For the second time, two great armies faced each other across a wide field. Tall grasses of autumn brown swayed and rustled in the breeze. The morning sunlight glinted from the polished shields and armor of the Imperial legions that lay just across the border atop a low hill. They would not advance. They stood as a bulwark and a dare. Lord Duric's eyes swept across their forward ranks, which had formed a significantly less broad front than Duric could command. It was an auspicious start, despite the enemy having the higher ground.

But only if he commanded it. Only if he ordered his men into battle. Only if he was willing to accept the deaths of men he barely knew, who would throw themselves into the fray for a personification that they had come to idealize, rather than the ideals themselves. They fought for him, Lord Duric, would-be Emperor, and not for the cause.

Once before, Duric had a similar choice. He had faced Imperial soldiers, staring them down, each side waiting for the other. It had been another place, further afield, but the similarities were uncanny. He half expected to see Amanda nearby were he to turn his head.

She would not be here this time to offer sage words of unexpected wisdom. This time, none were needed, as the path was clear. Duric did not like what was motivating his men, but he needed to take advantage of it. He needed to be a leader of men.

Lord Duric focused his eyes on the center of the enemy position. He reached to his waist and drew his sword. The slide of metal was deafening to his ears. He raised the sword high.

Behind him came more sounds of metal unleashed as each regiment commander raised his own sword in turn, relaying the signal that their Lord was to give. Before him, there was a brief low metallic rumble as the forward positions of the Imperial legion took a defensive stance in preparation of the first charge. Both sides now lay poised for history.

Lord Duric held the sword aloft, his hand rock-steady. There could be no nervousness, no hesitation. He must remain decisive and strong. He must be as much a symbol as a man.

"Hearts of men," he murmured to himself.

The sword whipped down, pointed straight at the Imperial legion.

"TO WAR!"

Men raised weapons high into the air and joined as one voice, a single cry of enthusiasm and war lust. The cry faded before a rolling thunder as men surged forward, the ground trembling before their advance. Soon the thunder was lost to cacophonous din as the two armies clashed in mighty collision atop the hill. First blood was drawn in moments, but the battle continued over the bodies of the dead and dying.

A knock came to the Lord Admiral's quarters. Vortas finished pulling on his cloak and adjusting the tie around his shoulders before he turned from the mirror. "Come!"

Sunlight spilled into the room as the door opened. Vortas squinted and had to wait until the door closed before he could see who it was. "Yes, Captain, what is it?"

"Did I hear your latest orders correctly, Admiral?" Boddas asked with a frown.

"Unless my adjunct is suddenly addled in the head, I would assume so, Captain."

"You wish us to pull into Port Gannus as soon as we arrive? That is hardly conducive to a proper deployment for bombardment. Unless you meant only the lighter, nonessential ships?"

Vortas shook his head, a hard look to his eyes. "The orders are exactly as I specified. You will anchor your fleet at Gannus and take on supply where needed. You are starting to run low anyway."

"With all due respect, my Lord, I should be the judge of that. This is my fleet, and I have my orders from the Emperor."

Vortas glowered. "You have your orders from the Emperor through me. I, therefore, will choose how to implement them."

"This is not a choice, it is a flagrant disregard for orders."

"Captain, I will not have you questioning my authority in this manner! There is no point to your original orders, as by now Lord Duric's armies have engaged Imperial legions."

Boddas paused, looking expectant. When nothing else was forthcoming, he shrugged and said, "So what?"

Vortas stepped forward. "Are you quite serious, Captain? You would still launch Mage-fire at Duric's armies?"

Boddas maintained a level gaze with the Lord Admiral. "Those are the Emperor's orders, my Lord. I intend to carry them out as he dictates."

"You risk striking our own men!"

Boddas smiled. "Not if I'm good."

"You are far too overconfident in your abilities, Captain."

"With all due respect, my Lord, you know nothing of the technical or tactical aspects of bombardment," Boddas said sharply. "With the right intelligence, I need only know the approximate area in which Duric's army lies. Bombardment can cover a wide area, Lord Admiral. Surely a good fraction of the volley will find its mark."

"And then we come to the cost of such an endeavor, of the great damage to peasant villages and farms. Oh, but I suppose they would be heroes to the empire. Martyrs to offer as proof of the Emperor's resolve!"

Boddas shook his head. "My Lord, I continue to be at a loss to understand why you insist on protecting the enemy."

