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"I know this house," Geralt murmured when Avallac'h led them into a small yard beyond a stone fence. "I was supposed to drive a godling out of here."

"Did you?" Kain asked.

Geralt nodded. "It was Sarah. You saw her with Johnny on the Bald Mountain. I believe she feels better there, having a company. She was all alone in here. It's not a good way to be for anyone."

Avallac'h didn't listen to them, walking straight to the front door and inside. The witchers jogged after him and to the basement.

"The passage should be here, beyond this wall."

The said wall was broken through, revealing a chamber that seemed to be a part of some older building. Ancient elven ruins Novigrad was built upon.

The swirl of golden light was shining in a stony arch. The portal.

"Once we're through, there's no way back until we reach Ge'els," Avallac'h said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Geralt said, glancing at Kain. "Let's go."

"Remember," the elf added, "wherever you land, search for a place like this one. We will meet sooner or later."

"You mean we'll be separated?" Geralt asked.

"It is possible. I lack the talent of your ward. Zireael is The Lady of Time and Space. I merely know how to use this arcane knowledge to a limited degree." He turned to the portal, sober and collected. "It is time."

He went in. Kain and Geralt looked at each other, and approached the glowing light. Geralt heaved a sigh and shook his head.

"I hate portals…"

"I can relate," Kain said, and stepped in.

Geralt groaned quietly and followed.

They weren't separated. Geralt showed up last, and all three of them were together.

The world around them was yellow and brown, with dry winds and blazing sun overlooking a vast wasteland of red mountains and sand. Here and there were black and dried out trunks of trees that died a long time ago. Some fragments of what seemed to be walls carved of stone sank in the sea of sand. Kain felt nothing live around, nothing he was used to. The world itself felt alien to him.

Avallac'h was studying Kain closely while Geralt was rubbing his forehead to get rid of dizziness.

"How do you feel?" the elf inquired, his eyes narrowing beneath his hood.

"Like I'm not in Novigrad anymore," Kain said. "It's unsettling."

The Sage nodded slowly, pensively, and turned to Geralt to assess before he began to walk ahead, and the others followed.

"Where are we?" Geralt asked.

"Welcome to the Ddiddiwedht Desert," the elf said.

"Yeah, it says nothing to me," the witcher responded.

"Was not supposed to," the Sage said. "Don't slow down, we have to hurry."

"What is this place?" Geralt wanted to know.

"A very old world," the Sage complied. "Thoroughly raped and destroyed. Of all life, there are only desert creatures capable of surviving months on end without water. And large sandcrabs beneath the surface. We must be careful they don't sense us."

"Hardly it's possible," Kain put in. "If they hunt things like us, they already know."

"Mayhap," the Sage said. "Then you shall use your swords if necessary."

"Who lived here before?" Geralt asked. "People or elves?"

Avallac'h smirked. "You think humanoids have a monopoly on destroying worlds? This desert used to be an ocean in its best days. But oceans dry out and die. In time. A very, very long time."

"So, just creatures of the sea, then," the witcher said.

"There are many different worlds, Geralt, and many diverse forms of life, some more intelligent than you humans. But turns out not even their high intellect can prevent them from exhausting the resources of their world to the very last drop."

They walked the remaining patch in silence until Avallac'h stopped in front of a round construction of a few tall rocks. "The portal," he announced.

"Looks like some ruins to me," Geralt commented.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Avallac'h played back. "It shall open any moment. We have to wait."

As soon as they stopped, they felt something strange happening beneath their feet. The ground appeared to be vibrating.

"What is that?" Geralt asked, looking around at the ground as if expecting it to grow tentacles.

"The crabs must have sensed our presence," the Sage said. "Just like your young friend said."

Geralt made a face, "Wonderful."

They did indeed come, and looked like overgrown beetles with mighty legs and heavy, strong armored backs that shone in the sun like green and blue gems. They screeched nastily and ran very fast. Geralt had a hard time throwing signs at them while Avallac'h exercised his battle magic with a staff he had summoned from thin air.

Kain had no time to connect to the world's magic, but his own was enough to help Geralt's signs and set the beetles on fire. But more were coming, and if the shaking ground was any indication, that fountain wouldn't go dry.

Eventually, a swirl of lights flashed to life among the rocks, and they threw the last wave of the beetles back before diving in.

Next world met Geralt on his lonesome. No sign of Avallac'h or Kain, only a vast valley of red plants and green moss among tall black rocks sticking up like dead man's fingers.

