They set up camp relatively quickly. Or, rather, Dainn did. Octavia had never spent a night outdoors to know how to prepare for a night in the wilderness. Dainn seemed to be an expert, though. He limped around, carefully setting up a makeshift fort from branches and twine.

"If you have any earth magic, I can help with that," she said, eyeing the blue stains of water magic across Dainn's hands. He glanced at her before wordlessly grabbing her wrist and turning her palm up to show the jagged scarring. Jaw clenching, she yanked herself away. "I can still use magic," she snarled.

Dainn rolled his eyes. "If you could, I wouldn't give you any," he said, reaching into the leather bag near his feet. Octavia's heart sped up as a green bottle appeared, glowing softly in the dim lighting of the setting sun. She reached for it, and Dainn held it away. "You'll disappoint yourself," he warned.

Octavia felt her face go hot with rage. Slapping his arm, she leaned over and snatched the bottle from his hand. Dainn let go, not arguing, as she took off the top with trembling hands. Surely, she had healed enough in the last few days that she could absorb it now.

"You know," she said, voice a bit gravelly from nerves. "I once managed to carve a statue with earth magic." She placed her hand over the top of the bottle. "I was thirteen. My father put the statue in the gardens and told anyone who would listen that I made it." She smiled a little. The memory eased her nerves as she waited for the magic to absorb.

"Impressive," Dainn said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who was the statue of?"

Nothing. Octavia couldn't feel anything. She pressed her hand harder against the top of the bottle. "One of the servants," she answered, brows furrowing as the glass dug into her skin, almost cutting through her palm. "I always thought he was pretty and..." Her voice faded. "It isn't working," she muttered and closed her eyes to keep the frustration at bay. Grief bubbled up instead. "I... probably just need to heal longer."

Dainn took the bottle from her. "It would be better for you to accept-"

"I just need more time." Her voice came out as a raw fury. She looked at the magic and then turned, feeling a boiling rage under her skin. "Fuck!" she shouted and kicked the fort as hard as she could.

A crack echoed as the sides fell, the entire shelter collapsing in one go. Dainn looked at his work with a blank expression before nodding. "Fuck," he agreed.

Octavia pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "I'll fix it," she muttered.

Dainn shook his head, exasperation behind his eyes. "Sit down. You don't know how to fix anything." He shoved her shoulder, so she had to step back.

Part of her wanted to be angry, but the defeat smothered it. Instead, she sat by the fire Kore had lit, unable to deny the truth to his words. Everything felt numb. Empty. She didn't even know what to do. Should she be trying to escape right now? Based on the altercation with the fairy, she might not last long. But what good could come of her staying with Kore and Dainn? They'd take her to Dualis and... then what? It wasn't like anyone would help her find Antonia - or her mother and brother.

She had no idea what to do.

Taking a slow breath, she looked up at the sky, not even noticing when Kore appeared. She gave Octavia an appraising look before sitting down.

"Come," she said to Dainn, voice taut, and patted the spot beside her. Dainn left his newly erected fort to shift onto the ground, watching the flames lick toward the stars. Kore reached out, scooping some into a glimmering hand and placing it in a glass jar that appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"To understand envoys," she said. "Is to understand souls."

Right. Sure. Octavia gave a weak nod, wondering if this lesson would involve any food. Spirits, she was hungry. Her stomach churned at the idea of something sweet, leaving her to shift a bit as Kore continued speaking.

"The difference between Romanovians and Dualians at their core is a matter of souls." Kore flicked more flames over her fingers. It made Octavia ache with envy. She wanted nothing more than to touch the fire herself. To at least pretend she still had her magic. "Say, for example, this fire is a soul," Kore continued, ignoring the yearning in Octavia's face. "This is how Romanovians see souls," she said, showing the flame inside the jar. "It is a special flame. The flame is what makes you unique. Special. You." She snapped her fingers, and the jar flickered between different colors and shapes. "Sure, the fire might reside in a different container, but at the end of the day, your special little fire is unique. And when the glass breaks-" She dropped the jar, sending it crashing to the ground with a loud crack. "-the fire is released into the world."

"Spirits," Octavia said.

Kore pointed at her. "Exactly. But Dualians don't believe souls work like that. Right, Dainn?" she asked.

Dainn frowned, staring at the broken glass with his brows furrowed. He seemed almost disturbed by the analogy. Like he hadn't quite considered the Romanovians' beliefs had worked as they did.

"No," he said slowly. "A soul is... it is just the fire," he said, bewildered. Octavia tilted her head. "People aren't containers that hold souls. That is... strange." He pulled a stick from the fire. "Souls are what makes us alive. It is what makes us humans."

