Hello again. Another half a years has passed and here's another chapter of Mr. Darkness & Mrs. Moonlight, right on schedule.

What, a biannual update schedule is too slow? Tell that to my procrastination. It really needs a good scolding.

This time I serve a chapter with lots of awkward dialogue, some minor ecchi service and even some comedy. Please excuse my poor attempts at the latter, comedy is probably my weakest link when if comes to writing. I'd like to apologise especially for the extremely clichéd scene around the middle of the chapter - I simply couldn't resist. Also, l hope you'll enjoy the rather different Emi shown in this chapter.

Thank you all for the surprisingly positive feedback, it is only because it made me feel bad for updating so rarely that I managed to defeat procrastination 4 days in a row, resulting in this chapter. Hopefully I can keep the roll going and produce another chapter soon. No promises, though.

Chapter 3: The Lust Curse

Noboru took off his glasses and rubbed his brow. He was so, so tired. The book that was open before him on his desk was old and hand-written, not easy on the eyes. Having slept barely 15 hours in the last three days didn't help. His body and mind were exhausted, the only thing that still kept him going now was a pressing concern over the girl that slept behind him, on his bed, under the blanket.

He stole a look at the girl's sleeping face. None of the demon's blood had spattered on the face, and if not for the messed up hair, it would've looked like nothing was wrong. She was still in the magic-induced sleep, her beautiful face peaceful, though it was about time for the spell's effect to wear off.

After three hours of searching, he'd found what he'd been looking for, information about the curse that the girl seemed to be inflicted with, as well as two possible ways to counter it. Unfortunately there were problems with both ways.

Stretching, Noboru stood up and walked over to the bedside. Not to check up on the girl, however, but to open the window. It was still dark, though there sky in the horizon was starting to lighten. The air that flowed into the room was chilly. But not cold enough.

He left the window open and left the room, retrieving his glasses from the desk as he passed it by. The rest of the house was dark and lifeless. It wasn't just because of the time. No one lived here, other than Noboru. It wasn't a big house, but it was a family home, which made it feel even more lonely. Noboru didn't care. He'd chosen to live alone.

He went downstairs, to the kitchen. In the freezer compartment of his fridge, he found what he was looking for: ice cubes. He snapped a few cubes off the tray and closed them inside his fist, feeling the blood-curdling cold. This will have to do.

Thoughtfully, he fingered his shirt... then began to take it off. Undressing himself completely, keeping the refrigerator door still open, he soon started to feel the chill seeping into his body. Then, he touched all over his naked body with the ice cubes, until his body was moist and the ice was almost melted. Squinting his eyes closed, he imagined the cold of winter wrapping around him, stealing the life out of his body. It didn't take long till his already exhausted body was shivering.

Thank god no one's here to see this, he thought wryly, finally opening his eyes and closing the door. But he knew that even if someone was, he's still do it. The embarrassment would be nothing compared to the utter indignation that Miss Peak had had to suffer in the hands of the demon.

Keeping the memory of the cold alive with a simple mental exercise, Noboru got dressed again and headed back upstairs. The girl was still asleep, though as he stepped into the room, he though he saw her move a little. Picking up a needle from his desk on the way, he approached the bed and shook her shoulder under the blanket lightly.

She stirred and opened her eyes.

"How do you feel, Piiku-san?"

"I feel... hot," she replied automatically, still half-asleep.

Then her eyes focused. "Satou-kun? What are you...? Where am I?"

Before Noboru could answer, the curse hit her. Suddenly her eyes widened and her body jerked. She bit her lip, perhaps suppressing a moan. From the corner of his eye, Noboru saw her hand moving under the cover, and he was pretty sure he knew where it was going.

This is bad. I need to get her to listen before the curse completely entrances her.

"Remember the demon? That was no nightmare. He put some kind of a curse on you. Did he happen to mention what it was?"

But the girl didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes were clouding over again, and she was... wriggling under the blanket in a way that unavoidably tempted his imagination.

Taking a deep breath, he took a firm hold of her head from both sides and forced her to look at him. "Piiku-san, please listen to me! This is important. Did the demon mention what kind of a curse he inflicted on you? Was it a Lust Curse?"

For a moment, there was horror in her eyes, as the memories returned. It seemed to temporarily awaken her from the trance, however, and she frowned.

