“So?” Elias looked worried. He scanned her body from top to toe, as if it would reveal the result.

“It went good”, Sasha said and exhaled. She smiled at him. “Really, I made a deal with her, and I got what I need.”

“It freaks me out, hearing anyone making a deal with that old hag”, Elias said. “She is a tricky witch.”

“Have you been dealing with her before?” Sasha felt like teasing him, but the lump in her stomach made her laugh stuck. She was an old hag. Last time she had left empty handed, but without scares at least.

“I always have something to bribe her with if I would end up there again”, Elias said. “Lets not talk about it.”

That made her stop and look at him. Why had he been walking the paths of death? No sane man visited. She didn’t want to know, she didn’t want to think about Evelina and the king.

“Just out of curiosity. What do you bribe her with?” The queen of the death was not easily flattered. Any advantages were good ones, come the cost.

“I keep the dragon breath of the queen of dragons within my chest for reasons like this”, Elias said. “Death is a cold place. The heath from the queen will warm even such as her.”

“The dragon breath from the queen. Now I understand why the moon witch wanted to play with you so badly”, Sasha said.

“Yes. It is nothing I am going to sell to Esmeralda’s.”

“Couldn’t you just ask for more?”

“No. The queen orders. It has to be used wisely. If someone would use her dragon breath, and she disapprove, I would have to pay.”

“Thanks for the advice”, Sasha said. She would play nicely, and she would get the dragon breath. It was a cheap insurance. One she had the good fortune of having access to.

Elias put her hand on her arm.

“Sasha?”

“Yes?”

“If it ever happens that you end up having to make a deal with her again, bring me along.”

“You would willingly be going up there?”

Elias shuddered, but he nodded.

“For you I would. I don’t want to be waiting at the other side once more. Now, lets leave.”

“Where to?” Sasha asked, a warm feeling in her chest.

Next they would head for Evelina’s. There was just two more ingredients to collect, and one week was up. Sasha had more important things to do than running Esmeralda’s errands. That’s why she was standing in Evelina’s small apartment with something close to anguish in her stomach.

“Are you ready?” Sasha asked.

Evelina looked at her wardrobe.

“I guess. I will feel so out of place, being much older than the rest.”

“Come on, I have a friend of mine, older than you, that will help you out. Are you there to party or to learn?”

“Party?” Evelina said and giggled.

Sasha shook her head. This was going much better than she had thought. None of the normally very insecure Evelina was there. She hoped she wouldn’t freak out when she found out her friend was male.

“Elias is waiting outside with the horses. Come on.”

Evelina freaked out when she saw Elias. Sasha didn’t know if it was because he was the prince, or because he was male. It didn’t bore well for Greg. Plus she didn’t like her drooling. And Evelina’s fresh pink cheeks.

“This is my friend, Elias”, Sasha said, punctuating the word friend.

“Will he also start the university?” Evelina whispered.

“No, he will not”, Sasha answered and saddled her horse. She was looking languishing at Elias horse, not wanting to think about Evelina and Elias in the same sentence. The horse was tall, with a colour of pure silver, every single muscle at the right place. Her horse, a black arabian horse with a white stripe on her head was neighing. It triggered the silver horse, who started to move, eager to leave, neighing in response.

“I never seen anything like your horse”, Sasha said. “Is he a mix?”

“He is cross arabian and shire. The best out of the two”, Elias said.

The horse was something extra.

“Didn’t you have a shire?” Sasha asked Evelina.

“Yes, when I was a kid.”

Evelina finally got out of her trance and saddled her horse as well. Sasha took the lead. The sooner the got this over with, the better.

They were standing outside Gregs. The horses were left in the stable. Sasha took a deep breath. Maybe she should have thought this through before. Bringing these two guests were bound to end in disaster.

“So this is it then. Are you up to it?” Sasha asked Evelina. She smiled reassuringly.

“You knock on the door”, Evelina said. “I will just...” She took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

Sasha took her hand in hers. In the other she held a glass bottle, securely out of sight from Evelina.

“No, this is your day. You knock.”

Evelina lifted her hand, and Sasha filled her bottle. This was the anticipation. She would have been able to fill up several bottles had she wanted. Esmeralda’s would get her list. She was proud of this one. Evelina had waited for years. No one earned it more than her.

