As they stood in Broken’s apartment, with the window open, and the door shut, Broken asked, “What do you think happened to Claw-Back?”

The truth was, what had happened to the owl had been a nagging question in the back of Mai’s head all day. The last she had seen of Claw-Back, the owl had been in their old carriage, a carriage that Hiro had promised his driver would take care of.

And, as there had been no reports of a frightened driver, and a Great Black Owl on the loose, Mai had to wonder what happened to Claw-Back. She was sure Broken knew. “What happened to the bird?” Mai asked.

“See for yourself,” said Broken.

And at that very moment, though the window, Claw-Back flew into the room, making a perfect landing on one of the golden bedposts.

Claw-Back hooted indignantly.

“She wants to say that when I was in my room before, she found me,” said Broken. “She was rather annoyed that she had to tell me of the Nari, even after she went through all the effort of writing what she had to say down.”

“Sorry,” said Mai sheepishly, to both the owl and the man. In the course of all the other exciting events, she had decided she had been going to tell Broken at the end of the day.

“No real harm done,” said Broken, “as nothing happened in the interim.”

Claw-Back hooted again.

“She says that she found a nice place to nest on the roof,” said Broken, “and if we don’t mind, she wants to be getting back to it.”

“I don’t mind,” said Mai.

With that, the owl stretched her wings, and flew out the window. Shortly thereafter, Broken promptly closed it.

“How can a bird that size get around the Palace?” said Mai. “How did she get out of the carriage unseen? Don’t people notice?”

“Great Black Owls have a special talent for only being found when they wish to be,” said Broken. He paused, and his face darkened. “But now, of the Nari.”

“What do you think it wanted from us?” asked Mai.

“I don’t know.”

That was the first time Mai had heard Broken utter those words.

“You have absolutely no idea?” she asked him.

“I have ideas,” said Broken, indignantly. “It is hard to keep from thinking. I just don’t know which idea is correct, if any of them are.”

“How did Claw-Back know what was following us was a Nari?” asked Mai.

“Nari have an…aura, for lack of a better term, that tends to disturb wildlife,” said Broken. “Claw-Back, being intelligent, was able to determine what the odd feelings she had meant. That much I know.”

“So tell me your ideas,” said Mai. She was quite worried. “Why do you think a Nari might wish to follow us?”

“One idea is the strongest,” said Broken. “However, it requires a bit of explanation. Back at the Holy Citadel, you saw me talking to a Nari. What we talked about was private, and, at least for the time being, will remain so, but I will say this much: the Nari seemed benevolent. However, directly afterwards, Eton, and the golems appeared, and began to wreck destruction. As soon as the Nari left, this happened, and not a moment before. Now I am not one to jump to conclusions, but…” He left Mai finish his sentence.

“But you think that the Nari are trying to kill us,” said Mai.

“Indeed,” said Broken. In front of his chest, he touched the points of his fingers together. “I am afraid I must leave you on that note to go to sleep on. I have nothing more to say. Goodnight.” He yawned. “I am tired tonight.”

“Goodnight, Broken.”

Mai left the room. Before reaching her own, she came to the door of Ishad’s room, and stopped. Before she could get any rest, she had to see how he was.

Mai slowly opened the door, then gently closed it behind her. Ishad’s room was more or less exactly like Mai’s, and Broken’s. A flickering lantern provided dim light for the room. All the attendants had left. However, for some reason, the tub was still filled with water.

Around Ishad’s bed, white silk drapes had been drawn. Mai pushed past them. Within, Ishad lay under the covers of his bed. His face looked quite pale.

Mai sat down on the bed, and Ishad’s eyes slowly opened.

“Are you alright?” Mai asked.

“I’m… fine.”

“Forgive me for saying,” said Mai, “but you don’t look it.”

“It’s okay. I know I don’t look good.”

Mai smiled at him. As it seemed to be an effort for Ishad to smile back, Mai felt pained.

“Do you want me to go?” she asked.

“No,” said Ishad.

Mai lay down, over the covers of the bed, and put her arms around him. “I’ll only stay for a few more minutes,” she told him. “Only a few more minutes.”

As Mai lay there, with Ishad in her arms, her words did not prevent her from falling fast asleep.