He surveyed the valley and spotted the golden light ahead. It seemed like a long journey. But there was no choice.

Soon enough he found out the hard way that all around the red plants there were pockets of unbreathable air. It was like poison that stung inside the airways as soon as he breathed it in. The godawful plants were everywhere, and Geralt could only breathe on the elevated spots – on the rocks and hills. Not too many were there on his way to the portal. As he ran and held his breath and choked, he kept thinking about Ciri.

What would she do if Geralt returned and Kain didn't?

It was a horrid thought, the one he hated having popped in his head, but there was nothing he could do to push it out. It even occurred to him a couple of times that this poisonous air was a bit on the drug-like side.

Next portal spat Geralt out underwater. He almost breathed in, and managed to stop himself the last second. Thankfully, the next gateway was a few dozen yards away, otherwise he would have been a dead man. The pressure was crushing his bones and vessels, and it was hard to swim.

The next world started in a dark but huge cave with quite an echo. Geralt rolled out right behind Kain, coughing and gasping for air, dripping wet. Same as Kain.

"Great to see you," he managed, getting up.

"Likewise."

They looked around, walking through the cave. There was a passage ahead, and they went there. It was getting colder and colder, until they stopped in front of a wall of ice blocking the exit. Beyond that, there was a lot of white.

Geralt rubbed his arms and shoulders, his breath coming out in white puffs.

"I don't like this," he shared. "Especially with how soaked we are."

"I can try to rectify it," Kain said, rubbing my hands together to get the magic flowing. He closed his eyes for quicker concentration and expanded the power from within, sending waves of magical heat through and out of his body to pass through the clothes and boots, drying them.

When he was done, Kain walked around Geralt sweeping his palms around him until the Witcher stopped shivering. Geralt cast an amazed look Kain's way.

"You're a life saver."

Kain shrugged. "I have my uses."

Geralt smirked, "So do I at times," and shot Aard into the wall of ice.

It shattered outwards like glass, revealing a world of snow and blizzard. The sun was shining over the snowy mountains ahead, but the blizzard was blowing the snow around, and its winds were like literal blades. It stung and cut and pierced right through as they ran.

"We can't bear it for long," Geralt panted when they hid behind a rock formation of a mountain slope to catch their breath. "We'll have to run from shelter to shelter. Or we'll die."

"Is there really a village down ahead?"

"I believe so," he said. "A dead village. This world is dead, like that desert."

"White Frost? Is that it?"

"It seems like that to me. Are you ready?"

"Yes. I'll use my power, and you try the shielding sign."

He nodded and cast Quen. Then they ran.

They slid down the icy slopes and hills and mounds of snow into the village that sat amidst the mountains. It was buried in snow so deep only the roofs peeked out. They took refuge in attics and balconies and behind the roofs until they reached the middle and stopped for a few moments in another attic.

Geralt came up to a small window and peeked outside. The blizzard raged, but there was a tower that looked like a lighthouse, and right under its pointy roof, there was light.

Fire.

"That must be him," Geralt said. "The only living thing around here."

"Not too far," Kain estimated.

"We'll make it in one go, if we run fast."

"Doable."

They ran very fast. But it wasn't fast enough.

The need to hide and get warm caught them midway, and they broke into the upper floor of what looked like a church. It was all covered in frost inside. The cold was not as biting, but it still soaked you through like water.

A growling met them at the other window when they were about to brace themselves and go outside. Two Wild Hunt hounds squeezed into the window and advanced at them.

"I should've known," Geralt said. "The Hunt and Frost come hand in hand."

The witchers bared their swords, and the hounds attacked. The fight warmed them up a bit, but the hounds were resilient and angry. They were grateful there were just two. There were no more outside when they ran for the beacon. It wasn't far, and they managed to reach it, coughing and shaking, their teeth clattering.

They found the Sage on the first floor in a round room with a huge bust of a hooded figure and a basin of fire burning next to it like a shrine. Avallac'h was resting on the bench at the wall.

"Took you a while," he remarked. "Did you run into trouble?"

"No, just taking in the sights," Geralt jibed, looking around. "What is this place? Looks familiar."

"You fought Eredin's projection here," Avallac'h said. "And before that, Ciri fought here. For you."

Geralt looked annoyed and confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Ever wondered how you managed to leave the Red Riders?" Avallac'h asked.

