TROY

TROY

Something New

"Potter, Harry!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the Great Hall. Whispers broke out all around; students at each of the tables were turning excitedly to each other and then craning their necks to get a glimpse of the small boy now making his way towards the staff table. Inigo Troy looked up from her empty golden plate to see what had caused such a stir. Her eyes grazed over the sea of faces until they came to rest on a boy with messy black hair standing next to the Sorting Hat. There was a tug on her sleeve. Inigo looked over to find Cho Chang, one of her roommates, with a wild look on her face.

Without ever taking her eyes from the front of the hall, Cho leaned in close and whispered, "Do you know who that is? That's Harry Potter! The Harry Potter... I just can't believe he's here, at Hogwarts! I hope he's in Ravenclaw, wouldn't that be great?"

"Yeah, that really would..." Inigo trailed off as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on top of Harry's head. The hat promptly fell to cover his eyes. As though someone had turned off the volume, an intense silence filled the room. The quiet began to press on her ears and Inigo let her eyes wander past the small boy up to the long, rectangular table where the Headmaster was seated. The table itself was made of a rich walnut that seemed to flaunt its age with every dent in the brown finish. It was draped in a thin cloth runner that covered the full length of the surface, depicting each of the four houses and their respective mascots. Behind the great table, high on the back wall, was a large cathedral style window with the Hogwart's crest emblazoned in the center. Colored glass sparkled throughout the symbol in bold blues, reds, greens and yellows dancing in the setting sun, which was still barely hanging over the hills outside. Slowly, she let her gaze continue to follow the lines of the architecture towards the vaulted ceiling. As she passed the candles floating effortlessly in the air, she closed her eyes and thought back to the day in which she had been sorted.

She remembered the darkness from inside the Sorting Hat, the sound of her heart pounding in her ears and the miniscule bumps on her arms and legs brought on by nervousness. It had only been one year before, but she still felt the warmth of the weathered hat on her head as if it had been happening at that very moment. She could still feel the wooden stool beneath her as her hands clenched the edges. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, she heard the hat's bold, reassuring voice in her ear.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Inigo jumped in her seat as the Great Hall erupted. Harry Potter had just been sorted into Gryffindor and was making the way towards his new house table. Turning her eyes again to Harry, Inigo could see the relief in his face. After a moment he disappeared behind two ginger-haired twins who had thrown their hands in the air screaming, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Inigo smiled and clapped with the rest of the crowd, her own experience pushed once again to the back of her mind.

When the students managed to settle, Dean Thomas was called up, judged by the hat, and accepted by another roar from the Gryffindors. "Turpin, Lisa!" was next, and this time it was Inigo's chance to cheer.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat called, and Inigo gave a little whistle and started clapping her hands again. She knew how important it was to give every student a feeling of belonging. She had been so scared that first night, the only thing that gave her any comfort was the cheering from the Ravenclaw table when she was sorted.

Inigo started mulling again over the happenings of that first night at Hogwarts. She remembered coming in on the boats and eventually being led into the Great Hall where the rest of the school was already seated. The worry and anticipation that was gripping her was almost too much, but it all faded when she heard the hat shout "RAVENCLAW!" to the listening crowd. The walk down to the table was fuzzy in her memory, but she recalled sitting next to a girl with long black hair. This was the first time she had ever met Cho. They quietly introduced themselves at the start of dinner and somehow became instant friends. It still didn't make sense to Inigo, not even to this day, because the two girls had very little in common. However, something just seemed to 'click' between them. It was as though Inigo had found something she had been missing for a long time.

Suddenly, her stomach growled and she focused in on her still empty plate. While there had been emotions stirring in her mind, Inigo brushed away all of her thoughts when she realized the Sorting Ceremony was almost over. Dinner was coming up soon.

Professor McGonagall seemed pleased that the crowd of first years had thinned to just two remaining boys. "Weasley, Ronald!" she called and waited as the small freckled boy made his way to the hat. After being seated for no more than a few seconds, he was quickly sent on his way to the Gryffindor table to join what appeared to be his brothers. Inigo guessed this as they all had thick red hair on the top of their heads.

Finally, the last student, Blaise Zabini, was sorted into Slytherin. As he walked down to his table at the far end of the room opposite Inigo, the Great Hall breathed a sigh of relief. Inigo's stomach growled in agreement.

