Mr. Copper tried to keep his face rigid and unreadable as Dr. Garcia did her final touches on the small girl who lay on the bed before him. It was a skill he'd been working on for years since taking his brother's mantle as the Stalwart of Wildwood, and a skill he believed he mastered in the few weeks he had been a prisoner of his own familiar.

The very same familiar who now lay at the mercy of the Knowers she had attempted to betray.

"I've covered up and numbed what damage I could," Dr. Garcia said as she stepped away from Mouse. "But frostbite is tricky with my Knowledge—it is already keeping most of her body numb to the extreme pain she should be feeling after suffering through extreme temperatures. I'll have to come back periodically to increase what I can do for her as her adrenaline drops. Important thing to do in the meantime is to keep her warm and in bed. Think you can manage that?"

The squat doctor said the last part while leveling Mr. Copper with a cold glare. Feeling his stalwartness slipping, the Stalwart gave her a few quick nods. "Yes, thank you for all you've done, Maria."

Dr. Garcia sighed, losing her intense look as she shook her head. "Honestly, Giles, familiar or not, sending her alone into that disaster? You are fortunate she isn't in any worse shape."

"The Overseer has made me quite aware of my own failings," Mr. Copper said with a stiff smile. "I'm making sure I am counting what few blessings I have, thanks."

"See that you do."

Taking the hint, the doctor was quick to pack her things and make for the exit. As the door was forming into the dirt wall, she turned back to the Master and his familiar. "I'll be back in the morning to check on her progress. Anything comes up, you know how to contact me."

Mr. Copper didn't know, in fact, but he was quite sure that was intentional on Maria's part. The two of them had never gotten along, not since she had made it a point to tell him he was a far cry from his brother's potential and abilities. She never bothered to hide her distaste from him, and year after year he was finding it harder not to do the same. Unless his familiar started crying bloody murder, he wasn't expecting to see the doctor again for another few hours at least.

He let that thought be what kept the pleasant smile on his face.

"Thank you again, doctor."

Dr. Garcia grunted in return before exiting the door and nearly slamming it closed behind her. It felt like taking off a particularly heavy mask as the Stalwart let his expression fall. He could practically feel the muscles in his cheeks and forehead slump and ease into their desired positions.

He watched the door glow and fade away into the featureless dirt. Edgar never explained how he was able to incorporate their powers into the frameworks of the base. Mr. Copper and his brother had given some blood when they joined as part of some archaic initiation, but even as a teenager he had always expected there was more going on. After witnessing the burned corpse of young Ovidia and then, only hours later, seeing her bugs still obediently lighting up rooms and delivering messages, he knew for sure. The Overseer had a way to keep Knowledge alive after death.

Whatever that meant, it was a bit further down the Stalwart's to-do list.

After staring into the dirt for another moment or two, Mr. Copper closed his eyes and tried to not think of anything. Tried to enjoy the peace of pretending to have no worries, or concerns, or duties. While he stood there in the darkness, he knew he was enjoying possiblly the last few moments of peace he would have before everything would come crashing to an end. And he was having a growing suspicion he would either be jobless or dead before he could see that end.

Just a few moments more, Giles thought to himself. Then, with a deep, steadying sigh, he set in motion another string of heartaches and disasters.

"I know you're awake, Mouse."

"Oh, my," a little voice whispered from across the room. It was weak, but Mr. Copper could still hear the teasing inflection his familiar always had when she spoke to him. "Master, when have you become so shrewd?"

"Why did you betray us, Mouse?" Mr. Copper asked. He tried to keep his voice firm, his face as hard as steel, but neither mattered much when he couldn't even bring himself to face her. "Why did you betray me?"

"I think the better question is why did you betray them? I'm still a little delirious, but from what I've been hearing, it sounds like everyone thinks I was following your orders back in that town. And even if I'm wrong about that, at the very least I should be in chains right now and not safe and warm in a comfortable bed. So, I am right, aren't I? You—"

"Mary." Mr. Copper grit his teeth and tightened his hands into fists, but still he could not turn. "Why did you betray us? I command you to tell me."

"I did it to help Alex and his friends," his familiar answered, and then gasped. With a struggled laugh, she whispered, "You're so cruel, Master."

Mr. Copper forgot his anger in an instant. In its place he felt—what? Shock? Horror? Hadn't that possibility crossed his mind?

No, it hadn't. He had been afraid. Terrified. His familiar somehow remembered her past. Remembered what Wildwood did to her. What they did because he had asked them to. Of course she wouldn't see his justification for it, just her miserable mother, her confused father, and the life that was stolen from her. What other explanation could there be for her betrayal than revenge? To seek out justice against those that wronged her.

But, no. She wasn't doing it for that. He had forced the truth out of her, and it wasn't even mentioned.

It was all for that boy. The one who ruined everything.

"How is that possible?" Mr. Copper found himself asking into the dark. "Alex and the other familiars fighting to escape. You helping them escape. None of you should even remember who each other are."

There was a stretch of silence, then, "Not going to command me to answer this time?"

Mr. Copper said and did nothing, save from opening and closing his hands into fists. He wasn't sure what to do with himself.