"Many times," Geralt said. "But I don't remember a thing."

"Zireael came for you," the Sage revealed. "She sensed you were in danger, tore you from their grasp, then deposited you in the woods near Kaer Morhen."

Shock and heartache streamed through Geralt; he wished he could remember anything at all, but his mind wouldn't cooperate. What Avallac'h was saying could as well be someone else's story. A fairy tale.

Another thing was a stab to Geralt's heart, however. He stared into the fire, unable to look Avallac'h in the face. "Did Eredin start hunting her because of it? Because of me? Why wouldn't she say anything?"

Avallac'h peered at him with his cold eyes. "What would it have changed?"

Geralt sighed, pushing the dark thoughts away for later. Now they had different matters to resolve. "What is this place?" he asked. "Aen Elle world?"

"No. This is Tedd Deireadh, Time of the End. The world destroyed by the White Frost. Alas, this awaits us all, though in different stages of our existence."

"You're so calm when you say it," Geralt marveled.

"Eredin succumbed to his knowledge of the apocalypse," the Sage said. "Fear rules him now. I shall not commit the same error."

Geralt frowned, "Care to clarify?"

"Not here, not now."

"We probably should go," Kain put in from across the room.

"As soon as the gate opens," the Sage said and pointed at a wall.

They spent the remaining minutes in silence, each thinking of his own. The gate flared suddenly, without warning, and they proceeded through.

Yennefer was indeed getting antsy and all but dashed to Ciri when she appeared.

"Are you all right? What have you been doing there?"

"Oh, nothing worth of worry," Fealinn said. "She will tell you all about it at home. I believe Kain has taken your horses back, so you will have to portal." She looked at Ciri with a warm smile. "I was happy to meet you."

Ciri gave Yennefer a reassuring smile to calm her nerves, then turned back to Fealinn, reaching out to take her hands in hers. "And I you. Thank you for today."

"You know where to find me if you need me," Fealinn said, squeezing her hands. "Be brave and be safe."

"You too."

Ciri turned back to Yennefer. She swiped an arm through the air and a portal of swirling gold opened before them. After one last look of gratitude at Fealinn, Ciri stepped through with Yennefer close on her heels.

They arrived back in Ciri's room at Dandelion's inn a second later, and the portal faded.

"So," Yennefer arched an eyebrow, "should I ask or you feel like sharing something? Who is she to your boy?"

"A friend," Ciri said, loosening the upper clasps of her jacket. "Knew each other from Brokilon, apparently. But she thought he had died."

"Until now, I assume?" The sorceress regarded Ciri pensively. "Perhaps it's the reason he doesn't look at your chest and doesn't touch you."

Ciri blinked. "Excuse me?"

Yennefer sighed, looking apologetic. "Forgive me, Ciri. I'm merely trying to understand. You're my pride and joy, a dream for any man out there. This boy would not be an exception, unless he has someone else in his heart."

"You're biased," Ciri said, smiling and reaching out to touch Yennefer's cheek very tenderly. "I like her. She is a good woman. If he does have feelings for her, who am I to try and get between them? All I can do is make sure he knows how I feel, so when the time comes he can make a well-informed decision for himself."

So calm now. It was strange but pleasant. Ciri wondered how long it would last.

"What was she doing with you that made you like her?" Yennefer inquired with a smile.

"We started with a massage. Though, in truth, I think it was more of a healing session. And then we talked. About my powers and how I can start to practice using them. It was good. I feel I have a small inkling as to how to proceed now."

"And how would that be?"

"Empathy." Ciri expected Yennefer knew all about that, being a skilled sorceress herself, but she decided to expand anyway. "Practice on people and animals to gauge their current emotional state, and to send loving and healing energy back to them when needed."

Yennefer nodded, pleased. "Not a bad idea. Read Geralt. He never admits to what's happening in his emotions."

Ciri snorted. "Shouldn't I start with someone less impossible? Like Dandelion?"

"My darling child," Yennefer smiled a carnivorous smile. "Nothing is impossible for magic as strong as yours. Besides, if we would give up every time something seemed hard to do, nothing would ever get done."

"Oh, I never said I would give up. Only that I might start with an easier target than Geralt."

"What about your boy?" Yennefer smirked cunningly. "Easier target?"

"Not in the least. Harder than Geralt, I would say. I've known Geralt longer. I can recognize certain facial expressions he makes. Mostly when he is annoyed with me or disturbed by something I've told him. Kain's face is…" Ciri made a sweeping motion over her own face. "More like a blank slate. Except when he is feeling confused. Also, usually by something I have said."

