I didn't know what to do. My thoughts were rushing around in circles. Ashkan was missing.

  After staring incredulously at the spot where Ashkan's Inkblood-like imposter had disintegrated for another minute, I pulled myself together and took off back towards the arena. Kadia would know what to do. She always did.

  I sprinted across the district, weaving through the narrow streets as fast as my shaky legs could carry me, ignoring the citizens that stopped to watch my panicked flight. My mind kept combing over what had happened, as if doing so would reveal an answer to me. How long had that creature masqueraded as Ashkan? And who was responsible for it?

  I pushed through the wooden entrance gates of the arena and ran straight to Kadia's office, nearly crashing into a couple of soldiers who were on their way out. I threw a mumbled apology over my shoulder before pounding my fist against the metal door.

  "Kadia, open up! It's an emergency!" I exclaimed. I listened but heard nothing from the other side. Had she already left the office for the evening? "KADIA!" I yelled again, slamming harder against the door.

  I nearly fell over when it suddenly opened.

  Kadia stood in front of me, her eyes widening in surprise. "What? What is it? Why have you returned?"

  "It's– It's Ashkan!" I gasped out.

  Her face darkened in an instant. "What happened? Is he okay?"

  I shook my head, unsure where to start. "I'm– I don't know."

  She ushered me inside. "Calm down. We can't do anything if you can't talk." She placed a steadying hand on my back and shut the door behind her.

  I took a deep breath, and after a few more moments, finally found the words I'd been trying to say. "He's...missing. I-I think he's been taken."

  She spun around so fast her arm flew out, catching my shoulder. "Missing?! How could this have happened? What about his guards? He should have been under their care, and you should have also! Why were you left alone?"

  I could hear her frustration building. "Haven't you noticed how strange he'd been acting lately?"

  "Yes, but..." Kadia paused and then nodded. "Yes, I did. He has been behaving rather strangely." Her voice became somber. "What happened?"

  "So, I wanted to... I wanted to know what was going on with him. And... We went out for tea. Without our guards – bad, I know, I'm sorry. But I didn't want them hearing anything personal," I explained as fast as I could.

  She pursed her lips, clearly displeased, but didn't say anything.

  I continued. "We were at this teahouse and... My questions made him angry, I guess, and he stormed out... I followed him. And..." The memory of the makeout session made my skin crawl. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I'd kissed a...whatever that was.

  "And?" Kadia prompted me to keep talking.

  I looked at her and decided to leave that part of the story out. "I-I don't know. One second, we were just talking, and the next second, he'd yanked my necklace off. And... It was like a switch flipped. He started running away with it. Across all the rooftops in town."

  Her brows rose in surprise. "On foot? On the roofs?"

  I nodded. "It was... I can't even explain it. So I went after him. It was like chasing a blur, honestly."

  She looked down at me and took in my dishevelled appearance. "Then, what? Did you retrieve your necklace?"

  "Yes," I sighed, holding out the pendant slung around my neck. "I got it. But Ashkan, he's...gone."

  "What do you mean? He...left you?" Her frown deepened.

  "Not exactly..." I shook my head, remembering how Ashkan's copy had dissolved.

  Kadia seemed to be trying her best not to yell at me for having broken the rules so carelessly, and she did an admirable job at keeping her composure. "Tell me everything," she finally said, and sat down in one of the armchairs.

  I joined her, settling in the seat opposite. "After I chased him for a while, we were nearing the edge of the buildings. I called out to him to stop, but he wouldn't, so I... I threw a bolt at his feet. I just wanted him to stop." I fiddled nervously with the hem of my coat as I spoke. "It exploded, and then he...tripped. And fell down the slant of the roof. So I rushed over and pulled him up, of course. But when I tried to calm him down..."

  I hesitated and then showed Kadia the oval-shaped wound in my left hand. I'd covered it with my sleeve, but the fabric was soaked with my blood, which had begun to crust around the edges of the injury. I was doing my best to ignore the pain.

  "He...stabbed you?!" She took my hand in hers and flipped it over. "Gods... Completely through..."

  I nodded and winced. "It's fine; I can probably heal it. I've just been too scrambled to bother."

  "Still, that is no small injury," she remarked, then frowned at me. "He was carrying a weapon?"

  "Just a regular switchblade. I don't know where it was from."

  She grabbed a roll of bandages from a drawer in the desk, then began wrapping my wound, careful not to apply too much pressure. "Well? What happened to Ashkan, then?"

  I flinched when the bandage touched the open gash. "Before he stabbed my hand, he was just...attacking me over and over. I barely had time to react; I didn't know what was wrong with him, he just– I had to stop him!" I shook my head. "I did the only thing I could think of. I defended myself." I felt horrible saying the words. "I... I pushed him off the roof. And I caught him! But then..."

  "But then what?" she asked as she tied the end of the bandage.

  I took a shaky breath and let my gaze drop. "Then he stabbed my hand. And I let go."

  Kadia gasped and fell silent. "You– You let him go? I..." She leaned back in the seat and placed her fingers on her forehead, looking more frazzled than I'd ever seen her. "Where did he land?"

  Tears suddenly welled in my eyes, and I stared at my feet. I was so angry at myself for what had happened, but more for how I'd let myself be fooled. I couldn't help but feel responsible. If only I'd realized sooner what that monster had been.

  "On a rocky outcropping at the border of the forest. Behind the line of buildings. But..." I wiped my eyes with the back of my sleeve. "I thought he was dead. I did. I ran down to see. But there was this...black sludge. It was like tar, and it just... I was too upset to realize it at first... The liquid everywhere wasn't red. It was black."

  Kadia listened intently. "You... You're sure?"

  I blinked. "I wish I was lying. I didn't stab myself just to lie. I'd show you the corpse if it hadn't disintegrated minutes after. It turned into dust."

  She put her face in her hands. "No, no... It cannot be... How could this happen...?" She stood and began pacing, muttering under her breath in disbelief.

  I leaned forward and watched her pace back and forth. "He was... I'm sure it wasn't him. It was something else, some kind of copy. Or a doppelg?nger or a... A clone," I suggested, hoping I wasn't rambling too much. "That's the only explanation, right?"

  "He must have been taken..." she murmured. "It sounds to me like this creature was a shadow."

  "What?"

  She paused for a second, looking like she'd rather not tell me. But then she let out a heavy sigh. "Shadows. They are... Extremely rare, and extremely difficult to create. Typically, they are used for more of a mental warfare or subterfuge sort of tactic, rather than any kind of overt action such as infiltration or kidnapping. Creating them is a dark art, illegal, and quite frowned upon. Even worse, attempting to make a shadow that can interact with the physical world is especially difficult. Most can hardly withstand strong winds, let alone even basic touch... And most cannot cast any sort of magic."

  "So, you're saying that whoever created it must be pretty powerful."

  "Likely. They are entirely independent beings – empty shells existing solely as imposters to maintain whatever they have replaced. Perfect copies they are not, but convincing ones, oftentimes. They are instructed to follow a specific course of action and are destroyed as soon as the task is complete. One cannot exist without a directive. In this case, we may assume that its objective was simply to steal the travelling necklaces..."

  My eyes widened. "How do you know all this?"

  "The Rime Guard is sworn to keep a close watch on this kind of magic and its darker users," she explained. "I dislike speaking of it, but it is necessary. The first step to defeating any battle is knowing your enemy."

  The thought of Ashkan's imposter resurrecting suddenly popped into my head. Did shadows have any connections to Inkbloods? "So... That thing can't come back, right?" I asked in a quiet voice, hardly daring to think that it could.

  "Thankfully not. If a shadow's form becomes disrupted or imbalanced by anything that would kill a person, they shatter. Similar to an energy or electrical field. Think of diamond, or certain metals – highly strong and durable, yet quite brittle under the precisely correct force."

  "I can't believe someone would do this..." I mumbled, my mind trying to wrap itself around the idea of Ashkan having fallen into a trap. The shock of it was beginning to wear off, and I realized just how real and immediate the situation was. "Who would...? I mean, what...? Kadia, what do we do?"

  She shook her head. "Forgive me, this will require considerable time to think through. I will consider what options we have here." Her brow furrowed as if she was skimming through a thousand different outcomes.

  "Kadia, I'm sorry. I never wanted to..." My voice cracked at the admission.

  She only nodded gravely. "There are surely others who are responsible for this."

  I shifted forward to the edge of my seat. "This isn't something we should really keep under wraps, right? I think we should tell people. This is a kidnapping. We need to find him!"

  "Agreed. However..." She hesitated. "It is a delicate matter. If word gets out, it will reflect poorly upon the King. And, though I doubt anyone could have prepared so quickly for such a sinister effort to come to fruition, His Majesty will be blamed for not having had the necessary security in place. Of course, he was expecting you to follow orders and never stray from your guards."

  I looked down at my feet. "Right."

  "That being said... Time is of the essence. We cannot hesitate in alerting the castle to his absence," she mumbled, placing a finger to her lips in thought.

  I slumped in my seat. "Where the hell could he even be? And by this point, is there even a chance of finding him alive? Ugh, how could I have been so blind...?"

  "I do not know. This has arisen too suddenly. Those responsible likely anticipated that we would not catch on immediately... How to break this news? To his father, his family, and the public... A kidnapping... A possible assassination..." Kadia glanced down at me. "Don't worry yourself, Brielle. I will rectify the situation. You can return home and rest. In the meantime, I will call a meeting with His Majesty and others, and investigate possible places Ashkan could be held. The abnormalities began... What? About three days ago?"

  "Yes, exactly." I was reeling at how quickly everything had escalated. "But I want to help. I'll teleport back and explain to my parents what happened, but then I should come back to–"

  "Brielle," she cut me off. "There is no need for you to get more involved than you already are. I cannot knowingly put you in the line of fire. This is not your burden to bear. The danger these situations bring is a reality that I must face."

  I stood. I wasn't backing down. Not this time. "Ashkan is my friend. I'm not going to sit this out."

  She met my determined gaze with her own stern one. "The more you meddle, the less I can keep you safe. Think of your family."

  I set my jaw. "You are my family. I'm not letting you do this alone."

  Kadia knew that arguing was fruitless. Her expression softened. "...Very well. Go home and speak to your... Our parents. Meanwhile, I shall conduct a meeting with the King and his advisors. Then, tonight, you will return, and I shall discuss what was settled on with you. Your participation will require approval from everyone involved, so do ensure that your parents agree. Understood?"

  I gave her a nod, thankful for her willingness to compromise. "I understand. I just can't do nothing about this. He's... He must be terrified right now. Trapped somewhere, entirely at the mercy of whoever planned this whole thing..." I tried to push back the tears in my eyes.

  "Rest assured, Ashkan will not remain in their hands for long," she vowed. "If all goes well, our forces will begin the search and rescue. And as of this very moment, that task has become our sole focus."

  My breath calmed at Kadia's reassuring words. Then, I squared my shoulders. "Okay. Let's save a saviour."

  A kidnapping has to be one of the most terrible things to happen to someone. I had no idea what kind of torture Ashkan was enduring. It was entirely possible that he'd been killed and his body disposed of. There were too many terrible options, but I was going to cling to the hope that he was still alive, even if only barely. I couldn't stand the idea of losing him. He had to be okay. He had to.

  The situation had shaken me to the core – and everyone else, too. The entirety of Winithas snapped into action in less than twenty-four hours, everyone working to help us find Ashkan. Kadia's first step had been to alert the castle. The King released the news to the realm in the form of a formal announcement. Understandably, the part about the shadow imposter was left out. He was begging the people of Alselian to come forward if they knew anything, and offering a reward for any information that would lead to Ashkan's rescue. The news spread like wildfire. Ashkan's name was on everyone's lips. It seemed that, although he wasn't loved by all, many were invested in the wellbeing of their champion.

  Naturally, this meant that Lodestar and other media outlets had pounced on the story immediately. I tried not to be annoyed by this, but it seemed to me like they were more interested in the drama of it all than the seriousness of the situation. And they were having a field day with the fact that we couldn't provide any answers as to who might be behind this. It had all the trappings of an intense mystery. The Rime Guard was kept out of the media's crosshairs, thankfully, although Lodestar did hint that this could've been prevented with the right precautions. They never explicitly pointed any fingers at the Guard, but the implications were obvious enough to be considered an accusation.

  And to make things worse, some news stations seemed to think I'd done this myself to try to take Ashkan's spotlight. Someone had seen me sprinting across all those rooftops while chasing the shadow. Photos of the scene were plastered all over tabloids and magazines. None of the fight, fall, or aftermath, luckily, but it was still unnerving. It made me seem like some kind of madwoman who'd lost her mind over being overshadowed by someone. Like a villain from some cheap romance novel. The worst part was that the best cover story the Rime Guard had been able to come up with to explain my appearance on those roofs had been that we were practicing for a training trial. It'd been made quite clear to me that, as much as I hated it, I couldn't contradict the statement. Besides, all I could focus on was saving Ashkan.

  Emiarhia was a mess of hope, despair, anger, confusion and more. I went from crying with my family, to having them support me with kind words, to me reassuring them that everything would be all right, and then crying with them all over again. There was no telling if we'd find him alive or dead. We only hoped it was the former. My parents had tried to forbid me from getting more involved, but they knew there was no stopping me. I couldn't just sit at home while the rest searched, feeling useless. Not after everything that had happened. They knew there was a danger to my involvement, but they also knew how much Ash meant to me and how badly I wanted to find him.

