A/N: The original title for this chapter when I was planning the story was "13" but obviously that's out of the question, so Dancing will have to do.

This chapter has a little bit less Lexa than most chapters will have, but she's still there and still her badass self. There's a lot of blood in this chapter but none of it is hers.

Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Dancing

Lexa seemed eager to make our way toward the castle. Her steps were hasty, her strides long. Her brow was set in a look of troubled determination.

Now it's been a long time since I saw that look on her face. It's rare I see her storminess. And yet that clouded concentration was one of the many things that intrigued me about her during those first days. She was such a mystery, and I hadn't determined what kind yet.

Now I know just how sacred a mystery can be.

I knew she preferred silence, but after twenty minutes of walking, her brusqueness was beginning to feel like anger and I needed some indication she wasn't mad at me. I didn't think I'd done anything wrong. I'd come with her the second she wanted to leave Sairah's cottage, not commenting on the slain wolf or pressing her to tell me what Sairah had given her before we'd left. But since I seemed to slide perilously close to inciting her wrath every time I spoke, I tread lightly.

"Why did you tell Sairah I was your apprentice?"

Lexa pursed her lips. "Its best if people don't know you were poisoned."

"Why?"

She glanced at me coolly. "We are vulnerable enough alone in the forest."

I remembered her stooped over the wolf in its pool of blood. It could have very well been her or myself or Rameesha that suffered the same bloody fate. Who knew what else lurked around us. I swallowed, hoping she knew where we were going, and hoping she wasn't steering us toward more wolves.

"That wolf," I started, not knowing how to phrase my question.

"I did what I had to do to protect myself," she said. "I took no pleasure in killing, if that's what you're wondering."

"No, I-"

I wasn't sure what I wanted to say, only to reassure her I wasn't accusing her of being bloodthirsty.

"All life has value, Clarke," she said. "Even wolves."

Her statement was in such contrast to the sword slung across her back and the knife at her belt she seemed to reach for at the slightest provocation. But it was my first glimpse into her heart, into the piece of her that has guided all her decisions and thoughts since she first became conscious.

It's funny to think how bloodily our story began. It seemed not a day went by without a life being taken. Now our days are full of small acts of grace, affirmations of life: flowers picked, dishes washed, hair tucked behind ears, kisses pressed to temples. But in these graces is the knowledge of all the wolves slain in our quest for tranquility. She mourns each one; I remind her mourning is not meant to last forever. We have our peace. It is fortified and protected without holding us captive. For that, I would kill a thousand wolves.

I cleared my throat as though to clear the tension between us.

"Thank you for helping me," I said. It was almost difficult to express gratitude, since she was so cold. But I owed her basic graciousness, at least.

"You're welcome," she said, softening a bit. She took a few more paces into the forest. "How are your injuries?"

I scanned through my body, realizing my soreness had abated significantly, my brow hardly stinging at all. "Much better," I said, conveying my surprise.

Lexa gave a solemn nod. "Perhaps we'll make it to the castle before sundown tomorrow."

I was surprised to hear that. In my mind, the castle was only a few hours' walk from Sairah's cottage.

"Where will we sleep tonight?"

Lexa glanced at me, humorless, as though it should be obvious. We would sleep outside, barring other accommodations.

If I had known that, I might have considered staying with Sairah and Rameesha rather than venturing out into the forest again.

But had I done that, I wouldn't be telling this story.

The day wore on, sun sliding overhead and down toward the horizon. We stopped to eat some of the bread and butter Sairah had given us, our chewing alarmingly loud in the placidness of the forest during the day.

When it grew dim, my hope that we would stumble upon another friendly cottage intensified. But no matter how hard I wished it, I couldn't conjure lodging for us.

As everything began to fade to shadows, we came across a brook. It trickled and bubbled pleasantly, and I realized how parched I was. I cupped my hands and drank handful after handful, gasping with relief. Lexa crouched a few paces from me, drinking silently.

When she was satisfied, she looked around the forest dell we were traversing. She studied the lean of the trees, the shape of a gentle hill.

"We'll stop here."

