For as long as I remember, my parents have always been insistent on doing things together as a family. Every meal was a time to interrogate me on what happehat day. We would also do at least one family outing each week where the three of us would spend some time together doing something fun. I was always grateful for having that support system, but sometimes I questioned if me having had virtually no friends had caused them to go a bit overboard with making sure I didn't bee some antisocial, madjusted shut-in. I suppose that didn't matter anymore. Not long after the events of the summer, I had trouble deg if the retionship I had with my parents was weakening or strengthening. There was so much they'd kept from me. But in the end, I uood they were only trying to do what they thought was right. Besides, there was now so much I was keeping from them.

  As the weeks went by, the shock of new revetions started to wear off. There was always something more to be uncovered. The rabbit hole never ehe existeniarhia and the Tremaium prophecy. Dad being a Rime Guard lieutenant el part-time. Kadia being my sister, who grew up with airely different family. Headmaster Gunthren being friends with my parents for over a decade, alongside the parents of Shaye and Ashkan. And Balgaur being part of that friend group. So mas and half-truths that left me w what was real. But it was real, all of it. Accept it and move on. Like clockwork.

  It was easy to think about what my life would've been like if Emiarhia did. Not that its existence was bad in all aspects. My life would've been far more b, of course. Maybe we wouldn't have even moved to California. Actually, that would mean Dad never would've existed in the first pce. Aher would I. That line of thought was enough to deter me from dwelling on a life I'd never known. Still, I could tell that my parents had started to treat me differently since I started training in Emiarhia. There was a slight sense ility. Less of an emphasis on the school aspey life and more of an emphasis on making sure I was doing all right mentally aionally. Less chores and more free time; more hugs and kisses and random bouts of praise. I was still treated as a daughter and not as an infant or an invalid. But the differen energy and attitude alpable. That's how I khey were worried about me.

  Sometimes I'd lie awake at night and wonder if they worried as much as I did about them possibly, just possibly, outlivihat rumination was always enough to keep me from getting too much rest.

  "Chloe?"

  My name snapped me out of my trance, bringing me bato the moment. "Huh?"

  "Have you finished your college applications? The deadline's ing up," Mom asked from behiablet.

  We were at breakfast i, something we usually did together in the ms before we had to leave for school or work. It was always one of the more calm moments of my day.

  I finished off the rest of my French toast and nodded. "They're all submitted. All five of 'em. Not sure how much it really matters, though..."

  "Hey." Mom gave me a light gre over the rim of her gsses. "You better not start talking like that."

  I just ughed dryly. "Like what?"

  "You know what." She set her tablet aside and folded her arms, staring at me with an iy that was meant to be taken seriously. It wasn't very effective, given her pink robe and fuzzy slippers.

  "I know. Sorry. It's just hard not to get in my head sometimes."

  She reached over to ruffle my hair. "Keep in mind, even if you were chosen by the gods, you're still only seventeen and you only do what you do. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to me. We'll figure it out together."

  I couldn't help the soft smile that made its way onto my face. "You got it."

  Mom gave me one of her bright smiles bad stood from the table, taking her empty pte with her. "Any college or uy would be lucky to have you."

  "I'm just hoping I don't have to move to New York or Michigan food forensics program. I've had my fill of new enviros," I said.

  "Well, let's just see how things py out, all right? There's plenty of good post-sedary opportunities right here in California. Don't you think, Theo?"

  Dad, who was seated at the kit table and reading a news article on his ptop, hummed in agreement. "Absolutely. Chloe, your mom and I will always be proud of you no matter where you end up."

  "As long as I don't go baia where Balgaur find me," I joked, half-serious.

  Mom gave me an unamused look. "Please, if he ever shows his face here again, I'll skin him alive. You know, we almost moved because of him knowing where we lived oh. That was your father's suggestion."

  My eyebrows shot up. "Really? Did you see him?" I turo look at Dad.

  He closed his ptop and leaned ba his chair, stretg his long arms above his head with a groan before rexing. "No, thankfully. The only semi-ret appearance from Balgaur that we know of is when you saw him at that ice cream shop. We sidered moving soon after he took up a life of crime. Couldn't risk him finding you. My promotion made the decision for us, really. I'm just gd we were already on our way out by the time he decided to mess with you that day. And I'm gd it wasn't anything worse. ...You don't o worry about Balgaur while you're oh, sweetheart." He shrugged, but the fire in his eyes betrayed the lightness in his tone.

  I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose, letting the tension in my shoulders drop. "Okay, yeah, good. I hope so."

  The three of us were quiet for a moment, the sounds of the sink running and silverware g being the only things filling the air.

  "...Well." Dad cleared his throat. "How has everything else been going? Training, school, socializing, you know? Any updates?"

  There was no way I was going to tell them about the League and me being a hunter. Not now, not ever. "Everything's been fine," I said. "We're all getting ready for the new semester. Training is the same as it's always been. We've found half of the gemstones now, so... That's good. And Lunellia's still keeping them safe and sound."

  My parents shared a knowing look before turning to look at me again.

  "I'm assuming things are still a little teween you and Kadia, hmm?" Mom asked.

  I shifted my eyes away and fiddled with the handle on my mug, staring at the dregs of tea that sat at the bottom. "It's fine, holy. It's only been about a month since she told me we're sisters, so it's not like she's going to just up and be all buddy-buddy with me right away. And it's not like she owes me anything. We're kinda doing our own things, you know?"

  Dad raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "You haven't had experieh having a sibling. It take a while to build up trust and have a retionship. Especially when you're both practically adults. And on top of that, you both had very different lives growing up. It be plicated."

  I frow that. "I've thought about it a lot. How weird it is that I didn't know anything about her while she's lived as my sister for twenty-three years. I wonder how different it would've been if you raised both of us together. Would things have been easier?"

  Mom shook her head, her expression softening. "Oh, no, don't even think like that, Chloe. The decision to separate the two of you wasn't made lightly. It was one of the most difficult choices your father and I have ever made together. Kadia was given to a very loving and supportive family. The Greengroves are close friends of ours, and they loved her as if she were their own. I made sure of it. So, it would be unfair of us to assume she'd ever want to have had that ged. That's also aited for her to tell you on her own terms."

  My gaze was fixated on the mug in my hands as I listened.

  Dad pced his hand over mine oable and gave me a small smile. "Your mom and I only imagine what's going through your head. The truth is, we ever be certain about what's best or how it would've turned out. All we do now is appreciate where we are, all four of us together as a family. As...together as we be."

  I smiled and shook my head in amusement. "I really wish I would've been born a few thousand years ter. Then all of this awful stuff could've been avoided."

  "Chloe!" Mom let out a shocked ugh.

  Dad just gave me a rueful smile. "Yeah, yeah. Keep taking things one day at a time, okay? You're not in this alone. We're here for you."

  I aking a sip of my now cold tea. "Will do."

  Mom's eyes were watery behind her gsses as she leaned doressed her lips to my forehead. "We love you. We'll always love you, even if the universe decides to crumble to pieces."

  My owarted to water a bit at that. "Thanks, Mom... Love you too."

  We didn't say anything for the remainder of the m. There was no need for words.

  Wheered the training arena that day, Kadia was deep in discussion with the other trainers. Her back was to me. They were looking over what seemed to be a detailed pn or map of some sort, judging by their i gazes.

  "Absolutely no leads? all?" Kadia said. Her tone was as frosty as usual, but I could pick up on the .

  Mina shook her head, bright pink strands of hair swaying with the movement. "I'm still tryin' to see what I dig up. My maps don't cover all of Opios iail. The riddle we got wasn't the most help, so I 't make heads or tails of anythin'."

