Zachary complied, reaching out his large hand. I gripped it, flinching slightly as his sadness rolled over me.

"Tell me again," I requested, ignoring his confusion. "Tell me if you remember."

"I-I don't, please I would n-never do those things," Zachary insisted, stumbling over his words. I could feel his sincerity, along with his fear and desperation.

"And the shady business of you selling pictures of girls online?" I inquired. Zachary faltered, his eyes shifting to the side. I could tell he was embarrassed by this question.

"I did put up my ex-girlfriend's photos at first," he conceded, hanging his head in shame. "The rest was just rumors. Glycon did love to tease women though, he liked the power he could wield over them..."

"I don't think I want to know the details," I said, quickly releasing Zachary's hand. I could still remember how I caught him harassing that underclassman at school. The look of fear on her face.

"Is he telling the truth?" Maayan whispered, leaning over my shoulder.

"Yes, he's telling the truth."

Zachary collapsed in a heap before me and I jumped back. He was crying now, hands covering his face in shame. Maayan rushed to his side, crouching down so they could pat the hulking boy's back and shoulder.

"There, there, it's gonna be okay," Maayan sang out.

I admired the lunar fairy for their empathy. Just a few weeks ago they were yelling at Zachary to stop spreading rumors about me and now they were the one comforting the bully as he cried. Zachary calmed down eventually, accepting a handkerchief from my grandfather to wipe his eyes and nose with.

Reluctantly we decided to move our conversation to the back porch so as to be more comfortable. Grandpa disappeared inside for a moment to grab drinks as we all settled in. He returned quickly, passing out cups silently as we all stared at each other. Zachary was sitting, hunched in his chair, glancing out into the orchard periodically. Maayan was perched on the railing, sipping slowly from their hot cocoa. Everyone else gathered around the patio table cautiously exchanging looks with each other, waiting to begin. I felt bad for Zachary's situation but wondered how much longer he would be at my house, it wasn't how I wanted to spend my Saturday, that was for sure.

"This is a cool place," Zachary said, scanning the horizon.

"We like it okay," I answered, with a smile.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Come again?" I asked, not sure if I heard him correctly.

He shook his head and then looked at me. "I'm sorry. Sorry for everything that I did to you and your friends. I want to make it up to you." He looked over at Azar. "And to you. I was told I hurt you too, please forgive me."

"I heal fast," the fire elemental said with a shrug. He took a long drag from his okashi, confusing Zachary slightly when he didn't exhale.

"And thank you," Zachary blurted out, turning to look back at me, "for believing me before."

"Sure."

Zachary's tone turned serious, his gaze fell down toward his mug. "I thought I was going crazy all this time. No one would believe me when I tried to talk about it."

"It's not easy for most people to comprehend," Casimir stated, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"That's for sure," Zachary grumbled. "Sometimes it felt like it was all a dream. I mean, at first, it was amazing, like I could do no wrong. Glycon, the wraith, told me everything I wanted to hear. He built me up, and made me feel stronger, smarter. Then, when he took control of me, there was this nothingness, and I felt so good. But then it was followed by this darkness and pain. It was like a drug." Zachary's description of the darkness was strangely similar to the dreams I had every night, where I would get stabbed and then swallowed by the dark. The young man leaned back in his chair, staring up at the sky for a moment before fixing his gaze on me. "But you saved me, you got rid of that monster somehow."

"Yeah, I'm glad it worked out," I confessed. I just wish I had known about this power so I could have saved Mr. Burke as well.

"When did this Glycon first come to you?" Grandpa interjected from his spot near the railing. He was sitting on a wide bench, built just for him since all the patio chairs were too small.

"Err, it was the summer between freshman and sophomore year. So two years ago, I think."

Maayan gasped and everyone around the table reacted with shock as well.

"What? Two years, is that a long time?" I asked.

"Extremely, especially for a darkwraith," Grandpa muttered.

Zachary glanced all around, his brow furrowed. "What usually happens to the people who get possessed?"

There was an awkward pause before Casimir spoke up. "They die after the wraith consumes their soul. It is known as the final death."

Zachary stared at Casimir, gripping his mug of coffee between both hands. "Who are you people, really?"

