Prologue

The Prince Derik of Kraion glanced at his father, his brow furrowing the slightest bit. His sister was seated beside him, the most elegant and beautiful female boasted throughout their kingdom. The trial for the sorcerer seated in the middle of the room on a dais had gone on for hours. He had never questioned his father's reasoning, but he felt that this trial was being purposely drawn out to torture the man in question. However, the sorcerer hardly seemed agitated or bothered by his prolonged sentence.

The Judgment Hall was enforced with powerful, ancient magic of Derik's ancestors, none of which he or his father possessed. The magic had been passed through his mother's blood, so that Valora was the only living sorceress in their family. Valora had always been a bit of a tiring sister, as she was entirely vain and rather self-centered. He did feel some regret, as she was the eldest and since he had been born, his parents doted on him. She could barely get their father's attention any longer, and the same had been for their mother when she was alive. He suspected she hated him for that.

The prince had always disliked the sorcerer – it was why he had initially held no pity for the man – and one glance at his comfortable stance made his resent him so much more than before. Because of the magical barrier around the Hall, he was left without any bindings and was lounging in the hard-backed seat. Derik supposed some might consider the sorcerer handsome; he did not wear robes as most sorcerers did, preferring the casual silk trappings of a nobleman. His hair, cropped short so that it went only a bit past his chin, was dirty blonde, framing a face that was full of strength and arrogance. His eyes were what annoyed Derik the most. They were often amused and taunting, the gray-blue depths glittering from beneath his fringe. Almost always were they accompanied by a saucy smirk.

Derik was quite familiar with that look. It was generally directed towards him.

At the moment, however, the sorcerer was lazily smiling up at his father, seeming completely at ease. If one did not acknowledge where they were and ignore the irritated expression on the king's face, one might conclude they were having a rather interesting conversation.

"Sorcerer Senan," the king finally intoned, his voice hard. "You are aware of your offenses."

"Indeed," Senan drawled in reply, dismissing him with a look, raising a hand and inspecting his bejeweled fingers. "I believe you have continuously listed them. I am an honest man, so of course I would not lie about what I did." He glanced at him and then let out a brief laugh. "Well...Actually, yes, I would. So, I must be lying and did not do any of those things." He laughed again, sharing a private joke with himself. His eyes flickered to Derik, who met the gaze with ill-disguised hatred. Senan grinned up at him, tauntingly. He returned to look at the eldest in the royal family. "Come now," he soothed, "what have I done, really, that is so bad? I killed a few people, I stole some herbs, and cast dark magic. I'm sure you've done worse in your lifetime."

"Silence!" Senan obliged him, although it was clear that it was not because of his words. He smiled up at him, a falsely innocent expression on his face. "Dark magic alone sentences you to death." He paused for effect. There was no change in Senan's expression. "You are far too dangerous for my kingdom of Kraion – for any kingdom. You shall be executed."

"Is that your final judgment?" Senan asked him.

"Yes."

"How fascinating," he murmured. "And you actually think that I am simply going to allow you and your feeble sorcerers to eliminate me?" He raised a hand, waving a finger in reprimand. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...You should know better than that." He rose to his feet, his cloak, the only remotely sorcerer-like thing adorning him, fluttering behind him. Derik leaned forward anxiously, his eyes narrowing on Senan. "Your son even has the wits to be cautious. This barrier of yours is made of pure, innocent magic." A most maniacal leer slipped Senan's lips upward, causing a great deal of unease amongst those in the Hall and especially for the king. Derik instantly knew that Senan had descended so deep into the Dark Arts that the barrier surrounding the Hall could be easily broken by him.

None of them could do anything about it.

Desperately, he whipped around to look at Valora. She was sitting serenely beside him, appearing entertained by the happenings. "Valora – do something!" She glanced at him from beneath thick lashes.

"I prefer not to get involved when things become troublesome," she loftily replied. She smiled sweetly at him, turning back to gaze down at Senan. He stared at her, horrified, and more than a bit frustrated at his own lack of magical skills. When he returned his gaze to Senan, his cloak was fluttering by an unseen wind. Senan raised his hand, the fingers holding jewels of every colour, saluting them. The jewels twinkled and darkness flooded from his feet, surging to cover the walls and drown them. The last thing Derik saw before his sight failed was Senan sending him a familiar, triumphant smirk.

Once the darkness faded, letting in the afternoon light, everyone scrambled to attention, save for his sister. Valora merely tilted her head and looked to her family that was gawking at the empty chair on the dais.

"He's gone," she stated pleasantly.

Chapter One

Derik pushed back his coat, settling his hands on his narrow hips. Beside him was Jaiden, his childhood friend, and also a trusted soldier. The Forest of Dim had grown increasingly difficult to travel through in the past months. His fiancée had made it through with a few casualties, as the animals were growing violent and attacking humans ruthlessly. Even if things had not worked out, it would have been near impossible to get Alina back to Siruean, her home kingdom. Nonetheless, he knew she would eventually have to return for political reasons, not to mention how much she cherished her family. He had to deal with the forest and discover the core of the problem before too long.

"Not sure what could possibly be going wrong in there," Jaiden told him presently, scratching the back of his head. The two of them had met in the back of the royal gardens, where the lavender grew most abundantly, and where it was generally empty of any other people. Derik did not have the patience to be interrupted by other people during this meeting with his friend. "I mean, you've got to consider some kind of outside source, I guess. Maybe we're doing something wrong? What do you think, Derik?"

"I'm not sure..." He slowly admitted, staring across him at the ponds. Moss was grown at the edges to make it seem more natural, yet not imposing. "Animals have always lived with us harmoniously, most especially when the sorcerers and sorceresses were in large numbers. They helped nurture the Forest of Dim. Even though they became scarce, the animals never turned on us. We took what we needed for food, giving them peace beyond that in return." He sighed, rubbing his neck. An unpleasant thought had been nettling him ever since this issue had come to his attention. He dealt with most of the problems that concerned the kingdom's borders, while his father dealt with those inside the kingdom. He had to consider all possibilities, though...

"Hey, hey," Jaiden said in an accusatory tone, thrusting himself into Derik's few and pointing a finger at him, glowering. "I can tell that you're not telling me everything, pal. You better fess up." He withdrew, folding his arms over his chest and grinning. "Besides, you always have at least one idea. You never not know things. So? Come on and tell me."

"It's ridiculous, Jaiden," he muttered. When the blonde simply stared at him, demanding an offering of some kind, he sighed and looked away, pressing the palm of his hand against the back of his neck. Jaiden, like all men, was in love with his sister, but hated any mentioning of magic. It made him nervous, for reasons that Derik was certain had to deal with his parents being attacked by a sorcerer and killed. He doubted that bringing up that certain sorcerer would make Jaiden feel at ease. "He disappeared at the end of his trial when he was given his sentence," Derik said, wording it carefully and not saying Senan's name. "Nobody knows what happened to him."

Jaiden's skin went a bit pale, but he drove on determinedly, "It does reek of his works." Derik let his hands slip from his hips and moved to the pond, staring down at it thoughtfully. As a full-blooded sorcerer, Senan could live for an infinitely longer time than a normal human. He had never been quite as malicious as he had become when Derik became older. He had been the court sorcerer, often working on spells with Valora for the king. Derik had never known him to age, even as a small boy. The face he last saw Senan wearing was the one he was first faced with. It was strange, knowing that he once admired him for his skills.

He was never good, though, Derik conceded. He had always had a dark heart, darker than any that I could have imagined. Valora knew what he was up to – I have a feeling he even introduced the Dark Arts to her. Whether she picked it up or not is debatable. I should have known he would do that, too. Instead, the child of me took hold and blinded me. I never understood until the last minute. His mouth twisted. How I hate that man. Constantly sneering at me, playing jokes on me with his magic, killing my pets, killing my friends' parents, killing my friends... He shuddered. Senan had purposely been trying to weaken him so that no one surrounded him, to encourage him. He almost succeeded in draining any hope of life from me. Thank goodness father brought him to trial when he did or Jaiden and Sabia would be dead.

"You alright, Derik?" He snapped out his thoughts and glanced at Jaiden's earnest, concerned face. "You look kind of...angry. Maybe you ought to see Alina." A corner of his mouth lifted in an attempted smile. Derik felt ashamed, realizing his friend was fearful of him.

"No, I unburden myself far too much to Alina lately," he said, smiling reassuringly. From as long as he could remember, Derik had been betrothed to Alina. They had visited each other quite a bit while children, though not so much when they became older. He had been quite surprised when he saw her at his birthday gala when he turned seventeen. She had a soothing presence that calmed him, that boosted his confidence whenever he needed it. Jaiden and Sabia got along quite well with her. His sister, naturally, wanted nothing to do with her, a feeling she possessed often enough when it came to other women.

"The wedding's coming up," Jaiden cheerfully said, his earlier mood fading. "Bet that's a relief, eh?"

"...I do adore her," Derik thoughtfully told him. Guiltily, he added, "But I'm nervous about getting married. I want to make her a happy wife." Jaiden laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Derik, you two already act like you're married! Things can't get much more difficult than this."

X

Sabia could tell her friend was distressed. Even though she happily allowed the modiste to fit the fabric around her slender frame for her wedding dress and chattered to cooks and servants about the preparations for the wedding, there was a lurking worry behind Alina's eyes that could not be ignored. In the past, Sabia would have had no idea what to say to a princess when she was upset.

Alina, she found, was not princess material. She had been brought up by her father, a boisterous man that enjoyed spending as much time with his daughter as possible in rather unconventional ways. Alina knew more about card playing, hawks, horses, hunting, fencing, and any other masculine event than proper female etiquette. She was not delicate, nor was she to be treated as such. She did not act like a male, though, either. It was hard to understand Alina's personality when it was so broad and expansive.

"What is it?" Sabia questioned her friend once they were alone in her bedchambers. Alina sighed and settled on her bed, looking dismal and stressed. Before she could speak, Sabia hurried away to get a cool wash rag and ushered for Alina to sit back. The princess did as she bade, closing her eyes when she placed the rag over her forehead. "There...You will relax while you tell me your woes." She smiled, even though Alina could not see it.

"I don't...I don't feel ready to get married, Sabia," she confessed. "I'm worry I will mess up or do something wrong. What if Derik finds out he hates me as his wife? Then we'll have to get an annulment! I couldn't handle the rejection. His father barely acknowledges me and Valora hates me – "

"Valora doesn't like many people," she put in helpfully. Alina merely groaned. "Oh, Alina, do stop worrying. What does it matter if you're in love?" There was such a long silence that Sabia feared she had said the wrong thing. She leaned over the bed, removing the rag and gazing down at the cerulean eyes that opened to peer up at her uncertainly. "You...do love him, don't you? Jaiden tells me that Derik is head over heels in love with you."

Alina sat up and looked away, her shoulders slumped. That was exactly what had been worrying her lately. She did like Derik very much, but applying the word 'love' seemed strange and incredibly uncomfortable. While Derik had never said, 'I love you,' to her, she knew that he did by his mannerism and the expression on his face whenever he looked at her. She felt ashamed that she was unsure of whether her feelings went that far. It was beginning to worry her, make her wonder if she should tell him that her feelings were such. She could not tell Sabia these things, as she was younger and had irrational ideas of true love and relationships. The girl had never been with a guy, thanks to her brother and her own sheltered life in the castle.

I like him, she mused, but is that enough for him? I'm not even sure if it's enough for me. Father told me he had been against the betrothal mother set up for me because I was so young. He wanted me to choose my husband after several suitors. Mother refused to allow that. But I agree with father...

"It's complicated, Sabia," she told her companion at last, glancing cautiously at her over her shoulder. "I cannot even put to words what I feel." She sighed and lay back down on the bed, taking the cool rag from Sabia's hands. "I need to rest...Today has been so eventful. I shall faint if I don't slow down for a few moments. Either that, or I will have a heart attack."

"...How frightful. A heart attack before your wedding, preparing for your wedding? It is rather unromantic. You should at least die dramatically."

Alina chuckled, as she knew Sabia expected. The air had gone thick before she had made her joke. It was friendly and light again, just as she preferred. Alina listened to the soft swish of skirts and padding of slippers on carpet as Sabia moved towards the door. Once the door opened and closed, she allowed herself to truly relax, giving a lengthy exhale. She did not expect any other servants to come, as Sabia was employed as her personal Valorad. If she needed something, she would call for her.

I wish this wedding would be done and over with, she thought faintly as she drifted into a light sleep. I would be so relieved.

2: Chapter Two

Valora entered her chambers, thankful for the peace that washed over her. The gentlemen that day had been rather bothersome, pressuring her into this and that. She knew that they cared nothing for her except her wealth and beauty. They never thought about how much she worked every morning to look that way, how hard she came upon her magical accomplishments. They never looked behind the veil she had cast upon herself. Every single one of them was a vain, thoughtless, good-for-nothing male to her.

Except one.

At Senan's trial, she had not tried to capture him for the single reason that he had seen behind that veil. He was perceptive, unlike everyone else, and even though she knew that it was possible he took any notice of her because of her position as princess, she began to seek him out. It was because of him that she became interested in magic. The majority of the time, Valora would sit and watch him perform his magic or make some concoction in his work shop with herbs. Rarely did they ever speak earnestly to each other. She simply wanted to sit in his presence, as it had an unusually calming effect on her.

Once, Senan had noticed her attentive gaze on him and had smirked, asking, "Is it my looks or the magic that appeals to you?"

"I want power," she had responded smoothly, meeting his gaze. "I could get that through the magic. My mother was a sorceress. She was supposed to teach me her arts, and she did a little before Derik was born. It's nothing like what you do, though. I could have anything I wanted if I had magic." Valora recalled the brief pause after that, staring up at Senan's face that had grown solemn and thoughtful. Only then did she realize that he had lost interest in her before, letting her come as she wished so long as she did not bother him. "I want you to teach me."

"You already have power, princess. How much more do you expect to get in learning the magical arts?"

"Enough to be above my brother."

"Hmm...Then it seems we have a common interest."

He taught her everything that was right, everything that a sorcerer or sorceress was expect to know. She knew that many of the magic she learned was different from what he did and accused him of betraying her as a teacher. He had laughed at her, giving her a brief and somewhat frightening lesson of the Dark Arts that he so loved to perform. He even hinted that he had plans to make Derik miserable. She offered to help him, but he would not allow it, saying that he did not want to involve an "amateur that was sure to screw things up."

Valora stopped going to his workshop then, deeply wounded that he thought so little of her. She hated her brother more than Senan ever could. Alone, she made her descent into the Dark Arts, knowing that the more innocent magic could not help her and she would never earn respect from her teacher if she did not master it. However, she found that a great deal of the advanced spells would not work for her if she failed to do the lesser ones. It was frustrating, taking most of her patience (something which Valora was short of.)

I still have a long way to go before getting as good as Senan was, Valora reflected. He will regret calling me an amateur in magic. I will find him one day and make him see how good I am...how well I have become. He will regret denying me all of his knowledge. She smiled to herself, settling on the floor, her skirts flowing out around her. For now, though, I will continue to be the admired woman in Kraion. No woman is more beautiful than me. Since Valora's own father paid little attention to her and her relationship with Derik was less than pleasant, she found her respect from the women that glanced at her enviously or the men that sought her out for an illicit tryst. It was not the way she would have liked to keep herself happy, but it was all she had to work on.

She raised a hand and a leather, jeweled bag swung towards her, landing in her lap. She parted the folds and began pulling out two violet candles, parchment, a quill, ink, and a silver goblet. She set the candles on the wooden chest at the end of her bed, placing the goblet between them. She uncorked the ink bottle and dipped the quill in it, scratching symbols on the parchment. After corking the bottle and returning it and the quill to the bag, she held her hand above the goblet, slowly drawing it upward. Water filled the goblet then. She read off the symbols from the parchment before ripping it apart and dropping it into the water.

The water made a cracking sound and the parchment's floating, rough edges blurred. The parchment melted into a liquid, spinning around the goblet. Satisfied, Valora reached into the leather bag and withdrew a dagger. With most Dark Arts, the spells required the magic user's blood in order to operate. She pricked her finger with the sharp tip of the blade and let five drops of blood fall into the water. She pressed her other finger to the prick and it healed instantly. She lit the candles with a match from the bag and waited, staring down in the goblet.

For a long time, all that Valora could see was her reflection. The water gradually darkened as it swirled in the goblet to a violet that matched the candles. A ghastly, pale face appeared, amber eyes glowing from the face. Its wide mouth stretched in a parody of a smile. Valora had conversed several times with this particular djinn, as she used his spell every few months. "Princess," he drawled in greeting. "I am at your service."

"As always," she remarked. She stared down into the goblet, smiling. The djinn was like her own best friend, the only person she spoke with honestly. She rose to her feet and stepped back as the djinn floated up to hover above the goblet, his massive wings folded behind him, his legs drawn up to his bent arms. The claws on his hands and feet were purposely curled, so that he issued no threat. She pushed her thick locks from her face, raising an eyebrow. "Am I the fairest lady in Kraion?"

The djinn's smile grew vicious, his sharp teeth gleaming. "No."

Her expression twisted into confusion. With an effort, she collected herself, placing a coolly polite mask onto her face. "No? What are you talking about, djinn? I have questioned you of this many times since I learned this spell and you dare to say 'no'? You cannot lie once you are under my service. You had best not be lying."

"I do not lie, the contract forbids it," he told her. "You are no longer the fairest lady in Kraion. Recently another has come to Kraion. She is the fairest."

"Who?" She demanded furiously.

"Alina, your brother's fiancée."

Valora did not act on the words for a moment, staring at him in disbelief. "Surely you are mistaken, djinn!" She scoffed. "That woman is nothing compared to me. I am all that is elegant, all that is beautiful. I refuse to believe that she can take this from me. She knows nothing of femininity. I was brought up by women tutors, carefully sculpted into who I am. She was raised by an idiot male that knows nothing of raising a daughter!" When he merely returned her statement with a sarcastic look, she flew into a violent rage, tearing apart her room. The djinn watched her with slight interest as she threw everything off her vanity and then threw it down so that the mirror shattered, spraying glass everywhere on the floor.

Only did she stop once the entire room was wrecked, her wardrobe and the expensive dresses torn to pieces by the dagger she had retrieved, her bed cut similarly with feathers scattered all over the room. Heaving in deep breaths, Valora brought some control to herself and turned to face the djinn, her eyes glassy with hatred and residual temper. He grinned and let out a short laugh, his narrow eyes glinting.

"She won't take what's rightfully mine," she told him, moving the candles and goblet carefully so as not to break the spell. The djinn bent over her, watching as she opened the chest and pulled out an overlarge book. His mouth turned down, reading the leather binding. She unclasped the lock around it and placed a hand above the pages. Seconds later, the ancient paper flipped through the book before stopping. She smiled, staring down at the page, turning to look at the djinn. "You will take her from Kraion – to the Forest of Dim. There, the animals will tear her apart. It is rumored there are exiled sorcerers there, too. If Senan is there, he will kill her instantly once he finds out how she is connected to Derik."

"It is a waste of blood," he stated plainly. "You could easily employ a human – "

"Humans can be bribed and not to be trusted," she interrupted briskly. "You are my djinn and therefore loyal to only me. I have treated you kindly, have I not?"

"Of course, princess."

"Then you will do as I say. Who I feed my blood to is no concern of yours, djinn. You should be glad to take half my life supply." The djinn was silent at this, unable to explain his unease for her recklessness with her blood. Djinns could look into the very depths of one's heart, into their own magic. It was why he had come when Valora had performed the spell the first time, why he had bound himself to her with a contract. He could tell that there was a tortured soul beneath the layers of beauty she placed upon herself. It was not enough to be beautiful, but it kept her living.

"If it pleases you," he said softly.

X

Alina opened her eyes groggily as a knock came on her door. She slid the presently warm rag from her head as she sat up. Derik poked his head in, smiling in greeting. "Sabia said you were feeling a bit ill," he said, shutting the door behind him. His eyes briefly roamed the room, as he had never been in her chambers before.

"I just needed to rest," she assured him, setting the rag aside and brushing her fingers over her forehead, fixing the stray strands of hair that had escaped her bun. Derik came to the bed and sighed, settling on the edge of the bed. She knew by the shadows in his eyes that something was bothering him. He rarely kept things from her; if he wanted to speak his mind, he would. If not, she respected that. There were, after all, many things that she did not tell him. She was afraid it would hurt him to know that she was anxious about the upcoming marriage. "The, um, wedding arrangements are coming along very nicely..."

"Are they?" He queried, leaping upon the subject eagerly. It was clear that whatever it was that was lingering in his mind was something that he did not feel comfortable speaking about with her. She smiled a bit, guessing it was something political. Her smile turned puzzled. But he even tells me that...Hmm.

"Yes, but I think I must have overdid things." She gave a laugh, pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead. "I've been hurrying around all day, worrying about the wedding. I never even gave a thought to my own health. I am glad that Sabia persuaded me to lie down or I might have fainted."

One of his eyebrows rose skeptically. "Somehow I cannot see you fainting." She gave a slight laugh of agreement.

From then on, there was comfortable silence as they both lost themselves in their thoughts. Alina could not stop thinking that it was strange that Derik would not tell her of his troublesome thoughts. She wondered, Is he as nervous about the wedding as me? A moment after that thought crossed her mind, she decided, No, not Derik. He has liked our engagement from the beginning. My father has lectured me so much about men and his disapproval of such an early betrothal that it has made me hesitant. I have always known that was why I became this way about the wedding. I don't want to give my heart to the only guy I was allowed to known personally. How do I know there isn't someone else out there that I would prefer? She sighed softly, so as not to disturb Derik. I do like Derik very much, but... I feel as though I am denying us both what we should have. He might only love me because I was the only girl he knew. If he got out more...

"What are you thinking?" His gently thrumming voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked to him, startled. There was a deep thoughtfulness in his eyes that she was unable to read.

"Honestly?" She sighed again. "The wedding."

"It is a bit...nerve-racking," he admitted slowly, deliberately sliding his gaze to the wall to hide any thoughts that flashed through his eyes. "We have always been betrothed, you know, Alina, so I knew that we would one day marry. Isn't it strange now that we are finally preparing for it? It puts things in one's perspective, does it not?" She stared at him, shocked that he felt nearly the same as her.

"It does," Alina agreed. "Derik...Sabia told me – " There was a knock on the door, causing a flash of irritation. The knock grew more insistent as both Alina and Derik merely stared at it, a bit uncomprehendingly. At last, the visitor could not withhold themselves, allowing themselves in. The couple blinked, seeing that it was Derik's lovely sister, Valora. She coolly appraised them and then smiled at Alina, her face lighting up with warmth. It was more than obvious how insincere the expression was. "Valora..."

"Valora," Derik cautiously said. "What brings you here?"

"I am not here to speak with you, brother," Valora flippantly dismissed him, gliding across the room and halting in front of Alina. She surveyed Derik over her shoulder, eyeing him. She could see that her brother had no false impression of her. As Senan had considered Derik his rival, it was no surprise that he was suspicious of any person who wielded magic. Ironic, how he seemed to find the last two advisors unacceptable. He even hated magic when he was a baby. Truly, the wretch is admirable to some level, she mused to herself.

After another moment, she turned back to Alina. She could barely hold herself together because of the loss of blood in performing the ritual to free the djinn from the goblet for the next few nights. "I came to speak with my future sister-in-law. It is a personal, female matter, you see. I feel that I should give her some advice on...certain things." Alina's face went a bit pink, while her fiancé remained clueless. With a sigh, Valora rolled her head back to give him an exasperated stare. "Sex, Derik."

"What of it?" He replied blankly. She scowled meaningfully. He stared a moment and slowly, his cheeks grew a bit red, too.

"Your wedding night, idiot," she snapped irritably. I don't have time for him. You would think he knew nothing of the sexual world. If I didn't hate him so much, I would explain things to him quite thoroughly. As it is, he will have to remain as clueless as a ten-year-old. "Out. You would hardly want to listen to our conversation." He gave a jerky nod, rising to his feet and mumbling a farewell to Alina. Once he was out of the room, Valora settled beside Alina.

"It is really unnecessary, Valora – " She began earnestly. Valora waved a hand, hushing her.

"Nonsense, Alina. I shall educate you upon all things womanly. My brother will be quite pleased, I assure you." She took her hands, smiling apologetically. "I know I have been rather cold to you, Alina, but I intend to make amends. I have trouble showing my emotions adequately. The sorcerer...Senan...I thought he was my friend and then he betrayed me and – " She released her hands, turning her head away and pressing the back of her hand to her mouth. "Forgive me."

"Oh..." Alina touched her shoulders compassionately. "I am so sorry, Valora. I never knew."

Behind her hand, Valora smirked triumphantly. Even though Alina had an energetic soul, she was also rumored to have a kind heart. Stupid girl, she thought as she raised the symbols for the spell she would place on Alina. You trust far too easily. Derik at least understands the truth. After living here at the palace for such a long time, you should have known that I care nothing for you. She almost laughed aloud at her naïveté. Once the symbols were solidly burned into her mind, she glanced at Alina and murmured the word beneath her breath. This spell will ensure that the djinn will know where you are so that he can carry out my orders. You will soon be out of the way. I will be the fairest lady in Kraion again.

"Did you say something?" The younger female asked, leaning forward, peering up in Valora's face. She wiped the fake tears away and gave a tremulous smile, seeing the spell gather around Alina.

She doesn't even sense it. "No, no," she assured in a shaky tone. "Nothing. I am fine. I had best start preparing you for your wedding night. We wouldn't want to disappoint Derik, now would we?"

X

Derik sat sprawled in his chair, staring at the chessboard placed before him. He had sought Jaiden out in the soldier barracks below the castle rather than call him up to his chambers. He had never enjoyed royal life. The constant attention from servants had irritated him, not to mention the way every citizen had to hail him if he went outside the castle walls. He found it was more tiring than anything. Therefore, he escaped to the soldier barracks every once in awhile in order to ignore that life for awhile. The soldiers treated him as just another man.

The general, who trained all incoming soldiers, often teased him, "Perhaps you should come down here and try out my training, little prince. I'm interested to know if you would survive." Derik always assured him that, one of those days he would, but he was content with his fencing training for the time being.

"Can't ever be sure with Valora," Jaiden commented, leaning over the table, glaring down at the chess pieces. Derik smiled faintly at his companion's concentration. They had been playing chess since they were children and as they played, Jaiden became a better and better player. He rarely ever won against Derik. There were many times, however, that it was close. He moved a rook to challenge a knight and took it out. Leaning back smugly, Jaiden continued, "You know how she is."

Derik stared at the board, a bit baffled. He ruefully looked at his one remaining knight and muttered, "Well, yes. She's planning something, though. I am sure of it." He straightened in his chair and raised his eyes to Jaiden's. "Valora has never cared a fig about Alina. Isn't it strange that she would suddenly decide that she's in the business to give her advice? It's all a little suspicious, if you ask me." He peered down at the board and then slid his bishop forward. "Checkmate."

"EH?" Jaiden gawked at his king, his jaw hanging loose. After a moment, he folded his arms on the table and hid his mouth behind them, staring intently at the board. Derik sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Listen, Derik," he finally said, grabbing a rook and knocking it into Derik's bishop violently. "You and Valora haven't ever had a very good relationship. It's not very surprising that you are being overly suspicious, if you ask me. And it's not because I went to get her that I'm saying that, either," he added, pointing a finger at Derik. "I'm just statin' the facts."

"You don't know my sister," was all Derik said, pushing a pawn forward carelessly. Jaiden pounced on the pawn with one of his own pawns. He let out a hoot at having gotten Derik off his king. "You might actually win for once."

"Don't be getting all bitter and pissy just because your sister is talking to Alina," Jaiden grumbled, glowering slightly. He brightened a second later, adding, "After all, it might be good if Valora really is giving her advice about the bedroom. You could end up being a very happy husband on your wedding night." He snickered as Derik dropped his arms, staring at Jaiden, his face reddening. "Just think! Valora has been going with all kinds of guys. She's got the kind of experience that anyone would want passed onto their wife." He winked at Derik over the table.

Just as he opened his mouth to begin an angry and embarrassed tirade, someone came stumbling over to them, knocking the chessboard over. Jaiden jumped to his feet with a roar of horror. The table was knocked over from his abrupt standing. Derik sat in his seat, staring at the board, pieces, and table on the ground as if he was unsure of how they had gotten there. Meanwhile, Jaiden was agonizing over it to his sister, who had been the one to knock it over. "Sabia, how could you? I was going to win! Once in my entire life and I was actually going to win against Derik." He let out a pained moan, slumping to the floor, bowing his head against the mess on the floor. "Why? Why, why, why? It's always me! I never have any luck! Ohhh..."

"Oh, brother, honestly!" Sabia sighed crossly. "It's only a game, for goodness' sake! I came down to give you something, but seeing as you would much rather moan and cry over a lost game..."

"Something for me?" He repeated, springing to his feet, his eyes immediately traveling to the covered basket in her hands. As he moved to lift the cover, she turned so that her back was facing him. Jaiden gave her a tearful look, his eyes going wide and glittering. "Sabia, are you teasing me? I can smell the muffins! You didn't just come down here so that I could imagine how delicious they are, did you? How could you? You've turned heartless!"

"Stop dramatizing it," she said, shaking her head with a slight smile. "I'll give you and Derik some as soon as you set up this table." She turned to Derik, a kind look on her face. "Would you like some, Derik? They really are good and will cheer you right up. You look ever so miserable right now." He managed a small smile.

"Thank you, Sabia. That's nice of you. I probably do need some sugar to make me feel somewhat better."

"Mmm," Jaiden sighed as soon as the table was standing properly again and Sabia had removed the cover to her basket. "That smells like blueberry muffins."

"Go ahead and take some," she told them. "I'm going to clean up the chessboard." She knelt down while Jaiden and Derik helped themselves to the muffins. She gathered all the pieces and after counting thirty-two pieces, she placed them on the table, folding the board so that it held the pieces. She did the clasp on the board and then leaned against the table. Derik did look a bit better now that he had gotten some comfort food. She smiled sadly. Being a prince is hard, she reflected. I do feel for him. It will be even harder once he's king. Derik worries over everything and everyone. It's sweet, but it only causes himself harm. I wish he would understand that no one expects him to make every problem in the kingdom to go away.

"Aw, geez..." Other soldiers came lurking up to see what the smell that was permeating through the barracks was. "Why can't they ever keep their nose out of my business? I hate sharing with them..."

"How sad for you to be an adult," Derik dryly remarked with a smirk.

Jaiden snorted.

3: Chapter Three

After dinner, Alina was unsurprised that her fiancé asked her out to the gardens to stroll for a moment. She suspected that he had not liked the idea of her being alone with Valora, let alone talking of such personal matters. Contrary to what she was expecting, the older female had been quite mild. Alina had half-expected her to give intimate details of her own experiences and howshe had done it. Valora had given her advice in an offhand, even impersonal manner. It made the conversation less uncomfortable. "Your sister was nice for a change, Derik," she told him as they walked along the gardens. The spring air was cool, although not so much that it might persuade them to go back inside the castle. "And...very helpful. I'll save you the embarrassment by not repeating it. I can't imagine you want to hear about those kinds of things about your sister." He glanced at her, giving a slight smile. "Derik, what's wrong? You didn't like me talking to her, did you?"

"You know that Valora is a generally unpleasant character," he told her softly. "She isn't nice to any girl, Alina, most especially if she is connected to me. She despises me – for good reason, I suppose – and it makes me uneasy, not knowing what she is thinking. I am almost certain that there is more to that conversation than she made." He let loose a sigh. Only then did Alina realize how worried he was. Clearly there were other matters on his mind, too. She had known that before when she spoke to him earlier that day. "I think Senan might have formed her magic for her – made it dark."

"She mentioned Senan," Alina offered. "She was quite upset about it. Apparently she saw him as a friend and he betrayed her somehow."

"I see...That's what she told you?" His mouth tightened petulantly. It was not unlike Valora to spread lies, as it seemed to be a favorite past time of hers. The issue with this was that he did not know what Valora's relationship had been with Senan. They were seen together from time to time publicly, but Senan had always been careful in everything he did where others could see him. He had weaved lies throughout the castle, placing mask upon mask onto himself so that no one could be quite sure who he truly was. Derik, however, had known there was something not quite right about the court sorcerer and made it his business to know exactly who the man was. Senan never tried to deceive him as he did others, either. That, in itself, was bothersome. It was hard enough trying to figure out Senan without putting his sister into the picture. "I would prefer you not to speak with her alone without me knowing, Alina," he said at last.

"But – " He halted her abruptly, taking her hands in his.

"You never met Senan, Alina. If he passed some knowledge to her and she finds you disagreeable..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing worriedly. Her gaze passed over his face pensively as she considered over the threat he was implying. Derik rarely asked for such precautions unless he truly felt there was need for them.

"I won't," she decided. She smiled and slid her hands out of his, raising a hand to brush her fingertips over his cheek. "I promise. Besides, I'm stronger than I look, even against a sorceress. I can take care of myself." Derik nodded, comforted by her promise, and he turned so they were walking towards the castle. "We're going in so soon?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I would like more time with you, but some...things...have come up that I need to deal with, sooner rather than later. You ought to get to bed early, Alina, after all that stress that you had to deal with today." He walked her through the castle and came to halt at the staircase that led up to the corridor that held her chambers. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her cheek. "Get some sleep." He flashed a brief, comforting smile, and then turned, heading back the way they had come. Alina watched him for a moment, puzzled by his demeanor, before moving up the stairs. It was strange; not until he had mentioned sleep did she get weary. She reminded herself that he was correct: she had been busy all day.

X

The djinn raised his head, his bent back straightening. He had stood at vigil in the gardens, his body blending in with the surroundings. The spell Valora had cast not only allowed him to know Alina's whereabouts, but hear her heartbeat. He had rested, listening to her heartbeat vaguely until it gradually came to a steady, languid pace. She was now asleep. Valora had not given him instructions when he should take her to the Forest of Dim, so he concluded that it would be wisest to snatch her in her sleep when she was less likely to throw a fit.

His legs uncurled, his arms bending at an awkward angle before returning to their folded position against his chest. He paused to listen, making certain that she was still sleeping and that no one was in the vicinity. He extended his wings and gave a single thrust to lift himself into the air. As he rose higher, he allowed the blending spell to drop. He soared around the castle, following the thread that led him to the princess. When he came to the balcony, he folded himself gracefully on the stone, gliding through the glass doors to stand in the chambers. His eyes flickered around lazily.

These are not her bedchambers, he deduced. He continued through the chambers and at last came to where she was sleeping. He floated around to the bed and landed softly, staring down at the young face. He almost wished he could hold regret for causing harm about this girl, but his emotions were solidly indifferent. As a djinn serving under its master or mistress, they could hold not emotions or else they might not be able to perform a task that is commanded of them. They could hate the one controlling them. Their emotions were not restricted so that they could feel nothing towards them. This djinn felt only pity for Valora, though, and wanted to help her to remain happy. If harming the prince's fiancée was what it took to do that, he would.

He put a spell on her to keep her asleep, pulling back the covers and bundling her in a quilt that was lying on the end of the bed. Satisfied, he lifted himself from the ground with his wings and surged through the walls again to the chambers where the windows were, moving through those as well to soar in the air towards the Forest of Dim. The Forest was some ways from the castle; it would take him a bit to arrive and find a suitable place where she could be feasted upon the raging animals within.

By the time he had come to the edge of the Forest, night had settled thickly, suggesting that there would be only hours until the sun rose. The djinn was weakest at daylight and would be unable to perform any spells. He did not like being in such a compromising situation, especially if he was caught and it was discovered that the princess was missing. If they killed him, they might end up killing his mistress, as well.

Dismayed at such a thought, he dived into the forest trees and deftly avoided the larger branches. Once nearly at land level, he maneuvered past the tree trunks and shrubbery, his glowing eyes darting around searchingly. His face lit up with delight at finding a stump that appeared to be an awry part of the forest. He was deep enough that no human would find her. He hoped that the animals of the forest would keep humans away.

The djinn deposited her against the stump. Satisfied that he had finished the job well enough, he left the Forest of Dim and returned to the castle. He blended again with his surroundings. He returned to the goblet shortly before the sun began to rise. He nestled inside and closed his eyes briefly, shivering at how close he had been to losing his powers. If the sun had risen while he was traveling through the walls, he very well could have become lodged there forever.

"Djinn," Valora's deep, sultry voice called from above him. He opened his eyes and floated out of the goblet. He was exhausted from the mission she had set him out to do. She smiled at him and asked, "Am I the fairest lady in Kraion?"

To which he replied, "Yes."

X

When Alina woke, her face was cold and her body was not as warm as it should have been. She could not imagine herself throwing all of the covers off, so she reached down absent-mindedly with her eyes closed, only feeling a thin quilt. Her hands brushed something rough and until then, she had not noticed there were sounds of animals all around her. Cautiously, and more than a bit fearfully, she opened her eyes to see that she was not in her bed at all – she was not even in the castle!

She gathered the quilt around her, staring with wide eyes. This must be the Forest of Dim, she thought, shivering. I don't think it could be anything else. She swallowed the lump in her throat and drifted to a tree, staring at the moss covering the base. Unfortunately, she had not been paying attention to what her father was saying when he spoke of moss on trees. She never thought she would be without a compass, let alone lost. All I have is a quilt and what I'm wearing. The damp feel of leaves and earth pressed against her feet. I don't even have any shoes.

Alina rested against the tree, biting her lip. Think for a minute, she counseled herself. Are you really awake? Perhaps this is just a nightmare you're going through. She reached up and pinked her cheek, wincing at the sharp pain. This is no nightmare. Oh, how I wish it were. She looked around. I'm not in a clearing, so obviously the person that took me from the castle didn't intend on coming back. They just dumped me in the middle of the forest. That only means I'm even more lost than I could have been. Well...The only thing to do is start walking, I guess. She stepped back to the stump and looked around. Everything looked the same. I'll just go forward, then...

Abandoning the stump, she walked forward, flinching at the feel of twigs and rocks and other forest floor objects pressing against the soft flesh of her feet. Alina could hear the twittering of birds, but there were no other animal sounds that she was familiar with when entering such thick woods. Odd, she reflected, stepping over a fallen trunk. If I am as deep in the forest as I think I am, I should even see some wild animals, like a deer or something. The thought caused her to pause, washing her with a foreboding that could not be brushed off. Once again, her cerulean gaze flitted around the trees. Either someone's inhabiting this area or... She had no other alternative; she was unable to think of another possible reason for why the animals would be missing. I might not be as deep as I thought. Somehow, I have a feeling it's not that.

Alina continued forward determinedly, hugging the quilt around her. She did not like the idea of sitting against a tree in pure darkness in this forest tonight. She prayed she might be able to find a path or someone else in the forest so that she could return to the castle. Walking in bare feet is painful, she thought. If I keep my pace like this, I won't be getting that much further.Unfortunately, that was the truth. She sighed and paused again. As she stood there, staring ahead of her dismally, she realized how utterly silent it had gone. The birds stopped. I never heard them leave, either. She whipped around. There was nothing behind her. The silence was thick and perturbing.

Keeping her breathing shallow, she strained her eyes for any sounds. After awhile, soft rustling came from her left. She turned, pressing her lips together anxiously as she listened.

Snap

Snap

Snap snap snap

Whatever it is, Alina realized, taking a step back, it's coming closer and quickly. She turned and abandoned her quilt, springing forward to flee. The pursuer sensed the chase, no longer restraining themselves in order to be quiet. Behind her, Alina heard the breaking of branches and a low snarl. She chanced a look over her shoulder and let loose a moan of terror at seeing the mountain lion. I could never outrun it! Even if I hid, it would know where I was! She tried to run faster, despite the logic her brain had come up with, and let out a choked exclamation as a sharp branch stabbed her foot, sticking painfully. As she tried to get it out, she found herself tripping and tumbling down a hill. Bringing her arms up to her face to shield it, she felt branches and rocks beating against her as she rolled down the steep hill. Behind her, she heard the mountain lion snarling and following her. They don't usually act like this towards humans! Surely it can't be that hungry?

As she came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, she looked down at her foot to see that it was bleeding and a piece of the stick was still protruding from the wound. She stumbled to her feet and limped away, breathless. She halted, not hearing the mountain lion any longer. Looking back, she saw it was gone. Baffled, she slowly lowered herself into a crouch, frantically searching her surroundings and listening intently. "You're still here," she whispered, straightening a bit. "I can't see you, but you're there."

As if answering her, there was a sharp, cat-like growl from a few feet beside her. She turned in time to roll away from the mountain lion. There was no way she could run from it, nor could she hide from it. She scrabbled towards a thick branch and hauled it from the ground. Her entire frame was trembling. She could have dealt with the animal if she had a sword or a bow. A stick, however, was an entirely different thing. The only way to kill it was to knock it over the head hard enough. Her balance was already poor because of her injured foot and the stick was too broad. Her hands could barely hold it. There were no other large branches, so she was going to have to try and survive with this.

The mountain lion crouched, its tailing flicking predatorily. Her grip tightened on the branch, glaring into the dilated pupils of its amber eyes. It seemed almost amused with her stance, staring at her in a way that mocked, "You really think you can kill me like that?" Alina, trembling ever so slightly, did not turn and run like it was probably expecting her to do. She stood, waiting. At last, it lunged from its crouch and she moved to the side, swinging the branch as hard as she could. The mountain lion tore the branch from her hands, flinging it to the side. She slipped on damp leaves, falling to the ground. The mountain lion wrung the branch for a moment before creeping slowly towards her.

"This does not seem to be your day," a silky voice remarked from behind her. Alina froze, as well as the mountain lion. Its gaze had turned suspicious. She jerked when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders. "No need to be so frightened. At the moment, I'm not your biggest threat. As for later...Well, that can be debatable." She tilted her head back to stare up at a bronze-skinned male that smiled pleasantly down at her. "Stand up." He removed his hands and stepped towards the mountain lion. Apparently it understood what was happening and escaped, running faster than it had when going after Alina.

She unsteadily rose to her feet, watching as the male returned his gaze to her, looking speculative. His dark cloak concealed everything but his black pants and boots. His long, dirty-blonde hair clashed against the colour. Only until then did she notice that his manner of moving and careful speaking was much like a nobleman's. "Who are you?" Alina finally asked him.

"I believe that should be my question," he retorted, raising smooth, blonde eyebrows. "No one dares comes into the Forest of Dim now that the animals have turned savage. I would be less surprised if you were dressed appropriately and with guards. Instead," he gestured towards her, "you are dressed in sleepwear with no shoes, no weapon, and completely alone. I'm curious as to know how you survived getting into one of the very thickest parts of the forest."

Instinctively, Alina was on guard and didn't trust him. So, instead of explaining her position fully, she coolly told him, "I don't think it's any of your business."

An edge of his mouth slid upward in a smirk. "No, you're quite right. In any case, I suppose I can't just leave you out here to be eaten. You shall have to come with me back to the cottage. If you let that piece of branch stay in your foot any longer, it'll get infected." He held out a hand. When she simply stood there, he sighed and stepped towards her. As soon as his hand grasped hers, she felt a warm wind whipping around her, engulfing her in darkness. Terrified, she closed her eyes and grabbed his arm with her other hand. The wind's smell was not at all like the forest, an exotic scent of a sandy country, the warmth feeling of sunlight and natural heat. A moment later, the wind settled and his amused voice said, "You can open your eyes now."

She did so and found she was standing in a comfortable, cozy room. Across from her was a narrow hallway with a window allowing light in. Limping down the hallway to the window, she peered out to find that she was still in the forest.

At least I'm not alone, she told herself, or outside. I feel much safer here. She withdrew and dragged herself back to the room to see that the man had left. She made a quick survey. There was a wooden table in the corner with two matching chairs and beside it was an arched doorway leading to another room. On the other side of the doorway was a book shelf of aging books and urns. Below the shelves were two closed cabinets. A mirror stood beside it, but her reflection was of no interest to her at the moment. Settled simply against the wall was a red-cushioned divan with a low table across from it. She took note that everything was perfectly masculine. So there is no woman that lives here...

The man returned to the room with a bowl of steaming water, a miniature container that generally held powder, bandages, and a white rag. "Come. Sit on the divan so I can tend to your foot," he said, tipping his head towards the divan. She obliged him and he sat beside her, raising her leg and pulling the branch out. She clenched her eyes tight, shocked that it had been embedded so deeply. When she glanced at him, she saw that he appeared to be unbothered by it. He undid the container, setting it on the table. She watched interestedly as he washed her foot with the water and rag before he applied the white cream from the container and bandaged it.

"My name is Dedric," he told her a bit belatedly. "I live here with two other sorcerers." He rose to his feet, collecting the things. With a wry expression, he added, "It would be better for them to introduce themselves. No one here is bound to know me." He smiled his charming, pleasant smile. "And who are you?"

"...Unlike you, I am known here." He shrugged apathetically, indicating that it did not matter who she was. "I am Alina." He stared at her blankly. "I am the princess of Siruean." There was a flicker of interest at this piece of information. If not for watching him so closely, Alina would not have seen it. He gave no response to this, leaving her once again in the room. The thoughts that rose to her mind were not kind. She did not feel entirely safe with three sorcerers. It was improper to be alone with a man unless you were engaged or married to him or if he was family. But then, she cynically thought, when have I ever listened to what the court dictates?

Alina sighed quietly, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Her brow furrowed, only just then noticing that the walls and ceiling were not white as she had initially thought. They were a delicate colour of toffee. The colour matched the furniture quite well. Nonetheless, it continued to appear as a masculine room. It was less than reassuring to know that she was trapped with three sorcerers as her companions. Magic was something she had never particularly trusted. Her father scorned it. Those that actually performed it did not bother her, unless they performed it in front of her.

I think Derik may have been right after all, she reluctantly admitted. It is too coincidental that I would end up in the middle of a forest and then nearly killed by a mountain lion shortly after speaking with Valora. Even if I somehow got back to Kraion, I have a feeling that witch would send me somewhere even more dangerous. I should have listened to Derik...He knows Valora better than I ever could.

Dedric appeared in the doorway to what she assumed was the kitchen. He smiled benignly. "Why don't we find something for you to wear and get you settled in my room? You're probably exhausted." She stared at him. "I know that sleeping in a man's room is forbidden to you princesses, but we're not really in a position where things can be manipulated," he explained, misinterpreting her expression. "In fact...Having rolled all over the ground, you are probably filthy. I can heat you a bath, if you want."

"Thank you, Dedric," Alina told him in a heartfelt manner. "That would be lovely. To be honest, I have not met many kind sorcerers."

His eyes glittered amusingly as he chortled. "I am sure there is a reason for that, princess."

X

After Dedric had helped Alina into his bed and drained the marble bath tub, he went downstairs to the drawing room at the other end of the hall opposing the living area where he and Alina had been. There were two bedchambers upstairs, along with a study that belonged to Eideard, who held the other bedroom. The largest bedchamber was on the level floor, near the drawing room. There were two corridors that led to that bedchamber, one to the drawing room, the other to the entry hallway. That bedchamber belonged to Senan, as he had developed the cottage himself and had lived in it alone before Dedric and Eideard came along. The other rooms were added as the three sorcerers met.

Reflecting on it, Dedric knew that Senan would be exceptionally interested in Alina. Even as far as the deserts of Hoshäi, the kingdom in which Dedric originated from, had he heard of the princess of Siruean. He never knew her name until today. Her betrothal to Derik, the prince of Kraion, had received outraged objections from her entire kingdom, most especially her father and brother. Dedric, as a sorcerer, and hardly interested in politics, could not recall what disapprove of the prince was. However, if she was still betrothed to the prince, Senan would easily be able to come up with a scheme to use her for his own ends against Derik. If not that, he would likely kill her. Either way, it mattered not to Dedric. What Senan did was his own business.

A few hours after he had taken care of the torn nightgown of Alina's and cleaned up the water basin used to heat the water, Eideard slid through the kitchen from the back door. Although Dedric and Senan did not necessarily get along with the sorcerer, there was no doubt that he had his uses. He was as disinterested in them, keeping to himself the majority of the time. He was older than both of them with more experience and knowledge. The only thing that either of them excelled in was the Dark Arts. He had only dabbled in that. Unfortunately, his mere experimentation with it had nearly cost him his life. Before Senan, he had been the court sorcerer in Kraion. They had learned that the one thing that Eideard could not withstand was power. The Dark Arts had suggested an increase in his power and control; that was the only reason he had ever become involved in them.

"There is a princess in my bed," Dedric stated plainly to the taller male from the kitchen table he was seated at. Eideard paused in the act of moving up the staircase that led to the second level where his chambers were located. The only stairs that led upward were in the kitchen, near the entrance to the living area.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Eideard queried in a bored tone. "How could you even have a woman in your bed?"

"She was stumbling around in the forest and I was being quite serious. She is the princess of Siruean." One of Eideard's eyebrows rose and slowly, his azure gaze drifted to the window above the counter. It was past noon, the day gliding through the afternoon. Soon it would be sunset, when Senan was sure to arrive at the cottage. The animals that came out at dark were far worse than those in daylight. "I need you to be here when I talk to Senan. Personally, I don't give a shit if she lives or dies. Still, I can't predict Senan's reaction any better than you." At that, Eideard's brows lowered, knitting together, and his mouth turned down further, forming a perfect scowl.

