Yunho peeked through the barely cracked open door to see if his nightly guard had finally fallen asleep for the night.  He had spent the last two and a half weeks searching, plotting, trying to find a way to get to Kari.  With the bond gone, he couldn’t sense her presence or emotions or even a direction to start looking.  He had meekly played along and complied with all his captors’ restrictions until they had eased enough to let him complete his novice chores in the residence buildings instead of just the main building.  Yesterday, he had found Heka’s (and thus, Kari’s) quarters.  Tonight, he would take advantage of his guard’s tendency to sleep during his watch to see Kari.  He had to know she was okay.  And this was the only way to do it. 

He couldn’t see his face, but the guard’s snore was a pretty good indication that he was asleep.  Yunho quickly opened the door and quietly snuck by the guard’s sleeping form.  Yep, he would be asleep for hours yet.  As long as Yunho was back before the guard woke up, no one would ever know he had left his small novice room. 

For some unknown reason, the Tu, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to teach him magic along with the other first-year novices at this academy.  Of course, he didn’t speak their language, nor would anyone try to teach him, so studies had gone very slowly.  He was gradually picking up on words here and there, but he couldn’t speak anything but Elanari, even if he tried.  Several of the teachers had refused to teach him for that reason alone.  Apparently, the Tu’s hatred for the Elanari extended to their innocent victims as well.  Well, it was more like contempt for the people who ‘let’ themselves be enslaved by the Elanari than hatred.  Still, Yunho was treated like a dog that had somehow been admitted into a first-rate university by higher-ups that didn’t understand that a dog couldn’t possibly learn anything by being in the university.  Never mind the fact that his magical potential was far greater than any student they ever had. 

Halfway to Kari’s quarters, Yunho shook his head.  This line of thinking was getting him nowhere.  He should at least try to look at the good side of things.  He had learned more of the basics of magic here than he had back on Filarin, he wasn’t being locked up in a pitch-black cell anymore, and he was on his way to see his wife for the first time in almost three weeks.  Sure, it wasn’t a perfect situation, but it could be worse. 

Those thoughts sustained him during the long walk to the residence buildings.  Luckily, it was late enough that it was way past curfew for even the teachers and no one was around.  He made it to Kari’s building without seeing any sign of another soul in the compound.  It could’ve been completely empty save for himself for all intents and purposes. 

Bypassing the lifts for fear of being detected, Yunho headed up the six flights of stairs to the top floor of the building.  Kari would be at the far end of the building from the stairs.  The hallway was dark when he stepped out from the stairs.  Good, less people would see him that way.  He walked quickly to her quarters and knocked on the doors, praying it would be Kari who answered and not Heka.  He didn’t know how he would explain himself if Heka answered. 

The silence stretched on as Yunho’s anxiety at being outside Kari’s door grew.  Why was no one answering?  What if she wasn’t there?  He knocked again, as loudly as he dared, afraid of waking the other residents on the floor. 

The doors finally slid open, revealing Kari standing there in short shorts and a sleeveless shirt that must’ve served as her pajamas. 

“Yunho?  What - ?”

“Shhh.”  He quickly moved inside, forcing her to step backward or be trampled and hit the button to shut the doors.  As soon as they were shut, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked into Kari’s startled eyes.

“Yunho.  I had almost given up hope that I’d see you again.” 

“Never give up hope.  I told you before.  I will always find you.”  He took another step closer to her, disappointed when she took another step backwards.  “Is Heka here?”

She shook her head.  “No.  He left two days ago.  He said he’d be back tomorrow afternoon.”

“Then why are you backing up?”  She didn’t answer.  He took another step towards her.  This time she didn’t move.  They were so close he could feel her trembling.  “Kari, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.  I just…I just…”  She trailed off.  He suddenly realized what the problem was.

“Is it the bond?”  She nodded.  “I don’t know how to fix it.”  He gave a sardonic laugh.  “I don’t even know how I made it in the first place.” 

“Have you been okay?  Where are they keeping you?  Have they been treating you well?” 

“Yes.  I’ve been going to magic classes with their novices and they put me in the same dorms they put all their novices in.  I suppose they didn’t know what else to do with me.”

“Oh.  How are your eyes?  You were hurting pretty bad when we were brought here.”

“Completely better.  And you?  Have you been healed from your time at the hands of the general?”

“Yes.  Their healers are…impressive, to say the least.  I was cured in, like, twenty minutes.”

“Good.”  Silence stretched between them.  Yunho gazed at her face, while she seemed to look everywhere but at him.  He waited for her to say something, then realized she wasn’t going to.  Why was this so awkward for them now?  What had changed?  Had Heka tried to force her do something she didn’t want to tell him about?  He waited a few more painful moments before cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him.  He couldn’t sense her emotions through the bond, but he saw no shame in her eyes.  So, she hadn’t been forced to do anything.  Suddenly, he didn’t care why she wouldn’t look at him.  He kissed her with all the pent up passion he had been saving since their wedding night.  He had been trying to suppress his desire for her for so long.  Tonight, he would stop fighting himself.  Tonight, he was going to do what he had wanted to do since that first night they had spent locked together.  There was no resistance from either of them.  She melted into his embrace completely.  The world faded out of existence.  Nothing else mattered.  Not Heka, not Filarin, not the Tu, not the Elanari, nothing.  There was only himself and Kari.  After nearly eight months of marriage, they would finally be husband and wife, in truth, not just in name.  It was about time. 

