Isabella finally regained consciousness, opened her eyes.

It took her longer than it should have to remember where she was and why. She got to her feet slowly, with effort, leaning against the tree at her back.

By the time she finished she was breathing heavily.

There was no sign of her students. Of course there wasn't. Christina hadn't knocked her unconscious, hadn't gotten that far, only to lie still and quiet, obeying. Isabella gasped. Her whole body ached. That girl had slammed her against the tree so hard....

If she'd gotten out of hand, she could easily have killed her. Accidentally. But still it wouldn't have been strange at all.

The last thing she had seen before she lost consciousness had been that girl's face. An inhuman mask, with a rage just as natural, that is, it seemed carved into her face.

With her legs trembling and her chest rising and falling to the rhythm of a gasping breath, Isabella stood for a while staring at the light on the other side of the stairs in silence. Her head was spinning.

She came to the conclusion that she could not afford to go in there, in search of her students, even though their safety was her responsibility.

Isabella was a very powerful and skilled mage.

It wasn't her pride talking, that was the truth, plain and simple. That was why she had come so far. That was why she was the right hand of one of the most powerful people in the kingdom, and worked in the most prestigious academy.

She had given free rein to her strength on the day of the attack.

Bringing the forest to life, turning everything into a living nightmare for the invaders. Yet that was precisely the reason she couldn't go down.

Down there there was only cold, steel, wires and electricity. In other words, she would be as helpless as a normal person. All citizens of Albion, without exception, possessed the ability to use magic, but not all were trained. Only those who received training could legitimately call themselves mages.

Being a mage was one of the cornerstones of her identity. Beyond the fact that it would be useless and would only get her killed, even if she got one of those barbaric weapons along the way, even if she stooped to using something like that, even beyond the fact that it was the most sensible and rational decision....

What was holding her back was that idea.

It was a problem she had to deal with every day, so she should be well used to it by now. But no.

Losing that part of her, not feeling connected to the nature around her, was suffocating. Completely unbearable.

For that very reason she could never live in a city.

And that's why she didn't want to risk dying with that emptiness inside her. She couldn't think of anything more horrible.

Feeling that she was betraying herself, her values as a person and as a teacher, Isabella turned her back on her students anyway.

If she dies, if any of them die, I won't be able to live with myself, she thought.

Still, she had to report this to Jacob and the others. Regardless of what the impetus for her decision was, that was the right decision.

Or at least that was what she told herself.

They put the three of them together in the back of a truck. Of course, they didn't stop to provide Christina with medical care, to make sure she survived the trip. And to fulfill the spirit of the unspoken agreement between them.

Even if Laura had ordered a doctor to check her out, he would not have allowed them to lay a finger on her.

Not even to come within ten yards of her, or Amy, for that matter.

He had to admit that.

Still, he didn't like the shape of things to come. Christina was bad and it was getting worse with each passing second. Additionally, the constant rattling of the vehicle wasn't helping at all.

Like him, Christina was clearly in no condition to fight. She just didn't have the slightest chance of getting better.

Fight? What was he talking about?

They would have to help her even flee, if the opportunity presented itself. Even if she managed to cling to her consciousness, she would soon be too weak to even help, having lost too much blood.

This was not a fight they could win. Even escaping seemed like a fanciful idea.

When they arrived at their uncertain destination, when they met their savior, he would have to put everything in her hands once more. It was the only thing he could do, at least for the moment. For them and for himself.

After what seemed like hours, the engine died, the truck stopped.

Despite the circumstances, what he felt when the soldiers came in to drag them out, threatening them with their guns, was excitement at the thought of seeing her again in person. It would not be the same at all as their last two conversations, although it gave the impression of being really like that.

They were dragged among their own, behind Laura.

Who was watching, who had stepped out of the shadows. She was as beautiful as he remembered. No, even more so. And she hadn't aged a day. It had to be true, that she was immortal.

Her savior's breathing seemed to be in harmony with the gentle breeze flowing through the branches of the trees.

The moonlight dancing along with the darkness on her clothes, on her skin, seemed to be a spotlight made just for her.

She was different.

As she had thought, everything was different. He could barely breathe in her presence. He was overcome by the strength of her presence. And he could see those same emotions on the faces of the enemies around him.

"Nice to meet you," Laura said. But all there was in her voice was false bravado, an attempt to gather strength for the inevitable fight at the last moment, because until a moment ago she hadn't realized that she needed more than she already had. That she wasn't ready, not really.

Anyone could figure that out. And they did.

Just as clearly as he had seen her feelings reflected in the faces of her enemies, he saw the morale of the squads drop.

They all knew who she was and why she was the target of their undertaking. But this was the first time they were all in her presence.

This was them beginning to understand what they had signed up for. What it really meant.

"Nice to meet you. I should have done this a lot sooner," her savior said, but not addressing Laura, of course. She was looking at him.

Could she save him again?