Millina placed a hand on her father's grave and closed her eyes as the warmth spread through her like a blanket. She wished it were from a living body and not from stone left in the afternoon sun, but it was as close as she could get to touching any of her family members at the moment, and while the thought may have seemed crazy, it almost felt as though her father were reaching out to her from beyond the grave to comfort her with his presence. Beside her, Cosette tended Gavroche's freshly dug grave as Millina kept her ears peeled for a whisper of intuition and direction such as the one that had guided her the night that Gavroche died.

As she had steered the Ray Wing spell Millina could have sworn she heard voices from beyond the grave urging her to come home to the farm. It had never occurred to her to go try to return there before. Not without her family. But once the idea arose in her consciousness it felt as though it was the only place she could go, and she navigated themselves there was all due haste.

And the voices had been right. Her home was still a safe place, even if it had changed hands. And while the people who inhabited the cabin were not family, they were friends who had recognized Millina and had offered shelter to her and Cosette, as well as allowed her to bury Gavroche beside her father. Millina had spent a few days there in a daze as she struggled to adjust to the familiar setting that was distorted by strange furniture and knickknacks as she tried not to think about Gavroche, Rufus and Luke.

But while returning to her family farm had helped to evoke some of the safety that she'd felt as a small child, the voices that had guided her that night were silent, much to Millina's dismay. She still needed their guidance. She had identified someone who was harboring the Dark Lord Shabranigdo in his soul, and she had no idea what to do about it. Especially because if there was one thing Millina was sure of it was that Luke would find her. And she had no idea what she would do when that happened.

As Cosette laid a daisy chain on Gavroche's grave, Millina closed her eyes and pleaded to hear the voices again. Now that she had suspicions about Luke she simply couldn't let him run amok, could she? But she also couldn't fathom continued contact with him. And even if she did travel with him, what could she really do if he lost control? She may be a talented sorceress, but she was also a mere human. How could she even hope to make a difference?

The soft crunch of boots on a compact dirt road broke the silence, and Millina turned around, expecting to see either Cadence or her husband, Dougal, but felt her stomach sink when she saw Luke, looking sheepish as he approached. For a moment Millina flailed. While she had expected him to find her, she hadn't expected him to do it so quickly! But then she snapped to her feet as she got between him and Cosette and yelled, "Get away from here!"

"Millina," he said softly as Millina noticed that something was different about him, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what, "I know that night was pretty terrible. But I got revenge for the boy, didn't I? I'm sorry I hadn't been there earlier when you needed me. If I had then he would still be alive."

Millina shook her head in exasperation. How did you even begin to explain? Finally she looked at the ground and said, "That…that was more than revenge."

"Was it?" he asked as he ran a hand through his hair. And that was when Millina realized what was different.

"What did you do to your hair?" she asked.

"Oh this?" he said nonchalantly, "I thought black hair would suit the new me a bit better."

"Idiot." Millina said as Cosette clutched her from behind. "You can't change your soul by dying your hair."

"Please, Millina! Give me a chance. You were right about things being nicer outside of Flowave. And I can be a good man, I can be someone that you can love…"

"Stop that…" Millina whispered as a sudden terror of what would happen if she refused him gripped her. Would he fly into another rage? And just how destructive would that rage be? The world started to spin as she felt weak in the knees. After watching what her mother and her sister had gone through she'd resolved to never find herself in a position where she feared refusing a man. How had this happened?

"Is this man bothering you?" Dougal said as he came up. Given his height and his strong build forged from days working in the fields, he would have been an intimidating sight for most people. But the only implement he wielded was a trowel. Millina was quite certain Luke could cut him down in mere moments if it came to that.

Luke's face twisted in contempt as he said, "You never said anything about having a boyfriend!"

"He's my friend's husband." Millina explained to protect Dougal, Cadence and their infant, "And you need to leave."

Luke looked at Dougal skeptically as Millina moved in front of Dougal as Cadence threw the door to the cabin open, allowing the sounds of a screaming baby to escape, "Cosette, get in." she ordered.

Cosette looked tearfully at Millina and then did as Cadence asked. Cadence then stormed out of the cabin as she shut the door behind her and marched up to Luke, "My baby girl was up with colic all night and I only just got her down only to have you come and cause all this ruckus and wake her!"

Luke looked taken aback, "I-I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Don't be sorry! If you want to help, get yourself off my property."

Luke gave Millina a desperate look. Millina merely said, "You heard her."

Luke nodded as he hung his head and turned around and started to walk away. Cadence sighed in relief and then walked over and wrapped an arm around Millina and then stiffened as she realized how badly she was shaking, "Come on. Let's get into the cabin. I'm going to fix you a good cup of tea and it's time you tell me all about what happened."

