The water was frigid and cold and raged around him like a hurricane. He couldn't tell which way was up or down, and he struggled to remember how he had gotten where he was, wherever he was. His lungs burned. Kicking and struggling against the current, he searched for the surface, his screaming lungs desperate for air, air! The water roared like a lion in his ears, guttural and loud, drowning out any other sound except the frantic pounds of his heartbeat reminding him that, against all odds, he was still alive. He tumbled, weightless, carried by the invisible current to unknown places. The freezing water numbed him, choked him, weakened him as he lethargically fought against its powerful arms. He just wanted air.

He was running out of time, yet time seemed irrelevant. It did not measure how long he tumbled and drifted, how long it had been since his last breath, how long it had been since he had opened his eyes. It was as if time no longer existed. The water surging around him would be his death.

Or would it? Suddenly, he was flying, soaring, staring down at the world as if he were god himself, close enough to touch the ground and yet distant enough to see it all. Set apart. Disconnected. On and on he flew, through the wind and the life-giving air, through the clouds and over worlds he had never known existed. Afar off, a voice called to him, shouted his name. There was a brilliant flash of light and words whispered in his ears too quickly to be deciphered. Down below, a battle raged upon the earth; the smoke from the fire reached his nostrils, instilling in him a powerful grief he had never experienced before. The fires reached for him, snatched him out of the sky and dragged him down, down, where the flames raged and ruled and evil lived in abundance.

Once again, he could not breathe. He was being suffocated, tossed about by the flames, by fire, by death and destruction, talons reaching for him...

Todd opened his eyes.

Motch crouched before him, smoke curling upwards from his nostrils, heat from the fire sizzling on his huge tongue. Blood-red eyes blinked at Todd, first in confusion, and then in disbelief. "Impossible," Motch whispered.

Todd let out a shuddering breath, looking down at himself. He was unscathed. The fire hadn't even touched him. Annabella clutched his arm, trembling, whispering his name on breathless lips. He couldn't believe it himself. Somehow, Motch's fire had done nothing to them.

Motch bared his teeth, his eyes growing rock-hard. "Impossible!" With a roar, he opened his large mouth, snapping at Todd and Annabella with his huge teeth.

Something snatched Todd right off the ground, yanking him out of the dragon king's reach. Annabella screamed, clinging to his arm in a death-grip as they were lifted high into the air. He grabbed her wrist tightly. Motch roared, and Todd heard a laugh above them — it was the young man who had dropped out of the sky before, and Todd could only assume that this was the Immortal One's son. He was riding on the back of the scout, whooping like a kid on a carnival ride. They were rising high into the sky, leaving the ground far behind. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. The scout's grip on him hurt. Annabella was slipping out of his grasp.

"Terrence!" Annabella shrieked as they passed through the clouds. "We're slipping!"

"Hang on!" the Prince yelled, and the scout flung Todd and Annabella into the air. Todd yelped, losing his grip on Annabella's arm as they flew through the air. He was falling, plummeting, his stomach in his throat as he tumbled. The earth teetered hundreds of feet below him, rising up to meet him.

"Todd!" His fall was stopped with a painful wrench on his arm; Annabella gripped his wrist in both hands. She was hanging off the side of the scout's back, Terrence's arms around her waist to hold her steady. With painful effort, she pulled Todd up onto the scout's back behind her. Todd gasped for air as he clung to her waist, not even daring to look down. The wind was loud, rushing in his ears as they flew. The scout pumped its powerful wings, carrying them to an unknown destination.

They had escaped. They were still alive, and they were with the Immortal One's son. Todd could hardly believe the wild truth. It overwhelmed him, and he barely knew what was happening until the scout landed with a hard thump in the middle of the forest.

Annabella cried out in relief as she tumbled off the scout's back and hit the ground. "We're still alive!" she gasped out, laughing in giddy relief. Todd hit the ground beside her, dropping to his knees and rolling onto his back. It was so much easier to breathe while on the ground.

"Yes, you're still alive," the young man standing above them said in amusement. "Did you really think we were going to leave you behind?"

Annabella sat up, staring at him, and Todd did the same. Terrence wasn't much taller than Todd was, with a firm build and a handsome face. His hair, ruffled by the wind, was dark, and day-old stubble lined his jaw. Todd realized then that he was dressed in light armour — gambeson and a bit of mail as well, with a large sword strapped on his hip. He didn't seem much older than Todd, but the young man held an air of authority that made him appear years older. In truth, he wasn't what Todd had expected the son to be, but he definitely fit the bill with his expertise and confidence.

