Tissaia returned to her own room after her brief trip to Azael's, but she didn't have to wait there long before Talarion knocked on the door. She answered it, already prepared. The few belongings she was bringing along were stuffed into a travel pack and a satchel.

    The former was firmly situated on her back while the satchel dangled from her shoulder. She also had a quiver of arrows looped around her hips and the bow her parents didn't know she'd smuggled along was slung across her torso, resting atop her pack for now.

    Talarion appraised her with a hard eye, taking note of her boots and the tunic and pants she wore instead of a gown. Her hair was neatly braided, same as his. He gave an approving nod and stepped aside, letting her exit the room, before his gaze darted to her bow.

    "How did you manage to sneak that along without me noticing?" He chuckled.

    Tissaia grinned. "I can't reveal all my secrets, can I? After all, you didn't tell me about your daggers."

    She gestured to the familiar blades sheathed at her brother's hips, slender and curved to resemble the fangs of a beast, and she knew he carried more than just those two. She'd never been able to figure out all of her brother's hiding spots for his blades.

    The leather suit he wore seemed specifically designed to hide them, with its reinforced paneled layers. He was also wearing a cloak, but it was slung about him in a manner that had it falling down his back in two separate folds, almost giving him the illusion of lowered wings.

    "You know I don't go anywhere without them," Talarion replied. "But we should hurry. Kaius is already outside, and I heard voices in Mother and Father's room."

    "This way." Tissaia veered away from the main corridor, beckoning for her brother to follow. Talarion knit his brows and shot her a questioning look even as he followed. "We can take the servants' passages," she explained.

    "Are you sure you know which ones to take?"

    She nodded. "Azael showed them to me when we were younger."

    "When? I didn't know that."

    "As I said, I can't reveal all my secrets." Talarion only shook his head and followed her into the secluded passage.

    It wasn't difficult to trace out the path she intended to follow, as it was the one she and Azael had most commonly used all those years ago. These passages were also how she'd managed to follow him down to the training room undetected after his mother's death.

    Her heart clenched with a brief stab of pain recalling the memories, and the note she'd left in his room. Would he ever find another female who could do what she had done that night? She had let him rage, unflinching at the bolts of magic that splintered wooden targets and melted entire weapon racks.

    She didn't run from the waves of pure energy that had pulsed throughout the room, but for some reason left her unaffected even though she hadn't shielded herself. She hadn't tried to stop him from smashing his fist through every surface it could find, even when his knuckles were bloody and bruised.

    When Gaelen came down and discovered him, she had warned the male to leave him be, but Gaelen had ignored her warnings and tried to force Azael to stop. That ended with both of them battered and bleeding, and had left the permanent slight ridge on Azael's nose from where it had been broken.

    Gaelen left the moment he realized he wouldn't get through to his friend and had tried to persuade her to come with him, but she'd refused. She had only stood there, watching, as Azael stared after his friend. She could still see the wild light flickering within his pale blue eyes, still hear his sporadic breaths and the hard swallow after he wiped blood from his nose.

    She didn't know what had come over him in that next moment. Perhaps it had been the sight of his blood, the scent of it mingling with his mother's which coated his skin. Perhaps it was the realization of what he'd done to his friend. But whatever the cause, it had broken Azael almost completely.

    He'd fallen to his knees, as though he were no longer able to stand, then tears were streaming down his cheeks and strangled sobs clawing their way up his throat. Tissaia had never heard him make that sound since, and prayed she never would. It had broken her own heart and drawn her to him.

    Azael hadn't pushed her away when she knelt before him and pulled him into her arms. He had only buried his face in her neck, his shaking body going limp, as his tears continued to fall. She could still see her fingers woven into his hair, feel the warmth of his tears.

    She'd held him as tightly as she could, wishing she could've absorbed some of his pain herself. But all she'd been able to do was whisper, "I'm so sorry, Darling. I'm so sorry." Over and over again. She hadn't cared about the blood that stained her clothes or the destroyed room around them. Only him.

    Tissaia blinked and shoved the memories aside. And he still didn't want me, she reminded herself. He said it himself. He doesn't need me now, but Kaius and Talarion do. She exhaled a slow breath as they reached the main floor of the palace and approached the door that would lead outside. From there, it was only a short distance to the stables.

    Tissaia paused when Talarion eased ahead of her and motioned for her to stay back. He cracked the door open and peered out, then gave a curt nod and stepped outside. She followed him, making sure the door was securely shut behind her. She could already see Kaius's figure shadowed by the stables.

