Neither Mace nor I dared to answer, fearful of the rage present in Auron's eyes. Though, I suspected the escaped prisoner was allowing me to deal with my friend by myself, watching the chaos unfold with a smile like he always did.

The weaponsmith dug the blade deeper into Mace's neck, piercing through the skin and making a small droplet of blood run down the column of his throat. "You didn't sneak out of the blacksmiths very well. I followed you until you reached the stables and got on Cirrus to leave the castle grounds. I thought you needed some time to yourself, something to take your mind off of everything that's happened, so I gave it to you." His brow furrowed in a mix of pain and anger. "When you didn't come back, I was worried because I thought you might have passed out somewhere since you should have been resting. Never did I expect to find you here with him."

When Auron pushed his sword even further into Mace, the latter pulled out an arrow from underneath the table and thrust it up against Auron's chin. "Lower the weapon," he hissed. "I thought you were a good guy, only brought into this because your friends had dragged you here. Don't make me change my opinion on you."

Auron could only grit his teeth. "Think whatever you want of me, just stay away from Sabre."

Mace laughed, a maniacal sound. "I don't know what to tell you, but she came to me all of her own accord."

I spoke up, noticing the blood falling down my friend's neck too. "Mace was telling me what Icrodeia are actually after. I was trying to come to a compromise." My words did nothing to calm the rage building in him.

"Anything that wretch promises you isn't worth it. He's trying to use you! Can't you see that?" Sorrow that belonged to betrayal rattled his voice. I knew that pain all too well, I experienced it myself when my parents had sold me to another kingdom.

Making all of us jump, Forsythia disarmed both of the males with ease in a few smooth movements. She held out their weapons to their respective owners to take once nobody was in the position of being wounded anymore. "No violence in my tavern, you hear me? Two of you are good regular customers, but at the next sign of weapons or a fight breaking out, you're all being kicked out," the bartender snarled. There was something vicious about her that was truly terrifying. Forsythia turned to me once Auron and Mace had taken their belongings back. "Keep your men under control."

"They're not my..." I began, but she had already walked away to serve a customer waiting at the counter.

"Does Kayne know about this?" Auron motioned to Mace, his eyes scanning him up and down with disgust.

I shook my head. How would Kayne react if he found out? When he found out. He would be just as hurt and angry as Auron was, perhaps more. I could already picture the scene happening before me and it didn't end well.

Mace sat back down, staring at the two of us innocently. A naive dog that didn't realise it had done something wrong. "You'd do well by not trusting the fae. That prince may not have done anything bad for now, but it won't be long until his mother influences him into a path of cruelty."

"If you want my help, stop insulting my friends and spreading lies about them. It feels like you're trying to get on my bad side." I shot up out of my seat with a scowl, the sudden movement causing me to wince. "Kayne is one of the most trustworthy people I've met. He would never do anything to intentionally harm someone."

"And yet he beat me for a long while trying to get information out of me in the tower. I think you've become a little blind to that creature's actions." He looked at me curiously, as if he suspected he was right.

Auron only ignored him. "He wants your help? What is it exactly that Icrodeia wants?" He turned to Mace, gripping his sword so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

The escaped prisoner pulled a two-faced pocket watch out of a hidden compartment in his coat. On one side was a normal clock face that you would find in most watches, but on the other was a sundial, letting the user know if it was night or day. Even though the circular piece of brass was small, a device as complicated as that had to be worth a large sum. Only something so intricate could be made in the Kingdom of Teria which was the furthest kingdom from Icrodeia and Racaea on this continent, meaning something like that pocket watch had to be even more difficult to get your hands on.

"My my, is that the time?" Mace asked himself, not even flipping the cover off of either of the watch's faces to look at what the time was. "I must be off, so I'll let you explain, Sabre." He pushed the arrow he had threatened Auron with back into his quiver and stood, dusting himself off. "I do hope you'll take up my offer. Whether it be now or when the fae prove themselves to be the monsters that they are, it will always be open for you." With a wink and another annoying smile, he left The Lost and Found.

When Mace had vanished through the doors, Auron spoke up, "so, you came to him willingly? Without even telling anyone?" He couldn't even bring himself to look at me. "Did you hit your head on the ground after he was the one who shot you?"

He was right, I had been reckless to come by myself. But, I didn't have much time to prepare. He had wanted to meet me as soon as the note had arrived through my window. "There would be no way you or Kayne would let me come alone if I told either of you. Mace never would have talked if someone had come with me. This was something I needed to do by myself."

"We could have figured something out!" A few heads turned in our direction, wondering what the commotion was. Even under the cover of the shadows spilling over the table, we wouldn't be kept safe from prying eyes and ears. "So, what now?" Auron kept his voice down. "Are you planning to leave us to join Icrodeia?"

"No! Never! I would never think about leaving you to join someone who wants to attack Racaea." Pain pierced my heart and twisted to even think I would do such a thing. My spirit belonged to Racaea. As much as I dreamt and imagined being able to go to Icrodeia and explore everything I might have been familiar with before I was sold, I couldn't deny that this kingdom was my home.

Auron sighed in frustration. "Let's just go home." I had never seen him so angry before. It was so unlike him. When there was an argument, he usually kept his calm. "We can talk about this in the morning, and I expect to hear every single piece of information that miscreant has told you."

Somehow, it wasn't the weaponsmith's reaction I feared the most to finding out. It was Kayne's.

I stepped around the chair I had abruptly risen from earlier, but I wobbled on my feet, a searing sensation shooting through my back. Auron helped me stand properly, his touch still as gentle as it was before he had found me conversing with Mace.

"It's clear you need some more rest. You shouldn't even be out of bed with that wound still healing, you could have pulled it open again by riding on Cirrus." His tone was stern and yet his actions were soft.

I grimaced internally at the guilt that panged in my chest. At least he didn't know I climbed a tree too. But, once again, he was right. It was a miracle it hadn't been torn open and I had a feeling it had something to do with the High Fae Queen's healing magic.

Without saying another word, Auron helped me over to our horses and we rode back to the castle in an awkward silence, one created by me.

Perhaps I should have told someone. In hindsight, it had been a really poor decision. What if I had been kidnapped or held for ransom? Nobody would have known where I was. However, some part of me — a small, sheltered corner within my soul — felt Mace was trustworthy. He was definitely wrong in his actions and needed to be stopped, but I didn't feel like he was lying.

I shook my head to force the thoughts out of my mind. What was getting into me?

I could only dread Kayne's reaction when he found out.