Young Writers Society

James didn't know how much time passed between Arimala's visits. But every time she came, he was increasingly more lucid, and as his body continued to reel from the lack of lumshade in his system, the rest of him continued to reel with every scar she dug up.

It was impossible not to relive everything. Somehow, Arimala knew just how to reopen ever former wound. With the right amount of pressure, it was like he was there again.

Back in the forest, running from Butch. Feeling the axe crack through his leg. Back in that wooden chair, biting down on a dirty rag as Butch burned his mark into James's lower back, to be remembered forever. Back against the tree, hands bound above him while Reed poked away at him like a toy.

Even the smaller wounds she took time to reopen. Every small cut on his face. She re-broke his nose. She slit his lip a second time. A third, just for mere enjoyment.

Because he could tell she was enjoying it. Whenever he wriggled or hissed or gasped in pain, there was a small, twisted smile that tugged on her lips. And he was learning that every reaction seemed to encourage her to try something again, to see if she'd get it again.

James was running out of strength to withhold anything from her.

At the end of every session, she would heal all of his wounds. And then she'd rip any energy he had left out of him, leaving him too weak to move or speak. Not that they ever spoke.

Well, Arimala spoke. But it was only ever one-sided conversation as she idly verbalized her inner thoughts.

James never felt compelled to reply.

He didn't know what to say anymore. He didn't know what happened.

There had always been a part of him that wanted to bite back. There had always been something inside of him ready to spite all of his enemies who took joy in his suffering.

But for some reason he couldn't find it in himself anymore.

What was the point?

It didn't matter what he did or what he said. Pain was coming for him regardless, and retaliation would only make it worse. But it was more likely that it wouldn't even make a difference.

A small part of him wanted to ask Arimala how many mages were secretly in the king's service. A small part of him still wished he could make a difference, or even offer Arimala a way out. But she seemed happy to take her place as the palace torturer, and he didn't imagine himself getting any useful information out of her.

And even if he did... who would he tell? Who could he tell?

James couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd felt so powerless. Even in the jungle, inches from death and depressed out of his mind, he at least had some control over the situation. He had resources to recover. There had been a way out, even if a difficult one.

He could feel his will to live waning.

Years of fighting. He'd held out for so long. He'd endured so much.

And he could finally feel himself cracking under the pressure.

Arimala had him turned over on his back. His head was turned to the side, but that didn't mean he could see anything. Arimala had placed herself on the opposite side, which meant every stab was something he couldn't prepare for. He flinched and moaned at every jab.

But for a while, there was nothing.

Perhaps Arimala had discovered - or was already discovering - that several of his nerve endings had been severed in his back. James thought that now, maybe, that it was a blessing in disguise, because it meant that there were scars she could dig into that he wouldn't feel.

There was silence, aside from the faint sound of a scalpel digging into flesh.

And then he felt it.

Somehow, she'd struck a nerve that was still functional. It was in his middle-back, and the sudden, deep stabbing pain exploded throughout his back. It felt like it was piercing through his stomach with how deep the pain permeated. Involuntarily, he let out a cry that echoed off the walls into his own ears.

Tears pricked his eyes as Arimala kept digging, like she was pleased to have found something he could still feel. James felt himself beginning to tremble as the pain tore him back to the moment he was under the foot of the Grangor, on the jungle floor, bleeding out.

He could see death's door. He could feel the hands of death wrapping around him, cold, but welcoming.

Desparately he tried to fall into death's arms.

But just as he felt it was within reach, a burst of energy rushed through him.

His eyes shot open as the flesh in his back was melded back together with a forceful push. His body was still trembling, but now for a different reason as the rush flooded to his head, making his skull pound as he felt his sweat grow cold once it met the air around him.

"We can't have you leaving us just yet," Arimala said.

And she patted his back like he was some sort of animal in need of praise. Her touch felt more like pressure.

"I do wish you'd talk to me," Arimala said, leaning over to whisper in his ear. And her words made a shiver run down his spine. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck. It felt like something was crawling all over him.

He kept his mouth shut, even more determined to stay silent.

"But if you'd like," Arimala said, pressing her scalpel against the back of his shoulder. "I can make you talk. I am getting bored of all these old wounds."

James closed his eyes again, trying to brace for the worst.

Arimala grabbed the back of his head. He hardly had a second to prepare before pain shot through him, like he really had been put on a stake like a stuck pig.

A scream tore through his throat as Arimala let the pain be prolonged.

He didn't remember if he blacked out or if he stopped screaming first. But when he came to again, the cell was dark again, and he was alone.

If he'd had anything to eat, he would've thrown up. But his body was too exhausted to even dry heave. He found himself panting, each breath slow and agonizing as cold, dry air filled his lungs.

He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. The exhaustion was so all-consuming that it took all of his energy to draw another breath.

That was supposed to come naturally. And here he was, having to push himself to breathe.

Someone pushed the door to his cell open.

He could hear the scrape of stone, grating against his ears. Light warmed the room from behind his eyelids, but he didn't open them. Footsteps drew near, and he waited. Waited for another round of sharp objects being dug into his skin. Another round of waterboarding. Another round of life being shoved into his frame and ripped out again.

"Look what you've been reduced to," a familiar voice said lowly.

James's heart stopped for a second as a primal fear clawed around his throat, threatening to stop the only bodily function he'd been able to sustain.

With dread, he opened his eyes. And he found himself looking at Carter.

He hadn't seen Carter in seven years.

His hair was longer, pulled back into a neat bun. With his hair pulled back and more of his face shown, he looked a lot like his mother. But James noticed Carter had grown out his mustache as well, letting it curl at the ends.

The goatee stayed the same. And so did the cold look of steely, deep-seated hatred in Carter's eyes that James remembered from the last day he saw him.

Carter had come down in full armor, as well. James noted the ornate breastplate and its insignia.

The King's Hand.

Carter had gotten all he'd ever wanted.

And now he had James.

"Did you ever think our lives would come to this?" Carter asked.

James realized Carter had pulled up a chair. He was sitting beside the table James was bound to, facing him. Carter leaned forward so they were nearly eye level with one another.

"No," Carter said, as if to answer for him. "I suppose not. No one ever imagines a future like this."

James didn't know what Carter expected him to say.

Did he want a conversation? An apology? Did he want James to beg for mercy? Did he come here just to gloat?

"Are you happy now?" James asked, his voice weak and raw. His eyes still stung from tears he couldn't cry anymore. He hadn't had water in... well, he couldn't remember.

Carter did not smile. He watched James with a stoic, focused expression. There was a softness in his eyes that James wasn't convinced was real when it came, and he wasn't convinced when it turned back to being cold and dead.

"You think I would rejoice at your demise?" Carter asked. "You think I'm happy?"

James had to swallow down the knot growing in his throat.

"I'm not happy," Carter said. "I'm relieved."

James's vision blurred.

"Finally I can tell your family that you're dead like they always believed you to be," Carter said. "They'll finally be able to move on."


James pinched his eyes shut, desparate to keep his composure. But he'd long since lost control of his countenance.

His lower lip was trembling and he couldn't will his muscles to do anything he wanted them to.

"I'd have thought after all these years you might've at least given them a hint that you're alive. But I guess that's what fear does, doesn't it? It keeps us stuck on a path that feels safe, even if it's not the right one," Carter said.

"It's a tragedy that it led you here," Carter said. "But I think both of us know you chose this."

James wished he could turn away. He wished that he could get up and leave, or reach out and strangle the words out of Carter's mouth.

But he couldn't move. And he couldn't cry.

"I really am sorry it's all ending this way," Carter went on. "I really valued our friendship, and I wish it could've gone differently. But when you threw your life away, I couldn't let you take me down with you. You have to understand that."

James felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"You weren't worth it," Carter said. "And I see now that it's better for us both that I put you out of your misery."

James couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.

He didn't want to see this.

"You haven't changed," James whispered.

It felt like his vocal cords were about to break.

There was a prolonged silence, but Carter's hand remained steady on James's shoulder.

"But you have," Carter answered, barely audible.

James dared to crack his eyes open, looking to Carter to try to read his expression.

Ten years of friendship, and he still had no way of knowing what was real. But he could've sworn the anger and offense that boiled behind Carter's eyes was real.

"When were you going to tell me that you were a time mage?" Carter asked, his eyes piercing through him.

James didn't flinch.

He stared back, his mind running through every possible source that Carter might've heard that from.

Worst case scenario, it was one of his friends. More likely, it was Rita or Alexander. Just as likely, it could've been Tula. But he desperately hoped his attempt to help her escape wasn't entirely in vain.

Either way, Carter seemed to believe it. That, or he was testing the waters, waiting for James's reaction to tell if it was true.

There was a faint spark of hope over a dead fire.

If Carter believed James was a mage... would he kill him faster? Or would he, for some reason, keep him alive?

James knew that the kingdom didn't care about keeping mages secretly in their pocket. Arimala was a prime example.

James blinked slowly, unaware of how much time might've passed between the question and his answer.

"I guess... I never found the right time," James said.

Carter's upper lip twitched in conempt.

"Was that a fucking pun?" Carter spat.

James only stared back.

"So you don't deny it, then," Carter said.

James didn't reply.

"So you are a mage," Carter concluded. "All this time... hiding right under my nose. And to think, a time mage of all things wasn't able to escape discovery when you committed treason. I would think with your magic you could've actually pulled that off. But you were just too much of a fucking idiot to know how."

James didn't feel it was necessary to explain that his magic didn't manifest until he left the Moonlight Kingdom. But Carter did have an interesting point.

If James had known about his magic earlier in life, maybe he could have made a difference. More than he already did, anyway. Since it wasn't much in the big picture.

But what did that even matter? It wasn't like he could change the past. His magic only took him forward anyway.

Maybe that was another form of cruel poetry.

"Gods," Carter muttered. "So this really is necessary, then."

Not following, James squinted at Carter in the darkness, only realizing what Carter meant when he saw a syringe in his hand.

All of that withdrawl. And for what.

Carter inserted the needle into James's arm. As he pushed the contents in, he made brief eye contact with James.

"It won't be long," Carter said. "You'll be executed soon enough. So you have that to look forward to. It's too expensive to keep torturing you forever."

Except James wasn't comforted.

You're not worth it, was what he heard again. Something was irreversibly wrong with him if that was what he heard when Carter told him he didn't want to keep torturing him.

The rush of lumshade started to hit him again, and James recognized it as the sedative. The same clouded feeling began to wrap around his mind, pulling him into a dream-like state.

James's eyes stayed cracked open long enough to see Carter get up from his chair. He watched as Carter disappeared from view, turning into a shadow that disappeared into the darkness he was plunged into.

And as he woke again, there was a part of him that knew he was dreaming. But he found himself embracing the euphoria of being in a different reality other than his own - however unrealistic, however equally horrible, however bizzare.

When his eyes opened, he was facing upward again.

Still bound, he waited for something in the scenery to shift.

When it did, he found himself in a field of grass, lying down.

The grass was soft, and the sun was warm. The sky overhead was a cloudless pale blue, and the sun was a blinding white dot in the distance.

Bonds gone, James sat up, feeling a strange sense of comfort wash over him.

His father sat beside him.

Looking over, it was almost like looking into a mirror. His mother had always told him how much he and his father looked alike, but now it felt like he was looking at himself, in another life. A life where all of the pain he'd known didn't exist. A life where he'd had a chance to settle down. Have a family. Have a farm.

Never had something so simple and mundane been so heartwrenching.

His father turned to him, meeting his eyes with a small smile. But his smile waned as his eyes filled with deep concern.

"What's wrong, James?" his father asked.

James had forgotten the sound of his father's voice. Hearing it again made James's eyes well up, and tears already began to stream down his face, out of control.

How could he even begin to say?

"You look so tired," his father said, reaching over to touch James's face. The look in his father's eyes broke him.

"What happened?" his father asked again. And still James couldn't open his mouth to reply.

His father pulled him into an embrace, and James rested his head against his father's shoulder, hugging him back.

If this were real... what he would give if this were real.

"I'm going to see you soon," James said through tears.

His father hugged him tighter.

"But I'm right here," his father said. And his father's voice cracked.

James hugged him as tight as he could. But no matter how real it felt, he couldn't help but feel like his father was seconds away from being ripped away from him again.

He missed him. He just wished he had a father around again. Someone who would protect him from all of this.

"I know," James cried, even though he knew all of it was a lie.

"I know."

His cries turned to sobs.

"Just wait for me. Please."

Tula was awoken by Deidra in the morning, and as predicted, they moved again.

It was peculiar to be sleeping in a small cabin like that, but again, Tula didn't question it. She was growing wary of how Deidra was able to pull herself together and even work with someone like Robin, but again - Tula didn't question it.

She didn't question where they were even going. Where were they going? She didn't know. It was presumably somewhere safe.

This sat heavy with Tula because this felt borderline ridiculous. Tula was usually the one observing and taking in details, but it didn't help that Deidra and Robin hardly ever talked. Sometimes, it seemed that they had conversation just by looking at one another.

That felt extreme, even for Tula whose whole career was based on staring at people.

They took an early afternoon break at the edge of a creek. Tula used this opportunity to finally use her voice and gain the information she needed, especially since she obviously couldn't get this from observation alone.

"Are we going towards a specific destination?" Tula asked Deidra.

She didn't know Robin, so she didn't care about asking him questions, even though it seemed that Robin was the one leading them all.

"Yes," Deidra said. "Robin's a part of an underground network of mages. That's how I got connected with him. There are different safehouses and bunkers they have throughout Nye to shelter people and keep them hidden. We're going to a larger, more secure one for now."

A secret mage group. Interesting.

"Where is that located?" Tula asked.

"I know it's North of us. I stayed there a night on the way here. But I don't know the exact way to find it. It... is very well hidden. You really can't spot it unless you know what to look for. And having only been once..." Deidra trailed off.

Tula glanced at Robin, but kept her questions directed at Deidra.

"What's this network of mages about? Are you sure you can trust them?" she asked.

"I trust them," Deidra said. "They actually care about keeping us safe, and not exposing us."

Tula thought back to yesterday when she first reached out to Deidra. She saw a one-eyed man. He must be one of the mages. He didn't know her, but he seemed to be interested in helping her as well.

Ugh. Tula knew that this was all for her own safety, but the chivalry was so annoying.

"You know," Deidra said quietly. "You never did say how you got away. Or how it all happened. With them finding out you're a mage."

Tula pursed her lips back, opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated as she looked back at Deidra with slightly squinted eyes, tilting her head.

"You never did say why you were so close to the area," she said suspiciously. "I thought it would take days for you to find me. Why were you in this area?"

Deidra was quiet for a moment, and the look in her eyes told her that Deidra was aware Tula was dodging her question with one of her own. Tula didn't care, though. She knew Deidra would answer first.

"I had been following Eve, originally," Deidra said.

Oh, great. Tula didn't like where this was going.

"I found her in Ruddlan just after you left with Rita. Eve was the one who led me to the secret network of mages. She wasn't happy about it, but the other mages accepted me."

A pause.

"I didn't really know where else to turn, since I was on my own," she said. "But I prefer it to what we had with Rita."

"So you went after Eve. Of all people?" Tula said dully with a raised brow as she gave her a look that said, "Really?"

"Well, originally James had asked me to go get help. So. Part of it was I was just trying to follow through on that," Deidra said. "But I also needed help myself. I didn't have high hopes that Eve would, but... I don't know. It's not like I knew anybody else."

Tula rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. She was connecting the dots now. James told her a similar story, saying goodbye to Deidra and telling her to connect with the others. Even if she believed it, Tula didn't think Deidra would follow up on that.

"So you're telling me that we're going to meet up with these 'secret mages,' who also happens to include Eve and our other jolly friends, who would totally love to see me around as well, right?" Tula said with a strained voice.

"Well, Bo made a point to keep us separated from them," Deidra said. "I think he had a feeling it would be for the best. And I agree. So we're just going to meet up with him."

A beat.

"Bo's, uh, the guy with the one eye," she said. "That you saw. He kind of runs this whole thing."

Tula groaned. "Deidra, I'm pretty sure they'd murder me on sight if they could."

"Probably. Which is why we're not planning on interacting," Deidra said. "But if they did try to murder you on sight, they'd have to go through me."

Tula huffed through her nose.

"Why do we even have to join them?" she asked. "We don't have to. We could go somewhere else."

Deidra was quiet for a moment.

"Tula... you realize that now the whole kingdom knows you're a mage, right?" Deidra asked. "And Rita's not the kind of person to forget people who've crossed her. You saw what she did to James."

Tula groaned again, this time rubbing her whole face. "Fuck me. Now I can't live an ordinary life as a tacky inn keeper," she said.

"Is that what you dreamed for your future?" Deidra asked, a faint smirk on her face.

"No, I dreamed that I'd be pregnant with ten crying children on a peasant farm," Tula said sarcastically. "Of course not. But now I don't have the choice, do I?"

"I think you have a choice in whether or not you become pregnant," Deidra said. "And while we could try to go off and live a life of our own, I do think our chances are a lot better, and at least, more stable with these guys. I know it's not ideal. But these guys are a lot more forgiving than Oliver or Rita ever were. They're not going to kill us or stab us in the back if we make a mistake."

Tula was surprised that Deidra seemed to have a lot of opinions, but it was pleasant to see.

"Fine. Whatever. We'll go to the stupid mage group and I'll try to avoid getting murdered," Tula said dryly.

"For the record," Deidra said. "If anyone tried to kill you. They'd have to go through Robin and Bo too. I know you don't know them. But they wouldn't have gone out of their way to help you if they didn't think you were worth saving."

"Oh, great. A werewolf and a cyclops will save me. I'm so lucky," Tula said with fake enthusiasm.

"You know, Tula," Deidra said. "There's nothing wrong with having friends."

Tula stared at Deidra for a few seconds, once again surprised by Deidra's strong opinions and newfound confidence.

It wasn't bad, but.... well, Deidra always agreed with everything she said. This took her off guard.

"Yeah, well," Tula began, but didn't know where to end this sentence. "That's life."

Deidra looked over to Tula with a raised brow. She didn't even say anything, but Tula could see the amusement in her eyes.

"Shut up," Tula grumbled.

"I missed you," Deidra said, lightly tapping Tula's shoulder with her fist.

"I'd say I miss you too, but you've changed. For the better, I hope," Tula said.

"I'd like to think so," Deidra said. "I feel... more free than I have in my life. It's a good feeling."

Tula took a deep breath.

Here goes. Fuck you, James, for making me admit this.

"James was right, and so were you. He told me what he told you that made you want to leave. And he tried to do the same thing to me, but I didn't listen. He was just so annoying and I'm pretty sure he was telling me lies. That was, until Rita actually ratted me out. I was about to be hit by a lumshade dart, but James jumped in front of me so I could get away."

Tula groaned, this one out of deep annoyance.

