One week. Morrible had given her a week to make an impossible decision.

It shouldn't have been hard. Glinda wanted to stay at Shiz. She wanted to be with Boq and Fiyero and Crope and Tibbett, she wanted to drop sorcery and study architecture, and she wanted to never deal with Morrible again. But, more and more, that didn't seem like an option.

She felt trapped, and she was in denial about it. The offer couldn't be her only option. She couldn't be forced into moving to the Emerald City, leaving everything she knew behind, and working for the people who were ruining Oz. There had to be another way.

After spending the weekend curled up in Elphaba's bed, she forced herself to get dressed and go find the boys. A hush had fallen over the campus, now that most of the students had gone home for winter, and she felt a bit of her anxiety fade away into the freezing morning.

"Good morning, Glinda," Crope said as she joined them at the café. "Might I say, that was one hell of a way to start winter break."

Glinda's lips twitched. "Thank you, Crope."

Tibbett leaned in conspiratorially. "Do you think you passed?" he whispered.

This time, Glinda laughed out loud. "With flying colors," she said, rolling her eyes. The tension at the table eased, and Glinda sat back. "I don't think it matters, really. She'll do what she wants, and there's not much I can do to change it."

"The job offer," Boq said quietly.

"Yeah." Glinda sighed. "She gave me a week to decide."

"Wait, that sorcery position in the Emerald City?" Fiyero asked. "I thought you said no ages ago."

"She keeps bringing it up," said Glinda. "If I keep turning it down, I don't…" She trailed off. She didn't want to say Morrible had threatened her. They didn't need to worry about that.

"She gave you a week to decide, but she's forcing you to say yes?" Tibbett rolled his eyes. "How considerate of her."

Glinda folded her arms across the table and rest her head on them. "To be fair, it would help my magic. I can't keep blowing up like I did last week."

"Do you really think going to the Emerald City with Morrible is going to help?" Fiyero asked. "Because, come on. There has to be a better way."

She shifted in her seat, but Boq responded before she could.

"What about all your research on healing spells?" he said. "It was excellent, and that was without any help. I don't think teachers are the solution. I think you need to stay away from Morrible."

"I can't stay away from her," Glinda protested. "I was supposed to have a month away from her, but yesterday she said we would continue our sessions throughout break. Not that it matters, because now she's pushing this offer, and I can't escape it. Believe me, I would love to never see her again. She's just not making that an option."

"So…what are you going to tell her?" Fiyero asked quietly.

Glinda shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered. "I just don't know."

Elphaba was tired. The broom dangled loosely in her hand and she could barely keep her feet from dragging across the ground.

There were soldiers out tonight, wandering through the city. The three of them had split up on their way home, figuring it would be easier to sneak past the guards individually. Malky was somewhere nearby, leaping gracefully from rooftop to rooftop. Once in a while she heard a quiet, unassuming meow. No one would bother him—even if he was spotted, they would just assume he was a regular cat. Peric had disappeared, too, flying overhead, but she saw no trace of him.

Elphaba herself was left to creep through alleyways. The broom was too conspicuous for her to join Peric in the sky, and it wasn't like she could follow Malky. She sighed and leaned against the wall as a pair of soldiers walked by. Her eyes slid closed, and she had to blink hard to get them to open again.

It wasn't even that late. She shouldn't have been so tired, but her magic had drained her, and she wasn't sleeping well, and…

"You're falling behind, Fae."

Elphaba looked up, but she only caught a glimpse of Malky's tail as he disappeared. She pushed off the wall and kept going. It wasn't far now. She imagined slipping into the corn exchange and collapsing on her bed. Her hand reached up, fingers wrapping instinctively in the scarf around her neck.

"What was that?"

She stepped back, pressing herself to the wall. Stupid, she cursed herself. The two guards at the end of the alley paused.

"What?"

"I thought I saw…"

There was a quiet meow, and one of the guards groaned.

"Is that what you saw? Some dumb cat?"

Elphaba heard Malky hiss and run off.

"I guess," said one of the guards. Elphaba let out a breath as they kept walking.

