The blade failed to cut through my skin in spite of its sharpness. I vaguely felt it float away into the moonlight as I turned to face my ghostly lover.

I rubbed my tender cheek and bent my head back to stretch out my neck. Somehow, I knew that he would be in my dreams – and nightmares – for some time to come. I had no idea how long I slept but the darkness outside the window gave good indication. We had finished everything – the whole ceremony and celebration – before sunset.

In spite of the cold night, I found myself sweating profusely from the hallucination. My hands were cold and clammy. With shaking fingers, I let down my disarrayed hair and opted to take a long, hot bath. I ruefully hoped Nutty wouldn't see the ruined dress she called her best design. As the stinging sensation of the bath recalled me to life, I forced myself into resolution. My heart still longed for the past but I knew there was only one way to survive this fatal choice: endure.

Even those who didn't know us intimately could tell that Cahil and I were no ordinary married couple. There was no furtive glances characteristic of newlyweds to embarrass the people in the room. After several months, gossip and pure speculation quickly made it known that we slept in different bedrooms. And then there were the walls between us – his and mine – that seemed visible to all.

But our odd marriage would not be the center of attention for long. There were more pressing matters at hand. The council began to meet more and more frequently. There was much to discuss with an impending war and all.

Cahil and I took our seats side by side as the court began to pack in. Loud chattering filled the chambers and it became clear that tempers were already flaring. I glanced about for any sign of Brazell. There was none. He still wasn't allowed in to the chambers. Good. So he hadn't gained too much power yet.

Eventually, the chattering died down as the Council members took their places.

Bain raised a hand for complete silence and attention. All eyes rested on the Council, who were perched on their seats above like the judges of heaven.

"Soulfinder, we request a report on the status of the growing army. It is pivotal towards complete defense of Sitia's borders." Master Magician Bain gazed intently at me.

I stood and returned the scrutiny, "With all due respect, the army will not be ready anytime soon."

Murmurs of outrage filled the chamber.

"But we have given you a substantial amount of time." A Council Member struggled visibly to keep his voice even.
There was no use lying. The whole world knew. This pseudo-interview had been designed to force me into place for Brazell's plans. I took a breath, "And you should know that no army in this world could possibly face that of the Commander's well-disciplined and well-trained soldiers in Ixia. The entire country is designed around the code of the military."

"…Sympathizer…" A malicious hiss sounded to the left of me.

"Bullshit." The whisper bounced off the walls in a deafening whisper.

The unrest grew in volume: "…Ixian bitch…" At the insult Cahil turned sharply toward the direction of the offender.

"Order! Order!" The Council members struggled in vain to regain control of their courtroom.

"There is… another way." Brazell entered the court room in full theatrics. He must have practiced this moment for days.

He had opted for green and black in his choice of fine Sitian attire…no doubt for symbolic as well as political preferences. A gold decorative medallion hung from his collar to inspire awe: in a country where the market was free, displaying status and prestige worked to one's influential benefit.

Hands laced behind his back and a slow, certain stride, Brazell immediately won the entire room's attention. They were mindless sheep to his leadership.

"But I am certain…" Brazell turned his head towards Bain; the rest followed, "That the studious Master Magician Bain could explain this matter much more eloquently than I. It concerns the very potential of our Soulfinder, who have" He made sure to raise his voice for emphasis, "Given us so freely herself and powers as a resource to defend this helpless country against the imperialistic agenda of the North."

It was as rare sight to watch Bain fidget in his seat as it was to watch Valek. And so the chamber held their breath as all eyes fixed on the Master Magician. His own eyes were shifty as he cleared his throat again and began to speak in his lecturing voice, "The history of the Soulfinder… has been marked by the grotesque stories of naught but Soulstealers. These sadistic users of magic knew only to prevent the souls' transition into the sky by returning them to the world for which they have been expired or perhaps in the layperson's terms, 'resurrect the dead.'"

A wide collection of murmurs amongst whispering ensued. My anger flared with the noise.

"It's unethical!" I called out. The voices stopped. All eyes watched me intently.

