My back is unbelievably sore when I wake up. Sleeping on splintered wood will do that to you, I suppose. I could've slept somewhere more comfortable, but I didn't want to leave Orion's side last night—I still don't.

But I know that I'll have to leave him alone again soon enough. I have to meet Cyrus today and find a way to rescue Maddox, even if he doesn't deserve it. 

Or maybe I'll go back to the dimension and coerce Maddox into teaching me healing magic so that I can save Orion. After that, I'll abandon him by choice this time and tell his people he was killed by a monster in the other dimension. It's not like any of them will ever know that I'm lying. Humans don't have magic, so they can't travel to the second dimension without a Moonborn.

I can make up any story I want.

I wince when my spine cracks unexpectedly. Okay, sleeping on the floor of the tree house was a horrible idea. I glance over at my brother who is still sound asleep on his makeshift cot with envy. 

After allowing my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the morning light, I sit up slowly and reach out to grab my feet for a good stretch. The ache in my lower back subsides substantially as I lean forward. 

I relax into a crisscross sitting position, letting out a deep breath that quickly turns into a yawn. 

Sleeping on the floor was less than comfortable, but I know I wouldn't have slept very well otherwise either. There are too many thoughts bouncing around in my head. The biggest worry on my mind is Orion, of course, but I'm also worried about Atlas and Juniper.

Follow the rocks. Atlas wanted Dolion to tell me this. I should be looking for my big brother and my sister, but instead, I'm about to throw myself back into the frying pan for Maddox.

But It's not for Maddox. Not really. It's for Orion.

A new concern makes me groan internally. I didn't think about the details of finding Maddox until now. The only way to get back to the second dimension is to ask a Moonborn to do magic. This means I'll have to babysit someone while searching for Maddox, and the rocks Atlas left for me to follow will be blown away by the storm we leave behind when the Moonborn uses their magic.

Maybe I should follow the rocks first, then go to Cyrus's camp. I want Atlas to know that I'm okay at least.

And then there's Dolion. He still doesn't want me to look for Maddox or talk to Cyrus. He gave up trying to talk me out of it last night, but I know he'll be back on my case today. He thinks Maddox will kill me like he killed Leo, but I'm not afraid. I can defend myself just fine. 

Whatever I'm going to do, I'd better get started. The sky is light blue outside of the tree house, but it won't be long until the sun fully rises.

Cyrus doesn't strike me as a patient guy, so I don't want to see what will happen if I'm not at the mortals' camp sooner rather than later.

I stand up but peer down at Orion one last time. His breathing is as shallow as it was yesterday and his forehead is slick with sweat. Everyone on the island is sweating in this weather, of course, but Orion is running a fever. I realized it when I pressed my hand to his forehead last night before I went to sleep beside him. 

He's getting worse, and my heart is riddled with anxiety. I haven't even gotten the chance to talk to him after everything that happened yesterday. I used magic right before him during the day and paid no consequences to the island for it. I know he'll want an explanation when we talk again, and that's okay. I can tell him that I'm a Starborn with full trust. 

But for now, I need to get moving. Orion needs my help, and I can't give it to him from here. Not yet. Not until I learn the spell that will heal him.

Once I reach the bottom of the ladder outside of the tree house, I whirl around and come face to face with a fair-skinned stranger. I didn't expect to see anyone else awake so early. I take a quick and cautious step backward as I size up the woman in front of me.

She can't be much older than me, but she is stunningly tall. 

Her outfit, which is nearly as jarring as her quiet approach, is predominantly black, apart from the deep blue corset lined with silver armor and gray leather straps. Her pants are black leather that no doubt attracts the sun to her, and a dark cloak is draped over her thin frame. 

The armor she's wearing suggests that she may be a warrior. Or some kind of spy.

Bold brown eyes narrow at me. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you." Her tone is soft, yet harsh somehow. 

Suspicion gnaws its way through my skull and verbalizes itself with the words, "Why were you walking this way?"

She lets out a short, almost inaudible laugh, and her smile is subtle and scornful. "Believe it or not, Ms. Van Blake, I was looking for you. And I'm curious to see how your brother is doing, I admit."

How is it that nearly all of the Moonborns know who I am, but I only recognize a handful of them? I am almost a hundred percent certain that I've never seen this girl in my town. She must live somewhere close to the Moon City with that getup, but not close enough to have ever met me. 

"Well, you found me. What do you want from my brother?"

Her thin brows raise. "Spiteful little thing, aren't you?" she sneers while peering down at me condescendingly. 