  Ashkan's own family had been devastated to learn of what had happened. As expected, his sister took it the hardest, blaming herself for his disappearance and cursing herself for not being more persistent about checking on him. His little brother hadn't been able to hold back his tears when Kadia went to deliver the news. His father was more concerned with making sure that no stone was left unturned in the investigation. As it turned out, the shadow had stolen his switchblade before attacking me with it. Lev hadn't noticed. Rather, he was quick to blame the Guard and the King for failing to protect him. There was a lot of anger, a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of heartache and worry. The media was in a frenzy trying to cover all the updates on the story and how it unfolded. Everyone had some sort of opinion on it and had begun to offer their own theories about who was behind it all. By the next morning, promising clues started surfacing.

  Ashkan was abducted almost certainly after we'd parted ways outside The Roaring Witch several days ago. But I could remember clearly that I'd walked him straight home and made sure he'd gotten inside safely before returning to Earth. Only he knew the exact details of what had happened between then and the next day. Someone must've found him sometime after I'd left him and managed to subdue him long enough to trap him elsewhere. This had to be the case because a search of his house yielded nothing. Nothing out of place or broken in, no sign of a struggle, nothing that even hinted at where he could've been taken. The homes and businesses nearby, however, were a different story.

  Bloody fingerprints were discovered on a wooden beam on a neighbour's house, slightly splintered as if someone had grabbed it. They matched Ashkan's blood type and prints perfectly – the one time where I wasn't somewhat bothered by the fact that the King possessed extensive and complete data about us saviours' medical information. But there wasn't anything that connected these fingerprints to another location. The neighbours themselves didn't seem suspicious, and they couldn't think of anyone who might wish to do him harm, although the bloodied prints on their wooden beam made them quite worried for him. The only thing they could recall from around that night was hearing muffled sounds of struggle that they hadn't given a second thought. They'd thought it was an animal, or that someone was drunk and fighting with someone else (not a rare occurrence, apparently). So it seemed likely that Ashkan was kidnapped just outside of his house. The King's constables were investigating other areas in the neighbourhood and checking any possible routes to see if anything else turned up. They even looked around The Roaring Witch for clues, which proved more useful.

  Four eyewitnesses, including Elliott, had seen a blacked-out carriage lingering around the back of The Roaring Witch on the night Ashkan was kidnapped. One woman even described it as being 'barely a shadow in the night'. She'd been too tipsy to recall it clearly, but now that we were investigating, it was coming back to her. A few more tips came in. Elliott told us the coach was unmarked and had left around twelve-fifteen at night. That corroborated with my memory of us leaving the tavern just after midnight. I didn't remember seeing a carriage at that time, though. If it had been driven by the abductor, they must've followed us from a distance. But how was Ashkan kidnapped after being dropped off at home? That was still a mystery.

  Sunday afternoon, the unthinkable happened. The League of Sacred Dawn sent a letter to Kadia, stating they wished to help us locate Ashkan. I couldn't have been happier. They weren't exactly on good terms with the Guard and King, but one of their valued hunters – one of their own – had been targeted. The letter wasn't signed by anyone, but I recognized Perl's handwriting instantly.

  Esteemed Captain,

  Our sincerest sympathies go to Lord Wroet'by and his family. To think that one of Nelorismel's very own could've fallen prey to such a vicious plot is a horror we would not wish upon even our greatest rivals. In light of the situation, we would like to respectfully offer our aid to search for the missing Luminary. I am well aware that the sentiment between us and you may be strained, but together, we could achieve great things. We will do whatever we can to help restore Winithas to peace and, of course, find and retrieve Lord Wroet'by. We trust that our interests are aligned to find him alive and healthy.

  Strained indeed. I could picture Perl's sarcastic little grin as they wrote those words. I'd never read something so threateningly polite in my entire life.

  A meeting is not necessary. Know that we have the full confidence that we shall succeed in this time of crisis and are truly grieved by this tragedy. Thus, I shall put the safety of the realm first in a final note: Hunters are rather well-trained in tracking and hunting, and we have utilized our expertise in such matters to study the development of similar crimes in the past. As such, we suggest you search the woodlands to the southeast of Nelorismel: just west of the town of Vindella, Mytheas, directly south of Uleando'an River. We do not deign to say we believe this will provide a lead, merely that it is most likely a pertinent thought. Our hunters have reported irregular activities in that area over the past few weeks. The occupation of Inkbloods cannot be ruled out. Something as valuable as a saviour would be most stashed away in that environment. As repulsive and elusive as they are, we have witnessed how Inkbloods cleverly conceal their dwellings. Remain vigilant for any structures or hideouts that appear out of place.

  Be quick, Captain. Those with no compunctions to morality take great pleasure in the act of torture, and are frequently crueler when their target resists.

  May the sun rise upon thee.

  There was a perfect, gold imprint of the League's insignia stamped onto the bottom of the page. Looking at it almost gave me a chill. I hadn't expected Perl to address Ashkan or I as hunters within a letter to Kadia of all people, but I was nevertheless relieved that they didn't.

  "The mention of this location was promising," Kadia said. "Yet far be it from me to blindly trust their instincts. And perhaps they want us looking in a direction far away from whatever they might be doing, or wherever the real answer lies..."

  "Maybe, but... I dunno. What if they really just want to help?" I tried.

  She shot me a look. "Hunters have their own set of priorities."

  I crossed my arms, not appreciating her cynical response. "Are you saying that they'd really just want us to go looking somewhere else and forget about Ashkan?"

  She paused at my sharp tone and gave a frustrated sigh. "They do not operate within the same systems or code that we do."

  "Well, what makes them any worse than the Rime Guard?" I argued. "Isn't this the whole reason we have a military at all? Don't they protect civilians, just like you?"

  "Do not compare them to us. We have a strict code of ethics. Our job is to protect the innocent. Their job is to eradicate." She put her hand to her temple as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Hunters do not fight to protect people like we do. They fight to destroy threats, regardless of their circumstances. It is like night and day. Their main goal is not to help others; it is to eliminate targets. They kill first and ask questions never."

  I took in a sharp breath as my chest tightened. I'd been in such a panicked, sleep-deprived state for the past twenty-one hours; my only concern was Ashkan and bringing him home safe. But Kadia's words made my gut churn. The rivalry between the hunters and the Guard ran deep, and it didn't seem like either side truly understood the other. The Guard was all about civility, laws, and diplomacy. The League was about initiative, stealth, and audacity. Their methods and values were opposite, but the truth was they wanted the same thing: the best for Winithas. I'd just never considered the idea before. It made me even more sure that I could never tell my sister I was a hunter. It'd be a betrayal I didn't think she could handle.

  Kadia must've read the hurt and confusion in my expression. She paused for a moment to compose herself, and her tone became more gentle. "I...understand your frustration, and your concerns. I simply ask that you try to think this through from our perspective. Their motivations may be aligned with our own in this scenario, but it does not mean they can be trusted to uphold a code they do not have. It is the duty of the Guard to ensure that this situation is handled with utmost care and responsibility."

  "Okay. Okay, I... I get it. I'm just... I don't want us to make any more mistakes. And we can't let Ashkan suffer a minute more than he already has," I pleaded.

  "I am just as worried sick as you are," she replied softly, placing her hand on my shoulder.

  "And what other leads do we have?" I challenged.

  "Well..."

  "Exactly. So, can't we just look in that place they suggested?"

  "You are in no state to be making any sort of judgement calls right now," she retorted sharply.

  "But I–"

  She cut me off, her voice hard. "I understand that you have the best of intentions, and that you are distressed, but you must calm down. It is not wise to accept any suggestions blindly."

  I shut my mouth at her scolding. My teeth ground together in annoyance.

  Shaye, who'd said nothing up until now, interjected quietly from the corner of the office. "Would it be such a hassle to simply check? There's no harm in taking a look, correct?"

  "I am not sending our troops off into the wild in pursuit of an idea from a group of murderous mercenaries," Kadia shot back.

  I rolled my eyes, unable to hold it back. "How can you not see this for what it is? The League wants to help us. It can't hurt to go. Even if it leads to nothing, we should cover all of our bases."

  Shaye's eyes flicked over to mine. Concern glinted in them. I could say almost for certain we were thinking the same thing: If Kadia and the Rime Guard refused to take a look at this place the League suggested, then the two of us would do it ourselves. We were running out of time. The clock was ticking. Shaye had already been crying basically nonstop since the moment Kadia informed her of Ashkan's kidnapping. She looked exhausted, but didn't give up. And me, I had so much cortisol running through my veins that I was on autopilot. We were all terrified and worried beyond belief. Every minute was critical.

  "Look," I said firmly, standing up and pressing my hands to the edge of the table. "I'm going with or without your permission. It'll be faster if you help."

  Kadia stared back at me, a mix of fury and anxiety in her expression. Lips pursed, brows pulled down, eyes filled with apprehension. After what felt like a thousand years, she took in a deep breath, let it out through her mouth, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Very well."

  We were off. It took a little time to plan, but there was no way in hell any of us was going to prefer an option that meant losing valuable hours. Vindella was a good forty-five minute carriage ride away from where we were now. We were going to leave at noon. Our forces would be split. While the constables and detectives stayed and kept investigating around the neighbourhoods in Nelorismel, a small group went to Vindella with the intention of scouring every inch of the adjacent forest. And of course, I would be going there with Shaye and Kadia. The latter had some trouble deciding how many people would accompany us. A large group would be safer but would attract more attention. A small group was stealthier, but meant risking more. Ultimately, Kadia felt it would be easier to navigate the forest as a small group. Four of us would go – myself, Kadia, Shaye, and Thorne.

  The carriage rumbled along the bumpy gravel road towards Vindella as soon as we crossed the provincial border from Alselian into Mytheas. The deciduous forest was visible on the horizon, its deep shadows and dark canopy looming. A cold, unrelenting dread crept through my chest as I stared out the window. Ashkan. What if I'm too late? What if he's already suffered more than anyone could imagine? What if I could've prevented this somehow? Is this all my fault? I shook my head as these questions cycled through my mind, over and over again. There was nothing to gain from overthinking it. It was going to drive me mad. I had to put my head together and be smart, not just desperate.

  Kadia was fiddling with some kind of cubical gadget in her hands, adjusting it and fidgeting with the dials on it. Her hands moved quickly, her eyes sharp as she studied the readings on the device.

  "What is that?" I asked.

  "A medulet," she said without looking up from her task. "I applied for a license to use one after the snakebite incident in Noslux. His Majesty granted me permission some days ago."

  I perked up. "Oh? It can teleport someone to a hospital, right?"

  "Precisely." She continued adjusting the medulet and I watched as a little light blinked at its centre, flickering like the flame of a candle. "I believe I have programmed the correct coordinates for Northview Infirmary. However, since I am the certified owner, only I can operate this." She paused to look up at me, meeting my gaze. "You understand the implications of this, yes? Only I will be able to teleport Ashkan out. In the event that it is required."

  "Yeah. I do," I answered solemnly.

  Shaye sniffled as she fiddled with the sleeves of her coat. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "Do you think we should've armed ourselves more?"

  Kadia sighed. "I do not anticipate a battle to break out. Our mission is simply to find Ashkan, not engage in combat. I did not feel that it was necessary to equip ourselves for a full-blown assault. If it does turn out to be a fight, then I do believe it would have already been far too late for Ashkan at that point."

  Shaye looked as though she'd just been stabbed through the heart with one of those words. Kadia glanced over at her and winced as she realized she might've gone too far.

  "By that, I mean we will have more luck if we take a calm, peaceful approach. There will be no reason for an altercation," she clarified. "It will be all right. I will not let anything happen to any of us, do you understand?"

  Shaye nodded, her lip trembling. The fear of the unknown and the possible dangers we were about to face were hanging over us like a heavy fog, blocking out any positive light and making everything feel bleaker than ever. I hated it. The uncertainty was a slow poison, chipping away at our confidence and morale. We didn't know if we would succeed or fail. All we could do was hope and keep pushing.

  All of us only had one weapon. I had my trusty violet dagger, of course. Kadia had her own silver stiletto dagger. Shaye had her shear-dagger, which she kept nervously toying with. Thorne only had his caestus gauntlet to protect him. I wished we'd all come more prepared. Hopefully my magic would be more than enough protection. I only prayed that we wouldn't have to fight anyone. If I could help it, there wouldn't be a fight at all. All we wanted was Ashkan. We had to do everything we could to make sure the people who kidnapped him didn't do anything that would cost a life.

  We reached the entrance of the forest and stepped out into the brisk winter evening. A shiver ran through me. My eyes were immediately drawn to the gnarled trees. A layer of fog covered the forest floor like a veil, and the tall trunks were bare, save for a few sprigs of needles still hanging on desperately. A deep darkness loomed within. It was a dense forest with an almost maze-like feel, full of tangled trees and vines and weeds and thorns and a million other things. If someone got lost here, they might not find their way out ever again. I swallowed nervously as approached the forest's edge.