"No one's face is a blank slate unless it's a spy on an interrogation, Ciri. Is he truly so… blank around you?"

Ciri shrugged. "Depends on what we are talking about, I suppose."

Yennefer frowned, reflecting, then gave a sympathetic smile, reaching out to stroke Ciri's cheek tenderly. "Witchers and mages just don't mix, it seems. They're wonderful in bed but awful outside of it."

Ciri tried not to giggle. "He's both. I consider him more of a mage than a witcher. He was born with magic and he did not go through the mutations. Kind of like me."

"Mmm," Yennefer hemmed and looked at Ciri with mild amusement. "Does that help you understand him better?"

Ciri considered that for a moment before answering. "It makes me feel like he understands me better. When he gives me advice, he speaks from experience. Experience similar to my own."

"When he can read you and you can't read him - it's an alarming trait for a woman," Yennefer remarked. "Men don't deserve such power. It's too grand for them."

"Any other man, and I would agree," Ciri said. "But I trust him. My magic trusts him. He would never do anything to purposely hurt me."

"I hope it is going to remain this way."

"Only the future will tell. But since that has not happened yet and may never happen, there is no point obsessing over it."

The sorceress simpered, "Is that a new drift?"

"A philosophy I am trying to adopt. To save myself a lot of unnecessary pain and fear."

"It would be wonderful. You can't carry as much as you tend to do, my dear."

"Habits are hard to break. But I am stubborn, so I expect I will be able to do it."

"You know, my level of faith in you is limitless." Yennefer pulled her into a hug. "Same as Geralt's. You're our perfection. The greatest gift. You can do anything you will want."

Ciri wrapped her arms around the sorceress' waist and buried her face in her hair. She smelled so damned good. Always had.

"Thank you. Thank you for letting me be your daughter."

"Oh, Ciri, my darling girl," Yennefer breathed, "the honor is mine."

Ciri smiled into her hair before they parted. "I am going to check on Kelpie. The stable boys here are nice, but they never truly know how to handle her."

"Of course," Yennefer released her reluctantly.

Ciri hesitated. "Are you alright?"

Yennefer nodded, smiling for Ciri's sake. "Don't worry about me, I'm totally fine."

She was lying. Ciri could tell. But Yennefer was much like Geralt; it was hard to get her to open up.

"I will be in the stables if you need me," she said, squeezing Yennefer's hand one last time before heading out.

The sorceress nodded, "I know."

Ciri found Kelpie in the stables as expected, still a little warm from their earlier ride. She brought her outside where she could groom and brush her, trying to extend her feelers to discover what it was the mare needed and wanted. Ciri wasn't sure it fully counted as magic as much as intuition. It probably would not be enough for Eredin to catch her scent.

"Is this Tir Ná Lia?" Geralt asked, looking around. They were in a palace with high ceilings and carved arches.

"The Palace of Awakening," the elf said, and Geralt heard pride in his voice. "Formerly the Moon Palace. Ge'els' headquarters."

They strolled out onto a veranda with flowers blooming in flowerbeds of white stone with carved leaves and branches and grapes. From the wide balcony there was a marvelous view opening beneath them – their city filled with beautiful houses and amazing gardens that looked like heaven compared to the world Geralt was born in. Fountains sat strategically amidst the city's yards with people resting near them and talking and sharing drinks. Some were painting, others reading, thirds discussing things that mattered. No fights, no poverty, no homeless stinking elves in rugs asking for a coin on the corners of their streets. It was amazing to see it all without pinching oneself on the arm to make sure it's for real.

They descended a few staircases of white marble, marveling at the city below, until Avallac'h brought them to a balcony currently occupied by an artist and his model who sat naked on a spread silky cover.

The artist stepped around his canvas and revealed himself to be the man they had been looking for.

"I believe we're done for the day, my tulip," he drawled, eyeballing the newcomers. "Be a dear and leave us alone."

The model – a beautiful elvish girl with a sophisticated hairdo, did as she was asked.

"I think we all agree that this matter is between us and us alone," Ge'els told them, his pale-gold eyes stopping on Kain's face with inquiry and fascination alike. Even with his elvish blood, Kain stood half a foot shorter than Eredin's general.

"That is correct," Geralt said, and waved a hand Kain's way. "He is with us in this fight as rightfully as any other present."

