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“No trouble. You okay to go, Kaia Angel?” E.Z. smiled, asking the question they were all probably thinking.

I nodded, feeling anything but okay. “As I'll ever be.”

The men exchanged glances, so much passing between them at that moment that I was not privy to understanding. Emotions flickered across their faces, ranging from sadness and guilt to sheer determination, but whatever was said strengthened their resolve.

Elijah turned to include me in their huddle, immediately stepping into the leadership role he was born for and began doling out orders.

Elijah looked to me. “Once again, when we exit this door, we don’t know what we’ll be up against. We all need to be alert and stay together. Stick to Griffin’s side. If something goes wrong, you will run with him. E.Z. and I will cover you and clear the way.” He turned to Griffin without waiting for a response. “Griff, do whatever you must to get her out of here. We will catch up with you later, if need be, but she is all you should worry about. Understand?”

Griffin grunted his acceptance.

“Ezra,” Elijah continued, “I know these are our men, but we are their enemies now. Don't hold back if it comes to a choice between their lives and ours. We’ve already lost one of us, and I cannot allow my brother to die in vain.”

“I understand.” Ezra was completely serious. Gone was the E.Z. from before.

“Aiden will meet us just past the entrance to the forest. It should be west when we step outside.”

“We have this, Ash,” E.Z. replied, reaching out to grasp Elijah’s forearm, continuing without breaking eye contact. “We have been over this. We will not fail you. We will finish this. For Liam.”

Elijah held E.Z.’s eyes briefly before nodding briskly. He pushed the door open a crack and peered out before signaling everything was clear. Elijah jerked the makeshift door open wider, bursting into the meadow outside, with E.Z. following close behind. Griffin laid his hand on the small of my back, giving me the slightest nudge, and we hurried after them.

The soft, wet grass felt terrific on my raw feet after running along the hard stones of the castle. The dew soaked the shirt and soothed away some of the sting while the soft grass cushioned my aching soles.

Dawn had risen. The sun was rising on the other side of the castle, casting a shadow over the tall, swaying grass of the meadow ahead. The dark field blended into the vast forest beyond. High in the sky was still the deep blue of night, but bright pinks and oranges lined the treetops in the distance as far as the eye could see. The early morning sun shone off the highest tree leaves, making them glow.

On any other day, the sight would have been breathtaking, but a part of me had died with Liam, and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to find beauty in anything ever again.

We exited the back of the castle. It was smart. We’d need to travel around the capital's entire length to reach any civilization, which would take days, but it would be the least likely exit point.

Once Griffin closed the door, Elijah and E.Z. led the way toward the wood beyond. Griffin returned his hand to the small of my back. I appreciated his silent gesture of sympathy and support. It helped, even if he was just afraid I would give up.

Once we reached the halfway point to the tree line, we collectively let out a sigh of relief. We had passed the threshold where magic could be used if guards had discovered our location from the top of the wall. We needed to go further to get out of the range of arrows, then we were free.

A lone figure waited just inside the edge of the still-dark forest on horseback. It was impossible to make out his features. Five horses were tied to a tree, all saddled and loaded with several large bags. Five horses. Liam’s horse.

A stabbing pain shot through my left thigh, and my leg gave out. An arrow was lodged deep, right below the bottom of my shift.

I would have dropped to the ground had Griffin not caught me. He lifted me off my feet, cradling me in his arms, and hurried forward while my blood soaked his once-white uniform shirt.

“She‘s been hit!” Griffin bellowed.

Horns were sounding in the distance, signaling our location to the rest of the castle, and the need to move quickly became even more critical. Before long, this place would be swarming with soldiers on horseback. By now, the entire castle would have been alerted of our escape.

Aiden Corentin galloped towards us on a magnificent white horse. His shoulders were loose, and his slim waist followed the horse's movement effortlessly, riding like he was born in the saddle.

When Aiden had resided in the capital, he was a black sheep. As the son of two fire users, Councilman Victor Corentin and his Claimed, Juliette Corentin, odds were he would have ended up being a powerful Fire User. Much to Victor’s embarrassment, his only son was a Water User.

Aiden eventually became a member of Elijah's team, then one day, without a single word to anyone, he left— not even saying goodbye. He apparently sent a single letter saying that he was okay. Otherwise, Aiden had completely deserted his life in the capital.

It was a constant topic for the gossipmongers. Numerous tales spread, speculating his reasons for leaving, but nothing had been confirmed. I had to admit that some of the rumors were humorous. Others, not so much.

Compared to the other guys' uniform pants and starched shirts, Aiden had dressed casually, like a peasant, not in the expensive styles of the capital. It made me wonder, yet again, what he had been up to all this time. It had been a little more than three years since I had seen him, and he was a bit of a fable by now.

Aiden’s horse shrieked and stumbled as he rushed towards us, taking an arrow meant for us. He smoothly dismounted, removed a saddle bag, and we all retreated to the wood. Once inside, it would make it harder to hit us.

Elijah and E.Z. had already untied the remaining horses and mounted up. When we approached, Elijah reached for me like he expected me to ride with him.

“I am not riding with you!”