Light had only just begun to bleed into the dark sky when they were awoken abruptly and escorted from the camp by several armed warriors. Once outside the camp, the warriors left them with only the clothes on their backs and what little remained in their bags. Freya offered her knife to Malik so he could cut the ropes that still bound the Sylph. They continued west, their backs to the sun, trudging in silence. When Julian turned to look back at the sleeping camp, he saw the tall figure of the chieftan at the top of the hill, watching them go.
He scoffed to himself. That man was a fool. Just like his father said, no one else could see beyond themselves, and he knew it would be their doom. That was what made his father, and Elohine, so great -- they could see the big picture.
Julian looked at Rhiannon. She seemed tired. Her hair was limp, and for the first time since he had met her her shoulders were slumped. But he knew she was bold and daring; perhaps if he could just complete his mission, and prove himself to his father, he could fix all of this.
"Wait," Julian said. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned back to him, their eyes tired. "Where are we going?"
Vess blinked. "We are going to Thrael."
"But why?" Julian asked.
"Because that is the only place left that will help us," Malik said. He shifted his feet impatiently. His sharp features looked even more gaunt than usual. Freya peeked out from behind him, her face still pale and drawn.
"Maybe Thrael isn't the best place to go," Julian said. Everyone exchanged glances.
"Actually," Freya said, "I agree with Julian. I think we need to go back to the forest, and look for Fae there."
Everyone looked at her in shock. "What? No," Julian said. "I meant -- I was trying to say, we should go to Elohine."
"Elohine?" Rhiannon scoffed. She stepped towards him. "Are you mad?"
"I believe I did say that Roltandre had already reached Elohine -- did I forget?" Cerridwen fretted, her hands flying to her face nervously.
"Just because she is in Elohine doesn't mean she has gotten to my father," Julian said defensively. "My father is a wise man, and a religious one. He wouldn't fall for her tricks. With him as our ally, we can defeat any army Roltandre leads against us."
"And what makes you think your father would just accept you back?" Rhiannon said, crossing her arms.
"I would have you," he said. Rhiannon raised her eyebrows. "He was the one who sent me after you, to bring you home, to complete the union that would save your kingdom and strengthen ours. If I come home with what he wants, he will be overjoyed. I'm sure he has missed me, and if I come back from the White Forest alive, with my bride no less, I'll be a hero!" Malik laughed, and Freya elbowed him in the ribs. Julian ignored him.
"Save my kingdom -- wait. King Wilhelm sent you after me? To Khepri?" Rhiannon asked. Julian nodded. She gave him a look of . . . sympathy? "Oh, Julian. Don't you find it odd he sent you after me? Alone, I'm guessing?" she said, gesturing to Malik and Freya.
"What do you mean?" Julian asked. His stomach, empty as it was, began to turn.
Rhiannon reached up and put her hand on his shoulder. "He set you up. He wanted you gone. He knew the likelihood of you returning would be slim, because, one way or another . . . well."
Julian pulled back. "Not every royal family kills each other like you savages in Khepri." Rhiannon's face darkened, and she stepped back too.
"At least they're honest about it," Jaida said, coming to Rhiannon's side. "They don't have to use twisted, backhanded methods like your people. They're upfront about who they want dead and why."
"My father loves me! He wouldn't try to kill me," Julian said. His head was spinning, and his face felt warm.
"Enough!" Vess said. "Julian, has your father lost someone close to him?"
Julian looked into her flat eyes, grief twisting its way to the forefront of his muddled mind. He thought of his mother, her long, curly hair, her warm laugh, her understanding smile. When she died, he lost the only person who he felt truly understood him. His father lost not only his love, but his queen. A king was not meant to rule alone, and Julian knew his father felt the empty space his mother left behind more than anyone.
"My mother," he said softly.
Vess nodded, seeming resigned. "Then she already has him in her clutches."
"So let's return to the forest. We can find the last of the Fae there, and they'll be powerful allies against Roltandre. They'll be more motivated than anyone," Freya said.
"Why are you so set on going back into that God-forsaken forest?" Julian snapped. Freya shrank back.
"The forest is not a guarantee," Vess said.
"And Thrael is?" Malik challenged.
"Thrael will gladly take up arms against injustice," Jaida spat. Malik scoffed and rolled his eyes. Jaida looked enraged, but before she could say anything, Cerridwen spoke.
"Stop this, all of the fighting. Please," she said. "Let me help. I can determine what we need to do."
"What? How?" Julian asked. The other humans trained their eyes on Cerridwen.
"I'm a Seer, remember?" she said with a giggle.
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"I've never done anything like this in front of Humans before. Or anyone, really," Cerridwen said, flitting around nervously. It was sundown, the best time for divining, according to Cerridwen. Vess had cleared a small circle in the grass for her, and Cerridwen had drawn a circle with strange symbols in the dirt using chalk from her pack. She took out four small, wooden bowls, and had set them up equidistant from each other along the circle; two to the east and west, two to the north and south.
"What, exactly, are you doing?" Jaida asked, eyeing the markings with her arms crossed.
"They look like occult symbols," Julian said, fear tinging his voice. "I don't like this."
"Don't worry," Malik said wryly, "I'm sure your One God will protect you." Julian glared at him and quietly began to pray.
