Freya

We walk for several minutes through the forest, rounding the perimeter of Dadun. I haven't explored much, there was no point, nor time to do so, but most of the terrain remains the same nearly the entire way. Until we reach a diversion in the ground.

Alaric halts, nodding towards it. I realise what he's indicating.

"No way," I say. "I'm not following a stranger into the earth."

"Stranger?" he comments.

"Would you prefer 'captor'?"

Alaric rolls his eyes and ventures forward anyway, into the hole in the earth, leaving me completely alone in the dark forest. I stand at the edge of the opening, conflicted. My mind urges me to turn back to the village. To go to sleep.

And yet I follow him into the opening in the ground.

In the back of mind, I know that blindly following Alaric is definitely not the smartest idea. My only saving grace is that he needs me. He can't hurt me, can't do anything to jeopardize Hana's plan. And yet, deep down, despite everything, I don't think he wants to hurt me. Regardless of her plan.

The walls press closely on either side of me, and I have to duck to avoid scraping my head against the roof of the tunnel. It leads downwards, deeper into the earth until it flattens out. I can't see a thing; using the walls as my guide, I follow farther into the cave. In the distance, I can hear the dripping of water and, strangely, feel a warmth exuding from the path ahead, so welcome compared to the bitter cold.

"Alaric?" I call, my voice merely a whisper. In response, I bump into what I can only assume is his back. "Sorry," I mumble. "I can't see anything."

In the darkness, a hand finds mine, wrapping around it. I feel the hum of his skin and let him guide me forward, deeper into the cave until we stop. Running water trickles somewhere close by, and the warmth seems to rise from the earth below. I wait several seconds before speaking.

"Uh, where are we?" I ask.

"Sh," he says, voice soft. "You have to speak gently."

"Why?"

He doesn't respond. I'm about to probe him again when I notice a miniscule light above his head, I frown. One by one, the roof gradually lights up above us. I take a shaky breath, entranced by the cave. They aren't like the sun, or stars, more like blue fireflies, but smaller, more delicate. Instinctively I reach towards one, my finger touching the stone above. The area around my finger grows dull and I flinch backwards.

They're like blue scattered embers of a dying fire.

I turn in awe, looking back at Alaric. He's visible now, eyes on my face. Compared to the blue glow above, his eyes seem grey.

"What are they?" I ask.

"Lumin bugs. They come out when they feel safe."

"They're..." I can't find the word to describe it. I let out a shaky breath. "How did you find this place?"

"I feel..." he trails off, "I feel drawn to it. To its energy. Our senses are exquisite, you just have to know how to access them. Kinjri are intrinsically linked to the earth. And lumin bugs to Kinjri are like the Red Moon to shifters."

He meets my gaze, eyes sweeping across my face. "Do you feel it?"

"I feel... warmth."

A smile tugs at his lips. "Close your eyes."

I do as he instructs, letting the warmth flood me from head to toe. The sound of rushing water, my breath, my heart, they immediately cease to exist. Everything feels like a blank sheet of paper.

I'm here.

The voice doesn't surprise me. It's soft tones, high pitched. It warms me from inside out, the voice of my brother, warming the dark edges of my mind.

Samu.

I'm here.

My eyes flash open, meeting Alaric's. Ragged breaths escape my mouth, and I can't help but smile, my lips quivering with a laugh I can't suppress.

Alaric's expression is warm and light, eyes urging me to continue.

"I can feel him... I can hear him."

"Who?" he asks softly. "Who do you hear?"

I close my eyes again, so desperate to hear his voice again I could cry. So often now I only seem to reach him in my dreams, where he calls for me, but he is constantly out of reach, slipping through my fingers at the very last moment. But here, in this cave, with the lumin bugs glowing brightly above, he feels right beside me.

Something interrupts my focus and my eyes flash open. The cave is enveloped in darkness, the glow from the bugs completely gone. I blink a few times when the noises tune in, most notably, my name.

"Freya?"

I spin around. Lei stands at the bottom of the stairs. I can barely make her out aside from the glow of her eyes. I hadn't even heard her coming down. Her eyes dart to my hand.

