I stood in the shadows of the trees while Sirella wrestled with the boy. I knew that he was the boy we had beaten before, and the girl he was with was the same girl who was with him last time. Judging by the Venidi with them, I would have guessed they were looking for revenge and it wasn't going too well.

I crept towards the girl, an arrow set in my bow. I hardly heard Isel behind me, he sneaked around despite knowing that the three knew we were there. The girl saw me coming towards her and backed up, letting her hands glow with heat. I pulled my bow string back, aiming at the girl's chest. Before I got the chance to let the arrow fly, I heard the Venidi growl and bark. I saw a grey blur heading towards me, but Isel ran out from behind me and lunged at the mano.

I got stuck staring at Isel attacking the mano, I didn't notice the girl running at me. She grabbed the arrow and the wood burst into flames. I gave her a smirk and let go of the arrow. It sailed past her, but not before grazing her arm. She let out a cry and fell to the floor, wheezing slightly. I grabbed another arrow and pointed at the girl again.

"Don't move," I ordered.

She gave me a dirty look and turned her head to the boy. He was still wrestling with Sirella, and from what I could see he was losing. I quickly looked to check on Isel, he seemed to be struggling with the beast.

I sighed and turned back to the girl. "Who are you?"

"I just want to find the Tulava." She was one step short of strangling her arm. She didn't break eye contact, and she didn't show fear.

I couldn't understand what she said. Why would she, a Sari, be looking for Ariadne, and with a Laminar nonetheless? We only broke out Ariadne to make a statement, but what could they want?

I put on a condescending smirk. "I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you."

Her gaze didn't shift, she still didn't look away when the Laminar screamed. I didn't bother looking away, I knew Sirella could handle anything that boy could throw. I heard the Venidi cry out, and I let myself relax. Options were running low for these three.

Sirella, and Isel dragged the boy and the venidi, who had turned back from a mano, over by the girl. I didn't move my bow while we debated what to do with them.

"We should just kill them. It's not worth it," Sirella said, brandishing her daggers with a blank face.

I scoffed. "Don't you want to figure out-"

"We know how they found us, they paid a veni-"

"I was going for why, but whatever you say."

She gave me a dirty look, but turned back to the prisoners.

Isel looked to both of us and sighed. "Does it matter why? We just need to get them off out trail."

"And what better way to do that, then to ask them who else is looking for us." I let a smile pull at my lips.

Sirella rolled her eyes and knelt next to the girl, pushing a knife to her throat. "Who are you?"

The girl didn't answer, so I moved my bow from her chest to the boy's. The girl's eyes followed the arrow, widened, and then she sighed. Apparently collateral damage wasn't something she was looking forward to.

"I am Vivetta the Sari."

Sirella laughed. "So, we have a Miliki, don't we?"

Isel kicked dirt up impatiently. "Who are you really?"

"Vivetta the Sari," she repeated flatly.

I aimed my bow away from the boy and to the Venidi.

"I'm not lying!" Her voice didn't show a hint of fear, only a hint of assumed power. "I'm Vivetta the Sari." She looked to the Venidi. "He is Cyrill the Venidi." She nodded towards the other boy, acting like she couldn't look at him. "And he is Faisal the Laminar."

"I still think we should kill them. They aren't going to say anything," Sirella said without looking away from Vivetta.

I heard the boy, Faisal, trying to get up. I quickly pointed my bow back at him. Isel sighed and looked as Sirella and I like we were idiots. "They may not be saying anything because were dirt to them. It might be a different story for a Venidi." He waltzed over to Cyrill and poked him with his shoe.

Sirella and I looked at each other and I saw a small smile creep on her face. "You really think he'll help us?"

"It won't hurt to ask." He grabbed the Venidi's feet and dragged him away from the others.

Vivetta looked at him with wide eyes. "What do you want from him?"

I gave her a cold look. "The same thing we want from you: answers."

She returned to her cold voice. "I can give you answers. You just need to ask."

