It didn’t take Liliana long to find Vereign and have her name added to the assignment. She already knew all of his hiding spots.

The professor had taken a moment longer than he normally would when looking over the assignment, giving Liliana an assessing stare before he approved it. Which told Liliana at least one professor could see there was something weird with the assignment, either because of the information on it or because of Liliana’s specific interest in it. But as she’d expected, Vereign hadn’t tried to stop her.

The more Liliana paid attention to her reputation, the more she saw the consequences of it. Students, teachers, they all expected things from her while holding a belief that she could handle whatever was thrown her way. Perhaps because she had. No matter what she’d come across, she’d overcome and defeated it. It lulled others into a false sense of security when they saw she was already part of something.

Liliana had yet to determine if that bothered her or not. On one hand, she liked the freedom it afforded her. She had never had to deal with a professor questioning her choice of assignments or trying to micro-manage her. On the other hand, it meant they’d overlook something that perhaps they shouldn’t.

Liliana shook her head, dispelling the confusing thoughts she knew she wouldn’t resolve today as she entered her room. She paused for a moment when she opened her door to see someone sprawled across her bed. Had she thought about it, she would’ve expected it. But she hadn’t, and it was mildly surprising to find her room already occupied.

Especially considering the fact that it was allegedly impossible to break into another student’s room.

“How do you even get in here without me?” Liliana asked with a sigh as she shut the door.

Emyr smiled lazily at her from his prone position. “I have my ways.”

“You picked the lock?” Liliana asked idly as she threw open the doors to her courtyard. She braced her feet just in time for Polaris to tackle her, Lelantos not far behind. The giant tiger butted his head against her chest and nearly sent her sprawling even while Polaris twined around her ankles like an overlarge cat himself.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” Emyr said, aiming for mysterious.

Liliana snorted, a fond smile on her face at the use of an Earth phrase. Emyr enjoyed using them in private, either because he truly liked them or simply because they made her smile. She gently ran her fingers through Polaris’ fur, the Kitsune jumping up to put his paws on her shoulders so he could easily lick her face.

“Polaris,” Liliana chided, as she tried to defend her face from his tongue. It wasn’t very effective as she only had one free hand, the other was preoccupied with scratching behind Lelantos’ ear as he chuffed happily at the attention.

“Are we leaving?” Polaris asked as he kept trying to lick her, her resistance turning it into a game for the Kitsune.

“Yes, so please. Cease.” Liliana got out while trying to keep him back.

Polaris gave her one last lick and pushed off of her, circling her body excitedly, his tails wagging and dragging across her body. Lelantos chuffed in a clear plea for more attention and Liliana had to strain to scratch under his chin when he stretched out to his full height. He was so large now; she wondered if he would keep growing until he’d need an entire building to house him.

“What did Diana want?” Emyr asked when it was clear Liliana’s attention was less monopolized.

Liliana motioned with her hand for Emyr to follow her as she stepped into the magically expanded courtyard. She had no idea when it had been done, but after bonding Serenity she’d woken up one morning to find a large pond had been added, along with additional space to accommodate the extension. She heard Emyr groan petulantly behind her, then the sounds of a body moving as he followed.

“There’s a weird assignment she wants my help with,” Liliana answered as she crossed the courtyard to the pond, where she could sense Serenity resting.

“Weird?” Emyr asked, voice suspicious.

Liliana crouched next to the pond and dipped her hand into the slightly warm water, stirring it around. “Missing children. No remains to be found. The professors think it’s a low leveled man-eater and so they assigned second years to it. Diana thought it was odd and asked me for help,” Liliana answered him, smiling softly when she felt her newest bond approaching.

Emyr crouched next to her, looking into the water with an unreadable expression on his face. “You think it might be something second years can’t handle.” It wasn’t a question.

Liliana felt a scaled body rub against her hand under the water and she flicked a finger at Serenity playfully. “There’s as many high ranked beasts that prefer Unawakened children as there are low ranked.” She answered him with a shrug. Emyr nodded reluctantly. He might not have her knowledge of beasts, but man-eaters were something any intelligent person would look into.