Albus Dumbledore stood at the center of the High Table with a childish grin on his face. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words." Excited murmurs sprang up all among all the students. Even a few of the faculty looked unusually cheerful. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He took his seat once more to the cheering and clapping of the students.

The tables had magically filled themselves with the most wonderful dinner anyone could have imagined. Inigo immediately started grabbing for everything she could reach. As she piled pieces of chicken and slices of roast beef onto her plate, she noticed Cho and Marietta Edgecomb, another girl in her dormitory, giving her odd looks. Inigo chose to not pay attention to them. Instead, she shoveled a large spoonful of roast potatoes onto her already mountainous pile of food.

For ten minutes, the hall was silent except for the sounds of utensils hitting the plates and glasses shifting on the table. Everyone seemed to be more focused on eating the marvelous feast than greeting the newest house members. Once the talking began to pick up again and everyone seemed to be finished with the main course, the tables emptied themselves of all the dinner plates and replaced the chicken dishes and roast beef with ice cream and various tarts. There were also doughnuts, éclairs, pies, fruits and puddings all arranged in a beautiful display before the students. Inigo had tried her best to save some room for dessert, but she was now too full to enjoy any of it.

She slumped in her seat. Next to her, Cho was going on about Medea Bradshaw and Bridget Dunstan, both second year Slytherins who had apparently been in a fight with some third year Gryffindor girls on the train. "The nerve of her, just walking up and looking for trouble!"

"I heard Medea made fun of Angelina's braids." Marietta chimed in. "Why can't she learn to just leave well enough alone?" There was a pause. "Inigo, are you listening?"

At the sound of her name, Inigo snapped out of her food coma, turned quickly to the girls and smiled. "Of course, I'm sorry. I know I'm not that talkative tonight, it's been a long day and I think I'm about ready to turn in." Cho and Marietta both gave a little half-smile back and a fake nod in agreement before turning to each other again to continue gossiping. Inigo was tired, but that wasn't the reason her attention wavered from Medea and Bridget. Cedric Diggory, a fourth year Hufflepuff, was sitting one table over with his back to her. She couldn't help but stare; she'd always had an odd fascination with him. It was something she could never quiet understand or put her finger on, she just knew there was something different about him.

The first time Inigo had ever met Cedric was outside of Transfiguration class in the previous October. She was just leaving, her eyes focused on an essay Professor McGonagall had handed back during the period. Inigo had received a very poor grade and was trying her hardest to figure out what exactly she had done wrong. Without warning, her body slammed into something solid. Her book bag slid off her shoulder and every one of her parchments, quills, inks, charts and textbooks spilled out onto the stone floor. She looked up to see what obstruction had knocked her down and realized it was a blonde-haired Hufflepuff boy. Her usually pale face turned a bright red and she quickly kneeled to pick up her dropped things.

"I'm terribly sorry about that," the boy kneeled down with her and started reaching for the loose quills that were rolling away. "I had just turned around to wave to someone, I didn't even see you leaving the classroom. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Inigo curved her mouth into a fake smile. She was, in fact, not 'okay.' One of her quills had broken and there was a large ink stain making its way up the essay she had been holding. She was about to make a smart remark towards the boy, but it was at this moment she looked up and saw his face for the first time. She paused. It took her a moment to focus, but she locked into his chestnut-brown eyes and found comfort. There was something so familiar about him, as if she had known him for years. "Do I... know you from somewhere?" She asked quietly.

"Um, I don't believe we've ever formally met," he chuckled. "I play as a reserve for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, perhaps you've seen me practicing. Or..." he paused, "you could have seen me in the hallways before."

"No, I really don't think that's it. I don't mean to sound odd, but I think I've seen you somewhere before, outside of this school." Inigo looked at his tan face for a moment longer then decided to cut off the conversation. She was going to be late for her next class if she didn't get the rest of her things together quickly; she still needed to stop by the dormitory. "Well, thank you for helping me with my things, I'm sorry if I hurt you." She smiled at him pleadingly and turned to walk away.

"Wait," he called out, "what's your name?"

She turned back around, clutching her book bag in her arms in an attempt to hold everything inside. With a slight smile she replied, "Inigo."

