While we recovered, Maren came up to me and tapped my shoulder. "Good to have you back again, Puker."

"You better be careful going around calling people names, Adviser Maren." I teased. "People might think you're looking for a fight."

"And you better not call a threat unless you're planning to follow through with it." She said with a glint in her eyes. "Especially to someone who has just been itching for a good bow fight."

"Excuse me?" An affronted Janco sputtered as he half staggered towards us. "But what do you call everything that we've been doing this entire week?!"

"Flag waving." She said flatly. "Which you're not very good at either."

"He graduated to flag waving?" I voiced my surprise. "From…?"

Maren laughed uproariously.

"Alright, come on." He protested. "Two against one is hardly fair." His outburst prompted a pain spasm and he doubled over, slowly sinking to his knees.

I touched his shoulder and focused. My ribs broke and bruises grew around my body as I immediately healed them.

"Since when have you been known to play fair, Janco?" I questioned when the pain subsided.

Janco blinked. He shook his head. "Your powers! They're back!"

"Some of it."

"It's a start." He smiled. "Come on, we've gotta help Ari."

"Where's Valek?" Maren asked as I helped him up.

I gestured to the distance where he and Nate stood. "Talking."

"Meet us after you take care of Ari. Take Janco with you in case that magician decides to turn up again." She directed. "I'm going to head on over in case those assassins decide to do anything funny." I watched briefly as she turned and jogged over.

"Hmm." Janco raised an eyebrow as we walked in the opposite direction. "Who knew? Everyone always imagined him a loner until you came around after all."

"You imagined him a loner." I corrected. "I always thought he had to have been around a few times at one point. People usually do eventually."

"Oh I'm sure he was still keeping busy." Janco laughed. "But he doesn't waste time is what I meant."

I crossed my arms and stayed quiet.

He watched me and continued, "Valek doesn't fall in love, Yelena…at least not with just anyone. No one's ever caught his attention the way you do. You're special and the genuine article."

So was Nate at one point.

But we won't be that way, I tried to tell myself. Not for us because we're different somehow. But it did little to quell the dread in my heart.

Ari's pale blue eyes opened and focused after I had healed him. Blood soaked my clothes and exhaustion suffocated me like a heavy blanket.

"Yelena…"

"Later." Janco said rapidly as he pulled him to his feet. "We need to meet up with Valek and Maren who are alone right now with a bunch of homicidal knife happy criminals."

The sun indicated midmorning when we caught up with them again.

"…You are to never return to Ixia under pain of death." Valek said to his four former colleagues.

"Don't need to." Mar shrugged. "We were fixing to retire anyways."

"On the blood of innocent women." Maren snarled.

Mar narrowed his eyes. "So I just decided to clear my list for good. Don't make me make a new one with you at the very top."

Valek placed a hand on her shoulder before Maren could start. "That's enough." He turned to the four of them. "This is your compensation for your assistance when you could have ran. I suggest you take advantage of my generosity."

Astrid opened her mouth but Nate cut in, "We will. You will never see or hear from us again."

Their eyes met. His three companions glanced once before shuffling away. We stepped aside as well. I turned my head but watched and listened to every move all the same.

Nate held a hand out. "I suppose this is goodbye, again."

"For the last time." Valek corrected. But he took his hand and shook it.

I glanced away and stuffed my hands in the pockets of my cloak to hide how tense they were.

"Thank you for doing this in person this time." Nate didn't let go yet.

I heard the amusement in his voice. "I am curious though. What would you have said had I asked you to come with me?"

"Yes in a heartbeat." He didn't hesitate.

My friends watched me anxiously. I gave them what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Interesting. You would have done so even when you so disapproved of what I was about to do?" Valek asked.

"Of course. That way, it would have taken me far less time to realize we weren't good for each other." A pause. "The heartbreak would have hurt a hell of a lot less."

Another stretch of silence. "Live a long life, Nate. And do it with someone who is good for you."

"You too, Valek." He saluted him. "Whoever she…or he turns out to be."

"I will. I've already found her."

"Things can always change. You. Me. Our minds. Our hearts. The stakes."

"Not about this."

"Especially about this," Nate corrected. "The ends don't always justify the means. So try to remember that this time around."