She lifted her sheathed sword over her head and set it down near a tree, sliding herself beside it. Though she hadn't indicated any discomfort or fatigue during our many hours of walking, the stiff way she set herself on the ground indicated weariness.

I glanced around, unsure why she'd chosen this place above any of the other spots in the forest we'd passed in the last hour. We would be no safer here than in the next dell or the one before. Proximity to water was the only benefit.

I sat down, cloak billowing around me as I settled. I lifted my satchel off and opened it, squinting inside to see the bread and butter nestled in with my knife and book and quill and flint.

"Shall we make a fire?" I asked.

Lexa shook her head. "We shouldn't call attention to ourselves."

There was something stern and warning in her words that made me chill.

"Are you sure its safe here?"

"As safe as anywhere," she said.

I took out the bread and butter and gave her half. She ate quickly, then curled onto her side on the forest floor, drawing her cape over her.

My body was aching from the many miles we'd walked, but there was a wakefulness about the forest that kept me from wanting to close my eyes. In the dark, every moving leaf seemed a potential threat, every sound a lurking predator. I took out my knife, gripping its blade anxiously, studying the moving shadows around me.

How strange it was, to sit there feeling so small and alone when she was sleeping so softly beside me.

Eventually my tiredness overcame my fear and I lay down, scooting toward her so I would feel protected, but not close enough to disturb her. There seemed to be a knife's edge to that distance I couldn't find.

I had just taken a deep, silent breath, willing myself toward sleep when I heard something. It sounded as though the nearby brook grew more animated, as though running over something new. Then the noise shifted and I heard voices. I strained to hear as it got louder. It was a funny, twanging kind of guitar and a small chorus of women singing with it.

I opened my eyes, wondering if my dreams had set in quicker than usual. But even with my eyes open, staring at Lexa's back, I heard the sound growing louder.

I sat up, trying to determine where it was coming from.

Over the ridge I could see a faint silver-blue light, as though the moon was reflecting off water. But we'd walked through that dell not so long ago and there wasn't any water there, nor a source of light.

I listened closer, wondering what was happening. The song sprouted a seed of hope in my chest and I felt myself relax. No evil could be near such beautiful music and such pure voices.

I glanced down at Lexa, who was still curled on her side. She didn't seem to hear what I was hearing. I debated waking her up to tell her there were people nearby, but she was so mercurial, I decided to see who was making the music before I informed her.

I rose and crept away from Lexa toward the light and sound. I placed my feet slowly and softly on the ground, hoping I wouldn't make any noise that would call attention to me. But the soles of my shoes were too thick to feel every leaf and twig. I crept further up the hill until I could see where the light was coming from. Standing where Lexa and I had passed through only an hour before was a tree unlike any I had seen before; the branches were searing silver and the leaves were gold and diamonds sparkled like berries in clusters throughout. Light seemed to radiate down onto a circle of twelve girls standing beneath it.

Their skin was light brown and they were clad in the most beautiful cloth, hanging over their shoulders and sweeping the ground. They wore elaborate jewelry on their heads, around their necks and wrists, dangling from their ears, and tucked into their noses, most of it gold with rubies and other gems sparkling in the light. There were patterns drawn on their hands like intricate brown vines winding up their arms. They were all smiling and laughing as they sang and danced.

The shortest, who looked a few years younger than the other women, held a small instrument in her hands that she was plucking. The tree seemed to shimmer with the music, a gentle rustling of the leaves making a tinkling sound that was beautiful and clear.

I heard a twig snap under my feet and the women stopped singing. Their heads turned simultaneously to where I was peering at them from beside a tree.

A tall girl in a shimmering yellow robe that billowed out around her as she walked broke the ring of singers, moving toward me only silent feet. She spoke in a beautiful, earthy voice.

"You're not a prince," she frowned.

"Should I be?"

The girl crossed her arms. "How did you discover us?"

I stared at the girl, wondering how much of the truth I should tell her. Lexa had warned me not to tell anyone about the damnumflos poison. It occurred to me that this could be another of my hallucinations, just like the old woman. If so, I shouldn't implicate Lexa. I was testing her patience enough as it is.

"I'm just traveling through," I said. "Sorry to bother you. I only wanted to see where the music was coming from."

