Her True Form

The boat slowly hit the shore, pushed up by a sudden, final wave from the sea. To Yvette’s surprise, once the boat stopped the mage within stumbled forward from the momentum shift, tripping over the edge of the boat and landing face first on the sand with a shriek. After seeing that, she felt so much of her worry about the woman start to evaporate.

After a moment, the woman sat up, coughing up sand and wiping more from her face. She coughed a few more times before looking up. “H-hello?” she called out, her voice soft and weak. After a few more moments, she spoke again. This time, her voice came out far stronger and she used her staff to pull herself to her feet. “Ahem! Hello! I am Lunia! I have come in peace!” she called, before bowing her head and stumbling forward, collapsing to her knees and coughing some more. “I-I’m incredibly sorry. But I have been lost for quite a long while. So… if you are intending to kill me, please make it swift. I don’t suspect I would last long in captivity.”

The zmaj looked down at the human, wary of approaching. Yvette didn’t blame them. The small dinghy had appeared not long after the Escort Shell had docked. At first they’d believed it was a response from the merfolk, but it had quickly become apparent that there was a human on it. Still, some response was better than no response and there was always the possibility that she had been sent by them. Especially when it became quite clear that it was a mage on board the vessel.

However now the mage seemed almost pathetic, struggling to stand. The zmaj didn’t seem sure how to react, unsure of who this was. Finally, Yvette made the first move. After all, it was another mage, if anyone could understand how the woman had to feel now, it was her. She mentally thanked the heavens that she had worn the gloves that Gervas had gotten her, hiding the mark on the back of her hand. Even if the zmaj didn’t recognize the mark of a fallen mage, she suspected this woman mi--

She stopped in mid-stride towards the woman, only for a second. Her eyes widened. There, just beneath her neck and over her collar bone, was the mark of a fallen mage. It was partially hidden under a bronze necklace the woman wore that was shaped like a great eye. Yvette quickly caught herself and walked forward, holding out her hand. “Hello. I’m Yvette, welcome to Cragtooth Isle.” Her eyes wandered over the boat.

It was almost empty, with only a few small bags inside. Most of which seemed to have been opened but empty. One was partially opened and she could make out something brown and dry looking inside. Rations of a sort? Whatever kind they were, she didn’t recognize them.

“I see. Are you the one in charge here?” the woman asked, before turning towards the group of zmaj.

“Err, no. Not quite. That would be Durandet. There have been some issues here as of late and I don’t think they’re quite certain how to react to you. But, err, if you’ll come with us, we can take you to the leader of this island,” she said. She wished she could say that the woman would be greeted with the same kindness that she had been, but she suspected that wasn’t true anymore.

She tried to ignore the hissing sounds of dragon tongue behind them. The zmaj were speaking among themselves, though she wished she could understand what it was they were saying. Lunia gave a small smile. “Ahhhh. Of course. It would be my honor to accompany you. I’m afraid I’m not quite at my best however.”

Yvette could see the clothing Lunia wore was faded and well worn. It was a journeyman’s robe, just like hers. Except, under it, were light brown breeches and a tan tunic. All of the clothing was well worn and faded, but clean. Likely an effect of the cleansing spell cast over it again and again. There were tears all across the garment, many of which seemed to have been, a bit halfheartedly, closed back up. Likely with a simple mending spell. Yvette nodded and motioned through the woods before pausing. “Err… it is still permitted to take her to the city, correct? That’s what you did with us?”

There were some grudging hissing sounds from the zmaj, but slowly they motioned the pair to follow them into the trees. Yvette gave a soft sigh while Gervas moved to stand by her side and walk with them. “This is my guardian, Gervas.” Yvette said. There was something strange about the woman that made her feel a bit uneasy. The way her eyes shifted from Yvette before going towards the zmaj. “What brings you to Cragtooth Isle?”

