Sydney.

Iris and Luna’s conversation carried on for about half an hour before the girl decided to turn in for the night. Luna apologized to her again for not warning her, but the Water Sorceress shrugged it off, saying it was in the past now. All they could do was move forward.

After her adoptive sister went to bed, the elf had gone outside to let her mind calm down. They were being actively watched the whole time and hadn’t even thought of the possibility beforehand. So much for Elsie trying to create a twisted olive branch. It was more like a rose without the petals: thorny and menacing.

Being outside felt refreshing. The air was still warm, though a little humid. The sound of waves lapping against the rocks filled the air, and the Ice Sorceress felt as though she was somewhat connected with nature without needing to meditate. Not fully connected, but there was a faint feeling that she was becoming naturally interconnected with the natural parts of her surroundings, oddly enough.

Was such quick progression natural? The elf wasn’t so certain about that. When it came to spellcraft, her progress had been slow and steady over time. As for her essence, it felt as if she was progressing too quickly.

In just a week she’d gone from playing the part of Iris’ servant to doing the absolute basic training an elf did. So much was happening so quickly that when the others arrived within the next few days, she could only assume chaos would ensue.

Who was she kidding? Things were already chaotic, given what happened earlier in the evening. She shouldn’t have made the deal with Iris earlier in the day, she thought. But then again, neither of them would have known the house was bugged if Iris’ memories hadn’t been restored.

And why were their memories messed with in the first place? Did her parents have sinister designs for the two? Luna tried scouring her memories to see if that was the case, but there was so much that felt newly refreshed in her mind. It was more than a little overwhelming, and thus nothing came to mind.

Thinking about what Iris would do, Luna grimaced.

Her sister being forced to remember all of that wasn’t great. The Ice Evoker already felt uncomfortable with the memories she recovered, so she could only imagine what her sister was going through. The poor girl, she deserved better than that.

Then again, that’s just the way this world was. There was no changing what they couldn’t. They were just teenagers after all. Children who thought they could take on the world.

Perhaps it was good that they were slapped in the face with the memories of the past then. Being able to face this uncaring world with an unyielding resolve would undoubtedly benefit them in the future. If they could do that, then they could take down even the toughest of opponents.

The future, that was something that worried Luna. Would she be separated from Iris and her friends if Polaris offered her an apprenticeship?

Then what about Felicity? What would happen to her older adoptive sister, who was likely enduring her father’s abuse at this very moment? She couldn’t abandon her, that wasn’t something she could ever do. If it meant she’d never learn how to use the magic her species used, then so be it. She’d much rather know that Felicity was safe, than run off and leave Iris alone to try and figure out a way to save her.

She wouldn’t be abandoning just Iris and Felicity though. She’d be abandoning Eriza, Ren and Zoey as well. That was something she couldn’t accept either. They’d worked hard with hopes of going to Japan, but would likely have a better chance if the Ice Sorceress was there to support them, even if it was just cheering them on.

Even so, Iris had stated she’d always wanted Luna to have an elven instructor. If she turned Polaris down, the odds of finding another elf who was willing to be her Master were less than slim.

Would Polaris be willing to wait for her? Could the woman understand her childish sentimentality?

Thinking about such things wouldn’t do her any good. Especially given the fact that she knew so little about the bluette. There was so much mystery surrounding her that the longer the girl had to wait to see her, the more questions she had.

For now, she supposed, it was best to continue to practice manipulating her essence and following the woman’s training instructions. Eventually, she would have the answers to her questions. At least she hoped she would.

And when the time came, if she needed to, she would make hard decisions regarding her future.

For now, she was going to make the hard decision to abandon this estate. Staring out at Peach Tree Bay, the elf lamented that she wouldn’t be able to see such a delightful sight anymore. But it was for the best, and she could stand staying at Lilith’s again. She’d definitely miss the ability to be outside without someone realizing she was an elf unless she wore one of her enchanted cloaks.

The bluette sighed and walked down the steps of the deck toward the rocky beach. Tonight was probably going to be her last night here, and so she wanted to take full advantage of it. In the future, harnessing her essence was going to be more difficult, but she’d make due somehow.

