1. Chapter 1

We were all going to die.

That was the truth that was slowly suffocating all of us fae in Exile. The weight of our impending demise threatened to crush me with a sense of responsibility. An urgency to break us all out of our isolation was becoming harder to ignore. It"s the reason why I risked my life. It would give all of us here a fighting chance for a longer life, even if it was a shitty one. The little glimmer of hope in my chest expanded. Maybe we will all escape this isolation one day and live with the rest of the fae.

I had to believe that, or I would go mad. The only way to keep pushing forward was to think something good would be coming our way. Until that happened, I would risk everything to save those trapped in this insufferable prison, Exile.

"It will be fine, Sybil," I assured her as I gathered my bow and arrows. "I've done this a dozen times already and I'm still alive."

Sybil's hard blue eyes silently reprimanded me. She and I both knew how dangerous this was, but I couldn't lose her, too. We had lost too many friends and family members. Her loud sigh let me know exactly how she felt about it. I was tired of having this disagreement every time I planned to cross the boundary.

"Just because things went well the last few times doesn't mean this time will go so smoothly Thea," she bit out.

"There will always be a chance of something bad happening, Sybil, but I won't stand by and watch you waste away." Her skin was pale, and she was losing too much weight. We were running low on food, but everyone else was too. She was too sick for me to not go. I didn't have a choice but to cross the shadow boundary and steal her medicine.

My fingers picked at the loose string of my cloak as worry consumed me that we'd wake up one day to us prisoners of Exile eating each other to stay alive. I needed to do something. There was no way I would sit here while we all died because the King of Crimson thought we were monsters. He was the monster, locking us away to die.

"I'm crossing the boundary and getting us supplies." I hoped my tone would make her stop arguing with me. She couldn't keep me from going no matter what she said or did. Sybil may be several hundred years older than me, but I was not a child. I had to be over two hundred years old, not that I could really remember. I had no memory of my life before waking up in Exile, but I was far from being a child.

"I just worry about you," she whispered. "You have a big heart, Thea, but you also carry too much anger within it. Sometimes you do not think things through. It"s as if you hope the Crimson guards find you so you can let out this rage you hold."

She was right, but I was too stubborn to admit that to her. I tied the dark green cloak over my shoulders, my only defense against the cool night air, as I thought of a response that would satisfy her.

"I've thought this through and I'm going. This is not fueled by anger or rage, but by the fact that I can't lose you." Sighing heavily, I continued. "If I lose you, I don"t have anyone else but the twins. So please, just stop trying to make me stay."

Sybil was the only reason I didn't feel completely alone, like I still had a purpose and a family. She managed a weak smile as she lay on her tiny mattress on the floor, and her blue eyes filled with a look I couldn't quite place but comforted me. She held her hand out for me, and I crossed her room to grasp it in mine, my footsteps heavy. A shiver ran through me as I realized how much colder she had gotten, even since yesterday.

I gave her a small reassuring smile to hide my concern. "I'll start a fire before I go." It wouldn't take much heat to warm our simple home. It was barely large enough for the two of us to be living in, but we made it work.

"Please be quick and safe." She pleaded.

"I'll be back soon," I promised and squeezed her hand once more before walking over to the small metal bin that served as a makeshift fireplace. I tossed a few pieces of firewood into it and lit it on fire. My eyes watched the fire move over the kindling before the sounds of the wood popping let me know it would stay lit. The smell of burning wood filled Sybil's room as I glanced over my shoulder once more. Sybil's small body was curled tightly to hold in her own body heat as she drifted to sleep.

Stepping out of her room I headed for the front door and slipped my bow string across my back. My chest tightened as I let myself look at the small suffocating space we called our home. The hallway that separated our two bedrooms was narrow and I felt like the walls were closing in on me as I turned slightly to fit down it. As I stepped out of the hall, the inadequate kitchen, that barely had enough room for two small cupboards let alone running water or a sink, didn't help this feeling of suffocating.

I made sure the front door shut all the way before turning my attention towards the forbidden wood. To avoid stares from the other fae that lived here, I slipped on my oversized hood. My eyes glanced at the many fae lying in the street dead, waiting for morning light to be buried. Tears sprang to my eyes before I averted them. It never got easier seeing the destruction that came from the King of Crimson's cruelty, but it was a harsh reminder that I couldn't save them all and that if I didn't act, Sybil or I could very well be next.

