The magic of water draws power from the core emotions of hope and fear. This is an even stranger and more esoteric connection than that of fire to its core, as no scholars have been able to offer a properly supported thesis about the reason for the connection. Nevertheless, the connection exists regardless of our ability to explain it. Hope is the key to connecting with water under normal circumstances, while fear causes more extreme reactions, such as tidal waves.

Luca rose before any of the guards woke up. Inebriated as they'd been last night, he expected they'd want to sleep late. Meanwhile, he intended to get breakfast, then make the most of the coins he’d– not stolen, just borrowed, that was all– from the captain’s purse, meant for the Lightguards’ mission. Maybe he could go back for that book, or find Amron and get that drink he’d sort-of-not-really promised him– the other boy had been gone when Luca got back last night.

Downstairs, he found the owner of the tavern from last night, a stout, dark-haired man, in conversation with a taller, wolf-eared man. Luca froze on the steps. A werewolf.

He'd never seen one in person before. Shifters weren't permitted in Solaris.

The werewolf's ear twitched, and he said, just loudly enough for Luca to hear, “Good morning, Luca. Do you mind coming all the way down?”

Luca stiffened, but stepped the rest of the way down. “How do you know my name?”

“Amron told us,” the human said. “He said you're interested in joining, and Janna likes you.”

“She does?” The orc hadn’t particularly acted like it. She’d been terse and blunt, stating in no uncertain terms that Luca would not be welcome in the Darkness unless he proved himself, and she’d refused to tell him how to do that.

The wolf shrugged. “As much as she likes anyone who comes asking about things they shouldn’t know about. She said you had information for us?”

Luca frowned. “How do I know you’re really in the Darkness?”

The human choked on a laugh.

“You don’t,” the werewolf said. “Except that not many people would be willing to admit they’re part of it to a demon traveling with Lightguards, no matter what kind of sob story he told.”

That… was actually a pretty good argument. If Luca wasn’t who he said he was, he could get these people arrested whether or not they were actually in the Darkness. If they weren’t who they said they were, and Luca told them everything… he would likely get arrested. But he could probably turn that back on them, get them arrested on the suspicion of being Darkness.

He had the upper hand, so why did he feel so nervous?

Rubbing his hands on his pants– well, Tris’s pants, the only ones that had fit him– Luca came closer. “There’s a new kind of magic in the world,” he began. “I don’t know much about it. My sister– she’s an air demon. She started–” A lump grew in Luca’s throat. He forced the words out and heard his own voice, somehow detached from the words he was saying. “She developed multiple elemental powers, displaying power over fire, water, and earth, and even shapeshifting. I thought if we told the Emperor, we could get her an expanded license so she could practice freely but–” The lump grew, choking out his words. Tears burned behind his eyes.

Wasn’t it strange, that water could burn like fire when it wasn’t even hot?

The tears didn’t steam from his skin like they usually did. Instead, they dripped slowly down his cheeks.

A hand came down on his shoulder. Luca jumped, but it was only the werewolf, startlingly close.

“It’s alright,” he murmured, oddly gentle. “You can cry if you need to.”

“I don’t need to,” Luca protested. The words caught on the hitch in his voice and came out wrong.

The wolf went silent, though his hand stayed on Luca’s shoulder until Luca stepped away, taking in a slow breath. Four seconds in. Four to hold. Four out. Hold again. In… hold… out… hold… Two breaths. Three.

“The Lightguards know you’re here,” he said abruptly. “They’re not just passing through. They’re supposed to… ‘thin you out’, they just wanted to find out who was Dark first.”

The wolf’s ears pinned back. The human pressed his lips together for a moment, then said, “Thank you for telling us. We’ll see what we can do.”

“Can I help?” Luca asked.

The two men exchanged a look. Then the wolf turned, gesturing for Luca to follow him. “Yes. Let’s find someone to get those cuffs off you first. I expect there’ll be a fight.”

Luca followed. “Sir? I’d be no good in a fight. I’m a teacher. I don’t know the first thing about fighting, with or without my magic.” Though he didn’t want to give the man any reason to keep the cuffs on him, he really didn’t want to be expected to fight. Especially not against Lightguards.

“That’s fine,” the werewolf said. “Oh, but, Luca? If you’re aiming to join us eventually, I recommend you think of a new name to use. One that doesn’t mean light and isn’t tied to your legal identity.”

Luca’s mind went blank. His name. His name. This man wanted him to give up his name.

“What if I don’t want to?” he found himself saying.

“It’s not required, only strongly recommended. Less traceable when everything illegal is tied to a name that isn’t legally you.” The wolf pushed open the door and stepped outside. There were a few people up and about, but the streets were mostly empty.

“Illegal.” Luca dug a fingernail into the base of his thumb.

“Well, yes.” The wolf turned, a smile on his face. “You went looking for a group of rebels who are notorious for wanting to overthrow the king, in order to get revenge on a Lightguard. Don’t tell me you weren’t expecting to get involved in anything illegal.”

He was right. It wasn’t unexpected. Still, there was something about the reality and immediacy of it that had Luca’s body tensing up, frozen, unready to follow through.

He took a deep breath. “Can I think about it?”

“Sure.”

“What’s your name?”

“Meredith Herian,” the wolf said.

Meredith. Luca rolled the name around his mind. “Why did you choose it?”

“I didn’t.”

“But–” Luca paused, confused.

Meredith let the silence hang for a moment, then asked, “Tell me about your sister?”