There's something about this woman that's unnerving. Maybe I'm being judgemental or paranoid, but there's something shifty about her. I don't like it. "Answer the question," I demand.

She tosses her thin waves over her shoulder as she rolls her eyes. "I told you. I want to make sure that he's okay."

"Well, he's not. His wound is infected, and unless you have medicine for that, your help is not needed here," I say in a short tone.

She raises her arm, and for a moment, I think she's planning to strike me, but instead, she offers me her hand in greeting. "I don't mean to offend you." Yes, she does. She says one thing, but her tone suggests another. "I'm Astrid Nguyen. Pleased to meet you, Lady Calypso."

I grimace. I really wish people wouldn't address me so formally in general, but especially not on this island. She must be aware of my distaste because her eyes are smiling with glee as she waits for me to respond. 

I blink in astonishment when my brain catches up to her words. Astrid? As in Maddox's Astrid? Is this the Moonborn that tried to take down a Starborn and got herself and Maddox pulled into the other dimension? The Astrid that helped rescue Orion?

If this is the Astrid, why did she choose to stay with Dolion? She's a Moonborn, yes, but I highly doubt that Maddox hasn't smuggled a few Moonborns into the mortal camp, seeing that he is one himself. He tried to do just that for me. 

Does Astrid know about what Dolion told me? Does she know that Maddox killed their only chance at escaping, and that's why she turned her back on him and took Dolion's side? Or maybe she was never on Maddox's side to begin with.

I grasp her calloused hand and give it a stiff shake. "You as well," I murmur warily. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude. I didn't sleep well and I've got a lot on my mind, but according to Orion I always sound like this anyway."

She smiles fully, but it's not in a snarky way this time. It's a gentle and warmer look she is giving me now. She's incredibly gorgeous, and I can tell now that there is kindness in her. "I've heard similar things about myself. I know how you feel, Lady Calypso."

"You don't have to call me that," I mutter as I drop my hand from hers. "Calypso is just fine."

She eyes me speculatively. "Of course," she agrees with a soft bow of her head. "Oh, and off the record, Dolion told everyone not to reveal who you are to the mortals. Nobody here will address you so formally when the humans are around. Just so you know."

This information puzzles me. Why would Dolion do that for me? Is it a part of our mutually assured destruction pact? 

"Good to know. Did he tell you all that this morning?" I ask, sounding indifferent.

Astrid shakes her head. "No, he told us not to tell anyone or to do anything that would give away the identity of the Van Blakes days before you showed up here. He said it was for Orion's protection and yours." 

Relief lifts the weight off my shoulders. Dolion must've told them to keep quiet about my family the day he protected my identity in front of Maddox. 

I don't know why he didn't disclose this to me himself, but I'm grateful that he seemingly has my back... to a certain extent. I haven't forgotten his threats or his constant trickery. He's too mercurial for me to fully trust him. 

"Also good to know," I reply, offering a small smile. "Um, you said you were looking for me, yeah?" I question.

Her eyes flicker with remembrance. "Ah, yes." She digs into the inside pocket of her hooded cape and produces a brown leather journal. She offers it to me and I reluctantly accept it. "This is far more useful to you than it is to me."

I run my hand over the worn leather that's binding the withered pages inside together. There's a sunstone crystal embedded into the cover surrounded by an embossed sun. I tuck a finger underneath the leather strings to reveal the journal's contents, but I look up when Astrid speaks again. 

"The information in there will teach you a lot about your magic. And you'll need all the help you can get if you're planning to go back to that dimension to save Maddox."

I close the journal for now and hug it to my chest. "What do you know about my magic? And about Maddox for that matter?" I press curiously.

She gives me a knowing look. "I know you're a Starborn," she whispers confidently "And I know a great deal about Maddox as well."

I look around to make sure no one is close enough to eavesdrop. 

Nobody is. We're the only ones outside. Everyone else is still sleeping. My eyes drift back up to Astrid's and I frown. "Why do you think I'm a—"

"Spare me," she cuts me off with a disdainful laugh. "I heard you and Dolion talking last night. I know the truth, Calypso. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

An empty feeling flips my stomach. "How? It was just me and Dolion out here last night." I pause for a moment, and my gaze hardens. So much for our pact. "He must've told you," I say resentfully.

"No, he didn't. I promise."

"Then how do you—"

"Little tip for future reference: the trees are almost always listening," she says with a wink. Before I can respond, she is brushing past me and making a beeline for the tree house.

I whirl around quickly. "Wait, where are you going?"

