"Took you long enough to show up," the scoundrel sighed as he rolled his eyes and put his blade back in its sheath. "My spies told me you set off a couple of days ago and so I expected your arrival yesterday."

What was he doing here? Between the possibility that my parents were inside the cottage beside us and the rogue standing in front of me, I couldn't decide which I was scared of more. He left us all speechless.

"That doesn't matter now, at least you showed up." Mace pushed off of the fence and made his way over to us.

"Why are you here?" Lorella asked, her fists clenching around the reigns of her horse. "If we had known you would show up, we would have let you get this stone yourself."

Mace halted his steps to take a good look at the lady, squinting his eyes in confusion. "And who might you be?" Before she could respond, he shrugged, causing Lorella to grow an expression of fury. "Nevermind, you'll find out why we're all here together in a moment."

"We'd like to know before we get off our horses," I announced. "For all we know, this could be a trap to kill us. You don't exactly have a good record of trust." With the black cloaks his spies wore, they could easily hide within the shadows of the trees. A nice, secluded location was perfect to end the life of the Racaea prince.

"I suppose that's fair." Mace checked the time on his pocket watch and searched for the sun's position in the sky. "Though, we have to hurry. We don't have much time left to get in." What in the forest's name was he going on about?

Placing the watch back into his shirt's breast pocket, he walked up to the house, holding his arm out in front of him. As he slowed his pace, his hand bent at an awkward angle, as if there was a wall there stopping him from venturing any further.

"The Sephirans have placed a barrier here using the power of the Idaphite shard they possess. I have tried every single person who works for me, but none of them can get in either, which leaves me with my final hope." Mace turned to me with a sickening smile. "You."

"If it's just a barrier then why do we need to hurry?" Auron questioned as he and Kayne nudged their horses to move protectively around me. It was something I was curious about too. Was he expecting someone to arrive?

"I've been studying this cottage for months," he began, walking back to where he had been leaning on the fence earlier, "so not only is my patience wearing a little thin, but I've discovered that this is a sun barrier. People and creatures may only try to enter while the sun is visible in the sky, if not, well, let's just say the outcome is quite painful and messy."

"And what if Sabre can't get through either?" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kayne's hand reach down towards his sheathed sword. His fingers brushed against the hilt, ready to draw it if necessary.

"Then you better think of another way to get through, otherwise, Racaea will still be holding onto a valuable object of Icrodeia's. I'd have to let my spies inform the soldiers back home that they can begin to invade this kingdom." There was desperation lingering in his voice, an urgency fuelled with anger.

Everything came down to me. If I couldn't get through the barrier my parents had set up, war would ensue upon the kingdom I had come to love dearly. It would all be my fault that people's lives would be destroyed by a few blows from an Icrodeian blade.

"Have you tried bargaining with the Sephirans instead of pestering us?" Lorella crossed her arms over her chest.

Mace laughed, a strangled and pained sound. "I've tried everything anyone could possibly think of. As soon as I knew the location of the Sephirans' home, I had a dozen spies keeping guard of the perimeter and nobody has ever come in or out. Your parents either never go outside or they're not here, I don't care which is true, but I know the shard is here. I can feel its power supporting the barrier."

There was a crazed look in his golden eyes as he turned to me once more. "Can't you feel it too, Sabre? The gold in your eyes is pretty bright for a lesser Icrodeian, surely you can feel the thrum of its strength?"

That was when I knew for sure that Mace had lost the plot. I had a feeling he would do whatever it took to get his hands on the Idaphite shard. Whether he had to burn the forest to the ground or kill everyone in his path, he'd do it.

Nothing felt out of the ordinary. "I- I don't-" I started, only to be cut off by the miscreant himself.

"Of course you don't feel anything, you haven't wielded the stone's power so you'd have no idea what it feels like." Mace drew the dagger he had been cleaning his nails with when we arrived. "Now, are you going to try and get through the barrier? I have no qualms with killing your friends and your fae pet if you don't."

My left eye twitched at the way he spoke about Kayne. "Fine, I'll try." I retrieved the dagger I had brought from my saddle bag as a precaution and climbed off of Cirrus.

It saddened me ever so slightly to find out my parents might not actually be here. As much as I had been terrified to meet them, to find out why they had sold me to Racaea, discover why they were now in Racaea and not in Icrodeia anymore, I had also been excited to finally see them again.

Everyone watched with anticipation as I made my way up to the cottage. I held out my arm like Mace had done to prepare myself to come into contact with an invisible barrier, but it never met anything. Inching further with slower steps, I braced myself for an impact, wondering what touching a magical barrier would feel like. Perhaps it would be cold, maybe it would ripple like a stone dropping into a still pool of water. I waited for something, anything, but I was already further than Mace had even managed to walk.

"Good!" Mace beamed from ear to ear, dimples pushing through his cheeks. "Now, find the Idaphite or a way to disable the barrier."

I stopped in my tracks to glare at the rogue who looked like he could jump up and down with all the exhilaration he was trying to contain. "If you dare lay a finger or hurt any of my companions, there will be no Idaphite shard for you," I warned, pointing my dagger at him. The one thing he wanted was sitting in the house that only I could access, he didn't have any hold over us. At least that was what I told myself.

"They won't get hurt if you bring me what I want." He motioned his hand for me to enter the cottage, the frantic movement urging me to hurry up.

Taking a deep breath to steady my shaking hands, I stepped up towards the door and knocked. If my parents really were inside, it would be best not to barge in unwelcomed. However, the longer I waited, the more I realised nobody truly was inside. I gave the door a tug and a push to see if it would open and, with a few attempts, it did so. The stiffness of the hinges and the way it had been stuck in place was like it hadn't been used for years.

After I took one last look at the friends I had left waiting on their horses, at the man waiting for the object that would determine whether or not our kingdoms would go to war or not, I stepped inside.

The first thing I did was cough at the copious dust floating in the air, coating every inch of every surface. Around me was a small living space. A low wooden table sat in the centre of two narrow couches. Patches covered the burgundy fabric to try and fix the holes worn into it from use. On the table was a vase of what I assumed used to be flowers. Now they were nothing more than shrivelled and dried leaves. The curtains were drawn over the windows, but enough light still burst through to allow me to see.

To my right was an even space which held the kitchen. All of the cabinets and drawers were open and empty, as if they were quickly looted or packed away. Not even any crockery was left behind.

As I walked further inside, I noticed a box sitting upon the counter. It wasn't anything fancy, only two pieces of wood that easily slot together, and it was wrapped tightly with several lengths of rope. On top of it sat a folded sheet of paper with one word written on it in elaborate handwriting. It was a word I knew better than most, a word that in this instance pounded fear through my veins.

It was my name.