Emyr was quiet for a few moments while Liliana played with Serenity. “I haven’t cleared Diana.” He finally said.

“This gives me a chance to observe her myself,” Liliana answered quickly, gently scooping her bond out of the water. Serenity wriggled and quickly climbed her way up Liliana’s arm, finding a spot on her shoulder so she could press a wet nose into Liliana’s ear.

“Lili…” Emyr said softly.

Liliana turned to face Emyr fully, lightly batting Serenity’s nose away from her ear with a grimace at the sensation. “Em, it’s Diana. She hasn’t been able to take any bounty or human assignments the entire time we’ve known her. She vomits if she has to kill a beast that looks too much like a human. Even goblins make her sad to kill.” She pressed, willing Emyr to understand why she wasn’t concerned.

Liliana might be the more paranoid of the two of them, but Emyr was the most suspicious person she’d ever met. She knew there were only two people he trusted fully in the entire world, and Liliana was including his family in that accounting.

It wasn’t in his nature to trust. He had Liliana and Alistair, and he seemed plenty satisfied with that. Everyone else he kept a wary eye on, always analyzing them to see if they were a threat or if they had a use for him. Liliana couldn’t help but think it was part of why he spent so much time digging up secrets and hunting down skeletons. If he had leverage, it was far harder for someone to turn on him.

But it was Diana. Liliana thought her as likely to be a traitor as Alistair or Marianne, both of whom she had hardly been able to maintain suspicion for. She thought Diana even less likely, as she wholly lacked the ruthlessness the other two possessed in spades when pressed.

Diana was brought to tears if someone got so much as a bruised knee on an assignment or in a dungeon. The only time Liliana saw her truly give her all in a fight was when all parties involved were safe behind powerful shields none of them had been able to break. When Diana was utterly certain she couldn’t truly hurt someone.

It would be like Jasper betraying them. Unthinkable in its utter absurdity because it was the opposite of their very natures. Even Liliana’s twisted paranoia couldn’t find something to grasp onto when it came to Diana, or Jasper for that matter.

When the warning had come, it hadn’t even occurred to her for those two to betray them. Alistair, she had suspected for a short time, Marianne as well. Because she could understand, in some way, how they could do it. Even if logically she knew, the likelihood was abysmally low. She’d sooner believe Koth’talan, Corbin, Basil, or Anya had betrayed them. And truthfully, that was where her mind had immediately gone.

“She already left you once,” Emyr said stubbornly. Liliana rocked on her heels before falling back to sit down. She kicked off her shoes to put her feet into the water.

“She was a child then, Em. It was the first time her life had ever been threatened, even indirectly. She reacted in a manner any person raised in a normal, safe and loving home would.” Liliana defended tiredly, slightly annoyed this argument was being resurrected. She thought they’d laid it to rest years ago.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“She’s already shown she’ll turn on you if it becomes too dangerous.” Emyr pressed, picking at the grass and shredding the blades between agitated fingers.

“She came back, Em, and she’s never left again,” Liliana pointed out. Emyr scowled at the grass in his hands, a flare of flames turning it to ash.

“What if her being so scared of fights is just an act? To lower suspicion? No one would suspect the shrinking violet who cries when she sees blood and throws up if she has to kill something even slightly humanoid.” Emyr switched tactics when he sensed he was losing the argument with his current strategy. Liliana bit back a sigh and tilted her head back, closing her eyes and letting the late fall sunlight warm her face.

“For four years, Emyr? Without making a mistake? No one is that good, especially not a child. She’d have cracked before now if she was faking it.” Liliana argued tiredly.

Emyr growled and Liliana didn’t open her eyes to see if he was burning her courtyard further. He wasn’t being logical, for all he was trying to pretend he was. But Liliana knew Emyr and knew he was an emotional person. All of this was just him being worried, scared. It made it easy to win these arguments, as she just had to stay logical herself. It was still time consuming to back him into a corner he couldn’t wriggle out of.

