I woke up in that familiar small cot with green fabric around me. Isiah and Zach sat on the cots beside me with bandages around their foreheads. I felt a sudden wave of nausea hit me and I grabbed the bucket on the small end table beside me. I emptied the contents of my stomach and then some. "Gross." Isiah wrinkled his nose, when I laid back on the bed again. I was worn out, and my body felt so cold inside. The darkness had lingered inside me and chilled me to my core. I need Kiran, I need his warmth and his comfort. "Well she is pregnant." Zach added. "We're lucky she didn't puke while fighting." "That's not why I threw up." I snapped. "It's fine. We get it. We're not judging you for fighting while pregnant. Not everyone has that nurturing side." Isiah added. I sat up on the bed and quickly punched him in the throat. That should keep him quiet for a while. "Shut up." I narrowed my eyes on him. "Still as feisty as ever, I see." Al came into the tent with a smile of amusement.

Zerena's P.O.V.It took me a while to find a shadow that led to the right kingdom. Eventually I found one at the base of a tree that looked like it was open in the center with a large tunnel inside of it. We emerged in front of it and I could smell a sweet maple scent coming from it. I thought it smelled nice and comforting. "God, what is that terrible smell?" Emerson wrinkled his nose stepping away from the tree. "It doesn't smell bad to me." Tally furrowed her brow at him. "Come on, let's go find where the queen lives." I told them heading towards the kingdom. Its houses were all built around the trees, and way off the ground. How the hell do they get up there? I am pretty sure elves don't fly. "Halt!" A man yelled at us. He was dressed in a short sleeve green tunic with brown tight pants and a sheathed sword on his hip. He had long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Jesus he was handsome as fu.ck. "Who are you? State your business." He eyed us suspiciously. "We're here to see

We found out that Tally's parents were killed in a robbery. They owned a jewelry store and had been burglarized. Tally was in the back room playing when it happened. The robber's had found her and took her too. They sold her in the black market as well. She was only three at the time. Tally shrugged it off, like knowing her parents were dead didn't phase her. Kellan went next, a slightly determined look on his face. Kellan's mom had taken him out on land for the first time since he was born. She wanted to go on a stroll and feed the ducks at the park. She was attacked by a kraken on the way, but she managed to save Kellan. She killed the kraken, but died alongside it. Kellan was found by a bounty seeker and he took Kellan straight to Alester. Kellan's dad believes him to be dead. He lives in the Pacific ocean off the coast of south California.Emerson didn't need to see his past as Everett had shared everything with him already, so all that was left was Percy. He was scared, I could

Kiran's P.O.V. I hate how often she has to leave me still. We both thought we would have so much more time together now that she was free of Alster. Seems our hopes were set too high. Granted, we do spend more time together than before, but it's still not enough. No time with her feels like enough. I sighed knowing I need to get back to work. I can't keep putting off my responsibilities. I've already called in yesterday. Everett told me to spend time with Zerena and not worry about working, but that doesn't seem right. I can't just take his money for free. I need to work. I like to work. So instead of a night shift at a bar, he's told me to come work on the cars at the pack lands. At least this way Zerena and my schedule will match better. I'll be quitting at the gas station too. I don't need to work two jobs now that mom isn't stealing my money all the time. I grabbed my keys and headed out to Betty. She's on her last leg and I know I'll need to get a new vehicle before the babies

Zerena's P.O.V. "That's enough for today. Our formations are better like this. May, you'll continue to group with Al and Josiah. Zerena you'll go between Ed and me, and Isiah and Zach's group for the time being. I'll let you know which group before an assignment, but I'll have you practice with Isiah and Zach tomorrow." Curtis instructed us all and then me in particular. "Noted." I gave him a two finger wave and disappeared, feeling that was the end of that conversation. Before I could make it to Kiran I was whisked away, knowing exactly what was happening. "We need to talk." Sebastian's voice came from behind me as my settings came into view around me. We were in his house and the curtains were drawn, the lights off. "I've blocked the shadows off. We are free to talk here, but only for a moment. Tell me, how did you know about my mom?" This Sebastian before me looked nothing like the one that comes to train me, like the man who sits beside the elders. He looked broken, desperate