Date: Saturday, January 19th, 2019

Time: 2:15 pm

Location: Main Hall, Hazakura Temple, Eagle Mountain

I didn't have a ton of time to figure out what I'd do. From the moment I read the note, I had less than a month to come up with a counterstrategy. I could get in touch with Maya and Pearl and just tell them what was going on, but I couldn't do it. After being "Godot" for five months, to suddenly reveal my true identity would be insane. To Maya anyway. Pearl was at the courthouse one day, lord knows why, and she saw me, but I doubt she remembers that.

Besides, I just didn't want them to know how deep the Fey family dysfunction went. Maya already knew that her aunt had tried to frame her for murder, and I imagine that knowledge tore her up inside. To find out that her aunt was trying to get her nine-year-old cousin to kill her too would destroy her. For Pearl to find out what her mom was plotting would forever change their relationship. I don't think she knows why Morgan is in prison.

Then there was Trite. If I had to guess, he'll be accompanying Pearl and Maya on this trip to Hazakura Temple. Those three seemed inseparable. That said, I don't think I have to explain too hard why I don't want to involve him in the plan.

I can't stand the guy for one and, for another, he'd be liable to just mess everything up. He's never prepared, half the time he doesn't even know what's going on, and his luck is bound to run out someday. Knowing my luck, it'd be when I need to rely on him for something.

I tried to think it through logically. I needed to get in contact with someone at Hazakura Temple at the very least, so that I could be stationed there the night of the plot. Looking it up, I realized I was already somewhat familiar with the location. It was on Eagle Mountain, the site of Terry Fawles' planned meet-up with Valerie Hawthorne.

The Temple had a very ancient website that looked like it hadn't been updated in a while, but there was contact information for two people listed on there: a Sister Iris and a Sister Bikini. I chose to reach out to Iris, and she agreed to meet with me at Hazakura Temple today.

I didn't know for sure, but I suspected that she was Dahlia's twin sister. Her whereabouts hadn't come up in my and Mia's research on Dahlia, but we knew that Iris had been abandoned by her father shortly after he left Kurain Village. It also seemed unlikely that another Iris would live at the place where Dahlia had conducted her kidnapping scheme and murder.

During the week, I also did some digging on Misty Fey. I was dismayed to find out that she wasn't as hard to reach as I thought. Mia told me on our first date that it would have been easier to find Misty as a prosecutor, but she obviously didn't know how much easier. I talked to a few prosecutors at the office, who got me in touch with some police officers and, within five days, I had her phone number.

Misty's whereabouts were well-known to the police department. They didn't have much faith in Misty's channeling abilities after the DL-6 case. However, many years later, after Kurain Village's reputation had been restored, they started using her abilities again on tougher cases, on the down low, keeping her involvement hush-hush to avoid another scandal. They didn't use her very often, so she still needed to find another source of income.

What she went with was children's author and illustrator, taking on the pen name of Elise Deauxnim. From what I could find online, she seemed to be pretty successful too. She had published 16 books, and they all appeared to have a loyal following.

Despite her acclaim, she was stated to be a hermit, with no pictures of herself on her website, and no book signings, readings, or public appearances promoting her work. She was still in hiding. Even the police hadn't seen her in person in 17 years.

It honestly pissed me off. There was no excuse for her to be in hiding anymore. Her reputation had been restored, the police were still using her powers, and she had a successful fallback career as an author. What more did she need to come back? After all that Mia had tried, it was clear that there was nothing she could have done to get Misty to re-enter her life.

Despite her reclusive nature, I had to call Misty later this evening and try to convince her to help anyway. As the Kurain Master, her channeling powers are supreme. If I couldn't find a way to distract Pearl from following the scheme, Misty could channel Dahlia instead and I would keep her from hurting Maya. I knew Pearl wouldn't be conscious to experience it, but I didn't want to potentially injure a nine-year-old in a struggle.

That phone call would come later though. First, I needed to talk to Iris and inform her of what was planned for February 7th. I took another train ride out to the sticks to visit Hazakura Temple. It was even more remote than Kurain Village somehow, being about the same distance away from Los Tokyo, but in an area much higher in elevation. Like Kurain Village though, I had to walk about a half hour to the Temple after the train ride. On days like today, I really wish I still had my car.

I told Iris when I was coming, but she wasn't there to greet me when I entered the main hall of the Temple. Instead, there was a very short middle-aged woman, wearing traditional robes, and a hood on her head. I presume this must be Sister Bikini, but her name didn't match her being.

"Hello," I said graciously, nodding.

"Hiya handsome," the woman replied casually.

I chuckled. "Uh, thanks. Sister Bikini?"

"The one and only. Want to see?" she asked.

"See what?"

"My bikini, of course," she said cheekily before laughing uproariously at her own joke.

I laughed nervously. "Well, it's quite cold. Probably best if you stay bundled up."

"If you're a good boy, I'll show you later," she said, before giving me an exaggerated wink.

And I thought I could be forward. I'll take the ego boosts where I can get 'em, but I think I need an adult. "Is Sister Iris here?"

She shook her head disappointedly. "So, you like them a bit younger then?"

I don't think there's a right answer to that question. If I placate her and say no, she won't stop. "She and I were scheduled to meet today," I replied, ignoring her question altogether.

"I'm just teasing you," she said, laughing. "Sister Iris is a very pretty girl. Obviously, looks run in the family."

"Oh. Are you her mother?" I asked. Maybe Iris wasn't Dahlia's sister after all.

