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One of the Unseen—Eustace, the chef from the kitchen—stepped in front of the others. “Why are you doing this?” he questioned. “We’ve done nothin’!”

“Madame’s orders,” replied the soldier with the club, stepping forward and jamming the base of the handle into Eustace’s gut. The air left his lungs in a wheeze as he doubled over, and that was all I needed to see.

Clasping the stone so tightly I thought my skin would break, I charged the soldiers, propelled by the jolt of warm magical energy that infused my muscles. The soldiers were trained for combat, but I had the element of surprise. I ran full force into the soldier with the blade, knocking us both to the ground and sending their weapon clattering away. The soldier recovered quickly, landing a glancing blow across my face, knocking the mask off. It was obvious I wasn’t going to overpower the soldier physically, so I gripped onto their uniform, pulling them close to me as I enveloped him in my aura, crushing the meager defenses he tried to raise around his mind.

“ Get up and go home ,” I issued the Command, a searing heat rolling off my words like molten honey. Another flash of pain in my hand, but I ignored it.

The soldier's body went slack, his struggle abating all at once. With a grunt, he clambered to his feet, shuffling off down the hall without another word. I rolled onto my side just in time for the other soldier to kick me in the ribs, pain ricocheting through my body as my breath sputtered. They reared back again, but I quickly projected my aura around them, their walls crumbling like a sandcastle under pressure.

Fear filled my mind, echoing off the soldier, but I pushed it away, staggering onto my feet before giving the Command, “ Smell the roses.”

The soldier’s panic faded as my orders set in, burning in my throat like a hot coal. They walked calmly over to the other side of the conservatory, where rows of rosebushes waited for them, bending down to take in a deep inhalation.

My hand ached, and for a moment, I thought I had lost hold of the stone. But when I examined my palm, my stomach turned. The gem had embedded itself into my hand, the smooth facets protruding from it, refracting light.

There would be time to worry about that later.

Rubbing my bruised ribs, I turned back to the Unseen, who watched me with mixed expressions. “You need to leave,” I told them, reaching down to retrieve the soldier’s blade from where it was discarded on the ground. It was heavier than I was used to wielding, but I would make do. “Adoranda suspects all Unseen of betrayal and has ordered you be rounded up.”

“That’s insane,” Eustace replied, the other Unseen murmuring to each other. “We’ve got nothing to do with the rebels!”

“It doesn’t matter any longer. If you stay here, they will take you. And you need to believe me when I say that she won’t hesitate to kill each and every one of you.”

Eustace ran a hand through the shock of hair between his ears. “We don’t have anywhere to go….”

“That’s not entirely true. The rebels are here. They can help get you to safety.”

“We’re not soldiers,” Eustace replied. “We can’t fight for them.”

“We won’t ask you to,” came a deeper voice from behind me. I turned to see another Unseen shimmer into existence. He wore the same militia outfit as the Adored soldiers but was missing the hat, revealing hair of deep navy cut short and a pair of pointed ears, much like Azzy’s, the left one with a chunk missing out of it.

The other Unseen bristled, huddling further into the corner, but the blue-haired man held his hands out to them. “My name is Kaine, and I’m with the Rebellion. Rest assured, we only require what you are willing to give. Nothing more. Whether you see eye-to-eye with us or not, let me get you to safety first. The rest can follow.”

Eustace looked back at the other Unseen, then turned to Kaine. “Alrigh’, we’ll go with you. But we make no promises.”

Kaine moved in a blur, suddenly standing beside Eustace and offering him a small, silver blade. “Cut off the collars. They’ll try and kill you the moment you step outside the door.”

The cook blanched at this but nodded, quickly severing the band of leather around his own neck before moving to help the next.

Kaine gave a nod, then directed his attention to me. “You must be Tobias. I was told you’d be around. Are you looking for others?”

“Yes. I’ll do my best to convince them to leave.”

He handed me another of the small silver blades from a holster at his side. “Get the collars off, then get them outside, and we’ll take it from there.” Turning back toward the others, he leveled his stare at each of them. “With me. Move quickly, and don’t get too comfortable. The militia have spyglasses that see through our magic, so don’t assume you’re safe till we’ve made it far from here. Are you ready?”

They looked frightened out of their minds but nodded along, gathering around Kaine in an uneasy clump. Together, their magic caused the air to shimmer like a mirage as each of them disappeared from sight, the sound of their soft steps drifting down the hall.

