Although she had made up her mind, she still procrastinated, hoping by some miracle some other option would show itself. In the end, she could only put it off for so long. With a bracing breath, she walked up to the door of his workshop and announced her arrival. The door slid open with a faint hiss.
Loud banging rang out inside the workshop, and the smell of heated metal hung in the air. Other than that, his laboratory was the neatest she had ever seen. The shelves were stacked with books, vials, jars, gems, and other ingredients, all organized and cross-referenced by their respective purposes, not an item out of place. And not a useless item in sight, either.
His practicality was once something that she found attractive, at least until she realised she was just another item on the shelf for him. She grimaced at the unpleasant memory and walked into the next room, following the loud sound and potent smells.
The sorcerer was magically wielding an immense hammer, slamming it down over a plate of metal that spanned the whole workbench. Sparks flew after every hit, and the plate progressively took shape.
"Didn't know you took up smithing," she said between two slams of the hammer.
"It's nothing new. I've been proficient at it for a few decades, just haven't used it as often for a while."
"Nothing interesting to craft?"
"Precisely," he answered. "But I've finally acquired the blueprint for this golem and I simply must add it to my collection."
She huffed. "Acquired as in stolen?"
He threw her a glance and laughed. "Still salty about that?" She didn't answer, so he continued. "I didn't need to steal anything. I rarely do, in fact."
"Then I presume I should be honoured I was one of those rare times."
"If that makes you feel better, sure." The hammer stilled its movement, and with one simple gesture, the plate floated from the table. Tezzi put on a pair of work goggles and inspected it up close, then hummed and finally turned to face her.
"To what do I owe the visit?" he asked, removing the goggles.
"You offered to help me get the information I need from the Spire if I helped you with an experiment. I came to ask what exactly that would entail."
A grin blossomed and spread, forming faint crows-feet at the corner of his dark eyes. "I'm glad you reconsidered my offer. I take it you didn't find the mage trials to your liking?"
"You could say that. But don't get ahead of yourself. I haven't agreed to anything yet. Not before I know what I'm getting myself into."
"Of course, of course," he said with what most would call a charming smile, but she knew better. "My latest experiment happens to need the aid of someone gifted with your particular skill set." He paused, took a book off a shelf, and beckoned her over.
He flipped the book open to a detailed drawing of a chimaera, but it wasn't any kind she had seen before. It depicted a six-legged creature with the face of an owl, the mane of a lion, sharp horns that jutted out right above its round eyes and the tail of a fox. His index smoothed over the text above it. "This is a Zavern, a powerful summon no one has managed in a couple of millennia."
"And you aim to be the one to succeed?"
"Exactly. It took great pains to even learn about it, not to mention sorting through all the contradictory information, but I finally deciphered the instructions for the spell."
"So, what's my part in this?"
"This particular summon requires a sacrifice to recognize someone as its master."
"Please tell me I'm not supposed to play the part of the sacrifice," she said with a grimace.
Tezzi laughed whole-heartedly. "No, not at all. But I expect you to help me get the proper sacrifice and this one will take nothing less than a titan's soul." Her eyes widened as he continued to speak. "We'll need to defeat a titan and trap its soul so I can bind it to a proper gem that the Zavern would accept as tribute."
"That's the most…" She struggled to rephrase "insane" into a more digestible form. "… ambitious thing I've heard."
He smiled crookedly. "All things worth having require a struggle. It's what makes them special."
She bit the inside of her lip while she went over the possibilities in her head. "Titans are troublesome. You'll need more than just my help. Ten or maybe twenty people would be needed and, even if we take it down, I'm not even sure I could trap its soul safely. If I err even a bit and any part of its magic is let loose before you bind it, it'll just use my body to wreak havoc."
"I've seen you tether thirty people at once. I'm certain you have the space to house him, at least temporarily."
"It's not the space I'm worried about. It's the fight it'll put up. Like trying to trap a wildcat in a cloth sack, might hold for a while, but eventually it'll rip through." She looked at him pointedly. "I'm looking to get into the Spire, not trying to get myself killed or possessed."
"Then, to use your rough analogy, perhaps we need a cage instead of a cloth sack. If you let me study you for a while, test a few things…"
"No! Absolutely not! Find someone else to study!"
He stiffened at her rebuttal, and his eyes narrowed. "The others who possess this ability don't use it as you do. At all." Although his words were nothing special, something in his tone gave her pause. There was some hidden meaning behind them that she couldn't grasp, but when he spoke again, there was no trace of it remaining. "I don't see any other way, unless you know of a means to reliably suppress all magic in a person."