"Because it is your very core being," Octavia said.

Dainn shook his head. "No. We are all different. We are sticks and leaves and grass," he said, gesturing around. "And our souls burn us. See?" He held up a burning stick. "Without the fire, we are nothing but the so-called spirits you believe in. With the fire, we are alive. Perhaps we all burn differently - a leaf might wither faster than a branch - but that is why we are us. The world has made us different. We leave the world different. A soul simply grants us the power to exist until it burns to nothing."

Huh. Octavia pursed her lips. She hadn't been expecting a philosophy lesson, of all things. She wasn't entirely sure she understood what Dainn was saying.

That souls were simply a catalyst to life? That souls were all uniform things and that their bodies and brains made them who they were until that soul fizzled out? What a strange concept.

"I don't understand what this has to do with the envoys," Octavia said instead.

Kore took the burning stick from Dainn's hand, smiling a little. "The clock resets," she mused. Dainn had once said that. Octavia still didn't understand what it meant. "Do you know the story of shadows, princess?"

Octavia glanced at Dainn. "Only that they sometimes become fairies, apparently."

"It is the old Dualian tale on how the world began," Dainn said, glancing at Kore. "Your mother never told you?" Octavia didn't answer. No. Her mother hadn't told her... and why would she? Her mother had married a Romanovian. That made her Romanovian. Octavia was Romanovian.

But even as she thought the words, they felt weak. Octavia had occasionally asked about Dualis growing up. Her mother had certainly taught her things. Political things. Things a princess should know, but nothing beyond that. No childhood stories or color to fill the outlines of her lectures.

Had her mother been hiding things about Dualis? Why?

"Then I will tell you," Kore said, and the stick in her hand crumbled into glittering gold. "And you can finally understand what's at stake."

Octavia didn't think one little story would change her worldview, but it was better than nothing. She shifted closer to the fire, pressing her hand against her stomach to ignore the hunger.

Kore didn't notice, too caught up in her upcoming tale. "When Life and Death met," she began, "Life was created a brand new world."

She pointed to the sky. Octavia looked up, a little alarmed to see the stars moving above her, almost like they were bending to the will of the siren's storytelling. The stars brightened, showing two constellations standing across from one another.

"Death watched as Life created the trees and animals and people. Life would show off all its creations, and, eventually, a great bond formed between them."

From above, the constellations reached for one another. Octavia found herself mesmerized by the movements, unable to decide if this was a trick Kore's magic played or if she had somehow managed to influence the sky.

Suddenly, Life's constellation knelt, face in hands with the stars falling like glittering tears drops. Octavia frowned, sitting up.

"Unfortunately, tragedy soon struck," Kore said, nodding to the weeping constellation. "You see, the souls Life had given its creations had begun to flicker out, leaving its world hollow. Humans would walk around empty. Birds wouldn't sing. Children wouldn't laugh. Once the souls Life gave them flickered out, there was just...nothingness in them."

Octavia's fingers ran over her palms. Oddly enough, she felt sympathetic to that plight right now. Something nudged her arm. When she looked over, Dainn handed her some bread. He didn't look at her, also fixed on the stars, but his hand remained outstretched.

Huh.

Octavia debated for a moment before accepting the offering. She smelled it, trying to decide if it was tainted with anything sinister.

Kore continued, wiggling her fingers by the fire like a puppetmaster whose strings attached to the sky above.

"Death could not bear to see Life mourn its creation," she continued. "So it offered a deal. When a creature's soul withered away, it would take it to a new realm to rest. Whenever Life created a new soul, it would return the creature to be reborn again."

"Reincarnation," Octavia nodded. She knew the idea even if Romanovians didn't believe in such things. Kore nodded. "But if Life and Death were friends, what's with these envoys?"

Kore looked pointedly at Dainn, who grimaced. "Well," he said and sat up, running a hand over his thigh. "One day, Life figured out how to keep souls from extinguishing. It would allow all in its realm to live forever without fearing the emptiness of a missing soul. When Death found out about this, it was furious. After all, Death had created a whole new realm for Life's creatures to visit, and now it would remain forever empty."

In the sky, Octavia could see Life's constellation turn its back to Death, looking at a glittering landscape as Death sat with no stars around. A loneliness ached in her chest. She actually felt sorry for this poor, ancient god.

Looking down at the bread again, she took a tentative bite. The taste alone sent shivers down her spine. Before Kore could jump back in, Octavia had practically inhaled the thing.