Forcing my mind to not wander into dark thoughts before they consumed me, I focused on the edge of the meadow. Darkness would trap my mind into doing what it really wanted, and it was hard to control those thoughts once they started. Killing those responsible for our entrapment, while I'm sure it would make me feel better, would only agitate Sybil further.

I'd get little relief, however, as my attention caught on a young mom holding her child, begging for food. My stomach churned with dread, as I knew there was a high chance that they would both die. I darted my gaze away from her quickly. Her desperate pleading echoed in my mind as I tried to shake it away.

I glanced over my shoulder as I stepped into the meadow that separated our shambled homes from the shadow boundary. The field had started dying in recent months, but to a stranger it would have looked as if it died a long time ago. Only dead grass and dirt remained, and the crunching of dead weeds echoed in the silence of the night. The loudness made me scan the dozens of makeshift homes behind me to confirm that no one had followed me.

Only once had I been followed, but it was enough to make me want to make sure it didn't happen again. The fewer fae that knew what I was up to, the better. I couldn't risk anyone knowing I can cross over without dying. The shadow boundary's sole purpose was to keep us in Exile and kill whoever tried to escape.

The black veil of the boundary reminded me of a shadow: thin, dark, and endless. There was a small shimmer from the magic needed to create it. The boundary was thin like a camisole, but the power it held made my body tense knowing I would feel that discomfort shortly.

The field of decaying plants ended abruptly, cut off by a forest of dead trees that no longer had leaves or bark. The smell of rotting vegetation clung to the stale air making it difficult to breathe. When I reached the edge of the trees, I tossed one last glance over my shoulder.

The woods on this side of it were eerie. There were no birds that sang or animals running through them. My lungs took in the stale and stuffy air of Exile before I took the small step through the barrier that was meant to keep me in.

My body curled into itself as the agony punched me through my stomach. My lungs struggled to exhale the breath I was holding as I fell to my hands and knees. A searing pain coursed over and through me, undoubtedly trying to kill me for stepping through.

The pain paralyzed my muscles for what felt like an eternity, but slowly, the pain subsided. I pulled myself up on shaky legs and leaned against a tree to ease my aching chest. The crisp and clean air on this side of the shadow boundary always soothed my tense muscles. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds chirping and the animals moving. It was easy to forget how much I missed these noises until I heard them again.

I wished Sybil could experience this, but I knew that she would die crossing just like everyone else who tried did. Except me. Something I only figured out one night when I tried to end my suffering. There was no understanding of how I could cross but I would take this small victory and use it to my advantage.

Following the tiny trail that animals created over time, I headed in the direction of a neighboring town. It was dark and everyone would be sleeping, so it was the safest time to steal things. My eyes adjusted to the moonlight, and I took a moment to stare at the thick forest, admiring how magical and peaceful it was. Exile was nothing like this. It was always hotter than out in the realm was, and there was nothing peaceful about it. No pleasant smells or sounds.

The forbidden wood was a neutral territory in the realm of Elloryon. No one regulated the land, and no one had authority over it. It was a perfect place to hide prisoners so no one would stumble upon them. Not that anyone was looking for us. From what Sybil had told me the land was bordered by the Crimson Kingdom and the Kingdom of Cerithia, two of the five Kingdoms in Elloryon. According to her, monsters lurked in these woods, creatures so vile that no Kingdom wanted the land for themselves. Most fae refused to enter the forbidden wood in fear they would be slaughtered.

The town I was headed for wasn't far from the boundary, but darkness had fallen hours ago making it difficult to navigate the fallen trees. Far in the distance, the City of Crimson, which sat below the castle, illuminated the dark sky.

The Crimson castle loomed in the distance with a sense of mystery surrounding it. Its exquisite beauty made it hard to look at anything else. My eyes always drifted to it because of its impressive height and beauty. It sat on top of a green hill, overlooking the city beneath it. It was crafted of black stone that exuded power amidst the green landscape. My eyes gazed at the dark red lights that illuminated the outside of the castle, and despite my feelings about the King of Crimson, it was truly a sight to behold at night.

Curiosity of the city flitted through my mind, but I would never dare to go there. It was too close to the Crimson King and that was a risk even I wouldn't take. It was a shame that my favorite view belonged to the man who was to blame for imprisoning elite magic holders in Exile. It was too pretty for a monster to live there.

So, I would stick to these small nameless towns where I could steal from on a rotating system. There was always a fear of being recognized as a prisoner, although I wasn't sure they would be able to tell just by looking at me, not when I hid my elite magic mark. These towns were small enough in size that my stealing was noticeable, so I tried to not steal from the same town twice in a row.