She tapped her index over her lips as she thought of an item laying across her desk. "Actually… I think I have just the thing for it."
For a second he looked surprised, but he schooled his features quick enough and nodded. "So, we have a deal?" he asked, his lips curling into a smile.
"Yes, but first I have to make sure the person I'm doing this for is still alive to benefit."
The portal opened back into the stone tower near Novigrad, and she stepped out into the cramped confines of the chilly space. It took her a moment to realize that something was wrong. The anchor she had left on the stone ledge lay broken on the floor and outside was mid-day, not late afternoon as it should have been.
She climbed down the succession of ladders until she reached the small courtyard to find that her horse was gone. It was lucky that at least she had the foresight to keep her valuables, including the city pass on her person. She cursed, but without wasting any more time, she took to the road, heading for the city.
The first villager she met on the way, she stopped to ask the date. Just judging by the weather, she guessed she hadn't overshot her arrival by long. It turned out she was off by five days. Not long, but enough that she had left Von Gratz with no supplies for his patients. She cursed again and stomped as she trekked back. Not only had someone robbed her, and stolen Cookie, they had inadvertently messed with the length of time she was away.
After a quick stop at the herbalist shop where the owner told her some unsavory sorts were asking about her, she headed straight for Vilmerius Hospital. The doctor wasn't there, but she already knew the nurses, so they let her into the supply room where she improved the potions and, to compensate for her delay, she stayed until evening to help out, judging that a few more hours meant nothing when she had already been gone for days. There would likely be no one to miss her, anyway.
It was close to suppertime when she called it a day and just as she was throwing her cloak over her shoulders, the doctor showed up, covered in muck and smelling like the sewers.
"Ah, you've returned," he greeted her. "I take it your friend found you."
"My friend?"
"Yes, the witcher, Geralt. He came by yesterday asking about you."
"He's in Novigrad?" she asked with wide eyes.
"Yes, and I expect he's at the Chameleon."
She muttered a quick thank you and rushed out the door with an unsuppressed grin. Finally, he had returned, she thought and hurried her steps.
She was making her way back towards the Chameleon, walking down streets and alleys she already knew well, when she discovered she wasn't alone. Three unsavoury looking men were trailing her, taking each turn she took. She cursed softly. She needed to get rid of them without getting into trouble for using magic openly. Her best bet was to lead them down a path the guards regularly patrolled.
At the next fork in the road, she took a left instead of a right, then another right at the next turn. It led her to an inner courtyard where there was a spot the guards preferred. To her disappointment, the soldiers had chosen exactly this time to make themselves scarce and the footsteps behind her were now running instead of walking.
She broke into a sprint, but so did the men, and they were much faster than her. They'd outrun her before she could get to the safety of the main road. As she shook a hand reaching for her shoulder, two other goons blocked her path, sealing her inside the small courtyard. She skidded to a stop and backed up against a wall, panting.
"Damn," she cursed under her breath and eyed each of them in turn. If they got any closer, she'd have no choice but to use magic to defend herself.
She planted her feet on the ground and raised her arms, prepared to draw the energy needed for a stun spell, but instead of attacking her, the two big goons hurled themselves at the men who had followed her. Swords flashed under the torchlight and blood spurted, painting the walls and stone road dark red. Screams turned into the gurgled sounds of impending death, and then only the two goons stood in the courtyard.
Her hands lowered to her sides as she relaxed when the two wiped their blades and sheathed them. But instead of leaving, the men still barred the path, looking unsure at her, then at each other.
"What now, Heinz?" one asked the other, eyeing her subtlety.
"The boss won't like this."
"You think he should know?"
"Like hell he should, but you know he will. Better get in front of this."
The other scratched his bald head and stared her down.
"You have my gratitude," she said and attempted to scoot past them. A large hand landed on her shoulder, firm enough to keep her in place.
"You'd better come with us. The boss will want to see you now."
She mulled over her options. She could still stun them and make her escape, but the men had helped her and they had been hired by someone to follow her. Whoever put them up to this would just send someone else, and maybe it wouldn't end with a friendly conversation. The better option was to see who was interested in her, and for what reason. She nodded and walked across the yard, bracketed by them.
They led her down streets and alleys to a large building on the northern side of the city. Beautiful potted plants livened up the dark interior of the large panelled entrance hall. The humid air smelled of fragrant oils and perfumes.
