The next five days were perhaps the happiest in Nina's life after that certain, terrible twist of fate. Facing each other from the opposite ends of a table, strolling side to side along forest paths, sitting on the bank of a pond, the Windian girl and Master Yoji talked, contemplated and sometimes (although extremely rarely) even argued about everything concerning the wondrous power that was magic. The wizard told her about the basics of sorcery, how a spell-caster should hold the utmost of respects towards the power he or she shaped. Magic was not just a tool. It was a companion, a power to be held in a high esteem. If it was treated wrongly, the magic would turn against its wielder, just like a betrayed man could turn his back to a former 'good friend'. "Even the most wicked of witches", a smiling Yoji put it, "acknowledges this fact."

Nina absorbed all this voraciously. Although magic frightened her a little, it also evoked some sort of a warm, bright feeling deep inside her. Its complicated ways were not easy to learn, but she was thankful for that, too. Magic served as a strong way for her to distract her thoughts from her memories and the dark mark that, no matter where she went, always loomed (literally) behind her back.

Just like Nina had already put it before, there was something… magical about magic.

"Well", Yoji replied calmly, "it wouldn't be called magic otherwise, would it now?"

* * * *

The heavy door slid open soundlessly, supported by its well-oiled hinges… Or at least, Nina thought that the door of Ayena's magic shop was supported by well-oiled hinges… Or at least by some sort hinges… Or maybe it was…

Ah, never mind, Nina decided. Thoughts like these were one of the side effects magic caused in every new student. Just a few lessons under the tutoring of Master Yoji had made Nina's head buzz with dozens of "Why" or "What if"-questions about every single arcane (and non-arcane) item in Ayena's shop.

Such was the power of curiosity, the wish to learn more.

The Windian girl was just drawing breath to say "Good morning" to Ayena, whom she knew to be always hustling about her shop at this time of day, when she noticed that the sorceress was currently talking to a customer. Clapping her mouth shut, Nina slid into the room as quietly as she could, not wanting to bother Ayena's business.

"…and there naturally are some tomes concerning the art of summoning in my stock --" the sorceress was just saying. As she spoke, her blue eyes glanced in Nina's direction and she acknowledged the Windian with a little nod. "-- but in general, I don't deal with demons too much. You know how some common villagers can be, really careful around magic. Anything concerning demons would truly make nervous wrecks out of them."

"Ahh…that iss… a pity", her customer replied from somewhere in the direction of the bookshelves.

Nina's eyes widened at this quiet, hissing voice. Just like before, a shiver of sudden chill slid up and down her spine. Slowly she turned around in the direction of the speaker.

A heavy, broad cloak covered the thin frame of Essar Shoo completely, but still, the snake-wizard's form was unmistakable. The dark-red color of that cloth, the high, stiff collar and the black beret decorated with an enormous, fiery-red feather, everything matched far too well. He was standing before the bookshelves, his back turned at Nina. By his hunched posture the Windian could tell that the snake-wizard was currently examining one book or another.

Their terrible adventure at Capitan, the nightmarish chase of the assassins, the death of her two dear friends and companions, a pair of raven-black wings, it was as if all those memories had suddenly risen over Nina in one enormous, dark surge. Slowly she drew a shaking breath, hoping from the bottom of her heart that the snake-wizard would not turn around just yet. Those eyes…

"Well, there would be no challenge in life if you alwayss have everything you need", Essar stated with a submissive tone. There was an echoing snap! as the snake-wizard shut the book and returned it into the bookshelf. "Anyway, may I have a look at those sspellbookss? Perhapss…ssssss?"

With those words he turned around, his heavy cloak shuffling gently. Instantly, those gateways of shining darkness serving as his eyes focused into Nina. A purple, forked tongue lashed out from his mouth and slid back in within an eye-blink. Something that could (with some imagination) have served as amazement passed over his reptilian face.

Again, Nina felt how those eyes struck directly through her, reading her like an open book, persuading, beckoning, encouraging her to reveal her greatest secrets for the snake-wizard.

"Sso…" Essar finally stated, "we meet again… Misss Anina."

"He-hello", was all Nina could reply. Although Essar was Aryn's contact and had helped them several times, he was one of those people Nina really did not wish to meet without the self-confident presence of the bodyguard to support her. She always felt so… vulnerable… in his presence…

In the following moment of silence, Ayena's eyes moved from the girl to the wizard and back again. "Mr. Shoo? Do you know Miss Anina?" Nina was thankful that the sorceress's wit had been quick enough to catch the false name and use it with a natural tone of voice.

