"So...where are we going?"

It hadn't taken them long to pack up some stuff. I looked up from the ground to see Tyler, a red backpack slung over his shoulder, and Macey standing behind him, a similar purple backpack on her back.

I stood up, brushing a few stray grass blades off of my jeans. "Give me time to think about it." I said.

"Think about it? Didn't you come here knowing where to go?" Tyler asked.

"I came here expecting to find Sky. I thought he'd know what to do." I said, racking my brain, trying to think of something.

Where to go...where to go...

Where was a place where people would know who my dad was? Where was a place where I knew they'd know where to look, a place where I knew they would care?

The answer came quickly.

The Kingdom.

"We have to get to the Kingdom, the people there will know where to look."

Tyler looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face. "The Kingdom?"

I stared at him. "Yeah, the Kingdom."

He shifted his balance to his right foot. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I sighed. "Seriously, drop the act. I know you're Sky's kid, and even if you don't want to trust me, fine, but there's no hiding the fact that you know about the Kingdom."

"I'm not acting!" He defended. "I have no idea what you're talking about! Honest!"

I hesitated. "You're...you're being serious?"

"Yes!" He said. "I don't understand any of this! I don't get why that creepy guy on the phone wants to hurt my dad,or why we aren't supposed to leave the house because it's dangerous!"

His tone was too sincere for it to be an act.

"Listen, if you really don't know anything, than you don't know your dad as well as you might think." I said.

"Well, explain it to me, then!" He argued.

"Tyler, I think it might be better if he does it. Besides, we should probably start moving."

He opened his mouth to argue, but then shut it. I guess he saw my point.

We started walking, and after a while, Macey whispered something to Tyler.

"She wants to know why you have no stuff." He relayed.

"Didn't have time to get anything. These...things...attacked my house. Only had time to grab the sword and book it." I explained.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "What kind of things?"

"To be honest, I have no idea." I shrugged. "They were weird, though. Looked like normal people, except made completely out of this weird black smoke. No features. They acted like I couldn't hurt them, but the sword passed straight through. Vaporized them."

Tyler looked at me as if I was speaking in Ender.

"Like I said, weird."

"Yeah, no kidding." He agreed.

*****************5 hours later*********************

I poked my sword into the firepit, watching as a thousand sparks zoomed into the air and quickly fade.

Tyler's eyes were on the fire. He looked like he was contemplating his existence or something.

And Macey?

She had fallen asleep an hour ago.

Tyler was the one who broke the silence. "Where...where do you think they are?"

"It's not where they are that's bugging me." I answered. "What's bugging me is who."

"You think someone took them? Who would do that?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Someone who's really ticked at our dads. And the only person I know who would be mad at them was locked up a long time ago."

Tyler was silent for a while, and then he said, "Did they make a lot of people angry?"

I shook my head. "No. They did a lot of good. At least, that's what my dad said."

"I wish my dad would've told me stories. He told me nothing."

I was shocked for a second. Nothing? I mean, I knew he didn't know much, but nothing?

"You don't even know who your dad is?"

"I thought I did." He said it so quietly I could barely hear him.

And then I heard it. The rustling of leaves that told me someone-or something- waswatching us.

"Do you know anyt-"

"Shh!" I interrupted him, and stood slowly, sword in hand, looking around for any signs of life.

Luckily, he took the hint and shut up.

I stared into the forest. I knew I heard something.

And then I saw it. A darkened figure by the edge of the woods.

"I can see you." I called out.

I heard a sigh, and then the figure stepped out of the shadows. A boy with light-brown, almost blond, short hair and brown eyes.

"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude." He said. "My friends and I were just passing through, we overheard your conversation."

Tyler was on his feet now. "Where are your friends?"

"Behind me, I swear it." He backed up a little, seemingly nervous.

"I don't go by trust." I said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Macey, wide awake now, sitting up with her arms wrapped around her legs, clearly scared.

The boy sighed again. "Fine. Have it your way." He turned to the forest. "Guys!"

A group of five kids, two boys, three girls, appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

One girl had long, brown, shiny hair and blue eyes. The second looked like some sort of hybrid, with skin that looked like it's a light shade of blue. She had blue hair down to her shoulders, and bright blue eyes.

The third girl was a Bacca, if my dad's description of the one who used to be his friend was correct. One of the boys looked like he was her twin.

The last boy had dark brown hair that was close to black, and dark green eyes, and looked like he'd been run over by a stampede of horses multiple times. He had bruises everywhere.

"This is Alyssa, Quinn, Jenna, Jeremy, and Cameron." The boy introduced them. "I'm Shane."

The hybrid girl, Quinn, immediately noticed the amulet hanging around Tyler's neck. "No way..." she breathed.

Jeremy, the boy Bacca, punched Shane's arm. "Told you they were Team Crafted kids." He grinned.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

The Alyssa girl smiled. "One, he's wearing the amulet that my dad said his friend never took off. Two, you must be Team Crafted kids if your dads are missing."

"We're Team Crafted kids, too." The girl Bacca, Jenna, grinned the same goofy grin as her brother.

"What does my dad going missing have to do with Team Crafted?" Tyler asked, looking confused, of course. I doubted he even knew who Team Crafted was.

The mood suddenly turns grim, and the boy named Cameron said in a quiet voice,

"Because Team Crafted's the only ones he took."