"Interesting," Ge'els drawled, scrutinizing Kain, then his eyes shot to Avallac'h – briefly as it was, Geralt sensed some mute exchange he didn't like, nor deciphered. "Very well," the general summed up. "Crevan Espane aep Caomhan Macha and the Witcher of Rivia with his… witcher friend. Ceádmil." He bowed his head slowly, with flourish. "Do you like my new model? Something of Lara Dorren about her, wouldn't you agree, Crevan?"

Avallac'h didn't seem pleased with the assessment. "Her height, perhaps. Nothing more."

"Ah, I see I've touched a tender spot," the general said, strolling away toward a brazier, his hands locked behind him. "Let us change the subject. Care for a drink?"

Geralt smirked. "Got any vodka?"

Ge'els grimaced subtly and shook his head.

"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting you don't touch that filth, disgraceful as it is."

Ge'els hemmed, looking either amused or annoyed. "I must admit, you appearing here – quite a surprise, Witcher. Incidentally, interesting choice of allies. Do you believe Avallac'h is honest with you? Just curious…"

"No, but it's rather a desperate time for our world and my family in particular. He's honest about things that concern the battle, and it is better than nothing."

"Family…" Ge'els mused. "Strange choice of words for a witcher, I may add. But, given it's a guild or at least close to that, you are probably not utterly unfamiliar with the meaning. I could give it the benefit of the doubt. But as for the allies matter, naivety is a fool's blessing, Gwynbleidd." He glanced between Geralt and the Sage, briefly sliding his gaze over Kain with the same imperceptible pause. "I detect a shadow of impatience in your faces, it seems," he said. "What brings you here?"

"I've come to tell you who killed our king," Avallac'h said.

Ge'els was quiet for a long moment, his back facing them as he overlooked the city. "You've gone through a lot of trouble to reach me," he said finally. "So I must believe you've put equal effort into preparing this lie."

"You shall see the truth yourself," the Sage said. "You will dream it."

"You've an oneiromancer?" Ge'els scoffed softly. He was quiet for a while longer, then said, "My intuition was correct. This will be interesting."

"Better believe it," Geralt said, stepping to him. "Shall we go?"

"Witcher Geralt, a true man of action," the general commented. "Might I know where we're going?"

"To the world of the Aen Seidhe," Avallac'h said. "Directly, this time."

"Let's go," Geralt said. "Before any guards show up."

Priscilla found Ciri after a while, a scroll of parchment in hand.

"Hey Ciri. Your elf friend asked me to give you this. Couldn't find you before."

Ciri lowered the brush she had been using and took the scroll. "Yennefer and I were out on an errand. Thank you."

She followed Priscilla with her gaze as the woman left, then unfolded the piece of parchment to read the message Avallac'h had scribbled there:

"Zireael.

In a room at The Golden Sturgeon is a woman named Corinne Tilly. Bring her to me. She knows what it is about.

Avallac'h."

Ciri considered the message another few seconds before stuffing it into her pocket, praying this was not a concubine she was supposed to fetch for the elf.

After putting Kelpie away, Ciri headed for The Golden Sturgeon. Bea directed her to Corinne's room and once she told Corinne Avallac'h's name she did not hesitate in following Ciri.

They arrived back at the inn an hour after Ciri had left and moved upstairs to Avallac'h's room.

It was huge. And much prettier than the rest.

"Are you able to tell me what this is about?" Ciri asked.

Corinne shook her head, taking a seat on the bed. "No. Your friend said he needed my talent."

"What is your talent?"

"I am an oneiromancer."

Ciri paused for a second. "You use dreams for divination?"

She nodded.

Ciri wondered what Avallac'h had in mind but it did not seem Corinne knew much more than Ciri.

They waited in silence.

"I believe I need not introduce our guest," Avallac'h said when they entered his suite to find Corinne and Ciri inside.

Ge'els shot a look Ciri's way, his lips twitched in a cold smile. "Zireael. Been a while."

"Not long enough," Ciri replied, looking the general up and down before focusing on Kain and Geralt. They seemed to be all right.

"So it is true," Ge'els said. "The Swallow has befriended the Fox. Avallac'h blackmailed you - do you not remember? Forced you to warm our king's bed. Treated your body like a side of pork."

Ciri placed her hands on her hips. "I remember. I also remember what you advised Eredin to do with me once he caught me. Quite similar intentions you and Avallac'h had in mind."

