The Twisted Oak was alive with the hum of conversation, the clinking of mugs, and the scent of ale and cheap incense mingling with the smoky air.

  As Nora and the rest of the group entered, they were greeted by a chorus of cheers and raised glasses. The sound was such a shock that Nora reached instinctively for Wavebreaker, only for her fingertips to brush the hilt of the new sword she had been given. It felt cold and unnatural beneath her fingers, and she cleared her throat intently as her nerves settled.

  Orro gave her an inquisitive look, but she ignored him.

  Greta, the stout barkeep, broke into a broad smile as she spotted them.

  “Look who’s back, the heroes of Elysia!” Greta bellowed, her voice carrying over the din.

  She wiped her hands on her apron and approached them, her eyes sparkling with genuine warmth.

  “And there’s our favorite bloodsucker!” she teased, giving Cade a playful punch on the arm. It looked like it would bruise by the way the man rubbed at it, wincing through his practiced grin.

  Cade groaned playfully, rolling his eyes. “I seriously hate that nickname.”

  Greta laughed heartily. “Too bad, it suits you!” She turned to the others. “Drinks on the house for our new champions!”

  They were immediately accosted by drunken fans of that accursed tournament, each one declaring their praises for how well they escaped death, solved the riddle, and drank the blood.

  It was embarrassing enough to be entirely useless during that trial. It was worse that her hunger had nearly been the death of her. That blonde charmer had saved her, even though she was used to being the one to save others.

  It wasn’t a fun feeling. It left a bitter taste in her mouth that had nothing to do with the taste of that ’antidote.’

  She leaned against the heavy bar with her elbows and scanned the room.

  “Not much of a talker, are ya, love?” Greta inquired as she poured someone’s drink from behind the bar.

  The foamy liquid sloshed in the mug she held in one hand, stained towel draped over the opposite shoulder. Nora turned her glower at the woman, but she only laughed.

  “You’ll have to try much harder than that to make me shiver in my boots, girlie,” Greta promised. “I’ve had pirate kings piss themselves when I went to settle their tabs. You’re too clean and tidy to be that terrifying, let me tell you.”

  If only she knew.

  The day she strove so hard to forget flashed like the lightning of the abyss through her mind. That day when the world turned to shadow. When that thing had crawled out of the darkness and called her by name.

  But that Fateweaver had rescued her and taken her away from that hellish place. She rehearsed that story over and over again until her heart stopped pounding like a war-drum inside her chest.

  “A fire stout, barkeep.” Nora finally spoke. Her voice was raspier than she expected. “Please.”

  “Aye. Coming right up, love,” Greta replied with a soft smile.

  Something in her eyes said that she understood the ghosts hidden away in Nora’s mind, but how could she? No one knew what it was like to be haunted.

  Not like this.

  As they all ordered their drinks, Nora took to accounting for every weapon, exit, and suspicious figure in the packed tavern. She noticed Evie at the bar, her delicate fingers tracing the rim of her mug as she hummed a soft tune. The young siren’s voice was a soothing contrast to the rowdy surroundings, drawing the attention of everyone around her.

  From across the room, Nora saw two men stagger toward Evie, their movements clumsy and exaggerated by too much ale. The first man, tall and broad-shouldered with disheveled blonde hair, leaned heavily against the bar, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused.

  “Hey there, beautiful,” he slurred, a wide, sloppy grin spreading across his face. “How ’bout you and me... get to know each other better?”

  Evie’s smile wavered, her eyes darting around for help.

  “I’m not interested in boulders who talk,” she said, her voice steady yet tinged with apprehension.

  The second man, shorter but equally drunk, sidled up next to her, his breath reeking of alcohol and desperation.

  “Not sure what that means, but don’t be like that,” he purred loudly. “We’re just having some fun. You like fun, right? What girl doesn’t like fun?”

  Nora’s protective instincts kicked in. She crossed the room in a few swift strides, her expression darkening. She placed a firm hand on the blonde man’s shoulder, her grip stronger than normal as her anger fueled her.

  “She said she’s not interested,” Nora growled, her voice low and dangerous.

  Something deep within her leaked into her voice. It might’ve been her imagination, but the shadows seemed to darken nearby.

  “Leave her alone.” Nora waited.

  The blonde man turned slowly, his bleary eyes struggling to focus on her.

  “Who the hell are you?” His companion gulped loudly when he made eye-contact with her.

  He tapped his friend on the chest with the back of his hand.

  “Maybe—maybe we should go, Turner,” he whispered loudly.

  “Shut up, Bernie. I’m not leaving without that fine piece of—” The man started, but Nora cut him off as she stepped in front of his face.