Sitting out next to the rocks, Luna closed her eyes and focused her mind. She could sense the small amount of mana emitting from the nearby leyline permeating the area, though it was a significant distance away from her still.

Focusing her mind, she began to enter the trance-like state that was necessary for harnessing her essence. With her mind, she reached out to her natural surroundings, hoping that they would reach back to her.

The zen of the moment was peaceful and welcoming compared to the chaos of the past few hours. This delightfully welcoming feeling was something she definitely enjoyed.

“It seems your rehabilitation is going well,” a cheerful female voice with a light British accent mused.

Startled by the sudden voice of another, Luna jumped to her feet and scanned the yard for the source. Even though it sounded so close, she couldn’t immediately discern where it came from.

She hadn’t imagined it, had she? It was certainly possible that her mind had overreacted, especially given the discovery that the estate was being listened on and watched from afar.

“And quick to react too. I’ve waited a long time for this, Luna.”

Having been looking for the source of the voice, Luna quickly discerned the location of its owner. Standing to her right on a tree branch was a woman.

And an elf at that.

Unlike Polaris, this one looked like the elves from Britain she’d read about in textbooks: black hair, pointy ears and ageless beauty. The garments she wore were of a style utterly foreign to the girl.

Unlike the Evoker, who was now on edge give Polaris’ prior warning, the other elf seemed to be wholly entertained and enjoying the moment. She wasn’t letting it control her though. Instead, she was sizing Luna up. Whatever experience she had, Luna could easily tell it far outweighed her own.

Whoever this woman was, it was apparent she was on a completely different level than the teenage elf.

Acting rashly definitely wouldn’t work to the girl’s benefit. But not having her guard up would likely result in a much worse situation coming to fruition. So, for now she’d do just as Polaris told her: she wouldn’t trust the woman standing in front of her.

“Quite an odd time to visit. It’s near midnight,” the bluette coldly replied.

“Ah, how rude of me, I should have come during the day, but alas we elves never sleep, so what does it matter? Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ghilanna Annwn. I’ve been watching you from afar for quite some time, little one.”

Little one? It was as if this woman thought the girl was her child. Just who did she think she was, making such a bold statement?

But why did being called that infuriate her so much? It wasn’t like she felt Elsie was her mother anymore, not after everything the woman had put her and her sisters through.

“I’m Luna Aria, but you already knew that. So, Ghilanna, might I ask what suddenly brings you here to this humble backwater Frontier city?”

In response, the woman grinned and jumped down from the tree, landing with such ease that it looked completely unnatural. Instinctively, Luna began to prepare a battle strategy in case things went sideways.

“Well you see Luna, an elf as rare as yourself who is completely unattached to any enclaves and has awoken to her powers would be a source of constant conflict among many enclaves given the abilities your kind are capable of. I’ve come to offer you a place where you’ll be safe in the coming years. A place where you can thrive and become much more powerful than you ever would among these lesser… creatures.”

Safe? As far as she was concerned, Sydney was the safest place for her. Especially when her friends returned from the field trip to Russia. And though she was ambivalent on whether to trust Polaris or not, she did believe there was truth to her warning that she shouldn’t trust other elves. Ghilanna was not being exactly forthright with her it seemed.

That and she didn’t quite seem to understand who she was. If anyone had been watching her for a while, they’d know that she wasn’t the kind of person who could just simply leave everything behind. Something definitely wasn’t adding up here. And Polaris’ warning only came more and more to the front of her mind because of it.

Furthermore, she’d just insulted Iris and their friends. That was her first strike. Regardless of whom this woman was, insulting the Ice Evoker’s friends was not something she’d take lying down.

“I apologize, but whatever safety you may be offering, I have no interest. There are people here whose hands I’d be willing to put my life into. Furthermore, you think you can just come here and whisk me away? You certainly haven’t done your homework. And I dare you to call them lesser creatures again.”

The elf chuckled before walking to the rocky shore and looking out towards the bay, currently illuminated by the lights of the city. With her hand, she made a gesture for the younger elf to come and join her.

Reluctantly, the bluette did so but kept her guard up. It was better to be prepared to make a move than to be unprepared and caught flat-footed around this woman.

“Luna, you misunderstand. There are many in this world who would love to take you, willingly or not. Whether it be for your body or your talent doesn’t matter. Why stay amongst these filthy humans who may plot your death when you could be free, living under the safety of a World Tree?”

