Aspen County

Louve is sitting on the couch when I finally reemerge from my room, looking confused. Completely forgetting about Keene'’s notes and concerned for my sister, I call out her name. Immersed in thought, she hadn’t heard me enter, and jumps at the sound.

"What is it, Lovett?" she asks, distracted.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing. You look really out of it."

She blinks and bites her lip. "It's just…well, Ryder's been talking to me ever since we separated. Almost every day, he's been sending me messages."

"What?" I sit down beside her on the couch. "Have you been replying to him?"

"No, of course not. I know I can't encourage him as much as I want to see him again. But yesterday, he sent me a message saying that he was arrested for some reason." She blinks again, thinking deeply about the situation.

I grab her arm loosely and comfortingly, and she looks up at me. "Are you okay?" I think about it for a second. "Is he?"

"I think he is. He just keeps saying that he'll find me and we'll be together again. I was used to that, but they're apparently going to send him back to Pennsylvania to deal with some of his other charges, I guess."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I mean, I don't want him to go to jail, but it's not like he didn't have a life before the Pack, horrible as it may have been. If he goes back, a lot of people are going to be mad at him when they find out that he's been alive all of this time. He was out on probation for possession of drugs and I think a few other things when we met him. They'll all think that he just ran away from the law and is just now getting caught. We're partly to blame for that. I mean, you saw how Kain reacted when he saw him. And we weren't off being…romantic, like you thought that night. He lied. We were at his old house, and his brother, his own blood, was awful until I convinced him to hear Ryder out. I can only imagine what others will do to him."

I wrap my arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure he'll be—"

She cuts me off and jerks out of my grip. "Don't say he'll be okay. He's in jail because…" she sighs and gets up to pace. "…because he probably did something stupid on his mission to find me and save me from myself."

I grab her wrists to hold her in place. "Look, it's not your fault. He has a bad temper, and he lets it get out of control. Don't worry too much. The others will help him out. Just don't let it bother you too much."

"That's just it. He left the others because he again let his temper get out of control. You know how stubborn he is; he'll probably wait until he's on his way to Pennsylvania to ask for help, and even then he might still try to get out on his own." She pulls away and keeps pacing, biting her thumb nail. "I can't help feeling responsible." She huffs and flops down onto the couch. "I just wish I could talk to him someh—" She cuts herself off, and a distant look appears in her eyes as they seem to glaze over.

I grab her shoulders and shake her a bit. "Louve?"

She sits up straight, her whole body tense. "Shut up!" She looks completely alert again and very angry. "I didn't ask you for your opinion!"

"Louve, what's going on?" I demand, but the distant look is back again.

"Just leave me alone!" she shouts as her eyes refocus again.

"What are you doing?" I demand, and this time she pays attention to me.

She sighs and looks down at her lap in shame. "It was her."

"The voice-thing?"

"Yeah. She was taunting me again."

"Just shut her out," I suggest lightly.

She yanks her arm out of my grip again, kicks the wooden coffee table away—knocking it against the wall—and shoots up. "I can't! Why doesn't anyone understand that! I just can't get rid of her! She's always there—a constant presence in my mind! So why don't you and Ryder stop trying to 'understand' and telling me to 'shut her out' because I just can't!"

She storms away and throws the front door open, only to practically run into Keene, who blushes and steps back slightly. "Please forgive me if I've interrupted something. I can return later."

I glance at Louve who crosses her arms defiantly. "It’s fine. What's going on?"

"Grandmother would like to present you to the villagers. It's been two days, and they are growing restless awaiting the presentation of their great Saviors."

I nod. "Yeah, sure. Can you just give us like 10 minutes?"

He smiles. "Of course. We'll be waiting for you outside of the Judgment Room. I'll be right on the edge of the houses to guide you."

"Thanks," I mutter as he bows his head and closes the door lightly behind him. I turn to my sister strictly. "Look, do you think you can behave yourself for just a little while so that we can meet these people. They've been waiting for us for years apparently."

She looks away, pouting. "It's not me that I'd worry about. It's her that has the behavioral issues."

"Well you're not really helping when you're behaving like that."

"Like how?"

I sigh. "Like a child. I get it, Louve. You hate being away from your friends and from Ryder, and having this voice-thing in your head sucks. But they were my friends too. Just try to act your age. You're already 17. I'm not saying to grow up tomorrow, but at least give it a little bit of effort to control yourself—and her."

