We stared at each other. Her eyes glossed over us with a tinge of disdain. Corona's dreadful hatred washed over me.

I steeled myself, stood in front of Sandream, proud, and ready for her attack.

Corona asked, “Trying to escape? I will not let you. Our mother has wished it for you to be taken to Elam and I will see it done. You will not shame me again in front of her.”

My mind became bogged down with uncertainty. Corona said, “Valor your annoyance is amazing to witness.”

I looked at Sandream stepping forward. Sandream breathed in then said, “No, he has returned to his original shell. It is the one that will get her vengeance today for your high crimes in Tiam.”

Corona tilted her head. “Sandream… I should have cut your head off. No matter, I can end you here just as easily. You are not taking Carmine anywhere.”

Sandream's face twisted into a deep scowl, while her hand slipped to her side. My arm flicked up and bashed my elbow under her bosom. Sandream whipped her head at me as her brows creased in rage.

I shook my head with slow menace at her, yet my purpose for Sandream was a fickle hope of her living beyond today.

Fighting Corona was suicide, and Sandream already lost so much, the love of her life and her body. As a friend, I had to protect her from her own vengeful anger.

Sandream's lips pursed into a frown as her eyes glanced to the ground, and her heels returned to the cold embrace of the tile.

I sighed deeply. “Let me go Corona, you do not have to follow her orders, it does not have to be like this. I know you and my mother do not see eye to eye, yo—”

Corona cut in. “You are the epitome of annoying. Your arrogance is amazing, to say the least. Trying to befriend me, asking questions of my past, trying to empathize, sowing seeds of dissent, and trying to make yourself the innocent in my eyes. Very intelligent how you tried to break me down over these last days.”

I clutched my fist in worry. She saw right through it all. I said, “A compliment, that is rare coming from you.”

“Don’t act so innocent. I said a fact. Just like me calling you a cockroach is a fact.”

“Cockroach?”

“Why do you think cockroaches only come out at night? When no one is around and eats from the food least protected and gathered around. They are smart creatures that know when to strike and poach on their desires. They have to be because they are weak.” Corona stomped her feet. “And they are dead.”

Silence settled as her words resided in my mind. Corona’s eyes never wavered from me. She continued, “Yes, you would not know, because you are a foolish noble who knoweth nothing, but cockroaches are very smart. That is why they annoy me.

“Weak things should slither into the corner and stay in the darkness, but no, you always want to eat, you. You always try to outsmart the people, the world, because you know that death is as easy as,” said Corona, with a snap of her finger, “that.”

Corona stepped forward. Sandream came in front of me. Corona gave Sandream a momentary glance before looking over the shoulder towards me. “You know this so you compensate by gathering the strong, physically, but mentally they are weak, all to your cause. Your honeycomb words work well to ensnare them.

“Five drawn in, because he has nothing.” Corona pointed at Sandream. “This fool, because she cannot let go of her undying loyalty to a useless boy. Valor, because he wants to bed you and a stupid little nun who knows no better.”

Sweat rolled down my forehead, while Corona snickered. “There are nothing more than tools to you. All to keep you alive.”

Anger swelled up in the pit of my gut. I retorted, “So are you to Erot.”

“I know, but it’s still different. With Erot, I gain power. With you, the future that rests at the end is death for them and a cruel life for you. You are just putting them through hell, nothing more.”

“No, they are my friends.”

“You are just using them, propping yourself upon their backs. Without them, you are nothing, and even if you shone like a star. They will burn away as a result.”

I replied, “No, they won’t. They will have a happy life, all of them, every last one of them. That is my decree as the future Queen of Ascus.”

“Ah, naïve, fate said you would live to tell the tale, not your friends.”

I smiled. “I thought the prophecy was false?”

Corona shivered but quickly regained her composure. “It is.” That statement topped off her lips with a flat tone. I caught her off guard. Her lips ran away from her common sense too much. At least I knew that was a lie, but if it was true, why would my mother keep me alive?

Corona cared about Erot living, hence why she wanted me dead. My death secured my mother's continued reign, which secured Corona’s place in her grand coven.

Making that safe deduction, I spoke confidently, “Let me go. It would be in your best interest. Think about it, you kill me now, right here, mother will not be pleased. She will berate you for struggling to restrain me with just Sandream by my side, but if you let me go and kill me away from here, any excuse you make up might be more palatable.”

I pushed Sandream aside and stepped forward. Corona’s eyes never wavered, but they tinkled as they opened more. “Deep down that is what you want. Me, dead, take this chance, how about it?” I asked.

Corona rolled her eyes. “Do I look like an idiot to you?”

