Black flames flickered into nothing, leaving the dirt slightly scorched where they had spread. Achlys nodded approvingly. "Again, and see if you can do it faster this time."

Enkarini and Soris nodded to each other, ready to cast. They had been trying to learn this for weeks now, and finally managed to make their spells combine yesterday. On a silent count, fire streamed from his hands to meet the shadows flowing from hers, twisting around each other before merging to form the darkflame described in the book. It quickly flared and burnt its way through the warded circle, and stopped just short of the domed shield.

Achlys gave them a proud smile. "Good work, you two. Especially you, Soris. You're only working with human magic there, it's impressive how much control you have over this spell. The Darkflame ritual was designed with Wyld Magic in mind," she explained. "Either you're incredibly skilled, or there's something more to your abilities. Have you always had an affinity with fire?"

"Since I was a kid, yeah. You think it might be more than regular human magic?"

"It's possible, though I couldn't say for sure. Might be something to take up with Aieden next time he's around," she said. "Or ask your friend Ember, she and her kind are the experts in fire magic."

Soris looked almost shy at the mention of Ember. "She said in her last letter she wants to come visit in a couple of months. I can ask her then if I get a chance," he said. "We'll probably be busy catching up about everything, so I don't know if I'll be able to get any lessons in while she's here."

"That's fine. I'd expected you to duck out for a few days then, so Enkarini and I can work on her shadow magic while you're busy." Achlys stretched and got ready to take off. "Same time next week, kids."

They waved as she ascended, then turned and wandered towards the collection of ramshackle buildings in the distance. It had taken some weeks, but each of them finally had a small place of their own. More wooden huts were thrown up when someone made it out of Dragon's Teeth, usually led by Megara, Eliora, or one of the Hexarils. A few of the original village residents had come to join them as well, mostly glad of the chance to escape Mayor Miller's control. Among those were James White, Fiona Gates, and Saffron Clarke, all of whom had been busy organising better homes for everyone for the last week. The first proper houses were expected to be ready in just under a month, and Arikele was setting up a draw to decide who would move in first.

Caiara was waiting for them in the roughly defined 'square' in the middle of the huts, perched on a low rock that bordered a newly planted flowerbed. "How did it go? Neither of you looks singed this time, so I'm guessing it wasn't too bad," she said with a smile.

"We did it," Enkarini said. "Twice, as well. I think we've got the timing down, and Ozul isn't as wary of the flames anymore. Maybe next time you could come and watch? It's perfectly safe outside the shield Achlys puts up."

"Now you've got past that 'burn everything nearby' part of learning I might just do that," Caiara said. "Come on, Josie's waiting for us at the pond. She says she's been working on something really cool to show us."

With that, Caiara leapt off the rock and ran down the east path out of the little settlement. Enkarini and Soris followed, wondering what had got her so excited now. They waved to a few of the others as they passed, spotting the twins Jinna and Janna playing with little Becky Hallow in a patch of wildflowers. "It's good to see those two happy again," Enkarini said.

"It's good to see everyone happy again," Soris replied. "Miller's spell was making them all act like zombies or something. At least now when someone's feeling down they're allowed to talk about it and try to sort out the problem, rather than faking joy all the time."

Enkarini nodded. While it had seemed harmless from the outside, Miller's bond over them all had affected everyone in subtle ways that they were only just starting to realise nearly two months later. "We'll get there. Some of us are already starting to recover, and we've all got time and space here to get ourselves back to normal."

"I wonder if Malise and Arikele managed to figure out a way to reach the gateway yet? I know Stesayn wants to go back to Akram," Soris said. "He hasn't shut up about it since we got here. A few of the others are thinking about going home, too, but we've got no way to reach the gate without risking Miller catching us."

"Do you want to go home?" she asked.

He shook his head rapidly. "Hells no. There's nothing worth going back for, at least not yet. I want this damn bond broken first, then I'll head back and deal with my so-called father. After that, I don't know. I guess I'll see what's happening between me and Ember, and go from there."

"Any luck with that yet? I know Maldor and Zylah were talking about it the other day, but I didn't catch what they said."

"Calida says they're working on it, but nothing's certain yet. They're trying to work out exactly how Satorus tied me to himself, which apparently means a very invasive test that I'm not looking forward to."

