We made our way onto the shore and looked back to assess the damage that Ivan had caused to the ships.
All three ships, ours, and the two Fire Empire ships, were sinking.
In the distance you could see some men swimming, not necessarily towards us, but towards the shore, and I didn't want to be around when they reached shore.
"We better get off the shore soon," Ivan stated, "I'm sure my father has ordered guards to check things out."
We agreed and started heading towards the trees that were a little further back.
Dax and Ivan placed the captains body over my bear making it easier to transport him.
Dax caught where my gaze was, "Ëthia, it's not your fault."
I gave him a weak smile, trying to convince him I didn't think it was my fault, when It completely was.
Walking through the forest we followed the same path that we followed the first time we were heading to the ship.
"Do you think there will be guards coming down this path?" Felicity asked.
Ivan looked around, "No, they'll be using a different path."
It took longer than we wanted but we eventually found ourselves at the underground home.
"It's actually great to be back here!" Felicity exclaimed.
"What is this place?" Seviah questioned looking around, "It's literally just trees."
We all let out a little laugh.
"Come with us." I instructed.
I walked towards the tree and found the hole in the ground that we needed to go into.
There were stairs just as I remembered, and I began my descension into the ground.
Upon reaching the bottom I smelt something odd, something unsettling.
"Wait!" I whispered harshly up at my friends who were coming down, "Something isn't right."
I took a defensive position and slowly made my way forward into the main living room.
The rest of my friends followed suit and spread out.
"Everything looks fine." Felicity said.
"What's that smell then?" I asked.
"This." Dax said as he picked up some rotten meat on the table, "Looks like Tyrus hasn't been here for a while."
Instantly my gaze shot to Ivan, "Do you think your father found them?"
The look Ivan gave me told me everything, he didn't have to say a word.
"Oh my gosh." I said as my heart began to pick up its pace, "How! How am I able to do this! Can't I keep anyone alive?!"
Not one of my friends decided to speak up this time and try to comfort me, I think they were starting to realize that I was right, almost anyone I come in contact with dies.
Moments passed and Seviah became curious.
"Who is Tyrus?" She asked.
"Tyrus is the guy who helped us sneak into the palace, he knew all the places and how to navigate through the tunnels." Dax explained.
A sound came from the entrance and instantly we all took our fighting positions.
"Who could that be?" Whispered Ivan.
"I have no idea." I said quietly.
Footsteps, belonging to more than one person, came down the stairs.
'Maybe it's the Earthern Territory guards?' I thought to myself.
"Ëthia?" A familiar voice questioned.
Tyrus' face showed up and instantly I ran up to him and hugged him.
"You're alive!" I exclaimed as I embraced him.
Tyrus began laughing, "Yes, Yes I am alive, why wouldn't I be?"
I let go of the hug and looked around his place, "It looks like you haven't been in here for ages! Where have you been?"
Tyrus rolled his eyes, "After you escaped and got on that ship they stepped up the patrol in this forest for a few days, the guys and I thought it would be safe to just stay in town for a while, we knew no one would find this place."
"Then how did you know we were here?" Dax asked while going up to give him a hug.
"The whole town can see the smoke from the water, just so happens that some ships were attacked, I figured only you guys could pull off something like that."
Dax and I laughed, it felt good to have a familiar face around.
Tyrus looked back at his guys and back at us, "My guys want to know why there is a dead guy on your bear outside?"
"I'd rather not, not right now." I quickly stated.
One of Tyrus' men then asked a question of his own, "What happened to Jarom? When is he getting here?"
It was almost like a stab straight to the heart. It was odd, I hadn't forgotten Jarom, but I had pushed him back so that he wasn't taking over my mind, and suddenly with just one question he came flooding back into my mind.
"Ëthia?" Tyrus asked.
Words wouldn't form from my mouth, all I could do was try everything to fight the tears.
Felicity stepped forward and helped walk me back to one of the bedrooms.
"I'm sorry, Ëthia." Felicity comforted as she rubbed my back, "Only time will help."
I rested my head on her lap and once more I let tears just fall from my eyes.
DAX P.O.V
"What happened?" Tyrus asked after Ëthia left the room.
I coughed and cleared my throat, "Jarom didn't make it."
"Make it?" Tyrus asked with bewilderment. "What happened?"
