I don't feel rejuvenated in the slightest when my eyes reopen. If anything, I feel worse. I'm hungry and thirsty, and every joint in my body is aching from all of the stress it has endured. My head won't stop pounding, and I can practically feel the bags under my eyes. The sun on my face is my only sense of comfort.

I sit up to see if anyone else is awake yet. Maddox and Atlas are both passed out. And Juniper is curled up into a little ball right beside me. Her purple dress is not nearly as filthy as it was when I first found her on the island, and her face is no longer caked with dirt. Being sloshed around in the ocean yesterday cleaned us all up a bit. But poor Juniper is in dire need of more than just a bath. She's probably starving. The last thing she had was those bananas I gave her. All the other food we had is in the backpack that got left behind with Dolion. 

I'm not ready to get up yet, so I watch her sleep for a moment instead. Mom always says that Juniper looks just like me when I was her age. Blue eyes and raven locks are the obvious likenesses we share, but most of my family has dark hair so that hardly counts. But the details of our traits are what separate Juniper and me. My eyes are the darkest shade of blue, while hers are bright like our father's. And her facial features are far more delicate than mine. As Orion likes to say, 'If looks could kill, you and Dad would be the only Van Blake's left.' I smile at the memory. As annoying as it can be in the moment, I miss my younger brother giving me a hard time about everything.

"What's got you smiling this early?"

Atlas's voice takes me off guard. "I... I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. I've been awake off and on for a while now." He stretches his arms above his head with a groan and then yawns. "I don't mean this the way it sounds, but I'm not exactly happy that you're here with me. Now I have one more person I have to keep safe. Do you know if Dad even made it back home?"

I frown as I recall the day I went missing. "I don't know. I wasn't around long enough to find out. But I highly doubt that he didn't make it back though. He had called a town meeting, which implies that he knew he'd be back later. Besides, I don't know of anyone more powerful than him. It would take a lot to bring him down."

Atlas cracks his knuckles, yawning again. "Still. It wasn't wise to just leave Mom like that. She needs us. And if Dad isn't there, our people need us too. I can only hope that the Starborns haven't raided our home by now."

"I didn't leave by choice, you know? I used the compass that I used to cheat with in hide and seek when we were kids. I was just trying to figure out what direction you were in and then I was going to send troops to rescue you," I explain, giving him a cold stare. "And Eros is still with Mom," I add as an afterthought. 

"Oh. Well, what happened then?" he asks sheepishly.

"I don't really know. The compass started glowing and then it burned me. I'm not sure if you being on the island caused some kind of malfunction or if a Starborn jinxed it, but either way, I ended up here like you."

He broods silently for a moment, furrowing his brow. His emerald eyes meet mine again and he asks, "You're saying that the compass pulled you here against your will?" I nod in response, eliciting a curious look from him. "Do you still have it? The compass, I mean."

I instinctively reach for my pocket but stop when I remember that it isn't there. My gaze drifts over to Maddox, who is still snoring softly behind us. I look back at Atlas with a shrug. "He did something to it so that we could find you. If he doesn't have it then it's probably in the ocean with my sword," I mutter dismally.

"Yeah, speaking of that, who the hell is this guy? And where did you get a sword?" he behests.

Anxiety builds up inside of me, making me fidget. I don't mind telling him about Maddox but admitting that I'm a Starborn out loud again isn't something I want to do. Not because I don't want to accept the truth about myself, but because I don't know if my brother will. In my family's eyes, Sunborns are the devil incarnate, which is why my father killed them all. Star magic scares people because it is the least understood form of magic. People naturally fear what they can't make sense of, but even that's not what will intimidate Atlas. The fact that a Starborn can also wield Sun magic is what will cause friction between us. Sunborns are personified sins, and their magic is evil— this is the belief that we grew up with. Which means that being a Starborn is not acceptable. And Atlas, who always takes our father's word at face value will not be able to look at me the same again.