"Interesting name for a girl," he commented and continued, "Well, Inigo, I'm Cedric. It was nice meeting you, even under the circumstances." He gave a small nod of the head in a pretend bow. "Perhaps we can run into each other again," he gave one last grin then turned and disappeared into the classroom. Inigo couldn't help but smile; it had been such an interesting encounter. She turned to walk towards the dormitory but the hallway had disappeared.

"Ahem," Dumbledore's voice echoed through the room. Inigo opened her eyes again and looked out into the Great Hall. She had been so lost in her own memories tonight that she continued to forget where she was.

"Ahem," Dumbledore said again, rising from his seat, "just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Inigo noticed his eyes flicker towards the Gryffindor table. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Only a few chuckles could be heard throughout the hall, most were silent, almost stunned.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song! Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Dumbledore waved his wand and formed beautiful golden letters in the air, spelling out the school song. Once the words were fully formed above his head, he turned back to the great hall and began "conducting" the students with his wand. Hundreds of different tunes and voices rang out. Inigo managed to mouth a few lines before becoming entranced with a girl one bench over singing at the top of her lungs to the tune of "O, Christmas Tree."

After everyone had finished their own version of the song, including the Weasley twins who were dramatically belting out the words to the tune of a funeral march, Dumbledore stood once more and added, "Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" With Dumbledore's last words, students began bustling to get to the door. Inigo heard the new fifth year Prefects calling the first years to them. She chose to wait until the crowd thinned before making her way up to the dorm.

Ready for sleep, Inigo began looking around for Cho. She saw her socialite friend near the Gryffindor table talking animatedly with Jack Sloper and Jason Dorny. As Inigo watched Cho say goodbye with a few giggles, she leaned against a cold stone column near the massive entrance doors. Cho made her way over to the column with a mischievous smile on her face. "Guess what I've got planned for tonight," Cho giggled and shook with excitement.

"What?" Inigo asked. Cho paused and urged Inigo to guess. Rolling her eyes, Inigo made a simple shrug of her shoulders in response and said, "I really don't know. It better not be too late, don't forget we have Herbology right after breakfast." She had learned a long time ago that if Cho had her mind set on doing something, there was no stopping her.

"No, it's nothing bad, I promise," Cho replied, an even larger grin spreading across her face. "Come on, let's get to the room, I want to get ready." She turned to leave and Inigo reluctantly followed her. Racing up the steps and pushing past the other tired students wandering in various directions, the two girls made their way up to the fourth floor where they stood facing the library doors.

The large carved mahogany entrance stood before them like a giant. Inigo had always desired to admire the engravings more closely but never had the time. Cho hastily pushed through the doors without a second thought and headed straight for the western side of the library. Inigo took another look at the beautiful wood, let out a long sigh then followed her friend. After weaving their way through the Potions and Herbology sections, Cho stopped as though she had found what she was looking for.

"Here he is," Cho turned back to Inigo with a large, toothy grin on her face.

"Shhh! Please don't wake him up! He'll talk for ages if he knows we're here," Inigo whispered back urgently. She was referring to the oversized portrait of Pierre Bonaccord perched on the wall directly behind Cho. He was one of the kinder portraits in the castle, but he was also a bit more talkative than the girls needed at this particular point. After pausing for a moment to make sure they hadn't awakened the former Supreme Mugwump, Inigo directed Cho quietly, "just start looking for the switch on the left side, I'll start on the right."

Cho nodded in agreement and lit her wand with a hushed "Lumos!" before moving to the far side of the expansive painting. It was an odd sort of place for such a large piece of artwork. The girls were standing deep within the library, hidden by rows and rows of dusty, unused books and they had passed the last window numerous rows before. This particular section had virtually no artificial lighting and very little in the way of room to move. As the girls shifted next to each other, running their fingers up and down the exterior of the frame, Inigo thought back again to her first year at the school. She and Cho had stumbled upon Monsieur Bonaccord during one of their Herbology study sessions and, being the quite the social figure that he was, he quickly shared with them the secret that was hidden behind his own likeness.