"I basically raised her, so I might as well be. I'll go fetch her."

Sister Bikini left the hall and returned about three minutes later with a woman who looked exactly like Dahlia, besides having very dark hair instead of Dahlia's bottled red. My whole body clenched upon seeing her. I expected them to look identical, but I didn't expect to react that way.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Godot," Iris apologized.

I gulped. "No problem. Was just chatting with your mom here."

Iris smiled. "She's so funny; isn't she?"

"She's a hoot," I responded politely.

"Sister Bikini, I'm just going to meet with him in the dining room."

"Make sure you leave the door open," Sister Bikini joked before chuckling again.

Iris and I looked at each other awkwardly. It'd be great if Sister Bikini could stop being so "funny." We both nodded at her respectfully and exited the hall.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet with me," I said, as I seated myself at the table, across from Iris.

"I'm happy to be of assistance," Iris replied, smiling warmly. "You said in your email that you're here on official prosecutorial business?"

"That's correct. It's come to my attention that a crime is planned for February 7th at your temple. I'd like to ensure that it doesn't."

Iris frowned. "That's so awful. What's going to happen?"

"A murder most foul. The criminal is looking to kill Maya Fey, the next Master of Kurain."

"Well, we'll do anything in our power to protect Mystic Maya," she said resolutely. "Hazakura Temple was founded to support the main family in their spiritual training. Do you know who the criminal is?"

I nodded. "Do you know Dahlia Hawthorne, Morgan Fey, or Pearl Fey?"

Iris swallowed. "Of course. Sister Bikini is like my mother, but Morgan Fey is my birth mother. The other two are my sisters. Did you know that before you came to see me?"

I nodded again. "Yes. I wasn't sure if I should contact you or Sister Bikini, but I thought you might have some better insights on those involved."

"I understand." She thought for a moment. "What I don't understand is how this could happen. Dahlia was executed two weeks ago, and my mother is in prison. Pearl is only nine."

"It involves spirit channeling. Your mother has asked Pearl to summon Dahlia. Dahlia will kill Maya when she's summoned. Pearl doesn't know what she's doing."

She shook her head sadly. "Oh Dahlia. I hoped she'd finally be at peace," she said disappointedly. "Did you go to the police?"

I scoffed. "They waved me off. They are highly selective about when they choose to believe in spirit channeling and when they don't."

"But you believe in it wholeheartedly?" she asked.

"I do. Absolutely."

She smiled. "I wish it wasn't real under these circumstances, but it's refreshing to speak with an outsider who isn't skeptical of the Kurain technique."

I smiled slightly. "Well, I used to work with Mia Fey before she died. She turned me into a believer."

She looked upset. "You worked with Mia?"

"I did."

"When did you stop working with her?"

"In 2013," I said cautiously.

"When in 2013? What month?"

I cleared my throat. "Uh, August."

"I'm so, so sorry," she responded tearfully. "You're him; aren't you? Mr. Armando."

I paused for a moment before responding. "You knew about me?"

"I didn't know until after it happened. If I had known what she planned to do, I would have tried to stop her. I did try to minimize the damage. She was going to kill her boyfriend too, but I intervened."

"Phoenix Wright?" I asked. She nodded. "How did you do that?"

She turned her head to the side shyly. "Oh, well, um... it's hard to explain."

I laughed bitterly. "Oh, God. Please tell me it didn't involve dating the guy?"

She looked shocked. "How did you know?"

I shook my head in disbelief. I don't even want to think about the logistics of Phoenix, Iris, and Dahlia's romantic arrangement. "You seemed embarrassed. I'd be embarrassed too if I dated the guy for eight months."

"It wasn't supposed to go on that long. Dahlia gave Feenie the poison bottle necklace as a gift to hide the evidence. Then, she wanted it back so she could destroy it. He wouldn't give it back though. She planned to kill him shortly after they started dating, but I told her I would try to coax him to give it back instead. I dyed my hair and pretended to be her so I could nicely ask for it."

"So, 'Feenie' dated both of you that whole time?"

"Mostly me, but yes."

"And he had no idea?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Yeah, that does sound like him," I said dryly. Looks like I can add unobservant to his list of traits.

"I'm sorry that I helped her hide the evidence. I just wanted her to stay out of trouble and for no one else to get hurt. She said she'd stop hurting people as long as she didn't get caught."

"Looks like she kept her promise," I remarked sarcastically.

She turned her head down. "I know. I still feel so horrible about it all. Please let me know what I can do to help. I'd like to make amends."

I grinned. "Perfect. That's exactly what I needed to hear."

I told Iris of the full plan as written on the instruction cards. I explained that I'd like Maya and Pearl to remain in the dark about what was planned to occur while also keeping them safe. She agreed and promised that she wouldn't tell anyone, even Sister Bikini.

I said that I would need to be stationed at Hazakura Temple that day as backup, in case something went wrong. She agreed to escort me, if necessary, across the Dusky Bridge and to the Inner Temple side without being seen.

I had one last question for her while I was there. I wanted insight on why Morgan and Dahlia would choose Hazakura Temple as the location of the murder. I assumed it had to be the result of some sort of warped sentimentality as Eagle Mountain was the site of Dahlia's staged ransom negotiation and the murder of her stepsister. Iris assured me that Dahlia has no such sentimentality.

