Author's Note:

The beginning part was inspired by a scene from the film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire where Katniss was showing her archery skills to Mags in the Training Centre.

All the music lyrics were NOT borrowed from existing songs but completely made up by me.

Warning: This chapter contains quite a bit of intimacy.

Chapter Fifteen: A Night to Remember

WISTY

When I checked the fourth floor of the archers' building, it was empty. It was late in the evening, and I came at the right time. I smiled. It was good to have a whole room to myself. I was dressed in full armour. The elven brown quiver was strung across my back. The wooden recurve bow was in my hand.

I surveyed the gigantic room. Twelve targets stood in a row at one area. Upon the circular boards were black, blue, red and yellow scoring rings. Located a few metres high up on a wall was a large white rectangular board marked with black grids. I remembered in training, I had stood in front of it with the arrow nocked and ready, and whenever a grid lit up in pink, I would aim for it and shoot.

The sound of my footsteps on the concrete ground echoed in the silence as I approached the section where structures in a variety of shapes surrounded a square platform. I climbed the set of stairs leading up to the platform and, after a brief moment of hesitation, stepped onto the star-shaped button engraved on its surface. The button glowed orange instantaneously. Cyan blue laser lights emitted from many parts of the ceiling and shone around me. Keeping a close eye on the movement of the lights, I reached over my shoulder for an arrow and nocked it.

Two of the laser lights met, and a man generated from thousands of tiny blocks of Lego, also the colour of cyan blue, appeared. He ran. As he did, I drew back the bowstring, placed the point of the glittering broadhead on his body, expanded my chest, and released. The arrow hit him on the upper arm. He exploded. The Lego blocks flew everywhere before fading into the air.

I reloaded. Three laser beams met to form another figure. He ran towards me. As I sent an arrow in his direction, a third man had been created out of the corner of my eye and was charging at me. I spun around and fired another arrow into his chest.

The ground was scattered with Lego blocks which were slowly fading into nothingness.

A man stood on top of a nearby structure. He drew a Lego knife, but before he could throw it at me I managed to take him out. A man was climbing a structure with triangular holes in it behind me, trying to get to the top. I pulled the bowstring towards the side of my face and released. My arrow flew through one of the holes and struck the man's leg. He fell apart.

I felt a change in the air current behind me and turned around to see a knife flying my way. I leaned sideways to dodge it, and then sent an arrow into the heart of the man who threw it.

All around me the cyan blue laser lights danced.

A figure leaped from atop a structure. I eliminated him in midair before he could land on the platform. But by that time another man had come so close I had to retreat a few steps to shoot at him properly. He burst into pieces, and I held up an arm to shield my face.

On my left, a man holding a blue Lego spear was generated. He flung the spear at me. I ducked. He rushed forward. My bowstring was drawn back in readiness. I let go of my fingers. The arrow hit his neck and blew him apart.

The laser beams weren't waiting for me.

While I was busy dealing with the previous man, they had created three more of them, each gripping a Lego knife in their hand. They charged at me simultaneously. A knife was tossed my direction, and then another, too fast for me to see which belonged to which. I dodged the first and jumped to avoid the second. I took out two men with my arrows. Whoosh, came the third knife. I sidestepped in the nick of time. I aimed the tip of the broadhead at the last man and released. He erupted as my arrow struck his face.

I caught sight of a whisk of cyan blue overhead. A man atop a structure ten feet away tried to get onto the platform, but he had leaped too high. He crashed to the ground with a thud and rolled. My arrow found its mark on him before he could fully stand up.

Another figure appeared. He didn't attack me like I expected him to, but sprinted from structure to structure. I tracked his speed and direction, then aimed at a distance ahead of him and let go of the arrow. He approached the spot I aimed for. The arrow hit him on the upper arm. He shattered satisfactorily.

The next figure seemed to be playing a game of hide-and-seek. He'd hide behind a structure for about fifteen seconds, extend his head around it to peek at me a few times, and then dash behind a different structure. Twice I fired my arrow and twice I missed. The lasers formed another man, who darted along the walls of the room, as a distraction. I destroyed him with some difficulty. Then I returned my attention to the hide-and-seek man just as he sneaked out from behind a structure dotted with small square holes. I quickly released the arrow. It shot him in the head. I watched as he exploded.

