Reeca cursed as she hacked at the net's locks.

"It is no use," Xanthy said. "The locks are embedded into the ground until the Civil Guards remove them."

Reeca sheathed her sword and drew away. Behind her, June was waging war against the Civil Guards with spells too advanced for Xanthy. The sky crackled and the ground shook. Was this June's doing?

"I do not know about that," Reeca pointed her palms in Xanthy's direction and from her fingertips, wisps of blue energy curled towards the net.

Xanthy watched as Reeca narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips, and began wiggling her fingers. The varichria tugged at the air at some point and the locks popped free. Reeca pulled Xanthy from the weight of the net.

"Take the purged and go!" General Pell's voice crackled throughout the street. Xanthy lunged forward but her chest met Reeca's extended arm.

"What are you doing?" Xanthy tried pushing past but the varichria wouldn't budge. "They are getting away!"

June landed with a thump after he jumped backwards. His hands were lit up with his magic. "No use going after them," he rasped.

"Marin and Malin are there!" Xanthy screamed. Tears dropped from her eyes and into the dusty road.

"If you have not run away, we would have saved them," Reeca glared at her.

Xanthy pushed Reeca's arm down. "Do not blame this on me," she wiped at the tears flowing down her cheeks. "You have no right."

"I have and I will!" Reeca stepped forward. June edged between them. "We needed this mission to be successful but look at us now. Busted and with children purged. You should not have come out! It is all your fault!"

"Enough!" June raised his voice but the damage was already done.

Xanthy exhaled as tears turned from a few drops into a torrent. All of this was her fault. For being here. For being what she was. For...

Her gaze landed on the Civil Guard lying on the ground. She killed a man. She failed Jarvik by letting Marin and Malin be captured.

"Hey, Xanthy," June braced her shoulders. "Let us settle this back at the estate, okay?"

Xanthy nodded. Her heart was heavier than the net as she followed June and Reeca. Within a few minutes, the estate edged into view. Vikara and Jarvik were waiting at the front gate. Her stomach twisted.

Jarvik spotted Xanthy and rushed towards her. She pulled away when he tried wrapping his arms around her in an embrace.

"I lost them," Xanthy muttered. She hung her head. "The Civil Guards took them away."

Jarvik cursed. Xanthy didn't need to look at him to imagine the anger in his face. She winced as she expected Jarvik to yell at her.

"Vikara, I need to go," Jarvik rasped.

The woman sputtered. "You would not make it past the Palace."

Jarvik whirled to Vikara. Xanthy had never seen his eyes blaze like now. "I would not let my children die, Vikara," he snarled.

"Jarvik," Xanthy stepped forward.

He laid out a finger, stopping Xanthy. "Stay out of this," he sighed. "Just...stay out."

A stone dropped in Xanthy's stomach. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was. They all watched as Jarvik cursed and bolted down the street. No one moved until he had vanished in the distance.

Tears didn't stop flowing out Xanthy's eyes. Reeca's accusing words slammed into her mind over again. This is all your fault. This is all your fault.

"This is all my fault," Xanthy whispered. "I should not have gotten out."

Vikara suddenly drew a sharp breath. "Inside, now," she ordered. Xanthy knitted her eyebrows. What's going on? "Gather your belongings."

"Does that include me, too?" Nyxis said.

Everyone yelped as they whirled to a human boy with dark hair and charming smile. Was he there the whole time?

"Who are you?" Vikara narrowed her eyes then shook her head with a scoff. "Nevermind. Just go!"

Nyxis nodded his thanks and dashed into the estate with them. Xanthy was preoccupied with the action that she hadn't kept track of the baker's son. Where was his father?

They ran past the dining hall and burst into the open space leading to the businessmen's gazebo. Was the other gate through here?

"How long have you been following us?" Xanthy turned to Nyxis as they ran. Her voice came out splotchy and thick.

She expected Nyxis to comment on her state but the human simply shrugged. "I had nowhere to go," he replied as quickly as saying he didn't have eggs for breakfast.

"What about your father?" Xanthy asked. They crossed the open space. The back gate where Vikara entertained nobles and other businessmen loomed nearby.

Nyxis stuck his bottom lip out. "He did not come for me, so I assumed the other thing," he said.

The other thing. Of course.

It only made the lump in Xanthy's throat bigger. "I am sorry," she muttered.

Nyxis looked at her strangely. "For what? You did not do anything."

"Follow me," Vikara panted as she edged into view. Her right arm hung limply at her side. What happened?

Vikara led them to a shed hidden behind overgrown vines and untrimmed topiaries. There was a dagrine and a carriage inside the dark room.

"Hop in," Vikara braced the carriage's rungs. "You three are the ones who are in most danger so I have to remove you in this estate before the Civil Guards issue an inspection. Where do you want to be dropped off?"

"Help me save the Draswists," Xanthy blurted.

Everyone paused.

Nyxis knitted his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Xanthy faced Vikara and fixed her face to reflect defiance despite the turmoil in her chest. "I will fight your enemy if you help me this one time," she said. "You have the rest of your organization to contact, right? Please. Help me."

Vikara let go of the rungs and faced Xanthy. "It is a deal, then," she smiled. "Hop in."

"Where are we going?" Xanthy asked.

Vikara climbed into the carriage. "The Temple."

Xanthy moved to climb in as well when someone grabbed her arm. She looked back to June who stared at her. His mouth opened and closed. "Do not go," he cautioned.

Xanthy smiled at him. "I have to," she said softly.

"Move," Reeca ducked her head as she slipped into the carriage. "We do not have all day."

"What are you doing?" Xanthy knitted her eyebrows. "This is not your fight."

Reeca narrowed her eyes at Xanthy. "If there is a fight anywhere, then it is my fight," she hissed. "Hurry up."

Xanthy climbed after the varichria. Vikara waved her hand and outside, metal and reins floated and worked their magic of connecting the carriage to the one pulling it. The dagrine stayed still. The carriage began moving.

"Wait," June's hand braced the wood of the door. "I will come, too."

"And me," Nyxis waved his hand once. "I am hitching a ride until the Temple. After that, I will be out of your hair forever."

Vikara nodded. "Sounds good."

June and Nyxis clambered into the carriage and took a seat opposite Xanthy and Reeca. Vikara was seated on a stool between the built-in seats. Wasn't that painful?

Xanthy sighed and stared out of the single, square window. The glass muddled the view but didn't refrain from telling her that the sun had set. She folded her shaking fingers atop her dirt-stricken dress. Her boots tapped without rhythm against the creaking wooden floor.

"What did Furloth give you?" Vikara spoke over the clack of wheels against the bumpy ground. The dagrine seemed to know where it was going without anyone at the coach's place. Weird.

Reeca shoved her fingers at the chestplate of her bark armor and drew the parchment. It was now crinkled after everything that happened.

Vikara wrinkled her nose and tore the seal open. She pored over the parchment's contents. Her frown deepened as seconds passed. "Rudik's ass," she cursed.

What she read in that parchment remained a mystery for the rest of the night as the coachless carriage trudged into the Common roads. May the moons guide them in this new ordeal.

But without Crozal in the cloudy sky, who knew what luck waited for them?