The sleeping people had it all figured out.

Nora sat there, slumped against the wall, slowly sipping some hot liquid that had been pushed into her hands. She had begun wool-gathering about some exotic island right after she realized the crowd accumulated in the middle of the room — rebels, as it was candidly revealed to her — didn't need her input. They had clearly discussed the team's actions thoroughly, even before they agreed to carry them out.

Who could blame them? They had paid for those actions. Nora shakily breathed in the steam lingering up the atmosphere as she strived to stop herself from crumbling the cup up. It is not Salo's fault, she told herself. He would grab the money along if he had the chance. Yet he did have the chance. Still, he never told them.

The spy's gaze strayed toward Ailyn. Abandoning her sullen attitude, she seemed awfully immersed in the Resistance's conversation. Was it because she wanted to ruin their plans? She had decidedly demonstrated that her hate toward Kage withered quicker than it had flourished. The princess called it forgiveness. Nora called it naïvité.

But the more Ailyn leaned forward; the more words she devoured like a famished wolf; the more ideas she blurted out, the more Nora realized her interest wasn't that shallow. It had grown roots far beyond the soil of betrayal. She wanted to help Ela, just like she had helped them before. A returned favor. A sense of justice she had veiled extraordinarily well.

"Two nights," Iona said. "We have two nights until the palace is open to the public. Canbar was right; the band is unlikely to be searched as thoroughly as the guests."

Ailyn nodded, her rugged nails pinching the delicate skin of her forearm nervously. "The gear could be inside the cases. Maybe behind the lining, if we want to be careful." A sour smile adorned her lips. "They will never suspect the musicians. They never have."

Nora pushed her body off the wall, letting the cup down. She knew what her job would be; evade the guards and find Ela. One day of ceaseless travel seemed enough time for a thorough explanation. Without a second glance at the plotting crowd, she thrust the door open and stepped outside.

Her eyes instantly searched for Arden. They found his frowning compatriot.

"What is it, Canbar?" she asked, her feet screeching against the wet ground as she paced towards the boy. His brows were weaved into an elaborate knitwork and his breaths created an obscure mist as they escaped from the slight gap of his lips.

Salo gaze slowly soared, meeting Nora's narrow eyes. There was still tension in the atmosphere; making plans behind their back and losing the payment for them wasn't something they could brush off easily. Yet Nora had found she had become much more lenient over those past weeks. When the silence between them stretched she sighed, stuffing her freezing fingers into her pockets. "If it's about the plan, don't—"

Her words of forgiveness were interrupted when Salo abruptly threw out his arms and tore Nora into them.

"Um—"

"Just shut up."

Nora reluctantly brought her own arms up and patted his back. What was this? They had undoubtedly grown close during the mission, but neither of them had ever expressed any desire for such closeness. Beneath her ear, she could hear his heart beating wildly. She could question his anxiety or his sudden need for an embrace. Perhaps it had something to do with Arden's absence.

Instead, she shut her lids and pressed her arms around his torso. There were many times she herself had needed someone to squeeze her out of her thoughts, to reassure her with something more than hollow words.  A hug normally didn't have much effect on the situation at hand, yet the way Salo's wrists trembled told Nora that perhaps it could today.

A few seconds later, Salo dropped his hands and leaned back to stare at the girl. His frown had eased, but the slight crease between his eyebrows had not. "I think it's over."

"What is over?" A stinging feeling began accumulating on the bottom of Nora's stomach as she looked up at him. The absence of the man she had originally come here for was growing more and more suspicious as no words came out of Salo's mouth. "Well?" she prodded.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed down what seemed like hesitation. A deep breath and a twitch of his brows later, he finally whispered, "Arden knows where the Kingfisher is."

The shock came in doses. The first wave crashed against Nora, nearly knocking her off her feet as she forced her knees not to buckle. She had questions, too many of them, but she also knew Salo could answer none. Her arm shot out, gripping the wall next to the boy. Her own heart started picking up with more than just surprise. It was a feeling she had not truly felt in a long time.

It was joy.

That happiness quickly turned cold when she whipped her head back to Salo. "Where is he?"

"Gone," he replied. His lips quirked into a questioning smile. "Didn't he come in from the back door? To gather men?"

The second wave came conveniently late. A rush of energy filled her limbs as she huffed out a breath and seized Salo's shoulder. "Which way did he go?" she snapped.

"Behind the building," he said, his own smile gradually fading.

She stumbled into the fastest sprint the slippery soil allowed. Her muscles burned with exhaustion even before she darted across the empty roads of TOWN; now they were scorching with dread and anticipation alike. She forced her legs to move, even when her knees wobbled uncontrollably. He's long gone, a voice caressed her ears. Her features contorted into a tight grimace. He couldn't be gone. Not without saying goodbye.

The girl reached a derelict building buzzing with incessant noise, crackling against the dirt, bangs against the wooden boards. Its purpose became clearer when she stepped a little closer and dirty white fur came into view. The stables.