"Only an idiot would do that. I didn't have time to say anything since I ran away," she finished.

"What would you have said?" Deidra asked. "If you'd had time to say anything?"

"That he's an idiot," Tula said like it was obvious.

"That's a funny way of saying thank you," Deidra said.

"Yeah, well. That's life," Tula said with a twirl of her hand, reusing her last words as a getaway card of admitting that Deidra was right. Again.

"I think that's just you," Deidra said with a smirk.

"Whatever," Tula said.

"You've changed too, you know," Deidra said.

"Gods. Please, Deidra. I'd rather James strangle me than hear this," Tula said, then paused. "But that's a story for another day. I shouldn't smear a dead man's actions in vain, after all."

That made Deidra go quiet for a moment, and Tula noticed her smirk faded into something more somber.

"They're going to try to rescue him," Deidra said quietly.

"Who? The mage group you were talking about?" Tula asked.

"Yeah. They're helping Eve and all her friends," Deidra said.

Tula scoffed. "Seriously? They're going to infiltrate the castle? Are you serious?"

"They have a whole plan and everything," Deidra said. "I was... going to help them, before you reached out."

Tula was quiet for a moment, thinking. She was connecting the pieces together now.

The mage group hates her. Probably always will, especially if Eve's precious man child dies. Would she ever really be accepted? No. She'd forever be an outcast. Where would she even go if she were an outcast to mages and the world?

James was probably going to die, yes. No thanks to her. And no thanks to his own action of trying to help her escape. Gods, he always did that. Always tried to help others at the expense of himself. It was getting to be insufferable.

So what would he think if the tables were turned and Tula helped him?

She could one-up him, while also proving herself to the others. Maybe it was redeemable enough that her past actions would be forgivable.

And, if she decided to help, she would be saying "fuck you" to the kingdom that tried to capture her. That revenge alone would be sweet.

"Is it too late to turn back and help?" Tula asked, deciding to test the waters.

Deidra hesitated, looking ahead to where Robin was leading in his wolf form, his tail swishing.

"You want to... help?" Deidra asked.

"No, I want to get revenge," Tula said like it was obvious. "And that so happens to involve helping James. What is their plan, anyways? I guarantee a duo like us would immensely improve their chances of getting out of there alive."

"I'm sure we could help," Deidra said quietly. "But... I don't know that they'd let us, Tula. You said it yourself. Eve and her friends might actually kill you on sight. I don't think Bo and his friends would allow it, but... it'd be a lot of..."

"Yes, they would. So if James dies, how am I ever going to convince them not to kill me? What am I supposed to do, wait for them to come around? I'd rather they try to kill me in the moment as I help them out, rather than them trying to kill me forever," Tula said.

Deidra stopped walking. And Tula noticed Robin stopped too. But he didn't turn around.

"What if... we didn't tell them?" Deidra asked.

Tula glanced between Deidra and Robin. "You'd rather we help out secretly?" she asked.

Robin looked over his shoulder.

"It might be easier. I don't think they'll agree to let us help. But if you want to help... we don't have to get their approval. Robin and I already know the plan," Deidra said.

She had a point.

They were spies, after all. Between Deidra's strength and Tula's eyes, they could easily infiltrate the castle and find James.

Tula suspiciously stared at Robin.

"What about him?" she asked. "What would he do?"

"Me?" Robin said. "I won't say anything."

Tula didn't know if she could trust him, but she chose to believe his word.

"But I will be going with you to make sure it doesn't all go to shit," Robin said.

"So Deidra will be the muscles, I will be the eyes, and Robin will be our parental supervisor. Great," Tula said with a fake smile.

"Nose," Robin said flatly. "I can sense people for miles."

Tula stared at him with dead eyes. "The castle will be filled with people, you idiot. How useful is that?"

"Yeah. And I'll be able to smell all of them," Robin said. "I'll know when someone's nearby before you will."

"Okay, whatever. You'll be the nose to find James, even though I can look through his eyes and get his answer right away," Tula said dismissively.

"You really think James knows where the fuck he is in the palace? Didn't he get hit with lumshade for you? You'll be lucky if you can get a vague description," Robin said.

Tula scoffed. "You're one to talk. How are you supposed to get in the palace and use your nose? Are you going to pretend you're a cute wittle dog?"

"I have the same sense of smell in both forms," Robin sneered.

"Oh, yes. You look just like a soldier! You'll fit right in," Tula said with fake enthusiasm.

"And you look just like the mage the whole city's looking for," Robin said.

"Gods, you're so dumb. I'm not going in. I'd be in hiding. Deidra would go in and I would feed her information," she said like it was painfully obvious.

"Brilliant. I'll be her shadow," Robin said flatly.

"Yes. That's a good word," Tula said just as flatly. She turned back to Deidra, deciding to ignore Robin. "It sounds like we all agree. We're going back."

Deidra nodded.

"Then we better hurry."

It was the day before they'd be in the castle.

Eve was nervous, but she felt prepared. She had consulted Bo many, many times. She talked it over with Bo, Raj, and Elias many, many times. There was nothing else she could plan. They were going to do this.

It was early evening now. The plan was to make camp near the entrance of the tunnels so that they had the whole day tomorrow to go through their plans of infiltrating the castle and bringing James back.

Eve was hyper-focused, trying not to distract her mind with needless thoughts. It was only about James. Only about James, and only about freeing him.

She was walking towards the front of the group with Bo. Without Robin around to sniff out people, they had to be extra aware of their surroundings. It was unlikely they would find anyone since they were hiking through an overgrown section of the woods, opposite of the main trails.

However, in the unlikely event that they did find someone, Eve said she could buy them time by undoing the event and giving them a 10-minute warning.

So Eve was more focused than usual, sensitive to even the slightest sights and sounds.

She assured herself that she didn't need to be anxious since it was highly unlikely that they would find anyone out there, but of course the universe had to prove her otherwise.

There was a noise up ahead. Someone was walking towards them.

"I think I hear someone this way," a man's voice said distantly.

Footsteps followed. Not just one person, but two. No, three. Maybe more. It all blended together, getting louder and faster.

Eve shared a panicked look with Bo.

Bo shot out his hand to his side, signaling to the others to stop, and the forest went eerily still. He motioned for Eve to follow him as he followed the sound of the noise but redirected to come at them from a different direction.

Eve followed in his footsteps, watching for any sign of movement. They needed information before she could undo this, but Bo was right that it would be better to do this separate from the group.

They snuck through the trees with quiet footsteps, Bo leading the way until they could spot three figures in the distance. Bo laid low and stayed behind the cover of some bushes, peering out but staying low to the ground as he did so.

"I swore I heard something," one of the men said, looking around.

Eve peeked through the bushes, watching as she saw their lower bodies walk around. She silently re-positioned herself to see their faces instead.

"How long do we have to keep looking?" Another man asked. "She might be long gone, now."

Two men came to view. Both were rather tall and muscular. One had short dreads, and the other had long dark hair pulled back. There was a dark blue tattoo on his neck of a sun.

The Blue Suns.

Another person came into view. Eve had to bite back her lip to not audibly gasp as she saw Rita walk with heavy footsteps.

"We'll keep searching for an hour," Rita said.

She was just how she saw her through Tula's eyes. She stood a few inches taller than her companions, but she stood upright, shoulders back, with her long dreads tied up atop her head and an orange bandana at her hairline. She wore the same sleeveless vest Eve remembered, showing off the Blue Sun tattoo on her shoulder proudly.

Eve was clenching her fist, trying to contain the rage that filled her chest. But she had to keep listening.

Who were they searching for?

"I don't like the idea of that sight-stealing bitch roaming out into the world with our faces in her mind," Rita growled.

Tula. They were searching for Tula.

Eve couldn't help but feel disappointed. She thought, perhaps... perhaps it could have been James.

But it was only Tula.

Deidra's story checked out. It seemed that Tula did manage to escape. Rita must have turned her in to the kingdom.

Regardless, Rita was here. Rita, the Blue Suns leader who James was with days ago. She was the same woman who turned in James, Tula, and likely countless of other mages.

Eve slowly shifted her stare to Bo, trying to read his expression.

What did he think?

She didn't think she'd ever seen Bo so serious. There was a quiet, focused rage that seemed to burn in his eyes as he watched Rita, and there was something in the air that felt... wrong. Like the air was energized, almost buzzing. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck and even on her arms stand up.

Eve had a feeling she and Bo were in agreement of what to do, but they still needed to discuss this. A part deeply wanted to be impulsive and take action now, but she wanted to do this right.

She wanted her revenge on Rita, and she didn't want to mess it up - even when Eve had multiple options to try.

Eve took a silent deep breath, about to go back in time so she could warn Bo and they could plan accordingly, but suddenly Bo jumped out into view, already springing into action.

Bo moved faster than anyone had been ready to react to.

In seconds, he grabbed the heads of both men standing in front of Rita. Streams of bright, crackling blue energy burst out of his hands, and both men's bodies convulsed as their eyes rolled back into their skulls. Bo let go of them, and their bodies fell limply to the ground.

Rita's eyes were wide as saucers as Bo reached for her. She scrambled to pull something out from her vest, but she was too late. Bo grabbed both her wrists and twisted her arms behind her, lifting her off her feet as he pinned her to his chest.

"Scream," Bo said cooly. "And it ends here."

Rita's mouth had opened, but at that, it snapped shut.

Neither of the men on the ground moved an inch.

They were dead.

Eve slowly stood up, eyes wide and mouth agape as she watched everything unfold. She doubted her sight for far too many seconds, but it seemed too real. This really happened.

Bo made it look so effortless. She knew he had electric magic, but she had no idea he was this powerful. She didn't even know what to say. This felt more shocking than seeing Rita.

Eve closed her eyes for a second but then emerged from the bushes, deciding to address this when they were finished.

They had business to attend to.

"What are you going to do with her?" she asked as she stepped over the dead men, drawing near.

"Wanted your opinion before I made a decision," Bo said.

Rita's eyes landed on Eve, and Eve could see the wheels turning in her head. She glared back. She had been hiding behind Tula's eyes for so long, she wanted Rita to see hers.

"The world would be better without her," Eve said. "But we'd have to be smart. If she goes missing, her men will not stop looking for her."

"We could let them find her," Bo said.

"If she gets mutilated, they'll know she was attacked." Eve paused, still staring daggers into Rita's eyes. "That is, unless we make it look like an accident."

Eve had never seen such cowardice from someone who claimed to wield power. Rita's eyes were wide in fear as she shook in Bo's grasp. She even soiled herself, as a wet line dripped down past her clothes and boots, trickling into a puddle on the ground.

"We could do that," Bo said.

Eve glanced back at the two men Bo had killed. They lay still and pale on the ground without a wound. The only hint left behind was their frazzled hair.

"I think it would be merciful if you gave her the same treatment. But... I'm not really feeling merciful," Eve said cooly as she reached in Rita's holster, pulling out her gun. "I'm thinking we can display a different type of mercy. One that saves Rita's pride."

Eve held the gun in her hand, looking up at Bo for confirmation. She knew that she didn't need to spell it out for him.

"A gunshot will draw attention," Bo said.

Before Eve could contest this, Rita opened her mouth. All Eve heard was the start of what might've been a scream. But before it could even explode out of her mouth, electricity burst once again from Bo's hands.

Rita shook as she shock ran through her body. But it didn't last long.

Bo laid her on the ground.

"There will be no evidence pointing back to us," Bo said. "We could leave the body or bury it. It might be better for her to be found sooner than later."

"Do you think her being dead will impede on our mission tomorrow?" Eve asked.

"No more than her being alive," Bo said.

"If her men blame the kingdom for this, perhaps that would help our case," Eve said. "It could be the diversion we need."

Bo hummed.

"Good idea," he said. "In that case. We can leave the kind of evidence they'd be looking for."

"Do you have anything that has the Moonlight Kingdom crest on it?" Eve asked.

Bo reached into one of the small bags he had belted around his waist. He pulled out a silver pin with the crest engraved on it.

Reaching down, he rolled Rita onto her back and pinned it to her vest.

"That will be enough," Bo said, standing up.

Eve nodded. "Let's tidy up a bit. Make it look more planned."

They took a minute to discuss, and eventually Bo arranged the bodies so they were sitting up with their backs leaning against one another. Eve did one final swoop to make sure they covered their tracks, making sure that their footprints were not left behind. She'd look for blood as well, but that didn't seem to be a problem since he killed them so cleanly.

Bo pulled something off of Rita, and when he turned around, he was holding a dart. He spun it between his fingers.

"I had a feeling," Bo said quietly.

Eve stared at the dart. She knew right away that it was full of lumshade.

"If you had moved any slower..." she began, but trailed off and didn't finish.

Bo only hummed.

"Well. I guess we're done here. We should head back before the others start to worry," Bo said.

"Wait. You can't expect to leave without giving me an explanation," Eve said with a shake of her head.

Bo had already started walking, but stopped, looking back at the bodies they'd left behind.

His expression was hard to read. It wasn't quite regret. But he didn't seem proud of it either.

"Someone will replace her," Bo said quietly.

"That's not what I mean," Eve cut in. "I'm not talking about Rita. I'm talking about--"

Eve stopped. She didn't even know what it was.

"My magic," Bo finished for her.

"Your magic. Yes," Eve finished. "I didn't... How did you do that?"

"...Electrocute people?" Bo asked.

"Bo," Eve said tiredly. "You moved faster than possible and cleanly killed three people in seconds. This is more than magic, and we both know it."

Bo looked out in the direction where they'd left their group behind and sighed. When he turned back to Eve it was with solemn resignation.

"I'm a dragon," Bo said quietly. "But that stays between us."

That... made a lot of sense, actually. But it still took some time for Eve to process.

"Does this change anything for tomorrow?" she asked instead.

"Why would it?" Bo asked.

"I feel as though I'm at the liberty to ask if a dragon should willingly enter the castle to save James, considering his history," Eve said. "My knowledge of this doesn't change anything. But I'd feel better knowing that you truly feel confident that you going in is a good idea."

"I've spent weeks considering the weight of this decision," Bo said. "And I know all of the risks. I won't lie to you that it's not dangerous. But I do believe your best chance at getting out is if I go with you. I have determined to do whatever I have to to keep all of you safe."

He was right. Now that Eve knew that Bo was a dragon, she felt that her chances of getting out of there unscathed were much higher. It was dangerous to potentially expose himself as a dragon, but as long as he carefully considered his options, that was good enough for Eve.

She looked back at the bodies, thinking.

"The others will ask what happened," she said instead, dropping the subject.

"Do you think your friends could handle the truth?" Bo asked.

"The day before we go into the castle? I'd rather we wait. I don't want anyone to ask questions and potentially get distracted," Eve said.

Bo nodded.

"Right. Best to tell them we spotted people but led them astray for now. Crisis averted," Bo said.

"I'm sure her men will find the bodies tonight. I suggest we make camp further away in case they draw nearer," Eve said.

"We'll go around the peak. It will take longer, but we'll be more hidden," Bo said.

Eve nodded. "I agree."

She hesitated again, giving one last glance at the bodies. They almost all looked to be sleeping peacefully.

"We'll talk about this again later after we find James," she said, turning back to Bo. "But for now, let's return and be on the lookout."

Bo watched Eve for a moment, and his severe expression softened.

"Alright, then," he said. "Let's go."

After all this work, they turned back around and went straight to the danger zone again.

Tula almost felt unhinged again, walking around with no real purpose. Last time this happened, she let her purpose be to find James at all costs. She had a new boss now - herself - but it seemed that her purpose didn't change.

They were going to find James at all costs.

Gods. Did James tell her that she needed a new purpose? She wished she could see his face when she gave him a warning saying that they were drawing near and were here to save his ass. Would he beg her to sit still and find a new purpose like he did last time?

As they traveled back, they kept bouncing ideas on what to do, figuring out different plans. Tula started the conversation by first giving Robin a demonstration of her magic - and without warning.

Robin, walking on all fours, skipped a step and then came to an abrupt halt.

"Hurry up, wolf," Tula teased.

"Cut the sight shit and I will," Robin barked. It was still weird hearing his voice come through a wolf's mouth.

Tula stared at him so he could see himself.

"You're going to have to get used to it. This will happen when I have to relay information to you. Adapt or die," she said with a twirl of her hand.

Robin growled.

He started to walk with careful steps.

"Look at yourself. You look like you injured your paws. You don't want anyone to question why you look like you're wearing invisible doggy boots, do you?" Tula continued to tease.

Still growling, Robin fell into a more natural gait.

"There you go. Good boy," Tula said as she dropped her concentration.

But she still randomly decided to spring this on him again every few minutes. Deidra was already used to this, so she had to test Robin more thoroughly.

In between these tests, they talked about specific plans, spitting out various ideas.

"I'll be on top of a tree, or somewhere else that's safe. Maybe the cabin we were just at. It doesn't matter, as long as I'm somewhere safe and inaccessible," Tula said.

"The cabin would be best if your magic can reach the city from there without issue," Robin said. "It'll be the most secure location for miles."

Tula nodded. "As for you two... I think Deidra can blend in as a knight if we give her the proper attire. And if we find a leash, we can give her a lovely, obedient canine companion."

"Ha-ha. Her companion. Not yours," Robin snapped.

Tula rolled her eyes and made a disgusted face. "As if I want you as my companion," she said, scrunching her nose.

At that, she decided now was a perfect time to test how well he'd adapt to her looking through his eyes again. He snarled, but this time, only skipped a step before walking as normal. He was adapting quickly.

Pleased, Tula let this play on for a few more seconds and then dropped her concentration, resuming back to the conversation.

"Where could we get armor for Deidra?" she asked.

"I can sniff out a scout outside the city," Robin said. "We can take it off them. We'd just have to stash them somewhere they won't be found."

That sounded fun. Tula nodded her head.

"And a leash? Are you going to steal it from a doggy scout?" Tula asked with a smirk.

"Rope," Robin said flatly. "Deidra already has some in her bag."

Deidra nodded at this.

"We may have to fabricate a story into why Deidra is bringing tied-up wolf to the palace," Tula said.

"I have a pet?" Deidra offered.

Robin, surprisingly, was silent at this suggestion.

"Or if I look like a scout, I'm training him to be a companion to sniff people out," Deidra offered. "An experiment."

Tula nodded. "That can work. Robin already makes weird sniffing sounds. It's believeable."

"That's literally just the sound of me sniffing," Robin said.

"What will you do after you get in?" Tula asked, ignoring Robin.

"Well," Deidra said. "I don't know the city. But Robin does. He'll have to lead me through. It's a big city, so it'll take a while before we reach the palace. And... that'll be... challenging. But not impossible."

Tula suggested that they meet with the others since they already knew the plan. They went back and forth for a bit, but it seemed that meeting with the others to get into the castle seemed to be the best course of action.

