Soren stood atop a distant hill overlooking Castle Draconia, chewing his fingernails. Agni knew he was Draconian, but the Cadmian king had no idea that he had once had ties to the men leading the Occultus Draconem against him. That was a long time ago, though, and the less Agni knew, the better.

He wondered about the charms that the rebels had placed around the castle. Soren knew that his fellow Enforcers couldn't see the castle for what it really was—they only saw ruins of what had once been a great fortress. If he told them about the spells, would they become suspicious of him? Should he let them just figure it out on their own, and let them destroy what little might be left of his people?

"Soren?" One of the Enforcers placed her delicate hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"What?" Soren had been so lost in thought that he'd almost forgotten why he was there. "Oh, yes. I'm fine."

"Sir," another Enforcer spoke up, adjusting his gloves, "our men have detected at least six groups of rebels surrounding the castle ruins. There's nothing else here, though. Why are they protecting a pile of rubble?"

"Well," Soren sighed, eyeing the castle, which was very much intact, "perhaps they're trying to protect it from invasion, using it as their rendezvous point with the intent on eventually rebuilding. Of course, their rebellion would have to succeed for that to happen."

"I don't understand why we're following a Draconian," a voice behind Soren said with a scoff. "I thought they were all supposed to be Cleansed."

"What was that?" Soren asked, turning around to face one of his Enforcers.

The man leaned against a dead tree with his arms crossed, hatred in his eyes as he glared at Soren. How troublesome. There was always someone who had a problem with Soren being a Dragon, but it didn't change the fact that he was in charge, appointed by King Agni himself.

"I just don't see why we're taking orders from some overgrown lizard," the man said, spitting on the ground. "Draconians are all supposed to be wiped out—they're not fit to lead anyone."

"Is that a challenge?" Soren asked, gripping the hilt of his sword, and the Enforcer stood, taking a dagger out of his belt with a grin on his face.

"Now, hold on!" Another Enforcer put herself between Soren and the other man. "Kian, leave Soren alone. He's been nothing but loyal to King Agni and the Enforcers from the start, and you've been perfectly fine with it for years. Don't start trouble now."

"How can we be sure we can trust him, Minah?" Kian asked, scowling at Soren over her shoulder. "We were supposed to kill all the Dragons, including the royal family. And yet, here we are, years later, taking orders from one. We have to invade Draconia again, because some of the Dragons got away and are trying to rebuild, and not only that, there's the matter of the Dragon Prince! He's supposed to be dead, and Soren's let him get away. Twice!"

"We were all there, Kian," Minah said, rolling her eyes. "You watched him run that kid through with his sword. No one can survive without the antidote."

"And that's another thing!" Kian took a threatening step forward, but Minah kept him back. "He made a deal and gave a Dragon the antidote, even though he planned on killing the kid the whole time. What was the point of that? He should've just killed them all!"

"I've had just about enough of your insubordination," Soren said, unsheathing his sword. The poisoned blade glimmered in the moonlight. "If you really hate me that much, let's settle it right now!"

"Stop it!" Minah demanded, keeping herself firmly between the two Enforcers. "Now is not the time to be fighting each other. We're here to take down the Draconian rebellion and finish off what's left of Draconia. If you two don't stop fighting, they'll find us before we even leave this hilltop."

"We've wasted enough time," Soren said, turning his back to them. He looked down to where Castle Draconia sat, and wondered how easy it would be for the Enforcers to break through the illusion of the castle ruins. How many Draconians would be there? There couldn't have been more than a handful that had escaped at the beginning of the Cleansing, but that was years ago.

"Are we gonna do this or what?" Kian asked. "I'm tired of waiting."

Soren closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let's go."

***

King Nero sat on his throne, resting his chin on his hand. He seemed to be deep in thought, but didn't speak. Kenric was hesitant to approach him, peering through the doorway, but he had urgent matters to attend to.

"Your Majesty," he said as he entered the throne room. He knelt down, showing his palms to Nero. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I need to speak with you immediately."

Nero's gaze moved down to Kenric, but he didn't speak for some time. He just sat there in silence, looking at the young man with interest.

"There's no need for you to keep your hands up to me," he finally said. "What do you need?"