She opens the door and steps out onto the first step before turning and looking back at me. "I do try to control her. If it was your head that she was invading, you'd get why I just can't." She trudges out of the hut dejectedly, and I sigh before following her.

As we approach the dome, excited blurs of words creep between the huts to our ears, zealous whispers that grow louder as we approach. Keene is waiting for us, and he hurries over when he sees us.

"Are you ready?" I murmur to Louve. She doesn't reply.

"Okay, just smile, and I'll do the talking for you," Keene whispers politely, sensing our discomfort. He glances over his shoulder to where the excitement comes from. "Just prepare yourselves—they can be a bit rowdy."

Feeling nervous, I nod for both Louve and me, and we follow Keene, stopping in the shadow of one hut shy of the dome's clearing. Keene on the other hand strides purposefully in the direction of the babble, and silence falls when he steps out into the light. Peeking out from around the hut, I can see a huge crowd of people of various ethnicities watching Keene expectantly, some of them looking around for Louve and me. The knot in my stomach tightens when I notice Egeria and the Elders standing off to Keene's side, sunlight bathing them. A baby sits on the ground at Egeria's feet, staring at me as he absentmindedly pulls at the grass. I immediately back away.

"Residents of Aspen County," he calls out to the crowd, his voice echoing off of the trees. "Two nights ago, a gift was bestowed upon our village under the light of a Third Quarter. Our great Saviors, named Lovett and Louve of France, have arrived. I beg of you to join me in welcoming them to our humble presence!"

Keene steps aside to stand opposite his grandmother in front of the crowd, his arm extended towards us. The other werewolves scattered in clusters begin to whoop and stomp their feet. Children cheer, clap, and jump up and down. Louve and I leave the shelter and shade of the huts, fake smiles plastered across our faces. We wave as we step out into the intolerably bright sun, and the cheers become even louder.

And then the cheers stop as if the crowd was cued to be still and silent. Almost in sync, everyone bows their heads and falls to their knees. Louve and I gaze around in confusion and notice that even children and Keene have fallen to their knees with their eyes averted. Even Egeria and the Elders have their heads bowed in respect.

Keene glances up at us. 'Rise,' he mouths silently before looking back at the grass.

"Rise," I immediately command. Everyone shoves themselves up from the ground, gazing at Louve and me adoringly. We're both shocked at their instant loyalty and are unsure of what they now expect of us.

Luckily, Keene is still looking out for us, and he interjects before the silence from becomes long and awkward. He steps between Louve and me, grabbing one of our hands in each of his and holding them up high in the air. "All hail the Chosen Two!" he cries out, his voice booming through the clearing.

The crowd erupts once again, and I can't conceal a small, genuine smile. Keene squeezes our hands and releases them as the crowd surges forward. Before I can even think about anything, the crowd surges forward, and various people grab Louve and my hands, uttering rapid prayers for our protection to the Moon—some in different languages—and offering their praise. Others, mainly women, grab our shoulders and kiss each of our cheeks in turn. It seems to take forever before the line begins to thin out, but everyone stays nearby, hoping to catch Louve or me alone. We turn to Keene who smiles sheepishly and shrugs.

When he finally manages to reach us again, he quickly murmurs, "The Prophecy about you two is a big deal to us all."

"But we always thought that being someone like us, half human and half werewolf, was frowned upon. Now we're being praised?" I raise my eyebrow suspiciously.

"Well the werewolves of the village are very accepting. Our people don't judge. They come to escape prejudice, not further enforce it. And the Prophecy has been extensively romanticized in the past few centuries to the point that it is the common belief that you and your decedents are to be great saviors in times of peril and war. You're a campfire myth in the village. You two are famous. I'd enjoy it if I were you." He winks and steps away, leaving Louve and I at the mercy of every resident of the village.

A little boy, about four or five, approaches us, and Louve kneels down. "Tell us a story," he demands innocently.

She laughs along with the nearby residents who heard what he said, but when she looks up at me, her eyes beg for help, and I in turn look at Keene who nods. I swallow and gaze out at the now expectant crowd, unsure of what to tell and what not to. Louve stands back up at my side.

"We really don't know where to start," I say, rubbing my neck awkwardly. I'm well aware at the number of small children who are scattered about gazing at us like we're the coolest people in the world.

"Tell us of your triumphs of the Dupont men in the summer," Egeria commands softly. The baby at her feet makes a noise of agreement.