“I don’t like it. It’s not safe for you to go out right now.” The ‘without me’ was left unsaid, but they both knew it was there.

“I’ll have my bonds, even if Diana is what I was warned about, which I doubt. We both know she’s not strong enough to fight me on her own, let alone with all my bonds.” Liliana told him, dashing the last of his arguments. Emyr wasn’t as strong as her bonds. They both knew that. She was as safe, if not safer, with her bonds than with him.

“Besides,” Liliana opened her eyes and turned to look at his mulish face, “this will give you time to focus on Marianne while I’m gone. Go on an assignment with her or stalk her. Get her cleared too.” She pressed, appealing to Emyr’s logical side, rather than the emotional one.

“Fine.” Emyr bit out, though he looked anything but okay with the decision.

He knew better than to keep arguing with her when she’d already made a decision. Liliana reached out and grabbed his hand, twining their fingers so their fealty bond tattoos touched, sending warmth up their arms from the contact.

“I’ll be fine, Em. You know I can take care of myself,” she mumbled with a smile.

“That’s still yet to be determined,” Emyr responded grumpily, but he squeezed her hand tightly.

“I haven’t died a second time,” Liliana said with a wide, joking smile that had Emyr huffing and rolling his eyes.

“Not for lack of trying,” Emyr told her, a smirk finally breaking out on his lips.

“Oh please, I’m not that bad.” Liliana rolled her eyes.

Emyr snorted, using his free hand to poke at her stomach. “You stabbed yourself. With a sword.” He said bluntly.

“When will you let that go?” she demanded, swatting at his prodding finger.

“And let’s not forget you letting yourself be impaled by a fucking Fiend,” Emyr added on, poking harder. Liliana hissed at him and grabbed the offending hand tightly in her free hand.

“I didn’t die, now did I?” Liliana said with a huff and a roll of her eyes at Emyr’s dramatics.

“No, he has a point.” Serenity’s sleepy voice floated into her mind and Liliana groaned. At this moment, she apparently needed to worry more about her own bonds betraying her to take Emyr’s side than anything else.

“See? Reckless.” Emyr said victoriously, nodding at Serenity. “Can you try to keep her safe while she’s gone?” he asked her bond, ignoring Liliana’s sputtered protests. She did not need a babysitter.

“It will be a difficult task,” Serenity said with a yawn, looking between the two humans thoughtfully. “But I believe I can manage to keep her in one piece and alive, despite any attempts she may make to thwart me.” The Axolong finally decided. Emyr nodded, satisfied with that proclamation. Liliana released Emyr’s hands to throw her own in the air in frustration.

“I’m not some toddler that needs to be watched so I don’t run in front of a carriage!” She informed them hotly, standing up, quite done with this entire conversation.

How had she gone from winning an argument to being the center of their teasing? The worst thing to ever happen to her was her bonds liking her friends. It just meant they could conspire together to tease her.

“Nem, come on,” Liliana called out loudly with a withering glare at Emyr as she dusted the grass off her clothes, slipping her shoes back on.

The flowered serpent appeared from the grass, and Liliana scooped her up readily. Nemesis hissed when she discovered one of Liliana’s shoulders was already occupied while Serenity settled in more comfortably, a distinctly smug aura about her.

“Everyone ready?” she asked briskly, barely waiting for their confirmations before she started sending her bonds into their summoning stones.

In minutes, she was ready to leave, and she pulled her hair down to swiftly braid it as she walked back towards her room. She heard Emyr following her, and she didn’t turn to look at him until he grabbed her by the arm.

“Lili,” he whispered, and she turned to face him. Her irritation melted at the genuine worry on his face that he was finally showing, rather than hiding behind weak arguments and false anger.

“Be safe, alright? If you suspect she’s going to betray you, or hurt you, don’t hesitate to kill her. I’ll help you hide the body, whatever you need. Just come back alive, alright?” Emyr said, eyes imploring her to listen to him. Liliana’s shoulder slumped, and she sighed.

