I couldn't shake the feeling that we were in over our heads. Our victories against the Shades had been hard-won, but they were just the beginning. If we were going to save our people, we needed more than just luck and determination. We needed a strategy.

  Amara looked at the boy, concern etched all over her pretty face. "You three should get some rest," she said. "I'm going to see what I can do for him."

  "Thanks, Amara," Thalia said. "For everything."

  "Come back tonight," she said. "Once I've done all I can for him, I'll study what to do with those herbs. We should have more answers before midnight."

  "We appreciate this," I said earnestly.

  I didn't want to tell her that we wouldn't know what to do without her.

  She nodded, curtly, then set about doing her work. I could tell that we were interrupting her then, that there were more important things for her to attend to.

  We departed, leaving Alistair and the boy in Amara's expert care.

  As Thalia and I stood outside, remnants of destruction still surrounding us, we could tell the mood of the palace had darkened considerably since last we were here. The occupants had all done their best to clean up after the raid and the palace was surprisingly quiet, considering the situation we were all in. But in the silence was a world of sound that was missing from the air.

  No laughter. No idle chatter. Nothing but grim, quiet people roaming around with Shade-shocked looks on their faces.

  The reality that we were facing enemies that could not be permanently killed was weighing on everyone. It was certainly weighing on me. I'd killed that Shade twice, and the certainty that it was only a matter of time before it came back and tried again? I'd be lying if I tried to say that wasn't getting to me.

  "How are we going to do this?" Thalia asked, breaking the oppressive silence.

  "Do what?" I replied, confused.

  "Stop the Shades," she said, frustration clear in her voice. "We keep fighting them off but we're not getting anywhere. We need a plan."

  "You're right," I replied. "We need to find out where they're coming from."

  "But how?" she asked. "We've been searching for weeks and still haven't found anything."

  "Perhaps we need to widen our search," I suggested. "Maybe there are other villages that have been attacked that we don't know about. Maybe there are survivors who can tell us something. Any clue we might find...wait, there are other refugees here that weren't here when we left, right?"

  "Yes," Thalia said slowly.

  "We could try talking to them to see if anyone saw something. Or perhaps we could ask the king to organize someone else to do it. Anything we can do to gather information, we need to be doing it."

  "That's a good idea," she said. "We'll start tomorrow. For now, let's get some rest. You look about ready to fall asleep on your feet, and I'm sure I don't look much better."

  She was right, of course. As per usual.

  Admitting as much to her, we parted ways, each heading to our own respective quarters.

  I lied down on my bed, but I couldn't sleep. The darkness within me felt like it was consuming me. I could feel the Shade's presence, like a weight on my chest. I closed my eyes and tried to push it away, but I could feel it getting stronger.

  I sat up, feeling unease grip me. I needed to do something about it, but I had no idea what.

  It was pointless to lay there and not get any sleep. I kept thinking about the last few nights and everything felt like such a blur. My father's death kept coming back to me when I tried my best to think about future plans instead, about the Tree of Shadows, about the Shades.

  I wondered why he had never told me about the prophecy. I wished I could have asked him. I realized that I would never be able to ask him anything, ever again, and the thought only added to the growing weight on my chest.

  I got up from my bed and grabbed my sword. Maybe a little training would help me clear my mind. I made my way to the training grounds, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the empty halls. When I arrived, I was surprised to see Thalia already there, her own sword in hand. She looked deep in concentration as she went through her forms.

  I stood there for a moment, watching her. Thalia was a skilled fighter, and I admired her dedication to training even in the midst of chaos. She noticed me and paused, lowering her sword. "Couldn't sleep either?" she asked.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "No," I said, walking towards her. "I was hoping some training would help me clear my head."

  Thalia smirked. "We are of like mind, it seems. Come on then, I could use a sparring partner."

  I grinned, unsheathing my sword. "You're on."

