A small draft pushed open the door next to which Ael sat. With a sigh, she pushed out a hand, slamming it shut. She blinked, concentrating on her book again.

�That�s no way to greet a friend now is it?� A voice drawled from the other side of the door. A small boy of about thirteen stood there, his pale complexion stark in the dark hallway. �But you wouldn�t know would you�� he continued softly.

�I guess not!� she retorted slamming the door into his face. She heard a soft thump as it made contact with him.

Uttering a curse, he shoved it open, letting it swing into her unheeded. �How dare you�� he muttered at her, his voice deadly. �You know you�re not allowed to hurt me - any of us.� He told her, a pale finger pointed toward her.

Sighing, she muttered words of apology, not meaning them one bit.

�That�s better, now then.� He strode near her, and plucked the book from her hand. Examining the cover, he made sounds of amusement. �Father never said you could borrow this, did he?� After she made no response, he laughed, slamming the door into her as he walked out.

The girl, shuddering with anger got up, softly shutting the door, before turning around, and trembling with rage, plain features stared into the lone mirror in her room. Brown hair practically tied in a French braid, blue eyes that burnt with a rage known to few. The few freckles were smudged with dust, and her stubborn chin finally dropped to her chest as she gave up, once again. Her thin figure crossed the small closet of a room, and eased down on the bed with a sigh. Holding back tears, she shut her burning eyes, slowly falling asleep.



Rising with dawn, she softly walked to the bathroom, where she took a shower, and cleaned up. Moving into the kitchen, she started making breakfast. The family would be up in about an hour, and she didn�t want to be around for it. As she was leaving, James, the head of the household, stepped in, with his snide comment of �coffee�s weak.� It went on unhearing ears however, as Ael left the kitchen.

Silently, she ghosted from room to room, cleaning and straightening each in turn. Reaching the master bedroom, she knocked softly before entering. A young woman was present, just finishing her hair in front of the dressing table. Turning, she smiled to the girl, a soft, �Good morning.� On her lips.

The mother of the small boy Josh,, she had browned features, the same blue eyes as Ael, and pale chestnut, almost dark blonde hair. A strong nose and a strong chin gave her more handsome than pretty looks. A long elegant hand continued to pat the light hair in place.

Feeling her own hair, pulled tight in its braid, she responded, �Good morning Aunt Amy.� Her own mother had died leaving her in the care of this woman, who cared more for looks than depth.

Though she tried to be nice, the woman wouldn�t help but say, �Why don�t you wear a skirt, or dress more often dear?�

The girl muttered something incomprehensible in response, while thinking, you just want me to look more like a maid so you can impress your stuck-up friends. Brushing off her jeans, she proceeded to make the bed, as her aunt left the room.

Soon she was in the kitchen, once more cleaning it up since they had left the dishes on the table � as they did every morning. Her day consisted mostly like that, cleaning, picking up, and doing chores.

A wisping thought ran through her mind, for her mother. Her mother had died a month after she had been born. She had never seen a picture of her mother, but from what she could figure out from the few relatives she had talked to, the lady had the same slightly wispy deep red-brown hair as Ael, but she had brown eyes, and like Ael, was thin and petite. She hadn�t been too tall, but Ael had heard she was smart in �another way� as described by her aunt. She could never figure out what that had been, and had finally given up on finding out.

Her dad, she had always been told was a drunk, and a �one-night-stand� type of person. Ael had always thought of him as the kind of man you would meet in a dark alley with all black on, and a rough voice.

With a jump, she sucked on a finger as she burnt it on the stove, not paying attention as she thought about her family.

Finally, with her chores done, she went back to her room. �More of a closet�� she muttered, kicking the door shut with the back of her heel.

Cleaning up her room, she muttered as she worked, and when her door opened, and Josh leaned on the doorframe with all the arrogance a thirteen year old could muster, she cursed under her breath. �Can�t you just go away?� she asked him more calmly than she felt.

�No.� came the arrogant reply. �Mom said you had to take me�n Rob to the park. You gotta stay with us too.� He informed her.

Last time she had taken them and come back ,claiming that they never said she had to watch them. That ended her up with a week of extra chores.

�Fine.� She snapped, �Let me change.� Shoving the door shut in his face without bothering to wait for a reply, she changed into clean jeans and a different shirt, leaving her old stuff in a pile by her bed, noting that she needed to add laundry to her list of chores. With a quick glance in her mirror, she jerked a few hairs in place, scowled to herself, and went to the front door to wait for Josh.

Not fifteen minutes later, she stood up, her arms crossed across her chest, to follow the boy to his friend�s house. Upon reaching the brick two-story house, Ael gazed up at it in wonder. She had always thought it strange, considering it had no mail box, and inside she could almost always hear weird noises.

As soon as Josh knocked on the door, Robert Moore was there, slipping out keeping the door as shut as possible. The boy was almost taller than her, and muscular. He had a peculiar ring on one hand, black metal etched with odd writing and a crystal stone embedded in it. It was with this hand, he pushed away his black hair from his face, revealing blue eyes, and a stubborn chin. He gave a smile to Ael - he had always been polite - greeted Josh, and the three headed toward the park, Ael following a little behind.

As the sun began to fall, Ael climbed off the bench she had perched upon and gave a yell to Josh and Rob, who had been standing with a group of kids. Ael had watched them the whole time, noticing that Rob, a head taller than the rest of them, seemed always to be looking somewhere else, when the gang decided to pick on random little kids. A thought came to her as he nudged Josh, that he always seemed to be looking at her. Brushing the thought from her mind, as he and Josh began boxing with each other up the road, she followed them to Rob�s house.

As soon as they dropped Rob off, Josh swung around putting his hands on his hips with a determined look on his face. �You�d better not tell nobody what we did at the park.� It wasn�t a statement, it was a threat.

Ael shrugged it off with a sigh. �Wouldn�t dream of it�� She began walking toward their home, leaving Josh standing there to catch up on his own.

Once in their house, as she passed the kitchen on the way to her room, she noted the calendar. The next day was her birthday. Of course, no plans, no special happenings had been arranged. Maybe she�d be allowed to sleep in again like last year. The thought ran slowly through her head as she made her way through the house again, picking it up from the day�s mess, and as she reached her room, she head the garage door go up as the family went out to dinner.

She was asleep the next morning, when a pounding on the door awoke her. �Get out of there you lazy girl! I want my breakfast!� she heard James calling. �And don�t be slow about it, I have an important meeting this morning! Hurry up!� his final words were punctuated by a last pounding, Groaning, she dressed and went to the kitchen., still rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Making the normal breakfast of bacon and eggs, Ael was soon fuming mad at herself. Why hadn�t she remembered to get up? Passing the refrigerator, she remembered: today was her birthday. Sixteen years she�d survived this house. The family had let her sleep in for the past few years, and had considered that her present. Today, she didn�t even get to sleep in, they most likely had forgotten completely.

Sighing heavily, she shut her ears to James� crude comments about her appearance, her work, everything she did, and suddenly, it seemed as if she didn�t have to pretend, she couldn�t really hear him anymore. Eyebrows creased as she thought this over, she grabbed the pan and dumped the food onto his plate.

Retreating back into her room, she fell against her bed with a curse, as a foot poked out from behind her door and tripped her. Cackling laughter ran down the hallway as Josh disappeared beyond the turn. A thought of what she would do to the boy if she ever caught him went through her mind, followed by a muffled scream.

A bit surprised, she followed the sound to Josh�s room, fast walking down the hall, to find him hog-tied, a gag in his mouth, and huge dogs, dripping saliva from their bared fangs advancing toward him. Funny enough, they didn�t seem to even notice her. The sudden thought that she had caused the scene, made her blink, and suddenly, Josh was laying on the floor, by himself untied, whimpering pitifully, his eyes still crammed shut.

Fleeing to the safety of her room, she shut the door, breathing hard. A fist pounded on her door. It was Josh�s voice, demanding to know what she had done. Wishing to herself that they would just leave her alone, she shakily sat on her bed, and as she heard the door-knob jiggle, a sigh of relief went through her when it didn�t open. Muttering something, Josh slowly went away.