“Misfortune, primarily,” she said with a soft sigh, slowly walking with them, digging her staff into the ground. “It has been a long, arduous journey for me. The ship I was on ran into some harsh weather. Unfortunately, the crew were a superstitious lot,” she said bitterly, shaking her head. “They believed that my magic had cursed them to die at sea. If I were capable of such things I surely would have once they sent me out to die.”

Yvette nodded, a small frown forming on her face. She then glanced towards Gervas. Once they moved into the trees, she couldn’t help noticing something else strange about the woman. The way she walked. There was something very measured and cautious about it. The way she moved aside at different times, the way she’d stop suddenly, then change her direction ever so slightly. At one point she moved away from some bushes a few moments before a small rabbit darted out of it. “I see. I thought you were a mage.”

“A hydromancer, to be precise,” the woman said firmly. “I was left adrift for days before I caught a small sending message. I had no idea where land was, but I knew I could track down the source of the message easily enough. Or, rather, I thought I could. Unfortunately, my abilities to see through magic seem to be far weaker than I thought. I was unable to scry upon the source, all I could do was determine the direction. So I used what magic I could to bring myself closer. You said this was Cragtooth Isle, did you not? I had heard stories of a great leviathan that guarded these waters. But I haven’t seen it.”

Yvette froze. “It’s…”

There was suddenly a flurry of hissing and growling, before one of the zmaj spoke up. “Hsgrogn only shows himself when it is time to protect his people. There is no reason for him to attack a single human unless you mean us ill will.”

“Oh! Of course not!” Lunia said, shaking her head. “I would never, ever desire to harm anyone! I merely desire to find a way back to the mainland. That’s all!” she said quickly, giving a light chuckle.

Lunia’s eyes suddenly widened and she stumbled a few steps, shaking her head.

“Are you okay?” Yvette asked, reaching out a hand to steady the girl.

The other mage stared at her for a few moments before looking around. Finally, she shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m sorry, it has been a long time at sea, I don’t believe I feel quite well. My magic has been able to keep me from at least being sun burned, but it has done little to protect me from the exhaustion and stress from this ordeal. I do hope this journey won’t be much longer. I desperately long to sit and recover. If… you don’t mind, could we talk more upon arriving? I really must conserve my energy.”

Yvette nodded, though she found her eyes drawn back to the woman’s neck. There were bruises around it. She couldn’t be sure, but she would have sworn they hadn’t been there before. “Of course. Just regain your energy,” she said gently. She couldn’t be sure, but there was something else in the way Lunia moved. She seemed more anxious than she had a few moments before. Possibly even afraid, or at least worried. She gave Gervas a confused look, but he shrugged.

It felt like ages before they finally walked out from the trees and once more into the city. Durandet stood outside of the city in the fields of fruit trees, surrounded by the tenogn. The look on her face was one of annoyance, nothing like the kind, gentle one that Yvette had received.

Yvette quickly moved away from the other woman, giving her a small, encouraging smile. “You’ll do fine. I hope we can talk once you’re done.”

“Of course,” Lunia said, her eyes not leaving Durandet, the nervous look undeniable.

Yvette quickly moved towards Gervas, reaching out to take his hand and pulling away from the crowd of gathered zmaj. She slowly walked into the city before glancing back towards the crowd. Finally, she spoke up. “You uhhh… noticed that. Right? All of that?”

“The bruise on her neck?” he asked. “Or the fact she’s in way better condition than you’d suspect from someone who’d been lost at sea for that long?”

“Yeah. The bruise on her neck. So it wasn’t there when she got here?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “It wasn’t the only one, either. There were more, while we were walking. The way she was moving and talking. It was very wrong. I don’t think she’s as exhausted as she made herself out to be. But there’s something else, too.”

“Do you think there was something else with her? Some kind of invisible monster?” she asked, feeling nervousness beginning to flow over her. “Maybe a spell of some kind?”

