"Who might this lucky woman be?" Sabrina asked, in genuine curiosity. "I must admit, I am intrigued. A witcher who speaks of entanglement, that is not something one hears every day."
Triss knew the answer, but she remained silent, her eyes fixed on the distant rooftops of Rivia. Her fingers tightened around the railing.
Sabrina's eyes narrowed. "No, do not tell me. Your face turned sour. I did not mean to be this... unbearable. I was merely curious, nothing more."
Triss's patience finally wore thin. "This was your real reason why you wanted to talk with him, was it not? You just wanted someone to warm your bed! You did not care about Ard Carraigh or the count or anything else."
Sabrina's smile was unrepentant, she had long ago stopped apologizing for her desires. "Can you blame a sorceress in heat? We have our needs, just like anyone else."
She turned and walked away, her robes swishing against the stone floor, her laughter echoing through the corridor.
Triss let out a long, weary sigh. "I am sorry about that," she said. "I do not know what came over her."
Sebastian shook his head. "Do not apologize. It is fine, I knew what she was after when I saw that look on her face." he paused, "Am I really that attractive? I thought my face scares people."
Triss laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Are you kidding me? You are young, strong, and handsome. Women have been drawn to less."
Sebastian's lips curved into a teasing smile. "Maybe sorceresses have a thing for witchers. It seems to be a recurring pattern."
"Hey!" Triss said.
Sebastian's smile faded. "So, you cannot sleep as well?"
Triss shook her head slowly. "No. It seems you are in the same case. The night has a way of bringing out the thoughts that the day keeps at bay."
"I just had a nightmare that woke me up. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced."
"Are your friends or that bounty hunter still on your mind? I know the weight of loss can linger." Triss asked.
Sebastian shook his head, "No. This was completely different."
Triss's smile was soft, her eyes searching his face. "What kind of other burdens are you carrying, Sebastian? You carry yourself like a man who has seen too much."
Sebastian looked at her,"The Wild Hunt. I saw them."
Triss laughed, a light, dismissive sound. "The wraiths that fly across the sky on a ship? I have heard those tales. They are nothing but stories, it is strange to hear this from you."
Sebastian grabbed her shoulders. "They are not tales, Triss. The Wild Hunt are real. I have killed one of their frost hounds in a sewer in Novigrad. Do you know what that means?"
Triss was confused.
"It means they were there at some point, and they are looking for Ciri." Seb continued.
"Why would the wraiths look for her?" Triss asked.
Sebastian said with absolute certainty. "Her powers, of course. They want what she has, and they will stop at nothing to get it."
Triss's voice carried a note of doubt. "Look, I really do not think you are a liar. I know you pretty well, you are extremely honest. But I do not think anyone other than peasants from random villages has claimed to see them."
Sebastian said in frustration. "That is exactly why you should believe those tales, Triss. Peasants see all kinds of horrifying shit. They are the ones who live closest to the darkness."
Triss laughed. "Alright. You seem to know a lot about them already. Care to share more?"
"I will share more with you, but first, I want you to tell me what you are hiding from me."
Triss's face changed, her voice carrying a note of evasion. "What?"
Sebastian's voice was firm, his eyes boring into hers. "Come on, Triss. I am not stupid. Every time I bring up Geralt or Ciri, your face says something while your mouth says something else. We witchers were trained to read people. I know you are hiding something."
Triss was quiet for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Then she spoke. "I might as well say it."
"Say what? What are you hiding?"
Triss collected herself, the weight of a secret that had been weighing on her for too long. "Geralt met me sometime ago in Vizima."
"And?" Seb said.
Triss continued, her voice dropping even lower. "He sought me for help. To try and locate someone. And that someone is Ciri."
Sebastian was speechless. He released her shoulders. "What?! Ciri is not with him?"
Triss shook her head slowly. "She was taken by an elven sage after he fought Geralt and Ciri."
Sebastian's voice carried a note of barely contained fury. "Why have you not shared this with me!"
He walked around the balcony, his footsteps sharp against the stone, his hands clenched into fists, fire was already starting to be visible around his body.
Triss desperately apologized "I am sorry! I promised Geralt not to mention this to anyone!"
Sebastian's voice was a roar. "Fuck that! Shit, I knew something was wrong! I should have never let her go with him."
"Calm down! The entire castle will hear this!" Triss pleaded.
Sebastian's flames ignited around him, a corona of fire that flickered with his barely contained rage. "How can I calm down! You have been basically lying to me this whole time!"
"I did not lie! I simply did not tell you where she is because we do not know! And I have been trying to find her. With the mask you brought, there is a chance!" Triss said.
Sebastian placed his hands on the railing, staring out at the sleeping city, a man forcing himself to calm down. "...This fucking sage. Did he call himself Avallac'h?"
Triss was surprised. "How did you... did you meet him?"
Sebastian's voice was sharp and commanding. "Just answer the damn question."
Triss's voice was soft. "Yes. Yes."
Sebastian sighed, he had just connected the dots. "I am sorry for shouting at you. I know you have nothing to do with this. I am just..."
Triss grabbed his hand as she understood his pain. "It is okay. I am sorry for keeping this from you. I knew it was wrong. I know Geralt meant well, but..."
"No. Geralt is getting that punch from me regardless." Seb said.
He paused, as he realized the full scope of the danger. "So it is Avallac'h. Of course it is him. The only elven sage cunt that I know. He must have taken her somewhere hidden, or Tir Na Lia, for his King... Fuck! We must make haste."
He turned to face her, "The damn mask. We should get that thing active. Fate is still on our side, I managed to get my hands on the mask that will guide us to her."
"I will try my best. I could use the help of the other sorceresses, but..." Triss said.
"I know you are part of an organization that you and your colleagues recently created. It does not matter. I will be in their debt. Just get this thing working. I also know most of them are here, including Philippa." Seb said.
Triss's eyes widened, "You know about the Lodge too?"
"I did some digging in Redania, and Dijkstra shared this information with me." Seb said.
Triss's voice carried a note of concern. "The former head of Redanian intelligence knows about the Lodge? This is troubling."
"The most troubling matter right now is Ciri. Damn it, I know my dream meant something."
Triss's voice carried a note of confusion. "But you dreamt of the Wild Hunt, no?"
Sebastian shook his head. "The Wild Hunt are the elves of the Aen Elle, and their home world is Tir Na Lia! Damn it, she is right in their grasp. Avallac'h's motives are different from the Wild Hunt, but they all want to use her! I swear I will kill the cunt myself, including the Hunt and the King of the Elves if they dare touch her."
Triss was still processing a staggering revelation. "This is a lot to take in... so they were never wraiths."
"No. Just elves who want to reclaim something they lost long ago and they will stop at nothing to do it." Seb said. "So please, Triss."
"Alright. Tomorrow, during the summit, I will share this secretly with my sisters of the Lodge, and we'll work on the mask right away." Triss promised as she held his hand tighter.
"I do not trust them, but so be it. Get the mask working. Open that portal for me, and I will go myself, on my own, to Tir Na Lia."
Triss's voice carried a note of concern. "What about the king's task? You cannot just abandon your.."
Sebastian cut her off. "With all due respect, Triss, fuck the king. The fate of the world is literally at stake here."
/-\
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