Seraphina hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me, she had dropped a damn nuke.

“You…you what?”

“I’m like you. I suspected it the day you entered my store. You said something peculiar. Do you remember?”

“No.” I was still at a loss for words.

“You said, ‘Take it easy.’ Then you started making all these recipes from Earth. Chili? Onion burgers? You stood out, Varix."

Feeling like the world was suddenly caving in, I pointed at the chair. “Can I sit down?”

“Sure. Take a few breaths. I’m guessing you haven't been here long. I've had more time to acclimate."

I pulled the chair out. It scraped across the floor. As I sat, I looked at Seraphina in a new light. She was like me? She was like me! Well, not exactly like me, unless she was some evil dark overlordess under that beautiful disguise.

“Seraphina,” I said and blew out a long breath. "Sarah." I shook my head. "How did I miss this? It's huge."

"Don't worry about it. Everything is new here, and how long have you been here?"

"About a month, give or take."

"It's a lot to take in. I was careful and tried very hard not to drop any hints. It was hard. I wanted to rip off my mask and yell: boo! The thing is, I also had to be sure about you. What if you were a serial killer back on Earth?"

"I'm not a serial killer," I said and laughed.

Seraphina's eyes narrowed slightly, and a half smile touched her lips. "That's exactly what a serial killer would say."

"You're probably right. The only thing I've ever killed was a few rabbits, but it was for a good cause. We were hungry."

"Oh god. I love rabbit stew."

"I'll make you a pot."

"I'd love that."

We stared at each other. My face suddenly felt hot.

Seraphina cleared her throat. “Can I ask for your real name, and how did you get here?"

I looked away and lightly shook my head. “Vince. Vincent Logan. I was a, uh, well, sort of a spreadsheet pusher, I guess is the best description. Oh, and I was always a wannabe chef. The way I got here was pretty baffling. I worked at the Columbia Tower in Seattle. I was in the middle of a meeting and getting laid off from my job, and I suddenly felt like I was having a heart attack. I think I passed out, but when I opened my eyes, I was here, lying in a pile of dead bodies in a mass grave, in someone else's body. I was so shocked when they pulled me out that I faked a head injury and told everyone I couldn't remember anything about my past. Luckily, they bought it since the war had just ended and there were a lot of injured."

I didn't mention anything about Morthisal, his fortress, his body, or how I had traveled with the Voyager Scrolls. I knew I couldn't keep this secret from her forever, but it simply wasn't time to pull the Scooby Doo mask off yet.

“Way to think on your feet.”

“I know, right? What about you? How did you get here?"

“It was five years ago. I think the woman who used to run this shop was playing with the wrong kind of spells, gems, or both, and accidentally pulled me into this world. It was so confusing, at first, especially finding myself in a non-human body. It took me quite a while to find my way. I wasn't in the middle of being laid off. But I definitely hated my job."

"That's amazing. What did you do back on good old Earth?"

"I was a junior accountant at a small law firm in Minnesota. I mostly handled billing. I also didn't care for my job. It paid the bills, and not much else."

“It was scary at first for me.”

“Same. I was terrified! I still am, on occasion. What if someone found out who and what I was? This is a peaceful world, except for the recent war. But there are people here who hold old superstitions. Claiming to be from another world might not go over well. So, I designed this as a safe place. I can seal it from all prying eyes. Being half-elf has occasionally been challenging."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Comes with the territory. Which is why you may have trouble with Lady Churl and your orc posse."

"Do you think there are others like us here?"

"I have no idea. Honestly, I never thought in a million years I would meet someone else from our world."

I smiled as she talked. I couldn’t help it. Seraphina with violet eyes, creamy white skin, and hair I wanted to run my hands through. Don't even get me started on her adorable ears.

Impulsively, I took her hand, stood, and embraced her. She put her hands around me. We held each other tightly, her head on my shoulder, my face buried in her hair. Cinnamon and vanilla. She shook against me. I leaned over, worried she was crying. She was laughing gently, so I joined her and laughed as well. Our situation was so absurd, so strange, and yet so wonderful.

“I invented chicken wings today. They were a hit.”