The snap of a stick had me freezing. My eyes shifted to the direction of the sound, but I saw nothing other than the darkness that was there.

Then a light blue glow caught my eye. It moved silently in the darkness of the woods, floating a few inches off the ground. It didn't matter how many times I had seen this creature lurking; it always mesmerized me. The soft light it emulated glowed brightly around it.

The blue flame was shaped like a fae would be, but it didn't have any distinguishable features. It Wisped in the wind, which was how I came up with its name, Wisp.

As if it sensed me looking at it, it stopped and turned to me, and I hazarded a step towards it. The Wisp moved slowly leading me farther from the trail I had been following. It never let me get too close to it, and on some trips out of Exile it wouldn't even show itself, but I sensed it lurking by all the time. Like it was waiting for me, watching me. The creature was not something to trust, but it had yet to lead me astray. There were others around too, each one slightly different, but I couldn't quite place my finger on how I was able to tell them apart.

Cautiously I walked forward, gripping my bow with a loaded arrow in my hand. My numb fingers rested on the string of the bow as the wind blew freezing gusts around me. Monsters always lurked in the woods, but I only had a close encounter once and it nearly killed me. No other creatures ever seemed to be lurking around Exile except the Wisp, but I couldn't let my guard down.

It was difficult to avoid the broken limbs and chunks of fallen trees that littered the forest floor as I crept silently. After I moved far from the trail something behind me let out a loud breath. I dropped down into the bushes at the base of a large pine tree and waited for whatever created that noise to step into the moonlight.

A dark figure stood on the trail, but it was too tall and thin to be a fae. My breath caught in my throat as the creature sniffed the air as if it smelled me nearby. Suddenly, the monster turned towards me, its eyes glowing a faint red. The noise it bellowed curdled my blood.

It took one long step toward me, but I didn't dare move.

Then it took another and another.

My heart pounded so loudly that I thought all the monsters in the woods would find me.

The Wisp moved quickly to distract the creature from my direction. The monster"s eyes drifted to the Wisp, just as mesmerized by it as I was. Thankfully, it started following the floating blue orb as if in a trance. The flame of the Wisp flickered farther into the woods away from me, taking the dangers of the monster with it.

This was not the first time this orb saved me, and I was sure it wouldn't be the last. There was no reason I could think of for the Wisp to help me, but I was thankful for it.

The lights of the town I was planning to steal supplies from glowed faintly through the thick trees. Mentally I ran through my list of needs. The first thing I needed was medication for Sybil. That was my sole purpose for leaving. After that, I could gather more things like food and clothing. The town was nearly dark when I finally reached the edge of the forbidden woods. Waiting at the tree line, my eyes scanned for fae that might be lingering on the streets. The wind blew the apothecary sign and made the chains it hung from creak in the eerie silence as it rocked back and forth. Taking a deep breath, I darted from the woods and sprinted across the dirt roadway.

The doors of the apothecary were bolted shut with thick metal bars.

Shit.

It wasn't that I couldn't break through the bars that had me worried. I could do that easily. However, it meant I had to summon my forbidden elite magic to do it. Using it out in the open would leave me open to being discovered. My fire was a welcome reprieve from the numbing cold. Sybil had stressed to me that our elite magic should not be used unless it was necessary. If anyone saw elite magic being used, they would know I escaped from Exile.

I still remember the way Sybil comforted me after coming back from getting us supplies the first time. I had been so terrified because my fire magic exploded out of me without warning. She had been so worried that someone saw my magic, exposing my secret. That was when Sybil explained to me that elite magic was different from regular magic. Regular magic was not held by all fae and those that had it were severely limited in its powers. They could sustain the abilities for very short periods of time and most had similar magic that manipulated elements, nature, or conjuring objects.

The shattering of glass echoed in the dead silence of the night, pulling me from my thoughts. I hurried through the doors and into the small shop. It smelled of herbs and dust. The shelves were lined with things I didn't need. I had to find valuable medicine and those were always kept safely in the back of the apothecaries. We didn't know what I needed for Sybil because her condition was unknown, but any valuable medications I brought back seemed to work. Sybil had elite healing magic before the king exiled us, but she didn't need herbs and medicines to heal others. The way she described it, the magic flowed from her and fixed injuries. Once she had been thrown into Exile, she not only became a prisoner but was stripped of her abilities, as well.

