I stared at that basin all night. Some points I'd fall asleep for a second, but I'd startle back up. Nothing went through my head except Manea.

Sometimes I remembered her hair. It was the color of water. Dirty water. Like a waterfall that picked up all the disgusting dirt and debris. Other times I remembered that her hair was the color of dirt, blooming life everywhere it could be.

It didn't matter. Either way I wouldn't see her anymore. What was the point in remembering her if all it did was hurt me even more? Even her smile was something I hated. Her eyes, so dark and controlled, were something ugly. The way she talked with no care. Everything about her was so awful and so, terribly memorable.

Why'd it hurt so much still?

I could see the sun rising from the cracks on my tent. There was the faint sound of people talking from a long distance away, and I knew that they were waking up to work.

I got off the ground and made my way out of my tent. Henneh was sitting there, her eyes distant.

"You're awake early," she told me. "Do you need more medication?"

"No." I walked down the path, Henneh following me close behind.

I needed to focus. Manea was dead. There was no point in hating something that no longer existed, and I planned to move forward with life.

Starting with the library.

We walked quietly.

"Are you still busy?" I asked the voice.

No answer. What could that thing be up to still?

"Are we training today?" I looked at Henneh, keeping up the pace.

She didn't look at me as she responded. "No. We're preparing Kampa."

"For what?"

Henneh didn't answer. Instead, we continued into the main square of the camp. People were rushing around, grabbing wood, setting a fire, getting chairs set around the fire pit. Murmurs went around in hushed tones, and none of them looked at Henneh.

"Ashe and Avaloryn are coming back." Henneh tossed me a log. "Set that in the fire pit."

I did as I was told. "From where?"

She handed me another log as she said, "They found Kallia."

"She ran away?" Strange. I thought Avaloryn and Kallia were together.

"Apparently. Turns out she was on her way to Kandose. Avaloryn has told us she had mentioned it, but no one thought she'd actually be crazy enough to do it." Henneh stopped giving me logs, and we made our way over to another tent to pick up a pot full of supplies.

I picked up another pot and walked next to her. "Why is it so bad to go to Kandose?"

We started walking back to the fire pit. "All access points into Kandose is blocked by royal guards. Kallia would've been caught and tortured to reveal the location of Ashe, which means Kampa and its people would be killed for treason."

"So why is it this huge event?" I didn't know much about capturing someone who was about to reveal their location, but why was Kallia getting a celebration?

Henneh stayed quiet as she put down the pot of supplies on a stump. I put mine down next to hers.

"She's being executed," Henneh revealed.

"Avaloryn would never let Kallia be killed." I sat down on the ground, watching Henneh put together tools.

She shrugged. "I don't think Avaloryn has much of an opinion on what happens to Kallia."

Sighing, Henneh put down the tools and wiped away sweat. Her dark complexion gleamed in the light of dusk. She was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen in my life.

I knew how Prodos handled traitors. A chill ran down my body.

"Are you still busy?" I asked the voice.

"Fortunately for you, I'm not," the voice said smugly. "So, who or what do we need to shake down, knock out, or blow up?"

"A library."

"All you have to do is throw a book at the librarian and you're set."

I didn't even bother to hide my eye roll. "Seriously?"

"You wanted ideas. There's an idea. Ergo: I was useful."

I got off the ground and sat on a stump far away from Henneh. "Look, I'm desperate right now."

"More desperate than the faerie chase sequence? My, my, you really must be."

Picking up a branch, I started to twist it in my hand, imagining it to be the voice's neck. "I need to find information on a magical item. Do you know anything about the Amulet of Torth?"

"Not particularly. I know the Amulet was worn to amplify magic, but no one knows how to use it." The voice paused. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm asking the questions right now," I cautioned the voice. "Where are you?"

"On the ground."

The twig snapped in my hand. "Quit it."

"Sorry."

"Are you in Thaeleck?"

"Yes."

Did that mean the thing could help me?

"I'm breaking into a library to find more information on the Amulet of Torth. Currently,
I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to get in."

"Did you ask that handsome fellow Ashe Knightley for help?"

"I'd rather die."

