"What do you mean?"

"You need to free the rest of us." Yue nodded at the massive hole. "I think they will notice that. Luckily he took out the camera with that explosion so the wardens are probably confused at the moment- but not for long. Unless you want to be strangled by that thing as soon as Kait gets here we're out."

"What about Ermine and Gray?"

"Humans can't live outside the glass, Opal." Proga was staring off towards the encampments. "We can't take them."

"I told you already." Spark's glare didn't seem as intense this time. "Now- break these other ones. I'll get Yue's- you do Proga's." He grinned. "Or maybe I'll let you keep the crown, it suits you, Prince."

Yue looked away. "I was going to say I'm glad you're not dead but now I'm reconsidering."

Opal shook her head. "I can't break another- that was, I'm... exhausted."

"It will be easier now. You know how to do it." Proga promised.

Spark held up his other wrist. They were right. This time it was easier. After each one she broke his eyes flashed completely yellow but then settled back to brown until the last. The remaining bands lit up, shifting from black to red and back in the light from the dull copper they had been. Patterns of similarly changing markings appeared on his throat. By the fourth she didn't even need his help.

"You're strong." Proga flashed her his smile and lifted his shirt.

She hesitated. "Will this hurt you?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

She tried to be gentle as she pulled on the nails. He winced but to her confusion, didn't bleed. The gold patterns gleamed with every nail she removed. "Wow... your eyes."

Proga battered his eyelashes. "You like?"

They were golden as well, bright as the rings men in the movies bent on one knee to offer beautiful women.

"I do." She smiled.

Spark seemed to have decided he would help Yue after all. The headband now lay broken in two on the ground. Yue lifted it as though picking up a piece of rotting food and with one hand crushed it into dust. There were blue-silver markings on his hands and feet now. His hair was white, she realized, but when he moved his head it didn't move quite like hair. But like water. The beading held each cascade together. She watched the ripples change to cracks- like ice. She remembered suddenly what that was. His blue eyes were unreal.

"I'm dreaming." She whispered. "I've been crushed under rocks and the oxygen deprivation is giving me vivid dreams before I go out."

Proga poked her in the ribs. She jumped. "You seem pretty lively to me."

"Kait will have to see to you after we are out. I apologize for that. Proga, can you give her a lift?"

"If Opal doesn't mind."

Opal nodded and she felt herself lifted into the air. She looked around, surprised how far she was up compared to being on her own two feet. "Its nice up here."

Proga laughed. She could feel it through his chest.

Opal pointed. "Kait!"

The three girls were running towards them. Kait kept looking between the explosion site and everyone standing there. "Ohno oooohnono- I thought you were going to be dead-" she pointed at Opal and Spark. "But you broke the- and now your- Opal your poor leg! Oh no-" She turned to look at Gray and Ermine who had frozen after cresting the other side of the trench. Opal couldn't tell if it was the part of the trench that was still a smoldering blast area or because Proga and Yue no longer looked completely human.

"I'll come back for you guys. I swear I will. Don't- don't try and get taken back."

"Ok." Ermine's mouth hung open. "She wasn't lying, Gray."

Gray just kept her hands curled under her chin.

"We have to go." Yue was watching the side of the glass cautiously.

"Spark, I think you owe it to her?" Proga nodded towards Kait who still seemed at a loss for what to do between Opal's wound, Yue's impatient stare and the humans who had run to get her shaking where they stood. She glanced towards him.

"I... guess." Spark shrugged.

Kait smiled at him and tipped her head to one side. He hesitated then brushed her hair away and crushed the first iron earring between two fingers. Her hair streaked with silver. After he broke the second one it turned completely. Her eyes as well.

"Ahhh that feels so much better." Katie sighed. "Thank you."

Opal found herself staring, the peculiar feeling she'd experienced when she and Spark were arguing in the infirmary was back, stronger this time.

Proga and Yue also seemed momentarily struck although compared to their changes in appearance Kait's hadn't been particularly impressive. Spark's mouth was hanging open. Opal saw he had dark markings on his tongue and his teeth were much too sharp.

Opal giggled, to her surprise. Kait gave her a slightly panicked look. That seemed to break the spell for everyone except Spark who remained wide-eyed.

"You know staring like that gets creepy after a while." Proga told him. Opal giggled again and then covered her mouth. What was wrong with her?

Spark's scowl was much more intimidating now that smoke literally drifted out from between his teeth. He quickly put some distance between the two of them. Kait stared at her feet.

Yue's expression was bordering anxious now. "Everyone ready?" Yue placed one hand against the barrier and tapped the ground a few times with his foot. A web of shiny cracks began to spiral out from his palm. When it was large enough for even Proga to get through without issue he stepped back and prepared to kick.

"Wait!" Opal almost fell out of Proga's arms. "Won't this let the sickening air in? Then it will kill everyone!"

