Rania had been watching Alastair’s house all morning while Haemon was out trying to collect rumors and information from the people in the village, something that neither of them expected to be helpful given Alastair’s secretive movements lately. Perched up in a tree where she could watch the manor and the pathway safely, she was a bit bored and also rather thoughtful. Neither she nor Haemon were certain what was going to happen once they returned the crystal to Alastair. Rania, for her part, felt compelled to interrogate Alastair and try to get more information on the mineral forces. She knew, somewhere in the back of her memory, that she was aware of them, but every time she tried to recall the information to mind, it seemed to flitter away tauntingly. There was also the issue about the portal, too.

I never thought to ask mother, because it seemed unimportant, but I wonder if it is possible for those of a different race to use elven magic? The thought sent a chill through her. Rania knew that, if that were true, it was Alastair and his brother who had obtained such information, but even so, it was troubling. While she had never been able to maintain a handle on her emotions, as part of her elven heritage, she was sure that to teach others their magic outside of their race was not only unheard of, but forbidden. In fact, Rania was rather certain that allowing humans to see her perform magic was not allowed, too. But there is no way for them to obtain those types of powers without the Calling Jewels... Once again, Rania was unsure. While she knew about her own powers and how they worked, she had no way of understanding how it would work in a human’s hand.

The more she considered on it, the more uneasy she felt. Dismissing it from her mind for the time being, she forced her thoughts to calm. She had never been good at meditation, something that her father had encouraged, but it was enough to allow her to return to the task at hand and focus. She watched the manor diligently for some hours before there was a stirring below her and a familiar whistle. She shifted so her legs were hanging over the branch, whistling a tune back and looking down. A few moments passed and Haemon appeared below her. “Anything yet?” he asked her, his hands on his narrow hips.

“No, not yet.” She slipped off the branch and right before hitting the ground, she paused, drifting and then dropping onto her feet. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I am feeling a bit restless. What reason could they have for taking so long to return?” Both of them were dressed in simple attire in order to blend in as commoners and less like warriors. Rania was dressed in a dark green, velvet tunic vest, black breeches, and a white undershirt, politely refusing a dress when the merchant had tried to offer her something more feminine. Haemon, for his part, was wearing a black doublet with silver designs and matching, black breeches. His reddish hair, rare in the northern areas, was covered with a leather cap to prevent the villagers from questioning them.

“It’s been three days since we got here...it shouldn’t be too long. How long do they usually stay at Keystun?”

“This was the first time I had tracked them there,” she said with a shake of her head, “so I am not sure. It is possible that the king is preventing them from leaving. He wanted all of his lords close by and was calling them to Keystun but I had the impression that Alastair had no intention of staying there.”

“And if they don’t come back?”

“We will need to go to Keystun, I suppose, but that leads to all other types of issues. I have no way of getting you through the forest to save us time. It would be a longer trek.”

“I’m not going near that damn place on foot,” Haemon instantly told her in a defensive tone. Rania smiled knowingly.

“I assure you, I would not ask that of you. It has become too dangerous to travel there on foot. Because of that, perhaps they have taken the longer route towards the south.” She rubbed her neck, gazing thoughtfully towards the manor. She didn’t catch Haemon’s glance at her neck and was startled when he took her wrist, pausing her movements. Unaccustomed to anyone touching her, she jumped a bit and looking round at him. “What is it?”

He raised an eyebrow at her reaction, saying, “Nothing.” He patted her hand and then released her. “Go get some rest, you’ve already done your watch. If Alastair doesn’t show up soon, we’ll figure something else out – although I will have to check in with Azael, if that’s the case.”

“Of course. I will head back to the inn for now. Stay safe.” He gave a careless wave at her as she started away from the trees at the base of the Tilusian Mountains. Rania was somewhat embarrassed at her reaction. There was so much that she still did not understand about human life, even after having been assimilating herself into their world. Although Rania understood her emotions well, having recognized them as they were, she had yet to fully grasp the way that humans expressed them, especially to others. Rania’s only close contact had been Kethren and while he was able to keep a human mask on, he reverted to the elven ways of things when speaking with her. Touching people was a common enough thing for humans, but Rania did not understand what gesture or thing should be done, awkward in many of her mannerisms that she would observe in other humans.