"Aye", Essar replied. Releasing Nina from the charm of his eyes the snake-wizard turned and strolled across the shop. "We have -- or had, if the rumorss hold true -- a mutual friend." Even while speaking he aimed a meaningful side-glance at Nina, who flinched at his remark. "Ah… The rumors do hold true, it sseemss… But enough about that, Lady Ayena. About those bookss…"

It seemed that the sorceress refused to be led astray. She did not budge from her place, her blue eyes locked with the reptilian ones as she drew her breath to ask something. She never managed to say anything as the door flung once again open and a laughing form of Raven marched inside. The dark-hair was followed -- considerably more quietly -- by Master Yoji.

"Hey, sis!" Raven exclaimed, speaking to her DEAR sister for the first time in a greater while, "Your mixture worked. The bird's alright again. Now we don't have to-- " Sensing the tensed atmosphere currently dominating the Magic Shop, she quieted down. "Ah, sis? You got business here?"

"Not really", Essar answered, giving Raven a polite nod. The large feather in his beret swayed by this motion. "It sseemss that I am unable to find what I wish from Lady Ayena'ss collection." Turning to the sorceress, the snake-wizard added quietly: "'Till we meet again…"

He was just about to cross the floor to the front door when something seemed to occur to him. Turning to face Nina, Essar gave her a little nod and said pleasantly: "I am most pleased to ssee you unharmed, Misss Anina… I am ssure Aryn would feel the ssame, too."

"I am sure he would", Nina replied, actually managing to keep her voice level before those yellow-black eyes. Perhaps the presence of Master Yoji, an experienced sorcerer and her teacher in the Arts Arcane, gave her the confidence she so often lacked in this situation.

Speaking of Master Yoji… The elderly wizard had halted just before the doorway on the very first moment his eyes had happened to focus onto the snake-sorcerer. He had been quiet and unmoving during this entire conversation. As Essar moved to the door, the sorcerer's and the snake-wizard's eyes met for a tiniest of moments.

When dealing with magic users, one might never truly know their power by the outer appearance alone. However, wizards themselves rarely had such problems.

Something passed between Yoji and Essar, a spark of recognition, perhaps. Yoji's face was suffused by a mien of mild puzzlement, mixed with a polite smile used between the practitioners of the same profession.

Essar did not answer that smile. He acknowledged the fellow wizard by a little bow. "Essar Sshoo of the Hadiyashi sschool."

"Master Louis Yoji of Hometown's Great School of Magic. Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure iss mine…" Essar hissed absently as pushed past the wizard and closed the door behind him.

Silence filled the shop. It was as if the snake-wizard had left his quiet atmosphere behind him. Finally, Raven spoke out with her usual, brisk tone of voice: "Well, that was an odd case, even for a wizard."

"He's creepy", Nina said. She let out a long sigh, closed her eyes and leaned her back against a bookshelf.

"Hadiyashi school…" Yoji mumbled, stroking his beard. "It's -- uh -- a school spending much of its time dealing with demonology and the element of fire…"

* * * *

Outside, a few steps from the front door of Ayena's Trading Post of Arts Arcane, Essar Shoo hissed with mild detestation as a gust of wind tossed his heavy cloak open. Such a weak chill would not have bothered a normal human, but Essar's scaled skin detected even the slightest drop of temperature. Although the mountain range was in a several days' distance to the west, the wind blowing from that direction held a certain amount of coldness in it.

Carefully rearranging his robes and cloaks around him, the snake-wizard let his eyes wander across the small village, his mind making notes and thinking possibilities of his surroundings every passing moment. Then he turned, his long tail sliding behind him, and began heading for the village's only inn. Hopefully, they would have a hot fireplace there… A hot fireplace next to which he could coil up and think about this new card in the game.

Wizards and sorcerers always posed a certain threat for Essar. Only the most skilled users of magic could notice anything… odd… about him, but still, every wizard held a possibility, a danger. Essar greatly disliked the idea of someone uncovering something unpleasant about his nature. With this new card in the game, he would have to be careful.

Master Yoji had… noticed something. The snake-wizard was sure of that.