"Nice going, Fae," Peric said when they met outside the corn exchange a few minutes later. She ignored him and went in, heading straight for her bed, but Peric flew over and landed on it before she could get there.

Elphaba groaned. "Will you drop it? I'm exhausted. I slipped up. It won't happen again."

"Yes it will," said Peric. "You're exhausted because you're not taking care of yourself."

"Who says I'm not taking care of myself?"

"You don't sleep, you pour yourself into every job we have—"

"That's a bad thing?"

"When you drain yourself so much that you can't make it home safely, yes."

She rolled her eyes and tossed her broom to the side. Malky had slipped away to his corner, but she could see the light reflecting off his eyes as he watched them, unblinking.

"Does it matter?" she asked, shaking her head. "I mess up once, and suddenly I need an intervention?"

Peric shifted his wings. "I'm worried about you."

"Fine. Worry about me. But we're still getting stuff done, aren't we? So it doesn't matter."

"It does, though," he said quietly. "You made a tiny mistake tonight, but what about next time? What happens when you step out in front of a guard and Malky isn't there? What happens when you're exhausted and surrounded and can't fight your way out? Because you can deny it all you want, Fae, but this won't be the last time this happens. Not if you keep going like this."

"What do you want me to do, then?" She threw her arms up and turned away, beginning to pace. "You want me to sleep? I've tried. Want me to slow down? I can't. You wanted to be noticed by the Resistance, didn't you? Well, here we are, getting mission after mission and pulling them off. So what's the problem? What would you have me do?"

"Just—" Peric snapped his beak, his eyes hard. "Stop acting like everything is fine!"

Elphaba stopped short. Slowly, she turned to look at him.

"You go on like nothing matters, like the only thing that's important is our job, but that's not true," he said.

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the ground. "Our job is the most important thing," she muttered.

Peric snapped his beak again. "Your grandfather died. Your sister is furious with you. You're separated from Glinda. You can't keep pretending like none of that is hurting you."

"So what?" She walked over to her bed and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting next to him. She rubbed her forehead and continued to glare at the floor. "I made sacrifices. Who hasn't?"

"But you've left so much behind, and you won't even acknowledge it." Peric's voice was soft. "I know how much you loved Shiz, and it was taken away from you after such a short time. Yet, you act like it never existed."

"What do you expect?" she snapped. "For me to just pour my heart out? You know me better than that."

"I expect you to realize that you're not invincible."

Elphaba scoffed. "I know I'm not invincible. I'm the farthest thing from it."

"Fae…"

She looked across the room, where Malky was still watching, his eyes flat and glowing in the light. He blinked slowly, then turned away, curling up into his corner. Elphaba sighed. She reached to the side and grabbed her broom, then pushed herself to her feet.

"Where are you going?"

She ignored Peric and flew out the window on the second story. She landed easily on the roof and walked over to the edge, settling down with her knees hugged to her chest and the broom beside her. Sighing, she leaned forward and set her chin on her knees, gazing across the Emerald City. Parts of it were beautiful and bright, others were dark and filthy, but they all stretched out before her, oblivious and apathetic to her existence.

Yes, she had loved Shiz. It had meant everything to her. Even now, when she knew it was impossible, she longed to go back. But it didn't matter. She couldn't. And thinking about it only made her sick to her stomach, so she ignored it.

Well, she tried to, at least.

Elphaba closed her eyes and curled tighter, pressing her forehead to her knees. She wanted to see Glinda again, but she refused to seriously consider the idea. How could she keep putting her in danger? Besides—and this was, perhaps, even worse—returning to Shiz had caused even more pain. Elphaba winced, remembering Glinda collapsing to the floor, sobbing, all because she knew Elphaba had to leave again.

What happens to us? Glinda had asked her, but she didn't have an answer. Not then, and not now. So what could she do? What could Peric possibly expect from her? Of course she poured herself into their missions. They were the only thing that made sense.

A small noise escaped from the back of her throat, and she bit the fabric at her knee, trying to force it back down. It didn't matter. As long as they got through each night, none of it mattered.

Under different circumstances, spending winter break at Shiz would have been absolutely wonderful.

