I stood at the edge of the treeline and stared at the incline where I had killed my sister. My heart pounded hard and fast in my chest while I stared at it, and my mouth grew dry and felt like the desert.

The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention while I stared at the spot, too afraid to go out into the clearing, even though I knew that I had to do it, especially since they wanted to see where I had killed my sister.

"Anastasia?" Sanuel asked and looked at me from the corner of his eye. He frowned and turned his attention fully toward me while Isen watched with his hands behind his back and a look of sadness on his face. "Are you ok?"

I shook my head and bit the inside of my lip, tucking my head closer to my chest. "No," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and shifted in my feet. "I am not ok."

I licked my lips and cleared my throat while I shifted on my feet, biting the inside of my lip. "I can not go any closer than I am right now."

I am too scared to...

"But what if there is something there that you are missing, Ans?" Alexia asked and raised an eyebrow in question. She bit back a small smile and tucked her head closer to her chest. "The only way that you will know is if you go up there and find out for yourself."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance, even though a part of me knew that what she said was true.

There was a possibility of something being helpful if I got over the fear that I was feeling and went over there...

I pressed my lips further in annoyance but I didn't say a word to her while I stared at the spot from the safety of the trees.

"What did your sister tell you, Anastasia?" Samuel asked and raised an eyebrow in question. He cocked his head and studied me, and a look of amusement flashed through his eyes. "Or can I take a guess?"

I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face while I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "You can take a guess, I guess," I said tiredly, before I looked at Isen, for I knew that he would know from looking through my memories and listening to my thoughts. "What did she say?"

"She asked you what if there was something missing that you couldn't see from where you are at," Samuel said and shrugged and grimaced, "and the only way for you to know if you are missing something is to go there and look around."

Alexia bit back a small chuckle and nodded in confirmation. "I like him," she approved, and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She smiled and tucked her head closer to her chest while she looked at him before she looked at me. "I am glad that Jo found a friend like him."

I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips into a thin line but didn't say a word to her. I folded my arms across my chest and stared straight ahead, trying but failing to find the courage that I knew I needed to go over there.

But what if it was something bad..?

"Anastasia?" Samuel asked and raised an eyebrow in question. Pain and sadness filled his eyes while I looked at him, and he had a small smile on his face. "Was I correct?"

I sighed and looked forward before I slowly nodded and higher myself closer together, trying but failing to get comfortable and stop the anxiety from taking over. "Unfortunately, yes," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet while I licked my lips. "She said that more or less the same way you said it."

Samuel bit back a small smile and slowly nodded while he folded his arms across his chest. "I think I like her," he said, and Alexia bit back a small laugh while she slowly nodded. "I wish I had met her before she passed away," he added randomly.

The smile faltered a little, and a look of guilt and pain appeared on my face. "Ya..." I said and cleared my throat while I shifted on my feet, tucking my head closer to my chest and not able to look at him or at my sister. "I wish you had gotten to meet her, too, before I killed her..." I cleared my throat again while I shrugged and grimaced. "But unfortunately, hindsight is twenty-twenty, and you aren't able to meet her at all."

Samuel flinched and rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, and a look of guilt flashed across his face while his cheeks turned red. "Ya, I hope you know that I didn't mean it like that, Anastasia," he said, and I bit back a small smile and slowly nodded. "I hope that you can forgive me."

"I do," I said and bit back a tired sigh while I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "I forgive you and know that you didn't mean anything about it. However, I do wish that you had met her. She was a good person."

She was a better person than me..

Samuel bit back a tired sigh before he slowly nodded and looked toward the area before he looked at me. "Do you think I would be able to see her if we were up there?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he gestured toward the cliff, and I looked that way before I looked at him with a small blank on my face.

"I don't think so," I said and shook my head again. "I do not know if you would either, Isen," I said and looked at Isen, and Isen shrugged and grimaced while he appeared so that Samuel could see him too. "Were you wanting to?"

"Technically I can see her through your eyes, Anastasia," Isen said and shrugged with a small grimace on his face. "I don't need to go up there to see her, but it would be interesting if Samuel would be able to see her face to face and see what she looks like."

Samuel scowled and narrowed his eyes while he folded his arms across his chest, and a look of annoyance flashed through his eyes while he stared at Isen. "Uh, I know what she looks like, Isen," he said coldly, and Isen grinned and shrugged. "I mean, I have seen her portraits and photos all over the kingdom when I lived there."

"True," Isen said with a small chuckle in his voice while he slowly nodded. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet before he looked at me, growing serious. He bit back a small smile and held out his hand for me to take, and I looked at it before I looked at him. "But why don't we go over there together, Ans?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "That way you can feel somewhat comfortable about what is going to happen soon."

I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh, hesitating ever so slightly. "And you won't let go?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper while I stared at him with wide eyes filled with tears.

Isen smiled sadly and shook his head. "And I won't let go until you do not need me anymore," he said softly before he bowed his head. "You have my word, Ans."

I hesitated before I placed my hand in his and took a step toward him. My heart pounded hard and fast in my chest, and a look of nervousness flashed across my face. "Then, let's go," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I want to get this done and see if I am missing anything before I am missed by someone else."

And with that, Isen nodded and slowly started to lead me to the cliff and away from the safety of the trees with my heart pounding hard and fast in my chest. It started to leap into my throat every so often, no matter how hard I tried to make sure it stayed calm, with Samuel and Alexia following close behind us.

Oh Goddess, protect me...