Rivas was shivering.

Nervous energy still shot through his veins as he strode from Soren's office. Asher's arm weighed heavy on his shoulders; Rivas took another breath, wincing as the air seemed to shrink away. It was cold. The Raek had nearly taken him as he fought it back from Asher's mind, digging deep into his bones. Even though the boy and Soren had reigned it in before that could happen, its freezing touch seemed reluctant to fade.

Rivas adjusted his hold around Asher, willing his muscles to still. His pain was nothing compared to what the boy must've been feeling. Asher was shaking five times as badly; his skin was ice to the touch. And his magic... When he wasn't drugged, it had always blazed like a sun amongst stars, clean and fresh. But now Rivas could feel a bitter chill overtaking Asher's energy, radiating the cursed, warped darkness he'd only ever tied to Soren.

This is my fault. Rivas lifted his head as they neared the staircase, motioning for Wade to follow. It was a struggle to keep his movements calm. This is all my fault.

Rivas shouldn't have used the drug: even taken by surprise, Soren had managed to burn enough of it away to drastically slow the effects. And instead of quickly falling asleep, his magic and the Raek safely out of reach, the king had completely lost control.

Rivas swore under his breath at Soren, and then himself. That fool had let the monster out, and Rivas had accidentally set it free. He should have waited longer. He was supposed to be smarter than this, to know when fear was clouding his judgement. Rivas had wanted to stop the suffering, not cause more. He should have taken the time to alter the drug, make it safer. Acting so soon was a terrible idea.

And yet... Rivas hadn't been able to stand the thought of waiting any longer. He couldn't bear to be sent back to Asher, forced to break the poor boy piece by piece, knowing Soren would watch his every move. The king would test him, again and again, until Rivas either snapped or lost whatever scrap of humanity he had left. It wouldn't take much. Rivas had nearly cracked that morning; Asher's screams still echoed in his ears.

Rash, stupid, emotional thoughts, all of them. Rivas shoved them from his mind, trying to focus as he guided Asher and Wade down the staircase. What was done was done: right now, he could not let what he felt turn him into an idiot again. He intended to live.

As Rivas moved off of the last step, he felt Asher glance in the direction of his cell. The boy flinched away, a quiet whimper escaping his lips. Rivas grimaced and tugged him forward, trying to move past the barred doors as fast as he could. This, too, was his fault. The old guilt speared his heart, and he let it burn there. It was the very least he could do, allowing the things he had done to haunt him. It was the only retribution he knew how to give.

They left the corridor with Asher's cell; Rivas paused for a moment, mentally following the route they needed to take. The northeastern section of the castle—at least at the lower levels—was mostly empty, and only used for storage. Not many walked the halls below the floor Soren's office was at. The only reason Asher's cell was here was because Soren had wanted the boy closer.

He doubted God would bother to listen to him, but Rivas still sent a quick prayer of thanks. The dungeons were much farther from the exit: here, if Rivas was quick, he could still get these boys to safety.

Rivas turned right, gritting his teeth as Asher's weight pressed down onto him again. He still needed to be wary. Rivas hadn't expected Kain to appear outside Soren's office: the king must've called him back. Soren probably hadn't expected this—if he had, Rivas would've already been dead—but he may have taken precautions in case something went wrong. And he hadn't bothered to tell Rivas, which was unfortunately not unusual.

So Rivas kept one eye on the magic, reading its patterns for any hint of the other Valkir. Soren had long since taught them all how to disguise their presence, but if he paid close enough attention, Rivas would still sense something.

"Are you..." Asher faltered, his feet dragging across the floor. "Are you really...?"

"Really what?" Rivas prompted, his voice coming out a little strained. He was tired; as thin and weak as Asher was, the boy wasn't that light. At least he was still talking. That seemed to be a good sign.

"Really... getting us out?"

Rivas' winced. Asher sounded so hesitant, and he had every right to be. "I'm trying, yes."

"Just hold on for now, Ash," Wade interjected. He ducked his head and lifted Asher's other arm around his shoulders, casting the boy a worried glance.