Leaving the remaining soldier with their head buried in a bush full of thorns, I headed back down the hallway and toward the opposite end of the chateau. I hid the blade I carried as militia soldiers ran past, shouting back and forth. None I met seemed to have taken any of the Unseen captive, so that was a small relief.

Upstairs, in one of the guest bedrooms, I pushed open the door to find another small group of huddled Unseen. One of them lunged at me, wielding a poker from the fireplace, and I quickly deflected it with the blade I’d taken, then put some distance between us before holding up my hands.

“Master Tobias?” the Unseen asked, the poker falling to the ground in a clatter. A yelp sounded from the wardrobe, and the other adult opened the door to comfort two younglings concealed inside. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to get you outside,” I told them, checking over my shoulder down the hall before shutting the door behind me. “Mother has taken leave of her senses. It isn’t safe for you here anymore.”

“They’ve already taken so many of us,” the Unseen closest to me said. “We can’t—We can’t leave them behind.”

“The Rebellion is here. They’re going to do their best to ensure everyone is freed. But right now, we need to get you out. Are there any other Unseen on this floor?”

“No, they’ve already fled or been taken.”

“Understood. The collars you wear need to be removed.” I handed them the small silvered blade.

They took it with shaking hands, quickly cutting the band from their neck as I checked the hallway. Smoke still clung to the ceilings, but otherwise, the bulk of the conflict seemed to have migrated to the main level.

Once their collars had been removed, the two adult Unseen scooped the younglings into their arms.

“How will we get through the soldiers?” one of them asked.

“Leave that to me.”

Our egress from the chateau was quiet, for the most part. The bombastic sounds of the clash between Adored and Unseen had drifted to the far corners, and by the time we made it down to the main level and through the desecrated foyer, the tension in my gut was primed to burst. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the daylight from outside was blinding. I paused, listening for any signs of the conflict before waving for the others to follow me.

I heard it before I could see it, the whistling sound that sapped every bit of warmth from my blood. The bolt of light streaked into sight just as I turned to those following me, shouting, “Down!”

We all hit the ground, a streak of fizzling magical energy zipping just over our heads and colliding with the stairs, carving out a hole the size of my fist. The younglings began to cry as the adults whispered strained comforts.

I cursed under my breath, rolling to try and get a better view of where the bolt came from. Since when did Mother’s militia have access to long-range magical weaponry? Those were instruments of war.

We were out in the open now and the closest cover was the gardens at least thirty yards away. There was no way I could cover that distance with the others before they’d fire on us again. I could try and cast a ward to catch the projectile, but I was never very good at physical shields and this didn’t seem like the best time to be testing out the limits of my borrowed magic.

So, I took the only option left.

“You need to run as soon as I tell you,” I said, digging my fingers into the pavement and tensing my muscles in preparation. “I’m going to dash straight ahead and draw their fire. You need to make it over to the hedges. From there, keep moving through the garden till you hit the edge of the property. Hopefully, the Rebellion will find you before you get too far.”

“Master Tobias,” the Unseen said, his eyes wide with fear. “Thank you.”

I couldn’t help but see Balthus in the man’s eyes. This wouldn’t make up for what I did to Azzy and his father, but maybe it would help tip the scales back towards balance.

“Don’t thank me till your family is safe,” I replied, taking a deep, steadying breath. It was now or never, so I nodded to the Unseen, then sprang forward, my feet catching on the pavement as I dashed in a straight line down the open driveway and toward the main gate.

I didn’t get far before the whistling noise returned. Another bolt of pulsating magic trained on me, impossibly fast. Reaching for my aura, I poured my strength into it, focusing it forward and adding layer upon layer till the air in front of me shimmered. The impact was sudden, and the shattering noise deafening as the newly formed ward splintered then gave, the bolt of light hitting dead center, then deflecting to clip my shoulder with searing pain. I didn’t stop moving, even as blood poured down my arm, wet and warm. I pushed through, still heading in the same direction as the bolt’s origin, my feet thundering against the pavement. The Unseen should have made it to the garden by now, so there was no reason for me to continue onward, and yet I kept moving, reaching into my magic stores once again to rebuild the ward that had narrowly saved my second life. My head was spinning by the third layer, and a familiar pain split through my skull. Cirian’s loaned power was waning, and I was running straight toward a return trip to my grave.

