It should have come as no surprise to anyone that Martin was the first one awake in the morning. Varian stirred at the sound of the soldier hauling himself out of bed, peeling his shirt off, and throwing himself into a series of push-ups, clapping his hands with each shove against the forces of gravity. With a perturbed groan, Varian rolled over to glare at the crown of Martin's blonde head.

"Do you have to do that right now?" he grumbled groggily.

"'Fraid so," Martin answered with little sympathy. He stood and crossed to the edge of his bed and began reverse push-ups, sweat barely beading at his temples. "For your sakes, I would have started a whole hour later than my usual schedule, but since I have to be quick before What's-her-name wakes up…"

Varian sat up and immediately started to knead at his left shoulder; the scar tissue ached there, and he felt a sharp sting as he tried to stretch it out.

Martin finished his exercise and glanced over. "What's wrong with your shoulder?"

"You remember when I told you about Haderon's tomb?" Varian gave up, letting his hand fall into his lap. He showed Martin the scar as he explained how he'd been shot.

Martin stared widely at the healed injury, his eyebrows high on his forehead. "When did you say this happened?" he asked in a clinical tone.

Varian had to think for a moment. "Almost two weeks ago?"

"There's no way it should have healed this well," Martin poked a cold finger into Varian's skin. "You shouldn't even be able to use that arm. You say it didn't hurt before?"

"No, it healed within two days." Varian pulled his sleeve back up and shrugged, even though it hurt. "It's part of this power I have, now."

They heard a noise as Shay approached from her side of the room. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her sleeves looked wrung-out. She clenched her jaw as she folded her arms around herself. "The Celestial told you your power is based on the phases of the moon. You were hurt when it was almost full. So when it wanes…"

"I know." Varian frowned. "I thought about that, too."

Martin sat down on Varian's bed. "So, what happens when it's a new moon?"

Varian sighed. "We don't know. Judging at the rate my strength is deteriorating, I would assume whatever happens, I'm not going to like it." He propped his chin in his hand. "Some gift, Luna."

"Hey," Martin said, "at least you can still use your arm most of the time. I'd say that's a fair trade to almost getting killed."

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine," Varian grumbled. "Go wash up before the crazy lady comes."

Martin scrambled to the door, opened it as quietly as possible, and disappeared towards the bathing rooms. Once he left, a strange silence filled the suite as Varian and Shay both waited for the other to say something. As always, Varian was the first to speak. "I take it you didn't sleep well."

"I might have, if I had slept."

Varian patted a spot on the bed for her to sit. She crossed over and sat down stiffly, her hands tightly folded in her lap. Varian could see the pulse in her throat, hammering away under her jaw.

"I'm not mad at you," he suddenly said.

Shay took a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you're wrong." She stood and began to pace back and forth. "You should be upset."

"No, I shouldn't," Varian shook his head. "Yesterday was hard, and instead of helping you feel better, all I did was make it worse."

"That's not true –"

"Yes, it is!" Varian winced when she flinched. "Fine. Yeah, I guess I am mad. Just not at you." He sighed. "I'm just…I'm sick and tired of my own helplessness. I feel like after everything we've done, after traveling all this way, we still haven't made any progress."

Shay came to sit back down, tucking one of her legs under her as she leaned forward. "That's not true," she said again, more firmly this time. "And you know it. You know that's not fair, think of all that we've learned."

Varian hung his head, then stared up at her. "But you lost your home. And it's my fault."

Shay suddenly smiled, wetting her lips. "Weren't you the one telling me that we can't change the past? You were right, and it's not your fault." Her face went hard. "I was angry. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stopped me when you did. I certainly don't want to know what would have happened if we'd stayed."

Varian tried to picture it; Caius storming into the cabin, knocking the bookcases askew, casting the table aside. He almost hoped the place had burned before the witch hunter could get the chance. Until they went back, there was no way of knowing. He tried to think of something else he could have done, to stop things from escalating the way they had. "I don't know," he said out loud.

