While the team was camping out, the people waiting in Vacuo and Vale were getting more anxious the longer they went without hearing from them.

Tai had remained in Vacuo, because, if they all returned, he figured it would be to Vacuo, the closest kingdom.

Zwei seemed anxious also.

Penny had tried to keep cheerful-- and Robyn to keep morale up.

Watts had many cheerful predictions about how doomed they probably were, but Robyn had him busy monitoring the Amity Arena, since without Pietro there, he was the most skilled at it. And she had him watched closely to be sure he didn't tamper with it, but now he had little reason to.

Kip was enjoying not being attacked by Grimm while he was in his home kingdom and not tailed by his mother... but also he was worried because she was still in the hospital and didn't seem to be getting that much better.

On the day Raven and Hazel appeared, there was some talk of wondering if the group had simply perished, though Robyn kept assuring everyone it had not been long enough to call it yet.

Whitley, Willow and Klein had their doubts.

Then Raven showed up, and Tai thought they were all back for a second... until he saw only two.

"Did...did everyone else--?" he began.

"No." Raven held up her hand, not in the mood for sentiment. "Everyone's alive, last we saw them. Battered, bruised, and demoralized in some cases, but alive."

"Did you find Salem?" Tai followed up.

"Not yet," Raven said. "We're camping... We're low on supplies thanks to some nasty Grimm interference. I risked coming back here to replenish."

"We can't stay gone for long," was the only remark Hazel felt he needed to make.

Tai didn't really understand Hazel that well and supposed Raven just brought him along for muscle.

"The giant here and I are just going to grab what we need and go," Raven said. "We're about 2 days out from her lair, tops, at least if we're right about where it is... Had some detours that made it take longer."

"What happened?" Tai said. "Actually, you look awful..."

"I don't want to talk about it." Raven narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd rather tell the whole story after it's over than now. Makes it seem too finished, and it's not. It's hardly begun. I didn't even want to come back, but Likstar made me because it was 'practical'. Feels wrong if you ask me, not finishing a job, but..."

"We're finishing it," Hazel pointed out. "And we're wasting time discussing it. Whoever is in charge of supplies, we need to find."

"Robyn and the Schnees are mostly in charge of those," Tai said.

"Right, we need more dust also." Raven snapped her fingers.

"But you're going to at least tell me how the girls are doing?" Tai pressed, following her as she left the area he was sitting in.

"If you want to know that badly, why didn't you come?" she replied.

"Really, from you?" Tai snorted. "You know why."

"Yes... well, I still think it's hilarious that Cinder qualified and you didn't," Raven said.

"Is she... causing trouble?" Tai was not confident of Cinder leaving Ruby alone.

"Surprisingly, not much." Raven still didn't want to talk about it.

"Cinder knows her place," Hazel said flatly. "Even if she tried to step out of it, she knows it deep down."

Tai didn't find that comforting.

Raven hoped that talking to the Schnees and Robyn would take less time--and with Robyn it did. She almost won points from Raven by not bothering to ask more than a few questions before sending her women, and men, who were also helping to get the supplies they did need.

Whitley wanted more details, and Willow also. Libby had to remind them that time wasn't on their side.

"It's always on Salem's, remember?" she said.

"Even a few minutes is too long," Raven confirmed. "It's been 10 already."

"It's that dire?" Willow said.

Raven leaned forward on a table.

"We are going through Grimm territory," she said in a pretty harsh tone, like Willow was stupid. "What part of that does not spell dire to you?"

"Oh... of course," Willow said meekly.

"Well, there's no need to be so pleasant about it," Libby said sardonically. "I've already sent word for the dust you want." She held up a scroll. "Got this finally... Beauty, isn't it?"

"Promote her again." Raven folded her arms.

"But while we're all waiting, could you at least tell us how the girls are doing?" Willow asked.

"Oh, they're fine." Raven brushed off days of stressful moments with a hand flick. "Winter's a harda-- anyway, and Weiss is mostly all talk but does well enough. Of course my daughter is much tougher."

