Roman entered the room with Helena just behind him. He could see Narissa through the balcony doors, two Army soldiers at her side for protection. A young woman jumped as they entered, and Roman balked.

"Noelle? How'd you get in here?"

She arched a brow, darker than it had been. In fact, everything about her was darker than it had been, her hair, her eyebrows, her eyes.

"My sister's here?" she asked, batting her lashes. "Noelle's here?"

"Aundreya," Roman said, understanding. "You must be Aundreya."

"If she's our enemy," Helena said, eyeing Aundreya suspiciously. "We ought to-"

"I'm not your enemy." Aundreya turned her unblinking stare on Helena. "I'm no one. I'm no threat to you. You aren't worried about me, and because of that, there's no reason to kill me."

Roman nodded, calmed by Aundreya's words. "She's not a threat."

"Leave her be," Helena agreed.

"Why are you here?" Aundreya asked. "You want to tell me. You want to protect me. I'm so fragile and innocent. You want to keep me safe from what's going on out there."

Helena blinked, slow, drowsy. "We're here to kill Narissa and Bainon - to stop their tyranny and put a new heir on the throne."

"Bainon isn't here," Aundreya said. "He left. He's out there fighting somewhere."

"What?" Helena balked. "But that's not what we need. This was always Tarvril's safe room. He never would have left it during war."

"Tarvril isn't Bainon," Roman said, still eyeing the closed balcony doors. They hadn't heard them yet, but it was only a matter of time. "Let's do what we came for."

#

Abigail ran after Trey, screaming his name. He disappeared amidst the fighting bodies, and Abigail stood there, unsure of what to do.

Arms wrapped around her and pulled her back away from the fighting. "What are you doing here?"

She stared up at Eric, eyes wide. "Trey's here. I have to get him home."

Beside Eric, Bainon battled with a Militant. "Aha! Take that! You backwards thinking baboon! Come and get me!"

"Which way did he go?" Eric asked. "Let me go after him. You get to safety."

"I can't leave knowing everyone I love is here fighting."

"Abigail, you're not a trained fighter. You need to leave."

"Eric!" Bainon's cry of warning forced Eric to push Abigail aside in order to bring up his sword.

"This is ridiculous," he said, once the enemy was dispatched. He helped Abigail to her feet. "I'm slowing this down."

Dropping to his knees, Eric planted his palms on the ground. With a guttural cry, he let loose his power. Ice spread over the ground, like a lake in the dead of winter. Army and Militia soldiers alike slipped and slid along the ground, unable to keep their footing to fight.

Eric swayed, his strength drained by the effort. Abigail braced him and helped him stand.

"I think now you'll want me to stay."

"Let's get him inside," Bainon said, draping Eric's arm over his shoulder. "Out of the way."

#

Aundreya stayed out of their way as Roman moved to the balcony and threw open the doors. Narissa didn't turn, keeping her focus on the fight below.

"Ice! That's my boy," she said, not turning as she gave an order. "Whoever it is, kill them."

The two soldiers with her stepped forward, engaging Roman in battle. He fought them with ease, fast enough to keep an eye on both of them. He stopped the blade of the man on the left. A sword burst through the chest of the man on the right. Roman finished off his adversary and stared in shock as both fell.

Helena stood with a bloodied blade, having just stabbed the man in the back. "You're welcome."

Before Roman could react, she turned and grabbed Narissa by the scruff of her dress and pulled her backwards, away from the railing. Helena didn't stop until she'd dragged Narissa inside the room.

The sorceress threw off Helena's hands, whirling around in a rage. She stopped cold at the sight of Helena.

"You."

"Me." Helena lifted her chin. "I'm hear to avenge the death of my beloved. You murdered him, and now I'll murder you."

Narissa snorted. "A nothing little human like you wants to take on a sorceress like me?" Her hands lit up with energy. "Happy to play."

"I'm stronger than you are, Narissa." Helena squared her shoulders. "Maybe I don't have powers like yours, but I brought a Militia smaller than your Army into your city and have had the upper hand since this battle began. I'm walking away from this fight. Not you."

"We'll see about that."

"I killed your aunt myself," Helena said, teeth bared. "I ran her through and I'll run you through. Then I'll take your prized little Eric and hang him from a tree. I'll cut Bainon into bits. I'll destroy everything you've ever loved."