"No... It mentioned a curse, but not what kind... haah..." A moan escaped from her erotically parted lips. She was falling into the trance again, and Noboru knew he wouldn't get any more answers from her.

Oh well, I'm pretty sure I'm right about this. There was little chance of a misdiagnosis with these symptoms. It was too bad the book didn't have a picture of the magic circle used in the spell, though, because he'd been able to copy the circle used by the demon from the ground at the site of the attack.

Now he needed to get some of his blood inside her. That was what the needle was for. He barely flinched when the needle pricked his left index finger. He was used to it, though usually he didn't do this with the purpose of drawing blood. As the small red dot on the tip of the finger grew, he brought it to her lips.

"Suck on this for a bit. Trust me, it's for-" Turned out he didn't really need to say anything to convince her. Before he could finish the sentence, her soft lips embraced his finger and drew it into the warm wetness inside her mouth. It was easily enough to... reinvigorate his tired body, almost shattering the all-important memory of the cold.

He closed his eyes to focus on the memory. "Blood of Power, freely given- what?" He was interrupted when she suddenly took a hold of his hand, the one whose finger she'd taken in her mouth. Surprised, he opened his eyes.

A big mistake. The girl had thrown off the part of the blanket that had covered her upper body, revealing the feminine perfection marred only by the bloodstains. She still had the ragged remains of her once fine dress, but those barely covered her arms. The entranced look in her eyes as she sucked on his finger, the soft moans escaping her mouth, the firm breasts that were of just the right size, and the enticing moves as she played with herself... it utterly destroyed the mental state he had been holding on to.

Oi oi... Where's your pride, girl? Don't let the curse defeat you. I will not let it happen.

With great difficulty he tore his eyes off of the feast laid before him. Once more he closed his eyes and sought to clear his mind. When nothing else helped, he bit his lip until he tasted blood, the pain helping him focus. Drawing deep, calm breaths, he chased the escaped memory, the unpleasant feeling of cold that had made him tremble. More, he reached further back in his memories for the chill winter wind, for snow and ice.

"Blood of Power, freely given. Release this woman from her unnatural desire, cool down the fires in her body. Manasu Towaren!" The power awakening within him warmed up his chilled body first, but then it escaped as the spell sucked it all out of him. The spell was unexpectedly draining for his already exhausted body, and when it was over, he found himself almost toppling over.

Mustering the remains of his strength, Noboru stumbled back across the floor and slumped on his chair. It was only then that he realised, the hand that had been tightly held just moments ago had been easily relinquished. Had the spell worked, then?

Miss Peak lay still on the bed. Her eyes were open, she looked confused, but no longer entranced. Slowly she sat upright and looked around the room. The moment she noticed him looking, she hastily covered herself again with the blanket, blushing no longer for excitement, but for embarrassment.

Noboru was way too tired to feel regret at losing the magnificent view. His lips curved in a satisfied smile.

"Welcome back to your senses, Piiku-san. How are you feeling?"

Why are you looking so smug? Was the first thoughts that occurred to Emi once the... "heat" subsided.

Hot on its heels came Where am I, What happened to me and Why am I naked? However, her memories caught up with her before she had time to voice any of those questions. It was all still pretty garbled in her mind, but at least she had a basic understanding of how she'd ended up here.

"I... I'm alright... I think..." she mumbled, her eyes lowered. She still felt the longing ache down there, but it was bearable now. She had a million questions she wanted to ask, but at the same time, she just wanted to disappear. With memories, came a shame that far surpassed any embarrassment she's suffered before.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," the boy said, and Emi timidly raised her gaze. Satou-kun looked exhausted. He'd saved her from the oni, she now remembered. What's more, he'd seen her at her most vulnerable, and yet not taken advantage of it.

The... "hunch" she got from him was now weaker than ever, yet she clearly remembered the overwhelming power he'd displayed earlier. She now recognised the feeling for what it really was. It wasn't fear that she'd always felt towards him.

It was awe.

"I'll answer all your questions in time. For now, let me save us some time and get the most obvious ones out of the way: Yes, it was all real, not a nightmare. Yes, demons and magic exist. Yes, I'm a magic user. The curse the demon inflicted on you was a Lust Curse. It's powerful magic, you don't need to be ashamed for succumbing to it. I've cast a spell on you to counter its effect, though you should know better than me how effective it was. Is there anything else that you absolutely must know right now? I've been chasing that demon for three nights, I'm about to drop dead from exhaustion."

