Lilly's eyes shot open to a familiar darkened bedroom. Moonlight filtered through the windows of her cottage and left shadows and patterns on the bedsheets. It was never silent in the valley. Animals chirped and croaked into the darkest hours of the night. The wind coming off the copper mountains hissed through the thick foliage like the whispers of those long departed.

It was rare that she got a full night's sleep. Most nights she lay awake with Penny fast asleep beside her, unable to shut her eyes for fear of the nightmares that plagued her. Not nightmares- but memories. Memories of that day and all the moments before it that culminated to one catastrophic end.

Lilly watched as Penny's chest rose and fell in a calming rhythm. It soothed her to see that someone was still beside her. She wouldn't wake him. She never did. It wasn't that she didn't want him to know. He could tell by the dark circles she covered up in the mirror every morning. In the beginning, he would be awoken by her screams or thrashing limbs and hold her while she sobbed herself back to sleep. The nightmares still came nearly every night, but Lilly found that sleep would evade her no matter what she tried. It was easier not to try at all.

Bare feet slipped from beneath cool sheets to tiptoe across the dark wood floors. Penny didn't stir, even as she swiped her fighting leathers and knives from the wardrobe. A muffling spell did most of the work for her. So there was no one to call her back to bed or whisper loving words in her ear. That wasn't what she needed on nights like these. Penny came home that night ecstatic. He wasn't the slightest bit suspicious about The Library offering him a secondary deal. But a Lilly knew, and she'd do it all again a thousand times over. Her deal with Zelda was just another reminder of what they'd lost in that battle.

With a click, the door shut behind her, and she darted past darkened homes until she came upon one she'd become particularly familiar with. Ava's legs dangled from the rope bridge connecting her cottage to the network of walkways swooping from one house to the next. She twirled one of her twin blades in her lap, the freshly sharpened edge glinting in the dim moonlight. Her eyes lifted to meet Lilly's, and there was deep unending sorrow there. Lilly tried to smile but barely managed a twitch of her lips before it fell.

The bridge shook as Ava stood and walked to the rope ladder. Halfway down the rungs, she pushed off and landed gracefully on booted feet with a light thump. They said nothing as they walked towards the training grounds. It wasn't that they had nothing to say. It was that they knew better than to voice empty comforts that did nothing but rub salt in the wound.

The crash of metal on metal echoed through the vast field. Empty, save for the two opponents, who swung their blades with vigor. Cloaks long forgotten on the hard ground, Ava swiped at her adversary's legs. Lilly, however, was much quicker and jumped to avoid it, reaching an unnatural height. No man could jump that high, but this was no man. She wasn't even completely human.

She whirled her daggers as delicately as one would glass, the larger of the two the length of her forearm. Lilly blocked another advance, stepping back from the force of the blow. This didn't stop her from reaching her foot up to kick Ava back. She stumbled away a few paces, leaving Ava room to slice her sword through the air. Their weapons met with another clang, but they were both quick to attack again.

Lilly swung for her neck, and if Ava hadn't ducked down, her head would've detached from her body. She used this opportunity to block Lilly's next attack, twisting her sword around and pushing against her weapon. Lilly's sword dropped to the ground. The sharp edge of Ava's blade was quick to find the side of her neck, pausing just before she sliced the delicate skin.

"Any last words?" There was a stretch of silence between them. Lilly knew she'd been defeated. There was no hope of escape. Espresso dark eyes glared into hers, and Ava smirked while Lilly scowled. She waited for her to respond, and slowly, her scowl turned into an amused smile.

"And the student becomes the master." Ava removed the blade from her neck, smiling brilliantly at her victory.

"That would imply that you were the master to begin with, and we both know that's not true." Lilly let out a hearty laugh, moving to retrieve her dagger from where it had fallen.