"How quaint." Libby made a cutesy face 😘.

"I hope they haven't been prone to excessively vulgar behavior," Whitley said. "Who knows? Removed of all watchful eyes, they might become hooligans."

Raven choked on a laugh. Sure... the Schnee sisters were the ones likely to do that.

She fidgeted impatiently.

"And... your charges?" Willow was trying to be polite to Hazel, who just looked at her strangely.

"Sustrai and Black," Raven supplied, hardly glancing up.

"Oh..." Hazel said, like that was an odd idea. "They're fine. Mostly. Black has Silver Eyes now."

"He has what?" Whitley sputtered. "Like that girl?"

"Oh, yeah," Raven said dryly.

"Well... that's... good?" Willow said.

They shrugged.

Raven refused to explain that much more, and Hazel was not given to explain anything anyway, so the conversation didn't get much further than that while they waited.

* * *

"Once they return, we'll have to move on," Shine informed everyone else at the camp. "I know we're all still tired, but that's not likely to improve much as long as we're here, so we'd better go while we have the strength."

Some people groaned, but knew they must.

"Can I ask?" Oscar spoke. He was still somber from earlier. "What's the next... you know, mind Grimm we might meet?"

Everyone was aware by now of the theme.

Shine looked at them all like she wasn't sure she should answer that, but finally sighed. "There's only one left that I know of: Pride."

"Fastus." Theo had his book of Grimm open. [My sisters compared him to Dorothy Ann from the Magic School Bus. I guess he is a spin off of Dorothy. Shine is kind of like Ms. Frizzle.] "That's what they're called, according to my research."

"And what do they look like?" Vara peered at it.

"The thing about that is, there's no picture." Theo turned the page. "Just says that whoever came close to it lost their mind and killed whoever they were around. I guess the author didn't get close."

"Which likely means that they didn't see it at all," Shine mused, "because it's so strong that getting that close is probably a death sentence... at least for most."

"Are we sure this thing will show up?" Qrow said.

"No, there's no guarantee it will," Shine said. "But this pattern has been consistent up till now. Forewarned is forearmed. We should pray that it won't."

"And can we fight it?" Yang rubbed her metal arm.

"Oh, Yang." Shine looked somber. "If I knew the answer to that, I'd be the wisest woman in the world."

"You might be," Oscar said.

"That's very sweet, Oscar," Shine said, "but it's not true, and if it was, you'd help me more by not pointing it out. Pride is deadly. It can take many forms, selfishness (ego), vanity (the least harmful), arrogance, but worst of all is hubris, and hubris is one that most humans are very prone to. Be glad if you're not."

"Sorry... what's hubris?" Neptune said.

"Deadly pride," Shine explained. "Thinking you can do things better than God. Everyone who complains that the world is so unfair is guilty of this. They assume they could make a world more fair than this one... I'm glad I've learned. I don't think I could figure this mess out, more than ever since being a World Walker."

"How ironic." Winter strapped on her sword. "Since that is what you propose to do."

"Oh, no, we never fix everything," Shine said. "We put tools into your hands to learn how to fix it yourselves. We do a few things, just as a favor, but most of the heavy lifting must be done by other people. It's better that way."

"Sounds like hubris is not your problem." Wally patted her head. "And I don't think it's mine... I think."

"I wouldn't say so, but everyone can be guilty of it," Shine said. "It's sneaky. All pride is sneaky. Like I said, vanity is the least dangerous because it's the most obvious. Anyone can be humiliated out of vanity usually--it's too fleeting. It makes a monster out of few people, but only a few are so blind. The rest are the chief concern I would have."

"So... like before, it would turn us against each other?" Ruby rubbed her arms.