He looked more grumpy than usual, so Enkarini looked around for a change of subject. "Oh, there's Josie! Hi," she called, spotting Caiara and Josie near the small pond everyone was using as a water source.

"Hey you two! Come and check this out," Josie said, waving them over excitedly. "I spent all week trying to get this thing working, and I think it's ready."

"What is it?" Enkarini asked, peering at the metal contraption next to Josie. It looked like someone's half-finished project, three long rods standing in a wooden box, with a pair of springs wrapped around the top of it. A thin piece of metal poked out of the top spring, pointing towards the pond.

Josie beamed at them. "It's a lightning maker. Emwyn gave me a hand with it, since I can't do magic so well anymore after…" She trailed off, her smile fading. "Well, this helped, anyway. Playing with it makes me feel a bit more in touch with my magic again, and it's fun, too. You want to see?"

"Sure. It sounds cool," Enkarini said. Since Miller had used Josie to recreate the shields over Dragon's Teeth, she had been struggling with using her magic. Ustin and Malise thought it was temporary, the result of having her connection to lightning magic forcefully ripped out of her, but nobody knew how long it might take her to recover.

For a few moments, Josie fiddled with some buttons and switches on the base of her contraption, then it sprang to life, miniature lightning bolts crackling from the thin rod to strike a small panel on the ground nearby. "That little bit of metal is attracting the electricity, so nobody gets zapped," Josie said.

"Good to know. How does it work, then? It's obviously not pulling lightning from a nearby storm cloud," Soris said, glancing up at the bright, clear sky.

Josie lit up at being asked to explain her new project. "Well, in this box there's a radio oscillator, and something called a resonant transformer. Those two bits work together to produce high voltage, low current electricity, which comes out of the coils on top there. Usually you'd need a supply of electricity to power it, like a generator or something, but since I'm using it to help with my magic I'm doing that part myself."

"I have no idea what half of that meant, but I'm glad you're happy," said Enkarini after a moment of bemused silence. "Is this something a lot of people have, then? Outside of here, that is, in Oakford or whatever it's called."

"Oakshire, silly," Josie said with a giggle. "I don't think a lot of people have them, but they're known about. From what Emwyn said I think they're more for displays and things rather than anything useful, but it's still fun. Do you want a go? If you can do any lightning spells you could probably use those, I don't think it's too fussy about where the electricity comes from."

Soris shook his head, leaning back slightly, but Enkarini shuffled closer. "I'll have a go. I know a couple of lightning spells," she said. Remlika, her first magic tutor, had made sure she learnt some basics across several kinds of spells. "What do I need to do?"

Josie turned her device slightly, showing a small silvery panel on one side of the box. "Just touch this panel, and push a bit of lightning into it. Give me a second to adjust this," she said, fiddling with the thin rod poking out of the coils. "There you go. Whenever you're ready."

Enkarini touched the panel, and focused the way Remlika had taught her. Something felt different to how she remembered it, but she put it down to being older and more experienced now, or maybe just remembering wrong. The device crackled, and she could feel her familiar Ozul stirring in the back of her mind, just as black lightning shot from the rod to strike the panel on the ground.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Caiara asked, staring at the device. "Did you do something different with it, Rini?"

She shook her head slowly, as confused as the others looked. "I was just focusing on casting one of the lightning spells Remlika taught me. I'm not sure why it came out like that."

"Maybe it's because you've been building a stronger connection with your shadow magic," Soris suggested. "And we were practising the darkflame ritual together all morning. Lightning might be able to combine with shadow in a similar way to fire, or something. Either way, it was cool."

"Totally cool," Josie agreed, beaming at her. "The coil did what it was supposed to, other than the lightning being darkning instead."

"Darkning?" Caiara laughed at that.

"Yeah, like lightning but dark. Darkning," Josie said. "What would you call it?"

Enkarini smiled. "Ustin would probably say it's called 'shadow bolts' or something, but I like darkning. If shadow and fire makes darkflame, then shadow and lightning should be darkning." She touched the device again, sending another black bolt through it. "How difficult is it to make one of these?"

"I can get Emwyn to draw up a design for you," Josie said. "It's a bit fiddly to get everything wired up, but not that hard. Maybe if we both have one we could put on a show or something, give people a bit of entertainment around here."