"It's sweet that you think that." Ava glared at her though only in jest. She collapsed where she stood, kicking her feet out in front of her with a huff. The forest began to lighten and the world around them was tinted in gray as the sun prepared to peak over the horizon. The village would awaken soon. Farmers would rise to feed their animals and tend to their crops before the hottest part of the day set in. Crafters would set to work and prepare to open their doors. Lilly sat beside her and crossed her legs beneath herself. She leaned back on both arms and glanced to the side to observe Ava's solemn stare.

"I uh, wanted to talk to you about something."

"If it's about the Psychologist again, I don't want to talk about it--" Before Ava could continue, Lilly interjected.

"It's not." Her eyes darkened, and she tore them away from Ava's. She cleared her throat, gaze not once leaving her hands. "Elias is fading. He likes to act like he's not, but I can feel it. He'll be gone soon, and I'm going to need to step up." As the words left Lilly's mouth, it was like tension was being released from her shoulders and making its way to her chest. She had thought this out numerous times; she knew Elias's time was coming. And while it took all her might to say it out loud, she still struggled to accept it. Time after time, Lilly continued to lose everyone she loved. What would happen when it got to the point where there was no one left to lose?

"Lilly," Ava sighed, reaching a hand over to give her thigh a comforting squeeze as though she could take away the pain Lilly was feeling. The two girls had shared so much pain Ava only wished she could ease Lilly's somehow.

"No," Lilly shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "It's true- my grandfather's time is coming and I'm going to need to step up as Bloodreigna." The weight of the words as they brushed past Lilly's lips were like pounds of iron slamming into her already weak, frail body. Her lip quivered at the thought of no longer having Elias, and she had to blink several times to force the tears away. "And I'd like for you to take over as ambassador." It took Ava a moment to process the words, her eyes and squeezing heart initially too focused on empathizing with Lilly.

"What?"

"There's no one else I want in this position but you." Lilly declared with a wan smile. "You've become a part of The Valley. The people love you, and you know how to handle Margo and Eliot. I can't be running between Earth and Fillory like I am now. I need someone I trust to handle things."

"I don't know. After everything, I'm not sure I can handle-"

"Of course you can! You're one of the strongest people I know. What happened with Alex- It doesn't define you. At some point, you need to take a step forward." Lilly's teary eyes were boring into Ava's almost pleadingly.

"Please do this for me." Ava found it hard to tear her gaze. She sighed and ran her hand over her face before nodding reluctantly.

"Fine, okay, I'll do it." As a grin grew on Lilly's face, Ava couldn't help the one that appeared on her lips.

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you right now." Lilly's shaky voice cracked as she leaned in to pull her friend into a deep hug. She melted into Ava's embrace, allowing her eyes to close and a tear to stream down her cheek and onto her shoulder.

"Okay, that's enough touchy-feely shit for me." Ava wiped her face and extricated herself from Lilly. Chuckling, Lilly let her sit back and straighten her clothes as if to regain some dignity.

"You know you love it."

"I really don't." But Ava was smiling, and Lilly knew that she'd made the right choice.

"How the hell did this happen?" The room in which Quentin was being held, was empty. The heavy iron door had been left open, and there was no sign of where he might've gone.

"It appears Ms. Wicker is no longer a prisoner in Fillory, and she decided to let Alice go. In Quentin's body." Dean Fogg fixed his shirt cuffs, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"This place was supposed to be inescapable!" Lilly whirled on him with fury in her heart.

"It is. But Julia let him out." Fogg was in no way perturbed by her accusatory look. He stood beside her a few paces back from Quentin's cell. A group of specialists examined the broken lock and Professor Sunderland loitered across the room with her revelatory glasses and a bag of books at her side.

"Well, what the fuck are we supposed to do?" She ran a hand through her honeyed locks and shifted her weight between feet. The soles of her shoes scuffed against the concrete.

"He escaped sometime in the night. It's possible Ms. Wicker thought she was helping save Quentin from himself. I'll try to track him down, but for now, all we can do is hope that he boxes Alice before it's too late."

