"You what? Where is she? What did you do with her?", Caroline shot up from the bed at the sound of what had really happened to her cousin.

"I didn't kill her, if that's what you're asking! Cheryl hasn't seen her ever since, though. Not that I knew of, anyway...", Lux bit her lip.

"Do you even know where she is?"

"Of course I do! I didn't just kidnap an infant and leave it in the woods for the wolves to feast upon! I'm not that heartless. My soul isn't that dark."

"Then where is she? What the hell happened to her?"

"Don't worry about that, I left her with someone I trust.", Lux snorted.

"Right...", Caroline said in disbelief.

"That's not the point!"

"Yeah, the fact that you kidnapped my cousin when she was a baby and left her with someone you trust isn't the point here. By all means, tell me more about your ex.", Caroline said sarcastically, crossing her arms and glaring at Lux, who didn't miss the chance to give her a death glare.

"Of course I'll go back to talking about Benny. Benny is dead, your cousin isn't."

"You still love him, don't you?"

"How did you figure?", Lux rolled her eyes.

"I know a thing or two about being hung up on dead exes.", Caroline looked away.

"Ouch.", Lux cringed. "Aren't you a little young to have a dead ex?"

"Tell that to whoever murdered Faith.", Caroline grumbled, blinking back tears. "Anyway, why did you and Benny break up?"

Lux sighed at that. "Well... Things were heating up between your father and your uncle at the palace. Benny didn't want to get caught up in that kind of drama and he was right. He told me we should run away from it all, but I thought that my hatred for Cheryl was more than my love  for him. I stayed behind to get back at her. When I realised I should have left with Benny, it was too late. I'd already made a deal with your father.", she said bitterly.

"What kind of deal?"

"You sure know how to ask a lot of questions.", Lux glared at her again.

"Yeah, but they're usually the right ones.", Caroline shrugged.

"Alastor offered something I'd wanted for a long time; the chance to get back at your aunt and show her who the real boss was. She might have been in line to be queen because Dan fell for her, but I wasn't going to bow to her. He was going to mask everything under a greater cause so that people wouldn't realise that everything happened because he got friendzoned."

"Wait, what?", Caroline asked, tilting her head in surprise and confusion.

"Oh, come on! Isn't it obvious? Your dad had a thing for your aunt and got mad because she was into his twin brother. What did you think their fight was about? Alastor couldn't handle not getting what he wanted. I have to give it to Cheryl, though; she might not be a powerful witch but she can throw a really good punch when needed."

"Dad had a thing for Cheryl?!"

"Um, duh? Trust me, one of the little things that can get in the middle of great friendships and siblings are girlfriends and boyfriends. Cheryl tore them apart for good.", Lux sighed, but failed to conceal a smirk.

"This is messed up..."

"Yeah... The friendzone is a dark place. It can make people do crazy things. Your father is a live example.", Lux shook her head in disappointment. "Anyway, I'll leave you to process all that new information."

"This is too much...", Caroline clutched her head.

"Same time tomorrow?", Lux joked, earning a terrified and wide-eyed look from the princess. "What? You wanted answers, I gave you answers. And you don't even know half the story yet.", she chuckled to herself. "If only you knew...", she sighed, leaving the room.



Caroline sat in her bed, rubbing her forehead to ease the headache caused from everything she'd heard.

"This is getting out of hand...", she muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair.



°~*~°



Crystal, Phoebe and Scott were sitting outside the cabin around a small fire they'd lit to keep warm. They were eating some apples Phoebe had collected earlier and staring at the fire in silence.

"I'm not ready to leave... We'll have to go back to camping in the woods until we make it past the border.", Crystal sighed.

"Yeah, but when we make it, we won't be hunted anymore.", Scott countered.

"I know... Life's never easy, is it?", she sighed.

"Nope!", Phoebe replied, grabbing another apple. "Pity, though. I'd love to see Caroline again...", she continued, sighing dreamily.

"The feeling isn't mutual.", Scott muttered, earning himself a nudge from Crystal's elbow. "Though I have to say that I'm grateful for her help.", he added.

"That's better...", Crystal narrowed her eyes at him.



They all burst out laughing at that.

"I'm exhausted...", Scott yawned, resting his head on Crystal's shoulder. His sister raised an eyebrow.

"How in the name of hell can you be exhausted? You've literally done nothing all day!", she argued.