Rivas took a deep breath, relieved to have some help. He didn't know where Wade found the strength: after losing as much blood as he did, the boy had to be terribly lightheaded and weak. And though Rivas couldn't know for sure if Wade had sensed the Raek, he was clearly shaken by something. Still, he seemed to take Asher's weight well enough.

"I'm fine, I'm fi—ah, saev." Asher shivered and lifted his head. Rivas looked down, stiffening as he met the boy's dull gaze. Why were Asher's eyes so much like his own? It was off-putting. "Why didn't you kill Soren?"

"The Raek. It may have broken free." Which was true: Rivas had no doubt that if the king was killed, the Raek would tear free from his body to find another victim. He turned away from Asher, eyeing the hallway ahead of them. It already had, in fact.

"Liar," Asher said wearily, his step faltering as he shuddered. "What's the real reason?"

Because I'm a coward. Rivas grimaced, his concentration slipping. For the first time, he had overpowered Soren. The man who had raised him, the man who held more power than any other in the world, the man who would not hesitate to hunt Rivas down after this betrayal, had been lying on the ground. Vulnerable. And despite everything, Rivas couldn't bring himself to take advantage of that.

Then Kain. It would have been so very easy to catch him by surprise and slit his throat. But Rivas hadn't. When he looked into Kain's eyes, he still saw the boy he had once been, alone and afraid and angry at the world.

But that boy had died long ago. Rivas shook his head and guided the two boys down another hallway. With any luck, they'd be out of the castle within the next few minutes. What an idiot I am. He'd left Kain and Soren alive. It would cost him dearly, but he had left them alive.

"Well?" Asher pressed.

"It's not—" Rivas' voice died in his throat as he sensed a flicker in the magic. He slipped away from Asher and whirled around, twisting a few scraps of lightning around his fingers. Another chill shuddered through him, and his focus wavered. Someone was nearby.

"What is it?" Wade asked, his eyes darting side to side.

"Shh." Rivas tore through the magic; the foreign presence was at the next bend in the hall, only a few yards away. The threads hiding it unraveled at his touch, not bothering to fight back. Rivas tensed as Idris faded into view, her emerald eyes flicking from him to the two boys.

There was a long pause, coiled tight around itself. Idris was holding a book; her fingers tightened around the spine as she stared at Rivas, and then the two boys. Her hair hung loose and wild, and she wore only a loose shirt and pants.

Rivas stiffened, an old memory rising to the fore of his mind. It had been when they were still very young, confined to their quarters at night. Rivas had slipped out of his room, trying to find some solace in the isolation of this very same part of the castle. He'd bumped into Idris as he rounded a corner, sending both of them sprawling. They'd both frozen, caught in the flickering torchlight.

Idris had claimed the silence helped her think when he asked, but Rivas had soon learned she really came to read without being bothered. After talking for a few minutes, they'd struck a deal to not tell on one another and parted ways. Rivas had snuck out a few more times that year; once, he'd glimpsed her curled up in the windowsill of an empty room, an open book on her lap.

It seemed that she hadn't broken that habit, after all.

"What are you doing out here?" Idris finally asked.

Rivas waited a second too long to reply, and he knew it. Idris dropped her book; before Rivas could react, she flung a small, sharp throwing dagger at his heart and turned to run. He cast the blade aside with his magic, extending his reach to Idris and wrenching her back. If she managed to alert the other Valkir, they wouldn't even make it out of the castle.

Idris whirled around, using the momentum of Rivas' tug to close the distance between them. Another dagger appeared in her hand, and she brought it arcing toward his throat.

Rivas twisted away, lifting his arm to block the blow. Pain shredded from his bicep to his shoulder, and he stumbled away. Idris swung at his neck again, her lips pressed tightly together.

There was no time.

Idris would not miss.

Rivas twined his power around Idris' neck, yanking her backwards. Her energy instantly rose to counter his, but even in his current state, Rivas knew he was far stronger. After all, he had been the one to show her techniques to make up for her weak magic. He pushed harder, fracturing Idris' resistance before she could take advantage of those lessons.

With a sharp, decisive crack, Idris' head whipped to the side. She fell without so much as a cry, the knife slipping from her fingers.