World Tree? What could that be? A tree that held a world, perhaps? Or at the very least had some sort of effect on the planet? But how could something like that end up protecting her?

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean. What do you mean by World Tree?”

The raven-haired woman looked at her pitifully, similar to how one would when they saw a neglected child or pet.

“You poor child. You don’t even have the slightest clue of the society you belong to, do you?”

The society she belonged to? As far as she was concerned, she was already in the one she belonged to, and had been since she was an infant.

“Well, I was raised by humans in a Frontier of all places. I didn’t even know there were elves here in Australia.”

“Oh, you misunderstand, dear. I’m not one of the pyromaniacs or the star lovers. I’m from Wales, in Britain.”

There was a big red flag. Ghillana was an elf from Britain, the very place that the bluette assumed would be most dangerous for her given her adopted parents were in the country. Now the raven-haired elf had gained another strike against her, and she only had one left.

“I see, so there are elves from all over the world?”

“Would you like to learn more?”

Luna figured this would probably be the best time to deceive the woman. While she did want to learn more, she couldn’t trust this woman as a source of information. For all she knew, the elf could have been lying to her from the start to have her way with her. And if she fed into those lies she could begin walking down a slippery path she couldn’t come back from. That outcome was wholly undesirable.

“I’m not certain I would. I rather like it here, and perhaps soon I’ll even find a Master to study under. That or I’ll be headed to Japan, where I’ll attend Kyoto University with my mates.”

The elf snorted and then held her hand out in front of her. Her expression was one of focus, her fingers dancing about the air as if she were working and molding it. Luna could have sworn she saw the woman whisper something but wasn’t entirely sure because of how dark it was.

To the Evoker’s shock, a flower began to grow in the woman’s hand. It was one she wasn’t familiar with, but the surprise of seeing it suddenly appear out of thin air was something she couldn’t quite get over. Whatever magic she’d just used was definitely more advanced than Western Spellcraft was.

“Wonderful, isn’t it? While I can tell you love your spellcraft for some silly reason, you must understand that in the long run it will only hold you back. Druidism, however, could help you make all of your dreams a possibility.”

“How so?”

“Think of it this way. Western Spellcraft has only been around for a century. I’ve been alive longer than that. Druidism, however, is a much more ancient, powerful magic that has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a magic that you’re much better suited to than what those mewling humans use. In fact, Western Spellcraft is based off our magic. Stolen by humans who wish to gain power.”

It seemed Ghilanna was just as xenophobic as the mages belonging to the Militant Faction, sadly. Luna could only hope all elves weren’t like this. Especially not Polaris, that would be a nightmare. She couldn’t trust someone who naturally distrusted her family and friends.

But Luna wasn’t interested in someone who seemed to think humanity was such a lowly race. If it wasn’t for the humans she lived with, who knows where she’d be? Her friends and adoptive sisters had cared about her and supported her, which had allowed her to get this far. And to her, the feeling was mutual.

“Perhaps so, but the humans I trust and put my faith in are loyal to and care about me. Why would I go with you, someone who quite literally waltzed up and said I should come with them? I don’t even know anything about you other than you’re an elf and your name. I do understand that Druidism has its advantages, but that just isn’t enough for me.”

“And how can you trust members of a species that wants to put your own into subservience? Do you honestly think that if you were in mortal danger your so-called ‘friends’ would risk their lives, perhaps even sacrifice themselves just to save you?”

“I do.”

That answer practically went without saying. Despite their initial differences, even Eriza and herself had become close enough that they’d be willing to take a fatal blow for the other.

Ghillana, however, did not seem to be amused by her answer. The woman’s friendly demeanor was rapidly changing from excitement to disappointment.

“You poor thing. How naïve must you be. I bet you haven’t ever stepped foot onto a real battlefield before.”

“I’ve been into a couple of Purple Zones before. I know what it’s like to walk into woods that are dark and deep if that’s what you mean.”

“But were you and your friends alone? Did you have someone guiding you the entire time? An elf your age would certainly be able to go to such a dangerous place on their own and come back in one piece.”

