I stared at her from across the table as she sipped her coffee. What could she have possibly meant by what she said? What did she mean that my sister was trying to protect her? I shook my head. "Zoe has long been overprotective of me since we met just last year," I said, confused by the whole situation.

     "That's right!" replied Fleur as she set her mug down on the table. "She said that you two had no idea the other existed before last year. That must have been quite a shock!"

     I looked around the surrounding cafe. She had asked me to get coffee and brought me to a cafe further in the city, in the Market District. The place was crowded and felt cramped and uncomfortable. I was never very comfortable in enormous crowds such as this. I always feared losing control of my powers at any moment. She probably thought it was better than huddling behind the Academy and speaking in hushed tones. It was certainly friendlier, and it did appear to be what she was aiming for. It didn't make it any less stressful for me, however.

     She seemed to sense my discomfort as she smiled. "What are you so worried about, hun?"

     I sighed, looking back at her. "I'm just uncomfortable in these kinds of situations. My control over my powers is tenuous at best. I never know when I might lose control," I said to her, watching as a Vikarahn woman served tea to a Saurus couple, the lizard folk hissing their thanks. The very sound of it gave me shivers, reminding me of Flarius' Cobroas. I hate snakes. Let us just say that snakes and I have an agreement to disagree and leave it at that. "I can only control my powers as long as I control my emotions. If I lose control of my emotions, I lose control of my powers; that's basically how it works," I said, looking back at her. I had never really spoken this much about my powers with anyone before. There was just something about her that relaxed me even while I was uncomfortable being around so many people.

     Fleur nodded. "That must be very difficult, living like that. Zoe had told me that sometimes you seem cold. Now, with that explanation, that all makes a lot of sense. You're really warm and caring, deep down, aren't you?" she replied.

     I looked at her with surprise. No one had ever caught that before, except maybe David. But she seemed to pick it out almost immediately. "I really don't mean to come off that way, no," I said as I watched the Saurus couple see to their cute little hatchings, managing to crack a smile at the sight. "It's just how I come off because of the delicate balancing act I'm doing in my head and heart to maintain control," I looked at her with a smile. "Truth be told. . . If I lost control, this whole cafe could very well be destroyed. . ." I looked down at the table as a wave of sadness came over me. "Gods know I have caused enough damage with my telekinetic powers in just the last year. And my powers are still growing. . ."

     In that moment, she reached over, taking my hand into hers. As she did, I suddenly felt a strange sensation come over me. What was this that I was feeling? Could it be? . . guilt? Remorse perhaps? But I didn't feel guilty about anything; that didn't make sense to me. Wait. . . it was almost like. . . it wasn't myself feeling these feelings, but. . . Fleur?

     As I realised this, I immediately leaped from the chair, just as Fleur's coffee mug suddenly flew off the table and crashed into the wall. Oh no. . . it was happening! First coffee mugs, then chairs, and other tables began to float in the air as people leaped from their seats, screaming. I grasped my head, screaming. She shot up from her chair and approached me with a gentle air about her, a concerned expression on her face. She was speaking to me. . . But I couldn't hear or understand her words. All I could hear was the loud and sharp shrieking noise in my head from all the voices. I couldn't even hear myself think as the voices only grew louder and louder. People were all looking at me as though I had lost my mind, and in actuality, I felt as though I had. The voices got louder as I shut my eyes and tried to shut them out with all of my might, but they just kept coming.

     Just then, Fleur gently placed her hands on my shoulders and stared me in the eye. "Focus on me! Ignore all else and focus only on me, Kairine," she said, her words suddenly crashing through the noise like shattering glass. "That's it. . . Just focus on me and pretend all else doesn't exist. . ."

     To my astonishment. . . Suddenly the noise grew quieter and quieter, and then quieter still, as I did just as she told me. I stared deep and long into her ocean blue eyes, feeling myself getting lost in them. . . before finally. . . the noise was all gone and replaced only with silence. "Thank you. . ." I mouthed to her, my heart pounding at her very touch upon my skin.

     "Do you have any idea what just happened?" she asked me, concerned and confused. "How did you lose control of your powers so suddenly?" 

     I shook my head. I had no explanation for what had just happened. "For a moment, it just. . . felt as though I felt whatever you felt. . ." I grew pensive as I looked around at all the people who were staring right back at me, all with looks of shock and fear. "And it overwhelmed me. . . I'm so sorry. . . That's never happened before."

     She smiled. "It's alright, I have that effect on everyone," she said, giggling. "Though it sounds as though you might have a new power coming in. . . Empathy, if I am not mistaken. . . Quite astonishing."

