Ashley could barely believe it.

After all that time, all her inner conflict about Nayanors and her desperate attempts to help the women on Luminos, it was another victim who screwed her over.

She kept true to her spirit of rationality and didn't scream out. Ashley had every reason to believe Gwen was just mad enough to actually shoot her. Of course, the chance that The Reaper would let her live was close to zero as well, but at least in that way, she gave Zar a chance to come and save her.

The carrier was speeding toward the central area Ashley wasn't very familiar with. She had avoided it like the plague after her first impression of the Lord of the Black Hall. Zar had been perfectly happy to keep her safely and securely in their quarters, so she never ventured very far from their makeshift home.

Now, things were bad.

Gwen was sitting right next to her, both of them held at swordpoint by the Nayanor guards. The confused look on Gwen's face said that she didn't understand why she had to personally hand Ashley over.

There was some chatter over the comm link Ashley couldn't hear very well, but in the next second, one of her guards turned to the pilot:

"Go around. Zar Kohora is approaching the throne room fast. We need to get there before he does. Cut through the high roads."

The words made Ashley's heart beat twice as fast as before. She couldn't help but smile, just a little. The guard's voice had been anything but happy. Even now, The Reaper's guards were terrified of Zar and what he'd do to them when he won. Ashley guessed everyone in the carrier secretly thought he would, with the possible exception of Gwen.

Gwen, of course, was past the point of caring. The poor woman would have trusted a floor panel if it promised her the way home.

Ashley focused. She knew she didn't have much time and being bait in The Reaper's hands wasn't in her daily schedule.

I won't be what brings Zar down.

She was searching for a way out when the carrier took an unexpected turn and seemed to drive up a sheer wall. Ashley gasped out loud and Gwen screamed. The guards motioned for them to stay still.

"Hold on," the nearest one ordered.

Ashley did. She had to resist the urge to look down hard. The carrier kept climbing a wall that turned out to be an angled path after all, although considering the angle there wasn't much of a difference. Up ahead Ashley could see a path under the ceiling, so far up she had never expected it to be there.

Their destination.

When the carrier leveled with the ground again, Gwen let out a breath of relief, her knuckles white on her seat, but Ashley had other things on her mind.

Up ahead, she could see a real maze. Joslyn had given her a clue, but back then, Ashley had been certain she'd talked about how impossible to navigate the Hall was.

The walls of the place were so high Ashley had assumed she couldn't see the ceiling, but that wasn't entirely true. Most of the walls, except for those even bigger than the one they were driving on now, didn't connect to the roof. The carrier was now literally driving on top of the walls, cutting straight to the throne room like The Reaper had ordered.

Down below, Ashley could hear fighting and that meant only one thing.

Zar.

She couldn't be certain that it was him down there or even what she would do when she found him, but one thing was for certain. The Reaper was just as crazy as Gwen was. Pushed to the limit, standing to lose everything, he was capable of anything.

I can't become a weakness for Zar, not right now when we've almost won.

Believing that didn't banish the guards from her side, of course. Then something happened that restored Ashley's very dubious faith in destiny.

The carrier slowed down. At first Ashley didn't see what had barred its way. Glimpsing another carrier driving up the wall to block their path, she almost yelled out in joy.

Maybe fate wants me and Zar to be together after all.

"There they are!" Ashley heard a cry from the other carrier, recognizing Captain Roagh's voice. "Stop them!"

Her guards growled, dark and dangerous, no longer paying attention to her but to the warriors coming their way. The pathway atop the walls was narrow and perilous, with deadly drops on either side. Ashley doubted even the Nayanor crystals could have saved the life of one who fell.

"Don't even think about running," the guard warned her with flashing eyes. "There is nowhere to go here and I won't be kind to you. The Reaper said "alive". He didn't say you needed to have all your limbs."

By Ashley's side, Gwen whimpered. The tears hadn't stopped rolling down her cheeks since they got in the carrier.

As soon as the guards drew their blades, ready to face Zar's men, Ashley grabbed Gwen's hand.

She had considered leaving the girl, but couldn't. Gwen had been right and it weighed heavy on her conscience. Ashley had gotten incredibly lucky with Zar, as well as Joslyn with her mate, but there were many women out there who had no reason to believe in Nayanors. She couldn't just leave Gwen there, especially since she had no value to The Reaper.

Knowing she was risking a lot, Ashley went ahead and whispered:

"Gwen, listen to me. You must believe me now. They are not taking you to receive any reward for this. They're taking you so that The Reaper can see if he has a further use for you and if you don't, he'll probably lock you up, or worse.

"When I say the word, we go for it. Be ready to run and not a single scream."

Gwen was staring at her as their guards jumped out of the carrier, howling a challenge to Zar's men.

"But he said..." she protested.

