Her eyes locked onto his dark blue eyes as if he were her anchor. She was too scared to look away now. She knew that she was accessing the Fae power, but she knew nothing of how she'd done it.

"That's good. Good. Listen to my voice. Listen to me," he soothed. "You're safe. Nothing's going to harm you. I'm safe. Nothing's going to harm me. You're not going to harm me. At least I don't think you want to harm me, do you?" He winked.

Her soul cried out at those words, and a little sob escaped her lips. Teague thought it was because he was holding her arms too tight, and he loosened his grip. His thumb rubbed the underside of her arm, quite an intimate gesture at the moment. After all, she was still a stranger.

"Take a deep breath," he coached again.

She did, and then she took another one, focusing on his eyes. On the color. She had to clear her mind.

"Close your eyes," he said. "Think of somewhere safe."

Home. Home was safe, or at least it was until she became involved with the Grimm curse.

Finally, a picture formed in her mind. A picture of Jared. He was a safe place. He'd been her protector. He looked out for her. It took a while, but she'd come to realize that whenever she was with him, she would be safe. She pictured his strong jaw, his dark tousled hair, and his stormy gray eyes. A smile slowly formed on her lips.

"Jared," she whispered under her breath. She heard the sound of metal clanking on tile and knew that she'd released the knives. It still blew her mind that she'd been able to save herself like that.

She knew she was beaming from ear to ear, but she opened her eyes to see Teague's frustrated face.

"Who's Jared?"

"A boy," she replied, immediately wishing she hadn't. Teague dropped her arms coldly and turned away from her.

He moved to stand next to his parents, and she could hear him giving curt answers. Something about her being scared and not being able to control her powers.

Queen Maeve seemed skeptical, and Mina was able to catch bits of what she was saying. "What Fae girl of her age can't control her powers? Maybe we should send her home now, before we test her. We certainly have cause. Besides, her results are sure to be weak, even without using the bowl."

Her words dug deep beneath Mina's armor and wounded her. She'd just done something great. She saved her own life as well as the six other girls'. Coming off that high only to be treated as worthless was a huge kick in the stomach.

King Lucian rubbed his golden beard. "Perhaps, but you must admit, these were not normal circumstances."

"What if she's an assassin as well?" the queen asked.

"Hardly." King Lucian laughed. It felt great to get his vote of confidence at least. "She was the one who saw the danger first and warned us."

"I'm still not sure about her. Something feels off." Queen Maeve didn't soften her blows simply because Mina was within earshot. Why should she? She was, after all, queen.

They turned to address Ferah. At least for now, the topic was dropped.

"You, Ferah, have committed an act of treason with your assassination attempt. Your punishment will be doled out quickly and without mercy. What have you to say for yourself?"

Ferah held her head high and glared angrily toward Teague. Mina was surprised by her stoic bravery in the face of death. "He will destroy us all. The prophecy has foretold our impending doom." Her finger did not waver as it pointed to Teague.

Anger and turmoil rolled off Teague in waves.

If anyone knew the truth behind Ferah's words it was Mina. She knew the outcome. Knew that Teague would quickly break off his betrothal and try to destroy the kingdom, which would force the Fates to split his power-his very self-in two. Part of her actually wanted that to happen, because she wanted the Jared she had known and loved to exist. The person who stood before her was not him.

"Take heed, Fates. United he will destroy you. Divided he will fail." Her voice had taken on an otherworldly quality. She looked around the room until her eyes met Mina's. They widened for a fraction of a second, and then she smiled. Ferah began to giggle. Her head fell to the side and she continued to laugh at a joke only she knew the punch line to. "I see that I have failed. But there is another who will not."

"What is the meaning of this?" King Lucian growled. Captain Plaith and a guard lifted Ferah off the ground so only the tips of her shoes skimmed the tile.

"I am not your only hope. It seems there will be another who comes to finish what I have started."

"Who? Who dares to try to murder our son? Answer me, you miserable excuse for a Fae!" he roared.

Ferah pinched her lips together in a firm line. She met his accusing glare with steel and refused to say another word.

"She won't talk? I bet she'd talk to one of the Reapers," Teague said, and the room collectively gasped in surprise and horror. He looked to his parents, and they nodded in approval.

"Yes, fetch the Reaper, Captain Plaith. We will have a hunt," Lucian agreed. The guard who stood at the Fates' side turned on his heel and strode from the room.

Mina's stomach tightened as bile rose in her throat. She wanted to cower and hide. The king was calling the Reapers-the hunters of all things evil. And in the future, the hunters of the Grimm. Her family. For centuries to come, the Fates would send Reapers after her family line if they got close to finishing the quests.

Summoned, the Reaper stood before the Fates, dressed in a long black leather cloak. "My Fates." He pulled two hand held scythes from beneath his cloak, bowed, and waited for his orders. This Reaper was different than the one who hunted her. He was tall and muscular, but-where her human culture portrayed the Reaper as white like death-this one was as dark as sin with yellow eyes. Mina knew that Reapers were not a race of Fae, like fairies, nixies, or giants. A Reaper was a job description. And the position could only be held by a true murderer, for they liked to toy with their victims. They were the cleanup crew for the Fates.