It felt like her head was spinning. Demons, magic, curses... Emi's conception of the world had been violently shaken and turned upside down in just one night. Those answers barely scratched the surface... but he really did look like he needed some rest first.

There was one question that couldn't wait: "What about Morishita? The driver, is he...?"

"Dead," Satou answered bluntly. "I'm sorry. Magic isn't all-powerful, I can' bring anyone back from the dead."

Poor Morishita. The driver had served her family for years, he'd been like an uncle to Emi and her sister. She hung her head as fond memories of the man flooded her mind, as if trying to drown the horrifying, blood-soaked memory of the moment when the demon had so casually killed him, just because he was there. Its target had been Emi, that much was clear.

"Satou-kun?"

The boy started. He'd been about to fall asleep on the chair.

"What?"

"Why was I attacked?"

He didn't answer immediately. "It's... a long story. It must wait till morning."

Slowly he stood up from the chair. "You can sleep here tonight. You'll be safe. I'll go downstairs."

"Wait!" she cried to his turned back. "I need to call my parents! And what about school?"

He gave her a tired look over his shoulder. "You're not seriously thinking of going to school today, are you? You were almost killed a few hours ago. As for calling to your parents, can it really not wait? There are things about tonight's events that you shouldn't tell them, and I'm not in the shape to help you with a cover story."

She frowned. They would still be in Tokyo, so they wouldn't be at home waiting for her. The police would call them as soon as they found Morishita and the car, but...

"I... suppose it can wait."

"Good. Now excuse me as I go lay down before I fall asleep on my feet and break my neck falling down the stairs. Good night, Piiku-san."

As he disappeared into the darkness outside the lit room, Emi peeked under the blanket to examine her body. Her dress was destroyed and her front was stained in dried blood, but nothing hurt too much. It seemed she'd survived without serious bodily injury.

Sighing, she lay her head back down on the pillow. A faint smell came to her from the bedclothes, a scent that was not too unpleasant. This is Satou-kun's... This is his bed, after all. Strange, that she would notice such a thing, when her own body probably carried a much stronger smell of blood and... other things.

Despite her confused mind, or perhaps because of it, sleep took her with relative ease. Even the dull longing in her groin, which never seemed to give up, couldn't keep her awake.

It was well past midday when Noboru awoke. Having slept on the sofa, he had a minor back ache. That was nothing, it's pass quickly. A slightly more serious problem was that his body felt weaker than it had in a long time. His feet barely carried him. A side-effect of overusing magic in an already exhausted state. But that, too, would pass in a couple of days, if he got enough rest. A hearty breakfast should be a good start.

Before breakfast, however, he wanted to wash his face and hands. Yawning and stretching in a futile attempt to get some feeling of strength to his arms, he headed for the bathroom. Used to living alone, he of course opened the bathroom door without a second thought.

A huuuge mistake.

Unfortunately, his was the type of bathroom that didn't have any interior walls or doors. Worse, the lock was broken. So, he opened the door was greeted with a sideways view of a blonde girl sitting on the stool, soaping herself.

"Eh?"

"Eh!?" The girl's reaction was somewhat more extreme than Noboru's mild surprise. In a very fluid, swift, and admirably accurate move, she threw the soap straight at him. Desperately dodging with his weakened body, Noboru almost fell over. After regaining his balance, he hastily closed the door and turned his back on it.

"Good reflexes," he praised her, raising his voice just enough to make sure she heard it through the door.

"Don't just walk in on someone like that!" came the sharp reply.

This is my house, you know... "Yeah, sorry about that, I was still half-asleep. Wasn't on purpose, I swear."

After a brief moment of silence: "...Can you pass that soap back here? Without peeking!"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied lightly, somehow amused by the whole episode. Am I suddenly in a RomCom or something? He retrieved the soap and passed it back to the bathroom through a small gap on the door. Without peeking.

"I suppose you're in need of a change of clothes?" A dumb question, of course she was. "Upstairs, the room next to the one where you slept used to be my parents' bedroom. My mother's old clothes should still be there, in the cabinets and lockers, along with some of my aunt's. She visits sometimes. I wouldn't dare to try and choose for you, it's best if you go yourself. You probably won't find anything that'd pass your usual quality standards, but take anything you need. I'll bring a towel, though, and after that I'll be in the kitchen, okay?"

