[MAGGIE'S PoV]

The light of sunrise streaming through the library window mocked me nearly as much as the massive fortress of dusty books I'd built around myself. On the up side, my Luminous comprehension had greatly improved in the past several hours. But that was all the good news I had. I'd found nothing about portals to other worlds, and nothing about necklaces to summon or control them. It's too late, oh lord it's too late.

I pulled the pendant off my neck and stared intently at it for the millionth time since Favaro gave it to me. No matter how I held it, how intently I wished or how loudly I begged for it to reveal a way back home, nothing happened. No flicker of promising light, no swell of warmth that may indicate whatever magic lived inside it was working.

Nothing—there was nothing, and I was out of time. Today, my engagement to Casimir would be announced at a public ball. Today, someone would die by my hand.

Someone rounded the corner on my little fortress of solitude and let out a surprised "oh!" loud enough to jolt me. I jumped, knocking one of my book towers down in a noisy, dusty tumble.

The person set their own stack of books aside to help me gather mine, and I recognized them as Ander Kúreki. Casimir's cousin, the knight who'd ridden alongside Julian on the day of my arrival in Realta.

He regarded me warily over the half-moons of his glasses before recognition flashed across his face. "Ah, Lady Jacintha, I didn't quite recognize you outside of your usual finery." He looked me over once more, then added with a frown. "Stars, have you been here all night?"

I nodded, stifling a yawn. This, I realized, was the first time I'd actually heard Ander speak. His voice was somewhat deeper than I'd expected given his build, and it held an air of superiority I was used to hearing from Raini, but he didn't seem malicious.

"Couldn't sleep," I said.

His attention turned to the stack of books and an eyebrow rose. He didn't believe me, of course. I had far too many books on one singular subject to be here for any reason other than a desperate attempt for information. But instead of calling me on it he said, "You should probably get back to your room."

I tensed. It really was too late. While I'd given up on finding any useful information, I was hoping to at least have some more time in the solitude of the library to calm my nerves and resign myself to what I had to do. "Must I?"

Ander shrugged. "I've no control over what you do. But I'm sure his Highness will be looking for you soon, and lest you'd like him to have a heart attack thinking you've changed your mind and—" He paused, considered, then gestured to the table beside us. "Chess?"

Seven insultingly quick games later, my mind was finally off the approaching evening's events. "Thank you," I said, rising to stretch.

"Whatever for?" Ander mused, "I simply wanted a living person to test a few new strategies against— this just had the added bonus of potentially sending my dear cousin into a panic."

Of course my relief was short-lived. At the mention of Cas, dread came back in full force. I felt the cold press of the pendant under my nightgown. If I knew how it worked, maybe that would have been a reassurance. But without that knowledge, it felt like a chain. A cold, shimmering reminder of the deal I'd made. "Why don't you like Casimir?"

"Why don't you?" He countered neatly. His gaze flicked over me, and he rested his elbows on the table, head atop folded hands. "I have no intention of marrying him."

"I do like Cas," I answered, any friendliness leaving my voice. Maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe he was malicious.

"And that's why you spent all night reading books on poison, portal magic, and the existence of other realms?"

I took a step away from him, tensing. Did he know, too? Or was I just that obvious. "I'm going back to my room."

But Ander's attention was already back on the chessboard. He gave me a slight nod, and I left him alone in the library.

On the walk back, the fact that I had indeed pulled an all-nighter frantically reading books about magic in a language I struggled to understand hit me full force, weariness seeping into my bones. Perhaps a nap would be best, unless I wanted to lean into this whole murderess thing and walk into the ballroom tonight looking like absolute death.

I entered my room, pausing momentarily to greet my guards. Both seemed surprised to see me, and it didn't escape my notice that as I closed the door one of them handed the other a few silver coins. Given the frantic state in which I swept out of my room in the middle of the night, I didn't blame them for making bets on whether or not I'd gotten cold feet and run away.

I climbed onto my messy bed, my head hardly hitting the pillow before sleep took me. I don't remember if I dreamed, but the sleep itself was restless and unpleasant, and I was almost thankful when one of my maids woke me with a small tray of fruit and cheese and urged me to get ready for the day.

This was the first I'd seen Solana and Arenya since the memory incident, and neither seemed especially eager to interact with me as I ate and they readied my bath. Dori wasn't with them. Of course she wasn't, she probably wanted nothing to do with me.