I glance at her gratefully and turn my expectant gaze to Louve, more than willing to admit that she knows way more about everything that happened than I do. She rolls her eyes and looks out at the crowd, probably tired of me making her tell the stories. Following the example of the anticipation-riddled children and teenagers, she sits on the ground. Her face takes on a distant expression as her eyes become almost glassy.

And then she tells if our exploits of the summer, beginning with the beauty of the Full Moon on that last night before Damien entered our lives. She carries the crowd through the pain and suffering that our Pack endured, including the disgust she felt at the advances that Damien tried to make on her. Her voice is powerful and it resonates throughout the clearing, enrapturing the attention of the crowd. She continues with a rundown of our rescue mission and journey to France. She includes some of the dreams but omits others along with details about her unconscious allegiance to Death, the control Monique battles her for, and some of our Pack mates’ personal turmoil. Those details are unnecessary, however, as her vivid descriptions of the battles we fought and the fear we felt when our friends were injured or the pain we suffered when our aunt died does more than enough to make up for those missing details. She finishes with a claim that we came here and left our Pack behind for one simple reason: we needed to learn more about the Prophecy and who we really are.

Having been watching her admirably during most of the narrative of our misadventure, when Louve stops speaking, I look out at the awed crowd. Tears fill many of their eyes from the sorrowful events that she described in such eloquent detail. The distant glimmer still encompasses Louve's eyes, concerning me.

But as the silence and shock wears off of the crowd, I notice my sister behaving oddly: she closes her eyes, makes a small gasping sound, and blinks repeatedly, shaking her head. She finally opens her eyes, but there are no tears there that she would have had to try blinking back. When I hold my hand out to help her up, she glances up at me and offers an unconvincing smile, and it's all I can do to keep my grip on her wrist and pull her to her feet.

Because that glance, so uncertain in herself, told me all I needed to know. It wasn't my sister who was just talking to the crowd—it was Monique.
* * * * *
Louve and I manage to tear ourselves away after several hours chatting with the villagers. It feels like I'm on autopilot when I speak with them, but I know what I'm going to do every time I meet Louve's eyes. When we finally get back to the hut, she sits on the couch and looks up at me, knowing exactly what I plan to say.

“What happened back there?” I demand angrily. I know it's not her fault, but all of this crap with this voice thing is really getting to me. I'm sick of this thing's interference in my life.

“I don't know. Honestly, Lovett, I didn't even realize that it was her until after she stopped talking.”

“How could you not realize it was her? It was your mouth moving, and you had no control over what was coming out of it! You must have had some idea.”

“I really didn't realize anything was out of the ordinary. I mean, yes, it was my mouth moving, but she was just relating my thoughts and everything that I was going to say. It wasn't like usual. This time, she wasn't just doing this to mess with us. She did it just because she wanted us to know that she could.” Louve glares up at me. “So don't blame me for something that I have no control over!”

“But how could you just be completely oblivious?”

“I really don't know. She's never done anything like that—it's just not like her. And even if she had tried to do something like this in the past, I can always feel the change when she does it; there's usually a bit of a struggle. This time, there was no fighting and no shock when I lost control.” The glare disappears, fear replacing it in her wide green eyes. “I'm scared, Lovett.”

I sigh and sit next to her, wrapping my arms around her for comfort. After a few minutes, I stand, and she looks up at me, confused. “Come with me; I think it's time for us to get to know Egeria.”
* * * * *
We assume that Egeria's hut is the one that we saw when we first arrived, standing tall in the back of the village with smoke escaping from the chimney into the air. Our guess is confirmed when we approach it and see the elderly woman standing outside, her face expectant.

“Chosen Two, I had a feeling I would be seeing you soon. Please, come in.” she gestures toward the partially opened door and opens it, ushering us inside.

A wave of soothing but powerful herbal scents washes over us as we enter the hut and look around. Smoke hangs in the air but not too thickly to see the handmade rug on the floor with the phases of the moon sewn into it like the tapestry over the elders' thrones. Egeria takes our hands and leads us to the couch, and we all sit down silently.

When my sister and I remain quiet, she looks sympathetically into Louve's eyes, and gently grabs her face to force her to look at her when my sister tries to avert her gaze. “Tell me, my child, what woes plague you. You need not fear indiscretion. What you speak of here will never leave this room.” When Louve still doesn't talk, Egeria turns to me. “Lovett, you are a wonderful brother and protector to your sister, a task that not many would hold to as seriously as you have over the years. However, at this time, perhaps it would suit the both of you if you allowed us to speak privately. I promise she'll be safe here.” 