Shay picked at the hem of her apron, pulling absentmindedly at a loose stitch. "Neither do I. All I know is that I said I would help you with whatever you need, and I meant it. This is where I need to be, and so I'm…" She took a shaky breath. "Content," she concluded. "Whatever bridge waits for me in Corona can wait until I cross it. But for now, I'm here, with…with you. And Martin. We're safe. And that's all that matters."

Varian gave a dry, heartless chuckle. "I'm sorry," he told her.

"For what?"

"For leaving you, that night."

Shay's face froze, and her cheeks turned bright red. "It's fine," she said with the same firmness. "It was nothing, you can just –"

"No, it wasn't," Varian reached to stop her, grasping her hand. "Look, I shouldn't have just left you."

"Varian –"

"No, just let me explain."

Shay opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Okay."

Varian tried to find the right words. "…Shay, it's not that I don't…I-I-I do, i-it's just…" He trailed off when he saw movement across the room, and he leaned his burning face around to see Calliope standing in the doorway, looking groggy and uncomfortable. "How long have you been there?" he asked.

Calliope coughed. "Long enough to feel awkward. Of course, that's nothing really knew, I always feel awkward, not that you need to know that." She cleared her throat and straightened herself. "I, uh, I was told to invite you to dinner. Breakfast, I mean! The, uh, the Keeper, I mean the retired Keeper, would like to speak with the three of you." She rubbed under her nose. "Although I did in fact notice that there are only two of you in here, having a conversation I clearly shouldn't be listening in on, and I should ohhhhhhh…" She dropped her jaw to the floor as she turned to see Martin standing there, dressed in a grey terrycloth towel, his clothes tucked under his arm.

"Martin," Varian plastered a wide, false smile across his teeth. "You're just in time."

Shay turned to look, gasped, then turned back around, using her hand as a blinder.

Martin gave Varian a hot glare. "Clearly."

"The Keeper has invited us to have breakfast with him. Her, I mean. Both of them. Food."

Martin stood there, his bare chest tight as he held his breath. Without a word, he stood aside to let Calliope pass; she left the scene without another word, her beady eyes more than triple their usual size. "If you could all avert your eyes," he ordered in a husky, belligerent tone, closing the door behind him.

The atmosphere was tense as the three filed down the hallway towards the dining area, Shay's face still burning from Martin's conduct. "You couldn't have changed before?" she hissed at him under her breath.

"I wanted to air out," Martin retorted, tugging his collar away from his still-damp skin. "My skin needs time to breathe. Besides, how was I to know she'd be standing right there?"

Varian watched Killy run past, pausing at the end of the hall to wait. They followed him into the dining area, where the Keeper stood in his white robe, his hands folded carefully into the embroidered sleeves.

"Ah, there are my guests," he greeted warmly. He gestured to the table. "Come, sit. Calliope will be with us shortly."

They took the same seats from the night before, and the Keeper rapped his knobby knuckles three times across the fabric of the tablecloth. Three bowls of sweetened porridge appeared for his guests, and as they ate, he studied them with his grey eyes.

Varian noticed; he took one final swallow and placed his empty spoon in the bowl. "So, um…you said something about helping us find answers?"

The Keeper nodded. "I did, though it is less I who can provide answers and more what awaits you within my spire."

"You'll let us into the vault?"

The Keeper held up a finger. "I said no such thing."

Varian blinked confusedly. "Well, then, how are we supposed to find out what's waiting there for us?"

"You will have to enter it, of course. I will simply not be the one to allow you inside."

There was a sudden puff of blue smoke, and Calliope appeared with her hands flung towards the ceiling. "Ta-da! I'll be the one taking you to the – hueugh!" She started coughing and batting away at the smoke around her. "Sheesh! I thought this stuff cleared out faster." She wheezed a bit more, then straightened her glasses. "I will take you to the spire – a-ta-ta-tah!" She threw her hand out before Varian could speak. "On one condition! You are not to touch anything, you are not to stray from the path, and you have to go on a date with me!" She pointed in Martin's direction, who barely managed to swallow his last bite of breakfast.

"Those are three conditions," Shay mumbled.

"They're three components of one condition!" Calliope declared. "Trust me, half of the artifacts in the place run on that logic. So, what'll it be?"