"Sounds good. I'll see what I can find out about combining shadow and lightning magic, as well. Maybe it's something I can do on my own, or with a lightning mage, the way Soris and I are doing the darkflame thing."

The afternoon passed lazily from there, Caiara braiding some grass and wildflowers into a crown, and a few others joining them around midday bearing a basket laden with food. Enkarini dozed lightly, half listening to the chatter around her, both Josie and Caiara sounding more like their usual cheerful, bubbly selves again. In moments like this, the circumstances that had led them to this place didn't seem to matter so much. Despite the simple huts and lack of amenities in this valley, it felt more comfortable and safe than the village of Dragons' Teeth had. She just hoped they would be able to stick around for a while and make it a real home.

The rules of the game seemed confusing and ever changing, from the outside. Enkarini could remember playing similar things herself, though, and knew it would make sense to the younger children who were making the game up as they went. Part of her wanted to run and join in, forget that she was nearly an adult and let go for a while, but she stayed put on the log bench. None of them were older than ten, they wouldn't want to explain their game to someone who was basically a grownup. Besides, she had other things to worry about right now.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you asked to play too," came a voice behind her, making her jump.

Had it been that obvious? "Oh, hi Ustin. I was just watching, really," she said. "I think I'm a bit old for that sort of game, anyway."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "You're only fifteen, you know. Not some ancient old lady. Nobody's going to question it if you join in a kids game."

"Yeah, I know. I'd probably get bored after a few minutes, though. I used to play games like that with friends when I was little, and when Kandrina tried joining in she usually quit after about half an hour." She turned slightly to face him better. "Hey, I wanted to ask you about something that happened the other day."

"Ask away."

"So, Josie has this electric device that's helping her with her magic, and she let me have a go with it. When I did, the lightning came out weird, like a bolt of darkness instead of regular lightning. I thought it might be something to do with my shadow magic, maybe it's combining with other spells like in the darkflame ritual?"

Ustin looked thoughtful. "That's a possibility. Walk me through what happened, what led up to you trying this device and how you tried to cast lightning." Enkarini explained quickly, and he nodded. "So your magic was already in a collaborative mood from the darkflame lesson, and when you turned your attention to lightning spells it would have followed and affected the spell. I can't say this dark lightning is something I've specifically heard of before, but the theory seems good. Shadow magic does tend to be quite adaptable once you establish a good connection with it."

"Do you think it's worth trying to recreate?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try it," he said. "I've set up some makeshift training targets near the pond, if you want to head out there and practise any time."

Enkarini nodded, and started to speak, but her words were drowned out by a sudden explosion of noise from the playing kids. One of the girls ran past them, screaming like mad, pointing behind her as she ran.

Both of them turned, looking where she was pointing. It looked like a large, wriggling carpet moving across the grass, mostly green and brown with flashes of blues, reds and yellows woven through. It was only when it got closer that Enkarini realised it wasn't a carpet, but dozens of snakes moving as one. Ustin smiled beside her. "Finally. I was starting to think that release spell hadn't worked from here."

"They're your snakes?" Enkarini was oddly glad to see them. "I thought you'd forgotten about them."

"Not a chance. They're the closest things to babies I'll ever have, I wouldn't leave them to be destroyed by Miller." The snake carpet had reached them, and a couple wound themselves around Ustin's legs. "It's about time you lot got here. I've got some temporary homes for you, but you'll have to share until I can get a proper setup."

The snakes followed him across to the hut he was staying in, Enkarini trailing behind. She hadn't been in here yet, having spent most of her free time getting her own small hut the way she wanted it. Even though they were only meant to be temporary, she still liked making a space her own. "Where did you get all these?" she asked as she stepped through the doorway, immediately spotting the wood-and-glass boxes piled along two walls of Ustin's hut.

"I had James make them out of scrap wood and the glass that was supposed to be my windows," Ustin said, most of his attention on the snakes as he lifted them into the boxes. "This seemed like a more practical use. If I want fresh air and daylight I can just go outside."

Enkarini looked again at the walls, noticing they were flat wood, missing the small windows set into her own and most of the other huts. The bed was also shoved unceremoniously into the corner, the chair and table crammed against it to make room for snake boxes. "Makes sense, I guess. Are they going to be okay with more than one in each box? They all had their own back in the village."

