"Come on Dustan! We're already home! It won't be long now." Alianora purred, nudging my cheek gently.

"Ali, I'm tired." I panted. We had been walking for hours. Iorek had carried me most of the way. It felt like I was going to collapse any moment now.

"Don't worry Dustan, we'll get there." Lyra reassured me. She had been pushing me to keep going, making comments about how tall Gavin and me had gotten. She kept telling me that we looked a lot like our father, but every time I asked her who he was she switched the subject around, asking me about my life growing up in Oxford. She asked a lot of questions about Riley. She asked how we met, about all the battles we had with the North town kids, and all the times we raced through the streets throwing tomatoes at people. I enjoyed telling her about it, it was nice to escape back to when Riley and the others still trusted me, still thought I was her best friend. It hurt to think that she hated me.

"It's alright Dustan. She will have to believe that it wasn't us that set her up when we save them." Alianora told me. I nodded, but I know I didn't convince her.

"Lyra, what are we looking for, exactly?" I asked, trying to get my mind on something else.

"It's kind of hard to tell. Last time, it was this huge building with fences all around it. There were lots of guards too. The only reason I got in was because I told them I was a lost child. That won't work anymore." Lyra sighed.

"I have an idea." Lyra's daemon, Pantalaimon grinned.

"What is it Pan?" Lyra asked hopefully.

"Well, the boy could pretend he was his brother. His daemon would just have to look like his brother's." Pantalaimon smiled.

"That could work! Ali, change into a cougar." I told her. She stood at my side, as Luka had with Gavin.

"It almost looks like we had taken your brother by mistake." Iorek Burnison laughed.

"That it could work. I'm sure it would!" I breathed in relief.

"Lyra?" Pantalaimon asked suddenly.

"What is it Pan?" Lyra asked.

"I think we have found the new Bolvanger." he gasped. I turned to see this huge dome-like structure with electrical fences in the distance.

"I think you are right Pan. It's much larger than the last one." Lyra whispered softly.

"Well, I'm going." I told them.

"Dustan, wait." Lyra grabbed my sleeve.

"What is it? I need to go! They could be cutting my friends daemon's away as we speak!" I spat.

"Be careful. It's dangerous. I don't want to lose you again." she sighed.

"I have to go." I told her. Without another word I began walking down the slope. I looked down to make sure Alianora was still in cougar form. I took a deep breath before approaching the fence.

"Who are you and what do you want?" One of the guards growled, looking me over suspiciously.

"I am D- Lord Gavin Belacqua. Ruler after my brother, Lord Darrius." I told him. I bit my bottom lip, hoping the didn't notice my mistake.

"I am truly sorry, Lord Gavin. I'm sure you'll be quite interested in our work." the guard smiled, opening the gate. He doesn't know that I'm going to destroy it. I followed him to the entrance where he left me with a short, bald man. He was wearing a lab coat so I guess he is one of the scientists.

"Right this way, Lord Gavin." he led me past vast of doors and hallways. It will be impossible to find Riley and the others in this building!

"You'll see that we have progressed majorly here. It took fifteen years to get back on track, but we won't keep our guard down this time." the man smiled. Not if I have anything to do with it.

"My uncle Darrius hasn't told me much about the work being done here, what exactly is it that you are doing? Am I allowed to watch or is that too much to ask?" I asked hopefully. Maybe If I can understand how they work I can undo that.

"Of course it isn't. Right this way, Lord Gavin. We shall tell one of the workers to bring us the next child so I can show you how it works. One moment please." the man said, walking away.

"Are you seriously doing this, Dustan? They have to go get another child! You know what they are going to do to this child, don't you? They are going to sever the child from their daemon, Dustan. And we'll have to stand there and watch this child being separated from their daemon and pretend we're okay with it!" Alianora growled.

"Ali, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to know how the machine works if I'm going to do something about it." I sighed. Alianora is right. I can't let them separate the child from their daemon but I don't know what else to do in order to stop them from doing what they are doing.

"It isn't right Dustan!" Alianora cried.

"I know Ali, I know. I'll try to work something out." I told her as the man approached. He had a woman and a small boy at her side. The boy had his face in his daemon's fur.

"Now, come along Lord Gavin. I'll show you what it is that we do here." the man said cheerfully, leading the way down the hallway. I walked beside the child, feeling sorry for him.

"Is it going to hurt?" he asked. I gasped, that voice was familiar.

"Is something wrong, Lord Gavin?" the man asked, turning around.