"I... Okay. Thanks."

The clothes she was wearing when she came back downstairs were indeed nowhere near her usual style or quality. Still, that dark green sweater looked remarkably good on her. With it, she wore those dull and business-like trousers that his mother used to wear to the office. With her long, still wet hair hanging loose and her eyes downcast, she looked almost miserable, the way that would surely activate the protective instinct in any man. Gone were the deliberately controlled expressions and proud demeanour.

Well, I guess no one would be okay after that kind of an experience.

"Please, sit. We can talk while we eat." He had set the table with toasts, sunny-side up eggs, bacon and tea. Enough for two hearty breakfasts. He figured they were both pretty hungry by now.

Miss Peak's eyebrow climbed high. "An English breakfast?"

He shrugged. "I had the ingredients, and I thought you might like it. Was I wrong?"

A smile lit her face, so beautiful his heart almost skipped a beat. "I haven't had one since we moved to Japan when I was nine. This is quite... nostalgic. Thank you."

"Well, uh... Don't mention it." Her openly cheerful reaction had taken him completely by surprise.

As they sat down opposite to each other, she suddenly giggled. "Mother despises everything unhealthy. I don't get many chances to eat sweets or junk food. Speaking of which," she looked around, "your parents...?"

"I live alone," Noboru said simply, not wishing to spoil the mood with anything more specific.

"I see. Must be nice, no one constantly telling you how to live your life..."

He shrugged. "It has its good points." No need to fear that you're putting someone in danger just by being near them, for one.

They ate in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to touch the subject of last night's events just yet, and their very different lives depriving them of most other subjects.

Eventually, he decided it couldn't be delayed any longer. "So, about last night," he said, releasing a deep breath.

Miss Peak's good mood disappeared in an instant. She put down her utensils and lowered her gaze.

"I'll start by answering the question I left hanging last night. You were attacked because, just like me, you have power. Magic. And they want it."

She raised her head, her eyes widened in surprise. "I have... I can do magic, too?" She sounded like she didn't believe her ears. After last night, she should have been ready for anything.

Noboru nodded. "Yes. Furthermore, the sheer amount of power you have is no joke. I'm strong, but I believe you have the potential to surpass me."

She didn't seem to know what to say, so Noboru simply continued. "This power brings a risk, however. It attracts them. Demons. They can steal it through... sexual intercourse. The power is both a blessing and a curse: it is the weapon with which we can defend ourselves, but without it, there would be little need for protection, as they usually have no interest in ordinary people."

She looked at him with shadows in her eyes. "So if I didn't have it... Morishita would still be alive?"

"That's one way to put it. But you shouldn't blame yourself, without you it would just have picked another target. One who might not have had anyone nearby who can protect them."

"That doesn't really make me feel any better."

He chose to ignore the remark. "I have been protecting you, ever since you transferred to our school. What I don't understand is how you've survived so long. The kind of power you have, it shines like a beacon, to both us and them. You can avoid them to an extent by avoiding places where you feel the power of another, but if they come after you, there's little you can do to escape. It usually manifests around puberty, so... who or what protected you for all these years?"

For a while, she was lost in thought. Then, she seemed to realise something:

"Could it be...? I have a friend who used to talk about these things, oni and gods and everything, as if they were real. Everyone thought she had chuunibyou, but..."

Suddenly her face went pale. "She got into an accident just before I transferred. At least I thought she did. What if she...?"

He nodded. "That sounds like a possibility. I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Did she...?"

She shook her head. "She's been in coma ever since. The doctors say there is a chance that she might yet wake up, but it's not a good one."

Noboru sighed. "Well, anyway, now that you know, you have two options ahead of you. I know someone who can seal your power, so that the demons won't notice you. You won't be able to use your power, but you won't really need to. You'll be able to go on with your life almost as you were."

"What's the other option?"

"I could teach you. It won't be easy, it won't be fast, and it most certainly won't be safe, but magic does have its rewards. Usually I wouldn't recommend this route to anyone, but... I believe you have the potential to become a first-rate mage. You have the power and the mental control necessary for it."

She sat quietly for a time, deep in thought. Noboru gladly gave her the time to think it through. It would have been a bad sign, had she thoughtlessly jumped at the opportunity he offered.

"You knew I had the... power. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Before all this."

