As the drawing room faded, I focused on one single thing, two little words, one incredibly easy sentence that I repeated over and over again. And yet, it was next to impossible to keep myself calm.

Don't cry.

Of course, there was more involved in that command than just not crying. I had to force myself to stop thinking about all the horrible things that could have been happening to General Washington. I had to physically keep myself from shaking otherwise I'd never be able to teleport to where he needed us. I had to stop picturing crimson blood spilling, coming into sharp contrast with an emerald green ground.

Don't cry.

And of course, I had to focus on not crying.

But I couldn't attend another funeral.

Don't cry.

Seconds passed. Seconds that felt like hours. I pressed my eyes tight together, but it wasn't only so I wouldn't be blinded by the bright light that surrounded me. I thought about anything but that gray statue Lafayette would pull from the ground with such an impossible likeness it would make me feel like I was going to throw up.

Don't cry.

How could I not? It was the only thing I was brave enough to do. Sobs were pushing themselves up past my throat, trying to pry my mouth open, but I repeated those two words in my mind as much as I could until they started to sound funny.

Don't cry.

It didn't help that they were the exact same words he had whispered to me the night before. I could even picture his voice if I tried hard enough, as well as the ghost of a touch that caressed my cheek.

Don't cry.

Finally, after what was far too long of anticipation and anxiety gripping onto me with its cold, dead grasp, my feet hit the ground. Hard. I stumbled forward, unbalanced by the landing, but managed to right myself and look around. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I desperately looked around for him. James was already there, his lips drawn into a thin, worried line. Peggy was next to him seconds later, slowly followed by everyone else.

I staggered back, the cluster of trees we had landed in the middle of dispersing into that all too familiar garden.

Don't cry.

A scream bubbled up to my lips, but James seemed to notice what I was about to do and grabbed my arm. "Wait," he said softly. "It won't do any good."

The name died on the tip of my tongue as James pulled me along, searching the woods. The fallen leaves crunched underneath my feet, eerily the only noise in the entire forest.

Don't cry.

Just focus on the mission. That's all I had to do. That's all I needed to do. Washington was fine. Everything was fine. I had to stop worrying about the stupid shit that wouldn't leave me alone. That was becoming next to impossible.

Lafayette was walking next to me, his arms crossed as he scanned the forest. Peggy behind me, Hercules ahead, and so on. I did my best to keep everyone in my sight. I had to know where they were. It was the only thing that could calm me down. Because if somebody went missing...

Don't cry, don't cry.

"There," James hissed, holding out a hand as a blotch of gray flashed across the path ahead of us. A bird landed on a branch, gazing at James calmly, then turned and disappeared into the forest. "Follow." He took off after the creature, the leaves obscuring him.

"Wait!" I called, darting after James. He was so close, but he was getting further away with each step. "James!" I said as loudly as I dared, heart only beating harder as the seconds went by.

And suddenly, he ground to a halt. Every cell in my body went still all at once as horror crept over me. My eyes shut tight, so afraid of what I would see if I opened them.

"There you are."

The words washed over me, and my eyes shot open he second I recognized the voice. There he was, standing against a tree, unharmed. Before I knew what I was doing, I shot forward and wrapped my arms around Washington.

Don't cry don't cry don't cry.

He was still for a moment, before I heard him laugh slightly and hug me back. "Are you okay?"

I realized what I was doing and pulled away, heat racing into my face. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I—yeah, no. I'm fine."

Washington crossed his arms, smiling at me knowingly.

"Whatever," I said, ducking my head. "I was worried."

"I didn't mean to frighten you, Alexander." He placed a hand comfortingly on my shoulder, the only thing he had to do to convey the minuscule feeling that passed between us. Blink, and you'd have missed it.

"Can we put this aside until later?" Peggy snapped suddenly, making me jump. "Let's get back to the task at hand, please." Her chin lifted defiantly before anybody could say anything, an indignant aura stilling the air around us. "Are we here to rescue my sister, or are we going to sit around and do nothing?"

"Relax, Peggy," Washington said, unfazed by the sudden change in her emotions. He turned away from us, peering at something behind the tree. I didn't have to look to know what was waiting for us, a battlement of hedges towering into the sky. I could practically feel the chill of their shadows looming over us. "We'll save Angelica as soon as we can."