"I guess you find out who your friends are at times like these." Millina said as she sat down at the kitchen table as Cadence put the kettle on the hearth to boil.

"You mean how I asked no questions after you showed up out of the blue with a dead kid after we'd not heard from your family for years?" Cadence asked.

Millina hunched down, "I can't thank you and Dougal enough."

"I really missed you, Milly, and often wondered what happened to you. I'm glad to be able to help however I can. But you've barely said anything about what happened. Did that man kill the boy?"

"No," Millina said as she glanced at Cosette, who was sitting in the corner playing with the baby. Unfortunately in one room cabin there was no other place for Cosette to go, especially since Millina did not want to send her out while Luke was likely lurking about. But then, what could she say that Cosette did not already know? "A former co-worker did. That man was just…overenthusiastic in his revenge."

Cadence glanced over at Cosette as the kettle whined, and she took it off the fire. "That must have been horrifying. But Milly, you've not said anything about your mother and Abby."

Millina felt a deep pressure in her forehead and beneath her eyes as she struggled to contain her tears as she said nothing. After a few moments Cadence pressed, "How is your mother doing?"

"She's dead. She and Abby both." Millina stated, "As soon as we moved to Flowave, well, Mother realized she'd been duped. But that man she married, he was so jealous and possessive. She could never manage to leave. He went into a rage one day, and that was that."

Cadence put a hand on her stomach, "Oh Milly, I'm sorry. But where's Abby?"

"She thought she'd met a prince, and that she was making my life easier since I would no longer have to support her. I told her it was too good to be true and she stopped talking to me after that. I was right though, but with everything I have I wish I had been wrong! Because he wasn't even a frog. He spent his money drinking and neglected her. When she got pregnant, well, it ended up killing her." Millina explained as she shook her head, "I can't even begin to describe what it's like in Flowave, how horrible it is there, how everything that is good and decent just withers and dies…"

Cadence put a cup of tea in front of her and then sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around her, "I hate to think of that happening to your mother and Abby. It must have been so hard and horrible for you, and to have to go through this alone."

For a moment Millina fought against the urge to cry on her shoulder. But then she shot up as she wiped her eyes, "I have to leave."

"I don't want you to leave." Cadence said as Cosette looked in alarm and added, "Miss Millina, you can't leave!"

"I don't want to leave, either." Millina said as she walked to the door where her items were, "But you don't know what he's capable of. The sooner I get him away from you and the children, the better."

"Milly," Cadence said as she shook her head, "You're a sorceress! A strong one at that. What is it about him that has you so rattled?"

Millina fought against the want to tell her anything only briefly. It sounded crazy! But she had to tell someone what she had seen. And she had to get some direction from someone. Especially since the voices were no longer talking to her.

Millina leaned her face against the doorframe as she took a deep breath, "You know the stories of the battle between Ceiphied and Shabranigdo."

"Of course." Cadence said as Cosette walked up to stand beside her.

"And how they had this epic battle where Ceiphied split Shabranigdo into seven pieces and how his soul was reborn into various men through the generations? And the stories of the Demon King of the North?"

Cadence shook her head as she nodded, "Yes, of course. Everyone knows those stories! But what are you getting at Milly?"

"I saw it, in his eyes!" Millina said as she turned to face her, "A look of pure rage and hate. I've never seen such hatred, not even from my stepfather! And I could see it, clear as day, that the man called Luke is this…mask? No, a vessel, a thin, crumbling vessel for the Dark Lord."

Millina waited for Cadence to tell her that she was crazy as Cadence looked at her in shock, "You mean to tell me he has part of Shabranigdo in his soul?"

"I do." Millina said, her voice trembling as she wondered what Cadence would say as the baby started crying.

Cadence wiped her hands on her apron as she ran to grab her daughter and soothed her as she sat down. After a moment she said, "Do you think Luke knows?"

Millina shook her head as she felt some relief from the fact that Cadence seemed to be taking this seriously, "With the way he talks about how he has the potential to be a good man, I don't think so."

"Oh dear, Milly. If you're right, this is a terrible situation." Cadence said as she started to rock back and forth with the baby.

"He thinks he's in love with me!" Millina said as the disgust filled her voice.

"Do you think he'll continue to follow you?" Cadence asked.

"He's only just met me!" Millina said, "People don't fall in love so fast."

"But they do become obsessed so fast." Cadence said as she shook her head, "Oh Milly. I know the stories, I knew people like him walked among us. But having one of them exposed so…it makes it more real."