"Long term, no. It's better to house them separately, they're more comfortable that way and the defence spell is more effective if I can spread them out. For a month or so while I'm waiting for a proper home for myself and them, it should be fine. I wouldn't keep regular, non-enchanted snakes more than one to a box this size, even for a few days, but since this lot are magical I can bend the usual rules a little."

"How is the defence spell going to work here? Will they recognise a new place and protect it, or just focus on you?"

Ustin set the last snake gently in its box and turned to her. "For now, they'll just protect you and me. When I get a chance I'll adjust the spell to cover this place instead of Dragon's Teeth. It's not a difficult change, but I'd rather wait until they're settled in a more permanent home than this," he said, gesturing around at the cramped hut. "Too many adjustments too quickly will make the spell less effective."

She nodded, distracted by the way the sunlight coming through the door shone on the snakes' skin. "Wait, why would they protect me?"

"I added you to the spell shortly after you arrived. It seemed practical since you were staying with me at the time. When you have a little more experience, I can show you how to set this spell on either natural or conjured creatures, if you're interested," he explained.

"I'd like that," Enkarini said. "So, are all of these real snakes or are some of them conjured?"

Ustin waved towards a couple of the boxes. "A few are purely conjured, these ones here." He lifted one of the smaller ones out, a bright blue one with silver and purple streaks on its scales. "Eliora made this particular one for me, so he's not technically conjured so much as created, but you won't find a snake like this anywhere in the wild. Those little ones there are my own conjurations." He pointed out a cluster of small, dark green snakes twined around twigs in a tall, narrow box.

As Enkarini leant down to look at them, they raised their heads in unison to watch her, tongues flicking in and out quickly. "They're kind of cute, in a way. Not the fluffy and cuddly sort of cute, but the small and pretty sort."

"Not many think of them that way. A lot of people see scales and fangs, and assume they're horrible and dangerous. Don't get me wrong, they can be, but no more than any other creature when it's feeling threatened. Most of the time they're happy to live and let live… unless you're a mouse, I suppose," Ustin said with a wink.

"Good thing I'm not a mouse, then. So which ones are real?"

Ustin put the blue snake back and moved to the other wall, where the glass boxes were slightly bigger and had more rocks and things in them. "Most of these are real snakes, with enchantments to protect them and have them protect us. This old guy here is the first one I ever got." He knelt beside the biggest box of all, on the floor of the hut, where a massive snake coiled itself around a tree branch. "He's thirty-two years old now, so he's not as quick as he used to be, but I wouldn't like to argue with him once he gets going."

Enkarini stared, amazed. "Wow. So he's older than me? I didn't know snakes lived that long," she said.

"As long as they're healthy and well cared for, some can reach their thirties," Ustin said. "It's less common in the wild, with predators and diseases and the like, but they can live long and happy lives in captivity. My mum had one that she inherited from her aunt, and he was nearly fifty when he passed. That's an extreme, but not impossible."

She giggled slightly, the image of an old wrinkly snake with glasses and a big white beard popping into her head. "Your mother kept snakes too?"

He nodded. "That really old snake I mentioned was actually this one's grandad. Mum had his mum from a hatchling, and when this one came along I raised him. As far as I know, she's still got her." He touched the glass tank gently, and the snake lifted its head, lazily stuck its tongue out, and settled down again. "I'll have to write to her. I haven't been able to in years, with everything."

"I didn't realise you had family," Enkarini said, thinking as she spoke that it was a silly thing to say - everyone had family at some point, after all. "Sorry, I mean… I'll shut up."

"It's fine. I got in the habit of not thinking about them much once I realised I couldn't leave the village. Probably not the best way of coping, but if I didn't think about them I couldn't miss them." Ustin settled onto the floor properly, gazing into the snake's box. "I'm not sure which is worse; knowing your family is gone, or knowing they're out there somewhere but you can't reach them. I haven't seen my sister since we were both kids, she'd be coming up for forty by now."

"You could go see her now, though. Nobody's stopping you anymore, you can write or visit whenever you want." Enkarini's thoughts were partly with her own sister, who she hadn't seen in nearly a year now, but at least they had been able to write to each other. She couldn't imagine going that long without even a letter from Kandrina.

