The next two days were just a hazy flurry in my mind. Each hour passing by antagonizing me, but at the end of the day I could barely remember what I did that day. I'm too preoccupied building up towards my plan. It had to work accordingly to the schedule I designed in my head. For the escape to go off without a hitch I had to be patient and wait.
      Nobody knows exactly what I'm planning, not even Elle and Coxen. Shaykh, if she notices, hasn't said a word about it to me, Sephora has her hands full with things to do, and Xalale- Xalale probably hasn't the slightest clue about my scheming. Besides, helping him with controlling with his abilities has keep him occupied and keeping me from suspicion.
      My only downfall would be my notorious bad luck that usually befalls itself before every great plot to my life can unfold. I'm trying my hardest though and being precise in everything.
      Waking up today, I know today's the day to get the ball rolling and begin my perfectly configured plan.
      Walking down the halls I can barely contain the excitement and anxiety at the thought. I've never planned something so intense as this before. But I have to go through with it to save Elle and Coxen before it's too late.
      I head into the throne room a ball of nerves. Forcing myself to breathe steadily, I put on a front for Xalale.
     "Hey, so are you ready?"
      He still gives me a cold stare every time it comes to this, but this time he's not as hesitant.
      We're still working on controlling the amount of force dealt out, but he has the task of conjuring his ability down.
     "So I think we're just stuck on that memory and gaining control over that." I say.
     "I would rather use a different memory." Hostility in his voice.
     "Just try it one more time." I encourage.
      He does but with the same results we've had for days. Disappointment courses through me but I refuse to let like it show. Xalale on the other hand has no problem letting his frustrations out.
      "None of this is going to work."
      "Maybe its the way you're going about it." I suggest gently. "Start off by telling me what emotions you're feeling whenever you pull that memory up."
      "It's not an emotion I can describe in one word." He fumes.
      "Then describe it to me." I respond simply.
       He looks away, out the window. His expression reading blank now, but with some anger still visible.
      "It's like- it's almost the feeling of-" He growls and runs a hand through his hair, trying to recollect his thoughts. I wait in silence patiently.
      "It's a feeling that never goes away. A moment in your life you'll never forget because it scars you not only in your mind, but your soul. It's a dagger that's been driven into you, but it's impossible to remove, and every time you think about it, it only becomes more painful. It's something I can't remove on my own because the person who drove it there has to help you as well."
       It was strange to see a side of him that was actually weak. A wound that had been made some time ago was clearly deepen enough to still cripple him. I couldn't bring to mind a memory in my life so painful that it caused more pain every time I thought about it. Even my worst memory I couldn't describe that way.
      "Well maybe one day that person who drove it there will help you remove it." I say softly.
      "That will never happen." The coldness returns to his voice as faces me again. "Let's try again."
       I nod, letting the thoughts fade from mind. I refocus on the main objective of the day and buckle down.
      "Almost there. Luck don't fail me now."
 
      I venture to the library to spend the rest of the day waiting for my plan to continue its course and checking to make sure there were no kinks in it.
      My planning soon evolves into me falling asleep on a book wasting away most of the time, but it gets me to the evening where I want to be. The evening meant dinner and dinner meant my plan was about to be acted out.
      While Shaykh helps me change, I check up on my necklace. Things weren't looking good for time, but I would have to worry about one issue at a time.
      "What's that." She ask while pinning up my hair.
       I quickly return the necklace to its drawer.
      "If I may ask." She adds quickly.
      "Oh no, you can ask. Its a necklace I got when I was little. Its nothing special."
      "Oh...it appeared a little odd to me."
       I rub the back of my neck, considering how much I should or shouldn't tell her. "Um, well, it's an old piece so it's falling apart some." I guess I'll tell her nothing.
       Thankfully she seems satisfied with the answer. I guess it's not in her nature to ask too many questions. I just wished it was as easy as that for everybody I met.
       After Shay gets done with me, I head down to the dining hall, a little later than usual. I'm crossing my fingers that he's there already. Tentatively pushing open the door, I peer inside, relief flooding my system when I spot him waiting for me at his seat.
       Silently I slide into my seat without saying anything to him. As the servants began to bring out the food, I felt nervous like everyone could see right through me and would rat me out in a heartbeat.
