Tissaia heard Azael leave but barely registered it until Kaius drew a shuddering breath and his trapped hands pushed against her. A quick glance at his face told her he wasn't intending to try to attack her again, so she let go.

    But he still didn't seem like himself. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, a few random shivers still racking his limbs. His head twisted towards her brother and his features crumpled into pure fear and desperation.

    Talarion took her vacated spot in a heartbeat and Kaius practically melted into him, bracing his forehead on his shoulder while Talarion's hands skimmed over him, searching for any injuries they might have missed. "Are you all right?" Her brother demanded. "What did you see?"

    Kaius's breathing turned ragged once more and his whole body began to shake. "I think Azael already figured it out," Tissaia answered quickly. The last thing Kaius needed was to panic on top of recovering from the vision. "I'll go with him. You stay here so he won't be alone."

    Talarion barely nodded, one of his hands curling into Kaius's hair while his other arm wrapped around the male firmly. "We'll come find you as soon as he's able," Talarion said. "I don't think we'll be safe here much longer."

    "Fangs," Kaius whispered, catching both of their attention. "Blood and fangs. That's all I could see. Blood and fangs. Blood and fangs. Tearing at me. Ripping me apart. So much blood. So many fangs. They were...I couldn't..."

    Talarion hushed him gently. "You're safe, Kai. I swear on my life you're safe." Kaius lifted his head, his eyes abnormally glossy, and his usually warm, youthful features were drawn and gray. Her brother's scarred hand cupped his cheek. "You're safe," Talarion repeated.

    "Does he even recognize us?" Tissaia murmured.

    "He will. Go. I don't want you on your own for long."

    Tissaia nodded and started towards the door. She glanced back when she reached it though, worry overwhelming her once more. Kaius's face was hidden in her brother's neck, and Talarion had pressed his cheek to the top of his head. His eyes were closed, a mixture of relief and concern twisting his features.

    "Talarion?" Kaius whispered, and something loosened the tension gripping her chest. "Please tell me I didn't hurt anyone."

    "You didn't," her brother lied. "Are you all right?"

    His voice fell faint. "No. I saw them. Saw them tearing into me. Into all of us. Into you," he broke off with a choked sob.

    "I'm here, and you're safe," Talarion murmured. "I'm not going anywhere, Kai."

    If they said anything more, Tissaia didn't hear it. She was already running down the hallway, stopping only to grab her sword, bow, and quiver out of her room, then raced out of the house.

    She left the village with a rush of wind, placing her back in the depths of the forest. Only a few rays of moonlight broke through the dense treetops. She drew a deep breath, picking out the strongest traces of Azael's scent, and began following it.

•༻☽☾༺•

    Azael crept through the trees, keeping his body angled low and a dagger held firmly in his grasp. Raxys remained sheathed for now, but was within easy reach should he need it. So far he hadn't picked up any traces of the Blood Fae, but he continued to lay his trail.

    With any luck, the Blood Fae would pick up on it and follow it south towards the Treis River. That would take them in the opposite direction of the Une River where they would be headed, and hopefully once they cleared the forest the Blood Fae would not follow.

    He paused the next instant as bracken crunched behind him. Azael dropped low and spun, lashing his leg towards the oncomer. They let out a cry as their legs were knocked out from under them. He twisted on top of the figure, angling his blade at their throat, then blinked at the sight of Tissaia's glowering face.

    "Are you going to kill me or get off me?" She hissed, shoving a palm against his chest.

    Azael pulled back at once, sheathing his dagger to offer her a hand. "Sorry. I didn't realize it was you."

    "At least we know you won't hesitate to kill someone if we're attacked," she sneered, swatting his hand away and rising on her own. "I came to help you. Talarion is staying with Kaius. He said they'll prepare to leave as soon as Kaius is able."

    "Has he recovered any?" Azael asked, choosing to ignore her slight at his assistance. He stepped closer to her as they resumed the path he'd been carving, keeping himself planted between her and the forest behind them.

    He could just make out the shape of her head as she shook it. "He hadn't when I left. I mean, he recognized Talarion, and he was able to remember a little of what he dreamed, but he was barely lucid. Half of what he said didn't make sense. You were right though. It sounded like he saw Blood Fae. He said he saw fangs tearing all of us apart."

    She trailed off briefly, then, "Shit." Azael barely bit back a grunt of pain as she grabbed his arm, dragging him closer to her. "I forgot about these." She shifted her touch away from the raw wounds wrapping around his forearms. "Let me..."

    "You can heal them later. We need to keep laying this trail and using magic might draw the Blood Fae to us."

    "What's your plan for avoiding them on the way back? They'll just trace our scents in a loop."

