I didn't chat. I didn't sleep. I could barely move my legs for the next three days. Or maybe it was a week. Honestly, I didn't care enough to find out.

After the attack, we managed to carve ourselves a makeshift home in the cabin Evan had found. Kayal barely spoke to us, instead choosing to hole up in a corner and stare outside the window. That suited me just fine. As long as she wasn't dead, I wasn't really worried.

Aidan, however, couldn't go five seconds without saying something. Everyday, he brought me breakfast he'd stolen from the local grocery store, and then curled up at the foot of the bed while I ate. He spoke to me about the most random things, childhood stories from his days in Ireland, but I sought comfort in them. Occasionally, he'd even get a tiny laugh from me.

I felt something brewing between us that I hadn't experienced in all my time as a Bandit: friendship. He seemed to understand I needed time to process what happened, and neither of them asked me what our next move should be.

Honestly, I had no clue. But I knew there was absolutely no way I was leaving Evan behind. Surely, if he was truly gone, I would know. There was still a tiny part of him in there, just like there had been a tiny part of me stuck in Akira.

On the morning of the fourth day ( I think), Krishna appeared suddenly at the foot of my bed. Like, right out of thin air. She scared the crap out of us.

I jumped, spilling my coffee," Oh, god! Don't just poof in here without a warning!"

" Sorry," She replied bluntly, but she was grinning," It's a nasty habit of us Oracles."

" What, showing up uninvited?" Aidan said, picking himself off the ground,"What's your name?"

She turned and surveyed him, seeming to like what she saw. I took him for granted so often that it was easy to forget he really was a hot guy. " Krishna."

" What sort of a name is that?"

She glared at him," It's a god's name."

He frowned," You don't look particularly god-like to me."

Krishna opened her mouth, no doubt to say something insulting, but I cut in.

" What are you doing here?" I asked.

She said something about magic and prophecies, but I wasn't really listening. Aidan stood beside me and pointedly glanced at the watch on his wrist. Krishna huffed, threw up her hands, and finally got to the point. She offered to help Aidan and Kayal find the second Portal and escape to the Enchanted Forest.

" You," She said, looking at me," Can do your own thing without worrying about them. Save your man. He's staying in one of the elite's houses."

I jumped at the opportunity, but Aidan began protesting almost immediately.

" There's no way I'm leaving you alone with your crazy ex-boyfriend!" He exclaimed.

" Actually, they didn't break up," Interjected Krishna.

" I think your boyfriend turning into an evil creature of the night pretty much seals the deal."

I sighed," Can you both stop arguing for five minutes?"

Those silvery eyes turned to me.

" I'm coming with you," He said resolutely," No questions asked. Besides, I have a lot to redeem myself for. I nearly killed you."

I smiled, having already forgiven him. He did save me in the end, after all. " Remember, it was barely a nick."

Aidan ended up having his way and, after pawing Kayal off to Krishna, we set off down the tiny dirt road towards the main highway. It reminded me of the day before the battle, when I'd walked this very same path. But that was a different situation, a different man... We had been so, so close to our happy ending, to everything I wanted, and now it had been ripped away from us again. Fate was cruel sometimes.

My gaze fell on the lake near the highway, and an unexpected memory suddenly formed in my mind. It had been the day after my trial with the Queen, when Evan and I, along with a couple of other Protectors, were travelling to the Borders. We had stopped to feed the horses or something, and I had found a lake next to a large expanse of grass. It was a blisteringly hot day, and all I wanted was to cool off. Before I could think through the consequences, I had jumped headfirst into the water.

Evan had found me swimming there, apparently deciding it didn't take an entire group of highly-trained warriors to feed two horses.

" What," He said," Do you think you're doing? Aside from catching a cold."

" I needed to cool down! It's so hot," I protested, treading water," Hey, you should join me!"

He shook his head and rolled up the ends of his pants. " My uniform will get wet."

I rolled my eyes," What a tragedy."

He raised an eyebrow," I think it's time for you to come out."

The bright sun rays illuminated the back of his head, turning his hair golden. Like his name. I smiled as he wadded further into the water, careful to keep his clothes completely dry. It kind of made me want to splash him.

" Nah," I replied," The only way I'm coming out is if you get in first. Otherwise you'll have to throw me over one shoulder and carry me back."

He raised his eyebrows, like he was actually considering the idea, but a moment later he abandoned his shoes on the bank and dived in. He was so graceful, almost like a dancer, as he swam effortlessly through the water towards me.

" Better?" He asked.

" I can't believe you just did that!"

He shrugged," I've done worse."

I hoped my silence properly conveyed my shock. We spent the next ten minutes wrapped in the comfort of the water and the warmth of the sun. He actually loosened up and let himself smile a couple of times.

" Evan?" I asked.

" Naomi."

" I didn't have a choice when it came to becoming a Protector, but you did. Why'd you choose this life?"

He didn't reply for several minutes, and I hoped I hadn't crossed some invisible line.

" My family was very poor," He began," And once my father died, a lot of men started using my mother. It was how she made money. I didn't really grow up in a very happy household."
I couldn't help feeling sickened at that, and sad for Evan.

" One of them went too far. He hurt her."

" No!" I exclaimed angrily," Please, please tell me you thrashed him or something."

A slight smile appeared on his face," I did."

" Wow," I said, my mouth open," And how young were you when you did this?"

" Fifteen."

I said it once and I'll say it again. The love of my life was a literal ninja.

" This job pays good money," He continued," And my family needed that."

No, no it was more than that. It was in his blood to protect the people who couldn't protect themselves. I was living proof of someone he had saved from a terrible fate. When I told him that much, his smile grew until it filled his whole face and was brighter than the sun itself.
I wish we could have stayed there forever, but the moment was broken all too soon when one of the other Protectors showed up and yelled for us to come back.

In comparison to that wonderful memory, the lake in front of me now seemed dull and lifeless. No offense intended, of course.

" What are you thinking about?" Aidan questioned from beside me," I'm only asking because you're glaring ferociously at a water body."

I smiled, but didn't reply. I had no clue what Evan would be like once we found him, or whether he'd try and kill us. All that mattered was that I knew what I had to do.

I was going to save him, one way or another. Nobody could stop me.

Except, about a second later, someone did.