over the edge of the stone wall. The water below babbled over smooth pastel stones of all sorts of colors. They looked more like dyed Easter eggs than what they actually were.

Everything in Fillory was more vivid and beautiful than Earth. The trees were a deeper shade of green than she could ever remember seeing anywhere else. The air smelled of damp soil and fresh pine needles. The saccharine aroma of the villagers' gardens reached her even at the edge of town. Morning light somehow made every color more vibrant and every scent more potent. It was early enough that the others were still asleep in the sitting room of Fen's home. Penny and Lilly beside each other, their hands intertwined in slumber, and Margo draped luxuriously across the settee. Eliot still hadn't emerged from his marital duties. The two armchairs by the fire, however, were vacant.

"Jules, talk to me." Quentin leaned his forearms on the bridge wall beside her, a deep crinkle forming between his brows. Julia stared out at the river, flowing in a never-ending stream away from them. She wished she could let herself be swept up with it. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and sighed.

"You know, I actually believed our lady underground chose me."

"Jules." She could sense the pity in his tone, and she knew his face would have softened, that his eyes would've drooped, and his lips tightened as they always did when he was at a loss for words. Julia opened her eyes and dropped her gaze to her fingers, and dragged them gently across the coarse stone. It was cool and damp beneath the pad of her thumb as she traced the bumps and cracks with sorrowful intensity.

"Yeah, I know. What the fuck were we thinking?" Her laugh was too bitter, too broken to belong to the woman Quentin had grown up with. Even as Julia had outgrown childish things and stepped into the world of adulthood, she had always maintained her youthful optimism and curiosity. Something had changed. It was as if a gear had been knocked loose somewhere inside her.

"You were trying to do good, And you got duped. It's not your fault. Jules, you saved Kady." Quentin tried to lean into her line of sight, but she didn't oblige him. He wanted so horribly to make her understand. Make her see that this was in no way her fault. That her survival was not a crime, it was a triumph.

"Yeah, but what about everyone else?" She turned her head to look at him then, and there was a rim of tears in her eyes. The tip of her nose and the apples of her cheeks tinged red with emotion. "You know, what about--"

"Hey," he silenced her by placing a hand atop hers and squeezing. "I'm going to help you. I promise, whatever that means." Quentin's voice dropped an octave. His entire demeanor held such conviction that Julia felt a flicker of guilt for what she would have to do.

"It means find him. It means kill him." Julia swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder to where the Knife Maker's cottage peaked out between the trees. "Somehow, I doubt that's easy, Or even possible."

"Well, impossible shit is sorta our thing." Quentin shrugged, and his lips curled into a little smile of amusement. His eyes were alight with sincerity. A lump began to swell in Julia's throat.

"I just-- could I have a minute alone?" She managed to muster an apologetic smile when she saw the disappointment in him. His shoulders visibly drooped, and he pulled his hand back.

"Y-yeah, uh, I'll be inside." Quentin walked backward down the path, only turning away from her when he nearly tripped over a pebble. "Shout if you need me." He called with a wave. Julia let out a long sigh, her body relaxing in the solitude. She'd never felt like she needed to put on a show for Quentin before now. They'd rarely ever kept secrets from one another. Magic had changed so many things, taken as well as given. She wondered if she had the chance, would she go back and make another choice? Choose to preserve her friendship, her integrity, over the magic she had now? Her heart clenched when she realized that she wouldn't. Julia thought that this said a lot about the person she'd become.

"I know what you're planning." Julia whirled, throwing up a hand on instinct. Standing at the edge of the bridge was a figure shrouded in a midnight cloak. Fabric pooled around them like ink in water. Julia glanced nervously down the path to find Quentin was long gone. Had she been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't heard another person approach? Julia took a tentative step back towards the village.

"Who are you?" Julia tilted her head and narrowed her dark eyes on the stranger.

