Fenrys didn't know how he felt about anything anymore and he wasn't excited about all the quiet time in which he had nothing to do but dwell on whatever he was feeling. Or not feeling. He'd shifted back to help Aelin loot the tombs, but nobody in their solemn group was feeling especially talkative and Fenrys couldn't muster the energy to distract himself by starting a conversation.

He sighed and gazed deep into the frozen waters, flickers of midnight dark eels slithering beneath the surface, the only sign of life.

"The fork is just ahead Gavriel," Aelin called back and Fenrys gave another sigh. That was his cue to get back into Aelin and Rowan's boat. Gods knew he didn't want to waste time and energy going after Lorcan with Gavriel. The traitor could rot with Hellas for all he cared.

Gavriel, he'd rather not rot though so he turned around and asked, "Will you join us when you can?"

Gavriel's eyes flicked to Rowan and Aelin. "If I am welcome."

"Of course you're welcome," Rowan replied immediately and Aelin smiled although it still did not reach her eyes.

"We will leave the continent in a week," the Queen said softly. "If you can make it to the shore to meet us, you can join us then. And you can bring your carranam."

"What?" Fenrys snapped his head to look at her. He still couldn't get over the idea that Lorcan and Gavriel were carranam. It was like the gods had played a joke on the world by pairing the kindest, noblest fae with the meanest, bad-tempered, backstabbing half-blood in existence.

His human blood has nothing to do with it, a voice nagged him in the back of his head. Aelin is demi-fae, a mostly human one at that, and you don't think of her any less.

Fine. Lorcan was still the meanest, bad-tempered backstabbing person and didn't deserve a caranam as good and noble as Gavriel. If Lorcan had not betrayed them, Connall might still be alive.

That's not fair. That voice in his head needed to learn when to shut up.

"They are both welcome," Aelin said calmly but her eyes were imploring him to understand. He didn't, but maybe that wasn't important.

"If Lorcan is alive and able to travel," Gavriel said softly. "We will come."

But his tone and expression said that Lorcan wouldn't be alive or able to travel even if he was. Fenrys found some satisfaction in that.

He made himself sick sometimes.

He would never understand what Gavriel saw in the former commander, but when he said he wanted him to rot with Hellas he only meant while alive. The fact that Maeve had already killed Connall and basically killed Lorcan meant they were losing. Rowan was mated to Maeve's enemy and therefore a target, and who knew if Vaughn was even alive or not anymore. No one had seen him in months.

Gavriel and he had the best chance at survival and Fenrys wasn't even sure he wanted to stick around. So that left Gavriel. Who's carranam was dying. Agony tore through Fenrys's magic at the thought of his own carranam.

So, maybe not even Gavriel was guaranteed to survive this.

At least Rowan killed Cairn. That meant they scored one over her but she still had, what? Three? Lyria, Connall, Lorcan, part of Aelin, half of Fenrys, half of Gavriel… that was more than three. He should stop counting. It wasn't improving his mood.

"He tried to get to her, you know," Gavriel said quietly to Fenrys.

"What?"

"Lorcan tried to get to her the instant Maeve released him from the blood oath. I couldn't even move and he was trying to crawl after her."

Anger surged through Fenrys's veins. "Maybe he should have tried harder."

Gavriel shot him an uncharacteristic scowl.

"You can't honestly expect me to forgive him!" Fenrys snapped defensively.

Gavriel didn't respond, he simply pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. Fenrys took that as his cue to jump into Aelin and Rowan's boat.

"There's the fork," Aelin said as they entered a larger chasm which branched off in several directions. Their boat took a fork to the right while Gavriel's trailed to the left.

The Lion lifted his hand in farewell and Aelin and her mate raised theirs in response. Fenrys swallowed and glanced away, gripping the side of the boat so hard it splintered.

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"Careful!" Elide called, as though Nerene understood.

"She's trying!" Asterin snapped over her shoulder as the wyvern lowered Lorcan to the ground gingerly. There wasn't room in the saddle for all three of them and Lorcan was too weak to hang on and too big for Elide to hang on to, so Asterin had Nerene carry him in her talons. It had taken them the full morning to reach the outskirts of Mistward and they'd had to fly low along the river to avoid being seen by patrols. They weren't the enemy and meant no harm, but as Asterin sagely said: all it takes is one sweet wyvern and everyone loses their minds!

They were now within walking distance. Unfortunately, Elide had reiterated her promise to stay outside the fortress limits after sharing memories of Veradis with Lorcan last night. He needed a healer.

Elide eased over Nerene's side and shooed the wyvern's nose away from where she'd been nudging and licking Lorcan.

"What is she doing?" Elide batted the wyvern away again.

"What does it look like?" Asterin slid down after her, patting the wyvern's side. "She's mothering."

"Where should we set up camp?" Elide asked, surveying the clearing.

"Over there by the river again, near those boulders," Asterin motioned.

Elide nodded and knelt down.

"Lorcan?" She shook him gently but he didn't stir. She bit her lip and Asterin kicked her lightly.

"Let's get him over there and start a fire."

Elide nodded begrudgingly, giving him another hopeful shake. He was non-responsive still. She sighed and asked Asterin how they would carry him and was directed to grab under either of his knees as Asterin lifted him under the armpits, bracing the back of his neck against her body, his chin resting on his chest.

Elide grunted under the weight of his legs but Asterin didn't seem to mind how much he weighed as much as his sheer size which made him an awkward package to carry. She jostled him back and forth a couple of times, swearing under her breath. Elide stumbled after her, breaking into a sweat and limping hard.

They had just made it to the boulders by the river and were looking for a place to set him down when a figure popped up from behind one of the rocks. Startled, Asterin's iron teeth snapped down and she hissed at the intruder. A young demi-fae male, probably a year or so younger than Elide, took in the sight of the two of them, and the unconscious male they carried between them, with wide eyes. He went bone white under his freckles.

Dropping the basket of herbs he'd been collecting he spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction screaming:

"Witches! Witches! Help! Witches!"

Asterin's head pivoted toward Elide and she rolled her eyes.

"I think our cover's been blown."

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