A/N: There is some M content at the beginning of this chapter.

Akkarin woke first the following morning despite the lack of sleep he had been receiving the previous few days. He watched Sonea for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of her warm breath on his chest and her hands tucked against his abdomen. He eventually felt her start to stir, stilling when she realized where she was. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up at him, a slight trepidation in her gaze. He gave her a half-smile, leaning over to press a long, lingering kiss to her lips as if it was the most natural thing in the world to wake up with her in his arms. He did not want her to have any doubts about their relationship. Though he may not have been able to give her much, he could at least give her that.

Takan had already prepared breakfast by the time they dressed and joined him in the main room of the safehouse. He gave Akkarin a long, knowing look and a small smile as they emerged from the bedroom together, but he said nothing. After eating, they followed Cery to the meeting with the other Thieves before the seemingly endless process of taking magic from the Slumdwellers the Thieves had gathered. By the end of the day, Akkarin was tired, but he was reluctant to banish his tiredness with magic, knowing he might need every bit of magic he could get in the coming days. Casting his senses inward, he checked his reserves, finding that he had more power than he had ever had, even after draining all of Dakova's slaves. However, he was also facing a far stronger enemy than he had ever faced.

Akkarin was not surprised when Sonea announced she could not sleep that night. In addition to the anticipation of the battle the following day, the extra magic humming through his body was affecting even his senses, and he had far more experience holding extra power than she did. He was sure she was struggling to ignore the intoxicating effect of the power. From her expression, he could tell she had been studying him carefully, and he could not help but feel a thrill of excitement at that thought. He took the opportunity to look at her as well, enjoying the way the dim light cast some of her features into shadow, accenting the others in an alluring way. Then, he kissed her.

Akkarin had not gone to bed with her that night intending to make love with her though he had known from the beginning that it was a possibility—and one he was certainly not averse to pursuing. However, he also knew everything was still quite new to her, and he did not want to push her too quickly. Even sharing the bed was its own form of intimacy—he could sense when she awoke that morning that she was a bit shy about it though fortunately, she did not seem overly fearful. When she responded to his kiss, however, he realized immediately that the possibility had suddenly become a certainty. There was no hesitation in her actions as she pressed her body against his, already slipping her hands under the waistband of the trousers he wore to bed. Without breaking from their kiss, he hauled her on top of him, his own hands cupping her butt to pull her lower body against his own. They continued to kiss fiercely for a few minutes, letting their lower halves grind against one another before Akkarin rolled them both over, hovering over her as he gentled his touches. With careful deliberation, he peeled the remaining layers of clothing from her body and then began to explore her skin with his lips and tongue. When he reached her inner thighs, he nipped at the skin there and then soothed it with gentle kisses before glancing up at Sonea. She had her eyes closed and her head tossed back on the pillow, obviously enjoying herself. With a small smile, he kissed her one more time on the thigh before parting her legs slightly wider and bringing his lips to her center.

He heard her gasp and felt her shift beneath him, but he kept her pinned to the bed with his hands as he continued to kiss and lick her nub, enjoying the sounds of her pleasure. One of her hands reached out, her fingers sliding into his hair, and he took the hint and increased the pressure of his lips. When he felt her growing close to the edge, he pulled away, kissing his way quickly up her body as he pushed off his pants and smallclothes. He pressed a long, sensuous kiss to her lips when he reached them, lining himself up with her entrance and sliding smoothly inside her. She was more than ready for him given his previous actions, and he pushed her legs up to her chest so he could press himself deeper inside her. "Look at me," he whispered as he pulled his lips from hers. Her eyes snapped open, focusing immediately on his, and he let down the barriers around his thoughts. Immediately, she gave a cry of pleasure, and he knew she was feeling his desire as her own. With a final thrust, he pushed her over the edge, following her a moment later. Her desire washed over him, mingling with his until he could not distinguish between them, but it did not matter in the end.

At long last, the pulsing waves finally ebbed, and he lay on his back, pulling her close as he relished the feel of flesh against flesh. For a few minutes, they lay in silence, basking in the afterglow. When Akkarin turned to face her, he noted Sonea watching him with an almost shy expression on her face, and he could not stop himself from leaning forward and pressing his lips firmly to hers. She responded immediately, and they lost themselves in the kiss for quite some time. Eventually, Akkarin pulled away, using one hand to brush an errant strand of hair from her forehead. His mouth opened, the three words he had never before voiced to anyone on the tip of his tongue, but something held him back. It was not the time to tell her anyway, he reasoned. They had only just acknowledged that they felt something for each other, and their lives since then had been anything but peaceful. But he would need to tell her soon, before he might never have a chance again.

