"I'm sure by now you've realized that Brakebills teaches us to be arch and ironic about magic, but this one plays it serious," the remaining students gathered around the various tables, listening intently to Margo and Eliot. Much to Lilly and Dani's relief, Alex made it past the second trial. He'd been in a group with Ava, Oliver Graves, and a couple of second years, who also made it. Lilly wasn't quite sure how she felt about Ava.

"You must bare yourself in the presence of another magical adept and expose your highest governing internal circumstance. Which is to say, your utmost truth." They all shared startled looks at what Eliot's words implied, "you have till midnight." Margo and Eliot linked arms and strolled out the door. They'd been assigned to the same group they were with for the last trial. Margo left a few copies of the spell they needed to perform on the front table. Lilly grabbed one along with Alice and Penny to read through the steps. Kady stood up and approached the table which held all the ingredients for the spell.

"Okay, it's a two-person spell, both must succeed to unlock it," Penny explained to Quentin, Kady, and Dani, as he joined his girlfriend, "you bind your hands with this rope."

"How am I gonna survive?" Kady flirted and Dani fake gagged behind their backs. Lilly giggled at her theatrics.

"It'll fall off once you've reached transcendence."

"This has got to be some sort of scheme, right?" Quentin mused, and Lilly wondered the same. The last two trials had some sort of twist, surely this did too? "Record us playing naked truth or dare so they can blackmail us or something."

"Unfortunately, Margo wasn't lying. It's arcane and a bit unorthodox, but secrets magic is a real thing," Alice explained, "basically there's no trick or cheat to this, it's kind of the exact opposite."

"So, we're just supposed to spill our guts to each other?" Dani watched Alice warily.

"Pretty much."

"Well then," Dani popped up from her chair, "while you guys brew up what we need, I'm gonna go grab us lots of booze." No one complained that she was skipping out on the preparation. They knew they'd need every drop of liquor Dani brought back to make it through the night.

Lilly and Alice deciphered the spell ingredients and instructions, while Penny and Kady brewed up all the ingredients. About half an hour later, Dani returned with six full bottles of alcohol in her arms. From the way she was acting, Lilly guessed she had already started drinking.

They could each feel the nerves building at the prospect of having to share their deepest secret. Lilly snatched up a bottle from the table and took a good long swig. If she was going to pass this test, she didn't want to remember it the next day.

"I think we're all ready to go," Alice informed, scanning the instructions one more time. They all looked at each other in dread. They'd each chosen their partners a few minutes prior. Penny and Kady obviously ended up together, and after a moment of deliberation, Quentin chose Alice. His first choice would've been Lilly, but Dani barely knew Alice, and therefore would probably end up failing the trial if they paired up. At least Quentin had some sort of relationship with her. Lilly gathered the body paint they'd concocted along with her copy of the spell and the ropes. One of the requirements of the spell was that it must be cast outside, and since they also had to strip naked, it took a bit of scouting to find a suitable area to work.

The girls settled on a secluded section of the school gardens. The climbing vines and thick hedges hid them from prying eyes, and it was unlikely that someone would be out in the gardens at night. Lilly set to work using her magic to light the lanterns lining the path while Dani laid out their supplies.

"Let's get this shit over with, shall we?" Dani proceeded to undress as required. Lilly took a steadying breath, gripped the hem of her top, and pulled it over her head. Goosebumps formed along her skin, and she felt the urge to cover her bare breasts from the cool night air. Both women were comfortable enough together that it wasn't awkward to see each other so exposed, but vulnerability had begun to seep in. They were stripped bare, both physically and emotionally for the other to see, that was the point of this spell. Lilly wished there was some loophole so the walls she'd built up over all these years could remain intact, but they both knew that the only way out, was through. They each took a long draft of liquid courage from their bottles.

They followed the instructions for the spell, painting the correct markings on their partner's naked body. Dani's paint was white, Lilly's black, both made from a mix of crushed magical root and soft crystal. The colors contrasted against their skin colors in tribal patterns. They tried their best to make themselves comfortable on the cobblestone path, knowing very well that they would be there for a while.

"My mom made me sing in our church choir when I was in high school, and in the middle of a service, I messed up the words to a hymn and dropped an f-bomb into the microphone in front of the whole church. I blamed it on the girl next to me, and everyone believed it," Dani confessed to break the ice, and Lilly choked out a laugh.

