Tranns and Lucien agree it's best not to tell anyone about their unexpected liason in the basement. Though Tranns
tries to convince herself it meant nothing, Lucien insists that it was more. In the meanwhile, an enormous influx
of new survivors begins to descend. In one night, three men, Shawn, Daerid, and Balthasar arrive to be greeted by Ariadne
and Amorette. Their stories are quickly recorded. Shawn is a villager who was being held in slavery by the
Ebene after a portal attack failed to kill him. His pregnant wife was killed in the attack and he's uncertain where
his brother is, but he is soon reunited with his niece, Eris, who also makes her way to the Phoenix House. Daerid likewise,
claims to be a wanderer on the Ebene's bad side for killing several of their number. Balthasar alone claims to know
nothing about the Ebene and that he is merely searching for his sister, Aislinn.
Jesse, the mute Fanel sibling, starts to get incredibly sick. Though in his past he was constantly less than
healthy, no one can seem to place the cause of his illness. Jesse attempts to carry on in his duties, but he finally
just collapses. With Sito panicking, Casey races to discover the cause. The Spell of Three, however, must be put
on hold. Meanwhile, Balthasar starts asking just a few too many questions of Adriana, regarding the Ebene.
The group try everything to bring Jesse's fever down, including having Aden dunk him in the swimming pool. Nothing
works, and in addition, Tranns and Mia start to complain of chills. Adriana recognizes ancient Hylian wisdom that claims
that Hylians shiver in the presence of evil. Casey begins to suspect that the cause of Jesse's illness is the same cause
of the chills. Physical proximity to evil. She cannot determine, however, what the source is, since Shaldani is
technically absorbed in an evill barrier.
Balthasar comes into the lobby as Sito, Adriana, Philip, and Casey are hovering around Jesse. Casey sees him and she
immediately pulls a knife on him. There is a brief scrape that ends with Balthasar holding Casey hostage, threatening
to bring her to Zelazny, the mysterious Ebene leader. Sito and Jonas throw themselves at Balthasar to no avail.
He tries to make his escape, but Philip blocks his exit, claiming he won't let Casey go, as she's a part of a family.
He valiently stabs Balthasar who swears on his dying breath that Zelazny will avenge him.
Casey explains that Balthasar was once an advisor to the royal family of Shaldani, and it was he who betrayed the monarchy
by feeding Zelazny the information he needed to start his attacks. Aislinn is the name of the crown princess of Shaldani
and it is determined that Balthasar was hoping to find Aislinn and turn her over to the Ebene. When they ask Casey how
she knew about this, and why she didn't reveal it sooner, she gets quiet and casually mentions that her former mistress, Ruth
Massie, had ongoing relations with the royal family. She refuses to divulge her personal connection to Balthasar.
Jesse begins to recover, much to everyone's relief. As his loved ones gather around him, Jesse remarkably utters
his first word without the aid of magic: Ana. Jonas corners Casey alone in her kitchen laboratory reveals
that he knows she is really a member of the royal family, but promises that he won't tell anyone. Just as their conversation
ends, Shawn enters the kitchen, explaining that he has been put on Casey's staff due to his knowledge of potions. She
warmly welcomes him as Jonas looks on.
