...battles that despair and willpower wage, every day upon our mind's cluttered stage...

It was another line from one of the many poems she'd read, and to Edeline, it described how she felt right now.

It took all of her restraint to not reach up for the...she'd lost count of how many times it had been, touching the tip of her ear to confirm it was real. Part of her wanted it to be a dream, wanted her fingers to find she was the way she had always been. Having two perfectly normal, perfectly regular ears, exactly the same as every other day.

Deeper still, another part wanted to rip the offending ear off.

Her ear aside, she had a far larger problem. The now dead Kalvarel's words carried implications that Edeline wanted to deny, but somehow she could not bring herself to. She hoped that this was just a lingering effect of the spell, that it was just another one of Kalvarel's lies, or delusions, or anything.

"Matters of royal bloodlines aside..."

She and Nela sat at the table opposite Morgivel. Myron had positioned himself next to Nela, one hand resting on her shoulder. Hamond had similarly taken up a place behind her, although he was not touching her. Edeline appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

Standing near Morgivel, huddled together, were the three Elefae women Hamond and Myron had brought with them. They had remained mostly silent, so Edeline had no idea as to what their names were. It was honestly impressive they had all managed to fit into this one room, although it left the small house feeling very cramped, and a little too warm for Edeline's liking.

"I had no idea about any of this." Morgivel shook his head. Myron had filled him in on some of the details of what Kalvarel had been plotting. He had omitted mentioning the statue in the tunnels, or anything regarding his courtship of Nela. If you could even call it a courtship, but Edeline did not know how to phrase it otherwise.

"He was clearly aiming to control Hallowscroft, in the name of the Elefae," Hamond stated.

"And more besides," Nela added, "If you believe him, which...do we even believe any shit he said?"

"Unless you want to accuse a good number of other Elefae of also being liars, he was telling the truth about how things are in Kelshir." Morgivel took a breath, looking his granddaughter straight in the eyes. "He's far from the only one to have come to Hallowscroft from there. And from what they said, it's far worse there. Lord Hallowscroft was at least that considerate of us."

"And so was Edeline," Myron said.

Morgivel looked at her regretfully. "I am terribly sorry, terribly sorry. I had trusted him, and...I really shouldn't have. I owe you...no, no apology can make up for this."

"You aren't the only one." Stepping away from Nela, her brother moved around the table. "And I can assure you, I feel equally guilty about having to cross blades with my sister."

"Sister?" Morgivel looked over. "Wait, are you Lord Hallowscroft's son?"

"Myron Hallowscroft," Myron said, extending one hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

Edeline could see, on the edge of her vision, Nela sink down in her chair. In the confusion following what had happened, checking on Morgivel's wife and making sure they were all otherwise uninjured, they had not given full introductions. An understandable mistake.

Myron returned to his original position, and Morgivel addressed Edeline once more. "If there is any way I can make amends, tell me. I will do what I can."

"It's simple," Edeline said, voice heavy.

"Yes?"

"You heard the other thing Kalvarel said." Edeline closed her eyes briefly, wanting a certain answer, wishing for it. "Tell me if that was a lie too."

Morgivel fell silent, his face pale as he looked sadly at her. He then glanced around, looking at each of the four in the room. "You really do not know then." His words, possibly intended to be noncommittal, only confirmed what she suspected.

The despair grew, threatening to drown her. "What am I supposed to know?" Edeline asked.

"I can't say." For some reason, he glanced at Nela. "It's between you and your father."

"I think I understand," Hamond spoke up. He was somehow calm, reassuringly so. "You're trying to keep this matter between you and her, aren't you? That's why you were vague about it before, and why you keep trying to deflect it off to Lord Hallowscroft. You swore an oath of secrecy."

Nela gave Hamond a doubting look. "What kind of thing would make him swear an oath like that? And what does it have to do with what..." Edeline could read her face, see the details all fall into place as she reached the same conclusion Edeline had earlier.

Morgivel closed his eyes, growing even more pale in response. Of course, Edeline realized. Of all the people he least wanted to know about this, to keep uninvolved, it would be his granddaughter.

"What in Aether's name are you all talking about?" Myron said. Edeline pitied him. He'd been left in the dark, every bit as unaware as he was.

For a moment, the room fell silent. Morgivel did not want to say it. Likely Hamond and Nela did not know how to say it. But Edeline knew it had to be said.