As if collectively appraising me, the group of women broke from their circle and floated toward me, looking me up and down. I admired the designs on their hands and the grandeur of their robes and jewelry.

The tallest girl bit her lips, squinting. Then her face broke into a smile and she said, "Come with me, dear."

Suddenly shepherded behind an oak tree, I didn't have time to object. I grew anxious as I was surrounded by unfamiliar girls who picked up sections of my hair and lifted the hem of my skirt to see what I was wearing underneath.

I knew I shouldn't have ventured away from Lexa. Hopefully if the music started again it would be loud enough to wake her.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, fabric that looked as though fine strands of gold were woven into it was thrust into my arms, accompanied by a tunic like the ones the girls wore under their large scarves.

"Put it on!" the tallest girl giggled.

I looked blankly at the girls around me. This was certainly my most pleasant hallucination yet, if indeed I was hallucinating. The clothing they'd given me was beautiful. But if I was hallucinating, I thought it best not to disrobe and wake a moment later to find myself covered in leaves or in some other compromised state that might further alienate Lexa.

Since I hesitated, the girls stripped me down to my slip. As the tunic dress was lifted over my head and the scarf draped over me by two dozen quick hands, I surrendered to whatever was happening. I felt my bandage pulled off and my hair being swept up into a twist and topped with something heavy and elegant. I could only assume it was jewelry to match those of the girls around me. Lifting a hand to touch it, I found my injury was almost completely healed and that a heavy diadem had been placed on my head.

Then the tallest of the girls knelt before me and placed a pair of golden slippers at my feet. She removed my shoes and I felt my feet breathe, relieved to be out of my stiff, heavy boots. I slid into the slippers and couldn't help but smile.

The girls didn't settle from their flurry once I was dressed. "Quick, they'll be here soon!" they whispered, taking me by the hand to guide me through the forest.

"Who?"

"The princes!" the girls laughed. They tugged at my hands, trying to bring me along with them.

"I can't-" I started to say.

But my words fell on deaf ears, and they chattered around me like a swarm of excited birds, pulling me forcefully with them. I tried to extract myself, tried to break away, but it seemed my feet were carrying me along with them, as though I was a leaf in a river.

"I have to get back to my camp," I said several times.

They pulled me deeper into the forest until we came to great lake. The water only confounded me more; I was sure Lexa and I had walked through this area only an hour or two before, and there hadn't been a body of water this big. Across the lake was an unusual and large castle, with tall spires that glowed gold as though illuminated by candlelight. Flags waved from the rounded turrets and a path extended from the entrance toward the far shore.

My thoughts flew to Lexa and I regretted not waking her. We had been trying to get to the castle, and here it was, only a short distance away.

"The castle," I said, sighing in relief. "Can I see the royal apothecary? I need to see him."

The girls around me giggled as though it was the most foolish suggestion they'd heard in weeks.

"Apothecary!" one girl laughed.

"We don't have one of those. The only thing that happens inside our castle is dancing."

"Every night, another festival!" a girl in a violet gown crowed.

"Dancing until dawn!"

"The food…"

"And music..." another said, as though it was the grandest music I would ever hear.

Disheartened, I frowned at the castle across the lake. I was certain now this was a hallucination. In the real world, girls like me didn't get whisked away to a secret castle in the middle of the night. I glanced behind me for Lexa, hoping she would come shake me out of my delusion. But she wasn't there. The forest was black behind us, even the jeweled tree faded from sight.

This kind of strange, distorted experience was becoming too frequent. I didn't like it one bit.

I had to get away. If I could make it back to Lexa by following the brook, maybe I could escape the delusion before she noticed I was having one. I turned to run backwards into the forest toward her, but one of the girls caught me, giving me a disapproving frown. I wrestled my wrist from her, and before I knew it more hands were upon me, pulling me out on a dock, their fine shoes soft on the wooden boards. They thrust me into a boat and shoved it off the shore.

Stunned and afraid, I looked up to see a man standing over me. He wore a similar tunic to the one I had on under the large scarf I'd been wrapped in. His expression was static and almost eerie. His smile stayed tight and his eyes were glazed over, as though he didn't truly see me. Something about him was robotic. He rowed mechanically away from the shore. I looked back, watching as the rest of the girls got into boats and followed mine.

