Turning from the window, James hurried out to find her and nearly ran into her, but she was quick to flatten herself against the wall.

"Lil..."

Her quick reaction to stop the noise became more of a slap.

'Hey!' he protested in thought.

'Sorry,' she replied. 'I didn't mean for it to be that hard.'

'It's all right,' he said. 'How are you feeling today?'

'Better, though still a little weak.' She made an attempt to smile, but failed.

'Something else is wrong. What is it?'

'When you have finished your reading, I'll tell you.'

'Lilly, I want to know so I can help you.'

'This is something you can't help me with.' Lilly entered the sitting room and lay back down on the couch.

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James sighed then returned to his reading. He read until the young maid came in, terrified.

"Sire, the woman, she..."

Her words gave way to tears and James ran out.

Lilly writhing on the floor of the sitting room.

He picked her up and held her close. 'Lilly?'

Her fingers dug into his s.h.i.+rt and her muscles continued to jerk. Slowly he watched the Jaguar coloration spread down her arms and around her neck. Her face was left untouched though the bottom of her chin was colored. The jerking continued and after a moment, he noticed her feet and hands now had the same coloring.

'Lilly.'

He heard a soft growl and he wasn't sure if it was Lilly or something else. There was a louder growl and a loud sound at the door. The young maid opened the door and let out a small cry as a big cat came running in. Lilly rolled out of his arms and back to the floor, leaving her shoulders exposed. The cat stood on her—all four paws fitting onto her back. Lilly's fingers curled as if trying to find a hold in the floor. Every few seconds James heard a pop or a crack, yet he couldn't move. The suddenness of all this held him frozen—unable to speak, unable to move—forcing him to watch. One more crack and her fingers relaxed. The cat coloration had retreated back to Lilly's shoulders.

The big cat stepped off of Lilly. She purred and brushed her nose through Lilly's hair. She pressed her nose against Lilly's cheek before leaving the summer home once more.

Lilly rolled to her side. Her expression scrunched in pain as she pushed herself into a sitting position. She s.h.i.+vered. They sat in silence for several minutes until a soft step made both of them turn. The young maid who had brought food to them stood shyly at the end of the hall. Lilly opened her arms to her. The young girl sunk to her knees beside Lilly and fell into her embrace. Her whole body shook, but she made no sound that James could hear, which was good. Finally the maid pulled away and disappeared. James got to his feet. He reached out to help Lilly off the floor as well, but she s.h.i.+fted away from him. There was something different about her reaction to his offered help.

'Lilly what is it?'

'I need some time for myself.'

'All right.' He fought against the urge to tuck her hair behind her ear before he returned to the study.

By late afternoon, James was nearly finished with reading what he had found about Adremedians in the summer home. He had found the answers to quite a few of his questions. The coloration that Lilly now bore appeared because the life given was to help her healing progress. If it had been to save her life, no mark would have manifested. What the poisons were and how they worked he understood, but still he didn't understand how Lilly had been poisoned in the first place. The book had not specified what the Forbidden was either.

He took a break from his reading and stepped into the sitting room. He was surprised to find it empty. James looked outside and didn't find Lilly anywhere. He asked the staff. No one had seen her since that morning. Concerned, he ran to the stable for Torta. He rode to the forest and searched everywhere for her. James called for her, but she never responded. He spent the entire night searching for her. Calling for her.

When morning came, James sat at the base of one of the larger trees and wept.

'What breaks your heart so, Prince?' he heard Lilly ask softly.

James gasped and looked around. 'Lilly? Lilly, where are you?!'

'No need to shout Prince. I can hear you clearly enough. Why have you come?'

'To...take you back to the summer home. I...I want... you to get better.'

'I appreciate your concern, Prince, but I am fine now.'

'No! Please...I....There is so much I still want to learn from you.'

'Have you finished your reading?'

'Not yet.'

'Come back when you have finished.'

'Not unless you come with me.'

'Return to your place of study, Prince. Your time grows short.'

'Lilly?...Lilly!'

He wept. He didn't understand why she refused to come back to the summer home. They had kept it quiet for her. It wasn't as if he was asking her to leave the forest forever. Just a little while longer so he could get the answers he was seeking. He staggered to where Torta waited. He pulled himself up and slowly left the forest. Why could she not understand? He wanted her to learn more. He wanted...

"What James?" he asked himself. "To have her close because you've finally allowed yourself to feel how attracted you are to her?"

He shook his head and kicked Torta to speed his return to the summer home. Once at the summer home, he entered the study. He picked up the book just to slam it back down. Did she not see how much he was trying to help her? He paced the room, too agitated to sit. By the time it was dark, he could finally bring himself to open the book. Lighting the lamp, James finished reading the book. All questions but a few had been answered. What was the Forbidden? How were the poisons tied to that? What happened when the Forbidden occurred?

James wondered if Lilly would answer his questions now if he returned to the forest. But as he saddled Torta the next morning to do just that, an armed escort arrived to take him back to the castle.