With almost no other students around, they were bothered by no one. Even the faculty and staff that were still on campus left them alone. Boq and Fiyero convinced the man who ran the boys' library to allow Glinda in, and since it was winter break, the librarians paid the group no attention.

"It's gorgeous in here," Glinda said as they led her through the building. "And so different from the girls' library. Did you see the sculpting out front? It's from a completely different era. And the arches off the main hall? This had to have been built at least a century before."

Fiyero grinned and nudged her. "Nerd."

She smiled and followed them. They stayed on the first floor, where there were less bookshelves and more work spaces. The tables were elegantly carved from some sort of dark wood, and most of the chairs were cushioned. Boq took them to the far side of the floor, where it opened up into a small lounge-type area.

"Oh Oz, you guys have a fireplace?"

Crope laughed and hopped into one of the bigger chairs. Tibbett followed and immediately curled up with him. Fiyero took another chair, stretching across it.

"Beats hanging out at the café, doesn't it?" said Tibbett. "And, even better, Morrible has no reason to come here."

Boq sat cross-legged on the floor near the fireplace. Glinda stretched out on her side near him, smiling as the heat from the fire warmed her back. "This is amazing. Let's hang out here all the time."

"It's not as fun during the semester," Fiyero assured her. "The librarians here can get pretty grouchy."

"Especially when Boq is working," said Crope.

"Hey!"

"So, my father sent another newspaper," Tibbett said suddenly. Glinda propped her head on her fist and looked at him.

"Anything about Elphie?" she asked.

Tibbett shook his head. "No, actually. It was talking about the secession."

Boq leaned forward. "What about it?"

"It's not official yet, is it?" Fiyero asked. "Surely we would have heard…"

"No, it's not official. The article was talking about Colwen Grounds. Apparently the Eminent is receiving visitors again."

"Why?" Glinda tilted her head. "What's the point, if Munchkinland is just going to separate from Oz?"

"It means the announcement will be soon," said Boq. "Any day now, probably. If Colwen Grounds is open when they declare independence, it's less rebellious."

"It's pretty rebellious anyway," Crope said.

"Well, yeah, but our options are kind of limited."

"Will you have to leave?" Fiyero asked quietly.

Boq shifted, bringing his knees to his chest. "Yeah, eventually. After treaties are made—or not made, as the case may be—with the Wizard." He looked up at Tibbett. "Did they say anything about the Eminent travelling to the Emerald City?"

"No," said Tibbett.

"Would they?" Glinda asked. "I mean, if I was the ruler of Munchkinland, I wouldn't want people to know when I'm travelling. Especially if I was about to declare independence."

"Especially if you were related to Elphaba," Crope added, grinning slightly. "Bet you anything secrecy runs in the family."

"I wonder what the Wizard is doing," said Fiyero. "I mean, everyone is talking about the secession, but the Wizard hasn't made any reaction. Surely he would have made a statement by now, right?"

"Maybe he's waiting," Tibbett said. "The Eminent is young. He probably thinks he can control her if he plays it right."

Glinda let out a short laugh. "He's sorely mistaken. Like Crope said, she's related to Elphaba. She won't be controlled by anyone."

"Then there's hope after all." Boq looked around at each of them. "You all know I don't want to leave Shiz, but part of me is glad Munchkinland is defying the Wizard."

Fiyero nodded. "Someone needed to."

Glinda looked at Crope and Tibbett, then at the other two. "I agree, but how many people are going to get hurt in the process? How many relationships will be torn apart?"

Boq stretched his legs out in front of him. "You're right. Everything is going to change."

"Again," Fiyero muttered. Glinda's shoulders sagged.

"But," Boq said slowly, "we can't stop it. We might as well go with it, and do what we can to make the change a good one."

Crope's hand found Tibbett's, and their fingers intertwined. Fiyero tilted his head forward, his eyes glowing warmly. Boq met her gaze, the corner of his mouth lifting into a sad smile.

Glinda took a deep breath. She thought, just for a second, about Morrible's offer. But then she pushed it away and thought instead of her friends, and the fire crackling warmly behind her, and the little bit of hope that hovered between all of them in that moment, and she exhaled with a smile.