Maeve's voice rang out calm and collected. "Take her to the woods. Let her feel terror on her heels as you hunt her down and kill her. It will send a message to all who dare to try and kill one of us."

"No, no not that," Ferah begged. The guards dragged her from the room kicking and pleading for mercy.

When the double doors thudded closed behind her, the room seemed to come alive again.

"What's going to happen to us now?" Tawny murmured. Her heavy eye makeup had run down her face, leaving trails of black. "Are we going to have to continue with the test? Or can we choose to leave? We can't possibly be expected to stay after what we just witnessed." She whispered to the girl next to her, but since no one else was speaking at the moment, her voice echoed loudly.

Teague heard her fears and turned, his face red with fury. "By all means, leave if you cannot handle what just happened. There lies the door and your salvation. Do you think being a Royal is without its drawbacks? It is not all pastries, dresses, and parties. This is real. Ruling our kind is dangerous, and I will not ask someone to stand by my side if I cannot trust them to defend me with their life. As I would do the same for them." His chest rose and fell with passion, and his eyes shone black with anger.

Tawny, embarrassed, was ready to cry. Her hands covered her mouth and she quivered with fear.

Mina understood Teague's desire for a partner, someone he could trust to protect him in return. But his attitude! He needed some lessons in diplomacy.

Tawny ended up staying, though Mina didn't expect her to last long. The room was put to right, and everyone gathered around the crystal bowl.

Everything felt rushed and less formal. The Fates stood farther back from the bowl, and Teague paced like a caged lion. He didn't look like he would settle down anytime soon.

Thankfully, Mina ended up toward the end of the line again. Tawny came forward to continue with the test, but when she picked up the knife, a door slammed loudly.

Teague was no longer in the suddenly cold room. It seemed he didn't care about the outcome of the remaining girls and their test results. Which meant only one thing. He didn't think they were worthy, and he'd probably already narrowed down his choices to those in the first group.

She felt a pinch in her throat, and had to swallow back her hurt feelings. It was fine. She didn't need his approval. She wasn't here to become his next wife. She just needed to make it through to the next test so she could stay around. Then, hopefully, she would be the one to save the Fae plane and her own.

Tawny's test revealed a strong red glow to complement her blushing cheeks. The others also passed with flying colors.

It was finally time for Mina to approach the crystal bowl. So much had happened in the last half hour that she wasn't really sure how to feel about taking the test. She wasn't as apprehensive as before, because she'd used magic. But what would it do, since she wasn't even Fae? Would it perceive her heart-know that she was an imposter-and turn black like Ferah's test? Would nothing happen?

She picked up the small knife and studied it. Even though it had been used on multiple girls, there wasn't a hint of blood on the tip. More Fae magic?

Mina pressed the point into the tip of her finger on her left hand. She expected there to be a sharp pain from being pricked, but she didn't feel a thing. The shock of not feeling even the pressure against her skin made her accidentally press it farther than necessary into her finger. A very large drop formed, and she quickly held it over the bowl, praying as it fell into the water. The surface rippled.

She held her breath and waited and watched.

Nothing happened.

She let out the breath she was holding and looked up to the King. He seemed a little disappointed in the outcome himself.

Mina waited for the verdict. For the words "imposter" or "fake" to come. For the doors to open again and another Reaper to enter, gunning for her blood. She desperately looked toward the bowl again. Please, do something.

The King opened his mouth and raised his finger to give an order, when a soft ringing noise was heard. He dropped his hand, and everyone turned to look at the crystal bowl. It didn't change colors, sparkle, or flash-it moved. The water inside the bowl swirled in a circular motion, causing the crystal to sing. The peal grew in intensity and volume, and Mina had to cover her ears from the pain that followed.

"Ouch, make it stop!" Silene demanded from behind her.

She wished she could, but this had nothing to do with her. It was a Fae creation. Finally, the crystal's song fell silent and the relief was almost audible.

"Never before has the crystal sung," Queen Maeve announced, giving Mina a curious look. "You are an enigma. It will be interesting to see how you approach the other tests." The way she said it made Mina cringe with worry. "Please follow the others out of the room."

Mina was so relieved to be dismissed that she almost ran the first four steps. She caught herself and slowed her steps to what was expected of a princess.

She was escorted to a waiting room where the girls who passed the test were waiting. Annalora was reclining on a settee, her dress spread out around her. Ever stood by the window staring outside.

Tawny was the center of attention as she was relaying the whole story of the attack, reveling in being the one with the news. "And Ferah is to be hunted down by the Reaper and killed," Tawny rushed out.

"Serves her right." Annalora spoke up from her reclined spot. She didn't seem at all unnerved with the assassination attempt. "She was about to ruin my chance of becoming future queen."

Ever turned and spoke up a bit heatedly. "Don't you mean ruin any of our chances of falling in love and marrying Prince Teague?"

Annalora shrugged. "That too, but it's not what they're hoping for. They are looking for family lines and power. If Teague knows what's best for him, he'll choose me."

