Lyra met back up with Sly and the others after escaping the jails of the Empire and sneaking back into the Hinterlands to the plains where they first came in.

“Lyra!” Aurora cried out, seeing her first before anyone else. She ran across the long stretch of land until she collided with Lyra's chest.

Lyra clung tightly back. Letting Aurora sob into her, Lyra couldn't help but shed a few tears herself.

“Should I ask how you made it out?” Sly asked. Now that she was closer. Her face, too, looked relieved that Lyra was all right.

Lyra stood to her feet. Holding Aurora's hand. “You wouldn't believe that it was our dear Lieutenant Nikolai.”

Sly seemed surprised as Lyra had been. “That Nikolai?”

“Yup. It turns out he has way more confidence in me, all of us, to stop this, and… He might also have an unhealthy obsession with me.”

Sly hummed in disgrace. “Well, obsession aside– we'll deal with that later– I'm glad you're safe.” She pulled Lyra into a tight hug. One more thing surprised her, but she knelt in Sly’s warm embrace.

“Room for a few more?” Alivier said. Getting their attention to see everyone else coming closer.

They hugged and greeted Lyra warmly, glad that she was okay, all right.

“So, it would seem like Nikolai hired us,” Sly said.

Lyra tilted her head. “How so?”

“Well, for one, he helped you escape prison and noted that we are best to end all of this. And you know what that means?”

Lyra had to think for a minute before a light bulb struck. “It means a government official has given us direct orders. We can evade certain rules that held us back before.”

“Correct.”

“I have a question?” Cassandra asked. “How are we supposed to get out of here?”

Lyra smiled. “I called in a little favor. They should be arriving very soon.”

The sound of whirring Blades in the sky brought their attention to the sky. The giant glider, the Forneus, flew down to the ground. A platform dropped down to let them get on the glider itself.

“I'm pretty sure I just saw you,” Jude said once they boarded. Her attention was on Lyra now. “To think a Locksmith would need help two times in a row.”

Lyra wrinkled her nose. “Last I checked, Denari was Denari. Right?”

Jude waved her comment off with her hand. “Hey, nothing wrong with that. So–where are we going next?”

•†•

Incidentally, they didn't have any clue or idea where Eamon could be. They only knew if he had captured the scientist and Doctor Ludwig Klause, who worked closely with Walsh. They were going to the Children of Deimos’ base. The only question was: where could that be?

The group sat around a table below the deck to discuss where the whereabouts could be.

Lyra didn't know where to look or even where to think to look. The thought of getting there too late to stop Walsh and save Eamon made her feel a little inside like she had failed him.

Outside the room, Aurora and Tierney were leaning against the door, listening in. They looked at each other as if speaking telepathically.

“I don't know, Aurora. Cassandra was pretty upset the last time I tried… And you blamed yourself, too.”

“I know, but…” Aurora pressed her lips together. “We have to do something. You saw him before. Maybe you can see him again?”

“...maybe, but what if Blackthorn tries kicking me out again? He's too strong for me.”

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“Just channel from me,” Aurora chimed in. “I know when I did it the other day it was too much, but I think I can understand more because I can trust myself.”

Tierney, still unsure, chewed on her bottom lip, deciding what to do. She wanted to help everyone, but if she failed, would the world also fail?

“Hey, Tierney…” Aurora pulled her out of her thoughts. She grabbed her hands. “You just have to believe in yourself. Don't think you're going to mess up. What you can do is a part of you, accept that part of you, and do your best. Okay?”

“Do my… best,” Tierney repeated. “And accept myself, but… who am I?”

If she was honest with herself. She didn't know who she was. A girl lost no family, was orphaned during the Veilfall tragedy, and passed around from person to person. She didn't have an identity but–

“... You're Tierney, that's who!” Aurora exclaimed. “I didn't know who I was before, but Lyra and everyone named me gave me a reason to be. Your reason to be is who you are.”

“I… wanna protect my friends. To help people. Like Cassandra, Lyra, and Sly, and… encouraging, like you.”

Aurora beamed at the comment. “That's because we're friends, and friends support each other along the way.”

Tierney’s eyes grew watery at Aurora's comment, and she hugged her friend. “Thank you,” she whispered. Let's go inside.”