"So," she said when Octavia's bread had vanished. "Death stole the souls from humans and claimed them. After taking one too many, Life realized and demanded the souls back. A war began. But," Kore lifted a finger. "Something strange happened. When Death's creatures came to fight Life's, they would turn to ash."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "Ash?"

"Ash," Dainn agreed, grimacing. "That's how we get shadows. Those who fought in that war were condemned to remain half-alive as ash, only seen when light hits the world in the right way. Sometimes, Life can free them with its magic. That's how we get fairies."

Octavia pursed her lips. She wouldn't be a jerk to poke holes in a myth, but surely the Dualians knew how actual shadows were formed, right? They weren't ash. Then again, she thought to the fairy and decided it would be best to avoid assumptions.

"And... the envoys?" she asked instead.

Kore shrugged. "Well, Death and Life realized their creations couldn't fight one another due to the love they still had. So, for the time being, they created a peace agreement. And each took a piece of themselves and made a new set of souls. These souls would go into two humans. If these pieces of Life and Death met, they would reflect the state of Life and Death's relationship. And if that relationship soured to pure hate, the war between Life and Death could commence."

The constellations above dispersed, turning back into normal stars. Dusting the crumbs off her hands, Octavia considered the tale. It sounded ridiculous - an overly complicated way to explain Dualian ideals. Still, she couldn't deny that since her departure from the castle, she could see whispers of gods alongside the spirits she knew so well.

"So," Octavia said slowly. "The envoys are normal people with the souls of Life and Death. And if they meet and end up hating one another, this war starts?"

"With all of Life's followers rallying around Life's Envoy and all of Death's followers rallying around Death's Envoy."

Alrighty then. Octavia nodded. "But," she began, brows furrowing. Kore and Dainn both looked at her expectantly. "Okay. So, Antonia, to the Dualians, might be Life's Envoy."

Kore twirled a piece of her golden hair. "Correct."

"But what about Death's? Who is that?" Dainn and Kore raised their eyebrows in unison. "It isn't me," she added flatly.

"We won't know until your first death," Kore said. Which. What? "Death's Envoy isn't born, Thalestris. It's made. If you have the soul of Death, it will only be activated after you die. That's why it's important you don't."

Octavia wasn't sure she liked the casualness of that. "I- first death?"

"Well, the second time you die, you actually like... die. At least, according to the legends," Dainn said helpfully.

Octavia raised her hands, absolutely baffled by the direction this had gone. "Okay. Terrifying. Sure. But why don't you want me to die the first time, then?"

Annoyance rippled over the fire.

"Because," Kore said, voice slow and condescending - as if speaking to a dimwitted child. "If you die and become Death's Envoy, then the war begins. We don't want the war to begin."

"I thought there was only a war if I hate Antonia," Octavia said, matching the tone. "And I do not hate Antonia."

"Not now," Dainn said. "But it's a risk. What if you do one day? And besides, nobody wants either of you as their envoys. It's better if we wait for Antonia to die and Life's soul to go to somebody else. Same with Death's if it resides in you."

Octavia ran a hand over her mouth. The wind blew, sending the musty smell of the lake over them as she tried to connect all the dots here. Her mind was already trying to form plans. She wanted to use this new knowledge to help her somehow, but the puzzle pieces still felt too blurry.

"I'm not going to hate Antonia," she said dryly. Dainn shrugged. "I'm so confused. Has this happened... before? Jivanta apparently had Antonia's magic. Did people think she was Life's Envoy?" Dainn and Kore nodded. "Well? Who was Death's?"

Kore shifted as Dainn shrugged. "Well, most people think it was your mother," he said. "But... you know. She never died, so we can't be sure. It still might be your mother, to be fair. But at this rate, you seem just as likely, given your talent with magic. Death is said to pick those who are exceptional at it. And you love Antonia, which makes you a candidate. Rumor has it your mother doesn't love anything."

That wasn't true. Staël had said Octavia's family made a deal with the Chosen Family for Octavia's life long ago. Nobody could honestly say that her mother loved her.

Still, there was no point in arguing with Dainn when he remained convinced her was right about everything. Instead, she focused on the first half of what he had said.

"I thought you said I would never use magic again," she said, tilting her head.

Hope twisted in her chest as Kore rolled her eyes. "If you're the envoy, and you die, you'll use necromagic. It might be the only way you can use magic at all, actually."

That caught Octavia's attention. On the off chance this had any merit... well, wielding any magic again was enticing. Her hands itched at the idea.

"But, we don't want a war, so we'll work on keeping you alive. For now," Kore said. "You'll go to Dualis, learn to defend yourself, and be a good prisoner until this revolution is done and Antonia is dead."

Octavia smiled weakly. A good prisoner.

She wished them luck with that.