"And difficult to ignore." Millina said as she stared out the window, "And I wish I had never known! I wish I could ignore this and in good conscience run as far as I can from him and never look back. But how can I do that?"

"You think you can stop him?" Cadence asked.

"I don't know!" Millina said, "I don't think so. Not if the vessel separating them shattered or if he went into a rage. I don't know that I'm strong enough. But after seeing men like my stepfather and my brother-in-law…"

"You're worried that he will rage if you refuse him." Cadence finished for her.

"I can't stay here, Cadence. I want to, but I can't risk any harm coming to any of you!"

"We can work something out, Milly." Cadence said. "You don't have to travel with someone you despise for us."

"I do." Millina said as she felt an oppressive weight fall upon her shoulders, "And not just to protect you. But also because after knowing what he is, how can I let him walk around unchecked?"

"No one would expect you to do that!" Cadence said, "As you said, you likely wouldn't be able to stop him! No one would expect you to devote your life to stopping him."

Millina looked at Cadence, holding her beautiful baby as Cosette stood close by. "You're right. I don't know if I can stop him. But if Shabranigdo takes over, someone prepared had better be close by, hadn't they? Sometimes these little things add up. I may not be able to stop him, but I can be part of the larger group that does…even if the rest of the picture isn't exactly filled in yet."

Silence hung through the air as disgust filled Millina as she put a hand over her mouth, "Tell me I'm wrong."

"I can't. But Milly, I also can't ask you to do this."

"You don't have to ask." Millina said, "I couldn't protect my mother or Abby or Gavroche. But if I can keep you and your family safe and Cosette safe, then that is all that matters to me. Protecting you. I may never be able to love Luke. But I love everyone here in this cabin, and I will do whatever it takes to keep this world safe for you."

"But to travel with someone you despise! That you fear!"

"It will be like leaving with my stepfather to go to Flowave." Millina said as a sense of resignation fell upon her.

"I don't want you to go." Cosette said. "I don't want you to do this for me!"

"I don't want to go." Millina said. "But it's what I've decided."

Cadence sighed as she held out and arm and drew Cosette towards her, "And we need you to continue being a good big sister to our daughter. It's been a lot easier raising a baby and managing a farm since you got here. My husband and I would love to adopt you."

Millina watched as Cadence and Cosette drew each other into a hug and felt a sense of relief that at least she had found a safe and loving home for the girl. If only she'd been able to do the same for Gavroche, but if there was one good thing that would come of this it would be that Cosette grew up in a loving home and not on the streets.

The farming community that she had been born into only had one small pub, and Millina was sure that if Luke was hanging around, he would be there. And as soon as she walked in she found that she was right. She composed her face into one of careful neutrality as she walked to his table, doing her best to ignore the fear that charged through her veins.

"Here to meet a boyfriend?" he asked disdainfully.

"I'm here to make a deal." Millina spat as she sat down uninvited.

"A deal?" he said as he perked up, "Does this mean…?"

"Shut up and listen." Millina snapped, "I will never love you. Agreeing to travel with you won't change that. But it's a dangerous world out there, and I'm going into the treasure hunting business."

"And you need someone to watch your back." Luke said.

"Unfortunately." Millina said. "If you can agree to this without getting fresh and if you can start to manage that temper better, then we can be partners. Business partners. No pleasure."

"You have a deal." Luke said as he smiled, no, not smiled. Smirked as if to say, "no pleasure yet."

Deep within herself she shuddered. But if this was what she needed to do to keep the world safe for Cosette, then she would do it. "Right," Millina said. "Let's go. I'm staying with my friend for one more night. You can work out your own arrangements. And we leave at dawn."

"That sounds wonderful!" Luke cooed, "Oh Millina! You won't regret this! This will be the best partnership…"

"I already regret it." Millina said as she got up to go, and Luke followed her, thankfully silent for once, as they stepped out of the pub.

Luke sighed wistfully as he looked up at the sky, "You were right."

"What?" Millina said as she felt the future close around her like a prison door.

"The places outside of Flowave are much nicer." He stated, "Look at how you can see the stars here."

Millina looked up at them as they walked in silence. It was strange, but the longer she gazed at them the more it appeared as though there was path laid out there like a treasure map. If she could only figure out how to read it to navigate it then everything would be alright.

AN: Still a few more chapters, and in the next one we'll start to overlap a bit with when Millina and Luke meet Lina and Gourry. I finally got my muse going with Neverending again, and I have a Christmas fic I'm working on (I didn't do Slayers Santa this year because I didn't want to commit to something I wasn't sure I could produce in a year such as 2020, but I have managed to get enough progress on a WAFFy thing I wrote for myself that I feel confident that I can get it out by the 25th).