* * * *

A bolt of pure white light sped through the air. With a brilliant, dazzling flash it hit the dark-brown bark of a tree and disappeared, leaving only fading, multi-colored sparks behind. Clenching her teeth, Nina shut her eyes tightly and began the process anew, her hands weaving the spell into air with almost angry strokes. Her lips moved as she quietly chanted the words. Sweat sparkled and glimmered on her forehead because of the strain.

A bolt of light, bright yellow this time, darted from her fingertips and slammed into the tree with a crimson flash. Letting out a long-held sigh, Nina wiped a golden tendril out from her face. Then she again pressed her eyes tightly close and resumed her spellcasting.

The last syllable of the spell. Nina opened her eyes just in time to see how her best efforts just sparkled and sputtered on her fingertips. A feeble attempt to form a bolt of pure light.

Concentrate! she reminded herself, sighing with frustration. Magic never works if you let your mind wander… Let's try it once more…

Again she pressed her eyes shut and sought for the words. Three gestures to evoke, fourth to hold it back and let it gather…

Fifth gesture to send the light on its way.

Nina finished the spell and opened her eyes to see the results.

Nothing happened.

A submissive sigh passing through her lips, the Windian girl shrugged and lifted her gaze at the azure sky. After a moment of staring into the nothingness she bent down to pick up a towel she had ready for this purpose and began drying up her face. She was unsure how much of that dampness was sweat and how much tears.

"Err…Letting off -- uh -- steam, Miss Nina?" asked a familiar voice of Master Yoji. Nina turned to see how the elderly wizard walked along the path that circled around the little pond… the little pond that had become so familiar to the Windian girl these days. "Please excuse me if I interrupt you."

"I… suppose so", Nina replied and wiped her forehead with the towel. Hesitantly, reluctant to hear the answer, she asked: "Did you… see that last one I cast? Hopeless, wasn't it?"

Yoji nodded as he came closer. One of his wizened hands gently stroked his neatly trimmed beard. It was a familiar sign for Nina to prepare for yet another of the wizard's lectures. "No offence meant, Miss Nina, but I believe you are trying too hard… Yes, magic requires work and labor, but you should never force yourself on a spell. Magic obeys your command much better if you… persuade… it to do your bidding, not force it into its shape… and… " With some effort the elderly wizard bent down to face the Windian girl squarely eye-to-eye. Carefully he wiped a drop of sweat from her eyebrow. "You should learn to concentrate on the spell itself, not to think about whatever Mr. Shoo has done to you."

Nina's eyes widened. "How did you…?"

"Ah, but a poor teacher I would be if I wouldn't know when something troubles my apprentices", Yoji answered with a fatherly smile on his lips. He lifted his hand in a silencing gesture. "Have no fear. I won't ask what has happened between him, you and… your other friends. It would be most, uh, impolite to inquire such things."

There was a short silence between the two. They could clearly hear how the birds chirped quietly in the trees.

"Thank you", Nina finally said.

Yoji just nodded. After a moment he decided to change the subject: "Um… Lady Ayena has finally arranged the scroll ink components I came to buy from her. I'll be departing for Hometown and the Great School of Magic tomorrow." He kept another pause, allowing his meaning to sink into the Windian girl's mind. "I thought -- uh -- would you like to…" His voice trailed off and he cast a glance at Nina.

"…To follow you there? To study magic in the School? Like all the other pupils there?" Nina turned her black-winged back to the wizard and slowly walked to the shore of the pond. "I'd -- I'd love to study magic in a school, but what if…if…" She let her head fall, watching how her own image was reflected from the clear waters of the pond. Quietly she bit her lip.

Why did this sudden fear grip her? All her life she had been taught by private teachers, all the way from her days in the Royal Family to her recent travels. The thought of being in a class with many, many other students, looking at her, talking to her, teasing her, being angry at her, was a new and… frightening… idea. Because of her wings, she would certainly be the center of everyone's attention there. She couldn't hide in a classroom, not like in the streets of some unknown city.

She hated being the center of attention.

Master Yoji understood her hesitation -- fortunately -- in a wrong way. Nervously and apologetically he cleared his throat. "I'm afraid studying in the School will require money. I cannot make an exception for you. Even a teacher has to obey some rules there." He kept a pause, a pause just long enough for Nina to imagine him swallowing. When he continued again, there was true concern in his voice: "I hope you can gather enough money for it. Of -- of course I'll do whatever I can to help you. It would be a great pity to let your talents flow to waste."

