They slept that night on comfortable beds, in guest rooms off a long hallway behind the living room. Although Quinn was exhausted, and the bed felt incredible, after only a couple hours of sleep, insomnia crept up on her yet again. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept until morning.

Tonight, she couldn't remember having dreamed at all there wasn't even the faint disoriented feeling she often woke up to. She felt wide awake.

She lay there in bed, listening to the sounds of the night as she tried, ineffectively, to convince her body to go back to sleep. Gradually, she became aware of a sound she wasn't expecting. A murmur of low voices was coming from somewhere inside the house.

As far as she knew, everyone had gone to bed at the same time she had. Thea had led them to three separate guest bedrooms; William and Nathaniel had gone into one, Marcus and Ben another, and Quinn, as usual, had a space to herself. She hadn't yet decided if this was an advantage or a disadvantage to being the only girl. The privacy was nice, but company might have made these strange places feel a little more familiar.

Either way, with her crazy sleeping habits, she was becoming accustomed to being awake and alone in the middle of the night. Nobody else seemed to have any trouble sleeping they were all too worn out after the long days of traveling. She wondered if she was misjudging the time, and it was closer to morning than she thought, but a peek out the window revealed the tiny sliver of a crescent moon, low and bright in the deep, black sky.

Perhaps someone else was having trouble sleeping, too? She carefully opened the door to her room and crept silently into the hallway. The voices grew louder as she approached the living room. Two voices, she could tell now, both of them male. She recognized Marcus' deep, resounding bass, but the second voice was unfamiliar.

"Who is the girl?" She was close enough now for the stranger's words to become clear.

Her heart stopped. She stepped a little closer.

"I don't know." It was Marcus' voice now. "She seems to just show up sometimes with William. Everyone is interested in her. Thomas appears quite taken."

"Why is she here?"

"From what I hear, she insisted upon coming."

"And Stephen just allowed that?"

"Alvin showed up with William and the girl. He said that the girl was to be allowed to come if she chose."

"But why? You don't think..."

A floorboard squeaked under Quinn's foot.

"Is someone else awake?" Marcus' voice interrupted his companion's.

"Hello?" the stranger called.

Quinn fled back to her room, closing the door behind her as silently as she could, throwing herself into the bed and feigning sleep. Over the pounding of her heart she listened for footsteps in the hallway, voices coming to check, but they never came.

When she woke the next morning, Quinn couldn't be sure if the conversation she had overheard in the night had been real or a dream. Marcus, Nathaniel, William, and Thea gathered with her at the breakfast table. There was nobody else. She surreptitiously glanced over at Marcus several times while Thea was serving the hot grain cereal and thick pancakes, but he seemed no different this morning than ever.

Once they were all seated, though, it was Marcus who spoke. His words seemed directed at William and Quinn Nathaniel and Ben appeared to have already heard this.

"Today, we are going to cross the border over into Philotheum, into the village of Estora. There, more Friends of Philip will take us to a safe house, and we can decide what to do from there."

"Are we going to just walk across the border?" Quinn wondered.

"No. We cannot just all go together. We have no idea what movements are being tracked, nor what Tolliver's troops or his spies are reporting to him or to the regent." Nathaniel answered, glancing over at Marcus. "William, Marcus, and I are all too recognizable to go through a regular border crossing in any case. We will ride to a spot a couple hours north of here where the river is passable."

"Won't it be guarded?" Quinn asked.

"That's unlikely," Marcus said. "It's an extremely remote area on both sides. The greater danger will be trying to make it back to Estora in such a large group without attracting notice."

"Which is why, Quinn," Nathaniel said, "you and Ben are going to cross together on the bridge at the regular border crossing. The two of you are unknown, and will appear to be a young couple. You shouldn't run into any difficulty. We will meet up with you in Estora late this evening."

She nodded, glancing first at Ben, who was focused on eating his pancakes, and then at William, who was staring at her, a strange look in his eyes. Although he didn't say anything, she got the distinct impression he didn't like the idea.

The idea of being separated from William and Nathaniel made her uncomfortable, but it made sense to her. She just hoped it wouldn't take too long.

Less than an hour after they'd finished breakfast, the horses were saddled and ready to go. Ben's and Quinn's horses were loaded down more heavily than usual; they had transferred as many supplies as they could, trying to lighten the load on the horses who would be fording the river later today. Thea had taken most of the bigger supplies, promising to have them delivered to the safe house in Estora.

Skittles was whinnying and snorting in expectation; she liked nothing better than a day of riding, and she was thrilled to be free of most of the weight in her packs. William wasn't feeling as excited.

Being separated from Quinn even if it would be for less than a day wasn't sitting well with him. He had considered arguing the point; it couldn't be that much more dangerous to travel in a group of five rather than three. He swallowed his objection, though, when he realized that no, it wouldn't be so much more dangerous for the group, but it would be riskier for her.

Quinn and Ben's ride into Estora would be quick and simple. In under an hour, they would be tucked away in a safe house. He liked the idea of that better than the thought of her traveling with them through unfamiliar remote areas.