    "I'm leading them to the Treis. I figured I'd mask my scent in the river and follow it back up a ways before getting out. That'll keep my scent from clinging to anything on the way back." He attempted to pull away from her, but Tissaia tightened her grasp. A soft glow filtered from beneath her palms as she rotated Azael's arm and lightly swept the pad of her thumb across his wound.

    His breath caught as the stinging tingle of healing magic filtered beneath his skin. Almost without realizing, he slipped his one loose arm behind her waist and pressed her closer, shielding the light of her magic between them. Pale amethyst reflected off Tissaia's features, turning her eyes into the brightest jewels of a night's sky.

    When his arm was healed, she released it and lifted the other. Azael scarcely dared to move while her gentle touch caressed his arm again. Her scent wove around him, rich and tantalizing, and he ceased breathing altogether. If she could hear his pounding heart, she gave no sign of it.

    The fresh wound lessened bit by bit until the pain vanished altogether, but her lingering touch was a brand all on its own. Every sweep of her thumb scorched his nerves and his chest grew ever tighter from lack of breath, but he didn't dare risk it. If his breath shook and she heard it, he'd never live it down.

    Azael closed his eyes the next instant. Why was she out here with him when the male who needed and deserved her was back there? Why was he trapped in this never ending circle of avoiding her, then finding her again. Longing to be rid of her, then longing to never be apart from her. Why did every moment in her presence twist his heart with both pain and desire?

    "I'm sorry," Tissaia whispered, and his eyes opened to find hers fixed on him. "I had to." She had to heal him. Why? Because she didn't want to see him in pain? Because her nurturing nature was peeking through? Because some part of her did care for him? "I don't want Kaius to know he hurt you. He'd never forgive himself."

    Azael wrenched his arm out of her grasp with a harsh flinch. "Of course. Thanks," he gritted out, and stepped around her.

    Of course it had nothing to do with him. None of this was about him. This was about doing their duty, like it always was. They were all here to protect Asterria. Doing what they had to to keep their people safe. His selfish wants and emotions didn't matter, and never had.

    "Let's keep moving," he urged when Tissaia remained behind him. She caught up shortly and remained quiet though he felt her gaze on him.

•༻☽☾༺•

    The darkness began to grow lighter as they moved through the trees in near silence. Tissaia stuck close to Azael, who hadn't looked at her since she healed him. Every few minutes his hand would flex around the hilt of his dagger, but that was the only move he made that portrayed his tension. Gradually the sound of rippling water lifted on the air and Tissaia breathed a small sigh of relief.

    If they'd made it all the way here without running into the Blood Fae, perhaps they were in the clear. The rippling grew into a loud rush as they emerged from the tree line and there was a slightly metallic tang in the air, but before she could see the river, Azael threw up an arm to hold her back. His shoulders had gone rigid, his eyes fixed on something up ahead.

    "What?" Tissaia demanded. "What is it?" She pushed his arm down and stepped forward.

    A cold sweat slicked the back of her neck and she could almost feel her face paling as she beheld the sight that greeted them. Scattered on the bank of the river were the remains of three Humans. The ground was still saturated black with blood and it covered the Humans' graying flesh.

    One was in better shape than the others. Those two had almost been torn limb from limb, their necks hanging on by mere threads and their innards spilling out. Tissaia stumbled backwards, bumping into Azael's solid form.

    "Stay here," he murmured, his hand touching her back briefly before he inched around her.

    Tissaia sucked down a few shallow breaths, doing her best to ignore the coppery scent that trained the air here. She unhooked her bow from her shoulders with trembling hands and nocked an arrow while Azael approached the bodies. Mud squelched beneath his boots and she fought back a gag while he knelt, examining the corpse that was in better condition.

    "They haven't been dead long," Azael reported. He touched the Human's arm and lifted it. She watched as he carefully bent it back and forth. "They're just starting to stiffen."

    "I really don't need to know the specifics," Tissaia all but groaned.

    His voice dropped. "Yes, you do. Because this means the Blood Fae are right here." He rose and held out a hand. "Come on. We need to move."

    She gripped her bow in one hand, keeping the arrow also tucked in her grasp, then took his hand with her free one without hesitating this time. She didn't resist when Azael led her down to the water's edge. He let go of her to unbuckle his sword belt and motioned for her to do the same.

    She obeyed, then mimicked him as he lifted his weapons over his head and waded into the river. Tissaia steeled herself but it didn't stop her teeth from chattering as she plunged into the icy water. She kept her weapons lifted out of it and pushed against the current to join Azael.

    "Keep close to the bank," he instructed. "I'm not sure where the river starts to deepen or where the current will get stronger."

    Tissaia nodded, barely fighting off a shiver, and began to shove her way through the water. Azael remained close at her side, keeping himself angled between her and the writhing center of the river.