With the destruction of Xeno’s previous quarters, Gem and her team had been a source of much panic and hurry among the Sieve’s staff. They had been, in her opinion, disproportionately concerned with finding a suitable place to name as their temporary quarters.

Once she’d told them this, and had the rest of her team agree, she had fully expected them to relax some.

They had not.

After much hectic second-guessing and tedious moving around, she’d finally snapped and told them that constantly being sent to and from different placements in the Crux was agitating her wounded ribs. Not entirely untrue, for while she had healed much of the damage inflicted in her task, pangs of upset and pain were not yet entirely uncommon for her.

Her demands to be left stationary had galvanised the harassed quartermaster and his subordinates, resulting in Gem receiving a room almost instantly.

Unfortunately, it seemed that acting as the prod which forced them into action had left her in the group’s bad graces. This poor sentiment likely extended to her entire team, as well, due to all five of them being placed into the same set of rooms.

It was at that point that Gem had tried, quite desperately, to explain that she really didn’t need to be so close to her teammates, and that it would be quite acceptable for one of them to have the new quarters to themselves, even with its considerable distance from the contestant wing.

This perfectly reasonable suggestion was met with a reminder that in Gem’s poor, wounded state, she couldn’t possibly be expected to dwell so far from the tender hands of her team. One as injured as her would surely need all the help available.

At this, Crow, Astra and Xeno had all accepted the placement, saying it was fine. Gem had been in the process of doing likewise when Unity had wondered rather loudly whether he could better get the message across by killing one of the staff.

The quartermaster had become angry at the threat, face reddening as he declared he’d have Unity flogged and expelled from the Crux. Unity, fingers crackling with crimson forks of intrepid lightning, had informed him that he could “fucking try.”

Gem had stepped in from there, attempting to diffuse the volatile situation. She’d gotten no more than half a dozen words out before the quartermaster interrupted her, sneering as he asked whether she was sure it was okay for her to be walking around in her condition.

Crow had then cut in, attempting to calm things down further. Unfortunately he’d been interrupted by Astra letting out a string of such shockingly creative insults that Gem had half expected Unity to applaud.

The situation had devolved from there, only ending some half hour later with the Crux’s staff storming from the rooms, declaring that they had more pressing concerns and informing Gem’s team that they could move their possessions on their own.

All in all, Gem supposed things could have gone worse.

If nothing else, their new rooms were large enough for five people. Roughly the size of any two of their old quarters, with half of the floor space being taken up by bedrooms, thankfully separated from the rest of the area. There was a scrying slate set up, albeit sloppily, and enough furnishings for them to all sit at once.

Few things were better than having an apartment to oneself, but Gem supposed with the argument ending how it had, she was lucky to have so much space, even to share.

Her time in the medical wing had done her a world of good. Whether through bribery or haste, the staff treating her had left the damage that still stubbornly clung to her ribs somewhat diminished. Enough, in fact, that she was free to move around as she pleased.

It was a uniquely liberating feeling, to stretch her legs and move about her surroundings as she pleased after a week being bound to her bed. Liberating, and spoiled only occasionally by the momentary stabs of pain she felt upon moving too swiftly or greatly.

Gem’s new habit of pacing seemed to irk the rest of her team, and while she wished they’d appreciate the desperation with which she had sought the ability over the previous days, she couldn’t quite blame them either.

With a living area only as big as any of their previous rooms, there was ample space for her to move around it, however the background motion of an entire person could, apparently, be extremely distracting. Gem learned this upon having a pencil, and several angry insults, hurled at her by Unity Eden.

She’d have quite happily continued in spite of him, and did so for several hours, but came to realise that her other teammates were growing annoyed at it, too. Gem was dimly aware that she could simply stroll the corridors of the Crux, taking herself out of their hair, and yet something about the idea didn’t sit right with her.

Unity had been attacked in his own quarters, by an Immortal no less, and would surely have died were it not for the rest of his team. Eclipse, even with all their efforts combined it would have been a simple matter for Unison to snap his neck in an instant. Luck, and the man’s malice, had saved him.

Gem was quite sure no one so powerful as that was after her, and yet nonetheless she felt more secure remaining with her teammates. It occurred to her that they likely felt the same way, at least judging by the fact that none of them suggested she pace outside, even at their most heated.

The first day in their new quarters was uneventful, all things considered. Certainly, it served as no indication as to what would occur in their first evening.

Gem had been somewhere around her fourth restarted count of laps around the quarters when a knock came upon their door. She’d turned to answer it, but found Astra had already done so by the time she was facing the right direction. More likely than not, her eagerness was down to the assumption that any visitors or messages they received would be in relevance to the Sieve.

