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***WARNING: mentions of rape. If this is a sensitive topic, please skip this chapter***

"Liana?" Vander asked quickly. "What is it? What do you see?"

She blinked and the shadow was gone, as if it had never been there.

'But I could've sworn I saw something. Maybe I'm hallucinating from fear.'

She looked away from all of them.

"Nothing," she said quietly. "It was just my imagination."

They didn't see that a dagger had suddenly materialized in her hand. Before anyone could stop her, she drove the dagger into her stomach.

"Liana!" Vander cried.

"No!" Preston roared.

"Princess!" Mikhail gasped.

"Hrrk."

Blood dripped from her lips as she collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach.

"Did you really think I'd let anyone bring me to justice? I have so much blood on my hands. There's no way I'll ever be able to wash it all off."

Then, magical smoke began to swirl around her.

"Where are you going?" Preston demanded.

"Away from you, Preston. Do you really not know why I left Salencia? It's because of what you did to me back when we were thirteen."

"Liana, if you say anything, I swear I will personally kill you. Your brothers and father be damned."

Her eyes alighted with burning fury as she snapped, "You forced yourself upon me. YOU RAPED ME! I was twelve, TWELVE!"

Upset, her powers began to spark out of control.

"Princess," Mikhail said. "Calm down, please."

"Calm down?" she scoffed. "CALM DOWN?! I'll show you down!"

Suddenly, thunderstorms rolled over the island. A torrential downpour rained down, making it difficult to see and hear. During the distraction, she used her powers to teleport off of Sonic. She reappeared in Prince Harmon's bedroom.

"Liana?" he asked, startled.

"Say nothing to anyone."

Then, she healed her stomach and stood up straight. Liana looked at her older brother.

"I've been compromised. Preston and Vander know everything."

Harmon watched as her veins began to turn black. She staggered, and he caught her. Eventually, her skin returned to its normal color.

"What? How?"

"Because I was foolish. I trusted and was betrayed. That's on me. But now Father needs to pull his men, immediately."

"Why?"

"Because I know the mages well enough to know that once Vander and Preston say something, all of the Mainlanders will be targeted more than they already are. We need to pull them before the get hurt."

Harmon sighed sadly.

"What is it?"

"Father's already departed for Sonic."

"What?" Liana breathed.

"He thought it'd be good to leave early. So he's already gone. I was supposed to leave in the early morning."

"You have to recall him!" Liana cried. "The mages will kill him if he steps even one foot on Sonic's soil!"

"I know that, sister. I tried to convince him not to go, Mother too, but he insisted. Maybe he'll listen to you, he always did dote on you the most."

Liana scoffed, "That's just because I was the girl. If I were a boy, things might've been very different."

"Maybe, but there's no use speculating now. Go, Liana. You know his ship. He's about halfway to Sonic already. Find him. And bring him home."

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, I'll try. What's the worst that could happen?"

Before Harmon could answer, she teleported out of his room.