Clarissa   Blake was the first to step away from the tender moment they shared. Clarissa giggled as he held a set of plain wooden doors open for her. Blinding sunlight filled the corridor.  She stepped through into a small private garden. The flowers were brightly colored and beautiful. Their aroma permeated the air heavily. It felt like a slice of heaven.  A quick glance revealed they were alone. Her heartbeat swiftly in the cage of her ribs. She already shared an intimate connection with her tall, dark friend. He led her to a nearby bench and took her hands as they sat down. Once again, his entire focus was on her. She fought the urge to squirm under his scrutiny.

Blake’s POV   After leaving Clarissa in her room, Blake went to his own. He paced back and forth. His emotions were a mess.  She was such an enchantress! Memories of them playing and sneaking off into the forest assaulted him. He worked so hard to push them back for so long, until the day he told Blake to capture her and bring her to his people. He sighed and plopped down on his bed. What was he going to do? What would he do with her if he allowed his benefactor to keep Clarissa? What did he want with her?  After everything that Blake had been through, he asked himself why he still cared. The sight of her sitting in the garden swam before him, and he groaned. She was so beautiful

  Stefan’s POV   After discovering where the stranger took Clarissa, Stefan forced his horse into a full-speed gallop the entire way and made it to the Olc monastery outskirts before the sun went down that day. As he entered town, the sun was setting.  He slid adeptly from his horse in the center of the crowded huts outside the gates. If there were that many people living outside the walls, he could imagine how populated it was inside the gates.  How long would it take to find Clarissa? He had to decide where to start looking for her. If she was still here, she could be outside the gates. Looking around, he quickly determined how unlikely that was. Outside, all the buildings were domestic mud huts. Not likely to house an adventurer

  Blake   At first, Blake was surprised how open Righ was with him because Blake had not sworn an oath of fealty. But the king was living in exile, which meant that his conversation partners were limited.  If Blake were in Righ’s shoes, he would be grateful to have someone to talk to who wasn’t magically bound to him. It was most likely why Righ did not force him into an oath in the first place. What would Blake do about any of the information Righ shared anyway? He was a neutral party. He served the king as long as it served him.  Yet Blake did not want to be an enemy of the king. He had no doubt the Olc Order would clear him of the celestial curse and soon. A freed King Righ would be a nightmare of an enemy. But he already proved

Righ    Righ threw his arms up in celebration as the pearl grew black again. When Blake said he had Clarissa with him, Righ had to see for himself. And he was not disappointed. The relic was on his way to him, and it would not be long until he was reunited with what mattered most. He felt so excited and alive. A long time ago, he forgot what this felt like. Righ rang a bell that sat by the side of his throne, and a busty woman with long black hair came rushing into the room. She wore red leather armor that left her arms and legs bare. She carried a whip, and her thin pointed tail whipped curiously behind her.  “Master? How may I help you?” He smiled at her an