I didn't leave Casimir's cabin for two weeks after the Red Moon last year.

When I did, eyes followed my every movement, darting in the other direction when I noticed. I knew what they were thinking, what each of them wanted to ask: how are you still alive?

There's peace in Elel between shifters and humans, the treaty protects us. But that doesn't mean there isn't foul play. The shifters take what they want when they want; they don't care about the treaty, they abide by it when it suits them.

Wander too close to the mountains? Murdered.

Disrespect the shifters and get reported? Punishment.

Found fraternising with the deserters? Made an example of public execution style.

I should've been collateral damage like my father. Jakob actually said that to me once, and I know they all think the same—how did I manage to stay alive?

I haven't told anyone what happened that night. Only Casimir. They don't know that the only reason I'm alive is because I hid in that cupboard while they mauled my father's body, petrified that if I breathed too hard, they'd come for me next.

I thought the day I finally stepped outside Casimir's cabin would be the most attention I'd ever receive. I was wrong. It feels like nothing's changed in the past year as I rush to school. Gazes follow me, darting away when I notice, or putting on strained, polite smiles as they anxiously reinforce their cabins.

Everyone is jittery so close to the Red Moon. Even more so after last year. So, when I get to school and all eyes land on me, I'm not surprised. I pretend I don't notice, sinking into the seat next to Cadence.

"On time," she notes, smiling. Her eyes are drawn over my shoulder, and I feel a brief reprieve from all the stares.

Killian wanders through the door, taking a seat at the back. He draws all the attention in the room away from me. I can't help but stare, too, watching as his eyes flit towards the front, once again unbothered by all the stares. I imagine when you look like he does you'd get pretty used to being the centre of attention.

His eyes drift around the room before coming our way. When they meet mine, I immediately avert my gaze back to the front, face growing warm. Gawking at him like everyone else is bad enough, getting caught is even worse.

Cadence leans closer to me so the others can't overhear her. "How are you?"

"Good."

"Really? You look exhausted."

I turn and stare into her wide blue eyes. Part of me wants to confide in her about my fight with Casimir, but that would require an explanation of what the fight was about. And if Cadence knew I had been to the forge and why, I don't know if she'd be able to keep herself from telling others. Even though going to the forge isn't technically forbidden, my motives would be questioned. The last thing I need is for the council to catch word of it.

So, I force a smile. "I'm just tired. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"It's coming up to one year, isn't it?" She puts her hand on mine. "I'm sorry, Frey."

My stomach clenches as I look away. One year. It feels a million times longer and shorter all at the same time. I once believed that after time had passed, it would hurt less. But time hasn't eased the void inside of my chest, it just turns it into something else, something hotter.

Cadence's pity does me no good, it emphasises a finality that doesn't exist. I can't do anything about my father. But for Samu, my brother, there's still hope.

I can't focus one bit throughout the lesson. And it isn't because of the impending Red Moon, nor the stares—they're not directed at me anymore, not with Killian in the room. It's his stare that bothers me. I can see him in my peripheral vision, unashamedly looking my way. It makes me squirm in my seat. I briefly wonder if he's looking at Cadence. With her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, I wouldn't blame him, but when I tilt my head slightly to check, our eyes meet.

I half expect him to look away. But he tilts his head forward in acknowledgment, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards. My heart thumps against my chest as I avert my gaze back to the front.

I'm the first one out of class when the bell chimes, pretending I don't hear Cadence calling after me. Four hours of Professor Fin droning on was bad enough. With Killian's shameless gaze on me, it was torturous.

I shake the feeling off as I push through the streets. I want to find Casimir. Our argument this morning keeps playing on my mind. The truth is, he was right. I've been lying to him, and he has a right to be upset with me. I felt upset with him when he revealed he'd been at the forge, even if that did make me hypocrite.

I race around the corner, bustling past the bakery and through the narrowing street that leads to the fields, when I smack face first into someone. I groan, stepping back and rubbing my nose.

"Woah, there."

My gaze darts up. Killian Li. I step back slightly so I don't have to crane my neck to look at him. Back in the classroom, when our gazes met, I'd thought his eyes were brown. But they're closer to the colour of his hair—as deep and rich as midnight.

"Your friend was calling for you, you know," he says. "Before you left class."

I shift under his piercing gaze, glancing over my shoulder. The alleyway is abandoned, off to the side. I think of the way he stared at me during class and narrow my eyes. "Did you... follow me?" I ask.

"Follow you?"

"What're you doing here?"

"I live here." He gestures behind me, to the tall cabin bordering the street. "And I'm waiting for your friend. She wanted to show me around."

Of course she did. I'm honestly half surprised Killian accepted her request—he hadn't seemed at all interested in any of us yesterday.

He takes a step closer, lips twisting in amusement. "Why in the world would I be following you?"

Heat rushes to my cheeks as I search for an explanation. His gaze in class had felt so intense, so... purposeful. Had I completely imagined that? "I was mistaken. I apologise, Mr Li."

"Mr Li?" He frowns. "That makes me sound so old, don't you think?"

He leans back against the wall of the cabin behind him, creating more space between us. Before I can say anything, I hear Cadence's high-pitched voice stretching around the corner. I take the opportunity to step past him.

"Sorry again," I mumble, ducking under his arm and heading straight for the forest before he can respond.

I want to kick myself. Did I really just accuse him of following me? I shake my head, pushing through the trees and shoving the embarrassment from my mind. Out of the village centre, my mind clears. I can't go straight to the fields. Even if I managed to find Casimir without Jyro scolding at me, he'd be annoyed I tried to find him while working. I head for the lake instead, taking the long way around, sighing in content as soon as I escape the grasps of the village.

