– Good morning. I don't think we've met before," I said in a calm tone, pretending not to notice her insolent stare.

– It's good of you to come down, Sylvia. Let me introduce you to my old friend Astrid. I sent her a letter asking for her help, but I didn't get a reply, so I wasn't sure if she would come. Astrid's mother is a demon and her father is a mage, so she is someone quite unusual. She's very good at magic and could be useful to us on our journey," Evans explained, placing his palms on his friend's shoulders.

– That's right. I'm a half-demon half-magician… Evans says I have more demon blood in me because sometimes I like to make him angry. And you must be the Sylvia Rossi? Flammehav's ill-fated Scarlet Flower, Derek Merkswerd's war trophy? The demoness who became queen of Kaldwind? You are much talked about, and I must admit, I'm terribly happy to meet you! – Astrid spoke quickly and knocked the ground out from under me with her questions.

– You might say so," I agreed quietly.

Why object to the truth? I could have refused Derek and been killed, along with my family and my people, but I was wise to agree. I'd heard worse things: some people believed Derek had made me his mistress in Røvann, some people believed I had bewitched him into marrying me.

– What was, is gone. Thankfully, we've put our mutual hatred behind us and our hearts belong together," I said softly.

– Oh, you're so sure of that? – Astrid asked with doubt in her voice. It was a question I was afraid to ask myself. – Maybe that drunkard is just pretending. He wants an heir from you, and he must be swearing his love for you, but then you belong in the royal palace, not out here in the middle of nowhere, alone with Evans.

I never thought of that. And now, at the thought that it might have been the awful truth, my heart skipped a beat.

Derek could have locked me in the palace and sent me off to find someone else, could have gone himself, could have sacrificed himself to keep me alive, but instead he'd accepted my decision almost without argument. And how many times had he said he wanted a son… So if a daughter was born, he wouldn't need her. My mind was filled with restless thoughts, swirling in my head like a swarm of poisonous wasps in a hornet's nest. Everything I tried not to think about or ignore was playing against us. We'd never existed, either: the last few days I'd spent in the castle and in my husband's bed now seemed crazy, wrong and unbelievable.

– Enough. – As if through a fog, I heard Evans's firm voice. His intervention pleased me, because I didn't know what to say. – Relationships aren't easy, and sometimes love comes even when there seems to be nothing but impenetrable darkness. The King and Queen of Kaldwind will sort it out for themselves, and neither I nor Astrid will ever bring it up again.

– That man will bring you many more tears, you'll see…" Astrid said quietly, but then she rolled her eyes and waved her hand in a mannerly manner, "All right, all right! I'll shut up!

There was a heavy silence, and, returning to reality, I decided to look at the portrait and the nature of this cheeky girl.

Bold. I like that kind of girl. Better the bitter truth than the sweet lie. Her dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders and then down to her waist. Half-naked, full breasts were showing through the tight ribbons of a very unusual short corset. A rather large hole in the girl's dress, as if on purpose, revealed a small stone adorning her navel, an exquisite "fiery topaz". As far as I understood, the purpose of this stone was to emphasize Astrid's expressive, flirtatious, almost burgundy eyes with a glint of gold. The leather skirt, made of the same material as the corset, barely covered the girl's firm buttocks. Somehow I was sure that men often looked at those thighs, licking their lips and drooling. Astrid was a little taller than me, but that was because of the leather boots with the high, thick heels. A small earring decorated with small "fire" topazes glistened on her lip. Astrid's somewhat upturned nose also contained a topaz ring, but this stone was larger than the others and shone brightly even without sunlight. Moonstones had been implanted in her arms from wrist to elbow, her exposed neck bore the marks of deep wounds, and her left eye was crossed by a scar that, oddly enough, made her look quite pretty. I stared at her so long and unceremoniously that Astrid couldn't bear to look at her.

– What's the matter? – She squinted her eyes.

– I'm sorry… You have a very unusual appearance. I didn't know you could have stones implanted in your skin before… And your outfit… Aren't you afraid that someone will attack your honor? – I said involuntarily.

Once again my curiosity played against me: Astrid gloomed and shifted her eyebrows to the bridge of her nose; I must have hit a sore spot. But as Astrid herself had been looking at me with all her eyes until a few minutes ago, I didn't feel sorry for her.

– As you've heard, I'm a half-breed. My father is a mage from an ancient magical family that draws its powers from gemstones. The more gems implanted in our bodies, the greater the power. Members of our kind prefer to stay in the shadows, afraid that one day they will be killed for profit. I usually hide my hands under my cloak. My father refused to admit I was his daughter, and my mother died in childbirth. No one wants people like me. I have to make a living, so I have to sell my body. I hope I've answered all your questions.

– I'm sorry. I didn't know you had such a sad fate," I hurried to justify myself, but the girl remained silent and only gave me a contemptuous look.

– Ladies, don't fight, please! – Evans raised his voice. – Help each other in such a tough time, and maybe this will be your chance to find a happy future!

– Astrid, if we survive, I'll help you be a little happier," I said quietly, taking the girl's palm gently in mine. – You and I are alike. Both abandoned, both unloved. I can give you anything you want! Money, power, recognition, an advantageous position. If you want, I'll be your friend and walk you down the aisle to the man of your heart! You don't have to come with us on this journey, I can't ask you to risk your life for a man you despise, but I won't refuse to help you if you change your mind.

– I don't like being in debt. I'll go with you, but I hope that when the time comes, you won't forget what you said today," Astrid said with an incredulous smile, but she squeezed my palm tightly in return.

Soon we were saddling up the horses and heading into town. As it turned out, Evans's friend was the owner of an elderly but sturdy gray horse, which was good for our journey. When we reached the winding pass in the mountains that was the only way into the city, I turned back, driven by a strange feeling. The fog that still hung over the ground made it hard to see anything, so I just shrugged and continued on my way. The passage was narrow enough that we had to dismount and lead the horses. The path was strewn with many large stones, so our four-legged friends were stubborn. My feet were also slipping and were beginning to ache.

We had been walking for about two hours. The fog suddenly cleared and the sun came out, which shone directly in our faces and so brightly that we had to cover our eyes with the palm of our hands. After passing through the gorge, we walked down the loose sand and decided to rest for a while. Settling down on the sand, I enjoyed stretching out my tired legs. My body was wracked with weakness after the arduous journey, and I hoped that some black bread and a piece of cheese would give me back my strength. I was so hot that I impatiently threw off my fur cloak, but I didn't feel any better. My head and eyelids suddenly felt heavy, and in a moment I was swallowed up by darkness.