  "I believe the riddle itself is quite clear," Reyshore interjected, "but what it is asking us to find is unlike anything I am familiar with. Perhaps that is the point."

  Tyrath gave an irritated sigh and rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. "If Mina hasn't been able to find anythi, it might be safe to say we aren't going to find anything for a while."

  Kadia crossed her arms, a frown on her lips. "We should still try to narrow down the area and start bing it. We must find this fourth stone ahis prophecy sorted. No question."

  "We'll find it," Thorne assured her. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "We're looking at every single pce there's even the slightest possibility for it. It's the water jewel, so there's no way it's not in Opios, surrounded by water. And if Rey was right in thinking the riddle talked about a waterfall, that narrows it down even further. There are only so many waterfalls in Opios. ...A lot, but...so many. Point is, we'll find it! You've already got some of the best people here helping."

  "Thorne is correct. We are nearing the solution with each passing day." Reyshore's face was the epitome of calm assurance.

  Tyrath scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm getting tired of hearing that line."

  Mina gave him a look that said, 'I'm tired of hearing you whine about it'. "Look, I keep workin' on this on my own if I have to."

  Reyshore's ears flicked a bit. "I do not want that to be the case. I feel as though the solution will uch quicker if we work as a team."

  "Of course. It'll be way more fun, too. We just o stay positive," Thorne said.

  "This isn't fun," Kadia said sharply.

  Tyrath crossed his bulky arms over his broad chest. "If it was, then we wouldn't be doing it in the first pce. So let's focus up. Kadia, I've sent a letter to my friend iern Opios, in ci. He should respond soon. That'll get us more of an idea of where this thing is. Or, at least, where it was. Until then, we do our best to cover the waterfalls. I've been thinking of sending someone down to the Royal Library, too. Just in case. Who knows? Maybe someone in the archives might be able to point us in the right dire."

  Kadia nodded in agreement. "I agree with this pn. As you said, until we hear back, we o look for it on our own. That's all I ask for now. I will check back with you on your findings."

  "Good. Then, for now, that's all," he replied. "Now, I have a training css in five minutes."

  "We have a training css," Mina corrected him with an annoyed sigh.

  Thorne ughed quietly as the two went about nagging each other. He gave Kadia's shoulder a soft pat. "We'll figure it out. The universe 't keep hiding all the secrets from us forever."

  Kadia offered him a tight smile. "Yes. Thank you."

  I awkwardly shifted in pd gnced around before making my way to the ge rooms. I hadn't expected to walk into an impromptu staff meeting. Every emstone mission before had been handled and pnned out away from us trainees. Maybe they didn't have time to schedule a proper meeting. Or maybe the meeting was before training, and things were so voluted that it spilled over into training time. It didn't matter either way. I khey would take care of things, as they always did. And, I guess, it was fair that I didn't know about everything that was happening. They were in charge, after all. I didn't think Kadia was too keen oig my nose in her business anyway.

  By the time I returo the training area, Shaye and Ashkan had arrived as well, and were now getting started with warm up drills.

  Shaye spotted me and waved, a wide smile on her face. She finished a stretd walked over. "Hello! How has your day been? I'm just going to fill up my fsk."

  "Oh, I will too," I said. We made our way over to the water tap stig out from the wall he entrance. "I'm good, how are you?"

  She unscrewed the lid to her drical fsk, one she had painted soft colors, and held it uhe tap. She let the water fill pletely before turning it off and repg the lid. "I'm quite well! A bit nervous about Ashkan, though."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

  She chewed her bottom lip for a moment, then lowered her voice. "He hasn't been his usual self. He doesn't look happy at all." She cast a gnce over to where Ashkan stood o Kadia, arms folded. He didn't seem tent. In fact, he seemed bored. "He hasn't really wao talk to anyone all m."

  "That doesn't sound too unlike him, if we're ho. Maybe he had a bad day or something." I filled up my fsk, making sure not to spill any water onto the dirt floor.

  Shaye's bright teal eyes studied him for a moment. She pursed her lips together. "Hm... I wonder. I'm not so sure it's that."

  "It 't hurt to ask," I pointed out.

  "Actually, with him, it very much ," she muttered, casting her gaze bae. She shook her head a out a ugh. "It's fine. I'm probably just w for nothing."

  We rejoihe others and tinued warming up. As I got through a set of leg and hip stretches, my eyes kept darting over to Ashkan. He did seem a bit more aloof than usual. Maybe a bit moody? Or, maybe he was just being his typical, introverted self.

  As if he sensed my gaze, he suddenly gnced over at me and we made eye tact. The two of us froze in pce for a brief sed.

  "Hey," he said, moving closer while rolling his shoulder.

  "Hey," I said. "You're quiet this m."

  "Sorry. Just not feeling too talkative today." He rubbed at his eyes, looking exhausted. "Listen, do you know if the soldiers' barracks have implemented a new security system? I haven't been able to go in to get my neckce tely. There's some kind of new barrier charm."

  I frowned. Why did he want his neckow, of all times? "I didn't hear about any ges. I've been dropping mine off and pig it up just fine. Did you ask the soldiers on guard duty? Or any of the others?"

  He shook his head. "I didn't think to. I guess I'll have to now."

  "That's so weird." My brow furrowed as I thought about it. "As far as I know, the barracks just have standard safety charms to prevent burgry and stuff. And anti-dark magic seals, obviously. Maybe something's malfuning?"

  Ashkan gave an ued hum and stretched his neck, crag it. "...I'll figure it out."

  I watched him carefully for a moment. "Is...everything all right?"

  His shoulders hunched up ever so slightly. "Yes."

  I didn't press him, knowing that was as much as he'd share with me. Instead, I offered a gentle smile. "Okay. Let us know if you need help with anything, though. We've got your back."

  He gave me a single nod before moving away to finish warming up.

  After twenty minutes or so, Kadia instructed us to start two-oches. As usual, we started off easy, only doing basic moves. No elemental attacks, no spells, just our own strength, wits, and teiques. It was a good way to test ourselves and see what areas we could improve on. It was also good to learn how to fight more than one enemy at a time, sitles often weren't one-on-one.

  We took turns being the lone batant. Shaye was the first, fag off against Ashkan and me. As she ducked under one of our strikes, her fist shed out to jab Ashkan in the ribs. She mao sweep out his leg . Then she leapt away and ducked down, aiming her ko my stomach. I twisted away at the st moment. We were all moving quickly. It was just enough to be fun but not exhausting.

  Once five minutes , Shaye stepped aside to catch her breath and we moved to switch out. Kadia approached to give us pointers.

  "Remember," she said as Ashkan took up position to be the solo fighter, "keep your eyes on all oppos as frequently as possible. You may want to take on the person closest to you first, but that will not always be the correct choice."

  I nodded as Ashkan got ready to go on the offensive. He had an uncharacteristically stern look on his face as he waited. I positioned myself a few paces back to wait for Kadia to signal our attack.

  As he rushed in towards me, I stepped out of his way and slid my leg around, kig out behind his knee. He stumbled back, turning just as Shaye leapt forward and threunch at his face. He moved back, then crouched low. He then sprung back up and lifted his leg, his foot colliding with Shaye's sternum and shoving her away. She rolled bad onto her feet as Ashkan turo me again.

  I lunged forward, snatched his arm, then twisted it behind his back. I aimed my foot into the back of his leg to make him kneel on the ground. He did so without struggle, so I loosened my grip on his arm and gave a smile.

