"Is very much in support of the Friends of Philip. Philotheum and Eirentheos have always been meant to be linked, two parts of a whole, not battling and mistrusting each other. Tolliver and his father are working hard to separate the kingdoms, but King Stephen and the Friends of Philip wish to restore things to how they should be."

"Are there a lot of people in Eirentheos who are Friends of Philip, too?"

"There are many who are willing to help."

She narrowed her eyes at his evasion of the question what was he hiding? "But not full-on members, with the tattoo and everything?"

"There are some who are. All of my family are Friends of Philip."

"Why? How is it that you are so involved? It seems like you're avoiding my question."

His Adam's apple bobbed downward for a second before he answered. "I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you this or not. I I knew you didn't know everything, but you seem to know less than I expected. Maybe you should wait and ask my father or Nathaniel."

"How about you just tell me why you are so involved in this right now." The firm tone in her voice surprised her, but not as much as the fact that he looked up at her and did as she'd asked.

"I was born in Eirentheos, but my father is from here, from Philotheum. He was born in the castle, actually. His father was a castle guard there, as were his grandfather and great-grandfather. He grew up knowing that he, too, would be one of the guards who personally attended the family. He served King Jonathan himself, until the first prince was born. Then he guarded the children."

Ben paused, looking up at the clear blue sky. "When Jonathan died, everyone was devastated, my father especially so. He was off the day it happened, and he's always thought..." he trailed off, seeming to search for what he'd been going to say.

"He thought what? How did King Jonathan die?"

"It was a horseback riding accident. He and Queen Sophia loved to take their horses out into the open country and race. That day ... somehow his saddle was improperly secured. One strap snapped, another was loose... He hit his head just the wrong way on a rock."

Quinn had to remind herself to breathe.

"Their four children were very young when it happened. Shortly after the funeral, Sophia realized she was with child again. She was remarried to Hector, an ambassador from Dovelnia before Jonathan's last son was born."

"Not Tolliver," Quinn frowned.

"No. Tolliver was born two cycles later, and that is when things in the castle really changed. Everyone began to realize what Hector's true intentions in marrying Sophia were by then. Everyone except Sophia; she seemed blind to what her new husband was doing."

Just then, there was a rustling sound in the trees, and they both froze. "Stay here," he said, under his breath, and he rode quietly toward the sound. Quinn trembled, sitting there waiting for him to come back. Dusk sensed her rider's tension and looked around, alert. When she didn't see any immediate danger, she snuffled in a calming way.

Although it felt like an hour, only a few minutes passed before Ben reappeared on the path. "It was a deer," he said. "But we'd best be getting to the house."

They hadn't traveled much further when a stone wall came into view. Mounted on Dusk, Quinn could see over it, but barely. The wall surrounded an enormous, lush, green yard, beyond which was a rambling house. The wood-and-stone construction was very similar to the houses she had seen along the road, but this home was much larger.

Ben led her around the wall until they came to a large, wrought-iron fence. Just inside the fence was a stone guard stand, occupied by a light-haired man she guessed to be in his thirties.

"Hello, Ryan!" Ben called to the man.

"Ben." The man nodded, coming out of the stand to unlock and open the gate. "We've been expecting you." He turned to look up at Quinn; his ice-blue eyes brimming with curiosity. "And this is the girl?"

"Yes, Ryan, this is Quinn. Quinn, Ryan is another Friend of Philip. He has worked for L... for Ellen and Henry for many years."

"Lovely to meet you, Lady Quinn."

"It's just Quinn, Ryan. I'm not anyone special."

He raised his eyebrows at her, and then glanced up at Ben before smiling back at her. "All right, then, Quinn. Let's get you down and inside. I'm sure you're tired after your ride."

She followed Ben down a path to a side entrance of the house. Ryan had told them he would have the horses taken care of. Dusk had whuffled a bit anxiously at the stranger this place was new to her, too but she'd gone after a few calming words from Quinn.

There was a little gate at the entrance to a covered vestibule; it moved easily at Ben's touch. She felt suddenly nervous as he clasped the giant, circular knocker on the wooden door.

It was opened almost immediately. "You're here!" The dark-haired woman who answered the door looked relieved to see them. "Come in, come in! How was your ride? Was there any trouble on the road?"

They'd walked into what appeared to be a comfortable sitting room. Light streamed in from giant windows on either side of the door, and along another wall. Soft couches and armchairs lined the walls. They weren't alone in the room. Another woman and two men occupied a couple of couches that faced each other over a low table. Quinn had the impression that their arrival had interrupted a serious conversation.

"Everything was fine. We weren't stopped even once," Ben answered. "Ellen, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is Ellen Fisher over there is her husband, Henry." One of the men stood and walked over to them. "This is their home."

"It's nice to meet you, Ellen. Thank you for having us here."

"The pleasure is ours, Quinn," Henry answered, reaching for her hand.

"Please make yourself comfortable while you are here," Ellen added. Her eyes were a deep gray, and they shone with sincerity, in a way that seemed somehow familiar. Quinn liked her immediately. "You must be hungry after your trip. Would you like some bread and vegetable stew?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you."

