The next morning, I was stirred awake by voices. Most were familiar to me—but there was one I didn't recognise. What was going on this time? Pulling myself from bed, I made my way to the door. Cracking it open and looking out, I saw Zoe just outside; her gaze was directed toward the living area. So they had woken her as well. "What is it?" I asked her.

"The Maji Guard again. . ." she replied without looking at me. "Those guys just never quit. . . They still think I did it!"

I could scarcely believe it. I thought the alibi I provided would have cleared all of that up. But they still held her as a suspect? None of this made any sense. It was as though they weren't really doing their job and had it out for her for some reason.

I had had enough of that. I marched right past her and into the living area. "You all should really give this up!" I announced angrily to the officer who was sitting there with Seth and David, red-faced. I clenched my jaw and fists tightly as I continued. "It's impossible for her to have done it! If you would do your jobs correctly, you should know that she doesn't know Darkness spells at all. She doesn't even have that colour, for all anyone knows! Her colour is Element. . . And the victim would have easily overpowered her to start with, as she was much larger than her. There were clear signs of a struggle that you missed!"

I exhaled sharply, aggravated. For a small moment I wished I could tear out my hair, before realising I’d miss it. They missed so much, and it had almost cost us everything. My sister is a lot of things, but a murderer is not one of them.

The officer just stared at me, clear-eyed, for what felt like an eternity. I was in disbelief that they couldn't give this up. At this point, I was through working with the Maji Guard. I couldn't work with them like this. As I saw it, we needed a new agency to do what the Maji Guard were incapable of handling.

"I think we've got off on the wrong foot here, Ms Kairine. . ." replied the officer at last. So he knew my name. That was good. Then he should know that I didn't mess around, and that I had done their job for them far too many times. "I am Officer Tarda," he continued, gazing at me with a smile. He had medium cut wavy black hair and tanned white skin.

"And I, for once, am not on the side of most of the Guard who believe that your sister committed this crime. You are absolutely right. There was a lot at the scene that was overlooked, and I am impressed that you picked it all out. You are, as they say, a remarkable young lady."

I was utterly bewildered. What was all of this about? "If you're on our side, then why are you here?"

"Because I need your help." He responded as he rose from his seat and approached me. His posture was calm, and he spoke softly, holding his cap in his hands. "All of this goes much deeper than just this murder. I'm afraid that I have stumbled into a conspiracy. A conspiracy centred around your sister for some reason that I intend to find out."

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Seth as he shot from his seat. "A conspiracy within the Guard? Do you realise what you're saying? That's a heavy accusation you’re throwing around!"

Tarda nodded. "I know what I am saying, and I would not be here otherwise. . . For the past few days, I have been working to figure out why they're obsessed with this young girl," he explained as he stood his ground. "What I have found is that this may go even further than the Maji Guard, though I can't be certain. That is why I am here. If there is anyone who can figure this all out, it is your goddaughter."

For a long time, I was unsure of what to say. Just the previous night, David had told me he believed someone was targeting Zoe intentionally. And now, here was this officer who had found the same thing, apparently. All of this seemed a little too convenient.

I wondered if maybe David had invited Tarda over. I focused intently, reaching into the man's mind. Sifting through his thoughts and emotions, I searched for anything that might corroborate what he was saying. I could sense an air of confidence and strength from him, but with a hint of nervousness.

I really hope she believes me. I have nowhere else to turn, said the thought swirling around his head.

Finally, taking a deep breath and exhaling, I said, "He's not lying, Seth." Sometimes being a psion had its advantages, even though I struggled with the ethics of some of my powers. Prying into someone else’s mind pained me; not physically, but it felt wrong to me. Like something to be ashamed of. "We'll help you. But we do this my way."

Tarda nodded excitedly as he sighed. Relief, I felt. "Absolutely. I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, I've been following your career with great interest since last year," he responded with a wide smile. "I'm excited to see what you can do on your own. You will do amazing things in the future, I think."

I didn't know about that. First, I had to survive my teenage years, Seth, and school, not necessarily in that order. After the last few days, I wasn't too concerned about surviving my sister any longer. She’s relaxed a lot toward me recently.

"What are your thoughts?" asked David, staring at me. I had been wondering when he would weigh in.

Thinking it over for a moment, I knew that obviously the Guard couldn't be trusted. So, we'd need to do this alone, and a place to work. Working from home made me feel uncertain. I felt that would get a little too crowded. I also didn't trust Seth; I felt he was still too beholden to the government and hence to the Maji Guard. So it would have to be just Zoe, David, Fleur, Tarda, and me.