She walked down the corridor past perforated panels and glimpsed into the adjacent room. Nude men and women bathed in mosaicked pools filled with steaming water. She was at the bathhouse. Phillipa's former place of imprisonment and Dijkstra's domain, a man she had heard contradictory things about.
The carved wood door opened, and she was let into a cosy study where a corpulent man with a shaved head poured over a pile of documents. He looked up from his work to the men and cursed, his top lip curling up unpleasantly.
"What are you two idiots doing here? I said to follow her, not bring her back! Is that too complicated for your pea brains to understand?"
"Sorry, boss. We understood, but..."
"But what? She walked here, and you followed?"
"Not exactly. Bedlam's men were on her trail. We stepped in... She saw..."
"Couldn't rightly follow her after that..." the second man pitched in.
"It didn't cross your mind to, I don't know… Maybe offer to escort her home for her safety?"
The men looked at each other dumbfounded; it was clear that such a thought had never occurred to them.
Dijkstra sighed and dismissed them with a wave. "You two numbskulls can wait outside. Use the time to reflect on your stupidity."
The pair of men turned shamefaced, leaving her alone with Redania's former spymaster. Dijkstra gestured toward a chair in front of his desk.
"I suppose it was time we were properly acquainted, my lady. My name is Sigi Reuven. Please take a seat."
She did as he asked and nestled herself in a padded chair.
"Since you've had me followed, I assume you already know my name. Did Philippa put you up to it?"
He chuckled. "Dear Phil had nothing to do with it. Not at first, at least." He picked up the documents from his desk and stowed them away in a drawer. "I always have my eye out on the Chameleon, and when I heard the witcher resurfaced, accompanied by a woman who was neither Yennefer of Vengerberg, nor Triss Merigold, naturally I was intrigued. Not enough to take any more of an interest, but then news reached me of Calonetta's miraculous return to health, followed by a string of equally surprising recoveries in the care of Von Gratz. You can imagine that it piqued my interest when I learned that the same woman staying at the Chameleon was frequenting the hospital. It would take an idiot to not put two and two together. Philippa just offered the missing pieces. And what kind of spymaster would I be if I didn't inquire into the interests and whereabouts of the newest member of the Lodge of Sorceresses?"
"There's no point in denying that I had a hand in those recoveries. I like to help people, even if it seems to be a crime punishable by death in this kingdom. As for that whole member of the Lodge hogwash, it's all bull. Not a word of it is true."
The spy's beady eyes narrowed. "Is it now?" He hummed, tapping the desk with his index.
"I'm a healer, but that's it. As I've told Philippa, I have no interest in politics."
"It may be as you say, but that's not the whole story. My men haven't followed you only to the hospital. You've been taking trips outside the city every other day and let's just say that what they uncovered left them confounded."
She raised a curious eyebrow. Were his men the reason her anchor failed the last time she travelled, tossing her five days over her planned arrival?
"Why are my comings and goings so important to you?"
"I need to know where your interests lie. You say you're not a member of the Lodge, but for all I know, you could be a spy, travelling to Nilfgaard, Kovir or even Zerrikania. It wouldn't do to have someone with unknown plans meddling in our affairs."
"Since your men saved my ass tonight, I'll tell you something that is liable to get me killed if brought up to the wrong people." She leaned forward. "My trips were for magic research purposes. Nothing to do with any kingdom at all." She smiled and laid back in the chair. "Told you, I don't care for politics either way, and Phillipa knows it. That should make you wonder why she had you follow me. From what I've been told of your history, it wouldn't be the first time she's played you like a fiddle."
He hummed. For all his brutish appearance, the man's eyes sparkled with intelligence.
"No one should trust my dear Phil farther than they could throw her."
"So now that we both know that this has been a misunderstanding, can I go? Or was there something else you wanted to discuss?"
He hesitated, then got up with strained movements. His gait was off as he rounded the large mahogany desk. Once he was on the other side, he showed her the contraption holding his left ankle in place.
"If you're already here, perhaps you'd agree to have a look at my leg. Seeing as you're so fond of healing the injured."
She beckoned him forward and made him lean back on the desk and lift his leg for her to inspect. After removing the bracer, she lifted his pant leg and felt the bones underneath.
"A very bad break." She continued to feel the other side. "Two very bad breaks, one after the next. Very old and scarred. How did this happen?"
"Let's just say that people who stand in the path between a witcher and his ward risk getting trampled on."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Geralt did this to you?"
"Aye, he did."
"Come to the hospital tomorrow. If I heal this, there's no way you'll be awake for it."
"You're afraid I'll learn your secrets?"
