The man stands above me with a sharp glistening knife. His green eyes glow in the darkness. "This is what you get for being weak."

"Ugh!" I struggle against the bonds that hold me in place on the cold metal. My wrists burn as the cuffs hold me. "I tried!" I cry.

"You didn't try hard enough!" Peggy screams.

My struggling intensifies. "I'm sorry!" I cry.

"It's too late!" Her face flashes in front of my face. Her nose is crooked and dripping blood. Her eyes are surrounded by black, yellow and green bruises. "Look what happened to me because you were too weak."

"I'm sorry!" I sob.

"Mattie!"

I toss and turn my head from side to side as the voice continues to taunt me. "Mattie!"

My eyes snap open. I shoot up as my breathing comes in gasps of air.

"Hey! You're okay!"

I look to the side, ready to bolt. But my gaze meets familiar blue eyes.

"Cam!" I cry. I twist to grab him in a hug but my back screams in pain. I freeze halfway.

Cam's eyes soften. "Lay back down," he says as he places his hands on either of my shoulders and guides me back down.

"What happened?" I ask.

Cam sighs. "I'm not completely sure."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugs and runs a hand through his already messy brown hair. "Where do you want me to start?"

"From when we met up." My eyelids are heavy and threatening to close on me.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest more?"

I shake my head.

He sighs. "Fine. When we met up again you asked how I got Tace to help. Well, it turns out that Tace wasn't happy with Om for turning us over. So when I first ran from the bandits... I... didn't think I was going to come back for you." He looks away.

"Cam..." I reach out and take his hand. "I never expected you too."

"But I shouldn't have left you!" His voice cracks. "What kind of friend does that?"

I frown. "You were just looking out for yourself. I told you to run!"

Cam shakes his head. "I still shouldn't have done that." He looks down at me. My eyes widen with surprise when I see the tears that fall from his eyes. "I'm sorry Mattie."

"Oh Cam. I forgive you." I would reach up and hug him if my back didn't hurt so much. Tears start to pool in my eyes. "Continue with your story before I start crying!"

Cam chuckles. "Right. So as I was... running away I bumped into Om, who was hanging upside down."

"What? Why were they doing that?"

"I guess Tace was mad at them for hurting us like that. They still refused to help after both me and Tace tried to get them to change their mind. So, Tace decided to help. It passed a plan through Om."

"And you trusted them to tell the truth?"

Cam nods. "They explained to me why they did what they did. Even seemed regretful."

"So then why didn't they help save me?"

Cam shrugs. "They wouldn't say much about it when I asked. Just that it wouldn't end well for them if they did."

I snicker. "So they're weak?"

Cam shakes his head. "They definitely aren't weak."

I roll my eyes. "Then why-"

"If I helped, I wouldn't be able to go back to them for business. Which means I would lose one of my important partners in helping me stay alive."

I glance over to my other side. Om steps out from the shadows. Their hazel eyes shadowed in darkness.

"You care about business more than someone's life?" I ask.

Om rolls their eyes. "When it's my life on the line? Yes."

"What do you mean?" Cam asks. He sends a glare down at me.

Seriously? Why is he taking their side?

"I live on my own. I use nature and even then, Tace only lets me take a bit."

"What would the bandits have given you then?"

"Meat."

I raise a brow. "Why would you need them to give you that? Can't you hunt?"

Om sighs. "I know how to hunt, but Tace doesn't like it when I hurt its animals. And I can't keep living off of just berries and leaves."

"But it's okay with you trading for meat?"

Om shrugs. "I don't question Tace. It wants me to live but doesn't want me to hurt anything."

Cam strokes his chin. "It... makes sense."

My eyes widen as my mouth forms an o. "You're siding with them?"

Cam shrugs before rubbing the back of his neck. "Yes and no. Yes because it would suck to not be able to do hunting when you can only count on yourself to stay alive. And no, because it was wrong to try and trade us."

"Well I'm still mad." I cross my arms over my chest as best I can but pain shoots through my back. I scrunch my face up.

Cam sighs. "I am too."

Om looks away from us and rubs the back of their neck. From this angle it almost looks like there's shame decorating their face. I scoff. If they were sorry then why would they act like they're not? Like what they tried to do was something normal.

My jaw lackens as one question swims in my mind. "Have... have you...?" My tongue tries to stop the question from slipping out. After a few tries I manage to ask, "Have you tried to trade humans before?"

Om's head snaps back towards us. Their eyes are as wide as saucers, along with their open mouth. "No!" they gasp. "Never!"

"Then why would you try with us?"

Oms hands flap around them as their words spill out from their mouth. "I didn't have anything else. With the dying islands my resources for finding items to make and trade has shrunken. It was a desperate and stupid move and I- I-" Om takes a deep breath as they rub their eyes. "I'm sorry."

As I look into their water filled eyes I know that they're telling the truth. I let go of the tension I was holding and my face slacks at the release of it. I want to both forgive and not forgive them. I can vaguely understand why they did it, but it hurts to know that they had planned that. Was that they're plan all along? To trade us? "Were you ever planning to actually help us save my friend?"

