"I cannot believe you told him!"

"She has to learn – she has to acknowledge the consequences of her own actions!"

"You sold her out, Enlil. Anshar was relying on us and you sold her out!"

"She is lucky he found her. Goodness knows where she could have ended up – or if she would have survived it – if it had not been for him."

The heated argument and the resentment bouncing back and forth caused Tia to moan. The words meant nothing to her. Her brain was pounding and her ears rang. Her head felt heavy, as though it had melted into the soft pillow beneath her. Her hair covered her face like cross-stitch as she groaned. Bright sunlight shone through the window and bathed the white bed sheet covering her body; the reflected light stabbed viciously against her closed eyelids. She screwed up her eyes. It wasn't just her head that ached; pain throbbed all over her muscles and even her tongue hurt. The exhaustion weighed her body down. Their voices felt like punches against her sensitive head.

She lifted her head groggily, barely able to support the weight of her upper body before her stomach did a rapid somersault. A gush rushed up to her mouth.

Enlil had dived in front of her in time with a tin bucket as she emptied the content of her stomach from the night before. Mommu held her hair out of the way, patting the small of her back as she heaved again. Another load splashed noisily into the container. Mommu fought back a gag.

"Ugh..." she groaned, seeing stars in front of her. She raised a shaky hand and brushed her mouth with the back of her hand. The sharp cramp that came from abrupt contraction of her stomach slowly eased, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness.

"You are an idiot, Tiamat," scolded Enlil as Mommu handed her a cloth to wipe her mouth and then a tankard of water to wash down the taste. She winced, putting a hand to her head at his volume, and did as she was told.

Having emptied the majority of what was left of yesterday's meals and drinks, she felt much better. Her head began to clear and the fogginess on the peripheries of her vision disappeared. Her green eyes focused in front of her and gagged when she stared down at the content of the bucket. Enlil swiftly left the room, holding the container at arm's length.

"Why would you run away like that, Tia?" said Mommu, his reproachful tone giving way to sympathy. She rubbed her eyes and blinked blearily, feeling sorry for herself.

"What did I see, Mommu?" The corners of her mouth turned down. Her heart rate picked up again and she could feel cold sweat on her skin.

"See what?"

She didn't answer. Although last night's memories were hazy, she could very distinctly remember the fear gripping her heart, the panic flooding her system and the horror stemming from the scene that had unfolded before her eyes. But what had she seen? It was like grasping at the tails of a dream on awakening; it seemed so distant and the details so misty.

"When are we leaving Kiramone?" Mommu looked taken aback at the sudden change in topic. She wiped at the sweat on her forehead with a shaking hand.

"As soon as Master returns. I think he is putting the Kiramone affairs in order with Master Enki and then we are all setting off to Hume."

"I do not suppose they object," she said under her breath. Mommu stared at her in confusion. She only realised she'd spaced out when she at last spotted Mommu waving his hand in front of her.

"If you mean Kingu and Master Enki, they are leaving in a few days. They have the carrier carriage, remember?" Mommu's tone became wistful at the memory of the magnificent creatures pulling the decorated carriage. "We are heading for Hume after this, and they for Capital."

Try as she might, she couldn't bring the memories back. She wiped her sticky fringe from her forehead again.

"...go?"

She blinked, and realised she'd spaced out again.

"Sorry?"

"Where did you go, Tia?" the trainee said. "We only found you because Anshar brought Enlil to you. He said you were being robbed by street urchins. What happened?"

Suddenly, the images came flooding back: the terror, the sickening sensation of Dark magic. Without warning, she threw her arms around Mommu. The boy was nearly knocked back, surprised. He patted her awkwardly on her back, blushing. Tears burned at her eyes and when she pulled away, a few fell into her lap.

"It was Dark magic, Mommu," she said hoarsely. "I... I do not understand."

"You mean you saw Dark magic?" His voice was hushed. She nodded mutely.

