“Any luck?” I ask Shan as he walks over to the large town fire where I am stood and picks up a mug. I watch as he undoes the lock on the barrel and pours himself a drink, drinking it whole before making himself another one and coming over to me. People walk around us, most going into their huts or looking back at ours in case Eowynn comes out. The people love her, as much as they used to love the other council children like Zack. Zack and Eowynn had planned to make everything right when they took over, to find a way to avoid the king and stop the hunt on changed ones getting to us. Even if it meant hiding the families when the king is here. They both believe that we should be free, but their parents didn’t. Or they were too scared to fight back. Eowynn isn’t like that, and even without Zack here to help, she will lead us out of this. With her husbands at her side.

“Not good,” he replies and I drink out of my own mug slowly as I think about what to say to her.

“My turn next then,” I say, looking back at the hut.

“We will need to leave soon, war is coming and our people must choose a side. We are not staying here,” he says firmly and I agree, “If Wynn could remember, she would choose the rebellion and I know that. To side with the princes and the changed ones,” Shan comments and I look around at the town, seeing bags packed outside people’s homes on sledges. He has a point that we can’t delay for much longer. The last thing Wynn did before she fell was to tell the whole village to pack their bags, and that we are leaving. She never gave a reason and now she can’t remember why she did.

“We have a day, one day to get her to remember and make a decision. I trust our wife, if she wanted us to go to Fiaten, she must have known something worth taking us there,” Shan says, before taking a big sip of his drink. I give him a sharp nod before walking over to our hut and letting myself in. I take my scarf off, and my hat, before kicking my boots off as well. Wynn is sitting on the couches, a book in her hands and she looks up.

“Why did I call you Thief? Did you steal from me?” she asks, making me smile.

“Why do you want to know?” I ask, leaning against the wall and watch her as she grins.

“I want to know you,” she says, her voice is so deep and seductive that it could bring me to my knees. She has always had that effect on me though.

“Yes, well not exactly you but your parents,” I say and she gives me a curious look as I walk over and sit next to her. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, hating how she tenses a little at the beginning but doesn’t push me away as I settle next to her.

“I met you in the local school, not that I could attend because I was from the orphanage. I watched you meet Shan, Diego and Cullen before following you home. I was a starving child and I didn’t have a choice in the end. Not that I’m proud for what I did, or making excuses. I just couldn’t think straight from the lack of food and I was young,” I admit.

“You stole food, and then my parents found you,” she says, making me lean closer to her as her eyes widen.

“You remember?” I ask her and she nods, her face scrunched up as she thinks.

“My mother was upset, and my father was angry. But my mother wanted to keep you and look after you. They didn’t realise how many of the orphanage children were so hungry,” she says.

“That’s the day I moved into your home, and you called me Thief. I realised quite soon that I had found a treasure with you,” I say, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. She looks up at me, her lips parting slightly and I sit shocked as she leans forward and kisses me. Her kiss is nothing like I expected, its urgent and I groan as I return the kiss, stroking my hands down her back, feeling her shiver against me. She breaks away suddenly, looking at me.

“I remember you, our first kiss, and how I used to teach you how to read. So, did Shan, Diego and Cullen.” She says suddenly.

“Do you remember the rest of our lives? The day we got married? The day you fell? Any of it?” I ask and she shakes her head.

“I remember being in school, but nothing from after that. I’m sorry,” she whispers and I lift a hand under her chin and make her look up at me.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I say. She leans her head on my chest, letting me hold her for a long time.

“What are these marks?” she asks me, lifting her arms up to show me what she means. I pull my shirt up, showing her the island mark tattooed on my left wrist.

“Marriage marks. It’s a Sixa tradition that no other islands have. Most islands give a ring to their wives but we have matching marks done that the wife chooses. You chose an island for me because you know how much I craved a home, a place to really feel like I belonged.”

“Do you have that now?” she asks.

“I had it from the moment I met you, even if I had bread stuffed into my mouth at the time,” I say, laughing with her. Her eyes glaze over, looking at me but she doesn’t really seem there and I shake her shoulder.

“Treasure? You okay?” I ask her and she smiles.

“Fen, your name is Fen,”

“You remember?” I ask and she smiles as she nods.

“Not much,” she admits, biting her lip, “But we went fishing, and I remember shouting for you,” she says.

“Better than nothing, but yes I’m Fen. Its lovely to meet you,” I say, making her laugh.

“I love you, I know that. I love all four of you but I can’t remember the last few years. It’s so frustrating,” she huffs, pushing the book on her lap to the side.

“Love is all we need, everything else will come in time,” I tell her and lean over, picking the book up. Inside is a painting of us all, and of her parents.

“I found it, who painted this? It’s amazing,” she asks.

“Diego did, I will send him to see you next and he can tell you about this,” I say and she nods, resting her head on my shoulder once more.

“For now, will you tell me about each painting, see if anything comes back to me?” she asks and I flip back to the first page.

“Of course, my wife,” I say, and start telling her the story of our life.