“Who?” Luna shouted after she passed the security layer of her library.

  Lukai was left outside; he couldn’t go in by himself, and she also didn’t intend to allow him yet. One intruder was enough.

  She was scared, but mostly angry.

  “Who dared?” she exclaimed, looking around to find the person who had managed to go in.

  She also grabbed Taj’s Crystal that she had left on the table; it was still there. She quickly clicked it into her embedding and instantly felt calmer.

  Taj looked as if he were holding something, and he signaled her to be silent.

  Luna nodded—Taj then stood up and let go of someone because there was movement under the table.

  “… It’s me, it’s me!” There was finally an answer to her questions.

  “Who is ‘me,’ who is it?!” she shouted again and tried to cross around the table to see who was under it on the floor.

  And then she saw him.

  Right, this was why Taj signaled her not to say anything.

  Luna moved her gaze from Silly to Taj—he could project himself in a way that she only heard what he was saying, and she also only could see him then. They tested that with her grandmother; she never spotted him if some other energy was present around. They also had their signals confirmed for years.

  … Her grandmother assumed Luna was crazy because there were moments when Taj would do things to cheer Luna up, and she would burst out laughing.

  Currently, Luna wasn’t sure if she could ask Taj something. She made a face, meaning, ‘What now?’

  “Luna, I grabbed his core; he won’t be a problem now. He managed to go in. As I told you, he is powerful. Lukai is not; he is still outside. I can feel that he is growing anxious. We can let him in, no?” Taj said calmly.

  She nodded and went out without a word.

  “What a…?” It was Silly; she overheard him saying only this.

  Luna was instantly back in the library with Lukai. Taj was right; Lukai was nervous.

  … To see him nervous, what a gift. Luna wanted to laugh somehow. Was this how her body reacted to serious situations? Thinking that, she wanted to laugh harder.

  What a crazy lady she was.

  She avoided looking at Taj directly. She noticed that Silly was observing her; he was also glancing around.

  It could mean only one thing: Silly had noticed Taj’s energy.

  Lukai still didn’t.

  “Luna, say nothing; do not look at me as you exactly do now. Good, you hid my Crystal. Your Silly sensed my energy; he also tried to escape. As I said, he managed to go in; I checked, and he has vast energy—level four. Lukai no, he is a regular Abilitier. The one we need to worry about is your Silly, then. I do not feel any killing intent from him. My idea is to ask him exactly like this…” Taj said, and Luna nodded and repeated after him.

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  “… Silly, is it seventy-nine on the scale?” she said out loud, not understanding.

  But visibly Silly understood the question; his face, she could tell because she knew him, was very surprised by what she had asked about.

  “O? He understood.” Taj confirmed her observation.

  Lukai, as she knew him as well, wouldn’t interfere. He needed to process the situation. It was not him to spoil the meeting, when to think. Definitely, he won’t interfere.

  At least that, Luna sighed.

  “Seventy-one, I charged myself a bit before coming here…?” Silly answered; he sounded unsure.

  Taj made a face; Luna understood. “Luna, ask this…”

  “… Did you charge yourself to fight with me?” she repeated after Taj.

  Quite an interesting question to ask.

  “… No, now I think it was silly to come here charged; I apologize. I was training before, and it was for the other purpose,” Silly answered, rushing his words, trying to explain briefly.

  “Good then, Luna, be silent for a moment. Let them feel the silence,” Taj said. Luna listened.

  The silence lasted a moment.

  Luna observed them; they observed her.

  Taj also observed them; he was serious but very calm. It made Luna feel comfortable. No danger, clearly.

  This prolonged silence made Silly speak. How nice, she thought.

  “… I was testing something I wanted to discuss today, so this, Anna, Luna! It was the second topic for today’s meeting. Lukai told me you did agree. We can change the order and talk about it first; the alliance we would discuss later. What would you say?” Silly tried to explain, and he visibly succeeded. Luna noticed that what Silly had said made Taj relax completely.

  “Luna, you decide which topic you want to talk over first. Your Silly won’t avoid both.” Taj stated.

  Before she could decide what to say, Silly broke the silence again.

  “But Anna, no, Luna! So, I am silly, but… could I meet the person who overpowered me?” His voice was not attacking; it was filled with notes of laughter.

  Luna looked at both of them again. Lukai was not moving; his intent was clear—to observe. Silly, though. Si? His name was Si? How fun.

  “Right…” she said out loud and looked at Taj, a glance. Her face asking again, ‘What now?’ Just then, she got an idea.

  “It is my security, Silly,” she said, and she felt somehow happy.

  Taj even slightly smiled; she also noticed. “Luna, your Silly is powerful, but not silly. I guess he already has his assumptions. He is from Shadows; his mother for sure prepared him for his future. He asked about a person, no? He must know about my existence… you can ask him one additional question; let’s see what he answers, o?”

  She nodded and repeated after Taj. “How are your parents?”

  Silly was for a moment surprised, but before answering, he stopped and looked around.

  “My mother, she is well. My father is ill,” he said.

  Taj nodded. “Luna, so that is it. His father being sick means your Silly would need to inherit his position very soon. He needs to know more things than we assumed. He must know about me. I do not think he suspects who you are, but soon he will figure it out.”

  Luna decided.

  “You two, go out for a moment; I must think.”

  That was what she said.

  They left without a word; she opened the barrier for them for a second.

  “… Taj? I mean, what do we want to do with them? I am also a bit devastated. Did the barrier break? I always thought it was charged enough; I am adding energy as we agreed. How could he go in like this, that easily? Taj? Can we fight with them and win? Or we do what?” she said it all quickly, no breaks.

  She was both stressed and angry. It was not according to any plan.

  “Your Silly has more energy than he admits, Luna. I know. And he also knows you are aware; about this was my question. Seventy-one on the old scale means he is powerful, level four, but he said he had charged himself. It is not usual to be able to charge oneself. As I said, I will protect us; do not worry, they both cannot win with me. Do not tell them, though. Luna, how about we let your Silly speak? If he asks the right questions, if your Silly shows he knows already, and if he shows he trusts his partner Lukai, then I can show myself. Silly is Shadows’ future Lord. He would have met me either way, if not for what your mother did. I think, for you Luna, the best is to come back to your roots… Luna?” Taj stopped—he suddenly sounded excited.

  Luna looked at him, curious. “Yes, you talker? Because you know they are waiting outside, right?”

  “You shrimp! Focus, think! You, being Clar, proving to Shadows you are Clar, and showing you have me? It could work; you could use it to break off this alliance’s engagement and secure your future. Your grandmother cannot interfere now, and you said, Silly is not this type of person to behave nasty. There is a chance. It is something we didn’t have before as an option; we didn’t know who the future Lord was, but now here it is. A new way out. Amazing, no?”

  “Truly, Taj—” she started, paused, and then, as if it sank in, she added. “Taj? Truly amazing!”