"Theron still hasn't woken," Kenric explained as he stood, lowering his arms, "but I can't afford to sit here and wait any longer. Draconia is in danger as we speak."

"What kind of danger?"

"The man who works under King Agni, leading the Enforcers..." Kenric clenched his fists tightly, a ball of anger building in his chest. "He's a Draconian himself. He intends to lead the Enforcers back into Draconia. Only a Dragon can see through our defenses, which means there's nothing stopping the Enforcers now."

"So, what do you suggest?" Nero questioned, shifting to sit up straighter on his throne.

Kenric's head was spinning in a thousand directions as he tried to come up with an answer. With everything that had been happening, he really didn't know what to do anymore. He felt like a failure, both as a leader and a friend. Everything was crumbling around him, and there seemed to be no way to stop it.

And what about Theron? Soren was already lost to them... what would he do if he lost Theron too? The thought was too terrible, but he couldn't just sit in Anzino and wait any longer.

"I have to go back," Kenric said. "I have to try to stop the Enforcers. I need to make things right."

"Make things right?" Nero scratched his head. "What are you talking about? The crisis in Draconia is not your fault. It's Agni's."

"Sire," Nero's guard called as she entered the room. She knelt in front of her king, but got back up quickly. "Your Majesty, the king of Cadmus is here to see you."

"Speak of the devil," Nero uttered. "Send him in, Noira."

"Yes, King Nero."

"Stay here," Nero said to Kenric, motioning for him to stand beside the throne. "You'll probably want to hear what he has to say."

When King Agni entered, Kenric's whole body went tense. This man... barely older than Blaise... was responsible for the near-destruction of an entire race of people, and he looked as though he didn't have a care in the world. How could he sleep at night knowing how much blood was on his hands?

"Remain calm and quiet," Nero whispered to him, keeping his eyes fixed on Agni.

"Hello, Nero," Agni said with a fake smile plastered on his face. Kenric wanted to slap it right off. "It's been a long time."

"You will address the king of Anzino as 'Sire', 'Your Majesty', or 'King Nero'," Noira demanded, but Nero put his hand up to silence her.

"That won't be necessary, Noira. Please, leave us."

Kenric did his best to keep his composure as he stood beside King Nero, but Agni was staring him down. Of course, Kenric's glowing eyes would give him away, and Agni wanted all of the Dragons wiped out.

"Am I to assume that you've taken the side of the Dragons, King Nero?" Agni asked in a mocking tone, a hint of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. He eyed Kenric from head to toe, and Kenric clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. "And the rebels, as well, from the looks of that uniform? I would think that a king should associate himself with better company."

"The company I keep is no business of yours, Agni," Nero said, his powerful voice reverberating around them. "The people of Draconia may be outlaws in your kingdom, but not in mine. Now, why are you here?"

"I've come to ask for an alliance. Join Cadmus in the best interest of the kingdoms."

"The best interests of the kingdoms?" Nero forced a laugh. "Or the best interest of your kingdom? What does Anzino have to gain from an alliance with Cadmus?"

"Cadmus is a powerful kingdom. As you're well aware, Draconia started a war by killing my brother, and they were dealt with swiftly and without mercy."

Kenric was filled with rage, so much that he took a threatening step forward, ready to take Agni head-on, but Nero put out his arm to stop him. Agni had noticed, and had a twisted smile on his face.

Why was Nero letting Agni speak this way? Kenric's entire body shook with anger. He would have killed Agni where he stood if he didn't know any better—that would only make the Dragons look more guilty, wouldn't it? After all, Agni claimed that they'd killed King Anguis. If Kenric acted rashly and killed Agni, that would only be another nail in the coffin for Draconia.

"Let me make something perfectly clear," Nero said with a threatening tone as he stood. He pushed Kenric back before approaching Agni himself. "Anzino wants no part in your crusade against the people of Draconia. Even if a Dragon did kill Anguis, which I highly doubt, it is irresponsible to blindly label all Dragons as our enemies."

"So..." Agni narrowed his eyes at Nero. He glanced over at Kenric for a moment, then back to the king. "You've thrown your lot in with those murderers?"