I'm conflicted. Protecting Louve is all I've focused on for so many years. She doesn't agree or disagree with Egeria, and I finally put aside my qualms as her protector based on my father's pleas. “Alright, I'll see you back at the house then,” I say awkwardly, standing and backing away.

Egeria nods approvingly, and I leave the heavy air in exchange for the crisp breeze outside. It feels weird to leave Louve alone in an unfamiliar place. We've been practically inseparable since our parents' death 12 years ago. Other than when I was kidnapped, I've rarely left her alone. It's strange to not be with her.

With a fleeting glance at Egeria's home, I begin aimlessly walking through the village, smiling absently at those who I pass. I somehow wind up back at the forest entrance, and I sit with my back against a tree facing the expanse of wildlife so that none of the villagers will bother me.

I close my eyes, my head in one of the crevices of the tree. After a little while, I hear a gentle voice whispering. Afraid that I'm invading someone’s privacy, I prepare to leave, but then I notice Keene wandering out of the forest with the baby that Egeria had had with her earlier in the afternoon.

“Oh, hello, Lovett,” he says with a smile, lifting the baby off of the ground and putting him on his broad shoulders. He smiles when the boy begins playing with his hair. 

“Hi Keene. What's going on?” I ask, standing up. 

“Nothing much. Redell and I were just out for a walk. I sense something troubles you. What is it?”

“Is he yours?” I inquire, evading the question and approaching the pair. Redell reaches out, and when I give him my hand, he turns it over and begins tracing lines on my palm. 

“No, he's my nephew. He lives with my grandmother, but he was my sister's son. She was killed a few months ago when on vacation with her mate. They were actually considering leaving the village, oddly enough.” 

“I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose someone you're close to.” 

“Thanks, it was hard on us all, especially after my parents died just last year, but I just feel so bad for Redell. He'll never know how wonderful she was and how much she loved him, but obviously their passing affected him—he cried for five hours from the agony that it caused and neither grandmother, nor I were able to get him to eat for two days. We were genuinely concerned for him.” Redell has by now abandoned my hand and is touching the side of his uncle's face sympathetically, sensing his grief. “My sister's death raised a lot of questions though. One of the more prominent amongst them though was why my grandmother would choose me over my sister to take her place one day before I was even born and why she would select Redell to in turn take my place when I inevitably pass on. Some suspect that she knew from the start that my sister would eventually be killed and unable to be her successor.” 

“What do you think?” 

“I think that I am not the one to question my grandmother. She knows what's best for our people, and I trust her word with my life. If she says that something must be, then it must. She told me to bring Redell for a walk to see a creek that she used to bring me to when I was young and she was teaching me to meditate. I imagine that Louve is with her at the moment and that that is the reason.” 

“Yes, she's been having some problems and Egeria asked to speak with her alone in the most polite way I could ever imagine asking someone to leave your house.” 

Keene chuckles lightly, and Redell laughs with his uncle. “Yes, that's Grandmother; always polite. She will never raise her voice and she will always find a way to scold a person without directly scolding them. I can only hope that I one day possess that skill.” 

“Well my sister isn't always the most talkative, they'll probably be about done by now. You can probably take him back soon.” 

Redell reaches out to me, his small hands closing and unclosing as he does so. “I suspect as much. Although, I think someone has something to tell you.” Keene lifts Redell and puts him on the floor. The baby stumbles over to me, and I kneel down in front of him. He reaches out to me and touches the side of my face with his small, warm hand. His big, dark blue eyes seem to be able to look into me and see who I am inside, and I feel almost comforted; when I stand and he stumbles back to Keene, I feel much more relaxed than when I left Egeria's house.

Keene picks him up and places him back onto his shoulders where Redell resumes playing with his uncle’s hair. “He won't speak a word yet, but Redell is powerful. Grandmother was correct to say that he should be the one to fill my shoes. He's kind, compassionate, gentle, and insightful. I've heard stories that I was very much like he is when I was his age.”

“Well that must be reassuring,” I say sincerely. 

He smiles. “Thanks.” We look out at the sun in the distance. It's setting over the trees. “I should probably get him back. I imagine Louve is with Grandmother still. She's probably drinking one of Grandmother's soothing herbal tea mixes.”