"I can make a thick covering. With this heat it won't last very long but at least it won't flood in as fast. It would take days before the air in here would get deadly, anyway. The wardens should be up here after two or three nights."

"Who cares?" Spark snapped. "It might be easier for them that way. Once they notice we've gone they'll just-" he lifted a hand in the air and then squeezed it to a fist.

"We have to help them. Before we go we need to make sure everyone gets out! Kait- you can make more of that antidote-"

"Antidote?"

"The bottle that had-"

"That wasn't antidote for the sickening air. That was just to help strengthen you to break the irons. Until you get your memory back I don't think you could without a boost. There is nothing to help them go out."

"Its... its not an antidote?"

"Opal..." Kait's eyebrows knitted. "They can't come."

"I'm not going then." Opal surprised herself. All she'd wanted was to get out. Now was her chance and she was throwing it away? For these friends she barely remembered?

"Don't be ridiculous." Yue's voice was harsh. "If you stay when they come back they'll kill you. Or worse- get you your own pair of irons and keep you as a pet. Humans aren't worth it."

"You aren't human?" Opal felt stupid as soon as the words left her mouth. Her memory was scattered but humans didn't... she glanced at Spark who was laughing.

"You think a human can do that?" he pointed to the destroyed part of the trench. His teeth were too sharp.

"No I... I? Am not human?" That was what she meant to say the first time.

"No. You're not. Now- are you coming or are we leaving you behind? I appreciate your help but I will never let them make me a prisoner again." Yue turned.

"Please Opal. Please come with us." Proga's golden eyes seemed to have faded with his worried expression.

"If they can't come through the barrier can we at least help them get on the road?"

"They'll choke if they go through the doors."

"Not if he-" she pointed at Spark. "Blows up the sensors and we take off the collars."

"No. Absolutely not. We're going."

"Yue... she has a point." Proga took a step back. "We could at least give them a chance..."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you!" Opal gave his shoulder an awkward hug, the best she could manage.

"Why are we still talking?" Spark looked around. "Yue. Break it down lets go!"

"I'm with them." Kait crossed her arms.

Opal felt like crying. "Thank you..."

Yue's expression was bordering on anger. "If you want to die, die then. I can't believe he ended being the only one with common sense."

"Yue, he destroyed the camera and yet none of the collars went off. I think they might not realized it wasn't just a malfunction. If we hurry we could-"

"We? Who's this we?" Spark frowned at Kait. "Are you saying the three of you can break one of the barrier doors?"

"We'd need you- one of you, to do it." Kait looked between them.

"No." Yue shook his head.

"Spark...?" Kait stared at him.

"I...Can't."

"But you promised-"

Yue closed his eyes and held both hands out with his palms up. "Good luck." With that he turned and kicked. The ice shattered.

Whatever Opal expected it wasn't... nothing. The break showed that the barrier was indeed bright blue and the sky on the other side was not. There was no sudden rush or noxious air or gust of terrible odors.

"Please, Proga, Kait... don't make me leave you." Spark had stepped out immediately, but Yue was hesitating.

"Don't worry. We'll see you soon." Proga's voice was too chipper as he lowered Opal back to the ground.

Yue's expression was blank as he sealed up the breech.

Opal turned back to Gray and Ermine who seemed to be over their initial shock. She was surprised neither of them had passed out or even tried running away.

Ermine took a shuffling step forward, then in two quick movements was hugging Opal.

"As sweet as this is, we need to hurry. We have over four dozen kids to convince to trust us to get them out and no good way to actually get through those doors..." Kait paused, looking at Opal's leg. "And I need to do something about that before you lose any more blood. I don't have supplies so this is going to hurt..."

Before Opal could question her she'd pulled a silver hair from her own head, then one from Opal's and twisted them together and around her fingers. Then she put her palm on the open wound.

Opal yelped and then it turned into a yell. She started to try and throw her off- it felt like she was ripping at the sides of the wound making it worse. Proga easily restrained her and let her squeeze his hand. She thought she was about to pass out when Kait stood back up, panting.

It was healed. It was an angry, shiny pink and felt stiff but it was no longer bleeding.

"Damn." Ermine put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "I didn't know demons could heal..."

Gray covered her mouth, eyes wide.

"T-thanks." Opal felt shaky all over as though she'd worked all day without food."

"Can you walk?"

"I can try..."

As they got within view of the encampment Proga pointed at Gray and Ermine. "You need to try and gather everyone, as fast as you can. Whoever you can convince. Tell them whatever you think will get them to come to the gates."

Her friends gave a nod and split off.

"I'll get them out of the trench."

"I'll go to the bunks."

"Proga," Kait huffed. "How are we getting through the gate?"

"No clue."

Opal frowned, trying to trust that he would come up with a plan. If there was really no way to get through the gate to the road, why would Kait and Proga agreed to go back? There had to be a way.