“You’ve [i]met[/i] him?” Faira asked, looking incredulously at Rosaline before her gaze turned to Little Ann as the child trembled and clamped onto her leg. “What the… What’s wrong?”
	Before the child could answer, a loud creak echoed through the room, making Faira jump, her head swiveling around in search of anything that could have made the noise. She looked up as Scarlet stated where it had come from.
	[i]What, the roof going to cave in on us now?[/i] Faira thought before Rosaline began her summarized story.
	“Eighteen… But that… that’s impossible!” Faira placed her free hand on Little Ann’s shoulder, unsure what else to do with it. “He’d be, what, like almost two…” She let the thought trail off and spun toward the staircase as the sharp snaps of a slow clap pierced through the room.
	Faira swallowed hard and took a half step back as the man from the paintings began to descend the stairs, Little Ann’s grip preventing her from moving too far. She blinked in surprise as he disappeared, only to reappear behind Rosaline.
	“So this is all about [i]revenge?[/i]” Faira hissed as Joshua finished speaking, her wary gaze on him. “Everything that’s happened to us, to everyone else you’ve trapped and killed, just to, what, get back at her for not wanting to be with you?”
	Her face twisted angrily as he pushed Rosaline to her knees.
	“Hey! Leave her alone!” She raised the sword toward him, the man behind it all. If not for him, she would be home, safe and comfortable. A thin stream of flame spiraled around the blade.
	His laugh made the hairs on her neck stand on end before he disappeared, his disembodied voice still sounding. 
	“A [i]day?[/i]” She turned in search of him, then looked back to the top of the staircase as movement caught her eye. “Then what? You’ll kill us, if we aren’t already dead?” Her stomach churned at the thought. She tried to push down the nudge of her powers, hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened with Marianne. “Try to make us your slaves?”