"It does worse than that, Ruby." Shine looked at the shoreline grimly. "Pride turns you against God, man, beast, the world itself. Pride says I need no one and no one is of any use to me aside from what they add to my ego. Pride says I can do whatever I please, and I shouldn't get any consequences, or if I do, they are worth it for doing what I want. Pride says my way or the highway about everything. It can be mistaken for conviction so easily. We have to have conviction and confidence that we're right, but pride blocks out any acknowledgement that we can ever be wrong. Faith is assurance of things that are beyond ourselves, while pride is assurance in ourselves and our own reasoning itself being infallible. But it's so easy to confuse the two. I'm not sure any of us are safe from pride, because it is the nature of man to be prideful, now. The foundation of all evil is pride."

"Surely there're other reasons to be evil than that," Winter said uncomfortably.

"I don't feel like I'm proud," Ruby said.

"The people who don't know they are are usually the most proud," Shine said. "Unless you truly are humble to where you simply don't think of yourself. I've heard the test of it is to see how much it bothers you in other people but not yourself. If you feel arrogance is annoying, and not just foolish, you might want to check yourself."

Yang tugged her hair uncomfortably.

"I don't know if I think that," Blake said.

"I'm telling you all, you cannot be complacent about this," Shine stressed more urgently. "Blake, I don't care how virtuous you are, you have pride. We can't help it. But some of us do learn to control it. I wish I could tell you how. I've been trying to curb mine for years, and I still get angry and offended on a regular basis. I'm also often unsure what is pride and what is not. But I think that blindness can be a good thing--we can't think too much of our own problems before we start disregarding other people's. The point is, any strain of pride you know you have, if we're following the pattern of the other Grimm, will become deadly if we are not careful to fight it."

Oscar was taking notes on all this.

"So how can we try?" he asked.

Shine looked at him fondly for a moment and then shook her head.

"Even looking for it might make it worse. But there's a few things one can do. Try to focus on anything other than yourself. Anyone else. God is best. Focus on things you admire and don't try to ask if you have them. Self reflection is all right usually, but if we're walking into a pride trap, it's generally a bad idea to focus on ourselves. Don't talk about rights. And try not to argue with anyone, no matter how small it is. Contention always starts with pride. But pride will get more strong if we keep fighting. Focus on the pure things. Bland things even. Some people find it curbs their pride to discuss this with others, but other people find it's easier to become arrogant that way. These are just tips, though, none of them are guarantees."

"Well, how do we cure it?" Pyrrha looked up.

"Only God cures it," Shine said. "And it is an ongoing process. Mostly through suffering. But even suffering is not always a cure."

Cinder glanced at her sharply.

"Suffering can feed pride if you handle it that way, thinking about how unjust it is for you," Shine said. "Granted, suffering is often unjust, but you have no more claim to that than anyone else does. We all suffer unjustly. Why should you get off easier? But it's very hard to think that when you are suffering."

"This sounds pretty hopeless," Qrow said.

"No, there is always hope." Shine folded her hands quietly. "It seems impossible, but all things are possible with God. Men have turned from power and pride before. It's one man in a million perhaps, but we cannot count it out. Love and pride push against each other, but when pride infects love, as it usually does with humans, it causes most of the problems we know of."

Oscar looked at himself, really at Ozpin.

"I've said this before, but if anyone has resentment, they should try to deal with it," Shine added. "I've thought about my own. I am tired of thinking about them. I hope that means I've resolved them. But it's never too late to make peace while you have the chance. I hope we'll make our way to Salem unimpeded from here, but... well, I wouldn't bet on it."

She walked away to stare at the ocean some more. Perhaps it was her way of getting her mind off the situation.

"Well, Shine always has a lot to throw at us." Wally rubbed his neck. "But we all know she's right on the money. I think I'm good... I hope."

Everyone else looked at each other.

"I suppose we should not try to figure out who is more likely to be affected," Pyrrha spoke. "After all, she just warned us that we all have it. I think I know my weaknesses by now... I think."

"I really don't like having all this exposed," Neptune said. "I mean, we all have problems, but these Grimm just make it so... weird. Like, how do we know if it's us or them?"