"I beg to differ," was his bland response. He looked again to the window, as though expecting the outside forestry to counsel him. At length, he said, "Alina is betrothed to Derik – she has been since they were children. I expect Senan will be pleased to find her landing in his lap without him needing to even lift a finger." Dedric blinked as Eideard abandoned the staircase for the den. "Of course, when does he ever work?" He added.

"Before we knew him, I'm sure," Dedric answered cheerfully, laughing.

4: Chapter Four

Sabia hummed a cheerful tune beneath her breath as she approached the princess's bedchambers. She flung the doors open and tilted her head curiously, seeing that her friend was not yet up. Suspecting that Alina's body needed time to adjust from everything yesterday, she went to the curtains and opened them, glancing behind her at the four poster bed. The curtains around the bed were tightly sealed, keeping any sunlight from them. "Alina, it's time to wake!" She called, approaching the bed. "I know you had a hard time yesterday, but – " She stopped as she pushed the curtains back and found an empty bed. Staring at the twisted blankets blankly, Sabia could sense the slow beginnings of horror dawning on her. Stumbling back, she whipped around to look at the room. It was as she had left it yesterday when helping Alina get ready for bed. Desperately, she hurried to the wardrobe and counted the gowns. They were all there, meaning that Alina had not gone out early for a brisk walk as she had hoped.

"She's gone!" She whispered and ran from the chambers, frantically crying in the corridor, "The princess is gone! Get Prince Derik, hurry!" Servants poked their heads from the rooms, hesitant expressions on their faces. Ignoring them, she dashed down the corridor and the flight of steps to the breakfast room where Derik was sure to be, as he rose at dawn to start the day. The king glanced at her, panting as she pattered to a stop in the breakfast room. Derik rose in his seat, alarmed. Holding a hand to her chest and pointing a finger out of the doorway, she gasped, "Alina...She's...gone missing!"

"Missing?" The king asked, turning his head to look at her. "What are you talking about, girl?"

"I...went to wake her...but she wasn't in bed and...all of her gowns are there." She paused to wet her lips. Derik was slowly approaching her from round the table, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. "Someone took her in her sleep. There is no way she would be wandering around in her nightgown otherwise." Derik looked to his father, who merely waved a lazy hand, indicating that he could do as he wish.

"Sabia," the prince said, taking her shoulders, "go find your brother. Tell him to get the soldiers to search the grounds for Alina. I'm going to search her chambers." Sabia nodded and hurried away. Derik, meanwhile, ran up to Alina's chambers. He had an uneasy feeling. Valora had only spoken to Alina yesterday. He had mentioned the possibility of Valora getting rid of her if she found his fiancée disagreeable, seriously believing that his sister might do such a thing. It was too much of a coincidence that Alina would go missing only the day after. A chill ran down his back.

Would she kill her? He wondered. Or would she simply transport her elsewhere, so that she's not in the way? Valora doesn't know it, but she's helping Senan by doing this. All Senan wanted to do was isolate me, make me miserable. Alina is one of the last people I have that I trust and love. He came to Alina's bedchambers and hesitantly moved around the room, feeling uncomfortable being here without her present. It could not be helped if she was missing. If Valora were to hide her, it wouldn't be in the castle or on the castle grounds. Nothing was disturbed, excepting the blankets on her bed. They seemed to have been thrown away without a second thought. Abandoning the bed, he moved out onto the balcony, his hands clenching over the stone. He could see soldiers moving around on the grounds, a purpose set in their mind. They won't find her, I am sure of it. It's best to look anyway.

Derik stared broodingly ahead of him, his eyes pinning the thick trees. For a long time, he stared without full comprehension of what he was doing. The puzzle pieces that had been trying to fit together clicked in place and he lurched forward, his eyes shooting to twice their size. Uttering a strangled noise, he thrust away from the balcony, stumbling inside and collapsing on the bed.The Forest of Dim... Of course Valora knew of the animals' newly violent nature. It's nearest, and no one would be there to help her. I can't send men in because they would surely die. We'vetried to travel through the forest. If she as vulnerable as Sabia made it sound, in only her nightwear...Alina is surely dead.

X

Alina opened her eyes and jerked up in bed, startled at her unfamiliar surroundings. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears and then gradually slowed as she recalled where she was and how she had gotten there. She pushed the covers back, looking down at herself. Dedric had no women's clothes at hand – not that she was surprised – and so he dressed her in a loose, peach caftan that was generally worn in the warmer kingdoms. She had suspected Dedric might be from a warmer region, as his looks were unlike any of the men she had met before. She stood and readjusted the sash before leaving the room. At the top of the stairs, she twisted her hair up, clasping it with the pins that she had gotten from her ruined nightgown. Satisfied that she looked somewhat respectable, she carefully descended the stairs.

As soon as she came into the kitchen, a door opened and an unfamiliar male entered. She backed into the stairs before he was given a chance to glimpse her and watched him curiously. A bit annoyed, she noticed that he, too, was handsome. His looks seemed less foreign. His chin-length hair was a shade darker than Dedric's, but his skin was a lighter tan. His mouth was turned down unhappily, almost in a bad-tempered way. She pressed herself into the shadows of the stairwell as he passed through the kitchen to the den. Only then did she step from the stairs and peek around the doorway.

"About time you got back," Dedric grunted from the table, shutting the book he had been perusing sharply and frowning up at the man as he moved towards the cabinets beneath the bookshelf. Alina saw that there were bottles of alcohol and brandy glasses stored there. He took a glass and a bottle of what she guessed to be brandy, splashing the substance in a generous amount and drinking it. "I have to talk to you about something."

"Is it so important that you dragged Eideard into this?" He grumbled, nodding to the third male in the room. Alina inspected the sorcerer, Eideard, shrewdly. He appeared vaguely familiar. She was certain she had seen his picture somewhere. Unlike Dedric or Senan, he was utterly expressionless. If he was bothered by being involved in their affairs, it did not seem so. If he had not glanced at them at that moment, Alina might have suspected he was ignoring them.

"It is more important than you are assuming it to be, Senan."

Senan, she thought. I have heard that name somewhere. I can't think, though. My mind is so muddled right now from sleep and now that I think about it, I am famished. She put a hand to her stomach as it gave a gurgle that she prayed none of the men had heard. Thankfully, they were all quite thoroughly engrossed in what was taking place in the den to bother about who might be spying on them from the kitchen.

"Derik's fiancée is here," Dedric continued. "She was in the forest. Don't ask me how she got in here, either, because she refused to tell me. She very politely said that it was none of my business." Senan had gone still, his grumpy expression washed away. That caused Alina to become uneasy. Apparently she was special somehow to Senan, the way her presence was announced to him. Surely that could mean no good?

"We're not sure if they're betrothed," Eideard intercepted, cutting through the thick, thoughtful silence. "They were when they were children. Things may have changed."

"Even so, that is quite fascinating," Senan remarked, a most unpleasant smile curling his lips upward. He poured himself more brandy and took a small drink from it. "How did she survive in the forest?"

"All she was wearing was a nightgown. She didn't even have any shoes," Dedric said with a tiny frown. "There were rumors to the effect that she was brought up...unconventionally, as it was put, since her father was the one that raised her. The only thing I have heard of her mother is that she set up the betrothal arrangements between her and Derik. If she had been equipped, I suppose she might have been able to survive in the forest for a bit. But this deep? – And with how she was dressed? It's suspicious."

"She didn't tell you, hm?"

"No."

"We'll have to check and see if she has any magic in her – enough to transport herself. If not, then foul play was involved. That should make our options broader and even more entertaining."

Alina shivered at the drawling voice and crept away from the doorway to the stairs. Very quietly did she ascend the stairs while the males were preoccupied with their thoughts. Once she had closed the door to Dedric's room, she dived into the covers and stared into the thick darkness, trembling fearfully. The fear had made her remember who Senan was. He had been the dark sorcerer who was supposed to be executed in Kraion, but had escaped. He was the one who supposedly had betrayed Valora's friendship. Alina was beginning to think that he had taught Valora the Dark Arts. It would be no surprise. How else would she have kidnapped Alina and taken her into the Forest of Dim?

Once her trembling had subsided, and her mind was cleared, Alina felt unbearably alone. She would not have thought it true, but she missed Derik more than anything. She felt no hatred towards Valora – not quite – and the fear for Senan, although there, was smothered by her want to see her fiancé. She had never imagined she would want to see Derik. He is so much different than them, she reflected, comparing him to the sorcerers downstairs. He's so honest and open and kind. I have to get out of here...Tomorrow, I will see if I can't find a sword and a compass so that I can leave. But I have no idea where I am. I'll have to wheedle it out of Dedric. That is, if Senan hasn't killed me by then.

At the end of her dismal thoughts, she heard footsteps in the hall and then the click as the door was opened. Swallowing the panicked emotions, she steadied her breathing to long, deep breaths, closing her eyes gently to give the image of a comfortable, sleeping person. Someone approached the bed, the feather mattress sinking down slightly. Alina felt the brush of fingers on her cheek as the blanket was pulled away from her face. Struggling to keep a calm expression while pretending to sleep, she prayed that whoever it was would leave her be.

A few seconds passed and then Dedric's soft voice murmured to someone, "She's asleep." The blanket dropped, covering her face again. Relieved, Alina continued her careful breathing, hearing two sets of footsteps enter the room. The other sorcerers were there. They were congregating in Dedric's room, perhaps to murder her while she was sleeping. She half-wished she had stayed downstairs to find out why they were up here.

"You put her in your room?" Senan's rasping voice queried.

"Where else would he put her?" The last voice, Eideard's, snidely retorted. "Better his than ours, let alone the drawing room or the living room." He paused. "I don't sense any magic from her."

"I never did, either," Dedric added. "Senan?"

There was a long stretch of silence that made Alina want to shift or at least open her eyes to see what was going on. Nonetheless, she continued her façade and hoped that none of them suspected. Finally, Senan murmured, "Nothing, which means that someone put her here on purpose, likely to die in the Forest of Dim. Who would imagine that such a puny girl could make an enemy?"

"It is easy to make enemies in Kraion, what with your little hellion of an apprentice there," Eideard dry stated. "You should never have given her a taste of the Dark Arts, Senan. The animals were fine with our presence up until recently. I rather think she's the cause of it."

"Whether Valora is involved or not is hardly my concern," Senan answered in a dismissive tone. "The woman was too impatient to deal with minor spells. I doubt that she's the reason for the princess to be in our hands, let alone the animals going out of control. She doesn't have the control, nor the ability. You might as well abandon that theory. But enough...If we continue to talk like this here, we'll wake her up. I, for one, am done with talking. I'm exhausted."

"Of course you are," came Eideard's sarcastic voice as footsteps rose from the floor.

Once the footsteps faded, Alina turned the slightest bit and felt her heart leap to her throat, seeing Dedric standing by the door, watching her with a shuttered expression. His lips curled upward almost laughingly. He put a finger to his lips and then turned from the room, swinging the door closed softly. Alina sat up in bed, staring at the door, baffled. Her trembling returned, this time from being caught eavesdropping on the sorcerers' conversation. Dedric did not seem like he was about to tell Senan. Still, she did not trust him.

X

Jaiden rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he approached Derik, his heart sinking heavily to his waist. They had searched all day for Alina on the castle grounds and then later, in the city. There was not a trace of her. Jaiden gave hourly reports to the prince, knowing how anxious he was. There was nothing to be done anymore, not when it was so dark and when Alina, by all accounts, was not in Kraion.

At the moment, he was feeling as though he were drowning. His sister had been sobbing when he last saw her, convinced that her friend was dead. Derik's stolid expression was even worse. Jaiden knew it was an automatic defense so that no one could see his true emotions. He did not fancy telling Derik that they might not be able to reclaim his fiancée. "Report," Derik quietly said as Jaiden came to stand in front of him.

"Well..." Jaiden cleared his throat, conscious of how unsteady his voice was. "We haven't found any trace of how she was taken from her room, nor where she might be. I'm...afraid she's not in Kraion, Derik." He spread his hands out helplessly. "We've looked in every possible place. No one has reported seeing the princess, and my men have not seen even a shred of her. No offense, but I don't think we have a very good chance of finding her." Derik was staring past him, at a point just beyond Jaiden's shoulder.

"Thank you, Jaiden," he told him. "I appreciate all you've done today, even if it was a wasted effort." He sighed and turned his weary, despondent gaze to meet Jaiden's. "Did I not tell you that Valora was up to something? I know you don't want to believe it," he added as Jaiden's mouth flew open, "but it is a bit too coincidental. Only the day after she speaks to Alina and she goes missing? No, I'm sorry, but it is too much. I place all blame completely on her. And...I think I know where Alina might be."

"You do? Derik, why didn't you say something? I would have sent men out – "

"I know. This, too, is a lost cause, because the men would just be killed." Derik could see that Jaiden was thinking, his nose wrinkling slightly as he did. Although his friend could be slow at certain things, like numbers and politics, he was not stupid as many of the other soldiers assumed. He had a sharp sense of observation that no one else could claim to have, and when it came to subtle meanings like this, it only took a minute or so for him to understand.

"...The Forest of Dim?" He said in a shocked voice. "You said Senan might be in there!"

"Which is why I am convinced she may very well be dead. I don't like thinking about my fiancéebeing deceased. What else can I think, though, when there are monstrous animals that care nothing for humans and Senan, who does not even seem to have a conscience, let alone a heart?" He shook his head. "If she had a sword or a bow and a quiver of arrows, she might have survived long enough to find a place to hide. As it is, she had nothing from what Sabia tells me."

"We can't give up hope, Derik," Jaiden quietly told him, reaching out to clasp his shoulder. "Alina's stubborn. She won't let herself die, not when she's supposed to be married. Did you warn her about Valora?" Derik nodded glumly. "She probably came to the same conclusion and hates her guts now. If that's it, she's going to be pissed as hell and will want to be back to kick Valora's ass." He smiled cheerily at Derik. "Don't worry. If we can't get to her, she'll come back to us." He laughed. "Hell, maybe she'll force Senan into helping her get back to the forest if she meets him."

X

Alina was unaccustomed to being woken up by sunlight dancing across her eyelids. There was no sound of Sabia's bright voice waking her up, making the experience altogether unpleasant. She rubbed her eyes and flipped the covers away, stepping out of bed. The room was cold now that she was not covered by the blanket and the floor was even colder. Noticing the window some feet from the bed that she had not seen there yesterday, she moved to it and undid the chain holding the windowpanes together, pushing them out. The morning air was cool, a brisk wake up call. As she breathed, she could see small puffs of air forming in front of her face. The forest, having looked unwholesome and evil yesterday, appeared lovely at dawn with the sun streaking down across from it, glittering between the trees and casting rays of colour on the ground.

So...I'm facing the east here, towards Siruean. Then I have to go west, the way I came from. The mountain lion will probably want to eat me again if I go that way. I could go east towards Siruean, but I would first have to pass through Revaldi villages to get to the coast. And then I need money to get boarding for a ship to Siruean, too... It's just so complicated. My best bet is to go west, to Kraion, with or without the mountain lion.

Sighing, Alina turned away from the window and patted at her hair, removing the pins. After combing through it and twisting it up again, pinning it back in place, she left the room. She could hear Dedric's voice barking out something in a foreign language from the kitchen and a snicker from one of the other sorcerers. Cautiously, she moved down the stairs, sharply recalling how they had spoken about her last night and what type of person Senan was. If Dedric and Eideard were associating with him, she wondered what type of people they were. The only person I really can say is an ally is Dedric, she thought, and hardly even that.

She peeked into the kitchen, seeing Dedric and Senan cooking at the counter in the middle of the kitchen, chopping vegetables. Senan saw her first, raising his eyes to the staircase casually. He put down his knife and hit Dedric in the shoulder with the back of his hand. Dedric, too, looked up, his mouth tight with irritation. The expression cleared when he saw her. "Awake, are you?" He greeted amiably enough. She nodded and entered the kitchen, keeping her eyes away from Senan. She wanted nothing to do with the man. "How did you sleep?"

"...Fine, for a person who is stranded in the middle of a forest," she answered a bit tartly. One of his eyebrows rose in a mild manner. Since he knew she had heard their conversation, she suspected he understood her feelings perfectly well. Alina flicked a look at Senan to see what his reaction was. Her cheeks warmed indignantly, seeing a smirking, amused expression on his face. She knew she was bound to hate him more than she feared him. "Would you like my help?" She asked Dedric, nodding to the vegetables. He stared at her and then looked at the vegetables, clueless.

"You know how to cook?" He managed after puzzling it over in his head.

"I'm not an ordinary princess."

"What a relief," Senan remarked, forcing her to look at him. "I feared we were going to have to deal with one of those spoiled, foul-tempered brats that only know how to sew – and not even that, most of the time." Alina's eyes narrowed irritably. Senan merely grinned. It had been some time since he was able to irritate a person so easily. She was just as fun to play with as her fiancé was. Admittedly, Senan missed those days of pissing Derik off. Dedric knew how to turn his insults back at him, having a similar personality to Senan's, and Eideard would simply turn away and ignore him.

"As it happens, I am as foul-tempered as the lot of them," Alina told him. "I might not be in my kingdom, nor in Kraion, but I am a princess. I expect to be treated with at least a bit of respect."

"A princess that cooks?" He returned. "I've never heard of such a thing. I believe you may be a fraud, dear lady." He gave a sarcastic bow, graceful though it was. He saw her eyes move to his knife lying on the cutting board. He seized it before she could get any wild ideas of bounding over the counter and stabbing him with it. That would be a bit inconvenient to his future plans. After all, he hardly wanted to boast in the underworld that he had been killed by a princess the first day he met her. Not to mention, such a small little princess. He wondered vaguely if she ate at all.

"Can I trust you with a knife?" Dedric asked, cutting into their exchange, waving his own knife.

"You can," she said. "I cannot assure you that he can." Senan grinned tauntingly and set the knife on the cutting board again.

"I have some things to do before breakfast is ready, anyway," he said, moving towards the door behind her. He paused, murmuring in her ear, "But I would be careful how to treat us around here, princess. We have a tendency to play with our food before we kill it." She turned to stare at him, her face pale. Satisfied his message had been received, Senan waved a hand to Dedric and left through the door.

5: Chapter Five

Dedric watched as the door swung shut and looked to Alina with a tiny grin playing at the ends of his mouth. Senan and Eideard both had the types of intimidating personalities that one threatening word from them brought a person to their knees. He supposed it was a good thing for Alina that she had made enemies with Senan and not himself. He was not usually inclined to give warnings. Eideard gave one and after that, anything was possible. Senan, because he liked to draw things out, gave several warnings and kept a person on edge. Overall, Dedric preferred his way. At least I won't have to kill Alina, he reflected. She'll entertain Senan for awhile and keep him busy. Neither Eideard nor I will deal with him, since he'll be busy aggravating her instead."Go ahead and chop some onions," he said, gesturing to the onions that Senan had been chopping.

"Sure..." Alina rounded the counter and picked up the knife. "Dedric, can I ask what made you come in the company of Senan?"

"Do you know who he is?" He questioned curiously. She nodded, frowning slightly. She left the counter to go to the sink, turning the faucet on cold and cutting the onion beneath the running water. "Senan built this cottage for his own personal uses before Eideard and I came. He was, I guess you know, the court sorcerer in Kraion. He had been interested in the Dark Arts ever since he was a kid, before he even went through the academy to become an official sorcerer. Once he was assured that his position was secured, he started getting involved in the Dark Arts. This was before he even became court sorcerer. I don't think anyone suspected until a years before he fled to the forest.

"Eideard was the court sorcerer before Senan, dabbling in the Dark Arts enough to get notice. They took him to trial and exiled him. The problem with him is that anything that promises him power gets him interested. That was the only reason he agreed to become court sorcerer. He wandered around the neighboring kingdoms for awhile until finding us."

"And you? What's your story?" Alina asked, returning to the counter and setting the chopped onions on the counter. "You don't seem all that bad like Senan." Dedric almost laughed at her naïveté.

"I am just as involved in the Dark Arts as Senan, princess. I happen to be a little more messed up in the head than him, even. In my kingdom, it is very easy to kill a person and hide their body. Many there perform dark magic. It is, at times, the basis for many of the things we do. I took it to a level they found uncomfortable. I killed several people in power, even the last king. Everyone says that he died of a disease, but it was because he denied a petition of mine." He glanced at Alina to see that she was staring at him with horror-stricken eyes. "I have no reason to kill you yet." She slammed the knife down on the counter and dashed past the counter and out through the door. He called, unbothered, "Don't go past the barrier! Even you should be able to feel that."

A few minutes after the door had crashed behind her, Eideard slipped into the kitchen and took Alina's place, rinsing the carrots off and then cutting them. "You should have let one of us tell her about you, Dedric," he said in his simplistic, calm manner. "She trusted you far more than us. She'll be harder to keep from killing herself. Senan won't like that. He'll want to use her for his own means."

"She was bound to try and get out of here anyway," Dedric dismissed with a shrug. "I wouldn't be too concerned at the present time. I'll give her some space, and then go look for her." He paused, raising an eyebrow at Eideard. "Unless you would prefer to take that particular task from my hands. I told her the least about you because you asked. You have a less violent history, so I think she would trust you best at the moment."

For this, Eideard had no response.

Outside, Alina sat huddled in the shed full of vegetables, her back pressed securely against the wall. Her eyes stared listlessly ahead in a sulky stare and her wounded foot stung a bit from running on it. It was beginning to occur to her that, unless she found a way out, she was stuck with those murderous sorcerers. She had thought that the only person there that was worth worrying about was Senan. Dedric, with all his charming smiles and friendly personality, should have been the one without a horrible nature in him. Instead, it was the bland Eideard who seemed not to have killed a man. From what Dedric told me, anyway, she thought glumly. Who knows if he really did or not?

She looked beside her and saw a rough bag of rhubarb. She took a piece and broke an end off, chomping on the rest. The stew Dedric and Senan had been preparing looked delicious. It's too bad I hate them, she mused, or else I could have stayed and helped make it. I bet it's really good... After eating a few of the other vegetables, she pushed her hands through her hair and left the shed. There were two larger sheds, side-by-side on the other side of the clearing. She jogged there, hoping no one saw her, and ignoring her foot. The one shed on the right that was drooping down dangerously was spitting out magic for even her to feel. Turning to the other one, she opened the door and saw that it had tools and weapons. Just what I needed!

After she dug out a pair of oversized, worn moccasins from a box in the corner, Alina slung a quiver of arrows around her and grabbed a bow. She took a short sword and a sheath just in case, clasping it around her waist and slipped out of the shed, peering around thoughtfully. I'll go through the edge of the woods. Dedric might see me, but I won't be as obvious as I would be in the clearing. Satisfied, she hurried into the forest and traveled on the edge of it, watching the cottage for movement. Once she was on the western side like she wanted, she began to run straight ahead and away from the comfort of the cottage.

X

In Siruean, Alina's kingdom, utter chaos was unfolding. Jaiden had respectfully sent a bird with a note attached to its leg to the palace to inform them of their princess's disappearance. Somehow, it had slipped to the people, and they were pointing their fingers directly at the king and prince of Kraion. Oren, Alina's younger brother by a year, was more inclined to point the finger at the princess of Kraion, who was a well-known sorceress. Although no one knew it, Oren was an adept sorcerer himself and his sister's disappearance reeked of dark magic.

"That woman?" Oren's father roared incredulously when he mentioned it. Beside him, his mother was sitting serenely. She was generally quiet and rarely ever spoke up against her husband. The only time she had shown a backbone was in Alina's betrothal arrangements, for reasons that Oren had always wondered about. He worried now that his mother had a bit of magic in her blood and was a partner in this scheme that Valora had apparently drawn up.

"You think she's not capable of it?" Oren demanded in return, glaring threateningly. While his father and sister got along famously, Oren was constantly butting heads with his father. He went out at night to the local taverns to flirt with girls and drink, and purposely ignored all his tutors during the day. He had all the content stored in his brain, though, for when he needed it. He could teach himself – which he did – and didn't need boring, old idiots droning on about one thing or another. "The princess of Kraion is a self-proclaimed sorceress, and it's been rumored that she associated with Senan, the last court sorcerer in Kraion. If you remember, he was most involved in the Dark Arts and killed people for his own enjoyment." Oren slammed his fists on the desk that his parents were seated behind. "I won't ignore this! You want to blame the king and prince just because they're easier to attack. I'm convinced that Valora did something to our sister! She probably wants the throne for herself – or is acting on Senan's behalf. One or the other, she needs to be stopped."

"My son, you are being rash," his mother spoke softly, "just as your father is. We cannot jump to outrageous decisions such as this. It may not have even been someone in the royal family. If we continue to look there, we'll start a war that Siruean cannot afford. We are a gentle country, while Kraion has men and forces that are trained specifically for wartime. Our soldiers are trained to protect, only to kill if it is necessary. We must consider all possibilities."

"But mother – " He began indignantly. She held up a hand, silencing him.

"I'm not saying it isn't possible, Oren. Indeed...Valora has the most potential. She is a rather unpleasant woman, very resentful towards her brother. But for now, we must communicate with the king and see what it is that he thinks." She put her index fingers together, peering at Oren over the tips, a smile curling her lips upward. "It is too bad we cannot go there ourselves and see behind the words. We could figure out what has happened sooner." Her eyes twinkled knowingly. Oren blinked, stunned, as he realized that his mother knew of his magical abilities and was subtly asking for him to find at way to Kraion.

"Yes...That is true," the king mused aloud. "People can lie easily in letters." He scowled. "Because those damn animals in the Forest of Dim have gone berserk on us, we can't go anywhere on the other side of it."

It doesn't matter, Oren thought, glancing at his mother, who was gazing at him meaningfully, because I can get there without any work at all.

After Oren excused himself from his father's office, he left to his own chambers and locked the doors securely. He focused on the kingdom of Kraion, to transport himself there, and a moment later there were twinkling sparks around his body before he disappeared and reappeared at the edge of the kingdom, some ways from the Forest of Dim.

He paused very briefly to gaze around. He had never been in Kraion or anywhere near it, even as a child. The glade surrounding the kingdom's walls was of cat tails, shimmering as the wind slid over it, shifting them in a tantalizing gesture. Behind him was the Forest of Dim. It looked deceptively beautiful with tall, looming trees with white trunks and dark indents in the bark. Moss grew on the ground of the forest and at the bottom of the trees. The leaves settled on the trees were wide, dark emerald, and star-shaped. If the animals had not begun to rage in the forest, Oren might have said the trees were quite a soothing picture to look upon. On the outskirts of the forest, a little less than a mile away, were rows of cottonwood trees. The cotton floated languidly from the tops, white, petite pieces of fluff that clung to the cat tails, giving the scenery an enchanting appearance.

He briskly walked towards the edge of the kingdom. There were sentries at the gateway, chatting to each other. Seeing him striding across the drawbridge and in clothing that was distinctly foreign, they gave a squawk of surprise. "Sir, you can't come through here," one of them said, stepping in front of him. "These days we have to call the, er, Master of the Guard, even if he is unofficial. After all, you are a foreigner." Oren assumed they were speaking of Jaiden, the man that had signed the letter informing them of Alina's disappearance. He suspected he was at the castle and seeing as how that was away from the city, it would take the man at least an hour to get there on horseback. Oren was in no mood to spare that much time just so he could get into the city. He might allow at the castle, but not here.

"Is that right?" Oren queried pleasantly. "Then how about this? I'll go back to Siruean and tell them that some stupid ass sentry denied me entrance into the city where my sister is one day going to be queen. Then, I'll send a note to the prince and at night, I'll make sure you suffer because, if you haven't, noticed, MY SISTER IS MISSING." The sentries gawked at him, both frightened and horrified. Oren hastily calmed his temper; after all, he was leaving that for the prince to deal with.

"S-sorry, Prince Oren," the other stuttered, his eyes huge. He shoved his companion away and ushered him through the gateway. Oren smiled.

"Thank you," he cheerfully said, moving through the entrance at the same pace he had approached the city. He wasted no time in finding the public stables and ordered a fine horse, depositing some coins in the stable boy's hands. The boy's eyes rounded as he looked at the gold coins and turned to stare at him. Oren swept up onto the saddle and said, "Your horse will, hopefully, be back by the end of the day." He snapped the reins and the horse broke into a trot, escaping the stifling air of the stables. Now...It's time to find out what's really going on here.

Meanwhile, the prince of the castle had locked himself in his chambers and was currently standing at the balcony doors, an arm crossed over his chest with his other hand propped against it. He leaned his cheek against his hand, his fingers splayed across his cheek in solemn thought. Valora had been scarce ever since Alina had gone missing, claiming sickness. When he had gone to see her, she truly had been sick, not at all the beauty she normally appeared. Despite his suspicions, he had felt a bit of sympathy for her as he had gazed at her frail, worn body in the oversized bed.

But is it because of getting rid of Alina that she looked that way? Derik mused presently, staring broodingly through the glass doors to the Forest of Dim that stretched far across the landscape. There was just something that told him that his fiancée was in the forest with the wild animals and possibly Senan. It was the only place that Valora would know Alina would be eliminated without putting blood on her own hands. Alina has always been able to take care of herself without me, he thought, sighing and putting a hand on the wall, rubbing his face with a hand. She's resourceful. She might have been able to hide out somewhere and avoid the animals. I just hope... His thoughts trailed off as he lowered his hand from his face and stared down at his boots with a saddened expression.

A knock sounded on his door at that moment. Scowling, he snapped, "I'm busy!"

"Derik, it's me," Jaiden called from the other side. "We've got a problem."

What's new? was the dry thought that entered Derik's mind. Sighing, he pushed away from the wall and moved through his bedchambers to the drawing room adjoining it, unlocking the door and flinging it open irritably. Jaiden rubbed the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile. He was wearing a plain outfit of a white shirt with thin strings loosely tied at the collar, and a cotton gray jacket and breeches, a slightly similar outfit to Derik's. The prince's was of better quality and hadn't been worn in for the past few days.

"A gatekeeper sent me a message saying that Alina's brother is heading towards the castle," he told Derik as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. Derik, who had paced a few steps back, turned to stare at him incredulously. "Don't ask me." He held up his hands, palm outward, in defense. "I don't have a clue how he got here. Apparently he came up from the Forest of Dim, so..." Jaiden shrugged his shoulders helplessly while Derik turned from him to go to the window. He could not stop looking at the Forest of Dim. Perhaps it was because he knew that was where Alina was, but if he had his eyes trained on the woods, he could concentrate.

As far as I know, Alina has no magical bloodlines in her family, but it has been known for a family member to have magic without knowing it. If either of Alina's parents have any magic, it's possible for her brother to acquire it and have it come through more powerfully in his blood. Derik briefly closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead wearily. He must have transported here without needing to go through the Forest of Dim at all.

"Derik...?" His companion hesitantly queried. "What should I do? He's going to want clearance to your chambers once he arrives."

"Send him through," he mumbled, straightening. "It's not as if I can deny my future brother-in-law." He glanced behind him to see Jaiden nod and move towards the door. "Thank you, Jaiden, for being so patient." The latter paused and turned to smile reassuringly.

"I know how upset you are," Jaiden responded easily. "It's not like I expect you to be the same as always." Derik gave a thankful look before returning to staring out the window, listening to Jaiden exit the room.

Derik could feel the seconds tick by as he stood, numerous thoughts moving through his mind. He could not stop thinking about Valora's weak form in bed. It did not even seem as though she had made herself that way; it had been as if something was eating at her from the inside. She uses magic to keep herself beautiful and attractive to men, he realized suddenly. There was always a subtle pull he felt whenever he was around her that hadn't been there when he had checked in on her that morning. So apparently she depleted her magic from whatever spell she used to get Alina to the forest. He frowned, perplexed. That doesn't explain why she was affected so badly. I don't understand any of this. Did Valora hate Alina so much that she would risk harming herself?

"Hmm," he mumbled to himself. "This is over my head." There was a quick knock on the door before it swung open, revealing Jaiden, who ushered a younger male into the room. Derik's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. Alina's brother, Oren, was not what he had been expecting. He was handsome, and almost feminine with his slender figure and fashionable taste. His hair was drawn up into a tail, bangs falling down to frame his face, and his wide, green eyes glared back at him from a face that seemed more beautiful than anything. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Derik said, "You must be Alina's brother. I'm surprised we've never met before."

"Indeed," Oren agreed. "It is unfortunate."

So he's going to be sarcastic, Derik thought, his mouth turning down unhappily. He's not as different from Alina as I originally thought.

"Listen, you," Oren continued, ignoring the dark look Jaiden had turned on him, "I don't really have time for sitting on my ass all day. I know this will come as a surprise to you, but I like to take action when someone I love is missing. Maybe you don't love my sister – I don't really care – but I do and I want to know what the hell is going on around here." The younger prince looked to Derik, noticing just then that there was a mask of rage covering his features. His mouth was drawn into a tight, furious line, but he did not say anything or so much as move a finger.

"Do you think...that I have not tried to do anything?" Derik slowly asked, his voice surprisingly steady. Oren tilted his head slightly, curious in spite of himself why his sister's fiancé was controlling his anger when he could have simply blew up on him. It was his kingdom they were in, after all. "There is very little I can do at this point, my prince, when I cannot get to the place that Alina is."

"What, is she in another dimension?"

Derik gave a bitter laugh. "If only. No. She's in the Forest of Dim."

X

Eideard looked up in utter boredom as a knock came on his study. He knew it was Dedric, so he simply said in a slightly raised voice, "I know," to the younger male. The knocking ceased and he could hear Dedric retreat back to his own room. He returned to his brooding, staring down at the book he had been perusing. When he had been exiled from Kraion, he had taken all his precious books, his gold, and clothes. At times, he regretted ever getting involved in the Dark Arts. To be sure, he never would have associated with the likes of Dedric or Senan if not for his exiled state; that was a subtle understanding between the two and him. He had been trying to forget the past and look into the future, but there was not much left for him to look towards.

Marking his place in the book, Eideard rose from his seat and resigned himself to the task of persuading the princess to return to the cottage. He hated dealing with princesses. Even though this one was unlike the others, he still considered them bothersome and wanted to be rid of Alina as soon as possible. He wasn't about to get rid of her himself, as Eideard was not a particularly bloodthirsty male like Dedric or Senan was. Besides, that would surely be getting involved in Senan's plans for the princess and that was the last thing he wanted to do. The guy really had one of the worst temper tantrums Eideard had ever witnessed.

Once he had descended the stairs and slipped through the kitchen and out the back door, he stood thoughtfully as he considered over where she might have hidden out here. He let out a tendril of his magic to probe for human life. He was hardly in the mood to go walking back and forth in case she decided to play a trick on him. He frowned when he detected no human life in the clearing. He swept his magic over it once more and then slid it over the cottage when he came up with the same results. The only person he sensed was Dedric.

This was not good.

Sighing through his nostrils, Eideard pivoted on his foot and entered the cottage, returning to the second floor. He passed his room and knocked on Dedric's door. "Dedric, we have a problem." Dedric's door opened a second later, his handsome face twisted irritably.

"You could have been a little gentler with your magic instead of knocking me into the wall, asshole." Eideard merely stared at him, raising an eyebrow irritably. Huffing, Dedric leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, saying, "Well? What's the problem we appear to have?"

"The girl has left. Into the forest, I suspect."

For a moment, Dedric thought Eideard was playing a practical joke on him. Recalling that this particular sorcerer likely did not even know what a joke was, he straightened quickly and whirled in his room, shoving his boots on. He supposed he should have known that the idiot girl would leave the clearing, especially if she was under the impression that she would be housed under a roof with two dark sorcerers that had killed and one who had the potential. And yet, he had hoped she would remember her encounter with the mountain lion and think before trying something so dangerous. After lacing and tying his second boot, he groaned miserably.

As if knowing his thoughts, Eideard remarked in an almost interested tone, "She must have found the weapons in the shed. I don't think she would have gone into the forest otherwise." Dedric glared at him and grabbed his cloak from the bed and clasped it securely at his throat. Eideard gave a smirk of smug satisfaction.

He has the most boring, most annoying personality one single person can have, Dedric decided to himself. "You go and look for the girl while I try and find Senan. We're going to need him for this." Eideard's smirk slid off his mouth and he looked decidedly moody at the task he was given. Dedric grinned and then the two of them left outside, vanishing from the clearing to different parts of the forest.

X

Alina never once forgot the training her father gave her when she was younger. As she walked through the forest, she could feel it returning to her. Unlike the first time when she had been confused and frightened, running through the woods, her mind was clear and she held her head up confidently. The feel of the slick wood of her bow in her hands reassured her, the soft shifting of the short sword at her hip giving her a sense of a power. Her eyes skimmed her surroundings briskly, taking in details in abundance. "The trick is to look closely without looking for an extended amount of time," she recalled her father telling her. "Take quick glances, but never let your eyes stop. If you do that, you're sure to get yourself in trouble. You never know what might happen in that second your gaze stills."

Thinking on this made Alina's heart heavy, thinking of the people she loved most. It had been such a long time since she last saw her father. Whenever she would ask Derik if she could go to Siruean, he would give his gentle smile and tell her that there was far too much to get done at Kraion that he could not afford to have her leave. And it wasn't only her father that she missed, but Derik, too. She was so used to seeing him every day, talking to him closely. There were times when they were in her room that they would clasp hands and simply lean their foreheads against each other's, their eyes closed. I miss him so badly, she thought, gripping her bow tighter and pausing to throw a swift look over her shoulder. Even when I went to Siruean, Derik would keep in contact with me. I haven't heard his voice for two days, let alone talk to him in any other way.

The impact of that realization shook her so badly that she backed away into a tree, biting down on her lip as her stomach churned. I am so lonely without him. When did I start to need him like this? She leaned against the tree for a few more moments and then pushed away from it, hastening her pace. She had been moving at a moderate pace for the sake of her injured foot, which stung even with the extra padding of the moccasins. She knew it hadn't been a very good idea to walk such a long distance after harming her foot, but she felt that she would endure it over the possibility of being killed by one of the three sorcerers.

She was almost jogging through the woods, not bothering with trying to be quiet. She continued to survey the forestry and knew that it was not even close to the place she had been when she first woke up in the forest. This did not bode well for her, seeing as how she had been far enough away from Kraion in the first place. I wonder if I will have to find a place to hide out during the night, she thought vaguely. I suppose I should have considered how far away I was from the kingdom before traipsing into a forest where there are deadly animals. She gently stroked the bow with her thumb. I have weapons. I can protect myself.

However, as she continued to jog and heard something running alongside with her some ways from her, she was not so confident. She could see nothing, which only meant that the something was hidden by the trees and other plants. This did not reassure her. She stopped in her jogging, looking behind her and then listening closely, noticing that the movements had slowed, apparently aware that she had stopped. Then, there was utter silence in the forest excepting the sounds of birds high, high up in the trees.

"Never let the animal attack first," her dad had told her when talking of hunting the more vicious animals. "If you attack first, you have a greater chance of coming out the victor. Always show them who is at the top of the food chain, Alina, and have no fear. They can smell your emotions and the last thing you want is a bear picking up your anxiety."

"I'm not going to let you stop me," she said, locking on a familiar pair of amber eyes that blinked at her from between two bushes, the leaves overhead casting the mountain lion's head in shadow. "Not now, not ever."

6: Chapter Six

Senan blew a bit of dust from his hand, frowning at it irritably. If there was one thing he hated, it was when the ingredients he needed for brews and potions suddenly became scarce. It meant he not only had to travel further into the forest, but into unfamiliar territory. It hadn't been such a problem when the animals just stared at him with big, stupid eyes and stood to the side; however, now that they enjoyed wrecking havoc on anything human and lately, each other, unfamiliar territory was unsafe and he rarely was able to get what he wanted without being attacked every five seconds.

A soft wind blew over him, the scent foreign and distinctly familiar. Senan turned his head the slightest bit to raise his eyebrows at Dedric, asking rather rudely, "What do you want?" Neither of his house companions ever came out looking for him unless it was an emergency, seeing as how Senan was the one who stocked their cabinets with both food and ingredients for their miscellaneous brews. Out of all of them, Dedric used the ingredients the most for things that Senan assumed were things he did not want to know about.

"I would have thought it was obvious, seeing as how the only troublesome thing is that princess of yours," Dedric pleasantly responded. Senan turned his head and sighed, frowning at the granules of scarlet dust he had been analyzing. He supposed Dedric was right. Why else would he come looking for Senan when that spitfire of a woman wanted to cause trouble? He rose to his feet and turned to face Dedric, who, although younger than him by a year, held more knowledge in the Dark Arts than Senan could possibly want.

"I still need her," he stated plainly. "I don't want her getting herself killed or running off to whine to Derik about how I threatened her."

"I think what you really mean is that you're bored and you want her to stay so you can play with her emotions," Dedric corrected with a smile in place. Senan waved a hand dismissively, as if saying that it meant the same thing. "Look, I don't really care what you want her for, whether it's just for taunting her or fucking her, alright? The fact of the matter is that she ran off after I gave her a brief history on us and she went into the forest."

"Of course she did," Senan grunted, shaking out of his cloak. "Well, where's Eideard?"

"I sent him looking for her. If anyone can find people fast, it's Eideard."

The latter snorted in disbelief and turned his gaze from Dedric to survey his surroundings. He had barely known the princess and yet he had managed to get a very firm grasp on her character. The woman, above all, was ruled by instinct in dangerous situations rather than intelligence. She was stubborn, as well, and with an attitude that was not altogether ladylike. Senan could help but think to himself that she was more of the type of woman that needs to lead people rather than be led. His mouth curled contemptuously. No wonder Derik is engaged to her. He's too ruled by his scruples and loyalty to his kingdom that he wouldn't know how to be evil if someone gave him step-by-step instructions to it.

Senan released a sigh and glanced at Dedric, pushing a hand through his hair in an exasperated gesture. "Alright, fine...I might as well go find the stupid woman before she kills herself." He crossed his arms, frowning thoughtfully. "She was sleeping in your room last night, I presume?"

"Yes," Dedric said. "Do you think she figured this out before she actually did it?"

"She is not entirely without intelligence," Senan remarked with a careless shrug. "You never know – she may have been thinking of running."

Dedric's expression turned a bit black at this. "Well, she isn't going to get very far. She seems to have forgotten that she was injured the other day." He gave a disgusted sound and shook his head, looking suitably ruffled. Senan eyed him, but chose not to comment on his behavior. Since meeting him, Senan had discovered that Dedric, even as an attractive male, had a particular hate for the female race. Or at least certain actions of women, anyway. There were times when the younger male would fondly recollect his memories in Hoshäi and the women he enjoyed his time with; other times, however, he held only distaste for women. His words were nothing but scathing. Senan expected the reason for that to come out at some point, likely when it was just the two of them alone.

"Ignore it," he advised. Dedric glanced at him irritably. "Women rarely ever move wisely when they are frightened. In any case," he raised a hand in farewell, "I am off to see what I can do about our escaped princess."

"Enjoy yourself."

"Oh, I imagine I will," Senan assured with a smirk.

Somewhere far from where Senan and Dedric had been, Eideard was wandering through the forest in utter boredom. While Senan and Dedric's powers were limited to certain areas, mostly in the Dark Arts and magic used for survival, Eideard had powers that extended into different fields and made it so that he was given what he considered the easier tasks of life. Looking for an escaping princess was, in his opinion, one of the dullest things for him to waste his time on.

Sighing through his nose, Eideard paused in his steps and appeared in a different section of the forest, moving in a semi-circle before reaching out with his magic, craning his neck to the side, as though listening to something. His magic was thrown back at him and he shielded against it, curling his lip as Senan appeared before him, grinning pleasantly. "I see you decided to disrupt me," he grunted.

"Not at all," Senan replied cheerfully enough. Eideard turned his back to him and made a semi-circle with his footsteps again, repeating the process. Senan remained respectfully silent as Eideard's magic reached out as far as it was allowed. When Eideard turned back to him, Senan queried, "Having trouble finding her?"

"No," was the flat response he received. "There is no trouble involved – she simply has gotten further than I anticipated. Apparently she left almost immediately after she fled from the kitchen." Eideard disappeared and Senan followed him to the next section. As though they had only been strolling, Eideard continued, "Dedric should not have told her about our pasts if he wanted to keep her there. I see no reason why to retrieve her if she does not appreciate our hospitality."

"Because she may be betrothed to Derik and therefore is one out of four things that I was unable to eliminate that Derik holds dear." Eideard turned his head slightly to look at Senan. The shorter sorcerer merely returned his look with a raised eyebrow.

With Senan, it was difficult to understand his actions and especially understand his thoughts. Eideard was able to speak more easily with Dedric since the male from Hoshäi had no qualms with giving blunt answers and being as transparent as possible. To him, it was in his blood to be such. In Hoshäi, compared to Kraion, there were no consequences in being honest and doing as they wished. There were very few laws that ruled the people of Hoshäi. In theory, it seemed to be a perfect place to live. Somehow, by Dedric's somewhat bitter way of speaking of it, Eideard did not think it was such.

Senan certainly has kept his feelings of Kraion and other such things quiet, Eideard mused as he sent out his magic once again. The only thing he has expressed any feelings towards is the prince. "Exactly why is it that you want the prince to be so isolated?" Eideard queried, rather than thinking about it to himself.

"I want Kraion for myself," Senan answered simply. "I will have the power to take it and keep the people under control. There will be very little that can stop me. The only sorcerers I can think that may pose a threat are those from Dedric's home country. From what I have heard, they dislike all people in this region because of their law-abiding ways. I imagine they will give me no trouble at all."

"Hmm, so you say," Eideard murmured and then moved towards the next section. He frowned, feeling that there was a good deal of tension in this part of the forest. Although no one but a few people knew it, the trees in the Forest of Dim held a good deal of magic. It was not magic that could be mastered by any living human, but created by nature and animals. That magic was alive among these trees. Eideard suspected it was one of the animals that were rousing the magic. If so, either two animals were fighting or Alina was being attacked. Unbothered by either prospects, Eideard moved in a semi-circle and his magic instantly found her. "Your princess is that way," Eideard told him, nodding towards where his magic clashed against nature's magic. "I'll be returning to the cottage."

"You're not interested in seeing her harassed?" Senan sarcastically questioned.

"She is already being harassed. I am hardly going to watch you harass her after she is torn to pieces by a mountain lion." Eideard then disappeared, leaving Senan to rescue the princess of Siruean.

X

Alina flinched as she leapt away from the lion that lunged towards her. She had been foolish, tromping into the forest so soon, especially as her foot had had only a day's resting time since it was injured. Her wound was burning and it took a great deal of effort to ignore the pain. It felt as though a creature was trapped beneath the bandages, trying to emerge. The burning around her wound was almost worse than the pain. She was barely able to limp around to avoid the mountain lion.

She had done well at first, even inflicting some wounds upon the deranged creature, but it never slowed down despite the blood matting its tawny coat. It was beginning to occur to her how abnormal its behavior was; no animal would continue to fight in this manner while injured. And after those first ten, twenty minutes, her foot had begun to protest against her movements.

That's just it, she thought weakly, watching as the mountain lion circled her, its eyes flashing angrily, hungrily. It isn't only that my foot hurts – it's almost as though it's infected. It did not take long for an infected wound to affect the body, as it seemed to be doing with Alina. She was feverish and sweaty, her hands barely able to hold onto the hilt of the sword. It repeatedly slipped between her sweaty palms, making it difficult to grasp. Her bangs had been pasted to her forehead and she was weaker than was normal. Her knees shook with the effort of remaining upright.

She tensed as the mountain lion paused, its tail flicking back and forth, shifting leaves.

As it pounced, she barely managed to swing herself out of the way. She flinched as its claws tore through her arm and she stumbled back into a tree, hitting her foot against the trunk. She stifled a gasp as her foot screamed in pain and the creature seemed to claw at her flesh, desperate to escape. She almost wished that it would leave her foot. Perhaps then it would not hurt as much.

The mountain lion could sense her weakness and seemed to sneer at her, amused, as though saying, "Not strong anymore, are you?" As it crouched to pounce again, Alina knew she would not be able to avoid its attack. There was a sudden crack and the beast let out a horrible, high pitched yowl as its fur took fire. Alina stared, uncomprehending, as her eyelids grew heavy. She shuddered as the mountain lion rolled on the ground, burning alive before her eyes. She closed her eyes and dropped the sword, covering her ears so that she did not have to hear its pained screams.

"Not exactly intelligent, are you?" A mild voice questioned near her, just below the frightful sounds the mountain lion was making. With something of an effort, she opened her eyes to see Senan in front of her, his arms folded over his chest. She parted her lips to say something, to retort, but the scene swayed before her and as she took a step forward, the pain in her foot became too much and she collapsed forward.

Senan caught her as she went down, frowning. His eyes slid down to the moccasins she was wearing and he scowled. Ignoring the dying beast behind him, he crouched down and removed the moccasins, tossing them aside. He glanced at the broken bow slung on her shoulder and the empty quiver. He removed them both from her and laid them next to the moccasins, peeling the bandages from her foot. "Ugh...Stupid woman," he muttered, seeing that a nasty infection was festering on her foot. The bandages were filthy, both from her running without shoes from the cottage and from the moccasins that had been sitting in the shed for who-knew-how-long.

Gathering her in his arms, Senan glanced at the whimpering mountain lion and then disappeared, moving towards the cottage with his magic.

X

Oren paced in the room that Derik had given him for the stay. His heart had not stopped racing since his meeting with Derik and every once in awhile, it would stutter, threatening to halt. For once in a long time, Oren was frightened - frightened for his sister.

