I stopped in front of the cliff and stared at it with my mouth growing drier. My whole body was tense, and I couldn't help but start to shiver while my hands started to shake, which then turned to my whole body starting to shake. I didn't say a word while I stared at the cliff, panicking ever so slightly.

Isen didn't try to pull me toward the cliff and stayed still, silently waiting for me to continue. He looked at me from the corner of his eye and squeezed my hand, reassuringly. His whole body was relaxed while he waited for me to calm down, but it didn't help as much as he would like.

Samuel walked closer to the cliff and turned to look at us. His hands were placed behind his back, and he grabbed his hands together. His whole body was relaxed and studied me with something in his eyes that I didn't like nor didn't understand.

I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh, trying but failing to relax and stop myself from shaking. I cleared my throat and closed my eyes, licking my lips while I slowly nodded. "I'm ok," I said before I cleared my throat again, and my voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm ok."

"Do you want to do this?" Isen asked and cocked his head while he studied me. He raised an eyebrow in question, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I know that you said you wanted to, but..." He shrugged and grimaced.

I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face, shaking my head. "We are already close enough," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "It doesn't make sense since we are already here."

"You can do this, Ans," Alexia said. She patted my shoulder, and I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She smiled sadly before she tucked her head closer to her chest, and a pain flashed through her eyes. "I'm still here right by your side."

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Come on," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I grabbed Isen's hand tighter before I took a step forward, and Isen took a step, as well.

He started to walk with me and squeezed my hand gently. He kept glancing at me from the corner of his eyes and with a small frown on his face. He brushed his arm against mine, and I looked at him before I looked forward with my heart pounding hard and fast in my chest.

My sister hesitated before she placed her hand in my other hand while we continued to walk up the hill, and I tried to grab her hand tighter but couldn't, even though there was a space between our two hands where her hand lay.

My heart ached and became filled with pain and sadness, and I bit the inside of my lip but didn't say a word. I squeezed Isen's hand tighter, and Isen looked at me from the corner of his eye and offered me a tight smile.

Samuel watched us before he started to continue his way up the cliff where I had killed the last queen. His whole body was tense, and he made sure that we were going to stay alive and well before he looked at me again.

"He's protective of you," Alexia noted, watching Samuel look around before he looked at me and then back to the way where we were going. "Is it because of Jo Anne?" She raised an eyebrow in question while she cocked her head to the side and studied me.

I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Probably," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat and took my hand from hers so that I would be able to rub my other arm, trying but failing to stop the goosebumps that were starting to appear. "But I think he has been more protective of me after Alexandria was born..."

Samuel looked at me and raised an eyebrow in question, cocking his head to the side. He didn't say a word while he studied me, silently wondering what was going on and what I was talking to her about.

"Alexia was noting how protective of me you were," I said, tucking my head closer to my chest. "She was wondering if it was because of Jo."

Samuel bit back a small smile and slowly nodded. He didn't say a word and looked to where my sister was before he looked at me, silently telling me that we would talk later and hopefully without my sister or Isen nearby.

I bit back a tired sigh and held back an eye roll, pressing my lips into a thin line. 'I can't control where they go,' I said through our link, making sure to throw Isen out of my mind before I did so, earning a small whine from him. 'I don't know if they will leave me alone so that only you and I can talk.'

'We can see, Ans,' Samuel said and tucked his head closer to his chest, biting back a small frown on his face. He turned his attention back to the way we were going, not looking at us while he continued to walk that way. 'It might be something that you will have to set and tell them to leave you alone when you do so.'

I held back an eye roll and bit back a small sigh. I shook my head and cleared my throat and looked around before I looked at him. 'I'll think about it,' I said, setting my jaw. I took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh, slowly tucking my head closer to my chest.

Samuel set his jaw and slowly nodded while he turned to look at us. He didn't say a word and looked at Isen before he looked at me, slowly blinking.

Isen tsked and rolled his eyes, with a small scowl on his face, when Samuel looked at him, quickly putting two and two together. "Are you wanting to talk to her alone, Samuel?" Isen said with a small frown on his face. He scowled and narrowed his eyes, playfully. "Is that what you two are talking about?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I nodded in confirmation, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Samuel and I will talk to each other privately when we are able to do so. That means you won't be with us while we talk, Isen." I gave him a pointed look, and he rolled his eyes and scowled playfully.

"And your sister won't either?" Isen raised an eyebrow higher in question and pouted, earning a small snort from Samuel while he turned to look away and climb the rest of the way up the hill.

I shook my head, biting the inside of my lip. "She's going to have to stay away as well," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "At least while we talk because I know that he wants to do it privately." I glanced at her from the corner of my eye

My sister sighed and slowly nodded. She pursed her lips in annoyance and pain flashed through her eyes, but I had a feeling that she would do what I requested and would stay away but also be close if I needed her.

"Well, as long as he doesn't hurt you, then I will stay away while you talk. However I will be close to you if you need me, then I will come over and make his life a living hell," she said, confirming my suspicions. She smiled sadly, and her eyes flashed to a brighter color while she tucked her head closer to her chest.

I couldn't help but hold back an eye roll, even though a small smile appeared on my face, and I couldn't help but feel grateful that she would do that for me when she didn't need to.

My sister smiled sadly and tucked her head closer to her chest as if she knew what I was thinking and cleared her throat. "You have my word, Ans."

Always...