"The only murderer in this room is standing right in front of me," Nero stated, standing tall. "So, you would do well to watch what you say in my kingdom, King Agni. Don't forget that my brother's blood is on your hands."

"Your brother attacked my Enforcers to stop a Dragon from being Cleansed. You know the laws of Cadmus—he got what he deserved."

"Your laws mean nothing to me, and no one deserves to die for doing what's right," he told Agni. "I'll say this one time, and I will not repeat myself. If you attempt to bring destruction down upon my kingdom or me, you will fail. Anzino stands with Draconia. Now, get out!"

"You're going to regret you ever said that," Agni said with a scowl. He shot a hateful glare in Kenric's direction, then stormed out without another word.

Kenric let out the breath he'd been holding since Nero had stood up to take on Agni. He still held the anger in his chest from everything King Agni had said, and he sat down on the steps, his hands shaking.

"Are you all right?" Nero knelt in front of Kenric, looking over him with his bright silver eyes. "Hopefully Agni won't be stupid enough to try to attack Anzino—he should know his kingdom isn't really strong enough, even with the Enforcers under his thumb."

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Of course I did," Nero said, nodding. "Anzino has remained neutral these past few years, along with the other surrounding kingdoms. However, considering all that's happened, such as my brother's death, as well as Agni's attempt just now to intimidate me into joining forces against Draconia... it would seem that neutrality is no longer an option."

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Noira asked tentatively as she reentered the throne room.

"I'm fine," he said, standing up to face her. "I want you to send notice to the surrounding kingdoms. All of them. It's time for Agni's tyranny to come to an end. Set up more guards at the border of Cadmus, and then I would like you and your faction to escort this young man back to Draconia."

"Yes, King Nero." Noira bowed to him, and Kenric thought he could see a hint of a smile on her face. Was she as happy as he was that someone was finally going to help the Dragons stand up against the king of Cadmus?

"Thank you," Kenric said, and Nero gave him a warm smile. "I don't know what changed your mind, but really, thank you."

"Anzino was once a victim of tyranny, you know," Nero explained, "but once I became king, I worked hard, and I've kept the peace here for a very long time. With someone like Agni in control, the era of peace can't last. In fact, the era of peace ended with the destruction of Draconia. We all shamefully turned a blind eye to your suffering, thinking that protecting refugees while staying out of the conflict was good enough. Now, Agni thinks he can extend his arm into other kingdoms to acquire more power, and he's very mistaken if he thinks he'll get away with it."

***

Kenric was silent in the carriage, sitting across from Ezekiel and Phoenyx. Theron and Blaise were still recovering, and Nero had promised to watch over them and send word if there was any change in their conditions. Kenric couldn't worry about them—they were in good hands, and Draconia was now the top priority.

His heart was pounding the whole time. Were they too late? Would Soren and the Enforcers already have destroyed what was left of Draconia? Could the Draconem stop them before reaching the innocent Dragons within the city walls? Soren, being Draconian, could easily help the Enforcers break through the magical barriers.

When they reached the inner walls, Kenric got out of the carriage, and he was shocked to see everything still intact. Had the Enforcers even come yet? They must have—there were new graves in the cemetery. His stomach dropped as a few Draconem members rushed out of the castle to greet him.

"Lord Kenric! Thank goodness you've returned!" One of the women practically threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "What in the world has happened? Where have you been? All three squads in Cadmus have gone missing."

"They're dead," Kenric said, barely louder than a whisper, and a heavy silence fell over the group. "It's all my fault. The Enforcers ambushed us in Cadmus."

"Don't go blaming yourself, Ken," one the men said. He looked more certain than he sounded. "At least you're all right."

"Not only that," another member spoke up, a huge grin on his face, "but we stopped those damn Enforcers in their tracks when they came here! We were worried for a while about what might happen without you, but we captured their leader and tossed him in the dungeon!"

Kenric's eyes went wide. Were they talking about Soren? How had they have stopped the Enforcers with such a small number? Draconia's entire army couldn't stop them when the kingdom was at the height of its power.

"Where is he? I need to speak with him. Now."