  "All right, that's–"

  My eyes widened in horror as Ashkan pivoted on his knee, untwisting his wrist, then grabbed the arm that was holding him. One hand yanked me closer by my shirt, his elbow pressed into my armpit, and as he turned his back, I romptly thrown over his head.

  I tumbled over and rolled on the dirt until I stopped ft on my back. A chorus of gasps and whispers broke out from the lieutenants, but I could hardly register the voices. Everything sounded distant as my head pounded with shock. I'd gotten pt, that was all. Good thing the dirt floor was soft.

  Shaye was still locked in bat when I sprung to my feet. Ashkan was relentless. He was a hair slower, but undoubtedly stronger. When he crossed his forearms to block Shaye's fist, I quickly advanced. My heel smashed into the side of his torso, hard enough to knock him back. Shaye joined me.

  Ashkan wasn't ughing or smirking as he usually did during practice. This time, he was all hard edges, narrowed eyes, and ched fists. I thought he'd go for me first, but instead, he lunged for Shaye. His leg lifted and snapped forward. Shaye spun out of his reach, then spun again as he kept attempting to strike her with his foot. I tried to get in to assist, but his attention remained fixated on her. She used the length of the training area to keep from getting ered.

  Shaye blocked a forceful elbow strike, her grip tight around Ashkan's forearm. He took hold of her shoulder, and before I could step in to separate them, Ashkan shoved her to the ground. She nded face-first with a thump. I expected him to halt, but he only smmed his foot into her back, pinnio the floor.

  "Hey!" I shouted as Shaye let out a choked sound of pain.

  "Enough!" Kadia snapped.

  The fight immediately ceased, and I hurried over to Shaye. My eyes darted over her, trying to spot any visible injuries, but it seemed she was okay. She lifted her head as Kadia helped her to her feet, brushing dust and dirt from her face. She didn't seem mad, but I was. My eyes bzed with fury as I looked over to Ashkan.

  I strode towards him and raised a finger in an accusatory point. "What is wrong with you?!"

  "Uh... Sorry, I just..." His shoulders hunched up as he shifted back a step.

  Kadia put a hand on Shaye's back. "Let's get you some water, yes? Then we'll tinue." She go the two of us with a serious look before turning and heading for the tap.

  I stared at Ashkan for a moment longer. I couldn't uand why he was being sh with us today. Maybe it was stress, like I'd thought earlier. Or maybe not. "Hey. Don't ever do that again," I ordered.

  His eyes darted between me and Shaye, who was sipping water, as if unsure how to reply. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I was just trying to make it as realistic as possible."

  "Realistic. Yeah, okay. Maybe if we were in a real fight to the death. We were sparring, n to hurt each other. So to down, please. This isn't the time to try to show off."

  He stared at me for a moment, then frowned deeply a out a scoff. "You're quick to judge."

  I narrowed my eyes, hands going to my hips. "Yeah? And you're quick to snap."

  His expression shifted to one of offense. He quickly turned away, stalking over to the opposite side of the room, and I gred after him.

  What in the world is going on?

  When it was my turn to spar against both of them, I tried to keep the mood up and smiled a lot to make Shaye fortable again. Ashkan wasn't much help in that area. And his strikes were still hard aless. He only stopped when I let out a shout after he nearly smashed my nose. He apologized but I could still feel anger radiating off him. I tried my best to get him to ease up, but to no avail. It seemed like he was fighting something internally rather than us.

  As the session s end, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. We finished with cooldown stretches as usual befoing to shower and ge. I did so quickly and headed over to the door. Shaye met up with me in the doorway.

  "Did you find out why he's in a foul mood?" she asked me.

  I shook my head, feeling a the fact that I didn't have an answer. "Not at all."

  The two of us gnced over our shoulders as Ashkan stormed past us. His eyes briefly met mine.

  I lifted an eyebrow. "Hey–"

  "Bye," he mumbled, and tinued walking, pushing the door open.

  "Oh..." Shaye said, soundied.

  I looked after him, trying to piece everything together in my mind. He was definitely more distant; less focused than he normally was. But there had to be something else going on.

  "I'm going to follow him," I told Shaye. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

  She gave me a nod. "I'll e along, too. It might be better to approach this as a group."

  I nodded in agreement as we set off after him, not b to wait for uards to arrive. Ashkan had already gotten a good ways ahead, so it took us a bit of jogging to catch up.

  "Ashkan!" Shaye called.

  He didn't even gn our dire, keeping his focus ahead of him as he made his way through the busy square.

  "Hey," I excimed, "wait up!"

  Shaye and I tried our best not to knoto arians, but our attempt to reach him was getting harder and harder as people filed into our path. He wasn't slowing dowher, so we were left trying to push past everyone.

  "Sorry... Pardon us... Excuse me..." Shaye apologized over and over. Everyone was too caught up in their own errands and lives to care.

  Ashkan took a shortcut through an alley. He had to duck beh lines undry strung up overhead and weave his ast crates, barrels, and a couple of fruit baskets lying around. We mao keep him in vieere so focused oing through the crowded area that we nearly missed the person that stood directly in Ashkan's path, stopping him short at the end of the alley.

  My heart nearly stopped when I saw who it was. Cude Staatley, in the flesh. His friends, the same ones I always saw orbiting him at school, were all standing with him. Ashkan halted in pce. A smirk curved over Cude's mouth. I wasn't close enough to hear their versation. They exged words with each other in low voices. Shaye and I traded ed gnces before we tinued forwards.

  "Gods, do you need gsses or something?" Cude spat. "You don't even have your face buried in a book this time and you're still crashing into people!"

  My stomach lurched at his tone of voice. This didn't sound like an everyday run-in. There was an animosity here. Cude issed off, and he was direg it all at Ashkan. I khey had history... I just didn't know what kind.

  "Leave me alone." Ashkan's voice was low as he turned his body sideways, clearly ready to ast them.

  "Or what, you'll bst us into smithereens with yic?" one of his friends sneered. "Go on then, coward!"

  Shaye and I inched closer. I was a little afraid of what might happen.

  Cude went on, "I still have no bloody clue how you afford all those books of yours, sidering your family's got no to spare."

  "Why don't you mind your own damn business, like you should have five years ago?" Ashkan shot back at him.

  Cude's face screwed up into an ugly, mean gre. "So it's true? You've got nothing? That expins why you've got nowhere better to be than wandering around the town square like some kind of beggar."

  The guys around him let out mog ughs and snickers. I felt rage boiling over within me.

  Cude smirked, taking a step closer to him. "Did you e out for some fresh air, or was it because the house stank so bad, like it used to?"

  Ashka perfectly still. "Just keep talking, Staatley."

  "What are you gonna do?" he scoffed. "Go cry to your old man? Or better yet, your mum? I've heard the dead make pretty good pany."

  Shaye gasped sharply.

  I couldn't trol myself anymore. I was about to rush forward and bst them into week, but Ashkan was already oep ahead. He lu Cude. The two of them smacked to the ground, rolling and kig up snow as they grappled for the upper hand. Cude's ckeys immediately tried to pull Ashkan off him.

  "Ashkan! Stop!" Shaye cried.

  He was on top, bashing Cude's face with his fist. But within seds, he was dragged to the ground again and his hands were seized. The ckeys started trying to haul him up. He twisted himself loose and shoved the guy closest to him. When Cude finally got to his feet, his face blotchy and angry, he swung back his leg and kicked Ashkan iomach.

  I ran forward. "Stht now, all of you, get the hell away from him!"

  Notig us immediately, the ies each grabbed our elbows and held Shaye and me ba a death-grip. I thought about breaking myself free, but I halted. sidering their strength, I wasn't sure if I could without causing some injuries. The Headmaster certainly wouldn't be pleased about that. So I just writhed and struggled with all my might.