  The wind rustled the dry, dead leaves. My stomach flipped with every crunch and snap. This was eerie. It felt like I was stepping into a horror film. We slowly entered the woods. Everything was silent. Nothing moved except our small group. Not even a single bird chirped. It felt like the entire world had just gone still and silent, waiting to see what would happen next.

  "In hindsight, I should've known something was wrong when Ashkan's shadow kept calling me Shaylie," Shaye spoke up.

  I placed my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. There was no way for us to predict something like this could ever happen."

  She let out a breath. "It's just so difficult to accept. How could we have been fooled like that?"

  I knew that feeling very well. I was still struggling with it myself. But now wasn't the time for doubt or regrets. It was time to move forward, with all of my faith and strength in Ashkan's life. We pressed onwards through the woods, keeping our eyes peeled. Everywhere I looked, there were dead twigs and dried leaves, the ground crunchy with frost. We stepped over roots and under branches as we made our way deeper in. I strained my ears and focused on listening for any sounds that might indicate other people nearby.

  "Hey!" Thorne suddenly shouted from somewhere off to our left. We whirled to see him crouching, pressing his fingers onto the frozen soil. He stood and gestured to his feet. "Someone was here recently."

  The others and I made our way over, our boots crunching the grass and frost beneath. There were distinct tracks in the hardened mud. Definite hoofprints bordered by deep, parallel lines. I felt the air rush out of my lungs at the realization.

  "Cart tracks," Shaye muttered in a whisper, crouching beside them and studying them carefully.

  I knelt beside her, reaching out my fingers and pressing them into the frost, feeling the rough imprints in the dirt. "I suppose it's not impossible to get a small carriage through these trees."

  "Not impossible," Thorne confirmed. "And it rained only a few days ago. The mud would've softened, making it easy to dig the cart tracks in."

  "How recent do you suppose these tracks are?" Kadia asked him.

  He was quiet for a few moments as he scanned the surroundings and scrutinized the tracks closely – how the leaves were crushed into the mud, the depth of the impressions in the ground, the edges of the indentations, and many more indicators I could only guess at. "…They couldn't be more than three or four days old. If it hadn't been for that rainstorm, we wouldn't be seeing them right now at all."

  We took the trail, following the wheel tracks deeper and deeper into the woods. There were signs of life along the path. Snapped branches, flattened weeds, broken twigs and shrubbery. Whoever had left these tracks hadn't tried very hard to disguise them. Perhaps they didn't care if they were discovered, or perhaps they thought this area of Mytheas was deserted. They'd made a critical error either way.

  There were a few narrow spots in the path that made the trail difficult to follow. But after a bit of effort and determination, we managed to stay on the tracks and press onwards. Eventually we found ourselves at an opening in the trees. There was a large, abandoned shack ahead of us. No carriage in sight. The exterior was dark gray stone, covered in moss and vines and rot. A single cracked window sat above the double doors of the main entrance. No one spoke as we approached, taking it all in. We circled the perimeter of the structure and checked every angle, looking for clues, footprints, signs of life. Nothing. Just silence and decay.

  "My," Shaye whispered, "what a bizarre place to live."

  Kadia narrowed her eyes, dissecting the building with her usual critical expression. "This place has been abandoned for some time."

  "Looks like nobody's been here for ages," Thorne said. "And yet..."

  We exchanged a quick glance with each other before walking towards the entrance. The door was old and rusty, and it creaked open with a groan. Inside was dark and gloomy, filled with cobwebs and dust, broken furniture and old papers, everything covered in layers of dust and mold. Nothing too unusual. Just a derelict, decrepit, abandoned shack. I had a gut feeling that there'd been someone there recently, though. I didn't know where that feeling came from. I just had it.

  The floorboards were smudged with dirt, and some were broken and splintered, like somebody had been carelessly stomping around. We entered further and immediately started to look for anything suspicious. Shards of broken glass littered the ground, along with pieces of metal and wood and other random bits of garbage. Some of the walls were crumbling and cracked. A broken bed frame lied on its side. There were scraps of clothing hanging off some of the beams of the roof. An incredibly tarnished, floor-length mirror hung on a wall near the far end of the room. It was all so depressing, so dreary. We split up to check different parts of the building. I searched the living area. Thorne made his way up the creaking steps to check the upstairs. Shaye went into the tiny kitchen. Kadia began scouring the entryway for clues.

  I found a few pieces of old newspaper on the floor and crouched down to pick them up. The pages were stained and yellowed. They crumbled to pieces in my hands as I inspected them. All the headlines were old, some going as far back as ten years. Some were local news, some were about foreign events, but none of it seemed important enough to keep around. I put the papers aside and moved to look for anything else that could be useful.

  I checked the shelves and cupboards, under tables and chairs and rugs, looking for clues, anything at all. The whole building felt like a dead end. As I searched through the bookshelves and cabinets in the living area, a strange feeling washed over me. There was something wrong about this place. I could sense it in every bone in my body. Something evil and sinister lurked in these walls. Something wicked was happening here, but what? The more I thought about it, the more frustrated and irritated I became.

  I moved towards the mirror. Only slivers of my reflection could be seen in its cloudy, grimy surface. My mind flashed to Ashkan again. I pressed my gloved palms to the mirror and stared into it.

  "Please be alive," I whispered, even though there was no one in the room with me.

  "We should probably go." Thorne's voice cut through my concentration. He'd returned from upstairs. "Nothing here."

  Shaye came out of the kitchen, her face looking paler than ever before. Her eyes were puffy and red. She wiped them and let out a deep sigh.

  Kadia walked out of the entryway, looking defeated. "We must have gotten everything we could have out of this place."

  My hands fell to my sides, and I became shocked at how difficult it was to pull them off the glass. It was as if the mirror was coated in glue, or... Or I'd been slowly sinking into it. A cold feeling suddenly settled in the pit of my stomach as my fingers brushed the mirror once more.

  I glanced back at the others. "Wait."

  Shaye and Kadia gave me a puzzled look while Thorne watched me closely, curious.

  I pulled the mirror away from the wall, just enough to check behind it. Nothing but rotting wood. I stepped back a bit and checked the corners of the mirror frame, hoping for some kind of clue. Nothing but grime. I huffed in annoyance. I should've expected as much. I put my hand back onto the glass again. The feeling of being drawn to it was back. Goosebumps rose across my skin. Something wasn't right about this.

  "Kadia," I called, "how can you tell when a mirror is a double-sided portal, again?"

  Her expression shifted into one of intrigue. She joined my side and studied the mirror with me. "Is there a visible gap between your hand and its reflection?"

  "No. None at all," I muttered, narrowing my eyes and trying to concentrate hard on what I was looking at.

  "Hm. And the glass, is it more flexible than what glass should be?" She asked, reaching her own hand out and pushing on the surface of the glass.

  "Sort of," I answered.

  "Hmm." She thought for a moment. "There could be magic at work. Step back."

  I did, and I watched as she focused on her own hands. They glowed orange as she manipulated a spell into being. She put her hand up to the mirror and pressed into it, sinking her fingers into it, curling them around like she was digging in dirt. With a breath, she yanked her hand out. A swirling vortex of purple and black opened up in the glass.

  The rest of us let out startled gasps. Kadia peered in cautiously.

  "Stay alert," she told the rest of us. "Let's go. No time to lose."

  I followed her lead and went through the portal. Just like the first time, it felt like walking through gelatin. Once I came out, I found myself standing in the centre of a wide, stone corridor. Old columns lined both sides of the hallway. Torches hung from the walls, flickering dimly. I looked up at the high ceiling, then down to the dusty stone floor beneath me. Kadia glanced back at us and gave us a simple nod. This had to be the right place. We were in a dungeon or basement of some sort. The air was damp and cold. It smelled musty. The portal behind us closed, leaving behind only a plain mirror.

  From what I could see, there were three different paths available to us: forward, left, and right. Each was equally daunting. I wasn't sure which way would lead to Ashkan. All three seemed completely unremarkable. Shaye drew her shears, and she huddled a little closer to me.

  "Stay behind me," Kadia whispered. "All of you."

  We stayed silent as we followed her closely down the middle pathway. The darkness around us was so heavy it seemed almost tangible. The stone walls were covered in moss, and patches of brown mold grew in many places. Water trickled from cracks in the stones and collected in pools and puddles all along the ground. At the end of the hall was a staircase leading down. We cautiously descended into the murk. The temperature dropped several degrees.

  The stairwell led to an arched door made of iron bars. Beyond the doorway was a perpendicular hallway with flickering bulbs overhead. The gate was locked shut. Thankfully, it wasn't magic-proof. With a few quick gestures, Kadia dissipated the lock entirely, and the gate swung open with a soft creak. Immediately to our left and right were two identical hallways. Straight ahead, another pair of hallways, curving around a corner at opposite angles. It appeared to be a maze of interconnected paths. There were more stairs leading downwards on the same wall as the gate we'd just opened.

  "Even if Ash isn't here, this definitely feels illegal," Thorne muttered under his breath.

  We stood still for a minute, ears strained. There were sounds, but not all of them were constant, so it was hard to discern if they were made by a person or not. The distant hum of wind, the echo of water dripping onto the stone floor, the buzzing of lights above us. Was someone talking, or was it just our minds playing tricks on us?

  "Maybe we should–" I began, but as I did, a faint, metallic screech echoed through the maze, followed by a distant boom.

  It sounded like a very heavy door opening and slamming closed. We all froze and waited for whatever might come next. Nothing for a few seconds. Then came the sound of voices, muffled and far-away. It was like hearing someone talk to you while wearing thirteen layers of foam on your ears. Nothing close or clear enough to make out consonants or vowels, let alone entire words, but just distinct enough to recognize changes in pitch and intonation. There were two of them, maybe more, talking together somewhere off in the distance.

  Kadia and Thorne shared a look. He hooked a thumb back in the direction we'd come from, questioning if the voices were coming from there. She shook her head no, then turned to listen again. They sounded like they were coming from below us. Seeing as the only way down was the staircase nearby, Kadia silently pointed at it, and we crept towards it. She reached the staircase and looked down carefully before proceeding. She signalled that the coast was clear. I went down the stairs behind her and Shaye, with Thorne following after. We were getting farther and farther away from the surface, going deeper and deeper into whatever this labyrinth was. It reminded me of a castle dungeon.

  At the bottom of the stairwell was a long, square-shaped hallway stretching on into darkness. A few dim, flickering bulbs were spaced evenly along the stone walls. We stayed close together, moving slowly and listening as best we could to anything we might hear. The voices faded out and died. But there was less water down here, which made it easier to pick up on other noises. It wasn't long before we heard footsteps, alongside random clinking or dragging sounds.

  A few seconds later, a doorway appeared on our left. Rounded at the top and surrounded by brick, the arch was only wide enough for one person to walk through at a time. Inside was a tiny room, about eight-by-eight feet, with a small table and a somewhat old armchair. A lamp hung from the ceiling. The room was a lot cleaner than the rest of this maze, and it had the same sort of decor you would expect to find in your grandmother's home. Except for one glaring detail. There was a long, rectangular window opposite to the doorway, outlined by ornate wooden paneling.

  Through the dirty glass, the window looked down on a big, hexagonal room, complete with stone walls, stone floor, and stone ceiling above. It was about twenty-five feet down. The chamber had no openings whatsoever, save for a single, reinforced iron door set into one of its six walls. There were some objects on the ground beneath the window, but I couldn't make out what.

  Thorne came to a stop, eyes widening as he saw the scene through the glass. We gathered around him and took in the room as well. A shudder went through me, my heart suddenly pounding inside my chest. Was this where Ashkan was? It looked so empty.

  Kadia was the first to react. "Look across the way. The other five walls have windows and rooms just like this one. Perhaps we can navigate around the perimeter to see the chamber below from all angles."

  She took the lead, and the three of us followed her as she crept farther down the main hallway. She poked her head around a corner before signaling us to stay put. Then she disappeared, leaving us waiting and holding our breaths. I heard a sudden grunt and some scuffling noises. There was a shunk, some cracking, and a thump as something heavy fell to the ground. After a few seconds of silence, Kadia motioned for us to follow, her blade coated in blood. There was a body of a woman slumped up against the wall behind her, bleeding profusely from the base of her skull. Shaye gasped.

  I took the time to look down at the woman on the ground. Her eyes had closed, but I could still barely see the dark veins on her skin under the dim lightbulbs. She was an Inkblood, no doubt. But Kadia hadn't slashed her throat. Did she know about that technique? Regardless, I couldn't finish the job myself without looking highly suspicious. I just hoped the body wouldn't reanimate anytime soon.

  A second windowed room, nearly identical to the first, sat in the corner of the winding hallway. It provided a similar but different angle on the chamber down below. The cloudy glass made it hard for my brain to make out the scene. Gathered near one wall was a basic wooden chair, a very old-looking mattress, and a tattered blanket. Against another wall, close to the door, was a metal sink and a matching toilet, both rusting around the edges. Directly below us, I thought I could spot some heavy chains, but the angle of the window made it impossible to see anything even remotely underneath it.

  Now my anxiety was turning to rage. I pictured Ashkan chained to the wall, beaten and battered and on the edge of death. I had to find him before something awful happened. I hoped more than anything that he wasn't already dead.