"You don't see it?" Edeline's voice, soft, sounded empty to her own ears. "I am not your sister."

"What do you mean by that? Of course you're my-"

A sharp knocking at the door interrupted Myron before he could finish.

Startled, Edeline looked over at the door. She supposed this counted as a reprieve from having to face the hard truth, but she just wanted this over and done with.

"We should go," Hamond said quietly. Edeline had to agree. It was probably just someone seek Morgivel's aid for healing, and did not concern them. The house couldn't possibly hold any more people. They could leave and discuss this once they were back at her...the lord's house.

Another round of knocks, followed by an angry voice. "Morgivel! Are you there?"

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"Shit," Nela said, apparently recognizing the voice. So much for simply getting out of there, Edeline thought with a sigh.

Morgivel slowly rose, and walked over to open the door. To Edeline, it seemed this was the last thing he wanted to do, but...thinking back to their previous meeting, he had also answered the door then too. Of course, it had turned out to be Nela, but this time, she doubted they would be nearly so fortunate.

There were three Elefae on the other side of the door. While she could not clearly see the pair in the back, Edeline recognized the one in the lead immediately. He had been the one to lead that First Ascension ceremony she had witnessed before, one of their elders. One of the ones Morgivel had complained about, now that she thought about it.

"A pleasure to see you, Barizel," Morgivel said.

"Hardly," the Elefae elder said, "Do you...do you want to explain why the healer you called on to aid you murdered an Elefae on the street outside your house in the middle of the day? And with blatant thaumaturgy, no less?"

Edeline let out a quiet sigh. She could not fault Hamond for making the decision to stop Kalvarel immediately, to not risk him escaping yet again. Better to have the problem of him exposing himself than to have the problem of a rogue thaumaturge trying to start a new rebellion. Looking up at Hamond, she could tell he was tense.

"If he did, then I would have to end our partnership, yes, yes." Morgivel stepped out the door, "But do not blame me for something he chose to do."

"That's my niece's husband to be, dead outside!" a woman spoke. Nela gasped, looking around as if trying to find a way to flee.

"Who is in there?" the elder asked, apparently hearing Nela. He peered around Morgivel, immediately spotting Nela. "Oh, her. I see."

"Who?" the woman said again, then pushed past Morgivel into the room. "Neredyla. So you were here. I should've known"

"Mother," Nela said flatly. Edeline could see the resemblance.

"Don't start." Nela's mother whirled to face Morgivel, apparently not noticing any of the other people in the room. "You were hiding her behind my back, weren't you?"

"If you mean she was staying here, no." Even partially blocked from Edeline's view, she could tell Morgivel was frustrated.

"I don't believe you. You know she's no longer family, not until she apologizes."

"Apologize?" Nela sputtered, "After all the shit you said?" She made for the door herself, visibly fuming. Myron's arm grabbed her and pulled her back before she could leap at her mother. At least, that was what it looked to Edeline like Nela was about to do.

Barizel took note of this, though. "So how many people are you trying to hide from us, Morgivel?"

"Too many of them..." Nela's mother trailed off, then she looked back into the house, a startled look on her face giving way to outrage. "He's in here!"

Edeline reached down for her sword. She didn't think this would end up turning into a fight, but if she had to intimidate their way out of this, she wanted every advantage they could get.

"Why am I not surprised," the elder grumbled. Nela's mother moved out and away, and he stepped into the doorway. He initially looked at Hamond, then spotted Edeline. His lined face reddened as he stared at her.

Confused, Edeline wondered what about her was worth his attention...oh. Aether, no. He could clearly see her ears. Without knowing what had happened, it obviously would appear as if Barizel had caught Morgivel right in the middle of giving her that First Ascension rite, something she was fairly certain Morgivel was not supposed to do.

And the worst part was, the elder would not be entirely wrong.

"What in the name of Aether and the Fae were you doing?" Barizel started shouting, spinning back to face Morgivel outside. "You know better than anyone the sacred blessing that is a First Ascension ceremony! What manner of mad blasphemy have you wrought?"

"He's not responsible," Edeline said quickly, hoping to calm the situation down, if only a little.

"Silence!" Barizel turned back again, contempt visible in his gaze. "You speak to one of the elders of the Elefae. With you making a mockery of our people, what gives you the right to speak for any of us?"