  “I’m her guardian,” Nora replied. She fought to keep her voice steady. “Now back off.”

  Tension crackled in the air as the men sized her up, their expressions shifting from confusion to annoyance. She saw the blonde’s shoulders shift beneath his tunic as he prepared to strike.

  She knew the signs and welcomed them. She needed to blow off some steam anyway. But right as he was about to stand, a feminine hand coated in dirt rested on his collar and shoved him back into his chair. Nora and the men turned at once to see Elena standing there. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and calculated charm.

  “Boys, boys, boys. There’s no need for this,” Elena clucked her tongue, her voice a seductive purr. “How about you come with me? I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of later. I just passed the first trial, if you didn’t hear, and I have all sorts of lessons about Life now I’d just love to teach you.”

  The promise in Elena’s voice was enough to distract the men, their drunken gazes shifting from Evie to Elena with newfound interest. The shorter man leered at her, his expression lecherous.

  “Alright, sweetheart,” he drawled. “We’ll hold you to that.”

  Elena winked at them, a dark, playful glint in her eyes. “You do that. Now, let’s get you thirsty men something to drink. Greta!”

  Elena waved over the barkeep and got the two brutes and herself a round of drinks on her tab. The red-haired woman passed Nora with a sashay to her hips and she leaned into the paladin’s ear to whisper,

  “You don’t have to end every fight with your fist, Nora,” Elena commented with a knowing wink. “Besides, robbing men like this blind is far more satisfying.”

  She playfully punched Nora on the shoulder and wandered off, ale in hand.

  As the men stumbled away, Evie exhaled a sigh of relief. She looked at Nora with gratitude, but also a hint of frustration.

  “Thanks, Nora,” she said softly, though there was a trace of disappointment in her voice.

  Nora’s expression softened. “What’s wrong?”

  Evie hesitated, her fingers playing with the edge of her sleeve. “I just... I wish he had come over. It’s why... “

  Her gaze lingered on the dirty floor beneath her stool. She then blushed and looked up at Nora.

  “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, Nora, but... “ Her gaze drifted over to where Gavin spoke with a heavily chested patron, and Nora connected the dots in her head.

  Nora’s heart clenched slightly, understanding the longing in Evie’s words. Now wasn’t the time to lecture her on her choice of men.

  “I understand,” Nora tried to say earnestly. “But I’m always going to protect you, Birdie. No matter what.”

  Evie gave a small nod, her eyes deep pools of emerald. The torchlight in the Twisted Oak reflected inside their depths, and Nora vowed never to let them be filled with tears again.

  “C’mon. Let’s go see what the others are up to.” She put an arm through Evie’s, and together they joined the rest of the group at a large, round table.

  Either their recent fame or Greta’s sharp tongue had kept the rest of the tavern dwellers at bay, and Nora sighed with relief as the hubbub of the place quieted slightly as she entered their corner booth.

  Jer was sprawled in his chair, a dreamy smile playing across his lips.

  “Emily... “ he sighed, the name a wistful breath.

  Cade looked at him over a raised mug, eyebrows raised. “Sorry, but who in Life’s questionable name is Emily?”

  Jer’s eyes widened, affronted. “Emily is the most beautiful woman alive. How could you forget?”

  “Umm,” Cade answered slowly and set his mug down on the chipped mahogany.

  The condensation from his fresh drink trickled down the length of the birchwood edged with simple iron. Nora absently watched a fresh droplet form and then slowly fall to its demise after venturing the length of the weathered cup.

  “Blunt force to my head?” Cade answered with a quirk to the side of his grin.

  “Magically induced screaming?” Rayka offered.

  “Maybe he was so stunned by her beauty that he couldn’t hear what her name was?” Orro added in a rare display of humor.

  The darkly clad warrior nursed a shot glass filled with an amber liquid so dark it was nearly black. He swirled it slowly with his wrist before he pulled his half-mask down and drained the small cup in one simple motion. The face behind the mask was rugged and sharp, and Nora was glad she had a drink of her own to keep her company.

  “Wait, is that true, Cade? Were you as enraptured as I was when you saw her that you forgot her name?” Jer demanded as he leaned over the table on both hands.

  For some irrational reason, Nora wanted to push him over.

  Cade gave him a straight face for a long moment, then burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, Jer. We’re messing with you. I have no idea in Honor’s hairy ass who this Emily might be.”

  Elena rolled her eyes as she sat down across from Nora, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Emily is probably that hotel staff member he was flirting with just before we had to escape for our lives. Isn’t that right, Jer?”

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  Jer nodded, still lost in his reverie. “She had the most amazing smile... “

  Cade shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “Alright, dreamer. Let’s get back to reality for a moment.”