He grimaced. "This is hardly glamorous life. It's dangerous and exhausting. I planned to tell you eventually, but... I guess I wanted you to be able to enjoy the blissful ignorance a while longer. I was too confident in my ability to protect you, I realise that now. I'm sorry."

Miss Peak looked most unhappy with his explanation, but she didn't press the matter. "If I choose to learn... there won't be going back, will there?"

"Actually, your powers can be sealed any time. But you won't unsee the horrors you will witness, hunting demons." Then again, you've already seen plenty...

She sighed, and seemed to make her decision. "I might regret this, but... I want to learn. I've had enough of feeling helpless. Never again. I'll not let those bastards touch anyone else, knowing I have the power to stop them."

In his mind, Noboru applauded her resolve. Not that it was entirely unexpected. He wouldn't have offered her this option had he not believed she had the will and ability to carry out his expectations.

"Just promise me one thing," she said, suddenly staring at him very seriously.

"What's that?"

"Never keep keep me in the dark about something important like this again."

"Does it really bother you that much? There is much to tell, it will take time to explain everything about the new life you're about to enter." Her face darkened, and he hastened to continue. "But I promise I won't purposefully keep any secrets you should know." She seemed to contend with that.

He stood up and started to clear the table. "Now that that's decided, there are few other matters we must discuss."

"Such as?" As expected of an ojou-sama, it didn't occur to her to help. Well, Noboru didn't really mind. She was a guest, after all. Some strength had returned to his limbs as well, with the meal.

"How is your... body? I mean, the spell I used isn't exactly designed against that curse, it just happens to have an adverse effect. The effect can be weaker or stronger than the curse. This is a little embarrassing to ask, but...?"

As he started washing the dishes, he saw from the corner of his eye how she flinched and looked away in embarrassment. "It's... better now. But I still feel a... tingle."

Huh... She's surprisingly honest about it. "You'll have to bear with it. At least until..." His voice trailed off.

"Until what?"

"Well... As far as I know, the only way to properly lift the curse is to... be with a man."

"...Oh." Her cheeks flushing, she looked away again. "Couldn't you just... cast that spell again?"

He shook his head. "Technically, yes, and it would probably work, too. The problem is, once the curse is broken properly, the spell will remain. Even as it is, I fear it'll be a problem in the future, but if I were to double the spell... well, you understand."

"I... see. I guess that would be a problem."

"Yeah. So just bear with it until you... do it with your boyfriend."

She mumbled something he could quite make out. "Excuse me?"

"I said I don't have one. A boyfriend."

As expected, Fumio's information is up to date. Must be difficult finding someone good enough for her, particularly since she's going to a public school. Although, to be fair, a more likely limiting factor was her parents' expectations. Miss Peak had never seemed like a particularly arrogant sort, and even less so now that he'd seen behind her mask.

"We should probably call your parents now," Noboru said, wiping his hands.

"My phone was in my handbag." She looked around. "I don't suppose you brought it along?"

"No." He frowned. "I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me to check inside the car for any of your belongings."

He took out his own phone. "Do you remember the number?"

"Yes, of course. What are we going to tell them?"

"I cleaned out the magic circle and pushed the car off the road. The police may think it was an accident, though the driver's wound will definitely make them ask questions. Your parents will need a more thorough explanation. It's better not to tell them about magic, yet we'll need to come up with an excuse to arrange regular meetings at night, so I can teach you."

"Regular meetings... at night... That's not going to be easy."

I figured as much. "I do have an idea... Suppose the attack was explained as a kidnap attempt, and I saved you. I would offer my services as a bodyguard and trainer. Their gratitude and concern for your safety may just tip the scales in our favour. The problem is, I'm too young, and I don't even do any martial arts. I'm not sure how to convince them that I'm some kind of a... deadly fighter."

...That idea sounded much better in his head.

Miss Peak took an evaluating look at him, and the corner of her mouth started twitching. "Yeah... that's not going to fly. I think we're just going to have to tell them the truth. Then you could... show some magic to make them believe."

Noboru sighed and scratched his head. "Can they keep a secret? Can we trust them not to abuse the knowledge?"

"My father is an ambassador, he deals with state secrets for his job. You could trust him. Mother, however... I'm not sure she wouldn't somehow try to use the knowledge to increase our family's influence."

"So maybe I can show magic to your father and he can convince your mother for us?"