"I wish it was that simple," he said heavily. "As much as I want to see Mum and Tish again, I have no idea how to contact them. They've probably moved houses, Tish could be married with kids by now… they might not even know I'm still alive. I'll need to find all that out first, and I have no idea where to start."

Enkarini thought for a moment. "Maybe just write to the last address you had for them, and ask if they're still there? Even if someone else lives there now, they might know something about where they went," she suggested.

Ustin was quiet, still watching the old snake. "That's not a bad idea. Even if I don't get through to Mum or Tish that way, at least I'd know they moved. I'll write a note tonight and send it out through Eiglan. Thank you, Enkarini."

She smiled. "No problem. Do you think I could write to my sister somehow as well? I'd just send something through the gateway, but I don't think that's going to be possible for a while."

"Hmm. Tell you what, write a letter and leave it with me. I'm sure one of us will be able to work something out eventually, even if it's only a spotty line of communication." Ustin said.

"Alright. Thanks, Ustin," she said, standing and making her way back over to her own hut. She would write out a letter tonight, explaining everything to Kandrina. The last she had heard, her sister was expecting twins with Remlik, so maybe they were parents already. She remembered she had planned to send an enchanted toy for the babies, but had never got around to making one with everything that had happened. Maybe when they figured out how to send the letter, she could have a small toy ready for each baby… if she didn't get distracted again.

Fiona tapped her fingers against her arms, leaning against the side of the shed and listening for any sound from within. She'd noticed the man inside sneaking around the pond earlier that morning, and tackled him while Victor ran to fetch Ustin. They'd returned within minutes, by which time she had pulled the stranger's bag off him and magically suspended him from a nearby tree. The man had seemed more annoyed and embarrassed than anything else, especially when Ustin pulled him down from the tree and bound him with shadow magic. They had dragged him over to a small storage shed, secured him to a chair inside and left Fiona to guard him while Ustin checked the valley perimeter. He'd also mentioned fetching Saffron, in case they needed her mind magic while talking to the man.

After a short while, Ustin returned with Saffron in tow. "The valley seems secure, what wards we have are still intact and there's no sign of anything unusual in the hills. Victor's doing a more thorough check, but it all seems fine at first glance. Any activity here?"

"Nope, he hasn't made a peep. He's still in there, I checked through the gap at the top."

Ustin nodded. "Let's have a chat with him, then." He opened the door, sunlight streaming in to shine off the man's silvery blond hair, dazzling them for a second in the gloom of the shed.

The stranger looked up as soon as the door opened, catching Ustin's eye. "Would you be so kind as to unbind me, good sir?" he asked, flashing a smile that was clearly intended to charm people. None of them were fazed by it, though, and he faltered after a few seconds. "Come on, locking me up in a miserable shack and tying me to a chair is no way to treat a guest. I promise I'm not here to cause trouble, so, let me out, please?"

"Not until you explain who you are, where you came from and how you found this place," Ustin said firmly. "Let's start with your name."

The young man rolled his eyes and sighed loudly in an overly dramatic display. "Edward Harold Thompson, most people just call me Harry. I don't exactly come from anywhere, or maybe I come from everywhere, depending on how you look at it. My family were wanderers, so I never really had a hometown or anything. Most recently I came from South Oakshire, Three Corners if you insist on a specific town. I've been hearing rumours about a hidden village of mages in the mountains, and since I'm curious about magic and had a few weird experiences when I was younger, I thought I'd come and investigate. Anything else, Detective?"

Ustin raised an eyebrow at the title, but didn't question it. "Where did you hear these rumours?"

"Just around, you know? It's one of those things that people mention sometimes but hardly anyone really believes, like that story about the giant monkey in the Green Wood or the good old 'lights in the sky' nonsense. I guess I figured it was worth a shot, and even if I didn't find anything it would be a fun adventure," he said. The brilliant smile was back, and Fiona could see Saffron starting to falter.

"Drop that smarmy grin, Thompson," she snapped at him. "Tell us about these weird experiences of yours."

He shrugged as best he could while tied to the chair. "It's nothing spectacular. Mostly just good luck, you know? I'd find something I needed at just the right time, or some ridiculous plan would go exactly the way I wanted it to no matter how unlikely it seemed at first. When that sort of thing happens once or twice, you can pass it off as a fluke, but every time? I suppose I just wondered if there was something more going on."