I nod, and the three of us head off to the back of the village. A few huts from Egeria's, Keene points to one of the smaller ones. “In case you ever need to talk, by the way, that's where you can find me.” We keep walking, but I'm grateful to have stumbled upon him and Redell. 

When we're outside of Egeria's, I stop for a moment. “Thank you, Keene. I feel a lot better now.”

He smiles. “No, thank you. People haven't really trusted me yet with their troubles, at least not on the scale that they trust Grandmother.”

I place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Don't worry, they will. You'll help a lot of people one day, Keene. One day, they'll be lining up at your door to get your advice.” 

His grin widens as the door opens. “Thanks.”

When Louve greets us, she also looks a lot better. “Hi Keene,” she says politely as she closes the door. She shakes Redell's outstretched hand when she approaches us. The baby smiles and reaches out to gently touch the scar on her cheek. She holds out her hand, and like he did with the lines on my palm, he traces the necklace's scar on hers. 

“Well, I should get him inside. It was nice speaking with you, Lovett.” 

“And you; see you around.” 

He nods with a smile on his face, but I catch a concerned glimmer in his eyes as he turns and enters his grandmother's home.
* * * * *
I again spend a little while after Louve goes to bed waiting until I hear her breath become steady from sleep. Finally, I close my eyes and repeat last night's mantra in my mind, trying to clear all other thoughts from my head.

Once again, when I open my eyes, we're in the village's dome. Louve turns and looks at me, a genuine smile on her face. It reminds me of the time right before all of this happened, and it makes me miss those days and desperately hope to get back to them as soon as possible.

“Great, you're both here,” a relieved voice says from behind us. I turn and see Keene standing right in front of Egeria's chair, about two feet behind me. I feel very relaxed with him here. “I can answer any questions you have right now. But whatever I tell you cannot leave this dream. And at all costs, she cannot know what we speak of. You must not think or speak of what I tell you unless you are here. When you are asleep, she has access to your minds; however, Grandmother has asked me to assure you that this type of dream is slightly different from those you share with her, Louve. Here, you two control what appears and what happens. This is where and how you must fight her.”

“But, Keene, I've gone against her before, and it didn't go very well last time. And she's becoming more powerful. I just don't know if I could really beat her.”

He walks past me and takes both of her hands in his, not in an affectionate way, but in a comforting, brotherly way like I would. “With the proper training and technique, together, you two can defeat her.” He smiles at me before releasing Louve's hands and stepping back onto the platform. After a slight hesitation, he sits on Egeria's throne, facing us—this may be a dream, but that is still the place he grew up seeing his grandmother in, and he's not ready to officially take it yet. “I want you both to try launching each other against the walls. But when you do, I want for the other to try to keep themself bound to the floor. Can you try it?”

“You go first, Louve,” I tell her. “You know how to throw me.” 

She nods and holds her hands out in front of her. “Are you ready?” she asks nervously, not wanting to hurt me again. 

I close my eyes, trying to imagine myself remaining stuck to the floor as if I'm glued to it. I take a deep breath and nod my head. Suddenly, it feels as if all of the pressure of the world is pushing on me, trying to throw me backwards. I begin trembling, struggling against the sheer amount of force being thrown against me. I manage to hold out for only a few seconds before I lose control, and my footing, and my head and back bang against the hard walls of the dome. I crash to the floor, moaning in pain. That was worse than last night. 

Louve and Keene hurry to my side, concerned. “Lovett, are you okay?” she asks, turning me gently onto my side so that she can examine me. 

“Never better,” I moan, flinching. My head is throbbing.

“When I dropped off the second note last night, I saw you on the floor. I suspected that you two had been practicing. However, I believe that the effect of this hit might have been a bit worse than that one as you were trying to fight,” Keene explains. “Therefore, you were already using some energy. When she broke through that resolve, not only was her power acting on you, but the force that you were using to resist her acted against you as well. Come, sit down and relax for a few moments.” 

I groan in pain as they both help me up, and I lean against Keene, who's closer to my height, as they help me sit down in one of the elder’s chairs. Louve kneels by my side, her face full of concern. 

“While you recover, I suppose I should explain myself,” Keene begins awkwardly. We both look at him expectantly. “Before I tell you anything, I must make a request that I suspect neither of you will be very willing to accept: Louve, you must get closer to her.” 