       "It's just your mind playing tricks on you. You need to focus Mal, focus! Elle and Coxen's lives depend on you doing something right for once, don't mess this up. I need to do this. Only one shot, so I can't miss."
       "You look lovely like always."
        Xalale's voice breaks me out of my thoughts, bringing me back to reality.
       "Oh, uh, thank you."
       "Wrong move! Wrong move! I never respond so absent-minded to that comment. What if he notices? Keep it together Mal. Refocus."
        Suddenly a servant girl carries out a pitcher of wine and two chalice. She pours some for each of us, glancing over at me quickly before looking back down at the ground and hurrying away.
        Xalale frowns at the drink at first but then picks it up.
       "My mind is a mess right now."
        I glance down at the blood colored liquid in my own cup. I've learned my lesson the hard way and resist taking even the smallest sip from it.
       "Have you found any new information about this curse you've been talking of?" He ask, clearly still in denial about there even being one.
       "No, but I have found some interesting books in the library about this darkness that's rising."
       "What kinds of things?"
       I'm mentally counting off in my head for it. It should happen shortly- hopefully.
       "Things like the origins of the darkness and light, the delicate balance between the two, how to handle and approach either one. It doesn't talk about the individual magic involved with the two of them, so I'm still searching for that. On the bright side, I'm spending more time did I have had in a library before."
       As he pours himself another drink, I take the liberty of diving into a story of mine that happened when I was in 2nd grade.
      "My class always went to the local library every other Wednesday. We would walk since it was so close. On those days we went there to be read books or do writing activities we didn't normally do. Most of the kids in my class would sit on the carpet that showed the world, they would sit together in groups and chatter away about something or other. I was the kid with no friends that sat next to the teacher's rocking chair all by myself. The lady that use to read us stories was a perky redhead that clearly had too much caffeine in the morning because she was always talking a mile a second. I don't even think we fully understood her when she read- I don't even think our teacher did. So like I said, we all would sit on this carpet and listen to stories, trying to get us young kids into reading and books early on so we didn't resent them later. Though I'm still not a big fan of reading or books, but I guess that's just my personal experience with them. Like my mom, she could read 10 books in 3 months if she wanted to, meanwhile me and my dad only ever pick up a book once or twice a year and one them is the Bible."
      It wasn't so much as I wanted to talk to him, rather than drone on and on, letting the minutes tick by with my useless rambling. Not that he was listen- my plan was already in action.
     "Are you ok?" I ask.
     He's holding his head like he's experiencing a massive headache, barely tuning into my conversation.
     "I don't- I don't know." He let out a sharp breath of pain. "My head is killing me."
     I get up from my seat and head over to him.
     "Do you need to lie down? Sometimes that helps." I offer.
      He only responds in a grunt of pain and with that I help him to his feet. We head towards the door, my mind flying.
      Caught between a slight 'ping' of guilt and anticipation, I lead him all the way to his room.
      "You've got this, don't even sweat it. You're good, you're great."
      I help him over to his bed.
      "Are you going to be alright?" I ask.
      After a brief silence he nods faintly. "Yes, I'll be fine."
     "Ok, I'm gonna go back to my room now..." I try my hardest to mask the nervousness in my voice as I begin to creep away.
     "Mallory." He calls out.
     "Yes?" I've never been more anxious to bolt in my life. Time, I needed to keep track of the time.
     "Stay here with me. Only for a little while. Please."
      I bite my lip, my mental timer in my head already counting down the time. Everything had to be perfect, there couldn't be any trip ups. One shot.
     "Ok." I reply softly, slowly returning to his side.
      We sit in silence for a while before I feel my hair being brushed back. My first instinct is to pull away from the touch, but before I fully recoil, another idea pops into my head. No matter how uncomfortable it maybe, I knew my time was already running and to continue with my original plan, I would have to hurry this part up.
      "Hey." I whisper. "I have to go soon, so I need you go to sleep."
      "What are you- what?" His eyes aren't as sharp or clear as usual, which means the Valerian must be working.
      "Look, I'll be back in the morning, I promise." I hope my voice was as light as I was trying to make it. Gentle, so the nerves wouldn't give me away.
       I hurry over to the fireplace where I set up the wood and manage to kindle a flame. Heading back over to Xalale, I take off his shirt (all while trying to hide the redness spreading through my cheeks) and get him to ease back down.