Tula didn't suggest that she tell Eve or the others, but she considered it as a viable plan in case things didn't work out. After all, Tula had to keep up with three people: Robin, Deidra, and James. If she added a fourth or fifth person, this would be too hectic, even for her. Plus, any information that she found on James could be relayed by Deidra or Robin.

It was a solid plan.

Tula was meticulous. She went through some ideas in more detail, bouncing off ideas with Deidra and Robin. Any time Robin said something annoying, she would challenge him by looking through his eyes. By the end of the hour, however, he seemed to fully master it, totally unfazed by the change.

They were nearing King's Peak again. Next, they had to find a scout so they could get armor.

This was supposed to be dangerous, but Tula couldn't help but grin.

This will be fun.

Today was the day. In ten short minutes, they would finally start their plans.

Elias was nervous. Ever since Adina talked to him about the mission in a somber mood, and ever since Bo told them the plan... he did start to get nervous.

But it felt different knowing that time was truly running out now.

Elias was happy to step up. Actually, he felt honored. He wanted to help James, and this felt like a worthy cause.

Elias wasn't worried that he'd get hurt. Instead, he was selfishly worried that he'd have to use his magic. He kept this to himself, of course, since this really shouldn't be a problem. But he did worry... he did worry that he'd have to make tough choices he'd come to regret.

But Elias knew he was being selfish to think this. He wanted to be more selfless. He wanted to be there for James during his darkest hours.

They all said goodbye to Hendrik, Makiel, Alistair, Jordan, and Adina.

"You going to be okay, bosses?" Hendrik asked loudly as he set a hand on Eve and Bo's shoulder.

Bo flashed Hendrik a warm, confident smile.

"We will," he said.

Meanwhile, Mel and Jordan still seemed to be attached to one another.

"I'll see you soon. I won't be gone long!" Mel said brightly as she hugged Jordan.

Alistair hung around Clandestine.

"Well... guess this is it," he said. "I hope, erm... you don't burn the palace down. But I guess it's not a bad thing if you do."

"It would be an exciting adventure, for sure," Clandestine said.

Elias turned to Adina. Saying goodbye to her was going to be the hardest. He never liked goodbyes, so he wanted to keep it light, especially since she seemed very anxious.

"What do you want to do when this is all over?" he asked. "I'm thinking we should celebrate."

"I like celebrations," Adina said with a small smile, though the worry was still present in her eyes. "What do you like to do to celebrate?"

Elias hummed. "Maybe we'll pick flowers," he said.

"That's a very calm celebration," Adina said. "But I could get behind that."

Elias nodded, noticing that the others were quickly wrapping up their goodbyes.

He softly smiled, looking down at her tenderly and giving her one last longing look. He was sure he'd be fine, but... he wanted her face to be the last thing he saw before he went in. He reached over and tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear, leaning in and kissing her forehead.

It didn't last long. Maybe a second or two. But he wanted to remember it.

Finally, Elias pulled away with a smile. Adina's face was red, but she looked up at him with tenderness in her eyes in return.

"I think that's a proper goodbye," he said softly.

"Almost," Adina said, just as soft. And then she reached up on her tip-toes and pecked his cheek.

Elias grinned, placing his hand over to his cheek.

"I'm never washing my forehead again," Adina said.

"That might be kind of smelly," Elias said. "But my sense of smell is kind of bad anyways."

"You'll just have to come back," she said. "And then I'll wash it."

"Guess that's how we'll celebrate," Elias said with a little laugh as he noticed that Bo and Eve already began to pull away. Elias gave her one last longing look. "See you soon?"

"See you soon," she echoed.

Elias gave her and the others one final wave before turning around and catching up to the others. Bo and Eve were leading the way to the tunnels, with Raj and Aradis following behind. Mel walked beside Clandestine as they bustled with ideas to distract soldiers at the castle.

Elise seemed to gravitate to Elias. He half-expected this and braced for her worried words.

"If anything happens, remember that you're not alone," Elise said softly with a little smile.

"I know," Elias said quietly, mirroring her smile.

"And if you have to use your magic... remember that you are in control, and you are using it to help others," Elise said.

"I know," Elias said again.

"I normally condone an 'us versus them' mentality, but in the case of war, there is no other choice. But remember your intentions. This doesn't make you a bad person," Elise continued.

Elias knew they were running out of time to speak, and Elise wanted to give him quick reminders of what she believed he needed to hear. She wasn't wrong. Elias had expressed his disdain for fighting and violence, even though his life was centered around that for the last decade.

Elise knew that, if given the choice, Elias would rather never use his magic again. He really disliked the premise of being healed at the expense of others. And now that his beserker gene was removed, he really disliked that he was put in a position to choose to heal himself at the expense of others.

Elias thought back to when he took a bullet for Eve. Nothing happened. Even when they all arrived in Nye and he was bleeding out, his body didn't take control. His body didn't take over and do whatever actions possible to stay alive, even if it meant hurting his friends - or worse.

No. He was given a choice: die or use his magic.

Remember all the missions you've gone on? Remember how you tried to kill yourself every time? Remember how you kept trying, even though you knew you'd fail every time?

"I know," Elias said quietly in response to Elise, trying to drown out the intrusive thoughts that plagued his mind. "I remember."

For a while, Elias questioned his sanity. These thoughts were normal to have while he was in the military and drugged out of his mind, but now that he was more... stable, he wondered why this was all coming back.

But Elias already knew the answer. He had been having more and more intrusive thoughts ever since they started their mission, and ever since Elias realized he was given a third choice: die, use his magic... or let his body take control.

He hadn't told anyone yet, but it seemed that the beserker gene wasn't entirely removed. It was only modified so that Elias wouldn't forcefully be put into a beserk state. This time, he had a choice.

Before James, Elise, Alistair volunteered to be transferred his bullet wound, Elias felt the intrusive voice return to his head as he was bleeding out.

Come on... don't die now. Not after everything you've been through. Just let me take over. I'll make everything okay again.

You like it when I take control, don't you?

Knowing that he now had a choice to die haunted him.

But it haunted him even more knowing that he could willingly let his body take over.

This wouldn't be a problem if he could live a normal peaceful life, but Elias knew that these invasive thoughts would come up any time he was forced to face violence. Today was no different. He just had to go through today, and then everything would be fine.

"There are scouts around these woods. Everyone be quiet and follow us closely. We should get there within an hour," Eve said to the group, interrupting his thoughts.

Elias took a deep breath, nodding and quietly following the others. He ignored the heavy weight of dread in his stomach, instead trying to uncover the bravery and love that he had for his friend.

I'm doing this to help James, Elias said to himself, repeating it in his head to drown out other invasive thoughts. I choose to be here for him.

But they continued to come anyways.

But if it gets too hard... you know what to do.

Elias was silent for the remainder of the hour.

Everything was going according to plan.

Robin and Deidra dropped Tula at the cabin last night and went off on their own. They left her with food, water, and all the other resources she would need to be on her own for the next day. She didn't plan on leaving the cabin until they arrived, which was predicted to be sometime in the mid-afternoon.

Tula kept checking in with Deidra and Robin up until they settled down at night. In the morning, she got up extra early and hassled them with more sight sharing. It seemed that this woke them up, though. But how else was she supposed to coordinate when she was miles away?

It didn't take long for them to start their plan.

Tula kept looking through Robin and Deidra's eyes, knowing that they knew she was peering through their eyes, but fortunately this did not impede on their performance. Robin was sniffing out a scout, zigzagging around to find someone around Deidra's size. Once he did, Tula experienced the joy of seeing the two of them beat the shit out of the scout just so they could strip her of clothes and armor. They knocked him out and hid him before Deidra went on to tying rope around Robin, making him look more and more like a weird pet.

From there, Robin continued to lead Deidra to the scout entrance. Deidra marched with the rope in her hand, truly looking like a knight who knew where she was going. At least, that was what Tula imagined in the half-second glance Robin gave her.

They walked for a while, so Tula used this opportunity to stop spying on Robin and instead spy on her next subject: James.

This was all for him, wasn't it? Great.

Tula peered through his eyes without warning, knowing that he'd know she was watching him.

She couldn't see much. It seemed that he was staring at a dark ceiling, with distant firelight flickering in pulsing light.

In James's periphery, she could see what looked like a woman standing over him. She could just make out a hand holding a scalpel. The scalpel lowered out of view.

Then James's vision blurred as he let out a blood-curdling scream.

Tula had to shake away the shivers as her vision turned static and her concentration was dropped. Loud screams always overstimulated her, making it hard to concentrate.

What was he screaming about, though? Who was the woman?

Tula hummed. She could make her own conclusions, but she'd rather worm her way into his head instead.

Sitting upright on her cot, Tula stared at the plain cottage walls as she decided to now give James the gift of her sight.

"Oh, so sorry to interrupt. I thought you'd like to see where I'm living. As you can see, it's so much more exciting than whatever the hell you're going through now," she said plainly. "Listen, asshole. A group of us are trying to get you out of there. Luckily for you, I can spy on you any time I want and then relay the information to the others. Aren't you glad you didn't blind me?"

At that, she dropped her vision, deciding to end it there. James needed to process this, and clearly whatever else was going to happen next to him.

It seemed he couldn't talk to her right now anyways, but she'd check back on him later. For now, Tula wanted to focus on Deidra and Robin.

She tuned back to Deidra's eyes. They were approaching a hidden, secure entrance away from the main gate. It seemed that other scouts were coming in and out from here.

Tula switched to Robin's eyes as they approached the entrance. At the entrance, a burly fellow stopped them and asked for identification. Deidra handed over papers to him, and although she did a good job at concealing her anxiety, Tula could tell she was still a little nervous.

The guard quickly scanned the papers then looked up-and-down at Deidra.

"Freya?" he called skeptically.

That was the name of the scout they had hassled earlier.

"Yes, sir," Deidra said.

The guard folded the papers but didn't give it back to her. He was suspicious, but not alarmed. His eyes drifted down to Robin.

"Why do you have a wolf?" he asked.

"Training him to sniff out mage scum," Deidra said.

"Under whose orders?" the guard pressed.

A second of hesitation.

"Hellen," she said.

"Hellen who?" the guard continued.

At this point, Tula decided to talk to Robin, switching her sight so he would be seeing through her eyes and hear what she would have to say.

"Robin," she said quickly. "Bark or do something stupid. Make this believable. Distract them."

She then switched back to see through his eyes.

Robin sniffed at the ground and in the most casual, dog-like way possible, began to pee on the nearest soldier's feet.

"Hey! Watch your wolf," the guard barked.

"Oh. Sorry. We're still working on that," Deidra said.

Tula quickly switched to Deidra's eyes. "Go!" was all she said before switching back.

"I'll ask her to write up some official paperwork for him," Deidra said. "I kind of sprung this on her last minute. I thought it could be a good asset if it works out."

"I want something to show for it next time you pass through here," the guard ordered.

"Of course, sir," Deidra said.

After a few complaints from the guard who'd been peed on, they were let through.

They were in. Deidra and Robin casually walked through, with Robin taking a slight lead since he knew where they needed to go.

"Nice, Deids," Tula said as she gave her her sight again, using this opportunity for a quick check-in. "Make sure to give Robin a pat for being a naughty boy."

They continued to walk through the city, blending in well due to their disguise. The buildings were tall, most of them painted in variations of grey and white, while their pointed roofs reached high into the cloudless blue sky. The streets were wide but crowded, lined with oil lamps and paved with cobblestone.

They were following the flow of crowds, ducking into alleys and going behind carts and wagons to go through the streets. She knew that this will take them a while to traverse through, but it was necessary to stay low so they wouldn't arouse suspicion.

Tula decided to take this opportunity to check in on James again.

She could hear his labored breathing. His eyes were half open as he looked up into the face of the woman she'd seen before, only this time, she was right above him. Tula didn't recognize her from anywhere, but she seemed frigid in her demeanor.

Her face was gaunt and her tired, deep-set eyes were framed behind circular glasses. Her hair was a pale white, pulled back into a tight bun, making her look even more severe in her features.

But there was a spark of wicked curiosity in her eyes.

"Five floors," James croaked out. It was barely audible.

Tula knew that James was talking to her, not to this woman.

The woman's head tilted.

"He finally speaks," she said slowly. "What a curious thing to say."

James's breaths were shaky.

"Down," James said.

"Wait," the woman said. "Now that, I didn't see."

She shoved a pair of forceps into his mouth, nabbing his tongue and pulling it out to see.

"Well, I'm nothing if not a completionist," the woman said. "We did all the others. What's one more?"

Tula watched the blade come down and slice James's tongue. Blood spurted everywhere.

Ugh. Not again. How was he supposed to talk to her now?

With a sigh, Tula let go of her vision, taking a second to compose herself. Five floors down. These three simple words and Robin's freaky nose was enough to get started.

Tula tuned in to Deidra's eyes again to make sure it was safe before she'd relay this information. They were still sneaking around, but seemed to be out of the main roads now.

"Deidra," Tula called as she let her see through her eyes again. "James is five floors below ground. I'll tell Robin next."

As promised, she then tuned to Robin's eyes.

"Hey, ugly dog. James is being tortured five floors below ground. He's bleeding out. Make sure to smell for his blood before he dies," she said, then tuned to his eyes again.

Robin only made a sniffing sigh sound.

They continued to walk through the city. They still had a while to go, so instead of tuning in and watching them sneak around, Tula decided to share her vision with James again.

Maybe he'd like a break from being tortured. Gods, Tula was being so merciful today.

"Thanks for being so descriptive. You have a way with words," Tula sneered. "Deidra is in King's Peak with a werewolf named Robin. I relayed your measly three words to them, but that should be enough to get them started. Robin will sniff you out. His hearing is very good as well. If you scream loudly, I'm sure Robin can hear you. That won't be a problem, will it?"

Tula paused, knowing that they she still had ample time to talk to James - yet she was running out of things to say.

Although, she had a feeling that he'd appreciate hearing and seeing nothing to escape whatever that woman was doing to him.

Tula decided to prod anyways.

"Who's that woman? Your new torturer? She seems so fun. What's up with you attracting people who always want to hurt you? For a lover boy, you can be such a masochist," Tula said, then paused. "Checks out, considering you took the lumshade dart for me. Gods, why did you do that? Are you that addicted to lumshade? Or are you actually in love with me?"

Tula sighed.

"Whatever. Don't answer that. Look out for Robin and Deidra. And, oh. Forgot to mention. Your girlfriend will be there too, along with some other mages. But they don't know I'm helping. Do me a favor, will you? Once I bust your ass out of there, can you tell her not to kill me? Thanks."

Tula paused again, not ending the vision yet. She was delaying this for him.

"Also, can you not die yet? If you die, all of this will be useless. So hang in there for another few hours. If you want to die then, be my guest. But it won't be in my hands," she said.

Yet, she still didn't drop her concentration.

"Yeah. Okay. That's it. Don't--"

Tula was still sharply focusing on James, making sure that he saw and heard everything she saw and heard. Yet... suddenly the connection dropped. It felt like she was talking to herself.

Did he... hang up on her?

At first, Tula got enraged that he would do this while she was helping him. And how did he even do that? After all this time, now he wanted to shut her out?

But then the connection resumed. It was only a few lost connections, and Tula knew that it wasn't her who severed it.

Tula took a few seconds to process before it dawned on her.

"Wait," she said sharply. "Did you actually die? How did you--"

She didn't need to uselessly ask. She could look.

The woman's hand pulled away from James's face, and she could see the lingering glow of a healer's magic shining through her skin. There was a wicked smile on her face as she looked down at James's barely functioning vision.

"Welcome back," she said. "Want to try that again?"

Tula was normally good at managing her emotions when spying on someone, but seeing that sent her in a fit of rage.

"Are you fucking serious!" she yelled inside the small room, angrily standing up.

She huffed a few more breaths, calming herself down before letting James see through her eyes.

"She's a a fucking mage?" Tula sneered. "You're telling me that they keep mages in the castle? After all the shit they've said about mages? Are you fucking serious!"

She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Okay, great. They employed a psycho mage healer as their torturer. Gods. I'd say don't die, but she's going to do whatever she wants to you, isn't she?" Tula sighed. "I know you can't talk, but hang in there. I'll keep in touch."

At that, she dropped her line on James and tuned back to Robin's eyes. They were walking up a very steep hill, and in the distance she could see towering buildings that seemed a lot nicer and pristine.

"Update," Tula said blandly as she switched sight with Robin. "James is getting tortured by a healing mage. Yeah, a fucking mage. Can you sniff out that rat?" She sighed. "James can no longer talk, but I'll let you know if I see anything else."

Tula watched as they continued to trek up the hill, ducking into other nearby alleys whenever possible. They continued their ascent until finally they reach a rather posh neighborhood that looked far too artificial and manicured. The homes were huge and were far nicer than any other buildings she had seen before. Some had hand-carved etchings, others had elegant hand-painted designs, and some had spiraling and complex architecture. Shapely bushes and flowering trees lined the yards of the homes.

Eventually, they reached a tall wall. This wall was shorter than the giant one that surrounded the perimeter of the city, but it was tall enough that it kept people out.

They had to hunker down and wait, watching the soldiers going in and out, presumably due to watch rotations. Deidra and Robin patiently waited until there was a entering window, which took a while since there wasn't an easy way in without someone questioning them. After about ten minutes, there happened to be a dozen or so guards who were in a large marching order, heading into the gate. Deidra waited until they turned a corner before seamlessly slipping in, pretending to be one of the guards. Robin trailed behind.

They managed to get past the gate without question. Once in, they marched up the cobblestone path that led to the palace. The palace was gigantic. It looked like it stretched at least four stories high and had a few towers stretching even higher like bookends. It was made of stone, and thought it had some tall windows that looked like they'd let in a lot of sunlight, it looked like it was built with security in mind. Outside, the palace landscaping was decorated with an extravagant garden and several well-trimmed bushed and trees.

It seemed that security was focused more at the gate instead of the large golden palace doors, because they were able to march in without question - even with a leashed wolf trailing behind. Once in, however, Deidra seemed to not push her luck, immediately peeling away and hiding in a corner concealed by a velvety draping curtain that separated the room.

Deidra and Robin exchange some looks. Then, Robin nodded and took the lead, using his nose to sniff out any people that could nearby. They quietly made their way through the halls of the palace, frequently ducking behind furniture and rooms whenever Robin detected a person would walk past.

Many of the halls were made of stone and had lit candelabra wall sconces where there were less windows. It looked like Deidra and Robin were trying to weave their way around the bottom floors, which Tula suspected were less extravagant in decor because of all the foot traffic from soldiers. Though things looked swept and clean, there wasn't a lot to look at aside from some rug displays hung on the walls with the moonlight kingdom crest and various other forms of moon imagery, or what looked like pictures from the kingdom's history.

It took them a long time for them to go down each hall. They were frequently running, ducking, hiding, backtracking, running again, hiding again, and overall going in circles.

