For the second time that week, Sebastian found himself in the dungeons of the Eldenarian Palace.

He dragged his feet behind Imogen as they made their way towards Dorian's cell. Despite it being the middle of the day, it was as dark as ever beneath the floors of the palace. No sunlight made it down there. He shivered as the cold air crawled over his skin like a thousand tiny spiders.

He didn't know how Dorian managed to stay sane down there.

No sunlight. Barely any human interaction. It had to be torture.

Served him right. If it were up to him, he would've been thrown in Nyghtmir with the rest of his kind.

Werewolves—especially the Redfang clan—were a savage species. Most creatures of the night were heartless beasts, but the wolves were a different kind of horrible. They didn't have any regard for life outside of their own. They hunted in packs, murdering their prey in vicious and inhumane ways.

Dorian was just like them. No matter how hard Sebastian tried, he couldn't figure out why Makaela would associate herself with. He claimed to not have been hired by Thorian to protect her, so that meant she willingly allowed him around her.

He shook his head.

That girl was a bottomless cauldron of infinite questions and mystery. He wasn't sure if he would ever uncover—or understand—them all.

"Come on. Let's get this over with," he grumbled.

Part of him wished Dorian would decline the offer. But he knew they would need his help. Dorian satisfied their requirements in two ways: not only was he likely deemed expendable by Olivier's terms, but he was also a werewolf. And likely a formidable one at that. There had to be a reason why Makaela had him around her.

His jaw clenched as he thought of another explanation.

Dorian's annoying handsome face and onyx skin entered his head, goading and mocking him. A tiny voice in the back of his head told him he could never compare to the wolf. He was shorter, not as attractive. Dorian and Makaela also had more in common than he ever would with her.

He grimaced.

A low noise rumbled in the back of his throat. He forced it down and jammed his hands into his pockets. In front of him, Imogen shot him a disappointed look.

"What's your problem, Mr. Moody?"

"I just don't want to talk to him."

"What's your issue with him, anyway?" Imogen asked.

Sebastian's lips parted as he stopped walking. Was she serious? She couldn't have been. "He used to work for the Order. You know, the people trying to murder us and take over the world?"

Imogen gave him a wry smile. "So did Makaela. Or does she not count?"

"Of course she doesn't count."

"And why not?"

He stuttered, his words stumbling over themselves. Flustered, he turned away from her and glared at the stone brick floor. "She just doesn't, alright? You saw her during the battle. She's on our side now."

"You seem to be forgetting that Dorian was with her too," Imogen pointed out. "He also was with her at the portal shrine, according to him. For all we know, she never would've made it out without him."

"Allegedly." Sebastian made sure that was made known.

Imogen scoffed at him. "You're unbelievable."

Deep down, he knew Dorian wasn't working for his father and the Order. At least, not anymore. If what he had told him was to be true, then he defected from the dark magicians alongside Makaela.

Still, he couldn't be too sure.

"Let's get this over with," he grumbled.

Shrugging, Imogen trailed behind him.

The two of them finally arrived in front of Dorian's cell. He was sat in the center of the small space, his legs crossed and his hands clasped across his lap. His eyes were closed and his lips were pressed into a thin, tight line.

Sebastian screwed his face at him.

"Is he meditating?" Imogen whispered.

"Who cares?" Sebastian answered.

He stomped up to the cell and banged on one of the thick, metal bars separating the werewolf from the rest of the dungeon. One of Dorian's eyes snapped open, the red iris shining through the darkness around it.

The wolf's lip curled, showcasing his fangs.

"What do you want?"

"Cut the attitude," Sebastian snapped. "Trust me, I wouldn't be down here if I didn't have to be."

Stretching his taut muscles, Dorian rose from the ground and lazily made his way over to the end of his cell. He sized up Sebastian before directing his attention to Imogen. She simply stared at him with an unfazed expression on her face. He brought his eyes back to the magician before him.

"You got more questions to ask me or something? I already told you everything I know."

"No, I don't have more questions."

"Then...what do you need?"

He opened his mouth but he couldn't bring himself to ask the mutt for his help. Every time he thought about it, he felt bile rising in his throat. Shaking his head, he turned around.

"Forget it," he said. "I'll find someone else."

Imogen threw him a crazy glance. "What? No way. We're asking him." Without waiting for a response from her compatriot, she walked up to Dorian. "We need your help with a mission."

The werewolf tilted his head like a curious dog. A hint of excitement swam around inside his crimson eyes.

