The injured were all sleeping. Healing magic had that effe people, especially when their injuries were severe. Bir didn’t expect Lydia or Azmoria to wake up for at least a day.

  I sat with Lydia with her head in my p. Some of Edna’s maids had ged her into a light purple nightgown, repg her torn and bloodied attire. Though her tail had beeached with Bir’s magic, a band of furless flesh was visible. It was likely she’d never grow fur there again. Simirly, she now had a thin white scar going down her spine. Her wound had simply been too severe for Bir to heal away pletely. Being forcibly teleported in her iate probably didn’t help.

  Running my fihrough Lydia’s hair, I couldn’t help but think about how grateful I was she survived. When I’d seen her, broken and bloodied, I thought I’d lost her.

  My eyelids grew heavy as I tried to keep my mind from wandering. Lydia’s injuries and near death were weighing heavily o brought back memories of Elise. Memories of the day I found her body.

  ”he world blurred, and suddenly I was once again standing in Rochelle’s garden.

  Before I could say anything, Rochelle ed her arms around me in a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, ne. I’m so sorry.”

  “You saved us,” I replied, patting Rochelle on the baow that I’d returo the dreamscape, I could once again use my own voice. “Thank you.”

  “That spell… I never wao use that spell. Not on you or anyone else. The pain I forced you to endure. My heart aches just thinking about it.”

  “You felt it too, didn’t you?” My lips curled into a soft smile. Rochelle truly cared for me. In this moment I felt deeply just how serious she’d been when she said I was like a daughter to her. I had wa to be true, but I’d still doubted her. “You were hurt just as badly as I was.”

  “Yes, it’s one of the many drawbacks of that spell. But I didn’t mind it. If anything I wish all of that pain had been mine alone. I wish you hadn’t been forced to suffer.”

  “ell was it, exactly?”

  “Phantasmal Marioe,” Rochelle spat as if she hated the words. “It’s a spell that allows me to ahe body of another. It’s forbidden magic. Magic that I hope I’ll never have to use again.”

  “Is it not magic that only you use?”

  “Anyone could cast the spell. It was a necessary evil during my lifetime. We used it to sy demons, though sadly the caster would always share their target’s demise. Unfortunately, the spell found its uses outside of demon hunting.”

  “But, those mages were heroes weren’t they? Dying to save others.”

  “Yes,” Rochelle let go of me. Taking my hand she led me back to the gazebo. “It was oool of the righteous, before it ted for viliny. I was quite gd to see it be forbidden in most of the world by the time of Gina’s ization. Now, it has been all but fotten it seems. But, ah, let’s not speak of it anymore. I don’t wish to darken the mood any more than necessary.”

  “Okay.” I took a seat as Rochelle poured tea for both of us.

  “I must admit, I am quite perplexed as to what happened with that demon. Never in my existence have I seen a demo back to being humae being so focused on her every movement, I failed to notice the moment she ceased being a demon. You really showed wisdom beyond your years, ne. You showed limitless passion for others, and saved an i woman’s life. I am so very proud of you.”

  My face heated as Rochelle showered me with praise. For a moment I simply sat, squeezing my hands together and wagging my tail. Then it dawned on me, how exactly had Reika undemonized? “Do you have any guess as to how she became human again?”

  “No,” Rochelle shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. I assure you her I, nor the sword, have such power. It is not as if your elder sisters haven’t sin demons with the sword. They remained bck-blooded and red-eyed, even ih. I only hope Reika will be able to give us a clue after she wakes.”

  “She was g at the end,” I looked down at my cup, deep in thought. “When her eyes turned green. I don’t think she did anything to bee a demon. I know that legend says demonization happens with overindulgend misuse of magic, but I feel like this was doo her. I don’t think Reika misused magic.”

  “Normally, I would tell you such a thing is impossible. But, after what I’ve seen, I ot refute it so easily. If there is someo there with the power to demohers, it will be a camity unlike any saint has ever faced. Even the archdemon I once fought will pale in parison. I only pray that if such power does exist it is a slow and difficult ability to wield.”

  “What do I do?”

