Having Quilla on their side proved incomparable when it came to sneaking around the castle and causing trouble. Not only did she signal them when the coast was clear, but she used her unique gift to make sure they were never heard. Maverick destroyed several rooms without a sound, while Eric crept around on his own, spreading a frigid chill through various parts of the castle.

As for Phoenix, she knew exactly where she was headed on her second night. She dodged Aundreya's room--Quilla had heard Aundreya wouldn't be so easy to disturb after the sleepless night she'd had. Sneaking out on the second to last floor with Eric, Phoenix found a set of stairs up and--while Quilla stayed with Maverick--crept up to the top floor.

At the end of the hall, Phoenix forced herself past Noelle's door--she'd return there if she had time. Maverick had given Eric his necklace back, since he had Quilla to keep him from being caught. At Eric's signal, Phoenix had no choice but to return. They all knew they wouldn't have as much time tonight.

The door she'd seen the night before still had the key inside, which Phoenix thought foolish, but helpful. Turning the key until it clicked sent a thrill through Phoenix. Pushing open the door, Phoenix immediately saw a winding staircase leading up--no doubt to the tallest tower.

It occurred to her that she might still need the key, so she pulled it from the door and closed it behind her, climbing the steps. The stone staircase twisted and turned, bringing her up to a second door. Closing her eyes, she struggled to sense anything inside--but Roman's signature had never been easy to spot.

As she'd suspected, the door needed the key to unlock it. Taking in a breath, Phoenix turned the handle of the now unlocked door and stepped inside. Unlike Noelle the night before, Roman wasn't lying in his bed.

The moment Phoenix stepped across the threshold, Roman was up in the middle of the room, wearing only a pair of pants, his fists raised. In the pitch black he couldn't see her. Before he could speak, Phoenix lit a flame and tossed it into the fireplace, basking the room in a glow.

Whatever Roman had been expecting, it wasn't Phoenix. His hands fell to his sides as his mouth dropped open. Phoenix stepped further into the room, keeping her eyes on him, waiting for him to speak. He matched her movements, always keeping the same distance between them.

"You're dead. You're not real. This is some new trick of Aundreya's," Roman finally said, still circling with her, not even blinking.

"She can make you see things now?"

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"I'm not a hallucination."

"Prove it."

Phoenix arched a brow and grinned. "The fire wasn't enough?"

"A hallucination could create a hallucinatory fire."

"Touché." Phoenix glanced around the room. "You could always come touch my hand or something. Prove I'm here."

"If you're one of her lies, I'd believe I'm touching you."

"Then how do I make you believe I'm here?"

"You don't." Roman closed his eyes and turned away from her. "Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head."

With his back turned, Phoenix stepped closer, saddened by what Aundreya had done to Roman. She knew him, but her memories were too foggy to be useful. Reaching out, she touched him on his bare shoulder. A flood of images hit her, just as dizzying as every other time it happened. Roman sucked in a breath and turned, his demeanor defensive once again.

"Do you remember when you first dragged us to your little hovel?" Phoenix asked, seeing the memory again. "That place where you lived after your mother died?"

"I remember," Roman said through gritted teeth. "And so would Noelle."

"Fine." Phoenix said, jaw setting. "Do you remember when we were first traveling, and while Noelle was asleep, you made a pass at me and I declined? And what did you say--ah yes, 'not the time. I can wait.'" Phoenix crossed her arms. "Remember that?"

Roman cringed, closing his eyes. "I wish I didn't."

"Trust me, so do I." Despite the unpleasant memory, Phoenix's mouth twisted into a smile. "You were quite cocky back then."

"Humility looks good on me, doesn't it?" Roman spread his arms wide. "I'm a puppet with no will of his own." It seemed to hit him who he was actually talking to, and he dropped his arms. "Are you really here? Are you---"

"Alive and mostly well," Phoenix said. "A bit foggy on my past, but apparently dying will do that. Most of it is back. Just a few holes."

"Of course you'd remember that night so long ago," Roman said, rolling his eyes. "You couldn't just let that one go."

"It was the only one without Noelle that I could think of!" Phoenix threw her arms up into the air. Roman laughed and she grinned. "It's good to see you again. I'm so sorry you've been suffering here."

Sobering, Roman nodded. "What does it mean--you being here?"

"It means things are going to change, and I'm going to get you out of here. But I can't yet. They can't know."

Roman took her hands in his, his expression serious. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

#

The next few days the trio switched off sneaking into the castle with either Quilla or Altair and causing mayhem. Quilla agreed with Altair that it would throw everyone off it it wasn't just happening at night. To be extra careful, they avoided going out at night in any pattern after the first two.

It was apparently working. The castle was in uproar, everyone on high alert, searching the castle multiple times a day, but never finding the secret passages.

"They're pulling soldiers in from the town to help," Altair said one afternoon a week into their secret siege. "Which means the town won't be as well protected when the Army gets here."

"And when's that?" Maverick asked. He'd been up to see Roman the night before, further developing a plan for combusting the Militia from the inside. No matter how hard he'd tried to discover it, Roman hadn't found the identity of the Ancient helping Helena and the Militia.

"The last I heard from Castor, only a few more days before they're in a good position."

"And it's not like they're going to come marching in formation," Eric added, eating the food Altair had brought them while sitting in one of the larger alcoves. "They'll be infiltrating the town little by little."

"Is Trey ready?" Phoenix asked, glancing up at her Watcher. They hadn't touched much on the subject once Altair discovered Trey was his son.

Altair's already serious expression darkened. "He knows what he has to do."

"What's our plan for Noelle?" Maverick asked for the hundredth time. Both Roman and Phoenix agreed that he shouldn't see her--not when she was still so embittered. Phoenix had been to visit her twice since her first visit, each at night and very brief. She wasn't sure Noelle even realized she was really there.

They still hadn't come up with a way to get Noelle out of her funk. No matter how she approached it, Phoenix couldn't see a way to get Noelle away from Aundreya and Helena without using force that might cause harm.

"I'm still working on it," Phoenix said, the same as she did every time Maverick asked. He frowned, but didn't respond.

"I better head out," Altair said, backing out of the alcove. "There's a meeting today you don't want me to miss."

When he left, Maverick decided to get some sleep, having taken the night shift. With only Phoenix and Eric left together, they ate in companionable silence for several minutes.

"What are you going to do about Noelle?" Eric finally asked, chewing on a bite of bread. "You didn't say you didn't know, so you must have something in the works."

"We have to separate her from Aundreya and Helena--especially when we don't know where the traitor will appear." Phoenix sighed, picking at her pheasant. "I don't want anything to happen to Noelle, but--"

"But if you have to knock her unconscious and toss her in a trunk, do it." Eric shook his head. "Just don't tell Maverick."

"What do you think I've been doing?" Phoenix tossed a piece of meat at him. "He's barely holding out on flying into her room and carrying her off to safety. Why do you think I won't tell him where she sleeps? I can't tell him she wants him dead. It'd break his heart."

"Wars don't care about that."

They went back to eating in silence each in their own thoughts.

Roman knows Phoenix is alive and his friendship with Mav is restored! Also, Quilla is a surprise awesome return, right? We're getting closer to the final battle - SO CLOSE!

Now we have to go back to a dark place...

Time to catch up with Noelle ;)