Getting across to the woman just didn’t seem to be working at all. She seemed adamant about dragging her off with her. At this rate, she’d be pushed back into a corner, and the Evoker had a feeling that if the other elf really wanted to, she could drag her off by force. Especially given the fact she was over a hundred years old. So if she was going to push back and fight, now was the time to do so.

The Ice Sorceress considered her options. If she yelled for help, would Iris wake up? The odds were she wouldn’t with how far away the house was. In fact, it might draw the attention of their neighbors, who were best left uninvolved in this whole situation.

So how could she catch this woman on the backfoot, to the point the she would have no choice but to go on the defense. If she could intimidate the woman enough, perhaps that would get her to back off.

The answer, she realized, had been given to her at the start of their conversation. The woman had said she’d been watching the younger elf for a long time. If that was the case, then surely she could have stepped in and whisked her away a while ago. Why all of a sudden appear now, especially after she after she’d just learned how to use her essence?

Wait a moment, by the way she’d mentioned rehabilitation, it could easily be assumed that she knew about the sudden developments and how she’d begun to gain an understanding of her essence. In that case, perhaps weaponizing the Polaris’ name by stating the woman was her mentor would be for the best?

“You know, the better question is why are you even here all of a sudden if you’ve been watching me for a long time? My mentor Polaris won’t exactly be happy with your sudden appearance here and your attempt to steal me away, you know.”

The raven-haired woman sighed and smiled softly. While her expression was now one of defeat, her resolve was still quietly burning within her by the tone of her voice.

“So I was right then, you are under her watch. Well, for now, I suppose I’ll grant you time to think about it your decision. I’ll return to ask you again if you’ll come with me. And I have a feeling that next time, you’ll be begging me to bring you along.”

Those last words sounded threatening. Undoubtedly the woman had another plan in the works in the event the younger elf was unwilling. Perhaps pushing her back with Polaris’ name was a bad idea, one that she would soon come to regret.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll understand what I mean soon enough, child. Though for now, I shall be going,” the elf said as she walked around the tree to the opposite side, just out of view thanks to the large trunk. “Oh, and your sisters are quite beautiful; it would be such a shame if something were to happen to one of them.”

Her sisters?

Suddenly, Luna realized the gravity behind the elf’s desire to have her. If she couldn’t convince Luna with words alone, she’d do something to her sisters. Those words alone were enough to cause Luna to want to restrain the woman and demand to know what she was planning. Immediately, the Sorceress dashed toward the tree.

“Wait, we’re not done here,” she called out as she made her way around the back.

But the raven-haired elf was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she’d just disappeared into thin air like she’d never even been there. So where did she go?

Immediately, Luna thought of Iris. This entire time she’d been talking to Ghillana while Iris had been asleep in her room. If she hadn’t come alone then Iris might be- no. That couldn’t be the case. It can’t be the situation she’d now found herself in.

Instantly, the elf bolted up the stairs leading to the deck and made her way inside of the house, sprinting as quietly as possible toward the stairwell. A bit too late, she thought, but perhaps she should have cast Flight beforehand to fly up to the second-story bedroom window. Well, at least it would save her some time now.

“Flight.”

She swiftly flew up to the second floor and down the hallway to Iris’ room. Stopping with just centimeters to spare, she quietly opened the door and peered inside.

To her relief, Iris was still inside and fast asleep. Taking in the sight of her younger sister sleeping, Luna exhaled in relief. As long as Iris was safe, that was all that mattered. It would take some time for the elf to return to Britain and attempt to kidnap one of her other adoptive siblings. But even that would be tricky.

The only way she would be able to get at Felicity was if she could make her way quietly into London, which she doubted would be feasible. As for Skylar, Luna was ambivalent. She’d probably be fine, considering the two hadn’t gotten along well in years. If Ghilanna knew the two weren’t close, which she probably did, she likely wouldn’t try to use her. That left Eden.

The thought of Eden being held hostage wasn't something she wanted to think of. While their oldest sister had basically abandoned them, the Ice Sorceress wouldn’t so easily do the same to her. Even though she wouldn’t readily admit it, she was still holding out hope that Eden hadn’t abandoned them and somehow they were kept out of contact due to another one of her adoptive parents’ plots.

