"The mana crystal is small but powerful and I bought the silver ingot at market price . The healing only took me some mana, so dinner will suffice . " Lith explained .
"It's too little money! I can't accept that . " She said .
"Sorry, miss . Healers make their own fares . " Vastor and Quylla nodded at those words .
"Besides, you should worry more about Zinya's accommodation . Your apartment is good for two people but cramped for three . Also, we're both often away for work and your sister needs guidance . " Lith said .
Kamila bit her lower lip in stress . Zinya could indeed move into her home, but there was only one bedroom, so either she had to take a break from their relationship or they would be forced to go to a hotel every time .
Changing the apartment wasn't possible . With a debt on her shoulders, Kamila couldn't afford a new one with just her savings . The one she lived in was provided by the army for a reduced fee, but they wouldn't help her pay for a bigger house since she was officially single and without any family member .
To make matters worse, Belius was a horrible city for someone as inexperienced as Zinya was . Public transportation required to be able to read, there was almost no green area, and people were paranoid of newcomers .
To not leave Zinya alone all day, Kamila would need to hire a caregiver to keep her company and teach her everything she might need .
"Don't worry, Kami . You've already done too much . I can't let you give up on your life for my sake . I'm still Fallmug's wife, I have a home and duties to attend to . Maybe now that I'm not blind anymore, he might change his ways .
"He hasn't always been a bad man . " Zinya's smile trembled just as her whole body did . Despite all of her efforts, she was terrified at the idea of seeing her husband or even hearing his voice again .
"No way! It's too dangerous . " Kamila, Lith, and Vastor said at once .
"Lady Sarta, according to my experience, things can only get worse now that you aren't helpless anymore . " Vastor said . "On top of that, in your condition, a single blow to the head could ruin everything we did today . Your body needs time to heal and adapt . "
"I have an idea . " Lith said . "Zinya could stay in Lutia with my parents until the end of my leave . They have plenty of free space and could use a hand with the kids . I can Warp you there whenever you want and when I have to go back to work, she can move into your apartment . "
Kamila couldn't decide what to do . Lutia was much better than Belius for her sister's recovery, but she felt like she was once again relying too much on Lith .
"Zinya has only experienced an abusive relationship . Maybe seeing how the marriage of my parents and sister work could help her to make up her mind about the divorce . " Lith whispered in her ear .
"Lutia it's a perfect solution . " She sighed . Her pride was a bit wounded, but Zinya's well-being came first .
***
Fallmug had just recently started to walk again after being unconscious for several days . Lith had been true to his word . Ever since Fallmug had woken up, Lith would kidnap him, blind him, and beat the crap out of him until his body collapsed .
Fallmug Sarta had been living in terror the whole time . There was no place he could hide where the demon wouldn't be able to find him . He used the unexpected respite Zinya's intervention had given him to run to the authorities and expose the evil mage .
The desk clerk of the Mage Association, listened to all he had to say, before dismissing everything for the ramblings of a madman .
"I'm sorry, sir Sarta, but your story is really hard to believe . If you did make an enemy of the strongest young mage of the Kingdom, how can you possibly be still alive? Also, you failed to mention why he would have a beef with you . "
Even the clerk of a medium sized city like Xylita was sick and tired of all the lunatics blaming Ranger Verhen for everything . Pregnant girls claimed he was the father and demanded compensation, nutjobs said to have been cursed by him or that he had taken credit for their achievements, like restoring Kaduria .
Fallmug realized to be in a pinch . He had been so anxious to get rid of his torturer to forget about making up a believable lie . He thought far and wide how to explain why someone like Lith was tormenting him, but unless Fallmug confessed the abuse on his wife, his story wouldn't make any sense .
Yet if he did, Lith would become the last of his problems . Despite his constant pain and suffering, Fallmug was still a respectable man with consistent income . If the truth about his home were to be exposed, he would go to jail, and Zinya would be entitled to everything just by asking for a divorce .
"He is after my wife!" His words made the clerk chuckle .
"Sorry, sir . I don't mean to disrespect you, but if I ask your wife, will she confirm your story?"
"Of course not! She's on his side . "
"Enough wasting my time!" The clerk had run out of patience .
"If your wife wanted to be with him, she would just ask for a divorce . A Great Mage has plenty of money, she wouldn't need anything from you . What proof do you have of your claims?"
Fallmug was taken aback . Now he understood what Lith meant when he said that he would turn Fallmug into his wife . He was now alone and with no one who could help him . There was no witness of the aggressions nor proof of his injuries aside from his words .
Just like his wife until a few days ago, he was trapped in an inescapable cage .
"None? Well, then I hope you'll forgive me if I don't believe a word coming from a man accused by three Healers of repeatedly beating his wife . " As the clerk was filing Fallmug's statement for the record, his name had triggered a flag .
"Not to mention that according to the army records, at the time of the alleged assaults, Ranger Verhen was still at his home . I don't know what your problem is, sir, but maybe a night in jail will help you clear your mind . "
"What about Verhen?" Fallmug asked while the guards dragged him towards the dungeon .
"None of your business . In your place, I'd worry more about being charged with slander of a state mage and wasting the Association time, because those are two crimes I can testify about . "
***
Lith's parents knew all about Zinya's situation, so they were glad to offer their help . In their eyes, she was the embodiment of what could have happened to Tista if Lith had never been born .
Zinya fell in love with Lutia, with the Trawn woods, and with the closest thing to a real family she had ever had . Learning how to read, write, and count together with Leria and Aran was embarrassing, but after a while she stopped worrying about it .
Elina also taught her how to cook and sew, so that once she moved back with Kamila, she could at least help her managing her home . The days passed, and soon Lith's leave was about to end .
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