  Cude grabbed a fistful of Ashkan's hair and pulled him up to his feet so they were fag each other. "You think I'm afraid of you, don't you?" he snarled. "Because of that 'power' of yours? You're pathetic."

  "Shut up," Ashkan muttered.

  "Say that again," he challenged.

  "Shut. Up."

  Cude let go of his hair and swung his head down, colliding his kh Ashkan's face. He stumbled, wobbling from side to side, just trying to stay on his feet.

  "Ashkan!" Shaye shrieked. "Cude, calm down!"

  ", hit me back!" Cude tauhen kicked out Ashkan's knee, making him tumble to the ground. "Remember that night when we ered you? Remember that? When we burnt all those stupid old books your mum bought? All that talk, and you didn't do a damn thing, did you? You couldn't stop me then, and you 't stop me now."

  Ashkan id there, blood running down his face. I felt my anger mounting. Shaye and I were trying desperately to twist away from the guys that were holding us back.

  "Get the hell off us!" I shouted at them.

  They ignored me aheir iron-cd grips.

  Cude scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning his back. "Finish him," he ordered his buddies.

  Before anyone could move, Ashkan flipped himself over and tackled his legs, taking him to the ground. Cude thrashed bad forth, yelling. Ashkan grabbed his colr and yanked him up, the his fist collide with his nose. Hard. Blood shot across the snow-cround. I ged, hearing the ch of cartige. But he didn't stop.

  His fist flew again and again until Cude stopped resisting. Each impact was slicker, coated with fresh blood from Cude's already broken face. I stopped struggling and tried to catch Ashkan's attention. But he was lost to a hazed, blind rage. I'd never seen anything like it. I'd barely ever heard him raise his voice at anyone, but right then, he was utterly furious.

  "He– He's gonna kill him!" one of Cude's goons yelled in a panic.

  "Ash!" I yelled. "STOP!"

  I gave the goon that held me one sharp elbow to the ribs as he drew too near, and he released me with a groan. I ran straight at the brawl, managing to yank Ashkan back by his coat. Cude slumped limply to the ground. Ashkan tried to lunge back for arike, but I ed my arms around his chest to hold him back.

  "Let me go!" he spat, trying tle out of my arms.

  "You're done!" I said, struggling to keep hold of him. I could only imagihe number he'd done on Cude's face. "You are done! Calm down!"

  Shaye was released too as Cude's guys ran over and grabbed their friend's arms. They pulled him back to his feet. His jacket was bunched up in their fists, his head hung, and his hair fell over his fa messy strands. He was breathing heavily.

  "He needs a doctor, fast," one guy was telling the other.

  I transferred Ashkan to Shaye's arms before walking over. "Here. I'll take care of it."

  She nodded. "Right."

  Cude's eyeshes were clotted with blood, and I doubted he could evehrough the swelling.

  "...I'm sorry." I raised my hands to his face. Gold light emitted from my palms aended over his body, f a webbed pattern. Though the spell wasn't perfect, I'd gotten the basics right. His face was still a tad swollen and bruised. But the bleeding stopped, his raightened out, and the cuts closed. There was nothing present that required stitches anymore.

  Cude stepped away from me, letting his crew support him. "Sod off," he hissed.

  I gred at him. "You're wele."

  He turned and stalked away with his friends, shooting a scowl in Ashkan's dire, and the three of us were left there standing in the alley.

  Ashkan stared at the blood spattering the snow. Shaye bent down to carefully pick up his scarf that had fallen off in the scuffle, then ed it gently around his neck.

  "What was that all about?" she asked him softly.

  His knuckles were scraped and dotted with crimson. He rubbed his palms together, making a slight grimace from the pain. "I hate that guy."

  I kept looking at him. If he thought he was going to avoid our questions, he had ahing ing. I couldn't let something like this slide. He was clearly struggling with something big, and I was determio find out what.

  Thankfully, the universe decided to have mer us, because Ashkan's dad wasn't home when we arrived at his house. Niista was, though. She took one look her brother, then immediately ushered the three of us over to the kit table.

  "What in the gods' names happened here?" she asked in shock as she went to fetch ice.

  I sat in the chair closest to Ashkan. He'd been quiet sihe brawl, and it didn't seem like he was ready to say anything about it yet. Shaye sat on his other side.

  "He had a run-in with Cude Staatley and his friends," I answered. "Things...escated."

  Niista pressed an ice-filled handkerchief to Ashkan's knuckles. He ged and jerked his hand away. She held on tight to it. "Oh, sit still. You know it stings for only a sed. Good stars... Why was Cude beating up on you?"

  He stayed quiet.

  She looked at us for answers, and I said, "Just years-old tension a-up aggression, I think."

  "Cude Staatley," she murmured, shaking her head in disdain. "That little..." She sighed. "Well, at least I have the three of you here, safe and sound. It's o see you two again, though I'm sorry it has to be under sufortunate circumstances."

  "I'm fine," Ashkan spoke up. It seemed to be more to vince himself. His face was bruised, and blood was dried on his clothes. "Really."

  "You don't look fine," Shaye mumbled.

  "Well," he said, a hint of anger in his tone, "I am."

  His sister looked like she was about tue, but instead let out anh, deg it wasn't worth it. "Are either of you two hurt? Is anyone else injured?"

  I shook my head. "No, we're both okay. I patched Cude up as best I could before we left. And I take care of Ashkan, too."

  "Thank you, Brielle. That would be most helpful. I'll go start a pot of tea," she told us as she headed over to the stove.

  I moved my chair closer to Ashkan. It felt awkward sitting in sile was almost like being in a hospital waiting room, where you're meant to atiently, but the tension just keeps building and building.

  " I look?" I asked gently.

  He didn't respond, so I took that as a yes. I peeled the ice away, revealing the bruises, scratches, and gashes. Some of his nails were jagged fr to fight off his assaints. He was avoiding eye tact. I summoned a gentle light that came to hover over his hand. It slowly lowered down to the wounds, glowing soft silver-gold. I closed my eyes and envisioned what his skin should look like, untorn, unblemished.

  When I opened my eyes again, to my shock...nothing had ged. Not a thing.

  I tried not to look too startled as I tried to figure out why I had failed. "Okay. That's new... Let me try that again."

  Niista called out over the sounds of boiling water, "Not w? Is it too severe?"

  "No, no, skin is the easiest tissue to mend, after blood vessels. It's probably me..." I cleared my head.

  Why wasn't it w? It made no sense. My healing spells always worked. Maybe if I focus more? Or visualize more clearly? Am I too tired from training? My eyelids flutter closed again and the images came to me, o a time. Ashkan's skin, smooth, undamaged, healthy... The images were clear enough in my head, but still, nothing ged. I felt like a failure.

  I heard Ashka out a breath. "It's okay," he murmured.

  "...I'm sorry."

  "Don't worry about it," he said, his tone more dismissive than I was used to. "You don't o do that for me."

  "Yes, I do." I said it more forcefully than I meant to.

  Shaye shot me a worried look, and I shot it right back, a millioions in my eyes.

  Niista brought us tea. "Don't exhaust yourself, Brielle," she told me. "It looks like you've all had enough excitement for the day. He'll be firust me." She leaned over to Ashkan's chair, putting a hand on his shoulder and ruffling his hair. He flinched. "You know... You haven't let me touch your hair in years."

  He said nothing, and awkward silence filled the room. My eyes drifted to the dried blood on his face. If my magic wasn't w, then maybe I could assist the Earthian way. I stood to find a damp cloth. I found a rag folded by the sink, ran it under warm water, and brought it over to him.

