Bile rose to Halen's throat as memories of their battle with the mermaids flooded her mind. Nelia jumped in front of Tage and took the hit from the mermaid's curse to protect the mission. She sacrificed herself for a siren she barely knew without hesitation. Now Nelia belonged to Rania for this crime against Elosia.

Her chin rested against her collarbone as if her head were a heavy stone. She wore nothing more than swim skins. Blood coated Nelia's flesh from her neck to her waist.

"I'll make them pay." Dax lunged. 

Halen shoved him back to the ground. His energy charged, and as his anger rolled through her, she fought both Dax and the urge to unleash her magick on the crowd below. "You can't help her if we get caught."

"They know she's Tari. They're punishing her because she helped us. We have to do something."

"I wouldn't be so quick to go down there," a voice said at their backs.

Halen rolled, thrusting her hand outward, ready to cast her sparks, but dropped her guard as soon as she spotted the bald head poking up from the entrance. "Catch!" Halen said a little too loudly, and he shot her a warning glance.

She stood and wrapped her arms around his bony frame when he climbed into the alcove. Pulling back to get a better look at him, she gasped. His eyes sunk deep within his skull and his cheeks, too, were drawn as if he hadn't eaten or slept in months, though it had only been a short while since she had seen him last.

"Where's Pepper?" Dax asked, his gaze never leaving Nelia.

"Thankfully, she's not down there," Catch said, "and neither should you be, so don't go getting any ideas."

"What's happening?" Halen asked.

"They're calling it the 'Tari trials'." His gaze shifted to Dax. "The Huntress Aurelia came to Elosia looking for the Hunter's soul a few days ago. She reported the fire rings to Rania. We sealed off the liquibrium pipes to prevent further damage to your realm.

After that, Rania issued a decree stating any Elosian found in open water would face trial as a Tari traitor. She evacuated the domes and forced everyone underground. Those who didn't comply ended up in the prison chambers. Huron tried to reason with her and your mother—" His gaze fell to the ground.

"My mother? Where is she? Is she still imprisoned?" Dax rolled to his side.

His eye twitched more than usual, and his words caught in his throat. "Um..."

"Where is she?" Dax asked again.

"Your mother tried to protect Nelia."

"What do you mean?" Dax stood. His jaw was tight, the little muscles on the sides popping.

Catch's eye twitched, blinking in overdrive. Dax grabbed his arms, shaking him. "Tell me where she is!" Tears flooded Catch's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Dax. Rania killed her first. I couldn't do anything."

Dax wilted to the ground, falling to his knees. "No, no, no..." He clasped his head. 

Halen touched his shoulder and his anger ripped through her, wild as the raging sea. With her free hand, she clutched her chest, the weight of his anger suffocating.

Catch gently guided her hand away from Dax. At once, the surge of Dax's emotions settled, though the remnants of his fury left her breathless.

"I never should have left Elosia," Dax said between gritted teeth.

"You should leave now." Catch's eye stopped blinking for several seconds as he met Halen's gaze. His unwavering stare raised the hairs along the back of her neck.

"What about Huron?" Halen asked.

"Huron is alive. Rania's saving him for last. She wants more information."

"We have to help them," Halen said. "Nelia saved my life."

"You can't do anything from here," Catch said.

Listen to the boy. This is not the time to be a heroine. Save yourself. We have work to do.

You! You picked a fine time to pipe up. Halen rubbed her temple, trying to scratch Asair's voice from her head.

You need to leave—now!

Coward. Go away! This has nothing to do with you.

"Are you all right?" Catch asked.

"I'm good." Halen glanced toward Dax. He lay down, peering at Rania. She knelt next to him. "I'm sorry about your mother."

When he turned, his tear-filled gaze wound through her. She wanted to tell him it would be okay, but her lips stitched with uncertainty. His mother would be alive if she hadn't failed. She had to get to Jae before anyone else got hurt. But first, she had to save Nelia.

She scanned the crowd, searching for a weak point. "No one else has to die. Let's get Nelia." She glanced back at Catch.

"No way." Catch rubbed his bald head. "You should get out of here. Let Dax and me deal with this."