"Come Miss, wash quickly, and I will see what I can do for the shadows under your eyes," Solana said. She didn't meet my eyes, and as she helped me out of my nightgown and into the tub, she was careful never to touch my skin.

The only real friends I'd made during my time in Lumina, and I'd lost them just as quickly. It was only fair I supposed. Everyone here would hate me by the end of the night, anyway. And then I'd be gone.

"Your gown for the evening is stunning," Arenya gasped, her distrust for me vanishing for a moment as she pulled Faye's finest work from the armoire. I'd saved the best for last. Her hand trailed the shimmering blue fabric. "I've never seen anything so fine."

I joined her in admiring it, pulling my robe tight. "It was made by a Siaboran, you know."

Her eyes widened and she turned to me. "Truly, Miss?"

"Faye Talsin. The most talented seamstress I've ever met, and one of the strongest people I've ever had the honor of knowing." My mind went to the bloodied scales hidden in the darkest depths of my desk drawer, and my stomach dropped. Please, please let her be ok. I blinked back the threat of tears and smiled softly at Arenya—Her brown skin, curly black hair, shimmering teal eyes. "You remind me of her, actually. Do you like to sew?"

Arenya nodded eagerly. "When you become princess consort, will this Faye come to the palace to serve as your royal dressmaker?"

"Oh, I don't know—"

"Oh, do say she will! I would so love to meet her, perhaps apprentice under her. To make a gown this fine is my greatest wish. And to know a Siaboran made it, and that the future princess—a half-Siaboran future princess!—will be wearing it to her engagement announcement? Oh, it's too much joy to bear. Perhaps the future is bright after all."

"Perhaps," I agreed weakly. I didn't want to outright say no— I wouldn't be able to bear the disappointment on her face. But this false hope and the bloom of happy tears in her eyes wasn't much better. I swallowed and turned my attention back to the gown. "So! What are you thinking for my hair?"

Solana and Arenya spent the next three hours painstakingly perfecting my makeup and hair, and all the while their apprehension toward me slowly melted away. Eldoris, they said, would prefer not to see me for a while, and I really couldn't hold that against her. I was surprised the other two didn't pry into what exactly I'd done to her, but I was thankful nonetheless. There's no way I could have come up with a creative enough lie.

Still, it was nice at least to have Solana and Arenya smiling again. To be able to interact with them comfortably, without the looks of fear and distrust in their eyes.

"Time for the dress, Miss," Solana said, carefully taking it down from the rack and holding it open for me.

I stepped out of the robe and into the gown, then Solana held it in place and Arenya laced up the back. The dress was heavy, and strapless, with only, sheer sleeves holding it around my shoulders. The sleeves were more for show than actual support, but Faye had worked her magic sculpting the bodice to fit me so perfectly I hardly felt the weight of the dress, and had no worry about the dress falling down whilst walking or dancing.

I gasped out loud when the girls guided me in front of the floor length mirror. When looking at myself all made up and beautiful, it was easy to forget why I was here and what the night would hold. For a moment, at least. But the fear was still there in the back of my mind, glimmering with the mieranda rose pendant that hung around my neck.

The gown itself was a deep, shimmering blue, with darker blue lace and gold accents on the bodice. Perhaps a bit more daring with the neckline than most of the other gowns I'd seen during my time in Lumina, but Faye had designed this gown specifically for the final night, a last hurrah when she expected all eyes to be on me anyway. Of course, she had no idea I was attending the ball with the intention of committing a murder, and thus a less eye-catching gown would have been wiser.

But I was happy to wear it. And it didn't matter if eyes were on me. As soon as the deed was done, I would be home safe in my own realm. Back to a normal, boring life of video games with Elle and disappointing my parents by getting poor grades in college. This would be my final hurrah in the Shadow Realm, so I would wear that gorgeous gown with pride.

I adjusted the rose pendant, so it hung nicely in the curve of the gown's sweetheart neck.

"I do agree the blue matches your gown perfectly," Solana said, her finders hovering an inch above the pendant, "But don't you think you should wear your betrothal necklace tonight?"

I pressed my lips together. That was true. It would look horribly suspicious if I didn't have the emerald on when tonight was supposed to be the announcement of my engagement to Cas. But I wanted to keep the rose pendant with me, and it's not like the gown had pockets.

"You're right, how silly of me," I agreed. I untied the letter cord from around my neck and quickly wound it around my wrist. There, it worked just as well as a bracelet.