  "Here. This should help a bit." I brought the warm rag to his face, but he caught my wrist.

  "I'm fine," he insisted, taking the rag from me. He swiped it against his forehead. The smear of blood remained, and it just seemed to annoy him. "It isn't going anywhere."

  "Well, you have to press it on there for a few seds," I said, retrieving the cloth.

  My gaze locked with his, and I leaned fently pressing it against his cheek. He looked at me. Just looked at me, without moving. He didn't look angry, or scared, or even embarrassed. Just bnk. Like a sheet of paper. I searched his eyes, trying to figure out what he could possibly be thinking. Was it because of me? Was it because he kissed me on the cheek a few days ago? Did he even remember that? I pressed the rag against his face for another few seds before bag off.

  "Like that. See? Just swipe a little. Like a sponge." I tried another spot. He didn't push me away this time. After a minute or so, the blood was gone, and only light bruising remained.

  He met my eyes and his face softened slightly. "Thank you."

  I sighed. At least he was starting to look better. But it still didn't expin why my magic had refused to work. How was I supposed to make progress if I couldn't even heal my best friend when he needed me?

  "Of course," I said, my mind preoccupied.

  Shaye stared into her teacup. "Thank you for the tea, Niista."

  "Anytime. And you all are free to stay as long as you like. But I'll uand if you o go," she replied.

  Ashkan muttered, "I just want to be in my room alone and not have to talk."

  Niista tried to force a smile. "Uandable."

  Without another word, he rose from his chair and disappeared up the stairs, leaving his untouched mug oable. Shaye and I watched him in silence. His bedroom door thumped closed.

  I buried my fa my hands. "I'm the absolute worst. I don't deserve to be a healer at all."

  "Oh, stop," Shaye soothed. "You're not the worst. You're one of the best I know, Brielle. It's not your fault you're drained."

  "Drained..." I repeated, sidering it. It might be possible. It was ceivable that I was wearing myself thin and just o rest. That was usually the reason for such things.

  Niista tucked a strand of bd blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm actually gd you two are here. I've been wanting to ask you about him... As you see, he's not quite like himself tely. The past couple of days or so have been...difficult. He's beeing meals up in his room. It's almost as if he's a pletely different person. Of course, he never wants to worry me, so he won't tell me when anything is wrong. Will you at least tell me if he has said anything about it? I'm trying not to pry into his business, but I'm worried."

  I exged anh Shaye before looking back to her. "We've been trying to deduce that as well. I was hoping you'd have answers."

  She looked resigned. "I see. So he hasn't told you anythiher."

  I shook my head, feeling disheartened.

  "Well," she began, "at least he seems to have had the presenind to have friends like the two of you."

  I tried to fort her with a small smile. "Don't worry. We're here for him."

  Shaye nodded and also mustered a reassuring smile, though I khat if I could read her thoughts, she'd be eg my own s. Whatever the cause of Ashkan's strange, antisocial mood was, we were clueless about it. And cluelessness wasn't a favourite for any of us.

  Niista smiled. "Thank you. I hope you both know you're wele here anytime. Just... Keep an eye on Ash for me, would you?"

  "Of course," Shaye answered.

  I agreed, "Absolutely."

  It was a nice se, but it romise I wasn't sure how I would keep. But I was damn well going to figure it out.

  "I...should probably get bae so my parents don't think I went missing," I admitted, peeling my gaze off my mug aling it on the pale winter sky outside the window.

  "We'll both get out of your hair now," Shaye added with a smile.

  "No worries," Niista assured. "Tell your folks I say hello. And thank you two fing him home."

  Shaye and I headed outside into the cloudy afternoon, which felt more like twilight with the darkness of the woods surrounding the house. It eaceful here, but something about Ashkan's gloomy demeanour had begun to affect me. My overthinking brain couldn't help but analyze it all. Dissect every little word and moment of his behaviour since our outing at The R Witch. What if he'd started pig up on how I felt about him, and was trying to distance himself? Knots formed i of my stomach.

  One day ter, Ashkan still had yet to return to normal, so I decided to try my hand at talking to him about it myself. After training on Saturday afternoon, I asked him to meet me at a popur tea shop near Nelorismel's market district. I'd expected a refusal. That was, if he answered at all. But instead, he actually agreed. We both stayed at our respective houses long enough for uards to leave us for the day. The st thing I wanted was them eavesdropping.

  Having just returned from Earth, my neckce was tucked securely under my sweater. It was another chilly, dreary winter day, the air stinging my eyes with sharp crystals. Snowfkes g to my shes, melting almost as soon as they nded. A small bell jingled as we ehe tea shop. The smell of herbs, spices, and bread hung heavily in the air. My gaze immediately fell upon the pastry case filled with danishes, cakes, and all sorts of cookies and desserts. We sat down at one of the small, circur tables by a window, where the dimming sunlight caught in the falling snow.

  I studied Ashkan for a few moments, unsure of how to even begin to broach the subject. "Are we going to talk about it?"

  "Talk about what?" he asked.

  I tilted my head and looked at him, a 'duh' oip of my tongue. "You haven't been yourself for days. What's going on?"

  He sighed, taking off his coat and hanging it on the back of the chair. "You're making too big a deal out of it, Brielle. I'm firust me. Nothing to worry about."

  "Ash, I'm not buying it. e on. What's up?" I leaned forward in my chair, looking him directly in the eyes, willing him to open up to me. I knew I shouldn't push him, but at the same time, he was starting to scare me.

  "It's nothing," he insisted. "I've just got a lot of things going ht now."

  "I know that. You're always busy. But you've never acted like this." I lowered my voice to a whisper, aware of all the people around us, just a few feet away. "Look... This started after we went to The R Witch. Something ged. What did I do?"

  His face twisted into a look of surprise, and he shook his head. "What? You didn't do anything. Don't think that."

  I softened my tone. "You know you trust me, right?"

  Ashkan looked flicted as he turned his gaze to the table, trag the wood pattern with his index finger. He said nothing.

  A wave of worry washed over me. I couldn't take the uainty any longer. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together. Just like we have in the past. Just like we always will."

  "I know," he answered quietly, avoiding my eyes.

  I rested my on my hands. "Niista's worried about you, y'know. I 't say I'm not, either. Not even Shaye knows what to make of it, and she always read you."

  His head snapped up at that. "I didn't realize everyone was discussing this behind my back."

  "Well, of course we were," I answered matter-of-factly. "We're ed."

  "I didn't follow you here to be interrogated. If that's what this is about, then I'll leave." He leaned ba his seat, his face hardening into that impassive mask.

  "Hey, easy. I didn't mean–"

  Ashkan stood up and pushed his chair in. He shrugged into his jacket, then looked down at me. "I have to go."

  I was so stunned I didn't even know what to say. My mind scrambled to process what was going on. All I could mao say was, "What?"

  But he didn't answer. He just turned and walked away. He pushed open the gss door of the tea shop and was gone before I even realized I had to stop him.

  "Ash!" I called out as I bolted out of my ow, grabbing my coat as I ran. The door fell shut behihe bell jihe sound quickly drowned out by the chilly winter winds that were now pig up. A strong breeze sent goosebumps rippling over my arms.

  Ashkan's tall form disappeared around a er as he tinued his way dowreet. I shoved my hands into my pockets and jogged to follow him. A few people shot me curious gnces as I dashed in front of the market district's many stores and businesses. It wasn't long before I'd finally caught up to him in an alley between two buildings, out of sight of most pedestrians. The wind was much less harsh here.