I had no idea what to do. I had no desire to go into the castle, and certainly no desire to be in a small boat with a strange man. I would have jumped overboard, but I doubted I'd be able to swim, and who knew what lurked beneath the black waters. I didn't trust anyone or anything I saw. I felt a pang in my chest, wishing for nothing more than to be beside Lexa.

The man rowing me away from her gave me a stiff smile. "Do not worry," he said. "Tonight will be fun."

It's funny how some people reassuring you can do the opposite. This strange man with glassy eyes and an impersonal smile only made me more nervous. But if it had been Lexa trying to soothe me, I might have believed it. At least I like to think so.

I wondered if, once we docked, I could make a run for it, skirting the lake back to the shore we'd departed from, following the brook back to her. But it was so dark, with only a sliver of moon above, and I'd left my satchel with the flint beside her. If I ever made it back to her, I vowed not to take a single step without it secured across my body.

The boat shifted and I was rocked to the side. As though to remind me of its presence, the compass Rameesha had given me dragged across my torso right under my breasts, its metal warmed from my body heat. A spark of hope zipped through me. I had something of use with me after all. Glancing up at the man to see if he was watching me, I surreptitiously took out the compass and noted the direction the needle was pointing. It pointed directly back to the shore we'd left from. That was easy enough; Lexa and I had been journeying north. I could simply follow the needle back to her.

With that tiny bit of consolation, I tucked the compass back under my tunic and let myself be rowed toward the castle, smiling nervously at the prince. When we docked, he stepped out and reached for my hand, helping me step onto the dock.

I sprang away from him, determined to run the perimeter of the lake back to Lexa, who would surely defend me with her sword. But as my body listed away, my feet disobeyed me and I toppled over, making a loud thud on the dock.

The prince's smile stayed in place as he said, "Are you okay, Your Highness?"

I almost scowled at being called Your Highness. "No, I'm not okay. I don't want to be here. I want to go back to my camp."

"Oh, but you'll have such a good time. I promise," he said, still glassy. "At least stay for one dance."

I didn't lift my scowl an inch.

"I will personally return you to your camp, so long as you accompany me inside. It would be terribly embarrassing to arrive without a dance partner."

I opened my mouth to say that I didn't give a damn if he had to arrive at the castle without a partner, but as he held his clean, formal hand out to me, something dammed my words, rendering me mute. Emotionless, I reached forward, taking his hand, letting him guide me up the lit path toward the gates.

"Nice to meet you, Clarke," he said. It didn't register as odd to me at the time that he knew my name. I felt I'd been cast into some kind of cloud or trance, where all I could do was notice things around me without reaction or emotion. I was perception and air and cloth and not much else.

The ballroom was the most beautiful palace I had ever seen - granted, I couldn't remember seeing one before - and was illuminated in bright gold light. A band was playing jubilant music and the walls were lined with rich, colorful tapestries and paintings of warrior women and goddesses. There were long tables draped with lush tablecloths, covered with the most fragrant food and drink I could imagine. The whole room smelled of spices and incense. Flowers were woven into wreaths around the room, hanging from walls and surrounding bowls of fruit and custards. The whole room seemed to sing with the joy of festival, and I was suddenly certain nothing foul would befall me here.

I was inundated, feeling myself lift higher into the cloud of thoughtless perception.

The man who had rowed me to the castle took my hand and led me around the room, letting my beautiful robes sweep across the marble, my soft shoes making the motions effortless. His firm hand on my waist guided me and I only faltered for a minute when I realized I didn't know the dance. But with such a confident dance partner, I realized it didn't matter. All I had to do was step in time to the music and try not to tread on his shoes.

After the first dance, I felt I would be content to never leave this castle again. If I could live here, dancing every night, feasting on fine food and drink, and dancing with handsome men, I would be happy forever. I found myself laughing and smiling as the room spun around me.

For the next round, the prince led me in a dance that was just a bit faster than the first. As we swept but a table, I plucked a stuffed date, popping it in my mouth. It was the most delicious thing I had tasted in my life. I breathed a sigh of content and watched the whirling princesses around me.

