“The Hells?” Ta’Ga asked with a frown. None of this was making any sense to him. He didn’t understand any of this spirit business. The more Master Desmond spoke, the more questions he had.

  Master Desmond sighed and leaned deeper into the chair, cradling the cup of tea to his chest.

  “There is much both of you don’t understand about our world and history,” He explained in a weary voice. “There are three main realms that make up all of existence. There is this realm - The Earthen Realm - where we and all other creatures we know live and thrive. But there are two others - realms that are equally different and similar to ours. The Hells, where I believe Zara’s spirit was captive, and The Beyond. Both realms are home to a variety of beings, just like ours. Though, magic is supremely abundant there and the creatures, while sharing some similarities to humans are very, very different in nature.”

  Ta’Ga and Yuli said nothing during Master Desmond’s speech. They both looked perplexed, Yuli more concerned and Ta’Ga more confused.

  “How is it possible these realms exist but we have never heard of them?” Yuli asked.

  “Ah,” Master Desmond said, “How indeed?”

  A small smile crossed his face in what seemed to be a private joke. Yuli and Ta’Ga exchanged confused glances but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

  “Well… Long ago it was common knowledge that these other realms exist because there was a war that extended between the realms. The Earthen Realm lies beneath both The Hells and The Beyond. We act as a barrier of sorts between the two. Or some think of it as more of a balance. These other worlds are opposites to the extreme. One a world of darkness, the other light. Here, we have both. The Beyond has a particular type of magic, known as light magic. The Hells, the opposite, dark magic. The beings of these realms are comprised of their realms corresponding magic. Here, we have both, but in moderation. It’s like we only get the magic that overflows out of the other realms. Few can possess and wield magic effectively in our realm.”

  Master Desmond opened his mouth to continue explaining when a low groan came from the bedroom.

  All three sprang to their feet and rushed to the bedside. Zara had begun to stir and Yuli scooped up her hand, face ripe with concern. Zara’s head rolled side to side and slowly her eyes opened. She blinked a few times, grimacing at the bright light streaming in through the window. It took a moment for the world to come into focus. When it did, she came face to face with three very concerned faces.

  “Zara?” Yuli asked, leaning over her, blonde ponytail hanging over her shoulder, shining golden yellow in the sunlight. Zara swallowed, trying to get some saliva flowing in her parched mouth. As she stared up into the concerned, beautiful golden eyes looking down at her, she felt her hammering heart start to slow.

  “What happened?” Zara managed to ask in a raspy voice. She swallowed again, feeling like her mouth had been stuffed with cotton, the taste of sulfur still on the back of her tongue. Sulfur… She gasped as the strange events started flooding back into her mind. She grasped Yuli’s hand desperately as she remembered being curled up on the cold stone floor, naked, pain radiating through her body like she’d never felt before.

  The memory caused tears to begin streaming from her eyes as she gasped for breath. Yuli sat on the side of the bed and smoothed Zara’s hair down.

  “Shh.. It’s OK now,” she told her in a hushed voice. “You’re going to be OK. I’ve got you.”

  Yuli turned to Ta’Ga and pointed back to the sitting room. “Bring her some water.”

  Ta’Ga went to do as he was bid and Yuli turned back to Zara, stroking her hair once more.

  Zara took a big, shuddering breath as she tried to calm herself and make sense of the situation. How did she get back here so suddenly? She remembered thinking she was surely going to die. There hadn’t been any doubt in her mind about her fate once the demon’s finger had grazed her face. It was like every nerve in her body had been set on fire with his touch.

  Ta’Ga came back with a glass of cool water and Yuli helped Zara sit up to drink it. She gulped it down quickly, tears still stinging the corners of her eyes. She tried to blink them away but they kept coming. She hiccuped, looking around at the others in the room. First her eyes met Ta’Ga’s. At first, it almost looked like he flinched when their eyes met and then his face turned back into one of confused concern. Zara’s mouth fell down into frown at his reaction. Then her gaze fell on the unfamiliar tiny, old man at the end of the bed. He gave her a small smile and moved to stand next to Yuli.

  Yuli looked up at him and he motioned for her to stand. When she did, Zara almost felt panicked at the loss of her hand in hers. Master Desmond sat in the same place Yuli had been and gently patted Zara’s hand in comfort. His eyes were full of warmth as he stared at her for a moment. Then he turned his head away to gaze out the window. Zara watched as the sunlight illuminated his wrinkled face.

  “My dear girl,” He said, “I know you must be full of questions. What you’ve been through would be difficult for anyone to handle but you did. You shouldn’t worry about the devil getting his hands on you again, at least not for a long time. I blocked the seal he was attempting to place on you to keep your spirit trapped with him. You’re safe.”

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  “Devil?” Zara asked, confused. “Is that what they were? I assumed demon….”

  Master Desmond shook his head. “Those who held you captive were devils. Demons are the equivalent of The Hells animals if you were to compare the two to creatures here in our world. They differ in intelligence mainly. Demons are horrible, brutal, terrifyingly twisted creatures. They take many shapes and forms. They lay the intelligence that devils do, much like animals here. Devils are bi-pedal, with similar features to humans but are also vastly different than humans. They usually have horns and pointed tails. They can also have multiple sets of eyes or limbs and their skin can have many hues. From what we know of them, they seem to be inherently evil by nature, driven by dark magic. They control the demons in The Hells and force them to do their bidding.”

  Zara listened to the old man with rapt attention, mouth falling agape at some point in his explanation.