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“Sasha?” Greg said. He looked from Sasha to Evelina and Elias and back again.

She had to play this carefully. Sasha forced a smile upon her lips. He would know it was fake, but he wouldn’t know why.

“I am back, and I have a friend with me”, Sasha said and pointed towards Evelina. “Do you think you can do me a favour? This is Evelina.”

Greg muttered something. If it was a yes or a no was impossible to know, but he stepped aside.

“Please come in”, Greg said. “I suppose we better discuss this inside.” He looked towards Elias, clearly wondering why the prince paid them a visit. “You are drawing attention.”

Elias laughed and entered the room first.

“So you are a friend of Sasha? Last time I met a friend of hers Sasha told me she would kill me if I hurt her. Does that count for you as well?” Elias asked.

He reached out his hand.

“Greg”, Greg said and shook the prince hand firmly.

“Elias.”

Greg was turning towards Sasha. His eyes got narrower.

“Does that count for me as well?”

“Professor, you know it does!” Sasha went closer, but the look in Greg’s eyes stopped her. She was obviously pushed out of the hugging zone.

“I know”, he said grimly.

Greg didn’t look at her, his eyes were stuck on Elias. Sasha felt a pang in her stomach. It was a beautiful orb. It was worth it.

“I will make some tea. You do drink tea?” Greg asked. They all nodded. “Then we can talk about your favour Sasha, but first biscuits.”

Evelina was sitting on needles. Sasha wished she could have been smoother. She didn’t want Greg to take out his grudge at Evelina. Actually she had hoped he should have forgotten it ever had happened. Evelina might even have been an olive branch. They would look good together. The professor and the student.

“I would like you to mentor Evelina”, Sasha said, sipping her tea. She smiled towards Greg, wanting to take his hand in hers but restraining herself. “You are the best and it was a while since Evelina studied. If you could, you know, do what you do best.”

“I am not a teacher Sasha. I am a nerd, I am not sure I will be the best option.” Greg looked curiously at Evelina. “I will however ensure that you are well taken care off”, he said and smiled genuinely towards Evelina.

“Thank you”, Sasha said. She had no right to ask for favours. Not after what she had done. Still she had.

“You seem to be a nice nerd”, Evelina said, blushing and laying her hand at Greg’s. “Thanks.”

“You have been attending this university before?” Greg looked at Evelina, but he was addressing the prince. He briefly patted Evelina’s hand, as if she was a child and he was a bit at loss of how to treat her.

“Yes. It was some years since though.”

“Show Evelina around will you? I guess getting a private introduction from the prince will ensure she gets friends.”

Greg was pointing towards the door. “I will have to arrange some things. Bedrooms, if I am not mistaken.”

The silence spread its poison when they were alone. Sasha waited for the tea to get cold.

“I guess I cant make you love me?” Greg finally said.

“You know I do, not just.”

“That way”, Greg said. He sighed. “I have done what you asked of me.”

He produced an orb from within. Its colour was no longer purple but dark blue. Red veins was pounding at it’s surface. It looked like a big eye.

Sasha put her hand on it, Greg was looking at her, reluctantly letting it go. She forced it inside. It filled the empty space in her stomach, but it was hurting like acid.

“Its strong.”

“The strongest I have made. Am I guessing correctly about its owner?”

“The less you know the better. Don’t ask questions you are better of not knowing”, Sasha said.

“Are you trying to toss me together with Evelina?”

“Professor!” Sasha smiled. “Off course I am. She is a wonderful lady, although life have been far to cruel at her. She deserves someone like you.”

“And I?”

“Just take care of her for me will you? I don’t want her to get hurt again.”

Greg shoulders slumbered, but he nodded. Sasha put her hand on his.

“You knew all this time, this was not for us”, she said. “We had an agreement.”

“Then why does it feels like I am falling to pieces?” Greg said.

He raised from the chair. Taking the teacups with him. “How much are you willing to loose to kill him?”

“There is no going back now. You know it”, Sasha said. “I will do what is needed.”

And she promised herself she would ensure the pieces were glued back. One way or another.

“You don’t have to do it Sasha”, Greg said.

