I'm losing track of time. Five months? No, I think it's more like six. Or maybe I've only been here a month and it just feels like six. Doesn't matter. It's over. I'm losing my home today. Jonah says I'm not, but there's no reason to call me down to another council meeting except to remind me of how much I suck at everything I try.

My steps echo down the empty hallway as I walk slowly to the Temple. It's glaringly obvious to everyone that I'm not a Knight. I have tried but I have failed at everything. I still can't run the entire way around the training field. Trelix says that a Knight should be able to run around the entire curtain wall. I'll never be able to do that. My magic skills are so pathetic, Kyrbast has run out of ways to sound positive about it. And riding unicorns in circles all morning, every morning, is boring.

I hope Jonah meant it when he said he would take care of me. Maybe we could go to my family's estate, Rhomstead, wherever that is.

My stomach knots when I hear their arguing rumbling down the hallway as I enter the Temple. I wish Jonah was by my side because I don't think I'm brave enough to walk through the curtain. I brush the tears off my cheeks. My breathing is uneven and my heart can't find a steady beat. I don't want to face them again. It's one thing to know I'm a failure, it's another thing to have it screamed in my face in front of a room full of people.

"You're not going to be in front of them," I whisper. "They're not here. Only Master Sarpedon can see me. Get a grip!"

Sarpedon waves me toward him as soon as the curtain falls behind me. I join the circle and pick up the pareixer. Queen Ekecheiria and Kyrbast are on their feet but stop mid-argument when I appear. Kyrbast's finger is raised like he was about to make a point...I hope it was in my favor.

"Hello, Agatha," Jonah says. "I'm glad you could join us."

Like I had a choice. I was summoned here. If I didn't show, armed guards would escort me.

"To get you up to speed—there is a disagreement among certain council members about your current training regimen. We have been in chambers for five days now."

"What is a day?" Kolomi asks.

"It is a time reference the human needs," Lauis' reever answers. She's made some progress with the language; she's down to one bug.

"As I was saying..." the Queen says as she turns her back to Kyrbast and slowly takes her seat. "I don't know what more we could do. My Ceržent thinks she should train with the Guard. I fear they would hurt her."

"She doesn't need more training!" Kyrbast sat down when the Queen did, but he's back on his feet. "The human body needs time to recover. She has had no rest since she arrived."

"How much rest does a human require?" Lauis' reever asks. "This one might be frailer than others."

"She is supposed to be a Knight," Kolomi says. That alligator really hates me. "A Knight should be better at...almost everything she can't do."

"Everyone, please sit," Jonah says calmly. I wish he would at least yell at somebody like Kyrbast is doing. "We are not here to berate Agatha. We are here to find a solution. What has been tried so far does not seem to be successful."

"She's had success with her riding program," Dathid says. I'm shocked he would defend me...or maybe it was a compliment, or whatever, I don't know. I can't believe he said something nice about something I'm able to do.

Jonah nods. "Yes, she is gifted with animals. Her pegasus is evidence of that."

At the mention of Lenox, I can't help but look at Ekecheiria; she hates having Lenox here. She doesn't disappoint: as if on cue, she snarls. I would laugh if I weren't so scared.

"Okay, so two areas where she has shown improvement," Kyrbast says. "We need to develop a program around her abilities. Build off of those."

"Being able to ride a unicorn only qualifies her for the Parade Guard," the Queen says.

Sarpedon chuckles. It's unlike him to laugh at cruel jokes. I look at him and I'm glad he has the decency to look guilty, and then he shakes his head. "I am not laughing at you," he says to me. "She inadvertently gave you a compliment. It is a high honor to be chosen for the Parade Guard. Only the best of the best are asked to try out."

I smile at him to let him know I understand why he laughed, but my feelings are still hurt; even Sarpedon knows how much the Queen hates me.