Her feet instictively dashed for the stalls, but she quicklt stopped herself before she could waste more time. And what if some horses were missing? She couldn't have known how many there were in the first place. Her hand ran through her wet hair and dropped to her face, wiping  as much of the desperation from it as she could.

Arden couldn't be gone. They had promised they were all in this together. They had vowed to protect each other  no matter the cost. Yet the very man she was frantically searching for had broken that promise mere days after he had made it. Ela and Ailyn weren't people to his greedy eyes; they were tools, so he used them with little remorse. Who could guarantee he wouldn't do the same with Nora?

With most of her determination evaporated into the winter mist,  she kicked her feet toward the dirt road running through the small town. Arden's stubbornness could be compared to an oaf's and he would still win. If running off by himself and retrieving an ancient artifact from the deepest pits of hell was what he wanted, he would do it blindly.

And if his carriage to hell was so full of his ego it fit no other person, he would abandon her in a ghost town full of bandits to take it.

"Nora."

The spy whipped around, coming face to face with the man she thought had abandoned her a minute ago. And there he stood, dragging a horse behind him. At first she thought she was hallucinating. It seemed too perfect of a scenario; Arden, filled with regret, turns back to his team, gathers them up and rides off into the Mushan countryside to retrieve the object of their suffering during the past weeks. Yet as his lips started puckering and his fingers started drumming against the horse's lead, Nora couldn't help but crack a wavering smile. This wasn't some transformed, righteous version of Arden. It was his usual impatient self, and she couldn't wish for more.

Relief welled in her heart. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to kiss him. And for the first time in forever, she had found a reason to.

Her hand flew out and landed on his cheek.

Arden's head swung to the side as he held the tender skin of his cheekbone in his palm. The lead was out of his hand the moment he straightened his back and looked up at her with a wild glare. There were many reasons for him to be mad. Nora didn't particularly care. She grabbed his shoulders and fenced him in her arms, squeezing him with as much force a tiny girl could possess. The man released a low yet purposely audible grunt. She knew he wasn't in pain. That only made her squeeze him tighter.

"Why the hell were you planning on going out there alone?" she whispered furiously, leaning back to stare at him. The crimson of his cheek remained. "Are you absolutely mad?"

The corners of his lips twitched. "I don't understand the past tense. I am still planning on going out there alone," he corrected. His silver eyes bored into hers, taking in every emotion Nora would rather hide. "And if the wording of that was different I would give you a really really bad reply."

"You can't do this alone."

"We both know that's a lie."

Nora huffed, but she felt more worried than annoyed. "Let me go with you," she pled.

Arden touched the side of her cheek, triggering a series of combustions in her chest. "That won't happen. I won't let it happen."

"But I can help, Arden," she sighed as she watched him study her face. "I swear, if you let me tag along—"

His lips abruptly pressed against hers.

She felt as if she should pull back, push him away. Maybe that was what must have been done. But it wasn't what she wanted to do. His lips brushed hers, softly, delicately, like butterfly wings, just long enough that he could inhale her breath, feel the warmth of her skin. It felt like an explosion of the best flavors in the universe all at once, a mixture of colors behind her closed lids. Her heart flapped wildly, the bottom of her stomach churning with yearning. The thought that it could be the first and last kiss they ever shared made Nora press her body against his tighter, savor the moment while it lasted.

Their possession of lungs didn't allow it to last as long as she would have liked. They parted, Arden touching his forehead on hers. Nora's lids opened and she looked up at him. "Don't kiss me to shut me up," she tried to snap, but it came out breathier than she had planned.

He slowly shook his head, pulling hers along too. "I don't want you to ever shut up, Nora Smairde. But I need you to trust me."

"Is that a goodbye?"

Another peck on her red lips. Another pang in her chest as the situation started registering. It was goodbye. Why would he risk shattering his nonchalant act if he was staying to live with the shame of it?

"It's only a goodbye if we part forever," he said, a grim smile spreading across his face. "I cannot give you any guarantees. I'm not that person. But I can promise you I'll come back to find you at the palace on the night of the Winter Festival's ball."

"You sound so sure."

"I am." He walked toward the brown horse, landing on top of it in one swift motion. "See you later."

And he trodded away, leaving Nora with the best last memory of him she could ask for.

***

Okay, I know, SUPER short chapter but I think this scene deserved its own space.

First of all, how are you all doing? I hope everyone is staying at home and staying safe! I know many people who are ignoring these orders because they think they won't make a difference and trust me, it's extremely frustrating for me to hear as a med student. Please don't be like those people and keep your distances. It's not only about you, it's also about the people surrounding you.

On a brighter note, we hit 10k! I am sooo thankful for every single read and constructive comment. Seeing as this story is coming to an end I'm really delighted to see that people are reaching the last update in such a short amount of time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

EDIT: We've also hit 1k reads! That's so great, thank you guys ☺ Shout out to @CynkNapp for pointing it out :)

Once again, thank you for reading! Please consider voting and commenting as it motivates me a ton ♥