  "Will you stop being so stubborn?" I excimed.

  Ashkan rounded on me. "Stubborn? You're the stubborn one. I told you to drop it, a, here we are."

  "You just ran off! How am I supposed to drop it when I 't even talk to you?" I looked up at him, searg his face. His expression had lost the mask. The frustration he'd been hiding was all over his faow, along with something else. Something obscure.

  "You have to drop it, Brielle." He paused and lowered his voice. "This is for your own good. I'm not telling you anything else. Just leave it."

  His words shocked me into silence, but not for long. I felt my temper fre. "Leave it? Are you seriht now?!" I shouted. I hadn't expected my voice to raise that much, but the words kept ing. "You 't just leave me in the dark like that, not after what we've been through. ...You kissed me on the cheek and then suddenly you started ag strange. Now I want to know why."

  Ashkan was taken aback. He blinked rapidly, and I khat I'd surprised him, but he mao remain collected. "What are you–?"

  "You know what it made me think!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

  He went silent. I was breathing heavily, and I could feel my pulse hammering. My whole body felt like a tightly wound spring. I wao tell him the truth about how I felt, but at the same time, I felt like it was the worst time to tell him anything. It was like my head was going to explode.

  "Okay. Clearly, you ime to think." I reached into my coat and took out the pendant on my neckce. It glinted in the pale light that filtered into the alley. "I'm gonna go home. Let me know when you're ready to talk."

  Ashkan stopped me as I tried to turn away. He caught my wrist, then slowly trailed his hand up my arm until his palm rested in the crook of my elbow. "You don't uand... It's for you, too." His gaze searched mine as I tried to decipher what he meant. "You know I'd do anything to protect you. I just need you to trust me."

  My pulse quied. "...You're sg me."

  He stared at me in silence, his eyes flicted. For the briefest of moments, I felt as if I saw something behind them, but it disappeared so fast that I figured I imagi. Then, he moved his free hand to my pendant. He tur around, staring down at it, trag his thumb across the miniature hss.

  Suddenly, he pulled on the . The distaween us was instantly closed as I shot forward. His other hand dropped to the small of my back... And his lips crashed into mine.

  I was so startled, I froze, uo move.

  Is this happening?! Am I awake?!

  I pressed my eyes shut, expeg to wake up from the dream, or to be ripped back to reality. But I wasn't.

  After a moment, my brain started w again. My thoughts jumbled around, a whirlwind of fusion. We shouldn't be doing this. But maybe we should? Is it really a bad thing? Do I care? Oh, my god... We are kissing in an alley. In public. Where anyone walking by could see.

  My fusion spurred me to pull away. My heart ounding so fast I retty sure it would burst. "...What are you doing?"

  Ashkan stared deep into my eyes. "What I should've done a long time ago."

  My heart danced and somersaulted. This isn't what I was expeg to hear, not in a million years, but I...strangely didn't mind. The moment urely bittersweet. Because the forbidden could not st.

  He leaned down toward me, tilting his head, and it was just enough to cue the panicked side of my brain to step in. We 't be doing this. This 't be right...

  I started to back up. "You 't just– We 't– Why didn't you say anything?"

  His gaze didn't leave me, though the flicker of surprise at my retreat made its way across his expression. "I didn't know how."

  "Then... Why now?" I asked, my heart thudding loudly in my ears.

  "Because..." Ashkan moved forward to close the distaween us once more. His arms snaked around me, his gloved hands sliding across the fabriy coat. "You should know, before...anything...happens."

  The er of my lips curved into the slightest of smiles. "Then, this is happening?"

  He nodded. "If you want it to."

  My mind reeled as his head tilted down. I was aware of the world around me, aware that anyone could walk into the alleyway and see us. I was aware of my friends and my responsibilities and my trainers and my parents. Everyone would freak out if they knew. I was aware of what it could mean if it ever came to light, the fallout if someoo catch us. But for some terrible reason, I couldn't care less.

  Ashkan's hand trailed up to the side of my face. He tucked my hair behind my ear, the tip of his finger following along my cheekbone, before moving to my . I felt my head being angled upwards. The moment before he kissed me agai like it sted a lifetime, yet was over in a sed. In that moment, I was sure of what I was doing, of my feelings, of the sequehat I'd deal with ter. I kissed him back...and the rest of the world slipped away.

  I'm irouble now.

  The brick wall behind me made sudden tact with my shoulder bdes. I hadn't realized we were moving backwards. Ashkan's grip oightened. I was locked in pce. My hands fumbled, fiangling in his hair. My face robably as red as a tomato. The kiss was ardent, like he was trying to vey months of pent-up emotions. I wasn't sure whether I'd survive the iy.

  This had to be some sort of dream. There was no other way. It wasn't like anything I'd expected from him. I'd always imagined Ashkan to be reserved, mild, shy, maybe a bit awkward when it came to these kinds of things. But this was...fident, passionate, and a little demanding. I wasn't sure what to think. I couldn't think. I just knew I couldn't go any further with this, not without a real talk first.

  "Ash..." I murmured when I mao pull myself away for air. My hands came to rest on his shoulders as I looked up at him.

  He stared at me. I could tell that he wasn't quite himself. His eyes seemed to hold a stormy sky. It was like looking at a stranger. "What's wrong?"

  "We..." My voice faltered. "We have to stop."

  The expression in his eyes flickered for the briefest of moments, returning to their usual clear green, and I thought he was ing to his senses. But then the clouds came back, and he moved lower to start pnting kisses along my jawline and neck.

  Did Ofelia give him another love potion?! It doesn’t seem like him to just...

  Just…

  …Wow.

  I struggled to keep a coherent thought. The tension in my shoulders instantly vanished. It felt as if all my nerves were on fire, as if my brain had melted into goo. It felt… Well, it doesn’t matter.

  "That's not…what I meant," I protested, trying to pull away from him.

  His hold on my arms tightened, keeping me pinned against the wall. I started to feel a little unfortable, unsure of where this was heading. Ashkan's hand moved to the bay neck. I flinched and tried to push him away again, more firmly this time. I expected him to just move away. He didn't. It was almost like he didn't realize that I eaking. The moment his lips touched my neck again, my pulse jumped. I squirmed. I couldn't do this, nht now. Maybe not ever.

  I tried to get his attention by raising my voice, ailled for a moment. "Ashkan. Hey, I'm not... I 't. Let me go."

  Finally, he moved back slightly a my eyes again; the look in his was intense, yet far away.

  I mao gather up all the ce I had to repeat myself, trying not to let my voice waver. "Let me go. I don't know what this is, but... Stop."

  He released me without another word. I rubbed my upper arms where he'd gripped me a little too tight. The whole experience left me unnerved. flicted. It didn't make sehis whole thing didn't make sehe Ashkan I knew wouldn't have ever done anything like that. He always respected me, and knew what was and wasn't appropriate for a professional retionship, even if our feelings were to shift. Was something wrong with him? Had someone messed with his head?

  "As you wish," he muttered, his expression suddenly cold as ice.

  A fsh of rose gold caught the light. Something in his palm shimmered. The sight of it made my blood run cold. I blinked hard, sure I must be imagining things, but he was still holding it in his closed hand. He'd somehow stolen it without me realizing it.

  I stared at him in shock, a sudden panic seizing my heart. "Ash, that's– Why would you–?"

  He turo the rooftops above us and jumped up with a rush of air, vanishing onto the building. The sound of his footfalls across the shingles was all I could hear as he took off at a sprint. My instincts took over as I sprang after him.

  "Where are you going?! HEY!" I shouted.

