5.

Shouts waft through the window and jolt me from my sleep. My legs tangle in sheets as I scramble to the window. I don't think of yesterday, of Malik or the attack. I can only think of one thing as I scan the courtyard below to see what caused the commotion. Elias.

Any hope I had evaporates. There's no search party, no celebration at Elias' return, nothing. But my disappointment shifts to confusion. The sun sits low in the sky, chasing away the night. Birds dip across the horizon like drops of black paint, their songs carried through the wind. But at the foot of the castle is a cluster of soldiers, and none of them look familiar.

I dress quickly before skittering through the door. An echo-like silence fills the halls; my footsteps ricochet off the stone pillars aside the staircase. It's only when I get closer to the foyer that I can hear the muffled voices—low and irritated. Eric.

I hide behind the pillar when I get closer, remembering the last time I stood up here and watched the front doors. When Flo was dragged in with the guards and thrown in the prison cells. I swallow the lump the memory leaves in my throat and focus on Eric's voice.

"He's just trying to help," Cassia says, her voice no more than a hiss.

"It's dangerous!"

"Do you have to be so paranoid all the time, Eric? Malik's your friend and he's helping us. We need all the help we can get."

"He should've warned us," Eric says.

"He didn't know. You saw him, he looked just as surprised as we did."

"If you just—"

"What's going on?" I emerge from behind the pillar. Both Cassia and Eric turn to face me, red and silver glowing with anger. "I saw guards outside. What'd Malik do?"

Eric shoots a sour look at Cassia, who just sighs. "Some of his soldiers have come to help us," she says.

"Malik has soldiers?"

"From the elder village," she nods. "They're here to help protect our village while we search for Elias."

"What's the problem, then?"

"The problem is that there are regulations around this. His soldiers can't enter our territory without clear permission from Elias, which they haven't got," Eric says. I open my mouth to point out that Elias isn't here, but he cuts me off. "Shifter politics. You wouldn't understand. Besides, we haven't even decided if—"

"We're going," I say. He looks at me, eyes burning with anger. But it doesn't scare me, not anymore. "Whether or not you come with us, we're going."

He clenches his jaw as the door creaks open, a small triangle of sunlight seeping across the stone floor. Malik slips in. His hair is pushed off his face, and he wears a long-sleeved, dark-blue shirt. "I hope I haven't caused any issues."

Cassia sighs. "You haven't."

"I thought you might need extra protection—"

"We do." She shoots a look at Eric. "Milena and I are very grateful."

When Malik looks at me, I smile before darting my gaze away. He looks at me as if he can see straight into my soul—my hopes, my dreams, desires. I noticed it last night in the library and I can see it again, like I'm a book he's read every page of.

"And what about the hollower, huh?" Eric scoffs. "Care to explain that?"

"You brought a hollower here?" I ask Malik, heart skipping a beat.

"I didn't bring her here. My soldiers came across her on the way. We can get rid of her if you want, but I thought she could be an asset, a—"

"An asset?" Eric's voice cuts through the air like a dagger. "Maybe you've forgotten, Malik, but the hollowers have Elias. They're killed so many from this village. This isn't a hotel for hostages. I don't want it anywhere near this village where it could hurt someone. Kill it."

Cassia steps forward. "I don't think that's a smart idea."

"It doesn't matter what you think."

She frowns. "Elias is gone, and I'm next in command, so—"

"You lost all power the moment you betrayed our trust when you made that deal with the hollowers. Elias may not have officially demoted you, but we both saw the way he looked at you." His voice isn't harsh, it's matter-of-fact, but Cassia flinches anyway, eyes darting to me guiltily. I can't look at her, instead pretending to be fascinated by the floor.

"It doesn't matter. We can't kill it." Malik breaks the tense silence. "She's immortal."

Eric nearly explodes. "You brought an immortal hollower here?"

"Like I said, I didn't know. But she could be helpful."

"Are you crazy—"

"He's right," I whisper, looking up to meet Eric's gaze. "Think about it: as long as she's unarmed, she can't hurt anyone. And she's immortal, which means she's had Elias' blood, so..."

