Jolie leaned toward Queen Ember. "We were told Lochlan brought a girl through the mist. We're afraid it's our friend, Clara."

"We have someone on the inside." Ember nodded, "Lochlan works for Crystal, we were told he brought someone through."

"What could they want with her?" Jolie asked.

"Our informant didn't know. She's not close enough to Crystal to hear her plans or be inside their meeting rooms."

Tate scoffed. "What good is an informant that's not close enough to get information?"

"She's where we need her to be. The resistance is small. We have to be smart about this. An outright attack wouldn't get us far against the court's forces."

"So what are you doing?" he asked.

"We're taking things apart from the inside first. You've helped already," Ember nodded at me. "Losing you and Hedera was devastating to Crystal. Much of her protection hinged on the two of you."

Tate sighed, "She has too many people helping her. The entire guard, the Seer, Dahlia."

"Where is Dahlia?" I asked Ember.

"Unfortunately, we don't know. For now, our goal is to remove the Seer from court."

Jolie shook her head, "What about his wife? Isn't Crystal using her against him somehow?"

"We plan to free them both."

"What about Clara?" Mark asked. "Getting the Seer and his wife away from Crystal is great, but that could take forever. How long are we going to leave her with Lochlan?"

"Give us tonight. You all need to rest anyway. We'll talk more in the morning. Hopefully, we'll know more by then," Ember stood and gestured for us to follow her.

She carried a Seelie stone in front of her as she led us down a darkened hallway. This structure seemed to be completely underground. It was all narrow pathways and small dark rooms made from tunneling through the dirt.

No fae would want to live so removed from nature. It was smart, the guard wouldn't think to look here. Not to mention, I wasn't even sure where the entrance was, and I had apparently been brought through it.

Ember stepped into a room furnished with blankets and giant pillows on the floor to use as beds. More Seelie stones were piled in one corner giving everything a tranquil blue tint.

"I'm sorry this is all we have to offer for tonight, but you'll be safe here."

"Thank you, Ember. It's plenty," Tate smiled.

Ember turned to Jolie, "I hope you're comfortable sharing a room?"

Jolie seemed surprised at being singled out, and blush colored her cheeks as she reached for my hand. "Oh, yeah. It's great! This is way better than the cage I slept in the last time I..."

She trailed off at the end as her nervousness rose. Ember smiled as she backed from the room, "Sleep well, friends."

As soon as she was gone, Jolie smacked herself on the forehead, making Mark chuckle. She looked at him, "What the hell is wrong with me? Why would I say that?"

"It was true," he shrugged, but he was still grinning.

"Don't worry, love. She didn't think anything of it." I walked toward one of the pillows and sat, pulling her down on my lap.

She curled up against me and buried her face in my neck, "I'm so tired."

"We're safe. You can sleep," I whispered.

She made a little sound of contentment. After a few minutes, she relaxed, and love was the only thing I could feel from her. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes as I enjoyed the soothing warmth of the emotion.

I tried to give Mark and Tate privacy but in this small space, it was impossible not to hear and feel them. Tate murmured, and the anguish accompanying his words made the air heavy in my lungs.

"When I looked back out there and you were gone, my heart stopped. I couldn't breathe."

"I'm sorry. I tried to tell you, but I realized what was happening too late."

"I only noticed just before one of them tried to grab me." Tate chuckled, "I hope he's okay."

"They all walked out of here, I'm sure they'll be fine." I could hear the smile in Mark's voice.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just needed to find you."

"It didn't take long. We only waited a minute for you to come in tossing guards around," Mark laughed softly.

"It was a minute too long. I promised we'd stay together." Regret sat heavily on Tate's shoulders.

"That wasn't your fault."

"It doesn't matter. I promised."

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, when we get home, I'll let you make it up to me."

Their feelings for each other filled every available space in the room. It was overwhelming, but not unpleasant. I was glad my friends were so happy together, and we were all safe, for now. The talking stopped, and I focused on the girl on my lap.

She took a deep breath and looked so peaceful I decided to try and get some sleep myself. Shifting onto my side, I set Jolie on the pillow between me and the wall. She moved without waking and wrapped her arm around me.

Looking down, I studied the difference in her when she was asleep. All the tension and worry of the past few days was gone. She was always beautiful, but this relaxed, content version of her was my favorite.

I ran my hand over her silky hair and took a deep breath of the floral-scented shampoo she used. I didn't want to wake her, but I couldn't resist feeling her soft skin with my lips. She made a faint sound in her throat and tilted her face up to me. I kissed her lightly as her eyes opened and her hand came up to rest on my cheek.