He'd looked at the place they'd be crossing on Nathaniel's map. Calling it passable was optimistic. The wide Philotheos River ran the entire length of the border of the two kingdoms. Many bridges ran between them, but crossing was difficult most anywhere else. William glanced up at the brilliant blue sky, grateful that it hadn't rained in several weeks.

Nathaniel seemed to be having some difficulty parting with Quinn himself. He watched his uncle carefully check that all of Dusk's fastenings were secure before he helped the girl climb into the saddle. Once Nathaniel had finally walked away, William went over to her.

"Are you all ready?" He couldn't help tugging once more on the leather straps that held Dusk's saddle.

"Sure. It doesn't sound like it's that far of a ride."

He shook his head. "Yours isn't. We probably won't be meeting back up with you until dinnertime or later."

She glanced over at Ben, focused as always on what he was doing. He seemed reliable and nice enough, but William had never seen him really even talk to Quinn. He wondered how she was feeling about spending time alone with him, but he couldn't think of a good way to ask.

"How far are we now from where Lily and Graeme live, from Harber Village?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. I've never come this way before; this area is all unfamiliar to me." He paused, contemplating his next words before he spoke them. "I'm not sure that's our destination anymore, anyway. It really sounds like Thomas may never have made it there."

Last night, once he and Nathaniel were in their room, he had pressed his uncle for more of the information Thea had been getting from other members of the Friends of Philip. There had been little contact with Lily and Graeme's village, and what news they could get didn't sound good. Nobody had seen or heard from either Lily or Graeme in weeks, and there was some fear that they had disappeared. Where that left Thomas was anyone's guess.

They were hopeful that some of their contacts in Estora knew more. It had been difficult to transmit any information at all across the border, so Thea's knowledge was limited. Her husband, Charles, hadn't come back yet with any news from his foray into Philotheum yesterday. It made William uneasy, too, that he didn't know the people Quinn would be meeting on the other side. This was certainly a lot to ask of her.

Although he hadn't admitted it to her he wondered if he should he was rather impressed by the girl's willingness to just jump into the fray. He really hoped that she wasn't just doing this out of misplaced guilt. None of this was her fault. The look she gave him now heightened those fears, as she processed what he had just told her.

"Where is Thomas, then, if he never made it?"

"That's what we're hoping someone can help us find out. So far, we don't know much."

"But what could have happened to him, William?" Her eyes were starting to take on a slightly panicked look. She didn't usually get like this. He mentally kicked himself for saying anything to her right now, just as she was about to go off into an unknown land with someone she didn't really know.

He looked directly into her eyes. "Right now, Quinn, we need to assume he's okay. He may have actually made it, or he may have been intercepted by other Friends of Philip, and he's somewhere safe. It's not like he can just call us up on his cell phone and tell us where he is. Communication is going to take time."

She nodded, calmer already. "You're right. Today we need to concentrate on getting across the border. With any luck, we'll know something more by tonight." She nodded again; he wasn't sure if this was directed at him. Then she looked back into his eyes. "Be safe. I need you back in one piece tonight."

He nodded back, patting her on the knee and then walked over to Skittles, who looked as impatient as the other humans in the group who had been doing their best to ignore their little scene. He wondered where, exactly, the conversation had turned from him reassuring her, to her calming him.

* 20 *.

Panicking

THE TOWN SHE HAD been expecting appeared only about ten minutes after Quinn and Ben left Thea's farmhouse. They didn't ride through it, but every so often the trees would thin, or they would climb a hill, and she would see the houses and buildings spread out below them. It was larger than she had anticipated; she had been picturing a tiny village in her mind, much like Cloud Valley. The population of Anwin, though, might have been close to a thousand, with several shops and larger buildings.

The town reminded her of the capital city of Eirentheos, with its stone streets and well-built little houses. William had told her that he had never before been to Anwin, which surprised her. It seemed like a place he and Nathaniel would have traveled to many times to help with a clinic.

Ben stayed on the main thoroughfare as he led her past the town. He rarely spoke to her; she was unsure if he was shy or just naturally quiet. He was nice enough, looking over at her often, and adjusting his pace so they never became separated.

Two times, other travelers passed them going the other direction, and Ben would move a little closer to her, protectively, but the road was mostly empty and quiet. Soon, they sloped downhill, and Quinn could see the river spread out below them, and the road leading to a large wooden bridge.

Actually crossing the border had been the part of this that she was the most worried about. She had asked Nathaniel this morning if there was some kind of paperwork or identification she would need, but he told her no, those things weren't necessary here the way they were in her world.

As they drew near to the bridge, Ben brought his horse, Scruffin, up beside Dusk as closely as he could. Quinn remembered that they were acting as a couple, and matched her pace to his. A few minutes later, they were on the other side.

"Welcome to Philotheum," Ben told her a little way up the road from the bridge.

She looked at him. That was all? Sure, they had passed by a few guards along the way. Two in purple on the road in front of the bridge, and three more dressed in green milling about on the Philothean side, but the guards had barely even acknowledged their crossing.

