Okay... I'm finally back to this story. You can blame writing 3 books, a new job and a severe case of writer's block for the lack of update. And you can thank the lock-down, being inspired to write Flash fan fiction and a desire to complete my 'in hiatus' work for the update.

Salantir stood in front of the door his hair ruffled from the pillow and his eyes serious. "I can't sleep." He declared in a small, haunted voice. "Can I sleep here?"

Kalvor glanced over his shoulder at Leanadas. The redhead nodded and stepped aside allowing him to enter the room.

"What about Alianne?" Kalvor asked as he watched him climb onto the large bed

"She's asleep." Lea watched Salantir settle himself with an affectionate smile. Kalvor looked up from his little nephew and gave a small sigh.

"I'll stop with her." Leanadas announced as she grasped hold of the handle. "though, it's not quite the roommate I expected."

"Nor mine." He walked towards her and caught hold of her hand. "Though," His voice dropped to a whisper and his eyes held hers with an intensity that made her shiver. "When I do finally take you to bed…" Lea felt the heat in his words and she bit her lip. He raised his other hand and almost touched her. Her skin prickled at the nearness of him and she yearned to reach up and complete the contact. She waited for him to finish speaking yet at the moment Salantir called from the other side of the room distracting them. Kalvor leaned forward and kissed her. A brief kiss full of promise and heat, a kiss that made her yearn to reach up and pull him to her waiting body; a kiss that gave her a taste of the passion and pleasure to come.

"Goodnight," The husky timbre of his voice rippled down her spine and she left the room in a fluster of frustrated sensation. With that kiss he had made a promise, one she hoped that he would fulfil. Still buzzing from the warmth of his touch she entered the other bedroom and tried to settle.

Outside Dalaran's lights dimmed as the night wore on. The streets cleared slowly as the citizens returned to their homes save for the criminal and a small group of hooded figures moving through the shadows. Six individuals stalked through the streets as they headed for the Legerdemain Lounge. Those who were still left abroad avoided them knowing that the group were out for blood.

Kalvor woke in the darkness. A sense of danger humming through his skin bringing him out of the depths of sleep. He eased out of the bed and gently woke Salintir. The young night elf woke slowly, noisily and Kalvor quickly shushed him before telling him to hide beneath the bed. He could hear the steps, quiet though they were, on the stairs outside and he knew that the owners of those footsteps were there for them.

Quietly he removed his sword and moved towards the door. He had barely reached the portal before the door burst inward and three assailants burst in. As he moved into guard position he could hear Leanadas' door being forced open as well and he hoped she had woken in time.

The three attacked in fluid, recognisable patterns. They were Alliance, probably a force dispatched from the base here on Dalaran. He wouldn't have thought his choice of partners would have warranted such a response and yet, as he blocked the second heavy blow, they had named him traitor. The flare and sound of magic echoed through the hall and he smiled. Leanadas would be giving them a run for their money. He parried a clumsy strike and retaliated cutting one of the assailants down. He could hear Salantir whimper beneath the bed and fury raged through him. Pressing the advantage he attacked once more, only this time the remaining two attackers coordinated their efforts and a blade sliced deeply into his side.

"Uncle Kalvor." He heard the cry and grit his teeth against the pain. Attacking with renewed vigour he forced one of them back into the hall only for another blow to land, this time on his leg. He heard a child's cry from the other room and rage fuelled his next movements. The blade sliced through the air cutting down the second attacker as another yell sounded from the other room. The scent of burning flesh filled the air and he realised that Lea had taken out another of her attackers. He ducked the next strike and sliced through the man's throat before he jumped over his dying form and headed for the other room. Alianne's and Salintir's room had become a shattered inferno. The beds lay in shattered pieces on the floor and small fires burned across the room. Two of the attackers lay dead, their bodies blackened and bludgeoned by fire and frost. The last man was towards the back of the room advancing on Lea and his niece. A golden shield that seemed to have the fragility of glass kept the blows from reaching the but Kalvor could see her tiredness and knew she could not hold it for long. In slow motion he saw the blood dripping down Alianne's arm and he moved vaulting over the remaining furniture like a madman to bury his sword deep into their attacker's chest.

Lea dropped the shield and he raced to her, calling for Salantir as he did so. As they joined together Lea conjured some of her healing food to deal with the damage and as they dealt with the children they missed the sound of further footsteps as more people climbed the stairs.

"Kalvor," The blood drained from Lea's face and he turned to face the door and the further three people that walked through it.