4

You step forward, hand on the hilt of your sword. "If you really meant to help us, Meredith, you wouldn't be going around rearranging minds as it suits you."

At first, it's hard to interpret Meredith's expression. "You mean to use that blade?" she says. "On me?"

Something about the way she vanishes into nothingness seems almost sarcastic this time. Or maybe that was just the look on her face.

"Thank you for settling that," Verity says. "I felt like I couldn't think until that creature was out of my town."

You almost expected more concern that Meredith would use her magic to hide herself away somewhere, but for all that she's spent the last few years talking down fears of them—not to mention being raised around the fear that she might become one—Verity's not accustomed to dealing with actual demons. The idea doesn't seem to have occurred to her, at least not yet.

"You had more to say," she continues, with a brief shake of her head. "Let's get back to my office."

Next

As you make your way back toward the mayor's mansion, Verity withdraws into herself, looking small and tightly wound. One of the few guards outside hails her as you pass by, but she doesn't so much as lift her head, and she doesn't greet her assistant once you're inside again.

In her office, she slumps against the plush chair behind her desk. You don't realize until then how hard she's breathing. "She's really gone, isn't she?" she asks you, lifting her head. "She doesn't mean to come back?"

"She hasn't tried to hurt you, has she?" Verity asks, sounding concerned.

"Not so far," you say. "Unless she's wiped it out of my mind."

You're not sure how seriously you meant the suggestion, but from Verity's horrified expression, you can tell which way she took it.

It feels as though you've been in Elith for ages, but looking out of Verity's window at the midday sun, you realize it could hardly have been an hour. The streets are still unnaturally quiet for the middle of the day. You wonder if the guards have ordered everyone indoors, or it's something the people of Elith have chosen on their own.

"This business with Cadafel and the prophecy," Verity says at last, heaving a sigh. "There's too much to do for me to think about it right now, really. Preparing the town for the demons' arrival. That has to be my first concern right now. But if it'll persuade you to tell the world the truth, so much the better."

She's clearly still trying to steady herself, but she's already less pale than she was when you first returned. You suppose you have the rest of the day to yourself, if there's anything you'd like to attend to in Elith before the demons arrive.

You make your farewells to Verity and proceed out to the western edge of town. You're not certain exactly what you're looking for, particularly if Meredith did leave, but you suspect you'll know it when you see it.

Sure enough, just as you pass outside the farthest row of houses on the west end of town, Meredith shimmers into existence, giving you a wary look.

"You said you'd leave," you point out.

"I'll avoid you if you'd prefer, but no more than that," Meredith says. "But, at the moment, it doesn't look like you would."

There isn't much to do but speak with her, now that you've made your way out here.

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