"Mercy!" I wheezed, resting my hands on my knees as I looked up to Samaria. "Shit, you are so fast!"

She stood in front of me with a wide smile, hardly out of breath and not a single strand of her dark caramel hair out of place in her bun. Samaria winked as she giggled, "you are just slow! Fates, it was just the 200!"

"I've... been doing... long distance... for weeks..." I said with deep breathes. "Raphael and Charlie... don't mess around."

"Well, obviously." She rolled her eyes. "Charlie's straight! Trust me, I asked. Raphael though... hm I'd need to investigate."

"They're both tough, Samaria." I stood up, stretching my shoulder muscles. "That's what I meant."

"Oh, but the other topic is so much more fun! I mean, come on. I'd love to know if Raphael liked women..." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Tattoos are hot!"

I couldn't help but laugh, covering my lips as Charlie jogged over. "It's getting better. One more sprint and then you can both be done." He glanced to Samaria, "you aren't doing too bad today."

She only fluttered her eyelashes. "I've been practicing! I'm kicking cardio in the balls!" Samaria walked towards the starting line and I followed behind her, taking a swig of water from my bottle before dropping it onto the grass.

We were on the sparring field, and a nice dirt track ran along the outside. A set of thick, white lines showed the lanes as well as where we were to begin, Samaria already in her spot as she stretched out her calf before leaning down into her starting form.

"Butt up for the boys!" She whispered to me as I got into place as well. I rolled my eyes and it made her laugh. "Come on! It's my helpful tip to you. You have a better start if you aren't all scrunched up in a ball."

"On your mark!" Charlie yelled, giving his whistle a short blow. "Get set! Go!"

Samaria was gone in a blink and I was running after her as fast as I could, listening to the sound of my heart beat in my ears and the sound of our shoes against the ground. I took in deep breathes as we curved, pushing harder to make my legs move faster.

I was surprised when I found myself getting closer to Samaria, so close that I could almost pass her if I just ran a little harder! Focussing as hard as I could, I willed my body to pick up the pace even more, feeling the whine of my muscles in my legs and stomach. Almost there!

We looped onto the straightaway and I realized then that she'd been toying with me. In an instant, her legs started to move faster and she began to pull away, dashing far ahead of me with ease as she leapt over the finish line.

I crossed not long after her, panting for air as I raised my arms above my head. "Fates! I thought I had you!"

Samaria looked to me with a laugh, her cheeks a little pink now. "I wanted you to run faster to catch up. Motivation by competition!" She held up a hand and I high fived.

"Better, Stratton!" Charlie said as he looked at his stopwatch. "Stretch and you can be finished. I'll see you both at dinner."

"Alrighty, baby carrot." Samaria said under her breath to me, nearly making me spit out the sip of water I'd taken from my bottle.

"Is that actually true?" I asked, stretching out the muscles in my leg by swinging it back and forth.

"I don't know, and by the way he got so angry, I'd say so." She chuckled with a wink to me and I shook my head as I smiled.

"Poor guy."

"Eh, I don't feel too bad. He and Annie will probably get married, and I don't think at this rate she'll care about size any longer."

"Samaria!" I hissed, and she opened her mouth to reply but a loud, rumbling sound cut her off.

"They're back!" She said to me with glee. "I have more people to make fun of!"

I looked up to the sky as seven white doves moved through the golden shield around Gabrian. Their engines purred as they started to drift slowly to the ground, disappearing behind the shadow of Secta's home.

"I can ask Raphael if he likes brunettes." Samaria giggled with mischief. "Maybe he'll let me into his thanksgiving boxers."

"Nasty woman." I shook my head, feeling a lightness fill me up. They were back! I could finally get away from...

"Kate!" Reynolds called me from where he stood on the hill, making us both turn. "Time to report back to your room! Immediately! I know you can move faster than how you usually do!"

Samaria covered her mouth to keep from laughing as she looked to me from the corner of her eyes. "I bet he's bigger than we all think too."

I felt my face pale, looking at her. "Stop it! I can't... picture that when I'm arguing with him!"

"You're welcome!"

"You're just as bad as Annie!" I hissed and she narrowed her eyes.

"This is a conversation on one occasion!"

"You stole all the men's underwear! And hung it from the ceiling!"

"Touche." She undid her bun, letting her dark hair fall to meet her shoulder. "Better run after your babysitter. Currently, you're his bitch."

"Kate!" Reynolds was calling. "Don't make me come down there!"

"One minute, Mother!" I yelled in return, making Samaria snicker before I looked to her. "But, I want to see them instead of be locked in my room with that pain in the ass."

"I'll drop the hint that you're waiting for them. How about that?" She said with a smile. She seemed to know exactly who 'them' was.

"Thank you." I nodded before glancing up the hill. "I have to go. I'll see you soon hopefully, ok?"

