"You're going nowhere!" shouted one of the knights standing with his sword at Melinda’s throat. "Put your hands behind you and shut up."

I stepped back from the sword coming at my face, then another weapon came up on my right, knocking the blade away. A knight to the left of the man that tried to strike me raised a crossbow, aiming it at my heart. A fourth knight, behind me on the left, kept her attention on the portal until it faded.

The light bearer who defended me, a girl I didn’t recognize, shouted, “Stop! It’s Silvon and the enlightened one.” She lowered her sword as the other knights backed off. “It appears that the witch speaks truth.”

The portal melted away behind me and the light bearers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

I handed Lila over to the light bearers, then turned toward the girl who just saved my face. “Has Lumia returned yet?”

I wasn’t sure why I asked, I knew the answer already. I couldn’t say her exact location, but I knew a general direction, and that she was quite far away—probably still fighting with Borin by the state of her emotions.

The knight shook her head, confirming what I already knew.

It had been hours since her fight began. After such a long battle, Lumia must be getting tired. I thought, ‘maybe I should have opened the way to Naori’s meadow instead’

A knight slapped me on the back saying, “I really thought you were dead, but you pulled off a miracle.”

What he meant as a congratulatory gesture caused both my back and chest to ache along the cuts Kinzla gave me.

Melinda fell to a knee as the light bearers detaining her lowered their weapons. She was covered in blood and pressing a hand to her thigh, where Kinzla’s had struck. I realized in that moment that we would have only been a liability, not a help to Lumia.

The retreating light bearers would pass back through the meadow and perhaps some of the elites could help end the fight.

“So the witch told the truth, that doesn’t change what she is.” One of the knights roared. He stepped threateningly towards Melinda, his hand tight around his blade.

I moved between them. “If it weren’t for her, Lila would still be a prisoner. I only managed to save her with Melinda’s help.”

Looking away he clicked his tongue.

“Let’s go Melinda, our welcome here is short and we best not overstay.” I said, feeling somewhat guilty for having brought her here in the first place.

She nodded and the light bearers moved aside to let us out of the church.

We had a lot to do before Lumia returned. We needed medical care, food, Melinda needed something that wasn’t ripped and covered in blood to wear, and we needed a place to rest.

I stored the black armor as we left the church, but I didn’t put on a clean shirt until after seeing a healer.

With everything else, I could only afford a room with one bed so Melinda and I had to share. I would have asked Nanae but she was Lumia’s friend and I didn’t want to impose, especially not with an extra guest.

We decided to take turns sleeping during the night. Seeing as she seemed more exhausted than me, I allowed Melinda the first rest. While she slept I thought back over everything that had happened since I came to Aeros. The first six months I had hope of a normal life here. I was worried that my uncle might reappear, but I never suspected things would get this bad.

Remembering Vale’s warning, I wondered if I should’ve listened to him. I was scared then, but he seemed to be trying to help me…but then he was the cause of everything going wrong now; it could have just been that he feigned innocence to try and approach me.

Then again, the cursed mages called him the vessel and Liriel, Sizal implied that name was important. Maybe Vale was possessed and maybe he knew it was going to happen…

My head was starting to hurt and I was just thinking in circles. If I wanted any definitive answers, I’d have to ask Melinda in the morning.

When it was my turn to sleep I woke her. Moving from the bed, she sat in the window, letting her legs dangle over the street below. I laid down and closed my eyes. My mind was still raving with questions and concern for Lumia; I didn’t expect to sleep, but I drifted off easily.

My dreams started out as peaceful, reflections of a simpler time when I was training before the proving. Images of Lumia filled my mind. Memories of flying above the clouds with her; I relived countless escapades, evading our guards and sitters. These were some of the best times of my life. Then I saw Lumia dancing through a field. My heart sank seeing that she was dancing with someone else…

Something soft rubbed against my leg, then a hand dropped on my face and I woke with a dull ache in my chest. The thought of Lumia with anyone besides me was painful. It was only a dream, I knew that, but it still hurt. I sat up, pushing aside Melinda’s arm.

Melinda was in bed next to me, her face pressed gently against my back until I sat up.

A strong breeze blew in from the window she left open, nearly blowing the covers off me. I got up to close the shutters, but stopped when I saw a figure standing just to the right of the frame. Her red eyes bored through me like sharp knives.

“Why is it that when we part, I always return to find you in bed with some other woman?” Lumia groused, uncrossing her arms as she stepped closer to me. Her pained expression, illuminated by the moon’s violet light, was like a sucker punch to my gut.

I swallowed deeply realizing no explanation would make things better. My hands trembled slightly as I struggled to speak. "You're angry…" I finally stammered out, but stopped short, unsure what to say next.

