"That's a big aspiration," the man raises his eyebrows, "are you sure?"

"You can either take it or leave it, those are my terms." I raise my eyebrows too while I cross my arms.

The man smiles and holds his hand out for me to shake, "I'll take it. The name is—"

I shake his hand and hold up my other to signal him to stop, "I don't care."

"Ouch," he releases my hand but holds my gaze, "you're going to need to know it so you can use it to get into certain buildings."

"I'll find another way," I break the gaze and bend down collecting my arrows and bow.

The man leans over and helps me pick them up before passing them over, "Alaric."

"Sorry?" I ask taking the arrows from his hand.

"No need to be sorry, my name is Alaric."

"Nice to meet you Alaric," my sister introduces herself happily holding her hand out.

Alaric takes her hand and kisses the top which makes her giggle. She's on full flirtation mode now that her Prince Charming has saved her— after he tried to kill her friends and sister.

"Where are they?" I ask Alaric referring to my 'non-friends' as I cross my arms. He gazes into Issy's eyes sheepishly before I noticeably cough.

"What was that?" Alaric asks still not paying attention to me.

"Where are they." I slowly ask again but he still doesn't listen.

"You can call me Ric," Alaric winks at my sister.

"Name is Isabelle, but you can call me Issy."

"Seriously?" I ask to no one in particular, "am I really being ignored?" I wait for an answer but I receive nothing. Groaning I snag Issy's wrist dragging her away, "snap out of it! And you," I point my finger to Alaric's chest, "stop flirting with my sister!"

"So that's why she is so beautiful?" Alaric smiles at me, "it runs in the family?"

My face drops from the exhaustion of his personality, "don't flirt with me either."

Alaric shrugs his shoulders and begins to walk away, "follow me to your non-friends."

I groan and look over to Issy who is biting her lip and checking him out. "I guess I know your type."

"Yeah, I like em' sexy." Issy stares at his muscles hungrily.

"Yeah, you like em' homeless and unsanitary."

《《《《《《《《》》》》》》》》

After an hour of walking we finally reach a massive city. The buildings are well maintained but are still covered in moss and vines, and the trees on the streets are larger and wider. Their canopy's cover the roads and it looks like there is a tarp of leaves above you.

I smirk at the beautiful sight and the children who laugh and squeal together, the first time I have since Roxy and Danial died. The first time since Luke left. I look around and people don't stare at us like the Bellator Clan, they keep doing their business and some give us warm smiles while others greet Alaric.

I still have my guard up and don't trust anyone here, who knows they might be like John and betray us. I fiddle with my arrows and wipe the tug on my lips off of my face as the tension in my chest tightens despite the friendly atmosphere.

Finally, we stop outside a building where two trees dramatically arch over a large wooden doorway.

Alaric turns to face us and smiles, "welcome to the Fide Clan."

Issy's eyes light up as she nods looking at the door, "Fide, that's Latin for loyalty."

Ric nods his head and opens the door to reveal a large, empty room with an plain wall but marked in the centre is an engraved quote that reads;
Loyalty above all else.
If there is loyalty there is trust
And if there is trust there is unity.

"I like that," I comment walking forward staring at the quote, my fingers running past the mountains and valleys in the stone.

"It's what our clan strives to accomplish," Alaric walks to my side, "I hope one day you can join it."

I shift uncomfortably thinking about my and Luke's plan once he possessed the throne; to unite our clans and become stronger. If I told Alaric who we were, where we are from he would toss us aside like everyone else. We're welcome nowhere.

"Where are James and Adam?" Issy asks as she strolls to my side looking at Ric.

"They should be around—"

"You should have told her right out you weren't interested. That is unless you acquire the need for the physical touch of another being," James blurts out as he rounds a corner.

"James! I don't want to have a relationship with someone, it's too much right now," Adam protests as he twists around the corner following James.

"Maybe you want offspring?" James pushes, "they'd make loyal subjects."

"They're children, not subjects which I rule over." Adam growls lowly as they approach us with food in their arms.

Alaric smiles and walks forward, "nice to meet you James and Adam, I'm Alaric." Adam scowls and James moves behind Adam using him as a shield. "What a friendly bunch," he sighs and turns to Issy and I, "at least they got your food for tomorrow." With that he turns and begins to walk further into the city.

Confused I catch up and look into his dark eyes, "how did they know to get food? Weren't they confined?"

"Nope," Ric looks around and sighs, "I knew you would say yes so I let them roam freely with a guide I provided."

"Cocky?" I arch my eyebrow while suspicion trickles into my blood.

"No," he turns to look at me, "confident."

Continuing to walk forward he finally stops at a small house which is surrounded by families in neighbouring homes— we aren't separated like we were with the Bellator Clan.

"Is this where we are staying?" Issy asks Alaric.

He nods, "yes, Jean and I have some business to talk about. I'll come visit you once you get settled in."

I nod as Issy takes a step closer to him, "I'll hold you to that."

"Issy," I press the palm of my hand to my forehead and shut my eyes, "do you have to do this?"

"Yes." She walks into the building, "if I see a beautiful man I'm going to pursue him."

Alaric smirks and looks down at me, "she thinks I'm beautiful."

The boys quickly walk into the house and I grimace at his comment, "don't let it go to your head. It's big enough." I take the bow from my shoulders and hold it as I walk into the house as well.

"You didn't deny it!" Ric calls from behind me, "I'll see you in an hour or so."

I don't bother looking back as it might encourage him. I shut the door I find myself sighing, warming up to the cozy two-room home. James has already claimed his bed in the separated bedroom due to variables he has collected. One being the lack of a draft, two, it's distance from the window and doors accompanied by the assumption that a intruder will be right handed therefore attack to his right.

I take the bed under the window and sit down on it, Adam takes the bed across from me and we hold eye contact before he breaks it and walks into the only other room in the house which has chairs and a table with multiple windows.

I lay down and close my eyes as Issy sits on the end my bed. "You're doing the right thing, Adam will eventually see that and forgive you. It's not your fault they died."

"But it is, if I hadn't traded places with Roxy none of this would have happened. You would all be safe and with the rest of the Immunis. Everyone would be okay."

"I wouldn't." Issy snaps and stands up, "I wouldn't be fine if my sister got executed and I was forced to watch. That is a world I'd rather die than live in."

"Issy," I sit up as she storms out of the room. My old self would go run after her, squeeze her and list off comforting things, but I don't. Whoever gets closest to me dies, and I can't let that happen anymore. I have to push away.