"I once compared a famous painting to the work of a preschooler, only to find out that the artist was standing right behind me. My mom never found out why she couldn't make the deal." The girls shared their secrets and embarrassing moments in an attempt to ease into the more serious topics. Their confessions became funnier and funnier the more they drank, and it was a wonder no one came to investigate the cackles coming from the gardens. Eventually, the topics grew somber, the confessions deeper.

"I used to pretend to be awful at Alchemy when I was little, so my mom might give up on me following in her footsteps. I just ended up having to do extra practice, so I'd get better."

"I used to party all the time in high school to get attention. All it did was drop my grade point average. My mom figured it was the lack of a father figure, but it was really because I wanted her to notice me." Dani nodded, understanding her friend perfectly, both had complicated relationships with their mothers.

"I've never actually been in love," Dani confessed, "I mean, I'm not a virgin or anything, I've just never felt that connection with anyone."

"Have you ever been in a long term relationship?" Lilly was surprised, almost everyone had been in love at least once. Even just a first puppy-love kind of thing.

"Yes, the longest relationship was six months, but something always felt wrong about it. He told me he loved me and I just laughed in his face, cause I had no idea what to say."

"Maybe you just weren't right for each other?" Lilly suggested and Dani shook her head.

"No- I don't know. It's not just him though. Every time I get romantically involved, something's just not right. I can't seem to let myself feel that way about someone. What is wrong with me? I mean, fuck!" There was a long silence, filled only by the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. Both women stared at each other until Lilly finally spoke up.

"I know how you feel," Lilly sympathized, "I rarely let people in. I've been in love, but I've always held back. From my friends, my family, boyfriends..."

"You let me in though."

"Yes, but, not really. There's so much I never tell you, or Q or even Alex. Have you ever noticed that we never have a truly deep conversation?" Dani paused, cocking her head in thought. "I mean, we never talk about our feelings, but it's because I can't. I'm so scared that if I show all my cards that you won't like what you see. I've always felt so alone no matter how many people are around me. I'm terrified that if I let someone in they'll just leave like everyone else," Lilly's eyes watered, but she wouldn't allow them to spill over.

She hadn't even noticed that Dani's ropes were gone until her own slipped from her wrists and onto the cobblestones beneath her. They smiled at each other, though it didn't meet their eyes. Their hearts felt raw and heavy after everything that had surfaced. Everything was out on the table for the other to see. The echoing chime of the Brakebills clock tower drifted on the wind, signaling the end of another day and the passing of their allotted time. They were safe, but they could only hope that the rest of their friends were as well.

"For what it's worth," Dani whispered, "I'm not disappointed." Lilly couldn't stop the tear that fell, but Dani had made it clear with those words that it was safe for her to do so. She wiped it away, before standing up and holding a hand out for her companion. She happily took it and pulled Lilly in for a hug.

Dani flinched, crying out in pain. Lilly pulled back, startled by her outburst. She watched in fear as her friend doubled over in pain, her arms contorted at unnatural angles as she screamed.

"Dani! What's happening? What's wro-- agh!" Lilly's words were cut off by her own strangled cry as her body twisted violently against its will. Excruciating pain shot through her entire body, the feeling of being stabbed by a thousand needles at once. It felt like something was trying to break through the skin of her back. She clawed at her shoulder blades until she could grip whatever it was. She ripped it out, pulling it to where she could inspect the object. Her vision was blurring from the pain, but she could make out what looked to be a bloodied feather clutched between her fingers, "what the fuck?"

Her body contorted yet again, and she was forced to succumb. Her body was changing, the feathers grew from her skin, her limbs fused into new shapes. It felt like hours before it stopped, and she was able to move again. She was much closer to the ground than before, and upon looking over at Dani, she found a Canadian Goose standing where her friend had been. She yelped, but her voice came out as a honk.

Her mind was working double time, most likely due to extreme adrenaline, and she was able to figure out what had happened pretty fast. Margo and Eliot turned them into geese for some reason. Maybe they needed to find out how to turn back? Maybe it's just part of the trial? Lilly's thoughts were interrupted, however, by her legs breaking into a sprint against her will, her wings until she was airborne. It was as if on instinct that she flew up above the school buildings and joined a flock of other geese flying by.

Saying she was panicked would be an understatement. She had no control over her body, and as she glanced around at the other geese, she had no doubt that these were the other students. After a while, Lilly calmed down. The school was far behind them, replaced by rolling hills of green.

There was something freeing about flying, and Lilly found herself thoroughly enjoying the experience. Setting aside the bizarre situation she was in, she let herself live in the moment with the wind gliding across her feathers. The view was spectacular from up above, and the scenery changed drastically as they moved farther and farther away from the safety of Brakebills.