"The peasants are not the enemy! The Noble Lords are!"

"If they give free passage to Duric's armies, and willingly supply them, that makes them the enemy. Especially if the Emperor decrees it."

Lord Admiral Vortas was aghast. It went against everything he had been taught. This was a barbaric use of the navy. Yet he realized he was fighting a losing battle. The Captain of the Second Fleet had given him similar grief. All the younger Fleet Captains had been appointed to their positions by the current Emperor. They likely all shared similar political views.

Vortas understood now, and cursed himself for not seeing this sooner. Z'haas had been slowly usurping tactical control of the navy from the Lord Admirals. To these new Captains, the Charter was little more than an aging piece of parchment, and the Emperor's word was law.

Captain Boddas folded his hands before him. "You can, of course, relieve me of duty and take command of this Fleet yourself. That is your prerogative."

Vortas glared at the Fleet Captain. He had no doubt now that Boddas would carry out the bombardment orders if the Lord Admiral were absent. Now Vortas had to choose which madness to stop.

Vortas turned away. "You have your orders, and I expect them to be carried out," he said tonelessly.

Boddas nodded once. "And do you intend to sail for the Second Fleet, my Lord?"

Vortas turned. His eyes were ice. "Yes, by dawn tomorrow. I will take the Reassurance. Her Mage-fire guns are ineffective for inland bombardment."

Boddas smiled. "Very well, my Lord. I will inform her captain at once." He left the Lord Admiral's quarters without waiting for a formal dismissal.

Vortas let out a windy sigh. He grabbed the rum gourd and splashed some into a goblet. He raised it to his lips and paused, swirling the liquor about.

"If history goes against the expectations of the Emperor," he muttered to himself. "At least there will be no blood on my hands."

"My Lord, I must protest this action most strenuously! Why was I not informed before you began your retreat?"

Rithas gave the haughty Farview image of Commander Foron an irritated glance. If he had to do it over again, he would not have promoted the adjunct. Foron had let success go to his head. Now he was quite insufferable. "For the final time, Commander, you will cease to call this a retreat. This is a redeployment by order of the Emperor to protect the Imperial lands."

"This is ludicrous, my Lord! The Emperor cannot possibly expect you to return in time to be of any serious assistance, not when you have come this far into the northern lands."

"Nevertheless, the Emperor was quite adamant and would not be dissuaded."

Foron sighed dramatically and threw up his hands, seeming to turn and walk away from the Farview. The Farviewing spell kept the image focused on him, making it appear as if he were walking in place but going nowhere.

"If you are concerned about supply, Commander, I suggest you halt your advance and consolidate your gains. I have already expressed to you my concern about the sparsity of the garrisons you are leaving behind."

Foron faced Rithas again. "I would not have that problem if your legion played a larger role in this campaign! I thought all of our plans earlier when I was your adjunct meant ..."

"The plan was for my legion to be a mobile supply and command center. I apprised you of that soon after I promoted you."

"And with all due respect, my Lord, I now question the merits of that plan. Your retreat ... excuse me, your redeployment ... now leaves me in a bind. I must now wait to establish a traditional supply line from Imperial lands before I can continue."

"Then so be it, Commander," declared Rithas, his anger rising. "You will cease complaining about things that you have no control over."

"What of more military support, my Lord? Even if I do create a new line of supply, I cannot carry this campaign to its conclusion with only one legion. I will be stretched too thin by the time I reach the heart of the northern provinces."

"I will attempt to direct the returning legions from Talrad Pass to your command."

"That will take at least a full moon to reach my position and establish their supply!"

"Nevertheless, we will work with what we have. I cannot change the Emperor's mind, and I will remind you that the ultimate responsibility for Imperial defense is his."

"Perhaps I shall contact the Emperor myself."

Rithas frowned. "Do that, Commander, and I will see it as insubordination."

"I beg your pardon, my Lord?"

"I will not repeat myself. You have your orders, and I have mine. We each need only to carry them out. You may not be an adjunct any longer, but you are still subject to my authority. Start acting as such."

Rithas slashed the air with his hand. The shocked image of Foron vanished.

"You are taking a large risk, my Lord."

Rithas turned towards his adjunct. "Am I?"

The adjunct Dollas stepped further into the tent. "Commander Foron has powerful friends at Imperial court."

"He is also very mindful of keeping his new rank," said Rithas. "He will grumble and complain, but he will do as he is told."

