"NO!" I scream, my voice finally working. I try to move, but it sends another spasm through me.

The golem looks down at the sword through his chest, eyes fluttering. "Oh," he whispers. He tries to step forward, but his knees give out. He collapses onto them, splashing water up so it makes the sand spilling from him turn to sludge. My dagger splashes into the water beside him.

James stands behind him, chest heaving, dripping water as he stares at us. "I leave for five minutes," he says.

"James!" Ava throws herself at him and he stumbles back as he catches her around the waist. She buries her face in his neck. "Don't you dare be gone that long again! I was..." She hesitates, then whispers, "worried."

James squeezes her back, kissing the top of her wild red hair. He squeezes his eyes shut. "I'm sorry. I saw Nick point an arrow at Daniel. I stayed underwater until I could figure out what was going on."

Charlie approaches from behind them, his wings hanging like weights at his sides. He nods at the golem. "I'd like my sword back, Jamison."

James settles Ava back into the water and yanks the sword out, as easy as if he's reeling in a fish.

He offers the hilt to Charlie. "What about this thing?" He asks, gripping the golem's shoulder so tightly, sand starts to spill down.

My heart stammers, and when my body shakes again, it's not a seizure.

"Get rid of it," Charlie says. "I'm not powerful enough to kill it. I could remove all its limbs, but even that wouldn't kill it."

James grabs the back of his shirt and drags him further into the water.

I try to move, but Nick pushes me back.

"Don't strain yourself," he murmurs.

"Enjoy your trip," James says.

The water rips at the golem, sucking him under the waves and further into the lake until I can't even see the bubbles rising to the surface anymore.

Cat sets her jaw. She looks away. Her nostrils flare.

A tear streaks down my cheek. It's not him. But it had his face. And he's not here.

I scrape the tear off my face and shove Nick away when he tries to stop me from sitting up.

"We need a game plan," I say. "Danny is number one priority now. We need to go. Who knows how long he's been missing without us knowing? We need to find him."

Cat flinches and closes her eyes.

Alex steps towards me. "What about Rae and Will?"

My heart stammers. He wants me to choose them. He wants me to give up on Danny. Rae and Will are him. Danny is Oliver. If I pick Danny, I'm betraying him again.

But Rae and Will, for the most part, are safe. Will will find Rae and keep her safe, even if he doesn't believe that Erick hurt me or her. He'll protect her.

But Danny's not safe. He could be hurt, and Cat's right, it's because of me. Because of my mother. Because everything in this forest wants me dead. And because I have a weakness they can exploit.

"We'll split up," I say, firmly. "Cat, Charlie, and I will find Danny. The rest of you will continue on to find Thomas and the portal. Once we have Danny, we'll meet up with you there and fight him together. Then we'll go through the portal and find Rae and Will."

Alex doesn't speak and I look away.

Even if he hates me, I have to do this. I can't leave one of our own behind. I would do it for any of them. I wouldn't just leave, no matter who it was. It's not because Cat thinks I have a crush on him.

Nick grabs my arm. "You're forgetting something, Raven. We're here for a reason. You're hurt."

I snap my arm from his. "That doesn't matter! I'm not going to rest until I know our friends are safe! All of them!"

"You can barely walk," Ava protests. "James had to carry you!"

I grit my teeth. "So!? I was being weak. I'm not weak. You wanted me to lead, I'm leading. This is what a leader does!"

James puts his arm in front of her. "Don't yell at her," he snaps.

"Don't tell me what to do," I hiss. The pressure is rising in my chest. There's a swarm of hornets in my sinuses. None of it matters. "I'll go alone, if I have to! Yeah, that's it! I'll find Daniel! You all go on without me. I don't need your help. I'm strong enough to do this alone."

They all stare at me like I've grown a second head.

Maybe I have. Maybe that's what magical poison does.

Cat grabs my arm. "I want to find him as much as you do, but we can't leave until you're better. You're falling apart, Raven."

I shove her off me. "I'm not! I'm better than ever! I could fight an entire army right now! I could strangle Thomas with my bare hands! I can swim this lake and find Danny on my own! I don't need you!"

"I wondered why I was feeling surges of magical energy outside my veil."

I whip around.

Nick scrambles for his bow, lifting a drawn arrow towards the woman standing before us.

She looks peaceful. Brown hair in a messy bun at the top of her head, cardigan, sweat pants. She looks normal enough.

But so had the golem.

I draw my remaining dagger and stumble towards her. "Get away from my friends," I rasp.

She puts her hand up and I freeze in place.

I can move my body, but there seems to be a forcefield blocking me in. Like an invisible box. Like the worst mime joke ever.

Charlie steps towards her. "You're a mage!" His eyes glitter. He shakes the water out of his wings, splashing anyone close to him. He smooths his shirt down. "It's an honor to meet you! My name is Charlie Arroyal. I've never met a mage in person before. I would love-."

"I don't like Fae," she snaps.

He flinches back, as if she's sucker punched him. "But-but I-."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Your kind led the purges of my people. You hunted us. You forced us into exile. You made my life growing up a living nightmare. My moms were terrified to even let me play outside our house. And my brother and sister were both kidnapped, confirming their fears. If you want me to help your friend, you will not come near me."

Charlie's breath whooshes out of him.

He doesn't argue again, stepping back, his wings slumped at his sides.

"I don't need your help," I snarl, practically foaming at the mouth. I don't even know if she can hear me through the invisible walls, but that doesn't mean I don't try. "Let me go so I can go find my friend!"

She circles me, studying me up and down. "You're the source," she says. "That poison flowing through you is a beacon for every bad thing in this forest. You'll be safe in my veil. Come with me." She turns away.

When the walls lower, I lunge at her with my dagger.

She glances over her shoulder and all the energy I have left leaves me.

My knees give out and I collapse onto my face into the dirt.

"Raven!" My friends shout, many of them stepping towards me, but none of them able to reach me.

The woman glares at them all. "She's going to take a nice nap. I'll return her when she's fixed."

"We're just supposed to trust you?" Nick growls, still holding his arrow steady.

She quirks an eyebrow. "The way I see it, you don't have much of a choice. Either she comes with me and I try my best to save her. Or I leave her here and she wastes away like a rabid dog."

Nick lowers the arrow.

"Take her," Alex says, with a nod. "How long will it take?"

She shrugs a shoulder. "That depends on if your friend is as strong as she claims to be. Extracting this poison could very well kill her. I suppose we'll find out."