If Jac had to describe the last few weeks with one word, she would call them interesting. It would be tempting to call them horrible but that would be an unfair summation that only applied to her time in the dungeons of the palace. She still had nightmares about being trapped in a cold, disgusting cell and of a man made of darkness holding her down while smoky fingers flowing through her ears to tickle her brain. She hated those dreams.

Distance from the capital had, thankfully, helped. She wasn’t willing to let the succubus she’d traveled with anywhere near her mind, knowing far too much and far too little about the elementals. She had allowed the creature to spoil her during their journey to Quest to see her cousin. Jac had no idea why Fen thought so highly of her, or more specifically thought so highly of Lou that the admiration spilled over into the creature’s treatment of her family, but Jac wouldn’t refuse a profoundly capable creature fawning over her.

It was almost shameful how much attention Fen showered her with, given that she paid no attention to her summoner. Every day, the succubus foraged and hunted to prepare delicious meals. Jac was given a bench to sleep on inside the carriage with most of the blankets and several pillows, ensuring she was comfortably warm despite the winter chill. Whenever possible, they stopped for her to bathe, Fen going as far as to heat the water and provide soaps.

Jac wasn’t a fan of traveling but the lavish attention was enough to make the journey enjoyable. For her. Junior didn’t enjoy the trip along the kingdom’s roads nearly as much. Their treatment couldn’t be more different.

He slept outside, shivering next to a fire until he eventually fell asleep. He was forced to drive the carriage while Jac and Fen conversed in the carriage. During meals, he had to wait until both women had eaten their fill before he was allowed the leftovers, often cooled by then.

The succubus treated Junior like a dog she barely tolerated, which flew in the face of everything Jac knew about the Grimoires and their relationships with their elementals. It was curious but Jac kept her questions to herself. The answers seemed like the kind of knowledge that could get her in trouble and the saints knew she had enough of that.

They said time flew when having a good time. The saying held true. Before Jac knew it, they arrived at Quest. She rode through the Myriad Zone with slack-jawed awe and ascended to the Grand Hall with a pounding heart. Both places certainly deserved their reputation. Riding through the Grand Market, with its many distinctive buildings with their full glass fronts and displays lit up by magical lights, Jac realized she had stepped into a very different world. She struggled to place her gloomy and sarcastic cousin amongst the fantastic sights, but Fen confidently directed Junior across the island to Lou’s supposed home.

That was another surprise. Jac had heard stories of the Grand Hall. The living situation of acolytes was no mystery. The young adults, or not-quite-adults, were made to live together in large buildings reminiscent of knight orders. Those with more gold could afford better accommodations, but they were all subjected to a single room in a dorm. Not the lavish estate Fen directed them to.

Incredibly, Lou’s home was no less fantastical than the Grand Market and the Myriad Zone. The amazing garden was lit by standing torches that gave off a rainbow-array of light, a stark contrast to the beastly shadows that seemed to jump and dash between the many hedges. The house itself glowed with the same light and cheerful music spilled from it, Jac’s fingers unconsciously tapping along with the rhythm.

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It was obvious they had come during some kind of celebration. At least, Jac hoped it was a celebration and not a regular state of affairs. It was far too extravagant. If she had wealth, she’d flaunt it too, but if the cost of maintaining the decorations was proportional to how good they looked, Lou would have to pour rivers of gold t them and that was downright wasteful.

Their carriage came to a stop before the doors. Fen stepped out and helped Jac down, taking her hand like a gentleman. Opposite of their elegant visage, Junior practically threw himself off the driver’s bench, grumbling as he massaged his backside. She felt for him, as spending hours sitting on hard wood with only the barest cushioning had to be an ordeal. Her attention quickly shifted away from her traveling companion’s bruised ass to the servant approaching them.

He was…an interesting character. Well-trained, given his excellent posture, his swift response, and his impeccable bow. He was well-groomed, with his dark purple jacket, the golden buttons polished to a shine, dark pants, and polished shoes but she hesitated to call him handsome. He was far too pale and the bags under his eyes were far too dark. And his eyes themselves. They were unnerving, two pools of ink devoid of any life or joy.

“You must be Nomad,” Fen greeted, unperturbed by the gloomy-looking man. “Jac, this is one of Lou’s servants. A very special servant.”

“Your many limbs shall not touch the untouchable.”

The succubus chuckled. “Give us time, pet.”

Jac looked between the two of them, but their expressions didn’t provide any insight into their conversation. She cleared her throat, drawing the dark gaze to herself. “Good to meet you.”

The servant stared at her long enough for her to feel uncomfortable before sighing deeply. “The fire cannot burn without the spark. Fear not the flames, for they can be conquered through the elements. But it is not fire, but the core of the world, burning eternal, the heat that can consume all things. Beware the spark, the unconscious end of what is known.”

“Um…”

“I will show you inside.”

Jac had reservations about following the questionably sane servant, but the confidence of Fen, the resignation of Junior, and the music lured her inside. The interior of the estate was just as grand as the exterior. A small crowd was gathered before a small stage at one side of the room, swaying to the slow music. She didn’t have the time to pick out many details before spotting her cousin weaving through the bodies, heading straight toward them.

A quick conversation and a suspicious drink later, she was standing in a bedroom she would kill someone for and feeling as if someone had poured liquid lightning in her stomach. She needed to move. To jump and dance and maybe sprint around the estate a couple of times. But before that, she needed a bath and a change of clothes.

Fen offered to join her. An offer Jac would normally never accept but she didn’t trust her ability to hold a brush or a cloth with her twitching fingers. She decided to revise her stance on succubi joining her in future baths after Fen washed her hair. Those slim fingers massaging her scalp were magic.

As Lou promised, there was something in her size lying around. Fen left the bathroom early, leaving her to dry off. By the time Jac re-entered the bedroom, several dresses, shirts, and pants were laid out on the bed. She was spoiled for choice.

Given there was a party going on downstairs, she went for a more ostentatious option. A cream-colored dress with a thin, white underskirt and a deep neckline that showed a bit of skin. Nothing scandalous but much more daring than her usual. A decision motivated both by her evolving definition of proper conduct for an ambitious young lady and because of the dress’ shorter sleeves. Parties tended to get hot.

By the time she returned downstairs, she was feeling rejuvenated. Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for her cousin, but Lou was nowhere to be found. That still left plenty to see. Her cousin knew an eclectic group of people. She couldn’t imagine any of them as serious magical scholars. Especially the group wearing far too much leather. She couldn’t look at them too long. Men had no right wearing pants that tight and looking at the exposed stomachs of the ladies felt inappropriate.

Her saving grace came in the form of a striking green elf, smiling faintly as she stepped into the room from a discreet hall. Jac was relieved to see a familiar face and hurried across the room, calling out to her, “Kierra!”