

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Melody Jackson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system—other than for review purposes—without permission in writing from the author.

Cover Design: Anna E. LaBatt  
Map drawn by Renee Hougey

Printed in the United States of America

2016—First Edition

ISBN-10: 1546902627  
ISBN-13: 9781546902621

melodyjackson.weebly.com  
facebook.com/melodyjacksonauthor  
melodyjacksonauthor@gmail.com

To Nikala Nowack, for helping me believe in the impossible

Acknowledgements

Writing a book takes a lot more than just putting a story down on a page, and I wouldn't have been able to complete this without help from these wonderful, talented people.

Thank you to Miranda Marie, for being my "official" editor and heroic word-conquering buddy.

To Laura Sakowski and Ashton Hoffman, for letting me ramble about my story and brainstorming with me despite the time (or time zones), and to my beta readers, for all your help and encouragement.

To my brother Ross, for reading the first draft aloud in a Scottish accent.

And to you, the reader, for taking time to pick this book. I hope it makes you smile as much as I have while writing it.

I

Lena

Whatever they tell you, I didn't mean to steal a dragon. I just wanted to find my dad, who I hadn't seen in over eight years, if you didn't know. And, yes, taking my new "friend's" bag seemed like the best way to accomplish that, at the time. I just didn't expect there to be a dragon in it. Who would have assumed a conscientious person like Dailen could bring himself to steal anything, let alone a dragon?

Besides, I practically saved the guy's life, so he should've been grateful, right?

"So, ah....th-those guys aren't dead, are they?"

I threw a quick glance over at Dailen as we ran down the dark street, my silver earrings jangling against my face. "Does it matter?"

Dailen bit his lip several times in succession, his brow creasing in worried folds. "Well...ah..."

"No, they're not. They're only resting." I reached up to loosen my updo with a deft twist, frowning as my boot splashed muddy water and who-knew-what-else on the edges of my dress. Didn't anyone ever clean up around here? "Which is why we need to get out of here before they wake up."

"O-Oh. Right. I knew that." Silence reigned for a moment, save for the sound of our pounding boots on the stone. "So, can I have my bag back?"

I instinctively pulled the strap of the bag in question closer to my body, hiding the crease in my brow at the weight inside. I hadn't had a chance to look in it yet – what with running for my life and all – but my curiosity was starting to burn as much as my shoulder muscles were.
"Not yet. When you tell me everything you know about Kaiden Dyran, then I'll give it back to you."

He hesitated for a moment, his fingers fidgeting with each other. "Well, he..."

"Not now, idiot." I fought the urge to roll my eyes at his naivety. "I want to actually listen to that part. Which means we need to find somewhere to hide first." I threw him a pointed look, hoping that he'd get the hint. I wasn't very familiar with this country yet, let alone this town. And it wasn't like there was any deviance in color to distinguish each dirty street from the next, unlike in Galdania. Seriously, was there anything here that wasn't brown or gray?

Realization finally flickered in Dailen's eyes, like a match that took two strikes to catch fire. "Oh! Yeah, um...this way?"

The question in his voice wasn't very reassuring, but I didn't have much choice otherwise. I followed him as he turned down a side street, weaving through the alleys as if he knew what he was doing.

Well, he'd better.

"There's...There's a place I always go..." His brow furrowed in confusion as he stopped, looking around. When I did the same, I wanted to scowl.

"You led us to a dead end?"

"No! I mean, I...I didn't think it was..."

I frowned, scanning the area quickly. I knew our pursuers were probably not far behind us – I'd had prior experience with them – so going back wasn't really an option. It looked like there had been some buildings here at some point, but all that was left now was a heap of bricks and rubble piled up against the alley wall. With nothing else in sight and nowhere else to go, I strode towards it, lifting a foot and grimacing at how dirty the edge of my dress now was. It would take hours to scrub the filth out, if I could even find any clean water in this town.

Dailen's eyes widened as he watched me. "You shouldn't do that!"

Before a sarcastic response could leave my mouth, an unfamiliar laugh cut through the air.

"Well, well, what have we here? Got yourself a girlfriend, Shale?"

I turned around with a frown to see a rather tall redhead standing in front of Dailen, a triumphant smile on his face as he looked me over, then raised an eyebrow at Dailen. "And a gifted one at that. My, my, you've turned into quite the rebel, haven't you?"

My senses went on high alert at that. How did he know about my gifts?

Dailen, meanwhile, looked back and forth between the two of us with his mouth hanging open rather unattractively, as if he couldn't decide which issue was more important. "Leave her alone, Blaze. And she's not my girlfriend."

Blaze laughed, throwing a wink in my direction, then a smirk at Dailen. "Sure, whatever you say. Though it's not important anyway." He glanced back over at me, his gaze settling on the bag slung over my shoulder. "I didn't think you'd go for such a priss, though. You know that's what she is, right?" The smile he gave Dailen made me want to smack him across the face. "Just give me the bag back and I'll let her go, 'kay? We can pretend like this never happened."

I could see that, despite Blaze's obvious fakery, Dailen was considering it. I stashed my annoyance for later, looking for a way back down the pile that wouldn't have me covered in dirt.

"B-But..."

A chunk of brick shifted beneath me and I nearly lost my footing, a curse slipping out under my breath – the type of word that would have given my mother a heart attack were she able to hear it. The noise caught the attention of both boys; Dailen's eyes went wide as saucers, Blaze's narrowed in a frown. Luckily, my feet found purchase beneath the brick, meeting what sounded like metal as I regained my balance. But my relief was quickly shattered by Blaze's harsh voice.

"Get down from there!"

I felt annoyance prick at me again. Seriously, what did everyone have against me climbing this scrap pile? Yes, I was in a dress, and yes, I wasn't sure the dirt would ever clean out of the delicate fabric, but I could still handle myself.

As if to prove me wrong, the heap of metal shifted again, and I hopped down to the ground just in time to see a large, beady eye blink open from below where I had just been standing.

Blaze swore under his breath and drew his sword, shoving Dailen behind him as he eyed the pile. "Take your girlfriend and go hide. Now."

Dailen glanced over at me nervously, but I gave him a hard look, jumping back as a rock crashed to the ground at my feet. Dull, yellow metal glinted through the gaps in the rubble, overlapping in thin teardrop shapes like...scales. Dailen gasped and nearly stumbled backward as he watched the creature, wide-eyed. I simply found myself fascinated.

As the creature stood up, I caught sight of leathery folds, like translucent canvas, peeking through the top of the mound. The creature swung its heavy head around to look at us all, shedding bits of rocks and dirt as it did. Its ember orange eyes settled on me with a glare. I suppose I couldn't blame it for being unhappy: I wouldn't want to be woken from my nap by a bunch of little pests climbing on me and shouting, either.

Blaze wasted little time in acting as his eyes took in the dragon, noting where its gaze was and settling his own on its feet. Its gleaming silver claws rested on the stone like curved needles. I could practically see the gears in his head turning as he moved behind it, keeping one eye on me and the dragon as he raised his sword.

The dragon lifted its upper lip in a cranky snarl, showing its long, very sharp teeth, the tips stained red with blood. I probably should have been afraid at that point, but I wasn't. If anything, I was just...curious. I'd never seen a dragon up close that wasn't fat and lazing around a pen, adorned with jewels and other such things. This one was lean, muscular, and looked like it could kill me with one swipe of its claw.

And yet...I didn't think it would.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Blaze poised with his sword to strike. Without thinking about what might happen, I yelled. "What are you doing?"

The dragon whipped its head around just as Blaze plunged his blade into its foot. It let out an enraged roar, nostrils flaring as it swiped at Blaze with its claw. He pulled his blade out, dodging out of the way, but wasn't fast enough. The dragon's claw caught his sleeve, tearing through it and his skin with a sickening rip that made my stomach turn. He scowled. Clapping his free hand over the wound, he backed away from the dragon, giving me a rather hateful glare. "Are you trying to get me killed?"

"I don't know!" I shot back, too frustrated to think about what I was saying. "Is there some reason I shouldn't be?"

A deeper frown spread across his face at that, and he ducked down to avoid a pass of the dragon's spiked tail. "Well, considering that I'm your only chance of getting out of here alive, yes, I think there is!"

"You're the only reason I'm in danger now!"

Blaze scowled but didn't respond, jumping back to avoid another swipe from the dragon's claw. He was running out of room between the dragon and the wall, and the dragon didn't seem like it was going to stop until he was dead. As much as the guy infuriated me, I really didn't want to see someone killed tonight. Besides, now that he'd angered it, who knew if it'd come back after me once it was done?

But what exactly could I do against a dragon? I didn't have a sword, and it's not like I could just ask the dragon to back off like I could back home. Or...could I?

It seemed like a long shot but, hey, a long shot was better than no shot, right? I'd not used my gifts much before, but I'd been told quite often before that I was 'persuasive', almost to an eerie extent. I once convinced Marcel to let me 'borrow' one of the Viyer's horses by planting the thought in his head that I'd been given permission. Of course, he'd gotten in quite a bit of trouble afterward, and I can't say I didn't feel guilty, but maybe that same tactic would work now.

I closed my eyes, reaching out to the dragon's mind and cautiously brushing the fringes of its thoughts. The cold, sinister corruption of its mind sent a shudder down my spine that I tried hard to suppress. It was darker than any mind I'd ever reached out to, and I nearly pulled out on instinct. But Blaze was keeping the dragon distracted, so I pushed away the urge and focused on sending my thoughts to the dragon– calming things, like images of it peacefully sleeping as before in its nice little pile of rubble. The dragon resisted, trying to shake my thoughts off, but I pushed harder, insisting as soothingly as I could that this wasn't worth all its trouble. Blaze was little more than a silly nuisance anyway, so why should it let him ruin its lovely rest?

I opened my eyes and looked over at the dragon. Blaze still stood tense, watching the dragon, but it was no longer attacking him, which was good. I released a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding and closed my eyes again. Now that the dragon was calm, I focused on sending one simple command to its mind. Sleep.

It took a moment, but with one final growl, the dragon curled back up where it had first been sleeping, yawning and closing its eyes. Blaze stared at the dragon, a tense and suspicious frown still drawing his brow together. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What, no thank you?"

He swung his gaze toward me, briefly back to the dragon, then at me again. "How did you do that?"

I scoffed. "Well, excuse me for saving your life, Grumpy. A simple thank you would be nice."

"No." Blaze shook his head, looking back down at his wound and frowning, his gaze tense like he was thinking something through. He glanced up at me again, his gaze piercing and almost accusatory. "How did you do that?"

I was about to reply when a different voice cut me off, much softer and calmer than Blaze's. "Need some help, dear?"

Geez, what was with all the people dropping in? Was this some sort of party I wasn't aware of? And where had Dailen gotten to, anyway?

When I turned around, though, I found myself staring at a woman who made all my annoyed thoughts stop. She looked so graceful and calm that she may have been a river spirit, for those who believed in those old stories. Her skin was a rich, deep color like the dark woods of the forests back home, a strong contrast to the bright blue garments flowing down to nearly touch her sandaled feet. Her smile was as warm as her eyes, as she took everything in calmly, as if this sort of thing was entirely normal to her.

Blaze simply looked her up and down briefly, almost annoyed. "Took you long enough." He waved his hand in my direction, rather dismissively. "Now, will you please get her out of here?"

The woman glanced between the two of us, noting the dragon as well as Blaze's wound. "You should get that looked at. Take Dailen and the girl; I will take care of this."

Whoa, whoa. Take me where? I mean, yeah, the guy had at least been trying to 'save' me, but that didn't mean I was going anywhere with him. The only things I needed was this bag I was still carrying – which was still making my arm burn from the weight – and Dailen. Maybe I could slip away while these two talked.

Before I could get very far, however, a sharp pain exploded in my temple. Darkness swam in waves through my vision and I hissed in a breath, my head pounding like it'd been trampled by a thousand horses. My hands went numb, my feet unsteady as the ground started tilting up toward me. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Blaze's incorrigible smirk.

"You're not getting away that easily, Priss."

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. Not only had questioning Dailen yielded little but confusing, stuttered results, but the priss was still asleep, so he couldn't get answers from her yet either. He looked over at her unconscious form, the same disgust rising up inside of him as the last ten times he'd checked on her. Uppers thought they were so much better than everyone else, with their fancy clothes and expensive jewelry. The number of people selling just one of her earrings could feed...

She shifted in her sleep, as if she could hear him thinking about her. If not for the fact that it might damage her mind, he would've woken her already. Instead, he had to wait.

His hand brushed across the bandage on his arm as he folded his arms across his chest. Elle had assured him it wasn't infected – and patched it up for him, despite his insistence that it didn't hurt – but it still brought memories to the front of his mind that he'd rather leave hidden. Better to think about the girl, and how annoyed she made him.

His eyes went to the door as Sari entered, her footsteps hardly making a sound as she moved gracefully over to him. "The dragon has been safely contained."

He nodded, his mind grateful for a distraction. "And no one got hurt?"

A slight smile touched her lips. "Everyone is fine."

He nodded, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He ran a hand through his hair again, looking back over at Lena.

"You seem very tense, dear."

He let out a short laugh. "Oh, really?" He gave her a sardonic smile. "No clue why that would be."

"Lena will be fine." Sari copied his smile, though hers was still gentler, even holding a note of teasing to it.

He threw her an annoyed look. "I'm not worried about her. Not in that way." He blew out a breath, frowning. "I just want answers."

"You'll get them, dear. And the mission will work out. Chan has been going over possible locations of the Bane, yes?"

He nodded, but the frown stayed on his face. "Yes, but Damien seems more...impatient lately. I don't like it." He folded his arms to keep himself from messing up his hair again. "He's planning something."

"Isn't he always? We just have to stay a step ahead of him."

He scowled at that, feeling a fire spark to life in his chest. "Yes, but this time it's different. And I will not be pushed into going through with this before we're ready. Damien can do whatever the dag he likes."

"Mm. Well, I will keep a closer eye on him, if it will put your mind at ease."

He rubbed his forehead, not wanting to answer, but nodded. "Sure, whatever. It doesn't really matter anyway. Just have to be smarter about everything."

Sari looked thoughtful for a moment. "The Empress has planned a visit to Calest soon. Perhaps that's why Damien wishes haste on the mission."

His shoulders tensed at that. "She's coming in person?"

Sari nodded. "It's been mentioned among the Council for a short while now. There is word that she has another proposal for the trade agreements."

A harsh laugh escaped his throat. "Yeah, because those aren't unfair enough already."

"And perhaps it will be better this time, or a new proposal altogether."

He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. "No deal with Galdanians is ever 'fair', Sari, You think they give a dag about our wellbeing? All they want is our mines, and willing slaves who'll sell their lives to work them. If it wasn't for that, they would have declared war already." He shook his head. "We need to fight back before they force us to. I just need more time."

Sari remained quiet for a moment. "I will do my best to procure more for you. In the meantime, perhaps you should take a walk. I can watch Lena for now."

"No. I want to be here the moment she wakes up. And I'm fine, anyway."

Sari didn't seem to agree, but didn't argue, either. "Very well. I will be with Chan if you need me."

He rolled his eyes, listening as the door closed softly behind her. "Yeah. Whatever."

II

Lena

Fuzzy voices faded in and out of my hearing, my head throbbing as I tried to force my heavy eyelids open. I made out two blurry forms that I assumed to be Blaze and the mysterious woman. It sounded like they were arguing, or rather, that Blaze was arguing while she responded calmly. Her tones were light and airy, while his were punctuated with a much sharper, more urgent edge.

I blinked to try to clear my vision, glancing around at my surroundings. The ground beneath me was cold and hard, and the walls appeared to be made of some reddish, stone-like material. I shifted to attempt sitting up and instantly regretted it. My stomach did flips like one of those performers I'd seen at the festivals back home, twisting and turning with dizzying speed.

I let out a quiet groan and dropped my head, closing my eyes in hopes that it would make the room stop spinning. The voices reduced to murmurs, eventually dying out as fading footsteps signaled departure. Or so I thought.

"Well, look who finally decided to wake up."

I pried my eyes open again to see Blaze standing in front of me with his arms crossed. A row of thin, icicle-like structures reached from the ceiling down into the floor, separating us. They ranged from about half a hand to a full hand's width apart, all bumpy and rough like rocks. I blinked to clear my foggy head, shifting my hand to at least partially support my weight. The woman must've left the room while I was trying not to lose what little lunch I'd eaten, as she was nowhere in sight.

"Why did you steal that dragon?"

I blinked up at him, not even fully taking in what was going on, and gave the most intelligent answer I could think of. "...What?"

He frowned, shifting his weight and staring down at me with narrowed eyes. I think he said something else in response, but my mind was too focused on other things to hear it. Like why Blaze was in a prison cell. Or...

Wait. I followed the row of icicle bars with my eyes down to my left, where they wrapped around and connected to a rock wall behind me. On the right, they did the same. But that meant I was in the prison cell, right?

I snapped my gaze back to Blaze, whose eyes were rather stormy by now. "I asked you a question, Priss."

"Lena." I coughed, rubbing my throat lightly with a frown. "My name is Lena."

That just seemed to irritate him more. "Stop dodging the question. I want to know what you were planning to do with that dragon."

I blinked at him again, the words finally seeming to register in my mind. Except, wait...steal a dragon?

"I didn't..." My forehead furrowed in a frown as I thought things over, as if maybe I could've been confused somewhere. "I just put it to sleep."

Blaze almost looked confused for a moment at that, then shook it off. "Not that dragon. The other one. The one you stole from Shale."

I was beginning to think that I had missed some very important puzzle piece here. "What...?"

He rubbed his forehead lightly, each word said slowly and clearly as if to prevent any confusion. "The bag you took from Shale. The one that started this whole thing. Why did you want it?"

Oh. That's what he meant? I shifted my position so I was slightly more comfortable, then took a quick scan of my cell. Where was the bag? That was my biggest key to finding Kaiden at this point, and if Blaze had taken it from me...

My thoughts were interrupted by Blaze's smirk. "Yes, I confiscated it, princess. Now why did you want it in the first place?"

I rubbed the inside of my wrist to alleviate my agitation, stopping as my fingers brushed cold metal. My breath hitched, a surge of memories making my heart pound in irregular beats. I fought down the panic clawing at my mind and forced a sweet smile. "I don't see why I should tell you."

I could tell Blaze was doing his best not to scowl again at me, pacing in front of the bars. "You had to know there was a dragon in there. But what did you want with it?"

Actually, I hadn't, but I wasn't about to volunteer that information to him. I just sat there, watching him. If this was the way he expected to interrogate me, then silence was about the best he was going to get.

He scowled, but decided to switch tactics. "Why did you help him, after you'd already stolen from him? What else did you need?" He looked me over carefully, as if scrutinizing me for some hidden answer.

I raised an eyebrow, but figured a snarky response probably wasn't the wisest at the moment, considering my current situation. "Him?"

That still earned me a growl. "Yes, him. Shale. Dailen. Whatever the dag you want to call him."

I coughed to hide a laugh at his word choice. Dag? Did he even know what that meant?

He gave me an annoyed look, which just amused me, really. "What's so funny?"

I tilted my head thoughtfully, as if thinking it over. I wondered if he knew how ridiculous he sounded, swearing with the word cake.

"Why should I tell you?"

Blaze stopped just long enough to throw a glare at me, his mouth curving into some sort of twisted, angry smile. He stepped closer to the bars, so we were just inches apart – close enough for me to see the spark in his dark, blue eyes. "I could have you hung for this, you know. Associating with dragons is a very high offense here."

"But you won't, because you need me."

The smile turned into a snarl, but I'd seen the truth in his eyes.

Perhaps that was why I was able to stay so calm.

"You aren't the only one who can be punished."

I nearly raised an eyebrow at that, but stopped myself. Surely he had seen – and yes, there it was in his eyes – that I didn't care what he did to anyone else. He would not use that as leverage against me.

My silence must have infuriated him further, or at least his continual failures had. I could see the muscles in his jaw tense up. Interesting. Why was this so important to him? Surely he was just one of the lackeys of whoever ran this place. Yet, I didn't have to be a mind reader to see how personal this was for him.

"You know, for an interrogator, you're not very good at your job."

It was meant to come out casually, like a simple observation, but some of the snark and smugness must have seeped through, because he practically looked fit to kill for a moment. His mouth twisted back into that ugly smile, though a hint of something rather... dark accompanied it this time. Ah, I thought. There was the actual danger. The line between his annoyance and anger was now clearly drawn, and I knew where I stood.

He, surprisingly enough, looked rather calm now, as if confident once again that he had the upper hand. "If I wanted to, I could have all the information I need."

I'm pretty sure my eyebrow did go up at that one. 'If I wanted to'? Sorry, bud, but on a scale of supposed-threats-that-aren't-actually-scary, that was a big fat ten.

"You mean if you were allowed to."

Ooh, that hit a nerve. Lackeys don't like being reminded that they're not actually in charge. It may have been just for a split second, but his whole body tensed up, and if not for the bars separating us, he might have hit me just to regain a sense of his false authority. As is, his eyes looked like they could practically burst into flames, and his hands seemed to be a shade redder than they were before.

I watched this all rather curiously, waiting for his response. But it seemed Blaze was determined to keep his secrets for another day, for he took in a breath and let it out slowly, forcing his hands to relax despite the embers still glowing in his eyes. He didn't seem to want to respond, though, so I tried again.

"I want to talk to your leader."

He folded his arms across his chest, frowning. "I am the leader."

"Yeah, right, and I'm the Empress."

He almost smiled at that one, looking me over as if comparing me to her and deciding that it was possible. I might have felt flattered if I hadn't met the lady. Trust me, she was not someone you wanted to invite to your dinner parties. Unless you liked being under constant scrutiny for treasonous actions or being told to burn your drapes, as the color was half a shade too dark and the gods would be displeased. Fun times.

Blaze, meanwhile, seemed to be thinking something over, for he worked his jaw and stared at me, most of the anger gone by now. "What do you want?"

I raised an eyebrow at that. He really was serious, wasn't he? No Priss, no smirk, just a simple, almost accusing question. He'd also dodged my other request, I noted, but quite expertly, because his was giving me pause. I figured it might be a long shot, but I was rather curious to see his reaction, so I threw it out there anyway.

"I need to find Kaiden Dyran."

If there was any indication of a reaction from Blaze, I missed it. His dismissive gaze swept up and down me in a quick assessment.

I nearly tilted my head at that, stopping myself just in time. It was one of my biggest tells, Marcel said, and something I'd worked on for a while now. You had a better advantage if you didn't let your opponent know what you were thinking, or even that you were thinking. Still, I couldn't help but feel extremely curious about this whole thing. This entire conversation had gone much differently than I'd imagined it would, and I almost didn't want it to stop.

"Then tell me where to find him."

Blaze looked me over again, a slight frown creasing his brow as he stood there, but I could tell he was considering it. "Why?"

It wasn't smart to lay all my cards out on the table like this, and I can't quite explain to you why I did, but...I've had strong senses about people before, and they've always turned out to be right. So I took a chance and hoped for the best. "Because he knows where my dad is."

Blaze stared at me, his gaze flickering slightly as if he was trying to figure this out. I could practically see him thinking, wondering why I would volunteer this information so willingly, after being so silent on everything else.

"He's not here at the moment."

A smile crept up my lips. "So you do know where he is."

Blaze sighed through his nose. "Yes. But you couldn't see him right now anyway."

I folded my arms over my chest, lifting my chin. "And why not?"

"He's recovering."

My brow creased at that. "Recovering?"

Blaze smirked. "Yeah. He's not in his right mind at the moment."

A frown pulled at my lips. "He's what?"

"Like I said, he's recovering. No one can really see him right now. Not until he's... more himself." Another smirk.

I didn't like the idea of my one possible informant being not right in the head, but this was still my only shot.

"You really don't have anything to use as leverage against me, do you?"

He frowned, but I could tell I was correct again. I tilted my head slightly, my hair falling in a curtain on the side of my face as I studied him. "But you need me, or else I wouldn't be here." I tilted my head more, shifting my legs so they crossed over each other. "Seems to me we could negotiate something here, yes?"

He didn't seem to want to respond, but did so, eventually. "I'd have to talk to my superior about that."

"You do that, then, and then we'll talk."

I don't think he liked my confident air, but he just scowled. "Fine. I'll be back soon."

He turned and left the room, and I couldn't help but smile.

<><><>

Kaiden

If there was one thing Kaiden Dyran cared about even less than his own well-being, it was this plan.

"You cannot seriously be thinking of going through with this."

Damien glanced over his desk at him, his fingers perfectly lined up with each other like every other part of him as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You saw what happened last time you tried this."

The man simply smiled, his air as casual as if they were discussing the weather and not human lives. Then again, he never took Kaiden seriously. No one did these days. "Yes. You failed and they died. Pick better next time."

Kaiden tightened his fists just slightly in an attempt to alleviate the frustration building up in him, his mind swirling. "I won't do it again."

Damien chuckled. It wasn't a nice chuckle, but it was confident. "Playing games doesn't suit you, Kaiden. Go pick your new team."

He tightened his fists again, shoulders tensing. It infuriated him how Damien didn't even have to address the underhanded moves he made, just played his cards with ease. As though Kaiden was too weak-minded to come up with anything worth his time.

Damien raised an eyebrow when Kaiden didn't leave. "Oh, you really do want to see your family again. Hmm. And it's so soon, too. I would've thought you'd last longer than that."

Kaiden grit his teeth; it didn't matter if Damien saw his frustration anyway. How he wished he could just put a knife squarely between the man's ribs.

But that was always the threat, the one that kept him obeying orders despite the churning of his mind, the sharp agony in his chest.

Damien laughed, and it was so calm that it simply set Kaiden more on edge. "Are you contemplating killing me again?" He clicked his tongue like one would at a child. "Dear me, I thought we were past that phase. Fine. If you really wish to see your family so badly..."

"You will lose more great soldiers if you go through with this." He fought to keep his voice even, though he was sure his eyes flashed like the memories attacking his mind, slowly seeming to make his sanity crumple away with every blow.

Damien raised an eyebrow. "No confidence in your own abilities, Kaiden? I thought it was your job to protect everyone." A laughing note hung on the end of the sentence, taunting him.

Kaiden took in a breath and gave a curt nod, turning to leave before he changed his mind and did something he'd regret.

"Oh, and Kaiden? Try not to damage the ferns this time. I'm rather fond of them."

It was just another mockery. A way of saying just how much he didn't care about the people he was sending to die.

Once Kaiden was safely out in the hallway, the door tightly shut behind him and no one in sight, he scowled, clenching his fists so tightly that they began to burn. It felt good, like the pain could somehow fix everything, maybe even somehow fix him. He really wanted to shove one fist straight through the wall, but knew from experience that would only bring about more questions that he had no desire to answer right now.

Instead, he turned and ran down the hallway, trying to escape the voices that were now crowding his mind, slowly driving his sanity away. He did his best to shove them back down, but flashes still made it through. He couldn't even control his own mind.

Samar's jokes.

Lil's smile.

Gigi's infectious laugh.

The pain that hit his chest at the last one nearly took his breath away. Because in his mind, that laugh always turned into a scream, one that still haunted his sleep nearly every night. She'd practically begged them to kill her, but Damien wouldn't even allow that. He'd looked at her curiously as if she was some fascinating thing and not a human girl whose mind was being torn apart by madness. The others' deaths had been quick, at least. Hers was drawn out and merciless. That thing had swallowed her alive.

And this was the power that Damien wanted to harness. The whole reason they had died; the reason he was forcing Kaiden to choose another team for the task.

Another team to send to their deaths.

But there was one small sliver of hope, his mind reminded him. Lena's gift... If she could really tame dragons like he had been told, then maybe they stood a chance this time.

Unfortunately, his hopes had been crushed one too many times for him to truly trust something that small again. Everything burned in the end; all he could do was breathe and prepare himself for when it did.

III

Lena

"M-mind if I come in?"

I glanced up to see Dailen peek his head into the room, his eyes hopeful but hesitant. Biting back a snarky reply, I rolled my eyes, waving him in. "Well, yes, this is a free country, as far as I know."

He walked into the room, his eyes glancing around – though what there was to 'look' at, I didn't know – and plopped down carefully in front of my icicle prison. He cupped a steaming bowl in his hands, which he placed on the ground and scooted through the small gap in the bars. He smiled up at me, almost shyly. "I thought you might be hungry."

I had been, until I made the mistake of looking in the bowl. I knew Calestan food tasted like ash compared to what I was used to back home, but this was an all-new low. Dark chunks that looked about as appetizing as horse manure floated in a greyish-green broth that was peppered with small bits and pieces of who-knew-what. Still, I hadn't eaten in a while, and who knew when I might eat next, with the way this had gone? No one around here other than Dailen seemed to like me very much. And my mother had always instilled in me to try everything at least once. Maybe it looked like hell and tasted like heaven.

Dailen looked at me hopefully, his eager eyes urging me to take a bite. I lifted the small wooden spoon to my mouth, taking care to avoid any of the mystery bits. In all honesty, I couldn't have told you if I was hungry or not, because the minute the stench of that steaming mass hit my nostrils, I lost all appetite. Trying not to think about what I was doing, I stuck the bite in my mouth before I could stop myself.

Suddenly starving didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"It's my mother's secret recipe," Dailen explained, with the eagerness of a child. "She made it all the time when I was younger."

I was too busy fighting down my gag reflex to make a snarky comment, the overly salty, pungent broth burning my throat as I swallowed it and gave him a weak nod in acknowledgement.

Either the kid was blind or he really thought the broth was so great that it was implausible for someone to dislike it. He smiled brightly, gesturing to the bowl. "Try the meat."

Meat. That was the term he used to describe those grayish chunks bobbing around in the death soup like rotting buoys. I considered spilling the bowl before he made me eat one, but that one cursed bite had already awoken the hunger in my stomach. Either that or it was crying out for something, anything but that soup. I put on a brave face and scooped up one of the floating chunks, tipping it back into my mouth before I could stop myself.

My mouth felt like it had been defiled. The soppy, fibrous mass offended my tongue worse than when Madame Freiseri had tried cooking her own meal when her maid was sick. And that had been a disaster discussed in gossip circles for weeks after the incident.

My teeth slid right over the rubbery surface of the 'food', but it was too big to swallow without possibly choking. I considered spitting it out, but didn't have a napkin to conceal it in.

Dailen's eyes lit up. "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought a friend to keep you company."

I cocked an eyebrow at that, still trying not to cough up a burning lung from that horrendous broth at the same moment I choked down the chunk of meat.

Dailen reached into his bag, and all thoughts of the food was forgotten. I couldn't help but stare in disbelief as a tiny white dragon head peeked out. That's what he'd had in his bag?

The dragon looked around with wide, dark eyes, letting out a little chirp as it looked around, settling its gaze on me. It flapped its wings excitedly, tipping the bag in its enthusiasm. Its muffled squeak of protest brought a chuckle to my throat, and I reached out to help free it. Kit dragons were not as common in Galdania, and usually were considered nuisances anyway, but I'd always had a soft spot for them.

"His name's Denizor. He's part wyvern, which is why...well...they were going to get rid of him."

I lifted up the flap of the bag, Dailen's words giving me pause. "Get rid of him?"

Dailen nodded, adjusting the hem of his shirt. "Yeah...since dragons that can't fly aren't, um...useful."

The last part was more mumbled, almost as if he was embarrassed. Then it clicked in my mind.

"So that's why you stole him." I nearly laughed at how much sense it made. Of course Dailen wouldn't steal a dragon...unless it was to save it.

The dragon—or Dez, as I decided to call him—was still struggling to get to his feet, pushing against the ground with his little wings, and I reached down to pick him up. He squeaked in surprise but soon settled in my hands, blinking up at me curiously. His wings folded at the side like little arms, which I realized was exactly what they were. Unlike most kit dragons, he didn't seem to have front claws, other than a sharp tip at the end of each wing. That must have been the wyvern part Dailen had mentioned.

Dailen's voice broke through my musings. "Are you able to talk to them?"

I blinked, unsure whether to laugh or look confused. Everyone knew that kit dragons couldn't actually talk.

Dez chirred, rubbing against my hand. I blinked, a thought running through my head as clearly as if it'd been spoken. They could talk?

Dez bobbed his head, blinking up at me. I looked over at Dailen, concealing my emotions behind a blank look. "No. Can you?"

I could feel Dez's tiny presence in my mind, impressing his thoughts on mine with images and feelings. Guilt niggled at me, and I frowned, pretending to inspect something on Dez's back. Dailen glanced down at the floor for a moment, letting out a short laugh.

"No, I can't. I'm not...gifted like you." He smiled at me. "That's why I wondered if you could. I've always been curious what they would say, if I could hear them."

Affection and gratitude filled my mind, as if in answer to the question. I set Dez back down, hiding another frown. "Kit dragons have never spoken, as far as I know."

Dailen's brow crinkled, and he opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it. Dez rubbed his head against my hand, thrumming.

A word came to my mind, and I nearly laughed. Bonding? That was what this was called, this intrusion on my mind?

Dez let out an unhappy sound, curling up next to me.

"Would you cut that out? I didn't say I wanted you in my head!"

Affection again, mingled with sadness. Images flashed through my head, of a lonely half-wyvern hiding in the corner so the other dragons wouldn't hurt him...

"Okay, okay, fine. Would you stop guilting me already?"

Dez hummed, the vibration loud and soothing as he laid his tiny head on my lap. I sighed, reaching down to stroke the ridge between his eyes. "You're too cute for your own good. Just keep your thoughts to yourself, okay?"

Dez looked up at me with wide, dark eyes, chirping. Dailen smiled. "I knew he'd like you."

Dez looked around my cell curiously, his tiny nose twitching as he turned around and spotted the bowl of broth. He hopped over to it and sniffed it curiously, wrinkling his little nose. Disgust filled my mind, which pulled a small laugh from me. "I know. It's hardly even edible."

Dez hopped back over to me, chattering in my mind about how much tastier bugs were. I couldn't say I agreed with that sentiment, but I was starting to find the little guy quite amusing.

"I thought...ah." Dailen paused, glancing at Dez. "S-since...since there's not much for you to do in here and I don't know when they'll let you out..." he threw a glance toward the tunnels as he said this, then looked back at me, "...that he could at least keep you company while you wait."

I stroked the little dragon's head, almost smiling at the way his eyes closed with a happy little look, nodding once. He made a thrumming noise in his throat that vibrated through my hand, even more calming than a cat's purr.

"I know you'll take...good care of him. And he likes you, s-so...I'm glad." Dailen blinked, widening his smile as if trying to conceal something, then took a step back toward the tunnel, trying to appear casual. "Anyway, I should probably...you know, get back to my duties and all. Uh, I'll see you later, yeah? Yeah," he said in answer to his own question, smiling nervously and almost stumbling over his own feet on the way out.

I chuckled and shook my head softly, cocking my head at the little dragon curled up contently next to me.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you then, huh?"

<><><>

Dez curled next up to me, sleeping contently, and I was grudgingly starting to warm up to him. The mind linking was still strange, and even as he slept I got random flashes of what must've been his dreams, but I'd learned to push them aside.

I rubbed my wrist, frowning at the bracelet around it. I'd tried everything to get it off, to no avail. Even Dez had tried to help chew it off, but that hadn't worked. It sent waves of panic through me whenever I accidentally brushed my hand against it, so I'd been rubbing my wrist as I thought, to try to get used to it. Blaze hadn't told me what it did.

The door opened, and Blaze walked in. I stood up to meet him, smiling. "Finally."

He shot me an irritated look, but it seemed to lack some of the fire from before. He adjusted the collar of his shirt, then folded his arms across his chest. "I spoke with my superior."

I waited a moment. "And?"

He walked over to my cell, meeting my eye steadily as he spoke. "And I will help you find Kaiden Dyran...if you tell me how you tamed that dragon."

Excitement tingled in my palms. Was he really going to help me? Or was he just using me to get what he wanted? I searched his eyes for a moment, but only found a spark of weariness that I hadn't expected. "And how do I know you'll actually hold up your end of the bargain?"

He shrugged. "The same way I'll know if you're holding up yours. Trust." He smirked, though it wasn't quite as harsh. "If you even know what that means."

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by his childish taunts. "I told it to sleep."

Blaze blinked, as if he couldn't decide if I was being snarky or just ridiculous. "You told it to sleep."

I nodded. "Yep. Sent it images, told it how much better it'd be to sleep..."

"Wait." He shifted his stance, his muscles noticeably tenser as his brow narrowed. "You linked minds with it?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, I suppose. It was easy."

He scowled at that, something flashing in his eyes for a moment. Without a word he turned and headed for the door.

"Excuse me? What about your end of the deal?"

"I don't bargain with liars." He slammed the door more forcefully than seemed necessary, and I frowned. Maybe it was time to switch tactics.

"Yeah, well, neither do I."

I sat down against the wall, my hand reaching to brush the dangling gems on my earrings as I thought about my father. A sharp pang twisted in my gut at the motion, and the memories. It was bittersweet, but it was one of the ways I remembered him most. He'd play with my earrings, ask playfully where I'd got them from.

"Where'd you get such a pretty face, Sharalene? Must be from your mother, since it's certainly not from me."

A sad smile tugged at my lips, my fingers gently wrapping around the gem. He was always so happy, despite all the pressures of being a viyer – that usually changed most people. He did his duties, but never let them get in the way of family. I think I admired him most for that.

My memories took me for a stroll through the years, snapshots of birthdays and trips to the ocean shining like bright jewels in what should have been a happy childhood. But they were gone far too fast, and I closed the book of my mind, content to let the rest of the story sit and gather dust. I preferred to remember my father as smiling and carefree, as opposed to the later years.

In a way, I wondered if it was good that he'd left. He'd never been happy with our extravagant life, always seeking out the smaller, seaside towns for our vacations, despite Mother's protests about smelly sailors and fish markets. And everyone knew he wasn't happy with how our society was run, so it was only a matter of time before he took a stand against it.

I don't think many were surprised to find out he was Calestan.

A small, warm form pressed up against me, and I looked down to see Dez curled against me, letting out a quiet thrumming sound. He blinked big eyes up at me, then climbed up onto my lap, his body vibrating with little thrums. I stroked the ridge of his nose with my forefinger, a smile lurking at the edge of my lips. I missed my dad greatly.

<><><>

Blaze

They wouldn't stop him this time.

Blaze strode away from the cell, heading past all the crackling torches lighting the way up to the darker tunnels, where they grew sparser and sparser until there was nothing but darkness. He focused his energy on his hand, making a small ball of flame spark to life in it. He didn't need it to find his way, but the warmth was comforting, the energy pulsing through him as the flames flickered around his fingers.

They'd told him it wasn't possible, going into an infected dragon's mind. They'd said trying would just result in the same fate as the others. Madness.

And yet here was a girl who had just proven them all wrong.

The light ahead confirmed what he already knew: he'd arrived at his destination. Setting his jaw, he strode into the room, extinguishing the flame as he headed toward the cages. The dragon's beady eyes shifted to meet his, an unnatural gleam in their narrow slits as if it knew what he planned to do and was already laughing at him for it.

He took a moment to stare the dragon down, remembering Lena's look of innocent confusion when he'd asked how exactly she used her gift. To her, this was easy, and Blaze had no intention of being upstaged by a snarky, inexperienced priss.

He just hoped for her sake that she was telling the truth. It'd be just like her to waste his time with lies. But, if she was right, he'd be turning his back on Damien, and that was a pleasant thought.

He brushed the fringes of the dragon's mind and fought the urge to draw back. It was so dark and cold...it chilled him to the bone. Like an abyss that, if entered, he wasn't so sure he could get out of. It felt...dangerous, in a way that was completely invigorating. He felt fearless, even, exhilarated by the thought of going deeper.

Suddenly, going mad didn't seem so implausible.

Still, it hadn't affected the girl. And he had found nothing to indicate that she was in any way stronger than he was. If anything, he was much stronger than she was, so this should be easy, right?

The dragon watched him with silent, shifty eyes, but showed no indication that it'd even felt anything. If anything, its eyes seemed to gleam with a little light, urging him to go on and try it. His mouth pulled up into a smirk as he stayed on the edge of the dragon's mind, trailing his fingers in the darkness. He felt slightly shaky, but it seemed to be more from expectation than anything else. He took a breath, nearly smiling as he forced his body to relax so he could slip into the dragon's mind.

"If you wish to retain your sanity, I wouldn't do that."

The dragon's gaze shifted to his left, slightly narrowed in annoyed disappointment as the only sign it'd felt anything. He frowned, his concentration broken for the moment, and turned around. Sari stood there calmly, as if she had been there the entire time. Maybe she had.

She gave him a small, almost empathetic smile. It disgusted him. "Even just a brush with that sort of power can be very hazardous to your health, dear. I'm only looking after your well-being."

He threw her a rather annoyed glare, which she seemed to be expecting, almost. She pushed lightly away from the wall and walked over to his side, giving the dragon a calm, indifferent glance before laying a hand gently on his arm--very near the bandage, as if sending a subtle message. He tried to jerk it away, scowling when she didn't release him. Again, it seemed to have no effect on her.

"Mmhm, as I thought." She tilted her head, looking him over for a moment as if she wanted to ask him a question, then simply smiled again. "It's time we head back, dear."

Growling, he glared at her. She seemed to be expecting that, though, for she didn't even flinch. "The Bane is messing with your head, Blaze."

He scowled, rubbing his wrist. "Let go, Sari."

She simply eyed him, calmly. "And what will you do if I do?"

Irritation flared in him. "You know what I'm going to do."

She nodded, just once. "Perhaps. But I would like to hear it, all the same."

He made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm going to go find out just how that priss managed to get to that dragon."

"Because you were unable to?" It was a calm sentence, entirely non-accusatory, but it still sparked a flare in his chest.

"No," he snapped, maybe more forcefully than normal. "I just need to know. She could be the key to everything." He growled at her. "Now let go."

She didn't, though, so he focused his energy until his arm began to glow pink and then red, the heat only fueling his anger.

She raised a quiet, simple eyebrow at his trick, but didn't release his arm. "Surely you must know by now that your gift is rather ineffective on me."

He growled again, the anger gathering in a fireball in his chest. He tried to yank his arm away, wrapping his free hand around her wrist and twisting it behind him. Sari's eyebrow only went higher as she expertly caught his arm, twisting it harmlessly out of the way. Her lips pressed together in a calm, thin line as she watched him, completely unaffected.

"You really don't want to do this, she're."

Though he didn't know what it meant, the term of 'endearment' grated on his nerves. He yanked his arm away, striding out without a word.

"Where are you going?"

"To go find out how the dag that priss managed to pull off that stunt."

"Mm, interesting. Would you like me to accompany you?"

"What, so you can knock me out again if I become 'unreasonable'?"

Sari's eyes twinkled just a touch. "Perhaps."

He scowled but didn't reply, storming away down the hallway. Sari followed him, calmly. His scowl grew as increased his pace, but so did she. She raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. He grumbled under his breath, heading toward the cells.

IV

Lena

Blaze had been gone quite a while, and I was starting to wonder if he'd even come back. I stood up as the door opened...and Dailen walked in.

Well, that works too. I had a lot of questions I'd been thinking over, and now I had someone to ask them.

"Hi." Dailen smiled, looking at Dez. "Seems he really likes you."

I looked down at the tiny dragon curled up next to me. "Yeah, I guess so."

As if he knew we were talking about him, Dez yawned and stretched, blinking his tiny eyes open. He tottered to his feet sleepily, nearly slipping a few times before he got it right. I rubbed the top of his head, unable to fight a smile.

Dailen's eyes seemed to take on a light of their own as he watched Dez. He sat down in front of the cell, holding out his hand to Dez. The little dragon hopped over, sniffing it curiously, then nibbled his fingertip.

Dailen chuckled. "I'm afraid I didn't bring any food this time."

Thank goodness for that.

"So, Dailen...can I ask you a question?"

He looked up from playing with Dez and smiled. "Uh, sure. What question?"

I smiled back, as nicely as I could. "Where am I, exactly?"

Dailen's brow creased as he thought about that. His eyebrows went up in realization. "Oh. You're in the Mountain."

"The Mountain?" I tilted my head curiously. "What's that?"

"Well, it's...it's, uh..." Dailen fiddled with his shirt sleeve, shifting his position. "I-I don't really know if I'm supposed to tell you." A nervous glance at the door.

I tried not to laugh, keeping up the sweet smile. "I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about. I'd just like to know where I am, and why I'm here."

"Well...well....uh, I don't think I'm, um...the person you should be asking that."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Why not?"

Tiny beads of sweat formed across his forehead. "W-Well, um, I just....you should probably ask Blaze. He...he can explain it a lot better than I can."

Since I could tell I was making him uncomfortable, I eased away from the topic. "Alright. Well, what can you tell me about Blaze?"

The smile remained, but the light faded from his eyes. "Well...what do you want to know?"

"Oh, his weaknesses, the best way to kill him. You know, simple stuff." I smiled easily, sitting back to watch his reaction. His eyes widened for a moment, then went sort of blank before he let out a forced laugh.

"Oh, I get it. It was a joke. Very funny."

"No, I'm serious." I leaned in, still enjoying how uncomfortable he was. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The guy looked like he might scream for help if I kept it up, so I let out a laugh. "No need to get yourself in a tizzy. I'm just messing with you."

He breathed out audibly, though the shocked look still lingered in his wide eyes. "Oh. Okay..." He attempted a smile back, weakly. "Ha, ha, ha."

"Mmhm." I leaned back, casually, still smiling. "But really, what can you tell me about him?"

He shifted a few times, though whether that was from the residual discomfort or my repeated question was hard to tell. "W-well, he...uh...he's Blaze." His gaze shifted to the door for a moment, his fingers fidgeting with the cuffs of his pants as he looked back at me. "He's m...male. His gifts control fire. He, uh, has red hair..."

I wondered for a moment if Dailen actually had some sass to him, but he still seemed too rattled for that to be the case. I opened my mouth to change the subject when the door slammed open, Blaze storming in. Dailen jumped, his face paler than my mother's satin sheets as he scrambled to his feet. "Oh, h-hi."

Blaze's gaze swung over to Dailen, his eyes dark as thunderclouds. "What are you doing in here?"

"I...I was just..."

"Get out!" Blaze practically shoved him out the door, scowling. Dailen stumbled, his eyes wide as saucers as he practically fell over his own feet to get out of the way.

<><><>

Blaze

Once Dailen had left the room, Blaze strode up to Lena's cell, the anger still burning in his chest. He was barely aware of unlocking the cell door, or flinging it open with a loud slam as he stormed inside. Lena blinked at him, looking more shocked than anything as he pinned her against the wall, and everything about her seemed to grate further on his nerves: the way her skin was so soft, as though she'd never had to work a day in her dagged life. She probably hadn't, he thought in disgust. Even the way her breath hitched in her throat as his hands dug into her arms taunted him.

"I want to know how you pulled off a dagging stunt like that, and I want to know right now," he growled, so close to her face that he could feel her slightly accelerated breathing.

She did her best to hide a wince, frowning. "What 'stunt'?"

"Blaze..." Sari's voice held a note of warning, though she didn't interfere.

Blaze scowled. "Stay out of this, Sari." He didn't take his eyes off Lena. "You know dag well what stunt I'm talking about. No one can just 'tame' a dragon like that!" He pressed her harder against the wall when she tried to yank her too-perfect arms out of his hold. He smiled at the flash of hatred in her eyes as it warmed the fire burning in his chest. "I could just get it from you, you know."

He could almost feel the emotions pulsing off of her. Finally sensing the fear that should have been there from the start, satisfaction mingled with the fury in his chest. It decreased slightly, however, at the look of sharp indignation that quickly replaced the fear on her features.

She fixed him with a cool look as she quit struggling. "You could try."

That sounded nearly like a dare and he smiled. Oh, he certainly could. He reached into her mind easily, probing around until he ran into a hard, cold wall, locking him out of her thoughts. Seemed the priss was cleverer than she let on.

He pushed against the mental walls, focusing all his energy into breaking through them, feeling for cracks. Her breathing grew slightly uneven, his face close enough to hers that he could feel it against his skin, but otherwise there was no indication that he'd done anything. He scowled, gripping her disgustingly perfect wrists until her mouth parted in a little gasp of pain, her walls flickering for a moment. His mouth twisted into a smile.

Sari's disapproving voice cut through the silence. "I think that's enough, dear."

"I have this handled, Sari!"

"Hmm." She didn't seem impressed, but didn't move to stop him, either.

Lena's eyes closed, her breathing labored as she focused on keeping him out of her mind, though he could tell she was weakening. He focused his energy in his hands, heating them up just enough that it would be uncomfortable for her, to break her concentration. She jerked her wrist, but he kept his grip tight. He slowly increased the heat, watching her concentration flicker until she let out a small yelp.

"That is enough, Blaze."

He scowled, but yanked his hand away, eyeing her. Sari's gaze moved to Lena, who had pulled back and was looking at her arm with a wince.

Sari turned her frown to Blaze, rather disapproving, though it cooled to calm again rather quickly. "May I speak to you outside for a moment, dear?"

Despite the pet name, there was still a note of displeasure in her tone. Sari glanced over at Lena one more time, as if making sure she would be okay, then nodded to the door, waiting for him to walk out. She didn't say a word though, just stared at him calmly and disapprovingly.

Blaze folded his arms across his chest and scowled at her. "What?"

Sari raised a single eyebrow at him. "Did you not consider your behavior in there unacceptable?"

"More unacceptable than you dragging me out like that?"

"Before you hurt the girl worse than you already have?"

He frowned, throwing a brief glance at the door and muttering under his breath. "She'll be fine."

Sari raised her eyebrow higher. "She'll need to go to the infirmary and get it patched up. You underestimate your own strength." She paused, her voice more serious. "You do know the cause of this, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "The cause of what? My irritation?"

"Your irrational behavior, yes. You are not usually quite this irritable." A tiny hint of humor came and went in her eyes.

He just scowled. "Yeah, well, maybe I'm just having a really bad day."

"Mmhm. And you have a very powerful energy source influencing your mind. There is a reason I warned you against going down there."

He scowled and rubbed his forehead, which was beginning to pound with everything going on. "You're saying that dagged dragon we captured is influencing me? That's not possible."

"It is very possible, and was a foolish move on your part."

He let out an angry huff. "Then why was she able to do it? She doesn't even know how her gift works!"

"That is because she is different, in ways you will soon find out about. For now, though, you need to go cool down, perhaps literally. Take a walk, stay away from the others and come find me when you're calmer."

A growl. "What if I don't want to?"

