Zusia, Desmond, 10416 P.C.

They were marched back to the dungeon and locked in a small cell, the three of them together. Annabella found herself sliding down the concrete wall, a cramp searing her side as the truth burned inside of her. Terrence and Stephanie were gone. Annabella, Todd, and Matthew had been left behind to die.

Todd slid down the wall beside her, grabbing her hand firmly. "It'll be okay," he murmured. She was surprised his voice wasn't trembling.

Annabella watched Matthew as he paced the floor — two strides, turn, two strides, turn. He seemed to be feeling as claustrophobic as she was. "Yeah," she said, not as bold as she had hoped to sound. Of course they would be okay. They had faith.

You can have faith and still die, her thoughts whispered.

A tense silence consumed them for a long moment, and Annabella closed her eyes, taking slow, deep breaths.

"Yes, Princess, you will die, you and your Deliverer and your friends. You will die as proof that your god does not care."

"What's this?" Todd murmured, lifting her hand. She opened her eyes, realizing that he had been playing with the ring on her middle finger. She had nearly forgotten about it.

"Mama gave it to me," she said. Lifting her other hand, she pulled on the chain around her neck, pulling the thick, golden band from where she had tucked it beneath her shirt collar. It had been too big for any of her fingers. "Papa gave me this one. They were gifted to them years ago, and they wanted me to have them. To remember them. Just in case..." She trailed off, a sickening feeling in her chest. Her parents were somewhere in this dungeon. What would happen to them? Would they, too, be executed, and Anthony as well? She hoped they were okay.

Todd was studying the golden gem on the band on her finger. Distracting himself, she knew. "It's nice."

She smiled faintly. "Mama said the man who made them was a foreigner. The gems glow in the dark."

"Neat." Todd seemed to be running out of things to say.

Matthew, however, had stopped and was looking at her with furrowed brows. "Can I see?"

Annabella blinked at his sudden fascination. "Sure." She held out her hand as he came near and crouched down, tilting his head curiously as he stared at the ring. Hesitantly, he reached out and took her hand, brushing his thumb over the gem.

"This is no ordinary ring," he whispered. He looked up at her and Todd. "It has Warmth."

Annabella had nearly forgotten that he referred to his magic that way. "How could it have Warmth? That's your magic."

"I don't think I'm the only one of my kind," Matthew replied, his voice low. "Just like the Veiled Lady isn't the only one of hers. We aren't the only Gifted."

"What does this mean?" Todd asked, staring at the ring.

Matthew straightened. "I don't know. But those rings are magical. I can feel it."

Annabella stared at the band. "Could it help us escape?" If it had Warmth, then it had to be capable of something.

Matthew paused, and then shook his head. "I don't think so. That tiny bit of Warmth wouldn't give you much speed or strength."

Todd leaned his head back against the wall, letting out a trembling breath. "Where do you think Stephanie went?" he asked.

"With Terrence somewhere," Annabella breathed, raking her fingers through her hair. Her braid was falling out, and she began to pull it apart. Did she dare tell Todd how Stephanie had reacted to their silence? "She was really upset when she found out." She looked at Todd solemnly. "She was mad at us both."

He took a deep breath, looking away.

"Upset about what?" Matthew asked, leaning against the opposite wall. It suddenly dawned on Annabella that he had no idea what was going on. Better to bite the bullet now than aggravate the situation more.

"Stephanie is the Immortal One's daughter," she said quietly, watching the shock and alarm spread across Matthew's face. "The Veiled Lady told Todd and I at the mountain when she attacked us, and we had no idea how to tell Stephanie. I think she counted on that." Annabella shook out her curls, letting them fall around her face. "She wanted Stephanie to find out like this. She wanted to use this against us. She wants to turn Stephanie on us."

Matthew slid down the wall, a bit pale. "Oh."

"Imagine it," Todd whispered. "The Immortal One's daughter siding with the Veiled Lady."

"Stephanie wouldn't do that," Matthew said sharply. "She's with Terrence, they said. The Immortal One's son. They've escaped, haven't they?"

"The Immortal One took them," Annabella confirmed dejectedly. "He took them and left us."

"If they escaped, they'll be back," Matthew reasoned. "This isn't over, guys. It's not."

He couldn't believe that Stephanie would leave them behind. Annabella, however, could. She exhaled. "If He left us behind, then there must be something we need to do here. He wouldn't leave us without reason. We just need to trust Him, and try not to die."

Todd gave a small huff of laughter. "That's only two things, I guess. Shouldn't be too hard."

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"Trust the Immortal One and don't die," Matthew repeated under his breath. "Yeah. Not hard at all."

Annabella couldn't help but smile at their sarcasm. At least it was lighthearted.

It felt like an eternity before the guards returned for them. Annabella let them chain her hands behind her and lead her out of the cell, surprise and dread washing over her as she was met with Jessie in the hallway. The girl was incredibly pale, clearly suffering from a sleepless night on the cell floor. She paled even more at the sight of them.

"What's happening?" she asked, her voice pinched.

Annabella's heart plummeted. The girl was held by two guards, her hands chained behind her. Annabella had hoped that they might have spared a child, but clearly, Jessie was too old to be placed in the Trainee System. They would kill her, just as they would kill the rest of them.

She could have offered Jessie words of comfort, but she knew the girl despised coddling. "Execution," she said, dropping the word like a rock in the dust.

Jessie blanched. Annabella let the guards guide her down the hallway and up the stairs, thankful that her back was to the girl's terror. Her heart pounded anxiously, and she swallowed hard, biting down hard on her bottom lip as she fought to remain steady. She was strong. She was fearless. They would not break her.

