The moment Alvery and Eugene crossed the threshold into the house, the old farmer rounded on his guest.

“If you leave down the back field and head straight, in two days you will hit one of the main roads. If you take a left it should eventually get you to Scarlem, but if you take a right, it’ll take you to the capital.”

Alvery nodded. “Thank you. I’m going to pack everything now and-”

Eugene suddenly held up his hand. “Where’s Eliza?”

Both men then turned and registered the darkened cottage.

The kitchen was clean, though the smell of the fresh bread she had baked earlier that day still clung to the air, but otherwise, the house sat quiet.

Eugene crossed the room in long, hurried strides and peered through their bedroom door.

He returned, and even in the darkness Alvery could see the man looked panicked.

“W-Wait! Didn’t she say she was having a cup of tea with Louise Orville?” Alvery recalled frantically.

Eugene stepped over to the window and bent down to peek through the lace curtains. “That’s right. Hopefully Louise’s son is just walking her home now… Lad, these men that you’re running from, they wouldn’t hurt my Eliza, would they?”

Alvery swallowed with difficulty.

He opened his mouth that felt horribly dry, but was spared having to answer as Eugene rightened himself abruptly.

“There! I see them! Wait…”

Eugene frowned.

Alvery joined him at the window.

“There are three people coming.”

Squinting, Alvery was able to indeed see that while there was only one bobbing lantern, and the familiar shawled figure of Eliza moving alongside it, another person was indeed moving a short ways ahead…

Alvery didn’t know how he knew, but… A strong thrum of knowingness filled him.

“Tia,” he rasped, his thundering heart growing almost painful as it strained against his chest.

Why in the world was Tia with Eliza Cremont?

Eugene must have been equally surprised, and in his impatience for an answer, he darted back to the door and ran with impressive speed to meet the trio approaching his house.

Feeling at a complete loss as to what to do, Alvery bolted after him.

Sure enough, Tia was leading the way ahead of Eliza Cremont and Louise Orville’s son, Beau.

Eugene reached them without faltering once despite the darkness, his feet aware of every groove of the land that was his home.

He skidded to a halt in front of them, while Alvery slowed to a walk to join his side.

“What is happening?” Eugene demanded. His stricken gaze jumped from Tia over to Eliza who was hanging onto Beau’s arm as they moved as quickly as they could behind the peri woman who had a sack slung over her shoulder.

“Mercenaries are in town, and they’re looking for… For Robin,” Eliza answered, her face pale in the faint light of the lantern. “Someone is going to remember seeing him… Even if no one who lives in Aniselle says anything, the tourists have no loyalty. They’ll say whatever they have to to get rid of the mercenaries.”

Eugene listened while taking his wife’s hands into his own.

“Why is the peri girl here?” he asked quietly, his tone neither angry nor derisive when referring to Tia who shifted closer to Alvery’s side.

The peri woman’s expression was uncharacteristically stoic during the exchange.

“The mercenaries… they came with the viscount. He’s offering his own men to help them. Apparently a wealthy duke is funding the search for Robin and the viscount is trying to make a favorable impression…” Eliza explained, her voice warbling fearfully as the group stood in a circle.

Despite Beau Orville knowing the least of anyone present, he stood silently, without offering judgment or questions… His dark eyes lowered to the ground.

“Diolla,” Eugene rasped as he looked to Alvery, his eyes filled with wonder. “Just who are you?”

Everyone’s attention turned to the young man who had summoned such powerful chaos to their quiet town.

Alvery felt his eyes grow warm.

How could he have brought danger to such kind and good people…?

Why didn’t he try and camp out in the woods instead of staying in town?

What if someone was hurt because of him?

Tia’s hand, cool from the night air, slipped into his, startling Alvery from his thoughts.

She gave his palm a small squeeze then released it before addressing the couple.

“Mr. Cremont, I’m sorry, but could we maybe talk in your house?”

Alvery had never heard Tia speak so formally before… but there was something else. A note of subservience that sounded as though it came from another woman entirely… A woman who had done nothing but lower herself before others…

Eugene looked to his wife, but the two were already in agreement as they both shared a wordless nod before addressing Beau.

“Beau, thank you for escorting me home. Please tell your mother that I got back safely and… Please have her discreetly alert our friends,” Eliza attempted a smile at the man who appeared close in age to her.

Amazingly, even when brought into the conversation, Beau didn’t comment on the strange and suspicious events, but then again there was something about his countenance that spoke of a timid nature.

He merely bowed his balding head, gave a small wave, and turned to be on his way.

Eliza rounded back on Alvery and Tia, her face while still uncertain, growing bolder. “Hurry. I suspect you two don’t have long.”

*

Once back in the house, Eugene lit a lone candle and instead of sitting at the kitchen table, the group retreated to his and Eliza’s bedroom as the window there faced the back of the house, so no one coming from the town could peer in.

“Alright, you. You, young man, owe us the truth if we are to help you.” Eugene wagged his finger at Alvery.

He glanced nervously out the darkened window over his shoulder while Eliza and Eugene sat on the bed. Tia remained awkwardly rooted in the doorway to the bedroom… Unable to meet anyone’s gaze. She looked awkward. As though being confined in four walls was making her skittish…

“You… You’re right. I’m sorry. I… I can only tell you a little. I don’t want you in any more danger than you might already be.”

Eugene’s eyes darkened as he gripped his wife’s hand tighter. “Tell us quickly.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Dropping his eyes to the floor, Alvery clenched the right side of his trousers win his hand.