Iris presumed it was to frame her for the crime. If anyone witnessed Maya's murder, they would identify Iris as the culprit since Dahlia is dead. Iris would go to jail and potentially be put on death row for the crime. Once again, sadistic, but very Dahlia Hawthorne. Iris said that she had let Dahlia down by backing out of Dahlia and Valerie's staged kidnapping plan and for failing to retrieve the poison bottle from Phoenix.

Iris stated that she was still prepared to take the fall if we couldn't stop the plan from happening. She still felt so guilty over helping Dahlia to hide evidence. I told her it wouldn't come to that. She'd only have to take the fall if Maya died, and we wouldn't let that happen.

However, if some lesser charge came up and it was her versus me, Maya, or Pearl, I said sure, why not? She helped Dahlia hide my poison bottle; I guess she'd be the guiltiest of the four of us.

I let Iris know that I would call her back later in the week to confirm the details. I needed cooperation from Misty Fey to ensure the plan's success, but I don't know if I have that yet.

When I got back to my apartment this evening, I called Misty. The phone rang five times before I heard someone answer on the other line. She didn't say anything though.

"Hello?" I finally said.

There was another beat. "Hello," a woman responded. Presumably Misty since her voice sounded like Morgan's, albeit a little less haughty.

"Is this Elise Deauxnim?" I asked.

"Yes," she responded simply.

In my culture, it is customary to greet the other person when you pick up the phone but maybe that's not how things work on her planet.

"My name is Godot. I work at the prosecutor's office," I explained. "The police gave me your number."

"What kind of business are you calling about?" she asked.

Right. If I'm calling from the prosecutor's office, there's no point in pretending like I care about her author career. "I'm calling about your channeling abilities, Misty."

"If you've talked to the police, Mr. Godot, then you know how this works. Send me the case details, a picture, and a check, and I'll call back after the channeling."

I tried not to laugh. Looks like Misty's all set. A thriving children's author career and work-from-home channelings. The only thing missing is her daughters. "I need a different kind of assistance. Off the record and unpaid."

"Why would I do that?" she asked disbelievingly.

"To help your daughter. She's in danger."

"Maya?"

"Yes. Your sister has conspired with your niece Dahlia to kill her. Your sister wants her daughter Pearl to be next in line as Master."

"What do you need me to do?" she asked plainly, with no hint of outrage at the jarring news.

"Hopefully only one thing, but potentially two," I explained. "You'll need to distract Pearl. Dahlia was executed and Pearl is supposed to channel her at Hazakura Temple at 10:00 pm on February 7th so Dahlia can kill Maya."

"How will I distract her?" she asked.

"By being Elise Deauxnim," I elaborated. "I overheard Pearl and Morgan talking at the prison. That's how I learned about the plot and the instructions Morgan left for Pearl at the Village. I didn't think it was important at the time, but Pearl mentioned how much she loves your books."

"So... we'll read together?"

"More or less. Keep her occupied until she falls asleep. When she wakes up and is upset because she didn't follow Morgan's plan, you'll need to assure her that Maya performed so excellently in her training without Dahlia's 'assistance' that Pearl isn't tempted to channel her again. You'll tell Pearl that Sister Bikini said that Maya was the best acolyte she's ever seen."

"I can do that. I always wanted to meet my fans," she said proudly. "What's the other thing you might need?"

I exhaled. "If you can't distract Pearl, you'll need to channel Dahlia instead. Sister Iris at Hazakura Temple, she's helping me. She can't channel spirits but she's allowing me to be stationed at the Inner Temple while Maya's completing her training. If plan A fails, I'm going to hold Dahlia off from hurting Maya."

"How will you do that?"

"Brute force, I guess. Dahlia isn't very big and I'm fairly strong. I'll disarm her."

"Right." She paused. "So, you said this is off the record. The police aren't involved?"

"No. I talked to them, but they didn't believe it. In fairness to them, I have no proof. Knowing how your channelings operate, I imagine they don't understand how it works either. If they saw that you took on the likeness of murder victims while you were channeling, I'd imagine they'd feel differently."

"Yes, I operate out of sight and unknown to the public. The police are understanding given how they allowed my name and reputation to be smeared 17 years ago," she said bitterly.

"Well, it seems like your reputation is good now," I argued. "If they didn't trust you, they wouldn't use you."

"Can never be too careful," she said paranoidly. She paused again. "What made you take an interest in the family? To spy on my sister at the prison?"

"I don't know what you've heard, but this isn't the first time Morgan has tried something like this. She tried to frame Maya for murder almost two years ago."

"I had heard. Why would you care though? You must be busy with other cases at the prosecutor's office."

I faltered. This line of questioning is how Iris found out my identity. "I was a colleague of Mia's before she passed."

"Just a colleague?" she asked. I didn't respond. She laughed. "Nice to see a man step up for a change."

I laughed sardonically. "Yeah, we're the worst."

"Were you the lawyer with Mia on her first court case?"

"You knew about that?" I asked incredulously.

She laughed again. "Do you not think I keep an interest in my daughter's lives? They're always on my mind."

I didn't know how to answer that question without dripping sarcasm. Misty's been gone for 17 years. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that she's not exactly plugged in.

"Were you at Mia's funeral then?" I posed.

She hesitated. "No. It wasn't the right time."

"When is the right time?" I pressed.

"February 7th, I suppose," she answered.

