My hands shook, my breath coming in uneven gasps as I followed Axtin further down the path.

I told myself that it was the Luurizi attack, that I was just shaken from the near-death experience, but the lie felt hollow even in my own mind.

Sure, almost being impaled by a wild animal was unsettling—there was no denying that. But it was what I felt in Axtin’s arms that had truly shaken me. Even then, walking several feet behind him, I could still feel him, the press of him against me, the heat of his emerald skin.

I groaned, shoving the thoughts from my mind with force.

Obviously, I reasoned with myself, the past few days had affected me even more than I had realized. The trauma of everything had finally been catching up to me—sure, that was it.

Because clearly, I wasn’t actually attracted to Axtin. For fuck’s sake, he wasn’t even a human being.

Feeling reassured of my relative sanity, I hurried my steps, closing the distance between us.

It wasn’t exactly the simplest task. Axtin was, after all, a great deal larger than me. His long legs ate up the distance ahead of us, and I rushed to catch up to him.

I ignored the way my hands picked right up shaking as I got near him, just as I ignored the sound of my own pounding heart.

I had more important things to focus on after all, like save the world.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice quiet, gruff.

“Fine.”

He turned his head slightly, eyeing me slowly. For a moment, I thought he’d speak, but he clearly thought better of it, turning his attention back towards the path.

I watched him from the corner of my eye, feeling unable to control my gaze. The sunlight played wonders on his skin, reflecting brilliantly off the deep green, off the bands of purple that stood in stark contrast to the rest of him.

He seemed to walk with extra care since the attack, his eyes constantly roving over our surroundings. Every now and then, he’d quicken his pace, hurrying ahead to move a fallen log from the path or peek around a blind. His attention felt odd, personal somehow, and I found it almost impossible to look away.

It wasn’t until his eyes met mine again that I even realized how long I’d been staring. Quickly, feeling like a child, I bowed my head, staring in rapt fascination at the thick carpeting of leaves beneath my feet.

I tried my best to focus on the real issue at hand, redirecting my thoughts back to the scent bombs. I had a fairly good memory of the formulas I’d already seen. If I could just focus on it, I might come up with a good solution before we even arrived in Duvest.

Try as I might, though, my thoughts seemed beyond my control. One moment, I’d be reciting a formula in my mind; the next, I’d find myself once again staring at Axtin’s hulking form.

I groaned inwardly, frustrated at my own behavior for once.

What on earth was wrong with me?

We walked in silence for a long while, my thoughts twirling strangely through my mind. I don’t know how long we went on like that. It seemed like hours, though I knew it was far less.

Axtin was the first to break the silence, slowing his gait to turn towards me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, Axtin. Why?”

“I just—” He seemed to stumble over his words, unsure how to continue.

“What?”

“I didn’t do anything, did I? Like hurt or scare you, I mean.”

I scoffed in amusement, completely caught off guard by the question.

“No, trust me. You couldn’t, even if you wanted to.”

He tilted his head, his features contorting into an expression I’d never seen on him before. He looked surprised, hurt even.

But more surprising than his reaction was my own. To my utter amazement, I immediately regretted my words. Sure, Axtin got under my skin from time to time—or most of the time. But it had never been my intention to hurt him.

I opened my mouth to tell him as much, but found myself at a loss for words. I had never encountered anyone who could make me trip over my own thoughts like this before. It was utterly infuriating.

I reached up, running my fingers through my hair in irritation as I struggled to come up with a coherent thought.

I was just opening my mouth to try again when the sound reached my ears.

My teeth slammed shut with an audible click, my head whipping around wildly in search of the source.

“Leena.” I heard Axtin say, but my attention was elsewhere.

Somewhere, near from the sound of it, someone was crying—a child.

I spun in a circle, searching the trees as my heart started to thump wildly in my chest.

What would a child be doing all the way out here?

Had the Xathi found them?

After a moment that felt like an eternity, I stilled, focusing on the direction I was now sure the sound was coming from.

“It’s coming from over there,” I said, pointing towards a dense thicket.

“Leena, it’s not—”

I didn’t wait to hear what he had to say—I couldn’t. With every passing second, my fear only seemed to grow. I knew something was wrong, and I couldn’t simply stand around and talk it out with Axtin.

I surged forward before I’d even fully decided to, my feet kicking up clouds of dirt as I propelled myself into the thickening forest. With every step, the sound seemed to grow louder, beckoning me on like a siren.

My mind spun through a million possibilities for what might lay ahead, each grimmer than the last. I clenched my fists, struggling to find a sense of control in the sudden chaos.

I could hear Axtin calling my name from somewhere back in the trees, his voice laced with near panic. I understood his worry, feeling a deep sense of dread pool in my own chest, as well.

Still, I raced onward, unwilling to let my growing fear stop me. Somewhere in these trees was a child in need of help. I could never look at myself the same way again if I didn’t do anything to help the poor thing.

The trees thinned around me, space opening up in the dense foliage. The cries grew even nearer, seeming impossibly close.

Finally, panting, I broke into a small clearing. My body quivered from the exertion, sweat beading my forehead as I looked wildly about for the source of the cries.

I was so panicked, I nearly missed her. She sat in the shade of a nearby tree, her dark hair was matted, falling around her in waves as she buried her face in her hands. The cries only seemed to grow louder as I approached, one hand extended before me in what I hoped would be seen as a sign of peace.

“Hello? Don’t be afraid. I want to help,” I said.

She didn’t move, didn’t say a word. Her cries continued unabated, her small shoulders shaking in the intensity of her pain.

“Are you hurt?” I asked softly, still inching my way towards her.

Still nothing. It was like she didn’t even know I was there.

“Everything’s going to be okay. I’m going to help you.” I was nearly whispering, trying my best not to frighten her as I finally closed the distance between us.

I should have known that something was wrong—the way she ignored me, the way she seemed utterly oblivious to my presence. It should have been obvious that things weren’t what they seemed.

My own fear made me completely unaware, though.

“Sweetie?” I asked, reaching down to touch her.

I expected her to jump, maybe even to scream at my touch, but she didn’t—though I suppose that makes sense, given that I never touched her at all.

My hand passed neatly through her, disappearing into the pale white of her shoulder. I felt nothing—no resistance, nothing.

My thoughts seemed to stutter, logic failing me in my shock.

I reached for her again, only to watch my hand pass once more through the shaking child at my feet.

I looked around dazedly, feeling my eyes widen in fear.

And that’s when the walls went up around me.

The forest floor sprang to life, beams of energy seeming to jump from the earth itself. I was instantly encased, trapped on all sides by the neatly spaced beams that created a wall around the air.

Time seemed to slow as my mind spun painfully, desperately trying to make sense of this newest twist. In utter horror, I took in the cage that now surrounded me, my gaze whipping from it to the still sobbing child now safely outside of its walls.

My thoughts seemed to slow even as my heart began to race.

That’s when I started to scream.