“If it was something attacking her, I think she’d have said something,” Gervas said with a shake of his head. “No. There was something else, there. She wasn’t trying to draw attention to it, either. She tried to hide it. Likely a spell of some kind.”

“If it was, it was pretty subtle,” Yvette said. “I didn’t notice her casting anything. But I did notice something else. She’s a fallen mage, like me.”

“Maybe whatever spell she’s using, then,” Gervas said harshly, his eyes narrowing. “Something that damages the body like that doesn’t seem like something they’d approve of.”

“Doesn’t mean she’s doing anything wrong, though,” Yvette said quickly. “I’m a fallen mage too.”

“You’re different,” he said quickly. “Your condition is special. It’s not like--”

“There may be other mages like me. Ones who were punished for something they had to do. We don’t know,” Yvette said, cutting him off.

“Yvette,” he said, crossing his arms and glaring at her. “Her situation is likely nothing like yours. It--”

“But it might be, right?” Yvette cut him off again, stopping for a moment and tugging him back to look at her. “We don’t know, so we shouldn’t just assume it’s wrong or bad. She hasn’t hurt anyone. If she’s getting hurt, she might be--”

“And she shows up today, right after they send that message out. We haven’t heard anything from the merfolk, either. She might be responsible. It’s possible she has a way to block or even interrupt the message. If none of the merfolk sent any--” He stared at her and then, slowly, his eyes went down to her hands. “You’re wearing that ring still, aren’t you?”

“Ring? Of course. The one you gave me? It--” She stopped and felt her cheeks going redder. The ring she wore had been designed to make it so she couldn’t be tracked by the mage’s association. It would block most spells that required tracking or scrying on a person. Which likely included someone trying to send them a message back. Even if the merfolk had tried to respond, there was a good chance that the ring had made it impossible. Worse, if the merfolk had tried to scry on them after sending the message, then it likely looked like either a trap or an outright lie. At the very best, they might be sending messengers towards its origin. “I’m an idiot.”

“We’re both idiots,” Gervas muttered. “We’ll need to ensure we stay here next time they go out. We can’t risk--”

“What if I took the ring off? It would--”

“No!” Gervas snapped, though he quickly lowered his voice when the yell drew the glances of a few of the zmaj out in the streets. He walked a little faster, drawing her towards their small home and pulling her inside. Once they were alone, he turned to face her, releasing her hand. “No,” he repeated. “The Mage’s Association might come looking for you at any time. If they’ve sent mage hunters after you, the moment that ring comes off, we expose ourselves to them tracking us. Right now? They have no idea where we could be. But once they know?”

“They can’t really get to this island without--”

“They could use long range teleportation. Bring themselves right next to you.”

Yvette gulped, shaking her head. “I’m not worth--” She stopped herself, though. The words went through her head. No, she, herself, wasn’t worth teleporting to like that. But if she just suddenly appeared, depending on how long they’d been trying to track her? She might be. Just to catch her before she disappeared again. Not to mention, she was on this island amongst the zmaj. Someone might decide it was worth putting in the effort to teleport here to study them, before teleporting away again. Even if it wasn’t normally worth the effort itself, adding an additional incentive of both herself AND the island could draw the aid of someone strong enough to get them here.

Yvette clutched her fists and gave a small nod. “Right. I won’t take it off. We’ll stay here next time. Hopefully they have a response. But we still need to decide what we’ll do about that woman. Durandet isn’t going to be happy having another human around here. Not after what we did. Even if they didn’t try to kill us when we were on the ship, that doesn’t mean they won’t try in the future.”

Gervas nodded, crossing his arms. “It’s worse than that. If she’s a fallen mage, then there’s a good chance she’s not telling the truth about why she’s here. Her timing is perfect, we--”

“Could just ask me,” a voice said, making them both jump and turn towards the entrance. Lunia slid inside, the entrance flap pushed aside to allow her in. “If you really must know, of course.”