"No. Nothing at all." I managed to force a smile.

"Alright then, follow me." he shrugged, leading the way once more. The worker walked behind me, leaving me and the little boy in the back.

"Travis." I gasped.

"Gavin?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. Guess again." I whispered.

"Dustan." Travis whispered confidently.

"Yes." I told him.

"Why are you here Dustan? You're the reason we're here." Travis scoffed. I looked ahead to make sure that the two adults weren't listening in on mine and Travis's conversation.

"Look, It wasn't who set you up. It was Gavin. The gobblers thought I was him or they would have taken me too." I whispered.

"If that's true than why are you here?" he asked.

"Tell me, have any of the others been taken away?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Yes." he said, clutching his daemon tightly.

"Who?" I asked.

"I don't know the kids." he shrugged.

"I meant the ones that were caught with you." I told him.

"No, not Riley if that's what you mean." he smiled.

"What about Brandon and Molly? Travis, it's important." I told him.

"No. I'm the first out of us four." he told me.

"Okay." I sighed in relief. I can't let them do this to Travis. Not a kid who looked up to me when he was growing up. They must have done this on purpose, they knew that 'Gavin' set him up to get him captured. They must have thought I would be satisfied to watch as they cut the small boys daemon away from him, the hatred for me growing in his eyes. The thought made me sick, that they wanted me to watch. Now I definitely have to stop them, before they cut Travis's daemon away.

"Dustan, you never answered my question. Why are you here?" Travis asked.

"I'm here to free you and the others." I whispered.

"Really?" his face brightened, I could almost hear his heart beating rapidly.

"Yes. Travis, I want you to fight. Don't let them separate you and your daemon. It isn't just a small cut, they cut your daemon away from you. I wanted to come here before they got to you guys, but came too late. If I don't act soon then it will be too late to save you. Fight Travis, please." I whispered.

"I will. I won't let them take Kazul away from me. I promise." Travis smiled.

"Travis, you don't need to promise anything. It's me who should be promising you. Travis, I promise I won't let them do this to you. I promise I will help you and the others escape." I promised him.

"Here we are, Lord Gavin." the man smiled. I followed the man over to some machines while the worker grabbed Travis's arm roughly.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Travis cried. Kazul had turned into fly and was buzzing around Travis's head, out of reach of the two workers that were trying to catch her. That's it, don't let them get you Kazul!

"Get that boy!" the man growled. I gaped in horror as the worker slapped Travis across the floor, knocking him to the floor. Kazul fell the floor next to him. I bit my bottom lip as I watched the worker pick up Kazul and place her on one side of a mesh cage.

"No! I like my daemon! You can't separate us!" Travis cried, trying to grab hold of something.

"It's only a small cut." the worker tried to reassure him, dragging him to his feet.

"Travis!" I cried.

"You know this boy?" the man asked.

"Yes. He is the son of one of the servants at my home in Oxford. I used to watch him everyday. I knew I recognised him from somewhere, I just couldn't remember his name." I shrugged, stalling them. I need to come up with an excuse why Travis should be placed in there.

"My apologies, Lord Gavin. I had no idea you knew this boy. Do you wish to continue, or do you want me to release this boy?" the man asked, motioning for the worker to wait for my decision.

"Well, what is it for?" I asked casually. I shot Travis a reassuring look to tell him that there was no way he was going in there.

"It is a small cut to make dust go away from children." he said.

"I think Travis will be alright without the cut, he is just a small child after all." I told him.

"Of course, Lord Gavin. Marissa, please. Give the boy back his daemon." the man said. She frowned but did as he said. Travis hugged Kazul tightly when they gave her back to him.

"If you don't mind, I would very much like to escort Travis back to the other children. Surely it wouldn't be any trouble?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course it isn't, Lord Gavin. Just go straight to the end of the hall. It will be the two large doors in the left." the man smiled.

"Thank you, sir. Come along now, Travis. It is time you got back to the other children." I said, tugging him along.

"Thank you Dustan! It it weren't I wouldn't have Kazul. I take back everything I said. you aren't a traitor Dustan, I'm so sorry!" Travis cried, hugging my tightly once we were out of ear-shot of the man and the other workers.

"Travis, you're just lucky I arrived when I did. We need to find the others and then get out of here." I told him.

"I know the way out. I just never tried because I didn't know where to go. If we can get Riley, Brandon and Molly to come with us, then I'll show. I won't leave without them." Travis said.

"I would never leave them here." I promised.