Tula was usually patient and played the long game, but her patience was growing thin considering she could only watch. She had to hold her tongue and not say anything rash that could otherwise distract them since she knew that they had to focus.

So Tula instead focused on James.

After another few minutes of watching Deidra and Robin scamper down the hall, Tula took her eyes off Robin and spied on James instead, curious to see what kind of pain he was going through now.

James was groaning in pain. She could hear the pained whimpers he was trying to suppress in the back of his throat, but she couldn't see the source. It appeared that the healer was out of view. James must not have been able to move his head.

"I do enjoy when they let me do whatever I want with the people who come through here," Tula heard the woman talking, a little lower. Probably down by James's legs.

"It helps when they let me know they're going to die anyway. I think that's the true reason for torture. It's really not useful for much else but for having fun, really. It's really not good for getting information out of people, you know. People will tell you anything to get the pain to stop, even if its a lie."

There was a split second pause, and then James let out another cry of pain.

Tula dropped her concentration, grimacing in disgust. This woman was clearly psycho to take pleasure in torture.

Tula, at least, saw it more of a task she had to do - not something she'd do for fun in her free time.

James was clearly still suffering. And while he was with the psycho, Tula couldn't communicate with him... not that he could talk or move much, anyways.

Tula focused back to Robin, looking through his eyes again. Unsurprisingly, they were still scampering around the halls. It seemed that they were making progress this time, considering the halls were dimmer and without windows.

They were underground now. Finally, they made it past the main floor.

Tula could tell that they were running out of options. Furniture was getting sparse. The halls turned into a corridor, sometimes with little or no rooms they could duck in. There were a few close calls, with one close call involving having to sprint down the rest of the hall so they could avoid seeing the guards who were chatting and leaving the one room in the hall. If the guards had seen them, they would have been exposed since there was nowhere else to hide.

They went down another staircase. They were on the fourth floor down now. They had to go down this floor and then the last fifth floor before they'd find the dungeon.

Robin peeked past the doorway across the winding corridor. There were a swarm of guards taking watching and walking, diligent in their watch. Robin glanced back at Deidra, and Tula recognized the look on Deidra's face.

She lacked confidence.

"There's too many of them," Deidra whispered.

"Deidra. You're literally invincible," Robin whispered back. "You can take them. Just don't get hit by lumshade."

Deidra swallowed thickly.

"Right," she said. "Lumshade."

"I can't go with you," Robin said. "It's too obvious. But you can do this."

Deidra nodded, but wasn't moving.

"Go!" Robin whispered harshly, and he pushed her in the back of her legs.

That forced Deidra out into the open. Tula switched to watch through her eyes instead as she began to march up to the guards who stood in front of the final door.

Deidra stopped in front of them, making eye contact. They looked to her expectantly.

"I have orders from Captain Haddon to see to a prisoner," she said steadily.

The guards looked at each other.

"Let's see it," they said, clearly expecting a paper form of the order.

There was a beat of silence as Deidra pretended to reach into her bag. Instead of pulling out a piece of paper, she pulled out a gun. And the fight ensued.

Tula wasn't exactly impeding on Deidra's sight, but she knew that the feeling of being watched could feel unnerving. As soon as the fight began, Tula switched to Robin's eyes, watching the guards run down to see the commotion from his perspective.

"What are you going to do now? Sit and be a housepet?" Tula asked as she briefly shared her sight with him so she could talk to him.

"Hide," Robin whispered flatly. "And get out of here. Focus on Deidra."

"Mmhmm. I'll keep you updated," Tula said, leaving it there as she watched the fight unfold.

After following the tunnels for quite some time, they finally parted ways from the distraction group.

Fortunately, it seemed that the Blue Suns had started a scene of their own. There were fights scattered throughout King's Peak as sun members already started to take out their vengeance. Although it seemed that it was mostly chaotic in nature without a leader and hence not a completely organized attack, it still brought ample soldiers and guards out to deal with them.

Eve was thankful for that. More soldier out of the palace meant less soldiers they had to fight.

Eve did worry for the distraction group, but they reassured everyone that they had this under control as they all made a good team. Together with Mel's light magic and Clandestine's fire magic, they were sure to cause chaos. Mel Aradis and Elise hung back to heal whenever necessary, only stepping up when absolutely needed so they would not end up in the crossfire of battle.

After they parted ways, it was only Eve, Elias, Bo, and Raj.

Raj kept digging, and this was when Eve stepped in to help. Not physically - but directionally. Any time he dug and it led to a dead in, she would go back in time and tell him to go in a different direction. It wasn't entirely a shot in the dark since he could sense where people were moving, but the palace was still filled with people. Knowing that James was underground was a start, but it didn't mean it was easy.

Since they were underground, Eve had grown used to not being able to see her surroundings. She was in pitch black darkness, only using sounds and touch to be able to perceive things. She constantly communicated with the others. Elias held her hand towards the beginning, but he dropped it after he grew used to walking in the darkness.

They dug for quite some time, and suddenly Eve felt a familiar creeping feeling. Like someone was watching her.

Tula.

Eve knew Tula couldn't see anything, but she still panicked and reached out to put a hand on Bo, blurting out, "Tula. She's spying on me right now. I can feel it."

But then the feeling went away. Tula... stopped.

Before Eve could even fully process this, her vision was hijacked as Tula took control.

She was now seeing through eyes, but she wasn't seeing much. She was outside in the woods, pushing away vines and revealing a door. She opened the door and walked in, revealing a small room with four cots, a fire stove, a cabinet, and dreary walls.

"Miss me?" Tula said mockingly, but then thankfully started to dive right to the point. "Now that I have your attention, you should know that I'm now on your side. Deidra and Robin have infiltrated the palace. They're finding your little lover boy right now, who is being tortured by a healing mage on the fifth floor underground. I know you're digging since I see literally nothing. You're welcome."

She paused.

"Feel free to describe to your one-eyed leader where I am right now. Robin took me here, yet he and Deidra are not here. Don't overthink this one."

Eve blinked away the light, not realizing right away that she had been tightly clutching on to Bo to ground herself from the disorienting vision.

"You alright?" Bo asked.

"Tula sent me message," Eve blurted out. "She showed me a small cabin hidden behind vines and leaves. It had four cots and looked to be well-used. Deidra and Robin aren't there because... because she said they're in the palace right now. She's helping them through. She said she talked to James. He's in the fifth floor underground, being tortured by a healing mage."

Eve tightly closed her eyes, even though that didn't do much at the moment.

"I don't know if any of that is true," she said quietly.

"Fifth floor narrows it down," Raj said up ahead.

"Well, the cabin you described is a real place Robin would've led her to," Bo said. "So that much is true."

"It doesn't hurt to try, right?" Elias asked.

Eve didn't know what to say or think of this. She was conflicted because this was Tula who had proved to be untrustworthy time and time again. Yet, she and Bo had a point about Robin.

If he took her there, why was she alone?

There was no time to wade through the what-if scenarios. There certainly wasn't any time to think of what types of incentives Tula might be after in helping them with all of this.

"If it's a trap, I can go back and warn you," Eve said, trying to steel her nerves. "Let's try it."

They kept digging, but now that Raj had a general direction to try, the process was much faster and smoother.

Eve looked behind her, the air feeling stale and thick. It was dark, but she knew that the tunnel behind them stretched on and on. It wouldn't be long before they would wade through this tunnel again, this time with James in tow.

They were so close now.

"We're right outside the wall," Raj said. "There are a lot of people in here, and a few rooms. I'm taking us into the hall since the rooms seem to be cells. We'll have about six soldiers up on us right away. There are eight further down the hall."

"Three for you, three for me," Bo said.

"Eve and Elias, you try to find what cell James is in. I can't sense him," Raj said.

"Will do," Eve said.

"Raj and I will take care of the soldiers," Bo said. "Everyone ready?"

Eve nodded, mostly for herself. "I'm ready."

"Yeah... me too," Elias said.

"Alright," Raj said. "Here we go."

The earth in front of them peeled away with a heavy thunk, and dull firelight spilled in. Raj and Bo stepped out immediately and Eve watched as the two of them worked fast.

Bo shot a blast of electricity out of his hands that connected with three people, as if it pierced through all three of them. Their metal armor crackled with energy as the three of them convulsed and fell to the ground.

At the same time, Raj used the wall like a weapon. Pieces of the wall flew off and slammed the other three soldiers to the floor, wrapping around them and pinning them down at their ankles and wrists.

Eve could feel Tula watching her again. She hated how that felt, feeling like she was standing in front of her, observing her from the shadows. Although she wanted to hide the fight away from Tula and not let her see anything, Eve couldn't take her eyes away. She had to watch diligently, waiting for Bo to give her the signal.

Finally, Bo waved Eve and Elias in as he and Raj ran down the hall to face the other guards. There were already shouts and arrows and darts flying. Raj deflected them with pieces of stone, pulling them out of the walls around them. Bo deflected them with the plate armor on his arms.

Eve gave Elias a quick glance before they both ran down the open hall, away from the soldiers. The hall was barren and cold. A stone pathway lined the floors as six heavy metal doors lined the halls. None of them looked to be out of the ordinary, but a few had lights emanating from the sconces on the walls.

"James!" Eve yelled desperately. "Where are you?"

Eve felt Tula's presence vanish as Eve started to knock on a door with light behind it.

This was a dungeon. She didn't dare open any doors unless she knew James was behind it.

"How do we know which ones to enter?" Elias asked as he also ran down to call for James and knock on a door.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream down the end of the hall. Eve knew right away that it was James.

She ran like her life depended on it, her heart beating fast. It was a guttural, heart-wrenching scream. She felt time slowing, but she didn't know if it was because of magic or because she felt like she was close to seeing the man she loved.

There was only one door down the hall with a light emanating behind the door.

Elias was quicker than her, running ahead and already trying to pry open the door. It didn't budge.

"It's locked," he said, frantically looking around.

Keys. Where were the keys?

"James," Eve said with a quivering voice, pushing herself up to the door as Elias ran back down to find keys, presumably from a soldier. "James, are you in there?"

There was no answer.

Eve almost wanted to beg for him to say something - to give them one last hint that he was in there so that they wouldn't open the wrong door and waste time. The selfish part of her wanted him to say something and recognize that she was here, so close to seeing him.

But then she remembered Tula's words: he's being tortured by a healing mage.

James's scream echoed in her mind as the horrifying realization dawned on her: his torturer was likely still in there.

Eve quietly took a few steps back, nearly falling over but stopping herself as she tried to think through her next steps. Elias nearly ran into her as he was sprinting back, this time with keys.

"I have them," he said, taking her hands and wrapping them around a large ring of keys. He seemed to sense that she was shaken up. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly, eyes flicking between her and the door.

"His torturer is still in there," she said quietly. "Once the door opens..."

"Eve, it's fine. If Bo and Raj don't get here by then, I can help take care of it. Let's open the door. Come on," Elias said with a sudden bout of confidence, helping her up and nearly pushing her to the door.

Eve felt the lock on the door, feeling for the general shape of the lock. She leafed her fingers through the keys, picking out the few that seemed to be the right fit. With a shaky hand, she placed the first key in, but was unable to turn the lock. Wrong key. She tried again with a second key. Again, it didn't fit. Again, she tried with a third key, then finally --

Click.

They key turned, unlocking the door.

Elias didn't hesitate to violently push the door open.

James was strapped to a flat stone table. His ankles, sides, wrists, and head were all firmly strapped to the table with thick metal shackles that left no wiggle room. A thin white sheet barely covered his privates, but everything else was exposed.

He had even more scars. Some of them looked only partially healed.

There was a woman standing over him. Her glasses reflected the light as she looked up to Eve and she ripped her scalpel across James's throat.

Time actually seemed to slow this time as Eve took a step forward, then two. It came to a full, still stop right before the woman said her final words.

"You need me to heal him," she said, her words cold as ice.

Then everything stood still. Eve ran to James, knowing they had little time to waste.

"James," Eve breathed out, tears already prickling her eyes before she reached him.

James was beginning to sputter. It was hard to tell how deep the woman had cut with all the blood beginning to spill from the open wound.

There were tears pooling in James's eyes. His lips were trembling and his breaths were shaky.

Eve wished she could do more - but everything was restricting her. His shackles, his throat, and time - it gave her strength, but also prevented her from pouring all her love on him right now.

"K-keys," James rasped.

They had ten minutes. Time was ticking.

And with his throat open like this... they had even less time. The woman didn't slice an artery, so fortunately blood was not spilling out, but it still gave them less time overall.

Eve frantically looked around for the keys, but after a few seconds, realized that they were still in her hands. Her hands shook so much, she nearly dropped the keyring on the floor.

Her heart beat so fast, it felt like it was going to explode out of her chest. Everything felt deafening and dizzying.

She had pulled herself together before this, but seeing James like this, and finally being able to see him... it ruined her. She was always like this. Why was she always like this?

Eve started for his ankle first, crouching down to be eye-level at the lock. Still with shaky hands, she leafed through the keys, trying to see which one would match the most.

There were a lot of candidates. And with her mind feeling fragmented knowing they had such limited time, she didn't have much time to figure this out.

There were two dozen keys. Yet, Eve brute-forced her way into one lock, trying key after key after key. Finally, it opened.

She stood up, realizing that she still had seven more locks to go.

"There are too many, and not enough time," she whispered, mostly for herself as her eyes darted to the remaining locks.

One on his other ankle. Two around his wrists. Two around his thighs. One around his chest. One around his forehead.

Almost impulsively, Eve ran to Elias, almost tripping against the loose cobblestone flooring. Elias was frozen by the door, fully opening it and ushering her in. Now, she would be the one ushering him in.

Or so she thought.

She clung to him and pulled him in, but it was no use. Eve tried to focus all her energy into unfreezing him, but it wouldn't work. He wouldn't budge.

"I can't unfreeze him," Eve said with a mirthless laugh, shaking her head and blinking away the tears now running down her face.

She had to do this alone.

This was almost poetic, wasn't it? To be so close yet so far from saving James?

Eve had to push away the intrusive thoughts of everything that could go wrong, instead running back to James and the keys and pouring all her efforts and focus into finding the right key.

Every key was different. Was there no master key?

She unlocked his other ankle. Then both his thighs. Then his chest.

Eve was getting faster at this, but she had already used up more than half her time. Inching up towards James, she had to kick the woman away, who was hovering near his head. It surprisingly took a lot of effort to push her away from James, but Eve didn't know if that was because of the magic, the woman being dense, or her being weak. Maybe all of it.

His wrists and forehead were left.

Eve worked fast, pouring her efforts into unlocking his wrists. Another two minutes passed. Now she was down to two more.

She had been so sharply focused on unlocking all of his shackles that she hardly had time to even see him, but now that she was fumbling with the lock around his forehead, it was hard to look away - especially since he was openly weeping.

Blood was pooling around his neck, being absorbed by his longer matted hair - including the streaks of white hair that no doubt was birthed from immense stress. Eve couldn't imagine what atrocities he had been wrung through. His body was much thinner and looked to be so much weaker. New scars embraced his skin. Deep, dark circles were hollowed under his eyes, like he hadn't truly slept for a week. Or knowing him, he hardly slept since he left.

"One more," she whispered with a shaky breath, wiping away the tears stinging and blurring her vision.

She was able to open the shackle on his forehead quickly with the second key she tried. Not wasting time, Eve quickly tore it away, biting her lip to stop from weeping herself.

James was finally free. But they had to move now. She nearly used up all her time to unlock him. Time would unfreeze any minute now.

Eve took a moment to inspect the wound on his throat, remembering the woman's haunting words. The cut into his throat was scarily deep, hitting just under his chin. It was a miracle she hadn't hit an artery - or perhaps it was just as intentional as her threat.

"We have to go," Eve said with heavy urgency in her voice, helping him sit up. "Can you stand?"

James's body was stiff, and his movements were clumsy. He was clearly still in pain but also trying to suppress the sobs she could hear hiccuping at the back of his bloody throat. She could hear him sputter as his own blood bubbled in his mouth.

He set his feet on the ground.

Eve was quickly doing the math in her head. Mel was the closest healing mage near them, waiting for their arrival in the tunnels. It would still take at least ten, fifteen minutes to get through the hall, past all the guards, and down the tunnels - and that was being optimistic.

Elias was a healing mage as well, but Eve knew he was much more limited with what he could do. But it was the only option they had that had almost no risk.

She was not going to free his torturer. That was not an option.

"Let's go," Eve whispered after she set her arm around him for support.

She had been strong for him for so long. And for even longer, he had been strong for her. Today, she will be the stronger one.

More blood was spurting out now that they were standing. She took a step forward with him, and he reached his hands up, wrapping them around his own neck.

Eve quickened her pace.

"Can you unfreeze Elias when we reach the door?" she asked. "Afterwards, I'm going to ask him to stabilize you."

James barely nodded.

Eve went as fast as she could towards the door, until finally, they reached Elias. James reached out, simply placing a hand on him - and that was enough to unfreeze him.

"Go!" Elias said as he looked back to where she was before, clearly about to say this before she froze time.

He blinked, confused as he eyed the two of them. Even in the midst of confusion, he didn't hesitate to act, stepping towards James's free side and placing his jacket around his shoulders. He helped him stand, ushering out of the room.

"He's bleeding fast," he said softly as Eve grunted to close the heavy door, immediately locking it.

"Can you stabilize him?" she asked, glancing down the hall.

They were so close now.

"I can try," Elias said as he placed his arm around James tighter, trying to support even more of his weight. "Hey, mind if I have a look?" he asked gently as he poked at James's hand covering his neck.

James pulled his hand away, but he swayed on his feet.

Blood immediately oozed out, but Elias still placed a hand over it, a soft light emanating under his palm. A few seconds passed, and when Elias lifted his hand away, the bleeding seemed to mostly stop.

The wound wasn't at all healed. It simply clotted.

But it was enough.

James, who still had the blanket trailing off his leg, reached down and tore off a piece of it. Though he was shaking, Eve could tell that getting healed pushed him back into survival mode, and despite his state, he had pulled himself together.

Elias helped James tie the scrap of fabric around his throat, quickly tying it up before he effortlessly scooped him up in his arms. James seemed to panic for a moment, like he was reaching for the blanket that fell to the ground, but he quickly reached around Elias instead.

"Alright, we need to go now," Elias said with a nod to Eve.

They ran down the hall, but Eve felt the world slowly beginning to resume around them. The firelight flickered around the walls, and when they turned down the corner at the end of the hall, the lumshade darts frozen in midair began to gain momentum. Previously frozen mid-fight, Bo, Raj, and the guards suddenly resumed their attacks, metal hitting metal, electricity charging the air.

"Down the tunnel!" Eve yelped as she pushed Elias down in the direction they had to go.

