Stone walls whooshed by in a grayish black blur. The sour tang of fear saturated the air as Lioren gave chase. She remembered this kill. An assassin sent for her charge. He ran—she liked when they ran.

  It seemed as if she was watching the memory play out through her own eyes. Her body not responding to any order other than what she had given that night. She had him cornered down an alleyway. Blades were drawn. He was good. He had her pinned… But she was desperate.

  It made her sick as Lioren watched herself sacrifice her shoulder to catch the assassin off guard. Enough for her to bury her dagger into his heart. She remembered the pain as she pulled his blade free. How hot and sticky her blood was when it was pressed to her skin by her armor.

  Lioren waited for the memory to continue; she would return back to who she was protecting. But she didn’t move. She just stood there, watching the blood pool around the body.

  “Beautiful…” A voice purred behind her. Lioren’s eyes widened. Impossible, he was never there. Unless… this wasn’t a memory. Lioren kept her eyes on the corpse below her as the sound of approach echoed off the stone walls.

  Don’t look.

  Lioren closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up. One. Two. Three. A breeze blew on her face. Four. Five. Lioren opened her eyes and recoiled as she saw the same massacre she had left hidden in the hills.

  “You made that look like art, my little blade.” Footsteps came to a stop behind her. Her spine tingled with recognition. “Every movement you make… so sharp. So certain. You’re better than I ever imagined you’d be.”

  “Stop…” Her voice cracked, too small, too late.

  Cold hands gripped her shoulders before gliding down to her blood soaked hands before falling away. So gentle, almost reverent. It made her sick. She tried to jerk away, but her limbs were slow, like moving through honey-thick air.

  “I taught you well,” he said, closer now. His voice was like a winter breeze against her cheek “Do you remember the first time? You hesitated then. But look at you now.”

  Don’t look. Don’t look.

  But the dream tilted, pulled her like a tide, and her head turned of its own accord.

  He stood a step behind her. Hands clean. Mouth smiling. Her body began to shake at the sight of his eyes. What were once icy blue, were now molten gold. They bore into her as she stood paralyzed by his silk soft voice

  This was something else. Lioren almost wished for the gnashing teeth and flashes of red instead of this possessed, twisted memory.

  “You belong to chaos now,” He whispered, voice like the cracking of ice before a thaw. “And you will be glorious.”

  Loiren startled awake with a quick, deep breath. Almost as if she had overslept again. She looked around; she was lying up against a rock she had decided to take refuge against. The sky had gone pale with morning. Lioren looked down at her arms—still raised in gooseflesh where phantom hands had touched her.

  Lioren stood slowly, her breath catching on the bramble thorns that seemed to grow in her chest. Her body was stiff, not from battle, but from the tension that refused to leave her bones. She wiped her face with both hands and glanced back to the horizon. The camp remained quiet, shielded in shadow with the faint echoes of snores.

  The sun wouldn’t be up for a little while longer. She had some time.

  Lioren moved a few steps away, her bare feet gliding over the frost coated grass. Tiny crackles tickled as she found a soft patch to stand. Her arms came up over her head as she brought her center to her chest. Her arms dropped slowly and so did her center. A shift in her feet, her core migrating throughout her body. She felt the flow of tension leave her bones to become kinetic energy. Into her arms, then her hands. Back to her chest, down to her legs and finally to her feet. As the images flashed in her mind; the boy’s face, the blood, his face, she would pull the unwanted feelings into her pool of control.

  She smiled, knowing if she snapped, something would break. A branch, a bone, a neck… Her breath caught. The tension locked but she pulled it back and directed it to arm.

  Snap!

  Her hand shot forward and slammed into the rock she had slept against the night before. There was a groan as a noticeable crack spidered from where her palm rested against the rough stone. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted. She had never done that before.

  “You’re up early.”

  Lioren didn’t flinch, instead, she returned back to pulling the last bit of tension from her body. Her eyes flashed over to where Kale stood a short distance away, arms crossed, posture cautious. The slight crease in his brow told her he was unsure of how she would react.

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  “I figured you’d still be sleeping and I wanted to make sure you didn't have any late night visitors.” His voice was tight as he gave a dry chuckle and rocked from foot to foot.

  “Sorry to disappoint you.” Lioren muttered as she pulled up to one foot and twisted, the ball of her foot leaving a clean circle in the dirt. She set it down and followed the movement until she was almost sitting on the ground.

  Kale didn’t move closer. Didn’t sit. Just stood there, his jaw ticked, words caught behind his teeth.

  “You didn’t come out here just to check on my well being.” Lioren rose again, pulling on the stress in her leg and it slowly lifted her back up to standing.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then spit it out before I start making up reasons to be mad again.” She snapped her fist forward again, only just grazing the same rock as before.

  “Fine. I want you to train Mira. Teach her how to defend herself.” His voice was dry sand as he scratched at his ear.