She looked hesitant for a while, but then nodded. "That could work."

"Good. Now call them, give them some vague explanation and tell them that I'm bringing you home soon."

Miss Peak ended up reciting the unlikely rescue-story to her mother on the phone, after all. It turned out her parents had received a call from the police early this morning and had already returned home from Tokyo, apparently quite distraught over her disappearance. As planned, she'd told them that that she was fine and her rescuer would bring her home soon.

"So how exactly are you planning on bringing me home?" she asked as they stepped out of the house to the windy front yard. "You can't drive, can you?"

Noboru flashed a grin. "How else? Magic, of course. I hope you're not afraid of heights."

The look on her face seemed to be half expectant and half cautious, with a touch of disbelief. Still smiling, Noboru locked the door and moved to the centre of the yard. Luckily, he lived in a residential area with fairly high hedgerows, so even if there were a few people on the streets, they should be able to take off without anyone noticing.

"Come here," he motioned the girl to step closer. "I'm sorry, it's going to get a bit chilly up there, but the ride shouldn't be too long." The magic would keep him warm, but she'd not have that luxury.

Hesitantly, Miss Peak stepped closer to him. Close enough to easily hold hands, had that been his intention. However, Noboru had never tried something like that, and he couldn't be sure the winds would carry her. So instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her right against his body. Noboru wasn't tall, and Miss Peak wasn't short either, but he noticed that she was still about a hand width shorter.

"Eh?!" she exclaimed in surprise. They were very close now, close enough for Noboru to smell the shampoo she'd used to wash her hair. One of his aunt's no doubt, but that didn't make the scent any less sweet, her closeness any less intoxicating. He couldn't help feeling the heat of her body, those two incredibly soft mounds pressed against his chest, nor the memories it brought him, of the times he'd seen her naked. Such intimate things, things that should only be shared between lovers and close family members, now invaded his usually so well controlled mind, destroying his concentration.

Hastened by her expectant gaze, he quickly sought to empty his mind and focus on the feeling of the wind on his face, enhancing it with the memory of a much stronger storm wind. "divine wind, raging vortex, carry us to the sky and deliver us to our destination, Benayaizu!"

….

Nothing happened.

Not even a subtle change in the wind. The magic in his body didn't awaken.

"Well?" she asked, still waiting.

Noboru felt intense embarrassment heating his face. "I, uh, lost my concentration. Just... give me a moment to refocus."

While his head was turned away in embarrassment, he could see from the corner of his eye, how a mysterious smile appeared on her face. "You're a very strange man, you know that?"

Somehow she said it like it was a compliment, so it didn't add to his embarrassment. Not that it reduced it either.

He couldn't very well let her go, so he just closed his eyes, breather in deep the crisp autumn air, and tried not to think about the hands that lightly coiled around his neck. Or the feminine body nestled against him. Or...

On the second try, his magic activated properly and the usual powerful whirlwind descended, wrapping them in its embrace and carrying them up to the sky. Noboru silently smiled at the wonderment in Miss Peak's eyes, as she looked down at the diminishing buildings and roads, the humans scurrying about like ants. Noboru had the highest respect for her usual, strong and dignified self, but it was nice to see her showing expressions so freely for a change. Made him feel like they shared a secret (which they, of course, actually did), and that he now had a somewhat special presence in her life. A nice feeling, if deceptive. Noboru had no illusions about his own attractiveness, nor his place in the social pecking order.

She held tighter now, perhaps subconsciously, but definitely wisely, considering Noboru's current state of weakness. At least his mind was now cool and controlled, thanks to the all too familiar struggle against the magic rush dominating his attention. He turned Southeast, towards the Kanda district, which he knew to be the general direction to her home.

"You're going to have to direct me, I don't know the exact location of your home!" he shouted over the howling of the wind. She nodded and focused her gaze down, probably looking for familiar landmarks. At Noboru's will, they started moving, gradually increasing speed, so as not to startle his passenger.

They were travelling a little higher than he usually did, because of the necessity to avoid being spotted. Usually he wouldn't travel like this in broad daylight, but he knew that miss Peak's home was at the outskirts of the city, somewhat out of the way for public transportation. The only other way to get there conveniently was by... car...

Damn. I've become too dependent on magic. How come it didn't occur to me to just call a taxi? I might be somewhat tight on funds, but her family could easily pay for a hundred trips like this.