TEMPEST STOOD STILL.

Her eyes narrowed when she detected movement. As smooth as molasses, Tempest loaded three arrows and assumed the perfect position. Letting out a steady breath, she focused on the cold water rushing over her waist. Three flashes of silver drew closer. When they were nothing more than a hair's breadth away, she took the shot.

Securing the bow, Tempest dove in and grabbed the dead fish before they floated away. Water glistened against her skin when she emerged. Dawn painted the sky in pinks and oranges, signaling the start of a new day.

Keeping her ears peeled for danger, she removed the dagger strapped to her thigh and gutted the fish. Organs, blood, and decapitated heads drifted down the river. Flashy silver scales gathered alongside the blade when she scraped them off. Using one of the arrows like a spear, she skewered the fishes then set them down on the rocky shore.

Dirt gathered on her small fingers which she used as a paste to rub into the arrows white feathers. The darkened arrows were her way of remembering which ones were clean and safe to use for hunting. While the other white tipped arrows were the ones dipped in deadly poison.

Tempest filled the canteen to the brim. Absorbing some of the water from Lake Glass took away her thirst and hunger. She let out a breath of relief when the woozy feeling in her head vanished. The rest would have to be saved for when they found Silver.

On the way back she picked up loads of sticks. Her footsteps made no sound as she crossed through the barrier and into the cave. Soft snores filled the cramped space. Tempest was careful to set her things down then quickly built a fire after turning off the fae lamp.

With Kane still sleeping she shimmied out of her wet clothes and into loose, dry pants and a baggy shirt. Tempest made a makeshift stand with the leftover wood. The smell of savory fish wafted over her once she laid all three down to cook. Placing the metal canteen in the flames, she boiled the water to purify it.

"G'morning," a gruff voice said.

Áine's heat surged within her. She had to scramble not to drop a fish as she flipped it. Shaking her head, Tempest prayed that he hadn't seen her naked again.

There were many things she could live with but embarrassment wasn't one of them.

"That smells really good." Kane cleared his throat. When he spoke again the raspy, scratchy tone taking over his voice was no more. "How long did I sleep for?"

Kane's bleary blue eyes darted between her and the fish. He scratched his bare chest. Tempest wondered when the hell his shirt had even come off.

"Long enough for me to hunt and come back."

Kane grunted, rubbing his beard. "I need a trim. This is probably a dumb question, but you don't happen to have any clippers or scissors, do you?"

"I don't know what clippers are." Tempest removed the canteen from the heat. "And I didn't bring scissors."

"A comb?"

Tempest nodded towards the bag. "I threw my stuff in there. Should be a comb somewhere made out of bone."

She ignored Kane's grimace and went outside. Scooping up handfuls of dirt, Tempest strode back in and tossed the pile onto the fire. She lifted the fish to keep the plume from reaching it then stomped out the rest of the flames. When it was dead she held out the stand for Kane to take.

"Eat."

Kane dropped the comb on the ground and ripped the fish apart. He ate like a man starved for weeks, even gobbling up the bones along with the meat.

"Hm?" He held out a particularly juicy chunk of meat while he chomped loudly. "Are you not gonna eat?"

Tempest waved her hands, refusing his offer. "I don't need to."

"Hm?" Kane swallowed loudly, gulping down a piece of fish she was certain she didn't see him chew. "What do you mean?"

"The water from Lake Glass sustains me. I'm fine." Tempest checked the canteen, feeling the temperature was much cooler. "Here."

Kane eyed her wearily but gulped down the water anyway. Streams trailed down his sharp face in two then joined at the base of his throat into one long river. It slithered down his chest, between his abs, then vanished beneath his low hanging pants.

Her body burned and she refused to accept anything besides Áine's power being the reason for it.

Kane was a bumbling, stumbling, rambling fool and—

Well, he wasn't as dumb as she originally thought. He was naive as hell, there was no doubt about that. But he had his moments of wisdom, as extraordinarily rare as they might be.

"Are you ok?" he asked, peeking at her from behind the canteen. Kane's Adam's apple bobbed when he drank another mouthful of water. "You look a little... not ok."

"How eloquently put," she muttered, unable to swallow even the snarkiest of comments now. "I'm," her jaw clenched when she attempted to evade the question out of habit, "conflicted."

"About?"

"Everything." Tempest sighed, pushing herself to stand and strapping Clarent to her waist. She grabbed her bow and the poisoned arrows too. "Finish eating. We'll leave after."

Alone with her thoughts, Tempest sat outside the cave, taking in the morning ambience. It was quiet. The pink trees turned orange under the rising sun's rays. Not a soul moved. For the first time in a good long while, she truly felt calm.

Talking to Kane was... nice at times. But it was also overwhelming given the fact that he couldn't ever shut up. She didn't understand how he could go on chattering without getting sick of hearing his own voice. Didn't he ever get tired? Did his energy to socialize never wane like the moon? Or was it always charged and ready to go?

Him being that way was probably something she'd never fully understand as an introvert.

Tempest ducked her head, feeling Áine's heat igniting her blood. It boiled inside her. When she pressed a finger into her arm she gasped, shocked to feel a thrumming coursing within her. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, she frowned when she saw sweat lining her flushed skin.

"I really don't have time for this," she whispered, acknowledging the presence around her. "All this heat does is slow me down."