"I guess we'll just assume it's both," Ruby said. "And no one should judge anyone else for whatever we've said or done in the last week. Since no one knows how much was Grimm and how much was us, Pyrrha's right. If we try to point fingers, it's just going to cause a fight. I'm just going to try to avoid thinking about it. That's the best protection, according to Shine."

"Yeah, I guess there's a lot of other stuff we could think about," Oscar said weakly.

"Maybe it's because I'm older than most of you," Vara said, "but I know that ego is not easy to discard, no matter how little reason you have for it. And if you're ashamed of your actions, you try harder to justify them."

With that cheerful thought, they had only to wait.

https://youtu.be/iM3cY0SiK-c

[Switchfoot--"Mess of Me"]

* * *

Raven and Hazel returned within the hour.

They couldn't carry enough supplies to really give everyone that much, but the group distributed it as fairly as they could, considering that some people still had more rations left.

The dust was not enough to hold off many Grimm, but it was better than being out. They hoped they wouldn't need much of it.

Winter discussed something with Raven and Vara... and Cinder, though that was reluctant, before they left again.

"Oscar's condition is only getting worse," she said. "We've used magic all along this trip, and we're all getting worried also. Perhaps we are so close now, it would be best to discontinue it."

"Are you mad? We'd have no chance without it," Vara said.

"Somehow the group without magic did all right," Winter said. "Maybe we use it too quickly. I feel like I'm using my skills less and less. Surely you see the temptation."

Raven looked uncomfortable.

"Well, as things stand," she spoke, "soon we won't have it anymore... I guess getting used to that now would be a good idea."

"We... wow, we really wouldn't, huh?..." Vara said oddly. "I've hardly thought about it. Even being rid of the Vault was so much. But then I feel like s---." She rubbed her head wearily. "I hate this land. It was a little better with the fake sun... I guess that was in my head though. I feel sicker than ever now. I almost don't notice it anymore, I'm so used to feeling this way. I don't even know if I believe I can feel any different. Magic is all I have to defend myself."

"You have to at least try, or you'll be in danger if we succeed," Winter said.

Cinder frowned. "You're asking me to give up power."

"Miss Fall, I'm told that you've made some slight progress the last few days." Winter had heard the account from Shine. "Let's not throw it away."

"Progress? I haven't changed," Cinder argued.

"I meant in sensible decisions," Winter said. "Do you really still want this magic? It's a curse. Do you think it will get better with time? It never has. Soon you'll be too weak to fight off anyone who wants to take it from you anyway. Salem will never allow you to go rogue either."

Cinder frowned.

"You want power?" Raven glanced at her. "Maybe you need to come to terms with the reality that you'll just have to find another kind. All of us will. And if your big thing is that we're not stronger than you, then you can just relax, because we're all going to be normal again. Or are you afraid of having to use actual skills to win a fight?"

Cinder gave her an angry look.

"Well, we've probably got her beat there," Vara said. "Maybe she does need the magic."

"Shut up," Cinder snapped.

"You never do have a good comeback, Fall," Raven dismissed her. "Just think about it."

"Surely--" Winter tried to be reasonable. "--you can at least agree to abstain for now--for another 2 days. That's not that long, and if the magical seizures continue, you're in more danger, not less. Anything we can do to reduce them helps you as well."

"If I need power to win a fight with Grimm, I'm going to use it," Cinder insisted. "I'm not a fool. The seizures might be unpleasant, but they're not deadly."

Winter gritted her teeth.

"Fine," she said finally. "I suppose that's understandable. But we have water, food, and can find shelter, hopefully. So outside of a fight, and a fight that is bad enough to require that, are we agreed?"

"Whatever," Vara said.

"I suppose," Raven said. "I want this to end also. But what about Qrow?"

"Well, he'll have little reason to use his if we aren't separated." Winter paused. "I suppose I could ask him."

Vara and Raven exchanged a smug look.

"You do that," Vara said slyly.

Winter cut her eyes at her in annoyance.

Cinder walked away. She didn't want to be involved in "girl talk."

