We trudged from the town meeting, our ragtag band of outcasts swelling with the exodus of Turned and sympathizers. The newcomers huddled together, eyes wide and darting, breath coming fast. Their fear permeated the air, an acrid stench that clogged my nostrils.

I found a perch on the mountainside, the town nestled below. Kendall collapsed beside me with a grunt. "Well, we're still breathing."

A wry laugh scraped from my throat. "Death might've been kinder. We failed."

Kendall's gaze roamed our ranks, taking in the terrified faces. "It was a really, really long shot, Lilly." He gestured to the trembling figures around us. "Plenty of fresh blood, at least."

Shanta materialized at my elbow, her alien grace marking her even in human guise. "Untested, untrained. Most have cowered behind their masks since the beginning, never embracing their true nature."

Geela's imposing form lumbered up the slope, her crest catching the fading light. Even folded to the ground, she loomed above me. Shanta cocked her head, voice shifting in cadence. "Geela counsels patience. Each Turned or human that joins us strengthens our cause, regardless of inexperience."

I grunted noncommittally. Geela's luminous eyes bored into mine, ancient and knowing. I averted my gaze, a shiver tracing my spine.

"Your anger consumes you, child." Her voice resonated in my bones, bypassing Shanta's translation. "I know your losses cut deep. But you must transmute that pain into purpose. The Empress will ply all her wiles to sway Alec to her side. She is a virtuoso of deceit."

Ragger's growl rumbled agreement. "Geela speaks true, Lilly. Wallowing in rage and grief serves none, least of all Alec."

"It serves me well enough," I snarled. I spun on my heel, stalking to the cliff's edge.

Amanda's footsteps crunched behind me. Her hand settled on my shoulder, warm and steadying. "Lilly, listen. Alec's made of steel. He'll probably bust himself out before we get there."

"You didn't face that... thing, Amanda."

Her head came to rest against my back as she pulled me close. "You're right, I didn't. But I know you, and I know Alec. I've seen the fire in this family. They haven't broken us yet."

A smile tugged at my lips despite the ache in my chest. "I-"

"Contact!" The sentry's shout shattered the moment. "Large group approaching!"

I whirled, squinting into the deepening gloom. There, movement on the path below.

Geela's massive frame eclipsed my view as she surged past. Her eyes narrowed, probing the distant figures. "Humans, armed but undisciplined."

Kendall lifted a scope to his eye. "I see Sarah, Nolan, some other familiar faces."

___________________________________________

"Jesus fuck," Nolan wheezed as he staggered towards us, his face flushed and drenched in sweat. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, limbs trembling from the grueling trek. "That hike's a real bitch. Howdy, folks."

He thrust out a quivering hand to Kendall, who clasped it in a firm grip, steadying Nolan's exhausted frame. Kendall arched an eyebrow. "So..."

"I'll let the missus fill you in," Nolan gasped out between gulps of air. His legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground in a graceless heap, spent. "Christ, I'm out of shape."

Sarah approached me, her movements stiff and precise. She extended a hand, palm open in greeting. I hesitated, nostrils flaring as I caught her scent. Unease and fear tainted her usually crisp aroma. Gingerly, I accepted the proffered hand, scowling. I snatched my hand back, cutting short the gesture before she could tighten her grip.

"It seems sanctuary eludes us," Ragger growled, his rumbling baritone drawing Sarah's gaze. She started, eyes wide as she took in his features.

"Not in the manner you had hoped," she replied uneasily.

"In what way, then?" I asked, harshly.

"The town will not accept you as residents. Your group is not permitted back inside."

"Fucking hell." The curse hissed through clenched teeth. "What, then?"

"They judged you no immediate threat. But as I said, entry is forbidden, particularly for the..." Her eyes flicked to Ragger and the other Turned. "Changelings. You and Kendall may come and go, provided you relinquish any weapons at the gate, as well as any others that can prove they are human."

I felt the bile rise in my throat, the rage bubbling up like magma. My fingernails dug into my palms, carving crimson crescents. Kendall's hand clamped on my shoulder, his grip a vise.

"Easy, Lil," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "Let's hear 'em out."

I shrugged off his hand, whirling to face Sarah. "So that's it? After everything, they just cast us out? Toss us scraps like mongrels?"

Sarah flinched at my snarl, but held her ground. "It's not ideal, I know. But it's something. A start."

"A start?" I scoffed, the words acid on my tongue. "While Alec sits in god only knows what hell, we grovel for table scraps?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she said, her tone placating. "For now, this is the best we can do. I'm sorry, Lilly. Truly."

I scrutinized Sarah through narrowed eyes, parsing her statement as my jaw clenched, molars grinding together. "So the town deems us safe enough to come and go, but too dangerous to stay within the walls? They'll confiscate our weapons but won't take our lives outright?" The words emerged clipped, harsh.

Kendall shifted his weight beside me, the crunch of gravel beneath his boots loud in the tense silence. "And the Turncoats are just shit outta luck, huh?" His voice dripped with caustic sarcasm.

Shanta glided forward. "What aid will they provide, beyond this... allowance?"

Sarah swallowed, her throat bobbing. "Supplies. Weapons. Information, when we have it, radio contact and coordination, with you and your people back home if you'd like. Anything to help your cause without... direct involvement."

"How magnanimous," Geela growled, her crest flaring. "The humans cower behind their walls while we bleed."

Sarah whipped around at the sound of Geela's voice, stumbling and falling backwards in her haste. "You didn't mention a fucking Matriarch," she screeched, scrambling away from the looming figure.

"We have all kinds here, human," Geela rumbled as she rose to her full, imposing height.

Nolan staggered to his feet, chest still heaving. He craned his neck to meet Geela's gaze, tilting his head back in a challenge. I genuinely couldn't tell if he was either very brave or very stupid. Either way, I was impressed.

"Now hold on just a damn minute," he said, glaring at Geela. "We ain't cowards. But we got people to protect. Kids. Elderly. The sick and infirm. We can't abandon 'em to go charging off on some half-cocked crusade."

"And what happens when the Empress comes knocking?" Geela's voice cut like tempered steel. "When Alec leads her armies to your gates, his second in command none other the very beast which once bested and captured him? The weakest in his army, beings which make me look mewling in comparison? If she breaks him, her first command will be the hardest he ever has to follow. She will make him hunt each of you down that he called "friend" and take your life himself. Tell me, will you cower behind your walls then, awaiting death?"

Nolan bristled, his fists clenching. Holy shit, was he going to punch a Matriarch? This man was crazy! 

Sarah laid a restraining hand on his arm before he could make an attempt at what would possibly end up being the world's most prestigious Darwin Award.

Nolan's fists clenched at his sides, his shoulders tight with barely restrained fury. Sarah gripped his arm, holding him back. I stared at her, searching her face. Weariness carved deep lines around her eyes and mouth, but beneath that exhaustion, sincerity shone through. She believed what she said. They all did. These small, frightened people, clinging to the illusion of safety like a child's threadbare blanket.

Kendall's fingers brushed my elbow, the lightest of touches. "C'mon, Lil. Let's get our people settled. Regroup. We got a long road ahead."

I let him guide me away, the fire of my anger guttering out, leaving only hollow ashes behind. He was right. We had to focus on the task at hand. Rally our forces. Train the newcomers. Prepare for the coming storm.

"Now wait just a minute," Sarah called out. I turned back, fresh anger ready to spew.

She gestured to the group of people still trudging up the hill. "What the town decided... that ain't necessarily our decision."