"What kind of mission?"

"We need more people to help us fight the Order," she explained. "The magicians we have here aren't enough. If we want to win this war, we're going to have to convince the Arkangels to help us."

He stiffened. "Did you say Arkangels?"

"Uh, yeah. I did."

He chuckled before showing her his scarred back. "I'm not dealing with them again. You can count me out."

Sebastian turned his head, a bewildered look on his face. "You don't get to reject us. I reject you."

Imogen facepalmed. "God, you're so petty." She took a breath before continuing. "Look, you don't have much of a choice here. We aren't allowed to take anyone else from the palace. They're far too important to the—"

"So, you're just willing to sacrifice me then? Is that it?"

"What? No, that's not what I meant."

"Yeah, we are willing to sacrifice you," Sebastian said. "You're insignificant. If you die, no one would care."

Dorian growled.

Sebastian glared back at him.

"Guys!" Imogen yelled, her voice causing a sharp echo to bounce around the dungeon walls. Both of them snapped their eyes to the girl, slightly startled. "We don't have time for the bickering. We need to get going as soon as possible."

"I already said I'm out," Dorian told her.

"Look, do you want to stay cooped up in here forever or do you want to get out of these walls and do something?"

He paused, his brows furrowing. Stroking his chin, he paced around his cell for a few moments.

Sebastian and Imogen exchanged a confused glance.

The black-haired magician suddenly remembered something Dorian said earlier.

"You said 'I'm not dealing with them again'," Sebastian said. "What did you mean by that?"

The wolf sighed. "After Makaela rescued me and the Nightlings from Nyghtmir, we started making our way to Vashara. Along the way, we were ambushed by hunters. They took us captive, but we escaped after my clan managed to find their camp."

"They had a camp near Vashara?"

He nodded.

Sebastian gulped. The hunters were getting bolder. They usually stayed away from the hidden cities around the world, but if they were posted close enough to one for them to ambush Makaela and her party...

He shook his head. He couldn't believe they were going to them for help.

It was like walking straight into a viper-infested pit with sharpened spikes. Except he could see it coming.

This is a terrible idea.

"What makes you think they'll want to help?" Dorian inquired.

"They will," Imogen insisted. It almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "Thorian is threatening to take over the world. The Arkangels won't stand for that. They'll have no choice but to help us take him down."

"Let's say we end up winning this war," Dorian suggested. "How do you know The Arkangels won't just turn on you after it's over?"

"We don't," Imogen said.

The wolf was echoing the same sentiments the others—and Sebastian himself—had about the plan. The Arkangels weren't known for their respect and honor. They were brutal and warlike. Any agreement they came to would be thrown out the window as soon as their goal was met.

It was like dealing with the devil.

Except this devil thought it was god's gift to the world.

"You don't have to come," Sebastian told him. "It's fine, we'll just find someone else." He turned to leave. Before he could get too far, Dorian stopped him.

"I'll come."

His dark eyes lit up.

"But I have a few conditions."

Sebastian's shoulders slumped as he threw his hands into the air. "Here we go."

Imogen ignored him. "What are your conditions?"

"If we make it back here," he began, "you can't put me back in this cell. You can't send me back to Nyghtmir either. I'll fight with you guys. I'll help you take down Thorian and the Order. But I want to be pardoned."

"Pardoned..." Sebastian huffed. "You know, we don't even have the authorization to do that. We'd have to ask Olivier, and then he'd have to see if you can be pardoned for the crimes you committed."

"What were you in Nyghtmir for?" Imogen asked.

Dorian tensed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, we have to determine if a pardon is realistic."

He scowled. "Fine." Releasing a shuddering breath, he hung his head. "My clan was tasked with collecting a debt a Solair syndicate owed. Things got heated pretty quickly. They attacked my clan. I had no choice..." Tears welled in his eyes. Sniffling, he wiped them away with the back of his hand. "I was just a cub then. I'd just turned fifteen."

"What did you do?" Imogen pressed.

"I did what I had to."

Sebastian stared at him for a moment. While the wolf hadn't fully revealed his crime, he knew enough to put the pieces together.

"You killed for them," Sebastian said.

"The Eldai showed up not too long after that. My brothers got away but...I didn't." A sigh left his lips, deflating his entire being. He leaned against the bars, using his forearm to hold himself up. "I was never supposed to get out. Makaela saved me. She saved my life. She gave me something worth fighting for."