The voice scoffed. "Then go up to the guards and hand yourself in if that's true."

"Shut up. Trust me. If you knew Ashe you'd know that he would never agree to helping me."

"What makes you sure? Didn't Ashe offer to train you?"

The voice had a point...

No. Ashe would hand me over to Prodos and have me killed if he found out. Hell, he'd kill me himself.

"Look, I'm a little busy again. I'll talk to you later, all right?" the voice told me.

"No, wait—"

"Good bye."

What the hell. Now what was I going to do?

It didn't matter what, because Henneh walked up to me. "Let's go," she ordered.

I followed her back to the fire pit.

Wagons pulled into the camp. Nobody smiled as they opened the back of one wagon in particular and threw out a girl in chains and cloth covering her face.

"Don't say anything," Henneh cautioned.

Deciding to obey her orders, I followed her to a log and sat on it. Many others came around to watch, all of them sitting down and remaining silent.

Ashe Knightley and Avaloryn walked alongside each other, their faces covered in ashes, dirt, and soot. They both stood behind the woman in chains? Their arms behind their backs.

Prodos walked toward them. "Well done retrieving her. I'll be sure to give her consequences." He glanced down and ripped the cloth off her face.

Kallia struggled in the chains, trying to scream. There was a chain in her mouth, keeping her quiet. Her body was bright red and dark blue.

"Avaloryn, please list why this rat"—Prodos gave a kick to Kallia's side—"is going to face consequences."

Avaloryn swallowed hard and stared down at the ground where Kallia was. Her eyes glossed. "Running away from Kampa, putting everyone's life here at risk, almost telling our location, affiliation with Prince Kace..." Avaloryn abruptly stopped and looked at the nearby trees.

"Selling information to Prince Kace in exchange for pleasantries such as intercourse, money, and tickets to get out of Thaeleck," Ashe finished.

My heart sank as I listened.

Ashe wrapped an arm around Avaloryn, gently rubbing her sides.

"Thank you, Ashe and Avaloryn." Prodos grabbed Kallia's hair and pulled her ear up to his mouth. "Which one of you two would like to do the honors?"

Ashe and Avaloryn stayed quiet. From my seat, I could see Avaloryn's tears coating her face. Ashe glanced at her, and then Avaloryn nodded.

Ashe opened his mouth to talk.

"I'll do it," Henneh called out. Ashe glared at her, but she got up and walked to Prodos. "Avaloryn and Ashe have had a long night. I think they deserve rest while I handle this."

Kallia looked to Avaloryn.

"I don't care," Avaloryn said. "Just get it over with." She started to walk away

"No," Prodos quipped. "Everyone stays to watch. Everyone deserves to know the consequences of taking my trust and loyalty for granted."

Avaloryn looked at Kallia, then looked away. "I already know the consequences."

"Don't defy me, girl," Prodos warned. "You might've been safe, but don't make me show you the consequences as well."

People raced to Kallia and picked her up, placing her neck in between two wooden planks. Prodos handed Henneh a long sword, not even cleaned.

Ashe and Avaloryn sat next to me, though none of them watched what happened.

"May the Saints carry your name to the grave, Kallia Lou." Henneh raised the sword and swung down.

I quickly looked away and saw Avaloryn dig her head into Ashe's chest, her silent cries resonating.

When I looked back to Kallia, all I saw was her blood and remains. Her head on the ground, her body motionless.

Henneh dropped the sword on Kallia's head, her eyes bloodshot.

Prodos kicked Kallia's head into the fire pit as he slowly clapped. "I hope every enjoyed this presentation."

For some reason, my throat started to feel like it was swelling.

Everyone got up from their seats and went on with their business. Avaloryn's cries became louder while Ashe ran his hand through her hair and crying with her. Henneh ran back toward us and fell to her knees, wrapping her arm around Avaloryn. Rysdan came from behind us and went down on a knee, his eyes shut and his tears racing down his face.

"I'm so sorry," Henneh rasped through her tears. "I'm so incredibly sorry."

I don't know why, or when, or how, but I had gotten up and put my arms around them and cried as well, silently apologizing to them.

But that morning, I could only hear Ashe and Avaloryn's cries.