Aethera watched nervously as more of the girl’s vines snaked around her leg. It was too tight. Too confining. She didn’t like being this vulnerable, especially at the mercy of a stranger.

She hadn’t liked the idea of trusting the rebel initially, but what other choice did they have? Even if the girl had bad intentions, any place was better than the one they were in now. They had no choice, not if they wanted a chance at survival.

Hestian was the greater challenge. He kept sneaking glances at Aethera, his forehead knitted in worry. The rebel was concerned about her foot too. Though, it didn’t look much like a foot anymore. More like some deformed, purple pumpkin. It hurt like hell, and Aethera winced as it throbbed in time with her rapid heartbeat. Painkillers were few and she didn’t expect the luxury of them, but she did hope that they would be able to do something to numb it once they got to the safe house.

The rebel cleared her throat and Aethera glanced at her warily, though the rebel was looking at Hestian. The boy hadn’t been inclined to trust the rebel either, but Aethera was able to get him to listen to her with a little persuading.

“All good?” The rebel asked.

Hestian dipped his head but refused to answer any more than that. He was still angry about their terse argument. The rebel was friendly enough, but she didn’t waste any time with the boy’s nonsense. She had shut down Hestian’s ideas instantly, much to Aethera’s appreciation.

He had wanted to fight. Her gut twisted at the thought. She still hadn’t gotten over how he had forced her to tell him why she didn’t want to use her powers. It was her past. Her story. He shouldn’t have made her share it.

But, it did feel good. She didn’t feel any less of a murderer, but some of the guilt and grief had lifted once she had admitted the truth. She wasn’t sure how Hestian had taken it, but she didn’t dare try to speak about it around the other girl.

The rebel was currently muttering to herself, using her finger to draw a line on the worn-out map she clutched tightly Aethera couldn’t see much of it over the girl’s shoulder, but she could faintly make out the two lines where the river split and a large cross at the end of them. That must be where they were going.

“What does it symbolize?” Aethera asked.

The girl whipped her head up, her eyebrows furrowed. “What?’

“The cross on the page. What does it mean?”

“It’s a safe house,” the girl replied quietly. “The Uniques there will help you two get back on your feet.”

“You know them?”

“Kind of. I met them a few days ago. I understand your unease, but you can trust them. They are devoted to the rebellion. Turning you in will create more trouble than it's worth.”

Aethera nodded.“Thank you...for coming here.”

“I’m just following orders,” the girl replied kindly. “Maybe we can see to fixing your ankle once we get there too.”

Aethera felt a spark of hope ignite. “There’s a healer there?”

The rebel nodded. “Of sorts.”

She sighed and ran her fingers over the vines. Even at the gentle movement, pain prickled up her foot and Aethera grimaced. Looking at the injury somehow made the pain worse and Aethera averted her eyes. She didn’t need a healer to tell her it was bad.

It hadn’t looked too complicated initially, but it had gotten worse and worse as the days went on. Without treatment, she didn’t know how much longer she could last. It was too terrifying to think about what would happen if she wasn’t able to walk again.

But, healers were known to be able to do extraordinary things. She just had to make it till then.

“Do you think...we will survive?”

“I expect us to,” the rebel replied, her voice sharp. “But then again, there are things out of my control. There are risks to every plan, even the best ones.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m not positive we’ll make it, but I sure hope so. No one’s ever gotten killed or captured in my protection before.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Hestian grumbled.

The rebel’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head wearily. “You aren’t helping.”

He shrugged, sending a scowl over the rebel’s face. If Aethera didn’t step in soon, the two were going to kill each other before even the hunters got a chance.

“We should get going,” Aethera whispered.

The rebel hummed in agreement. “You’re right. Come on, Hestian.”

Hestian glared at her crossly, but shifted on the branch and grabbed the pack, stuffing it into the pocket of his pants. He glanced at Aethera for only a second, but his gaze was hard and full of desperation, making her heart skip a beat. What was he trying to communicate?

Shaking her head, Aethera ignored him. If he wanted to tell her something, he would have to say it. She was done playing games.

Grunting in pain, she pushed herself to a sitting position, ignoring the worried look Hestian gave her.

“We good to go?”

Aethera nodded and she heard the boy grunt in agreement behind her. Despite her uneasiness, she placed a hand on his forearm comfortingly. He had tasked himself with the job of protecting her, something she still didn’t understand. But, Aethera did know that it was a difficult job. She didn’t feel the same way as he did for her, but she appreciated it all the same.

“She’s our only choice,” Aethera whispered, soft enough so that only he could hear her.

Hestian turned his head at her voice and the edges of his lips lifted in a small smile, though it looked more like a grimace.

“I know.”

She let her hand drop and turned away. Though she wanted nothing more than to get out of there, she didn’t want to leave the boy. He had grown on her. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t become attached to him, but now she couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving once they got to the safe house. Maybe she could convince him to stay, at least for a few days.

The rebel cleared her throat. “I’m going to need you to hold on tight to my hand and Hestian’s. The vines should support all of us if we stick close.”

“And if they don’t?” Hestian questioned.

“Then we probably won’t survive the drop down,” the rebel replied, shooting him a look.

