Jake turned to see who had gasped but already knew the answer. He saw Shaylie looking confused and worried. Everybody was watching her, waiting for an explanation. Jake didn't think she knew any more than they did.

"They're looking for me," Shaylie said.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"Red Sparrow was my mother's nickname for me. My mom had two miscarriages after Shane before I was born. When I came out alive, she called me her red sparrow. Sparrows represent undying love, and the red part is obvious," she said, idly stroking a strand of hair.

"But why do they want you?" Van Larson asked.

"I don't know!" Shaylie cried.

"We have to get out of here. They can't take Shaylie," Jake said, looking to Marcus for guidance.

"I agree, but where do we go?" Marcus asked.

"We could go to our cabin in the Forest of Giants," Van said. "It's pretty deep in the woods. Most people don't know I own it. We used to go there for peace and quiet."

"How many people know about it?" Marcus asked.

"Just our family and close friends we took there. No one we can't trust."

"That's good enough. Open a portal there," Marcus said, nodding at Van.

"Can I grab some stuff first?" Shaylie asked, but the sound of banging from downstairs interrupted her. The soldiers were busting down doors on the first floor.

"No time!" Jake said, grabbing Shaylie's arm. "Mr. Larson, open the portal!"

"Baxter, come!" Shaylie said, and her robot dog bounded into the room from down the hallway. Jake gave her a look, but Shaylie said, "I at least want to bring him."

"Fine, but it's time to fly, red bird," Jake said. Van opened the gateway, and everybody hurried through it. As Mr. Larson closed the hole, they saw soldiers entering the room. They pointed at the fading opening but were too late to catch them. "I hope they didn't see too much before the portal closed," Jake said when they reached the other side.

"I doubt they could have figured out where we were even if they did," Marcus replied. Marcus was right. The forest was too dark, and they exited one hundred yards from the cabin to be safe. Jake spotted the place in the distance. It seemed cozy and quaint. The sight would have calmed him under normal circumstances, but this wasn't normal. Jake's heart still beat at a mile a minute.

"There isn't much space. Most of you will have to sleep on the floor. We'll manage," Van said, unlocking the front door. As they entered, Van cast a fire spell into the fireplace to warm the room.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Almost everyone went inside, but Jake stood in awe of the forest. He craned his neck to see the top of the trees and nearly toppled over. He had never been this far into the woods. Part of him expected to see giants roaming around, but he only saw squirrels and a passing deer.

"Are you coming?" Shaylie asked, tugging on his sleeve.

"Yeah. I was just taking in the surroundings," Jake said.

"We'll need to buy supplies if we're going to stay here for long," Van said.

Jake looked around and noticed a layer of dust covering everything. The Larsons hadn't used the place in quite some time. He imagined the cupboards and fridge were empty. The thought caused a growling in Jake's stomach. Food had been the last thing on his mind. "I can disguise some of us if we need to travel into town to shop," Jake said, earning a nod from Van.

"We'll go tomorrow. Everyone get some rest in the meantime," Van said.

***

Darian broadcast an emergency address to the people of Endria after the attack. He sat at his desk with a large Endrian flag as a backdrop. Like the Royal Guard's uniforms, the black banner bore a silver hippogriff. The flag seemed to envelop Darian in a darkness that equaled the message he sent. He blamed the attack on the Varidians and promised retribution. Darian also implored the population to do their part. He provided a number to call for employment because the death of the mages left a gaping hole in Endria's workforce. They would occupy the roles the mages filled with regular workers until Darian could rebuild with his new and improved mages. That is if Victor Snyder's experiments succeeded.

Once Darian finished his speech, he fielded a few phone calls from worried senators and the non-magical guild leaders who were alive. By the time he finished, Darian felt weary. He retreated to his quarters and fell into a fitful sleep, but a disturbance woke him in the early morning. He heard arguing outside his door and grumbled to himself. Darian quickly donned a robe and wrenched the door open, giving the men on the other side a stern glare. He found a guard bickering with the new head Oracle, Jayson. Darian kept him because he was one of the few mages he trusted.

"I have had a vision, and I must tell the king!" Jayson said.

"The king is sleeping! This can wait," the guard replied.

"Let him in! This sounds important," Darian yelled, making both men jump. Darian held the door open for Jayson and shut it behind them. "What have you seen?" Darian asked.

"The Red Sparrow lives. I have seen her face!" Jayson said, holding up a paper.

"Her face!? The Red Sparrow is a woman?" Darian asked incredulously. He couldn't believe what he heard. Part of him thought Jayson was playing a prank. Darian's hands clenched and moved a fraction of an inch, but he held them by his side.

"Yes, Your Highness. I drew a picture of what I saw," Jayson said.

He unfolded the paper to show Darian a drawing. What Darian saw made him sure this was a joke. He grabbed Jayson by his shirt and shoved him against the wall. "If you are mocking me, I will kill you."

"I swear this is the truth!"

"That looks like a child!"

"She is young, but I believe she is an adult."

"There is no way the person in that picture could best me. What else did the vision say?" Darian yelled. He was close enough to Jayson to spray him with saliva as he spoke. Jayson turned his face away from it.

"It said your actions have set fate in motion. Nothing can hold back the fire inside. The Red Sparrow is undying, and the fire still burns. If you cage the bird, they will break the tower, and you will fall," Jayson replied, still looking away from him.

"It seems fate is playing a joke on me, but I won't let fate mock me!"

"I don't know about fate, but I swear I'm not mocking you, Your Highness."

Darian released him and let him stand straight before saying, "I believe you. Thank you for showing me this. You may go. Send a copy of that picture to the newspaper and have them run it on today's front page. Tell them to provide a phone number for any tips about the Sparrow."

"Yes, Your Highness," Jayson said, bowing and hurrying away.