Thirty minutes passed and we hadn't stopped.

Walking didn't bother me. As far as we'd gone in the past two-ish weeks, I hadn't grown tired of it.

It was just the endless cluelessness I hated.

At least William and Merlin seemed to have a good idea where to go. Our main goal was Luschon, and judging by the lack of snow, we were close if not there already.

I glanced up at the sky. I'm not sure what I was doing--trying to tell time, I guess. It didn't make any difference. The time was day, and the weather rock said it was sunny and cold.

Up ahead, Merlin sucked in a sharp breath. He was half-carrying half-supporting William, who wasn't completely steady on his feet yet. It bothered me to him like that. He'd been the one to continuously move from place to place. He'd been the one to tough it out while I was freaking out. He'd been turned into wood, watched his parents die, stabbed, shrank, and lost, yet kept going.

And now he was...

Shut up. He's not.

I sucked in a breath. "You weren't gone long," I mumbled.

Of course not. I'm never gone long.

"You could've given me a few extra hours."

Why would I do that? I like bothering you.

"Well, I don't like it."

Tough sh--

"William!" I cried. Somehow, I felt Rosinka jump. I smirked. Nothing like startling the crazy person living in your head.

Merlin and William paused. Will turned his head. "Yeah?"

What're you--

I clapped Merlin on the back so hard, he jumped about a foot. The noise echoed around the silent forest like a gunshot.

"I'll trade ya," I chirped, already lifting his arm and placing Will's around my shoulder. Both boy's mouths hung open a moment while I rearranged.

I shook my head, fake smile still on my face. "Just go with it," I mouthed to Merlin.

A flash of realization flickered on his face. He nodded, then fell back. Will and I started moving again.

Will squirmed. "What was that about?"

I moistened my lips. "Let's just say you may need to hit me again. I need a distraction."

He cleared his throat. "Ah. What kind of distraction?"

"Just talk. Please."

"You realize telling someone to talk basically makes them shut up, right? Vice versa with 'shut up.' It just makes them talk more."

I grinned. Leave it to William.

He chattered on for a few more minutes explaining the "keep talking/shut up" rule, along with the "don't touch this" law. Every now and then, there would be a small laugh that came from Merlin.

"See, the more dangerous the item is, the more we want to touch it." Will flung his hand out so it almost hit my nose. "If it'll destroy the world--and we know that--we won't want to touch it until someone says to not. Then, the question of if it really does something enters our mind and we want to--"

He jerked forward, stumbling on the ground. His fingers dug into my shoulder so hard, pain darted through my arm, causing me to cry out.

Somehow, I managed to catch him with my other hand before he completely fell. Slowly, we bent down to the ground.

Will let out a breath. "...push it," he mumbled.

My mind went blank. "What?"

He closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell as if he was out of breath, but had no air to breathe. "Finishing my sentence." His eyes opened. "Get Merlin."

A warm hand brushed against my shoulder. "No need, Prince."

Will glared at Merlin, who bowed his head in apology. I almost asked why Merlin kept calling him that but shut my mouth after seeing Will's half-pained half-aggravated expression.

I sat next to Will, my hand on his arm. "What's going on?"

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Just give me a minute," he wheezed. "Hold on."

A hand touched my shoulder, lightly pushing me back. Merlin shook his head the slightest bit.

He's saying to move.

My throat constricted. Grass crumpled under my hands as I crawled backward as fast as I could.. Air caught in my chest and throat, only coming out in short gasps.

He's dying.

Dying. Just the one word made me freeze. Cold seeped over my chest and clamped around my heart, squeezing and squeezing until I felt like it would burst.

I'd frozen solid, I knew it.

But when I looked down, I wasn't ice. I was still me--human. Flesh and blood and bone.

You've never felt this type of fear, have you?

The world's turned blurry like I'd stuck my head in a tub of water. The blobs of William and Merlin still trapped my gaze.

"No," I whispered. "I haven't."

Even with your parents gone?

"They've always... I've never felt like they were about to die. I've been scared, but whatever the muraes are doing, they aren't killing them."