Dollas considered. "My Lord, may I make an observation?"

Rithas paused, then nodded once.

"It seems to me that the Emperor believes that you were intended to be in a reserve mode all along."

The Lord General smiled. "You must tell me when you developed this wondrous ability to read minds."

The young man shook his head. "No, my Lord, nothing of the sort. It simply fits from everything that has happened over the past moon. It's as if he did not know that you were participating in the incursion to the extent that we have."

Rithas chuckled. "So will you now threaten me with taking your issue up with the Emperor directly as the Commander did?"

Dollas smiled humorlessly. "Me? I am but a lowly adjunct, my Lord. Perhaps you are thinking of others in my clan. But I do find it interesting. Just like I found the rather large amount of supplies that we carry to be interesting."

"So noted. Please, do not hesitate to share these 'interesting' things with me in the future. Perhaps they will eventually amount to something. That will be all."

Dollas lingered for a moment, then left.

Rithas sighed and began to break down his tent in preparation for the morning march. It did not matter now. Suspicions would remain just that. There would be no proof. He could hold this together long enough to reach the Palace. Once he was there, everything else would be moot. If needed, he could quietly and quickly take any internal dissenters out of the way at the final candlemark. Then it would be only he and the men under his command. They would not waver, so long as they continued to receive food, shelter, and platinum.

Evella glanced towards the back room as she came alongside Lanno. "It's nearly sunset," she said, her voice soft but tinged with anxiety. "Will Vanlo be closing up soon?"

Lanno turned to her and smiled. "Getting a little impatient?"

Evella let out a husky sigh. "It's been midday since ... um, you know ..."

Lanno thought it endearing that she still blushed faintly when she tried to talk about sex, no matter how ardently she did the act. He slipped an arm around her waist. Evella shivered as he drew her close. "I'm sure it will be soon. Just hang in there. Maybe the fact that you lasted the whole afternoon means it's finally wearing off."

Evella shook her head. "No, it's still rather strong. I'm ..." She glanced behind her briefly, her blush deepening. Her legs shifted. "My undergarment is soaked, Lanno," she whispered.

Lanno took a slow breath through his nose and let it go as his manhood stirred. "Well, we'll take care of that very shortly."

Evella smiled faintly. "Thank you, Lanno, you've been very good to me."

"I hope you've at least been enjoying our trysts together, Evella. I mean, I want it to be pleasant for you, at least."

"Oh, yes, it has been, very much so. I-I look forward to it." She squirmed, and her nipples rose and swelled against her blouse. Her breathing became a soft pant.

Lanno couldn't help but smile. He was growing used to this arrangement. He still hoped that the effects would wear off, and he was mystified as to why they had not, but he was definitely beginning to enjoy it.

Sometimes he still felt guilty. Sometimes it was guilt over abandoning Amanda. It had affected their friendship. She acted with little more than professional courtesy towards him.

"Lanno," came a voice from behind him.

Lanno smiled at Evella. "See, here we go." He turned around. "Yes, Vanlo, we were just waiting for word from you to start closing up."

"You can do that in a few moments. I wish to speak with you first."

"Oh, okay. What's up?"

"Alone, please, if you do not mind."

Lanno hesitated, glancing back at Evella. "Oh, um, could I come by your quarters a little later instead, Vanlo?"

"This cannot wait. Please send Evella on her way and come into the back room." Vanlo turned on his heel and disappeared before Lanno could get in another word.

"What in hellfire was that about?" Lanno muttered with a small frown. He turned to Evella. "I'm really sorry about this. Will you be okay without me for a little while longer?"

"I think so, Lanno, but please don't be long."

"I'll try. I'll see you shortly."

Evella nodded reluctantly and headed out.

Lanno watched her go, then strolled into the back room. "So what's so important, Vanlo?"

Vanlo leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Lanno, have you been keeping careful watch on Evella's condition?"

"Yes, of course I have. Why?"

"Is she making any progress whatsoever?"

Lanno absently rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it's kind of hard to tell. I mean, she's so enthusiastic about sex that I don't know whether it's the herb or just that she picked up a liking for it in general."

Vanlo sighed. "I fear you are not looking at this objectively."

Lanno frowned. "Vanlo, I care about her, and I want to see her shake this thing off. But maybe Freya gave her such a large dose that it's having a hard time letting loose of her."

