While I waited for Seraphina, and with a pair of orcs standing in the tavern, I did the only smart thing I could think of. All we had to do was keep the relic hunter out of the tavern while Seraphina and I completed the ritual. My reasoning was, why not use the tools we have? Those tools being Urzan and Moktar.

"Guys. Have a seat. I'll make you a drink."

"Drink? Drink!" Urzan grinned, showing me his tusks.

"Yeah. I came up with something for my orc friends," I said and motioned toward my two sturdiest chairs. My ghost pals did not occupy them.

"I wish you would get these two louts out of here and talk to me!" Ophelia demanded.

I ignored her.

"Orc and Varix friend?"

"Duh. What else do you think we are?"

Urzan scratched his head. Moktar scratched his butt.

The two said something to each other in orcish, then shrugged, and took a seat at the bar. The stools creaked under their weight.

"This person in black. How far are they away?"

"Not far! Outside town! Maybe hour!

Phew. That gave me a little breathing room. I would have to run to her shop if Seraphina wasn’t here in the next fifteen minutes.

"You know, guys. Over the last few days, I've experimented with some things, and I think I've come up with a signature mixed drink for you. Want to try it?"

"Drink! What is mixed drink!"

"It's going to put some hair on your chest, is what it is. This is strong, buddy. Lots of alcohol."

Moktar and Urzan exchanged looks. Moktar exclaimed, "Alcohol good!"

"I know. Right? Now, hold on while I whip this up."

It was weird having an audience while I made their drink. Garin crossed his arms and sat back, eyes narrowing as he glared at the orcs. Ophelia kept trying to pepper me with questions. At one point, I pointed at my ring. She settled for a grumpy look and sat back, glaring at me.

Zyn just glared in general. He didn't have much to say, which was on brand for the former assassin.

I poured a healthy amount of Iron Forge Whiskey into a large shaker. Next up was a double shot of Dragonbreath Brandy for some extra fire. A dose of Moonbeam Mead was next up, but only to add a bit of sweetness. I dug out some peppercorns, put them in a bowl, and crushed them with the back of a spoon, fighting them not to jump out and scatter across the barstool. With that added, I poured a measure of Pixie's Giggle just for the hell of it, then went to the cooler and broke off some ice. Orcs were big, and they needed a big serving glass. I had several large glasses for serving beer. They came in handy for this monstrosity of a drink.

After pouring the liquor over the ice, I looked up and found Urzan and Moktar glued to my movements. I grinned, added a red hot pepper to each drink, and placed them in front of the orcs.

Urzan picked his up and turned it, looking at the mix in the light. The Iron Forge whiskey added little flecks, while the Pixie's Giggle sat lazily in the center, almost like oil in oil and vinegar.

Urzan sniffed and muttered, "Hmmm."

They both took healthy gulps, and crunched the hot peppers. Urzan drank a few more sips, and his eyes lit up.

"Good! Good drink!"

"Glad you like it. I call this one Head Ripper."

Urzan threw his head back and howled with laughter.

The orcs drained their glasses and slammed them down on the bar, grinning from ear to ear. "One more!" Urzan roared. "Head Ripper is best drink!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at their enthusiasm. "Coming right up, my friends." I set about making another batch of the potent concoction. I poured a little into a small glass for myself.

Urzan reached into his pouch as I poured the drinks, presumably to pay for the round. I held up my hand, shaking my head. "No need for that, Urzan. Consider this. Thanks for bringing me news of the figure in black. Also, you're a friend."

Urzan and Moktar exchanged surprised looks. "Varix friend of orc!"

"Lucky me."

Urzan nodded and raised his freshly filled glass. "Varix good human! Not look down on orc!"

"I believe in judging people by their actions, not their race," I said, raising my own glass in a toast. "To friendship and good drinks."

We clinked our glasses together. A knock sounded at the door as the orcs savored their second round of Head Rippers.

I hurried to the door and peered out cautiously. Relief washed over me when it turned out to be Seraphina.

"Come in," I said, ushering her inside. "I'm so glad you're here."

She stepped into the tavern, her staff with the Star of Luminas in one hand. Seraphina's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Urzan and Moktar sitting at the bar. "Oh, I didn't realize you had company," she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. These are my friends, Urzan and Moktar. I can't remember if you formerly met my orc pals."

Seraphina relaxed slightly and offered the orcs a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've seen you outside the tavern before. I'm Seraphina."

Urzan and Moktar nodded respectfully. "Hello!" Urzan rumbled. "Varix fond of pretty human-elf!"

Seraphina appeared to be fighting back a smile. "Seraphina is a dear friend," I said, trying to steer the conversation back to safer territory. "She's here to help me with a project."

Moktar leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Is project what human call bedding?"

This time, my eyes widened. Seraphina burst into laughter and looked at me. I shrugged to cover my embarrassment.

"We need to do some work, that's all. And we'd prefer that person in black who is looking for me not to interrupt us. Would you guys mind keeping an eye out front? Don't let anyone in until we're done."

