{Melisa}
Melisa was just about to climb into bed when a knock at her door made her jump.
[Who the fuck-?]
But, when she went to check, it was just Javir, gesturing for her to come out. In the moonlight, her mentor’s sunlight-colored hair looked almost silver.
[Well, shit. Must be important if she’s doing the whole ’secret midnight meeting’ thing,] Melisa thought, pulling on a robe.
"Raven, wake up. We-"
Immediately, there was a knife at Melisa’s neck.
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"Whoa." Melisa blinked, looking back at grey irises.
Raven’s eyes looked into hers and, for a brief moment, it felt like looking at her back when she tried to attack Melisa. But, the hostility melted almost immediately.
"What is it?" Raven asked, pulling her knife away.
"Javir’s here," Melisa continued like nothing happened. "Come on, she wants to tell us something.
The garden was eerily quiet at night, broken only by the sound of crickets and... was that Isabella giggling?
Sure enough, as they rounded the corner, Melisa found both Isabella and Armia already waiting. Isabella was perched on Armia’s lap. From how cuddly their position looked, one would never think Armia’s face would look like she just tasted something sour.
And of course Isabella looked like she was enjoying every moment of it.
[Izzy, you’re too much.]
"Alright, so," Javir said quietly, her eyes scanning the darkness around them. "I wanted to talk about the showcase."
"Ooh, are we finally going to discuss how I’m going to absolutely blow everyone’s minds?" Isabella grinned, wiggling slightly in Armia’s lap. The movement made Armia bite her lip, and Melisa could guess why. "I mean, aside from the whole Shadow Mage thing, you know a looooot of people are gonna be super impressed with my wand."
"Actually," Javir’s voice was carefully neutral, "it is about the Shadow Mages. I wanted to go over some... safety measures."
That got everyone’s attention. Even Isabella stopped her squirming.
"Safety measures?" Raven’s eyes narrowed. "You mean, aside from the fight we’re expecting?"
"Well, about the fight that we’re expecting," Javir said smoothly. "It’s important to have it very... planned-out, you now? Especially at such a high-profile event. There will be many important people there, after all."
Something about her tone made Melisa’s ears prick up.
"I want you all to be ready," Javir began. "Isabella, you’ve got one for all of us, right?"
"Wands? Yeah, Kimiko just got a shipment," Isabella noted with a smile. "We should all be- uh, how did you say it, Mel?"
"Packing heat," Melisa replied, cringing a little.
"That, yeah."
"Well, keep your wands close," Javir nodded to herself. "Stay alert. And most importantly, try to act natural."
"Natural?" Armia raised an eyebrow. "As opposed to...?"
"As opposed to looking like you’re expecting trouble," Javir’s eyes met each of theirs in turn. "Just enjoy the showcase. Celebrate Isabella’s achievement. I mean, we don’t even know if the Shadow Mages will show up or not, right?"
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Melisa nodded slowly.
"Right, right... I guess it would look a little weird if we show up all tense."
"Exactly. But, be prepared. Remember," Javir was saying, "stay close to each other. Work the room, mingle, but don’t get isolated. And if anything does happen..."
"We fight," Raven finished quietly.
"Precisely." Javir nodded. "Now, get some rest. Not just today, but all the way up to the showcase, alright? Last thing we need is for any of you to show up tired."
As the others headed back inside, Melisa lingered in the garden with Javir.
"Is that really all you wanted to tell us?" Melisa asked, her tail swishing thoughtfully behind her. "It felt like... I don’t know, like you were holding something back."
Javir’s lips curved into that particular smile she got when Melisa was being cleverer than expected. The same smile she’d worn when Melisa had first demonstrated magic in Lessmark.
"No, it’s not all," she admitted, her eyes scanning the darkness around them. "But I’m not entirely sure I can talk freely at the moment."
Melisa’s ears perked up.
"What do you mean? We’re alone out here."
"Are we?" Javir’s smile turned enigmatic. "I’ll hopefully explain everything tomorrow. For now, just remember what I said about acting natural."
[Okay, that’s not ominous at all,] Melisa thought, but she nodded anyway.
Back in their room, Melisa found Raven already in bed, though the way she was lying made it clear she wasn’t actually sleeping. Her grey eyes caught the moonlight as she rolled over to face Melisa.
"Hey," Raven said softly. "Sorry about... you know. The knife thing."