How long do I have to sit through this meeting? I get the gist. I'm too stupid to learn the magic. I'm too uncoordinated to fight. And I'm too lazy to work harder. I lower my eyes to my hands that are busily picking at my sweater. I just want them to make up their minds and tell me if I need to train more or find a new place to live.

"I say we stay the course and reevaluate after she has shown some progress," Lauis' reever says.

"She should not be training at all," Kolomi argues. "We should lock her in her room with the Orb until she tells us what it does."

My head snaps up. I thought he was supposed to be the kind one. My pulse races as I search the faces of the council members to see how seriously they take his suggestion.

Dathid is staring at me. He frowns and shakes his head. I understand. If the elves try to imprison me, the faeries will break me out. I sigh and flex my fingers. I'm happy I made Dathid a council member, even if the look on his face suggests he's not.

Ekecheiria stands. "We won't imprison her. Stratagor Ziras tried that with disastrous results."

I'm glad she has a reason. I just wish it would've been more like, She's doing everything we've asked of her. It's not her fault she can't do it. Why would we imprison her?

"Her training schedule is too rigorous," Dathid says.

"Not for an elf," the Queen challenges.

Dathid rises from his chair. It looks like he and the Queen are going to exchange punches. "For anyone. She's in some form of physical training twelve hours a day, and then has instruction for another five. Not to mention the reading she is supposed to be doing in her free time."

"Why are you using those numbers?" the Queen scowls.

"Because she is human and I want her to know that we understand," Dathid fires back, taking a step toward her. The level of hate between these two frightens me. "It's no wonder her body is breaking down. Not to mention her spirit."

Ekecheiria is so petite the top of her head doesn't even reach his shoulder. She refuses to step back or tilt her head up to look up at him. She holds her head high and addresses his chest. "What would you have us do? She is too far behind. Should we wait until Stratagor Ziras is at the gate before we set any expectations on her?"

"Yes, let's try that!" he fires back. "Or we can do what Lauis suggests at every meeting and lighten her training schedule and stop judging her results."

"So we just let her do whatever she wants with no expectations. We'll just send her out to find the key and hope by some miracle she has learned enough to not get everyone killed."

Dathid's teeth grind together and the Queen winces in disgust. He smiles. I think that was the reaction he was looking for. "I am the only soldier here. I am also her bodyguard. I should be the judge of how fast or slow she is learning something. And how safe the people who travel with her are. After all, I'm the one who's going with her."

I almost smile with relief. The pressure in my head releases so fast I'm lightheaded. Dathid will go with me. I know he promised to always be by my side, but I didn't believe he meant it. But he just said it in a room full of important people, so now he has to.

Ekecheiria's face looks like she wants to slap him. Actually, if her lackey Cypus Turehart were here she would probably order him to punch Dathid in the mouth. I think he would do it, too. I'd like to see him try; Turehart deserves to be flattened.

Kolomi's next words make me snap back to the argument. "Training is a waste of energy. She should only be with the Orb."

My blood freezes in my veins. Would they really lock me in a room with that stupid marble? If they did, it would surely be in the Temple with Master Sarpedon. They would just need to change the lock on the skull door, that's the only way out. Sarpedon never leaves and neither would I.

The Queen ignores Kolomi and continues her argument with Dathid. "Training within those numbers is acceptable. It is expected of all warriors. I find it shocking that it is so difficult for the infamous Lost Knight."

That was a stab through the heart. I was enjoying watching Dathid fight for me—no one's ever done that before, especially with someone as powerful and mean as Queen Ekecheiria. But she's right. It shouldn't be as hard as it is. I'm the wrong girl. I'm not a Knight. I need to leave Cromsmead. If I don't, I'll continue to fail and eventually they will imprison me.

I stand and the argument stops. "Thank you all for your time. I have come up with a solution of my own. I'm going back to Earth." I drop the pareixer and run out of the circle. Master Sarpedon doesn't stop me.

Thank you for reading. That weird picture at the top is an Aztec rendition of Tlaloc.