"The fact of the matter is, Lanno, that she appeared to be getting better for a time after I first administered the counter-agent. Then it appeared as if the effect had resurged. This makes little sense. The effects of such an herb would decrease over time once her body began to flush it from her system. It would not increase."

"But what if Freya fed her so much that it left a permanent impression? Some sex-related salves do the same thing."

"In that case, the effects would be steady-state. And again, hers decreased, and then increased."

"Well, then, I don't know!" Lanno declared, throwing his hands up and slapping them against his sides. "She's had so many damn potions and draughts poured into her that maybe one is reacting with the other."

Vanlo steepled his fingers. "It is a very outside chance, but it is in the realm of possibility. But I do not think that is the case here."

"So what is it?"

Vanlo stood up. "Come with me."

Lanno shook his head behind Vanlo's back as he followed. Vanlo approached the cabinets where most of the herbs and other ingredients were kept. He opened one and withdrew an herb pouch and tossed it to Lanno. "Open it."

Lanno did as he was told. He peered inside. "Okay, so?"

"I am nearly out of that." Vanlo reached into the cabinet and withdrew another pouch and a vial. "As I am these. These ingredients together would make a crude form of the sexual enhancement additive."

Lanno frowned. "You better not be implying what I think you are, Vanlo."

"The fact that you see it as well means that the evidence is rather compelling."

Lanno threw the pouch down on the counter. He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a set of parchments, all written in Evella's very neat script. He thumbed through them until he came to the one he wanted and withdrew it. He scanned down the page and then slapped the back of his hand against it.

"Here." He turned it around for Vanlo to see. "See the inventory entry? Exactly what you have in this pouch. I'll bet the same is true for the other two as well. You simply misremembered how much you had."

"I am quite sure that I have not. Consider how much I have been using these ingredients in my research. I would recall how much I had left."

"Then you're just looking for excuses to find fault with Evella!"

"She, unfortunately, is quite capable of providing those faults herself."

Lanno threw down the parchment and stepped away. "I've had enough of this."

Vanlo turned. "Lanno, please ..."

Lanno spun around. "No, I've had it, Vanlo! It's not bad enough she had all this happen to her, you have to find excuses to stop her from trying to get back to some semblance of normalcy!"

Vanlo stepped forward, the anger flashing in his eyes giving Lanno pause. "No, Lanno, I am the one that has had it. I have had it with your emotionalism and your lack of patience. If you would wait just one moment before you go off in an unwarranted tirade, you will hear exactly what my concerns are, rather than assuming my motivations from the start."

Lanno was so shocked by the sharpness of the rebuke that he did not reply immediately.

Vanlo took advantage of Lanno's momentary speechlessness. "I will not judge her on her appropriation of my ingredients and falsification of my records. I have a far more immediate concern."

Lanno folded his arms. "All right. What is it?"

"I told you that the ingredients she used makes a crude form of the enhancement drug. It is crude because it could have adverse long-term side-effects without the proper stabilization agent added."

Lanno's anger faded and was quickly replaced with concern. Vanlo never made specious claims of concern over someone else's health no matter how angry he was. "So what could it do to her?"

"It could leave her with permanent lingering effects on the part of her nervous system associated with sexual function. Erratic nerve impulses could trigger spontaneous orgasm at odd times, even if she is not physically aroused. She may be left with lingering mental effects as well, such as lack of inhibition in social situations not conducive to open sexual display."

Lanno's eyes widened. "But ... well ... wait a minute, Vanlo, this assumes that she's even taking this stuff, and I still don't believe that."

"I know your heart will prevent you from believing it, Lanno, but I need your head to believe it. The part of you that is a Healer dedicated to the health of others needs to believe it."

"Look, why would she even want to take this stuff in the first place? I mean ..." He trailed off. He already knew the answer.

"Lanno, if she insists on taking this drug in order to remain sexually active, or to please you, I will not necessarily stop her.

"I am not making her take this!"

"I know, and I never once suspected you would. I am talking about her perspective, and I must respect that. A Healer can decide only so much on behalf of a patient. We cannot force good decisions upon them."

"But we can't let her keep taking this stuff, not if it may have these nasty side-effects."

Vanlo nodded in earnest. "Yes, but she could instead take a properly stabilized version that will give her what she wants, though perhaps not as intense as she is feeling now. I will need to procure the extra ingredient, as I am out of it at the moment."