Rivas spun around, trying to detect any other discrepancies in the magic. Nothing. He exhaled, dragging his attention back to Idris. Her face was tilted towards him, twisted at a sickening angle. The sharp edge in her eyes had already vanished, replaced by a spreading emptiness and one last, desperate flash of fear.

The silence, sudden and complete, battered at Rivas' ears.

He had killed Idris.

It had been easy.

Rivas' hands were shaking. He quickly clenched them, forcing his face to stay blank. Now was not the time.

"Idris?" Wade's voice wavered, and he flinched away. "What was she doing here?"

Rivas tore his gaze from Idris' body. He dug back into the magic and quickly healed his arm, wincing as the stabbing agony slowly faded. "It looks like she left her room for a stroll. Look, she's wearing nightclothes." His eyes betrayed him, flicking back to Idris. It was so strange, seeing her neck like that. "But maybe not. We should hurry."

Asher's eyes drilled into the side of Rivas' head. "Did you know her well?"

"Take a guess," Rivas snapped, his vision blurring for the smallest moment. He took a sharp breath and moved back to Asher's side, helping Wade pull him down the hall. No matter how fast he moved, though, the image of Idris' broken body lingered.

Focus. Rivas shook his head. Idris would have killed him. He was a weak fool to feel this way. It didn't matter that they'd grown up together, shared stories, helped teach each other when Soren's instructions were not enough. He had no choice; he'd done what was necessary to defend himself and the two boys beside him.

Then again, that was how Rivas had justified many evils. Necessity.

<><><>

It felt like an age passed before they finally reached the servant's exit. Rivas unlocked the door, briefly scanned the castle grounds, and pulled Asher and Wade through. The breeze that struck them was cold, but it smelled of wind and pine. The light of the moon cast everything in silver. All was quiet.

Wade shut the door, released Asher, and slumped against the wall. "Are there guards?"

"Yes, but they don't patrol this area often." Rivas glanced at the outer wall, just visible through the scattered trees. He was not worried about soldiers. Soren would often recruit magic-users too weak to be Valkir into their ranks, but even then Rivas would find no trouble defeating a group of guards. "Take a moment to catch your breath. We won't be able to stop again."

"Whatever you say," Wade muttered. It was difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

Rivas sighed and looked up at the sky, allowing the stars to fill his world for a moment. The air was crisp, the sky wide open. It was a beautiful night.

"Ow." Asher sagged suddenly, his eyelids fluttering shut.

Rivas redoubled his grip on the boy, leaning him against the wall. "Are you alright?"

"If... if you ask me that one more time, I swear I'll..." Asher's mumble drifted, and another tremor wracked the boy's body. He grasped Rivas' arm, his voice shaking. "I'm freezing. Why won't it go away?"

The cold twisting through the boy's magic was growing stronger, brushing against Rivas' mind with frigid fingers. He shook it off, a pang lancing through his chest. "I don't know."

"Please make it go away," Asher whispered, closing his eyes.

Helplessness jolted through Rivas. He lifted his hand, hesitated. He'd done this so many times: instinct told him to comfort the boy, while reason told him he couldn't. Not in the wake of what he had already done. Rivas put his arm down, letting his head fall against the wall. All he could do now was get the boy out of here.

A minute ticked by as Rivas tried to gather his strength. Finally, he stepped forward and used magic to pull the shadows in the air around himself, Asher, and Wade. It wasn't invisibility, exactly, but it would do. "Stay near cover: it'll be easier to hide us."

"Okay." Wade pushed off the wall. The anger and hope in his face had faded to exhaustion, and he struggled to keep his balance. He seemed ready to collapse.

"I'll hold Asher," Rivas said, holding up a hand as Wade moved forward. He helped Asher back upright, realizing his own movements were starting to slow, too. At this point, Rivas was relying mostly on adrenaline. "Just focus on staying awake, Wade."

The boy nodded, swaying a little.

As he started walking, Rivas regretted leaving his cloak behind. The fabric would have helped him blend into the shadows, as well as keep the cold away. He'd need to summon one if the chance came.

