Rosemonde's injuries had been returned to her. She was severely dehydrated, and her body was covered in bruises. There were gashes on her wrists and ankles from where she had been chained. She looked and felt exhausted, but her memories were intact, which made it easier to bear.

"Poor lamb," Fletcher said. "You humans are so delicate. I am sorry that you have to revisit these injuries."

"It's okay, Fletch. I know that it's only temporary, and that this time, I'm safe," Rosemonde replied.

"Are you ready?" Fletcher asked.

Rosemonde exhaled nervously. "I have no choice. I have to be," she said.

"Good. I'll knock you out in about twenty seconds. Evangeline will be here in a further thirty and when you wake you will be in the hospital. Frank is one of ours, but remember what Mairead said. She is right. The walls may have ears. Stay in character at all times. From now on we communicate via dreamwalking only. In your waking life, until your trial is over, you do not know of Tweldor and have not met any of the Luminous Warriors. Understood?"

"Understood."

"All right. Good luck, Rosemonde."

Fletcher pressed something hard into the side of her neck and Rosemonde collapsed. He seemed to disappear simultaneously. It was time for Evangeline and Liam to make their appearance...

A dog barked and Evangeline called out to it, "What is it boy? Is somebody out there?" The German Shepherd ran off and Evangeline followed. "Herman come back here!"

As planned, the dog led her to Rosemonde's body. She was slumped at the edge of a creek near Evangeline's home. Evangeline checked Rosemonde's vitals and then called the emergency services.

She could just make out Fletcher's form hidden amongst the trees. He had taken on the exact colour of the bush around him and was invisible to all but the most trained eye. She nodded to him briefly to indicate that the ambulance was on its way. He remained hidden, covering Evangeline and Rosemonde in case of a demon attack, but none came.

Fletcher stayed where he was, until the paramedics placed Rosemonde in the ambulance. He was about to take his portal back to Tweldor, when an official looking car arrived. It was obvious to him that it was an unmarked police vehicle. A woman stepped out of the car, and with her was Charles Du Malum.

"Evangeline Lesage?"

"Who wants to know?" Evangeline asked.

"Detective Andrea Craig." She briefly flashed her badge. "I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Evangeline frowned. As instructed by Hannah she had worn her Warrior smartwatch device. She now pretended to look at the time, and then kept her left hand at her chin as if thinking. What she was really doing, was videoing the conversation.

"Detective Craig, was it? Ah, yes, I recall your face from TV. You and your partner were giving updates on the 'Bodies in the Barn' case. Where is he now? Don't tell me this is your new partner?" She turned to Charles. "Mr. Du Malum, it isn't even 4:00 am! What are you doing out here with the detective? You seem to be taking a very personal interest in Rosemonde Durand. Shouldn't you be elsewhere, collecting companies or something?" She mused.

"Droll, Ms Lesage, very droll." Charles all but yawned. "Unfortunately, recent events mean that I and my company are inextricably involved in this case. I have asked Detective Craig to keep me personally updated with any developments. I feel I owe that to the Du Malum family," Charles intoned.

"Hmm... Well, that's very...noble of you, Mr. Du Malum," Evangeline replied.

"Yeah, noble, sure." Andrea tried to take back control of the conversation. "Ms Lesage, if we could return to the interview in progress, please. I'm sure you would be more comfortable inside." She turned and began to walk towards the modest bush cottage behind her, which was Evangeline's home. Andrea climbed the few steps that led to the front door, but something like a force field knocked her back. "What the... If you would but allow us in, then we could-"

Herman began to growl, and Evangeline was not having any of it either. "Interview? I don't believe I agreed to your interrogation, Detective."

"Interrogation? Oh, you misunderstand my intention, Ms Lesage-"

"I think not!" Evangeline cut her off. "If you indeed have valid questions for me, you'd have asked me to come down to the police station at a reasonable business hour to discuss whatever it is that is of concern to you. I am under no obligation to let you into my home, so unless you would like to make an appointment for later, at your place of work, I would like to get what little sleep I can before sunrise. Goodbye!"

"You useless woman!" Charles grumbled at the detective. He removed his sunglasses and looked Andrea Craig full in the face, whereupon she fainted.

Oh, shit! Here come the demonic games. Evangeline stopped videoing. No one would believe it anyway.

Fletcher acted with lighting speed. Charles did not even see the direction from which the arrow came, before it was embedded in his chest. As quickly as it came, it completely disappeared, leaving behind only the effect of a severe stitch.

"I knew it. You're a Luminous Warrior bitch! And I'm - I'm elf-shot?" he asked, dazed.

"Literally!" Evangeline smirked.

"You will let me, us in. It is only a matter of time," Charles replied angrily. Herman pounced and began barking and snapping, mere centimetres from his face. "GET THIS HELL HOUND OFF ME!"