"And what is that?"

He lifted his head. His red eyes bored straight into Sebastian's soul.

"Her."

Sebastian forced himself to keep his emotions at bay. Now wasn't the time to lash out. Instead, he nodded at the wolf.

"I know how it feels," he said.

"How? How could you possibly know what it feels like to be thrown away by the ones you thought were your family? To kill and give your life for people who couldn't care less about what happens to you?" His nose scrunched as he kissed his teeth. "You don't know how it feels."

"You'd be surprised." Sebastian put his hands back into his pockets.

Dorian was a murderer, but not by choice. He had been backed into a corner and not left with any other choice but to get out. He hadn't even been an adult; no kid should have ever been put in a situation like that. Sebastian knew exactly what that felt like. He recalled his training sessions with the Shades and how they often tried to get him to perform heinous acts. The dark magic they practiced ate away at his soul whenever he performed a spell.

He had killed for them as well. But not anymore.

Dorian seemed to be trying to do the same.

The werewolf peered at Sebastian for a moment. He lifted his chin slightly. "Alright."

Imogen stepped forward. "I'm sure we can get Olivier to pardon you. After all, you were just a kid in a tough situation. You can't be held accountable for what they made you do."

"If you say so."

"We'll get you your pardon," Sebastian told him. He lifted his finger before Dorian could get a word in. "But only if you promise not to betray us. For all we know, you could run off as soon as we leave the palace."

Dorian snorted. "You don't have to worry about that."

"Great. It's sorted then."

He held his palm over the cell door's lock and performed the quick sequence for an unlocking charm. Seconds later, the lock's mouth unhinged before clattering to the ground. Imogen pulled open the door cautiously, the iron hinges squeaking as they moved. Once it was opened, she stepped backward, making sure to get close to Sebastian.

He stiffened as he waited for Dorian to move. He kept a hand behind his back, ready to summon his vayrir at a moment's notice.

The wolf sniffed the air for a moment as he inched forward. He stepped out of the cell like a dog entering a new, unfamiliar place.

Then he grinned.

"Finally," he said while rubbing his neck. "You know, you didn't have to keep me in there, right?"

"Rather be safe than sorry."

"Fair enough." After stretching some more, Dorian clapped his hands together. "Okay, so what now?"

"Now," Sebastian began, "we find the Arkangels."

#

After freeing Dorian from his cell, the trio made its way out of the main building of operations for the Eldenarian Council. Sebastian was leading them to the Map Room—the one-story structure built adjacent to the palace's portal shrine. With Imogen's limited knowledge of the Arkangels and their whereabouts, they were going to need help from the cartographer who ran the place.

The Cartographers—like the librarians of the world—were magicians who dedicated their entire lives to the mental and scholarly side of magic. They may have been useless in a fight, but if you needed to find anything, they were your best bet.

The librarians focused on history and general knowledge of magic while the cartographers specialized in maps. The Map Room had every known location within the magician community pinned on an enchanted map built into the ceiling.

If anything could help them find the Arkangel's central headquarters, it was the Grand Map.

As Sebastian, Imogen, and Dorian navigated the palace's courtyards, a few magicians shot them skeptical glances as they went by. Most had their eyes set on the werewolf, who was trying his best not to make eye contact with anyone.

Should've probably put him in handcuffs.

Then again, he figured it wouldn't have mattered if he was bound or not.  A Redfang—even a reformed one—would always make the public nervous. They would just have to get over it.

Besides, they would be leaving as soon as they figured out where to take a portal to.

"So," Dorian said while looking up at the blue-grey sky above. "Do we have any leads?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Imogen's the one who's half magician hunter. Ask her."

The halfling punched him in the shoulder. "Jerk." Wincing, he rubbed his arm. "If I'm being completely honest, I have no clue where we could find them. I didn't exactly grow up with them and my father never even told me he was one."

"So we know nothing," Dorian said flatly. "Great."

"That's why we're going to the Map Room," Sebastian told him. "The Grand Map will have approximate locations of possible Arkangel camps." He turned to Imogen. "Hey, didn't you say you lived in Nova Scotia for a bit?"

She nodded. Her hazel eyes lit up. "You think there might be a camp there?"

"Not sure. Wouldn't hurt to look, though."

"Agreed."

"Canada, eh." Dorian rubbed his chin. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I do think there's a camp out there. I remember Olic telling us to stay out of the woods in Eastern Canada."