"You're right, Boq," she whispered, nodding. "You're absolutely right."

Halfway through the week, they decided to leave campus and wander around town for a day. The boys seemed intent on keeping Glinda away from Morrible's reach, and even though she knew they couldn't put off her decision forever, she was grateful.

Unlike the campus, Shiz was bustling. People hurried to and from shops, trying to complete all their shopping before the holiday really set in. Glinda and the others did their best to stay out of the way as they walked casually around the town. Glinda bought a sketch book and a nice set of pencils. It was an impulse, but she missed designing buildings, and she thought that, even if Morrible was forcing her to continue with sorcery, she could still dabble in architecture on her own time. If she ever had any.

They made their usual round through the bookstore. Crope bought a raunchy romance novel and gave it to Tibbett with a smirk. "Happy early Lurlinemas," he said, kissing his cheek. Glinda quickly turned away from them and followed Boq further into the store.

Boq lingered in front of an aisle, then went through it. Glinda looked up at the sign on top of the shelf: History. He grabbed a book, checked the price, then hesitated. After a moment or two, he tucked it under his arm and moved to the next row of shelves. Life Sciences.

Glinda leaned against a shelf and watched him pick up another book. He held them both in his hands, clearly torn, but then his jaw set and he went up to the counter to pay for them. Glinda's heart sank. All year, Boq had been adamant about not spending money, yet now he bought two books just for his own pleasure. He was preparing to go home, and treating himself to make up for the fact that he would have to leave.

They ended up at a cozy little sandwich shop for lunch. They sat at a table near the window, and Glinda kept getting distracted by all the people rushing about outside.

"This is crazy," said Boq, nodding toward the street. "I can't believe people do this every year."

"It's worse in the Emerald City," Crope said. Tibbett nodded next to him.

"What's Frottica like in the winter?" Fiyero asked.

Glinda tore her eyes away from the window. "A lot like this. Maybe a bit quieter." She wrinkled her nose a little. "More snow."

"That's just this winter," said Tibbett. "I'm disappointed, too."

Glinda looked back at the window, this time focusing on the frost that was creeping in from the corners. She tilted her head a little, marveling at the tiny, intricate patterns. It was an intriguing design, crystalline and branch-like, and she wondered how it would hold up in a building.

"My father wrote to me," Tibbett said. "He's disappointed I'm not coming home."

"My parents, too," said Crope. "Though they also told me how much they missed Tibbett."

Fiyero laughed. "I guess I have it easy. My parents don't even expect me to come home at this point."

"The runaway prince?" Tibbett asked, batting his eyes.

"Something like that." Fiyero looked at Glinda and tilted his head. She smiled a little.

"I haven't really talked to my parents, actually. I don't think they care that much. I would only see them a few times, anyway. And then there's my Ama. She's a little sad, but she understands."

Boq looked out the window. "Do you think…" He swallowed and shook his head. "Is this the last time we'll all be together?"

Everyone shifted and stayed quiet. Glinda folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them intently. Someone sighed.

"No," Crope said eventually. His voice was steady, completely certain. "I demand that we all hang out tomorrow."

Glinda giggled, and she wasn't the only one. She looked up again and saw Boq relax a little. He opened his mouth, maybe to press the issue, but then he closed it and shook his head, smiling.

"Okay," he said. "Sounds good to me."

I know how much you loved Shiz, and it was taken away from you after such a short time.

Elphaba shouldn't have been awake, and yet here she was, once again alone on the rooftop, watching the afternoon fade slowly into evening. It had been almost dawn when they returned to the corn exchange that morning, and they were heading out for another job as soon as it was dark. She had barely slept in that time, and about an hour ago she had given up and flown up to the roof to be alone with her thoughts.

It wasn't anything unusual. She was thinking about Nessa, so young and alone and trying to hold her own in Oz's screwed up world of politics. Thinking about Nessa led to thinking about Munchkinland. The papers in the Emerald City had given her a break and were instead speculating about the secession that was sure to be announced any day now. Munchkinland made her think about Boq, and what he would have to do to take care of himself and his family. She hadn't forgotten what Glinda had said about him, how they were all worried.

