– Of course you did, who else would have? – The old mage said sarcastically.

– Alviss, that's enough. – Evans stood up sharply, his palms on the table.

It was the first time I'd ever seen him like that: I'd always thought he couldn't get angry, but at the moment his eyes were shooting lightning bolts.

– Did she really seduce you? Demonesses, they say, are good at it! – The old man shook his head disapprovingly, as if he was not a grown-up mage, but a green boy barely acquainted with the beauty of women.

– Seduction is our talent, and you're right about that, Alviss," I said calmly, realizing that the old mage had his own accounts with my race. – But not all of us resort to it. You must have heard about the relationship I have with my husband, Derek Merkswerd.

– Let me guess: you hate him so much that you ran off with that fool? – Alviss rolled his eyes.

That phrase made both Evans and me laugh: no, he didn't!

– Evans, of course, is a man, but I assure you that my heart belongs to my husband, strangely enough. Sometimes hate turns to passion, and pain and bad memories are washed away by mutual love," I said quietly. The words came easily, but I thought again that my love for Derek had swept over me too quickly, but I didn't have time to search my mind for the hows and whys of it. I knew: I cared for Derek… It must be the distance and the separation that gave birth to these black doubts in me.

– Then why aren't you with him? Why did you run away? – The old man squinted his eyes. Apparently, he still didn't trust me.

– Unfortunately, our separation is forced: Derek is poisoned, and Evans and I have volunteered to find the herbs needed for the antidote. If you've heard of nysta decoction, you understand the threat to my husband. – I stopped talking and gave the old wizard a cold, piercing stare.

– Poisoned? By whom?" Alviss didn't look so surprised, but he frowned even more.

– It's a long story," I said evasively, not about to tell a stranger, though a good friend of Evans', about the misfortunes Derek and I had caused by my suddenly resurrected witch grandmother, Hund. – But that's why we need your help.

– You should never have come back, boy… The King hates you and will do everything in his power to wipe even the memory of you from the face of Emmerlend. You crossed him, and he will never forgive you," Alviss said in a quiet, trembling voice, looking at Evans.

– I know that! I'm not going to show up at the royal palace and drink wine with Jakub! – The healer shrugged with a short laugh. – We need the Dead Man's Axe. You will sell it to us, and we will return to Kaldwind immediately. Without this weapon, our quest will only end in our deaths.

– The Dead Man's Axe! The power of this weapon is legendary, but no one has ever been called upon to test its power… Not even our king, and he is a powerful mage, the most powerful of us all," Alviss said quietly under his breath.

– Excellent! We'll take our chances and test it, and then we'll give the Axe back to you if you want it," Evans said with a sigh of relief, as if glad that we were finally getting to the point, and leaned back in his chair.

– Give it back to me? Who said you'd get it? – Alviss left the table and left the room, as if he'd forgotten about us and the tea and cake.

Evans and I looked at each other and hurried after the old wizard.

– I know you have it," Evans said in an affirmative tone as he followed.

– I don't have it! No!" Alviss shook his head stubbornly.

– We'll pay you well! Very well! – I raised my voice, hoping to seduce the old man with the sound of gold coins, because it had worked so well before.