[To think at this point Winter is part of that. That's one of the biggest twists of this story.]

* * *

Salem checked on the group's progress so often it was her new obsession.

When she realized that they'd yet again resumed their journey, and the Avarice had not stopped them, she began to question if anything would.

So because of this, she decided she needed a backup plan.

She had no intention of allowing the entire group to come to her house, as she knew she'd lose that fight.

She knew they were headed for another Grimm, one no one had ever gotten past unless she had allowed them to fly over it, but on foot? Well, only when she'd allowed that also, with that Summer woman.

But she was no longer sure it would stop the team unless she helped it.

She left the castle and headed to the edge of the strange valley part of the continent that she had it in, and went to a likely enough spot.

Tyrian, who was watching from a distance, thought she was making something out there, but it didn't look like a monster Grimm.

It took her hours, but finally she returned, looking smug.

"Tyrian," she said, making him jump up, "get ready to collect."

Tyrian chuckled crazily.

* * *

The group found a lot more Grimm as they were heading northward.

The Grimm didn't attack them mostly, they just looked at them. Perhaps it was the security measures they took, or perhaps they'd gained that essence that made the Grimm nervous.

Or, perhaps Cinder's presence there made the Grimm suspect that they were all working for Salem. But that did nothing to reassure anyone.

"She's letting us come," Hazel said. "I don't like it."

"Maybe she just wants the Relics," Emerald said.

"No." He frowned darkly. "She doesn't want us with them."

Oscar was worried that Hazel was right--but worried more about the potential Grimm Theo had mentioned.

But nothing seemed off so far. Of course, it had only been about 6 hours since they left the campsite.

https://youtu.be/yJdqU1JEtlA

["Tongues and Teeth" by The Crane Wives. Good song for Cinder.]

Cinder felt like every Grimm she saw looked right at her but did nothing, and this unsettled her more than it used to.

She couldn't seem to muster the same anger as before and haughty disdain for them.

Salem had once told her to make the Grimm fear her.

But after experiencing the Deimos, and the Irascis... well, Cinder knew that the amount of fear she could inflict on Grimm was minuscule compared to what they could do. They were pure fear and anger and hatred without ever feeling it themselves... She couldn't even delude herself into thinking she could touch that.

And perhaps, deep down, she didn't want to as badly as she had thought. People who make themselves into monsters deliberately usually have a very poor idea of what they're actually doing. Mostly it's the ones who do it by accident who are the most utterly monstrous.

She very much doubted if joining this mission had been a good idea for her after all, but turning back was impossible. She was completely sure that Salem would sic the Grimm on her if she did and drag her back whether she liked it or not. That was what them watching her had to mean.

When the group stopped to rest, Cinder went off alone--mostly to avoid the awkward non-looks everyone always gave her when they camped because making eye contact with her was just so... weird.

Cinder blamed them less for this than she used to. Though she hadn't noticed this yet. But after all they'd seen, of course she could hardly have entirely blamed them.

She was actually getting pretty depressed about the prospect of what she'd do after all this. If they lost, she'd be as good as dead. If they won... she had no clue what she'd do next, if she couldn't get the powers... and what if she couldn't?

Such defeatist thinking didn't suit her frenzied obsession with power, but it was unavoidable.

Also, having all these flaws exposed and hidden by the Grimm had certainly given Cinder a very new idea of them. When they weren't controlled by something else, they were demons. But she had been trying to think of how she could keep them in check... and she had nothing. Willpower seemed to be worthless against the Mind Grimm.

What if it really was something else?

Well, all this negativity drew Grimm right toward her, but they walked away again, until...

Cinder was so lost in her brooding that she hadn't noticed the one that finally came close enough to be a problem, and it also hid itself behind a rock.

Suddenly, though, the tentacles of a Seer grabbed her around the neck and yanked her behind the rock.

The Seer was huge, much bigger than the usual ones, more like the size of a bear if you counted its mass, though the shape was still more like an octopus.