Lanno sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't want her taking anything like this at all, stabilized or not!" Lanno was more angry with himself than anything else. He had become complacent, and all because he was enjoying the sex so much.

"If you wish to discuss it with her, that is your business," said Vanlo calmly. "I am simply concerned with her avoiding damage to herself or taking more of my ingredients without permission."

"The fact that she did that means she's not thinking straight."

Vanlo nodded. "I concur."

Lanno stared. "You do?"

"I have found in my observations of Evella that, for the most part, she is more trustworthy than I admit I gave her credit for," Vanlo said evenly. "It would be a shame for the Healer community to lose her."

"It won't if I can help it. I can tell you the problem. She's deathly afraid of facing the Healer Guild."

"Yes, that is a problem. I fear the Healer Elders will take a hard line on her in retaliation for effectively showing them up by proving a few of their basic tenets to be wrong."

"But you did the same thing."

Vanlo smiled. "I still command a certain degree of begrudging respect. They will likely not call me to task for it. Or I will likely, ah, lose their correspondence calling me to the Guild Hall for a hearing, since I am so absent-minded in my old age."

Lanno smirked. "Can't we protect Evella that way? Just not respond to any summons from the Guild Hall?"

Vanlo stroked his beard thoughtfully. "They will likely pursue the matter more vigorously with her. Let me think on this, Lanno. I would still wish her to face some sort of disciplinary action, but disbarring her would be a supreme waste of talent."

Lanno smiled. "Vanlo, thank you. I really appreciate this."

Amanda's finger slid across the map scroll and came to rest in the heart of what would be Europe had it been an Earth map. She looked at Sirinna expectantly.

"The Urisi Nation. And ... and ... an ally of Oceanus."

Amanda nodded and smiled. She whipped her finger to the other side of the map, pointing towards the western half of North America.

"Um ... Colos."

"Do you remember its full name?"

Sirinna looked thoughtful. "Uh ... the Colos ... no, the Colosian Monarchy."

"Yes, very good! Now, a fact about it."

"Oceanus shares a common border with it."

Amanda nodded. She whipped her finger back towards the middle of Africa. "And this?"

Sirinna looked confused. "I don't think we named any of those."

"Yes, but what is this area?"

"Oh, that's the Hanrus Kingdoms. I don't think we named any of them, though."

Amanda looked delighted. "Yes, but you got the name right and you remembered that they were actually a bunch of nations rather than one. Okay, now how about here?"

Her finger slid westward. She traced a circle encompassing Japan and parts of China and Korea.

"Oh, um ... that's the Far West?"

"And what else?"

Sirinna looked oddly at Amanda.

"I mean, what else is it called?"

Sirinna stared at the map for a long moment. "Oh, yes, I remember! The Distant East. That's what the Urisi call it."

Amanda beamed and pulled Sirinna into an embrace. "Sirinna, that's wonderful! You're really picking this stuff up fast."

Sirinna smiled, genuinely pleased with herself.

"We'll go over this one more time tomorrow evening," said Amanda. "Then I'll teach you some of the names of the lesser nations."

"Are you sure I can remember all this, love?"

"Of course you can. I mean, don't worry if it takes time for it to really stick. I had to learn a lot of this myself as well from the scrolls Roquan got for me, and then in Master Duric's library."

"But you taught yourself. You did it by just reading some scrolls. I don't think I could understand it if I did that."

Amanda rolled up the scroll. "You will eventually, Sirinna, I promise. It will just take time to get there."

Sirinna nodded. "This is sort of interesting. Is that the right word?"

Amanda considered as she tied the ribbon around the scroll. "That depends. Go on."

"Well, here I was training you all this time, and now you're going to be training me. I almost feel like I should be wearing a collar again."

Amanda grinned. "The word you're looking for is 'ironic.' Sirinna, I want to do this for you just as much as you wanted to train me."

"I'm still going to be training you, aren't I?" Sirinna asked. "Master Roquan has not said anything to you about telling me to stop?"

Amanda shook her head. "No, he hasn't said a word. I assume you'll train me until I'm ready to graduate. Be right back."

She stood and took the scroll back into her chamber. Sirinna waited anxiously for her to return before she spoke again. "It's just that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was no longer training you, Amanda. I don't think Master Roquan will be taking in any new Captives right away."

Amanda sat back down on the bed and placed a hand on Sirinna's shoulder. "We could keep doing this, me teaching you as much as I can."

