It took four days for the kids to decide it was time to take a step forward. It was as though the camp was frozen, nobody quite sure what their next move should be. For four days, the Condors and the Ravens had no defined animosity—what a strange sight to see.

On the dawn of the fifth morning, however, Phoenix was the first to act. He told Jacob to sound the blow-horn and grab the camp's attention as the brother of the dead girl made his way towards the center of the hill. Slowly, the others started to approach, concerned about what details his great announcement may contain.

"What's the plan, guys?" he asked, his voice tired and dull, as though the life had been sucked right out of his lungs. "We can't just sit here. We need to reorganize, figure out what's going on. Someone needs to go back to the City, assume power there. Send the rest of us back to the Grove, restore the natural order. This isn't your pity party anymore."

The crowd was shocked by his assertiveness, the cold edge in his voice. He didn't sound angry or upset, just empty. Sebastian recognized that heavy vacuum consuming his soul, and everything inside of him yearned to help the other boy, but he realized it would be unappreciated. Unlike Phoenix, Sebastian got his sister back. Harper's body was found; there was no escaping death.

"We'll go to the City," Megan volunteered, and the Ravens' hearts dropped. "We were Harper's closest allies. It's what she would have wanted."

Phoenix shook his head, "Did you kill my sister?" This was quite the paradox. No answer was acceptable or could justify a Condor rule over the City. If she pleaded guilty, then she had broken their alliance. If she was innocent, then she had no claim to power.

"It was a Raven," Mai interjected, and eighty heads whipped towards her, this new information shocking them all. She continued, "I don't know who, but my gun was stolen. I'm sorry."

"Someone stole your gun?" shouted a Condor, "Damn, you're guilty."

"I didn't kill her!" Mai retorted, feeling Sebastian's hand meet her shoulder protectively. She pushed it away. She could very well fight her own battles, and her partner knew it. "If I was guilty, I wouldn't be denying it, you dumbass."

"That's nothing new," Phoenix muttered, "I counted all of our ammo time and time again. Nothing was missing. It had to be a Raven gun."

"And that's it?" Megan screamed, "They need to get out of here! They're guilty of murder, Phoenix, they deserve to die for that!"

"Like you've never killed anyone," Emma spat, receiving a sharp glare from both her brother and the Condor leader, as well as from Natalia and Serena.

Phoenix continued, "The Ravens didn't break an alliance. By the same standards that put Harper and I in power to begin with, the person who killed the leader gets to take their spot. Sebastian?"

His head shot up, confusion resonating in his eyes, "What? No—this wasn't a Raven attack. Whoever killed her was acting on their own; we don't have anything to do with this. I don't have any claim to the City."

"Doesn't matter," Phoenix shrugged, "They're still your people. Unless one of them wants to step up and admit to it, it could be any of you."

"What's the point of this?" Yasmin cut in, suddenly skeptical, "Why do you want us to come take over your city?"

"Because there are people there who have no idea what's going on, and they just need someone to come take charge. Will you come or not?" he sighed.

Sebastian appeared hesitant, "I had nothing to do with your sister's death, Phoenix. What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to move on," he persuaded, "We can't just mope around this camp for the rest of our lives. We need to figure out what happens next."

"And you want your sister's killers to take over your city," Sebastian pointed out, "Phoenix, this doesn't make any sense."

He sighed, "You said yourself you personally didn't kill her."

"Bro, you're kind of contradicting yourself," Cameron said from behind. His expression seemed just as perplexed as those of the Ravens.

"Look, Sebastian," Phoenix began, "If you don't assume control over the City, then who will?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "Someone that's actually from the City?"

"That's how we ended up with Harper," the other boy explained, "Besides, nobody else there knows the first thing about being a leader, and not only do you know that, but you know people in the Grove well enough to set up trade and communications. You're the perfect candidate."

"What about Donny?" Mai added, "Everything Seb has to offer and more."

Donovan stepped in, "I can't. They'll never accept someone who left."

"But they'd accept Sebastian? He has no reason to be there!" Mai protested. However, there was very little that protesting could accomplish. As the argument continued, it became exceedingly clear that a stranger was the only one who could truly assume the City's throne, and that Sebastian Harlem fit the bill. After hours of debate, both sides agreed to return to the damned City of the Forgotten, with Sebastian and Cameron at the head. As far as the group could tell, there was no other way to proceed.

The Condors had long left the crowd, and were packing their bags to return home to their forest. Dylan had gone with them. For the first time in years, their threat was out of the picture. Finally, it seemed that the Ravens had won.

------

"I'm not going back there," Marley declared, slamming the door of the cabin she shared with the rest of the Riot. "We ran for a reason. Why the hell should we be going back?"

"We left because of Harper," Donovan sighed, "But clearly she's not a threat anymore."

"So?" Marley snapped, "Harper was a tyrant. She killed Dana Pruitt to gain her power. How is Sebastian any different?"