Elias quickly moved, Eve trailing behind. She knew that Bo and Raj were perceptive and notice that they were here, so she wanted to slink away quietly and not attract the attention of the soldiers. A few have already noticed that they had James, and Bo was fighting them off.

Eve ran beside Elias, for a moment making eye contact with James. She thought they shared the same thought: they should try to freeze time again.

Or was there a cooldown? She didn't know, but she was desperate to try.

But it seemed that that wasn't their shared thought at all. James's eyes went wide.

"Eve!" James rasped urgently.

It was too late. Eve felt a prickling pain on her back, and with horror, she knew without looking that it was a lumshade dart.

It was strange. At one point, Eve wished her magic to disappear. And with this dart, she finally knew what that felt like. Like sand in an hourglass, she felt time pass through her fingers, unable to grasp it even when she willed herself to try.

"Go!" she said through gritted teeth, ordering for Elias to keep going even when he looked back with worry.

She still ran, but her legs started to feel weightless. Her vision blurred as time truly seemed to run past her, because suddenly, everything seemed to happen all at once.

Eve hit the floor, and everything went black.

Panic ripped at James's throat like the scalpel that sliced it. A bloodied shout coughed out of his throat as he let go of Elias and reached out for Eve, all thoughts of escape abandoned at the possibility she couldn't follow.

Elias passed her.

He kept moving because of momentum, but his footsteps slowed. The thudding of his boots stomping on the stone flooring echoed off the barren walls like a clanging gong.

If he and Eve couldn't freeze time, they might not make it through this.

He didn't know the two men fighting off the soldiers down the hall. He didn't know how capable they were of taking on the dozens of soldiers that kept pouring in while avoiding getting hit by lumshade.

They were sorely outnumbered. They were racing for time, and James could feel the dread pooling in his gut like the blood dripping down his throat.

No.

He couldn't let this be a waste.

He couldn't let Eve, Elias, and the people who'd risked their lives to save him get caught. He refused to be the reason they were subjected to his same fate or worse.

Something inside him snapped.

As Elias finally came to a stop, whirling around to go to Eve, James felt something he'd never felt before.

This was different.

He didn't feel time stopping.

He felt time slowing.

No, even that didn't feel like the right words to describe it.

It felt like something inside of him was pulling him forward, and everything else was dragging behind.

Adrenaline ripped through his body with a shudder. With every muscle awakened he found himself tapping into an energy reserve he hadn't believed was still there. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he scrambled out of Elias's arms.

He landed heavily on his feet, and it was then that he realized... time was nearly frozen. Except it wasn't frozen. He found himself staring at Elias, realizing he was blinking. Just at a barely-noticeable slothlike pace. Instead of the dead, hollow silence he experienced when time would freeze, this felt like he was experiencing every sound in its slowest form. The room was full. But everything was delayed. Every soundwave slowed to a fraction of a fraction of its normal rate of travel.

Morbid fascination and unsettled horror swirled in his gut before the realization hit him.

I'm going forward in time.

And not just forward. Forward faster than everyone else.

Time wasn't frozen. He was buying time - just by no longer being constrained to it.

He didn't know how long this would last. But he was going to push himself as far as this would take him.

He didn't have time to waste.

In haste, he ran to Eve. She was limp on the ground, but unlike his experience when time was frozen, her body was not rigid and still. There was give.

He was able to pick her up, but he didn't know with what strength. She was limp in his arms, and if he'd known how long this would last, he might've spared a second to look at her.

But he ran.

He turned back around, running in the direction he'd seen Elias fleeing to.

A door. Right?

No. Not a door. It was an opening; ripped into the wall by what could have only been an earth mage.

His feet carried him faster than he could comprehend. Even as time carried on around him in slow-motion, he felt a strange sense of power fuelling him, as if his magic was lending him aid.

Not questioning it, James plunged into the darkness.

The tunnel travelled up. It was about the height of a tall person, and the width of two men.

James flew through it blind.

He held Eve's head close to his chest, and when he felt her feet barely start to scrape against a wall, he changed course.

Several times his shoulder skidded against the cold dirt. But he brushed past it and kept going.

The tunnel was maybe a quarter mile long. When he broke to the surface the daylight nearly blinded him.

But he didn't have time to think about what was outside. He only knew their chances were far better than if they were stuck under the palace.

He laid Eve on the ground and turned tail, his running turning to sliding back down the tunnel, using the momentum of his run to propel himself downward faster.

Dirt caked his hands and feet. It stuck to his bare legs and some of his half-healed wounds. He could feel the sting.

Three more people.

Three more people that he knew of. Not including himself.

He fell back into the hall, scrambling on all fours before he sprung to his feet mid-movement, running out into the slow-motion fray of battle.

The man closest to the action was an earth mage. Gloves of stone had formed over the man's hands as he stood fending off three soldiers in his face.

As James came around him he could eerily feel the heat of the man's breath like it was stuck in the air in a cloud just a few inches from his mouth.

James didn't know if he had it in him to carry someone in his arms like he had Eve again.

Still, he tried.

With a heave, he managed to get the taller man in his arms. Groaning, James strained to carry him, the man's feet dragging on the ground as he was semi-frozen in his former position.

And the uphill fight began again.

James trekked up the tunnel slower this time, but still faster than he thought he was even capable.

When the darkness broke and light flooded in, James left the man by the exit.

James could feel his strength begginning to wane.

Two more.

He threw himself back down the tunnel with a running start. He slid the rest of the way and nearly tripped when he entered back into the cold, stone hall. He pushed himself off the ground and huffed as he ran up to the other man surrounded by soldiers.

There was a terrifying blue glow in the man's eyes. Electricity charged the air around him, making James's body shiver once he was within reach.

Gods, this man was huge.

What James would give to switch places in size. Just for this.

He wondered if he could lean into the momentum of his magic.

He was moving fast. This only felt longer for James. For everyone else, this was going to be disorienting as hell.

He just hoped no one was getting hurt by him hurtling them through time and space at alarming speeds.

Gods, it was too late to think about that now.

James wrapped his arms around the man's waist and let the larger man's upper body flop over James's shoulder as James began to run forward.

This trip was gruelling. And James found himself quickly losing stamina on the way up through the tunnels, even though he now knew the route enough to go up it faster with no issues.

But the man was heavy.

James has to focus on propelling himself forward.

But by the time he finally saw the end of the tunnel he could feel his legs beginning to tremble.

Just a little longer, he told himself. You have to get Elias.

Winded, he began tumbling back down the tunnel, his feet constantly skidding and sliding, but this time, without the force of speed behind him.

His body was starting to tremble.

Shivers ran through his limbs. Phantom pains sparked like charges of electricity to every nerve ending. His legs were shaking like leaves in the wind by the time he saw the light of the hall again, and turned to see Elias's face.

Even if James struggled to get Elias out this last trip though. It'd be worth it. They'd be out. They could get free.

James felt his heart thumping against his ribs. It felt like it was going to burst through his chest.

Every part of him felt like it was crumbling.

He was pushing himself to a breaking point.

James stumbled his way up to Elias, falling forward into his chest for a moment, holding onto Elias to catch his breath.

He hadn't even realized how ghastly his own breaths sounded. He finally heard it over the ringing in his ears.

He couldn't remember when the ringing began.

James was gasping for air. He could taste blood in his mouth, and blood was seeping through the cloth around his neck, cold and wet. He could feel it starting to drip down to his chest under the jacket that drowned his frame.

"Elias," he said, his voice pained and thin. He barely heard himself.

He began to pull on Elias's arms.

He knew he couldn't carry him. Some stupid part of him thought he might be able to "unfreeze him" and drag him to follow.

But he found himself pulling Elias's full weight.

When Elias didn't budge, the force of the effort severed off whatever pool of adrenaline had been fuelling his panicked dash to safety.

James coughed up blood as he felt his legs go out from under him.

The push of time was finally catching up to him.

Like a wave crashing over him, he felt it snap back to him - or him to the present - and he was once again bound to the constraints of time.

James fell forward, unable to catch himself as his face hit the floor.

His vision danced with spots of black and white as all the noise of roaring now-confused soldiers burst through the hall.

James didn't know if he'd come back from this.

He felt like he broke something. Maybe he did. Maybe his magic was always supposed to be this way.

Or maybe he'd just done something even Nye's nature wasn't supposed to allow.

"Uh... James?" Elias said as time resumed, his face contorted into confusion as he darted his eyes between his hands, James, and the men drawing near from the other side of the wall. The confusion quickly turned to quiet panic as Elias caught up with their current situation.

James' heart sank. He'd made this worse.

Now Elias was left alone to face this.

James has failed.

I'm so sorry.

He hadn't thought this through. He shouldn't have tried to play the hero.

I'm so sorry.

Tears flooded his eyes, and James let out one last bloody sputter.

Then darkness overcame him, and he was helpless.

Time magic sure was weird.

Any other situation, and Elias would question the inner workings of what was going on. It seemed that James and Eve kept instantaneously appearing and disappearing, and Elias could only assume this was due to magic.

But now? Eve was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Bo or Raj.

It was just him, James, and dozens of soldiers running up to him fast.

But James was now passed out. He had coughed up blood then collapsed on Elias's feet. The confusion was quickly replaced by panic as Elias thought about scooping him up and booking it to the tunnels, but he was never going to make it.

There were dozens of armored soldiers pouring into the hall, now. He and Eve had made some distance, but there were still a few yards between him and the exit Raj had made, and that distance was being blocked by incoming soldiers.

"Detain him," he heard a voice shout, echoing off the walls.

The eyes of every soldier landed on Elias.

Before he even had time to react, he felt his feet get swallowed up by the ground beneath him. Jagged stones were pulled out of the earth, locking his feet in place as they swirled around his heels.

Elias clenched his jaw as he loosely tried to fight what he assumed was earth magic, but instead used most of his attention to make sure James was still beside him, not being hurt.

His attention got stolen again when two soldiers stepped out of the fray with their hands extended, and as their hands moved upward, the stone crawled further up Elias's legs. When they spread their hands out, they ripped stoned out from the wall, molding them mid air. The stones re-shaped and forcefully struck Elias's wrists, wrapping around them with the momentum they were thrown. His wrists were pulled together in front of him, and the stone cuffs pulled his hands down, and the cuffs melded with the floor.

"Cut off the tunnel," the same voice ordered, and one of the earth mages stepped away, pulling the earth down like a sheet, covering the opening Raj had made to get away.

Elias couldn't do anything as soldiers marched in, surrounding Elias and James on every side. James remained unmoving, but Elias could hear his weak, ragged breaths as blood dripped out of his mouth in a slow stream.

Elias fought the building pressure in his head as he watched the soldiers part for a man to step through.

The man was short but lean and muscular. The dim firelight reflected across his warm brown skin as he kept his focus intensely on Elias. It seemed almost laughable, with how neat his hair was tied up and how curly his mustache was, but Elias knew he wasn't someone to be laughed at. He was wearing shiny metal-plated armor with an insignia on the chest plate. A sword was carried on his hip that lightly swung with every step he took.

The man looked up at Elias, then down at James.

"Send a squad into the garden. Cut them off before they leave the city," Carter said over his shoulder.

A soldier behind him nodded and disappeared.

Elias couldn't pay attention on what happened next as he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"I see what you mean... but I think pain is needed for us to get better," Eve said beside him.

But he knew this wasn't Eve. Not the one he knew now. This was Evaline from more than a decade ago. She still looked at him with shared sorrow in her eyes, and for a second, he thought the hallucination turned into Elise. But it was gone as quick as it came.

You know what you have to do.

"If you don't answer me, this sad attempt at a rescue mission is about to get even more fruitless," the man in front on him said.

"Wh... What?" Elias said as he was forced to tune back into reality.

Elias realized that the man had moved James. He was holding James up by the jacket collar, holding a sword to the back of his neck.

"I'll ask one last time," the man said. "How many did you come with?"

Elias shook his head, knowing he couldn't and wouldn't answer that.

"Why?" he asked instead as he attempted to free himself from the rocks that held him down, even when he knew it would be futile in his current state. "What do you want with James?"

"What is your name?" the man asked.

"What is yours?" Elias shot back.

He didn't know what he was doing. Buying time, maybe. But he didn't know what for. What was he doing?

There was a pause, and the man smirked as he looked down at Elias, like he was amused that Elias didn't know.

"All this trouble to break into the palace dungeon and you don't even know who you're up against," he said. "Now that's a story."

Elias didn't even know what to say to that. He was hardly paying attention, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. Earth mages subdued him, right? Did their magic depend on their hands? Elias wished he had asked Raj before he got into this mess.

"Do you even know why James is here?" the man asked. "Who do you think issued the order for his capture?"

A deep realization shook Elias back to give the man his full attention.

"...Carter?" he called thinly, still feeling like a guess in the dark.

The man's eyebrows raised up, and there was an icy look in the man's eyes as he looked down at Elias, all signs of amusement gone.

"High Commander Haddon," the man said cooly. "Address me by my first name again and James loses his head."

You know what you need to do, the voice in his head repeated, but Elias ignored it.

James had told Elias and everyone the background and context regarding Carter. Maybe... maybe Elias could reason with him.

He was being naive again, wasn't he?

"I know what it's like to lose your closest friend. I know you're angry, but this isn't how you solve this. You're only going to suffer some more," Elias said, trying to plead with him.

Carter laughed.

"You think you can appeal to my humanity? Man to man? This isn't about revenge," Carter said.

"Then what is it about?" Elias asked.

"Retribution," Carter said. "And finally ridding the world of an insect that's been leeching off of it for far too long."

Elias knew in his heart that Carter was right - he wasn't going to be able to appeal to his humanity. He was far too gone for this to work now, or maybe ever.

"You don't seem to have much of a choice, do you?" a voice said beside him again. Elias knew who it was before he looked. He wished he didn't look beside him to see Alan standing next to him, disappointed.

"James's fate is already sealed. It's just a matter of whether he loses his life here in front of you in this hallway, or if I spare you the guilt of watching him die," Carter said. "Either you start answering questions, or this ends now, for both of you. Which will it be?"

Elias only half paid-attention to his words as he focused on freeing his hands. He ignored the pain that came with rocks scraping against his skin, his muscles, his bone. He just had to endure it for a little while, knowing it would be worth it.

Elias ignored Carter as he quickly pulled his bloodied broken arm out of one of rocks, immediately using his magic to transfer the injury to one of the earth mages that subdued him. He focused the transfer to be mostly on his hands, feeling sorry that it would be ugly and painful since the transferring was always so much worse than the injury itself, but Elias couldn't pay attention to how well it was working. He only heard a loud cry as he did the same to his other arm, transferring the wounds to the other mage.

Elias only had time for a quick half-second glance at his now-free arms. Blood caked his skin, but his skin was not broken. It seemed that his magic had fully transferred the wounds over.

Just as his arms got free, Carter reached out and dug his fingers into Elias's hair, gripping his head. With force, he ripped Elias forward, and Elias could feel his feet breaking as they were torn out of their rocky cage.

Carter gave Elias no time to recover. Elias was dragged by the hair past James's body - which had been thrown to the side like it was discarded - and down the hall.

Elias tightly clenched his jaw, feeling blood pool in his mouth from biting his tongue. He couldn't even feel his toes anymore, and he knew he couldn't use his magic to heal. Not when he was still being dragged like this and would likely get hurt again moments later.

Unless he used it on Carter. If he could injure his legs... that would give him enough time to get out, heal, pick up James, and brute-force his way out of here.

Elias intensely focused on using his magic against Carter to transfer his injuries to him.

But it... didn't work. After a split second, Elias felt a vicious resistance, like pain pushing agianst pain. He groaned at first, then screamed to try harder - but it was no use.

When Carter stopped walking, he smashed Elias's head into the floor.

"You would use your gift against another mage?" Carter hissed violently, his face dancing in Elias's blurred vision. "Insolent fool."

"...What?" Elias breathed out, coughing and blinking rapidly, his hands and fingers clenching the stone floor to ground himself.

Did he hear that right?

"I see you're determined to be useless," Carter hissed, his hand still tangled in Elias's hair. "So useless you will be."

Elias was slowly processing. Between his words and his inability to use his magic on him... it dawned on him. Carter was a mage, but not just an ordinary mage.

Carter was a mage that had the same type of magic as Elias.

Carter finally released Elias's head, but instead grabbed his shoulders, flipping him around so Elias was pinned on his back. Carter wrapped his hands around Elias's throat, but instead of a choking pain, Elias felt something far worse.

People say that pain led to death. But this? This just felt like death. Like he was draining the years of life out of him. Carter had murder in his eyes as Elias noticed that a faint smoke-like black color emanated out of his hands, coloring his vision.

Elias was still processing that Carter had the same magic as him.

And of all the things he could have done, Elias laughed. A shrill, maniacal laugh fumbled his way out of his throat, but was still muffled by him choking him.

Elias pushed back, but he found his efforts waning as he welcomed death's doors. Still, he somehow found the energy and willpower to laugh and slowly reach for the dagger sheathed on his thigh.

But then his vision blurred, and as quickly as everything came, all of it was gone. There was a ringing in his ears as Carter loosened his grip and he stood up, leaving Elias on the ground.

Red dotted his vision now, but before he could reach for his dagger and try to instigate a fight, someone else came flying into frame.

Deidra, running with James under one arm, slammed her shoulder into Carter square in his chest so hard that Carter went flying down the hallway.

Was this real? Was Elias already dead?

He didn't know how to process any of this as he stared at Carter with wide eyes.

The clang of Carter's armor against the floor reverberated off the walls, as did the screech of his sliding.

Deidra turned to Elias and scooped him up under her other arm.

"Sorry I took so long," she said, breathless as she whirled around and began to speed back up the hallway.

They were going up.

Elias almost wanted to laugh again. No, he did want to laugh.

This didn't feel real. They were whizzing past soldiers as she fled down the hall, towards the stairs. Lumshade darts were bouncing off her impenetrable skin and off Elias's light armor. He almost wished that one would hit him anyways so that he wouldn't feel the pain of his feet dragging behind, no doubt with many broken bones.

Elias felt another laugh bubble behind his throat as he instead focused on transferring his injuries to random soldiers that came running past them, laughing some more as they then screamed in pain, toppling over from leg injuries. He only had a split second to notice that the broken bones snaked its way up their leg, twisting their knees around.

His work here was done. Deidra was holding James with one arm, and Elias with another. They were invincible, weren't they? She tore down one hall after the next, effortlessly knocking down soldiers.

Elias's vision was so blurred, he couldn't tell where they were or what was happening. He couldn't think with his head straight. A headache pierced his skull as the intrusive thoughts dug deeper.

That felt good, didn't it?

Lumshade darts kept bouncing off him, but Elias noticed that some clung to Deidra's skin, getting tangled in her clothes. Still bouncing in her arms, he plucked the dart off of her and willingly injected it onto the exposed skin in his hand, not caring that he completely missed the veins.