Cho stood up quickly next to Inigo. "I've got it," she beamed. There was a slight click and the canvas swung to the right on a hinge. Known for being light on her feet, Inigo sidestepped to the left in an attempt to avoid being hit by the large painting that was wider than she was tall and arching heavily in her direction. Apparently, she wasn't quick enough. The portrait grazed her shoulder and, with a loud snort, Pierre awoke from his slumber. In his surprise, he began speaking in rapid, slurred French that Inigo couldn't understand.

Pursing her finger to her lips in a movement to keep Cho from saying a word, Inigo pushed towards the narrow passageway that had been revealed behind the canvas. Once they were both safely inside, Cho grabbed the loose backing of the painting and pulled it towards her, closing off the entrance once again with a slight click.

Inigo began feeling her way along the wall to the back of the small enclosure. There was a narrow wooden door approximately ten feet behind the painting itself and two feet wide. The door opened to reveal a spiral staircase carved out of the stone. It was only wide enough for one person to pass at a time and it appeared to go up for several floors. The girls quietly began their ascent. Even though the climb seemed daunting, it took no more than a few short minutes to reach the top. It was here that the girls found a small landing made out of the same stone as the walls and stairs. There was also another wooden door here, just as worn and narrow as the previous one.

The chamber they were currently standing in appeared to be a dead-end. As far as it seemed, there was no visible exit. Cho stepped to the far end of the room from the door and placed her hand on a ladder that was concealed in the wall. It was only at this moment that the girls could see where the ladder led. There was another door on the ceiling, a stone square no bigger than a foot and a half on each side. The soft torch light from the hallway above was seeping through the cracks as Cho started to climb the steps. She had gone no further than a few feet before a loud, hollow "thump" rang through the room. "Ouch!" Cho moaned, "Bloody lock!" Lifting her hand, she twisted open the carved handle that was sticking out of the outlet.

With a soft push, light flooded into the dark room, illuminating both girls and making them blink for a moment before proceeding into the seventh floor corridor. Their exit was hidden behind a large, man-sized vase at one end of the hall. They managed to pull themselves out and reseal the doorway with only a 'thump' as the wooden door closed back, hiding itself in the stone once more. With a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, they slipped out from behind the vase and continued walking to the western side of the castle. They had gotten to the dormitory faster than the other Ravenclaws by at least ten minutes. A slight grin was creeping across each of the girl's faces.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The girls stepped into the second year's dormitory where Cho and Inigo noticed with comfort that all of their belongings were already in a familiar place. Inigo flung herself on to the four-poster bed she had claimed last year. It looked as inviting as it had when she left it early in the summer. She loved the feeling of the feather-light blanket forming clouds around her figure. She was sinking deep into the mattress, warm and relaxed, when the door burst open and a ruffled-looking Marietta, Niobe, and Sophia came stumbling into the room.

The three girls plopped on their beds, looking exhausted. Apparently, from the patched story Inigo could understand, Peeves had been causing quite a stir with the first years all around the castle. Entire groups of students had to be rerouted just to avoid the chaos being caused by the pesky poltergeist.

After the girls had a chance to catch their breath and finish up their version of the not-so-exciting adventure, Sophia pointed to the chest sitting at the base of Inigo's bed and asked, "What's that?"

Perched on the top of the brown leather trunk with the letters "I.T." was a small package. It appeared to have been through quite a journey. The paper was torn in places and it was obvious the string that had once been wrapped around it had come untied or fallen off before the delivery. Most likely, the owl who had been in charge of this parcel bit down on the string harder than he planned, severing it and requiring that he use a different method of transportation, possibly reduced to ripping into the paper with his talons. Inigo reached her finger into one of the holes in the paper and gave it a tug. There was a ripping sound and it took less than a second for the paper to give way.

Inigo held in her hand a small, carved, ebony cube. It was no more than two inches on each side and the wood was so black that it could have easily passed for a material muggles referred to as plastic. The carvings surrounding every inch of the cube's exterior were of intricate Celtic-style designs. The lines twisted and turned around each other, always managing to find their way back to the corner where they started. The box was so beautiful that it took Inigo a few moments to notice a thin cut around the middle, signaling an opening.