Yvette stared at the woman, trying to keep from cringing. There were definitely more cuts on the woman. Little bruises on her arms. Barely noticeable if she hadn’t been looking for them. “I wasn’t--”

“My magic is dangerous,” Lunia said firmly. “I’m primarily a hydromancer. However, in order to use my magic, I have to expend some of my life with each spell I cast. I’m sure you’ve noticed the bruises and such on my body? That is an after effect of the spell. Magic often has a price, no? The same as anything else.”

Yvette flushed. “T-that’s not, my magic has never--”

“Doesn’t it?” Lunia asked, walking towards her, eyes narrowed. “You expend your energy in order to cast your spells. You get tired. I, unfortunately, do not have that luxury. I have to wound my body in order to cast my magic. That is the key difference between us,” she said before giving a soft sigh. “Unfortunately, the Mage’s Association does not quite agree with such magic. They believe that my willingness to give my own life in such a manner means I’m willing to give up the lives of others for that same cost. Magic such as that is forbidden and, as such, I have been branded a fallen mage.”

“That’s why?” Yvette asked, feeling her heart beat a little faster. This woman was like her, at least in some ways. Forbidden from being what she was, just because it COULD be used in a terrible manner. “How did you know we were--”

“Going to ask that? Because you’re looking at me like you can’t decide if you want to attack me or hide. Besides, you’re a mage as well. Mages always ask. If there was another way for me to use the power I have? I would. Alas, there is not. I am told it is a rare genetic defect,” she said with a saddened shake of her head.

“Why even use magic, then?” Gervas asked, his eyes narrowing. “If it uses up your life, you should give it up and--”

“And do what?” Lunia asked. “Magic is all I know. All I can do. More importantly, it is something I am good at. My abilities as a hydromancer are of the highest level. The wounds it inflicts upon me are temporary and will heal quickly enough. The only true danger I face is if I over exert too much and burn myself out entirely. Were it not for the Mage’s Association, I would be able to do any number of tasks or serve on any vessel. But because of the mark they gave me, that road has been locked off from me. This is what I know how to do, what I have trained to do. I can’t just stop doing it and find something else because they don’t approve.”

“I’m so sorry,” Yvette said before Gervas could start again. She knew what he’d say. The way he’d object to her using magic at all if it could kill her. She didn’t expect him to understand, though. When magic was so much a part of who and what you were, how could you just abandon it? It was what she had been trained in. If she had to live her life, never using her magic again, she wasn’t sure how she’d survive.

She saw a small twitch from Lunia, though no new wounds appeared this time. She did look between the two of them, before her eyes settled on Yvette once more. Her voice came out calm and gentle. “So, I did talk with the chosen of Hsgrogn. She had quite an interesting story to tell me. It appears that the dragon turtle that kept this island safe is gone and, please do not take this the wrong way as I mean no ill intent, you are to blame?”

Yvette felt herself flush. She opened her mouth to speak, but Gervas cut her off. “Yvette is not to blame in any way. The dragon turtle had left this island ages ago, leaving a guardian behind. Yvette broke the enchantment on it, reverting it back to the size of a normal turtle, at which point it died.”

“Wait, it died?” Yvette asked, turning to Gervas. “You never told me it died.”

“Its shell was crushed,” Gervas said firmly. “It’s not important. What is important is that the creature is no more. It is not Yvette’s fault, she merely stopped it from trapping the zmaj on this island any longer and allowed us to inform them of the trick they had been under.”

Lunia gave a small nod. “I see. That makes far more sense. You must be quite the powerful mage then, Yvette. To be able to fight something like that and survive. I’d love to know more about it, if you would be willing to discuss it with me? Assuming your guardian doesn’t object?” Lunia’s eyes wandered over Gervas. “I assure you, I would never do anything to harm her. If you so desire, you may even take my staff during this talk.” She held out her staff in her open hands.

Gervas’ eyes narrowed, eyeing the staff. “How do we know we can trust you, anyway? Everything you’ve said up to now could be a lie. It likely is.”

