The magi stiffly sat down with her back to the pouring rain, muttering something to the child next to her. Asher could tell by the way that they looked at each other—endless, innocent trust on one end, fierce love on the other—that they were siblings. The older girl was wearing a simple, thick brown dress that was streaked with mud and dirt. The child clung to her skirt, her eyes wide as she stared at Aurum.

Wade, who'd been watching the two of them, shook his head and walked to Henry. Like Asher, the blacksmith was still waking up. Wade whispered a hurried explanation to his father, shoving Aurum's head away so he could have more space. The dragon snorted and curled up against the opposite wall, watching the new arrivals.

Asher sat down as well, shaking his hands to extinguish the heatless flames now licking up his elbows. It took him a few seconds: the magic inside of him had risen along with his shock and apprehension.

"So," the older girl began. "I'm Serafina, and this is my sister, Kira."

"Asher," Asher replied after a short pause, jerking a thumb at his chest. "And that's Henry"—he pointed at the blacksmith, who was struggling to a sitting position—"Wade, and Aurum."

Aurum, Kira mouthed, her eyes fixed on the dragon. She blinked a few times, still hiding behind her sister. "Is he a nice dragon?"

"Yes," Asher answered, feeling a small, surprised smile tug at his lips. "He's the best dragon ever."

"Sera?" Kira asked, looking up at her sister. Serafina hesitated, gnawing at her lip. Her eyes flicked over to Aurum, lying mere yards away. Her fingers tightened on Kira's shoulder.

"He won't hurt her," Wade said, sitting down and crossing his legs. "He's a sweetheart, once you get to know him."

Aurum's gaze shifted to Wade and sharpened into a glare. Asher snickered.

"Can he understand us?" Serafina asked, looking between the three of them.

Wade nodded. "He doesn't speak a language exactly, but yes. I'm translating for him."

Serafina frowned at Wade. "What?"

"He speaks through thoughts and emotions. It's difficult to explain."

"Sera," Kira repeated, a pleading note in her voice.

". . . Stay very close to me," Serafina relented.

A small, nervous grin spread across Kira's face. She hesitantly took a few steps toward Aurum. He lowered his face to hers, tilting his head curiously. Kira carefully touched his snout. After a second, her mouth fell open. She glanced over her shoulder at Serafina, her eyes lighting up. "He feels really warm!"

Serafina flashed the girl a quick, small smile, though her eyes were filled with unease. She moved a little closer to Aurum as well, keeping her sister within arm's reach.

"Er," Asher said after a moment, trying to voice one of the questions spinning through his head and failing horribly. Serafina slowly turned to face him again.

"How many?" she asked.

"Sorry?"

"How many Valkir do you have after you?"

Wade had folded his hands, resting his chin atop his knuckles. "One, maybe two."

"And you've led them right to us." Serafina's eyes narrowed, and she looked at Kira again.

"We haven't seen them in days, if not weeks," Asher said quickly. "I think we've lost them."

"You know they'll find you again, don't you?" Serafina asked, her dark eyes seeming to see straight through him.

Asher's gaze fell to the cave floor. "Yes."

Serafina closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh. "I know I had one following me, but I finally managed to—" she cut herself off, shooting a glance at Kira. The girl didn't seem to be listening, stroking Aurum's head with an expression of pure awe. ". . . lose him in the woods. He had just enough time to tell me that another was coming, though, so I suppose I'm in the same boat as all of you."

"So that's three total," Wade muttered. He shook his head slowly.

"How did you, ah, get rid of him?" Henry asked, finally speaking up. His face was half lost in shadow, and his expression was difficult to read.

"Skill, luck, and sheer desperation," Serafina said bluntly. A dark look crossed her face, and Asher had a sudden, horrible vision of the dead man lying in a pool of his own blood. She leaned closer to them, lowering her voice. "He was going to kill Kira if I didn't surrender. As if he wouldn't have murdered us both the second I let go of the magic."

"I don't suppose you could be able to kill a Valkir like that again," Wade said.

Serafina shook her head, her dark brown curls bouncing over her shoulders. "Not a chance. I got lucky; I'd already fired an arrow at him, and he didn't notice me using magic to lift it up behind him until it was too late. Besides, he was young. I don't think he had been well trained yet."

