The next day, Andras quickly eats breakfast, Lucien sat opposite him, glancing over at him blearily every few minutes. Tamlin had border business to attend to today, so he had risen early and taken off with some sentries. Apparently, Lucien was there to babysit him and was not too pleased about it.

"Just say what you want to say, Luci", he grumbles.

"I should have gone with him this morning, and instead I'm stuck—"

"With me? You're stuck with me. Well, news flash, but I don't need a fucking babysitter, okay? Maybe I should just take myself out of your hair permanently."

Lucien's face goes grave. "What the fuck, Andy. That's not what I meant. Look, everything has been stressful. And with all the losses...it takes its toll. You know that."

"Well, if you'd just train me the right way, I could help."

"We won't lose you too, Andras. You're young. There are...we are losing people rapidly. If we can protect as many younger fae as we can, we are trying to. You are included in that."

"Why? Because you know me personally? Why am I any different than them?"

Lucien sighs deeply. "Because I don't know if Tamlin could handle losing someone else so close to him. Yes, he loves his whole Court and cares for his people and he feels when any one of them dies, which takes its own sort of horrific toll that even I cannot comprehend, but losing someone that you care for personally is different. So in a way, yes. Because he feels like he let your parents down and now he feels responsible for you and as I said, under his...shell...he loves you like a little brother, Andras. I've come to see you a bit like that as well. So please, just—just try to understand."

"My father began to train me as a sentry. I am of age to continue that. I want to help."

"I know you do. But..."

"Lucien, I know we now have less than three years to solve this curse and that it probably is unsolvable. I was born under it, and I have grown under it. I know the toll it takes, you don't have to explain that to me. But I don't want to sit here and be a burden to everyone either. I want to be useful. Even if there is no hope, we have to pretend there is, for morale at the very least, no?"

Lucien looks at him weakly, scratching his cheek under the curve of the fox mask. "You're old enough to be a sentry, and you are smart, Andy. But it would be tragic if your family line ended with you. Not only that, but you have friends here. Friends that would get worse themselves if something happened to you. I don't know if I can take that risk. If I took you out canvassing the borders, Tam would gut me."

"I'll talk to him tonight. If I ask him, and he said okay, you'd take me? I have powers too you know."

"If Tamlin said okay, then I would take you."

Andras grins. "Okay."

Lucien rolls his eyes and finishes his breakfast.

"I'm going to hang out with Calla today."

"Be home by dinner though."

"I know", he replies, getting up from his seat and grabbing his dish. "I'll take this to the kitchen."

Lucien nods and sits back in his chair, watching as Andras dips into the kitchen before angrily tugging at the mask on his face and slamming his hands on the table in frustration, lowering his head as his hair flows in red curtains around his face. When he smells smoke, he immediately lifts his hands from the table, seeing the beginnings of scorch marks and he groans. Less than three years. And then all of them, young and old, will have to decide whether they are better off dead than imprisoned by that horrid witch.

.

.

.

Andras chuckles as he slides down thick, large vines like a slide toward the clearing in Willow's Field. He hops off into a clearing, seeing his friend Calla working on her vegetable garden. He field backs up to her home in the nearest village, Eloria.

She puts her hands on her hips, a small smirk o her face. "Show off."

He laughs and waves a hand, the vines creeping away back into the earth. "Those tomatoes look amazing, Cal."

"They are. Obviously."

She takes her gloves off and wipes her forehead, brushing her strawberry-blonde bangs from her face. "What have you been up to?"

"Ugh, don't ask."

"Still fighting with Lucien and the High Lord, then?"

"Not fighting per se, they're just so fucking controlling. I know it's for good reason, but I'm not a child anymore, even if they see me as one still. I'm seventeen for Cauldron's sake."

She shrugs. "My parents worry a lot too. It's the curse. Everyone has been terrified since long before we were born."

"Yeah..."

"I heard the sentries are still dwindling", she says quietly. "Are... I mean, how is your dad holding up? That's a lot of friends to lose."

Andras looks down, suddenly fixated on a clump of dirt near his feet, willing himself not to tear up, and failing.

"Oh, gods...no..."

