Exhaustion gripped Connelly, weighing him down in the seat, pulling at his eyelids. His body pleaded for rest, but his mind wouldn't let him, no matter how he tried. Nightmares, an array of them, tormented him nightly, and he wasn't in the mood for their re-runs at the moment.

Between enduring the brain-numbing hours in school, dance practice, and ensuring Kota's slim chance of survival during her next deathly encounter, his family spent their remaining free time honing their battle skills, and searching for the next Dark Relic.

He'd rather spend all his time either in the magic room, his favorite room, making sweet sweet magic, or here in the tower pouring over books. The mystery and lore surrounding the Dark Relics were frustrating, which was an understatement, but he enjoyed solving the puzzles. Even if that meant being forced to spend time with...

"Nothing is working," Alister groaned.

They had been there most of the day, cross-referencing pieces of text, drawing diagrams, checking maps, and following obscure leads online.

"It worked last time," Connelly reminded him.

"It will work this time," Mathias added from the corner where he was scrying. "Keep looking."

Alister sighed for it seemed the millionth time, then dropped the papers he was holding. Thanks to a placement charm Connelly had put on the table weeks ago, the papers floated right back to their original spots. "I can't do this anymore. It's ridiculous. Half of this doesn't make sense - the other half contradicts the first half!"

"Calm down," Connelly said wearily. "We're all tired here, but throwing our hands in the air and getting mad about it won't change anything."

"They made it this way on purpose, Alister," Mathias said, almost mumbling as his eyes remained locked on the water basin. "You have to know the lore. Each one of those riddles and scripts references the history and lore of where it was made, who made it, or when it was made - Which is why you should have read all those books I gave you when we were searching for the first Relic."

A smirk slid onto Connelly's face, watching Alister scowl and stomp around the room, gathering the volumes Mathias spoke of. As he piled book upon book into his arms, he said, "If only we had some kind of creature who had actually been there when it all happened. A creature who could tell us where the others are." His eyes darted to the over-sized obsidian wolf lounging on the windowsill.

"That would be the other Relic Guardians, not I." The wolf turned to meet Alister's scowl with stoic calmness. "You found me in the middle of the black forest, protected by powerful concealment spells and repelling wards, where I remained for over a thousand years." His tone was so calm, it bordered on sarcasm. Connelly had come to enjoy it, bantering back and forth with the wolf when he came to check on their progress, but Alister?

"Yes, but where were you before that? You had to have seen or heard something, right? How could you not know what your relic and the others—"

I WAS NOWHERE!" the wolf boomed, and a few books fell from Alister's arms. "I was created for the sole purpose of protecting one of the most dangerous and powerful items in the world. I wasn't told what it was for? Before that, I was a mindless wild beast. I had nothing before this relic, and I have no idea what I will have or what I will be after this war is over. I have never met the other guardians, nor have I heard anything about them until I met you lot."

"Apologize, Alister," Mathias ordered with a warning look.

Alister sighed heavily, angrily, then finally mumbled, "I'm sorry," through gritted teeth. He slammed the pile of books roughly on a table away from the wolf.

"Ignore him, Wolfy, he's just upset he actually has to read the books." Connelly chuckled as he moved over to the table strewn with papers of cryptic text.

"I have deliberated for centuries on what my name might have been, had my creator bothered to give me one. Never have I considered, 'Wolfy'." He ended in a deeply disapproving tone before turning once more to the window.

Connelly was about respond, when Alister spoke. "All I can come up with is that one might be in the ocean, one in the desert, and one in a volcano?"

"Well, that's one too many, because we already have one," Connelly returned.

"I know that," he snapped back, "It's been a long day, and I think all these stupid books are starting to run together. I think I'm gonna go downstairs and practice some battle magic." He stopped at the door with a look over his shoulder. "Hey fluffy, wanna be my sparring partner?"

The wolf growled in response. Alister shrugged with a chuckle and started down the stairs, nearly colliding with Mira. "We need more supplies, and I suggest we stock up so we don't have to go out in the open for a while since he's here. The more he sees us, the more likely he is to find us."

"How do you manage to make such a powerful enemy who seems to already know your every move?" the wolf mused, "I've seen him in the forest, and he is a true predator. His magic is strong too, and if he finds this place, your wards may not hold up for long."

"He wasn't always an enemy," Mira said, irked. "Father, can we go?"

"Alright," Mathias said, then added, "Alister, you stay with me."

"What? C'mon!"

"You need to practice your magic, and you need to stay safe since he's also here for you and Aubrey."

Alister groaned, then fade into smoke and shadow. "Lazy," Connelly coughed.