“I’ll do my best. My… My real name is Alvery. Robin is my middle name and… And I am a teacher. I taught at Scarlem University, but I… angered my father because I refused to take the military position he wanted for me. He’s a powerful man. However, Duke Carval Gestov he… He found out I was hiding from my father and decided to hold me hostage because I could help his business.”

“Diolla, he can’t get away with that!” Eliza announced furiously.

Alvery shook his head brokenly. “Of course he can. He is one of the most powerful men in the empire. I’m no one.” He paused. “I could ask my father for help, but then I’d more or less be stepping into another cage and have to concede to live however he wished me to.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Alvery saw Tia fold her arms and tilt her head as she listened.

“I managed to escape with help… My ‘savior’ and I worked out a kind of deal, but I need to reach Scarlem in order to get him what he wants. After that, he was supposed to pay me enough that I could… Could hide myself properly,” the last bit of his story was clumsy as Alvery avoided relaying the exact layout of his plan.

“So this duke…” Eugene began slowly. “He wants you to return because of your help with his business?”

Alvery fidgeted as he tried to think of how he could honestly answer without revealing too much.

“I’m… I’m good with numbers, and I know a-about the latest developments with science…”

Eugene held up his hand, his gaze had softened considerably as Alvery told the tale.

“It sounds like you’ve gotten yourself backed into a corner.”

Alvery let out a shuddering breath. “I have been for a long time.”

As he let his story rest in the tentative silence between them all, he couldn’t help but glance back out the window over his shoulder again.

“I really do need to leave soon.”

Eugene looked to Eliza while standing. “I understand now. Men go mad when it comes to money… However, Alvery,” Eugene paused, and Alvery felt his emotions surge at hearing his real name for the first time in months… “You need to take Tiaznia with you.”

Alvery balked. “W-What?”

“That’s our deal. Don’t get us wrong, we like you plenty, and have greatly appreciated having you. We want to keep you safe, but then… You need to do us this favor. You need to take Tia with you.”

Whirling on the peri woman, anger flashed in Alvery’s eyes. “What in Kir’s void is going on?”

“Easy there, it isn’t her fault,” Eugene soothed as Tia flinched at Alvery’s fury. Her reaction instantly made him feel like an utter beast.

“The viscount had an unhealthy obsession with Tia’s mother years ago… And after she died, his sights gradually shifted to Tia.”

Alvery frowned. “But… Tia, you said you were eight when your mother died.”

The room fell into uneasy quiet.

Sickening realization crashed down around Alvery. “Oh.”

“It didn’t matter her age. It wasn’t right the fixation he had on Leonor. She couldn’t even join another peri troupe… He’d threaten or harass them endlessly even if they spoke to her… So she stayed trapped here. There’s more to the story, but that’s all I’ll get into for now. The viscount hasn’t known Tia is back in town, but… But the tourists are sure as hell going to mention seeing her when pressed by mercenaries about anyone suspicious. She needs to leave, and the way I look at it… Both the viscount and your duke are looking for individual people. They aren’t looking for a couple.”

Alvery fell silent.

His argument was perfectly valid.

And yet…

“Tia might be in more danger with me than if she were to travel on her own.”

“I’d feel a lot better if she had someone with her who isn’t a peri,” Eugene responded evenly. “Those of us in Aniselle have done our best to protect her, but now that she’s an adult… We can’t hide her away as easily as we used to. Especially after the fire.”

Alvery looked at Tia in awe.

With every truth revealed about Tia, the enigma surrounding her expanded…

“Lad, everyone in Aniselle loved and respected her mother. Peri or not. Tiaznia here… well…”

Alvery glanced at Eugene, his exchange with Theo Tipping earlier that night abruptly coming back to him. He looked back at Tia, who met his bright gaze steadily.

“Your father lives in Aniselle. That’s why the town feels like they need to protect you.”

Tia’s eyes darted to the Cremont’s with a small frown of her own appearing…

It dawned on Alvery then that she herself did not know the answer.

Eliza Cremont stood up beside her husband.

“Tia… dear… I’m sorry. I know all these years we’ve… Everyone has treated you so coldly… I promise you. We wish we could’ve done more… but the second any of us claimed you properly, you’d be under the viscount’s power. As a peri you don’t belong to his land. Even if one of us adopted you and ran with you… He’s far more powerful than any of us. He’d come for us.”

Tia’s eyes grew misty as she listened, but she didn’t speak.

Eugene Cremont stepped forward, his expression gentle, and kind as he stared down at her.

“Tia… Your… Your father… He… Well, he died. The winter after you were born, he died.”

Everything fell into place in Alvery’s mind.

“You’re Theo Tipping’s niece.”

His words made everyone grow still.

Tia stared imploringly up at Eugene, her soulful eyes pleading him for the answer.

Eugene blinked back tears of his own, then said,

“Yes. Phillip Tipping. Theo’s older brother… He… He loved you and your mother properly… He wanted to marry her. We wanted him to marry Leonor… But… He couldn’t even last until the spring when he wanted to risk running away with you two. Cripple and penniless, or not. He wanted you all to try making a new life somewhere.”

Tears fell from Tia’s eyes as, after years of living not knowing, she finally had the answers she desired… Only… Was it better to know?

Eliza moved over to Alvery then, and reached for his hand.

“Please say you’ll take Tia with you. Promise us you’ll protect her.”

Alvery stared down into the woman’s kind face. The woman who had acted more like a mother to him than his own flesh and blood one…

There was no chance in hell he’d say no, and so… The decision was made.

“Alright. I promise.”