Herbs and vials filled my small leather bag to the top. Once I was satisfied that I wouldn"t be able to fit any more in, I snuck back out. Lingering for long in one spot was dangerous, and the next items would be trickier to steal.

I hurried towards the first house and rejoiced internally when I discovered the door was unlocked. I'm sure the Crimson King had told everyone that with us locked up, they were safe. The monsters couldn't hurt them.

It made stealing a lot easier for me. I hurried into the kitchen, flicking my hand so the flame from my magic illuminated the room. Grabbing a bag that lay on their table, I filled it with flour, yeast, eggs, milk, and anything else I could find that would benefit us.

Stars above, I wished there was a way I could carry more, but this would last us a long time. Smothering the flame, I headed out of the house and into the next. Tonight, I will push the limit of what I would carry. Crossing the boundary was not something I could do too often. My luck would run out eventually so I would use it all up today if I needed to.

I took what food items I found from their home, too. These fae can afford it, I told myself. This town was full of nice homes, and it made taking from them all the easier. These were the king's followers, the fae that had stood aside as he ransacked every town and village looking for marks of elite magic so he could banish us, so he could make us the villains in his story.

My fingers curled into fists like they did every time I thought of the Crimson King. Killing him was my top priority if I ever had a chance to do it. If he were killed, then maybe everyone in Exile would be freed. All the other fae in the Kingdom of Crimson might not like us, but I'm sure there was refuge in other Kingdoms. We would all be better off with the King of Crimson dead.

My feet slowed as I headed for the door. A child's blanket caught my eye, and I took it for the mother with the starving child. I strapped the bags across my back and shoulders. There was no way to carry more even if I wanted to. Slipping from the home I moved towards where I emerged from the forbidden wood.

My hands and back began to ache from carrying so much weight after a few short minutes. I managed to make it most of the way back to Exile before taking a break. I set down my supplies and leaned against a tree for a moment.

My eyes wandered to the full treetops and stars. Fae locked in Exile have forgotten the small details of the realm. Stars and moonlight, birds singing, creeks flowing. It was the small things that I appreciated the most when I came back to this side. My eyes drifted to the dark brooding castle in the distance. Something tugged deep in my chest every time I glanced at it. Something I couldn"t explain.

A snapping twig close by broke me out of my admiration. There was a faint breath somewhere close to me, but the noise floated through the silent woods making it difficult to know where it came from. My mind flashed to the slender figure stalking me earlier. Maybe the monster was back. Peeking around the tree, I sighed in relief when it was just a fae. He wasn't trying to be quiet, so I assumed he didn't know I was here. More deep voices whispered out in the distant darkness. Someone was getting closer to me.

Gripping my bow, I loaded one of my hand-carved arrows onto the string. I glanced around the tree and noticed the red uniform of the Crimson King's guardsman moving close by. He was staring at the ground, following something. I realized it was likely my footprints or drag marks from my heavy bag of supplies. The guard knew I was somewhere out there, and my tracks would lead him to Exile.

He held his light up and stared directly at me. His mouth opened to yell for help, but I was quicker than he was. My arrow flicked off the string and landed in the guard's chest. His eyes stared off into the distance as he fell to the forest floor. Dead. My feet moved towards the guard to retrieve my arrow.

When I reached him, there was blood dripping down the arrow. I pulled it from his chest. His thick red wool uniform held the Crimson King's family crest in gold stitching directly over his heart. It had made for the perfect target. I wiped the blood-soaked arrow across his thick red uniform. The darkness that lived deep in my chest tried surging forward, but I wouldn't allow it. I could handle a few guards without the help of my darkness taking over.

My breath stilled as I listened for the other guards that would be coming once they realized one of them was missing. Darting my eyes to the dead man at my feet, I waited for the guilt to wash over me, but it never came. It never had when I took a life, but I always thought that one day it might come.

Perhaps I was a monster for killing him, but I had to be to save Sybil and others in Exile. I racked my arrow and pointed it in the direction of the twigs snapping in the forest and steadied my hands as best as I could.

I inhaled one long breath of frosted air into my lungs to steady my aim as I released my bowstring. My eyes closed, and I strained to listen for the deep thump of my arrow burying itself into the chest of another guard. Once that undeniable sound echoed in the silence, I grabbed another one. When chaos broke out among the last few men walking through the forbidden wood, I smiled to myself.

"Retreat!" One of the men yelled.

Moonlight illuminated the woods just enough that the silhouette of my next target was easy to spot, so I racked another hand-carved wooden arrow into the rest of my bow. His back was towards me as he tried to run back to the king.