"He... he extracted some sort of life essence from a man. That man died." Her voice broke. Tears flooded down her cheeks. The other trainee patted the back of her hand clumsily, at a loss for words. "I did not... how..."

She hiccupped Enlil barged into the room, making her screech. Mommu's left ear was temporarily deafened.

"Mommu," came a deep, serious voice, "can you wait outside with Enlil?"

"Yes, Master!" Mommu leapt to his feet and threw a worried look over his shoulder. Tia was gazing at her feet again, her mind occupied by last night's events. Mommu hurried out of the door.

The door clicked shut. Tia's brain didn't register very much beyond the fact that Master Anu had entered the room. Perhaps he was angry with her. Her chin still rested upon her bent knees, her emerald eyes focused on nothing. The old man crossed the room in two long strides.

"Tiamat."

She slowly looked up with a tear-stained face. Master Anu's pale blue eyes did not hold a twinkle of amusement or affection, nor did they show any anger or disgust. They merely frowned at her in worry.

"I saw Dark magic, Master," she whispered, after a pregnant silence. The old man sat down next to the young girl and nodded for her to carry on. She swallowed. "A man. It was a dark alley and there was a man in a cloak. He gave something to this person who was lying on the ground. He used some sort of spell..."

She sniffed and wiped the tears that had begun to cascade down her cheek again without her noticing.

"What did the spell do, Tiamat?" Master Anu said in a soft voice.

"Some sort of... life essence came from his mouth. The man on the ground." The Master stiffened next to her, but he did not interrupt. "The other man extracted it into a vial. It felt so wrong, Master!" she burst out, sobbing. The old man drew her into his chest and she clung, helpless like a baby, crying her eyes out. Her eyelids tingled and blood pounded in her ears. He stroked the back of her head like he used to when she was younger, murmuring soft, encouraging sounds into her ear. Her voice rose in hysteria. "It was not magic, that was pure evil!"

"It is what I was telling you before, Tiamat," he said gently as the girl's whimpers died down. "Kiramone may seem glamorous on the outside, but it is a very dark city. People live very short lives as they fritter away their money and their lives."

But they all seem so happy, Tia thought silently.

"They have debts so considerable that they are unable to repay it. What they cannot repay with their pockets, they repay with their bodies."

She tilted her head up, staring at him. She knew her eyes were pink and swollen from crying. What is Master saying?

"Their lives are–are–"

"Harvested. Yes." The Windcaster paused, letting the words settle into Tia's numbed brain. He sounded so far away. "But at this stage, they have isolated themselves so much on the frivolities of Kiramone's street life that they have no friends and family left. When they are harvested, nobody notices their disappearance. They cease to exist."

"Then why...?" She hiccupped, then steadied her voice. "Then why does nobody do anything? Why do you not do something about this, Master? Does King Ea not know of these poor people?"

"King Ea has... bigger concerns," Master Anu said carefully. He did not try to hide his frown, however. "I was hoping to shield you from the dark side to Kiramone, but I guess I underestimated your curiosity."

There was a solemn silence as Tia slowly digested what he was trying to tell her.

"Then, those mages..." she stopped. She couldn't bear to think users of Wind could have had anything to do with Dark magic.

"They have nothing to do with Dark magic." It was as though the old man had read her thoughts. His expression remained grim, nevertheless. "They are paid for entertainment and are very careful not to get involved with that toxic lifestyle. Regardless, their use of magic is deplorable." He ran his hand through her messy chestnut hair. "I am sorry you had to witness something so terrible. I was trying to shield you, Tiamat."

"No, I apologise, Master," she whispered, eyes downcast and her hands shaking.

"There is much you have to learn about the outside world. I do not wish you to be hurt in the process. Perhaps I had been too protective during your time at Mooncliffe. I will try and ease you into the adult world, but for now, I wish only for your safety, my dear."

"I understand, Master."

"Give me your word you shall not try anything so foolish again."

"I give my word." This time, she was sincere.