Everyone looked expectantly at Martin, who turned his attention onto Varian. "Why not him?" He planted a hand on Varian's shoulder. "He's way more attractive than I am, and more entertaining. He'll go out with you."

"What?!" Varian exclaimed. "I don't –"

"Eh, save your breath," Calliope waved her hand dismissively at him. "Scrawny, pasty and neurotic isn't really my type."

"Hey, I am not –"

"What the – agh!" Martin leapt up from the table as a flame sprouted into life on the crown of his head. He hastily tried to pat it out, but the fire remained, flickering across his hair. Varian looked to see that Shay's eyes had narrowed into slits, her lips turned into a perturbed frown. "Put it out! Where did it – Alright, alright, I'll do it!" Shay blinked once, and the flames died, leaving Martin's hair disheveled and a little smoky. They glared at each other for a moment, then Martin sighed. "I'll pick you up at six," he grumbled.

"Yes!" Calliope squealed, dancing with victory on the spot. "I have a date, I get a date, I have a hot date tonight!" She sighed with happiness as she produced a large ring of keys and spun it around on her wrist. "Right, then! Let's go find some answers!"

The morning was bright as they emerged out into the open air; Varian found Rudiger where he'd left him, and he reached to haul Shay up behind him. They watched as Martin reluctantly pulled Calliope up into Beth's saddle with him, situating her in front so that she wouldn't cling to him for the entire ride. As the newly-branded keeper showed them the way, she began to talk a great deal, prattling on until the birds in the mountain trees scattered.

"This'll be so much quicker than the last time I had to check up on the vault," she chatted. "Someday, when my kurlock is all grown up, I'm totally going to ride him everywhere. Now, I'm assuming you don't know what a kurlock is, but don't you worry, I'll enlighten you with my copious bounty of knowledge!"

"What do you think we'll find in there?" Shay whispered, ignoring Calliope as she continued.

Varian looked up at the spire ahead; from the hill they were on, it was easily visible. "I don't know," he admitted. "I was going to ask you."

Shay glanced down at Killy, the hare barely visible in Rudiger's shadow. "Whatever it is, I hope it's nothing dangerous."

Varian feigned a confident smile. "We'll be fine. As long as there's no witch hunter in there, I think we'll manage."

Shay tensed.

Varian turned to flash her an apologetic wince. "Too soon?"

She looked up into the blue sky, watching the white clouds slowly move along. "I just can't shake this feeling that…he's going to find some way to reach us."

"There's no way," Varian said, shaking his head. "He'd have to use the exact same spell, which he could never do. Besides, when we go back…" He took in a deep breath. "My father will be there to help us. So don't worry about it."

The path ahead weaved through another forest, the sycamores weaving and intertwining their branches together. Rudiger sniffed momentarily at a nearby berry bush; since he could no longer pick each one individually, he chomped the entire thing, ripping it out at the roots. Killy darted underneath, snatching up the leftovers.

"Are we almost there?" Martin droned, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"– And then the princess' handmaiden was all like – oh, yeah, it's just through the next clearing."

They emerged out into a grassy stretch, leading towards a metal plate. It looked like the one Varian and Shay had encountered on the sea floor in Corona, only this one was much larger, and the engraving was much less symbolic. The plate was laid before a large door, its surface a polished, pristine blue stone. The spire towered overhead, reaching almost until it pierced the clouds above.

"It's incredible," Martin breathed, his jaw slack as he stared upward.

"You like that, huh?" Calliope said flirtatiously. "There's more where that came from, honey bunch." She hopped down from the horse and made her way towards the door, fiddling with her giant key ring. "Now, I made sure to memorize which key is the right one this time. Don't want another princess ready to throttle me like last time, right?"

The others dismounted and followed suit; Varian hesitated before placing a foot on the plate. When nothing happened, he breathed a sigh of relief. They waited as Calliope fitted a delicate silver key into the lock, turning it with a flick of her wrist.

'Ladies and gentlemen," she announced in a loud voice. "I give you…pause for effect…the Spire's Vault!"