Inigo held the box gently and gave a little tug to one of the sides. There was a quiet 'pop' and the lid of the cube released itself from the base. A small, crumpled piece of paper fell out and tumbled to the ground. Sophia knelt down to pick it up, revealing an even smaller piece of paper inside of a hand-written note. The smaller piece was actually a photograph that had been so tightly smashed together the original image was almost impossible to decipher.

With the picture in her hand, Sophia reached into her book bag to pull out her wand. She muttered something under her breath and touched the tip of the wand to the surface of the furrowed photo. As though it had been instantly starched, the picture became as flat as it had been when first developed. The other four girls all looked at Sophia, slightly stunned.

"What?" Sophia asked, a confused look on her face. "I was forced to help my mum with laundry when I was young, as punishment for whatever trouble I had gotten myself into that day. Straightening the shirts was always my job." She gave a little half-smile and looked back down at the picture.

Creases and lines from the old wrinkles could still be seen on the surface of the moving picture but it was obvious none of the girls even cared. They were all too focused on the woman in the photograph. She was astonishingly beautiful. Her dark brown hair flowed around her body as she spun in circles. She was dancing, a baby held tightly in her arms. The girls could actually see the sparkle in her eyes showing her love for the newborn. Both mother and child were laughing happily, not a care in the world besides each other. Cho, Marietta, Niobe and Sophia all looked at Inigo hoping for some answers or a clue to the identity of the mystery woman.

However, Inigo wasn't looking at the picture. She had the crumpled note gripped tightly in her hands and every bit of her attention was focused on it.

Inigo,

This necklace belonged to your mother many years ago and I believed it to be destroyed after her death. To my surprise, I found it in the attic this past week. So many memories of her came flooding back to me, I don't think I would be able to keep it around. I know how much you loved her and I feel as though it is time you have it. I love you, my beautiful daughter. I'll have Jeanette send word soon. We miss you.

Love,

Dad

Inigo stared at the letter and read through it one more time. At the same time she reached back for the box, which had been set on the bed, and noticed something sparkle inside as she moved it to her lap. Tucked behind a piece of black silk, Inigo found the item that her father had been talking about. The pendant was silver, just like the chain, and had been freshly polished. It appeared to be Celtic in origin just like the box it had been delivered in. The design had three major points, all an equal distance from each other like a triangle. From the points, two lines extended out of each corner and twisted up and over the remaining lines. Inigo sat mesmerized by it before Cho broke the silence.

"Who is she, Inigo?" Cho had a sympathetic look on her face, as though she was trying to take pity on the uncharacteristically sad girl sitting in front of her. "Is that your mother? Is that you?"

"I... I'm not sure if that's me or not. It could be my sister, Jeanette..." Inigo stammered, still staring at the delicate silver in her hands, "...but yes, that's our mum." The chain had been wound loosely around Inigo's fingers. It was sparkling even in the dim light of the dormitory room.

Cho was the first to break the so-called trance all five of the girls had seemed to fall into. "Inigo, get your bed things and let's go get ready."

After setting the picture and note carefully on the nightstand, Inigo slipped the necklace back into the box and began gathering a small pile of clothes. She remembered Cho had wanted to do something tonight, something that most likely involved sneaking around the castle with the Gryffindor boys she had been chatting up earlier. As much as Inigo didn't feel like doing anything daring, she still grabbed some normal clothes and slipped them into the pile with her bed robes and toiletries. She grabbed the small, ebony box last and placed it gently on the top of the stack she was now cradling in her arms.

Cho was talking excitedly about something hilarious Jason Dorny had said at dinner when the girls entered the spacious lavatory. Inigo placed her belongings on one of the benches to the right of the doorway, popped open the box, and gently removed the necklace. "Do me the honor," she grinned, holding the necklace up to Cho.

Cho took the chain and released the clasp. She lifted both arms above Inigo's head and brought the necklace back down so that the pendant was sitting at the base of Inigo's neck before locking it back together.

Inigo stared at her reflection in the mirror. She could hear Cho's distant voice continuing to ramble on about something, but Inigo wasn't paying attention. She had never felt so much like her mother. With the silver gleaming up at her from the exposed skin of her unbuttoned shirt, she felt her mother's presence. The two of them looked so much alike, Inigo almost began to believe she was staring at her mother right now. There were slight differences of course, Inigo's youthfulness and short hair being the most obvious. Her mother had always asked Inigo to keep her hair long, but as a 'tomboy' she had preferred the short, boyish cut. Her hair was the same beautiful chestnut brown, layered above her shoulders instead of flowing down to her waist. Looking at the rest of her face, she could see that almost everything else was the same; her eyes, nose and smile all belonged to a woman she wished she had gotten the chance to know better.

