Neither of us was very happy with Vianis for the rest of the flight.

In fact, the serpent made an enemy of just about everyone aboard the ship. Verity claimed she'd even caught him peeping in on the two dragons, who had barely begun to get along. Cyrus was still in the middle of plotting some sort of disciplinary action to curb Vianis's mischief when the ship finally arrived at the final destination.

"I'll cloak us," Kazren stated as he activated a device on the ship.

"Things weren't this bad when we left," Garridan said with a frown as he brought the ship in for a landing. "They really have taken over now..."

I saw Alexandra peering at the display. The emotions that played on her face when she saw the extent of the military invasion of her home caused the tension in the cockpit to rise. "Wight-Led...what has happened to you?" she gasped.

When I reached out to hug Lexie in sympathy, Verity beat me to it. I draped an arm around both their backs instead. Seeing them both so upset, such strong women who were like sisters to me, turned my stomach. In the past, I would have tried to mask it. But after everything we'd gone through due to a lack of keeping in touch, I refused to make the same mistakes again.

"It was hard enough sneaking ourselves out, and now you want us to go back in willingly?" Kazren questioned the captain.

"Not us. We're merely the ferrymen. This is Alexandra's decision. However, I advise that you think things through. As soon as you're found, there's no guarantee that you'll be taken directly to Luis." Garridan pointed out.

"And you are absolutely not going in there alone," Verity huffed.

"So, now we have to figure out a way to get in there without being detected," I added.

"Vianis can get us in," Cyrus suggested.

"I, what?" The serpent stammered. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Cyrus insisted. "You can get in there without being detected and find a way to sneak us in from the inside."

"I've been given a direct order by the person I vowed eternal loyalty to," Vianis squeaked. "So, all I have to say is very well."

A moment later, the three of us were back in our assigned room on the ship. While Cyrus busied about to prepare the egregious eel, I let out a deep sigh. I didn't like the idea of leaving everything in the hands of the serpent that manipulated his way into Cy's good graces.

"Are you seriously going to trust him to do anything of use?" I asked aloud, ignoring the hissing sound Vianis shot my way.

"Yes," Cyrus replied as he fastened a charm around Vianis's neck. "With this, he can communicate with us once he's figured out how to get us inside." He then turned his attention back to the serpent. "You have twelve hours, Vianis. After that, we'll assume you were taken into custody and have to figure out another way."

"Understood, master."

I waited until Vianis rushed down the ramp towards the edge of the wall before turning towards Cyrus. "Nothing about this plan makes me happy," I confessed.

"As you've said more than once now," Cyrus replied as he reached out a hand to cup the side of my face.

Though he meant it as a soothing gesture, I was too agitated to respond in kind. "Why do I find it so difficult to trust that eel?" I rambled aloud. "It wasn't that long ago that our positions were reversed."

"You thought one of your best friends betrayed you," Cyrus replied. "That kind of pain takes time to work through, even if it wasn't really true. Vianis was misguided all his life because he didn't have such strong bonds as the ones you have with your Academy friends. I want to try trusting him to see if he'll trust us in return."

As I gazed into his hazel eyes, I realized the strength I saw within their depths had expanded beyond what I could have ever hoped. "How have you matured so much more than I have over these last five years?" I teased, and I was rewarded with a spark in response.

"It isn't that I've matured, Revelin Eferize," Cy countered, rising to the tips of his toes to press a firm kiss to my lips that melted my very core. "It's that you've finally learned to truly listen."

My heart raced when Cyrus's hand reached up to rake through my hair. All of a sudden, the idea of sending Vianis on that mission was the best thing I had ever realized I wanted. For better or for worse, the serpent was no longer around, chatting Cy's ear off and interrupting our moments of intimacy.

"Does that mean you'll reward my efforts?" I asked in my best bedroom voice, my eyes falling to half-mast. By the way, Cy's lower lip parted slightly as he leaned forward in anticipation. I knew I'd succeeded in shifting the mood to my advantage.

The two of us entwined with the ease that came with years of intimacy. I welcomed Cyrus's tongue in my mouth, allowing the blond to do as he pleased. Not even the blinding light that shone on his charm bracelet distracted us.

