"The agents are ready to speak with you again," Ella says the next morning when Soren and I return to the Watch hand in hand. We follow her back to the room I met them in yesterday. When I walk in, the older agent watches me sit down and nods to the younger one, who reaches into the inside pocket of his coat and withdraws a folded photo.

"This is my daughter, Elide Wilson," he says, keeping his eyes down on the photo, "She's twelve. She's been on the trial waitlist for three years, contracted through my enrollment in the Accord's Border Division."

"And they waited until they needed you to advance her position," I clarify, looking at the girl in the photo. She's pale, with curly brown hair and a huge smile as she reaches for the woman who must be her mom. Elide's eyes are crinkled with the kind of joy that almost looks too tired for her age, and her arms are covered in faint bruises where a series of IV treatments must have been administered. I swallow hard and look back up at the agents.

"If you can guarantee Agent Wilson's daughter will receive this treatment, no matter what, then we'll help you," the older agent's scrutiny doesn't waver. "We'll give you names, locations, and any files you need."

"You have our word on Elide's treatment," I affirm, feeling Soren's presence fill my mind much more gradually than yesterday. At least he's not taking me by surprise this time.

"Dayiel is asking for records of their blood and magic harvesting. We want the names of the Velkeros who were killed and exploited under the Accord, and of any humans still alive who were involved."

I relay the message and the agents look at each other. The older one lets out a scoff of a laugh. "One of the IT lads is a bit of a fanatic. Promise him a face-to-face meeting with one of them and he'll hand over every single personnel file they've got in the system."

"Just like that?" I ask, shocked.

"The kid tried to put together a Velkeros-themed D&D game for the staff during work hours. No one joined, and he got written up for insubordination. Word got round that he played it with a few of his mates that night instead, and Dr. Vael was livid. No proof, though, so they couldn't do anything."

I wait for Soren's answer but my mind stays silent. "Uh... I guess a meet and greet is a reasonable price for his help."

"Then it's a deal," Agent Wilson says, pushing the photo closer to me. "So you can find her, if anything happens."

I turn the photo over to see an address written down. "Thank you. And what's your name?" I ask the older agent. He folds his arms.

"Call me Walsh."

"Is there anything you can tell me about the patch of grass they took?" I ask.

"As far as I know, they're studying the grass to see if they can separate its magic and infuse it into humans. Not really sure on the details."

"I see..." I furrow my eyebrows, "Then thank you for your help. Someone will be with you again to help you back through the border."

"What will they do to us if we can't follow through?" Agent Walsh asks, nodding his head toward the door.

"You will not be personally targeted, if that's what you're concerned about," I tell them.

He nods. "Then I should say... the Border Division's preparing for a full invasion soon."

My heart stops, but he continues.

"Wilson and I will likely be a part of it. If all goes to plan, we'll try to bring the files across the border with us if you can collect us then."

"Do you know when?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "That information was classified, even to us."

"Then I guess we'll see you soon," I say, giving a small smile despite the how sick to my stomach I feel.

Moments later, Dayiel walks in with Ella and another Velkeros man at his side. The agents stiffen as if by reflex, but their expressions look overall less tense than yesterday.

"You'll be brought back to your rooms. Prepare to head out in an hour," Dayiel nods toward the other Velkeros, who unlike yesterday, move to unchain the men completely before escorting them out. Then to Ella he says, "Check with Jeten to see where along the border is clear of their agents and the Royal Guard. Then have a team get them across quickly."

"Got it," Ella says.

Agent Walsh pauses at the doorframe, turning to me before following the Velkeros man, "One last thing... The Accord's got your father working with them on the grass business. Thought you'd want to know."

My dad? My stomach twists watching their retreating figures. Why would he be there? Does that mean my mom is here in the UK too? How much do they really know about all this? What lies are they telling them about me and the Velkeros? There's a quiet step behind me, and in my trance I barely feel the arm that wraps gently around my shoulders.

"You did well," Soren says warmly with his lips against my hair, "Not that anyone expected otherwise." When I don't answer, he takes my chin in his hand and turns my face to look at him. "Celine?"

"The Accord is using my dad," I say quietly.

Soren's expression doesn't change right away, but he looks down the hall where the agents disappeared, brushing his thumb once along my jaw and lowering his hand.

"Whatever lies they've told him, they won't hold. He's met me, and knowing him, the Accord wouldn't be foolish enough to try to pit him against you. He's likely still in the dark about a lot, especially about your part in this."

"I just want to... call them, just to make sure they're alright. I never even imagined they would get my family involved," I sigh.

"They came for you first, and you're still standing. So will they, but if Dayiel can get those agents across the border, surely he'd be willing to get you help across as well, to find a phone if you'd like."

"If they can get the agents across safely, I want that, but first, can we visit the master gardener again?" I ask, "If my dad is working with the Accord on the grass I want to get as much context on it that I can before asking him about it."

Soren nods, turning to lead me back to the castle. On the way to the master gardener, I run through everything I already know. If they're trying to figure out how to bind live magic to humans, one of the first things they'll do is study how the magic affects the grass under different environmental factors. Then they'll have to figure out what factors make the magic bind to it in the first place.

"Prince Soren! Lady Celine! What a pleasure it is to have you back," Master Kelis greets, pulling me out of my thoughts by handing us both perfectly ripe red apples.