Oddly, as though someone had placed a heating charm on it, the necklace began to warm on Inigo's skin. At first she thought she was imagining things but the heat was growing more intense every moment. Scared, Inigo reached her hand up to pull the hot metal away from her chest. The moment her index finger touched the edge, she felt a searing pain rush through her fingertip. She tried to pull her hand away but she was apparently locked in her position. She could feel the flesh burning on her chest and fingertip but she was inexplicably incapable of doing anything about it.

Panic began to set in. She could feel her heart come to a complete halt. Her pulse should have been racing, but her heart was entirely too calm. Inigo tried to call out to Cho, seeking help, but her body wouldn't respond. Air wouldn't enter her lungs, her body was frozen in place and her eyes were fixed on her own indifferent expression that was now staring back at her from the mirror. The frame around the glass began to fade and Inigo's face grew much older. Her skin began to sag and wrinkle around her brown eyes. Her short hair grew out over her shoulders, streaks of muted gray growing with it, turning the once soft layering into a peppered, tangled mess. The older reflection looked back at Inigo now and then after a few moments had passed, the mouth opened and Inigo heard something she thought she would never hear again. It reverberated in the blackened room where she now found herself.

"I know full well the consequences of my actions," Athena's voice bellowed out.

'Mum...' Inigo said in her own mind, mouth still unable to break free of the trance controlling her. That voice. She had longed so desperately to hear her mother speak again, to hear her softness and security, the two things that were now absent from the harsh tone seeping through the lips of the woman standing before her.

Another voice behind Inigo made her mind race even more. Afraid and unable to turn around to see where it was coming from, Inigo listened carefully.

"If you thought that by killing her, you were able to save her from your fate..." The voice paused and there was a quiet, sickening chuckle. Inigo felt a shiver run down her spine as the voice continued, "You were wrong."

Instead of recoiling, as Inigo strongly desired to do, Athena began to smile. There was new brightness in her eyes, as though she just found something she had been missing for years. "You underestim..."

A whisper came from behind Inigo and a flash of vile green light filled the room. Athena's sentence remained unfinished as her face relaxed into a dead stare. Her body crumpled to the floor in a heap.

There was no way for Inigo to react to the scene that had just unfolded before her. She tried to scream but her lips wouldn't move. She tried to close her eyes, but the lids remained where they were, practically glued in place. The panic she felt before was nothing compared to this. Inigo stood a captive of her own body, forced to watch her own mother's corpse in front of her. She wanted to run, scream, cry, faint, anything! She wanted to do anything but just stand there. She began to lose control over her thoughts, the only remaining thing to which she had been able to cling. She sought desperately for a way to pull herself out of this nightmare before her eyes glimpsed something she had not been expecting.

Behind Athena's crumpled form lay a second body. The victim's back was to Inigo and the head was tucked in. There was no way to see if the corpse was male or female from the positioning, but Inigo could only assume that it was the woman the voice had mentioned. Her mother had killed this person, and someone else had returned the favor.

Warmth rushed to surround Inigo and the lights in the room blazed. She was staring at her own reflection again, Cho's cheerful voice in her ear. Inigo looked exactly as she did before the room had faded, her finger still touching the pendant on her neck and her eyes staring blankly into the mirror. It was as though not a single moment had passed. The blood finally drained from Inigo's face and she felt her legs weaken. Every ounce of strength left her body and her knees gave way to the gravity pulling her towards the cold stone floor. The room was spinning, Inigo could feel her arm moving automatically to her neck to yank the silver pendant away from her chest, which was now cold as ice, but her arm was twenty times heavier than it should have been. She could hear a distant cry for help, one that sounded miles away; she could only assume it was Cho. Inigo tried to move her lips, to warn her friend about the necklace but the darkness that was slowly creeping into the edges of her vision became overwhelming. She gave in and let herself slip away.

END OF CHAPTER ONE

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