It was with much discontentment that Tissaia opened her eyes to glare up at Kaius, who ceased shaking her when he noticed she was awake. She batted his hand away while he just grinned. "If you prefer, I can always have Azael or Talarion wake you when they're back from scouting," he teased.

    "Oh piss off," Tissaia grumbled. "Why are both of them scouting? Did you have another dream?" She sat up and rubbed the last grit of drowsiness from her eyes.

    Kaius shook his head. "No, but I heard something out there this morning. Not an animal. I told them I didn't think it was anything to worry about, but they insisted on double checking the area."

    Tissaia cocked her head as the male pulled something from a small pouch fastened to his belt. Kaius laid his palm flat, letting her look at the strange, glossy stone. It was a deep slate gray interwoven with rivers of green.

    "It's beautiful. "Where did you get that?"

    Kaius's smile warmed. "It was by my foot after I heard that sound. It's how I knew there was nothing to worry about."

    "The Little Gods," she realized, and he nodded. In all her years, she'd never once seen one of the famed creatures.

    The Little Gods, or Wisps, as they were also called, were beings that had existed from the birth of the land, and would likely exist until the end of it. All the stories she'd heard portrayed them as mischievous, but wise creatures, capable of offering help to those deserving, or bringing ruin to those who were not. They could guide the lost, or make one lose their way.

    They were also rumored to leave gifts for their favored few, though Tissaia had always been forewarned as a child not to touch any strange artifacts she found lying around, lest she take a gift that was not meant for her. But Kaius need not fear such things. Many times, he had told her about his kinship with the Wisps, and the several different ones he had met while living in the forest.

    They had first appeared to him after the Blood Fae attacked him and his parents. They were the ones who had healed his numerous wounds and provided him with gifts of food and water to keep him alive. Kaius had always said he owed them his life, and he believed they had saved him because they knew of some purpose he had yet to fulfill.

    He slid the stone back into his pouch while Tissaia rose and gathered up her cloak. "Did you see what kind of Wisp it was?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

    Kaius shook his head. "They don't usually show themselves when I'm with others, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're still around here somewhere."

    "Did you tell Talarion?"

    "Of course, but you know how overprotective he is."

    Tissaia chuckled at that. "Like you're any better. And Azael?"

    "I'm not entirely certain he believes in the Little Gods."

    "Well, he's always been skeptical of most things. Why should they be any different?"

    "Who's skeptical?" Tissaia and Kaius both started at the sound of Azael's voice. He strode into the camp with Talarion on his heels and a faint look of annoyance in his eyes.

    "I'm skeptical that we'll make any progress today if you two insist on scouting every inch of ground we try to cross," Kaius replied with a somewhat forceful laugh when Tissaia remained silent. He kicked dirt over the last few embers of their fire and began gathering his things. Talarion followed suit while Azael set to work saddling the horses.

    Tissaia collected her own belongings before approaching her mare. She began fastening her gear into place and listened as the males discussed their plans for the day. All three of them seemed to be in agreement for once. They would ride far enough today that they could reach and cross the river tomorrow.

    Tissaia barely smothered her sigh at the thought of riding that distance. At least she'd ridden for most of the journey from Lochren to Arcan so she was already accustomed to it. If she weren't, she knew she'd be even more sore today than she already was.

    She stiffened when Azael approached the other side of her mount and secured a few straps she hadn't gotten to yet. "I thought Kaius was the one who was supposed to have weird dreams," he said, voice low and hinted with laughter.

    "And what does that mean?"

    "I wasn't aware you talk in your sleep."

    Tissaia's eyes widened and there was no stopping the furious flush that gripped her face. "Oh gods," she groaned. "Please don't tell me what I said. I don't even want to know."

    "Don't worry. It wasn't anything too terrible. Just a lot of 'Fuck you's' that sounded rather angry."

    Her mouth curled into a frown when he caught her eye over the saddle. "No, I was not dreaming about you, since I can already tell that's where your mind has gone," she quipped. "But I know you're not in the habit of believing me so I'll tell you who it was about."

    Azael's lips parted as if to protest, but she didn't give him the opportunity. "It was my father. I dreamed that he had found us and was trying to force Talarion and I to come back."

    "Oh," he murmured. "I didn't expect that you were..."

    "Hey!" Talarion called, interrupting him before he could finish. "Let's get going, you two."