  Lioren paused, her knuckles resting on the stone. She blinked. It wasn’t the request she thought he was going to ask. She turned her head as she pulled her arm back and let it hang at her side.

  “I think she looks up to you,” Kale continued. “And last night… showed me that we aren't as capable as I thought.” He paused and then added reluctantly, “not as capable as you.”

  Lioren stood watching him, her eyes unreadable. The sun was just peeking over the distant hills.

  “I thought you were afraid of having me near her? Or of what I might draw to her.?” Lioren snorted, surprisingly light despite the heavy topic.

  “I’m not sure of what I am more afraid of at this point. What’s after you or what’s inside of you.”

  That one stung but Lioren just pursed her lips and waited for him to continue.

  “But regardless, I want Mira to be able to help herself. So I can rest easy that she will be ok, even when I’m not there.

  Lioren nodded, but not in agreement. She reached up to pull her hair away from her face and locked her gaze with Kale’s.

  “Go get her. Tomas too.”

  Kale furrowed his brow and looked back at camp before turning back to her. “Why?”

  “Because I need to tell you all something.” Lioren said as she pulled her fingers through her hair. “And after that, you can ask me again. About training Mira.” She tied off her loose braid and fixed him with a hard stare.

  “Ask me again if you still want me near your sister.”

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------

  Tomas shifted uneasily in his bedroll. Sleep evaded him like dew in the morning sun. He rolled over again as the pale light of dawn grew steadily brighter. His head raised as he saw Jessabelle stir, then stand. She bent to give Roan a kiss on the head from where he slept against a wagon wheel. Quietly, she stepped around sleeping bodies and headed to the creek with a tin cup.

  Tomas threw off his bed roll and scrambled to his feet. His ankle twinged at the sudden movement and he winced. He limped his way over to Jessabelle and paused as she scooped some water to take a drink.

  “Hey,” he said, hesitantly. She didn't turn, just made a soft ‘hmm?’ as she watched the sunrise.

  “I… wanted to apologize.” His voice was calm, but reflected his sleepless night. Jessabelle turned, one brow raised.

  “What for?

  “For last night. For what Lioren did.” Tomas wrung his hands together, his eyes dropping.

  Jessabelle straightened up slowly, her cup of water held to her chest like it was an anchor. “You don’t get to apologize for her, Tomas.” She spoke rather sternly.

  He blinked. “I just… She was out of line.”

  Jessabelle laughed, like that was a funny joke.

  “Lioren acted exactly as any person wound tight would. Even a rope snaps when it's pulled too tight. Doesn’t mean I hold it against her.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her voice even. “I just wish I noticed it sooner. Maybe I could have helped instead of stretching the rope.” Her eyes held a thoughtful regret as she turned back to the sunrise.

  Tomas swallowed hard, eyes on the dirt. “You talk to her like it’s easy. Like she lets you in.”

  “She doesn’t, not really.” She huffed and took another sip. “It’s not that I’m special. I’m just safe. It’s easier to show weakness to someone you’re not afraid to lose.”

  Tomas took a sharp breath, but he stayed quiet for what felt like a long time.

  “She values you,” he said eventually. “More than me. More than Mira.” His tone grew heavy as he voiced the thoughts that plagued him since they set off a week ago. He sank into the frost-crisp grass, careful to not aggravate his bad leg.

  Jessabelle smiled and moved to give his shoulder a sincere pat. “No, Tomas. She just loves you too much to be vulnerable in front of you. Strength and secrets are her armor and shield. She doesn’t know how to take them off in front of people she can’t bear to lose.”

  Tomas stared at a leaf caught in the current of the stream. His heart fluttered at the thought that Lioren cares about him, maybe even loves him. “So what do I do?”

  Jessabelle shrugged and finished off her cup. “Tell me, what is easier: chasing a chicken around with food, or holding out your hand and waiting?”

  Tomas snorted and threw a pebble into the stream. “...The second one.”

  “Exactly.” Jessabelle gave him a warm smile then bent to fill her cup again. “She’ll come to you. But only if you stop trying to catch her first.”

  “Tomas!” Kale called from a short way off. Mira stood drowsily by his side as if she had just woken up. Tomas looked up as Kale motioned for him to come over. Tomas stood up awkwardly and thanked Jessabelle for hearing his thoughts. She smiled again and shook her head.

  “It was no trouble. And Tomas…” She called after him after he took as few steps away. He turned back curiously.

  “Don’t tell Lioren I compared her to a chicken, okay?” Her eyes flashed mischievously as she moved to head back to Roan. Tomas agreed with a grin and hobbled his way over to Kale.

  “What’s up?” He asked as he drew closer. Kale shrugged and turned away to head away from camp.

  “Lioren wants to talk to us.”

  Tomas blinked. Whatever warmth Jessabelle left him with… it vanished like mist under the morning sun.