Re-entering Eden, Asmoday and Eurynome were greeted by a peculiar sight. Merihim tending to Cresil, who slept on the ground, and Dásos cradling a passed out Keshiema. Both Keshiema and Cresil seemed to be fighting off fevers, and Keshiema whimpered softly, trapped in a vivid nightmare.

  Dásos brushed the hair from Keshiema's face, earning a jealous grumble from Eurynome. "Was the hunt successful?" He asked, not sparing the Reaper the smallest of glances.

  "Of course!" Eurynome barked, insulted by the mere idea he might of failed. Sick of the sight before, he tromped into the forest to find some peace.

  "Her training went awry?" Asmoday asked, though the answer was obvious.

  Merihim frowned at his brother's tone. "She knew the risks," he defended his decision. "It's just been a while since her last lesson, and she has a lot of fresh trauma to process. She should be able to finish her training with the others when she wakes up.'

  Asmoday sighed. He had been hoping to speak with Keshiema regarding Marthim. "Phoradendron, can you have her meet with me after her training?" The Primordial nodded and Asmoday left to busy himself elsewhere while he waited.

  ***

  Gaap helped Keshiema with her archery, but seeing her exhaustion after Merihim's training, kept the session light, choosing to focus on shooting well even through distractions.

  "I see you're feelings have grown for Phoradendron." The Dragon-Daemon remarked right before she released her arrow, sending the projectile flying wildly off-target. "Again." He commanded, ignoring her coral-colored embarrassment.

  Notching another arrow, Keshiema told herself to ignore him. With a deep breath, she drew back, her hair returning to blue, her form impeccable.

  "It's a pity, Neró and I would have loved to have you join us." Her arrow hit the target, if only just barely. "Again."

  He waited for her to draw again, "If you want, you could both join us on a date," he paused, knowing exactly how long she could hold her form. Just before she released the arrow, he continued, "An orgy would be fun."

  She choked, letting the arrow fly into the forest. "Stars and hellfire, Gaap!" She glared at the prince.

  "Mm, your eyes remind me of oranges and cream," he laughed, remembering the dessert with a childlike fondness

  "That's enough, Gaap." Dásos barked from a tree.

  "Jealousy looks good on you, Phorest," Gaap licked his lips.

  "Pyro should be here soon, yes?" Keshiema changed the subject, looking for the sun. Trying to tell the time through the thick canopy proved fruitless.

  "I already am," the Prince of Falsehoods held a flame sword to Gaap's back. "You're treading dangerously close to causing harm," he admonished his older brother. "Don't forget you gave her your word."

  "Oh, don't get pissy. Your master is fine," Gaap swung his tail, tripping his youngest brother. "Since you're here, I'll take my leave." He snatched Keshiema's bow and stomped into the woods.

  "Sorry about that, Keshiema," Pyro stood, letting his sword disperse. "

  "What did Gaap mean?" Keshiema asked as Pyro led her and Dásos to his prepared training ground.

  Pyro gave Dásos an expecting glance, hoping he could explain it. In return Dásos smiled mischievously, reveling in every second of the demon's discomfort. "Elemental demons have a desire to serve our element's protector, and that instinct follows through to the Primordial's close descendants as well."

  'When Moloch helped me, was it all instinct?' She wondered, remembering how he had kept her warm and, in all reality, alive after Ipos attacked her. Then she remembered Pyro's look of utter shock when she told him off after breakfast one day. "Sooo, a few weeks ago when you grabbed my wrist and I demanded you let go..." Dásos bit his tongue, but eyed the Prince's hand with an itch for violence.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Every fibre of my being was screaming at me to obey?" He laughed halfheartedly. "At the time I had no idea what you were, so I was a bit perturbed to say the least."

  They entered a large clearing, void of vegetation. Remnants of a pyre smoldered in the center. "Meer said you lost control again today." Pyro threw a dry branch on the fire pit and the starving embers instantly engulfed it, reigniting into a furious blaze. Keshiema nodded, keeping her eyes glued to the ground.

  "Tell me, have you noticed anything about when you lose control?" He motioned for her and Dásos to sit by the fire and did the same.

  "I have, actually." She reached for Dásos's hand, hoping to stay grounded. "It seems to be tied to emotion."

  "I'm going to need you to be as specific as possible here." He had ideas, but wanted to avoid filling her head or influencing her thoughts.

  "Um, every time my ice magic manifests on its own I was either scared, surprised, or anxious. And my healing abilities either don't work well or outright disappear when it happens."

