My head spun toward Dash, but it was too late. The trap was already in motion. A thin, shimmering net folded around me, sweeping me off my feet and tumbling me back into the swinging contraption. Cursing, I thrashed at the woven threads, trying to free myself from the netted barrier, but a stinging pain left me gasping. The net had cut me.

What the—

I was strung up eight feet in the air, hanging from a tree. This apparatus had me in a very unfortunate situation. I was already bleeding. The last thing I wanted was to hurt myself more, but I seemed to be a glutton for punishment. Why hadn’t I had a vision to forewarn me last night? It would have saved me from the agony I felt now.

I stopped everything, even breathing for a few seconds, while I assessed how much trouble I’d gotten myself into. As I looked closer at the net, I noticed the material was made of super fine silver or a similar metal. Great. Was everything in this forsaken land potentially hazardous? I could imagine all kinds of awful things going wrong with my current predicament. I glared down to the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I grumbled.

Dash stared up at me with a roguish glint in his eyes. “Some things never change.”

“Just get me down from here,” I growled.

“Try not to move too much. If I am going to get you out of there without you breaking an arm, you need to be steady.”

“You do realize I’m swinging from a tree branch. How much control do you think I have?”

“I am beginning to understand what you meant about Charlotte’s lure to danger,” Star mused, standing beside Dash.

I rolled my eyes. “Star, now is not the time to joke.”

“On the count of three,” Dash said, his blade hovering over the metal cord that was tied to the tree, keeping me suspended in the air.

“For the love of mountain berries. Just do—”

The jerk whipped his blade through the air and cut the cable. Suddenly, I fell, the net tumbling to the ground, and I was about to go splat when a pair of strong arms caught me.

Blowing the hair out of my face, I pinned Dash with a glare. “You didn’t count to three.”

His lips spread into a lopsided grin. “It was better you didn’t think about it.”

Possibly, but now my mind was stuck on him and how incredible it felt to be in his embrace, even if for a few stolen moments. I didn’t want to let go, and that was exactly why I did. “You can put me down now.” I wiggled, trying to get my feet on the ground.

His arms held onto me. There was a long pause, and I could see I wasn’t the only one who wanted more time. “Only if you promise this will be the last time I have to save you today.”

I rolled my eyes as he set me on my feet. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

“What was that?” Star asked, her eyes staring at the net spread on the ground.

“A trapper,” Dash said. “I am more concerned about what he was trying to catch.”

“Hopefully not me,” I griped.

Dash’s chest rumbled with laughter. “I’m beginning to think there will be plenty of situations where I will be forced to barter for your life. Including today.”

I shot him a strange glance. What did he mean today? Hadn’t I already been through enough? “You ever think that maybe I’m always in need of rescuing because of you?”

Dash shook his head. “Never.”

Star huddled alongside me, looking like a cat about to dart.

She was getting her first real taste of the Heights. I had been in her shoes not that long ago and understood her fear.

I opened my mouth to tell Dash to shove his arrogance into his piehole, but in the distance, a sound made me hesitate. Footsteps, if I wasn’t mistaken. Multiple footsteps.

Dash’s and my eyes swung toward each other, the same thought echoing in our heads.

The Night’s Guard.

“Wait,” Dash said, throwing an arm out in front of me. I’d been about to run.

“Why? If that’s the Guard, we shouldn’t stick around.”

“It’s not,” he assured me. “And if you run, they’ll shoot you.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Them.” His chin lifted to the north.

It was hard to see in the dark, but as I focused, shapes materialized, starting with their eyes. A dozen of them surrounded us in a circle. God, I hated when Dash was right. Natives—mountain dwellers by the looks of them. I backed up, moving so the three of us stood back to back.

“Dylan?” Star’s voice shook.

I waited, poised for him to make a move. His bow remained at his back, and he sheathed his blade as he stepped forward. “It’s okay. They won’t hurt us.”

Star and I both exchanged wary glances. The spears they held in their hands didn’t look very friendly.

A man with coffee-colored hair stepped forward.

The muscles in Dash’s jaw relaxed. “I never thought I would see your face again, Orion.”

“That makes two of us, Slayer.” He had a powerful voice that boomed over the valley.

“We’re only passing through but would appreciate a place to sleep for a night or two if you have the room.”

Orion’s full lips split into a grin. “For you, my old friend, there is always room.” He laid a hand on Dash’s shoulder, and the other men with him lowered their weapons. “Come, I have a bed with your name on it.”

“Did he say bed?” I whispered, no one mistaking the wistfulness in my tone.

