Chapter 18

Signe went to bed after the patrol. Her body was hurting from the lack of sleep and the extra exercise she did during the day. She was supposed to have every second day off duty, and every second one on duty, but because they were in a hurry to save up money, she had taken all the extra work she could do. This was the only day off for the week, and she decided to use it wisely.

      She slept until the afternoon sun woke her up. It was shining right through her window. She sat up with a groan and rubbed her eyes. It was so unlike her to sleep this long, even after hard work, but for some reason she was more relaxed here. She could hear Sylverion's singing through the wall and groaned again. For an Elf, a race that was known for perfection, his singing was painfully out of tune.

      With a sigh she got out of bed, got dressed, braided her hair, attached her daggers to her hips, and opened the door. She met Catia in the doorway. Catia pointed in the direction of the kitchen and shook her head. So Catia too didn't approve of Sylverion's song. Signe started to walk down the hallway, slowly, while listening to Sylverion sing. When she entered the kitchen, he met her with the biggest smile. "How are you today, Dear?" he asked while moving swiftly from one side of the kitchen to the other. He was in the middle of making dinner, and Signe decided not to disturb him. So she sat down on a chair and watched him.

      "I would've been better if I didn't wake up to your terrible singing."

      Sylverion laughed. "Smile a little, Tiger Girl. I heard it's good for you."

      Signe gave him a quick fake smile before she started to polish her daggers. "Please, Signe, no weapons in the kitchen." Signe gave him a look that, if she had the powers, could kill him. He chuckled. "You're no fun anymore. Remember when we used to have fun?"

      "So much fun," Signe said sarcastically. "Especially when you almost helped that killer turn me into a thousand parts."

      "Hundred," Sylverion said. "He turned that Elven girl into hundred parts if I remember correctly. I think a thousand parts is a little ambitious."

      Signe rolled her eyes and stood up. She was tired of Sylverion's stupid conversations. It was all a game to him where the goal was to have fun, not to survive. She headed for the door when Sylverion shouted after her: "Hey, where are you going?" Signe turned around. "Out," she said. She needed to get away from him.

      The sun was still warm, and the sunrays warmed her face. She could feel the Elven magic run through the city. She had heard about it before, how they manipulated the seasons through their bond to nature. How they made the summers longer, the winters warmer. And how they could prevent snow, rain, and wind in the city. Living here made her see it with her own eyes.

      At some point she had thought of coming here to practice magic at the Court of the High Elves. But then she met Tor and started to learn the Art of Dark magic, and without knowing, turning her back at the Light pure magic of the High Elves. There was no going back from that. When someone turned to the Dark, they shut out the Light forever.

      She used to regret going down the Dark path. It seemed easy back then. But that was a long time ago. Eventually she stopped thinking about it. Eventually she accepted that the Dark powers were now a part of her.

      Signe headed to the market. The food stalls were neatly lined up in a big square on the right side of the road. They had made small paths in between each stall. Signe started to walk in between them, looking at the food and drinks, fruits, and vegetables. People were trading cloths for food and the other way around. Some bought it with gold, but in the Elven city nobody was rich nor poor and everyone helped each other. The gold was just a currency for humans, something the Elves needed to strike deals with what they considered the lesser race.

      At the far end of the market she found a stall that sold smoked and cured meat. She pointed at a nice piece of dried pork meat. It would be enough to feed them all for the next three days. "How much?" she asked. She looked at the man behind the counter. He looked familiar. The man looked her up and down, a flash of recognition in his eyes. She knew those eyes. "Signe," he said, walking around the counter and embracing her in a hug. "My daughter. It's been forever since we last saw each other."

      Signe froze in his hug. The man looked nothing like her father. His hair was grey, his eyes tired and his body old and exhausted after years of hard work. But it was him. As soon as he embraced her, she knew. "Father," she said with tears in her eyes. She hugged him back, and let his strong arms embrace her.

      "What are you doing here?" she asked while looking into his dark brown eyes. He looked away. "It's a long story," he said. "After you left, the business went downhill. Your mother, she started to talk about what happened, about how you left us. Eventually everyone knew about Iver, what he had done. They also knew he had your mother's support. They turned on us, refused to buy meat from us and stopped coming to her for healing aid. Hirin was the safest place to come to, the only place that would allow me to put up a tiny stall and sell my catch. I know you're probably still angry with us, but I want you to know that I never stopped missing you."

      Her father took a deep breath and sighed before he continued. "I'm not staying long. Only until tomorrow. You should come. Even after everything that happened, your mother still misses you. And your sister," he added. Signe pulled away and shook her head. She took her father's hand and squeezed it. "Helia probably doesn't want anything to do with me. I left without telling her. She probably think I abandoned her."

      He shook his head. "Give it a chance. Please. We want you to come home."

      "Father, I have to tell you something first," Signe said, lowering her voice. He leaned in closer. "I fled Kaldria with a young man. Our destinies are intertwined with each other, a prophecy was spoken. We're destined to great things. And the Council wanted him. I think they want to kill him. But father, he's innocent in all this. I couldn't let them have him."

      Her father squeezed her hand back. With sad eyes he said: "Signe, when you left, I had never thought your life would end up like this. I don't know if I should be frightened or not. What I do know is that the best thing for you is to come home."

      Signe pulled away and turned her back at him. "You know nothing, father," she said. "If the Council find out, they will kill all of us. The whole town. We're not safe anywhere. Not even here."

      "But this is a free city. It's a Safe Haven."

      "That's what the Council wants you to believe. If they wanted to, they could alter the deal with the High Elves to their favor. They could force us out. The only reason they haven't done it yet is because they don't know we're here."

      Her father sighed. "My offer still stands. If or when you find out you want to come home, I will open my arms for you."

      "What about Caine? And his sister?"

      "Bring them both. Remember, tomorrow. If you're not here by sunrise, I'll take that as a no. But know that you're welcome. We want you to come home."

      He went behind the counter and packed up the meat she asked for. He handed her the food, his eyes sad but hopeful. She knew they couldn't go. He knew too. But the hope in his eyes was unmistakable. Signe was just sad she had to hurt him once again.

      She started to head back to the road when a familiar energy signature made her freeze. She quickly looked around but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. But the energy was unmistakable. Adriel. He was here. She closed her eyes, pictured the anxiousness leaving her body. A feeling of calmness came over her and she knew what she had to do. She quickly walked back to Sylverion's house, ready to shake up their lives once more.

      Sylverion was still in the kitchen, humming, when she came home. Signe sat down at the table. Caine and Catia came out of their room. "Come," Signe said and signaled for them to sit. Sylverion stopped cleaning. "We need to talk."

      "I believe we do," Sylverion said.