"Thank you," I raise it to my lips slowly before pausing, and letting the apple fall from my grip onto the stone ground. I watch the hard impact on the crown of the apple before it rolls and hits the leg of a wooden plant stand. I quickly reach down to grab it before Master Kelis does.

"Oh! No need to eat that one, Lady Celine, I'll get you another," he says, reaching up to pluck another off its branch for me. Soren nudges me and gives me an 'Are you okay?' look, but I turn back to Master Kelis.

"Will this one bruise?" I ask, studying the apple.

"Bruising occurs when the fall damages the apple's cells, causing them to release enzymes and pigments that lead to discoloration. The magic bound to it acts as a cushion, shielding the apple from that damage. It will not bruise," he confirms.

"And if I cut it?" I ask, "I assume it wouldn't grow back and heal itself, right?"

"No, a cut on an apple will not 'heal' in the same way animal tissue heals. Plants lack the necessary repair mechanisms, but as with a fall, the magic bound to it prevents browning and further changes caused by exposure to air."

"Has anyone ever tried to bind their magic to animals like you do with plants?" I ask.

"We do not bind magic to creatures that can think and feel," he says, tilting his head curiously, "In most cases, that would do more harm than good. Take a fox sleeping near a forest fire, would Velkeros magic allow a simple burn to heal naturally, without infection? Yes, so long as it woke and fled the fire in time.

"However, animals have pain receptors, which are designed to detect harmful stimuli and produce the sensation of pain. One effect of Velkeros magic is that it cushions against those very stimuli before they reach the receptors. In animals, that cushioning brings with it the inability to feel pain.

"Without pain, an animal might remain in danger longer than it otherwise would, leading it to suffer worse injuries in the end. We've decided it's not our place to interfere like that." He watches me a moment longer, "Though you're asking interesting questions."

I shrug, managing a light laugh before taking a bite out of my new apple. "I figure I might as well learn and understand as much as I can while I'm here. Thank you, it's all so fascinating."

"That it is! And I must say, I'm honored to answer any more questions you might have," Master Kelis says before Soren and I say our goodbyes and head back into the privacy of the palace gardens.

"If the Accord work out how to bind magic to humans, it might not be feasible for the whole population, but painlessness would be a blessing for those destined to fight to the death regardless," Soren says grimly. "The implications of that are endless as far as war is concerned. Not just in our own fight against the Accord, but for the future of conflicts in the human world as a whole if they commercialize it the way they do our blood."

I scoff, feeling tears prickle my eyes as my frustration rises. At the very least, their blood treatments are supposed to help people. Maybe their grass research could too with some adjustments, but what if they really do start getting into the war business?

Soren notices my sniffles and pulls me into his arms, wrapping me tight against his chest. "We have time and knowledge on our side. They've no idea that the magic they're studying has that sort of potential yet, and it'll likely take them years—decades even—to work it out," Soren says, letting his hand comb through my hair lightly, "It just makes it all the more imperative that we get them to shut that down before they do. But we have time," he repeats, trying to reassure me.

"I want the Accord gone," I grit my teeth, just tired of all this, and of how complicated it's all become. I can't bring myself to bother wiping away the few tears that start to fall before they bleed into Soren's shirt. Why did they have to bring my family into their business? I don't really have to ask that. They wanted to get back at me. Whoever this Lucia Haldrin is... I let the anger spin through me before I shake my head, knowing I need to relax to think clearly. I let myself take a few deep breaths.

"Can we really take them down?" I ask, trying to calm my mind down a bit. I can't help but think back to my time there, of Dr. Vael and how his whole life revolved around the Accord. Surely there are others who have been there just as long and wouldn't abandon it without a fight. I also think of the people there who were genuinely kind, like Dr. Rinna, and agents Hawthorne and Fraser... would they be as open to the truth as agents Wilson and Walsh were? I really want to believe so.

"I hate to defend anyone there, but so many of them might have just been misled into thinking they were doing the right thing. What happens to them if it all falls apart? What about confidentiality agreements, and loyalty to the Accord? They might decide to expose the Velkeros' existence before we're ready for full integration. And speaking of that, who knows how far the Accord's reach actually goes? They no doubt have protections built in place in the event of a disaster that would tip off governments, allied corporations, or even defense systems. Taking down a massive empire like the Accord could trigger a catastrophic chain reaction."

"You're right to be thinking about the bigger picture; that's how you bested them the first time," he smiles against my hair, "But we don't need to draw up a full plan tonight. The Accord didn't build their empire overnight, and we won't bring it down in one move either. First things first: ring your father. You need to hear that he and your mother are all right. Then we focus on what we do have in front of us. We know the Border Division is planning some sort of attack, and we hope they're bringing the files we need with them. Once we have those, we'll sift through everything with the rest of the Watch," he pauses.

"Maybe there's something in those files that will offer us a way forward, but we won't know until we've got them. Let's just take things one step at a time, Celine. Don't try to shoulder an entire war today, or any day after. We're in this together. Let's deal with what's in front of us, and face the rest when it comes."

I nod, taking a few more deep breaths. I know he's right, but the scale of everything we're dealing with leaves my stomach in knots anyway. We'll figure it out. I just need to breathe and believe that for now.