  My foot hit the ledge and I threw myself forward onto the roof after him, stumbling briefly. My senses were still fried from everything that just happened. I fought through the shock, f myself to focus, a off in a mad dash. The icy air whipped at my skin and stung my eyes as I tore across shingles, bricks, and beams. My mind was rag. Why is he taking my neckce? How is he doing any of this? Why does it seem like I just made out with a pletely different person?

  Ashka his lead, darting and dashing and leaping like no tomorrow. His movements were effortless. He was quick. I cursed the wind and my own deyed reas as he vaulted across the street and onto another rooftop. I scrambled to keep up with him.

  "Stop!" I yelled, my voice ringing through the air.

  The rushing breeze ate my words, muffling my voice. He was already at least two rooftops ahead of me. The only way I was going to keep up would be if I started taking risks, which I was trying hard to avoid. If I could just reach him, maybe I'd be able to make him e to his senses. Maybe I could find out why he was ag sely. But the boulder in my gut told me this wasn't a game.

  The shingles underh my boots were slick, but that didn't stop me from sprinting across them like they were perfectly dry. Ashkan had to know he couldn't keep this up forever. We would eventually reach the edge of the district, and from there, there was nowhere else to run.

  I pushed myself harder, ign the burn in my legs. "ASHKAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

  The only answer was the sound of his shoes hitting the rooftop. He was going to pay for this, I khat for sure.

  The gap between us was shortening. The edges of my vision blurred, but I blinked and pushed it all away. I had to do something, and fast. Ashkan started to slow as he reached the edge of a rooftop. He wasn't giving up. This was about to get messy. The adrenaline c through my vei me feeling lightheaded. It was now or never.

  Gritting my teeth, I summoned a bolt of lightning into my hand. It charged into a steady, pulsating shard of static that crackled wildly. I took a deep breath and focused on Ashkan's form as he sprinted forward. I took aim. I could easily hit him, the ere going. But he could also get hurt. My thoughts raced. What if it sent him hurtling into the street?

  I paused. Lightning sputtered from the edges of the shard I was holding. If I didn't make a move soon, it would dissolve, and the ce would be lost. No more thinking. No more hesitating.

  I let the shard fly. White-gold light erupted from my hand. The bolt flew in a wide arc through the sky. It came down a mere sed after I released it, striking Ashkan's heels. Sparks exploded around him. His knees hit the steep ledge of the roof and he went skidding down. The icy shingles offered no ce at slowing him, and his dest was a fast one.

  The sight chilled me to the core. I gathered my magid catapulted myself toward him. Ashkan was hanging from the gutter, his feet kig above the four-storey drop to the street below. He began to hoist himself over the ledge, but I reached him before he could get up. I loomed over him.

  "Why are you doing this?" I snapped and kneeled down, grabbing the colr of his jacket with both hands.

  After being brought to his feet, Ashkan peered at me with an icy glint in his eyes. He still wore that ft, unreadable expression. "Why not?"

  Fury surged within me. I didn't like the person he was ag like. He wasn't the Ashkan I khe ohat I... The ohat I'd developed some kind of feelings for. The Ashkan in front of me now was an enigma, an unknowable stranger.

  "Give it back." I held out my palm.

  "I 't," he tered. The tension alpable. His words stoked my anger further, but I didn't have the energy to keep shouting. The frigid winds swirled around us.

  My voice dropped to aone. "You know this is wrong."

  Ashkan's expression was pletely devoid of aion – not a new sight, admittedly. But the look in his eyes was different. It was empty, like his spirit had abandoned him. I wao shake him back to his senses. But he didn't speak. His expression remaiony and unresponsive, as if my words meant nothing to him.

  "Why did you do it?" I tried to search his eyes, hoping to see the person I knew, hoping to get a sign that he was still there somewhere.

  There was a hint of a smile at his lips, a smug sort of smirk that made my blood run cold. "Because. It was what you've always wanted."

  A shiver ran through me. "That's not true."

  His brows lifted in an expression of mock surprise. "Is it not?"

  The answer hung in the air. I gred at him. I wouldn't give him the satisfa of an answer. He took a step closer and put a hand to my cheek. I didn't know how to react. I was fused, and furious, and worried, and guilty, and it made me feel nauseous. He'd kissed me and now I didn't know where we stood. But it wasn't the moment to get caught up in it. We o talk, to figure things out. Not...whatever this was.

  "In any case..." His words were slow and measured as he brought his face closer to mine. "...It was the truth, if only for a single sed."

  The moment stretched out. My heart pouhe look in his eyes made me unfortable. The emptiness in it was like he was trying to stare into me and read my thoughts.

  "We 't just..." I searched his gaze. "That was the wrong way to do it. You know that, right?"

  Ashkan shrugged and tilted his head. Locks of sandy hair fell across his brows. "I'm sorry, darling."

  My eyes went wide. I jerked back at the ued name. I had this sudden, uling feeling that he was testing the waters, testing my rea, or maybe testing his own abilities. He'd never used any sort of affeate h me, not even as a joke or a way to poke fun. His use of one now seemed purposeful, almost malicious. Like it was supposed to sting. I had a bad feeling that I'd already been thrown into the deep end, that the waters had bee dangerous.

  I tried to find my words. "What–?"

  Click.

  A metallioise interrupted me. I looked down. A silver switchbde glimmered in Ashkan's hand. The wind picked up again and his jacket ruffled around his frame, like some kind of warning. My pulse started to race.

  "Are you joking right now?" I breathed. I couldn't believe what was happening.

  He raised the on towards me, twirling it deftly between his fingers. "No."

  My eyes were drawn to the switchbde. I held my hands up in front of my body and took a cautious step backward. The ice was slick beh my boots. The roof's steep slope gave no room for distance. I shook my head, still hoping this was a dream, but Ashkan advane with a predatory look in his eyes. I shuffled to the side. My foot met the edge of the roof. The world rushed by below us. The ground seemed so far away. My chest stricted as I felt my trol over the situation crumbling.

  And that's when it hit me. I'd seen this py out before. The nightmare orain, after getting the light gem. This couldn't end like that did. I couldn't let it end like that.

  "Who put you up to this?" My voice shook despite my efforts to stay calm. "Listen. Please, just give it back."

  The man before me said nothing, and the emptiness in his eyes seemed to expand, filling his entire face. He looked me over. There was nothing familiar in the way he did so. ion, no remorse. The thought that he was still in there somewhere and that this wasn't his fault had started to fade. I couldn't take any risks. I couldn't wait any longer. He'd made his choice.

  I raised my in a show of ce. "Ashkan, listen. Don't do this. Whatever this is." My voice faltered, "Please. Just put the knife away. I don't want to fight."

  He ignored my pleas. The wind blew strands of hair ay face. I couldn't afford to keep waiting for him to snap out of whatever this was. The man who stood in front of me was not my coworker, my friend, or the Ashkan who'd captured my heart. There was something wrong. My instincts told me so.

  With of a speed of a striking serpent, he shed out, his knife plunging towards my chest. I leapt bastinctively, slipping and skidding across the shingles, just out of his reach. The few moments were a blur. He was fast. I threw up my arms and tried to catch his wrist. The bde nicked my palm as I grabbed at his arm and wrestled to keep the k a distance. His face was only a couple inches from mine now, and the hollowness in his expression terrified me. I tried not to look in his eyes.

  He twisted the knife and pulled free of my grasp, then stepped in to ssh at me. I raised my forearms in an X to defend myself. His bde met my coat sleeves. The fabric ripped as he forced his khrough it. I stumbled backwards, trying my best not to fall off the edge. He swiped again. The bde gnced my skin a several lines of crimson ay arms. The sti a horrible shiver of shoy spine. Ashkan was actually...hurting me.

