A/N: Updated chapter 01/15/2023


As the sun drifted below the horizon, Criss was getting ready to go out for the first time in a long time. Her friends had been harassing her to be more sociable and a former colleague's art show was as good a place as any to start. So, although it was a Thursday evening, it gave her a reason to gussy up and put on an ivory evening dress she loved.

With her hair done up, she put the finishing touches on her makeup and checked to see if she missed anything.

"Chin up," she told herself in the mirror. "Anyone asks about family and kids, you skirt around to work. If someone offers to set you up, you skirt around to work. It'll be mostly former schoolmates, anyway."

Since the event would be filled with potential clients with deep pockets and extravagant tastes, there would be plenty of them chasing the next great opportunity. It's what she would have done a decade ago.

She went to put on her earrings as a loud thud rang behind her.

In the middle of her bedroom, there were now three people huddled on the floor, all of whom she had seen before. All covered in blood and dust, touched by death and sorrow.

"Ciri? What..." She swallowed her words, remembering how she left them last time.

"I hate to do this to you again, but I need your help," Ciri said, taking two steps towards her.

This felt so much like déjà-vu. It took a second for her to snap back to her practical self.

"What happened to him this time?"

"I happened, but I don't know exactly what I did..." Ciri shook her head. "I lost control."

Criss glanced over to the white-haired man on the floor; he was badly bruised and cut and his skin was losing all colour. The only thing keeping him together was a spell that prevented his life from being extinguished. She knelt and touched his forehead and his chest; she closed her eyes for a second before speaking.

"You pushed his soul out of his body. The tie isn't severed completely, but his body is shutting down and will not take it back. You damaged his connection... it's complicated to explain..."

"Can you do anything?"

"You don't know what you're asking..."

"Please!"

Criss recognized the desperation of someone clinging to their last hope. It hurt to see Ciri like this, so after a moment of thoughtful reflection, she replied.

"There's something I can do, equally complicated not just for him, but for me as well. I can summon back his soul and..."

"I don't care about the details, just do whatever you think will work. Please... please, I can't have his death on my conscience as well as Vesemir's..."

"Ciri, this isn't an easy fix and it's not going to be fast either. And if his soul doesn't accept it, I won't force him and he will die. Even if it does work, he'll have to remain here until he's fully mended. Until then, travelling between worlds would kill him. Will you both agree to that?"

She looked from Ciri to Yennefer and they both nodded.

"Fine, I'll do it. Yennefer, I need you to lift the spell when I tell you to." Yennefer nodded again.

Criss opened her arms, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her lips moved as she spoke her plea, but no sounds came out. Light filled her palms. She smiled and opened her eyes.

"He accepted, lift the spell."

As the spell unravelled from the body, she brought the light to her chest with one hand and placed the other one onto his heart. The glowing soul was absorbed into her body and illuminated her, a river of light flowing through her, into her hand and then into his chest. His heartbeat grew stronger underneath her palm and his breathing slowly returned to normal. The light faded as she opened her eyes. Her palm left his chest, and she stepped back.

"He'll live..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Ciri hugged the breath out of her. She replied as best she could, given the tight grip she was in. Yennefer stood aside, lost deep in thought with her chin pinched between two fingers.

"He hasn't woken up yet. How sure are you he'll recover? Will there be any permanent damage after this?"

Ciri relaxed her embrace, and Criss could speak again.

"In time he'll recover fully. As I said, it's complicated. . I can't force him to wake earlier than he's ready to. Even once he wakes, he'll need a constant supply of energy. Without it, he'll be like a toy without a battery."

"Battery?"

"Sorry, stupid analogy. You probably don't have batteries." She thought for a second. "He'll be like a fire you need to periodically feed. If you don't, it can sustain itself for a while, but eventually it'll burn out."

"So you'll be throwing logs on the fire?"

"More or less, it's a little more complicated than that."

"You think I won't understand something complicated?" Yennefer asked in a tone that brought back unpleasant memories.

"Technically, the structures that hold his soul were almost completely destroyed and his connection was broken. They'll slowly reconstruct, but at what pace I cannot tell you. Meanwhile, his soul will temporarily reside within me and, as he recovers, I'll slowly guide it back into his body and provide the necessary energy for the reconstruction. Until then, he'll be... tethered to me, for lack of a better word."

She took a step back and prepared for the anger she anticipated, but it never came.

"There are old texts mentioning..." Yennefer began, but paused and looked at Ciri, who seemed to not have heard a word. They both looked exhausted from battle and worry.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll order us some food. You can take a bath if you'd like. It'll be some time until he wakes up. His body is still not functioning properly yet. Maybe you can help me explain to him what happened." She paused and looked at Ciri before continuing. "I haven't seen you in so long. I'm sorry that all these twenty years I never had the guts to seek you out and apologize."

"It's actually only been four years for me... And don't apologize, I know why you did it. I should be sorry for showing up again to collect on the same debt. There just wasn't anyone else. I had to find you in a place in time when you could help," Ciri tried to explain.

"My debt to you, it's something I can never fully repay. I know that, I just wish I'd have done a better job last time."

"You helped them, that was all I asked. The rest... as I said, I understand."

"Why can't I remember you from the island?" Yennefer interrupted, "I remember the apple tree, the blossoms, the Hunt finding me, but I don't remember you."

"When the Hunt came to the island, I made you both forget me. I had my reasons at the time." Criss lowered her eyes, remembering the choice she made. She wasn't proud of what she had done so many years ago, but she had been young and didn't know any better. For all intents and purposes, she had been a different person.

"And now your reasons have changed? I need to know you can be trusted with caring for Geralt."

"Many things have changed since then. You can trust that I'll take care of his health as best I can and you can both stay here while he recovers. It would surely help him and might do you some good as well. No offence, but you both look exhausted."

Yennefer shook her head, and her dark curls took on a life of their own.

"No, we have to leave as soon as possible. If the Hunt tracks Ciri here, this will have all been for nothing." She looked at Ciri and continued. "You'd be far safer back at Kaer Morhen with everyone else."

Ciri sighed and nodded.

"The Hunt is still following you?"

"Eredin. He'll not stop until he has what he wants or until I stop him. Yennefer is right. I'm sorry, I don't think we can stay. It might do more harm than good. Tell Geralt..." she hesitated, "tell him I'm sorry; tell him I'll tend to Vesemir's funeral."

"I'll tell him and don't worry about him. He's safe here. I'll do everything I can to help him recover as soon as possible and when he's ready, I'll bring him back to you in your world... At just the right time."

Her attempt at reassurance was met with a tired smile from Ciri. The years of running had taken a toll on her and, amid the ash-blond hair, white strands shone. She had seen too much and suffered too much for her age. Now she needed hope and Criss couldn't deny her that.

Yennefer grabbed Ciri's hand and put an arm around her shoulders as she took another look at Geralt, who was still lying on the floor unconscious. Ciri sighed again and looked back at Criss.

"Until we meet again." Then both she and Yennefer disappeared and Criss was left staring at the man she would be tied to for some time. She sat on the floor beside him and patiently waited.