When I wake, the tent is empty. Quell must be sneakier than I give him credit for, or I really am as heavy a sleeper as Álvaro says. I throw on a cloak, pull on my boots, and step out of the tent.

Quell is sitting at the fire circle, poking at the embers with a stick. His face is lit with a faint orange glow, and the sky is still purple; not quite night. It must only be four or five hours since we went to bed. When I head over he glances up and gives me a small smile.

“Couldn’t sleep?” I ask quietly, sitting across from him.

He shrugs. “Hard to, what with everything that’s been going on.”

“I dunno about that.” I yawn. “All the action these last few weeks mean I’ve been passing out about three seconds after my head hits the bedroll. And judging by those bags under your eyes, I’d say you could use some more rest yourself.”

He smiles and shakes his head. “Can’t fool you.”

“Subtlety doesn't seem to be your strong suit,” I tease.

His smile falls. “That’s more accurate than you might think.”

I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. He stirs his stick through the coals, sending up a flurry of sparks that quickly wink out.

“Constance is the best of us,” Quell says. “Most charismatic. Most powerful. He really was made to be King. Likewise, his illusion magic is breathtaking. Large scale illusions are his specialty. When he was thirteen, he cast a spell that made the entire palace look like a living tree: archways into branches, scaffoldings into leaves. I was only six, then, and I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.” He smiles. “It still might be the most amazing thing I’ve seen.”

I recall the carrion cactus illusion Constance created that first night: how vivid and real it had seemed. And not only that, it had produced sound. I wonder if I could have touched it if I’d tried.

“Liz’s powers are more subtle, but equally strong,” he continues. “Opposite of my brother, her powers are smaller in scale. Best used on herself, or small items. She’s great at attention to detail. Sometimes she’d weave an illusion to look like our mother, and use it to make the guards let us into places we weren’t supposed to be.” He chuckles at that. Just like before, the smile slowly fades away.

“Me, though, I never could never manage anything like either of them. I have the same affinity—it’s part of the royal bloodline—but my variant is weak.” He opens a hand, palm up, and a scattering of lights flicker from his fingers like miniature fireworks. “That’s about as good as it gets, really. The strongest spell I have is Mirage, and all it can do is make things a bit blurry. Because my real specialty isn’t making illusions, but seeing through them. I’m really good at that.” He laughs ruefully. “For all the good it can do.”

He lapses into silence, continuing to trace lines of orange through the coals.

I give it a moment, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to say anything else. “Why are you telling me this?”

Quell sits back with a sigh, tossing the stick into the fire pit. He takes his glasses off and pulls out a cloth, brushing a film of dust away. “I’m useless, is what I’m saying. Constance was strong enough to fight off the Moonfall agents. Liz might have been captured, but she was clever enough to leave a trail and expose her abilities when the time was right. When the Umbral Blades came for me, I just… it wasn't even a fight. It was over before I even knew what was happening. If you hadn’t rescued me, I’d have been gone without a trace.” He sets his glasses back on, frowning at the fire. “What am I even doing out here? What do I have to offer? I wanted so badly to help rescue my sister, but when it came down to a fight, I was only a liability.”

“You are a liability,” I say, and Quell flinches, giving me an affronted look. “Every time you’re in danger, it puts me in danger. And since you’re a prince, you’re a target. You are a liability.”

“Well I’m glad to hear there is a majority consensus,” he says bitterly.

“And so are your siblings,” I add. “That just comes with the territory of being born with a target on your back. But don’t forget the part you played in retrieving your sister. You found signs of her in The Coil. She left that trail of illusions knowing you’d be the one to see it. You brought a star drake to Darian’s crew when they’d lost their mount. Without you, we wouldn’t have found her.”

Quell is quiet for a time. He looks at the fire. He looks at the stars beginning to shimmer through the cloudless night. He finally looks at me. “Why are you trying to make me feel better? You hate me.”

I lean back, surprised. “Hate you? Why do you think that?”

“Because I’m weak,” he cries. “And naive. And you’re bound to protect me against your will. Who wouldn’t resent someone they’re forced to serve?”

“I don’t serve you, for the record.” I pick up a pebble and throw it at his shoulder. “I’m just here to keep your stupid ass from getting killed.”

He belatedly attempts to bat the pebble away, but it had already bounced to the ground. I shake my head. Pathetic.

But I’m still chewing on some of his words. “I did resent you at first,” I admit. “Or maybe it was the situation I resented. And I still am frustrated with it all. I don’t like being beholden to these magical rules I have no say in. Being forced to serve someone is demeaning. Having my free will wrenched away from me pisses me off. I want to be free of it all.”

Quell listens to me with a miserable look on his face. I pick up another pebble and throw it toward the firepit. It hits a coal, which bursts into yellow sparks with a hiss.