"What, we can't just storm the castle and—?" she snapped, but Washington cut her off.

"We don't have the resources or the preparation to do that," he returned curtly.

James stepped up to Peggy and placed a hand on her back, not saying anything. Strangely, she didn't jerk away from him as I expected her to. A sigh pulled itself from her lips, and her shoulders fell. "Fine. Then what are we doing here?"

"We're going to find Thomas," Washington said. Before any one of us could interject or question him, he began forwards, disappearing into the undergrowth.

I gave myself no time for hesitation, no time to concern myself with the giant hedge maze we were heading straight towards, like unsuspecting prey into a trap. I took a single deep breath of the earthy air and shot after him, determined not to be left behind. His words echoed through my mind.

Don't cry.

We're going to find Thomas.

Find. He had said find. And not save. Because that same fear loomed over all of us, tethering us like a leash. That bone-crushing fear that even if we find Thomas, we may not be able to save him. Even if we dredge up the worst of memories in hopes he remembers, there's still a chance that he won't. And if he doesn't, a dead enemy is better than a living one.

Don't cry.

He had asked me, such a long time ago. He had asked me to be the one who took his life. I had written it off then, but now...

I only hope it doesn't come to that.

Don't cry.

The two words played over and over in my mind, making it impossible to forget. I closed my eyes, drew myself together, and did my best to stay as calm as I could.

Washington stopped at the edge of the forest for a moment, scanning the open field. He paused, turning back to me to smile. "You'll be okay on your own," he said. Was it a question, or a statement? I wasn't sure, so I just nodded. Better than the actual answer would have been anyway. "We'll find each other. We always do. And Thomas will be with us when we leave this maze, okay?"

I nodded again, swiping the hair out of my face as a sudden gust of wind sent it flying. A chill ran up my body, but I doubted it was just from the wind alone. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Washington's reassuring smile never left his face, even when he turned away and started forwards. I watched as he stopped at the threshold of the maze, a single hand resting on the sword buckled to his waist. Without turning back, he took a step into the maze.

The amounting fear reached a crescendo while I was waiting, watching. He continued forwards but didn't disappear down the path, instead turning back to face me. I swallowed down my fear and practically ran, hoping to somehow break the spell. If I had to be alone, worrying about everyone for a second longer, I was going to break.

But I crossed the entrance without any problems, my boots skidding against the dirt path. I blinked, waiting for the maze to adjust around me, but nothing. Washington stared at me for a moment, before he let out a sigh of relief. Seconds later, and Lafayette joined us, the rest following him.

"How are we—?" Aaron began.

"Who cares?" Peggy briskly interrupted, pushing past us and starting down the trail. "Let's just find Thomas and get this over with."

"Peggy—"

"Whatever." She kept going until she had disappeared around the corner, the bright gold of her coat completely obscured by the thick expanse of leaves.

Washington sighed. "Let's follow. I don't want any of us getting split up."

We walked. That's all we could do. Walk and hope and pray to whatever god watched over us that somehow, everything would work out.

Don't cry.

The world became nothing but the long green ivy vines racing up the side of the hedges. The only thing that mattered at the moment was navigating our way through the maze. All the while, I kept complaining to myself underneath my breath. It was the only thing that kept me from crying, the only thing I could find any bit of solace in at all.

"Alex?" Philip's young, bright voice rang through the silence, a bit louder than I would have liked. I could practically feel the attention of all those stares melting into my back, and I wished he had just left me alone. "You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just...well...you remember what happened last time we were here."

I bit down on my lip until I felt the raw, metallic taste of blood. "I do remember, though I try not to."

"Oh, sorry. I—"

"It's all better now though. Because we're going to find Thomas, and we're going to leave." I had to stay positive for Philip. It was the least I could do.

I won't bore you with the details. We walked, and walked, and kept walking. I'm sure we passed the same rock a hundred different times, but the hedges blended into each other after a while. The sky above was quickly turning darker, and the sun had long since become impossible to see. Usually, we would all have brought a flame to life to illuminate the path cloaked with shadows, but only Washington could muster up the strength to hold a light bright enough to guide us, and even that flickered now and again. Well, I'm sure Peggy could have, but I doubt any one of us wanted to try and convince her to do something.

