A/N: This is a sequel to the storyline of the previous chapter. Griffin comes back from the mission the Ancestral Witches sent her on and it is time for her and Valtor to think about the future.

Griffin stood in front of the door she'd pushed open so many times with her hand rested over the handle and her pulse pounding in her ears. She couldn't understand her own hesitation. Over the last couple of weeks she'd only lived with the thought of that moment and now that it had arrived after countless sleepless nights and wrecking her brain without rest in order to complete one of the hardest–and most brutal–missions in her life, it was finally here and she couldn't make herself open the door that would lead her home.

She shook her head and exhaled slowly to collect herself and banish all worries from her mind. The worst was behind her. She could breathe now. And she could see him.

She pushed the door open and walked in, her eyes immediately finding him. He was on the bed, resting, and just that sight made everything she'd been through worth it. His face had gone back to normal, all of the bruises gone, leaving just the familiar features. She couldn't quite tell about his ribs even though they had to be almost healed by now as well.

"You shouldn't have tried to protect me back then," he said, halting her step and leaving her wounded in the middle of the room. After all these weeks they'd spent apart, that was the first thing he had to tell her? Something that would keep her away before she'd even managed to kiss or touch him. "You put yourself in danger."

She stood in her place, holding his gaze. She'd done the only thing she could've lived with in that situation. He could reprimand her all he wanted, she wasn't going to apologize for caring about him.

"You know the real reason why they keep us separated isn't saving resources," he said in a softer tone this time and extended an arm to her which she quickly took, the warmth of his skin entering her veins and spreading inside her to chase away the memories of how awful the weeks without him had been. "It's because you don't sleep in your own bed anymore." Well, they'd made sure she'd have to when they'd forbidden her to see him. Not that she'd had any time to, planning carefully and doing other missions to get the Company off the trail of what she was actually after. "It's because I laugh more." The admission made her smile and she tried not to think about how his weeks of recovery had gone. At least his mothers had been focusing on her which must have kept them mostly off his back for the time being. "It's because we fell in love."

Her eyes filled with tears against her will and she leaned in to kiss him and as their lips met and the teardrops falling from her closed eyes left cool tracks on her cheeks, she was washed over with relief. She was finally back in his arms and they were unstoppable together. So she hated it when he pulled away.

"I heard your mission went well and you came back with everything they wanted," he said as he cupped her cheek with the hand that wasn't holding hers and she leaned into the touch, closing her eyes to enjoy it. "That's good considering your behavior after my failed mission didn't do you any good."

Her eyes snapped open and she was ready to protest but he didn't give her the chance.

"You stated that you were loyal to me and not to them loudly and clearly," he raised his voice a little, startling her. He usually didn't do that. "And that can be good as long as I am loyal to them but you're still unpredictable enough to be a problem." She would normally smile since that was something she prided herself on. It was what being a witch meant. But his expression made the heaviness in her chest return. "There are two ways this can go from here. Either they'll put us back together as a team or..." his hand dropped from her cheek as his gaze left hers.

"Or what?" Griffin asked, her voice cold and harsh as she squeezed on his hand to draw his attention back to herself. She wanted to hear it. She wanted to be certain what awaited her if the Ancestral Witches deemed her more harmful than useful.

"Or they'll kill you," Valtor said, his voice quiet, causing her hand to get pulled out of his as her arm fell limply at her side. "Which is why I want you to be ready to leave," he continued as he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly to make sure she was listening. She was. She just couldn't comprehend what she was hearing.

"Leave?" she hissed as she grabbed at his forearms, holding on for dear life. "How am I supposed to leave? They control this place. If I try to open a portal, they can just close it and I won't be able to do anything." Her magic wasn't strong enough to defeat theirs. Not to mention that she didn't want to go anywhere where he wouldn't be. She couldn't leave him behind. That was out of the question.

"Fairy dust can open a portal that they won't be able to close," Valtor said, his voice frantic and his words an absolute madness.

"Where am I supposed to get fairy dust?" Griffin cried, gripping at him tighter. It was madness. All of it. It was madness that they had to go through that because they were in love and his mothers were afraid of that. And it was madness that he wanted to send her away. How was that supposed to work out? She'd be alive but without him she wouldn't be living. She couldn't leave him.

"I'm certain you can find one fairy," he held her gaze adamantly as if trying to communicate the answer to her through telepathy. Faragonda. He wanted her to reach out to Faragonda. It was a genius plan. The fairy would help her even after everything she'd done and she could count on her protection no matter what it was that she had to face. But that would mean never being with him again. "Please, Griffin," Valtor said as if he'd read the thoughts in her head. "I need to know you'll be safe." His hands cupped her cheeks and she covered them with hers, soaking up the feeling of his skin on hers. It was possible she wouldn't get to feel much more of it.

"Okay," she nodded, tears spilling from her eyes again. But the ache in her chest was better than the thought of how much he'd hurt if he had to watch her die. He was not only willing to let her go to ensure her safety but he was also telling her to get in contact with Faragonda. It couldn't have been easy on him and she didn't want to make it any harder. But she still held hope that none of that would be necessary as she pulled him into a kiss.