“Morning Tia,” Mira said, seeing her girlfriend already up. Titania only managed to get a few hours of sleep last night. She had a nightmare where her father still trapped her. 

     “Morning, you’re so pretty when you’re sleeping,” she said with a smile. “Also Tia?”

     “Yea, well Titania is kind of a mouthful, so I shortened it to Tia. if you don't like it I can stop.” 

     “No it’s okay, it was just a bit of a surprise.” She nuzzled Mira and kissed her. “Do you know what happened to Sarah?”

     “Didn't she text you?”

     “She probably did but da… that man took my phone before I could check.”

     “What happened?”

     Titania recounted what happened to her the last two days after she left school. ev en though she left out some details Mira’s face still twisted in anger. When she got to the part about her escape Mira’s eyes widened.

     “So that wasn't a dream then? You really are some kind of spirit thingy?”

     “Yea apparently, though I have no idea why or how. And if it weren't for Boreas I’d still be locked up in my room. Or worse. Um speaking of… do you have clothes I can borrow? I could make my own but they are a little. Otherworldly.”

     “Sure babe, after we eat and stuff though we have to go to the police,” she said as she got out of bed and went to her closet.

     “Ok, they need to face justice,” Tia said though the quivering in her voice betrayed her. She wasn't strong like her sister but she was stubborn. She’d make sure they wouldn't get away with this. All familial ties were severed once her father tried to ‘exorcise’ her. As she watched her girlfriend her mind wandered to Boreas and everything that had happened to her. She felt a strange closeness to the young spirit, and his being gone left her a little anxious. I wonder what he's doing now. 

*****

     He returned to the mountain he was born in. It was only recently that he became a greater spirit. He had searched far and wide but found he was the only greater spirit for several hundred miles. He had felt his mother a couple of times, but it was weak and he couldn't pin her location exactly. Instead, he made for another power he felt, it felt different than his power. He traveled for several days following the power he felt. Eventually, he came upon an ancient forest. It was here he met her, the Dryad Treyni. Sensing his arrival she emerged from the tree.

     “So the first has come I see,” she said inspecting the spirit

     “Hello, I felt spiritual power here and came to see what it was. You’re the first spirit being I’ve met,” he said looking up at the Dryad. She was aged, which is something an ageless race shouldn’t be. 

     “Welcome, I am Treyni, the last dryad. As well as the last spirit being, until now.”

     “Sis Treynim, it's nice to meet you. Have you seen mother?” 

     “She visited here recently, I managed to summon her spirit body here, but something is tying it down. And I fear she is in danger, there’s dark energy surrounding her. I believe it's a tracking spell but I am not as strong as I once was.”

     “I must go help her then.” 

     “Hold young spirit, I must teach you something first. I believe it will come in handy.”

     She spent the next few days teaching him some spirit magic. He, being young and full of vigor, picked it up quickly. By the end of the next day, she was satisfied with him and he prepared to leave. 

     “I have one question,” he said as he floated off the ground in preparation to leave.

     “And that is?”

     “How are you the last spirit being?”

     “I was told by the previous spirit queen several millennia ago that this world would soon be void of spiritual energy. So she instructed me to gather as much as I could and store it. So throughout hundreds of years, I grew this forest, using my magic to keep people out I stored spiritual power in the trees and have been using it ever since. Now that the queen has returned I have begun to feel spiritual energy returning, but it is slow.”

     He was about to say something when he felt something weird. His mother's power surged to a massive degree and then disappeared quickly. However he now knew exactly where she was and with a quick word, he bid the dryad farewell and zipped off. He flew as fast as he could but even then he knew it would be several days before he reached her. 

*****

     “Something is wrong,” Ardin said with a grimace. 

     “What is it?” Cardwin asked.

     “There’s some feedback, someone is pushing me away.”

     “Can you maintain the connection?” 

     “I am trying but…” He grimaced as his body became enveloped by a bright light. Cardwin tapped into his mana and began to cast a reinforcement spell. The strain on Ardin lessened for a moment then redoubled. The moon pool began to glow brightly before he was thrown backward with a scream. 