Kain would have assumed Geralt was in the loop but the Witcher looked slightly shocked with all the insinuations flying back and forth. Kain felt utterly misplaced and fought a horribly strong urge to leave them to it. Unwittingly, he made a step or two back inching toward the door.

The need to punch them both in their noble faces was close to unbearable for Geralt. Only it was all for Ciri, and it wouldn't help her cause. He had to fist his hands to stop himself and keep his rage in check.

"Let us not stray from what we are here for," Avallac'h offered, looking between his kin and Ciri.

"I have nothing against seeing the proof you have promised," Ge'els agreed.

"You will see it," Avallac'h promised. "In your dream."

He gestured for Corinne who looked torn between confusion and attempting to uphold her professionalism.

Ge'els cast a gander at her. "Ah, yes, the oneiromancer. Visions that cannot be fabricated. Do you wish to show me how Eredin murdered our king? What then? Am I to incite the Aen Elle against Eredin? Call for a revolution and proclaim Avallac'h our new king?"

"You will do what you choose," Geralt said. "All we want is for you to know the truth. What you do with it is your business."

Ge'els thought it over and nodded. "Very well."

"We all shall witness it," Avallac'h said while Corinne lay down on the bed. "To avoid any misunderstandings."

He approached the woman and touched two fingers to her forehead.

She rolled her eyes showing whites, and their vision flashed in black, then white, and then they saw the throne room.

On the elvish throne with its back to them, sat the king. His arm lay on the armrest, a vial in his hand.

His fingers loosened around it, his breath became labored. The vial dropped with a clang and rolled across the stone floor, hitting a metal armored boot.

A metal glove hand picked it up.

"The king is dead," Eredin said, eyeing the vial with his pale gaze aflame with satisfaction. "Long live the king."

Ciri had not stuck around to watch Eredin find Auberon's dead body, though she had been the one to tell him he had died. She had been there when it happened, after all. Eredin had feigned surprise, but in this vision of what must have happened mere minutes after Ciri escaped, he was gleeful, happy.

When they resurfaced, Ge'els had moved over to the open balcony door, looking out in thoughtful silence. No one spoke. Not until he finally did.

"You must face him on your own terms, in this world, in a place of your choosing. It's your only chance. Sail to Skellige and find the Sunstone. With it, you will summon Naglfar. Eredin will come, too."

His hands behind his back, Ge'els finally turned to face them, his eyes on Avallac'h, then Ciri. "Should he call for reinforcement, no Aen Elle will answer."

Ciri inhaled air of subtle hope then, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"You have done a thing most just," Avallac'h said. "A new portal to Tir Ná Lia will open soon. I shall stabilize it and you will return. Come with me."

Ciri smiled, watching the two elves exit the room, then turned to embrace Geralt happily.

Geralt squeezed Ciri gently in his embrace, happy to feel her hope rekindled. He closed his eyes savoring the moment of having her safe and in his arms. He missed her and kept failing to spend more time with her as if he wasn't grateful to have her back. It couldn't be farther from the truth, and Geralt's heart ached in realization of how this stupid war, those elvish bastards still kept her away from him even while she was right here, in the same space.

Geralt noticed Kain sneak away onto the balcony to leave them to it, despite Corinne still recovering on the bed.

"Were you in the land of the Aen Elle?" Ciri asked, speaking against Geralt's shoulder.

"Yes. At Ge'els' residence. We saw their city - it was beautiful."

"Isn't it just?" she breathed. "I will not grieve the loss of certain Aen Elle, but I will grieve the loss of that beauty."

"It's tragic how such beauty can harbor such people."

"I don't think they are all evil." Ciri pulled away and looked over to Corinne. "Will she be okay?"

Geralt glanced at the woman as she sat up and drank some water, looking better.

"She is fine. She's accustomed to it."

"You know her?"

"She tried to help me find you. I had a vision about you and Dandelion, it gave me a lead."

Ciri appreciated the lengths he had gone to in order to find her. She smiled, squeezing Geralt's hand in hers. "Shall we go find something to eat? I am starving."

"I suppose it's not a bad idea." Geralt turned to Corinne. "Will you join us for a meal? On the house."

"Oh," she pondered, then smiled, standing up and straightening her skirt. "I will be glad. Thank you."

Ciri let Geralt and Corinne go, poking her head out the balcony to find Kain.