I signaled for Tyrus and the rest of us to go back up outside so we could continue the conversation.
"So, what happened?" Tyrus asked again.
"We've had these assassins chasing us for a while, and they finally caught up to us."
I paused and thought about Jarom, he was like a brother to me and yet I feel like I didn't know him at all.
"Long story short, Jarom didn't have his bending, it was taken, so when one of the assassins tried to attack Ëthia off-guard the only way Jarom could do something was by jumping in front of their attack."
"What the hell did they attack with?" Tyrus asked getting angry.
"Lightning." I stated.
Tyrus got quiet, his fist were clenched and his jaw tightened up.
One of his men rested a hand on his shoulder only to have it quickly swatted off.
"They were in love! They were clearly in love!" Tyrus yelled, "That girl, Ëthia, was madly in love with him! And you're telling me this is how it ends!"
I was taken back by what Tyrus said, I wasn't aware he was so invested in the life of someone else.
"Are you okay?" I asked, "You seem to be taking this personal."
"I am taking this personal!" He yelled at me, "I told Jarom when he was here that he just had to wait, eventually Ëthia would come around and realize that he was the one for her!"
Tears started forming with Tyrus, "If I ever find one of those guards from that murderous empire I am going to kill them right on the spot."
Tyrus walked away and his group of men were left standing with me.
"He just needs space" one of the men said.
I nodded my head and walked down into the house.
Ivan and Seviah were sitting at the table conversing together.
"What went on out there?" Seviah asked.
"I caught Tyrus up on everything."
"Oh." They both said in unison.
"What are you two talking about in here?"
"My father." Ivan let out.
I pulled a chair out and sat down by Ivan, "What about him?"
Ivan was looking down at his fingers which were playing with each other, "Wondering if what the Emperor said had any truths."
I looked at Seviah and then back at Ivan who was still looking down at his fingers, "What does your gut tell you?"
Ivan scoffed, "I don't want to listen to my gut."
"So, you believe there was truth in what he was saying." I added.
Ivan glared at me, "I'm not saying anything, I'm just keeping all possibilities open."
Seviah stood up, "I'm going to check on Ëthia and Felicity."
Seviah left the room, leaving Ivan and I alone.
"What happens if your parents say that they plotted all of this?"
Ivan looked at me with thinking eyes, "I'm not sure." He took a deep breath and stood up, "If I find out that my parents have been hiding all of this from me it makes me wonder why, why didn't they inform me, their own son."
I had to admit that this really didn't add up, why would the Earthern Territory order the Fire Empire to attack the Water Colony? Why not attack themselves?
Ivan walked towards the stairs that led outside but turned around before he went up them, "I'm worried that what we find out could change everything." He paused and let out a deep breath, "I don't think I'm ready for that."
Ivan turned around and then went up the stairs.
I turned back in my chair and faced the table. Everything was happening so fast, deaths, progress, information, all of it seeming to come at us at an incredible rate.
I stood up and walked to the room that Ëthia was in a gently knocked on the wall by the entrance.
Seviah and Felicity were both on one side of Ëthia rubbing her back as she gently sobbed.
Seviah and Felicity gave me a look of, 'Not right now', and I quickly turned around to go to the other room.
I went to the bed and willingly fell onto it.
"What a day." I murmured.
I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.
Ëthia's P.O.V.
"Why am I such a mess?" I asked the girls beside me.
"Because you lost one of your best friends." Seviah added.
"Or lover." Felicity quickly slipped in.
By this time we were all laying on the bed, Seviah on one side of me and Felicity on the other.
"Did you love him?" Seviah asked sincerely.
I couldn't answer, I don't believe I ever truly answered this out loud, maybe if I had things would've turned out differently.
"When my grandparents were still around," Felicity began, "They told me, 'The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.'"
I thought on Felicity's words, and they were true words, had I not loved Jarom I wouldn't be this hurt.
"I loved him." I said to the girls.
Each of them held onto me tighter, giving me more comfort.
"I loved him and I never told him, even after all he did for me I never told him."
"You weren't exactly in the easiest place to fall in love." Felicity reminded, "Jarom didn't come from Royalty, you were expected to unite with a man of strong power, and Jarom didn't even carry a title."