She was going through a rough time. I understood. I just wished it didn't have to be right this second.

Eventually, as the sky was growing a light shade of purple, the path we were walking along expanded into a wide, open area. I paused for a moment, a little startled by the sudden change in appearance. After a large corridor of being surrounded by nothing but leaves, the room was nothing short of different. Not that it was bad though. I was starting to think I had lost my mind.

All at once, Philip drew closer to me until I could feel him press into my side. "Sorry," he mumbled when I glanced behind me at him. "But isn't this place somewhat familiar?"

"It looks just like the rest of the maze," Lafayette returned indignantly, though I doubt he was trying to be mean. He was frustrated. We all were.

My eyes fell to the giant, gaping hole poking out of the hedge. I peered against the darkness until I managed to make out the features of a cave. My heart skipped a beat.

"It's a cave," I returned, my throat tightening so it was next to impossible to get those words out. "That's all." It looked nothing at all like the cave on Nevis, so there was no reason for so much fear to explode like fireworks inside of my stomach. "If you want, Philip, you can wait outside." But when I turned to look behind us, the entrance had disappeared, leaving us locked in the room with nothing but the cave and a small pool of water that cut through the rocky ground.

"Well," Hercules said, walking over to stand strategically close to Lafayette but just far enough away to where he had to reach out to touch him. "I guess we have to go through."

"I don't want to," Philip said abruptly, tearing away from me and crossing his arms. He shook his head wildly, his eyes glued to the entrance of the cave. "Alexander, I don't like this place. It's...there's something bad here."

"You're just nervous," I returned, nudging him slightly. "That's okay. Everything's going to be alright, Philip." I took a series of deep, careful breaths, and he mimicked them. "Trust me."

"I—" he began, but he was cut off as a scream echoed from the entrance of the cave. I froze, chills suddenly attacking me. A dagger flew to my hands as my heart beat hard and fast. I spun, able to place that voice from anywhere, as a figure stumbled from the entrance of the cave. It came crashing to the ground, and two giant, angelic wings spread from its back. The next moment, his head shot up, and he was looking straight at me. Two words fell from his mouth, two words that rendered every part of me useless.

"Help me."

"T-Thomas?" James stuttered. He stood still for only a moment before dashing forwards. Thomas flinched away from him, and though the movement was small, it was just so...un-Thomas. "Oh, stars above," I heard him hiss. "What happened?"

"James, wait—" I tried to say, but my words fell away as something rose in my throat.

He was panting to catch his breath. A cut right above his eye spilled crimson blood, and his white overcoat was stained with the dark, foreboding color. His clothing was tattered, and there were bruises all over his face. But, all the same, he smiled at James. There was something off about that single action, but I couldn't place it.

"J-James?" he whispered, almost as if he couldn't believe that we were all standing here in front of me.

James nodded. "I-it's me."

Thomas threw his hands around James and pulled him close. "I knew it. I knew you'd come to save me."

Lafayette's sword hit the ground with a clatter as he raced to join the two of them, followed by Aaron and Hercules, each trying to speak over each other. I knew I should have gone forward, but something held me back. The dagger grew heavy in my hand, but I wasn't going to let go of it no matter what.

"Alex?" Philip questioned, and I could hear the same trepidation in his tone that had taken control of me.

And finally, Thomas looked up at me threw shiny tears that trailed down his face, and I got a good look at those two gray eyes. A shiver ran down my spine. That wasn't right. "Alexander," he breathed, letting go of Aaron so he could reach his hand out for me. "Y-you were r-right. I should—I should have listened to you. I'm s-sorry. I'm so sorry." There was a pleading in his eyes that I had only seen once before. The way the pitch of his voice climbed as he begged was unlike anything Thomas would ever do.

My brave, strong Thomas. My Thomas, who never let the rest of the world see how he hurt. How he bled.

I paused, realizing how everybody's eyes clung to me, waiting for my next movement.

"Alexander," Thomas begged.

I threw the dagger as hard as I could.

He managed to duck out of the way just in time as it went whizzing past his head. A silence fell upon us for just a split second as he turned to stare at me, eyes wide with horror.