  “What’s everyone talking about?” Gavin asked as he sat down next to Evie.

  Nora’s blood boiled at the sight of him, but she tampered it down. She may not be a Fateweaver anymore, but she would not lower her honor so far as to murder someone for being a poor suitor for her best friend.

  Probably.

  “We’re just discussing the most magical creature known to this world!” Jer exclaimed and fell onto their table with a happy sigh.

  Drinks went spilling and crashing all across them, and they all yelled their annoyance at the lovestruck fool in front of them.

  “Oh! That Emily girl from the hotel? Yeah, she was amazing, my friend. I wish we had more time to talk,” Gavin sighed.

  Jer rose slowly from his perch on the table to glare at the telepath with such venom that she felt a small shiver of fear at the sight.

  “You—you talked to her?” The redhead’s face went pale. “She’s mine, Gav. Don’t even think of making a move on her!” Jer warned.

  “Okay!” Cade drew out the word and got everyone’s attention. “You two can solve your weirdly intense love triangle over a girl you just met later.”

  Nora snorted but was grateful for the change in subject. She leaned back in her chair, heavy armor creaking against the neglected oak furniture. The warm glow of the torches flickered across the faces of the group, casting long shadows that danced with the movement of patrons.

  The paladin took in a deep breath, taking a moment to enjoy the thick scents of roasted meat, spilled ale, and the faint tang of wood smoke.

  Cade leaned forward, elbows on the table, fingers steepled as he addressed the group.

  “Let’s talk about what really happened in the trial,” he began, his voice carrying a tone of quiet authority that demanded attention. “We need to be on the same page if we’re going to make it through this.”

  Jer was the first to break the somber mood. He twirled an empty mug between his fingers, his grin almost manic. “Yeah, we barely got through that Rebirth trial. That place was a death trap.”

  Rayka nodded in agreement. “Seriously. Who poisons everything? It was worse than we expected. I mean, we’ve seen traps before, but those were... different. More sophisticated.” She tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table. “This felt like it was meant to kill us.”

  “And the competition isn’t just the traps.” Elena sat back, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp. “Some of those other teams looked ruthless. We can’t trust anyone but ourselves.”

  She toyed with a lock of her red hair, her lips curling into a skeptical smirk. The way she said it, though, Nora immediately felt the invisible wall between them and this tight-knit team.

  Cade’s gaze softened as he looked at the newcomers—Gavin, Nora, and Evie.

  “That includes our new friends,” their team leader insisted. “We’re all in this together now.”

  “Here’s to our merry band of misfits,” Gavin said, his voice dripping with charm. He raised his mug in a mock toast, a roguish grin playing on his lips.

  “Cade?” Evie, still visibly shaken, forced a small smile.

  She clutched her drink tightly, her knuckles white. Nora and the others looked at her, and she shrunk down further.

  “Yeah, Evie?” Cade replied patiently.

  “You seem different. What happened when you were with the physician?” Evie’s question was like a splash of icy water on the mood, and Cade’s eyes widened with alarm.

  “How did you—” he started, but then gathered himself.

  With a tired smile, Cade took a deep breath. His eyes darkened with the weight of his words.

  “I’m not sure how you guessed that, but she—” Cade cursed under his breath and then gave them all a forced grin. “She said my core has no limit. Oh, and it’s not filled with anything good. Something about winds and fire and storms and chaos, or some other weird concoction she’d never seen before. The elf said that if I don’t learn to control it, things could get very bad, very fast.”

  Nora’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. She knew cores were powerful, but limitless? That was unprecedented.

  “That’s... concerning.” She tried to keep her voice steady.

  Cade’s intense gaze lingered on her, searching for reassurance, or perhaps answers. “Anything you can tell us might help, Nora. We need every edge we can get.”

  Nora hesitated.

  She hadn’t thought about cores for years now, much less her own. Her skills had always been enough. Then, with Wavebreaker, she really had no concern about figuring out what happened that day. The paladin traced the rim of her mug with a finger, her mind racing.

  “Cores are tied to our essence, our very being,” Nora started cautiously. She couldn’t reveal too much, but she did have to explain how she was a silver ranker at some point. “Control comes from understanding and harmonizing with that essence. But without guidance, it’s incredibly risky.”

  “Great,” Elena snorted. “More vague magic stuff. Just what we needed.”

  She rolled her eyes, her fingers drumming impatiently on the table.

  “We’ll find you a teacher, Cade,” Orro finally spoke up.

  His deep voice cut through the noise. It took on a sharper edge, and he didn’t look over to their corner of the table when he spoke next.