"There's always time for love." Áine's lofty voice laughed, carried by Drakōn's winds. "But if you want the heat of the sun to cool down a little, then you must find the man in the moon. It's your only hope for relief until you've learned your lesson."

Tempest's face scrunched up. "I don't know what that means." She swore when Áine's presence vanished without giving her answers. "Thanks for nothing."

"What?"

"Huh?" Tempest whirled around to find Kane standing behind her. Shirtless. Caliburn and the athame hung around his waist. The bag was slung over his shoulder. He looked worried. As per usual. "You packed everything up."

Kane nodded then pointed further into the East, towards the mountains. "I felt the tether pull me that way. Oh, and thanks for breakfast. And the comb. Look!" Kane turned his face to the side, motioning towards his strong jawline. "Turns out Caliburn is good for more than just killing monsters."

Tempest's mouth fell open. "You used your ancestral blade to trim your beard?!"

"It has a dual purpose." Kane laughed, patting the nicely shaped facial hair. "We should probably get going, right? That looks like a far walk."

Tempest rubbed her temples. She'd never, in her entire life, met anyone like Kane before.

"Yes," she replied, loading an arrow just in case, "let's go."

To her great relief, they were able to continue their journey in silence.

To her great chagrin, that silence didn't last for very long.

At least Kane was wearing a shirt now.

"Are you ok?"

"You already asked that." Tempest held out a hand, cautioning Kane then stepped into the open to take the shot. The fat raven fell with a loud thud. She jogged towards it. Tempest kneeled, looking into the raven's black eyes. There was a purple shimmer covering its dead gaze, confirming her suspicions. "Queen Mab."

Kane squatted beside her, staring at the bird in confusion. "Are we gonna kill every bird we come across?"

"This," Tempest picked up the raven using the arrow pierced through its body, "is no ordinary bird. Queen Mab favors ravens. This is a scout for the Unseelie. The more we see, the closer we're getting."

The deeper they traveled into the forest the darker the trees became. The pastel leaves turned a sickly gray. Wilting flowers bloomed between blades of tall, dead grass. The landscape looked like it was dying.

Nature took no sides. Tempest knew that. Seelie. Unseelie. Such things were purely fae grievances. Nature only cared about thriving. Surviving. Taking care of itself. It was the same in every world.

So she knew that what she was seeing wasn't the cause of the Unseelie fae. Something else was seriously wrong here.

Her instincts led her in a direction that she sorely prayed was wrong once she recognized the signs. Given who she traveled with, his family's connection to the dark arts, and his curiosity, well...

Worried wasn't even a good enough word to describe just how stressed she was becoming.

Kane proved himself useful, at least. Pointing out ravens for Tempest without having to be asked. It helped her immensely while she studied the rotting plants and paired it with what she knew.

Night fell upon them when they reached the mountains. Tempest pressed a finger to her lips and Kane nodded. Smoke curled towards the sky in the distance. She led Kane in the opposite direction. They followed the river until it revealed a wide valley. Tents littered the grounds. Lithe figures lurked in the darkness. Unseelie yellow eyes, marked by the sickness of evil within, glowed like fireflies.

"Something isn't right," she whispered. "They set up camp instead of taking him straight to Queen Mab. Makes no sense." Tempest grabbed Kane's hand before he slipped. "Watch your step."

His skin was ice cold.

Refreshing.

"Sorry."

Ignoring the pleasant sensation coming from his touch, Tempest kept a firm grip on him. They scaled the side of the mountain together, careful to stay quiet and out of sight. Once they were high enough Tempest let go of his hand and they crouched behind a bush.

At the center of the valley was a large bonfire. There were seven naked women fanning the flames. They were chanting words in an old tongue and dancing while the Unseelie watched. Their eyes were pitch black. Blood red symbols covered their bodies.

Tempest shuddered, confirming what she so desperately hoped wasn't true. "Dark witches."

They were responsible for the decay of the forest.

Tempest's heart plummeted when her eyes landed on Silver. He was stripped of his shirt and covered with symbols drawn from his own blood. His head was bent, hair knotted and wrists rubbed raw from being chained to a post. His feet dangled above the ground where there was a collection of stones arranged to mimic Stonehenge.

A long, purple robe was draped over his bruised body. Before him was a tall, magickal staff made of braided wood and topped with a large, white amulet. Moonlight poured into the gem. The vibrant aura intensified.

"What are they doing?" Kane asked, eyes colored with distress.

"Some kind of dark magick." Tempest grabbed the bag from Kane and removed the items she knew they'd need. "I'm gonna tell you what to do and you're gonna do it. Understand?"

Kane nodded and she hoped he listened to her because now wasn't the time for disobedience.

After telling Kane the plan she cupped her hands around her mouth. A low, sweet harmony soared upon the winds, melting in with the witches' words of sorcery. Silver's head jerked to the side. Tempest ended her song with a short whistle and his head rose.

His murky eyes were swollen shut. Exhaustion and agony scarred his face. Tempest clenched her fist at the sight. Silver nodded then let his head fall.

"What was that?"

"He knows," came her short response as she descended towards the river.

"He knows what?" Kane whisper-shouted.

Tempest paused, glancing at Kane over her shoulder with a look that could freeze hell over. "He knows that I'm coming for him."

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QOTD: Do you think Áine's words to Tempest are literal or metaphorical? What sorcery do you think the dark witches were engaged? Do you think Kane will be able to follow orders or will his heart and recklessness take over as they have in the past?