Coward.

One of them would survive. I wanted them to tell the story of the villain in the woods who killed any King's Guardsman without mercy. I had overheard stories when I snuck into a town before darkness a long time ago. A mercenary who lived in the woods and couldn't be seen. A defender without mercy.

The king's fae were appalled and disgusted by acts of rebellion, but it only made my work more satisfying. I would be a voice to those the Crimson King tried to silence, even if he had no idea who I represented.

My hands worked quickly as I darted through the thicket of trees towards the Guardsmen. I let an arrow fly and one of the men crumpled to the forest floor. I ripped it from his back as I passed. I calmed my puffy breaths as I lined the arrow with the last man I would kill tonight. The thrum from my bowstring releasing it made the man turn at the last moment. It was enough time for my arrow to hit his heart.

Dark blood soaked his red uniform around the shot as he fell to his knees before falling over. The only man left turned and stared into the dark where he thought I was. The light of the moon illuminated the stiffness in his body as he stood paralyzed with fear. The guard was waiting for the shot he thought would be coming for him, but I only watched in the darkness, waiting for him to leave so I could gather my handmade arrows. Each one took so much time to craft, I couldn't afford to leave them behind.

After a long silent moment, the man turned and fled back towards the Crimson Kingdom. Once his footsteps faded into the distance, I hurried to pick up my arrows.

A hand wrapped around my ankle as I started to pull the arrow from the chest of the last man I shot. His eyes peered up at me in a quiet pleading to end his suffering.

Blood flew from his mouth as a cough racked his body. He whispered something unintelligible, and I knelt closer to hear him. He took a deep, labored breath and tried to speak again.

"A man who hides in the shadows is a coward." He grunted up towards me.

I pulled my hood back and I smiled at the pure shock contorting the guard"s face as he realized I was a woman. I flicked my fire magic into the palm of my hand so he would die knowing who I represented.

"Your king banished us to the shadows, and for that, he and all of his men will die for it." I sneered as I twisted the arrow in his chest, and I yanked it out completely.

"Thea…"

"What did you say?"

My mind was playing tricks on me. There was no way that's what he said. All the adrenaline pumping through me was making me hear things. The guard's eyes watched me as he struggled to breathe. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to say something. I leaned my ear down to his mouth. Damn it, say something.

The last gargled breath he took let me know I would never know if I heard him correctly.

But even as I tried to convince myself, the tingling on the base of my neck told me I heard him correctly. My eyes darted around me as paranoia settled in my chest. I needed to get out of here.

I turned back to where I had rested and found my bags of supplies. My lungs burned with the coldness of the air on this side of the shadow boundary, but my back was dampened in sweat from chasing the guards.

I paused to admire the moon cresting over the treetops for one more second before I stepped back into the starless night of Exile. None of the children of Exile had ever seen the stars or moon, a thought that sent anger and sadness flowing through me. Children were robbed of a life because the king was a power-hungry coward. They only experienced starless nights.

Taking in one last lung full of cold crisp air before gathering my supplies, I crossed through the boundary. Pain raced through my body as I fell to my hands and knees. A painful sob escaped me as I braced myself on the hot dirt ground. My body fought to catch its breath, but the hot stale air did little to comfort my lungs.

I wanted desperately to crawl back through the shadow boundary and breathe the clean air. Collapsing on my back, I stared into the starless night and begged the Gods above to end our suffering. I couldn't keep doing this. One of these times guards would kill me and Sybil would die too. Something needed to change. Pain made small moments like this feel like an eternity. My muscles slowly unclenched as the pain lessened its grip on me.

I stood with the little energy I had left and made my way through the meadow toward the shambled buildings. It was dark and most fae should be sleeping, so hopefully no one would notice me with these supplies. They would kill me without a second thought or realize it came from the other side. I couldn't begin to try and explain my ability to cross a boundary that killed everyone else.

I dragged my bags through the side trails to avoid any part of town that fae may have been walking. My eyes fixated on the dark green door that marked mine and Sybil's home, and I welcomed the feeling of comfort that settled in my chest. The color resonated with me and was the reason I had picked this home.

Hurrying in, I slammed the door shut and locked it, feeling paranoid I was being followed. It was a ridiculous thought. When I turned, Sybil was standing in the doorway of the hall watching me.

"By the Gods, Thea. You're covered in blood."

She moved as quickly to help me.