    Tissaia fixed the Prince with a snide grin and swung herself into the saddle. Azael held her gaze for a moment, then mounted his own horse and guided the buckskin stallion over to Talarion's raven mount. The two exchanged a few brief words, too quiet for her to overhear, before Azael jerked his chin to Kaius and the pair took the lead into the forest.

    Tissaia guided her mare over to her brother and fell into place at his side. "Bad dream, huh?" Talarion remarked when Azael and Kaius were just out of earshot.

    Tissaia nodded, one hand leaving the reins to fall to her forearm. Her bruise was gone now, but the echo of her father's painful grip still remained, and her back almost ached at the thought.

    "He won't find us out here, Tiss," her brother soothed gently. "Kaius is certain of it. We haven't left much of a trail and Father doesn't have any trackers nearly as skilled as him. If he says we're safe for now, believe him."

    "I trust Kaius, but I won't make the mistake of underestimating Father," Tissaia replied. "And neither should you. We know better than anyone what he's capable of when he wants something badly enough."

    A muscle in Talarion's jaw feathered before he exhaled a heavy breath between his teeth. "I know. If he did manage to find us somehow, do you think..." He trailed off and Tissaia glanced at him. Worry had etched tired lines into the corners of her brother's eyes and his mouth was more downturned than usual.

    "What?" She prompted.

    "Do you think Azael would help us, if we told him the truth? And before you answer, I know you don't want to tell him. I don't either, and if all we had to think about was each other, I wouldn't consider it."

    Talarion's dark eyes met hers and Tissaia balked at the raw fear within them. Never before had he so vulnerably let her see this side of him, save once, many years ago when she met his first love and watched as they were forced to give each other up. He was always so restrained. So collected and passive.

    Sometimes she forgot how deeply her brother could feel, even though she knew him better than almost anyone. This fear was not for her or for himself, she knew, but for one who had never faced their father's wrath, and they both prayed never would. Talarion broke her gaze and scrapped his thumb across a scar in the middle of his right palm.

    "I don't think we could reveal this to him without telling him, or showing him, everything," Tissaia said carefully. "But I also don't think we need to. Azael must realize the importance of what we're doing, and I don't think he'd let Father stop us from seeing it through. Or at the very least, he wouldn't let Father stop himself or Kaius."

    "Somehow that's not as reassuring as I think you meant it to be," Talarion sighed. She could only offer a weak smile of sympathy. The words didn't bring her any more comfort than him.

•༻☽☾༺•

    Azael rode quietly alongside Kaius, aware of Tissaia and Talarion's low mumbling behind them, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. If she was angry with him again...it hadn't been his intention. He hadn't even wanted her to tell him what she'd dreamed about if she didn't want to, but it seemed she was still holding onto the words they'd exchanged after his argument with his father.

    He'd never meant to make her feel like he didn't believe her. That couldn't be further from the truth. But he also knew he hadn't been himself in those moments, and the words he'd spoken, said in such a cold, uncaring tone, certainly could be misconstrued. It was likely too late to change that now though. Even if he tried to explain himself, she probably wouldn't stay long enough to listen.

    And he couldn't blame her. Their entire relationship thus far had been a never-ending series of refusing to listen to each other or be openly honest, and that didn't seem like it was going to change any time soon. She would remain angry about the past, and he would remain unable to explain his actions without sounding selfish or insane.

    But gods, sometimes he just wished she knew. That she understood. She probably thought he only intended to hurt her, or that he didn't think she was good enough for him. Azael let one hand fall to Orilight's hilt.

    He gripped it tightly, then relaxed his hand again, closing his eyes. No, the truth was the exact opposite. He was not good enough for her. What fate had in store for him, he could never subject her to. She didn't deserve such a life. Such a death.

    And if continuing to deepen this wedge was what would spare her from sharing his fate, then he would do it. Even if she hated him to the end of the world and beyond. Even his soul was someday flung into the depths of Hel for all the pain he had caused. Even if it meant watching her choose Kaius over him, or any other male who might come along.

    All of that was certainly going to make this journey difficult though. The last thing they needed was to be at each other's throats. He was certain he could put aside his differences with Kaius. The male didn't seem to see any differences between them, as a matter of fact.

    It was Tissaia who would be the problem, and Talarion on her behalf. Azael sat straighter when he noticed the Twins had gone silent behind him. He fixed his gaze on the trees ahead, and renewed his resolve with every breath.