When Wade spoke again, he sounded resigned. "So we'll need to keep running."

A sharp look entered Serafina's eyes. "Believe me, I want to fight. And with you, Asher, and a dragon, of all things"—she jerked her head at Aurum, who was still playing with Kira—"we might actually stand a chance. But I can't risk Kira getting hurt."

"Where were you heading?" Wade asked.

Serafina shrugged halfheartedly. "Anywhere that the Valkir weren't. I didn't have enough time for a proper plan."

Asher, Aurum said. Asher looked over at the dragon. Kira was tugging on one of his horns, giggling, but the hint of amusement that lingered in Aurum's eyes was overshadowed by a sad, grave look.

What is it?

I didn't want to risk bringing you to them, but if there aren't any more options . . . Aurum glanced at Wade, who shook his head. Asher blinked; he kept forgetting that Aurum could talk to his friend as well. My kin may be able to help us.

"That could work," Wade muttered.

"What could work?" Serafina asked.

Asher hesitated. "Aurum's family lives here in the mountains somewhere. Dragons are powerful: an entire group of them would be the best protection possible."

"Great," Serafina said dully. "Mind telling me why you look so nervous about it?"

"They . . . may not take too kindly to humans strutting into their home," Wade explained. "A group of men killed a lot of them years ago, and Aurum says they're not the forgiving type."

Serafina nodded, her face thoughtful. "Does anyone have any better ideas?"

Silence. Henry scratched his chin and shifted his legs. Asher watched the blacksmith curiously: he had yet to say a single word.

"Right," Serafina said slowly. "So it's angry dragons or the Valkir . . . I vote for the former."

"Agreed," Wade said with a wry smile. "I'll ask Aurum. We can get going as soon as this storm lets up."

While his friend talked to the dragon, Asher found himself looking at Serafina again. She was twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, her eyes focused on Kira. After a moment, however, her gaze flicked up to meet his own. She raised an eyebrow.

"You have questions?" she asked.

Asher nodded. "I thought I was the only one left. How are you . . .?" He trailed off, not even sure where to begin.

"So did I," Serafina said softly. "I suppose that was foolish. If I managed to survive, then others certainly could, too."

"The ones who did live didn't last very long," Asher growled. "The Valkir saw to that."

"That they did. And they still are . . ." Serafina took a deep breath and flexed her right hand, curling her fingers into a tight fist.

"On the bright side, we're all still alive," Wade chimed in, looking away from Aurum. "Besides, they're bound to have missed a few magic-users. Ash was able to hide for years." He paused, glancing at Asher. "Though I guess I don't know the full story."

The realization of how little Wade—and Henry—actually knew was like a punch to the stomach. Asher swallowed and looked between Henry, who remained eerily quiet, and his friend. "Oh. Right. You probably have questions . . ."

"And so do I," Serafina added. "Where were you up until now? How did you survive?"

"You never answered my question," Asher countered. "About how you're here."

"I hardly know you. I'm not going to tell you my life story."

"I don't know you, either." For the first time, Asher's shock drew back, revealing a harsh suspicion. "How am I supposed to trust you?"

Henry cleared his throat; all eyes turned to him. "Look, we're all trapped in a cave together with a bunch of Valkir after us. Let's not argue." He tugged on the collar of his shirt. "How about I speak first about how we got here, and Asher can talk afterwards—if, and only if, he is comfortable with it. Then you, Serafina, can decide on whatever you wish to tell us, and we can make our own judgements."

"You'd trust her with everything that's happened?" Asher asked. His hostility was already fading, but a thread of wariness lingered in his mind.

"We don't have much to hide. Besides, we cannot drown in suspicion like this. That would be stupid; we have worse enemies at the moment."

Serafina fell silent, her face stony. Then she nodded, her head dipping in a subtle gesture of respect. "I'd greatly appreciate that."

"It seems fair enough," Asher said reluctantly.

