"What you're saying," Bainon rested his elbows on his desk, his brows low on his forehead, "has merit. I'm not sure your - Narissa would go for it."

"Who's king?" Eric asked, arching a brow. "You, or Narissa?"

"Touché." Bainon rubbed his eyes with a sigh. "It won't be easy."

"Nothing worth fighting for ever is." Phoenix glanced at Eric, who nodded in encouragement. "Your Majesty, wouldn't you rather save the lives of your men, your people? What will war do to Osha? To the economy? Not just any war - civil war. Mother against daughter and brother against brother?"

"I've already fought brother against brother," Bainon said, his tone dark. "That's how I ended up here in the first place." He eyed Phoenix warily. "You were raised by my sister?"

"She was the greatest woman I've ever known," Phoenix said, a lump rising in her throat. "One of the last things she ever told me was that you were her favorite brother."

It was Bainon's turn to try and clear the emotion from his throat. "I didn't - I thought - I never heard from her again. I didn't know what happened to her."

"Does this mean you're willing to meet with your nephew?" Eric asked. "Will you talk peace...without Narissa?"

#

Noelle awoke before the sun, someone rustling nearby. Keeping her body still, she turned her head and peered through the darkness. Mygel knelt near Gwen's sleeping form, something in her hands. It wasn't a weapon, but instantly Noelle knew it wasn't safe. Her heart pounded, and she decided to act fast.

She sat upright, screaming at the top of her lungs.

People woke up all around her, and those keeping watch on the perimeter came rushing in. Maverick, to her left, shot up, fists raised as Roman yelped and bounded to his feet as well, his long hair in dissaray.

"What is it?"

"What's wrong?"

"Who screamed?"

"What's happening?"

Choruses of panic echoed all around, and Noelle stared around just as confused. "Did you hear that?" she asked Roman, twisting around in her bed roll, eyes wide and innocent.

"It sounded like Canya," Roman said, his voice thick with sleep. "Could she have escaped?"

"It wasn't Canya." Mygel stood nearby, stuffing something into her trouser pockets as she stared around. "But I thought it came from by you." She gestured to Noelle, a suspicious glint in her eyes.

"I don't think I can scream that loud," Noelle said, maintaining her wide-eyed naivete, wrapping her arms around herself. Apparently growing up with Aundreya had prepared her more than she realized.

"Why would Noelle scream?" Youlden asked, sitting relaxed, his eyes on Mygel. "Unless she had something to scream about?"

Gwen, who hadn't said a word, let out a yelp and rolled away from where she'd been lying. "Snake!"

"Snake?" Roman appeared at Gwen's side, moving almost too fast to see. He pulled Gwen to her feet, away from her bedroll and stared down. "It is a snake. It's an Echis. They aren't supposed to live outside the desert. Everyone stay back!"

"How do you know what an Echis looks like?" Mygel asked, sounding both surprised and annoyed.

"I love snakes." Roman moved closer to it, squatting down and staying on light feet. "My mother found me every book on them she could get in our village, even ordering away for ones from the capital. Hah!" He jutted out, grabbing onto the snake and righting himself. He held the snake's head in his hands, incapacitating it.

"How'd you do that?" Mygel asked, mouth open in awe.

"I'm faster than they are." Roman glanced around. "I'm going to take a quick run and find somewhere dry for this guy. Any objections?"

No one said anything, and Roman zipped away in a blur.

"Let's change shifts," General Yow said, standing not far away. "Next round of watch is up. Everyone else, try and get some sleep. It's just midnight and we have a busy day tomorrow."

Noelle eyed General Yow, the thick leather gloves on his hands - similar to Mygel's - and wondered if he had any natural talent for snakes.

"We still don't know who screamed," Mygel said, a grate in her voice that Noelle was sure no one else noticed.

"We'll double the watch," Yow said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. "Thicken the fog, Mygel."