They opened the doors to the room, and Tierney stepped through them first. Puffing up her chest with determination fired in her multicolor eyes.

“I know how to find him,” she said as all eyes were on her now.

Everyone turned to look at the two girls. Lyra spoke first, “Tierney? How?”

“I did it before. I saw him, Eamon, right before Blackthorn pushed me out of his head. If I can try again, I might be able to get back inside of his head and get into his head. Maybe speak to Eamon–”

“Absolutely not.” The strict tone made everyone turn to look at Cassandra. She bowed her head, and her brows furrowed together through the covering of her brown hair.

Tierney blinked at Cassandra. Caught off guard by her abrupt tone. “C-Cassandra?”

“Cassandra, maybe we just hear her out….” Lyra started to say. She could see the woman's arms shaking, her hands in a tight fist.

“Did you not hear me? I said no! Out of the question.” Her head snapped up, revealing lidded, watery eyes. “You almost died the first time. Did anyone forget that?”

No one said anything, remembering that day at the lake house all too well.

“B-But, I'll be there with Tierney,” Aurora added. “I can get a handle on my powers this time. Blackthorn won't be able to get through.”

“Because that worked so well the last time.” Cassandra’s snappy tone made Aurora jump, stepping backward.

“Hey!” Lyra reacted. Her hand slammed on the table. “That is uncalled for, Cassandra. Aurora knows the mistakes she's made. She only wants to help her friend.”

“And I'm helping her just as you would Aurora. Remember how Aurora could have been an asset, but you denied her.”

“And,” Lyra enunciated. “I was wrong. Fear kept me holding her back, and though I loved her unconditionally and told her she was still her, I still saw a part of the bad, but it was something she could control. Instead of realizing that it's who she is and can be who she wants to be, do what she wants to do if only she understands, trusts, and knows herself completely through and through. I think Tierney wants the same.”

“I do,” she whispered, her tiny voice carried across the room. “I don't know why I can do these things or even my life before the Veilfall tragedy, but if I can understand one aspect of my powers, maybe that could answer questions about me. I don't want to be afraid, Cassandra, or feel useless. If I had been stronger that day when you and your army left, I could have reached you in time, and everyone would be alive, and you wouldn't be filled with survivor's guilt.”

“Tierney…” Cassandra breathed out. She managed to get out of her chair and stumbled over to the girl. Tierney looked up at her superior, her lady, and her family. “Have you been burdened by this the whole time? That you feel responsible and powerless?”

She bowed her head and hummed in response.

“Sweetie.” was the only thing she said before her arms through themselves around Tierney. Catching the girl off guard with a gasp, the initial surprise wore off after a second, and Tierney hugged her back.

“Nothing was your fault, and nothing would have changed what is supposed to be already. You aren't useless or worthless either, but… I guess my fear of your safety won't exactly help you. I can't always be there to keep you safe.”

Cassandra held onto her as Tierney cried into her chest. She brushed her hand along her braids, her cheek resting on her head. Her red-stained eyes landed on Aurora, who froze.

“I'm sorry for snapping at you, Aurora. I trust that you'll protect Tierney. I only have one thing to ask….” she turned to the group sitting, her eyes on Malakyh.

“Can you help her, too? You have my permission.”

Malakyh nodded.

“Well,” Alivier exclaimed with a clap of his hands. “Now things are less tense here. How about I play us a tune?”

Lyra groaned. Her eyes dipped into an eye roll. “Read the room, Alivier.”

Without warning, the glider shook, followed by an alarm and a red light filling the room with a vibrant red.

“Something must be happening on the ship,” Sly guessed. “We should check it out!”

Everyone sprinted outside the door and half collided with Jude.

“Thank goodness I didn't have to seek you guys out.”

“Jude, what's happening?” Lyra exclaimed.

“We have an unexpected passenger on our ship. See for yourself.”

“Okay, we’ll go check things out!”

“All right, I'm going to help my brother down in the boiler room and see if he needs help. Good luck out there!”

When Lyra and the group made it onto the glider's roof, they were surprised to see that the unexpected guest was the Sovran, the southern Belladonna.

She stood on top of the railing with a grin on her face. Her hands were filled with several daggers.

“Glad you can join me. Now we can play.”