Soren was curled up in the farthest corner of the small cell, using the wall for support as he slept. His head was hung down, his face covered in blood from a wound on his head and a deep gash in his brow. His hands were chained behind his back, and his wrists were cut up and bloody from trying to twist free. The color had drained from his dark skin, making him look sick and pale. When Kenric entered the cell, he didn't move.

Kenric knelt down and pressed his fingers against the side of Soren's neck, to make sure he was still alive. His pulse was there, but just barely. It frustrated Kenric that the Draconem hadn't treated his injuries. What was the point in keeping a prisoner if they were prepared to let him just die?

Letting out a long breath, Kenric used his own power to heal Soren's wounds. Aside from the wounds on his head, he had a few broken ribs, and one of his shoulders was dislocated. He must have taken quiet a beating, but that didn't surprise Kenric—Soren never did know when to quit.

As Kenric's magic forced his shoulder back into place, Soren jolted awake with a gasp. His breathing was quick and raspy as his eyes darted around the cell, taking in his surroundings.

"Are you all right?" Kenric asked.

Soren's breathing slowed as Kenric finished healing him, then he narrowed his eyes.

"Where have you been?"

"Thanks to you," Kenric said, "I've been in Anzino, trying to keep my friends alive. At least, the ones who are still alive. I think the better question would be what you are doing here."

"Leave me alone," Soren demanded, leaning back against the wall again. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "I have nothing to say to you."

"What happened here? How did you end up in here all alone, and why didn't your Enforcers attack the castle?"

"Go away, Ken."

An Occultus Draconem member entered the cell, and Kenric stood with a sigh. He really wanted to be able to speak with Soren, but it was clear that his old friend wanted nothing to do with him.

"Lord Kenric," the rebel said, shooting a glare in Soren's direction. "Please, speak to the others. Give them a bit of sense! We can't keep an Enforcer here—it will lead the others straight to the castle."

"We already know about your little hideout and the enchantments," Soren interjected with a laugh. "If you don't keep me here, I'll just come back with more Enforcers."

"Shut up!" The rebel struck Soren in the face, and moved to kick him, but Kenric pulled him back.

"That's enough!" Kenric said sternly. "Save your energy for the real enemy."

"The real enemy?" The young man let out a sarcastic laugh. "Aside from Agni, this piece of scum in enemy number one! He should be hanged for treason!"

"And who will pass down that judgment?" Soren asked. "You? You're not the king of Draconia."

"You don't deserve to call yourself a Draconian!" The man lashed out with his foot, his boot colliding with the center of Soren's face.

"Get out of here, Riordan!" Kenric shouted, shoving the Draconem member out of the cell. "You and I will discuss this when you've calmed down!"

With a scowl, Riordan stormed off, slamming the dungeon door as he went. Kenric let out a long breath, then turned his attention back on Soren.

"Are you all right?"

"I told you to go away," Soren said quietly. His nose was bleeding, and he had a split in his lip.

"Don't do this, Soren," he pleaded. "I can't be here to watch you day and night. If I leave you here, one of the Draconem is going to kill you sooner or later, once they've satisfied themselves with beating the hell out of you. Why do you think they even bothered taking you as a prisoner? They just want a punching bag."

"Let them kill me. I don't care."

"Is that why you didn't tell the Enforcers that there was more to Castle Draconia that what they could see? That's why it's untouched, isn't it? You wanted the Enforcers to lose, harming as few Draconians as possible, and you hoped they would just kill you."

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Yes, you do," Kenric said, crossing his arms. "First of all, you left here without so much as a goodbye. Then, you showed up years later, after joining King Agni, and have spent the last few years aiding in the continued destruction of our kingdom and our people. I may not have the final say in what your fate will be, but Riordan is right. If the kingdom is restored to its former glory, and Prince Zane to his throne, you will be tried for treason. And seeing as the Dragon Prince is the one you've been trying to kill, I can't guarantee any ounce on leniency, just because you're Draconian."

"Prince Zane won't be returning to the throne," Soren said with a scoff. "He'll be dead by now."

"You're wrong."

Soren shot a glare at Kenric, who sat on the floor in front of him.

"I'm guessing you weren't aware," Kenric explained, "that the young man you've been trying to kill—the one you call Experiment Number Seven—is immune to the Enforcers' poison."