"Oh, I know, Amanda, and I look forward to that, but ... but I would still feel like I didn't have any use to Master Roquan."

"You're still his slave. That hasn't changed."

Sirinna's eyes widened. "You think he may contract me out again?"

Amanda paused. "Well, maybe," Amanda said neutrally. "I've heard him say that clients still ask for you."

Sirinna smiled faintly. She was anxious at the idea of being contracted again, but not for the reasons that Amanda would assume. Something else was nagging at her, and she was not sure what it was. She should be happy that Roquan would still think so highly of her that he would consider contracting her again. She was, but there was also something troubling about it.

"Just how much more training do I have, Sirinna?" Amanda asked.

"Not very much, actually," Sirinna said. "So I guess it's already coming to an end anyway."

"Oh."

Both were silent for a long moment.

"So ... there's no such thing as graduate school for slaves?" Amanda suggested with a tiny grin.

"Graduate school? I don't understand."

"Remember how I told you education works on my world? Sometimes after you graduate, you go back to do more in a specific area."

"Oh, yes, I see now. Yes, sometimes slaves are given additional training in specific techniques if a client requests it."

"It will work out, Sirinna, I'm sure of it," Amanda said. "I mean, no matter what, even ... even if we get separated again, we're still Master Roquan's slaves. He would never sell us to anyone else. So we'll always have an opportunity to be together again."

Sirinna let out a sigh and pulled Amanda into a tight hug, her voice choked when she next spoke. "Amanda ... I'm really going to need you for awhile ... I just ... everything is happening so fast. I-I think I can finally start to understand it, but I need time."

"Shh, it's okay, I understand." Amanda gave her a lingering kiss. "I'll go slow. I won't rush you."

"But if Master Roquan wants to send me away soon ..."

"Sirinna, I'll talk to him if that happens too quickly. But I don't think it will. He understands more than you think."

Sirinna let out another sigh and smiled faintly. "I hope so, Amanda. I do envy you."

Amanda tilted her head. "How so?"

"I thought I knew Master Roquan, that I was really close to him. But you connect with him on a level I can't."

Amanda had never thought of it that way. But wasn't that just a factor of her intelligence? Wouldn't Sirinna get to that point as well? Or would Roquan continue to see her as he always did, out of force of habit if nothing else?

Sirinna smiled and squeezed Amanda's hand. "But that's a good thing, Amanda, and I'm actually grateful for it. With everything I need to sort out, I wouldn't be much use to Master Roquan that way."

Amanda felt a bit guilty. She had promised Sirinna some time ago that she would keep an eye on Roquan, watch for signs of stress, and offer herself to him for an evening. She had seen him grow rather tense just over the past quarter moon, but she had been so preoccupied with other matters that she had done nothing about it.

Amanda smiled in return. "Thank you. Now ... maybe we should talk about something less worrisome."

Sirinna's smile turned sultry. "Talk? I think I would rather do something else." She drew Amanda towards her. "After all, don't I always reward you when you do well in training?"

Amanda grinned. She kissed Sirinna and gently pushed her down onto her back. She slipped her knee between Sirinna's legs, coaxing them apart. Her hand curled around one of Sirinna's breasts, kneading it until Sirinna moaned into Amanda's mouth.

Amanda broke off the kiss. Sirinna panted as Amanda's skilled fingers teased her nipple. "So much for being worried about not wanting sex again," Amanda said in a teasing voice.

Sirinna smiled. "Oh, stop it, and turn around so we can enjoy this together ..."

Lanno lay in bed for a long time with one arm draped about Evella, her body snuggled up against his. It was her that stirred first. She lifted her head and smiled faintly. "If we keep lying like this together much longer, I may start getting excited, and we'd have to do it again."

Lanno forced a smile in return. "Well, I suppose that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing."

Evella ran her hand across his chest. "But you need some time to go over your chemistry notes, don't you?"

"I will, don't worry about it," he said, his tone a bit short.

Evella paused. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Huh? No. Well ... not really ..."

Evella withdrew her hand. "I did do something wrong, didn't I? I didn't satisfy you properly this time."

"No, no, nothing like that, Evella, please."

"Then what is it?"

Lanno sighed. "Evella, I know you've been taking a potion to keep your sex drive up."

Evella's eyes widened. "What? But ... no, Lanno, I ..."

"Please, don't deny it, I know it's true. Look, I'm not mad at you, I ..."