Rivas' eyes flicked to Asher, whose breathing was more labored than ever. Maybe two cloaks. Or three. Wade didn't look all that warm, either.

Asher slipped with a muffled cry, nearly bringing Rivas down with him. "Saev, I can't see anything."

Rivas merely adjusted his grip, fighting back a wave of weariness."Only a little further," he murmured, not sure if he was talking to the boy or himself.

When they finally reached the wall, Rivas slowed and reached out with his senses. There was nobody around, aside from the guards that stood atop the gate. He lifted one hand, forcing their blood to slow and their breathing to deepen. A few moments later, two soft thumps told him of his success. Rivas allowed the shadows to slide from his grasp, stepping out into the open.

"What was that?" Wade whispered, craning his neck to squint at the battlements.

"Me clearing the way." Rivas examined the heavy wooden doors of the gate, grimacing. He could deal with the lock, but the portcullis beyond would take afar too much of his waning energy to open. "Hold on to me."

Wade frowned, but reached out to grasp Rivas' shoulder. Rivas closed his eyes and reached for his magic one last time. He willed their bodies to fade, insubstantial as smoke—a simple trick, but dangerous with his concentration as damaged as it was. He quickly tugged the boys forward, ignoring Wade's startled yelp.

They passed through the gate as ghosts; once they reached the other side, Rivas let his power fade away. He looked around, a sharp headache building at the back of his skull. The path here was shaded by trees; if they ignored the road and continued forward, they'd leave the city behind.

"Where are the others?" Wade seemed even more nervous, glancing over his shoulder. The wall blocked out the moon here, casting them in deep shadow.

"They should be waiting in the woods." Rivas had been able to quickly speak to the black dragon while bringing Wade to the castle. It had been strange; the creature communicated only through emotions and images, and yet Rivas had understood it perfectly. If you are lying, I will kill you slowly. "Your dragon said it would find us once we were far enough from the castle."

"Okay." Wade started walking, his steps clumsy but determined. Rivas followed, shaking his head. Wade was brave: foolish, but brave.

Asher dragged his feet, trying to get them under him and failing. "Why are you doing this, Rivas?"

Fear lanced the words. Rivas flinched. He knew the answer, and it was leaning against him. "Later. How are you feeling?"

A strained silence. They reached the trees, and Rivas nearly fell over a stray root. A moment later, Asher's weight wrenched his shoulder down as the boy truly did trip over the jut of wood. Asher's knees struck the dirt, and he stayed there for a few seconds.

"Like death," Asher finally answered. He weakly pushed up as Rivas lifted him again, his bleary gaze moving to the sky. "The cold's stopped growing, but..."

"It's still there?"

The look in Asher's eyes was answer enough. Rivas pushed onward, gritting his teeth. He wouldn't be able to carry the boy for much longer.

Wade had paused, concern heavy in his face as he watched them catch up. "What happened?"

"Fell," Asher managed.

"Ash—" Wade froze, his eyes widening and growing distant. Alarm prickled across Rivas' skin as a foreign presence tore through his mind, wild and worried and angry.

Shadow.

The name was wordless, yet Rivas recognized it as his own. He lifted his eyes as the black dragon jumped across their path, right next to Wade. Its thoughts echoed in his mind oddly, flickering in and out of focus.

"Aurum," Asher whispered, relief shattering his voice.

The dragon—Aurum, apparently—stalked forward, a creature of darkness and grace. Rivas tensed as its golden eyes seared into him, fiercely intelligent and sparking with rage.

I am not an it. Aurum's snout creased as he snarled, bearing twin rows of serrated teeth. He stopped only a foot away, towering over Rivas. Let him go.

Rivas shook off the whirl of image and emotion that passed as communication and released Asher. The boy pulled away, stumbled, leaned into Aurum's neck for support. A tear fell down his cheek, and he buried his face into the dragon's scales.

"You're alright!" The girl Rivas had once meant to kill appeared from behind a tree, desperation and hope and relief and fear battling in her eyes. She raced to Asher's side, ignoring Rivas entirely, and touched his shoulder. Terror swiftly won out; she drew her hand back, as if she'd been burned. Serafina was weak, but even she must have felt the cold pouring from Asher. "What happened?"