Another whistling sound, and I braced for the impact.

A streak of grey and purple in my periphery, and the bolt skittered across the driveway, exploding in a flash of light. I skidded to a halt, holding up the stolen blade toward the newcomer on the pavement, dressed in soldier’s garb. They had their back turned to me, facing away from the chateau and towards the entrance gate.

I lacked the strength to Command them, so I would have to hope I could best them with my blade.

“You’re bleeding, Tobi.”

The deep voice sent chills along my exposed skin. Another whistle, another bolt of light bursting into existence from the tower a few hundred feet away. Before I could react, the newcomer moved in a blur, their hands glowing with purple light as they batted the bolt away, and it drove into the ground like the last one. Their hat slipped off their head in the motion, revealing lavender hair and a pair of pointed ears.

“Azzy.” My voice was weaker than I anticipated, and my head swam as the strain of holding onto my ward took its toll.

He was beside me in a second, wrapping an arm under mine and bearing the brunt of my weight as he moved us off the driveway and towards the gardens. “Remind me that we need to have a serious conversation about your incessant need to stand out.”

I wanted to laugh, but the best I could do was chuckle, the ward around me crumbling as I reached the bottom of my reserves, and the pounding headache set in.

“Did the others make it?” I asked as we cleared the hedges, ducking down long enough that Azzy could get a look at my shoulder. He tore a shred of fabric from the edge of my disguise as if it were paper, tying it quickly around the wound. I hissed a breath as he tightened it down.

“Kaine has them,” he replied, inspecting his work. “I came out to cover their escape before I join the force inside. They’re working on breaking into the cellar.”

“Guess I should thank you,” I said, trying to laugh again, but what came out sounded broken and harsh.

“Not necessary,” he replied, peeking over the hedges and then ducking down quickly as another bolt soared over us, setting a row of rosebushes on fire across the path. “I was already in the neighborhood.”

“What kind of weapon is that?” I asked, needing to distract myself from the growing list of pains threatening to relieve me of consciousness.

“No bloody idea. I’ve not seen anything like it before. Leave it to Adoranda to save the most dangerous toys for herself.” He went quiet for a moment, but then his face was in front of mine, concern bending his features.

Shit, I must have passed out for a second. Gods, he was pretty. Especially when his violet eyes were wide, and his lavender hair was pushed back off his forehead so he couldn’t hide behind it.

“You still with me, Tobi?”

“Mostly,” I confirmed, giving my head the slightest nod. “Sorry, I flew a little close to the sun earlier, and I’m paying for it.”

“No troubles. If we can hide out long enough for Kaine to get back, I’ll send you with him to?—”

“No!” I shouted, sickly adrenaline flooding my veins with icy panic. “I’m okay. I need to help get Bastien out of there. They’re going to kill him.”

“I know,” Azzy replied, a hand on my uninjured shoulder to keep me in place. “But you’re in no shape to move right now, Tobi.”

“I’m fine,” I lied, shrugging him off. “And it doesn’t matter. If Bastien dies, then I’m dead all over again.”

Another whistling, and we both flinched as the explosion went off, filling the air around us with dust.

“Shit, they’re getting closer.” Azzy hooked a finger under my chin, raising my gaze to meet his. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, Azzy, please don’t leave me here?—”

His body shimmered in a haze, then vanished.

I was alone in the garden.

Without the whistling sound, I could hear the bubbling fountain a few dozen yards away. I wasn’t far from where Cirian and I used to spar one another. On the other side of the garden, a bird sang a hopeful song, oblivious to the destruction around it. I focused on its song, hoping that it would keep me from slipping away again.

Before long, I heard footsteps, followed by what sounded like the wheels of a wagon on the paved driveway. Azzy was right. They were getting closer. And I was an easy target, bleeding on the azaleas.

“This way,” a soft voice came from my right.

I turned to see a pair of eyes looking at me from the bushes, followed by a clawed hand, outstretched and beckoning me with a come-hither motion. The other footsteps grew even louder, the rattling wagon noise unmistakable now.

“Quickly,” the voice said again, the hand disappearing into the brush.

What did I have to lose? If I stayed here, they were going to find me eventually. Gritting my teeth and doing my best not to lean on my injured arm, I crawled over to the bushes in question, pushing aside branches till I found the owner of those peering eyes.