Sebastian nodded slowly at him, slightly impressed with his contribution. "Maybe you are useful."

The wolf snarled at him. He jabbed a finger at him. "Don't make me regret helping you."

"If anything, we're helping you," Sebastian countered. "You're the one who wants a pardon. Not us."

"Alright, alright," Imogen said. She stepped between the two of them before anything could escalate. "Let's get to the Map Room, okay? I want to get going as soon as possible."

"The Ordinaire is right," Dorian said. He chuckled to himself. "I never thought I would say that."

Sebastian cracked a smile. "Tell me about it."

Rolling her eyes, Imogen broke away from them and continued for the Map Room. Under her breath, she grumbled obscenities towards the two boys.

Ignoring the dirty looks thrown their way while also trying to ignore the awkward silence between the three of them, they eventually arrived at the palace's portal gate. The familiar arches met Sebastian's eyes. Each one led directly to the headquarters of their respective house of magic. However, House Lumai's and House Tenebris' portals had been out of commission for quite some time. Nowadays, they were used for general trips around the world.

They would be using one of those two to travel to wherever the Arkangels were headed. As they passed by the portal technician's booth, a man with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other stumbled out.

"Sebastian?!" the man rubbed his eyes. "What're you doing over here?" Upon spotting Dorian, he summoned his vayrir—a silver spear. "Careful! There's a werewolf behind you!"

"Uh, yeah, I know." Sebastian laughed and instructed the man to get rid of his weapon. "Relax, he's with us."

"Oh." Nodding, he closed his fist. His vayrir disappeared into the green, House Brynjir mark branded into his palm. "Er, why is he with you? Sorry for being nosy, but I just had to ask."

"We're looking for the Arkangels. He's going to help us should we run into any trouble when we find them."

The portal technician's eyes widened. "A-Arkangels? What could you possibly be looking for them for?"

"It's classified," Dorian replied.

Sebastian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'll tell you later. We need to get to the Map Room, though."

"Of course, of course!" The technician gestured toward the building a few yards ahead of them. "I'm sure Greta is in there somewhere. I'll be out here to send you wherever you need to go when you're done."

"Thanks..." Imogen squinted at the nametag built into his Eldai armor. "Er, Edward?"

"You guys can call me Eddie." Eddie narrowed his eyes at Dorian. "But not you. It's Mr. Edward to you. Understand?"

Dorian gave the man an unamused look. Shaking his head, he sighed. "Yeah, whatever."

Sebastian fought off a smile. "Thanks, Eddie. Be back in a bit." Turning on his heel, he continued for the Map Room with his companions at his back.

#

The Grand Map was larger than Sebastian expected.

It spanned across the entire ceiling, reaching from corner to corner. Bright spots dotted the entire map, some larger than others. He spotted Thania, Vashara, and countless other iconic locations within the magician world. His eyes eventually settled on the blinking dot over the forests of Romania. His brow furrowed.

Memories of his cursed childhood flooded back to him as if a dam had broken inside his mind.

Castle Braexus.

That's where his father was. Amora too.

His face fell at the thought of his twin sister. He didn't think about her often; these days, she was just like any other Shade. An enemy. Someone to defeat. Still, he knew it wasn't her fault for falling for their father's tricks.

After their mother vanished, she found solace in the Shades. They embraced her and the darkness that grew where her heart should have been. The girl was the perfect dark magician—broken, heartless, and powerful.

He dreaded the day when they faced off again. He knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time.

"Hello!" Greta, the head cartographer, chirped from behind the front desk in the Map Room. She pushed her thick-framed glasses up her beak-like nose as she shuffled toward them. Bundles of maps and scrolls spilled out from her arms. A wide smile covered most of her pale face. "What brings you to the Map Room?"

Imogen smiled warmly at the older woman. "We're in search of the headquarters of the Arkangels. We were hoping you could help us with that."

The woman froze. A few more maps fell out of her arms and dropped to the ground around her feet. "For security purposes?"

"Not exactly. We want to make contact with them."

Greta shrieked. "Make contact?! What on earth for?"

"We need more troops to combat the Order of the Black Lotus," Sebastian explained. "We know how it sounds. Like a bad idea—"

"It sounds like a terrible idea!" Greta stressed. Her hands now free, she rumbled her temples.

"We need your help, Greta," Imogen said, her voice practically pleading. "The war could literally be resting on the hopes of us reaching an agreement with them."