"...The Forest of Dim?" Oren repeated blankly after Derik had told him. It was clear to both the prince of Kraion and Jaiden that Alina's brother was having trouble processing this information. He was, in fact, trying to calm the panic that was rising in his chest. He and Alina had always been particularly close and the idea that his sister was being torn apart by the savage animals in the forest was causing problems for his heart at the moment. He forced a feeble laugh from his lips and said, "You must be joking. How would she have gotten in there?" His mind bolted back to his original theory after he had asked the question.

"I have my suspicions," Derik quietly told Oren, his eyes sympathetic and soft. The anger that had been bubbling on the surface of his calm exterior had vanished, likely seeing the horror on Oren's face. "I have yet to confirm them, but – "

"Your damn sister," Oren growled, his eyes darting around the room. He was not quite sure what it was that he was looking for, he just could not stand that look in Derik's eyes anymore. They were tearing him apart. "Your damn...sister did this to Alina." Derik stared at him as Oren violently threw himself across the room, pacing angrily. He had very little control over himself at that moment. "She's the only sorceress in Kraion, let alone sorcerer."

"Magic is rare now, yes," Derik agreed. "At least in this region." Oren did not appear to care what Derik was saying, pacing around the chambers, his green eyes flashing from object to object, trying to find some semblance of calm. It was proving difficult and it was only when he looked out the window and was faced with the forest that he halted. He stared for a long moment, rubbing his fingers together anxiously. Tiny sparks of magic erupted from his fingertips, which he ignored.

"There are other sorcerers in there," he told Derik in a flat voice.

"I thought it was just Senan?" Jaiden questioned in a puzzled tone.

"No, not just Senan. Valora likely knows it, as well. Everyone's magic has a different...feel, I guess, you would say. There are three different types of magic and I can sense a fourth one. It doesn't feel exactly human, though, or even real, to be honest. If Alina is truly in the Forest of Dim, she will be dealing with more than just the animals." His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he whipped around to face the two males. Derik was still standing, his eyes mildly surveying Oren. There was, however, the slightest bit of worry on his face, as if he suspected that the prince was beginning to lose his sanity.

"Please sit down," Derik said, gesturing to the divan. Oren wildly looked at where he waved his hand. After a pregnant pause, Oren approached the divan and settled on it. Derik sighed softly, rubbing his face. "I understand that you're worried, Oren. I assure you that I am, too, especially with that added piece of information. But for the moment, I have to ask you to please just calm yourself and not make any rash moves. We need to plan – really plan. You're a sorcerer, as you implied, but one sorcerer cannot fend off three, let alone enter the Forest of Dim and be able to maneuver through it. I would feel safer if someone else was with you. To do that, we need to contact other sorcerers and make a plan for this."

"A plan," Oren murmured in a hollow voice.

"Please," Derik added, his brows knitting together a bit desperately.

"...How long will it take you to formulate it, Derik?"

"I intend to do it as quickly as possible without making mistakes."

Oren began to rub his fingers again, hardly conscious of doing so. He had lost track of how long he had been in the room. All he knew was that he was becoming anxious again. With a deep breath, he calmed his breathing that was becoming a bit fast and paused in his pacing, standing in the middle of the room and steadying his breathing. His heart slowed a bit and a moment of clarity entered his mind. He felt a bit more in control of his thoughts and allowed himself to think of what Derik wished to do. Seeing as the sorcerers in this region were scarce and there were no longer any sorcerers that involved themselves in the Dark Arts – excluding one sorceress that was related to Derik – it would mean they would need to look to Hoshäi, where the Dark Arts were revered and seen as every day life. The problem with this was that those in Hoshäi despised people in this region, likely for their disapproval of the Dark Arts.

They are most educated when it comes to any type of magic, though. We need one of their people here to help. A knock sounded on the door and he paused, turning to face the door. It swung open and a petite girl with auburn hair opened the door. He blinked, surprised in spite of himself at her attractive looks. She was clearly a servant, but when it came to Oren, it was not beneath him to sleep with a servant. He did not attempt any charm, however. Her face was sad and the smile she offered was half-hearted and quite false.

"The prince wished me to ask to bring you something to eat. He felt that you would starve yourself otherwise."

"I see...Yes, well, thank you. Put it on the table." He gestured vaguely to the table and was about to dismiss the girl when he realized she was standing in the middle of the room, a strange expression on her face. He frowned slightly and then asked politely, "Yes? Is there something I can do for you?" She blushed, embarrassed, and dropped her gaze to the floor.

"It's just...I...I was wondering if you planned on going to find Alina. She was a good friend of mine and my brother, Jaiden, told me that you are a sorcerer, that you would...that you wanted to do something to retrieve her."

Oren gazed at her curiously, surprised by her audacity and the knowledge that his sister had a servant as a close friend. It was not entirely surprising, as social class had never meant anything to Alina and their father had raised her in such an unconventional manner that her views on life were a bit skewed. He eyed the girl again, noting that she was younger than his sister and sweeter. He guessed that she was a comfort to Alina in a foreign place. "What is your name?" He queried in a kind tone so as not to startle her.

"Sabia, my prince."

"And you're my sister's friend?"

"Yes...," she murmured, her eyes softening with fondness. "She has helped me in ways that I could never help myself, ways that Jaiden could not help me." She raised her head and looked at Oren despairingly. "Please – Jaiden would not tell me hardly anything that was going on. Can you not tell me? It would ease my mind if I knew that something was being done to help Alina. I...I'm so worried for her! I love her like I do my brother."

Oren rubbed the back of his neck. In reality, it was not his place to tell Sabia anything about what had taken place in the privacy of Prince Derik's chambers. But Oren had always been rather mischievous and enjoyed breaking rules. He was also quite good at slipping through bad situations and his own lies. If he had to, he would tell Derik that he was not informed not to tell anyone else. And besides, this was Alina's friend – she had a right to know. "Very well, Sabia. Sit down and let me eat something before I tell you." Her face lit up. "Not a word to anyone, though," he added, putting a finger to his lips. "I might not be allowed to tell you. To hell with protocol, though." He winked at her, smirking as he dropped his finger. A pleasant blush spread over her cheeks at the wink and she nodded feebly. At least his mood had improved somewhat.

7: Chapter Seven

Valora sat in front of the silver goblet, trembling. Setting up the ritual had been tiring and she knew that she should not have sacrificed that blood, no matter how little it had been. Everything had gone wrong. Before the summoning spell for her djinn, she had done a spell to make certain that her brother's fiancée was dead. As it was, the woman was quite alive. She had been able to feel her life force in the Forest of Dim. It had been a bit weak, as if she were ill, but that did not change the fact that she was alive. Not only was Alina alive, but Valora had still not recovered from the complex spell to send the djinn out of its quarters. This both frightened and worried her.

I did it perfectly, she assured herself, shivering from a nonexistent cold. She pulled her fluffy robe around her more securely, staring down at the goblet and her reflection. She was not her usual, beautiful self. She had been unable to keep food down since performing the spell so that she was now unhealthily thin and her skin was a sickly gray. She had violet shadows beneath her eyes from the lack of sleep; she had only been able to toss and turn restlessly in bed, barely getting an hour of sleep each night. In the day, she would remain awake, vomiting nothing and having more and more blankets piled up on her even though her skin was feverish. I should not be affected this way.

The djinn rose up, his usual blank expression twisted into an expression that she did not recognize. Hesitantly, he said, "I am at your service, princess..." She waved at him dismissively. "You are ill."

"Which is only one of the reasons I have summoned you. My fever only recently broke today. Today, djinn! I have not been able to get out of bed since performing that spell and I still cannot keep anything down. I am still cold, yet my skin is hot. What went wrong? I followed each step, used the precise ingredients, and I gave the right amount of blood. What happened? I should have been weak, yes, but it was not expected that I fall ill." The djinn said nothing, staring at her with a perplexed expression. "And, along with that, you did not dispose of the girl as I commanded! It was a useless attempt! I am suffering for no reason!"

"Princess...I deposited her in the Forest of Dim as you requested, deep enough so that no one would find her. There were no human inhabitants that I could sense. She should have been attacked by the animals."

"Well, she is alive, djinn. Nothing went as I intended. I cannot stand this...That bastard Senan must have found her. That does not explain why he would keep her alive, though. Surely he knows that she is Derik's fiancée? Why would she remain alive, then? He should hate her, want to kill her, just as he did with the others so near my brother." She huddled against herself as she crouched near the goblet, her eyes darting around a bit wildly. "I hate this...No one even cares that I am sick. They're all so focused on Alina because of Derik. Not even the servants care. All they talk about is, 'Oh, poor Derik, losing his fiancée.'" Angry tears spilled from her eyes, leaking down her cheeks. "I shouldn't be surprised. No one's ever cared for me since Derik was born anyway..."

"...Princess..." The djinn was clearly at a lost of what to do. He hovered uncertainly above the goblet, watching as she shoved her face in her hands, sobbing quietly. Valora rarely, if ever, cried, let alone at the treatment of others towards her. She was accustomed to being ignored by people. She felt so weak and defeated at that moment, though. Even though she was still the most beautiful woman in Kraion, Alina was alive and could reclaim that title and what did beauty get her in the end? Nothing. Not even her magic got her anything. People feared her magic and the fear fostered resentment.

"It's not fair," she moaned, pushing her hands up into her tangled hair, clutching at it. "I've worked for this. I gave my own blood to get to this point and it didn't even fall into place like it was supposed to. Now I'm even more miserable because I will have worked for nothing if they go into the forest and find her." She continued to cry for a moment, frustrated and, admittedly, wounded by how lost and lonely she was. When she fell silent, the djinn knelt, peering down to see her face. She abruptly swung her face up, an exhausted expression on her face. "When I get better, I need to devise a plan to make it so that Alina cannot ever get into Kraion, to make it so that she cannot leave the Forest of Dim even if she manages to escape the animals and Senan."

"Both?" the djinn asked, alarmed. "Princess, I would reconsider. If that spell took this much out of you – "

"Shut up!" She snapped, getting to her feet weakly. "I don't care what illnesses I have to go through to get what I want. Derik will only feel a quarter of the suffering that I have experienced in my life. I want him to feel it, even if it is only that much. He will not get his fiancée back, not if I cannot have my father back, not if I cannot have my rightful place on the throne of Kraion, not if some heathen girl is considered more beautiful than me. You will help me, djinn."

"I live to serve, princess," he murmured after a slight pause, bowing his head. Her hard expression softened and she reached out, running a hand over the angular face of the djinn. To her, it did not matter if he was ugly. He remained faithful to her, the closest thing she had to a friend. And the worry he had expressed on her behalf warmed her heart.

"I know that you will never betray me, my djinn," she murmured, leaning down and resting her cheek on the top of his smooth, bald head. "I trust you far more than anyone else." She pressed her dry, chapped lips to his head briefly. Valora withdrew and saw that there was a sad, reluctant look in his eyes. He did not approve of what she was going to do when she became well again, but would obey her if it made her happy. And, even though she did not look at all lovely, his eyes did not look at her outward appearance, but her soul. As battered and trashed as it was from neglect and her own misdeeds, it was a beautiful soul. It was a pity nobody else could see that. "I shall give you my plans soon."

"Very well." He drifted back into the goblet and she blew out the candles.

X

Eideard stared down at the bed, with an utterly detached expression. Behind him, Dedric was in the doorway, his shoulder resting against the doorframe as he surveyed him. Senan was on the other side of the bed, watching Eideard's face. Unfortunately, the other sorcerer's face revealed nothing of what he was thinking. Contrary to what he had believed, Eideard had not returned to the cottage immediately after finding Alina's location for Senan. Senan had waited for Eideard's return in Dedric's bedroom, irritated. They had done what they could for the infection of Alina's foot, but their arts focused on making such things worse, not better. Whatever bits and pieces they had needed to know had been forgotten in the time they had been in the Forest of Dim.

As soon as Eideard arrived, he came to the bedroom as if suspecting something of being wrong. He had strange plants in his hands, which he later explained were for her cuts that he had expected Alina to have. After taking care of her wounds from the mountain lion's attack, he had stood and looked at Alina lying prone on the bed. That had been a bit over five minutes ago and he was still in the same position.

Senan did not really care if the girl died or not; her life meant very little to him. However, she was rather integral to his current plan to torture Derik and if she died, he could hardly use her and he simply did not agree with that. He disliked surprises. He could always use her body as a puppet after she died. His knowledge of the Dark Arts allowed that. He was not sure it would be as convincing and he wanted to see her cry for her idiot fiancée. Dead people could not cry.

"I weary of watching you just stare at her," Dedric broke the quiet in a bored tone. "Are you going to just watch her die or are you actually going to do something, Eideard? She's sounding andlooking worse than when Senan brought her in."

That, in fact, was quite true. Alina had been a bit restless and her hands had been twitching when Senan brought her in, but she was now in a much worse state. There was a clear sheen of sweat on her face and her skin, a healthy peach colour, had turned a ghastly shade of gray. While she had been breathing regularly earlier, she was now breathing in wheezing breaths. Even Senan could see that the infection was spreading fast.

"I would suggest, then, that you both leave the room," Eideard told them.

"What for?" Senan demanded.

"Have you seen her foot?" Eideard questioned, pointing to Alina's foot. "Her skin on and around the infection has turned black. I will have to cut that off, extract the pus that's forming beneath the layer and suck out the poison of the infection." Eideard's face indicated that he was not looking forward to that part of the operation. "In fact, Senan, if I didn't think you would mess it up somehow, I would have you do it. I'm sure you could stomach it, after all." Senan snorted in response.

"Whatever, just get to it before she dies." Senan walked around the bed and then paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You can cut off her foot instead, if you like. I wouldn't mind that. She would be less likely to go run off again." Eideard stared at him coldly.

"No. Regardless of what you may think, Senan, I am not as sadistic as you or Dedric. I would rather try to cure her than amputate her." Senan shrugged at this and then left the room, passing Dedric. Eideard frowned as Dedric stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "I told you to leave."

"I'm interested to see how this works. I won't be in the way, I just want to watch." Eideard eyed him and then turned away, shrugging off his robes and then pushing his sleeves up to begin his work. Dedric moved to the place Senan had been a moment ago, crossing his arms over his chest and sitting back to watch.

Alina sat up as sunlight danced across her eyes, blinking against the bright light. When she was regaining her eyesight, a hand touched her face and she jerked away from it, startled. A low, amused chuckle sounded from her side and she turned to see Derik bending over, one hand braced on the bed. For a moment, she was disoriented, confused as to what was going on. "Derik...? What's happened?" She darted a quick look around her, seeing that she was in her own chambers, that everything was as it should be. Had she dreamed of Senan, of Dedric and Eideard? Had it all been a terrible nightmare? "I was...fighting a mountain lion."

"Were you?" Derik asked interestedly, settling on the bed beside her. "Where did you get such a bizarre and violent dream, Alina?" She hesitated.

"I think this is a dream, Derik. Dreams can't be as real as that one was. I dreamt that Senan was in the Forest of Dim and he wanted to use me against you and – " His frown made her stop. Still unsure of whether she was dreaming or not, she knew that expression of his meant that the topic they were discussing was too personal for his liking. After a pause, she said softly, "I couldn't get to you, Derik, and I missed you so much." His face softened and this time when he touched her face, she did not move back, but raised a hand to hold onto his, feeling tears pour down her cheeks. "I was so frightened that I would never get back to you. I don't even know if I really am here or if it's all in my head."

"Don't cry," he murmured, shifting so that he could pull her up to him. She circled her arms around his waist and cried, hiding her face against his neck. She could not remember ever taking comfort in Derik's arms, let alone crying in front of him. His hands moved over her back, stroking it comfortingly. "It was all a dream, Alina. Just a dream. You're here with me now." He pulled her from him, holding her afar so that she met his gaze. "Alright? Nothing can keep you from me, you know that. I promise you." Alina managed a watery smile, sniffling. He wiped her tears and cupped her face.

"Alright," she whispered brokenly. "But...Derik? How come Sabia didn't wake me up?"

He sighed, releasing her, and said, "I had a dream about you. It was very odd. I wanted to make sure you were here, that you were okay. And you are...Just as I thought. It's so strange, because I dreamt of Senan, too. He broke into your room and stole you from me. He wasn't in the Forest of Dim, though, but he lived in Hoshäi. Is that not remarkable?" Derik smiled at her, seeing her worried expression. "Don't look so troubled, Alina. We both had dreams. It's mere coincidence."

"But what if it isn't? What if it's not just a dream? What if this is the dream, Derik?"

"Nonsense. This is real. I know."

Hysteria was building in Alina's chest and she lurched forward, grabbing his shoulders. She could see that she had startled him by the slight widening of his eyes. "But what if it isn't? I feel like I'm losing my mind, Derik! If I can't tell a dream from reality, if that line is blurred, how am I to know when I'm living my own life or a dream life? I'll...I'll be living two lives and – "

"Alina," he murmured, gently removing her hands from his shoulders, interrupting her before she became hysterical. "I assure you that we are living in the real world." He took her hands and kissed them. She could feel the softness of his lips, the brush of a kiss on her cool hands. "I am proof enough. You can feel me, can't you, just as I can feel you?" She nodded and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers briefly. She closed her eyes, sighing in relief. "You had a nightmare, albeit a terrible one."

"And if the nightmare was real?"

"I would hope nothing like that would happen to you," he said seriously, drawing back a bit. She felt a sudden need to connect with him, to know that this was her fiancé that she was gazing at and he was made of flesh and not mist that her mind had created. She blinked blearily, feeling tears in her eyes again. "Alina, hush...There is no need to cry." She felt his breath pass over her lips and shivered, leaning into him, feeling his lips touch hers. She collapsed against him, thankful for his arms that gathered her, pulling her against his chest. But as he did, she felt a terrible pain in her foot and pulled away, screaming. And when she opened her eyes, it was dark, full of black nothingness. She knew then that the nightmare was real, that the nightmare was what her life had become in the matter of only a few days.

Alina was sobbing, moaning in agony. She did not dare open her eyes. If she saw Derik sitting beside her she truly would know that she was going mad. There was a hand on her leg, an unfamiliar hand. She only then realized that her leg had been thrashing, trying to throw off the pain in her foot. Only then did she open her eyes, blinking back the tears. It was not Derik whose hand was on her leg, nor Senan's. There were no kind eyes, no mocking eyes, but a calm, azure gaze that settled on her face as she stared back at the sorcerer; it was Eideard who was kneeling next to the bed. "Your foot is not completely bandaged," he told her. She stilled, trembling a bit, as he wrapped bandages over her foot. She noticed they were coated with some kind of plant, no doubt to help the infection.

She flinched as a cool, smooth hand settled on her forehead. "Her fever is almost completely gone," she heard Dedric's dulcet tones above her. "Commendable, Eideard. Nice to see that you fixed Senan's tool." Eideard snorted in response. Alina raised her eyes to Dedric's face as he withdrew his hand. He bent over her, his blonde hair hanging over his shoulders. His face looked so handsome and trustworthy. She wished he had never told her that he was even eviler than Senan. She would have preferred to be oblivious and continue liking him; however, she could not say that she hated him. He was impossible to hate, it seemed. "How are you feeling?" He murmured, bracing a hand against the wall. "You seemed like you were having a nightmare when you were unconscious. Gave Eideard a lot of trouble."

No, this is the nightmare! She howled in her mind. "My foot hurts," she whimpered feebly.

"Blame yourself," Eideard grunted from the end of the bed. "You were the one who decided to run off in filthy moccasins. Not to mention you had already ruined your bandages by running around outside without any shoes on and then decided to trek in the forest and sweat some more dirt into the wound. Consider how much dirt you caked onto your wound. It's no wonder it was as infected as it was." She stared at him, wounded by his blunt words. If he noticed her stare, he gave no indication of it.

"He isn't wrong," Dedric told her. "You should have known better, even if you did want to get away from three murdering sorcerers." Eideard shot him a mutinous stare. "Two murdering sorcerers, sorry," he corrected with a roll of his eyes. "I have no reason to kill you, Alina. Maybe steal your virginity, but not kill. Senan wants you alive, but that's it. All you need is a heartbeat for him. He'll Valoram you if he feels like it. Eideard doesn't give a shit either way. Compared to those animals out there, who take one look at you and think, 'Food,' you're much safer here. Remember that the next time you feel like running off to Kraion." Alina wanted to cry but her entire body was so sore that she could not summon the energy to rouse any tears. Why did he have to be so brutally honest? She didn't want to know any of that.

"Stop scaring her, Dedric. I'm not in the mood to deal with a sniveling princess."

Dedric shrugged, smiling pleasantly and then leaned down, pressing his lips to Alina's forehead. She blinked at the affectionate gesture. "Try not to piss Eideard off, eh?" He withdrew from the bed and rounded it to approach the door. "And try not to be too much of a dick, Eideard," he added as an afterthought before leaving the room, the door shutting quietly behind him.

The room had become silent after Dedric's departure. Alina did not dare look to the end of the bed to see the sorcerer's careful ministrations, staring up at the ceiling fixedly. With such an intimidating expression, Alina did not like to think of him capable of being kind. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she slowly drew her eyes down to stare at Eideard's bowed head. If he felt her gaze, he did not say so. Biting her lip, she watched as he continued to wrap her foot, keeping her foot in position with a hand on her ankle, his long fingers curling around.

"H-how bad was it?" She asked timidly.

"The entire bottom of your foot was black and the infection had been spreading throughout your body. You're lucky Senan got to you when he did or else you would have died," he replied steadily. He raised his head, his dark eyes meeting hers through the fringe of brown hair that flopped onto his forehead. "Be grateful that I was here or else you would be dead. Senan and Dedric have near to no magical abilities outside the Dark Arts. The magic that Senan does know outside his Dark Arts is hardly helpful in a situation such as this. He wanted to amputate your foot. Dedric knows of more powerful healing magic than I do, but does not know how to perform it. He has tried using it on himself, but his magic is far too corrupted for the spells to get right. The only healing he can use is basic healing potions, which goes for the same as Senan. However, I only experimented in the Dark Arts and was not given the chance to get as involved as Senan, let alone Dedric. I know more when it comes to magic outside the Dark Arts."

"...Thank you," she said in a low voice after the initial shock of having almost lost her foot subsided. He ignored her thanks, turning back to her foot to tie the bandage just tight enough to keep it from coming undone. "I am grateful." Her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips and she continued, "I had not known it could get that bad." Eideard rose to his feet and collected the extra bandages, tucking them in the pockets of his robes. He stared out the window for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"I have a proposition for you, princess," he said musingly, turning to face her. Alina cast him a startled look. "I assure you that it is nothing heinous or of an intimate matter." She wondered how he could keep a straight face when saying that last part. She blushed at the mere idea of doing anything intimate with him of all people. "I may be willing to help you return to Kraion if you are, in fact, Derik's fiancée."

Surprised, Alina asked him, "Are you a friend of his?"

His face twisted into a sour expression, one that clearly indicated he was never and would never be such a thing. She regretted asking. "No. I detest Derik only a bit less than Senan. This has nothing to do whether I am friends with the prince or not, but my own safety. Derik has certain...ways with people that I cannot claim any of us except for Dedric have. While Dedric charms people and works his way into their head, playing on what he believes they want or need, Derik uses his so-called noble, courageous character to get him what he wants. He's an overprotective idiot that, if something – or someone – was stolen from him, he would do anything to get it back, especially if he knew where that thing was. If Derik were to know that you were in the Forest of Dim, he could do any number of things to get you back, all of which involve disturbing my peaceful living."

"Such as...?"

"If I know Derik – and I do, from stories and personal experience – the first action he is sure to take after he realizes where you are is to gather sorcerers. Kraion has near to none, let alone the kingdoms around it, so he will turn to the kingdom that breeds sorcerers and sorceresses – Hoshäi. He could get a few from there, as reluctant as they may be, and if they find our stronghold here, it could complicate things for me. Senan could not win against them and as much as I loathe to admit it, I most certainly would not. Dedric would be able to, but he can't fight them and protect us at the same time. It's not possible."

"So this is all just a selfish reason for you to save yourself!" Alina said, sickened.

"Not entirely selfish," he answered carelessly. "I told you that Senan would die, too. Mind you, as soon as Senan falls, Dedric will run. I have no illusions of friendship with either of those two. Their ties to each other are stronger than I have to either of them. I am allies with them, not friends. Do not mistake that, princess." He paused for a moment and then continued, "Both Dedric and Senan know of my selfish manner. Dedric doesn't care what I do, but Senan does, which is why I expect he has not been eager to leave me alone with you for very long. I am willing to return you wherever you wish in order to keep things quiet here."

"And you want nothing of me?" She questioned, simply to clarify things.

"Nothing," he agreed. "But I am curious of two things."

"Alright...Ask, then."

"Since you have not disagreed with me, am I to assume that Derik is your fiancé?"

"Yes," she answered softly.

"Then...Does he love you and you, him?" Her head shot up in surprise. His expression and demeanor remained unchanged, as if he had asked nothing more than what kingdom she was from. "It is a reasonable question," he said to her expression. "If Derik loves you, he may have already taken that step I mentioned to contact Hoshäi. It is one thing when you are a childhood friend or an ex-fiancée and an entirely different thing when he is in love with you and wants to marry you. It is even more complicating if you love him and he knows it." Eideard's voice never changed, confident in his logic. She admired him for that. He never lost his calm, no matter what the topic of conversation, no matter what the circumstances.

Averting her gaze, feeling her cheeks warm, she murmured, "He doesn't know that I love him, but I do." Remembering her dream, she wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes against the stinging of tears behind her eyes. "I miss him."

"I can imagine that," was his mild answer. She opened her eyes to look at him. "Everyone does bad things for a reason, princess, and I am no different, nor are Dedric or Senan." There was something on Eideard's face that made him seem human. She identified it as grief, but the reasons were hidden from her as he turned his head so that she could only see his profile. She did not remove her gaze, though, suddenly realizing that the stoic nature Eideard held was all to dull his painful emotions. She wished she could help him, but a part of Eideard's sentence came to her, causing her to blink in disbelief.

"But Senan is...horrid."

"He has his reasons – or so I am told by Dedric." Eideard moved towards the door and tilted his head back to look at her. "Once your foot has time to heal, I'll take you to Kraion. This is to be between you and me only." She nodded, assuring him that she understood. Satisfied, he turned back to the door and left her in the room by herself, alone, save for her thoughts.

Eideard could hear Senan and Dedric talking quietly downstairs as soon as he stepped out of the bedroom. He was not surprised that it was Dedric's voice that seemed to hold a soothing quality to it, as if he was trying to calm a temper. He did not immediately attend to the two dark sorcerers, standing in the corridor with a pensive expression on his face. He could tell that Alina was convinced that she was in love with Derik, but it was more of a longing for familiarity. He knew love well enough to know that she would be far more distressed than she was over the prince of Kraion than she seemed to be.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he took a few steps and leaned against the wall, tapping his fingers on his arms, dismissing Alina's romance issues and his own failed romance from mind. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his private saying of, "Leave the past behind and keep moving forward." He had yet to ignore it. The real problem at hand was the proposal he had presented to her and her agreement. He knew accurate ways of blocking Dedric and Senan's Dark Magic, of misleading it, but he hoped that he did not need to use any such spells. He was more inclined to sneak Alina out of the place without Dedric or Senan knowing. More so the latter than the former.

Hmm, he mused to himself, hearing Senan's voice raise to a dangerous tone, I ought to go down there and see what the hell he's having a tantrum about before it gets out of control. He frowned, loathing to abandon his current thoughts. He needed to figure something out before the day was done and most especially before Alina's foot had healed. One problem at a time, he thought with a small sigh, and currently, Senan is the most pressing problem at the moment. Pushing away from the wall, he unfolded his arms and descended the steps, hearing the end of Dedric's sentence.

"...which will just aggravate her and you know it."

"Aggravate her," Senan muttered viciously. "As if I give a damn if I aggravate her. She's aggravated me enough! If she didn't bring me one step closer to claiming Kraion for myself, I wouldn't even keep the bothersome woman alive!" Dedric heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes towards Eideard, who was standing near the stairs, a crease of irritation between his brows. "Ugh, of all the princesses to wander in the Forest of Dim, it had to be that one. I wouldn't care if she was more compliant and broken like Derik's sister."

"You consider her compliant?" Eideard asked with a tilt of an eyebrow. Dedric appeared similarly skeptical. "You must be mad. That woman is probably more stubborn than the one we have on our hands right now and far more dangerous. While she does not know physical combat like Alina does, she does have magical abilities, even if you are under the misconception that she does not." Senan had an unhappy frown on his lips, taking notice, as Eideard did, that Dedric seemed to disagree with Senan on the matter of the princess of Kraion, as well.

"She knows how to perform the Dark Arts after you allowed her to watch you," Dedric told Senan, pointing a finger at him meaningfully. "Valora is blonde, Senan, but not without intelligence. I'm inclined to believe that she is quite clever in things that she puts her mind to. Ruining people's lives seems to be on the top of her agenda lately, especially ruining our lives."

"I would bet that it's more Senan's life that she's trying to make miserable," Eideard commented. Dedric shrugged and turned his gaze to Senan, who was tensed, knowing that he had been cornered in his own home.

Grumbling, Senan turned from them, pacing towards the counter, hating that they may be right. He had never told Dedric – and especially not Eideard – that he had snubbed Valora when she had so eagerly offered to help him in his magic. He had taught her all the magic outside of the Dark Arts that he knew and she did well at it. The taste of the dark magic had startled her, yet also encouraged her to explore them. He had seen the greedy look in her eyes, the way she eyed him, knowing that he could help her gain the dark power he possessed. It was that reason he had rejected her. He had never thought she would pursue the Arts on her own, though...

Senan turned back to his two companions, leaning against the counter and surveying them. Dedric was trustworthy, but would not go out of the way to help Senan gain what he wanted. Eideard had no loyalty to either of them as they did to each other. If he was loyal to anyone in this damn forest, it would be Alina simply because she was a woman. While Eideard thought he kept himself so easily locked away inside himself, Senan had been able to gleam that Eideard had abandoned the Dark Arts because of a woman – although he was not entirely sure why yet – and his weakness was young children. This was from a piece of information Eideard let slip when they first met, mentioning that he had once had a little brother. Senan had seen the anguish in Eideard's eyes before it vanished and would bet anything that if he saw a child being hurt, he would risk his own neck for them.

It's a pity I have yet to find Dedric's weakness, Senan thought.

"I suppose it is possible Alina's being here is all a part of some scheme that Valora devised," he grudgingly confessed after a beat. Dedric blinked, a bit surprised by the honesty. "That is only, of course, if she pursued the Dark Arts without my instruction. I'm not confident that she has the skill for that – she was hardly able to perform rudimentary magic when she first came to me – but I suppose I cannot rule it out in the light of things."

"Did you sleep with her?" Eideard asked in his usual blunt manner.

"Apparently I wasn't her type," Senan said in mock hurt.

"That's hardly relevant, Eideard," Dedric grumbled in an exasperated tone.

"I disagree. Senan seems the type to break women's hearts," Eideard informed him.

Shaking his head, Dedric turned back to Senan and said with an unusually sober expression, "What I am more interested in is why Alina would have been targeted by Valora. I hardly doubt that Alina would make an enemy out of a sorceress. She does not seem stupid enough."

"Valora hates Derik more than I do," Senan remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's personal for her. Once Derik was born, Valora was ignored by both of her parents. Her mother was supposed to teach her magic and did a bit, but that was while Derik was still unborn. A few years later the queen died, so not only was Valora the only sorceress in the family, but one that didn't know magic and had virtually no friends and her family appeared to not care about her. She has every right to hate Derik, if you ask me. No doubt her hostility made him hate her."

"Huh. He must have hated her before he became a noble ass or he would have tried to make peace with her."

"Agreed. The point here is that Derik stripped her of everything that made her happy: the possibility of being queen in the future, and her parents and kingdom's affection. If Valora is the reason Alina ended up in the Forest of Dim, then we can accurately suppose that she is doing it to hurt Derik and it has virtually nothing to do with Alina herself. Once Derik is married, Alina would have taken the place that Valora considered hers: queen of Kraion."

There was a pause in which each of them absorbed this information. Eideard looked fairly revolted with Valora's actions and Dedric seemed to find them just as unattractive. Senan, however, would not be the least bit surprised if his theory was true. Anything that gained her power was something that Valora wanted. She had nothing but her beauty and her magic to make her happy. He had seen that, beyond power, she thought that the power magic gave her would make her happy. He wondered if she ever figured out the lie in that assumption of hers.

"A very plausible conclusion," Eideard finally said. "So the question we really need to ask is how she got Alina here."

"That is an excellent question," Senan agreed. "I think – "

"But first I am interested to know what you wanted to do that Dedric said would aggravate Alina," Eideard interrupted. Dedric glanced at Eideard, saying nothing as Senan had half-expected. "You want to use her so much – that's fine. I'm not going to let my time and energy be wasted, though. If you want to aggravate her, do it after her foot heals or else she's bound to do something stupid. The girl is positively headstrong."

"Threatening her a bit will frighten her, not aggravate her," Senan said with a sarcastic scowl.

"And we saw how well that went earlier, didn't we? Anything we have to say to her has a negative effect, if you haven't noticed. She doesn't hold sorcerers in high esteem."

"Likely because all of the people in Kraion are superstitious idiots when it comes to magic. You say a foreign word and they'll put you on trial faster than you can translate it. I'm sure it doesn't help with Derik whispering all kinds of darks things about how I escaped here and blah, blah, blah... Of course she doesn't hold sorcerers in high esteem, you prat." Senan shot Eideard an irritated look, as if he were talking to the biggest dolt in history. "Do try and say something intelligent if you are going to engage in a conversation. It's no wonder you rarely ever talk. I wouldn't want to if I were you, either."

"I could say the same for you," was Eideard's cool response, undaunted by the insults. Senan's lip curled derisively as Eideard whirled around and left the cottage, shutting the door behind him quite firmly.

"I'm surprised you didn't start throwing accusations at him, Senan," Dedric mildly told his friend. Senan turned to him, raising an eyebrow in question. "A clueless expression does not suit you." He smirked as Senan glowered warningly.

"I wouldn't even have to consider accusing him of things if you had stayed in the room with them. It's as if you are encouraging him to conspire with her and I know that if he hasn't done it yet he will soon." Senan smiled to himself, a slow lift of his mouth. "He can conspire all he wants, anyway. I don't care. His methods of getting trust are rather boring compared to mine. I can have an unlimited amount of patience so long as the twit doesn't think to run off again." Dedric chuckled.

"Yes, maidens running off do tend to be rather troublesome." He paused, his smile fading. "But honestly. I can't read him as well you. Do you think he was up to anything unusual?"

"Not today," Senan murmured, "but you can never be sure with him. If he'd show some emotion more than once in a blue moon, it might be easier." He sighed, reaching back to rub his neck. The little princess fiancée of Derik's was proving to be more trouble than she was worth. All she had done so far was make snide comments to him, run off and get her wound infected and cause general upheaval in his relatively calm household. He was not all that inclined to seducing her, seeing as how it had been some time since Senan had made so much as an ounce of an effort at getting between a woman's legs. He never found the experience satisfying in the end. "I don't suppose you would seduce her for me?" He grumbled.

"Oh, she already likes me quite a bit," Dedric stated with a smirk, "but you keep putting her off balance and making her suspicious. Come on and have some fun, Senan, or else you'll turn into a killjoy like Eideard." Senan snorted, dropping his hand from his neck.

"Not even I could become that bad." He looked thoughtful, withdrawing from the counter and placing a hand on his waist. A wicked grin lit his features and had Dedric's eyebrows rising. "Do you know how much it would piss Derik off to know that I have his sweet, virginal fiancée wrapped around my finger? Oh, the joy I will take in brainwashing her!"

"I thought you didn't want to seduce her?" Dedric asked, amused.

"I have ways of making a woman get under my power without it having to be sexual. I'm not interested in sex at the moment." He waved his hand, as though dismissing him. "Besides, how else am I to get her to trust me enough to ruin Derik? I could simply torture her in front of him. This seems more effective. Derik would hate to see his woman fall under my charm."

"You're terrible," he laughed.

"I just need to keep Eideard out of the way. He's almost as bad as Derik when it comes to using innocent women for misdeeds."

"It's not as though she's leaving the experience empty-handed," Dedric said. "And if she is disappointed, I could always show her what fun truly is when with the right guy seeing as how you are 'not interested in sex at the moment.'" Senan chortled, not at all offended at the implications that he might disappoint the princess. He could care less whether Alina came out of the experience pleased or not, so long as when they met Derik again, she was under his spell – figuratively speaking – and Derik could suffer. It would make the prince's downfall all the more delicious.

X

Derik sighed, stifling the desire to rub his face, instead rubbing his hands together as he stood outside the entrance doors to his father's chambers. Derik's father, Naten, was still king and Derik was still prince, even if the latter did most of the work in the kingdom. Although Derik did not know himself, as he had still been quite young, it was rumored that the king lost a good part of his soul when his wife died. Derik did notice that as soon as he had voluntarily assumed extra responsibilities, his father had become lax in his own as king. King Naten had, in fact, become rather like a sloth, as if nothing but his own happiness matter. It was this fact that made Derik nervous to speak with his father.

The doors opened a moment later and he nodded to the servant that opened the doors. As he entered, he noticed that his father did not seem to be lounging about as usual, but standing at his desk in his study that adjoined his bedchambers, his face seeming slack with wrinkles and making him appear older than he truly was. He did not raise his eyes to meet Derik's gaze, gesturing wearily to a plush chair across from the desk. "I am troubled, my son," he murmured. Derik blinked. "I feel as though I'm living in the fog half the time. Do you feel that way?"

"No...But I do feel that you have been unlike yourself of late," Derik carefully responded, his brow furrowing. This was a very unexpected turn of events, one that he was not entirely pleased with. His first assumption was that Valora had been possessing their father with a spell. He knew, however, how much she adored their father, even if Naten had never showed such amiability for his daughter. And he did not think Valora could keep the spell operating for such a long time. She might be a good sorceress, but he doubted she was that good. "And now, father? Do you feel in a fog?"

"Not at the moment," Naten sighed. "It is worrisome. Far too many strange things have been happening in Kraion. I cannot be a king if I do not act like one. And I cannot act like one if I cannot remember my days because I'm walking in a fog in my mind. I would like to blame a sorcerer, but there are none near. I would not like to think that my own daughter is doing this to me..."

"I don't think she is, father," he assured, confident of that at least. Valora did not look to be in the shape to do much of any magic as of late. "Valora loves you too much to cause such harm. She loves Kraion too much to cause it harm." Sadly, Derik knew this to be true. There was flashes of genuine personality when he saw her alone, when she thought no one was watching, and he could tell by the fond way she gazed at their father that she loved him like no one else, that the way she listened to people speak of Kraion and how she watched the people interact from afar, that she would sacrifice a great deal for her kingdom. If she didn't hide behind her cruel mask all the time, Derik might be able to say that he would like her. As it was, she hated him and since he could remember, he had hated her for all the tortures she inflicted upon him.

"Enough of my troubles for now, Derik. While I have a moment of clarity, please tell me why you've come so I might be able to help." His eyes were sad when he said this, as if he were mentally unstable and would drift off into a fantasy world at any moment.

"I need permission to contact Hoshäi. I believe I may know where Alina is and one sorcerer has already offered his help. I know that, with Senan in the Forest of Dim, he will need more help than just his own magic." Naten's mouth turned down into a frown, a good indication that he would need more persuading to allow what he no doubt thought was a ludicrous suggestion. "I understand that those in Hoshäi hate us," Derik continued a bit more quickly than a moment ago, "but I have to try and get help. If I have to, I will go in with the sorcerer if no others will assist me. With my warrior skills and his magic, we should be able to get through the Forest of Dim without any trouble."

"Derik..." Naten's voice was quiet and full of doubt. "Please, do not cause more harm to yourself. There is no possible way that Alina could have survived if she is in the Forest of Dim."

"I won't abandon her unless I know for certain that she is dead," Derik said sternly, his eyes flashing determinedly. His chest was swelling, filling with desperation. He would go against his father's wishes if Naten rejected his proposal. Oren would throw himself into the forest if he knew that there was a snag in their plans and Derik could not afford to lose his fiancée's brother, too. That would hardly reflect well on Kraion if both heirs to the Siruean throne died shortly after being in his territory. "Father, I have to do this. For her."

Naten sighed, settling in his chair behind his desk and shaking his head. Derik had never seen his father look so fatigued and so aged. It was as though he was were looking at his grandfather instead. "You love her this much, Derik? She is the only woman you've ever known, you do realize that, I hope? There are other women...Is she worth it?"

"She is more than worth it. Please just let me do this."

Naten gazed up at Derik and then nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I can see that your heart will not be swayed, so I shall allow it. Whatever resources of Kraion's that you need to find her, you may use. I would have done it for your mother..." He trailed off, his face tensing painfully and then he gestured towards a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Inside there is a black, marble ball covered in a velvet cloth. Take it out and behind it there will be a dais. It is...made up of dark magic, but it is the only way that Hoshäi will communicate with anyone." Derik eyed him, suddenly concerned with the object that his father had described. He certainly did not want to use some dark artifact that had come from Hoshäi. "I have used it before, Derik, you needn't worry," his father said as he hesitated a bit longer.

Derik approached the cabinet and opened it, finding the velvet covered ball immediately. He withdrew it, surprised at the light weight of it, and then reached behind in the darkness of the cabinet to find the dais. Once he had grasped it, he shut the cabinet with his wrist and then returned to the desk. Naten settled the dais and held out his hand for the ball. Derik unwrapped it and eyed the seemingly harmless object before giving it to his father to place on the dais. "They call it the Orb of the Heavens," Naten explained, tracing a pattern on the marble ball with his fingertips, "and is so light because the middle has been hollowed out. That is where the dark magic lies, allowing it to operate. I do not consider it any part of the Heavens, not if it the Dark Arts are involved." The orb began to glow, colours swirling from the middle and moving outward in a spiral motion. Naten gestured for Derik to take his spot, rising out of his seat.

Derik felt his hands shaky nervously, but hastily calmed himself. I have to remain steady, to convince these people that they would do good to send sorcerers to help us. If I act like a bumbling school boy just out of his governess's hands, then they will only laugh at me over dinner later.

"Speak the name of your location," a purring, female voice commanded from the orb, though he could see no face.

"Kraion," Derik responded after a brief pause to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

The orb cleared to show a tan, female face. He blinked, meeting the dark, azure eyes that stared calmly out at him. He had been expecting to be transferred to a man instead of seeing the owner of the voice. Her face was slender, as most people's faces in Hoshäi were, and her hair was straight and ebony, swept behind her shoulders. There was no emotion on her face, making it ever more unnerving for him to face her through a marble ball. "Why have you called on Hoshäi and what is your position in royalty?"

"I am Prince Derik," he said, hesitating, "and I have called to ask for assistance." She did not say anything in the silence that followed his declaration, patiently waiting for him to further explain himself. "My fiancée has been...taken to the Forest of Dim. The animals there have gone wild and there are three sorcerers in the forest, including the exiled sorcerer, Senan." He could feel Naten's puzzled gaze on the back of his head, likely wondering why Derik had not told him this a few minutes ago. Derik felt guilty, for he was about to tell the woman another thing he had omitted from his father. "She is in danger and her brother is a sorcerer and insists on doing in the Forest of Dim. He believes he can protect himself. I am sure he can, but if she is with the sorcerers, he may not be able to protect them both and drive them off at the same time."

"Indeed, that sounds to be a dilemma," the woman told him agreeably. "Do you know the other two sorcerers that are in the Forest of Dim?" There was a slight lilt to her voice, as if she was expecting a particular name.

"No...I do not. The sorcerer I spoke of – Oren – implied that there is a fourth magic, as well, that being held by nature. Is such a thing...possible?"

"It is more than possible, my prince," she told him in her liquid voice. "We sorcerers and sorceresses received our magic from the earth before we received it from the blood of our ancestors. It is why we must use the earth for our potions. There are many creatures and things in this world that have magic other than humans. The raw magic they harness is as violent as the dark magic we in Hoshäi use. You were right to call us for help. If this magic is active in the Forest of Dim, your sorcerer could be in danger if he does not know how to defend himself against it. I assume he does not if he has not experimented in the Dark Arts."

"There are defenses in the Dark Arts, too?"

"Naturally," was her calm reply. "It is not all bad. It is how you use it that matters." She paused, considering over something in her mind. "I cannot assure you that many will come. I can promise, however, that you will see me at your castle gates by sundown tomorrow. I need time to prepare and to observe this forest and the magic within it. I shall be able to do a better job at it than your sorcerer."

Relieved, Derik murmured, "Thank you..."

"Do not thank me until it is warranted, prince," she told him cryptically.

Taken aback, Derik's brows knitted together in slight offense, but he said, "If you insist."

"I must now leave. You shall see me tomorrow."

"Ah – might I have a name? My people will not take lightly to someone unknown showing up in Kraion."

"Yes, of course," she agreed faintly. "My name is Luvena ." With her name delivered, her face disappeared, the colours turning inward. Even after the ball had turned black again, looking as nondescript as it had before, Derik sat staring at it. He had succeeded in getting one of the hostile Hoshäi people on his side. He almost leapt up in joy. Surely these people would be able to help them. He knew that more planning would be required when they woman arrived tomorrow. He could not simply chuck them into the Forest of Dim and expect them to come out the next day with Alina in hand.

"I apologize for not giving you all the information," Derik said to his father at last, moving out of his seat and returning to the front of the desk. Naten collected the ball into the velvet cover.

"I'm not offended," Naten assured him, handing him the dais and the ball. Derik returned them to the cabinet while his father poured them each a glass of brandy. "I am, however, impressed that you managed to get one of such a culture to agree to help us. It did not seem that it was so much our circumstances that interested her as the combination of magical forces in the Forest of Dim, though, would you not agree?" Derik nodded as he sat down in a seat across from the desk, taking the glass of brandy and drinking generously from it. "Well, it does not matter, so long as she is coming to help you. I pray for you, Derik, that you do not get your hopes up. You must keep in mind that Alina may not be in there anymore, that she may be..." He chose not to finish his sentence, dropping his gaze to his hands, unable to say the word 'dead,' fearing that it would be too much for his son.

"I know, father," Derik softly said. "I do know..."

X

Alina had slept most of the day to allow her foot to heal, but at night her stomach was growling and she was restless. She carefully sat up and spots appeared before her eyes. She put a hand to her head, feeling a horrible pain shoot through the back of her head. After the pain and dizziness passed, she stood and made certain to put very little pressure on her wounded foot as she went to the wash basin. She poured water from the jug and scrubbed her face with a cloth and then washed her hair. That was all she would be able to do for the time being. After shoving her wet hair in a messy bundle atop her head, she clumsily changed into one of the outfits in the closet. The white shirt hung over her hangs, but rolling them up to her elbows fixed that problem and pants were tight around the hips and long, but otherwise fit fine.

Opening the door, she moved to the stairs and sat down on them so that she could slide down the stairs rather than limp down them and hurt her foot. There were voices in the kitchen that she recognized as Eideard and Dedric's. She continued her way down the stairs, trying to ignore the voices; however, she heard their conversation without really wanting to know what they were discussing.

"...could be dangerous," Dedric was saying.

"Of course it's dangerous, you idiot," Eideard snapped irritably. Alina frowned, wondering if he was talking about their plan to him. But surely not, since he had said it was just between them? She came to the last few steps and got to her feet, limping into the kitchen. Senan was sitting at the table and Dedric and Eideard were on opposite sides of the counter with food between them. Alina looked curiously at the dead rabbit on the other counter and then back at them.

"What's dangerous?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"His cooking," Dedric said, nodding to Eideard. "Senan wants him to cook, but I've tasted his food. Let's just say that it leaves a lot to be desired." His eyes flicked up her small frame and his eyes narrowed. "Are...Are you wearing my clothing?" Senan turned and smirked at her appearance. Feeling a bit self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her breasts and shifted as Eideard also looked to her.

"There wasn't anything else to wear and I wasn't going to stay in my filthy clothing," Alina defensively told him. Eideard sighed as all Dedric did was stare at her, as if he had never seen a girl in men's clothing before. He opened his mouth once and then closed it, clearly unsure of what to say when a woman was wearing one of his outfits.

"Sit down," Eideard ordered, pointing to the table where Senan currently was sitting.

"I can cook," Alina instantly said, throwing an anxious look to the sorcerer that was staring at her from the table, encouraging her to challenge his authority. A flash of temper erupted in her when she realized he honestly was looking to fight her. Her face reddened with anger and might have stomped over there if Eideard had intercepted, taking her arm and guiding her to the table much more gently than she would have found herself. He sent her a warning look before joining Dedric at the counter, where the Hoshäi native ordered Eideard to peel the vegetables while he skinned the animal.

"You certainly don't look like a princess," Senan remarked, a mocking smile on his lips. "How does it feel to be taken down a few steps?"

"I've looked worse," she retorted.

Oh, this is going to be fun, Senan thought, amused. Like the little hothead she was, she instantly took the bait he had set out for her and involved herself in an argument that she was not going to win. He could manipulate a conversation better than the average person. He doubted she would be able to keep up with him. "You truly are one of the more idiotic women I've met. It would have been better if we cut off your hands and feet." He raised his own hands, palm facing outward. "Imagine it. You couldn't hurt any of us and couldn't run away. All you could do is maybe spit on me and babble on about nonsense. It would be a pity if you didn't have your hands. I'm sure that's Derik's favorite part of your body. Or one of his favorites, anyway."