Hurrying to the side of the blonde, Gem reached her just in time to catch the final few words exchanged.

“I wish you good fortune, Miss Tempora, farewell.”

She caught a glimpse of someone on the other side of the door, seemingly no more than a regular member of the Crux’s staff, before Astra closed it. Gem turned to the blonde, waiting for her to speak. The girl seemed to understand the unspoken question perfectly.

“That was someone sent by the Sieve’s organisers, they just gave me the details of our next task.”

“So the Sieve’s still continuing then?” Gem asked, doing her best to keep the irrational apprehension from her voice. Astra was apparently none the wiser, as she simply nodded.

“Let’s get the others,” the girl said, hurriedly. “I’d rather tell you all at once than need to repeat myself.”

Turning away, she rushed off in search of their teammates. Gem was left standing by the door, her mind smothered by the hundred thoughts running through it per second. Through them all, the one constant, or nearest thing to it, was that she really wanted to sit down.

Her team’s new quarters were all heavily planked, and the groaning of the wood served as Gem’s earliest indicator that Astra had found the others. She was only halfway to the sofa when the girl came back, Crow and Unity in tow. Xeno followed a few steps behind.

There was a scramble to get seated, or in Unity’s case sprawl across the cushions. Astra, having chosen to stand, began to move from one foot to another, clearly irritated at the seconds-long delay her teammates were causing her. Once everyone had quietened down, she spoke.

“Okay, so I just found out what the new task is, and it’s not as bad as it could have been. Two of us are needed for it, it’s in three days, and we’re going up against team Triland.”

Gem racked her brains, trying to put faces to the name. After a moment she managed to recall their leader, Ajoke Balogun. Bârëi’s princess.

“I think our best choice in this case is Crow and Unity,” Astra continued. “Out of all of us, they’re the least injured by far-”

“What about me?”

Astra stopped, turning to the source of the voice along with everyone else. Xeno’s face was unreadable as she continued.

“I don’t have a scratch on me,” she said plainly. “In fact I haven’t been hurt in the slightest since the second stage, mainly because I haven’t fought yet.”

Gem felt her stomach turn as she realised what was happening. They really didn’t need a wounded ego getting in the way of the decision making process.

“Okay,” Astra hesitantly began, “that may be the case, but the fact remains you’re probably best held in reserve-”

“Why?” The girl interrupted, a surprising fire behind her voice. “I’m completely uninjured and my abilities haven’t been used in any task the other contestants could have seen, what reason do we have to hold me back any longer than we already have? Is it that important to you all that you have me to play nurse when you all get hurt?”

There was no answer from Astra, and as Xeno swept her gaze around the room, Gem found herself unwilling to say anything in her place.

Glancing at Crow, she saw the boy looked just as uneasy as she felt. And a look at Unity gave her just a moment’s warning before the boy opened his mouth with an almost lazy air.

“It’s because you’re weaker than any of us.”

All eyes turned to him, followed by Astra’s harsh tone.

“You can butt out of this,” she hissed. The boy didn’t waver at her glare, but nor did he giggle as Gem had expected. Instead, he seemed to challenge it.

“Why? For saying what everyone already knows, but doesn’t want to accept?”

He turned to Xeno, eyes steady as they fixed on the girl, and spoke once more.

“You’re weak, Xeno Warper. It’s not something that’s any fault of your own, nor can you control it, but it’s a fact, and you’d be a fucking moron to ignore it when your life is on the line.

“Unity, I think you’re being a bit too…” Crow began, only to trail off, seemingly at a loss for words. The artificial barely even glanced at him as he answered.

“No, he’s not.” Xeno said quietly, speaking before Unity could. “He’s the only one here who’s saying what nobody else wants to admit. From what you’ve all seen so far, I am weak.”

Gem found the phrasing curious, yet quickly pushed her question to one side, it was hardly the time or place.

“Xeno,” she said, “you’re not weak, you just have different strengths than the rest of us.”

The fae smiled at that, a bitter and rancid smile which showed more irritation than a glare.

“When we first met, you took a look at my magic, didn’t you Gem?”

A fist of ice built in Gem’s chest at the realisation of where their conversation was going.

“I did,” she answered.

“And you told me you were sure I’d do well,” Xeno continued, betraying no emotion in her tone. “You were lying, weren’t you?”

“No, I-”

“Yes you were,” she interrupted. “You were lying because you thought I was just another random mystic at awe of you, and that you’d never have to see me again, or at least not outside of a laboratory.”

Gem wanted to deny it, but her mouth didn’t seem to share her sentiment. Her eyes fell to the floor.