Cinder's eyes blazed up with fire, but then her Grimm arm began to smoke, and she lost focus on magic.

Salem's visage appeared in the Seer's globe.

"Hello, Cinder," she said.

Cinder could form no words, even if she had them.

The arm stopped smoking.

"Don't try to attack," Salem warned, and the arm twitched again. "And stop looking at me like that, girl. I just want to have a little parlay. Don't scream."

The Seer loosed Cinder's throat.

Cinder should have screamed anyway, if she'd been smart. Or else set up a sort of distress flare, but of course, she didn't.

She just coughed and glared at Salem.

"I suppose I ought to be congratulating you. You and those fools have made it this far," Salem feigned clapping very dryly. "So kind of you to bring me those other Relics."

The sarcasm was evident.

Cinder, fool that she was, was immediately psyched out. Did this mean Salem had been listening to their conversation? Did she know Cinder's real plot was to kill her?

Salem seemed to read the question in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm quite pleased to have them within reach." She held out a hand loftily. "But there's one problem. I don't quite like how arrogant your companions have become. They need to be put back in their place. You've been with them this entire time. I want you to tell me how to accomplish this."

Cinder didn't stop to ask herself if the fact that Salem was asking this meant Salem was also nervous, because Salem's tone would never have led you to believe that.

But... well, even Cinder had to wonder why Salem would ask her of all people that.

Rubbing her throat with her human hand, she said in a low voice, "You can't think they'd trust me enough to tell me that."

"Who said anything about trust? You're supposed to be observant," Salem said.

[Who told her that?]

"I wasn't aware I was supposed to be looking for weaknesses," Cinder said insolently.

Her arm suddenly began to blaze fire again, though it looked only like smoke.

She hissed and fell to her knees.

The pain passed in a few seconds.

"I'm going to ask you again," Salem said coldly. "Don't disappoint me."

And what was she going to do if Cinder said no? Cinder thought rebelliously. But she didn't actually want to find out.

Looking up angrily, she spat out, "They haven't disclosed anything--"

Salem began to frown.

"But I have noticed some things," Cinder added hastily.

Salem raised an eyebrow, waiting.

Cinder stood up.

"They act tough," she said, with a sideways look to appear more confident than she was, "but they're just as vulnerable as the rest of those so-called heroes about protecting their own. They never want to leave anyone behind. And they never kill."

"They never kill," Salem repeated. "Then how do they propose to stop me?" She sounded amused.

Cinder couldn't resist the chance to see if Salem would take to the idea.

"Well," she smirked, "I think they think they can persuade you to give up."

"Give up?" Salem sounded amused. "And why would I do that? The Relics are within reach. They promised to bring them to me."

"With the condition that you'd listen to them first." Cinder perhaps shouldn't have reminded her of this.

Salem frowned at her. "And that is how they expect me to change my mind?"

"Likstar seems to have some persuasive power." Cinder couldn't resist this either. "She got Watts to leave your side after all."

Salem scowled at her.

"He was always a coward," Cinder added.

Watts was less of one than herself, but she'd not have admitted that.

"No doubt they promised him some reward," Salem sniffed. "That man was always too arrogant and greedy for his own good."

Being reminded of the Grimm didn't make Cinder feel any easier.

"So you think if I had some leverage in human form, they would do anything to get them back?" Salem said. "I'm amazed. They can't have expected everyone to live this long."

"Perhaps people who can part waters have more confidence." Cinder would have liked to know if Salem could do this. "But they have their weak spots."

"Which you have failed to exploit," Salem said with an edge. "I had almost begun to think you'd turned against me also."

There was a threat in that last part.

Cinder made light of it. "I had to tell them something. Why bother killing them now when I could let them do the hard work? This way the kingdoms just let us take the Relics. Otherwise they would have chased me here."

This answer seemed to satisfy Salem slightly, but she probably didn't buy all of it.