Although I knew Felicity was trying to comfort me it really didn't make anything better, it only reminded me that even if I get through all of this I still have to choose a suitor.
It wasn't long after our conversation died that we heard footsteps coming down the stairs from outside.
A few moments later and Tyrus walked in ready to attack someone.
"What's going on?" Seviah asked grabbing onto me.
Tyrus paced back and forth in front of us before he began speaking, "I heard what happened, and I'm sorry, I truly am sorry for your loss."
He looked at me with intensity, "But I know you have a plan stirring in your head, what is it?"
"I don't think she is ready just yet." Felicity informed Tyrus.
"No." I added quickly, "I'm ready."
Felicity and I looked at each other making sure that we each were on the same page.
"We need to sneak into the palace." I started.
"You certainly aren't walking through the front door." Tyrus informed me.
"What do you mean?" I asked sitting up in bed.
"After you 'stole' the prince, you have officially been declared an enemy of the Territory."
I looked at Ivan and back at Tyrus, "So what does this mean exactly?"
Tyrus let out a weak laugh, "It means that if anyone catches you they have a right, a duty at that, to kill you."
I got off the bed and walked into the main room, "Great, now I'm in a location in which everyone has been ordered to kill me! Again!"
Soon everyone from that room followed me into the main room.
"And what of I?" Ivan asked, "What have you heard?"
Tyrus put his hand on Ivan's shoulder, "As of right now you've been kidnapped, and your parents are trying their hardest to get you back."
"Well that's good." Ivan said with some relief.
Tyrus turned and looked at me, "So, what's your plan?"
I brushed off the fact that everyone wanted to kill me and informed him of my plan, "I want to sneak into the palace and find a way to speak to Ivan's parents."
Tyrus looked at me with no expression.
"What?" I asked.
Tyrus continued to look at me as if he didn't comprehend anything I had said.
"What!" I demanded.
Tyrus walked up to me and placed both hands on my shoulders, "Did you hear nothing I just said? If the King or Queen sees you they are going to call for guards to put you down, do you understand that?"
I removed Tyrus' hands away off my shoulders, "That's why we have Ivan." I said pointing towards Ivan, "If we get caught before we get there we will have Ivan reveal himself. If the parents aren't happy with me we will have Ivan explain to them the situation."
Tyrus paced the room with his hands covering his mouth, he kept looking at me and then at everyone else expecting something to be said.
"What do you suggest then?" Ivan asked.
Tyrus smiled, "I think we, as in my men and I, deliver the prince to his home, afterwards the prince talks his game up and eventually reports back to us on all the details of what's going on."
Felicity, Seviah, and Ivan began nodding their heads.
"That's not a bad idea." Seviah supported, "That way we aren't put into danger and they know we aren't being aggressive, more of a simple mistake."
"Exactly" Tyrus added.
I rolled my eyes, "Fine, it does seem more simplistic, but I did want to be there when I heard the information admitted out loud."
"But this way we aren't hurt, and you aren't killed." Felicity said.
"But Seviah's father said that Ivan's family is the one who ordered the attack on my colony, I want to be there to ask if that's true."
"You'd be risking your life." Tyrus informed.
"I've been doing that the whole time" I reminded Tyrus, "Nothing a little fate can't help."
There was a brief moment of silence before Felicity spoke up.
"Well, if you're going then so am I!"
I look stunned, "Why?"
"Because we are sisters!" Felicity said grabbing my hand.
"Woah! If she is going then so am I." Seviah added, "I like his idea better, but if this Is where this is going then I'm certainly going to be a part of it."
"What's going on?" Dax said from the back room, "Why does everyone sound so excited?"
A moment later Dax had walked out into the main room and we quickly caught him up on what was happening.
"I agree that Tyrus has a better plan but if this is what we really want to do than I am for it."
Tyrus looked at all of us with disappointment, "This is a dangerous plan, especially considering all of you could die."
He looked at us hoping we'd change the plan.
We didn't.
"Fine, we are sneaking into the palace, again." Tyrus said with annoyance.
"No one else is going to die." I stated to the group, "Not while I'm still alive."
"Not completely comforting." Felicity let me know, "But I like the sentiment."
"Okay, let's go over the details, everyone to the table." Tyrus instructed.
And without another moment to waste we began planning.