Ellen and Henry both smiled. "Come have a seat, both of you," Henry said. "Ellen will bring out the food."

They followed Henry over to the couches; Ben waited until Quinn was settled on one end of a couch adjacent to the couple before he seated himself on the other end. Henry returned to the seat he had been occupying before they'd come in.

"Quinn, Ben, this is Andrew Gramble and his wife, Natalie."

Quinn nodded. "It's nice to meet you." The man and his wife were very young; Andrew didn't appear to be much older than William. They both looked exhausted; Natalie leaned close up against her husband with her feet pulled up under her, a blanket over her lap. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked like she was having trouble keeping them open. Quinn knew the feeling.

"They're from Harber Village. They arrived here late last night with some news."

"What?" she asked anxiously. "Have you heard about Thomas?"

Andrew's expression was grim. "As far as we can tell, he never made it there. Or if he did, it wasn't for long"

For a moment, she wondered if her heart had actually stopped. "What do you mean, as far as you can tell? You must know Lily and Graeme. Did they ever see him?"

Andrew looked directly at her; his brown eyes intense and serious. "Lily and Graeme disappeared some time ago. Nobody knows where they are."

"How? How is that even possible? What is going on here?" She felt herself on the verge of a panic attack, and nobody here was familiar or comfortable at all. The edges of the room were getting blurry. This was not good. "We have to find him!"

"Yes, Quinn, we do." Ben's voice was steady; he was trying to calm her. "Everyone here wants to find Thomas now. Panicking is not going to help."

She nodded, trying to control her breathing. She'd never be able to think when she was like this.

"Marcus, Nathaniel, and William will be here in a few hours," Henry said. "We can discuss what we are going to do then. We have Friends in several towns in the same mountains as Harber Village who are trying to gather information about what may have happened to Lily and Graeme and to Thomas. For right now, we need to regroup and wait for more information."

Quinn took deep breaths, but it wasn't helping. She felt like they'd been doing nothing but regrouping for two days, always stopping, waiting for someone else, for information.

"Are you all right Quinn?" Ellen had returned and was standing in front of her. She carried a tray, which held two large white bowls and several thick slices of bread.

"Yes, I just..." She couldn't, she wasn't. "Would it be okay if I went outside for a few minutes? I think I need some fresh air or something."

Ellen looked over at her husband, who nodded, and then back at Quinn. "Of course. Just ... it would be best if you stayed within the grounds."

"Would you like me to come with you, Quinn?" Ben asked.

"No thanks. I could use a few minutes to myself." Or at least a few minutes not surrounded by complete strangers.

Ellen led her to the door and handed her the bowl of stew and a slice of bread. Quinn walked quickly away from the house, across the vast yard until she came to what looked like an orchard. She wished now that she had insisted on going with William and Nathaniel, it felt all wrong being separated from them.

Nothing had happened when she had crossed the border with Ben. They'd barely seen anyone. After that, she did not understand why they couldn't have all just come here together. She wondered if she was going crazy. It didn't feel like she was sleeping, but right now she was wondering if this was just another one of her crazy dreams.

Quinn spent the better part of the afternoon alone outside, trying to calm herself. She walked around the grounds several times, trying to clear her head and put all of the pieces together. Clearly, the political situation in Philotheum was much more complicated and dangerous than she had thought it was much more so than Thomas had thought, too. She knew from her own experience what a miserable excuse for a human being Tolliver was; the thought of him ruling a kingdom made her shudder.

Once she had calmed down enough to actually be able to eat her soup even cold, it was delicious she was able to think a little more clearly. Of course, Nathaniel and Marcus had probably been right about separating. They had seen a number of soldiers along the road coming here. The fact that they hadn't stopped what would have appeared to be a young couple didn't mean they wouldn't have stopped a larger group.

Thomas was already missing she couldn't assume that any of them were safe. Thinking that, though, made the panic rise up inside her chest again. None of them were safe, and William and Nathaniel were out there on the road somewhere, with the soldiers patrolling everywhere. What if something happened to them? What if William disappeared, too? She closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to push that thought out of her mind she couldn't start thinking it. She decided, though, that this was the last time she would allow herself to be separated from him on this trip, regardless of what other circumstances they ran in to. She couldn't do this again.

After eating, she paced the perimeter of the orchard a few more times before her thoughts were finally a little more controlled. Waiting was going to be a part of this she was just going to have to get used to that fact. She yawned not sleeping much last night, and the long ride this morning were finally getting to her. Good. Taking a nap would make the wait for William and Nathaniel pass more quickly.

When Quinn woke up, it took her several minutes to remember where she was. The room was both unfamiliar and pitch black, which was disconcerting. It had taken her a while to fall asleep in Henry and Ellen's guest room because it had been so bright in the late afternoon when she'd asked to go and lay down. She stumbled over to where she remembered the window being, and pulled back the thin curtain. It was completely dark; she could barely see the dark outlines of the trees on the other side of the yard. If there was any moon left tonight, she couldn't see it.