  “The same thing you’ve been doing. Focus on your training, and stay close to those you care for. No one could ever expeything more. As desperately as the people of this world may petition you for aid, you deserve the right to choose your owiny. Fight if you want to, flee if you want to. I will never chastise you for the choices you make.”

  “But… saving the world is what the saint does.”

  “Saving the world is the job of heroes. While there may be only a single saint, there are many heroes. Powerful people like Edna, who’ve broken free of the s of mortal potential. If you do not rise to defend this world, they will. You only get one life, ne. I don’t want you to give up yht to choose how your days are spent.”

  “Speaking of Edna,” I took a deep breath. “Is there any healing magic capable rowing fingers?”

  Rochelle smiled. “You have such a gentle heart, my lovely daughter.”

  I smiled at Rochelle’s pliment, my already warm cheeks growing hotter in my embarrassment.

  “Regrowing body parts isn’t easy. At this point, it seems as if the world has deemed such magic impossible. But that was he case. Regrowing a limb requires ritual magic, with at least a half-dozeremely capable mages all w together. Evehe strain such magic pces oient sometimes lead to their deaths. Maybe that’s why it’s sidered impossible. It’s difficult magid many people die from it.”

  “So… I ’t help her?”

  “The saint has always been capable of miracles, and you, ne, may have the most tent potential of all saint vessels. It would be near-impossible for a normal healer, especially on an injury that has set in. But for you, is possible you could pull it off. The fact that Edna is your patient should only make things easier.”

  “Why would Edna make it easier?”

  “She has already ied some demonic features. While she may not have ied a demon’s self-healing, I imagine her body is highly susceptible to healing magic.”

  “Uood.” I nodded before sipping my tea. The wonderful floral liquid rexed all the tension I’d felt. It was truly divine.

  Rochelle turned her gaze to the sky. “There wasn’t much magic left in the sword after our battle. I’ve been using your exhaustion as a means of creating this space with minimal output. It seems you’re starting to wake up now.”

  “But,” I whined. “I’m not ready to leave, yet!”

  “You’ve already learned how to el magito the sword. We recreate this space whenever you desire. Now, go, ne. I’ll be with you.”

  As the garden faded, I began to feel a heavy fatigue. Opening my eyes, I looked down at my p, but Lydia was no longer lying there.

  “Don’t panic,” Lydia ughed. She was already awake and sitting beside me. After how badly she’d been injured, I expected her to sleep longer.

  Tears pricked at the ers of my eyes as I flung my arms around Lydia, huggiightly.

  “Careful, I’m still a little sore,” Lydia whined, gently petting my back. L her voice, she tinued. “I’m sorry for w you, ne.”

  Pulling away so I could use my hands, I pouted. ?I thought I was going to lose you.?

  “Who would’ve thought we’d have to fight a demon?” Lydia ughed. Even as the joyous sou her lips, her eyes were cold. Her brows trembled. She was terrified.

  ?I was able to undo her demonization.?

  “What?!”

  ?Lydia. There’s something you o know. My sword… the phantom of Rochelle is alive within my sword.?

  “The phantom. Of the first saint?!”

  ?Yes. Because of her, we were able to save Reika. She is with us, in a different carriage.?

  Lydia’s gaze hardened. “Is Edna still alive?”

  ?Yes.?

  “And she allowed this?”

  ?Yes.?

  With a sigh, Lydia pulled me into an. “I’m not sure how to feel. After seeing what that woman did. After what she did to me. I don’t know that I’ll be able to look her in the eye. Every fiber of my being is screaming to either kill her or run away.”

  Nodding, I buried my fa Lydia’s shoulder. After what Reika did to her as a demon, I couldn’t bme Lydia for feeling that way.

  “But,” Lydia tinued. “I’ll do my best. If the first saint herself went through the effort of saving that woman, I guess I ’t kill her.”

  As the sun began to set, our caravan stopped to make camp. My heart began to pound as Lydia and I stepped out of the carriage. For the first time since we left, I was going to see Reika.

  Edna and Bir stepped out of her carriage. Both Azmoira and Reika had been with them. With a wave, Bir called us over.

  “Lady ne,” Bir smiled. “Captain Azmoria is awake.”

  ?And Reika??

