I disentangled myself from her tight embrace and went to the balcony. The funny thing about time travel, I realized, is that you don't know when you land. I urged my brain to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The last time I slept with Elsa was the night before Raiya arrived to the estate. My grandpa had sent me even further back in time.

'He probably didn't want Raiya to ask too many questions,' I thought as I stared at the night sky.

More troubling matter nudged at my brain as the chilly air of the night made me s.h.i.+ver. I was standing on the balcony; naked but not in need of any covers. I liked the fresh air. It proved that what I was experiencing was real. After all, travelling back through time can do that to you. I needed to tell somebody about it, but I couldn't tell Raiya unless I wanted to tell her about the real owner of the Fragment of time.

'At least you know what Stalwart has in store for you,' Eva's voice resonated inside my head.

'What I know,' I bitterly replied, "is that I'm in the losing side here. He's been leading us to this outcome ever since I met Bodrick back in Sosalk.'

'You don't know that,' Eva said. 'Remember, the Stalwart you spoke to isn't the grandfather who's after you at the moment. He also saw everything you've been through. He may be playing mind games with you.'

'What if he's told me is the truth?" I asked. "What if we were walking straight into his trap?'

'Then you antic.i.p.ate it,' Eva said. 'Come on, you've faced worse odds.'

'Osgar,' I said, frustrated. 'Our only way toward that cursed island is in Fort Mercer with Hartwell. The helm is hidden somewhere not even Stalwart knows about. If it was me, I'd leave it where it is until I'd captured my enemies.'

'That sounds like something Stalwart or Hartwell would do,' Eva said.

'Yeah,' I replied. 'The only problem is, we don't know where the d.a.m.n helm is. It might be in a different city for all we know.'

'Bodrick wouldn't let go of it that easily,' Eva said. 'He's lost his only hope of taking part in the Holi Wars. Do you think he'd let go of his precious helm just like that?'

'Are you suggesting that not even Hartwell knows where the helm is?' I asked.

'Let me ask you this. If Hartwell knew, why is keeping Bodrick alive? It's not like the old man has anything of value to offer.'

My heart started racing against my chest. 'You know what, your highness? I think it's time we paid Bodrick a visit.'

'You forget that we don't know where he's hiding,' Eva said.

'You also forget that a witch is coming to train us tomorrow,' I said. 'She's a very good tracker too, second only to Utar… As much as I hate to admit it, that man is inescapable.'

'Hey, what about the Church?' Eva asked. 'Didn't Raiya tell you that they were after Stalwart?'

'And after me too,' I said. 'I'm sure they'd show up the day Stalwart arrives to Merinsk. Then things will really turn ugly.'

'You really are a pessimist,' Eva said. 'Where you see a problem, I see an opportunity. That's what made me an empress anyway. You also seem to forget that you have a great tactician at your side. I may be but a Fragment of my old self, but I can help.'

'I'm listening,' I said. 'What's your great plan, empress of the city of light?'

'I was an empress to an entire continent, you moron,' Eva snapped. She did something that felt like a heavy sigh then went on, 'Stalwart's biggest enemy is the Church at this moment. They want him dead more than they want your worthless head. I mean, what have you done to them except share the same last name as your grandfather?'

'I kind of slept with a woman destined to Dhobor, their G.o.d,' I said.

'They could always get another Listener,' Eva said, dismissively. 'The first time the Church came to my continent was in search of a Listener. They're not that unique so relax.'

'So you're saying that my entire family perished because of an expendable woman?' I asked.

'And your men, and the woman you thought you loved with all your heart, but that's not the point,' Eva said.

'Then what is your G.o.dd.a.m.n point?' I asked.

'Stalwart has been a thorn in the Church's side ever since its inception,' she said. 'He controls the underworld. He has people inside the Church that tell him exactly what kind of internal conflicts they have. They even tell him what each Pontiff has for breakfast, at what time they take a s.h.i.+t, what kind of women, or men, or animal they're into.'

'You're getting out of topic here,' I said.

'Oh, right, sorry,' Eva said. 'The point is, the Church would do anything to catch and execute Stalwart. They'd even take a hint from the enemy.'

'You're asking me to meet up with someone from the Church and tell them where Stalwart will be,' I said.

'No, that would be suicidal,' Eva said. 'But if you sent somebody on your behalf, say, Raiya or Beatrix, the Church would be grateful for your help.'

'And in this way, we take Stalwart out of the picture while we focus on taking Hartwell down,' I said.

'See? I told you I could help,' she said then chuckled.

'Not bad, your imperial highness,' I said. 'What happens if the Church doesn't really want to work with us?'

'Myles Stalwart,' Eva said in a patronizing tone. 'A plan is only as good as the people who execute it. It's not about whether the Church will listen or not. It's about convincing them to listen and trust you.'

She had a point. I spent the remainder of the night thinking about Eva's words. My grandfather was, after all, just a man. We all make mistakes, and we all pay for them eventually. Stalwart had p.i.s.sed the wrong people off, and they were now after blood. I had an opportunity to reduce the number of foes to fight for the helm, and I had to take it.

If we managed to bring the Church to Merinsk, we'd have a chance at grabbing the helm and Osgar. Stalwart wouldn't fight two Pontiffs and the Bishop of the Church alone. He'd need help, and Hartwell was the best candidate to fill that position.

All we needed to do now was figure out Bodrick's exact location and get him to tell us where he hid the helm. Getting Osgar would be easier while Stalwart and Hartwell were busy fighting the Church. No matter how I hated him, I couldn't compete against the most powerful Wizard on earth. All that was left now was to speak to my team about it. I needed to find a way to tell them what I knew without bringing my ability to time travel up.

When dawn broke, I was already dressed and sitting under a tree outside. My Fragment had already filled up. All I needed now was to perform the ritual it spoke of. I needed to unlock the remaining heads of the snowflake if I wanted to have a clear shot at escaping this country alive.

I closed my eye and concentrated on the Fragment. Soon, a clear image of a giant snowflake formed in my mind. I felt absorbed by it. The image kept getting clearer and clearer until I found myself floating in the circle that connected all the heads. There, I heard a throaty voice calling out to me.

"You have consumed the lifetime of an old tree to fill this Fragment with power," the voice said. "You should tread more carefully."

"I didn't know what I was doing," I said.

"Those are usually the last words spoken by fools," the voice said. "You have given this long lost Fragment life. For this, we shall not seek retribution."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"We are time," the voice said, "a concept far too complex for a human mind to even begin to comprehend. However, we shall let you use the remainder of our powers. Don't go consuming other lifetimes, lest you suffer the consequences."

"That's it?" I asked. "That's the ritual?"

"You've awakened us from a long slumber," the voice said. "How long has it been? We can't even remember. Fare thee well. It is time we came back to our ruminations."

"One last question," I said. "What if I consumed the lifetime of somebody I was about to murder?"

"We don't see anything wrong with that," the voice said. "You will have to survive the energy discharge. We will not come to your aid anymore."