Akaljot woke them all before dawn the next morning. Her father had woken them all before dawn.

Cal still couldn't believe that Akaljot Bjorndottir—the Everlight—was her father.

She looked down at her worn clothes.

"Here," said Luna, holding clothes out to her. "We look like we could be the same size."

Cal took the clothes into her bandaged hands. "Thank you, Luna."

Luna gave her a crooked grin. "No problem, Cal."

Cal took off her red and gold tunic and burgundy pants—trading them for the sky blue tunic, brown pants, and royal blue and silver cloak Luna had left her.

She left the medical tent, Matias hobbling out behind her on a crutch. Her eyes took in the bustling camp.

A horse whinnied and Cal looked for the source. Her eyes went wide as she saw two horses being led towards them.

"Aerys! Khalesi!" she shouted, running towards the horses.

The handler grinned, his pine green eyes full of mischief. "Clean bill of health for both of them." He handed her Khalesi's reins. "Lucas Bjorndottir."

Cal blanched. "Cal Pyro," she muttered.

Lucas nodded in fascination. "The Princess of Fire herself. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Excellent!" Akaljot said from behind her. "The whole family is together."

Lucas furrowed his brows in confusion. He looked back and forth between their father and her. He ran a hand through his short, bright red hair. "There's no way."

Cal raised a hand, a ball of sunlight shining in her palm.

"Gods above," Lucas swore. "I have an older sister. Can you summon fire?"

Cal looked away. Where her blazing inferno once was, there was only ash and embers. And she didn't want to touch it.

"If you don't want to summon fire, you don't have to," said Lucas. She could feel his gaze on her bandaged hands, the angry red welts on her face.

She pursed her lips. "We should go."

"We should," Matias said, hobbling up beside her. "All of Lucis depends on it."

They mounted their horses and began the long ride to Soturi.

—

For a week, they rode north. For a majority of their days, Luna joined Cal and Matias—quizzing them about their childhoods, what life in the castle was like.

What are your parents like? Luna would ask them.

Matias would give clipped answers. Polite, but clipped.

When they would camp out for the night, Luna would bring them their rations. The first night after running into the Krigereans, Luna wanted to share a tent with Cal. Luna wound up sharing a tent with Frida and Cal with Matias.

It was only another week. Only another week until they could get aid from the Krigereans to stop Melania Andhera.

—

Matias woke up to a stabbing pain in his stomach. He curled up into a ball on his side, chills racking his body.

Cal put an arm around him. "Matt? Are you okay?"

He looked at her over his shoulder. The burns on her face had healed over nicely, but she still kept her hands wrapped in bandages. "I'm okay. I just have some chills and a stomach ache."

She propped herself up on an elbow and put the back of her hand to his forehead. She pursed her thin lips—lips he loved to kiss. "You're burning up."

Pain lanced his stomach. Matias curled in on himself.

He heard the rustle of blankets as Cal got up. "I'm going to get Daktari," she grumbled. "You're not okay."

She stormed out into the morning, the air chilling Matias even more. His stomach churned. He crawled out from under his blankets, bile rising in his throat. Snow stung his feet as he ran out of the tent. He fell to his knees as his dinner came back up.

"God above, Captain Gomez," said Daktari, kneeling down beside Matais. He put a hand to Matias's forehead. "I'm afraid that you may have an infection. I still haven't cleaned off the bullet from your wound, but it's likely that Tenebrarum is playing dirty—literally and figuratively."

"Great," he rasped. "Just great."

He leaned on Daktari as they made their way back to the tent. Matias hunkered down under his blanket, sweat beading his forehead. He shook violently with chills, curling up into a ball.

He heard the flaps open again. "Will Captain Gomez be stable enough to ride to Soturi?" asked Akaljot.

Daktari pulled a vial out of his bag. "He just needs to drink this and he'll be fine."

"What is it?" asked Matias.

"Echinacea and ginger." Daktari pulled out the cork and handed Matias the vial. "Ginger for the nausea, echinacea for the infection."

With a shaking hand, Matias gulped down the vial's contents.

"Get dressed, Captain," said Akaljot. "We have a long day of riding ahead of us."

—

For the remaining week of the journey, Matias was racked with fever and chills—aches and vomiting and clamminess. Three days out from Soturi, he began to feel faint. His head pounded, his heart hammered, he felt like he had just ran several miles. And he didn't know where he was.

Gods above, where was he?

"Matias?" asked Calista. "Are you alright?"

"Where are we?" he whimpered. "Cal, I don't know where we are."

Cal rode Khalesi in front of Matias, halting Aerys. Concern shone bright on her face. "You don't remember?"

He shook his head. "I don't know where we are, Cal," he sobbed.

She pointed to the river behind her, to the sparkling city on its banks. "We're outside Soturi. We are so close."

He was tired—so, so tired. He just wanted to lay his cold aching body down by a fire and sleep for all of eternity.

"Stay with me, Matias," Cal said, sounding like she was underwater.

"So... tired," he said breathlessly, and fell into darkness.

—

With a wool blanket and her cloak wrapped around Matias, Cal and Daktari raced through the foothills outside Soturi. They left the others behind, favouring speed and time.

Matias's breathing came out in tiny clouds.

He's septic, Daktari had said. We must get him to a hospital in Soturi as soon as possible.

She looked down at her lover, the cut on his forehead from when he fell still bleeding. He stirred, his grey eyes glazed over.

"Hang on, Matt," she told him.

"Where we going?" he slurred.

Gods, he got worse. "You need a doctor now."

He shivered against her, burying his head in her shoulder.

The sound of hooves of frozen cobblestones filled her ears. Krigereans shrieked and stared as Cal and Daktari rode like hell was behind them through the streets.

"Out of the way," Daktari barked.

Daktari led them to a hospital. It was made of brick and was four storeys tall. Windows were evenly spread on all of the floors. There were three steps leading up to the large double doors. He dismounted his horse, striding over to them.

"We'll have to carry him inside," Daktari said, taking the semi-conscious Matias from Cal.

Cal dismounted.

"Who are you?" Matias asked Daktari, panic and confusion creeping into his voice. "Get away from me!"

He pushed Daktari away from him and staggered towards the hospital. Cal ran after him.

"Matt! Matias, stop!" she screamed.

Matias looked over his shoulder, his fear-stricken expression softening. He slowed to a stop. "Cal?"

He took a step towards her, then his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Matias's breathing hitched as he collapsed to the ground, and his body began to convulse.