"There's no way I'm leaving Dax or any of you here with that!" She pointed toward Rania, who was now bringing up another Elosian to the rock pillar. The man trembled, holding himself in a hug, while two men flanked him. Then, prying his arms away from his torso, they bound him in chains. "We'll find a way—together."

"Trust me. You need to leave," Catch said.

"Catch, are you talking to yourself again?" a girl said from below. "How many times have I told you to stay quiet? Rania's army has breached the outer tunnels we need to swim—" Pepper poked her head up. Her eyes widened. "Dax!" Her gaze darted to Halen. "What are you two doing here?" She hoisted herself up. 

Her usually neat bob was tangled; mud smeared her pale skin, her swim skins caked with green grime, and bloodied scratches marred her legs. The little glass bottles and charms that hung from the golden chain at her hips sang like bells when she stepped forward.

"I told you to take that noisy chain off." Catch shot her a warning glare.

"I need my potions." She turned back to Halen. "You have to get out of here. If Rania finds you—"

"I've been trying to convince them to leave," Catch said.

"Rania will pay." Dax grabbed a fistful of sand.

"Your mother was wrong to fight her," Pepper said. "She would want you to go."

"You don't know what my mother wanted." His voice came out as a growl.

"We want to help," Halen said. "Huron is still down there. I can't leave him. Besides you and Catch, are there any other Tari she hasn't captured?"

"There are a few, but not enough to fight back," Pepper said. "We're going to have to abandon Elosia." "Why are the Elosians allowing this? Not everyone can support that." Halen nodded toward the trials. "Is this the way of your realm?"

"Fear can drive one to do unforgivable things." Pepper sighed. "Rania's convinced you're the reason the fires are spreading. She thinks you brought Asair back with you."

Catch wound his hands together. Pepper placed hers over his, and he settled. "She won't stop until someone gives you up."

Run, Asair whispered.

All eyes were on her. No matter her neutral expression, she felt as if Asair's name was written in red marker all over her skin. She took one step toward the ladder. Would Catch and Pepper turn on her to stop the trials? Would Dax?

"This has nothing to do with Halen." Dax stood. "The Tari were wrong about everything. We spent all those years training, and for what? Killing Asair didn't make a difference."

"So, he's not with you?" Pepper's pointy eyebrows rose so high they almost touched her hairline.

"Of course not," Dax said. "I watched Asair die, and Corinne performed the test."

"She did? I thought Corinne was with Daspar?" Pepper said.

"She is," Halen said. "Tage, Ezra, my mom, and Daspar, they're all with Natalie and the Hunters."

"Natalie?" Catch's eye blinked in overdrive. "You saw Natalie?"

"Yeah." Dax nodded. "Talk about a real cozy family reunion—lots of blood and dark magick."

"Oh, my." Pepper gasped. "Is she okay?"

"Are you serious?" Dax edged toward Pepper. "She's working with the Hunters."

"No!" Catch thumped the side of his head. "She's not like that."

"She's a lot like that," Halen said. "She may have saved you once, but she's not the same girl."

"I told you she was alive." Pepper elbowed Catch. "I felt it—I just knew."

"I should have known." Catch rubbed his side.

"How could any of you have known?" Halen asked.

Catch and Pepper's attention shifted toward Dax.

He shrugged. "She released me. I can't feel Nat anymore, not when I'm Halen's Guardian."

"Then she's unbalanced—like Asair." Pepper's hand trembled as she fiddled with the charm of a silver serpent on her chain.

"Why would the Hunters let an unbalanced siren live?" Catch asked.

"Why would they let any siren live?" Pepper tapped the black bottle next to the serpent with the tip of her nail. "It doesn't make sense." She shifted toward the opening of the alcove and peered below.

"Maybe she's their hostage?" Halen suggested. "When I was in Asair's dimension, he had this orb to see the Earth. I saw Natalie through the orb. She was chained and locked away in some room."

"Natalie used dark magick in the hotel room," Dax said. "She's not their prisoner."

"Unless they're forcing her to use magick," Catch said. "Did she have the Hunter's mark?"

Dax shook his head. "She had control. She's not being held under duress, and I doubt she has a single scratch on her."