Date: Thursday, February 7th, 2019

Time: 9:57 pm

Location: Inner Temple, Hazakura Temple, Eagle Mountain

Tonight was the night for the counterstrike plan to be set in motion. Unfortunately, I got the same ominous feeling that I had the day I was poisoned by Dahlia. However, this time, I had help in the form of Misty and Iris and a backup plan in case something went wrong. I felt more confident that we'd be okay. We just had to distract a nine-year-old until tomorrow morning.

I took the train over to the temple and arrived around 7:00 pm, while everyone was eating dinner. Iris had instructed me to walk across the Dusky Bridge to the Inner Temple and hide out until Maya was set to complete her training.

Iris called me while I was still en route and told me that Maya and Trite had already thoroughly explored the grounds so no one should see me before her training. I couldn't let them know I was here.

It was cold as hell up on the mountain. Living in Los Tokyo, it could get chillier in the winter but never cold enough to snow. It was surreal to travel two hours away and be greeted with blankets of it and for the forecast to be calling for more.

I brought my warmest jacket, had a thermos full of coffee, and paced around the Inner Temple, but it still wasn't enough to keep me from freezing my ass off. At least I only had to tough it out for a few hours. Or so I thought. Turns out my ominous feeling was bitterly accurate.

At around 8:00 pm, Misty came by the inner temple, and I met her in person for the first time. She was just as flighty and eccentric in the flesh as she was on the phone. She looked at the hanging scroll on the wall of the Inner Temple, depicting and naming her as Kurain Master, and smiled mysteriously. "Is it a true likeness?" she asked.

I looked at her and then at the scroll, not sure what to say. I could see where Mia got her looks from, if that's what she was asking, but it felt weird to compliment my ex-girlfriend's estranged mother on her appearance. "You look a little younger there, but I'd say it's accurate," I replied.

She smiled wistfully and shook her head. "Yes, I suppose I look much, much older now."

"Uh, I didn't mean it that way," I clarified. Wasn't expecting to be stepping into a minefield today. Well, more than one. "You've aged a lot better than I have." She looked pleased with my awkward compliment.

From what Mia had told me, all the women of Kurain Village had to grow up too fast. Perilous training from the time they were five and orders to marry off and have kids as soon as possible so that they could have daughters to carry the line. Misty had Mia when she was only 19. Maya was 19 now, almost 20, and I couldn't imagine her having a kid any time soon. She still seemed like a child herself.

That said, from the phone conversation I had with Misty and this fraught interaction, she seemed a little emotionally stunted. Like she was still a 19-year-old in a 49-year-old's body. For all the physical and mental fortitude they forced on them through training, psychological support didn't seem to be a top priority. It probably would have been valuable given all the shattered families the Village left in its wake, but I guess, with my broken brain, I'm in no position to judge.

"My daughter will be here around 9:00 pm to start her training. Sister Bikini will be escorting her here and then leaving. She has asked Sister Iris to join Maya around 10:00 pm, after lights out. You'll have to hide out somewhere else at least a little before then."

"Understood. I'll hide out by the tree line until Sister Bikini leaves. Did Maya recognize you?" I asked.

"No, but it's probably best this way."

"Really?" I replied skeptically. "You think it's better if she doesn't recognize her own mother?" Better for Misty is more like it. If Maya recognizes her, all that will bring are questions. Questions like: why did you abandon me for 17 years?

"Well, just in case things go wrong." She twisted underneath the crescent moon top of her staff, revealing it to be a sheath for a sword rather than an ordinary mystic's staff. "If the plan doesn't work, I might not be around for much longer."

"Why would we need the sword? If Pearl doesn't go along with the plan and you are forced to channel Dahlia instead, I'll hold off Dahlia from hurting Maya."

She re-sheathed the sword. ''Hopefully. You seem strong, but channeled spirits can be much stronger than they appear. Dahlia must be quite angry if she's plotting revenge while dead."

"It won't get to that," I assured her. "Has Pearl agreed to read with you tonight?"

"She has. I wanted to lead her with me to my room, but she offered to help with dinner clean-up and said she will meet me when she's done." She smiled. "She's read all my books."

"There you go. Your world's biggest fan won't leave you high and dry."

She laughed mirthfully. "You may be right. Well, I had best be on my leave. If all goes according to plan, I hope to never see you again."

I chuckled. "I'm sure there was a better way you could have phrased that but, yeah, have a nice life."

She nodded and exited the Inner Temple.

Unfortunately, I did see her again. Sister Bikini and Maya crossed the bridge to the Inner Temple at 9:00 pm and I stood facing the tree line as they walked over. My visor actually afforded me better night vision, but it also glowed red constantly. I couldn't risk them seeing me.

When Sister Bikini left, I waited outside the Temple. At around ten o'clock, I saw Dahlia Hawthorne bounding across the rickety Dusky Bridge, a demon-warding hood on her head, and Misty's staff in her hand.

Shit. Could Misty really not control Pearl? All she had to do was make sure they read together until Pearl fell asleep. By morning, everything would be fine.

I hadn't seen Pearl cross the bridge, but that had to be Misty. Right? She had her staff.

"Oh, Maya Fey!" Dahlia yelled out tauntingly as she walked off the bridge. I was hidden behind the Inner Temple and Maya was just walking back from the garden towards it.

"Who are you?" Maya asked fearfully, about 20 feet from the entrance of the temple.

"The last person you will ever see," Dahlia replied. She struck Maya with her staff, hitting her on the head. Damn it. I was here to protect her, but I let this happen. I didn't want to reveal myself unless it was absolutely necessary, but I obviously should have come out of hiding earlier.