The doors swept open to reveal a grand foyer, pearlescent columns lining the way to an enormous spiral staircase. The staircase pillar was almost larger around than Corona's castle tower, stretching stories higher than they could see. At each level were nested hundreds of artifacts of all shapes and sizes, each brimming with untapped energy. Varian could almost smell the magic in the air; it buzzed in his teeth like an electric current, and he could feel the hairs on his neck stand on end. He could tell Shay felt the same, and even Martin seemed to sense something special in this place.

"Don't worry, everybody's always speechless when they first come in here," Calliope broke the awe-bound silence. "Don't be embarrassed, it's a natural response."

"Magnificent," Varian stated in wonder. "Look at this place! The architecture alone is a marvel, let alone the no-doubt thousands of years of knowledge kept here. How come more people haven't sought this place out?"

Calliope sniffed. "People used to, a long time ago. At least, that's what my master says."
Varian turned to her. "Why did they stop?"

"Simple: people don't look for magic anymore. Now it's all gears and gizmos and snake oil and stuff." She glanced pointedly at the vial sticking out of his pocket. "No offense."

"Some taken," he grumbled.

"So, we're here," Martin clapped his hands to his sides. "Now what?"

Calliope shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? You're the keeper, aren't you?"

"Just because I'm the keeper doesn't mean I know everything!" Calliope protested. "It means I know almost everything! There's a difference."

"You must know how everything is categorized, at least," Varian supplied. "Where's everything in here that relates to the Celestials?"

Calliope blew out her cheeks. "Hate to break it to you, but not much. The Celestials are pretty secretive. Only a few people know they even exist, and they don't like to meddle with what they term 'mortal affairs'. I'll show you what I have, but like I said, it's slim pickings."

They made their way towards the stairs, but instead of climbing them, they followed Calliope around to the other side of the base. There, they found a series of steps leading down, and she grabbed a nearby device off the wall. "A nether crystal torch, from the world of Niflheim," she brandished it before holding it aloft towards her descent. "Pretty rare, like everything else in here."

"Is that the Black Cauldron of Wales?" Shay observed out loud.

"Sure is! Don't throw a dead body in there, or this whole place will be swarmed with the undead."

"Oh, that's great," Martin said sarcastically. "We love the undead."

Calliope gave him a weird look. "You're into that sort of thing?"

"Yes," Martin nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely."

Calliope's face hardened. Then she shrugged. "We'll work on that before the wedding, I guess."

As they went deeper, the stairs opened out into a dim chamber filled with shelves of trinkets and baubles, parchments and scrolls, daggers and spears. Some items had been placed on pedestals, trapped behind protective glass. Varian almost ran into one, but Shay caught his arm before he fell head-first into a suit of armor.

"Let's see here," Calliope began scanning the wall first, her eyes narrow behind her large spectacles. "We don't want catheters, no to the Cerberus claws…ah! Here we are! These are the only things I have that pertain to the Celestials." She stood before a stone drawer with a silver handle, and she reached to pull it open. Inside the drawer was a single, card-sized, leather-bound book. On top of the book rested a medallion, etched with a familiar symbol: three lines striking through a perfect circle.

"It's the same symbol as the door on Haderon's tomb," Shay stared.

"And my father's belongings." Varian wiped a hand across his face. "I still don't understand. What does it mean?"

"Oh, that? That's the emblem of the Dark Kingdom," Calliope explained matter-of-factly. "It wasn't always called that, though. It was once known as the kingdom of Lunaris, but of course, that's not much more common knowledge than –"

Varian snapped his face towards her. "What did you just say?"

"Lunaris. Seriously, you need to get those cleaned out. But yes, the emblem used to be a much older symbol until the more recent Brotherhood decided to adopt it."

"Where did you learn all of this?" Varian demanded, his fingers clenched.

Calliope began to look unnerved. "Look, you didn't ask for information on the Brotherhood, you asked for information on the Celestials. This is all I have. Now, obviously, there's more to that medallion than the Dark Kingdom symbol – hey!" She managed to dodge Varian's hand as it shot out, snatching the silver coin. "You could just ask for it nicely, I would have handed it to you!"

