My immediate impulse is to go to him. Down here, so far from home, life feels like a gamble, and Casimir has always been my haven. But my brain is quicker than my body, sending me backwards instead as our eyes meet.

I look between him and the woman. "Son?" His jaw clenches. "You're a deserter. You... you've lied to me."

"He's done a lot of lying," Killian says, his tone taunting. "Haven't you, Casimir?"

Casimir glares. "Stay out of it. If it weren't for you—"

"If it weren't for me, Freya never would've found out the truth."

"You broke our agreement by bringing her here."

"You didn't fulfil your end of the deal," Killian says. "Your time ran out."

"Son of a bitch." Casimir tugs Killian's collar, twisting his fist in the material. But the hold lasts for no more than a second, Killian easily twisting from his grip and locking his arm around Casimir's neck.

"Careful," Killian hisses, low. "Don't start a fight you won't win."

"Enough," the woman, Casimir's mother, interrupts. Killian releases Casimir at her command, and she grabs Casimir's arm. "You're acting like a child. We have an audience."

Casimir shakes her off, still glaring at Killian who leans back and adjusts his collar, unfazed by the conflict. I stare at the side of Casimir's face, trying to piece together the interaction. That night when Casimir saw me talking to Killian as we walked back from the lake, when he'd asked me who he was, he already knew. They're both deserters. And apparently, not friends.

Casimir tears his gaze from Killian to look at me, expression shifting. "Don't look at me like that." He steps towards me, looking at my bound hands. "Was this necessary?" he asks, looking at Jax over my shoulder.

"She tried to stab me, so yeah."

He sighs, touching my hand. I flinch backwards.

"Frey." His voice softens. "I just want to undo the ropes."

I don't protest as he unwinds the ropes, revealing angry, marked skin beneath. I try to stop them from shaking, aware of the eyes on me, but they have a mind of their own. Casimir brushes his finger along the marks. I look up at him. No matter the situation we're in, his touch comforts me. I don't know who he is, but he won't hurt me, that I know.

He glances over his shoulder, at the people seated at the tables. They snap their gazes away as if they hadn't been watching, resuming as normal. I pull my hands from him, holding them to my chest and stepping backwards. The room has slowly emptied, the people seated earlier filing off into the side passageways. Only Killian, Jax, Casimir, and his mother remain. And despite the size of the area we're in, it feels suffocatingly small.

I've searched for so long, missing sleep, being late for school, all for this. And now that I'm here, right in the grasps of the deserters, I want nothing more than to get out. I want this to be a bad dream, to wake up in my bed with Casimir on the mattress on the floor. Because if this is real, it means the most important person in my world might not be who I thought they were.

"I want to go home."

Casimir turns to look at me. "Frey—"

"Don't call me that." He flinches when I take another step back. "Show me the way out. Take me back to Veymaw."

"Of course. I'll—"

The woman clucks her tongue, cutting him off. "You can't leave, Freya."

"What?" Casimir and I speak simultaneously.

"You knew the implications of bringing her here, Casimir."

"Which is why I didn't."

I take a step forward, narrowing my eyes and making a mental note of what he's said. She mentioned that Killian was tasked with bringing me here, but why not Casimir? How long has Casimir known his mother was alive? How long has he been a deserter, and why is it only now that the deserters wanted me here?

"Why can't I leave?" I ask.

She rakes her gaze up the length of my body, like she's picking apart every inch. I feel so exposed beneath her gaze. The curl of her lip as she reaches my face makes my stomach drop. "You know too much."

"You brought me here."

She moves forward, each step calculated as she unsheathes one of the daggers from her belt, inspecting the tip. I watch every sublate movement, looking for any signs that she might be wanting to use that dagger on me, but she barely looks my way.

"Do you know what I've sacrificed for the cause, Freya? How much we've all sacrificed?" she presses.

"The cause?"

"The shifters," Killian murmurs from behind me, "ending them."

"Ending their cruel dictatorship," she corrects sharply. "If they happen to die and disappear forever, that's simply a bonus."

I swallow at the careless way she speaks of murder. It would be a lie to say the same thoughts haven't crossed my mind. The shifters took everything from me. But I've never heard someone so boldly state them out loud.

"I want that, too," I say quietly.

"So you claim. You know the identities of two very important informants." I look at Casimir, but he still won't look at me, gaze glued to the ground. "Not to mention, if I were to allow you to leave, you'd know exactly where we are located. That simply is not a risk I am willing to take."

"I'd never tell anyone, I promise."

"The deserters haven't survived this long by trusting promises."

The silence is deafening. I look over my shoulder, to Killian, but his expression is unreadable. He owes me nothing, and yet, I can't help but feel a hint of betrayal.

"You can't force me to stay here." I grit my teeth together when she doesn't answer. "People will search for me, you know."

"Who?" she asks. "My son knows exactly where you are, and as far as I'm concerned, you have no family left."

I flinch. Casimir scowls. "Trina—"

"Calm down, Casimir. I only mean to speak the truth, no offence intended."

I take a shaky breath, stepping backwards. My hand flexes by my side, craving the comfort of my dagger hilt, but even if I had it, I would be useless against Killian, Jax, and this woman.

"Before you return to Veymaw, you must prove your loyalty."

"No," Casimir says. "That's not fair."

"He's right, Trina," Killian agrees. "She's untrained, it would be unsafe."

She, Trina, ignores him, looking to Casimir. "Go back to Veymaw, excuse her from school, say whatever is necessary."

"I won't let you do that to her."

"It isn't up to you."

"Then don't trust her, trust me," Casimir says. "It's my life that's at risk if we let her go. She won't tell anyone."

"You forget that you're not the only informant in Veymaw anymore."

Killian.

We all turn to look at him, Casimir's glare darkening. Killian's already looking at me, leaning against the stone wall with his arms folded, expression stoic.

"Killian?" Casimir asks, the name bitter in his mouth. "Do you trust her?"

When he looks at me, his eyes dance with that teasing glint. For a moment, I think he might say no, just to get under my skin. "About as much as she trusts me."

Casimir raises an eyebrow, but I know what he's referring to. In the forest when I said I didn't trust him. I was right not to, but that doesn't matter. I want to glare at him, but I keep my expression still. "I trust you with my life."

The ghost of a smile crosses his lips, satisfied, as he looks back to Trina. "I think I can handle her."

I look back to Casimir's mother. "There. Let me go."

"These two may be willing to gamble with their lives, but I'm not," she says. "The decision is made. Killian, direct Freya to the east wing."

She turns around, and before anyone can protest, pulls the sheet back from the entry way, and disappears. I stare after her, blinking in disbelief. Casimir sighs, turning to look at me.

"I'll talk to her and then come to you." He looks at Killian, expression darkening. "You heard her, the east wing."

Killian bows in an exaggerated way. "Yes, your majesty."

Casimir's jaw tightens but he tears his gaze away, turning and heading the same way his mother did, leaving me alone with Killian and Jax. Jax still stands stoically by the entrance, expression distrusting as he stares at me.

Killian raises a hand.

"Put your hands on me and the next time I have access to a weapon I promise that I will attack you with it," I warn.

Despite my threats, he steps closer. "I'm almost tempted to give you a dagger to see how that plays out."

"I'm serious."

"Look, we can stay here all night if you like. But I promise the east wings are much more pleasant." When I don't say anything, he tilts his head sideways. "Come on, Freya. You trust me with your life, remember?"

I grit my teeth and follow him down the hall.

_

If you were Trina, would you let Freya go?

How do you think Trina wants Freya to prove herself?

What do you think might happen next?