“Balthus…” I breathed, coming face to face with the grey-haired Unseen. He wore a dirty pair of coveralls, his beard long and unkempt, and his eyes sunken into his head. But it was him. Of that, I was certain.

“Quickly,” he repeated, turning around and moving in a crouch through the cover of the brush.

With great effort, I followed, wincing with each branch that dug into the wound on my shoulder. My mind raced. Did Balthus know that his son was here, in the garden that he’d been sequestered to for all these years? Did he realize that he was closer to liberation than he’d ever been before? Did he recognize me, the man responsible for sending his son away?

Moving out from under the brush, Balthus deftly maneuvered over to a glass-paned greenhouse, ducking behind one of the walls, his outline becoming obscured by the frosted glass. I did my best to mimic his movements, but I was far less graceful in my weakened state, and I knocked into one of the large clay pots in rows outside of the greenhouse. The resounding noise of the pot colliding with glass echoed through the garden like the lone songbird, calling all who could hear to its location.

“Over there!” someone shouted.

I rounded the greenhouse, coming alongside Balthus and lowering myself down. Through the paned glass, I could see two shadows approaching from the main path, moving quickly. The stolen blade hung off my belt, and it would take some maneuvering to draw it in my position.

Balthus silently reached over to one of the pots, producing a small trowel from the dirt and clutching it to his chest. He gave me a look that told me he understood fighting was the only way either of us were getting out of here. I only wished I could have spoken, could have told him that his son was out there. That if we could somehow make it through the next few minutes, he could see him again.

“Come out of there,” the commanding voice ordered us.

Neither of us moved.

“Angle thirty-two degrees east,” the voice continued, speaking so softly I had to strain to hear them. “Fire in three, two, one?—”

A sharp whistling, and the greenhouse walls imploded. Glass rained down on us, thousands of tiny daggers slicing into our skin and burrowing where they could. Without the cover of the greenhouse, we could see the two soldiers standing just a few yards away and further down the path, some sort of contraption on wheels, smoke billowing from the end of a long barrel.

Mustering the last bit of strength, I pushed myself from the ground, drawing the blade from my belt. The handle was slick, and I realized it was my blood oozing from the dozens of cuts sprawling across my hands. Balthus took his place beside me, giving me a solemn nod as we accepted the fate ahead of us.

How fitting it was that I would die beside the man whose life I had destroyed. A sort of cosmic karma, trying to balance the infinite scales of reality. It brought a moment of eerie calm to me at that moment. To know that my life was nearly over. Maybe if I was quick enough, I could make sure Balthus had the best chance to escape.

It was the least I could do for him now.

The soldiers eyed us, their wariness fading by the second, replaced by a foolhardy confidence. One of them raised a device to their mouth, speaking into it.

“Prepare another round, same coordinates. Fire in three, two, one?—”

Balthus and I braced ourselves, and I wrapped whatever dregs of magic I could pull into my aura around him, hoping it would be enough to keep the damage from being lethal.

But the shot never came.

The soldiers turned to look back at the weapon, and then one of them swore, a fresh rivulet of blood pouring down his cheek from a slash across his face. He reached for his weapon, but the shimmering image of Azzy flickered into reality as he struck, his clawed hand wrapped in violet light as he dug into the soldier’s chest, ripping out a chunk of flesh. The man collapsed to the ground, moving no more. The other soldier moved to strike, but Azzy was faster, knocking them off their feet. As he knelt down to deliver a slash across the soldier’s throat, Balthus let out a whimpering breath.

“Azrael?”

The Unseen man looked up from his kill, flicking his wrist to rid his claws of the bits of flesh that clung to them. His eyes widened as they fell on his father, for what I knew was the first time in decades.

“Papa?”

Balthus moved to greet his son, but then a whistling filled the air, and all I could do was watch as the older man shoved Azzy off his feet, the bolt of light striking him squarely in the chest. He hung in the air for a moment, his hand still outstretched, reaching for his son. Then he crumpled to the ground.

I couldn’t think. Couldn’t process what happened. My body moved of its own volition, running for the weapon, fingers gripping the bloodied handle of my blade as I drove it into the back of the soldier who clung to it as weakly as he clung to life. He uttered his last breath, and then the garden was quiet.

So, so quiet.