Orion’s gaze turned to me. His hand moved from Dash’s arm and captured my chin in a light grip. Had I wanted to, I could have jerked away, but something in the flecks of his tawny eyes intrigued me. Was it fascination? Or surprise? “Kamama.” His lips spoke a foreign word.

Dash was at my side. A vein in the side of his jaw popped. “Butterfly?”

Orion nodded. “It is the name the girl with the rainbow eyes has been given. Her unparalleled power has been whispered through the land from sector to sector—the girl with multiple abilities, who they say will bring a new beginning. It’s you.”

“What?” So much for flying under the radar and keeping my multiple talents a secret.

From the look on Dash’s face, he wasn’t happy either. “I’m not interested in the whisperings of the Heights. Just a place to crash.”

“Of course. You haven’t changed at all. This way.” Orion released my chin, but not before he and I shared a look. He wanted to know more about me. I sensed it, and the knowledge unnerved me.

“Are you sure about this?” I mumbled to Dash.

“You’re telling me you’re willing to give up a night in a bed?”

“I didn’t say that,” I hissed.

“Is this a good idea?” Star asked, mimicking my thoughts.

“Dash seems to think so,” I muttered.

Look at us, the three amigos. As we followed the mountain tribe, I had a sense of déjà vu. Only this time, I hoped we weren’t betrayed and Orion turned out to be a better man than Brunlak had been—the bastard who had turned us over to the Night’s Guard after giving us a sanctuary of sorts.

The path ended at a set of large wooden gates that looked oddly out of place with lances sticking out at the top. Orion stepped forward and slammed the end of his spear on the ground. A moment later, the scraping of wood against rock filled the air as the gates opened, pushed by six men. Helluva job.

Together, we moved through the outskirts of the small town—not quite the size of Hurst, but a bit more modernized, at least for the Heights’s standards. Little wooden homes lined the rocky paths in a variety of shapes and sizes. Other than us, the paths were empty, but considering the time of night, it shouldn’t have been a surprise everyone was huddled inside.

Lanterns glowed along the dirt walkway, lighting the path and illuminating the windows of the cozy homes. The view was breathtaking. All around the small town were towering mountains with their snow-covered peaks. The air here smelled crisp and clean with lingering hints of long since burned embers.

“It’s not much, but we’re doing what we can to make it a sanctuary. The people of Eberus work hard to keep their lives out of the Institute’s business.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

Orion grinned. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you would like, Kamama.”

“We appreciate your hospitality,” Dash butted in, “but we can only stay a few nights. It isn’t safe for us to remain too long.”

“Maybe not for you, Slayer, but the butterfly can stay. We will protect her.”

Dash scoffed, his brows burying together. “I’m not leaving without her.”

Orion gave a slight tilt of his head. An unspoken exchange transferred between the two guys. “Understood. No harm will come to her within these walls. You have my word.”

As I met more people outside the Institute, the surer I became of my decision to leave.

We continued through the town. The sun crested over the horizon, adding a tiny bit of color to intertwine with the darkness.

Orion led us into a home. He lit two lanterns in both of the front windows, setting the room in a soft glow. Furnished sparingly with a small sitting area and kitchen, there were two doors off the main area—one on each side—but I didn’t care that it supplied only the bare essentials. It had a roof and bed. Enough said.

“There are only two rooms,” Orion informed us.

“It beats sleeping in a tree,” I said. “Thank you.”

“In the morning, we’ll give you a tour. I know the people of Eberus would love to meet the girl with the rainbow eyes. It would lift their spirits to know you are real.”

I nodded, too tired to think about that at the moment.

When the front door closed softly behind Orion, the three of us stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Two rooms. Three of us. I made it simple. “Star and I will take the room on the right.”

“Works for me,” Dash answered, dropping his pack in the corner.

Star was already on her way to the room. She looked bone-tired and a little pale. Dash turned in the opposite direction, and I put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”

He faced me, a brow raised.

“What was that all about back there?”

“What?”

“Oh, I don’t know. The whole ‘I’m not leaving without her business.’ You don’t have a claim to what I do or where I go.”

His shoulder leaned up against the doorframe. “It’s been a long couple of days, hell, weeks even. I don’t want to argue with you. Just trust me.”

My pulse jumped all over the place when he looked at me like that, leaving me exposed to the core. “I do trust you.”

“Good. Now I am going to sleep for a few hours.”

I bit my lower lip.

He angled his head to the side, pushing off the doorway. “You still aren’t having trouble sleeping, are you?”