She stops walking and turns on her heel to look at me. "To check on Orion. Before Nova and you showed up, I was the one taking care of him." She reaches into her cloak and reveals hidden bandages from her pockets. "I just want to change his bandages and make sure he stays hydrated. I'll bring him some food too, so don't worry about that."

Knowing that she is the one who's kept my brother alive this whole time eases some of my doubts about her, but I plan to ask Orion about Astrid later when I return. 

I raise the leather book she gifted me above my head and wave it inquisitively. "Alright, then, but what is this book? What makes you think it'll help me with my magic?" I implore eagerly. 

She crosses her arms and bites back a smile. "You've heard of Henrik O'Helio, I'm sure?" she beckons, arching an expectant brow. O'Helio is the Sunborn ruler who took the world from the mortals and burned almost everything to the ground before my father finally overthrew him and his followers years later. I nod in response and she continues. "Well, that's his daughter's journal. She was just a mortal, so she didn't make the history books like the rest of her family, but she saw everything. She observed and studied many forms of power around her, including Sun and Moon magic—magic that you're capable of, Calypso." Her tone has become earnest now, but I'm at a loss.

"My father would personally crucify me if I so much as thought about practicing Sun magic. Besides, I don't see how a pointless journal written by a mortal will help me anyway."

She rolls her eyes. "Just read it. You'll see what I mean." Her silky brown hair is flung to the side, and she turns her back on me again. 

"Astrid, wait. One more thing," I urge, bringing her to a stop once more. She glances over her shoulder, blinking impatiently. "You said you know a great deal about Maddox, so tell me... can I trust him?"

Her expression suddenly becomes unreadable, and she's silent for a long moment before finally responding with, "You'll have doubts no matter what I say to you, Calypso. That's a question only you can answer for yourself." Before I can insist on an actual answer, she is slinking off in the direction of the tree house.

I let her go this time. She's right. I don't trust anyone enough to let their words ease my worries.

But does it really matter if I trust Maddox, or not? He's not my friend, and he'll no longer be of use to me once Orion is healed. I thought his knowledge of Autolycus Cages and my magic would be the keys to our escape, but if Dolion is to be believed, Maddox will inevitably sabotage me, not help me.

I'll have to rely on myself from here on out. I'm not putting any more eggs into Maddox's, or even Dolion's basket. And if this journal proves to be as helpful as Astrid suggests, then I should be able to find a way to free myself and my siblings from this prison in due time.

But for now, my main goal is Orion. I'll read the journal later when I have some downtime. 

After foraging for half an hour, or so, I find an adequate amount of blueberries and nuts to eat for breakfast. I'm still hungry, but it's enough to keep the hunger from making my head spin.

I quickly wander off to the nearest shoreline and take the closest thing to a bath around here after I finish eating. Once I'm as clean as I'm going to get, I throw my clothes back on and rake my fingers through my tangled, dark locks. 

The water is nice, but with the sun becoming more visible, I'm already starting to sweat again. This island is just too hot and muggy, and my dark clothes have done nothing but intensify that this entire time. 

An idea suddenly pops into my head. I wish I had other clothes to change into, but maybe I can at least make these more comfortable for the time being.

I tug my shirt off again and use all of the strength I have to rip the long sleeves away from the torso of the blouse. I throw the shirt back on and sigh in relief because my exposed arms can finally breathe. It's still unbearably hot, but I feel less constricted now that more of my skin can feel the breeze of the wind.

Rising to my feet, I tuck the journal Astrid gave me against my hip, in the waist of my pants. I tug my shirt back down over the leather book and retreat from the shoreline. 

I get a little lost when trying to make it back to the Moonborn camp. When you're inside the trees, everything looks the same. Too much green.

I don't have time to waste, so I stop trying to make sense of this maze of a forest and close my eyes. "Atmós," I say just under my breath. 

I have the intention of returning to Dolion's camp, but right before I vanish, I involuntarily envision the blue tree. When my eyes open, I find myself standing right in front of the mystical body of nature.

The sun that has now fully risen is beaming down directly onto the tree, making the sight before me all the more awe-inspiring. I wish I could bottle the beauty of this moment and take it with me. Heavy dew drops speckle the blue leaves of the tree, and a dark part of my mind sees Leo's spilled blood in place of the droplets for a fleeting moment. 

I blink the morbid visions away, but I don't move for several minutes. I can't. I'm caught in a trance. A familiar one. But it's not the tree itself that's keeping me rooted in place. It's something else. Something I can't see or touch. 

