May 18, 2005
"I couldn't keep her safe. I tried, oh I tried, but I failed to my mate. How do you do it? You're both mated and they're both still alive," said Andrew to Alejandro and Coralis when they landed on the island.
"There is no such thing as a universal foolproof method to keep a mate safe during a war like this one. Even when we're not home, they are never out of sight, but truthfully, we can only do the best we can and hope for the best," said Alejandro.
"Do you hide them away?"
"No. He lives his life, but like Alejandro said, he's never entirely out of my sight. Even when we were locked up behind silver bars, he was protected by people I trust. At the end of the day, all we can do is enjoy every moment we can with our mates and hope their connection to us won't get them killed."
"Jail was the worst. Guards made us think they captured our mates, claiming they would torture them in front of us to make us talk and admit to things we'd never do. We nearly lost it more than once. Trust us, if we were overbearing assholes before when it comes down to their safety, it's worse now. Every day, we wake up afraid something will happen to them. If I lock her up away, I fear she will seek to dissolve her bond with me. If she does that, I'd be better off dead," said Alejandro.
Andrew introduced them to his crew, some they already knew. Coralis wasn't listening to the introductions, her mind still on what Alejandro said about their time in captivity. She was still having nightmares.
"Still having nightmares over them catching your mate?" said Coralis.
"Yes, but I still haven't seen any demons in mine."
After the ritual for Lalima's soul to depart in peace, Andrew took Coralis and Alejandro to the garden shed so they could talk.
"I want you both to join me. Together, vermin like Alfredino wouldn't thrive and they're the true danger against us all. We can do better than the EBEE."
"I liked working alongside you, but I won't join. I'll stick with the shadows until this war ends, and then I'll retire somewhere quiet with my mate, away from nasty politics, and hope I won't see another crisis in my lifetime," said Alejandro.
"Blue, please! I need you with me."
"I can't. Why don't you join the shadows instead? You know what we're doing with them, I'm sure Erikua told you about what we've done to their South Africa compound. The vermin are everywhere, not only within the EBEE. I don't know yet what I will do when this war ends, but I know I don't want to spend my entire life fighting against the EBEE."
"I can't join his madness. I despise the EBEE, but a lot of the agents there have been played just like we did. They need new leaders, not an adversary," said Alejandro.
"Agreed. My mate needs to be my focus and if I join him, it will endanger him even more. Plus, I can't give him a lifetime of stress over whether I'll be coming home. Us being captured and sentenced to death in jail impacted and changed them too, but how am I supposed to explain that to him when we're here for his mate's funeral?"
"We are giving hell to our mates, are we?"
"Yes, most definitively. Like you, there is so much hell I can give mine before he files for divorce, and I can't have that."
June 25, 2005 – noon (Labrador Time)
Like she has done since Audrey started elemental school, she picked her up at the student dropping point and flew to the airport. However, this time, Audrey flew beside her on her own stick, forcing Coralis to fly slower than she would.
"I still can't believe that I'm better at mind-linking than Sebastian," said Audrey.
"Feel free to brag as much as you want."
"I might, just to change the topic if it gets too dark. I hear enough about the war at school, and I'm sure it's worse for you as you're stuck in the middle of it. It's horrible what's happening in Europe. The EBEE agents who got killed during the month by The Rogue Paladin, were they all slimy?"
"I don't know all of them, but many were merely doing what they got told. Didn't you want to talk about other things than the war? Your mother is gathering the family for a barbecue for that reason."
At the airport, she saw a security agent with a tool she was hoping to not see in that country. She took off one of her bracelet-binds and gave it to Audrey.
"Put this on. The security agent by the metal detector has a tool detecting supernatural energy."
"Thanks! You'll be fine with just one?" said Audrey as she quickly put it on.
"Yes, jail time gave me a good practice on it."
"Make sure you never forget your binds at home. We just passed by a security agent carrying a supernatural energy detector," mind-linked Coralis to Sebastian when they made it to their gate.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" said Sebastian.
Audrey giggled through their mind-link.
"You do know that whatever just Blue said, she said it to you only?" said Audrey.
"Let's just pretend my response goes to you both regardless. Did you two manage to pass the security?"
"Yes. I gave her one of mine. She'll be fine with one this summer, but I'll get her a pair before she goes back to school, just in case the war isn't over by the End-of-Year break."
"Audrey is fine with one, yes, but you need two."
"Thanks to Milkya lessons and challenging jail time, I was good enough with one. It would be exhausting over a long period, but I was fine to pass through airport security."
"We need to pass the memo to others before one of us gets caught," said Audrey.
"I'll warn High Mage Finnas. We knew it was coming, some countries have been using them already, but you're right, we need to warn those who live and travel among humans that these tools have been spotted here too," said Sebastian.
"I wonder if someone was hoping to catch Blue here," said Audrey.