The streets of Vengerberg were dark and silent when they arrived, Yennefer lead them through the familiar road, where the only bystanders were cats and drunks.

"Finally here," the sorceress sighed, "next time we will use portals."

"Even with the rain and the apparitions, I still prefer travelling horseback."

"Then the next time I'll just wait for you here."

Yennefer lead them to the narrow street between the city houses, she touched the tall wooden fence and murmured a spell, opening the magically hidden gate. The backdoor, which was used normally by her clients that desired to remain unidentified, lead to cobblestone patio with a lonely blossomed cherry tree.

"Could you please take the horses to the shed? Tomorrow morning we will arrange better accommodations for them".

The sorceress opened the door of the house and winced at the smell of dust, so typical of places that had been closed for too long. The spell she murmured made all the lights in the house lit. She took off her cloak, still wet from the rain that accompanied them during the last part of their trip. She opened her office's door and noticed, pleased, that everything was neatly organized, just the way it was when she left.

She was too tired to notice that the witcher quietly enter the house and stood behind her.

"I'm dying for a warm bath," yawned Yennefer taking his hand and leading him, "The kitchen is over there, but I'm sure we won't find anything edible. Probably only wine. Tomorrow first thing in the morning I'll get Gretta to come to take care of the house."

Geralt nodded as they climbed the first set of stairs that ended in the dining room.

"To the right there is two guest rooms, if you wish you can leave your belongings there. Sadly, your swords don't match the bedroom decoration. Also, the library is on this floor, feel free to use it whenever you want."

"I did not know that sorceress were so… successful."

"Hardly," laughed Yennefer, "this was once my family's house, but not much remain from that time as I got it fitted for me as soon as I could. For example, I adapted the old dining room downstairs, I converted it into a small shop and my office."

"Did you grow up here?"

"I was sent away as soon as it was possible and I only came back long after my family were dead," she said making clear she did not wish to discuss this subject any further. They climbed the last set of stairs leading directly to Yennefer's bedroom. She lead him to the white marble bathroom and with a spell, she filled the tub with water.

"I've been daydreaming about this moment the whole day." Yennefer sighed pleased while she removed her clothes. She noticed that he was standing still, staring at her. "I was hoping you would join me as the dream also included you."

"You are so beautiful."

She pulled him closer to her and kissed his lips sweetly, while helping him to undress.

This is the end of our road, she thought, trying to convince herself to focus on getting her destiny untangled from this man, at the same time that she felt a sharp pain on her chest. The warm voice on the hallucination had said that Geralt, to whom her destined was now tangled to by the magic of the Djinn, was going to fulfill her deepest desire. She wanted to believe. She wished that her feelings for him were real, not just the result of a spell. Yennefer let out a soft moan feeling a chill travel her body as he kissed her neck. Maybe, just for one more night she could fool them both again.

Yennefer was sitting on the familiar comfortable chair in her office when a wave of delicious smell hit her. The first thing she did that morning was organize that Gretta, her housekeeper, would come back to work, which she immediately did. Gretta was a middle-aged woman, famous for being one of the best cooks in the region. She also kept the house clean and did not talk much, which Yennefer appreciated the most. She knew the woman didn't like her, but she liked gold and the luxuries that it brings, so, as long as she would get generously paid, Gretta was more than willing to work for her.

She went through the pile of letters that was waiting for her: some were from clients that did not know she was absent and invitations for diverse events, there was no point on even read them because they were sent long ago. She also did not bother on reading the couple of letters from her former lovers and admirers, those she just crumpled and tossed away.

She smiled when she read Triss Merigold's letter and realized how much she missed her friend, she would try to contact her with the megascope. The last letter came from Tissaia de Vries, Yennefer sighed loudly when she saw that it was sent recently.

Dearest Yennefer,

I write you worried over the rumors that came to me that you were involved with a particularly chaotic incident with a Djinn. I trust that you are not reckless to that point and you know better than getting involved with these creatures, as they are extremely dangerous. Of course, I was able to convince the Chapter of the lack of necessity to investigate further this occurrence.

Additionally, I have the information that you are returning to Vengerberg. I would like to remind you of your obligations with the Chapter, that I trust you have not forgotten.

With many regards,

Tissaia

Yennefer exhaled deeply and cursed, while playing with the shiny obsidian star that hanged on the soft velvet ribbon around her neck. She felt both angry and relieved. She had feared the retaliation of the Chapter of the Sorcerers, as they condemned any action that somehow contributed on fouling the reputation of sorcerers. Surely destroying a small village would have not seen with good eyes. She was thankful that her former mentor had intervened, however she did not like to be observed so closely.

Talking with Triss would lighten her mood, she concluded. Carefully she organized the prisms and murmured the spell to activate the megascope.

"Triss, are you there?"

"Yenna!'

