Ivy stumbled through the streets of Rhune, bleeding and delirious, phasing in and out of the witch world at random. Ranin had probably tried to follow her at first, but after she had escaped with her power, she had not seen the man. Or maybe she had. Who knew? Not her addled mind. The people of Rhune gave her a wide berth as she wandered aimlessly, dagger in hand.

It wasn’t fair. Why did she always have to be the villain? The one everyone fled from in terror? Tears formed in her eyes, and she fell to her knees, blood loss finally taking its toll. No one would ever accept her. Yet no one else ever stepped up and did what needed to be done. They all would only see her for what she was. A convenient weapon to use and discard once the job was done.

The silhouette of the palace faded from her vision, and she collapsed back onto the frozen, unforgiving, stone road.

“What did I say?” A sharp voice broke the fog of Ivy’s unconscious mind. “You never listen to me!”

“And what exactly did you tell me?” The second voice came through as calm as it ever was. “Things could not have gone better for us.”

“She almost died!”

“She didn’t.”

The first woman practically growled.

“Do not forget that I have not challenged your position here for one reason only. A reason which grows thinner by the day.”

Ivy wanted to hear more, but her eyes wouldn’t open, and the agony throbbing in her shoulder made her yearn for sweet oblivion.

The next time Ivy woke, she did manage to raise her eyelids, revealing a white stone ceiling above her. Her arm and shoulder still ached, and she rolled onto her good side. A woman sat directly in her view, knitting red and white yarn. The long, cream-colored needles wove in and out of the thick ropes of fabric right before Ivy’s eyes.

“Hello,” the woman said.

Ivy blinked a few times, clearing the haze from her vision.

“Which one are you, again?” she asked, directing her gaze up to the witch’s face framed by long, auburn strands of wavy hair.

“Dahlia.”

Ah. She was the one Ivy actually remembered from Anemony’s rapid-fire introductions the other day. If she remembered correctly, Dahlia rivaled the queen in age, and possessed a much more overt power.

After getting a good look at the angles of the woman’s ageless face, Ivy scanned the room beyond the other witch. There were a few more empty, made-up beds spaced evenly within a large rectangular, yet unadorned room.

“Where am I?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

“The palace infirmary.”

Those needles kept up their rapid clicking and clacking as Ivy made to sit up, but quickly halted her movement, pulling the thin sheet around her bare torso. She hadn’t realized she had been stripped naked. Thick white wrappings stained dark red covered her left shoulder and ran down her arm.

“Do not get too excited,” Dahlia said, “I do not want to have to call the healers back in.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes at the woman. It was true no one else was in the room with them. The single arched door that served as an entrance hung sealed on the far wall. Dahlia had been waiting for her to wake.

“You clearly want something,” she said, remembering the half-heard conversation from before and matching the voice, “so why don’t you just say it.”

Finally, the knitting stopped, and Dahlia dropped the mess of yarn and needles in her lap, giving her full attention to the wrapped-up Ivy sitting on the bed.

“I am going to tell you something,” Dahlia said, “something none of us here want you to know. Something Daphne would never divulge willingly.”

“Okay…”

“I want you to be able to trust me.” Of course she did. She wanted to use Ivy as everyone else did. To use her against her struggle for control against Daphne.

“Well, what is it, then?” Ivy’s words came out low and monotone as if she were bored of it all. She was.

“Do you promise to behave?”

“No.”

Dahlia sighed.

“Very well,” she said, “it must be said regardless. Atrican is under attack by a combined force of the church and the king’s army.”

Ivy let the sheet fall around her waist.

“WHAT?” She pushed from the bed, sending a shooting pain from her shoulder to the tips of her fingers. “Where are my damn clothes?”

“Please temper your reaction.”

Laughing, Ivy stalked past the seated Dahlia.

“Is that your fancy way of telling me to calm down? What is it with you people?”

Folded up on a table between a set of beds rested a set of undergarments and furs that Ivy began throwing on as fast as possible. She barely noticed the pain in her left side anymore. Atrican was under siege? Was everyone okay? It suddenly became hard to breathe, and she put both hands down on the table, leaning against it. Her heart raced as she tried to do just as Dahlia had asked her to do, but her breaths would not come easy.

“Ivy,” Dahlia said, the sound of her voice close.

“Shut up,” Ivy struggled to get out.

“Rose will take care of everything.”

“I…don’t…care.”

“Is it the boy, then?”

Ivy’s fists clenched against the table. She just wanted to scream. Everyone knew everything about her private life. They all used anything they could to control her. Not one of them cared about her.

“Fuck. You.”

She reached deep into her core and called for her power, fleeing into the witch world. Moving without hardly looking, she let the world guide her as she put one foot in front of the other. For the first time…well, ever, she felt more comfortable in this twisted husk of a world than anywhere else. A sense of calm washed over her, slowing her hammering heart and erratic breathing.

Eventually, she came to a stop and dispelled her power. The sight before her brought all her anxiety and rage and irritation back to the surface.

Raenin stood just outside of Rhune’s walls, a pair of horses’ reins gripped in one hand.

“No,” she said.

The man grinned.

“You don’t need a horse?”

“I’m much faster than a horse.”

He raised both eyebrows.

“Is that so?”

Yes. Kind of. She kicked at the dirt beside the road. Probably not. She had never used her power to travel long distances. Not to mention the strain it would cause her, or how long she would be able to maintain her strength over a long period of time, she would likely lose her way before making any real progress. She may be getting a lot more used to the witch world, but she didn’t even know the way back to Atrican without her power.