Henry nodded, took a deep breath, and began talking. He skimmed over everything that had happened since the day Rivas arrived in Aleran until the present moment. He left out nothing, apart from a few more personal details like Aurum's past. Serafina sat quietly, drinking in the new information. Kira stopped playing with Aurum and scooted closer to her sister, leaning against Serafina's arm. Serafina brought her hand up to rest on Kira's head in a sort of absentminded, loving manner that sent an awful pang through Asher's chest. He focused his eyes on the cold rock floor beneath his feet, trying to keep his thoughts on what the blacksmith was saying.

All too soon, Henry finished, and then it was Asher's turn. Everyone turned to look at him, even Aurum. He frowned at the dragon, who blinked.

Wade is still translating for me.

Asher sighed. Of course he is. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on his knuckles.

"You don't have to say anything," Wade reasoned.

"But if you don't, then neither will I," Serafina stated, flinging her hair over her shoulder. Asher glared at her, but he didn't have enough energy to be angry. He focused back on the ceiling, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"I'll—" Asher halted, the words clinging to the sides of his throat, choking him. He swallowed. "I'll tell you. You deserve to know anyways." He looked at Henry and Wade, who were watching him with nothing but loving concern. Aurum's mind brushed against his, calm and comforting. The dragon didn't say anything; he didn't have to.

Asher closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "My . . . my sister was almost thirteen when Soren started recruiting Valkir. She, our father, and I were all magic-users, though nobody knew about me yet. I'd just been born.

"Our parents knew that the Valkir would come at some point—my father was a well known magi. They told Hannah to take me and flee while she could. We never found out for sure what happened to them, but I think it's pretty obvious."

"But they could still be alive?" Wade asked.

"If they did survive, I think they would've come back for us," Asher replied. He took a deep breath, trying to collect his scattered thoughts. Never before had he had so much trouble telling a simple story. His voice kept betraying him, shaking and dying without warning.

"Anyways," he continued after a moment, "They sent us to Kiarn, where one of their friends agreed to keep us safe. He took Hannah in as an apprentice, training her to be a healer. His name was Len. Seven years passed like that.

"One day, a man stumbled into the house. He'd been robbed and stabbed, and it was obvious that Len could do nothing to save him. Hannah, on the other hand . . . she was always so caring. She went into one of the upper rooms and healed him with her magic. She'd been so careful to make sure that nobody else was present, but . . ." Asher bit his tongue, an old, sick anger beginning to rise up in his throat. "That man saw everything. He swore to her that he wouldn't tell a soul. The instant he left, though, he must have gone to the Valkir. They came for Hannah within days."

"I can't believe someone would do that," Wade growled under his breath.

Asher shrugged halfheartedly. "Maybe he was terrified of her and her power. Maybe he worked for the Valkir. There's no way to know."

"You can't trust anyone anymore," Serafina muttered. Her eyes had clouded, as if she was looking into a different world.

Asher shook his head and pressed on before his voice failed him for good. "Hannah and I were in the market together when one of them came. Hannah had me run while she held him off. It was chaos; everyone was screaming and running for cover. But she couldn't last long. I watched my sister die." The last sentence came out of nowhere, surfacing from the darkest depths of Asher's mind. Each word fell from his tongue like a lump of cold metal.

Henry reached over and placed a hand on Asher's shoulder in silent comfort. Wade looked down at the ground, sorrow clouding his face.

"I'm so sorry, Ash," he said.

"It happened years ago," Asher replied, though even he could feel how empty the words were. He hurriedly kept talking. "After I came back to Len, he wasn't sure if the Valkir would come after me as well. He kept me hidden for a few days, but it seemed like they only knew about Hannah. Len took care of me after that."

"How did you end up in Aleran?" Henry asked gently. "Kiarn is halfway across Eldernia."

"I was found as well. When I was fourteen, I still hadn't realized I was a magi. But one day, some older kids decided to corner me in an alley and accuse me of being a magic-user. They even threatened to find a Valkir and have me killed. They were just idiots trying to scare me into giving them some money, but for a moment I believed them. I panicked, and all of the magic came spilling out at once." Asher laughed bitterly. "I proved them right. At least I got to see the shock on their faces.

After that, I couldn't risk staying in Kiarn. Len gave me everything he could spare and wished me luck: it was all he could do. I traveled as far as I could, and was resting in Aleran when someone found out that I was on my own and chucked me in the orphanage. It seemed like the safest place to hide, so I stayed. The rest you already know."