The dancing laser lights flickered several times, and then disappeared.

I turned three hundred and sixty degrees, trying to spot more of those blue Lego figures lurking in the shadows. When none materialized, I descended the square platform. Practice was over.

That was good fun, I thought.

Somebody clapped. I saw Elsa walking toward me. Her platinum blonde hair was tied up and clipped in an elegant bun. A single strand hung loose from the side of her head. She too was wearing archers' armour, but she wasn't carrying her weapons.

"You've certainly learned a lot in the past nine weeks," concluded Elsa. "That was nicely done, Wisty."

"Thanks," I said. Then I asked, "It's been nine weeks?"

Elsa nodded. "You and the rest of the magicians have been working so hard you guys didn't notice how fast time flew."

"So this is…"

"Your last night of training," finished Elsa.

"Yeah…" I thought of something then. "Elsa, I know that we've already got an army for the battle, but is it possible for us to attack Arendelle by aerial bombardment as well? We can wipe out Hans's comrades in seconds. It'll be a very effective strategy. The City has bombs, missiles, airplanes and—"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "We can't use anything that will inflict severe damage to the castle, otherwise my home would be gone regardless of whether we won the battle or not."

"OK, well, what about siege towers, trebuchets and catapults? I've seen them being used in movies. Ross and Janine can paint them like they did with our weapons and armour and then Whit can use magic to extract the real thing from the oil paintings—"

"We can't have siege engines either," she cut in impatiently. "They will cause just as much damage as the bombs. Besides, do you even have any idea how large a siege tower is, or how heavy trebuchets are? How on earth do you expect Whit to take them out of the paintings?"

I bit my lip. "Sorry. I was only suggesting. If you are absolutely confident that we're gonna win without them—"

"We will win," she said. "I mean…we have to."

She looked doubtful and distressed all of a sudden. I moved closer to her, put a hand on her shoulder, and promised, "We can do this, Elsa. The City has already defeated one tyrant, we can do it again. We won't fail you."

Elsa smiled.

I checked the large round clock on the wall. "It's eleven-thirty already?! Listen, I better get some sleep." I hadn't realized how tired I was. As if to emphasize the fact, I barely stifled the yawn that came next. I said to her, "It's good of you to come and watch me practice. Talk to you later." I headed for the exit.

"Goodnight," said Elsa.

I gave her a little wave and left the room.

Whit and I were on the pavement outside Whit's apartment. My brother's brown hair shined golden under the light of the sun.

"When do we set off for Arendelle?" Whit asked.

"Is it really up to me to decide?"

"Us," he replied, "since we're the leaders of the City. Elsa and Anna wanted to leave as soon as possible, as in today. Like, right now."

I protested, "Right now?! Most of the magicians in the army only completed their training yesterday. They're exhausted. They won't have enough strength or energy for a journey. I think we need a day's break. We haven't had time off in ages. Just let us all take a break for a day, one day, and then we'll leave tomorrow. C'mon, you deserve it same as me."

Whit thought this over, and then agreed, "OK. Today we'll rest. What do you have in mind for a rest, Wisty?"

"We," I said cheerfully, "are gonna have a concert tonight."

"A concert?" My brother scowled. "Of all the things we could've done you want us to have a concert?"

"And you are going to one of those performing."

Whit gave me a sarcastic laugh. "Ha-ha, very funny."

"I'm not joking."

"Singing on stage and being in the limelight is your thing, Wisty. Not mine. I'm more into the background stuff. I'm all about writing poems, scripts, books…"

"In case you haven't noticed, Whit, you and I had been living in the limelight for years as 'The Dangerous and Famous Witch and Wizard,' 'The Heroes Who Eradicated The One,' or whatever title they believed that fitted us. You'll only be performing in a concert. How's that any different? It's not like it's going to make you more popular than you already are."

Whit was unconvinced.

"Please say yes, Whit. It'll be fun! I've discussed it with the others. All your friends are performing, so is Janine," I prompted.