The doors opened onto the portico, where the sunlight was blinding, glancing off Motch's glamorous scales and the Veiled Lady's executioner's sword. Annabella was momentarily blinded, and it took her a moment to see that the courtyard was full of people. Thousands of people crowded in and around, vying for a chance to see the bloodshed. Her heart clenched.

The guards marched her up to the first stair, placing her in full view of the crowd. She stared out at the sea of faces, breathless. The crowd was yelling, calling for her death, and the realization came with a fiery, painful jolt. These people weren't suffering. They weren't begging for the Immortal One's return.

"You will see, children, how much the people of Desmond despise your god and Father. You will see as they condemn you as criminals and fugitives, worthy of death for the crimes you have committed. You will die as those before you, and you will be forgotten."

These people wanted her dead.

Todd stepped up close to her, his arm brushing hers in a comforting sort of way. She looked at him, struggling to mask the terror that was sweeping over her. She was suddenly realizing how vast their opposition was, and it was tearing down her confidence.

Todd lifted his chin, taking a slow, deep breath. Calm down, he seemed to be telling her — just as Alexander had. Somehow, Todd seemed fearless in the face of their imminent deaths. He was calm, and she realized that he had almost always been this calm under pressure. With the Velniasol, while in the forest with Anthony's life on the line, while facing Motch and the Veiled Lady. He stood resolute, staring out at the crowd as if he were above them. She fought to share his confidence. It helped that Matthew took her other side; his Warmth helped with calming her down.

"People of Desmond," Motch began, his voice booming. "Standing before you today are four misfits, four Illegals, four traitors." He always loved his theatrics. "They defy my rule and my kingship — they despise the kingdom we have built! In fact, before you today stands the very Deliverer the god spoke of! He sent a whiny child to save His people!"

Annabella shot a sideways glance at Todd. He grimaced but kept his mouth shut.

"Before you also stands the Princess of the South," Motch continued, almost pridefully. "At long last, she has come to face her crimes. Her brother did not survive my wrath, and neither shall she."

Annabella curled her hands into fists. Your turn, Alexander whispered in her mind.

"They, along with two other traitors, will face their end this day!" Motch bellowed, and the crowd retaliated. Annabella was sickened by how the prospect of death energized these people. Were they so desensitized to it that it was even welcoming?

The Veiled Lady stepped forward, wielding her sword. She passed them, stepping down two stairs and coming to a standstill before the crowd. She was hauntingly beautiful. Annabella wished she could rip away the veil and expose her. She wanted to know what the veil hid.

The Veiled Lady raised her hand. The crowd fell silent. Annabella heard Todd let out a trembling breath — his first sign of fear. On her other side, Matthew fidgeted.

"Come, whichever one of you does not fear death," the Veiled Lady said, her voice echoing across the courtyard somehow although her tone was quiet.

Annabella felt frozen. For a horrible moment, no one moved.

"Sure, why not?" Matthew whispered under his breath before stepping forward. His words struck Annabella speechless; she watched open-mouthed as he walked down the stairs, every step precisely placed as he faced the Veiled Lady. For a moment, they stared at each other. She motioned for him to kneel. Matthew obeyed, the Veiled Lady putting out a hand to duck his head.

Annabella's heart raced. The world was teetering. Matthew was about to die.

The Veiled Lady lifted her sword in both hands, holding it above Matthew, ready to plunge it into the back of his neck. She paused. Behind them, Motch shifted.

Beside Todd, Jessie let out a vulgar curse.

In a flash of golden light, Matthew's hands were free and the Veiled Lady was tumbling across the stairs, thrown by a powerful force. Matthew rose to his feet, the blade of her sword in his glowing hand. He swung the handle at the crowd with a yell, a golden force throwing many of the people back. Screams erupted, exploding in Annabella's ears like sirens. Guards rushed Matthew from the top of the stairs, but he spun, swinging the sword at them. They were flung back like rag dolls.

A gust of wind from above sent Annabella's hair whipping into her face. A figure hit the stairs, landing in a roll and coming to a skidding stop on hand and foot. Terrence looked up at them, lips curved into a devilish smile. Whipping out a sword and sprinting up the stairs, he met a guard head-on; Annabella lost track of where he went, because of at that moment, another smaller figure hit the stairs. No roll, just a powerful landing that sent shards of concrete flying. Annabella barely recognized the girl before them. Small, yet powerful, rising with slow purpose, eyes glowing emerald green.

Stephanie.

Motch bellowed, and Annabella turned to see the dragon rear his head, neck glowing. A burst of golden energy from Matthew struck the dragon, throwing him off-balance, and with a roar he stumbled off the portico.

Hands grabbed her chains, and in moments Annabella was free. She spun around, watching Stephanie free Todd and Jessie just as quickly. The girl was scarily calm, turning around where Matthew was. He stood in the middle of the portico, pushing the crowd back with a seemingly simple wave of his hand while keeping the guards at bay with the other. Annabella had never imagined how impossibly powerful the boy was until that moment. Terrence was near him, fighting off some other guards with his sword, cutting them down like blades of grass.

"The scouts are our escape," Stephanie said, motioning to the two Birumis dragons circling overhead. "They listen to Terrence."

Annabella grabbed Todd's hand — everything was happening so fast, and she was dizzy. A growl from behind them turned their heads, and Annabella found herself face to face with Motch. The dragon was crouched, crawling back toward them, red eyes furious and deadly.

"I will not be denied my revenge!" the dragon bellowed. He opened his mouth wide.

Annabella heard Matthew's yell as Todd yanked her behind his back. The last thing she saw was red-hot flames erupting from the dragon's throat.