Yet no one has questioned that I am a human, she thought as she traveled along the mountains before coming out into a meadow, far enough away from the manor to avoid suspicion. To me, I feel that I stick out like a bird would amongst wolves. It was hard for her to drop many of the formal habits that had been bred into her by her family, yet the longer she stayed in the human world, the more she found herself forgetting certain habits and becoming more at ease. While she was happy about that, she also wondered whether that was making her more careless. As she had yet to suffer during combat and had not aroused any of the human’s suspicions, she had no evidence to support that theory.

Pausing in the middle of the meadow, Rania tipped her head back to allow the sun’s rays to beat down on her skin, filling her with warmth. The beauty near the Tilusian Mountains was something that she could never get over. She had tried to spend most of her time in the north, collecting contracts, and finding herself lingering so near the trees that she had been raised loving gave her a sense of calm. While she was given the ability to feel freely, she found that she was more at peace with her instincts in the human world than she had ever been amongst her own people. It was amusing, in an ironic sort of way. Dropping her head down, she made to continue forward when she noticed someone approaching in the field. She froze, recognizing the figure and experienced a sudden bolt of fear in her stomach when she realized she was unarmed.

I’m not here to attack you, a sudden voice said in her mind, alarming her. Be at ease. In spite of the words, the fear did not dissipate, but rather than move into action, Rania remained standing, waiting for him to draw near enough to talk. Having watched the High Duke for so long, Rania knew Alastair’s face well. It was an aged, fair face and the curly black hair atop his head was speckled with white, a subtle hint at his age. His bright blue eyes, however, held a sense of youth and energy that belied his years. Even though Rania had expected Alastair to be prepared to attack in such lone conditions, he seemed almost resigned. “I sensed the crystal near here,” he said in his sturdy, strong voice, “and so I came to find you. Forgive me for not wanting to be caught off guard.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “But you don’t have it on you.”

“No, you are correct, but I have no reason to conceal it from you. I wish to return it.”

“I figured as much. A thief wouldn’t have stayed near where they had stolen it from if not for some ulterior motive.”

“Where is your duke?” she asked instead.

“He’s at his mansion, we just arrived.” He considered her seriously for a long minute, his eyes pausing at her scarf, staring intently at where her ears ought to have been. She began to feel her body tense, readying herself for flight. “An interesting way to keep from being noticed, elf,” he said casually, his eyes dropping down to meet her own that widened in shock. He smiled, an unpleasant and grim smile. “Only one other human could have gotten into that portal...your scarf only confirms what I believed to be true.”

“Was it – elven magic?” she murmured, unable to prevent herself from asking.

“No,” he said, “but I’m afraid we don’t have much time to discuss that. Where is the crystal? I expect you found out what it was and wanted nothing to do with it.”

“That is simplifying it, but yes.” She ushered for him to take a spot beside her. He flashed a small smile, but obliged her as they headed back into the trees, away from any prying eyes. “If I may ask, did Fynn notice his servant gone? I would like to be certain I am not tracked after this.” She sensed his eyes flicker to her in question, but Rania had collected herself enough to keep her face impassive, devoid of any information.

“You seem to know quite a bit,” he said after a pause. “I’m not sure who you’re referring to, but I can tell you that there will be men here to take that crystal very soon, which is why I will need to act quickly. It’s been in one spot for too long, so they were able to accurately locate it. I hadn’t anticipated the thief to stay in Jorlaan.”

“I had not expected you to take so long in returning.”

Neither of them spoke after that, Rania leading them swiftly to where she knew that Haemon would be. As they came near where he was hiding, she whistled out a tune and then stopped before there was a tentative reply. She waited before Haemon came slipping around a tree, a dubious expression on his face that cleared when he saw Alastair. “Ah! Where did you find him?” Haemon queried, a bright expression crossing his face.

Alastair frowned. “I’ve seen you somewhere before...”

“You’re mistaken,” Haemon dismissively told him, “I’m just a common hired hand. Maybe I pickpocketed you once?” Rania was impressed by Haemon’s composure and glib lying. She was not, however, altogether surprised. He was a bandit, after all. “Anyway, here to take your filthy crystal, I suppose?” He pulled it out of the pouch around his leather belt, holding it out. “Here, take it.” Alastair carefully removed the crystal from his outstretched hand, almost reverently.