"But Vanlo is, isn't he?" Evella said, panic rising in her voice. She drew back. "He wants to send me back to the Guild Hall!"

Lanno grabbed Evella's hands firmly and sat up. She tried to pull away from him until he looked into her eyes. "No one is going to make you go to the Guild Hall. Not me and not Vanlo."

Evella stared into Lanno's eyes, then shook her head. "You don't know that, not for certain."

"Yes, I do, because he told me directly. Listen to me ..." He recounted to her the earlier conversation with Vanlo. "Vanlo's on your side. He wants to help. But you have to let him help."

Evella sighed. "I can't stop taking it, Lanno."

"Evella, I very much enjoy having sex with you, but I would rather we do it because you really want to and not because some potion is making you."

Evella laughed humorlessly and shook her head. "I'm not sure why you do. I probably don't do half the things you want. I don't even know how to do most of them."

Lanno cupped his hand under her chin. "Stop putting yourself down."

Evella's eyes glistened. "Actually, I do want to have sex with you. I do enjoy it. But I just don't want to have to make that decision. I ... I kind of like being compelled."

"You don't mean that."

"No, I do, Lanno! It's weird, I know, but ... it's sort of like I can get to be something like slave but not completely. Lanno, I've never been good at making decisions. Otherwise I would never have gotten involved with Freya. Leave me to my own ends and I'll just keep doing it."

"I don't believe that."

"Believe what you want, Lanno, that's how it is!" Evella snapped. "At least this way I can keep myself anchored somehow. It forces me along one path for now. I don't know, maybe later I can change my mind, but for now, I need it this way."

Lanno was silent for a moment. "Vanlo is willing to let you keep taking this drug," he said tonelessly.

Evella looked at him in shock. "He is? But you just said ...!"

"A properly stabilized version, Evella, one that won't have the nasty side-effects."

Evella slowly nodded. "But you see what I mean, Lanno? I was stupid to take the version that I did. And I knew what it could do to me as much as he did!"

Lanno grasped her shoulders. "I think you're just distraught, that's all. But, look, I can't stop you from taking it, but you have to wait and let him procure that ingredient."

"But who knows how long that will be?"

"I'm going to get on it first thing in the morning. We'll get it somehow, and as fast as possible."

"If this current dose really starts to run out, I'll have to take more of what I've already prepared, but I'll use it sparingly. And I won't make any more."

Lanno wished he could wean her off this drug. He was tempted to go looking for where she had hidden it, replace the contents with a placebo, and then drag his feet on helping Vanlo procure the stabilizing agent. Evella, however, was too clever to fall for anything like that, and subterfuge was not his forte. "All right, I can live with that."

Evella nodded. She slowly smiled and drew close to him. "Lanno, I could actually use a bit more relief. Talking about sex got me excited again."

Lanno smiled faintly and let his hand slip downward. She drew in a gentle gasp as his fingers teased her wetness.

"I'm a bit tired out," he said. "Will this do?"

Evella moaned and clutched him. "Oh yes, definitely," she sighed in delight.

Lanno fingered her to a quick orgasm. Evella moaned into his ear and hugged him the throbbing faded.

"Here, try to go on to sleep now, Evella," Lanno said.

Evella nodded tiredly, her eyes half-lidded. She smiled weakly one last time before curling up in the furs. By the time Lanno had stood up and stepped away from the bed, she had already fallen asleep.

Lanno sighed as he fell into a chair. He picked up the parchment scroll and attempted to review his chemistry notes. His mind was hardly on it at all.

Uroddus jerked awake, having nodded off for perhaps the third time in the past candlemark. He slipped off his spectacles, tossing them atop the scattered parchments on his desk, and rubbed his eyes. Candlelight illuminated a small circle around him, surrounding him with darkness that seemed endless in this cavernous chamber.

"Uroddus."

He was startled by the sudden voice from beyond his tiny spotlight. He peered into the blackness, then thought better of it and flicked a hand. Several oil lamps lit themselves, and he squinted at the glare. He let out a small sigh. "Katla, I'm sorry, I forgot."

Katla strolled forward, a half-smile on her lips. "I don't ask for much, Uroddus, just some company for the evening meal."

"I know. I was busy."

Katla looked down and picked up a parchment at random. Her eyes widened. "Uroddus, these formulae are daunting even for me. Just what in hellfire are you trying to do?"

"I am attempting to expand on the original equations concerning how the Portal locater matrix operates."