"A friend." The voice was smooth and delicate. Julia found it strangely familiar, yet she couldn't quite place where she'd heard it. The stranger reached up to grip the edge of their cloak with pale slender fingers. They ducked their head as they slid the hood down, and the first thing Julia noticed was long golden blonde hair, pulled back by two braided pieces and tucked into the back of the cloak. Then they looked up, and Julia dropped her hand and scrunched her face in confusion.

"Lilly?" Julia looked between the cloaked woman and the cottage. She'd left Lilly sound asleep on the other side of the river. "But you were just---" Her words trailed off as she looked at Lilly's quirked eyebrow and amused smirk. "You aren't Lilly." The suspicion had returned, and Julia twitched her fingers against her jeans in anticipation of a fight.

"I am, just not your Lilly." Julia looked her up and down, studying every detail of this strange woman. She was wearing the same robes that Jane had back in 1942. Around her neck hung her necklace, a clock face inlaid in a worn golden key. "Not yet, at least."

"You're The Watcher Woman?" Julia openly gaped, and the thought crossed her mind that maybe she was hallucinating.

"One of them." Lilly smiled lightly and took a step towards her. Julia stood her ground, eyeing every movement for any sign of hostility. There was none that she could see. "I've seen all of this unfold, and while in the end, you succeed, I can say with certainty, you will not like the cost." Julia's expression soured with rage. She'd spent the past six hours since returning from Ember's temple reliving the carnage of that day. The blood smeared across light wood floors, over the blanket she and Quentin had made as children. The bodies of the people she'd come to think of as family, strewn over furniture and discarded like trash. When she'd seen the Leo Blade strapped to Alice's waist, waiting to be used for defeating The Beast, her plan had formed. It was betrayal, but her friends could wait to kill Martin until she'd used him to vanquish Reynard.

"I can't just let him kill people, rape people, like he did me and my friends." It was like hot air had filled her chest, and Julia felt the only way to dispel it was to lash out in defense of her plan. "If The Beast can stop him I don't care what I have to do." Her jaw clenched and nostrils flaring, Julia glared straight into the eyes of a being far more powerful than she.

"The Beast is not your solution." Lilly's tone was matter of fact, casual even. It reminded Julia of Jane Chatwin's offhand remarks. Perhaps it came with knowing that time wasn't fixed, that anything and everything was part of a whole.

"Well, then what the fuck do you want me to do, huh?" She ran a hand through her dark hair and now frustrated tears burned at her eyes. "Give up on Reynard, let him run around the world unchecked?" Julia waved her arm around them as if to show firsthand what would be destroyed. Her voice cracked with emotion, and she expected Lilly to look at her with pity like Quentin had. But Lilly remained as cool and collected as she had before.

"No. I'm offering you another way." The Watcher Woman reached inside her billowing black cloak, and when her hands emerged, she was clutching a long thin object.

"An arrow?" Julia narrowed her eyes on the steel-tipped arrow. It was beautiful -- she'd give it that. Symbols she vaguely recognized as ancient Arabic were carved into the wood of its stem.

"An arrow capable of killing a God." Lilly's lips curled up at the corners as Julia eyed the weapon with an uncontainable hunger.

"Where did you get this?" She was breathless. Power radiated off it in waves. It was more than she'd ever felt before, even more than the magic of Ember.

"A Goddess." Lilly's chocolate eyes twinkled with amusement. Julia wondered if there was a joke she wasn't getting. But she cared little for humor when the key to revenge was within her reach. She took a step towards Lilly with an outstretched hand, only to have the arrow pulled away.

"Not just yet." Lilly tutted like a mother to an overly eager child. Julia pursed her lips and stopped short. "I've come to you because I know you're willing to do what must be done, no matter the cost." Julia looked up and found Lilly's gaze to be searching. She felt like she was being analyzed by a superior, assessed on a task she had yet to complete. Setting her jaw, Julia pulled her shoulders back and down. Her stare was piercing and determined.

"What do you want from me?" She whispered, and Lilly grinned proudly.

"I want you to change things."