“You did not!” She laughed.

“They're good. Doan and Ragna thought they were amazing. Did I mention I have plans to open a food truck? I mean a food wagon,” I said, barely able to contain my mirth.

“A food wagon! Are you going to open a chain of food wagons?”

“That reminds me. Someone is cooking my stew a week’s trek from here... He’s selling it... I need to find him and start…” We were both laughing so hard that I could barely talk. “A… a… a franchise. And my first shop is managed by a goblin named Bleek!”

"Bleek's Food Wagon isn't exactly a place I'd seek out."

"He's a really nice and really greedy goblin."

Tears streamed down my face as Seraphina held onto me. She finally pulled away and put her hand on my chest, touching The Heart of Shadows.

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“Woah!” I jerked back and wiped the tears of laughter from my cheeks.

“Sorry. Vince…Varix. We should never use our real names. It's too easy to slip up."

“Agreed. On the bright side, I like your name. Seraphina. It feels like it suits you."

"Oh, stop."

"I'm serious."

She sniffed, then looked at my chest again.

“Tell me about that.” She pointed at the Heart of Shadows under my shirt. “I sensed it the day you came into my shop. Something hidden, and yet powerful. I don’t think I have ever been in the presence of such a powerful object."

Dammit! I wanted to be honest with Seraphina, but this was not the time to reveal who I was beneath my disguise. One step at a time. For all I knew, I'd remove the Heart of Darkness, and she would freak out and blast me with a gem.

“Listen, I can’t right now. Okay? I’m sorry, but there is one thing I can’t reveal to you. Yet. Not yet."

She studied my face.

“Please. I need this, okay?”

“Can I at least, um … see it? I can feel its power. Show me.”

I had to bite my tongue as I fought back a joke about the innuendo of showing her. She must have caught on, judging by the look on her face.

“You know what I mean.” She laughed.

“Dammit. I think this is a bad idea.”

"You're the only one who thinks that."

"What will you be able to learn if you see it?"

"Nothing. I just want to study the stone. Someone has placed a very powerful spell inside."

I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the buttons of my shirt. Seraphina's eyes were fixed on me, filled with curiosity and anticipation. With a deep breath, I slowly unbuttoned my shirt, revealing the Heart of Shadows.

Seraphina's reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened, and she leaned in closer, completely mesmerized by the stone. She stared at it, unblinking, for what felt like an eternity. I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as she studied every facet of the pendant.

Suddenly, she took a step toward me, her hand reaching out. Instinctively, I jerked back and quickly buttoned my shirt back up. Visions of Mira almost unmasking me flashed through my head. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice tight. "I can't..."

Seraphina blinked, coming out of her trance-like state. "No, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I shouldn't have... It's just, it's so fascinating. I've never seen anything like it." She took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. "Whatever secret that stone holds, Varix, I promise I won't tell anyone. You can trust me."

I nodded, grateful for her understanding but still feeling uneasy. My secret had nearly been exposed, and I needed time to think. "Thank you."

"I hope you'll allow me to study the stone someday, Varix. I have never seen its like. It is, well, old. Very old. I work with gems every day, enchanting and removing enchantments and occasionally curses, as you know. The thing you wear is powerful beyond anything I have come across."

"Is it?"

She nodded and smiled.

"I understand. I won't pry until you're ready to share. And if that time doesn't arrive, that's fine as well."

We stood there awkwardly for a moment; I guess neither of us were quite sure what to say. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, trying to find the right words.

Seraphina broke the silence first. "Everything's fine, Varix. Really. I'm just glad we could be honest with each other about where we're from. The rest can wait.”

"Okay," I said and stepped closer to her. "It can wait, and I'm sorry, again about being so weird with the pendant."

"I caught you off guard. I'll ask next time."

She stepped closer to me. Only about a foot separated us.

"Yeah."

I couldn't help it. I darted forward and quickly kissed her. She didn't push me away or smack me, so I had that going for me.

My feet caught as I stepped back in surprise. "Speaking of asking. I should have. That was impulsive."

"It was," Seraphina said, face suddenly flushed. "But not unwelcome."

I gulped.