Dash stopped in front of me, and I glanced up into his face. “No, not really. Okay, maybe a little. But it’s the dreams, not the sleeping part.”

“I won’t be far.”

“I know.” But just not close enough.

He moved forward, as if he’d read my thoughts. Lifting a hand, he brushed a curl behind my ear, his thumb lingering over my cheek. “Good night, Freckles.”

I leaned into his touch for a moment and then swallowed. “Night.”

Neither of us was ready to move, but things were already awkward between us, and there was no reason to make it more complicated. I turned and walked into the other room, closing the door behind me. I leaned against the rough wood and closed my eyes. Why couldn’t my life be drama free for once?

Kicking off my boots, I dropped my bag on the side of the bed. “Any chance there is a shower?”

Star shook her head. “I looked.” She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, her eyes droopy and her lips turned down. There was a porcelain quality to her, as if at any moment she might break.

I sighed, remembering I wasn’t the only one with issues. “You okay?” I asked, plopping down on the bed. How I missed the feeling even after only a few nights.

“I don’t know how you do it. This world is so much different than I ever imagined. I feel like I’m not given a moment to breathe or catch up. I’m not like you or Dylan.”

Each time she called him that, my mind blanked for a few seconds until I remembered that Dylan was Dash’s given name. This was the first time we’d been alone since finding him. I didn’t know what to say to her. In an instant, Star had gone from being my best friend to my competition. I hated it. “So Dash is your boyfriend, huh?” If we were going to be traveling together, it was time to clear the air. I didn’t want to lose the very few people I had in my life that I trusted, and the tension wasn’t good for any of us.

This was so messed up.

She shook out her long blonde hair, combing the tangles with her fingers. “No, Dylan was. I don’t know Dash. He has changed so much. Besides, you’re in love with him.” She smiled, but it seemed off.

Talk about not beating around the bush. But I liked that she was straightforward, and there was no denying I had feelings for Dash. I had told her so when we had been in the Institute, and now I was wondering if opening up had been a good idea. “What are the chances?”

“Probably one in a million.” Her gaze skittered away. “He cares for you.”

“But I’m not the one he’s spent months searching for. What was he like, you know, before?”

Crimson swept over her pale cheeks. “Angry. Lost. Trapped. But he could also be sweet and caring. Believe it or not, the first time we met, he was stealing from the convenience store near my house.”

I turned on my side, propping a hand under my head as a tiny smirk tugged at my lips. “Oh, I believe it all right.”

“His brother, Logan, was hungry. He bumped into me on his way out, dropping the bag of chips from underneath his hoodie. I remember that day like it was yesterday, the purplish yellow bruise on his cheek and the smug grin on his lips.”

“Had he been in a fight?” I asked, entertained listening about the Dash I never knew.

Star frowned. “No. It was his father. He hit him.”

My heart squeezed. I should have known. “He once told me that his father was an asshole.”

She nodded. “All Dylan talked about was turning eighteen and getting his mom and Logan out of there. He wanted to take them somewhere safe—far from the drunken rage of his father.”

We both had tears in our eyes. “I can’t imagine.”

“From everything I’ve heard about Dash Darhk, it’s so hard for me to believe he is the boy I once knew. Dylan never would have killed anyone. He despised fighting.”

“The mist turned a lot of people into something they never imagined—changed them for good… and bad.” I couldn’t help but think of my own family. “When I saw Ember for the first time, I refused to believe my sister had become someone I didn’t recognize. I wanted so desperately to believe a piece of her was still there.”

Star’s small hands fumbled with the fabric on the bed. “And do you still believe that?”

I flopped onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t know.”

She sighed and lay down on the other side of the bed facing me with her hand curled under her head. “I’m unsure how to act around him. Are we friends? I have all these knots in my tummy. I can’t stop wondering what he’s thinking.”

“You should talk to him,” I heard myself say.

“Charlotte, you’re my friend, my only friend. I saw the two of you together when we found him. I see the way he looks at you while pretending he isn’t looking.”

“It doesn’t mean anything.” The large lump that suddenly formed in my throat said otherwise.

“Liar. What I am trying to say is that I’m not standing in your way. I don’t expect for Dylan and I to pick up where we left off. It would be foolish for either of us to think that was possible. We’re no longer the same people.”

I turned my head and faced her. “You need to tell him. He deserves to hear it from you. Talk to him.”

She sighed. “I will.”

I wanted to ask if she still loved him, but I couldn’t bring myself to hear the answer. So instead, I rolled over and closed my eyes.