Luckily, while Maya was hurt, she was ultimately okay. She ran away as fast as she could, although she stumbled much of the way due to dizziness from the blow to her head. Dahlia followed behind her and towards the garden and I ran after them both.

When I made it to the garden, Mia was standing in front of the unlit stone lantern. I overheard Sister Bikini say earlier that the wick was tough to light, so she ultimately gave up. Other than my visor and the faint light from inside the Inner Temple, it was quite dark.

With my improved night vision, I could see what Maya couldn't. She was caged in. There was a fence surrounding the perimeter of the garden. The only way out was the way she came in and Dahlia was blocking the entrance.

Dahlia dropped the staff on the ground. "It was easier than I thought to get you where I wanted you. I'll need something else to finish the job." She grabbed a dagger from a sash around her waist and brandished it, walking towards Maya, preparing to stab her.

Maya's back was to the stone lantern. "Please don't hurt me," Maya cried out. "I don't even know who you are." I don't know if she recognized me, but she must have seen the red lights and looked in my direction. "Help me!" she cried out.

I didn't think; I just acted. I picked up Misty's staff, and unsheathed the sword, stabbing Dahlia in the back, driving the blade all the way through her abdomen. Maya looked horrified as the smell of blood filled the area, and Dahlia let out a piercing shriek.

I hate to admit it but, for a moment, it felt good. To hear her scream. To make the woman who took everything away from me suffer.

She was a demon to the very end though. After I got her, she reflexively stabbed behind her, knocking my visor to the ground and slashing me across the face. I let out a cry in pain. The dagger didn't pierce deep, but she cut a ribbon across my face, drawing a line under my eye line and across the bridge of my nose.

I heard her body hit the ground, dragging through snow, and crunching footsteps.

"Mr. Godot?" Maya said with perplexity. She had grabbed my visor and handed it to me. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

I put my visor back on and, as my eyes adjusted, I looked at the aftermath. Maya had moved away from the stone lantern and was standing next to me. Dahlia was completely motionless, lying down in front of the lantern, Misty's sword pierced through her. The other part of the staff was on the ground. The only thing I couldn't spot was the dagger Dahlia had used.

I walked over to inspect the body and confirmed that she was dead. I knew for sure when I saw that it was no longer Dahlia, but Misty lying there. When I saw her dead body, it finally struck me what I had done. I killed Maya's mother in front of her. Some of Misty's blood had probably sprayed on Maya when she was stabbed.

I was bowled over, breathing deeply, in and out, when Maya spoke again. I never answered her question, but she seemed to understand. I clearly wasn't doing well.

"Is she...dead?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm afraid so," I replied.

"Who was that? Why did she want to kill me?"

"It was your cousin Dahlia. It was probably hard for you to tell in the dark, but she's Sister Iris's identical twin. Dahlia's dead, but she was being channeled."

"Who channeled her?"

"Elise Deauxnim," I stated.

She covered her mouth in shock. "Elise is dead?" She paused. "Wait, how's that possible?

"What do you mean?"

"Elise has channeling abilities?"

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't lie to her at this point. Only Misty, Pearl, or Sister Bikini could have channeled Dahlia. None of those three would be a great answer, least of all Pearl. That only left the truth. "Elise Deauxnim is a pen name. That was your mother: Misty Fey."

"What?" she exclaimed. "My mother is dead?" She didn't say anything else. She fainted, but I grabbed her before she fell backward, slowing her fall and gently laying her down on the ground.

I tried to get my bearings. I couldn't just leave Maya there in the snow. I had to deal with the bloody mess I had made too. I picked Maya up and carried her to the Inner Temple's training hall, laying her down inside.

When I walked inside, I saw Pearl. She had come to the Inner Temple after all, but it must have been after Dahlia had been channeled. She was leaning against the wall on the other side of the hall, asleep. There was an empty gravy boat beside her, and gravy poured all over Misty's hanging scroll.

If there wasn't a passed-out Maya lying on the floor and a dead body in the garden, this sight would have been funny. When Pearl read "gravely roast the master" on the note her mother gave her, this is obviously what she thought it meant.

I was about to leave when I realized the dilemma. If Pearl wakes up while I'm gone, she'll channel Dahlia and kill Maya. I can't let her do that. Misty's death would be in vain. I opened the gate of the temple's cavern and gently placed Pearl inside before locking it shut from the outside. I'll come back and let her out once I can separate them.

I needed to figure out how to do that. I couldn't carry Maya the whole way back to the other temple. It was too far, and I'd risk being seen by Trite and everyone else. I'll have to get Iris to bring the snowmobile to the bridge. I called her.

"Hello," she answered nervously. If everything had gone right, I wouldn't be calling.

"Iris, there's a problem. Come to the Inner Temple right away."

"Is Mystic Maya okay?" she asked with concern.

"She's fine, for now. It's Misty. She's dead. She had to channel Dahlia and I... I killed her."

"Oh my God. What happened?"

"Dahlia had Maya corned in the garden. She was about to stab her when I grabbed Misty's staff. It had a sword hidden inside. I killed her before she could kill Maya."

"That's horrible," she said tearfully. "But you had no choice. You had to protect Mystic Maya."

"Maybe," I said ambivalently. The more the minutes passed, the less convinced I was that this was the case. I didn't even try to tackle Dahlia or disarm her first. Maybe Misty was right, and Dahlia would have been too strong to fight off in her channeled form. I didn't even try to find out. I just reached for the sword.

