KANE FOLLOWED THE tether connecting him to Silver with high hopes and an inability to stay quiet.

"Question."

Tempest hummed, continuing to hack away at the bright pink leaves blocking their path. "What?"

"How do we know that they didn't take Silver away from Eros?" he asked, taking a quick half step sideways to avoid a face full of suspiciously purple pollen. Sweat dripped from his brow. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, cursing the unbearably hot sun of Eros. "What if he's not even here anymore?"

Tempest slicked back stray flyaways into her smooth ponytail. "We don't. The best we can do is follow the bond and see where it leads us."

"And what if it leads us to Queen Mab and her army?"

Tempest shrugged, undeterred as she toyed with the hilt of her sword. "Then we're led towards Queen Mab and her army."

Kane balked, floored by her indifference. "Aren't you scared?"

"Of what?"

Her nose scrunched up. It was cute. Their eyes finally met. Kane thought that, for a second, the blackness inside her dark eyes were a tad lighter than usual.

He shook his head, looking away first. It was probably a trick of the blindingly bright sunlight. "Queen Mab. Fighting a whole army. None of that scares you?" he asked.

"No."

"Really?" Kane glanced at her, half curious and half in disbelief. "Why not?"

Tempest frowned. A mirage of emotions danced across her sharp face. It gave Kane whiplash at the blatant honesty he saw there. Granted, he hadn't known her for very long, but he knew enough about her to know that she kept her cards close to her chest. She wasn't one to let her guard down easily. Nor was she one to so brazenly show her true emotions.

So her openness with him now had Kane feeling... suspicious.

Why was she indulging him instead of telling him to shut up?!

"I... don't know." Tempest's brows knitted, leaving a crease in her forehead that Kane had the sudden urge to smooth over. "I just don't fear it."

"What do you fear then?" Kane asked, his curiosity was always getting the better of him.

"Failure." Her cheeks tinted the shade of a pink rose. She bit her lip. A pained look crossed her face before her mouth snapped open like a marionette, worrying Kane. "Losing someone I love."

Kane held his tongue when they stumbled across a waterfall. He wanted to ask, needed to ask, the question burning on the tip of his tongue. But the sharp tug from his bond with Silver silenced him. He pointed towards the heavenly scene before them and said, "It's leading me there."

"Wait here."

Before Kane could even protest she dropped the mysterious bag and unsheathed Clarent. Tempest waded into the water without a second thought, vanishing beneath the surface. Kane watched with bated breath when she appeared at the waterfall in the blink of an eye. She crept upwards, onto the jagged rocks, then disappeared from his sight when she went beyond.

Kane knew that time wasn't a real concept. But it truly felt like forever the longer she stayed out of his sight. His fingers tapped against his thigh in a jittery dance he couldn't contain. When his nerves got the better of him he drew Caliburn, preparing to go after her.

He knew that she could more than handle herself. Tempest didn't need anyone to fight her battles for her. She was strong enough on her own.

But a large part of him needed to make sure she was ok. The urge to protect her the way he did Kobe or any of the other kids he worked with at the shelter was powerful.

Something about her was different ever since she came back from the brink of death. She wasn't weaker. It was like she was more... exposed.

Yeah, she was exposed and she didn't like that. He could tell with the way she acted. Kane wondered if this new shift in her character had anything to do with her breaking the rules to save him.

Tempest emerged from the waterfall, stealing Kane's breath away. A dome shielded the rushing water from slamming into her. She motioned him over with a flick of the wrist then slipped away.

Kane sheathed Caliburn then snatched the discarded bag. It was a lot heavier than it looked. Kane grunted as he hauled it over his shoulder and followed after her. The cool freshwater was invigorating. Not at all terrifying like the daunting nature of the sea. He actually found himself enjoying the element for the first time in his life even as the level rose to his chest.

"Watch out!" He chucked the bag through the waterfall, hoping he didn't just launch it at Tempest's face. Grabbing the slick rocks, he heaved himself upwards, crawling. The water pounded against him. His eyes widened when a heavy branch smacked the slippery slab beside him, missing his head. "Whoa!"

A small hand latched onto the collar of his shirt, yanking him forward in the nick of time. Kane watched, transfixed, as a massive log slammed into where he'd once been. It splintered into dozens of pieces before being washed away. He gulped, turning to face Tempest, almost wishing he hadn't.

The inside of the waterfall held a small cave, decorated with dazzling jewels of every shade. They glowed like stars and there was even a subtle warmth simmering in the air. A crystal like dew settled upon Tempest's face, illuminating her otherworldly beauty.

It reminded Kane of the first time they met. Only this time she didn't look annoyed (she looked a bit worried, perhaps) and he didn't throw up water on her.

"Are you ok?"