She didn't seem affected by that at all. "You will." She strode back into the room, leaving him to stand there alone. He scowled and stalked down the hallway, heading for the forest.
V

Lena

Gingerly, I touched my arm again, fighting back a wince and tears at the pain. Dez made little unhappy noises, looking at my arm and back up at me as if something terrible had happened. He tried licking it, but that just made me grit my teeth more and suck in a breath, so he settled for rubbing his head against my leg and making worried sounds.

I tried to put my mind on anything but the pain. It was becoming frustratingly clear to me that Blaze had no intention of helping me, and might in fact keep hurting me if I stayed. If only I could get the blasted bracelet off. It had to be something more than a random chunk of metal they'd given me the pleasure of wearing, and whatever it was, I wanted it off before I left.

Dez seemed to understand what I wanted, because he tried again to nibble at it with his teeth. But like before, it had no effect. He looked up at me sadly, shaking his tiny head.

"Maybe has to be removed by someone with a gift." I sighed, leaning my head against the wall. "Of course."

At the moment – as much as I hated it – it seemed my best bet was waiting for Dailen, convincing him somehow to let me out. He said he didn't have gifts, but maybe he could find me some keys or something.

Footsteps interrupted my musings, and I tensed instinctively as my eyes went to the door. Only the mysterious woman walked in, though, and I found myself relaxing.

She smiled at me, sitting down on a rock outside of the cell. "I am sorry for that. Are your injuries bad?"

I glanced back at the red mark again, biting my lip slightly. "No, not really. It'll be okay." I couldn't hide a frown, though, the rest of what I was thinking spilling out. "But what on earth is wrong with that guy, anyway? Who are you? And what am I doing here?"

Several things passed through the woman's eyes, but they were too fast for me to catch any of them. "My name is Sari. You are here because you have a gift that could be very useful to us. It could save many lives."

I let out a snort. "So that's how you justify kidnapping me?"

"If we had left you there, you would have been hunted until you were found by the guards and either tortured or killed. You didn't exactly keep the use of your gift subtle, she're."

I bristled at the pet name, memories springing to mind that I wanted to forget. How did she know that word, anyway? "I did what I had to."

Sari nodded. "As did we. It was as much for your protection as for our gain."

I held back another snort, deciding to change the subject. "Does Blaze always act like that?"

Something flickered in Sari's eyes, almost like a heaviness for a moment before it was gone. "No."

Wow, points for helpfulness again. I'd be better off with Dailen's stuttering than this.

Sari adjusted her skirts, glancing up at the ceiling in thought before looking at me. "I'm afraid your gift has caused quite a...stir among some of the others here. They have never seen someone with the ability to link to a dragon."

I furrowed my brow. "But, that's easy..."

"I know, she're. For you, it would not be strange at all. For all the others here, I'm afraid it's a bit...shocking." She smiled warmly. "And I'm sure you must have your own degree of shock to deal with. Are there any questions you wish to ask?"

Ones that you won't dodge around? "Where am I, exactly?"

"You are in the Mountain."

I nodded, the information lining up with what Dailen had told me. "Okay. Where is it, exactly?"

"In the country of Calest."

I couldn't tell if she was being sassy or just infuriatingly vague. "Where in Calest?"

"A few miles out from Danten." She smiled at me. "Does that answer your question?"

I nodded. "One of them, at least." A frown. "So why am I here?"

That almost made her smile. "That will take a bit more explaining." She stood up, and I thought for a moment she was going to leave the room again. But then she waved her hand and I swear it was like the bars melted away, shimmering out of existence.

I stared at them, unable to believe it. Sari motioned to the door. "Come. There is much for you to learn."

I rubbed my wrist absentmindedly, glancing down. Dez had fallen asleep on the ground, a cute curled ball of white scales, but I didn't want to wake him. Sari seemed to notice my hesitation, for she added, "Leave the dragon. They do require a good deal of sleep throughout the day."

Trying to hide a frown, I stepped away and followed her out of the cell. "So, I'm guessing I still have to keep this on?"

Sari glanced at the bracelet, seeming to consider that for a moment. "For now, yes."

I hated the feeling of being on a leash, but I didn't want to stay in the cell, either. Once we left the room, though, the sight before me was enough of a distraction from all that.

The room we had been in opened up into a cavern more stunning than most of the elaborate buildings in Galdania. It reminded me of the multi-leveled cathedrals in my home city, except all hewn out of rock. And the stone itself looked like an artist had dripped his paintbrush at the top and let it run down, in varying dark hues that mixed and intermingled. Red and purple were the most prominent, but there were sparks of orange and deep blues in the mix, too.

Everything sounded all...echoey in the chamber. We were on what I'd have described as a balcony, overlooking the rocky floor. A bit of panic was still trying to rise up, but I quenched it with an awed breath out, my words coming out in an impressed whoosh of air. "What is this place?"

Sari smiled at my awe. "This is the Mountain. It has been a safe haven for dragons and the Gifted alike for many years."

I looked up to see the ceiling taper to nothing more than a small, rocky hole letting light in. No one seemed to grasp the shocking reality of where we were, or just what this meant. In Galdania, we had a volcano that was protected by the gods – Meria – allowed to erupt only when they were displeased. I'd heard stories of its sister volcano, Eris, but I'd never known it would be as magnificent as this. It must have been twice the size of Meria, and certainly that impressive, if not more.

We walked around the rocky balcony encircling the chamber, heading down some rough stairs that looked like they'd been hewn right out of the rock. A few people smiled and waved as we passed, and Sari nodded back to them.

Once we were at the bottom, we headed for a large tunnel to the left that narrowed as it left the chamber. Several other tunnels branched off from the one we walked down, winding around in dizzying twists and turns into the darkness. Crackling torches on the wall illuminated the layers of the rock, like embers.

Luckily, we didn't make too many turns until the tunnels opened up again into a bigger room. I released a breath at the increase of space as I looked around. The rock in this chamber was smoother, like it'd been carved by man rather than nature. To one side of the room sat a wide, clear area flanked by a rack of weapons. To the other, an assortment of chairs and couches surrounded a long, low table.

"This is the training hall." Sari gestured to the room with a draped sleeve, as my ear caught the sound of voices.

Across the room, a boy with skin darker than the bark of the quileas trees back home sat on the edge of a chair, waving his hands grandly as if he was telling a story. Two others sat across from him on a couch of sorts, a boy and a girl with matching olive skin and dark hair – though hers was considerably longer and held back in a loose braid. The first looked to be in rapt, boyish delight at what was being said, while the other simply listened with a rather neutral expression.

As we approached, the girl looked up, giving a short nod of acknowledgement, but the boy seemed too lost in the story to even notice us.

"...And then, I knocked him out quick as I could and got away!" The boy in the chair smacked one hand against the other with a triumphant grin, his eyes holding a faint sparkle in the light. "And that's how I saved Fern from a guard with nothing but my wits and a couple of oranges."

Sari chuckled softly from where we'd stopped behind the storyteller's chair. "Ah, but you didn't tell them how you got scolded by the shopkeeper afterward for a solid ten minutes and had to help in her store to pay for all of those oranges."

He swiveled to look over the edge of the chair, his face splitting into a grin when he saw us. "Shhh." Putting a finger to his lips, he nodded in the direction of the others. "They don't need to know that." His gaze shifted to me, and he extended a hand. "Don't think I've seen you before. Name's Talon."

An amused expression flitted across Sari's face for a moment. "She will be your new teammate in a little while."

"Finally chose the last one, eh?" He shook my hand, smiling. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

The pet name nearly made me frown, but I brushed it aside. "Lena."

"Lena." He seemed to think that over, then grinned, his gold-brown eyes sparkling with warmth. "Don't think I've met someone with that name before."

A sharp pang went through my heart as a memory hit me. "Says the boy whose name is a bird's claw."

He laughed at that, a loud, jovial sound. "True, true. Bird's Claw, that's me." He winked, then gestured to the other two behind him. "That's Basil and Olive. Or Olive and Basil, since no one can tell them apart." He said the last part with a teasing grin, then added after a moment, "Since they're twins, y'know? It was a joke." He laughed at himself. "Which apparently I'm not very good at."

Before I could agree with him, Basil stood up, his lanky form unfolding to a surprising height as he stepped toward me. "Ignore the jokester. He thinks he's so clever, but we know better." He threw a teasing grin of his own at Talon before offering me a hand. "Nice to meet you."

I don't think I'd ever felt as small as when Basil shook my hand. His practically swallowed mine, bigger than even my dad's hands. "Nice to meet you, too."

He sat back down next to Olive, who had remained silent this whole time. When he leaned over to murmur something to her, however, she inclined her head in a polite nod, showing a brief smile.

Talon grinned. "Well, now that we're all acquainted, why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Lena?" He settled back in the chair, lacing his hands over one propped-up knee.

The suggestion caught me off-guard, and I sat down in one of the chairs to hide my hesitation. I couldn't tell them the truth, so what could I say? Everyone waited expectantly, while my tongue remained frozen in my mouth. I glanced at Sari for help, but her look merely seemed to encourage me, like 'go on.'

My mouth had gone so dry I could have hardly spoken if I'd wanted to. Licking my lips, I shifted slightly in my seat. "Well, I..."

I could've sworn I was dreaming for a moment when a green-haired girl burst into the room, her color-splotched arms wrapped around a large platter. On it was a very lopsided mound that looked like it could've been some sort of pastry in another life.

"Guys!" She practically sprinted over to us, her chest heaving like she'd been running, and held her creation out proudly. "I made it!"

I couldn't help but wonder what 'it' was supposed to be, biting back a snarky comment. It looked like something we would only feed to animals. Talon seemed caught up in her enthusiasm, though, grinning. "You're just in time, Fern. We were just getting to know Lena, who's going to be joining the team soon." He reached for a slice off the platter, but Fern smacked his hand away with a disapproving frown.

"You can't eat cake in here, Tal! You'll get crumbs everywhere!" She flung her arm out dramatically as she said this, then perched it on her hip, giving him a look. "And then who would clean it up, huh? Certainly not me!"

Then, without missing a beat, she dropped her hand and swiveled to face me, smiling. "I'm Fern, by the way. Since someone ruined that introduction for me." She threw a huffy look in Talon's direction, then gave me a bright smile. "Do you want some cake?"

So that's what she thought it was. Before I could even respond, though, Fern cut me off again. "It's really good, I promise! I had Elle help me with it." She grinned, then waved her hand toward the door, calling loudly. "C'mon, everyone! To the mess hall!"

I didn't expect anyone to take her seriously. Though she looked nearer seventeen or eighteen, she certainly didn't act like it. But one by one they all stood, following Fern as she marched toward the door, her green braids swinging like pendulums behind her back. Even Sari joined them, giving me an amused look before nodding for me to do the same.

What a strange sight we must've made, following this green-haired girl and her oversized cake platter. No one else seemed to find it odd, however, so I went along with it, following them through the door.

Fern had already set her cake on one of the long white tables stretching across half the room, lined with a bench on either side. The top was covered with all manner of cake and cake-decorating supplies, stretched out in messy piles amidst egg shells and dabs of frosting. She plopped down on the bench, sending a poof of flour into the air, then reached for a knife. "Alright! Who wants the biggest piece?"

I didn't want to be rude, but I had no desire to try any of Fern's creation, especially after seeing the mess she'd made on the table. It turned out I didn't have a choice, however, as she thrust the first piece at me with a big grin, then whispered confidentially. "You get the first piece because you're the newest."

I poked the cake gingerly with the fork, watching it crumble to pieces around the tines. Any hope I had for the pastry went with it, and I pushed some of the pieces around, so it'd seem like I'd tried it.

"Did you try it? Do you like it?" Fern was practically up in my face, peeking up at my plate from her seat on the bench. She pouted. "Aww, you've hardly eaten any! Was it not good?" Her shoulders deflated as she looked at the mess she'd made. "And I worked so hard on it, too."

It seemed she wasn't going to give me a chance to respond, so I interrupted her before she could continue. "It tastes fine. I'm just not very hungry."

She didn't seem to believe me for a moment, then shrugged, cutting another slice of cake. Handing it to Talon, she cocked her head and looked around. "Where's Chan?"

Sari glanced at the door. "He is probably still in the library, studying."

Fern blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Well, he certainly can't eat cake in there. Someone will have to go get him."

Sari nodded. "I will go." Her gaze met mine briefly in an unspoken question, and I set down my plate, following her.

"I'll go, too."

Fern looked between the two of us, then sighed. "You're both going?"

"Lena has not yet met Chanis or seen the rest of the Mountain. That's why she is accompanying me."

Luckily, Fern seemed to accept this explanation, though not happily. "Okay. But hurry back!"

Sari nodded. As we turned to go, I could hear the brightness return to Fern's voice as she served up the rest of the cake.

I threw a glance back at the door only once we were safely on the other side of it, hardly wanting to question what had just happened. An amused smile lingered in Sari's eyes as she walked, but offered no explanation. And I wasn't sure I wanted one anyway, so I stayed silent.

In a way, once you'd seen part of the Mountain, you'd seen all of it. The walls in certain areas sometimes had more prominent veins of blue and orange rather than reds and purples, but it all looked very similar, and far too easy to get lost in. I was glad to have Sari as my guide, as she made navigating the many tunnels look like – if you'll pardon my choice of words – a piece of cake.

We finally entered a larger tunnel that opened up into a wide room lined with shelves and all manner of books. A circular table filled the middle of the room, dotted with various books and maps with markings and clay figurines of sorts scattered about. A broad-shouldered form leaned over the various papers and diagrams, his back facing us as he planted his hands on the table, studying the arrangement. He cut a rather intimidating figure as he straightened, rubbing his chin with a frown. Sari gave me a knowing smile as she walked over to the table, adjusting one of the markers on the map.

The figure – or Chan, as I assumed – watched Sari's movement, his brow creased as he seemed to think things over. I wondered if we should even interrupt him, until he fished out a pair of spectacles the size of bottle caps and stuck them on. A boyish grin spread across his face as he clapped his hands together, holding them near his chest.

"Of course." He murmured the word to himself like it was a treasure, a heavy accent softening the vowel sounds. He ran a hand through his hair and laughed, grinning over at Sari. "That should have been too easy."

She smiled. "Perhaps." Then she nodded at me. "Lena, this is Chan."

Chan folded his glasses back over the collar of his shirt, the intense look back as he stared at the map, hardly seeming to notice us anymore. I considered poking him, but didn't know how he'd react.

"Chan." Sari's voice was warm, almost holding a note of amusement.

He finally looked up at his name, glancing at Sari expectantly. "Hm?"

She hid an amused smile, nodding toward me. His gaze shifted my direction, and he blinked like a lost puppy for a moment before it seemed to register in his mind. "Oh!" His eyes widened as he rubbed his forehead. "Sorry, did I ignore you?"

A slight smile touched my lips, though I brushed it aside. "You're fine. Sari was just introducing me to you."

He let out a chuckle, combing dark hair back with a wry grin. "Guess that's kinda hard when I'm not paying attention, huh?"

I lifted a shoulder, then dropped it. "Just a bit, yeah."

The rueful grin spread to the rest of his face, reaching his eyes as he dropped his hand, rubbing it on his pants. "Well, I'm sorry, then. That was rather rude of me." He held out his hand. "I'm Chanis. Nice to meet you."

I shook his hand, then nodded to the table. "What was that you were working on?"

"Oh, that?" He glanced back at the table, then laughed. "Just some casual procrastination."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? It looked like you were trying to plan a war or something."

A sheepish grin spread across his face as he lifted his shoulders, then dropped them. "Well...kinda, yeah." He glanced back at the table. "It's...ah, a game of sorts."

Judging by the look he'd had on his face, I figured his 'game' wouldn't be much to my liking. "Sounds fun."

"It is." He paused, thinking that over. "Well, if you like that sort of thing, I suppose." He chuckled, then looked back at me, his eyes seeming to see farther than most would find comfortable. "So...you're the last member of the team then, I'd wager?"

"So everyone keeps saying, yes." I glanced at the piles of books and notes on the table, suddenly remembering why we'd come here in the first place. "Fern made cake, by the way, and wanted you to have some."

Chan's laugh caught me off guard. "Don't tell me she sent you all the way over here to tell me that."

I resisted the urge to tilt my head at that. "Why not?"

The grin crept further up Chan's face, and he shook his head. "Because Fern hardly remembers what she had for breakfast ten minutes after she's finished it." He scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "She'll have forgotten all about it by now."

I glanced at Sari for confirmation. The slightest hint of amusement flickered in her gaze for a moment, but she simply nodded. Then she turned to Chan. "Chan, would you mind putting aside your game for a moment? I wanted to show Lena some of your research on the Bane."

The Bane?

I watched as Chan nodded, pulling a bulging folder off of one of the shelves. Carefully, he moved some of his documents to clear a space on the table. I would've offered to help, except everything seemed to have a very particular place. With a plop, he set the folder down, the pages crinkling as he opened it. Running his finger down one of the pages, he sorted through a few of the leaflets in the folder before he found what he was looking for. He went back to the shelves, scanning them with a low hum until he found the one he was looking for and pulled it out. Setting it down with a thud, he opened to the middle of the book, turning it to show me what it said.

"That's the Bane."

I looked at the colorful illustrations and fancy script, blinking. I lifted up the book to look at the cover, then stared at him. "'Legends of Calest'? You're searching for a fairytale?"

Chan rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes. No. It just...it..." He looked at Sari for help.

"Any story becomes a legend once it's told enough times. Facts are stretched, storylines changed, but the underlying truth in the fable still remains."

"So you're chasing a fairytale. Literally."

Chan's motions grew more agitated, as he fingered the pages of the book just a touch too hard. "We've seen it in action. It's why the dragons started attacking."

I raised an eyebrow, deciding to humor them. "And what exactly is 'it'?"

Chan rubbed the back of his neck again. "No one's...quite sure. Some think it's an object, others think it's some sort of mystical force." He mumbled the last part as he looked down at the book. "Some think it's just symbolism."

I was almost entertained by the thought of all this. "So how do you expect to find this thing if you don't even know what it is?"

Chan pressed his lips together. "It hardly matters what it is if we're able to track it. All the dragons that have attacked the towns were infected, so if we can find out where they're hiding, we can find the source."

"Which you think is the Bane?"

Chan nodded slowly. "It may be the only way to figure out how to stop the attacks, anyway. If we could get the dragons back on our side...we could convince the people to fight back against Galdania." He hesitated. "If we can't, the Empress will take over and track down all the Gifted, and anyone who associates with them."

A shiver went down my spine. I didn't have to be told what she would do when she found them. The Empress had a habit of taking care of those who opposed her publically, and it was never pretty. I licked my suddenly dry lips, trying to appear casual. "So why don't you follow the dragons back to their den, if you're so sure that's where the Bane is?"

A flicker of pain sparked in Chan's eyes for a moment as he laughed, his voice lowering to a murmur. "There's more than one den of dragons in Calest, Lena."

"Then search through them all until you find it. Doesn't seem so hard to me."

Chan swallowed, his jaw tense as he glanced down at the book, then back up. "That's...what we tried the first time."

The first time? I waited for him to go on.

Chan studied the pages of the book, glancing up at me and nearly wincing as he realized I was waiting to hear more. He threw a quick look at Sari, almost pleading as he swallowed and let out a chuckle, some of the pain flashing through his eyes again. "Sari, um, can explain it better." His voice was too quiet as he sat down, picking up a paper to 'study'.

I looked over at Sari, who nodded and gestured to the book, with some vague image of a guy who looked uncharacteristically strong, a cheesy orange glow coming off of him as people stood in awe of him and his dragon.

"What you must understand, she're, is that humans were never intended to handle so much power. Whoever has it can control dragons, but the cost is very high. If a human becomes infected with it, it will do its best to take them over. If the struggle doesn't kill them, the madness from its effects will." She paused. "A team was sent out when the first dragon attacked Danten, to follow it back to its lair. But there were more dragons than we anticipated, and they were overwhelmed. Only two of the team members made it out alive."

"And one of them went mad," Chan murmured, raising his head from his hands. His eyes still held a streak of pain, though he didn't seem able to hide it now. "So we're more...careful now."

I started putting the pieces together in my mind, but some things still didn't make sense. "So why do you need me, more than any other...'gifted' person?"

A slight smile touched Sari's eyes. "Because they don't affect you, she're. You put that dragon to sleep with no ill effects."

I frowned, my brow crinkling as I thought that over. It was a scary thought, that I might've gone mad from what I'd done. "How?"

"We don't know." Chan blew out a frustrated breath, rubbing his forehead and giving me a half-smile. "But it makes you pretty special, miss."

I caught a look in Sari's eyes for a moment before she brushed it aside. But I knew that kind of look far too well. It was common in Galdania, though it was more haughty then than anything, rather than secretive. Sari knew more than she was telling, and she didn't want to share it.

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze hated to say it, but Sari was right. After he let his mind calm down enough to see the illogicality of his actions, he found himself looking for her, his fists lightly curled at his sides to hide the shakiness in them. He threw a glare at anyone who dared look at him, and most didn't want to talk to him anyway.

"Do you know where Sari is, Elle?"

The redhead spun her chair around to face him, giving him one of her bright, warm smiles like the sunshine, the light from her candle casting a glow on her freckled face. "She said she'd be down with Chan in the planning room. Are you looking for her?"

"None of your business." He added in a scowl, briefly flicking his gaze around at her mess of a lab, then remembered the other reason he'd come here. In a sort of handless gesture, he tilted his chin toward her desk. "Could you do a favor for me?"

Entirely unaffected by his sullen attitude, she smiled. "Sure. What do you need?"

Frowning slightly, he focused his attention on one of the plants on her desk, as if he was talking to it. "Get a blood sample from that new girl, Lena. Compare it to the others and see if there's anything different about it." He paused, frowning to disguise the thoughts running through his head. "Let me know what you find."

Elle had a curious expression on her face, but she just nodded and smiled another bright, sunny smile. "Alright, Blaze. Any particular reason?"

He scowled again. "Not one that's any of your business."

She nodded, smiled again. "Okay. I'll get on that as soon as I'm done mapping this out for Chan. Anything else I can help you with?" Her perceptive eyes glanced him over, her healer instincts probably preparing to question the slight tremble in his fingers.

"Just stay out of my way."

He could feel her gaze on him, saw her start to open her mouth and cut her off with a very harsh look before he strode away. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and frowned as he headed down the busy corridors toward the planning room. The Mountain was a bustle of activity, with everyone coming and going and chatting as if everything was normal. It gave him a headache, though not as much as all the unspoken conversation going on. For some reason, all the thoughts were far louder than usual, the chatterings and whisperings in the silence. He frowned and did his best to push them all away, shoving past people and ignoring the looks he got as he turned the corner and escaped the noise.

Sari was, as Elle said, in the planning room, poring over a dusty map with Chanis.

And Lena.

He set his jaw and stopped just inside the doorway, too tense to yell at the moment. Clearing his throat, he looked over at Sari.

She looked up and smiled. "Hello, Blaze. Doing better?"

He was about to respond when a hand rapped on the doorframe. He tensed up, sucking in a breath of frustration as Talon poked his head in.

"Hey, Sari? Sorry to interrupt, but," he chuckled, "we've got a bit of a...hmm, situation in the mess hall."

Amusement touched Sari's eyes. "A situation?"

"Yeaaah. Apparently dragons like cake. A lot. I don't know what Fern put in it, but it's made them kind of...hyper."

Blaze bit back a scowl, trying again. "Sari..."

"Ask Elle if there's any sort of herb that could calm them down."

Talon nodded. "Right-o. Don't know why I didn't think of that." Chuckled, he disappeared out the door, only to poke it right back in a moment later. "Oh, and Sari?"

Blaze grit his teeth. Sari just smiled. "Yes?"

"That vase in the hallway wasn't important, was it?" A distant crash echoed down the tunnel, and he winced. "Or that one?"

"Don't worry about it, Talon. Just get them under control."

"Right-o." His head disappeared again, and Sari looked over at Blaze.

"What did you need, dear?"

When Talon's head appeared for the third time, Blaze nearly slammed the door shut on it.

"There's still cake for you, Blaze, if you--"

"Get out!"

Talon let out a low whistle, glancing at Sari almost apologetically. "Good luck." He grinned wryly and pulled back out, and this time didn't come back in.

Blaze frowned, curling his hands into loose fists to hide the trembling that was only getting worse. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Sari? Alone?" He narrowed a nearly scathing look at Lena. "And get her back in her cell."

Sari nodded, saying something quietly to Chan before following Blaze out into the hallway.

He pulled her into one of the smaller corridors, wondering if she could feel his fingers trembling. He frowned, resisting the urge to shove them in his pockets as he lifted a hand up to show her. "What is happening to me?"

Sari took in his shaking hand in one glance, then nodded once. "That is a conversation for somewhere where we will not be heard. Come." She led him down the hall in the opposite direction, toward a series of stairs hewn in the rock that led up to a large platform. They kept climbing until they reached Sari's quarters, and she quietly closed the door behind him. She smiled. "Have a seat, dear."

Glancing around, he pulled out a chair to sit on, curling his hands into fists in an attempt to stop the shaking. Sari sat down across from him, then glanced at his hands calmly. "It's the effects of the Bane. Or rather, the withdrawal effects. Your brush with the dragon's affected mind established a temporary link through which the Bane could influence your mind. It is fading, now, which is why you are shaking." She gestured to his hands. He looked down at them and frowned.

"I'm guessing that's why my gifts are harder to use, too?"

Sari tilted her head lightly, then nodded. "That could be a side effect, yes." She grew quieter and more serious, her entire air less light and more... more like she was an old, hard stone weathered by age and experience. She looked less youthful, nearly grave. "You only came in contact with it for a few seconds. Can you imagine what would happen if you were subjected to it for longer?" There was a hushed quality to her voice that wasn't usually there. He could see the depths of all she'd seen in her eyes, which suddenly looked so old and so weary, like she'd seen the whole world fall apart and build itself back together several times.

He frowned, thinking of Gigi. "So that's why she went mad?"

Sari looked up, her eyes very serious and heavy. "No." That hushed quality was back, her voice maybe even quieter than before. Something heavy lay behind those eyes, like a secret centuries old. "With Gigi, it wasn't just an echo. The same way..." She pressed her lips together, looking up as if searching for a way to describe it. "It is similar to how Elle can use her gift to heal, by sharing her energy with others. She could heal someone without a gift, and they would feel the effects, but it would fade, eventually." She took a breath, an unusual array of emotions seeming to flicker across her face, unlike the mask of calm she usually wore. "With the Bane...it is different. This is why you must be very careful. What you experienced is the equivalent of me linking to your mind and influencing your actions. What Gigi experienced was basically a battle against the Bane for control of her own mind. It doesn't just suggest things, it takes complete control, if it's allowed."

He frowned. "So why is this...priss of all people able to resist it?"

Sari smiled slightly. "That is a secret that I am afraid would take far too long to explain at the moment, especially in your state."

He found himself shaking even more, and he lowered his head into his hands, letting out a low growl as he grabbed a fistful of his hair, bouncing his knee to hide the shaking. "I hate this."

"Mmhm. Perhaps next time you will not be so hasty to ignore my warnings." It sounded like it should be stern, but there was a hint of amusement to her tone. "It shouldn't last too much longer. I will tell the others that you are indisposed. You may stay here and recover."

He let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a growl. "But I can't. I have a meeting with Damien..."

"I will take care of that. It is better for you to stay here until the effects of the Bane wear off, anyway. You may read, if you like." She gestured to her shelf of books, a small smile curving on her face.

Blaze lifted his head to look at her. "Do I look like the reading sort to you?"

She paused at the doorway and smiled again, an almost twinkle to her eyes. "Perhaps after a few hours, you will be."

"A few hours?"

"Give or take. I could possibly speed up the process, but it would not be pleasant."

He growled again. "Pain I can handle just fine."

She tilted her head at him, an odd and almost curiously distant look on her face. "I think you might disagree." This too was almost quieter than usual, and she turned to leave the room without another word.
VI

Lena

Apparently Sari had wanted Chan and I to take care of the dragon fiasco while she talked with Blaze. Chan led me to the mess hall, where we managed to round up the rowdy dragons and kit dragons using some concoction and a little mental persuasion. It turned out Talon's gift was the same as mine, and he even took the bracelet off for me for a while so I could use it.

Sari came in after a while to help, which made the work go considerably faster. She seemed to have a way with the dragons, where they listened to her better than anyone else.

By the time we were finished, though, I was exhausted, and almost glad to go back to my cell. Dez greeted me with an indignant chirp, but curled up next to me with what sounded like a sigh. Within a few minutes of laying down, I was fast asleep, despite having nothing but the hard floor to sleep on.

It wasn't until the next morning that I realized Sari hadn't put the bracelet back on.

<><><>

Kaiden

The shadows were darker that night.

Kaiden flinched on the bed, caught in the binds of a nightmare. Yet, no matter how many times he opened his eyes, it didn't end. Images flashed through his head, making him wince and choke on his own breaths.

"It wasn't your fault, Kaiden."

Tears stung the back of his eyes as he laughed – laughed at the dark and the voices and the pain. Laughed at the words that rang so untrue. No matter how many times people said it, he knew it wasn't true. It was his fault, and the guilt was eating him alive tonight. If only he hadn't been so hasty... If he'd just fought a little harder or moved a little differently, they'd still be alive. Gigi would be telling some wild story, Samar would be grinning at him...

And his heart wouldn't have such a deep, aching hole in it. His mind wouldn't be trying to tear itself apart.

He shut his eyes, curling in on himself as the pain spread like fire in his chest. He couldn't fail this time, if only for his siblings' sake.

His siblings. A small breath of relief like cool air rushed into his lungs, taking some of the pain with it. Once Damien had the Bane, he could see them again, and the rest of the world could crumble to pieces if it wanted to. He just couldn't be hasty this time.

His eyes flew open, staring sightlessly into the dark as the pain crept back around his heart, squeezing it tighter until he could barely breathe again. He couldn't lose them too. He just couldn't. Kinny, Kelrin, the twins...they were all he had left. If he lost them, he wasn't sure he could ever recover. Everything left sane inside him would be swallowed by the pain.

Which was why it was so important he didn't fail this time. Though Damien was growing impatient with his caution, he refused to let this end the way it had before.

But he was running out of time. The Empress would be arriving in a few short weeks, and they all knew what that meant. So far, they'd been able to convince the Council not to accept her offers, but with the recent increase of dragon attacks and lack of progress, Calest might give up on them soon.

Another wave of pain rushed through him as he thought about what that would mean. The Empress would not hesitate to slaughter any and all Gifted and take over Calest like she had with the seven other lands already under her rule. And that would be even more innocent blood on his hands, all because he was too weak to save them. Always too weak. No, he couldn't let that happen...

He couldn't...

The bed creaked as the wild-haired girl sat by him in the dark. The sensation of her hand settling against his cheek calmed his thrashing. "Shhh," she murmured.

"She isn't really there, Kaiden," he remembered everyone telling him. Just a figment of his imagination. An imaginary girl he'd invented in his head to help him cope. Even in the dark, her soft, warm jade-green eyes seemed to smile at him.

"Jade," he murmured to the empty room.

"It's okay, Butterfly. I'm here."

VII

Lena

I felt like I had hardly closed my eyes when I was woken by a bright light in my eyes. Something soft dropped on top of me, and I rolled over, my brow creasing as I murmured. "It's too early to be up, Dad."

"Too bad. Get up and get dressed, Priss."

I blinked my eyes open blearily at the harsh voice, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"Waking you up. Now do I have to drag you out of there or what?"

A crackling sound filled my ears. I lifted my head to look at the brown fabric draped across my side, a stark contrast to the red. I blinked slowly, then smiled. "Oh, I get it. I'm dreaming." I laid my head back down, closing my eyes.

"Priss, I swear if you make me drag you out of here..."

A sharp kick jerked me awake. I opened my eyes, shielding them from the light as I glared at Blaze the best a half-awake person can. "Excuse me, I am sleeping here."

"Not anymore. Get up."

I curled up on myself, burying my face in my arm. "It's like three in the morning."

"I know. Now get up before I make you get up."

I ignored him, burying my face in the warm fabric of my dress. What was he going to do to me, really? Scowl me into submission?

Blaze had gone quiet, and I thought I'd won for a moment. A crash of ice cold water engulfing me proved otherwise. I jerked upright with a gasp, clutching my soaking wet arms to my chest and fighting a shiver. "What was that for?"

His mouth twitched up in a half-smirk. "To wake you up." He tossed a set of clothes near the puddle around my clothes. "Better get dressed."

Goosebumps ran up and down my arms as the cold soaked into my bones. I grabbed the clothes as carefully as I could without drenching them, throwing Blaze an evil look. He merely shrugged.

"I'll be back in five minutes. Whatever you're wearing then is what you're wearing for the rest of the day." He nearly smiled. "Be glad it wasn't dirty water," he said as he put his hand to his chest dramatically, mocking me. "I don't know it would ever come out of that dress."

He left me to my indignation as I peeled away my soggy gown and dropped it in a puddle. Five minutes was hardly enough to undress, let alone clean up the mess he'd left me with! And of course I had been wearing my nicest dress, too – a birthday present from my aunt, actually.

I picked up the clothing he'd dumped on me, wrinkling my nose. The fabric didn't look very soft, and the whole thing was drab and mud-colored. The leather bodice of sorts was stiff and unflattering, and even the undershirt was scratchy and faded to a nearly yellowed white. I let out an exasperated sigh as I laced up the boots, which were nowhere near as nice as mine, or as comfortable. I had just begun braiding my hair so it looked halfway decent when Blaze walked back in.

"Time's up. Come on, Princess."

Before I could protest, his hand clamped around my wrist, yanking me toward the door. When my resistance proved useless, I let out the huffiest sigh I could, sticking my chin out to regain some of my dignity. "That's no way to treat a lady."

Blaze stopped at that, looking over at me in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, is there a lady present? All I see is a prissy brat who needs to learn her place."

I wanted to stomp on his foot, but he continued walking, tugging me along down the tunnels. "And who took your bracelet off?"

"You are by far the most arrogant beanhead I've ever met, did you know that?" I brushed a strand of hair from my face. "And Talon did, if you must know. He's actually a gentleman, unlike someone I know."

"I never claimed to be one, Princess." His eyes narrowed at the Talon comment, but he quickly disguised it by curving his mouth up in a smirk. "And 'beanhead'? Is that really the best you can come up with?"

"It's a perfectly valid insult. You're simply too beanheaded to understand what it means."

He shook his head, making a left. "Now you really killed it. Insulting an insult? Way too far, Priss."

I shut my mouth, fuming at the walls as we walked down the seemingly endless tunnels. "So where are you dragging me to this early in the morning?"

"You'll see." The tunnels around us grew darker, the torches sparser as we made several more turns, the rock taking on more of a purplish hue. Eventually, the torches just stopped, and Blaze held his free hand out, a flame sparking to life in it and lighting the tunnel. I did my best to hide my surprise, but still saw him smile out of my periphery.

Eventually, the tunnel opened up into a cavern, a familiar, metallic scent touching my nostrils. Blaze led me over to a cage similar to the one I'd been kept in, the dragon from our little adventure glowering inside. Its shifty eyes watched us, narrowed slits suspicious. Blaze released my wrist, folding his arms with a smirk. "Do it again."

"What?"

He nodded to the dragon. "Do it again, if you're so 'special'. Put the dragon to sleep."

I bristled. "I'm not your lapdog to command, Blaze."

"You want to know where Kaiden Dyran is, you put that dragon to sleep." His mouth curved up in an unpleasant smile. "Unless you can't."

I shot him an icy look, then glanced over at the dragon. It gave me a hateful stare back. I think it blamed me for its imprisonment. Encouraging it to sleep might not be as easy this time.

Blaze shifted his stance, watching me. "Well?"

"Give me a minute." I narrowed my eyes, hating that he was watching. The dragon continued to eye me with distaste, its beady eyes nearly challenging me to try the same stunt again. I shut my eyes for concentration, reaching out until I touched the edge of the mind. It was surprisingly open, reminding me of the callas plant back home that lured its prey in, then trapped it inside.

I tried the same tactic as before, coaxing soothing images into the dragon's mind. It batted them away as easily as annoying flies this time, however, and my own mind was starting to get sluggish. A throbbing developed in my temples as I furrowed my brow in concentration, fighting against the dragon. Each attempt felt like it was draining me of all my energy, though, and I could hardly keep it up.

I focused all my energy in one big push...and my legs gave out. My breathing came in short, hard intervals as I blinked dark spots out of my vision, supporting myself with my trembling arms. The dragon seemed to shimmer and waver from behind the bars as the floor tilted back and forth.

I think someone was calling my name, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. My head was a fuzzy blur, trying to keep a grasp on reality while I spun around. I was barely able to turn my body before my stomach lurched, the food Dailen had made for me coming up in one sickening heave--right on what looked like someone's boots. Pinpricks tickled my skin as I shivered, my limbs trembling so badly I could hardly move. A pair of warm arms scooped me up and I shuddered, pressing into the warmth as darkness enveloped me.

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze cursed under his breath in a rather steady stream as he strode down the hallway, trying to ignore the putrid smell still lingering in the air. Lena's face was buried against him, her skin ashen and ice cold despite the warmth of his arms. He shot a glare at anyone they passed, just daring them to question him as he pushed open the door to the infirmary.

Elle was sitting at her desk, humming as she pruned a tiny tree. She looked up when she heard him come in, her gaze going instantly to Lena as she stood. "What happened?"

He bit back a scowl. "The priss couldn't handle her own gifts."

"Hmm." Elle rummaged through the drawers in her desk, pulling out and comparing a few herbs until she found the ones she was looking for. "Well...I don't know that there's much I can do, then, except give her something to help her sleep."

He narrowed his brows. "I don't need her to sleep. I need her awake."

Elle cut him a look. "If she's overtaxed herself, then the only thing she's going to be doing right now is sleeping. Go do something else for the day – I'll send Nyx to let you know when she wakes up." She made shooing motions at him with her hands. "Now go on, get out of here."

He frowned, but Elle's tone belayed argument, and he knew, as much as he didn't want to admit it, that she probably knew what she was doing.

He needed to wash his shoes, anyway.

VIII

Lena

I woke up to a chirring sound by my ear, and a soft, scolding voice. "Don't do that, Nyx. You'll wake her."

I pried my eyes open to find a curious, blue-white dragon cocking her head at me, soft spines that looked almost more like feathers poking out of the top of her head. A hand reached out to pluck the dragon off the bed, and I looked over to see a petite redhead sitting next to me, clicking her tongue at the dragon. I tried to sit up, but a dull throb exploded in my head, and I closed my eyes, letting out a low groan.

"Yeah, it'll hurt for a while still. But I already sent Rox to get Talon, so he should be here soon."

I furrowed my brow, wondering if being half-asleep still was making me confused. Why would Talon come here? Where was I, anyway?

I turned my head to look around the room. An earthy smell permeated my nostrils as I took in the various green hues all around, blinking to focus my vision. Plants grew and curled around the desk, some even touching the ceiling. Various diagrams stuck to the walls, herbs and gardening tools scattered over the wooden workspace. It was the strangest infirmary I'd ever seen.

"Oh...I guess I should introduce myself, huh?" The girl chuckled. "I've been sitting here by you so long I forgot we haven't actually been introduced. I'm Elle." She stuck her hand out, shaking mine with a surprisingly firm yet gentle grip. "Blaze brought you in earlier when you passed out."

Passed out? My mind whirled, trying to assemble the pieces of my memory and recall what had happened. The last thing I remembered was trying to get the dragon to sleep. And Blaze brought me in?

"Yeah, you overused your gift, so your body couldn't handle the drain." Elle paused. "I don't know how it works with your gift, specifically, which is why I asked for Talon. Every Gifted has to learn to replenish their energy, but it works differently for each gift. I get mine from the plants," she gestured to her mini arboretum, "but since that's not your gift, I doubt that would work very well." She chuckled.

I furrowed my brow, rubbing my forehead. "How long was I out?"

"Oh, only a couple hours, don't worry. I sent Blaze away so he wouldn't bother you."

The morning's events came back to me, and I gave her a wry smile. "Thanks."

"No problem." Elle smiled back, her fingers busy weaving what looked like some sort of daisy chain, except far more intricate. Nyx had settled next to her, though she kept looking over at me curiously.

"Don't stare, Nyx. That's not polite." Elle paused to stroke the dragon behind the soft spines by her ears, and Nyx closed her eyes contently, lifting her chin and thrumming.

I pushed myself to a sitting position, the throbbing not so bad now, though it got worse if I tried to concentrate on things.

There was a knock at the door, then Talon poked in, two tiny dragons sitting on his shoulders chattering at each other with harsh chirps and squeals that struck my ear like tiny lances. Talon didn't seem affected, though, as he grinned over at Elle. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. I thought you might be able to help Lena learn to replenish her gift." She glanced at the dragons, clicking her tongue like you would to call a dog. The larger, green one stopped his arguing to look over at her, then let out a huff and flew over to her shoulder.

Talon looked over at me. "You don't know how to do that already?"

I nearly let out a retort, but bit my tongue. I couldn't exactly tell him that I hadn't been able to use my gifts in Galdania because they were outlawed. So I simply shrugged. "No one taught me to."

Talon nodded. "Alright, no problem." He looked over at Elle. "Ah, is she okay to go, then?"

"As long as she doesn't overuse her gift again, yes."

Talon chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't."

I felt like retorting that I was right there, but my head was still kind of fuzzy. Talon looked over at me. "Need help?"

I frowned, pushing myself off the bed and shaking my head. "No, I'm fine."

"Alright." He shrugged, waiting for me by the door, looking like he was watching to make sure I didn't fall over. I shot him a look. "I'm not that fragile."

He chuckled. "Just checking." His eyes held a sparkle of teasing as he pushed away from the wall, heading out into the hall. I followed him, trying to regain some of my dignity and wishing I didn't look like such a mess. What a wonderful first impression I was making.

Rather than making a confusing series of twists and turns through nearly identical tunnels, Talon simply led me down one hallway until it branched out into the large chamber I'd first entered with Sari. We headed up the stairs I'd seen earlier, which spiraled around until it reached the mouth of the top. Talon pulled me up out of the hole, and what I saw nearly took my breath away.

The ocean sparkled below us, a deeper, murkier blue than the water in Galdania, but beautiful all the same. The wind carried the smell of salt to my nostrils and I inhaled it like I was breathing for the first time, a rush of warmth and pleasant memories settling in my mind. I didn't even realize I was smiling until I saw Talon looking at me. He looked out at the waves, a smile curving up half of his mouth. "It's really somethin', isn't it?"

I didn't want to speak, just listen to the hushed whisper of the water and the wind playing, but I nodded. "I...haven't seen a prettier view in years."

He chuckled. "Looks so much clearer from up here. And the quiet's nice, too."

I nearly laughed at the irony of what he was saying. Quiet meant silence, the only sounds your soft breaths mingling with the air. But I knew what he meant, all the same, and just nodded.

"It's my favorite place to go when I need to gather my thoughts. Quite literally, I might add. Mentals get their energy from the mental realm, you know. Which means thoughts. If no one's taught you to gather them, well," he chuckled, "no wonder you're having a hard time."

I waited for him to explain further, not wanting to break the spell the ocean had cast over me, as it always did. Talon tilted his head at me, a kind of funny expression crossing his face for a moment before he brushed it off. His voice slipped into my mind, softening as if he didn't want to startle me. "This better?"

I looked over at him, a smile slipping onto my lips without my permission. "Yes."

He grinned, though a bit of that different look still lingered in his eyes, and he kept his voice quiet. "So you can at least do this."

I rolled my eyes. "Even a child can speak into someone's mind." Or a kit dragon, I thought wryly.

I didn't know if it was because I was so calm, or because of the ocean's spell, but everything sounded lighter and softer in my mind, including his chuckle. "Wasn't trying to insult your intelligence, sweetheart. I don't know what all you're capable of. Yet," he added with a teasing wink. "Sure you'll be a natural at it."

I held back an annoyed sigh. "You should know that flattery will get you nowhere."

He chuckled. "Just trying to be friendly, Sweetcakes." He paused, then returned to speaking aloud. "In all honesty, though, gathering thoughts isn't that hard. Just close your eyes and try to empty your mind of all your thoughts."

Easier said than done. I took in a breath, exhaling it in a silent sigh, but did as he said, closing my eyes and trying to focus. I already knew for a fact that trying not to concentrate on anything would just bring every single possible thought to my mind, all at once. Thinking about nothing was near impossible when your mind raced around at a hundred miles per hour every second, always thinking, thinking, thinking...

Concentrate. I took a deep breath, willing all the thoughts to leave as I exhaled. There was silence for one golden moment, then all the thoughts returned. I nearly jumped, though, when I realized they weren't my own anymore.

Voices whispered all around me, all the lost and unspoken musings of anyone who had been on this mountaintop. It was overwhelming, more so than being squashed in a crowd of never-silent people.

"Pretty neat, huh? You just gotta reach out like you'd reach out to anyone else's mind and draw the thoughts in. Just don't let them overwhelm you, 'kay?"

I did as he said, nearly pulling back at the spike of emotion that it brought. It was like opening a floodgate, and my mind was a sponge, absorbing all the thoughts with little care for what they were. Rushes of emotions flooded over me: fear, love, anger, desire, jumbling together into a panic-inducing mess. I felt like I was being pulled apart in all directions and couldn't even scream. My breathing grew labored as I struggled to regain control, images racing through my mind that I didn't even recognize.

"Lena. Lena!" Talon was shaking me, but all I wanted to do was curl into a tiny ball and hide. I sunk to my knees, not even resisting as he wrapped his arms around me, as if to shield me from what I was seeing.

"Hey, it's okay, shh. They're not real, Lena. They're just remnants. Okay?" His voice was quieter now, as he rocked me gently. "You can let them go."

I shuddered, shutting my eyes and letting out a silent scream to try to dispel the thoughts. They had me caught like a fish in a net, and no matter how much I thrashed, I couldn't get free. They were suffocating me.

Then, one by one, they started to slip away, replaced with a warmth that calmed my pounding heart. A peace flooded my mind, though my limbs still trembled, a sob trying to escape my throat.

"It's okay," Talon murmured, holding me a little closer. "They're gone now. It's okay."

Whether from relief or the sheer panic of the experience, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I buried my face against him, melting into the warmth like I always did with my father, memories and reality blurring together.

Suddenly I was six years old again, hiding from one of my mother's harsh lectures – how I needed to be better and not disappoint her like I always did. I didn't care that it wasn't my father I was hugging; I still clung to him like a lifeline, choking out sobs until my cheeks were stained with salty tears. I could hear my father's voice in my mind, murmuring that it was okay and that I didn't have to hide, and I melted into the warmth.

He held me until my tears quieted, and I finally looked up, the realization of what I'd just done setting in. I scrubbed my hand across my eyes, giving what I hoped was a dignified sniff as I sent Talon a steely stare. "If you tell anyone about this..."

Talon held up his hands in surrender, just a hint of a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth. "My lips are sealed." He zipped his fingers across them, then twisted them to 'lock' it. The smile faded to a more serious look, though, as he glanced at my hands. "We can continue this later, if you need a break."

I followed his gaze to see my hands trembling in my lap and folded them to hide it. "No, I'm fine." I hated how scratchy my voice sounded. "Let's try it again."

"You sure?"

"Yes." I pushed myself to my feet, only slightly unsteady. A deep breath in calmed the trembling in my hands, and I shut my eyes, focusing on clearing my mind again. Remnants of memories kept flashing in, like I'd shut a door but there was still a crack for them to slip in through. Some were pleasant, like the times my father took me to the seaside towns, but others were decidedly darker. The more I tried to shove them away, the stronger they seemed to return, until I felt like I was fighting for control of my own mind.

A hand touched my shoulder and my eyes shot open as I whirled around, my fist stopping just inches before it hit Talon. He jerked his hand away, holding them up defensively. "Didn't mean to startle you. I just thought..."

"I'm fine." I narrowed my eyes, then released a breath and closed them again, reaching for the mental energy around me. I drew it in, gathering the thoughts in my mind and ignoring their desperate pleas and murmured wonderings. That was one thing I was good at, at least: blocking people out.

I took a deep breath, feeling the energy rush through me, then discarded the thoughts as I opened my eyes, throwing a smug look at Talon. "Works better if you don't empty your mind first."

Talon scratched the side of his head, looking me over curiously, then shrugged, brushing it off with a slight grin. "Alright, Cupcake, whatever you say."

"Lena."

A tiny twinkle sparked in his eyes. "Lena." He stuck his hands in his pockets, glancing out at the water. "So...you did it, then?"

I nodded, not really caring to expand on it. Talon looked like he wanted to ask something else, but his mouth remained shut, his gaze shifting around like it couldn't decide where to land. I went back to watching the crash of the waves as they hit the rocks, the wind whipping my hair behind me as I inhaled the salty spray from the water.

"So..." Talon finally ventured to speak, his teeth tugging on his bottom lip as he glanced over at me. "Want to go back?"

His lips had already broken the silence, but mine were determined to repair it. He still seemed slightly disquieted by something, but didn't care to share, and I had no desire to ask, if that's what he was waiting for. I waited a moment, savoring the ocean breeze and storing images of the deep blue waves in my mind before I nodded. "Probably should."

Talon nodded too, then chuckled. "Yeah, probably. Don't want Blaze getting all in a panic because you're gone." He winked.

I rolled my eyes. "I could care less about what Blaze thinks. I'm only here to learn more about Kaiden Dyran." I watched his eyes carefully, looking for any kind of response. If there was one, though, either he hid it very well or I missed it.

He shrugged. "Well, I'm afraid I can't help you there, sweetheart. I can get you some food, though, if you're hungry. Can't imagine Dailen's soup did much to tide you over." A teasing grin lurked on his lips as he offered me his arm. I studied him a moment longer, searching the depths of his golden eyes before brushing past him, heading for the entrance of the Mountain.

"Ooh." Talon rubbed his arm with a fake shiver. "I think I just got what Blaze would call a 'cold shoulder'."

I ignored him, beginning the descent back into the Mountain. I did find it amusing, almost, that Talon didn't jump to stop me or anything. Seemed Blaze was the only one I had to worry about with that. He held onto me like I'd bolt if he looked away for more than a moment.

Speaking of, the redheaded grump was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, frowning, as usual. I'd hardly set foot on the ground before he clapped the bracelet back on my wrist.

"Nice to see you, too," I muttered.

Blaze didn't respond. He glanced up at Talon for a moment, then back to me. "You shouldn't have had it off."