"It's possible," Ustin said. "For now, I'm sure you can appreciate our need for caution. Ladies, a word outside please?"

Fiona pulled Saffron's arm, dragging her attention away from the young man who had flashed a wink at her. "Don't fall for this rubbish, you're better than that," she hissed as they left the small shed. "He's only making those faces to try and manipulate one of us into letting him go."

"Fiona has a point there. He seems like the kind to use charm and good looks to get what he wants," Ustin said. "That doesn't work on her, and he's not my type, but if you can't ignore it and focus on the issue at hand…"

"I'll be fine," Saffron said, snatching her arm away and straightening her sleeve. "It's just been a while since anyone showed an interest. Usually Rose gets all the attention in that department. I had such a reputation as an ice queen back home that even fake flirting is more than I'm used to. I know he's only doing it to get something, but I can enjoy the smiles without being manipulated."

Ustin nodded sharply. "As long as you can keep your head screwed on I don't care if you want to make googly eyes at him. We need to keep this place safe, first and foremost. What do you make of his line about rumours?"

Fiona shrugged. "It's possible. Even though Miller hasn't been sending people out to look for mages in Oakshire, there were still old stories passed around. That was how we found the place, after all. I don't recall hearing the name of the village anywhere, just vague tales about mages in the mountains. That could apply to our little hamlet as well, now," she said.

"Fair point. We always kept the rumours vague on purpose, that way anyone who found us had to be really determined to do so," Saffron said. "We never accounted for a second village of mages anywhere up here."

"And that wanderer story? It sounds plausible to me but I don't want to just take it at face value."

"He could be from a Tsigansky family," Fiona suggested. "I know most of them settled in the villages up here, but there are some who still travel around Oakshire. I think a few other people have adopted that way of life as well, the 'romance of a life on the road' or some such thing. Never saw the appeal myself, but it takes all sorts I guess."

"So, his story might be true but we don't have a way to confirm it. What about overall impressions?"

Saffron glanced back at the door. "I think what he's said is true, or close enough to it, but I get the feeling there's more that he hasn't said. I might be able to get something out of him, but don't ask me to do it by force. I had enough of that with Miller."

"There's something off about him," Fiona said. "I can't tell if it's serious or just him being a slimy little playboy, though. What about that guy Levana's dating? Isn't he some kind of truth seer? Maybe he'd be able to work out if our new friend is being honest."

"Kester? Elisabet did mention him a while ago, but I don't know how reliable his ability is. He's still in the village right now, though, helping Raven and the others get people out. Maybe we can ask once they're done, but I don't want to interfere with that process unless we have to." Ustin folded his arms, frowning into the distance for a moment. "There's more to Thompson than he's letting on, but I don't think he's immediately dangerous. Unless either of you has an objection, I think we should let him out for now, and keep a close eye on him until we find out more."

Both of them nodded slowly. "Where's he going to stay? All the huts are full, and we won't have any proper houses ready for months," Saffron asked.

"There was a tent in the pack he had when I found him, he can stay in that. If he's really a traveller, he won't mind sleeping rough for a while," Fiona said. "Unless you want some company in your hut, Saff?"

"I'm not that desperate, just asking. He'll be fine in his tent, then." Saffron stalked away, leaving the two of them to shrug at each other.

"What's with her?"

Ustin smirked at her retreating back. "Lonely, frustrated, confused, all of the above? There's not much either of us can do about it, really. Let's get this Thompson fellow sorted out. Saffron's personal life is her own concern."

"Need a hand laying down the ground rules for him?" Fiona asked.

"I think I can manage. You could go check that bag more thoroughly, just in case he brought anything potentially dangerous. Meet us in the square when you're done," Ustin said. "We can find him a spot for his tent then. If he doesn't like it, he's more than welcome to head back to Oakshire."

Christina held tightly to Michael's hand, keeping him close as they walked through the small, nameless village. He was staring around at everything, wanting to explore like a small child might, and she wondered if he was remembering his first visit here. "What's on your mind?"

"I think I remember this place," he said slowly. "I was sent here to see someone, I think? Maybe a relative, or a friend?"