A stranger's hoarse voice, however, did.

"Argh!" the unfamiliar voice groaned. "Darryl, your mind is absolutely filthy. Shh! Quiet down, I have to think through your disgusting brain…"

Cyrus managed to shake off his confusion faster than I did because he managed to figure everything out. "Vianis?" He asked into the charm on his bracelet.

When the blond took another step back away from me, I wanted to simultaneously cry while entertaining images of roasting the serpent on a stick.

"This…" The voice from the charm continued. "This Gravelhead has more holes in his mind than anyone I've ever possessed!" Though the voice was unfamiliar, the cadence and degree of whining was Vianis to a fault. "But, he will do for now."

"So you've found someone-?" Cyrus began, but I interjected.

"Did he just say possessed?" I growled in response. "I thought the plan was for him to find someone to sneak us in, not to hijack someone else's body for himself!"

"We can't exactly afford to be picky about his methods..." Cyrus countered, and my jaw dropped open over the ludicrousness of it all. Cy, however, kept the conversation short. "Vianis, just keep us posted."

"Yes, master." It was the last thing we both heard before the connection was lost.

"We can't afford to be picky about his methods?" I prompted. "You do recall what he did the last time he possessed someone, right?"

"Yes, but I also trust that Vianis has his reasons for it this time," Cyrus argued. "I doubt he'd have chosen the first "Gravelhead" he came across if he was planning to go off on another power-hungry tirade."

I didn't know what I despised more, the fact that what Cy said made perfectly logical sense or the fact that I had immediately defaulted back to distrust the moment I heard Vianis went and possessed someone.

"Darryl, I seriously don't understand how your restroom is spotless, but the rest of your apartment is trashed," the stranger's voice spoke through Cyrus's charm again. From the odd conversation, it hadn't seemed intentional.

"Have you found something, Vianis?" Cyrus asked.

"Yes," Vianis replied through his host. "I found an incomplete section of an abandoned wall in the northwest region of the city within Darryl's memories. No cameras or surveillance. We'll meet everyone there."

"That doesn't sound too suspicious or convenient at all," I grumbled.

"Be that as it may, it's our way in," Cyrus asserted.

Not an hour later, Captain Garridan dropped us off in the northwest area of the city. Against my judgment, the dragon Crystal, Alexandra, Verity, Cyrus, and I hesitantly rushed past a gap in the wall. We found a dark-skinned stranger on the other side holding Vianis in his hands.

"Well, well," Alexandra commended. "Nicely done, Visual."

"...Visual?" The serpent questioned with a raised brow. "It's Vianis."

"Not for me, it isn't." She countered as she petted the top of his head. "Seriously. Thank you for having done this."

"Y-You're welcome," Vianis responded.

The serpent appeared so taken aback that it gave me pause. That couldn't have been the first time Vianis received an honest thanks. I shoved the smallest amount of guilt I felt to the furthest corner of my mind. Now was not the time to be sympathetic towards the eel.

"We don't have much time," Cyrus reminded everyone just then, making me think that we were in sync at that moment. "Vianis, you and your new friend should stay with Verity and Crystal. If anything goes sour while Revelin and I take Lexie to Luis, we'll need your help."

Vianis immediately peered sideways at Verity. "Tell me again why we're bringing a dragon into the city?"

Verity gave Crystal's snout a soft pat. "She's gotten everyone out of tough situations in the past. I doubt she'll stop being useful now." She then focused her gaze on Vianis. "But, how about we leave her in your friend Darryl's apartment for now and go get ourselves some drinks at the local bar to calm our nerves until we hear from them again?"

"Oh, I like her," Darryl mused aloud.

"You like anything on two legs," Vianis retorted.

"You say that, but I saw the way you looked at that male dancer in front of the strip club on our way here," Darryl pointed out. "He was hot as fuck."

"It was his performance that was beautiful!" Vianis defended. "I was admiring his dancing skills."

"Ha!" Verity added while Cyrus urged the rest of us further into the city. "Forget the bar, I wanna go see that male dancer instead."