“But I’ve never hated you,” I say with a sigh. I pick up another pebble, rubbing its smooth surface between my fingers. “And I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I guess I just figured it would be easier to keep you at arm’s reach. But I know none of this is your fault, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Actually…” I flick the stone away. “I kind of relate to you.”

Quell appears highly skeptical. “To me? What on earth do we have in common?”

“We’d both do anything for the ones we love,” I say. “Even though you knew there wasn’t much you could do, you still did everything in your ability to find your sister. And I would give anything to know my brother’s safe.” I glance out over the darkening desert. With every day that passes, I feel like he’s growing further away. Like I’m missing my chance to find him.

“If he really is somewhere out there, is he okay?” I wonder. “Is he healthy? Happy? It’s the ‘not knowing’ that hurts the most. But there’s nothing I can do. This desert is so vast and unforgiving—and it’s only one small part of this world. What have I even done to try to find him? I feel so useless. Like I’m flailing, and getting no closer.” My heart aches, and my throat tightens. “I’m the older sibling. I was supposed to protect him. I already failed him once, and I can’t let it happen again.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Blinking against the sting in my eyes, I glance back at Quell to find him watching me with a sad smile.

“Maybe we have some common ground after all,” he says.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I warn him. I try to shake off the moment of vulnerability, and push forward a teasing smile instead. “We’re still just allies of circumstance.”

Quell chuckles. “After that heart to heart I think we’ve at least upgraded to friends of circumstance.”

“Friends are allowed to use nicknames,” I say. “I’ve heard Quill is—”

“No.” Quell sits forward. “Absolutely not. Not you, too.”

“It’s just so fitting,” I start before Quell throws a pebble at me. I don’t even have to dodge, because it misses by about three feet. I laugh. Quell is smiling, too.

“But you know,” I venture, “if you do want to feel more useful, you can start by helping around camp. We could use an extra set of hands when we set up camp each morning and tear down the next night.”

Quell looks shocked. “Oh gods. Have I not… I didn’t even notice…”

I snort. “Yeah, I could tell.”

“I’m sorry,” he blurts. “I get distracted easily. Lose track of tasks. I can’t help it, I’ve always been like this, but—no, sorry, that’s not an excuse. I don’t want to be a nuisance.”

He pulls a notebook and piece of charcoal out of his pocket and begins scribbling furiously.

“What’s that?” I ask, bemused.

“Notes,” he says, turning the page around to show me. “See? SET UP CAMP. It’s written now, which means it exists.”

I laugh at that. “So it doesn’t exist if it’s not written down?”

He looks at me sadly. “For me? Yes. Very often.”

I shake my head in amusement. But hey, it’s progress. The guy is trying his best. My grin fades to a soft smile as I watch him make more notes in his book. A cozy quiet settles between us as he continues to consult his notebook and I tend to the fire. Though neither of us speak, just sharing the same space feels comfortable and easy.

It doesn’t take long for the rest to begin to rouse.

“Good evening, you two,” Darian says as she steps out of her tent. All of the blood on her clothes and armor have been scrubbed away, nothing left to indicate the state she’d been in the day before. “Everyone well rested?”

“Well enough,” Quell says, glancing at me. I shrug. “How’s Liz?”

Darian heads over to the star drakes to start pulling out some supplies for breakfast. “She’ll be out in a minute. Have you heard from Xamireb?”

Earnest steps out of his tent at that moment, too. “They’re doing well. Just continuing to sleep it off.” He gives me a warm, grateful smile.

The environment is relaxed as Darrian and Earnest prepare the meal. Liz joins us soon as well, and then everyone is eating and chatting. It’s strange. I don’t think I’ve seen these people unwind since I first met them. But I guess it makes sense; the worst is over.

“Take some for Xamireb, too,” Darian tells Earnest, passing him an extra serving as he stands to go check on his sibling. “They’ll need the energy. We’ll begin riding back tonight.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Back?” I look up sharply. “Back where?”

“To the capital,” Darian says.

“But we’re supposed to go to the Lifesprings,” I object.

“No,” Darian says, “you and Prince Quell were supposed to accompany Prince Constance to the Lifespring Oasis. But then you came after us. And we’re heading back to the Capital, where the princess can recover safely within our borders.”

Liz snorts. “Recover?” She throws a dramatic hand over her forehead. “Oh, this poor waif must needs return to the comforts of the palace lest the hardships of the desert erode her sensibilities!”

Darian isn’t amused. “You’re half-starved, and it’s not safe out here. There could be more groups of Moonfall soldiers looking for you.” She looks pointedly at Quell. “And you.”

“But the Oasis is where we can lift my curse,” I say, desperation edging into my voice. It’s also the most likely place for my brother to have ended up if he appeared anywhere around here.

“There’s mages we can talk to in the capital,” Darian says. “Besides, you seem to be managing the Aegis just fine.”