And then, always, she thought about Glinda. Glinda alone in their room. Glinda suffering through Morrible's class. Glinda eating dinner with the boys, or sitting in the library with Boq, or curling up in Elphaba's bed. Sometimes Elphaba would remember the feel of Glinda's hand in hers, the shine of her hair, the warmth when she was in Elphaba's arms. She remembered late nights when they were wrapped around each other on the bed, just talking. She remembered hours spent with all their friends, with Glinda next to her giggling, joking, waving her hands as she told a story. She remembered how Glinda felt, how she sounded, how she looked when she was amused, when she was tired, when she was frustrated, when she was happy.

But remembering, somehow, hurt more than anything else. Elphaba shook her head and grabbed her broom. They would have to leave soon, and the last thing she wanted was for Peric to find her up here brooding. She flew easily back into the corn exchange and quietly went about gathering her things for the night.

They left as soon as night had fallen over the city. The job wasn't anything special—just a quick break-in. The house belonged to one of the Wizard's advisers. She had been speaking out against secession and was threatening any and all Munchkinlanders living in the Emerald City. The woman had no immediate family and usually spent her nights in her suite in the palace, so the house was empty.

Everything went smoothly until they were getting ready to leave.

They slipped out of a back door, Peric and Malky in front of Elphaba, who whispered a quick spell and re-locked the door. She turned around to find Malky low against the ground, his ears flat against his head and his tail puffed out behind him.

"What—?"

"Over there!"

Shouts went up all around the block as two soldiers stepped into view, raising their guns.

"You're surrounded and outnumbered," one of them called. "Stand down."

Elphaba thrust her arm out and knocked them both back. "No, thank you."

"We need to get away from here," said Malky. "Peric, can you fly out?"

He shifted his wings. "Not here. Too much light."

"That's fine," Elphaba said, already backing into the shadows. "Just stay close."

They took off running. She led the way, throwing back any soldiers who appeared in their path. Malky ran silently at her heels, and Peric glided along just behind them, flying low to the ground.

Elphaba stuck to the side streets, trying not to lead them out into the open. It worked until she turned a corner and the road widened into a courtyard, complete with a small yet running fountain. Elphaba swore violently. Half a dozen soldiers were already there, rushing toward them. She turned halfway around and saw three more coming from behind, trapping them in.

Peric leapt into the air, throwing himself at the nearest guard with a terrible screech. Malky hissed and leapt at the legs of another soldier, knocking him down. Elphaba turned toward the men in front of them and swung her arm, but the magic faltered and only one guard fell back. The others rushed at her. She barely had time to swing her broom up before the first one reached her. The broom hit his chest, knocking him back. Elphaba spun around as another guard thrust the butt of his rifle at her. She raised her broom, blocking the blow, and kicked his knees, sending him to the ground.

Someone grabbed her from behind, yanking her arms back and forcing her to drop the broom. He shoved her down and raised his gun. She scrambled to her feet and leapt to the side as the shot was fired, landing close to the fountain.

Growling, she reached out for the broom. It flew toward her, hitting the guard on its way and distracting him long enough for Elphaba to send a blast of flames at him. He cried out and stumbled back, dropping his gun, but Elphaba sagged, already feeling the energy drain out of her. She pulled herself together as another soldier came at her. She held her own for a moment, managing to disarm him and hit him squarely in the jaw, but he grasped her shoulders and kneed her in the stomach. Elphaba doubled over, wheezing, and he pushed her away. She stumbled back until her legs hit the edge of the fountain.

"Fae!"

Elphaba clenched her teeth as she fell into the water. It was shallow, and she was wearing enough layers that it didn't immediately soak through. Suddenly Peric was above her, his talons gripping her cloak at the shoulders to lift her out of the fountain and back to her feet. Off to the side, Malky was making short work of the remaining guards.

