As she follows me in, she circles around me and looks me over with excitement. When I finally come to a stop, she spins around me once more before coming to a stop in front of me. Her long, white gown looks like it's made of the finest silk, trimmed with small twinkling jewels.

Her long, raven-colored hair falls down her back like a dark river, rich with secrets and wonder but it's her eyes that have me hypnotized. They look so much like my mother's... "Tell me your name child." She says with a warm smile.

I blink away my churning emotions and say "My name's Eris Hallows..." Her smile grows as she says "My middle name is Hallow! How exciting! I can feel my blood in you... but why do you feel slightly off? And your hair... Why is it silvery and not black?"

I give her a small smile and say "I'm a half breed. Half witch, half s.h.i.+fter." She scrunches up her nose in confusion and asks "What's a s.h.i.+fter?" I blink at her in surprise before asking "Have you not made them yet?"

She c.o.c.ks her head to the side and this time she blinks in surprise as she points at herself and says "I make them? What is it? Do I make other things as well?" I sputter at her, completely at a loss of words. Did I come so far back that she hasn't even created all the other species yet!?

I bite my lip and say "I... I don't know if I should say anymore. You know... messing with the timeline and all that..." She just stares at me in confusion before breaking out in laughter. Her laughter sounds like tinkling bells, bringing joy to the soul, and easing a person's tired muscles.

She waves me off and says "No no no. If you're here, you were already here. What was done has already been done. I probably created them after you told me about them." My head slightly aches but it makes sense... in a really twisted way.

"I suppose... you're right," I say scratching the side of my head but when I feel something, I grab it and pull out a leaf. We both look at it with a frown before she starts giggling again and says "Where are my manners, here."

She waves her hand over me and I instantly feel a rush of magic and power wash over me. I s.h.i.+ver at the feeling but when I look down, I'm in a dress similar to hers and I'm no longer looking like a hobo that lost a fight against a bag of Skittles.

I touch the soft silk dress and softly say "Thank you" She gently takes my hand and leads me over to a small table with a few cups. She tells me to sit and says "I'll have someone bring you something to eat. Please tell me what a s.h.i.+fter is and the other things I create."

I take a deep breath and tell her all about the other creatures. I think about possibly changing some of the creatures or maybe leaving out a few less desirable ones but I knew I couldn't. In between telling her all about the creatures, we eat and drink some of the best food I've ever had, all while Kian stands guard by the door listening to every word.

Queen Cara reaches over the small table and grabs my hand and says "You're so soft... do you break easily?" I nearly choke on the small cookie as I say "I... I'm not sure where I stand compared to your people but... I guess I can be cut by a piece of paper. You know, like a papercut."

Her eyes widen in horror as Kian sucks in at the door. I look between the two and nervously laugh as I say "I usually heal pretty quickly though..." She watches me with concern before asking "How many are there?"

Confused, I point to myself and ask "Me? Or people like you?" She slightly nods so I say "I guess in a way... I'm the last and the only one of my kind. They have other witches but they don't come from your bloodline. It was just my mother and I but she... She's the reason I'm here. I tried to go back in time to save her but... I ended up here."

Queen Cara looks at me with pain in her eyes as she gently pats my hand saying "I understand loss... My parents and brother have been killed in war and I wish nothing more than to bring them back but you shouldn't have messed with time. When you do... there will always be a price to pay."

I sigh and say "In my drunken stupor, I didn't care about consequences. I just wanted her back... she's all that I have." I blink away the tears as Queen Cara continues to rub my hand in a comforting manner.

She leans forward and gently touches my cheek as she says "It's been a long day for you. Kiandaz will take you to your room so you can get some rest. Once you rest up a bit, we'll talk about how to get you back home."

I tell her thanks and silently follow Kian. I look at everything with wide eyes and every time I pa.s.s a servant, they stare at me in shock. When we finally reach the room, Kian opens the door and says "I'll place guards at the door for your safety. You can leave any time you wish but please stay inside the palace so that we can keep you safe."

I give him a weak smile and nod before walking into the room and closing the door. It's grand... just like the rest of the palace. Long, white sheer curtains frame the large windows overlooking a glorious garden with small ponds.

The room itself is done in all shades of white and if I had to be honest, it reminds me of something you'd see in a dream. But the reality of it was anything but... I screwed up and now I need to figure out how to get back.