I saw a glint of something in Sirella's eyes. "Bring him back!" she yelled to Isel.

He sighed then dragged the Venidi back. I could see him start to kick back at him, waking up and hoping to get away. Isel let him go when they were back by us and he looked around with anger in his eyes.

"What's going on?" he whispered to Vivetta through clenched teeth.

"I think were about to be interrogated," she muttered. Then she mouthed 'I'm sorry' and turned back to Sirella, who was still holding a knife to her neck. "What do you want to know?"

Isel sat on the ground and ran a finger along his hachets' blade, drawing blood. "If you are Vivetta, is your father, the king, planning to do anything to help his people?"

She gave us a pained look, like she's mulled over the question herself. "You mean the lower Libres?"

Sirella let out a stiff laugh. "Well we aren't interested in helping the Saris get a leg up."

Vivetta let her head drop. "He... He doesn't care about that. He only sees certain people as humans. He thinks that if the majority believes it then it must be right. He couldn't care less about those at the bottom."

"I'm not surprised," Sirella said.

I heard Faisal shuffling again, and turned to see him scrambling to his feet, reading himself to fight. Sirella grabbed Vivetta's hair and pulled. She held her to show the boy the knife at her throat. Isel dived to the Venidi and brought his hatchet above his head. I pulled back my bow, the arrow facing to the boy's heart.

"Faisal, sit down," Vivetta ordered, trying to be emotionless, but failing to conceal her fear.

"What are you talking about? They'll kill us," he said through gritted teeth.

Cyrill squirmed, in fear of the hatchet above his head. "We'll have a better chance of living if you listened to them."

I gave him a patent smile. "I would listen to them if I were you. You never know where an arrow could end up."

He shot me a dirty look then slowly sat on the ground.

Vivetta let out a gasp when Sirella let go of her hair. "You're looking to help the lower Libres aren't you?"

Isel rolled his eyes. "Close enough."

"Then let us help you! Fai and I have an influence over the court and the king. We could help you three."

"Us four," I breathed out, thinking of Ariadne, who was hiding in the trees. I shook my head slightly and spoke up. "Why would we trust you? As far as we know you'd sell us out without a second thought."

Vivetta dropped her head again. "Look you don't have a reason to trust us, but we will help you. We hate the treatment of the lower Libres as much as you do."

I looked to Faisal who gave a small, scarred nod.

Sirella wasn't convinced. "If you're so riotous, then why'd you come out here to kill three kids anyway." She spat out her words and ignored Isel's and I's glares at the word 'kids.'

Faisal spoke up, anger hinting his tone. "We didn't come out here to kill you or to arrest you. We came looking for Ariadne. We know you took her. We just want to make sure she's okay, or at least alive."

Sirella, Isel, and I looked at each other then at the three on the ground. Faisal was grinding his teeth, Vivetta remained emotionless, and Cyrill was rapidly moving his eyes, anxiously sniffing the air like he was still a mano.

I heard Isel gasp and he walked to me, grabbing Sirella's sleeve and yanking her close. "The Venidi may be worth the risk," he whispered.

"What?" I whispered back.

"He's a Venidi, do you think he has respect for the high Libres." He looked at our confused looks. "It's a safer bet than the Laminar or the Sari, and we need one of them to help us."

Sirella raised her brow in surprise and looked to me. "A Venidi will work better than any other Libre."

I let out a long sigh. "Well you aren't wrong..."

"Good," she said. "I'll watch the other two, you guys enlighten the Venidi."

Before either of us could object she walked over to Faisal and Vivetta, drawing her daggers and not shying away from their necks and faces. Isel shrugged then walked to Cyrill, grabbed his shirt color, hoisted him to his feet, and dragged him into the skib. I sighed then followed Isel, not quite prepared to put the plan into action.  

Real sorry I haven't been uploading in a while. I've been contemplating stopping uploading on wattpad for reasons, but I think I'm okay to update. Sorry again! Thanks for reading!