She fumbled along the walls, looking for a light switch, and then realized that she was never going to find one. Before she had gone to sleep, she'd noticed a small oil lamp sitting next to the bed, and a candlestick on a high shelf near the door. She reached up now toward the shelf, and felt around until she hit the hard, metal shape. Pulling it down, she reached up onto the shelf again, feeling for something to light it with. After several seconds, she touched a long, wooden match. She struck it against the heavy doorjamb. It snapped in half.

She swore under her breath and felt for the doorknob. She would find her way out to everyone else in the dark if she had to. She needed to see William and Nathaniel. The door opened quietly, and she was relieved to find that the hallway was dimly lit with candles every few feet, sitting on the same kind of high shelves as the one beside her door. Walking quickly, she tried to reverse the way Ellen had brought her here earlier from the sitting room.

She found it easily, impressed with her improving navigation in strange places. Through the open doorway, she could see Ellen and Henry on the couch. Henry was sitting up, leaning against a cushion, his head propped on his hand. Ellen's head was in his lap, her body curled up beside him. They were alone in the room.

Henry looked up at the sound of her footsteps. "You did wake up. We thought you might sleep all night; you must have been exhausted."

Ellen pulled herself up beside him. "We worried about you when you missed dinner. Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I was just tired, I think. Where is everyone else?" Had she slept long enough to have missed their arrival and they'd all gone to bed?

Ellen cast a wary glance at her husband. "Ben, Andrew, and Natalie have gone to bed. They were all tired after dinner as well."

Quinn's heart gave a jolt. "Where are Nathaniel, William, and Marcus?"

"They haven't arrived yet," Henry answered.

"What do you mean? What time is it? It was only supposed to take them a few hours."

Henry nodded solemnly. "They should have been here about four hours ago."

She started to hyperventilate. "Where are they? Has anyone gone to look for them?"

"Calm down, Quinn," Henry said, though the worry in his own voice made him unconvincing. "We cannot panic about it yet. There are many possible reasons for them being a few hours late."

"Four is more than a few."

"If they haven't arrived by morning, then we will begin to worry. At any rate, we cannot put anyone else at risk by going out to look for them in the dark. We will wait until first light. We know the route they were taking, and we can search it tomorrow if we need to."

"You should eat, Quinn," Ellen said. "You need to keep up your strength; this is a trying time. I saved you a plate from dinner, let's go to the kitchen."

Her heart was racing so quickly she was afraid it might burst. She was well past the ability to make any decisions on her own, so she nodded woodenly and allowed Ellen to lead her toward the kitchen.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Ellen rushed to open it.

"Nathaniel!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "Are you all right? Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, we're fine," he said, turning her to the side to allow Marcus and William in.

Great, heaving sobs broke from Quinn's chest when she saw them. William nearly ran to her in alarm. "Quinn! What is it? What's wrong?"

The sobs caught in her throat. She couldn't answer; she could barely breathe. They just kept coming, tears streaming down her face, dripping off her chin, soaking the front of her shirt. William pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his shoulder.

"She was getting quite worried," Henry said in a quiet voice behind them.

William nodded and pulled her tighter; she clutched the back of his shirt as her sobs grew louder, shaking both of them. "Hey, shh... shh... it's okay, Quinn. We're here now, we're here. We're all right. We're here." He held her like that for a long time, rubbing her back and swaying back and forth as he whispered reassurances into her ear. The wracking sobs subsided slowly, and though her tears still flowed, she felt him breathe a sigh of relief.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved his handkerchief. "Here, honey, shh..." he gently wiped the drips from her cheeks and chin before handing it to her.

She felt another comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Nathaniel standing there, his eyes gentle and apologetic. "I'm so sorry we scared you. We never meant for that to happen. We're all here, and we're all okay."

She nodded, and Nathaniel hugged her tightly before giving her back to William.

He kept his arm around her shoulders as he gently led her over to one of the couches. She sat down, pulling her knees up to her chin, one hand still clutching the damp handkerchief.

"What happened? Why are you so late?" she demanded, when she finally trusted herself to speak. She saw a glance pass between William and his uncle. "Everything. Tell me everything. I'm tired of guessing about everything and never knowing as much as anyone else. How am I supposed to be helpful if I don't even know what's going on?"

"First," said William, his voice careful, "we had a little trouble at the river."

"The water level was higher than we had anticipated," Nathaniel said. "And crossing was very difficult. All of the supplies we were carrying were soaked, and some were ruined. We're fortunate that we left most of our necessities in Anwin, and we'll be able to retrieve them. We lost a considerable amount of time drying everything out enough that we wouldn't be noticed as we traveled."

"And then?" she demanded.

"We were stopped on the road by some patrolling guards," Marcus answered.

"What?" her heart raced again.

"Relax, Quinn," William said beside her. "We're here and we're okay, obviously nothing bad happened."

"So what did happen?"

"It was frightening for a few minutes," Nathaniel answered. "There were two guards, and one of them recognized us. They detained us, telling us we would have to be questioned."

Bile rose in her throat.

"They took us back to one of their homes," Nathaniel continued.