"Janine?"

"Mm-hmm. She's very keen on it. I didn't even persuade her."

"How unlike her," said Whit. He sighed submissively. "All right, I'll perform. There are some things I just can't say no to, can I?"

"YES!" I jumped up and down in elation. "You'll be great, Whit, I know you will! We have a bit of preparation to do." I started dragging him along. "This is going to be a fantastic night that we will never forget!"

A couple hours later the sky had darkened and I had changed into a short black dress with lace and was in my flat staring at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was down. There was no need to curl it since it was naturally wavy. I avoided choosing heels that were too high or thin for ease of walking in them.

"You look gorgeous, Wisty."

Janine emerged from the bathroom. She was in a bright summer dress, slightly longer than mine, rich in colours of pink, orange, blue and purple. Sparkly silver earrings dangled from either side of her head. Her shoes were silver and shiny.

"So do you!" I beamed. "You look amazing."

She giggled. I moved over a little so she could take a good look in the mirror.

"All right," I said. "Makeup time."

I flipped through one of the celebrity magazines lying on top of the drawer in front of us. Pop idols and actors were no longer being exterminated since the downfall of the New Order, so there were a lot of images within these pages. I stopped at a picture of a young actress who looked both pretty and professional.

I glanced at Janine beside me, who tilted her head left and right and was scrutinizing her reflection. "Janine," I said. "Keep your eyes peeled and watch me transform."

I touched the face on the page and then brushed my fingers across the mirror. Faint eye shadow surrounded my eyes, my lashes grew longer, a hint of rose bloomed on my cheeks, and my lips turned a smooth, pale pink.

Janine watched, awestruck. "That was cool magic! This is not the first time you've done it, is it."

I chuckled. "I've tried the spell once before, but only because I was in a hurry and was late for a council meeting, not the proceedings we were holding now, but the ones in which Matthias Bloom was Speaker." I shrugged. "It served as a shortcut."

Janine listened while she searched for a celebrity photo. "Would you mind doing me too?" She requested after finding the right one.

"Sure."

I did the exact same trick on her using my M.

"There. That should do it."

"Great."

I grinned. "Let's go and rock this night."

The concert took place on an open grass field. All the people coming to watch were witches and wizards from the army. Janine and I met Emmet on the way and by the time we got there, Byron, Anna and Ross had already arrived. A stage had been set up at one end of the huge space, it had a starry sky background, and the ceiling curved above it like a dome. The field was filling up with more people every minute.

Whit, Elsa and Pearce arrived together shortly afterwards. Everyone looked great. The boys wore a mixture of clothing combinations that mostly revolved around a white T-shirt, black jacket, navy blue jeans and Converses. Elsa and Anna were resplendent in their matching turquoise-green dresses.

We waited backstage, where the loudspeakers were, and chatted amongst ourselves. Byron had connected the instrumental music on his computer to all of the speakers and set them to play automatically for each song.

They left the introduction to me. When the audience in the field had swelled into an immense crowd, I knew it was time to begin, so I grabbed the microphone and walked out onto the stage.

"HELLO, EVERYBODY!"

The noise within the crowd became hushed whispers and then reduced to nothing. All the attention from the sea of magicians, many of whom were my friends, turned to me.

"Thank you for coming. I hope training went well."

That earned a few laughs.

I continued, "I know that the times ahead of us will not be easy, we have a battle to fight, challenges to face…but not tonight. Tonight is the night where we are not only going to have a good time but the best time. It is a night where we get to relax and enjoy ourselves. And if things are going to be hard and tough later on, if there is to be a veil that separates us from reaching happiness, and we cannot see an end to it, well, just remember, at least we still had tonight. And now…let the concert begin!"

The crowd roared. I walked offstage.

Ross turned up the beat, music blared from the speakers, spotlights flashed and danced, and Emmet and Byron jumped onto the stage and started singing a rock song by one of their favourite bands. Pearce and Ross moved their heads and tapped their foot along with the music while Whit and I watched them from a concealed spot. Fifty seconds in and the audience was hooked. They lost themselves in the rhythm. When it came to the rap in the bridge of the song, the witches and wizards shifted the weight of their bodies back and forth and clapped, and sang along to the lyrics with Byron and Emmet, who were doing arm gestures and a variety of movements. When they were finished, Byron and Emmet joined us backstage.

