“I don’t believe I’ve had the chance to introduce myself to you, personally. My name is Revan.”

Rubi’s servant, Emran, took Revan’s outstretched hand in his, giving it a respectful shake. He cleared his throat, glancing from him to Zara. He was confused, more confused than he was a second ago, but that was normal. Better confused than coherent.

“Good to meet you, sir,” Emran said. “You belong to her?”

Revan scoffed. Cowering behind him, Zara frowned.

“No.” He sighed. “I am her cousin.”

“Oh. Okay. Um, I didn’t know she had a cousin.”

“Well, of course you didn’t. How would you know a thing like that? You’ve just met her.”

The young man blinked, then shook his head rapidly as though he was trying to get something out of his healthy mass of hair.

“Oh. Right. Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I just had a hunch we’ve met somewhere and she never mentioned…but that’s so silly. Never mind.” He laughed. “I guess she’s one of those girls, isn’t she? It’s not every day I’m so impressed by one, but she’s cute enough to stir a memory I don’t even have.”

Revan did not want to engage with this man any longer. He wanted his eyes to be off of Zara. Because the longer they stayed on her, the more he would recall about her. Zara, despite her heady infatuation, was damn well aware of this too. It was why she had reached out to him, lured him over with her magic when his back had been to her. He’d be prouder of her if he wasn’t so preoccupied with Emran.

“We’ll be leaving then,” he said curtly, holding Zara’s shoulder steady. “It was nice meeting you. We appreciated you sharing your experience with us.”

Emran lowered his head. “Uh, yes. Yeah, Madam wants her to get dressed, doesn’t she? Don’t want to keep her waiting long.” He chuckled. “She isn’t always so patient. I guess I’ll see you later…”

His puppy eyes were seemingly still searching for her name. It was no business of his, at least not while he was in this dubious state.

“Let’s go,” Revan said, taking Zara’s arm.

But to his displeasure, she did not budge so easily.

“Wait! Wait, I need to—” she stammered. “I need to ask him something.”

“What?” Revan questioned through clenched teeth.

A cold wave hit what felt like the inside of his skull. He immediately turned back to the source of such force. He was met with Saren’s dark eyes digging into him like she wanted to extract his heart from his body.

He understood well how she felt for him. In fact, at certain times, he found himself flattered. If he was a normal man, he would waste no time in pursuing her. But every time he looked at the woman and sensed desire pumping in her blood, he almost felt pity for her. She was nice in appearance and strong of mind. Vocal, resilient, daring, and optimistic, a woman like Saren could have made him happy…if he had been a century younger. But he could not bare his soul for her, or for anyone truly, anymore. She only had one use for him. Then she would be done for.

Revan glared back at her, willing that she wipe the ugly jealousy off her face. Even if she liked him, he was still a little surprised that a woman her age would still be letting such childish emotions sway her judgment. How silly.

But it wasn’t just the jealousy that was the issue. Saren—now newly aware of the green gem’s significance and its link to her identity—had apparently begun experimenting, casting wisps of power while she was fully cognizant. She was naturally perceptive, and had picked up on his ability to read others like a book. She was attempting to communicate with him, mind to mind, and shockingly he could feel bits of her message—her warning essentially.

The stone resting over her breast glowed as alluringly as her skin. It was a shame he could not communicate back to her the same way. She was not a mage. They were not the same. Weak as her ability was, it still managed to be a level above his own. What she had was real power. Power he wanted.

Revan offered a quick nod of acknowledgment her way. There was no need for him to be cautious around these “actors”, or of the Madam fiddling with Saren’s flimsy wrap. He already figured out what this theater was, and what this show of theirs was really for.

He glanced back at Emran, who now gazed at Saren with a sleazy glimmer in his eye. The crap that flowed in his soul…what Zara saw in this shameless creature of a man was beyond Revan’s comprehension. This wasn’t anything new of course. Revan was aware young women fell in love with cheap-hearted men all the time. But it was still exasperating; he supposed it always would be. With Zara, it was another case. She was his apprentice, the one with the most potential to be something by far, and it was frustrating to him how clueless she could be.

Zara pulled his arm, like a child would her parent.

“What is it? Does it have to be now? He’s sufficiently distracted,” he told her in a low voice. “We shouldn’t be around him while he’s like this. And I don’t want you blurting your name to him either.”

Zara’s face crumpled. “I’m not a fool, Revan, I wouldn’t do that. But I don’t understand. Ms. Rubi has already introduced us. So what is his problem? Why can you say your name, but I can’t mine?”

“Because he doesn’t know me as well as he knows you. He’s only met me once.”

“What? He hardly knows me either!”