That's when I realise it's still clasped in Alaric's. I drop it self-consciously.

"I was coming to check you were okay," she says, tone strange.

"I'm fine."

"I can see that." She rolls her shoulders back, lifts her chin. "I guess I'll see you back in our room."

A strange tension passes between us before she turns around.

"Lei, wait!" I push after her, but a hand catches my wrist, stopping me. I turn to frown at Alaric. "Let me go."

"Your hand."

His eyes are drawn to my palm as he turns my hand. Before I can tug my hand from his grip, I halt. With the absence of the light from the lumin bugs, light draws another source. My breath catches in my throat. The black markings etched into my skin glow a deep blue, like thick, luminescent veins. And they hum, all the way from the tips of my fingers to where the marking stops at my wrist.

"It's gotten bigger." I stare up at Alaric, my heart skipping a beat. Yesterday it merely tainted my palm. "What does that mean?"

He meets my gaze, his blue eyes wide with awe. "I... I don't know."

His response makes my stomach churn. I shove it aside, pulling my hand securely to my chest. With one last look, I turn to follow Lei, leaving the warmth of Alaric and the cave behind.

Casimir

We try three locations before we manage any trace of my deserter clan. Each new attempt comes with a wave of anticipation, and when they come up empty, follow with silent relief.

In the main headquarters underground -- nothing. In the caves where I knew they were nothing -- empty. It's when we linger on the outskirts of Veymaw, watching the forge, that I catch my first sight.

Somebody moving differently from the rest.

A hood conceals their head as they move against the grain, turning slightly to the left I catch a glimpse beneath the hood, recognition setting in.

Elyria. A young girl, no older than 13, I recognise. I signal towards Killian and Sanaa, and we slide out from the shadows, edging around the building, ensuring to never lose sight of her as she moves through the crowd.

I argued that I wanted to go by myself, but neither of them trusted me, and I didn't blame them. In the end, we compromised. Only the three of us -- Killian, Sanaa, and I would go. The rest would wait to hear back our next move. Sanaa thought it important she talked to Trina, leader to leader.

I knew there was little point telling her that Trina would not respect her -- Queen of a country or not.

Elyria disappears behind the shadows of two narrow buildings, slipping into the alley. I cast a glance to my side, where Sanaa kneels on the ground. With a nod, we surge forward.

Killian bolts ahead, into the forge, pulling a hood over his head to conceal his hair. It doesn't do much. Both Killian and Sanaa can't help but draw attention as they join the bumble of the moving crowd in the street of the forge. I slip inconspicuously behind them. All around us, shadows crawl up the walls from the dim lighting.

I keep a keen eye for those around me, conscious of the weapon resting at my waist. Walking through the crowd, weaving in and out in search of Elyria, it brings familiarity to my bones. When I used to follow Freya at the dead of night, tracing her every step, ensuring she didn't get herself hurt. Or worse.

I weave myself out of the crowd and into the alley Elyria disappeared. Her shadow lingers at the end, facing another lit up against the wall. Killian and Sanaa glance at me, I mouth a word 'wait'.

Thankfully, and to my shock, they both listen. Starting forward, I take a shaky breath. The shadows are less than a foot away. I press my back to the wall of the building and stare up at the sky, an internal war waging in my mind.

Am I really doing this?

Leaving the deserters for Freya is one thing. Threatening them? It's an entirely new level of rebellion. One that, if it goes poorly, I'm not certain I could ever come back from. Even if I'm not entirely sure that I want to.

Above, the thick fog of the forge makes the night sky near impossible to see. I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, calming my breath, drawing my dagger from my side, and swing around the corner to face the shadows.

Elyria is right where I need her. She's easy to jerk back, to pull against my chest, to place a dagger at her throat. Her body goes limp in my hold.

Across from her, I recognise the other figure as Yousef. His eyes widen. I trained him, right from when he was a child.

"Casimir?" I notice his hand tremble.

"I don't want to hurt you, either of you," I say lowly. His eyes dart to the space behind me, where I feel Killian and Lei emerge. "Take me to Trina."

In my arms, Elyria trembles. He visibly gulps. Then, he nods.