It suddenly dawned on her, her door didn�t have a lock � none of the doors in the house had locks except the outside doors. She stood up, a trembling hand reaching the doorknob and she easily opened the door. She shut it again, and opened it, as if to prove to herself there was no lock. Indeed, no lock was on it, and nothing jammed it.

Shaking very hard, she turned around, only to let out a stifled scream as a hand closed over her mouth. She saw a pair of earnest bright blue eyes before she fainted.



The first thing she could comprehend when she came to, was a huge headache, pounding against her temples. Groggily, she opened her eyes and put a hand to her head, letting a soft moan escaping her.

�Good, she awake.� An unfamiliar voice was heard.

She heard footsteps drawing near to her and blinking, slowly, many unfamiliar faces came into focus around her. Trying to sit up proved a problem as the room swam before her eyes. Gentle hands pressed her back down against the pillows.

Staring at the faces around her, she saw at the foot of her bed, a tall man, with a slightly hooked nose, shaggy dark hair and dark eyes. Next to him, stood a man with silvery hair, a hard look was in his green eyes yet sensitive features gave him a slightly kind look. On the other side of the dark haired man, stood a lady with black hair swept back from her face revealing startling blue eyes that somehow seemed familiar. A soft reassuring smile touched her full lips.

Beside her was a man, again, somehow familiar, yet she couldn�t ever remember seeing him, even searching the depths of her mind. He had once had happy features, but time made him hard. He had crystal eyes, a straight nose, and dirty blonde hair that hung in waving tendrils by his face. He was stockier than the rest of the people, but as he moved to sit on the bed beside her, Ael could tell it was muscle, not fat. Deep blue eyes smiled as he looked at her.

Across from him stood another woman. She wasn�t very old, maybe early twenties, and her appearance was vaguely familiar. She looked much like he other woman, with startling blue eyes, and black hair cropped short and pulled into a hair band.

Looking across all the people, she realized they all wore a ring. All on the same finger, and all held a precious stone. Whether ruby or emerald, they all had one. And only one, set in the center of their ring.

What had she come onto, some kind of cult?

Blinking, she gazed into each�s eyes, trying to think. Five minutes later, she realized nothing had been said by anyone. Finally, the man with the deep blue eyes chuckled. A hand reached over to pat hers, and he said, �Well, aren�t you going to say something?� He had a warm rough voice that was easy to listen to.

Startled, she looked up at him, but said nothing, trying to draw her hand back uneasily. So many questions were buzzing in her head, but she didn�t know where or how to start.

She jumped slightly, as the old man cleared his throat, and she saw the many lines in his face, and the wisdom in his eyes. His voice was soft, yet it commanded a respect few could. �My dear, do not be alarmed, you are in safe hands.� His voice reassured her, and she found herself believing him. Continuing, he said, �I am John Burken.�

The others seemed to catch his drift as he introduced them.

�This is Michael Moore, and his wide, Julie, and his daughter, Jessica.� He motioned toward the black haired family. �I believe you know their son, Robert?�

Ael nodded mutely. The Moore�s? What were they doing here? Where was Rob? She thought they had looked familiar. She had caught glimpses of them in windows when picking up Rob with Josh.

The three smiled as they were introduced. �And this, is Westly.� He gave no last name, but another long-lost memory caught her. She had heard that name before.

Her gaze remained on him the longest, and she had to tear her eyes away as the man kept talking.

�I�m not going to bother you anymore. You�ve got a lot to think about, I can tell. Now everyone, please, leave her alone. We�ll talk later. I will speak with you downstairs.�

As they left the room, the old man remained by her side. Westly seemed as if he didn�t want to leave either, but at a look from the elder, he slowly got up.

Wondering what all that had been about, she turned back to the man, about to speak, but he shushed her. �Ael, listen. I promise none of us mean you any harm, nor would ever harm you. Please, rest, and we will tell you the rest in the morning.�

She found herself trusting this man more and more, though she didn�t know how he knew her name.

Slowly, he rose, taller than he appeared at first as he looked down at her. He was slightly thin, but his smile held warmth as he looked at her. �Now, please sleep.� He turned to go, but stopped a question on his lips �Would you like something for that headache?� He asked.

Surprised he knew, yet somehow not, since so many strange things had happened that day. She nodded, expecting him to give her medicine or something, but he merely rested a hand on her forehead, and a wash of coolness ran over her as the headache left her.

�Thank-� She was about to say when he interrupted her.

�And something to help you sleep.� Another wave of coolness washed over her, and suddenly she blinked, enormously sleepy.

Smiling, the wizened man straightened, whispered goodnight to her, and before he could reach the door, Ael had turned to face the wall, chest rising and falling in the gently breath of sleep.

This time, as she awoke, no faces were crowded against her, and her head felt closer to normal. Blinking she rolled to her other side to gaze at the room before her.

Across from her bed about ten feet away, was a wardrobe of heavy wood. A small crackling fireplace was far down the room. The bare furnishings were all of the same heavy wood, and at the far end, two chairs had been placed in front of the fire, one was occupied by a figure lost in thought staring into the flames.

Not exactly wanting to, she pushed back the warm blankets, and let the chill air into the small pocket of heat she had created. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she sank her feet into a woven rug that was by her bed.

The man must have heard her, because as she tried to stand, he was there, holding her arm to help her. Surprising even herself, she felt a bit weak, and let him help her. Still in her jeans and shirt from the other day, she saw her shoes by the door, and after putting them on, let the broad man help her into the hallway and down to a room she thought of as a kitchen.

A long table held most decoration, wooden benches on either side held the four people from the night before, and another five people along one side.

The man helped her slide along the bench, before slipping in beside her, then he nodded, looking to the table head, where Jon Burken sat.

The man smiled, his silver hair giving a mysterious gleam in the light. Ael and the other young people, listened, as the adults sat, not really listening, as if they had heard it before.

�I suppose, by now, all of you know who we-� he gestured toward the adults. �-are. Now, I would like each of you to tell me your name.� He looked to the boy across from Ael, expecting him to start.

�Dave Wolf�� The boy said uncertainly. He had black hair, a deep black eyes, yet a pale-ish complexion. He was lean, and muscular, with a shy look.

�Fran Nicholes.� She had thick red-chestnut hair, and wide brown eyes that darted around taking things in. She wasn�t skinny, but neither could one call her fat.

�Briana Corely.� Was the next girl, a thin blonde, with pale blue eyes
�Tim Johnson.� A lanky male, with thin rimmed glasses, green eyes and brown hair.

�Jason Neil.� Came the cheery voice from the far end, a broad muscular male with bright green eyes and thick shaggy blonde hair.

�Ael Alacon.� She heard herself say, drawing in on herself. They all glanced at her, blue eyes and red-brown hair, before looking to Jon again.

�Ah, thank you. Now, as none of you know why you are here, I shall tell you. You all posses magic.� He paused a moment. �You all have the magic found in some, and you have been brought here, to learn to control it. As usual, a number of accidents occurred before I could reach everybody, but don�t worry, they are very normal. And they have been taken care of.� He smiled nodding to them. �Now, as it is custom, yesterday was each of your sixteenth birthday. Usually, a mage comes into his or her power on this day, thought rare few occur earlier of later. Besides to wish a happy birthday to each of you, I have for you a present. This will help you control your magic so no more �accidents� occur. Now�� He lifted a hand, and suddenly, a very plain white box was on the table.

One side had a hole, and holding the box out to the boy on his right, he motioned for him to put his hand inside.

A small puffing noise could be heard, and the boy, Jason, withdrew his hand on which a golden ring now clung, a small white opal set in it.

The next, Tim, got a thin black ring, an emerald stone embedded in it.

Briana, inserting her hand, withdrew a small gold band with a diamond.

The box continued down the table, to Fran-bronze with amethyst,- to Dave- dark silver with amber, to Ael.