  My body went on autopilot, my reflexes w on their own. I kicked at his legs to trip him up. His foot nded wrong and his knees buckled. He stumbled towards me. I caught him i with a left hook and knocked him off bahen threw out my arms and shoved him back. The force made the shingles skid beh his boots. I reached for him, desperate to get my neckce back, but the man's heel slipped and his weight went off bance.

  I froze as he tilted backwards and his arms filed, reag for me. His hands ed around my bleeding forearms. The force swung us both downwards. I wouldn't let go, even though his nails were digging into my skin, even though his weight was log me to the roof. He stared at me. It was just like my dream, like the nightmare.

  His expression fshed from emptio desperation as he looked to me with something that might have been reition, and my ribs stricted. It wasn't too te. I could pull him up, stop this whole thing right now, if only...

  His right hand suddenly released me. A fsh of silver caught the er of my vision, and I tensed as the switchbde plunged into the bay left hand, pushing it away from him. It drove in under my index and middle finger, straight through the tre of my palm. A scream ripped itself from my lungs as my world went white, and Ashkan's weight slipped through my fingers. His hands scrambled uselessly for leverage, and I heard a shout as he fell.

  The pain was excruciating. The tip of the switchbde was embedded into the shingles in front of me, pinning my hand to the edge like some sick version of a butterfly skewered in a gss box. My vision blurred with tears. It hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced. It was as if my hand had been repced by ay pit filled with burning fmes.

  I heard the siing sound of bones snapping and crag against stone. My stomach roiled. My mind was tellio look down, to check the se below for any signs of life, but the thought of seeing it made me ill. Besides, my left hand was bleeding like mad from where he'd pi to the roof. I had to wrench it free somehow, without removing the knife. Don't remove the plug. That's first aid 101. But my fingers were slipping off the hilt from the blood, and I had to pull it out at some point. I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and wre out, gasping. The knife came out slid shiny. It felt like it'd missed the bohankfully. Still, that hand was now semi-useless. I wiped it against my clothes as best I could.

  The fight had take the border of the market, where the businesses and crowds were the thi. We were fag a rge forest, with the square in the distance behind us. I figured Ashkan had to have fallen somewhere he tree line. I didn't hear a otion, but there were aleople around, weren't there? A sinking feeling grew in my heart. I had to find him and hope for the best, and fast. If anyone saw... I shuddered. If anyone saw, everything would fall apart.

  My left hand was useless fripping, but I had my right one. I turo look down at the boreal outcropping behind the building. It was a dizzyi from my view. My gaze trailed along the steep ine down to the footpath below. I almost didn't want to look. There were so many rge rocks down there. Why hadn't he broken his fall with magic...?!

  My chest seized as I finally spotted Ashkan's form lying among the stones, limbs bent in unnatural ways. It was a terrible sight to behold. I wao vomit. His body wasn't moving. He's dead, my mind unhelpfully provided. I shut it out. He's not. He's not, he's not, he's not.

  I tried to calm my erratic heartbeat. The puncture in my hand was still gushing blood. I wiped it on my other sleeve and looked back down. How would I expin this? Whatever came , it was all on me. So, despite my sore legs and trembling hands, I carefully made my way down from the roof, using awnings and pipes as ledges, desperate to cross the distand reach him.

  Blood was rushing through my ears as I made my way towards Ashkan's lifeless-looking form, struggling to find solid footing. The wintery emba was slick with ice. I put out my one good hand to catch myself each time I felt myself starting to slip. Tears blurred my vision. I took several rge steps and dropped to my knees beside him, ign the gravel embedded in the slush.

  Some sights you ever erase from memory, and this was one of them.

  A sense of death g to the air. He looked like a ragdoll, somethi to be cared for, not destroyed. I gathered him in my arms, cradling his body. Everything was numb. I k was over as soon as I brushed the hair away from his face. Wide, lifeless eyes stared back up at me. No glow in his irises, and his stare was unfocused.

  "No, no, no, no, no…!" I mumbled, fighting off hysterics.

  I moved his hair more and forced myself to look at it. My iwisted. His skull was fractured. There was a dent iop of his head. That kind of crack wasn’t survivable, even if I miraculously mao get him breathing again.

  A blistering, cavernous feeling spread throughout my core. My sobs were inaudible, just hoarse and painful. The wi chillier. I waited for his bnk eyes to blink, but he wasn't moving, and I knew he wouldn't ever move again. I choked on another sob as the reality finally sank in. Ashkan's blood had seeped into the slush, melting the thin yer of snow around us. Even in his broken state, he still seemed so calm and familiar, his greeill somehow warm. It was agony to see. He wasn't ing back.

  I brought him closer and clutched him tighter to my chest, like somehow, I could protect him. "I'm so s-sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

  Nothing. The weight of my as pulled me down, threateo drowhis is all your fault, my brain spat. Everything is your fault, everything... I was hyperventiting. It was hard to breathe, hard to think. The guilt crushed my lungs. How could something so gentle, so filled with affe, end like this? It was impossible. This couldn't be real. I tried to cast a healing spell, tried to put everything I had into it, but there was nothi. No trace of life left to save. I k wouldn't work.

  "Please, please wake up..." I muttered between sobs, unsure if I was talking to him to vince myself. "You have to wake up. You have to. This 't..."

  Tears dropped to his face, falling from my onto his cheekbone. I wiped them away with my left hand, my right cradling the back of his head. The injury left behind a streak of red. Bright red... An arming colour. It was such a stark trast to his own puddle of blood. My brain couldn't put the thoughts together at first, but I eventually saw it.

  The blood on my fingers was arterial red; humahe blood pooling around us was...not. It wasn't a deep shade of venous maroon like my eyes had assumed. No, it was even darker than that.

  A trick of the light. It's a trick of the light, and the shadows, and exhaustion and just everything... You’re not thinking straight.

  My breath hitched in my throat. I stopped g. I rested Ashkan's head on my p, then brought both my hands to my face. The left one was badly injured and bloody; true red, with a brownish tinge around the edges. My right hand, though... Shiny, indigo-bck with a very faint, silvery shimmer. Slightly sticky, thicker than blood, and highly staining. The stuff was everywhere.

  My jaw fell open in horror. I didn't uand. He bore no throat tattoo signifying he was an Inkblood. No dark eyes, no vein-like markings on his skin. This made no sense. But before I could even blink, or my head around what had just happened, I felt the head on my p grow lighter. Ashkan's features blurred. His form began to dissolve into a cloud of midnight blue wisps. Inky bck tendrils coiled and separated into millions of pieces as they curled into the frigid air, dang like smoke. As they floated arouhey caught the sunlight, shimmering and winking like glitter.

  The body was no more. The pools of inky fluid sank into the snowy stones and gradually vanished. I stood, looking down at my shaking hands as the st traces of the magic washed away. My nose sched. The wisps smelled foul; like sm obsidian mingled with thick motor oil and an awful metallic edge. A st I was familiar with. A nightmarish stench, and what it represented felt like death itself.

  I gnced around. Luck was on my side – there were no people or windows in sight. I took a final look towards the space where Ashkan had in, stunned. I couldn't fathom it, couldn't prehend what had just happened. It felt like I had a vise around my lungs. My brain was running on fumes as it tried to cope. Too much had ged in such a short time.

  That was not Ashkan. I had no idea what it was. A creature had worn his face. But how? Since when?

  And, most importantly, most pressingly, most terrifyingly...

  ...Where the hell was the real Ashkan?!