      "I'll be back before the sunrises." Or before anyone notices me missing.
       Finally, either between the exhaustion or Valerian or both, he drifts off into a deep sleep.
      I visibly breath a sigh of relief and quickly leave the room. The first phrase was done and over with, now onto the second.
      I swiftly make my way to the dungeon, avoiding guards and servants along the way. At the bottom of the staircase, though, I wait until I can the main dungeon guard approach.
      He stops his cheerful whistling the moment he spot me standing there. His uniformed scowl appears on his face as he ask, "What are you doin' here?"
      "Just visiting." I reply casually.
      "No visitations after dusk." He snarls back.
      "No, no, no. I'm not here to visit a prisoner, I'm here to spread some...enjoyment."
      He gives me a suspicious look, but steps closer. "What kind of enjoyment?"
      I pull out a pouch filled with wine.
      "I feel bad that some people down here don't get to enjoy themselves like they should. So I brought some of the king's most prized wine to help ease some troubled souls."
      "You're yankin' my chain, aren't you love?"
      "Nope." I shrug. "Here have some, but don't tell the others, just between the two of us, right?"
      Looking between the pouch and me, he finally nods and snatches up the pouch to take rushed glups. He'd fallen for my trap and before he can comprehend it, I swing a blunt object, I'd picked up, at his head knocking him out cold.
      "Yes!" I fist bump the air in celebration. "It worked." Luck was finally coming my way.
       Still my mental timer was ticking down. I have to keep moving with phrase two.
       After stealing the keys off the guard, I drag him into a nearby cell where I lock him in. I then rush off to Elle and Coxen's cells. Both of them are sound asleep when I arrive in front of the bars. I don't have to rattle the keys too hard to wake them from their light sleep.
      "Mallory? What's going on?" Coxen ask groggy from sleep.
      "Get up, we're going and we're going now." My hands are shaking as I quickly shove a few keys into the lock. I unlock Elle's cell first and move onto Coxen's.
      "What are you talking about Mallory? What exactly is going on?" Elle ask rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
       I swing open Coxen's door and at the sound of it opening, he seems to snap back into reality. Elle on the other hand is still dragging her feet.
      "Elle come on!" He grabs his sister's hand and pulls her out.
      She begins to come to her sense and perks up a bit.
      "Ok, follow me exactly and stay out of sight." I explain.
      "Got it." Coxen replies firmly.
      We dash down the hall towards staircase, Coxen retrieving a sword off the knocked out guard from the cell, before we head to the floor level. I'm now feeling the pressure. All of my senses are honed in on everything around me, making sure to note every little noise, brush, and smell. Elle and Coxen shadow my every move, staying only an inch behind. All of our breaths are shallow, all of us are scared. They were counting on me to lead them to freedom, to lead them out of here safely.
       Once we slip out of the castle, phrase three of my plan could begin and a little bit of weight could be lifted off my chest.
       "Breathe, just breathe. Stick to the plan and relax."
       I lead us to the servants' quarters where I remember there being a door that takes us to the outside. I'm almost half afraid I imagined it and that we would have to find a different exit. But I it spot right where I remember it being. On the other side of that small drafty door was the crisp, cool night air waiting for us, to guide us to freedom. Pushing through the doorway, we come out standing underneath the twinkling night sky.
       A disbelieving laugh escapes from Elle who breaks the silence we all been holding.
      "I- I can't believe it. We're free." She hugs me tightly. "Thank you Mallory."
      I return her hug. It's like a bit of the weight left me the second we walked through that door.
      "We can't waste time standing around. We have to move." Coxen says breaking our brief celebration.
       I let go off Elle and nod, my mental timer still counting down.
      "He's right, we have to get a move on."
       With that said we return to the silence and hurry off into the woods. I lead the way again, though I'm sure none of us are familiar with these woods.
       "It's going to be alright, we're all going to make it." I assure myself.
       But in the back of my mind, a small part of me felt like I was dooming my friends to certain destruction. With this darkness on the way, maybe I shouldn't send them out into an unstable world. Maybe it's safer where I can protect them from such a fate. But then again, the darkness would eventually get them...and me as well.

      The farther we get away from the castle, the more we all seem to relax. My nerves were beginning to die down and the pressure unfolding from my chest. We were going to make it.