Sasha shook her head. He was showing her a different future, but she had known all along. It wasn’t for her.

She had never been up this early at the university and she was used to Greg making her breakfast. Standing in the students kitchen, having to do her own breakfast in the chilly morning, was a new experience. Asking for a room of her own was another.

“You are ok with us leaving Evelina here then?” Elias asked.

Sasha nodded. She hadn’t thought he would be there for breakfast. Neither of them had called in early the previous day.

“She will benify from spending the weekend here, and Greg will take good care of her.”

She hoped she sounded convincing. The truth to be told she might have asked Greg of too much. Hopefully Evelina was the distraction he needed. If not she might just have lost two of her closest friends.

“I am not in that big hurry to bring you back to the castle princess, if you change your mind.”

Sasha thought of Greg, and all the students laying in their rooms this early morning, sleeping. In one of their guest room her friend slept her beauty sleep. If she was lucky, Evelina would find some happiness inside of these walls. She, if any, knew how much Evelina deserved that. And the chances of that happening would increase if she left.

“I want to pick up the holy water and head for Esmeralda’s. We have waited long enough.”

She was not keen on meeting the queen, but she had the orb and it was due time.

The egg was not as good as when Greg made them, but it had gotten cold, so it was not really fare competition. If she had thought less of the orb inside her and more off the breakfast in front of her it had probably helped. She looked up at Elias, recognising he was already finished with the breakfast and standing at the door, waiting for her. She caught him smiling and looking at her.

“Do you remember what I said about anticipation?” Elias asked. He leaned towards the door opening, looking at her, blocking the exit. Sasha finished off the last of her breakfast. It was time to join him and leave. They were heading back to Esmeralda’s.

“No?” She walked up to him, wondering what he was up to. He didn’t move from the door opening. His gaze savoured her, and with each step closer she saw the raw hunger in his eyes.

“Don’t you? Maybe I need to refresh your memory. The waiting makes it sweeter.”

He stroke his hand in her hair, pushing some loose strand back behind her ear. Sasha saw the mischievous sparkle in his eyes and she knew what he was up to. She shouldn’t encourage him, but she needed this. She needed to forget. She needed to be selfish, just for a small moment. And he was right, since Isaak had broke the news that she was not his girlfriend she had been waiting for Elias reaction, only to be disappointed when there was none.

“You look adorable when you are lost in thoughts “, Elias said.

He put his hands on her waist, slowly putting pressure at her and dragging her in. Sasha really hoped no one of the others was awake yet.

“I think we have waited long enough, haven’t we? I know the perfect way to start the day.”

Her legs felt soft, he was too much. Too good looking, to kind and still the devil. He bent closer, his lips about to touch hers. She took a step closer when she saw an empty glass bottle in the corner of her eye.

She pushed hard at him.

“You bastard!” she said. “You played me for a magic ingredient! That is low.”

He smiled, putting a cork in the bottle and letting it disappear in his pockets.

“You played me as well Sasha.”

“I did not”, she crossed her arms, still longing for that kiss.

“So, you and Isaak?” Elias said coldly, stepping closer, looking at her from top to toe. “Don’t say you didn’t play me.”

He changed so swiftly, suddenly all the anger boiling out of him, as if it was only yesterday Isaak had told him that they both had chosen him over Elias.

Sasha was angry, but her mouth went dry. She didn’t want to talk about it, especially not here, and not now. He picked up another empty bottle, the angry look in his eyes turning more fiercely as he wetted his lips. A swirled wind of feelings was erupting from him.

“I guess with no Isaak around, you are fare game.” He chuckled. “I could fill two bottles this way. Little rebel, don’t be mad, Esmeralda will brew the strongest love potions out of this.”

“I don’t believe in love potions”, Sasha sneered.

“Me neither”. Elias said. “But I have missed trouble.”

And just as that, he seemed to reel in the anger, biding his time. Elias bend forward, softly brushing her lips with his. She closed her eyes, engulfing in the feeling of belonging and keeping her conscious at bay. She wanted what she could not have.

He filled his bottles, she didn’t even bother, as long as there were silence from the bedrooms. When the cat’s was away the mice would play. And she would play until she got burned.