"Just thinking about all the exhaustion I'll be feeling tomorrow makes me feel exhausted already.", he smirked. Phoebe glared at him and Crystal stayed laughing again.

"He does have a point...", she said Phoebe. Soon, they were all laughing again.

After a while they went back into the cabin to sleep. Phoebe stayed outside to gather up some things, like the tablecloth she spent the day sitting on. She also put out the fire and all that, but she did it alone because she refused to let Crystal and Scott to do anything to help and sent them straight to sleep.

Her argument against Crystal was that the same way she didn't want any of the beds, Phoebe wanted to be the one to clean everything up. Scott was too sleepy to function, so he didn't even try to argue with his sister and went straight to bed. Not that he could sleep, but he still felt a little more rested once he lied down on his bed. He'd miss it.

"Hey, Scott?", Crystal called him from the couch.

"What is it, princess?", he asked her. He hadn't gone to sleep yet, he was still packing his bags because he wouldn't be able to in the morning. Crystal had already packed from before they went out for dinner.

"Come here. I wanna be able to see your face when I tell you this.", she smirked.

"Now I'm worried.", he chuckled awkwardly, approaching the couch. There wasn't any space for him to sit on it, so he sat down on the floor.

"Nah, don't be. Just... You should laugh more. Being a grumpy-pants doesn't suit you."



Scott raised an eyebrow and stared at her for a second, then burst out laughing.

"Was what I said funny or did you decide to oblige?", she asked him.

"Both."



Meanwhile, Phoebe was finishing up and making her way to the door when she felt as if she was being watched again. She turned around from the cabin just as an arrow zoomed past her and got itslef impaled on the door, barely inches from Phoebe's face.

"Dammit.", she muttered. "Run!", she yelled at Scott and Crystal from outside.

Crystal and Scott turned and looked at each other. "Phoebe.", they said at the same time, simultaneously agreeing that they weren't going anywhere without her.



The door was jammed, so they grabbed everything they'd packed up to that point (which wasn't everything but it was enough) threw their stuff outside the window and then climbed out, running out front.

That's where they saw Erebos holding an arrow against Phoebe's throat.

Crystal recognised the arrow as one of the custom ones from her old home, the ones Benny had made.

"Let her go.", Scott gritted his teeth.

"Only if you come along the easy way.", Erebos replied. There was a crazed look in his eyes, as if life depended on getting Crystal and Scott back to the palace. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and he kept glancing around and if he was expecting someone to come out of nowhere and kill him.

Crystal and Scott glanced at each other again, silently agreeing to one more thing. "We'll come, just let Phoebe go.", Scott told him.

"Oh, Alastor doesn't give a damn about you Harrow, he's only after his daughter.", Erebos smirked.



Crystal looked down as Scott turned to look at her. He wanted to tell her they'd find another way even if they had to fight Erebos. He was outnumbered, after all.

He didn't get the chance to, though. "Fine. I'm coming.", Crystal wiped a tear and clenched her fists.

"Crystal, don't.", Phoebe told her calmly.

Before anyone could react, Phoebe flipped Erebos over her shoulder and disarmed him. Crystal's jaw dropped. Scott looked at his sister proudly as she kicked Erebos in the stomach, making him groan.

"You dumb piece of horse poop.", she rolled her eyes.



Ash galloped towards them out of nowhere. He'd been out and about these past few days, doing whatever a horse does in its free time and when people are not around.

"Speaking of horses...", Scott shook his head , a bitter expression across his face.



They picked up their stuff and got them on Ash as fast as they could. Crystal rushed by Erebos, who seemed to be unconscious, and grabbed Benny's bow and arrows. Glaring at Erebos, she ran past him again to join the others.

Just as Crystal was about to mount Ash, she noticed Erebos moving suspiciously and jumped in front of Scott jumped behind her. "Watch out!", she yelled, then grunted and fell to the ground.

"Princess!", Scott screamed time, kneeling next to her.



He noticed a knife going through her side and coming out from her back, blood seeping through her dress and to the cground.

Phoebe turned to look at Erebos, who was chuckling to himself.

"How are you going to run now?", he said, not getting up from the ground. Scott was about to advance at him, but Phoebe held him back.

"Take care of Crystal. I'll meet you at the border. Go.", she hissed and walked off.

"Phoebe!", Scott called after her.