And you're sure he's dying?

The trees shook back and forth as a breeze blew through them. I pushed a curl that was flapping in the wind behind my ear. Was I sure? No. There was a chance--a slim one, but a chance--that he was experiencing technical difficulties, but as far as I was aware, technical difficulties didn't mean bleeding from a gash in the shoulder or collapsing while walking.

A low mutter of voices came from the two. Merlin kept circling around Will, checking him for something, while Will would keep quiet until he said something in a flash. One of them continually kept his hand pressed to Will's shoulder at all times.

"I'm as sure as I can be," I whispered.

They need something to stop the blood. That's your job.

"My job? How is that my job?"

William turned his head and raised an eyebrow at my shriek. "What job?"

"That's what seems to be up for debate!"

If you'd shut up a minute and listen, I could tell you what you need to do.

Rosinka helping me? Now that was new.

And disturbing.

I looked back at William. He and Merlin were mumbling to each other, not looking my direction. Will's body shook the slightest bit, but if he realized it, he didn't act.

Some of the branches rustled again. A crow's caw came shattering through the trees. My heart jumped.

Something was about to happen.

I sighed. "Tell me what I need to do."

Summon water.

Some slush fell from a tree. "Wouldn't snow work?"

Yeah, if you want him to die a slow, hallucination-filled death from infection.

Not an option, then.

I held my hand out and racked my brain for the name of the spell, but couldn't come up with it. I shut my eyes. "This isn't working."

Look at the ground, stupid.

My foot tapped a metal pail. Some liquid splooshed from it.

"Oh."

Go over to the kid.

"I got that part!" I hissed. "Then what?"

You're going to want to clean it. Use a piece of your clothes. They're beyond repair anyway.

As much as I didn't want to agree, I had to. My clothes had become torn and tattered from running through forests. And fighting. And dodging spells.

Yeah.

I half-carried, half-pulled the pail of water over to the boys. When I dropped it, they both looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

William squirmed. "What're you doing?"

I flopped into my knees and tore a piece of cloth off my dress. "Following orders. Merlin, help him sit up."

Warm water embraced my hand as I wet the cloth. It felt good. The cold had been the only temperature I'd felt for so long, I was used to it. It was nice to feel something else.

Now the cloth is wet, dab at the cut. Don't rub--that'll only make it worse.

I paused, hand over Will's chest. Good thing Rosinka spoke up. I would've scrubbed, otherwise.

The sight of the cut made me want to gag. Gone was the surrounding wood, instead, it was replaced with splintered skin that morphed into a thin crust of wood the farther away from the wound it got. The skin around it was real--soft and bright red from irritation. The droplets of blood that had stained his chest were covered by a blanket of what looked to be scarlet paint, but the paint was slowly creeping out to take him over.

With one sharp movement, I shoved the cloth onto his chest. My eyes found a spot on the ground to focus so I wouldn't be tempted to look back at the gash.

William bit back a groan. "Pay attention!"

"I'm not looking at that!" I pointed to where my hand was. "I'll be sick!"

"Great bedside manner, Curly. Just great. It's not a big deal."

I couldn't stop the semi-hysterical laugh from bursting from my mouth. "Would you like to clean up puke?"

He rolled his eyes. "You girls are so sissy."

Without thinking, I punched his other shoulder. He sucked in a breath, his eyes grew wide and bugged out.

"And you boys are such wimps."

"And you children silence before I bellow."

Will and I froze. Slowly, we turned our head so we could stare directly at Merlin.

Then burst into laughter.

"'Silence before you bellow?'" I gasped. "What kind of threat is that?"

"You know," Will snorted. "Before he bellows." With the last word, he lowered his voice to a note that barely understandable.

Merlin went slightly pink. "You try speaking strange language."

My mouth twitched up into a smirk. "Ji gcedoelt agatzo, mar seo?"

"Quiedu decinst aso?" Will tilted his head to the side, grinned.

I can only guess we told Merlin the same thing. He narrowed his eyes. "Exactly like that," he mumbled.