"Alexander!" James screamed suddenly. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I thought I killed you!" I hissed, ignoring him.

"Alexander?" Thomas questioned, staggering away from me. "What are you talking about? You're not making any sense!"

"I know exactly what you are," I spat, the words forcing themselves from my throat. "Drop the act, siren!"

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Aaron demanded.

I was about to answer him when the creature pretending to be Thomas laughed. A low, horrible laugh that sounded far too much like him. My stomach twisted, and I brandished another dagger, though it shook in my hands. The creature pushed itself to its feet and stepped away, its smile alarmingly sharp. "You know, Alexander, I think you're a lot smarter than others give you credit for being."

And the creature began to change. I shuddered, tightening my grip on my weapon as the creature I had long put in the past came before me once again. Blue-green scales emerged where there should have been skin. Their smile displayed a row of sharp teeth, and their eyes. Though still gray, they were nothing at all like Thomas's.

Aaron, Lafayette, and Hercules were standing next to Washington a moment later, each with weapons raised and poised to attack. But James just sat there staring up at them with wide eyes.

"Hello, Philip," they said, peering over at him with a predatory smile. I stepped in front of him, shielding him from the creature's gaze. "Remember me?"

"I thought I killed you," I repeated, trying my best to keep my tone even. A second of hesitation, and the monster would leap.

"Darling, I'm a siren. I show you what you want to see, don't I? Didn't your parents ever tell you that Tenebrie disappear when they die? Oh, wait—"

"Don't!"

They snorted, tilting their head at me. "Well, it was worth a shot, wasn't it?" Their eyes swept over the clearing until they landed on James. "You know, I've actually had the pleasure to meet that little friend you're so fond of. I don't quite understand the appeal, but whatever."

"I—" James stuttered.

"You're very dependent on him, aren't you?" the siren said, their grin only growing as they stared down at James. "Pathetic." Shaking their head, the siren brushed past him. "I suppose I have to kill you all now, which is a bit of a shame. I was actually hoping to get out of here, but that'll never happen."

"You want to leave?" I repeated.

"I mean," the siren said, stretching their hands up into the air with an aura of nonchalance. "You could always take me with you."

I bristled. Lafayette stepped to my side, his sword raised. I didn't have to look at him to picture the hatred flashing in his eyes. "And why would we do that?" he asked, marching up to the creature and pressing his weapon against their throat. Part of me was grateful. If I had to be the reason Thomas fell one more time, I don't think I'd be able to take it.

The siren glanced down at the sword, then back up at Lafayette. For a moment, they grinned. "A Rishftin? Interesting."

"Tais-toi!"

A laugh sounded through the air, sweet as honey but at the same time, bitter as wine. "Are you really asking me that question? Hasn't your friend caused you enough pain? Hasn't he brought enough fear and sorrow into your life?" The siren smiled, stepping back during Lafayette's moment of hesitation. "And, let's face the facts, you'll get bored of him after a while. Tired of the endless problems that arise of dealing with a Tenebrie. And then what? If you chose me over him, well...I don't think I have to go on for you to understand what I'm talking about."

I could feel their magic working against my mind, as easy and subtle as it was. I straightened, lifting my chin as their pointed, dagger-like stare met mine. My stomach twisted as I realized what they were about to do.

Don't cry.

The creature transformed just as I thought they were going to, a picture-perfect image of her. She beamed up at me, with that wide, innocent smile. "I can be anybody you want me to." Her voice was too much as she stared up at me, so tangible. So real.

Tears hit my gaze. That was the thing that broke me. I staggered backwards, my dagger clattering against the ground.

"We're not interested," Peggy suddenly said, her voice resounding through the clearing. She stepped forward, brushing past me. "Tell us where to find Thomas, and perhaps I'll spare your life." Her voice was filled with an authority I had never heard from her before, her head thrown back. She waved a hand at them.

The siren paused, changing back to their original form, and tilted their head at Peggy. "He's not here."

"What do—"

"He left days ago. You should see King George. He's frantic trying to find him. Quite funny actually." The siren waved their hand dismissively.

Peggy stiffened. "Get out of my sight."

The siren dipped its head and disappeared without another word. I turned away, only to find Philip staring up at me. He opened his mouth, and I shook my head. "Let's just get out of here while we can."