"I'll be fine." Asher shook his head, clinging tighter to Aurum. "Help Wade."

Serafina lingered, her eyes drifting to Wade. The other boy had fallen heavily against a tree, his eyes unfocused as he looked on. The worry in Serafina's expression grew stronger, and she turned to Rivas.

"Can you help Ash?" she asked, the question wavering with suspicion and fear. She looked between the two boys, clearly caught.

Rivas nodded. The girl clenched her jaw and pushed past him to Wade, casting one last glance at Asher.

With a start, Rivas realized that the other dragon had appeared. It was circling in the darkness behind him, moonlight sparking off of its blue scales. Rivas briefly met its gaze, his fingers twitching toward his knife.

Idiot. Rivas mentally cursed himself, twisting back around to keep Aurum in his line of sight. He'd gotten himself surrounded. He had just enough strength to teleport, but Rivas wouldn't get far. And he needed to be far: otherwise, Soren would sense and locate him in minutes.

Aurum's anger clawed through Rivas, tearing him from his thoughts. You hunted us. The dragon lowered his head, his eyes flicking toward Asher. The boy still hadn't moved, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. You hurt these children.

Rivas held his ground, itching to run but with nowhere to go. Perhaps this was how he would die, eaten by a vengeful dragon.

Not eaten. Aurum growled low in his throat. Darkness clouds your heart, and a shroud of evil follows you. I'm sure you'd taste rotten.

Rivas flinched. Right. Soren had told him that dragons could read thoughts. He bowed his head, closing his eyes against the image of Idris' body, of the Raek's darkness swirling around Asher. Aurum was right; evil did follow him, and it was of his own making.

Something like a frown flickered across the dragon's face, and he abruptly pushed further into Rivas' mind. The pain in Rivas' skull intensified; he hissed, pressing a hand to his head. The first time had felt like a blunt, jagged knife tearing into his brain; this wasn't quite so agonizing, but a searing blade all the same. More of his memories flashed through his head: waking up, drenched in a cold sweat after sharing that dream with Asher; standing before Soren, clutching the drug in his hand as he worked up the courage to move; lingering in the hallway outside Asher's cell, heart twisting as he heard the boy weep.

Finally, Aurum withdrew. Rivas swayed, the world flickering before his eyes. He'd done much to stay alive; he always had. But right now, he was too tired to care. Far, far too tired. He bowed his head, waiting for the dragon to end him.

Where will you go? Aurum asked instead.

Rivas lifted his head. He tried to keep his true thoughts hidden: the ones that kept spinning through his head, lost and fearful without any semblance of a plan to keep them in check. He really should have waited. I don't know yet, he replied. It felt odd, not needing to say anything aloud.

Serafina stood, helping Wade move to the blue dragon. Once he was mounted, she turned and looked at Asher. Slowly, her gaze turned to Rivas. She strode forward, eyes flashing. "Hey."

Rivas frowned, unnerved by the sudden rage in her gaze. "What?"

"Aurum just spoke to me. You are not leaving." Serafina poked Rivas' chest, whatever fear she'd held previously now hidden behind a mask of anger.

"You will find it difficult to kill me," Rivas warned, keeping his voice low. The threat fell empty: he was exhausted, and it was all too obvious. He shifted his feet, tensing as he looked up at Aurum. There wouldn't even be much of a fight.

Asher laughed weakly, drawing Rivas' attention once again. "She didn't mean it like that."

"No, I didn't." Serafina looked at Asher, and the hostility in her eyes wavered. "You're coming with us, Valkir. I need to keep an eye on you, and you know things we don't about King Soren. You don't get to just run away and leave us like this."

Shock weaved through Rivas' fear. "You..."

"Also," Serafina interrupted, "Wade and Asher won't be able to ride the dragons without help, and I'm just one person. So you ride Aurum. Got it?"

Rivas shoved down his confusion. Taking him would be a death sentence if he were still loyal to Soren, but the girl's reasoning was more or less sensible. He nodded.

"Ash, are you alright with that?" Serafina asked carefully, looking back at the boy.