With a sense of foreboding, she placed her hand in, and suddenly a thin metal band encompassed her finger, and she slowly withdrew it to find a slim, white-gold ring, a small, half-spiral in it that held a single sapphire sphere.

As she gazed at it, Jon Burken began to talk. �Every ring is unique to the person wearing it. Never have two rings been alike. These rings will never be able to be taken off, nor will they ever break. You are officially part of the magical community.

�Now, I�m guessing you all must be hungry. Some of you haven�t eaten in days. If you six-,� He looked to the teenagers. �-would be kind enough to bring the table ware and set the table, we can bring out the food.�

Ael immediately got up, picking up a stack of plates on the counter, the others uncertainly taking glasses and silverware. She smiled inwardly as she set the plates around, seeing the others weren�t that certain at what they were doing. Ael had done this her whole life.

Only one other, the broad Jason seemed to know in what order to place the knives forks and spoons. He caught her eyes and grinned easily. �Mother always made us at home.� He explained, laughing good-naturedly.

Clearly the other�s mothers hadn�t taught them. She ducked her head and nodded. �Same here-well, not my mother, but my aunt.� She corrected herself.

After that, the adults stood, bringing dishes to the table, and let the kids there.

Ael kept quiet most of dinner, pondering what had happened that day, listening to the other�s chatter about their homes and lives. Soon after dinner, they were escorted back to their rooms, by the young woman, Jessica.

She called good-night with a smile, assuring them they would be woken in the morning.



* * * * *



A warmth enclosed her, as a soft voice in her ear said, �Wake up Ael.�

Opening her eyes, she looked to the broad man once again, standing beside her bed. Curious to why she hadn�t woken up early as she usually did, was answered when she realized there were no windows in the room. Glancing around, she looked to Westly. �What am I supposed to wear?� The pajamas she had found on her bed the night before weren�t day clothes.

Gesturing to the wardrobe, he replied, �We brought all your belongings from the house you were living in.�

Suddenly curious how the Alacon�s weren�t furious about the loss of their maid, she voiced this query as she went to the heavy wood wardrobe.

Westly�s response was voiced with a chuckle. �Oh, they understood, we took care of everything.�

A soft chime rang pleasantly throughout the air, and Westly ginned. �Five minutes �til breakfast. See you down there.� He said, and left.

Ael smiled, she liked the man. Looking into her wardrobe, she found that all her clothes were cleaned, ironed, and neatly folded or hung in the dresser. Pulling on a shirt and jeans, she stuffed her feet into her shoes, and pulled a brush through her red-brown hair before pulling it in a hair tie, and going down to the kitchen.

Once again, the kids handed out the tableware, then an adult got up and served. Mr. Moore put bacon and eggs on her plate, and she said a soft thank you, waiting for the rest to be served before she started to eat. About halfway through the meal, a doorbell sounded. Jon Burken was the one who got up to answer it, and returned shortly, with Robert Moore at his side.

The thirteen year old boy Ael had known was gone, replaced by a young man. His brilliant blue eyes scrutinized the room, before they widened again, and he let loose an easy smile.

He raised a hand in greeting. �I�m Rob.� His voice was open and light. �Need anything in the way of healing, I�m your man.� Was all he simply said, before sitting.

Surprising Ael, he pulled a chair up at her end of the table, after grabbing a plate from the counter.

His blue eyes sparkled as he greeted her. �Hey Ael. How ya been?�

Ael didn�t smile, she was slightly confused. She had never known him except to be a young pesky friend of her cousin�s. Her reply was short. �Fine.� She had never heard him talk that much before.

Pushing his unruly black hair away fro his face, he smiled again, revealing even white teeth. �You little cousin is a right pest.� He said, looking at her.

Many questions suddenly flooded her mind, and she hesitantly asked one. �You don�t like him?� Her voice was startled, from the tone of his voice during his statement, he had implied as much.

He shook his head, �Naw, can barely stand him. Arrogant little thing.�
She looked at him, astounded. �But you two were always together, you were like�best friends or something.�

�I had to, he made me.� He gave a nod in Jon�s direction. �As you probably noticed, I never played with him, just watched.�

She nodded, she had noticed. A sudden thought popped into her mind again. �How old are you really�? Most people don�t get there rings until they�re sixteen, or so I�m told.�

He grinned almost reluctantly. �Yeah, I�m seventeen. I had to get my mother to Illusion me, so I would look thirteen.�

�Illusion?� She asked, lost.

�Yeah, it makes you look like someone else, or younger, or older. Change your appearance. I had to so you and Josh would think I actually was only thirteen.� He explained.

She nodded, �So why were you forced to play with him, if you hated him so much?�

�I had to keep an eye on you. See, all these people, with the exception of Dave, and you, grew up with their normal families, who knew what to watch out for. I won�t tell you why Dave wasn�t, and I advise you not to ask unless he brings it up.�

�If you don�t mind me asking, why did you have to keep an eye on me? I�m not special.� She asked, still not comprehending.

�Because, incase anything went wrong�� He stopped as everyone rose, and the adults left. His blue eyes followed them and he sighed. �I gotta go. Nice finally talking to you.�

Ael got up, and helped with the dishes, wondering what he had been going to say before he stopped.

The six kids, not sure what to do, milled around the kitchen after cleanup, a few talking to each other. Ael sat back down at the scrubbed table, and the others soon followed. She listened to them talk, not saying anything herself.

The blonde, Briana, spoke, blue eyes sparkling. �I�m so glad I finally got here. I�ve been hoping I�d get to come for so long��

�Yeah, well, I should suppose I�m lucky then, my parents didn�t want me to come. They wanted to teach me themselves.� Fran replied. �I doubt that would have been a good idea.� She gave a sarcastic laugh.

Tim adjusted his thin glasses, which somehow made him seem smart-looking, rather than nerdy. �My parents have been going on and on since they told them. I�m glad I�m here just so I could get away from them.� He gave a half-smile.

�My parents I think were just glad to get rid of me. In the middle of four sisters�� Jason shuddered. �I�d rather be here.�

Everyone smiled at that, and Jason turned to Dave, nudging him with an elbow. �How bout you? You glad to be here�

Dave looked at them, shoulders hunched. His voice was deep, his dark eyes wide. �I guess so�� he said, noncommittally.

Jason then turned to Ael, broad face holding a good-natured smile. His green eyes were half hidden by the shaggy hair that he pushed away with two hands. �What about you? Your parents glad?�

Ael looked around. Her voice slightly shaking as she looked down to speak. �My parents are gone�� She blinked, her blue eyes burning, wishing she had lied, and told them a normal story.

To her surprise thought, they just murmured their apologies, Jason even going as far to give her a one-arms hug.

There was an awkward silence, as Rob strode back in. His smiling face suddenly frowned. �What�s wrong?�

It was Fran who spoke, brown eyes serious as they glanced at Ael. �We were just talking about our families.�

It was Rob�s eye then that found Ael�s, before they went to Dave�s. Then he brightened. �Well, come on, you won�t miss them for too long, I promise.� He beckoned toward the open door. �Come on, Jon wants to teach you, and he doesn�t do that everyday.�

They obediently got up, and followed, Briana in the lead, and Ael in the rear. She followed them through the door, down a corridor, and up a flight of stairs, another hallway and into an empty room.

The only furnishings were eight chairs, and beside them, stood Jon. He motioned for them all to sit, as he himself did.

Ael went to a chair, Jason sitting on one side of her, Fran on the other. Dave sat uneasily on Jason�s other side, Tim and Briana on the other side of Fran. Rob took the seat beside Tim.

Jon Burken smiled as he sat in his chair in front of them all. His voice was soft, but it caught their attention, and they listened to every word.

�As you all know, you each posses magic. Some stronger than others, some more natural than others. But all of this is to be expected. Now, as to why you posses it. Magic posses only good souls, not ones corrupt by bad thoughts or wrong ways of thinking. Each of you I promise should be able to have full confidence in each other, for each of your soul�s are still pure, unlike that of a grown person.