One of the council members removed their spectacles and rubbed their eyes tiredly, "Soulfinder, in times of urgent national security… it becomes necessary to…"

"To what?" My fingers clenched at the arms of my chair, "To bring back souls 'whose time in this world have expired'? To torture these lives by ripping them out of the sky?! It's inhumane!"

"We understand the sentiment, Soulfinder." The same tired voice began again, "Especially in your case, there would be remarkable sensitivity. But once more, the lives of Sitians hangs in the balance! They-"

"Are not in any immediate danger. The Commander would compromise. War would hurt his country just as much as…"

"And therein lies this woman's true loyalty." Brazell chuckled as he stepped forward again, "The Commander's most lethal assassin has tried to kill her and yet she still finds reason to sympathize with the policymaker. And what's more…" His voice moved down to a leer as he jabbed a finger at me, "the pure symbolism behind the unaccomplished act on that night simply announces this woman's allegiances."

I was a rat forced into the trap.

They continued on, "As of now, Ixia is our enemy. As in any war, it would not be unethical to expend the lives of our antagonists. Ixian souls are expendable."

"Not in that way. Each soul has equal weight. This is barbaric." But my case was long lost to this culture of fear.

A council member shook his head gravely. "Your family… Soulfinder… would be disappointed in you."

At that Bain shot the council member an icy glare of chastisement, "That's enough." In response, he lowered his eyes to the old master.

But Bain steadied the same, equally merciless gaze towards me, "Child, you yourself come from the Zaltana clan. Your family spans many generations and bloodlines. Your roots run as deep as the jungle that is your home. Sitia is the land that made you… and your gift. Can you bear to turn your back on it now, in this great time of need?"

I clenched my fists and my teeth. I would die before I repeated my mistake; bring a soul back to live a partial-life in agony. "The army will be ready. They stand a chance." I raised my eyes to Bain and felt a twinge of satisfaction as he faltered slightly at my steady gaze.

I gave a small, rueful smile, "Your strategies are all wrong. But you were close the answer. Ixia's greatest strength and greatest weakness lie in the same place: their reliance on secular means. Magic is our advantage."

Skeptical murmurs and dissidence filled the auditorium. Bain lightly banged his hammer again for peace. He gestured for me to continue, uncharacteristic eagerness in his old, wrinkled eyes.

"Valek is the only one in the entire country who can stand against our magic. The rest can't. And with his heavy ban on magicians, there obviously be none in his army."

Cahil smiled at me, a glint of clear admiration in his eyes. He turned to the Council, "And let us also not forget our magician brothers and sisters who are trapped within Ixian borders as well… Innocent children waiting to be slaughtered by the Commander's right hand man."

I shuddered involuntarily. Valek's cold, methodical genocide of adolescents and teenagers who have unwittingly displayed magic they couldn't control always unsettled me.

"I have also no doubt," Cahil's voice brought me back to reality, "That should we break down those iron walls and invade, these people would not hesitate to join forces with us to take down the Commander's tyrannical rule."

Brazell slipped a cold smile onto his face. Only my soul finding abilities made it possible to see the suppressed wrath. "My, my, our Soulfinder has clearly outdone herself. And she is right! With our magicians, the Commander shall meet his demise at his own nearsighted prejudice."

After a brief private meeting and discussion, the council presented us with their jurisdiction: We were to draft the most powerful and prominent magicians in Sitia. They will be given no choice whether to partake in this patriotic duty. In addition, the soldiers relying on swords and arrows will continue to receive the rigorous training they have now.

Lastly, Cahil and I will cross the border into Ixia under the guise of peace talk to bring the message to those possessing magical ability in their dystopian society: that war and change was coming.

What they didn't mention was that I was to be their shield. Only a complete simpleton would believe that there was still time for peace talk. These cowards will hide behind their hostage: the one magician in the world the scary magician killer would never bring harm to.

At Valek's name, Cahil grasped my hand tightly as his lips clenched together tightly.

Yes it really did take me years to figure out what happens next. I'm finishing this story. But I might work on A Pledge of Commitment from time to time to keep the wheels turning. So yeah. That thing. Review. :]