"That's not possible."

"It's true. Right now, he's fighting for his life, due to other circumstances, but the poison won't kill him. If he pulls through, the Dragon Prince will still be very much alive."

Soren let out a long breath, his shoulders sagging. Was that a sigh of relief? Kenric tried to tap into his thoughts, but Soren shut him out immediately.

"Stay out of my head," he hissed. "I've had enough of this. Go away!"

"I expect you out of this cell by morning," Kenric said, getting up to leave. "You may have my men fooled by your fake attempts to escape, but I know you, Soren."

That night, Kenric lay wide awake, just staring up at the ceiling. His mind was running a mile a minute, and he just couldn't seem to sort anything out in his head.

Why hadn't Soren broken down the spells that shielded Castle Draconia? Why had he allowed himself to be captured? Surely, almost a decade later, Soren wasn't finally coming to his senses, was he? There was no point anymore—even if he tried to get back on Draconia's side, he would likely either be killed by Agni or sentenced to death by Zane.

"Lord Kenric!" An Occultus Draconem member threw his door open with out knocking. She looked like she had just been running, sweating and breathing heavily. "Lord Kenric, you must come quickly. They're going to kill him!"

She led Kenric to the war room of the castle, where some of the other Draconem had Soren tied to a chair. Soren had more injuries than when Kenric had left him, and his face and arms were covered in blood.

"Enforcer scum," one of the men said, spitting on Soren.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Kenric asked, his powerful voice echoing through the room. Everyone froze and turned their attention on him, including Soren.

"Took you long enough," Soren said breathlessly.

"Shut your mouth!" one of the Draconem demanded, yanking Soren's head back by his hair, and Soren growled in pain.

"Get your hands off of him!" Kenric stood tall in front of the group, shaking with anger. "What do you think you're going to accomplish? No good can come of this!"

"Come on, Ken," one the men said. "You can't seriously believe that we can't get some information out of him. He's the one closest to Agni! We just have to get him to talk."

"And beating him to death is going to make that happen?" Kenric questioned. "You ask him for information about Agni and the Dragon Prince, and he's refused to talk. In fact, he probably hasn't even refused—he just won't speak at all. So, in your anger, you strike out each time you don't get what you want. You're trying to torture him into speaking, bringing him closer and closer to the brink of death. And if he dies before he talks, then what? You'll have his blood on your hands for no reason. Can you all live with that?"

No one moved or spoke, all of them avoiding Kenric's angry gaze. Kenric took a deep breath, clenching his fists.

"Right now, I'm giving you all a chance to walk away. If not, you'll be discharged from the Occultus Draconem, and banished from the castle grounds. You all took an oath when you joined, and you were all told the same thing. This is not a group for you to exact revenge or commit senseless violence against others. You rage is valid, but taking it out on Soren is not going to bring peace."

The Draconem member let go of Soren, who doubled over, coughing and spitting up blood. The others all hung their heads in shame, still refusing to look Kenric in the eyes.

"Clear out of here, now," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I've got your mess to clean up."

No one protested, and they all left him alone with Soren.

"Are you all right?"

Soren didn't speak. Through his mess of hair, and the blood that covered his face, he glared at Kenric. For a second, he looked as though he was going to respond, but instead, his body tensed and he vomited blood.

"I told you what would happen if you stayed," Kenric said, kneeling down in front of him. "You're lucky I got here when I did."

A pained whimper escaped Soren's lips when Kenric pressed his hands to his torso, going to work to heal his new injuries. He didn't say so, but Kenric knew how much pain he was in. Soren was just too stubborn for his own good.

"Why are you being kind to me?" Soren asked once he was able to speak again. Kenric cut him free of the ropes that held him, then supported him under his arms to get him up. He groaned in pain, his body stiff and aching, and he took slow, careful steps. "You know I don't deserve it."

"Grudges and revenge don't resolve anything."

"Your pacifism isn't going to help you win this war."

"I'm not a pacifist, Soren, but you're right. However, that doesn't mean I can't do my best to avoid senseless violence."

Soren fell silent, a distant look in his eyes.

"So," Kenric said, shifting under Soren's weight, "are you ready to tell me why you're really here?"