"They can't see me Erin. Terrible things will happen if they do."

I pouted. "Coyote sucks at giving directions and I'm pretty sure they aren't going to even end up at the tomb. I just want to be home with Rayne and Gunther."

Alex nodded. "The tomb is within the walls of Rodorican fortress."

"That's where this ends?"

"Yes. If we hurry, I can get you there before light."

"You're not going anywhere."

We both turned to the approaching Mark on horseback. In his satchel poked out a dim ribbon dress.

Mark raised a sword and crept to Alex, "Where do you think you'll go? We all know you were the one who kidnapped our princess. You will face the death penalty for what you have done."

"Death for that?" I angrily slapped the sword from Alex and in turn it cut into my hand. I winced and grasped my hand.

Mark completely ignored me and glared down at Alex. "He has done much worse. He took you and taught you black magic."

"What?!" I stood in front of Alex and kicked the front leg of the standing horse. Immediately it reared and dashed off, but not before Mark jumped. "Alex?"

Alex showed no concern for the matter. All he had was a grin.

"You won't hurt me," Alex opened his arms. "Not like you can anyway."

Mark grimaced and grasped his left side. His hand was cloaked in blood.

"Captain, Commander, or whatever you are, have you failed to notice what you've done? Slow in the eyes, aren't you? You cut Erilye twice."

Twice?

I looked down at my hand and then felt my face. Unmistakably, there was a cut coming from my neck to my left cheek.

Mark raised his shirt and revealed his stab. "Bataeus! Arum! Oliver!"

To their names, all three and Rionar came bursting out of the barn. All of them took no step further when they saw Alex.

"Master!" Rionar immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head deeply. "Master Alex."

"Your master is a traitor!" Mark snarled. "He injured me."

"No," Alex sighed, "You stabbed yourself after slicing the princess twice."

My hand pulsed and I looked down at it. My blood started to drip. I held it to my hip and tried to hide my pain, but in my avoidance of eyes, I met Bataeus's. His solid eyes dared me to be weak.

Rionar rose and reach for my hand. I quickly contemplated resisting, but Alex's hand grasped my shoulder.

For a second, my hand's cut burned, but it mended together with the impulse of the fire.

"You think that staying here was safe for her, but you might as well have sealed her fate if it wasn't for me. Montregons are not that far away."

"You're the all powerful," Mark snarled, "why not you take them out?"

"I did," Alex growled. "There was so much more than just one army."

"How many?" Arum choked.

"Seven feet, five archers, two groups of cavalry, three mortars, and one group of magics. He's going to war."

Alex whistled and moved away from me, "me, Rionar, and Erilye are leaving. You may come too, but I don't advise it. The way you blame me...you're lucky you're not dead."

From the west, three black horses rushed in and stopped in the middle of us.

"Get on, Rionar and Erilye." Alex hopped on his horse and so did Rionar.

I met eyes with Oliver and Bataeus.

Oliver looked down and whistled himself. "Hold on! I'm coming too."

"Me as well."

Mark shut his eyes and sighed. "Kikiro! We're leaving!"

"Where you here before?" I quietly asked Alex.

Alex nodded. "Everything is happening in the same order as before."

"Are we the only ones awake?"

"Sadly no."

I guided the horse around tree and looked back at Alex. "Crystal and Marcilo aren't. They aren't. Then who is?"

"The cat."

"The cat? You mean Lya?"

"Yes."

"What happens at the end then? Do we all die?"

"Not before, but now you're here with Coyote."

"So who dies?"

Alex smiled and glanced at me. "Funny you say that."

I gave an unsettling frown and kept quiet for the rest of the journey.