I waited a good half hour after we returned to the Andrews' home, before leaving again. I wanted to make Andrews thought I was asleep, and I hoped that he would be in his own room as well. He was not. I really chose the worst moment to step onto the gravel driveway. He was casually leaning on the kitchen counter, looking out the window, holding a glass of milk inches away from his parted lips. I stopped dead in my tracks when my gaze met his, desperately trying to find an explanation that would validate my current situation, but I found none. There wasn't anything I could possibly say that would make him feel better. Swearing under my breath, I turned around and jogged down the road. I knew I'd have hell to pay in the morning, but for now? I was running far from him, assuring that he couldn't catch up or find me.

     Head turned backwards to watch the Andrews' fading him, I came to an abrupt halt when I ran into someone. Feeling as though I ran into a wall, my body launched backwards. Xander barely flinched, doing nothing to help my tumbling.

     "Took you long enough," he complained.

     Groaning, I picked myself off the ground, whipping the pebbles off my derriere. "I'm sorry," I bit sarcastically. "I didn't mean to have a life apart from the one your people have forced upon me."

     "It's important that we're not caught at the wrong time."

    "Let's go then." I walked past him, ignore the warning signs blazing my thoughts.

     "Other way," he called, walking in the opposite direction.

    I made no effort to catch up to him, instead I followed from a distance, dreading every step we took. I followed him silently. Twenty minutes following our initial entrance into the woods, Xander turned towards me and warned me to be quiet.

     "I haven't even been making any noise," I complained in a whisper, gut clenching at the idea that not being silent was dangerous. What was he getting me into?

     "You are now."

     "So are you," I remarked.

     He clenched his jaw, looking extremely annoyed and raised his hand as though to cover my mouth. I slapped it away almost as quick as it appeared.

     "Don't," I mouthed.

     Reluctantly, he lowered his hand. He glared one last time, before storming off, again expecting me to follow him aimlessly. I did as he expected but really wished I'd have run in the opposite direction. In the opening of the woods we faced, stood two beige tipis and glowing ashes from a fire ignited hours ago. Nope. He better not want me to do what I believed he wanted me to do.

     "Why do they know where I live?" I asked mostly to myself, but if Xander had an answer for once, all the better. He either didn't have an answer or rudely refused to give it to me. It hadn't occurred to me that Kundanskie's people would be camping out so close to home.

     "Doesn't matter," he shrugged off my statement. "They don't know that you know where they are. Attack first."

     "Not tonight." I sighed. As much as I wished to completely reject the idea of directly walking into the enemy's field, I had to admit that it'd be the strategic option. Whether I liked it or not, I'd end up fighting them. May as well do so when I had the upper hand.

     "Why not?" he demanded, quietly. "There are only two and everyone's asleep. It's easy."

     "If it's so easy, why can't you do it?"

     "I'm not the Terpilih, and they could wake up."

     "Dear God, it's a miracle." My voice was laced with fake enthusiasm. "You've convinced me. I definitely want to do it now."

     He suppressed a groan, clenching and releasing his fists as he failed to remain calm.

     "I'm kidding," I said, taking a step back, out of precaution. "Well, not really, but I promise I'll do it tomorrow."

     "Stupid," he muttered, shaking his head. Is he related to Mimpi, or just working for her? The similarities between the two were uncanny.

     "I think the whole situation is stupid, yet it seems I have no choice but to deal with it, so you're just going to have to do the same," I said matter of fact.

     He was not forcing me into this tonight. I needed time to mentally prepare. Jaw clenched, he nodded, rolled his eyes, and stormed off.

     "Wait!" I whisper yelled, jogging to catch up with him. I needed help and by horrible chance he was the only one who could give it to me. I wasn't about to just slaughter the people in the tents while they were asleep.

     "Is it at all possible to get some sort of stash of handcuffs or sturdy ropes?" I asked. "I don't particularly wish to end someone's life." The word again crossed my mind.

     "Pathetic," he muttered. How pathetic of me for wishing to not become a murderer?

     "Are you going to help me or not?"

     He released a long sigh, before jabbing a finger on the space above my eyebrows. Eyes wide, I opened my mouth to argue, surprisingly insulted by the small gesture.

     "Hit them there," he interrupted my garbled protests. "I'm assuming your goal is to render them useless until the police can safely lock them up, and if you hit them hard enough, you'll do exactly that."

     "Promise it's not meant to be fatal?" I asked. He didn't seem overly thrilled with the idea of sparing my opponents' lives. It wouldn't surprise me if he tried to trick me into killing them.

     "Promise," he grumbled.

     "So, you'd let me test the theory on you?"

     He opened his mouth, presumedly to object, but quickly shut it along with his eyes and gave me a reluctant nod. My brows shot up into my hairline.

     "Just don't leave me here," he requested, standing still as though waiting for the blow. As much as I've contemplated physically causing him harm, I wouldn't attempt to knock him unconscious just for the hell of it.

     "I'm not going to do it," I informed him, after taking a long look at his features, searching for any signs of dishonesty. Was he playing me?

     "Alright," he said emotionless, already turning to walk away.

     "Wait!" I called again. "I've got more questions."

     "Ask Guanli."

     "Can't do that. It seems the only way I can speak with your people is when you need something from me and contact me first. You got what you wanted done, now it's my turn. Let me get through my few questions."

     Arms crossed over his chest, lips pressed into a thin line, he wasn't amused. Still, he wasn't walking away.

     "About the whole police thing," I started, only haven acknowledged the problem a few moments ago. "They can't really arrest people without a valid reason. I'm sure they could keep them over night for suspicious behaviours or possession of weapons, but I'd much rather they not be let out, at least not until the end of the whole Kundanskie thing."

     It would really suck if they were immediately released after I risked my life to get them locked up.

     "What's the question?"

     "Can you do something about it?" I swallowed my irritation of his passiveness. "Like make your own sort of prison?"

     "It's already been taken care of."

     "How so?"

     "We've got someone working at the station. And if he fails, we'll deal with it."

     "I don't like the sound of—"

     "No killing," he interrupted. "Guanli has ordered us to follow your wishes." He wasn't happy with the order, that much was clear. I've got to admit, Mimpi was really starting to grow on me. I was glad to know that she could at least control her minions.

      Deciding that I had run out of questions, Xander left and this time I didn't stop him. I was glad to see him go but also insulted by his last statement, announcing that he wouldn't be seeing me tomorrow. He wouldn't help at all. I would have appreciated him at least stopping by to recover my potential dead body. Alas, Xander was an arse, and my corpse would be eaten by wolves. Oh, well. At least I could find comfort in the prospect of spending a wonderful morning with my pissed off best friend.