  Kadia led us around the perimeter, the twists and turns of the labyrinth's layout occasionally throwing off our orientation. On our way to the third window, her and Thorne were forced to assassinate two more – presumably – Inkbloods, who were roaming casually through the maze of stone corridors. They went down without much of a fight, and we pressed on. Metallic groans and bangs suddenly rang out. We soon heard a voice again, muffled by distance and the cold walls. It was deep and gruff. The sound of its tone made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Something about it was vaguely familiar.

  The third window afforded an answer to that question. We were now directly above the door to the chamber, staring down at the hulking man who'd just entered. Balgaur. Even with his back turned, I could recognize his bald head, massive figure, scarred skin, and throwing knife collection lining his belt. His appearance was unsurprising considering the Inkbloods, yet dread still stabbed at my stomach. It was hard not to be frightened of a towering man who could probably split your skull open with a single punch. This would not be easy. I wondered if he was in charge of the operation. With a quick swish of my fingers, I extinguished the light radiating from the lamp above us. As long as we kept a safe distance from the glass, nobody looking up could see us.

  Balgaur stood in the middle of the room. He looked straight ahead and spoke, "Need water?" His voice echoed across the chamber, slightly muffled. He glanced over at a tarnished metal pitcher that sat beside the wooden chair. "You want water?"

  Silence answered.

  Shaye whispered, "Who is he talking to...?"

  I looked closer, but I still couldn't see who was in there with him. The only light that spilled into the dingy chamber was from the six – now five – ceiling lamps from each windowed room high above. Whoever this mysterious prisoner was, they must've been tucked away in the shadows against the wall. I counted four thick chains snaking out from the pitch-black corner Balgaur was facing. They were attached to heavy iron rings bolted into the stone floor. From what I could tell, Balgaur had to be speaking to someone. But there was no response, verbal or otherwise. Still, he wouldn't offer water to a dead person. That was a good sign.

  "C'mon, lad. Play nice and I might see if I can sneak you some grub," Balgaur coaxed. "You made the boss real mad yesterday, you did. Real mad. And now you're payin' the price. It's your choice. The boss doesn't wanna feed you anymore, so you can either tell me where those precious little necklaces are, or you can starve to death. Simple as that."

  No response, not even a shuffle. Maybe Ashkan was unconscious. I bristled. Or worse, on death's doorstep.

  "Suit yourself. I'll tell the boss you're still playin' dumb. Expect a visit from him soon. And try to learn some manners before then, yeah?" Balgaur's deep voice, its cadence and accent so familiar, rang out through the cold chamber. Then he spat and walked out, letting the door slam shut behind him. The clanging, grinding sounds of bolts sliding into place followed a few seconds later.

  "That giant meathead talks too much," Thorne muttered, to which Kadia nodded firmly.

  "I can't believe he works for somebody else..." Shaye breathed. "Who could be crueller than Balgaur?"

  Kadia stood beside me, staring intently into the chamber. "We shall discover that later. For now, that prisoner needs freeing. I have a strong feeling it's Ashkan."

  "How do we get him out?" Thorne asked, taking a glance over his shoulder to make sure no other Inkbloods would emerge suddenly and surprise us.

  She mulled over our options. "First, we take out those two in that watching room over there."

  Everyone followed her gaze to the fifth window. Sure enough, through the glass, I could spot the silhouettes of two dark figures. Inkbloods were observing the room down below, watching and chatting amongst themselves.

  "Then... We might need to shatter the window to enter. The cell door is well below us, certainly immune to magic, and expecting traffic soon. I suspect it will be heavily guarded as well," Kadia reasoned. She let out a long breath and met each of our eyes. "I will drop down and use my medulet to whisk the prisoner to safety. Brielle, you will watch my back. Thorne and Shaye, stay on this level and ward off any Inkbloods that might spot us and alert others. Be sure to keep your eyes on all six windows."

  "That's all I can do?" I asked. I wasn't fond of the idea of sending her down alone to potentially face an entire mob of Inkbloods and god-knows-what-else was lurking around this mansion-torture-dungeon.

  "Do not worry. I will not be defenseless," she assured me, then looked between us. "Okay? If we execute our parts, no one will get hurt."

  Kadia's strategy was sound and as cautious as possible, given the current circumstances. But Shaye's expression was panicked and jumpy. My concern for her grew. How much worse could she handle? I didn't want to belittle her, but she seemed a little too close to passing out for comfort. Surely Kadia could sense the same from her. But there wasn't any time to sit around and deliberate over what could or should happen. It was time to act.

  We walked carefully along the chilly corridors, sticking to the walls. The fourth observation room was empty. Thorne moved very slowly as he approached the fifth window, and he peeked around the corner at the two Inkbloods. Kadia was right behind him. Simultaneously, she drove her dagger into one Inkblood's neck while he bashed his armoured fist into the other's temple. The Inkblood closest to the window fell to his knees, clutching desperately at the wound on his neck. Blood spilled all over the window. Thorne drove a few more of his devastating strikes into the other one's head until he went limp and lifeless. Silence enveloped us once more.

  The four of us gathered around the window, trying to see what lay below us. Blood made the view somewhat obscured. Still, the person sitting in one of the corners of the hexagon was too swathed in shadows to identify.

  "I can't tell if that's him," Shaye murmured, pressing her forehead against the glass and squinting. "It looks like... I-I'm not sure."

  Thorne, now holding his hand outstretched in front of him, glanced over at Kadia. "I can get rid of the glass without making any noise, if you'd like to go in for a closer look?"

  Kadia nodded at him. "Perfect, yes. We do not need to attract more attention than we have to."

  Thorne held his hand over the glass and started making subtle gestures with his fingers. As he moved, the glass began to phase out, transforming into a smoky haze before dissipating entirely. After a few moments, the whole panel was gone. Cold air rushed in. We stared into the cell, trying to see what was inside. But it was just so damn dark, and I was getting sick of standing around and doing nothing while Ashkan was still likely down there, in pain and alone.

  Kadia retrieved her medulet from her pocket and ensured it was still working. The intricate cube whirred to life. "All set. Is everyone clear on–?"

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Before she could finish, there was a loud clang from somewhere down the hall, followed by four or five voices. Laughter. Muffled, but close. Kadia whipped around to face the dark corridor, her expression hardening with alarm. The sound of boots grew louder. We were about to get ambushed.

  "Thorne, Shaye, can you deal with them?" she whispered quickly.

  Shaye, who looked more than a little bit spooked by the noise, now had tears in her eyes. She seemed as if she was trying her absolute hardest to maintain a stoic expression. "What? We... I..."

  "Are you equipped to fight, or not?" Kadia pressed.

  She was visibly struggling not to lose her composure entirely. Her face was a picture of anguish. She shook her head frantically. "I don't... I-I'm..."

  Kadia gritted her teeth. "There's no time. I will take care of them with Thorne. Just stay back and try to stay calm. You do not have to be in the fray if you cannot handle it. Understand?"

  "But I–"

  "No more talking," Kadia said in a harsh whisper, looking to me. "Brielle, go help him. If he is chained, they must be removed. Teleportation of someone wearing restraints is extremely dangerous. Find a way. And watch your back."

  "On it," I said.

  I'd barely swung my legs over the now barren windowpane when the group of Inkbloods came around the corner. Two men and three women. They all froze.

  "Intruders," one woman hissed, reaching for her weapon.

  "Tear 'em limb from limb, then take 'em to the boss!" the tallest man ordered.

  Shaye, her breaths shallow and panicked, shrunk into the corner while Kadia and Thorne stepped in to intercept. I took my leave before anyone could do anything else.

  I dropped through the opening, casting an enchantment that slowed my fall to the pace of a feather's drift. I landed lightly. Kneeling on the hard, chilly floor, I blinked up at the room I'd just come from. From down here, all the windowed chambers that surrounded the stone cell seemed even farther away, the glass even more blurry, and the lights that dangled from the ceiling even dimmer. Being in here was probably even colder and more miserable than it looked from the outside. Not to mention, terrifying and claustrophobic. I'd landed directly in front of a chain that led up to one of the dark corners. The sounds of fighting were distant above me.

  I swallowed the rising unease that threatened to cloud my thoughts and looked towards the shadows. Standing up, I walked slowly into the dark, careful not to trip over the iron links or set my foot into an unruly crack in the floor. With a clench of my fist, a miniature orb sparked to life above the centre of my palm, radiating only as much illumination as a flashlight would. It cast flickering shadows everywhere. The first shape to greet me was the silhouette of a person sitting, slumped over, thick cuffs locked around their wrists and ankles. Slowly, I raised the sphere of light.

  Instantly, my fears and suspicions were confirmed. It was Ashkan. I suppressed the compulsion to tackle him in a hug.

  The orb's glow reflected off his body, his head bowed so low I couldn't see his expression. Judging by the way he was leaning against the wall behind him, I didn't think he was conscious. He wore nothing but black canvas breeches and a white linen shirt – both of which were muddy, torn, and somewhat bloodstained. Livid bruises peeked out from underneath the cuffs on his wrists and ankles. Smaller ones peppered his arms and legs, surrounded by smudges of dirt.

  I took a step closer. Then another. As the light drifted nearer, I could see him shivering. I thought I could also see his breathing. The closer I got, the faster the orb flickered, and it soon started trembling. Every part of me shook with nerves and urgency.

  "Ash?" I whispered, my voice faint. "Ashkan? Are you...? Can you hear me?"

  The only response was silence. I could still hear the distant noise of Kadia and Thorne battling the Inkbloods overhead.

  I kneeled down right beside him. Nausea blossomed in my stomach. Shaking harder now, I reached towards his chin and used both hands to guide his head up. Then I angled the sphere just right so the light flooded across his face.

  Ashkan's expression almost stopped my heart entirely. His lips were cracked, his skin pale. His hair was matted together in limp waves by a mixture of sweat and dried blood. Gently, I grazed my thumbs across his cheeks, trying to process the extent of his wounds. A mostly scabbed-over laceration stretched its way diagonally above his left eyebrow, leaving dried drips along his temple and down to his jaw. Blood was crusted around his nostrils. His right eye was slightly swollen, with purple and yellow-brown bruising around it.

  I couldn't stop staring. This was unbearable. Everything about this scene was disturbing in the worst way. My heart ached beyond belief. It was a feeling of pain I'd never experienced. Every bit of sympathy and care I held for him compounded into an anguish so vivid, I could barely contain it. My blood burned. No one should have to endure this kind of torture. Especially not him.

  "Oh my god..." I breathed, fighting back tears. My hands shook from either side of his face. I gingerly brushed some of the loose curls out of his eyes, my heart feeling like it was being stepped on.

  The movement must've stirred him, because his eyes snapped open, and he recoiled back with a flinch. I inhaled a gasp of shock. Ashkan was staring straight ahead, yet didn't seem to know what he was looking at. He blinked repeatedly, his eyelids moving sluggishly and drowsily. I could feel my expression twist in horror. It must've looked terrifying to him. I tried to steady my breath.

  "It's just me," I whispered as soothingly as possible. "I-It's Brielle. I'm not gonna hurt you. Okay? It's okay. I'm so, so sorry."

  The recognition didn't seem to sink in until much later than it should've. It looked like it was taking all of his effort just to stay awake. Eventually, he mumbled a quiet, hoarse word. I could barely make it out.

  "Brie...?" he mumbled again, then groaned weakly, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the bright orb.

  I adjusted the sphere so that its light didn't fall on his face, but now only illuminated me. His eyes widened when he could discern my features. He blinked, as though making sure he was seeing properly, then gazed back up at my face, eyes filled with confusion, shock, and some sort of wild hopefulness that made my stomach somersault.

  "What are you...? What's–?" Ashkan coughed dryly and winced in pain. "You...need to leave...!"

  "Hold on, don't strain yourself," I whispered. "We're gonna get you out of here."

  "You came to rescue me..." he murmured. Then, his expression hardened with panic. "Brie, you... Don't understand. He's coming. You... You need to get away from here, right now. Get as far away as you can."

  I didn't understand what he meant at first. "He...? Wait, what?"

  "Get away...! Run, and don't come back… Brielle, please–"

  In a hushed voice, I cut him off. "Hey. I know we need to hurry. But I'm not leaving here without you. Understand?"

  His chest heaved as he took in my words, his breathing quickening. Then, his face crumpled. It was as if my words had torn through whatever wall was keeping him together. His face fell into a mixture of emotions, and he dropped his forehead onto my shoulder.

  "I-I'm glad I stayed alive...long enough...to see you," he mumbled into the crook of my neck, his voice rough and raw.

  A pang of sorrow shot through me. "Don't talk like that. Everything will be okay. I promise."

  I hugged him lightly and carefully, then pulled away to study his expression again. It was all too obvious that he'd been tortured. This wasn't something he'd recover from in a single night, or even in a week. Or a month. A whole new kind of anguish churned within me, one that was harder to control. One that was much angrier.

  "Okay... I'm gonna try something to get these chains off. Ready?" I asked.

  Ashkan nodded weakly, still trembling from the cold.

  "Okay. Here we go. Don't move."