I swallow nervously. "Well, I wasn't taken by Starborns. The compass brought me here by sea. I would've drowned if Maddox hadn't been there to save me. I don't know him all that well, but I do know that he is a Moonborn who protects the mortals on the island for some reason. His people don't trust Moonborns though, so we should keep our true identities to ourselves like he does. And he took that sword from a Starborn and then I stole it from him."

"You stole from someone who saved your life and he's still helping you?" Atlas asks doubtfully, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "Either he's a fool or there's something in it for him."

Maddox is helping because he thinks my Star magic is the key to escaping, but even I'm still skeptical about his intentions beyond that. He's been willing to help long before he found out that I was a Starborn, so that leads me to believe there is something else he is after. Perhaps this is why I find it hard to fully trust him. That, and the fact that he already lies to his own people.

I finally shrug. "It doesn't matter. We need him. He knows more about this island than we do, and he's willing to help. As far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters right now."

He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "And what are we going to do when he gets whatever it is that he wants and backstabs us? Or worse, what if he plans to hurt you or Juniper? And if he's lying to the people he is trying to protect, don't you think he's probably lying to you? We can learn about the island on our own. I don't trust him, Callie. And the fact that you feel like you have to lie about who we are speaks for itself. I'm no coward and neither are you, so we will not hide anything. Dad raised us to have pride in our bloodline—"

"Dad wouldn't want us to get ourselves killed to protect anyone's ego," I whisper sharply. "I don't know what you've seen since you got here, but the people on the island hate Dad, and they hate us too." I stiffly point at Maddox who is still sleeping just a few away from us. "When and if we do get out of this stupid hell-dimension, he will be the only thing keeping those people from tearing us to pieces," I say with finality. 

His eyes bore into mine with authority, but I've grown desensitized to his intimidating stares over the years. He leans forward when I don't bat an eye at him. "You're being idiotic," he declares. 

I understand Atlas's paranoia, but we can't afford to turn our backs on a necessary ally out of fear. "I'm not some naive child, Atlas. Do you really think I'd give him the chance to hurt any of us? You don't have to trust him, but I need you to trust me. Going off on our own isn't a smart move, okay? I won't let anything bad happen to you or Juniper."

He pushes up from the ground and is on his feet in an instant. "And I won't let anything bad happen to you. We are going off on our own. End of story." This isn't the first time his overbearing attitude has irked me, but this is different. This is life and death. He ignores my scowling, stepping forward and then reaching down to shake Juniper awake. 

His blatant disregard is ticking me off. He won't even try to hear me out. "We can't just leave Maddox here, Atlas. Juniper and I would've died ten times over if it wasn't for him," I hiss defiantly. "Does that not mean anything to you?"

Juniper stretches in the sand, quietly complaining about a headache to herself before finally opening her eyes. Atlas informs her that we need to start moving while patting the dirt off of her shoulder. She will go with Atlas, no doubt, but what will I do? My eyes mindlessly drift back to Maddox. He's still lying in his sleeping position, but I do a doubletake when I discover that his eyes are open. He appears to be saddened, but then he notices me staring and offers me a small, halfhearted smile.

Atlas finally responds to me after Juniper is on her feet. "It does mean something to me. That's why I'll let him live. Just not around any of us. Now come on."

My eyes flicker back to Maddox. I can't abandon my siblings, but I can't just leave him either. And it's not just because he would be beneficial to keep around for my family's sake. I feel like I owe him for all that he's done, yes, there is also a small part of me that just wants him around a little longer. Atlas and I both have our doubts about his intentions, but I can't help but wonder if my usual mistrust is misguided when it comes to him. Maddox blinks at my torn demeanor with a gentle gaze. He mouths something to me, but it takes a second for me to register his unspoken words. And when I do, my heart lurches.

It's okay.

"We can't leave Maddox," Juniper mumbles despondently. 

Atlas and Juniper turn their heads in the blonde's direction simultaneously, but he has already closed his eyes again. My brother lets out a sigh. "He'll be fine, June. Sounds like he has plenty of friends around here that can help him. We have to protect ourselves first, kiddo." His tone is pleasant with her, but he is eyeing me definitively.