"Connelly, go with her, and bring Ivan," Mathias added as he perused Mira's shopping list, changing things here, adding things there. Then he summoned a giant volume, which appeared in his free hand.

"I thought you wanted me here, sir?"

"You want her to go alone?" He asked, his questioning look also a warning. He knew what Connelly was doing.

Avoiding Mira.

It happened every time. When Rudi showed up, Mira changed. She was normally moody, but when he was around, her moods became erratic and unpredictable. Of course, she wasn't the only one he'd rather avoid during these times. Alister's aggression was closer to the surface than usual, which caused more bickering, and they had to constantly watch him for signs of just going after Rudi himself. Aubrey didn't need any avoiding, as she shut herself in her and Mira's room, only coming out to eat when everyone refused to bring her food or blood, and for dance rehearsals. Thinking of Aubrey reminded Connelly he had to check on her later. She needed comforting, reassurance that everything was going to be okay, and he was sure that in Mira's current state, Aubrey wasn't getting that.

Mira waited impatiently at the top of the stairs for him and Ivan to get ready, then barked for them to get in because she was driving. The twins said nothing, but made sure their seatbelts were extra tight.

~*~

"So," Connelly said to break the uncomfortable silence, "How is Aubrey doing?"

"The usual. In her little calming corner, curled up in a ball... reading her books and summoning memories of the past." Her tone condescending, annoyed even.

"Mira, she needs our support," Ivan spoke up from the backseat.

"She needs to get a grip. Crying and acting focusing on the past won't help her survive, or any of us."

"She's lost everything," Connelly said, matching her harsh tone.

"So have we?" She glanced at him incredulously.

"We didn't lose both of our parents, the rest of our family, everyone we knew... We didn't see them all burned before our eyes at 10 years old. We weren't left with only a brother so full of hate and anger that he's almost incapable of compassion."

"He's not incapable," Mira almost cut him off, her voice softer now.

"I said almost," Connelly reminded her. "I'm just saying. Alister takes his anger out on everyone, and we let it slide a lot because of what he's been through, but Aubrey... She holds it in, and with you acting like this," he hesitated from the look she shot his way, "she feels pretty alone."

Mira sighed. "I know. I tried talking to her, but she won't talk back. She won't tell me anything. I think we made a mistake coming here." The twins nodded.

"The mistake was in getting to know these people," Connelly said.

"We knew better, and then did it anyway," Ivan agreed. "But— I couldn't help it. She was so pretty, and so nice."

"I blame Kota," Mira was back to being angry. "If she hadn't pushed her way into this — if we would've erased her memory — we would still be on track. We probably wouldn't even still be here—"

"We don't know that," Connelly snapped. "There was a lot about this place we didn't know about, and —"

"You can't deny that things would be easier without her envolved. You can't deny that she's caused more trouble for us all since she's been involved." She knew she was right, and no one disagreed this time.

Connelly tried, but even he couldn't find the words to defend Kota. They had had a lot of disasters happen here, since they met Kota, and he used to blame her for it, but in the face of actually saying it, he couldn't imagine wishing he'd never known her. She'd done something to him, deep inside, awoken something he'd thought long dead. He couldn't just wish that away because trouble had followed. They had always had disaster follow them since starting this mission.

"But..." Mira added, "I admit... I think, I'm going to miss this place." She sighed at the end, like the admission had choked her on the way out.

"I don't want to leave," Ivan said, and Connelly didn't need their connection to feel his melancholy. "I don't know how I can leave her now, and I don't want to try."

"I think this one is going to be hard on us all," Connelly agreed. Unable to look at anyone else, he trained his watery eyes out the window.

~*~

Underneath Pages & Pie's normal operation, the magic marketplace was bustling. Mira had come to call it the underground mall, and Connelly had to agree it kind of had that feel, but much different. There were shops of all kinds like; eateries, apparel, farmer's market, herbs and spices, a couple dedicated to familiars and animal sacrifices, a general marketplace with almost everything under the sun, and even a B&B.

"Here," Mira said as she split the list into thirds. "You go to 'Familiar or Don't', and you go to 'Magpie's Herbs and Spices'. I'll go to the Magic Market and we'll meet back here in an hour."

Connelly was glad to be alone for a while, or at least surrounded by people who didn't know him and vice versa. It had become too emotional and tense at home, and with Kota. Almost too much to bear at times, and even he felt it flowing out of him like toxic fumes.

This was not how it was supposed to go. Their plan had fallen apart the moment they stepped foot in Maxville. We never should have left Germany, he thought.