“Good. Now, about this – ” Just as he raised a fist with the crystal in it, Rania had sprung in front of Haemon and threw up a barrier. Alastair’s spell hit against it, shattering it, throwing her and Haemon backwards and causing Alastair to stumble back in surprise. Rania rolled onto her knees and threw her hands out, but Alastair simply brushed a hand away, knocking her magic away. “You’re too weak for this fight - don’t bother.”

“And you are a liar! You said you would not attack,” she hissed. Haemon was disoriented, struggling to his feet unsteadily.

“Out in the meadow,” was his mild confirmation.

“We gave you the damn thing, what reason is there to kill us?” Haemon snarled, grasping Rania by the arm and hauling her to her feet. Even though he was clearly the one outmatched here, with no weapon or magical abilities to speak of, he had stepped forward so half his body covered Rania, blocking her from Alastair’s view.

Alastair seemed to be contemplating the question and then said, “Fine. Have it your way.” He lowered his hand, tucking the crystal within his robes. “I was trying to save you the trouble, but...it might do well to have someone of your kind around, girl. You know how mineral forces work...you know that this will only endanger yourself by remaining alive, while Fynn is out searching for this. This is but a forewarning...whoever has touched the crystal has been marked. Be careful from here on out.” He paused and then inclined his head. “And do yourself a favor and work on your skills.” He turned away from them and took a few steps before disappearing. Rania and Haemon stared at where he had been standing, stunned. Rania’s legs gave out from underneath her and she collapsed on the ground, feeling frustrated and stupid.

“Marked,” he said...does that mean that the crystal leaves a residue on those touching it? I cannot remember...I remember nothing about these mineral forces! For the first time in many years, she found tears building in her eyes from frustration at her memory and terror at nearly losing her life. Weakly, she brought herself to her feet and took in a deep, steadying breath.

“Are you alright?” Haemon’s voice cut through her thoughts and she felt his hand hover tentatively above her shoulder before he dropped it, unsure of whether to touch her or not.

“I am quite fine,” she mumbled, nodding jerkily. “Let us just...go back to the inn.”

Haemon surveyed Rania, frankly unnerved by her mood since their encounter with Alastair. Rather than going to bed as he had suggested, she wanted to drink. He was always one for drowning one’s sorrow in alcohol, but she had never seemed the type of person to do that and it only seemed to make her mood more depressed. Haemon had joked off his own brush with death, yet he had been far more shaken than he had shown her. It could have been because he saw that Rania was as upset as she had been, but Haemon found himself suppressing his own reaction to the day’s events. He ended up sitting with her at a table in the inn in companionable silence, watching the cheerful drunks roar with laughter and spirit. His end of the task was finished, but he wasn’t quite comfortable leaving Rania yet. He had never been much of one for understanding how to comfort women, let alone one like Rania. His experience with women had been limited in charming them and getting them closer for more intimate activities. It was usually after such activities had taken place that he ended up in complicated situations that ended with him getting yelled at or having something liquid thrown in his face. That, of course, was the average floozy, without any sentiments attached. He had never needed to learn to comfort the opposite sex, he supposed.

“So,” he spoke up, clearing his throat, “can I ask...what you’re upset about?” I’m going to get hit, he immediately thought, realizing the idiocy of the question.

Surprisingly, however, she answered, “I think I am disturbed by how accurate he was.” She looked down into her tankard, leaning her cheek against her shoulder in a tired gesture. “I am nowhere near strong enough to fight against him.”

“But you managed to fend off that first attack,” he pointed out, making her glance up at him doubtfully. “If not for that, we would both be dead. Once again, for a third time, you’ve managed to save my life. It’s getting to be a bit annoying. Isn’t it in hero stories that the man saves the damsel’s life? How did I get turned into a damsel in distress?” Reluctantly, she laughed at his foolish humor and eased some of the discomfort that Haemon had been feeling around her. “Listen, we should be grateful he let us go at all and took that damn crystal with him.” She nodded, but he could tell something else was occupying her thoughts. “What is it?” he asked.

“It is these mineral forces. I know that I have heard of them before, but I cannot seem to recall anything regarding them. My memory rarely fails me. If I had known that – ” She halted suddenly and her brow knitted. “Haemon...who else has touched the crystal?”

“Besides us? Azael. He was holding it when we met that sorcerer.”

She shook her head, straightening. “No, I never touched it. You have been handling it the entire time we have been in Jorlaan.” Her mouth pursed in concern. She seemed more transparent, more human to him, her features seemingly open to him. “This may be bad...what if someone has been sent to Azael already?”