"It's not mine, Sybil," I reassured her. Sybil recoiled in disgust as she took in my blood-stained clothes, her face contorting with judgment as she crossed her arms tightly across her chest, creating a barrier between us. Her eyes frosted over as she glanced up at me.

Sybil detested violence. That was where we were different. My body hummed when danger was near. It liked the rush of it and feeling the power of my magic pulsing with adrenaline. Sybil"s reactions always made me wonder if there was something wrong with me finding satisfaction in killing guards.

"How many?"

"How many what?" I moved towards the small living area to hide our supplies. Our shelves filled quickly with the new things I had gathered.

"How many men did you hurt?"

"I killed four." I sighed and waited for her to yell at me. When she didn't, I pressed on. "One guard lived. Besides, they were the King's Guardsmen, and they were following me. I didn"t have a choice."

"You can"t go again." She spoke as if she were my mother, but she wasn't. No one would stop me. What would she say if I told her that I had run into creatures and one of them helped me? Or that the dying guard had muttered my name? Uneasiness curdled my stomach, and I tried to convince myself that it couldn't have been what he said.

"When we run out of medicine and supplies, I"ll go back out." I didn't want to argue with her, but she seemed to be forgetting what would happen if I didn't go. I did this for us, so we would survive together.

"I worry that you are looking for a fight, Thea. You want to find trouble so you can take out your anger on someone or something, but it will not change our fate."

"If I can do anything to help change our fate, then I will try. We don"t deserve to die in this prison." Sybil scanned all the supplies I had managed to carry and backed up from me as the metallic scent of blood filled the space.

"We all lost someone or something, Thea." She stepped back deliberately putting space between us. "Our homes, our families, our magic." Tears formed in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she remembered all the things she had lost. I wasn"t even allowed that small amount of comfort because I had no memories. At least she had things to remember, unlike me.

No one here understood how unworthy of love or happiness I felt. Most days I wasn"t sure if fighting for our freedom was worth it because every time I tried to make connections with others, I noticed their distance, as if they viewed me as the monster here. How can I believe that anyone outside of Exile missed me, especially when I couldn"t remember?

We were all suffering, but I was the only one who couldn't remember my life before this damned prison. My memory was either damaged or gone. My teeth clenched tightly. It wasn't fair. I didn't understand why I couldn't remember, but there was no point in trying to understand any of this madness. The more I thought of our circumstances the more my face heated. Everyone here was lonely, but at least they remembered what love and belonging were like at some point. Loneliness gnawed at my soul like an unrelentless ache.

"Our families abandoned us as soon as the king called us monsters." I spat back at her. "You said so yourself that they all let us suffer, but they continue to live their lives as if we aren"t slowly dying and being forgotten. And for what? Because we have elite magic and the king thought we would rebel against him!" Every word I spoke was laced with the betrayal that we experienced every day here.

Sybil frowned at me, and her eyes filled with disappointment and sadness. The weight of guilt immediately crushed my anger. Avoiding her gaze, I stared at the floor and blinked rapidly to keep my tears at bay. She was upset with me, and I couldn't bear to see disappointment in her eyes. Everyone here had a loved one or family that just stepped aside and let the king and his guardsmen exile us here. No one cared about us. They all thought we were monsters and I wanted to prove to them with every fiber in my body that I was their worst nightmare.

They should all be punished.

"I'm tired. I'll mix up medicine in the morning." Sybil excused herself to her room and I didn't let out my breath until her door shut. The overwhelming feeling of remorse seeped into my bones for all the times I lashed out at Sybil and others in anger. I pushed everyone away, especially those that cared for me. The realization hit me hard: perhaps it wasn"t others that viewed me as a monster. Maybe it was how I viewed myself.

I sank to the floor for a long moment trying to control my hurt and anger. Like always, my overwhelming emotions triggered my magic, and it simmered under my skin now, begging to be released. Shoving up off the floor, I went to my room and hoped the silence would help.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against my door. Exhaustion was nothing new to me living in Exile. Every day took a toll on all of us. We were being suffocated and there was nothing we could do. We would have to accept this fate eventually, but I would fight with everything I had before I gave up.

I slipped off the blood-stained clothes and washed myself off before getting ready for bed. My eyes stared at the small bed made from old clothes that didn't fit anymore. Even without knowing what my life had been like outside of Exile, I could see from the towns I stole from that we were living in complete squalor.

I hated this place. I hated this house that was too small, the air that was too hot and sticky, and I hated that I couldn"t remember if my life had been better than this before.