Early morning brought a beautiful sunrise. Jake could only see parts of it between the enormous trees, but the shafts of light that filtered through provided a gorgeous scene. Motes of dust floated inside them. A snapping twig made him jump because Jake focused too intently on the sight. He glanced around, hoping no one had witnessed this.

He was on guard duty. Everyone took shifts throughout the night, and his watch neared its end. Staying awake wasn't an issue. Red mages could channel enough energy to be alert at any time. Jake found boredom to be his problem. He amused himself by watching two squirrels fight over a nut for thirty minutes. Plus, Jake swore he saw a giant shadow moving in the distance around three in the morning. He caught it out of the corner of his eye, but he wasn't sure it was real. Neither of these distractions quelled the growing questions in his mind. Why did the crown want Shaylie? What did she do?

Shaylie appeared while Jake contemplated these things. He wondered if his mind summoned her somehow, but he remembered he wasn't a yellow mage. She held a steaming cup out to him. Jake raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I made some hot chocolate. It was one of the few things still in the pantry," she said.

"Thanks," he said, taking the cup and sipping it.

"Aren't you cold?" Shaylie asked, pointing at him. Jake wasn't wearing a jacket.

"Nah. I can regulate my body temperature," he shrugged.

"Well, okay, Mr. Fancy Pants. Not all of us are so lucky," Shaylie replied.

She held her arms around herself. Shaylie also didn't have a coat. Jake felt bad about making her leave without grabbing any extra clothes. Jake reached out his hand and motioned for her to come closer. Shaylie hesitated, but she obliged after a moment. Jake wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. When she gave him a look, he laughed and said, "Don't read anything into it. I'm just trying to warm you up."

"I didn't say anything," she said, accepting his embrace. Shaylie rested her head on his shoulder and joined him on the large rock he was sitting on. "So, have you seen anything interesting this morning?"

"I think I saw a giant earlier."

"There are no giants in the forest. That's just a rumor. I've been out here plenty of times and never saw one."

"Maybe you're right."

"Maybe?" Shaylie asked, looking annoyed. She let it go and changed the subject. "Did you get a hold of your mom?"

"Yes, thankfully. Marcus let me use his phone. He swears it's secure. She's okay. I told her to go to my aunt's place in the country. They shouldn't find her there. Aunt Lisa isn't a mage."

Jake continued sipping his hot chocolate in silence. He held Shaylie close and enjoyed the warmth. It wasn't that he needed it, but it felt nice nonetheless. Jake thought Shaylie had fallen asleep until she spoke again.

"Do you think there were attacks in other cities?" she asked.

"Probably, but why did King Darian kill the mages in the first place?" Jake replied.

Shaylie sat up so quickly that she almost fell off the rock. She gave Jake a confused and shocked expression.

"You think the king did this?"

"The used Varidian uniforms bothered me. I thought about it. It had to be our government."

"You sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist."

"Maybe I am, but who else could it have been? Those weren't real Varidians." Jake saw the pained look on Shaylie's face. Jake rubbed her back because he could tell the conversation made her uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," she said, leaning against his shoulder again. "Why are they after me?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, but I promise we won't let them get you," he whispered. Jake lightly rubbed her shoulder with his thumb as he spoke.

"Maybe it has something to do with my dad."

"Mr. Larson?"

"No, my real dad."

"It's possible, but wouldn't they already know everything about your dad's work?"

"Who? Varidia or Endria?"

"I meant our government."

"You're still on about that?" Shaylie asked after a long sigh. "Varidia has invaded before. I can't go through that again," Shaylie continued. Jake pulled her close and kissed her head when she shuddered. This earned Jake another look, but he couldn't read this one. She studied his face. Her mouth opened to speak, but a noise interrupted her. Shaylie turned to see Baxter approaching them. Jake reached down to pet the robot dog, but he hesitated. "Don't be afraid," Shaylie laughed.

"I'm not, but I didn't know if petting would do anything," Jake explained.

"Sure it will. Watch," Shaylie said. She scratched behind Baxter's ears, and he barked and wagged his tail. "I programmed him to behave like a normal dog."

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"How long ago did you make him?"

"I finished him three years ago. He was a senior project for school."

"This is incredible work."

"Thanks. He's more than just a dog, though. Baxter is also a computer," Shaylie said. She pressed a button on his belly, and a terminal opened. After pressing a few buttons, Baxter's eyes lit up and projected a small hologram onto the rock. Jake saw a tall man in a suit and a red-haired woman. He guessed they were Shaylie's parents. Jake saw the resemblance between Shaylie and her mother.

"You look so much like her," Jake said.

The comment made Shaylie smile. She pressed the button again, and the image switched to a young man with red hair. He had a tattoo on his arm, but the hologram was too small for Jake to see what it was. "This is my brother, Shane," Shaylie said. "He ran away when he was 16."

"He already had a tattoo at 16?" Jake asked.

"I think he used a fake ID. It infuriated my dad. They had a bad fight about it. The fight was what made Shane leave. Dad thought the tattoo meant he was involved with some gang," Shaylie said, shaking her head. Jake thought she didn't agree with the sentiment. "I haven't seen Shane since Mom and Dad's funeral. Even then, I didn't get to talk to him," Shaylie said, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Jake brought her close again. This time, their faces almost met. A brief moment passed when Jake thought something might happen, but someone halted the idea.

"I'll take over watch duty for you now, Jake," Van Larson said. Jake turned to see him standing with his arms folded. His face told Jake everything he needed to know. Jake removed his hand from Shaylie's shoulder and stood up. He caught Shaylie's reaction out of the corner of his eye. Jake didn't need to view it head-on to recognize it as a look of disappointment.