  “While you were recovering, we scoped out the arena,” Orro began. “There’s a whole labyrinth of tunnels and hallways beneath it. We didn’t find any hints of the apricot.”

  The half-masked figure interlocked his fingers together and leaned forward.

  “But the apricot has got to be down there,” he said with utter surety. Nora would have laughed if not for the somber mood his bizarre comment had on the group.

  Cade nodded, some unspoken understanding passing between the rest of the original team. Nora’s lip curled at being left out of the loop, even if she had just lied through her teeth as well. She realized that their trust didn’t run as deep as she thought.

  “We’ll have to explore it more after the next trial,” Cade finally answered. “Apricots don’t pick themselves.”

  “Okay, what’s the big deal about an apricot?” Gavin asked, clearly as annoyed as Nora was.

  No one answered.

  “Got it. We’re not a part of your ’fruit searching’ if that’s what you’re calling this.” Gavin stood up and looked through the shutters of the tavern to the street outside. “I—I need to go. I’ll meet you all at the arena tomorrow.”

  Before they could protest, he left out the front door.

  Orro stood to give chase, but Cade put a hand on his arm. “Let him. It’s alright. It’s been a difficult day for all of us.”

  Nora frowned, questioning the honor of this group. They were clearly after something valuable, something they weren’t being entirely honest about. But she held her tongue, knowing now wasn’t the time for confrontation. She would bide her time.

  Once a Fateweaver, always a Fateweaver—at least in spirit.

  “So, what’s the next trial?” Elena leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful as she swirled the ale in her mug. “We’ve done Rebirth. That leaves Perseverance of Life, Fighting for Life, Metamorphosis of Life, and the Meaning of Life.” She counted each of them off on her fingers.

  “Perseverance of Life?” Jer’s grin widened, and he laced his hands behind his head. “Sounds like we’re going to be running an endless marathon.”

  With a deft gesture, he picked up, then balanced, Orro’s empty shot glass on a finger. “Or maybe it’ll be endurance for something else... “

  Elena pushed him over, and he went crashing to the floor with a mad giggle on his lips while the rest of them rolled their eyes.

  “Or maybe we’ll be stuck in a room with no food or water,” Rayka said with false terror. “Now that would be a real test of endurance.”

  The blonde woman leaned forward, her elbows on the table, the light catching the gold flecks in her eyes. Orro, Nora noticed, leaned in slightly toward Cade’s sister.

  Elena rolled her eyes dramatically at Rayka’s antics. “Or fighting some sort of giant beast. They always throw those in somewhere, from what I heard.”

  The female twin crossed her arms, her foot drumming against the floor in a frantic beat. Her eyes shot to a familiar pair of men waiting at the bar, and Nora’s lip curled in disgust.

  Cade chuckled at his team’s suggestions, though his eyes remained serious.

  “Whatever it is, we need to be ready. We can’t let our guard down for a second.” He glanced around the table, his gaze lingering on each member of the group, gauging their readiness.

  “What about the trial of Metamorphosis? Any ideas?” Nora took a sip of her drink, the warm liquid soothing her nerves.

  Cade shrugged, his roguish smile returning.

  “Transformation magic, maybe? Or something more symbolic, like a change in perspective or strategy.” He leaned back, his eyes flickering with a mischievous light.

  Evie, her voice quiet but clear, added, “The trial of the Meaning of Life sounds the most daunting. How do you even judge something like that?”

  Cade sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I have no idea. But whatever it is, we’ll face it together. We have to trust each other and work as a team. That’s the only way we’ll get through this.”

  His eyes met Nora’s, and the unspoken question crystallized in her mind. Could he trust her?

  Nora glanced around the table, seeing the same determination and loyalty in each of their faces. Slowly, she gave Cade a single nod, and their leader relaxed visibly. His eyes flicked to the doors to this mangy establishment, likely hoping their absentee telepath would return.

  She inhaled and then downed her fire stout in one fluid gulp. The amber liquid burned her throat, warmth spreading across her cheeks and tingling down to her fingers and toes. Nora sighed, enjoying how the glowflakes glowed just a bit brighter now.

  The paladin observed the team as they continued to discuss strategies for tomorrow. Despite the differences and the unspoken tensions, they were united by a common goal. The night wore on, the conversation drifting into what they were going to spend their gold on.

  “Cade, we should all get some rest,” Nora eventually suggested.

  At Nora’s suggestion, Elena gave her an unnecessary nod of gratitude and winked salaciously at two people across the tavern.

  Nora fought the urge to roll her eyes, though she admitted to herself that she was impressed by the confidence the redhead bore.

