Liada closed her eyes in concentration as she slowly rubbed her hands together, as if warming them. She whispered words in a soft singsong that sounded like elvish. Kellan saw a faint shimmering light gather around Liada's hands.

Orion lay on the couch in G-Dogg's apartment, his leather jacket tossed on the floor and the charred remains of his T-shirt lying close by. Liada gently laid her hands on him, one on Orion's forehead, and the other on his chest. She spoke a single, forceful word. Kellan felt the surge of magical energies, different this time than the kind of power she'd felt from the spells she'd experienced so far. It was gentler, soothing, almost a whisper.

The ripple of magic spread across Orion's body and, before Kellan's eyes, he began to heal. The angry red burns faded to a tender pink, and then to normal, pale flesh. Burned hair regrew along the side of Orion's scalp, and his chest suddenly swelled with a deep intake of breath, followed by a long, relaxed sigh.

Liada slumped over the elf warrior for a moment, catching herself with one hand against the back of the couch. As Orion stirred, she got slowly to her feet, brushing the long, dark hair out of her face and tucking it behind her pointed ears.

Orion's eyes fluttered open. He reached up and peeled the spray bandage off his face. The surgical staples and the cut were both gone, leaving only a thin, white scar behind. He ran his fingers over it, then across his chest where the burns had been. There was a look of wonder on his face as he glanced up at Liada leaning over him.

"Thanks," he said, and the elf mage nodded.

"No problem," she replied, sounding tired, but pleased. She turned toward Kellan and G-Dogg. "He'll be fine, but he should get some rest and eat something to help his body fully recover. Now, let me take a look at that cut, G-Dogg," she said, straightening up and moving over to the chair where the ork slouched.

"It's no big deal:" he began with a wave of his hand.

"Let me be the judge of that," Liada said crisply.

She parted the bloodied dreadlocks and appraised the oozing cut. Then she waved her fingers over the wound, whispering soft words. She gently pressed her hand against the side of the ork's head. When she lifted it away, the cut was gone, as if it had never been.

Liada puffed a tired sigh as G-Dogg brushed his blunt fingers across the side of his head.

"You can crash here for a while, if you want," he offered, and Liada nodded.

"Thanks, I think I will."

"Thanks, Liada," Kellan offered, glancing over at Orion. She couldn't believe that Liada had healed them both so quickly.

"All part of the service," the elf mage replied with a wave of her hand. "You toss a killer fireball."

"That's for sure," Orion muttered, levering himself up to a sitting position.

Kellan felt a hot flush across her face and neck as the memory of her blunder came flooding back.

"I-I'm really sorry," she fumbled for the words. "It was an accident."

"It's okay," Orion said. "You didn't mean any harm, and you sure as hell put an end to that fight. I'll just know next time to get out of the way." He smiled.

"If you're careful, there won't be a next time," Liada said in a firm tone. "You've clearly got power, Kellan, but you need to learn how to control it. Until you do, I'd be careful about just throwing it around. Magic isn't a game and it's not a toy."

"I know that," Kellan said stiffly.

"Don't worry about it," Liada replied, her tone softening. "We all make mistakes. The first time I summoned a spirit: well, let's just say that I bit off more than I could chew. The trick is to learn from those mistakes. Don't try to take on too much before you're ready for it, okay?"

Kellan nodded. "Okay," she said.

"I dunno about you guys," G-Dogg interjected, "but I need some sack time and a shower. I get cranky if I don't get my beauty rest." The other shadowrunners wisely refrained from stating the obvious and found places to sleep.

Kellan volunteered to take the floor so the others could use the few pieces of furniture G-Dogg's doss boasted. She had certainly slept in worse places, and she felt so responsible for what had happened. If Orion hadn't managed to move when he did:. She pushed the thought aside. She would just have to be more careful in the future. She understood that magic was more than just an opportunity, it was also a responsibility. She just had to make sure there wouldn't be any more screwups.

Late the next morning, G-Dogg took them to a local diner that served a hearty breakfast. They sat at a back corner booth, and G-Dogg ordered enough food for eight people. Kellan discovered she was hungrier than she thought, and the ork easily ate enough for two humans. Even Orion put away a surprising amount for someone so lithe. They tucked into stacks of soyjacks, accompanied by juice, soy-sages and plentiful amounts of coffee. Liada stuck with some fruit and a piece of toast, along with some juice. By the time they were close to finished, Kellan was feeling refreshed and invigorated.

"We can meet up tonight at Max's," G-Dogg said between bites of food. "He's got the transportation, and we'll want to go over everything once more before it goes down."

Kellan nodded in agreement. "Can you let the Deacon know?" she asked.

"No problem."

"Might be a good idea for you to lay low for the rest of the day," Kellan said to Orion, whose expression demonstrated he didn't care for the idea at all.

"Just until the run is over," Kellan pressed, speaking quietly, so as not to be overheard. "If the Ancients are looking for you:"

"I'm not going to hide," Orion said stubbornly.

"Last night isn't going to be the end of it, not by a long shot," G-Dogg interjected, taking a swig of his soykaf. "Every newbie in the Ancients looking to score some points and some street cred will be gunning for you, chummer."

"There's no point in making yourself into a target," Liada added. "You know this isn't over with the Ancients, especially if they think you know something that might be damaging to them. You're going to need to keep a low profile until the run anyway."

Orion sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You can hang at my place," G-Dogg offered. "At least until things quiet down and you can set yourself up. Probably not a good idea for you to go back to your own place until then. You can bet the Ancients are watching it."

"Thanks," Orion said glumly, realizing the others were right.

Liada and Orion finished up and headed out the door, and G-Dogg turned to Kellan.

"Are you sure about having him in on this?" the ork asked.

"He is in on this," Kellan insisted, and G-Dogg held his hands up to ward off a tirade.

"I know, I know, but it could be trouble. As long as the Ancients are after him, he's going to be a target. And I don't want to go on a run with a big target on our team."

"If things work out, the Ancients won't be a problem," Kellan said, and explained her plan. G-Dogg looked dubious.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked. "I can set up a meet for you, but it would be easier to just leave the elf at home and take our chances." Kellan glanced at Orion's retreating back as he mounted up his motorcycle outside the diner.

"Yeah," Kellan said, "I'm sure. So let's do it before I change my mind."

"So, anyone else feeling deja vu?" Silver Max commented.

"Not exactly the same this time, Max," Jackie Ozone replied. "This time Kellan doesn't have to play bait."

"That's an improvement from my perspective," Kellan replied. "How's our target?"

"On its way." Max was observing the approaching shipment through the sensors of his drones. "Estimate three minutes."

"All set, guys?" Kellan asked, and G-Dogg and the Street Deacon responded.