“I’ve been quite truthful, I assure you,” Lunia said calmly. “If anything, I imagine I should be more worried about you, should I not?”

“How should you be worried about us?”

“Well, for one thing. Why does a journeyman mage have a master’s bracer? Or perhaps you’re a master with journeyman robes?” Lunia asked, glancing to Yvette. “Or perhaps, like me, getting replacements isn’t easy. After all, you’re a fallen mage as well, aren’t you?”

Yvette froze, her eyes going wide. Quickly, she pulled her right hand back and moved her left hand over it. “H-how did you know?”

“Primarily? You just told me,” Lunia said before glancing to Gervas, who was resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. “They told me a few other things. How you two came onto this island recently. How you attacked one of their sacred guardians.” Her eyes then glanced towards Yvette. “That you are a… ahhhh...”

Yvette felt that anger boiling within herself. “I’m a woman!”

“That I do not doubt,” Lunia said instantly. “A rather powerful, brave young woman, in fact.”

She froze, her mouth falling open slightly. “O-oh. I ummm...”

“I imagine the Mage’s Association doesn’t approve of that either, does it?”

The smaller mage took a small step back, moving slightly closer to Gervas. “I… mean they...”

“The Mage’s Association tends to not approve of things they do not understand,” Lunia said calmly. “That does not make them right. Judging by the way the chosen spoke of you, she doesn’t approve either. Trust me, I’ve run into their sort before.”

Yvette’s heart skipped a beat. She stared intently at the woman, her breath stopping. The woman was beautiful, she couldn’t imagine Lunia’s condition was the same as her own. But she felt a small stirring in her heart, a small desire for it to be that way. “Did… do you… you aren’t...”

“Like you? Not quite in that manner, no. I have run afoul of the Mage’s Association, but I’ve already explained the reason. But you’re not the first person, or even mage, I’ve run into with this particular condition, incredibly rare though it may be. Nor do I expect you’ll be the la--”

Yvette didn’t hesitate. She dashed forward, taking the other woman’s hands in her own. Her heart felt like it might explode and she felt excitement bubbling within herself.

There were others like her. Other people. Other mages. “Y-you have? There are people like me? Do they have a cure? Is there a way to fix it?” Lunia’s face was a mix of shock and worry. Up to this point, she had looked relatively calm upon entering the room, but now there was definitely worry in her eyes. Guilt, as well. Pity.

“Oh you poor thing...” Lunia whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you hope. I’ve never met anyone who has found a cure for this. At most I’ve heard rumors.”

Yvette nodded, though she kept her heart from shattering with effort. “But I’m not alone, then? There are others like me?”

“You’d be surprised how many,” Lunia said sheepishly. “I’m hardly an expert on the matter, of course. But I’ve found out about more than a few of them soon after becoming a fallen mage. I can say with certainty that you aren’t the only one looking for a cure.”

Yvette felt her heart take another leap. “T-there are? I-I may have a cure, it--” Gervas’ hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back, making her release the other woman and stumble back to his side. He leaned into her ear and whispered.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice furious.

“S-she said that she knew--”

“She could be lying, or worse,” he whispered. “We don’t know anything about her. Who she is, where she’s from. For all we know, she’s been making everything up in order to get close to you. She could be a pirate. An advance force who--”

“An advance force for what?” Yvette asked, shaking her head. “She’s one mage on an island of zmajs. They have mages too. What could she do here that they couldn’t stop?”

“I don’t know,” he whispered. “But now is not the time for you to go telling her everything you’ve done and what we’re doing. She probably doesn’t know anything about your condition and is just saying she does to trick you.”

Yvette felt anger start to rise. “But she said she knew other people like me, she--”

“What are the chances of that?” Gervas asked. “You’ve met one person, in your entire life, who was like this. One person ever. In my entire life I’ve only ever met you. Yet this woman has just happened to meet others like you? Those who want to be a woman despite being born male? She’s playing on your wants, Yvette. There just aren’t that many people like you who can exist.”