"Something wrong?" she questioned, her brow furrowing.

He gave her a soft smile. "Nothing at all," he told her and kissed her again. It did not take long for their passion to reignite, and their bodies soon joined once more, both relishing what they knew—but would not admit—might be their last time together.

The next morning, dressed in the ordinary clothes Cery had given them, Sonea and Akkarin made their way through the tunnels into one of the watch points the Thieves had prepared. Though the Guild did manage to defeat one Ichani, Akkarin could tell it cost most of their magic, and guilt clenched his gut as he thought about the destruction being wrought on the city he had sworn to protect and the lives lost. However, he forced himself to push aside the guilt, knowing that he could not let it consume him if he wanted to actually protect the city.

As he and Sonea began to plan their actions, he felt intense pain suddenly suffuse his body. He focused his will on the blood gem connections he maintained, realizing immediately that the pain came from Lorlen. Quickly, he gave Sonea instructions before making his way back to where he had last sensed his friend. He could tell from the blood gem that Lorlen was still alive though likely not for long, and he pushed himself harder, unwilling to consider what would happen if he did not make it in time.

He found the pile of rubble covering his friend and began shifting it to reveal Lorlen's broken body. "You came back," Lorlen remarked as he saw his old friend. Though his voice was weak, Akkarin was happy to hear no surprise. It seemed that despite everything that had happened between them, deep down, Lorlen knew where Akkarin's true loyalties lay.

"Yes, I came back," Akkarin confirmed, stepping closer so that he could begin to Heal his friend.

"No. Don't come any closer," his friend insisted.

"You're dying, Lorlen." But of course, Lorlen knew that. He had been a Healer; he knew far more about the human body that Akkarin did. And he had made his decision, a decision Akkarin knew he would refuse to change with a stubbornness that often matched Akkarin's own. Knowing that he could not change Lorlen's mind no matter how desperately he wished to do so, Akkarin stilled his steps. He let Lorlen ask the questions burning in his mind about why he had not answered, and he both felt and saw Lorlen's acceptance of his answer. He felt a part of the friendship he had thought lost for good restored, but it was little consolation for the knowledge that his friend was dying.

Lorlen's focus shifted suddenly, and he remarked, "Tell me. . . tell me about Sonea."

Akkarin paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. What could he say about the wonderful woman who had somehow found him despite the dismal circumstances, the only woman who had ever known him for exactly who he was and yet somehow accepted him nevertheless? "She is alive," he said though he knew that was not all Lorlen wanted to hear. "She is. . ." He trailed off, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. But Lorlen understood. Akkarin imagined he had felt some of what occurred through the blood gem—Akkarin knew that there had been moments with Sonea where he had not been able to fully control his feelings, and he was sure many of them had leaked through the connection. Takan certainly had known about their change in relationship, and he imagined Lorlen had guessed it as well.

"Good," Lorlen said, his voice fading. Akkarin did step forward then, knowing it was too late to save his friend but wanting a bit more time to talk with him. He placed his hands on Lorlen, opening up their mental communication. While they were touching, Akkarin could maintain the connection, letting Lorlen use the tiny bit of strength he had left for forming his thoughts.

I am sorry it had to be this way, old friend. I never wanted-

I know. And I forgive you.

That's more than I deserve.

I am not completely blameless in this, Akkarin. I should have trusted you enough to listen to you instead of condemning you immediately. We both made mistakes. I hope you forgive me as well.

There is nothing to forgive.

Promise me one thing, Akkarin. Promise me you won't sacrifice yourself because of some misplaced feeling of guilt or responsibility. Akkarin could not respond for a moment, surprised by his friend's insight. He felt the equivalent of a mental chuckle from Lorlen. I know you, Akkarin. I know what your plan is, that you are not planning to make it out of this alive. But you have more than yourself to think of now. How do you think Sonea will feel if you sacrifice yourself? You love her, don't you?

Akkarin paused for a moment, for he had not even told Sonea herself of his feelings, but Lorlen deserved the truth. Yes.

Good. I thought so. Hold onto that, Akkarin. And once this is over, follow it where it leads. Life is about more than the Guild. It took a building falling on me for me to realize that; don't let the same happen to you.

Lorlen, I-

Promise me, Akkarin. Even Lorlen's mental voice was fading now, and Akkarin could sense his spirit preparing to leave his body. Promise me that when you have the choice, and you will, you will choose to live.

I promise. Akkarin felt a brief moment of satisfaction before Lorlen's presence faded entirely. He pulled the ring off, swallowing back his tears as he stood. After quickly instructing the other three men present to leave the city and not mention his presence to anyone, he turned and strode from the area. Only once he was sure that no one could see did he allow the tears to fall.