Narissa screamed, launching toward Helena. Roman moved to intervene, but Helena brought her hands up and caught Narissa, throwing them both to the ground.

Something electric and explosive ignited, throwing Roman backwards into the wall. He heard someone cry out in surprise, and everything went dark.

#

Phoenix ran right into fog, creating as much fire as she could. Samson followed on her tail. When she entered, Phoenix realized there was more than just Mygel within, but she threw her punches with swift grace, hitting a man in the jaw with her blazing fist.

The light danced around her, casting strange shadows as Mygel appeared, swinging her sword with a scream. Phoenix ducked the blade and rolled. She could hear Samson somewhere nearby, no doubt in his own struggle.

Twisting her body, Phoenix knocked Mygel's feet out from under her. When the other woman hit the floor, Phoenix pounced, letting her hands grow as hot as another person could handle.

Mygel screamed, wriggling under Phoenix's grip.

"Who's with you?" she asked, thinking of what Harold had said in the dungeons. Maybe it's time for a new family on the throne. "Who's after the Tremaines?"

Mygel kicked her leg up, kneeing Phoenix in the back.

"Ow! Hey!" Phoenix moved her hands and sat back to immobilize Mygel's legs. "Let's try this again." She let the heat rise, burning a new spot on Mygel's arms. "Who are you working with?"

With a shriek, Mygel writhed beneath her touch.

"Yoro!"

Phoenix insides twisted, and she clenched her teeth down hard as she lightened up on the heat. "And who else? Who is the traitor of the Ancients?"

"I don't know!" Mygel cried. "I don't. We don't know who it is. We just do what they want."

"Is it just the two of you, or is the whole Militia in on it?" Phoenix squeezed Mygel's arms, gritting her teeth against the savagery. "Tell me!"

"No. Just -" Mygel's mouth popped open, her eyes going glassy. She made an odd gasping sound and fell silent.

Shocked, Phoenix looked up. The fog didn't hang as thick, dissipating in Mygel's strange state. Yoro stood there, his focus on Mygel.

"What are you doing?" Phoenix asked, horrified. "Stop! Stop it!"

"Don't worry," Yoro said, shifting his attention to her. "You're about to join her."

Phoenix's throat constricted, her vision darkening. She tried to cry out, but couldn't find breath. Pain seared through her body, and in a burst of anger, she pushed out a scream of rage in the form of fire bursting from her body.

Instantly her vision cleared and she could suck in breath. It was Yoro's turn to scream as he fought off her flames, enveloping him as he backed into the fog. Sickened, Phoenix looked away. Mygel lay still nearby, whether alive or dead, Phoenix didn't know.

The mist lifted, and Phoenix saw Yoro lying in a burned heap. She fought the urge to vomit and turned her head, catching sight of two others fighting in the hallway. The two men rolled along the tiled floor, throwing punches, their swords forgotten.

"Hey!" She leapt to her feet, rushing over to pull Youlden backwards off of Samson. "Stop! He's with me."

"P-Phoenix?" Youlden stumbled backward, eyes widening. "You're all right!" He pulled her into a hug. "We've been looking for you everywhere. Or I think we all have - I lost track of the others in the fog ages ago."

Samson groaned, blood dripping from his split lip as he sat up.

"Are you all right?" Phoenix dropped down beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I followed you in and started fighting the first person I ran into." Samson gestured up at Youlden. "I take it he's one of yours?"

"You don't remember him?" Phoenix asked, smirking at him. "He was the one who almost killed Eric in the Pass."

Samson and Youlden frowned at each other for a brief moment.

"No," they said together.

"What happened to her?" Youlden asked, pointing at Mygel. "And who's that?"

"Yoro tried to kill Mygel to keep her from talking to me. I...I killed Yoro." Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes against the memory, her stomach churning again.

A heavy hand fell on her shoulder. "Death is never easy," Samson whispered, pulling her to her feet. "You never have to let it be easy. Come on, we should get you out of here."

"About Mygel." Youlden fell into pace beside her, telling her everything Noelle had overheard while hiding in the kitchens.

"She was just about to tell me the third person when Yoro did whatever he did." Phoenix followed Samson as he turned a corner. "Where are we going?"

"We need to find Eric and Maverick...and anyone sane to find a way to stop all of this."

She was so close to getting the answer! Darn you, Yoro!!