"What do you mean?" Grandpa questioned, his tone flat. The look on his face was not one I had seen often. I was worried for Zachary at that moment.

"I know you're not from here, Earth I mean. They kept talking about kingdoms and a place called Terra. All the time talking in this weird language."

"Who are 'they'?" Grandpa presses.

"Um, the wraiths, Mr. Burke's and mine. That nightclub owner Caron something or other. And your grandson, that Ajax guy," he replied with a small shrug.

My jaw dropped at his last sentence and I looked over at my grandfather not sure if I was upset or excited by the news. "Grandson? Ajax is your grandson?!" I said with a small shriek.

"Diana," he lectured, his eyes telling me to drop the subject.

I pressed my lips together, shaking my head as I stared at my guardian. Is that why he looked so upset when I mentioned family the other day, his grandson is secretly working for the Dark King. He would have a lot of explaining to do later.

"They had code names for everyone. Enki, Fum'ouk, fairy, Ren," Zachary explained, pointing to each person as he talked. He looked over at me shaking his head. "They kept calling you princess."

I laughed weakly. "Princess, haha, imagine that."

"Master Enki, should we tell him any more details? He already knows so much," Casimir asked, speaking in Terrarish.

"We should really wipe his memory," Grandpa mumbled glaring over at the young man. "I don't think the Dark King will try to use him again since we removed his wraith."

"Let's be honest they will probably kill him," Azar said bluntly. "Memory wipe or not."

Grandpa sighed loudly. "You're not wrong."

"No! We should protect him," Maayan insisted. "Diana saved him, it was a miracle."

"Maayan, you are a caring soul, but I just don't know how well we can help him," Grandpa admitted.

"We are stretched pretty thin as it is," Casimir pointed out.

The group fell silent as they pondered their predicament. I glanced between each person as they spoke, still amazed that I could understand everything. I tried to look confused so as to not give my secret away but it was hard. Zachary was also confused but I got the idea that he knew they were talking about him. He glanced up at me, a sad smile on his face. I felt bad. Zachary wasn't my favorite person but, like Maya, I didn't want him to die.

"Do Zachary and I need to leave so you all can keep talking about us like we're not even here?" I quipped, taking a long sip of my tea.

"My apologies," Grandfather said with a nod to each of us. "We are just not sure where to go from here. Diana, are you going to still press charges against Zachary?"

I gulped, suddenly put on the spot. "Umm..." I shot a glance at Zachary, who didn't seem upset at all by the question.

"Well, I'm guilty so you probably should go through with it," he lamented as he stared down at the table. I could feel the regret and fear coming off him in waves.

"Perhaps the prison could guard him against the Dark King?" Maayan questioned.

Casimir shook his head. "No, he would just be in one spot, easier to find. Ratimir's minions could easily slip into a place like that or they could have any one of the other prisoners kill him."

"It's only a misdemeanor assault, I doubt he would even go to prison," Grandpa pointed out. "At least not for long."

"The Dark King wouldn't need much time," Casimir replied harshly.

"Yep, he's doomed," Azar laughed.

"Azar!" Maayan cried out, looking near tears.

"I should probably mention that my dad will do whatever it takes to get the charges dropped or reduced," Zachary interrupted, waving his hand to get noticed. "I'm not trying to threaten anyone but he's brutal and he won't stop, not ever. He's already digging into all of you to try and discredit your stories or possibly blackmail you."

"Blackmail?" Grandpa repeated, his face stern.

"Yeah, I met him earlier in the week," I recalled. "He doesn't seem like a guy who takes no for an answer."

"He does not," Zachary said, sighing. "Look, I'll be honest, I'm not trying to get out of any punishment or whatever, but you might want to take his money and forget the whole thing."

"Is that what you want?" Casimir asked bluntly.

Zachary paused, taking his time as he thought about Casimir's question. He set his drink down on the table, placing both hands on his knees instead, gripping them tightly.

"I just don't want anyone else to suffer because of me," he finally responded. "My dad is ruthless and he cares more about his reputation than anything else. He hates to lose."

"Fun," I commented lamely. I was betting Zachary's childhood wasn't as blessed or worry-free as I had previously thought.

