Englecon Mine, Desmond, 10416 P.C.

Stephanie is the Immortal One's daughter.

Annabella stared at the spot where the Veiled Lady had been just seconds before, unsure if she had correctly understood the woman's riddled words. But no, no, it made sense. It made perfect sense. The Immortal One had left His daughter behind — it made sense for her to have been raised like the rest of them, in the Trainee System. But why hadn't the Veiled Lady raised her herself?

Maybe she had...

Annabella shook her head quickly, trying to shake away the shock of the moment. Had Stephanie been lying to them this whole time?

Todd's incredulous whisper drew her out of her stupor. "What?"

Annabella shook her head again, fighting with the rope that bound their wrists. "Help me get this rope off," she ordered, fumbling to loosen the knot. It wasn't tied very tight. The Lady hadn't meant to keep them trapped for long.

She's manipulating us. Annabella hated the thought. The Veiled Lady had them exactly where she wanted them. She didn't seem inclined to kill them — no, she wanted them to find the Immortal One's son. It all made terrible sense. She was following them, and once they led her to the Immortal One's son, she'd kill them all.

They'd have to outsmart her somehow. But then, wouldn't she be expecting them to try that?

Maybe they should stop altogether. But maybe that's what she actually wanted.

In frustration, Annabella yanked the rope loose, pulling her arms free from the bindings and staggering to her feet. Her head hurt, and she was a bit unsteady. Her anger and frustration nearly distracted her from that.

"Annabella, what does this mean?" Todd asked, stuttering as he scrambled to his feet. "Does she know? Does Stephanie know?"

Annabella stared at him for a moment, his words sending a new set of confusing thoughts through her mind. What if Stephanie didn't know? What if she did?

"Do you think she's been lying?" she asked him quietly.

Todd's eyes widened and then narrowed. "No. No, we can trust Stephanie. I know we can. That witch is trying to turn us on her."

Annabella should have argued, but she completely agreed with him. She trusted Stephanie, therefore Stephanie hadn't lied, and therefore Stephanie had no idea who she truly was. "So what do we do?" she asked. "Do we tell her?"

They stared at each other for a long, undecided moment, the silence between them answer enough. How could they tell Stephanie that she wasn't fully Human, that everything about who she thought she was was a lie, and that she was the daughter of the Creator Himself?

And what if the Veiled Lady was lying?

"No," Todd whispered. "Not yet. I... I'll figure out a way to tell her."

Annabella swallowed hard, giving him a nod as she heard yells echoing from somewhere within the tunnels. With a jolt, she remembered Jessie and Bethany. "We need to find the little girls," she said, hurrying to the doorway and exiting out into the tunnel. Leaning against the wall just outside the door were their weapons, and she picked them up, handing Todd his shield as he came out behind her. "She was just roughing us up," she muttered, shoving her sword back into its sheath. It infuriated her. They were like toys in this twisted witch's game, and she had no idea how to fight back.

Jessie and Bethany were in the next room over, both of them seemingly sleeping. Annabella scooped Bethany into her arms as Todd roused Jessie.

"What happened?" Jessie moaned, rubbing her temples as Todd grabbed her under her arms and pulled her to her feet. She swayed a bit. "Where did she go? One second she... she was there and then..."

"It's alright, Jess," Todd told her, keeping a firm hand on the girl's arm as he headed for the door. She staggered behind him.

Bethany rested her head on Annabella's shoulder, blinking sleepily. "The tunnel was empty, Bella," she murmured in Annabella's ear.

Annabella didn't know what the child was talking about. She stroked Bethany's cheek, silently thanking the Creator that she was unharmed. "It's okay, Beth. We'll be okay."

Bethany hid her face in Annabella's shoulder and said nothing.

Outside the room, Todd gave a shout. "Stephanie!"

"Todd? Jessie?" the girl's incredulous response echoed down the tunnel. By the time Annabella had made it out of the room, Stephanie was bounding down the hallway and throwing her arms around Todd and Jessie all at once. "What happened? How are you here?" She caught sight of Annabella, her face lighting up in shock and relief. "Annabella! You're alive!"

Before Annabella knew it, Stephanie had wrapped her in a hug. Annabella put her free arm around her, catching Todd's eyes. The Immortal One's daughter is hugging me.

"How are you guys here? You came looking for me? You've gotta come see, we put the whole mountain in rebellion! Wait until they know the Deliverer is here! Come on!" Stephanie had left no room for comment or argument. She flew down the tunnel as if her feet had wings, and Annabella was unsure the encounter had even happened.

They followed Stephanie down the tunnel and emerging into a much larger one that a crowd of people marched through. They held pickaxes, talking and chanting and shouting as they headed down the tunnel toward freedom. Annabella had never seen anything quite like it. There were no chains. These people were free and ready to hurt anyone who tried to change that.