"Coming down to eat, Kain?"

Her voice yanked Kain from a meditative state as he watched over the city. It had begun to rain. "Yes. I'll come."

"A floren for your thoughts," she offered, watching him front the doorway.

"I wasn't thinking about anything specific," he said, glancing back at the city roofs. "Just looking at the scenery."

"Was it a hard journey to find Ge'els?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle. Just a few worlds in between, and one taken by the White Frost."

Geralt returned to the suite and found Ciri and Kain still standing on the balcony.

"Avallac'h still away?" he asked. They nodded. Geralt jerked a thumb back over his shoulder, "Corinne is waiting for her meal downstairs, and I wanted a word with the elf. Ciri, what is your assessment of Ge'els? Can we trust him?"

"The Aen Elle can be elusive and tight-lipped with information, but they rarely lie. Once they make agreements, it is a great shame to their person if they break it. I think he loved Auberon enough to want Eredin gone."

Geralt winced, pondering her words. "Wouldn't want to think we let him off too easily."

Ciri shrugged. "He advises. He doesn't ride with Eredin. It is not his sword that kills innocents. I am not saying he is without fault, but my impression has always been he is attempting to take care of his people instead of serving his own greedy ambitions."

"He wasn't lying," Kain said from the balcony. "He intends to keep his word."

Geralt squinted, "How do you know?"

Kain shrugged, "I just do, because it's how he felt. He wouldn't lie to himself in his own thoughts."

"You read his thoughts?"

"No, I read how he felt. He was genuine."

"Empathy is an impressive gift," Avallac'h said, strolling toward them. His eyes were studying Kain. "Underdeveloped, this gift can cause a person to perceive emotions of others as his own. You know the difference. It's rare with such a chaotic force as people's emotions are. It's not a druid gift."

"What are you getting at with this?" Geralt asked, folding his arms with a frown.

"That a simple cross-breed between humans and Aen Seidhe doesn't bestow so many powers. Unless the parents are special. Who are your parents, boy?"

"My mother is a druid," Kain said, looking bristled. "I never knew my father."

"It is highly unlikely that your mother is a simple druid," Avallac'h insisted. "She is a sorceress, isn't she?"

"A healer druid," Kain repeated.

Avallac'h watched him pointedly. "You lie. Why do you lie?"

"Leave him," Ciri said, instantly stepping between Kain and Avallac'h, her back to the former. "He does not have to justify his ancestry to anyone here. He is no longer on trial, remember?"

Avallac'h paid absolutely no mind to Ciri's interjection, his eyes boring into Kain's as if trying to read the answers in his mind. Geralt doubted even the Sage could manage.

"I'm not your enemy," he said calmly. "But it's important. Why do you lie? Because she is still alive, is she not? You know her. She never broke contact with you after giving you to witchers? She must have maintained her contact with you, but given your secrecy, it must be by means other than face to face. Your abundance of gifts includes telepathy, doesn't it?"

Kain held the elf's glare and kept quiet as if no questions had been asked. Geralt was beginning to feel uneasy.

Ciri did not like any of these questions either. And she especially did not like them pointed at Kain now she knew what the Crone had told him back on Bald Mountain. Ciri was very willing to believe the possibility of Kain being Elder Blood, but it was never something she was going to disclose to anyone else. She knew what that meant, even if Kain did not just yet.

"Stop it," she said, eyes on Avallac'h as she reached back to find Kain's hand with her own, a show of support. "You have no right."

"You are mistaken, Zireael," Avallac'h said without even looking at her. His pale grey eyes were locked firmly on Kain's, he was unrelenting.

"What is that supposed to mean, Sage?" Geralt asked. "You will have to explain yourself, or this discussion is over."

Avallac'h's lips twitched subtly in the smallest of sneers, then he turned away and strolled to his table, rummaged in the stack of drawings before returning to Kain with one, holding it to him.

"Is that your mother?"

Kain cast a brief gander at the sketch before darting his eyes back to the elf, and, to Geralt's disappointment, he didn't notice any answer in his inscrutable face. Kain kept silent.

Geralt stepped toward Avallac'h and snatched the drawing.

A cold shiver ran through his spine and spilled into his arms and legs and neck. Geralt squeezed Kain's shoulder, pushing him away from Ciri and back into the balcony with him, his other hand holding the drawing before him.

"Is this your mother? Kain, is she?!"