“No, you just hate me,” I said. Corona’s face contorted to that. “My mother wants to control me. Keep me close to her. I can grasp that much. I am sure if I keep being a thorn or maybe decide to go straight to Ascus. My mother will finally give up capturing me and just have me killed. That is when you strike. Then I won’t be in your way anymore and you will be praised, highly.”

Corona said nothing. The right spot got hit by my facts. Corona snorted and turned her head. Nothing was said, she stared into space and I could tell she spun the ideas I gave her in her head, contemplating the possible deceit in my words.

Come on, Corona, this is the one time I can genuinely say I wanted her desire to kill me to surpass her wisdom.

Corona rolled her head upward, and said, “The next time I see you I will kill you. You hear that?”

I exhaled and lifted my arching hand from my gun. “I won’t make it easy though.”

Corona glared at me.

Had my hubris allowed a great error?

I stiffened up and said, “I'm sure you love the hunt…”

Corona snorted and turned away from me. “The alarm will be sent, so make speed if you want to fulfill your goal.”

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She walked into the shadows.

I touched my chest and exhaled out. A sweeping wind of happiness gathered under the hole-ridden sails of my life.

“How?” Sandream muttered.

Honestly, I was not sure of how. One thing became certain, I could not trust anyone. Mother’s embrace promised a safer future, but I was tired of putting my life in other people’s hands. Never again, would I trust promises, for now, I trusted intent.

“I know her." I knew Corona’s intent, that was enough.

Sandream turned to me. “Let’s go, we have to leave and not waste this chance.”

We ran. No surety resided in my efforts to escape. All we had were our dreams and desires. We needed to get out of here.

Those desires, the intents behind them, pushed us forward. We reached a narrow passage, it had many doors to each side. My eyes waded into each one wary we may be caught. I froze on one room, while Sandream jogged briskly ahead for several feet before turning around with a frustrated expression. She said, “We have no time. Come.”

“Do you want your body restored?” My eyes marveled at the sight.

Sandream opened her lips, but no words came. She stepped beside me and looked within the dimly lit room showing a grand display of treasure.

Gold cups, gem-encrusted weapons, and gems laid elegantly on a skeleton perched on a throne over a huge mound of gold coins.

Sandream asked blankly, “How would we carry all of that out?”

“We can take the most expensive thing.” I pointed at the crown on the skeleton’s head.

Sandream sighed. “This room—seems too convenient.”

“Trap?”

“Most likely.”

I breathed out and stepped forward. The first step was fine and my eyes adjusted to the creeping darkness of what laid ahead. I climbed with a struggle on the sliding, shifting coins, and took off the crown.

The crown had so many gems on it, the reflecting glint blinded me, but we had it.

I looked around to Sandream waving at me. My feet hopped off, and a riveting chill made me pause.

Sandream motioned at me aggressively. Something did not feel right. A crushing thud made me shiver alongside that grinding sound.

Spikes slammed into the ground. I missed being skewered, but I laid on the coin heap my body contorted in a desperate effort to avoid the narrow spines of the spikes.

“Carmine?” Sandream called.

I breathed out, and I lifted my head. Shifting my head, I shimmied down the coins. The spikes suddenly came up. I shot back up and ran. The spikes came down again, I slanted and fell onto my left shoulder.

The crown rebounded out of my hand, rolled into the wall, hit it, spun off the wall onto a spike, and stopped.

Sore me, the spikes cut me with surface wounds in two places, my leg, and the end of my neck.

Sandream pushed in her hand. I looked at it then I looked at the crown. I would have another chance to get it if the spike came up. I only had to wait.

The spikes came up, the crown fell flat. I rushed forward and reached for it.

An intense tug rattled me as I was pulled out of the room and catapulted into the corridor. My body rolled in the ache of hitting the tile. Looking to the side I saw Sandream looking at me from a crouch. I leaned up off the ground, and said, “What curse befallen you, I almost had it.”

Sandream sighed. “As much as I hate this shell, I will not allow you to put yourself in danger for me.”

I snorted out a brief laugh. “It is, because of me that you lost your body in the first place.”

Sandream nodded and got up. “That is how I would wish it. I have no regrets for doing my duty.”

I knew I should not utter the words and, yet I had to. “Why, because Canus said so?”

“No, because honoring Canus’s wishes is important to me. I will do this because I want to.”

That sounded eerily similar. Right, Five spoke like that. That desire to serve was important to N.C. shells, but that elicited my frown, for I knew they were made to serve, not to live.

Could they not have the free will to want anything else? Did that make me a taskmistress for facilitating such narrow-minded resolves?