He didn't want to think anymore.

Sleepiness tugged his eyelids until he passed out in Deidra's arms.

All things considered, this wasn't the worst possible outcome. It was one of the better ones, considering everyone got out. Not great, because some people were severely injured (and others were in various stages of need), but Bo was going to count their blessings.

Eve, Elias, and James were all still alive. Each of them were being carried, though, as they hurried through the mines.

Eve was the first to come to, but her mind and body were far too disoriented for her to keep up the pace. Raj was carrying her.

Bo was currently carrying Elias, who'd been hit by lumshade while Deidra had been carrying him out.

And James was in the heroic arms of Deidra, who had single-handedly saved Elias and James from getting lost to the dungeons by charging in there by herself.

Bo was happy she'd come back. Not just because she saved the day, but because he knew something like this would hopefully prove to the others just how much she was willing to put on the line for them. It was true that once she'd been an enemy, letting herself be controlled and never speaking up for herself or for others.

But today she proved just how much she'd grown in so little time. And Bo was proud of her, even as they were running through the tunnels like mad.

The rest of the rescue team was in front of them. Clandestine, Mel, Elise, and his Mel were running in front of them, each one in a hurry.

Elise and Mel - both doctors - kept looking back at James and Elias in particular, and Bo knew they were glancing over him and Raj as well.

Though Bo and Raj were certainly far better off than the ones being carried, they hadn't been unscathed. Bo had collected a few nasty scrapes, but he was holding up just fine. He knew Raj had been hit in the back with an arrow (that was still sticking out of him) on the way out, and now it wobbled behind him like an accessory.

But they couldn't stop to heal. Not when they were racing against time.

Bo knew that before they knew it, the whole forest outside the city would be crawling with soldiers. He knew that the Blue Suns had begun to cause some trouble in the city - they'd passed it on the way out, utilizing it as a life-saving distraction - but it wasn't going to keep King's Peak from calling on their specialized mage hunters. Kingdom soldiers would be sent to deal with the gang war while the hunters were sent out in the dozens.

This was going to be a very long journey.

But they were going to make it through this. Just as they'd done many, many times before.

Clandestine was lighting the way through the tunnels. She held her flame high in her palm as everyone travelled behind her and the burning light cast their shadows across the walls. Robin kept falling behind them, glancing back and sniffing the air before he scampered back by Bo's feet.

"They're in the mines," Robin said urgently.

Bo's heart sunk.

That was going to make any future rescues in King's Peak nearly impossible without this resource.

"Let's get out before they decide to cave them in," Bo huffed.

And those were the last words they exchanged in the last stretch before they finally broke free, all of them bursting out onto the hillside into the dark of night.

"To your mounts!" Bo ordered, keeping his voice just loud enough for everyone to hear while refraining from shouting.

Those who'd been waiting were already ready, but he could see the worried looks on their faces.

"Injured and healers in the wagon," Bo said, and Deidra and Raj were quick to follow.

James, Elias, and Eve were all laid in the wagon while Elise and Mel hopped in. Robin and Raj followed after, glancing back at Bo.

Bo knew he was injured, but he also knew he would last far longer than the others.

He could wait to get seen to. They had to go. Now.

No one had to be told again to find their horse or mount. Bo climbed into the front of the wagon, ready to steer. Everyone was gathered around, already positioned to go.

"Hendrik, keep people off our tail. Clandestine and Alistair, be one the defense. I'll cover us in front. Anyone else able, do what you can," Bo said.

And they were off.

They'd only travelled half a mile before they heard an explosion from behind them. It rumbled throughout the hillside, and the whole peak shook. Tremors rippled through the ground beneath, fading as they kept moving.

There went the mines.

Bo kept his focus on their surroundings.

He caught something jump in the trees around them, and without hesitation shot out his arm, casting out a streak of lightning. With a high-pitched crackle, it connected, and a person fell out of the tree along with a crossbow. He was intentional not to make it a killing blow.

Behind him, he could hear the others engaging with scouts jumping out of the trees. The crackling of fire. Gunshots. A whoosh of wind. The latter must've been Malkiel.

For an hour they fled. The first fifteen minutes were the most tense, but finally, they'd made it out of the weeds. Bo carried every casualty heavily in his chest, but he knew full well that it was rare for any rescue to leave everyone on both sides unscathed. The war against the mages had been "over" to the rest of the world for decades - but for mages, the war still raged on, it'd just taken a different shape.

They were still fighting for their lives. Fighting to have lives at all, and to protect the ones they loved and that loved them - mages or not.

Bo couldn't help but wonder if the people in his company fully knew what they'd been brought into.

Perhaps this world was preferable to their former, but it came with just as much trouble. The trouble just looked different.

Three hours passed. They kept the hasty pace through the mountains, pushing their way ahead to ensure they were far from danger and finally able to rest - at least, for a time. It was best to be as far from the city as possible. The further they could separate themselves from the concentrated danger that was King's Peak, the better.

When they finally stopped, it was at another hidden haven. They'd passed the cabin Tula had been hiding in - about two hours behind them, now - but Bo would have to leave to join her in the morning. There was too much going on at present, and until he was sure everyone was safe, he didn't want to leave.

Tula had been staying in touch with Robin and Deidra - though more exclusively the latter - and Deidra assured Bo that Tula was secure, for now. Bo told Deidra to tell Tula to keep laying low and wait another day, especially now that the kingdom would be on the search for all of them.

The base they landed at was in a cave carved into the side of a rocky cliff-face by the hands of earth-mages themselves.

The cave went deep, and had several tunnels that acted as hallways, leading into different rooms. Several small air shafts had been dug out near the ceilings, giving continual airflow in the cold of the cave.

The animals were brought into the main area - wide, tall and open for such a purpose. Bo doubted they'd be making use of any of the rooms.

Everyone was exhausted, worried, and wounded.

They'd all be staying close.

Bo went to Hendrik first, asking Hendrik to take care of assigning watches to those who were uninjured and able. Hendrik, as always, was quick to help. Bo let him do it his way, which was a little heavy-handed, but effective.

Bo recruited Alistair and Mel to help him and the healers carry the injured out of the wagon into an open area. Together they laid out blankets and helped create an area where the doctors could work, and once everyone was moved, they backed away to give them space. Bo asked Alistair and Mel to redirect their efforts to preparing food.

About to turn to find something else - making sure he didn't forget anything - Mel - Mel Aradis - reached out and grabbed his hand, looking up at him sternly.

Bo looked down at the arm she'd grabbed.

He was aware he'd been bleeding for a while, but it made his stomach drop when the blood oozed down to Mel's hand.

"Let me get you stable before you run off again," she said.

Knowing better than to argue with her, Bo nodded.

Elise was looking Elias over, and Robin was looking at James. Eve looked like she had her bearings again, and she was at James's side, clearly not wounded enough for the healers to think it was urgent.

Bo sat down next to Mel with a deep sigh, peeling away the armor on his arm that hadn't protected the underside enough to avoid the slash that broke the skin. Mel took over and rolled his sleeve and chainmail back for full access, and she wasted no time.

She rested her hand over his arm, and he watched the familiar glow transfer from her skin to his.

In the background, he kept hearing Elias and Elise argue.

Elias kept insisting he was fine. Elise wanted to be sure of it. Elias kept urging her to heal Raj.

"If he says he's fine heal Raj first," Mel cut in, her hand still running down Bo's arm.

Elise finally gave in and left her brother's side for Mel's.

Mel finally lifted her hand away. She hadn't healed the wound fully, but Bo knew that was because she was saving her energy for the others. But it was healed enough. The bleeding had stopped, and some of the skin had come together to form some early scabbing.

"Don't lie to me," Mel said curtly. "Do you have any other urgent wounds?"

Bo shook his head. Everything else was mostly bruises and genuine light scratches.

Mel got up, pushing a roll of bandaging into Bo's hands. Bo took it and carefully wrapped his arm, tying it off and ripping it away from the roll with his teeth.

As he got to his feet he dropped the roll back into the medkit before he found Deidra standing by the cave entrance, staring out into the night.

"You came back," Bo said, rolling his sleeve back down.

Deidra turned to look at him, looking like she'd been abruptly brought out of her own thoughts.

"It was Tula's idea," Deidra said.

Bo raised a brow, feeling a smirk tug at his mouth.

"Really?" he said. "That's a pleasant surprise."

"She helped us find where James was in the palace," Deidra said.

"Then I suppose I owe her a thank you," Bo said.

He lightly elbowed Deidra in the arm.

"And thank you too," he said.

Deidra smiled faintly, and even though Bo was used to her smiles never reaching her eyes, this one didn't seem timid like all the others.

"It felt good," Deidra said.

"What, being the hero of the day?" Bo asked with a playful smile.

Deidra laughed faintly at that.

"No -- not -- I mean, I wasn't really expecting it to go that way," she said. "I just wanted to help."

A beat.

"It felt good to help people for once," she said. "I think... I liked it a lot, actually."

"Well, if that's something you're interested in doing more of in the future," Bo said. "We can talk more about that."

Deidra turned to look at Bo with a brightness in her eyes he'd never seen before.

Hope. He was seeing hope. Hope for the future.

"You said you rescue people all the time," Deidra said. "Mages in hiding. Looking for safety."

Bo grinned knowingly.

"That I did."

Deidra glanced over her shoulder, back at the group huddled around James. Then she looked back to meet Bo's eyes.

"I think-- no. I know," she said firmly. "I want to do that. I want to keep saving people."

Bo laughed and patted her on the back.

"That can be arranged," he said. "But for now, I think you should get some rest. We'll head out to meet Tula in the morning. She just has to wait one more night. And if she's listening--"

He raised a brow as Deidra's expression gave the answer to that away.

"--I'm glad you helped give Deidra the confidence to come back and complete the mission. It seems to me that you're a good friend."

Deidra blinked, and her cheeks flushed from embarassment, even though Bo had said nothing to her personally.

"She-- uh," Deidra stuttered. "She... stopped."

Bo couldn't help but laugh. Laughing, at this point, was cathartic.

"Can't wait to meet her," Bo said, turning away. He was sure Tula was going to be quite the handful.

As he walked back in, he found himself pausing, standing alone in the middle of the cave for a moment, finally letting himself breathe.

He turned to look out of the cave, into the darkness of the forest.

Over the tops of the tall evergreen trees, the stars shone brightly in the sky. The moon waned, but its blue glow danced over the treetops.

It had been a long day.

He looked forward to the moment he finally got to lie down.

His eyes shot open. A scream ripped through James's throat and he threw himself onto his side. For a moment the very movement violently confused him, as he'd been expecting every part of him to be restrained to the table.

When his limbs moved freely, he found himself staring at his trembling hands, surrounded by blurred shadows hovering over him.

Nothing about what he was seeing made sense.

A long-sleeved shirt stretched down his arms. The fabric was warm, and soft. The table beneath him didn't seem to be a table at all.

He was on the ground, on a blanket.

He looked up, and his eyes finally came into focus on Eve's face as she looked down at him with worry.

Tears sprung to his eyes before his memories even began to flood back in.

He couldn't control it anymore, and he didn't have the will to. The moment he saw her face he crumbled.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here. You're safe now," she said softly, sliding her hand into his.

He'd never thought he'd see her face again. He never thought he'd hear her voice again.

"You're still hurt," she continued.

He pulled her hand in, close to his chest. Her words didn't sound like any comprehensible language. He was just overjoyed to hear her voice.

"Robin is a healing mage. He's trying to help heal you. Is that alright?" Eve continued, voice wavering, like it pained her to say this.

James couldn't find words. He wished he could say something, but all that came out of him was a sob.

"James," Eve called quietly, then leaned in and hugged him, her chest falling across his as she held his shoulders. Her head was beside his as she cried in his ear. "I've missed you so, so much."

James had to find the strength. He raised his arms, feeling them tremble with the effort, and he wrapped them around her, hugging her as tightly as he could. He knew his sobs were loud, pained, and ugly, but he didn't care.

He didn't know how they'd made it out. He couldn't remember anything after he'd failed to save himself and Elias.

His eyes shot open again. He couldn't even see for all the tears in his eyes.

"Elias," he said urgently through sobs. "Elias. Is he okay? Did he make it out?"

Eve was sobbing as well, her breaths jagged as she tried to find her breath to talk. But before she could say anything, Elias suddenly entered his peripheral, crouching down beside him.

"Hey. I'm alright," he said with a little smile.

James closed his eyes as relief flooded back to him and he leaned his head back, the tears still flowing.

For a moment none of it seemed real.

Eve was really here. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a hallucination. They'd come back for him; he'd finally escaped that hellish cell, and all those weeks of pain and suffering were over. He was finally reunited with his friends and the ones he loved. He didn't think it was even possible. He'd thought all hope was lost.

He found himself hugging Eve with all his strength as the two of them sobbed, and he didn't know if their sobs were feeding off one-another's sobs, but it didn't matter.

Eventually, their cries both finally subsided, and James's grip around Eve started to loosen as the wave of emotion pulled away and the exhaustion of his body seeped back in.

With breaths that felt all too labored and loud in his own ears, he pulled away from Eve, letting the last of the tears clear from his eyes. Eve pulled away as well, wiping her eyes as she sat back beside him, slipping her hand back into his.

She looked down at him with love and adoration shimmering with the remnants of tears in her eyes.

James didn't know what his face looked like. But he hoped she knew he felt the same.

Then the moment was broken.

"James," Elias called, apparently still crouching beside him. "Just, ah... getting you up to speed." He paused, glancing behind him. There must be others watching them. "We're traveling with a group of mages. We've been traveling with them for some time now. We're safe for now, but we'll be moving every day to make distance. For now, we're all resting and sharing stories. Everyone is okay, but we are confused."

Elias paused.

"About what happened back there..." he said, then trailed off. "Well. What happened?"

James blinked slowly.

It took a few seconds for Elias's question to process as it all came back to him. The break-in. The time-freeze, the dart, and Arimala...

He swallowed down a lump in his throat, nodding almost imperceptably, more to himself as he tried to pull himself together again, forcing the tears he still felt behind his eyes back behind the dam again.

"I..." he started, but found trouble finding his voice.

He was finally becoming aware of where he was.

A cave. The ceiling of a cave arched over him, and as he turned his head to see who was round him, he realized...

Everyone was staring.

Alistair. Mel. Hendrik. Malkiel. People he didn't recognize.

"He's still recovering. Do we have to do this now?" Eve asked.

"No... sorry. Just trying to figure out if this was time magic," Elias said.

"I did," James said quietly, feeling small under the eyes of everyone around him.

It was only after he said it that he realized his answer didn't make complete sense.

Eve seemed to sense that James was feeling uncomfortable.

"We should have this conversation more privately," she said, more to Elias than to James.

Elias looked around. "Right..." He was trying to figure out the logistics of how this would work, considering James was still on a blanket on the floor.

James swallowed again, and looked from Eve to Elias.

"I... I went... I went faster," he said.

He didn't know why it was so hard to find words. Everything in his head felt like it was jumbled.

"I went forward in time faster than everyone else," he said.

Elias and Eve were both staring at him with wonder and surprise.

"I didn't know you could do that," Elias murmured.

"Neither did I," James said.

"So you put Bo, Raj, and myself into the tunnel?" Eve asked.

"Yes," James said weakly.

He didn't know what was wrong with him. He wasn't normally like this. His lower lip began to tremble, and he couldn't seem to control it.

"Impressive that you were able to move Bo. He's the tall guy over there," Elias said, gesturing over to the taller, one-eyed man in the crowd watching them.

"I wasn't..." he started, tears filling his eyes again. "I wasn't strong enough..."

"Strong enough that it worked, though," Elias said.

"I didn't... I didn't get you out," James said, the tears already flowing down the sides of his face. "I couldn't..."

"Hey, it's fine. Really. You can't blame yourself for that. Plus, I'm fine anyways. The important thing is that we're all safe now," Elias said with a pat on his arm.

"You have Deidra to thank for that," the one-eyed man said, stepping more into view. "She got you and Elias out of there like a one-woman army. It all worked out."

Deidra.

Deidra was with them? She'd found them? She'd come back for him?

But if Deidra had found them, what had happened to--?

"Tula," James said. "Where's Tula?"

"She's not here, but Deidra, Bo, and Robin will get to her tomorrow," Eve said.

"I'm Bo, by the way," the one-eyed man said. "Robin's another fellow. Don't worry about remembering our names right now."

James nodded slightly, the tears subsiding.

"So she... got away," he said.

"Seems so," Eve said quietly, although he could tell she was holding back reservations. "She's safe. You don't have to worry about her."

James was content to leave it at that for the time being.

"Okay," he said softly.

"Hey, how are you feeling, anyways?" Elias asked. "Are you hungry? Hurt? Want a comfier bed?"

James wasn't sure if all of those were serious questions.

He felt like it was obvious that he was in pain - it was a little less than he remembered from before, which was probably because of healers, but his body still hurt in ways he didn't think magic could solve in a moment.

And as for comfort - well, this was the comfiest he'd been in... weeks?

Months?

"I haven't been hungry for a while," he said quietly, settling for what felt like the simplest question. "It's been a few days, maybe, since I've eaten anything that I can remember."

Which meant, at this point, his stomach had long since stopped telling him he was hungry.

"Yeah. That is a while, isn't it?" Elias said as he glanced back again, then turned back with a small smile, standing back up. "I think they're preparing food. I can pick something up for you both then. But for now... maybe get some rest."

"I don't think I'll be able to eat much, yet," James said.

"That's alright. I'll eat whatever you don't wanna eat. Just try your best," Elias said, then looked over at Eve. "You alright?"

Eve nodded, still clutching on to James. "Yeah," she said softly. "Thanks, Elias."

"No problem. I'll leave you two to it then," Elias said with a little wave, already walking away.

Eve watched Elias walk out to talk to the others, who glanced back at James before they all finally moved on. Eve turned her attention back to James, her expression softening into worry again.

"How are you really feeling?" she pressed.

James hesitated, and he turned his head, looking around them.

It seemed like the last of the curious stares had finally turned away, and everyone around them was returning to their own tasks and conversations. There was a small part of him that noticed small changes in the friends he knew - longer hair, different clothes - but he couldn't really see them very well.

His eyes were never the best, but they still felt blurry. He didn't know if it was because of tears or if his eyesight really was deteriorating more.

He'd forgotten he'd ever had glasses.

He looked back up at Eve. Even though he knew the others weren't staring, he still felt like he was being watched. He also was only just beginning to process everything around him.

He was fully clothed. He was warm. He hadn't felt truly warm in weeks. The sensation was so comforting all he wanted to do was curl up beside Eve and close his eyes.

"I'm tired," he said, barely audible. But tired meant so many things.

"I know," Eve said softly.

"I missed you," he said, feeling his throat tighten again. "I'm -- I'm so sorry. For--"

"Shhhh," Eve interrupted, finger on his lips.