"I heard him," Ashley said darkly. "The man's a charmer. Look, that captain there, with the other carrier. He is Zar's friend and he knows me. All we need to do is get to him. I need you to be brave, just this once, Gwen."

Gwen looked like she wanted to fall to pieces instead, but the same desperation that had made her such an easy target for The Reaper was now working in Ashley's favor. The spirit that had been so fierce at the beginning was showing again, carefully raising its head like sun peeking out from behind clouds.

"I don't know if I can," Gwen said, but that wasn't a "no".

"Be ready," Ashley told her, knowing further arguing was pointless.

She looked around. Roagh hadn't seen them yet. She hoped with all her heart that the captain would give them the protection she believed he would. Back in the walkway, the look of hurt on his face had been palpable when Zar had accused him of betraying him. No doubt he'd seek a chance to make it up to him – say, by saving his fated.

Their own carrier wasn't empty yet, but even the pilot was aching to get a piece of the action. Ashley could see his hands twitching for the blade on his back.

She judged. The sides of the carrier were very low and the pilot's attention was entirely fixed on the fighting.

"As quietly as you can and then fast," Ashley whispered to Gwen, not waiting for her confirmation. "Now!"

They stood. Ashley jumped out of the carrier first, her stomach lurching when she looked down at the drop not three feet from where she'd landed. Right behind her, Gwen looked ready to lose her breakfast.

There was no time to contemplate developing a fear of heights, as the pilot had turned and called out.

"Run!" Ashley yelled to Gwen. "Don't look down! Roagh!"

She took off, sprinting, not looking behind to see how fast the pilot could give chase. All that mattered was that she kept running.

It was almost dreamlike, running so fast she could only see the next step ahead of her. The top of the walls was pure rock, uneven and hard. She could only pray that it would slow down Nayanors in their heavy armor and help her, wearing nothing but tight pants and a green coat that Zar had finally allowed her instead of a dress.

Roagh had seen them. Ashley heard his deep voice bellowing over the fighting.

"Protect her! Alert the harbinger! Ashley, left!"

Ashley turned left without thinking, having long lost her sense of direction, her entire attention focused on having ground to put her foot down next. Now she risked a glimpse to the side, seeing the wider path that Roagh must have meant.

She was almost there. The squad Roagh had brought seemed to be winning. Ten feet more...

"Come on, Gwen –”

Looking behind her, Ashley slowed. Roagh reached her, unceremoniously pulling her along.

"Come," he barked at her, "Zar will want to know you're safe!"

Ashley didn't let him drag her away. Behind her, the pilot had caught Gwen and was dragging her back, the woman kicking and screaming.

"Help her!" Ashley cried to Roagh.

The captain looked over her shoulder, eyes narrowed.

"She's not a priority right now," he said darkly, giving her another pull. "The harbinger will want you safe and that is what I will –”

Putting all her strength into the blow, Ashley slapped him across the face as hard as she could, her eyes flashing.

"Help her!" she said. "Gods, you brought her here! For once in your damned life, show some responsibility! The Reaper will kill her for failing to deliver me to him."

Roagh looked as mad as any man she'd ever seen. The warrior's eyes were so dark Ashley wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just knocked her off that wall in his fury. She had no doubt no woman had ever hit him before, least of all before his men, but she had no time to worry about something as fragile as Nayanor pride.

"Get her!" the captain ordered his warriors. "Get the other female!"

They moved fast, seeing their captain was in no mood to be argued with. Ashley loved the look of surprise on the pilot's face, seeing five opponents coming for him. He let go of Gwen to draw his sword but that didn't save him. In a manner of seconds, Ashley heard his scream as he tumbled down from the wall, leaving Gwen crying hysterically on the ground.

She rushed to her, pulling her up.

"Come on," Ashley whispered urgently, hearing a sound she didn't like one bit. "You have to move, now!"

Gwen had heard it too. With the last reserves of her strength, the woman stumbled up and together they ran for Roagh's carrier just as reinforcements arrived for their enemies.

Ashley looked on in horror as carriers began to approach from every direction, cutting off their escape route back. Apparently the pilot had managed to alert The Reaper before coming after them.

They were trapped.

Roagh didn't seem to think so, however. He kicked the pilot into action and the carrier took a nauseating turn and headed straight down, making Ashley's insides flip.

The captain spoke to the transmitter:

"Harbinger, I have your fated and the other female. Upper paths are blocked. We're coming down for you."

And Ashley heard the voice she loved.

"Bring her to me, Roagh. If The Reaper wants to play this out like this, I'll make sure he gets his desire."

The last bit was meant for her.

"I'm in the throne room, Ashley. I see The Reaper. Remember my promise. Everything here will be –”

The last word was supposed to be "ours", she knew, but it never came.