The sword. The Starborn sword that has an unwanted hold on me. Every hair on the back of my neck is standing up straight, and I know that the sword is here. But how? How do I know this? And how could it even be here? 

It's not, you idiot. 

The sword is lost at sea in the second dimension. It's gone and I need to stop thinking about it. But I can't. Instead, I wander forward until the palm of my unbandaged hand is pressed firmly against the pale bark of the tree.

I can feel the magic. The hum of it soothes my nerves, and I close my eyes instinctively. I vaguely wonder if any of this is actually happening, as it feels like I'm lost in a dream state. 

I'm pulled out of my stupor when the clang of steel catches my attention. Red and black crystals that line the hilt of the sword catch my eye, and my gaze slides down the length of the immaculate blade connected to the forest floor. I rub my eyes in disbelief, but the sword is still there when I look back up. 

Did I bring the sword here, or was it here all along, calling me to it? 

Unable to help myself, I march forward with determination to take hold of the jewel-encrusted handle and pluck it from the damp soil. 

Holding the weapon again feels concerningly euphoric. It's like I've found and reconnected with a lost and beloved pet that had been missing for years. What is wrong with me? It isn't natural to feel so strongly about an inanimate object. I should leave the sword here for my own good, but I can't and I don't.

When I return to the Moonborn camp, my hand is still clutched around the mysterious sword, and almost everyone is up and moving now that the sun has woken up. 

Stella, Nova's little sister, is staring at me in both concern and amazement. Nova isn't next to her though. Instead, she's sitting in the grass next to a boy who is likely a couple of years older than she is. 

The curly-haired boy scrambles up onto his feet as I approach and bows his head frantically. "Thank you, ma'am," he says graciously. 

I cock an eyebrow, turning to glance at Stella who is still seated on the ground, looking bored. She merely smiles when my gaze locks with hers. I turn back to the boy and ask, "For what?"

He leans up from his bow and straightens his posture, but he looks incredibly nervous. I'm surprised he isn't saluting me right now. "For saving my family, ma'am. Er, well, for saving all of us. You saved everyone yesterday, and I'm beyond grateful. You're a hero like your father, for sure," he says in a rush, blinking rapidly.

I cross my arms. "I wouldn't go that far, but I can tell you that I'm not nearly as stern as he is, so you can relax, kid. I'm not going to scold you for not kissing my boots."

His shoulders sag in relief and he exhales loudly. Is my dad really this intimidating to people? 

"Thank you, ma'am."

I purse my lips. "You don't have to speak so formally. I'm just like anybody else here."

He shakes his head, rocking back and forth on his feet. "That's not true, ma'am. You're a Van Blake, which means you're more than anybody else here. 'Sides, I always say ma'am and sir. It's the way I was raised."

Stella is on her feet now and throwing her arms around my waist. "I haven't seen you for forever, Callie," she sighs wistfully. "I missed you."

My heart drops. I haven't seen anyone in a while. I'd been keeping to myself in my grandparents' cottage for months while dreading my family's upcoming Moon Gathering. My siblings were very aware that I wanted to be alone most days, but Orion would come to visit me quite frequently anyway. 

Everyone thought I was being selfish for shooing everyone away, but Orion saw my self-isolation as anything but. I don't know if I was being selfless, but I'll always remember that Orion saw it that way.

And I'll never admit it, but I am beyond grateful that he made an effort to check up on me as much as he did. It's unspoken between us, but we both know that our minds are our worst enemies. He overthinks himself into holes as much as I do, so we're always there for each other.

Nova and Stella, on the other hand, were two people that I actively avoided at all costs. Knowing you'll be dying soon makes it hard to be around the people you care about because you know you're just going to leave them. Why make death any more painful than it already will be? Just because I'm hurting, doesn't mean everyone else should too.

"I missed you too, Stella," I mumble meekly. 

I think of Juniper when Stella pulls away from me and my heart aches. I miss my baby sister. She's with Atlas though, so that means she's safe at least. He'd burn the world and himself with it before he let anything happen to her.

"Callie." Nova is suddenly at my side, her hazel eyes wide with curiosity. "I didn't know you could do magic during the day. How do you do it? Why aren't you losing your magic like everyone else? And where did you get that sword? And how—"

"Alexander, come here and help me with breakfast, please!" The boy with the blonde curls gives me a quick wave before bounding off toward a sunburnt blonde who I assume is his mother.

I turn to Nova, clearing my throat. "It's not something I want everyone knowing. I'll tell you everything later, though, okay?"