“I don’t blame you,” Xeno continued softly. “None of you, you’re all saying what you are because you want what’s best for me. I understand that, because I want what’s best for all of you as well. But that’s why I can’t just sit back and watch all of you risk yourselves on my behalf anymore.”

“Xeno,” Crow tried, “you don’t need to put yourself at risk by taking part in the tasks to help us, you’ve already-”

“YES!” The girl snapped, silencing the boy with his own surprise, “I’ve already spent hours helping you all. Wrapping bandages, resetting bones, dabbing gashes, Eclipse I’ve spent more time in the reliquary searching for something to give us an edge than the rest of you combined!”

Her face red, Xeno continued in her indignant bout, slight form and girlish features rendering her outburst fangless compared to what it may have been.

It mattered not. Xeno could have been a butcher for all Gem cared, she’d have felt no better or worse watching her pour out her true thoughts.

“Did you all think I was content to just sit in the background, serving as your safeguard? You’re my friends, I want to help you. More than by just sitting back and sewing your limbs back on.” She finished, gasping slightly, as though the vigor with which she had spoken was physically draining.

Astra was the first to answer her, and Gem felt no small amount of relief upon hearing her break the silence.

“I’m sorry Xeno,” she said, dejectedly. “I hadn’t thought about… well, any of that.”

“Me neither.” Crow mumbled, saying no more than that.

Gem felt urged to speak, too. Her face burning with rage at herself for being stupid enough to treat her teammate the way she had. And yet just as her mouth opened to form words, Unity filled the air with the sound of his own shrill voice once again.

“Oh come on,” the artificial shot out. “You can’t be telling me you’re all actually buying this. The reason we kept her from the front lines isn’t because we were being mean,” he said the last few words with a mocking tone, “it’s because she’d fucking die there.”

Astra rounded on the boy, flames burning at the back of her eyes.

“Do you even have the ability to care about what other people are feeling?” She demanded, taking a step closer as she did.

“Yes, I do,” the boy retorted. “In fact, I care more than you do apparently. Since I’m actually aware of how fucking idiotic an idea it would be to let the fae do something which would end with her feeling the sensation of her liver dropping out through a gaping hole in her side.”

“After everything we just heard? Seriously?” Gem cut in, finding it hard to believe even Unity could remain so unmoved. Did he still not realise the way they’d all been unthinkingly treating Xeno, or did he simply not care?

The sheer rage behind the boy’s eyes almost made her flinch as he turned them to face her.

“Yes, after everything we just heard. Don’t tell me you’re actually considering letting her turn herself into a pile of limbs just because she talked about how boring it is to do anything else.”

“She’s our friend, Unity.” Crow said from behind, causing the boy to spin and face him, apparently forgetting about Gem.

“Is she?” The artificial almost laughed. “Really, is she? How long have we all known each other? More to the point, how many conversations have any of you had with her?”

“That’s not the only thing that counts and you know it,” Astra growled.

Gem didn’t hear Unity’s retort, she was too focused on Xeno herself. The girl’s eyes were fixed pointedly on the ground at her feet, hands curled to fists and trembling slightly, whether from embarrassment, rage or something else, she wasn’t sure.

“If you care about her,” Unity boomed, his voice recapturing Gem’s attention with sheer volume, “then keep her out of fucking danger.”

“Enough!” Xeno called out, silencing all arguing parties just as Crow and Astra seemed about to retort. More quietly, the girl repeated.

“I’ve already made my case, and I have no more to say. I want to take part in the next task, to fight. If none of us think I should, then I won’t. But let me just tell you right now, I know I’m capable of more than I’ve shown. I don’t expect you to believe me, but it’s the truth.”

As Gem peered into the fae’s eyes, something behind them almost had her convinced. A rigidity that hadn’t been there before, or at least not visible. Glancing at her other teammates, they seemed similarly at a loss for words.

“Maybe we should take some time to consider this?” Astra suggested, doing an admirable job of hiding her awkwardness. “We have three days, after all. That’s a lot longer to think than we’re letting ourselves have.”

“That’s a good idea,” Gem cut in before anyone else. “I think taking our time to decide is best.”

Unity stared at Astra, then at her. His eyes widened so much and so quickly that she thought they may well burst from his sockets, even as his mouth moved wordlessly in an expression of silent fury, confusion and irritation.

“I agree,” Crow said.

Shifting his focus to the boy, Unity stared for several seconds, saying nothing. His gaze never faltered from the blonde, even for a moment. It was as though he thought he could change his teammate’s mind simply by thinking hard enough.

Finally, Unity spoke with a clenched jaw.

“Fine then,” he spat. “I’ll see if I can’t talk some sense into the rest of you by then.”