Janine now took centre stage. She wore a headset and had a guitar strapped around her. The lighting readjusted. There was about a minute's interval before her song began to play. It was country music. This was the first time I was hearing my brother's girlfriend sing, and Janine had a brilliant voice. The crowd loved her performance just as much as they did the first.

Whit, Ross and Janine then took their positions in front of the mike stands and launched into a pop song. They put on such a fabulous show that I was mesmerized and couldn't tear my eyes away until the song had ended. Even though Whit didn't like to admit it, he did have a singer's talent, and I was proud of him. I congratulated the three of them when they were done.

It was my turn. I wasn't nervous. All I felt buzzing through me was exhilaration. I went up on stage to face the audience. The music started playing. It was the kind of song you could listen to a hundred times without getting bored of the tune. I held the microphone up to my mouth and began to sing.

The weight of the world

The troubles of each day

Stress and anxiety at every corner

On top of my dismay

Which path should I take?

To whom should I turn?

Why is life always such a grind?

Pain and suffering, burn, baby, burn

This burden I carry

Too heavy, too much

The hurt residing in my soul

Extends deeper, deeper with your touch

Well, I've had just about enough

My heart is telling me so

Cast all them worries away

Should've done it a long time ago

Won't care about this no more, because…

My voice increased in fervour and grew more vehement. I closed my eyes to really feel the music.

Tonight

I will rise

I'm gonna leave it all behind

Rise! Past loneliness, past grief

Pass your grips and clutches

And emerge as bright as the stars

The lyrics went perfectly well with the blissful, euphoric atmosphere. The music was gradually building up in loudness and intensity. I got to the end of the first verse and moved on to the chorus.

Things are so much better, better, better where I am now, baby

I am living, living, living in delightfulness

The bird is soaring, soaring, soaring over all its problems

I am dancing, dancing, dancing in ecstasy

As I sang, I waved my hands up in the air and skipped from one side of the stage to another. My red hair sizzled and glowed with magical flames due to the feeling of rapture. I tossed it occasionally to let the wind fan the fire, knowing how much they loved to see it. The magicians below pumped their fists upward repeatedly and danced in synchronicity.

I am riding, riding, riding the gentlest waves

I am watching, watching, watching the calmest night

Oh this is really, really, really a moment to cherish

Gonna make it, make it, make it forever stay with me

By the time I had sung the second verse and repeated the chorus, the witches and wizards in the crowd were gyrating as if they were on the dance floor. They knew the lyrics. I invited them to sing along with me during the middle-eight section, and the united voices of the crowd boomed and rang across the entire field. They clapped and danced some more as I repeated the chorus. When the song finally came to a close, I was hot and breathless.

The audience cheered, whistled and applauded me for ages. Seriously, the noise was deafening! I bobbed them a little curtsy in return. Even after I left the stage the clapping hadn't died down, and just when it was about to, Byron, Whit, Anna, Janine and Ross had moved into the spotlight and this only caused the sounds of clapping to increase.

Once again, my friends had done a spectacular job. The alternative rock song the five of them performed couldn't be more awesome.

The same could be concluded from Elsa and Anna's performance. The two sisters both had a sweet, lovely voice, and they could go so high-pitched it was incredible and staggering. Their song reminded me of the tunes I heard from Disney films, and its melody was beautiful and sounded so good that it took my breath away.

I was next up again, except this time I was doing a duet with Pearce. I glimpsed pointing and heard mutterings amongst the magicians, but most of the people were silent. They were all eager to see the show Pearce and I were about to bring.

We did not disappoint.

Our chosen song told the story of two angels who disliked each other when they first met, treating one another coldly, but then they embarked on an adventure and somehow unexpectedly ended up falling in love. At last, they flew off together into the sunset. Throughout the performance I mostly kept my eyes on Pearce's and his eyes on mine. Pearce's singing voice was remarkable and also, in some way, alluringly sexy. The onlookers were touched by the romantic song. When I looked at them I could see that some in the front rows were crying. The song might be done, but the music wasn't. It continued to play after we finished singing. The witches and wizards applauded quietly.