�Now, do not get me wrong, each of you has your own personality, your own opinion, your own quirks, but they will only help you learn, and you will each learn in your own way, whereas one might sit in a corner and think it out, another would be out, trying it, experimenting, learning by mistakes rather than his mind.

�None of you will leave here, without enough knowledge of your magic that you cannot live safely. Those rings help protect, but sometimes, even they are not enough. I think some of you might know the minor things that could happen��

Ael looked down, remembering what had happened to Josh.

�Magic only chooses a few to live in. You six are the only ones chosen on that day. Most peoples sixteenth birthdays go by, with a celebration, and little else. Your birthdays were different because your magic chose to show itself. It gave us a good chase, trying to find all of you. Most of you know what happens, you probably heard it from your parents, and you were warned to what would happen. Others didn�t, so we had to go find them first incase something drastic happened.

�You see, a mage can tell when magic shows itself, for the first time, unheeding its channeler�s thoughts. And that is dangerous, we don�t� know yet, the extent of what could happen.�

He cleared his throat, and allowed them a moment to resettle.

�But anyway, onto the rings. Each and every mage has one. Every ring is different, attuned to its bearer. It is impossible to take off, mar, scratch, or tarnish, or anything. It will never become too tight, not too loose. To say in short, you will never be rid of it. Until death, and then, even some do not go away. The few ghosts people see, wear one of these, but if you do not�.become, for lack of better word, a ghost, they turn black, decay, loose all power, and disintegrate.�

�The ring will help you channel your power, so it doesn�t fly out at mere thought. Now, to actually perform magic, you must focus all your thought into one thing, and depending on how bad you want it, it will happen. Some tasks, such as heating things, creating fire, calling things, simple tasks, will come easier with time. Others, such as healing, transforming, or illusions, will always be hard, unless that is your niche. Such as Healing is Rob�s niche. He doesn�t need instruction in it; it comes to him by instinct.�

He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, as the pleasant chime ran through the house again. He smiled, and stood. �Lunch time.�

Ael found herself surprisingly hungry, and as she stood up, she found her legs and back stiff. She wordlessly followed the group back to the kitchen, fingering her ring.

Lunch, as was all the food she had eaten there, was good, and she ate her fill, before following them back to the bare room.

The adults came this time, each creating their own chair out of thin air, much more comfortable looking chairs than the teenagers.

Before Jon could even start talking, Fran raised her hand, eyes questioning.

Almost as if he was expecting something, Jon raised his eyebrows, waiting for her question.

�Sir, you say, that magic only enters one who has a pure soul, correct?�

At his nod, she continued. �So you are saying that everyone magic enters is a �good� person, a �good� mage? But aren�t there �bad� ones? One�s who aren�t good? How do they get their magic..?� Her eyebrows were creased her mind rapidly thinking.

Jon however replied without a thought. �You see, a person can�go bad. They take the magic, and abuse it, therefore, the magic corrupts the person. Any power can be wrongly used and for every good there is an evil.�

Fran nodded, opening her mouth again. �But is there no way to fix that? You say for every good there is an evil, so for every evil, there must be a good. Isn�t there a way to�� She searched for a word. ��convert them back to being good?� She rubbed her nose, looking back to Jon.

Ael heard Mr. Moore mutter, �So there is a smart one in the bunch after all.� But his smile showed he meant no harm.

Jon thoughtfully rested his chin on his hand as he made a table appear in front of him to lean on. His green eyes pierced Fran�s brown ones, which stared back unblinking.

�There probably is, but it has certain side effects that make one leery to even try that. You see, the magic and soul of a mage are very deeply intertwined, and the thoughts run through both. Suddenly removing the total thought of the bad from the person would make them go completely insane. It would be like taking half your mind, and leaving you helpless. There�s not telling what would happen, though there are science-mages who attempt to try and fix these problems.

I think the last person they tried to�convert, killed themselves before they finished.�

Westly suddenly stood up, his face slightly haggard. �Excuse me.� He said, and quickly left the room, with no explanation.

The teenagers looked after him curiously, and the adults just shrugged, but Jon had a slightly sad look on his face, as if he knew something the rest did not.

The adults stood, as Jon announced a short break and the kids left to mill around in the hallway for a few minutes, before Jon called them back in.

Westly was still missing as they all took a seat. Jon stood, speaking. �Now, I suppose since all of you are tired listening to lectures, we�ll practice. Most things you won�t need a teacher for, since it is simply a matter of the mind. Some spells need to be done in a certain order, some things need a word, motion, etc.�

He looked to each of them with a hard eye, making what he said stick. �Never blink. That is the easiest way to loose control of your spell, and loose track of what you are doing. Now, I would like each of you to hold out your palm, and concentrate on creating fire over it. Think fire, heat, compactness.� He told them himself holding out a palm, and almost instantly, a small flame licked the air. He closed his fingers, and is disappeared.

�Now, you.�

The five adults each stepped toward a person, evidently, there in case something went wrong. Nobody came near Ael, she supposed it was Westly�s spot, so she tried by herself.

Nothing happened.

Only Fran, seemed to be having any luck, her tiny flame flickering in and out.

Again, Ael, thought, this time remembering the flames in her room, trying to bring that to her palm.

She felt a small flare of heat, and was surprised to see a small ball of flame suspended above her palm. It didn�t hurt, as it grazed her skin, she just felt a little tickle.

�Nice job Ael.� Jessica told her, she was helping Briana a few chairs away.

Ael nodded her concentration on her fire. No one else seemed to notice her, so she experimented a little on her own. Concentrating on the flame, she thought to enlarge it, just a little, so she could work with it better.

It complied, growing the size of a baseball. She then thought of winter cold, and chilling. She thought of snow and ice, deep freezing rivers, and the flame went out.

Frowning, she brought it back. This time she thought of air of winter, chilling drafts, and freezers. Suddenly, the heat of her fire disappeared leaving only a small flame, a small cold flame. She smiled, moving her other hand over the flame, letting it lick through her fingers. The flame tickled, but she didn�t feel any heat.

Maybe this magic thing wouldn�t be so bad after all.

Jon Burken looked over from where he was helping Fran, and smiled. �Good job, but next time, wait until one of us can help you, we don�t want any accidents.�

Ael frowned, but nodded. Didn�t they want them to learn and experiment? She sighed, but did as she was told, and didn�t experiment. She just played with the small ball of fire, pushing it through her fingers and let it dance and bounce off them.

They soon stopped, allowing the kids an hour break, to go do whatever they wanted.

Ael went to her room, as she had no place else to go, and she almost wasn�t surprised to see Westly sitting in the chair staring into the fire, his blue eyes lost and sad. She didn�t know what to say, so she silently took the other chair, sat cross-legged, and looked at him, studying his facial features.

They were sad, all joy gone from his face, his blue eyes fathomless, devoid of emotion. The lines of pain and agony were strong, the laugh lines near disappeared. He blinked once, a heavy sigh escaped the big man, before he spoke, his voice just above a whisper.

�They took my wide. She was one of the greatest mages, magic just came so easy to her, and she was one of the strongest people I knew. One day, thought, something went wrong, and she claimed, �I don�t know enough!� but it was too late. They had already noticed. I couldn�t do anything. I didn�t tell anyone, but it was obvious, once she was gone. They had taken her. They didn�t tell me when, or how, or even why, but she was gone.�

The man�s voice was pained, as he spoke, but he plowed on. �Then they came, and they took my little girl. They didn�t even ask! They told me I was irresponsible, and that I didn�t deserve her. I never saw her again. Jon found me, months later, and I hoped he could help, but he didn�t know anything, or didn�t think I deserved to know, or he was on their side.

�Today he told me. Not personally, but in front of everyone. They didn�t even realize it. You probably didn�t realize.� He grew silent, and his cheeks had an odd shine on them.

Ael herself felt pity for the man. She now knew why the lines were on his face, under his smiling mask. Once that was gone, he was just human, heartbroken and at a loss.