    The sun was rising steadily now, washing the courtyard in pale pink light. It wouldn't be long before the palace began to stir. She and Talarion quickened their pace and reached Kaius in moments, but the male was staring at something within the stable, his brows knit and tension pulling at his mouth.

    "Kai, what is it?" Talarion hissed. The male only raised a hand and pointed. Tissaia and Talarion followed his finger inside the stable and their jaws fell simultaneously.

    "What are you doing here?" Tissaia demanded, striding into the stable to where Azael stood with four already saddled horses.

    He glanced down at her, one corner of his mouth sliding into a smirk. "What does it look like? I'm coming with you."

    "No, I mean why are you here? How did you know we were..." Her cheeks flamed and she planted her hands on her hips. "You spied on us!"

    Azael only shrugged and turned his attention back to the horse at his side. He tugged lightly on one of the saddle's straps, ensuring it was secure. "You don't know that. Perhaps it came to me in a dream."

    Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he had spied on them, which begged the question of how much he truly knew. Had he followed them and witnessed Kaius's horrifying dream-induced episode? It certainly sounded like he was alluding to that. Or had he only seen them gathering last night and listened in out of curiosity?

    Tissaia continued to fume at him, daring him to look at her again. "If we're leaving, we'd better do it now. I have Gaelen clearing the eastern gate of guards so we can avoid the main road, but he won't be able to keep them away for long," Azael said.

    "You are not coming with us," Tissaia spat. She tensed as a hand rested on her shoulder. She barely noted Azael's clenched jaw as her head twisted to meet Kaius's gaze.

    He gave her a pointed look. "He was in my dream," the male reminded her. "Whatever the reason, he is clearly supposed to come with us." Tissaia rolled her eyes with a scoff, but didn't protest. Kaius squeezed her shoulder, then let go.

    He turned to one of the horses and situated his saddlebags full of supplies in place. Talarion did the same after shooting a wary glance at Azael. Tissaia had no supplies other than her own, but she found full saddlebags already secured on her mount, and another set on the horse Azael was leading out of the stable.

    At least they'd have extra provisions now, she thought with some gratitude. She hadn't been looking forward to the days when their supplies began to run low. She already knew that Kaius would want to avoid towns where possible, and Talarion would likely agree with him. Tissaia took her mount, a white dappled mare, by the reins and led her out of the stable.

    Azael was already seated on his own and watched while she pulled herself into the saddle. "Seems familiar, doesn't it," he remarked.

    Tissaia jerked her head away, not answering, though she knew exactly what he meant. This was why they'd snuck through the servant's passages when they were younger. To go on rides together, just to escape the monotony of whatever was being discussed at the council meetings that had brought Lord Roshan to Arcan, though those times had been short-lived.

    She watched impatiently while Kaius and Talarion led their horses out of the stable and mounted. Once they were all situated, Talarion took the lead and headed towards the eastern gates of the grounds. As Azael had promised, they found it devoid of guards and were free to leave unimpeded. When the gates were safely behind them, Tissaia breathed a small sigh of relief.

    Already, a weight seemed to have been lifted from her shoulders. In just a matter of hours, she and Talarion would be well away from their father. They would be more free than ever before. She didn't intend to waste a second of her freedom, and she prayed Talarion didn't either. Her gaze darted ahead to her brother, then back to Kaius who was riding alongside her while Azael brought up the rear.

    Kaius caught her eye a moment later and she tipped her head suggestively. He followed her gaze and a half-hearted smile crossed his lips, but he remained where he was. He held onto the reins with one hand while the other fell. Kaius stared straight ahead as his thumb brushed across the braid of hair on his left wrist.

    Tissaia frowned, but didn't bother trying to catch his attention again. She had thought the prospect of them traveling together would mean a chance for all of them to be more open with each other, but clearly there was some unspoken understanding that she had not been part of. Though it wasn't hard to guess that Azael was the reason for that.

    As if summoned by her thoughts, she could sense the Prince's gaze focusing on her back. Tissaia whipped her head towards him with an icy glare. Azael only grinned. Her gaze fell as he flicked two fingers out from under his cloak. Heat rose to her cheeks and the pointed tips of her ears at the sight of the note folded between his fingers.

    The note vanished and Azael rested his palm over his heart with a feigned smile. "I'm touched," his lips mouthed to her. Tissaia pointed her middle finger at him and ignored the confused look Kaius shot her way. Azael just laughed.