For a moment, she could not understand why her hands and Derik had anything to do with what he had been talking about. She opened her mouth to angrily say something about what he could do with his hands when it suddenly clicked. She paled and then blushed furiously. "You disgust me!" She snapped. He snickered and from the counter Dedric could be heard making odd coughing noises.

"Such a little virgin. I'm not surprised that Derik hasn't taught you anything. He probably doesn't know shit himself. You're going to be a disappointed woman on your wedding night."

Alina had nothing she could say. No rational thoughts came to mind and she couldn't immediately come up with a comeback until she remembered the long discussion that Valora had with her about her wedding night. Although embarrassing, it had also been insightful. Alina had a feeling that the princess had been sincere when she spoke of her experiences and what she gained from them. So, raising her chin haughtily, she told him, "I'll have you know that some people don't always follow the traditional vows that you're supposed to have. I won't be a disappointed woman and I haven't ever been." His eyes rose interestedly.

"Is that a fact?"

Alina pretended to pluck something from the white shirt she was wearing, hoping that her cheeks were not too red. She truly did detest this man. "The feathers...on quills...are rather effective." She crossed her arms and looked up at Senan, who was gazing at her, a corner of his mouth curled upward. "So are garters, depending on the, ah...partner."

Eideard cleared his throat once uncomfortably, loud enough to be heard over Dedric's choking. Senan propped his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers and smiling at her over the top of his hands. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt her hands burning hot from shame at discussing such things openly and with a perverted man such as him, too.

"You're fun," Senan said at last. "Perhaps I was wrong. I'll let you keep your hands. You don't need your feet. You won't be able to run when I ask you to perform your extensive experience with me."

Horrified, she snapped, "I will never do anything like that with you! I'd rather die!"

"I can arrange that." He raised a hand and she moved to jerk back, but found that she was immobilized. In his hand was a sphere of dark magic. He closed his fingers over it and it spilled through his fingers, swirling around his fist menacingly. Her heartbeat hastened as she recalled just how dangerous he was, how more unstable he was compared to Dedric or . Senan leaned across the table and pressed his lips to her ear, "Run away from here again and I'll follow you and have you begging for death." He smiled lazily as he withdrew. The darkness evaporated as he opened his fist and she slumped against the chair, shaking fearfully from his threat.

"...I hate you," she whispered.

"Everybody does," he calmly answered.

X

Luvena sat alone in her chambers that night. She could hear people talking in the rest of the building, loud and raucous, but that did not bother her as she did not expect to find sleep very soon. As expected, no one else was willing to go with her to Kraion to help the Prince Derik. That, too, did not bother her. It was predictable. She had been hoping they would be kinder, though. Her people were infuriated with the mere suggestion and threw spells at her. Thankfully, she had put up her defensive barrier before approaching them. She knew the people of Hoshäi better than anyone else. It was because of her excellent skills that she was the bearer of the orb that was used to communicate.

Sighing, she brushed her fingers over her forehead wearily. Her thick, ebony hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back to her waist. She collected it and pushed it to one side just as a knock sounded on her door. Pausing, she turned her head to stare at the door, hesitating. A second later, she called, "Enter." She flicked a hand and the door unlocked, allowing her guest to enter. She slid off her bed, pushing her silk robe over her nightgown and making another gesture with her hand, filling her chambers with soft, low light. She met her visitor halfway, exiting her bedchambers. "Pedrek. I am surprised. You are usually asleep by now."

"I heard you intend on going to Kraion tomorrow," he commented, "that the prince there has asked our help and you are the only one willing."

"Are you here to offer your assistance, Pedrek? If not, I must beg your forgiveness. I am tired from the long day."

"Luvena, be as so kind as to stop treating me like an incompetent fool," Pedrek serenely said, no sign of the bad mood that his words implied on his face. It was as blank as ever, his azure eyes missing any emotion or expression. "I know that it is not your desire to help Kraion that you are going there. You heard the rumors of him being in that region, I suppose, and think that if you have a reason to leave Hoshäi you can search for him. Let him be, Luvena. He left for a reason."

"Dedric was run out of here!" She raised her hand to her face, angrily saying, "I could have done something, I could have appealed on his behalf and got him to stay, but he didn't allow me to even try! He's my little brother! I've lost the rest of my family already and Dedric has suffered so much because of it. He loved Hoshäi. For him to have to leave it – "

"He loved the Dark Arts, Luvena, and abused them to a point that it was frightening even those of us who lived in Hoshäi. He did not love our kingdom. He was turning into his older brother."

"And he was ambushed by his own people – "

"Because he killed his own people," Pedrek quietly intercepted.

"There is no law against murder! You know that as well as I do!"

"Regardless. I did not come here to discuss the past with you, Luvena, for the past is the past and there is nothing we can do to change it. It is best not to dwell on it." She stared at him brokenly and then whipped around, her mouth tautening in frustration. Pedrek had never connected with anyone before to her knowledge. The only person he admitted to truly caring for was her and she cared for him a great deal. However, his views differed compared to her own. "Luvena, I suggest you not go to Kraion simply to look for Dedric. If you want to help these people, then do so. Personal feelings should not be involved. They will complicate things."

"I am going to help them," she flatly stated, "but if I can sense Dedric near, I will look for him."

"I do not recommend that."

"I never protected Tamek or helped him and held Dedric back when he tried to go to him. I won't let something happen to Dedric, too, not when Senan is in the vicinity. I have more faith in Dedric's skills, but just in case...I want..." She trailed off, briefly closing her eyes. For a moment, she remembered when her oldest brother had died, screaming horrifically, deafening her, fighting against the swarm of people around him. She remembered trembling, throwing shield after shield up so that Dedric could not get to his brother. Her little brother had howled and beaten against her defenses, had cursed, made promises to kill everyone if Tamek died. She recalled all too vividly how he had slumped on the ground, curling up and sobbing. That was the only time she had ever seen him cry. His smiles after that were never real again. "I want to see him smile," she quietly said, opening her eyes at last.

"...I cannot go with you."

"I know," Luvena sighed, turning to look at him, "but I appreciate your concern, Pedrek. I need to see Dedric, to know he is well, to know that he can smile again or I will never forgive myself."

8: Chapter Eight

Alina woke early in the morning, before the sun had even risen. For a long moment, she lied in the bed, staring ahead of her in the darkness, listening to the quiet sounds of the forest outside. There were no sounds in the house that she could hear, save for her own breathing. Sitting up, she swung her feet over the bed and pulled the smaller quilt around her, cuddling into it and wincing at the cold that hit her feet as soon as she set them on the floor. Limping across the room, she slid her feet in the soft slippers Eideard had provided for her to use until her foot healed and left the room.

Pausing in the corridor, Alina once again listened, but there were no sounds from either Eideard's room or the new room that Senan had created for Dedric to sleep in. She wondered when he would retrieve his clothes, if at all. Pulling the quilt up to her chin, she slid down the stairs and then into the den where a fire was crackling low in the hearth. Spotting some firewood beside it on the brick layout, she tossed a log in and then settled in front of it, curled in the quilt. For it being so early and sleeping so restlessly, Alina was not at all weary.

Senan is horrid, she thought, half closing her eyes as she watched the glowing fire, comforted by the heat. He enjoys threatening me, like a cat playing with a mouse before devouring it. When is he going to kill me? He hates Derik so much, so why keep me alive? She sighed softly to herself, folding her arms over her knees and closing her eyes briefly, the quilt sliding down her back. A slight chill from behind her made her shiver and move to pull it back up. There was a slight sound behind her that made her freeze and whip around. In the doorway that led to the entrance hallway was Senan, his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed on her. When he saw that she had noticed his presence, an unpleasant smirk curled his lips upward. "Isn't it a bit early for you to be awake?" He queried in a low tone, tilting his head slightly. She clutched the quilt tighter to herself, wondering just how long he had been standing there.

"I...couldn't get back to sleep," she feebly said. She didn't have the energy to start a fight with him, let alone when there was no one else about. She felt slightly safer with Dedric or Eideard in the room. When it was just the two of them, her heart raced with fear. She had learned in the short time that she had been here that Senan had near to no scruples. Killing her, ravaging her, beating her to a barely-living pulp – all were highly likely, knowing the type of man he was, except that he would make it ten times worse by using his sorcery. "Why are you awake?"

"I haven't been to bed yet," he answered calmly, seeming as unwilling to start an argument that early as she was. He paused. "Hmm...I suppose I will have to put a fireplace in your room to keep you from wandering. I'll do that later."

"I didn't come down here because I was cold," she stiffly said. "I didn't want to stay up in that room, awake. I had a bedwarmer in my bed all night anyway." One of his eyebrows rose sarcastically and she could see the snide comment on his face. For some reason, he did not voice it. Only when she peered at him carefully did she see how exhausted he truly was. She refused to feel any pity for him, though, especially since he had only just threatened to kill her the day before. Not even she would show pity to this monster. "Maybe you should go to bed," she suggested blandly, so he did not mistake her statement for kindness.

"I have more important things to do than sleep," he said. "But I hardly want to enjoy your loathsome company for another instant. I only came to see who was awake. Now that I see that it is just you, I'm returning to my room. Don't go nosing about," he added as an afterthought before turning and leaving her to stare after him, her face twisted into an ugly expression of hatred.

The man doesn't know what his own opinion is! She snarled in her mind, turning and pulling the quilt over her head securely, glaring into the fire. I don't have as fickle of emotions as he does, though. I knew I hated him when I first saw him and I most definitely still hate him and will always hate him! She threw another log into the fireplace and then toddled over to the divan, settling herself on it, huffing as she stared across at the fireplace. Even though I have a fire going and am wrapped in a quilt, Alina thought a moment later after her anger had subsided, I feel so utterly cold. I miss Sabia and Jaiden and especially Derik. Any conversation here consists of threats, insults, and sexual innuendo. At least with Derik, he would tell me what he was thinking and let me help him figure it out. I'm alone now except for my thoughts. I can't wait until my foot heals. I hope Eideard's plan works...

Closing her eyes, Alina released a sigh, meaning to simply rest her eyes that felt as if they were burning from gazing at the fire too long. She never opened her eyes again, falling into a deep slumber, curled up on the divan. Behind her, Senan crept from the corridor and frowned down at the sleeping princess. Releasing a sound of disgust, as though he knew exactly whom it had been that dwelled in Alina's last thoughts, he turned away from her and this time he did return to his chambers.

He hardly had time to deal with a forlorn princess. As he had told Alina, he had more important things to think about. Senan rarely had use for his old instruments from when he had been in the palace now that he was safe and had, more or less, mastered the Dark Arts. Most of the instruments that he used while working as court sorcerer were for rituals and Shaping objects, trapping dark magic inside of them so that they remained functioning. The cottage was Senan's most impressive object that he had Shaped through the Dark Arts. The barrier around it, contrary to his other house guests' beliefs, held no defenses at all, but was made up completely of offensive Dark Magic. The animals knew better to approach the barrier. Any number of attacks would be directed at them through the magic endowed in the barrier. Senan imagined himself to be rather clever from developing such a mechanism.

But the cottage, the barrier, or his companions were the last concern on his mind, although Alina was proving to be rather mouthy for a princess. No, he was troubled by his apprentice in Kraion that he had so insulted. He had insisted that Valora was not responsible for the animals for a good reason. The animals were infested with their own magic, that of nature, which humans were originally gifted with from the Nature Spirits. There was no way that Valora could have manipulated the magic to such a deep level of corruption. Senan had not bothered with explaining this to either Dedric or Eideard. Dedric, Senan was sure, had been taught this in Hoshäi at some point in his schooling and Eideard would have to know something about the magic of the Spirits and beings that dwelled entirely in nature. That neither of them had thought about it annoyed Senan.

However, he was inclined to believe that a djinn from the other realm or a similar creature had corrupted the magic in the Forest of Dim. Senan could sense it, as any sorcerer or sorceress ought to, but it felt the same without the corruption. That was the only reason Senan was willing to forgive his male companions' idiocy.

While that clearly was not Valora's doing, Alina's sudden appearance in the forest could only be because of the Princess of Kraion. After being forced to admit that Valora might be the reason for this entire situation, he began to consider over where he might assume she would start in her Dark Arts and came up with an unpleasant, but accurate, conclusion. He knew Valora better than her family. He spent his entire life observing people, recording their actions under different levels of emotional stress in his mind. Valora relied on one thing to keep her happy: power. Beautiful as she was, she had power over all men except for Derik and their father.

If she wanted more power, Senan thought as he raised a hand, flames rising high on the wicks of his candles, than she would do as I did and contract a djinn from the other realm. This would explain how she was able to get Alina to the Forest of Dim, but with a heavy price from Valora. It would have been simpler to kill Alina in her sleep rather than drain herself so that her djinn could leave ritual space. Senan watched as the flames flickered dangerously before lowering a bit. Valora will naturally use ritual every time to see her djinn. I have simpler ways of doing things...But I am not going to contract another djinn. The last one was trouble enough.

He leaned towards the flames and reached into the space between the flames, his hand disappearing as he groped thoughtfully for a moment. "What a nuisance," he muttered, flinching as he jerked his hand back and the candles lowered to their regular height. "She's more cautious than I would have anticipated." He frowned down at his hand that was steadily turning from lavender to a violet and slowly to black. "Putting spells around her djinn...Clever. Most sorcerers don't bother with protecting their djinns that way." He smiled and waved a hand, all of the candles going out. His right hand was still black. He would seek Eideard out first thing in the morning to deal with it.

Valora has no idea just who she is playing with. Dedric, I'm sure, will be more successful in this. But for now, I want to experiment a little and see where my capabilities can get me. He smirked. And besides that, Valora doesn't realize that I have Alina with me, the one person she wants dead. I'll be able to take both her and Derik down using the Princess of Siruean.

"Ahh...," he sighed, collapsing in a chair and grinning rather disturbingly to himself. "Finally a reprieve from my dull existence."

He had every intention of enjoying this, regardless of his or anyone else's suffering.

X

A knock sounded in the quiet cottage, rousing Dedric from his comfortable sleep. For a moment, it echoed in his dreams of Hoshäi and made his brow furrow in puzzlement as he stood in the middle of a desert, a curved war blade in his hand, dripping with blood. He turned from the corpse that was slumped in the sand and was faced with a door, much like the one that was on the room that Alina slept in. There was another knock, more insistent, and he reached out with his empty hand, twisting the knob. For a moment, there was nothing but darkness and when he stepped forward, a ghastly face loomed from the black, hissing, "You abandoned me, brother."

Dedric's eyes flew open just as his door swung open. He jerked to a sitting position, terrified. His heart rate slowed in relief as he saw that it was only Senan who was outside his door. Perhaps he sensed Dedric's distress, for his eyes narrowed on him and then he shut the door behind him. Dedric turned his face away and rubbed it, resting his hand on his forehead for a moment. His heart had not yet returned to its original beat. Since Alina had arrived there, he had been able to escape the nightmares of his family in Hoshäi. She had occupied him with her drama. Now that she was settling down to rest, though, there was nothing to fill his mind whilst sleeping. "Is there a reason you woke me up?" He finally asked Senan, raising his head. There was a brief moment when he feared Senan might ask him if he had slept poorly. Dedric knew that each of them had their problems and reasons for accepting their exiled state without much of a fight. Dedric had once told Eideard that Senan had his reasons for being as he was, yet Senan had never confided in him. Out of all of them, he upheld the flippant attitude that constantly masked whatever lied underneath. Dedric could control himself in front of the other two sorcerers; however, there were simply some times when he needed to be alone and allow himself some weakness.

"I prefer you to be awake before Eideard," Senan said after a pause. "Besides that, I'm going out into the forest to get a few things before breakfast. The girl is downstairs on the divan, sleeping. I don't trust her, nor do I trust Eideard to wake up and not sneak behind our backs to scheme with her. Do me a favor and go down there and make certain that she doesn't do anything stupid. She's a little too headstrong for my liking. Princesses are supposed to prim and proper. Hell, women aren't even supposed to act the way she does!"

"Sexist, are we?" Dedric queried with a dry smile. "I'll watch her, Senan. Go do whatever you need to do." He rubbed his forehead and then frowned, staring at Senan's side where his hand was lying. He moved to stand up and see what it was that had happened to his hand, but Senan seemed to foresee his intent and stepped back, pressing his hand behind him. "What have you been doing? It looks like you got into a fight with one of the creatures from the other world."

"Do you honestly believe I am that stupid?" Senan snorted, turning and opening the door. "Go downstairs and watch the girl." He shut the door and Dedric sat in bed, the covers spilling around his waist as he glowered at the door. It was so like Senan to avoid a question by getting pissy and ordering him about. It was no fun when Senan was always threatening Alina or else she might actually be able to deflate his ego a bit. As it was, she feared him, along with hating him. Neither of those things made it easy for things to go smoothly between the two.

Sighing heavily, Dedric got out of bed and shuffled across the room, ignoring the bite of the cold from the floor. He continued out of his room, along the corridor, and down the stairs. By the time he entered the den, Senan had already gone and Alina was sitting up on the divan with the quilt around her, staring around, disoriented by her surroundings. When she turned to look at him, she cast him an equally confused look and then her eyes dropped a bit and turned into saucers. She sputtered for a moment and then snapped, "Put some clothes on, would you?" Her face reddened and she pulled the quilt up to her face, hiding it from him. He gave her a blank look.

"I do have my clothes on, thank you," he responded. "Men tend to notice if they are naked far more easily than women do."

"I meant go put a shirt on!" She screeched from behind the quilt, lowering it to glare at him. He almost gave a pompous smirk when he noticed her gaze travel downward again, lingering on his chest. Living in Hoshäi, where enemies were numerous and the old ways of survival were imperative to one's lifestyle, it was only natural that one must be in shape. And Dedric was in very good shape. His slender, muscled chest and arms proved that much. He subdued the urge to gloat and tease her a bit, instead shrugging and moving back upstairs to grab a long-sleeved shirt and returning shortly afterward. She glanced at him, her lips pursed. "Thank you," she said stiffly.

"Anything for you, princess," he mockingly said.

"Please...I get enough sarcasm from Senan. I really would prefer not to receive any from you, too." He grinned at her and then settled on the divan next to her, tugging on the quilt. Reluctantly, she unpeeled it from its wrapped position about her body and allowed him to tuck himself underneath it, as well. He neither wanted to sleep nor stay awake; he did not want to return to the nightmares of his deceased brother, but he did not feel as though he had gotten enough sleep.

"I suppose you woke from Senan?"

"I'm not sure," she said thoughtfully, looking to him questioningly. "Did he leave? I don't remember anything waking me up, only suddenly being awake. Why are you awake?"

"Because I woke up," Dedric replied serenely, his tone a good indication that this was not a topic to be discussed. He felt her gaze on his face and ignored it. She sighed and pressed her chin into the quilt, staring ahead into the fire. She did not look as though she had slept well, either, by which he was not particularly surprised. Alina, he had learned, was stubborn yet knew her limits and when to be cautious. Because of her new settings, she was choosing to be cautious and having trouble adjusting. Dedric knew, simply by how she spoke and acted, that she was wondering why she was being preserved rather than killed. It was only a matter of time until either Eideard told her or she realized it on her own.

"I've been having...strange dreams lately," Alina abruptly told him. "Well...Bittersweet, I guess, more than anything."

"Ah," he sighed, understanding immediately. "About Derik." He might not ever have loved another woman, but he knew the human mind very well, not to mention the female mind. Her nod confirmed his assumption. "What a nice way to live. Bound to someone that you love. Sounds boring if you ask me."

"I do love him...and I miss him. It wasn't at all boring with him. I don't care what you or Senan or anyone think about him," she added passionately, her eyes sharpening, "but he's always confided in me and trusted me like nobody else but my brother and father have. My mother never did and none of my friends did. You can't possibly imagine what it's like being completely different than everyone else, being the misfit in your entire kingdom, and having nothing to give to your people. Everyone who has met me wants someone delicate like my mother. I'm not delicate. Derik treats me like I am while making me feel like I'm needed."

Dedric felt a rising, bubbling anger that he had to push down before he could truly rationalize with himself. The girl was clearly frightened and lonely. When women became like that – or any person, really – they became selfish and that was the truth of it. She was focusing entirely on herself without giving any thought to how much of misfits the three sorcerers in that cottage were. Dedric considered lashing out on her, informing her just how wrong she was, how he had always been different than the rest of the Hoshäi people. He had never told anyone why he left Hoshäi, though, and did not intend to start with this pampered girl to whom he had no connections, friendship or otherwise.

"Do you love him or do you love how he makes you feel?" He asked instead. She turned her wide eyes to him, seeming to not understand the distinction. "There are people that you love, that you want to cherish and hold to you forever and could never part with, but then there are the people who are not special at all. They treat you special, different than everyone else, and make it so that you trick yourself into believing that you love them rather than the feeling they give you. Why do you miss him? Do you miss his company or him making you feel like you're needed?"

She clearly had not been expecting to find any wisdom on love in the Forest of Dim - from a dark sorcerer, no less. Dedric stifled a bitter smile. He doubted anyone would believe him if he said he was capable of love. He had loved his older brother dearly, more than anyone in the world. He had loved his sister, but she held him back, caused him to abandon his brother, and he felt nothing but hate for her. It was hating her that was the first step to his loathing all women and their ways. Alina reminded him too much of Luvena, with her conviction in what she felt was right and her intelligence in things she felt were dangerous.

But he did not hate Alina, strangely enough, even though reason suggested he ought to hate her. Instead, he felt nothing. He was completely neutral, even more so than Eideard. The life of one princess meant nothing to Dedric. He had seen too many lives be annihilated in his short lifetime, most of which by his own hands.

While Alina mulled over his words, Dedric stared broodingly in the fire, rubbing his hands beneath the quilt. No amount of soap would help him. At least some soap could chip away at the blood on Senan's hands.

Dedric knew he was not so lucky.

X

As soon as Senan entered the cottage, a delectable smell greeted his nose. Intrigued, he gave a cautious sniff and kicked the door closed, seeing that it was Dedric cooking while Alina sat and chopped up lettuce and vegetables for a salad. No matter how many times he saw the princess in such domestic, common settings, it still unnerved him. She slowed in cutting a radish, meeting his gaze mildly. He still had not slept and if he involved himself in any kind of argument with her, he would lose his temper and as he was supposed to be getting her to trust him, that would be the last thing to do. His original plan was not the best, either, but he rather preferred it over Dedric's. He wasn't interested in becoming distracted by lust. That was one thing all three sorcerers had in common, at least. "I'll put the fireplace in before breakfast," he told Alina when she said nothing but stared at him.

"I don't – " she began to say and then stopped herself, a slightly puzzled expression on her face. His eyes narrowed, his arms full of plants and bottles of things he had collected in the forest. He waited a moment longer for her to finish her sentence, something that she never did, choosing to mutter, "Breakfast will be done soon."

"Yes, it will," Dedric confirmed, turning from the wood stove. "Eideard hasn't come down even once yet. If you're going upstairs, would you get his ass down here, seeing as how he's content to sleep in today? I don't care if he usually is awake by now. He's been acting like some kind of lethargic drunk lately." Alina paused in her cutting, turning slightly in surprise at the description. Senan merely raised an eyebrow and then met Alina's gaze as she turned to look at him. Her mouth pursed and her gaze snapped downward. He stifled a smirk. She was already breaking under his feigned kindness.

"I'll do that," Senan said at last, adding as he moved through the den, "But you're forgetting Eideard has always acted like a lethargic drunk." He heard Alina say something to Dedric, likely a disagreement on Eideard's character, but ignored her and moved to his chambers, setting the herbs and bottles on his desk. He shed his cloak and dressed in more comfortable clothing before leaving the room and moving upstairs. He knocked on Eideard's door and opened it without waiting for a response. He had expected the sorcerer to be sitting at his desk, rather than in bed. Senan's frown deepened when he saw Eideard glaring at him from his bed, his arm tossed over his eyes to shield from the light that spilled through the glass of the window.

"Get the hell out of my room," Eideard snapped peevishly.

"Well, someone is having one of their times of the month," Senan sarcastically commented. For a moment, Eideard just stared at him and then his expression blackened to one that seemed fairly murderous. Senan wondered if he might be able to persuade Eideard into attempting to kill him if he continued in this manner.

"Get out!" This time he threw the blankets away, rising to his feet threateningly. Senan calmly backed out of the room, seeing that Eideard was clearly not in the mood for his taunts.

"I didn't come up to deal with you, anyway," he said snobbishly. "Dedric wants to know what you're doing up here and to get your ass down there if you want food." Eideard made a violent slashing motion with his arm and the door slammed in Senan's face. He tilted his head, scowling at the door. He would have to do something about his attitude, as well. It seemed the princess was rubbing off on him. Hopefully by the time Eideard's temper rose to its full potential, Alina would be calmed and dancing in the palm of his hand. It would be a bit problematic if he had them both raging against him. He doubted Dedric would assist him if he were put in such a position. If anything, the Hoshäi native would be laughing throughout it all.

Dismissing Eideard from mind, Senan continued down the hall to the room that Alina was sleeping in, stepping in and crossing his arms over his chest, surveying the room. It was smaller than most, with very little space for a fireplace. He could certainly enlarge the room, but he couldn't have any occupants on the floor and as much as he disliked Eideard, he didn't want to kill the man. He tapped his fingers on his arms and then stepped further into the room, dropping his arms to his sides as he looked around again. Although not traditional, he could most certainly put a fireplace in the corner rather than flat upon a wall. The hearth would be smaller, yet deeper. Unbothered by that small fact, he decided upon the corner near the door and raised a hand and drew an image of what he wanted the fireplace to look like before drawing symbols in the air with his other hand, holding them there in the air until the walls began to distort. Only then did he allow his hands to drop and he folded his arms again, watching the process to ensure that nothing was out of place. A few minutes later, there was a lovely, brick hearth in lieu of the corner. Satisfied, Senan left the room and returned downstairs.

In the kitchen, Eideard was sitting at the table with Alina, looking as petulant as he had earlier. Senan rolled his eyes at his mood and then helped Dedric take things to the table. He noticed that his companion appeared wearier than usual. Unlike Eideard, Dedric seemed to be accustomed to losing sleep and was as cheerful as always. After setting the food on the table, they sat down and after a gesture from Dedric, the four of them ate silently.

Halfway through the meal, Alina cleared her throat uncomfortably and addressed Eideard, "Is there anything wrong? It's like you're in a bad mood." Her smile was uncertain when he turned his eyes towards her, pausing in his eating. Senan watched the interaction interestedly while Dedric continued to eat. He was unreasonably irritated with Eideard, something he attributed to his lack of sleep. Naturally, he thought, she latches onto Eideard after he takes care of her foot. I knew something went on in the room when Dedric left.

"No," Eideard replied at last, turning back to his food. "I had trouble sleeping."

"Oh...It seems like everyone did," she said. Dedric glanced up at her sharply, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Let's see..." She held out her hand and ticked off her fingers with her fork. "Senan hasn't slept yet, Dedric and I woke up early, and you're sleep was restless." She dropped her hands, a puzzled frown crossing her lips. "Is that too coincidental or is it just me?"

"Glad to see you're acting more like a princess and less like the annoying brat you have been," Senan drawled. She scowled at him, a subtle warning that she was not in the mood for his insults. As it was, Senan did not care for how she was warming up to Eideard. He would prefer her to do that with Dedric, who Senan at least knew was loyal to him. Eideard was more conniving than Senan and would use her amiability for his own designs. Such designs would surely bring ruin to Senan if he knew the sorcerer as well as he did. "Allow me to remind you that you are not a princess here, but a mere woman who needs to be treated as only that. No matter what your upbringing may be, you are only a brainless female of no consequence."

"And yet you keep me alive!" Alina snapped.

"I'm sure one of us will find a use for you soon," he said, smiling unpleasantly, his eyes sliding to Dedric suggestively. She glared at him fiercely and then whipped her head around to turn her eyes to Dedric, who simply stared back at them innocently, his fork in his mouth. He smirked, sliding the fork out slowly. Alina's eyes turned into her saucers and her eyes dropped down to Dedric's chest for some reason. Her face burned red and Dedric laughed. Senan, however, was confused as to what exactly that was about. "In any case," Senan continued as though nothing had happened, "it is none of your business why I keep you alive. Just know that neither Eideard nor Dedric care what happens to you. If you want to remain alive to see your beloved fiancé, I suggest you try and get in good graces with me." He flicked a look to his plate and found that he no longer had an appetite for the remainder of his food. "But you did make a nice salad, so perhaps you're worth something after all." He stood up and took his plate, cup, and utensils to the sink. "I have things to do. I don't want to be disturbed today."

"He's in a bad mood," Dedric told his companions with a grin after Senan had exited the room.

Obviously, Alina thought. "I'm done myself." Dedric waved a hand as she stood up to return it to the sink.

"I'll get it. I don't have much to do today, anyway." She smiled and nodded and returned upstairs to her room. She had asked Dedric to heat her some water so that she take a bath after breakfast. Stripping off her clothes, she stepped behind the screen and slipped into the warm water. It was not as hot as it had been when it was first heated, though that did not bother her much. She sat in the water for a long while, her legs drawn up to her chest as she rested her cheek upon her knees.

Why does he have to be so horrible to me? She wondered. Is it just because I'm Derik's fiancée? Alina's brows knitted together as she recalled how Senan had said 'fiancé' with such contempt. But he had been speaking of Derik and her feelings for him. None of them really like him, which I can't understand. Dedric did offer me advice, though, and I don't know why, but I felt that he knew what he was talking about. What he said has only confused me about my feelings. I don't know if it's Derik I love or how he treats me and makes me feel. For all our life, we've only known each other. That's how long we've been betrothed. What should I do? I still miss him dearly and want to return to him. I just wish I understood my emotions better than I do. Alina sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing in the water for a moment before beginning to wash. The water was cold by the time she was done. She dried, dressed, and then drained the marble tub.

After drying and then brushing her hair with a comb she found in the armoire, she limped downstairs and put the loose shoes on that Eideard had found her. She had no intention of escaping, instead settling on a pile of logs near one of the sheds, leaning her elbows on her thighs and staring out at the forest thoughtfully. She looked to the house and saw that she could see inside the kitchen through the window. Turning back to look at the forest, she released a small sigh of boredom. While her foot was healing, there was very little that Eideard or Dedric would allow her to do. It was strange, because she would have thought, as exiled sorcerers whom were involved in the Dark Arts, they would care nothing for how she treated herself or what she did. She was increasingly seeing that what she was told about such sorcerers was incorrect.

"It isn't wise to be unaware of someone behind you," a cool, neutral voice said behind her. Jumping in alarm, she turned to look at Eideard. He simply gazed back at her, unapologetic. "Senan is up to something."

"Do you think...?" she began hesitantly. He shook his head as she trailed off.

"No, Senan is not so clever. Dedric, perhaps, but he would have said something to Senan if he guessed correctly. Senan has his suspicions, I assume. Whatever he is working on in his chambers is occupying him enough that is paying me no mind." Alina gave a weak nod, worried in spite of herself. Eideard's calculated answer calmed her nerves. She was becoming to like his blunt way of speaking to her. It reminded her of Derik. She experienced a pang of guilt, hastily assuring her an instant later that she did love Derik, that it was not his manner of speaking to her that she enjoyed. At least, not entirely.

"Have you ever been in love, Eideard?" she queried, turning to look at him. She saw his jaw tighten. "How do you ever know that you truly are in love?" Alina was not stupid, although she was sure Eideard would have preferred her to be such. He was good at remaining completely blank and emotionless. If she had not been watching, she would never have seen the subtle clench of his teeth. He had been in love and something had happened. She was uninterested in his past at the moment. She did not think it was her business, having known him for only a short amount of time.

"You don't think about it," he said after a pause. "There is no question of whether you love a person, you simply do. You might struggle with it, deny it, but you never ask yourself if you do love a person. You just know." Alina stared at him, willing him to look at her. He did, yet she could not see anything but his usual expression. "Should I once again ask you whether you love Derik?"

"No...I do," she firmly said, her eyes drawing to the side as she bit her lip. "I do," she repeated, more to convince herself than him. "I have to love him. He's the only person I have that has treated me so well. How can I not love him?" She dwelled again upon the questions Dedric had posed to her that morning: "Do you love him or do you love how he makes you feel? Why do you miss him? Do you miss his company or him making you feel like you're needed?"

"Simply because you are betrothed," Eideard calmly told her, "does not mean that you must love that person. Derik loves you, but you are still trying to figure that out. I suggest you come to some kind of conclusion before I return you to Kraion, Alina. If you do not love him..." He stopped a moment, appearing to debate with himself whether to finish his sentence or not. He continued cautiously, "...then I would find another man who you love."

"All the good advice I've gotten about love has been from people who are supposed to be heartless," Alina quietly said. "Even my best friend did not want to accept that I might not love Derik. What does that say about society?"

"What does that say about the people you choose as friends?" he countered. She looked at him and then turned away to stare at the trees again. She knew, without having to look, that throughout the time she sat there, he stood beside her. She smiled sadly. He seemed to realize that she was in turmoil both mentally and physically. She wished there was something that the sorcerers would let her do. As though he knew how restless she was, he said, "I'm going to prepare a brew for you to help the healing process. Neither Dedric nor Senan will care what you do. Come with me and I'll teach you some of what I know."

"The Dark Arts?" Alina warily asked him, moving to her feet and following him to the shed that she had purposely avoided being near.

"No," he answered, sounding slightly amused, "just magic."

X

Dedric stood at the counter, drying a plate and watching as the door to the shed swung shut. It was strange enough that Eideard had been the one to approach Alina when she was out there. Even stranger was that he would take her with him into the work shed where they brewed most of their potions. Dedric generally spent most of his time there, as his potions were far more potent. But, as with his magic, his healing potions and anything that helped, rather than hindered, never came out right. Eideard was the only one who could make those potions. So, it did not surprise Dedric that Eideard was in that shed. It was Alina's presence with the sorcerer that caused his suspicion. What is he thinking? he wondered. -He finished drying the plate and then set it in the cupboard, tossing the towel on the counter and moving through the den, down the hall, and to Senan's chambers. He had asked not to be disturbed, but somehow he felt that this would be something Senan would want to know.

He knocked on the door and waited patiently until the door swung open and Senan glowered at him. "Yes, I did hear you when you said you wanted to be left alone, but a problem has come up." Senan's glare turned murderous and he admitted Dedric inside. Eideard was not aware of this, but Senan had his own quarters behind his bedchambers for his own brews. The smell of herbs and the tingling sense of magic drew Dedric's interest. He knew better than to ask Senan about his private doings, as his friend had never inquired into his own business. It seemed only fair that he reciprocate that respect. "I think Eideard is going to charm the girl far before you ever do." Senan blinked, astonished at how the conversation had begun. "He was with her outside and just now took her into the shed where we brew our potions. I'm not sure if he's looking to get her in bed or simply being nice. There's something definitely going on underneath our noses. I don't really care myself – she's not a part of any of my plans – but you might want to do something about this, Senan. She already trusts Eideard. I have yet to discover why or what the hell he did that was so special."

"Don't be an ass," Senan grumbled, frowning as he pushed his unwounded hand through his dirty blonde hair. "She trusts you almost as much as she does Eideard. The only one she hates is me and that's because as soon as a person goes into Kraion, they come out a day later with my life story. Everyone is taught to hate and fear me. You and Eideard are completely unknown to her, especially you." He fell silent for a few moments, deliberating over something. "Yes, this is a problem...Eideard doesn't seem the type to try and get a woman to warm his bed. She could be his particular flavor, though, in which case..."

"We're going to have a whole other round of problems," Dedric finished grimly. "What should we do, then? I could probably hold him off, keep them from getting together privately. That usually never works and only makes a girl want what she's being denied worse."

"Agreed," Senan said, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Do this instead. Watch them, see how they progress. Eideard might not be engaging in an affair with her at all and has other plans that we're unaware of. If that's the case, then we'll know by you watching them. Try and listen to them, if you can. I'll deal with whatever arises. I have tricks up my sleeve, some of which even a woman that despises me will fall for."

"Are you sure they're in your sleeve or are they in your pants?" Dedric asked with a smirk.

"Well, some of them might be."

Dedric laughed. "I have yet to witness any of your superior seducing techniques. I almost hope that Eideard does slip up so I can see what you're so cocky about."

"Oh, trust me," Senan assured him, "I can be quite impressive."

X

Derik looked up as Jaiden exploded into the dining room. He was poking at his lunch half-heartedly. His father had chosen to take his lunch in his chambers that day. Derik suspected he was in one of his stranger moods. Instead, he had Oren, his future brother-in-law sitting at the table with him. He almost stabbed himself with the fork when his friend flung the doors open so violently. He grabbed the fork and found that Sabia was running after her brother. She turned a pleading gaze to Derik and then he knew that Jaiden, with his usual hot-headedness, was about to say something rather rude to either him or Oren. By the fire in his eyes, Derik was inclined to believe that it would be towards Oren. He shifted nervously and opened his mouth to say something, but Jaiden knew exactly what he was doing and spit out, "He's nothing more than a whore in the disguise of a noble!" and thrust his finger towards Oren. Derik closed his mouth and slowly turned his head to stare at Oren. The prince's stare was bored as he looked at the finger that was being pointed at him. "He's been trying to seduce my sister!"

"Jaiden!" Sabia gasped in horror.

"Well – " Derik began diplomatically.

"He's been asking her to go to his room instead of the random list of servants that serve him," Jaiden continued passionately, apparently very willing to sacrifice his own good position to ensure that his sister's virtue remain in tact. Sabia, however, was growing red in the face from embarrassment, her eyes wide as she held her hands to her mouth. "Why the hell does he want her to serve him? Why can't he just take whatever servant that comes? He's revolting! His sister's missing and he's trying to lift some servant's skirt!"

"That's rather rude," Oren pleasantly responded. "Calling your sister 'some servant.' And you say that I am revolting?" Jaiden gawked at him in disbelief. "Besides that, you are mistaken in the belief that I would do anything while Alina is missing. It would be a more interesting pursuit for after I have found her. After all, I would hate to feel guilty about being with her friend and taking advantage of the poor girl." Jaiden's face filled with rage whilst Sabia covered hers, shaking her head. Derik stood in the midst of all of this, looking a bit lost and unable to control the situation. "Please obtain some sensibility, can't you?" Oren sighed, his mouth turning into an irritable scowl. "I'm not such an asshole to go after someone's sister just for a good time in bed, especially if Alina is good friends with her. Since you insist on being meddlesome, I have been asking for her so that I might have someone to talk with and whose company I can actually enjoy. Imagine that. A man can actually talk to a woman without having his hand between her legs while doing it."

"Could we please refrain on the vulgar language?" Derik said desperately, seeing that both men had forgotten Sabia was in the room. Knowing the girl, she had likely never heard people speaking with the type of innuendo that Jaiden and Oren were content in doing. "There is a lady in the room." Oren glanced at him and inclined his head respectfully. Derik sighed and put a palm to his forehead. He knew that Jaiden's concern was genuine; he never would have spoken to a prince of another kingdom in that way if not. Nonetheless, he wanted to remain selfish and worry only about his fiancée. He wished that sunset would come earlier, yet it seemed like the day was dragging on forever. When he raised his head, he started in surprise to see his sister standing in the doorway, looking wan and unhealthy. He hadn't been aware of how the dining room had gone so silent until then. Beside him, Oren was tense. Holding a hand out, he murmured, "Steady," and then raised his voice so that he could be heard by Valora, "Is there something you needed, sister?"

"Yes," she replied and moved down the length of the table to stand beside him. Jaiden and Sabia stepped back, as was necessary. She barely looked at them before saying to him, "I need something from you."

"What is that?" he queried politely, inwardly suspicious. Up close, she looked even more ill than she had further away. There was still a beauty about her that most women could not obtain, but the effects of her earlier sickness still lingered. She seemed so frail that it made him think if he put his hand around her wrist that it would snap in his hands. The thought unnerved him. Valora had always been so proud and stood with dignity and strength. Seeing her in this state disgusted him a bit.

"I would like to be moved out of the palace, to the royal suite in the gardens." He blinked.

"But...that suite hasn't been used in ages! It's probably falling apart from neglect."

"I have checked already," she told him wearily, "and the furnishings and building are in fine condition. I am not asking much, Derik, and seeing as how father does not answer when I call on him, I have to ask you." Her tone had cooled considerably, the area around her eyes tightening when she spoke about their father. Derik did not disagree with her claims, considering over it for a moment. He could not outright demand that she tell him why it was that she wanted to move there and by what royal law dictated, he had no reason to deny her the request. He willingly deceived himself by thinking she might want some other place to rest with the palace in chaos over Alina's disappearance. He had a feeling she was getting sick of hearing about his missing fiancée, more than anything. He doubted she could do anymore harm. If she wanted to kill him or Oren, it would be better for her to be in the palace.

"Of course," Derik carefully responded. "No, it's not much of a request at all. No one is using the suite, so I see no reason why you cannot take residence there. I'll send some servants there to tend to it."

"I would prefer to be alone, but thank you for the offer." She turned then, leaving the dining room. While watching her, Derik could not help but be suspicious of her intentions. It seemed that she wanted to be somewhere where no one would see what she was doing. He could not think of why, though, when Alina was lost in the Forest of Dim and he and Oren were here in the palace. She could cast some sort of sorcery on the palace, he supposed, to get rid of them, but he did not think that likely.

"She is too beautiful of a woman," Oren said in a dark voice.

"It is a good way of hiding things," Derik vaguely replied, poking at his food again. "Sabia, Jaiden, please sit. Help yourself to lunch." They settled on his other side, across from Oren, without hesitation and filled plates with food. Derik had often invited them to dine with him when his father was not present. Naten was more traditional in the way that he viewed those below him, just as Valora was. Derik was less like this and he had heard that his mother had been kind to those of the lower classes, as well. She had never been friends with them, though. Derik was glad for his friends, who were not nearly as deceptive in their intentions towards him as those of the nobility were.

"She wants to do something in that suite," Oren said as Jaiden and Sabia ate. Jaiden was still sending him evil looks, all of which he ignored. "Should you have given it up to her?"

Derik said nothing.

X

Alina sat quietly in the chair at the far end of the work table, something in which Eideard was grateful. He had once had an apprentice who never shut up, always asking questions – inane ones, at that – and wanted to make conversation of all things! Alina had asked very few questions thus far and never drew her eyes from his hands except for when he asked her to hand him something. If he did not know better, he might have assumed that Alina had some magic in her blood. However, as he well knew, she did not. Magic was not common in Siruean, so he was unsurprised that the princess did not have any, let alone any of those in her family. Besides that, he could not sense any in her and both Dedric and Senan had validated that fact.

"Here is your brew," Eideard said in the silence of the work shed, taking a deep, metal spoon and pouring the steaming liquid from the cauldron and into a cup. She took it from him carefully and then blinked when she realized it was not hot. Eideard turned from her to pour the brew into other containers for later. He had only made enough for the following three days. The brew was potent enough that her wound would be healed by the end of the third day. Eideard expected to have her out of the Forest of Dim by the night of that day. If all his plans went as they ought to, there would be no complications. He might have some problems the next morning, but he could handle Dedric and Senan easily enough. "It will help the healing process be quicker so that we can leave the Forest of Dim to Kraion in three days' time." He glanced over his shoulder to see her drink the last of her brew and set it on the work table. He took the cup to wash it in the basin in the corner and returned to stand in front of her, a hand braced on the counter.

"And Senan and Dedric won't know anything?"

"No, I don't expect they will. To be safe, I want you – " The shed's door snapped open, startling them both. Dedric was in the doorway and his eyes moved interestedly from Eideard to Alina and back to the sorcerer, his eyebrows slowly rising. "Dedric...Did you need to use the shed?"

"Only if you are finished in here," he chirped in response, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. "I suppose you would want some privacy other than the house, wouldn't you?" Eideard's jaw tightened, aggravated, as he stared blackly at the blonde settled comfortably in the doorway. Alina gave a blank look, completely oblivious as to what he was speaking about. Her eyes slid to Eideard, who pointedly ignored her. He was running through all the things that he could do to Dedric and then all the spells he could cast on him to keep him quiet until he wished for him to speak. The very last thing he needed was Dedric running to Senan, telling him that he was engaging in trysts with the princess in the work shed. But then, Eideard could not be sure that Senan did not already suspect him of that. He knew that his position had not looked entirely innocent, either, which would only complicate matters.

"No," he bit out, "we don't need privacy for anything." Dedric's eyebrows rose in amusement, a subtle hint that he did not believe it for one moment.

"In any case, I have some things I need to make if you two are quite done. Senan is absorbed in what he is doing in his chambers and if I know him, he'll be a stubborn enough ass and not sleep. He seems intent on keeping himself busy, so I need to make him a regenerative brew."

"A regenerative brew?" Alina spoke up. Both males glanced at her. "Er...should I not ask?"

"No, that's fine," Dedric replied after a thoughtful pause. "Simply surprised by your interest." His eyes narrowed slightly and then he shrugged carelessly. "Most regenerative brews – or at least the basic ones – are made to avoid weariness, but I never learned any basic magic, as you might imagine. Those in Hoshäi learn the best of everything. The Dark Arts are not made up entirely of evil things and there are many brews and spells that can help a person. The Dark Arts are also the most advanced of all magic. As Hoshäi is ruled by these Arts, all the spells are advanced. The regenerative brew I'll be making was originally used for those lost without food, water, or any other necessities."

"So...Senan wouldn't even have to eat and he would be fine?"

"Correct. He's rarely ever focused so intently on something as he is now, but when he gets this way, he hates being disturbed and even more does he hate having to interrupt himself to nourish his body. This brew will at least save him time and he won't need to cook anything and simply drink the brew. He won't lose any body mass whatsoever and be completely healthy." He smirked in a rather conceited manner. "I suppose you were not aware that the Dark Arts could do such things."

"No," she admitted, "but it makes sense that it has both the offensive and defensive aspect. As they say, a good offense is a good defense."

"That's a matter of opinion," Eideard frostily stated, having stood there listening to them for the past few minutes. He picked up the containers for Alina's brew and indicated for her to take the remaining one. "Make your brew then. I have better things to do than be educated on your kingdom's views of the Dark Arts." Dedric chuckled and pushed away from the doorframe and stepped aside to allow them to pass. Eideard ushered Alina to go first and once she was a few feet from the shed, Eideard paused in front of Dedric and glared down at him. "Don't make assumptions, . I'm not in the mood to deal with any piss fit of Senan's."

"Senan doesn't give a shit who does what with her," Dedric said, raising a shoulder in a shrug. "Frankly, neither do I. You just don't seem the passionate type." His eyes slid past Eideard to Alina, who was waiting for Eideard, her brow wrinkled in concern, seeing that their interaction was not a friendly one. "But she's Derik's girl. Neither of us have had enough personal interaction with him to understand his actions, to really gauge his next move. That is something that Senan is the better expert. It's the only reason why he's daring enough to keep Derik's fiancée here, why he's keeping her dancing on her toes. If you're doing anything with her, then you need to be careful because if Derik ever finds out – "

"I'm not," Eideard interrupted curtly. "And, even if I were, it would be none of your business if you or Senan don't care about what she does so long as she stays here."

"No, but we will have to deal with the repercussions. Senan is eventually going to let Derik find us. When he does, if he realizes that Alina has been warming his bed, he'll freak. Any man would. That could cause problems that none of us want. Personally, I don't envy Derik for having a girl like Alina. She's more trouble than a woman is worth."

"That, too, is a matter of opinion," Eideard calmly answered. "Some women are worth a lifetime's worth of trouble." Dedric's expression darkened slightly and then he quickly regained a blank mask. Eideard eyed him suspiciously for a moment and then turned to meet Alina, saying, "Good luck with the brew."

"What did he say?" Alina asked once they were inside the kitchen and had set the containers on the table. Eideard shook his head silently and moved to the sink to wash his hands just as Senan strolled lazily into the kitchen, his mouth taut. For a moment, Eideard wondered if he and Dedric had some sort of telepathic exchange. However, he soon realized it was pain that caused the expression on Senan's face. There was the slightest bit of sweat on his forehead and he was clutching his right wrist. Alina, too, had noticed and there was the slightest bit of concern on her face. She stepped towards Senan and then stopped herself, clenching her hands at her sides. Senan glanced at her from beneath his fringe of hair and chuckled.

"This is nothing you can help me with, princess. Go find yourself something productive to do. I need to talk with Eideard privately." She frowned, but willingly left, casting a look to his blackened hand. "Damned, nosy woman," he muttered and then collapsed in a chair, releasing a sigh. "I let this go for longer than I had been expecting. A protective spell around a djinn," he elaborated as Eideard leaned over to inspect his hand. "Do you have anything on hand to take care of it with?"

"...I might, but it's in the shed and Dedric is in there," Eideard answered, brushing Senan's left hand away, pushing the sleeve of his shirt from the wrist. "It's spreading upward too rapidly for my liking. It's past the wrist. If we don't get it taken care of now, you might be one less an arm."

"Fuck Dedric then. I'm not going to let my arm fall off." He stumbled to his feet and hit the table. The clank of glass drew his attention. With his good hand, he picked up one of the containers and moved it from side to side, the brew sloshing around inside. "What's this?"