"Zoe, you can come out now." I said finally, turning back to the hallway where I knew she was still listening in. "It's safe."

Slowly, she came out, looking at all of us in turn. I sensed fear emanating from her. But that didn't make any sense. She was the bravest person I knew. "What are you afraid of?" I asked her pointedly.

She stared at me wide-eyed, scoffing, then shook her head vehemently. "I'm not afraid!" she replied in a shaky voice. Though I knew that was a lie, even just based on her shifting posture and the way she hugged herself. She was afraid, and I sensed it had something to do with Tarda, even though he made no move toward her. Instead, he remained right where he was standing. She didn't trust him. That much was obvious.

From him, I was sensing. . . Caution, I thought. His posture seemed tense. His left foot started inching back. He kept glancing from me to her, biting his lip. I think he’s anxious. He doesn’t want to do anything that might set her off.

"Zoe. . ." I responded finally, gazing at her with gentle eyes. "It's okay. He's not here on the Maji Guard's behalf. He's here because he wants my help in order to help you."

She stared at me for a moment, then back at him. Her jaw was clenched so tightly I thought she’d crack a tooth. Then her gaze turned to David, who simply nodded at her. Finally, her muscles appeared to ease up, and her gaze softened. "Fine. . . But I'm watching him. He makes one move I don't like, I'll set his hair on fire!"

I laughed as I looked at Tarda. That was fair, and that sounded more like the sister I knew. Turning back to him, I said, "Do you know of anywhere we can go to work?"

"I've got you. . ." said David, finally pitching into the conversation. I had wondered where his head was at, but he appeared to be standing back and allowing me to handle things. I thought that was curious, though I appreciated it. Approaching me, he continued, "Give me till noon, I'll call you," as he kissed me atop my forehead.

Instantly my cheeks flushed as I took a step back. I was not at all prepared for that level of intimacy and felt he was moving a little too fast.

He stood there, staring at me for a second before saying, "I'm sorry. . . Too soon?"

I nodded with a slight smile, taken aback by his sudden recognition of my discomfort. "Slow it down just a little," I whispered.

He smiled back as he turned to leave. I glanced back at Zoe, who was smirking. "Kairine and David. . ." she started in a sing-song voice, before stopping as I made a wave with my hand.

"Don't make me start on you about Fleur."

Seth gawked at her in surprise. "Fleur?" he asked. Oh, that's right, I thought. He didn't know about her. . . Oops. She'd never forgive me now.

She stood back, red-faced, as she stared daggers at me. But then Seth surprised us both. . .

"I'm happy for you, Zoe," he said. "While we're on the subject. . . There is someone I would like you to meet, Kairine. Zoe already knows her."

I was stunned by his sudden admission, but I remembered back to when I read Zoe's thought's "So that's what that was about?" I asked her, hoping she would take my meaning.

She nodded as she said, "It's this professor at school, Gricia Shanine. . . My Mystia Casting professor, actually. I didn't know he actually asked her out, though." She glanced back at him, expecting him to say something.

"Actually, Zoe. . . I've been seeing her for the past few months," he answered as he looked back at me. "And it's getting pretty serious. So I wondered if you two might want to meet us for dinner, so you can get to know her?"

"Sure," I replied right away, as I stared back at Zoe. "But I'm bringing David. And Zoe, I think you should ask Fleur to come as well."

She glared at me in response. I felt as though she would explode on me at any moment. For a long time, there was an awkward silence that filled the room, even as Seth filed out, saying that he had work to do. I didn't know who would blink first, me or her.

Then, without a word, she turned and stomped out of the room. Would she do as I suggested and ask Fleur along? I wasn't sure. But I could never be sure with her. I knew I had upset her, and it was best to just give her space and time to cool off.

Tarda had gone to deal with work at the Maji Guard station, leaving me to contend with my angry sister alone while I waited for David to call. She ignored me for the entire rest of the morning and afternoon. I felt as though she would remain angry with me forever. I tried apologising to her through her door, but I got no response.

Finally, I left the apartment and went for a walk around the city. If she were going to ignore me, I might as well give her space and take some time to myself. Something David had just told me the previous night—come to think of it, I was pretty certain Fleur had said the same thing. Maybe there was something to it.

The sun shone high in the bright blue sky, not a single cloud cluttering it. The heat was almost unbearable, as it always was at this time of day, around forty Celsius. I felt like I was boiling and baking simultaneously as I wiped the sweat from my eyes. I hated the outdoors, especially during the afternoon hours.

Striding to the side of the apartment complex, which was shaded by palm trees and some grassy shrubs, I sighed and leaned back against the wall.

