Your comments mean a lot! Thank you! Sorry for the long wait! It's been busy. This may not be the best chapter. I'm trying to decide where to take the story from here. If you have suggestions, let me know! This is short but it's an update so...hope you like it!

-redasthedawn

MARE

After Farley gave us all instructions she dismissed us and I shot out of there to go get something to eat.

As I was walking I heard quick footsteps behind me catching up.

He reached me in a few strides and then we were walking side by side.

"Hey Mare."

"Hey Cal." I said still walking towards the cafeteria.

"How are you liking it here?" He asked making small talk I didn't have time for.

I stopped and turned around almost running into his chest.

"Well I guess you're done throwing a fit?" I spat at him. "I could hear you in there acting like you had some hold over me. We shared one kiss! Do you think that gives you some right to treat me like a piece of meat to be fought over?"

He looked appalled.

"So our kiss didn't mean anything?"

"It was one kiss stolen in the moment. And at that time I was betrothed to your brother and you still kissed me. I think you owe your brother more than that!"

I turned to leave but he grabbed my elbow and swung me around.

"Mare...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. You just don't know what you do to me. I love you."

Unable to process any of this, I left him standing there and ran to the cafeteria.

I got a tray and sat down next to Maven.

"Where did you go after the meeting?" He asks me as I sit down.

I debate telling him the truth but know it would only hurt him.

"I guess I took the long way." I chuckle.

A minute later, Cal sulks into the room getting a tray and looking for somewhere to sit.

Please not here. Please not here. Anywhere but...

And he sits down across from Maven and I.

Now it's awkward.

Everyone is eating in silence just chewing their food not looking up from their plates.

Finally Maven looks up and speaks.

"So what do you think of Farley's plan?"

Cal looks up from his tray glaring at Maven.

"Could use someone with tactical experience helping her out. Someone like me who knows the battlefield and can plan our strategies." Cal says.

Suddenly there's a chuckle from behind him.

"Well then Calore, you want to make the plans next time?"

Farley plops down beside him smacking her tray on the table.

She leans close to him.

"If you want to go around here pretending you're better than everyone because you're silver and you think you know more than me, you can leave and see where that gets you. I've had more experience than you could dream of having out here in the real world, not on a battlefield. So I'd keep those comments to your silver self." She spats. Then she scoots away and goes to eating.

Cal looks like he's been slapped, Maven looks like he may start laughing and Farley's shoulders are tensed up. That is until Shade sits down beside her and begins massaging her tensed shoulders and they slowly relax and she goes back to normal and as they begin talking she actually smiles.

I tilt my head and turn to Maven, my eyes still on Farley and Shade.

"You don't think.."

He chuckles, "Oh yeah. I've seen it since we've got here. Catch up Mare." He smiles.

I push his shoulder shaking my head. Farley and my brother. Who would have thought. I guess they met a while ago through the Scarlet Guard.

Finally done with my food, I throw away my trash and head to my room going to get ready for tomorrow.

Farley wants us to leave early tomorrow morning and get a good start on finding the newbloods before anyone can figure out that there are more people like me.

In my room I grab my bag and start putting my very few belongings in it to take with us. I don't know how long we could be gone. The book had tons of names in there and it won't be easy. We could be gone a month or a year.

Suddenly I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Shade walks in with his ever present easy smile that lights up his eyes.

"Hey," he says giving me and warm hug, "How're you doing?"

I pull back to look at him.

"As well as I can."

"You want to see the family?"

My heart almost stops beating.

"They're here?! I want to see them!"

"Yeah they got here today. Come on then." He takes my hand and leads me out and down the hall and takes several unfamiliar turns.

We stop at a brown door with a red scarf with my sisters shaky embroidered on it. I can see she's still recovering with her hand. I still feel guilty about it, like it's my fault.

The door opens and I see my family there and I want to cry I'm so happy. I haven't seen them in what feels like forever.

I held back my tears until my mother barely whispered my name, "Mare...",like she couldn't believe I was there.

That's when I fell to pieces in her embrace and let it all out from the past few months.

So yeah it was short but I'm trying. As it goes along and they are gathering newbloods it might be a lot of skipping because it would be long, tedious and boring to write about how they find each newblood. Especially when most (I hope all) Red Queen Fans have at least read Glass Sword where they find newbloods. So I may do a few detailed ones but there may be some "a few days/weeks later" in there.

-redasthedawn