"Then in that case, I can count on you to do what's necessary once they get closer," she said coolly. "I have a trap that will thin them out a little, and I intend to deal with whoever remains. If it's just those two leaders of theirs, well... And any particular knowledge about those two you may have neglected to mention?"

Cinder winced at her arm.

"I... have heard that magic interferes with them," she said slowly.

"Magic? Is that it?" Salem said. "I believe Black said the same thing, but since he proved false... In that case..." Her eyes glowed red. "...why have you not taken care of them yourself?"

Cinder backed up a little, not that it would help.

"It's not a complete weakness," she said. "Especially when they're ready for it. I could never get the drop on them enough, with so many other people around. But perhaps you could."

That last did seem to appease Salem a bit.

"Hmm, perhaps," she mused. "Of course, I'm not sure I want them dead just yet. But weakened, surely..."

She didn't want them dead?

Shine had said Salem wouldn't ever kill them till she got her answer about the gods, but Cinder hadn't really believed that till now. Was it possible?

Was there really something Salem wanted badly enough to hold off on her usual M.O.?

"You know, they say," Cinder said carefully aloud, "that you were human once. Of course that's a lie, but do you know why they think that?"

Salem cast a warning look at her.

"People will believe anything to feel less afraid," she said flatly.

This was not really a denial.

"You should reach it by tomorrow. Do not disappoint me," Salem concluded.

The Seer cracked and dissolved before anyone could see it.

Cinder just stood there.

"Hey," Shine startled her.

Cinder turned to give her a wary look.

"Are you okay?" Shine inquired. "You walked over here and haven't come back. I thought a Grimm ate you."

She was too close for comfort on that.

"I'm fine! I didn't want to sit near any of you," Cinder snapped, being a terrible liar.

Shine gave her a long look, and Cinder felt as if she was looking right through her and knew she was lying.

"You know," Shine said after a pause, "perhaps we have not made ourselves the most approachable, and I'm sorry for that. But you should know, if you have a real problem, I would never mock you for it. Only for the made up ones."

Cinder didn't find that last part funny at all.

Shine shrugged it off. "All joking aside, you know, you could just talk about it."

"As if I would ever do that!" Cinder snapped. "I don't need your help! I don't need any of you!"

"But you need Salem?" Shine said.

Cinder frowned. "Why... why would you say that?"

Shine pointed to her Grimm arm.

Oh... just that.

"You know, you never needed her," Shine said firmly. "There are things far more powerful than Salem out there, but gifts have to be given, not taken. The trouble with pursuing dark powers is they always take everything from you and give you very little back. It's not a good investment plan. That arm will give you the power to draw out other people's souls, and it will destroy yours, if you use it. And 'what is it to a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul'? Salem has her own fate to suffer, Cinder, don't join her in it. It's not too late for you yet. You're still more human than Grimm."

"I suppose you won't just take the Grimm out of her also?" Cinder said.

Shine looked at her oddly. "She's had it for so long that I think doing that would kill her. Nothing else holds her together except the gods' power. If they go, she'll go with them. And in the end, her fate was always in their hands if she's refusing to abandon that. And if they go, you'll go also, sooner or later. If you make it that far. You might want to think about even doing that."

Cinder glanced behind her... but she didn't think Shine had seen the Grimm.

"Salem might kill you before you ever summon the gods," she said.

"I won't summon the gods," Shine said dryly. "She will. But she won't get what she wants without us there. Never. I was giving her a chance to get that. If she turns it down, she's a fool, and you are too if you ignore that. Don't be so easily pleased. You should want more than this."

She gestured around. "Or is it your problem that you want too little, not too much? The things that aren't worth having."

"What are you talking about?" Cinder asked. "Did I do something to incite this? I didn't ask you. Leave me alone."

"If you want that." Shine threw up her hands. "Fine. Let me know if you change your mind."

She walked away.

Cinder let out a sigh of either relief or disappointment. If one part of her had hoped Shine had heard that whole thing so that she could claim later that she'd been caught... well, that made no sense. 

But somehow she didn't feel that happy about Salem's alleged plan.