A tear makes its way down his face and she throws herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "He volunteered?", her voice breaks.

A sharp nod. "They told me a few days ago at dinner", he whispers brokenly. "I don't understand why. Why would he...why would he leave me?"

Calla hugs him tighter. "I don't think he meant to. I think that like the others he just wanted us to be saved. He wanted us to have a good life, for you to have a good life and a future. It was a shot at a normal future. All of them believe in that."

He sniffs and wipes his face. "Well, he fucking failed. Like all of the rest of them, and now he's dead for nothing. He was stupid, Cal."

She pulls away and bites her lip. "I know you're angry, but you can't be angry at him, Andy."

"Why not? I'm pissed at him!"

"He loved you."

"That didn't save him."

"Regardless, he did it because he believed that there is hope. Because we all need that hope, or what is the use in living anyway?"

He scoffs and crosses his arms. "We're all dead in less than three years, anyway. Hope won't stop reality, Cal."

"We can't think that way. You've never thought that way."

"Things change."

"You're grieving."

His jaw ticks and he looks away silently as Calla grabs his hand and squeezes.

"Let's do something fun today. Take both of our minds off of the looming doom, hm?"

"Like what?"

"Anything."

"We could go swimming?"

He shrugs.

"Or get ice cream?"

"Are we five?"

"So you're saying you don't like raspberry sorbet anymore Mr. Fancypants?"

"Well, no..."

She smirks and raises an eyebrow.

"Alright fine, I could go for some sorbet."

Grinning, she dips into her house to tell her parents then comes back out with a small satchel of coins.

"Uhh, I didn't um—"

"I'll pay. Plus Lav loves us", she chuckles.

Andras blushes slightly. "You sure?"

"Yeah, of course", she smiles prettily, walking down the path with him toward the center of the village where all the shops and vendor carts are. "So...are you just, living alone?"

"No, no. Uh, Tamlin and Lucien took me in. I moved into the Manor."

"Wowww. You really are fancy. The High Lord's Manor itself. Damn."

"It's not like I wasn't acquainted with it before. Sentries' children are basically around the Manor periodically for multiple reasons and events. But now...I guess they didn't want me to drown in loneliness. I should thank them again but I'm just so angry at everything."

Calla nudges him gently. "You have the right to be angry and to feel sad. But...you have me at least. I'll always be here for you. From wombs to tombs, amirite?", she smiles. "Our moms always wanted us to be friends too, and I'm glad we are."

He chuckles lightly and nods, linking arms with her. "You should come to dinner at the Manor some night. If you are so in awe of it. It's actually very big and not too homey. But it's cool."

"Really? I mean, wow. I-I don't know if I—"

"Cal, you're my best friend. Also, Tam and Luci are super curious about you. They have seen you when you've come to hang out with me, but I dunno. Now that we are older, I guess they have inappropriate questions that I would love to quash anyway if you're up for it. Awkward, but the cook's food is immaculate."

Her cheeks pinken and she clears her throat. "What...uhh, what kind of questions?"

"I think you know. The age-old 'male and female friends' question", he sighs. "People are crazy. I don't know why they think it's so impossible. We're good. Just friends is good, refreshing even. Unfortunately, I have enough girls all over me that I try to avoid. Sentries' daughters and others who just see that I'm close with the High Lord."

She becomes unusually quiet and nods. "Yeah, they can be...a lot. Can't really blame them though. Look at you, Andras."

He blushes a bit and glances over at her, raising an eyebrow. He watches her cheeks go pink and a swirling sense of dread fills his gut as he quickly looks away, avoiding whatever that means, though he has his suspicions now. Great.

"I snuck over the wall the other day."

"What?"

"Shh, don't tell anyone. I-I wanted to find my dad's body to bury him. I didn't…there was probably nothing left", he whispers. "But I ran into a human."

"Andy!"

"No, no, listen. She...she wasn't bad. She was afraid of me, but I proved she had nothing to fear. It was pretty insightful to talk to her. I feel like the fae and mortals have been separated way too long and that is where all the myths and the hatred stem from. It would be nice if people could just be friends with people, no matter their species."

Cal blows out a breath. "Prythian hates change, and it is very slow to come, especially with very long life spans."