Solana clasped the emerald's gold chain around my neck in its place. With all the blue, the green of the emerald stood out intensely, pulling my eye color out with it. "There we are. Done!"

And perfectly on cue, a knock sounded on my bedroom door. Arenya scurried to answer it, and the deep curtsey she immediately dropped into told me all I needed to know about who was on the other side. I braced myself as Cas entered the room. I had to keep calm, had to keep a cheerful demeanor. This was supposed to be a happy day, I couldn't clue him in to what was about to happen.

But Lord, I hated myself for not solving the mystery of the pendant in time. For not saving him.

With giggles and waves the two mermaids excused themselves, leaving me alone with Cas. "Hello, stranger," I greeted playfully. The attempt to keep my tone light felt forced, but I don't think Cas noticed. He was too busy blushing and tripping over his own feet as he crossed the room toward me.

He stopped before he reached me, sucking in a sharp breath. "You l-look even more lovely than I anticipated."

I did a little twirl, just for the heck of it. "It's the dress, truly."

"No, it's you," he said with a beaming smile. "Truly."

I swallowed, looking away from his sweet brown eyes. "Is it time already?"

Cas shook his head. "While I did come to escort you, I admit I arrived a bit early on purpose. I was hoping to spend some time just the two of us before the ball."

Oh, perfect. Again I was overcome with the intense urge to tell him everything, but all that would do is kill my one chance at getting home. My morals or my only way home. I already knew this was the deal from the start, and the deal hasn't changed. All that's changed is the target.

I could make myself numb to it. In my world this was all just a video game, after all. And once I made it home that was all it would ever be. I stood straighter, turning my gaze to Cas with a newfound intensity. "What do you think about the war?"

Cas blinked, then laughed nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I asked. The war. What are your thoughts on it."

"I... Not much?" He answered, running a hand through his curls. "Apart from learning about it from my history tutor and studying how international laws have changed since, I give it little thought." My stare didn't waver, and his face reddened. "The war ended when we were children, Jacintha, it hard-hardly matters anymore."

I shook my head. "No, it matters, and it's not over yet. Cas, you're going to be king."

He flinched.

"What do you think about the war, and what are you planning to do about it?"

"I don't. I don't think about it. I don't have a plan." His hands trembled as he met my gaze with tearful eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

I exhaled and dropped into a chair. "I'm sorry. I'm just... stressed about all this," I admitted. It definitely wasn't a lie, even if the context I was presenting it in was a bit misleading. "My maid called me the future princess consort, and that made this feel too real. I just wanted to know what you were planning. If I'm to be princess consort, I'd like to have an idea of the goals of my king."

I want to know if I should fight harder. I want to know if killing you will do more harm for the realm or good.

Cas sat across from me. His face had returned to a more normal shade of soft brown, but his hands still shook. "With luck, my ascension to the throne is still years off. I try not to consider it. You should do the same."

We sat in tense silence for a moment, and I realized I'd made a mistake. Cas very clearly had no desire to make a change to the realm. He was content to live as things were, isolated in his palace. As king, he would no doubt have teams of people to do all the hard work for him.

Maybe killing him wouldn't be as hard as I thought.

"I'm sorry," I said again, quietly.

"Worry not, I understand your fears, and I'm already quite over it," Cas said with a bright, genuine smile. He pulled a simple, parchment wrapped package out of him breast pocket and held it out to me. "I brought you this."

I accepted the package and broke the little rose-patterned wax seal.

"The ball tonight is a masquerade," Cas continued, not even waiting for me to see what was inside. "I-I didn't know what color gown you'd be wearing, so I figured gold would be a safe bet. It m-matches mine."

The mask was indeed gold, no doubt solid gold, etched with delicate leaves. It was adorned at the top corner with a cluster of gold fabric roses and a tiny frill of feathers. It was beautiful, and luckily enough worked perfectly with my gown. "Thank you Cas, it's wonderful."

His smile brightened. "I'm glad. Now— would you like me to change my cravat? I went with g-gold and green, thinking to match your betrothal necklace, b-but seeing that you're dressed in blue..."

"Don't worry about that. Matching my necklace is a sweet gesture." I spied gently and held the mask out. "Tie it for me?"

He was on his feet in an instant, hurrying around to my chair to fasten the strings of the mask behind my head. Once it was secure, he stepped back with a little flourish, donned his own mask, and held a hand out to me. "Shall we depart?"