     I pondered her words for a moment. It was certainly possible. I knew that over time, as my powers grew, some latent abilities might emerge. "I suppose you may be right. That will take a while for me to get used to. Reading minds was bad enough, now reading emotions?" I shook my head at the very thought of a new invasive power for me to learn to control.

     "So, you're attracted to your sister's girlfriend, huh? That's interesting; I wonder what you'll tell her," she said teasingly.

     My cheeks flared. "I am not!"

     "Sure. . . That's not what your eyes are saying," she said as she motioned for the table. "Let us sit back down now that the fun is over."

     I sighed as I followed her back to the table and took a seat. I knew, of course, that she was right. There was no sense denying it. I was incredibly attracted to her and could hardly take my eyes off her. But she was Zoe's girlfriend! It felt wrong for me to feel this way. "You feel guilty," I said, changing the subject. "What is it that you feel guilty about?"

     Fleur sighed and exhaled heavily. "Your sister and I have been going out for a couple of weeks. We met through a group of friends. . . and just clicked right away. But some Dusgelvan came looking for me. I believe they had some connection to my parents."

     "What would Dusgelvan want with you?" I asked, wondering what any of this had to do with my sister's murder charge.

     "I don't know, really, to be honest. Maybe they were looking for my parents, but truth be told, I don't really follow their dealings around the world. I haven't seen them in years," she replied. "But these people certainly seemed to be interested in me. Judging by what happened next, I think they were here to kill me."

     I pondered this for a moment. If she was the daughter of diplomats, that meant that she had some pretty high political ties. I wasn't well versed on the inner workings of the Olympian government, but if these dark elves were after her, then it was safe to assume that politics played a large part in all of this. "Wait, what does any of this have to do with my sister?"

     She sighed as she looked at me. "A couple of nights ago. . . They paid a visit to my apartment," she glanced down at the table as she continued. "I fended them off, but as soon as I told Zoe about it, she went ballistic and threatened to kill them! It was really quite scary, to tell you the truth. . . I tried to reason with her, to tell her to leave it alone and drop it, but she wouldn't listen to me!"

     "So. . . you actually think that she murdered them?!"

     Fleur only nodded slowly in response.

     "But her threats are empty, Fleur!" I defended my sister. "She threatens me all the time. . . It means nothing!"

     "Okay. Well, the Maji Guard probably don't know that about her, do they?" She questioned. I had to admit, she had a good point. "If these Dusgelvan are dead now, it can be easily surmised that they might have heard of her threats and made the leap themselves," she continued as a smile lit up her already glowing face. "If you are really certain that this wasn't her, then I will be more than happy to help you investigate."

     I had to admit her explanation made more sense now. The Maji Guard have made taller leaps than that and for less. She certainly seemed to be an interesting girl. More and more, I could see what my sister saw in her as I cracked a smile. "I would appreciate that, thanks. I have a friend who's looking into it too, seeing if he can get us a little more information," I said. Just then, I felt the vibration of my comm stone in my pocket. I pulled it out and instantly David's image appeared before me.

     "So, apparently Zoe's got herself mixed up with Fey politics, hurray for her! She's really great at stirring up political messes. She finally found something she's good at!" said David, poking fun at the entire situation. I rolled my eyes. "I've got a location for you, and I'll meet you there."

     I nodded. "Great, thanks, David. I'm here with Zoe's girlfriend, long story. We'll both meet you there. Somehow, all of this may tie back to her."

     "I look forward to that story with great interest," he said with a smirk. "I will ensure the Maji Guard hear nothing."

     As I clicked off the comm stone and slipped it back into my pocket, I looked up at Fleur. "I am really sorry about David. He's really a great guy once you get to know him," I said, unsure of why I felt the need to apologise for him.

     She shook her head, laughing. "It's quite alright, he sounds like a splendid fellow. I'm happy for you."

     Instantly my cheeks flared fiery red. "Excuse me?!"

     "I could see the way you looked at him. . . You love him!" she replied, standing from her chair. "You just haven't admitted it to yourself yet!"

     I was awash with embarrassment at what she said as I followed her to the door. "I am not in love with him!" I defended myself, though my words felt hollow even then.

     "You keep telling yourself that. . ."

     I didn't know what else to say to her to dig myself out of this one, as the words replayed over and over in my mind. Could I actually love him? I kept telling myself that it was impossible, that there was no way. But somehow, it felt as though she may have been right. Perhaps I did love him, and I had been living in denial this entire time.

     But I was also very much attracted to her. It felt inconceivable that I could ever reconcile how I really felt as I followed her down the road to the location David had given us, staring as she moved gracefully amongst the crowds. I am so sorry, Zoe, I said to myself, feeling guilty for checking out her girlfriend. What was going on with me?