�I�m sorry�� She whispered into the silence. She wasn�t sure what to do, or say. A voice called down the hall, for them to go back to class, and she slowly stood up. She was leaving when Westly spoke.

�It�s alright, don�t feel sorry for me, it just came as a shock, finding out about somebody after so many years. Well, you better go on back to class, don�t be late.� He shooed her out the door.

When she reached the classroom, she found all the adults there, including Westly. She gave him a smile, as he came to help her.

Jon, once again went to the center, and instructed them. �Now, I would like each of you to practice doing different things with your flame. Use your imagination, but nothing to big.� He cautioned.

Ael smiled to herself, holding out her flame again, easily turning it cold. Then, she made it change colors, and got the small licking flames at the top to all sway the same way at the same time.

Westly grinned, his large hand held out, a small flame over it. �Try this.� He told her. His fire began to writhe, becoming first a cube, then a pyramid, and other shapes.

After a moment�s concentration, Ael got hers to do that as well. It was just easy. Jon had talked like it would be hard, but it wasn�t.

A sudden flare erupted at her left, and she turned to see Jason, a guilty look on his face.

�Oops...� he muttered.

Jon stepped back from where he was helping Fran, and said, �And that, it why you cannot close your eyes. I know it helps some concentrate, but it�s also away for magic to get away from you.

�Now, to do something different.� As he spoke, he went to a cabinet embedded in the wall and took out a crate.

Out of the crate, he took candles, and wood. He gave one of each to each student. �Now, try and light each. It is different than making raw fire, because it will feed on something.�

Ael held her candle, concentrating on the fire, and it appeared - above the wick. She frowned, her eyes following it, as she moved the fire downwards, onto the wick.

Westly blew it out. �You gotta light the wick - on the wick. Look, it�s not even burning.�

And Ael looked, and indeed, the wick did not burn. The fire danced around it, but it did not catch. She frowned again, forehead creasing. She brought fire again, but it still, appeared above, or around, on even on it, but the wick would not burn. She kept at this, for a half hour.

�Would you like a suggestion?� Westly asked.

She scowled at him, but nodded.

�Try lighting the wick.� He said with a grin.

�That�s what I�ve been doing!� She replied, exasperated.

�No, you have been creating fire. Creating and placing are different things. �Now, concentrate on the wick, and think of fire and heat.� He explained.

She did so, concentrating on the wick thinking of heat, and fire, and the wick began to smolder, before bursting into flame.

�See?� Westly joked, �That wasn�t so hard.� He blew it out, there was no need to let it burn.

�You could�ve told me that thirty minutes ago.� She accused him irritably. Magic took more concentration that usual, and her head hurt.

Westly grinned, �But that would have been no fun!�

She glared at him, and the small piece of wood he was holding burst into flame, ash falling to his fingers.

He yelped, dusting his hands off before holding them up. �Alright, point taken.�

The other kids soon got the hang of it, and the whole group went down to dinner.

Dinner was a quiet affair, as everyone was tired, even the adults. They were sitting around the table, the adults talking among themselves, as well as a few of the teenagers. Tim had gone as far as to put his head on his arm, and was suspiciously quiet.

Ael herself was sufficiently tired, but she forced herself to stay away, grunting when Jason elbowed her, cheery as ever.

�So, do you think you�ll like this place, and all this stuff?� He asked.

She didn�t bother to reply. �Don�t you ever get tired?� She asked him, putting a hand to her head.

He gave her a sarcastic grin. �Nope!� He replied, continuing to ask her questions, which she replied to with noncommittal noises.

Ael was relieved when Jon finally stood up, and bade them goodnight. She half stumbled to her room, and was asleep before she hit the pillow.

* * * * *

Over the next few weeks, Ael got used to their routine, breakfast around seven thirty, then they were lectured on various subjects by different people until lunch, then practical magic, until dinner around 6, with an hour break in the middle. After dinner was their time.

She found she liked the place, and the people in it too. Westly became somewhat a father-figure, Julie maybe a mother, Michael an uncle, the rest brothers and sisters she never had.

They were discussing magic one day, with Jessica Moore, when Jon came in. His voice was calm, but urgent.

�Jessica, take them to the kitchen, they can stay there. She escaped, we have to find her.� His lips were tight.

Jessica looking slightly stunned, ushered them all to the kitchen, and before she left, she said, �Stay here. Don�t do magic, don�t leave, and don�t cook anything.� Before quickly exiting and they heard the adults leave.

The six were sitting at the table, when the door opened, and Rob slipped in, his face grim.

He sat down heavily at the table. �She got out and they went to find her. They don�t know where she went, of how she got away��

Ael was very confused. �Who got out? Of where?� She asked.

Rob looked at her. �The latest corrupted. Her name was�um�.Ramona, I think�. She got out of the mage�s cell she was in.�

Ael looked to her friends for more details. Fran, seeing her lost look, began to explain.

�A corrupted can only discovered, if they are doing magic. And even then, the one has to know what to look for. People have said, it is almost as if there were a taint on the magic.

�The mages cell,� She continued, lowering her voice slightly. �is a place that�.cancels magic, I suppose. No one has ever been able to perform magic in one, without fainting. And the mages who guard it are some of the most powerful in the world. It�s considered impossible to escape.� She paused. �Until now.� She crossed her arms, and shivered.

Ael herself shivered, and stared at the scrubbed surface of the table, fingering her ring.

A place that cancels magic? She shuddered at the thought of it. It would like�know how much more you could do, and not be able to do it. Her blue eyes slowly blinked as she thought of Westly. Wouldn�t he want his wife to escape? He certainly acted like he wanted to catch her, but then, wouldn�t he have to go through all that pain again? She certainly wouldn�t want to.

�So where do they have these cells�?� She found herself asking.

Fran gave her an odd look. �Nobody knows where they are. The only ones who know, are the ones that are the keepers, and they never leave, and only are replaced when they pass.� She spoke the last part quietly.

�So how can they�cancel magic? Isn�t that near impossible?� Dave asked, lifting his head and looking to Fran. �I mean, how can it do that, magic is a part of you. It�s as if�oh�denying your existence.�

Fran shook her head. �I don�t know. Nobody knows. It just�does.�

They were quiet for a few moments, each pondering their own thoughts. Something even Fran didn�t know was something to think about. Ael rested her chin in her hand, letting her hair fall forward to shade her face.

She felt bad for Westly, she knew how hard it was to loose someone. She had never even known her mother, or father. All she remembered where a pair of blue eyes, and a reddish chestnut glow of hair. But then, for all that, she could have been remembering her own reflection.

Absent mindedly, she twisted her ring around and around her finger, her mind on her parents now. A thought came to her suddenly; did they have to have had magic, for her to have it also? Raising her blue eyes she sought out Fran.

Luckily enough, Fran�s own eyes were wandering the room. She raised her eyebrows as she caught Ael�s eyes.

Softly Ael spoke, not wanting to bring the attention to herself, thought it came anyway.

�Do your parents have to have magic, both of them, for you to have it as well?�

Fran was quiet a minute, before responding. �Usually. Sometimes, if only one parent has it, the child will have it, but usually, that doesn�t happen, because then you would have to reveal the magical world to a non-magical person. Which as you can see, we try not to do.� She rubbed her nose, before asking, �Why do you ask?�

Ael shrugged, and didn�t respond. She still didn�t want to talk about her past. �Isn�t there a record of everyone who�s ever gotten a ring then?� She continued to question.

�Yeah, but it�s miles long, plus, it�s not that easy to access. It�s high security.� Frans� eyes seemed to bore into Ael�s mind, and Ael looked down, letting her hair hide her face again.

Briana suddenly looked up from her study of the table. �Anybody else hungry?�

Everyone looked at her, and Jason nodded. �Yeah, but we aren�t allowed to cook.�

�There�s a fridge,� Dave�s shy voice spoke up. His pale features were stark in the dim light of the kitchen.