It's quieter out here, no buzz, no stares, just endless shrub and greenery. Samu, my little brother, used to love it out here. Right from when he was just 3 years old, and we picked him up from the orphanage. Dad had an awful time trying to keep an eye on him; he'd wander into the forest any chance he got. I can almost hear his laugh, high pitched and halfway into a squeal.

I shake the memory, coming to the opening of the lake. The blue water glistens beneath the sun, reflecting the clouds dotting the sky. Rich brown and green hues of the forest surround me, absorbing the light from above. I breathe the air in, a weightlifting off my chest.

"Frey?"

I spin around. Coming from the path, the shorter way, is Cadence, Killian behind her.

"What're you doing here?" I say without thinking. Cadence blinks at me in surprise.

"I was about to tell you Cadence was taking me to the lake, but you ran off," Killian says. There's something in the way he says it that makes me think he's making fun of me.

I look away from him, back to Cadence, trying to think of some excuse as to why I must be anywhere else but here.

"I brought sandwiches." She holds up a picnic basket, making her way towards me. I greet her with a hug, and she presses her mouth to my ear. "I knew you would be here. You can thank me later."

"What?"

"You stared at him all throughout class," she whispers, pulling back and winking.

Had I? No, he'd been the one staring at me. If I'd stared it was because he did it first.

"What?"

"Don't be embarrassed. We all stared too."

"I wasn't staring."

"Sure."

"Really, Cadence—" I sigh. There's no point convincing her when she's already made her mind up. Killian wanders over to the water as Cadence pulls a picnic rug from the basket and lays it down. I make a point of not looking at him.

"I'd bet it's nice swimming in the summer," he says, back to us.

"Only if you're a fan of eels nibbling on your toes," a voice from behind says. It's Jakob, bumbling from the path.

I internally groan, turning to Cadence. "Did you have to invite Jakob?"

"He wanted to come. Don't be greedy. You're not the only one with a crush on Mr Li."

"I don't have a—"

"Whatever," she waves a hand. "Let's eat, I'm starving."

She folds her skirt around her legs as she crosses them and leans back, staring up at the sky. I settle next to her, watching Jakob demonstrate skimming a rock to Killian, who does it perfectly the first time.

Cadence chatters about the Tavern, mumbling on about something outrageous Raven said about a girl in class that she couldn't possibly repeat, but does anyway. After a while, Killian and Jakob join us on the ground, snatching some of the cucumber sandwiches Cadence bought from the Tavern.

I take that as a cue to go to the water edge, washing my hands. "Careful, Freya," Jakob taunts from behind. "Wouldn't want to fall in, would you?"

"The only person who'd be falling in is you," I say. "And it'll be because I've pushed you."

He clucks his tongue. "An attitude like that isn't becoming of a young lady."

I flick the water on my hands in his face as I sit. He scowls. Settling back down, I try to ignore Killian' heated gaze on my face, but it's nearly impossible. He doesn't even try to hide it. I don't know if things are different where he comes from, but in Veymaw, at least people try to pretend they're not looking.

"Where did you say you were from again?" I ask, directing my gaze to him.

"Portson."

I hadn't thought it strange before, my mind was preoccupied with my spat with Jakob, but thinking about it now, it is a little unusual. Of all the villages in Elel, Veymaw is by far the smallest, and the farthest away from Portson. There's a reason we don't get many visitors.

"Why did you come to Veymaw?" I ask.

He shrugs, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "Change of pace."

"Right."

Not right. Nobody moves villages for a change of pace, not in Elel. Only the shifters and the extremely rich have that kind of freedom. And no rich man would willingly choose to migrate to Veymaw of all places, especially not ones that look like Killian.

"I heard there was an uprising of deserters in Portson," Jakob says, shoving a sandwich into his mouth and turning to Killian.

Cadence wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Where'd you hear that?"

"One of the traders told Pa when he visited," he explains. "Said a whole bunch of them got reported and were executed in the town square for everyone to see."

A shudder crawls down my spine. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"No, he's right," Killian says. "There was a public execution. Thirteen deserters were killed."

Cadence widens her eyes. "By the shifters?"

He nods. "The council came. They carried out the execution. The deserters' heads were sent to the Elel mountains as proof."

Nausea churns in my stomach, a tendril of fear travelling down my spine. I always knew the deserters were dangerous, and that searching for them could put me in great risk, but hearing a first-hand experience of what could happen if I were found out is chilling.

Jakob grimaces. "They got what they deserved."

Cadence hums in agreement. I don't make a sound, eyes on the blue of the lake, thinking of how close I'd come to them last night. What I risked. What Casimir risked following me. When I raise my eyes, Killian is looking right at me.

"You don't agree?" he asks.

"What?"

"With Jakob. You didn't voice your agreement."

"About what?"

"That the deserters deserved getting their heads cut off."

I shudder. The way he speaks of such a thing seems so cavalier, like he's talking of cutting sandwiches.

"They sealed their own fates," Cadence says.

"I wasn't asking your opinion."

She quietens, sinking where she sits. Killian doesn't look away from me, those dark eyes holding mine. He's either unaware that he just hurt her feelings, or he doesn't care. There's a challenge in his gaze, but something else, too, something that makes my stomach twist.

"I think they got what they deserved," I say, repeating Jakob's words.

He leans back on his elbows. "Interesting."

"Is it?"

"It is."

My cheeks grow hot, and for the first time in I think forever, I'm grateful when Jakob starts talking, boasting about something he did as a child, drawing Killian's attention away from me.

It's only when moments later, when Cadence and I are sprawled out under the sun that I realise Killian didn't voice his agreement, either.

Do you think Freya is right to be wary of Killian, or is it just rude?

Did you do anything for Halloween? Do you like Halloween?

What do you think might happen next?