Tesha's presence is one of the most intimidating I've been up against. She walks at a quick pace but doesn't completely ignore my presence as she has to keep her eye on me. I have no doubt she'll be ready for any plan I might have, a foolish move in escaping. What she doesn't know is that I will not leave Renit behind, dying in that cell.

Outside of the underground dungeons, the rebels don't bother with fires. Although summer has yet to provide warm nights like it will a month from now, they huddle under the blankets and coats, some even going so far as to cuddle together underneath the stars.

They're too close to Fosux and through the trees, overseers can spot the faint flicker of fire even from this much of a distance. We're far enough out to be separated by a few clusters of trees but that doesn't guarantee their hiding for much longer—if anyone decides to use this area for something other than the slaves, these rebels will resort to killing.

If they're not afraid to put an arrow through the shoulder of a prince then they'll have no problem defending each other. Right now, their recognition is what matters most. The king knows of them but they're merely a flicker in the night—nothing they've done is worthy of attention until now. Is the king worried about his son or does he expect Renit to be home soon, with more blood on his hands?

I'm not comfortable leaving Renit behind in the cell. If he wakes before I'm back, he might panic, and his body doesn't need that unnecessary stress. I'm breaking the exact promise we made in the back of the prison wagon, don't separate. With Tesha standing at my side, leading me through the group of rebels towards Bren siting on a stump, carving a stick, all rules are being thrown to the wind.

The rebels avert their eyes when I pass but I feel them lingering, glaring into my spine as I walk next to one of their fellow, trusted partners. The mines have settled for the night, the slaves are sleeping outside on their cots before another full day of work tomorrow. Compared to the overseers underneath the warmth of a roof, the slaves are in terrible conditions.

I couldn't imagine how many lives are lost in winter because of them freezing to death.

Fallen leaves crunch underneath my boots and Tesha stops in front of Bren, crossing her arms over my chest. His eyes rise to us, hardly any recognition on his focused features, and he clears his throat to say, "Take a seat."

Tesha scoffs. "I summoned your coddled prisoner and that's the thanks I get? A seat on the wet ground?" With every word she says, she's testing his anger. Coddled prisoner. Is that what all of these rebels think of me?

Instead of arguing, I take a seat on the ground and cross my legs together. I will listen to what he has to say because Bren already has so much on his plate, anything else and he might start bursting at the seams. I've seen his anger firsthand and when he finds himself so deep in a mood it's impossible to climb out, it's best to leave him alone. Tesha will contest to that.

He drags a hand over his face. I'm still baffled by how much older he looks. "Please, just sit. This won't take long," he pleads. An owl hoots in response, the only sound near the mines except for the haunting whisper of lost spirits gone too soon in their young lives.

Tesha rolls her eyes to the sky but she plops down next to me, far enough away so we don't look like friends. If she hates the prince, that feeling must be the same for me, too. I've been in that castle and part of the princes' lives, so close to the king I'm considered part of their court.

"I need to discuss the plan with you two. If we're to leave the princes out of it—"

Tesha releases a strangled groan from the back of her throat. "Leave the princes out of it? We never agreed on that! I was promised the chance to kill the one in the dungeons."

My eyebrows raise involuntary and she meets my eye, nothing but hate swarming her features. She's beautiful, not from this kingdom but from the one south, as she shares the resemblance to their people. There are witches there, mixed with the humans, so it's hard to tell which category she falls under.

"Do you have something you want to say, princess?" She clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

I turn back to Bren and silently ask him, this is who you're trusting to be on your side?

Tesha laughs underneath her breath. "Lovers eyes aren't going to help you today. Bren's cause has changed." She picks at a patch of grass in front of her, angrily tearing out bits with her long, skinny fingers. Blisters cover the tips, old and new, and faint scars pepper the rest of her palm. Marks resembling hers were familiar in Arego, all of the professional archers had them.

Instead of asking the question in my mind, sparing them both, I ask, "You couldn't have brought someone else over here?"

Bren rests his chin in his palm as he slouches forward and studies us with tired eyes. The knife he was using to sharpen the stick hangs between his fingertips. "Tesha is my number one, everything goes through her as well as me. If I keep anything from her, she'll tear my head off."

Her grin widens. She stretches her arms out behind her, palms flat on the ground. "That's right, boss." She winks at him and an unexpected, shocked bit of laughter huffs from my chest. "What?" She snaps.

"You're worried about lovers stares between Bren and me? Look at you!"

Bren can't help but grin at my attitude. That's what stabilized our friendship over the years, a snarky behavior between the two of us. We were allowed to be as snippy and rude as we wanted to be, as long as we protected each other.

"Here's the first thing you'll learn about me, princess, I'm more interested in you than I am your friend. I find nothing appealing in men but the same does not go for you, bright eyes." She winks at me this time and my cheeks heat immediately. I've never had a woman flirt with me before. Bren and I exchange a glance and in that one look, he mocks my shock.

For my sake, he clears his throat to change the subject. "Let's get back to what I really brought you here for. Not shameless flirting." He makes a point to nudge Tesha's knee with his boot and she angrily bats his hand away. "We need clear evidence that the princes don't need to be assassinated. We want a better life for the witches in this kingdom and the current king will not provide that."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Are you even going to believe what I tell you?"