Footsteps receded until they were gone.

Our friends threw their heads when Valek approached. Janco started whistling and Ari punched him.

Really? He mouthed.

What? He mouthed back.

Valek paid no attention to them as he turned to me.

"Not now." I said before he could speak. "We've all been up all night." I couldn't stifle a yawn.

I wandered away from him, my mind only on soft pillows and covers. Maybe it'll all make sense again after sleep.

"What's our next move?" Valek asked in his office several hours later.

The setting sun cast a red hue across the papers on his desk. We had all slept the morning and most of the afternoon away.

"We take down Jairus." I said simply.

Everyone turned to look at me.

I met their gazes and stood. "This has gone on long enough. The fact that he escaped means he's more than capable of hurting someone else in no time."

"The fact that he escaped also means we barely managed to survive." Maren reminded me. "And given what he can do with his powers, this is probably not the best time to go running back in for another beating."

"Which is why that was never my intention." I smirked.

Valek's eyes glinted as he watched me. "What are you planning then, love?"

"The best plan we've had from the very start." I said simply. "We get the Soulfinder to take him down."

"Your powers." Ari concluded.

"And those souls in MD-1…it's perfect." Janco added. "They're physically close and it's how you found your calling in the first place."

I nodded. "Not to mention someone has to accompany the General back to his manor."

"Then it's settled." Valek declared. "We'll follow the General's retinue back to MD-1 at the end of this week. In the meantime, the three of you will stay and keep an eye on things while continuing to watch for any suspicious transfers across districts. Yelena and I should be back in a fortnight."

"Yes, sir!" They said in unison.

Right. They were his brothers, after all. There was no excuse I could possibly spin to go without him.

The irritation must have shown on my face by the odd look Valek was giving me.

Maren cleared her throat and declared, "Right. There are several files I found that I believe Janco and Ari need to look at."

"We'll get right on it." Janco said with too much enthusiasm.

"Sooner the better." Ari agreed and made to leave.

"And I need to-"

"Speak with me about matters pertaining to the souls you'll be assisting a week from now." Valek finished in a voice that broached no argument.

I sat back down in the chair.

"And we'll go look at those papers." Maren hustled the boys out of the room and shut the door behind her.

"Yelena…" Valek started.

"It's nothing."

He threw his hands up. "Why do people always think they can get away with saying that to their heartmates?"

I shrugged. "It's always worth a try."

Valek couldn't help but grin. "I always did think I had to have gone half mad to fall in love with someone like you."

"Because I poisoned you? I wonder what you'd do if you ever found an antidote."

His smile faded. "Is this about something Nate said? In that conversation you clearly weren't eavesdropping on?"

"Part of it."

"He was someone from my past – a very distant past. But that's all it is."

"It's not that." I hesitated, finding my words. "It's that he reminded me of how much the future terrifies me."

He released a sigh half of relief and half of residual strain. "Surely you realize you're incredibly brave for admitting that, love."

I smiled wryly. "He was right though. Our feelings can change."

"And we can't promise otherwise."

"No."

"…So we'll promise to be good to each other."

I glanced at him.

"We'll make it a priority to remember to be kind and patient, especially when the other person is deliberately being a pain the ass bringing exes into the picture."

"Aren't you glad I have no one like that to bring to the party?" I teased.

"Profoundly grateful."

"But I do think…" I reached across the table and took his hand. "…that if you could see me this way for so long and still want to be with me…we've a pretty good shot."

He smirked. "See how sitting down and having an actual conversation makes everything better? As opposed to running away to let things fester?"

I tried to snatch my hands away but he locked them in his grip. "But running away does mean not having to see how irritating you can be!"

"On the contrary I find that important as well." Valek purposely propped his voice up to that of a lofty philosopher. "Increased experience and insight with your lover's capacity to annoy easily translates into greater resilience for that very shortcoming. In other words…now you know how I feel whenever you decide to jump headfirst into something without thinking it through."

"It's called flexibility – a very important talent when dealing with someone difficult and terrible at compromising."

His dancing eyes remained fixed on me as he kissed my hands. "Then in that case my talent to annoy is called dedication."

I raised an eyebrow, challenging him.