  I reached for his wrists first, only to be met with an intense and familiar burning sensation. With a jolt, I jerked back, the shackle's metal searing into my palms like a hot iron rod. I quickly buried my mouth in my elbow to stifle a pained cry. Ashkan looked horrified.

  "I knew it... Just like with Davie..." he whispered, looking more disoriented than ever.

  He was right, except Davie wasn't chained to the floor. These reinforced shackles couldn't be broken with any spell or weapon. I could cover them in a barrier to prevent them from searing upon contact, but what good would that do? They needed to be off of him entirely. Tarkus' dark magic coils had shattered Davie's cuffs... But was I even capable of casting such a profane spell? Did I even want to try? What if I caused more harm? What if I succumbed to dark magic's corruption after just one spell?

  A deep chill of terror sank in as I realized the answer. I was prepared to do whatever it took to save Ashkan's life. Anything.

  "Brielle... He'll find you..." he murmured. He struggled to speak in coherent sentences, his breathing fast and shallow. "He wants you, too. If I... If I'm still alive..."

  My mind was spinning with worry and panic. "Shh. Save your strength."

  He didn't stop. "You can't get caught–"

  "Don't worry, Ash," I interrupted. "You're safe now. You're going to be just fine. I need you to keep breathing, okay? We'll take care of the rest."

  A clatter from above distracted us. The sounds of fighting seemed to have stopped. Ashkan flinched. The terror on his face was agonizing to watch. He didn't know what to do with himself. I needed to help him as soon as possible, and that meant getting him out of here and back to Lunellia where she could give him medical attention. But we had to deal with those damn cuffs first.

  A muffled thump sounded from the room above before Kadia dropped into the stone cell. Ashkan cowered. She quickly strode towards us, looking exhausted, then kneeled on Ashkan's opposite side and leaned in for a better look.

  "Are you all right?" Kadia asked him gently, scanning him head to toe. "Are you able to stand?"

  "I don't know. I don't know." He shook his head frantically. His breathing quickened again, and I noticed his gaze darting around the dark corners of the cell. "You need to go. You need to leave, please..."

  Kadia nodded sympathetically at him, then looked to me. "I assume the shackles are magic-proof?"

  "Unfortunately. They burn like hell if you touch them." I gestured at the iron bands and winced.

  She stared at them for a while before running through a series of spells and hexes. Nothing worked. The chains were immune to freezing, melting, breaking, disintegrating, bending, phasing, and all sorts of other tricks. It didn't look like Kadia could get through, either. Ashkan watched, his expression filled with anxiety, fear, and anticipation.

  I watched, too, until I realized we didn't have time to spend on trial and error. "I don't suppose you know any dark magic, huh?" I asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

  Kadia's eyes turned incredulous. "Not in a thousand years. What would make you ask such a thing?"

  I wasn't sure what else to say. "Um... I don't know. It's destructive, right? The cuffs need to be destroyed..."

  "No, I don't," she replied without hesitation, staring at me. "Destructive is right. Unpredictable is more correct. It is outlawed for a reason. Any minor cast of it could bring irreversible harm, not just to you, but to those around you, too."

  My heart was in my throat. I tried not to show it. "I know. But if it's our only option, shouldn't we at least consider it? What else can we do?"

  She shook her head vehemently. "If there is a chance we can avoid it, we must. I will think of something else. You will not attempt to use dark magic to save him, Brielle. You mustn't. While I do so, please heal his wounds if you can."

  My shoulders sank. "...Wait, what if someone comes back? Won't they notice that Ash looks different?"

  She hesitated for a moment. "I...suppose we may want to leave him in this state to keep up the pretense."

  The thought of leaving him like this for another second was repulsive. But I felt like my point was a valid one. If someone returned and saw that his bruises and lacerations were gone, they'd know something was up.

  Ashkan seemed to know exactly what we were talking about, because he sat up a little straighter. "S'okay... I'll be fine."

  It didn't feel okay. It didn't feel okay at all. My thoughts were swimming, drowning in fear. I just wanted this to be over already. The sound of a lock clicking somewhere behind us made me almost jump out of my skin. Ashkan looked petrified, his gaze trained on a spot over my shoulder, staring at something I couldn't see.

  "What... What's that noise?" he whispered. "That's not just in my head, is it...?"

  Kadia grabbed my arm. "Go. Now."

  The urgency in her voice made my stomach turn. Ash seemed to know what was happening, and he was scared out of his wits. I didn't have time to do anything. We just had to go. Kadia shoved me away, and I used aero to jump through the open window above us, landing on the other side, my knees aching from the force of it. Kadia followed right behind me.

  "Stay down and out of sight. Keep quiet, no matter what happens," she whispered hurriedly, glancing at the three of us.

  Shaye turned to me. "Is... Is it him? Is he down there?"

  I nodded mutely. Her face went white with shock, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to stop from crying out. Kadia pushed her and me towards the wall where a cluster of shadows swallowed up the entire corner. She then extinguished the ceiling lamp. She and Thorne pressed themselves against the opposite wall. As for me, I stayed at the edge of the darkness, and peered around the corner of the window. I had a terrible feeling that something awful was going to happen to Ashkan.

  The cell door opened with another deafening clatter and thud. Two hooded Inkbloods entered, their faces invisible within the depths of black cloaks. They both grabbed Ash by the upper arms and forced him to stand in the middle of the room.

  "On your feet," one of them commanded. Ashkan struggled to follow.

  The cell door was left open behind them. Balgaur appeared next, having to duck and squeeze himself through the opening. But he wasn't alone. A figure entered behind him. The sounds of their footsteps were quieter than the others'. Almost ghostlike. The way Balgaur was so quick to get out of the way made it clear who was leading the pack.

  Balgaur's master? So this must be the real leader… The one responsible for all the brainwashing tattoos...

  My blood chilled and my muscles tightened, all the hair on my body standing on end as a man walked into the dim lamplight. He was lean and much slimmer than Balgaur, but even taller than him. It wasn't like he towered over everyone like a giant – it was like everyone around him shrunk. Curiously, he appeared to be younger than Balgaur; definitely no older than thirty-five. Without the dirty glass window between us, I could see the features on his face clearly.

  He was pale as bone, with a slight greyish tinge to his skin, like all the blood had been drained from him. His features were sharp: hollow cheeks, a chiselled jaw and chin, a straight nose, a prominent brow ridge. Black waves of hair curtained his face, reaching almost to his armpits, layered and parted in the middle. The ends faded into a blue-grey. The Victorian and Baroque nature of his clothing stood out obviously compared to everyone else's utilitarian outfits. His overcoat was long, and draped all the way down to his ankles in black, silver-adorned, lacy layers of cloth. A pair of silver epaulets decorated each of his shoulders. His collar was high and frilly, like an old-fashioned vampire, with a violet cravat secured at his throat. There was an eerie and unearthly stillness to his expression, the kind of face that belonged in a portrait rather than real life. This effect was amplified by the ornamented cane that he leaned on casually, long fingers resting on top.

  The two Inkbloods bowed lowly. Shaye's breath halted. A heavy silence descended on the room, thick and foreboding. Balgaur stood rigid, his expression stony. His master barely seemed to pay attention to the men that surrounded him. His gaze was fixed solely on the prisoner in the middle of the cell, on Ashkan, who was staring him down with the last bit of energy he had left.

  Balgaur piped up, "He's still not spillin', sire. S'what I told you. Should we make another shadow to replace the one we lost? Just say the word and–"

  His master's gaze slid sideways to fix on Balgaur's face.

  The giant shut his mouth and cringed at his own words.

  "You have done quite enough for today," the leader spoke in a cool voice. It was quiet, deep, and silky. His accent was distinctly rare, with an air of aristocracy to it; on Earth, it'd be something between an upper-class London accent and a Middle English one. He looked back to Ashkan, who seemed to be staring back defiantly, his jaw set.

  "Doesn't seem like the bloke wants to talk," muttered one of the men who was holding him in place.

  The leader stepped closer. "Your refusal to cooperate is vexing, but not unreasonable. In fact, I admire your spirit. Truly. Nevertheless, this farce must come to an end. I have not the patience left for this grand spectacle of a game. Have you lost your brains or are you truly this dense?"

  Ashkan didn't reply, just kept glaring hatefully.

  "Perhaps you have somehow overlooked the plight you are in?" He tapped his cane onto the stone. There was a slow, deliberate pause. "…I could slice you up and bleed you dry right here. But, no, that's much too easy. The freedom of death shan't be misspent on wastrels."

  Kadia's shoulders were stiff, and I was on edge, my ears prickling. It felt like insects were crawling all over my skin. Beside me, Shaye's face was drawn and stricken, her brows knitted with horror. I reached for her hand, intertwining our fingers, trying to give her a little reassurance. As terrifying as what was happening here was, I didn't want to lose focus and screw something up.

  One of the men spoke up from Ashkan's other side. "Milord, we should make a new shadow right now. An ugly version of him. Could be good target practice."

  The leader seemed to mull this over for a second. "Uninspired, yet somehow less exhausting. I daresay you have your merit, if only very little of it. Such a shame that the girl prefers to break apart my strenuous creations."

  I tensed up, my heart racing. I shouldn't be surprised that the news reached them.

  "Been a naughty rat, all right," the other man commented, grabbing a fistful of Ashkan's hair and yanking his head backwards. "Know what we do with rats? Pop 'em full of holes!"

  Ashkan breathed slowly, not moving a muscle. His eyes were determined and strong. The leader studied him with a long, steady look, his expression giving nothing away. For a few moments, the room was dead silent. Balgaur and the other men watched for instructions, seeming eager to know where this was going.

  Then, their master gave a bored sort of wave with his hand. "I've offered my contract, yet you still refuse to comply. You're as bloody-minded as she was. So, I ask you once more. Where are the necklaces kept?"

  My mouth went dry. She? Who is he talking about? And are our necklaces really this coveted? Doesn't everyone perceive Earth as inferior?

  Ashkan jerked his chin at him defiantly. "Not playing...your game... How many times...do I have to tell you? You're not…getting them."

  The leader heaved a long, exaggerated sigh. "You say it like it's a challenge." For someone who spoke with such archaic pronunciation, his cutting retorts were oddly modern. The man paused for a moment, assessing his captive again. "How fascinating that you seem to be in desperate need of a motivator. Is starvation not effective on your people? Perhaps it hasn't been long enough."

  He strolled around Ashkan casually, cane thumping along, scrutinizing him up and down. The entire room watched expectantly. No one dared to move. A horrible, uneasy sense of helplessness sat in my gut. I hated it. I hated this man, and I hadn't even spoken to him. Monsters like him gave sadists a bad name.

  The man stopped after a slow revolution. "Despite being a miserable coward, you've retained quite the gall to resist. Even when faced with certain death, honour holds you firmly. Alas, all men wish to martyr themselves at some point in their lifetime. How unsurprising that you are no exception." His fist clenched around the handle of his cane, every muscle in his body stiffening into fierce rigidity despite his calm tone. "You’re just about the spitting image of her, you know. Just as intrusive... Just as ignorant. If it was under my control, you would be executed then left out to rot, just how I wish your pestilent mother had been."

  His words had an immediate and devastating effect. Ashkan's silence broke in an instant. He lunged forward but was restrained by his cuffs. "Shut up! Don't you dare speak of her!"

  A quiet gasp escaped my lips. How did the leader know Ashkan's mother had died? And why the hell was that relevant?

  "My, my. Continue acting in that manner and you'll be able to count all your teeth on one hand," the man replied, sounding unmoved. "If you do not agree to cooperate, then you will leave me no choice. The blood of my enemies will spill only if they insist. It is your decision."

  Ashkan didn't reply. He stared at the stone beneath his feet, panting slightly, fuming.

  Shaye huddled herself closer to me, her arm brushing against mine. "They're... He's... Brielle, they'll kill him…!" she whispered, sounding utterly distraught.

  "I don't know." I tried to keep my nerves stable. "I don't think they will... They can't afford to."

  The leader sighed heavily at Ashkan's reaction. "Such a heathen... Like mother like son, it seems."

  "Shut UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!!" he suddenly roared, louder than I'd ever heard him before. This time, he fought fiercely against his chains, thrashing wildly, looking almost rabid with sheer anger and hatred. The men who were holding onto him struggled to keep him in place. They forced him back, pinning him in place, grabbing him by the head.

  The leader turned and shifted his eyes away, unaffected by the outburst. "Pathetic. Are we forgetting who is in control? Allow me to clarify..." His hand abruptly snapped out and seized Ashkan's throat with a grip like iron. "You. Are worth. Nothing."

  Shaye shrunk away in fear. I was stunned, too, unable to look away.

  Balgaur's master retracted his hand. Ashkan gasped for air, practically choking. "Release him," he told the men.

  The hooded men let go, leaving Ashkan to fall hard to his knees. He took a shuddering breath but didn't seem able to speak. He coughed a few times and hung his head. His shoulders slumped in resignation.

  The leader smoothed the front of his waistcoat. He regained his dignified air as if the heated moment hadn't even happened, like nothing had slipped out of place. "How valuable of an Inkblood you would make. If only my methods could function upon you... In the most unexpected of circumstances, perhaps we will still be able to reach a form of, hmm, mutual understanding."