      Elle had been smart enough to grab a torch from the servants' quarters to light our way- I wasn't even thinking of that.
      We wander for what feels like forever, but is likely an hour or two, when we reach a road that is used for traveling. It's easier to travel on than having to watch your step constantly.
     "So where are we going?" Elle once again breaks the silence, but with a question that's been burning in my mind for hours.
     "We aren't returning home, right?" Her voice carries uncertainty.
     Coxen shakes his head. "I don't know, Elle. We- I can't- I don't know-"
     "Its not safe." I say, cutting him off. "If you go back there, you'll get arrest again. You have to get as far away as possible."
      "Maybe we should go to a different province. Alayssi maybe. Didn't mother come from there?" Elle says.
       It wasn't far enough from the threat they didn't know was looming. I wanted to send them so far away, farther than they could imagine. To somewhere the darkness couldn't touch them, somewhere it couldn't reach- ever.
      "We can't just leave our problems behind. We can't leave everyone we love behind. Besides, wherever we go, we'll still be in the king's reach." Coxen says with a fierceness behind his words. "Whatever we do, we can't back down."
      Elle appears to be taking that into consideration. We travel in silence once more until we reach an area where there was a small pond hidden behind some thick foliage.
      "We need to rest." Coxen announces. Me and Elle give tired nods and the three of us head off the path over to the grassy area.
      We all collapse on the grass with a sigh and lay out under the stars.
      Elle smiles and points up at the sky. "That one looks like a dog."
      Coxen lets a smile spread across his face as well.
      "Yeah, well that one right next to it looks like a dragon. You see it?"
       Elle squints. "No...no I don't really."
      "Right there. You see?"
      "Looks more like a lizard to me."
      "It's a dragon." He chuckles then turns to me. "What do you think, Mal? Dragon or lizard?"
      I smile and shrug. "I dunno. I can see the wings of a dragon, but there's a tail like a lizard's. It could be either I guess. Let's settle for a drazard."
       We all laugh at the new name I made up for it.
      "Yes a drazard. That's what we'll call it." Elle says.
       While Elle and Coxen continue to point out stars that resemble certain things, I can't help but wonder if this is what true friendship feels like and why I'd never felt it before- it was the most amazing feeling in the world.
       After about five minutes lodging around, staring up at the stars, we get up to begin moving again.
      "So where are we heading?" Coxen ask.
      Elle doesn't miss a beat. "Home. Where we belong."
      The two share a smile and we're about to head off, but I don't budge.
      "Guys."
      They turn around, giving me questioning looks.
      I stare down at the ground, but speak up loud enough for them to hear. "I'm not going any further."
      "Mallory?" They don't understand. I knew they wouldn't. Just the confused, hurt looks on their faces makes my heart break.
      "I have to go back."
      "Mallory, what are you saying? You can't go back, you don't have to. We'll find a way for you to get home." Coxen says dubiously.
      "I want to so badly, but I can't." I felt like I was going to break down at any second.
      "Mallory." Elle says softly. "You don't have to go back there, please don't go back there. We might never see you again. Please."
       It was a battlefield inside of my heart. I wanted to go with them, stay with them. But reality was that couldn't, I have to go back. If I wanted to protect them I needed to back, to save them and everyone else, I have to go back.
      "Elle. Can I speak to you for second?" I ask, though I already knew the answer would be "yes".
      We walk over to the foliage and hide behind the other side where a tranquil pond is. Tears brimming in her eyes causes me to look away for a second to regain my composer. I embrace her in a hug, praying she could feel the apology hidden in it.
      "Elle, I'm so so sorry, but I- I can't go with you." I pull back from her. "Not now. There's a lot of stuff going on that neither of us understands, but I'm needed back there. I want to go with you so badly, but I can't. I need you to trust me, ok? Everything will be fine in the end." I say on the verge of tears.
      Teardrops already were trailing down her cheeks as she gives me a brave face.
      "I already told you Mal. I always trust you."
      We embrace again.
      "I will see you again, I promise." I whisper to her. Her soft golden hair smells of honey and wishes.
      "I know you will." Her voice returning to its usual strength.
      Our touching moment is ended by a sudden cry of pain. Both of us pull back and make a beeline for the foliage. Worry has never consumed me so fast.
      Breaking through to the other side, I'm stop cold in my tracks at the sight before me.
     "Xalale."