"A healing brew for her foot," he shortly said. "We don't have time to make conversation, Senan, especially if I don't have a potion pre-made." The latter sorcerer set the container back on the table in silent agreement and followed Eideard outside to the work shed. Without knocking, they burst in to see that Dedric had only just begun on his own potion, cutting up a plant on the counter. His feathery brows knitted together in mild confusion. Eideard ignored him, shoving past to the shelves in the back of the shed, groping through them before finding the desired brew. He popped the lid off and took a metal rod from a wooden box with gold clasps, stirring the brew. The dull, gray liquid shifted with the rotations of the rod, turning into a brilliant orange, emitting a lively glow. "It's still good. Soak your hand in this." He thrust the container towards Senan. After he had taken it, he cleaned the rod and replaced it.

"I don't suppose anyone is going to tell me exactly how that happened?" Dedric asked, having remained respectfully silent throughout their intrusion.

"A protective spell."

"Hmm...On what?"

"A djinn."

"But..." Dedric trailed off, seeming to understand that it would not be too likely that he would receive any straightforward answers from either man. Senan had shoved his sleeve up to his elbow and had half his forearm and hand submerged in the liquid.

"Keep that in there for ten minutes," Eideard ordered Senan, "and don't take it out even once. It will eat away at the dead flesh and will be tender for the rest of the week since you'll be missing a few layers of skin. I wouldn't suggest getting involved in the other world until you are prepared to take the necessary precautions against your person, Senan."

"Your advice has been heard, Eideard," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Thank you, but I am aware of my blunder. I hardly need you to inform of something that I already know." He clasped the glass container more securely against his chest and glanced at Dedric, who was drinking in their conversation without a word. Satisfied, he turned and left the shed without so much as a sincere 'thank you' for Eideard's help. Dedric shook his head and returned to cutting his plant. Eideard stifled an irritated sigh and also left the shed, shutting the door behind him to give Dedric his privacy. Sometimes he wondered why he even saved that buffoon's life if all he was going to do was recklessly throw it away time and time again. He supposed it was the sliver of loyal honour that he had retained after his unbearably long life.

X

Luvena could feel the eyes of the people of Kraion pointed towards her. In the capital city of Kraion where the castle was located, there were only the best of people who lived here. They had the most money and the majority of them were in the king's court. Luvena felt nothing but disgust for them. In her home of Hoshäi, there was no such thing as a person above another. The wealth was distributed equally because opportunities were distributed equally and everyone knew the same things as all others. Although there were some more skilled than others in the Dark Arts, they were not sneered upon. Instead, they were seen as prey. Those that were weak in Hoshäi did not survive to suffer. Here, the poor suffered from inequality.

Leading her Appaloosa up the hill to the castle gates, Luvena allowed her gaze to roam from the curious and hostile stares of the Kraion peoples' to move along the gray walls of the castle. They extended beyond her eyesight and the massive castle seemed to loom over the capital city. It was almost as though the structure was a subtle warning to those below. It was yet another aspect of this kingdom that she did not like. It was no wonder Kraion and Siruean were not nearly as famous in her kingdom as Hoshäi was in theirs.

The men at the gate stepped threateningly towards her as she approached the gates. She stifled a derisive snort at their failed attempt at intimidating her. She knew that she looked foreign to these men with her wispy off-white outfit. She kept her shawl around her head, but pulled down the part that was covering her mouth and narrowed her eyes at them. In turn, their grip on their swords tightened. This was not any way in which she liked to be greeted. She raised a hand and the men froze, their faces distorting into terror. "I would suggest, gentlemen," she told them in her low voice, "that you greet a guest of your prince's more politely." She breezed past them, only their eyes being able to move to watch her. Past the gates, the castle grounds were virtually empty with only a few soldiers and servants mingling in the open, green landscape. She stared around her for a moment and then moved further into the grounds before releasing her spell from the men at the gate. After she did, she heard them hurrying to follow, shouting at other soldiers.

Before they could try to lay her down, a blonde male darted out and started swearing at all the soldiers, threatening beheadings and other less friendly things to certain parts of their anatomy. The men paled and scurried away, with only the sentries hesitating, glancing from her to the blonde. The male in question glared mutinously, causing them both to hurry backwards, stumbling over their feet. Luvena could not help but smile at the entire scene. It was all too comical. "Sorry about that," the blonde huffed with a grim twist of his mouth. Luvena surveyed his face and concluded that this must be the captain. Despite his display of anger, his face hinted at a gentle personality, perhaps even a man with a warm heart. In Hoshäi, he would be considered weak. But here, she could appreciate such a man. She appreciated Pedrek despite his tenderness towards her, something people would look down upon if they knew that side of him. "I'm Jaiden," he introduced with a lopsided smile. "Derik – er – the prince told me to look out for you. You'll be Luvena , I guess? Man, we're sure glad to have you here. Guess no one else was willing to come? Well, I don't blame them. Those idiots don't know how to treat a lady right!" He beamed at her and ushered her forward, towards the castle. "I'll have my sister take care of your horse. She's good with animals."

As he said that, two others came to join them. One was a man that walked with a natural swagger. At first she thought that he might be the prince of Kraion. However, his expression did not imply that he was, nor did the hum of magic he was emitting. She suspected this was Oren, the sorcerer the prince had spoken of when convening with her. The girl beside him had no magic, but held the same welcoming expression that Jaiden did. "Hello," she greeted Luvena in a sweet voice. "My name is Sabia. I'll take your horse to the stables and get it settled in if you don't mind." Luvena shook her head and handed the reins to the girl. Her horse did not become fussy as he generally would when a stranger touched him. "Does it have a name?"

"His name is Maelstrom," Luvena answered with a dry tilt of her mouth. "Not a name I chose for him."

"Ah! Well, he's beautiful," Sabia said, running her hand over his nose. She guided Maelstrom away, waving at Oren, who smiled in return. Luvena watched as Jaiden's expression turned dark with irritation. The sorcerer ignored him.

"Alright, we'll take you to Derik," Jaiden gruffly told her, shooting daggers towards Oren. Luvena inclined her head politely, pulling her shawl back up to her mouth to hide her smile. Oren walked beside her, a step behind as was respectful, while Jaiden led the way into the castle. She memorized the path they took and how many turns there were in order to get to their destination. They went up stairs and down corridors until they arrived at a door. Jaiden knocked and then pushed it open, stepping inside to gesture Luvena in. She walked cautiously, something that was in her nature, and Oren soon followed. The two men remained behind her, something she was uncomfortable with. In her experience, baring one's back to another person was not acceptable. She shifted her position so that her back was facing the wall and she could keep them in her eyesight. Only then did she look at the prince of Kraion.

He was not quite what she was expecting. Based on his voice, she had expected someone large with harsh features and a constantly glowering expression. Instead, he was slender with a face that was kind, yet impossibly sad. There was clear weariness in his eyes and seemed to weigh his body down. The loss of his fiancée was more troublesome to him than she had originally thought. He truly did miss her and seemed to love her just as dearly as he had implied. He rose to his feet from his seat and offered a smile that was surprisingly genuine. "Welcome to Kraion, my lady," he greeted, holding out his hand, palm up. She glanced at it and then placed it on his. He bowed over it and then, with her hand still in his, directed her to a seat across from him. Oren took a seat beside Derik while Jaiden stood beside him. "Thank you for coming, even if you were unable to bring others."

"Nobody else was willing," Luvena replied, removing her shawl altogether. Oren's eyes moved from her face to her hair without either lust or interest. There was a hard disbelief in his eyes. She could see that he did not trust her. "I will be honest with you, something that is rare among my people. My reasons for helping you are not entirely selfless."

"Oh, but of course," came the sorcerer's caustic remark. Derik held up a hand to silence him without shifting his gaze from her. The latter cast him a dirty look, but said nothing more.

"Three years ago, my little brother left Hoshäi and abandoned me and his people. Our family has been known to have excellent skills in the Dark Arts. My brother, Dedric, was one of the best in the more violent side of the Dark Arts. He can do no defensive skills, not even create a potion that would help a person. He can only make things for bad. He killed without reservation in Hoshäi. Normally, we do not care who dies or who kills, but...he went too far, I suppose. Our eldest brother, Tamek, was just like this and was brutally murdered by our own people. I held Dedric back and he has never forgiven me. He ran off shortly after our brother's death." She paused, noticing that Derik suddenly held a shuttered expression. Oren said nothing, staring across at her, lacking expression. "I have heard rumors to the effect that Dedric is in this region. When you said there were sorcerers in the Forest of Dim, I had hoped that one might be Dedric. It's been too long for me to identify his magic, but if he is in there, I need to see him."

"And what of my sister?" Oren demanded angrily. "Thank you for sharing your sob story of a life, my lady, but you're not the only one who has had sibling problems. Derik's sister is a lunatic! She's probably after his life." Luvena blinked, turning her gaze to the prince. He did not deny it, but neither did he acknowledge it.

"If Alina is not in the Forest of Dim as we think," Derik spoke, "then she is dead. I will not rest until I find her, dead or alive. I can't stop thinking that she is being tortured by that damn Senan in the forest. If that is how her life is right now, then I would rather have her dead." He sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I must find her, Luvena. I love her, just as you love your brother if not in the same way. Not only that, I must consider the political aspect to this problem. Oren has already told me that the people of Siruean are pointing the finger at me and my father. Our diplomatic situation with Siruean could be torn apart. There is too much at stake here..."

So she is the princess of Siruean...Then Oren must be the prince. "I understand," Luvena calmly replied. "She is my first priority." She hesitated. "This man, Senan...He is involved in the Dark Arts?"

"Yes," Derik replied, frowning. "What are you thinking?"

"Dedric is not stupid. He will be an asset to Senan and having an ally will be beneficial to Dedric. Where we find Dedric, we will find Senan and therefore find your fiancée."

"But that means that two damned sorcerers will have put my sister in danger!" Oren exploded, leaping to his feet in outright panic.

"No...She is in no danger from Dedric," Luvena musingly said. "He began to hate women because of me."

"And as for her virtue, I do not think that Alina is danger with Senan," Derik reassured Oren. "For as long as I knew Senan, he was never with a woman. It was almost as though he was too preoccupied to bother himself with it. As for her being alive or unharmed, that is what I worry about most." He returned his attention to Luvena. "How long do you think it will take you to come up with a plan, Luvena?"

"I expect we will be able to venture into the Forest of Dim very soon. I do not suggest you enter with us, though, my lord. Only the prince of Siruean and I shall go - for obvious reasons. One who is without magic will only hold us back." Derik nodded, but it was clear that he did not like to stay while they put themselves in danger for him. "We are capable of it, I assure you."

"Man!" Jaiden suddenly spoke up in the silence that fell. "A bunch of bloodthirsty men ready to beat a woman and I can't even do anything with them!"

Derik chuckled, shaking his head. Luvena smiled.

Sometimes laughter was needed even in the grimmest situation.

9: Chapter Nine

The djinn frowned unhappily as his mistress leaned over her thick spell book. She was still unwell, there was no contesting that fact. Purple shadows lingered beneath her eyes and she could not remain standing for as long as she ought to were she healthy. He hovered protectively behind her, frustrated that he could only remain above the goblet. As if sensing his unease, she straightened and held a hand out to the djinn. He took her hands in his and rested his cheek against it. "This is something I must do, djinn," Valora told him in a soft voice. "I can wait no longer. I cannot die while our contract is still active. You have told me this. I may need some of your power, though, just a small sliver of it so that I might be able to complete these spells. If I don't, they'll collapse and all my energy will be wasted. And...I could die. As much as I hate this wretched life of mine, I do not want to die."

"Are you so vain?" He queried with sad eyes.

"No," she murmured, "I am lonely."

Valora was, in fact, lonelier than she ever had been before. The royal suite in the gardens of the castle was surrounded by thick greenery, the only sound being that of birds and insects outside. No servants came near here, as it was too far into the gardens. The only exception was when she needed to restock on food and other supplies. She had made certain that the royal suite was full of food, though, and fresh water could be drawn from the pump outside. She doubted that she would be able to eat much food after she performed these spells. She and the djinn both knew that these spells could kill her. They are relatively simple spells, though, she thought dismally, so why do they keep doing this to me? "Djinn..."

"Princess," he replied quietly, raising his head.

"What explanation do you have for me? Why would these spells take so much out of me? It was only recently that they began to affect me so badly. I once was able to deal with this without hardly any repercussions." She gently removed her hand from his and clasped her hands beneath her chin, glaring across from her. Valora had set up the ritual in the drawing room and was presently seated on the floor. The sunlight from the long windows caused a warm glow to emit from the red and gold velvet furnishings. Even Valora glowed with her yellow, satin gown. Yet there was no happiness in the room at all. Valora was deliberating hard upon the matter at hand.

"I am not certain, princess," he reluctantly admitted. She nodded and then returned her gaze to the book lying upon her lap. She unclasped her hands and drew in a slow, deep breath.

"I am going to release you from your bindings first, djinn, so that your power is not so weak. You will be able to help me more. I trust you to not break your word." She raised her eyes to his. The djinn could not have broken his promise before, but looking at her hollow eyes...He would never betray her. He pitied her and yet he adored her and admired her. A djinn was supposed to be careful in how he distributed his emotions. He let his pity take control and warp itself into something else. "Can I trust you?" Valora asked him when he simply stared at her.

"Yes."

"Then let us begin."

X

Eideard woke early enough to go into the forest by himself. The cottage had been quiet and besides his companion's rooms, empty. He stood thoughtfully among some bushes, the subtle smell of rosemary pleasantly rising to his nose. He knelt next to the plant, running his fingers over the petals of the soft flower. Although mostly white, there were tinges of violet in the petals. The fragrance was stronger the closer he was. It was a fragrance he had begun to hate. He knew better than to go anywhere near the plant except when it had been ground up for potion uses. Nonetheless, when it came to matters of the heart rather than the mind, this was the perfect place for him to think. It inspired him.

He could not help but debate with himself on the intelligence of his decision to help Alina. He cared nothing for the girl or what Senan did to her. The reasons he gave to Alina were, overall, true enough. He had fled to the Forest of Dim to escape the precious memories he had in Kraion and to get away from the people there that knew of him. Going anywhere else would have resulted in blatant stares, stares that assumed they knew him simply by rumors. He wanted nothing of that and if Derik were to find him here, he might possibly be shoved into the spotlight again, something he wanted nothing of. The reason he kept hidden from everyone but himself was not a thing, but someone: Myra.

Eideard snatched his hand from the rosemary and turned his back on it, his face clouding over. Alina's eyes...are blue, just like Myra's, he recalled thinking when he first met the princess. She was not as sweet-natured as Myra had been, but every time her defensive walls were torn down, she reminded him so much of the girl he once loved. When he had been fixing her foot, she was weak and completely unaware of any eyes seeing her raw self. And, as he had met Myra through healing her, he had a dim protective nature for Alina from then on. He hated that such a thing would affect him. He did not wish it to be so.

If I continue to see Alina as Myra, he thought with growing disgust in himself, it will only cause problems with Dedric and Senan. I don't want either of them to butt into my business. Myra is dead. Alina is only a sliver of what she was. I mustn't let my emotions get the worst of me. Eideard sighed, raising a hand and pressing it against his forehead, closing his eyes. He dragged it through his hair, opening his eyes and glaring moodily at the ground. With his hand in his hair, he turned slightly to look at the rosemary. Myra...used to smell like rosemary. Shaking his head, he dropped his hand. I need to get Alina out of our lives. I can't stand not being in control of myself like this... He moved to leave, nearly colliding with the new arrival in the clearing.

Senan glanced at the rosemary and back at Eideard. "I wasn't aware you were awake," he remarked to Eideard. In one hand, he had an ugly plant of some sort. Eideard stared at him coldly. Inwardly, his heart was thundering with alarm. How long had Senan been watching him? Because his thoughts had been so engrossed in the past, he hadn't even sensed the sorcerer near him. Senan's gaze slid over his face and then he passed him to approach the rosemary. Eideard watched as he cut some pieces off of it, his mouth tightening. In his eyes, he saw blood pouring from the plant, reddening Senan's hands and knife. "What's wrong with you?" Eideard blinked and the image was gone. Senan was standing in front of him again. "You look like you've seen a monster." His eyes narrowed warily on him as he said this.

"I have," was all Eideard said in return to this.

"I won't dispute that," Senan answered calmly enough. "Go back to the cottage. Maybe you'll be acting a little saner by the time I come back. Tell Dedric I'll be back in time for breakfast. Oh...and Eideard?" he added as Eideard once again attempted to leave the clearing. He paused obligingly and glanced over his shoulder at the male. "Stay away from Alina. She trusts you too much for my comfort. I don't need you meddling in my plans."

"That sounds like an issue you have to work out," Eideard curtly responded and then turned on the spot, vanishing and arriving at the cottage. He trudged inside to see that Dedric was already awake and working on breakfast. The dark circles under his eyes suggested that Dedric had gotten as little sleep as Eideard had, the tension in his jaw supporting the assumption that it had to do with nightmares. "Senan wants you to know he'll be back for breakfast."

"Sounds wonderful," Dedric muttered and then sighed, slamming the knife on the counter as Eideard started towards the door. He paused, wondering if he was about to have a confrontation with him as well. "When is Senan going to do something about the girl? I like her just fine, but he has been letting this go for longer than usual. Now he's sidetracked with some other project of his and is showing no incentive to deal with the first project he started."

"He's your friend."

Dedric shot him a dirty look. "I could care less. He's being as forthcoming with me as he generally is with you. And youare getting rather close to her. I would have thought he would do something about that."

"Is there a reason why you are musing aloud to me or are you simply trying to rouse an argument from me? If it is the latter option, you will be disappointed as I am not particularly in the mood for it." Dedric raised his eyebrows interestedly and leaned against the counter with his forearm, putting his other hand on his hip. Eideard pointedly ignored the skeptical look and said, "I'll be in my room," ascending the stairs to avoid any exchange of words. All he wanted was to be alone before he had to face those blue eyes again, to be reminded of a woman that he had lost.

Dedric watched Eideard's retreating figure with some confusion before shaking his head and returning to his cooking. The real reason for his frustration was that Senan's flippant attitude towards this was beginning to get on his nerves. He generally did not bother worrying about such things, yet this was taking it a bit far. Derik is going to send someone for Alina if he loves her as much as I suspect. He's a hopeless romantic. Of course he is going to do something about her disappearance. The longer Senan keeps her away from Derik, the more restless the idiot is going to get and the more impatient, for that matter. He probably suspects that Senan has her and knows where she is. I don't need that kind of trouble here. He sighed, setting his spoon down that he had been using to stir the porridge. Dedric pushed a hand through his hair, closing his eyes as he brow furrowed in what almost appeared to be agony. I can't stand this...I can't stand not being to sleep. How much longer will I have to suffer for what Luvena did, rather than what I did? He opened his eyes and stared down at the bubbling porridge. How long will I have to suffer for the life I had been born into?

Dedric pulled the pot away from the stove and the fire that was heating it, covering the top so that it remained warm. He collapsed at the table and pressed his face into his arms. I'm so tired of this farce of a life that I'm living, he thought to himself.

X

Senan dumped the plants he had collected outside by the firewood and sighed, making a fist and rubbing his knuckles against a knot in his neck. He glanced towards the cottage, his mouth turning down unhappily. He could practically feel the tension rolling off the building. Releasing a sigh through his nose, he clapped his hands together to get rid of the dirt and headed towards the cottage. Eideard's behavior was strange enough, but Dedric's mood had slowly diminished to one of permanent irritation in the past day. He suspected it had to do with lack of sleep, for there was no doubt by how Dedric's appearance had been that it could be anything but that. Alina, at least, had remained as she always had, if a bit less rowdy than usual.

He opened the door and saw that there was food on the table and Dedric and Eideard were already eating. He frowned, seeing that their female companion was not present. "Where is the girl?" he asked. Dedric made a vague gesture towards the ceiling. "Why did you not wake her?" Senan continued in his interrogation in a mild, patient tone. He received a shrug from his blonde companion and no reply at all from Eideard, who seemed to be pretending that he was the only one in the room. Sending them disgusted looks, he stormed upstairs moodily and entered the princess's bedroom without knocking. Thankfully, she was still warmly encased in bed. He considered throwing water on her, but immediately halted that thought. He didn't need her in a bad mood, too, for a woman's temper was far more annoying than any male's.

Senan paused beside her bed and surveyed her for a moment. While awake, she was always on guard when around him or else she was constantly looking for something to nag about; it was hard for him to find her attractive for those reasons. However, while asleep, she seemed oddly at peace and – dare he say – even a bit pretty. He could see the slight worry in her brow, though, which made him wonder how a person could be distressed even in sleep. He sighed through his nose, exhausted with the entire situation at hand, and glanced to the end of the bed and then back at her face. She was not going to like him waking her up at all.

With a wave of his hand, the covers were jerked off of her and she sat up quickly, blinking blearily, clearly still half asleep. "Wha...?" she mumbled, blinking and turning to look at him. Her eyebrows slanted down in confusion and then she went bug-eyed.

Here we go..., he thought.

"GET OUT OF HERE YOU DISGUSTING PIG!"

Dedric paused in his chewing and slowly turned his head to stare at the stairs. There were several thumps that sounded from upstairs and screeches from Alina. He once heard Senan swear and snap, "Damn woman!" Dedric flicked a look to Eideard.

"Do you suppose we should help or...?" he ventured uncertainly.

Eideard ignored him.

Upstairs, Alina had violently thrown herself at Senan and after biting him and a lot of struggling, she had him on the floor. And, tangled in his robes he might be, Senan was putting up a brave fight. He chose not to use magic for this battle and although he was pissed at her behavior, he was more entertained that some little girl had used what little strength she had to drag him to the floor of her bedroom. Most women would not have dared to attempt it. "You know," he commented when she paused above him, holding a hair pin like a weapon, "if you wanted me so badly, you could have simply said so. I might have offered my body as consolation for being lonely." He smirked at her horrified expression. "Or do you think I get off on being treated like a bad boy?"

"You're such a...such a pig! I don't want anything like that from you! What were you doing to me while I was sleeping anyway? Watching me sleep like the sadistic weirdo you are?" she demanded. "And why did you take the covers off of me?"

"Actually, I was trying to wake you up so that you could go downstairs and have breakfast," he said calmly. His hand throbbed where she had bit him, but otherwise he was unbothered by what had just happened.

For a moment, she stared suspiciously at him, clearing trying to deduce whether he was lying or not. Looking at his face would have done very little either way, as Senan was a rather expert liar. After a pause, she rose to her feet and dropped the hairpin on the floor. He got to his feet a little less gracefully because of his tangled robes. He swore to himself as he untangled them, only mildly irritated. Alina watched him, her brows drawn together in bemusement. She realized that she really did not understand, much less this sorcerer. He had been so horrid to her at first and now he was actually making an effort to not blow up on her – or, if not that, he wasn't as temperamental towards her as he had been. Maybe it was just Senan who was complicated, because Derik had been far more understandable than this. When he saw that she was staring at him, he raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm not taking my robes off for an early romp, princess."

"Why do you have to turn everything into something perverted?" she demanded. He smirked in return.

"Because I'm a male who has been deprived, why else? Now, can we please go downstairs and eat? Unlike you, I have been awake for some time and am famished. As entertaining as rolling around on the floor is with you, it isn't the first thing I want to start my morning with."

"Interesting, because those are my sentiments, too," she told him and stalked past him. As she did, she heard him chuckle behind her. Flushing angrily, she hurried downstairs. It suddenly occurred to her that her foot was better, which made her pace slow somewhat. Today is the third day, she thought. I have to drink one more container of potion and by tonight, I might be out of the Forest of Dim and back to Derik. She entered the kitchen and paused, staring around her. I'll really be back in Kraion with him and Sabia and Jaiden. It seems like forever since I've been home, but it wasn't completely unpleasant here...

"Are you going to faint?" She jerked out of her thoughts and turned to see Senan behind her, his expression blank. Alina stared at him, perturbed by her thoughts. "Well?" he prodded, his eyebrows arching down in slight aggravation.

"No...I'm fine," she said quietly and turned away from him to approach the table and eat.

Breakfast was quiet. Eideard seemed to be in his own world and was the first to leave the table to go upstairs to his room. Dedric said little and his face seemed paler than usual, giving her the impression that he might be ill. The dark circles under his eyes indicated that he had not been sleeping well, either. Even his mood and level of energy was lower than usual. She did not ask him if anything was wrong, though, for it was clear that there was; she did not, however, feel that he would divulge his problems to her. After she ate and helped with the dishes, she settled in the den by herself. She sat by the fireplace where a low fire was crackling, absorbed in her thoughts.

I'm going to miss this, she realized, a bit confused by the sentiment. I'm going to miss this close, family-like quality, even if they all have their own secrets they won't share. I'll even miss Senan, for all his evil and horrible qualities. I don't know why. And after Dedric asked me that...I don't even know what I feel for Derik now. I do love how he makes me feel, there's no doubt about that. But him? Do I love him? What, then do I love about him? I just don't know... Alina looked up when she heard someone enter the room and saw that it was Senan exiting the kitchen. "Senan?"

He paused, slowing turning to look at her. He raised his eyebrows in question, seeming to be interested in why she wanted to speak with him. The look made her hesitate. "What, woman? Are you simply making sure that it's me or did you want to actually converse?" he demanded after the silence lengthened.

"I just...wanted to thank you," she said uncomfortably. "You could have locked me up or treated me worse than you have, but you treated me pretty decent. So, um...thank you."

Senan eyed her, a slow, sly smile curling his lips upward. "I think you might be warming up to me, little princess," he commented before turning from her and continuing to his room. She stared after him, scowling angrily. Naturally, he had to ruin a perfectly respectable and polite moment. And she was feeling so generous towards him, too.

But I don't want Derik to be hurt, Alina thought, continuing from her earlier thoughts. No matter how much I like it here, I can't allow Senan to harm Derik through me. If I don't love him, then I'll know in time. I do want to see him, though, and Eideard will help me go home. It'll be best for all of us.

Alina stood up and left the den to go upstairs. She knocked very softly on Eideard's door and it swung open soundlessly. She entered and after she was in the room, the door shut behind her. Eideard was at his desk and turned once the door was closed. She had the distinct feeling that he was inspecting her with his hard gaze. He sighed softly through his nose and she might not have noticed if the room wasn't so utterly silent. He turned away from her again, closing his eyes as though it pained him to look at her. She had a feeling it did. "Have you taken the last of your potion?" he asked in a low tone. "You're walking better."

"No...I planned on taking it after luncheon," she replied. She hesitated and then continued, "I know...it's none of my business what goes on around here, but – "

"Unless it concerns me, princess, I can't answer your questions. Senan has told neither Dedric nor myself his life outside of his studies of the Dark Arts. Dedric? All you can get out of him is that he despises women. He wants nothing to do with them. He's having nightmares, but would refuse any help that we might offer. He wouldn't even admit that he was having nightmares if you asked him about it. With that said, go ahead with whatever it is you intended to say." The sarcastic look he directed towards her indicated that he doubted she would continue. However, even if she could not get that information out of him, she was still curious about his own behavior as of late.

"Alright. Then what about you, Eideard? Why has your attitude become so horrible? I can understand Dedric's if he truly is having nightmares, but what is your excuse?" He stared at her for a long time, with his usual impassive expression. Any other person might have been bothered or distressed with someone confronting them about such a thing, yet he acted as though they were discussing nothing more than the weather. The staring continued for far longer than she desired and her body began to tense. Her nerve broke and she averted her gaze to the ground.

"I assume this isn't why you're in here," he stated plainly when she dropped her eyes, a subtle acknowledgement of her defeat.

"No," Alina agreed and after wetting her lips, raised her eyes to his face again, "that isn't."

"Let's go outside then," he suggested, rising to his feet. He moved to the door and ushered her through, following shortly afterward. They were silently0 as they traversed through the cottage to go outside. Even once they hit the cool, fresh air of the morning did they say nothing. Eideard was occupied by thoughts that were echoing the earlier ones that Senan had interrupted. Alina's tactless prodding had recalled them to mind when he was trying so hard to forget things. "You told me that you received the best advice on relationships here. Have you ever wondered why that is?"

"Of course. But I doubt any of my theories are true."

"And I suspect that Dedric has not confided anything in you?" he questioned, somewhat interested in the answer.

"No...Nothing. Why?"

"Because I feel that I am obligated to explain something to you," Eideard told her, flicking a glance towards her almost dismissively. "Not only because you are in a complicated situation with the Prince of Kraion, but also because you have been more open with us than we have with you. Perhaps worse things have happened in our lives – I don't care to compare yours and our lives – but the fact remains that you deserve some hint as to why we are as we are. And maybe, once you return to Kraion, you can explain it to your prince and he will let us alone. Or, at least, let mebe."

There goes his selfishness again, Alina thought irritably. "Very well, Eideard, go ahead then since you feel indebted to me."

Ignoring her sarcastic jab, he said simply, "I was in love once." She blinked, shocked at the brief statement. "Her name was Myra." He paused at the edge of the barrier around the cottage, causing Alina to halt a few steps behind him. "I killed her...because of my selfishness that you have told me is so disagreeable on more than one occasion. She was a peasant girl, whereas I had status. Her parents were of Hoshäi descent and naturally, those in Kraion hate anyone related to that kingdom. She had been beaten up badly, so I took her into my home. I took care of her, as she had no one else. I loved her, more than I had loved anything in life. That is why I could speak with you about love, of relationships."

He paused to glance at her, to see her stunned face. "When I grew interested in the Dark Arts, she begged me to leave it alone, but I couldn't. They were forbidden and Derik...young, little Derik. He was a brat, even at a young age. He knew exactly what I was doing. He gave me dirty, insolent looks and once even told me that I was evil. Well...In any case...Myra soon became involved by my doing. She would have done anything for me. I wish I could say the same of myself, but if that were true, I would have given up pursuing the Dark Arts. Instead, I asked her to become involved in some of my magic. I killed her."

"But...But how? Do you know...how?"

"Oh, not exactly," he said slowly, thoughtfully. "The room was hot, burning me with just the magic that was spitting everywhere. I could hear her screaming...somehow the magical currents were flowing inside her, burning her insides." He went silent for a moment, reliving the moment in his head. His hands clenched at his sides as his eyes clouded over with fierce anger. "I started screaming and tried to stop it...Nothing would help, though. I had to watch as her body absorbed all the currents and her face...her skin was becoming black, steaming from the magic inside of her. It was horrifying. After her death, I was fired from my position as court sorcerer and later was exiled from Kraion after they did a further investigation and concluded I had killed her."

"...How awful," Alina whispered.

"I have never performed any of the Dark Arts after that. If I must harm a person, I will do it with swords, but never magic. I use my magic for healing only and defense." His stoic returned and she knew that he was finished. "I suppose I would not have told you this except the reason I wanted to help you leave tonight is because you remind me of her." He turned to face her and raised a hand, gesturing towards her face. "Your eyes. Her eyes were blue, just like yours are. The more I have to look at you, the more I have to be reminded of someone I can never seen again and that hurts me more than I would like to admit."

Alina said nothing as he looked absently towards the forestry. It seemed to make sense that Eideard had once loved a woman. He was the gentler of the three, if more ruder than they were. She knew now why it was though, and she could accept that part of his personality. Dedric, she was sure, had a good excuse for his way of living, too. Hoshäi was not an easy place to live in, or so she'd heard. His nightmares, she gathered, were from something that had happened there. Senan, on the other hand, was a completely different case. From what she could see, he did not suffer from any nightmares or regrets. He seemed totally at ease in his skin and where he was and what he had done in his lifetime; he was unbothered by it all. Alina would always have sympathy for Eideard and Dedric. As for Senan, she could only wonder as to why he acted the way he did. He was a mystery, without really acting like one. He made everything so blunt, with no hidden meanings.

But I am not warming up to him, she thought, still annoyed with the comment he had thrown at her. I just want to understand everything and make things better. I guess it's time for me to realize that I can't. And I likely won't ever be able to solve everyone's problems. I can't even solve my own...

"Enough of that," Eideard abruptly said, as if waking from a distant dream. "We must plan for tonight. Senan is oblivious and Dedric is too distraught with lack of sleep to worry about either of us. It should be fairly easy to get you out of here."

"Oh, I do hope so," Alina responded, smiling. "I miss Kraion." Her smile faded and her brow puckered. "I will kind of miss here, too, once I'm gone."

"Save your sentimentalities, princess. It's not worth putting into words."

X

The castle was silent, a calming silent that could soothe any soul. It was late afternoon and most of the castle's inhabitants had settled down for a break before dinner came. The one exception to that was the Prince Oren, who was restlessly striding up and down various corridors. His mind could not stop moving and even the companionship of the darling Sabia could not distract him. He needed to be alone to his thoughts and walking around as he was managed to keep others away from him rather nicely. His brooding expression assisted in that area as well.

Releasing an agitated sigh, he swept down yet another corridor and stopped at a window, slamming his palms against the glass. A ripple of vibrations shook the decorated glass. He disregarded it and stared out at the cheerful scenery. He had never cared for Kraion, let alone the people in it. Those of Siruean descent were relatively safe so long as they converted to the beliefs and customs of Kraion. The Hoshäi people, however, were not all safe in this kingdom. Oren rather admired Hoshäi. He did not agree with them about the Dark Arts, yet the idea of only the strong surviving followed his own ideas. His sister was strong – or as strong as she could be without magic – and father was strong, too. Oren flattered himself in believing that he might be strong. But this was all relative. Compared to those in Hoshäi, he was sure they were all weak.

It's frustrating, he thought, curling his fingers into fists. I hate not being able to do anything...I can't do anything for Alina right now. And it's not just me. I can see that Derik is experiencing a similar frustration. Everyone is holding us back because we're princes. The only reason I am allowed to go in with Luvena is because I have magic otherwise I would be as stuck as him. She doesn't even care about Alina...I suppose I don't blame her. I would manipulate my way into a situation in order to get to my sister, just as she is doing for her brother. Still...I hate not being able to do anything. He slumped against the window and pressed his forehead against the cool glass. I hate that Alina was put into this situation at all. How terrible it must be for her...How confused she must have been. I wonder if she is well. Oh, I hope she is not being mistreated by that damned sorcerer, Senan.

Oren sighed and pushed away from the window irritably. He frowned when he saw Derik crossing the grass towards the gardens. I wonder where he is going?

The Prince of Kraion was, after experiencing a particularly nagging feeling in his stomach, going to visit his sister in the royal suite. Frankly, he had no desire to exchange banter with her at the moment, but he had an uncomfortable feeling that told him something was wrong. Derik knew that she would not have cared if he got so sick he was near death. No matter how much she loathed him or how much he disliked her, she was still his sister. I have an obligation, he told himself. She has nobody out here to help her and is completely alone. It's not safe. Anyone could get through those part of the gardens undetected.

Once he arrived at the royal suite, he stood a moment to survey it. The last time he had been here was when his mother was alive. After her death, it was no longer used and literally abandoned. Derik gave a vague smile as he recalled how she would move them here in the summer. Those were young days when he could sprawl in the grass with no worries at all. The sun would beat down on his face and his hot feet would bury in the cool blades of grass. Jaiden would usually be with him and they would tear through the gardens like only boys could, raising their voices to each other and squealing with laughter. And afterward, even though Jaiden was a servant boy, his mother would have them served lemonade. Derik's smile slipped from his lips as he realized that Valora had never been invited to these outings – it had always been him.

Feeling guilty for something that had never really been in his control, he continued to the door of the royal suite, rubbing the back of his neck. He paused in front of the door and said nothing for a moment, simply gazing at the door. After a moment, he looked away, his forehead wrinkling with his worried thoughts, this time of his sister rather than his fiancée. Why did I never think about the reasons for Valora's hatred of me? he wondered, disgusted with himself. If I had, I would have known this beforehand. It had never occurred to him that his parents were mistreating Valora. She had always been given the best of things. Now that he thought of it, he had only been the one presented with gifts; his parents had simply given Valora what she wanted, an entirely different thing altogether. He sighed, sliding his hand from his neck to his collarbone and then dropping his hand. It would be easier to face her while pretending to hate her.

Turning back to the door, he knocked on it and waited patiently. There were no sounds from inside, not even the footsteps of a person approaching. He leaned away and stepped around to look at the windows. The curtains were drawn and from what he could see, it was dark inside. Frowning, he pulled away and called, "Valora?" There was no answer. Returning to the door, he knocked again, calling her name a second time. The door swept open abruptly, startling him. A cloaked figure stood in the doorway. He gasped and stepped away hastily, clapping a hand over his nose and mouth as he gagged. What's that awful smell? It smells like someone is rotting!

"Go, the princess wishes to be alone," the figure growled out to him. Derik stared at it, horrified. He choked as a draft of the foul-smelling air blew towards him as the figure moved. "Go, Prince Derik. She needs rest. This life has drawn her down." Derik paused, pressing his hand closer, and looking up curiously at the figure. It sounded like a man and by the sadness in his voice, he suspected that this man might be in love with his sister. He felt a bit of sympathy for him, yet felt that there might be something here if the man was still here and Valora was not present. "I will care for her."

"What...What is that dreadful smell?" Derik asked hesitantly. The stranger tilted his head and seemed to listen for something.

"What smell?" he asked instead and then shut the door.

Derik stood for a moment, unsure of whether he should insist to see Valora or not. Deciding it was best she not see him, he stumbled away from the royal suite and heaved in deep breaths as soon as he was far enough to smell only fresh air. He breathed in deeply and after sending a glance over his shoulder towards the suite, he left the gardens. Once he had exited them, he considered over what had just happened that he wasn't analyzing closely enough. She must be sick again, he thought, recalling when he had looked in on at her when she was sick last time. The same smell had been there, but not nearly as strong. What in heaven's name could be wrong with her...? He turned slightly towards the gardens, shivering as if a spirit had passed through him. There was something ominous about Valora's sickness...Something that he did not understand. When he turned back to face the castle, he jumped a bit at seeing Luvena standing beside him.

"Is there something in there?" she asked him, ignoring his rather undignified behavior.

"Of course," Derik replied in some surprise. "My sister is living in the royal suite. It's encompassed by the entire garden. I believe she has a guest, there, as well..." He trailed off as he said this and then shook his head, continuing, "Is there some reason you wished to know?"

"It is nothing," Luvena vaguely said, turning her eyes from the garden. "I would like to set out in the Forest of Dim tomorrow, if that is possible. I have already spoken to the Prince of Siruean. He does not mind the idea in the least. He is as eager to see his sister as I am to see my brother. I felt I should tell you, as you can provide us with the necessary supplies while being in the forest."

"Oh. Yes, I will send an order out immediately so that you two can leave as soon as possible tomorrow." He paused, hesitating. "Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"What will you do when you meet Dedric and the other sorcerers? Did you intend on bringing them back here?"

"No," she answered quietly, "I have no intention to bring them here for judgment. They did not kidnap the princess, my prince, something I feel that you know as well as myself. If she is with them, they have helped her survive in the forest." Luvena turned to leave, slanting a look over her shoulder as she said, "I would think they deserve an award for that."

Derik watched her walk from him, a swift, graceful walk that he admired. In the back of his mind, he wondered why he could not see the sorcerers as Luvena saw them. However, as Senan's face flashed in his head, he knew the answer before he pondered the question much farther.

X

Senan could hear the soft sounds of night around the cottage. Somewhere, crickets were chirping in the tall grass. He suspected that there might be one in his room with as loud as it sounded. The cottage was silent, with no sound of movement anywhere. It was deceptively peaceful. Unbeknownst to any of the other occupants of the cottage, Senan had not only been working on his own devices in order to get to Valora. No matter what he did, she was strictly protected, either from her own magic or another's. Some of it felt like hers when he encountered it, but some felt warped, with only the slightest taste of Valora's. That had worried him. His own paranoid mind set him on another project entirely that took a lot out of him. However, it was worth it; he received a satisfying result. After much hard work on his part, he had created an oval piece of glass that stood on stone levers. It gave him a view of outside the cottage and he could hear any conversation he wished. It was made as a precaution against any intruders, as only animals were rejected from the cottage's area, and was also made so that he could keep an eye on Eideard and the princess.

It's a pity, he mused, glancing at the glass structure. Eideard is so intelligent but too arrogant for his own good. A smirk lit up his features as the shadows outside suddenly shifted. I wouldn't have to deal with his matter at all if he wasn't trying to ruin my plans. I need to get rid of Valora and Derik so that Kraion is mine. I'm sure Eideard doesn't care what I do – he merely inadvertently got himself involved with something that does not concern him. There is likely something else that is motivating him, other than his selfish desire to keep people away from the cottage.

Senan rose to his feet from behind his desk and took his cloak from the back of his divan, throwing it around his shoulders and clasping it as his throat. He took another glance at the glass. Eideard and Alina were moving faster than he had expected. Ah, if there was an easier way of taking care of this, I would not bother. The princess aggravates me most of the time anyway. His chuckled aloud to himself. But then, she is beginning to like me. It will be too easy to manipulate her, although this will put me back a step.

Alina and Eideard, meanwhile, were hastening through the forest. She had to keep a hold on his arms so that they could flit through the forest by magic rather than troop through it on foot. The feeling was unsettling. Everything blurred, as if they were a tiny particle that was speeding through the forest. The sight of it made her stomach churn, so she eventually kept her eyes closed. They came a few yards from the end of the forest and she felt her body come to a halt. She pushed away from Eideard and stumbled to a tree, heaving what little she had in her stomach. She felt him approach her from behind and push her hair from her face. Grateful, but feeling embarrassed that he was watching her be sick, she knelt, shaking, with one hand on the tree. "It affects you that way the first time," he told her plainly.

"Thank you for the late warning," she muttered, rising to her feet slowly. Her stomach had not yet settled, so she stood leaning against the tree for a moment so she would not have to vomit again. Wiping her mouth with the edge of her cloak, she waved a hand to show that she was better. Eideard moved ahead of her and her eyes drifted down to the sword that was held in a scabbard at his waist. She wondered what he thought he would need that for and then had to remind herself that he did not fight with magic any longer.

As they walked, Alina felt a prickling at the back of her neck, giving her the uncomfortable sensation of somebody watching her. She turned her head once to peer behind her and saw nothing but darkness and the outlines of trees and bushes. There were no sounds but their footsteps, with the occasional hoot of an owl or squeak of a bat flying above them. There were crickets chirping all around them. If someone had followed them from the cottage, they still would have heard them. Despite rationalizing all this in her brain, she stepped a bit closer to Eideard. It was comforting to feel another human's body heat.

"There is the break in the trees," Eideard spoke after they had been walking for about twenty to thirty minutes. Alina still had the uneasy feeling of someone watching them and merely nodded. "Once you get there, you'll be able to walk across the glade to Kraion."

"Well, I'm not sure about that, Eideard," a soft, familiar hoarse voice rose from the darkness. Eideard slowly rotated to face their visitor, his eyes narrowing. Senan pulled his cloak's hood from his face and sighed. "I wouldn't care if you returned the brat back to her idiot fiancé, but I do have plans with her and frankly, you're meddling in them." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned. "I assume you thought I was completely unaware. For awhile, I was, but you forget who created the cottage and who has more superior knowledge in the Dark Arts than you. Now, Eideard, what would you like to do? Would you like to try and distract me so that she can run or just give this thing up while you can? I don't mind either option, really."

Eideard reminded silent, the tightening of his jaw the only sign that he had even heard what Senan said. Instead of him responding, though, it was Alina. She grasped the sword in Eideard's scabbard and pulled it out, pointing it towards Senan. He raised his eyebrows mildly, seeming to be entertained by her offensive position. "I'm going home, Senan. I don't give a damn about your plans!" She glared at him warningly. He eyed her thoughtfully and then dropped his gaze to the sword.

"Put it down," Senan told her.

"No."

He sighed. "Alina, put down the sword. It's not a toy to be waved around."

She was briefly distracted by his calling her by her name and then lifted the sword in a high arc, aiming for him. He moved aside in time and glowered. "I know how to operate a sword just as well as you or any other man does. Don't treat me like an idiot, Senan, because that's the last thing that I am."

"So you can use a sword," Senan said flippantly, "but can you use it well enough to take care of me?"

"I'm going home," she stubbornly told him and broke into a run. Senan was right behind her, but before either of them could get to the break in the trees, they were violently thrown to the ground. The sword flew out of her hands and skittered along the ground, hitting a tree trunk and becoming still. Eideard, who had said nothing and did nothing while Senan and Alina had argued, stepped past them and came to a stop, raising his hands. It looked as though his hands were resting upon air. He released a small burst of magic that lit up what appeared to be an invisible wall. Alina struggled to sit up after her body recovered from the abrupt blow. Senan rose to his feet before her and stared at the wall that was slowly fading. He glanced down at her and scowled, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet. "What is that?" she whispered.

"A barrier," Eideard responded, throwing a look to them over his shoulder, "and a strong one."

"Strong enough to keep all of us in," Senan added, moving so that he was standing beside Eideard. He put a hand on the barrier and repeated what Eideard had only done a moment ago. The barrier lit up again and Alina took the time to inspect it. It was thicker than she had originally imagined. The sight of it made her tremble with sudden fear. There were dark electrical currents that fluttered through it. Both sorcerers saw it and removed their hands.

"And...that? What is that?" Alina asked them. Eideard seemed to have no answer, looking to Senan. The latter sorcerer sent another burst of magic to light the barrier up a third time. Alina could not keep her eyes from the dark currents, morbidly fascinated with them. The more she saw them, the more she shook. Senan turned away from the barrier and saw her round eyes fixed on the barrier.

"Dark magic," he shortly replied, removing his cloak and wrapping it around her. "Take her back to the cottage, Eideard, and wake Dedric. I want him here to see this. He'll probably be awake anyway." He pushed her into Eideard's arms. Alina struggled to turn and look at Senan. There was a hard, grave look on his face that she could not recall ever seeing before. And in his eyes she could see a worry, not only for himself, but for all of their lives.

10: Chapter Ten

11: Chapter Eleven

Night had fallen and while Oren was seated near the fire he had conjured, Luvena moved around their temporary campsite, her hands hovering a few inches from her chest as she raised protective barriers. Even with the barriers, however, they were taking turns at being on watch in case one of the sorcerers happened upon them in the night. Once she was finished, she paused to glance behind her at the younger male. He was staring intently at the fire with a haunted expression. "Have you ever been in love, prince?" she asked him, lowering her hands and joining him at the fire. He continued to gaze at the fire for a moment and then sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing them.

"No," he answered crisply, "I have not."

"I suppose not," she said mildly, unbothered by his tone. "Love can completely overwhelm a person. Familial love torments enough, but nothing compares to when a person is tormented by love for another person. If a person becomes entirely possessed by it, then it is all that drives them. Nothing can break its spell. If, however, they control it as the Prince Derik has, then it is not made out as an obsession, but as true love." Oren slowly raised his head to look at her. "He misses your sister dearly. To be in such a state of love, you must sacrifice your very soul to that person. When that other person is gone, they have taken a part of them with them. When they go of their own accord, then that part goes with them, yet it still hurts. When they are taken as violently as Alina was, that portion is torn violently and leaves a bleeding wound that never closes up. It will always be there. If we do not recover your sister, he will always be in a state of injury. Do you understand why I am saying this to you?"

"No," he said flatly, "I do not."

"I can sense that you do not believe the prince to care as much as you do about your sister."

"I know he cares for her," Oren snapped a bit too loudly. He controlled his voice and after taking in three, careful breaths he continued, "I don't appreciate some heartless wench from Hoshäi telling me of matters that you know nothing of. First, let me say that although I believe your story about your brother, it does not change my view on you or your people. Furthermore, I am only cooperating with you because nobody of any use will help me and most of those in Kraion and Siruean are so paranoid that they barely allow any magic to be performed! I appreciate your assistance and acknowledge that, but I'm not interested in your analysis of mine or Derik's affairs." With his exposition concluded, he turned his angry stare to the fire.

"I apologize," Luvena said softly after a view moments of silence. "I did not mean to offend you. I will keep our relationship strictly professional and once again, I apologize for overstepping." He did not reply. In any other situation, Luvena would not have taken such rudeness from someone of considerable less rank than herself, but she understood his situation all too well. He was bottling up a good deal of emotions, mostly worry and stress. She could not blame him for his distrust, as her people hardly deserved it. It did not help that she had practically told them that she cared more about finding her brother than the mission for which she had been sent.

I have incriminated myself, she admitted, and I expect nothing less than hatred from this prince.

"There is such a horrible mixture of magic in this forest," Oren abruptly said as she was absorbed in her thoughts. She flashed him a curious look through the corner of her eye, somewhat surprised that he had picked up such a thing. "Too much of a mixture."

"I agree," she said. "Did you sense the magic as we came in the forest?"

"No...What was it?"

"A barrier," she replied and closed her eyes, pulling her cloak around her more securely. "A barrier that keeps any who enter inside."

X

Alina woke in the middle of the night, feeling as if she had only blinked. She was as awake as she might be if it were midday. She found herself staring across the room, wondering what it was that had woken her up so suddenly. The fireplace glowed, showering light upon the walls and causing shadows to bob up and down on the ceiling. The effect was eerie and not at all something she wanted to lay watching in such a silent setting. She sat up and slipped out of bed, moving to the door quietly. She listened for a moment, but all was quiet. She considered simply going back to bed and trying to sleep, yet she was still uneasy.