I rolled my eyes. "What, afraid I'm going to run away if you don't keep me on a leash, Blaze?"

An unpleasant smile twitched at the corner of his lips. "Maybe."

Talon made it to the bottom, waving at Blaze. "Heya, Blaze. Waiting for me?"

"Actually, yes." Blaze looked back at me, the frown deepening. "Can you take her back to her cell, please? Then meet me in the training hall."

Now I was the one frowning. "You act like I'm your prisoner or something."

Blaze cast a brief, disinterested glance at me. "You are, until you prove otherwise." He looked back at Talon. "Training hall. No dallying."

As Blaze turned and walked away, Talon just chuckled. "Don't mind him. He's probably just grumpy because he couldn't find matching socks or something today." He winked, teasing laughter lingering in his eyes. "Though I probably should do as he says, since he's the 'leader' and all." He made a face as he said it, then grinned, offering me his hand as he took on a refined air and tone of voice. "Shall I escort you back to your quarters, Miss?"

I eyed his hand. "Only if you get me some of that food you promised me."

Talon chuckled. "I'll have Fern bring some over." He took my hand, leading me down the hallway.

It didn't take long to get back to my 'room'. I debated asking Talon about the bracelet, but decided against it. I couldn't put my finger on why, but I didn't quite trust him. Maybe that was just the result of years of living with people who smiled and said 'good day' as they plotted how to stab you in the back. Or maybe it was the excessive nicknames.

Talon locked up the cell, then took a courtly bow. He reached for my hand, kissing it before I could jerk it away. "Goodbye for now, Miss Lena. Maybe I can convince Blaze to let you out again if he's not too grumpy." He winked, then disappeared out the door. I rubbed the top of my hand, frowning.

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden paced the room quietly. He wouldn't be surprised if he'd worn a path in the floor, with how long he'd been walking it. At the telltale creak, he stopped, watching the door as Sari came in. "Well?"

Sari removed her cloak, a grim look in her eyes as she shook her head. He slumped into a chair, rubbing his hands over his face for a moment before sighing quietly. "Is there any way we can buy more time?"

"I tried, she're. The Empress is quite...persuasive. And the dragon attacks have become more frequently lately."

He growled, his mind echoing images back at him. "Yeah, and we've taken care of every single one of them."

She nodded. "Yes, but Danten suffered a heavy blow from that last attack, and the promise of protection from an army is more assuring than that of a few Gifted, I'm afraid."

He let out a sigh. "So they're going to sign it?"

"Not quite. It will be taken to the Council for consideration, and I will do my best to convince them not to then, but it doesn't look good."

He rubbed his forehead roughly, blinking to hide the emotion, to hide the flickers in his gaze. "If they sign it, it would only take a small threat for them to find the village." His voice came out more hushed than he wanted as he looked up at her. "What should we do?"

"I've already suggested to the general that we evacuate as many as we can to the camp. It will be risky, but..."

He rubbed his forehead. "They might discover the camp."

Sari nodded. "That is a possibility, unfortunately. But if we leave them on their own, their capture is nearly inevitable."

"I know." The word came out harsher than he wanted, and he frowned. He didn't seem to have control even of himself nowadays. "Sorry. I just..." He ran his hand through his hair agitatedly, looking back and forth across the wall.

"I understand, she're. I have searched three times, though, and your siblings are not in the village."

"I know." He licked his lips, taking in a quiet breath to still the emotions stirring inside. "Where do you think he's keeping them? If even one of them has a gift..."

"I am doing my best to find them, Kaiden; that I promise you." A line of sadness passed through her eyes for a moment, exposing the burden hidden in her eyes until she disguised it with a wistful smile. "Losing your family...is not an easy burden to bear."

"Don't say that! I haven't lost them, I just...haven't found them yet." He ran a hand through his hair, pressing his lips together tightly to calm the tremor in his voice. "But I will. I'll get them back, whatever it takes."

"I know you will. And I will do everything I can to help you accomplish that." She paused a moment. "The General has already sent a team out to the village to warn them."

His gaze darted back and forth along the wall. "And the Mountain is still safe?"

"No one except those within it know of its location, let alone its existence. So that is correct."

He nodded once. "And Damien?"

"At the moment, it would not benefit him to reveal such information. Perhaps if his plan backfires..."

"Which it won't."

Sari let out a soft breath that almost sounded like a sigh. "That is the hope, I suppose. Though I still think the general's plan is smarter."

"We are not destroying it," he said through gritted teeth, "until I get my siblings back. I don't care what it costs me."

Sari was silent for a moment. "And if it costs others, as well?"

"It won't." He stood up, meeting her gaze steadily. "I'll make sure of that."

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze heard Talon enter long before he saw him. He stared at the wall, his brow aching from being furrowed so long.

Talon smiled easily as he walked over, plopping into a seat across from him. "So, what's up?"

Blaze took a long moment before he responded, his gaze fixed on the far distance. "Damien wants to move up the schedule for the mission."

Talon nodded. "I think that's a good idea."

Blaze looked up, meeting Talon's gaze. "We're nowhere near ready, though."

Talon chuckled softly. "No, we are. I think the problem is that you aren't."

Blaze stood up, grasping a handful of his hair as he turned away from Talon to hide the expression in his eyes. He gritted his teeth. "This team is no use to Damien if it ends up like the first one."

"It won't, Blaze. You've got to stop worrying about that."

Blaze took in a slow, deep breath, then let it out in a frustrated sigh, dropping his hand. "It doesn't matter anyway. Damien's given us six weeks."

Talon let out a low whistle. "Ooh, that's gonna be hard. After several months of meticulous planning? We're gonna have to scramble to try to get the last few things ready in a few weeks."

Blaze shot him a sharp glare. "It's not funny, Talon. The dagging priss couldn't even duplicate what she did with the dragon. And now we have six weeks until the mission?"

Unimpressed by the glare, Talon shrugged. "We tag-team, then. I'll teach her to use her gifts, you teach her to use a sword – provided she doesn't know how to, already."

Blaze snorted. An Upper like her, having even touched a sword? It was more likely for the Empress to compliment someone. He rubbed the top of his head. "And if she's not able to by the end of six weeks? Damien doesn't care how dangerous this mission is. We're all dispensable to him, and I doubt he'd choose a good replacement if we fail."

Talon chuckled again. "You make it all sound so grim, y'know? Why don't we just focus on the present instead of grumbling about it, huh? Have you told the others?"

"No." Blaze sat back down, trying to break the frown that kept creeping onto his face. "That's what I was just going to do, after I talked to you."

Surprise flashed through Talon's eyes for a moment, then faded as he nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. Want me to go get them?"

Blaze waved his hand halfheartedly. "Sure, whatever. Could just send one of the dragons..."

Talon chuckled. "Now where's the fun in that? Honestly, one of these days we're just going to send dragons to carry messages back and forth for a whole conversation, and then what'll happen to in-person communication?" He shook his head, grinning. "Besides, the little guys deserve a break, too."

Blaze nearly rolled his eyes, but just shook his head, watching Talon leave. He debated about getting up and walking around, but it wouldn't take too long for Talon to get the others. He formed a fireball in his palm, soothed by the warmth as he moved it from hand to hand, the flames flickering between his fingertips and twisting around them. He went over the plan in his head, annoyed that Talon was right. They were all prepared, they just needed more time. Time to make sure everything was right...that they wouldn't be walking into a death trap.

And what if the Bane wasn't even there? That question haunted him more than he'd ever let himself voice. Even if they got out alive, what was the point if they didn't even find it? Damien would just keep sending them out until they either found it...or didn't come back.

He shoved the thoughts to the side, focusing on passing the fireball back and forth between his hands. He curled his fist around it, feeling it tickle the top of his fingers where it peeked through. Fire was such a hungry, even playful creature, but also very lonely. No one ever touched it and came away unscathed.

Maybe that's why he liked it so much.

An hour or just ten minutes could have passed and he wouldn't have known the difference. He let the fire grow and dance on his hands, licking his forearms as his thoughts melted away under its heat. It always fascinated him, that fire could be a friend if you treated it right.

Eventually, the sound of footsteps caught his ears and he silenced the flames, watching as the team Kaiden had chosen filed into the room. He could see the questions on their faces, mirrored in different ways. Fern's bright eyes were filled only with curiosity, while Olive's dark gaze seemed to search his for answers. Talon sat down in the same seat as before, a slight grin crooking his mouth. "Well, we're all here. Take it away, Blaze."

He wished the fire was still twined around his fingers, its familiarity far more soothing than the uncertainties they were about to face. "We have six weeks to begin our mission. As you know, our newest possible member isn't exactly qualified for something like that. She needs to be trained mentally and physically. Talon will be helping her harness her mental capacities, and Olive and I will train her in combat. The rest of you...well, just don't kill her with your 'help'." He took a breath, sweeping his gaze across the room. He predicted most of their reactions pretty accurately, though no one seemed as upset about it as he expected.

Of course, Fern was the one to bring up the next question. "What about Lena? Shouldn't she be part of this meeting?"

Blaze shook his head. "She's not officially part of the team yet, and she won't be unless she can prove she'll be a help and not a hindrance." Which, he thought, will be a hard enough task on its own.

"And if she can't?" Surprisingly, it was Olive who spoke up, and Blaze knew what they were both thinking. There were two major possibilities for a replacement, and neither of them would be happy with either choice.

"Damien will choose someone else to take her place." He hated the words the moment they left his mouth, and the finality that they conveyed. Damien had set them an impossible challenge, yet still expected them to complete it.

Fortunately, Blaze was used to doing the impossible.

IX

Lena

I had been trying to escape my cell by any means necessary for the past hour before Blaze walked in. I straightened up, doing my best to look haughty. "Oh, good, you finally came. I am fed up with—"

"You have six weeks, Priss. If you can duplicate your results and prove your usefulness before then, I'll tell you where Kaiden is. If not..." He shrugged. "Then I guess you're stuck here."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You wouldn't dare."

Blaze still looked infuriatingly nonchalant. "Can't have you giving away all of our secrets, right? Guess you'd better get to work, then."

I frowned, but I didn't have much of a choice. I'd been talking with Dailen for the last hour and managed to get only evasive answers from him. Like it or not, Blaze was possibly my only chance to find my dad.

"Fine. But I want my own room. And food. And a comfy bed." I rubbed the bracelet around my wrist. "And for you to take this darned thing off."

His laugh rang harshly. "Sorry, Princess, no can do. I'll see what I can do about the room—"

"And food."

"Fine, and food. But the cuff stays on."

I frowned at him, crossing my arms. "And how do you expect me to train with my gifts when this thing won't let me?"

"I'll take it off when you train with me. And don't worry, there'll be plenty of time for that, Priss. The bracelet stays on any other time."

"What about if you can't train me and someone else has to?"

His gaze was flat, but obviously annoyed. "Then they'll take it off. But it'll go back on any time you're alone."

"What about now? I'm not alone, yet it's still on. What about when Dailen comes in? Will he take it off?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, a hint of a scowl lifting his lips. "Keep it up, Priss, and I'll not only take back the room offer, but I'll make sure Dailen prepares all of your food, too."

"Ooh, so intimidating. Maybe I'll just get Talon to do it, then."

"I'm the one in charge of this team, not Talon. You'd better get that through your snotty head or this will be a really miserable six weeks."

I couldn't help muttering under my breath, "It already will be if I have to train with you."

"...Yep, Dailen's making all your meals this week. Good thing he'll be all excited about it."

"At least I won't have to see your ugly mug when he does."

Blaze laughed. "Oh, no, I'll be sitting right next to you, enjoying my own meal and rubbing it in your face."

"How mature of you." I smirked. "I hope you choke on the fumes."

"Maybe I'll just tell Dailen what you think of his food, then; watch it break his heart." He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms smugly. "Then we'll see just how willing he even is to cook for you."

"Dailen's too sweet to let me starve." I lifted my chin, returning a smile. "And I don't think I'll be much use to you dead, anyway."

"I never said I'd let you die." He pushed away from the wall, throwing one more smirk at me as he turned to the door. "Sleep well, Priss."

"I will, thank you. Goodnight, Beanhead." I smiled sweetly at him. "I hope you die in a hole because you have nothing but rotten soup to eat."

He shook his head, closing the door behind him. I slid down the wall, crossing my arms and letting out a loud sigh. The satisfaction of not bowing to his exasperating smugness outweighed the threats for the future. "He exasperates me, you know that, Dez?"

<><><>

Kaiden

Damien laced his fingers on the table, his eyes meeting Kaiden's with an unpleasantly wide smile. "Have you decided on the final member yet for your team?"

Kaiden tried to hold back a frown. "No, not quite yet."

"Mm. Perhaps I should just finish this up for you and add Kinelly, then." His eyes gleamed with cruel delight. "She's certainly a powerful one."

Kaiden tried hard to hide the way his muscles betrayed him and tensed up at that. He forced his voice to stay even, flashes of his sister's face crowding with the other images constantly playing in his head. "I thought we agreed that wasn't a good idea."

"Perhaps. But she can get over this..." he waved his hand, "weakness, couldn't she? Life-threatening situations tend to do that to people. Besides, with the new formula we've been working on, it could possibly fix her problems." His eyes held a dangerous light, as if he knew and didn't believe Kaiden's claim about Kinny's gift being damaging.

Kaiden resisted the desire to growl, curling his hands into light fists. "I will find someone else. I just need a little more time."

"Mm. A little more time. A little bit longer. You ask me for this quite often, Kaiden." He looked up at the boy, eyeing him. "Tell me, what do you have to give me in exchange for this 'extra time'?"

He gritted his teeth, trying not to let the words escape his mouth too quickly. He hated to say it, but if it was the only way to save Kinny...

"I'll go through with your latest 'experiment'."

Damien smiled widely, as if Kaiden had just been tested and responded correctly. "Wonderful. Very well, you may have a few more hours to decide."

"A few more...hours?"

Damien raised his eyebrows at that, looking at Kaiden levelly. "And here I thought I was being quite generous with that offer. Perhaps I should make it just a few minutes?"

He clenched his teeth to keep a swear in, fighting for control over the panic rising up inside him. He couldn't let it win. Couldn't let the way his mind reeled and spun get the best of him.

"Fine. Just send for me when the experiment's ready."

Damien smiled easily again. "Oh, I will, my boy. I certainly will."

Kaiden slipped back out, nearly jumping at the wild-haired girl leaning against the wall outside. She shot him a bright, casual grin. "So. Experiments, huh?"

He quickly turned away before anyone could spot him staring at the empty space on the wall, starting to walk. He knew she'd follow him.

Sure enough, she fell into step beside him. She pouted as he didn't answer her question, but he didn't want to appear like he was talking to himself... again.

She'd have to wait until he was far from prying eyes.

X

Lena

I woke to a tug on my ear. My brow crinkled as I reached up to bat away whatever was there. An indignant chirp rang through my ears, followed by another, not quite as gentle tug. I swatted at the thing again, frowning, but only managed to smack myself in the ear. I jerked my hand away at a sharp nip, the darkness dissipating like smoke as I opened my eyes to see Dez staring at me. I stared back for a moment, then frowned, my voice croaky. "What was that for?"

Dez chirred, clambering up onto my side and flapping his little wings in my face. I shielded my eyes, groaning. "What is your problem?"

He chirped again, hopping up and down. The door creaked open, and I held back a groan as Blaze walked in. "Well, thank you for warning me." I closed my eyes, hoping he'd leave me alone.

A boot kicked me in the side. "I know you're awake, Priss. Get up."

I let out a weak growl, curling up to protect myself from another kick. "Can't a girl get some decent sleep around here?"

"You've slept long enough. And if you want any chance of seeing your dad, I'd suggest you get yourself up right now and train as much as possible."

I curled up tighter, part of me just wanting to ignore him. "I'm not going anywhere until I get some decent food."

"You can have some after you train, if you do well." A smirk crept onto his face. "Don't make me get a bucket of water again."

I growled, lifting myself up just enough to glare at him. "You do that and I'll throw it right back at you, as ice."

He laughed, nothing but amusement seeming to lurk in his eyes. "Someone's extra pleasant today."

"Hmm. I wonder why." I narrowed my eyes, pushing myself to my feet and considering wiping that smug smile off his face.

His smile only grew. "Oh, I know. My charm tends to do that to people."

An unpleasant laugh escaped my throat. I picked Dez up, setting him on my shoulder. "Oh, is that what you're calling it now?"

His eyes went to Dez, ignoring my comment. "Leave the hybrid here."

I crossed my arms, staring him down. "Why? Talon carries his around everywhere. Elle always has at least two with her. Why can't I have mine with me, then?"

He snorted. "Because those are real dragons. Yours can't even fly, Priss. And what good is a messenger dragon that can't fly?"

I cupped my hands over Dez's ears, cradling him close to my neck. "How dare you say that! Dez is as much a dragon as any other, and he's staying with me."

Blaze looked up at the ceiling, as if he'd like to roll his eyes, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Just keep it out of the way."

He unlocked the cell door with a brief flick of his wrist, tossing a thin pillow and blanket into the room. The look on his face made the gesture seem almost like an afterthought, as I moved to follow him out of the cell.

"Oh, that's very helpful now, thanks."

The comment earned me another scowl tossed over his shoulder, and I smiled. "Seems I'm not the only one who's 'extra pleasant today'."

I didn't have to see his face to know he was still frowning. "Yeah, well, your 'charm' tends to do that to people."

I stroked Dez's head, grinning as I increased my pace to match his. "So you can be funny."

He gave me a withering look, but didn't reply, turning toward the training hall. Maybe this would be fun after all.

We passed the training hall, however, heading down a few more hallways until the tunnels started to get darker and more purplish. Blaze stayed silent most of the way.

"So...if you dislike me so much, and Talon's the one with the mind gifts, why are you the one training me?"

"Talon's out on a mission with Sari." His words were flat, hinting at sullen as we turned a corner.

"Ohhh, I get it." Suddenly the reason for his grumpiness was clear. "So you're stuck being my babysitter." I grinned.

He rolled his eyes. "Funny, brat. But yes, I suppose I am. Besides, Sari thought it would be best if I...evaluate what you can do before handing you off to Talon." The last words were lower and more grumbled.

A familiar squeak filled the air as we turned the corner. Dez perked up, his dark eyes wide as he watched the direction of the sound. The tunnel opened up into a large cavern, similar to the one the infected dragon was in. Instead of being caged, though, the dragons in here roamed freely, some lounging in the heat of the torches while others curled up in piles of hay or ate from the long trough in the middle of the room. A group of kit dragons tussled playfully in the corner, squealing and tumbling around in a rocky alcove.

Blaze stopped in front of the group, looking them over, then glanced at me. "None of these dragons are infected, if you were worried." He nodded to a mottled brown dragon nestled in the corner. "That's Serenya. She's Fern's dragon, so she's pretty used to strange things. And next to her is Resenya." A similar-looking dragon, her scales deep green like the forest, stood watch nearby, her dark brown gaze sweeping over everything with a soft but protective air.

"Yes, they're twins." Blaze continued on, waving at a deep blue dragon with far too much energy. "That's Indigo. He's not actually indigo, so why someone named him that, I don't know. Probably not smart enough to know the difference." He rolled his eyes, then exhaled, gesturing to a bigger dragon beside Indigo. "That's Tsalel. He's Talon's dragon, and not one you want to mess with."

We finally reached the end of the group, though, and Blaze folded his arms over his chest, a knowing smile playing over his face. "Now this guy – well, no one's been able to get through to him for years. And I doubt they ever will. Even Talon couldn't get him to open up, and you know how good Talon is. He's the only reason Tsalel will let anyone near him." He nodded once again to the wiry blue and white dragon who was coiled up near the wall, watching everyone with shifting eyes.

Blaze smiled. "Of course, I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem for someone like you. Except...oh wait. I forgot you can't actually tame dragons yet. Maybe we should start with one of the kit dragons, then. See if you can even do that."

His eyes went to the colorful tangle of tails in the corner. A click filled my ears, and when I looked back, the bracelet was off, the same smile tugging at his lips as he looked back at me. "Of course, it's your choice. Whatever you think you're capable of, Mrs. Mind Gifts."

Narrowing my eyes at his taunts, I rubbed my now-free wrist. My gaze moved over all of the dragons in consideration. It was obvious what Blaze had set me up for, and yet I couldn't help but take the bait. How satisfying it would be to knock that smug look off his face!

I strode over to the icy dragon, who simply watched me through narrow slits of eyes. With only a quick breath, I plunged into his mind, looking for thoughts of sleep.

"You could ask before you start probing someone's mind, you know."

I nearly jumped. Irritated, gruff thoughts flowed into my mind, and I fought to keep from pulling out, blinking.

The sullen voice continued to speak. "Yes, yes, leave like everyone else. I don't want any company."

Aware of Blaze's eyes on me, I did my best to contain my outward shock as the dragon tried shoving me from its mind.

"Shoo, human. What are you doing in here, anyway?"

I grasped for the dragon's other thoughts, but they were locked away. A rumbling laugh filled my mind.

"Oh, yes, not as easy as you thought, hmm? What a pity I'm not as docile as the others. What a pity."

I couldn't decide whether to be amused or just shocked.

"Do you even speak, human? Or have I shocked your tongue into silence?"

The dragon stared at me with dark, emotionless eyes, the tip of his tail flicking like a cat's.

"Well?"

I nearly nodded, then remembered I was being watched and ventured to respond. "Of course I can speak."

"Well, what a pleasant surprise. Now tell me, what exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"

It was becoming clear what Blaze meant about not being able to control dragons.

"I know what you're thinking, you know."

Irritation flashed through me, and I nearly jumped at the intrusion. "Why are you in my mind?"

"Oh, I assumed that was natural in your culture, barging in on peoples' minds. You seemed to have no qualms about it."

I pressed my lips together. "Yeah, well, dragons aren't supposed to talk."

"Oho ho." A laugh rumbled through my mind. "Look at who knows so much. I suppose you're used to all your dragons being fat and lazy, hmm? Sitting in pens, munching on fancy foods with their jeweled collars and elaborate saddles?"

I frowned. "How do you know about that?"

"I'm in your mind, human. I can see all your thoughts and memories, including that time you fell and tore a hole in your dress in front of an entire party. Your mother was quite pleased with that, wasn't she? Such an unsightly place for a tear, too."

"Stop it!" I tried shoving the dragon from my mind, nearly panicking as he didn't even budge.

"Oh, dear, I forgot to tell you about the link, didn't I?" A clicking noise filled my mind. "Maybe you'll think twice before entering uninvited next time. You might not like the consequences."

Focusing all my energy on shoving the dragon out, I clenched my jaw. He simply yawned.

"You aren't much for listening, are you? That's going to get you in trouble one day. Such stubbornness never goes well."

"Get. Out."

The dragon just laughed again. "Oh, dear, you must be aware of what a link is, yes? It means our minds are joined now. There is no 'getting out.'" He paused. "We'll have to see if I made a wise choice or not."

The realization of what he said sunk in. Linked...like I was with Dez? No, that couldn't be possible.

"Having trouble, Priss?"

The dragon's laugh rumbled through my mind. "My name's Zarafel, by the way. I suppose it would be good for you to know that...Sharalene."

"No, it's going wonderfully, thank you." I smiled at him, then turned my attention back to Zarafel. "Don't call me that."

"I don't see why I shouldn't. It is your name, yes? Besides, it's not like anyone else can hear it, if you're so afraid of your little friend finding out." He paused. "Oh, there's a lot you're afraid of him finding out. Interesting..."

"Look, you win, okay? Just...break the link or something and get out. I'll leave you alone."

Zarafel just sounded amused. "Hmm? No, I'm enjoying myself quite a bit, actually. Why don't you tell your friend about your new link? I'm sure he'd be quite impressed." He paused. "Unless you truly are still wanting to attempt forcing me into sleep."

I pressed my lips together to hide a frown.

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, human. We both know you lack the skill to force me to do anything, if any human truly possesses that skill." His gaze flicked to Blaze for a moment, then back to me. "However, perhaps we could work out some sort of...partnership."

I didn't want to keep talking to Zarafel, but it didn't seem I had a choice. "A partnership?"

I could've sworn I saw his lip pull back in a smile. "Yes. I could...pretend to be asleep so your friend will be impressed. You've provided me far more entertainment than I've had in years, so it may be worth it."

I felt it almost pointless to answer at this point.

Zarafel chuckled. "Yes, I suppose with your proximity there is little need for you to respond. Perhaps I could give you more space, too, if you behave. Pity no one taught you how to block your mind in a link, isn't it?"

My jaw was beginning to hurt from being clenched so long. "What do you want me to do?"

Pleased emotions flooded my mind. "Good, you learn quickly. First, I want you to promise not to pull such a stunt on another respectable dragon again. The less than respectable ones I suppose it's permissible, but only if it's necessary. As we've demonstrated, you wouldn't like it if someone barged in on your mind, so don't do it to others."

I resisted the urge to sigh. "And then?"

Zarafel chuckled. "And then, for Ru'ach's sake, please tell one of these confounded humans that dragons should not be confined in caves. There is no room for flying." He stretched out his wings partway so they touched the walls of the cavern. "You should be honored, by the way. Many have tried speaking to me, but you are the first I haven't ignored. They all believe that I am affected by my 'trauma'."

From behind me, Blaze chuckled. "You know, Priss, I was all set to be impressed if you managed to get old Grumpy to sleep. No one's been able to get through to him for years."

In my mind, Zarafel grumbled. "Listen to that. Such utter disrespect. Dragons are far more intelligent than humans could ever be, yet we are treated no better than animals."

This time, I really did sigh. My head was beginning to throb from all the effort and endless chatter. "Please, just go to sleep, and I'll see what I can do about the flying."

"Hmm. You are an interesting one, that is for sure."

I was too tired to even consider whether that was a compliment or an insult. I rubbed my forehead, watching as Zarafel curled his tail around his body, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Sharalene."

I rubbed both hands over my face, nodding in response. I glanced over at Blaze, surprised to find his gaze distant. He took in a breath and released it, his eyes studying the cracks in the walls. Curiosity pricked me, and I turned my attention from Zarafel to reach out to Blaze's mind, hesitating just at the threshold.

I reached out to his mind, brushing the fringes of it and stirring up the thoughts lurking there. Whispers slipped into my mind, fading almost as fast as they appeared. Words were thrown around, but I couldn't catch any of them. The feelings they left, however, were like flashes of light that struck my mind, leaving marks on my emotions. I took in a breath, overwhelmed and unable to decipher any of it.

The whispers shut off. Cool, disapproving silence took its place as my eyes locked with Blaze's stormy ones, the clouds only a thin veil for the anger flickering through them like fire. Whatever it was, it was dangerous, though well-contained.

"What," he said with unnatural calm, "do you think you're doing?"

I couldn't help but be intrigued by the reaction. The way he'd just...shut off, now staring at me with dark, expressionless eyes – it was fascinating. But it also left a cold, empty hole in my heart, like a piece of me was missing. Was this what he felt like all the time?

I brushed away the thoughts with a shrug. "Well, you weren't responding."

His eyes narrowed, though I did catch a brief glimpse of uncertainty in them for a moment. He breathed in silently, his body cold and still like a statue. "Pull a stunt like that again, Priss, and I'll make sure you never leave this Mountain."

I didn't respond for a moment, his dark silence almost captivating me like a spell. He held my gaze for a long moment, until it felt like his eyes were cutting into me, then gave a short nod toward the door. "Go find Talon; we're done with this for the day. He can take over your training for right now."

I couldn't help the surprise that showed on my face. "Talon? But, Talon's..."

Irritation flickered through his gaze, though it was quickly swallowed up by the cold darkness. "Yes, Talon. Are you deaf?"

I shouldn't have pushed him, but, I admit, I was curious.

"But, you said..."

"I know what I said. Forget what I said and go find Talon!"

I was sorely tempted to make a snarky response to that, but the look in his eyes told me I shouldn't push him further. I'd unlocked a very dangerous door, and until it was safely latched again, I didn't think my usual comments would be a good idea. Even his hand felt chillingly cold as he snapped the bracelet back around my wrist.

I was hoping he'd forgotten about it.

Once he pulled his hand away, I walked to the door. When I glanced back, he was heading toward a different exit, his steps still cool and calculated.

I walked out of the room, nearly chuckling as I wandered down the hallway. Blaze must be really off today, if he forgot that Talon wasn't even here at the moment.

Lucky for me, that meant I had an excuse to explore.

A few people either stared or waved as I passed by, but I mostly ignored them, my eyes scanning the tunnels for any signs of familiarity. The patterns in the rock were just slightly different, but distinguishing between them wasn't an easy task. I debated asking someone where things were, but that would ruin the fun of exploring, and besides, they might tell on me.

I paused to study the various patterns in the wall, intrigued. It was like one of those watercolor paintings where the color fell in streaks, some darker or lighter depending on how much 'water' was applied. I dragged my hand down the craggy surface, my bracelet scraping against the rock. I gritted my teeth, fighting back a flash of memories at the sound and the feelings it invoked. One way or another, I would get this thing off, permanently.

A goal in mind, I strode down the hallway, keeping my eyes and ears open for clues of where I was heading. With any luck, I'd end up where I wanted to go, rather than wandering around here lost.

Dez chirred on my shoulder, and I blinked as a mental map of the Mountain showed up in my mind. First of all, it was huge. Second, though, I was right near where I wanted to be. I gave Dez an affectionate head rub as I strode down the tunnel, turning right at the fork. There it was: the planning room. And it looked like my luck was continuing – or Chan just never left there – because there he was, hands planted on the table as he leaned over some dusty tome. I stopped in the doorway, clearing my throat.

"Hey...Chan?" I tried to make my voice sound as hesitant as possible, rubbing my wrist as I leaned against the doorframe. "Could you help me with something?"

It took a moment, but Chan looked up, his eyes magnified by those dorky glasses as he blinked at me. "Oh...yeah?"

I rubbed my wrist again, glancing pointedly down at the bracelet. "I kind of...put this on by accident. And now I can't get it off." I bit my lip, resisting the urge to scratch my skin raw where the metal band had touched it.

Chan studied the bracelet, pulling his glasses up onto his head. "You...put it on by accident?"

I nodded, hoping my ruse seemed convincing. I didn't know how rare these things were, or if someone would just leave one lying around, but it didn't seem too far of a stretch in a place like this, right?

"Okay." He didn't sound convinced, but came over anyway, lifting my wrist to study the band and murmuring to himself. "This isn't a medical one..."

I didn't know what exactly that was supposed to mean, or how this thing could be used for medical purposes. "A...medical one?"

Chan's brow furrowed as he dropped my wrist, scratching his head. "Yeah. Usually Elle uses them for those on bedrest, but..." His brow furrowed further, a frown pulling at his lips.

"Well, can you take it off?"

Chan chuckled abruptly. "Yeah, of course. Sorry." He reached over to touch the band again, brushing his finger along the yellow gem on top. It popped open with a seamless click, a latch now visible that couldn't have been there before.

Chan smiled, a bit wryly. "Only opens with a gift. And since it inhibits your own gifts, well, that's why you couldn't get it off." He lifted it off my wrist, the gem now purple as he held it up to the light. "Of course, that still doesn't explain how you got it. You in the habit of putting on strange jewelry that you find lying around?" He cocked an eyebrow at me, and it was almost impossible to tell if he was teasing or not. I decided to go with a laugh, rubbing my wrist again.

"Well, I am rather fond of jewelry..."

Chan held my gaze for a moment, a funny glimmer in his eyes. "Huh. Guess Uppers really are as odd as they say."

I couldn't stop rubbing my wrist, nearly gleeful now that it was off. But with it also came a sense of dread, if I ever had to put it back on again. Suddenly, I wanted to do nothing more than snatch it from Chan's hands and destroy it. However, from what he'd said, it didn't seem like it was the only one, anyway, and I didn't think Blaze would just let me keep it off. So I squelched my glee and simultaneous terror and offered Chan a smile. "Yeah, guess so. Anyway, um...thanks for taking that off."

Now that I was free, I couldn't decide whether I was happier or more unsettled. Freedom still felt like chains when you knew it would end. It nearly made me sick to the stomach at the memories.

Chan furrowed his brow. "You okay? You're looking a little pale, Lena." He looked back at the bracelet, chewing his lip. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken it off..."

"No, no, I'm okay, promise." I forced out a laugh, putting on my best smile. "Thanks for helping me." I inched away from the door, hoping he would just leave it be.

Chan didn't seem fully convinced, but he nodded. "You're welcome." He watched me with a slightly odd look for a moment, then seemed to shrug it off and went back to his book. I expelled a breath of relief and slipped out, my hand shaking as I braced it against the wall. I gasped in another breath just as suddenly, though, as the feeling of cold metal wrapping around my wrist took hold of me. I grabbed my wrist, rubbing my fingers over the warm skin as if to prove to myself it wasn't real. But the fearful part of my mind had taken over and was insisting even if it wasn't, it would come back, and it would be worse than before. It always was when I escaped.

I barely made it around the corner, out of sight of the few people I'd seen before I pressed my back to the wall of an alcove, sliding down to the ground and trying to fight off the panic in my eyes. Dez chirred in dismay, though even he seemed to fade away as the past came back to haunt me. My mind insisted that footsteps were pounding down the hall toward me, probably my stepfather's. He'd be furious to know I'd gotten out.

I choked back a sob, curling my knees up to my chest and fighting the urge to run and hide. It wasn't real, it wasn't going to happen again. I wasn't even in the same country anymore.

But my mind was in too much of a panic now to care. It nearly yanked me to my feet despite my resolve, the footsteps in my mind growing louder as the sound of a door being flung open rang through the silence. He'd probably punish Marcel again, too, even though he hadn't even helped me this time. I could hear the rattling of chains, even feel the suffocating heat in the room. My arms trembled against my knees, my gaze fixed firmly on the wall ahead as my heart pounded to break free. If I closed my eyes, I was sure I could envision his dark eyes, condemning every part of me for something that wasn't even my fault. My mother would be weepy-eyed in the background, as if it broke her heart that I was a 'bad' child. All because my father had stood up for what he believed was right.

I couldn't help it; the sobs broke free then. The memory versions of my family couldn't see me anyway, as I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. How many times had this exact same scenario played out during my childhood? It scared me so much when I was little, because I didn't understand why they did it. Once I was older, though, I understood perfectly, and it made me sick to the very center of my stomach. To think that so many people were suffering simply because their ancestors made a stand against the corruption... The people of Calest didn't know how good they had it here. At least here, they were free to believe what they wanted to.

The tears didn't stop, falling down my face in streams fueled by fury and pain. A burning ache filled my chest for my father's arms to wrap around me and squeeze the fear away. I rubbed my wrist absently, gulping back another round of sobs as I tried to compose myself. The last thing I needed was someone walking in and seeing me like this. But all the memories that bracelet had been gathering had finally broken free, and I was left to pick up the pieces of the destruction they caused.

Once I had composed myself enough that I could take a breath without choking on it, I pushed myself to my feet, still unsteady but not quite as petrified. Dez pushed his nose against me, his distressed thoughts filtering back into my head. With one hand, I rubbed the scales between his ears, while the other squeezed into a fist at my side as I tried to ignore the memories pulling my mind back toward the bracelet. I couldn't let it paralyze me like this. I was finally free, and I was going to keep it that way. This was not another shackle I'd have to wear for the rest of my life, and if Blaze thought he could keep it on me...well, he had another thing coming.

I kept one hand on the wall for support as I eased my way down the hallway, working towards pulling in a deep breath that wouldn't catch in my throat. I was nearly there, too, when voices caught my ears. Hushed words, urgent in tone, directed and passed among a few. Whispers of worry trailed them, intermingling with the overall uncertainty wavering through the group. I recognized a few of the voices, but the others were unfamiliar. I was most surprised, though, to hear Fern's usually bright and bouncy voice reduced to little more than a worried whisper. Whatever was going on, it was big.

I stopped, shallowing my breath as I leaned my ear against the wall.

"...but her army's not big enough for that."

I caught Talon's laugh, though it was far from mirthful. He must have gotten back from his mission while I'd been panicking in the hall. "You forget she now controls seven of the eight protectorates, and at least four are unwaveringly faithful to her. The Isles are still secure, but she doesn't need them anyway to increase her strength." He paused, his voice grim. "In all honesty, she could probably take Calest right now, if she wanted to. But that isn't what this is about. The only thing she fears is the Gifted--the only ones who've ever been able to oppose her."

He paused again, the silence hanging heavier as if to support the weight of his next words. "She wants to outlaw us. Threats won't work, and she knows that, but fear just might. It was hard enough to convince the Council today that we could still defend Calest against the dragons. If she can convince them to pass that law...we won't stand a chance. We can't go up against both Calest and Galdania."

An eerily somber silence settled, and for a moment I thought they had left. Then Fern spoke up, her voice straining to pierce through the heaviness. "Then what do we do?"

"Same thing we've been doing. Find the Bane and prove them wrong. Sari and I will do whatever we can to sway these meetings in our favor...but we can only buy so much time. The Council's faith in us is slipping, so we have to prove to them that it's worth keeping."

My stomach dropped so low that all I was left with was an empty, sick pit in its place. If the Empress's plan worked...no. I couldn't even think about that or I'd have another panic attack. Calest could not fall under Galdania's rule, no matter what. That would be almost as bad as being forced to go back – maybe even worse.

New resolve lifting my chest, I turned away from the wall, walking away. I had training to do.

<><><>

Kaiden

Kinny was quiet as she patched up Kaiden's wounds. "You bought more time from him again, didn't you?"

He tried to hide a flinch as she touched the wet rag to his skin, but her gentle eyes didn't miss anything. "Kaiden..."

He frowned, though that made the muscles in his jaw ache from screaming so long. He adamantly shoved the memory away and locked it up, offering a slight shrug. "Wasn't that bad."

She sighed quietly, dabbing at his shoulder and leaving dots of blood on the fabric. "You don't have to do that for me, you know."

He tensed up at that, just slightly. "And what, let him drag you into this mess? You know what happened last time, Kinny. What makes you think the same thing isn't going to happen again?" He buried another wince as the images tried to take over his mind again, like a suffocating blanket of pain. He fought back the sound of screams again.

She was quiet for a moment, thinking, her voice rather hushed. "Because you know what you're getting into. But what of the new girl? The rumors... they say she can tame the dragons."

He nearly gritted his teeth at that, worry tossing his thoughts back and forth. "From everything they've found out about her, she's an Upper. And you know how untrustworthy they are."

"But what would you do otherwise?" Kinny's voice was soft, not accusing at all.

He rubbed his forehead to hide the agitation sparking in his eyes. "I don't know." He dropped his hand, his voice quieter. "I'll...find someone else, I guess... If she can't do what they're claiming she can less than six weeks." He tightened his hand into a fist. "I won't let him drag you into this, that's for sure. I'll fight him as much as I have to before I let that happen."

Kinny let out a quiet sigh, her eyes going to his wound, then up to his face with a small, sad smile. Her hand slipped into his, uncurling his fingers so she could give it a tight squeeze. "Just remember to take care of yourself, too, 'kay?"

He let out a laugh, looking down at their hands. "I don't care what happens to me, as long as you're safe."

"Yes, but I care. So try to keep yourself in one piece this time, if only for me."

This time. The words seemed to echo in his head, silently confirming what they both knew. He wasn't in one piece at all. Maybe he really was as crazy as Blaze said he was.

He let out another laugh, though quieter, dragging a hand down his face and his thoughts back to the presence. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. For you."

She gave his hand another tight squeeze, blinking at his wound for a moment. Her voice came out hushed, nearly breaking. "I can see how much it's tearing you apart, every time you come back from one of those...experiments." She shuddered, closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them. "How long is Damien going to put you through this?"

Kaiden let out a silent sigh. He couldn't give her an answer, because in truth, he didn't even know. "I'll be fine, Kinny. Besides, I have you to patch me up, yeah?" He smiled, touching her chin lightly with his bandaged fingertips.

Kinny blinked at him, her eyes too bright for the sadness they held. "And what about the day I can't, Kaiden?" She rubbed her hands over her face, her voice catching. "I know I couldn't...stop it before. But right now, I have half a mind to go to Damien and demand that these experiments stop. It's not right."

A spike of panic jolted through him, tearing through his other emotions and sending them scattering. He grabbed her shoulders before he could think about what he was doing, locking eyes with her. "Don't you dare do that. Don't you ever, ever dare." He hoped she could see the seriousness in his eyes. "He'll use it against you, Kin, and I can't bear that. Let me be the hero, okay?" He mustered up the closest to a smile that he could manage, searching her eyes for signs that she understood and agreed.

Kinny nodded, though her eyes said more than she was telling. "I just...don't want this to end up like last time."

He tried to laugh, though it stuck in his throat as he pulled his hands away. "It's not the same, Kin. This," he lifted his shoulder, "was just an accident. It's more mental tests and stuff."

Mental tests. Again, the explanation of insanity seemed pretty fitting to him.

Kinny swallowed, not meeting his gaze as she nodded. "I know. That's what I was talking about." She looked up at him, her eyes shining with pain. "I'm afraid I won't be able to fix you if you break again."

He forced the laugh out this time, though it was far quieter than he wanted. "I don't think I can break anymore, Kinny. These tests...they're nothing, really." He shrugged, looking down at his shoulder so she couldn't see the flicker of truth in his eyes. "Besides, it can't last too much longer anyway. Once Damien has the Bane...he'll leave us alone. We'll take the other kids and run off somewhere, forget any of this ever happened." He forced his mouth to smile for her. "Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

Kinny didn't look very happy, but she nodded anyway. "Okay." Her eyes flickered, as if she had something else to say, but she hesitated. "I love you."

"Ew, mushy," his wild-haired, imaginary friend commented as she headed toward the door. "I'll be outside."

The smile came a bit easier this time, both from the words spoken aloud, and those that echoed from the other girl in his head. "Love you too." He glanced at the door, sighing quietly, where the imaginary girl turned briefly to wrinkle her nose at him before vanishing.

She followed his gaze. "Come back later so I can check on you?"

He chuckled softly, looking back at her, but nodded. "Couldn't keep me away if you tried."

XI

Lena

Consulting Dez and his mental map, I quickly found the way to the mess hall. The little dragon had grown sleepy with the exertion, so I set him in the bag I'd first found him in once I knew where I was going.

The emptiness of the tunnels grew larger, like a mouth gaping open, begging for food. I strode into the room to find Fern perched on the bench, covered with a fine layer of flour as she mixed some sort of concoction. She looked up when she saw me, smiling brightly. "Oh hi, Lena!"

"Hi." I glanced around the otherwise vacant mess hall. How Fern had already made it here from wherever she was with the others, I didn't know and didn't care. "Is there anywhere I could get some food around here?"

"Oh!" Fern jumped up from her seat, pointing to a counter at the far end of the room. "There's some leftover soup there."

I was all set to go over and grab some, but her word choice made me pause. "Dailen didn't make it, right?"

Fern giggled, shaking her loose green waves wildly. "Nah. I made it, with some help from Olive. Did you know she's a great cook?"

I strode over to the counter, spotting a black pot, though the smell is what drew me to it first. It was like heaven and home all mixed together, and though I was sure it couldn't taste as good as anything I was used to, right now it may as well have been.

"It might be a little cold. But you could always ask Blaze to warm it up." A mischievous sparkle winked in and out of her eyes, leaving echoes of laughter behind.

I couldn't help but snort. "I'd rather eat dirt."

Blaze's harsh laugh rang out behind me. "Than what? Stop acting like a spoiled brat?"

Annoyance flashed in my eyes. I could see Fern grin over to the side, her gaze swinging to Blaze, then back at me with a nearly devilish look. She turned in her seat, directing a smile at Blaze. "Oh, nothing. But since you're here, would you do a favor for me?"

I shot her a sharp look, but either she didn't notice or just ignored me. Blaze narrowed his eyes at her. "Actually, no. I have something more important to deal with at the moment." He gripped something metal in his hand, a hint of purple peeking out. He held it up, nearly seething. "How did you get this off?"

My pulse jumped as I looked at the bracelet, willing my heart to beat normally. I swallowed my bite – and the dryness in my mouth – before responding.

"Chan helped me."

"Chan..." He muttered a curse under his breath to himself, gripping the bracelet so tightly it should've bent out of shape. His eyes darted around the room, scanning it carefully, then back at me. "You're supposed to be training with Talon."

"Talon's off on a mission, if you didn't know." I rolled my eyes. "That's the reason you were training me in the first place, right?"

He narrowed his eyes. "And you conveniently forgot to remind me of that."

"Actually, I did try to tell you that, and you cut me off." I raised my eyebrows. "Besides, shouldn't you have remembered it on your own?"

He rubbed a hand over his forehead. "I forgot he was leaving that early."

"Mmhm." I was enjoying this, as I gave him a patronizing smile. "And now I think you should apologize for accusing me like that."

A harsh laugh escaped his throat. He trained his gaze on me, his eyes narrowed to thin slits. "I still don't trust you, Maye. And I certainly won't apologize."

His use of my last name nearly made me smile, but I shrugged instead. "Suit yourself. I'm going to sit here and enjoy a lovely meal. I can't be bothered by your foul mood." I waved my hand as if to dismiss him, looking away.

He just laughed again, though there was no humor to it. "Oh no, you're coming with me, Princess, and we're going to finish your training for the day."

I snatched my wrist away before he could grab it, holding it near my chest as I willed my heart to beat normally. "Mm, nope. You promised me food if I did well. And in your own words, I did the 'impossible' today, so I think I deserve a good meal."

He growled, but sank down on the bench next to me after a moment. "Fine, but we're going back to training right afterward." He paused. "And if you try any more funny business, I'll put the bracelet back on."

I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face, though I schooled it to look haughty, giving him a curt nod. "Thank you."

He muttered something under his breath, then shot me an annoyed look. "I'm not doing this for you, Priss."

"Oh, I know." My smile stuck like glue, holding my face in an expression of triumph. "Doesn't mean you're not still doing it."

He grumbled something else under his breath, folding his arms on the table. Hiding my grin proved difficult as Fern set two bowls in front of us, smiling sweetly.

"I'm so glad you could join us, Lena!"

I threw Blaze a smug look. He ignored me, looking down at his bowl for a moment before he unfolded his arms and began to eat. I chuckled and ate my own food, pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I mean, it obviously couldn't compare to anything in Galdania, but it was far better than any of the other fare I'd had in this country. It tasted like it was seasoned with more than just dirt and sweat, which was an impressive feat.

Blaze ate in sullen silence, casting a glance my way every so often as if he expected me to jump up and attack him or something. I made a point to smile every time he did, until he finally ignored me, only focusing on the food. He finished his long before mine and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest and watching me. I took another dainty bite, waiting for him to stop, but he didn't. Just as I was about to tell him how rude it was to stare at people, he spoke up. "You have five minutes to finish that or I'll finish it for you."

I laughed, but he was dead serious. I could almost see him counting down the seconds in his mind, and I threw him a look. "You can get your own if you want more."

"We don't waste food here. But you're eating like a baby and I don't have time for that, either. So whatever you don't finish, I will." A brief pause. "Four minutes."

I rolled my eyes, chewing my next bite slowly just to spite him. "Yeah, well some people actually care to enjoy their food and not inhale it like a pig."

"I enjoy my food. I just do so efficiently." His expression remained indifferent as he watched me. "Three minutes."

"You're counting down way too fast."

"You're wasting my time." He shrugged, sitting up in his seat as he glanced at my bowl. "Two minutes."

I chewed a bit more forcefully than necessary, giving him an irritated stare. "If you're going to give me a time limit, you have to at least stick to it."

He shrugged again. "Maybe you should stick to eating. Being stubborn isn't going to buy you more time."

I threw him another look, but stuck another bite in my mouth, chewing it thoroughly. He remained silent, glancing around the room for a moment, then back at me. Silence reigned for a few minutes, then he snatched my bowl and, true to his word, began eating it. Within a minute, it was all gone, and he set it down, looking at me. "You should've been faster."

I ground my teeth together, standing to follow him as he walked out of the room. "You think you can just walk all over me, don't you?"

"Nah. You're too fancy of a carpet for my tastes." He nodded. "Now, back to training."

Dez curled up in the crook of my neck, humming encouragingly. I sighed, rubbing his head and smiling a bit. "I know. I shouldn't let him get to me."

Blaze was infuriatingly calm as he led me back to the room with the dragons. He stopped in front of the alcove where the kits were playing, letting out a low whistle. A blue-green dragon poked his head up from the group, flying over to us. At Blaze's nod, it landed on the alcove in front of me, tilting its head and letting out a curious chirp.

"Try to put him to sleep."

I stared at him. "You've got to be joking, right?"

"Obviously you need to start at the beginning. So no, I'm quite serious. Put him to sleep."

I took a breath, reaching into the dragon's mind. For some reason, I was more cautious, as if I might damage the little guy if I pushed too hard. The little dragon's mind was all bouncy and innocent, its thoughts mostly consisting of food, sleeping, and playing. Pulling the thoughts of sleep to the front of its mind was much easier than the dark dragon. He resisted a bit at first, pouting at me, but eventually decided it was a good idea and curled up, going to sleep.

I glanced over to see the rest of the nest of kit dragons all sleeping peacefully. Blaze smirked at me triumphantly. "Anyone can influence a kit dragon, Priss. You're nothing special for that. And you won't be anything special until you can learn to do anything better than that." He looked over at the kit dragons and two of them woke up, growling playfully, and started tussling with each other. Another one squeaked as if it was in pain, looking around indignantly. Yet another was moping, looking incredibly adorable with its droopy ears and a sad expression on its face.

I glanced over at the bigger dragons. "So, can you do that with them?"

Blaze let out another harsh laugh. "You don't control normal dragons, Priss. You work with them, communicate with them. I've only known a handful of people who could actually change a dragon's mind. Thinking you could change Zarafel's mind of anyone's was just foolish."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "And what about humans?"

A tiny smirk pulled at his face, though it was hiding more behind it. "You're nowhere near skilled enough to attempt that yet. Talon's the only one in this Mountain that can even try that, and even then, it's not easy."

"Mm." Not one to be deterred, I reached out to his mind. The moment I came in contact with the edges of it, a flash of pain like fire filled my mind. I nearly jerked away, but forced myself to press on. The pain increased, my vision sparking with white as I fought to get through.

He narrowed his brows, his eyes locked on me as he pushed back, the pain twisting in my mind so I nearly gasped. White spots flashed in my eyes, my heart pounding faster and harder in my chest, as if urging me to stop. The pain burned like a twisting spiral increasing in intensity, nearly taking me to my knees.