“Why did you not listen?” asked the Nari.

As before, Mai knew she was dreaming. That fact was made all the more obvious as, all around both her and the Nari was whiteness. Whiteness that they stood on, whiteness that surrounded them. A blank slate.

Mai didn’t answer the Nari’s question. Instead, she asked, “Are you real?”

“What is reality?” asked the Nari. It hissed laughter. “In your mind, this world exists, and I and you within it.”

“But outside of this dream?” Mai asked. “I know I am real. Are you?”

“I am more real than you were, are, or ever will be,” said the Nari. “You already know my race exists. I, like you, do indeed have a body outside this dream.”

“How did you get in here?” asked Mai. “How did you break into my dream?”

“I did not break into your dream,” said Nari. “To do so would put me at the whims of your unconscious imagination.” The Nari, for a moment, spread its arms wide. “This dream, I created.”

Mai suddenly felt short of breath, as all the whiteness turned to blackness. “What…what are you doing?” she asked.

“I did not begin this dream to explain myself,” said the Nari. “I began this dream to explain something else to you.”

“What?” asked Mai.

“You did not stay away from Asan Paril,” said the Nari. “You did not hide in a farm. I, and my race, have a duty to protect life, but we have no duty to protect those who have ignored two warnings.”

“What is your name?” Mai asked, on a sudden whim.

“Slytherayaim,” said the Nari. It gave a mocking bow. “And now, we are truly done with the pleasantries.”

“What are you going to do to me?” asked Mai.

“Remember the last dream you had, that I directed?” said the Nari.

Sudden images flashed unbidden through Mai’s mind, of Ishad and Broken working together to force Mai’s head underwater.

“That would never happen,” she said confidently.

“Are you sure?” the Nari hissed.

Quite suddenly, Mai became unsure. In a world where snakes could talk to you though your dreams, couldn’t anything happen? But Mai pushed that seditious thought away.

“Don’t try to fight,” said the Nari. “That will only make things all the more painful.”

“I know everything there is to know about you, my dear,” said the Nari, in a way that reminded Mai of Eton. “I know your darkest secrets.”

Images flashed though Mai’s head again, images of her, and her father, and what her father had done to her.

“I know your deepest fears,” said the Nari.

More images flashed through Mai’s mind, images of graveyards, of tombstones. Of one with Mai’s name on it.

“Odd, truly, that one who professes to be devoutly religious is so afraid of death,” said the Nari. “If you really believed, you would not be so frightened to go on to Elysium. But the truth is, people are hardly linear. And now, your worst fear will be realized,” said the Nari. “Enjoy.”

And suddenly, Mai was awake. As she jerked up into a sitting position, her heart was beating so loudly she thought the entire Palace would hear.

Slowly, she began to calm herself. She looked over at Ishad. Her awakening had jerked her arms away from him, but he still seemed to be asleep.

As she looked down on him, she saw it was the middle of the night, and the only light was still the dim lantern that the attendants had left.

Mai forced herself to breathe steadily. In the dream, the Nari may well have been real, but before, his threats had always been empty.

But he said those two other times were my warnings, thought Mai. The Nari said something would happen now.

Ishad rustled, and sat up. “Are you all right?” he asked Mai.

“Ishad, you still look sick,” said Mai, softly. “I’m sorry I woke you. I just had a bad dream, that’s all.” She smiled at him. “Do you forgive me?”

Ishad turned his head away from hers for a moment, moving to sit on the side of the bed, with his feet on the ground, and staring at the floor. “It’s not your fault,” he said.

A shiver coursed through Ishad’s spine.

“You really should get some rest,” said Mai, putting a hand of his back. “I’ll go back to my room.”

Ishad slowly got up to stand in front of Mai, and lifted his sunken head. Ishad’s eyes gleamed bright yellow, and Mai knew that there was something terribly horribly wrong.

On all four limbs, Mai slowly crawled backwards until she was pressed against one of the bedposts. “Ishad?” she asked slowly, questioningly.

Ishad chuckled, in his own rich voice, and the yellow faded from his eyes. They returned to their normal brown.

