Sebastian and the others awoke before the sun could finish rising.

Lingering wisps of the previous night hung in the sky, a gradient of stark blues, soothing purples, and warm marigolds. The sunrise was painted across the sky as if it was constructed by the seven gods themselves.

The town was still asleep. The shops wouldn't be open for another hour. Still, Sebastian could smell the fresh bread coming from a nearby bakery. Had they not been on a schedule, he would've stopped for a chocolate croissant—his favorite breakfast food. Alas, he had more important matters to attend to; the buttery pastry would have to wait.

After he and Olivier had woken up the others, they got dressed and headed to the port. It the southernmost area of the town and about a thirty-minute walk according to the information Remy got from the inn's owner.

Despite the circumstances, Sebastian was going to miss Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. It was a quaint, little place full of nice scenery and decent people. He enjoyed the change of pace from the cutthroat environments he grew up in that it provided. He wished he could've stayed. He wished he could've abandoned all his responsibilities and played cards with Remy until he died.

But he couldn't. He had a job to do.

"Are we almost there?" Imogen whined for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Almost," Sebastian replied. In truth, he had no idea if they were close or not. He did know that he was getting tired of her asking the same question over and over again.

They all were walking briskly alongside compact, pastel-colored buildings. The sun was beginning to rise into the sky behind them. If they were going to get on Luka's boat, they needed to hurry.

The cobblestone path they walked along gave way to a curved bend of land. Sebastian could see the cerulean water in the distant. Small waves lapped upon the stone barrier running along the edge of the small coast. Boats and dinghies of differing sizes were parked in the quaint port. A few fishermen walked around with rods on their shoulders and nets of the early morning catch.

"Okay," Remy said while looking around. "What now?"

"We find Luka's boat," Sebastian said.

Ajax scratched the top of his head. "How do we do that? There's a bunch of them out there."

He was right. There was no way they'd be able to guess which boat belonged to the Luka. And it wasn't like any of them had the symbol of House Aegeon or any other defining feature on them. That'd be against the rules of the council.

They would have to find Luka instead.

He sighed and slid a hand down his face. He was hoping they wouldn't have to interact with the man until they were on the open sea. The wine merchant had already declined to help them, and Sebastian was fairly certain he wouldn't change his mind.

I guess we'll just have to persuade him.

He looked around in search of the blond man. A few of the shops bordering the port were beginning to open. Ajax and Remy wandered off in search of the man while Imogen and Olivier stayed close to his side.

"What's this guy look like, anyway?" Imogen asked. She had a hand on her blade, which she kept in a ratty sheath she picked up from a flea market a few days back.

"I think you'd find him rather handsome," Olivier replied, which caused Sebastian to roll his eyes. "He's got blond hair and real...eccentricity about him. You couldn't miss him."

"Blonds aren't really my type." She cast Sebastian a coy look as she said it.

He coughed and looked away from her. Out the corner of his eye, he could see her grinning at him. Scowling, he continued to keep an eye out for Luka di Marina.

"—for the hundredth time, I don't want to buy any anchovies. What do I look like? A peasant?"

Sebastian squinted at the sound of the voice. His eyes widened as he turned his head. One of the vendors in the port was desperately trying to sell fresh anchovies to a man in blue, flowy garments. His golden locks bounced on his shoulders as he shooed the seller away from him.

The black-haired magician grinned. "Looks like we found him."

"That's him?" Imogen wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, he's definitely not my type." She shot Sebastian a playful look. "He looks like he could be yours, though."

"Shut up."

Olivier shook his head at the two of them before walking over to Luka. He waved at the man and received a shocked look in return.

"What are you doing here?" he asked while letting out a nervous laugh.

Ajax and Remy approached him from behind. He glanced at the giant ginger over his shoulder and nearly choked.

"We were wondering if you were willing to reconsider," Sebastian said.

"And why would I do that?" Luka blew air from his nose. "I already told you, I'm not helping you. I personally like living. If I help you, I might as well jump into the ocean now."

"Or we could just throw you in the ocean ourselves and steal your boat," Sebastian suggested.

Beside him, Olivier frowned. "He didn't mean that."

Yes, I did. He kept his mouth shut, though. He didn't need Luka getting spooked too early. They still needed his help.

The man shot the boy a lopsided smile. "Oh really? Do you even know which one is mine? Better yet, do any of you know how to operate a boat?"

"How hard could it be?" Ajax quipped. "You just press a few levers and steer, right?"

Luka facepalmed. "No wonder why they call you Brynjirs 'dull swords'."

"Watch it, Blondie."

He gulped and inched away from the battlemage.

Sebastian took a step toward him. "Look, all you'll be doing is getting us to Thania. Once we get into the city, we can forget we ever saw each other. Deal?"

Luka rubbed his chin. "I don't know..."

Imogen surged forward and pressed the tip of her knife to the man's neck. He froze, his blue eyes going wide. "How about now?"

He raised his hands and nodded quickly, his gaze stuck on the blade millimeters away from ending his life. Imogen smiled sweetly at him and holstered the weapon. Luka cursed under his breath before shimmying in between Ajax and Remy.

"C'mon then," he grumbled. "I want to get going before the winds pick up."

The group followed behind him as he led them to his ship. As they walked, Sebastian arched an eyebrow at Imogen. He hadn't expected her to step up and take charge like that. Something about it was oddly...attractive. Knitting his brows together, he shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Not now. Not after what happened.

He had never been one for monogamy, and he had his fair share of romantic experiences, but there was something about Makaela that drew him to her. He didn't think he'd feel that way about anyone else. Frankly, it scared him. Emotions and vulnerability and love were never his forte.

Makaela had been his crutch. And now she was his enemy.