Om flinches like they've been punched in the gate.

I guess that's my answer.

"I... I wasn't sure." They don't meet mine or Cam's gaze. Instead they hug themself and stare down at the ground.

I look up at Cam to see his gaze unfocused and his mouth set in a determined line. I reach out and poke his arm. He jumps a little before looking back at me. I raise a brow, trying to ask him what he's thinking without saying any words.

He looks down at me for a long moment before sighing. "I don't know what to do."

I close my eyes. "So what do we do?"

My question is met with silence. Meaning no one has an answer.

After what feels like a long time of just thinking Om speaks up. "I'll still take you to the capital if you'd like."

I crack my eyes open a bit. Looking out of them the way a cat would judge their owner. "Can we trust you not to try and trade us to anyone?"

Om nods.

I flick my gaze to Cam. "What do you think?"

Cam stares at Om. They seem to hide within themself. Their shoulders hunched in and their gaze downcast. He looks back down at me. "I think we should at least let them take us there." He leans in closer and lowers his voice. "We don't need to trust them but if they can take us there then that's something, right?"

I nod.

Cam sits up again and nods. "We'd like it if you did still guide us to the capital."

Om's frown shifts into a small but sad smile. "I'll make sure we get there safely."

I glare at them. "And there better not be any tricks up your sleeves."

Om nods. "Not this time. I'll take you directly there." They pause. "But... The bandits did tell me something that could be useful to us."

I raise a brow. "Oh? What's that?"

"They told me that King Za has an announcement to make regarding the dying parts of Tace. That he has found a way to save them." Om brings their hand to their chin and leaves it there.

"What could he have found?" Cam asks.

Om shrugs. They lower their hand. "That's the thing. I've asked Tace a million times about how to save it and it's told me there's no saving it. So I have no clue what Za could have found."

I scrunch my brows down until I can almost see the hair that makes them up. "Could... healing powers save an island?" I ask.

Cam's eyes widen. "You don't think..."

"If the powers are strong enough?" Om shrugs. "It's possible."

I think back to the fights that Peggy's been severely hurt in. How fast she was able to heal herself. She's even healed me when I've gotten hurt. She had tried to save my dad but... he was gone by the time she tried. Could she even be able to heal an island? Some of it is still alive. Would that allow for her to heal the dead parts? Would the dead parts be considered dead or just bruised?

"Mattie?"

I shake my head and glance up at Cam.

"You don't think...?"

I nod. "I think Za has Peggy."

A harsh laughter erupts. I whip my head towards Om to see them doubled over. Their hands on their knees. They look up and their eyes shine with water. "You think Za would kidnap your friend?"

I nod. "It makes sense." I pause. "On a small scale," I add.

Om shakes their head. "Why would he kidnap someone who's not from here?"

"Because she has healing powers."

Oms laughter stops. "What?"

Cam nods. "Where we're from the friend that was kidnapped, she, well. She has powers and is considered a superhero."

Oms brows lower. "Powers? A superhero?"

I nod.

Om barks out a laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"Oh. So someone having powers is so much harder to believe than an island that can talk?"

Om snaps their mouth shut.

"That's what I thought."

"Mattie," Cam hisses.

"What?"

"Everyone has a different sense of reality. You can't just go around and be mad if yours doesn't fit." He shakes his head. A frown on his lips.

"I-"

He has a point, doesn't he? I had the same reaction to a talking living floating island, didn't I? Or, I had a similar reaction. I sigh. What is wrong with me? Has Peggy being missing affected me so much that I can't even see others' perspective? "I'm sorry, Om. It's no excuse, but this whole situation has had me on edge and more scared than I've ever been. I'm so scared and worried that we'll never save Peggy or that if we do..." I bring my hands up to my face and hold them palm up to myself. "That she'll be so hurt and broken she'll never be the same."

Something rustles beside my ear. I lower my hands to see Om sitting beside me. Their face is sprinkled with freckles that I've never noticed before. They smile down at me. "I understand where you're coming from. I forgive you."

I smile. "Thank you."

"Should we get a move on?" they ask, looking between me and Cam.

Cam looks down at me, his eyes filled with hope. "What do you say?"

I grin. "I'd love to!"

"Let's get going then before it gets dark and we lose more of today." Om stands up and offers a hand to help me up.

I take it and right as I try to stand it's like something digs into my back. I yowl in pain and drop back onto the ground.

Both Om's and Cam's faces are wide with shock and worry. "Are you okay?" Cam asks.

I nod though the pain flares in my back again. "I... don't th-ink... I can... move," I gasp through the pain.

"What are we going to do then?" Cam asks. He looks between me and Om. Never settling on either of our faces before turning back to the other.

"I know someone who could heal you," Om says. A hand rests on their chin. "It's about a day's travel from here."

"How will we get there if she can't move?" Cam asks.

"I might have any idea but it'll take me a bit to convince Tace."

"Mats? What do you say?"

I nod.

Om nods, their face set in determination. "You two stay here while I start working." Then they turn and disappear into the trees.

Cam kneels and takes my hand. "It'll be okay," he whispers.

I nod once more with a small smile before closing my eyes.