"Maybe because you really don't want to know the answer?"

No. He knew why. The answer was obvious. It stared him in the face ever since Alex fled from his Masters. He just didn't want to look back. Didn't want to see the ugly truth.

"Would you look at me, Master?"

Her voice was stronger. She sounded in pain, and the sounds of sheets moving confirmed that she was rising despite how numb her body should be. But, still, he could not look. He could not bear seeing her.

A click rang out in the tiny room. A noise the Stalwart knew all too well. He spun around in an instant and his sole eye immediately fell on the barrel of his copper gun.

"I really need you to look at me," his familiar said.

The Master looked. He saw her splotched and purple skin. The paleness of her shivering lips. And the way her determined eyes didn't match the trembling in her arm as she pointed his gun at him.

"When did you get that?" he asked as he took a step forward.

"I said look, not touch," Mouse said, using her other arm to better level the gun at its owner. "And you really need to stop underestimating familiars, Master. It is your job to keep them in check, afterall."

Mr. Copper took another step. "You won't shoot. You'd risk them hear—"

Mouse fired, and Giles stiffened immediately when a small pillar of dirt shot up near his feet at the impact.

"I've already tested it out in every room in this place. One thing dirt walls seem to be good for is muffling sound." Mouse clicked the gun and before Mr. Copper could speak she fired again. The Stalwart was on the ground an instant later, screaming as pain sprouted out from his calf. "The other is having a soft place for you to land."

The pain was there for only a second before a cold numbness started to spread out from the wound, reaching up his leg at an incredible speed. He'd only have a few seconds. Biting his thumb hard enough to draw blood, the Stalwart began his work.

"You are acting irrational, Mouse," he said, his eye dancing from the symbols on his palm to the young familiar who was slowly rising out of bed. "You won't get far in your condition. And as soon as the bullet's effect wears off I need only find you."

Miraculously, his familiar was on her feet. She walked a few, shaky steps to stand over him. She clicked his gun a third time and pointed it right at his head. In his position, he could not see her face.

"You trying to say that I'll have to kill you, Master?"

As soon as his palm started to glow, Mr. Copper took in a deep breath and shouted: "I command y—!"

His familiar was faster than he could have predicted. She was upon him, hand over his mouth and hand pinning down his arm that now held his brother's gun once again. It had worked, again, but it was only half a plan. He couldn't use half a plan against such a dangerous opponent.

"I knew you must have had some trick up your sleeve," Mouse said with an amused smile. "How else could you have escaped on your own? I'll admit, Master, you did the unexpected. You surprised me."

Mr. Copper glared at her until he felt her grip tighten on his wrist. He swore he could feel the bones grind together before he was forced to let go of the gun, but by that point it didn't much matter. The numbness from the bullet had spread through most of his body. He was finished.

"I'll let you speak," Mouse said as she felt her Master's body relax, "but I won't risk you trying to give me another order, so be careful with how you choose your words."

Mr. Copper nodded and noted with more than slight dissatisfaction as his familiar slid the gun across the room. Whether she knew it or not, it was much harder to teleport things the further away they were. But if he could keep her talking for the next few minutes, he would recover enough to give it another shot. There was no way she knew his bullets were in severe need of another refresher from the Lady.

"This is really all for Alex? Just for him?"

"You're the one who ordered it out of me," Mouse said, losing her smile. "You really want to try and make me say it again?"

"No, Mouse, I just—"

"I know what it sounds like. I know what it is. I know you don't understand, but I've been over this with him, the other familiars. I've wrestled with it again and again. Hundreds of times. He doesn't deserve it. It's not fair to me. I have a good life with a good purpose working for Wildwood. These seem like big deals. Like, too big of deals for me to ignore, right?"

Mr. Copper nodded, but knew better than to say anything. He knew his familiar wasn't looking for an answer. She had all the answers she already needed.

"Right. But, see, there's these big things like what I deserve and what seems good for me, and then there's these little things that keep cropping up when I think about what the right thing for me to do is. Little things like why I'm even worrying about it in the first place. Why I can't get him out of my head no matter how many times he's wronged me. Why I can't just be a good familiar and forget and do my job. And you know what I've come to realize, Master?"

She was looking at him now, and suddenly Mr. Copper realized she did not have all the answers. She, in fact, just needed one more.

"What, Mary?"

Her smile grew wide, stretching over her entire face. And Mr. Copper realized something else as she leaned forward, close enough to feel her icy breath nip away at his nose and cheeks.

"The people you work for don't want us to forget," she said before laughing soft and low, her eyes never breaking contact with his.

Mr. Copper realized his familiar had gone completely mad.

...

"Hurry up!" the rabid girl hissed back at me as she raced forwards.

She ran in strange gallops. A few steps on two feet before inevitably falling and using one of her arms to carry her forward. Her dirt and blood entangled hair swayed evenly behind her like a thick clump of her. She really did look like an animal. Or a monster. Something I should definitely be running away from, not following.