I accepted his hand and let him tug me to my feet. "We shall."

But as we reached the door, I stilled. "Oh. One moment, I forgot to apply perfume."

Cas nodded. "Ah, alright. I'll be in the hall."

Once he was out of sight, I hurried back to my bed and fished around under the pillow until my hand closed around something small and cold. I slipped the vial of poison into my bodice, then hurried after Cas.

~*~

"Introducing His Royal Highness, Prince Casimir Hadrian Lousvar of Lumina!" The Heral called as we reached the top of the stairs. Cas squeezed my hand, then nodded for the herald to continue. "And introducing his betrothed, Lady Jacintha Carlyle!"

The applause was deafening, but at least it drown out my battering-ram heart. My back was painfully straight with nerves as we descended the staircase into the waiting crowd. They parted neatly for us as we reached the floor, and the orchestra struck up a beautiful waltz.

Cas, for his credit, didn't step on my feet. I could feel how nervous he was to be dancing with all eyes on him through the way his hands, slick with sweat, trembled in mine. I'm sure he could feel my panic as well.

I fought the urge to reassure him. There was no point. This would all be over soon.

We danced, and I scanned the crowd for Favaro. At some point before the night ended, he would hand me a glass of wine, and I would buy my ticket home. But I couldn't see him anywhere. However disapproving eyes of Julian, Amaranth, and Raini followed me through every twist and turn.

By the start of the second dance, the crowd joined in, and I could feel the heat of the mass of bodies pressing in on me. That coupled with the stares from people I knew I couldn't trust—who I knew didn't trust me—was too much. I soon found myself gasping for air.

"Jacintha?" Cas frowned.

"I'm sorry," I breathed. "I need air. I'll be back."

Before he could offer to accompany me, I pushed through the crowd and didn't stop until I was on the balcony. I gulped breath after breath of fresh night air, clinging to the railing. The realms duo of moons stared down at me, reminding me how out of place I was. How wrong all of this was. God, what was I doing?

"You need to give me the poison."

I spun around so fast I nearly lost my balance. Julian stood before me, hand on the hilt of his sword, his brown eyes burning.

Oh, what now? Did Julian know everything as well? I didn't even bother playing dumb. I was so tired, so drained. "I can't do that."

"You can," he pressed, the hand on his sword tightening. "You will. I promised her I wouldn't harm you, but I swore a blood oath to protect Casimir first and foremost. I'd rather run you through and suffer her ire a thousand times than see him dead."

Julian's voice wavered in a way I'd never heard. I'd seen him tired, bored, annoyed, but never angry like this. Never scared.

I took a small side step. "I'm sorry, I won't give it to you. I want to go home."

"She can get you home. But you have to give me the poison. Now." He held his leather-gloved hand out.

"Who is she?" I asked, stepping further away still. There was only so far I could go on the balcony, but my hope was to side step him enough that I could run back into the crowded ballroom. He wouldn't dare pull a sword on me there, would he? "If you mean Amaranth I already know she can't get me home, nor does she care to."

"I owe you no explanations," he bit out, shaking ever so slightly. He drew his sword. "I won't ask again. Give it to me."

I tried to sprint around him. Stupid, so stupid to think I could get past a trained knight while my non-athletic self was in a massive gown. He swung his blade, and I braced myself for its connection with my neck. It never came.

Julian grunted.

I opened my eyes to see him frozen mid-slash, his breath frantic as his eyes searched wildly. Confused, I relaxed my stance and walked in a slow circle around him. He was still as a statue, and clearly unhappy about it.

"You are a magnet for drama, aren't you, Magdalyn?" Favaro mused from the doorway. He had a glass of deep red wine in his hand.

I pressed my lips together. It was time, then. "Tell me how the pendant works."

"Ah, not yet." He said with a shake of his head. "I let you hold the pendant, that's as much flexibility as I can spare. You'll learn how to use it once you fulfill your end of the bargain."

Breathe, Maggie. Just get it over with. Go home. Go back to Elle. You'll forget all of this soon enough. "Fine."

Favaro strode leisurely across the balcony. He handed me the glass, then joined me in surveying Julian. He shook his head with a sorrowful tsk. "It is a shame you couldn't accept my offer when you had the chance."

Julian huffed an angry grunt. He couldn't speak in this state, couldn't move, but his eyes held more rage than any I'd ever seen.

