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Every last trace.

They killed off the mages

And fairies and Fae'ch.

They outlawed the magic

And people with power.

Then sent dragon treasure

To five separate towers.

Oh, dragons of Asred,

No longer fly through the air.

Oh, dragons of Asred,

Fled in the depths of despair.

Adigos stroked Fyia's arm as Rouel sang, and she leaned further into his embrace. She closed her eyes, and Adigos, the music, and the crackling fire lulled her to sleep. As she approached the delicious cusp of oblivion, the image of a bear entered her mind, running through a frozen forest. Fyia instinctively uncoiled her Cruaxee bond, reaching for the bear, and it crashed to a halt, turned to face her, then roared at her mind. Fyia dropped the bond and lurched awake, a blinding pain shooting through her skull.

'What is it?' said Adigos, shifting so he could see her face.

Fyia sat up straight, desperately pressing at her temples. It was the same sound she'd heard when the Black Hood had touched his forehead to hers. Why had she reached out to the animal? Bears weren't a part of her Cruaxee … she'd tested them before … but it had felt right, normal, natural to do so.

The bear had rejected her, exactly as it should have. Had the Black Hood's magic warped her senses?

'Everything okay?' asked Edu.

'I'm fine,' said Fyia, then told them what had happened.

'You think the Black Hood did something to your magic?' said Edu.

'Maybe,' said Fyia. She reached for the bonds with her wolves, then searched for a nearby eagle. They responded as normal, much to her relief. 'My Cruaxee bonds seem fine. Maybe I'm just tired …' She got to her feet.

'Don't even think it,' said Edu, as Adigos made to follow. 'You're on watch.'

Adigos gave him an incredulous look. 'I need to stay with her.'

'I can stay with her,' said Rouel. 'I don't have watch duties until later.'

'Warrior's balls!' Adigos rounded on Edu. 'Why are you so determined to keep me away from her?'

'She only wants you for your body, and she doesn't look in any state to do much with that tonight,' said Edu.

Fyia considered intervening, but it would be better for them to blow off the steam, and she was interested to see how it would pan out.

Adigos grabbed the front of Edu's tunic.

'Bad idea,' Rouel whispered to Fyia.

'Oh, Brother,' said Fyia, on an exhale.

Anyone watching would assume Adigos had the upper hand. He was an inch taller, and carried far more muscle than Edu, but Edu was in charge of Fyia's personal protection for a reason.

Edu batted Adigos' hands away with barely a blink, then connected his palm with the center of Adigos' chest. It looked like nothing, but Adigos staggered back a pace.