“I promise, Emyr,” she said, knowing it was the only thing that would alleviate some of his anxiety. She wasn’t entirely lying. Liliana wasn’t one to hesitate when it came to finishing off a threat. She just didn’t think it would be necessary with Diana.

“Good,” Emyr said, still not happy with what she planned, but at least looking mildly less stressed. Liliana smiled at him and drew him into a quick, tight hug.

“Tell the others where I’ve gone, would you?” she asked when she pulled away.

Emyr let out a long-suffering sigh but nodded wearily, as if she was asking him to fight a dragon for her instead of simply letting their friends know she had taken up an assignment. Liliana rolled her eyes at his theatrics before giving him one last quick hug and shooing him out of her room so she could change into clothing more appropriate for travel than her uniform.

When she was done, it was almost time for her to meet Diana; the two hours having rushed past her during her conversation with Emyr. Liliana didn’t waste time taking to the air as soon as she left the dorm. As she flew over the Academy grounds, she took a moment to appreciate the place she’d called home for the past three and a half years. The carefully planned paths, the beautiful buildings and cultivated gardens that sprawled across the grounds.

Liliana circled the main plaza for a moment, looking for Diana’s bright blonde hair. When she found the girl, she was standing by a group of six second years. None Liliana immediately recognized. Liliana tucked her wings in and let herself fall, wings snapping out before she could plow into the ground with a loud crack, startling Diana and the second years.

Diana turned with a yelp, legs tangling together. Liliana snaked out a hand to grab the girl, who was teetering and about to fall from the sudden movement, her wings flapping lazily to help her adjust to the additional weight. Liliana’s feet pressed into the ground as her wings stilled behind her, wrapping loosely around her and Diana almost protectively.

Right, she’s someone I need to be afraid of. Liliana thought sardonically as she steadied Diana, who was a bright red from embarrassment or irritation, Liliana couldn't tell.

“Sorry, am I late?” Liliana asked as her wings faded in a sparkle of light and rainbows. The second years seemed appropriately awed by the display. Or by just her. She liked to think it was from her wings. She’d worked hard to get those. More people should admire them, in her humble opinion.

“No, no. You’re right on time.” Diana said happily, seemingly forgiving Liliana for startling her.

Then again, Diana was well used to both Liliana and Emyr popping out of nowhere by now. The hidden passageways in the Academy were dead useful. And if they’d purposefully perpetuated some rumors of certain buildings being haunted by using those passageways, well, who was to know?

Liliana looked over the second years again, but their names dripped out of her mind as quickly as she read them. She had a nagging feeling of foreboding that the second years wouldn’t be all that important on this assignment. Liliana didn’t have luck in the conventional sense, and this assignment already stunk of something weird. The second years were only here as a farce. They might not realize it, she highly doubted they did. But she knew, and she suspected Diana did too.

“Well, then let’s head out.” Liliana said with a shrug, forgoing introductions.

Diana rolled with it. She had probably expected and already accounted for Liliana’s tendency to ignore anyone she didn’t think was important and had probably appeased the second years already. They hopped to quickly enough and without complaints that Liliana thought it likely.

As they walked towards the entrance of the Academy, Liliana had to grab Diana again when she tripped over her own feet, despite whatever her Dexterity was. Sometimes Liliana thought the blonde had a curse on her for clumsiness with how often she stumbled around. Liliana kept one hand on the other girl’s arm after that with a faintly amused smile as Diana apologized and blushed.

Yeah, Emyr. Look at how scary and evil Diana is. She’s going to kill us all by tripping into us with a dagger. Liliana couldn’t help but think as she felt herself relaxing.

Emyr might have his suspicions, but Liliana couldn’t find any reason to suspect the clumsy and sweet girl at her side. Maybe she’d accepted the assignment because it was odd and piqued her curiosity, or maybe she’d accepted it because she wanted to spend time around someone her paranoia couldn’t find a reason to suspect. A few days or a week around someone Liliana’s instincts saw as safe was exactly what she needed. Like a vacation, with a side of monster slaying.