Then with one swift motion, Favaro slit his throat.

I clapped a hand over my mouth and stumbled back, nearly dropping the wine glass. Whatever magic was holding him in place fell away, and Julian dropped like a rag doll. Dead.

Julian was dead.

"There," Favaro said, as if he'd done nothing more than swat a fly. He wiped his tiny dagger clean with a handkerchief. "Thank you for providing me with an excuse to be rid of him. This will make things much easier going forward."

"You killed him."

Favaro eyed me. "Observant."

"You killed him."

"And you're about to kill the prince. There are certain sacrifices that must be made in order to have your way. Best get used to it."

I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it.

I pulled the poison from my bodice and held it out to Favaro. "Here, you can have it. You can do it. Just tell me how to use the pendant and I'll be out of your way. Please, just let me go."

"Now now, Magdalyn. That wasn't the deal." Favaro frowned. He twisted his dagger in his hand. "I could kill you this instant, Sir Ettore can vouch for my sincerity." He gave Julian's lifeless body a little nudge with his boot.

My morals or my way home. My morals or my way home.

I looked away, fighting the bile that rose in my throat and the tears that pressed at my eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek, hard, then fished the vial out of my bodice and popped the cap.

The powder dissolved neatly into the wine.

"Don't doddle, now. I'm sure your prince is quite parched."

I didn't remember walking back into the ballroom, nor did I remember scanning the crowd for Cas. But there he was, several paces ahead of me. And there I was, glass in hand, headed his way.

"Magdalyn, a word?" It was Amaranth this time.

I stopped, my heart leaping into my throat. I was moments from breaking down, and this would be the final straw.

"I'm sure you know what I'm about to do," I said. Everyone here always knew.

"I know what you think you're doing, yes, but I'm putting a stop to it here." Amaranth took the wine glass from my hand before I could even protest. In its place, she handed me a plane brass skeleton key. "Give that to her, she'll find you soon."

There it was again, that mysterious she.

I expected Amaranth to smash the glass, but instead she tipped it back and drank every last drop of poisoned wine. She smiled when it was gone, meeting my gaze with more light in her eyes than I'd ever seen them hold. "It is time I rejoin the dance. I just hope Naresharakh offers me mercy."

The queen fell.

I let out a small moan of a cry. It didn't even sound like a noise that should come from a human. My legs nearly gave out.

Nearby, a noble woman screamed, sharp and shrill, and I waited for all eyes to be on me. Waited for the guards to surround and kill me. But the woman hadn't been screaming about the queen. And all the eyes in the room were pointed upward, at the glass domed roof.

I didn't wait to see what had distracted them, I simply took it as my one mercy for the night and ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I had to get out. I had to escape before Cas noticed I was gone, before he noticed that his mother was dead.

I'd just ducked into one of the small side rooms, hoping to climb out one of the windows there, when the sounds of chaos reached me. Screams, the shattering of glass, a thunderous boom as something collapsed in the middle of the ballroom.

A bomb? Did they even have bombs in the shadow realm?

I couldn't think, I didn't know what to do. Everything was falling apart so quickly. I had no way home, I had no one left in this realm who cared what might happen to me. Oh, god, this was the end.

I felt sick.

I felt sick, and dizzy, and numb to the core of my bones.

This isn't real. This isn't happening.

"Lady Jacintha, you're safe! Oh, thank goodness." Cas.

I turned to face him. He was smiling at me with such relief, I don't even think he noticed that his crown was lopsided. I don't think he noticed that I wasn't smiling back. He reached out to me. "Quickly, we must get to the basement, I think mother and Rainette are already there—"

"Casimir, get away from her!" Oh God, Raini. She was breathing heavily, her face red and blotchy with tears. There was blood on the hem of her gown.

"Rainette what—?"

"She killed her, Cas. She killed Mama. And I'm going to kill her!" Raini's scream was enough to freeze the blood in my veins.

I backed away, stumbling over the hem of my gown and falling hard on the marble tile.

Cas grabbed Raini as she tried to storm past him. She thrashed against his hold, her vengeful gaze still locked firmly on me. "Let me go! Let me hurt her!"

Cas's voice was hollow, pleading. "Jacintha... tell me she is mistaken. Please, tell me she is mistaken."

I wanted to tell him the truth. I want to tell him everything. But when I open my mouth, the only words that come out are "I'm so sorry..."

