I stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and growing irritation. The fact was, we had discussed precisely this not being the point of our intercourse, that we would not have these feelings. Of course, we had not actively said they were not welcome, nor that they had to be avoided at all costs, but the situation was still the same. I was entirely stuck in this situation, not free because of the multitude of constraints on me, not least the ticking clock of time that was the quartz, that desired me to go back in half an hour.

Stupid thing. I looked down at it in my hand and curled my lip with distaste before twisting around the doorway of the lounge and throwing the thing inside, onto the sofa. Screw Morningstar's anger, I could deal with it when it came. But for now I needed time to talk to her. When I didn't come after the first half an hour he would maybe wait a maximum of an hour more, depending on his mood, but that gave me an hour more of time.

“Look,” I said firmly, “I am not saying no, just that … there's things to sort before. There are clearly other things bothering you. What do you want to know?”

Kora glanced from my now empty hand to where I had thrown the quartz. The plush pillows that were her fell open and slowly closed again. She undid her hair as they fell in waves of colors. “I -” Frustration creased her brow as she seemed to have trouble putting thought to words. “I am not good at this… actually I am terrible with expressing feelings and saying how I feel…” She through her hands up with defeat.

“Apparently that is so,” I said, trying to push the anxiety concerning the quartz from my mind. I paused and then thought, “if we get out of here. We could go for tea, or a beer?”

Kora nodded slowly, “okay, but what about -.” She glanced at the couch but stopped talking about it. “Nevermind, let’s go..”

“That's my problem to deal with. We have maybe an hour and so. When whatever happens, happens … you should probably just go when it does,” I smiled slightly as I grabbed the door and yanked it back. “Shall we?”

She sucked in her bottom lip for a moment, giving the sofa one last longing look. “We shall,” she stepped out into the hallway.

Smiling, I reached and grabbed her hand without permission. Then I firmly locked the door behind me, leaving the quartz there for future me to deal with. “There's a pub just at the corner,” I explained. “Also we may need to postpone our exploration of the city for a couple of days.”

Kora glanced to our fingers that were interlaced. She looked up, a shocked expression masked her angelic features. “That’s okay, I plan to go back to the inn for my things and then back to Falleni. Can’t stay in one place for too long.” She smiled softly, for the first time since being at the court it reached her dark eyes.

“Falleni?” I asked, frowning. “But aren't you wanting to stay away from your father and brother? Are they not there?”

She shook her head, “Thayden will be off either with my father or still searching for me. I believe they won’t look for me there. Not after it being so soon from my mother’s murder. Plus I have to get back to dancing, making money to be able to pay for as much traveling as I plan to do.”

“Well we can fix that partly,” as I headed down the stairs I dug into my pocket and brought out a few bright Raeairan coins. I held them out to her. “It's not much, but it should cover a night or two here.”

She smiled at me as she took my hand instead of the coins and kissed the inside of my wrist. “No Charon, keep it. I make good money dancing, I will only have to do it for a few weeks before I have enough to travel.” She pushed my hand back towards my pocket.

I frowned slightly, but nodded, letting them fall back into my pocket as we got to the last step. Pushing open the door at the bottom I held it out for her and nodded at the corner of the alleyway, where indeed a quiet pub was setting up for the evening. “There.”

Koreena took in the brick building, her eyes glanced from me to the pub smiling. A fond memory of their first encounter pop in her mind. “Let’s take advantage of the time we have left together.” She pulled me along into the small pub. Willingly I went, my fingers becoming intertwined with hers.

I ordered two beers at the bar, cold and refreshing for the heat we had been through so far. Then we settled in a small corner, away from others and private, at least for now. Sitting opposite her I gazed at her beauty for a moment, simply taking it in - her perfectly formed jaw, her bright eyes and the mane of dark hair. My chest heaved up and down as my fingers curled around my drink.

“So,” I said quietly. “What else do you want to know about me?”

Her fingers curled around her cool mug as she took a drink. She moaned softly as the bitter taste danced on her taste buds. She had some foam on her top lip from the beer. Her tongue rolled over it, collecting it in one swift movement. “Your favorite book! You have so many but never disclosed which one you loved most.”

That honestly took me back. I had been expecting her to ask on how Selena mother and I had meant or something similar. “I …” I paused. “My favourite one. I don't think … I don't … is it cheating if I say all of them?” Slyly, I smiled.

Her melodic laughter filled my ears as she nodded. “Yes!” Her laughter turned into small giggles. “Fine! What was the one thing you read that made you want to become a Professor?”

Ah that one I knew. “I used to listen to all the stories of the souls I transported,” I said, smiling. “They all had different lives, backgrounds and cultures. When they began to teach me things, such as philosophy, mathematics and science, it came to a point where I could fully engage in a conversation, and finally I realised I was actually teaching others what I had learnt from similar people a century or so before.” The explanation was brief, but complete. I smiled more and sat back in my seat. “With all the knowledge I have incorporated and all the books I now have it seemed only right to begin teaching others what I had learnt.”

“Wow that is amazing!” She smiled taking another drink from her mug. “Your turn to ask me something.”

I raised my brow, trying to think. “What - what was it like growing up with parents?” I was genuinely curious, having never had the experience, unless one counted Erebus, the great darkness, who told me my name at the beginning of time, then hardly spoke to me since.

Kora looked surprised at the question I had asked. Her brow knitted together as she tried to think of a good way to explain it. She set her mug on the table. “Well I grew up mostly with just my mother. Joshua wasn’t around a lot. He would stop by every few years but around the time I came into my succubi powers he stopped coming. My mother though, she was amazing. So caring and taught me many things. The thing that sucks about loving someone that much is when you lose them you feel like you lose a piece of yourself.”

Slowly I nodded, listening and taking in her words. The story filled me with a partial understanding of what it was like to have a mother, and possibly even to grow up, yet still left me empty somewhat, devoid of recognition for what a family was. Love for family - that I could comprehend, for there were definitely moments in time when I had particularly felt strong regard for a sibling. But it felt I was still missing the notion of how a mother-father-sibling core unit worked. Maybe I never would.

“Your turn,” I said warmly.

She tapped her chin for a moment thinking. “Alright, when you spoke about your first love and it being a mistake, where you talking about Selena’s mother?”

My smile vanished from my face. I stared at her. “What? When did I say … that?”

A frown came to her own lips as she pushed and hand through her thick mane. “The other day you said you had only been in love once and it was a mistake.”

“I …” I looked awkward and I shifted, feeling uncomfortable. “Well yes, I have been, at least in terms of the strength of the feelings and it was Sephora, Selena's mother but … it would never have worked.”

Kora nodded accepting my answer, “your turn.”

That last one felt as if she had taken all my emotions. But then, the question I had asked before had been cruel and cutting also to hers. I paused, thinking of what might be easier.

“Your name. What does it mean?”