  “Still sleeping, midy. We might be able to wake her if we try, but I wasn’t sure what to do. She’s been g in her sleep for a while.”

  Stumbling out of the carriage, Azmoria looked at me. The damage to her body had been so severe that it was a surprise just to see her standing. If I’d been able to focus on healing her, it might’ve been different, but Reika prevehat.

  “You shouldn’t be standi, Captain.” Edna chastised. “e, take a seat over here.”

  “Sorry.” Azmave me a smile. “I just… wao thank her. I’m so happy to see you in good health, Lady ne. My life ared because of you. I ot express how grateful I am. Thank you, Lady hank you.”

  Azmoria attempted to bow to me. The motion ruined her band nearly sent her face first into the dirt. Thankfully, Edna caught her. With Edna’s help, Azmoria made her way to a fallen tree and sat down. Ohere, she kept staring at me, as if she was looking at something truly precious.

  “That girl’s… really dedicated to you, huh?” Lydia whispered.

  ?She owes you and Edhanks, not me.?

  “ne, she was nearly beaten to death. I saw the state she was in. I don’t think she’d be alive if it wasn’t you healing her.”

  ?Bir could’ve doer. You should’ve seen the magic she used when Reika appeared.?

  “Bir’s likely one of the most talented healers of e. But, her Edna, nor I, would’ve goer Azmoria if not for you. Just because Bir is amazing, doesn't mean you should dist your own importance.”

  ?She wouldn’t have been in jail if not for me.?

  “But you had nothing to do with Reika being a demon. If not for you, Azmoria would’ve likely died defending the castle from her. That demon possessed power beyond anything I’ve ever entered. It isn’t hard for me to imagine several dozens of knights dying iempt to suppress her.”

  ?I guess so. We should try to wake Reika. I’m worried about her too.?

  I sigo ask Bir if we could meet Reika. Her face looked a bit pink as she transted my request to Edna. I couldn’t help but wonder why Bir suddenly seemed so flustered. Then it hit me, she’d been standing in front of Lydia and me while we were openly praisio each other.

  “Stay here, Captain.” Edna stood up. As she walked over to me, I noticed her wounded hand. She’d ed it tightly in cloth, hiding the stubs of her missing fingers from sight. “I’ll be at your side, Lady ne. Do as you see fit.”

  Edna and Bir both followed me as I stepped into Edna’s carriage. Reika was sitting on one of the benches, swaddled in a b. Just as Bir said, tears were slipping free of her closed eyes. Even in her sleep, Reika couldn’t escape what she’d done.

  I gently shook Reika. At first, it looked like she wouldn’t wake up. I wasn’t sure if I should let her rest ain. I decided to give her one more shake and touched her shoulder.

  Reika’s eyes fluttered open. Her mossy green irises darted around as she tried to figure out where she was.

  “Viander Reika,” Edna said, sitting beside Reika. “Do you know what has happened?”

  Her lips trembling, Reika let out a pained sob before nodding her head.

  “There are many things I’d like to say to you, but some of them will have to wait until ter. I’d like to introduce you to Princess ne of Ezin. The maid behind her is Bir. Lady ne ot speak, and so Bir acts as a transtor for her sign nguage.”

  “Princess,” Reika parroted the word, her voice breaking. “I… am so sorry.”

  ?Does it hurt?? Bir transted my question to Reika, who shook her head.

  “No. I just… I hurt so many people. I killed—“ A violent sob escaped Reika’s throat, cutting her off. We waited, letting her cry. Edly patted her shoulder, while I pced a hand on her knee. I wao show her I was here with her. Not to judge her. She was a victim; she didn’t deserve to be chastised.

  “ you tell us how you became a demon?” Edna asked softly after Reika’s tears subsided. “It’s been hard for us to uand how the Viander of the Order of Knights demonized. You don’t even use magic, do you?”

  “Magic has always caused me pain,” Reika gazed down at her p, eyes unfocused. “Even if I am not allergic to ichor like many others, I feel as if I’m inpatible with it.”

  “Were you using magic the day you demonized?”

  Shaking her head, fresh sobs escaped Reika’s throat. “No. These… people. They grabbed me and forced some kind of stone down my throat. I tried to fight them off, but I was surrounded. I never expected to be attacked ihe castle.”