"I said go! I'll take care of this one. Your princess needs you.", she growled. Crystal was unconscious and bleeding out on the grass. Scott glanced nervously between them. "I'll cover your tracks, take her to a healer dammit!", Phoebe snapped.



Scott nodded and swung Crystal's arm over his shoulder. He tried to get her on Ash, but Ash was too tall and Scott wasn't strong enough to lift Crystal up to that height at the time because of his exhaustion, so he just got Ash to come along as he half-carried Crystal through the woods.

The last thing he saw before leaving the cabin and the lake was Phoebe grabbing Erebos by the collar. Scott almost felt sorry for him.

But he had to keep going. Crystal would kill him for leaving Phoebe behind, but he had no other choice.

Life is never easy, he thought to himself as he disappeared in the darkness of the forest during the night.

°~*~°

Violet couldn't help but to keep smiling after the night she talked with Tristan, despite the fact that he'd given her some pretty unsettling news.

She needed to find Cheryl and she needed to do it fast.

Violet didn't say the entire truth to Charles and Jackson. She didn't want to scare them off. She hadn't known them for long, but she considered them her friends and she wanted things to stay this way.

"So... Time for some backstory. How long have you two been together?", she asked them as they made their way to the border.

"We've been together for about two years, but we've known each other for much longer. My father and Jackson's mother grew up together and were best friends. That was until they found out about our relationship and had a huge fight on who was keeping whom away from each other.", Charles sighed.

"Yikes... So you grew up together?"

"Yep.", Jackson smirked proudly.

"How long have you known your boyfriend?", Charles asked Violet.

"Oh. Well, we haven't known each other long. We only just met a few weeks ago, but we got drunk together a couple times. Made out some more. We moved a little fast, but I couldn't stay there for long. Even though I have a feeling that he didn't stay at the palace either...", she sighed.

"Wait... Your boyfriend's name is Tristan and he lives in the palace? Damn, you're in a relationship with the prince?!", Jackson exclaimed in surprise.

Violet awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. "Maybe... I told you, I have friends in high places."

"Wow.", Charles whistled.

"Shut up...", she muttered shyly.

"When are you going to go back and see him?", he asked her.

"I don't know... It's too dangerous for me to go back there and I doubt he's there anyway. I've been feeling weird. We managed to communicate last night and it was clear he'd ran away. He's looking for my friend..."

"The one you're looking for?", Jackson raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He thinks she can help him with something urgent, but I doubt she'll agree to it- no matter how bad she'll want it.", Violet but her lip.

"It's worth a try.", Charles shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe if you back him up, you'll convince her."

"What's her name anyway?"

"Oh... I'm not sure if I should tell you this one yet.", she smirked knowingly.

"That's called cheating.", Charles crossed his arms.

"Nope. It's called withholding important information from you and, as you can see, I won't hesitate to do it.", she smiled proudly.

"You're not playing fair, Lou.", Jackson rolled his eyes.

"Who said I ever play fair? That wasn't part of the deal.", she said sarcastically.

"You're impossible."

"I know."

°~*~°



Tristan was bored. He couldn't stand traveling on his own.

He never liked being alone. He couldn't stand being left with his thoughts, because they always took over. It could drive someone crazy.

His thoughts for the day were mostly about being able to talk to Violet. It made his heart skip a beat ever time he remembered the conversation they'd had the night before. He was falling hard for her and it didn't make any sense.

But love never makes sense, does it?

The other thoughts he had stressed him out. He wasn't really sure, but the stress might have also been Violet thinking about the same things, but he doubted it. For the first time in a very long time, he was nervous and it wasn't because of any spell.

He needed to find his aunt and he needed to do it fast. The longer it took for him to find her and talk to Daniel, the less prepared his uncle would be and the easier it would be for his father to take over the other half of the kingdom.

The other half of a kingdom that didn't even belong to him.

No matter what his supporters believed, Alastor was in no place to be king. He couldn't rule. He took advantage of his power over others. He felt superior to everyone else.

And worse of all? He was a tyrant and a dictator. He wasn't supposed to be king in the first place. He was just a spare, just like Tristan was.

I won't end up like him, he muttered to himself. I have nothing in common with him.

More thoughts, similar to the ones he was already having, started invading his head. Being alone for long had never been good for Tristan Cornel, and this time was no exception.