“Do you think that would happen?” Haemon asked, alarmed.

“Alastair said as much and based upon some of those letters, I think it may be true.” She pushed her tankard away and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand, closing her eyes tight in thought. He could tell that she was debating with herself on whether to get involved again. In the same way that his involvement was technically finished, she had no reason to be concerned about the bandit den or Azael and, unlike Haemon, she did not owe him anything. Some thought that crossed her mind, however, seemed to make her sigh and open her eyes. “We should go check on him.”

He hesitated a moment, but when she made to stand up, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back into her seat. She cast him a confused glance. “This isn’t your problem,” he told her quietly. “You don’t need to get involved more than you have. You didn’t bring this on us – we did. It was our fault for taking on this fool client, thinking it was something normal...and my fault for bringing that crystal back when I should have left it as soon as I got a bad feeling when I saw it.”

“I want to help,” she said instead, meeting his gaze steadily.

“Why?”

The question caught her off guard and she blinked, appearing puzzled as to how to answer at first. “Because there are some things I can do that you cannot. Even if it is not much, I want to help. I am already involved in this. I was the one that killed Fynn’s servant and now Alastair knows me, too.”

Haemon did not feel as though she were being entirely honest and was somewhat suspicion of her motives. He reminded himself, however, that she had saved him on three different occasions and if she had some other reason for wanting to come with him, he could at least be certain that it was not for any malicious reason. Years of being a bandit made his instinctive response to be nay, yet he relented and nodded to her. “Alright, but we need to get going now. I have this bad feeling in my gut and I don’t like the idea of Azael in danger.”

“That is quite touching,” she said feelingly as they rose to their feet. “You two must be close.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” he hastened to say, raising a hand to her. “He’s my closest friend and for a long time, he was the only person I could trust in this world.”

“That makes it all the more important that we hurry.”

They were quick to pack up and changed into their armor quickly. When they went to the stables for the inn guests, Haemon recalled that Rania hadn’t used a horse to get to the base and had politely declined riding with him, asking for the mare. One of the newer recruits had picked up the mare that night, so only Haemon’s horse was in the stables. “We don’t have time to find another horse,” he told her as he led the beast from the stables, “so you’ll need to ride with me.”

He saw her eye the horse and then look at him. He recalled her jolt when he had touched her in the forest and wondered whether she was unaccustomed to physical contacts with others or if it was just men. As a bandit, he had witnessed more than a few horrors from less moral men of his kind and while Rania did not seem the type to be taken advantage of, it made him uneasy at the thought that she might have endured something akin to that. Even so, as she swung up to the horse and he followed her, he was aware of how tense she was in front of him, yet also aware that she was very much feminine in all the correct places. It irked him that his mind could switch from one subject to the next so quickly. He had never truly considered her all that feminine as she was a warrior and unlike most of the barmaids and women he had chance to enjoy his time with, he had respected Rania as a fellow warrior rather than a potential bed mate. He rather liked that uncomplicated nature of their relationship.

While he wanted to reassure her of his good intentions and encourage her to relax, he knew it would come out all wrong as it translated from his mind to his mouth, so instead he eased the horse into a gallop down the street. As soon as they were out and away from Jorlaan, Haemon was more comfortable and apparently remaining mute had been the correct action, as the tension had escaped Rania’s body and she was lost in her own thoughts as they rode hard. She had summoned that familiar orb of light that she had in the Yarvuul Woods, as there was no moonlight that night. Even though it was not all that far from Jorlaan, it felt as if the ride would take an eternity.

Something disastrous had occurred. Rania could smell blood and smoke on the air as they drew close to the base. She could feel Haemon pushing the horse harder and knew that he could smell it, too. After hearing the way that Haemon had spoken of Azael, she was dreading arriving there, knowing that it could only be his friend whose life would have been in danger. She vanished the orb of light and they dismounted some feet away from the stables, hearing voices on the air. They ran forward, ready for battle, but when they arrived at the front of the stables, there were only three people outside and where the stables should have been was a pile of smoking rubble. She could see smoke plumes escaping from beneath where the base had been. While Haemon hurtled towards the three men, one of them kneeling on the ground, Rania glanced at them and then slipped inside the base, wrinkling her nose against the smoke. She summoned the light again and then sucked in a mouthful of smoke from gasping at what little she saw on the stairs. Rather than blood, there was darkness seeping up from the stone. Black magic has been cast here, she thought. She did not dare descend any further, returning to the surface and joining Haemon.