"I know. But...she was nice. And pretty."

Her gaze lowers to the ground a bit. "Well, you can't go back over the wall. It's a death trap over there. You can't Andy."

"I can be careful."

"Andras", she grinds out. "You can't."

"Why?"

"Because—it's dangerous!"

"It's dangerous, or you just don't understand mortals?"

"Oh, and you do? With one small conversation?"

"What is your problem?"

She huffs and crosses her arms. "I don't have one. I'm just concerned for you. You know that the hunters are out. They killed your father, Andras. You are not fucking invincible. None of us are."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes. I'm the one who lost his parents, Cal."

"Which is why you should be more careful than anyone."

"Why am I cursed too?"

"That's not what I'm saying, but the record isn't great. You're the last of your line."

"Who cares? May have died and their bloodlines died out with them. It doesn't even matter."

"It matters", she turns, grabbing his arm until he looks at her. "Maybe you think nobody would care, but I would. I would care. I—I don't know what I would do if I lost my best friend. Please, be careful", she tears up a bit.

Andras sighs and hugs her close. "I will...I'm sorry. I-I know you'd care, I'm just...everything sucks right now."

"I know...I'm sorry", she whispers and hugs him tighter.

He pulls back and looks at her—really looks at her. She really is beautiful, and the best friend he's ever had. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Cal."

"It's okay. I get it."

They come up to the ice cream stand and a lesser fae with blue-tinted skin and purple hair grins at them. Her dragonfly-shaped iridescent wings flutter behind her.

"Andras! Calla! It's so good to see you two. It's been a while. The usuals?"

Cal grins and nods. "Yes, thank you Lavender."

"Thanks, Lav", Andras chimes in, inclining his head politely.

Taking the coins out of her small pouch, Calla pays her a bit extra and she grins, her voice like the ting of a bell. "Oh, thank you kindly."

A moment later she hands out two cups in her slender fingers. One with his raspberry sorbet and one with Cal's vanilla bean ice cream.

They eat their snack while strolling along the paths of the rolling hills, a dulled green color compared to what Tam and Lucien had once told him were vivid and lush.

"I hope you know that you can talk to me if you need to, or if you just need a shoulder to cry on. Or even a reprieve from the Manor. You could always sleep over at my place, you know my parents love you", she smiles.

He looses a breath and tears up. "I don't know what to do with my life anymore. And why is it even worth it? We're all gonna be dead or even worse in three years. I can't imagine life Under the Mountain with that evil bitch for eternity would be better than death, better than the land of eternal milk and honey, better than seeing my parents again. I just don't see the point when it's all going to end."

"The point is that all hope is not lost yet. If anyone can find a way around this curse, it's the High Lord. You've seen firsthand how hard he's trying. All the losses...they didn't die in vain, Andy. They died for the cause, to try and give us a better life out from under this. I have faith that the Mother wouldn't let Prythian rot under Amarantha forever. She must have a grand plan. We just have to believe that there is a key to this curse. It will happen. One of these losses...one of them will bring the human woman that is supposed to fall for the High Lord. It will happen and it will be successful somehow."

They reach a bench at the top of the hill and he sits, eyes blurred with unshed tears as he tosses his empty cup into the bin beside it.

"We will come out from this, Andy", she says softly. "I know we will." Cal sits next to him and hugs his side as he wraps an arm around her and holds her close, breaking down into sobs.

"I don't think I will, Cal. I have a feeling I won't."

"Don't say that", she chokes up. "You will and I will, and both of us will have a great future."

"When I think of my future, I see nothing. What makes you think my end won't be like my parents?"

"I don't think anyone knows what any sort of future could be like at the moment, That isn't a bad omen, that's just how dire things are right now. Andy", she whispers, cupping his face and looking into his eyes, blue gazing at green, her thumbs sliding over the freckles that pepper his cheeks, his wild blonde curs swaying in the breeze. "As long as we have one another, we can make it through. I promise", her voice breaks and a tear falls down her face. "Together, as it's always been. Forever it will be."

She holds her pinky out and he cries weakly, nodding, joining his pinky with hers. "Forever. Together", his voice cracks.