"Want to go for a walk and look at the stars?" she asked. "Unless you need to get back."

I nodded. "I would like nothing better, and there's no reason to rush back to the tavern."

"I have one more question. You have some, shall we say, figures hanging around you. Are you aware of them?"

I held up my hand and showed her the cursed ring. "Yeah. So I was kind of a dumbass. I thought this ring was, I don't know, nice looking. It had a weird inner glow. It didn't look like it would fit, so I tried it on my finger. It was like it sensed my skin and closed around it."

Seraphina took my hand. She held it up and looked the ring over, turning my back and forth. Her lips parted, and she said something that disappeared as if it had been carried on the wind. But we were in a quiet room, which made it even stranger.

The ring tingled and burned.

Seraphina quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, clear stone. She muttered something else, which sounded like a different language than the first phrase. Clutching my hand tightly, she put the gem in it and, with both hands, tightened my fingers over it.

The burning increased, and just when I was about to pull away in pain, the ring suddenly loosened.

Seraphina let go. My hand opened involuntarily, and the stone fell from my grasp. It was now swirled through with black and gray. Seraphina snatched it from the air and held it in her open palm.

"What in the heck?" I stared.

"That thing is—or was—cursed. Just a safety note. Don't put on strange jewelry unless you know what it is first."

"Noted." I laughed in relief.

I removed the ring and suddenly felt a pang. Did that mean I would no longer be able to see Lady Ophelia, Garin, and Zyn? I had seen them before, very briefly, but it wasn't until the cursed ring was on my finger that they became my annoying companions. I wondered if it was related to the innate power in Morthisal. Was it growing weaker the longer I wore The Heart of Shadows?

"So the ring's power is gone?" I asked her.

"The curse is gone. It should keep providing the same power as before, except you can now remove it at will. That was a nasty piece of work, Varix." Her eyes darted to my chest again.

"Can we also save that for another time?"

She gently sighed. "For now."

"Let's go see those stars," I suggested, taking Seraphina's hand.

She deposited the now black gem in one of her ornate chests, and told me it was for later disposal.

We left her store, holding hands, and I strolled through Everspring's quiet streets. The cool night air was a welcome relief. We chatted about simple things. I told her my plans for The Shadow's Respite's grand opening and that I was getting close to picking a day during the following week.

"I need to come up with a dessert. Maybe I can get Lady Churl to collect berries and serve them with cream," I said.

Seraphina's eyes lit up. "Ooh, that sounds delicious. You'll have to let me be your taste tester."

"You're welcome to drop by and try anything anytime." I grinned.

"I may take you up on that, Mr. Vel'Naris," Seraphina said, and looked at me from the corner of her eyes.

Luckily, a breeze cooled my hot face again.

We walked, talked, and laughed, our voices echoing off the stone buildings. As we neared the edge of town, we reached one of the wooden guard towers constructed to warn against raids. Thick wooden beams crisscrossed overhead, creating a lattice that supported the elevated platform and the pitched roof above. I'll say one thing about it: the build appeared to be damn solid. A ladder ran up only one side. A pair of guards waved at us from above as we passed beneath it.

Just beyond the tower, I spotted a familiar group. Caden, Mira, Alic, and Doan were sitting in a circle, passing around a large bottle of ale. Mira noticed us first, and waved enthusiastically.

"Hey, you two! Come join us!" she called out.

As we approached, still hand in hand, Mira pointed at us with a big smile. "I knew it all along! Didn't I tell you guys?"

Caden chuckled, raising the bottle in a toast. "Well, well. Congratulations, you two!"

Doan and Alic joined in, offering their good-natured congratulations. My face grew warm for the hundredth time that night, but Seraphina just squeezed my hand and smiled.

"Thanks, everyone," Seraphina said, her voice warm. "It's nice to be welcomed so kindly."

"Any friend of Varix, is a friend of ours." Mira grinned.

Alic scooted over, making room in their circle. "Pull up some grass, you two. There's plenty of ale to go around."

Seraphina and I sat together, our shoulders brushing. At that moment, I knew I never wanted to return to Earth. Morthisal could rot in my old body for all I cared.