A/N: Not to spoil but Careless Whisper is a gr8 song.

That night, they were dining in silence, reflecting back on everything.

"Fine. I won't do the spell." Zephrine broke the silence and sat her chalice down.

"Thank you." Xavier slumped back in his chair, visually relieved.

It was then, Zephrine realized something. If Xavier wouldn't let her do the spell, then she'd have to go behind his back. As much as it pained her to do so, it seemed to be the only way. Thankfully, she knew exactly how to distract Xavier long enough for her to gather everything she needed.

"To hell with it." Zephrine shook her head, then practically launched herself at Xavier. She held him tight in her embrace, before kissing him with all the passion she could find. "Life's too short." She whispered when Xavier gave her a quizzical look.

"Wait, are we really-" He began, but Zephrine cut him off by removing the pin that held her hair up. A jet black waterfall silenced Xavier, who gave in to the rhythm of Zephrine's movements. "I think I like where this is going."

Xavier set his hands on Zephrine's waist and lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He gently twirled her around and let her lie on the bed, feet dangling off the side. Her hands landed under Xavier's shirt, and the two pulled it off together. Zephrine's dress followed after.

"Are you really comfortable with this?" Xavier stopped as he was undoing his belt.

"Yes. I am." Zephrine nodded.

"Fair enough then." Xavier smiled as he threw his belt across the room. Zephrine looped her arms around his neck and and let his mouth wander wherever it felt like going.

By the time they were finished, it seemed to be the middle of the night. Xavier was fast asleep, blankets wrapped around his body like a towel. Zephrine kissed his forehead, then crawled out from under his arms. She slipped Xavier's shirt over her head, fastening it to herself with his belt. She then slid her boots onto her bare feet and bit back the cry that rose up in her throat as the smell of him transferred from his shirt to her skin.

Grabbing the nearest candelabra, Zephrine walked as silently as she could to her chambers, took her spellbook, and ran to Rhys's quarters.

Rhys was snoring away in the little nook above his workspace. She took one of his empty herb bags from the door, filling it with vervain, lavender, and a few other miscellaneous herbs.

Next stop, the kitchen.

It was barren when she got there, a few pots and and pans left unwashed, but that was the only sign of human interaction for that day. The first thing Zephrine did was take about two pounds of salt, a knife, and the chicken feathers the servants forgot to clean out. She took this time to check her book again.

Now all that was left was to get something from Vana, be it a lock of hair or even a drop of blood. With a sigh, she left the kitchen, headed toward the dungeons, ready to collect the most difficult part of the spell.