Our journey is stretching thin. We're almost there. By nightfall, we'll walk through the capital streets and find ourselves underneath the king's watch once more. Part of me is excited to go back and the other...I don't want to see his face again. I have suspicions that Renit is feeling the same way.

With a mild limp, slightly improved by the titanium leaving my system, I follow after Renit. He moves branches for me to pass under and takes his time, much more than I expected him to. The prince finally stopped forcing me to move faster and I'm the one finding myself impatient.

But we can't move much faster. After news spread of robbers on the trial, a possible clue towards the disappearance of the prince, guards were sent out from all regions of the kingdom to search high and low for Renit. Low and behold, he's right where he disappeared. Off the trail leading to Fosux. And no one will ever know.

With every passing second, my nerves build. I don't want to lie to him or have this go wrong. The rebels are counting on me to deliver false news to the king. By now, they're heading towards the flower meadows in anticipation of their leader arriving and hoping, praying, he takes his last breath near that abandoned farm.

I stare between Renit's broad shoulders. I've memorized the way he walks, the confident strut, and even the distinct turn of his head as he surveys everything around us. That's the warrior in him, the one that went fifty years through brutal obstacles with his father, one training session after another. Beaten and bruised, bloodied, and forgotten except from the healers.

That's how he got through life.

But that's not why I'm watching his every move. Instead, it's because of the dream I had last night while huddled against his back for warmth. We were in the woods, next to the fire, but we didn't distance ourselves from each other. We were...kissing. In love. And I can't look at him the same way I did before because that fantasy is in my mind now, a time meant for both of us to be happy.

But I wouldn't risk sharing that information with him. If I did, he might not talk to me ever again. Just the thought of that dream alone sends a skitter up my spine but I won't advance on my questions...even if the dream made me slightly curious.

I can barely tell in daylight hours whether I care for Renit. Our powers have mingled; therefore, my senses are off. There's no way of telling but deep down in my stomach, if I asked myself that question, what would my answer be? Would I want to be with Renit? Sure. Would I love to know what it's like to—

Renit stops, his hand outstretched towards me. I nearly run into his palm chest first but stop abruptly to send a twinge of biting stings through my ankle. The prince keeps that hand outstretched, listening. Then I hear it. Distant voices, laughter, and metal clinking. Guards, soldiers.

We're too far off the trail to see who they are or what direction they're going in and they can't see us but any closer and they'll have a good idea as to what could be in the woods. We can't scrap any more of our clothes for disguises and smashing more berries on my face isn't an option. The last batch left a subtle stain of red that I'm still trying to scrub off.

"No more than five," Renit whispers. He pauses, giving me time to stare at his strong hands. Stop thinking about it. Forcing myself to stare at anything else, I squint through the trees and spot the moving figures rows and rows of trees away. "They're...heading towards Fosux."

"We'll be fine. They're not looking in the woods. They're staying on the trail," I whisper back. Renit nods in agreement but his next steps are careful.

I avoid every twig or clump of dried leaves so we don't stir up too much noise. If we run again, I'll be left behind as bait while Renit gets away. He wouldn't agree to that but he can only stop me for so long.

The guards don't hear our footsteps so we continue and keep a safe distance from the trail. We don't have time for mistakes now. The bow is slung across Renit's back since I have little clue as to how to use one—Renit tried to show me but my body is too weak right now to draw the string back without shaking. For the first time, he wasn't disappointed. But he promised to help with improvements.

We don't stop until night casts a sheen over the kingdom. The gates leading to Mailan are guarded, closed and monitored. Each guard holds a bow, a hatchet, a sword, and whatever else they carry underneath their heavy cloaks. Laughter erupts from one of the tents housing extra guards, a fire flickering just outside the tattered fabric.

Alcohol sloshes from the rims of copper cups and cooked meat is torn from the bone. Anyone could walk through here and some of the guards wouldn't give them a second glance. At least that would have been the case a month ago. They're on high alert now—the sober guards pace in front of the gates, their gloved hands on the pommels of their swords.

"What do we do?" I whisper, crouched behind a bush at Renit's side. My lust for him quickly disappeared hours ago as he snapped at me for walking too slow. It was only a matter of time before he became annoyed.

The prince's presence is warm next to me. Hours ago and that would have driven me mad. "We can go around, avoid the gates entirely. They might shoot before thinking twice," he mutters close to my ear. The guards hold their bows tight or keep them close, whichever they feel is most accessible.

To our disadvantage, of course.

Thinking of the plan I made with Bren, I nod. "It's smart to avoid the gates. Safer that way, too. Let's go around."