“We did what we could,” one of the men was whispering to him, “but that wound isn’t normal, Haemon...”

Rania passed them to where Azael was kneeling on the ground, gasping and having trouble breathing.

He is dying..., she realized.

When he saw her, he clamped his mouth shut, glaring. “I don’t want your help,” he stubbornly said. Rania simply looked at him pityingly.

“I am not so sure I could help you,” she whispered softly. He stared at her for a moment and then released a bitter laugh, turning away. She slowly lowered herself so that she was kneeling beside him. “Let me see the wound.” He cast her an annoyed glance, but did as asked, removing his hand from his side where an ugly, large gash overtook most of his side. She stared at it, surprised he had managed to only take that much. It was amateur black magic, that she was certain of, but still tainted.

“Can you help him?” She looked up at the familiar face. It was one of the men that had been with Haemon in the forest.

“It is possible, but...” She hesitated, glancing at Azael. His face was set in a grim, determined expression. “Forgive me, but may we have a moment alone?” The man appeared surprised at the request, raising his eyebrows, but nodded and left them to join Haemon and the other man. “Azael,” she said in a quiet voice, “I can help you, but this wound...it will prevent you from doing most things, even when I have finished. You would still feel it and – ”

“I know,” he interrupted between gritted teeth and he rolled over, collapsing on his back, panting at the effort it took. “I knew as soon as it hit me that I was doomed. Fuck my luck...I brought it on myself.” He looked so bitter and angry that she felt true sorrow at seeing him suffer. She clasped her hands, pressing them against her lips to prevent herself from apologizing. His gaze met hers as he lay there, covering his wound with his hand. “Haemon will be next...Do you take promises from dead men?” His smile was brief and unpleasant.

“What would you ask of me?”

“Keep him safe.” She opened her mouth to tell him that she did not have that power and then closed her mouth, smiling instead.

“Alright, I will,” she murmured. Azael’s angry expression transformed to one of relief and he released a long sigh, dropping his head back and closing his eyes. She glanced behind her to see that Haemon was watching them with an unreadable expression. When Azael laid his head back, a pained look swept through his eyes before he turned away. There was no point in him coming to see Azael for a last word, she realized. As she moved her hand to his, she knew that he had already passed on. She removed her hand and stood up, staring down at his still form. She was accustomed to death, being a hired mercenary, but this had been an undeserved one. He may have been a bandit and a harsh one, but she had sensed the good in him. His heart had been in the right place and even whilst dying, he had been concerned for his friend above himself. It was difficult to see such death.

Turning away, she moved towards the rubble where Haemon was standing with his back to her. “He has passed away,” she told him in a low voice.

“You couldn’t help him?”

Rania heard the tone of accusation in his voice and calmly replied, “He did not want the help I could offer. It would have led him to have a disabled life. I am sure you know him better than I and can sympathize.” Haemon looked at her, frowning, but seemed to accept her answer willingly.

“Cayden, Ryker, help me bury him,” he said instead to the two men. In spite of their blood-splattered clothes and smoky faces from the fire, they nodded and the three of them reverently lifted Azael’s body, leaving Rania to stand by herself next to the rubble. She took a few steps from the ruins and sat down, wrapping her arms around her legs. She was unable to quite put a word for how she was feeling, but she supposed empathetic was accurate enough. Haemon’s entire world had come crashing down around him because of that crystal. She was a little envious that he at least knew the reason for the loss of his home, while Rania still did not know why her village had been abruptly attacked and destroyed.

After a few hours, she stood up and stepped to where she had seen them disappear and found Haemon standing alone at the freshly dug grave. Her eyes swept the area, but the other two were not present. Slowly, she approached him and then stood a few feet behind him. “Ryker and Cayden went to see if they could find where the horses had run off to, if they’re anywhere nearby,” Haemon said, not looking at her. “It seems that we had a traitor in our group...One of our members, Ezra, set the place on fire and killed most of our other members. Ryker and Cayden had just managed to drag Azael out after she had attacked him. She didn’t finish the job because they showed up and she got scared off and went running. They didn’t follow her because of the black magic, so they just concentrated on getting him out.”

