"There's something we need to discuss with you," Eric said, glancing back at Phoenix. His stomach flipped at the thought of speaking so boldly with the man he'd brought up to see with reverence. 

His world still didn't seem settled. Everything felt right, but nothing felt sane. Every time he looked at Phoenix, the word sister floated through his brain, giving him a strange, giddy feeling. He still hadn't processed meeting Selene and Elyo.

My parents.

"It must be urgent, to be out so late." Bainon gestured for them to sit, shuffling his thank you cards and setting them off to the side. "Don't tell me you're breaking your engagement to Aundreya for this exotic young creature?" Bainon's brow furrowed, but then he shrugged it off. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I like her anyway."

"No," Eric said, a little too loudly. "Well, I mean yes, I will be breaking my engagement to Aundreya but this..." he hesitated, smiling at Phoenix. "This is actually my sister by blood. Her parents are the same as mine."

Bainon's eyes widened and he examined Phoenix with new interest. "My, my. Two of you? I didn't - most Ancients are only ever heard of having one. Who's older?"

"I am, by two years," Eric said, holding up his hands palm down as Phoenix did the same to show their matching markings. 

"Well I'll be damned." Bainon shook his head. "I suppose with another one of you, there's no way to pretend you're my heir for much longer."

"That's why we're here." Phoenix shot a cautious look at Eric, nodding to him.

"Clarice's son is alive," Eric said. "He didn't die when the attack was ordered on his family. I made sure of it." Bainon didn't speak, his eyes growing round. "His name is Maverick, and he's the rightful heir to the throne."

"He's a good man, Your Majesty," Phoenix said, her gaze pleading. "If you would only meet with him - talk with him - I'm sure he'd be willing to learn from you, to learn what it would take to be king when you've passed on or are ready to step down."

Bainon's face darkened. "Would this be the same heir we hear tell of leading the Militia? The one hells bent on murdering me and seizing my crown?"

"He's not leading it, and he'd be the first to want a peaceful agreement between the Militia and the Army, I know he would."

Leaning back in his chair, Bainon steepled his fingers. "Go on."

#

"Mygel and Yoro, working together?" Maverick stared at Noelle, not wanting to believe her. "Why? Why would they want to harm us?"

"They want a new family on the throne." It was Pollemius who answered, his expression grave. "I've heard rumblings, the faintest whispers, but I never thought anyone would do anything about it. It's absurd - especially for a Guardian. It's treason to our kind." 

"Not unexpected, though." Finny set the list down, shaking her head. "Guardians and Ancients have been drawn to darkness since time began. It was a fallen Ancient who cut down Tremaine and Helix, breaking the Ancient Circle by lessening our numbers.  Guardians have turned on their fellows before in war, sometimes because they think they're doing what's best. Look at us here, Guardians and Ancients on both sides."

"This is different," Pollemius countered. "This isn't two sides of one royal coin. They want to play with new pieces all together." 

"Then can the Militia be trusted?" 

Maverick cut his gaze to Youlden, who'd spoken while still staring out the window. "What do you mean?"

"Two prominent members are out to kill you, with a third among them we don't know yet. Who's to say it isn't Helena? Or one of the Generals? Or Canya, escaped from her cell much as she did when she snuck in on Noelle?"

"Helena wouldn't do this," Roman said, shaking his head. "She's too determined to have Maverick on the throne. It's all she talks about - when he's king."

"It could be a general," Noelle said, frowning. "There've been times they've come against Maverick, and they seemed more annoyed than surprised by his absence when he fell ill."

"Canya seemed intent on it not being her," Maverick said. "When we spoke to her, she insisted she wasn't the one who wanted us dead."

"Then why did she attack us on our way here?" Youlden asked. "She wanted to kill Trey, and was ready to take us out as well."

"And that assassin who attacked before Phoenix left was after Trey as well - not me." Maverick shook his head. "There are too many traitors among us, and all of them want someone different dead."

"What do we do?" Roman asked, voicing the question going through all of their heads.

"We leave as planned," Maverick said. "But we trust no one."

The Militia struck out early the next morning, half of them on horseback, the other half with the caravan of supplies. As they'd agreed, Maverick and the others had their own food stashed away under Finny's watchful eye, labeled as weapons. 

Maverick's heart hammered as they rode, going over the battle plans with the generals. Gwen and Noelle shared a horse beside his, Noelle barely weighing enough for the horse to notice. Gwen leaned on Noelle for support, her color improving in the fresh air. 

"When we get there, I want to offer them a chance at peace," Maverick said. "If we speak with them, maybe they'll see reason and - "

"See reason? We're staging a coup, Your Highness. We can't tell them first." General Pull shot him a sympathetic smirk. "It's not a 'please can we take over the castle now?' and they say 'Oh sure - go ahead and have the throne and all it's power.' No sane person would go for it."

