My eyes found Trevor as soon as I stepped into the sea can. If I hadn't been looking, I wouldn't have seen him wince from the light coming through the door—the only illumination available—and I'd maybe buy his pretence of sleeping. Even if I'd imagined it, he'd already woken from the effects of the drugs. I had no problem ensuring he felt enough so there was no way he could sleep through.

"Oh, don't waste my time, Trevor," I said, clenching my teeth. "The patience you took from me hasn't returned like my magic has. Would you like me to demonstrate how that combination works? It isn't in your favor."

Trevor opened his eyes, glaring at me. He looked at the bandages on my wrist, then back at my face. I held back a smirk, seeing him looking tired and dirty—it was so different than the uppity way he typically projected himself. He smelled, though he wasn't harmed in any way. I wished he'd at least have a black eye so I'd feel somewhat avenged. If I hadn't made myself sick to heal myself, I would have been far more injured than I am now.

I held out my hands, looked down and then up. "Checking out your handiwork? Proud?"

He said nothing, and I dropped my arms to my sides.

"Don't worry, we aren't as barbaric as you, Trevor," I said. "Besides, you aren't a threat and can't escape. How does it feel? To be locked up with no control over your own actions or what someone plans to do to you?"

Trevor didn't close his eyes, but said nothing. As my frustration grew, so did my hesitancy over using my abilities begin to fade. As a result, my confidence skyrocketed.

"If I were as psychotic as you, I'd say you were right to fear my magic enough to find a way to eliminate the threat and give yourself the upper hand. It enabled you to kidnap me, drug me, abuse me... You treated me like an animal being sold at auction, so why shouldn't I do the same to you?"

I brought one hand in front of me and looked down. As soon as I thought it, I felt my magic swell. Flames started dancing in my palm. I watched as they flickered until I counted to sixty, then closed my fist. The fire died, a tendril of smoke lifting as its last breath.

"See? Easy." I lifted my head slowly and once again met Trevor's glare, a smile lifting one side of my mouth. "If I were you, I'd be more scared of the fact that there's nobody who wants you enough to pay. It means you'll learn why you might fear the fact that I have abilities people want. Unless you start talking. Unlike you, I believe in giving people a chance to do what's right."

"You have abilities that I don't. At least I fought fair by ensuring you couldn't use them."

My eyebrows rose. "Fought fair? You drugged me! How is it fair to render someone unconscious?"

"You were able to fight it better than me."

"Because I was taught that success wasn't something that came easy. You expect everything to be given, so you didn't bother to fight it. It's called fortitude—strength. I've never seen you display either."

"So, what? You want to teach me?"

"No. That would be a waste of energy and time, and you aren't worth it." I shifted my weight. "What I want is answers, such as who you were trying to negotiate giving me to in exchange for money. What do you know of their plan—where was I supposed to be going? Who is it?"

"I don't know their name and never asked where you were going." He shrugged, not appearing to regret his actions at all. "Once you left and I had my money, it wasn't my problem."

"You're the problem!"

"You wanted to be normal, Nora. How is what I did not doing you a favor? It's what you wanted."

"Not that way. What do you think a person who steals powers is like? Nobody should have that much power and anyone willing to steal it isn't what I would call good. You might have gotten money, but I bet you would've faced much bigger problems if you had succeeded. Then, because of you, nobody would be able to help clean up the corruption."

"Not my problem."

"Now it is," I said, stepping forward to where he'd pulled himself into a sitting position on the mattress where rusty brown stains—likely my own blood still left over—sullied it. "You might not know anything, but you will help me figure it out. Let's begin easy. You said this place was hidden with magic. How did you do that? You don't have abilities."

Trevor smirked and his glare softened.

"Did Astrid do it for you?"

Silence greeted my question. Frustrated, I growled, the sound vibrating in my throat. A few more seconds passed without a word.

"Do you really think you're going to be able to keep up the silent treatment? I can out-stubborn you, Trevor. Do you remember what you said to me? That you could wait for me to give in or humiliate myself? Have you used the washroom since waking? I'd love to describe the most beautiful waterfall I recently visited. They often roar as the water falls, but not this one. I literally stood under it and the trickles sounded like the stream by my clearing in Briarville. Kind of like listening to someone shower. It tinkles."

Trevor shifted, his smirk fading.

"No? Doesn't bother you?" I inhaled in a mock sigh and stepped forward. I brought my palm back, already holding another manifestation of fire so it was an inch from his face. "How about I utilize my methods instead? Can't you feel the warmth? Think it will burn?"