She smiled and nodded. The trip had been good for him so far, helping to jog several old memories of visiting when he was younger. The tavern owner Alex in particular had set off some recollection, Michael almost seeming like his old self while the two of them talked over drinks last night. His memory had been patchy since being injured by Tarworth on midsummer's eve, three months ago. Some things had slowly come back to him, like his siblings' and mother's identities and his own place in the royal family, but other things were still jumbled and hazy.

Sometimes he spoke as if he was still in Slokos, and had even slipped into speaking her language once. Other times he seemed confused and lost, barely recognising anyone around him. The only thing he recalled with any consistency was her, though even that varied from a vague memory of knowing her to fully remembering their life together. In a way, it was flattering to know she was so important to him that memories of her persisted through this injury, but in another way it was upsetting that he had forgotten so much of the rest of his life and family.

"Books," he said suddenly, staring at the bright green door of Annabel's house. "I remember books here, lots of them, but, it's not a library? There's an old lady who lives here and collects books? Is that right?"

"Kind of, yes." She knew enough about the situation to know Annabel wasn't just an old lady who collected books, but not enough to really explain it to Michael in this condition. "She's going to help you with your memory, remember?"

He nodded slowly. "That's right. She came to see me in the hospital, and said she could cast a spell to bring back my memories. There was something else she said, something about dark magic and running out of time? I don't remember too clearly," he said.

Christina nodded. "I wasn't in the room for that bit, but I think I heard something like that through the door. Come on, let's go and see her. Maybe once her spell is done you'll be able to remember better." She led him up to the door, raised a hand to knock, and paused at the sound of an argument inside.

"You're a damned fool, Elisabet Maria Hexaril, and your obsession with punishing Cassandra has almost ruined everything. What were you thinking? Humiliate her enough and she'd apologise for what happened back then?" There was a mumbled response, cut off by Annabel's raised voice. "Horseshit. Your sole concern has always been getting revenge on her for Carol's death, not the treatment of newcomers or protecting the vulnerable."

"Should we come back later?" Michael whispered. "It sounds like she's busy."

Christina knocked loudly. "She said to come and see her as soon as we could. Whatever that's about can wait a while."

The voices inside stopped abruptly, and a hazy shape appeared through the frosted glass in the door. "Ah, you're here. Good. I thought you'd be in more of a hurry, what with things being the way they are." Annabel led them into her front room, where another old woman sat in a low chair, looking dishevelled and chastised. "Well, don't sit there like a lump, Elisabet, go and make tea. Our young Prince here has probably forgotten where the cups are, and I doubt his doting wife will leave his side until my work is done."

The other woman scurried into the next room, and a few seconds later the sounds of tea-making filtered through the door. Annabel turned to one of the many bookshelves lining the walls and pulled down a thick, dusty volume with a plain red cover. Christina guided Michael to the chair Elisabet had vacated, and perched herself on a footstool beside him. "Will this take long? Is there anything you need for the spell?" she asked.

"Nothing aside from a cup of tea afterwards, and Elisabet is taking care of that. The casting should be straightforward, but Michael may need a little time to recover once it's done. The spell I intend to use will rebuild the connections within his memory that the injury has damaged, and it will likely knock him out for a few hours, at the very least. There's a bed upstairs we can move him to once I'm done casting." She had been flicking through the book as she spoke, and stopped at a page about halfway in. "Here it is. Give me a moment to refresh myself here."

They waited a few minutes, Annabel focused on the book while Michael stared around at the shelves. Christina could tell he was itching to ask questions, but held them in. She would usually be more curious about the books surrounding them herself, but right now Michael was her main concern. Maybe later she could talk with the old woman about her collection.

"Right then. I'll need you to hold still, Michael, and you to stay out of the way over there, young lady." Annabel closed the book with a snap, and stood over Michael. "This may feel uncomfortable, but it won't take too long."

With that, she extended a hand, and bright light pulsed from her fingertips, swirling in a pattern she directed with tiny motions. Glowing shapes danced over Michael's face, too fast to identify, and faded into his eyes. After a moment, Annabel stopped casting, the light dimmed and Michael slumped over in the chair, closed eyes flickering with rapid movements. "Is that it, then? The spell's done?" Christina asked.

"That's all I need to do. The rest is up to him, or more precisely his brain, and the magic I've sent in there. It will take a while for him to wake, and if we're going to move him to the bed we should do so now. Waiting too long to move him could disrupt the spell's work, and I don't know what damage that might cause."