"Terrence Fares," the young man said, offering Annabella a gloved hand. She accepted it, and he pulled her to her feet before offering Todd the same gesture. Todd accepted it, noting how strong Terrence was.

"Fares?" Todd questioned curiously.

The young man smile. "My mother's maiden name. My Father, as you probably know, never really went by Human names."

Annabella spoke softly, her voice awed. "It really is you."

Terrence blushed a bit, giving a smooth little bow. "Yes, Miss LaKline. I am he."

"Where were you?" Todd asked. "How did Motch find you?"

"I was under their noses the whole time," Terrence replied, but before he could continue, a second scout appeared in the sky above them. It swooped down, dropping Matthew from its clutches and landing beside the other. Stephanie and Jessie slid off its back as Matthew staggered to his feet, looking a bit dazed.

"Thank you both," Terrence told the scouts. "My Father will reward you for your services."

The two small dragons exchanged silent glances before they bowed their heads and left, leaving powerful gusts of wind in their wake.

"They'd only take us this far," Terrence explained, turning back to Todd and Annabella. "It took a bit of bargaining."

"Motch will kill them," Annabella said.

"I'm more concerned about our safety. Is there any place around here where we can find shelter?"

"If I knew where we were..."

Stephanie spoke up. "Freyhall is west of here. I doubt they'll be welcoming, though."

"I wonder why," Jessie said sarcastically. "We literally just escaped from Motch and the Veiled Lady! They'll send out soldiers to track us down!"

"That wasn't the Veiled Lady."

They all turned to Matthew, who stood a short distance away. His eyes still flickered with gold. Todd had never imagined the sheer amount of power Matthew had fostered, but after seeing what Matthew had done, Todd knew there was much more to the boy than any of them knew — and that was frightening.

"What do you mean?" Annabella asked slowly.

"I don't know who that woman was," Matthew said firmly, "but she was not the Veiled Lady."

"It sure looked like her to me," Terrence commented.

"Looks are deceiving." Matthew was beginning to sound frighteningly dark. "She touched my head, and nothing happened to her. She had no magic. That wasn't the Veiled Lady. I doubt I could have thrown the true witch aside so easily."

"He's right," Stephanie said, watching Matthew with a gaze so devoid of emotion that it was worrying Todd. "She was thrown aside and she didn't return to the fight. The Veiled Lady wouldn't have let something like that happen for a whole crowd to see. She wouldn't have shown a weakness like that."

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that Motch's fire did nothing to Todd and I?" Annabella blurted out.

"Yes, we'll ignore that," Stephanie replied sarcastically. Coldly.

Todd wasn't ready to think about how he and Annabella had survived that. "We're protected," he replied — and he was fine with that answer for now. There were other pressing matters at hand. "If the Veiled Lady wasn't there, then where was she? We saw her with Motch in the throne room."

"That was her," Matthew confirmed. "I could sense her magic."

Jessie spoke up. "Can you sense her now?"

Matthew studied Jessie for a moment. He was frighteningly unreadable. "Distantly."

Terrence shifted. "We need to get going. Motch will send out soldiers and scouts. I for one don't fancy another battle so soon." He adjusted the scabbard on his hip before he started to walk away.

"And you are?" Matthew questioned, halting the young man in his tracks. Todd had forgotten that Matthew was still behind on the situation.

"Terrence, this is Matthew," Stephanie said in introduction. "Matthew, this is Terrence. My brother."

Matthew stared at Stephanie. Todd could tell that he sensed her coldness. Without another word, Stephanie turned and started after her brother. Jessie followed on her heels. Todd waited for Matthew to join him and Annabella, watching the way the boy stared after Stephanie in concern.

"Something's not right," Matthew said, his voice low.

Annabella let out a deep breath. "Give her some time. She's just... upset. She'll be okay."

"No, I mean this whole situation. Something isn't right here. I don't like it."

Todd had to admit, it was a bit unsettling how fast and smoothly everything had happened. "Just stay on guard," he whispered to them. "Trust the Immortal One. He knows what He's doing."

"Hey!" Jessie called back to them. "Are you guys coming?"

With a silent exchange of glances, Todd, Annabella, and Matthew hurried to catch up with the other three, placing Zusia and their near-escape behind them.