But the dull ringing in my ears served as a constant reminder that I was doing the right thing. Even if it meant leaving Kat behind to watch over John and the other witches—much to her aggravation. We had agreed just the night before that we would stick together, but neither of us liked the idea of leaving the group of witches alone. Despite how much their dynamic had changed in just a few days, there's no safe bet they still weren't planning something.

So, Kat stayed and I left. Her to try and keep a lockdown on two witches, a newborn familiar, and an untouchable shadow and me to race towards a problem someone with a mastery over animals couldn't handle. It was hard to say who had it worse right now, but I had to admit I was eager to leave if only for a short while.

"Faster!" Em snapped at me. "Mother needs help!"

"This is as fast as I can go!" I snapped right back. "If you'll remember, I was literally falling apart not that long ago."

The feral girl stopped and spun around in one, rough motion, almost tumbling over herself. I wasn't that far behind, and had to skid into the ground to keep from barreling right into her.

"The hell are you doing?!" I shot, scrambling to get back up as Em stalked towards me.

"Too slow," she said, pointing an accusatory finger at me. She then threw a thumb over her back. "I carry."

"Not going to happen."

Em growled at me, not backing down when I stood at my full height and leveled a glare at her. "I carry. We go faster."

"Yeah, I know what you're getting at, and I'm saying it's not going to happen."

"Why not?!" she practically screeched back.

"Oh, where to start? I don't trust you. You smell. You're dangerous. You attacked me and my friends like just the other day. Does that answer your question?"

I knew I was pushing things. I knew I was wasting time. But it felt good to let out some of the frustration that was building inside of me. Even if it was over something as stupid as this. Even if it meant I was about to get into another fight with this rabid, insane girl.

"I smell?" she asked instead of attacking me.

"Uh, yeah," I said, having to pause to collect myself as Em's eyes went from glaring at me to looking very confused. I couldn't remember them doing anything but glare since we were reacquainted. "Like really bad. Even compared to our situation. It's almost impressive."

"Shut-up!" she snapped, her glare coming back in force.

But then she did the strangest thing. The feral girl lifted her arm and sniffed the ruined remains of shirt that still clung to her. I found myself holding my breath as I watched the agitated wrinkles in her face slowly disappear. Her expression became as blank as paper. I was about to say something when tears slowly rolled down from her shimmering blue eyes.

"Em?" I said the same instant I released the air I had been holding.

The girl looked at me, her expression still blank and eyes still swimming with tears. She wiped an arm over her face, smearing the dirt on her cheeks and forehead. But in that same instant her look changed as well.

"Wasting time," she said in a growl before lunging forward and catching me in my midsection with one of her arms.

The wind was knocked out of me and Em had me up over her shoulder and was running before I could recover. But even when my lungs started working again I didn't try and stop her. She wasn't gripping hard enough to crush my ribs. We were moving a lot faster now that my injured body wasn't holding us back. It wasn't bridal style.

Those were the reasons, I told myself. Not because she cried. Everything else was complicated enough.

We didn't talk for the rest of the journey. Though Em was far from quiet with her grunts and growls as she tore recklessly through underbrush and unsuspecting saplings. She also did, in fact, smell really bad. Bad enough to make me want to keep my mouth closed fearing I'd inhale whatever foul things must have died inside her clothing.

Thankfully, we didn't have to be running like this for long. After just a few minutes of horrid smells and failing to dodge stray tree branches, we arrived in a part of the forest where the trees stretched the tallest I had yet to see them and stood a good distance apart from each other. Standing around one such tree were Tusk and Ninovan. The former paced with a furious look plastered to his face while the other appeared much more serene despite the grisly gash in her arm that she was nursing. In between them an iron pot bubbled over a weak flame.

"About damn time!" Tusk snapped as we approached. "The hell was making you drag your feet for, fox?"

"Now, now," the witch said while locking gazes with her dark eyes. "I'm sure Foxy simply wasn't made aware of the gravity of the situation."

"Foxy?" a voice questioned from somewhere above us. Somewhere in the tree we all stood around. As Em deposited me less than kindly on the ground, I tried searching for the owner amidst the thick branches and dense leaves.

"Lilly's up there?" I asked, sending a glare Tusk's way.

Before Tusk could start up on some excuse, a great splintering sound cut through the air. It was almost like a crash of thunder, so I was caught very much off guard when I was thrown off my feet as the ground split open beneath me. From it, roots as thick as arms stretched out, catching my legs and lifting me into the air.

As I tried swiping at my bindings, I caught Em and Tusk fighting to get to the roots closer to the ground, but they were much thicker and fighting the two familiars off with great swipes and cracks like a whip that threw them off their feet and left deep gashes in their flesh. If I could reach the ones around my legs I could have easily ripped them off, but they dangled me almost intentionally out of reach and I was lifted up higher and higher until I was looking down a distance at least three stories tall.

I was abruptly stopped halfway up the tree, dangling at its mercy. As I swayed and tried desperately to stop looking down, I came face to face with the source of the voice from earlier. It was, in fact, Lilly but she was nothing more than a face fused to the bark of the tree. For a moment I wanted to believe that I was just seeing things, but then the face blinked and leveled a glare intense enough so that I couldn't ignore it.

"I caught you, fox."