"You're lying."

"I wish I were," Evander said with a shrug before stepping off of his throne. "Trust me, Shay. I wish Emory weren't the Prophet, but she is."

Shay let out a short laugh, placing her face in her hands for a second. She knew she was supposed to feel something other than relief, but she couldn't help it. It all made sense now. It made sense that she always looked to her friend for help, never knowing what to do the way she was expected to. So she was Emory's half-sister? For that, she was grateful. If one thing was the same, it was her love for Emory.

No. It wasn't the same at all. Anger rose up in her. "If you knew this whole time, why did you manhunt for me rather than her?" Why did you waste my life away?

"Everyone was used to you being the Prophet, I figured it wouldn't hurt." Evander started towards her, his hands in the air. "Shay, you can have your family's throne back, under a few conditions. The first being that you make it known that Emory is the True Prophet."

"Why me?"

"Because no one will believe anyone else. If Emory made the claim people would take it as someone--"

"I understand." Shay sighed and looked at Evander. She didn't like him, but she understood. How had he known, though? "How do you know I'm not Alaric's first daughter?"

Evander smiled. "He had just married your mother when my daughter gave birth to Emory. She wanted to tell Alaric, but Lena was just pregnant with you and I didn't want to cause an uproar. It was my job as his advisor to make sure nothing tainted his name, and my own family's name in the process."

"You're Emory's grandfather? So what ever happened to her mother?"

"I suspect you've already met her. After I took Emory away from her, I sent her away so she wouldn't try to make claims to the throne-"

"A claim Emory deserved," Shay interjected with malice.

"Nonetheless, a claim that would disgrace your father and his reign that just began. While my daughter was away, she found she had a knack for magic." As he spoke, Shay could feel her stomach flip. "One night, she slipped into the castle, and out of jealousy killed your mother," Evander spoke softly, his face solemn. He watched Shay as the realization hit her. "I walked in on her, and sent her away again. I tried to save your mother, Shay. I know that doesn't mean much, but I never asked for any of this to happen."

"Stop."

"Just know that I didn't kill your father out of anger. I was only doing it to protect my own daughter."

"Stop it!" Shay screamed, the tears welling in her eyes. She was going to be sick. She could feel the bile rising up her throat. This whole time. This entire time.

Suddenly, the doors of the throne room were pushed open behind them. Looking over, Shay's eyes landed on Ingrid, but the woman seemed preoccupied. "Shay, step back," someone said. Shay looked over and noticed Emory standing alongside Ingrid, a sword in hand. Shay didn't move and Emory warned her again. "Move!"

Shay did, and Evander smiled at the people before him. "I hope you aren't depending on her to-" A blast radiated from Ingrid's hands, and sent Evander flying back.

"Let's move," Cassius announced as he stepped out from behind the door. Emory was the only one to react, but Shay stared at Ingrid, and Ingrid at her unconscious father lying on the floor. Sighing, Cassius reached out and spun Ingrid around, which set Shay into motion. Looking at her now, Shay had no doubt in her mind that what Evander had told her was true. Ingrid looked up at her, but quickly turned away under Shay's hard gaze.

"So, what's the plan?" Shay said with her hands on her hips. Emory chuckled from where she sat in front of the fire. Briar had promised them a little bit of time for a fire, where they could warm up and rest their selves.

"You seem a bit took eager to get back there, Shay."

"Aren't you? We were so close to actually having Eden, again." Shay spoke to her friend, but Emory only shrugged.

"We just have to find Aila and the others. I don't think it's a great idea to charge in there again with two out of your three soldiers wounded," Cassius said before taking a drink from the water flask.

"So you're a soldier again?" Briar remarked from her spot on the log, eyeing the three young people carefully. She hadn't uncrossed her arms since she put up a protection spell and seemed content with sulking in the corner.

"Always have been. Now I'm just on your side. Which, might I add, is a very good bonus for you three." Cassius looked over to Ingrid, gesturing to himself and smiling all the while.