Dark replaced the white as I blinked, the room returning in spinning focus. I waited for it to stop, shutting my eyes, but it only increased, tipping and turning like an out of control ride as I grabbed for the wall. I blinked open my eyes, sliding down to the ground as I tried to stop my heart from jumping into my throat. The darkness mixed with white as my vision blinked in and out of focus, footsteps pounding toward me as loud as my heartbeat in my ears.

"Priss." A foot nudged me in the side. "Priss."

I could hear his voice, but I couldn't place where it was coming from. The room spun around me as Blaze let out a sigh, grumbling under his breath.

"I told you not to try any more funny business."

My heart lurched as I felt myself being lifted off the ground. I clung to the first thing my weak arms could find, my cheeks burning in embarrassment as I realized it was Blaze. The room kept tipping out of control, though, so I kept my grip as tight as I could, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that he was holding me. Even the slight shift of his footsteps dizzied me, so I shut my eyes, taking in as deep of breaths as I could manage.

"You really need to learn when to stop, Priss." His words sounded so strange in my ears, as if they'd passed through a filter before reaching me. "Hopefully Talon can knock some sense into you."

I opened my mouth to reply, but my stomach churned, so I quickly shut it, turning my face away. He frowned, glancing down at me briefly. "If you throw up on me..."

Just the mention of it nearly made me choke, and I covered my mouth, shaking my head. He frowned more, rounding a corner and setting me down on the ground. I put my head down between my knees, drawing in a shaky breath and hoping I wouldn't pass out. I could hear him walk away, then come back a few minutes later.

"Drink this."

The smell made my stomach tighten, though I wasn't sure I could hold it at the moment anyway. I could feel my shaking fingers being pried away from my palm and pulled them back. Warm liquid seeped into my skin, and a quiet curse reached my ears. "I swear, Priss, you are the most difficult..."

The sentence remained unfinished as the footsteps headed away again. I took a deep breath, squeezing my fists in hopes of stilling the shaking. I opened my eyes to see the sticky brown liquid dripping down my hand, barely daring to lift my head as Blaze bent down beside me again. He pressed a clear cup into my hand, holding it firmly until I wrapped my fingers around it. A little of it trickled over the side, but he steadied my hand, guiding it to my mouth. The smell was strong, but not necessarily unpleasant. It warmed as it slid down my throat, my hand shaking noticeably less as he pulled his away.

"That should help with the dizziness. Next time, though, I'd suggest not using up all your energy like that."

I wanted to ask why it hadn't seemed to have any ill effects on him, but the room was still spinning, and the liquid had done nothing to unfreeze my tongue. I finished the drink, just starting to think it wasn't that bad when the aftertaste hit. Gagging, I shuddered as the bitterness struck my tongue.

A small smirk pulled at his face. "Maybe next time you won't be so stupid."

"I don't see how it's 'stupid'," I coughed, "if you were able to do it just fine."

"I'm stronger than you, obviously. And smarter, it seems. I'd never waste all my energy in one go like that."

I frowned at that, still trying to rid my mouth of the burning. "What do you mean by that?"

He quirked an eyebrow, almost amused. "I mean, Mrs. Mind Gifts, that you really need to get off your high horse and stop thinking you're better than everyone else because you managed to get lucky one time. You don't know the first thing about your gifts and yet you recklessly throw your energy around without a care of what you're actually doing." He glanced down at my arm. "And you wonder why I make you keep that cuff on."

I followed his eyes, my gaze catching on the silver band wrapped around my wrist. My pulse spiked as I fought the urge to try to tear it off, looking up at him. "Take it off."

He raised both eyebrows at that, then chuckled. "No can do, Princess. Even Elle would agree with me in this instance."

My weakened mind was beginning to panic, insisting I get it off. I squeezed my fists, fighting it back the best I could as I gritted my teeth. "Please."

"Mm. Maybe you should've thought of this before trying to invade my mind." He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe it, then laughed. "Why were you doing that, even? Of anyone to choose...the only more difficult choice would be Talon. Or Sari, but that's...an entirely different level."

My hands were beginning to shake from being clenched so long. Every breath in was a struggle not to hyperventilate, each one harder to take in, like filling a balloon. Cold metal closed in around my wrist, memories flashing through my mind as I barely managed to breathe out again. "Take it off."

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze searched Lena's face as she spoke, pleading with near desperation for him to take the bracelet off. Her sea green eyes stood out in stark contrast to her still pale face, a hint of terror flashing through that he doubted she knew was showing. For the first time, he could see a spark of something beyond her mask, and it intrigued him. Was there really something else under that cold, haughty exterior?

"And if I do?"

He caught the subtle clench of her jaw as she looked up at him, her face strained despite the effort to hide it. "I'll help you on your mission. I'll stay in the cell. Just please...take it off."

He fought to keep his eyebrows from raising. Meaning, she'd cooperate?

"Why?"

A spark of weariness wore its way through, dimming the light in her bright eyes as she lifted her head a bit more to meet his gaze. Her whispered words barely made their way out, and he got the feeling she wasn't just talking to him. "I don't like chains."

There it was. She dropped her gaze, squeezing her fists tightly at her sides. The spark of honesty and pleading in her eyes struck him dully in the chest.

Neither do I.

"I can't take it off until you're recovered." His words came out quieter than he wanted them to. "It won't come off until your energy is at a safe level."

She shut her eyes, taking in a slow breath before nodding. When she opened them again, something shot through her eyes, making her flinch. "Chan said it wasn't a medical one..."

"No. But the one you have on now is." He held up the other bracelet, watching as she looked down at her wrist, realization settling in her eyes. She looked up at him, the strain still there, but held back.

"Why?"

He could barely bring himself to smirk. "I need you healthy more than anyone, Priss. You should know that."

She nodded, though her brow creased after a moment, her words breathy. "Then why...didn't you stop me sooner?"

He took in a breath of his own and held it for a moment. He couldn't let her know she'd nearly gotten through, so he just smirked. "Wanted to teach you a lesson. You shouldn't pry into others' minds like that."

She nodded again, her breathing slightly uneven. "That's what...Zarafel said." Her blinks grew slower as she leaned against the wall, her chest rising and falling in an irregular pattern. The mix he'd given her helped ease the side effects, but it didn't stop the weariness. Overexertion taxed the body as much as the mind, as he knew full well. Already her eyelids were beginning to droop, her words seeped with exhaustion. "Why...do you want to help me?"

He knew she was quite out of it, but the question still gave him pause, swirling answers to life that he'd rather keep hidden. So he answered simply and truthfully. "I need you."

A breathless laugh escaped her throat, and she smiled at him tiredly. "I need you too." She blinked, her eyes nearly staying shut before she opened them again. "Goodnight, Blaze."

He watched as she slipped off to sleep, her body slumping in peaceful unawareness, then stood up, rubbing his hands over his face. "Night, Priss." A smile quirked at the corner of his lips as he scooped her up in his arms. Funny how sleep erased all the hard lines and edges, leaving only the vulnerable behind. But was it the vulnerability that was an act, or was it simply the truth left behind after he'd sifted out the lies? Yet it was hard to believe that such a flawless mask could be anything but real.

He chuckled to himself at that. Of course, he would know.

XII

Lena

I woke up feeling more refreshed and comfortable than I had in weeks, though my mind felt like it was filled with lead. I struggled to remember what had happened or why my head felt like it'd hit something a little too hard. Did I stay up late with Dad again and forget about it?

I sifted through my thoughts, but try as I might, I couldn't come up with a good reason. I brushed it aside, rolling over to smile at the other side of the bed sleepily. "Good morning, Daisy."

A chuckle answered me. "Well, that's not one I've gotten before."

Pleasant thoughts of home burst like bubbles as my eyes shot open, taking in Talon's warm, laughing face. The wall behind him was unfamiliar, decorated with what looked like drawings and notes of some kind. I sat up, feeling cool metal slide across my skin as I supported myself with my arms. I looked down to see the bracelet back on my wrist, though I was more surprised to feel the softness of a blanket beneath me. No, not just a blanket. An actual bed.

"Who's Daisy?"

My cheeks burned as I thought of the fluffy white furball who used to share my room with me. "No one."

Talon chuckled. I rubbed my hand over the warm fabric underneath me, glancing around at my surroundings. I was in a room, a plain but nice room with a bed and a table and my red dress draped over the back of a chair, perfectly pressed.

"Where am I?"

Talon had a wide smile on his face as he watched me take it all in. "Blaze decided you could have your own room now. He set all this up, actually." He grinned, looking at the dress. "Though he claims Elle's the one who ironed that."

I slipped off the bed, picking the dress up. It was just as soft and clean as it'd been before this entire adventure began. "Blaze is out?"

He nodded. "Yup. Brought ya in here first, though. After the mission today..." he reached up to touch the back of his neck, chuckling, "he had some, ah, people to talk with."

I furrowed my brow. "Blaze said you were out on a mission..."

"Oh, yeah, I was." He nodded. "But that went well and all, so Sari and I got to come back early."

Before I had long to reflect on what that meant, though, he slapped his hands on his knees, standing to his feet. "Anyway, enough talk of that. I'm supposed to be training you while Blaze is out, but I thought 'what the dag, she deserves a break.' So what say you and I go take a walk around or something, eh?"

From the look in his eyes, it seemed he needed a break as much as I did. I held the dress to my chest, managing a nod.

His eyes caught on my bracelet. "Oh hey, it's purple now. Y'know what that means, right?" He grinned. "You remembered what I taught you about gathering thoughts."

I creased my brow, watching as he reached out and unlocked the bracelet. He ran his thumb lightly over the raw skin on my wrist, his own brow creasing. "Is it hurting you?"

I bit my tongue, shaking my head. "No." At least, not physically.

He didn't seem convinced, but nodded. "Okay. Wouldn't want it to cause you any pain."

I blinked, pulling my wrist back to the safety of my personal space. His words kept catching me off guard, and I didn't like it.

He recovered quickly from the somber moment, offering me a bright smile as he held out his arm. "M'lady?"

I brushed him aside, shaking my head. Talon chuckled, dropping his hand as he walked to the door. "Got the shoulder again. Alright." He held the door open for me, smiling. "At least you'll permit me to be a gentleman in this way?"

I stepped through the door, my hand instinctively resting on my opposite wrist. "I suppose I can't deny you such a small privilege."

"Thank you, m'lady. You are too kind." He walked out behind me, closing the door behind us as he steered me in the right direction. "Let's head this way. There's something I want you to see."

I followed him silently, taking note of our surroundings as I went.

He grinned, leading me around the huge balcony to the other side. We went down stairs, through a few more unfamiliar tunnels until a spark of light caught my eye. Not just torchlight, either, but actual sunlight. I breathed out in delight as we stepped through it, the mouth of the tunnel revealing delicate shades of green as we exited onto a dirt path. I paused for a moment, savoring the surreal feeling of being on soft ground, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. It made me want to laugh, and I might have, if Talon wasn't standing right there.

He grinned. "Oh, if this has you impressed, Princess, you should wait to see what I have in store." He took my hand without permission, tugging me lightly along the path. I let him pull me along, though not too fast, savoring the colorful sights and sounds bombarding my senses. Compared to the usual dull grey of Calest's tiny towns, this little area was a paradise, filled with bright colors and delicate, earthy smells. The path winded on among the trees, out of the hidden glade. A river raced it around the corner, dropping down at the edge to form a waterfall. I stopped, awed by the bright, crystal color of the water. I wanted to cup my hands in it and see if it was as pure and sweet as it looked. How could such a place exist in Calest?

"I cleaned it up. Got Fern to help plant some of these, fixed the dam, grew some flowers here and there." He turned to face me, a slight grin crooking his face. "Reminds you of the waters back home, huh?"

I nodded, then realized my mistake a moment too late as I froze. "I mean...the water back home is a lot clearer."

He chuckled. "Had a fancy home for an Upper then, eh? Where'd you live, Milea?"

I nodded, wishing I knew my Calestan geography better. "For a while, yes."

Talon nodded, looking out at the water too. "Pretty town. Did you know Miss Wenthel?"

I decided to be smart for once and shake my head. It was a wonder he was buying all this, anyway.

"Really?" Talon cocked his head. "Tall woman, a little on the heavier side, has a really pretty singing voice? She leads the choir at the festival each year."

I opened my mouth, then closed it. "It was a long time ago," I admitted weakly.

Talon chuckled again. "You're not really an Upper, are you?"

My heart kicked against my ribcage as I tried to form a good excuse. Talon just smiled, looking over at me. "I do have mind gifts, you know. Not that I used them, but I'm kind of good at seeing through peoples' lies." A wry grin pulled at his face.

I stared out at the water, not daring to look over at him. He didn't seem shocked, which could only lead to one conclusion

"Ever met the Empress? I've heard she's lovely." His voice softened in awe at the words, a small smile playing on his lips. He turned it into a grin. "'Course, you'd have to be pretty high up to get that chance. Not many are favored enough for that honor."

My tongue froze in my mouth, my eyes blinking at the water as I tried to come up with words I hardly dared say.

Talon cocked his head at me. "You don't have to hide it, Lena. I'm loyal to her, too. Grew up in Lhorhen, actually. Talon Isreld, son of Cloren Tyce."

My eyes widened at that, words slipping out before I could stop them. "I didn't know any of the Cloren had children."

He chuckled softly, lifting a shoulder and dropping it. "He didn't care much to let the world know he had a son with gifts." A wry smile pulled at his lips. "You from Sandhara, then?"

"Aurillea." Again, the word slipped out before I could stop it. It was like he'd completely disarmed me, pulled down my defenses and now my words couldn't be contained.

Talon repeated the word in awe. "The capital? But, that means...you must have seen her, right?"

A little discomfort wormed its way into me as I nodded, slowly. I wondered how deceived he must've been to think so highly of the woman. "It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"She's coming here in a few weeks," he murmured, as if he hadn't even heard me speak. "Here, to Calest. Do you know how important this must be for her to come in person?"

I nodded slowly, trying not to let my breath hitch in my throat. The Empress never showed up for anything personally unless it was very important. And that didn't bode well for Calest at all.

Talon must've noticed my discomfort, for his mouth twisted in a wry grin. "Of course, I don't condone her actions. I just think she's a rather fascinating person. It'd be neat to meet her, you know."

I just nodded, not wanting to crush his dreams, though my breath stuck in my throat at the thought of it. The Empress wasn't just cold, she was downright chilling. A shiver ran up my arms just at the thought of her.

Sitting down by the water's edge, I tucked my arms around my knees. "Do you ever miss it?" I paused. "Galdania, I mean."

"All the time." He sat down next to me, propping himself up with his arms. "Do you?"

I nodded, blinking. "In some ways."

Talon chuckled softly. "The food is definitely better."

A small smile lifted my lips as I dropped my hands to feel the soft grass. "Yeah, that's very true."

Talon's hand brushed mine, and I froze. He lifted it into his, giving it a light squeeze. "Well, you don't have to be alone anymore, at least."

I fought the urge to tug my hand away, warning bells going on in my head. No one was ever this sweet unless they wanted something. Especially a Galdanian.

Talon must've sensed my fear, for he drew his hand away. "Sorry. I just know... it's pretty lonely being in a strange country, by yourself and all." He looked down at his hand quietly for a moment. "You have any family?"

I licked my lips to quench the fear still lingering in my throat, nodding. "My father. Mother's still in Galdania." I thought of my step family too, but decided to leave them out.

A wry smile spread across Talon's face. "My mother died years ago and my father disowned me for being a 'traitor'. I have a sister, but..." He trailed off, studying the grass quietly for a moment. "The Empress banished her to the Mines." He took in a breath, letting it out slowly like it was painful to release. "It was my fault, really. She was trying to save me and...distracted them so I could get away."

My heart squeezed in my chest. I didn't know much about the Mines, but I knew it was one of the worst places someone could be sent. My father would have ended up there for sure if he hadn't fled the country. I gripped the strands of grass tighter than I meant to, not trusting myself to look at him. "I'm sorry."

He drew in a breath, letting it out in a quiet laugh. "Don't be. Wasn't your fault or anything." The wry grin came back, though his eyes were tinged with sadness. "I'd try to get her out, but...that's nearly impossible." His eyes flickered a little bit, his voice lower than usual. "The only other way would be if I could get the Empress to pardon her."

Suddenly it all made sense. "So that's why you want to see her."

He chuckled and shrugged. "Can't hurt to try, right? Doubt I could sway her mind, but there's gotta be some way." He smiled. "Gotta have faith."

I nearly laughed at the last word. Yes, because having faith in 'gods' had really done Galdania a world of good.

"Yeah, guess so."

We both watched the water, silent for a moment, then Talon glanced up at the sky. "We should probably get back. I am supposed to be training you today, after all." He grinned.

"Why can't we just train here?"

He paused, as if he hadn't thought of that, then chuckled. "I suppose we could. Do you want to?"

I nodded, then paused, a thought coming to mind. "Do you think you could teach me to ride a dragon, too?"

Talon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, that's more Chan's speed than mine, but I could ask him, if you'd like." A grin crept up his face. "Of course, he'll probably talk your ear off the whole way. Guy doesn't know how to stop once he starts going."

I snorted. "I'll take that over Blaze's scowling any day."

Talon laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Y'know, he probably says that about your prissiness, too."

I reached over and smacked him.

"Hey!" He rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"Aren't you supposed to be training me?"

"Hey, now, don't change the subject! Do you usually whack your friends like that? 'Cause I'd like to be prepared if you do, you know. You should warn people about that!"

I stood up, brushing grass off my dress. "Yes, well, you shouldn't be so annoying, then." I did my best to appear haughty, lifting my chin as I strode away from the water.

He pushed himself to his feet, following. "Where ya going, Miss?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Somewhere. Why, would you like to come?"

He chuckled. "Well, you really shouldn't wander too far from the Mountain. It's dangerous with all the infected dragons around."

"Then teach me to fight them."

He took in a breath, holding it for a moment before he released it. "That's not an easy feat, Sweetcakes. Should probably start with something easier first..."

"Then teach me that. Stop wasting time trying to get on my good side."

He let out a low whistle. "Whoa, you do have some icicles to you, huh, sweetheart?" He chuckled. "Alright, then. Guess the first step would be teaching you to defend your mind. Which means I'll have to try getting in yours. But that shouldn't be a problem, since there's nothing I should see that I don't already know."

I frowned at that, but he held up his hands defensively. "I mean, any glimpses I might catch should only be of obvious things. But I'll do my best not to pry, I promise."

I listened to him ramble, then nodded. "So, what do I do?"

"Do? Just...try to keep me out of your mind. Same way you let the thoughts in, except the opposite. It's..." He waved his hand. "You'll get the hang of it once we start. It's too complicated to explain."

A shiver rode up my spine as something brushed my thoughts aside, stirring them up. I blinked, realizing it must be Talon trying to get in, though he wasn't being very subtle about it. I understood now why Zarafel had reacted so harshly to my invasion. It wasn't a pleasant thing, having someone else's mind roaming freely in yours, or at least trying to. I tried to push him out, but he was like air, dissipating through my fingers; all around, but unable to be captured. It was like having someone else's breath in your ear and no way to bat it away.

His voice floated through my mind. "Subtlety is key when you're trying to influence someone." He tugged on my emotions like strings, sending a jolt of panic through me. I clenched my fists, doing a sweep of my mind, but he simply slipped through my grasp.

"Sorry. I figured the best way to explain was just, well, to demonstrate. I'll have you practice on me in a moment. For right now, just see how best you can keep me out of your mind, okay?"

I was about to complain that he was already in it when I felt something push hard against my mental walls. I reacted almost immediately, throwing up another defense that would knock it away. Another attack came from the left, and I shoved it away, my reflexes much faster than I would have expected. I relaxed as the force pulled away, a mild chuckle running through my mind. "Well, seems like you're pretty good at that already. Practiced before, Priss?"

I frowned at the word, giving him one final shove until the voice vanished, and all I could hear was Talon laughing to my right. "Wow. That wasn't bad at all."

"I've practiced defending my mind before."

He looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah? Who with?"

"My father's servant." I shrugged a shoulder. "He thought it would be good in case there was...questioning." I pressed my lips together, nearly kicking myself for saying that.

"Hmm." Talon studied me for a moment. "Questioning?"

Now I was really beginning to feel uncomfortable, and cursed myself for saying anything. I tried reaching into his mind, hoping to distract him, but ran into a seamless wall. It moved when I pushed against it, then sprung lightly back into place.

Talon chuckled. "You're not going to be able to get into my mind that easily, Miss. I'm no Blaze Montego, and I don't pretend to be." I thought I detected a spark of bitterness there, though it was brushed away too quickly to know for sure.

I let out a huffy sigh. "Then how am I supposed to practice offense?"

He laughed, though it was less mirthful than usual. "I'll lower my defenses so you actually have a chance of getting in, obviously."

I wanted to feel indignant, but I supposed I couldn't argue with that. He did have mind gifts, after all, and had trained with them a lot longer than I had, I suspected. Still, it didn't douse the spark of stubbornness flickering in me.

"Alright. But don't go too easy on me."

Before we could begin, a green kit dragon flew in, a small roll of parchment clutched in its claws. It flew over to Talon's shoulder, hovering in mid-air until he held out his hand. It dropped the parchment in his hand, then rested on his shoulder, chirring to him.

Talon's brow creased as he reached up to pet the dragon's head, then unrolled the paper, scanning it carefully. He gave me a smile as he rolled back up the paper, sticking it in the pocket of his vest. "Seems we'll have to continue this another time, Miss. I have a few things I need to attend to." He scratched the dragon's head, then paused. "Technically, that means I should make you put the bracelet back on, but let's say I 'forgot' because I was in such a hurry." He winked, heading back to the entrance of the Mountain. "See you later, Lena."

I breathed out in relief, nearly having forgotten about the bracelet. "Yeah, see you."

A small grin touched his face. I watched him go, then sat back down by the water, having no intention of going back inside yet. The silence was beautiful, and it gave me plenty of time to mull over the many thoughts bouncing around my head.

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden held the doll close to his chest, his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the room from spinning. Damien's words played in his head on repeat.

"I paid a visit to your siblings today..."

Pain squeezed his chest so tightly he could hardly breathe. Questions ran around his mind in frantic flurries. How? Why? Were any of them hurt?

"The little ones miss you. Kelrin just blames you, it seems. Says you're just like your father."

Anger burned amidst the pain at the comparison. Whether or not it'd really been said, he was nothing like his father, and never wanted to be.

"I brought you back a little present, too."

The doll. Kyra's doll, which she never went anywhere without. To think of how he'd gotten it...

"Are you sure none of them have gifts?"

The question still sent a cold shudder down his spine. The thought of Damien being anywhere near his siblings was bad enough, but the thought of them coming here, or being subjected to any part of what he had been put through...it made him forget how to breathe. He'd die before he let Damien use any of them.

He closed his eyes and took a breath in as a soft hand settled on his arm in the empty room. "Just breathe."

It was funny how his own insanity could calm him.

XIII

Lena

I stayed outside for a while, reluctant to leave the warm sunlight. I did want to ask Chan a few questions, though, so eventually I got up and headed back inside. The tunnels seemed so much darker and colder now that I couldn't feel the sun. I missed it already.

The Mountain seemed strangely quiet compared to outside. Part of me wanted to go back out and stay there, but I knew someone would drag me back eventually. Talon had mentioned something about infected dragons roaming around, anyway, and with how my last few attempts at taming them had gone, I didn't think I wanted to face one alone.

A crash of what sounded like crumpling paper tore me from my reverie, as I rounded the corner by the planning room. I could hear Chan's voice, somewhat stern but worried, followed by dragon chirping.

"N— Hey! That book is special to me! Please don't— Okay, I didn't ask for a dragon autograph, but I suppose there's no helping that now, is there?" There was a pause, then a screech. "Don't eat that! You'll make yourself sick and end up throwing it up somewhere later. Honestly, why'd I have to get stuck with the rowdiest dragon? You're supposed to like reading books, not eating them!"

I rounded the corner to see Chan nearly stumble over a chair as he dove for a small brown dragon. It held what looked like a piece of paper in its claws, chewing it. I covered my mouth to hide a laugh as the dragon flew out of the way, landing high on one of the shelves. If dragons were able to grin, this one certainly did, and it was the most mischievous grin I'd ever seen.

Chan frowned up at the dragon, speaking to it in a foreign language. It simply grinned at him, swishing its tail to knock a bottle off the shelf, which he promptly caught. A trill of laughter rose from the dragon's throat, its eyes sparkling as it flapped its wings, then took the paper in its mouth and flew over to my shoulder. Chan followed its flight, muttering to himself in that same language until he noticed me standing there. He stopped, looking between me and the dragon, then crossed his arms, frowning at that dragon. "Oh, so you'll go to her, huh, but not me?"

I looked at the dragon on my shoulder, who still held the rolled up paper in its jaws, a rather smug look on its tiny face as it nodded.

Chan sighed, exasperated. "That's Rena." He waved a hand at the dragon. "She's a bit...unruly. Granted, she's still young, but that doesn't excuse her behavior." He gave Rena a look. She just chirped, flying up to the top of my head. I slipped into her mind, pulling chiding thoughts to the surface and tugging the rebellious ones to the back. She fought against me, but finally gave up, pouting. A kit dragon's attention span was very short, apparently. I tugged the paper from her mouth lightly, then handed it to Chan.

He took it, unrolling it and shaking his head with a sigh, then rolled it back up, smiling a bit at me. "Thanks." He set it on the table, throwing Rena a withering look. "I thought it would be easier to train a dragon from birth. Apparently not."

Rena threw him a sweet look, and I had to stifle another laugh. I picked her off my shoulder lightly, thinking of Dez, then handed her to Chan, despite her squeak of protest.

"Thanks." He plopped the dragon in the bag slung over his shoulder. "I have to go, actually. Should've left a few minutes ago, but I can't leave Rena unattended or she'll tear the place apart." He looked around, then sighed. "I still have to drop her off with the other dragons, too..."

"I'll take her for you."

The words were out before I could retract them, but with the way Chan's face brightened, I wasn't sure that was a bad thing. He looked rather sweet, a boyish smile hiding in his eyes. "You'd do that for me?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Sure, why not? Dez'll have some company, then."

Chan nodded, lifting the bag up over his head and holding it out to me. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but smiled. "Don't let her get out of line or she'll walk all over you."

I nodded, taking the bag. "I'll keep her in check."

His grin brightened. "Thank you. It means a lot." He paused to look around the room, then waved as he left. I waved back, then dropped my hand when he was out of sight, wondering if it was just coincidence that everyone seemed to have somewhere else to go.

Maybe they just don't like my company, I thought jokingly, grinning down at the bag. My mind went back to the first time I'd been in this situation, though Rena's bag was considerably lighter. She squirmed around a lot more, though, trying to peep through the crack in the top and claw her way out. I wondered if Dailen had somehow put Dez to sleep before he 'stole' him away. But Dailen didn't have gifts, did he?

I headed down the hall, scanning the tunnels that branched out from the main one several times before picking the one that'd lead me to the training hall. Maybe I could find someone to answer my questions.

To my surprise, when I walked into the training hall, I only saw Basil sitting there, his hands clasped in front of his face, brow deeply furrowed. He blinked and sat up straight when he saw me. "Oh, hey. Are you...supposed to be here?" His brow furrowed further as he looked back at one of the closed rooms, then up at the ceiling. "Oh. Never mind." He waved his hand dismissively, exchanging the confusion for a smile. "Hello."

I sat in the chair across from him, confused by his strange behavior. "Hi." I looked around, my own brow creasing slightly. "Where is everyone?"

Basil chuckled, scratching the back of his neck with a long arm. "Uh...busy. They have stuff to do."

I glanced at the room he'd looked at previously. "All together?"

"Nah, all separately." His eyes shifted from the table to his lap to back at me. "They just, yknow, have a lot to do with the mission and all..."

I wanted to tell him he was a horrible liar, but I figured that wouldn't be a good idea if I wanted to ask him questions, too.

"So...you don't have anything you have to do?"

He looked up, then laughed, his hand drifting to the back of his neck again. "No, I'm not really...on the team." The last words were nearly mumbled, as if they made him uncomfortable to say.

"But you have gifts, right?"

He traced a few patterns on the table with his eyes, then nodded. "Yeah."

I waited for him to go on, pressing when he didn't. "What kind of gifts?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Not very special ones. Olive's the one who got all that." He forced a small grin, though a hint of sadness lingered in his eyes.

I thought about that for a moment. "So...does everyone here have gifts, then?"

He nodded, then paused. "Well...yeah. Everyone does."

"Even Dailen?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated, his hand resting on the back of his neck. "He...used to. Or still does and just doesn't use them." He looked down at the table, chewing his lip.

"Why not?"

Basil's brow creased, his mouth turning down in a frown. "I don't think that's my story to tell. Do you have any other questions?"

I wanted to ask more, but could see that he wasn't comfortable with discussing it. "What kind of gifts do the others have?"

He shrugged, leaning back against the couch. "All sorts. Blaze's got fire, Olive and Fern can do stuff with plants – though their gifts are a little different – Chan can control the weather, and you and Talon have the mind stuff."

I noticed he still didn't mention what his gift was, but I was beginning to think I'd be better off asking Fern. "So, what do you do, then, if you're not part of the team?"

He stayed quiet for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. "I help out sometimes, wherever I can. And I like to watch when they spar." A bit of a grin lifted his lips. "Sometimes Fern and I'll both pick a side and cheer them on. She promises her side cake if they win."

I shook my head at that. "Of course she does."

Basil smiled, looking to the side thoughtfully for a moment. "What about you? What do you like to do?"

I took in a slow breath, the memories flooding through my mind threatening to drown everything else out. "I like to ride."

"Dragons?"

I laughed softly at that. "I've actually never ridden a dragon. Only horses."

He nodded. "You should ask Chan to teach you. He loves them."

"So I was told. Is it similar at all?"

A crooked grin touched his lips. "I don't know. I've never ridden a horse. Only dragons." He looked up as the others filed out of the room he'd been watching. "Oh, speaking of which..." He stood up, crossing the room in a few easy steps to hug Olive.

Talon seemed annoyed, which was unusual, and both him and Blaze stormed off in different directions the moment they got out of the room. Chan looked between them and shook his head, then looked over at me, giving me a shy grin. He walked over, sticking his hands in his pockets as he sat down. "Well, hi again."

"Hey." I glanced at the direction Blaze had gone. "Meeting didn't go well?"

Chan followed my gaze, then shook his head. "Oh, that's pretty normal for them. They fight almost every time, then storm off and avoid everyone for a while." A rueful look crossed his face. "At least I didn't have to hold them back from going at each other this time."

For some reason, I found that image rather amusing. "Have they actually ever hurt each other?"

Chan leaned back in his seat. "Oh, plenty of times. Elle's gotten so fed up with it that she refused to treat either of them if they act 'foolish' like that."

I shook my head. "And let me guess, that didn't deter them at all?"

Chan let out a low chuckle. "Not much, no. They seem to be a little better lately, but they still fight quite a bit."

I nodded, watching Basil converse with his sister and Fern, a grin lighting up his face. I glanced back at Chan. "So, Basil tells me you're the dragon expert. That true?"

He chuckled, his hand going to the back of his neck as he shrugged. "I wouldn't say the expert, no. I just...like them a lot." His eyes lit up a little. "Would you like to go riding sometime?"

"Actually, I was just going to ask you about that. Basil said you could teach me, since I've never actually ridden one before."

"Oh, did he?" A smile crossed Chan's face. "Sure, I can teach you to ride."

"Great! Do you have anything going on or can you show me right now?"

Chan chuckled, shifting his position on the couch as he shrugged. "Seeing as Blaze and Talon won't even be talking to each other for a while still, I think I have some time."

"Great, thank you! Should I go get Zarafel or...?"

Chan stood up, nodding. "Sure. We can go together, if you want, since I have to get my dragon too."

I couldn't tell if he was being funny or serious, so I settled for a grin, standing up as well. "If you can stand being around me that long. Blaze apparently can't."

"Blaze has issues." Chan's eyes widened, as if he hadn't meant to say that, but I just laughed.

"He definitely does."

Chan still looked kind of stunned. "I didn't mean to say that. I just meant..."

"You're fine, Chan. Really. Besides, I like making fun of Blaze." I shot him a teasing grin, tugging him toward the door before he could freeze into a statue. "But forget about Blaze, okay? Let's go ride some dragons."

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze's secret to avoiding Talon was simple: he stayed in his room, watching his fire play around his fingers. A scowl touched his lips. Of all the people, it had to be Talon that always questioned him. And being Talon, everyone was far too willing to let him talk and or even side with him when Blaze yelled at him.

He didn't trust the guy. Hadn't for a while, but these meetings just increased his ire even further. He was the leader of this group, not Talon. And yes, he would fight for that if he had to.

Of course, Talon had to be too dagging smart for his own good. Since that one mission...well, he could practically see the pity hidden in Talon's eyes when he looked at him. He acted like he was genuinely concerned, like he cared. The idea made Blaze want to laugh. Talon didn't care a bit about him.

He let the fire trickle out of him, gathering in his palm until it flickered between his knuckles. Scowling, he threw the flame at the wall, watching it dissipate in a flurry of sparks. But it still burned in his blood, aroused by the anger he'd let rise to the surface. He could almost feel it licking at his skin as he sat down, its warmth comforting him.

He let it creep up his arms, crackling and snapping in his ears, like it was talking to him. No one could understand its language, but he knew exactly what it was saying. He let them increase in intensity, almost golden against his skin, casting wild, flickering shadows against the walls. His hands tingled with energy as it flowed to feed the hungry flames. They would eat it up until there was nothing left, if he let them.

He stayed like that for a while, letting it crawl as far up his arms as he dared. Eventually they started dying back down, as he withdrew his energy from them. Soon they were nothing more than the tiny flickers playing between his knuckles, begging him to feed them again. He put them out, letting out a frustrated sigh as he stood up. Maybe Talon would be annoyed with him enough this time to not try to talk to him while they ate. It was a long shot, but didn't stop him from wishing it'd happen.

"Hey, Blaze!"

Blaze threw Talon a withering glare, sitting on the opposite end of the table. Talon just chuckled.

"Sorry about earlier. Guess I got a little carried away, huh?"

Blaze rolled his eyes, shoving a bite of food in his mouth. At least by eating quickly, he didn't have to spend as much time with Talon.

Talon put on a cheerful grin. "Hope we're good now, at least." He turned toward Fern, leaning over to murmur something in her ear that brought a sparkle of laughter to her eyes. Blaze ignored them and continued eating, nearly rolling his eyes at the watchful look Chan tossed between the two of them as he sat next to Blaze. Lena wasn't there yet, but that wasn't surprising. She probably had to clean a speck of mud off her dress or something.

Olive sat next to Fern, a hint of a smile playing on her face as Fern laughed, poking Talon goofily at something he said. "You're ridiculous."

Blaze snorted. 'Ridiculous' wouldn't have been the word he used.

He must've caught Fern's attention, for she turned to him, propping her hands on her hips as she gave him a mock-exasperated look. "Didn't your daddy teach you any manners, Blaze?"

He paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth, narrowing his eyes. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to shut up?"

Fern looked shocked at that. Talon frowned, muttering under his breath. "That's not all he taught him."

Blaze slammed his hands down on the table and stood up, anger flaring in his chest as he locked eyes with Talon. Chan's firm hand on his shoulder held him back, but he shoved it off, his eyes glinting with a dark light. "You really want to go there, Isreld?"

Fern stood up, swallowing as she reached out to Blaze. "Hey, I was just teasing, you know..."

He shoved her hand away, scowling. "Shut up, Fern. No one cares what you have to say anyway."

She pulled her hand back as if burned, her eyes wide. She took a step backward, swallowing and murmuring a choked apology as she turned and headed for the door.

As if to make this miserable day even worse, Lena chose that moment to walk in.

Olive let out a silent sigh. Talon narrowed his eyes, glancing at Blaze for a moment before he stood, too, and followed Fern. Blaze clenched his fists, fighting down the fire wanting to roar up in his chest.

Chan cleared his throat, giving everyone a hopeful smile. "So...how's the food?"

Dropping the spoon in his near-empty bowl with a loud clang, Blaze shoved away from the table, muttering to himself as he headed for the opposite door.

XIV

Lena

Turns out, riding a dragon was much different than riding a horse. And Zarafel was not a very patient dragon, either. Chan had even offered to switch dragons with me—his was a purple female who was even sweeter than he was—but Zarafel wouldn't have that.

And, as Talon warned me, Chan had chatted my ear off about dragons and just about anything else he could think of, pushing up his glasses and grinning as if he was telling the most exciting story in the world. It was better than having Blaze train me, though. One fire-breathing grump was enough to handle for one afternoon.

Chan hadn't stop talking once the lesson was over, either. He'd been an endless fountain of excitement and knowledge, and kept complimenting me on my dragon-riding skills. It got to be a bit much, honestly, though that might've just been because I was uncomfortable with all the praise. I made sure to thank him very sweetly for teaching me, then headed back to my room to change out of my sweaty clothes before the next meal.

After one look in the mirror, though, I knew I had to do something about my hair. The wind had blown it everywhere, and I wasn't sure whether to look appalled or laugh. I settled for fixing it in a quick braid, then headed to the mess hall.

Fern nearly hit me with the door as she pushed her way out of the room. She kept her head down, brushing past me with a too-soft 'Sorry.' I turned to ask her what was wrong, but she was already disappearing around the corner. My forehead creased as I walked into the mess hall, wondering what was going on.

Within two seconds, it was painfully obvious. Blaze stood with his hands planted on the tabletop, scowling. Talon threw him a disgusted look, then shoved away from the table, brushing past me with a muttered "Hi, Lena" as he left the room. I glanced at the rest of the table, who were uncomfortably silent, then followed Talon, fighting back a hard sigh.

The sound of quiet sobbing caught my ear. I peeked around the corner to see Talon cradling Fern to his chest, rubbing a hand lightly over her back as she buried her face in his shirt, sobbing. Her muffled voice sounded so quiet and broken. "I...I was just trying to lighten the mood..."

"I know." Talon murmured to her quietly, rubbing her back. "It wasn't your fault."

Fern hiccupped, breaking out in more sobs. "G-Gigi could've...c-calmed him down."

My eyes narrowed at that. I didn't have to be a genius to figure out who she was talking about. Did he have to be a jerk to everyone?

Talon's brow creased downward at that, then relaxed. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to compare yourself to other people, okay?"

Fern took in a choked breath. "But..."

"No. None of that." Talon's voice was gentle as he smiled down at her slightly, though there was a hint of something odd in his eyes. "You're amazing, Fern. And if Blaze can't see that, well, then he's the one who has a problem." That odd look came back, accompanied by a brief frown, but he brushed it aside, lightly pressing a kiss to her head. "You're fantastic."

She held him tighter, tears still squeezing out of her eyes, though she seemed to be quieting. Talon glanced up at me, a small, wryly sad smile touching his lips.

Olive walked out of the training hall, her lips pressed in a thin line. Talon ducked his head down to murmur something to Fern, and she looked up, pulling away from him to look around. Olive wrapped an arm around the girl, which was a kind of funny sight since Olive was so much shorter than Fern. She squeezed Fern in a one-armed hug, then led her away down the hallway, speaking quietly to her.

Talon watched them go, his face an unreadable mix of emotions. "Sometimes I forget she's only fourteen. Kid grew up way too fast."

I looked in the direction Olive had disappeared with Fern, eyes widening. "She's only fourteen?"

Talon nodded. "Youngest on a team, so far." He paused, his chest expanding as he breathed in slowly. "But Olive will take care of her. She's good at that."

I was about to reply when a door slammed near us. Blaze stalked out of the training hall, his eyes flashing with fury as he locked eyes with me. "You." He strode over me, his jaw clenched, and his fists even tighter. "You just had to go and happen, didn't you?"

I blinked, partially from shock, partially from confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You're not even on the team yet and you're already tearing it apart! Can't you do anything right?"

Talon frowned, stepping forward. "None of this is her fault, Blaze."

Blaze let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, no, it isn't. It just so happens that the moment she got here, everything started falling apart. That's not coincidence at all."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at them, annoyed. "Oh, I'm the cause of all this, hmm? Tell me again, who was it that upset everyone and made Fern cry her eyes out?"

Blaze threw me a nasty look. "Shut up, Priss. None of this would've happened if you hadn't showed up."

Talon muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough that he couldn't be heard. Blaze stiffened, looking over at Talon. "What did you just say?"

I cut in before things could escalate, waving a hand in Blaze's direction. "You're the one who kidnapped me, you know, so all this is actually your fault. It wasn't like I chose to come here."

Blaze rolled his eyes, still looking at Talon. "You would've come anyway if you thought it'd help you find your father."

"Yes, because I actually care about people." I frowned between the two of them. "Now will you both cut it out?"

Blaze kept his eyes on Talon for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing. "You'd do well to remember who's in charge here, Isreld." He glanced at me for a moment, as if in disgust, then walked away.

Talon frowned as he watched Blaze go. "I'm sorry about that. He's been rather...off lately."

I held back an exasperated breath and just waved a hand in the air. "It's fine. I don't mind."

"No, it's not. He shouldn't treat you like that."

"It's fine, Talon. I don't need you fighting my battles for me, okay?" I forced a smile for his benefit, glancing in the direction Blaze had gone. "I can handle him on my own."

Talon didn't seem to agree, but leaned up against the wall with his arms folded and gave me a short nod. I let out a hard breath, shaking my head. "I wish he didn't get to all of you so much."

Talon shrugged, but remained uncharacteristically quiet as he watched the hallway. I rubbed my forehead, then pushed away from the wall. "I'm going for a walk."

A nod was all I got in response. I held back another frustrated breath and turned, heading down in the direction that Blaze had gone. He wasn't worth the effort, but I would've liked to punch him for this meeting all the same.

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze shoved open the door to his quarters, shutting it behind him more forcefully than necessary. He let out a frustrated sigh, ignoring the indignant squeak from under the covers as he dropped down onto the edge of the bed. A bright pink dragon poked her nose out from under the covers, blinking up at him for a moment before she crawled over, curling up against him contentedly with a little thrum. He considered shoving her away, but decided against it, rubbing his hand over his forehead. He had too much to think about to be bothered by that at the moment.

That stupid priss just had to go and ruin everything. It wasn't true, but it gave him a way to distract himself, and that's what he needed right now. He focused all his thoughts on that, ignoring everything else despite how much it nagged at him.

He needed a break. That was plain and simple, especially after today. He'd let all this pile up for too long, and now he couldn't even concentrate on what was important.

...Stupid priss.

Ril yawned and squeaked in her sleep beside him. She was cute, despite how much he hated to look at her. Too many memories. But that was something he was far too used to.

He frowned down at his hands. The Empress coming in person was not a good thing, and did nothing to ease the tension that already pulled at him day after day. It was getting to be too much, and he was afraid of what that meant. And despite the exaggerations, the priss really wasn't helping things any. Another person to worry about, another complication to deal with.

He looked back down at the dragon. How nice it must be to be that carefree, concerned with nothing but being cute and basic survival.

He wished Sari was around more, too. Talon he didn't mind being gone all the time, but Sari was one of the few people he had come to rely on, and not having her here just felt like yet another load on his back.

And he couldn't shake any of them off.

<><><>

Lena

The next few days, I did my best to forget about Blaze and just focus on my training. Talon wasn't strict, but he wasn't a pushover, either. If I slept in too late, I didn't get to eat before training – or only got one of Dailen's 'special' dishes to eat. Dez helped me out, though, acting as a living alarm to get me up on time.

Talon pushed me to my limits, both in defending my mind and getting into others'. Several nights I ended up sleeping in my rough morning clothes just because I was too exhausted to change out of them. He also taught me a bit of swordplay, though I had previous experience with that from my tutor in Galdania, which helped. And he was still patient, unlike some people would've been. Some days I almost found myself enjoying it.

He did tease me about wearing my earrings constantly, but that was one thing I refused to compromise on. Whenever I had a hard day, I'd touch them and remind myself why I was doing this in the first place.

Sari was rarely around, it seemed. Whenever I asked where she was, the usual answer was 'on a mission' or 'off on some important business.' She returned for meals sometimes, but never spoke a word of what she did outside the Mountain.

I learned a lot about my other teammates, too. In addition to cooking and gardening, Fern was very fond of music and even told me she was working on training a plant to produce music on its own. And when you looked at Chan, you usually saw one of two sides: intimidating army general or bouncy book nerd. But underneath all of that, he had the softest heart and often played peacekeeper when tensions arose.

Even Basil, I found out, did his part where he could and often assisted Elle with her work or chatted with Chan. I ended up finding out the most about Olive through him, though one thing was for certain even from the beginning: you did not mess with Basil or you'd have Olive to answer to.

Blaze, unsurprisingly, kept to himself most of the time. The others talked about him occasionally, but if you asked about him, they'd shrug and say something vague that almost sounded mysterious, as if there was more to the story than they cared to tell. And if Gigi was ever mentioned, there was always a glance Blaze's way, if he was in the room, as if we might set off something by mentioning her. No one in the Mountain would talk about her.

Most of this I found out during meals. The rest of the time I trained as much as Talon would let me, or as long as he was around. A few times someone else would take over for the day and teach me something different in Talon's absence, like how to ride dragons. Chan was always up for a lesson about the Mountain or Calest, though I avoided those when I could because he would ramble on forever.

Every once in a while, two or more of the team would go on secret 'missions' that I only found out about thanks to Basil. Blaze didn't seem very happy with me knowing this, and even less so when I asked to go along. I was itching to get out and try my abilities in real world situations, but he said that I didn't know enough to be helpful. I knew that wasn't true, but even still, Talon trained me in as much as he could, and advocated on my behalf whenever there was an opportunity. They couldn't keep me trapped in the Mountain forever.

XV

Blaze

Blaze knocked on the door, the sound echoing through the empty hall. Most everyone was probably still asleep, but he didn't have time for that. He knocked again, harder, listening to the silence for a moment before he pushed the door open. Lena was still asleep, sprawled in a very unprincess-like manner on her bed with Dez curled up next to her. She shifted when he walked in, but her eyes stayed closed.

Blaze walked over to the bed, glancing her over only briefly before pulling the covers off. She resisted, even tugging back a bit, but he pried it from her fingers, tossing it on the ground. Her brow furrowed in a frown as she rolled over, her eyes squinting up at him. Then she groaned and rolled back over, curling her legs up. He was just considering shoving her off the bed when her sleepy voice broke the silence. "What are you doing here?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "Talon's spoiled you."

A croaky laugh escaped her throat. "If by spoiled you mean worked me relentlessly day and night, sure."

"Why are you not up already?"

She peered back up at him with eyes still lingering in the tide of sleep. "Because I'm a sane person who doesn't get up even before the sun."

"The sun was up hours ago. Get out of bed before I make you."

She blinked over at the wall, as if it took a moment to register. "Oh." Her gaze slowly dragged back to the bed, then up to him with a hint of a smile. "You might have to carry me."

He narrowed his eyes. "I might wake you up even earlier tomorrow if you keep this up."

She groaned, flopping an arm over her face dramatically. "I have to see your face tomorrow, too?"

"Talon's away on a mission. So yes, I have to deal with your irritating presence until he gets back." He frowned, glancing her over again. "You've got five minutes to get out of that bed before I shove you out of it."

"Oh, not that again." She let out another groan, rolling over so her face was muffled by the sheets. "The time limits. They're so boring."

He couldn't help a smug smile as she hit the floor with a dull thud. With a loud noise of protest, she shoved herself to her feet, turning her head to throw him an irritated but definitely more awake glare. "That wasn't five minutes."

"I thought you said my time limits were 'boring'."

She rolled her eyes, muttering something to herself as she picked Dez up, cradling him to her chest. Then she looked back over at him, her blinks still slower than usual. "Well, are you going to get out of here or what?"

He nearly stiffened at that, but she just rolled her eyes again. "I can't exactly get dressed with you in here, yeah?" She shook her head in irritation. "I'm already up, so I might as well stay up, I guess."

He scowled more, muttering, "Of course not." Turning to leave, he threw one last thing in her direction. "Be outside in five minutes."

He could hear her mutter in exasperation to Dez as he closed the door, starting a mental countdown.

<><><>

Lena

I scrubbed my fists over my eyes as I set Dez on the bed, my body still smarting from the fall. Who did Blaze think he was, ordering me around like that? I dropped my nightshirt onto the bed, reaching for my scratchy blouse. An indignant squeak met my ears as Dez wriggled out from underneath the garment, blinking up at me. Chuckling, I patted his head and I donned my usual outfit, sighing as the stiffer fabric stole away the feeling of relaxation. I set Dez on my shoulder and opened the door, cocking a slight smile at Blaze. "Two minutes."

"Actually, it was four." He pushed away from the wall, heading down the hall without another word. I sighed, taking a moment to pat Dez's head before I followed. I had to keep my strides short but quick to keep up.

"Still, it was under five."

He snorted. "Barely."

I rolled my eyes, but decided not to argue. He cast a glance my way, almost seeming impressed at my silence, but remained silent as well. I stroked Dez's head as he rubbed up against me, chirring happily. Blaze, as usual, didn't have his dragon with him.

I glanced around the abandoned corridor and realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask the questions I'd been meaning to for a while now. "So why is Kaiden not here in the Mountain?" I cut a look at him out of the corner of my eye, but if there was any reaction, I didn't catch it.

"I told you, he's recovering."

"Recovering from what, exactly?" I pressed, which earned me an irritated scowl.

"From insanity," he replied dryly.

So helpful, I thought with a frown. I wasn't sure if he was evading my questions with useless answers on purpose or not. "You said that before. But what happened to him?"

The silence between us stretched so long that I was about to try again when he finally answered, "He was on the original team."

My brow creased. "But everyone said that they were all..."

"Dead?" A smirk lifted the corners of Blaze's mouth. "Everyone but Kaiden and me."

"Then why don't they..."

He seemed to be in the mood to interrupt me today, which started to bug me. "Talk about him?" He kept his gaze forward as we turned down another, also empty, hall. "No one talks about Kaiden Dyran here, Priss. And you'd be smart not to, either."

"Why not?"

"Because he's the reason the first mission failed." With that, Blaze picked up his pace, cutting in front of me to walk. I wanted to press further, but I noticed that we were just passing the mess hall and my thoughts left Kaiden Dyran as my stomach rumbled.

"Aren't we going to eat first?"

He didn't even stop for a moment, just threw a simple "No" over his shoulder and kept walking. After a moment, he added, "You can eat after you've trained."