Trevor flinched, pressing his cheek against the wall so half his face was protected. The flickers of light danced on the other half of his face, exposed.

"How did you hide this place? Because if it was done like your so-called soundproofing, you probably failed," I said, bringing my hand closer. "Did Astrid come here to help you?"

"No!" Trevor yelled, turning his face back so quickly I nearly didn't pull away in time to avoid burning him. "She gave me charms someone else made! That bitch isn't welcome in my home!"

"What kind of charms?" I let the fire burn smaller so I could see his expression clearly through the flickering flames.

"I don't know! They went around the house outside."

"But she's never been here?"

"No."

"What about the other person? The one you wanted to give me to?"

"I don't even know who that is!"

"So, then what did they want?"

"You."

"Where was I supposed to go?"

"I didn't ask. I told you!"

"Nora."

I pivoted to the side, craning my neck to look at Aiden over my shoulder dressed in his usual suit as he stood in the doorway, thankfully alone. Immediately, I closed my fist to snuff out the fire. Aiden glanced down, then met my gaze for a moment before he crossed to stand beside me and look down at Trevor on the mattress.

"What else do you know that you haven't already revealed?" Aiden asked.

"I—nothing."

"You understand what Nora is capable of, right? The only reason I didn't call the police on you so you could rot in prison is because she is like a daughter to me, and her safety comes first. I thought you could help her. If you can't—or won't—it's too late to arrest you without the proof we had, but I believe in justice. There's nothing more fitting than the Code of Hammurabi—you know, the law of retribution? Or, more commonly known as an eye for an eye. Whatever Nora wants to do is fine by me if you're this useless."

"I can't give you what I don't know. Would you rather I make something up?"

"Call her," I whispered before Aiden could respond. Shifting my weight, I squared my shoulders and nodded as the spur-of-the-moment suggestion settled into a plan of action. "Yes." I licked my lips and nodded again. "Call Astrid. In fact, call Astrid and the other person, and find out more while you stall."

"Stall for what?" Aiden asked.

I shrugged. "Until we get all the answers. Trevor should call them and say he must've given me too many doses and he's not comfortable trading until he's sure my magic drained my energy so I'd lose my memories of him. I mean, he said that was his end goal so I wouldn't remember what he did."

"I can't fool them."

"Right. Because you are incapable of lying and pretending something unreal is true." I rolled my eyes. "How about instead of me losing my memory, we give you enough doses you're a slobbering mess who doesn't know who you are?"

"You wouldn't."

"It's that or fire. Neither use much energy. In fact, I've accumulated an abundance while recovering, so I should release some. Fire would be my choice."

"You think they will believe you can't fight the drugs?" I don't know how he was at ease enough to laugh—feeling helpless made me want to laugh and cry—but Trevor chuckled. "You fell off a boat that nobody should be able to survive, got your memories back when it should have been permanent, and I heard what you did to Duvessa's family."

Aiden sighed. "He's right."

"Then... I don't know." I shrugged. "Tell them you want more from the deals since you're risking so much, and you managed to talk me into cloaking you and are hiding in a new location."

"If the person who glamored me is the same as the one who wants you, I'll stay on their side. You think they aren't powerful enough to track you down when their patience runs out?"

"If they could, why involve you?"

"To make you weak first so they didn't waste their energy fighting you before whatever spell they want to use to get your abilities."

"I can't be tracked, but you can."

"So? That's to my favor."

"You're naive to think they'll help you. They will be pissed at you. Besides, I'm stronger. If I keep you hidden, I can promise they don't have a way of finding you."

"Then what? I get you answers and I can go?"

"I won't punish you," I said, intentionally leaving Aiden to speak for himself. When he didn't, I assumed he didn't want to lie. "For now, I'm going to hide you using my magic, then we are going to take you somewhere you don't know so they have no way of finding out where you are in some spell for visions or something. Even if neither have been here and I can't be sensed, you were stupid to use charms they gave you around the house. Whoever spelled them will be able to track them as soon as they realize it's possible."

Trevor sighed.

"I promise, my patience is dry, Trevor."

"Fine!" He sighed again. "Get my phone."

I looked at Aiden as he pulled Trevor's cell from his pocket. "You should probably hide him first so he can't be tracked through the connection.

I nodded. "Right." I glared at Trevor. "I see this as me protecting you. I'll cloak you and the location we go to. After all you've done, I do not recommend trying to trick us. Even if you manage to tell them where you are, neither Astrid nor her friend are capable of teleporting here, and it only takes a second for me to make you regret it."

A/N: My apologies, it's a couple days late! New post coming again this weekend!