"Pretty," he said, dazed. A little dumb. Enchanted. Kane dug his nails into his palm when her eyes narrowed a bit. "The cave, I mean. It's pretty in here."

The line between her brows returned. "I asked if you're ok and you're talking about how pretty the cave is." Kane held his breath when her sharp gaze swept over his body as if to study him. She finally let him go, rifling through the bag while muttering, "You're very odd."

Kane cleared his throat, clutching his necklace to soothe himself. When he peeked over her shoulder he was shocked to find so much packed into such a small bag.

"Magick is so cool." Kane couldn't believe it when Tempest pulled out a bow and quiver full of silver arrows. She inspected the weapon before slinging it over her body. The tips of the arrows seemed to be made of iron. "Is this, like, a spell?"

Tempest nodded, sifting through the items in search of something. "Witches are allies of the fae. Well, most of them are. One of them enchanted this bag so that we could carry many things at once."

Kane's eyes widened in awe when she pulled out a leather belt. Round bottles were strapped to it. The dark purple liquid sloshing around inside caught his attention. Something he couldn't quite make out was sparkling on the inside. It bursted like fireworks.

"What is that?"

"Bombs," she replied simply. "Here."

Kane accepted the belt, tenderly cinching it to his waist. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to know that there was a row of bombs strapped to his body. And not just any bombs either. Magickal bombs.

Something mischievous sparked within him. Kane blamed his fae heritage. His eyes widened when he became enraptured by a particular dagger. Kane reached for it without thinking. A cold chill spread within him when he grabbed it.

It wasn't familiar like when he first touched Caliburn. The relic from a past life that returned to him. This blade was familiar in a different way. It went beyond what little Kane understood and reminded him of his grandma, in a weird way.

"Wow." He held it by the hilt. It was smooth and made of bone with strange symbols carved into it. The silver steel nicked his finger. "What kind of dagger is this?"

"Hm?" Tempest strapped something to the inside of her thigh. Kane's interested gaze quickly darted away from her milky skin to glare at the shiny blade instead. "Oh, that's an athame." There was a pause then she said, "A witch's blade."

Kane looked at her, hearing the edge in her tone. "What is it?"

She did that "thing" again. Where she tried to clamp her mouth shut but then something unseen yanked it back open. It was as if the words were spilling out and she couldn't stop them no matter how hard she tried.

Kane worried about Tempest and he didn't know how to tell her that without possibly offending her.

"Athames are used for witchcraft. Like casting a circle for protection or consecrating items." Tempest gnawed on her bottom lip, face twisting into something riddled with affliction. Again, she spoke. This time Kane was certain that there was something nefarious going on due to her odd mannerisms. "This one is different, though. The carvings are elemental glyphs. It allows a user with masculine energy to amplify any elemental powers they might have. It's a fusion of witch and fae magick. Rarely ever made. Even rarer to wield. I just... find it ironic that you're drawn to it. Given your family history."

Kane's fingers drifted towards the faerie star hanging around his neck. Tempest's gaze followed, then their eyes locked again.

He'd gotten so caught up in the war and Silver and Tempest and Kobe. That he'd forgotten why he made the deal with his friend in the first place.

The truth about his family had been his first real quest. Yet he'd abandoned it after getting distracted by Merlin's Prophecy.

"What do you know about my family?"

"A lot." Tempest shoved the rest of the items back into the bag and stood. She motioned towards the glowing jewels. "Which one is the tether pulling towards?"

Kane pulled on the bond, feeling it twist in his heart, tugging on his loyalty. His feet walked of their own accord. Tempest stopped him, placing a hand on his chest as he fell into the beauty of a rich blue gem.

It was like a sapphire but only better. More dazzling and more breathtaking than the plain version Kane knew from Earth. This one called to him like a siren and he felt obliged to comply with the silent command.

"These gems are portals," Tempest said, glaring at Kane to keep him from charging in face first. "They'll take us to Silver but before we go I need you to listen to me. If I tell you to run or hide then that's what you do. If I tell you to leave me behind then you don't question me. You do it. I can't be worrying about you while trying to save my brother. The best way you can help is by listening and not getting in the way."

The tone of her voice was what broke the spell of the jewel. Fear. It clung to her melodious voice like a poison.

"You still love him."

It wasn't a question but a statement. Insecurity flickered within Tempest's dark eyes. She recoiled as if Kane had struck her.

Tempest's silence was very loud.

"So," Kane nodded towards the jewel, "where does this lead to?"

"Drakōn," Tempest replied once she seemed to find her voice. Their eyes never met again. "They took him to the world of dragons."

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QOTD: Should Kane ask Tempest why she's acting so differently? What family secrets do you think might be responsible for Tempest's reaction when Kane chose the athame? When the time comes for Tempest to give an order, do you think Kane will be able to follow it? Or will he be a hinderance in Tempest's attempts to save Silver?