“But it seems you’ve left enough of an impression on him anyway.”

The slight glow to her face and heart was almost endearing. She hid a small smile, looking back towards the man she wished to call her lover, who was too busy gawking at Saren to even notice her.

Innocent. Untouched. Her desire is pure.

Revan shook his head, but continued, “Just so you are aware, it is not too strong, given your weak association to him. He’s only recollecting bits and pieces of you. However the longer he looks at you, speaks to you, that puzzle may come together eventually.”

“Would it really be so bad?” Zara asked indignantly. “It’s like you said. Our association is weak. He is not that significant. Also, he was never even at that party.”

Revan immediately twisted her wrist.

“Ah!” she yelped.

“Do not be so mindless as to try and test it,” he growled. “There is a reason I cast that spell to trickle over the entire fucking town, to everyone who has ever heard your name. This man that you are so unusually fond for may be duller than a pebble, but even he is capable of unraveling such a chain. Do you understand me?”

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“Okay, okay,” Zara gasped. When he let her go, she protested, “He is not dull! You don’t even know him.”

“I know enough. Now what is it that you wanted to ask of him?”

She rubbed her wrist, scowling. “I want to know who else from Pria is here. Who he traveled with and where that caravan is now. Where did the others go? If he knows, then I need…I need to know if—if anyone important is here.”

“Important. Like your family?”

Zara did not respond. She didn’t need to. The question was one he already had the answer to.

“What good will that do, my dear?” he asked, softening his tone.

She shrugged uncomfortably.

“I’ll pry it out of him as well as I can,” he conceded. “I suggest you not be here.” He nudged his head toward Rubi and Saren. “Best head over to them, before she drags you back by force.”

“Why should I?” Zara burst out, upset. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be on a stage, dancing or whatever, again. I can’t believe you’re okay with letting it happen! And my mag—I mean, my mind,” she spoke lowly after almost blaring out loud the secret that would doom her, “my heart, my body—it’s all unstable, especially right now due to reasons I refuse to say out loud, but I know you know the reason—” And he did. “—and you know very well what that could mean. After what happened last time, I’m surprised you’re not fighting to keep me away from this shit.”

“Your mind and body are always unstable, dear. Now is not so different.”

She smacked his arm lightly. “Now is not the time to joke.”

Revan blew a chuckle. “I’m hardly joking.”

“Revan, why aren’t you telling Ms. Rubi no?”

“Because this presents a wonderful teaching opportunity for me.”

Zara’s eyes rounded. “What are you saying?”

He edged closer to her, lifting her chin further up to him. “Your mind might be unstable and reckless. Sometimes outright stupid even.”

Zara bristled.

“But it is also magnificent. A kind of mind I have not witnessed in a long, long while. As always, I want to see more of it.”

“Does this mean you aren’t mad about…the thief? Or even the whale?” she whispered.

Revan pressed his lips in a smile. “Yes, I was mad. That damned whale almost threw out my sense of direction under the sea.”

“Huh?”

He shook his head. After his ordeal with Dayana and witnessing those confusing visions, he’d been swimming hurriedly back to the main shore—in Sorko form—hoping to intervene in whatever danger Zara and Saren had been about to fall into, when that incredible incident had occurred. The force of the whale’s transformation and subsequent behavior—rising from the depths in a rapid, excited pace—had flung him back and disoriented him. Zara’s magic had been painted all over it. Its size had been bigger than it normally would be—also a trait of Zara’s magic—and seemed like it had been trying to communicate with her, and she with it.

And then there was the lurking predator she’d apparently put an end to. Revan knew that man would turn up somewhere someday.

What foul-ups she’d created, causing scene after scene. This would not do, should the wrong people catch on to such suspicious occurrences. Any threat of magical activities would be hunted and eliminated. Zara was still at the lower stages. She’d succumb easily if she were caught…

But in no way was Revan willing to let it happen. Through all the painfully slow training they’d gone through over the past year, she’d overcome a lot. Her gradual progress was good and steady. If she could just now overcome this hurdle, this irritating timidness that constantly threw off her internal balance, it would be a huge step forward for her, and more importantly, for himself.

“The man you wiped away is an issue to be discussed another day. What happened at sea proves once again your gift. A connection with this world and its natural life,” he explained, resting his hands over her shoulders.

“Yes, yes,” Zara replied, a bit impatiently. “You’ve said that.”

“The whale. Did it speak to you?”

Her brows drew together as she thought seriously about it. “Um…I’m not sure.”

“Not necessarily by speech I mean, but through a feeling? Did you feel anything from it?”

Zara nodded slowly, her eyes staring off ahead as she recollected. “Yes. It—He acknowledged me. It almost felt like a greeting…of sorts.”