His eyes had already begun to tear up again.

"We have so much time together now. So much time to talk and be with each other. Right now... let's just enjoy each other's company," she said as she curled up beside him, her legs intertwining with his. Her arms stretched across his chest, lightly pushing him towards her into an embrace.

James couldn't help but to lean into it. He was too drained to reciprocate the embrace, but he rested his head against hers.

"I love you. So, so much, James. I'm so glad you're here," she whispered in his ear, sounding tired herself.

He knew Eve wasn't trying to make him cry again. But it seemed it didn't take much for tears to flow.

"I love you too," he whispered, for all the times he wasn't able to say it back when she'd reached out to him over the painful weeks he couldn't see her. "I'm so happy to see you again. I love you. I love you."

She held him a little closer, her grip around him still gentle, but pulling him in a little tighter.

He hid his face in her shoulder, crying again, but this time, the tears weren't only full of desperate relief. He was just happy. Happy to be with her again.

"I'm not going anywhere. Please, rest. I'll be beside you the whole time," she said just as when he felt a few wet drops splash on his face. It was her own tears.

He couldn't explain how freeing those words felt. For the first time in months he actually felt safe: safe to let his guard down, safe to just be, safe to rest.

And in her arms he finally felt free to let go.

He didn't know at what point the tears stopped and exhaustion took over, but before he knew it, sleep took over.

Truth be told, Elias's head was killing him.

Well, that was an exaggeration. But the piercing headache did bother him enough that he found himself having to intensely concentrate to talk to James. It was exhausting to try to pay attention and keep the conversation light. It was even more exhausting to talk to the others afterwards, bickering with Mel that, no, it was not any hard feelings that James didn't call anyone else's name yet. He was just overwhelmed.

Finally, they all moved towards the kitchen, but the noise of everything reverberated in his head.

Had Hendrik always been this loud?

"We're CELEBRATING!" Hendrik yelled, his voice booming down the caves as he opened a bottle of brown liquid.

"Wait... is that liquor? Where did you even get that?" Mel asked with a laugh.

"Don't question my stash," Hendrik said threateningly to her, then beamed and offered the bottle back up in the air. "Who wants a glass? Today we're celebrating saving a dead man and kicking asses."

There was more clatter and cheering, but Elias tuned them out as he searched for Adina. Instead, he made accidental eye contact with Raj and then Bo.

Oh. They were staring at him. Aaaand now it turned to an invitation to talk to him. Elias stood stiffly as they approached.

"Hey, Elias," Raj said softly.

"How are you feeling?" Bo asked, also speaking quietly.

"Doing fine," Elias said as his eyes looked past them. "Have you seen Adina anywhere?"

"She's been helping with the animals," Bo said. "They've had a long night."

"Oh," Elias said as he now tried to think of where the animals were.

They were in the main room... right? Didn't he just pass that room? He couldn't remember.

"We were wondering if you'd be willing to talk about what happened in the dungeon after we got split up," Bo said. "We've been trying to get our stories straight."

"Oh," Elias said again.

Right. They had already talked about this, but not in great detail. They had focused so much on the missing piece, which was James using his forward time magic, or whatever it was called. But now that they had all the pieces...

"Sure. Yeah. We can talk," Elias said with a nod.

"From talking with Deidra," Bo said. "It sounds like there were--"

"Sorry," Elias interrupted. "Can we actually go somewhere quieter?"

He was sure that Hendrik had not been this loud before. Hearing him talk above everyone else was starting to agitate him.

Bo and Raj glanced back at the others.

"For sure," Bo said. "Follow me."

The two of them led the way down the tunnels to a small room where the sound no longer carried to them. It looked like a storage room, though supplies were a little sparse. Bo took a seat on a large crate with a sigh, and Raj took to leaning against a tall wooden shelf. Elias stood between them, forming a triangle. He put his hands in his pant pockets, finally feeling like he could think a little straighter.

"So," Bo started again. "We were talking with Deidra. She said when she got to you, there was a man who'd been attacking you. From her description, it sounded like it might've been Carter Haddon. But I wanted to confirm that with you first."

"Oh. Right," Elias said with a little nod. "Yeah. It was Carter."

"It sounds like there were at least a few minutes between when we got separated and when Deidra got to you," Bo said. "What happened in between?"

"He was being a smart ass and showed off his big ego," Elias said dully with a sigh. "I tried to plead with him. I don't think it worked."

"...Ah," Bo said with a nod.

Bo seemed tired. Elias was too. It had been a long day, after all.

"How did it escalate from pleading to, uh..." Bo gestured vaguely with his hands. "Was he just trying to get answers?"

"He was. I didn't really say anything, though," Elias said. "He dragged me to a room. Deidra came in shortly after."

"Deidra said your feet were broken when she found you," Bo said.

Elias hesitated. He didn't even think about Deidra noticing that.

"Right. Yeah," he said as he uncomfortably shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Carter also broke my ankles. Hence why he had to drag me."

Bo nodded slowly, his eyes drifting to Elias's feet.

"And you healed yourself," Bo said.

"Well... yeah," Elias said as he also looked down at his feet. "I am standing."

"Well," Bo said, getting to his feet with a deep sigh. "I guess that fills the gaps, then."

Elias thought about giving him one more piece of information. It could fill the "gaps" better, as Bo put it.

"Carter also smashed my head on the ground a few times. So I think I have a concussion. Sorry I can't remember much," Elias said.

"You should get that looked at," Bo said. "Before you rest for the night. Why don't you come with me and we'll find Mel. She's good with head injuries."

"I don't know if you can just fix concussions. But sure," he said.

"You can't," Bo said. "But she can help with some of the pain."

"I just have a headache," Elias said. "It'll pass."

Bo looked at Elias for a moment, his brows pinched together.

"I won't force you to see a doctor," Bo said. "But I am heavily suggesting you do. It's not just a regular headache."

Elias sighed, not really wanting to fight this. He'd already been down this road way too many times. It was never worth it.

"Alright, sure. We can see Mel," he said.

It seemed that Bo truly didn't have any more questions. They stood by the doorway for a bit as Raj parted ways, then snaked around the hall to go back to the main area. They passed Eve and James who were now sleeping on the floor.

Elias excused himself from Bo for a moment, quickly rifled through his bag that he threw on the corner when they arrived, and then pulled out his blanket and pillow. He gently laid the blanket over James and Eve and then stuck the pillow near their heads, not wanting to disturb their sleep. Satisfied, Elias hesitantly trailed after Bo again, who had been waiting the whole time.

So it turned out that the animals were in this main room too. He passed the horses and made brief eye contact with Adina, only offering a strained smile as he had to quickly follow Bo outside. Mel was sitting by the entrance, knitting. And conveniently, Elise was sitting next to her too, but she quickly stood up when she saw them approach.

"Hey, Mel," Bo said as they came up. "Could you look at Elias real quick?"

Mel was quick to her feet, setting her knitting project aside.

"Sure," she said.

Somehow, Elise being here made this a whole lot worse. Elias braced for her to ask what was wrong as he crouched down and prepared for Mel's examination.

"Elise," Bo said. "Would you mind walking with me?"

Elias didn't really want to gauge his sister's reaction, instead staring down at his lap. But he could feel her judging him.

"Yes... sure," she said softly, worry heavily laced in her voice.

And at that, Bo and Elise parted. Mel seemed to wait for them to be out of earshot before she spoke to him.

"What's hurting?" she asked.

"A headache," Elias said, feeling dumb that he was getting examined for this.

Mel smiled slightly, nodding.

"Is it alright if I put my hands on your head?" she asked.

"Yeah. That's fine," he said.

Mel reached out and rested her hands around his head, feeling gently under his hair.

"Ah, that's a nasty bump you've got growing there," she said.

Elias didn't say anything back. He didn't really know how to respond to that, really.

"I'm going to heal it, if that's alright with you," Mel said.

"Sure," he said.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Mmhmm."

There was a warmth that spread over the back of his head where the bump seemed to be. It felt like he was sitting in the sun, and the warmth of the sunshine hit that one spot on his head.

And then the headache started to fade.

It was nice... although, at the same time, he wished it didn't have to leave so he could continue to use it as an excuse to say he was tired.

Mel pulled away.

"Better?" she asked. He noticed she looked tired too.

"Yeah," Elias said as he scratched the side of his head, feeling for the warm spot. "Thanks." He slowly stood up, eyeing the entrance.

Instead of saying anything more, Mel only nodded, folded her legs, and returned to knitting.

Elias didn't know what else to say, so he thanked her again, then awkwardly walked back in, leaving it at that. He was glad to get this over with.

Bo and Elise must have walked somewhere outside, so that only left Eve and James sleeping, as well as Adina with all of the animals. Finally.

Adina had finished carrying a pail of water, setting it in front of Elliot so he could lap it up. Elias turned the corner and stepped in front so she could fully see him.

"Hey, Adina," he said with a small smile, watching her.

Adina turned around, and her whole face lit up when she saw him.

"Elias," she said. "Hi."

Elias moved closer, keeping his eyes on Adina. He didn't really know what got into him as he closed the gap between them, placing one hand on her shoulder and his other hand under her chin, tilting it up towards him to gauge her reaction.

Adina's eyes went wide, and her face flushed a deep red as she looked away with a flustered smile.

"Wait--wh-- haha," she laughed nervously. "I wasn't, um. Expecting that."

Elias studied Adina, still not sure if this was an invitation as he flicked his eyes to her lips.

"What's, um. What's going on?" Adina asked.

Elias let go, stepping back as he instead turned his gaze over to Elliot, patting his back.

"Nothing. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Adina seemed nervous, but she leaned to the side, looking up at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Elias said with a little smile as he met her eyes, still petting Elliot. "I think I'm just trying to... seize the day. Or whatever. It's been a long day."

Adina nodded slightly.

"Right. Seize the day," she echoed, like she was processing his words as she said them.

"You never know when opportunities come up," Elias said, not really knowing what he was saying at this point. Filler words. Something.

Adina nodded, but looked down at her feet for a moment, going quiet.

Elias gave Elliot one last pat, fully turning to Adina.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It really has been a long day. I think I'll--"

"It's not that I wouldn't mind it," Adina blurted. "If you kissed me. I just... I don't know. I guess I just was expecting it be more of a... a moment, you know? Not just out of nowhere."

Elias nodded, although he couldn't say he agreed.

"I get that. Sorry. I'll... be more mindful of that next time," he said.

"Okay," Adina said softly.

Elias knew that he really messed this up, but he was feeling more drained than when he walked in.

"I'm... uh," he said with a weak laugh. "Yeah."

He was far too tired to fix this.

"I'm happy to see you're okay," Adina said, breaking the silence. "That you made it out alright. I was really relieved when I saw you."

"Yeah... I am too," he said quietly. "Relieved to see you, I mean."

Adina offered a small smile.

"Elliot seems happy to see you too," she commented.

Elias turned his attention back to Elliot, resuming to pet him. His tail swished when he started petting again.

"Yeah. James will be happy to see him," he said.

"Yeah," Adina hummed, and he noticed she looked between the gaps of the creatures around her, out where James was sleeping.

"I'm glad he's... back," she said quietly.

"I am too," Elias said, just as quietly.

"He doesn't seem the same," Adina said in a faint whisper, barely audible.

Elias was still focused on petting Elliot. "Yeah. I don't blame him."

Adina nodded.

"Well," she said a bit more abruptly. "I've, uh. Got one more horse to take care of. Are you up for helping, or do you think you're going to get some rest? Since you know, uh, it's been a long day."

"Oh. Right, yeah," Elias said as he pulled his hand away from Elliot, stiffly standing up. "Well... I don't really want to slow you down. Honestly, I think I had a pretty bad concussion. Sorry if I'm out of it. I think I should get some sleep."

"Oh," Adina said, her concern showing in her eyes. But she nodded emphatically. "Yes. You should get some sleep. Sounds like you need it."

"Yeah..." Elias said as he gave Elliot one last pat before putting his hands in his pockets. "Alright. I'll see you later."

He gave her one last look before he nodded and turned away, going back down the hall. He felt like he once again fucked this up, but Elias didn't really want to deal with this right now. And he thought that the loud celebratory noises gathered around the kitchen bothered him due to the concussion, but it turned out, it just bothered him, period.

He didn't really glance inside, instead passing by Makiel who was hovering away from the crowd, observing from the distance.

"Hey," Elias called, weakly waving.

Makiel looked him up and down. "Damn. You look like shit," he said.

"When the food's ready, can you set two bowls down for Eve and James? Thanks," Elias said, not even waiting to see if he'd say yes. He knew he would. Well, maybe. Makiel was kind of unpredictable sometimes.

Elias had no idea what the room situation was like. If Bo had announced it earlier, he hadn't been paying attention. He went into some random room, not even looking around to see where he was. He saw that no one else was here, and that was good enough.

He laid on the floor, sighing as he closed his eyes. He didn't really feel like getting up to get his bedroll. His back was going to kill him tomorrow, but that was fine.

Elias had always been a fast healer anyways.

He rolled to his side and quickly fell asleep.

Elise was beyond worried about her brother.

She knew something had to have happened when he went in to get James. Elias came back more... agitated and distant. He kept insisting that he was fine, but Elise knew he was masking the truth.

She had been so afraid of this. She was afraid he was going to shut her out again and self-destruct by himself.

Elise felt the familiar pangs of anxiety take a hold of her as she vented her thoughts out loud to Mel while they were sitting outside by the mouth of the cave. Mel was knitting and patiently listening as Elise voiced her thoughts to her and the night sky.

"I just don't know what to do, Mel," Elise said, exasperated. "I thought I've done all I could to prevent this from happening again. But I feel like the more I try, the more he pushes me away. And it saddens me every time..."

"I know it's heartbreaking, because you love your brother, and you've given so much for him," Mel said. "But you're doing what you can. You can't make him do his part, Elise."

"I know... I know," Elise said, biting her lip as she creased her brows together. "I thought that once, too. But then he exploded with self-destruction. I can't help but wonder... if I was there more - more present - and really helped him when he needed it the most... maybe things could have happened differently. And now, he's giving the same signs as last time. I'm afraid that he'll go down this road again. I can't just stand by and watch, letting it happen."

"What more could you do?" Mel asked softly. "Elise, you've done everything you could with what you have."

"I could be there for him. Talk to him and help him through his problems," Elise said, then paused and to stop herself from getting too emotional. "But I can't do that if he shuts me out."

"I know it's hard to keep reaching out when he pushes you away... but if he's already trying to isolate himself, the worst thing you can do is pull away too. But you're not in this alone, Elise," Mel said. "We're all here to help you. And we care about Elias too. This isn't just your worry to bear."

"Thank you, Mel," Elise said softly, but she couldn't help but still feel a little defeated.

They were both professional doctors and offered many solutions to their patients, but not all problems could be fixed or healed so easily. Elise wished there was a simple or easy solution, but she knew it didn't exist.

She just had to keep trying her best. And Mel was right: she did have other people now. She trusted Mel, Raj, and Bo with advice on how to best approach Elias. She knew that if Elias ever found out that she was "spreading her worry" to other people, he would snap.

But involving others would help minimize the impacts of his self-destruction tendencies. She would sacrifice her bond with Elias if it meant that he would approach life in a healthier manner.

A heavy silence sat between them, but soon she heard footsteps approaching. Elise turned around to see Bo and Elias drawing near. Briskly, Elise stood up and turned to watch him walk outside, unable to mask the increasing worry in her eyes as she watched Elias.

He couldn't even look at her. Yet, she knew something was wrong. She could tell behind the stony expression he wore.

Bo asked if Mel could take a look at Elias, but before Elise could ask what was wrong, Bo asked Elise if she would like to take a walk with him.

Elise wanted to protest, but she knew that this was not an ordinary walk. This was Bo's way to remove her from the situation. He must have anticipated Elias being even more agitated by her presence, which only made her heart sink some more.

Elise agreed to the walk, glancing over her shoulder and waiting until they were out of earshot before talking.

"What happened? Is something wrong?" she asked nervously, still keeping her voice down.

"He got a concussion when he fought Carter," Bo said quietly. "His head hurts. I just wanted Mel to heal it is all."

Elise was quiet for a moment, trying not to feel hurt that they went to Mel before herself. But they both seemed to be able to anticipate what would happen if Elise did help Elias instead.

That, and she had no clue Carter was involved. He didn't tell her that he fought Carter.

"He's pushing me away again," Elise said quietly, again trying not to get too emotional. "He tells me he's fine, but I know he's not. I didn't know he had a concussion. He didn't want to tell me. He's pushing me out again."

Bo led Elise down into a room that was lined with dozens of bunkbeds, but at the moment, was empty. When she entered he was mindful to close the door. Their voices seemed to bounce off the cave walls. Elise was normally careful about disclosing personal information about others, but when it came to Elias, she was reaching her limits.

"I'm sorry for pulling you away from him," Bo said. "And I know he's pulling away. But I think at the moment he's not going to be receptive to anyone pushing him right now. And we need to get you all back to the base. I'm just thinking about keeping him as stable as possible before we all get to safety. Which might look like being more hands-off for a little while."

Elise slowly sat down on one of the bottom bunks, her hands bunching up her pants around her knees as she stared down at the floor sadly.

She knew that Bo had so much on his mind right now. He was dealing with so much. Adding Elias to the mix would only stress him out some more, but Elise didn't want to downplay him. Not again.

"I'm worried that he will self-destruct before we even make it to the base," she said with pain in her voice. "This has happened before. I know he's going down the same path again. I'm trying my best to help... but he doesn't want it."

Bo let out a small sigh as he walked up to her and sat beside her on the bottom bunk. The bed creaked under his weight.

"I know," Bo said softly, setting his hand gently around her shoulders.

"Years ago, I thought I tried my best, and I'd let him come to me, but--"

Elise hunched forward, feeling tears behind her eyes. She had been trying so hard to keep it all together, especially since everyone was stressed as is. But it was getting so difficult to contain when it felt like she was the only person who could see this coming, and she was powerless.

"I don't know what to do, Bo," she cried, leaning forward as she placed her hands on her face to contain her tears. "I'm trying so, so hard to be there for him. But what am I supposed to do if he keeps shutting me out? I--"

Elise sniffled, having to let out a sob before continuing. Bo kept his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug.

"I've gone years... years... wishing I was there for him more. And now... now I've helped... I've helped him out of the military. I got him out, and I thought that was enough. But he's doing -- he's doing it again. He's shutting me out, and lying, and... I'm just so afraid, that if I don't do anything... it'll be too late."

At that, Elise cried, finally freeing herself from the stress that had been worrying her for a long time. Bo tightened his embrace and let her cry, but then pulled her in for a closer hug, letting her cry into his shoulder. Elise sobbed in his arms, continually wiping her face and having to push away strands of her hair out while also not trying to get his shirt too wet.