  We started dueling, exchanging blows and parries. I felt my muscles moving in well-practiced patterns, the movements coming naturally to me. Thalia had always been a formidable opponent, and I had to focus to keep up with her. Though I was far stronger, her speed and mastery over her blade made it difficult for me to gain the right leverage to get around her guard without leaving myself open. With her viper-like reflexes, she could exploit any gap in my defense before I could strike. In order to defeat her I had to be patient and wait for her to come to me, then I could use my greater strength to my advantage. As we fought, I could feel the Shade's presence fading, pushed away by the physical exertion and the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  We continued for what felt like several hours, but was realistically probably only one or two, until we were both drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Thalia laughed, clapping me on the back. "You're getting better," she said.

  I grinned, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "All thanks to you."

  "You were already amazing," she said. "But I am a really good tutor, it's true."

  I laughed, shaking my head. “How’s your foot?”

  She looked at it, flexing it in her boot. “Fine,” she said. “As if nothing had ever happened. How are you?”

  I really wished she hadn’t asked that. I shrugged, sighing. “Still trying to wrap my head around all this,” I said. “It’s okay when we’re fighting, but it feels fucking weird when I have a second to think. My mind and I are not on great terms at the moment.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I've been there,” she said. “I'm sure this whole dark magic thing isn't helping. Is that why you couldn’t sleep?”

  “It's part of it,” I admitted. "Also doesn't help that we're fighting unkillable shadow demons or I almost got eaten by a tree, so there's that."

  Thalia let out a deep sigh, commiserating with me without even bothering with words. Not that I could blame her. What was there to say?

  We sat down on the grass, catching our breath and finding some small comfort in one another's presence.

  "Do you ever wonder if we're going to make it out of this alive?" Thalia asked, her voice low, after some time had passed.

  I looked at her, seeing the fear in her eyes. "Sometimes," I admitted. I didn't want to tell her that I worried more about her than about myself. "But we have to. We have to keep fighting, no matter what."

  "But you're the chosen one," she said. "At least according to the prophecy. Surely you can't die."

  "Or maybe I have to die," I replied. "Most prophecies don't end well for the people in them. Maybe that's why my father never said anything to me..."

  "So you think he was just trying to protect you?"

  "I can't think of another reason why he wouldn't say anything," I replied.

  Thalia nodded, looking pensive. "I just wish we knew more about the prophecy. Maybe there's a way to change the outcome."

  "But even if we knew more," I said, "how are we supposed to fight an army of Shades and the Tree of Shadows itself?"

  Thalia sighed. "I don't know. But we have to try."

  We sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the sounds of the night. In the distance, we could hear the faint sound of a patrol, the steady beat of their footsteps. I wondered what they were thinking, what their families were going through.

  "We need to find out where the Shades are coming from," I said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Maybe once we find their source, we can cut them off at the root."

  Thalia nodded, looking determined. "I'll start asking around tomorrow. Maybe someone has seen something that could help us."

  "Good idea," I said, standing up. "We need to go back to Harlan's, too. I know he needed more help and..."

  She glared at me for a second.

  "That village? The one the Shades attacked? We left it unprotected," I said. "I know we needed to give Amara the herb, but I hated that we left him alone. I'm not sure why, but I think that village is going to be attacked again."

  "You want to go back?"

  It took me a second. I didn't know why, but I was certain we had to go back. "Yes," I said. "And this time, I think we need to take Amara with us."

  Thalia looked at me incredulously. "Are you sure? That's a dangerous path to take, especially with Amara and the herb. We need her alive so she can find a way to stop the Shades."

  "I know," I replied. "But if we bring Amara with us, maybe we can learn something more about the Shades and where they're coming from. I think Harlan can help her."

  Thalia hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright," she said. "I believe you. But you're going to have to convince her first."

  I nudged her playfully with my elbow. "I was hoping you could help with that," I said. "You two seem like you're becoming fast friends."

  Thalia rolled her eyes, but I could see the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Fine," she said. "I'll talk to her tomorrow."

  I nodded, feeling relieved. "Thank you."

  We stood up, brushing the grass off our clothing. "I'm heading back to my quarters," Thalia said. "You should get some rest too. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

  I nodded, knowing she was right. "Goodnight, Thalia."

  "Goodnight," she replied, heading off in the opposite direction.

  I watched her go for a moment before turning and making my way back to my own quarters. As I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that our time was running out, that there was something we were missing. But for now, all I could do was rest and hope that tomorrow would bring us closer to the answers we needed to save our people.