I brought my attention back to Will's wound and dabbed the cloth over the broken skin--gently that time. He didn't cringe. Instead, he looked almost relieved.

When it was finally sort of clean, I sat back, holding a small smile. I was done.

Now sew it.

"EXCUSE ME?" I jumped up and away from William, who shot to his feet.

"What's--"

I cut him off. "YOU WANT ME--"

Don't yell. Every murae on this side of Dulcia'll hear you.

Point taken. I lowered my voice. "You want me to do what?"

Sew it shut. Otherwise, you'll have to do this again.

"No! That's disgusting!"

William raised an eyebrow. "What's disgusting?" he asked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

A howl broke through the woods. Merlin whipped around, shoulders raised to his ears. When he turned back, he met my eyes for a split second.

Long enough for him to know not to say anything.

Do it quickly. Otherwise, he'll have to fight with an open wound.

I met Will's eyes. He stated at me with uncertainty.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

I closed my eyes.

It wasn't a good day to die.

With Rosinka holding my trust that she would summon the correct objects, I whispered. "Elit."

A light weight pressed into the palm of my hand. Seeing the needle and threat made my chest squeeze so hard, it was hard to breath.

I stormed over to William and grabbed his shoulder, pushing him down. "Sit."

He did, his gaze transfixed on the two objects in my hand. "What're you doing?" His voice was no more that a terrified whisper.

It was a sound I'd never heard him make before.

I pointed to Merlin. "Hold him still."

He dropped down and placed his hands on Will's arms while turning himself into a wall for him to lean against.

William's eyes grew wide. "Clair--"

I shoot my head. "Talk. If you don't talk to me about something, you won't be distracted and I am almost ninety-nine percent positive I will vomit."

I pushed the thread through the needle and pushed the tip of into the piece of skin on Will's chest.

I don't know why Merlin couldn't do it. Then again, he probably didn't know how to sew.

Neither did I. The only thing I managed to do whenever I tried was stab myself.

Will clenched his teeth together. "What am I to talk about?"

I pulled the needle through another piece of skin. "Something. Now."

Silence.

"Why do you keep being called 'Prince'?" I blurted.

He lowered his head. "Because I am one," he whispered.

Another howl tore through the trees. It was close.

Too close.

"What do you mean by that?" I breathed. My heart pounded too hard. I needed to calm down.

Breathe in.

I sucked in breath...

Breathe out.

...and let it out.

"My parents were the king and queen of Dulcia," William said. "That makes me prince. Now, I am the rightful heir."

That explained how he knew so much about politics.

It also explained why he came across as stuck-up sometimes.

I yanked the thread again. Halfway done. "But the muraes--"

"Invaded. Killed everyone but me. Mother put this spell on me so I couldn't be killed." He shut his eyes. "So I could collect the cavaliers and kill the murae leader."

I tapped the wood on his shoulder. "Your mother did this to you?"

"It meant me living, so, yes."

"That's horrible," I mumbled. "You're only thirteen."

He looked away. "Sometimes we're forced to grow up too fast."

His statement hit me straight in the gut. It was too true. Too many people were forced to be adults too early.

Children need to be children.

I met his eyes. The subject needed to change before one of us started crying. "We need a better name for him. The murae leader, I mean."

He shrugged. "Well, he's technically the king of a country now, considering they've taken over Dulcia."

"And he looks like a rat."

Will's eyes widened. "No, no rats. I hate them. Mice, on the other hand, I can deal with."

I grinned. "Mouse King, then."

He smiled. "That works."

A loud crack echoed through the woods. I pulled the thread through the rest of the way and tied it in a not before snapping it off. It was a rushed and shoddy job, but it'd have to do.

Merlin stood. He grabbed Will's and and pulled him up. "Need to move."

I turned to start, but was stopped by a face emerging from the forest. Red eyes gleamed like rubies from the stray dead brown leaves on the bush.

I backed up, holding in a gasp. A shiver ran up my spine, then crawled back down. Everywhere I looked, pairs of inky black eyes bored into us like we were a meal.

Only one pair of red.

Will choked out a laugh."I don't think moving is an option anymore."

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