Still crouching, we make our way around the guard's camp underneath the protection of their fire. Not one guard turns in our direction, nor do they notice the shadows—not even the guard in the midst of losing himself to a harlot in one of the bushes. Renit is careful to take my hand and help me move on an injured ankle without stirring up any noise.

They're too wrapped up in each other to care.

Along the city walls, there are hardly any entry ways. Vines old and new course up the sides of the clean stone. Out here, bordered on the slums, there isn't much left of that stone or the rotting vines trampled from overuse. Scavengers cover this area, not only robbing anyone that passes but this is the prime place to search for fights and information as well.

This is the part of the kingdom that the king wants to hide. The people in the slums are a nuisance but they have their uses—mainly information. Otherwise, they've ruined the stone buildings and spread their feces throughout the streets that were once clean and easy to travel through. No one in their right mind is willing to frequent this place, or the stone wall surrounding.

Renit is with me so I don't feel so scared. But I keep both eyes open, anyone could be out here watching our arrival. And word could spread as quickly as tomorrow, after we've already arrived in the king's good graces.

We didn't discover what the king was looking for. There was no way to, if we were in the flower meadows like he is to believe. But we did see Fosux through the barred window of a prison wagon, one with the injured prince in the back while others were led to believe we were ordinary prisoners. If there was a whisper of rebellion at Fosux, that didn't appear to be the case. The prisoners were in line, scared rather, but those are one in the same.

The moon is our only light source and I stumble over rocks, trash left behind, and any other debris on the ground meant to worsen the sting in my ankle. There is no magic willing to heal that, at least not in my body. If I had a healer...no, there are more important things at hand.

Out of the watchful eye of the guards, we can walk normally again. We pass the outside of the slums and move onto the other residences of the capital, small businesses that often deal with shady customers or unimportant cottages housing illegal substances. They put on a mask to hide the truth of what is on the inside.

Renit forces himself to avoid these areas, the streets he's scoured hundreds of times looking for criminals. Restraint clogs his every movement but he doesn't stop, helping my impatience.

At such a late hour, hardly anyone rummages through the streets. Some pick through trash cans and the occasional, hooded figure walks between buildings. More shady deals between those without the need for conversation or identification. Placing those shady deals in the same category as the king would be considered wrong. But I think that to be right. If he helped those people in Lona carry out their terrible deeds, he is on their side.

The flat ground of the capital turns to an incline and I know we're close to the castle grounds. The lane winding up to the castle is shrouded by flowers, grass, and wrought-iron fencing all the way around. That ends the security behind the stone wall.

I run into Renit's back as he suddenly stops, turning to face me. At least he doesn't comment on how little I'm paying attention. "We'll go in through one of the courtyard doors. The one you failed to use that time you escaped," Renit mutters. He doesn't hide a mocking smirk. "Or failed to escape, to be correct."

"I suggest you keep walking," I growl. I find no amusement in that night. I reached the lowest of lows by escaping—or trying to, by Renit's account—and nearly drove a dagger into my own body just to show Renit I was desperate enough to do so. He hadn't given me a chance to breathe and that night...I was tired of it.

Renit doesn't mock me further. We reach one of the doors and he pushes gently. The hinges squeak in the silence and with a quick hunch of his shoulders, I know he's wincing. That means one thing. A threat is in place, the prince is kidnapped, so there are extra patrols. Likely archers that will take us down from the rooftops. We have to be as casual as possible.

I place a hand on Renit's arm to stop him from going any further. "This is the point to stop behaving like fugitives. We walk in there like we just escaped and made it out alive," I affirm.

"I've been alive for over three hundred years. I know how this works, spitfire." He shoves out of my grip and opens the door fully to reveal the moonlit courtyard. There is no going back now.

Celestine is here. The last bit of family I have left and with my first step onto the smooth stone from the damp woods, I'm itching to see her. I want to hug her, to hold her, and tell her all about Bren and the rebels. She deserves to know he's still alive, at least. The truth about their location and anything else can remain hidden.

As we expected, shadowed figures line the many embrasures towards the top of the castle. At the sight of us entering, they stop pacing back and forth and begin shouting that intruders have entered. Bow strings groan and Renit throws up his hands in innocence, nudging me to do the same.

This is it. This is the plan I've been waiting to construct. Those words I need to say is on the tip of my tongue and in the right presence, I will reveal what needs to be shown.

Guards rush from the castle, carrying swords and shields. But they will not find enemies here.

"The prince!" Someone shouts. "The prince has arrived!"

Someone takes my arm and another takes Renit. We're immediately taken to the castle doors.

"Summon the king! Wake His Highness!" Those words echo through my skull and my stomach drops. I'll have to face him again. This time, it may be me that loses their head.