Varian flipped the medallion over. On the other side of the coin was an extremely detailed sigil, the markings almost miniscule. Instinctively, he reached for his bag to find his eyeglass, then remembered that he'd left it in Lyra's cabin. He had to settle for his goggles, holding the eyepiece at a further angle. It wasn't much, but it was better than the naked eye.

Shay asked Calliope for the book; the keeper handed it over with a begrudging expression. "There may be a cipher in here," she told Varian. "We can study it more outside."

"I don't need a cipher."

Shay looked up. "What do you…" She trailed off when she saw him. His eyes were narrow, glowing slits, his gloved hand simmering as it clenched the medallion. The streak in his hair was an almost white blaze, sparks falling like stars to the ground.

Calliope took off her glasses, checking her vision. "What in the name of…" She glanced at Martin. "Does this happen often to him?"

Martin had enough wits about him to shrug. "Often enough."

"It's…" Varian pursed his lips, concentrating. "It's a key…to another chamber. There's something inside it that we need."

Shay's hand hovered, too afraid to touch him. "Do you know where it is?"

"I…" The glow in his hair suddenly dissolved, and he snapped his eyes open with a sharp exhale. He winced, grinding the back of his thumb into the sharp pain in the middle of his brow. "I-I can't tell you any more than that. Her voice is too faint for me to hear."

"Right," Calliope said slowly. "Maybe you should lie down. Not here, of course, there's no way I'd be able to get you out. Though I bet handsome here could do it just fine."

Martin grabbed Varian's arm. "Okay, you've shown off your magic powers. Now, let's get out of here, I'm not carrying you."

"No, wait," Varian shook him off. He straightened himself, then wiped at his nose. He could tell it was bloody, but he didn't care. He fixed his steely gaze on Calliope again. "I need everything you have on this Brotherhood."

Calliope wasn't impressed. "You look like you can barely stand," she asked, folding her arms, "let alone handle more of what this place can give you."

"I'll handle whatever I need to," Varian squared his shoulders, his jaw clenched. "If necessary, I'll forgo your permission and find it myself."

"Hey," Martin raised his hands, "if you do that, you're on your own."

"Thank you, new boyfriend," Calliope grinned at him. "It's so nice to know I can already rely on you. As for Mr. Glow Man here, I'll show you what I have on the Brotherhood, but in exchange, you must make one donation to the Spire's Vault."

Varian blinked. "Like what?"

"I don't know, something of great knowledge or power," Calliope answered with a shrug. "And that's not something I just made up on the spot. My master would say the same. First request is free, but the next comes at a price. We have to restrict thieves and ne'er-do-wells in some way around here."

"I have something," Shay offered quietly.

Varian looked at her. "Absolutely not," he ordered.

"Varian, we have nothing else to give."

"We are not handing over Spellbane, we need that sword!" He thought for a moment, though thinking gave him a tremendous headache. "You said knowledge was a fair exchange? What if I gave you every single alchemical formula I know?"

Calliope considered it for a moment. "I do suppose I have only one entry for alchemy…but I'd really prefer an artifact of some kind."

"Wait!" Shay held her hands out, and her mother's journal appeared. "What about this?"

The keeper glanced at the worn cover, tucking her glasses over the bridge of her small nose. "Depends. Is it the only copy?"

"Yes, it's my mother's. The Crimson Caster?"

Calliope's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped to the floor. "The Crimson Caster? The Scion of the Seven Sisters? Done!" she snatched the book out of Shay's fingertips, giggling with glee as she clutched it to her chest. "I can't believe it! We don't have anything of hers! She was always so secretive, or at least that's what the Keeper told me. Sorry, I mean the retired Keeper –"

"Hold on!" Varian exclaimed. "Shay, you can't give her your mother's journal!"

"It's okay," Shay insisted. "It's what she would do."

"But it's not what you would do. I know how much that journal means to you, it's all you have left!"

Shay looked away, her expression grim. "I don't need it anymore," she said, more to herself than anyone else. "If it helps me get her back…You have my offer," she told Calliope. "Now, show us what you have of the Brotherhood."