Careful to make no noise, Alina left her room and crept downstairs, pausing at the bottom of the staircase to listen again. The kitchen was empty and too dark for her liking. Feeling her muscles tense up with fear, she hurried into the den where a fire was dully crackling. The shadows seemed to loom up behind her, but she remained standing, listening. It seemed like ages that she stood there until she heard a sound outside. Swallowing, she approached the entry way and went to stand by the door, staring outside. A dark shape was moving around outside along the edges of the barrier, making horrid, beastly sounds. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she fumbled at the knob, but there were no latches or locks in which to put in place.

"What are you doing out here?"

Alina gasped and threw herself away from the door, tripping upon her own feet and collapsing on the floor. Senan stood above her, his eyes narrowed on her limp form. Alina had not seen him since the discussion early in the day. Since then, he had confined himself to his chambers. She was uncertain whether she was more frightened of him or the creature outside. Regaining what little courage she possessed, she said, "I was woken by something and came downstairs to see what it was...There's a...There's something out there."

"Mm?" He opened the door, causing Alina to stumble to her feet and skitter around him, grabbing the door and pushing at it. He glanced at her and then roughly pulled her away from the door. "Don't be ridiculous, you stupid little girl," he bit out. "Do you honestly think that there aren't creatures that try to surpass the barrier other nights? Look at it. It doesn't dare go any further than where it is now. It know we're in here, whether it can see us or not." He grabbed her wrist and shoved her in front of him. "Look at it," he ordered, holding her arms in place against her chest. "You want to know everything about this new world you're in? Well, take a long look at that beast, princess. It's been exposed to whatever dark magic that's corrupted all the animals for the longest. It's completely mutated it to something that is no longer recognizable."

Forced to stare at the beast, she felt a sudden twinge of pity. Although there was no doubt that the sounds it made were violent, it also seemed like it was tortured and was seeking some sort of escape. As the fear gradually drained from her body, she was suddenly aware of how close she was to Senan. She could feel the warmth of his body behind her and stiffened. He must have noticed and correctly interpreted the reaction. He laughed, putting his face next to hers, his laughter massaging her cheek. "Concerned for your precious virginity, princess?" He chuckled darkly again and then spun her around so that she was facing him. "Or are you desirous to lose it?" She felt a rush of horror streak through her and as she tugged at her wrists, he released her. She found her balance and glared at him from her place. "No worries," he snidely said, "I don't particularly want it."

As he turned away, she asked, "Did you take Valora's?" The question had not even been in her head before she said it. It simply came and flowed out of her mouth at the same time. He paused and slowly turned to look at her again. "Why else would she feel so vengeful towards you? Did she love you?"

"Don't bore me with your romantic visions," Senan told her coldly. "There was nothing of the sort between her and me. Valora doesn't love. I don't love. It's about time you realize that this world is not sugar coated in every situation. Life isn't easy like yours and your prince's lives are. Or rather, were." There was a bitter tone to his voice when he spoke about Alina and Derik's lives being easy that surprised her. She opened her mouth and then stopped herself. Whenever she felt a bit of sympathy towards Senan, she felt conflicted. He didn't deserve it with how he treated her, much less with what he must be putting Derik through by her being missing.

X

Luvena glanced behind her to look at Oren in question. She could feel the strength of the magic she had felt earlier become stronger the further they moved into the forest. Senan must have gone very deep into the forest to avoid detection, she mused. She knew that they were getting close and magic helped hasten their journey. Oren had been surprisingly quiet and thoughtful, likely because of the knowledge that they would be stuck in the forest with no way out. Not that it will mean much to him once we find his sister safe and sound, she thought to herself. Once he is with the princess, he will have no reason to be in a hurry to get back. She paused, turning her head in question. Oren continued to walk and put a hand on her arm to indicate that he had sensed another person with them as well. Luvena probed the area around them, but could not detect her brother's magic. A sudden explosion of dark spirals swam towards them. Luvena lifted a shield just in time to deflect them. The shield shuddered dangerously, a subtle sign that whoever she was facing was not a weak sorcerer. But if it is not Dedric...then it must be...

"That's a strong shield you managed to raise in such a short amount of time," Senan remarked, emerging from the trees with a handful of plants. He was wearing gloves, likely to protect his skin from any poison that may be contracted from the plants. Luvena felt Oren stiffen beside her as he recognized their adversary. Afraid he might do something rash, she held an arm in front of him. Senan noticed the gesture and looked from one to the other with an amused look upon his face. Luvena was unaccustomed to facing someone outside of Hoshäi who had such magnificent power. She had only heard of Senan and very faintly, at that. It was no wonder that her brother chose him to hide with in the forest. "And by your appearance...I would say that you are from Hoshäi."

"You are correct, sorcerer Senan," Luvena calmly responded, brushing some hair from her face that had flown into her face when she had raised the shield. Senan's lips curled into a smirk and he raised a hand. She stiffened, watching the slow swirls of dark magic build in the palm of his hand.

"Shall we see how your shield lasts against a harder blast?"

"Wait, fiend," Oren barked out, shoved past Luvena.

"Prince, no! You don't know who you're dealing with!" she cried out, glancing uneasily at Senan, who watched them mildly, not lowering his hand.

"I don't give a shit," he said to Luvena, turning his head slightly so that he might meet her gaze a moment. "Listen, you," he turned back towards Senan, pointing a commanding finger to him, "I know that you have my sister, Alina, and I also know that you're as trapped as we are in this damn forest. I'm willing to make a proposition with you. I might not be that much help, but the fact that the barrier is still up is an apparent sign that you are as baffled by it as we are. Or, well, as she is since she sensed it before I really did." Luvena watched Senan's humor fade from his face, transforming it into an aristocratic, haughty expression. He seemed to be seriously considering Oren's words and she was shocked to find that he lowered his hand and allowed his magic to fade back into nothing. Oren looked a bit triumphant.

"I'll just kill you later when I've found you useless," Senan told him.

"Fuck you," Oren pleasantly answered. The latter sorcerer raised an eyebrow and then eyed him interestedly. Luvena was surprised that he still did not kill them.

They are more desperate than I would have thought. "What makes you think that Alina will let you kill us?" she asked Senan. "Wouldn't that foil your plan when you took the princess from Kraion?" Senan swept his cloak out and carefully arranged his plants on the belt in his pants so that he would have his hands free. When he was finished, he raised his eyes to hers and she felt a chill travel down her spine at the look. Senan was an attractive man without a doubt, but also a frightening one. The stare he directed at her was impassive and almost was not human. She felt that he could slaughter them without a thought. Luvena was not one easily frightened by another creature, having dealt with several in Hoshäi, yet this sorcerer made her insides twist and made her wish to step back.

"Killing her would be a favor to the world," he said at last, grinning in an unwholesome manner. "Follow me."

X

Dedric's nightmares had been getting increasingly worse as of late and this time he woke later than usual because he had become entrapped in one that, as always, included his sister. His room stank of fear and sweat. It enraged him whenever he woke to such a smell. He felt weak and when he was drawn to such weakness...it only disgusted him. He sat up in bed, breathing hard from anger and when he had calmed his racing heartbeat, he sat with his hands on his knees, staring at the ground with a scowl on his face. Admittedly, he had thought of never sleeping again but he felt that, too, was a type of weakness. He would be running from the thing that caused him such distress, hiding from it so that he did not need to suffer. No matter where he went, there was always something that reminded him of how weak he had become – how weak he had always been.

While brooding over his self-hatred, a little probe seemed to tickle his brain and pull his attention from his thoughts. He could sense a familiar bit of magic, but was unsure of why or whose it was. It was not any of his housemates, as he was so used to theirs that it would simply be another part of his life. No, this was another sorcerer entirely. He frowned. Sorcerer did not sound right when describing this new magic. Sorceress seemed to be more appropriate. A knock sounded on his door and he stiffened as it slid open. However, his anxiety was unnecessary as it was only Alina. She smiled tiredly, appearing to have gotten little sleep and as if she had been awake for some time now. "I'm sorry...I heard you cry out from downstairs and felt I should come check on you."

Check on you...it was a term that one applied when speaking of a child. He found yet another reason to hate himself. Not only was he weak, but a human princess with no magical blood in her veins wanted to "check" on him to make certain he was doing well. It was revolting. Dedric became disgusted with himself abruptly, wishing he had not thought such bitter thoughts towards Alina a moment after they had ran through his head. She didn't deserve his scorn, although her attempt at escaping gave him good reason for disliking her. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking, though," he muttered.

"When did you finally get to sleep?"

"Not soon enough, apparently," he said under his breath. She gave him a questionable look. He sighed and waved a hand. "It's nothing, Alina. I just...have trouble sleeping well. Where is Senan? Have you seen him yet?"

"He left outside somewhere," she replied, "and I haven't seen him for a few hours now. I imagine he's getting more plants again." He frowned, noticing the subtle shift in her demeanor. Clearly wishing to avoid the subject, she suggested, "Maybe you should get a bath going and relax a bit? Maybe it will make you feel a little more rested. Then you can come down and we can make something to eat. I'm starved." She smiled, patting her stomach emphatically. He continued to survey her with a narrowed gaze, instinctively knowing that there was something that she was not telling him.

"Yes...that sounds like a good idea," he murmured. However, before he could usher her out of his chambers to begin to bathe, Eideard let himself into the room. "Get the hell out of here, I didn't invite you in," he snapped at him.

"I'm not interested in being in here," Eideard drawled self-importantly. "It reeks of sweat." His eyes flickered to Alina suspiciously and after determining that she did not hold that same smell, he continued, "Senan's outside the cottage with some visitors. And no, I haven't spoken to him. I felt their magic and just a moment ago he appeared with them outside. I think we ought to meet him."

"Alright, alright," Dedric grunted, standing up and disrobing in front of them. He assumed Alina had slapped her hands across her face because he heard Eideard snort behind him. After dressing, he pressed the clean cloth to his body, feeling a little more in control of his emotions. He nodded to himself and buckled his belt, turning around. As he had thought, Alina's hands were clenched over her eyes. He smirked and then clapped his hands. "Well, let's get going then." He moved forward and jerked Alina's arms down, revealing her bright red face. "You missed a great sight, princess."

"Spare me," Eideard said, rolling his eyes.

The three of them went downstairs, Dedric leading the way with Alina following close behind them. Dedric hesitated in the kitchen as he probed outside. The magic he sensed was far too familiar for his own liking, yet he still could not determine where it was from or whose it might be. He sighed inwardly and then continued towards the door. He could see nothing outside the window, so he opened the door and stepped out. Senan was nowhere to be seen, nor the visitors that Eideard had spoken of; however, there was still the unmistakable sensation of foreign magic. Eideard stepped ahead of Dedric, clearly knowing where Senan was to be found. They rounded the cottage to find Senan standing with two other people, one of whom Dedric recognized very well. His footsteps slowed until he could no longer bring himself any closer to them. Eideard continued, but Alina stopped and looked back at him in question. Luvena, however, turned in hearing their approach and stared at him, her gaze boring into him. A strange expression crossed her face, one of which Dedric had never seen upon his sister's face. Was it relief? Remorse? He could not be sure.

"Dedric." He was startled away from Luvena's eyes and looked down to see that Alina had returned to him. Her hand was on his arm, a concerned look crossing her face.

"I'm alright," he murmured. The lie slid off his tongue easily despite his increased heartbeat and the feel of cold sweat on his back. His memories were returning to him again and he suddenly felt ill. He wanted to go back to his room and crawl under the covers. "I'm fine," he heard himself say to her.

"You're not," Alina said quietly and then looked behind her. Dedric followed her gaze to see that she was staring at Luvena. He turned his gaze away from the women and found Senan, instead. He was standing next to the unfamiliar male. The male appeared as if he had tried moving forward, but had been stopped by Senan. His green eyes glared fiercely at Senan, who merely stared at him impassively.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves," the male abruptly called out, taking a few steps away from Senan. "I am Prince Oren of Siruean and this is my companion, Luvena of Hoshäi." He paused to allow this to sink in. Senan's eyes narrowed and Eideard turned his head slightly. Dedric's stomach dropped when he saw Alina turn and stare at him, a suddenly fearful look entering her eyes.

Now they know about my sister, he thought, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, and I'm sure that soon they'll know about Tamek, too.

12: Chapter Twelve

Senan's eyes flickered between Dedric and Luvena impatiently. He had never known Dedric to have any siblings and given that they were rather close, this surprised him somewhat. Admittedly, he had never asked either of his companions about their family relations, mostly because it had never been important before. However, Senan was not particularly interested in dealing with family problems between Dedric and what appeared to be his sister. Dedric did not seem all too thrilled to see the woman, who appeared a little anxious, as if she wanted to move towards him.It is always possible that they are not related at all, he mused thoughtfully, but it is also highly unlikely. He considered each of them for a moment. Oren, who had picked up on the tension, had paused a moment after his introduction, surveying each of the gathered people, as if trying to determine who it was that had caused the tension. Fool, Senan thought.

"Thank you for your fine introduction," Senan drawled, taking a few steps so that he was standing in front of Dedric. Luvena blinked at having her brother obstructed from her view. While Senan did not particularly care one way or another about Dedric, he did not need his performance affected by family members butting their way into his life, especially when he was one of their key workers as far as the Dark Arts were concerned. As it was, they rather needed him undistracted and without any stress so that he might focus on the current issue they had – which was that of the barrier around their cottage. "However, I'm more interested in why you are here."

"Why else would we be here?" Oren demanded, suitably indignant at the question. Senan nearly smirked. As he suspected, the question had drawn the attention from Dedric and Luvena and to the temperamental prince before him. "You stole my sister from me – I will never forgive you for that. What could you possibly accomplish by stealing her? Just to get back at Derik?"

"Please," Senan snorted sarcastically. "As if I give a shit about that puny thing. I could blow him to pieces with a wave of my hand if I wanted. And although this may come as something of a surprise to you, little prince, I did not steal your princess from Kraion, nor did I have any initial plans with her until she showed up rather beaten up and bruised at my cottage."

"And you expect me to believe that?!"

"Oren," Alina hastily intercepted, hurrying forward in front of Senan before her brother decided to do something brash. "He's telling the truth. Senan did not take me from the castle." Oren sent her a disbelieving look. "I woke up in the middle of the forest...there was a mountain lion that chased me and I injured my foot very badly. If these men hadn't helped me, my foot would have rotted it off...you really should be thanking them."

"How do you know they didn't put you in that position to gain your trust?"

"I just do, Oren," she quietly said, unwilling to unravel the tale of everything that had happened in the time that she had been there. Senan peered at her curiously through the corner of his eye. She seemed to sense it and glanced up at him in question. He considered over the princess for a short amount of time and then turned to look at Oren again, who appeared a little less moody and more thoughtful. Senan could tell that Oren had accepted her explanation for the time being, but it did make Senan wonder whether she intended on being honest with him or not.

"Very well," Oren conceded at last, folding his arms across his chest and shifting his weight onto one leg. "But that does not mean I trust or like you, sorcerer. In fact, I will fight you to the death before you kill me or my sister once this situation is taken care of." Senan smirked.

"I will gladly accept that challenge," he returned.

"If you don't mind," Eideard interrupted in a flat tone, "this is all incredibly boring to me, so would you mind explaining to me what we're going to do with these two while they are here?"

"We will have to add two new parts to the house, it appears," Senan remarked, turning to survey the house. When he glanced back, he noticed that at some point, Dedric had vanished from the clearing. In any other circumstances, he might have been bothered by this, but given the circumstances, he did not draw any attention to his absence. Luvena, however, noticed immediately after he had changed positions. When she moved slightly, he said, "My dear lady, I suggest you leave him be." She halted, turning her head to stare at him. "Dedric appears to neither want to see nor talk to you. If you try to force your way through him, you will have to deal with me first."

"Senan!" Alina snapped. He raised an eyebrow at her, a subtle way of telling her to shut her mouth.

"While you stay here, neither of you will show any disrespect, go nosing around, or cause drama while here, am I understood?"

"Alina and I are of royal blood," Oren told him in a rather high-handed manner. "What makes you think that you can treat as like common slaves?"

"Perhaps it's the fact that I can overpower either of you?" Senan suggested in a thoughtful tone, his eyes drifting to the sky. "Yes...Actually, I do believe that is why. Shall I allow you to witness such?" He grabbed Alina and dragged her to him. She stuttered a bit, her eyes widening into large saucers. A low glow formed on the palm of his hand as he smiled at Oren. "Now...where would you prefer her to be burned? Her throat?" His hand drifted to her throat, hovering above it. "Or perhaps her shoulder?" His hand moved to the corresponding body part while Oren stared, tight-lipped and furious. "Or perhaps...you would prefer I burn her pretty little face for her fiancé?"

"Senan," Eideard spoke up, "that's enough. We are all in the same position right now, stuck because of some outside source trapping us here. We hardly need to cause problems with each other." Senan glanced at him and then closed his hand, the glow disappearing. He kept a hold on Alina, who attempted to tug away from him.

"Be still, would you, princess?" he said. She glared up at him. He chuckled at her fiery expression and then shoved her towards her brother, who barely caught her, somewhat off guard by the sudden movements. Alina pushed away from Oren and whipped around to Senan.

"Can't you act polite for once in your life?" she demanded angrily. "Eideard is right, we're all in this together, I don't understand why you can't simply accept that and stop acting so rude about everything! It's hard enough knowing that I'm stuck with you, when all you did is mistreat me and everyone that you're around. Do you even notice that Dedric has nightmares every night? Do you even notice how alienated you've made him and Eideard?"

"I'm not interested in your moral code," he returned in a bored tone, "and I doubt that Eideard and Dedric don't give a shit about how they're treated because they treat me just as poorly. That's how we work and that's how your filthy 'royal' bloodline works, too. Do you honestly think that everything is sugar and candy like Derik has apparently made it out to you? Do you really think that every royal member treats their people kindly? You are mistaken and stupid if that's what you truly believe. And given Dedric's rather abrupt departure, I think your indignant reaction for that woman there is likely unwarranted," he added, nodding to Luvena, who frowned at him. "Let me give you a history lesson, princess. The Hoshäi people constantly enslaved, killed, and tortured their people. If you believe that this woman is all that great and deserves your defense, then go ahead, but I do not believe that would fit your moral code that you've been imposing on me ever since you got here."

"It's not a moral code, it's called being nice," she told him angrily.

"Then I suggest you reconsider who you are nice to," he replied, raising an eyebrow at her. He turned away and disappeared, leaving them to their own thoughts. Senan was hardly interested in what any of them thought about him, let alone that bothersome princess. He was far more interested to see what had caused his closer companion to become distressed by.

X

Dedric had settled himself in a tree in the forest, some ways from the cottage. He wished that he could have stayed and confronted Luvena, had been cold and unfeeling and sarcastic like Senan. But somehow, he could not manage it. He could barely remain there for the time that he had, only able to recall the last time he had seen her. He closed his eyes, his hands bunching together in his pants as the vivid memory he had been escaping for the past years suddenly replayed in his mind. He remembered that look of anger and agony on his brother's face as their people tore into him, summoning all their power to destroy him. He remembered how, for one brief moment, Tamek had turned and looked at him and called for him. But mostly, he remembered how he was not strong enough to break through Luvena's defenses to save him from his death. He could never forgive himself for being weak. Dedric regretted not killing his sister after that. He regretted not taking care of her like he ought to have. I should have been stronger...I should have been able to get through to Tamek and I should have destroyed Luvena, rather than letting our familial ties get in the way. He drew his hands to his head, gritting his teeth as Tamek's screams rang through his mind. Why did I let that happen to him? I should have been better than that...I should have worked harder to get to where I am now. I could have kept him from dying!

"Dedric."

He snapped out of his thoughts, whipping around a bit violently to stare down at where Senan was stationed. At his reaction, Senan's brow furrowed and there was the slightest sense of tension in his body, as though he feared that Dedric might attempt to attack him. And, sadly, for one moment, Dedric considered it. He was irrationally angry at Senan for disturbing him and after he calmed his thoughts and reminded himself that it was not Senan who had caused this, he was at last able to calm his bloodlust. "What do you want?" he demanded hoarsely. Senan stared at him for a moment.

"We need to have a talk," he said, "though you seem to be rather upset."

"I'm not upset," Dedric lied, but his bitter tone betrayed him. Fucking Luvena, he cursed in his mind. "I don't want to discuss anything."

"You never told me you had a sister," Senan continued, ignoring his words. "Why did you not say so?"

"I'm not discussing this!" Dedric snarled.

"You are if I say you are." Dedric turned and stared down at Senan, whose expression was a subtle warning of what could happen if he dared to disobey him. While Dedric was aware of Senan's moods and power this was one thing he refused to discuss with him – or anyone, for that matter. Tamek was, and would always be, the one secret held constantly to his heart. He would not let anyone know of his brother's shameful demise.

"I have no reason to tell you," Dedric snapped, slipping from the tree so that he was close to Senan, their noses nearly touching. "You have admitted nothing of why you are here, so why should I admit something to you? You don't deserve that confidence and I refuse to give it to you." Senan stared at him, saying nothing and not even moving. For a moment, Dedric was certain he had lost all interest, but then he remembered who Senan was and knew that was not possible. Senan enjoyed control and if something like that happened abruptly, he would take care of it as well as he could and would generally succeed. Dedric did not intend on letting someone like Senan know of his past, though. He did not trust him to not use it for his own advantage.

"Do you honestly think I don't know what you're thinking?" Senan asked at some length. Dedric glared at him, waiting for the analysis that was sure to come. Unlike his usual offering of opinion, however, Senan simply stared at him, apparently waiting for a response. Dedric took a step away from him and eyed him warily, but nothing in the latter's demeanor gave him any sort of indication as to his current state of mind. Dedric continued to stare at him, still with a somewhat venomous expression, yet it was also slightly confused. Perhaps Senan saw this, because he stepped away from him, putting some distance between them. "I suppose that is due to my own persona I have developed," he remarked, as though Dedric had said something. His mouth turned upward in a small, bitter smirk. "No, I suppose you do not have any reason to tell me, Dedric." He glanced at him and then stepped away, disappearing.

Dedric was at a lost for words, staring at the spot where the sorcerer had been a moment ago. "What the fuck?" he muttered to himself.

"Dedric." He started and whipped around. Eideard raised a hand mildly. "Where is Senan? I've been trying to find him, but he's been keeping himself well-guarded up until a moment ago. Is he here or did he run off somewhere again?"

"He isn't here," Dedric grunted, "he just left. He's acting oddly. I would leave him alone."

"As if that is any different than he always acts?" Eideard queried sarcastically. "And he's not the only one acting oddly. You disappeared in the middle of a discussion that could have been vital had we not had two men vying for power in the group. I would have expected you to want to talk with your sister, regardless of her welcome or not. The very least you could have done was some cock-wagging to get scare her off."

" 'Cock-wagging'? Really? Is that what you call a show of power, Eideard?" Dedric demanded, scowling.

"I do," he answered simply, "because that is all it is – and it is all it is similar to. But my crude definition is neither here nor there, Dedric. Stop acting like an idiot. You know why I am asking. I'm not interested in family drama, but we do need yours and her skills in order to understand this barrier more thoroughly, so I would appreciate if you try and put the past behind you until after this is over." Dedric looked away from him, frowning at the ground. Eideard made it sound easy to simply forget what had happened between him and Luvena, what he had turned into as a result of her selfish actions. He could not forgive her for that, not even for the current crisis they were stuck in.

"My idea of getting over the past is quite different than yours, Eideard," Dedric told him at last.

"How?"

"You would choose that I would simply forget the past and work with her, is that correct?"

"Yes...," Eideard cautiously admitted.

Dedric nodded and then tilted his head back to look at the tops of the trees thoughtfully. "I would rather slit her throat than work with her."

There was a tense pause where Dedric remained staring at the treetops, not allowing himself to see the flash of disgust in Eideard's eyes. When his companion finally spoke, however, he surprised Dedric.

"At least get some ideas out of her to get some use out of her before you kill her."

Dedric turned and looked at him, but Eideard had already gone, likely to return to the cottage or to continue his search for Senan. He turned his head back to stare at the glimmer of light pouring through the gaps above him and he sighed, closing his eyes as sunlight touched his eyelids. As always whenever he allowed the sun to touch him again, he was reminded of Hoshäi and the warm sun that was always present. And, as always, his brother's face flashed in his mind before his death and he darted from the sun, standing in the shade, pressing his palm to his forehead in pain. His lips pursed and he lowered his hand, laying it on a tree. He wished he could get a respite from his mind, if only for a few hours.

X

Alina was beginning to get anxious. Eideard had returned some time ago after leaving to find Senan and bring him back to discuss the reordering of the cottage, but he was alone. Dedric was still missing and Senan had yet to return from his own departure. Luvena was sitting silently in the den, apparently absorbed in her thoughts, while Oren paced throughout the house, repeatedly attempting to get into Senan's quarters without much success. From time to time, him and Eideard would stand in the kitchen, discussing something, but then Oren would continue to his endless wandering. Alina, unable to watch him for much longer, had retired outside, moving around the cottage slowly, watching as the sun lowered in the sky. She wished that their other two companions would return, especially Dedric, given his upset state. She chewed on the skin beneath her nail as she walked. As she was beginning to round the cottage again, she heard a rustle and whipped around, hurrying to where she heard the sound. Senan glanced at her as she came running towards him.

"Senan!" she called as he continued away from her. She picked up speed and he turned and caught her before her hand landed on his head.

"Do you mind not continuing worthless attempts at assaulting me?" he snapped, throwing her roughly so that she fell on the ground. She winced as her hand hit a rock, causing a sharp pain in it. He was about to continue away from her, but she drew her hand up to reveal that it had split open on the palm. He paused, staring at it and noticing her wincing in pain, holding her wrist with a pained expression. He stared at her a moment and then turned back to her.

"Go away!" Alina snarled unexpectedly, startling both of them. She sniffed and then held her wounded hand to her chest. "All you do is cause everyone pain." Alina met his eyes briefly to see an unrecognizable emotion in them, but then when she blinked and looked closer, they appeared as familiarly cold and gray as usual.

"Let me see your hand," he said instead, his demanding expression allowing no argument. She hesitated and then handed it to him. He withdrew a handkerchief from within his robes and wrapped it around her hand. She stiffened when a soft glow began to emit from his hand and she jerked her hand away, causing her yelp in pain at the sudden gesture. "Would you please trust me for five seconds?" Senan snapped, appearing suddenly enraged. "Does it look like I'm trying to kill you or are you just that stupid?" Alina hesitated, staring at his angry expression and then returned her hand to him. Glowering all the while, he hovered the glow over her hand and she felt the pain begin to dissipate. "All I can do is numb the pain for you for a bit," he said briskly and then helped her to her feet. "Go inside and see Eideard, he'll be able to help you. Stay away from the upstairs, I'm adding some more rooms for our guests. Be sure to pass that on. Also, stay inside, I don't need any deaths on my hands." He left her, then, walking in quick strides.

Alina watched him walk away, cradling her wounded hand in her other hand. She felt guilty for her harsh words towards him and for the first time since meeting him, she had seen a glimpse of hurt that she did not trust him. She had never seen anything but hard, cruel emotions from him until then. Alina looked down at her hand, feeling sad. Is he really so mean...or is he just misunderstood? It was the only time Alina had felt truly confused towards how she should feel towards the sorcerer Senan.

13: Chapter Thirteen

It was late when Alina heard footsteps on the stairs. She knew that it was Dedric and although she was worried about him, she did not step out into the hall to ask him if was okay as she had originally planned. She remained in front of the fireplace, wrapped in her blankets, listening to his slow footsteps move up the stairs. There was a pause and then she heard a low murmur of voices. She turned her head slightly, vaguely recognizing Eideard's voice. She stood up, slipping out of her comfortable blankets, and moved closer to the door in order to hear them. They were talking very quietly, likely to keep their other guests from hearing them.

"...can do this," Dedric's voice mumbled. "I'm having a hard enough time just coming back to the cottage but there were too many fucking things coming out in the forest that I didn't have much of a choice."

"You'll worry the princess if you keep acting like this," Eideard said quietly.

"What?" There was a pause of hesitation and then Dedric asked, "Has she...been worried?"

"She got into with Senan shortly after you left and I think they may have encountered each other sometime after he returned from doing whatever it was that he had been occupied with. She came in with a split hand and when I asked what had happened, she only said that she fell. Obviously she was lying, though, given that she had Senan's handkerchief around her hand and I could sense that he had used some magic on it, likely to keep the pain at bay."

"He hurt her?"

"I don't think on purpose, Dedric. He wouldn't have bothered to do any of that if he wanted to do that. Senan doesn't have a conscience, if you recall."

There was a long pause in which it was silent out in the hall. Alina leaned forward slightly, but did not care get any closer to the door in case they saw her shadow underneath the door. She knew she was safe at this distance, but still did not want to risk being caught eavesdropping. She concluded that they were not saying anything and after awhile, Dedric sighed deeply.

"She's been very nice to all of us," he admitted. "I wouldn't want her to worry over me. She should have enough to deal with, what with her brother here now. I can't stand the thought of Luvena this close to me, though. Would you mind putting a shield around my room so she doesn't sneak her way through?"

"I'm not so sure my magic is strong enough, but I'll try."

"Ha...I can't even believe I'm talking to you civilly."

"Trust me, it won't last," Eideard told him snidely. Dedric chuckled and then their footsteps passed Alina's door, moving on to where Dedric's room was located. Alina stood a few more moments and then carefully returned to her spot by the fire. Cold, she quickly rewrapped herself and sighed, snuggling close to the warmth, sticking her feet out towards the fire that was crackling away merrily. She pulled some of the blankets around her head and after awhile, she began to drift asleep. She slid onto the floor and curled up, staring at the shapes of the fire, bemused by the quiet beauty. Yet as she fell asleep, her mind drew up Senan's face again, the haunting look in his eyes as he had stared at her, and even though she was beginning to fall asleep, a tiny shiver ran up her spine at the thought that Senan might not, in fact, be all that evil.

X

When morning arrived, there was a clutter of noise, of more people moving around than usual, of water being drawn, of voices hitting together, and most of the cottage's occupants had withdrawn from their rooms to face the day and its challenges once again. The exception to this, however, was Senan, who had locked himself in his chambers since last night after adding the rooms to the top floor and had not left since then. Presently, he was lounging on one of the chairs, turning an oval piece of glass around and around, staring inside of it. There were several different mirrors of this type around the cottage, some in the rooms. It was one of those devices which allowed Senan to know of Dedric's night terrors, and to determine where Alina was currently and whether she was in the cottage. Senan's other piece of glass that was settled on stone levers and placed upon his desk was used only for the outside. These ones were far more useful in that most of his guests were generally within the cottage more so than anything else.

He turned one of the mirrors and it shimmered before the kitchen was shown. Eideard and Alina were seated next to each other and Eideard had spread out some plants, explaining them to her. Oren was standing near the door and frowned at them, watching them with some interest, but mostly disdain. It was clear that he did not like to think of one of the sorcerers as an actual good person. Dedric was at the stove, cooking, but he occasionally glanced around, as though waiting for his sister to walk in. The mirror shimmered again as Senan searched for Luvena and he found her in her room, sitting on her bed, staring at something in her hands. From his vantage point, Senan could not see what it was and after watching her for a moment, the mirror shimmered and returned to its usual reflective quality. He stared into it for a moment and then set it aside. He was tired. It had been some time since he had last taken a regenerative brew and he doubted that Dedric would be up to making him one after their rather tense encounter yesterday.

He considered that for a moment and recalled Alina's harsh words towards him. She had told him that she hated him before, and countless times was not afraid to be mean or hateful towards him, yet he had recognized that he was sensitive to such words at the time, especially after having Dedric speak against him. Admittedly, he was indifferent towards most things but it had hurt to know that even after everything, he was still the only one that Alina did not trust. She actually thought I was going to hurt her, he mused, staring up at the ceiling without any real expression.She was already wounded and yet she still thought I was going to inflict more harm upon her.

He stood up and moved to the window, thrusting the curtains aside angrily. But what do I care? The damn woman means nothing to me as far as I am concerned. As soon as I am able to use her for my purposes to gain control of Kraion, then I could care less.

He rested a hand on the window frame, his elbow bent out slightly as he stared into the dark trees. It appeared cold and damp outside, with a good deal of overcast, reflecting his poor mood. It was going to be a long day of bitter emotions he suspected. He thought a moment, staring out at the landscape and then he heard a small whisper of a sound, entering from the back of his mind. He straightened and released a sigh. "Fuck."

There was a sudden rumbling overhead and he raised his eyes up to where a strike of lightning crossed the sky. He pushed away from the window and paced the room, his arms crossed. He considered everything, attempting to get his mind back onto the problems at hand. He knew that Valora had something to do with the barrier that was around their cottage – which could only mean that she was preventing Alina from leaving, rather than any of the sorcerers given that Alina had been her focus the entire time. But the only question was why? What could she possibly want Alina out of the picture for? It felt like it had been so long since Senan had so much as been near Valora, let alone speak to her, and it took him a moment to remember her ambitions, what she was made up of, and it did not take him long with his sharp memory.

She wants power, he concluded. If Derik marries, he will become king and both him and Alina will have all the power – Valora will have none. She will simply be known as the cast-off princess.He rubbed his hands together briskly. I will need to take care of this...She's going to go after Derik here soon. She'll ruin everything. Without Derik, there's no point in having Alina around at all.

"Fuck," he repeated softly. "Why do women have to complicate everything?"

He hastily washed and dressed and hurried out of his chambers. He slipped into the kitchen, immediately catching everyone's attention. He frowned as he stood there, meeting Oren's arrogant gaze and then looking down at Alina and Eideard. She was holding a leaf and was looking at him with an unreadable expression that unnerved him. "What is it, Senan?" she asked at last. Again, there was the slightest whisper of something in the back of his mind but he stomped it aside.

"Oren," he addressed the prince, who raised his eyebrows mildly, "when you were in Kraion, did you meet Valora at any point?"

"She came into the dining room once," Oren replied slowly, "but she was not there for long." His expression turned puzzled as he searched his memory and then he shook his head. "That was the only time I saw her. She was requesting to be moved to the royal suite in the gardens. She was a beautiful woman...but she looked very tired and almost sickly. I had not seen her since then. But...Yes, now that I remember, I saw Derik moving towards where the gardens were located. He may have gone to see her, but he did not mention anything." Oren hesitated and then shrugged. "That's all I can recall, I'm afraid."

"Feeling a little less feisty, hmm?" Senan queried.

"Don't test me, Senan," was all the prince said. "I'm not in the mood." He then continued, "When Valora requested that she be moved to the royal suite, I told Derik that I thought something was going on. We never saw Valora and we never heard anything of her after she had been moved. She was doing something in there – I know she was – and I would bet my life that it had to do with this barrier."

"It would an agreeable bet to make," Senan said slowly. He glanced at Alina. "Eideard, take the princess out to the shed and show her how to make a regenerative brew."

"Dedric is better at that than I am," Eideard said in an irritated voice, "and I think you should recall that I am not a servant to be ordered about."

"Then go show her a brew that she can make herself to help since she enjoys hurting herself so much."

"Why can't I be here during this conversation?" Alina demanded huffily, standing up moodily. "It's not like I don't know why you're trying to get me out of the room, Senan, I'm not stupid." Senan stared at her without any expression, debating upon what she said. He could insist that she leave anyway, even though she would throw a fit and give him dirty looks all day, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with that and she had said she wanted people to be honest with her around there from now on. He could care less about what she wanted, but he supposed that this would be easier than keeping it a secret from her. After all, Eideard loved to reveal things to the girl that she didn't need to know.

"Very well, but sit down." She obliged him, clutching to her plant still. Eideard frowned and removed it from her hands before she ruined it. Senan turned away from them and glanced at Dedric, who was watching him curiously. "I believe...that Derik's life may be in danger."

"What?" Alina leapt to her feet again and Oren started forward in surprise.

"By Valora?" Dedric asked cautiously, ignoring the reactions of the two siblings.

"Of course, who else would I be talking about?" Senan demanded. He took a few steps and leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his chest. "Valora has always felt as though she was not loved as much as her younger brother and has constantly been doing things in order to draw attention from him. She's slept around to evoke a reaction, she's made herself as pretty as possible, and she searched for the Dark Arts. And then, it seems at some point she decided that it would simply be better to get rid of Derik altogether. I think she initially intended to simply get rid of Alina so that he couldn't get married and obtain the throne, but I have this suspicion that she knows how much power Derik has in Kraion and knows that she will never be able to get any power whatsoever without getting rid of him." His eyes turned to Alina, who was blinking quickly, likely to control her tears. "Unfortunately, he's sent the two sorcerers that he had on his side here. As far as I know, there is nobody else that can protect him there."

"Well..." Alina took a deep breath and then said bitterly, "I guess you'll get what you want then, won't you, Senan?"

"No, because then I'll have to deal with Valora and based on the feeling of the barrier, I think she may have a very powerful ally on her side." His eyes met Dedric's. "One that we clearly are not prepared for, given that we are all still stuck behind a barrier they created."

"And so what?" Alina demanded. "You think that Dedric isn't going to help you take her down? You two can share power and bring the entire kingdom of Kraion to its knees. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"What makes you think I want power?" Dedric queried in a somewhat offended tone.

"Oh, be quiet!" She rounded the table as she shot this as Dedric and moved so that she was right in front of Senan. "If you think I'm just going to sit here and let you do that once everything is over, then you're mistaken. I won't let you bring down a perfectly respectable country."

"You're a stupid, foolhardy woman," Senan said, leaning forward in her face. "If you think that Kraion as Valora as its queen is going to be any better, than you are sadly mistaken." A slow smirk curled his lips upward and he reached up, tracing her trembling lips. "You could still be the queen of Kraion if that's what worries you."

"Don't be disgusting," she hissed, pulling away from him. "I would never be anything of yours!" She whipped around and stormed out of the kitchen, nearly smacking into Luvena, who stepped out of the way quickly enough to avoid her. Senan sighed, smirking to himself. Dedric seemed disturbed still by Alina's apparent suspicion that he wanted to rule a kingdom with Senan. When he saw his sister, however, he turned back to the stove and saved their breakfast from nearly burning.

"Why do you do that to her?" Eideard asked, collecting the plants. "You're just making her hate you more."

"I don't give a shit and save it, Oren, I can already imagine your ill-disguised revulsion without looking at you." Oren had just drawn in an aggravated breath to say something but then scowled and released it when he had spoken. He then exited the room as well, likely to go find his sister. Senan watched as Luvena hesitantly entered the kitchen, still holding something in her hands. His eyes narrowed on her and he queried in a sharp voice, "Was there something you needed?"

"No...not necessarily," she quietly said. As close as she was, Senan could see that she was holding a small oval portrait in her hand. When Luvena noticed his eyes on it, she hastily tucked it away and folded her hands in front of her, meeting his gaze unwaveringly. "I thought that perhaps we should begin working on some plans today...and I think that perhaps Dedric and I have some discussing we need to do with you two." She raised a hand and indicated Eideard and then Senan. The way in which she moved, with such regality, reminded Senan of a priest. "I understand that there is some confusion as to our relationship and I would like to clear that up before we proceed. I feel that honesty is the best course of action."

"No." Senan slipped away from the counter quickly, standing next to the table where Eideard was seated. Dedric had violently thrown the iron spoon across the counter, where it simply bounced away from the shield around Luvena. He appeared enraged and although Senan had encountered him at his irritated levels, he had never faced him while he was truly angry; he had never had a reason to be this angered. "It is my business and had I wanted them involved in my business, I would have told them!"

"Don't act so immature, brother," Luvena coolly said, barely glancing at him. "In order for us to go any further, you need to get over this past grudge that you have been holding. We won't be able to get out of this without working together. You know that."

"I would rather rot in this fucking place than work with a whore like you!" he spat. "It's nobody's business what happened in Hoshäi and it's nobody's business how you fucked up our family!"

"I did nothing to our family but preserve the clan. I have explained this to you once before."

Dedric smashed his hand on the cast-iron pan in frustration and the food went flying over the counter, causing the pan to fall heavily upon the floor. He swore, holding his burned hand to his chest. Dedric released a low, almost feline hiss as he gripped his hand and then he let it fall to his side. Eideard and Senan both appeared tense, clearly uncomfortable of this side of their housemate that they were witnessing. Both of the s were oblivious to the other occupants of the room.

Presently, Dedric slipped around to where Luvena was standing and moved close to her, saying softly, "If you say anything about our family, I will kill you. Don't push your luck while you stay here." He withdrew, his darkened eyes sweeping across her still face. Apparently satisfied, he lifted his burned hand and there was a sudden hiss as the fire in the stove oven was extinguished. Only after smoke was trailing out of the oven did he leave the kitchen, leaving Luvena alone with the other two sorcerers.

Luvena closed her eyes and Eideard rose to his feet, collecting his plants and hastening from the kitchen out to the shed. Senan watched his escape with some surprise. He turned to look at Luvena, who seemed to be having some trouble remaining upright. She wore an expression of pain and slight fear.

"Let me see the portrait," he said, approaching her with hand outstretched. She opened her eyes and raised them to his face. There was a pregnant pause before she removed the portrait and handed it to him. He looked down at the small picture and frowned, finding himself staring at Luvena, along with what appeared to be two of Dedric. Upon closer inspection, however, he realized that one was taller, with wilder hair, and harsher features. He also appeared older and Senan suspected that the male was, in fact, Dedric's older brother.

"He's dead," she whispered when he returned the portrait. She raised her eyes to his face and Senan felt a chill go down his spine when he saw the grief and utter regret in her eyes. "I killed him."

Rather than answering, Senan simply looked away and began to clean the mess in the kitchen.

X

Alina looked up from her lap when she heard the slam of a door downstairs. Oren, who was sitting next to her, frowned and cocked his head. He at last shook his head and said, "All of these people...I swear they have tempers." She raised her eyebrows at him. "I never said I didn't have one," he responded to her look, looking at bit moody, "but they certainly don't take the time to try and control it, do they?"

"Everyone is really stressed right now," she told him. Oren opened his mouth, an indignant expression. "I know you think that they don't deserve to be defended, but they're not that bad. They've protected me from my own stupid self countless times." He pursed his lips, but did not continue with what was sure to have been a harsh remark. "Senan is the worst, though. He is always trying to provoke a reaction from me."

"So I noticed," Oren grunted.

"Oren...how is Derik?" she asked, drawing their thoughts from the sorcerers. Oren eyed her and then he sighed, his face softening somewhat. "I miss him...it feels like it's been years since I've seen him last." It was strange that she could still remember his face. If she considered it long enough, she could remember the soft angles of his face, the way his mouth tipped upward into a smile in just the right way, and his constant concern for her, always making sure that she was comfortable or doing well. She missed that about him.

"He's stressed, of course," he murmured. "He's worried sick about you. It's the only thing that occupies his mind. Yet, even though it's clear that he's depressed, he managed to be kind to his friends, to treat everyone fair, and he hasn't once taken his bad mood out on anyone. I admire him for that."

"He has always been very kind," she agreed. They were silent for some time before she asked, "What should we do?"

He turned his uncertain gaze to her. "I don't know, Alina...this is out of our control. It's not something we can do. We have to hope that the others are able to figure this out. I just don't know enough about magic, let alone the Dark Arts, to be of any help." He sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "I'll be honest, I feel useless. I hate that people like Senan can do all of this, yet I couldn't even sense the barrier when we went through it."

"Oren, they worked really hard on getting where they are...and not for good reasons, either. I'm not even sure why Senan wanted all this power or why he stayed here rather than overpowering Derik and his family and simply taking over. He wasn't trapped in the forest like he is now. He easily could have done something. I don't really understand him..."

"What's to understand?" Oren bitterly demanded. "He's a monster. I still don't believe that he really gives a rat's ass about Valora killing Derik other than he'll be jealous that his protégée managed to do it before him." He snorted disgustedly. Alina smiled slightly and then abruptly hugged her brother. He blinked, surprised.

"I'm so glad you're here with me, Oren. I've been so lonely." She withdrew and smiled. "But we really shouldn't be idle. Even if I can't do magic, I want to try and learn brews with Eideard so that I can at least be somewhat helpful and so everyone can do well. If we work fast...maybe we can prevent Derik from being harmed. I would feel as if it is all my fault if he was..."

"It wouldn't be, Alina," Oren assured her, watching as her expression fell. "Derik would be defenseless, regardless of whether you had been kidnapped or not. There wouldn't have been any sorcerers then, either. He's never had a reason to have them close to him and I doubt that he would either way, given Senan's extravagant exit for Kraion."

"I know, but still, I cannot help but think – "

There was an abrupt knock, interrupting Alina's words, and then Senan entered. He glanced at Oren, who stiffened and glared at him, preparing himself if the sorcerer intended to continue his vulgar insinuations. Perhaps Senan knew that, but instead he simply asked, "So, you did not talk to anyone else at the castle, Oren?"

"Are we at this again? More interrogating?" he demanded irritably. "No, I did not! Well...except for Sabia and her brother, but that hardly matters, now does it?"

"Sabia?" Alina repeated, frowning and then turning to her brother fiercely. "Oren! How could you?"

"How could I what?" Oren questioned, baffled.

"Sabia is an innocent! She deserves better than to simply be seduced and tossed away like all of the other chambermaids you play around with!" His jaw dropped in horror at the accusation and he stood up indignantly.

"Now wait just one minute, I did not do any such thing with her!"

"Oh, Oren, don't give me that," she scolded, "I know how you are! And does Jaiden and Derik know that you were twiddling with Sabia while you were there? I can't believe that she would even do such a thing with you. She should know better, after all I've told her about you and your habits."

"What?! What have you told people about my habits? My bedroom habits are my own business, why must sisters go around gossiping about their brothers business?" He released a frustrated sound before saying, "And I did not 'twiddle' Sabia! Why is it that nobody believes me when I profess my innocence?"

"Because you're a scoundrel?" Senan cheerfully suggested.

"Quiet, you!"

As Oren made to face his sister and her glowering eyes, Senan cleared his throat and said, "As amusing as this is, we have better things to discuss than the prince and his lascivious manner with women." Oren turned his head slowly, a warning glint in his eye, warning him that he was close to being pushed over the edge of sanity. Grinning a little maniacally, Senan snickered at him and then pointed at Alina, who frowned at him. "Don't worry, I have no intentions of doing anything in regards to your virginity."

"I told you," she muttered, flushing, "that Derik has already gained possession of that."

Oren's mouth formed into a shocked 'O' of surprise. As he turned to begin his rant about his to-be brother-in-law, Senan laughed at her, cutting into the brief silence.

"Princess, please. I'm not stupid. In any case, I need your assistance in something. And you, prince, I would like to go down and get Eideard and Luvena together and the three of you may start on some brews that we may need. Eideard should know well which ones we will need and Luvena has a few in mind herself. You need to learn in order to be any help, anyway, and that way you can teach your sister. Does this sound like a fair plan?"

"I suppose," Oren reluctantly admitted, although it was clear his mind was still focused on the information that Alina had delivered about her virginity. He shook his head slightly, as though assuring himself that she was only joking, and then clapped his hands, asking, "So! Where am I to go? And what is Alina going to be doing with you?"

"She will be helping me retrieve Dedric."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because I'm not a very persuasive person due to my lack of patience," Senan replied in a bored tone. "Besides that, Dedric is in a poor temperament and might try to start a fight. With Alina, he will be less likely to do that and I won't have to kill him. Hopefully she can snap some sense into him. I'll be waiting downstairs. Eideard is in the shed, Luvena is waiting for you in the kitchen," he added to Oren, who nodded.

After he left, Alina collected her cloak and shoes and as they were leaving her room, Oren asked, "You didn't really...?"

"Kind of not important right now, Oren," she answered shortly.

"Okay, okay! But if it is, I'll rip his balls out and – "

"Can we please just not talk about this?"

"Fine..."

14: Chapter Fourteen

The djinn heard a sound somewhere in the house and woke from his light slumber, lifting his head from the mattress where it was resting. His body was curved unnaturally towards the bed, his back hunched from the awkward sleeping position. His knees were jammed together on the floor, yet in spite of all of this, he was not uncomfortable. He stood up and glanced down at the figure that was lying in the bed. He gazed for a moment at the inert body of his mistress and then looked away, a pained expression crossing his bony face. He heard the noise again and frowned, sweeping from her bedchamber and standing in the hallway outside her room, listening again. For a moment, there was nothing, and then the softest sound, coming from the drawing room. Rather than investigate, the djinn remained standing outside Valora's door, staring down the hallway. He knew too well that his mistress would be unprotected while he was in the drawing room and given her current state, he could not leave her so vulnerable. After standing a few moments and hearing nothing, he returned inside the bedchamber.

He paused, however, a sudden fear alighting his heart. Valora's covers had been drawn off her and she was on her stomach, her arm hanging over the bed. There was a thin cut upon her flesh and blood dripped down to the floor. While he wished to go to her immediately, he was wary and the djinn knew that they were not alone.

"Djinn," Valora moaned, drawing his attention to her. She turned her head, her brow wrinkling in confusion. He hurried forward and with a quick press of his long-fingered hand, her cut was no longer bleeding and had healed. He shifted her onto her back and pulled the covers around her again. "Djinn, what is happening to me?" she whispered, holding onto his hand, a fearful look on her face.