Revan smiled in understanding. “You’ll get better at this. But you need to be stronger, dear. What happened today, all of it, caused quite a stir among the locals. Among me, and a certain old acquaintance, especially.”

Zara regarded him suspiciously. “Were you shopping for cloth with this old acquaintance that you never mentioned before now?”

He wasn’t going to mention it. He hadn’t known what Dayana had wanted from him before meeting her. Now, her meeting Zara one of these days was inevitable.

“What are we really here for, Revan?” Zara asked. “Why did you bring us here?”

Revan didn’t need to bring the women. But he didn’t want to leave Zara and Saren by themselves for two nights without him there. A worthless concern, because she had done the thing he’d been afraid she would do in front of Saren anyway.

He coolly studied her dark-eyed glare—expectant of a legitimate answer. It strangely appealed to him as much as the vision of her in red and white appealed to him. He ignored her question for now.

“I’ve changed my mind. I want you on that stage now. It is not a significant role anyway as you’ll be in the background this time, rather than front and center. But I want you to listen to me. Really listen. If you do that, and you do it right, you’ll prevail over one of your greatest weaknesses yet.”

“I don’t understand…”

He ran his fingers lazily through her hair, unable to help himself. The more he thought of the visions, the more he realized why he was so drawn to her.

“On rare occasion, you remind me much of Aryaram,” he muttered wistfully. “There is beauty in your power, but destruction may be your downfall.”

Zara scrunched her face, offended. “What are you talking about? Who is Aryaram? Your stupid acquaintance?”

“No. He was a demon.”

Zara jerked away from him, displeased. Slightly amused, he was ready to take her next blast of wounded interrogation until they were sorely interrupted.

“You!” Rubi’s raspy shriek nearly blew out Revan’s ear as she scurried over to them. The older woman grabbed Zara’s wrist. “Why in all hells are you still fucking standing here? Your friend is nearly ready. It’s your turn, girl! Join us in the back room. You can have a small bite to eat in there, and only in there, and then one of my dancers will train you on what to do.” She jerked Zara’s wrist scornfully. “I cannot believe you, really! Puttering about, chatting like a total dunce! Do you not have any consideration for the one providing you this opportunity? The opportunity you so apparently wanted since you got here?”

“I didn’t really—” Zara trailed off, looking to Revan desperately. But he just waved her off.

“Get on with it then,” he said. “I’ll see you back there in a bit. After I’ve done you the favor you asked.”

After a moment’s reluctance in which she realized she didn’t stand a chance against Rubi’s overbearing insistence, Zara sighed. She looked at Emran once more, who had since gotten bored once Saren left his sight and had wandered off to a floor length mirror by the wall. He adjusted his hair with a comb, satisfied by its clean, tousled appearance.

“I wonder,” Zara mumbled, “if Cina came with him too—”

She finally let herself be violently led away.

Revan took a deep breath. He’d find that out for her too. It was something he couldn’t help but wonder himself, among other things, like the state of that town before Emran chose to leave it.

He walked up to the younger man, who was still eyeing himself in the mirror. His body had a nice sheen to it, like he’d just lathered on some oil. Revan cleared his throat.

“Oh,” Emran said, turning around. “It’s you again. Revan, was it? Can I help you with something, sir?”

Revan grinned like a friendly man. “There’s not much to do while I wait. I’d like to chat with you.”

“Oh yeah?” Emran glanced behind him. “Where’d the girl go?”

“Which one?”

Emran shrugged, his lips quirking slyly. “Either one.”

Revan chuckled. “They are in the back room, preparing for the show. So it is just you and I. If you are not too busy that is.”

“No, we have time. Are you with Madam tonight? You two seemed close.”

“Yes. We have gotten quite close. I respect her and her business after all,” Revan lied.

Emran raised a brow. “Oh? Are you a seller too? Is that why those girls are here?”

“They are not for sale.”

“Then…are you a buyer? Is that you want me for? Because I’m gonna have to turn you down. I only take sales from—”

“No,” Revan said harshly, dropping the smile.

Emran flinched, taken aback. “O…kay.”

“You strike me as interesting man, Emran. Your background interests me the most, really. Tell me more about your life in your hometown, and how it was before you moved. Tell me about what made you leave, the people you came with, and what ultimately led you into this shameless dump you call a ‘theater’.”

The man naturally hesitated. “Who’s asking?”

“I am asking. Do remember that your Madam and I are closely acquainted. If you refuse to answer, I will ensure you do not walk on that ‘stage’, or any other stage, again. So talk.”

Emran obeyed, swallowing nervously before he spoke.