“What? No!” I shout, almost standing in my shock but knowing that that'll just weaken me even more. I calm down, knowing that Keene's been through a lot too and is just trying to help us out. “She can't, Keene. This thing is already powerful enough as it is.” 

“Keene, please. I want to get rid of her desperately, but not like this. I'm already way too close to her. Getting even closer will just mess with my head even more.” She bites her lip. "Then I might really go insane," she mutters.

“I know—I understand that you might not like this and that it's crazy, but just listen. This thing will continue to haunt you and take over your mind no matter what we do. I won't lie to you. But, allowing her to get closer to you will actually help make things easier for you. If you manage to get closer to her, whenever you try to determine if she's in your head listening, you will be able to. It won't be instantaneous and constant, but it will allow you to know what topics are safe to talk about whenever you really need to. And while neither Grandmother nor I are very keen on you thinking about what's going on to begin with, it will at least allow some semblance of privacy.” He sighs and shakes his head. “What we're doing is dangerous and deceitful to this power within you. If she finds out, all involved will suffer—I have no doubt about that. That's why we must strengthen this Bond. We have to know when we can talk about what's going on.” 

Louve takes a deep breath and nods her head. “Alright, I'll try,” she promises.

“Good. Now, another thing. As I told Lovett, this battle must take place on the New Moon. Not the one that's only days from today, but rather the one in the 12th Cycle. I understand that it's a lot to take in, but Grandmother seems confident with your chances. She prays to the Wise Women every day that they will guide you both to victory and greatness.” 

I sigh, unfortunately not very comforted by Keene's words. “Well, if there's anything that we can do to get rid of this thing, we have to try it, don't we?” 

Louve nods. “What would we have to do?” 

Keene smiles. “You both will prove Grandmother's faith to be worthy. You're dedication to each other and to this cause is unrivalled. As I've stated already, you will have to battle the entity. We say the New Moon because to our people, the New Moon is a cleansing time for us all. However, it is likewise the time when we are weakened. But at the same time, she too will be at her weakest, and we must use that to our advantage. During the battle, you must find a moment, even a second, when she is distracted. Will for binds to wrap themselves around her, and speak the Incantation that I tell you to.” He looks at us both for confirmation, and we nod. 

“Memorize this: 'Vile demon of Prophecies past, your wretched power shall end at last; upon this New Moon you shall be enslaved, by those whose lives' control you have craved. Chaos will no longer be caused at your whim, and you shall no longer force us to sin; you are bound for eternity to rot in her mind, and it is your fate that shall upon her will be twined.'” 

“Can you repeat that?” Louve asks, trying to commit it to memory. Keene nods and repeats the spell two more times, until Louve and I are pretty sure that we have it down pact.

“Now, in the coming weeks, you must both brace yourselves to fight her. It is essential that you keep this all a secret from her and that you act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. On the night that you are to fight with her, you must not only call your minds to each other, but also to her.” He runs things over in his mind one more time. “Also, when preparing to face her, as much as you may want to, you must not meet every evening. Skip a few in between. Not only will launching each other against these walls physically weaken the victim, but it will also drain the energy of the attacker, and passing into each other's dreams will be draining enough. You must harness your power—don't needlessly lower your chances before you even face her.” 

We nod. “We'll wait a few days before trying it again,” I promise.

"Good. You two mustn't allow your bodies to grow too weak. Now, Grandmother decided on a story years ago when she learned of the second portion of the Prophecy. She knew that you would one day be here and you would have come to end this curse placed upon you. She therefore devised a story that would feed the village's romanticized version of the Prophecy without anyone discovering the true severity of your situation."

"What does she want us to tell people?" Louve asks.

"Grandmother decided that the best way to keep them from ever questioning the true nature of this entity was to tell our people that the day of the battle will be the day that you both conquered Death and breached the gap between the living world and that of the dead to do it. It's not entirely honest, but there are times when even Grandmother believes that dishonesty is the best way to deal with our people. These occasions are few and far between, but they do occur."

“Anything else?” I inquire, feeling a little uncomfortable about making this battle seem greater than it truly is.

He shakes his head. “Not for now, but I will keep you both up to date should anything else come up. I wish you both the best—we'll talk more in the near future.” 

With a sympathetic smile, Keene waves to us and disappears from the dream, leaving Louve and I staring at each other in concern for our future.