It would be so easy, so simple, for her to invoke her family's name and position. She could reveal she was Edeline Hallowscroft, and that Elefae or not, he was ultimately subordinate to her. But what good would that do? She herself wanted to walk away from the title. Trying to use that same title to defend herself would do no good here.

That did not mean she was just going to back down meekly though.

"I may not be an Elefae, but I do know that wisdom includes understanding when to listen," Edeline said.

"Wisdom...wisdom also teaches that some people have nothing of value to say," the elder retorted, "Stop trying to waste my time."

If this was what Morgivel had been dealing with this entire time, it was no wonder he had expressed his frustrations earlier. Although...there was one other possibility. But to confirm it, Edeline realized, she would need Barizel to be distracted. Now, how could she turn his attention away from her and Hamond?

"Elder?" one of the Elefae women in the corner spoke up.

"Yes? What do you want?" Barizel entered the house, moving past Nela and Myron, ignoring them completely. Somehow, Edeline got the impression this was what the elder wanted to do all the time.

It was the opportunity she had wanted. However, she could not alert Hamond to what she had in mind, so she would have to do it herself. Preparing herself, calling the spell's words to mind, Edeline muttered the spell's words. "Teleios horama."

Her vision blurred. Thin threads of...something...floated in the air, dissolving into clouds, then reforming. It swirled around her, around each and every person in the room. Was this the nature of magic, what Hamond saw every time he used this spell? It was breathtaking, captivating in a way she could not quite put into words.

Focus, Edeline reminded herself. She glanced over at Barizel, who was holding a whispered conversation with the Elefae women. Around all of them, she could see more of the flowing energy floating around, but it was not doing anything out of the ordinary. Of course, she did not know what exactly she was looking for, but she was fairly certain he was not under that enchantment. This could not be blamed on Kalvarel - it was just the way the man was, and likely always been.

Letting the spell fade, Edeline let out a sigh. Spells would not work here, only time and effort spent earning Barizel's trust. It was time they did not have, and effort that was needed elsewhere.

"I'm not sure I should believe you," the elder's voice rose, "But I will look into it. For your sakes, you better hope I do find out you are lying." Once again, Edeline found herself suspecting he did not care, and would not bother with more than a minimal effort. Not that there was much in the way of proof of what happened.

The elder returned to the door. "I am going to meet with the remaining elders, to decide what to do. But know this, Morgivel, you will be held accountable. Our traditions are our own, and we must protect them. You seem to have failed to remember that."

He briefly glanced over at Edeline. Startled, she realized she'd inadvertently reached up to her ear again. Embarrassed, she let her arm drop.

"Don't blame him for a doing a better job than you," Nela muttered.

The elder stiffened at those words, but said nothing as he went back out.

Nela's mother was not letting it go, though. "So your time away has made you even more disrespectful. You really aren't worthy of being called Elefae."

"Sereyla, enough," Barizel spoke over his shoulder as he walked out of view. Nela's mother shot her one final look, then also turned and moved away. The third Elefae who had accompanied them, a man who had been silent the whole time, hurried after them.

Edeline let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in. It had gone badly, absolutely, but there were worse possible outcomes. And now they could settle matters with Morgivel before finally leaving.

Shutting the door, Morgivel slowly moved back to his chair and slumped down. As she turned to watch, Edeline saw Myron standing there, one hand clenching his sheathed sword's hilt. He was furious, she realizing, forcing himself to hold back.

Edeline was calm and Myron was angry. Everything really had been turned upside down.

"Well, now you know," Nela said in a low voice, taking hold of Myron's hand. "I'm definitely better off without having to deal with shit like that."

Morgivel, for his part, did not seem to notice the gesture. He had closed his eyes, and was looking down between his feet. After a moment of deep, heavy silence, he finally spoke.

"I'll see these girls to their homes in a little while. I think...no, you all better leave, before the elder returns."

"But-" Nela protested.

"As you wish," Hamond interrupted. As frustrating as it was, not getting answers about the Stormsage, Edeline had to agree. Morgivel was clearly in no mood to talk now. If they had the opportunity, they could come back later.

"Farewell, I suppose," Myron said, gently steering Nela out the door. With nothing to keep her here - and indeed, remaining in the small house was making her more than a little uncomfortable - Edeline followed.