My mind slowly begins to process what is happening.

"Auden..." I gasp aloud, horrified at the thought of him being killed to get to me.

"Don't worry, your maid and knights are safe." Jarrett replies. "Just asleep. Elvsberry syrup. My father and I are immune to it's effects as we grew up eating the berries all of our lives. But slipped into wine, it can easily make anyone or anything fall into a deep sleep." He continues walking past the gates and into the forest.

"I...I don't understand." I try to find my voice.

"You are very much sought after, I'm sure you understand that, Princess." His tone grows cold as he glares down at me briefly. "My mother has a horrible sickness. No herbs or medicine can touch it. We've prayed to Goddess Iena for months and have been ignored. She needs magic."

"I'm so sorry," I tell him earnestly. "But I haven't been able to use my gift. I don't know how to use it or if I even have it at all."

"I know. I've heard."

"Then where are you taking me? There are no temples for miles." My confusion continues to grow.

"I'm not taking you in hopes of speaking to Goddess Iena. I don't have time to waste." He takes me deeper into the forest, and I quickly notice a Vorpheus statue up ahead. My heartbeat quickens rapidly.

"No, Jarrett please! I beg you!" My voice rises.

"I told you to stay quiet!" He hisses, placing me on the ground in front of him. "Don't make me tell you again."

As he walks toward the statue, I fiddle with the restraints tying my hands behind my back. Maybe I can work my way out of them, untie my legs, and make a run for it. I have no idea what Jarrett plans to do, but there's no way it's good. He drops to his knees, pulling out a knife that gleams in the moonlight. A shiver runs down my spine. Raising the blade, he slices the palm of his hand, letting the blood fall. I can hear him muttering what I can only assume to be some type of prayer. Or summoning. Dark purple smoke begins to rise.

Suddenly, a bright flash of orage illuminates Jarrett and the statue. A flame erupts past me so fast I barely feel its heat. Jarrett leaps out of the way, the smoke of the Dark Ones dissolving.

"You!" He yells, and my eyes turn to see Rylan on horseback. He hops off without a word and runs toward me. With a quick few swipes of his sword, my hands and feet are free. When Jarrett attempts to move toward us, Rylan shoots another fireball his way. I immediately go toward the horse with Rylan by my side. He helps me up, and the second he gets on the horse's back we take off.

"What about Auden and Myra?" I ask when I notice we aren't going back to Wolveshire Castle.

"Auden has her, he was waking up as I left. We'll meet up with them." He says, but I notice a sense of uncertainty. I can only hope that's true, but the Baltaer's were supposed to be our safe-haven. Now, we have nowhere to go. Where do we stop? Where would we know to meet that wasn't overtaken by Dark Ones?

The answer to that question appears just as the sun begins to rise. A temple for the Goddess Iena. A landmark that we all can find and a place that offers temporary safety for the time being.

"This is the Northern Temple. Auden should be here soon." Rylan tells me, getting off the horse and helping me down. "You must be freezing, your grace." My adrenaline had been so high I barely noticed that the temperature had gotten even colder. Snow blankets the ground around me, reminding me I am still in nothing but a dressing gown and slippers that Jarrett must have put on me. Rylan pulls out an evergreen knight's cloak and drapes it over me.

"Yes, thank you, sir knight." I reply, my teeth chattering.

"As soon as Auden gets here, we will go to the nearest town and get you some clothes." Rylan promises. I stand by the horse for warmth as he scans the forest around us.

"Thank you for rescuing me." I tell him.

"No need for thanks. I did only but my duty, your grace." He says.

"I know, I know. Still appreciated." I assure him. "Luckily the syrup didn't affect you as much."

"I don't drink." Rylan tells me. "When I went to change shift, I saw Auden asleep and realized you were gone. What's lucky is I managed to see Jarrett walking into the forest with you through a window in the hall."

The sound of a horse running through the woods grabs our attention, and Rylan readies his sword. To our relief, it's Auden and Myra, looking just as overwhelmed and distraught as I feel.

"Thank Goddess you're alright!" Myra exclaims, jumping off the horse and throwing her arms around me.

"I'm glad you're safe too." I tell her, hugging her back.

"I'm sorry I failed you, your grace," Auden speaks up, getting down on one knee and lowering his gaze. His jaw is clenched tight while his eyes appear hardened.

"I forgive you, sir knight. This was not your fault." I motion for him to stand, which he does.

"It was. I should have known better. I shouldn't have drank the wine. It's my duty to protect you!" He looks over at Rylan for a moment, his face flushing red.

"Don't blame yourself." Myra says gently, giving him a soft smile.

"She's right. You are not to blame." Rhylan assures.

"Easy for you to say." Auden bites back. "You have your handy magical gift, unlike the rest of us."

"I didn't choose it-" Rylan starts, but his blossoming anger is proof that the same argument is about to happen again.

"Alright, enough!" I command, silencing both of them. "We need to move on. I am absolutely freezing."

That seems to snap everyone back to the mission at hand. Rylan gets me back up on his horse and we set off again. The journey is quiet, full of paranoid caution from us girls and simmering anger from the knights. It seems to take ages before we reach a small village around midday. Rylan immediately checks us into a small inn while Auden accompanies Myra to get me some clothes.

Once inside, feeling starts to return to my hands and feet as I am out of the wind and away from the snow. Rylan builds a small pile of wood in the fireplace and uses his magic to light it on fire.

"Seems a bit dangerous." I joke, my teeth chattering.

"You need the heat." He insists, ushering me toward the flames. I soak in the warmth, allowing my eyes to close and my body to slowly relax.

"Thank you," I find myself unable to stop the smile on my face. Back home in Dragonsbane Palace, winter was milder and I never dealt with it much regardless. My father almost always kept me tucked away. But a nice, roaring fire reminded me of home. Of my mother's birthday and the feast that would come in order to celebrate it.

"We got you some clothes, your grace," Myra announces, snapping me back to the present moment. She hands me a much warmer dress and coat, which I thank her for as I quickly shoo everyone out so I can put them on. The cloak itself is a dark tan color, much less obvious than the green knight's cloak from Dragonsbane. I've never had to wear such a limp fitting dress with a fabric that scratches against my skin, but I relish the extra warmth it brings.

Rylan is the only one who re-enters the room. He begins tearing up the knight's cloak and tossing the pieces into the fireplace, donning a new dark brown cloak of his own.

"Myra and Auden will take the next room." He tells me as he watches the fire.

"Oh, alright," I nod, realizing that this room is indeed a bit small for four people. In fact, there is only one bed.

"I'll sleep on the floor, of course," Rylan says as if reading my mind.

"Would you like one of the pillows?" I ask awkwardly, feeling some guilt rise up about how much he and the others have had to give up to protect me. If I could give back even a small bit of comfort it would be the least I could do for them.

"Sure." He replies, taking to cleaning his sword.

"Any idea where we'll be off to tomorrow?" I slip under the covers after placing both of the pillows by the door.

"Auden knows someone not far from here. We should be safe for a little while."

"I should have prayed at the temple. To see if Goddess Iena would speak to me. I didn't even think of it, I was so cold." I voice the thoughts racing in my head.

"There will be other temples, your grace," Rylan replies. He glances up at me briefly, his expression worried. I don't know if it's my distress or my inability to use my magic that warrants that look, but I feel tears sting my eyes.

"Goodnight, sir knight," I shut my eyes so he can't see and do my best to fall asleep. It's harder than usual with a knight in the room who is awake, but my exhaustion is still there and eventually takes over.