I stand up, tightening my fists at my sides. If my brother won't take my word for it, then I'll have to sway him with facts. "Fine. I'll go with you if that's what you really think is best, but you're going to listen to me first," I say, turning my nose up at him in determination. "Even if you can somehow protect all of us and yourself from the dozens of mortals who literally want and have already tried to kill us back on the island, it still won't be enough. Maddox is a doctor and according to our sister, Orion is severely injured and has been for days now. So, let's hope that you can pull off some miracle without your magic when we find him. But that might be awhile because in case you didn't know, we're stuck in this dimension until you and Juniper give up your magic."

He pouts at me. "I didn't know—"

I cut him off immediately. "You should also know that I can't lose my magic like the rest of you. And he might be the only one who can help me figure out how to use it to get us all back home." Of course, Atlas didn't know any of this. He never gives anyone the chance to speak when he's set his mind on something. I love my brother, but his strong-willed mindset isn't always a pleasant quality. 

I can tell my brother's brain is twisting and turning as he tries to process everything I just said. His expression alternates between confusion, realization, and annoyance multiple times before he can finally form a response. "I've always helped you with your magic. I don't understand why we would need him for that. And I don't understand what you mean about me losing my magic. You mean when the daylight weakens us, right?" he asks, sounding uncertain.

"No. This isn't about Moon magic being weakened by the sun. I mean that you have to entirely give up your magic to get us back to the real world."

His chestnut brows crease together. "But not you?" he asks. I shake my head, biting my tongue. This isn't the way I wanted to tell Atlas about my recent revelation. He cocks his head at me. "Why?"

I swallow the dryness in my throat. He should find out the truth from me. Besides, if my Star magic actually is the key to escaping this prison, then he will need to be on board with everything going forward. "Because I don't just have Moon magic. I'm a Starborn, Atlas."

His eyes widen and he takes a step back. Little Juniper looks up at him in curiosity when he pulls her back with him. "Why would you say that? There's no way that's true, Callie. Mom and Dad would've... they couldn't... they wouldn't have kept you if you were one of those savages. It's illegal for a Starborn to even set foot in Lunaria. Our parents made those laws."

"I know what they did," I say bitterly, fiddling with my fingertips. "But it is true. I've always been able to practice my magic day and night without any resistance. I was drawn to that Starborn sword, and I didn't lose my magic when I—"

"No, stop. Just stop," he interjects. His eyes look anywhere but at me. Disappointment and skepticism battle inside of him, making me sink into myself. He runs a hand down his face, letting out a groan of frustration.  "Callie, if what you're saying is true, then..." he trails off, hesitating.

I take a hesitant step forward. "Then?" I persist in a small voice.

He finally makes eye contact with me again, but he is despondent. "Then you shouldn't have even been born, Calypso."

A heavy melancholy punches me through the chest. I knew that this wouldn't be an easy pill for him to swallow, but I didn't expect him to say that to me. I'm far more crestfallen than I thought I would be. I thought he'd be angry, but he's not. He's just... ashamed. For some reason, I feel guilty. I wish I could change things to avoid being looked at like this ever again. If Atlas feels this way, then I can only imagine how devastated our parents were. I'm starting to question if they actually know what I am, or if they genuinely somehow overlooked the truth all these years. Tears burn in my eyes, but I blink them away before they can fall. I replace my hurt with a mask of nonchalance.

"You shouldn't have said that, Atlas," Juniper croaks mournfully. 

I see Maddox sit up from the corner of my eye, drawing Atlas's attention to him. But he doesn't even spare my brother a glance. He is only looking at me. "Callie, I'm going to go find water and food for us. Would you care to accompany me?" he offers. His tone is light but his clenched jaw suggests that he is less than cheery. 

I start to respond, but Atlas beats me to it. "I'll go with you. She'll stay here with Juniper."

I cross my arms. He is such a control freak. "No, I think a walk is the best thing for me right now. You can wait here with Juniper." With that, I turn to saunter off into Maddox's direction.