"Geralt!" Ciri exclaimed in utter surprise, trailing him and Kain to the balcony. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Ciri's voice was far and away, in another world altogether. Geralt barely registered it and forgot, his focus on Kain's face, fingers white in their grip on the sketch.

"Is she?" Geralt repeated. "You have to tell me."

Kain stared at him with astonishment and some kind of gauging in his expression that made Geralt think he was calculating some conclusions of his own. But Geralt doubted he found anything that made sense. It barely made sense to Geralt himself, but he had to make him say it. Make him deny it. It scared him that Kain didn't.

Because he couldn't?

"Tell me!" Geralt demanded.

He didn't say a thing.

All he gave Geralt was one imperceptible nod, as if performed against his will.

Geralt slowly released Kain's shoulder, backing away like in a dream where it's hard to move. He shoved the drawing at Avallac'h's chest and went into the room with unsteady steps like a drunk, his head buzzing.

"What is happening?" Ciri was so confused and befuddled by the sudden outburst of testosterone, she did not even know who to direct her questions at. She reached for the drawing and peered down at it. "Who is she?"

"Apparently, your witchers are quite informed," Avallac'h commented, folding his arms.

"This is your sketch!" Ciri said, holding it out to him before she looked at Kain. And then at Geralt. "Explain. Please."

"I presume it is quite obvious that the woman in the picture is, indeed, Kain's mother," Avallac'h said. "She is not just a druid. She is a sorceress. Which explains – albeit partially – his magical abilities. It is as obvious that Gwynbleidd knows that woman, as well. Too closely and personally, perhaps."

Ciri ignored Avallac'h the same way he had her, her focus on her mentor. "Geralt?"

Kain kept standing on the same spot, watching Geralt, fearing to try and read him for any specific information, for his emotions were all tangled and chaotic. He was shocked, Kain sensed as much.

Geralt turned back to them and made himself look at Ciri, taking in her imploring face, his own was a mask of uncertainty.

"I happen to know her, yes," he admitted. "Closely. Personally. Even though we met just once, and I wasn't in my right mind. But I'll never forget her face. Or her name. She's my mother."

Kain swallowed hard, feeling a bit dizzy for a moment. A weakness wobbled in his knees. He wished Geralt was wrong, but felt he wasn't. He couldn't be.

Ciri stared. "What?! What did you just say?"

She had heard him. He didn't need to repeat it. She just couldn't process it. Not fully.

The lit candles in Avallac'h's room flickered, growing tall. She didn't know where to look.

"I should… I should go throw up…" Ciri staggered towards the door, feeling like the floor was tilting beneath her.

Geralt's face creased in sorrow and regret as he watched Ciri, but then his eyes moved to Kain, and more confusion poured in.

"How old are you, really?" he asked.

"Thirty-three," Kain said.

"How is this possible?" he seemed almost pleading, and Kain had no answers, no confirmations. "How could you be in training at the same time with me, having the same mother. Who is your father?"

"I don't have one."

Geralt grimaced, "It's impossible."

"It's all I know," Kain said.

Ciri reached the doorway and paused there, arms braced on the doorjamb. She had intended to leave but couldn't make herself. She needed to know everything they knew. "Is she… Is she still alive?"

"I have no way of knowing," Geralt said, casting a brief gander at Ciri. "But I would guess so. She looked younger than I did when we met. She is a sorceress. She can live a very long life unless someone kills her. I don't think she'd let that happen. She was leading a very quiet life."

He regarded Kain closely, approaching a few steps, his eyes narrowing a tad, his pupils dilated slightly.

"Is he right?" the Witcher asked. "Is that true that she has been keeping in touch with you? All this time?"

"I had dreams where she talked to me, or dreams of her mere presence," Kain said. He hated that Avallac'h was there absorbing everything eagerly, but he couldn't deny Geralt's need to know. Not anymore. "I haven't seen her outside of my dreams since I was six. She told me we had to be apart."

"Why?" he asked.

"She didn't explain."

Another wince, this time of despair and anger, creased Geralt's face. "How is this even possible not to?"

"Did she explain much to you?" Kain ventured.

His face got long, he shook his head once.

This was all so strange, so unbelievable it made Ciri's head spin with a nauseating pace. They didn't even look alike. Except for the hair color.

"You're brothers," Ciri said unnecessarily, more to herself than them, really.

She wished Avallac'h was not here. She wished he would vanish into thin air.

She steadied herself, looking between Kain and Geralt. "Family."