Alina leaped over a rock, drawing her sword from her pocket. With one sweep of her wrist, she sliced the Dogonor's leathery skin. The Dogonor roared, breathing a cloud of fire. Alina raised her shield just in time to protect herself from its wrath, then slid nimbly behind the sandstone rock where Jason hid.

"Are you hurt?" he questioned eagerly. His eyes searched for any sign that the Dogonor had wounded her. Alina's gaze dropped to a large gash on her arm. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled away.

"I.... uh.... don't want it to get infected," Alina quavered, trying to keep her voice even.

"You are completely surrounded, Alina," the Queen's voice rang out. "This can either be easy, or difficult. I can go either way. If you tell us where you hid the King now, then you can go free. I'll even make you a Princess again - next in line for the throne."

Jason lifted her chin, looking deep into her eyes. "What happened, Alina?" he asked, his voice heavy with sorrow.

"I - I was supposed to poison the King," Alina stuttered. "But, I didn't give him the poisoned cake that the Queen wanted me to." Alina pulled a cloth out from under her blood-stained cloak, and showed him the bright, red cake. "I told him of her plot to kill him and take the throne for herself, and hid him."

"Why don't you just lie to her?" Jason suggested.

"The Queen will know," Alina told him. "She reads minds, remember? All she has to do is look into my eyes, and she'll know his location."

Jason peered through a hole in the sandstone. "She's getting closer."

Alina felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. She could either tell, or die.

"Come on, Alina," the Queen declared. "I'll give you two minutes, before I come over there, find out the King's location, and kill you both."

Alina had to think fast. She closed her eyes tight. Then, an idea came to her.

"I have a plan," she whispered to Jason. "When I give the signal, you run along that path over there. Stay as low to the ground as possible. It should lead you to the other side of the canyon."

Jason nodded. Alina waited for the Queen to turn around.

"Now!" she whisper-yelled. 

Jason ran along the route, as she directed. In a few minutes, he had made it to the other side. He ducked behind the boulders to avoid being seen.

"Alina, we did it!" he cheered. But.... Alina wasn't there.

Desperate, he peered over the side of the canyon. He gasped in horror, for there lay Alina. She had run the other way, and now lay on the rocks below. The Queen let out a scream, as she realized what had happened.

Jason took one last look at Alina. But to his surprise, she opened her eyes and smiled for a brief moment, before feigning dead again.