She blinked her eyes.

I have talents in magic? A tiny smile quietly made its way to her lips. He thinks I could be a good sorceress…

To have someone have faith in you… It was a feeling she had not felt in a long time. The feeling of not having to constantly rely on others, the feeling that she, too, could do something to her life. It felt… It felt good.

Something touched her leg, something warm and silky soft. A quiet purr came out from Cat's throat. Nodding, Nina bent down to pick up the coal-black animal into her lap, caressing its velvet fur with gentle fingers.

"Somehow", she said, turning around with a submissive yet hopeful mien on her face. Then most of that face was hidden as she snuggled her cheek against Cat's silken ears. The animal enjoyed the attention, its yellow eyes glimmered with satisfaction. "I'll manage."

* * * *

"Just how many packets you are going to stash here?" Raven puffed with frustration as Ayena tossed yet another tightly packed bundle into her hands. Wiping sweat from her brow, the dark-hair bent down to cram the packet among the many others arranged into her wagon. "My wagon is meant for my birds, not for delivery service."

"Oh, quit moaning and put this in there", Ayena commanded as she turned to pick up a bag from the temporary transport system she used to haul her goods. This "system" was a large disc, made of dim, bluish light and hovering in mid-air, supported by absolutely nothing. It was still half-filled with an assorted collection of pouches, packets and bundles. Every one of them had been equipped with a little label revealing its contents and to whom it was meant. "And handle these bags with care, you hear me, sis? Some of these have contents that do not like rough going."

Up on the wagon, Raven straightened herself up and put her hands to her hips. "Like what?"

"Oh, not too much", Ayena answered with a belittling tone of voice and tossed the bag into Raven's hands, "Just acids, man-eaters, elementals, imprisoned demons --"

"WHAT?!" Raven's sudden shout sent her birds fluttering and squawking in their cage in the other end of the wagon.

Ayena rolled her eyes and wiped a braid of her long hair out from her face. "Joke, joke. Now get cracking or we'll be wasting entire morning with this."

"Sheesh. You're merciless, sis. I know I promised you to take some bags for someone", Raven complained, jamming the bag among the others, "but it doesn't mean that I'd let you load it to overflowing!"

Down on the ground, Ayena chuckled and shrugged. "Well, since you were going in Hometown's direction anyway…"

"I'm going there?!" This was a little bit too much for Raven. Letting the latest bundle fall from her hands, she leapt down from her wagon and stood to face her sister eye-to-eye. "Well, sis, that's news to me!"

"Oh, yes", Ayena said with a superior air about her, "If you don't want me to turn you into a frog or fill your pretty face with warts, you're going there."

They glowered at each other, two women of the same height and coloring, two women with rather scary expressions on their faces. With some imagination, an outside observer could have seen bolts of lightning crackling between their eyes. It was moment when even the bravest of men and greatest of warriors ducked for shelter.

It was a sunny morning, one of those days when the weather seemed to be absolutely perfect for traveling. The sky was clear and blue, a gentle breeze rustled the lush, green leaves of trees. Raven's biruburu snorted and grazed contentedly on a meadow a little distance away. All around them the villagers were heading for their fields or coming from fishing, exchanging their traditional everyday greetings with their neighbors. Many of them seemed to be ready to toss a greeting to Lady Ayena, too, but after noticing her situation with her dearest sister, they decided otherwise. Only a fool meddles with sibling-wars.

"Look sis", Ayena finally gave up, tossing her hands into air, "You won't go there alone, anyway. Master Yoji's also departing for the School today and I heard the girl is going with him. You like that lass, don't you?"

"You mean Nina?" Smiling to her triumph over her sister, Raven climbed back into her wagons and resumed her work, talking while puttering over Ayena's packets. "So she's actually decided to try a career as a sorceress. Poor girl", she added with a sly smile, "She still has to learn that magic melts the brains out of a woman."

"Oh, shut up, sis", Ayena replied with an accustomed manner, tossing a soft bundle right into Raven's face.