The djinn had no response. Instead, he settled onto the bed next to her, where she clung to his hand. While she drifted into a restless sleep, he remained awake, staring into the hallway intently, where the same, soft sound from earlier repeated throughout the night and only stopped when the sun had risen.

X

"Senan, it's late," Alina told him, holding her cloak around her to keep my shivering. The temperature had dropped considerably during the middle of the night. They had been searching for Dedric throughout the day tirelessly and at lunch, when they had returned to eat a few sparse things, he had informed her that they would be not quit until they found him. She had agreed, feeling optimistic, but she was tired now and was ready to back to the cottage for some warm milk and honey and sleep. She was worried about Dedric, but if she and Senan were unable to find him, she suspected that he would be able to keep himself hidden from any predators. However, Senan was proving relentless. He hadn't responded to her and was shining his bright light around the dark trees, frowning. Because of the barrier, they had only a bit of area to cover and Alina was of the opinion that they had already covered all of the area that day. "Dedric doesn't want to be found," she continued, "why don't you just let him be for awhile?"

"Because he's supposed to be helping us, not hindering," Senan told her snappishly. He glanced back. "And keep up with me or else my barrier won't be able to help you any." She hurried forward, keeping close to him. He stopped and turned to look at her. "You can go back to the cottage if you like. You haven't been any help today, anyway. You've only been slowing me down."

"Excuse me?" she demanded. "You were the one who asked me to help you, Senan! I would have been perfectly fine sitting there with my brother. I certainly never wanted to deal with your company." Granted, Alina had wanted to help to find Dedric, as she didn't like the idea of him out in the open with violent animals, but that didn't mean she still wanted to be with her less-than-friendly companion. "You've been rude all day, ever since you woke up! Ever think that maybe he's avoiding us because you're trying to find him and he doesn't want to deal with you?"

"Oh?" Senan raised an eyebrow. "You want to try and find him yourself? Be my guest, princess."

And with that, Alina was suddenly left alone. She stared into the sudden black of the forest, shivering. She hadn't realized how much warmer it had been with the light Senan had been holding, nor how dark and foreboding the forest was at night. She hugged herself, frightened, and unsure of what to do. A sudden touch to her arm had her screaming and batting her hands, which only got scratched from the branch of a shrub. And so, when she felt another touch on her waist, she figured it was simply another bush. When human hands gripped her, however, she shoved herself away, tripped on the bush and went smashing to the forest ground. She was shaking violently, but upon hearing Senan's dark, familiar chuckled, she became enraged.

"You bastard!" she shrieked, stumbling to her feet and launching herself towards where she believed he was. She felt his hair and tugged hard at him, satisfied by his swearing. She stomped down hard on his foot and nearly succeeded in kicking him in a rather sensitive place if his hand hadn't caught her leg in time.

"As if you didn't deserve it," he retorted in an equally irritated voice. He yanked her hand down from his hair and then held it against her other wrist, clasping her hands and then dragging her away. Alina could see nothing of what was happening in the dark and was frightened. She suddenly felt her back being pushed against a solid surface and her eyes flickered around wildly. She was breathing hard, both angry and fearful at the same time. "Now...listen to me, princess." Alina felt Senan's breath against her face and when she looked up, she could see the faintest outline of his face. "I'm not in the mood for any of your antics, nor any of your silly, moral issues that you have with me. Keep it to yourself and we'll get along fine. Continue to do this, and I'll slit your brother's throat. Or yours, whichever is more convenient."

"You're despicable," she whispered.

"I suppose I am," he agreed. He released one of her limp hands and trailed it along her jawline. "But isn't that why you like me?" Her lips parted to inform him that no, that was why she hatedhim, but his warm lips were on hers, startling her. She felt suddenly flushed and embarrassed and slightly interested all at the same time. His body was so close to hers that she was no longer cold and his mouth, pressed against hers, firm yet not forceful, kept her from reacting as violently as she ought to have. Yet, in spite of being warm, she was trembling. She whimpered beneath his lips, clamping her eyes shut. "Do you enjoy nothing?" he asked in a rather exasperated voice, withdrawing from her.

"Not from you."

"Clearly," he bit out. When he withdrew, there was light again and she blinked against the blinding sight. She stared at him, remaining near the tree. "Are you coming or are you going to continue to stare at me?"

"I want to go back to the cottage," Alina told him.

"And I already told you, too bad. We're not leaving until we find Dedric. Deal with it." He moved forward and took her wrist, pulling her from the tree. She clung against it, glaring at him hatefully. "Stop acting like a child. We have better things to do than sit here waiting for you to get over your bloated ego."

"Bloated ego?" she repeated furiously. "Exactly how is my ego bloated? I'm not the one who just assaulted someone else!"

"That was assault?" he queried, snorting. "I'd like to see the definition of rape from you then."

"Can you please just take me back to the cottage? Dedric obviously doesn't want to be found, so let's just leave him alone and let me go sleep so I can forget about – "

"About what, exactly?" Senan interrupted, frowning. "About your first kiss being stolen? Let's be realistic, princess. We both know that you're a little virgin trying to pass off as a worldly woman with a bunch of men who know too well what you're playing at. Don't fuck with me. I'll do it ten times harder to you than you can and I have no limits. I've warned you before and you simply ignore me."

"I hate you," she said quietly.

Senan stared at her a moment, noticing by the tone and the manner in which she stared at him that she was being sincere. At first, it angered him. Of all the people that she had to say it to, she said it to him. He admitted that he deserved it, but it still infuriated him that he was the only one out of the group that she hated. Dedric clearly had done worse things, Eideard was nothing but an egotist, and yet she was the one of whom she felt the need to hate. She had never truly given him a chance and while Senan generally didn't care about such things, it was frustrating to see every other person accepted while he was being openly shunned. And nobody, not even Dedric, seemed to care, nor did any of them defend him. Not for the first time in his life, he felt like a monster.

And like always, he embraced it.

"I could make you hate me more than you do," he told her mildly. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd actually like to go somewhere else besides here." She stepped towards him silently. He took a firm grip around her shoulders and when he glanced down at her, he was startled to see her looking up at him with a sad, almost disappointed expression. But then, they were in another part of the forest and she was no longer looking at him. It was as if it had never happened.

X

Eideard was not one for getting involved in family conflicts (let alone any conflicts), unless it was absolutely necessary. He knew that Dedric would evade Senan and Alina far more carefully than he would anyone, given that he was not an idiot and would know very well that Alina would be there as a buffer, so for there to be no fighting. Where Senan did not calculate this into his original plan, being more than a bit arrogant, Eideard knew that his search for Dedric would prove to be more successful.

Eideard was easily able to find Dedric settled in a tree, looking moody and yet focused. He merely glanced at Eideard when he approached, clearly unbothered by him. "Senan should listen to Alina," Dedric told him, slipping down the tree and standing next to him, his arms crossed. "He's been roaming the entire forest all day, yet he still thinks that he is going to catch me unaware. Fucking idiot."

"At least he's persistent," was Eideard's mild response. Dedric snorted and then looked to him, a suspicious look crossing his face. "I'm not here to take you back to the cottage or try and reconcile you and your sister."

"Oh? Then exactly what is it that you're here for? I can't imagine that it's just for a friendly chit chat. We both know how much you loathe something as simple as that."

A corner of Eideard's mouth turned upward in a smirk. "True. I won't contest that." There was a pause in which Eideard considered how he would word his inner thoughts. While everyone else was content in being swept up in the current drama, his mind had not strayed from the reason why the elder had invaded their territory in the first place. While the barrier had only been in place for a short amount of time, it had already begun to emit an even more ominous aura than before. Something was happening outside their small space, something that was affecting the barrier directly. "I have been pouring over some of my books," he said at last, watching as Dedric raised one of his eyebrows somewhat cockily. "I'm sure you all have better resources than I do, but my information came directly from the books that I had obtained while in Kraion, some of them that came into the kingdom through other...less legal means."

"Yes, and? Where are you going with this?"

"Have any of you considered that this dark magic could be caused by a demon?"

Dedric blinked, surprised by this sudden revelation of his companion's. While it disturbed him and even made him doubt Eideard's intellect, he could not help but think of such a possibility. "Demons can only come through their realm through a special ritual," Dedric slowly told him. "Someone would have had to summon it in order for it to even do this. They couldn't do it through their realm and it wouldn't explain why that demon is directing its attention towards us and our cottage. It would, however, explain the recent behavior of the animals. Whenever a demon has crossed into our realm and taken residence somewhere – when it is not connected by laws to a human, of course – it's power has always corrupted nature first. Which would be the forest...and then it would have gotten into the animals, as well."

"And humans? My information on this is limited. I have not heard of, nor read of a demon's power corrupting anything."

"Humans are less susceptible to it. They have to be actively engaged with the demon. Many people who make contracts with demons or any dark creature from another realm are consciously giving up some of their spirit to that creature. Djinns are the most popular creature to summon and too many sorcerers have suffered with having an extended contract with one that generally they are only used as a last resort and the contracts are not very long. Many try to keep it to less than a day, a couple hours at the most." Dedric hesitated and then slowly said, "My brother...he once had a djinn. Their contract existed for a week, just long enough for him to get the job done. It was a risk he was willing to take. It took him a long time for him to regain his strength after that, though. From what I understood, the stronger the djinn is, the more it drains from you to summon it, or to even have it near you. They feed off of your life energy. You can break them from your contract, so that feeding ceases, but there are very few people who are comfortable being responsible for such a being existing in the human realm."

"But if there was a djinn or a demon in our realm, would we be able to find its magic in the barrier?"

"If we were able to narrow it down to that, then we would. I would, of course, need help in that. As much as I loathe to admit it, only my sister would be able to, given that she is the only one with experience with djinns and demons. That I know of, of course. If Senan or Oren had experience, that would help immensely. It would be easier to find the spell that we need to break the barrier and with three people attacking it, it would mean less time."

"I doubt Oren has done such a thing," Eideard said dryly. "As for Senan, even if he did, I'm sure he would hate to admit it."

"Of course," Dedric sneered irritably. "He resents sharing any information with us."

"Even so, it's worth a try to ask him...I'm not saying you have to come back tonight or tomorrow," Eideard added flippantly. "You can come back whenever you want, I don't care, but I do want this resolved sooner rather than later. I hate dealing with so many people in such a small place. Alina was hard enough."

"Granted," Dedric admitted. "I think I'll come back with you now...It's been getting annoying trying to avoid Senan."

"I bet it has," Eideard dryly said.

X

Alina was thankful for the quiet of the cottage. Senan had abruptly taken them to the cottage and then disappeared to where the potions and herbs were located and had not arrived since. Oren had made her and Luvena a cup of tea with milk and honey and the three of them had sat in the den in companionable silence. None of them knew what to say, let alone what to really do in the current situation. Alina, for her part, could have cared less, as she only wanted some comfortable silence as opposed to the looming, brooding silence that Senan had delivered her for the last bit of their search.

I miss Derik, Alina thought, taking a drink of her tea.

Do you? her mind asked mockingly. Or is it as Dedric said, that you simply miss the feelings he gives you? Do you miss being complimented? Or do you miss him, as a man?

Angry with her mind for bringing up such a silly thing now of all times, she pushed the thoughts away, though she fretted over them somewhat. There was a sudden flurry of loud voices outside, interrupting Alina's thoughts, causing her and her companions to look towards the kitchen in question. Luvena, in particular, seemed concerned by the voices.

"Don't be so selfish!" Eideard's voice suddenly lashed out, the kitchen door slamming open. Senan had stormed through the kitchen, into the den, unaware that the other three occupants of the cottage were nestled inside. He barely glanced at them and then turned to the other two sorcerers angrily. "If you know something about it, then you need to own up to it, rather than leave everyone in the dark. You're not the only one who's got trapped in here."

"Own up to what exactly?" Senan snarled in return. "I told you that I knew how to deal with djinn and I would help. Why would I need to tell you anything more than that?"

"Because we need to know if your methods are the same as mine and my sister's," Dedric told him coldly, not bothering with raising his voice. "Don't be so stupid, Senan. You were Valora's mentor. The only reason that djinn would be centered on us is if she made it so and if she did, then she learned it from you."

Perhaps no one else could see the shred of panic in Senan's eyes, the sudden anger and fear that was alighting in his stiff frame. Alina, however, acknowledged that there was something else behind Senan's knowledge that he did not want anyone else to know and knew that if they continued to push him, he might close down completely. In spite of his attitude and in spite of his inappropriate actions earlier, Alina felt the need to intervene before they lost Senan as an ally altogether. "You guys, stop," she spoke up before they could continue attacking him. Eideard and Dedric turned to look at her, the former with an incredulous look. She stood up and then hesitated before stepping next to Senan, putting a hand on his wrist. "You can tell them how you took care of it without saying anything else, can't you? They only need to know what magic you used to deal with it."

"Yes, but how are we to understand it if he doesn't give us the context?" Eideard demanded.

"You don't need to understand it," Alina said firmly, "and you don't need context for a spell, Eideard. I think both of you know that very well. And, if it's a matter of trust that you have, then neither of you have any place to talk. Eideard, you were never honest to either of them, and Dedric, you kept your secrets under lock and key up until Luvena showed up. If Senan doesn't need to tell you, then don't force him. It's his own business."

The room was silent after Alina's last word had fallen on the ears of the sorcerers. Senan seemed more in control of himself and while he usually would have looked smug at having the princess stand up for him, he was merely staring at the other two men, waiting for their actions, silently challenging them. Neither Luvena nor Oren made any effort to agree or disagree with Alina's words, keeping out of the conflict altogether. Eideard was glowering at Senan and Alina resentfully, partially because she had defended him and also because she had struck out at their own distrust. He glanced at Dedric, who had originally concurred with Eideard's insistence that they force some information out of Senan. Clearly, however, following Senan into the cottage rather than keeping him outside had been a mistake. Had they remained outside, Senan would have been isolated, without Alina there to interrupt.

"Alright," Dedric said at last, shrugging his shoulders carelessly. "I suppose we can work around that. It would be easier for us to know the context, but I'm not going to argue with you, princess. As long as we have yet another strength to add onto mine and my sister's, I don't really care." He smiled slightly and inclined his head politely to Alina. She felt a chill, noticing the lack of warmth in his stare. "I'm going to bed, but tomorrow, I think, would be the best time to get together and do some more thorough investigation upon the barrier. Does that sound agreeable to you two?"

"I have no reason to disagree with that, brother," Luvena told him quietly.

"Sounds brilliant," Senan told him, matching Dedric's smile.

"Good." Dedric left them, then, and Eideard retreated soon after.

Sighing, Alina sat down next to her brother, thankful for the relief of tension. Oren reached over and patted her hand, smiling, as if to tell her good job.

"Princess," Senan suddenly said. She stiffened and then looked up to him, as he was still standing. He considered her for a moment and then surprised her by holding out his hand. She hesitated and then gave him her own hand. A shadow of a genuine smile crossed his lips before he brought her hand to his lips, a polite, courtly gesture. She felt that while it was an expression of thanks, it was also an apology for his actions earlier. He glanced at Oren and Luvena, saying, "Good night," and left the room to his own chambers.

"Even the greatest of men feel threatened at some time in their life," Luvena remarked cryptically, taking a drink of her tea.

X

There was the play of light upon the ceiling in Senan's dark bedchamber, a slit of light that slipped through the curtains from the moon. The rest of the house was well into sleep, with perhaps the exception of Dedric, who always woke up in the middle of the night. Senan had never been able to sleep as soon as he went to bed, much less that night. As he lay in bed with the sheet drawn over his prone form, he thought back to Alina's defense of him. She may not be aware, but he owed her for that. Any questions into his life before the cottage brought him to an unholy level of rage. He had never liked being cornered the way in which Dedric and Eideard had done, much less by people who he had thought mild companions. He could feel the tide turning against him. It was once that he and Dedric had been close conspirators, yet now it felt as though he was planning with Eideard to conspire against him. He felt his position becoming precarious. And while there was the slightest bit of shame in having a woman stand up for him, he had been glad for Alina's assistance. He knew too well that she would listen to them beyond anyone else in the cottage.

Even though he had not told either of the men the situation in which he had dealt with a djinn before, he remembered it all too clearly now that they had roused the memory from his mind. He kept thoughts of his past under lock and key, careful to keep anyone from understanding his motivation, knowing that such information was vital in destroying a person. When one understood what drove a person, it was all too easy to torture them, to beat them into the ground. It was one of the reasons why Valora had finally made a crack in Derik's exterior, why he had left himself completely defenseless in the quest to find his beloved fiancée.

I never should have told Valora about the djinn, either, he thought, frowning up towards the ceiling. I should have brushed off her questions about demons and summoning rituals like I did with many of her questions that dove too deep into the Dark Arts...

"Books talk about dragons and faeries and goblins," Valora told him, sitting next to his lab table which held empty jars, potions, and different herbs. He glanced at her in question, reading through a book for a certain potion, noticing that he only had half the ingredients he needed. As always, he would take his young princess to find the necessary ingredients, teaching her the proper way to choose each individual item. "They talk about demons and ghouls and I can't help but wonder, what with the reality of magic...how much of it is true?"

Senan chuckled. "You want me to tell you if there are small faeries within the castle or in the ground?"

"Are there?" Valora asked him, her intent gaze fixed on him. She was an avid listener, hanging on his every word, prepared for anything he might tell her, regardless of whether it was good or bad. Very little seemed to affect her and it made her a good student.

"The dragons are long gone," Senan said, gathering the ingredients that he did have for the potion he needed to make, "but faeries are far too clever to allow themselves to become extinct. They still exist, but they are very careful in how they go about their daily lives. They're about the size of bumble bees and the only time I've ever seen one was when I was a child."

"And demons? And ghosts?"

"I've never seen a ghost, but there are other sorcerers who have claimed such. As for demons, that is another story entirely. You don't want to tamper with them."

"But they exist? What do they do?"

Senan paused, noticing the increased curiosity in her questions. She was aware that she had given herself away, but still stared at him, demanding answers. "Why the sudden interest, princess?" He glanced to his bookshelf and then gave a thin smile. "You've been nosing around in my books, again, haven't you?"

"You don't think I'm capable of understanding things outside this realm, do you?" Valora said, angry and with a wounded pride. "Because I can. I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am." She stood up and stalked around to where he was standing. "You're not going to find anyone as brilliant as I am in this. Don't forget that I'm not here just to play games, Senan."

He laughed in her face, which only infuriated her further. She drew up a hand, likely to either hit him or blast him with what little power she possessed, but he grasped her hand and bent her over the table. She flinched as he twisted her arm in an unnatural position. "Now, little princess," he murmured, his face close to hers, "remember that you still haven't mastered many of the techniques that I have already shown you, so attacking me would be a poor choice on your part. Also...I am the teacher, so I will choose what you are ready to learn."

"You underestimate me capabilities," she whispered, a hurt look in her eyes. "Just like everyone."

"Oh, please," he said, drawing away, pulling her upright and releasing her arms. "Don't start this again. If I underestimated you, would I really have even bothered to teach you at all? Youunderestimate me, Valora, and I suggest you recall that I can take what I gave you just as easily as you received it." To this, she was silent. He chuckled, amused, and leaned into her, stroking her face. "What keeps you here? Your hate for Derik or your love for me?"

"Don't be revolting," she snapped, pulling away from him. "The only thing I want this for is to become more powerful so that I can get the position that I deserve. I'm the most beautiful in Kraion – in any kingdom – and far more intelligent than my little brother."

"Hopefully your brother doesn't decide he wants to meddle in some magic, as well. Not that he would get very far, seeing as how he never inherited any of it." Valora said nothing to this. Returning to the original subject, Senan said, "I once tampered with a djinn from one of the other realms. The ritual itself was difficult. At the time, I had very little power and not as much experience with the Dark Arts as I do now. I used that ritual a few times after that, each time it was with the same djinn. The last time proved to be fatal. He tried to overpower me and after I was able to banish him back to his own realm, I never summoned a djinn again. Many are not like that, but those that are greedy, that desire the taste of life more so than anything else...those are the ones that will try to deceive you."

"What were you using him for?"

"He could move faster than I could. I have many allies in Siruean that were trying to break down the kingdom there. As the court sorcerer, I had to stay here in Kraion and the djinn worked much better and faster than I would have been able to. However, I could not afford to summon him after that incident. Our forces fell in Siruean – they were far more lenient in their laws with sorcerers – and although we had been winning because of the djinn, I had to accept that defeat."

"Siruean? What do you have against that country?"

"They are a close ally of Kraion. What other reason do I need for bringing them down? Had I succeeded, we would have had Siruean in our hands and we would have been able to bring Kraion down, what with their increased force of sorcerers. It would have been too easy to poison them against the royal family here."

"Indeed...and the djinn helped you immensely?"

Senan could hear the excitement and sudden greed in her voice. "Yes...," he admitted slowly, "but that is magic that shouldn't be tampered with, Valora. I learned by now that it would be best used only in the most extreme of circumstances and I don't suggest summoning from the realm I did. The smaller djinns are less complicated and less likely to cause harm."

"And yours…?"

"It held the stronger djinns. While they are beneficial, they are also more dangerous."

"Teach me," she commanded.

"You're not ready for that yet, if at all," Senan said coolly.

"Then show me the ritual. I promise I won't do it until I am ready, but please...what ritual is it?"

"You expect me to trust you, going through my books as you did after I forbid it?"

"Why tell me something and then tell me not to do it?" she asked, frustrated.

"To let you know of the dangers of it," he stated and then turned to his table, closing the containers and jars that he had removed his ingredients from. She crept upon him, sighing and leaning against him, her warm body resting against his back.

"Could I kill my brother with a djinn?"

"Would it really give you satisfaction to kill him through another, with no torture involved?" he queried, turning his head to look at him.

"No," she admitted, appearing thoughtful. "No, I suppose not..."

He wondered why he had not seen then how Valora had become obsessed with djinns and demons and their realm. From then on, she had seemed to become even more obsessed with the Dark Arts than before, working more feverishly. At the time, he has simply found it commendable, even admirable, that she was working so fiercely. He remembered being somewhat suspicious of it, thinking that she was trying to speed up her abilities to summon a djinn, but she always assured him that it was not that, and none of his books or spells went missing, nor did any of his stuff seem to be tampered with after that conversation. She had gained some of his trust, yet he wondered after he had disappeared if she had ransacked his books and obtained the information she needed.

Of course she did, he thought, furious with himself. My books were the few that existed in Kraion – or anywhere outside of Hoshäi – that had detailed instructions for such rituals. I shouldn't have left them in my lab, so confident that no one would be able to get inside. I can't even recall whether any pages were missing out of my books when I retrieved them later, yet I also cannot recall that ritual when I had been going through them.

It was driving him insane. He scrambled out of bed and with a flick of his hand, the candles lit up and with a bit more magic, he lit the fire in the adjoining drawing room. He went to his bookshelf and searched it for the book that he knew would hold the ritual. One shelf – It's not on this shelf... The second shelf – Not here, either. Third shelf – Or here...

Before he could continue, however, there was a sudden knock on his door. He froze, startled, and then moved to his mirror, watching as the glass distorted before showing a tiny figure outside his door. He blinked slowly, startled, and then left the mirror, moving to his door. He paused at it, unsure of whether he was in the right state of mind to talk to anyone. He hadn't yet found what he needed, and he was still recovering from the day's events.

Fuck it, he decided and unlocked the door, dropping the light barrier, and opening it. Alina blinked against the light that came from the fireplace and stared at him, suddenly seeming uncertain as to why she was there. "Alina," he greeted cautiously.

"Um...listen, can I...talk to you?" He frowned and then allowed her entry, closing the door and returning the precautions to it, as well.

"You usually go running to Dedric or Eideard when you need to talk," he remarked, moving to the divan and settling on his, resting his arms on the back of it. "Take a seat."

"No, thank you," she quietly said, having followed him and standing in front of him. She sighed and then looked away, biting her lip, before turning her eyes back to him. "I...I know this is going to sound a bit strange, but...I had a nightmare."

"You're here because you had a nightmare?" His skeptical voice was a bit more irritated than he meant it to be, so he held up his hands before she could talk and said, "Ignore me. Go ahead."

"Senan, I know that sounds childish," she said and then paced to the side and back, saying, "I think something's happened to Valora. There was this...monster in my dream. But it wasn't her and it wasn't like she was friends with it. She was suffering. It was...it was as if it was killing her. And then Derik, too. I wish there were some way of seeing what's going on in Kraion. I'm so worried. When I woke up, I couldn't shake it off. There's something out there, I just know it, and after hearing this talk about...about, well, demons, I can't help but wonder if it's causing all of this."

"That's what Dedric and Eideard seem to think," Senan told her in a reserved tone. He stood up and took her arm and then frowned, feeling how cold it was. "Here, go sit by the fire. I was in the middle of looking for something." Alina nodded and moved to the fire, settling next to it while he returned to his bookshelf. He felt her eyes on him as he scanned the titles of the books, but never once did he turn to look at her. Her dream unnerved him. And after he had gone through his shelves a second time, he could not find the book he was looking for. Fuck. She took it.Granted, it had never made any difference to Senan, who had used that book obsessively for a long time and had memorized nearly every ritual, spell, and potion within it. Even the ritual for summoning djinns remained within his memory, even though he had only used it rarely; it had been the complexities within the ritual that had caused him to remember it, to read it over and over again.

"Senan?" Alina's voice was small and frightened. He had been standing in front of his bookshelf for some time in deep thought. He turned to look at her and saw her big eyes staring at him.

"She took one of my books," he told her slowly, pushing a hand through his hair. "The one with instructions for summoning djinns."

"So...so it's..."

"Don't start crying," he ordered, pointing at her, seeing her blink quickly. She swallowed and nodded. "I don't need that shit right now." He rubbed his face and then nodded before ushering for her to stand up. He moved to his mirror and settled in the chair, staring into it intently. As it began to shimmer, Alina arrived in the reflection. "Would you stop looking so fucking worried?" he said, turning to her. "Don't you trust me to know what I'm doing?" It had been nearly the third time he had asked for trust from her and after a pause, she nodded.

"Yes, I do," she said at last, "but that doesn't mean I'm not still afraid." He eyed her and she met his gaze steadily. It had been the first time that Senan actually felt that they were allies, no longer butting heads. He gave a satisfied nod and then turned back to the mirror, which formed to show Derik, sleeping rather restlessly in bed. "Will he be safe?"

"For now," he said quietly. "If Valora is fighting against the djinn, which is what you suggest, then we will have to rely on her strength against it. The djinn is after power and if he is seeing it through Valora's perception, he will see that getting rid of Derik will help him obtain power." He paused and turned to look at her. "Do you love him?"

It had been one of the many times that Alina had been asked if she loved Derik and while she was worried about him to the point where she was feeling sick, she wasn't sure if it was out of a true lover's affection or simple love. She blinked back the tears that threatened to form and quietly said, "I think I do. How could I feel so sad if I didn't love him?"

"It's called compassion, not love," he told her bluntly. She looked to him in surprise. "Sort of the way you felt earlier, hmm?"

She simply shook her head. Her feelings for Senan were far more mixed and complicated than he seemed to think. She thought the ones she felt for Derik were straightforward, but perhaps they were just as mixed. "I do love him," she whispered stubbornly. "I must. I don't know what else to call it."

To that, Senan said nothing.

15: Chapter Fifteen

Derik woke early, before the rest of the castle had begun to stir. Rather than waking any of his servants, he wrapped himself in his robe and left his chamber, following the bit of light that was streaming through the curtains and the candles that were still burning. When he arrived at the doors of his destination, he paused, staring at them for a long moment, and then he pushed them open. For a moment, he merely stared at the empty, lone drawing room. The chambers were cold, devoid of any life. He moved across to the window and pulled the curtains back. The first light of sunrise poured into the room, lighting the soft colours, warming them. Rather than remaining in the drawing room of the chambers, he moved to the bedchambers. The balcony curtains were open, giving the sunlight freedom to enter as it wished.

A burdensome sadness fell upon Derik as he gazed around the cozy chamber. Rather than exiting as he ought to have, he moved to the bed and rested himself upon it, closing his eyes and breathing in. In spite of the time that Alina had not lain in the bed, he could smell her cleansing soaps within the blankets, sweet lavender mixed with rosemary and the very hint of mint from her skin cream. He smoothed his hand over the pillow, staring across him without saying anything. He missed her immensely, consistently wishing to be with her every time he awoke. Every day he hoped to hear news from Luvena or Oren, but never once did any message reach him. Every night he slept restlessly, waking nearly every hour, worried for his young fiancée and the two he had sent after her. He felt as though he were living the days simply to survive, without any real comprehension of what was happening around him. I miss you, Alina. You were the only one who could calm my nerves...What am I to do without you?

He heard a sound behind him and he sighed, sitting up, suspecting it to be a servant. He started in alarm, seeing Valora standing at the door. The same man that had answered the door that day Derik had sought her out remained next to her. He noticed that Valora was barely able to stand by herself, leaning against the man for support. She did not hold any malicious expression, nor any angered look. In fact, she looked merely very ill and a bit anxious. "Brother, I need to speak with you," she said, breathing a bit heavily from the effort of speaking.

"Take her in the drawing room," Derik told the dark figure, leaping to his feet. Her companion mutely guided her to the drawing room while Derik closed the bedchamber door and followed closely. He assisted the man in settling her on a divan. "Valora, what has happened to you? Have you sent for an apothecary?"

"Derik, please! I don't...I don't need an apothecary of all things." She paused, breathing deeply for a moment and then she took his shoulder, her eyes piercing his fiercely. "Listen to me...There is something wrong here in Kraion. Something...unnatural. You need to be on your guard." She flashed a desperate look to her companion, who merely put a clothed hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She nodded a bit unsteadily and looked to him again. There were dark circles under her eyes and she appeared to have lost a good deal of weight. Where Valora had looked gorgeous with her curvaceous body, she now was unhealthily thin and her hair lay limp on her shoulders. It was clear that she had not been taking as much care of her as she typically did. "Whatever this thing is, it's after you...you and father need to be protected. There is no one standing in the way of the throne but you two."

"Is that a threat?" Derik demanded, his eyes narrowing on her.

"No! It's not me, Derik, I swear by it!"

"Don't think that I don't know that you are the reason that Alina is missing, Valora," Derik told her coolly, brushing her hand from his shoulder. "If you want the throne, then you'll have to kill me first. I don't appreciate you threatening me, either." He rose to his feet and turned his back on her. Valora stared after him, stunned, and then broke into sobs.

"WAIT!" she cried, rising to her feet and then crumpling to the ground. She sobbed pathetically, smashing her fists in the ground futilely. Derik paused and turned to look at her. "Why don't you believe me?" She slumped into the carpet, sobbing uncontrollably, her tiny form shaking with the effort of crying. The dark figure gathered her against him and set her upon the divan again, murmuring something in her ear that seemed to calm her. She wiped her face, sniffling, and giving her brother a questioning, despairing stare.

"I'm listening," Derik informed her at last, crossing his arms over his chest. "Make it quick."

"For the past week, I've been waking up to hearing noises in the royal suite. Every time, I lay awake, listening to it. At first, I thought it was just some animals about outside, but then it continued, all through the night. It never got closer or farther away. It was consistent. And then it happened the next night...and the night after that. It's painful." She put her hands to her temples. "It's frightening. And every night this happens, I wake up with some injury. At first, it was just a small cut, then bruises began to form on my body, more cuts, and every time I'm lying in a strange position, as if someone had moved me. There's something evil in Kraion. I thought that maybe if I returned to the castle it would help, so I slept here last night, but it happened again. Something's stalking me, Derik...It's going to kill me."

A chill went through Derik's body as he took note of her huge, frightened eyes. Valora was not acting for once. Her disposition did not give her a chance and it was clear by her voice that she was legitimately scared for her life. He was unsure of what she expected him to say. He had no reassuring words for her, let alone encouragement. Valora did not look the part of the princess at that moment and it was clear that her condition had worsened since he last saw her.

"What would you have me do?" Derik asked quietly at last. "I haven't any power...and there aren't any other sorcerers in Kraion besides yourself. And if there are, they have not allowed themselves to be known. And the only sorceress willing to help us from Hoshäi is in the forest with Alina's brother..."

"You cannot call them back, either," Valora said, slowly lowering herself back into the divan, hanging her head back, breathing heavy. "I have tried to remove the barrier I put in the forest...but it is useless now. So little of my power remains in that barrier...it has been overtaken by that evil that is now in Kraion."

"What do we do?" he whispered, rubbing his face.

"The orb," the dark figure suddenly rasped. "What of the orb? Does this person from Hoshäi possess it?"

"She is the one who held it when I contacted her...but I am not sure that she would still have it with her..."

"Try."

"We will have to go to father's chambers."

"I will carry the princess and follow you," the hooded figure informed him. Derik nodded and watched as he gingerly gathered Valora in his arms. She cast a thankful look into the hood where the man's face must have been and soon enough, the trio were hurrying through the castle corridors to where Naten's chambers were. Derik did not bother with knocking, knowing his father to be out watching the training of their warriors. Inside, the chamber was quiet, with light streaming through the wide, open windows. Derik hurried to the cabinet where he knew the orb lay and once he had unwrapped it and settled it on the table in the chambers' drawing room, he looked to Valora and her companion in question. "Go, ask for the woman."

Derik drew in a deep breath and settled close to it, watching as the dark colours swirled. "Luvena ," he murmured, feeling a bit uncertain as to whether she could hear him. He waited a moment longer and then looked to the other two.

"If she has it, then she may not be near it," Valora said breathlessly. She licked her lips and then raised a hand. "I can transfer the slightest bit of power through the orb, enough to gain her attention. Hold a moment, brother...it is a bit of an effort to even dip into my reserves..." She held her hand out towards the orb, trembling slightly. He saw the slightest stream of magic slip from her hand to the orb. A few seconds more and the stream thickened. Only after it was a few inches thick did she lower her hand, looking exhausted.

"Now we wait," the figure stated.

X

Senan heard banging at his door. It was still quite early in the morning, so the sudden racket startled him. Glowering furiously and moving away from the potion he had been preparing to create, he yanked the door open. Oren was pale and simply said, "Hurry! To the den!" and hastened away. Senan blinked, surprised by his demeanor, and worried that something else had happened to further their less-than-joyful disposition, he snapped his door closed and followed him closely. Everyone was gathered in the den. On the table was a dark, marble orb that was pulsating. Luvena was standing over it and when she saw him, she sat at the low table and touched it. "This is full of the Dark Arts. In Hoshäi, we use it to communicate with the other kingdoms and in different regions of our own kingdom because we are so large. I had thought that it would not function after we crossed the barrier..."

"Do you know if it's someone from Hoshai?" Oren queried.

"No, that is not how the orb operates. Please, everyone settle behind me so that you may see into the orb." Everyone moved accordingly, with the three sorcerers bunched next to each other. Still a bit tense from their last argument, they exchanged suspicious looks before returning their attention to the orb. Alina had settled directly next to Luvena. "Speak the name of your location," Luvena stated in her soft voice.

"Kraion," came a distinctly familiar voice before the orb cleared, showing Derik's face. Before anyone else could speak, however, Derik gasped, "Alina!"

"Derik!" the princess lurched forward, as though she could touch him.

"Luvena, you found her...I am so relieved."

"Yes, we were able to find the sorcerer, Senan...along with two others." Luvena moved aside so that Derik could see the three sorcerers in question. Senan tensed as he was able to see into the orb more clearly. It was not the sight of Derik – or his and Alina's disgusting reunion – that had unsettled him, but the sight of his young apprentice in the background. She, too, saw him, and their eyes locked for one brief moment. He could see too well what had happened to her.

"You stole my books, Valora," he said quietly.

"So I did," she murmured, breathing deeply, clearly struggling with the action. "It seems that I did not learn quickly enough what dangers there were in magic..."

"She believes that something is stalking her," Derik intercepted, to save Valora the effort of speaking. "She has been hearing noises, regardless of where she is sleeping, and when she falls asleep, she wakes with injuries and in odd positions. She thinks that they are after my father and I. I haven't detected anything thus far, but Valora insists upon it. We are completely defenseless here in Kraion. If it is magic that we are up against, then I have no way of combating it."

"No, you don't," Luvena agreed. "This is nothing I have ever heard of...Not in the realm of magic. There are many evil things in the Dark Arts, but most creatures are very forthcoming when they are going to harm you. They do not usually perform these types of actions. Dedric? Any ideas?"

"I would agree with your assessment, sister," Dedric said mildly as Derik's eyes switched to him, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. "There is nothing I know of that acts in that way."

"But Senan knows," Valora whispered. "Don't you...Senan?"

Once again, Senan felt her eyes on his and it reminded him of a darker time when he had been struggling in his life, feeling his magic drain from him, feeling every day become more of an effort. Her eyes looked just as his had when he would look into the mirror. Lifeless, defeated, and terribly exhausted. "I told you to not meddle in that realm of the djinn, Valora," he said instead. "You were stupid to not heed me."

"I thought I could handle it."

"And you released one from its contract, even." Senan nodded to the hooded figure. Derik whipped around, fairly horrified as the figure merely inclined his head.

"Lord Sorcerer," was all the djinn said to him.

"To release a djinn from its contract is unheard of...," Luvena said, looking to Senan worriedly. "Could that have triggered it?"

"Even through the orb I can tell that one is not as powerful as the one that Valora is having trouble with...That one, I think, is one that not even she has spoken to. I have a feeling that while you were summoning this one, the other managed to slip through. There are many that lurk outside the line between the human and demon realm and will try to escape. Many cannot handle that feat without the help of a sorcerer or sorceress and her magic. But clearly this was not the case with this one."

"But why would a djinn be after the throne?" Derik demanded.

"Because djinns have no concept of anything by themselves. They develop these concepts through the humans they are attached to. This one wasn't attached to Valora, but she is the human who opened the barrier, and so it attached itself to her concepts. What she thinks power is, is what the djinn will think power is. By that, he will think that power is the throne that Valora seeks. However, all of those injuries you are experiencing, Valora, are his way of draining your own life source. He has already drained the majority of your arts – your magic – through mental injuries, which is why you may have experienced becoming sick at first, why performing any small spell became an issue for you. Now, he is trying to kill you. But your life source always rejuvenates itself. If you want to live, you will have to try and work to increase your rejuvenation. It doesn't take anything but the will to live."

"But how can she get him off of her?"

"By going into that realm and allowing him to escape, she has made an unspoken contract with him," Senan told him frankly. "The end of his contract is either of their deaths."

"Demons are not simple creatures," Dedric added, "especially not the powerful ones."

"This is horrible," Derik murmured in the silence that followed. He sat back, putting his face in his hands. "This is absolutely horrible...Why would there even be any way to get into that realm if this could happen?"

"It is one of the many drawbacks of the Dark Arts," Senan remarked.

"If I came there...inside the barrier...we could defeat him," Valora spoke at last. "He would be surrounded by sorcerers."

"But if he was working outside the barrier – " Oren began anxiously.

"He wouldn't," Senan abruptly cut in. "Even djinns have a limitation for how close they can be to cause harm."

"I do not like the idea of the prince remaining in Kraion alone," Luvena said. "What if he does not follow Valora and goes after Derik instead?"

"Before he can do anything else outside of Valora, he has to kill her first. There is a reason why he has been putting his power inside the barrier and these things that Valora is related to. He will go after her before anything else. He has no choice. It is part of this unspoken contract, if you will. The one from whom his concepts are derived must be defeated before he can continue on his own devices."

"He won't kill me," Valora said firmly.

"Then Valora is going to be moved to you?" Derik queried, frowning.

"Yes. While that is happening, we will still be working on the barrier. Now that we have a better idea of what type of magic inside it, we should be able to work against it more efficiently."

"And how am I to trust you, Senan? I'll be sending my sister to you, my fiancée is already trapped with you – "

"Your fiancée would have been dead had we not picked her up and treated her wounds," Senan snapped irritably.

"You expect me to believe that you took her in from the goodness of your heart?" Derik spat back temperamentally. Valora turned her eyes to him, appearing somewhat exasperated with her brother's sudden turn of mind.

"Looks like they get to fight over her after all," Dedric muttered to Eideard, who merely rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't aware there was a competition," Eideard grunted.

"There isn't a competition," Oren told him, glaring at Dedric. "My sister is engaged to Derik and that's that."

"As if engagements haven't been broken off," Dedric quipped.

"If you've laid one finger on her – " Derik began indignantly.

"Derik, please!" Alina spoke up, embarrassed. "This isn't the time...Senan and his, um, companions have taken very good care of me. Truly." Derik cast them a suspicious look and then nodded slowly.

"Alright. Fine...In any case, I will be sending Valora along to you. In the meantime, I will try to see if there are no other sorcerers that we can get help from. I do not feel that I will be successful...but I have to try somewhere."

"Prince," Oren spoke up. "I know...this may sound strange...but I would ask my mother." Derik blinked, surprised. "I cannot absolutely say that she has magic in her, but from time to time, it has seemed as such. I'm not powerful enough to sense magic when it is being masked...but I do believe that she may possess some. She may be able to help somehow."

"I will consider it," Derik agreed. "If I need anything else...or have any news, I will be sure to send word through this. Thank goodness you had it, Luvena."

"I am also thankful, Prince Derik. This has brought a great deal of insight."

"Alina..." Derik leaned in closer to the orb. "I miss you. I am so glad to see that you are safe. I wish I could hold you."

Ugh. Senan and Dedric exchanged disgusted looks.

Alina blushed and then glanced behind her nervously before mumbling shyly, "I miss you too, Derik."

"We shall see you soon, princess," Luvena said to Valora, who nodded faintly. And with that, the orb had gone black again and Luvena was wrapping it. She stood and then cleared her throat, saying, "I felt that was getting a bit uncomfortable for all of us," and then left the room to put away the orb.

"No kisses goodbye?" Senan queried snidely. Alina frowned at him.

"Knock it off," Eideard drawled. "Jealousy doesn't suit you."

"Jealousy?" Senan roared, instantly infuriated.

Alina hastily escaped the den, leaving the cottage so that she might get some fresh air and have some time to think. It was hard to process all the information that had been delivered in that short conversation. She understood now why Dedric and Eideard had been so angry with Senan.

She glanced back at the cottage, hearing the shouts of Senan's and Dedric and Oren's laughter. She smiled slightly and then jogged the last stretch to the small cabin where Eideard spent most of his time constructing potions. She shut the door quietly behind her and sighed, closing her eyes, allowing the scent of the herbs and powders to fill her nose. She settled on a chair and thought again at the conversation. Senan clearly experienced being...well, possessed, by a djinn before. There's no other possible explanation for why he would know all that when nobody else had a clue except for Valora. And what did she mean, that she should have listened to him? There's something more to all of this that's going on than he's letting on...I wish he'd just tell us, rather than hide it all away. But really, he offered the information...it's not like we need to know where he gained the information.

Ending the topic in her mind, Alina moved to one of the shelves and pulled out a weed that she knew well. She only knew how to make a few potions, but those that she did know, she felt would help Valora not only increase her rejuvenation, but hopefully put some more color in her, as it seemed that she hadn't eaten much. It was strange that she should feel such worry for a woman that had put her in the position she was in, but Alina could not feel spiteful towards Valora, no matter how poorly the princess had treated her.

While working, Alina became vaguely aware of how quiet it had gotten around her. The cottage was no longer full of the loud noises from the sorcerers and with the fall of darkness, the forest seemed to grow quieter. Alina had finished two of her potions and when she could no longer work by the light of the candle, she cleaned the mess she had on the work table and collected her potions. As she took her candle to guide her across to the cottage, she paused, feeling itchy between her shoulder blades. Rather than looking behind her, though, she stepped out of the cabin, shutting the door behind her, and sprinted to the cottage. The sound of the grass hissing behind her made her aware that she had, in fact, felt eyes upon her in the cabin and only once she had burst into the kitchen, startling the occupants, did she feel safe.

"Alina!" Luvena rose to her feet, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I...I think so," she gasped. She set her potions on the table and then turned, staring out the kitchen door. Outside, the clearing was calm and empty, with no evidence of the creature that she had heard behind her. Dedric had paused in his cooking, but it was Senan who came and stood next to her by the door. He peered outside for a long while and then gathered something in his hand and tossed it outside. The creamy mist floated along the grass and settled there, showing Alina's small footprints and large, jagged footprints that were close on her heel. They stopped right outside the kitchen door, nearly on top of Alina's.

"I would prefer you not to wander around outside anymore at night by yourself, princess," Senan said as the mist and the footprints faded. "My barrier only keeps the animals out," he shut the door, looking at her, "not demons."

"What about inside?" Alina asked, shaking slightly from seeing the set of monstrous footsteps following her own.

"The cottage is another matter entirely. You'd be surprised how demons loathe being in our cramp quarters. In any case, Valora is upstairs. She arrived some time ago. I had to add another goddamn room for another goddamn occupant...I was pretty happy when it was just three people living here. No demons, no barriers, just freedom." Senan then left the kitchen, with the air of someone unperturbed by the previous event. Alina, for her part, merely licked her lips and asked if one of the s would heat her potions. Luvena obliged, although with a worried look upon her face.

Alina left the siblings to go upstairs and when she found the unfamiliar bedroom, she knew it to be Valora's. She knocked on it and it slid open to reveal a bald, unsightly creature. Alina stared, frightened.

"This is my djinn," Valora murmured from the bed. "He's quite loyal and safe. Don't worry." Alina nodded jerkily and then passed him, approaching her bed.

"I made you some herbal potions. I think they might help you." Valora eyed her and then took one of them, opening the top and sniffing. She smiled at the fresh, cooling smell and then took a drink. It warmed her throat and relaxed her frazzled nerves. "Eideard taught me how to make these. I'm sure I did everything right. He can only teach me the ones that don't require magic...he's already instilled magic in all the herbs within the cabin, so that I could practice and make potions for everyone."

"You've done really well," Valora said and the more she drank, the less effort it seemed to take to breathe. The eucalyptus in the potion seemed to soothe her lungs and release the tension that had been gripping her. "I haven't been able to make potions for myself and my djinn...his fingers cannot do much of the delicate operations that is necessary with many of the herbs."

Once Valora had finished the first potion, Alina retrieved her jar and then bade her to drink the other, watching her to make certain she finished every last drop. This spicy potion gave Valora a blush in her cheeks and the more she drank, the more colour that arrived in her skin tone. Alina reminded herself to make more tomorrow, although at a much earlier time and with Eideard beside her. Even after Valora had finished both, Alina remained seated beside her bed. "Valora?" The older princess turned to her in question. "I don't want you to think that nobody likes you here." Valora raised her eyebrows mildly. "We don't have any bad feelings towards you at all. I mean...even I understand your motivation. I don't understand what it feels like, but I know that you were never treated as fairly as Derik. Even I could tell that Derik was everyone's favorite. But...at the same time, I always admired you.

"Me?"

"Yes...you were always so eloquent and beautiful. I felt completely awkward whenever I was in the same room as you."

"But you are the fairest lady," Valora told her softly. "Everyone loves you, not only because of your beauty, but because of your heart. You should not forgive me for what I've done to you, Alina. I don't deserve it and I don't promise that I won't betray any of you once this is over."

"I know...," Alina said slowly, "but I want to believe that you're a good person." Strangely, rather than thinking of Valora, Alina thought of Senan, of the reluctance to trust him. It had taken her far longer to trust Senan than anyone else. Perhaps Valora knew where her thoughts were – or she had read her mind, if that was possible – because she gave a small smile.

"He was the only one I knew I could trust," she said, causing Alina to colour slightly. "There's more to him than just a sorcerer...but he would rather have the world hate him than admit that he's like every other man in the world, with dreams and hopes and past miseries. Whatever happened to him was bad. I never once judged him and it was what allowed me to become his apprentice."

Alina gave an awkward sort of smile and then tucked the covers around her, retrieving her jars and leaving Valora to rest. She returned downstairs to wash her jars to find that the others were trailing into the kitchen to eat. Dedric left to offer Valora some food and returned to fix himself his own meal. Dinner that night was mostly silent, each of them in their own thoughts. At the end of the night, once Alina had retired to her bed, Luvena had come to her bedroom with the orb in hand.

"Derik wishes to speak to you...without anyone around," she explained and set the orb on Alina's bed. "Just return it to me when you're done. I'll be in my room." Alina thanked her and then settled on the bed, her eyes meeting her fiancé's. It was strange to see his face again when she had not seen it in so long.

"Did Valora arrive safely?" he asked.

"Yes, she did. We gave her some potions so as to help her. It seems that she hasn't had the opportunity herself, so it was good for her." Derik nodded slowly.

"Alina...I want you to know that I've never forgotten you for a moment. I have always been trying to find you, to find some way to you. I don't want you to think that I ever abandoned my search for you."

"Oh, Derik...I know you haven't."

"And...I am sorry that you are stuck with Senan. He is a vile man. I wish that you did not have to suffer him."

"He's...not that bad, Derik. He's been very respectable." She knew she was stretching the truth, but she hated to hear him called such names.

Her fiancé looked puzzled, but inclined his head. "Very well...then I'll think no more of it." He sighed, bowing his head. "It has been unbearable here without you. Everyone has been most concerned about you. Most have given up on believing that you are still alive. But I knew...I knew that if I did not see you dead, that you must have been alive somewhere. I had to hope that you would have stumbled into Senan. If not, I knew there was no possibility of finding you in such a large area." He paused. "This wasn't how I imagined this conversation...I had hoped to say something more meaningful, but I...I just don't know what to say." He stared at her, his eyes sad. "I miss you, Alina...I've missed you every day."