     “Ardin!!” Cardwin exclaimed rushing to his friend. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found him simply unconscious. The dryads were watching them but turned when he looked at them. “Sorry ladies looks like we’ll be taking our leave.” he picked up his unconscious friend and with a flourish he disappeared in a flash of blue light and sparkles.

     “Headmaster, what brings you here?” she asked in an urgent tone noticing Ardin in his arms.

     “Sorry for dropping in so suddenly Minerva. We were experimenting with magic and he got injured. Can you please treat him?”

     “Of course headmaster,” she said as she began to examine him, her hands glowing white. After a momentary examination she began, “He’s suffered minor injuries. What's more worrying though is he’s been exposed to high levels of spiritual energy. He’s in spirit shock right now. He just needs to rest, though we can speed up his recovery if you know any spirit mages.”

     “As it happens I do, I’ll retrieve her,” he said and disappeared in another flourish and shower of sparkles.

     “That man and his showmanship,” Minerva said before returning to her patient. 

     He appeared in front of a nearby store with a burst of sparks, several nearby made noises of amazement. He bowed for them, taking off his hat. Standing back up he puts it back on with a flourish before entering the shop.

     “Welcome… oh headmaster, welcome. What brings you here?”

     “Hello Tasha, I need your help.”

     “Well obviously,” she said cocking her hips and putting one hand on them. Dropping all formalities she continued. “Why else would you come here?”

     “Now that’s not fair, cant I just visit an old friend?” 

     “Old friend my ass, ever since we stopped adventuring you only visit to ask me to do something. You look good by the way, considering your age.”

     “And you look the same as the day we retired. Perks of being an elf I suppose?”

     “Yea well what about you, it's been thirty years and you still look the same, what are you now a hundred and twenty?”

     “Hey, I’ll have you know I am a hundred and fifteen. Anyways, I'm sure you’ve noticed her majesty is missing as well?” 

     “Yea, but not for long, it was only a day but I could still feel her presence, although it was hazy. Like she's being obscured.”

     “Was?”

     “Well a couple of hours ago her presence became stronger. Though it’s still obscured, I can almost feel where she is.”

     “That's good and bad news I'm afraid.”

     “Cardwin, what’s going on with the spirit queen? None of the spirits seem to know and those that might aren't talking.” 

     “Since it's you I don't mind saying. However, you mustn’t tell anyone what I say, he said, continuing after she swore to secrecy. “The Brotherhood of Vaught is moving once again.”

     “Those cultists? Didn't we kill their leader and destroy them?”

     “Enough survived to rebuild.”

     “We didn’t do our jobs then. So what are the bastards after now?”

     “They are trying to bring one of the outer gods to the mortal plane. Instead of trying to pierce the Astral plane like their predecessors, they are trying to use the Abyss between worlds. I'm not exactly sure what they are planning in the abyss but it relates to the queens' power somehow.”

     After extracting a similar vow from him Tasha began, “This isn't something known to many people outside the elven royal family. But the reason they may be seeking her power is that she can traverse worlds. I know it's possible to do so with a ritual, but those are unstable, and unless you know exactly where you are going it's completely random. But I'm guessing this isn’t the reason you came here. So what is it?”

     “I need to help someone with spirit sickness. And he might know where the queen is.” 

     “Very well. Take me there,” she said as she went to her store and locked up after turning off her open sign.

     “Take my hand please,” he said holding it out. After she took it he disappeared in the same flourish and sparks. 

*****

     The police car pulled up to Titania’s house, none of the lights were on and the house appeared empty. 

     “Are you ok?”Mira asked taking her hand.

     “I will be.”

     “Ok ladies let us go knock first before you come up,” one of the police said. They got out of the car and went to the front door. After knocking they stood around for a second before gesturing to the girls to come over.

     “It doesn't appear anyone is home. It should be safe for you to go in,” the other officer said.

