Someone pounded loudly on Keshiema's door, "Are you awake?" a familiar woman's voice shouted, followed by more pounding.

  "I am now." She grumbled before looking at her clock. "Who the hell is waking me up at six in the morning?"

  "I'm coming in!" The voice called. The door opened just before Keshiema put her hand on the knob.

  "Princess?" Keshiema rubbed her eyes when Lilith entered her room. 'Its too damned early for this.'

  "I thought you might want to know that Send-Off starts in half an hour." Lilith inspected her nails. "Some of your classmates will be leaving with their new assignments. I've heard through the vine you're fairly close with a couple of them."

  "Oh stars, Send-Off?!" She dressed in her walk-in closet, one of the many upgrades she was excited about when she moved to the Great Temple. "Thank you, Princess Lilith." She bowed in respect and started to leave.

  "Hold on there. You're not going anywhere without me. Alex demands you have a personal guard from now on."

  "And that's going to be you? You're royalty, what are you doing guarding anyone, let alone someone like me?" She was not trying to be disrespectful; she was genuinely confused.

  "Keshiema, you're the most important person on Earth to us right now. We need to get rid of Adramelech. Trust me, there is no better guard on campus for you. I'm probably the only one who won't slow you down."

  'Okay, if those are the orders then I guess I have a guard.' She thought to herself, "So you say you're fast enough to keep up with me?"

  "I'm saying I can outrun you." The princess smiled wickedly.

  Keshiema smiled at the challenge. They took off towards the station, neither of them holding back. They rushed through the corridors and into the quad, narrowly avoiding collisions with guards and students as they flew past. Both women reached the station, breathless, but laughing. "That...was...re...mark...able..." Keshiema gasped, her heart pounding in her chest.

  "Yeah...I haven't run like that in ages." Lilith huffed as she finally caught her breath. "you're pretty good."

  "I've been running for a long time." Keshiema said half-jokingly.

  "Your friends should be around here somewhere." Lilith straightened and looked around. "Any ideas?"

  Keshiema scanned the crowd for Cresil's uniquely unsteady heartbeat. "Platform C. He's in the back by the ticket booth." Lilith raised an eyebrow, surprised and slightly impressed. "He's easy to find if you know what to look for." She explained. As they neared the platform, Lilith distanced herself. Keshiema smiled when she saw Cresil and waved to get his attention. He sat alone on a small wooden bench, tearing a piece of paper into microscopic bits, his leg bouncing rapidly. She reached him before he noticed her.

  "Holy shit, Kesh!" he jumped when he looked up to her standing above him. "You scared the bejesus out of me!" He stood and hugged her. He looked at her as she stiffened up. "What's up? You okay?"

  "You just," her mind had to find the word, "You just hugged me."

  "Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. I just..." He scratched the back of head.

  "It's okay. It's just been a while, I didn't think it was you're style." She punched his arm lightly.

  "Yeah, well, I'm not going to see you for a while." He looked over to Lilith who stuck out among the crowd of soldiers. Her panted bedlah and jeweled chains contrasting sharply against the various battle attire of those around her. "What's Princess Lilith doing here?" Lilith looked over and waved as if in response to her name.

  "She's here to watch me," Keshiema mumbled. "I'm not trusted." Though it had not been stated, she could read between the lines. "Where's Sonneillon?" she looked around for the Mist-Daemon.

  "He was called to duty early yesterday afternoon: shortly after that weird fog lifted."

  "Awe. I was hoping to say goodbye to him, too." She pouted. "Well, at least I get to see you off."

  "Yeah." With a quick glance at Lilith to make sure she was not looking, Cresil grabbed Keshiema's hand and pulled her through the crowd. "Come here real quick!" he rushed her.

  "Ah! Okay!" she gasped. After a few moments of weaving through the crowd, he stopped at a quiet platform. "what the heck?"

  "Kesh, are you safe?" Concern filled Cresil's eyes.

  "Cress, I'm fine. Are you okay?" She laughed off his inquiry.