"No, I fear you'll faint from the pain."
He nodded thoughtfully and called back the two goons into the room.
"You two idiots will be escorting the lady back to the Chameleon. Just in case Bedlam's men get any more ideas." He turned to her. "It's apparent that your activity has caught his eye as well. You'd best be careful."
The men took her down streets unknown to her, twisting and winding their way towards the inn, and she assumed these were all shortcuts. Finally, a few streets from the Chameleon, they turned onto the main road. She had barely taken a few steps out into the light when she glimpsed a flash of silver to the side. Before she could say anything, the men next to her reacted instinctively by drawing their weapons and shoving her behind them. Their swords clashed with the witcher's.
"Geralt! Stop!" she yelled, as the witcher slashed open one's chest and cut the other's thigh. They both fell back on the pavement, clutching at their wounds. Her scream stopped the witcher's hand and, after a moment of inner debate, he decided to spare the men's lives. He turned to her and put his sword away before covering the distance between them in a few long strides. He brushed her cheek as he gave her a once-over look with concerned eyes, searching for any injury and finding none. Finally convinced that she was hale, his eyes settled on hers.
"I thought I lost you," he said with deep sorrow. "Did they hurt you?" He shot a glare at the wounded men bleeding on the pavement behind him.
"No, they didn't. They were escorting me home, not attacking me. This is hardly fitting payment."
She gently pushed Geralt aside to check their wounds. They were deep, but nothing fatal. She glanced up and down the street. There were far too many onlookers to help the men there. "Help me carry them to the alley," she told Geralt.
They helped the men up and took them out of sight to the nearest dark street. Once she was sure no one was watching, she healed their wounds, mending the tissues and nerves underneath, and stopping the bleeding.
"I beg you, tell no one about this," she said as she worked on them. "Not unless you'd like to see me burn in Hierarch Square." They nodded, so she continued. "Now go back and tell your boss Geralt saw me home safely."
With that, she stood and bid them farewell, then turned to Geralt, who was waiting a few steps away, at the entrance to the alley, keeping an eye out for anyone who might happen upon them. She walked towards him and cupped his jaw to turn him to face her. Her thumb brushed over his busted lip as she evaluated the bruises blooming on his face and the blood crusted over his eyebrow. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand with a hum.
"Oh, Geralt, you look a mess. Where have you been?" she asked, with tears threatening to fall. "Is Ciri alright?"
"She's fine. I didn't get these until today, courtesy of Novigrad's dungeons," he answered, blinking slowly.
"Dungeons?" she asked, confused.
"Long story," he sighed and rested his hands on her shoulders with an unsure look. He leaned forward and one hand came up to cradle her neck. His touch spread through her like electricity, making her heart race. "Can I?" he asked, stopping a few inches away from her lips. She nodded and tilted her chin up, her lips already parting. He closed the distance between them and kissed her top lip before moving to her bottom lip. She had forgotten just how gentle he could be. His kiss moved like molasses, slow and sweet, delighting in her lips for a long while before coaxing them open. She pressed herself to him, overcome by the urge to feel him close. Her hands curled around his wide back, one grabbing his sword strap, the other tangling in his hair. He winced and gasped against her mouth and she pulled away, concerned.
"Sorry, I should have healed your lip first. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's not the lip. It's…" He stopped and leaned forward again, capturing her lips once more in a kiss, before pulling apart and resting his forehead against hers. His eyes were unbearably warm. "I'm sorry I left like that. I wish I could have sent word somehow, but we couldn't risk it. If the message fell in Radovid's hands…" He swallowed thickly and sighed. "Can you ever forgive me?"
The first tear fell as she smiled and nodded, her lips already trembling. She buried her face in his chest, hanging on to him for dear life. Rivers of tears coursed over her cheeks and onto the leather of his armour. He was there, finally he was there, and it wasn't a dream!
"I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry," he repeated while wrapping an arm around her and caressing her hair. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said, panic seeping into his voice even as he tried to reassure her.
She laughed against his chest and lifted her gaze to his again. "These are happy tears." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I just… missed you."
"I missed you too," he said, drawing her against his chest again, his arms wrapped around her in a fierce embrace. He held her as tight as he could without crushing her and rested his cheek against the top of her head. For a long while, they remained entangled in this way, just listening to each other's breaths and heartbeats. She was the first to break the silence.
"I need to fix your lip and your brow and whatever other injuries you're hiding. Don't think I didn't see you wince when I touched your back," she said, gazing up at him.