Luca swallowed. “Her name is Aurora. She loved animals, especially cats, but she couldn’t keep any because our brother is allergic. And she was always so lighthearted and, and cheerful… Her school called so many times because she thought it would be funny to move around exam papers or pass notes to her friends with a breeze.” He rubbed a hand over his face, glad that Meredith was ahead of him, glad there wasn’t really anyone else around. “She was a good kid, but she just… never took life too seriously. Drove our brother crazy, he takes himself too seriously. Some of her teachers, too.” A sound that was half laugh, half sob bubbled up. “She was so excited about her new powers. Said she wanted to learn how to use them so she could be a hero like the Emperor.”

“I’m sorry,” Meredith said softly.

“It’s my fault.”

“What is?”

Luca couldn’t seem to stop talking. “It was my idea to get her a new license. She trusted me. I– if I hadn’t– if I’d just kept it quiet… she’d still be alive. It’s because of me she died.”

“Do you need a hug?” Meredith inquired.

Luca shook his head.

“As you like.” For a few seconds, the only sound was their footsteps on the packed earth. Then, Meredith said, “Luca, did you intend to get your sister killed?”

“What? No!”

“Who did? When I go hunting with my pack, we choose one deer to target. When the others run away, no one says that they killed the targeted deer by their inaction. We did that. Whose action killed her?”

Luca’s eyes burned. “I– I don’t want to talk about this.”

“...Very well,” Meredith said quietly. “But you can’t torment yourself with it forever. Blame is a way to point out a problem, but if you think the problem is caused by the wrong thing you won’t be able to fix it.”

“Fine.”

Meredith stopped. Luca nearly ran into him. “Oh look. We’re here.” 

Luca looked up to the sign above the door. “A blacksmith? How can a blacksmith help?”

“Reyn is also a locksmith,” Meredith noted. “Best in Craysall. She can… handle your cuffs without breaking them.”

“I don’t care if they break. Damned things.”

“Also without accidentally breaking your wrists.”

Luca looked at his hands. “Oh. That’s good.” 

“Most people think so,” Meredith agreed. He raised a hand to the door.

“Wait,” Luca said as a thought occurred to him. “The Lightguards, they’ll be suspicious if I go back and I don’t have the cuffs on.”

“Do you want to go back?”

…He didn’t need to. He’d found the Darkness, the whole reason he’d been traveling with the guards at all. “No.”

“Then you won’t.”

“Simple as that?”

“Simple as that.” Meredith rapped on the door. “Reyn? You in there?”

There were noises of someone moving about, then the door opened to a tall vampire woman whose pale green wings rested behind her legs, emerging from what looked to be a nightshirt. She rubbed her eyes. “Whatever you want, it’ll be extra for waking me, wolf.”

“Hello to you too.” Meredith stepped in. “The boy here needs his suppressors removed.”

Reyn peered at Luca. “He’s a blasted demon. Why’s he got cuffs on?”

“Maybe I’m a criminal,” Luca muttered. He probably was, by now. What would his students think if they knew?

“Shush. Too much talking too early.”

Luca glanced at Meredith as Reyn stalked off. “It’s not that early, is it?”

“Vampires.” Meredith looked a bit guilty. “Sometimes I forget they and orcs aren’t much for mornings, even when they live among daylight folk.”

“Is that what moondark fae means?” Luca demanded.

“Shush,” came Reyn’s cross voice. “My head’s splitting just listening to you.”

“How much did you drink last night?”

“Those guards were buying, I didn’t count.”

Meredith’s ears flattened against his hair. Carefully, he said, “Reyn, what did you tell them?”

“Don’t remember.” She stalked back, grabbed Luca’s right hand, and slammed it against the wall. He winced. “Hold still.”

“Reyn, it’s sort of important.” Meredith sounded impatient. “Did you tell them anything about us? The boy said they’re looking for shadows.”

“I was drunk, idiot. How do you expect me to remember everything?” Reyn jabbed something into the tiny keyhole of the cuff. Luca held his breath.

“Life or death, Reyn! Who do we need to get out of here!”

Her head snapped around, and Luca caught a glimpse of shining white fangs. “Your own damn self, if you can’t shut it!”

Over Reyn’s shoulder, Luca saw Meredith make a visible effort to prick his ears back up. 

Reyn finished that cuff, and the other, in silence. She jerked them from Luca’s wrists roughly, and for the first time in days, he felt properly warm. He sighed, relaxing into the feeling, and snapped his fingers. Sparks leapt from them. Luca grinned.

“We’ve got to go.” Meredith spun for the door.

“Storm in, storm out, not a word of thanks,” Reyn grumbled.

Meredith dropped a small bag on the table by the door. “Thank you, Reyn, for taking the cuffs off. Now excuse me while I go figure out just how fucked my people are.”

Luca hurried after the wolf. What did he mean, his people?

Meredith’s ears and tail vanished as he stepped out the door. Luca felt a shiver go through him at how human the wolf looked. Shifters weren’t supposed to be able to do that– it was supposed to be obvious what someone was. That was why dragons couldn’t shift their horns or wings away, shifters couldn’t shift their ears and tails away, fae weren’t allowed to glamour as anything else. He shouldn’t even be able to do that, let alone legality.

It was useful, though. A werewolf and a demon walking together would have drawn stares. Not so much a human and a demon.

“Sir?” Luca said quietly. “What are you planning?”

“Spreading the word about those guards,” Meredith said grimly. “I’d bet money Reyn talked to them. If they got her drunk enough and asked the right questions, she might not even have realized just how much they got from her.” He glanced at Luca. “If you want to help, go back to the tavern, find Amron, and tell him we need to get everyone out of town before the guards attack.”

“Sir… there’s only six of them.”

“Advance guard. I know how these attacks work, I’ve been through a few. Ever seen one?”

Luca shook his head.

“Go tell Amron. Now.”

There wasn’t room for argument. Luca picked up speed and hurried to the tavern.