"Well done," I praised him.

Pearce cupped his hand to his ear, seemingly not to have heard, and yelled, "Say what?"

"Well done!" I shouted again over the applause. "You did great!"

Pearce grinned. "You too, firecracker."

He moved in and connected his lips with mine. I felt a rush of adrenaline. I could not believe this moment. Pearce was kissing me, in public, on stage! My first instinct was to pull away, but it was really pointless now to keep my feelings for the guy a secret. I had been attracted to him like a magnet from the start. And so I took a step closer and kissed him back.

Someone whooped from the crowd, followed by another and then another and then another. Soon everybody watching us was cheering, whistling, shouting out hurrahs and other encouraging words like "Wooooo!" and "Yeah!" and clapping loudly. Pearce and I smiled at the crowd and then laughed together. It was as if we were having the time of our lives.

The tempo of the instrumental music had changed, but I couldn't remember hearing it. It was time for the last song. All my friends were involved. I saw Anna, Elsa, Whit, Byron, Emmet, Ross and Janine bounce excitedly onto the stage. I raised my mike and announced, "Get fired-up for our final performance, everyone!"

More screams and shouts.

The final performance was the most enjoyable of all. The song was specifically written for a group of people. Some lines were sung individually, other verses as a duet or a trio, and the bridge and chorus altogether. Not only did we sing our hearts out, we also danced with the briskness and enthusiasm of partygoers in a DJ club. At the end of the concert we gave out our thanks, clasped each others' hands, lined up, and then raised our joined arms one by one into the air while the spectators below cheered and cheered. I didn't want this to be over. I wished that it would last forever and ever.

Everybody was still in concert mode despite that the event itself was over. Ross told us he was going to host a small after party at his house, and Byron, Emmet and Janine had gone with him. Anna took Olaf with her and went as well. Meanwhile, Whit, Pearce, Elsa and I spent the remaining hours of the day in a pub that was open twenty four seven, reflecting on the concert and talking about life in general while drinking ginger ale and toasting.

It was midnight when we parted ways. Whit and Elsa lived on the same street, so they left together and headed home. I watched them turn the corner down the road and disappear, and then started walking away from the pub as well.

"You're not going to your apartment."

I turned around. Pearce was standing a few feet away. I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You're staying with me."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that an order?"

He looked down at his feet and chuckled, revealing his straight white teeth. "No, Wisty. It's an invitation. A request." He inched a little closer. "What would you say if I tell you I have booked a room for us to spend the night in at a five-star hotel?"

I gaped at him.

"We can go directly to the room. There's no need for check-in and payment, I've already seen to that."

I asked incredulously, "You did this just for the two of us? You and me?"

With a smile, Pearce stretched out his arm. "I can teleport us there. Take my hand." Somehow he knew that I would agree to go with him.

And he was right. I took his hand, and as soon as our palms touched, my feet left the ground, my body was spinning, and my surroundings became a blur of rushing colours. When the dizzying sensation had stopped, we were no longer standing outside the pub but in the middle of a grand and luxurious hotel lobby. Pearce led me up the elevators and then down two corridors until we stopped in front of a room located near the end. He took out a card, scanned it, and pushed open the white door.

Within was a nice, cosy and comfortable space, very neat and very clean, with a high-quality double bed, a bench, upholstered chairs, a couch, two dressers, a flatscreen television, a desk along with a chair behind it, and an en suite bathroom. On one side of the room was a large window leading out to the balcony.

This was totally not what I had in mind. I thought I was going to go back to my flat, slump in bed, and sleep, but then it was not like I wasn't allowed to go someplace else freely whenever I wanted to. I didn't live with my parents anymore.

"Is that our luggage?" I asked, pointing at the two objects that stood against a wall.

"Yeah, I packed some of our stuff in there, levitated them to the hotel with magic, and asked them to bring them up," he said. "So, what do you think?"