  Everyone in the room looked expectantly to their leader, hanging onto his every word. To me, it almost looked like they weren't consciously aware they were doing it. That kind of loyalty was terrifying.

  Ashkan spoke low in his throat. "I'll...never...be one of you..."

  A hint of annoyance flashed across their master's impassive face for a split second, as though deeply offended by the very idea. "Yes, well. Your gods must've granted you a fair amount of protection, truly, which makes this all the more vexing. However, Ashkan... You heathen, bastard, wretched miscreant..." He raised his cane towards Ash's face, lifting his chin. "...I can break you all the same."

  The leader then swiped his hand sharply through the air, and a dark flash flared up momentarily in his palm. One second passed before Ashkan let out a piercing cry and doubled over onto the floor, clutching at his left forearm. His scream reverberated in my skull, making my head spin, and a violent wave of nausea hit me. I instinctively moved to help him, but Kadia reached for me. Her fingers clamped down on my wrist.

  She shook her head firmly. "Don't."

  My heart pounded furiously against my ribcage. Ashkan let out another terrible scream as he writhed on the ground. It sounded like he was being burned alive. He looked to be in utter agony, twisting and kicking out. What the hell is happening?! I looked to Shaye and saw her close her eyes with one hand over her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she hyperventilated.

  Crimson blood bloomed beneath the torn sleeve of Ash's shirt and began to drip steadily onto the stone. There were gashes in his forearm. Like long, jagged claws had gouged at his skin, covering it with seemingly random slashes. His fist pounded against the ground, knuckles white. The sight of him, so raw and agonized, was nothing short of heart-wrenching.

  "Do you suppose this is what your mother wished?" Balgaur's master questioned coolly. He rested both hands on his cane, regarding Ashkan as though he were some sort of mildly interesting zoo exhibit. "For her disdainful heretic of a son to be digging his own grave through mutiny? To be branded like an animal as a result of trifling insubordination?"

  Ashkan gritted his teeth together and choked back another cry. It was the most painful and excruciating sound I'd ever heard. This kind of curse was something I'd only read about in textbooks, under the heading of 'Illegal and Forbidden' – a sort of invisible blade spell that was impossible to move away from. It could only be triggered remotely by the caster, who would simply have to give a command, or visualize the motion of the blade and the shape they'd want it to take, then release it from their hand. It was the perfect curse for torture. And now I had to watch helplessly.

  "Perhaps the woman did not possess the strength of will to bring you back into line," their leader continued. "Her expiry is lamentable. Did she suffer greatly? Did she succumb easily, like the frail creature that she was?"

  The pain seemed to subside, because Ashkan rolled over. He stared at the wall, eyes vacant and clouded. His body was drenched in sweat. There was an empty look on his face now. Whatever anger had fuelled him seemed to be completely spent.

  "There is nothing to be gained by lying to me." The leader leaned over Ash's limp form. "Do you think me so merciful and foolish, that I will allow you to waste my time? This is merely a taste of what awaits you if you continue to resist. So, unless you are willing to forfeit the remainder of your worthless life... Tell me. Where is the necklaces' vault?"

  The seconds crawled by, dragging out into an excruciating wait for his reply. His face contorted in pain, and I saw the effort it took him to formulate his reply.

  The word came out raspy. "...No."

  His tormentor stared at him blankly. "No?" He looked at Balgaur. "Is my hearing in need of repair? It must be so. The fool appears to be speaking nonsense."

  Balgaur looked to him and shrugged his huge shoulders. "It's his favourite word."

  "Is that so? What a pity... Then let me show him one of my favourites." He flicked his fingers in a short gesture, as if swiping a fly off his shoulder, and Ashkan screamed again.

  The gashes in his forearm started at his wrist and were now continuing their way towards his elbow. You could visibly trace the blade's invisible path, where his skin was slashed in jagged streaks. His cries echoed across the dungeon as he curled into himself. His hand clutched his wounded arm, smearing the blood.

  Shaye's hands flew over her face and she wept into her palms, unable to bear any more. I pulled her into my chest and held her against me – partially to comfort her, and partially to quiet her sobs. She clung to my jacket with shaking hands. I held her and watched Ashkan with horrified eyes, not knowing what else to do. Those men would kill us if they realized we were there, and we all knew that. We were utterly helpless.

  After the blade curse stopped slicing, the leader spoke up. "Let this serve as an everlasting reminder; a self-inflicted manifestation of your heresy."

  Ashkan lied still on the floor. His breaths came out in rough rasps, like he'd just run a marathon. "Just kill me... If this is…all you can do... Go ahead."

  "Mm, that would be much too simple, I'm afraid," the man said. He leaned over to study Ash's wound, seeming satisfied. "You really are quite intriguing. I haven't had a man resist as long as you have in years." He straightened his back. "In any case, I shan't be requiring you any further today. If you wish to keep your tongue, do try to remember to speak with a semblance of respect. My patience is thin as it is. Farewell."

  Without another word, he turned sharply and walked back the way he came in, Balgaur and the other men following behind him. The door slammed shut. Ashkan was left in a bloody, shuddering mess on the floor. The chamber was silent once again.

  My mind spun. Ash only continued to stare emptily at the wall, looking lifeless. A small puddle of blood had collected underneath his left arm. Shaye let out a muffled sob and I felt her trembling against me. The feeling was contagious; tears burned behind my eyelids, but I willed myself not to cry. Now was not the time. We couldn't waste it.

  I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline as it coursed through my bloodstream, pushing out all thoughts but one: SAVE HIM.

  I looked over at Kadia. "We need to move."

  Her jaw clenched. Her eyes were trained on the blood seeping out around Ash, as though transfixed by it. "I know. We're almost out of this. Follow my lead."

  She dropped down into the cell, with Thorne not far behind her. Shaye and I exchanged a look before I jumped down to join them. When Shaye landed beside me, she was immediately at Ashkan's side, pulling his head up onto her lap. He groaned quietly. She began whispering soft prayers and blessings. I hurried over to them, dropping down on one knee. Kadia and Thorne busied themselves in figuring out how to break his shackles.

  "Hey," I said gently, feeling useless. There wasn't much I could do, except...

  I rolled up his bloodied sleeve to assess the damage. My heart plummeted. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. Black wasn't even the right word. Amongst all the red blood, the cuts were every negative colour all at once, every eye-burning tone there was. A vacuum of the spectrum, a hole where all light disappeared. It was horrible. But the most frightening thing was that it wasn't just random slashes... It was writing. A hexagon symbol was carved into his flesh, as clear as the day, beside one word:

  M I S C R E A N T

  Shaye's eyes watered when she saw it, but she held her ground. Teardrops rolled down her face. "Ashkan, can you hear me? I-It'll be all right, I swear it..."

  His eyelashes fluttered a few times, then his gaze met hers. He stared at her like she wasn't quite real. His response came out slightly slurred, but not unintelligible. "...Shaye?"

  She let out a choked sob of relief and nodded. "Yes... Yes, it's me. It's Shaye... Y-You'll be okay, you'll be okay. I swear it."

  "Hurts..." he rasped out, squeezing his eyes shut. Sweat beaded across his forehead. "I don't– I don't think– M'sorry... I-I can't... I…" His voice was barely a hoarse whisper.

  "Can you help him? Please tell me you can," Shaye said frantically, looking up to me with a desperate expression.

  "I don't know, I don't... I can't sanitize. It might get infected. Especially in a place like this..." My hands shook. I felt sick with dread, with guilt, with anxiety, with fear. It was so much at once I could hardly think straight. So I did the only thing I safely could; I tore a long, clean strip off my undershirt and wrapped it firmly around the wound. He flinched but made no further complaint.

  Shaye nodded to me gratefully, smoothing a hand over Ash's grimy hair. "H-Hold on. You'll be fine. It'll all be fine..." She kept up her reassurances and prayed to her gods in hushed tones, keeping him close. After a moment, she spat, "Those damn cuffs...!" Her hand went to grab onto the nearest one.

  "No!" Kadia and I exclaimed at the same time.

  It was too late. Shaye's shriek ripped through the air as the enchanted shackle burned her skin. She released it and scrambled back, gasping in pain. Her palm was red like she'd touched a hot stove. Her breathing came out ragged as she looked down at it.

  "GO! Get out!" Kadia's eyes blazed. Her words cut like a knife, urgent and direct.

  Shaye shook her head fiercely, stubborn as a bull. "No! We're not leaving without Ashkan. If he's staying here, then I'm staying here! He'll die without us!"

  "We will all die if we stay!" Kadia said sternly.

  "She's right," Thorne added, sounding uneasy. "There's no chance they didn't just hear that."

  Kadia reached out to grab Shaye, but she dodged. "Stop it! Stop! We can't! We can't just leave him; I won't–"

  A loud bang echoed off the chamber walls. Shaye stopped mid-sentence. All our heads swivelled towards the door. My stomach dropped. I glanced towards Kadia and saw her looking at the same place. My blood ran cold. They were coming for us.

  "You seriously can't just teleport him out of here?" I hissed in a whisper.

  "With those shackles on, it'll rip his damn hands and feet off!" she retorted back.

  "Then we face them," I decided. I knew it was a terrible, reckless idea. I also knew we didn't have time for another.

  Kadia shook her head. "They'll kill you. I'll deal with this. Thorne, get them out of here, now!"

  Thorne reached out and grabbed my wrist. He seized Shaye's too. We began to protest, but our words were swallowed up as the cell door opened.

  Balgaur's figure appeared in the doorway. He stopped when he saw us. His face hardened. He glanced towards me, as if he couldn't comprehend how I'd gotten in, but didn't bother asking. Instead, he yelled over his shoulder, "Sire!"

  "Let's go!" Thorne insisted, pushing me towards the open window.

  I fought him. "No! I'm sick of running! We have to stop them!"

  Thorne's hands clamped down on my arms. "I get that, but this isn't a matter of–"

  A pair of light footsteps approached us, accompanied by the thunk, thunk, thunk of a cane hitting the stone. Balgaur's master appeared in the doorway. He froze. I met his cold eyes for an instant before looking down. The way his gaze burned through me was a silent warning that I couldn't ignore.

  His voice was even colder. "Well... I didn't think this night could become more interesting, and yet..."

  Kadia's hands glowed an icy blue as she moved into position, poised for an attack. Shaye cast a strong forcefield around Ashkan.

  Thorne let me go. "Get behind me," he muttered.

  I obeyed this time, slipping behind him. His body shielded me from their view. He faced the doorway, ready for an attack.

  "As it turns out, there were intruders on our premises after all. How unlucky for you, and how utterly entertaining," the master said. "And the prophesized saviours, of all people... An intriguing occurrence indeed." His fingers closed around his cane. "I'll be gracious and reward your boldness with a quick death. Better than you deserve."

  "Lucky us," Thorne muttered, and raised his fists to a defensive position.

  The leader regarded him with mild interest. "You wish to defend them?"

  "Until death."

  "Right, right. It matters not. I shall settle your paltry defiance later. My hosting duties remain at present."

  He flourished his arm out towards us, and Thorne went flying sideways like a ragdoll. He crashed into the stone wall and slid down. My breath caught in my throat. Fear flared, and I quickly stepped towards Kadia.

  Ignoring the others, the man fixed his sights on me. "Ah, Lady De Mavset... At last. A most welcome guest. I do believe an introduction is necessary, yes? The pleasure is all mine. Your presence here is utterly unexpected, and I do apologize for the unceremonious manner with which I must honour it." His eyes never left mine as he walked closer, each step resounding like a chime echoing through the room. "I am Vhinrud. Forgive my forwardness, but this occasion is long overdue."

  Vhinrud gave an elegant bow with such ease it was like he'd done it a thousand times. He gazed at me intensely. My own stare was dumbfounded. This man was really making a play at courtesy, as if he hadn't just cut up one of the most important people in my life. I couldn't help but be put off by the bizarreness of it all. Everyone else watched the scene unfold in equal puzzlement.

  When I didn't say anything, he spoke again. His voice never rose above a calm tone. "Oh, I'm afraid this little spectacle is invite-only. ...Your friends will have to leave. Now."

  I brandished my dagger from the sheath on my thigh and raised it in his direction. "We're not leaving without Ashkan."

  He regarded my weapon like someone might a pebble on the ground. "You'd dare draw your blade on me?"

  "I'd dare," I said, and kept up the act of being brave as best I could. If he suspected for a second that I didn't mean to use it, then I'd be dead.

  Vhinrud straightened up, raising his chin imperiously. "As you wish." His cane came apart, and he unsheathed a serrated, onyx blade from the middle.

  I grit my teeth. Damn it. I did not want to do this. But there was no other choice.

  The first blow was easy to block; a strike of his blade towards my side. The sound of metal hitting metal rang out around us. At that, everyone except Ashkan jumped into motion, swarming Vhinrud and Balgaur with swings and strikes. I rushed the leader with everything I had. He met every move with grace and poise. No matter where I came from or how I attacked, he was ready. My strikes were too easy to block, and too weak to break through his defense. I felt the tiniest flicker of worry at my inadequacy. My skills weren't nearly good enough for this.

  "Is this your best? Come now," Vhinrud chastised me. "I expected better."