"Do we need to move him at all? I don't mind sitting on the floor, if it's best to keep him still."

Annabel made a 'so-so' gesture. "We should at least lay him down. The restoration spell can cause occasional spasms while it works, and if he's in a chair he might fall out and injure himself. On the side table, if you please," she said, glancing over to the kitchen door where Elisabet stood with a tea tray. "Did you remember the lemon slices? I believe young Christina takes lemon in her tea."

"How did you…? Never mind. Let's get Michael settled, then we can chat."

They pulled him from the chair onto the floor, and Christina grabbed a cushion for his head. "He'll be fine there. We can keep an eye on him better in here while we talk. I can tell you have questions," Annabel said, fixing her with a sharp look. "I can't promise to answer all of them, but I won't object to you asking."

"Where did you get this book?" Christina asked, pointing to the tome containing the spell. "I was under the impression magic texts were rare to the point of nonexistence here, let alone ones with such advanced spells in their pages."

"Straight past the small talk and into the important things, then? I can see why Michael is so fond of you. I am an old woman, and I have spent much of my long life seeking out and acquiring ancient and rare books of all topics. There is a unique tome over there," she nodded to the tall shelf near the window. "It covers multiple Davidian era techniques of cultivating grain in minute detail. There was a brief attempt at changing Oakshire's primary grain from wheat to rye at the time, and that book was produced for farmers looking to alter their crops easily. My fascination with books is not limited to magical tomes, but does encompass many of them, considering their rarity."

"So you're not collecting spellbooks, just rare books that happen to include some spellbooks," Christina said. She poured out a cup of tea, added a slice of lemon, and settled on the low footstool near the fireplace. Elisabet had sunk into the chair Michael had been in, keeping her head low and avoiding anyone's gaze.

"Indeed. I also happen to have a little magical talent, which is part of the reason I live in this charming little hamlet. The lack of anything more advanced than a radio allows me to experiment with magic far more freely than I could in Oakshire, and I shan't even begin with the difficulties of practising spellwork in Aglendale."

Christina set her cup down on the floor beside her. "Only a little talent? From what I've seen, you seem to have considerable skills and even more impressive knowledge of magic. Your ability to open a portal directly to the Weyr Mother last year is something I had only read of in myth before then, and even my people's most outlandish tales make no mention of magic that can restore damaged memories. I suspect you are far more than a little talented."

The room seemed too silent for a moment, Elisabet staring at her in utter shock while Annabel smiled faintly at Michael's prone form. "You're a very clever young woman, Crenkari. Yes, I know your true name, Michael believes it suits you better than Christina does. I can't tell you everything, but I suspect you would be disappointed if I did. You rather enjoy unravelling mysteries, don't you? The two of you are well suited. Once he wakes, I look forward to having all my secrets exposed. Until then, perhaps I could distract you with some of my more unusual tomes? There is one that Michael found particularly fascinating, regarding the so called Witch Queen, Philippa II. I refused to lend it to him once before, but considering the circumstances I might be persuaded to let you borrow it for a short time."

The tactic was so obvious, Christina had to smile. On the other hand, she and Alicia had planned to read up on the Witch Queen, among other things, and any book from Annabel's collection would be a source of interesting information. "I'd like that. Old and unusual books hold quite a fascination for me as well, though I doubt I'll ever have anywhere near as extensive a collection as this."

"Hm. Don't rule out the possibility, young lady. I shall have to leave all this to someone eventually, and I'd rather it go to one who would appreciate it than end up mouldering on dusty shelves. Currently, either Michael or yourself are front of the line on that count."

"We barely know each other," she pointed out.

Annabel raised her eyebrows. "I'd say I know you well enough. Michael trusts you, and despite how it may seem, I trust him. Now, wait here and keep an eye on our Prince while I find this book." The old woman stood, ignoring the stunned look from Elisabet, and headed up the stairs. Christina picked up her tea again, her attention turning back to Michael. He almost seemed asleep, sprawled on the floor between stacks of books, reminding her of the times she had stumbled across scholars so deep into their research that they had drifted off right on the library floor. She could see his eyes still flickering, as if he was caught in a dream, and found herself praying he would wake with all of his memories intact.