But there was nothing she could do right now. There was no way to contact their sisters. And so she decided it would be best to keep an eye on Iris while she slept. Waking her up would do them no good. Iris always made rash decisions when she was tired or running on a lack of sleep. Plus, the girl had already had a rough night. To be woken up in the middle of it wasn’t fair to her.

In the meantime, Luna could devise a strategy to keep themselves safe until the time arrived when their friends returned. Whether Polaris’ friend would help to deter any future appearances remained to be seen, and for the moment all she could do was hope that would be the case.

It was around 4:50 when Iris began to stir. Throughout the night, Luna couldn’t keep her mind off of Ghilanna’s sudden appearance. Of all the nights she chose to appear, why tonight? She could have come any other night, but the night they realized the house was bugged she suddenly appeared.

There were two glaring possibilities: her adoptive parents were involved or this was pure coincidence. The former made much more sense than the latter. The thought of that made her more concerned about the safety of her sisters who were far away, especially Felicity. The girl could be in even greater danger than they’d previously thought.

But before some form of plan to counter this could be formed there was another issue that needed to be taken care of. Explaining to Iris what happened while she was asleep wasn’t going to be easy. She could tell her something had happened but would have to keep what it was quiet. They had no way of telling who was listening in on them. Perhaps there could be more than just Iris’ parents.

Peeking her head out from the sheets, Iris cracked her eyes open, then blinked as soon as realized the elf was sitting in front of her bedroom door.

“Lunaaaaaaaaa, why are you watching me sleeeeeeeep?”

The Ice Sorceress couldn’t help but chuckle in response. She’d missed hearing her Mist- sister’s whiny voice every morning.

“Good morning, sleepy-head. It’s a long story, but you know how you are when you wake up in the middle of the night.”

Iris puckered her lips and cutely pouted for a moment before yawning.

“Okay I see your point. But still, if it’s bad enough that you have to watch me sleep then it’s bad enough to wake me.”

“Iris, have you forgotten how impulsive you are when you’re running on little sleep?”

The Water Sorceress sighed and buried her head in her pillows. Then the girl proceeded to wiggle about and stretch her body out, grunting a little bit in the process.

“I’m guessing this is a delicate situation?”

Thankfully, this morning the girl was thinking straight. Not being a morning person, it often took her a couple of hours for her brain to start fully working.

Luna couldn’t blame her though. In fact, the elf, to a degree, wished she could sleep as much as her adoptive sister did. Being able to dream and feel well rested every day sounded lovely. Though, the circulation of her essence made her feel quite similar to having a full night’s rest.

“Also, we have to go back to Lilith’s. It’s definitely not safe here.”

The Abjurer frustratedly groaned into her pillow. Though her left hand was barely visible, Luna could see it had become white from how tight she was gripping it. If Iris had to take out her frustration on something, it was the best thing to do so with as it would return to its original state.

“Why can’t we have something nice for once? My parents are in London and they’re still managing to play games with us.”

Luna could easily understand the girl’s frustrations. Even she thought that perhaps there was a shred of the old Elsie left in her adoptive mother. But that sadly didn’t seem to be the case.

“Last night certainly was a wakeup call. It’s not just your parents we have to worry about.”

Iris continued to keep her head buried in the pillow for a few minutes, then instantly shot up and looked in her direction. It was if someone had just told her she’d won the lottery, and her winnings amounted to five dollars.

“Don’t tell me…” the girl trailed off.

“I should have heeded Polaris’ warning a little more than I did in the heat of the moment,” Luna said, keeping in mind that their conversation was being listened in on. “But this is something we shouldn’t be discussing here. I suggest we talk about what happened elsewhere. The walls have ears, after all.”

The Transmuter studied her for a moment before realizing what she meant. Although she was most definitely not a morning person, it seemed she was quickly catching on to what the elf was implying.

“Can I at least take a shower before we go?”

“Yeah, I’ve still gotta pack. I’ll shower at the dorms, though. We’ll discuss this on our way back.”

“Alright.”

With that, Luna left Iris to get ready while she headed to her own room to pack. The events of the previous night were still fresh in her mind, and she had to wonder if they’d ever be safe, even at Lilith’s. The question now was: how would they proceed against an elf who was over one hundred years old, and likely had the power to make their lives a nightmare.