  The two of us battled back and forth, him slowly pushing me away from the rest of the group. Kadia was doing her best to help me out, but she was preoccupied with the huge guard who seemed hellbent on chopping her in half. Shaye had gone into protective mode, keeping the two men as far away from Ashkan as she could. Thorne was currently locked in an all-out brawl with Balgaur, each one fighting like their life depended on it.

  Vhinrud parried a swing from my blade with ease. Before I had a chance to react, he slammed my body onto the cold stone floor, pinning me beneath him. His blade pressed to my throat.

  He shook his head in disappointment. "That was entirely too short."

  My heart hammered in my chest. His sword was so sharp that even a slight movement from me could be deadly. I stared up at him. At this proximity, I could see that his eyes weren't black like I'd previously thought. They were an eerie, dark shade of blue-toned red, like the colour of blood mixed with the darkness of night. His pupils were grey instead of black. Dark circles framed the areas underneath, like he hadn't slept in years, outmatched in vividness only by the redness lining the borders of his eyes. The way they gazed down at me with a sort of fascination was chilling. It made my blood run cold.

  I couldn't move. I had no choice but to resort to magic. If he wanted a fight, then he was going to get one. I conjured a glimmering rope and wrapped it around Vhinrud's torso, yanking him off of me. He quickly regained footing after being tossed aside, flipping deftly back up without a single gasp or grunt. With one quick motion, he sliced through my rope like it was paper.

  Vhinrud didn't miss a beat. "It would appear my hospitality is wasted on you. And your friend as well." His eyes flicked over to where Ashkan lied unmoving on the ground.

  The same rage from earlier burst out from inside me and I shot my magic at him again. He batted away every one of my attacks, swatting my power as if they were gnats in his path. Crystal shards, blinding beams, lightning, orbs, spears, sparks, arrows. No matter what I tried, he blocked it like I was no threat to him. Like it was nothing. I had no doubt he was toying with me. He kept that infuriatingly calm composure about him that told me he didn't find this challenging.

  But just before I cast the next thing I could think of to throw at him, Vhinrud decided to switch tactics. Black smoke curled around his outstretched hand. His expression grew darker. I'd seen this kind of magic enough times to know what to expect. I dove out of the way as a black orb was launched towards me, narrowly avoiding the collision. Vhinrud wielded this darkness with an unnatural fluidity.

  In that moment, I remembered my lessons with Miss Lucera. Ancient magic was taxing, but she'd told me it was the most powerful type. All I had to do was convince myself of a possibility. I only hoped it would work.

  Focusing on my strength, my powers gathered around me in a dazzling silver aura, an extension of my own energy. I threw myself wholeheartedly into it. The more I did, the brighter and stronger it got. I could feel myself connecting to the essence, this extra force. It coursed through me, becoming one with my every emotion and intent. A familiar hollowness started to grow in the pit of my stomach. My thoughts were overtaken by everything that had happened, everything that had led to this confrontation. Ashkan's injuries, his pain, my own fear and anger and dread. There was a storm inside me, and it needed out.

  "No, stop!" Shaye's exclaim cut through the air.

  I opened my eyes just in time to see Ashkan's barrier disintegrate. And Vhinrud was closing in on him. Shaye attempted to cast another barrier. Vhinrud flung her backwards with a flick of his wrist, then shot a dark violet blast at Ashkan. I was about to try to deflect it when he instinctively rose his arm to shield himself. The spell hit the metal cuff on his wrist, crumbling it into blackened pieces.

  My eyes widened. That was the answer. Desperately, I flung the greatest amount of energy I could towards Vhinrud. Air rushed all around me to make way for the torrent of magic. Our powers collided halfway between us. The explosion upon impact set off sparks across the entirety of the chamber. Ancient against dark. It felt like all at once, it was taking everything out of me and giving it back at the same time. Daring the opponent to overpower the other until one won out.

  Vhinrud gave a sort of vague smile. "An admirable effort, Lady De Mavset. Alas, an ocean cannot be drowned. And a flame cannot be singed." Swirling darkness poured out of him, a deathly purple miasma. The dark spell's shadowy trail raced forward like a violent whip.

  In a panic, I braced myself, sending up a shield of my own. It filled the room in blinding bursts, light rivalling even that of the sun, and wove itself around me like a golden blanket. Still, it didn't hold for long. One by one, each strand of my defenses snapped apart like a spider's silk under a finger.

  I rolled out of the way at the last second. The impact of the dark magic sent a small, crater-shaped indent into the ground where I'd just been standing. Dust burst out in all directions. It left behind a dark scorch mark on the already worn stone. The magic retracted back to Vhinrud.

  I had to get Ashkan free, and fast. Maybe ancient magic was strong enough to break through those shackles. At this rate, I didn't see another option. I would risk it.

  As if reading my mind, Thorne's devastating knuckles collided with Vhinrud's unguarded ribs. It was enough of a distraction to cease his focus on me. The air in Vhinrud's lungs burst out in an audible gust, and I took the opportunity to dash over to Ashkan. Thankfully, Shaye's dexterity and Kadia's speed were enough to keep Balgaur occupied. While the two girls dodged and parried attacks, I knelt down next to Ashkan, who was still cradling his bruised wrist like it had broken off with the chain.

  "Ash! Are you okay?" My words were rushed as I fell to my knees.

  His face was deathly pale. "I... S-Stop worrying about me." The skin around his wrist was red and inflamed. I could see the welt patterns from the cuff. "Vhinrud's magic... Dark... It broke the metal, did you...see?"

  I nodded. "I'm so relieved you threw your hand up at just the right angle. I think there's a way I can finish the job, then we can get out of here."

  I glanced over my shoulder, throwing up a bubble of protection around us as Vhinrud retaliated against Thorne. My head swivelled from him to Balgaur, hoping Kadia and Shaye were holding their own. The former of the two was leaping back and forth between each assailant, trying to counterattack and distract the men at the same time. I knew she wouldn't be able to keep that up for long.

  My eyes darted towards Ashkan again. "Stay still. I'm going to break those off."

  He moved to sit up. His breath hitched. "W-With what? You can't–"

  I shut out his protests. "I think I can. My ancient magic lessons are finally coming in handy, and we've got to try something."

  "Ancient magic? What–?"

  "Just hang tight," I assured him.

  I summoned all of my energy, calling it up from inside and letting it well out of me. Every instinct told me what I needed to do. Taking a steady breath, I channelled it straight towards the manacle on his other wrist. My fingers were enveloped in slightly painful pins-and-needles. The metal slowly began to deform. I could see what I needed to do, but I couldn't explain it. This magic was almost automatic. Dark and cold and angry.

  Hairline fractures erupted across the surface, tiny splinters splitting off from the chain. The power I was using turned everything brittle and fragile. I shoved the force outward, then balled my fist tightly. With a loud clunk, it all broke apart. The shards of blackened, rusted iron looked oddly identical to the ones from earlier.

  "Fuck, it actually worked!" I couldn't help but exclaim.

  Ashkan's first ankle cuff came apart in the same manner, a little quicker. Unfortunately, before I could do the last one, the shield I'd put around us broke with a crash. A whip of black magic cracked hard against my arm, and a sharp sting accompanied the splash of blood running down my elbow. I let out a cry of pain.

  "That will be quite enough of that, sweeting," said Vhinrud, looking mildly irritated.

  I gripped the injury, my whole arm throbbing as a reminder of his penchant for suffering. Blood seeped through my fingers. Gasping, I forced myself to put on a brave face.

  Kadia appeared in front of me within mere seconds. In the blink of an eye, a freezing field of ice crystals shot up from underneath her feet before bursting upwards in an icy explosion. Vhinrud and Balgaur had absolutely zero means to avoid the surge. Sharp, crystalline spikes raced up across the floor, cutting straight towards them. Both men were flung aside by the impact. Shrapnel flew through the air, a deadly sleet shattering in all directions. It stopped just short of where I crouched on the ground.

  I looked up at her in shock. My jaw dropped open.

  "I think it's about time we left." Kadia grasped my hand and hoisted me onto my feet. "Finish the rest of it. We'll... We'll have a talk later." She looked away, suddenly standoffish, then turned to stand side-by-side with Shaye and Thorne. Together, the three of them flanked Vhinrud and Balgaur viciously.

  There was no time for me to ask for clarification about her last statement. I quickly directed my magic at Ashkan's final cuff. In about twenty seconds, it also crumbled to pieces like wet sand. My hands stung intensely, but I didn't care. He was free. As if part of Ashkan's own self had finally returned, I watched in awe as he was able to struggle to his feet with some help from the wall behind him.

  On the other side of the room, Vhinrud's twisted frown deepened. He made a tsk sound, eyes narrowing at the scant wreckage of the shackles.

  I thought for a split second that Vhinrud might stop fighting. But as if this wasn't already personal enough, he appeared to only become furious at the fact that I, specifically, had foiled his plan. He swirled towards me, and I frantically pulled up a shield between us.

  Frustration, hatred, and rage bubbled in my veins. I straightened, gathering myself, then focused everything I had on my anger, bringing it to the forefront of my mind. "GOD, would you LEAVE ME ALONE?!" I yelled, thrusting my palms towards him.

  Like a sudden and powerful earthquake, the intense emotion inside me exploded. A massive wave of crimson and black crashed outwards. A forceful gale of all these jagged, splintered tendrils hurtled straight into Vhinrud. The wild, volatile swarm slammed both him and Balgaur to the floor. Underneath the onslaught of darkness, they became ensnared in a flurry of razor-sharp edges. One swipe of my hand and a twist of my wrist, and I'd trapped them in a deadly spiral.

  An enormous surge of magic, the most I'd ever conjured before, bound them in dark, shimmering bonds that were almost certainly coated in ancient power. Where before I had the mental feeling that I was reaching into my lifeforce, touching a source of power unlike anything I'd ever felt, this time I couldn't sense anything at all. Like my magic was pulling from a secret recess inside of me, somewhere even I couldn't reach. As though it were in hibernation, or simply knocked unconscious.

  There was an unspeakable exhaustion that grew quickly, leaving me slumped and sweaty and almost crippled. The second my hands fell, a sort of shock rippled through my every limb. The swarm ceased to exist, leaving Vhinrud and Balgaur kneeling. There was a moment of pause as everybody looked at me in stunned silence.

  Vhinrud stood first, a little unsteady without his cane. His lips parted in vague surprise, and his eyes roved over me, looking almost... Was he impressed?

  Balgaur lifted himself off the ground with a pained grunt. He stared at me with his jaw clenched, eyes narrowed into dark slits and nostrils flared in fury. "I'll tear you apart for attacking my King, wench!"

  Kadia was already dragging me back before I could recover from my daze. Thorne and Shaye were huddled around Ashkan. My chest heaved, my vision a little blurry at the edges. There was a hollowness in my gut and a lethargic weakness. I had no idea what had possessed me or what I'd done. Was that truly me?

  Balgaur's words cut into the air. "OI! GET BACK HERE!" He reached for his belt, and before I knew it, three knives were hurtling in our direction.

  Time slowed to a crawl. Kadia fished out her medulet from her jacket. Shaye scrambled backwards with Ashkan. Thorne grabbed my shoulder and forcibly hauled me out of the way. I whipped around. Everyone had one hand on the glowing, whirring cube. I reached forward. And right as the knives were about to sink into their targets, we dissolved into the air, a sort of distorting static washing over us.

  The last thing I saw before my vision blacked out completely was Vhinrud staring as we disappeared, almost like he'd expected this result all along.

  The five of us landed in a heap in Northview Infirmary's waiting room. Right in front of the reception desk. The nurses all jumped when they saw us sprawled on the floor.

  "L-Lord Wroet'by!" one of them exclaimed. She gestured hurriedly to the others. "Quickly, fetch Dr. Greengrove!"

  Numb and unfeeling, my whole body tingled as though my nerves had been deadened. A heavy tiredness pulled at my eyelids. I felt some sort of pressure on my forehead and realized it was Thorne's hand, which had fallen over me as we'd teleported. Shaye and Kadia were sitting upright next to Ashkan's slumped form. Both of them looked a bit shaken but mostly unharmed. Kadia glanced up at me with a concerned look on her face, as though she wanted to say something. But when our eyes met, she averted her gaze back down to the floor.

  The medulet had alerted the emergency staff as soon as we'd entered the vicinity. After a short time, Lunellia hurried to our sides.

  "Oh! It's you, all of you. My word! Come this way at once!" Her voice was the equivalent of a whisper-shout. "This way!"

  With the help of some nurses, she led us into one of the private recovery rooms. Ashkan was carried onto one of the empty beds, where they immediately started checking his vitals. I could tell he was conscious, but his eyes were barely open. Shaye stood next to him, monitoring his condition. Thorne leaned against the wall, looking uncharacteristically out of breath. Kadia took a seat in the chair next to him. And I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. I didn't know what else to do. My limbs still felt like jelly.