"She's seen Elias," Cassia says. "Or she knows where he is."

The silence settles between us like resting dust. The possibility mulls over in my mind as I stare at Eric, waiting for his stubborn expression to shift, but the frown doesn't go anywhere. I don't envy the war raging in his mind. For me, it's a no brainer, Elias is my main priority. But Eric is torn between the safety of his people and loyalty to Elias' wishes, and his own desires to find his friend.

Finally, he looks to Malik. "Where is she?"

"In the cottage you offered me. She's restrained and two of my soldiers are on guard."

"Get your soldiers who found her and bring them to the library," Eric says. "Hollowers rarely travel alone, which means she must be close to others. I need to know exactly where they were when they found her."

Malik nods before exiting through the main entrance, leaving the three of us alone. I blow out a breath of air.

"We're doing this?" Cassia says. "We're really doing this?"

Eric looks at me, eyes flickering in the shadows he's bathed in. Suddenly, I'm transported back to the day of Elias' funeral, when we stood side by side feeling a surge of hope after days of darkness.

"We're doing this," Eric says. "It's what Elias would do for us."

And for the first time in weeks, I feel genuine hope for the future.

~

Eric, Malik and Cassia vacate to the library with two of Malik's stone-faced soldiers. And though I was invited, I'm more than happy to sit out. There's something about Malik's presence that sets me on edge. His all-knowing eyes and charming smile make my stomach twist in strange ways. Besides, the last thing I feel like doing is sitting around a bunch of maps I don't understand pin-pointing locations I've never been to.

And yet, neither of those are the main reason I don't want to go.

"Do you think she's ever smiled a day in her life?" Bastian whispers, crouched beside me behind a tree stump. I jab him in the ribs to shush him. We're perched in the treeline, watching the front of the cabin Malik is staying in as two of his soldiers stand guard outside.

Just like the guard Bastian watches, the guard I watch stands stoic and impossibly still. Bird songs dance through the trees and pollen tickles my nose. I wipe a hand across my sweaty forehead, wishing I'd brought something to tie my hair back. I glare at the guard, as if he'll feel my stare and leave.

Bastian pinched my arm. "I'm too hot," he groans. "We've been waiting here for twenty minutes and neither of them have moved."

I ignore him, narrowing my eyes when the soldier shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"At least you get to watch the hot guy," he continues. "I'm stuck here looking at someone who reminds me of my first shift training teacher."

"Just a few more minutes, okay?" My legs start to cramp so I readjust my position, putting more weight on my heels.

"This is bad for my health," he grumbles.

"Are you going to pass out again?"

"Hey! The doctor said I was dehydrated, alright?"

I suppress a smile. "Sure he did."

Bastian nudges me so I stumble sideways slightly. "Can't you just ask Malik to tell his soldiers to let us in?"

"No. Because telling Malik means telling Eric and there's no way Eric would allow either of us to be here without him."

"But—" His eyes widen. "She's moving. She's moving!"

I spin around and duck lower, eyes darting between the two soldiers as the woman moves around the side of the house towards the front where her comrade stands. In her absence, the back door is unguarded. Bastian and I smile at each other.

"I'll keep watch," he says. "If you scream, it means the hollower is trying to kill you."

I raise a brow. "Noted."

Adrenaline pumps my legs as I dart between the trees, the prospect of being caught scaring me more than the actual hollower. I reach the door. The wood has cracked down the middle and rust covers the door handle. I snort to myself. Of course Eric would give Malik the worst cabin available. It's almost comforting; I'm not the only one who Eric didn't welcome warmly.

I twist the doorknob as quietly as I can, pushing the creaking door. I move to step inside when a hand clamps down on my shoulder and forces me to turn around. I come face to face with the emotionless woman. She slams me into the cabin.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Busted.

~

DISCUSSION:

1. Do you think it's a good idea to keep the hollower hostage for information?

2. Carrying on from the last book, who is your favourite character?

3. What do you think will happen next?