Alina gave a sad smile. "I've missed you, too. I dreamt of you, of being back in Kraion, and just having a regular conversation."

His own mouth turned upward slightly. "I don't want to talk too long. I just...I needed to tell you that. I wanted to say it earlier, but there were so many other things that needed to be dealt with." He drew in a deep breath. "But...I promised father I would not use this too often. I've explained everything to him. He is very happy that you're safe and sound. I have to go, though, Alina."

"Ah! Derik..."

"Yes?"

"I...I love you."

He smiled. "I love you, too. Be safe."

The orb went black and for a long time, Alina stared at it, wondering why she felt a sudden dread fall on her heart. Shaking her head, she collected the orb in its cloth and left her room to return the orb. She knocked on Luvena's door and entered. Alina was startled to see Eideard in the room with the sorceress. Luvena smiled from the seat at the desk and ushered her inside. Eideard was standing beside the desk, looking somewhat irritable.

"Is anything wrong?" Alina asked, shutting the door.

"There habe been sounds in the den," Eideard said flatly. "Dedric's in Valora's room with the djinn. Senan, presumably, is in his bedchambers on the other side of the cottage. It's just as Valora described it. They've been consistent, always the same length and always the same sounds." Alina felt her body go cold with fear.

"But what about Senan? If he goes into the den – "

"That's what we were discussing," Luvena explained. "We felt it would be wiser if Senan were to remain on this side of the cottage while this is happening. If he goes into the den, he will be on the other side of it and he may not be able to defend himself. Eideard suggested the two of us go and retrieve him, just for tonight, but that would also require we go through the den."

"I don't think he'd appreciate it..." Alina admitted quietly.

"Likely not," Eideard grunted, "but with the wealth of information he has on this subject, it wouldn't be wise for him to be alone, either."

"It may be better to leave it for tonight and then ask him tomorrow," Alina said. "I don't think he'll do anything tonight yet."

Eideard looked displeased by this, but slowly nodded, trusting her judgment. "Alright...but I don't want you moving through the house by yourself, Alina. Let us take you back to your room."

"I think I'd rather like to sleep with Oren for tonight..."

They nodded agreeably and after Luvena had stored the orb, the three moved through the hallway to Oren's room, where Alina was deposited. Oren locked the door and the two of them settled into his bed, with each other's feet at the other's head. "It's funny how we would cuddle up together when were children, but once you have sex, you can't even imagine sleeping that way with your sister," Oren had remarked at the time.

Alina had not heard any of the noises that Eideard had described at the time, but after falling asleep, she was awaken by the sudden sound of creaking somewhere in the cottage. Blearily, she raised her head, listening to the sound of creaks. Her eyes widened when she heard a particularly loud one and she ducked beneath the covers again. She listened to the sound and that same loud creak sounded several other times, always at the same time. "Oren?" she whispered.

"I hear it, too," he whispered in return.

The siblings remained still in bed, listening to the creaking. Only when their eyes became too tired did they close them. Oren drifted back into sleep, but Alina remained awake, opening her eyes every so often. Once, she had been sure the shadows in the room had shifted, which caused her to clench her eyes closed again. Only when the sky turned blue and the creaks had subsided did she fall back asleep, exhausted and frightened.

Only a few hours later, Alina was awoken by Oren kicking her in the forehead trying to get out of bed. He glanced at her in apology, but was padding across the floor. It was then that Alina could hear voices upstairs. She tossed her blankets aside, as well, and hurried out of the room after her brother. As she stepped out into the hallway, however, something wet connected with her feet. She looked down and gasped, stumbling backwards in horror.

"...the purpose of it?" she heard Dedric grumbling. "Other than to make us have to clean it out of the wood?"

"I'm not sure," came Valora's hesitant voice. It was clear that she had not been harmed during the night, as she appeared to have a stronger voice than before, as if she had finally been able to sleep through the night. Alina lifted her nightgown up and splashed through the puddle of blood to Valora's room, where she halted in the doorway. There was a dead elk hanging outside the window, its eye staring through the window. Dedric was hanging outside the window, disconnecting the animal from it. There was a sickening thud as it hit the ground outside. Senan was standing in the middle of the room, disheveled, rubbing his messy hair. He glanced at Alina when she paused in the room and then frowned at her.

"Go back to bed," he said.

"How did that elk get hung up outside the window when you were in here the entire time, Dedric?" Alina asked, ignoring Senan, whose eyes narrowed.

"Fuck if I know," he flippantly said, having pulled himself back inside the room. "The thing was mauled. It looked like it feasted on the animals rather than Valora and, pissed off, decided to pour its blood all over the place. Oren, give me a hand in cleaning this all up, will you? And Alina, go clean your feet off, your tracking footprints everywhere."

"Those aren't mine," she said, pointing at the set that was clearly Oren's. Dedric scowled at him and then waved his hands to have him get out. Dedric grabbed a towel from the cupboard in the room and tossed it at him.

"Clean your feet off and go find the boots in the closet downstairs so that we can clean this up without making a mess, will you? Oh, and get some mops and pails, too."

Senan had grabbed boots himself before he had entered into the bloody hallway and now proceeded to put them back on and picked up Alina, who gave in indignant squawk. He then took them off again at the end of the puddle and returned to Alina's bedroom. With one hand, he started a hot bath and then started the fire with a flick of his fingers. "You splashed blood all over your night dress," he said, setting her on the tub so that her feet were in the water, where the blood was washed off. "Take it off."

"I can undress myself!" Alina told him, hugging herself. He raised an eyebrow.

"Suit yourself. Wouldn't want your fiancé to think I'm a "vile man," would we?"

Alina sent him a furious look. "You listened to my conversation!"

"Of course, I did. Did you really think that I was going to let Luvena hand that over to you so that you two could speak privately? I don't trust that weasel of a prince and I don't need a spy. Thankfully, he dropped the subject of me pretty quickly, didn't he?" Alina flushed, angry and humiliated, remembering the tender words that Derik had spoken to her and the words that she had said in return. "Princess, I don't need you to defend me." He put a hand on the bathtub, leaning against it, but she stared into the water stubbornly. He took a hold of her chin and turned her face to his. "I don't care about any of the shit he had said to you or vice versa. I don't care about that. But I'm also not interested in you making me out to be a great guy, as if I take such good care of you when we both know I don't. If you want to tell him the truth, do it. Don't lie about it."

"I'm not lying," Alina said quietly. "Derik wouldn't make me spy on you even if I had said you were terrible. He's not like that. And you have treated me well. If you'd just learn to stop having such an attitude when people disagree with you, nobody would think you're such a...such a...such a bastard!" She said it with such vehemence that he released her chin and not balancing herself, Alina went tumbling into the water. She sputtered, surprised, and lurched back up, dripping wet. Senan's merely raised an eyebrow mildly, folding his arms over his chest. Blushing, she simply raised her chin and stared back at him defiantly.

"That's where you're mistaken," he said at last. "I'm quite the bastard. You just want to convince yourself differently." He then turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Alina slid back down into the tub and then stared down at herself. Her night dress was completely transparent when it was wet.

How embarrassing.

16: Chapter Sixteen

Luvena was not blind to the many intricate relationships that had developed in the cottage. While she set up some complex defense spells on Valora's room, she glanced behind her as Senan exited Alina's bedroom. His eyes met hers as he carefully closed the door, but neither of them said anything. Luvena watched him for a moment, noticing his tense body and as always, she wondered what it was about the princess that caused the dark sorcerer to become so quiet. She turned away and returned to the spell. Besides Alina's and Senan's relationship, she knew that the other sorcerers were similarly bound to the princess, regardless of whether they wished to be. In spite of it, however, she was not certain that they would be unable to betray her. Her brother, she felt, appeared conflicted between his friendship with Senan and what appeared to be a genuine gratitude towards Alina, whereas Eideard, she felt, would remain faithful to Alina, although for far more innocent reasons. She suspected that he, being the eldest of the group, merely felt protective. Why, she was neither sure, nor was she interested, but she knew that the ways in which the relationships had developed in the cottage were not at all what had been expected when Alina was taken in.

"Thank you, Oren," Luvena said quietly to the male that had been standing at the edge of the room, holding a piece of the spell for her. She made the finishing mark and then inclined her head to him to indicate that his part would remain. He hesitantly lowered his hands and appeared relieved. Valora was sitting in bed, watching them, her eyes following the delicate threads of the spell until the disappeared, sinking into the room. "I appreciate your help."

"I should be thanking you, Luvena," he responded. "I have never had the opportunity to watch such spells performed. Obviously I would be unable to do it by myself after having only seen it once, but I do feel that it was a good learning experience." She smiled at this.

"Yes, I think you would be able to learn them after some practice and teaching."

"It is nothing that I have ever seen before," Valora spoke up, startling Oren. Luvena turned to meet her gaze. Unlike the others within the cottage, Luvena had no predisposed opinion of the princess of Kraion. She had never met her, nor had she any receive to find any disprove in her. While she knew that it was due to Valora's mischief that Alina was within the Forest of Dim and Luvena, along with the others, could not leave the forest, she felt no anger towards her. Every human felt a desire for revenge, to prove themselves worthy, and Valora was like no one else. Senan, Luvena knew, felt only that Valora had tampered in an art for which she was not prepared. She knew, however, that those like Oren, Alina, and Derik were wary of her intentions. Luvena could not help but think that, had the people in the other kingdoms taught their subjects the value of the dark emotions that humans possess, there would not be such a great divide between those who used them to their advantage and those who suppressed them. It was, Luvena imagined, one of the reasons that Hoshäi was so well united and the other kingdoms often found civil wars upon them.

"The Dark Arts often possess many ancient and unknown spells, spells that were passed down through teaching, rather than through books. There are very few books that those in Hoshäi will allow outside of the kingdom and very few spells that are allowed to be written down, especially when it comes to defense spells. We would not like others to use them...we would find it very difficult when and if war ever were to occur."

"I have always admired your people," Valora remarked, her eyes drifting from where the threads had been, meeting Luvena's gaze. "To have the same mind as each other...what a world that would be."

"It is a dangerous place, too," she cautioned, "but we do not have the problems that your people do. And we certainly can fend for ourselves individually rather than depend upon soldiers to protect us." Valora nodded and her eyes drifted over to where Oren was standing and Luvena saw that he was frowning, appearing more than a bit unsettled by the conversation. Luvena gave a small smile, sensing that Oren was unaccustomed to such frank conversation about Hoshäi. Indeed, from what she knew, Hoshäi was not a well-received topic within the other kingdoms. "Come, prince," she said to Oren, "we have much to do today."

They left the cottage, arriving at the barrier, where Dedric was already situated at. He had a tall, marble pole that was embedded in the grass, with three other similar poles lying upon the ground. He glanced at them, but did not pause in the threads that he was creating in the air. At the pole were where all the threads connected and allowed them to remain alive without sinking into the barrier, where they were being placed. Her brother was not constructing a spell that she knew and was curious as to how complicated he expected it to become, with the many juncture-poles he had with him. "It is a mere precaution," Dedric said to his sister, as though reading her mind. "The spell that I'm doing isn't one that I've ever performed myself and it's far more complicated. I want to be able to separate the layers so that if it doesn't work the way it is supposed to work, I can go back through each layer and determine where I may have constructed the marks wrong."

"I see..." Dedric did not appear as though he intended on informing her of the spell that he was building, so instead she asked, "What would you like us to do, brother?"

"I would appreciate if you could show Oren how to keep the threads and us from failing, from losing too much energy, and then I'd like you to construct a few defense spells and twine them around this juncture-pole." He fell silent for a brief second. "If you wouldn't mind," he added as an afterthought.

"Of course not," she said quietly. "Oren? Are you ready?"

"Yes," he nodded, his face lighting up a bit. She stifled a smile. He was an eager learner and it was clear that he, like his sister, wanted to do whatever was possible to be helpful. She slowly showed him what he needed to do, how to switch from them to the threads, and after a few failed attempts that took a little over an hour, he had finally gotten a hold of it.

"Make sure to alternate every thirty minutes," she told him. "If you don't, you can snap the threads from too much energy and to repair them could take a good deal of time. Dedric and I can also suffer from too much energy becoming channeled into us."

"Alright," he nodded firmly.

"You'll do wonderfully," Luvena told him, smiling, and after he returned her smile with his own, she turned from him and stood opposite of the juncture-pole from where Dedric was standing and began to construct her first defense spell.

X

The cottage was silent and mostly empty by the time Alina had finished bathing and dressing. She peeked into Valora's room to find her sleeping. Her djinn merely glanced at her, but made no move towards her. After determining that their house guest was safe and her room adequately cleaned, Alina went downstairs to find it empty. She sighed. She would have liked to make some more potions, what with everyone occupied, but she was afraid to go outside to the storage shed in fear of being watched again. Instead, she occupied herself with starting a fire in the fireplace, as it was rather cold in the den. As she was blowing on the wood, encouraging it to start, she suddenly felt the skin on her neck tingle. She paused and then slowly turned her head, fearful that nobody would be there. Instead, it was Senan, who merely raised an eyebrow at her. In spite of herself, her heart seemed to skip a beat as their eyes met. She was awash in shame, recalling how she had stood up in her transparent gown that morning. He did not appear all too concerned with that or if it had even come to mind, he was far better at keeping it quiet than she was.

"I would take a step back from the fireplace, if I were you," he said. She frowned and then did as asked. He raised a hand and her sputtering fire blazed brightly. He lowered his hand and then turned his eyes back to her. She realized how exhausted he looked and she hesitated before standing, smoothing her dress out.

"Senan, would you mind...accompanying me to the storage shed so I can get some things to make potions in here. I'm not all that inclined to do it out there by myself. I'd rather do it in the cottage." He looked thoughtful and then nodded, leading the way into the kitchen. She followed him outside, silent and feeling decidedly awkward. Once they arrived in the storage shed, she felt his heavy silence more than ever and his eyes appeared to remain on her back the entire time. Their previous conversation remained stuck in her head and, in spite of her stubborn belief in her feelings towards Derik, the kiss that had been forced on her kept seeping into her head. At last, she said in an irritated voice, "Do you mind not staring at me the entire time?"

"No," Senan stated simply, "is it unnerving you?" He sounded faintly amused. Gnashing her teeth together, she whipped around to snap at him, but was startled at his close proximity. The herbs in her hands slipped away and she fumbled for them, but they fell to the floor regardless. Somewhat distraught, as she was unsure of what had fallen, and feeling more than a bit anxious at being caught in the small space that she was caught in with the sorcerer, Alina tried – and failed – to find a way out of her current situation. "I've come to a conclusion about you, Alina."

"Have you?" she asked, taking tiny steps to the side, so as to put some distance between them.

He smirked suddenly, causing her to halt in her steps. "You're lying to yourself about Derik. You don't love him, and I don't think you ever really did."

"What are you talking about, Senan? Of course, I love him! He's –"

"Your fiancé," he finished for her. "Yes, obviously, but that's neither here, nor there, is it? How do you know you love him?" He raised his eyebrows at her and stepped closer, leaning a hand against the work table, his face a mere few inches from hers. Alina clutched the herbs to her chest and raised her eyes to his. His misty blue-gray eyes were intense, his face tilted slightly as he considered her. "Have you cried several nights in a row because you missed him? Was he the only one that could ever make you feel better? Out of all the men in the world, is he the only one that you've ever wanted? Or was it simply that you enjoyed talking to him, spending time with him? Because if it's the latter, I have news for you...that's friendship, princess. He is willing to go to the ends of the earth for you...but are you?"

"I don't...I don't..."

"You don't know?" Senan suggested, giving a sharp smile. "Let me ask you this...are you attracted to him? Have you ever truly wanted him?"

To this, Alina was silent, her eyes lowered to her hands.

"I didn't think so."

"Why do you even care?" she asked at last. "You're just enjoying doing this, aren't you?" Her eyes darted to his, angry at him suddenly. "Why does it matter whether I love him or not? I care about him and I am going to marry him. I certainly don't want any other man. Derik is the kindest and most perfect person I've ever known. He's never done anything bad. He's always concerned for everyone around him, even his sister, who has treated him like scum. I can learn to love him that way, even if I don't right now!" Alina's furious words caused Senan's mouth to slip down into a frown. There was a pregnant pause where they stared at each other, both equally enraged by the other's words.

"You really fucking piss me off," he said quietly at last. She was startled when he took her head in his hands, tilting her head back, pressing closer to her. She was suddenly aware of how her body was trembling, but not out of fear. "Ever since you came here, you've been pushing your luck. If you'd been any other woman, I would have killed you in an instant. Don't think," he added in a sharper tone, "that just because I haven't that I actually care about what happens to you, because I could care less."

"Then...then why bother?"

A strange look crossed his face and then a corner of his mouth tilted upward. "It must be because you do piss me off so much." Alina was able to blink once before his mouth was on hers, insistent and demanding. This time, in spite of all the body tremors she was experiencing, she did not reject him. She dropped her herbs carelessly and curled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. Alina was an innocent and had no idea what was happening. She knew enough from Valora's teasing instructions, but words and experiences were two completely different things. Senan's hands drifted from her head, across her small shoulders and down to the swell of her hips, where his fingers splayed, pulling her against him, fitting her lower body in the crevice of his legs. His body warmed hers, almost to a point where she felt on fire. She clung to him, drowning in the sensation, barely aware of anything outside of them. His tongue slipped along her lips, testing, and when her lips parted, curious, his tongue slid in, touching hers. Uncertain, she raised hers to his and when she did he released a low growl in his throat, his hands tensing on her body. In a moment, he withdrew from her, his mouth burning a trail along her jawline and to her throat. As his lips moved, so did his hands, pushing her dress up, pressing her harder against the work table. It bit into her, but Alina could have cared less.

"Senan," she whimpered, digging her nails into his neck as his hand found bare flesh, slipping up her thigh and the silky skin that lied there. Even Alina was aware of where his hand intended to go. As soon as this fact dawned on her, she blinked blearily and then gasped, abruptly shoving him away and darting as far from him as she could. Senan, for all his usual grace, stumbled a bit, clearly not expecting the assault.

"What the hell, woman!" he snapped as his elbow struck a shelf.

"Just what did you think you were doing?" Alina snapped in returned, smoothing her dress out, feeling her face warm.

"Oh, no you don't!" As she dashed towards the door, he found himself there before her. "Don't you fucking toy with me."

"I'm not! I didn't want that! You – "

"I did nothing," he interrupted. He chuckled, shaking his head. His eyes were dark as he surveyed her. "I gave you what you wanted, you took it gladly. Don't act naïve, Alina..." She realized that, once again, she had backed herself against something. He trapped her there and she wished she could have pushed him away when he kissed near her ear. She shuddered as his tongue darted out, tracing her lobe and then capturing it with his teeth. "You can fight all you want, but you're mine."

"You're repulsive," she whispered, whipping around to glare at him. He merely raised an eyebrow at her. She pushed away from him and this time, he let her go.

Senan remained in the storage shed, leaning against the work table and staring up at the ceiling. He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair, pulling it from his face. He had been reckless and knew it. He had been trying to reign in his desire for that obnoxious princess for the past few days, but when he had gotten his first taste of her, he knew immediately that he was doomed. The rejection had stung a bit and when she had arrived at his room that night, he had been stressed and had she even indicated that she was entertaining less innocent thoughts about him, he was certain that he would have taken her there. But she had been nervous and afraid, which caused him to lash out more so than he ought to have. As for today, he knew a woman's body well enough to know when she was interested. Apparently, Alina had yet to learn what her own body wanted.

"Fuck it," he muttered beneath his breath and gathered the herbs she had dropped and after going through them and determining which potions she intended on making, he gathered the remaining things she needed and left the storage shed. In spite of his arrogance, Senan was a bit shaken up by the incident. It had been a long time since he'd even been attracted to another woman. Granted, he had found the princess rather annoying and far too stubborn in the beginning, but she had grown on him. When she had challenged him after Eideard had led her to the exit of the forest, he had admired her will. He had thought that it was mere respect that he had begun to hold for her, but was rather irritated that attraction followed soon after. He was unaccustomed to such feelings after such a long time and as he walked to the cottage, he was irritably aware that his hands were shaking somewhat.

Fucking women, he thought angrily. It's no wonder I gave up on them. Stupidly, he thought, I need steady hands for potions. As he entered the kitchen with this thought, he halted, frowning, before thinking, "Steady hands for potions"? I'm a fucking idiot.

He set the things from the storage shed on the table and glanced up as the door to kitchen opened. Valora gave a wan smile and then looked at the collection of herbs on the table. "Oh, are you making some rejuvenating potions?"

"I'm not," Senan replied briskly. The djinn behind her was a silent follower, saying nothing. "I see you've gotten some of your strength back."

"Yes, thankfully I have," Valora agreed. "I'm hoping that soon enough, I'll be able to help the rest of you with the barrier. My power is not much right now...but if I can continue to get rest and the demon continues to be thwarted, I may just be able to get enough to do something."

"Well, if you have enough energy, you can work on these potions."

Her face lit up a bit and she looked at him cautiously, asking, "Can I? Do you mind?"

"No, no, go ahead," he said distractedly, wondering what he was going to do with Alina. Valora settled at the table and Senan stood there, staring ahead of him, frowning. He did not notice Valora's eyes on him, watching him carefully.

"My brother loves Alina very much," she told him, bringing him from his thoughts. "They have always been close, even as children. They were accepting of their marriage, but whereas Derik gradually felt love for Alina, I think she was still unsure of what she wanted. Before I grew ill and Alina was sent her, I was alone with her, giving her advice – on men and the bedroom, of course – and I don't think she knew what she wanted and it certainly did not sound like her and Derik were very amorous. You could claim her as your own without any problems."

"Exactly what makes you think that I want her as my own?" Senan demanded, scowling at her.

"You were my teacher," she simply told him. "You've tried so hard to be the bad guy, but I always knew that you were suffering. You were lonely – you are lonely – and you've finally found a girl that you seem to genuinely like. Not for the reasons that most men are attracted to a girl – wealth, power, beauty – but for the reasons that a man should be attracted to a girl. You're meeting your match with her. Perhaps not in magic, but in other ways, and it intrigues you. I was only ever a foolish little student to you, someone who had no idea what they were getting involved in." She paused thoughtfully. "You were my idol. I thought that if I could become as powerful as you, maybe I could be happy."

"Even though you saw my unhappiness?" he queried.

"I thought it might be different with me. I wanted different things than you did. But...I'm even more unhappy than I was then...and I've made a mess of things."

"What's your point in all of this, Valora?"

"You like Alina, don't you?" Before he could answer, Valora continued, "I'm not oblivious and neither is anyone else. You hate that she's so close to Dedric and Eideard, and yet it seems to be a struggle for her to trust you. You two have something different. You're always arguing with each other and yet she is always trying to care for Dedric and Eideard, just like she has always tried to care for my brother. That's all I really have to say. By the way, have you got a sharp knife so that I can cut these herbs?" Frowning, Senan moved to where the cutlery was kept and handed the knife to her. She smiled. "Thank you." Senan watched her cut the herbs for a moment and then left the kitchen, brooding upon what she had told him. He paused at the foot of the steps, considering them. After a moment, he turned away and continued on towards his chambers.

I do not like her, Senan told himself firmly. She pisses me off.

17: Chapter Seventeen

18: Chapter Eighteen

19: Chapter Nineteen

20: Chapter Twenty

21: Chapter Twenty-One

22: Chapter Twenty-Two

23: Chapter Twenty-Three

24: Chapter Twenty-Four

25: Chapter Twenty-Five

Senan threw another handful of dust from him, coughing and waving away the airborne particles that were clogging his eyes, nose, and throat. After stumbling to the door and opening it, hurrying outside of the laboratory, he sent a bitter look inside to where a collection of colourful dust was streaming out, polluting the air. As usual, yet another experimentation had done him no good. Irritable, he covered his face and entered the lab and retrieved the ancient book that was sitting on the laboratory table. He frowned, pressing his lips firmly together. Only he was able to understand any of the words written within this book, as it was in the language of his people and it was one that had been lost long ago. However, even he had trouble deciphering some of the words due to the age in the pages. He had attempted several different spells, potions, and to no effect. It was only his determination that led him to continuing the spells and potions and not simply abandoning everything and returning to the past time that had controlled him last season.

He sat on the ground outside the lab as dusts continued to flow outside the small building, although slowly ebbing away. He planted his feet flat on the ground and shoved his hands within his hair, positioning his elbows against his knees as he stared down at the opened book. There are multiple spells and potions in here to erase your memory, he thought, yet somehow I can't even master them, although they are far simpler than any other spell I've attempted. None of my books have failed me up until now.

He lowered a hand and flipped through the pages, his eyebrows slanted down in concentration. Some pages were indecipherable, others more clear. One such page he had already tried and yet nothing had resulted with good results as of yet. One had come out promising, but when he had taken it, it simply gave him a headache. At last irritated, he slammed the book shut moodily and crossed his arms, glaring ahead of him as he pressed his nose and mouth against his arm, covering them. My ancestors must be laughing at me, he concluded, if they think that a headache potion is the answer to wanting to rid oneself of certain memories.

Unbeknownst to him, Eideard had exited the cottage when he saw the dust exiting the laboratory and was watching Senan with a shuttered expression. Senan swore to himself and kicked at the book angrily. Eideard may not have been able to read the language within the book, but he knew enough of potions to know what the ingredients within the potions were needed for and while he was surprised at the sudden fervor that Senan was showing in memory potions, he felt more pity for the man than anything else. And, given that Eideard and Senan were often in the lab together, he knew that the potions were not working out well, not even for their most skilled sorcerer.

"What do you plan on accomplishing by forgetting Alina?" Eideard spoke up from behind him. Senan raised his head and turned to him, his eyes narrowing.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't be so proud," Eideard said sharply.

"I don't exist for her," Senan snapped back, rising to his feet. "She doesn't even realize who I am. All I am is what I once was when I first met her...the famous sorcerer, Senan, who fled from Kraion and had practiced the Dark Arts. I'm not..." He stopped suddenly, as if realizing to whom he was talking. He snorted and then turned his head from him, muttering, "It doesn't matter. She made her choice."

"And so did you," Eideard said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You could have easily turned back and stopped her, but you didn't. You let it happen. It wasn't a result of her actions alone, Senan. For once in your life, endure the consequences of what you did rather than walk away."

"I've endured it for three years!" Senan spat at him. "I watched her from afar, almost every day, for an entire year. I sought her out, even though I knew I couldn't say a word to her, even though I knew that if I had, she would have fled from me in fear. It was all I could do not to simply use my magic to ensnare her, to return her back to us again. I deserve a reprieve and if it means forgetting her entirely, I would rather do that than continue to live this way." He snatched the book from the ground and stormed back into the lab, shutting the door hard behind him.

Eideard stood for a long moment, staring at the lab and then, with a long sigh, he turned and entered the cottage again. He returned to the dinner that he had been preparing and then paused in cutting a carrot. He recalled the time before he had become close to either Senan or Dedric and would slip into Kraion and go to the place that Myra rested. He remembered the tears he had spilled over her grave, sobbing like a lunatic even though he felt that he did not deserve to shed tears. He shook himself from the memory, yet his hand was unsteady when he tried to return to cutting the vegetable, forcing him to set the knife down and rest his hands against the counter.

"What's wrong with you?" Eideard looked up to see Dedric had entered the cottage, looking slightly disheveled, likely from the heat.

Eideard merely raised a hand, waving it, and stepped aside and sat at the table. Dedric eyed him and then moved to the counter, continuing what Eideard had abandoned. The two were silent, absorbed in their thoughts. Eideard sat staring ahead of him for a long time, his mind returning to Myra. Her blue eyes stared up at him adoringly, her long locks spilling over her shoulders. The image shocked him so badly that he jolted out of his seat, causing Dedric to frown and raise his eyebrows at him.

"Maybe you should go take a rest," Dedric cautiously suggested, uncertain of the male's temper.

"It's that damn Senan," Eideard said, glaring out the kitchen window. Outside, the sun was already beginning to sink behind the trees, its warm light spilling over the tops of the forest, casting long shadows upon the ground. Warm, vibrant colours splashed across the sky, forecasting the sunset and the lull of activity from the animals in the forest as they settled in their homes to allow the night animals to take over signaled the coming of evening.

"What about him?" he asked, unbothered. Eideard shot a quick, angry look towards him, but just as he was about to respond, they were interrupted by a knock on the front door. "What the hell? That can't possibly be Oren again..."

"Again?" Eideard repeated as the two of them moved through the den towards the door.

"I just saw him today in the forest," Dedric explained shortly. "I was closer to Siruean than I had thought. I wonder if Senan sensed anyone entering the barrier."

"I doubt he cares either way right now."

Dedric tilted an eyebrow towards him again, but said nothing as they approached the door. He opened it in a somewhat exasperated manner and then froze. Beside him, he felt Eideard still as well. Valora was standing outside with a hand on her finely curved hip, with Jaiden standing beside her as a possible use of protection, although appearing slightly giddy. However, there was a third addition to their party and that was the shorter and smaller female that had clearly been the one to initiate the knock. Alina had stepped back, but when their eyes fell on her, she offered a hesitant, sweet smile. Dedric opened his mouth, closed it, and then cleared his throat. "Can we help you?" he queried slowly, uncertain as to the nature of these events.

"Where's the big bad wolf himself?" Valora asked, stepping forward and peering past them into the cottage. It was odd to see her alone and without her djinn. Unknown to them, however, was that Valora's djinn was safely ensconced in the castle of Kraion because while she was unwilling to work with that type of realm any longer, she did so love her djinn and he had been nothing but loyal and adoring towards her. While he had wished to come with her, she felt that this trip would be better suited for Jaiden, who was unaccustomed to this type of company.

"Sulking, I'm sure," Eideard answered, although his eyes flickered to Alina, who was strangely silent during this exchange.

"Where at?"

"The lab in the back."

"Jaiden," Valora turned towards the captain who gave her a puzzled look. "Will you please take Alina back to see him?" Alina cast Valora a reluctant stare, which the latter pointedly ignored. Jaiden took Alina's arm and tucked it in his and the two of them rounded the cottage. Valora, meanwhile, shoved her way inside the cottage, wasting no time.

"Wait a minute." Dedric snapped out of his stunned reverie and after shutting the door, he followed her into the kitchen where she was sampling their dinner. "What the fuck is going on here? What is she doing here? She's not welcome!"

"Don't be a dick," Valora said, rolling her eyes. "She's the most welcome person in the world here and don't you dare let me hear you say that again." Dedric opened his mouth to demand how she had even found the cottage, but then he recalled Oren's strange appearance at the river, his unusual behavior and the way in which he had glanced towards the path he had been riding on.

Of course Oren would be the culprit. "That's not the point," he snapped. "What is she doing here?"

"Oh, very well," Valora sighed, leaning against the counter and inspecting her hand interestedly. "I guess I should start by saying that Alina has been in Siruean for the past two years and has been living there ever since she and Derik broke off their betrothal. They still talk, of course, as it had been a mutual decision between the two of them. So, she's been quite near you three for some time. Your cottage lies dangerously close to Siruean soil."

"We're aware of the fact," Eideard said as he entered the kitchen, looking none too pleased.

"Good," Valora said, smiling.

"But that doesn't explain – " Dedric began impatiently, but Valora interrupted him.

"Ah," she said, cutting in, "yes. There is one thing that I suppose I ought to have started with." She dropped her hand and smiled at their confused expressions. "Alina ended up rejecting Luvena's offer after you left."

They stood, stunned, at this information. Outside, Jaiden and Alina had found the laboratory and could be seen standing outside the small building through the kitchen window.

"I don't understand...Oren told me that Alina had been acting as if it hadn't happened, that she hadn't been making any potions."

"That's all true," Valora said agreeably. "She hasn't wanted to discuss anything to do with Senan in the past three years and she certainly wanted nothing more than to avoid doing anything that would remind her of her situation with him. She tried with Derik, convinced that was the right thing to do, but when he decided to actually be a man and discuss it with her, she knew that she would have to return to Siruean. They care for each other as much as they always have, but without the additional stress of an upcoming marriage, their friendship is much better. Since then, Alina has been in Siruean and has been struggling with her own thoughts. She knew, from overhearing conversations Oren had with Sabia, that your cottage was near and she even ventured out in the forest once or twice to try and find it and I think she might have come close at one point, but she was afraid of your reactions and she was especially afraid of confronting Senan."

"We would have given anything to see her again," Eideard said candidly. Dedric nodded his agreement, his brow creased in concern.

"Yes," she slowly said, "but she and Senan left a very...bitter...situation between them that she didn't tell anyone but me until recently. Senan never clarified his feelings for her and neither did she. It's not easy to simply return to that after such a long amount of time." Valora frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She glanced out the window, where Jaiden was walking towards the kitchen door. Dedric saw her mouth soften the slightest bit and raised his eyebrows inquiringly at Eideard, who seemed intent in ignoring him. "Senan's words were still in her mind when Luvena had given her that offer...and when they left, I imagine that Alina's words were still in Senan's mind and it helped fuel his desire to do the right thing for once. Or what would usually have been the right thing."

"Her words?" Dedric repeated. "What did she tell him?"

"I guess they bumped into each other in the courtyard only a bit before all of you left and told him she had wanted him to leave without saying anything because he was, more or less, foul and evil anyway."

"That's..."

"Foul and evil," Valora said smiling. "Yes, I think Alina realized that it was much like calling the kettle black and she regrets leaving him with those words. But there's not much more to say about that than what I have. What happens now is up to them." Jaiden entered the kitchen cautiously as Valora ended the discussion, his eyes darting around anxiously. Perhaps he had been expecting cobwebs and dead animals in jars because he looked slightly confused as he slipped in and shut the door. "Do you mind if we retire to the den? I'm exhausted and I could use some cider, if you don't mind."

"How do you know we get cider now?" Dedric asked suspiciously.

"Who do you think sends it to you?" Jaiden spoke up, scowling. Valora merely snickered.

X

Alina watched as Jaiden entered the cottage and only after the door had shut did she turn back to the laboratory. She felt her palms grow damp and wiped them on her dress, feeling as though her heart was trying to explode from her chest, thundering against her rib cage. She put a hand on her chest, hoping to calm herself somewhat, but it merely caused her to stand, clutching at the collar of her dress rather than encourage her. She had been mad to allow Valora to talk her into this. When the princess of Kraion had come to Siruean, Alina had thought it was a simple social call up until Valora began to unveil her true incentives.

"I know that you miss him," Valora said to her privately. The two women were sitting across from each other, but Valora had leaned over to take Alina's hand in a gesture of comfort. She was not the vixen that she been, but was dressed more modestly and while her hair still tumbled over her shoulders wildly and she still held the same beauty, she seemed like an entirely different person. "I was his apprentice and now that I've had time to appreciate things more, I miss him, as well. I know how you felt towards him and how he felt towards you...it's time that you simply let go of this fear that you have and go see him."

"What fear?" Alina withdrew her hand. "I don't – "

"Alina," Valora interrupted gently, "trust me on this. I know why you refuse to talk about him or any of the other men. Other people are not as perceptive, but I lived with you four for long enough that I know too well how close you were to them. And I also know the fear of loving someone and can recognize the signs. Why couldn't you just allow him into your heart, even just a little bit?"

"I have," she replied softly, "and that's my biggest issue...that I let him inside at all."

Breathing in deep, Alina took the handle of the door and collected what little courage she had and pushed it open. Inside, it was lit up with a few candles and she immediately noticed how spacious it was. She quietly closed the door behind her and her eyes traveled to the far end of the room where Senan was peering up in a cupboard of jars that held collections of stones and other minerals.

Without looking behind him, he said, "I told you I'm not interested, Eideard," and his tone was tense, as if preparing for an unwanted fight. Alina's body began to tremble at the sudden horror of her situation. She stumbled backwards, towards the door, intending to flee out of the forest towards Siruean and away from everyone. However, with an exasperated sigh, Senan had turned around to face his offender and froze. Alina had just backed into the door and had been fumbling for the knob when his eyes touched hers. She, too, stilled her movements and was caught by his startled gaze. His face was as she remembered it, if only slightly more drawn than usual. It had been years since she had last looked upon him, although he had been able to see her without her knowledge. She swallowed quickly and then withdrew from the door, taking a hesitant step towards him. "How are you doing...Senan?" she queried and she could hear the tremble in her voice.

"I don't understand," he said dumbly. "What's going on?"

Alina had rehearsed her story to Valora several times to make certain that she knew what she was going to say, full of explanations, full of regret and sorrow and every other emotion that she had been feeling in the past three years. Instead, she found that the words and sentences were breaking down in her mind and only a few of the words seemed to remain. "I'm here for you...I love you."

This seemed to confuse him even more and he appeared as though he were struggling to find something to say. Alina waited, feeling slightly panic-stricken the longer he remained silent. She had never seen him in such a wordless state. For her, it may as well have been a rejection. Of course, she had thrown it on him without any explanation as she had intended. In her mind, she had imagined a euphoric response rather than this dumbstruck silence. Hastily, she said, "I rejected Luvena's offer...and I'm not married to Derik. I've been in Siruean, at my family's palace."

"No, I know that...but why? Why did you not let Luvena perform the spell on you?" He frowned and then he seemed more like himself as he asked somewhat harshly, "Why haven't you contacted me?"

"Because of what you...and I...said...I didn't know – "

"I wasn't going around doing stupid heroic shit for nothing," Senan exploded unexpectedly. Alina blinked, somewhat offended and baffled at his sudden reaction. "It's not as though I wanted to go around being the good guy. I wasn't trying to prove anything to Derik, that's for damn sure, and Dedric and Eideard already knew why I was acting like a complete dumbass."

"But...you said..."

"Alina," he sighed, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes, "think about who I was talking to at the time, will you? Your fiancé. Would it give me any pleasure at all to go up to him and say, as he's accusing me of things that, by the way, I'm rather fond of your future wife, mind if I steal her from you? No. He'd have run me out of Kraion and then I'd have to kill half of his soldiers and come barreling back into Kraion and frankly, I didn't know you were going to pop out of nowhere to hear that. As for what you said, we both know that you never meant that and I'm an ass, so of course it gave me satisfaction to see you regret your words."

Alina stared at him. He opened his eyes and seeing that he had struck her speechless, gave a small smile and dropped his hand. He hesitated and then stepped towards her, taking her shoulders and peering down at her. She raised her eyes to his uncertainly. "Unfortunately," he said in a grim tone, "you're quite a bit more than just entertainment for me. It's too late for me to do anything about that now, though."

"I missed you," she said, tears pooling in her eyes. She sniffled and drew close to him, circling her arms around him and pressing her face against his chest. He released a relieved breath and encompassed her in his arms, his hand burying in her hair as he rested his cheek upon her head. "I never stopped thinking about you, it was awful...I would think about you all day and then go to bed and dream about you. It was an endless cycle. And sometimes it seemed like I was hallucinating you."

"Oh?" Senan mouthed a swear word to himself above her head. He decided that small detail he would keep from her for now.

"I'm glad that Valora convinced me to come here...And that Oren agreed to show us how to get here. Don't be mad at him." She withdrew, wiping her face. "He was just doing what he thought was best for me."

"For me, too, it seems," he said with a smile. He brushed her hair from her face and framed it with his hands. "You've been haunting me these past three years, as well, you know." Through her tears, she offered a watery smile. He leaned down and kissed her softly, breathing in her tender scent. When he withdrew, she buried her face against his chest again and he held her for some time until there was a knock on the door and Dedric popped his head in, glancing at them and then casting a jealous look to Senan. "Oh, fuck off," he muttered to his friend.

"Stop hogging her," Eideard said, appearing behind Dedric. Alina turned and then laughed. She quickly gave Eideard a hug and then was enveloped by Dedric's arms immediately afterward. Senan scowled at their embrace and then looked to Eideard instead. "Valora's in the cottage with her captain."

"Oh, so she's finally calling him that?"

"No," Eideard answered, "but it's obvious."

Once they had returned to the cottage, Valora was sitting at the table, watching as Jaiden struggled with finishing dinner, his tongue sticking out in concentration. She had an amused smile on her lips that immediately turned into a grimace when they entered the kitchen. She straightened and looked to Alina's face and then beamed after a moment. "Did you take care of everything?" Alina blushed and nodded. "Perfect!" She stood up and went to Senan, raising an eyebrow at him as she glanced up at him. When he simply stared down at her with an indifferent expression, she asked, "Well? Don't you have something to say to me?"

"Yes, I suppose I do," Senan admitted after a pause and looked at Jaiden, who was evidently trying to ignore the entourage in the kitchen. Jaiden's boy crush on Valora had always been obvious, but he had struggled with his loyalty to Derik and Valora's own sordid reputation. Nonetheless, it was clear that after the two siblings had mended that particular rift in their relationship that Jaiden's reservations towards the princess had eased somewhat. "Take pity on him already. He's been waiting for over ten years."

An odd thing happened then. Valora, who had done her fair share of sinful things, began to blush, a pink settling over her cheeks. Rather than lowering her eyes demurely like Alina had, however, she pursed her lips in agitation, looking more than a bit uncomfortable with the conversation. Jaiden treated the topic somewhat better, casting a sheepish look to Senan and then burning himself on a pan, which caused him to begin to swear. "Ah," Senan said with a smirk, "you've already been giving him some attention, have you?"

"Shut up," Valora muttered, dropping her gaze and crossing her arms defensively.

Senan could tell that the topic was sensitive and based on Jaiden's still figure, he let it drop. However, he could deduce a few things from Valora's behavior. Her sudden modesty was not simply because of her own change in actions after nearly destroying the world with her use of the Dark Arts, but likely from some warm affection from the captain. Jaiden was clearly not one to take control, especially when it seemed that Valora was tentatively opening herself up to him. Knowing Valora too well, Senan was unsurprised to see that, even after as many years as Valora had to work on herself, she was still adjusting to a life of normality. He, too, felt the hesitation, expecting rejection.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dedric's voice broke through his thoughts and he turned his gaze to where Jaiden was standing at the stove with Dedric staring down at the pan.

"Did I not do it right?" the blonde asked blankly.

"Does it look right to you?"

"Doesn't look wrong," Jaiden murmured, staring down at it for a long time.

Dedric and Jaiden stared at each other and then Dedric asked, "How do you survive?"

"My sister cooks for me."

"Are you hearing this?" Dedric demanded, looking to Valora and pointing at him. "He can't even cook!"

"Well, he's a lot nicer than you are," Valora grumbled.

Dedric opened his mouth, seemed unsure of what to say and closed his mouth and shoved Jaiden away from the stove and fixed the mess. Jaiden scratched the back of his head, looking to the Kraion princess for some sort of explanation, but she merely sent him a small, reassuring smile. For the first time in a long time, it seemed like everyone was content. There were no draining demons, no barriers, and only companionship. When Oren burst in rather worriedly, as though Alina had been blasted away by Senan, he was immediately attacked by Dedric, who went on a long tirade of having his trust betrayed. Oren had the grace to look shamefaced, but Valora inserted herself into the conversation. The others watched, eating their dinner, as Valora and Dedric became involved in a heated argument that ended with both snorting and then ignoring each other for the remainder of the night. After Senan made some minor fixes in the cottage, everyone retired to their bedrooms.

"Senan?" Alina asked that night, lying quietly beside him in bed.

"Hm?"

"...thank you."

"What?" he mumbled, turning to look at her in the dark. She smiled and took his hand, resting her cheek against his knuckles.

"For keeping me at the cottage," she explained. "We never would have gotten this far or this close if I hadn't stayed at the cottage..."

"Should I thank you for putting up with me then?"

"Maybe," Alina said teasingly. He chuckled and then drew her closer. She nuzzled against him and rested her head against his chest, releasing a long sigh before she drifted off to sleep. Senan remained awake for a long moment, saying nothing and simply gazing at the female in his arms. He stroked her skin absent-mindedly, absorbed in his thoughts. He had never thought that she would ever return to him and he certainly hadn't thought that he would ever have the chance to have this type of happiness. Ever since he had been ruled by the vengeance of his people, he was certain that nothing else would exist for him. He closed his eyes and briefly pressed his lips to her forehead. She probably was unaware, but for him, nothing else mattered other than her. She was the one precious element in his life, the only constant. He had experienced life without her and it was impossible and near life-threatening for him to exist without her.

If it's an addiction, he thought, then so be it. I would rather die than be without her. He relaxed his head back upon the window and after watching her slumber for a few more moments, he was lulled into sleep by her soft, deep breaths.

Epilogue

Derik flinched as a firework went off nearby him. There was a joyous cry from the surrounding children as the sorcerer manipulated the firework in the sky and as the sparkles came showering down upon the ground, they turned into silvery water droplets that landed on the children's faces. They screamed with glee and the older man laughed at their delight. Derik smiled before he turned away from them, twining his way through the crowds at the festival. It had been some time since he had last visited Siruean, but it was clear that the festival held for the sorcerers was a successful one. In Kraion, there was still a good deal of misgivings regarding those with the arts, but it seemed that the Siruean people were eager to embrace their sorcerer counterparts.

Derik passed many people, none of whom gave him a second glance or seemed to even recognize him. The power of anonymity was pleasing, as Derik was far too accustomed to being stared at and bowed to in his own kingdom. There was an explosion above him and he paused, turning his face to the dark sky as it was lit up with a bright shower of sparkles. The light danced on his face as he watched the sparkles twinkle far above him in the sky. He closed his eyes briefly and then continued on towards the center of the festival.

At the center of the grounds was a large dais where the king of Siruean was sitting with his wife, laughing and taking questions from his people and joining them in the merriment with a jester that poked fun at his royal masters. Derik chuckled as the jester danced around the king, seeming to act out some sort of play that had the drunken crowd crowing with laughter. He watched patiently and once it had ended, he approached the dais. "Ah! Derik," the king greeted with a smile, offering a hand to him. "It's good to see you. Alina told me you would be here."

"Thank you," Derik said, inclining his head.

"I believe this young lady is your companion?" he indicated the girl that was perched on the side of the dais casually. Derik appeared relieved and nodded. "She arrived just some time ago, saying that she got separated for you. Of course, I wasn't going to simply turn her away. Alina is here somewhere, with that man of hers...Probably forcing him to enjoy the festivities," he muttered gruffly. The matter of his daughter with a strange man was obviously one that he was still becoming accustomed.

"I believe they're up in the tower, dear," his wife said from behind him. The king, who had his hand on Derik's shoulder, turned with a puzzled look. She pointed up at the sky. "Look, another firework!" Indeed, as they turned their gaze upward, another shower of colourful sparks was filling the sky. "The tower is just up ahead, Derik," she said as her husband was distracted. "I believe Alina and Senan are there."

"Thank you," he repeated, bowing his head once more. As he escaped the dais, the girl jumped from her relaxed position and he offered his hand to her. She took it with a smile and the two of them carved a path through the crowds of people. As they arrived at the tower, Derik glanced upward and saw another shot of fireworks erupt from the top of the tower. He smiled and with a gentle tug, he pulled the girl into the tower and together they ascended the staircase that wound up the tower to the top. As he opened the door to the top floor, where a collection of boxes were set up and a stand, he spotted Alina standing next to Dedric, both of them digging through the boxes. At the stand, Eideard and Senan were setting up another firework. "I wasn't aware that you were in charge of fireworks."

"Call it an experiment of ours," Eideard said, frowning at Derik's intrusive manner. He blinked, noticing the girl next to him. "Ah...?"

"Derik, I'm glad you made it," Alina chirped from the boxes. "Hurry, close the door! We don't want any smoke getting down there." Derik closed the door behind him and as Alina approached him, she also took note of his companion. "Oh! I remember you telling me you had someone that you wanted us to meet when I wrote to you about the festival." Senan had turned slightly to watch the three interact, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes, this is her," Derik said, turning his gaze to the female.

"Hello, nice to meet you," the girl said, bowing. She had a darker skin tone, more akin to Dedric's, and her hair was a dark chocolate colour. "My name is Hanna. I'm a sorceress from Hoshäi. I've been helping Luvena in Kraion with integrating the arts back into the kingdom."

"She is also, ah...my fiancée," Derik added somewhat awkwardly.

"Fiancée?" Dedric repeated, sounding mildly surprised.

"Yeah," Hanna answered in a slightly defensive tone. "Do you have something to say about it?"

"Uh – " Dedric sounded taken aback, so Alina hastily intervened.

"I'm happy for both of you," she said, smiling warmly at Hanna, who instantly relaxed. "I already know that you two will do great together." She looked from Hanna to Derik, her smile widening slightly. He gave a small smile in return, as though relieved that she had interrupted Dedric's not-so-tactical response. "Come! Enjoy the fireworks. The view is wonderful from here."

She poured them some tea that had been warming over a small collection of stones that Eideard had been keeping warm and then she returned to where Senan was standing. Derik held Hanna's hand in hers as she blew on her tea. The two of them watched as Eideard released another firework into the air and then Derik turned his gaze to where Alina and Senan were standing. Senan was watching him and their eyes met briefly before, with a slight tilt of his mouth, the sorcerer turned away. Senan pulled Alina a bit closer to his side and she rested her head against his shoulder. Derik smiled at the subtle affectionate gesture and then turned his gaze to watch the glowing yellow sparks float in the sky.

On the ground, there was a collective cheer from the people as the glistening sparks exploded, one by one, into shimmering bright blue strings of light.