I planted my feet on the ground, crossing my arms. "I'm not training until I've eaten." Perhaps all the questions about Kaiden had put him into an even worse mood, but that didn't mean I should have to go without food.

"You won't eat at all if you keep being stubborn," he called back.

I switched my hands to my hips. "And how are you going to stop me?"

He glanced back at me, a smile spreading across his lips. "Oh, believe me, Priss, I have ways."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. "There you go with vaguely, nonthreateningly 'threatening' me again. It's rather cliché, you know that?" I frowned, adding after a moment. "Talon would let me eat first."

He laughed, but finally stopped walking. "Well, I'm not Talon, am I?"

"No. And you never could be."

He shrugged, not seeming bothered by that at all. "I never said I wanted to be."

I threw him a look, but couldn't come up with a good response. "You're such a beanhead."

He stopped for a moment, then laughed. "A what?"

"A beanhead. As in, your brain is full of beans."

He shook his head, continuing down the hall. "If that's the best you can come up with, Maye, then you have a lot to work on."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He stayed infuriatingly silent, a smug smile tugging at his lips as he walked into the training hall. I scowled but stalked after him, rubbing my growling stomach. Glancing around the room, I muttered, more to myself than him, "This better be quick."

"Depends on how quick you make it. You're the one who has to master your gift. The more hours you train, the better you'll get." A smug smirk touched the edge of his lips. "Why do you think I'm so good with mine?"

I narrowed my eyes instead of rolling them. "Training isn't the only important thing in life."

He shrugged, going silent again as he selected a staff from the stands. "Talon train you in swordplay at all?"

"No, we've had tea parties all day. I taught him the proper way to hold a fork."

He raised an eyebrow, a smile hinting at his lips as he selected another, smaller staff from the racks. "Did you really? Make him wear a dress, too?"

"Of course. You can't be prissy without a dress on."

His gaze dragged up and down me for a moment before he shrugged. "I dunno, you pull it off pretty well."

I scowled, which only seemed to make him grin more. He tossed me the staff, which I caught easily.

"You know, if you didn't want to be called a priss, you could stop acting like you're better than everyone else."

I gripped the staff tightly, sliding my hands to the proper positioning like Marcel had taught me, though I knew my muscles were far too tight for good posture. "And you could stop scowling so much."

He gave me a cool, almost amused smile, twirling his staff experimentally. "I'm not the one with the bad attitude here."

I couldn't help it. I lunged for him, swinging my staff in a way that would've made Marcel shake his head in disapproval. But I was tired and hungry and wanted nothing more than to wipe that cool smile off of his face.

He blocked it even easier than I expected, batting my staff away as if it was nothing more than a nuisance. He took a step back, his eyes dragging up and down my frame for a moment before he spoke. "You should work on your form."

I scowled, just barely restraining myself from making another rash move. I wouldn't win a single fight that way, and I knew it. But he was just so infuriating...

He struck a lazy blow toward my shoulder. I jerked my staff to the right position just in time to block it, though I knew if he wanted to, he could've easily caught me in the side with the way I left myself exposed. He seemed to think I had no clue what I was doing, though, for he withdrew again, his face cool. "Do you always grip your staff so tightly?"

Only when you're around, I wanted to snap, but I kept my mouth shut. I could hear Marcel's voice in my mind telling me to calm down and take a breath, but I didn't want to. One way or another, I'd knock that smile off of his face.

He held his staff loosely at the side, looking me over for a moment before he gestured toward me. "Try hitting me again."

Try...

Again, my grip was too tight, and he blocked my blow almost halfheartedly, looking down at our staffs. "Want me to tell you what you're doing wrong?"

I almost laughed at that, drawing away and rolling my shoulder. Taking a slow breath, I forced myself to keep my words civil, though my smile was anything but. "I can handle myself just fine, thank you."

His eyes said they didn't believe me, almost laughing for a moment, but he brushed it away with a shrug. "Alright."

I took another breath, moved a step to the side, and I looked him up and down. With his staff still lazily down to the side, it was hard to tell what his weak spots were. I'd have to get him to strike at me first.

"You know, I'd rather be eating dirt than be standing here with you."

Nothing but amusement passed through his eyes. "Is that so?" He looked me up and down, then smiled. "Tell me, Priss, were you born with your nose in the air, or was it a learned trait?"

"Oh, it does that when I come across something rotten." I glanced him over dismissively, a smile lurking at the edge of my lips. "Or in this case, someone."

A laugh escaped his nose, though he quickly dismissed it. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

"I am clever," I retorted, adjusting my grip on my staff. "Though I'm not surprised you can't understand that."

The smile just grew on his face. He nodded his head in my direction. "Hit me."

I frowned, caught off-guard for a moment. "What?"

"Hit me. I know you want to." A bit of a challenge sparked in his eyes as he took a relaxed stance. "If you can."

My grip slid down the staff almost instinctively, my whole body adjusting itself in preparation for my swing. I took a step forward, turning the staff as if to hit his shoulder, but changing at the last second to strike at his knee. He held his ground, but anticipated the change and blocked my attack, a smile spreading over his face again. "Not bad." He stepped back, looking me over for a moment. "You've done this before."

"I told you. We had tea parties."

He shook his head. "No, I mean before that." Amusement mingled in with the slightly impressed look. "I didn't think Uppers even knew how to hold a sword."

I nearly laughed. "Well, this one does."

"I can see that." The smile returned, lingering in his eyes. "Still can't hit me, though."

I released an annoyed sigh as I slashed at his face. He ducked out the way easily, laughing. "Maybe you're not half-bad after all, Priss."

"Well, you're still twice as bad." I frowned, throwing another halfhearted blow at his side. Just before he blocked it, I turned and jabbed at his chest. He caught the edge of my staff with his, but had to dodge back a step. I kept throwing lazy blows wherever I could, focused on his strikes and where his weak spots might be.

A thought came to me, and I nearly smiled. I struck another basic blow, reaching out for his mind. For a moment, he was caught off-guard. My side stung from where his staff connected, but I slipped into his mind, a flurry of thoughts greeting me. Names and faces floated around, accompanied by a few odd words and places I didn't recognize. A moment later, they all scattered. But I'd thrown him off balance.

I stirred up his thoughts with a few whispers of my own for a moment, then returned my focus to the fight when I felt him shoving me out. It was all the time I needed, and I struck a blow at his chest, watching him react a moment too late as the staff made contact. I pulled back and out of his mind, a triumphant grin on my face as I watched him. "I hit you."

He blinked once, giving his head a brief shake before he struck right back at me. I managed to block it and the three other consecutive blows before he stepped back, looking me over. "Already to using gifts in combat, huh? Didn't think you'd get that far."

I let a smile slip onto my face. I could see the slightly unsettled look still lingering in his eyes, despite how hard he tried to hide it. I decided to tip that balance even more. "Actually, I just did that on my own."

Something flashed through his eyes, though it was hard to see what. "You had a teacher, then."

"Well, yes, but he didn't teach me that." I swung a simple blow upward at his shoulder. He blocked it easily, shoving my staff away with his. His breathing was slightly uneven as he lowered his staff, looking me over.

"Want to try with the real thing?"

A smile spread across my face. "Only if you don't mind getting hit with that, too."

A hint of a grin touched his eyes. "I could say the same to you." He walked over to the weapons rack, sliding the staff back into its holder. He then unhooked a pouch from his belt and tossed it to me. I let it hit the ground, looking it over.

A laugh caught my ears. "It's just water. I assume you still have that where you come from."

I reached down to pick the pouch up, resisting the urge to wrinkle my nose as I opened the top of it, looking inside. I murmured under my breath. "Yeah, clean water. You sure this isn't poison?"

He shook his head, pulling two swords from the rack. "You really are an Upper, Priss. I'd almost think you're Galdanian with that attitude."

I nearly choked on the water, wrinkling my nose to disguise the jolt of fear that went through me. Letting out a weak laugh, I coughed. "Ha, ha."

He shook his head, handing me a cloth to wipe my face off with. "That's quite a sophisticated way to drink there."

I swung my free arm out to hit his chest. He laughed, almost more in surprise than anything. "What was that for?"

"For being a beanhead," I muttered as I wiped the water off of my shirt. I handed him back the water. "You ready?"

"Oh, I could do this all day." He held the sword out to me, a smile playing on his lips. I stared at the sword for a moment, thinking about his words as a realization flashed through my head. Training all day, hardly talking to anyone... I was becoming like Blaze.

"So can I." I wrapped my hand around the grip of the sword, smiling back.

Blaze took a step back, swinging his sword experimentally. His expression was nonchalant as he glanced down the length of the blade. "So, should I go first this time, or do you want to give it another try?"

"Try?" I laughed. "I beat you last time."

"You managed to hit me, once, because I was going easy on you. That's not 'beating' me, Priss."

"Yes, but you stopped when I did, which means you were admitting defeat." I smiled coolly, shifting into my ready stance.

A slight frown creased his forehead. "You wouldn't stand a chance if I didn't go easy on you."

"Oh? Try me." I glanced him up and down, taking a step to the side as I held my blade at the ready. "I think I can manage."

He laughed and shook his head, but took his own stance. "Alright. But don't complain to me when I beat you."

"I won't, don't worry." I smiled, watching him. "And you can go first this time."

He shook his head again, but raised his sword, striking down at me from the side. I dodged out of the way and swung my own blow. He blocked it easily. I was expecting that, though, and struck another simple strike at his shoulder, keeping my tone nonchalant. "So...who's Gigi?"

His eyes snapped up to mine, his focus switched for a moment. That was all I needed, and I shoved his blade back, knocking him back a step. He narrowed his eyes, circling to the side in an attempt to stall me. "Who told you about her?"

"Oh, no one special." I struck again, not planning to let him take back my advantage. "I just heard it in your mind."

His eyes held very brief flickers of shifting emotions as he blocked my blow, though not as adeptly as he could have. "She's no one."

"Hmm. That's not what your mind said." I danced to the side as he swung another lazy blow, nearly laughing at how easily I'd unsettled him. "You think about her a lot."

He struck harder this time, his eyes narrowed as some of the anger started to seep into his eyes. "You shouldn't have been in my mind in the first place."

"Yes, well, you left yourself open, so what can I say?" I struck a few blows in quick succession, suppressing a grin. "I got curious."

He blocked my strikes rather easily, the anger cooling to a hard, steely determination. His strikes grew quicker and more furious, and I had trouble keeping up.

When I found my back up against the wall, I knew I was in trouble. I tried jabbing him with my elbow, but he caught it and twisted it away, sending a sharp shooting pain up my arm. I reached out for his thoughts, but he was prepared for that, and white hot pain exploded in my mind. The room tilted as my back slammed into the wall, my vision swimming with wavering lines. Blaze touched the tip of his sword to my neck, a smile spreading over his face.

"I told you I'd win."

I tried to hit him again, but he caught my arm easily, tossing it to the side. I stumbled to the side, blinking as I rested my shaking hands on my knees.

"You still...never told me about Gigi."

"There's nothing to tell. And it's none of your business anyway."

I laughed, still trying to convince the floor to stop moving. "You obviously care about her a lot, to think about her that much. Yet you never talk about her. Why?"

A bitter scowl curled his lip, and I think he would've hit me if I wasn't already down. "Because she's dead, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? You have to be so dagged nosy about things that aren't even your business." He sheathed his sword, looking at me with disgust. "I don't care what you do, or where you go, or even whether the dag you actually train or not. Just stay out of my sight." He turned and stalked away, slamming the door behind him.

For a moment, I'd seen his anger for what it really was: a mask. A carefully built, layered mask far more complex than any I'd encountered in Galdania, but a mask all the same. I knew it because I saw that same mask every time I looked in the mirror.

The only question was, what was he hiding behind it?

<><><>

My plan became simple: ignore Blaze and worry solely about my training. And it worked well...for a few days, at least. But I started noticing a layer of added tension in the room when Talon and I trained, and it was affecting everyone else, too. He refused to tell me what happened, until the day he came in with a nasty bruise on his face.

"Where did you get that?"

He tried to brush it off, but I refused to let it go or believe any of his excuses. Finally, he gave up, dropping his hand with a sigh. "Blaze yelled at Fern again, alright? And he didn't like me...stepping in."

I tightened my jaw, staring at the mark for a moment. "Where is he?"

Talon shook his head. "You don't need to get involved, Lena."

"You know as well as I do that I can find him just fine on my own. So where is he?"

Talon pressed his lips together, then sighed. "Somewhere near the training hall, I'd imagine."

I nodded and left the room, striding down the halls until I ran into Fern, who was wiping her eyes in the hallway. She startled when she saw me, blinking back tears to offer a small smile.

"Where'd Blaze go?"

She paled just slightly. "Oh, you probably shouldn't talk to him right now. He's..."

"Mad. I know." I pressed my lips together, looking down the hallway. "Which way did he go?"

Guilt shone through Fern's eyes for a moment, though she swallowed it down and pointed. "That way. He usually goes there if he's...stressed."

I nodded and headed in the direction she said, emotions simmering in my gut. Who did he think he was, upsetting everyone like this? It seemed more like he was the one tearing the team apart!

I was all set to chew him out, too, when I saw him sitting there. He let out a hard sigh as he stared at the wall ahead, his eyes narrowed. I waited a moment to see what he would do, watching as he scrubbed his hands over his face, mumbling to himself. It almost seemed like he was upset with himself, which gave me pause.

He looked up after a moment, giving me an irritated look. "What do you want, Priss?"

I pressed my lips together, the angry words hiding themselves as I took in the story in his eyes. "I want to know why Talon has a nasty bruise forming on his face. And why everyone is at least ten times tenser than usual lately."

He let out a harsh laugh, which only flared up my anger more. "Talon needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. And I'm sorry if we're not all as relaxed as you, Priss." He sent me a wide smile, his eyes flashing irritation. "This is a stressful time and we're all rather on edge."

"That doesn't give you an excuse to hurt people like that!"

He shook his head, looking at the wall. "No, it doesn't. But it doesn't give them an excuse to act irrationally, either."

I laughed. "The only one I see acting irrational is you."

He rubbed a hand over his forehead, frowning. "Shut up, Priss."

Indignation flared in me at that. "Excuse me?"

"I said, shut up. I'm perfectly aware of my actions, and it's none of your business anyway."

I pressed my lips together. I wanted to chew him out further, but the words got lost in the fire. He let out another sigh, staring at the ground with a frown. "This isn't easy for me, you know. You try having the fate of another person rest on your shoulders, let alone a whole group of people." The frown deepened. "You'd be likely to make mistakes, too."

I couldn't say a word, too stunned for a moment. Was Blaze admitting he was...wrong? On one hand, it sounded like he was trying to justify his actions, but on the other he just sounded so...tired. The mask slipped further away as he rubbed his forehead, then dropped his hand, muttering. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. You shouldn't even be here."

Without thinking much about what I was doing, I sat down next to him, reaching out to lace my fingers in his. He sucked in a breath when our skin made contact, but frowned, squeezing my hand lightly as he looked back at the wall.

I looked down at his hand. "You know, you're not as bad as I thought you were. You pretend to be so tough and untouchable, but I don't think it's true. It's too easy to see past your mask, once you know where to look."

His muscles tensed as he yanked his hand away from me, scowling. He stood up, narrowing his eyes at me. "Get out."

My lips quirked up at that. "See, this is exactly what I mean. You act like you're so upset..."

"Get out!" He shoved me so hard I nearly fell over the bench. I blinked as he scowled and spun on his heel, heading for the door.

One of these days, I'm going to figure out your secret, Blaze Montego. It's just a matter of time.

<><><>

Ever since I'd seen past his mask, I wanted to figure out what made Blaze tick. I threw questions at him any chance I had in between training, some jokingly. Most of them got me no more reaction than a scowl, but I knew there had to be something that got to him. I just had to figure out what. No one ever talked about family here very often, so I decided to ask about that.

"So...what's your mother like?"

Finally, I'd hit on a topic that made him uncomfortable. It was very brief, but something flashed in his eyes for a moment before he grit his teeth. "It's none of your business."

"See, you keep saying that, but I'm still curious." I grinned. "Call me crazy, but I'd actually like to know a little about the guy I'm supposed to be working with. What was your childhood like? Do you have any siblings?" I tilted my head, curious. "What about your father? Is he the one who taught you to scowl like that?"

He clenched his fists so tightly the knuckles turned white, words straining through his gritted teeth. "If you say one more word, Priss, I swear I'm going to hit you."

"Y'know, that's another thing you keep saying, but I don't actually believe it. In fact, I don't think you could hit me if you wanted to."

He slammed me up against the wall, his eyes glinting with a dark and almost inhuman look. A smile spread over his face, his voice chillingly low. "You think you have me all figured out, don't you? You think I'm too weak to hurt you, that I actually care about you. Well, you're wrong." He grabbed my arm, and I nearly let out a yelp from the searing pain that ran through it. I tried to jerk it away, but he held on, his grip almost vise-like as my skin began to burn. I bit my tongue to hold back a scream as the pain shot through my arm.

He leaned in close to my ear, his words chillingly low. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to play with fire, Lena?" He paused, a dark smile spreading over his face. "You're bound to get burned."

Then he released it, walking away as if nothing had happened. I let out a gasp, clutching the burn gently and wincing as I tried to keep the tears from pooling in my eyes. I bit my lip hard, my stomach rolling with waves of nausea. Trying to distract myself from the pain, I took in another deep breath and pushed my way to the infirmary.

Elle hardly looked up from her work before she was smiling, standing to greet me. She took one look at my arm, however, and the smile faded faster than dark clouds cover the sun. A frown pulled her mouth downward as she strode over, gently but firmly pulling my arm away to assess the damage. I looked away and tried not to wince, my stomach protesting against even the brief glimpse I'd gotten of the discolored skin.

"Blaze did this to you?" It was almost said more as a statement than a question, like to confirm her suspicions. I nodded, wondering if this wasn't the first time this had happened. Elle nearly scowled as she stalked over to her desk, purposefully hiding her face with a curtain of red hair as she gathered up several vials and cloths. She pointed to a chair. "Sit."

I got the feeling of being reprimanded by a schoolmarm, though I knew it wasn't directed at me. Elle sat down next to me, mixing some of her vials and dabbing it on a cloth, some of her gentleness softening her voice though a frown still pulled at her brows. "This might hurt a little."

I almost let a wry smile slip onto my face, already knowing the meaning behind those words. The mixture stung when it touched my arm, though it was also somewhat soothing. I bit my tongue and studied the pictures on the wall as she applied the poultice, her usual tenderness nearly melting away the rest of the hard look from earlier. She wrapped the wound very gently in some sort of cloth and secured it, standing up with a nod. "There. It'll probably still hurt for quite a while, but that should help. Come see me later and I'll see what else I can do, okay?" She set her materials down and headed to the door like a girl on a mission, though she opened it for me with a smile. "And try not to use it too much or rub it against anything; that'll just make it worse."

With hardly an actual word in farewell, she turned and headed briskly down the hallway away from me.
XVI

Blaze

Blaze smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. Lena shouldn't bother him anymore, after the nice 'lesson' he'd given her. He let out a laugh, pushing away from the wall as he headed toward the training hall. It was so simple, too.

He was in the middle of training when he heard the telltale click of footsteps coming his way. They were short and brief, too; he knew those footsteps and mood anywhere.

"Blaze Montego!"

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked over at the little redhead standing there with her hands on her hips, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"That's my name, yes."

Elle frowned, apparently not amused by his joke. "How could you do something so stupid?"

He lifted his sword, inspecting the edge with an almost lazy air. "And what 'something' are you referring to this time?"

Her frown deepened as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Using your gift for no good reason?"

"That's none of your business."

"I think it is my business if you start going around burning everyone!" Her lips pressed into a hard line as she studied him. "What is wrong with you today?"

He looked over at her, a grin spreading over his face. "Nothing at all. In fact, I think there's a lot more right with me today than there has been in a long time."

She clenched her fists in tiny balls, but didn't seem to have a good reply to that. Finally, she took in a quiet breath, letting it out in a sigh. "Come find me when you're done playing games."

He watched her go, a smile still playing over his lips. She was cute when she was worried.

<><><>

The next day, he was still smugly pleased when Lena walked back into the training hall, a deep frown on her face. The bandage on her arm only increased the smugness.

She strode across the room and punched him in the face.

His mind reeled as he tried to process what was happening, blinking and then scowling. Before he could get out a word, though, she launched into an angry rant, nearly looking like she might blow smoke out of her ears.

"You think you're so smart, don't you, Blaze Montego? So clever, so strong and untouchable. Well, guess what? I'm not buying it, and I'm sure as heck not taking it. You want to act like a coward, fine. But like it or not, you're the leader of this team, and you need to start acting like it." She barely gave him time to open his mouth before she continued, frowning.

"And another thing. I'm not leaving this room until you apologize. You need me for this mission, don't you? Well, I won't cooperate if you're going to treat me like this. We're teammates, you're not some high and mighty overlord who can do whatever he wants and get away with it."

She sat down cross-legged on the ground in front of him, an icy smile spreading across her face as she looked up at him. "And you can try all the tricks you'd like. In fact, I dare you to. I'm not leaving this room until I hear an apology."

He ground his teeth together, frowning at the girl who dared shove him around like she was the one in charge. She watched him with steely eyes, a defiant smile tugging at the corners of her lips. His chest burned with indignation.

"You're the one that was sticking her dagging nose where it doesn't belong!"

"Oh, and that gives you permission to burn me?" She stared him down, her eyes glinting with a challenge.

He narrowed his eyes. "I gave you plenty of warning, Priss."

"Yet just a while ago you told me it wasn't right for you to act like this."

He scowled. "It's not right for you to pry into peoples' personal lives, either."

Her eyes remained steely. "I'm still not leaving until you apologize."

"Yeah, well, you can sit there forever, then."

She laughed, harshly. "Oh, you keep on thinking that. You'll be back, and you know it. Because I'm dead serious, and you need my help, so I have the upper hand here." She sat back and smiled, despite the hard look in her eyes. "So what are you waiting for?"

He scowled, folding his arms across his chest as he stared back at her, annoyed. She met his gaze coolly, almost disinterestedly raising an eyebrow. He narrowed his eyes, glancing over at the wall as he muttered an apology.

"What was that? I don't have super hearing, you know. A little louder, please?"

He grit his teeth, baring them in a growl. "I said I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have hurt you like that. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

She raised her eyebrows, not seeming impressed as she studied her nails. "Is that how you apologize where you come from?"

"Well I'm certainly not going to get down on my knees, princess." The words were nearly spit out, and he frowned to hold back the other angry words churning around inside.

"Hmm. Well, I suppose it'll have to do." She stood up, studying him with a brief flick of her gaze, then walked over without a word and selected a sword from the rack. "Now stop wasting my time and get your sword."

He frowned, not liking that she was ordering him around, but drew it from the sheath anyway. "Surprised you're so willing to get beaten again."

She laughed, but it was biting, her smile tinged with icicles. "Oh, I figured a beating was in order for you after pulling a stunt like that." She took her stance, eyeing him up and down carefully.

He swung a blow at her to disguise the frown creeping on his face. She was way too worked up about something that was her fault. He had no reason to share any part of his life with this priss, no matter how snippy she got.

She shook her head, circling around and watching him carefully, but he didn't comment. He frowned and swung his sword at her again, quicker this time. She blocked it just as easily as the last ones, a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"I have secrets, too, you know." The smile grew as she lowered her sword, reaching for the bandage on her arm. She untied it with a swift, easy motion, revealing the blistered, discolored skin underneath. She looked over at him, a nearly indiscernible look on her face. "Should just let you hit it, huh? Then you can win and keep your precious pride intact. It certainly wouldn't be beneath you."

His eyes went to her face, then to the burn, a slight frown sliding onto his face. It shouldn't have been that bad.

She raised her eyebrows slightly at his reactions. "Oh, did you not realize what you did? Yeah, it kind of hurt. A lot. But it doesn't matter because your pride is safe. Just what a good leader should be most worried about." She shrugged a shoulder, looking down at the burn, then back up at him. "Did you want to hit it, by the way? Or you could add more or something. Whatever it takes for you to feel 'safe'." The corner of her mouth twitched as she watched him, waiting for a response.

A thousand thoughts pushed at his mind, trying to overwhelm him. He shoved them aside with a frown, unable to keep from looking at the burn. "You can take the day off, if you want."

"Oh, no. We're still doing this. I just wanted to make it nice and easy for you to win." She shrugged a shoulder again, taking back up her ready stance with an almost gleam in her eyes. "Your move, fire boy."

He just scowled, though, and sheathed his sword more forcefully than probably was necessary. Without replying, he turned and stormed out of the room.

<><><>

Lena

Over the next few days, I did my best to remind Blaze of what he'd done, any chance I got. He still didn't seem very remorseful about it, which made my chest burn with annoyance. If he thought he could walk over me like that, who was to say he wouldn't do it to others, too?

No, he needed to be put in his place. I switched between different tactics, trying to decide which one would get through to him, but it seemed pity was the most effective. And I did pity him, really, for being so insecure that he had to be cruel to others in order to feel strong. I don't think Talon was very happy with me antagonizing Blaze, but I didn't care. Until he actually felt sorry, I wasn't going to stop.

I almost wished I could burn him, too, so he could see what it felt like. Though it was more the principle of everything that disgusted me.

Eventually, he got fed up with it. He turned on me while I was trailing him down a hallway, even though I hadn't said a word.

"Stop that."

I raised an eyebrow lazily. "Stop what?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You. Every time you look at me, it's either in pity or disgust. I don't want to be pitied." He nearly spat the word out, a frown carving deeper lines in his forehead as he turned away. "Hate me all you want. But don't pity me."

"And why not? I think it's rather pitiable that you feel the need to be cruel to others to feel better about yourself."

His eyes grew dark as he threw a glare at me. "You don't know me at all, so stop pretending like you do." His lip curled as he looked me over dismissively. "You disgust me, Lena. You come in here with your high-and-mighty attitude and expect to get whatever you want, just because you want it, with no regard for anyone else."

I tried cutting him off, but he continued on with little pause. "You and every other Upper are the reason this country's such a mess. Yet you could care less, because your lives are perfect, and that's all that matters."

I clenched my fists, every part of me bristling at his accusations. "I never said that!"

"You don't have to." A bitter smile spread across his lips as he looked me up and down. "Your actions say it well enough. From the moment you got here, it's only been about what you wanted. I don't know why I ever thought you could be useful."

I wanted to retort, but the truth froze my tongue in place, as much as guilt tried to stop it.

His gaze swept up to my face, locking on my eyes for a moment as he pressed further. "If I told you where your father was, you'd go to him without a second thought, wouldn't you? You'd go run off with him to your stuck-up little Upper town and wait for the Empress to take over because it wouldn't matter to you what happens to anyone else. You'd be safe and could live in your frivolous waste while others died around you." He took a step away, his eyes unusually dark as he took a bow. "Excuse me if I choose not to live that way, Highness."

He turned as if to leave, then stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm almost tempted to do it right now, actually. Tell you where Kaiden is and watch you run like a coward right back to your own life." He twisted his body to face me better, folding his arms over his chest. "But there are people who are counting on this mission being a success, and I won't let them down."

A smile, nearly mocking, touched his lips again. "You wanted to know why I don't want to be around you? It's that you disgust me, you and everyone like you, and I'd rather not be around people who think they're the only ones that matter in the world."

My head was swimming with too much shock and guilt and indignation to formulate a reply, or even ask how his avoidance of people wasn't just as bad as mine. But he was already walking away, and I could do little more than slide down into a sitting position and stare at the wall as my mind raced through the conversation, and the possible truth of it. I wanted to shout at him that it wasn't true, that I was training as hard as I could so that I could be helpful.

But his words struck a deeper chord than I'd expected. Galdanians had always looked down on foreigners, and even their own people if they didn't follow their beliefs. But even in Calest, I'd never thought much about the people I saw around me all the time. People had never cared about my well-being unless it benefited them, so it never really occurred to me that they might have a different viewpoint. And coming from Blaze Montego...it stunned me even more. It was like everything I'd thought about this group had been flipped around and suddenly I was on the wrong side of the mirror. It was disorienting, so much so that I hardly noticed when Talon came over, until he touched my shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

I nearly jumped, but held down the urge, blinking at his concerned look. I smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine."

His brow furrowed. "You make a habit of sitting in hallways looking lost, then?"

I laughed, but my heart wasn't in it. "Not always. It's rather relaxing, though. You should try it sometime."

Talon didn't seem to buy it, but nodded, pulling his hand away. "Alright. Maybe I will." His gaze swept down the hallway for a moment. "Blaze bothering you again?"

I laughed again, pushing myself to my feet as I shook my head. "He couldn't bother me if he tried."

Talon nodded, not looking back at me. "If he does, though, let me know. I'll get Chan to beat him up for you or something."

My laugh came out a bit more genuine this time. "Chan? He couldn't hurt a fly if he wanted to."

"And you're saying I could?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Hurt a fly?" I shook my head. "You're gentle, Talon, but not that gentle."

"Hmm. I don't know if I should be offended or proud of that."

"Be proud, so I don't have to roll my eyes at your ridiculous exaggerations." I pushed away from the wall, heading down the hallway.

"Going to do more training?"

I paused, then nodded. "Yeah, that was my plan. You coming with?"

Talon stayed silent for a moment. "Actually, I was thinking we could take the day off. Maybe go for a walk or just talk or something."

I hesitated, every part of me insisting there wasn't time for that, that I had to train or I wouldn't be ready. But another part of me couldn't stop thinking about what Blaze had said.

"It's not going to kill you not to train for a day, Lena." He chuckled. "You've been working yourself really hard the past few weeks, and I think you deserve a break." He paused, a slight grin cocking his lips. "Besides, Fern is making cake."

I chuckled, smiling a bit back. "Well in that case, I suppose I can't say no."

"Nope. Or else Fern might smash cake in your hair." His eyes sparkled teasingly.

"Has she actually done that before?"

Talon shrugged, turning to hide the grin creeping up his face. I jogged after him and poked his shoulder. "Well, has she?"

"Ask her, not me." He shrugged again, but his eyes were dancing like crazy.

I frowned, though, as I realized why he'd said that. "Did you think I was going to say no?"

He shrugged one more time, the grin cocking further up his face. "I knew you couldn't say no to cake."

I sighed and shoved him in the shoulder, shaking my head. If he'd really thought I'd say no, though, then Blaze's words were a bit truer than I wanted them to be.

Well, I'll just have to prove him wrong, then.

XVII

Blaze

The first thing that tipped Blaze off was the fact that Talon hadn't done anything to infuriate him all day. The second was that he'd been asking Blaze the same question every day, every single chance he got.

"You know, we should bring Lena along on this mission. She'd be useful."

There it was. Not even a question this time, just a nonchalant 'suggestion.' Blaze rolled his eyes. "She'd probably complain about the first mud puddle."

"Hey, she's not as bad as you think." Talon chuckled. "She's rather nice when you get to know her, actually."

Sure. And the Empress actually wants to 'help' Calest. "Yeah, well I don't want to get to know her. I just want to get this mission over and done with, alright?"

"Touchy today, eh? But alrighty, Captain. It's your call."

Blaze shot him a withering stare. "I told you not to call me that."

Talon laughed, mock-saluting. "No prob, Captain."

He growled. "Do you want me to hit you?"

Another laugh. "No, sir. Mister Leader sir. His Imperial Highness."

He shoved Talon roughly off the path and continued walking, his jaw tight. "You really aren't going to give up on this, are you?"

"I don't plan to, no." Talon bounced back quickly and far too cheerily, jogging along to catch up with him. "She's a good kid and I think she'll be helpful. Look, I'll even vouch for her. I'll keep an eye on her the whole time."

The real reason he didn't want her along was not something he would be sharing with Talon. "I said no, and that's final."

Usually, this would be about when Talon backed down with some teasing comment about how he'd wish he'd said yes afterward. But today, nothing seemed to deter him.

"Aw, what are ya afraid of? Think she's gonna jump up and scare ya when you're not looking?"

Blaze scowled. "No, I just don't trust her, and until I do, I'm not endangering this mission."

"Mmhm, Grumpy face. You actually like her."

"I do not."

He laughed. "You so do; it's obvious in your eyes. She reminds you of Gigi, so you're lashing out and—"

Talon found himself pinned to a tree rather quickly. Blaze smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Say another word and I will wreck your pretty face. Understand?" He released him roughly, stalking down the path.

Talon just grinned, slinging his bag over his shoulders. "Eventually you're going to say yes!"

<><><>

Lena

After a particularly intense training session, Talon and I headed outside for a short break. The little creek was beginning to be my favorite spot, and I breathed in the fresh air in deep gulps. It was so much nicer than inside.

Talon stretched out lazily on the hill, his hands meeting behind the back of his head. "So, I talked to Blaze today."

I raised an eyebrow, looking over at him. We'd had this same conversation several times before, but it always ended the same. "And?"

He grinned, eyes sparkling as he looked out at the water, but didn't say a word. I rolled onto my side, staring at him with my best stern look. "Talon, if you don't tell me what he said, I'll throw you in the water."

He raised both eyebrows at that, nearly laughing. "You couldn't throw me in if you tried."

"Don't tempt me. And stop stalling!" I shoved him in the shoulder. "What did he say?"

"He said..." He trailed off, and I hit him again. "Ow! Okay, he said you can come along!"

I could barely contain my surprise. "If you're lying to me..."

"I'm not, I promise!" He curled his hands over his head, his voice fake-pleading. "You can ask him yourself. Just don't hit me again!" He peeked at me from behind his arms. "I told him about how well you were doing, so he agreed to let you come."

I didn't think it was as simple as that, but I chuckled. "I've still barely got it down."

A grin spread up his face. "I may have bugged him until he threatened to throw a chair at me."

I let out a groan. "Oh, then he's going to be really pleasant today."

"Yep. But hey, you get to come along, so that's worth celebrating, right?"

I rolled onto my back and let out a loud sigh. "I suppose. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'd take a chair for you any day, Lena."

I shook my head, standing to my feet. I paused for a moment, a thought occurring to me. "You really think I'm ready?"

"Psh, you were able to get into my mind easily the other day. You're doing great."

"And you're telling me you weren't going easy on me then, hmm?"

"You're doing great. Honest." The last word came out kind of laughingly, but he stilled it, the grin crooking to the side. "And now Blaze'll be able to see it too."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that. I could care less what Blaze thought or even what he was doing at the moment. The only thing I still needed him for was finding my dad, and I wasn't so sure that was set in stone either. "So, should we go get ready, then?"

"Probably." Talon shrugged, pushing himself to his feet. "Blaze is probably waiting for us, actually."

"Then let's not keep him waiting, or he might decide to actually throw a chair at you this time." I paused. "Not that I'd mind seeing that."

"Hey!" Talon put a hand to his chest, sniffling. "And here I thought you were my friend, Lena."

Friend. That was a curious word, and one I still wasn't sure I knew the meaning of. So I just shrugged and gave him an 'innocent' smile, heading into the Mountain.

<><><>

Kaiden

Time was running out, and Kaiden knew it. Damien had called him in several times to 'remind' him of their deadline, or maybe just to throw it in his face. If they weren't ready...this could end up exactly like last time, and that wasn't something he was prepared to deal with. It was something he couldn't avoid thinking about, either, so it just grew heavier on his mind the more he tried to push it away. They'd doubled their efforts to find the Bane, and everyone was working extra hard to prepare. Even Fern was showing improvement, which gave him a small measure of hope.

Yet, none of it would matter if they made the same mistake as last time. So most of his time had been devoted to studying maps and legends and all sorts of ridiculous claims about the Bane until his eyes burned. But there was so much information, and so much of it pure speculation or exaggerated fables that it was hard to sift through to find what was actually helpful. Everyone had an opinion about the Bane; even the crazy lady he'd lived across the street from—she worshipped her cats like they were gods—had her own ideas about it.

Despite all that, there had been a few places and stories that sounded promising, or at least lined up with their maps. The mountain ranges were vast and hard to pinpoint, but they were narrowing it down, bit by bit.

He just didn't think it was fast enough.

He sat down against the wall with a sigh, his imaginary companion settling beside him silently, for once his madness not interrupting his thoughts. She seemed to know when to stay silent.

Gigi would know what to do. Not necessarily with the maps, but the team. She was always so good at raising morale when things got tough, and calming the tempers that flared between everyone. And now...everyone was just tired. You could see it in their eyes, if you knew where to look.

Everyone knew the risks and what this might cost them, or so they thought. It was so easy to say you were ready, but even easier to fall apart when the plans failed and the foundation you'd built so carefully cracked straight down the middle.

He hoped, for their sake, that theirs stayed firm.

XVIII

Lena

Turns out, we couldn't ride dragons into town or we'd scare them off. But we were able to take horses, and that was just fine with me. I used to ride all the time back in Galdania, especially when I needed an escape. Blaze was mad in the ignore-everyone-and-look-sullen way, so Talon entertained me on the way with stories of Calest and some of their exploits. Occasionally Blaze would roll his eyes and mutter under his breath that that wasn't how it'd gone, but I was too amused with Talon's tales to care.

The ride wasn't that long, and I felt energized and ready for whatever task this 'mission' entailed by the time we got there. I dismounted, letting a little grin slip as I tied up my horse. "So, what exactly are we doing here, anyway? Gonna fight some dragons?"

"No." Blaze narrowed his eyes at me, unusually stern. "Dragon attacks are nothing to laugh at."

Talon chuckled, a mixture of playfulness and seriousness mixing in his eyes. "Or grin at."

Blaze turned his thin gaze at him, then back at me. "We're just going to talk to one of the locals. I found out a while ago that she has a book with information about the Bane, and she's agreed to give it to us."

A book? I was beginning to wonder what the point of me even coming along was, if all we were doing was getting a book.

"You're the one who wanted to come along," Blaze muttered, as if in answer to my question. He started off down the road, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Talon shrugged and motioned for me to follow suit.

I'd almost forgotten how dirty this town was. It was hardly better than where the shruiti lived, and the people looked nearly the same. Most of their clothes were ragged and torn, all draped in the same bleak shades of brown and gray. Even the Mountain, as drab as it often was, was more colorful than this town.

Blaze turned around the corner, heading toward the tavern. People watched us with hungry, listless eyes, and I felt bad for even wearing the clean leather outfit that I had on. As scratchy and colorless as it was, it was still nicer than what most of these people wore.

Blaze pushed open the tavern door, waving for us to go in. "Ladies first."

It was meant to be mocking, but I was too stunned by the state of the town to care.

"Thank you."

He snorted, letting the door drop back on Talon as he made his way through the crowd. Talon laughed it off, however, grinning as he offered me his arm. I pushed it away with a shake of my head.

Blaze scanned the room, then walked up to the bar, conversing briefly with the bartender. Talon put a hand lightly on my shoulder as we moved to join him, though I brushed it away. The bartender nodded in response to whatever Blaze had said, gesturing to a table in the corner where a woman sat primly, making steady eye contact with anyone who looked her way. Talon nudged me with his elbow, leaning over to whisper in my ear. "Think that's his girlfriend?"

I rolled my eyes, nearly telling him to grow up. Talon's eyes twinkled as Blaze stepped away from the bar. "I'll ask him. Hey, Butterfly!"

I barely held back a surprised laugh. Butterfly?

Blaze threw Talon a very cold and hard look. "Don't call me that." He pushed past us, striding toward the corner of the room.

"He's touchy about his nickname." Talon winked, his eyes sparkling with untold laughter as he followed Blaze, calling out. "Lena wants to know if that's your girlfriend over there."

"Shut up, Talon." Blaze's lip turned up in a scowl as he pushed his way through the crowd. Talon threw me a laughing grin, laying a hand on my shoulder again as we made our way through the crowd.

I shoved it off more forcefully this time. "Why'd you call him Butterfly?"

"It's his nickname," Talon answered cheerfully, peeking over the crowd. I couldn't hold back a laugh.

"From who?"

"Oh, an old friend." Talon rose on his tiptoes, looking over several heads before he nodded, guiding me in the direction we needed to go. "I just like using it to annoy him."

I raised my eyebrows, trying to think of who on earth could call him that and get away with it. Talon must've noticed my surprise, for he laughed. "Oh, there's a lot about Blaze Montego you don't know, Lena." He grinned, pulling me through the crowd to catch up with Blaze, who was standing next to a table where a young woman sat with nearly perfect posture, her hands wrapped around the top of an old-looking book.

Blaze glanced us over once, his voice just dripping with warmth. "And I thought I'd actually gotten rid of you this time." He gave a cursory nod to the woman, then dropped into the seat across from her, gesturing vaguely to Talon and I. "They insisted on coming along. But everything else remains the same."

The woman's gaze swept over us as if assessing us before she gave a curt nod. "And they understand the importance of this remaining secret?" Her voice held an airy lilt to it, and I briefly wondered if she, too, was from Galdania. Her clothes were much simpler, but then again, so were mine since I'd come here.

Blaze nodded. "Of course. No one outside of this table will get their hands on it."

The woman drew in a silent breath, looking us over carefully. "Very well." Her eyes lingered on the book's cover as she held it out to Blaze. She lifted her gaze to meet his, her voice hushed. "Thank you. What you've done for me...I cannot thank you enough. May the gods bless you richly in all that you do."

I noticed the corner of his mouth twitch up a bit at the last part, but he simply nodded as he took the book. "We'll do our best."

A slight smile touched the woman's lips. "I am glad. The Bane..." She glanced around, then lowered her voice. "I sincerely hope you find it before the Empress. It may be the only way to stop her." She waited a moment, then stood up, a polite smile on her face. "I should be going. Thank you for your help, Blaze."

I was about to ask a question when the frightened cry of "Dragon!" reached our ears. A thin, balding man burst in the door, panting heavily as he looked around, his eyes wide. "A dragon's attacking! Get out while you still can!"

Talon and Blaze rose as one, their hands going to the swords at their side as they looked to the door. Blaze looked at the lady. "Get out of here and get to safety. We'll deal with the dragon." His gaze swept over to me, and I could see exactly what he was thinking. Before he could even speak, I cut him off.

"You're going to need my help to take the dragon down. This is what you brought me for, right?"

Blaze snorted, but threw a glance between Talon and I. "Fine. Just don't screw things up like last time." He turned on his heel and strode toward the door. I followed, indignation flaring up at his dig, though I tried to keep it contained.

Outside, it became apparent that the man had misrepresented the situation. Two dragons flew in the sky, one deep purple, the other green as the forests. My eyes widened as the green dragon circled, its eyes narrowed on one thing: us. I could feel its thoughts swirling around, opening a churning, sickening hole in my stomach. We were the reason it was attacking.

Of course, the boys were too busy putting a plan into action to listen to me. For not liking each other much, they worked remarkably well together, each seeming to know exactly what the other was thinking with a simple nod or eye movement. The dragon, however, had nothing but hate in its eyes. Blaze and Talon gave each other a nod as Blaze drew his sword, climbing up to where the purple dragon had now landed. Talon ran after the green one.

I didn't have a weapon on me, other than the small knife, which wouldn't do much good, but I knew immediately what I needed to do. I shut my eyes, stretching out to grab hold of the purple dragon's mind and climb inside. It resisted, but I slid in easily, looking around to assess the situation. Everything was shadowy and hidden, nothing but a deep laugh rumbling through my mind. A shot of pain caught me off-guard and blurred the outside world, like stakes being driven into the sides of my head. Then memories surfaced, stirred up by an invisible hand. The panic nearly took over. I fought back, though, pushing the dragon from my mind rather easily. Almost too easily.

The wind left my lungs as something slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. Fire lit up my vision, and I blinked upward to see Blaze overtop me, shielding me as the flames licked at his back. His eyes were closed, but he didn't seem to be harmed by the fire. The air grew hot around us, but the fire didn't even touch my skin. The purple dragon's eyes glowed with an unnatural light as it kept a steady stream of fire slamming into Blaze.

My heart was pounding uncontrollably, and the moment the fire ceased, I shoved Blaze off of me, rolling to my feet. He moved just as fast, jumping up with his blade still drawn to face the dragon. It let out a roar, probably that its fire attack hadn't worked, and swiped at him, catching him across the back and shoulder. Blaze sucked in a breath, his eyes flickering with a fiery glow as he turned around, slashing at the dragon. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to take down this thing?"

I shoved all other thoughts from my mind and reentered the dragon's mind, though it was far more prepared for me this time. For every thought I turned over, it pulled up a memory in my own mind, which sent jolts of panic through me that I could barely contain. This dragon wasn't just dangerous, it was evil, and it knew it.

Each move I made, it just turned against me. I fought as hard as I could, but it tore down my walls much faster than I could get to its own, and I nearly let out a scream as my memories were freed to wreak chaos on my mind. They swarmed me, drowning out everything else with the buzz of words and harsh sounds, angry voices and overwhelming sadness. It was too much for my mind to handle. My knees slammed into the stone, my entire frame trembling inwardly as I fought to hold back all of the emotion.

The green dragon had apparently flown away, and Talon returned to help us, swiping at the dragon's wing. It let out an enraged roar, turning on him and nearly smacking him with its wing. Talon rolled underneath the dragon, slashing at its soft underbelly. It let out a howl of pain, and I would've felt sorry for it if it wasn't so evil.

Apparently, that was enough for the dragon, for it spread its mighty wings and left my mind, the damage already done. I could've sworn it gave me a look of glee as it took off, soaring away to meet with its friend. Carefully, meticulously, I put my pieces back in their places. I could hear the two boys arguing, but I couldn't even focus on that at the moment. Eventually, they died down to sullen agreement, and that's when I felt the hand settle back on my shoulder. I jerked my head up to see Talon standing there, an apologetic and regretful smile on his face. "I'm sorry, Lena. I shouldn't have put you through this."

Blaze just scowled at me. "Why didn't you stop the dragons?"

I took in a quiet breath. "I...tried."

"You tried." He laughed, harshly, then shot Talon an annoyed look. "I told you we shouldn't bring her along, and this is why. Look at her! She's still useless and only slowing us down."

Talon frowned, a bit sterner than usual. "She's learning. Just as you were, once upon a time." He turned his attention back to me, his careful eyes taking a sweep of my body. "You're okay, though?"

I nodded, holding back a shaky laugh as I locked away the last few pieces of the memories that haunted me. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Blaze just snorted, muttering something under his breath. "I told you she wouldn't be ready for the mission."

I frowned at his lack of faith in me, straightening up to face him. "I still have time to improve. I'll be ready."

"No, you don't! We have less than a week to acquire the Bane and you still can't stop the dagged dragons!"

I blinked, staring at him. "A week?"

"Less than a week."

I glanced over at Talon, then back at Blaze, my lips sewing together in a tight line. "And you didn't tell me?"

Blaze scowled, throwing a glare over at Talon. "Damien only moved the deadline up because someone told him it would be a good idea!"

"I could care less about that right now, okay? I'm more concerned about the fact that you lied to me! How long have you known, huh? This whole time?"

Blaze grit his teeth. "You didn't need to know."

"I didn't need to know?" I nearly let out a laugh. "You didn't think it would be a good idea to inform me that 'oh hey, we've actually got less time than we thought, you should probably train even more to make up for it'?" I put my hands on my hips. "Is there anything else you've been hiding that I should know?"

Talon shrugged a shoulder. "Well, the Mountain is actually an extinct volcano that the gods protected to make a sanctuary for dragons and Gifted."

I stared at him in disbelief, unsure whether to be more annoyed by his statement or his nonchalance. Blaze threw him a rather sharp glare. "Not helping!"

Entirely too calm for the situation, Talon lifted a shoulder again and dropped it. "Y'know, I think I'm just gonna go over there for a bit." He hooked a thumb in a direction away from us. "You two can have your little spat and come get me when you're done, alright?"

I grabbed the edge of his shirt before he could leave. "I'm not done with you either. You could've told me too, and you didn't. Why?"

Talon shrugged both shoulders. "Blaze's the boss. I figured he'd tell you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You and I both know that's never stopped you from doing anything before, Talon." I released him to rub a hand over my forehead, letting out a frustrated breath as a thought occurred to me. "I don't have time for this. I need to get back and train." I turned to head back to the inn where the horses were saddled, not caring whether they followed or not. I didn't want to see or talk to either of them anymore right now.

<><><>

Blaze's words stuck with me, and try as I might, I couldn't get rid of them. I frowned, standing up from my bed in the Mountain to head to the infirmary. I wasn't about to apologize, that's for sure, but I could at least make sure he was okay. He had fought a dragon today, after all. And, I admitted reluctantly, saved my life.

I pushed open the door to the infirmary, too lost in thought for a moment to fully register what was going on. Blaze sat on one of the beds facing away from me, his back bare and...scarred. Ugly marks ran down his back in long, thin lines, all raised and sometimes knotted in nasty patterns criss-crossing every inch of skin.

Elle held a bandage in her hand as she gathered things from her table, unaware of my presence. Blaze's head was down, his eyes scanning the ground as he murmured something. Elle shook her head in response, which only made him frown more. He lifted his head, his eyes clashing with conflicted emotions as he said something else to her. The tension in the room spiked as she turned to face him, and caught sight of me.

Her mouth fell open in quiet shock that she tried quickly to conceal. Blaze tensed up so much that I could see all the muscles in his back. His whole face went dark as he looked up at Elle, then grabbed a vase off the table and hurled it at me, scowling. "Get out!"

The vase crashed into the wall near my head, just a few inches from where I'd ducked. My heart rate spiked as I fumbled for the door's handle behind my back. I heard Elle speaking gently as he dropped his head into his shaking hands. I swung the door open and slipped through, closing it with my back. Heart racing faster, the images played through my mind as I stood there, trying to get my breathing back to normal.

So many images tore through my mind, playing on repeat. I pushed away from the door, trying to blink it all away as I walked down the hall. The scars, his face, the murmured words, the emotions... I couldn't even make sense of it all.

Curiosity filtered in as I thought back on what I'd seen. Those scars told much deeper stories than most, and I couldn't even imagine what had caused them. Had he been in some sort of battle? But no, there were too many, too many different angles...

There was only one way I could think of to find out, and I didn't think he would appreciate it very much. Perhaps for now, at least, it was best to let things settle before stirring them up again.

<><><>

Blaze

After Lena left the room, Blaze scrubbed his hands over his face, slipping off the table. Elle put a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it aside. His head was too much of a warzone at the moment to be focused on anything else. He slipped his shirt back on, ignoring the burning pain. Elle's words fell from his ears as he made his way to the door, opening it. If he just didn't think about it, he'd be fine.