"You seem awfully confident about that." Ever confronted her, hands on her hips. The wind in the room began to whip as her wings fluttered, mirroring the temper that was about to get the better of her.

The two girls bickered back and forth while Mina paced, biting her knuckle with worry. This wasn't good. She hated waiting, knowing that at any moment, she could be sent spiraling into the future without having solved a thing.

Pretending her feet were hurting, Mina sat on a cushioned chair and slid off one of her mirrored shoes to rub her foot. She turned the shoe over and held the mini hourglass toward the light to see if her time was running out.

Annalora stomped past Mina snapping her attention back to the room full of young women. "I'm of royal gnome blood which means I do not have a pointy head," she fumed, pointing to her perfectly coiffed hair. "Only the mining gnomes have pointed heads."

Ever raised her chin and dripped sarcasm. "Oh, that's right. I forgot your kingdom lies deep underground. No wonder they think you're beautiful."

"You insubordinate"-Annalora snatched the glass shoe out of Mina's hand and approached Ever, threatening her with the heel-"poor, pathetic excuse for a pixie. Someone should teach you manners."

Mina gasped and immediately jumped up and ran after the gnome to grab the shoe. Her hand grazed the smooth glass side. She almost had it when Annalora turned, abruptly yanking the shoe out of reach.

Her attention was fully on Mina, and she grinned when she realized that she had her in the palm of her hand. "What? Do you want this?" She held the slipper high in the air, just out of Mina's reach. Mina swiped for the shoe, but with the other still on, her balance was less than stellar.

Annalora laughed at Mina's attempt to get the shoe back. "Ah, ah, ah. If you want it back you need to get on your knees and beg."

Mina felt hampered by her beautiful feathered dress and a single shoe. Annalora tossed the glass slipper Tawny, who threw it to Fuchsia. Then Annalora got it back and smirked at her. It was a triangle of insanity.

"Stop it, Annalora. Just give her the shoe back," Dinah said.

"Oh hush up, you nymph. I'm just teaching her a lesson."

Mina didn't have time for games. She slipped off her other shoe, gathered it in the folds of her dress and snuck up behind Annalora. She tapped her on the shoulder just after she caught another toss from Tawny. The gnome turned to look over her shoulder, and her cocky expression fell mere seconds before Mina's fist made contact with her face.

"Sorry, but school's out," Mina sneered.

Annalora fell backward into a cushioned footstool and slid to the ground in an ungainly heap. She was too shocked to say anything but put a hand over her eye.

Mina picked up the slipper from the floor and hurried away from the now-recovering drama queen. Any minute she would either wreak havoc here or call for the guards.

Mina quickly checked the slipper for damage, inwardly chewing herself out when she saw a small crack along the heel. Did the timer still work? She wasn't sure.

Part of her wanted to break down and cry, the other part wanted to get back up and give Annalora a second black eye.

Annalora had gotten up and was red in the face with fury. Tawny ran forward, her sympathy making her sound like an injured bird.

The others whispered quietly and gave Mina a wide berth.

But Ever started laughing and came over to sit by her. "That was phenomenal. I've wanted to do that to her forever. Only now, I don't know if I want to be in your shoes. She's going to have it out for you. There's no way you'll make it to the end. She'll make sure of that now."

"It doesn't matter. I won't be chosen anyway. It's not in my cards."

"Why do you say that? Is that one of your gifts? Can you see the future?"

"Sort of," Mina grumbled. She slipped the un-cracked slipper on her foot.

"Did it break?" Ever asked, pointing to the shoe. "They're beautiful. I would love to have a pair like that. If I owned those I'd never take them off. These ones I'm wearing are killing me."

Mina had to stifle a laugh, because in the future, Ever preferred black army boots. It seemed she would eventually choose comfort over fashion.

"You're laughing at me? You're the one who was hobbling around on one shoe while you took on Annalora. You looked like a gimp, by the way."

"What did you say?" Mina snapped. "Why would you say that?'

"Relax, I'm a pixie. I call it like I see it. And speaking of 'see it,' will you tell me my future?"

"No."

"Oh please, puh-lease," she begged. "At least tell me if I'm going to end up with Teague or not. I know it's a silly request, but play along with me." Ever leaned forward with a huge, eager smile on her face.

She didn't want to break her heart, but the last thing she wanted to do was lie to Ever. Mina took a deep breath. "Ever, you will grow closer to the prince and spend more time with him in future than any of us ever will."

She sat as still as a statue and then her wings went crazy, blowing Mina's hair all over the place. "Oh, that's a good one." She laughed and then settled down a bit. "But wait, you didn't say marry him. If you're going to make up a lie, you could have at least made it a good one."

Mina didn't laugh or continue the banter, which only made Ever more suspicious. Her brows furrowed and she gave Mina a curious glare. "You're serious about this, aren't you? You're not joking."

Mina felt horrible. She just shrugged her shoulders and didn't make eye contact.

Ever cleared her throat and pretended to straighten her dress, but she was really moving farther away from Mina. As if she were already severing the physical and emotional connection with her.

Mina sighed and rubbed her forehead. It was probably for the best.