Stephanie stopped beside a boy who was at least a full foot taller than her. He was carrying a red-headed girl in his arms. Annabella had seen haunted gazes before, and they always sent chills through her. The redhead was no exception.

"Let go outside," Stephanie called over the din of voices echoing in the tunnel. She started down it, mingling with the crowd, and the boy, after a brief moment of analyzing Annabella, Todd, and Jessie, followed her. Annabella also followed, silent and dazed as she observed the people around her. They were happy. Some were even smiling. She couldn't fault them for it. The amount of relief and joy they must be experiencing... they were free.

How long would that last?

The freezing air hit Annabella as she exited the mountain's mine. It was dark, and a fresh layer of snow was being added to the ground. None of these people were dressed for this weather, and yet she saw that some were taking off into the woods anyway. She wanted to stop them, but why would they listen to her? She was a princess, yes, but the king of the south had betrayed his people. They wouldn't heed the words of the daughter of a coward, royalty or not.

She had lost Stephanie in the crowd. The people seemed to be surging around the boy Stephanie had been with, circling and pressing in on him. Annabella strayed back, Todd and Jessie with her, watching as the people shouted and called, all wanting the mysterious boy's attention. He was taller than most; she could pick him out easily, see how overwhelmed he was even in the dim light of the torches many held aloft. Who was he, and why had Stephanie been with him?

"Quiet!" the boy finally yelled, and the people obeyed, falling into silence. The boy seemed to be struggling with the amount of attention he was holding. "Alright. All of you need to go back into the mountain and raid it. Find supplies, provisions, everything you'll need. It's winter. We might be free but we're Illegals now. Act like it!" The boy glanced around and pointed at a man within the crowd. "What's your name?"

"Nixtin, sir."

"You're in charge of these people, Nixtin. Lead this rebellion with courage." With that, the boy turned and walked away, helping his friend through the crowd as the people began to murmur and protest.

"You heard the man!" Nixtin yelled, pointing at the mountain. "Let's go!"

Annabella ignored the crowd of people as she spotted Stephanie a ways away, chasing down the tall boy and arguing with him. She started for them.

"These people need you, Matthew," Stephanie was saying as Annabella walked up. "They need a leader."

"And I gave them one," he snapped back before gently lowering his friend to the ground to rest. He straightened up, briefly glancing at Annabella before looking back at Stephanie. "I'm not their saviour."

"But you're something! You freed them!"

"No, I didn't. You did. If I could have freed them on my own I would have done it years ago. Stop making me out to be more than I am."

Stephanie stomped her foot before she turned to Annabella. "Annabella, Matthew. Matthew, Annabella. Pardon me while I go scream into the void!" With that, Stephanie marched away.

Annabella had never seen the girl so passionately frustrated. She offered her hand to Matthew. "Nice to meet you. I think. And since she didn't introduce Bethany, this is Bethany," she added, and Bethany peeked at Matthew for a moment of uncertainty before tucking herself back into Annabella's shoulder.

Matthew accepted Annabella's hand and shook it. His hand was warm — incredibly warm. His grip was sure. "You're Stephanie's friends?"

"Yeah. We came to save her, but... well, she's rather proactive."

"I noticed." His tone was nearly bitter. He looked beside her, where Todd had appeared. "And you are?"

"Todd. Todd Vinson." Todd accepted Matthew's outstretched hand, almost losing his balance a bit when Matthew's grip was stronger than he must have expected.

"Matthew Garza. And this is Abby," he added, motioning to his companion on the ground. The girl gave them a fluttering wave, looking terribly exhausted and ill. Annabella could see the bandages on her back and could only assume the worst.

Matthew stepped back a bit, glancing them over, something in his gaze telling Annabella that he was wary of them. She was wary of him too, and she didn't try to hide it.

Stephanie returned right then, rubbing her hands together against the cold. "Okay, so now what?"

Annabella looked at Todd, who seemed to be sharing her thoughts: Stephanie didn't know who she was. It was consuming Annabella's mind now. She had no idea what to do.

"Well, you have a lot to catch up on," Todd started off slowly.

"Should we go back into the mine, too?" Jessie asked, coming up between Todd and Annabella.

Annabella noticed Matthew's frown. "And this is Jessie," she said, placing her hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

Matthew gave a nod. They both seemed slow in offering to shake the other's hand; they stuck out their hands at the same time, their hands bumping each other's in an awkward sort of gesture that they both jerked back from as if they had been shocked.

Annabella was alarmed by the greyish look of terror that had come over the girl's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jessie said instantly, her voice betraying her words. "I-I just... okay." She took a small step away from Matthew.