Emory let out a short laugh and Cassius looked over to her. He was about to make a snarky comment, but remembered who she was, and immediately softened. "Commander, you've lost a lot of battles to us to be claiming yourself as an addition to our team."

"You guys are good fighters. It's not everyday you go up against a witch, prophet and warrior," he thought allowed. "Besides, my skill as a Commander typically lay more in my knack for information."

"Blackmail?" Briar rose her eyebrow. "Makes sense."

Emory laughed, but grabbed the flask from Cassius. "Well, at least we have someone. Loyal or not."

"I'm loyal."

"Of course you are."

"I'll have you--"

"Oh, don't get all twisted up about it." Emory laughed and Cassius felt his heart trip over itself at the sight of her. He had thought she was beautiful before, but now she was glowing. "I've met worse on this trip."

Cassius smiled to himself and the two continued talking, Briar watching them closely. No one noticed as Shay made herself a small bed on the ground a short ways away from the fire. Emory and Cassius continued talking, and Emory found that she was enjoying herself much more than she had in a long time. Waektown felt like ages ago, and everything was so different now. Cassius was talking about how he had come to be the Commander, which really was selling the information of others. He had surpassed Linus by simply pulling a few strings. "A threat here and there," he phrased it.

"Why go through all of that trouble if you don't even want to be Commander?" Emory yawned, lowering herself down closer to the fire that Briar was slowly letting slip away as she nodded off to sleep.

Cassius shrugged his broad shoulders, watching the Holy Child as she closed her eyes and rest her head on the log behind her. "I wanted to be Evander's Advisor."

"Why?" Her words were harsh.

"I agree with his policies."

"You agree that we should cut off trade, you mean? Trading with the Unholy was the only thing that kept the money circling around her. And it was the only thing keeping them out of Eden. Why-"

"I have my own reason," Cassius said reluctantly. It felt odd to be speaking with someone so close to Rosalind, having her question him. It made him question his own words, but then he remembered, and he turned away. "I think it's time to rest. I can take the first watch."

"You do that," Emory mumbled as she drifted off to sleep. Cassius sighed and watched as the fire died out completely, the last of the embers fading from bright red to nothing.

He awoke with a start.

"I thought you said you were taking first watch!" Emory shout, throwing something at Cassius to really make sure he was processing what she was saying.

Shit, he rubbed his eyes and rose to his feet. "She's gone?"

"She's gone," Briar confirmed, a bored expression on her face. "Emory, if she was taken we would have woken up."

"You don't know that!" Emory shouted, holding her hands to her face. She had never been so far from her, wherever she was. "She..." her voice faltered and eyes watered. "We need to go find her."

Cassius and Briar watched sadly as Emory began grabbing her things. Guilt washed over Cassius, and he began to help her. Briar stopped both of them, though. "Emory, I promise you. She wasn't taken."

"Well what else could have happened?" Emory gestured to their makeshift camp. "Where would she be?"

Briar stepped forward, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. Sighing, she looked Emory in the eye and said, "I helped her pack last night."

"What..." Emory shook her head and pulled away. "Why would you do that? Where did she go?"

"She tried to leave discreetly, but I woke up. She was going back to the castle to meet with Evander. She didn't want you around when she made her decision, because she knew you would influence her." Briar tried to explain it to Emory but she was shaking her head.

"That doesn't make sense. What did Evander say to her that made her want to go back?"

Briar bit her tongue. Everything, she wanted to say. He had said everything he needed to say. Briar knew the moment they went through those doors that she knew. It was in the way she stared at them, and the way her own father had looked at her with triumph. He had won her over.

In the distance, a few horses whinnied. Everyone grew quiet, and listened for anymore noise. Emory spoke up. "That didn't come from the direction of the castle. It must be Aila. Let's go." Without hesitating, Cassius rose from his seat with his sword, wincing slightly as the motion spread to his wound. Emory may not have realized it, but Cassius could feel Rosalind pulling them all closer to the end. The end of all the running.

She knew it was time.