But his mind refused to cooperate. He growled, curling his hands into fists as he stalked down the hallway. Who did that priss think she was, coming and butting in everywhere that wasn't her business? Did he say he wanted her around for anything more than the stupid mission?

No. Yet she refused to leave him alone. Talon had been bad enough when he'd found out, but Lena? No, that was way worse. Because she wouldn't let it go, and he knew it. And he didn't want her getting anywhere near close enough to learn those secrets.

A shudder ran down his spine, and he scowled. He hated the memories attached to those scars. Hated the person who'd inflicted them. Hated the reason for them, other than the fact that it'd prevented anyone else from bearing them.

Stupid priss.

XIX

Lena

I laced up my boots, letting out a frustrated breath. Since the dragon incident, I'd resolved to train harder than ever before, even if it meant having to give up other things. I scarfed my food at meals, took shortcuts on my physical appearance, and even jogged everywhere: all to take the extra time to train. This had the added bonus of being able to avoid people for longer. Nothing mattered now, in my mind, other than being able to master my gifts.

Because, as I realized, this was my only chance to prove myself and find my dad. I was frustrated because I felt like Blaze had possibly taken that chance away by leaving me so unprepared. It was stressful, finding out you had less time than you thought. And despite what Blaze said, I still did care more about finding my dad than anything else, and I didn't care if that was selfish or not. I couldn't help them with their mission anyway if I wasn't skilled enough to use my gifts.

But today was a day I was not looking forward to. As much as I'd tried to avoid Blaze Montego the past few days, today I didn't have that luxury. Sari was off somewhere else, as was Talon, and she had requested Blaze assess my abilities while she was gone, since the mission was so close and all.

Basically, this was do or die. The fact that it was in front of Blaze Montego didn't ease my nerves any.

I reached the room I was to be tested in before Blaze, which surprised me. I would've thought he'd be waiting here long since and probably rub it in my face. The infected dragon from what seemed like so long ago watched me warily from his cage, but that wasn't what unsettled me. Something felt...off, and I couldn't put my finger on what. But as strong as if I had been faced down by an angry dragon, I knew something was terribly wrong.

Blaze walked into the room a few minutes later, frowning. He muttered something that sounded like an apology, rubbing his hands over his face as he sat down. I caught a glimpse of redness in his eyes when he looked up, but was too tense to reflect on it much. He waved a hand halfheartedly at me, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "Do your...thing."

My 'thing'. Wow. Either he really didn't care about what happened today, or he just hadn't gotten any sleep. By the irritated look in his eyes, I guessed it was probably the latter. Was he as tense about this as I was?

He opened his mouth to speak when footsteps caught my ears. They were hurried ones, too, which didn't bode well for the tension pulling at my emotions. Blaze blinked up at the door, a frown creasing his brow, but he didn't seem to be very focused on anything.

Fern burst into the room, her eyes wide and her chest heaving. She leaned against the doorframe, gasping. "Olive...dragons!"

Blaze furrowed his brow. "Olive dragons?"

Fern shook her head wildly, her eyes widening as she gulped in air, trying to speak. "D-Danten..."

Blaze rose to his feet at that, shaking his head briefly before he blinked at her. "They attacked?"

Fern nodded, alarm written all over her face as she looked up at him. Blaze looked around for a moment, then strode over to her, glancing back at me. "Stay here and make sure she stays safe. I'm going after them."

All the tension gathered and slammed me in the gut. Dragons had attacked Danten, and Blaze expected me to just stay here and hide? He really wasn't thinking straight.

"I'm coming with you."

Blaze frowned, pausing in the door to look at me. "Why?"

"Why? Because you obviously can't even think straight right now and I'm the only one who can tame those dragons. That's what today was for, right?" A grim smile touched my lips. "Now you'll really know if I'm worth having on the team or not."

Blaze only seemed to register about half of what I said, the frown growing as he shook his head. "It's too dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Yeah, well, I don't want you getting hurt either." I shoved past him, striding down the hall. "Now c'mon, we need to go."

"No." Blaze shook his head again, though less adamantly this time. I was about to snap at him again when he touched his hand to the wall, blue sparks appearing where it made contact. I could only stare dumbfounded as the sparks formed a circle, stretching up and out until it was large enough to step through.

"How'd you do that?"

He frowned down at his hand, then rested it on the hilt of his sword. "Sari taught me. It's for emergencies." He stepped through, disappearing into the portal. In a normal situation, I probably would've thought twice before following a sleep-deprived person through whatever this was, but as he said, this was an emergency.

It felt tingly, the darkness wrapping around me in a disorienting blanket as everything went silent. I couldn't see or feel anything for what felt like forever until a shaft of light pierced through, nearly blinding me. I looked up to find myself standing just outside of Danten, Blaze already jogging up the path that led into the town.

There was a crackling sound behind me and I turned around to see Fern emerge through the portal, her eyes wide. I was about to tell her to go back, but the portal shrunk smaller and smaller until it disappeared with a pop. I glanced back at where Blaze was, already far ahead of us, and sighed. "You shouldn't have come, Fern."

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have either, but you still came."

I wanted to argue that it wasn't the same, but that just made me sound like a hypocrite. I couldn't help but think of how much trouble I'd be in if she got hurt, though. "Just stay close to me and try not to get yourself killed, okay?"

Fern let out a small laugh. "I might be young, Lena, but I'm not stupid. I just want to help."

I nodded, following after Blaze. "I know."

The street into town was unnervingly quiet. I hoped that meant that people had gotten away, rather than something else. Blaze stayed silent, blinking or shaking his head on occasion like he was still trying to clear it. Of course this would happen on the day when Sari wasn't around. Which meant most of this would fall to me.

When we turned the corner, we were confronted with what looked like a living mountain. The dragon towered over everything, its back covered with craggy, rock-like projections. It turned ugly, swirling eyes on us as we approached, its upper lip lifting in what eerily resembled a smile. Olive and Chan fought side by side to distract the dragon, while Talon circled around to its back, dodging swipes from the dragons' spiked tail. He glanced over as he saw us, relief spreading across his face. "Hey, backup's here!"

Olive twirled some sort of green rope so fast it was practically a blur, lassoing the dragon's tail and yanking it away at the last moment so it didn't slam into Talon. He gave her a goofy thumbs up and a wink, though she just frowned.

"Pay better attention next time!"

"Yes, ma'am." He threw her a salute, dodging another swipe before hopping up onto the dragon's back.

Blaze, meanwhile, had jumped right into the fray, though I could tell his lack of concentration was affecting the team. Without a solid plan, they'd all just wear themselves out until they couldn't fight anymore. Fern was working to get the rest of the people to safety, but even if that worked, the town would be little more than rubble by the time the dragon was done.

I took in the big dragon quickly, opening my mind carefully to evaluate the situation. It was a risky move that nearly jerked me out of reality, for the emotions in this certain area were high, and the hysteria alone was enough to make me scream. But I focused my attention on the dragon, trying to find its weakness.

Talon climbed up its back with ease, hardly seeming to be noticed by the dragon at first. He had an easy, confident expression on his face, and I wondered if he was distracting the dragon in some way.

But no. I could sense its emotions, and it knew they were there. Darkness rolled through me in powerful waves as the dragon slipped into my mind. Whispers and screams melded into nothing and everything at once as I spun through a void of black. I couldn't block them out, or scream, or even breathe. I fought the dark feelings ripping at my heart, ignoring the tears impeding my vision. Focus.

I couldn't tell if it was my thought or an outside voice that commanded my attention, but I clung to the word, grounding myself. Breathe in, breathe out. Every moment I wasted, someone I cared about might get hurt.

This dragon was cleverer than the other ones, too. Instead of just fighting against me, it had gone on the offensive, trying to tear my mind apart. It knocked at my walls with increasing force, searching out my weaknesses. Sooner or later, it would drag me down, too.

I wanted to call out a warning to Talon, but that would tip the dragon off. And if I broke his concentration, he might fall. No, there was only one thing I could do, and I had to do it fast. It was a very risky move, but it was the only chance I had.

I gathered as many thoughts around me as I could, as quickly as possible, shoving aside the panic and screams invading my mind and channeling it into more useful energy. It still wasn't enough, though, and even with the panic locked up so deeply, it was starting to make my hands shake. My eyes darted around as a sudden thought struck me. The dragon. Its energy might be tainted, but if I could use it against itself...

There was no other choice, so I went for it. I dove deep into the dragon's mind, left exposed by its attack on mine, and gathered as much of its energy as I could, even though it made me want to scream and double over in pain. I felt like it was all going to explode in my chest, which is what I wanted, really. The force of this could surely level a mountain, let alone a living, breathing one. I clamped my jaw so tightly it burned, my body shaking violently as I took in the energy until I could burst. A sudden thought flashed through me, a last ditch effort by the dragon to stop me. This could kill me.

Somehow, that didn't matter in the moment, though. I knew it could kill me, but I also knew I had the upper hand. The dragon wouldn't be able to force its way into my mind unless I let it, and with how tightly I was gripping everything, it didn't have a single way to get in. I painfully, carefully gathered it all into one large ball of energy.

I wanted to kill it, but then I sensed something – a tiny part of its mind, untouched and entirely vulnerable. It nearly made me slip, and I gasped as a sharp pain shot through my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed hard. I had too much energy now to release it without killing the dragon. If I wanted to knock it out, I would have to channel the energy elsewhere. But there was nothing left to do but absorb it, and I knew how painful that would be.

Someone screamed. I unleashed the energy in a blast that could very nearly kill both me and the dragon, only to realize my throat was raw. It was I who was screaming, and the sound threatened to tear my chest wide open. I felt blinding, mind-numbing pain, then nothing.

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze jerked his head in the direction of the scream. The dragon staggered backward, shaking its massive head in an attempt to get rid of...something. It lifted its head to the sky and let out a howl that could've ruptured eardrums. Lena crumpled to the ground, and the dragon shuddered as if earthquakes were rippling across its skin. Talon threw himself off its back, rolling out of the way just before its legs gave way. It hit the ground so forcefully that the remaining buildings shook and glass shattered.

Silence went unbroken, save for the cracking groans of pavement breaking in the background. Blaze eyed the dragon, still as stone, dumbfounded. Sari hadn't shown up while he wasn't looking, had she?

Talon, too, was eyeing the dragon warily. "I hate to be a skeptic and all, but that thing's dead, right?"

Blaze stepped closer to the dragon, watching it cautiously. Its eyes were closed, but there was hardly a way to tell if it was dead, asleep, or if--possibly when--it would wake up. He reached out very carefully to its mind, brushing just the very fringes and felt...nothing. Cold, black darkness, like a void. It still felt dangerous, but not in the same way as before.

"If it's not, it won't be waking up for a long time." He looked around at the group, who were all breathing hard, though relief shone in their tired eyes. Talon let out a whoop.

"We did it, gang!" A grin split his face, though it quickly faded as he swiveled around. "Wait, where's Lena?"

Blaze took in a hard breath when he caught sight of her. Talon let out a cry, jumping over pieces of debris to kneel by her still form. His eyes darted back and forth as Olive crouched by him, touching two fingers to Lena's neck. Olive's lips pressed together in a firm, thin line, and silence fell as everyone waited for her to speak.

Olive stood up, taking in a quiet breath. "She's alive, but just barely. We should get her back to the Mountain."

Talon bit his lip, bending down to scoop Lena up into his arms and cradle her close. His eyes flashed with a mixture of worry and awe as he looked back at the dragon. "She...she did that, didn't she?"

Blaze rolled his eyes. "Well, it wasn't one of us, or we'd be going mad right about now." He strode over to pick up his sword, sheathing it with an annoyed mutter.

Talon's brow wrinkled downward. "She saved our lives, Blaze." The awe was more present in his voice now.

"Yeah, whatever." He glanced away from the group, then nodded at Talon. "Give her to me. Go find Fern and see if anyone's hurt, then meet me back at the Mountain.

"I can carry her. Olive can take care of Fern."

Blaze scowled. "I don't have the energy to open another portal. Someone needs to go get Fern, and someone needs to come with me to open a portal back to the Mountain."

Talon's lips sealed in a thin line, but he nodded, shifting Lena so Blaze could take her. "I can open a portal."

Chan spoke up. "I can stay and take care of Fern, if you guys want to go ahead."

Olive nodded. "Alright. Talon, if you would?"

Talon touched his hand to a nearby wall, the portal already beginning to open. "Way ahead of ya."

Blaze stepped through as soon as it was large enough, hardly waiting for the others to appear before heading down the corridor of the Mountain. He pushed open the infirmary door with his foot, walking in without a word. Elle looked up from her work, her worried eyes going first to them, then Lena. "What happened?"

"Dunno." Talon furrowed his brow in a frown. "She tried somethin' on the dragon, and then screamed and went down with the dragon."

Elle's eyes widened more, and she motioned for Blaze to lay her on one of the cots, feeling for her pulse.

"Already checked it," Olive said. "It's there, but very weak."

Elle bit her lip in worry, her eyes taking in Lena's appearance. "I...I don't know if I can fix her." Her face went a bit paler than normal at that admittance, as if it was something she didn't expect to come out of her mouth. She swallowed and clarified. "I mean, it's not...physical. It's...it's her mind. I don't know if I can wake her up."

Talon frowned, pushing over to the bed. "Let me try."

"No!" Elle's eyes widened with fright as she held out her hands to stop him, then winced. "I mean, it's just....I don't know what's wrong with her. Going into her mind could...possibly make it worse. She's alive for now, at least, and I can keep her that way, until we find out what happened."

Blaze folded his arms across his chest. "Is there anything you can give her that might help?"

Elle bit her lip. "I don't...know. I could go check, though, or see if I can make something."

He nodded. "Good. I'll keep an eye on her for you."

"We're here too, you know," Talon muttered, sinking into one of the nearby chairs. Blaze ignored him, waiting until Elle left the room to look over at Lena. He walked over, dropping into the chair next to her as he reached out for her mind.

"Elle said not to do that."

Blaze wanted to snort at that, or maybe smirk. But all that came out was a frown. "Yeah, well, Elle's not here right now, is she?" He reached out to brush the edges of Lena's mind, finding the same dark void as with the dragon. Hers was different, though, almost like it was calling him deeper, like a cry for help. He considered pulling out and letting Talon handle it, but if she got damaged in any way...

He shoved that thought away forcefully and reached in a little farther. There was still nothing but darkness, like a dark, deep void for him to descend into. He gripped the frame of the bed as something to anchor him to reality, not wanting to ask Talon to hold his hand or something. He did have the sense to mutter a warning, though. "If I start going blank like her, pull me out, okay? Whatever it takes."

Talon muttered something under his breath in response, looking away. Blaze frowned, though he knew if Talon didn't have his back, Olive would. And with Damien's interest in this girl, he couldn't let her stay like this, even if he wanted to.

He let out an annoyed-sounding breath and delved into her mind until nothing but darkness surrounded him. It was almost suffocating, the walls lined with fear itself, but he kept going, forcing his mind to remain calm. He could feel her jerk inwardly, flinching at invisible horrors as she buried herself – and him – in the darkness.

"Priss."

She hid herself deeper away, leaving only whispers of the fears plaguing her mind. But even those died away, and he was left with nothing.

He pulled out, frowning. She was in too deep for him to get her. He stared down at her still, pale form, her chest barely rising and falling as she lay there, silent. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, ignoring Talon's noise of protest. She didn't respond. He took a deep breath and sat back, focusing all his energy on one clear projection that he hoped could cut through the darkness lurking in her mind.

"I hope you can hear me, Priss, 'cause I'm only going to say this once. I can't get you out of this mess, so you're going to have to pull out of it on your own." The words almost made him frown to even say them, but he brushed it aside. "You're stronger than you think, so quit hiding and wake up, okay? You can do this."

XX

Lena

She was so cold. The darkness was nearly palpable, like shadows of her past clinging to the fabric of her skin, refusing to let go. Except it wasn't just her past, it was a thousand others as well. A thousand other stories played out in the emotions screaming in her head, begging for her tears and her pain and her laughter.

But fear...that was what made it so cold. It froze everything else so she could hardly breathe, a pain unlike any other she'd ever experienced before. It was like the very essence of her being had been torn to shreds, leaving her with nothing. No meaning, no purpose. Darkness was the only escape, so she sank deeper and deeper into it, crying for a spark of relief.

She could hear them, too, trying to pull her out. Heard every word that just made her cringe and lose more of herself. They didn't know...they couldn't understand what it was like. She couldn't understand what it was like, and it was tearing her apart.

She couldn't breathe below the surface, but at least she wasn't gasping for air. Hope was much crueler than fate when you knew it was only there to keep you teetering on the edge of death before you fell. Her mind was closing in on itself, shutting down in an attempt to block out the pain sucking the air from her chest. If she just went deeper...eventually she'd reach the end. Maybe once she hit bottom, she'd find relief. Maybe she could cry, or shatter the silence with her screams. She heard them in her head, but they only dissipated in the silence, unable to pass her sealed lips. It set waves of panic thrashing around her, or maybe she was the one thrashing. She couldn't feel anything, couldn't see even what she knew was already there.

"Priss."

She shut her eyes as another wave of pain cut off her air supply. No, no. You can't...

The feeling of touch tingling through her hands just made more silent sobs fill the emptiness, robbing her of anything but blinding pain. It was thrashing in the water, screaming to be rescued but knowing no one could hear your cries. It was blind terror, and it was ripping her apart.

She curled in on herself, sobbing out a shattered cry. Or did she? Was it only the 'her' that was in her mind doing those things? She didn't know. All she knew was that it hurt worse than anything she'd ever experienced, like every moment of pain – past, present, and future – exploding inside her at the same time. She gasped for air, but breathed in only suffocation.

"I hope you can hear me, Priss—"

Don't rescue me. Please. The sobs were loosened from her chest, and each one broke a piece of her apart. She choked them back the best she could, but now that they'd made their way through, she couldn't stop them. Sobs that she knew weren't touching the surface. Here, so deep that her physical body couldn't react, breaths broke out between the sobs, bringing new shards of pain with them. She was shattering, losing herself to the depths of this void. And she knew each piece, once it was gone, couldn't be gotten back.

Don't rescue me. Please...please don't.

Please, rescue me.

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze held back a frown as he glanced over at the thin mattress where Lena lay, pale and unmoving. So far, despite what felt like hours, they hadn't been able to wake her up.

"You all can get back to your duties. I'll keep an eye on her."

Talon looked like he wanted to protest, but gave a brief nod, standing up.

"Alright. Let us know when she wakes up."

If she wakes up.

He nearly scowled at the thought, but held it back with a frown, giving a brief nod. Once the others had left the room, he did scowl, letting all the frustration and conflicting emotions show on his face. He looked over at Lena. Who did she think she was, saving their lives like that? He had her pegged all wrong. Figured the moment she had freedom, she'd bolt. Instead, she'd stayed and even risked her life all for...what? A couple of strangers that she barely knew?

The thought just made him growl even more, because that's exactly the sort of thing he would've done. And the thought of him and her being at all similar...

He dropped down into the chair by her bed, curling his fingers into fists. "I swear, Priss, you make me want to punch you sometimes. If this is your idea of a joke..." he laughed, shaking his head in frustration. "...proving yourself and then dying before you can be of any use, it's a cruel one."

He stayed quiet for a few minutes after that, frowning at the bedsheets.

"C'mon, Priss, wake up already. I have important stuff to be doing."

His grumbling was pointless, though, and he knew it. Still, the silence was making him uncomfortable, and giving far too much room for thoughts to crop up in his mind. He shouldn't trust her. She had probably just done it for her own gain, anyway, somehow. Even though she'd put her life on the line.

Scowling, he shoved the thoughts aside. There'd be time to think about that later. Right now, he just needed her to wake up.

He blew out a frustrated breath, glancing her over to make sure she was still breathing.

She shifted.

It wasn't much, but it was the first voluntary movement they'd seen since she collapsed. He watched her closely as a shudder ran down her body, her forehead creasing in worry. He reached out to brush the edges of her mind, which caused her to tense up slightly and shudder again. It wasn't dark like before, though. If anything, it felt incredibly vulnerable.

She shifted again, wincing as she curled up on her side and shuddered. Her throat moved in a swallow, her hair falling down in her face like a curtain to hide the creases in her brow. He nearly wanted to reach out and brush it away, but stopped himself, frowning.

She let out a little choking sound, curling in tighter on herself. Her brow was a ravine of creases and folds as she swallowed again, a tear squeezing out of her eye.

"Priss, if you can hear me, you need to stop this and wake up. Honestly." The frown deepened as he noticed she looked even paler than before. She let out another choking sound, more tears slipping down her cheeks

He reached out cautiously to the edges of her mind again, surprised to sense the presence of thoughts again, all in a flurry.

"Wake up, Priss."

The wave of terror that hit his senses from her mind was startling. A more violent shudder racked her body as she pulled her legs closer to her chest, shaking. He frowned, wondering if he should get Elle as he brushed her hair aside to lay a hand on her forehead. She felt cold to the touch, which might have seemed ironic if the situation was different.

"Priss..."

Her strangled scream didn't make it past her lips, but he pulled back anyway. He stood up, rubbing a hand across his face, and resumed pacing lightly, frowning as he thought.

<><><>

Lena

"Wake up, Priss."

It hit my mind like a clap of thunder. My thoughts twisted into a confusing, stomach-turning mess, floating around me in a disorienting cloud. I didn't know whether I wanted to go up or down anymore, and I still wasn't convinced I wasn't dead, or at least in unbelievable agony from some tragedy my mind had blocked out.

Like it or not, though, the words brought me closer to the surface. Shards of panic and rolling emotion stuck to me, not complete enough to consume me, but still sharp enough to cut. I took a ragged breath and opened my eyes, looking around. I was in the infirmary, and still wanted to curl up and die at the emotion plaguing my mind.

Blaze paced lightly across the room, scowling. That was normal. But what wasn't normal was the look he had hidden behind that hard frown, the concern flickering in his eyes among the frustration and annoyance.

It was the most human look I'd seen on him yet.

He wasn't facing me, and I didn't move, just watching him pace and scowl and mutter to himself. He stopped when he got to the end of the room, running a hand up into his hair and growling before spinning on his heel and heading back to the bed. I closed my eyes again, hearing him sink into the chair next to me.

"So, how long have you been awake?"

I fought down a surge of panic that surfaced at his words, keeping my eyes closed for a moment. "Not...very long."

He snorted, though it was a rather weak sound. "That was incredibly foolish of you, you know."

I winced, swallowing as the guilt that was still too fresh in my mind tried to take root. "But it worked?"

"...Yeah."

I let out a careful breath, trying to expel some of the panic still in my lungs. "Okay."

"Mmhm." He looked at the wall, his face an unreadable mask. "You feeling any better?"

I nearly laughed, taking stock of the chaos still in my head as I curled my hand around the bedsheets to conceal some of the tension. I put on a crooked smile. "As much as someone who knocks a mountain-sized dragon out cold can be."

His face was relatively blank, his brow creased slightly as he looked me over, then nodded. "That's good. Need you alive and all, you know."

His voice was a touch lower than usual, like he was trying to be sullen, but his face wouldn't cooperate. He glanced at the door, his brow slanting down a bit more. "I should tell the others. They wanted to know when you woke up."

The panic in me wanted to grab his hand as he stood up, beg him not to leave me. It churned around inside with the waves of terror stirring it up, but I swallowed it down the best I could, clenching the sheets a little tighter to still the shaking. I jerked a small nod. "Yeah, you should go, then."

He nodded too, still looking at the door. "Or I could send one of the dragons to tell them."

I forced a smile, the terror crawling back up my throat in a growing scream. "Yeah, that'd work too."

He glanced back at me, looking me over carefully and possibly noting the slight shaking, for his frown grew a little more. "You going to be okay on your own?"

I nodded more than necessary, not wanting him to see me break down. I could barely force words out without them cracking. "It's not like I'm going anywhere for a while."

"Alright." He stood up with another nod, glancing me over once more before heading to the door, My fists were nearly white from gripping the sheets so hard, and I worked on getting my emotions back under control and not begging him to come back. I didn't need him, or anyone, for that matter.

I still wanted him to come back.

<><><>

Talon walked into the room just a few minutes later, but it didn't quench the panic still plaguing me.

He broke out in a smile of relief when he saw me, letting out a breath. "Thank the gods you're alive. We thought we'd lost you."

I let out a soft laugh. "Can't get rid of me that easily."

He grinned at that, though there was a trace of something else in his eyes. He glanced at the door as the others piled in, Fern's eyes wide as she pushed her way over to my bed, squeaking out a noise of relief. "You're okay!"

I smiled at her the best I could, though I doubted it looked very convincing. Olive just looked me over, then nodded once in approval, while Chan stood nervously fiddling in the corner. That was alright with me, though, because the presence of so many other people was making my anxiety have a heyday. I took in a breath and smiled despite that, just waiting for them to finish chattering. Apparently I'd not only knocked out that massive dragon, but dazed it enough where it wouldn't be attacking anyone any time soon.

Eventually, Blaze shooed them all out, saying I needed to rest. I stopped him right before he left, though.

"Blaze?"

He paused, a hard look crossing his face as he looked back at me. "Yeah?"

I bit my lip, considering how silly my previous thoughts had been. He just looked annoyed as he waited for me to gather my thoughts, though also surprisingly patient. I decided to go the safe route and curved my mouth up in a mischievous smirk. "You're cute when you're worried."

His eyes hardened, all trace of the other emotion gone as he scowled at me, typical Blaze style. "I wasn't worried about you, Priss. I just don't want you dying before you can be useful to me."

"And saving your life wasn't useful?"

He frowned at that but didn't reply, looking back at the door. "Goodnight, Priss."

"Goodnight, Beanhead."

He half-scowled and strode out of the room, looking annoyed again. I couldn't help but smile at how easy it was to play with him. And funny enough, the panic in my mind seemed to have settled for the moment, where I nearly forgot about it.
XXI

Blaze

Blaze rubbed his face, unable to sleep. That wasn't unusual, but the reason for it kept making him frown. He couldn't push Lena from his mind.

She won't end up like Gigi.

He shut his eyes, pushing away the images that threatened to come to mind. Elle had said she was fine; she was just overtaxed.

Still, she'd decided to keep Lena in the infirmary for a bit to keep an eye on her, so there must have been something she was still worried about. And he couldn't shake the feeling he got when he looked in Lena's eyes. The hauntingly familiar look he usually saw only in dark mirrors, carefully hidden but so obvious when you knew it was there.

She wasn't okay. He just didn't know to what extent.

Hours passed, the darkness hovering above him as he watched the ceiling, aware of its presence but keeping it at bay. He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed and heading for the door. Maybe if he put his mind to rest, his body could follow.

Elle was sitting outside the infirmary, as he knew she would be. He checked to be sure she was sleeping, then stepped around her and slipped into the room, closing it quietly behind him.

Lena was a small ball on the bed, her knees tucked up to her chest as she shuddered, shifting her position just slightly. Her face was mostly hidden by a curtain of hair, but he could still see her pinched brow through it. Her lips parted in a silent cry and she curled in tighter on herself, swallowing. He lowered himself onto the cot next to hers slowly, so as not to make noise, and reached out to brush some hair away from her face.

"C'mon, Priss, it's just a nightmare."

She shivered, her brow creasing in worry as she wrapped her arms around her knees. He touched the back of his hand to her forehead; no fever. He sighed quietly to himself. He almost wished she did have one, so Elle could help her. So he could help her.

But he knew better than most that there was no cure for nightmares.

Her hands were cold to the touch, but that didn't surprise him. He rubbed his thumb lightly over her knuckles, considering using his gifts to warm her up for a moment.

She squeezed his hand. He looked down, then up at her eyes, which were still tightly closed. When her grip relaxed, he started to draw his hand back, but she squeezed it harder, whispered words slipping past her lips.

"Don't leave. Please."

He frowned, his gaze going back to her eyes, despite the fact that they were still shut. "I can't stay forever."

"Please." The word was hushed but tinged with desperation, her brow slick with sweat and pulled down like it was the only thing holding her together. He sighed silently, glancing at the door. Well, he wasn't going to get any sleep anyway.

After a few more hours, the door slid open, soft and nearly silent footsteps coming toward him. Elle wrapped her blanket around herself like a shawl, her eyes going to Lena despite the sleep lingering in her eyes. "Is she alright?"

Blaze nodded, once. "She won't let go of my hand."

A tiny smile pulled at the corner of Elle's lips as she looked between him and Lena. "I can stay up with her, if you want."

He breathed in, looking down at their hands clasped on the bed. "No, that's alright. You can go back to sleep."

Elle sat down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm not that tired."

A soft laugh escaped his nose. "Sure, and I'm not a redhead."

"Neither of us are." She gave him a sleepy, teasing smile. "And I'm a night owl."

He shook his head at her. "Go back to sleep, Elle."

She let out a soft sigh. "I'd argue with you, but I'm too tired to." She let out a yawn, blinking as her words grew slower. "Sure you'll be okay?"

"Always am."

She smiled, patting his shoulder with a blanket-covered hand, then stood up, shuffling back over to the door. "Night, Blaze."

"Night." He watched until she was gone, then looked back at Lena, releasing a quiet breath. Hopefully she woke up before anyone saw him like this.

<><><>

He figured she'd be better by morning. He needed her to be better by morning. They didn't have time to let her sort through a nightmare that he knew she could easily just lock away. Hadn't he done it plenty of times before?

He leaned against the wall, watching the door. Elle said Lena was fine physically, so she should be able to just get over whatever this...thing was that was bothering her and focus on preparing for their mission. Elle didn't agree, but he could care less about that. She'd only said it would be best that Lena stay in the infirmary for a while, not that it was necessary.

Lena walked in the door, a few minutes late. He supposed he couldn't fault her for that, pushing away from the wall to offer her a nod and one of the staffs he'd been flipping in his hand. She looked down at it for a moment before wrapping her hand around the wood, sending him a small smirk back. "Couldn't wait to get beaten again, huh?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Couldn't wait to beat you again, you mean. But yes." He twirled his staff, waiting for her to make the first move.

She shot him a dangerous grin, though a hint of something else lingered in her eyes as she took a ready stance. "I like it when you underestimate me."

She struck so fast and smoothly that he nearly convinced himself she was fine. And maybe she was, for a short while. There were flashes of something in her eyes on occasion, the same looks he'd seen from her in the infirmary. Something kept trying to distract her, and eventually, it started to win. She smirked and threw out a little witty banter, but her moves grew a little more automatic, a little less strategic. Eventually, they were just distracted, and his staff made contact with her skin much easier than he wanted it to.

<><><>

Lena

I felt a stinging thwack on the arm and looked up, stunned. Blaze had taken a step back and was frowning at me, looking me over rather closely. "That's the third time today you've zoned out, Priss. Sure you're alright?"

I waved my hand dismissively, brushing aside the flurry of thoughts stirred up in my head. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He didn't resume fighting, just stared at me rather long. I took my stance and swung a blow at him while he was unprepared. He just caught my staff and twisted it out of the way easily, frowning more. "You're being really sloppy."

I was now staffless, and truth be told didn't feel like getting into any hand-to-hand combat at the moment. I was quite tired, and my thoughts kept wanting to wander.

"So? I had a long day yesterday, if you didn't know. Maybe something's just on my mind." I found myself frowning, despite that.

He mirrored my frown. "Like?"

My fingers itched to grab back the staff and continued fighting. I shook my head, partially to dispel the thoughts. "Nothing important."

He didn't give it back, though, leaning on it and staring at me rather intently. "If there's something getting in the way of your training, then that definitely is my business. So either shove it aside or have it out with."

I opened my mouth to speak, then swallowed, blinking in surprise at the moisture creeping into my eyes. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Whatever's going on in that messed-up head of yours, it's distracting you."

"I'm...fine. I'm really fine." I shook my head, pushing my lips into a smile. "Just a little tired. A bit..." I trailed off, unable to even come up with the right word. I blinked at the ground for a moment before Blaze's harsh voice brought me back to reality.

"Priss!"

My eyes snapped up to meet his, my emotions puddling in an exhausting mess. I hadn't been able to pull them back together after the dragon incident, and I was too tired to even try. I found myself sitting on the ground, blinking back tears I didn't want to fall as a whisper crept past my lips. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Blaze sighed, but sat down next to me, his voice gruff. "You messed your head up good. I don't know what the dag you had to do to take down that dragon, but I can't imagine it was pretty. Those dragons...they affect you. Or rather, the Bane does, but it's still the same principle."

I nearly gasped when I felt his hand wrap around mine, but let my fingers close around it all the same. Silence reigned for a moment as he squeezed my hand, then I dared to squeeze it back. I choked back more tears, my emotions wreaking havoc on my mind. Thoughts whirled around, so fast I could hardly catch more than their dizzying whispers, and the feelings they left behind. Once again, Blaze's voice brought me back to the present, though it was begrudgingly quiet now.

"I'm going to go into your mind and see what damage I can undo, okay? Just a...heads-up, I suppose, so you don't freak out and try attacking me or something."

My stomach squeezed at the thought of him rifling through my thoughts, but I also desperately wanted relief. I felt so...broken, and I knew I was useless to everyone in this state, so I just nodded.

The panic spiked as I felt him enter my mind, but I bit back a scream, swallowing to keep it down. Everything he touched just made me cringe, and the thought of sinking back into the darkness was sounding really appealing.

"Hey, stay with me, alright? I'm doing my best."

I wrapped my arms around my knees, shuddering. The fear only grew as he pulled up and rooted out all of the thoughts that'd plagued me before. The ones I'd finally managed to stamp out, at least temporarily. I shut my eyes, squeezing his hand as tightly as I could as he brought all of the darkness back to light.

I could sense some of his confusion as he searched, which didn't help my already broken mind. I was about to scream and beg him to stop when the thoughts started to fade away, one by one. A few of them lingered and did their best to stay, but they soon disappeared, too. I swallowed, barely daring to feel around for any of the thoughts that had tormented me so heavily just a day ago.

The emptiness was both exhilarating and terrifying. I still wanted to curl up and hide, in case any of it came back. But as the last of the terrifying thoughts slipped away and relief settled in, my emotions were free to spring out. I burst into tears, burying my face against Blaze and clinging to him as if he was my lifeline.

<><><>

Blaze

He nearly jumped when he felt Lena's arms wrap around him, but wasn't sure he could've pried her away even if he'd tried. Fighting down the urge to tense up, he laid a hand on her back, rubbing small circles on it. If this helped her feel better...well, he supposed he could put up with it for a bit, if it wasn't for too long.

Her sobs made him uncomfortable, so he did his best just not to think about them, picturing her as someone else. That didn't make it much more pleasant, but it let him relax a little and not think about how tightly her arms were wrapped around him. If she wasn't so overwhelmed that she wasn't even thinking straight, he would've shoved her away. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to carefully wrap his arms around her. He patted her back, telling himself this would be over soon.

Just as he thought she was about to calm down, she burst out in more tears, her chest heaving as she sobbed in breaths and utterly soaked his shirt. He glanced up every so often to make sure no one was around, though they should've all been busy with preparing for the mission. As he was supposed to be doing.

Eventually, though, her eyes ran dry, and her crying was reduced to a few shaky sobs and unsteady breaths. She kept her eyes shut, squeezing him tightly for a moment before she relaxed. She stayed there for a few minutes as her breathing slowly returned to normal, but kept her arms around him. She swallowed, taking in a deep, wavering breath and letting it out.

He figured she'd pull away, but she didn't. He was uncomfortably aware that at this point, she might remember that he was hugging her, so he pried her arms away lightly, pushing her away. She looked up at him, her tearstained eyes widening as her mouth fell open. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Don't breathe a word of this to anyone else and we'll just call it even." He looked her over carefully for a moment. "You okay now?"

She gave a small nod, her eyes searching the ground. "I...think so. I mean..." She let out a quiet laugh. "It still feels kind of strange. But it's...gone now, I think. Just aftereffects."

He nodded, noting with satisfaction that the look seemed to be mostly gone from her eyes. Traces of it still lingered, but it seemed like those would just fade on their own.

"You should get some rest now, make sure you're fully recovered and stuff. Don't need you bursting out crying in the middle of a mission."

A hint of pink tinged her cheeks. "I...won't. Thank you." She looked up, slightly uncertain. "For doing that."

He nodded once, resting his arm on his knee. "Like I said, now we're even. Nothing that happened here needs to leave this room."

She nodded too, looking down for a moment. "I should probably train, though. I mean, now that I'm okay..."

"No. I don't want you at just fifty or even seventy-five percent when we get the Bane, alright? I need you at your best, and that means today you need to rest so we don't have any more crying sessions."

She bit her lip. "You aren't going to let that go, are you?"

"Go rest, Priss. I don't want to see you anymore today."

She nodded, standing up slowly as she took in a breath. "Okay." She looked like she wanted to say something else, but stopped herself, walking out the door.

He watched her go to make sure she didn't fall over or anything, then let out a sigh once she was out of earshot. He rubbed a hand across his face, mumbling to himself as he stood to his feet. He needed to wash his shirt.

XXII

Lena

Since the dragon incident in which I nearly died, everyone seemed even more anxious than ever to finalize the plan and retrieve the Bane before some other crazy thing happened. Blaze was tenser than ever and spent a lot of time with Chan, discussing strategies. Talon did his best to give me some tips on how to stop the same thing from happening when I took down a dragon. But it was kind of hard to give advice on something you had little experience in.

I felt ready, though. I don't know what it was, but the dragon incident had actually given me a boost of confidence. Even if it did knock me out for several hours, I could take down an infected dragon. I could protect the team and ensure the mission's success.

...Or I could fail and endanger them all. That was the flip side of the coin. But I did my best not to focus on that.

At least the kit dragons gave the room a little positive energy when Chan outlined the final plan for everyone. Kit dragons were notoriously optimistic, even in the face of impossible odds. I think some of us wished we could have the same outlook, but it was clear everyone had thought this through pretty seriously. If we weren't ready now, we never would be.

I wanted to lighten the mood somehow as we trekked out to mount our dragons, but even Talon was uncharacteristically quiet. And I couldn't come up with anything that didn't just sound annoying. I mean, to them this may very well be their whole life's work. All I had to do was protect them, and then they could decide what to do after that.

Zarafel still managed to sound ruffled as I swung a leg up over his back.

"You could have warned me, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Like you didn't know I was there."

"Hmph."

I shook my head, wrapping my hand around one of his flexible spines. "That was a really poor comeback, even for you."

"Perhaps. My mind is on other things."

I resisted the urge to sigh. Even the dragons considered this the biggest thing of the century. Dez bobbed up and down excitedly on my shoulder, squeaking as he flapped his little wings. I lifted him down and set him in my bag, scratching his little head a couple times before closing the flap. He refused to stay behind, but he was nowhere fit for battle, so it was the bag for him.

Even that didn't seem to dampen his enthusiasm, though, and I could feel him bouncing against my side as we took off. His chirring did settle my nerves, at least, which only seemed to make him happier. It was like I could feel his energy flowing through me like a bright but calm river, intermingling with mine and lifting my spirits.

It wasn't a long flight to our destination, either, but it was certainly a boring one. Take the outside of the Mountain – boring, dull rock – and multiple that by about a hundred and you had the Eris Mountain range. The lack of both flora and fauna wasn't encouraging, and it didn't help the silence any. If anything, it made it settle on everyone tighter, like a foreboding blanket drawing them into the tension. I briefly wondered if the oft-spoken of 'curse' of the Mountains held any merit, especially with something as dangerous as the Bane hiding amongst them.

I wish I could tell you it was a spectacular flight and we arrived at a fancy location lit with torches with everyone in a good mood. Instead, I wasn't even sure when we first landed if we hadn't just gone in a big circle and ended up right back at the beginning. Everything was the same slate grey, the only variance being a small cliff jutting out from a nearby rock face to form a cave entrance of sorts. Of course, that's where we headed.

Blaze lit the air with several floating fireballs, motioning for us to follow slowly. For some reason, everyone decided we had to be silent on this mission, as the only response was a few nods and the sound of swords being unsheathed.

It would have at least been interesting if a dragon popped up when we first entered the cave or something. Probably would have relieved the tension, too, because it seemed like that's what everyone was expecting. Instead, the tunnel went on for a little while, then dropped down into a dark hole, nothing but a crude rope ladder hanging over the edge. Blaze shone one of his little lights over the edge, but it was still hard to see the bottom.

The climb down that ladder was one of the tensest moments I'd ever experienced. I began to wonder if there really were dragons in this cave, or if everyone was just paranoid because that's what happened 'last time'. Maybe there was absolutely nothing here but the Bane, and this would be easy.

Either way, everyone was on edge as they descended, and it definitely had a negative effect on the group. Turns out, though, there was nothing at the bottom except another cavern with more rocks. Yep. Oh, and a few rusted pickaxes and splinters of wood. One thing was for certain, this mine was definitely deserted, for whatever reason we didn't know of. Could it have been dragons? Possibly. But I wasn't ready to rule out other possibilities, either.

As we walked through this new level, I felt a growing sense of discomfort stretch over the group. Whatever was down here, we were getting close to it.

Blaze held up his hand for everyone to stop when the cavern widened, and his lights didn't reach some of the far corners. He took a careful step forward, sweeping the area for any sort of dangers.

"I think it's just ahead," he murmured, little more than a whisper.

A dragon's laugh rumbled through my mind. I scanned the area for the source, but saw nothing.

"If you are seeking the Bane, you will not find it here."

Everyone else was still creeping through the chamber cautiously, so I figured the voice must only be talking to me.

"You seem like the smartest of the group, and the one with the least to lose. If you tell your friends what I have told you, you might be able to save them."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing around the darkness for any glint of metal or something that could give the dragon away. "Save them?"

"Mmhm. From themselves, no less. A human's greatest downfall." The voice floated through my mind like a shadow, a specter disappearing from view as soon as it was seen. "Meddling with powers higher than you is a dangerous business, one I do my best to steer people from. Which is why you must leave these mountains now and never return." It paused for a moment, letting out a laugh. "You won't find me unless I wish you to. So I would suggest you take my generous offer while I am feeling merciful, or I will have to deal with you as I have all others before you."

I reached out with my mind, but the source seemed to be shifting, moving too fast for me to get a lock on it. "You know," I replied, "it's considered impolite to threaten someone without introducing yourself first. And that definitely sounded like a threat to me."

"I need no introduction. Just your respect." The dragon sounded ruffled. "I am Erisdor, guardian of these mountains and the power hidden within them. I was entrusted with one of the most sacred duties for my kind, and I intend to fulfill it to the best of my abilities. Which, unfortunately, requires disposing of you if you attempt to continue this foolish quest."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Nice dramatic touch there, Eris, but I'm afraid we kind of need that 'power' to save the world, so this 'foolish quest' will be proceeding just as planned."

"Very well. Then you leave me no choice."

"Okay, now you're taking it a step too far. No one actually says that in any sort of epic confrontation." I glanced around at the rest of the group, who were starting to look at me funny. "In fact, you should check your 'scary speeches' textbook. It's probably an outdated version."

The tension in the room spiked as something shifted in the shadows near the group, turning from a greyish color to a molten gold. Its scales rippled as it changed, rearing its head up to flash its gleaming teeth at us. I could feel its emotions rippling through my mind, dark and dangerous, and shouted out a warning. The team snapped to action, taking their poses as the dragon rose to its full height, nearly hitting the roof of the cave. It didn't seem that impressive, though, and if I was right, this would be the only dragon we had to face. This quest was looking easier and easier by the moment.

"I can assure you, you will not win this fight, petty human. My power greatly surpasses what yours could ever hope to be."

I sprang away lightly as the dragon swung its tail at me. "Sheesh, has anyone ever told you how arrogant you dragons can be sometimes? It's a little irritating, really." I danced away from another strike, grinning. "You're not even that impressive, just a big lizard with wings that breathes fire. Griffons are far more majestic."

The dragon growled, switching tactics to swipe at Fern. She dodged out of the way, her eyes wide as she moved closer to Olive.

"You really think you stand a chance, don't you? Very well. Your folly will be your downfall."

I let a laugh ring through my mind. "See, all I'm hearing is 'fancy words' and 'stalling'. So I think I'm going to get on with defeating you now, if that's alright. No offense against your storytelling skills or anything."

The dragon swung its mighty tail around again. I dodged it easily, chuckling. "Seen that one before. Not that impressive."

"I don't doubt it. But have you seen this?"

The rock around the dragon seemed to melt away to the same gold as Erisdor's scaly armor, two matching dragon heads slinking from the shadows. As they rose up to join the first, I found myself wondering if these dragons were very thin and serpentine, to be this close together. It took a moment before I realized the heads connected to the same body.

This wasn't just any dragon. It was a three-headed one.

This development seemed to stun everyone else for a moment, but they recovered quickly, pairing up to take one of the three heads. I swept my gaze over the group, a plan forming in my mind. I returned my focus to Erisdor's thoughts in my head.

"Okay, so you can be three times as annoying. Big deal, Eris. I can still take you down just as easily."

"Oh, can you?" Another laugh rumbled through my mind. "You have no idea what I am capable of, pathetic mortal. I am far more powerful than any other dragon."

"Yeah, y'know, maybe if you showed that instead of just saying it, I might believe you. Right now I'm just debating about whether I could beat you with one hand behind my back." A smile spread across my lips. "Though I could defeat you with both tied up, really. Still going to be too easy."

I waited until Erisdor was amply occupied with fighting off the rest of my team, then reached out for his mind, surprised to find...nothing. I felt around until I came in contact with it again, but again, it slipped away before I had a chance to do anything.

"Oh, too bad I'm not as easy to deal with as the other dragons. Three heads come in handy when you want to keep something hidden. I could shift the information in my mind around all day, and you'd be stuck always a moment behind it, tiring yourself out until there's no chance of winning. It's a pity, really. You have a rather fascinating mind."

I let go of his mind for a moment to focus all my energy on the far room, the one we hadn't yet explored. It left me separated from reality for a moment, open to attack, but I was counting on my teammates to keep Erisdor from hitting me while I was distracted. A powerful force hit my senses, its dark, creeping familiarity only confirming what I knew inside. I reached out to Blaze's mind, forcing all the urgency gathered in my mind on him.

"Blaze, go!"

Somehow, despite looking stunned for a moment, he seemed to get my message and broke away from the others, darting for the door. Erisdor swung his right head toward Blaze, but I focused on sending a powerful energy burst into its mind, stunning it just enough for him to get past.

As Erisdor's head looked over at me, though, I knew I'd used up my one stealth attack. Everything from here on out would be a battle of wits. But if Blaze could grab the Bane, then all I had to do was keep Erisdor distracted long enough for him to get back out.

<><><>

Blaze

Blaze was surprised to feel Lena's emotions so strongly in his head, but was glad she hadn't just shouted at him. Her push had given him enough warning to slip around the corner into the next room before the dragon crushed him against the wall. He scanned the room, holding his sword at the ready to destroy the Bane in whatever form it came and get out of there.

As he looked around, though, the only thing he saw was a young child, sitting on the ground calmly and cross-legged, his eyes closed and a light smile across his face. He seemed too peaceful, really, for having a nasty dragon causing such a ruckus nearby.

Blaze scanned the room for anything that might seem Bane-like, but the chamber was as dull as the others had been. Yet he could feel its dark presence, similar to what he'd brushed against before, except far stronger. So where was it?

The boy opened his eyes, orange pools of emotion clashing with each other. A chill ran down Blaze's spine as a thought occurred to him. Was the boy infected, somehow? Yet he never remembered inhuman eye color being any symptom of the Bane, and the boy's smile was still so...innocent. It reminded him of himself, actually, in a time long ago.

He shook his head to clear it of the memories. The boy smiled at him, his gaze calmed down to a more normal reddish brown now. For a moment, Blaze thought he must've imagined the other color. But something about all of this wasn't quite adding up right. He looked the boy up and down carefully. "Where's the Bane?"

The boy tilted his head. "Oh, are you looking for that?" He chuckled. "No wonder Erisdor's angry. He doesn't like other people touching his stuff." The smile was back, unnervingly wide and bright as he stood up. "Do you think you'll find it here?"

Blaze scanned the room briefly, the feeling of unrest stirring up his thoughts in so many ways that it was hard to pinpoint just where it was coming from. But something in this room was definitely not right, despite the boy's rippling calm. "Do you know where it is?"

A soft smile spread across the child's face. "Of course. Isn't that why you've come to rescue me?"

<><><>

Lena

I was running out of quips to distract Erisdor with, and currently making no progress on getting inside his mind. One mind was hard enough, but three heads with three separate minds that somehow were joined together...it was too much. He switched thoughts between his heads, forcing me to play a dizzying game of chase. I was tiring, fast. But even if Blaze came back out with the Bane, I didn't think we'd be getting out of here unless I could put ol' Three Heads out of commission.

Which meant this entire mission was riding on me. No pressure, right?

Speaking of, that beanhead was taking far too long in the other room. I mean, how hard was it to grab a simple crystal thing, or whatever the Bane ended up being? I supposed if it was a large purple elephant or something, that would be a bit hard to transport, but I highly doubted that's what it was. Maybe a dragon, but not an elephant.

As if on cue, Blaze emerged from the room with...nothing. I scanned him up and down for a moment, but unless it was a teeny tiny thing, he was empty-handed, and looked very grim about it.

"Don't tell me it wasn't in there!"

He strode over and joined Olive in attacking Erisdor's left head, his mouth pressed in a thin line. "Not that I could see."

Talon let out a curse – which made me jump, because I'd never heard him swear before. "Not that you could see? What, it's invisible or something?"

Blaze narrowed his eyes, his blade clashing against the dragon's scales as he glared at Talon. "You go look in there and tell me what you see!"

"I will, then!" Talon shoved the dragon's middle head away, dodging a swipe from the dragon's tail as he sprinted into the next room. He swore loudly, then emerged only a few seconds later, his brows narrowed downward as he jogged toward me. "Lena, you'd better be able to take this dragon down quick, 'cause we've got much bigger problems on our hands right now."

My mind wanted to wonder about their vague and angry reactions, but I had to focus all my energy on attacking the dragon's mind. Fern out a yelp as the dragon's claw made contact with her skin – Talon had left her to distract one of the heads alone while he ran into the next room. He whirled around when she yelped, his muscles tensing as he pulled Fern out of the way, dragging Chan with him. "Watch her," was his only command as he took her place, fighting off the third head with a hard light in his eyes.