“I mean Quell, not the shield,” I snap. Everyone looks startled by my outburst, and I have to take a calming breath. “But I am worried about the shield, too. It was going to kill the town guards before I stored it. I’m worried I might not have as much control over it as I thought. I need to get all this resolved as fast as I can. Please.”

Darian grimaces. “We’re a week’s ride from the Oasis still. It wouldn’t be much longer than that to get to the capital.”

“I can’t wait that long.” I turn pleadingly to Quell. “We agreed. After we found your sister, you’d accompany me to the Lifespring.”

“I did,” Quell tells Darian. “As such, I’m honor bound to accompany them.”

Darian shakes her head in disbelief. “We can always return to the Oasis at a later date. But given the current danger, that would be ill advised.”

“We can meet back up with Constance and his forces,” I say. “It will be safer with them, won’t it? Safer than the six of us traveling alone.”

Darian’s eyes narrow. She’s probably not used to being questioned. Well, I’m not one of her soldiers, so she doesn’t have authority over me. Quell, on the other hand…

“We should meet Constance at the Lifespring,” Liz cuts in.

Darian looks at her in surprise. I do, too.

“The Umbral Blades are planning something there,” Liz says. “I don’t know what. But I overheard the name enough to know that was our destination. It seems the rumors of Moonfall activity around the Oasis were founded after all.”

“If they wanted to take you there, then surely that’s the last place we should go,” Darian says.

“I don’t know.” Liz nibbles on a hunk of cheese. “There’s something more going on. They mentioned the Moonfall and Duneshade peace talks—they didn’t like them. I think this kidnapping attempt was connected, somehow.”

“Then that confirms it,” Darian says. “They are trying to start a war.”

“Maybe.” Liz picks at the rind. “Though I’m not even sure if they were working for the crown, or operating as a rogue unit, to be honest. The teams were small and independent. From the way they talked about you and Constance, they didn’t even know you guys had escaped.”

“That’s what I thought,” Quell says, excited. “See? The Umbral Blades might be acting on their own.”

“A rogue faction?” Darian repeats skeptically. “Not impossible, but… odd. And the simpler answer is that they are working for the crown.”

I’m not following all the political intricacies going on between the different countries and factions, but with Liz on our side, we might be able to win Darian over. I sit back and let her and Quell do the talking.

“But on the chance this abduction wasn’t on the order of the Moonfall Kings,” Quell says, “then we need to be careful to not react to the actions of individuals and escalate this into all-out war.”

Darian frowns. “I believe you are seeing what you wish for, Prince Quell, rather than what is most likely. Prince Constance and I gathered significant evidence to implicate the ambassador in all of this.”

Oh, crap. I forgot about her. I’d barely had a chance to look at the ambassador that first night before she’d been dragged away.

“Ambassador Ashla?” Liz looks up, clearly distraught. “No. But she was so kind to us. Are you sure?”

Darian gives her a sympathetic grimace.

“She said she wanted peace.” Liz deflates sadly. “She seemed so sincere…”

“People can be trained to seem so,” Darian says gently.

Liz blows out a defeated breath, and my heart sinks. I thought the royals were onto something, but Darian is making good points, as much as I hate to admit it. Liz has folded, and Quell and I are on the losing side of this argument.

Could we take a star drake and sneak off without them? Would we even be able to slip that past Darian?

But Quell hasn’t given up yet. “No. Something’s still not adding up. Whether or not the Umbral Blades were working for the crown, the Lifespring seems to be at the center of all this.” He frowns, knuckling his chin. Then he abruptly sits up straight. “What if the rumors weren’t actually rumors?”

“We already established that, Quill,” Liz wearily says.

“No, no.” He waves his hand dismissively. “I don’t mean ‘what if the rumors were true.’ I mean, what if the rumors were intentionally planted in order to get us to come investigate the Oasis. This all started before we even left the capital, right? The reports of Moonfall sightings around the Lifespring were so mild and discreditable—exactly the perfect amount of mild and discreditable—that our parents felt it was safe enough to send us and treat the entire trip as political exercise. They were convinced Moonfall didn’t pose us any threat.” He points at Darian. “Part of their confidence was because Ambassador Ashla insisted upon coming with us. Was she the one to suggest the excursion in the first place?”

Liz raises her eyebrows. “I don’t know.”

“I’m not sure if she suggested it first, but the ambassador worked closely with Prince Constance while planning the logistics.” Darian swears. “Which is how they knew everything about our entourage, including when best to strike.”

Liz frowns, tapping her chin much like her brother. “Our abduction wasn’t an attack of opportunity; they were waiting for us.”

“Exactly,” Quell says. “For them to have already been out here, they must have left Moonfall weeks in advance. But once they captured us, they weren’t planning to take us directly back to their territory. They were going to take us to the Oasis. Which means…”

I’m starting to catch on. “Moonfall might have already captured the Oasis.”

Darian sighs, rubbing her temple. “And Prince Constance will be marching right into their hands.”