"Angry?" Lumia laughed bitterly. “I’m not angry, Silv; I’m hurt.” Her emotional dam broke. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

At that moment everything she’d been bottling up and hiding from me broke free. I felt all of her fear, anger, and sorrow.

There were no words that would calm her. Even if there were, I wasn’t sure it would be right to say them. Taking a step forward I pulled her into a hug. She resisted at first, but as I started to let go, Lumia wrapped her arms tightly around me. The embrace was bittersweet and way too short.

A soft knock at the door caught me by surprise. "…prince Silvon." Someone whispered from the hallway.

Hesitantly, I pulled away from Lumia and walked to the door. Opening it revealed a dwarf in a dark blue dress. She wore a hood concealing her face, same as Zidg—maybe it was just a dwarf thing? “Sammy,” she sobbed as she charged forward and buried her face in my stomach.

I recognized her voice. The girl was no dwarf, it was Mirina.

“Mimi, are you alone? Where’s mom?”

I checked down the hall for Silvia, but seeing no one, I pulled her inside and shut the door.

Her tears soaked through the fabric of my shirt, wetting my stomach. I wiped her eyes as she answered, "Momma didn’t believe me when I said I saw you." She sniffled, but otherwise stopped crying. “Is daddy with you?” She asked.

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“No, Mimi…” I shook my head as I tried to decide whether to tell her what happened. “He, uhm…he went to some place where he can always watch over us.”

Mirina wiped her nose on my sleeve and nodded. "Okay," she replied quietly. Looking beyond me, she mumbled a, “Hello.”

Lumia was standing beside me, a sympathetic grin on her face. “Hi, Mirina, it’s nice to see you.” She said, pushing back her own emotions.

Mirina smiled. “You too, Lumi.”

There was an awkward silence as we all stood there staring at each other.

“Where’s mom,” I asked again.

Mirina opened her mouth, but before she answered, Melinda yawned and called, “Silvy, don’t be a stick, come back to bed.”

Lumia frowned.

“Who is she?” Mimi asked, looking between us at Melinda.

“Yea, Silvon, why don’t you tell us who she is?” Lumia said with a subtle harshness in her tone.

“She’s uh—”

“—I’m Melinda. Silvon charmed me into helping him with a daring rescue, and now I’ve become his devoted slave.”

“That’s not what happened!” I said immediately.

Neither Lumia nor Mirina looked pleased. It was clear they didn’t believe me.

“Your slave?” Mirina asked appalled, “That’s not right Sam!”

Lumia didn’t speak, but her eyes said everything for her.

“I swear, I didn’t charm her or anything like that, and she isn’t my slave.” I looked at Melinda, pleading for her to help clean up the mess she made, but she only giggled and laid back down.

"Sam, why do you need a slave?" Mimi asked uncertainly.

Convincing Mitina could wait. I needed Lumia to know I was telling the truth. "Look, I know this looks bad."

“It doesn’t just look bad, Silv. It is bad” Lumia said.

I retold the events as they happened, leaving out certain details that Mirina didn’t need to hear. After I was finished Lumia and Mirina finally relaxed a bit, although Lumia was definitely still upset.

Mirina started yawning every few minutes and I knew she must be getting tired so I offered, “Mimi, Let’s get you back to mom. We’ll talk more over breakfast.”

Mirina nodded.

Grabbing my sister’s hand, Lumia said, “Why don’t you stay with your new friend; I’ll take your sister back to Lady Silvia.” Then she led Mirina to the door. Lumia looked over her shoulder and shot me an angry glare before she pushed Mirina into the hall and shut the door.

“What’s up with the dragon girl?” Melinda asked after they left. “She have a thing for you or something?”

“Sort of, it’s not just a crush though. We’re bonded and I think I love her too, but I haven’t figured it out yet.”

Melinda pursed her lips and made a face like she’d swallowed something sour. After a moment she relaxed her face and sighed. “Just don’t forget the favor you owe me, okay.” She laid back on the bed. “I can deal with being second, but a man who doesn’t keep his word is the worst kind.”

“Wait, I never—”

Melinda’s eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips tuned down. There was a disturbance in the ambient mana like the little ripples before a spell was cast, whatever she was doing, I knew it would hurt.

“—you wanted me to get stronger, right—more daring?”

She smiled. “We can start there, but after that…” her voice trailed off as she mumbled something to herself.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I said, “You can go back to sleep if you want; I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

I felt Melinda crawling across the mattress, then her breath on my neck as she whispered in my ear. “I can help if you want me to.” Then she licked my ear.

A shiver went down my spine as Melinda lightly kissed my neck.

Thinking of Lumia, I said “No!” Then stood and went to the window.