Now we were down to one person per head, and I knew there would only be so long they could fend them off before a slip-up occurred from fatigue. I pushed everything in the outward world from my mind, delving deep into the slippery stream of the dragon's thoughts as it pulled me around from head to head, yanking hard as if to shake me off. It dizzied me, but I held on, reaching out to grasp part of the dragon's thoughts in my mind.

Instead of trying to manipulate them – which I knew I had no time or strategy for – I simply shoved them as far down in the dragon's mind as I could, shutting them down. It took a lot of energy out of me, but it seemed to confuse Erisdor for a moment. He switched tactics, staying in one place but swirling all his thoughts around in a confusing flurry that was near impossible to pick out.

Luckily, I'd had plenty of practice rearranging my own thoughts since the last dragon attack. I caught its thoughts, one by one, shutting them down in whatever way I could. Some I simply flicked off, some had to be more forcefully handled. I knew, of course, that none of these thoughts were the ones I really needed to get to, but it provided a great distraction that gave me time to formulate a solid plan, and hopefully would give me an opening when I actually did strike.

I debated using the same tactic I had on the mountain-sized dragon, but I didn't think I could focus the energy in a concentrated enough burst among all three heads. If I only knocked out two, I was sure the last one would find a way to get the others awake again much quicker than I could replenish my energy and try again. That was do or die, and I needed more of an experimental idea. If only I could somehow gather all of the thoughts together...

It was a rather risky thought, but it was the one I had. Using the last burst of my energy – since I was too deep in my inward world to pull out without disorienting myself – I sent a message to the three still fighting the dragon, all at once. If they all attacked one head, it might force it to use all its mindpower in one place to stop them. And if not, it would stretch it much thinner, giving me an opening to try to do some damage. Of course, that only gave me a few moments before the undefended heads struck them, but if I moved fast enough, we might have a chance.

I couldn't see the team, because I was looking entirely inward, but I felt most of Erisdor's energy slip away to the farthest head. He thought we had made a slip-up, giving his other heads a moment to rest and recover. I smiled at that. Let him think he had the upper hand; that was my favorite way to fight.

In fact, I purposefully pulled away from attacking either of the other two heads, partially to conserve energy, partially to lull the dragon into a further state of security. I kept up a small attack, but made it seem like I was weakening, when really I was drawing on my deepest reserves of energy for a burst large enough to stun Erisdor. There weren't a lot of discarded thoughts in a mine that had long since been invaded by dragons, but I hoped I would have enough deep inside to pull it off. All I needed was to stun him, really, so I could shut down the rest of his mind and be done with this.

I waited for a moment, pooling the last reserves of my energy together as I waited for all of Erisdor's attention to be directed to the one head. It was brief, but I was ready and caught hold of his thoughts, containing them with the draining river of my energy. I pulled on every last ounce of strength to disable them.

If I'd had anything left, the split second I had him down would've been enough to finish the deed. But I knew I'd exhausted myself far beyond my limits, and even my mind was starting to grow fuzzy. My grip was slipping, and I found myself flickering between a strange state of inward and outward sight. Each was dizzying and starting to spin, and I was pretty sure I was about to collapse.

The energies in the room shifted. There was more force attacking Erisdor now, while part of it was closer to me. I felt a firm hand grip my shoulder, energy flooding into me like an overwhelming river, so fast I almost felt like I would drown. I forced myself to breath out, slipping back into my inward world as the new energy strengthened it, giving me even more clarity than before. It tickled, almost, the familiar and yet still distinctly different energy now flowing through my veins. And yet, I didn't have as much control over it as I thought I would.

Erisdor was recovering fast – too fast. All three heads were at least partially alert again, though one significantly more than the others. I needed to disable the other two again to give them more of a fighting chance. But that was easier said than done when Erisdor was now expecting that.

Instead of using brute force, then, I feigned, pretending to pull from one mind only to draw back and attack the other once the dragon's focus had shifted. It barely worked, but I only needed it to work once, as the second head was greatly weakened by my first attack. Once again, I was faced with disabling the main head, but I had a different tactic this time. I sent another message to the team, except this one was to tell them to attack all three heads at the exact same time, as hard as they could.

I waited until Erisdor seemed to be straining himself, and then it was easy, really. I attacked each head in rapid succession, shutting them down as quickly as I could. The last head was the hardest, and used far more energy than I would've had previously, but I pressed hard, forcing all of my efforts into one solid push until I felt him shut down. I gasped out a breath, pulling back into the real world just in time to hear the last head scream and go limp, the entire dragon's body collapsing to the floor.

I just stared at it for a moment, breathing hard as I tried to process what had happened. Talon was still gripping my shoulder rather tightly, though it seemed to be more for support than anything, as his head was down and his breathing ragged, a sheen of sweat covering his face.

I looked over at the rest of the group, who looked just as exhausted, but also relieved. Blaze wiped a hand across his brow, eying the dragon before he looked up, giving me a tired nod. I nodded back, smiling wearily as I looked at the three-headed dragon sprawled on the floor. I did it. I'd taken out a powerful infected dragon without even passing out. Granted, that was probably thanks to the extra burst of energy I'd gotten, but still, it was a victory in my eyes.

Olive sent Blaze a weary grin as she brushed hair from her face, sheathing her sword. Her eyes then went to Fern, who was on her knees, clutching her arm and looking paler than usual. I wanted to go over there, but my legs felt like they would collapse if I tried to move, and Talon would probably go down, too. I focused on taking in deep breaths so I didn't pass out, straining to catch Fern's weakly murmured words.

"I think...it got me." She winced, hanging her head. "I mean...actually got me. It might've infected me." The last words came out so quietly I could barely hear them. Olive murmured a question in response, brushing Fern's hand away so she could inspect the wound. Blaze looked less like he'd just won a major battle and more like absolutely everything had gone wrong. He rubbed his hands over his face in frustration, stalking back into the room we'd fought so hard to get to.

Fern started crying, and Olive wrapped her arms around the girl, squeezing her as she murmured to her. Chan was all over the place, pacing the room, then stopping to stare at the felled dragon in disbelieving awe, then looking down at Fern and frowning before resuming pacing. Talon was still breathing hard next to me, several times opening his mouth like he wanted to say something, then shaking his head wearily and closing his eyes again.

Blaze emerged from the other room, a hard look now fixed on his face as he held...a little boy's hand? I couldn't help but stare for a moment, hoping he had a good explanation for this, or that he'd stashed the large purple elephant Bane elsewhere. That's what'd had them all upset?

The boy's eyes widened as he took in the fallen dragon. "You stopped him?" His voice came out in an awed whisper, his eyes taking in all of us. "No one's ever been able to stop him..."

Blaze's mouth was still fixed in a grim line, but I could tell he was not planning on explaining at the moment. His eyes went to Fern, his brows narrowing more as he then swept his gaze across the rest of the room, assessing the rest of us.

Talon lifted his head at the boy's voice, looking over at him. He waved a hand weakly in Blaze's direction. "Yeah, y'mind 'splaining why a kid was in there, but no Bane? Where's the trick?"

"There is no trick. We need to get out of here, before Three-Heads wakes up."

The boy's gaze followed Blaze's over to Fern, and his eyes widened as he let go of Blaze's hand, dropping to his knees next to her. "She got sick, didn't she?"

Blaze's mouth pressed in a hard line as he watched them. Olive frowned for a moment, but nodded. "Yes, she got injured in the fight."

"I can heal her. May I?" The boy looked up with innocent, pleading eyes. "I don't want her to hurt."

Olive narrowed her eyes, her displeasure matching Blaze's as she looked down at Fern. "I can take care of her."

"But I can do it quicker. Please? I like helping people." He looked over at Chan, as if he figured he'd have a better shot there. "I won't hurt her."

"No." Blaze's word were nearly snapped, his eyes narrowed.

The child drew back slightly, as if he was hurt by that. "I...I just wanted to help. She might die if I don't help."

His lower lip trembled, and I could see Blaze was almost considering it, his mind flashing between options and weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he growled out a 'fine' and stepped back, watching the child very carefully. Olive seemed as wary as Blaze was, but reluctantly pulled away so the boy could see the wound. He looked sad as he laid a hand very gently on Fern's arm, meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry he did that to you. Erisdor's not a bad dragon."

Fern gave him a small smile as she nodded, like she understood. "That's alright. It doesn't—" She stopped and looked down at her arm, stunned. The blood seeped right back into the wound, sealing itself up. Blaze didn't look very impressed, though, muttering his displeasure.

"Still going to have Elle look at it. She can treat this better." He rubbed his hands over his face, then sighed, glancing back at the dragon. "We need to get out of here."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Talon clapped me tiredly on the shoulder, giving a grin as he pushed himself upright, only slightly unsteady. "Think you can walk on your own?"

I looked him over and nearly laughed. "I think I should be asking you the same thing."

"Mmhm. Maybe we should get Blaze to carry both of us." A teasing sparkle lit in his eyes, despite the weariness. Blaze was already helping Fern to her feet, making sure she was alright and casting a suspicious look at the boy before taking his hand again.

"Looks like Blaze made a new friend."

Talon chuckled. "Yeah, friend. Hopefully that friend can lead us to the Bane, or this was all for naught." A tired grin crossed his face, though it looked like it was to conceal other things more than anything.

By the way, rope ladders really aren't fun when you're tired and already wobbly on your feet. It took a bit longer than going down, but we all made it to the top, and out into the open air. Talon pulled his hand off of my shoulder and flopped down on the ground, grinning at the sky. "Fresh air. Oh how I love you."

Blaze rolled his eyes, walking over to his dragon to get the boy situated for the flight back. He'd been rather quiet since healing Fern, but seemed to be quite happy about that. We all dragged ourselves onto our dragons, ready for some long-needed rest.

"Well, finally. You took forever in there."

I was too tired to do much more than pat Zarafel's spines. "Be glad we came out at all."

"Hmm. I can't say I would've been heartbroken if you didn't."

"...Love you too, Zarafel."

<><><>

Kaiden

If only Damien had met Blaze first. Then he would be the one who always had to talk to Damien. Instead, that pleasure was all Kaiden's.

Damien looked up from his desk. "Well? Did you find it?"

Kaiden shifted slightly. Yes? No? What could he even say?

"I believe so."

Wow. That sounded so confident. Damien's gaze flickered, somewhere between amused and annoyed. "You believe so?"

Yes. They'd found a creepy child that was probably somehow the Bane or at least involved with it, living in a cave guarded by a three-headed dragon. That didn't sound insane at all.

"The Bane...wasn't what we expected. I believe it's a...child."

Damien raised an eyebrow at that. "A child?"

Kaiden nodded. "Or it's at least taken the form of one. Sari asked that we wait until she gets back to do anything further, though."

"So you're begging for more time again."

Kaiden tightened his jaw. "Sari should be back in just a couple of days. Wouldn't it be better to have more of an idea what we're dealing with instead of jumping into this blindly?" He took a breath, gathering courage for his next words. "But since we did what you asked, I'd like to at least see my siblings now."

Damien raised both eyebrows. "My, you're full of bold requests today, aren't you?" He sat back in his chair, as if he was considering it. "Very well. I suppose you might at least see them."

Kaiden barely held back his surprise. Damien smiled, standing to his feet, and gestured to the door.

Kaiden kept expecting a trap, or a catch of some sort, at least. Even once they left the Mountain and flew past the town, he still couldn't quite believe it. He was going to see his siblings again.

They landed at the edge of a forest, just out of view of a small, rundown house. Damien gestured toward it. "Your siblings are over there."

Kaiden looked over at the house, his breath catching in his throat. A little girl played in the yard, her bright red braids a stark contrast to the grass. He stepped out of the cover of trees, hardly daring to speak. "Kyla?"

The little girl looked up, wrinkling her nose. "No, I'm Ky-ra. Ra, as in ruff, like a dog says." She cocked her head at him curiously. "How do you know my name?"

Kaiden swallowed, holding back a breathless laugh. "'Cause I'm...your brother. I'm Kaiden."

She squinted at him for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Oh! 'Tana talks about you a lot!" She stood up, grinning. "I'll go get her!" She burst into the house, her excited voice carrying through the open door. "'Tana, 'Tana, Kai'nen's here!"

A male voice answered instead. "What are you talking about, Kyra?" A tall, dark-haired lad stepped out of the house, sweeping his gaze across the field until his eyes locked with Kaiden. He frowned. "What are you doing here?"

A quiet laugh rang through Kaiden's mind. He'd been gone for years, yet Kelrin still didn't seem happy to see him.

"What's going on, Kel?" A girl with nearly the same hair color popped her head out, grinning at him. Then her gaze caught Kaiden's, and her jaw dropped. "Kaiden?"

Kelrin rolled his eyes, muttering something that sounded rather resentful under his breath. Katana's eyes shone as she flew down the steps, barefoot, and flung her arms around Kaiden, burying her face against him. "I thought...I thought you were..."

Kaiden rested his chin on her head, blinking back the tears that were just now starting to show. He hugged her back as tightly as he dared, his voice thick. "I know. But I'm not, and neither is Kinny." A pang ran through his chest. "How are you?"

She blinked and tightened her hold around him, her silence speaking far more than words could. "Please don't leave again. Okay?"

Kelrin kept his arms folded, his eyes narrowed as he watched Kaiden as if he was some sort of criminal. "You still didn't answer my question."

Katana blinked, turning her head to look at Kelrin. "Oh...just let it go, Kel. He's back now, right? That's what you said you wanted."

Kelrin narrowed his eyes, not taking them off of Kaiden. "Yeah, well, forgive me for not feeling very trustworthy. I wouldn't expect him to stay, either. Probably came back just to apologize and insist he won't leave again, then go and do it anyway."

Kaiden tightened his hold on Katana, the breath squeezing out of his lungs at the accusation. Kelrin thought he was like his father. The thought made him sick to his stomach.

Katana looked up at him, hesitant. "You...are going to stay, right, Kaiden?"

He swallowed, feeling Kelrin's gaze also on him, like "Yes, are you?" He thought about the team, and the Bane. Even if Damien let him stay for some reason, he couldn't yet. "I...will. But I have to get Kinny first."

Kelrin snorted. Katana nodded, pulling away quietly. "Okay. You'll come back soon though, right?"

Kaiden nodded. "As soon as I can." He glanced back at the trees, taking a quiet breath, then looked back at the house. "Where are the little ones?"

A small smile touched Katana's face, despite the too-bright look in her eyes. "Kaylissa's down for a nap right now. The twins are playing inside."

Kelrin shook his head, muttering something to himself as he walked back into the house. Katana watched him go, then sighed. "He really did miss you. He just doesn't like to show it."

Kaiden nodded, swallowing down the pain creeping up his chest. "Does he really think I'm..."

He couldn't even force the word out.

Katana shook her head. "He just...says things, and doesn't really mean them. Think it's his way of coping."

Kaiden held back a laugh. "I will be back. I just...can't stay yet."

Katana nodded, giving him a small, sad smile. "Just hurry back soon, okay?"

"I will." He took a quiet breath, managing a small smile back. "Love you."

"Love you too." She hugged him again, and he hugged her back as tightly as he dared, then pulled away, walking back to the trees.

Damien smiled. "Have a nice reunion?"

Kaiden mounted his dragon, remaining silent. Kelrin's words kept digging at him, as much as he tried to push them aside. He wasn't anything like his father, and he never wanted to be. But he couldn't just run away from everything else yet. And what he'd said about Kinny was true. He couldn't go back without her. He just had to take care off a few other things first, as well.

XXIII

Lena

It's nice when you're absolutely exhausted to be given time to not care about the world, just sleep and forget everything going on around you for a bit. No one had to think about the Bane, or the child, or whether our mission was a failure or success. I think we were all just grateful to fall into comfortable beds and call the fact that we were all still alive a win for the moment. Sure, there were some injuries that needed tending to, but nothing too serious that couldn't be dealt with the next day.

That's when everything got turned upside down.

Fern somehow found the energy to get up early and make everyone a big 'special' breakfast to celebrate. But I could see the same question lurking in everyone's eyes as we ate. Had we really succeeded, or just managed to waste more time on a pointless endeavor?

The fact that Blaze didn't show up for the meal didn't calm any nerves, either. Of everyone, he was the one with the most clue of what was going on, and his absence just raised more unanswerable questions.

Finally, Blaze did walk in, right as everyone was just about finished eating. He sat down, eating his food as if nothing unusual had happened at first. Silence fell as we waited for a verdict, though he took far too long to break it.

"The child's being closely watched for right now. Sari asked that we wait for her return to decide on our next course of action."

Murmurs broke out among the group. Sari wasn't supposed to be back until the day after next, which meant we had a while to wait. And I could see that didn't sit well with most everyone at the table.

Blaze frowned at them all. "I don't want anyone going near the kid until we know what we're dealing with, alright? We don't know what side he's on, and Sari made it very clear that we shouldn't do anything else about it until she gets back." He leaned back in his seat. "So take it easy the next few days, rest, whatever you need to do. We don't know what's going to come of this, but I want everyone to be prepared for it, alright?"

He looked around the table, then went back to eating. Silence reigned for a moment as the news settled in, unspoken questions lingering in the air that no one had any answers for. Slowly, everyone started to stand up, heading for the door.

"Lena?"

I stopped, stunned to hear Blaze use my real name. Warily, I turned back to the table. "Yeah?"

Blaze glanced at the others for a moment, waiting until they were well out of earshot before kind of nodding to the seat next to him. I sat down, still rather confused. He waited a moment longer, glancing around the room before he lowered his voice. "Did you find anything...strange about the child?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought we weren't going to discuss this until Sari got back."

He pressed his lips together. "We're not. I just...need to know." He glanced down at his bowl, sticking the last bite of food in his mouth.

I considered the question carefully. "What kind of strange?"

He couldn't seem to find a place to let his gaze settle, tapping his fingers on the table every so often. "Off. Unsettling. Like something's not quite right and you can't even place why. It just is."

I watched his tapping, almost amused. I'd been a bit too exhausted at the time to pay too much attention to the child, but now that he mentioned it, I'd felt something strange even after we'd left the mines. I thought it had just been Erisdor, but maybe it wasn't.

"Well?" The tapping was a bit more frequent now.

I blinked over at him, studying his face. "You're afraid of a kid?"

He scowled, looking away. "No. But the fact remains that the Bane should've been in that cave, and instead there was a kid. That can't be a coincidence."

"You think the kid is the Bane, somehow?"

He rubbed his forehead, agitated. "I don't know. All I know is I get a very bad feeling around him. It must be related, somehow."

I found myself studying the little flickers in his eyes, intrigued by the stories they told in just a few seconds. "You're afraid of it."

His fist clenched on the table. "No."

"Not of the kid. But the Bane, yes."

He stood up, doing his best to hide a frown. "Well, you've been really helpful, haven't you?" He turned to leave, shaking his head.

"Blaze, wait!"

He rolled his eyes, throwing me a look. "What? Got some more brilliant advice for me?"

I caught up to him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "No. Just this."

He stared at my hand for a moment, then pulled his away, shaking his head. I debated following him, but my head was still swimming with too much information to be able to handle any more of this.

<><><>

It was strange, not having an urgent reason pushing you to do everything. Every so often I'd sit up, thinking there was something else I needed to do, but there really...wasn't.

Chan gave me a book to read, so when I'd had enough with chatting and swapping stories with the team, I retreated to my room, letting time slip away as I cracked open the novel and started to read.

Sometime later, a knock on the door pulled me back into reality. I looked up at the door, almost considering ignoring it and continuing my story. I let out a sigh, marking my spot in the book as I slid off the bed to open the door.

My surprised eyes met Blaze's blue ones. That child thing must've been really bothering him.

"Want to go on a little trip with me?"

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Why?"

He managed a little smirk. "Because I enjoy your company."

"Haha, very funny." I rolled my eyes, leaning against the door. "What's the real reason?"

He shrugged, glancing at the hall. "You held up your end of our deal surprisingly well. So I figured I should hold up mine."

I'm pretty sure I just stared at him for a long moment before what he was saying actually settled in. I hadn't even thought about going to see my father – I figured no one would really care about that until this...mess got sorted out.

Blaze raised an eyebrow at me. "Unless you don't want to?"

"No, I do! Of course I do." I let out a disbelieving laugh. "I just...didn't think you were serious."

He shrugged, turning away from the door to walk away. I had to fight to keep my tongue from sticking to the roof of my mouth. "Just...let me get some shoes."

I turned to grab my boots from the base of the bed, slipping my feet into them and lacing them up as quickly as I could. I still couldn't believe it; I was really going to get to see my father?

Blaze stood a little ways out of the doorway, waiting for me. I jogged after him, trying not to let the bewilderment show too strongly on my face. I could've sworn he looked amused for a moment before he turned and started heading down the hallway.

We walked in silence, but that was perfectly fine with me. We kept going until we reached where the dragons were kept. Blaze hopped up onto his smoothly, while I sort of fumbled with mine because I couldn't keep my mind on anything going on around me. Zarafel grumbled, but gave me a boost with his head, which was yet another surprise. I forgot sometimes that he knew my thoughts.

I was very glad Zarafel knew what he was doing, too, because most of the flight went by in a daze to me. Blaze could've been speaking to me the whole time and I don't think I would've heard a word.

Eventually, we landed, somewhere in the abandoned, rocky countryside near Danten. Blaze dismounted, waiting only a moment for me before heading in an eastern direction up a hill.

"When we get to the camp, I need you to be quiet, Priss. Got that? I'll handle all the talking."

Camp?

"You'll have to be respectful, too. Wonder if you can manage that."

I wanted to smack him for that, but could see by the look in his eyes that that's just what he wanted, so I just gave him an annoyed look when he wasn't looking.

"You know I can see you sulking."

I was all ready with a snarky reply when something stopped me. We'd reached the top of the hill, and below it laid what I could only imagine to be the 'camp'. Nestled between the high curves in the landscape, in a valley of sorts, a series of small tents dotted the land. Except this wasn't just a small gathering; there must have been a hundred or so of them. I blinked, not quite sure what to even think of this, but Blaze just headed down toward it calmly, so I followed. I'd heard mentions of a rebellion of sorts living out in the wastelands, but I'd always assumed that was just a story. No one was silly enough to want to live out here.

As we got closer, I could see walls of sorts set up around the encampment, stretching between the tents as barriers or boundaries. A few men watched us warily from near the 'entrance', I supposed, though Blaze simply nodded to them. "She's a friend."

A...friend?

One of the men didn't really seem convinced, as he looked me over, but simply folded his arms across his chest, watching us.

"They're just wary of strangers. And with good reason."

I furrowed my brow, looking around. "Is this where Kaiden lives?"

He blew out a breath in frustration, muttering something to himself under his breath and rubbing his forehead, then just gave me a look. "You'll find out soon enough. Come on." His look clearly said 'It'll be easier to show you than explain it to you, and I don't have the patience to explain it anyway.'

I debated staying there, but though things felt...off, they didn't quite feel wrong. If anything, it almost felt familiar, in a way I couldn't quite put my finger on. The men...their outfits and demeanor...

"Well? Are you just going to stand there and stare?"

I blinked, looking over to see Blaze giving me a look of annoyance. He turned, and I followed him, past the strangely familiar men and the tents, further into the heart of the camp.

People of all sorts milled about, like a regular little village, almost. Children played some sort of game with sticks and hoops, women chatted and cooked stuff over small fires. They seemed happy, even, though the same wary air came over their faces as they saw me. Blaze nodded and even almost smiled at a few of the women who waved, but for the most part ignored them, his eyes seeming to have an unspoken message that they understood.

We kept walking through the makeshift town until we came to a tent that seemed more...official than the others. It was bigger, for one thing, with a flag with a symbol I didn't recognize flying next to it. A tall, dark man stood conversing with a few others, his voice low like it was urgent. Surprisingly, he didn't seem as wary as the others, though he did seem to look me over rather carefully, almost as if he was examining me.

After a moment, he turned his gaze to Blaze, almost questioningly. "Hello, Kaiden."

My mind reeled at those two words. I looked over at Blaze, wondering if I'd heard wrong. "You're...Kaiden?"

The man's brow crinkled questioningly as he looked at Blaze. Blaze waved a hand, ignoring my question. "She's not thinking straight. A little dehydrated from the trip, I'm afraid."

I wanted to protest that this wasn't true, but my tongue entirely forgot how to work. The man nodded knowingly. "Would you like me to bring her some water?"

"Sure, that'd be wonderful." He smiled – like, genuinely smiled – at the man, putting a hand on the back of my shoulder. "Is the General available at the moment, by any chance?"

"Hm." The man glanced at the tent, as if thinking. "He has been quite busy lately, but I assume this is important."

I was surprised I even caught what they were saying. My mind was a white, spinning blur, whirling so fast that it almost seemed to be standing still. I wanted to grab Blaze and shake him, demand to know if I was hearing things right and if so, why he didn't tell me sooner.

Blaze must've said something, for the man was now gesturing to the tent. "He is not here at the moment, but I will let you know when he returns."

I shook off the wild thoughts for the moment and managed a smile, turning to Blaze. "In that case, you and I need to have a talk."

Blaze narrowed his eyes. "There's nothing to talk about. You have your father back – or will once he gets back, and I have important things to get back to. Isn't this what you wanted?" He folded his arms, his eyes probing. "You held up your end of the deal. I held up mine. So we're done here. You can go back to your normal life, and I'll go back to mine."

"No." I mirrored his pose, though sassier. "You are not leaving me here on my own. And you haven't even proved you know my father, so how do I even know you're not lying?" I laughed through my nose, looking him over. "Kaiden."

He frowned at that. "Your father's name is Markus. Markus Alejandre Montellene. Happy?" A smirk touched his lips. "Which means your last name isn't actually Maye."

Now it was my turn to frown. "You have no reason to be smirking right now, mister. I'm still not letting you go anywhere until I actually see my father." I looked him over. "That was the deal, not that you leave me here and say 'oh, he'll be back soon'. Which means you might as well start giving me answers to what on earth is going on here, because I have nothing better to do until he gets back."

He glanced around the camp, then let out a sigh through his nose. "Fine. But not here."

"Pick the place, then. I'm happy yelling at you wherever we go, Kaiden."

He pressed his lips together, but started toward the exit of the camp, mumbling under his breath. "Just wait until we're out of the camp. Don't need to cause a scene in front of everyone."

"It's only because I'm choosing exactly which words I want to say that I'm even listening to you." I smiled. "And I never make a scene."

He snorted, but stayed silent until we crossed the threshold of the camp, heading a ways away and over to a group of trees clustered closely together. He took a deep breath, then turned to face me. "You know I'm only staying here until your father gets back, right? I don't have time to waste explaining all of my secrets to you." He narrowed his eyes. "And if you tell anyone what I'm about to tell you..."

"I know, I know, you'll scowl me to death."

He didn't seem to appreciate that. "This is serious, Priss. I know it may not seem like it to you, but there's a reason no one knows I'm Kaiden."

"Then stop stalling and tell me already!" I threw up my hands in exasperation, letting them drop at my sides. "If you really want me to keep this secret, you have to actually give me a valid reason to do so and not a bunch of vague 'threats'."

He sighed and rubbed his forehead, muttering to himself under his breath. "You're incredibly stubborn."

"I know. You're still stalling."

He frowned, looking up at me. "The people of Calest have lost faith in the Gifted, Lena. Some even think they're to blame for everything that's going on." He shifted his position, leaning against a tree. "So, to them, Kaiden doesn't have gifts. But Blaze does." His face grew grim. "And they've heard of Blaze, actually, just never seen him. He and his 'band' of Gifted are a favorite topic in the camp...as in how likely it is that they're working for the Empress or in some way caused all this chaos." The corner of his mouth quirked again. "People like a scapegoat. It's always easier to blame those trying to do something rather than support them."

I thought that over, frowning. "But why can't anyone at the Mountain know you're Kaiden, then?"

He shrugged. "The more people know a secret, the easier that secret is to slip out."

I crossed my arms. "That still doesn't justify you lying to me. Or kidnapping me. Or just being a jerk in general when it's possible that you're actually not one." I scowled at him. "I mean, you burned me, for goodness sake, and wouldn't even apologize until I practically forced you to!"

He frowned at that, staying silent for a moment before he nodded. "I know."

"You know." I laughed. "That's quite the apology if I've ever heard one. Though I don't know how I'd be able to tell if you're really sorry or not, so it doesn't really matter. You should just go." I waved my hand. "Go run back to your mountain and your mission and whatever you're doing. It hardly matters if my father's actually here or not, 'cause you're obviously not going to be any help to me. I'll find him myself."

"He does live here. He's been in charge of the camp for years; you can ask anyone."

I forced a smile. "Sure that's not another lie like everything else? You've done so much of that, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot. After all, apparently you're insane, in your own words."

He sighed, looking away for a moment. "I didn't lie about everything. Just my identity. And I technically said I was out of my right mind."

"'Out of your right mind' insinuates insane." I laughed, staring at him in disbelief. His words swirled out of control in my head. I hardly knew what to address first, almost didn't know if I wanted to address any of it. "Do you really not realize how huge of a thing this is? I mean, I honestly have no clue who you are anymore. And I don't have the time to try to sort through it all. So you might as well just go, and I'll figure this out myself."

Before he could respond, the sound of footsteps caught my ears. I looked behind us to see a young boy running toward us, his eyes wide. He stopped just outside the cluster of trees, doubling over with his hands on his knees as he wheezed. "Kaiden...they told me to get you..."

My heart skipped a beat. Did that mean my father was back?

Blaze—or Kaiden, I supposed— seemed tense about this news and frowned, ducking out of the trees to stand by the boy. "Did he say why?"

The boy shook his head, his eyes wide. "No. Just that...I should run as fast as I could."

Kaiden didn't even wait for me, just scooped the boy up in his arms and headed toward the camp. I followed after him, unable to shake the feeling of unease hanging over me.

Kaiden headed straight toward the General's tent. The man we'd talked to earlier was standing there, conversing with two other men in low tones. All their brows were deeply creased, which was never a good sign.

Something like a mix of relief and regret flashed through the older man's eyes when he caught sight of us. Kaiden set the boy down, murmuring to him for a moment before the boy nodded, running off in the opposite direction. Wary looks were directed toward me as the older man pulled Kaiden aside, out of earshot, speaking to him in the same low tones.

Kaiden nodded, though flickers of something passed through his eyes, the same solemnity settling over him as he walked back to the group. He glanced at me after a moment, taking far too long to speak. "It's going to be...longer than I expected. Do you want to come back with me for now or wait here?"

I didn't like the hidden layer of tension I could sense among the men. "What happened?"

Kaiden smiled. "There's just been a slight delay. You can stay here and wait if you want, but...it's going to be a while."

Before I could even respond, a green kit dragon flew down and landed on Kaiden's shoulder, a rolled up piece of parchment in its mouth. He took it and unfurled it, his brow creasing even further as he scanned the paper. "Well, you'd better decide, Priss, 'cause I'm leaving now."

I studied the look in his eyes. "What happened?"

He laughed, meeting my gaze. "Like you'd care. Fern's just...not feeling well, and Olive's worried."

That told me about all I needed to know about the situation. If Olive was worried...

He rolled the paper back up, stashing it in his pocket. I glanced at the tent, then back at him as he started to walk away. "Wait."

"If you're coming with, I'm not waiting up."

I jogged after him to catch up. "Fine. But I'm not doing this for you."

He snorted. "I never said I thought you were."

"Good."

The rest of the way we stayed silent, even during the flight back to the Mountain. Zarafel grumbled about how he thought we were staying here, and then that I was ignoring him far too much, but I had too much on my mind to think about that. Blaze...Kaiden...it messed with my head. I kept reminding myself that I couldn't treat him any differently, but that didn't mean I didn't still see him differently. I'd spent so long looking for Kaiden—and then imagining him sick somewhere recovering from insanity—to fully be able to wrap my mind around this.

And Fern...that worried me more than I cared to admit. I'd seen Blaze...Kaiden's face when the child healed her, and with his concerns about the Bane and everything...it couldn't be a coincidence.

Blaze--I couldn't decide how to refer to him in my mind--must've had a lot on his mind, too, because he didn't even attempt to make conversation. It made the flight stretch on forever.

We didn't speak when we got back to the Mountain, either. Actually, we didn't speak at all until Blaze pushed open the door to the infirmary.

Elle stood up, a mix of worry and relief washing over her face as she looked at us. "Oh good, you're back." She glanced over at one of the beds and sat down, mopping Fern's forehead with a damp cloth. "She's...not good."

Fern shuddered, her eyes tightly shut as she shook her head, mumbling incoherently. Kaiden walked over to the bed, his lips tightly pressed together. "Tell me she's not..."

Elle's gaze trailed down to the floor. Kaiden swore under his breath and and turned away, stalking past me and toward the door. I stared after him, then looked at Elle. "What's going on?"

Elle kept her gaze down, then bit her lip, looking up at me. "She got...infected. The wound from the attack...even though it was healed, the poison must've still gotten in her body."

I stared at Fern, the weight of that information dizzying my head. "And you can't...do anything about it?"

Elle shook her head, her eyes regretful. "I...tried. I couldn't stop it, last time."

I bit my lip. "With Gigi?"

Elle nodded, swallowing. "She's...further along than Gigi was, too. It seems more intense this time, which worries me."

I nodded quietly. "And it's not a...mental thing?"

Elle rubbed her hands over her face. "I don't know...what it is exactly. With Gigi, it messed with her mind while her body slowly shut down. No one could get through to her." She pressed her lips together, remaining quiet for a moment. "I don't know what to do."

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden ignored everyone as he stalked down the hallway, heading for the cells. His mind was a dizzying replay of events, both past and present, and they were starting to blur dangerously close together. He did his best to shove them away, pushing open the door to where the child was.

He heard voices. Multiple ones, not just the child's. He'd told everyone to stay away from the cells, so who would be idiotic enough to—

"Do you like soup? I made you some soup."

...Shale. Why was he even surprised? The only person stupid or maybe brave enough to try to befriend a powerful, evil entity in child form.

"I thought I told you to stay away from here."

Dailen looked up, his eyes wide with innocence. "But I was just bringing Eren some food. No one else has come to see him since you locked him up."

Kaiden found himself frowning. He'd named the child?

"That's because I told them not to. Now get out of here. I'll take care of the...kid."

Dailen didn't seem very convinced, but he turned back to the child, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll see you soon, okay? Maybe I can bake you some bread or something, too. I have a wonderful recipe."

"Shale. Now."

Dailen stood to his feet hesitantly, glancing between Kaiden and the child, then headed for the door. The child watched Dailen leave, then turned his hazy eyes on Kaiden, tilting his head almost curiously. "Hello."

It was so casual-sounding, it was infuriating. Kaiden narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to my friend?"

The child's eyes went wide. "The green-haired one? I just healed her." He shrunk down against the wall, his eyes sad. "Was I not supposed to?"

Kaiden laughed. "You can stop playing games with me, you know. I know you're not just an 'innocent' child."

The boy hunched his shoulders, like he was trying to hide. "I healed her wound. I can't heal the other part."

Kaiden scowled. "I don't believe that for one second."

The child peeked up at him cautiously. "The Bane isn't a curse, like Erisdor believed. You just have to use it right." His eyes grew sad again. "Only your friend can decide what to do with it."

Kaiden let out a harsh laugh at that. "So you're saying you can just...choose not to be affected by it?"

The child hunched his shoulders again, his voice rather small. "No, but you can master it if you try hard enough."

Kaiden narrowed his eyes, glad there were bars between them before his emotions got the best of him. He took a few breaths, trying to keep his voice controlled. "My friend died because of the Bane. She fought against it with her life, and it drove her mad. And don't try to tell me she just wasn't strong enough to handle it, because she was one of the strongest people I know. So don't think I will believe for a minute that she just had to 'try harder' and 'master' it."

The child just looked sadder now. "I am very sorry about your friend. But you can't just fight the Bane and win. You have to understand it, and then you can master it."

Kaiden clenched his fists at his sides. "And there's no way to get rid of it."

"Why would you want to?" The child smiled a bit more boldly now. "You should understand; you already have powers most do not. Can you imagine if you had even more than that?"

Kaiden scowled. "That doesn't answer my question."

The boy sighed, then nodded. "I could. But that'd mean taking away her chance to be something much greater." He paused. "Don't you know how badly she wants to be useful? She's afraid of it, but she still wants it. If she can get over her fear...she could do so much. Yet you want me to take that away from her."

"It's going to kill her, the same way it killed Gigi. So no, I don't give a dag about whether it 'takes away her chances' or anything. Leave her alone."

The child cocked his head. "You're afraid, too. But I will convince you, somehow." He stayed quiet for a moment, looking down at the ground. "I will stop it from bothering her, for now. But you must let me prove myself to you, eventually. Whether through her or someone else..." he shrugged, dropping his tiny shoulders, "I won't give up. You won't be able to defeat the Empress without me."

Kaiden didn't like it, but if it was the only way to save Fern...

"Fine. Just leave her alone."

The child nodded. "Very well. But you must find out the Empress' next move, and soon. If she is allowed to carry out her plan...the Council will lose all trust in you, and then it will be over. They'll hunt you down until every Gifted is imprisoned or dead."

Kaiden narrowed his eyes. "And Fern will be fine?"

His eyes lit up. "Is that what her name is? It's so pretty." He smiled. "But yes, she will be fine. Perhaps a little...shaken up, but that is her fault, not mine." The child shrugged.

Kaiden just frowned and turned to go, nearly jumping as he spotted his wild-haired friend leaning against the wall just outside. She offered her usual, bright grin, but he wasn't in the mood for cheerfulness right now.

"Aww, bad day, Butterfly?" Her warm voice echoed through the empty hall.

He just brushed passed her, striding down the hall and pretending he couldn't see her either.
XXIV

Lena

I sat with Elle, watching Fern for any sign of change while my mind ran in dizzying circles. My father, Fern, Blaze...it all swirled around too fast to separate any of it. Why had I come back, anyway? This had been the plan since the beginning: find my father and try to return to some semblance of normal life. And yet now that it came to that, that wasn't all I wanted to do.

If nothing else, I had to make sure the others would be okay before I ran off and left them. Besides, Kaiden had promised to let me know as soon as my father got back, so I didn't have much of anything better to do while I waited. A part of me whispered that he might be lying again, but I sincerely hoped not. If so...he was going to get a lot more than just a scolding.

Kaiden came back into the infirmary after a while, silent for a moment as he sat down. "How is she?"

"Not...much different. But she stopped mumbling." Elle bit her lip. "I don't know if that's a good sign or not."

Everyone looked up as Fern coughed, rolling onto her side as she shivered. She opened her eyes weakly, her gaze shifting across the room until it rested on us. "Hi." She coughed again, her voice creaky as a shudder ran through her. She closed her eyes for a moment again, then opened them, giving a small smile. "Sorry."

Elle bit her lip, her eyes flickering between worry and relief as she glanced over at Kaiden, then back at Fern, venturing. "How...do you feel?"

Fern let out a quiet laugh, a spark passing through her eyes as she pulled her legs up to her chest. "Tired."

Elle checked all of Fern's vitals, her eyes still flickering as she looked up at Kaiden. "She seems...okay."

Kaiden nodded, though he hid his reaction far too well. To be honest, I didn't understand enough of what was going on between them to know how to respond. Kaiden didn't look like he wanted to burn someone anymore, though, so I took that as a good sign, at least.

Kaiden seemed to hesitate a moment, looking over at Fern, then lingering on Elle. "Seems it was just a false alarm."

Elle's brow creased slightly, but she nodded, looking over at Fern. "Yeah, I suppose so." She paused. "I do want to keep you in here a while to make sure you're okay, though."

Fern nodded, her mouth curving up in a tired smile. "Okay." She closed her eyes, breathing out a silent sigh as her body relaxed. Kaiden stood up, leaning against the wall.

"I guess we should let her sleep for now, then?"

Elle nodded, something odd still in her eyes as she looked over at Fern. "Yeah. And I'll keep an eye on her in case...something happens."

Kaiden nodded. "Okay." He turned to me. "In that case, there's something I need to talk to you about."

I raised an eyebrow. "But not here?"

"No." He turned to walk out of the infirmary, and I followed, my curiosity piqued despite everything.

Once again, we both stayed silent as we walked, only stopping when we reached where the dragons were kept. Kaiden took a deep breath, his eyes rather serious as he turned to face me. "There's...a slight possibility your father got captured by the Empress."

I narrowed my eyes at that. "A slight possibility?"

He nodded. "Yes."

I studied him carefully. "Meaning, you lied to me again and are trying to cover it up?"

He crossed his arms. "I didn't want you making a scene again."

"So you did know! You told me he'd be right back and then what, just planned to leave me there?"

"I offered to let you come with me."

"Yeah, and if I hadn't? I'd just be, what, stuck at some camp of people I don't even know waiting for someone who's never going to show up?"

He sighed. "We still don't know if that's actually what happened, Lena. It just...seems probable. He's usually very punctual."

"You don't have to tell me that, genius. He's my father, after all." I sighed, my fingers brushing against the bottom of my earrings. "So now what?"

He was silent for far too long. "I don't know."

"Well, you're incredibly helpful."

Kaiden frowned, looking over at me. "Do you think I wanted this? He may not be my father, but Markus is still rather important to me, and to the entire camp. And if the Empress is able to get information out of him..."

"She won't. At least not easily."

Kaiden laughed. "Stubbornness run in the family, huh?"

I looked over at him, struck by a sudden thought. "Who is your father, anyway? I don't think I've ever heard you mention him."

His eyes grew hard at that, despite his attempt to hide it. "No one you should bother yourself thinking about."

I laughed. "You just like being vague, huh? Get that from your mother or father?"

Before I knew what was happening, he had me pinned to the wall, his eyes narrow and dark. "Drop it, Priss."

I blinked at him, surprised, then let out a quiet chuckle. "No one else is around, you know, so you don't have to pretend to be Blaze right now."

"I don't care. I said drop it." He let me go, his eyes still dark as he turned away. I waited a moment, rubbing my shoulder, then ventured to speak.

"You know, that just makes me even more curious, 'cause while Blaze might slam me up against a wall for no good reason, I don't think Kaiden would."

He scowled, but didn't answer. I reached out to touch his shoulder, gently. "I'm probably going to find out eventually, so you might as well tell me."

He narrowed his eyes, shoving my hand away. "No, you won't."

"Aw, why not? You know my dad so well; why can't I know anything about yours?"

He grabbed my wrist, narrowing dark eyes on me. "My father is not someone you want to know, Priss."

I shouldn't have been, but I couldn't help but be fascinated by the range of emotion in his eyes. They told more stories in mere seconds than words could ever hope to touch upon in hours of speech. And pain laced it all together, like an invisible string.

He held my gaze for a moment, then released my wrist, looking away again.

"So...what about your mother?"

He let out a hard sigh, rubbing his forehead roughly. "I don't have any desire to discuss any of my family with you right now, Priss."

I couldn't help a little grin. "'Right now'? As in, you would later?"

He gave me an irritated look at that. "Not ever."

I nodded. "Okay. Well, if you ever change your mind, I'm here." I winked, nudging him with my elbow.

He didn't respond, instead glancing at an empty spot on the wall. I sighed, looking away. "So...what's the plan?"

He sat down, rubbing his face. "I don't know. I sent a message to Sari...to see if we can find out what the Empress has planned. She hasn't responded yet."

"Well, we can't really do anything else until then, right? I mean, we can't just storm in and demand to know what her plan is and where my father is, if he's even there." I sat down next to him, quiet. "I hope she doesn't have him."

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden looked over at Lena as she fiddled with the folds of her dress. He might not have a father he cared about, or who'd cared about him, but she did. He reached over to take her hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll find him."

She looked up at him, a touch of surprise mingled with the sadness. Her gaze drifted down to their hands as she squeezed his lightly back. "Thanks."

He nodded, glancing over at the wall. "Your mother as nice as your father?"

She bit her lip, not answering for a moment. "No."

"We're opposite, then." He said it more to himself than her, not even sure if she'd heard it.

She hesitated for a moment. "I thought you said you didn't want to talk about your family."

"I thought you said you'd pester me until I told you."

She laughed softly, shrugging her shoulders. "You don't have to talk about it if it bothers you."

"I never said it bothers me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "No, you just went all angry-Blaze on me when I even mentioned your father."

He did his best not to narrow his eyes, but he couldn't push down the anger that still bubbled in his chest at the thought. "My father's a completely different matter."

"Okay." She leaned her head on his shoulder, her voice soft. "So, do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah." The word came out more hushed than he intended, but he couldn't take it back. "You?"

She nodded her head against his shoulder, blinking. "A brother. And a step-sister."

"Older or younger?"

She let out a tiny yawn, words slightly slowed. "My brother's older. Step-sister's at least..." she paused, counting silently, "five years younger." She blinked at that, murmuring to herself. "She'd be fourteen right now."

"All mine are younger." He fought to keep his tone controlled, wondering as he often did if things would have played out differently had he not been the oldest.

They would have protected her better.

He shut his eyes for a moment, shifting slightly to disguise the light shudder that ran down his back. Lena must've felt it, though, 'cause she blinked up at him. "You okay?"

"Fine." He managed the word with relative calm, though his thoughts were starting to dig for memories that he'd rather keep buried.

Another shudder rode up his spine, though it froze in the middle of his back, turning his blood cold. Every muscle in his body stopped, even his breathing shallow at the hand trailing lazily down his back.

"What are all the scars from?"

He wanted to curse, though he was still paralyzed with fear at the memories blurring with reality. He could practically feel the breath on his back, the low words whispered in his ear.

She traced one of the scars through his shirt and his heart started pounding, like it wanted him to run far, far away from all this. But he couldn't move, could hardly even tear himself from the memories even as she mumbled sleepily next to him.

"Did someone...hurt you?"

He shut his eyes to hold back the scream in his mind, the voices and the pain blurring together until he just felt numbed by it all, though he could feel it tearing him apart. His words came out ragged. "Priss..."

She didn't respond for a long moment, tracing one particularly nasty scar while his lungs felt like they might explode. "...Yes?"

"Stop." He dropped his head, drawing in long, painful breaths at the echoes running through his mind. "Please."

She blinked at him, her hand stilling. "It hurts?"

He wanted to laugh, wanted to find some way to let out the pain pounding in his head. "Yes."

She stopped, but didn't pull her hand away, seeming to think that over. He wanted to yank it off of him, wanted to shove her away and run like he'd never run before. He wanted to take his siblings and hide them away, and his heart ached at the thought. They were lost. And he'd never forgive himself if they got hurt because he wasn't able to stop it. That's all he'd ever wanted to do.

A hand brushed his cheek, sending a new wave of memories colliding with the other ones. It shook him to his core, made him lose his grip on everything he held so tightly. He couldn't do it, couldn't...fight it. Not anymore.

"Tears..."

The word was soft, almost confused. He lifted his shaking hand to pull hers away, fighting back another shudder. She didn't know. She didn't know and she never would. But he still had to stop her.

He debated slipping into her mind and helping her to sleep, but he didn't trust his spinning, frantic mind to be careful enough. And if he hurt her, too...

The fire in his chest spread, eating up his oxygen. It always burned worse there than anywhere else in his body. Maybe that's why he'd never cared much about the physical pain; it could never rival the pain in his heart. The beatings his body had taken...those were for them. To keep them safe. It made every moment worth it, as much as it broke him down.

He squeezed her hand as tightly as he dared, drawing in a shallow breath. She jerked beside him, looking around with half-lidded eyes. "What?"

He relaxed his grip, letting her hand slip from his as he fought the urge to curl into a ball. He forced in a deep, painful breath, like inhaling fire. Lena yawned and laid her head against him, mumbling something sleepily under her breath. He shifted so she'd be better supported, squeezing his hands at his sides so he didn't wrap his arms around her and never let go. The pain in his chest hadn't faded, just honed to a single, burning beam illuminating the truth his aching heart had tried so hard to conceal.

And she wondered why he said he was insane.

He waited several long minutes, taking quiet breaths to restore the normal rhythm of his breathing as he slowly and carefully started locking back up the memories, though the echoes still haunted him. He looked over at Lena, who was slumped gently against him, her eyes closed in peaceful respite. He shifted to scoop her up in his arms, holding her as close as he dared as he stood to his feet. She stirred, murmuring something to the empty air, but stayed sound asleep.

He took her back to her room, using his knowledge of the tunnels to avoid as many people as possible. A part of him didn't want to set her down, though that might've just been because his mind wasn't as loud when others were around. He set her on her bed, hesitating for just a moment, then turned and headed for his own room.

He didn't sleep very well that night, though that was no surprise. The memories Lena had accidentally unlocked...they still made him shiver if he let them get too close. If the darkness brought them into his dreams...it'd be better not to sleep.

He stared at the message from Sari, Ril curled up next to him in a pink snoring ball. At least it gave him something to distract himself from the thoughts now too close to the surface for comfort. She said she knew someone who might have information about the Empress' plans, and had laid out a detailed plan of how they would get into the Hall where she would be staying. It was a risky move, but Sari convinced the Council that having Gifted as bodyguards would be smart in case the Empress tried anything. They'd be rather closely watched, but it could also be a way to win back some of the Council's trust – if things didn't go south.

He thought about the plan far longer than he needed to, and anything else he could distract his mind with. Occasionally, the girl who didn't exist would show herself, long enough for a smile, a few words, and disappear again. He knew he should sleep, but couldn't bring himself to try. He didn't need to hear any more screaming tonight.

XXV

Lena

I had a very strange dream. It involved Kaiden and sleeping and a few odd words. But I didn't even remember getting into bed, let alone falling asleep.

And my neck hurt. I tried to massage the knot in it as I toppled out of bed, still wondering about the dream. Unless it hadn't been a dream...

That was a strange thought, so I shoved it aside, reaching for my red dress instead. I took my sweet time getting ready, fixing my hair into a decent-looking updo and slipping on my earrings. It felt good to look like a lady again, rather than being dressed in uncomfortable leather with sweat sticking to my skin.

I caught sight of a note on my end table and picked it up, reading it briefly. Kaiden had mentioned something about sending a message to Sari; she must've responded, because the note said to meet in the training hall to go over the 'plan'. That was fine with me, as long as no one tried to drag me along on some sweaty adventure today. I was putting my foot down on that one, prissy or not. Today I would look as much of a lady as I acted.

Kaiden would've laughed if I said that. I didn't care, though, just straightened my shoulders and walked out of my room, feeling more confident than I had in a while.

Turns out, though the 'adventure' Kaiden had planned wasn't sweaty, it did require changing from my dress. We were all going to attend the meeting between the Empress and the Council as the Council's bodyguards, and that required wearing the – as Talon dubbed them, 'snazzy' – uniforms, too. They were more comfortable than our usual gear, at least, red and silver with a dragon insignia on the sleeve. How ironic that must seem now, with all the dragon attacks.