The music softened and the princesses led their princes to tables, offering them food and wine. Each princess lifted a goblet to her prince's lips, smiling with encouragement as he drank. Then she would set it down and lead him back onto the floor.

I don't know how much time passed, but I felt myself growing weary and sore. I stopped as often as I could to feed myself, taking bites of curries and puddings and dumplings and spiced fruit, then drifted back to the dance floor, hazy with weary pleasure.

Dizzy, I looked down at the gold slippers I was wearing. Appearing suddenly beside me, the eldest princess giggled. "We go through oh so many shoes."

I gave a confused nod and looked back at the dance floor. The princes were dancing feverishly, as though they were racing to see who could take the most steps before daybreak. They looked possessed, and it quite unnerved me.

Seeing my alarm, the eldest princess drew close to me and said in a low whisper, "Don't worry, they'll be just fine."

I glanced back and forth between the eldest princess and the dance floor, growing nervous. Was there more to this scene than I could see? I set my brow in a confused smile.

"Who are these princes?" I asked.

"They're suitors." Her voice was void of any delight or intrigue. She surveyed the dance floor, not moving a muscle for a moment before she said, "I suppose some would consider us lucky." She didn't speak for a moment longer, watching her sisters and the entranced men spin faster on the floor in front of her. "But we've no interest in getting married."

I didn't know what to make of that comment. I turned back to the dance floor, hoping to find more clues as to what was going on in this strange castle.

"In our castle, princes are merely for dancing," she said.

I studied the men more closely. As though controlled by invisible strings, they danced feverishly, gazes locked on invisible objects before their eyes.

The sisters, on the other hand, moved in perfect unison, arms outstretched, drawing invisible swirls on the floor, skirts swinging with grace as necks were held long and heads tall, the choreography executed flawlessly. I found myself in rapt attention. They were mesmerizing

But glancing back at the princes, I remembered that I didn't trust this kingdom.

I closed my eyes. This was a hallucination. If I concentrated hard on telling myself that, maybe it would disappear. I thought of the glen where Lexa was sleeping and willed myself to be back there, safe by her side.

"You'll get back in time," the princess beside me said. "But it would be rude to leave now."

That struck panic into my heart like nothing else that had happened that night.

Could she read my thoughts?

"What's wrong with the princes?" I asked, eyes flickering to where they were dancing frantically, unblinking.

The princess tilted her head and gave a funny giggle. "He does look a little funny. But he's harmless. And such a good dance partner!"

"No," I said, not wanting to get distracted by the grandeur around me and miss the strangeness of it. "Something's wrong."

The princess reached behind me to a goblet of wine. "Here," she said. "This will help you keep up your strength for dancing."

I looked at the wine, realizing how parched I was. But some shred of clarity clung to me, telling me I shouldn't drink it. All the princes had been given wine, and now they looked possessed.

"No thanks," I said.

She held it to my lips forcefully, and I smacked it away. It spilled down my dress, staining it red, and the goblet clattered to the floor. The floor began to pool bright red, redder than the burgundy wine, red as -

Red as blood.

The dance floor was streaked with blood leaking from the shoes of the princes. My own shoes were covered in blood, and suddenly my feet were screaming.

Terror flooded through me as the grandeur around me started tumbling down. The tapestries fell into shreds, the tables collapsed, the strings on the instruments popped. The men on the dance floor began to fall down unconscious, blood soaking into their robes. I screamed and screamed as the walls started to crumble and fall. I was going to be crushed before I managed to escape and run back to Lexa.

Then everything went black and I could no longer scream.

I felt hands on me, shaking me. I was on the ground, panting as I took in great, gasping breaths of earthy air. I opened my eyes. It was light enough that I could make out everything around me, cling to it in my desperate need to know what was real. I was in the forest right where I'd fallen asleep next to Lexa. She was hovering over me, hands on my shoulders as I lay frozen and terrified.

"You're okay," Lexa said.

I kept panting as the trees came into focus behind her. Gradually I came down from my panic and sighed, exhausted. As soon as I shut my eyes again, Lexa let go of me and stood up.

"Did you have a good time?" She asked.