Stephanie broke the awkward moment of silence that followed. "Okay, what was that?"

"I don't know." Matthew stared at Jessie with an unreadable gaze. He was stone cold and stiff, confusion flitting around in his expression like scurrying birds.

Jessie held his gaze with eerie strength. "We can't trust him," she said outright, gripping Todd's wrist firmly. Was Jessie scared? It sure seemed like it. Annabella had never seen the girl so... cold.

"What?" Stephanie stepped between them. "Hang on, you don't even know him."

"I know he has the Death Omen."

Annabella saw it too, or at least the corner of it where his shirt had been ripped to reveal part of the white scar. She had never seen it on someone's skin before, only in books years ago. It was hard to miss once she saw it.

"The what?" Todd asked the same moment Matthew said "So?" Matthew's hand instantly went to the scar, self-conscious.

Jessie was tugging on Todd's arm, trying to pull him away. "He'll bring death on us!"

Stephanie's look was nearly a glare. "It's just a symbol. It means nothing."

"Oh, yes it does!" Jessie pointed a shaky finger at Matthew. "It brings death. It brings her."

"Her?" Todd asked.

Stephanie answered for Jessie. "She's talking about the Veiled Lady. The Death Omen mark is the Athriian symbol, and she's the official executioner. They say she can sense those who've been marked with her symbol. No one escapes her."

Annabella opened her mouth to contradict Stephanie's words — they had just escaped her — but Matthew said, "I've had this for over a year."

"But you were in the mines," Jessie pointed out. "She probably thought there was no need to kill you because you'd die anyway."

"Jessie!" Todd exclaimed incredulously.

"But now you're out," she said as if Todd hadn't said a word. "She'll know. You won't last the night. She'll find you."

"She's in Zusia," Stephanie said. "That's far, far away."

"Your first mistake is that you limit her to Human capabilities." Jessie's voice was getting an icy edge to it. "Your second is that you assume she's in Zusia."

"Okay, okay, everyone stop." Todd put his hands up, silencing them all. "Okay," he repeated again. "Jessie, first of all, calm down. Symbols don't mean anything, and we literally just escaped the Veiled Lady and no one died."

"Wait, you what?" Stephanie exclaimed.

He shrugged slightly. "I told you you had a lot to catch up on."

"The Veiled Lady was in the mountain," Annabella told her. "She's not trying to kill us. She's manipulating us. She wants us to find the Immortal One's son so that she can kill him. Your idea that she wants to kill Matthew because of some symbol doesn't seem very profound, Jess, especially since she could have killed him while she was here and she didn't." Annabella let out a breath. "She didn't kill anyone."

"You don't understand," Jessie said. "She's manipulating us. Doesn't that mean that everything isn't as it seems?"

"Look," Matthew said, silencing them all. "I'm glad you all have been reunited. That's great. I need to get Abby some help. That's all I care about right now."

While Matthew bent down to help Abby to her feet, Stephanie asked, "Where are you going to go?"

The girl named Abby finally spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "Shadow Wood. My grandparents are there. They can help us."

Shadow Wood was at least a three-hour walk away. Annabella was unsure that the two former slaves could make it that far in the dark and cold. Neither of them even had shoes or coats, and their clothes were torn and bloodied. The mines had not been kind to them.

Annabella set Bethany down and pulled off her gambeson. It would be too heavy for the sickly girl, so she offered her the sweater she had been wearing beneath it. "Let us help you," she said. "We're going in roughly that direction as it is."

They weren't — it would be much faster to go the opposite direction around the mountain, but Annabella was in no hurry to find her parents, especially if that's exactly what her enemy wanted her to do.

Abby accepted the sweater with a tentative smile. Annabella suddenly wanted to smile back, as the girl's smile had filled her with warmth, but her lips refused to perform the action. Instead, she nodded.

"I'm fine, thanks," Matthew said when Todd offered him his gambeson. "Honestly, we'll be alright."

"We know you will," Stephanie said firmly, looking up at him. "That's why we're going with you."

Matthew sighed, but he nodded as if knowing it was useless to argue with her.

"Can we vote on this?" Jessie asked, her voice a bit shaky. Annabella was thoroughly puzzled over the girl's reaction to Matthew. Hadn't she felt how incredibly warm the boy's hand had been? Just the brief touch had surprised Annabella. There was something different about the boy, she could sense it. He was wary of them, it was obvious, but she didn't fear him. Stephanie seemed taken with him despite his aloofness. And what had Stephanie said? That Matthew had freed the slaves? He argued that she had — so they both had. But how? She couldn't wait to hear that story.

"We already have," Todd said to Jessie. "We're going to Shadow Wood."