Reina paced across the living area of the connected rooms she and Yunho had been given aboard the Elanari ship that had been sent to rescue her queen.  How had things gone so wrong?  She had never seen magic behave the way Yunho’s had on the day he disappeared.  The Elanari told her that he had been transported to the Tu ship that had kidnapped Kari.  They tried to make it seem like the Tu had kidnapped him as well, but she new the truth.  His magic had somehow pulled him to Kari.  The bond between them had been stronger than she had ever imagined.  Now, wherever they were, she had no doubt that they were together.  She just prayed they were both safe. 

The doors to her quarters opened to admit a tall, very fit, very male Elanari crewmember.  “We’ve arrived at Filarin.  It is time for you to leave this ship.  Follow me.”  She nodded.  Filarin had lost its monarchs.  As much as she wanted to continue to search for the king and queen she had grown quite attached to, her people needed her.  She had to make sure the High Wizard hadn’t completely taken over in their rulers’ absence. 

Said High Wizard was waiting for her at the gates of the Acyian t’Lialn with a serene look on his face, but anger and something akin to the light of madness seething behind his eyes.  This was going to be an interesting reunion.

The prophecies have become clearer.  The war is coming.  We must do something to stop it or we will all be destroyed.

The prophet released a puff of air from his gills in annoyance.  The other prophets were merely repeating the same warnings he had been giving for two months.  When were they going to actually decide on a course of action?  He usually had a great deal of patience, it was not unheard of for the prophets to debate simple issues for months.  But, this was becoming absurd.  These prophecies that had them all worried (and with good reason) foretold the destruction of every race and planet in the Elanari Empire.  And it was set to happen soon.  Within the next year or so.  They had to take action now to prevent the devastation from happening. 

It was becoming more and more clear to him that the other prophets were more afraid of action than they were of their people being slaughtered.  His only ally on the council swam closer to him so she could mindwhisper to him. 

I think we need to speak in private.

I agree.  He projected his next thoughts to the rest of the council.  It is clear that we are growing tired.  Why don’t we adjourn for the day?

Agreed.  They all thought in unison and swam out of the council chambers.  Of course, they could come to a decision quickly on that matter.

The other prophet released an irritated puff of air out of her gills.  They will do nothing to stop what is coming.

I know.  However, I do not see any way to change that.

I do.  We should leave the council to debate what they are going to eat for breakfast on the morrow and take matters into our own fins to stop the war.  If we don’t, we will be destroyed. 

Take action without the council’s approval?

This is bigger than the council anyway.  What’s at stake is not just Equatha, but all the peoples under the Elanari Treaty.  We have do stop this threat at all costs.

He thought for a moment.  You are right.  What should we do first? 

We should go to our sister planet and obtain the help of their rulers.  After all, they are the keys to preventing the prophecy from coming true. 

The prophet nodded.  I’ll prepare a ship.  We leave in two hours.  He hoped Filarin’s rulers would be open to listening to them.  Most other races ignored prophecies, saying that fortunetelling was a foolish branch of magic.  For the sake of everything, he had to make them see the truth.

Heka stood before his grandfather.  His meeting with the elders on the council had gone on uninterrupted for a day and a half.  He was tired and hungry.  But, more than that, he wanted to get back to the academy.  He didn’t trust Kari’s present state of depression.  He was worried that she might do something to harm herself in his absence.  He had shared his concerns with the council, but they had assured him that she would not come under any harm while he was away.  They had mistaken is concern for her wellbeing as a wish to not be parted from his mate for long.  If they knew that he had not actually mated her, they would be furious.  So, he had kept that information to himself.  For one, she was only 12, and though fully mature, the thought of mating with one so young was repulsive to him.  He had, however come to care a great deal for her.  But, his feelings were purely platonic, and he had a feeling they always would be.  She had become his friend, nothing more.  Besides, his heart belonged to another.  Though, he would never let Yurrnwol’ha know how he felt about her.  She was promised to another and he was mated.  They could never be. 

“Heka.  I know I have been harsh on you.  You have probably felt like I was disappointed in you.  And, honestly, I have been.  I am disappointed in your lack of magical potential.  However, you are my only grandchild with any magical potential.  You are the only one who can carry on my legacy.  You are my only hope for carrying on the magical heritage of the greatest clan of the Tu.  Do you understand?”

“I understand, grandfather.”

“Do you feel I have asked too much of you?”

Yes.  “No.”

“Good.  Join me for dinner tonight.  It has been far too long since we have dined together as family.”

Heka nodded his acceptance.  Tonight’s dinner was simply a way for his grandfather to make sure he had hammered his instructions from the council meeting into Heka’s brain before he was sent back to the academy.  As soon as his grandfather left the room, he shook his head.  How he wished he could be free from these unrealistic expectations.  One day, he would be crushed under them.