Just then, I was startled as I felt a dry, scaley thing rub against my hand. I glanced down to see a. . . Dragron? The large, four-legged lizard looked back at me with its dark eyes, its tongue flicking at the air and its thick, powerful tail swinging back and forth. Was it happy to see me? This is Zoe's Dragron, isn't it? I ran my hand down its long, narrow snout. I was unsure why it appeared to like me so much. Though I had to admit, it had sort of grown on me as well.

"So this is where she stashed you," I whispered to it.

It emitted a low growl, which I understood as a yes. Despite what scholars believed, I knew Mystimon could in fact understand us, and that they attempted to communicate back to us in different ways.

The giant lizard shot its head toward the apartment. Before sighing, I cast a glance back as well. "I think she's angry with me. . ." I said to it. My mind flashed to Fleur. "She's angry with me because I just outed her to Seth. But of course, she hates him. She makes no secret of it."

I went over and sat down by the palm tree as the lizard followed me, laying its head on my lap. I cracked a smile as I caressed it, pondering what I might have done differently that morning. First of all, I was shocked that Seth was seeing someone. I never thought I would see the day, and maybe in my shock and desperation at the moment to not be alone at this dinner he had invited me to, I suggested Fleur come along. My intuition told me she wasn't prepared for Seth to find out, and in all likelihood, she never would be. But she also trusted me to keep her secret, and I broke that trust. So her anger was justified.

Exhaling, I glanced down at the lizard, which looked back up at me with its big black eyes, unique patterns appearing on its brownish-red leathery skin in the scorching sunlight. "I know. . . I need to apologise to her. It was wrong of me to expose her like that. I get it. . ." I said, shaking my head in disgust at myself. It seemed things were finally good between us, and now I had gone and ruined that. "She'll probably never trust me again after this. . ."

I wiped my eyes as I gazed up at the palm trees above us—I hadn't even realised I was crying. As I glanced back down at it, I coughed a laugh. "Look at me. . . I'm sobbing with a Dragron in my lap. Who would have thought that would happen?"

Dragrons were infamous for having a poor attitude and a short temper. Yet this one appeared entirely different from all that I had read about them. Was the literature wrong? Did we have them all wrong, or was that just this one's personality?

"It's a shame you can't imprint Mystimon. . ." said a voice. As I glanced up, I was taken aback to see Zoe standing there, leaning against the side of the building. How long had she been standing there, and how much had she heard? She exhaled a heavy, frustrated sigh. "Look, Kairine. . . I don't like what you did in there. But I don't hate you either. We're sisters, so how could I?"

I shook my head. "I had no right to blurt all of that out. . . You were right to be angry. I'm sorry, I should have considered your feelings before saying what I did."

She cracked a slight smile as she strolled over and slumped back against the tree next to me. "I appreciate that. . ." she replied, as she reached her hand across to Dragron, who merely glanced up at her as though she had just insulted it. Sighing, she looked at me. "But there have been a lot of times, I know, when I said some things that I shouldn't have. A lot of times when I should have considered your feelings. So. . . I'm sorry, too. I just. . . I'm still figuring out this whole sister thing. I'm still not accustomed to it. . ."

"Neither am I," I laughed. "So I suppose we just need to give one another some patience. . . Is that what you're saying?"

She pursed her lips as she nodded. "Yeah. . ." She shrugged as she glanced up at the sky as a flock of what I guessed to be Aeriors—a small white bird Mystimon—flew past. I'd never seen them around Calrune before. "Seth, surprisingly, has said nothing about it. I expected him to blow up at me or something. But. . . Nothing."

"When did he start dating?" I asked her plainly.

She looked back at me. "A month or two ago, as he said. . . Though, to tell you the truth, I'm surprised he said anything about it so soon. He was really embarrassed to tell you, in particular. Don't ask me why," she groaned. "But he's dating my professor, so I kind of knew just by virtue of being around when he was chatting with her."

"What's she like?"

"She's nice. . . Though very analytical. You'd like her a lot," she chuckled. "She's calm and really gentle. And way too patient. There have been so many times when she should have given me detention, something. . . But nothing. So, to tell you the truth, I get even worse just to get some kind of reaction out of her. I swear to you, Kairine. . . I think she's a robot."

I laughed as I leaned my head back against the tree. "Reminds me of what you thought of me just a few months ago. . . How things change."

"But you proved me wrong! She won't react, no matter what I do! I feel like I'd have to blow something up before she'll say something!"

I thought about that for a moment. This woman, as Zoe described her, sounded increasingly interesting to me. Would she be able to soften the hard edge I've always felt Seth had? I was resolved to find out.