  A pained gasp left Reika’s throat as she doubled over. “I killed her. I killed Azmoria!”

  “You didn’t,” Edna hugged Reika tightly. “Azmoira is alive. She’s with us now, in fact. I’m taking both of you to my domain.”

  “Your domain? But the castle! We have to warn everyone!”

  “I will seers to my allies in the capital, and to ander Arlon. For now, the castle isn’t safe for you. Too many people saw you as a demon. As you know, it will be hard to vihem that you are human once again.”

  Reika finally seemed to rex a bit. She still looked a bit shaken, but not as much. As her expression ged, I couldn’t help but wonder how someone so young had bee the viander of the entire knight order. I didn’t uand the knights’ ranking system, but Azmoria seemed to be below Reika. Yet, Reika looked years younger.

  ?You must be an incredible knight to have risen so high while you’re still young.? I meant it as a pliment, but both Reika and Edna looked at me like I had two heads. After their initial shock faded, Edna gave the viander a good once-over before tapping her thoughtfully.

  “Incredible,” Edna breathed. “I hadn’t noticed it befivehing that was happening. And I guess I just didn’t really look at you, Reika. But you’re young. Really young.”

  “I am?” Reika looked down at her own hands.

  Bir sucked in a breath. “I thought Lady ne’s healing might’ve caused her glowing skin, but you’re right, she’s so much youhan she was. I ’t believe I didn’t notice it.”

  ?What are you all talking about??

  Edna chuckled. “Reika is ie thirties, Lady ne. She was no e, but she was a woman who looked her age. Somehow we seem to all have taken frahat she doesn’t look a day past her tweh birthday now.”

  ?She got younger?!?

  “It appears so. When we reach Marwood, I’ll reach out to some of my acquaintances who are Temprs. Perhaps they’ll have something they share oter. Until then, we will just have to assume the self-healing abilities possessed by demons also restore their bodies back to their pinnacle of youth.”

  My eyes widened as I tried to uand just what Edna was saying. Not only did demons not age, they could actually de-age? Did elderly demons simply ?

  “I don’t know how to feel about this,” Reika muttered in amazement. “After all the horrible things I did. I don’t deserve such a blessing.”

  “I for one, ask you to accept your renewed youth. Even if you believe you don’t deserve it, it bes the rest of us as well.” Edna smiled. “Proteg a demon, even if you are now a former demon, is a crime. It’ll be hard for us to expin, but maybe noon’t have to. Your youthful guise will make it easy for us to tell others you simply look like the viander. Obviously, you’re too young to actually be her.”

  “This is too much,” Reika drooped forward, pg her head in her hands.

  ?Does Reika have kids??

  Instead of transting my question, Bir simply shook her head. “For as long as I’ve been a knight, our viander has been married to the order itself.”

  ?Really?!? Were they really f female knights to marry the order?

  “Not literally,” Bir ughed. “I just mean, she was so busy with her job she ook on a spouse.”

  “I tried,” Reika looked indignantly at Bir. ”But my rank made it prohibitive. How could I ever marry someone I outranked? What if they believed they had to obey my requests? What if my spouse never loved me and simply was afraid of retaliation from the order? It was too much, and so I gave up.”

  A tense silence huween us until Reika sighed. Her expression hardened, as if she’d just made a tough choice. “ I see her?”

  “Who?”

  “Azmoira. I o apologize for what I’ve done.”

  ?She might be too traumatized,? I signed. If Lydia feared Reika, I couldn’t see how Azmoria wouldn’t as well. Especially after the injuries she endured.

  “She was startled to see Reika sleepio her when she woke,” Edna noted. “But, she quickly calmed down when we expihe situation to her. If Reika wants to speak with her, I’m sure she’ll listen. Of course, we should still ask if it’s okay, just to be safe.”

  “I don’t expect her tive me,” Reika sucked in a breath, likely holding back a fresh deluge of tears. “I wouldn’t five me.”

  “Just take it one day at a time,” Edly hugged Reika’s shoulders. “That’s all anyone do. Eventually things will get better.”

  eri