Aethera swallowed nervously and avoided looking at the ground as she moved forward so she was perched like a bird taking flight at the end of the branch. The rebel took her left hand and Hestian grasped her right.

“We’re going to be okay,” she muttered, more for her benefit than his.

He didn’t reply, his gaze remaining firmly on the ground set a few dozen feet beneath them. She shuddered.

“Okay, jump on three.”

They both nodded.

“One,” the rebel whispered determinedly. “Two.”

“Wait-” the cry was halfway out of Hestian’s mouth before the rebel counted down to the last number.

“Three!”

Aethera and the rebel both jumped, pulling a screaming Hestian with them.

“Stop it, do you want the whole world to know we’re here?” The rebel hissed, grabbing onto a vine as it swooped towards them. Hestian grit his jaw and squeezed Aethera’s hand tighter as he grasped onto the strong tendril as well.

Aethera closed her eyes, muttering a silent prayer. She was determined not to heave up her meager breakfast of walnuts.

Regardless, her stomach twisted and she gagged in fear, her palms starting to sweat. She adjusted her grip on Hestian’s hands and he clenched her fingers tighter. “I got you, don’t worry.”

An arrow suddenly whistled past her ear and she flinched, recoiling as she twisted her head to look at the rebel. Her eyes were narrowed in focus, and sweat beaded on her brow as she swept her hand left and right, the vines following her direction.

“They’re shooting at us!” Aethera screamed desperately.

“I can’t do anything about it! Just try to swing as much as you can, they’ll have a harder time aiming!” The rebel shouted back.

Aethera closed her eyes, her heart thudding frantically in her chest as she dangled like a limp rope from the rebel and Hestian’s clenched hands.

“I don’t like this!” he screamed, his eyes wide with fear.

“I’m the one that doesn’t like heights!” Aethera shot back. “Don’t tell me you’re scared too!”

“I’m not scared, I just have a bad feeling about this!”

“Well, too late!” the rebel spat, her pale face turning pink as she put her energy into transporting them to the next tree and the next.

Aethera’s feet had barely touched the bark of the branch when the rebel counted down again, pulling both of them along with her.

Aethera’s stomach was knotted with fear, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to focus on something else. Anything else.

“Talk to me,” Aethera managed to gasp. “Anything. Just...distract me.”

A few seconds of silence followed her desperate request before he replied. “Why are you scared of heights?”

“It doesn’t help to mock me,” Aethera shot back.

“I’m just saying, it isn’t exactly a rational fear. I mean, like, I get if you don’t like spiders or something, but-”

“We’re almost there,” The rebel whispered. Aethera cracked open one eye, peeking through her lashes. She felt the rough bark under her feet almost instantly, earning a sigh of relief from all three of them. Aethera winced as her foot was dragged over the branch by the vines trailing from the rebel’s fingertips. As soon as they were safely on the tree, she let go of both Hestian a She gave the rebel a look, expecting her to release her from the tendrils.

Instead, the girl shook her head, standing shakily from her exhausted heap. “We go on three.”

“Again?” Aethera inquired, making sure she heard right.

“Again,” the rebel confirmed. “The hunters have figured out our plan. We need to keep our pace ahead of them.”

To Aethera’s surprise, Hestian nodded in agreement. “We don’t want them to catch up to us.”

“They already have,” Aethera protested weakly. “I just need a minute, I-”

“I’m sorry,” the rebel interrupted. “But, we don’t have a minute to spare.”

Groaning internally, Aethera nodded reluctantly and held her hands out. The rebel took her right and Hestian took her left.

“One, two,” the rebel started, “three!”

Aethera bit down hard on her tongue, holding back another scream as her feet acted of their own accord, pushing against the surface beneath her.

She clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut. “Hestian.”

“I’m here. Just breathe.”

“I can’t. I’m going to be sick,” Aethera gasped.

“We’re almost there,” the rebel offered comfortingly. “Just a few more seconds.”

Hestian yelped suddenly and Aethera’s eyes shot open. Her stomach twisted at the warm sensation running down her arm. Blood.

“Are you alright?” Aethera shouted, panicked.

His fingers loosened around hers, and she scrambled for a better hold, her heart racing. “Hestian, please.”

His eyes were closed, his jaw set against the pain. He swallowed as she called his name, but didn’t offer a response. The point of an arrow was embedded into the skin of his wrist, a trickle of blood trailing down his knuckle and onto her own hand.

“Thea, I-I don’t know if I can hold on,” he grunted.

“Please,” she whispered, though wasn’t sure who she was begging. She didn’t want him to be in pain, but she didn’t want to die either.

Sweat beaded on his face as he adjusted his grip. “Thea…”

“It’s okay,” she offered, her mind protesting as she spoke the lie. “I’ll be okay. It’ll be fast.”

“No one’s dying!” The rebel hissed, “Just hang on, Hestian. We’re almost there.”

Ten more seconds. Nine. Eight.

Hestian moaned in pain and Aethera gasped in fear as his grip slackened.

Seven. Six. Five.

The rebel grunted as Aethera desperately grabbed onto her palm with both hands.

Four. Three.

Her heart raced in her chest, a high-pitched ringing filling her ears.

Two.

Her mouth opened in a scream as the rebel let go, her weight too much to bear for one person.

One.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she fell, praying for a quick end.