     Mira took out the spare key that her girlfriend had given her and opened the door. They walked in, the officers following behind. Titania went to her room and opened the door, the bolts were still on it. Her room was still empty, the bloodstain still on the floor. The cops took a picture of it and proceeded to examine the room. 

     While they did that she went into her bathroom and gathered her toiletries. When she returned the cops were talking on their radio. They looked at her and asked to see the other rooms. She went to Sarah's room and found her stuff in a pile, including the girl clothes she bought at the mall. She then went to her parent’s room and found the bag her father had. The cops opened it and their faces went sour as they saw the chains and cuffs.

     While they examined the bag she dug around and found her phone in a drawer, her parent's closet was empty and their safe was open, all the documents were gone. Her birth certificate and social security card were probably gone. There was a loud knock on the front door which caused her to jump. One of the police officers went and answered it returning with a couple more officers. 

     While they talked amongst themselves, she turned on her phone and texted her sister. The text was read immediately and only one message was sent back “OMW”. A few minutes later the front door opened.

     “JESSIE!” her sister practically yelled.

     “I’m in here,” she replied. Her sister rushed into the room and grabbed Tia in a hug.

     “Omg, I was so worried. Dad suddenly kicked me out when I got home, and all my stuff was moved to the curb. I tried to text you but they weren’t being delivered.” She motioned to the police officers. “What happened?”

     As Tia recounted what happened to her she broke down in tears and had to be escorted back to the living room. One of the cops approached Sarah and spoke, “I’d like to get a statement from you if you don't mind.” After what felt like an eternity the cop put away his notepad and thanked her. She sat down with her sister who had closed her eyes.

     “Hey, Jess… sorry. Tania, I'm here now.” She hugged her sister tight. “I knew that man was twisted but I never thought he’d be so… evil. Don't worry, I'm sure the cops will bring him to justice. And I'm sure my partner will let you stay with us. In fact, I'm sure she’ll love you. Everything will be fine you have me here to protect you.”

     “I didn't tell you everything,” she began. “But I can't now it concerns my ability.”

     “That can wait till you’re safe then. I'm just so glad that that monster didn't hurt you. Also, why Titania?”

     “You’ll see later, though can you trust your partner?”

     “Well she has proved trustworthy so far, so I think it’ll be safe.”

     “I'm feeling tired so I'm going to nap.”  

*****

     It was afternoon by the time the police were done, they let her take her furniture to her sister's place, and now she was sitting at her computer. After they got back her sister had to go back to work. Even though it was only three days, the whole experience had shaken her and made it feel longer. She tried to distract herself with her computer but wasn't able to focus for long. Instead, she decided to take a bath. 

     An hour later she heard the front door open, which scared her for a second before she heard her sister call out.

     “Tania?”

     “I'm in the bathroom,” she replied and a moment later the door opened.

     “How are you feeling?”

     “A bit nervous, and worried.”

     “I know my partner will love you, after all, she let you move in with us.”

     “I know but this is different, I'm telling her I'm not human, or half-human, I don't even really know at this point.”

     “It’ll be fine. She’ll be home soon so you probably want to get ready. Then you can tell us what you didn't tell the cops. Now I'm going to start the food, it’ll be done just in time for us to talk and then eat.”

     She watched Sarah leave and then got out. After drying herself off, and blowdrying her hair she got dressed in a nice outfit. When she left the bathroom Sarah's partner was sitting on the couch.

     “Hello, you must be Sarah’s sister Titania. I'm Lizzy,” she said holding out her hand.

     “Nice to meet you.” 

     “So Sis do you want to explain now? Lizzy what she's about to say is a secret. Please keep it between us ok?” Sarah said from the kitchen.

     “I promise,” she said putting her hand over her heart.

     Titania exhaled and activated her power. Her hair and eyes glowed once again, her outfit changed to the same long iridescent dress, wings sprouting from her back. “The truth is I'm not a human anymore,” she said floating a few inches off the ground.