Lira recoiled.

"What?"

"Van Lagos doesn't love you, Lira. Why do you care about him?"

She opened her mouth to say something and then paused, searching for the right words.

"If your love is dependent on someone loving you back, is it really love?"

I squirmed on my tree stump.

"I-I don't know."

Lira scoffed.

"You know nothing about me."

"Reed told me you're a noble."

"I'm a Southern noble. There's a difference. You Northerners play at war, we live it every day on the border. Our life is military drills in the morning and hunting for our breakfast before noon. Northerners complain about the slums in their cities, while my family's land has the largest refugee camp in the country. The residents were originally fleeing the war, but after generations, it became a permanent community—an entire city built on crime."

She smiled.

"I always found them curious. The criminals. The smugglers. And from that curiosity, I created my Landbound ability. The power to walk among them—to be like them. Forgotten by the world… Free to do as they please... That's how I met him."

"Van Lagos..."

"He was everything I was told to hate. The enemy I trained my whole life to fight… I fell in love the moment I saw him."

Lira's smile turned into a snarl.

"I don't care if he doesn't love me back. Being close to him is the only time I feel alive."

"You like the danger."

She smirked.

"My life was always dangerous, but now I'm living it on my terms. Do we have a deal or not?"

I shrugged.

"I have a problem."

Lira adjusted the crossbow on her lap.

"You have several."

I forced an awkward smile.

"The gold isn't just mine. It belongs to my party. I'll need to talk to them before making any kind of deal."

"Hmm."

Lira got to her feet, keeping her crossbow trained on me.

"It's late. Go, talk to your friends. I'll be back in the morning with company. I expect you to be gone and the gold laid out for us. You know it's the right move."

She turned, whipping around her long, black braid as she mounted her horse.

I twiddled the crossbow bolt in my fingers and considered my options.

Her Landbound ability was dangerous—perfect for scouting and assassination. She could also see through my jacket's enchantment. That alone made her worth killing. Yet, her scouts knew where she was. If she didn't return, they would check on her, and we would have less time to rest. Of course, that was assuming she wasn't lying about me.

I took a sharp breath. Do I let her leave or take this chance to eliminate a threat?

What would Sin do?

My left hand tensed, snapping the crossbow bolt in half. Lira turned back to stare at me with a raised eyebrow.

I winced. I'd lost the element of surprise.

"Lira, why didn't your family clean up the slums on your land?"

She cocked her head, making her braid sway.

"Excuse me?"

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"If crime was so bad among the refugees, why not do something about it?"

Lira gave me a confused look.

"Why would we do that?"

I sighed.

Nobles...

Lira tugged on the reins of her horse, turning her mare back to the direction she had come. She looked over her shoulder.

"I guess this is goodbye. If everything works out, we won't see each other again."

I forced myself to smile.

"Good night, Lira."

She flashed a quick smile before she and her horse faded into the landscape. A moment later, dust clouds billowed as she galloped to the top of the valley without a sound.

When the clouds disappeared over the hill, I let my shoulders slump.

"Spirits below."

I dropped the pieces of the crossbow bolt in my hand and rubbed my palm into my eyes.

What would Sin do?

Of all the things to think about, why that? I was better than that. Yet, Sin's lessons were written into my flesh and sinew—my blood and bone. In my twitching knife hand that jumped to violence.

I sighed again.

I need to sleep.

# # #

I dragged my feet back to our camp. Dugan and Isla lay sprawled out on top of their sleeping bags, with Thor snoring between them. Our horses were tied to a nearby tree. Castille sat against another tree, with her new sword unsheathed and resting on her lap.

"Castille?"

"Shh. We're bonding."

I squinted at the tall woman in the moonlight.

"Lira found us."

"What?!"

Castille jumped to her feet so fast I thought she would nick an artery on the razor-sharp blade.

"It's OK. Sit down," I said.

I groped for the nearest tree and slid down the rough exterior to sit across from her.

"She wants us to give up our gold. In return, she'll get Van Lagos to stop chasing us."

"That's not happening," Castille said, still standing with Dusk gripped tight in her right hand."

"I know, but it buys us time until morning. That's when she'll be back."

Castille gave me a skeptical look.

"And you believed her?"