  "I'm serious. Please. I need to know if you're safe. Are the Elders keeping you hostage? Are you being forced to... are they hurting you?" his eyes never left hers as he pressed for an answer.

  "Cresil..." She considered her answer. "They aren't hurting me." He only looked slightly relieved, so she continued. "I may have not been totally honest with you before." She thought carefully about how to explain the situation. "Cress...they want me to..." She looked around to see if anyone was nearby. No one was, but she lowered her voice anyway. "They want me to kill the king."

  "Wait... what?" Her words did nothing to relieve his anxiety.

  "Apparently there's a prophecy and I have a role to play... You know, destiny and all that." She looked into his eyes, trying to figure out if she had made the right decision to trust him. 'Too late now,' she thought. "They're training me so I can better control my powers. I guess I'm supposed to awaken in a little less than a year."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Stars, when Prince Eurynome came looking for you yesterday I just about freaked. I thought you were in some deep shit. I had no idea it was anything like that. Are you okay with this?"

  "I've made my peace with it." She lied.

  "Do you want to leave." When she looked confused, he elaborated. "we'll run away. Escape so far, they'll never find us. I can hide you. I'm good at that, at least." He was ready to fight Fate itself if it meant keeping her safe.

  She gave a heavy sigh and leaned her head against his chest. He smelled of charred earth. "I can't." He wrapped his arms around her as her hair turned a raven black. "I have to do this. I have to save everyone."

  "Kesh," he swallowed the lump in his throat, fighting back the emotions that threatened to choke him. "Kesh, no one can make you do anything."

  "I know that. But if I don't save them, no one will." Her knuckles turned white as her claw-like nails dug into her palms. She wanted to scream, hating herself for her weakness; hating herself for her strength. "I'm gonna miss you, Cresil."

  "Yeah, I'll miss you too, kid." He set his hand on her head and patted her back comfortingly. "If you need me, I'll be here. I don't know how I'll do it; Hell, I don't know how I'll even know, but damn it, I'll be here."

  She stepped back and looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I wish I could go with you."

  Her eyes looked like two black holes, ready to swallow the universe at any moment. He had seen into the void, and it did not compare to the darkness within her eyes when sadness took hold. "No, don't be sorry. You're strong and you're caring and I know you'll succeed. You're gonna succeed, I know it."

  "Hey!" They both jumped at the sound of Lilith shouting. "Keshiema, where did you go?"

  "Attention soldiers, all boarding for Sector Eleven please report to Platform C," The voice on the intercom sounded robotic.

  "Well, since I guess we're not running away, I've got a train to catch."

  "Wait! First, what can you tell me about a demon named Dásos?"

  Cresil glared at her. "You do your best to stay clear of him. He's nothing but trouble. He'll get you killed if you're not careful."

  "Last call for Sector Eleven."

  "Kesh, I mean it, stay away from him!" He called as he ran back towards platform C.

  "Keshiema, what exactly was that all about?" Lilith's scolding voice came from behind her.

  "I just wanted to say goodbye to my friend. He wanted a bit of privacy for our last farewell."

  "Oh, so he's that kind of friend, is he?" Lilith raised her eyebrows.

  "What? No, that's not what I meant." She had never felt anything romantic towards Cresil, and Lilith thinking otherwise bothered her.

  "It would take that for an Impure to shower." Lilith giggled.

  "I'm serious. We're just friends! I'm not like that with anyone. I've never even kissed a guy." She thought of Dásos's power transfer. "Save for a spell or two." She kept herself grounded, but was sure she might turn pink if she kept thinking about him.

  "I see. Well, that's good. Those Impure are a handful anyways. Way too overprotective. First, they fall for you, next thing you know they're trying to convince you to run away with them." Keshiema hesitated. "It's for the best that you don't feel that way. He's going to the front lines of Asail. Chances are he won't even survive."

  "Wait, did you send him there?" Her chest tightened as did her fists. Every part of her was screaming to attack the woman.

  "Me? Heavens, no. Merihim is in charge of the Impure."

