The crack of hand on flesh echoed from the pool of shadows. Taris’ eyes narrowed to slits and his hands clenched immediately. His concentration slipped, and the image flashed and shifted, before dissolving completely. His anger roared to the fore as he tried to bring up the image again. The shadow merely swirled and faded. He tried a few more times but the shadow wouldn’t show him anything. The elf growled in frustration and hurled a dagger at the wall, embedding it a couple inches deep in the wood.

Taris sliced into the nearest patch of shadow with a wave of his hand, stepping through into the darkness. He flashed past the openings between his flat and the castle, making a beeline for Aera’s room, dagger in hand. The assassin wanted Kentaro dead. He passed the last shadow before the castle gates and slammed to a stop.

Taris glared ahead and pressed his hand forward, feeling for what could have stopped him. The barrier rejected his hand and flared a bright blue. “Somebody made this more powerful,” he muttered darkly. He tried to slip through it once more, but his anger broke his concentration and he couldn’t even get a hand past the barrier. The elf’s eyes flashed, but he stopped himself. He fell back and closed his eyes floating on the solid nothingness of the Shadow Realm.

His breathing slowed after some time and the assassin opened his eyes once more. he needed to calm himself. Focus his mind. Taris passed a hand over his face and thought about Aera. He needed to be there, to protect her, to calm her, to be whatever she needed. Kentaro could wait. He’d just find something to make the bastard suffer for hitting her.

Taris rolled backwards, righting himself, and pressed against the barrier. His body pulsed and the magic slid around his body. The elf flashed past openings in the shadows and burst into Aera’s room, scanning for her. Paytin stood from her bed at his sudden appearance. He went to her, “Paytin, where is she?” He couldn’t quite hide the worry in his voice.

The maid put a hand to his arm. “She’s okay, Taris, she left. No, don’t ask where, just go home Taris. I promise she’ll be okay.”
Taris looked about to argue but Paytin smacked him in the shoulder. “Don’t argue with me Taris,” she said heatedly. “Just go home, I’ll send word for you tomorrow.”

He hesitated, but she just glared at him. Taris breathed out to keep himself calm. “Fine, Paytin, but if you don’t…” he broke off and glanced at his dagger. The shadows stretched from the wall, spiraling around him. The shadows flashed around him, and he stepped back out into his flat. The smell of lavender mixed into the familiar smell of his mint filled his nose and he stopped dead. His eyes snapped up to see Aera standing there, near the far wall. “Aera…”