She nods understandingly. "Of course. Sorry, I didn't mean to be so pushy." 

"No, you're fine. It's just not safe to talk right now is all," I explain quietly. Her expression is slightly confused, but she nods again anyway, and I glance up at the sun anxiously. The sky that was a dimly lit blue only an hour or so ago is now fully illuminated by the brightness of the sun. Cyrus is probably waiting for me and if I don't show up soon, he'll launch another attack on this camp, but I didn't get the chance to look for Atlas and Juniper yet. "Hey, Nova, could you do me a favor?" I ask, returning my eyes to hers.

She raises a delicately curved eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Atlas and Juniper are out in the forest somewhere, and Atlas wanted me to follow a path of stones he left behind. I want to make sure they're okay before I go, but I'm worried if I waste any more time that—"

"Cyrus will come back," she finishes my sentence with a frown.

I nod. "I just need you to tell Atlas that Orion and I are here and safe. And he'll probably want an update about what's been going on around here too. I would ask Dolion to send someone, but Atlas won't trust anybody he doesn't know."

"Juniper's here?" Stella whispers excitedly, bouncing up and down on her feet.

Nova motions for her sister to settle down, then asks, "Where are the stones?"

"They should be close to a blue tree. I don't know if you've seen it before, but—"

"I've seen it," she cuts in, looking eager. "I don't mind going, but you know you could always search for him and Juniper after you're back, right?"

I shake my head. "I don't know when I'll be back, and I don't want Atlas to worry about Orion or me while I'm gone. He doesn't know that Orion is here, and he doesn't even know that I made it back from the second dimension." A bitter voice in my head wonders if he would even care. I haven't forgotten the disappointment on his face when he found out I was a Starborn. 

She frowns while tugging at the sleeve of her brightly colored tunic. "But you're going back, aren't you? To the other dimension?"

I nod affirmatively. "I'm going to try. If that's where Maddox is, then I have to. That's another reason why I need you to find Atlas while I'm gone—I'll have to ask a Moonborn to use magic to get me back to the second dimension."

"Maybe I should just go with you. I won't be able to look for rocks to follow if you ask a Moonborn to use magic today. The storms come in almost immediately around here when someone gets pulled into that other dimension. And they're pretty violent storms too. Besides, no one else is going to want to volunteer to follow you into some weirdo hell dimension."

I shake my head. "No, not you. That other dimension is dangerous and I—"

"We'll keep each other safe, Callie. All I have to do is give up my magic to get us back right?"

I frown. "Yes, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Besides, do you want to lose your magic? There's no guarantee you'll ever get it back."

She shrugs. "Dolion says Moons can still use magic whenever they return to the other dimension. I have to believe that that means there is a way for all of us to get our magic back from that dimension one day."

Nova is always refreshingly positive. While I think her theory is wishful thinking, I don't have the heart to tell her she is being gullible. Her hopefulness is one of her many pure and admirable qualities. "If the storms are as bad as you say, then don't worry about the rocks. I'll find Atlas and Juniper another way when I get back."

"When we get back," she urges, taking an insistent step forward. "I don't want you going to that camp alone. That guy with the accent was terrifying."

I exhale impatiently. "No, I have to go alone. Cyrus said if I show up with anybody else, he'll send people back to this camp to hurt all of you."

She crosses her arms. "Well, you need a Moonborn to get back into the dimension. How else are you going to help them find their stupid leader?" I open my mouth to reply, but she suddenly starts talking again, throwing her hands out in exasperation. "You know what? Screw Cyrus. Screw all of this. We'll just grab Orion and Stella and go find Atlas." 

Stella stares up at her big sister in both worry and eagerness. When I don't respond right away, her fragile gaze turns to observe me instead.

Abandoning Dolion and his people would not only put Orion at risk, but it would also put Nova and Stella in danger. And on top of all of that, I don't think I have the heart to turn my back on Dolion's people. My father's people. My people. 

But my father isn't the reason I care about these Moonborns. I don't care about our family's legacy or my duties to the Moonborns as a Van Blake. 

I care what happens to these Moonborns because of that old married couple snuggling next to the bonfire last night. I care because Alexander and the other children in the camp are innocent and afraid and just want to go home too.

Even now, as I listen to the sound of laughter and cheerful banter surrounding me, my heart bleeds for both the strangers and the acquaintances fighting together to survive on the island. 

I'll never admit it out loud, but I'm not only doing this for Orion anymore. Not after what I saw yesterday when the mortals attacked. Not after I already let these Moonborns down once.