"They're moving Nelia." Pepper waved.

They rushed to the ledge. The two Elosian men, who had strung up the man, now lowered Nelia from the wall. Her worn body slumped in their arms.

Pepper let out a soft whimper.

"Is she..." Catch asked.

Nelia let out a sharp cry when one man hoisted her body over his shoulder.

"She's alive—for now." Pepper pulled Catch away from the ledge.

"We can use magick." Halen turned to Catch. "Do you have more coral and bone?" She placed her hand on the vial at her neck.

"You don't know if it's working," Dax said.

"I'm fine—really."

"I don't think we should push our luck. How are we supposed to help them if I have to carry you out?"

"She's not the only one who can cast a spell." Catch nudged Pepper.

"I'm really not that good." Pepper stepped back.

"You've had us under a cloaking spell since the trials," Catch said.

Pepper frowned. "We've been hiding here most of the time."

Run while you still can. Asair's voice swept through Halen's mind.

We're not running. She channeled her thoughts to Asair. I'm staying to help them.

Then, if you won't run, I'll have to help you.

Really? She turned away so they couldn't see the confusion on her face. You would help me?

If they get hold of you, I'll be passing into a realm neither one of us can return from. I just got out—I don't want to die so soon. Take the elixir. I promise not to block it.

What? You've been blocking the elixir? Stop it now or I'll tell them you're in me.

They would kill you on the spot. They're not your friends.

Shut up and unblock. She faced them once more.

"Hand me the coral and bone." Catch didn't budge.

"We have to try." She looked at Dax.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I'll stop if I feel weak. Just keep me balanced."

He stared over her shoulder.

"Dax? I mean it." She didn't trust Asair. If he was offering to help, there would be consequences. She couldn't allow Asair to drag her to the dark side of her seam. She needed Dax now, more than ever. "Are you with me?"

He pulled her by the hand, guiding her to his side; his pain slid up her wrist where his pulse touched hers.

He leaned, whispering in her ear. "I can't make any promises right now."

She turned ever so slightly. His lips were at her cheek. "There will be a time to mourn your mother." She thought of her mom and the friends she had abandoned in a room of Hunters. When this was over, maybe they would grieve together. "We have to fight for the living."

A splintering scream echoed from below. They clambered to the ledge once more.

Rania wielded a long, black staff. She ran the tip of the rod across Nelia's back.

Pepper unclipped a vial from her chain and tossed it to Halen. "Do what you have to do. Get her out of there."

As she licked the glass rim, the sweet elixir unshackled her magick, igniting a charge through her veins. Her fingertips sparked with the sand. Scooping a fistful, the grains warmed in her palm. She opened her hand and blew.

The grains spun, suspended before them, forming the body of a bird. She held the image of a powerful bird of prey in her mind, a strong hawk to swoop down, pluck Nelia from the carnage and carry her away. 

The sand bound and the grains lengthened with wings; each feather held together with shimmering threads of magick. The sand bird flew before them, its keen eyes trained on Halen, awaiting her command. 

Halen parted her lips, the task on her tongue when Dax clasped her knee.

His fingers dug deep, his energy stabbing her flesh; Daspar bleeding, her mom unconscious, Tage and Ezra cast to the ground, and a Hunter's arrow sailing toward them flashed through her mind.

Her threads unwound, and the hawk exploded. The sand spun faster, this time elongating to a fine-tipped spear. 

Dax squeezed her tighter and his rage wound through her, spiraling like a tornado, picking up her magick and binding her with his fury. She fought to hold on, but the darkness yanked her from the light. 

Pepper grasped her arm. "Stop, Halen! This is not the way."

But her warning hid in the shadows of Halen's soul. The sand spear launched, sailing toward its target. 

Dax released his grip, and at once, Halen gasped. "What did you do?" She clasped her fists against her chest, fearful her sparks would rise. 

Dax turned away from her.

Rania's screams flooded the cavern as the spear pierced her. When she reached for the weapon, the sand spilled through her fingers. Her gaze shot upward.

Foolish girl, Asair hissed.

When Rania pointed toward their alcove, Halen couldn't agree more.