It was because of me that Canus died, and yet she served the safeguarding of my life.

“You must hate me,” I whispered.

A hand grasped my shoulder and I looked up into her somber eyes.

She said, “I want to, but I cannot, I cannot blame you for your birthright, something that is beyond your control. Allow me the time to heal, to learn, to understand, but now is not the time, come.” I leaned into her pull and we stood level in the dimly lit corridor.

I wished I controlled it.

We made our way as fast and as quietly as we could. Sandream whispered to me, that something had not felt right. Maybe that was the case.

We traversed through a window, and onto the nearby rocky hills. We navigated the dreary caves and came out on the other side of the hill.

Distant noises welcomed themselves to my ears. Sandream looked back at the city. “They know now.”

We ran this time, as our once inconspicuous stride became a distant memory. Our feet pounded into the snow. Hearts raced with the envy of a happier time, yet it warmed us and gave us the energy to push through the night.

“Up there! Go!” Sandream urged me on. My eyes touched freedom. Sitting on the end of the cliff were those huge birds.

A blast of snow blocked that view and it had us drifting back. We looked up and saw Excular rising from his crouch.

Swore me, I drew my gun for Excular to slap it away. Sandream swiped at his side, but he kicked out her leg and sent her headfirst into the snow.

He walked up to me. His flat stare echoed the increased heartbeat I struggled to contain. I pushed myself away, but he swiftly caught up and grabbed my leg.

Sandream jumped on him, but he easily broke her grasp and threw her aside. Excular grabbed my neck and lifted me. “A naughty girl are you?” he said.

I spat in his face. His eyes narrowed at me with that slobber of spit slithering down the side of his nose. Excular squeezed my throat, and my neck burned as my tongue grasped for the heavens.

Excular narrowed his eyes at my reddening face. "You're mine."

"Excular!" The voice of that arrogant sellsword lifted my spirits and caused Excular's hand to loosen. I dropped back holding my incensed throat, gasping.

Excular ducked under Valor’s ax swing, but his foot plunged into Excular's chest sending him flying over my fidgeting bones.

Valor walked forward, rubbing his nails along his vest. "Didn't you know, Excular, she belongs to me?"

I called, “Valor!”

Valor slipped his arm around my neck, while the deep scent of evergreen shrubs penetrated my aura. He pulled me up in a powerful sway that left me stopping on my heel.

"Stay behind me." Valor's back shaded me like a huge tree, with the deep creases of his muscles matching those of a tree's veins.

Excular growled. "Valor? You bring your disgraceful lump of flesh before me?"

"With pride." Valor rushed forward. Excular with no weapon except his hand swerved around Valor’s swing like he saw them coming from miles away. Excular punched Valor with each dodge, with each swerve of his body.

Valor was losing. I looked for my gun. I could not see it in this darkness. Lights were getting brighter behind me.

Not good, this was not good.

Valor grabbed and wrapped Excular. “Run!”

No, I was not leaving anyone behind. I kicked behind Excular’s leg. Excular fell, but he uppercut Valor off of him, rolled, grabbed my ankle, and pulled me.

The snow burst up and dissipated like a fine mist. Blood hugged the side of Excular’s face. Excular and I leaped up, but he got hit by an invisible force.

He regained his composure and stood strong only to get hit in the gut, in the shoulder, and in the face.

Wait, was that Corona? It must be that bow she used back in Tiam. Excular fell and bled unrestrained from the nose. Valor got up, his back turned to us. Excular grabbed Valor’s ax and threw it. Valor turned, grabbed the ax, and threw it back.

It struck true, for Excular fell back in an extravagant spray of blood from his once handsome face.

Excular slumped onto the ground groaning in agony.

A shout, but I got pulled forward by Valor. Sandream whirled her hand, creating a bright light from the palm of her hand.

I was not giddy to be jumping on another flying beast again. My heart thumped like a drum, to say the least.

Valor and I hopped on, and the bird shot off the hill. My nails almost slid off him. Valor’s arms gripped me close. My body leaned into his, and my breath hitched when his radiating heat pacified me. I shrunk in and surrendered to the raze of his soul, his protection.

The wind was loud and heavy. A whistle burst through the clouds. The bird shifted up and raised.

It climbed, and the rush made me gasp. My eyes struggled to fight the storm. Soon, a short screech pierced through the noise of the breeze.

I could not see. All I heard in the darkness was this eerie whistling.

Was that… I breathed out and looked around not sure what to make of the sky.

Soon, I saw that light. Sandream, I smiled and fell asleep in Valor’s arms.