"Callie, wait. I didn't mean... I just..." I didn't hear his footsteps following me, but he is behind me now, tugging on my arm so that I have to turn around and look at him. 

I pull out of his grasp and avoid his gaze. I don't like the way his accusatory eyes are making me feel. "Just wait here. I promise I'll be right back." He doesn't fight me on it this time, but his disapproval is nearly tangible.

I turn on my heel to retreat. Maddox wordlessly falls into step beside me. I just want to put some space between my brother and me so that I can properly compartmentalize my emotions. Letting something like this get the best of me will only hamper all of us in the long run. I can freely be upset with Atlas once we're back home and safe. Hopefully, the walk and focusing on finding sustenance will give me the time I need to let these negative feelings roll off my shoulder.

This beach is similar to the island until you leave the shore. The island we came from has an enclosed cluster of trees, but this place only has the occasional palm tree. This is mostly open land. I don't think we'll be finding water anytime soon, and drinking salt water would only add to our dehydration. There may be a decent chance for food though.

"Are you alright?" Maddox asks once we're a good distance away from Atlas and Juniper.

For some reason, his concern vexes me. He knows that I'm not okay. And his hero complex is really starting to get on my nerves. I didn't need him to whisk me away from an argument with my brother. And I definitely don't need or want his comfort right now either. From day one, he has gone out of his way to protect me and my secrets. But why? No one is that nice. Dolion wanted him dead for a reason, and now even Atlas has a weird feeling about him. Maybe this is a sign to not ignore my doubts.

"Callie?" he urges gently when I don't say anything.

I stop walking and turn to face him. "What do you want?" I stipulate bluntly.

"What?" he asks, blinking at me.

"All I've done is make your people hate me, steal from you, and use you, but you still keep going out of your way to help me. Why?" I demand, taking an assertive step toward him. He starts to open his mouth, but I know what he is about to say, so I cut him off. "And don't say it's because I'm a Starborn. You've been lying for me and protecting me long before we found that out."

He shuffles on his feet uncomfortably and sighs. "Have you ever thought that maybe I just care enough to want to look out for you?" he asks with patent hurt in his voice. 

A humorless laugh escapes me. Maybe Atlas is right. His frown deepens, but I don't buy it. I narrow my eyes at him, taking another step closer. I'm only a few inches away from his face now, but he doesn't even flinch. If he weren't so tall, maybe then he'd be a little more unnerved. "I find that hard to believe, seeing as you barely know me. Now stop lying and tell me what you want."

His face remains impassive, but he watches me carefully. His brown-amber eyes are unbelievably intense up close. They're almost distracting. "I just want to go home. And I want everyone on this island to go home too. That's all I want, Callie," he says gruffly.

"I don't believe you."

He finally takes a step back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why? Why is it so hard for you to believe that I just want to help?" he asks exasperatedly. 

"Because I hardly care about you," I blurt out.

We don't know much about one another, so I don't expect my words to have much of an impact on him. But to my surprise, his expression reveals that my statement stings him deeply. He averts his eyes. "Why didn't you just go with your brother then?" he asks in a hushed tone.

My next words get caught in my throat, making me swallow roughly. I shouldn't have said that. Between Atlas's attitude and my lack of nourishment, I am beyond irritated with everything. Maddox is getting the brunt end of my stress, but I don't have it in me to apologize. There's no point in admitting that a small part of me is starting to care for him. It's best to stand by what I said to not give him false hope. I would betray him in an instant if I had to, and he deserves to know that. Even now, I'm only keeping him around for my benefit. 

"I don't know your true reasons for protecting me, but I can assure you that my reasons aren't out of loyalty.  I chose not to abandon you, yes, but only because I see you as a means to an end. You know more about this island than anyone, and you can heal people. I'd be a fool not to take advantage of that."

He smiles at me, but it is a pained smile. "Well... alright then. Thank you for your candor, Love."