Asher slowly lifted his head. His eyes were clouded, and he was still trembling. He stared at Rivas for a long moment. "Sure. Let's just go. Quickly."

Serafina turned to Rivas, moving a little closer. Her voice softened. "Can you help him?"

"I..." Rivas hesitated, very aware of how the cold of Asher's magic pierced through him. "I can try to keep him warm."

"Then you'll go with him." Serafina pressed her lips together and waved her hand. A mess of rope shot from the darkness; she quickly fastened it around Aurum's neck and stomach, her fingers flying as she fiddled with the knots. Asher moved back to make space; Rivas quickly caught the boy as he tripped, holding him up.

"You'll slip Asher's legs in here," Serafina explained, gesturing at a part of the impromptu saddle. "Tie this knot, and this one..."

She continued to talk as she worked, telling Rivas what he needed to do. He listened carefully; when the girl finally ran back to the blue dragon and Wade, he lifted Asher atop Aurum and started tying the boy in place.

"This is weird," Asher said with a cracked laugh, staring at the ropes. He held up one shaking hand for a moment, and then set it down.

"It is." Rivas finished with the last knot and awkwardly mounted Aurum behind the boy. He leaned down to tie his legs as well, the rope roughly scraping against his fingers.

In the extreme, Aurum added. He rolled his shoulders, and Rivas nearly fell over as the dragon's wing lifted and smacked his side. Oops. My bad.

This is not the time, dragon. Rivas gritted his teeth and finished with the ropes. He glanced up; Serafina was already in place behind Wade, secured in a saddle similar to the one they were using.

"Ready?" the girl called over.

"Yes." Rivas clenched his hands, suddenly aware that he was at Aurum's mercy.

Oh, don't worry. I'll be gentle. Aurum raised his wings and abruptly drove them down, launching into the air without any warning.

The world tipped, and the roar of wind drowned out every other sound. Rivas cried out as he was jerked backwards; if not for the ropes that yanked tight around his waist, he would've fallen right off. After a moment of desperate scrabbling, Rivas managed to grab Asher's shoulder. The boy had curled his hands through the ropes before him, locked in place. He'd definitely been better prepared for this.

Very gentle, Aurum repeated, wicked amusement filtering from his mind into Rivas'.

Rivas closed his eyes. He thought he might've heard Asher laugh, but the wind was too strong. His stomach churned as Aurum tipped to one side, arcing in a slow circle. That was rude.

Get used to it.

Aurum slowed to a hover, his head swinging side to side. The castle was just below them, a mass of darkness in the dim moonlight. A thousand emotions tightened Rivas' chest, and he averted his eyes. He glimpsed the blue dragon hovering beside them, little more than a shadow edged in moonlight.

Head east, Rivas told Aurum. Crisea looked so strange from this height, a maze of light surrounded by darkness. The Crisen was reduced to a black, shimmering line, cutting a jagged path through the city.

The dragon snorted. We must go back north.

Everyone knows that's where you were trying to find shelter. Soren will expect you to head that way. The mountains aren't safe.

Then I must warn my family. Images of other dragons flickered through Aurum's mind, closely followed by that of a young girl and the blacksmith from Aleran—Wade's father, Rivas remembered. Henry.

Rivas thought for a moment. Approach from a different angle, then. And hurry.

A snarl echoed in Rivas' head. Fine. Now, did you not say you would keep Asher warm, shadow?

I did. Rivas let the contact with the dragon fade to the back of his mind. He focused his magic, allowing it to warm him from the inside out. It was a strain to keep it at hand, but he refused to give in. Not yet. Channeling some heat into Asher's body, Rivas focused on making the ice of the Raek's presence curl away from Asher. The boy stiffened under his touch, glancing over one shoulder. Wordless, broken gratitude flickered in his eyes.

Rivas bent his head, the ache in his skull starting to become unbearable. The Raek's cold tore through him as if fought back, making it difficult to focus.

No. Rivas pushed some more warmth through Asher, hoping he was also chasing away some of the bitterness from the air around them. This was the one way he could help. The one good thing he could do.

And Rivas was going to do it, the consequences be damned.