  It took the better part of an hour to explain everything that had happened. Lunellia was, understandably, rather bewildered as she heard the full account. I sat down on one of the nearby chairs, staring blankly as the nurses worked. Lunellia herself examined each of our injuries. Most were only surface-level. Kadia and I had sustained the worst damage. I didn't think I needed to be patched up, but Lunellia insisted upon it, stating that the damage might be hidden. And she was right; I did have that pretty bad gash on my arm, along with a number of cuts and scrapes. Kadia also had to be looked over, with a shallow stab wound and some scratches along her cheek and collarbone. I hadn't even noticed how injured she was; I'd been too busy concentrating on our battle. Thorne and Shaye didn't have much in terms of external injuries, but Lunellia had nonetheless ordered a few healing spells for them from a nurse.

  After everyone's wounds were tended to, we were told we could take as long as we needed in this recovery room to get our bearings. It was already late at night, anyway. Most of the medical staff went on with their business. I assumed we'd been placed in one of the more discreet wings. Lunellia herself stuck around for a little while to make sure Ashkan's recovery was proceeding smoothly. The rest of us didn't speak much. The quiet was almost maddening. It wasn't like any of us didn't want to say anything, we were just...processing.

  I strolled over to Ashkan's bedside, where Lunellia was closely observing him. "Hey." My voice was weak and thin, so I cleared my throat. "How is he doing? Will he be okay?"

  She gave a gentle smile. "He will be perfectly fine. He is lucky to have such devoted friends looking out for him."

  "Oh. Well. Thank you. And, um... I'm sorry. We probably made a lot of work for you and your colleagues." I shifted from foot to foot. "Sorry about all the trouble. Really."

  She shook her head. "I've seen hostages in much worse conditions. But please, there is nothing to worry about. Rest assured."

  "Good to hear." I glanced at the cage-like brace Ashkan's head had been set into. It had some kind of needle sticking into the base of his skull, with a thin tube running out from it. "I don't think I've seen one of these before," I noted, tilting my head curiously.

  "This?" Lunellia asked. "Ah. I've named it the neural nourisher. Officially, it's called a post-traumatic recollection autosynthesizer. But neural nourisher has a better ring to it."

  Shaye looked at her blankly. "Post-traumatic...?"

  "It's a memory relaxer, essentially. The specialized solution is injected just below his brain stem, allowing it to pass through his neural network to address any imbalances. It was designed for trauma patients, whether it be from abuse, an accident, or any event that's mentally scarring. The idea is to allow for a smoother and more complete healing process. The hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex, the basolateral amygdala; wherever the memories are stored, that is where the solution seeks out and targets. The solution creates a mental partition, replacing the memories with blurred versions, almost like an image folder that's locked away. There is also a component in it that allows the patient to release any mental blockades or mental tension. That is to say, this procedure induces the equivalent of many years of natural memory deterioration and associated psychotherapy."

  Thorne raised his eyebrows. "How do you know that's not going to affect his ability to remember everything? Is he going to get amnesia…? Is he gonna be brainwashed somehow?"

  Lunellia seemed almost offended by the question. "Certainly not." Her expression changed as she realized it might've been a valid question. "The solution only removes the pain and trauma. He'll remember that tonight happened, but not every detail about it, or exactly which event led to the next. Like a dream you had last night and can no longer remember clearly." She pointed at a small machine that was next to the bed, connected to the nourisher's tube. "This is the regulator. It ensures the nourisher remains stable so that no negative effects will occur. The device will administer a low, controlled dosage of solution throughout the night. That is why a coma-like state is required to run this device. A deep and relaxed state of mind will allow the solution to function most effectively. I expect Mr. Wroet'by here will have a rather dreamless sleep. In the morning, when we've made sure his neural pathways have had time to recover and rebalance themselves, the machine will be shut off."

  Shaye gave a short exhale through her nose. "He'll be all right, then? Did you find anything else wrong with him?"

  "Let's see..." She picked up her clipboard, which was attached to the footboard of Ashkan's bed. "His right shoulder suffered from an anterior subluxation. Thankfully, it relocated nicely. Nothing is broken or fractured. No concussions or cerebral bleeds. Severe lacerations to his left forearm...as I'm sure you saw... General minor strains, bruises and lacerations concentrated around the extremities. Mild periorbital hematoma on one eye. He was slightly dehydrated; it was only for a day, but his electrolytes are a bit lower than I'd like. The IV will correct that. We will ensure he also eats when he awakens. And our healing enchantments have already done a great deal." She closed the chart and sighed lightly. "Overall, nothing I wouldn't expect to see with a captive that has been held against their will for over three days."

  We were all quiet for a moment, the air somber.

  "But now we can be glad it is over," she said softly. "He will be able to make a full recovery."

  Kadia gave a single nod of her head. "Thank you, Elli. You have my utmost appreciation. We can't express our gratitude enough. As always."

  "No, thank you," Lunellia corrected. "You brought Mr. Wroet'by to safety and to our care. Without that medulet, who knows what might've happened..." She shook her head and put a hand to her heart, eyes closing for a moment.

  I rubbed my hands over my arms, trying to stave off a sudden chill. It didn't work. "Can we...stay with him for a while? You know, just to keep an eye on things?" I looked back down at Ashkan's motionless form. The soft yellow light of the medical machines illuminated his face. In spite of everything, he almost looked peaceful.

  She thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Of course. But I must ask that you not disturb him or move the equipment. I can provide you with extra cots, if you wish. Specially available just for our most esteemed guests, of course."

  "That won't be necessary," Kadia said quickly, rising from her chair. "I must retire to make a report to the King about all of this. And I expect he'll be sending out his own agents to the crime scene at once. There's quite a lot that needs to be done." She was already walking toward the door, pausing to address me on the way out. "Chloe, don't you have school tomorrow?"

  My face flushed at her use of my Earth name. "I mean... Yeah. I do. But I think this is more important right now." I folded my arms.

  "I see. Well, do as you please. I'll send each of your guards to escort you home."

  Thorne stretched with a slight groan. "I'll walk you back. No argument," he said to Kadia when he saw the way she frowned at him. "You can make your report tomorrow, after you've had a good night's sleep."

  She hesitated, then nodded. "Fine."

  "We'll stay for a bit," I said as she walked out with Thorne.

  The two of them paused to bow their heads.

  "Excellent work today." Kadia gave a faint, weary smile.

  Thorne shot me a small smirk before heading off. "Be good," he tossed over his shoulder.

  "Farewell," Lunellia said. She held the door open as they left. After the two of them were gone, she gave us a nod and walked out after them. "I'll give you three some privacy."

  With a soft click, the door shut.

  Shaye and I moved the chairs in the room over to Ashkan's bedside. I took a seat on his left, with Shaye on his right. Ashkan's sleeping face was strangely placid. He looked like he was having the most relaxing, peaceful sleep he'd had in ages. Which he probably was. I took a moment to reexamine his injuries. The small wounds had all been patched up with healing spells, and all that was left were some reddened, blotchy marks and bruises. His left forearm, though, was wrapped in bandages. If I concentrated, I could picture the frenzied scrawlings of a madman on his skin. The image sent a shiver down my spine.

  "To think this could've happened…" Shaye said after a few moments of silence. She reached for one of Ashkan's hands, which rested limply at his side. Her fingers gently closed around it.

  "We got there in time, didn't we?" I murmured, resting my head back against my chair. I closed my eyes and tried to settle my thoughts. I was too wired to even consider going home at this point. Besides, what good was school anyway if I didn't graduate?

  Shaye let out a heavy breath. "I don't even want to think about the alternative."

  "He's here, safe. We're all safe," I pointed out. "It's okay to relax a little bit." I knew I probably wasn't helping at all, though.

  Shaye fell quiet. The two of us stared at Ashkan as though waiting for something to happen. His face didn't budge an inch.

  I heard her shift in her seat. "I've never seen you fight like that before," she commented quietly. "It was...quite the sight."

  "Yeah, I guess I kinda went on a bit of a rampage. Got a little carried away, maybe." I laughed, trying to make light of it, but it wasn't exactly convincing.

  "And that was...ancient magic, you said? That Miss Lucera has been teaching you? I never knew something like that existed." She seemed thoughtful, a small furrow between her brows.

  I hesitated for a second. "She said she's one of the few people who can teach me that stuff. So yeah. It's pretty rare."

  She bit her lip, not seeming to be reassured in the least. "It seemed... I'm not sure. Strange, is all. Um... Odd. Too..." She was almost rambling. "You really don't feel...off at all?"

  I raised my eyebrows. "I'm exhausted, Shaye. Isn't it obvious?"

  She sighed quietly and ran her free hand through her hair. "Sorry. You're right. It's late; I'm not thinking clearly."

  I pursed my lips and looked at Ashkan, not saying anything. I wasn't really sure how to respond. My mind was still stuck on our encounter with Vhinrud. His voice gave me chills just thinking about it. I figured I had good reason to believe I'd see him again. Hopefully I'd be a lot more powerful next time.

  It was either talk or fall asleep. I spoke up, "I wonder why they were hurting Ash so much... The whole thing felt really personal. I mean, we're public figures, so everyone knows who we are, but... Y'know. Vhinrud was talking about his mother. That felt intense. And he addressed me like an old friend or something. Did he seem familiar to you?"

  Shaye looked faintly baffled. "Not in the slightest. Why?"

  I gave a tiny shrug, glancing back over to Ashkan. "I don't know. Nevermind."

  "But you're right, it did seem very personal," she replied. "We need to do more digging. Know thy enemy, and all. Vhinrud clearly wants our necklaces, and is perfectly fine with murdering and using psychological torment to get them. It's clear to me that him, Balgaur, and all those repulsive Inkbloods are all plotting our downfall. And besides the moderate power runes our necklaces possess, or their interdimensional abilities, we can only speculate as to why. It seems completely unrelated to the quest the Elders gave us about retrieving the gemstones and repairing that sceptre."

  I rubbed my eyes. "Ugh. I wish everything could go back to normal. As normal as our lives can be."

  Shaye cast a glance toward Ashkan. "I have a feeling he'd like that too."

  We talked for a while longer. It was a relief to have someone around to help diffuse the night's tension. With time, the stress began to leave me. I was finally able to feel somewhat at ease. Once I started relaxing, my exhaustion increased tenfold. Shaye was looking equally drowsy. After a while, she dozed off in her chair, head lolling to one side. Her chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm.

  I had to resist the strong urge to do the same. I forced my eyes open, rubbing them stubbornly. To help stay awake, I decided to watch Ashkan. His face already looked miles better with all the blood and grime washed off. I'd be having a hard time getting that memory out of my head for a while. I was just relieved that he wouldn't. Even if those memories would come to him as some fading, tangled mess, it was better than enduring the full force of all that horror. He'd lived through enough.

  Being awake for so long after not sleeping well for days, a strange fog was clouding my thoughts. It made my impulsiveness harder to ignore. I shuffled my chair a bit closer to him, reaching out and brushing my fingers against his cheek. His skin was lightly warmed from the infirmary's heating, and unnaturally smooth to the touch – a temporary side effect from intense healing magic. Still, the skin-to-skin contact sent tiny waves of energy through me. Maybe not the magic kind, but definitely something else.

  "Wish you could wake up, Ash." I kept my whispers soft, low. "Hopefully you're having a good dream. Kind of a rare thing nowadays, isn't it?"

  He looked oddly handsome in the dim, warm-toned light, face fully unguarded and more tranquil than I'd ever seen it. I couldn't help but gaze for a little while. Then I shook myself, my pulse jolting. I shouldn't be thinking things like that. I'm being creepy. Ash would lose his mind if he knew this was happening.

  I let out a sleepy sigh. "Hey, uh... Shaye is asleep right now. I don't know if you are, or if the state you're in can even be called sleep... But if you can hear me... Wake up in the morning, 'kay? And make some stupid joke about this hospital. So we know your brain is working fine. 'Cause... That's gonna be the real victory here." I drew in a deeper breath, not quite knowing what to say. "Um... Just... We need you back. Dumb jokes or not."

  I pursed my lips, wanting to say a lot more, but unable to put it into words. To put everything I felt into an adequate sentence. All the things I'd been thinking, I should've written them down and read them back to myself. None of it could be voiced properly yet. Instead, I clasped Ashkan's hand in both of mine and carefully leaned forward to press a feather-light kiss to his forehead. After lingering for just a second longer, I squeezed his hand gently and let go.

  As much as I would've preferred to stay, falling asleep was too big of a risk; my second semester of school at Oceanside was starting tomorrow, after all, and I was expected to show up, hopefully without getting sucked into a magical quest, an investigation, or an evil scheme. I had a feeling that one of those would always be in the cards. It came with the job.

  There was a warmth creeping through my cheeks. God, why am I doing this? I'm not supposed to feel like this.

  "Get better, Ash. See you soon." I patted his hand once and headed for the door, but not before writing Shaye a note and leaving it next to her.

  Sleep well. See you two tomorrow. Make sure Ashkan gets that wake-up call.

  – B

  I stood in the doorway, hesitating for another brief second. Faint sparkles from healing spells still glittered over Ash's body. My heart begged me to stay.

  "I really like you, Ashkan... But I have no idea what to do about it..." My whisper was so quiet, barely audible. Not a plea for change. Just a soft sort of acceptance. A tiny flash of reality before the veil rose back up and life took over.

  Finally, I forced myself out the door and back to Earth, telling myself the world would look better tomorrow.

  That was an awful lot of faith to put in the morning light.