Taking deep, heavy steps on the ground pictured below him, Sam walked over to Julian and Shandra. They both looked quite surprised to see him."So that's it. You not only want to poison her mind against me, but how are you trying to do the same thing you did to Eluna?!"The redhead growls."What are you talking about, you idiot?!""I'm talking about your hypocrisy. You are always trying to tell Shandra how dangerous I am, how manipulative I am. But you just want to take her from me!"The coppery-eyed demon's words are so raw, so loaded with a sincerity never before seen, that the girl is stunned. She is unable to pry into the argument between the brothers."I'm offering my support to her," Julian explains, not showing even a little patience. "And just to be clear, Shandra is a free girl!""Free for you to put your claws into?""Free to make her own decisions! She doesn't answer to you. She answers to no one, Sam!"The man with fair skin and black hair finally looks at the girl."Are y

Sam's words echo in the air, filling the space between them. Time seems to freeze as Shandra processes the meaning and intensity of that sentence, so simple, yet so complicated.She looks deeply into Sam's eyes, searching for any hint of falsehood or deceit, but finds only sincerity and vulnerability.A whirlwind of emotions invades her heart, and she feels a mixture of joy, surprise and fear. The connection between them has grown deeper along the journey, but she never expected to hear these words come out of Sam's mouth.Yet the truth in his eyes and the way he tenderly holds her convey a sense of security and trust."Is it true?" she asks in a thread of voice.Sam's coppery eyes don't even blink."I swear on my existence."Julian, who is watching everything dumbfounded, takes a step back."But... But I-," Shandra begins, but is interrupted by the demon."Do you love me?"The girl blinks, almost choking on her own saliva so nervously, and answers softly:"Yes."And it was true.Sam

Caleb and Ezan were quite different from each other.The younger one, of course, had more energy and mood. He also seemed to be more willing to talk about whatever the subject was.The older one, despite being much more agile and stronger than an ordinary old man, liked to meditate more, to listen to the sounds of nature around him, and occasionally to whistle a song.Shandra, still very happy to have received that sword, could barely keep her focus on her surroundings. There was still a long way to go before everyone reached Tenebris, but with each passing day, the hope in Shandra's heart grew stronger.Duly camped in one of the enchanted woods that were directly on the way to the mountain range, the young woman decided she wanted to know a little more about the werewolf culture.The group was facing a tall fire, whose flames, instead of orange, were white and bright like Shandra's own magic. The fire was that color because of a strange powder that Ezan had thrown on the wood before

Despite how dark it was in the dense woods, and also the strange sounds that sometimes seemed to call to her, Shandra did not seem fearful or distressed as she followed Sam further and further into the whispering woods.Now that she was secure and more confident about her fate, it's as if everything else naturally mattered less. Except, of course, that question.Sam was saying that he loved her. Shandra wanted proof.And he was about to do it.When they finally reached the place, the girl was visibly surprised by what was in front of her: a sparkling, crystal clear, blue lake. Delicately, she touched the water, which was warm and smelled of ambrosia."What did you think?" asked Sam.Shandra looked at the lake, dazzled by its radiant beauty. The soft glow of the moon reflected off the serene surface of the water, creating a magical spectacle to her eyes."'This... This is too beautiful! And this is where you will show me... the proof?" she asked, her eyes fixed on Sam, full of expectat

They no longer walked on the main trails.Instead, they circled the entire known territory, purposely avoiding passersby, merchants, customers, and every other kind of creature that made such a trek to Tenebris.Although the mountain range was home to one of the largest market underworlds, to many, it was just a marketplace with a wide variety of products. Only the right people entered the right places.As if in a slow procession, Shandra, the demons and the two werewolves walked at a slow pace. Not because they were not in a hurry, but to avoid stumbling with the main crowd that would surely be arriving at that moment.Julian had sniffed Shandra twice the night before, but said nothing. He probably already knew about her physical union with Sam, and until then, had given no opinion.When they got up camp, the young woman went to drink water at the spring of the river, taking the opportunity to take a bath. As she was wetting her long hair, which now went down to her waist, she heard