Cerridwen had removed more strange things from her back, two bottles, a bag, and some flint. Picking up the first bottle, she poured oil in one of the bowls. She filled the bowl across from it with water, poured from the second bottle. In the third bowl, she poured dirt from the small bag. The dirt was dark and moist, unlike the reddish, powdery dust that surrounded them. Finally, she struck the flint near the bowl filled with oil until it caught fire, casting strange shadows in the dusk.
"Remember: no matter what happens, stay outside of the circle," Cerridwen said, laying down in the center of her handiwork.
"Oh don't you worry, I will," Malik said under his breath. Julian silently agreed.
"So, the question: where do we go next?" Cerridwen said.
She closed her eyes and turned her palms upward, her bracelets jingling. The light from the small fire and the setting sun flickered across her thin limbs, giving her a ghoulish look. Her brown braids fanned out around her strange face, and her lips began to move. Julian couldn't tell if he was hearing her speak in their bizarre language or if it was merely the wind whispering through the grass.
For a moment it seemed as if nothing was happening. Julian felt ridiculous, sitting around this strange creature in the fading light, waiting for something magical to appear.
Then, something shifted. The wind stilled, the crickets that had been chirping happily in the grass moments before quieted. The air felt charged, as though lightning were about to strike.
The whispering grew louder, only it sounded like many voices speaking in unison together instead of just Cerridwen. A cold wind gusted through the grass and the humans cried out, their clothes and hair whipping around them. Jubil and Vess stood still, their eyes focused on Cerridwen.
Julian met Freya's frantic gaze with his own. Even Jaida and Rhiannon, who seemed unflappable, were panicked. Rhiannon's hand flew to her lips, and Julian followed her gaze back to the circle.
Cerridwen, still prone, was rising from the ground, hovering just a hands width above the symbols she had drawn. The whispering grew to a low roar, rushing in Julian's ears. He clapped his hands over his ears and fell to his knees, praying to the One God to show him mercy.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. He quieted and looked up into Malik's brown eyes.
"Get up, princeling," Malik said, his usual sarcasm falling flat. "It's over."
Julian stood. The sun had slipped over the horizon and the bowl filled with fire had gone out, leaving them in darkness. In what little light the stars and moon provided, he could see Jaida and Rhiannon huddling together. Freya was shaking slightly, and Malik put a lanky arm around her shoulders. He heard dust shuffle and turned to see Cerridwen approaching them. Julian made the symbol for warding off evil with his hands and stayed behind his other human companions.
"I see I have frightened you," Cerridwen said, sadness echoing in her voice.
"What did you see, Cerridwen?" Vess said impatiently.
Cerridwen sighed. "Roltandre has tempted Elohine and Khepri with eternal life and power, and she has succeeded."
"Lies!" Julian said. His father was the strongest man he knew. He couldn't accept that he had fallen victim to such a creature.
"The spirits have seen it. And they are never wrong," Cerridwen said.
She sounded apologetic, but Julian didn't care. He stormed forward, only to be barred by Malik's outstretched arm.
"Remember who they are, princeling," Malik whispered. Julian stepped back, breathing heavily. Tears sprung to his eyes and burned his cheeks as they fell.
"What else?" Vess said.
Cerridwen continued reluctantly. "Thrael is our only option left. Greze will be of no help. Their religion prevents it."
"No surprise there," Freya said bitterly. Cerridwen focused on her, and Julian saw her shrink further into Malik's side.
"They did say something interesting about you," Cerridwen said, coming to Freya and placing her large hands on either side of her face.
"They did?" Freya said, her voice trembling.
"Your path diverges from ours. What you seek lies in the White Forest. You must go there before you can help us."
Julian looked at Freya suspiciously. How had she known she needed to go to the White Forest? Had she used some sort of evil Jentsi magic?
Freya nodded and her shoulders relaxed. "Yaya told me as much."
"Wait. You are not going back in there alone," Malik said, pulling away from her. "I have to go with you."
Cerridwen released Freya's face. "What she seeks is hers alone. She needs no one."
"She's injured," Malik argued. "I'm not going anywhere without her."
"Then stay on the plains and starve," Vess said. "We are losing time. We can use the stars to guide us west. Let's move."
"Malik can come with me," Freya said quickly. "I don't mind."
Cerridwen hesitated. "That is not --"
"Very well," Vess interrupted. "I trust you can find your way back. Everyone else, walk."
Her tone left little room for argument. Julian hesitantly followed the party, looking back at his companions. In that moment, he hated them for abandoning him, but he refused to return to that forest. He wished he could go home, but he knew he would never make it back on his own.
Cerridwen whispered something in Malik's ear before catching up to the Sylph at the front of the group with long, loping strides.
Julian shook his head. "I know she's lying about my father. She will pay for this."
Rhiannon looked at him. "Don't you understand what that means?"
"It means we can't trust them."
"No, Julian. It means your mother is alive," Rhiannon said.
Julian stopped in his tracks. Rhiannon stopped with him, searching his eyes for realization, understanding.
"Humans!" Jubil called. They started and caught up with the group.
He knew Rhiannon was studying him intently, but Julian avoided her gaze. He turned over the idea in his mind, the idea of seeing his mother again. Of course he had dreamed about it countless times, but he had always known that it was merely that: a dream.
He looked ahead. It seemed the Sylph made the line between dreams and reality more and more blurred. And without that line, Julian realized, none of them were safe.