�Right-ho then!� Jason stood up, always the enthusiast. He turned to Rob, who nodded agreement. �Ok then, let�s see what we got here��

He opened the refrigerator, and began pulling out random jars and packages. Fifteen minutes later, he stood back, �A sandwich buffet!� He proclaimed, flourishing his arm.

Ael smiled in spite of herself, and got in the line. Her sandwich was turkey, mustard and bread. By far, it was the least on anyone�s, but it was enough for her.

Once back at the table, it was quiet again, until the food was gone, then Briana and Jason began a talk about their families, and Fran pulled a book out of some random place. Tim turned to Dave, and they began to softly talk. Ael sighed, and put her head on her arms. Everyone else had something to do. She was tired anyway, soon she was slumbering.

She awoke to silence, and found herself in her own bed. She heard footsteps as she turned over, and saw somebody softly shut her door. Rolling back over, she couldn�t sleep, too many thoughts were going through her head. Had they caught her? Why were they back? She knew she wouldn�t be able to sleep, so she got up and went to one of the chairs before the fire, pulling a blanket around her shoulders.

Staring into the flames, it was awhile before she realized she was hearing voices. They were faint, and she could barely hear them. She glanced at the wall they seemed to be coming from, and slowly walked toward it, keeping quiet. She pressed an ear against the wall and the voices came somewhat louder.

�How the hell did she get out then?� It was Jon, and he sounded annoyed.

�I dunno, we�ve been over it time and time again.� That was Mr. Moore�s voice.

Maybe she�oh, I don�t know, had outside help? But�there�s no possible way�� Jessica�s voice could be heard as well.

�But the guards didn�t even know! They just said she was gone, suddenly, just like that!� Mr. Moore sounded tired.

Ael began to wonder where Westly was, when she heard Jon�s voice say, �Westly?"

�I don�t see why we can�t tell her!� He sounded annoyed as well.

�We�ll only let you tell her, if you tell us how she got out.� Jon�s voice came again.

Ael pressed her ear even harder against the wall, with no need, as Westly began shouting.

�But dammit! She�s my daughter, she had a right to know! And I told you, I don�t know anything! To me she was normal, nothing stuck out special.� Westly sounded almost desperate.

The room grew quiet again. So he did know his daughter? Ael thought they had never told him what happened to her. Ael soon grew tired, leaning against the wall, and she slowly slid down it to a sitting position, straining to hear voices, but sleep over came her.

She woke like that, back sore, as she had slid down to see Weslty there, a pained look on his face.

He noted her position, �So you heard?� he commented quietly. He didn�t look very happy.

Ael gulped, and nodded, slowly standing. "But that means�� She stumbled over her words.

Westly�s wife. The escaped convict woman. That was her mother? How could it be though? A man like Westly, and such an obviously dangerous, power hungry woman? It just didn�t make sense. Why her? Her life had actually seemed normal, under the circumstances, but now, everything had blown up again. Why couldn�t she just stay away from all this?

She could feel her eyes well up with tears, but she blinked them away, absent-mindedly twisting her ring on her finger. Maybe she should just leave this world to it�s magic, and the other to its own devices, and start off on her own.

She looked to Westly, a question on her tongue. �What would you do if she were caught again?�

Westly frowned, looking at her before he closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, running his hands over his face. �I don�t know�I suppose I would find someway to help her back out if I could.�

It was Ael�s turn to frown. Escape again? What? She was about to speak when he changed the subject. �Today�s your day off, right?� She nodded, not really comprehending what he was saying.

�Meet me at the park after lunch then. I have to go do something, see you then.� And sighing, he got up, and left, leaving Ael to her very confused thoughts.

She sat in the chair all morning, since no bell for breakfast or class rang. Her mind sank into a deep stupor, as she thought, not even noticing when her eyes grew dry and blurred out her vision.

The lunch bell had gone unnoticed, until a hand touched her shoulder, making her jump. �Lunch rang five minutes ago�� It was Jason, and he looked concerned. His green eyes searched hers, �You okay�? You look terrible.� There wasn�t a joke in his voice.

Ael was silent, before she replied. �No, I�m not.� She didn�t give an explanation, and was thankful when he didn�t ask for one. Slowly she unfolded her legs from their cramped position, almost falling over as she attempted to stand up.

It was Jason�s arm that steadied her. �Anything I can do?� He asked, helping her toward the door.

She leaned on his large form thankfully, before she shook her head. Her legs burned and prickled, as the life came back into them. Jason was quiet, and as they reached the door, she was able to walk unaided.

Lunch was a quiet affair, nobody seemed to want to talk much, and nothing that was said was irrelevant. It was only as she was taking her plate to the counter, that she remembered her appointment with Westly.

Announcing that she was going for a walk, she found her way to the front door, and escaped out of it with no one following.

At the park, she went and sat on one of the metal swings, watching the other little kids play as she waited for Westly. She kicked the dirt idly, setting the swing into motion, swaying slightly as it swung.

She gave an absent smile to a little blond kid who took the swing next to her, and began to slowly swing on it.

�Hey Ael.�

�Westly?� She looked around for the man, but he was nowhere to be found.

The blond kid on the swing next to her poked her grinned mischievously. �It�s me.�

She gave him the raised eyebrow, before she half smiled. �Oh. Hi. What did you want to meet me here for?� She leaned against the swing rope, watching the young kid.

He shook his tousled head, �Not here.� And he snapped his fingers and suddenly, they weren�t anywhere.



Ael looked around. They were in a softly lit, yet cheery room. Dark oak finished white walls were decorated with many, many pictures, and a deep cracked leather couch was along one wall, almost inviting her to sink into its depths. A matching chair with an ottoman and a table were on the other. There were standing lamps in each corner.

The first thing Ael noticed was that somehow, there was no door. She glanced around at the many pictures, noticing many people she knew, such as Rob, the Alacon's, a few relatives she wasn�t sure of, and then many, many people she didn�t know. Then, the single picture on the table caught her attention, and held her.

It was of a beautiful woman, with soft, just slightly wispy brown hair, fair skin, and warm loving brown eyes. Her form was slender and slightly short, and wearing a cream sweater. A soft smile played along her rosy lips as she looked down at the small child in her arms. The pair of them leaned into the arms of a tall, broad man � a younger Westly � who had his arms wrapped around both of them, and didn�t seem to ever want to let go. His chin rested on the woman�s head, and his blue eyes had just caught the camera, and were full of love. A barely-there smile ghosted at his features, almost putting the laugh lines into relief.

Ael knew who it was, and because of it, she wanted to cry. Her voice was shaky as she whispered,�Is that my mom?�

Westly nodded, his blue eyes lost in thought as he made his was to the chair, and sat silently in it.

Slowly Ael turned, taking in the pictures on the wall again, now seeing the woman in many of them, usually smiling, or laughing, happy as ever. She even saw herself, usually in the woman�s arms, in a few.

A tear threatened at the corner of her eye and took its plunge, followed by more. Unconsciously she felt Westly�s arms go around her, and she turned to cry into his chest.

�How could...� She tried to speak her words around the choked feeling in the throat, �How could she just�go bad?� The woman in all the pictures was so happy, and her face so full of love and laughter. How could her mother, be a corrupted, insane mad-woman. Judging by the face in the picture, they had gotten that all wrong. What she would give to have seen her, even once. She couldn�t stop the tears as they came for her loss.

Westly led her to the couch, where he held her as if she were no longer sixteen years old, but his little baby he had lost sixteen years ago. He didn�t say anything, just held her, shushing her tears.

It was awhile before she realized that the tears would no longer come, and she sniffed, wiping a hand at her dry eyes. Westly stood up, and produced a tissue out of nowhere and handed it to her, before sitting at the other end of the couch.

She blew her nose, looking around again. �Where are we?�

�In a �Room of No Strangers� if you want the proper name. I call it my Box.� He replied, looking around himself.

