I had never seen my parents so worried before. In the two years that I had lived with them, Genevieve and Nathanial had been the most led back, easy-going parents that anyone could have ever asked for. Granted I was never out of their sight for more than hours at a time, and every time we went out their guards had never failed to keep tabs on me, but as Kira, Rose and I showed back up at the infirmary the scene had seemed chaotic. Everyone had been wondering how I had managed to leave without someone noticing me. My mother had been frantic, saying that I was probably unconscious somewhere and in need of help. As I had made my way into the room, both my parents had jumped, hugging me and reprimanding me for leaving at the same time.

“You seem to be perfectly fine.” Doctor Clare said, flashing her little light on my eyes. My parents have found her after they had calmed down, insisting that I should be checked as soon as possible to make sure I was alright.

“No sign of a concussion and your memory is fine.” If only she knew. She took her time examining me, checking if my chest hurt when I breathed and if I were feeling dizzy or nauseated. Her deep blue eyes -a beautiful contrast to her dark skin- scanned my head thoroughly, inspecting and cleaning the wound on my head. Behind her, the eyes of my family and friends - and Mr. Blackthorn who had joined our little group in the room looking cleaner than I had left him- were scrutinizing her every move, anxious to hear the final verdict.

“I would feel better if you take it easy for the next couple of days”, Doctor Clare said as she took her gloves off, “but other than that you’re free to go.” She finished with a smile and a collective sigh of relief left the mouths of the audience behind her.

“Thank you Doctor.” I smiled as she squeezed her way past my parents, waving off their thanks with her soft grin.

“I’m so glad you’re alright. You gave us quite the scare.” My dad sat down on the edge of my bed, hugging me tightly.

“I’m sorry.” I let out softy.

“Don’t be.” He whispered back. “Now that you’re finally cleared, how about we get out of here? I don’t like hospitals.” He pulled back with a shiver. Everyone nodded in agreement, seemingly eager to leave the infirmary, and started heading out of the door.

“Mom, can I talk to you for a second?” I said as my parents were on their way out.

“Of course.” She nodded. “We’ll catch up with you guys soon.” She closed the door behind my dad and turned back to me.

“What’s wrong honey?”

“Nothing.” I started, unsure of how to say what I had in mind without worrying her. “I don’t know.”

“Is it your head? Should I call Doctor Clare back in?”

“No, no.” I waved my hands frantically.

“I’m fine. It’s actually about the attack.”

“What about it?” She gave me a quizzical look.

“Those creatures that attacked the school, the Grim ones, I’ve seen them before.”

“You have? Where?” I took a deep breath.

“They were in my nightmare.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The night before the Grim ones attacked the school, I had my usual nightmare. Only this time it was more detailed than ever. I was running away from someone –or something- and I got backed up in a corner. Those things showed up, they surrounded me from everywhere, only I didn’t feel helpless. I was powerful, mom. My magic was nothing like I’ve ever experienced before. My fire was burning high, forming a protective wall around me and incinerating those shadows where they stood. It felt so real.” I felt a pang of regret and sadness in my heart, whishing for that feeling to become a reality. I sighed and continued. “I keep trying to come up with a logical explanation for this but every time I come up short. I mean, what are the odds of me having a dream about the Grim ones only to have them attack my school the very next day? What does any of this mean, mom?” Moments of silence passed by, my mother staring at me with an inexplicable look on her face. As I told her about my nightmare, I noticed her body tense up and a brief look of panic flashed through her eyes, a look she soon got under control. My mind briefly thought back of the conversation I overheard taking place between my father and Mr. Blackthorn, and my heart sank as I wondered if my parents were also keeping secrets from me.

“Are you sure that you saw them in your nightmare?” She asked, her face portraying no emotions. “Maybe the shock of the attack and the blow you sustained –things could have just gotten mixed up.”

“I’m sure, mom. I remember the nightmare quite vividly.” I said as I touched my chest, the place where that girl stabbed me stinging with the memory.

“Honey, you have been attacked. You hit your head pretty badly and you have been unconscious for the past couple of days.” She rubbed my back, finally smiling gently.

“I believe it was just an unconscious hallucination, a way for your mind to make sense of what you have witnessed.” I bit my lip, suppressing the objections that were about to flow out of my mouth in a stream of questions and accusations. I knew for a fact that I wasn’t hallucinating, and my mother’s attempts to make me believe otherwise could only mean two things: either she didn’t believe me, or she was keeping things for me. Either option hurt.

“Maybe you’re right.” I hopped off the bed and headed for the door, avoiding my mother’s curious gaze.

Out on the hallway, my dad, Mr. Blackthorn, Kira and Rose were engrossed in a quiet conversation. As I made my way towards them, soon joined by my mother who was following me quietly, I picked up on the end of what my dad was saying “…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“What’s not a good idea?” I asked.

“You and your friends attending the royal meeting tonight.” He replied.

“Are you going to be there?” I looked between my parents. “Of course, we have to go.”

“Then there is no reason for us not to. Kira and Rose are both royals and their families are going to be there. And you always talk about how the Ignis family is one of the most powerful families in the mystic world, so you see there is no reason why we shouldn’t attend this meeting.” I was feeling brave, usually I wouldn’t speak to my parents like this, but I was getting tired of the lies and the secrets and I wanted answers.

“The meeting is taking place in our school, Mr. Ignis. Not to mention that we were the ones who were attacked. With all due respect, I think we deserve some answers.” Kira said firmly, giving me an understanding look.

“They’re right Nathanial.” Mr. Blackthorn spoke up. “There is no reason why they shouldn’t join us. And I believe Lilith could use the exposure to the politics of the kingdoms.”

“Alright.” My father conceded after a long pause. “You’ll accompany us tonight.”

Once I was back in my room, I breathed a sigh of relief for finally having a few moments to myself. My parents had offered to take me with them, announcing that they had a condo on the island that they stay in whenever they had business here and that they would love to have me. I politely declined, saying that I needed to be alone for a while and rest. They had reluctantly accepted and I was internally thankful that I didn’t have to pretend to be fine around them. With all that had happened today, my heart sank as I came to the realization that there was a lot my parents weren’t telling me. I felt completely alone, not knowing who to trust anymore, and what made matters worse was not being able to confide in my friends because they didn’t know the truth about me. I was both lying and being lied to, and it left me shattered.

I moved towards the mirror, finally taking a look at myself. A small gasp escaped my lips as I took note of the circles under my eyes, alarmingly dark on my pale skin. My hair was lifeless, white strands sticking to my forehead and neck. My black eyes looked hollow and heavy, staring blankly at my reflection in the golden framed mirror. The bandage on my forehead seemed to be glaring at me, the area around it slightly blue. As drained as I was, I decided a shower was due, especially since I was still in the clothes I wore a couple of days ago. The meeting wasn’t until after sunset so I still had a few hours to get cleaned up and take a nap. Physically, I was fine, healthy and rested, but mentally I was exhausted so a few hours of sleep seemed like a welcome escape.

A few loud knocks on the door woke me up from a dreamless slumber, and I groaned loudly as Kira made her way into the room to let me know that we would be leaving soon. I got out of bed –with a heavy heart- and got dressed, hastily running a brush through my hair. Through the window, I watched as the sun began its slow descent behind the mountains of Coleste and with it my heart stared beating loudly in my ears. The idea of crashing a royal meeting seemed brave and necessary earlier today, but now as I made my way downstairs to join my friends, I was having second thoughts. I had enough trouble blending in with the students here at Lixierra, How was I going to avoid the curious stares of the royal