"You look stunning! I see that the fashion in Vizima is always two steps ahead from the rest of the world," she laughed genuinely happy to see her friend.

"And you look different Yenna," Triss observed turning her head slightly to the right, "like there is a different glow on you. The kind of glow one only achieves after a couple of nights with the right kind of lover. Who is he?"

"Knowing too much is going to be the ruin of us sorceress," Yennefer chuckled "especially because there is nothing that escapes from our confreres' gossip net."

"Well, it is part of our job to know everything," Triss shrugged displaying her beautiful smile.

"That is true, but I do not understand how my personal life has anything to do with our jobs."

"You know as well as I do that some sorceress have a soft spot for scandals."

"Like Sabrina," the two sorceresses said in unison and laughed.

"So, what is that viper saying about me?"

"A crazy story that you enchanted a witcher, made him capture a djinn for you and used its power to destroy the small village where you were imprisoned, but things went terribly wrong and the djinn ran away."

"Nonsense," Yennefer laughed, "I'd never waste the power of a djinn in something like that."

"So, is it not true? That is why the Chapter did not take any measure?"

"It did not take any action because of Tissaia," Yennefer confessed, "I did find a Djinn and it was indeed thanks to a witcher, but I did not enchanted him. He, on his own will, came to me to ask me to help his friend who was hurt by the genie."

"Djinns are so rare! Just imagine what you can do with one of them."

"Oh I had plans for it," the raven haired sorceress said coldly leaning into her desk looking at the magical image of Triss adjust her shiny auburn hair. "However, the situation was complicated… the djinn was bound to the witcher, as he still had a last wish. I did not know that, he only told me when it was too late and everything was out of control."

"The Djinn was growing angry and dangerous," continued Yennefer, "and the fool witcher would not leave me alone to try to capture it, I was so close… but for some reason he decided that I needed to be saved and that he was going to do it. The djinn was destroying everything it could reach and was almost getting loose from my magical trap when the witcher asked his last wish."

"What did he wish?" asked Triss excited as a little girl hearing a bedtime story.

"He wished his destiny and mine to be entwined forever."

"So the djinn would not harm you, very clever."

"Or not so," said Yennefer bitterly. "I think he does not completely understands what he did."

Triss bitted her lip silently so Yennefer continued. "He bounded his life to mine, he linked my fate to his. Triss, I can barely recognize myself under this spell," confessed her to her friend after hesitate for a moment."I feel so strongly attracted to him, like I never felt for anyone before. I need to break this enchantment, I feel so overpowered."

"And what about him? Witchers have a strong immunity to magic."

"In Rinde I saw how fast my spell wore out of him. However I know that after all this time, he is still as drawn to me as I'm to him," whispered Yennefer feeling her heart ache. "The mutation process witchers pass through to become what they are extracts their capacity of feeling anything at all, that's how supposed to be. I have to set him free from this spell. I owe him that."

Yennefer saw the magical image of her friend frowning her beautiful face in worry, and she continued, playing nervously with her obsidian star. "I cannot allow myself to be fooled by this illusion."

The conversation with Triss helped Yennefer to organize her thoughts but it did not make her feel any better. Bothered, she went upstairs to look for Geralt. She found him in the library, absorbed on a heavy book.

"Of Sweat and Blood," Yennefer read on the cover of the book, "interesting choice."

"One never knows too much about plague maidens."

"Are you already fed up from being away of monster hunting?" Yennefer sat next to him.

"Not much."

"Too bad, I am already bored with my sorceress' obligations."

"Are you in the mood for hunting djinns again then?" the witcher teased her.

"That sounds like a lovely idea, we had so much fun the first time," she laughed sincerely "I wonder what kind of stories people are telling about the destruction of Rinde."

"I'm sure the real story is nothing compared with the tales people are telling. Dandelion's version of it should be particularly exaggerated."

"You, my dear Witcher choose the most curious companions," Yennefer giggled standing up, feeling in a better mood already. "I'll not interrupt your reading any longer"

"I do not mind the interruptions," he said pulling her by the waist to his lap. She kissed his lips softly running her fingers through his hair.

He is too distracting, she thought. I have to focus, I cannot allow myself to be under this spell. She parted her lips from his and leaned backwards looking into his catlike eyes.

Why?

He touched her cheek softly and she instinctively leaned her head into his hand.

Why? Because my destiny is only mine, my deepest wish is only mine to fulfill and that is too damn sad, she thought kissing his hand gently. I cannot bring him into this.

"Are you hungry? I'll ask Gretta to make her famous lamb chops dinner" She said breaking their long silence, getting up. "I'm sure you will like it."

He nodded smiling at her. She could not resist to his handsome smile so she grinned back and went downstairs. She did not find Gretta in the kitchen so she leaned against the cold stonewall.

She knew where to start looking for answers, she just needed to gather the courage proceed.