“Why are you frightened, Mai?” he asked her. “Do you fear me? Do you fear your lover?” Even as he spoke, his back straightened, and all signs of his exhaustion faded from his form. He looked more alive now, more alive than he had been. He seemed taller, stronger, more mysterious. In a pair of words, he seemed more like Broken.

“What’s happening?” Mai asked him. “Why did your eyes gleam yellow?”

Ishad didn’t answer. “Remember your second dream, Mai?” he said. “Remember how I am to betray you? Well, guess what?” He smiled. “That dream is made real.”

“Why…” Mai whispered. “What…”

“How can you face me and say that?” asked Ishad. “After all you’ve hid. You confide in Broken, you keep his secrets from me. All I’ve ever shown you is love and devotion, Mai. You did as much as spit in my face.”

“How did you find out?”

“I have my ways,” said Ishad. “However, you do not need to hear them.”

“Why?”

Ishad laughed, again. “Don’t you remember your dream, Mai? I’m going to kill you.”

Mai screamed as Ishad grabbed her, and pulled her from the drawn bed curtains. Ishad held Mai close, and turned her to face him.

Mai stopped screaming as Ishad released her. Her cheeks were red.

“No one’s going to save you,” said Ishad. “People heard the screaming, of course, but no one’s going to reach you in time.”

“Why are you doing this?” Mai asked again.

Before she could react, Ishad grabbed her once more, pulled her body tight to his, and briefly kissed her, before Mai pulled her face away.

“Because I must,” said Ishad. “This must happen. This has been foreseen.”

Mai struggled against him, but Ishad had suddenly become stronger now, stronger than he had ever been before. Her efforts were wasted.

“Don’t resist, Mai,” said Ishad. Again, he let her go, and stepped back a pace.

Mai didn’t move.

“This is all your fault,” said Ishad. “The least you can do is accept your fate. This is all your fault. Come with me.”

Ishad took Mai’s hand. She shivered, but did nothing else.

Ishad then began to walk Mai in the direction of the water-filled tub, and she felt compelled to not resist.

In front of the tub, Ishad grasped Mai’s shoulders, and gently pushed her to her knees. His right hand then grasped a fistful of Mai’s long, black hair, and his left pressed against the back of your neck, and grasped hard.

Mai finally remembered that death was the last thing in the world she wanted. She struggled again, but Ishad’s grasp remained firm, and eventually, her struggles subsided. Mai’s arms hung limply at her sides.

“Any last words?” asked Ishad.

Mai’s head was pushed over the side of the tub, closer to the water. She took a deep, deep breath.

“I should have confided in you more,” said Mai. She was slowly crying, and each tear that fell made a ripple. “I’m sorry.”

“Good,” said Ishad. “Goodbye, my love.”

And he thrust her head into the water.

Mai held her breath at first, for a reason she could not understand. She was dead anyway. Why delay breathing in?

But there was no point to die sooner, rather than later. Death would be eternal. Life would not.

With her eyes open, Mai thought she saw a shadow in the pool, of another coming to stand behind Ishad. She wondered if it was Broken, coming to watch her die, and by failing to save her, performing his part in the betrayal.

Then Mai’s lungs could hold no more.

She took a breath.

Mai knew nothing of the process of drowning, but as her limbs flailed, involuntarily, and she wheezed for breath, only taking in more water, she realized she was not dead yet.

Her head and chest pounded in pain, but she was not dead yet. The darkness closed in, but she was not dead yet.

And then suddenly, Ishad let go, and strong arms ripped her out of the water.

Broken’s arms.

Mai took note of the room, ever so quickly. Ishad was on the ground, rolling from some sort of blow, and Broken had grasped her, and pulled her out from under.

But even with her head above water, Mai still couldn’t breathe. There was still water in her lungs. She was still drowning. She was still dying.

Had she been able, Mai would have wailed at the injustice of it all.

And then Broken slammed Mai, hard, against the closest available wall. As Mai hurled up swallowed water, again, and again, Ishad pulled Broken away from her.

Ishad grabbed Broken in a headlock, and elbowed him in the chest, so hard Broken’s mouth flew open.

Mai hurled out the final bit of water, then collapsed on her knees, too weak to do anything more than watch the battle before her unfold.