I smiled as she pulled me closer, saying, "I love you, Ash."

"I know," I said without thinking of how it sounded, and she giggled. "I mean, I can feel it. I wish you could sense the way I feel for you too."

"I can. I may not be magic, but I know you love me."

"More than anything." I kissed her again and she smiled.

"We should get some sleep. There will be a lot to do tomorrow."

"You're right. Sleep, love." I hugged her closer and kissed her eyelids before drifting off, surrounded by feelings of affection and happiness.

I awakened to the sound of voices and a faint light in the doorway. Tate turned to make sure I was awake and nodded, "I guess we should go see what's happening."

"What's going on?" Mark asked through a yawn.

Jolie sat up, "It sounds like a bunch of people are out there."

"Don't worry," I smiled at her adorably disheveled hair, "there are several fae here, but the mood is mostly of excitement."

Tate hopped up and reached down for Mark's hand, "Let's go see what's happened then."

We moved in a single file line down the dim hallway toward the light and voices. Tate led the way while Jolie pulled her hair up into a ponytail as she followed behind Mark. As we entered the room, we saw a crowd of fae smiling and chatting excitedly.

Tate grinned, "Citrine! I'm glad to see you're part of the resistance."

"Same to you," she smiled at him and gave our group a nod.

"It'll be nice to be on the same side again."

She shook her head, "I've always been on your side. It's nice that you know that now."

In the corner sitting at a low table, I saw the Seer. "You got him out!"

"I did," Citrine smiled.

"What about his wife," Jolie looked around the room. "Is she here?"

"No," Citrine shook her head. "We've already taken her someplace safe. Crystal won't be able to find her."

Ember sat next to the worried Seer, "Only the three of us and her guards know where she is. The guards will not leave her side until this is over. I promise you."

"Thank you for getting her out of there," he nodded, but his worry didn't lessen.

"Why don't you take some time to check on her?" Ember suggested. "Put your mind at ease."

"I think I will," he closed his eyes, and a few seconds later, a small smile spread on his face. "It's so good to know she's well."

Ember patted his hand and left him to his gift. She joined our group with a beaming smile. "Things went as I'd hoped."

"I see that," Tate nodded. "This is a big step in the right direction."

He was feeling hopeful for the first time I could remember, and when he put his arm around Mark, I knew he could see the difference too. This was a turning point for Ember's Flame.

"What were they doing to his wife?" Jolie asked quietly, and I could tell she was thinking of Clara. Mark's emotions darkened as he turned to hear Ember's answer; he was worried for his friend as well.

"She was uninjured." Ember gave them a tight smile.

"I don't get it. How was that controlling the Seer?" Mark asked.

Ember looked away sadly, and Citrine was the one to answer. "She was trapped in a room that blocks magic. She was kept weak and alone."

"Oh," Jolie's face fell. "That's terrible. She'll recover, won't she?"

"She will," Citrine nodded. "She was already improving before I left her."

"How were you able to get her out?" Tate asked.

"It was easy. I was the guard assigned to deliver her meal last night. I only had to take out a few ex-coworkers along the way. I waited a very long time for that opportunity."

"They'll know it was you then. You'll have a kill order on your head the same as the rest of us."

She winked, "Don't worry. They'll have to catch me first."

Tate smirked, "Then it will be their loss."

Someone walked in carrying two large baskets of food. Fruit and bread were passed around as Ember said, "Everyone, we have a big day ahead. Please relax and enjoy your breakfast before we decide on the next step."

Citrine took a bite of her bread and looked at it with disappointment. "I miss Hedera. Breakfast used to be so much better. How does she like the human world?"

"She's delighted," I smiled. "She excels at any artistic endeavor she sets her mind to, and she's found a family with Bea and Emily."

"That's wonderful. She was always too soft for the role Crystal forced on her," Citrine shook her head as if repelling the thoughts. "Who are Bea and Emily? Are they fae?"

Jolie chuckled, "No. Emily is my mom, and Bea is like our grandma."

Mark nodded, "They're the best, and they love Hedera."

"They know about the fae then? How-"

A gasp across the room quieted Citrine. The Seers eyes were open, all the color was gone leaving them white. He was focused on whatever he was seeing. Ember leaned toward him, her hands in tight fists as she waited for him to tell us what was happening.

Finally, his sight returned to normal. "She knows we're gone. She's furious. I'm afraid she's planned something drastic."