Elise cried for at least a minute, but she didn't need to sob for too long. Her tears were already letting up, but she felt herself unable to control her sniffling and hiccupping.

"It's okay, Elise," Bo said quietly, still holding her. "You're not carrying this alone anymore. I'm going to do everything in my power to help your brother. I promise."

Elise believed him. She chose to believe him. She wanted to remain optimistic and hopeful, because that was what Elias needed too.

She continued to sniff in his arms, waiting until the tears stopped enough that she could form a coherent sentence. Eventually, Elise pulled away, wiping her face with her hands.

"Thank you... Bo," she said softly, suddenly feeling the weight of tiredness hit her. "I hope... it's enough."

Bo nodded slightly, reaching into one of his many pant pockets to pull out a hankerchief. He handed it to her. Elise weakly laughed through her nose, gingerly taking it from him to slowly wipe her face and blow her nose.

"I know it doesn't solve any of our problems," Bo said. "But a good cry does help the heart."

"Yeah," she said weakly, sniffling again and then taking a deep breath, setting the handerchief down. She met his eyes sincerely and seriously. "I know you have a lot on your plate already. But I wanted you to know this. I don't want to feel like I'm burdening others with this situation, but I want be more diligent. I want Elias to feel safe and approach life in a healthy manner. I'd be willing to sacrifice my bond with him if it came to that, but I think he would listen to other people far more than he would listen to me."

"I'm honored to be trusted with your care for your brother," Bo said. "And -- well -- the funny thing about 'burdensome situations' is there's really no way to deny the fact that they're difficult, and the weight is heavy. But it's always lighter when there's more people to help carry it."

He reached out and offered out his hand, glancing at the hankie.

"I can take that if you're done," he said with a small smile.

"Thank you," Elise said softly, hesitating a bit before giving him the congested hankie.

"I'll clean it later," Bo said with a smirk as he shoved it back into the pocket it came from.

"Thank you for listening, I mean," Elise added. "And for promising to be there. I feel better knowing I can depend on others for this. Back then, I carried this by myself..."

She bit her quivering lip. Elise had already revealed how well that worked last time. She noticed Bo was hesitantly reaching to grab the hankie again.

"I-- I'm good, but I appreciate it," Elise quickly added with a strained smile.

"Did I interrupt you?" Bo asked.

Elise sighed, looking down on her lap and straightening her pant legs again.

"I don't know if there's much more to say," she said quietly. "I know how you think. I know you've deduced a lot of his past already."

Bo looked down, almost like he was embarassed for his hyper-observance to be acknowledged.

"I can make educated guesses," he said. "But it doesn't mean I fully understand."

"Educated guesses can only get you so far. You can't fully understand until you talk to the person," Elise said.

"I know," Bo said.

"And... as you can imagine..." Elise began with another deep sigh. "Elias does not talk to me. Not anymore."

"I don't think he's talking to anyone," Bo said.

"Something happened in the castle. I don't know, I can't explain it. He just feels... different," she said.

"I... I talked to him about it," Bo said. "But I had a feeling there was a lot he didn't say."

Elise looked up at him worriedly. "What did he say?" she asked.

"All I know is that in the time between James running Raj, Eve, and I out, the tunnel getting closed off, and Deidra still working her way to him, he ran into Carter Haddon. It sounds like Carter might've tried to interrogate him, and Elias tried to escape, but they ended up fighting. Elias got hurt and used his magic to heal himself after Deidra came and got him and James out of there."

There was a pause, like Bo was deliberating over something else. Something else he was hesitant to say.

"Deidra mentioned... he didn't get hit with lumshade. The dart hit her, but didn't pierce her skin. It just clung to her clothes. But she noticed it was gone later, and in Elias's hand," Bo said quietly.

Elise was processing slowly, looking away as the never-ending worry swirled in her mind.

"I'd assumed he'd been hit because he was out for a minute. But I think he injected the dart himself," Bo said.

"I know Elias really dislikes violence," she said quietly. "And after all that... maybe that triggered all of this. He has a tendency to run away from everything that bothers him. The lumshade, and the drugs... maybe... I think he..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence, but she knew Bo was thinking the same thought.

"Fortunately, we don't have any lumshade with us, and it's hard to access," Bo said. "So he won't be able to go down that road even if he wanted to."

"Is anyone carrying any drugs?" Elise asked. "I have my own stash of pain medication, but knowing this... I will have to better hide it."

"Mel has topical medicines and some mild pain medications," Bo said. "But nothing that gets you the kind of high lumshade can."

"I know Elias. He wouldn't only take the high-reaching fruit," Elise said, although it greatly pained her to say this. "I'm sorry that it's come to this, but... I just don't want to risk anything. I might be overly-cautious, but I don't want him to escape through drug use again."

"I can let Mel and Raj know to be careful," Bo said. "And aware if anything goes missing."

Elise nodded. "And... about his magic," she said slowly, pausing. "Did he ever tell you about it? I know he tries to keep this a secret..."

"He hasn't explained the full nature of it," Bo said.

"And he never explained it to me, either. I had to find out from reports. But... it might be easier to explain if I give you more context."

Elise took a deep breath.

"Elias and I come from a long line of healing mages. The earliest healing mages used to only be able to heal others by absorbing their wounds. Over many generations, we become better at healing. My family can absorb injuries at a one-to-ten ratio, meaning we only expend ten percent of our energy to heal. This is still a transference of injuries, but we don't get hurt unless we really push our limits.

"Elias and I, though - we were different. My magic is weaker than my family's. It was thought that Elias was too, but it turned out... his magic worked backwards. He heals himself, not others. And doing so comes as an expense to others. That one-to-ten ratio is still relevant. He can heal himself, but in return, the person with the transferred wound would get the same injury, but ten times worse.

"So when you say he healed himself... that had to affect another person. Elias has told me he doesn't want to hurt others again, but if he's pushed enough to use his magic..."

Elise took another deep breath, not realizing she was shaking a little.

"He must have felt pressured. That had to have got to him," she finished quietly.

"I'm sure he did," Bo said quietly. "The mission was stressful."

Bo went quiet, even though it felt like he had more to say. He stared down into his lap.

"What's wrong?" Elise prodded.

"I shouldn't have brought him in," Bo said, barely audible. "I should've let him wait outside with the others. I'm sorry."

Elise placed her hand on his knee, trying to offer a little smile, but she knew it must have still looked sad. A lot of her smiles always ended up looking sad.

"I said the same thing to myself. It's not anyone's fault," she said with gentle sincerity. "Even if Elias didn't come... it's possible that something else would have triggered him in the future. It's been a feeling I can't shake away. It just feels like it's all happening so fast now. I hardly feel prepared."

Bo was quiet again, and Elise could tell that he was thinking deeply. Organizing his thoughts.

"I... hope you don't mind that I ask you to share what you're thinking," she said. "Normally, I'd let you process by yourself... but since this involves my brother..."

"I'm going to have to go away," Bo said quietly. "At least for a few days. But I don't want to leave Elias alone for very long. I want to be around to keep an eye on him. Just... in case anything happens. If you think you can hang in there for a few days wit Mel and Raj's help... I'll be back. But I have to take care of the situation with Tula first."

"Of course," Elise said softly. "We'll do our best. I know Elias still seems to be more of himself around James and Eve... I'm sure that slows things down and buys us time."

"I know James and Eve have a lot to process," Bo said. "But... if it helps him to be around them... don't discourage it. At least, for now. If he trusts them enough to not cut them out, that's something."

Elise nodded, then hesitated. "I've been talking to Mel about this in detail. Should I... tell anyone else? Should his friends know? I don't know if that would be a good idea."

"I don't want everyone to know private things about Elias without his consent, unless if something comes up that directly involves or affects them. If it's just me and Mel, we can keep it between us," Bo said.

"Elias's new behavior may concern others," she said quietly.

"I just want to discourage gossip, is all," Bo said. He leaned forward, running his hands over his forehead.

"If he acts aggresively to others, it may be out of our control. But maybe it's best to just keep a close eye on him," Elise said.

"I don't think there's much else we can do at the moment," Bo said. "I'm just hoping he can hang in there for a few days, at least. And when I get back, if something happens... we can deal with it when it comes."

Elise hesitated again.

"And... if something happens before you return?" she asked weakly.

"Lean on Mel and Raj," Bo said. "But I'll... I'll see if I can have Tula keep in touch with you. You've met before, right? Or at least know each other well enough for that to work?"

Elise nodded. "She has attempted to look through my eyes before, so I assume so, yes."

"Alright. Then we'll be in touch," Bo said.

Elise took a deep breath as the stress left her body. Of course, not all the stress did. Until everything blows over, she was always going to be stressed. But watching Bo, she noticed that he looked even more stressed, tired, and tense. She knew that he was carrying so much. He must be drained.

Elise was beyond grateful that he vowed to help Elias, but... she still felt bad that she added one more thing for him to worry about.

"You know," Bo said, breaking the silence before Elise could. "I know everyone hates Tula for valid reasons. But her magic is really useful. Not that anyone's value as a person lies only in what they can do. But it will make things a little easier. And hopefully she won't be... completely... you know."

Bo just sighed, like he was giving up on using words to describe his train of thought.

"Psychotic?" Elise offered.

Bo had leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He held his face in one hand, which resulted in one of his cheeks being a little squished as he turned to look at her, nodding.

"Yeah. That," he said.

Elise silently sighed. "I definitely think she needs medical help. But... you're right that her magic is useful when it comes to long distance communication."

"Medical help," Bo repeated. "Yes. That... we can see about that later."

"I don't really know her at all, but something tells me that her therapist will find her..." Elise trailed off.

"Interesting," Bo cut in.

"Yeah. That," Elise repeated with a little smile.

"Fortunately, she seems to tolerate Robin well enough," Bo said with a small tilt of his head, though he still cupped it in his hand. "He's good at handling people who are more..."

"Unstable?" Elise said.

"Yeah," Bo said. "A certain subset of unstable. Tula fits into the category."

Elise hummed. "Tula seems to have a strange criteria of people she gets along with. Deidra and Robin are so different."

"But they're both not very normal," Bo said. "In the traditional sense. I don't mean it as an insult, it just is."

Elise nodded. "Perhaps because Tula is an outcast herself. Outcasts tend to gravitate towards other outcasts for comfort."

"You think that's why she was so obsessed with James?" Bo asked.

Elise weakly laughed. "That, I don't know. James can be argued as an outcast as well, but he's still well-known and infamous across Nye. Perhaps because she is an outcast herself, she dislikes anyone well-known who is also well-mannered."

"Well," Bo said, pushing himself to his feet with a huff. "Then she's going to love me."

"Well... Rita is well-known, and she thought she had good intentions at the time. So maybe there are exceptions to people in power."

Bo had looked like he was getting up to leave, but something about what she said made him freeze. He stood, frozen mid-motion for a second before he slowly looked over his shoulder. He didn't quite meet her eyes, though.

"That... reminds me," he said slowly. "There is something I should tell you."

Elise sat up straighter, giving him her full undivided attention. "What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, it's two things," Bo said, sitting back down on the bed beside her. "We'll start with the... well, I don't know how to preface it. Do you remember on the way in to King's Peak when Eve and I split off to see if someone was close by and spotted us?"

"Yes," Elise said a little suspiciously, but was still more worried than anything. "You both said you didn't see anyone. Unless...?"

"That was a lie," Bo said, looking down into his lap. "We found Rita. And two of her guards."

A beat of silence.

"They're dead," he said.

Elise stared at him with surprise, processing. "Dead," she repeated slowly.

"I killed them," Bo said, even quieter.

This wasn't really how she expected the conversation to turn, so Elise had to take another moment to process and let it sink in.

"You were defending yourself," she said softly, empathizing with him.

"I was protecting all of you," Bo said. "But they weren't ready for me."

"If you didn't take action... it would have been horrific. This was out of defense," she reiterated.

"I know. I don't -- I don't need you to justify it, I'm just -- the point is, Rita's dead now," Bo said quickly.

"Is that why the Blue Suns were attacking the kingdom that day?" she asked.

"Yes," Bo said. "I made it look like it was their doing. To divert attention."

"Ah," Elise said quietly, still processing.

"But, Rita's death and the death of those two men isn't the main thing I wanted to tell you," Bo said. "I... well. You've told me about your magic. And your brother's magic. It's time I tell you about mine."

Elise looked up at him with her brows pinched together, still giving him her full attention. This sounded serious, and she wanted to listen.

"I know I've told you I have 'lightning magic,'" he said. "That's the blanket term we use for magic that involves manipulating electrical currents and being able to control or produce them. Lightning is just the easiest thing for most people to understand, and it's typically the loudest and most powerful expression of that magic. It can be controlled on a much smaller scale, of course. For example: I could shock you, and make your hair stand up as a pointless party trick."

He lifted his hand, like he was almost tempted to do it just for show, but he pulled his hand away like he quickly decided against it. He shook his head, but it seemed like it was more at himself.

"I know you've mentioned that your magic is considered weaker for your family line, at least, in comparison to others," Bo went on. "Well. Mine's the opposite. I inherited my magic originally from my father. His name was Kazimir, and he was a powerful lighting mage considered the strongest of his time. My mother, Megan, was also a powerful fire mage. So I had what people would call 'strong magical heritage,' or potential. And, well, my father was well known for his magic. So him having a child with another strong mage put him and -- me on -- well... you know what. I'm getting away from what I'm trying to get at here. I have strong magic. I had it from the start. But it doesn't just stop at my genetic predisposition."

He paused, holding his hands together in his lap with his fingertips touching, creating a triangular shape, like an arrow. He took in a deep breath and pointed out into the room.

"I am also a dragon," he said.

Elise was still processing everything, but she found that last sentence to be her biggest hang-up to process.

"A dragon," she repeated slowly and quietly.

"Yes," Bo said. "Now, I know this brings up a lot of questions. So I'm just going to clear up what's normally the biggest point of confusion. Yes, I have a dragon form. You know how Robin has two forms, right? He can instantaneously shift between the two with no in-between forms. Both are him. He is a wolf. He is a person. It's much the same with me. Except my other form is considerably larger than my human form. Read: I wouldn't fit in this room. Don't ask me how that works. It's a mysterious magical thing that just is."

Elise slowly nodded, but this was a... well, a lot. Bo miraculously hit most of the questions that she did have, leaving her wondering what else this meant for him. The implications... his history... and the heaviness of this secret.

"Why have I kept it secret?" Bo asked, as if he knew what she was already thinking. "Glad you asked. Dragons are very, very powerful and there's some very power-hungry people out there in the world. Mage-hunters being the biggest collective threat, but by no means the only threat. Dragons have been in hiding for over a hundred years specifically because people started targeting us because of our magic. Which - ah, I forgot to mention. So, I already had strong magic from the start. But being a dragon means it's even stronger."

He finally stopped, squinting with his mouth hanging open like he was considering saying more, but then his mouth snapped shut.

"Sorry... I can be slow when processing big reveals like this," Elise admitted sheepishly.

"No, it's-- I know that was a lot," Bo said. "I process slowly too."

Elise nodded slowly, furrowing her brows in thought. "Is there more?" she asked.

"More secrets?" Bo asked. "No. There's a lot more to explain, I'm sure, but I don't know if you want to get into it right now."

"This is big news, and I know it's a secret, so I'm grateful that you trust me with this knowledge. Of course I'll sit and listen if there's more. Plus, well..." She laughed lightly. "That's kind of a lot to dump on one person in a few minutes, isn't it? I know you're leaving tomorrow, but I don't want this conversation to feel rushed."

Bo smiled, letting out a weak laugh.

"...Right," Bo said. "We... we can talk more later, if you want. I can give you time to process and come back with questions when I come back. That might be easier, since it is getting late, and... I really need rest before we leave early tomorrow morning."

He paused to let out a long sigh.

"But it would be good for you to know who else knows," Bo said. "Mel, Raj, and Robin have known for years. Eve and Elias learned more recently. And now you. I wasn't exactly planning on telling Eve, to be honest with you. But when I, uh... took out Rita and the others as quickly as I did, she had questions. I figured it was better to just tell her the truth than come up with a lie and have to ask for forgiveness later. And as for Elias... I kind of stumbled into it when he asked me a question on the spot, but it felt right. I don't regret it. It think it worked out better this way."

Elise hummed. "What was the question?" she asked.

Bo raised his brows, looking a little surprised. And then he let out a laugh, looking away in embarassment. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh. Uh. Well," he said. "He asked how old I was."

Elise stared at him for a moment, raising a brow with mild amusement. It was funny that an innocent question like this could reveal such a big secret.

"Oh. Well... how old are you, then?" she asked.

Bo smiled wider, but Elise noticed it almost looked like he was blushing.

"93," he said, with a little clearing of his throat.

Elise hummed. "Well, you don't look a day over 30," she said with a smile.

Bo laughed. It felt like he was releasing tension.

"Dragons age a lot slower than people do," he said.

"Maybe physically... but not mentally. It explains your wisdom," she said.

Bo laughed again, but this time it was a little weaker, and Bo just shook his head.

"Yeah, I guess," Bo said. "I don't always feel that wise. But thank you."

"There's a reason people seek you for advice. And I don't think it's because of the age," she said with a smile.

"It's because I radiate wise old man energy," Bo said with a little smirk, patting his chest.

Elise smiled wider as she laughed through her nose. "Well, I don't know if I'd use that choice of words..."

"And yet, my humor has not matured," Bo said with a smile. "So maybe I am still a baby dragon."

"Maybe it'll come when you reach 100 years old," Elise thought out loud.

"You know, that's only seven years," Bo said, waggling his brows. "Maybe that's all it'll take for me to stop laughing any time someone farts."

Elise laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah... I don't think that'll happen."

"Then you know me well," Bo said with a grin, very lightly elbowing her in the side.

Elise appreciated Bo. He was a good listener, leader, and friend. They came in here to discuss Elias, but now they were sharing shared secrets and laughing together about it. He always knew how to diffuse difficult conversations.

"Thank you, Bo. I really mean it. You're a good friend," Elise said with full sincerity in her voice, meeting his eyes with a smile.

"You too, Elise," Bo said.

And at that, he got to his feet once more, but it looked like he was really going to leave this time.

"I have a few more things I need to work out before I leave in the morning," Bo said. "But I think food is being had in the kitchen, if you're hungry. Hard times are better had with a full stomach. That's what I always say."

Elise nodded, slowly getting up as well.

"You should eat too. I know you're leaving so soon, but you have to take time for yourself as well," she said.

"How about we go to the kitchen together, then?" Bo said with a smile. "Then you can see me eat as proof I did."

Elise smiled again. She hoped it didn't come off as looking sad, but she wondered if maybe she was trying too hard.

"I am curious to see if you'd have a dragon appetite," she said.

"Oh... you have no idea," Bo said with a laugh.