Broken still was in a headlock, but not for long. He was a little shorter than Ishad, but built much sturdier, and he used that to his advantage. Broken flipped Ishad over his head, and landed him hard on the tiled floor.

If Ishad had been in a normal state, that would have been the end of the battle. But now, Ishad was not done.

As Broken lapsed backwards, into a fighting stance, Ishad slowly got up. When he turned back to face Broken, his eyes were yellow again, and now, they showed no sign of reverting. His face was fixed into a dark glare.

Ishad placed himself in a fighting stance, much as Broken. And then Ishad charged.

Ishad threw a heavy punch, which Broken blocked easily, but a second punch penetrated Broken’s defenses, and doubled him over. Taking advantage, Ishad pummeled Broken again and again.

Then Ishad, finding strength Mai never knew he had, lifted Broken’s tired body up over his head, and slammed Broken down on the rim of the pool.

Broken collapsed upon the rim, smashing off the entire side of the tub, and flooding the tile floor with water.

Ishad stepped back, and brushed a fragment of broken tub off his hands.

Broken got up, with his back to Mai, but rather slowly, and when he turned around again, his eyes were yellow, like Ishad’s.

Broken and Ishad looked at each other, then focused on Mai.

“The rebellion was quite strong in you,” said Ishad, his yellow eyes gleaming.

“Do not worry,” said Broken. “I am on our side now.”

They both took a step forward, in unison.

And then Broken took a step back. Ishad turned to look, as Broken’s teeth gnashed, and his eyes flickered from yellow to gray, before returning to yellow again. “It is nothing,” said Broken, to an Ishad who looked concerned.

But then Broken took another step back. His eyes flickered back to gray, and stayed that way. Broken stood to his full height. “Things are merely more clear, now. Much, much more clear.”

Mai became ignored once more, as the yellow eyes of Ishad, and the gray eyes of Broken turned to stare at each other.

And the more frightening of the two colors was now the gray of Broken. He had within him determination. Determination so great it scared Mai.

“I should not have played along with this game for even a moment,” Broken said darkly. “I cannot stand by when Mai is at risk.”

Broken charged Ishad, even as Mai was finally able to get back to her feet. Ishad and Broken exchanged blows in an array of martial arts Mai would never have thought possible from Ishad.

Once more, Ishad gained the advantage, and pummeled Broken again, and again. But when Ishad was done, Broken still stood there, with a sort of sadistic smile on his face.

“You’re done,” said Broken.

Broken stepped forward, and grabbed Ishad in a blur of action. They tussled for a moment, together falling upon the bed, knocking down the white bed curtain, and breaking off one of the bedposts.

Mai, wanting to do something, anything, grasped a large piece of broken tub.

In the thick of the fighting, Broken gained the advantage over Ishad. He gave a solid punch to Ishad’s chest, then delivered blow, after blow, after blow.

Finally, Ishad gave out. His legs failed him, and he collapsed to the ground.

As Mai came over, with her piece of broken tub, Broken stood over Ishad.

They both, for a moment, watched as Ishad, now trembling, got to his feet, once more. His eyes now alternated between yellow and brown, flickering and flashing.

But his gaze was on Mai.

“You,” he said to Mai, through his fat lip, and with his face bleeding from numerous small gashes. “You,” he said to Mai again, even as his whole body trembled with the effort of keeping himself from falling back to the ground. “You will be dead,” said Ishad. He pointed a finger at her. “This is not over.”

As Mai faltered, Broken grabbed the piece of tub from Mai’s hands, and cracked it over Ishad’s head.

The piece of tub splintered, and Ishad fell to a limp heap on the water-covered floor. His eyes closed.

Broken looked darkly at his defeated opponent for a moment, but Ishad did not rise again.

Then Broken turned to Mai.

“Are you going to try to kill me now?” she asked him. Mai wasn’t sure if the sentence was sarcastic.

“Never, Mai,” said Broken. He had not shown any weakness during the fight, but now he began to breathe heavily. Broken was covered in water and blood, both his own, and Ishad’s.

Broken spoke again. “I would die before I let the same happen to you.”

The room, before so filled with clatter and noise, was now quiet.