  Master Desmond stopped rambling and looked at Zara’s face. Suddenly he sprang up turning to face her.

  “Where are my manners?” He muttered, holding out his right hand to her. “I am Master Venuvius Desmond. I, among other sorcerers, run The Organization Yuli told you about.”

  Zara weakly reached out and grasped his hand and nodded in acknowledgement.

  “Thank you for saving me, Master,” She managed in a still very raspy voice.

  He took his seat again and sighed deeply.

  “You should rest now, dear,” He said. “This is only the beginning of a long road for you I’m afraid.”

  “What do you mean?” She asked in a surprised rush.

  “Well…” Master Desmond began and then paused, seeming to think over something. “Yuli, can you bring me that hand mirror?” He gestured vaguely to a large chest in the corner of the room. On top lay a small mirror and a comb, obviously where master Desmond must brush out his curly, silver locks and full beard. Yuli did as he asked and Master Desmond held up the mirror for Zara to see her own face.

  She gasped in horror at the bright red irises staring back at her. Her heart sped up and her eyes welled with tears as her fingers flew up to the two small bumps under her skin visible on her forehead. It was clear the flesh was healed over whatever was protruding there and didn’t hurt to touch but the black blood was still dried and cakey on her skin around them. Her eyes were her eyes but so strange and alien that she looked away from the mirror.

  Master Desmond lay the mirror next to her on the bed and patted her knee through the thin blanket.

  “I believe the seal the Devil had tried to place on you would have drawn out the features of the darker side of your magic. The side that you got from him. Will your own dark magic at the forefront, mingled with his, it would have given you incredible powers. However, it would have also altered your features into something closer to a Devil than a human. I’m not sure the effects of that would have been reversible.”

  Zara blinked away the tears as he explained. Irreversible.

  “So… I’m stuck looking like this because of what he’s done to me?” She asked in a quiet voice, trying not cry.

  Master Desmond lifted her chin with his finger so that her gaze met his. She was surprised to see him giving her a wide, eye-crinkling smile. “No, my dear,” he said, “I don’t believe you are.”

  Zara blinked at him again, a small smile coming to her own lips.

  “Really?” She asked. “I will go back to normal?”

  Master Desmond nodded. “I believe you can,” he explained, lowering his hand from her chin. “It is going to take some work on your part though. You are going to have to work to bring your light magic to the forefront and use it to smother back the dark magic that had now swelled within you. I stopped his magic from flowing through you but there is nothing I could have done to stop the growth it had already caused to your own magic. I could feel it swelling and stretching as I worked on you. I can teach you how to grow and strengthen your light magic. It is something I’ve been teaching others to do for almost a century now. I’m confident with some practice, you will be a natural just like Yuli.”

  Zara raised her eyebrows and glanced at the blonde woman. She smiled back at Zara and nodded. “You have the potential,” She said confidently. “I knew you did ever since I met you. I told you.”

  Zara stared at her new friend in wonder. The full confidence in Yuli’s voice surprised Zara. No one besides her mother had ever believed in Zara so whole-heartedly before. Zara smiled wider then, turning back to Master Desmond.

  “OK,” She said, “I’ll do whatever it takes. Will you accept me as your pupil.”

  Master Desmond clapped his hands together and laughed. “Of course, of course,” He said, “but first, you really need to rest.” He held out his hand and touched his finger lightly to Zara’s forehead. It was exactly the same spot that the Devil had touched her and she flinched automatically in response. His smile faltered, apologetically. “I won’t hurt you Zara. I’m going to help you sleep in a way that your spirit won’t leave your body. It’s a way the Sorceresses can track you. Someday you will be able to do it yourself but for now I will help. When you awaken we will begin training.”

  Zara closed her eyes and nodded, bracing herself for whatever he was about to do to her. She felt the icy feel of magic seep under her skin and within seconds she felt sleep begin to take her. She blinked her eyes once, twice, taking in the blurry shapes of her new comrades as they faded into nothingness. Her eyes closed then, staying closed. Master Desmond continued trickling in his magic until he could hear the sound of her even breathing, telling him she was deeply asleep.

  He removed his finger from her forehead and for a moment the three of them watched her in peaceful sleep. Then, Master Desmond turned to Yuli with a grim look on his face.

  “Yuli, please clean Zara up and get all the blood off of her,” he instructed, moving around the bed. “She likely won’t wake for a few days time and we need to prepare while she rests. There is much work that needs to be done.”

  He turned to Ta’Ga standing in corner with his arms crossed, a tense look on his face as he gazed at Zara. “Ta’Ga,” Master Desmond said, stepping up close to him. Ta’Ga glanced at Master Desmond in acknowledgement but then his gaze shifted back to Zara. “I need you to fill Grennt in on all that has happened since you arrived here today. I need the two of you to take shifts watching over the girl while Yuli and I prepare some things for when she wakes. But keep this between the four of us for now - I will need to inform the other Masters of these developments. Can you do this for me, my boy?”

  Ta’Ga thought it over a minute and nodded once. “I’ll go to Grennt now while the two of you are here with her and I will return as soon as possible. I can’t guarantee Grennt will want any part of this but I will watch over her full time if necessary.”

  Master Desmond nodded thoughtfully. “Tell Grennt this is an official mission and a direct order from me.”

  Ta’Ga raised his eyebrows in surprise but just nodded once more and then turned and headed for the door, resigned to facing his brother’s wrath.

  Meanwhile, Zara slept dreamlessly for the first time in her life.