"I'm fine," Iris insisted at midday when Char called for a stop. "I just tripped, that's all."

"You're tired and you're stumbling," Char corrected her. "We've made good progress. We can afford to stop and rest."

Rath frowned. "Except we're too exposed," he muttered, scanning their surroundings. "There. That shed looks abandoned. Let's go."

They hadn't met anybody on the road throughout the morning, and there was nobody in sight now as Rath opened the decaying wooden door, barely hanging onto its rusted hinges. The musty smell of disuse greeted them from the darkened interior, lit by occasional streaks and spots of sunlight peeking through the rotting walls. A few rusted tools cluttered one corner; rodent droppings littered the floor. Char wrinkled his nose in disgust and slung his pack off his shoulder, rummaging around for a blanket.

"How much longer do you think?" Iris asked tentatively. Rath didn't seem very approachable, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he peered out the window's grimy panes of broken glass.

"If we can keep this pace up, we'll make it by nightfall," he replied.

"Here," Char said, taking Iris' hand and tugging her down to sit on the blanket beside him. "We can only afford an hour, two at the most. Get some rest."

"I couldn't sleep right now," she replied.

The fairy emerged from the pack in front of them to drop a biscuit in her hand. It zipped back and forth, distributing food to everybody before settling on Iris' knee and looking up at her expectantly.

"Thanks," she said, forcing a smile and nibbling at the biscuit. She didn't have an appetite, but she could sense the fairy's concern, and she wanted to try to reassure it that she was okay. Not that she was okay. That brief encounter with Micah had really shaken her, and she was struggling to appear externally calm while she was panicking on the inside.

"We're not going to let him get you, Iris," Char said, draping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his embrace, wishing the security she felt with him was real.

"You can't promise that," she said quietly.

"Sure he can," Rath interjected. "We always keep our word, too. I just wish I could have jumped up and throttled that jerk."

"How did you know he was coming?" Char asked. "I didn't feel anything."

"He hides his signature most of the time," she replied. "I think I can feel it because of our connection."

"But he couldn't find you. Interesting," Rath mused.

"You made us invisible, didn't you?" Char continued. "Like in the cave."

She nodded. "Although I didn't do it consciously then."

She couldn't finish the biscuit, and she couldn't even look at the dried meat. The fairy took them back from her after a few minutes of them sitting untouched in her hand. She couldn't muster a second smile.

"You held it together pretty well back there," Rath commented.

"Moving breaks the spell," she explained. Her responses were flat and despondent, even to her ears. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly, burying her face in her skirt. Char's fingers threaded through her hair, trying to comfort her.

"This is almost over, Iris," he murmured reassuringly.

"You can talk and dream about the future," she said, her voice muffled by her skirt. "But I can't. I can't see anything past getting the amulet to the crystal. There's nothing for me after that."

"Then I'll dream for both of us."

He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on top of her head. She closed her eyes and let his warmth engulf her. Even if this wasn't real safety, it felt nice. In less than an hour, they would be back on the road, back on the run. Getting into the capital city wouldn't be a problem. Getting into the castle, though...

Iris. Focus on the crystal. That is the key.

She took a deep breath, in and out. Focus on the crystal.

"Time to go," Rath said suddenly.

Her head came up. Char was already climbing to his feet, pulling her along with him, and Rath was halfway out the door. The fairy flitted to the edge of the blanket.

"Leave that," Char said sharply, grabbing the pack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"I don't see anything," Iris said, glancing down the road the way they came as she stepped out into the bright sunshine.

"The army's on the move," Rath replied, walking briskly back to the road. Iris had to jog to keep up with him and Char. "I can just make out the dust cloud. Micah's pushing them hard."

"Are you sure he doesn't know about the crystal?" Char asked.

She grabbed the amulet with her free hand and tucked it down the front of her dress. "I don't know," she admitted breathlessly. She didn't think he knew about her finding his tent last night, but she was wrong about that. Maybe he did know about the crystal. She didn't know.

Focus on the crystal, Iris.

They raced through the afternoon, silent except for the pounding of their feet on the packed dirt. Iris didn't dare look back. Char and Rath did occasionally, their frowns deepening every time they did. But the city gates came into view as the shadows of the day lengthened. Iris' heart leaped in her chest - until she saw the line of people waiting to get in. Rath cursed under his breath.

"What's going on?" Iris asked.

"The guards are questioning everybody before they let them pass," Char replied. "We'll never get in before the army arrives."

"Hold on." Iris pulled the amulet out of her dress and held it in her right hand. She took a deep breath, in and out, closing her eyes on the exhale and tightening her fingers around the amulet.  Snapping and crackling tugged at her from behind, but she resisted its pull and went forward, hovering about the gates. The line was moving slowly. Too slowly. She flew along the walls, searching for another way.

There.

She darted back to her body and overshot it, drawn like a magnet toward Micah's pull. His frigid blue eyes flashed through her mind, and she felt herself panicking, but the whispers yanked her back into her body. She opened her eyes and dropped the amulet down her dress. "This way," she gasped, her heart pounding in her ears. Char and Rath exchanged a glance and followed her off the road, heading north.

There you are.

She broke into a sprint, racing the tendrils of blue magic she couldn't see, but she could feel reaching out for her. The amulet banged into her chest as she ran.

Focus on the crystal.

She fought the blinding terror, keeping her eyes wide open and fixed on the city wall. There was a side entrance along the northern wall used by farmers bringing their livestock to the market. It had no line, and the guards were away from their post when she found it. If she could reach it before they returned, she could get in, and she would be that much closer to the crystal. Her heart was pounding. The ground was pounding behind her - beside her. Char and Rath were catching up.

"I see it," Char said breathlessly, pulling ahead to reach the side entrance first, just as the first guard sauntered back to his post. He looked up in surprise at the group running toward him, but Char launched himself at him and struck him to the ground before the guard could respond.

"Hey-" was all the second guard got out as he emerged through the gate before Char kicked him in the gut and knocked the wind out of him. The guard doubled over, and Char followed through with a heavy hit to the back of his head, dropping him to the ground. Rath passed Iris to reach the first guard. She stopped at the entrance, panting for breath, as Char and Rath dragged the guards off to the side and searched them.

"What are you doing?" she gasped. She couldn't feel the snapping and crackling anymore, just a burning stitch in her side, but she glanced back uneasily. The sun was just dipping below the horizon. Micah knew she was here. They had to keep moving.

"The keys to the city!" Rath said triumphantly, holding a ring of brass keys up in the air. "Or the castle, hopefully. Too bad their armor won't fit us."

"Hidden knife. Could be useful," Char muttered, unstrapping a knife from the first guard's calf and pulling up his pant leg to strap it around his own. "Let's go."

Rath took the lead again, holding the wrought-iron gate open for Char and Iris to step onto the cobblestone street. He closed the gate and locked it behind them.

"Welcome to the capital," he said happily. "Now, to disappear."

"Micah's on to you, isn't he?" Char asked Iris.

She nodded and scanned the area. Stables and pens that should have been full of livestock stood empty, and there were no signs of people.

"It's too quiet," Char muttered.

"Sure is. Where are all the people? We should have passed somebody on the road," Rath agreed.

"They're scared," Iris said quietly.

"Kind of hard to get lost in the crowd when there isn't a crowd, but we'll manage," Rath said. "Come on."