"That was easy," she said.

He shrugged. "We weren't expecting to be stopped or anything, at least not with just the two of us. The worry is more about what information the guards might be passing along without saying anything."

There was a village on this side, too, although it was much smaller. It looked more like a cluster of houses around the border crossing than anything. Very few people were out in the streets, which seemed odd to her.

Ben kept Scruffin right next to Dusk now that they were in Philotheum. He seemed to know exactly where they were going, following a trail that curved toward the southwest, away from the river.

The roads here were even more deserted than they had been in Eirentheos. In the twenty minutes they rode along the road up from the border, they passed only two wagons, and an older man walking up the road alone. But they also passed two different groups of soldiers, dressed in green and gold uniforms, matching blankets draped over the backs of their horses. Although they appeared to be just casually running patrols, Quinn got a distinct impression that things were quite different in Philotheum than in Eirentheos.

Ben didn't look at the soldiers, but he did match Scruffin's stride even more closely to Dusk's, and a few times he cast protective glances toward her.

When they turned off the wide stone road onto a narrower packed dirt one, she expected that they were heading into a sparse, rural area. So she was surprised when, after about ten minutes of riding, the heavy forest began thinning, and she could see signs of a populated area.

Small houses, made of stone and wood were nestled in clusters among the trees, blending in with the beautiful forest so well that they almost appeared as if they'd sprung spontaneously from the earth.

"We are nearing the village of Estora," Ben said. She jumped, startled; it was the first time he'd spoken since he had told her they were in Philotheum. "Is everything all right?" he asked, frowning.

She raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, everything's fine. You just surprised me when you spoke."

Now he looked surprised. "Why?"

"Um, because I think this might be the longest conversation you and I have had during the entire time I've known you, and it's only the second time you've spoken to me today."

"I'm sorry, have I offended you by not speaking enough?"

If Quinn had been driving a car instead of riding an intelligent, perfectly trained horse, she might have crashed, whipping her head around to scrutinize Ben's expression. He didn't look or sound like he was teasing. He looked ... worried. "No, not at all. I just thought ... I don't know, maybe you didn't really like me or something."

She was stunned as his expression changed from worried to outright terrified. "I have offended you, then. I'm so sorry."

"It isn't a big deal, Ben. You just surprised me, that's all. Besides, I'm sure it's just as much my fault, I haven't been terribly friendly to you, either." She realized now how true that was. Ben had just kind of been in the background for their whole trip, and she hadn't paid much attention to him. She had wondered once or twice if he didn't like her, or if he was just always quiet. She hadn't been offended. Now, though, he was kind of freaking her out.

"I'll try and remember to speak more," he said.

"Uh ... okay. So, where are we going, anyway? I thought we were headed to Estora." While they had been having their odd conversation, they had passed what looked like the center of the village. There had been a large cluster of the stone houses, and several larger buildings of the same style. Now the pockets of homes were growing further apart, and the forest was closing around the road.

"We're not too far. You'll see." His voice was low, and his eyes searched the trees as he spoke, giving Quinn the impression that he was worried they'd be overheard. She started to study the trees and houses they passed more closely.

After about five more minutes of riding, Ben turned Scruffin down a much narrower path. It was definitely a path, not another road. She probably wouldn't have even noticed it on her own. It wasn't wide enough for them to ride side-by-side; Dusk had to follow single-file.

The trees were large and close together; making the sky seem further away. No houses or other buildings appeared between them.

"About five more minutes," Ben called back to her, loudly enough that Quinn guessed they were alone here.

"Where are we going?" she asked again.

"Another safe house. It belongs to some friends of my father and Nathaniel, Henry and Ellen. It isn't actually in Estora, but close enough."

"Are there a lot of these safe houses?"

Ben nodded. "A fair number. We're working on establishing more all of the time." A dark look crossed his eyes. "Things are only getting worse in Philotheum for those who oppose Tolliver or support Eirentheos."

Quinn blinked. "We're? What do you have to do with the safe houses? Exactly how much do you know about what is going on here?" The questions were out before she could really stop to think about what she was doing. Everything he was saying the way he was behaving was contrary to how she had perceived him the whole time they'd been on this trip.

She realized she had assumed that Ben was here for the sole purpose of protecting her, Nathaniel, and William, a trusted castle guard who was just that a guard. Well, you know what happens when you assume, she thought darkly, remembering a phrase her mother sometimes used.

Ben stopped riding and turned around to face her. His expression was confused and slightly cautious. "I thought you knew," he said.

"Knew what?"

"My father and I are members of Friends of Philip we're part of the resistance." He pulled the neck of his shirt far to the side, revealing a small tattoo over his heart. It was in a strange circular shape, though she couldn't see the details from here.

"What? Why are castle guards from Eirentheos part of the Philothean resistance? Does Nathaniel know?"

"Of course he does. He's ... I guess I assumed that you and William did as well."

"And Stephen?"