  The day’s events had left her feeling as if she were slowly transforming into Future. For, like her old god, it felt like she carried the infinite burden of decision on her shoulders.

  “Good idea.” Cade nodded his agreement, his eyes still darting around the dimly lit room, alert for any sign of trouble. “Let’s meet back down here in the morning and head to the arena together. Stay alert. Oh, and be sure to lock your doors.”

  He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially.

  “Greta sleepwalks.”

  Nora stifled a laugh.

  Soon their group dispersed, and Nora guided Evie up the creaky wooden stairs to their room. The hallway was cloaked in a murky twilight, with shadows flickering and dancing across the walls as they walked.

  The ancient floorboards beneath her feet groaned with each step, resonating with a somber, almost mournful tone. The air was thick with the scent of aged timber and lingering pipe smoke, and Nora wished, not for the first time, that she didn’t have to hide.

  She hated all this secrecy. All of this hiding and deception. But when she pictured Evie in Prosperity’s court, her complaints disappeared.

  Nora would never let that fate come to pass.

  Evie’s soft, melodic humming filled the silence, a soothing balm against the eerie stillness that seemed to envelop them as they ascended the stairs. Her song died out, leaving them with nothing but the unsteady rhythm of their steps.

  “Gavin’s been acting strange,” Evie said suddenly, her voice filled with concern. “Do—do you think he’s going to leave us?”

  Nora halted midstride and glanced at her, noting the worry etched in her friend’s eyes like fine lines on a delicate porcelain face. “Why do you say that?”

  “He just... left. We didn’t even get to talk about our furry babies or how sweet the wind tastes tonight.” Evie shrugged, her fingers nervously twisting a loose thread on her sleeve, an unconscious gesture of unease.

  “Birdie,” Nora’s brow furrowed, and she raced to say anything helpful in response to that.

  Her thoughts drifted as they reached their room. She pushed the door open, and her heart nearly stopped.

  The room was a catastrophe.

  Their belongings were strewn about haphazardly, drawers yanked open, and the bed overturned. The faint, flickering light from the hallway cast long, jagged shadows across the chaotic scene, making the disarray appear even more sinister.

  “Evie, stay behind me,” Nora whispered, stepping into the room with caution.

  Her eyes darted through the shadows, her hand instinctively reaching for the absent hilt of Wavebreaker, only to meet the hilt of her unnamed weapon. The sense of exposure and vulnerability without her old weapon gnawed at her, a constant reminder of the danger they faced.

  Evie’s eyes widened in shock. “Who could have done this?”

  Nora’s mind ran through the likely culprits.

  She briefly considered if it was one of her teammates, but that would require intimate knowledge of wards used by her old order. And it was unlikely some random patron of the tavern had decided to go burgling into this random room, leaving the richer suites down the hall untouched.

  It had to be the Fateweavers. They had found her. Panic surged within her, but she forced it down, gripping her emotions tightly. If Cade discovered they were being hunted, he’d undoubtedly kick them out. They couldn’t afford to lose their place on this team.

  She turned to Evie, her voice a steely whisper. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. Not a word.”

  Evie hesitated, her eyes searching Nora’s for reassurance and answers.

  Finally, she nodded. “I promise. But Nor... Why?”

  “I think this might be Lyla. If it is, we can’t let Cade or the others think we have the authorities chasing us. They seem nice, but I can tell they wouldn’t stand for that kind of attention on them. We’re still fugitives, Birdie. We need to act like it.” Nora spoke softly, but she could tell her words weighed heavily on her best friend.

  She hesitated, then reached over and pulled Evie into a tight hug.

  “It’s going to be okay, Evs. I’ll protect you,” Nora promised into Evelyn’s hair.

  What she didn’t say was that she would do anything—anything—to keep that promise, as it scared even her what lengths she would go to in order to keep it.

  “Let’s get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.” She strode over, lifted the bed back onto its rickety legs, and then tossed one of their only blankets back on it.

  “Should we get a different room?”

  “I don’t think so,” Nora said as she worked. “We would’ve seen or sensed them if they were still here. I suspect they’ve moved on to watching the nicer accommodations where all the other survivors are staying. They probably think we’re staying there, too.”

  Nora nodded at her handiwork but was surprised to feel Evie’s delicate arms hug her from behind.

  “Thank you, Nora.” The siren yawned and stretched her arms wide.

  Evie slid into the bed and curled up with the blanket as her cocoon.

  Then, barely above a whisper, she said, “I’m so glad it’s you.”

  A lump formed in Nora’s throat at the words. She would earn that trust. Nothing else mattered. For better or worse, their ragtag team was in this together.

  …for now.

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