"Because I refuse to let go." He squeezed my hands for emphasis. "And it's important when dealing with someone who has a habit of pulling away too soon for too long."

"I do not!"

"Odd. Because I assumed that keeping material information away from me, insisting on doing everything on your own, and what you're trying to do now…" He tugged at my hands as I tried unsuccessfully to pull away again. "…all constitute as pulling away!"

"Well you can still be overbearing and unnecessarily overprotective." But I grinned nonetheless.

"And I find myself in constant awe at your ability to act in crises with such precise grace. And, of course, your capacity to mediate conflict. At 'overprotective' I assumed it was time to move past the petty insults for the meaningful compliments – an area where I easily outdo you, love."

"Hardly." I yanked my hands away with a firm tug. His eyes followed as I crept behind his chair and rested them on his shoulders, kneading into the tight muscles. "What would you do…if I told you that your dedication saved me not only because it kept me going, but that it constantly reminded me of what magic I forgot I still had in me?"

He clutched my wrists, stopping me. I smiled softly as he stood and faced me.

"My favorite thing about you," I slipped my hands into his, "is how powerful you can make me feel even at my absolute lowest."

"You win." But there was a mischievous glint in Valek's eyes. "Shall we continue this…competition…in the bedroom?"

"You have more compliments you want to try?"

"Of course. If I recall correctly from several nights ago, being a 'flatterer' works extremely well when it comes to making you…" he whispered the rest in my ear and brushed his lips against my jaw.

I couldn't suppress a shiver and a slight gasp.

"…You win."

I immediately regretted being in MD-1 in the middle of the thawing season. And I thought the snow was bad during the cooling season…

Being the perfect gentleman, Valek had given me his cloak to add to the pile of cloth swaddled about my shivering body. Although I had a hard time believing it was much of a sacrifice as he didn't even have the decency to shiver the slightest bit.

I glowered in pure envy at the fact that he only had to wear a single nightshirt and pants to bed.

"It's made my blood thicker, I suppose." Valek mused as he drew me closer. "Back when it somehow wasn't the ruler's job to ensure that his people didn't die from hypothermia…you'd have to adapt."

I was pressed completely against him, needing every bit of warmth that could possibly be left in this freezing hell.

Valek chuckled at the physical intimacy and gazed pointedly down at me. "Although I think I've found our next vacation spot. And you did say that I could pick the next one, love."

"No. Way." I growled. "I…will…kill…you…" My words came out between sudden, deep shivers.

Pulling the covers more closely around us, he tightened his arms around me and remained cheerful, unperturbed by my sudden homicidal tendency. "I wouldn't recommend it. A corpse isn't too warm in bed."

Despite my irritation, I grinned. "And I wouldn't recommend your idea of a vacation."

One eyebrow raised in challenge. "No?"

"It wouldn't be too much fun if you can't take my clothes off."

Valek laughed and dipped his hand into my hair before pulling me in for a dizzying kiss. "Would I really need to?"

My mood improved as my body gradually warmed. Nothing could drag me from this bed with the exception of a "warmer" season. I wondered vaguely if this was the reason why Valek was always so conscientious about keeping me warm – turning down the covers, packing extra blankets for our "missions," and holding me so tightly in spite of how suffocating the heat must be for him (not to mention the annoying numbing of the arms).

But I could feel the tension in Valek. Shifting so that I could see his face, I asked quietly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He was silent for a moment. Then with a sigh, he replied, "This is an interesting reconciliation we were talking about, love."

"And?"

"I'm not doing it."

"It seems like you put a lot of thought into this."

"I did." The corner of his mouth turned down with the old sorrow. "It's time to let go and to move on."

"You can always change your mind until the end."

"Thank you." I felt him tuck my head underneath his chin and his breathing slow with sleep.

But the nauseous unrest and overwhelming anxiety pulled at me again in ways I had no words for. I still wanted to disappear. Guilt predictably followed for wanting to think this way.

Casual reminder that handshakes are very serious in Ixia and communicate the greatest of regards. And as always, please review! Next chapter will be more action filled I promise!

Reader: Thank you as always for your review! :) It means so much to see you stick with this story for so long. I promise the next chapter will be far better!

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