She gave him an odd look. �Room of No Strangers? What the heck is that?�

�Everyone has one, everyone�s is different. You�d learn about it in a year at school. Consider it your�sanctuary. The only people who can come here have to be invited, and brought by you. Also, it has anything in it you�d need. Food?� He snapped his fingers, and a small refrigerator appeared on one side of the room. Another snap and it disappeared.� Closets?� Snap. A door appeared in the wall, and another took it away. Westly looked at her.

�So why are we here then?� She asked him, curiously.

Westly sighed. �It�s a long story, but first, you have to trust me that what I tell you is the truth.� His blue eyes were serious as he judged her.

She nodded.

�I�m also going to ask that you don�t interrupt me, it�s kind of a long story, and we don�t have all that much time.� He resettled in his chair, and began to speak.

�Jon Burken is�evil, if you think that way. He is wrong, bad, and even corrupt. As are the Moore's, Jessica, Julie, and Michael. Robert, for some reason, had stayed un-corrupted. Don�t trust them, and don�t talk around them unless you must, and then, never talk about anything important.

�Jon taught you about corruption, correct? And how hard it is to detect the ones who are? Well, that was partly right. Some of them you can�t even tell when they do perform magic. I think Jon is one of these. He�s oh�an evil genius, however stupid that sounds... He�s been able to stay away from the corrupt-catchers for many years, we�re not sure how, but he has been. He even got this school of his started. The real reason behind all of this is to corrupt all of you kids, and us adults, to join �his side�.

�And your mother, well, she�s not�corrupted. She was the closest, to ever discovering what Jon was doing, before she was captured. We still aren�t sure how she escaped, she won�t tell anyone.�

Ael nodded, not looking Westly in the eye. She knew, how her mother had done it, but she couldn�t tell either. It was just so abnormal, that she wouldn�t tell. Maybe she wasn�t supposed to know, or maybe it was just a �family� thing. She looked up, to speak, as what Weslty had said hit her. �So you know where she is?�

Westly surprised her again, by nodding and saying, �She�s in her Room, do you want to see her?�

Ael nodded silently, hoping she could trust this ma- her father, she told herself. He wasn�t just a random person anymore he was her father.

Westly stood up and gave a soft snap as Ael followed him, and a door appeared, which he pulled open to reveal a corridor.

It was about twenty yards long and softly lit by the light coming from the partly open door at the far end of the hall.

Westly knocked softly, when they reached the door, but didn�t bother to wait for a reply as he pushed it open, with a quick explanation that the hallway was a �marriage courtesy of sorts.� He stepped inside, and stepped to the side so Ael could walk in next to him.

The room was a pale, soft rose, with a light cream trim. A squishy leather sofa was next to a light oak end table with a cream-shaded gold lamp. The room had a soft, calming quality about it, but Ael�s attention was held by the figure curled up on the couch.

Her silky, slightly wispy hair was a light brown, with a reddish tint. She had a perfectly featured barely tanned face, a straight nose, even, big eyes, and soft lips. Her figure was thin, curled up on the couch as it was, but as she stood up to greet them, she didn�t rise very high. She brushed the hair away from her face with a delicately slim hand, her brown eyes were level and serious, yet warm and so full of love that it was little Ael could do but run to her and wrap her arms around her mother, once more the tears flowing down her cheeks as she heard her mother�s voice in her ears.

�Ael, oh, my baby�� Was repeated over and over by the soft voice, also choked with tears.

Once they had let go, Weslty came over, and gave the woman a hug, and a kiss. He smiled, and Ael could almost forget the lines of pain and suffering on his face. �Ael, meet your mother�� He said needlessly.

Her mother gave her a sad smile, �I missed you so much�I�m sorry I couldn�t be there, but it was better you weren�t with me, or Westly. Jon did our side a favor doing that one thing, though I don�t think he realized it. �

Ael suddenly could see through the small lines, of pain, and of horror, or terrible things on Ramona�s face, and the haunted look in her eyes as she spoke.

�Sixteen years�.� Her mother softly said, sinking back on the couch, and snapping up a matching chair for Weslty as Ael sat at the other end of the couch.

As she fell against the soft leather, Ael realized how long they had been gone from the park, and almost got up again but her mother motioned her to sit, with a knowing smile.

�Don�t worry, time can be different here. Everyone is completely in charge of their room. Time goes normal, unless you slow it down, or speed it up, consciously, or unconsciously. But usually, you don�t want to tamper with time, it can have bad consequences.� Ramona looked serious.

�Do I have a room?� Ael asked curiously.

�Yes. Everybody has one; it�s just a matter of knowing how to use it. Did you want to know how to use yours?� Her mother asked, smiling.

Ael nodded. She supposed this was the �other way� in which her mother had been smart in: magic.

�Ok, the first thing you need to do is concentrate on a happy thought.�

That was easy, when she knew she had parents and she actually got to meet her mother.

�Alright, now concentrate on that, and then think of your most favorite place in the world. Somewhere you feel safe.�

It took awhile to decide that, she didn�t really feel safe anywhere. Finally, she decided on the room that she was in: her mother�s Room. Slowly she nodded.

�Ok, now picture a room with both these feelings and qualities in it, and picture Wes and me there with you.�

Ael nodded again, clenching a fist, and staring blankly at nothing. A sense of power made her palm tickle.

�Now, snap.�

Instantly, they were in Ael�s Room. A pale, icy blue room, with an almost white trim. A corner couch was along most of two walls, made of tan, light blue, and light pink material. It looked scratchy, but Ael knew it would be soft. Two light cedar end tables were at the ends of the couch. Each held a bright lamp, and in the far corner was a plain standing lamp. On one table, she noticed, was the same picture that had been in Westly�s room, of her and her mother and father.

Westly chuckled and went to pick it up. �I always liked this one too.� He set it back down, looking around her room. �Nice, you even have carpet.� He commented with raised eyebrows, eyeing the floor.

And she did, a light tan color that sank where you walked on it. Ramona took a seat on the couch, and began to speak. �So, now you know how to get to your Room. There are only a few things I have to tell you about it. First off, don�t bring anybody here unless you�re absolutely sure you can trust them. It makes it easier for them to make themselves be pulled along in if they�re near. And by near, I don�t mean the same room, I mean the same city, or state. Second, never stay in your Room too long. Things might happen outside that you are unaware of. Time is different and until you know how to control the Room time and the outside time, don�t stay very long. So unless you have a wonderful human news resource," She looked to Westly. �Don�t stay more than an hour of Room time. Third, Remember. You make the rules here. If you wanted to turn this into a volcano, you could, and you would die, and no one would be wiser. That also means you can control others within it somewhat. Usually, the creator of the Room is the one in charge, and can do magic in it. Unless the Creator doesn�t care if the others are doing magic, then others would be able to. Anyone who tired to do magic against the Creator�s will, would be hurt, knocked unconscious, or something along those lines.�

Ael nodded, settling herself in a corner of the couch as her mother spoke.

�So will you tell me what happened? Like, why you were convicted, and how you were caught?�

Her mother gave a sad smile, and curled her legs around beside her, and leaned on Westly as he sat beside her, and it was he who spoke.

�Well, I told you most of it, but I think only she can tell you the why behind everything that happened.�

Her mother�s voice was soft, and at times, she looked or leaned into Westly. �It was two years before you were born, that most of this started�

Jon Burken had just become Head of the magic world, government I suppose you would call it. Back then, he was considered the greatest mage. Extremely gifted, and very, very well schooled. I had just become one of the highest corrupt catchers. Seems I had a gift for detecting them. Sure did backfire.

See, I was the first to notice Jon�s turning. I didn�t want to say anything though. Do you know how bad it would look, if I convicted him of being corrupt? Anyway, I told Julie Moore, who back then was one of my best friends. The only other person I trusted as much was Westly. Julie was in a different, undercover type of job, so I thought she wouldn�t tell. Obviously, that was my big mistake. She didn�t tell them, but waited until right after I knew for sure I was pregnant with you.