Aurum slowly got to his feet and padded across the cave. He nudged Asher with his head, his eyes glinting in the darkness. Understanding and grief flooded through the bond without warning, raw and powerful. Asher rested his hand against Aurum's neck, pushing away some of the emotions lest he begin to cry. That just wouldn't do, especially in front of two complete strangers.

"That's an awfully sad story," Kira said. Asher jumped; he'd forgotten the little girl was listening as well. She was gripping Serafina's hand, watching him with tearful eyes.

"Oh, Kira," Serafina said softly, stroking the little girl's hair. "I'm sorry, I should've . . . why don't you keep playing with Aurum?"

"I want to talk, too," Kira protested.

Serafina caught Asher's eye and sighed. "I know, but I need to tell them some grown-up stuff now."

Kira pouted. "That's not fair."

"Kira."

The little girl huffed and moved over to Aurum. Serafina waved her hand, and Asher felt a shift in the magic.

"There. She can't hear us now," Serafina said. She ran a hand through her hair and paused. "I'll keep this short. Our story isn't that different from Asher's anyways.

"I was the only magic-user in my family. About a month ago, I made a stupid mistake and ended up revealing that I was a magic-user to a group of kids. Our parents told me and Kira to run, too, and we did—but I doubled back. I came just in time to watch the Valkir slaughter them both. They were trying to fight back." Serafina closed her eyes for a moment. "I went back to where I had Kira hide; we've been running ever since. We must've crossed the entire country by now. I knew we were being followed, but I didn't see the Valkir tailing us until a few days ago, and you already know how that ended."

"That's awful," Wade said. He reached out to her and hesitantly touched Serafina's arm. She flinched, and he let his hand fall away. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

"How have you gotten so far?" Asher asked. "Without Aurum, I'd already have been caught."

"I'm not the strongest magic-user, but I know how to make what little I have count." Serafina grimaced. "I'd practice in secret whenever the opportunity came. That's where I made the stupid mistake."

"Could you teach me a few things?" Asher asked carefully. "I know so little about magic."

Serafina looked him up and down. "I guess I could try."

"Thank you," Asher said, dipping his head.

There was yet another long silence. Kira yawned and laid down next to Aurum, leaning against his foreleg. Asher felt a flash of jealousy: he couldn't remember what it was like to sleep without a hint of worry or dread.

Henry was the first to speak up. "Good. Now that that's out of the way, we should try and get some rest." He caught the suspicious look on Serafina's face and raised his hands. "You can stay up if you'd like, but it may be best to try and relax. We're not going to hurt either of you."

Serafina rubbed her temples wearily. "You're a truthful lot, aren't you?"

Wade's brow furrowed. "Are you using magic to see if we're being honest or something?"

Serafina nodded.

"Cool," Wade said with a tiny smile. The corner of Serafina's mouth turned upwards in response, and her posture relaxed a little.

"Thanks. And, er, sorry for attacking you."

"You did what?" Asher exclaimed, bolting upright. He and Henry both looked at Wade, who grinned sheepishly.

"I didn't exactly say how I found her."

Serafina snorted. "Liar. I found you."

"Are you alright?" Henry asked, his voice dangerously even.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just a few bruises."

Asher looked at Serafina, narrowing his eyes.

"I said sorry!" Serafina lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I thought he was a Valkir."

Asher scowled but didn't say anything, letting his eyes drift to the pouring rain outside. "I wonder how long that storm's going to last."

"It's weird, isn't it?" Wade commented, the laughter fading from his voice. They all twisted around to watch the cave's entrance, save for Aurum and Kira.

"The weather always has been weird in the mountains," Serafina said. "That's what the books I read say."

"Either way, it makes me nervous," Henry said.

They all fell silent, watching the rain. There was another flash of lightning and a resounding crash; Kira gasped and jolted upright, looking around wildly. Asher shivered and drew closer to Aurum. Not a second later, the harsh white blinked out of existence. Darkness rushed back to consume them all, colder and blacker than ever before. The storm raged on, lashing at the mountains with the force of a thousand giants.