I ran my fingers along the mattress and said, "It's splendid." I hugged him. "Thank you, Pearce." He embraced me back.

After about half an hour or so I had taken a shower, wrapped my hair in a towel, and changed into my nightgown. I stepped out of the bathroom. Pearce was sitting upright in bed in his pyjamas and watching the television.

"Isn't this your favourite show?"

I said, "Which one?" I let my hair down, which was mostly dry now, and climbed next to him in bed. I turned my eyes to the screen. "Yes, it is! This is the new episode. Flip. I forgot it was on tonight, with the concert going on and everything. How did you know it was my favourite?"

He shrugged and said, "Because you told me, not the real me, but when I was Heath."

"Oh." Did I tell him that? "I'm surprised you remembered, because I didn't."

"I remember all the moments I spent with you, Wisty, as Heath, Darrius, and me, every little detail, the good and the bad." His voice was smooth and full of yearning.

"You know, it does sound kind of creepy when you say it like that."

"Does it? Well, some of the moments were the best I ever had."

I fought back a smile and turned away so he wouldn't see my cheeks turning scarlet. We didn't talk any more about the past as we watched the program but instead exchanged our feelings about what happened in the latest episode as it played. Pearce grabbed the remote and switched off the TV when the show was finished and the credits appeared.

"That was an unexpected plot twist," I summarized.

"But it was fun," Pearce opined. He changed the subject. "Anyway, now everyone knows that we are a couple."

"Yes, you've done a spot-on job of showing them that." Then I asked curiously, "Why did you bring me here tonight?"

"Because, Wisty, I want to be with you. You probably haven't realized this, but my life in the Overworld would be extremely dull and lonely without you," he said genuinely. "You've got people who love you by your side, friends, family; But me? I've got no one."

"Pearce…"

"You are the only person who actually cares about me, not The One, not the Mountain King, you."

"Your mother Izbella cared about you," I said.

"Yeah. Cared. Past tense," he said. There was bitterness in his tone. "It doesn't matter now, does it? She's dead and gone."

I opened my mouth to say something and then closed it. To be honest, I didn't know what I could say that would console him. I sucked at comforting people because I found it hard to find the right words. So I didn't say anything and let the silence between us stretch on.

Pearce broke it. "You see, I used to be the type of guy who thirsted and lusted for power. My ambition was to control everyone. I forced others to follow my commands and threatened or killed them when they didn't or when they simply messed up. But here's the stark truth: power and domination is nothing when your people don't like you, don't truly support you, or is unwilling to stand by your side. Being respected and loved by your people is the greatest power anyone could ever have."

I couldn't agree more.

Pearce looked at me with his pale blue, almost clear eyes, and I held his gaze. "Wisty, I know your feelings for me are irresolute, conflicted, but it is also strong, powerful and passionate, and I appreciate your kindness and your empathy. When I am with you, I feel more joyful. When I am with you, the days are brighter. I may have hurt you many times and done terrible things, but I never stopped loving you."

I connected my mouth to his. It was the most wonderful thing I had experienced. His lips were soft and smooth, and the touch of them against my own felt so unbelievably good. How I craved to feel more of him.

My fingers curled around the hem of his top and without thinking I pulled it over his head. He shrugged off his pyjamas pants impatiently and then ripped the nightgown off me. I pushed, and Pearce fell backwards onto the mattress. My heart was racing. I entwined my fingers together with his untidy blonde hair and kissed him. He turned over so it was him on top. Then he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me with a fierceness and hunger I had never felt before. I had one hand wrapped around his neck while my other touched whatever part of his lean, muscular body I could reach. My hand rested on his shoulder blades, the curve of his spine, then the small of his back. My hair was all messy and his nails were scratching my skin but I didn't care, I didn't care, I didn't care.

Pearce retreated to catch his breath. I traced one of his sharp, prominent cheekbones. His eyes took in every feature of my face—forehead, eyebrows, nose, freckles—and then it lingered on my mouth. "You look really hot and beautiful, Wisteria," he whispered.

"Stop," I said softly, humbly shaking my head. But I was giggling.

"Make me."