Her voice anchored me back on the bank where we'd slept. I slowed and turned my head to look at her. She had one eyebrow quirked, but she was unsmiling, as usual. She seemed almost disapproving.

I glanced down at my clothes, seeing I was once again clad in my ugly brown dress and heavy wool cape. For a split-second I was disappointed, then relieved.

It had been a dream.

Nothing more than a strange, frightening dream.

"I…" I panted, glad to be back in her presence. "I had… the craziest dream."

She gave a soft nod, as though to forgive me for whatever folly I'd entertained.

"I was wearing this beautiful dress, and there were these women dancing… They took me to a palace and there was music and food..."

Her face remained solemn.

"I could feel and taste everything like it was real." I paused, noting that even though I'd only eaten bread and butter the night before, I wasn't hungry at all. I could almost taste curry in my mouth.

I covered my face with my hands, sinking into hopelessness. Lexa had said that the effects of the poison sometimes became permanent, and it had been almost two days since I'd woken up in the clearing, beat up and scared. I was just as disoriented and confused as I had been then. Hope for anything different started to drain from me.

"I'm going crazy, aren't I?"

Lexa busied herself dusting off her cape, seeming unconcerned with my agony.

"No," she said matter-of-factly.

Her unwillingness to entertain my anxiety prompted me to sit up and try to shake off any excess self-pity. She was taking me to the castle where the apothecary would help me recover my memories. Hopefully then the hallucinations would stop.

She fastened her cape around her neck and strapped her sword across her back. I reached for my satchel and fastened my cloak.

Then I saw them.

Beside my bare feet were the gold slippers. They were threadbare and worn, as though I'd been trekking through the forest in them for days. They were caked in blood.

I gasped, then glanced up at Lexa.

She gave my shoes only a passing glance, then looked away in the direction we would be walking.

"It was real," I said.

She said nothing.

"It wasn't a dream."

Lexa took a slow, weary breath. "You speak like the difference between the two was significant."

I wasn't sure if she was mocking me or deliberately trying to confuse me.

"You could have woken me, you know," she said, her voice lower.

If I had known her better, I would have heard what she was trying to tell me: she'd felt left out, disappointed I'd left her to venture off on my own.

But I didn't know her at all.

She quickly covered up the admission.

"You shouldn't go wandering around the forest by yourself. There are worse things than a few bruises and lost memories."

It was a reprimand, one I took to be a pointed reminder I wasn't mentally stable.

"Will you be able to walk in those?"

I looked down at the worn slippers and nodded. Not because I thought I'd enjoy walking in blood-caked slippers through the uneven terrain of the forest, but because I had no choice. My boots were nowhere in sight, and I wasn't about to let her leave me alone solely because I had improper footwear.

"Good," she said, nodding as though she wanted me to stand and begin walking immediately. "You should wash your feet. We should try to reach the castle by nightfall."

I stood, unsteady as I got my bearings, shaking off the last of the whirling memories from the night before. My body was drooping with exhaustion, as though I really had danced for hours without stopping.

My feet were tender as I took the first few tentative steps toward the brook. I splashed water on my face and drank deeply while Lexa watched. I dipped my feet in, wincing as they stung with the cold. I rubbed places where the blood had caked on, trying to avoid touching the blisters and sores directly. Then I put the bloody shoes back on and we set out for the castle.

My feet ached. The slippers rubbed against the backs and sides of my feet unrelentingly. I knew my feet would be raw within an hour. And yet the forest floor was so unforgiving the slippers were better than wearing no shoes at all.

We walked all day, stopping to eat the rest of our bread while resting on a fallen tree covered in damp moss. The forest was still, the only sounds our own footsteps and the birds and forest creatures around us. It was a pleasant walk, for the most part, and it seemed we found a stream every time they grew thirsty.

The trees around us began to grow taller and thicker, as though sealing us deeper inside the woods. Light strained to find us, and a chill wound its way in through the seams of my cloak and under the hem of my skirt. My feet were bleeding, I was sure, but they were so cold I couldn't feel them.

As the sun sank in the sky and we still hadn't arrived at the castle, I grew worried. The forest began to creep closer to my face, and it was harder to breathe. I walked closer to Lexa, grateful I had my knife.