Once you were born, Jon used my absence to convict me of plotting for power against him. He convicted me of being corrupt, so there was no way anyone would listen to anything I would say, and I would be put away. Out of his way. That�s when I realized that my suspicions had been right. Why else would such a man put away his best cc in a cell?

So he accused me, and no one dared defy him, for fear of being convicted themselves. Anyone who would say something about him, or anybody who was close to him would just be thrown in themselves. And they came and got me. They were horrible. People and friends I had known my whole life knocked me out, with such horrid looks on their face. As if, I don�t know, I was a monster or something.

When I woke, it was in a white box, with no color, no anything. No doors, windows, ventilation, furniture, nothing. And I had been changed into these white clothes, stiff, starched, itchy. There was only a white bucket in one corner. That�s it.�

Her eyes were haunted as she remembered, hollow and bleak. �My first thought was to leave. I tried to transport myself from there. I woke up five days later. That�s what happened anytime I tried to do any magic. And then, they would question me. I can�t�I don�t�.� She shivered, drawing in on herself as she closed her eyes. The horror was evident on her face. Westly put an arm around her, as if protecting her. Slowly, she began to speak again.

�They wanted to know how the cells worked. The guards aren�t allowed to tell. They take a vow of silence, and if they try to communicate in anyway, nothing would be seen, or heard, or whatever. They figured that since I was in the department, I would know. I told them what I did know, but it was only the common knowledge. That went on for so long, I started to think about the cells more, and I figured the whole thing out. I don�t even know how much time passed while they left me alone, and then I escaped.� She shrugged. �You know everything that happened once I got out.�

Westly looked to Ael, �After they took your mother, they took you. They told me I wasn�t a �fit� parent. I did some things I probably shouldn�t have, and then after I got out of jail, Jon Burken found me, and offered to help me-� He was about to continue when Ael stopped him.

�You were in jail?�

He nodded, �Not a mage�s cell, just normal, boring real jail. But anyway, you mother had told me about Jon, and her suspicions at what he was, so I jumped at the chance to get close to Jon, thinking that since he had convicted her and ordered you to be taken, he knew about it, and maybe I could sort it out or something and get you back. He had been released from his position as Head around this time. Then, I learned that what he wanted was you, Ael, he had taken you somewhere, but hadn�t told me, and wouldn�t. He wanted you, so he could maybe torture you into getting your mother to talk. He still thought she knew things that she wasn�t telling. But she escaped before he had a chance. Step quiet around him.�

Ael was quiet for a moment, she couldn�t really think up anything to say. �So why did Jon get fired? You both say that everyone seemed to like him.� She asked.

Her mother�s eyebrows creased, and she looked to Westly. �I couldn�t say, I was still committed at the time��

�Rumors were going around about corruption. Rumors like, if you caught the corrupted, or accused someone of it, you yourself would become one. Almost disease-like. And Jon had never caught or accused someone before. He was the first Head to do it I think. Also, his time was just over. Nothing spectacular was or had occurred during his time, so people were just looking for something new. Normal course of politics I suppose.� Westly yawned over the last words.

�So do you just stay in your Room all the time then?� Ael asked her mother.

Ramona frowned, �Sometimes I stay in there, other times, I let Wes Illusion me, and I go out, to listen to what people are saying. Maybe stir up a few rumors of my own.� She smiled almost mischievously, and Ael couldn�t help but smile back.

She still couldn�t understand how somebody could think Ramona as a corrupted mage. She was so�full of life. Even after sixteen years of living in a box, she could act normal, as if she had forgotten.

Westly rose, stretching. �I think it�s time we were back. I�ve been judging our time here and the time there in reality. It�s been about a half hour, any longer they�ll start to think that Ael�s been kidnapped or something.�

Ael nodded, and stood up, followed by her mother, whose brown eyes were slightly sad. Her wispy hair hung forgotten around her shoulders, and she reached out to hug Ael tightly. �I�ll be seeing you as soon as we can manage it.� Her mother�s voice told her with promise.

Ael�s words were simple. �I love you.� Her eyes wished to cry again, but she didn�t let them. Ramona said something, but it was lost in a rush of air, that left Ael clutching at the chain-linked swing dizzily.

�I said, �are you done yet?� It�s my turn!� The slight obnoxious tone of the blond boy�s voice made her look up.

�Westly?� She said softly.

�No, I�m Jared. Now get off, it�s my turn!� The boy said, hand on his thin hips, blue eyes glaring.

�Sure�� Ael replied, getting up, but she swore the boy winked to her as he stalked over on his way to the swing, which he promptly set into motion.

She shook her head, setting her feet in the direction of the Moore�s house.

The whole trip had been about an hour of ordinary time, but to Ael, it felt like three, and she was tired.

Her feet carried her unconsciously home, as she tried to remember everything that had happened. She slipped in the front door, and up to her room, intent on taking a nap.

Before walking across her room, she took off her shoes, and then fell on her bed, almost immediately asleep. Little did she see the shadow that crossed her room, nor was anyone witness to the flare of translucent blue flame that encompassed her momentarily, before she, the flame, and the shadowed figure disappeared.

* * * * *

Groggily, she came to, her head pounding. She opened her eyes, and immediately forgot the pain in her head. The reality was much, much worse.

White was everywhere. Six seamless sides fused her prison, a single plastic bucket of the same white in one corner. She wasn�t sure where the light came from, perhaps it was the walls, but she couldn�t be sure; for she cast no shadow anywhere.

Looking down at herself, she found her clothes completely white. Also seamless, and starched to perfection. She started to shake as the reality of where she was hit home. A mage�s cell, the place no one ever left. She fumbled her hands together as if for comfort.

It was the voice however, that made her cower. Her blue eyes were wide as she gazed around, almost expecting to see someone looking in from the ceiling, or somewhere.

The voice was so pleasant, so kind, and yet so deadly poisonous. Like a snake, slithering along, until its split second strike left you bleeding and pale from its bite.

�Ah, Ael, welcome.� The sexless voice purred. There was no way to tell whether it was male of female. �I hope you�re enjoying your new arrangements. Don�t worry, you�re in safe hands here. No more magic. Now, why don�t you answer one simple question for me?� The silky voice spoke.

What to say, what to say�her mind raced, no way was she going to give away anything her parents had told her. Her thoughts went back to the cell. Mage�s cell. Then it hit her. They thought she was one of the corrupt. Just like her mother. Or what was it Westly had said? He wanted you, so he could maybe torture you into getting your mother to talk. She shivered, and didn�t reply to the question, instead, she chose her own words, carefully. Hiding the fact that she was afraid, and keeping her voice calm and emotionless.

�Aren�t you afraid?� She asked it. Maybe she could toy with it long enough for somebody to figure out where she was.

�Me? Afraid of nothing I am.� The voice laughed, and Ael shrank from the horrible sound. It seemed to come from the very air itself.

�Not even of corruption?� She could play this game too. �I heard it was like a disease. You catch one, you catch It.� She spoke the capital letter with emphasis.

The voice was quiet a moment before its sinister laugh was heard again. �You stupid, stupid little girl. Speak not of what you don�t understand. Answer me now, Where is your mother?�

Ael surprised herself by laughing. �You think I don�t know myself?� She still didn�t answer its question. �The little I know of the magical world is small compared to what I know of corruption. And now it�s your turn. The disease is yours.� She stared at a wall, as if she were talking to it. It was really uncomfortable talking to nothing.

�Dammit girl, I don�t care about corruption. Where is your mother? Answer me!�

�My mother is dead.� She answered finally, flat and emotionless.

�You and I both know very well the truth.� It once again purred. It was like velvet as it spoke.

Ael was silent. How much did this thing know? How much didn�t it know, maybe that was the question? And who was the voice?

The sound of the voice gave an agitated noise when she didn�t answer, it was almost a snarl.

Suddenly, pain arched through her body, and her scream of pain quickly died as she fainted into unconsciousness. The words remained in her head however, all through her unremembered dreams. �Answer me, or they�ll be hurting, Oh yes�very badly.� The voice once more was soft and purring, like sugar, gone rotten.