The woman paused. Her fingers toyed with the frayed strands of her grey hair. With a rueful shake of her head, she released a defeated sigh. After picking up the items she dropped, she nodded at the three young adults before her.

"Okay, okay," she told them. "I'll help you. But, please, don't get yourselves killed on this mission. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew my assistance aided in your deaths."

"I don't plan on dying," Dorian said. "Especially not at the hands of some Arkangels.

"What he said," Sebastian added.

Huffing, Greta pressed her scrolls tighter to her chest and moved over to the center of the room. Then she beckoned for them to follow her. They all stood beneath the map on the ceiling, waiting for the woman to say something.

"Arkangels are all over the world," Greta explained. "Their headquarters could truly be anywhere. They've been known not to stay in one place for too long. Nomadic hunters, these people are." She glanced at Dorian. "Redfang?"

He nodded. A hint of a frown could be seen on his thick lips.

"Ah, then you'd likely understand why they don't loiter for too long."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Anyways," Greta pointed up at the continent of North America, "our map makers have traced lots of Arkangel activity to America. A lot of our interactions with them have come through altercations with House Byrnjir. Before Achilles Washington was killed, they were engaged in a brutal conflict in the western portion of the country."

Sebastian recalled what Ajax said about the hunters burning down a village belonging to his house. The stories lined up. Perhaps the Arkangels were on the Pacific Northwest. It would've made sense, seeing as it would've put them closer to Hodvekt than any other American region.

Still, he wasn't sure if that's where they should have looked.

While he knew next to nothing about Imogen's father or his involvement with the Arkangels, he had a feeling he wasn't just a regular member. Especially since he got himself involved with a Solair. There had to be more to the story there.

He also felt like it meant they should be looking in Nova Scotia, which was where Imogen said she grew up.

"What about Canada?" he asked. "What info do you have on that area?"

"Ah, Canada," Greta mused. "A wonderful country. Great maple syrup. Lots of moose."

"I hate moose," Dorian muttered.

"What's wrong with moose?" Imogen asked.

"They're an invasive species."

Sebastian ignored their side conversation. "Yeah, Canada's cool and all, but what about the Arkangels?"

"Right," Greta said. She readjusted her glasses before pulling one of the maps out of her arms. She opened it, revealing it to be a detailed guide of the eastern portion of America. Towards the upper right-hand corner was Nova Scotia. A few points and markings had been made with a glowing, yellow ink against the brown parchment. "Hmm, there have been some Eldai reports about hunters in this area."

Imogen craned her neck so she could see the map more clearly. "What did their reports say?"

"Hold on," Greta told her. She stuffed her scrolls into Dorian's hands before waddling over to a bookshelf behind the counter at the front of the room. She then retrieved a thick book full of uneven papers and notes stapled to pages inside. Returning to the trio, she opened the book to a page detailing Eldai reports on that region. "Says here that they ran across a fortress. A rather large fortress, might I add. Heavily guarded. Flagged as high-risk."

Sebastian pointed at the page. "That's it then. That has to be it."

"It would appear so."

"It's settled then." He turned to Imogen and Dorian. "We're headed to Nova Scotia."

"Yay," Imogen replied. Her tone was devoid of any enthusiasm. In fact, it seemed like she was dreading the trip back to her hometown. Though, considering the history she had with the place, he wouldn't have wanted to go back either.

But her feelings would have to be ignored for the time being. They had work to do.

"Come on, guys," Sebastian said. "Let's get a move on."

They waved goodbye to Greta and thanked her for her help. When they were done in the Map Room, they joined Eddie the portal technician at one of the gates. After he put in the location for a fishing town near the coordinates that Eldai flagged in Nova Scotia, they got ready for the jump.

"Be safe out there," Edward said from his booth.

"We will," Sebastian said. "Don't worry about us."

Imogen removed the dragon iron knife from the holster on her hip and examined the blade. "We'll be fine."

Dorian cracked the joints in his neck as he prepared to step into the portal swirling before them. "I hope I don't regret this."

Sebastian echoed his sentiments silently.

The mission could've gone one of two ways; the Arkangels joined them in their fight against the Order or they killed them immediately. They desperately needed the first outcome.

Inhaling deeply, breathing in the heavenly scent of the vibrant garden nearby, Sebastian nodded to himself.

Here goes...

Exhaling, he stepped through the portal, letting the magical rift between space and time whisk him halfway across the planet.