"Sebastian didn't kill Harper," Emma snapped. She had been sitting with Natalia on the floor of their cabin, resting her head on the taller girl's shoulder. "You wanted the difference? Well, there it is."

"Sorry, Emma, but your brother doesn't have any right to that crown," Marley shook her head, "It's ridiculous."

"I know," she shrugged, "I never said I supported this."

"What do you want to do, Marls?" Natalia sighed, looking up at her best friend.

"We should stay here," the girl proposed, "Cameron can run the underground transport thing we'd discussed before we even left, raise our numbers. Establish trade with the City if we want. Run our own camp, with our own rules for once in our lives. Is that not why we left in the first place?"

Kamai nodded, "I'm in."

"Guys," Donny warned, "We don't know how to run a camp by ourselves."

"Didn't seem to be a problem when we left," Marley shrugged.

"Things were different then," he pleaded, "Harper was dangerous. Sebastian and Cameron are good people. They're our friends."

"You said the exact same thing during the first coup," Jacob muttered. "I'm with Marley. I'm not going back there."

"History is repeating itself, Donny," Marley preached, "Sebastian's a good guy right now, but just wait until he's used to the power. He won't be the same person in two months, let alone a year. They never are."

"He's already been in power for two years," Emma cut in, "The world has changed him, but ethically, he's still the same Seb. He won't become a psychopathic dictator, I can assure you that much."

"Em," Natalia frowned, "You should probably go."

"No," she refused, "You're right about one thing, Marley. Some of us need to stay here. The City will need trade, alliances, I don't know. Megan is still out there, she'll come after the City eventually. We need to keep this camp."

"Great," Marley smiled sarcastically, "Real insightful."

"She's supporting your cause, Marls. Why are you fighting her?" Jacob muttered, although he was quickly interrupted by Donovan.

"Sebastian won't want anything to do with this camp," he claimed, "He'll be overwhelmed with the City, the last thing he'll think about is the group of delinquents that were just too cool to suck up their egos and move on with their lives."

"This is moving on," Marley stressed, "We're moving on from the City completely. Why don't you get that?"

"Why would Sebastian want anything to do with our camp? What makes you think we'll have some alliance?"

Emma stood up, shaking the dust off of her dirty leggings, "Because I'll be here. That's all the incentive he'll need."

------

By the evening, Emma had gathered Serena and Yasmin to discuss the Riot's plan to stay in Peregrin. Much to her friends' dismay, they did need these two Ravens to join their cause. Their closest bet to medical expertise was Marley, and they all knew what a disaster that could be. And besides Emma, none of the Riot kids really knew how to fight. Serena and Yasmin were necessary assets.

At first, the Ravens seemed skeptical, but soon they became convinced. An alliance between the City and Peregrin was necessary to their survival, and they would be integral parts of the precarious game of chess. With Serena and Yasmin's help, Peregrin had a real chance at succeeding. Without them, they'd be left with two knives for protection and damnation at the first sight of injury. The alliance depended on their choice, and so they agreed to choose Emma's side.

"Hey," a fourth person approached the trio. It was Hayden. He continued, "I need to talk to you guys."

"What's up?" Yasmin asked, opening up the circle slightly. She could see concern taking over the boy's body, guilt eating him alive.

"I screwed up," he said, "Big time."

"Hayden, what did you do?" Serena sighed, eyes widening as she began to suspect the unthinkable. It was at the forefront of all the girls' minds.

"I—I shot her," he said, "I didn't mean to, it wasn't part of the plan, but it just kind of happened and I was holding Mai's gun and my finger was on the trigger and she agreed to leave but I just shot her anyways because I could and because I was powerful and I don't think I wanted to do it but—"

"Hayden, stop," Yasmin frowned, "Are you out of your mind?"

"I wish I was," he shuddered, "I wish I didn't kill her, I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"So what's your plan?" Emma asked, seemingly unfazed by his announcement. She had to admit, it seemed a little bizarre for a boy like Hayden to murder another in cold blood, but she could she truly judge him? She'd come to believe that humans were inclined to kill one another, that they were savages who tried to cover up their violence with so-called love and fancy clothes.

"I'm leaving," he admitted, "Now, actually. I thought you three deserved to know."

"You don't have to do that," Emma sighed, and Serena gave her a worried glance. It definitely concerned her that Hayden was the secret killer. If he had come to kill Harper, what would it take for him to choose his next victim?

"It's for the best," he promised, "I can't hurt anyone else." At this, Emma nodded, understanding and respecting this decision. It was the same choice she'd have made herself. Serena and Yasmin both seemed more uncertain, yet they realized there was no hope in persuading him otherwise.

And so, as the sun began to set over Peregrin, the killer slinked into the forest, disappearing from the people he had once called his friends. He had no place to go, and so he simply ran.