"I'll see you inside," Shaylie said and turned to leave.

Jake almost followed her, but Van grabbed his arm to stop him. "Son, I appreciate everything you've done, but the last thing she needs now is someone breaking her heart," Van said.

"I would never..."

"Jake, I know your reputation. I occasionally go to the Gentle Giant, and they've mentioned your name a few times."

"I promise I won't hurt her."

"You better not. I will be watching you. Go get some sleep," Van said and released Jake's arm.

Jake rubbed his bicep as he walked away. Van hadn't gripped him hard. He touched it more out of shock. As much as he hated to admit it, Van was right. He shouldn't have tried to kiss Shaylie. This wasn't the time for romance. However, Jake regretted not trying it sooner before Van arrived. His thoughts left him conflicted. A scream almost caused a minor heart attack because Jake wasn't paying attention when he entered the cabin. No, it wasn't a scream. He heard a cry of frustration, but it was loud. Jake ran to see what happened and found Maya with her head resting in her hands. She sat on the floor while Shaylie gently rubbed her back.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked.

"It's nothing," Maya said.

"Could you give us a moment alone?" Shaylie asked. Jake nodded and left.

***

Shaylie led Maya to the kitchen because no one was there. Maya rested against the counter and took a moment before speaking. "I want these stupid visions to go away," she cried.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but did you see anything important?"

"It might have been. I didn't understand this one," Maya said, rubbing her temples. "I saw someone in pain. A person was torturing him, I think. The man in pain looked kind of familiar, but I'm not sure. The vision said to run, but we already ran away."

"Do we need to move again?"

"I don't know," Maya said and groaned. "When these visions come, I try to block them out, making them come through fuzzy."

"Maya, I hate to say this, but we might need your visions to survive," Shaylie said softly.

Maya opened her mouth to protest but closed it without a word. Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay. Just take it easy."

"I'm trying. It would be easier if I had some Tilba leaf for the headaches. Normal medicine doesn't do the trick for vision-induced migraines."

"I'll tell Marcus when he goes for supplies."

"Oh, don't tell Marcus that! I don't want him knowing I smoke the stuff from time to time," Maya laughed. "Besides, it's hard to find unless you know a dealer."

"Is it illegal?"

"No, but it's not something I want Marcus or the Larsons to know about."

"What about your parents?"

"They know and don't care. My parents are cool," Maya said, waving her hand.

***

Marcus got ready to head into the city for supplies after waking from his nap. He gathered his things and turned to Jake. "Okay, O'Reilly. Give me a disguise," he said.

"Do you want me to go with you? You'll need someone to help carry the bags," Jake asked.

"You look ready to fall asleep on the spot," Marcus laughed.

"I'll go," Bret said. "My watch was hours ago, so I got some sleep."

"Fine, disguise us both then," Marcus nodded.

"Bret, wait," Maya said. She pulled him aside, and they held a whispered conversation. Jake thought about eavesdropping with his enhanced hearing but changed his mind. Bret seemed to agree to whatever Maya asked him. Once they finished talking, Maya hugged Bret. "Okay, I'm ready," Bret said. His voice cracked, and he looked at Jake, daring him to say something.

Jake stayed silent as he touched Bret to change his appearance. Shaylie stifled a laugh and left the room when Jake finished. Bret now looked like an older man with a gray beard. He glanced toward Shaylie and back at Jake with a confused look. Jake shrugged. Marcus came next. Jake turned him into a skinny man with shoulder-length black hair and light skin. Marcus and Bret stepped through the portal after Jake completed his work. Shaylie returned following their exit.

"Good work with Bret's disguise. The lazy eye was a nice touch," she said.

"Yeah, I thought so too," Jake laughed. He turned to see where Van Larson was and spotted him in the kitchen. Since he wasn't nearby, Jake wanted to say something to Shaylie, but he found her staring out the window with her jaw nearly on the floor. "What's wrong?" Jake asked.

Instead of replying, Shaylie pointed outside. Jake followed her gesture and saw something in the distance. A giant walked among the trees. They only saw him briefly, but Jake knew it wasn't a mistake. "Do you believe me now?" he asked.

"How have I never seen one before?"

"Maybe the disturbance in the city got them up and moving. Do giants hibernate?"

"Maybe," Shaylie laughed.

The sound made Jake smile. His mind went back to his previous thoughts. "Hey, about earlier..." he started, but Shaylie cut him off.

"Let's forget it happened. Okay?" she said. "Now isn't the time."

"I can't just forget."

"Please. I'm serious," she said. Her expression was soft, but her tone was stern. Jake wanted to protest, but he knew she was right. Thankfully, someone gave him an excuse to drop it. Maya joined them, looking worried. "Are you okay?" Shaylie asked.

"We shouldn't have come here," Maya said. "I was thinking about my vision."

"The one about the man in pain?" Shaylie asked.

"No, the other one. The one about the large man carrying the bird. They were in the woods, and I think they were these woods," Maya said, pointing out the window.

"It might have been that giant we just saw," Jake said.

"You saw a giant?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, just a moment ago," Shaylie replied.

Maya took a second to process this, but she shook her head. "No, what I saw wasn't a giant. He was tall, but I'm sure it was these woods. We're in danger."

"I'll talk to Van and see what he thinks. We can tell Marcus when he returns," Jake said, heading for the kitchen.

Maya turned to go with him, but Shaylie stopped her. "Maya, did you see the tall man's face in your vision?" Shaylie asked.

"No, why?"

"I was just curious," Shaylie said. She looked toward the kitchen as she said it.