His mouth curled in a crooked smile. "Don't worry about that now. It's nothing that won't pass on its own. First, we should get you back. You had everyone worried sick. Yen was sure you had fled. She looked all over for you and couldn't find a trace."
She grimaced. "I didn't mean to disappear on them. Someone found my anchor and smashed it while I was away, so I didn't get back when I was supposed to. And to boot, someone stole Cookie."
"Cookie?"
"The grey mare I rode into Novigrad."
"You named a horse Cookie?"
"Yours is named Roach, so you have no right to judge."
"Fair point."
"It's really too bad, I was getting quite attached to her, but someone must have found her tethered in the courtyard at Drahim Castle. She was gone when I returned."
He huffed and shook his head. "So it was you, after all. At least I didn't break his jaw for nothing."
She raised a curious eyebrow at him. "Whose jaw?"
"One of Bedlam's men. Several of them were in prison with me. Heard them complain about getting nicked for a horse they stole off a sorceress who had a diamond-studded gold bracelet. I thought it might be you." He lifted her hand to his chest and pulled back her sleeve. "You're still wearing it."
"Of course. I never take it off."
He replied with a gentle smile, the kind that melted her in place. "Come, I'll take you back."
He curled an arm around her waist and held her against his side on the walk back.
"You never told me who those men were and why they were escorting you home," he said.
"Dijkstra sent them to make sure no one attacks me. I have no idea who this Bedlam is, but he doesn't seem too happy with me. He sent his thugs after me tonight as I was coming back from Vilmerius. I'm not sure if they were meant to kill me or just frighten me, but luckily I had more than one tail and Dijkstra's men killed them instead."
"Dijkstra and Bedlam?" he whistled, amused. "You're becoming quite the person of interest, it seems." He kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, I'll deal with Bedlam, even if I don't think we'll be staying in Novigrad for very long."
"You and Ciri have a plan for the Hunt?"
"No, not yet. But I've landed you all in Radovid's sights, so we'd best move on."
"I attract thugs, and you attract kings. Some pair we make," she chuckled. "What did you do to draw his majesty's ire?"
"It wasn't me, per se. He wants Philippa at all costs, and he thinks I can get her for him. He's wrong, of course. For one, I have no idea where she is these days, and even if I did, I wouldn't hand anyone over to Radovid."
"She's at the Chameleon with the rest of the Lodge."
He raised a surprised eyebrow at her. "She is?"
"She was when I left five days ago," she said with a shrug. "Although, admittedly, she doesn't stay put for very long. They've all been going in and out of the city. I thought you knew."
"To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to anything after Yen told me you were missing. In any case, that's all the more reason for all of us to move on. Novigrad isn't safe while Radovid is in power. Perhaps we should sail to Skellige. Cerys is sure to be more welcoming than the Redanians."
They turned onto the street leading up to the inn and saw Ciri fretting around the stables, readying her horse. As soon as she saw them, she ran up and hugged Geralt with a sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank the gods! I was just about to set out in search of you!" She scoured his face, taking note of his injuries. "Where have you been?" She reached out to feel the broken arch.
"Radovid's dungeon," he answered, waving her hands away.
"Well, at least you found her, so you won't need stitches," Ciri said, throwing a Criss a quick look. "Did you need to bust her out?"
"No," he sighed. "It's a long story… Too long to tell in front of a tavern. Let's go inside. I'm dying for a hot meal."
Both Ciri and Criss nodded, and they all entered the tavern together.
"I've spoken to Avallac'h while you were gone," she said, turning her attention back to Geralt. "He has a plan, but I haven't agreed to it yet. Not without asking your opinion first. Both you and Yen need to hear what he has to say."
Geralt looked plaintively at Criss, and she nudged him forward in response. "Don't worry about me. Go speak to him, I'll wait for you to get back. Promise I'm not going anywhere."
He shook his head and curled an arm around her. "No. You know what? First we dine, and then we'll all go see what he wants. You're as much a part of this as we are."
A/N: Hope the reunion satisfied those of you who had been eagerly waiting for it... sorry to those who were expecting Geralt be smacked 😆 There'll be more honest conversations, romance and smut in the next chapter plus the beginning of two new plots.
Thank you all for reading yet another chapter! If you have any thoughts on the story, feel free to drop them in the comments. I always love to hear readers' thoughts. It's just too bad that this website makes it impossible to answer to guest reviews, but please know that I do appreciate all who take the time to say anything at all.
See you next Saturday for a new chapter! In the meantime, have a good week and Happy Easter to those celebrating tomorrow!