"Ah, good morning!" Master Yoji announced as he and Nina approached the wagon from the direction of the village's inn. The elderly wizard was dressed into his long, blue traveling coat, a pair of wide, dark pants and long-legged traveling boots. He had completed the picture by pressing a soft leather hat onto his silvery locks. He stopped next to the wagon and gave one nod for each of the women. "Lady Ayena. Miss Raven. Are we ready to go?"

"It might still take a little while", Ayena said, returning the wizard's nod with a little curtsy.

"Aye", Raven grumbled, struggling with the bundles, "From the looks of it, my dearest sister's entire shop needs to be transported to Hometown. Oof!! What's in this packet? Books?"

"Handle those things with care!" Ayena exclaimed. "They are valuable."

"Yeah, yeah…" Raven tossed the packet among the others with calculated carelessness. Then she looked up and smiled. "Morning, Nina. A big day for you, huh? You slept well?"

"Yes", Nina answered her smile, fingering the soft brim of the new, green-and-brown traveling dress Lady Ayena had bought for her from the village's tailor. (Or, actually, the sorceress had simply told the tailor that she needed a dress. Judging by the speed and enthusiasm the kind man had worked with, he was either greatly in debt to the sorceress, deeply in love with her, or both. It certainly paid to be an important woman in a village!) The Windian girl had completed her outfit with the sea-blue cotton cloak someone had bought her just before that fateful sea journey aboard the Golden Auria. "Thanks for asking."

"Hey, Raven!" Ayena interrupted with her unhesitant style, tossing the next bag to her dark-haired sister, "You can have your small talk while traveling. I don't have all the morning. I need to take care of my shop."

"Slave driver", Raven grumbled.

"Hmm? You said something?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I did!"

The sisters glared at each other, Nina giggled and Yoji looked helpless.

* * * *

They finally got to moving after half an hour of working and preparing. Raven and Ayena never ceased their good-natured squabbling, they joked, argued and laughed together while working. Although this did not do wonders to their working speed, it was certainly an amusing show to watch. Nina was on a very good mood after everything was finally ready and the wagons jerked into a roll. The biruburu snorted and grumbled as it set its heavy paws into work, heading down a road to the west. The beast pulled its enormous load easily, it seemed to be completely oblivious for the fact that the wagon was now a considerably heavier thing to pull, with all the bags and three passengers riding along.

Lady Ayena walked alongside the wagon for a short while, talking with Raven and Master Yoji, who were sitting on the driver's bench. Soon, however, she bid her farewells (and her last teasings to Raven) and turned, heading back towards the little village and her Trading Post of Arts Arcane.

Nina spent greater part of the day just like before, laying on her back on the wagon's roof and watching the clouds and the sky. Every now and then she would just close her eyes and let the trembling beneath her lead her into a pleasant state of torpidity. She did not notice how they crossed another bridge, this one much smaller than the one at the Bridge Cape. Before she even knew it, the darkness had fallen, the yellow sun was replaced by a pale, silver moon, silently glimmering stars had appeared overhead and Raven's wagon had stopped into the large yard of a roadside inn.

* * * *

The Inn of the Snotty Sniphead was a small place, but well favored among the locals. Although it consisted of only a couple of buildings situated along the road, there seemed to be plenty of little farms nearby, since the dining room was surprisingly crowded as Raven, Yoji and Nina came in. A merry lute tune played by the local musician and backed up by noisy murmur of the customers greeted the threesome right at the door. Farmers and their wives had gathered to the inn to pass the evening in each others' company and exchange rumors with occasional travelers and wanderers. It was a roadside stop to water the mounts and get new supplies, and, of course, to wash the thirst away with the local ale.

"-- yes, I know that staying at an inn will drain our traveling money", Raven was just haranguing to Yoji as she held the door for the elderly wizard, "but a gentleman of your age just cannot sleep under the sky too much. Just think about your rheumatism, grandpa!"

"Grandpa…" Wearing an extremely embarrassed expression, Master Yoji cleared his throat. "E-excuse me, Miss Raven, but I'm not that old yet. We might have just as well stayed outside and --"

"No buts!" Raven cut him short. It seemed that the dark-hair had decided to take almost motherly care of the older man's health and -- much like her biruburu -- no amount of persuading would sway her from that decision. "We're staying at this inn and that's it, period, finish, end of the discussion! Ayena recommended this inn to me and though my sister has plenty of silly thoughts in her head, she does have an eye for quality. Now, you two go and find a free table for us, I'll go and handle our accommodation and supper, 'kay?"