"Are you okay?" Peric asked, hovering around her. Elphaba tore off her cloak and shook out her hands. The spray had completely covered her right side and most of her back, and it was starting to seep through her clothes, stinging her skin. There were other places, too—the back of her hand, her neck—that had been directly hit, but she didn't focus on it.

"I'll be fine as soon as we get out of here," she said.

"Then let's hurry," said Malky. "I can hear more coming."

They ran again, Malky in the lead this time, heading for the lower districts. Every step hurt worse for Elphaba, but she ignored it and forced herself to keep pace with the others. More guards were shouting behind them, their footsteps getting louder. Malky reached a crossroad and skidded to a halt, hissing. Two guards were at the intersection, raising their weapons. Peric swooped down on them long enough for Elphaba and Malky to turn and run the other way.

Except, the other way went on for only a couple hundred feet before becoming a dead end. Malky froze and Elphaba stumbled to a halt next to him. They were closed in, a sheer brick wall ahead of them and a couple run-down shops on either side. She turned to face the guards that were behind them, closing them in. Peric landed near her feet, his head bowed low, glaring at the soldiers.

Elphaba glanced up. There weren't as many lights here, and the sky was dark enough for Peric to disappear as soon as he cleared the rooftops.

"Fly," she hissed. "Get out of here."

"Not a chance," he said.

The soldiers were closing in. Malky snarled and pounced. He leapt up onto a windowsill, turned on a paw, and tackled one of the soldiers. Elphaba raised her arm, ignoring the screaming burns along her side, and sent another guard flying back.

Peric flew forward, snapping his beak and unfurling his wings. A guard cowered, stumbling back, but another ran forward, raising his sword. Elphaba reached her arm out, but the magic hummed weakly in response. She managed to lift the soldier a couple feet into the air, but her arm trembled and she nearly stumbled forward. He yelped and twisted, breaking free of the magic and collapsing to the ground.

"More coming!" Malky hissed, his ears flicking toward the road. Elphaba was breathing heavily. She met his gaze and nodded toward the rooftop, but he hesitated.

"Go," she said. Another guard ran toward her and she spun, hitting him solidly with the broom. "Peric, you too. I'll cover you."

Somewhere behind her, Peric snapped his beak. "No."

"I'm right behind you, just go."

"But—"

"We don't have time for this," Malky hissed. "Come on." He pounced onto the closest guard, then up onto a rooftop. Peric muttered something but unfolded his wings and leapt into the air, nearly knocking over another guard as he flapped down.

One of the soldiers cried out and raised his gun, but both Animals had already vanished from sight. Growling, the soldier lowered his weapon, aiming further down the alley instead.

Elphaba tried to move, but there was nowhere to go and the burns made her too slow. The shot echoed through the alley, ringing in her ears, and she fell back against the wall. She felt the cold brick scrape at her clothes, but it was quickly drowned out by the pain that exploded in her side.

Panic set in as she heard Peric call her name. "Don't!" she screamed. The guards in front of her cried out in surprise as a rush of magic escaped her. "Just go!"

"But—"

"Go!"

There was no response. Magic bubbled beneath her skin, tingling in her palm, but spots were dancing in her vision. A spell would almost definitely take more energy than she had. There was no fighting her way out of this one. Her other hand tightened its grip on the broom, which also seemed, somehow, to be brimming with energy. Peric and Malky had safely escaped, and it was time for her to do the same.

Elphaba tugged her hat down low over her head and swung a leg over the broom. It took off immediately, shooting her up and over the heads of the soldiers. She heard their guns firing again, but if they hit her she couldn't tell.

She couldn't tell much of anything, really. Her side was wet and warm, her skin burned, but everything else was getting cold. She leaned low over the broom as it evened out. Just below her, the Emerald City blurred. Could the soldiers still see her? Would they follow her? She didn't want to risk leading them back to the corn exchange. She tried looking around for Peric or Malky, but if they were still nearby, she couldn't see them. She couldn't lead the guards to them, either. Her thoughts scattered as her body hesitated, and she felt her consciousness starting to slip away.

The broom hummed beneath her and angled north, apparently knowing where to go. Elphaba's only thought was to grip it as tight as she could. She let the broom carry her away as the rest of her mind went numb.