We kissed wildly, our legs brushing and entangling around each other's, our tongues probing, encircling and then dancing. It went on for a very long time. I savoured the taste of him. Pearce moved to my neck, my cleavage, and then down my body, showering them with kisses as I moaned at the tickling sensation of his breath on my skin.

Using his powers, Pearce materialized a glass phial containing murky baby pink liquid. I recognized it immediately, and my eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't seriously mean to…

But he did. He smiled at me and said, "Drink this."

I hesitated. I could feel Pearce's gaze on me as I stared at the magical potion.

It won't hurt, I told myself. We're only doing it for one night.

I unscrewed the cork and emptied the phial.

Pearce smirked endearingly.

It was one of the most restful sleeps I ever had, my head against his bare chest, his arm warmly folded around my waist. A gentle ray of golden sunlight shone through the window. The room was quiet and peaceful. Once I awoke I knew there was no going back to sleep, so I just laid there and closed my eyes, feeling the slow and steady rise and fall of his chest. I glanced at the sky outside. It must be dawn.

A while later I propped myself up on my elbow and watched Pearce sleep. He looked attractive and so handsome. He had a great singing voice, he excelled at sword fighting, and his wizard powers were fearsome and unparalleled. Whit was an excellent foolball star, but not even he could beat him when they played against each other in the match. Was there anything Pearce wasn't good at? I stroked his face lightly.

Last night, we had made love. Damn! How crazy and absolutely amazing that was. I could not even begin to describe the pleasure I felt when he was inside me, the wave upon wave of ecstasy coursing through my body as he thrust. At one time it had been so exquisite and overwhelming that I cried out. Fortunately, thanks to the potion, I wasn't going to be pregnant, but I was still a little sore down there and my body still felt wrecked.

I couldn't afford to dwell on the memory or else I might ache to do it with him all over again, but pushing it to the back of my mind wasn't easy when he was right there beside me, so I decided to go for some fresh air.

I pulled the blanket aside and sat up. I was naked. My bra and underwear lay in a heap on the carpeted floor. I put them on. Slipping on some plain clothes, I left the bed and, not wanting to wake Pearce, padded outside onto the balcony.

Our room was fifteen storeys up and had one of the best views. My eyes travelled from cars, shops, courtyards and streets to buildings, bridges and rivers and then all the way to the horizon. I loved this city, and felt a pang of sadness at the prospect of leaving it.

Suddenly an invisible force slammed into my body, causing me to topple backwards. I let out a startled cry, and fell into a pair of strong arms which then steadied me.

"God, you scared me!" I squealed. "What did you do that for?"

"Don't sneak away from me like that again," said Pearce, "or else next time I'm not going to be there to catch you."

He was dressed. Had I been so lost in thought that I didn't even hear him?

"Ugh! You shouldn't have done it in the first place," I snapped. But for some weird reason I sort of liked it.

He whispered in my ear, "Of course you did."

It was just like with Darrius when I visited The Family headquarters at the abandoned toy factory to see what the cult was all about. Pearce freaking read my mind! How was that possible? Wait a minute…it wasn't.

"Don't get all alarmed now. You know I don't have the power to discover what you're thinking. It'd be a useful ability, though." He laughed, enjoying himself. "I just somehow knew you liked it."

"Right," I muttered. "Couldn't be plainer, could it?"

Pearce closed the space between us and put an arm around me. "How do you feel?" he asked. I knew what he was referring to.

"I feel fine," I smiled. "I couldn't be better, actually."

"I'm never going to forget the moment when I had sex with you."

I sighed. "Well, it certainly won't be the first, I guess."

"How many times did you climax?"

"Quite a few," I said, a little embarrassed by the question. "Let's just say I was too happy to count."

"So was I."

We shared an intimate kiss.

I told him, "As much as I want to be with you right now, we can't stay in this hotel forever. We are leaving the City today, but I'm supposed to go and meet my brother first. Whit and I have something to do beforehand."

"Of course," Pearce nodded, "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting." He ruffled his hair and hurried back inside.

"Pearce...?" I called.

He paused and said, "Yeah?"

I smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you so much for the night."

He smiled back at me. "No problem, Wisty Allgood."