"Yes. Orc guard while Varix and pretty human-elf work project." Urzan emphasized the last word. The only thing he didn't do was wink.

"Thanks, gents."

Urzan nodded, drained his drink, burped, and stood up. He stretched his legs and smacked Moktar's shoulder. They spoke quickly in Orcish, then headed for the door.

"Good luck with project!" Moktar called to us.

Urzan's imposing figure closed on me. He put his huge hand on my shoulder and patted me. "Yes! Good luck with project!"

"Thanks. We shouldn't be long."

"Maybe make project longer!"

Seraphina was still laughing when the two orcs left the building.

I moved to the door and locked it. Then, I walked to the rarely used front door, and made sure it was secured. Seraphina walked around the main room, looking at the walls, the floor, and the fireplace.

"You have accomplished so much."

"Sometimes it seems like I haven't done much at all."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She eyed the furniture piled in a corner. The mismatched mass needed attention. Frankly, it needed to be tossed and replaced, but that would take time.

"I'm focusing on the bar first," I said and waved my hand at the L-shaped top. "That's where the most money will come in. The more I make from drinks, the more I can sink into this place." I told Seraphina about the Head Ripper drink I'd developed for the orcs, and got a laugh. "Will that be on the menu?"

"Yes, but it should come with a disclaimer that will read, ‘developed, and tested on orcs’."

She giggled and said, "It will be your best seller."

"Will you stop flirting and tell us what is going on? I grow weary of being left in the dark."

"Give him time with his girl. She's a breath of fresh air in what was, until a moment ago, an orc-infested hive," Garin admonished Ophelia.

Zyn grunted and nodded.

"It was only two orcs, Garin; they're my friends."

Seraphina studied me.

"What?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you needed some help."

"Oh. I need help, alright." I grinned and pulled her into an embrace.

"Darling. Must you do that in front of me?"

I ignored Ophelia and focused on Seraphina.

After we'd held each other for a few moments, we kissed, and I asked her if she wanted a drink.

"God, yes. But I should do this first."

Seraphina removed her silencing stone, dragged one of the barstools an orc had just occupied out into the center of the room, and placed the stone on the seat. She closed her eyes and focused—the sense of being thrown into a vacuum closed in from all sides.

I glanced at the ghosts. The three of them seemed not to have noticed the change.

"Can you hear me okay?" I asked.

"Of course, darling. What a peculiar spell," Ophelia said as she studied the stone.

"Ophelia said your spell is peculiar."

Seraphina grinned. "I suppose it would be to her. It's not so much a spell as an enchantment."

"Fascinating. Now, darling, tell me what you have in mind."

"Be right back," I said.

I ran upstairs, dug under the bed, and located Morthisal's staff. Before grabbing it, I pulled a rag out and wrapped it around the handle. I knew I'd have to handle the staff, but I wanted to hold off for as long as possible. The way it called to me and the dead was unsettling, to say the least.

As I made my way back downstairs, the sight of the staff produced an interesting reaction from everyone in the room. Seraphina eyed it suspiciously. Garin crossed his arms and frowned. Zyn glanced at the staff and shook his head.

Ophelia, on the other hand, stood up and clapped her ghostly hands together, which made no sound but had a pronounced effect. She wanted this.

Seraphina joined me, and put her hand around my waist. She had her staff in one hand, with the Star of Luminas in her left hand. I held the staff with my right hand still wrapped in a rag.

"Lady Ophelia. I need your help."

"Oh, darling. These are the words I have been waiting to hear for far too long. Shall I whisper dark words for your dark deeds? Are you ready to embrace your other side?"

"No. I need your help with an enchantment Seraphina will place on my pendant. It will hide The Heart of Shadows from the relic hunters. You heard Urzan; even now, there is one looking for me. We must hide this fast, or I'll have to leave this place." I pulled Seraphina tightly against my side. "And I really don't want to. I like it here. I don't want to leave, and I especially don't want to leave Seraphina."

"You're so sweet," Seraphina whispered in my ear. "What did she say?"

I recapped Ophelia's words.

"How do you require my aid?" Ophelia asked.

"I will take off the pendant while Seraphina works out the spell. Please help me keep the—um—dead at bay while she does what she has to. They're strong when I hold the staff. It's like Big M is back in control. I'll also need some instructions on controlling the staff's power. Maybe. I hope not, but maybe."

I didn't mention that we worried she might try to control me.

"I'll do what I can, darling. If I'm to be stuck with you, I suppose this is as good a place as any to live."

"Thanks for understanding."

Seraphina stepped away from me. She removed a small gold gem from her pocket. The jewel swam with what looked like liquid blues and reds inside, like ink left to swirl around. The effect was mesmerizing.

"We have one shot. It's taken me the better part of a day to make this."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," I said and gulped.

Seraphina moved in front of me. She put her free hand on my shoulder and said, "We got this."