Melisa couldn’t help but grin as she climbed into her own bed.
"It’s fine. Kind of nostalgic, actually. Reminds me of when you were trying to kill me for real."
"That’s... not funny," Raven muttered, but Melisa could hear the smile in her voice.
"It’s a little funny," Melisa yawned, snuggling into her blankets. "Though maybe next time just say ’who’s there’ like a normal person?"
"Where’s the fun in that?"
As Melisa drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t help but wonder what Javir wasn’t telling them. But those thoughts could wait until tomorrow.
---
The noon sun beat down mercilessly on the palace gardens as Melisa and Aria stood before Zephyra. Sweat trickled down Melisa’s neck, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the heat or just because she was nervous.
Zephyra looked as composed as ever, her amethyst eyes sharp and focused. She’d arranged various magical instruments on a small table, alongside her ever-present notebook. The lizard - Sir Scales, as she’d genuinely started calling it - rested in a small glass terrarium.
Aria, despite her attempts at royal composure, kept shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her white hair practically glowed in the sunlight, making her look even more regal than usual.
But there was nothing regal about the way she was chewing her bottom lip while watching this go on.
[She looks like she’s about to vibrate out of her skin,] Melisa thought, her tail twitching sympathetically.
"Well?" Aria finally broke the silence, her voice tight with barely contained anxiety. "What’s different about it?"
Zephyra’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.
"Nothing," she said, making a note in her book. "That’s precisely the point. The lizard is perfectly healthy. No signs of deterioration, no unusual behavior patterns. Just a regular lizard that happens to have died and been brought back to life."
Melisa’s tail curled with excitement.
[Holy shit, I was right! The Essence levels really do affect how long the resurrection lasts!]
"Which means," Zephyra continued, her eyes meeting Melisa’s, "your theory about Essence levels affecting the spell’s potency appears to be correct. The higher concentration of magical energy when you cast it, the more stable and lasting the effect."
Aria’s head snapped up.
"Wait, what? You told her about Father? About how he’s-" her voice cracked slightly.
"Melisa told me nothing," Zephyra cut in smoothly. "But I have eyes, Your Highness. The king’s condition hasn’t exactly been subtle to those who know what to look for."
The princess deflated slightly, but her grey eyes sparked with something that looked dangerously like hope.
"But if the spell’s effectiveness is tied to magical energy levels, then maybe..." Aria turned to Melisa. "Maybe you could cast it again? With more power this time?"
[Oh no,] Melisa thought, seeing where this was going. [Please don’t ask what I think you’re going to ask.]
"There’s only one way to find out," Zephyra said, already moving the terrarium to the center of the table. She lifted Sir Scales out carefully, placing him on a flat stone. "Melisa, if you would?"
[Shit. This feels wrong somehow.]
But Melisa stepped forward anyway, aware of Aria’s desperate gaze on her back. The lizard looked up at her, tongue flicking out curiously.
Drawing the spellsign in the air, Melisa focused her power. After her morning "training session" with Isabella and Margaret, her Essence levels were practically overflowing.
"Lumi sanguine, vita crescere," she intoned, watching the familiar crimson glow surround the lizard.
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Sir Scales just sat there, looking as healthy as ever.
Then its eyes glazed over.
"No," Aria whispered as the lizard slumped onto its side.
They all watched in silence as Sir Scales - who had survived death once already - stopped breathing.
[Fuck,] Melisa thought, her stomach churning. [FUCK.]
"We’re not done yet," Zephyra said. "Now, Melisa, try to resurrect it again."
Melisa nodded.
"Lumi sanguine, vita crescere," she intoned once more.
This time, the lizard got up, and promptly died once again.
"..."
All three women remained silent for a time.
"Well," Zephyra’s voice was carefully neutral as she made another note in her book. "That answers those questions."
"What..." Aria’s voice shook. "What does this mean? For Father?"
Zephyra closed her notebook with a soft snap.
"It means we need to find another solution. Quickly."
Melisa stared at Sir Scales’ tiny body, her mind racing.
[There has to be something else. Some other way. Maybe if I had more Essence? Or if I modified the spell somehow?]
But deep down, she knew. The spell wasn’t meant to grant immortality. It was just buying time - time they were rapidly running out of.
[At least now we know for sure,] she thought grimly. [Though watching that lizard die three times... definitely could have lived without that particular confirmation.]