Yvette froze, slowly looking up at him. “W-what? You don’t think there can be...”

“Of course not. You’re… unique. Different. Special, I guess,” he muttered before shaking his head. “There’s probably nobody else out there like you. You just need to… Yvette. Don’t, please. Stop crying.”

“I’m not crying,” Yvette said, though she could feel the small tears forming in her eyes. “I’m just a...” But try as she might, she couldn’t ignore his words. As much as she hated it, she suspected he was right. If there were more people like her, why had she never met any? Why hadn’t she met more people who could accept her before him? Why hadn’t she at least heard of it before now? As desperately as she wanted to believe there were other people like her, trying for this so desperately, she found it unlikely. Even the one who she had met like her, Osiron, refused to accept it. “I just thought...”

“I’m not lying,” Lunia said with a shake of her head.

“Stay out of this,” Gervas said coldly.

“I will not,” she said firmly. “There are others like you, Yvette. Others who are, I suppose you might say, trying to cure themselves. I can introduce you to some of them as well.”

“W-what?” Yvette asked, turning to her.

“Yvette, don’t,” Gervas warned. “We don’t know anything about--”

“GERVAS!” Yvette yelled, her voice rising in a flash of anger. “Will you just be quiet? Do you have to treat every single person we meet with such suspicion? If she can show me others like me, what do you care? I just want to--” The words caught in her throat when she saw the look on her guardian’s face. The shock, the hint of hurt. She felt guilt start to flow inside her heart. “W-wait, Gervas. Please, I didn’t mean, I just--”

“No, you’re right,” Gervas said softly, pulling back slightly from her. “Maybe I am just being paranoid. Go ahead,” he said, giving a small wave with his hand for her to carry on.

Yvette stared at him, a small part of her wanting to reach out and hold him. To beg forgiveness for yelling at him. But she couldn’t ignore the chances that there were others like her, who could fix her. Or help. She looked to Lunia. “I’m sorry...”

“It’s fine,” Lunia said dismissively. “I’m one of the fallen. I’m used to being treated as if I’m untrustworthy,” she said with just a hint of bitterness. “Your friend is wrong, though. There are others like you. People with the same problem. You said you have a cure?”

Yvette nodded, pulling away fully from Gervas, giving him a small, lingering look. “Yes. Well, I’m working on it. It’s a...” She trailed off. “A spell. It’s not complete, yet. I’m translating it. It’s a very old spell that can fix this issue. I’m gathering the components to do it, but I’m not there, yet.”

“I see,” Lunia said, rubbing her chin. “What components do you need?”

“Siren tears,” Yvette said. She could almost feel Gervas cringe behind her. As much as she wanted to listen to him, as much as she wanted to follow his directions, she couldn’t. Not here. Not now. Not for this. If there was even a small chance this woman could help her, then she had to try.

Lunia’s eyes widened. “Siren tears? Oh my. You’re not going for something easy, now are you?” she asked with a small sigh. “I can help you, though. Or, well. I suppose we can help each other. You are the one who got rid of the guardian of this island, right? The leviathan?”

Yvette nodded slowly. “Sort of. I wasn’t alone, though. All I really did was disrupt the magic that was holding its form.”

“But you did it, correct?” Lunia asked again.

“Yes…?” Yvette said, feeling a little unease rise up within herself.

“Then I think I can help you. You’ll just need to be patient, okay? Now that I’m on dry land, I should be able to send a message to some of my contacts. I’m sure one of them can help get us both off this island. And I’m certain we can get you somewhere that will have these tears you need. Assuming that’s okay with you?” Lunia offered.

“You can? You will?” she asked. “What do you need from me?”

“All I want is information. This leviathan you faced and drove off, what can you tell me about it? Everything you remember about the fight?”