"Yes, sir." Mygel shot a curious glance back at Noelle, who avoided eye contact, before walking away.

General Yow still stood too close for conversation, so Noelle said nothing to the others, watching as they bedded back down. All except Youlden. He eyed her as though he could read her mind. His gaze flickered to Mygel, then Gwen, then back, one eyebrow raised.

Noelle nodded.

"I think I'll join the watch," Youlden said, turning his attention to Maverick. "Never hurts to keep an extra eye out."

"Sounds fine," Maverick yawned, already on his back. "Trustworthy as always."

#

"I guess I just don't understand how we didn't know about Gwen at all," Juno said, arms crossed as she glared around at the Ancient Order. "We're the chosen to watch the royal family."

"Her mother kept her secret," Zenith said, his expression blank. "If Adonai didn't tell us, he must not have wanted anyone to know."

"Who will keep her safe if no one is watching over her?" Qi asked, her black eyes glittering with concern. "She's alone. That snake could have killed her."

"Could have," Finny said, "but didn't. She has friends watching over her."

"Maybe you should be paying closer attention to your charge and less attention to the Militia, Finnestra," Juno snapped, glowering at Finny. "They're coming for Bainon, and I won't let what happened to Zenith and Qi happen to me. I'm not losing my charge."

"Sounds like someone is willing to cross the line of Watcher to interloper." Selene said with an arched brow. "It's not your job to intervene."

"Beg pardon, Selene. You might be the princess of all that is good and pure, but you don't seem to mind when Castor and Altair interfere on behalf of your children," Juno said through clenched teeth.

Castor, who had been swirling a tiny tornado in his hand, bored of the whole conversation, looked up. "Depends on what interfering looks like. If you want to stand by Bainon's side as he faces off with Maverick, be our guest. If you plan on attacking Maverick in order to protect Bainon, we will stop you."

"I admit, I've been one to lose my temper once or twice," Altair said, glancing at Castor, who grinned. "But Castor has often brought me back to a place of peace. Please, Juno, don't think acting rashly will benefit any of us here."

Castor let his little tornado dance off his finger tips, bouncing into the middle of the circle and dying out. "Not to mention, Maverick isn't the one you should be worried about."

"No," Finny said, lifting her chin. She hated to be called Finnestra, and Castor could practically see the steam rising from her ears. "Aundreya is the one to worry about. Her and Narissa. The sorceress is under the influence of a gifted mind-controller."

"It's more than just lies now?" Elyo asked, eyes widening.

"She's successfully convincing people to do her bidding," Castor said. "Including people she shouldn't have influence over."

"What happens if they go to war?" Qi asked, glancing around the circle. "None of your charges are on the same side. They're scattered. Ares and Phoenix are in the middle while Maverick and Bainon are on opposite ends."

"That's what Phoenix and Ares were made for," Altair said with a wan smile. "They're meant to be the ones in the middle, bringing peace."

"There won't be peace," Zenith said, his deep voice like a rumble of thunder. "They will go to war."

"How can you be sure?" Selene asked. "Ares and Phoenix are -"

"Too late," Zenith said. "By the time they speak to Bainon, even if he sees sense, it will be too late."

A chill ran down Castor's spine, and he looked to Altair. A similar expression crossed his comrade's face.

"Perhaps we should be standing here, then," Finny said, eyeing Juno. "I think it's time we all returned to our charges and prepared for the worst."

They disappeared one by one until only Elyo, Selene, Altair and Castor remained.

"There'll be war," Selene said, her eyes out of focus. "And all we can do is watch."

"We'll do what we can," Altair said. "Your children won't be alone. We'll watch over them."

"Both of them," Castor said with a nod.

"We ought to warn them, don't you think?"

"That it's too late?" Castor sighed. "We could send a message. Samson is very receptive."

Altair pursed his lips together at the mention of Samson, but nodded. "We do what we must."

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuys.

I mean seriously.

Things are getting closer to going insane.

Just a warning...