"I don't want blood on my hands for a crown," Maverick countered, frowning. "I want this to be as bloodless as possible."

"That's our goal," Helena said, nodding even as she frowned at the generals. "We don't want to lose any more than we have to." 

Days passed as they traveled through only desolate areas, avoiding towns and using Mygel to create fog so no one would see them and alert the Army.  The fog brought cold with it, and all of them bundled up as they sat around fires, many dreaming about what life would be like without Bainon.

"Is he really that bad?" Youlden asked in a whisper to the group as they sat around their own fire. "I get that executions are bad, really, but it's not like most people live in fear of being killed just for sneezing."

"But people aren't free," Roman said, breaking twigs apart and chucking them into the flames. 

"Free to rise up and commit treason you mean?" Youlden's brows arched. "Maverick, are you planning on letting the people rise up against you if they decide they don't like you and want to murder you and replace you with someone else?"

Roman snorted. "Well, when you put it that way."

"Don't rebellions like the Militia rise up for a good reason, though?" Noelle asked, sitting to Maverick's right. 

"Bainon's rose up because Tarvril murdered a bunch of Guardians," Youlden said. "And now we're rising up against Bainon - all I want is a reason why."

Maverick's jaw tensed. "Because Narissa steals children and brainwashes them into thinking their hers; she had my father and mother killed' she--" 

"She did. And she seems like a horrific creature," Youlden agreed. "But I'm not talking about Narissa. I'm asking why we're going after Bainon."

"What do you mean?" Maverick asked. "It's the same thing."

"Is it?" Gwen, who sat wrapped in a cloak and a blanket, finally spoke. "My father was mad - he murdered innocent beings. My mother fled. Does she deserve to die just because she was married to my father? Does Bainon deserve to die just because he's married to Narissa?"

"It's not like we can ask him to kindly step down," Noelle said. "Even if he were to consider it, a sorceress like Narissa could just change his mind."

Helena approached with Finny, a tentative smile on her aged face. "Might we join you?"

They shifted to allow them to sit, and Finny relaxed among them while Helena sat as ramrod straight as ever.

"I'm sorry to barge in," she said with a shiver. "I just wanted to check and see how you both were feeling - how you all were feeling. I want you to know I have a few individuals quietly making inquiries on your behalf."

"Who?" Maverick asked. They hadn't told Helena, as Finny had decided they couldn't risk the woman flying off the handle this close to the coup. None of them thought she'd take Mygel's betrayal well.

"Only trustworthy individuals. I asked Quilla of the Guardians to keep an eye out as well as Mygel. They'll report anything suspicious to me." Helena's head bobbed solemnly. 

"What about Canya?" Noelle asked, the firelight glinting in her eyes and causing Maverick to shiver. 

"What about her?"

"She's not here, is she? She attacked us once before, wouldn't it make sense for her to do it again?" 

Maverick frowned down at Noelle, trying to discern what she was doing, but Noelle's face gave nothing of her thoughts away.

"No, we left her behind with the women who had children too young to join. They'll keep an eye on her, take care of her needs, but we couldn't trust her this close to our victory."

"What's going to happen to her if we succeed?" Maverick asked.

"We'll do our best to find a way for her to be part of society, being Mygel's mother and all." Helena sighed, shaking her head. "The woman is truly mad, and I'm not sure how we can help her, but we'll do the best we can. The last time I went down to the dungeons to speak to her, all she would say is 'tick tock, tick tock.'" 

Noelle stiffened beside Maverick, but said nothing. 

"I'm worried about your sister," Helena continued. "I've been speaking with Finny about it, and she suggested I speak to you."

"What about my sister?" Maverick asked, frowning.

"Her safety. We haven't heard from her in the weeks since she left. At first I didn't think anything of it, but now - there were people after that little boy, and I didn't send anyone to protect them. When I think about them out on their own in Osha -"

"Phoenix can handle anything that comes their way," Roman said, patting Helena on the arm. "We're not worried about her. I think we'd be more worried if we'd heard from her."

Maverick pursed his lips together, wishing that were true. He'd often wondered where Phoenix was and what she was up to, but he had to trust that she knew what she was doing. There had to be a reason she didn't come back.

"You'd better get some rest," Helena said, offering them all a soft smile. "We should reach our final campsite tomorrow."

"What happens then?" Noelle asked, glancing around.

"We do a bit of recon on what we're up against. Then we go to war."

We're getting so close to the climax! ACK! I'm so excited about what's coming, but we can't just flicker there! 

What are you hoping to see before the book is out? Where do you want Mav, Noelle, Phe, Eric, Samson and the gang to be as we head into book three? What do you still want to know? What are you worried about?

Tell me your thoughts! Also, check out the next section if you want something totally unrelated to this book, but still cool!