His warm brown eyes were always so full of affection, but in this moment, they were the darkest things I'd ever seen. His grip on Raini loosened as his fingers flick toward the sword on his hip.

I closed my eyes, wishing more than anything to open them and find myself back where I belong. Because despite everything I'd experienced here, the bad and the good, all I wanted was to go back to the time before I stepped through the door.

A roar emanated from the ballroom, loud and vicious, shaking the whole palace. The roar held a voice. "Maggie!"

My eyes snapped open, both Cas and Raini turned toward the sound as well.

"We need to get to the basement," Cas repeated, this time only to Raini. "Father had it fortified in the event of a dragon siege."

Dragon?

The roar came again. "Maggie!"

Raini's gaze flicked to me, curiosity mingled with her fear.

"Dame Carter," Cas spoke low and even. "Take Jacintha from my sight. I don't care where she goes, but if I see her again I will kill her."

I hadn't even noticed Cas's other knight enter the room. Lion was dressed in full plate mail, as always. With a bow to Cas, she approached me and grabbed my arm, forcefully tugging me to my feet.

"You're just going to let her go?" Raini hissed.

We exited the room, and I managed to catch one last glimpse of Cas as he dropped to the ground. Raini watched me go as if staring hard enough could kill me where I stood.

Back in the ballroom, I took in the full nightmare that was playing out. A dragon—black scaled, horned, winged, and fire-breathing, had crashed through the roof of the ballroom. Curtains hung shredded and burning. Glass, and blood, and bodies littered the floor. People ran screaming, knights fired arrows and came at the beast with spears but nothing penetrated its armor.

The massive creature roared again, turning frantically in place. It wasn't trying to fight anyone—it was searching. Searching with glowing eyes that I would know anywhere. "Blondie!"

"Oh my God," I breathed. Kindle. Kindle was here, he'd come for me after all. My heart swelled, and my tears finally spilled in earnest. I wrenched my arm from Lion's grip. I had to get to him.

Lion caught my arm again.

I fought against her. I had to get to Kindle. Would he hear me if I screamed? It was worth a try. "Kindle! Kindle I'm here!"

"Mags, I swear to God, shut your mouth and come with me right now." With her free hand, Lion ripped off her helmet. It skittered across the floor and the world tilted.

God, this was too much. This was all too much. I took in her dark skin, her familiar brown eyes, the intensity with which she stared me down. I knew this face, knew that voice, but I couldn't for the life of me make sense of it, make sense of her, here in the Shadow Realm. "Elle?"

She was Elle, but she was different, too. The scar on her face, for one. The length of her hair, too. And something in her posture, and the cold way with which she regarded me.

"Elle?" I repeated.

Instead of answering me, her eyes flicked to the rose pendant around my wrist. "How the hell did you get that?" Her hand went frantically to her own neck, and she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Give it to me, now."

I stepped away, wary.

"I don't have time for this right now. Stars, there's so much left to do," she muttered, more to herself than to me.

This woman couldn't be Elle. Not my Elle, anyway. Did doppelgängers exist in the Shadow Realm? "How did you get here?"

Elle shook her head. "Mags, please, I don't have time, I'm sorry—I'm sorry. Please just give me the pendant."

I didn't know what to do, and I certainly didn't trust this stranger wearing Elle's face. I tucked my wrist behind my back.

A muscle in her jaw twitched, but before she could do or say anything else, the entire ballroom rumbled and I found myself being lifted off the ground by massive black claws.

"No—No!" Elle shouted, reaching for me again. No, not me. The pendant.

"Thank Naresharakh," dragon Kindle rumbled. And then with a pained grunt, he launched us into the night sky. I clung to his claws, letting my sobs escape me freely as the ruined palace of Lumina shrank beneath us.

~*~

We flew for what felt like hours, breaths, years, heartbeats. I wasn't sure where we were headed, but it was clear Kindle was in pain. His claws gripped me just tight enough to keep me secure, but just tight enough to hurt as well. I didn't dare ask him to loosen his grip. He probably wouldn't have been able to hear me over the rush of air, anyway.

"...Almost there... Almost there... I see the mountains..."

His breathing was labored and erratic. Something was definitely wrong. Was he hurt? He winced, and we dropped a few yards.

"Kindle?" I called, panicked. "Kindle!"

He roared, and just as it had in the palace, the roar became a rumble of words in my mind. "...Oh Blondie, I'm so sorry..."

And then we plummeted.

To Be Continued