"That's not good enough." Lilly pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and scrolled through her contacts. "He could be dead by nightfall. We both know this won't end well, and I don't want to see what'll happen if that Niffin gets free." Pressing the call button, Lilly whirled towards the door and strode down the hall. She tried to ignore the bloodstain on concrete from where Mike's body had fallen dead.

The dial tone grated on her nerves more and more as it went on. It went to voicemail, and she was left staring suspiciously at the name that lit up her screen. Kady was the one person sure to know about Julia's whereabouts. But she was a clever hedgewitch, and her wards were far too complex for a tracking spell to be effective. Penny was just as unresponsive to her calls and texts. With Quentin missing, she had no one to ask for help. Lilly needed to think.

She reached the Illusionists castle in record time, thanks to her breakneck pace. It was times like these that she was thankful to Dean Fogg for keeping the tower bedroom reserved for her. It was the least he could do, considering his role in the events with The Beast.

Lilly Kicked off her shoes the moment she entered and trod barefoot through the room. The dark wood floors of her bedroom creaked beneath her weight as she paced back and forth. Quentin was a resourceful man and a damn good Magician. But he'd proven himself to be irrational in his quest to preserve Alice. Her Niffin was nothing more than magic and energy. There was no soul, no love, no warmth left within her. Quentin was grasping at straws for the hope that he could somehow save her. This was why Lilly worried so terribly. He would do anything for this walking shell of the woman he loved, even if it cost him his life.

Lilly ran a hand through her hair as she snatched a bottle of tequila from her table. The stopper popped as she pulled it and tipped the bottle back. The liquid burned on the way down, and she savored the comfort that followed. Glass clinked as she flipped over a cup to pour herself a generous portion in a more civilized manner. Her fingers swirled atop the rim of a thin martini glass. She crossed her index and middle fingers over and under five times. Just as the spell was about to take effect and make the drink infinitely stronger, Lilly felt the power drain from her fingertips. The Fillorian lantern on her nightstand faded to black as magic dissipated once again.

"Fucking hell, Ember!" Tilting her head back, she screeched at the ceiling, where she figured at least one god was watching. Her cry went unanswered. It wasn't like Ember cared for their plight. The brownouts were a result of his chaos. Had he thought to delay Martin in any other way, they wouldn't be dealing with this. Instead, magic ebbed and flowed like the ocean tides. Groaning, she downed the drink in one go, cursing the god of Fillory for all that he'd done. Almost all of their problems stemmed from Ember and Umber if she thought far enough back. If they hadn't prevented Martin from returning to Fillory as a child, he mightn't have chosen the path he did.

"Well, someone's throwing a tantrum." The voice was taunting and achingly familiar. Lilly chilled to the bone at the cascade of thoughts and memories that flooded through her at the sound. The floor creaked as her visitor took a step towards her. Spine stiff, Lilly set down her glass so gently that it made no sound at all. She turned on her heels and lifted her chin.

"Alice." She was just as she'd been the day she died. When she'd sacrificed herself for them. It felt like she was back in that clearing, watching as Margo and Eliot tried to pry Quentin from her lifeless body.

"Not quite." The creature smirked and tilted her head to the side in amusement. "Alice adjacent." The humor in her tone was hollow and sinister.

"You can't be here. The wards--"

"You mean, the wards that just poofed out of existence when the Wellspring crashed?" Alice waved a hand towards the window. Lilly's eyes flicked to the clouded skies and rough sea below. "I just walked right in."

"Get out right now, or I'll box you." Gritting her teeth, she narrowed her eyes at the Niffin.

"Oh, Lilly. Same old lying Illusionist." Alice began to circle the room like a wolf with its prey. "Quentin trashed that box right before he let me go. So I don't think you have much to be threatening me with. I, however, have lots. So, I need something from you."

"Go to hell." Lilly spat, scanning the room for anything to use for a weapon. All the while, she tracked Alice's movement from the corner of her eye.