----------------------------------------

Neither I nor Melinda sleapt, but she didn’t tease me anymore either. Lumia never returned, so when the sun came up I used our bond to locate her. She wasn’t far, just in a room on the other side of the inn.

I knocked on the door.

Bursting with energy, Mirina opened it.

“Saaaaaaaaaammm! See mom, I told you it was really him!” She screamed as she pulled me inside.

Silvia, just finishing with a braid, smiled and rushed to hug me. Neither of us spoke, we just stood there embraced with tears in our eyes. Until Mirina’s visit, I had told myself I would never see either of them again. I didn’t think about whether they died, but refused to hold out hope for their survival because I didn’t think I could handle the loss later if it turned out they had.

Even after Mirina came to my room, part of me was hesitant to believe Silvia was alive. I needed to see her for myself.

Then there was the guilt I felt knowing that Vorlin was gone. That he died trying to protect my mother and me while his family was off fending for themselves. Knowing Mirina, Silvia probably already had an idea about what happened, but she deserved to hear the full story.

After introducing Melinda to my adoptive mother, we all went to a nearby tavern for breakfast. I told Silvia about everything that had happened since the proving while Lumia entertained my little sister.

Melinda listened to my tale as well, probably wanting to know more about me. Once I was done I pulled out Vorlin’s sword to show Silvia.

“There’s a spirit trapped in here, but I think I know a way to get him out. Once I do, I’ll give this back to you.” I said, holding the blade in my hand.

Silvia smiled and shook her head. “He would want you to have it. You should keep it Sam.”

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and I nodded a thank you.

Having finished my story, Silvia told me about how she and Mirina escaped Faerelle and made it to Sunder. When the invasion began, Vorlin raced to the palace to protect the Queen, but Silvia took Mirina and ten mages into the city. They gathered as many elves as would come with them and they retreated to a secret oasis. When dark magic spread through the land they left the forest and came here.

Everything south of the northern forest was considered Seraphina, the human kingdom ruled by Darious Tessiam. He was responsible for the invasion of Avantia that killed Queen Naori before I was born. Understandably, the elves were hesitant to settle among humans. Despite being in the region, Sunder and The Peaks of Illumination weren’t under the human king's rule, but that still didn’t make the area safe for elves.

After arriving in Sunder, Silvia had been trying to organize a force of mages with the hope of retaking our homeland. She didn’t have much success. There were less than fifty capable mages among the people she managed to evacuate; the rest of them were too old or too young to fight. Even among those who could be of use, almost none were properly trained. Not only that, but after hearing tales and seeing the cursed mages attack the city with a dragon, it became clear they stood no chance of success.

For the time being most of them were camping in the plains on the other side of the mountains while Silvia and a few others tried to figure out a new plan. I wasn’t sure how I missed a whole camp of elves when Lumia and I returned from Selvaris, but I didn’t have much time to think about it.

“Silv,” Melinda called, a frown forming on her face. “I asked before, but I’ll ask again; how are you going to keep that dragon girl safe? I hope we didn’t rescue her just to give her right back.”

At that moment someone burst through the tavern door. Silvia, Melinda and I snapped our attention towards the commotion.

The room went silent except for the sounds of a waitress dropping a stack of plates, the noise of a cook banging his head on some hanging pots and the gasps of diners startled at the aggressive intrusion.

Three light bearers strode into the tavern and looked between tables as if searching for someone. Soon, their attention landed on us. “You are Silvon?” One of the men asked, as he approached. Glancing over Melinda, he added, “And she must be the witch.”

Melinda stretched her arms behind her head, arching her back as she leaned back in her chair. Her tight dress made it impossible not to notice her curves, which seemed to be exactly what she wanted. With that simple movement, she stole everyone’s attention.

I was getting used to her teasing and kept my focus on the light bearers, but then men were beguiled. I was certain Melinda noticed their leering as she leaned further, over her seat back, until it looked as if her breasts would pop out the top of her low cut dress. Then she settled back into her seat and leaned forward placing her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. “Look at your faces,” she began. “If your hearts are as impure as your minds, then I’d say you’re no better than me.”

With no pretense of shame, the lead knight banged a fist to his chest. “I’m a sworn light bearer of Illudrasile! I won’t be tainted or tempted by your tricks, witch.”

The other two knights followed the gesture but stayed quiet.

Melinda nodded along with a smirk. “You keep playing the part and one day it just might be true; for now, how about a small reward?” With a wink, Melinda collectively blew the knights a kiss.

The leader grunted, turning his nose up, but one of the men behind him caught the kiss and smiled big at Melinda.

“If you’re done playing games, get up, and come with us.” The leader demanded, gesturing with his arm for us to follow him.