Katla let the parchment fall to the desk. "Really, this is something that you should be working with the Traditionalists, not killing yourself trying to do it alone." She looked around and shook her head. "And how can you work in all this darkness?"

"It reduces distractions and helps me think. The lower illumination makes my eyes more sensitive, so I can see the figures better and spot errors faster. This is purely Empirical work. I want to lay the groundwork on this side before the cooperative work can begin. We have only scratched the surface."

Katla pulled up a chair and sat down. "And the rest of the Empiricists cannot be in on this?"

"I was attempting to finish it tonight so that I may distribute it tomorrow for comments and corrections. Now, I need to get back to work."

Uroddus reached for his spectacles. Katla stopped him, grasping his wrist in her fingers. "Uroddus, you're obsessing over it."

Uroddus sighed. "I don't have much choice. We do not have a lot of time in which to learn more about these foreign Portals."

"But by now you have Mages at each Noble Lord Palace, don't you? The Lords will be protected when the invasion comes."

Uroddus placed his hand atop hers. "I truly hope so."

"What do you mean?"

Uroddus squeezed Katla's hand. She relented and let him put his spectacles back on. "It was only today that I realized that Master Q'yros and I based many of our conclusions on only the crudest possible model of how this new Portal technology works. It is clear that the foreign Portals make heavy use of mind magicks, and we have scant experience in that area. There is much more that is unknown than that is known."

"But you're not going to find out about it by working yourself to death."

"I have a responsibility, Katla ..."

"Yes, you do. You're the Guildmaster. But part of that is looking after yourself so that we continue to have a Guildmaster."

Uroddus said nothing. His eyes dropped to his parchments. He blinked a few times, barely able to focus on them anymore.

Katla's fingers touched his chin and gently lifted his gaze to hers. Her faint blush looked ruddy in the flickering candlelight. "And to be honest, Uroddus? I miss your company."

Uroddus considered, his gaze steady and unwavering on her eyes despite his exhaustion.

Katla took his hand. "Give it up for tonight."

Uroddus glanced at his parchment for another forlorn moment, then nodded. He slowly stood up. She tugged at his hand, but when he came around the end of the desk, she remained where she was standing.

"What is it?" Uroddus asked.

Katla just stared into his eyes. "You have to think of things other than your position. Or the Guild. Or these Portals."

Uroddus placed his hands on her shoulders. "I do, Katla. And the truth is, I do miss the times I spent with you."

Katla slowly smiled. She felt a small shiver pass through her, and for a brief moment she had the crazy notion to kiss him. But it was not really the right time or place. He was tired, and it was too late in the day to take it anywhere.

Uroddus let out a slow breath, as if he had had similar thoughts at the same time. Reluctantly, his hands fell away from her. "Let's at least share some time together before we retire."

Katla's smile widened. "I'd like that."

Uroddus took her hand. He glanced behind him and waved a hand. The candles went out. Soon after they strolled out of the office, the oil lamps flickered out as well, leaving the chamber in total darkness behind them.

Freya, too, was exhausted. All she wanted to do was drop off to sleep and let the terrible ache behind both temples abate. She was barely aware of the passage of time. She closed her eyes, her hand curled into a fist. She recited the incantation in her head. She flicked her fingers as she opened her hand. She opened her eyes to nothing more than a blue flicker of light.

She closed her eyes and started again. And again. And again. As it had been nearly all evening, and the day before that, and part of the night before that.

Slowly, aided by the darkness and the utter silence of the Manor, her concentration deepened. Distractions fell away one by one. Other thoughts faded into the background. Even the perception of her own body seemed to fade.

Suddenly, when she opened her hand, a bright blue flame danced in her palm and licked at her fingers with little tingles of magical energy.

Freya opened her eyes wide. She stared with rapt wonder. She felt something flowing inside her. It was weak, barely distinct, but it was there. It chased away the fatigue, making her feel as wide awake as if she had just woken up.

The flame faded and winked out.

Freya let out a long, satisfied sigh. A channel that supposedly was closed off to her because she never truly exercised it had been opened a crack. What flowed through it was nothing more than a tiny trickle, a leak rather than a flood. But it might be all that she needed.

The magic-charged alertness was short-lived. Mind and body both crashed hard. Her eyes drooped, and she barely had a chance to roll onto her back before she had slipped into an exhausted slumber.

And yet, her lips curled into a tiny smile.

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