She sighed. "Well, I guess that means we're back to plan B. Dahlia was going to frame me for the crime originally. I said I would be the fall person if we couldn't stop her."

"Iris, I don't know," I said apologetically. "We said that, but I didn't think this would happen. Pearl and Misty should have been reading right now."

"I'm willing to hold up my end of the bargain," she insisted. "I'll bring the snowmobile by."

"Okay," I agreed. "I really don't want Maya or Pearl to see Misty's body."

"Talk soon," she said, before hanging up.

I went to the garden and picked up Misty's body, the sword still piercing her. I had thought about removing it, but it kept the bleeding to a minimum. I placed her and the other part of her staff near the bridge.

I returned to the garden and illuminated the area. The stone lantern wouldn't light but there were tiki torches surrounding it that would. I hoped that, with the torches lit, I could see the blood on the snow, but it didn't help. I still couldn't see red on a white background.

I wanted to keep Pearl and Maya from seeing the horror show in the garden. I'm sure with proper vision that it looked bad enough at night, but it would look sickening come morning. Ideal world, I'd have both of them moved to the other side of the bridge, but I still hadn't figured out the feasibility of moving them while also keeping them separate.

I took one of the snow shovels leaning against the fence and shoveled out a large rectangle near the stone lantern. Chances are, covering that large area, I had shoveled all the bloody snow. I dumped it all in the woods and out of sight.

When I finished, I returned to the bridge, just as Iris arrived with the snowmobile. As I walked towards it, I realized that our plan would no longer be viable. The bridge, which was barely safe to walk on at the best of times, was on fire. I stood at the edge of the bridge and looked across the way. The fire had started on the other side.

I had heard thunder earlier, but surely that couldn't be the cause. Would lightning really strike the bridge less than an hour after Misty was killed? What are the chances?

Whatever the true cause of the fire, it didn't matter. The Inner Temple was on an island separated by the rushing Eagle River and the bridge was the only way across. Me, Pearl, Maya, and Misty's dead body were trapped on the other side.

Not only had the plan gone wrong, but this was a nightmare scenario. Until the bridge was fixed, I would have to keep Maya and Pearl away from each other.

I saw Iris get off the snowmobile and look at the fiery bridge. Then, I got a phone call.

"This is worse than I could have ever imagined," she said.

"I know," I replied.

"What should we do?" she asked anxiously.

"I don't know. I was hoping you would have an idea."

"Maybe we throw the body in the river?" she suggested.

"I can't dump Misty's body in the river," I argued.

"I know. I just thought... at least Pearl and Maya won't see her."

I looked at the surroundings of the bridge. The fire helped illuminate the area, so it was clearer to see. "I couldn't do it if I wanted to, anyway. There's a rock ledge on this side of the bridge instead of water. If I pushed her body down, it would be a 40-foot drop onto solid ground."

She paused. "Do you think if I walked across the bridge really fast that I'd be okay?" she asked optimistically.

"Uh, I don't think so. The bridge planks are made of wood, they'll give way."

"I know. The suspension wires are metal though. I thought maybe if I held onto those."

"I appreciate the dedication, but they'll be fiery hot. You won't be able to grab them."

"We have to do something," she urged.

"Are you even sure you want to move Misty?" I asked. "If you help me move a dead body, that's a crime on its own. You know that, right?"

"I promised that I would help as much as I can. We can't let them see Misty. We can't risk Maya or Pearl getting in trouble for her death," she said persistently.

"You're right. We can't just leave the body here," I agreed. Iris's suspension wire suggestion actually gave me an idea although I wasn't fully convinced that it would work. It was our only shot though. "So, you've got to do this exactly as I say, got it?"

"What's the plan?" she asked.

"There's a smaller ledge here, about a ten-foot drop. I'm going to move Misty here." I paused. What I was about to say was so insane but what other idea did I have? "There is a broken suspension cable hanging down near this ledge. I'm going to tie her body to the cable and swing her to the other side. You're going to have to grab her and untie her."

"Will that work? The bridge is 20 yards long. You'll have to push her very hard."

"I think so," I said unconvincingly. I mean, it would work in a Looney Tunes short. Maybe I can rig an Acme catapult together if this plan fails. "If it doesn't, I'll untie her and leave her on this ledge. At least she'll be out of sight."

"Okay, it's the best plan we have. I'll wait for your signal."

I clicked my cell phone off and gently rolled Misty's body over the side. Regardless of how gentle I was, and the thick blanket of snow there, she still made a thudding sound as she dropped ten feet. I winced. Maybe I should have just left her, but it was too late now. I wouldn't be able to carry her back up the cliff ledge.

I grabbed her sword sheath and climbed down with it. Once I was down, I placed the sheath in her hands and tied the cable around her. I made sure it was securely fastened around her then took a deep breath.

The next part was the hardest. The ledge wasn't very big so I wouldn't have much of a running start. I'd need a lot of momentum to get her across. At least I had recovered most of my pre-coma strength. The only other thing working in my favor was that the cliff on the other side of the bridge was more level with this ledge. I would only have to swing her across instead of up.

I signaled to Iris, and she signaled back that she was ready. I pulled Misty and the cable back as far as I could and swung her across with as much force as I had. I watched in horror as she swung to the other side. I didn't think she was going to make it. She was a few inches short of the ledge. However, Iris managed to grab hold of her.