He crosses his arms and turns away from me to continue his search for food. I knot my hands in my hair and shut my eyes tightly. Why did I say that to him? What I said is partially true, but I didn't have to be so harsh. I was supposed to come out here and clear my head to avoid complications like this. Instead, I projected my anger at Atlas onto someone who only wanted to help. While I still think that Maddox has ulterior motives that he won't disclose, I now realize that Maddox does truly care.

When I catch up to him, he is eyeing a bundle of coconuts in a tree above his head. My shoes crunch against the crisp grass, alerting him. He glances over his shoulder at me. "How do you feel about heights?" he asks numbly. "I would use magic, but I don't want to risk sending the coconuts flying off too far."

"Maddox, I'm just angry at Atlas. I should've—"

"It doesn't matter. You meant what you said, didn't you?" he asks rhetorically. He fully turns to me when I don't respond. His usual warm look has lost its light. He shrugs at my continued silence. "See? If it was the truth, then it doesn't matter to me what caused you to say it. And if you're just worried that I won't help you now, I assure you that that is not the case. So, please spare me a lackluster apology. We're not friends. We just need each other to escape this place. I understand."

I nod slowly, biting my lip anxiously. Guilt nags at me, but I don't acknowledge it out loud. I said what I said to him because I want transparency. It's safer not to have sentiment between us. "I, uh... I can handle heights," I finally say.

He motions me over to him. I oblige, and he drops to one knee and holds out his hands. I grab onto his sturdy shoulders to steady myself, and then I step onto his cupped hands for a boost. He stands up and lifts me into the air as high as he can. The fruits are still way too high, but I grew up climbing taller trees than this. But never a palm tree. The trees I climbed always had an array of branches to cling to. There aren't stray branches to grab onto, so I wrap my arms and legs around the trunk of the tree instead. I take a deep breath and then start shimmying up the length of the tree. 

"Be careful!" Maddox calls out from below.

I'm at the top of the tree in minutes, but the heat and my lack of thirst are making me dizzy. There looks to be about nine coconuts attached to the top. I keep my legs wrapped tightly around the tree as I remove one arm from the trunk. My fingers brush against the brown fibers of the fruit. I have to wriggle upwards a little bit more to get closer. I try to pluck one of the fruits from the tree, but I quickly realize that I can't harvest these by hand. These will have to be cut down.

I look down at Maddox. "Do you have a knife? I can't pull these by hand!"

"I'm afraid not! Perhaps we should look for something else!"

I look back up at the brown fruits in frustration. This is our best bet. Coconuts can give us food and hydration. The bunch looks to be somewhat loose. Maybe it just needs a good shake. I reach back out and grab onto one of the stems, swaying the coconut bundle vigorously. It's working!

"Watch your head!" I yell. Two coconuts tumble downwards, but the rest of them are stubborn. I keep wiggling the stems surrounding the fruits, but they refuse to detach like the others. A short huff of air escapes me and I finally let go. I return my sore arm to the trunk of the tree. 

"Two is better than none! Let's not push our luck!" Maddox calls out anxiously.

I peer down at him in annoyance. "I've almost got them! Just give me a minute!"

After letting myself rest for a moment, I grab the bunch of fruits once more. I tighten my legs around the tree trunk and hesitantly let my other hand wander over to the coconuts. I should be able to knock them down with two hands. My legs will just have to stay strong for just a little longer.

Shaking and pulling at the coconut bundle with both hands eventually works, but I'm not prepared for them to give way when they do. I'm not able to hold myself up anymore when the fruits come crashing down. My legs lose their grip on the tree and I slip. I frantically grip the palm tree, but my body continues to clumsily slide down the trunk. I can feel the blood seeping out of my now scraped-up hands. One of the falling coconuts smacks right into my jaw before I can fully liberate myself, making me completely lose my hold on the tree. 

My stomach drops when I start to fall. I try to reach for the tree again, but it's useless. I think I hear someone call out to me, but I can hardly hear them over the sound of my heart in my ears. I close my eyes tightly, holding my breath. I expect to hit the ground, but my body meets skin instead. Strong arms wrap around me, and I slam against something hard. My legs feel like jelly, but I can tell that I have safely reached the ground when my fingers meet grass.