It must've been some cruel prank. A sick joke. He had just gotten close with her. Now she was with his father, who he was sure wanted to murder him.

Luka led the group alongside the dock and away from the main area. A large, white boat with dark blue accents bobbed in the water like a massive buoy. It was significantly larger than most of the boats in the small port. A rickety wooden bridge stretched from the stone path to the railing wrapping around the vessel.

"Nice boat," Remy said.

"Thanks, kid." Luka frowned at the group behind him. "This boat wasn't made for six people, you know."

"We don't take up a lot of space," Olivier said.

Luka cleared his throat while gesturing at Ajax. "I find that hard to believe."

Sebastian and Imogen held in their laughter while Ajax glared at the man in front of him.

"Wait here while I go start the boat." Luka stepped onto the wooden bridge and then stopped. He went still as if someone shot him with a stunning spell.

"What's the matter?" Remy asked, his eyebrows raised.

Sebastian squinted at the man. Then he felt the shift. It was like all the warmth had been sucked from the air. The cold spread along his skin, making his hairs stand up. He squeezed his eyes shut and resisted the urge to scream.

No, no, no. This can't be happening.

"What's going on?" Imogen asked while looking in between Sebastian and Luka.

A series of pops sounded around the docks behind them. The group spun around to face the noise. Clouds of black swirled on the port. Robbed men and women stepped out of the shadowy rifts. Masks covered their faces, the silver metal reflecting the glare from the morning sun.

"Well, shit," Ajax mumbled. He held out his hand and uttered a spell. His war axe materialized in his hand. A faint, green light hummed within the iron. Sebastian did the same. He readied his black dagger. With his jaw taut, he glared at the dark magicians stalking towards them like ghosts.

"I knew they were tracking us," he said. "I knew it."

"Want a cookie?" Imogen asked.

He ignored her. Now wasn't the time for her snide comments. They needed to fight off these Shades, get on Luka's boat, and sail the hell away from the village. He turned to the blond, who was still standing on the boarding bridge.

"Start your boat," he ordered. He pointed at him threateningly. "Wait for us. If you leave, so help me Mauvorin I will find you and send you down to Nordor myself."

The man nodded before scrambling onto his ship.

Sebastian refocused his attention on Shades approaching them. He recognized most of the masks. His sister and Igor were among them. However, there was one he had never seen before. It was of a gryphon. Shade masks usually took after animals associated with traits belonging to House Tenebris.

Gryphons didn't fall into that category. They were curious and wild creatures. They were beasts of light and the sky.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

The Shade wearing the gryphon mask had long curly hair the color of ink. Through the slits in their metal face, he could see the faint traces of golden irises. They were impossible to miss. Impossible to not remember.

It was her.

"Stand down, Sebastian," she yelled from across the port.

With his lips pursed, he shook his head. Behind him, the others got ready for a fight. Imogen had reequipped her dragon bone knife and Olivier had called upon his own vayrir—a golden javelin.

The Shade brought a hand to her mask. As soon as her fingers touched its surface, it vanished like it was never there.

Makaela's golden eyes stared back at Sebastian. She looked just as beautiful as she always did. Her dark skin shone under the sun, its complexion reminding him of black coffee. She offered him a small smile. He almost returned it. Then he remembered where they were and what was happening.

He scowled and glanced at Luka's boat. The end hadn't cut on yet.

"What's the hold-up?!"

"I don't know!" Luka shouted. "I'm working on it."

Sebastian turned to Remy. "Go help him."

"But— "

"Go!"

The boy gulped and ran off to assist Luka in starting the ship.

Ahead of him, the Shades were getting closer. Amora led the pack. She reached up and removed her mask. A wicked grin was plastered across her violet-painted lips.

"Nice to see you again, big brother," she mused.

His lip curled at the sight of her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I've been wanting a rematch."

Makaela held her hands out. "We don't have to fight, Sebastian. If you all just surrender, no one has to get hurt."

Imogen scoffed. "Surrender? You really have changed."

Makaela pursed her lips.

"We're leaving," Sebastian said. "And you're not stopping us."

Her expression softened. A pleading look filled her face. "Please. Please don't do this."

His face reddened while a geyser of sweltering rage and confusion threatened to burst from within him. "How can you stand there with...with them? How could you become one of them?" His voice raised with every word until he was practically screaming at her.

When Sebastian was still under his father's tutelage, he hadn't even been a Shade. Not officially, at least. He went on missions and trained with them, but he was never one of them. He never got a mask or a cloak. But there Makaela was, standing in front of him wearing their robes with a mask in her hand.

It wasn't right.

Makaela flinched backward. A dark glare cast itself over her golden eyes. He had seen that look before. It was a skill that he, and many other magicians belonging to House Tenebris, had mastered. After all, she was one of them now. It wasn't a surprise that she was acting like them too.

"I did what I had to do," she told him.

"And that's what I'm doing."

"Can we cut the chatter?" Igor rested his spiked mace on his beefy shoulder. "They're obviously not going to come willingly. I doubt Thorian will care if we kill them."

"The only one dying here is you, ogre," Ajax said while pointing his weapon in the Shade's direction.

"I am not an ogre!"

Makaela rubbed her temples. "Everyone calm down! This does not have to go down the way we think it does."

Sebastian glanced at Olivier, who was staring at his beloved niece with a disappointed look on his face. The man suddenly stepped forward. "Why are you doing this, Makaela?"

She turned away from him.

"Makaela."

She refused to acknowledge him.

"I'm getting bored," Amora said with a false yawn. She turned to her fellow Shades. "Dispose of them. Quickly, please. We don't have all day."

The masked magicians nodded in unison and moved to attack. Makaela tried stepping in front of them but it was no use.

They had already begun.