"Been there, done that." Alice reached into her skirt pocket and flicked out the silver tip of a dagger. "You know, plain old Alice Quinn never knew how close she was to something so powerful. So useful. She had her suspicions, I'll give her that, but as a Niffin, I see you for what you truly are. A Maegi. Right beneath my nose." Alice's eyebrows lifted as if to emphasize every word she spoke.

"If you know so much, then you'd know I'm not so easy to kill." Lilly began backing towards her dresser, where a dagger lay tucked within the top drawer.

"I don't need to kill you. I just need your blood. Just enough for some experiments, and this will all be over. So why don't you give me what I want?" Alice seemed almost bored, so confident in her plan that she thought it hardly worth the effort.

"Fuck you." Lilly snarled, and Alice let out an exaggerated sigh. Her shoulders slumped like a child.

"Oh well, I tried to play nice." Alice lunged as quick as an adder, swiping towards Lilly with the knife outstretched. Had Alice been able to summon magic, it may only have taken one spell to extract Lilly's blood. But the playing field was even. The little advantage Alice had by showing up unannounced had worn off. Lilly dodged the first swipe and spun back towards the bar cart. Alice righted herself and flung out a hand, knocking Lilly's shoulder with her flattened palm.

Stumbling back, Lilly's body slammed into the bar, and a plethora of bottles toppled to the floor with a deafening smash. Alice grinned maniacally, Licking her lips in anticipation of the kill. Lilly's hand gripped around the stem of a bottle, and with a thrust, she crashed it down on the edge of the table. Jagged edges remained in a makeshift weapon as the debris showered around her and added to the shimmering pile of alcohol and shards.

She had no choice but to step atop the pile to avoid the swing of the knife as it came at her. A sickening scream filled the room as glass pierced the bottoms of her feet, and blood stained the floors. Alice pressed forward.

The knife sliced across Lilly's forearm, shredding the sleeve of her jacket and digging deep into her skin. She gave herself half a second of shock before she swung her uninjured arm through the air and cut a thin line across Alice's cheek. But where she'd expected a bloom of scarlet, came a dull glow of pure energy. She bit hard into her tongue as Alice kicked out her legs with an unnatural speed. Lilly's back slammed onto hard floors, glass cutting into her arms and side.

Her makeshift weapon rolled under the bed, and when she reached for it, a boot slammed down upon her hand with a sickening crunch. A cry of agony ripped its way through her. Just as she thought she couldn't take anymore, the glint of a blade shimmered above her. The knife plunged into her stomach. Alice's eyes glinted with madness. Lilly tried to crawl away but only managed to slide her back over the blood and alcohol slick floor. She watched through blurry eyes as Alice reached into the small satchel strapped around her waist. The blood bag was unmistakable. Tubes and needles came next, and it was apparent that Alice planned to bleed the Shifter dry. Hot tears streamed down Lilly's face as she pressed down on the stab wound in her stomach. Her shirt, once white, was clouded in a dark red stain, and the thick blood plastered to her like glue. Her mind raced with every possible plan. Alice assembled the blood draw with trained speed.

Penny, her mind whispered. Penny, help me. She had no idea if he would hear her, but as she screamed silently into the void, she prayed that somehow he'd hear her. Otherwise--

A buzz of warmth rippled about as electricity danced across Lilly's skin. She knew this feeling. Felt it so many times over. But as it grew, it surpassed anything she'd ever achieved in her lessons with Elias. Her mind slipped in and out of consciousness. But still, the sensation grew. Alice knelt beside her and brandished the needle. Lilly flinched away, and as Alice gripped her arm so tightly she thought it might snap, a surge of indescribable power exploded from within her.

Light flooded the room, hot and blinding. Lilly felt nothing but the wave of ecstasy, pure power, unfathomable chaos, all releasing from the deepest most inaccessible part of her. All the pain, fear, and hopelessness she'd felt these past years burned through her veins. And she let it all go free.