"Remember, I can break you out."

"I'm saving that for another day." I left Samaria as I hurried up the hill, my legs still aching as I looked to Reynolds. Back to my jail cell I went.

No one had come to see me that night besides Reynolds to drop off my dinner and he was particularly quiet. He didn't answer my questions, only shoving me my food tray before locking the door behind him.

The following morning was quiet as well, the only face being, once again, Reynolds with the usual tray of food, but at least thing time he'd brought me pancakes, fruit, and juice along with the regular oatmeal and guardian-approved protein shake.

I was given no answers to my questions, but he did speak, telling me to shut my mouth unless I was eating my breakfast and that he'd be back for me at lunch. With annoyance, I ate a slice of my pancakes just to amuse him before he left my room and locked it. It was the usual routine.

So many questions were swirling around inside my head as I paced in my bedroom. What was happening outside this room? Where were Finn and Cybele? Secta? Raphael even? Had Samaria not delivered my request? Had something happened to any of them?

A darker thought disturbed me. Had something happened to all of them? That couldn't be possible. It just couldn't be.

But at the same time, it very well could be. Wherever they went had to be dangerous and something could have happened that...

I shook the thoughts from my head as I stopped to stare out the window. I could see over the entire training field, but the angle of the window and building itself blocked my view from the hub of activity near the dining hall and barracks.

The fields had been empty all last night and in the morning, which had never happened once in all the time I'd been here. It was odd and made my stomach twist. Something was off, as if the entire hive had taken the day off.

Goosebumps had formed on my arms again as a chill ran up my spine. Maybe Noxia attacked them? I thought of Cybele and the entire story with Penelope. Maybe the queen of darkness had decided to pick a fight with her?

It was a scary thought, imagining Cybele in Penelope's place. I closed my eyes with a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts. They were ok, and everything was fine. It just had to be.

There was a loud knock at my door and I turned. It was lunch time and I narrowed my eyes. Damn Reynolds! The door clicked and I hurried towards it, feeling particularly annoyed.

"Tell me what is..." I was about to let out all my fury when I realized as the door swung open, it was not Reynolds. I couldn't help but smile wide with joy and relief. "Finn!"

I leapt forward, hugging the guardian's waist as I squeezed him tight. He seemed a little shocked by my reaction, frozen in place before he could finally move. Finn hugged me back softly, brushing a strand of hair off my shoulder. Pulling out of his arms, I stared up into his blue eyes as I shook my head.

"I'm furious with you."

"Furious with me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked very confused as he brushed his blonde hair from his forehead. "Well, you just looked pretty happy to see me, unless I'm completely mistaken."

"You cannot leave me with that pain Reynolds ever again." The corners of my lips curved up into a smile. "I did really miss you. Reynolds was dreadfully boring in comparison, and I was worried about you. He did not answer any of my questions."

This made Finn give me a lopsided smile. "I missed you too, and Reynolds isn't that bad..."

I cut him off instantly as I glared. "The man gave me a 45 minute lecture about how I tied my sneakers the wrong way."

Finn glanced down to my shoes before back up to me with a shrug. "Not many people make the two bunny ears anymore."

"Oh, not you too! We can't be friends anymore." I shook my head with a laugh.

"Yeah," Finn swallowed, "I guess we can't."

"How was your mission?" I bit my lip, "if I am even allowed to ask that. I have no idea. Everyone's been pretty quiet around here."

He sucked in a deep breath, "it wasn't the greatest success..."

"Is she ready yet?" Cybele's voice echoed down the hall and I stepped around Finn. She was walking towards us before her eyes locked on me with a smile. "Kate! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too!" I replied as she came in to hug me first. "How have you been?"

"Miserable." I confessed as we pulled apart. "You two are so much more fun than Charlie. And solitary confinement has been awfully boring."

"She doesn't like Reynolds either." Finn chimed in from behind us. I glanced over my shoulder as he gave me a wink. "He made fun of her shoe typing abilities."

"Well, she does do the two loops..."

"Does everyone pay attention to the way I tie my shoes?" I asked, shaking my head. "Can you tell me why everything is so quiet around here ever since you got back? No one has told me anything."

There was an itching silence between the two of them as they glanced at each other before looking back to me. Cybele cleared her throat, "we left on a mission to investigate demonic reports in a city on Dolor, and we were ambushed."

"By demons? Noxia?" I asked, feeling my eyes widen.

"Demons." Finn said and I turned to look at him. "We had some casualties, but we managed to fight the threat off the planet for the time being."

"Isn't that a good thing then, besides... casualties?" I grimaced, "that you saved the city and the people?"

"Of course it is." Cybele said, biting her lip. "It's our calling by Fate and we protected the innocent to the best of our ability. It's just that... that..."

Finn finished for her with a heavy sigh, "It's just that in this fight, we lost Annie."