“O-oh, right,” Yvette started, only pausing when she heard the covering of their small home pushed aside and saw Gervas walk out. “W-wait, Gervas, I--”

“Don’t worry about him,” Lunia said with a small shake of her head. “He’ll calm down, I’m sure. He’s your guardian, isn’t he?”

Yvette nodded, though she wondered if he was reconsidering that decision. She felt frustration coiling around her heart like a viper. “He’s my guardian. I just...”

“It’s his job to keep you safe, that’s all. He’s probably just upset you’re talking to a fallen mage. But, well...” Lunia gave a small, dismissive wave of her hand. “I don’t think he likes that it’s someone else other than him who can help you. You know, it’ll probably lead you to more trouble down the road.”

“What do you mean?” Yvette asked.

“If he gets this upset at the notion that I can maybe help you, what do you think will happen when I do?” Lunia asked. “After all, he’s your guardian, isn’t he? It’s not uncommon for guardians to get a bit too attached to their work. Getting upset when someone else can help their mage. Is this kind of reaction from him common?”

Yvette nodded. “A little. Only when other mages are involved, though. Or nobles. He always gets so paranoid. He seems to think every single other mage in the world is going to go and cause trouble or try and get one, or both, of us killed,” she said with a soft sigh. “But I think it’s just because he’s had a lot of bad experiences with them. He’s managed to get me a little freaked out a few times as well.”

“Of course. Other mages like yourself. People with authority, power,” Lunia said with a small shake of her head. “It’s quite common, you know. Guardians like that. Ones who undermine their mages. Ones who believe they know best. Who try to isolate them from the rest of the world, control them. I have met a few myself.”

“Gervas isn’t like that,” she said gently, glancing back towards the door. She knew he was a bit paranoid sometimes, as well as had a tendency to over react to things at times. But he always had her back, always worked so hard to keep her safe. Always gave his all for her sake. A bit of paranoia was worth dealing with.

“If you say so. I’m just warning you. An over protective guardian like that, he might end up stopping you from finding this cure. Are you--”

“He won’t!” Yvette yelled, her anger suddenly flowing out and shocking her with just how strong it felt. “Gervas would never betray me like that!” she said, her fists clenching at her side.

“I’m not saying--”

“Gervas is kind, loyal and generous. He has put up with everything I have thrown at him. Yes, he’s paranoid sometimes, okay? He doesn’t trust mages. But he trusts ME! And I trust him with my life! I don’t care what other guardians have done. Gervas is Gervas. He is not just other guardians. He is my guardian and even if he isn’t perfect, he’s perfect for me!” she yelled, her nails digging into her palms. It took all of her control to resist slapping the woman. “Don’t talk about him like that. He is my guardian and he will always be my guardian. As long as he is willing. There is nobody in the world I would want, nobody in the world I would trust more, to stand by my side. So… if sometimes he gets over protective, I don’t care. Because I wouldn’t be here now if not for him. He won’t stop me from finding the cure, he won’t stop me from being me. So don’t you dare say he will. Okay?”

Lunia stared at her for a few long moments, her mouth hanging open. Finally, she shook her head and bowed politely. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend. If you trust him that deeply, I’ll say nothing more on the subject. If you will give me some time, I will make contact with some of my cohorts. I’m sure I’ll be able to get you both where you need to go. First thing is first, though. The leviathan. I want to hear everything about your fight.”

Yvette nodded, though she was starting to feel unease growing in the pit of her stomach. As desperately as she wanted to believe that the woman knew others like her, she was beginning to feel that paranoia that plagued her guardian so closely. What if he was right and this woman was just telling her what she wanted to hear? What were the chances that there were others like her?

But despite her doubts, she couldn’t let them slip away. She had to take this opportunity while she could. Especially if she could find siren tears from it. As well as get them passage off this island before things got out of control.

For now, though, all she had to do was explain how they had gotten rid of the turtle. It hadn’t been a real leviathan, at least.