"My number two is a witch of all-seeing. For now, just focus on Renit. We've heard...decent things about Silas but never anything pleasant about Renit. He's nearly as bad as his father," Bren confines. There is nothing good-natured in his voice when he speaks of either prince.

"He's the king's weapon and has no other choice to be that way. Since he's not the crown prince, the future king, he's not as necessary to the current king. That means he's expendable, he can fight and his life is not nearly as important," I explain.

Tesha huffs another laugh. I grit my teeth together to keep from lashing out. "If either of them don't allow humans into the kingdom without facing discrimination then their lives are out of the question."

"Not now, Tesha," Bren warns.

"I doubt any humans want to come here anyway, the king has given a terrible representation," I retort. Crying echoes from the mines and the three of us stiffen, silencing for a moment to listen to the sorrows traveling through this place. Somewhere in the woods beyond, too far away to be considered a threat, a wolf howls to the moon. As long as their pack isn't too large and they don't sniff out the blood-covered dread lingering in this place.

The rebels begin to settle for the night. They huddle underneath their blankets, using satchels or packs as their pillows. I look behind me, glancing at all the heaps of bodies clustered together to stay warm. At some point, they didn't know each other and they didn't care about the lives that would someday matter. As time progressed, they found their way to each other—in a worthy cause.

Not only are they the rebellion to the kingdom of Esaria, quietly creeping through the ranks, they're a family, too. If it wasn't for their start, they wouldn't be as close as they are now. Yet, I still don't want to show them any pity.

"So you're saying humans aren't allowed?" Tesha ventures.

I furrow my brows. "That's nothing like what I said. Do you see any humans around here because I don't." My nostrils flare involuntarily and before Bren can say anything to stop our argument, the tension between us, I'm crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back to view her fully. Who does she think she is?

"You're looking at one, princess! You think I came here to help you? No, I came here to help myself. You mean nothing to me, I am looking for a home I can settle in without being threatened by you sleezy immortals." She stabs a finger against her chest, leaning closer to my face for emphasis.

I blink at her. She's not a witch, an immortal like the rest of the rebels here. I've seen some of their powers, flashes of them at least, in the small amount of time I've been here. Most of my evidence has been collected from the back of a prison wagon, watching through the barred window as each small flash of power is displayed for entertainment.

Bren shakes his head. "Forget this. When the prince is awake tomorrow, I'll bring in my number two and figure out the truth," he concluded. He braces his palms on his knees and pushes to a standing position. Bren towers over me as he offers down a hand.

Tesha doesn't bother taking his offer and saunters off, thin hips swaying until she kneels down next to one of the rebels and begins a conversation. Muttered words are shared and she lays down, propping her hands behind her head to view the stars.

I've never seen someone with such confidence, especially a human. I've encountered few humans, far too few in a kingdom this broad, and she's by far the snarkiest.

Once I'm standing, Bren reaches back and pulls a familiar satchel from behind the stump. "I believe this belongs to you. Spare clothes for both you and the prince."

Although I take the satchel, weighing the contents in my hand, I don't meet his eye. "Just because you're being generous doesn't mean I've forgiven you." We begin walking back towards the underground dungeons. Renit must still be asleep since there hasn't been an uproar of screaming and violence in the past few minutes.

"I'm not trying to gain your forgiveness. We're still friends and we...have to look out for each other." He sighs loudly, chest rising and falling in a great wave.

As I reach the top step of the dungeons, I turn to face him. "If we're looking out for each other then do me a favor." I brace my hand against his forearm and he stiffens against the touch. I haven't forgotten the extra warmth in his skin from the fire crackling underneath. He was my personal source of warmth during the harsh winters in Arego.

That last night, I believed it was the last time we would ever see each other. I studied his blue eyes for as long as fate allowed me to and I still can't find enough of him in there. When I had the time to draw in Arego, his eyes were always the focal point of the portrait. I want more than anything to have a mental portrait at the ready, if we're separated again. If things are to go right, then we have to be.

"Please don't kill Renit," I say quietly.

He closes his eyes for a second. "I can't make any promises." Taking one step back, Bren forces himself out of my touch. I try to hide the hurt on my face. "Do you...do you care for him?"

My breath hitches in my chest at the question and Bren's stare drifts to the necklace against my chest. I don't miss the flash of regret in his eyes, the reminder of my mother and one of the last moments we shared together—a day of training. That was all before I developed a second skin, my power becoming a protective layer that I've learned to control.

My mouth opens to speak and I shrug. "I don't—I don't know."

He's not pleased with that answer and neither am I. Renit and I have had such a complicated relationship, if it's even to be considered a friendship, and I can't say whether I care about him or not. Our powers do as I am his Grounding but beyond that...I've hardly had the chance to consider if there's a possibility for anything more.

Bren locks me back in the cell without uttering another word. I immediately move to a stirring Renit, his eyes blinking open slowly as he takes in the two of us. Bren's presence is there as I place the back of my hand gently against the prince's forehead, whispering if he's feeling better. It's not until Renit is fully awake and eating that Bren finally leaves, reluctance shadowing every move he makes.