I was about to ask her if we could stop and rest when someone jumped out of a tree and grabbed me, arm across my chest, yanking my arm behind me, knife at my throat. I shrieked, trying to throw him off, as two men in dark forest camouflage slunk up to me.

"This her?" a gruff voice croaked in my ear.

"What do we have here?" one of them growled, his voice sinister as he approached. "A girl wandering in the woods all alone? Mighty suspicious to me…"

My heart was hammering as the man holding me tightened his grip. I tried to turn my head to see if Lexa had been captured too, but I couldn't see her.

A man with a shaved head and deep frown set into the lines of his face approached me, grabbing my chin, turning my face side to side. He grunted, then picked up a chunk of my hair, smelling it. It felt horribly invasive, to be examined in such a way. He noted my clothing, frown growing deeper. She saw the chain of the compass around my neck and drew it out, dragging it up my body, making me feel like I would wretch.

He examined it, frowning. "Pretty, but it don't work," he said. "Needle don't point north."

His companion grunted in disapproval and he let the compass fall against my body.

"What are you doing in this part of the forest, little lady?"

I found the lump of fear in my throat was too thick to speak around.

"Cat got your tongue?"

I trembled. "I'm just-on my way to the castle," I managed to stutter.

"Is that so?" he said, a smirk overtaking his face. "Do you think anyone there would object to you paying them a visit?"

I glanced furiously around for Lexa again. Where was she?

"I don't-I don't think so?" My voice curled up with panic.

Then, as though he heard a call in the distance, the man looked away. His brow furrowed again, but rather than looking angry or malicious, he looked confused. His companion looked away as well, then I felt the arms wrapped around me loosen and let go. They wandered off into the forest as though they had never seen me, not even looking back in my direction.

I lifted my hand to my throat, touching where the blade had been pressed a moment ago, taking big breaths of earthy air. I rubbed my arm where it had been yanked behind my back.

Lexa slid up beside me, watching as the men walked away.

"It's okay," she hummed quietly, eyes still trained on the men. "They'll leave us alone."

I looked at her, dumbfounded. How had she managed to escape the men's notice?

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

She pursed her lips, distracted as she watched them retreat. "They're looking for someone."

I frowned at her. "For me?"

She finally broke her gaze and turned to me. "No," she said certainly. "They're not looking for you."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"They would have taken you with them," she said.

I wasn't convinced. Something was odd about the whole exchange. "Why did they just let me go like that?"

Lexa's face was still troubled. She paused, considering, then ignored my question. "We should keep going. Who knows who else is out here."

I heard a rumble in the distance and looked up. The clouds overhead were threatening.

"It looks like it's going to rain."

Lexa put one foot in front of the other. "We should try to make it to the castle." She shivered a bit. "It's just over the hill."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Sairah told me."

Another lie.

I looked ahead and nodded, thinking that the hill in front of us looked quite big to climb in the quickly fading light.

With a mighty crack, the sky split down the middle and it began to pour. Giant droplets of rain began pelting through the forest canopy. We darted under a thick-branched tree and glanced at each other, concerned. Raindrops landed with thick plops on the ground, soaking through her cape despite the tree above us. In a minute she was drenched to the bone, blue and chattering.

She gave a mighty shudder, clutching at her elbows. "Shall we keep g-going?" she shuddered.

I nodded, the prospect of adequate shelter as motivating as anything. We trudged through the forest, mud caking itself on our shoes and hems.

When they were halfway up to the ridge, I took pity on her. She was chattering and her lips were blue, and although I was cold myself, I didn't want her to fall ill. So I loosened the tie on my cloak and held it out, wordlessly offering her shelter. Rain pelted our faces and soaked into our hair. It would have felt nice to be cleansed if the water hadn't been so cold and the wind so harsh.

Finally, we reached the edge of the woods. Before us stood a muddy field, beyond which sat a heavy structure of stone and steel. Barbed wire coated every surface, and from far away, it looked like a cluster of thorns. It was rusted in places, welded together haphazardly, looking as though it ought to screech and groan in the storm.

I felt myself chill beyond the freezing rain, and wondered what nightmare Lexa was leading me into now.