I stared in shocked silence at the scene that transpired beneath me minutes earlier.

Carter had already picked up the lifeless body of the Dealer, holding him roughly in his grip as he dragged it across the stone floor towards the door the two of us came through before the meeting began. He left the door open behind him as light spilled through and the cavernous room was slightly visible. The orbs of light were still floating steadily throughout the cave.

I heard the body being quickly pulled across the uneven ground before it went silent and Carter remerged into the room. Just as he was closing the door behind him a soft, echoing thuck reached my ears as I listed to the air. Carter had thrown the body from the high area of the entranceway to the depths below.

“Who’s in here with us?” Key finally asked to break the deadly silence filling the room. Succeeding in pulling me from my stupor.

“Aura’s daughter.” Mrs. Han replied. “Her presence and identity are being hidden so she doesn’t become a target, Key.”

“Will I see her?” He asked hopefully.

From his blind curiosity I knew that everyone who my mother trusted did not know my identity. The Royals at the Academy were probably well aware of my identity, but it was not shared with anyone that Mother did not allow to know.

Mrs. Han knew, for that I was certain.

“Only if the Descendants approve it.” Carter answered. “Now is not the time for her to show herself should she choose not to. It would be best if you did not know just yet.”

That last part was directed towards me. Carter wanted me to remain invisible, most likely until my mother had a say in my exposure.

Since I was known in the room I didn’t bother to hide my movements in the air or the sounds I made as I pushed myself off the beam near the ceiling and slowly increased the amount of gravity pulling me down.

My feet landed on the stone floor, the heal of my boot clacking on the even rock. Key jumped at he noise but didn’t comment. I looked up at Carter beside me and gently touched his arm to let him know where I was.

Carter looked down at me, his eyes softer then they were before. “We will not go back though the way we came.”

“The person who followed us?” I asked when he didn’t elaborate on it.

Carter asked coolly, “Fell when the bridge he was climbing on broke. Took the wrong one it seems.”

Oh. Well, it was only a chance given to him to make it through there. I thought as I followed everyone out of the room.

“You can extinguish the light in the cave, we won’t need it any longer. Thank you for your help, Miss Sky.” Carter thought. “Aura would be proud of what you did today.”

He paused before leaving to let me pass ahead of him. He turned to return to the room but I put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got it, Carter.”

Reaching out with my hand open, I closing my hand into a gentle fist, one finger at a time starting with my little finger, we watched as all the torches lighting the room were extinguished. I felt the warm heat through my veins as the fire I played with joined with the eternal flame that lived within me.

“Is that normal for the Descendant?” Key questioned. “I assumed her Ability was invisibility or air control?”

“The Descendant is a Mimic, Key.” Mrs. Han offhandedly commented. “It’s why her identity needs to be kept secret.”

“Well, . That’s not good.”

Mrs. Han hit Key upside the back of his head. “Mind what you say, she can hear you. The Descendant is exactly like Aura in personality, even better probably. This time it might be good a Mimic is around.”

“No Descendant has ever abused the Ability of Mimicry.” Carter said softly.

The four of us made our way back through the maze of tunnels under the Academy grounds. Mrs. Han and Key were softly talking the whole way back about school affairs, the competition and the war going on. My parents were brought up a few times, and it seemed as though my dad was expected to make an official appearance in a few weeks.

It was strange hearing them talk about me since they would only refer to me with a title I was still adjusting to. I know it was both used out of respect towards me who sat at a higher level of the hierarchy and because they could not verbalize my name.

Carter would speak a few times, but for the most part would remain silent. He had stopped trying to put out the torches himself when I continuously extinguished the flames myself as we walked.

The walk back was quite quick and did not involve any dangerous cliff walkways and swinging rope brides. The pathways were damp and humid, probably stemming from the warm underground temperature and the rivers and bodies of water I was sure was all over the tunnel system.

The doorway came into view as we climbed the last set of stairs and came around the corner. Key pushed it open and allowed us all to go through before he exited the tunnel as the last light from the torches fizzled into smoke.

The door was not locked, but since it was so secluded I’m sure no one wandered in. Especially, since one was bound to get lost if they started wandering through the expansive maze.

“Does the Descendant require anything before we depart?” Mrs. Han asked looking to Carter since she was unable to see me.

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