  "And your fire?"

  "When I'm angry, my Primordial features come out. I can feel my teeth sharpen, and my mark gets hot. My fire manifests with jealousy, joy, or," she remembered kissing Dásos the night before and her colors went pink. She hid her reddened face, too shy to say it aloud.

  "I don't do color theory, Kesh," Pyro huffed.

  "Passion," Dásos offered, smiling at his adorable little sparrow.

  Clearing his throat, Pyro moved on, "It does make sense, in a way. Fire and water are both heavily tied to emotions. They also oppose each other. Friskalia can always find at least one Fire-Daemon in their family line, and it's usually a Priest or Priestess. It's an ability of warmth and comfort. So I'm not surprised your healing magic stops when you're ice takes over."

  "But both Fotiá and Neró can heal." She thought aloud.

  "We can all heal anyone connected to us through our elements." Dásos explained. "Neró could help you because of your Ice-Daemon heritage. Pyro, can you open a connection to Fotiá?"

  Pyro nodded, "I can, but I can't guarantee how long it will stay open for." Raising his hands,.he let his aura bleed into the pyre. "Protector of fire, hear my call. Bless us with your presence, your child seeks your guidance. I ask on behalf of your descendant, Keshiema." The Pyre erupted violently, noting the prayer made it to Ethera.

  "If my problem is rooted in emotions," she steered back while they waited for a response, "then I just need to learn how to control those, right?"

  "That's a dangerous path," Pyro shook his head. "Repressing your emotions will lead to one of two outcomes. Either you explode when you can't keep it in anymore, or you lose your connection to your magic completely."

  "Then what can I do? It gets worse every time it happens! I need to do something!" The pyre rose with her frustration, growing brighter, hotter. The wood crackled, expelling hot embers at them.

  "You have to tame your dual core!" Fotiá shouted through the rising flames. Hearing his voice soothed her, letting the fire settle. "The elements are like living parts of yourself, both battling for control over your body and spirit. In a volatile state they attach to your emotions. To most, our core grows as we do, attuned to our bodies since the moment of birth, and controlling it is as natural as breathing."

  "And why isn't mine?" A familiar flurry of self-loathing and loneliness weighed her heart down like anchor of lead. "Is it because I'm mixed?"

  "No!" Fotiá hurried to shut down the idea. "It's a result of the spell cast on you as an infant. It disconnected you from your spiritual core, burying it deep within you. As you grew so did your core, but because of the disconnect, your body and soul became out of sync."

  Dásos's eyes lit up, "If that's the cause, there are ways to realign them."

  "But most require both myself and Neró to be present," Fotiá reminded him.

  Dásos squeezed her hand, hoping to comfort her. She found some solace in his touch, but Fotiá's news proved difficult to swallow. "Is there any other way?" She asked, grasping for any small glimmer of hope.

  "You can meditate, focusing on your elements. The progress would be slow, and it could decades to achieve real results. And even then, full mastery is nigh impossible. A convergence spell is the only true way to heal a misaligned soul."

  "Then we'll get you out," Dásos declared. "I've found most of the spell, but the last book is lost, if we can find it, I can bring one Primordial back. And since Neró has ways out, we only need to summon you."

  "A book is eluding you?" Ezekiel's voice came through the pyre.

  "It's said to be made of parchment," he explained. "I've narrowed it down to Alexandria's collection. Prince Stolas is searching her Taveran library, and as soon as things settle in Denim, I will return to finish scouring the library there."

  "Very well," Fotiá accepted Dásos's offer to help. "Keshiema, please take care of yourself. Until I return, I want you to meditate and focus on your spiritual core. Even if once your spirit and body have realigned, meditation is a useful practice."

  "Of course, Fotiá, thank you for answering our call." She bowed to the flame, despite that they could not see each other. Sitting up, she twiddled her thumbs nervously, "Um, Father?"

  "Yes, Keshiema?" Ezekiel's voice softened considerably.

  "When you come back, will you stay with me when I talk to my mother?"

  "Of course, my child."

  The fire died back as the connection abruptly closed. Keshiema stared at the glowing embers, unsure what to do.

  "Keshiema,.your training is finished for the day, you should probably get some rest," Pyro suggested.

  "Yeah, alright," she mumbled, still gazing at the red hot coals.

  Pyro hesitated, unsure whether he should stay or go. He wanted to go her privacy, but the training ground doubled as his home base,.leaving him with few options.

  "Come on, Kesh," Dásos helped her up. "Asmoday wanted to speak with you."