As Eurynome passed by Keshiema's door on his way to his room, he heard an odd noise. He stopped to listen and realized it was crying. "You stupid idiot!" he heard Keshiema yell. There was a loud thud, and she screamed in anger. Then the quiet sobs continued.

  He waited a moment before knocking on the door. "Keshiema," he called, "are you in there?"

  "yeah." She answered feebly. "come on in."

  When he opened the door, she sat cross-legged on the ground, her raven black hair cascading around her. He noticed a hole in the wall's plaster. The cuts on her fist were already healing. Kneeling beside her, he raised her chin to look at him. "what happened?"

  "Like you don't already know." She glared at him. He looked confused. "Merihim sent Cresil to Asail! Lilith said he's going to be killed!"

  "You're worried about Cresil? What kind of attachments do you have to him?" his tone gave a hint of jealousy.

  "Just go away!" she shouted, not wanting to deal with him acting jealous. Tears ran down her reddened cheeks.

  "perhaps we should talk to Merihim and see what's really going on? Lilith may not know-"

  "She knew he asked me to run away with him! How could she have known? She was nowhere near us!"

  Eurynome looked at her in shock. "He offered to abandon his post for you? Are you sure?"

  "He was just looking out for me. He doesn't think I'm safe here." She immediately regretted telling him about Cresil's offer to run away, realizing it might cause him more trouble.

  "Let's go." Eurynome stood and offered her his hand. "we're talking to Merihim. Sector Eleven is his territory, and the Impure follow his orders alone."

  She accepted the help up, unsure that she would have had the strength to stand on her will alone. Keshiema followed him through the corridors until they reached a door marked with a bat. He knocked lightly. "Meer, I have Keshiema with me, may we speak with you?"

  Opening his door, Merihim gestured for the two to come inside. He softly closed the door behind them. Keshiema stood in silence, too grief-stricken to concentrate on anything. Merihim lifted a lock of her raven hair and examined it carefully. It held no shine and made him feel like he was being pulled into her sorrow. "what happened?"

  "Cresil..." Tears started to cloud her vision, and the words choked her. She looked to Eurynome for help.

  He sighed heavily and looked to the sitting area. "May she sit?"

  Merihim took her hand and led her to one of the soft armchairs. The stark white suede clashed against her black hair. Eurynome opened his mouth to speak, but Merihim held up a hand to silence him. He stood and watched Keshiema for a few moments while she stared silently at the ground.

  "she seems a bit broken. Cresil did this?" Merihim finally asked. He looked ready to kill, his white aura starting to form around him. Merihim was always very protective of women.

  "No. Cresil is her friend. He left today for -"

  "Asail." Merihim cut him off. "I am aware. Why is this a problem?"

  "Lilith seems to have given her the impression that Asail is a lost cause."

  "It was." He confirmed. "I gave up Sector Eleven months ago."

  "Then why?!" Keshiema demanded, finally looking up.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "our informants came back with info that one of the human leaders is based there. I need my best men on the lookout." Merihim knelt down next to Keshiema and took her hand. "Keshiema, I cannot promise you that Cresil will not be injured, but I am confident in his ability to remain undiscovered. If he is, he is a skilled warrior."

  "So you're not punishing him for me sneaking out?"

  "You think I was aware of your friendship? Even if I was, he did nothing to warrant punishment. I will not discipline someone for another's mistake." She could tell he was hiding something, but dared not ask.

  "If anything happens to his unit, will you tell me?"

  "You will be the first to know." He placed his fist over his heart to emphasize the strength of his promise.

  Both princes sighed in relief as Keshiema's hair finally seemed to lighten. Though black, it felt less like a dark void of sorrow and more like a pool of spilled ink. "thank you. Both of you. When Lilith told me he was going to be killed..."

  "it's quite alright." Merihim helped Keshiema to her feet. "If you are able to make it to your room without a guide, I need to speak with Eury about something."

  "I think I can manage." As she left the room, a trail of aura followed her.

  "Eury,what is it you think you're doing?" Merihim's words we're filled with judgement.

  "what do you mean? I was helping Kesh get an explanation about her friend."

  "I just fear you're getting too close to her. She could be dead in less than a year."

  "You think that matters to me? I cant even touch her or she'll be dead in an instant. You don't have to worry about my emotions. I will be her friend and nothing more."

  "And what about her? You don't think you might be leading her on?"

  "She knows what I am. If she catches feelings that will be her own problem to deal with."

  "With what we just saw, do you really think it will only be her problem?" Merihim shouted. "It's going to be all of our problems! I could feel the aura building inside of her. If her heart breaks, she could become too powerful to control herself. You know 'Hell hath no fury' was not said for nothing."

  "Fine, I'll do my best." Eurynome marched out of the room, slamming the door as he left.

  ***

  Keshiema had managed to keep herself together long enough to walk back to her chamber. She sat on her couch and softly called for Dásos. He appeared as soon as his name left her lips. Upon seeing her, he opened his arms, offering his comfort. She ran to him and he wrapped his arms around her. "It'll be okay, little sparrow." He whispered, afraid to break her if he spoke too loudly. "Can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked, though he already had a good idea.

  She choked on the words. Merihim had told her cresil would be fine, but she still felt horrible. And what if Eurynome repeated what she'd told him? She gasped for air and tried again, but her words stayed trapped within her aching throat.

  "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere," he combed his hand through her hair. He picked up the unmistakable scent of kyphi around her. 'Lilith.' He immediately wanted to murder the princess for hurting his little sparrow. He tightened his arms and released his aura. Lilith's scent faded, replaced with scents of moss and oak trees.

  Keshiema had not noticed the sweet and spicy fragrance until it was fading away. She smiled, finding solace in the soft warmth of Dásos's earthy, woodsy, and faintly sweet aroma. "My friend was sent on a dangerous mission." she finally spoke. "I'm afraid he'll get hurt. And I'm worried I might have said something to Eurynome that could get him into trouble."

  "What's done is done. If anything comes of it, we'll figure it out. I promise I will do all I can to help you."

  Keshiema focused on taking steady, deep breaths, trying desperately to ground herself. Dásos took her to the couch and continued to hold her. He wished he could soothe her pain. Eventually, her hair and eyes returned to their normal blue state. Exhausted from the emotional storm, she started to fall asleep in Dasos's arms. He stroked her cheek and pushed her hair behind her ear. As his fingers brushed the tip of her ear, she blushed brightly. "Sorry." he whispered, holding back a smile.

  When Keshiema was almost asleep, he set her on her bed. "I should probably get going soon. I have somewhere I need to be. I'll be gone for a couple of weeks, but if you need me, all you need to do is call my name."

  "Dásos?" She tugged on his hand. "Why does everyone hate you? Even Cresil said I should stay away."

  He knelt beside her bed, putting his forehead on their joined hands. "Each has their own reason. I can't say they're completely unjustified in their hatred."

  "Hmm," Keshiema sighed, her mind deep in the hazy realm between sleep and wake. "I trust you," she said slowly as sleep completely took her.

  Dásos's heart swelled with her words. He swore to himself that he would protect her. He wanted more than friendship with her, and looking at her lips, her remembered the sweet taste. There had been no ulterior motives behind the spell transfer, and had he known she had never kissed anyone, he would have chosen a different method - even if it was less potent. He knew she was confused about it, but then, so was he. He wanted to wake her, to ask her for another. For a real kiss, full of passion and desire. But to give in to that would cause her too much strife. Everyone around her, everyone she cared for, and everyone who cared for her; they all hated him. Every single one, even the ones she had yet to meet.