I leaned in, and we kissed gently; in the background, Ophelia gasped, but Garin lightly chuckled. I pulled away, eyes still closed, and marveled at my feelings for Seraphina. This had to work. It had to. I couldn't imagine leaving Everspring and never seeing her again.

I reached into my shirt and pulled out the pendant. The Heart of Shadows gleamed in the dim light of the tavern.

I lifted the necklace over my head and handed it to Seraphina. My skin tingled, my arms and legs elongated, and my limbs turned ashen as I changed into Dark Lord Morthisal.

Immediately, the voices began. They were faint at first, a distant whisper that tickled the edges of my consciousness. But with each passing second, they grew louder, more insistent. I gritted my teeth, fighting to maintain control.

Garin stood up, his ghostly form tense as he scanned the tavern. "Do you hear that?"

"All too loud," I rasped to Garin.

Seraphina was deep in her spell, but her eyes darted to me and wandered over my form. I should have grabbed a robe to cover myself.

Lady Ophelia stepped towards me, her eyes wide. "Darling," she breathed, "you look... magnificent."

I shot her a warning glance. "Not now, Ophelia. We need to focus."

Seraphina's voice cut through the growing clamor in my mind. "Varix, it's time. We need to begin."

I removed the rag from around the staff. The moment my bare skin touched the infused wood, the swirling powers built up around me, more powerful than ever before.

"Varix?" Seraphina turned to me.

"I'm okay," I gasped, though I was far from it. "Just... do it. Quickly."

Seraphina nodded. She held the Heart of Shadows in one hand, along with the strange gold stone she had brought. Her lips began to move, forming words in a language I didn't understand.

As Seraphina's chanting grew louder, the voices in my head became more frantic. They screamed and pleaded, promising power beyond my wildest dreams if I would just give in, let go, and become who I was meant to be.

I gripped the staff tighter.

Ophelia hovered nearby, her ghostly form flickering with agitation. "Darling, can you resist? Do you possess the willpower for it?"

"Take it," Seraphina said, holding out the amulet. The gold stone in her hand pulsed, its colors fading.

I took the pendant in my free hand.

"Ophelia. Please help me. Please show me the way to cover this. It's primed and ready."

Ophelia drifted close to me, her hand outstretched. She almost touched me, but held back.

"In this state, do you know what I could do?"

"We're both acutely aware that you could probably take control of me. I'm hoping you won't."

"Lady Ophelia Nightshade. I am aware of how great your powers were while you were alive. I know you possessed immense power. Showing us how to complete the spell is all that is required. Please, Lady. We need your help," Seraphina pleaded.

"Yes. The power. I will show you."

Ophelia reached for me. Before her hand could close on mine, Zyn darted in. His ethereal hand closed over my fist, holding the Heart of Shadows. His other hand closed over mine as it held the staff.

"No. She will not listen to reason. There is another way. I have grown bored with this world," Zyn said, his voice fading into a whisper, "I wish you a happy life."

"Zyn, no. Wait!" I shouted.

His shape flared with bright white light.

"I can see him!" Seraphina gasped.

Zyn's essence poured into the staff. I can think of no other way to describe it. The Heart of Shadows sucked it in through my body, a genuinely frightening feeling, like worms crawling under my skin. Then it passed, and the pendant stopped throbbing in my hand.

"No!" Lady Ophelia screamed.

As her hand reached for me, I backed away and pulled the necklace over my head.

For a moment, everything went silent. The voices in my head, Seraphina's chanting, and even the ambient sounds of the tavern–all vanished in an instant of blessed quiet.

My eyes snapped open as I looked for Zyn, but he was no longer there.

"Dammit," I muttered.

I looked down at my hands, relieved to see they were my own again – not the ashen gray of Morthisal's form. The voices in my head receded to a dull murmur, easily ignored. I dropped the staff, and it struck the floor with a resounding bang.

"Varix?" Seraphina leaned over and put her hand on the back of my neck. "Are you okay?"

"I am. You saw him?"

"Yes. Who was that?"

"That was Zyn. I think he sacrificed himself so Ophelia wouldn't be able to possess me."

"Possess is a very strong word, darling."

Before Seraphina could help me to my feet, something hit the tavern's side and rocked the building.

"What was that?" Seraphina looked up.

"It sounded like…no. That's not possible."

The door burst open, and a figure appeared. I scrambled to my feet as the individual stepped into the tavern. They were dressed in black, with a dark hood. Behind them, one of the orcs lay on the ground, which explained the thump against the side of the building.

"Nyria? What are you doing? The orcs were helping me!"

My mind raced as I frantically wondered if the spell had taken hold. Was the relic hunter still aware of the pendant? Was she somehow aware of the ritual we had just completed, and was here to put an end to me? Something wasn't right.

The relic hunter reached up and lowered her hood. My blood turned to ice.

My mouth dropped open in shock. It wasn't the relic hunter at all. It was much worse.

Standing in my tavern was one person I thought I'd never see again.

It was the dark sorceress who had trapped me in Morthisal's body.

"Thalindra!"