Talon looked like a kid who'd just been told he'd get a present if he behaved, which seemed strange when we were going to see the Empress. Despite his attempt to keep a calm expression, a sparkle still lingered in his eyes. I half-remembered a conversation from a while ago, where he'd mentioned her, but with everything going on, I brushed it aside.

Kaiden cut quite a rather impressive figure in his uniform, though I'd never admit it aloud. Even his hair was neatly combed, rather than sticking out wildly like it usually did.

Talon's eyes sparkled. "You know, in those threads, you look more like a Galdanian guard than a Calestan one." He chuckled. "Or maybe that's just the expression."

Kaiden frowned, but just nodded to the door. "Let's go."

We weren't able to ride dragons into town for obvious reasons, but somehow Sari managed to secure a rather comfortable carriage instead. My inner princess cried in delight as I settled onto one of the cushy seats. After the rigors I'd put my body through, I'd been aching for a rest, and there was no better comfort than a carriage. Blaze seemed to be the only one uncomfortable with the ride, subtly shifting his positioning throughout as if trying to find one that was bearable.

Too soon, the ride was over, as the streets ahead sparkled whiter in the sunlight of the Upper towns. Merilea was our stop, I was told.

Kaiden was still stiff in his fancy uniform, and I almost felt bad for him. It must be a strange feeling, acting like a prince when you've been nothing most of your life.

Yet, funny enough, Kaiden looked like he fit right in at the Council's side. They were all uneasy, the emotions flowing off them like waves.

The Hall reminded me far too much of home. The high, arched ceiling only added to the empty echoing of the room, a long table stretched through it nearly end to end. Open archways to one side led into the hallway, and the other rooms in the building.

Silence fell over the hall as foot soldiers dressed even fancier than we were entered, announcing the arrival of the Empress. I could feel Talon pull in a breath beside me and wished I could reach out and squeeze his hand. If he thought the Empress was anything impressive, he was in for a surprise.

She entered in grandeur, though her dress was a calmer purple than I expected, very unlike her usually elaborate style. She seemed playful, almost, as she took the seat at the head of the table and smiled at the group. "Gentlemen. It's been too long."

She received a few stiff nods and murmured greetings, which didn't seem to please her. She widened her cool smile, her eyes assessing them like a lion with its prey. She looked young, playful even with the light curve to her lips and full, dark eyes. But there was no mistaking the spark of cruelty in them, if you knew where to look. And I certainly did. Though she appeared hardly older than 21, I doubted many knew her secret. Galdania was vain, and the Empress was the vainest of all. She claimed she didn't even go outside often because it would damage her skin, and even now I could see the sheer veil draped down her shoulders, which she must've worn on the ride here.

"Please, do be seated." Her eyes held a hint of laughter, but also something dangerous as she sat down, gesturing to the side. A servant brought her a goblet, which she swished around in three wide, calm movements before raising it to the table. She crossed one leg over the other, the skirt draping down to the side revealingly.

The Council shuffled into their seats with a few murmurs and disgruntled whispers, but those quickly died down. The Empress smiled such a calm, charming smile that the entire room fell at ease, even Talon beside me. Kaiden, I noticed, kept the frown on surprisingly well, looking no less tense than before.

The meeting itself was long and tedious. The Empress was an expert with words and wielded them in such a gracious way that I could see some of the Council start to absorb what she was saying. Most of them were highly suspicious of her – and rightly so – but as the meeting went on, they began to melt, listening intently as she spun visions of grandeur. She promised them a world where they were protected from dragons and other threats, but smoothly slid around the question of the price. The Empress's smile remained consistent as she spoke, though I could see the dark delight in her eyes. And I didn't like it. If she convinced them to ally with her...Calest would become a mere extension of Galdania, just like the other provinces. We had to stop her, and quickly.

Talon, however, seemed too entranced by the Empress' words to be of much help. I wondered if he was even trying to influence any of the Council members or just soaking in the Empress' speech. Kaiden and I seemed to be the only ones uncomfortable with this situation, and I didn't know how to stop it.

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden waited in the hall, glancing both ways on occasion to make sure no one was nearby. They should all be at the dinner, but one could never be too careful, especially where the Empress was involved.

A thin wisp of a girl slipped around the corner, glancing both ways even more cautiously than he had, her hands clasped in front of her skirts. She kept her head low as she walked over to him, barely daring to meet his eyes. She repeated the gesture they'd first used to identify each other, perhaps out of nervousness, then glanced both ways again before speaking, her voice low and hushed like wind through the reeds. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

He nodded, giving the hallway another cursory glance, before looking back at her. "I was told you have information for me?"

The girl's eyes widened, her gaze darting down the hall again before going back to him with a slight nod. "Yes, but we mustn't talk about that here. Come." She beckoned with a tiny hand, slipping down one of the other hallways and leading him to a more secluded area before she turned to face him again. "My name's Katya. And you are?"

He could see her eyes searching for reassurance in his. "Blaze Montego. I'm a friend of Sari's."

This seemed to make her breathe easier, a little of the hunted look disappearing from her eyes...or maybe just hiding. "That's good. Sari's been quite nice to me." She smiled hesitantly, then swallowed, looking around though there was no one there. No one that she could see, anyway.

Kaiden nodded, but stayed silent, waiting for her to get to the point. She fidgeted nervously with her hands, eyes darting around the small room as if there were eyes everywhere that she was afraid of. He wondered briefly if she could feel the pair she couldn't see, but quickly dismissed it. Only he knew those jade-green eyes were around. A figment of my imagination.

She opened her mouth to speak, then stopped, swallowing. "Sari said that you should be able to help, but..." She hung her head, her words coming out much smaller than before. "I'm scared. If the Empress finds out..."

"She won't find out." He tried to keep his words gentle. "But I can't help you if you stay silent, either."

Guilt seeped into her eyes, though she tried to blink it away. She lifted her head, meeting his eyes as if it took every ounce of courage in her to do it. "The Empress has been using Gifted to control the dragons. She's been behind most of the attacks on the towns recently, though not all have been the most...successful."

Something flickered to life in Kaiden's mind as he searched her eyes for any sign of falsehood. There was none, which raised far too many questions for him to be comfortable with. The Empress was behind the attacks? But that would mean...

"How can they control the dragons?"

Katya opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it, her body trembling as she shook her head. "I c-can't..."

He frowned. "Can't what?"

She shook her head more frantically, choking on a breath as she shrank back against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut. He hesitated, then reached out for her mind, searching for the information.

The moment he touched her thoughts, she screamed. He acted quickly, pulling her against him and clapping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she started shaking, muffled words vibrating past his hand. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

He was distracted from the words she said and the thoughts bouncing around his head. Footsteps pounded down the hall, and he pressed up against the wall, still holding his hand over her mouth to quiet her sobs.

A familiar voice rang through the silence. Talon stood in view, a frown tugging at his lips as he looked at them.

"What are you doing with my sister?"

XXVI

Lena

I sat at the banquet table, trying to stop my fingers from tapping on my glass. Both Talon and Kaiden had been gone for far too long, and I had no intention of sitting through this entire meal alone, no matter how delicious the food looked. Dinner parties with the Empress never went well.

I glanced across the table, making eye contact with Sari. She gave a barely imperceptible nod, and that's all that I needed. I stood up, quietly excusing myself as I headed for the hall.

Angry male voices caught my ears far too quickly. I followed the sound, exasperated, until I caught sight of both of them, going at it like they often did at the Mountain.

"I think I deserve to know," Talon frowned, his arms crossed, "since that was my sister you were holding."

I looked between the two of them, bewildered. Sister?

Kaiden snorted. "Yeah, well, apparently she didn't want to see you, since she ran off the moment you came into view."

"That's because you were scaring her!"

I pushed my way between them. "Boys!"

That got their attention. Now instead of frowning at each other, they were frowning at me. "What?"

I narrowed a look at both of them. "Do you really think this is the best place for this? What on earth are you fighting about, anyway?" I thought better of that as I saw them both open their mouths, and held up my hands. "Never mind, I don't even want to know. But are either of you even aware that the banquet's about to start in just a few minutes?"

I could see the 'he started it' written on both of their faces and sighed in exasperation. "We'll talk about this later. For right now, can we just focus on what we came here to do?"

Kaiden muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch, but Talon must have, for he threw Kaiden an irritated glare. Kaiden rolled his eyes, but nodded at me. "Sure. We'll be right there."

"Thank you." I looked between the two of them. "And if you could both not look like you want to kill each other when you do, I'd appreciate that."

<><><>

Katya

She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, not daring to look up as someone entered her room. She knew who it was without even seeing him, though she didn't dare name him even in the solitude of her mind. It gave him too much power, and that was not something she could handle right now. Even just knowing he was there sent her thoughts spiraling in dizzying loops, taking pieces of her identity with them. Who was she? Was she doing the right thing? Was he really right about all this?

"So, I saw you had a talk with one of the Calestans."

Her heart pounded against her chest. She squeezed her fingers around the airy fabric on her palm, as if it could give her some slight sense of relief. Still, it was pointless to lie to him, and they both knew it. "Yes."

He stepped closer to her, and her breath hitched as she felt his hand rest on her shoulder, gripping it just tightly enough to send a subtle warning. He turned her around to face him, disapproval lingering amidst the much darker look in his eyes. "And what, exactly, did you talk about?"

She swallowed, unable to tear her gaze away from his, as much as it petrified her. "Nothing."

He studied her silently for a moment. Her mind ran in frantic circles, trying to conceal her fear as he slid into her mind. She shuddered, biting back a scream as he pushed aside her memories carelessly, jumbling them even more than before and jogging some loose that made her flinch, her skin burning though no one had hit her. His hand over her mouth only made the panic spike that much more, muffling the scream that his intrusion finally pulled out of her. He searched through and discarded pieces of her until he found what he was looking for, a frown settling on his lips. "The Empress won't be happy about this."

His voice whispering through her mind only made her cringe that much more, and she tried to pull away, only to have his grip tighten further. "I didn't...tell him anything."

"No. But you were going to."

Memories flashed through her mind, nearly stealing her breath away as the lines between past and present faded to nearly indiscernible.

"Katya!"

His harsh voice snapped her back to the present, and she looked up at him, wide-eyed, unable to even wet her lips enough to get words out. They ran frantically through her mind, looking for a place to hide and urging her to do the same. Dread settled in her stomach as his stern eyes caught hers again, holding them captive for a moment before the look faded to simple disappointment. "I thought you were on my side."

The words were so much softer, perfectly framed by a note of regret that it pulled guilt up into her chest, though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. He was the monster here, not her.

Right?

He brushed his thumb over her cheek, his eyes softer as he studied her face. Her skin shrank back from the contact, her stomach turning at how easily he turned things around on her. She hated it.

"I should tell her right now, you know. But I'm not going to." He took a step back, sliding his hand down to clasp hers. "You don't understand the importance of this. But you will. Which is why I'm letting you off with a warning for now." He squeezed her hand, gently at first, then tighter until it started to burn. She tried to jerk it away, biting back a yelp as his eyes grew more serious and dark again. "But you say one more word that you shouldn't and I don't care how much you plead with me, I will tell the Empress. Understand?"

It was getting hard to breathe again, her thoughts and memories stirring up in a frantic whirl as the pretense ended. She managed to move her head in a nod, jerking her hand back when he finally let go of it.

"Good." He smiled, though she didn't find it pleasant to look at. "Then I would suggest you do your best to stay out of trouble until our guests leave."

She waited until he left the room, then sagged against the wall, blinking back the moisture pooling in her eyes. She didn't wait long, though, drawing in a slow breath to calm her nerves before she straightened up, squeezing her fists around the material over her hands. It gave her a small burst of courage, which was exactly what she needed for what she was about to do.

XXVII

Lena

Both Kaiden and Talon seemed way too tense when they came back into the hall. Kaiden, as usual, ignored everyone and focused on his food. Talon's gaze kept drifting to the other side of the room, as if he expected someone else to be there. He seemed to forget the food was even there, holding his fork above his plate much longer than need be before finally lifting it to his mouth. I coughed, nudging him lightly with my elbow. "You okay?"

"Fine." He looked down at his plate, pushing food around.

I waited a moment, then ventured. "You said...your sister is here?"

He dropped the fork. "Yeah."

"That's...a good thing, right? I thought you said she was in the Mines?"

He laughed quietly, pushing away from the table as he nodded. "Yeah. It's wonderful." He gave me a wry smile. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

I nodded, standing up to follow him. "Yeah, of course."

He stayed silent until we were out in the hallway, taking a breath as he leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry, I should've told you sooner. I knew my sister wasn't in the Mines, I just..." He winced. "I guess it was just easier to say that than...the truth." He dropped his hand, and his gaze. "She's loyal to the Empress. Has been most of her life, actually. I just...don't like seeing her in a negative light, and thought maybe I could persuade her to change." He took in a quiet, unsteady breath. "Guess not."

I bit my lip, absorbing all this information. "I'm...sorry."

He shook his head quietly. "No, I am. I should've told you sooner, especially if..." He paused, looking up at the ceiling. "You can't trust a word she says, Lena. She seems all sweet and shy, but..." He pressed his lips together, pain flashing through his eyes. "It's all an act. She did things when we were younger...and then blamed them on me. Tried to get me to join her, but I refused. She taught me to develop my powers...only to turn me in as a 'traitor' and use me as her scapegoat." He swallowed, letting out a shaky laugh. "But it's not her fault, really. She's not...right in the head."

My brow creased at that. "So...she doesn't realize what she's doing is wrong?"

Talon shook his head, his eyes growing mournful. "No. I tried to get through to her, many times, but it just didn't work. She'll try to tell you it was all my fault; that's how deluded she is." He took a slow breath, the pain still seeping through. "She'll tell you I'm the monster, that I'm the one who did all that to her." He smiled wryly, the pain radiating through stronger with every word. "I was just trying to save her."

I laid a hand on his shoulder, not sure what else to do. He sighed, managing a tiny smile. "Thanks. It's not been...easy seeing her again. It brings back all the memories." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Sorry if I'm a bit off because of that."

"No, you're fine. Do you need a minute?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Just wanted to let someone know in case...she says anything to you." He pushed away from the wall, smiling grimly again. "But we should probably get back, in case someone misses us."

<><><>

Kaiden

"Blaze?"

Kaiden turned around to see Katya standing there, her fingers curled in toward her palms as she met his gaze, bravely. "Yes?"

Her throat moved in a tiny swallow as she glanced around, something like relief flickering through her eyes for a moment. "I have something to tell you. But not here."

He stood up, noting the unsettled look in her eyes. "Okay. Where?"

She glanced around again, swallowing, then nodded toward one of the doors. "There. But we must be quick." A hunted look flashed through her eyes for a moment before she nudged him toward the door, her voice hushed. "Please."

He did as she asked, following as she practically strode out of the room, her movements a touch too stiff. She pulled him just out of view of the doorway, glancing around again before she started speaking. Her words practically tumbled over each other, as if she couldn't get them out fast enough.

"I'm sorry I ran out like that. I got...scared." She looked down. "The Empress plans to launch an attack on Merilea tomorrow, with the dragons. Then she'll use me and some of the other Gifted to stop the attacks."

He frowned, thinking of how effective that would be. The Calestans' faith in them was already shaky.

"So, you'll just have to beat them to it." Her voice came out surprisingly brave, though it returned to trembly a moment later. "I...will do my best to buy you some time, but I can't stop the others. The Empress may try to spin things, too, so you should make it obvious that it was your doing and not hers. She's clever, and she really wants Calest under her power..."

Kaiden nodded again, folding his arms over his chest. "She might kill you for that."

A twinge of pain flashed through her eyes. "It will be worth it, if I can repay any part of the debt I owe." She bit her lip to keep it from trembling, lowering her head. "I suppose Talon told you what I did."

Kaiden frowned at that. "No, he hasn't said much about you, actually."

She laughed softly, brokenly at that, her words too quiet. "I'm not surprised. By all names, I am a traitor to him and deserve no pity. This is what I deserve, and perhaps if I die honorably, the gods will favor me in the afterlife. It's a small hope, but I don't have much else to cling to." She gave him a trembly smile.

Kaiden remained quiet for a moment. "You could come with us, if you want."

She shook her head, almost laughing. "No...I can't." She bit her lip, something flashing through her eyes. "But...you need to be careful. One of your group..." she swallowed, her hands getting fidgety as she glanced down at her dress, "they're working with the Empress. They...they'll turn you over to her if they can. Don't...trust them." She licked her lips, her arms trembling as she looked up at him fearfully. "Just be careful."

He frowned at that. "How do you know that?"

She shook her head, biting her lip as she squeezed her fists around the material of her dress. "Don't ask, please. I've already said too much."

He nodded, not sure what to make of that information. "Thank you. This is incredibly brave of you."

She let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah...brave. Or foolish, maybe." She bit her lip. "But I think...if anyone has a chance of stopping the Empress, it's you. I...I can't, but if I can be part of her downfall, then I can die happy." She gave him a small smile. "But I need to get back now. Thank you, Blaze." She bowed her head, then ducked out into the hallway, disappearing around a corner. Kaiden stood there for a moment, playing what she'd said back in his head.

Talon was waiting by the door when he walked back into the room, a frown creasing his forehead. "What did she tell you?"

Kaiden frowned right back. "Lots of things."

Talon laughed, though it wasn't a nice one. "Well, hopefully you weren't relying on her information, because you can't trust a word she says."

Kaiden snorted, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Why not?"

Talon shook his head. "She's...deluded. I tried telling you before, but you just insisted on yelling at me. She thinks she knows what she's talking about, but she really doesn't. She'll say things happened when it's exactly the opposite."

Kaiden crossed his arms. "Why is your sister working with the Empress at all? What is a Calestan doing with her?"

"I told you, she's delusional. She ran away to join the Empress." He cringed slightly, but that just made Kaiden frown more.

"She said the Empress has been using Gifted to control the infected dragons."

Talon laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Sure they have. See, I told you she's not trustworthy."

Kaiden frowned, thinking of the other information Katya had given him. He decided to keep that part to himself for now, and just nodded. "So we wasted an entire trip here."

Talon sighed. "I'm sorry. If I'd known she was your informant, I could've warned you." He stayed quiet for a moment. "Did she say anything about me?"

Kaiden shook his head. "Only that she thought you considered her a traitor."

Talon rubbed his forehead. "Well...she is working with the Empress. But she's also confused, so I can't say I fault her."

Kaiden nodded, then stood up. "Well, I still want to see if there's anything useful to what she said. Most lies and misconceptions are built around a kernel of truth." He shrugged a shoulder, walking off to find Sari.

<><><>

Katya

Katya hurried back to her room, running through the possibilities in her mind that he hadn't found out.

The odds weren't in her favor. She practically ran into him in one of the hallways, stopping just moments before a collision.

"So, a warning wasn't enough for you, huh?

She swallowed, trying to still her racing heart. "What?"

He pinned her against the wall. "Don't play games with me, Katya. I know exactly what you did. Did you really think you'd be able to keep it from me?"

She barely held back a scream as he dug into her mind, and she tried to shrink down out of his grasp. He just tightened it, his eyes narrowing as he pulled up the entire conversation in her mind. "I'd almost think you're stupid if I didn't know any better. Or maybe you didn't think I was serious." His eyes grew dark. "Well, I am very serious. I don't care who you are to me, I will not let you jeopardize the Empress' plan."

Panic rose up in her throat again as he started pulling up memories, jostling the past loose until it made her want to scream. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut, blindly trying to shut them out. But for every door she shut, he just opened another, until she couldn't take it anymore. She sagged against the wall, though his grip kept her standing upright, his eyes narrowed as he watched her.

"You can't be trusted, Katya, because you don't even know what's real. You try to pass your guilt off onto others and hide it, but deep down, you know I'm right. You know you should be here, and you know exactly what I have to do."

She tried to hold it back, but a sob still broke through, tears blurring her vision as her body trembled. "Talon...please."

He stayed silent for a moment, looking at her. "Beg to the Empress, not to me."

She cried out in pain as he released her, but he didn't seem to hear or care. She slumped to the ground, all her tears breaking loose as he walked away. She didn't have the energy to speak, but reached out to him anyway, touching the edges of his mind. "Please, don't do this."

He shoved her out of his mind. She buried her face in her arms and cried.

XXVIII

Talon

Talon stepped into the room, concealing a quiet shiver of excitement as he glanced around. This was the second time he'd seen the Empress in person that day, yet it was no less impressive than the last. Her beauty was chilling, like frost on a window or the bite of a winter wind, yet that was somehow what made it so endearing.

He was so captivated for a moment that he forgot why he was there. She glanced his way, then beckoned him over to the table she was seated at. He bowed low as he approached her, but she waved her hand dismissively, gesturing to a chair instead. "I don't need your formalities. You said you have important information for me?"

Talon did so obediently, fighting down another shiver. "I do, Your Highness." He hesitated a moment. "It's about Katya."

Something flicked through the Empress' gaze at that. "Oh? Come to beg for her life again?"

He shifted slightly, unable to tear his eyes away from her cold blue ones. "No. I understand what she did, and you've been more than merciful by not killing her. But it seems...she still doesn't." He paused, considering his words and the way her eyes seemed to pierce right through him. "She told one of the Calestans about our plan. Everything about it, actually."

The Empress remained silent for too long, studying him. "Then we will simply attack them elsewhere."

Talon nodded. "If it isn't too bold of me, my Lady, I actually had a different idea." He hesitated, watching for her reaction. Very little changed in her ice blue eyes, though, so he pressed on before he lost his courage. "Let them think they have the upper hand; let them win the battle, even. And then, while they're distracted, I can get you the Bane."

The Empress seemed to consider this for a moment. "I thought you said you failed to retrieve the Bane."

"I was...mistaken."

The Empress' eyes grew colder at that. "And how do I know you won't be 'mistaken' this time?"

He fought the urge to shift under her gaze. "I swear it on my life."

A smile touched the Empress' lips. "That's quite the bold promise to make, Isreld."

Talon relaxed slightly. "I live only to serve you, my Lady."

She seemed pleased by this, her eyes calming down to a gentle winter wind. "And what of the girl? What do you think her punishment should be?"

Talon considered his words carefully before speaking. "Whatever you see fit, Your Highness. It's not me she has betrayed."

A flicker of amusement crossed the Empress' lips. "Very well. Then you are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow, and I expect you to have the Bane with you."

Talon stood, bowing once more before he left the room.

<><><>

Lena

To be honest, I was expecting a bit more from the Empress' plan. But I supposed it was pretty smart if you weren't expecting it. Since we were, though, it seemed far too easy, and nowhere near as difficult as taking down a three-headed dragon.

No one else seemed very worried, either, save for Kaiden. But when I asked him about it, he just brushed me aside, though I could see the troubled look in his eyes.

Actually, the battle was a piece of cake. Sure, we got a little scratched up and worn down, but since the attackers weren't expecting us to be prepared, it went rather quickly, and with very little damage to the town. Everything pretty much just...fell into place. Kaiden even convinced Katya to come with us, despite Talon's warning. She stayed pretty silent, though she seemed to be in a lot of pain. Chan ended up carrying her back to the Mountain, even though she tried to protest.

I thought maybe Fern would greet us when we got back, unless Elle was still keeping her in the infirmary. Or maybe Basil would, in her stead.

Instead, we were met with silence.

Kaiden led the way through the Mountain, his brow starting to crease as he cast glances down some of the hallways. He pushed open the door to the infirmary and just...froze. I furrowed my brow, hurrying ahead to see what he was staring at, and my mouth fell open.

The room was wrecked. Papers and plants were scattered everywhere, as if someone had put up quite a struggle. And Elle and Fern were nowhere in sight.

Kaiden stepped away from the room after a long moment, gesturing to the hallways. "They're probably... elsewhere. Should search the whole Mountain."

I could see that he didn't believe it, but everyone obeyed anyway, splitting up and calling out the various names as they went. Chan slipped into the infirmary to tend to Katya, and Kaiden ran a hand over his face, staring at the wall for a moment as he murmured a name under his breath. "Kinny..."

I was about to follow the others, but glanced back when Kaiden spoke. "What?"

He blinked over at me, opening his mouth to speak, then shook his head and turned, striding down the hallway away from me.

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden's gut clenched. They'd torn the Mountain apart, searched every nook and cranny, but there was no one.

They wouldn't be foolish enough to go outside, would they?

But no, they weren't out there either. Kaiden called off the search eventually, gathering everyone in the training hall.

"Everyone's gone. Everyone. Elle, Fern, Basil...even Dailen isn't hiding in a corner somewhere. The dragons are gone, too."

"What about the child?"

Kaiden swore loudly, shooting to his feet. Olive gave him a disapproving look, though he ignored it, and the appalled looks from the other. Talon just whistled, which grated on his nerves. He strode out of the room heading to the cells.

Nothing. The cell door was open and there was no one there. He let out another string of curses and practically ran back to the training hall, the anger hardening into a very cold, very sharp steel.

"The Bane is gone too. Everyone is gone."

They all sat there, stunned. In one moment, all the 'victory' they'd achieved was swept out from underneath them. And then the unnerving question began to settle.

Who had done this?

Kaiden felt like he was going to be sick. If this had been a trap...

Katya's words came to his mind. He spun around, heading back toward the infirmary. "Katya!"

Katya jumped when he burst into the infirmary. She gripped Chan's arm, blinking as Chan threw Kaiden an annoyed look. Kaiden ignored it, focusing on Katya. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

Chan didn't look pleased with that, especially when Katya started trembling, but she nodded, releasing her grip on Chan. "Okay."

Kaiden reached out to pull her out into out into the hallway, but Chan frowned, pulling her back protectively. "She still needs medical care."

Katya gently pushed his hand away, giving him a brave smile that seemed to say "I'll be alright." He didn't stop frowning, but let her go, giving Kaiden a look that said he'd better be nice to her, or else. Kaiden ignored it, pulling Katya carefully out of the infirmary and into one of the smaller corridors. "Tell me one of my team isn't responsible for this."

Her eyes widened as she swallowed, her arms shaking even more. She choked on a sound of some sort, tears pooling in her eyes. "I...I can't."

Kaiden narrowed his eyes, keeping his voice as low as possible. "If one of my team is a traitor, Katya, I need to know. Lives could be at stake."

She was trembling so hard he had to hold her shoulders to keep her upright, though that just seemed to scare her even more. She leaned her head down, burying it in his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He fought to keep his voice calm. "Katya, you have to tell me. If one of my team is responsible for this..."

She shook her head, her eyes wet with tears. "I don't...know."

He frowned, relaxing his grip when he realized it was tight. "You said there was someone who was going to betray us. Who were you talking about?"

She choked on tears, burying her face in her hands and shaking her head wildly as she slid out of his grasp, down to the ground. Her breath came out in painful gasps, tears dripping onto her dress, nearly hyperventilating. He frowned and sat down next to her, putting a hand softly on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I just...I need to know. Do you know who took them?"

She kept shaking her head, choking back sobs. "I...I..." She squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a strangled sob as she buried her face against him. "I'm so scared..."

He rubbed her back gently, frowning. "Why?"

She hiccupped a sob. "They...they're working with the Empress."

He cursed again, which made her cringe. That's exactly what he feared. If the Empress had the Bane...then all of that had been for nothing.

"I'm sorry, Katya." He stood up, walking away before his emotions tore a hole in him and screamed out anyway. The Empress...the Empress had the Bane. And Kinny.

He stalked back to the training hall, dragging Chan along with him. If one of them had done this...he wasn't letting anyone out of his sight until he found out who. He had his suspicions, but no actual proof. And the team was already shaken up enough about the disappearances; accusing people would only make things dissolve into further chaos.

He rubbed his head, frustrated. The thought of one of them allying with the Empress...it made him sick. It made him sicker to realize what thin ground he was treading on, and how horribly things had been set up. No, he would have to have at least some evidence to back up a claim before he could even say such things.

They couldn't stay in the Mountain much longer, either, now that the Empress knew where they were. But he couldn't take them to the camp and risk being betrayed there, too.

Kaiden hated being the leader. Hated having to look around the room and wonder if one of them had betrayed them. And if so, why? How?

Of course, they'd all had the opportunity. They were right by the Empress, which he cursed himself for not seeing. The moment Katya had warned him, he should've taken it more seriously, watched everyone more closely.

Everyone sat silent in the training hall, stunned. Kaiden worried the most about Olive. She hadn't spoken a word since they'd found the infirmary wrecked, hadn't even said her brother's name. Of everyone, he knew most what must've been spinning through her head, even if it never left her lips. The shock and anger and struggle to keep yourself from spinning out of control.

Olive. He breathed a small sigh of relief. Olive cared far too much about Basil to ever let him be captured. Which made at least one person he could trust. Everyone else...he cursed himself for not paying closer attention to them. After his first team...he'd just assumed they'd be just as loyal, even if he wasn't around.

He looked around the room, bile rising in his throat. The thought of any of them being a traitor...it made him sick to his stomach. His emotions were too raw at the moment to handle this. He wanted to stand up and run from the room, find...some way to get them back. To get her back.

Kinny...

But with the Bane gone... A new hole opened up in his stomach. They'd failed. He'd failed. The Empress had the Bane and they had no way to get to her, and his head was starting to spin so much that the voices and faces started blurring into the same white haze. He stood up, murmuring something under his breath as he left the training hall.

And of course, it was Talon that followed him.

"Hey, Blaze?"

Kaiden didn't even cast a look behind him, irritation flickering in his eyes. "What?"

Talon hesitated, glancing around. He waited until they were a little ways away, then lowered his voice. "I know this is very bad timing, but...I think there's something you should know. I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to believe it, but in light of the situation..." He pressed his lips together grimly. "Lena's Galdanian."

Kaiden let out a laugh, throwing Talon a look. "She may be prissy, Isreld, but she's not that prissy."

Talon stayed quiet for a moment. "Ask her, then. I pretended to be Galdanian and asked her a few questions and she opened up immediately. She even...mentioned adoring the Empress, but I didn't stop to think." He sighed. "If I'd told you sooner..."

Kaiden slammed him against the wall, growling. "Stop. Just stop. I haven't believed a word out of your filthy mouth since I met you, and if this is some dirty trick to make Lena look bad, I will hurt you. I don't give a dag what Sari or Chan or anyone else thinks."

Talon met his gaze steadily. "Just...go ask her, then. And you can come beat me up afterward if it isn't true."

He scowled, releasing Talon none-too-gently. "I will. And you'd better remember that you gave me permission to beat you."

"Oh, I will." Talon's voice was still too soft, and he stayed against the wall, glancing at the door. "Better go ask her first, though."

Kaiden threw him one last glare, then turned and stalked back down the hallway. He hated that despite how much he didn't want to believe it, he had to go ask her now. His mind wouldn't leave him alone until it did, and it was already frantic enough with trying not to think of Kinny.

He shut his eyes for a moment. That still wasn't possible. Elle...Kinny couldn't be gone. He wouldn't let it happen. He couldn't have let it happen. Maybe this was a bad dream or something.

If so, that'd make talking to Lena easier. He pushed aside thoughts of his sister and focused on Lena instead, if only to distract himself.

The closer Kaiden got to her, the more his gut churned. What if Talon was right? He couldn't stomach the thought. Lena would surely agree with him and then he could go beat Talon up for even suggesting it. Except if she didn't...

"Lena?"

She turned her head, brief surprise flashing in her eye. "Yeah?"

He hesitated, his gut twisting even more as he shoved it down, irritated with himself. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

She looked even more surprised, but nodded. "Sure. Where?"

"Just one of the smaller rooms. C'mon."

She followed obediently. He wove through the tunnels until he found one far away from the others, gesturing her inside. If she seemed nervous, she didn't show it.

He closed the door behind him, waiting a long moment before he had the courage to speak, and even then, his words were too soft for his liking.

"I have a question for you."

"Okay." She didn't seem bothered by this at all. "What is it?"

Another long moment passed as he rearranged the words in his mind. "It's just a yes or no question. But I need you to answer truthfully."

"Okay, Beanhead, I get it." She laughed, meeting his gaze steadily. "What's the question?"

He could barely bring himself to keep his gaze on hers. "Are you Galdanian?"

For a split second, something flickered in her eyes. She sat down slowly in a chair, letting out an unsteady laugh. "Kaiden, I'm not..."

"Just answer the question, Lena." He hoped his eyes weren't flickering as much as the flames in him were, twisting in his gut as he waited for an answer she'd already given.
XXIX

Lena

"Are you Galdanian?"

Suddenly, everything made sense, and the room seemed to get ten degrees colder. He knew. Somehow, he knew, and with the current situation...this was going from bad to worse very quickly.

I opened my mouth a second too late to respond, and could already see the look crossing his face, the truth hitting him as hard as if I'd spoken it. "Yes." I paused for just a split second to draw in a breath, then added, "But I—"

He cut me off, his words removed. "I don't want to hear it." A bitter smile twitched at the corners of his lips, somewhere between a laugh and a grimace. "And here I thought it had to be Talon. It was the only thing that made sense, until now." He shook his head, running a hand roughly along his forehead as he looked at the wall, letting out a laugh that was far too soft. "It all adds up though, huh? Certainly explains why you don't even seem to care what happens to the team."

I frowned at that. "Just because I'm Galdanian doesn't make me a traitor."

He let out a bitter laugh, looking over at me. "Oh, it doesn't, does it? Because Galdanians care so much about what happens to Calest. They aren't loyal to the Empress at all and wouldn't betray their 'friends' for her."

I narrowed my eyes, letting my voice grow cold. "Not all of them are."

He shook his head, looking away. "And how am I supposed to believe a word you say anymore?"

I laughed. "Oh, that's rich coming from you. Are you even listening to yourself? I was willing to believe you were telling the truth and give you a second chance when you lied about your identity, yet you find out about mine and suddenly I'm a filthy traitor you can't even look in the eye?"

His eyes flickered with something very deep and dark. "I have never met a Galdanian I could trust."

"And yet you trusted me, up until this moment." A bitter smile touched my lips. "And my father is also Galdanian, and your esteemed 'General'. You trust him, don't you?"

He scowled, turning away and clenching his fists like he wanted to punch something. "I don't have time to deal with this."

"So you're just going to run away from it like a coward. I see. Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, unless they're Galdanian. There's not even a slight possibility that any of them could actually disagree with the Empress."

He laughed, though it wasn't a pleasant one. "Your country is the whole reason why mine is a mess. They're the reason so many of my people are poor and sick and dying while yours sit in the lap of luxury without a care in the world. They're why my mother is dead." A bitter smile spread across his lips. "And I never said you had to trust me after I lied to you. I never said you had to care, or that I cared about you. Seems we've both just been playing each other this whole time, then."

A frown creased my brow. "So you're just going to lump me with everyone else and ignore everything I've done, then. I saved your life, if you forgot. I saved all of your lives. Do you honestly think I'd betray you all then? What good would that do?"

"And I saved yours. Believe me, Priss, I know exactly the sort of lengths people will go to, to hide the truth." He opened the door, walking out.

I stood up, following him. "So what, you're just going to leave me here then and go sulk?"

"You have a dragon. You can stay here and wait for the Empress to come pick you up or go find your dad. I don't really care." He laughed. "Not that I ever did."

I let out a frustrated sigh, but let him walk away. He wouldn't listen to a word I said anyway.

<><><>

Kaiden

Kaiden's head was a warzone, and both sides were losing. He couldn't even let himself stop and think about Lena, or it'd tear him apart. He had to get Kinny back. That was all that was important.

But with the Bane gone...how would that even be possible?

He gathered everyone back in the training hall, his stomach churning at the thought of having to tell the others. And seeing Talon's face again didn't help him any. He still wanted to punch him, if only for being right.

He had just gathered the words necessary to tell them when he heard a voice that made him stop dead in his tracks. A familiarly hesitant but undeniably cheerful voice.

Dailen peeked in the room, his eyes wide as he looked at all of them. And right next to him, holding his hands, was the child. Kaiden stood up, his eyes immediately watching for Kinny to enter, too. Maybe this really had been all a bad dream.

But no one else appeared. Everyone stared in stunned silence, a few glances exchanged as if to assure themselves they weren't the only one seeing it. Kaiden forced himself to remain calm.

"Where the dag have you been?"

Dailen's eyes widened as he lifted the child into his arms. "I-I just thought Eren might like to see the town. And he needed some shoes, so..." He gestured to the sandals now on the child's feet.

Kaiden just stared at him, sure he must be hearing wrong. "You took him shopping?"

Dailen shifted the child in his arms. "Was I not supposed to?"

Kaiden drew in a breath to hold back the words that wanted to come racing out of him. "No one else went with you?"

"N-no. They...um, I didn't think they'd approve."

Kaiden let out a harsh laugh. "You're dag right they wouldn't." He frowned, unable to bring himself to say the next part. Of course, Talon was more than willing to step in.

"And if you hadn't...the Empress would have the Bane right now." He laughed, sitting back with a stunned look. "But she doesn't, because you took the kid shopping. How incredible is that?"

Kaiden walked over, holding out his hands. "Give him to me."

Dailen looked sad. "You're not going to lock him up again, are you?"

"It's none of your dag business, Shale. Just give me the child and...stay out of trouble. You've done enough for today."

Dailen looked like he wanted to protest, but handed the child over anyway. "Be nice to him."

Kaiden rolled his eyes, walking down the hallway, though not toward the cells. He had no intention of letting the child out of his sight for something else to happen.

He made his way to his quarters, shutting the door behind him. He set the child down on the bed, taking a deep breath. "I'll help you take down the Empress. I'll even kill her, if that's what it takes. But you have to help me get my sister back first."

"Ah, yes, because that's a great idea," his imaginary friend sighed sarcastically as she appeared, leaning against the wall by the door. Kaiden scowled and batted the image aside. He didn't have time to be insane today.

The child cocked his head at him for a moment, then smiled. "Very well." He slid off the bed and walked over to the wall, touching it with a hand. A portal blossomed and crackled under his hand, growing until it was big enough to step through. The child smiled at him. "I'll go first, if you'd like."

Kaiden weighed the options in his mind, then nodded. The child still needed him, so he shouldn't lie to him, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.

They emerged just outside of Merilea. Kaiden scooped up the kid and headed into the town, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only. He had to get Kinny back.

Screams caught his ears. Dragons were attacking the town again, except there were way more than he'd ever seen at once before. All the anger he'd been holding inside started to slip, his fire begging to be let out.

The child watched the dragons as if they were nothing more than rambunctious pets at play. "You can take them all down, if you want. I can help you."

He had to rescue Kinny, but he couldn't just let the town go to ruin, either. "Fine. Just tell me what I have to do."

The child put his hand on Kaiden's chest, and he felt a surge of energy rush through him. "You know what you have to do."

And he did. It was the clearest thing in the world, and overwhelmingly simple. Even the distance felt like nothing as he reached out to one of the dragons' minds, slipping inside. He shivered, but it wasn't from fear. In fact, it was the dragon that was afraid, and he bent it to his will as easily as bending a blade of grass. It didn't even have the strength to fight back, compared to the power he forced on it. One by one he captured the dragons' minds, commanding them to leave the town and never return. Each one sent a new rush of power through his veins, nearly dizzying as the task grew easier and easier.

The further he got into their minds, the more he lost touch with reality. A couple of times he encountered resistance, like another mind was trying to control the dragon, but he crushed it easily, feeling the power flow through him in endless waves. If he'd only had this power sooner...he could've prevented so much.

"I told you I could help you."

Was that the child? He didn't know anymore, and he hardly cared. None of it mattered now that he'd finally won. He was finally strong enough to stop anything that threatened him.

His fingers twitched, aching with the power flooding them. Soon, all the dragons were gone, and he let the feeling of victory settle over him as he pulled himself back to reality. He looked around the town and grinned. They hadn't stood a chance, and wouldn't ever again.

He could feel the child's pleasure at his success, which only sent more exciting emotions flowing through him. His mind itched to do more, feel more of that rush, though a small part of him warned against it, trying to pull up evidence of why this was a bad idea.

It was funny how easily he could silence his thoughts now. They didn't have to bother him anymore; even his memories were buried under everything else. If only his father could see him now.

He nearly grinned at that thought. He wasn't 'weak' anymore; he didn't have to let anyone push him around because he couldn't defend those he cared about otherwise. He could save them all, just like that.

And the Empress? Dealing with her would be easy. He'd have Kinny back in no time and everything would be exactly how it should be.

His fingers kept twitching, but he figured that was just a side effect from the power. How had Gigi not realized what a wonderful thing this was? The child was right all along: you couldn't fight the Bane. You had to master it.

"Or maybe it'll master you."

He didn't even know where the voice was coming from, and he didn't truly care. Nothing this wonderful could be wrong, not when it did so much good. He'd just saved an entire town from dragons, and now he was about to save the whole country, too.

He headed toward the Hall, unable to stop a grin from slipping onto his face. The Empress wouldn't have a hold over his country anymore. They'd finally be free and able to start rebuilding their lives again.

"Don't let it win, Kaiden."

There it was, that little voice again. He brushed it aside, nearly smirking as he approached the guards in front of the Hall. This would be a piece of cake.

"I need to see the Empress."

The guards looked him over, exchanging a glance before the first one spoke. "She's not here."

Kaiden narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean she's not here?"

"She went back to Galdania, after deeming it too big of a safety risk to stay here. Haven't you seen the dragons flying all around?"

A smirk touched Kaiden's lips for a moment, though he brushed it aside. "I don't believe you."

One of the guards shrugged. "Sorry, sir. There's nothing else we can do."

Oh, I'm sure there isn't.

He locked on to the guard's mind, twisting his thoughts until the man was utterly confused. "I need to see the Empress. Now."

The man opened his mouth to say something, then just waved him in, a bewildered expression on his face. The other guard looked like he wanted to protest, but Kaiden pushed past him, smirking at how easy it was. They didn't stand a chance against him.

The Empress wasn't inside. No one was, actually. He frowned, searching through all the other rooms, but came up empty. Other than a few guards and servants, the Hall was empty. But that meant...

"She went back to Galdania."

No. It couldn't be possible, because that meant...Kinny wasn't here either. And he couldn't protect her. If the Empress had been that cruel to Katya...

He shut his eyes, breathing hard. His confidence was starting to crumble, his thoughts breaking free of the calm hold he'd had on them as they ran frantic in his mind. He couldn't have failed. Not with the Bane. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all.

The child squirmed to be let down, and he did so reluctantly, sinking to a sitting position as he stared at the wall. He had no clue where Kinny was. No way to get her back. He'd failed, again.

The child rubbed his arm comfortingly. "It's alright, Kaiden. We'll find the Empress. But I think it's time for you to rest now."

The shock was starting to thaw around his mind, exposing him to the thoughts bouncing around like frantic, panicked balls of energy. A sense of calm started to slip past his defenses, which only agitated his thoughts more. Something wasn't right. Something wasn't right.

But he couldn't put his finger on what.

The panic rose, clashing with the peace and sending waves rippling across his mind, shuddering across his skin. For a moment, he could see clearly, and it was terrifying. This peace was not his friend.

But there it was, like an outstretched hand, offering help. The hand turned into a claw and a voice laughed at him as pain gripped his veins.

Was this what going mad felt like?

No, this was way worse than the comfort his imaginary friend offered. This insanity wasn't a kind respite...

This insanity, this peace...was evil.

A voice laughed in his head. He tried to move, tried to do anything, but it was like he was frozen in place.

And then, in the quiet, the darkness started to creep in. It raced through his mind, planting thoughts in all his weak spots like explosives that would knock out his foundation, send him spiraling into darkness.

He couldn't think. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. It was like his mind had just shut down, and his body along with it. Thoughts whirled around his head, but he had no control over them. He choked back a cry trying to escape his throat, two words whispering on repeat through his mind.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

But sorry wouldn't fix any of this. Sorry wouldn't bring Kinny back, wouldn't protect his siblings. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting against the shooting pain that filled his chest. He had failed.

And now...he didn't think he had the strength to try again. What was the point, anyway, if he couldn't even succeed now? If even the Bane couldn't make him strong enough...

His chest was burning. His thoughts were starting to quiet down just enough that he could hear their warnings. This wasn't right. Something was messing with him.

Or maybe he was just seeing clearly now. He'd never be strong enough to protect them, no matter what he did.

"But I am. Let me help you, Kaiden."

He fought against the voice, shuddering. Images flashed through his mind, as much as he tried to shut them out. Kinny, his siblings, the Empress...

"You won't be able to do it on your own. But I can help you. Let me help you."

The warning bells were sounding clearer than ever now, and this time, he listened. But with the rush of power went his own energy, stolen away like a shadow in the night. His mind was panicked, and he couldn't calm it down. Memories started pulling loose, flooding his mind and emotions with thoughts and feelings he couldn't control. He knew they weren't real, but they still felt like it. Twisted images of his deepest fears coming to life, tearing him apart.

"Let me help you. I can help you."

He fought down a scream, his fists clenched so tightly they burned. Pain filled his lungs with every breath, dizzying his already frantic thoughts. The lines of reality blurred, fading away as the darkness swirled around him, ebbing in and out of his vision. Eventually, it wouldn't go away, as much as he tried to fight it. He was just too weak, and the darkness was too strong.

It was comforting, too. It numbed the pain, muffling the voices in his head. He almost wished they'd come back, to keep him aware. The pain...that was what kept him human. And it was slipping away, bit by bit.

"Don't fight it, Kaiden. Let it help you."

He was so tired. He just wanted to give in, let it win. That's what it told him to do, right? If he fought it...he'd die. He'd seen it happen before, watched one of his best friends fade away before his eyes.

But what happened if he let it win? He shuddered to think of such a powerful force having any control over him. And if he gave in... That's what would happen. Already he could feel it creeping into his mind, waiting for him to let down his guard.

And he didn't know how much longer he could hold it back. But he had to try, anyway. For Kinny, for everyone he cared about...he had to break free of it. He couldn't let the Bane win.

"Either way, you're going to die. Either you will take your last breath, or your body and mind will become mine, and you will cease to be. It's your choice."

No. He couldn't let it win, couldn't just...give up. But if he had to die...he wouldn't let it have control of him. The pain squeezed his chest so tightly he could hardly draw in air.

"I'd rather stop breathing than be another person's puppet."

The voice just seemed amused by his defiance. "Suit yourself."

The rest of the air fled his lungs, replaced by an empty space that he couldn't get rid of. Images flashed before the front of his thoughts as his mind spiraled, darkness hedging his vision. He hoped the others would be able to save Kinny, since he'd failed.

He closed his eyes, choking on air that wouldn't even fill his lungs anymore.

Forgive me...

His thoughts faded away, his mind slipping into a darkness he knew he wouldn't be able to escape. He clawed at the edges of it, but there was nothing to hold onto anymore. He couldn't even feel his body even more, a final shudder running through his mind as the darkness swallowed him.

XXX

Lena

No one knew where Kaiden had gone. And judging by the lack of angry or shocked expressions on their faces, he hadn't told them about me, either. Which made my job easier, rather than having to convince everyone I wasn't a traitor.

But it still didn't explain who had betrayed us, or how it'd happened. Only the people in the Mountain knew of its location, as far as I knew. Which meant it had to be one of the team.

My mind went to Talon, though it seemed horribly hypocritical of me to think he must've done it after yelling at Kaiden that not all Galdanians were the same. But it still made me sick to think about.

He'd made it seem like he'd wanted to see the Empress because of his sister. Yet when we ran into her, he claimed that she was the one working with the Empress. So if he wasn't trying to get her back...what was his goal? And if he was the traitor, what would stop him from revealing my identity and throwing suspicion on me instead?

My stomach turned. That's how Kaiden knew. It made way too much sense. I just hated how much it seemed to prove Kaiden right. Most Galdanians couldn't be trusted, no matter how smoothly they talked.

Talon probably expected Kaiden to tell the rest of the group, then, and seal my fate as a 'traitor'. Except, since Kaiden was nowhere to be seen, maybe Talon would just tell them himself.

But when I reached the training hall, Talon was nowhere to be seen, and Chan and Olive were yelling at each other. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't watch it play out before my own eyes. Olive looked like she might cry, if only from angry tears, and Chan was just mad. Sari stepped in before they came to blows, but both of them just looked even more torn up as they sat on opposite ends of the room, not looking at each other. Sari sighed quietly, then walked over me. "Do you know where Blaze went, she're?"

I shook my head. "He just...walked off. Wasn't really listening to me anyway." My breath caught in my throat as I remembered Talon. "But I have to tell you something..."

Sari nodded. "Talon left as well. I do not know where he went."

Probably back to the Empress, since he adores her so much.

"We discovered the Empress does not have the Bane."

My heart skipped a beat. "You found it?"

Sari inclined her head. "Yes, though I'm afraid Blaze left with it again." Her eyes grew grim. "It is imperative that we find him before he does something rash."

Kaiden, do something rash? I never would have thought of that.

"The Bane won't...I mean...he won't end up like Gigi, right?"

Sari stayed silent for too long. "I do not know. But I do know whatever the Bane has planned, it is not good. We must find it before the Empress does."

Gee, that didn't sound familiar at all. Everything seemed to be going back to square one recently. Except this square one was a lot worse than the first one.

"We cannot stay in the Mountain for much longer, either. If the Empress knows our location..."

"We can go to the camp." I watched Sari for a reaction, sure she must know about it too.

She nodded. "Yes. The General should be back soon, and then we can discuss our next course of action."

"Next course of action? Like what?"

Sari let out a silent sigh. "There is one thing that can possibly stop the Bane, which it is sure to go after now that it's free again. We must make sure we get to it first."

I paused, considering those words. "What thing is that?"

A half-smile touched Sari's lips. "The Bane is not the only ancient power in this land, she're. There is another force, known as the Essence, which is said to be the Bane's opposite. We will need it to combat whatever plan the Bane has."

"And... why didn't you mention this sooner?"

"The Essence is a closely guarded secret, even more so than the Bane. Those who know of its location would sooner die than give it up." She paused. "But it is the only thing that can stop the Bane."

I took in a breath. "And if we can't find it?"

Sari didn't respond for a moment. "Then the Bane will hunt down all the Gifted until all of them are dead. And there will be no way to stop it."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melody Jackson is a young "crazy dragon lady" and a lover of all things geek. She resides in the unbearably hot state of Arizona with her family and a menagerie of animals, including her four siblings, two cats and three chinchillas. You can find out more about her and what she's up to in the writing world on her blog at melodyjacksonauthor.wordpress.com