"He is very well connected. He can ruin your business with just a phone call."

"Now that seems like a threat," Grandpa bristled, crossing his arms before his chest.

Zachary shook his head, ashamed. "I didn't mean it that way, I just..."

"It was just a warning," Casimir finished.

"Yes."

While they were talking I was debating what I wanted to do. In a perfect world, Zachary would pay for his crimes and I could go back to my life, but life was hardly ever perfect. In reality, Zachary was barely responsible for his past behavior, having been possessed by a wraith. I could sense with my talent that he felt actual remorse, either for his situation or for his actual actions it was hard to tell. He definitely wasn't lying about his father and I had a feeling that man would do anything to get his son out of trouble. I didn't want my friends or my grandfather to suffer because of my desire for justice.

What would Mr. Evans find if he dug deep enough? Would he really destroy the farm? Or possibly discover Grandpa's true identity?

Somehow I didn't think we could fight him with fireballs or glowing swords. The idea of losing the farm was too much for me, so I had come up with a compromise.

"I've decided," I spoke up, cutting off everyone's chattering.

"Diana?"

I turned to face Zachary, sighing slightly. "Get your dad to pay for my hospital bills then we can call this whole thing done."

"Diana, are you sure?" Grandpa stressed.

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm not interested in exposing any of you guys just so that Zachary can be punished for something an evil wraith made him do in the first place."

"That doesn't seem like enough," Azar mumbled, leaning back in his chair.

I rolled my eyes slightly. "Two weeks of hospital bills is an astronomical amount, geez."

"She's not wrong," Grandpa mumbled.

"Okay, then how about he promises to be a nicer person and apologies to all the girls he harassed?" I added. Not that I could really follow up on any of that stuff, I thought. It did sound nice to say the moment.

"I'm afraid to talk to those girls," Zachary muttered quietly. "The things I did to them..."

We all sat in silence, watching him place his head into his hands as he thought about it. I could feel his anguish and disgust. What else did that wraith make him do? I wondered.

"I'll talk to my dad," Zachary said, standing up slowly. "He doesn't know I came here today, but I had to try and apologize. I'm sure he'll happily write you a check. Just be careful to read anything he gives you to sign."

"We intend to," Grandpa replied, standing as well.

"You leaving?" I asked, watching him stick his hands into his jacket pockets. I could hear the jingle of keys in his hands.

"I've taken up enough of your time," he said with a grimace.

"Will we see you at school later this week?" Maayan asked, jumping down from the railing. Zachary looked down at the petite water fairy, unsure.

"I-I don't know," he admitted. "I thought I was going to end up back in jail so I hadn't really..." He trailed off, glancing over at me as I shrugged.

We all said our goodbyes, Zachary's eyes lingering on me for another moment before he started back to his car. Grandfather offered to walk with him, chatting in a low voice as they left. I watched them go from my spot on the porch, helping Casimir as he gathered up all the dirty dishes.

"Grandpa's not going to wipe his mind and turn him into some drooling idiot is he?" I asked, not so quietly under my breath.

"Ahhh-I don't think he would," Casimir responded, hesitating ominously. The young warrior avoided my gaze, his face red. I moved closer toward him which caused Casimir to back up suddenly, knocking into a chair and sending it clattering to the ground. He picked it up quickly, laughing nervously as he did. I was shocked by his sitcom-esc bumbling and wanted to make a comment when he darted away, taking all of the mugs to the kitchen with him.

Azar watched our exchange, his eyebrows raised. "Okay then. Did something happen between you two?"

It was my turn to laugh nervously, thinking back to the kiss Casimir and I shared this morning. I would have to try and hunt him down later and talk about it. I was especially curious to know who this Selene person was.

Maayan stared at me for a moment, pressing a finger to their lips as they spoke. "Are you feeling okay Dai-dai? Your face is all red."

"I probably forgot to put on my sunscreen," I lied, slapping my traitorous cheeks playfully.

"Whatever you say," Azar scoffed, smirking as he exchanged a look with Maayan. "She is a terrible liar."

"Leave her alone, Az," Maayan responded.

Since they were speaking in Terrarish I just stuck out my tongue and retreated inside.