When I open my eyes, I  discover that I am crushed against Maddox's chest. I'm practically on top of him, but we're sitting on the safe ground, surrounded by fuzzy, brown fruits. I'm distracted by his smoldering eyes for a moment when I make the mistake of looking at him. My face burns with shame, while his torn between amusement and what appears to be infatuation. It's a struggle to right myself with him holding onto me, but I finally manage to place my hands on his chest and push away.

He sits up, removing his arms from around me. "Are you al—"

"I'm fine," I snap. I wince in pain when I rest my hands on my lap. I flip my hands over to examine my red-stained palms. A thin layer of my skin has been scraped off. 

Maddox reluctantly reaches out to me. "Let me help?" It sounds like a question.

I avoid looking him in the eye. My face is on fire. My cheeks are probably bright red right now, but I'm not embarrassed that I fell. I'm embarrassed because he is the one who caught me after I brashly told him just minutes ago that I don't care about him and that I'm using him. I absolutely deserve what just happened. Why am I so callous sometimes?

 I retract my hands away from him, keeping my eyes downcast. 

"I can heal you," he insists.

I take a deep breath. It's getting to the point where any nice thing he does makes me feel even worse. Maybe that's why he does it. So that I'll feel like I owe him. Or maybe I'm just used to being surrounded by selfishness. Entitlement and self-preservation is what I'm used to being around. Guilt takes another stab at me when I peek up at Maddox.

I take a deep breath, suppressing a grimace. "Even if what I said was true, I shouldn't have taken out what Atlas did on you. There is a time and a place for telling someone the truth, and that wasn't a good time," I concede shyly. I hate apologies.

The corners of his lips twitch, but he doesn't let himself smile. "Ah, I see. I assume that is your version of an apology. For the sake of putting things into perspective, you feel inclined to make amends, but you still don't care about me? Do I have that right?" he asks nonchalantly, giving me a haughty look when I narrow my eyes.

I square my shoulders, gluing my eyes to his. "That's right," I say confidently. 

"Brilliant. You wouldn't mind letting me heal you, then? Might as well take advantage while you can, seeing as I'm only of temporary use to you." He extends a hand out to me once more. There's a knowing look in his eye, but I don't give him the satisfaction of reacting to it.

I slap my bloodied hands onto his. "Fair point," I agree. He merely smirks in response.

His hands are much larger than mine, but he uses both of them to clasp my hands into his. When he healed me before, it was in the dark. This time I'll be able to see the process with my own eyes. His hands begin to radiate a comforting heat. There is a faint, yellow glow emanating from in between the crevices of our connected hands. My inflamed skin is quickly soothed back to normal, and I have to hold back a sigh of relief at the sensation. 

He drops his hands from mine, but one of them reaches back out to caress my face. My heart flutters at the gesture. What is this feeling? I grab his wrist to pry his hand away from my face but stop when I realize that he's trying to heal the bump on my jaw. The warm healing seeps into my skin, making me tingle. My stomach flips much like it did before I fell from the tree.

"How did you know I hit my jaw?" I ask.

His eyes flicker back to mine. "I can tell when someone is hurt with my magic. I don't know how to explain it," he murmurs, dropping his hand from my face. "I can just see it when I want to."

"I want to know how to do that. How to heal people, I mean. Could you teach me?" I ask hopefully. Maddox will lose his magic again soon enough, but if I can learn how to heal people, then I can help Orion when we return to the island. 

He grins at me and I suddenly feel a little less guilty. "Now why would I do that? That would give you one less reason to keep me around." Regret rises back up in my chest, and I have to look away from him. He uses a finger to tilt my face back in his direction. "Hey, I'm only teasing, Love. Are you ready to head back to your siblings now?" he asks. I lightly slap his hand away and rise to my feet, earning a frown from him. 

My lips twitch, but I don't let myself smile. Maybe, just maybe, it might be worth at least trying to trust Maddox. "It's Callie. And yes, I'm ready."