“I wish that there had been more that I could do. If I was more skilled, perhaps I could have saved him,” Rania said feelingly. He turned around and eyed her.

“You offered him what you could and for that, I’m grateful. But now...” He shook his head, releasing a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what to do. Ryker and Cayden are the only ones alive and we all agree that we want to get rid of Ezra. While revenge is a good motivator, we’ve lost everything and have no way to know where to start. I can’t say that this is all of Ezra’s fault, because it’s not...it’s that damn crystal’s fault, but there’s no way we can destroy it or get rid of Fynn. What else is there to do?”

Rania could feel his eyes on her, asking for her input, yet she knew that she was hardly the right person to ask for advice. Her mind was going in several different directions. Like Haemon, she felt cheated because of the crystal’s interference in her life and unlike in the stories about heroes, the villain hadn’t explained anything to them in an ending monologue. In fact, Alastair had been incredibly vague and had disappeared as quickly as he had come. And even then, Alastair was not their only villain. Wherever Haemon decided to go, however, she knew that she must be nearby if she intended to keep her promise to Azael.

“I have a few ideas,” she said slowly, “but I need time to think on them before I offer them as a solution. Also, since those other two will be with us, I would like their input.” He nodded his agreement. After a hesitant moment, she stepped up next to him and patted his back awkwardly. He turned to look at her, raising his eyebrows.

“Really?”

“I...am not good at this.”

“I can tell.”

“Did it help?”

“Not in the way that you wanted it to, no,” he admitted, but was smiling in dry amusement.

They both fell silent, lost in their respective thoughts until Ryker and Cayden returned, having fond one of the horses, which was skittish and frightened out of its wits. Rania considered the two men, lingering on Cayden for a bit longer. She hadn’t forgotten Deon the blacksmith and his request. She knew that if they went to Keystun, they would have a safe place to stay with Deon, but that was only if Cayden agreed to go see his uncle again. It also meant that they would be closer to Fynn, which would put them in more danger. One of the other options that Rania was considering was dangerous and relied on her own personal desires on the subject, so she did not plan on mentioning it to the men. Trying to pursue Alastair was another option, but she had no way of doing that until she was stronger or at least more adept at defending herself.

“Where should we go now?” Ryker asked. “I have friends in the south that we can stay with and we can pick up clients, do some small thieving to get some money. It might be safer for the moment, too.”

“And what about Ezra?” Cayden spoke up. “Do we just let her go?”

“Of course not! I just...I don’t know if now is a good time...” He trailed off, glancing at Haemon, who caught the meaning plainly.

“Look,” Haemon said, raising his hands in some irritation, “I’m not a child, alright? Azael and I both knew when we got into this business that there was the possibility of death. I don’t want you to treat me any differently than before. Right now, our prime focus is on finding Ezra, but even I know that we don’t have the tools necessary to defeat her. And I don’t know that Rania has the abilities right now to face her, either.” Rania gave a tight little smile as a reply, thankful for his honesty.

“So then we’re back to the question of where we should go...”

“I need to go to Keystun,” Rania told them, startling them all into looking at her. “I have a contact there and he might be able to help me be able to...improve...my abilities. But, more importantly, there is the possibility of a safe house there while we are in Keystun – but that is up to Cayden and if he chooses to follow us.”

Cayden cast her a blank stare. “The thieves there aren’t loyal, they won’t give us a place to stay.”

“I was not talking about the thieves. I am referring to Deon, the blacksmith.”

There was a long pause in which she and Cayden stared at each other, neither of them blinking. Both Haemon and Ryker appeared baffled as to who she was talking about, a subtle sign that she had released previously unknown information. “Did he pay you to look for me?” he asked at last.

“No,” she said truthfully. “He asked me to look and I said that if I came up with any news, I would let him know.”

“Why can’t we stay with your contact?”

“Because they are staying at an inn, so it would be inconvenient. At least at Deon’s, it will be away from prying eyes and ears and we can trust him.” Cayden’s face gave away very little about what he felt for his uncle, but she saw him flick a look towards Azael’s fresh grave, as though asking the dead for help. At last, he shrugged his consent. “Are you agreeing to this?”

“It’s a small sacrifice compared to the one that Azael made.”

Rania, relieved, looked to a mystified Haemon, who had been unable to follow the conversation. “We should leave as soon as possible.”