“No...”I said as I stepped away, feeling more confused than ever. “No, it can’t be true...I must be dreaming...Y- you can’t be...” My mind was racing with questions, and all the memories were coming back to me in a rush. Houses on fire. Lord Laudan’s eyes filled with hate and triumph. The fear on my brother’s face as we ran for our lives. I took one step closer and put my hand on his face, as if reassuring myself once again that he wasn’t an illusion. He wasn’t – but I still couldn’t believe my own eyes. I took my hand away as if his face was burning. “After all this time, I-I thought that you...why didn’t you –” I tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“You know very well why I couldn’t. It was far too dangerous.” He said softly. I looked at him, still in dismay. For a very brief moment, I felt the strangest sensation, as if those years at the inn seemed like a strange, distant dream and now I had finally woken up to reality. But this state didn’t last very long, as a very important question popped in my head.

“But wait. If you’re here, then where’s Adrian?“ Omen took a moment before he answered.

“He’s...hiding. Far away.” He replied, carefully choosing his words. I sighed, expecting that answer already.

“It’s good to know that some things haven’t changed after all these years.” I said bitterly. “And let me guess, you want me to help you once again without asking any questions?” I was about to give him a piece of my mind, but he spoke before I could say anything else.

“Sara... All I’m asking is that you keep my hideout a secret, that’s all.”

“Why, Omen? Why should I help you? Why should I keep a secret, after everything that happened?” I blurted out. “It’s even an offense that I’m being asked to do the same thing after all these years! It hasn’t done any good at all in the past, has it? In fact, it’s not doing any good now! You know what? I’d just be better off giving you away to the guards. I bet that the King will be holding a fine reward for anybody that captures one of the men that tried to kill him at the square.”

“You won’t do that.”

“How do you know I won’t?”

“Because Lord Laudan is still in Fenestrane, and he’s staying right in the King’s palace with all the other Lords. You know as well as I do what he would do to you if he found out that you were here.” I crossed my arms, feeling defeated.

“I guess you have a point.”

”Besides, the only reason I’m here is that this is the only safe place to hide right now. Finding you here at this hour is a mere coincidence.”

“A mere coincidence, you say? Then what about that time in the hallway? Was it a mere coincidence too?” Omen looked confused at this.

“I-I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Yes, you do. We met in the hallway before the Gathering and you left me there completely passed out.”

“That’s not possible, Sara, because this is the first time I’ve ever been inside.”