     I looked around, fear coursing through my veins, anxiety overtaking my nerves. My hands shook as I followed Fleur. "I can't see my sister ever coming down here. . . This doesn't seem the kind of place she would ever be caught dead in," I said, shaking my head in sheer disbelief. How could the Maji Guard think my sister would come down here of all places?

     The buildings and houses all around us creaked and groaned in the soft breeze that blew through the area, held together only loosely, it seemed. Some windows were shattered. Some buildings were missing their walls entirely. Wood planks were nailed over some of the broken windows. It was just sad, the kind of squalor that some people of Calrune lived in, in the Housing District. This was not what the entire district looked like; this was just the worst part of the city. This was the part of the city that it seemed like the government had forgotten about and given up on.

     "This city is so beautiful and wondrous in many parts. . . but then I get here. . ." Fleur said, shaking her head with me. "How could these poor people have simply been forgotten? Whatever happened here?

     What did happen here? That was exactly what I wanted to know. These buildings weren't homes or houses. They couldn't be. But for many of the people who simply couldn't afford to live anywhere else in the city, it was home. As much as they could make it, at any rate. Some people made an honest attempt to do what they could with what they had to work on fixing up their homes, using gardens to cover up some of the uglier parts, which was inspiring to see. Work with what you have where you are, was what my father always said to me, and these people sure embodied it. But then there were the others who just gave up and resigned themselves to living in these poor conditions.

     "Do you really think the Dusgelvan were here?" I asked her, as I noticed we were getting close to where David said to meet him. . . at least judging by the street signs that hung loosely from their poles on the corners. If I was being honest, I didn't really pay much attention to them. I mostly found my way around the city by landmarks. So. . . For all I knew, we were lost. . . I really wish David had given me directions.

     She shook her head. "I am really not entirely sure. I don't even know why they came after me. I really think it must have been something to do with my parents. . ." she sighed as she looked back at me. "All of this just feels wrong to me. I can't possibly tell you what could have happened here. I can't even tell you if she really murdered them. Based on how angry she got. . . it feels plausible to me. But you say that's not her or who she is, and I believe you. I just. . ." She shrugged in frustration. "I'm scared, if I'm being honest with you."

     I pursed my lips. "I'm scared too. I don't know what to expect. But I know that my sister didn't do this. I have to believe that. . . It's the only thing that keeps me going." I placed my hand on her long arm reassuringly. "What can you tell me about the Dusgelvan?" I asked her, changing the subject. In all honesty, I didn't know about them myself. I knew that they hailed from the southern region of Olympus. I also knew that most people have never really seen them, as they have mostly kept to themselves.

     Fleur sighed. "Honestly, not much. . ." She looked up at the bright cerulean blue sky above as she thought it over. "All I can tell you is whatever my parents have said in passing. . . They have some radical beliefs, I know that, and have conducted ritual sacrifices for ages. I also know that they lay claim to the entire continent of Olympus, believing that we are the invaders," she said as she looked back at me with a shrug. "As I said, radical beliefs."

     "What sort of religious beliefs?"

     She sighed long and hard. "I don't know, in all honesty. . . Something called the Ancient Ones."

     At the very mention of the last part, my heart stopped cold. "Did you. . . just say, 'The Ancient Ones'?" I asked her pointedly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Could all of this actually be connected to the mystery I'd been racking my brain over this entire time?

     "Uh, yeah. . . You've heard of it?" she asked, confused by my response. "What do you know about it?"

     "I don't know either. . ." I replied, shaking my head. "It was part of the last words spoken by a suspect I chased last year. It sounded like pure insanity to me until just now. Now I wonder if there's more to it."

     "Okay. I can help you look into that," she responded with a bright smile as her eyes glowed, sending my heart aflutter once again. "I know people at the Grand Library in Evergreen City. I can see if someone there can tell us something."

     I nodded. "Thank you. That's the most help I've got on that one all month. I sure hope they can tell us something."

     "Don't mention it. If this is connected to this whole mystery and can get Zoe out of jail, I'm willing to do anything."

     "So you believe me now that this wasn't her?"

     She nodded as she sighed. "I care about your sister, Kairine. . ." she said softly as she grew pensive. "If you tell me she could not have done this, then I want to believe you, and I will do all that I can to catch the people who are responsible. I can not possibly tell you why she went willingly as you said. . . I can only assume, once again, that she was trying to protect me."

     That sounded a lot more like the Zoe I knew. Over the last year, she had grown very protective of me, though she still fought me on many occasions. I came to realise that she did that only to keep me at arm's length. It was a defence mechanism, a wall she put up to protect herself from getting hurt. What Mom had done to her left its scars, and it left her defensive and protective.

     "Let's get moving," I said, as I motioned for her to lead the way. I knew David was waiting for us, and he didn't like to be kept waiting. So we moved forth, unknowing of just what awaited us.