"I do. I... Lira works for Reed."

"What?! Why am I hearing this now?"

"I just found out today. Reed told me."

"Did she now?" Castille asked, twisting her lips into a scowl.

She sat back down, her metal breastplate scraping against the tree trunk.

I sighed.

"I'm tired, Castille…"

"We're all tired, Jacob."

She pointed her chin at our sleeping party members.

"Some more than others. I've never seen Dugan or Thor this out of it."

My eyes gravitated to Isla. Shay's navy cloak draped over her petite body.

"Do you think she'll be OK?"

"Aye, she's a tough girl. She'll be fine… with time."

Thinking back to Kateen's estate made my stomach churn—my skin tingle.

"Were you ever… You know…"

"No, but it's known to happen among the common soldiers. Throw scared boys and girls into a senseless war, order them to march to their deaths, and soon they'll be looking for the first chance to take back control."

Control…

Kateen and Clarice took Isla's control, and, in response, Isla took mine.

I shivered.

"I'm tired of being used, Castille. Ever since I signed that contract, the Sanctifiers have been moving me around like a piece on a game board. Now Lira's using me to make peace with Reed. When does it end?"

"Aye, I know what it's like. I've done my time as a toy soldier."

"How do you deal with it?"

Castille shrugged.

"I stopped following their rules, and it ruined my life. If I had a second chance, I wouldn't pick that path again."

"Then what do you recommend?"

"Use their rules against them. A soldier who disobeys is punished. A soldier who does their duty poorly can wreck an army."

I nodded at her words.

"Exploit the system. Reed would approve."

"That Inquisitor... Do you like her?"

"What?!"

Castille laughed.

"Relax, Jacob. It's not like I can judge your taste in women. I picked a bad one myself."

She turned her head back to Dugan.

"We don't choose who we love."

My stomach sank.

"She... Reed wanted me to join her family."

"Oh?"

"But I had to sell out you and Dugan."

"Oooh..."

Castille crossed her arms, her sword back on her lap.

"Well, I'm glad you chose us. You did choose us, right?"

"Of course, I did!"

You're my family…

Castille smirked.

"I had to ask. That Inquisitor has her appeal. Especially, if you have mommy issues."

I blinked, the statement cutting through my drowsiness.

Spirits below, she was right!

"W-What's the plan for tomorrow?"

Castille smiled, giving me a knowing look.

"The new plan is the old plan. We'll make a break for Southsun and resupply with Mother Geslin."

"And if the Lagos cartel chases us to the village?"

"We tell her to hide and keep riding. Without the wagon, we can outrun them, and they'll have to turn back eventually."

I pushed myself to my feet.

"This plan has holes."

"I know. We'll make due."

I winced.

"I almost forgot. Lira can make herself invisible and mask her sound. I think it works on whatever she touches, too. I don't know..."

Castille scanned our wooded surroundings.

"What about smell?"

I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I don't think so."

"Good, then Thor can smell her. Although not right now. He's passed out."

I frowned.

"There's something else... Rugar is still after me. There will be trouble when we get closer to the capital."

I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Castille. Everything is going wrong. Maybe... Maybe, I-"

"Jacob. Stop. We'll get through this."

She smiled.

"If I'm being honest, I'm enjoying it. It feels like I'm home looking out for my screw up of a brother. He was always getting into trouble. You remind me of him."

I smirked.

"I'm I at least more handsome?"

"Not in your wildest dreams. Good looks run strong in my family."

I laughed. My first real laugh in... forever.

I walked over to my pack, unhooked and tucked my bedroll under my armpit. I moved close to where Isla slept and paused.

Smoke wafted into my nostrils. The crackling sound of burning flesh buzzed in my ears.

And then... pain.

Phantom fire licked up my legs, my back, my shoulders. I tensed and shuffled to the other side of the camp.

"Jacob?" Castille asked.

"I'm going to sleep over here," I said, with a hoarse voice. It was like I had inhaled a room full of smoke.

"Suit yourself."

I rolled out my bedroll and lay on top of it, holding myself while I shivered.

Isla was the fire now—the thing too painful to touch.

I shut my eyes and let sleep take me.

After minutes or hours, I drifted into unconsciousness, and a hand caressed the side of my face.

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