My eyes flicker to Nova's hazel ones. "Believe me, I would love to do just that but I can't."

She throws her hands out again, blinking at me in astonishment. "Why not? Is the mortal in that dimension really so important? If he's anything like Cyrus, I say leave him."

"He's not like—" I stop myself. I can't defend Maddox anymore. It's true, he's not like Cyrus... he's worse. At least Cyrus is upfront about his intentions. Maddox on the other hand is a manipulative liar. And I will get some answers from him after he teaches me that healing spell he does. After that, I'll leave him alone in the second dimension again. "It doesn't matter. I don't have time to explain right now, but Maddox can help Orion."

"We can help Orion just fine!"

"How?" I interject. "Nova, his wounds are infected, and I haven't been able to find any medicine around here, have you?" She shakes her head, frowning. Her eyes avert themselves from mine and I continue. "I have to go for Orion's sake, okay? And you aren't going with me. You can't leave Stella alone. Or Orion. I don't trust anybody but you to look out for my brother. And your sister will need you when the storm comes."

Her pink lips pucker into a pout, but she doesn't disagree with me. Instead, she stumbles forward to pull me into a tight hug. I return the hug after a moment, and I hear her breath shake. "I'll keep them both safe, but you're my family too, Callie. If anything bad happens to you, I don't think that I'll be able to—"

"Nothing will happen," I say reassuringly, giving her a gentle squeeze before pulling away. "I'll be back before you know it."

Doubt still lingers behind her eyes, but she chooses to be hopeful and says, "I know. I'm just being dramatic, I'm sure." She wipes a stray tear from her cheek and I suppress a sigh. She wears her heart on her sleeve like Eros. Maybe that's why they fell in love so fast. "Well, a lot of the Moonborns have already lost their magic so there aren't too many options. Who are you going to take with you?"

I shrug. "For now, I have to go alone. If I show up with anyone, Cyrus will see it as a threat. I'll explain to him and the other humans that magic from someone other than me is necessary to save Maddox. After that, I'll see if someone in this camp is willing to volunteer and go from there."

She nods but Dolion's voice drowns out whatever she is about to say.

"You saved Maddox." 

Gray eyes are zeroed in on the sword in my hand. Dolion last saw the sword in Maddox's possession. It makes sense that he'd assume Maddox has returned alongside the weapon.

"I'll let you two talk," Nova announces. I give her a small smile when her cautious stare meets my gaze. "Good luck," she adds with a  whisper as she gently squeezes the side of my arm. She scampers off with Stella in hand, leaving Dolion and me alone.

His intense eyes abandon the sword to bore into me instead. I clear my throat before finally answering his question. "No, I found the sword by the blue tree. I pulled it back here with my magic somehow, I think." He remains wordless, and I shuffle uncomfortably under his penetrating scrutiny. "Anyway, I should go. I'm already running behind."

He stares at me in disbelief. "You're seriously going to meet up with Cyrus? And you're going to look for Maddox after everything I told you last night?"

"I have to, Dolion."

"No, you don't. I told you, you don't owe that idiot anything, Calypso. Maddox will kill you and anyone else who gets in his way if you bring him back to the island."

I cross my arms defiantly. I find it hard to believe that Dolion Locke suddenly cares this much about me. It doesn't seem right. Even if I did inspire comfort in him at his Moon Gathering last year, he barely knows me. 

He's probably just worried I'll get myself killed and he won't have any hope of escaping the island again. That makes more sense. 

I don't feel like debating or arguing with anyone else, nor do I have the time, so I turn my back on him. I take a deep breath to prepare myself for a spell, but he breaks my focus by grabbing my arm. 

I pull my arm out of his grasp and he frowns. "It could be a trap. What if Maddox did come back with that sword and the mortals know this? They're probably planning to hurt you or worse. Let me send men with you, or I can go with you..."

I allow his words to blur into an incoherent, muffled droning as I envision Maddox's and Cyrus's camp in my head. I see the tiny huts that surround the large one I spent the night in my first day on the island. I picture Vivian and Ares sitting around the campfire just a few feet outside of Maddox's shelter, and I remember the parts of the grass that had been singed just outside the clearing of the camp. 

A sharp chill of magic zaps through my body once I have the mortal's camp fully displayed in my mind. My body shivers at the familiar, yet always uncomfortable sensation. I hear Dolion shout at me just as I close my eyes and whisper the magic word that will take me right to Cyrus. 

"Atmós."