Yelena has just returned from the underworld inside the fire, she has asked Valek to hide the glass prisons holding the rogue and dangerous wizards. After spending the night together Yelena wakes up in bed alone, Valek has left and has taken Opal's glass prisons with him.

Yelena's POV:

"brrrr"...my bed is so cold in the morning it's as if Valek takes all the warmth and comfort with him when he leaves. Maybe I'll just stay wrapped up in here until he returns, of course knowing him that could take a while. Sometimes I think he stays away so long just to torture me, by the time he comes back I can barely contain myself. Nothing really feels important without him here, I don't feel important without him, he gives my life meaning and purpose, maybe I should just wait for him to get back... I'm sure the Commander and the Master Magicians would understand if I wanted to take a break from my responsibilities as Liaison and Soulfinder, just for a little while.

"Ha…" I laughed out loud, who am I kidding, I know very well that neither the Ixian ruler or the Sitian magicians would ever allow me to shirk my responsibilities and wallow in my own self pity...Plus, I'm starving and there's nothing to eat in here.

I slowly got up out of my bed I changed and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. I'd missed eating with the rest of the students at the Keep, so I'll have to scrounge something up for myself. As I got to the kitchen I quickly realized that I wasn't the only one who'd missed breakfast, I spotted Leif over the stove, eggs and bacon grilling on a hot frying pan.

"At least I'm not the only one who missed breakfast…Save some for me!" I told him as I searched for something to drink.

"you missed breakfast?" Lief asked me in complete horror, right, how foolish of me to think that my dear, and apparently starving brother would miss a meal.

"yes, yes, I know, It's appalling. Could you please put an egg on for me?" Leif sighed and cracked another egg over the pan.

"Irys was looking for you this morning, she seemed a little...frantic. I don't think it's good news" Leif told me.

"Really...Already? It's barely even morning!"

Great, something else for me to worry about! Valek was right, trouble just wont leave me alone. Thinking about Valek sparked a small pang in my chest, I never realized one's heart could literally ache until I was separated from Valek. I had found my true heart mate, something only a year or so ago I never would have thought possible, and it almost killed me being away from him.

"You'd better go find her, eat on the way!" Leif said, handing me a plate for the walk up to the Third Magician's room, there goes a little brother sister bonding time. Oh well, I guess it's for the best, Leif seems to be rather distracted by his eggs. As I reached Irys' door I finished my breakfast and knocked quickly before letting myself in. I had grown comfortable around my magician mentor over the past little while, formalities were lost on us.

"Yelena! Have you just woken up? It's almost noon! You've practically wasted the entire day…" The Master Magician tried her best to remain serious with her scolding, we both knew it was in vain.

"Irys, I have plenty of time to accomplish all my magic learning, and soul saving, and 'liasoning', if anything I could have stayed in bed for a bit longer!" I responded, sarcasm oozing from my tone of voice, I flashed a quick smile and asked, with a bit more seriousness;

"speaking of saving the world...what can I help you with this fine morning...or rather this fine afternoon?".

"We've just heard news from Ixia," the name of my old home rang in my heart, I may have been born a Sitian, but I grew up Ixian and I often missed the cool North country, it's lack of magic and the friends I'd left there...Irys continued;

"it seems that Ixian children are being kidnapped, magic is most definitely involved, however it would appear as if the children have not magical connection. So we are left to assume that their abductors are working with dangerous magicians". Ixian children being stolen from their families by magicians…

"But, that doesn't make sense Irys, what would magicians want with nonmagical Ixian children, it obviously isn't anything like Mogkan's plan to gain power...I don't understand" I couldn't wrap my head around the concept of a magician needed a group of powerless children, obviously the master magicians hadn't been able to figure it out either or else they wouldn't need my help.

"Yelena, you're the only one who can freely travel around Ixia without too much hassle, you have plenty of knowledge on magic and the communities from which these children were taken, the master magicians, including myself, and Commander Ambrose would like you to travel to Ixia to investigate". Travel to Ixia, my heart jumped in my chest, a combination of both nervousness and excitement. Investigating the missing children would most likely be dangerous but imperative, but being in Ixia would give me a chance to see my old home, my friends and of course Valek. This is certainly a bittersweet assignment, but obviously I must accept it.