"Yes, Miss Raven", Yoji sighed and gestured Nina to follow him. The wizard wandered into the crowd and did his best to ignore the quiet tittering coming from the direction of the Windian girl. "Grandpa…" he muttered. "Do I really look that old…?"

The rest of the evening passed quite comfortably, the flow of time was hastened by warm meals and the cheery company of the locals. Thanks to her outgoing and talkative nature, Raven easily drew plenty of attention to herself and created a fair amount of pleasant discussion. Even a blind man could have seen that the dark-hair was enjoying her time.

This fact became especially apparent when someone leapt standing atop a table and announced that it was time to dance. His shout was answered by loud cheering and clapping of hands. The dining room was filled with the sounds of wood scraping against wood as the local customers stood up and began pushing the tables into corners so that there would be free space in the middle of the room. The handful of travelers who had happened to stop by the inn for the night looked around in a mild confusion until they, too, seemed to catch a hold of what was happening.

"Dance?" Nina asked.

"Oh yes." It didn't require much imagination to see the sparks fluttering in Raven's eyes. "They like to do that a lot in this area. Come on!" Smiling broadly, she stood up and grabbed the Windian girl's hand. "You've got to try it out, girl!"

"I really don't know how to do it!" Reluctant to step onto any kind of place where she would draw attention to her, Nina resisted the dark-hair's pulls. However, despite her best attempts Raven managed to draw her up, grabbed her shoulders and whirled her standing next to herself.

"Look, it's easy!" the dark-hair explained, struggling to keep the Windian girl in place, "you just move your feet like this, this and this, then take a step here and let your partner turn you around. Come on! Try it!"

Even as the other people worked to clear up the floor, Nina hesitantly mimiced Raven's steps. On her own opinion, she did it incredibly clumsily. Raven and warmly smiling Yoji, as well as all the other customers who heard the Windian girl's words, naturally disagreed with her. Their encouragement made Nina feel a bit more confident, and she repeated the steps several times under the enthusiastic guidance of Raven. Yet still she claimed that she was horrible.

"It's not that you should dance perfectly, lass", one of the onlookers laughed while carrying two chairs out of the way, "it's that you have fun doing it!"

"Right to the point!" Raven snapped her fingers and grabbed Nina's hand again. "Come on! Let's have fun! Just let your partners help you. You repeat those steps a couple of times and then let him to pass you to the next one in the line!"

Nina attempted to come to a halt as Raven pushed her into a line of farmers and occasional travelers who were forming a large circle for the dance. "We're changing partners here? No…"

"Don't worry, silly!" Raven cut her short, "I'll always be dancing right next to you. No bogeyman is gonna eat you here! Now clap your mouth shut and look alive. It's beginning!"

The bard had drawn out another instrument, a long flute, which now took up a loud, merry tune. Soon it was joined by a fiddle and a tambourine, played by two other farmers. The music, however, was almost drowned under the stomping of feet as the dancers set to motion. Nina felt herself ridiculous, being led into a dance by a burly man over twice of her height. Her partner guided her through the steps with grave devotion, then turned her around and passed her to the next farmer, a slim young man, who accepted her with a smile. Nina was probably the youngest girl in the dance, but every partner took her thankfully seriously, keeping their faces and helping her forward with kind and polite moves. Her occasional stumblings were always completely ignored.

After a few switching of partners, Nina slowly began to relax. It wasn't that hard after all, the steps began feeling familiar for her. She enjoyed the dance, she enjoyed the music, but most of the all, she enjoyed the atmosphere. The feeling of familiarity, the feeling of friendship that the group of dancers had about them was somehow… warm, beautiful, peaceful…

"Hey, girl. You dance pretty well!"

Nina's eyes widened at this remark. She swallowed, snatched her eyes from her own feet, looked up at her current partner… and stumbled.

Fortunately, Aryn Seaholt had anticipated this and with a quick move he compensated Nina's faltering, turned her around and passed her to the next partner in the line. Then he turned to accept Raven and led her into the dance with equal politeness.

The rest of the dance was a misty blur of hands, stomping feet, merry music and an apparently infinite line of new partners for Nina. Stunned, all she could do was to stumble along the steps and move onward, all the while her mind whirled around a single, dazzling thought:

Previous: Chapter XVI
Next: Chapter XVIII
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