The first days without Lashell I have been thinking a lot. About me being a Mind Sister, about Lashell who is flirting with death, and about Rye. Rye the most. Maybe he was right. Indeed something was keeping me away from him. Only I still have to figure out myself what it is.

My mind got interrupted by Clary.

'Maysley, we have a problem.' She says. I turn around and I look at her. 'What is it?' I ask. Clary pulls me up and we walk to the farmer's house.

Rye is standing in the middle of the room, head in his hands. Clary locks the door and I am clearly confused. 'What is going on?' I ask. 'They've planned an attack on us, again.' Rye says and slams a fist on the table. 'Wow, wow. Easy, mister redhead.' Clary says. But Rye throws a glass off the table. 'They promised to leave us alone. And they broke that promise.' He says. I walk over to him. 'Rye, stay calm. Please.' I say calm. Rye looks at me and then turns around. 'Don't tell me what to do.' He says and walks to his room. I look at Clary who first looks at Rye walking away, and then at me. 'Should I talk to him?' Clary asks. But I shake my head. 'No, leave it to me.' I say, and walk to Rye's room.

I knock. 'Go away.' He says. But I open the door. 'I said go away.' He says when he sees me. 'Come on, Rye. I know you hate getting followed by those bastards. But so do I. And yes, we will find a way out.' I say. He sighs. 'But this time we don't have Lashell at our side. And in fact, I already knew something was up with her. Like, she wasn't a normal Mind Sister like you.' He says, and he turns his head at the wall. 'You knew it...? All the time?!' I ask. He nods. 'How couldn't you tell me?' I ask. 'Didn't you already know?' He says. 'That is why I said that it was something about me. It is about me. Right? You knew I'd hide it for you.' He says. I look at the floor. 'Actually it was about Lashell. But... I never knew this.' I say and go with my hand through my hair. 'It's true. Actually that is why I came back. To help you.' He says. 'But now, they are attacking us with more.' 'How do you know this all?' I ask. 'Before I came back, I broke in at Sheila's building. I think that is where Lashell is.' He says and stands up from his bed. 'Wow. I didn't know you did all of this for me.' He says. 'It's actually pretty simple. Now I know when they will attack. So that is why I let Clary let you get inside. It would happen any moment.' He says. I have listened with mouth open. 'With how many are they?' I ask. He looks at me with big eyes. 'Too many to keep these doors shut.' He says. And after that, we hear a loud scream from the living room. It's Clary.

We both run out of Rye's room and look what it is. Bullet holes are shot in the door, and Clary sits behind the table, pointing the gun at the door. As fast as we could, Rye and me sit next to her. 'They are about to break in!' Clary panics. 'Told you.' Rye says to me. He points his gun at the door also, and I grab my bow and arrows. I was never good with a gun, so I learned with bow and arrow. With our breath taken, we watch the door. And there it goes, the big bang.

'Freeze!' One of them says, but we shoot and they all fall. We want to run out, but more soldiers run inside. 'To the backdoor!' I yell. I run to the backdoor, Rye and Clary follow me. Luckily this one isn't trapped with the soldiers, and we run outside; to the woods.

I can't breathe because of all the running, but I won't stop. Those soldiers are following us, and they just can't shoot us. They just can't. Not without any reason. When we reach a bush, we hide behind it. The soldiers are looking around, but don't see us. I sigh out of relief, quiet, and stroke with my hand over my hair. Then, something moves next to me. Or someone. I look up. Clary is climbing into the nearest tree. 'Clary, are you out of your mind?!' I whisper, but she won't listen. 'Clary, get back here!' Rye whispers. But then Clary does something unexpected.

'Goodbye, losers.' She yells and shoots. The soldiers are too late to turn around and they all fall on the ground. Rye and I get up behind the bush and look at Clary in the tree. 'Are you crazy?' I ask. She grins and climbs out of the tree. 'What? Someone had to shoot them. Or did you think they might kill themselves?' She jumps on the ground and walks forward. Rye and I look at each other for a second, but then we follow her. We didn't know Clary would do something like that.

'Where are we going?' Rye asks. 'To town. I don't trust this thing Lashell went to.' I say. I push away some branches. 'Me neither.' Clary says while she cuts more branches with her knife. 'Okay, but don't think you can save her. I have seen how they treat Mind Sisters and Brothers there. It's like abuse.' He says. I look at him. 'If you have seen them, why didn't you rescue them?' I ask. 'Already told you, I didn't have that much time.' Rye says while also cutting branches with his knife. 'But you could at least save one. Tell me. Why didn't you?' I ask, like a mother who asks her son if he had stolen some candy. 'Because... I wanted to see you again.' He says. 'But... Why would you let those people rot... for me?' I ask. He sighs. 'Be happy I am with you now, Mays.' He says. I say nothing, but I am thinking about what he said. He wants to be with me. More than saving some lost Mind Sisters and Brothers. He still does love me. I let go a little smile, but then Clary says my name. 'Maysley, are you going to stand there, or are you coming with us?' She yells. I got shaked out of my thoughts and follow Clary and Rye.

In town we hide behind a little wall. Clary and Rye load their guns and I grab an arrow and get in position. I nod at Clary and Rye, and they nod back. Then we run into the street, where an whole army of soldiers is standing, watching the streets. We shoot them, but the street is so big, that there is almost no hiding spot. We run to the building at the other side of the street, then I spot a trash container. 'Over there!' I whisper. We run to it, but I hear Clary yell. I want to look around, but I am kind of the target, so I just decide to look at the trash container. When Rye and I arrive at the trash container, and sit down, Clary runs to us with her hand on her arm. I look at her wound when she lets go of her arm. 'Clary, are you alright?!' I ask. She shakes her head. I get mad. They can't shoot us for no reason. I get up. 'Take care of her, Rye.' I say and stand up. I know I shouldn't do this, but they shot Clary. And I won't even forgive them for that. I grab a grenade that we took from one of the soldiers in the woods, and activate it. I throw it in the middle of the streets, where the soldiers are standing. Then, I run back to the trash container. 'What did you do?!' Rye asks. 'Cover your ears.' I say, and so we do. The grenade explodes.

I had closed my eyes but when I open them I see Rye still with his ears covered and Clary lying on the floor, still holding her wound. 'Clary, are you alright?' I ask. She nods, and I sigh out of relief. I look at Rye. 'Good?' I ask. He nods. I nod too, then we stand up. I look at the street. Filled with dead bodies. In the beginning, it looked horrible and it made me think of my parent's death. But now, it just feels really normal. Not that I don't care about my parent's death, but it just makes me feel like my way to freedom. 'Let's go.' I say.