  The walk back to the Great Temple was slow and quiet. Liloth smiled snuggly as she walked behind Keshiema. If Lilith had said anything on the way there, Keshiema was sure would have snapped. Her skin crawled and eyes stung with tears begging to escape. When they arrived back at the Great Temple, Keshiema went to her room.

  ***

  Ipos walked into Nergal's war room. The war table in the center held a perfectly scaled version of Denim and the surrounding territory. The map showed units placed strategically around the campus. "Sending one of the king's messengers to retrieve me? That's a bold move. What if he finds out?"

  "The messenger is already being taken care of. By now, he's been slaughtered by a rogue gang of humans." Nergal paced around the table as he spoke.

  "Keep murdering your spies and soon you'll have no one left on your side." Ipos examined one of the flags on the map and placed it back down.

  Nergal glared at him as he fixed the location. "Please don't play with them. They are not toys."

  "I was only admiring the craftsmanship. Whoever made these is very attentive to detail."

  "So tell me, Ipos, how are you still awake? That mist should have depleted you."

  "You would like to know, wouldn't you? One of the Elders found me and dragged me to be interrogated before the mist had enough time to send me to Ethera."

  "I see. The Elders did me a wonderful service by declawing you. I trust you did not tell them anything." Nergal waved his hand, and ghostly shackles appeared on Ipos's wrists and ankles. "You're still bound, after all."

  "You had better pray I never break these chains. I'll tear you apart for everything you've done." Ipos dreamed of the day he could finally rip out the shifter's throat.

  "Eligos had a vision recently. He said it was a horned demon with blue hair and a Friskalian mark." Ipos tried to stay calm. "She was fighting Adramelech. For a time, it seemed like she may have a fighting chance, but in the end, he plunged his sword straight through her. She cried out for someone just before she died. Do you want to know who?"

  Ipos wanted to vomit. His heart raced in terror at the thought of her death. Maybe he should have just given in to Nergal's request for her blood. "I can't imagine why I would care," he feigned disinterest.

  "She cried for you, Ipos. Except she called you by that wretched name your mother gave you. I never could understand why you and Prince Stolas prefer the names those wenches gave you over your true names."

  "I can't help it if this Friskalia feels attached to me. Women are perplexing creatures."

  "I'm not very inclined to believe you. You see, Eligos also mentioned that he has seen you invading her dreams. Tell me, why would a Dream-Walker want to invade the dreams of a Friskalia, knowing full well that she can kill him? It doesn't add up. Unless, that is, he already has a deeper connection to her."

  Guards surrounded Ipos. "You intend to lock me up again?"

  "Yes. My Mist-Daemon has work to finish, and this time, I don't want you getting in the way. Guards, take him to the dungeon. I have a feeling it should hold him just fine now. You see, Ipos, I've recently had it updated to better hold a Moon-Child such as yourself."

  Ipos roared as the guards dragged him away. The phantom chains prevented him from putting up much of a struggle. "Damn you, Nergal. I'll kill you if you so much as touch a single hair on her head!"

  "Oh, I don't need her hair. I just need her blood. And since you've made things such a hassle, I think I'll take it all." Nergal laughed as he watched Ipos. "Once that's done, I'd like to see you try."

  A guard entered the room and saluted Nergal. "Sir, you have another visitor."

  "Ah, yes, right on time. Send him in."

  Shortly after the guard left, a dark mist filled the doorway of the war room. "Sonneillon, it's wonderful to see you again after all these years. How long has it been?"

  "A tad over fifteen years, my liege."

  "And how did your most recent assignment turn out?"

  "Just as you predicted; the Hell-Child rescued the Fallen One from the poison. I do believe she is the one we seek."

  "You mean the one you let get away fifteen years ago." Nergal corrected. Sonneillon shivered in anger but did not respond. "Don't worry. This way, she has had more time to grow. Her blood will be much more potent." his mouth watered at the thought of finally getting to taste the blood he had been searching for for over two hundred years.

  "So I am forgiven?"

  "If you can manage to bring her to me this time. If not," Ipos's screams echoed through the building, causing it to rumble. "I'm sure you know what happens to those who fail me more than once."