I was breathless as I watched Iris struggle to lift her over the ledge, but she did it somehow and untied Misty from the cable. We both must have been running on adrenaline at this point. Iris lifted Misty onto the snowmobile and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Huh," I reacted. I can't believe that actually worked. I watched as she drove away and then climbed up the ledge. Once I made it back up, I was pretty winded. I had to carry Maya, Pearl, and Misty and I think the adrenaline was starting to wear off. My broken body was aching. I don't have time to rest though. I need to figure out what I would do with Pearl and Maya.

I walked back into the training hall of the Inner Temple and saw that Maya was awake and standing, her back to me. Pearl was still asleep in the cavern. When I looked at Maya for more than a few seconds though, I realized that she seemed a little taller than usual. That could only mean one thing.

She turned around and revealed what I knew to be the case. Maya had channeled Mia, and she had a notebook in her hand. "Diego?" Mia asked with surprise.

Once again, I didn't think. I just reacted. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. "Mia!" I exclaimed with relief. "You're here."

For a short moment, she hugged me back. Then, her arms dropped. "It's not really me though. You know that, right?"

I pulled away from her and turned my head down. "I'm sorry," I said remorsefully. "I wasn't thinking." I was still in love with her, but she didn't feel the same way. I shouldn't have hugged her.

"It's okay," she said kindly. "If we try to pretend any different though, it'll just be harder for both of us." That gave me pause. Was there still an "us?"

"What happened?" she asked. "Maya wrote me this note and channeled me. She wanted my help, but I don't think she knows what's going on. I don't know how to help her."

I backed myself against the wall and slid down to sit. "Oh, just the worst day of my life happened. Well, other than the day I woke up, that is." I looked up at her and she looked down at me with concern. She sat down next to me, about half a foot between us.

"What's going on, exactly?" She swallowed. "Maya wrote that Mr. Godot was here, and he killed Mom to protect her, but that seemed impossible."

I rubbed my face and nodded. "I'm so sorry, Mia. She's right. Misty's dead."

Mia looked mortified. "She finally came out of hiding?"

"I contacted her and asked her to help me. She and your cousin Iris. Your aunt had plotted with Dahlia in prison before Dahlia was executed. They wanted Pearl to channel Dahlia here, at Hazakura Temple, and for Dahlia to kill Maya."

She shook her head disappointedly. "I'd say I can't believe it, but I know what they're capable of. How did you hear about this plan?"

"At the women's prison. Lana is in there now too. I asked her to call me when she heard anything, and I used my role as a prosecutor to listen in on your aunt's visit with Pearl. She wrote Pearl a note and hid it at the Village before she was sent to prison."

"So, you read her note and formed a counterplan?" she pressed.

I nodded. "Yes, exactly."

"Why didn't you just destroy the letter?"

"In hindsight, maybe I should have. Your aunt is set to be executed soon. I thought if Pearl couldn't find the letter, your aunt would just get Pearl to channel her after her execution and come up with a new plan. I wouldn't be able to intercept that plan though."

She nodded, thinking. "No, that makes sense. Knowing her, she probably would have. So, you planned to sacrifice Mom for Maya?"

I shook my head. "No. The plan was to distract Pearl. Your mom became a famous children's book author. Pearl loves her books. Your mom was to distract Pearl by reading her books together until Pearl fell asleep. When Pearl woke up and got upset that she failed, your mom was going to reassure her that the plan was unnecessary for Maya's spirit training."

I sighed. "She wasn't distracted though," I continued. "Your mom had to channel Dahlia instead. When Dahlia went to stab Maya, I killed her with the sword your mom brought."

"My mom had a sword?" she asked incredulously.

"It was hidden inside of her mystic's staff. She showed it to me about an hour and a half before she was killed. She told me to use it if the plan went awry."

"Right," she said solemnly. "I guess you had no choice."

I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe it didn't have to come to that." I didn't want to admit that to her, but I couldn't lie to her again. The last time I did that, I paid for it. "I didn't even try to disarm Dahlia first."

She breathed deeply. "Maybe you shouldn't have told me that. I don't want to hate you, but it's hard not to after hearing that."

"I wouldn't blame you," I replied brokenly. "I'd hate me too if I was in your position. Just know, from the bottom of my heart, that I never meant for it to turn out like this."

"So Maya is safe at least? It's over?" she asked expectantly.

"As long as Pearl stays locked up in the cavern, yes. Since I'm the unluckiest SOB in the world, the Dusky Bridge has burned down. A lightning bolt just so happened to strike it. Maya, Pearl, and I are trapped at the Inner Temple until it gets fixed. I have to stop Pearl from channeling Dahlia or keep her locked up."

"You can't keep Pearl locked up in the cavern," she insisted.

"I don't know if I have a choice. Misty's dead so there isn't anyone else to keep Pearl from channeling Dahlia."

"You could just tell Maya and Pearl the truth," she suggested.

"I can't tell Maya that Pearl tried to kill her or tell Pearl that she was almost a murderer."

"The truth will come out anyway. You know that. You used to tell me that."

"It will," I conceded. "But not the whole truth."

"What do you mean?"

"I know I'll get caught. I'm prepared for that, and I'll do the time. At the very least though, I want them to be spared the knowledge that Pearl tried to kill Maya on orders from your aunt."

She nodded. "Okay. If that's important to you, I'll respect your decision. In that case, there is one other person who can channel Dahlia other than Pearl."

"Who's that?"