"Hell hound? Quite the opposite in fact," Evangeline said, as Liam transformed back into his humanoid form. "I take back everything I said about preferring cats," she pronounced.

The Warriors now stood over Charles, who lay panting on the ground. "I feared that humans may be caught in the crossfire, and so the arrows I chose to carry will not kill... Pity!" Fletcher remarked.

Liam grabbed Charles by his clothing and forced him to sit up. "Will that detective cow be alright?" he asked.

"Of course. She is just stunned. She won't recall anything." Charles spluttered.

"Lucky for you." Liam let Charles go and the demon slumped back on the ground. "Now stay down and shut up."

Fletcher turned to his colleagues. "I think we can leave now," he said.

Liam shuffled uncomfortably. "Er, can I um-"

"Come on, Herman. I'm sure those at Tweldor have seen a naked man before. Besides, the crazy cat lady as you called me, does not have any appropriate clothing for you. Then again...you'd look simply stunning in one of my beaded kaftans." She winked.

"Let's go, before I shift into a croc and eat all three of your felines!" Liam huffed. Evangeline laughed and made a noise like an angry cat.

"Ahem, elf man! How long before this wears off?" Charles whined.

"I thought I told you to shut up!" Liam answered him.

Fletcher sighed before shooting a further three arrows into Charles' chest. "That's for Rosemonde's family!" he said quietly.

"AAAAAAAH IT FEELS LIKE I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK!" Charles cried.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that happening, since you have no heart worth attacking," Liam answered.

"ASMODEUS I CALL UPON YOU!"

Evangeline dived between the elf and the demon. "IN NOMINE PATRIS, ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI, ET LIGO TE IAM A CAUSA NOCERE!"

From her coat pocket she produced a small bottle. Removing the contents, she poured them over the demon's head. The scream he had emitted earlier was nothing compared to the noise he was making now, as his skin burned and blistered.

"Hush, or you'll get a second bottle of holy water forced down your throat!" Liam said.

When Charles became quiet, the three Warriors joined hands and disappeared through the portal.

☆☆☆☆☆

Rosemonde was warned that she would be in the hospital when she awoke. Still, it was disconcerting to suddenly find herself in unfamiliar surroundings. She tried to sit up but did not have the strength. She also had a brain-splitting headache. Her moan got the attention of the nurse filling in the chart at the end of her bed.

"Good, you're awake." She smiled. Her smile was gorgeous and Rosemonde suddenly recalled where she had seen it before - at Tweldor. This was Lucy, a Luminous Warrior candidate.

Rosemonde immediately felt calmer. Nevertheless, she felt as though someone had put her in a giant blender and pressed the pulse button. She did not have to pretend to be disoriented. She was. Did they drug her? It certainly felt as though they had! Who was she supposed to be again? What was it she was meant to do? She couldn't think. There was no need for her to act.

"H-h-how...g-g-get h-h-here?" she asked. Her tongue felt swollen, and she could barely form her words.

"The ambulance, Rosemonde."

"Rrr-os-ee-mun-dd?"

"That's your name, lovely."

"That's wh-what B-Ben said." Rosemonde laughed and ended up having a coughing fit.

Lucy helped her sit up, bent close to her, and whispered urgently, "Rosemonde, get it together! You don't know Ben. Or me! Remember?"

Lucy quickly checked outside. Since Rosemonde had been taken from a hospital initially, a security guard (the Councillor Aneurin) had been stationed outside the door of her room. Only Lucy, the nurse's matron (Councillor Amaryllis), and the doctors on Rosemonde's case could enter.

No one else was around. She could do this. Taking a deep breath, she gave Rosemonde enough sedation to knock her out for the rest of the day and adjusted her chart accordingly. Nodding to Aneurin that all was well, she went to find Frank.

"... And she nearly gave it all away. She was speaking quite loudly," Lucy explained.

Doctor Francis Ovida groaned, "We forgot about the flying ointment! She only had that three days ago in real time, and now she's Elf-shot as well! It's too much for her system. She'll be really unstable for the next eight hours at least."

"I gave her enough sedation to keep her out for that long."

"How did you-"

"I forged your authorisation." Lucy shrugged.

"Of course, you did." Frank shook his head, torn between being impressed and horrified. "Get to Tweldor as soon as you can."

Lucy started to leave but then stopped abruptly. "Wait! Aneurin is a Councillor. He can mind link Libuse and the other Councillors. It would be much faster."

"Good thinking. We need to explain what is happening to Rhys as well. He and Fletch left simultaneously. Rosemonde is even more vulnerable to attack because she is confused. Asmodeus will attempt an assault, now that Rosemonde is no longer within the Tweldor's walls."

"We'll both be watching her closely," Lucy said assiduously.

"She needs to be monitored through dreamwalking. Pray that we're not too late."