” “The importance?” asked the young woman, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Yes,” continued Marium, “it was sixty years ago today...I was sitting here, just as you were, reading a book, when a young man came over and introduced himself.” “You?, the young woman asked pointing at Ignatius. “Yes, it was me.” Ignatius admitted, “It started when some of my friends and I were tossing a football around this field and some of the guys noticed how my attention kept drifting over to this bench.. They’re who you are. When you do, you won’t be lost any more.”Crystal’s heart raced as the fairy leaned in. Elsanna’s lips parted, and her eyes drifted closed. Crystal whimpered as something she’d desired and feared for so long became a reality – and it was beautiful. She let go of her fears, and let her tongue slip out to join Elsanna’s.The long, soft kiss was so perfect that Crystal felt light-headed. The two women’s hands caressed each other’s faces, hair, backs, and bottoms – their. He becameaware of pain, terrible pain all over his body and a cold hard tablebeneath him. Sound began to assault his ears; a cacophony of voicesyelling over each other to a point he could understand nothing beingsaid. Finally his sight began to return and he saw the ceiling andrealized there were doctors and nurses crowded all around him.He tried to lift his head to see what was going on but he couldn't moveit."Patient is awake!" came a voice from somewhere."Sir," a face appeared over him, "you. "I do." Alyse smiled. "I checked our files once I learned I was going to be working for you. I'll tell you if you like."Corvus smirked. "And what will that cost me?" Nothing." Alyse's smirk matched his. "I understand you're considering hiring your own spies full-time and I thought I'd try to make a good first impression."Crispa breezed into the receiving room even later than Corvus had told her the meeting was to start. She had Clover in tow, Corvus's body slave dressed in a yellow silk tunic.