“Fine,” she said, “I’ll take the horse. But you can get lost.”

“Have you ridden before?” he asked. Shit. No. He read her face as though the answer were written in bold letters on her forehead. “I see.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

Raenin cocked his head.

“A friend, then?”

Her mouth twisted in disgust.

“You? My friend?”

“Have any others?” he asked.

“I swear,” Ivy said, clenching her jaw, “it’s like everyone is always trying so hard to piss me off.”

The ass just grinned and jerked his head at her, his eyes passing over her to something beyond. Ivy frowned but spun on her heel and found another sight she did not expect to see.

“Anemony?” Ivy asked. The girl was standing at the gates, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

“Ivy!” she screamed and then ran at full speed. More than full speed. She glided as though propelled by…ah.

Anemony flung her arms around Ivy’s neck, sobbing into her injured shoulder. Not sure what else to do, Ivy returned the hug, ignoring her wound’s discomfort.

“Is…everything okay?” Ivy asked.

“No!” she cried out. “No! Of course not!”

Ivy pushed her arm’s length away.

“What’s happened? Did Daphne do something to you?”

The girl couldn’t meet Ivy’s gaze.

“No! I’m the terrible one! I…I—” she sniffled, unable to complete her thought.

Ivy looked over her shoulder at Raenin, who only shrugged. Thanks for the help, ass.

“Tell me what happened,” Ivy said.

“Y-You…you almost died,” once again, she almost lost her composure, but continued on, “and I…I just left you there!”

Ivy squeezed the girls arms, almost falling apart herself.

“It’s…okay,” she said, “I understand. Don’t worry.”

“No! It wasn’t right what I did. I-I was just so scared. And my awakening day is coming up, and oh, I dunno, I just—”

Ivy pulled her into another hug.

“It’s really all right,” she said, and held her for a minute.

But something about what Anemony had said caught her attention. Ivy’s awakening day had passed during her travels that eventually led her to Rhune, and she had not even noticed. That couldn’t be. Except…Rose had once said something similar. That she didn’t experience the pains anymore. What had changed?

“Ivy…I’m so sorry,” Anemony said, sobbing again, “can you ever forgive me?”

“Well,” Ivy paused and stroked the girl’s hair, “Yeah. I get it, Anemony. What you saw, anyone would react the same. I actually didn’t expect to see you again.”

Anemony tightened her grip around Ivy’s ribcage.

“I know those men deserved it,” Anemony said, “it’s just…I don’t know if I can ever be like you.”

“Of course not. I’m…there’s something wrong with me. I know.”

It was Anemony’s turn to push Ivy back. Her expression seemed…offended.

“That’s not it at all! You’re so strong. That’s what I meant.”

Ivy flinched.

“Oh.”

Anemony wiped her eyes and stood up tall.

“I know you have to go,” she said, “but promise you’ll come back.”

“I will.”

The girl nodded.

“And kill all those church bastards!”

With that, she turned and ran back through the gates, disappearing into Rhune. Ivy smiled after her for quite some time, not sure what to make of such an unexpected send-off. Eventually, she turned back to Raenin, who was wearing the same irritating grin.

“Are you always this smug?” she asked.

“Only when I’m right.”

“Let me guess, you always are?”

“Beauty and brains.”

Ivy rolled her eyes, but her mood had turned around from just a few minutes ago and let the comment pass.

“Help me up, then,” she said, gesturing to the horse.

Raenin strode up to the side of one of the beasts and cupped his hands a couple of feet up off the ground.

“Put your right foot here,” he said. She did. “Now with your left hand, grab the reins at just the top of his mane there. Yeah. Good. Now, step into the stirrup with your other foot, pointing straight ahead.” She continued to follow his instructions and he nodded. “Perfect. Now use your other hand to balance against the saddle and swing the other leg over.”

She completed the maneuver, suddenly astride the thing. Her grip around the reins tightened, adding her other hand. It was…really high up. And they hadn’t even started moving yet. The animal below her was five times her size. How did anyone trust these things? It could crush her whenever it felt like it.

Raenin wheeled around to the front of the horse and just stood there, watching.

“Not bad for a first-timer,” he said, but didn’t move to his own horse. He just kept eying her with that annoying grin of his.

“What?” she asked. He didn’t move. Or say a word. “What’s with you?”

He laughed.

“Just admiring the scene. Not every day I get to help up a beautiful woman to her steed.”

Ivy would have jumped right off the horse and punched him, but the ground looked so far down from her saddle, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get back up without him.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said. If either of them was to survive traveling together—sleeping on the road together—she’d have to end this, now.

“Please, I’m married.”

“You’re,” she paused, “married? Then that’s worse. Who could stand to be married to you?”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what’s in front of me,” he said.

“You are just awful.”

He laughed again, but finally went to mount his horse, and then urged it forward.

“Kick the sides,” he said, “lightly.”

She almost closed her eyes but obeyed, and the beast marched on to match Raenin’s.

“How long is this going to take,” Ivy asked, her knuckles turning white around the reins.

“If we ride hard, switch out our horses every chance we get for the best available…three weeks.”

Ivy groaned. Three weeks of not knowing if everyone in Atrican was safe. Three weeks with Raenin. Three weeks, if she learned to “ride hard.” She doubted that would be in her skillset any time soon.