"Maya, of course. As of tonight, she's the Kurain Master."

"She wouldn't be able to stop though. It could take days to fix the bridge. Will she be able to channel Dahlia for that long?"

She smiled. "She's stronger than she knows. She'll do it because she has to."

"So, we'll let Pearl out and lock Maya in the cavern instead?"

"Yes, exactly."

I had a stark realization. "It's pretty cold in that cavern," I said worriedly.

"It is. You'll have to make sure she doesn't get hypothermia," she said matter-of-factly. "You'll have to keep an eye on Pearl too. Make sure they're both safe. As you said, it could be days before rescue."

I nodded, but I couldn't speak at first. All these big plans to keep them safe and now we were all liable to get hypothermia and die on this freezing mountain. "I've let you all down," I choked out. I didn't want to cry in front of her. I couldn't. The ramifications of what had happened were hitting me though, and I felt guilty as hell. I ruined everything.

Mia wouldn't let me cry in front of her either. She slapped me across the face. Not hard, but still.

"You slapped me," I said woundedly, rubbing my face.

"No, I didn't. Maya did," she argued.

I wanted to argue back with her, but Misty was proof that she was more accurate than I was. "You're right," I said.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You need to stay strong though. For you and for them." She smiled reassuringly. "Do you remember what you told me during my first trial?"

I shook my head and laughed faintly. "I don't know. I used to say a lot of things."

She laughed. The most beautiful sound. "Yeah, you were always quite the talker. You said so many nonsensical things, but occasionally you'd land on something useful," she teased. I laughed back. "You told me: the only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over."

I sighed. "Mia, my dear, I'm afraid I've broken that rule many times over since I woke up."

She smirked. "Well, I never thought you meant it so literally. Did you? I cried dozens of times after that trial. What I mean is the Dahlia Hawthorne saga isn't over yet. You need to put a brave face on until it is."

I swallowed and nodded. "I will. I promise"

"Good. So, you're going to confess what happened? You're sure about that?"

"Yes. Sort of. I imagine Trite will be on the case so I'd like to see if he can figure it out before I'm forced to confess."

She shook her head disapprovingly. "Why do you call him that?"

"You don't see any reason why I'd be mad at the guy who hid the poison bottle for Dahlia?" I asked frustratedly. "Who fought so hard during his trial to make sure she wasn't caught? Who distracted me in the cafeteria the day I was poisoned?"

"I get that," she acknowledged. "I hated him at first too. He's a good guy though. You two would be friends if you were able to forgive him."

"Glad you were able to move past it. Don't think I can," I retorted bitterly.

"It's not that I moved past it. I realized that he was her victim too. He just got a little luckier than you and Doug."

"Bully for him," I said sarcastically. "I'm glad everything worked out for him the way it didn't for me."

She paused thoughtfully. "Is that the only reason you're mad at him?"

"I just..." my voice trailed, and I exhaled. "I can't get over how you basically only knew the guy for three months and then gave him your firm. Your old apartment. A magatama. You swoop in at the last second to save him on all his cases."

"I didn't give him a magatama," she clarified. "Maya or Pearl did. I also didn't have a choice with the firm. I didn't know when you'd wake up and it would have died with me. Phoenix...he's like a baby brother to me. I didn't know him that long, but I knew I could trust him to take the reins."

Like a baby brother? I'm an effing idiot. I still can't stand the guy though. "Well, if he's as great as you say, he'll rise to the occasion. Without your help."

"I won't help him," she agreed. "But it won't matter. He'll figure it out on his own."

"How do you know? Because he's a better lawyer than I am?" I regretted that line immediately after I said it. I sounded so whiny.

She didn't mock me for it, at least. "No, because it's the truth and the truth always comes out."

"You're right, as usual," I acquiesced. "I just wish I didn't have to lose to someone so unworthy."

"Unworthy of what?"

I scoffed. "Your legacy, of course. Everything you worked so hard to build."

"Thank you," she said halfheartedly. "I'm not perfect either though."

"You had a perfect win record," I countered. You didn't have to rely on Maya's channeling to do it either. You also served on more than ten cases in three years."

"Yes, but you know I had help too. Besides, I made plenty of mistakes. I have regrets," she said mournfully.

"Like what?"

"Investigating Redd White, for one."

I grimaced. "That wasn't your fault. I should have been there to help you."

"Maybe you would have been if I had insisted on coming with you that day. I knew you seemed uneasy, but I let it go."

"The day I met with Dahlia?"

"What else could I mean?" she asked rhetorically.

I shook my head. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

"If I was there, neither of us would have been hurt," she said adamantly. "We would have had two sets of eyes on her."

I had never thought of it that way. Maybe she was right. Just one more thing that I screwed up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it," I apologized.

"I'm sorry too. I always told myself that I wouldn't get mad at you about that."

There was a beat. She picked up the letter that Maya left her and wrote some notes on the back. "I should probably go," she said soberly. "Pearl could wake up any minute. I've left instructions for Maya in her notebook." She stood up. "I'll see you again though, okay?" she said comfortingly.

"Right. I guess I'll see you in court."

"Yes. That too." She smiled sweetly. "Goodbye, Diego."

There was so much more I needed to say to her. I wanted desperately for her to stay, but I knew that she couldn't. It took everything in me not to instantly break the promise I made to her, but I kept it together somehow. I smiled back. "Bye, kitten."

She laughed again. "I haven't heard that forever." She waved before turning back into Maya.