Smoke folded in his wings and began his descent, jolting Tobias awake. He couldn't remember falling asleep, but the change in the sky told him it had been at least a few hours since they took off. Night had begun fading out as the sun rose, and a thick layer of dark clouds had gathered over the pale blue sky. The frigid air hung thickly around him, biting through his tunic. But he was too busy gripping the sides of the saddle and squeezing his eyes shut to bother much with the cold.

Below, talons scraped across dirt; Smoke's body straightened as he landed, flapping his wings a few times to settle himself before folding them in at his side. Tobias pried his eyes open as Kase swung his legs over the side and leapt down. He tripped and landed on his side in a spatter of mud with a yelp. Smoke chortled, flipping his tail in amusement.

Kase shot him a glare. "Oh shut up, you... three-legged chair!"

Three-legged chair... Tobias rolled his eyes. The insult made no sense, as Smoke had all four of his legs intact. He slipped down from Smoke's back, landing evenly on his feet. His legs did feel stiff, but he felt a flicker of pride at the fact that he didn't fall over—unlike Kase, who was an experienced rider. He made a mental note to brag to Talia next time he saw her.

Kase mumbled something to himself as he rose from the ground, brushing dirt and grass from his pants. A smear of mud covered the back of his cloak, and Tobias barely bit back his laugh as Kase twisted and strained to get a better look at it. Smoke stretched his neck forward and stuck his tongue out. With a yelp, Kase jumped back.

"Do not lick me! That never washes out, and I'll smell like your mouth for weeks." Kase froze, his frown deepening. "Yes, that would be worse than the mud!"

A small smile stretched across Tobias's lips, and he rubbed the remains of sleep from his eyes. Though Kase was loud, always wrapped up in some kind of conversation with his dragon, Tobias was glad he wasn't traveling alone. If he were, he probably would be overloaded with anger and frustration, with no clue where to go and no idea how to even begin. He might have even still been wandering the streets of Floridus, searching for a thief who wasn't even there.

"Anyways," Kase said with a final, pointed look at Smoke. "Ruber is just over there. Smoke, you can go find yourself something to eat. Rest up but try to stay close by so I can call on you more easily this time. Don't leave me stranded again."

Smoke stretched and arched his back, shaking out his body like a wet dog before spreading his wings and taking off again. The gust of wind sent Tobias stumbling backward, nearly landing in the same mud as Kase had.

"Come on," Kase said once Tobias had righted himself. "Oliver will take us straight to the Beast Master, and then we'll get that thief."

Tobias nodded and followed Kase down the road to the little town in the distance. Unlike Floridus—a popular town for trade since it was so close to the southern ocean—Ruber didn't have a paved, cobblestone street that led into the town. Instead, it was constructed of hard, packed dirt. It was uneven in places, and Tobias nearly tripped over a small rock in the path.

As the buildings grew closer, Kase's steps quickened. His pace was fast enough that Tobias kept falling behind and had to take larger steps to keep up.

Kase muttered to himself and fiddled with the silver pin, combing his fingers through his hair as he walked. However, he didn't seem nervous; Tobias couldn't spot the trembling in his hands that most people gained when frightened. Rather, he looked almost excited. Each time Tobias got a brief glance of his face, his dark brown eyes were alight and there was a barely contained smile on his lips.

Puzzled, Tobias fidgeted with the strap of his satchel. Kase had mentioned having other reasons for needing to see Oliver. Knots of anxiety formed in Tobias's stomach. He had no idea what Kase was truly after. He could only hope this detour wouldn't end poorly for himself.

The town of Ruber opened before them, much smaller than Floridus. The buildings that lined the streets weren't stalls and markets, but houses, each one marked with a red roof: the feature that earned the small trading town its name. Kase looked back and motioned for Tobias to follow before speeding ahead.

"Hey—wait!" Tobias called. When Kase didn't stop, he gritted his teeth and raced after him.

The earthy scent of the charcoal fires slammed into him as he stepped through the town's entrance; unlike Floridus's, it was unguarded. Not only that, but the streets were entirely empty. It was still early in the morning; the sun had barely risen past the horizon to cast its weak rays across the town and its neighboring forest. Tobias faltered at the emptiness, his breath catching in his throat.

He caught a glimpse of red and white as Kase hurried around a corner and disappeared down another road. Shaking away the tendrils of unease, he chased after him again. "Kase, you're killing me!"

When Tobias finally caught up to Kase, he stood in front of a small house with a dark red roof. A single window faced them on the left side of the door, but a set of tattered curtains obscured their view of the inside. The walls were stone; the door in front of them was stained wood, worn by deep scratch marks across its front. Kase's hand hovered over the curved handle, his brows drawn together and his lips pressed into a thin line. His other hand remained clenched at his side, his shoulders tense.

Tobias sighed. He pulled Kase aside and knocked on the dark wooden door. The knock echoed hollowly on the other side of the door. Tobias winced as he withdrew his hand.

No answer came.

Kase gave a nervous laugh. "Classic Oliver. He never answers the door." He put his hand on the handle again. This time, he twisted it and pushed the door open. Sunlight flooded into the room through the open doorway, and a dog's bark greeted them as they stepped inside.

They entered a small kitchen and a breakfast room, though it seemed to be swept clean of activity. No dishes sat on the counters, nor any pots or other cooking utensils. Tobias frowned thoughtfully before turning his attention elsewhere. A hallway opened up to the left, leading away into the rest of the house. On the right, a staircase rose, with a door beneath it that appeared to be a closet. A table stood at the far end of the room they were in. On it rested a full quiver of arrows, and beside it sat a chair.

The barking grew louder, paired with the clack of nails against wooden floorboards. A black and white dog burst around the corner, head tossed back as it howled. As Tobias closed the door, it rushed toward them. The dog jumped and scratched at Kase, nearly knocking him over, barking all the while. Tobias went stiff in the face of the dog's attack, but Kase laughed. He scratched at its ears, grinning as the dog flopped on the ground and offered its furry white belly for scratching.

"Such a good boy you are, yes you are. So much better than Smoke." Kase bent down, petting the dog all over and combing his fingers through its fur. "You've grown since I last saw you, yes you have. You used to be just a little guy!"

The dog's tongue lolled out the side of its mouth and the barking quieted. Its tail thumped on the wooden floors.

"Axel!" a voice called, down a hall to the left. "Get back in here! Hudson, I hope that's you. My bow needs fixing again, and I—" A boy rounded the corner and stopped short at the sight of Kase. Unkempt, coal-black hair hung in his tanned, soft face. Beneath the black locks, his eyes widened. The armful of books and papers he was carrying slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground. He didn't look down at the mess at his feet, but kept his gaze locked on Kase. The surprise vanished as quickly as it had come, and his face twisted with anger.

"Kase," he greeted with a slight growl.

The dog, Axel, rolled over onto its feet and raced back toward the boy, wagging its tail and barking some more. With the snap of his fingers, the boy sent Axel down the hall from which he had originally come. Once Axel disappeared from the room, silence fell over them. With a pointed glare at Kase, the boy bent down to pick up the books and papers he had dropped.

Kase squared his shoulders. Any excitement Tobias had seen previously had completely vanished, leaving him stiff and unreadable.

"Oliver, I—"

"Well, this is disappointing," Oliver interrupted, crossing to the table at the far side of the room. He dropped the books onto it with a thud that made Kase wince. "And here I thought my morning was going well so far. What can I help you with? Did you come to ask more favors of me? Or make some more promises you don't intend to keep? Please, Kase, enlighten me as to why you've barged into my house with another one of your problems for me to solve."

Tobias reached for his sword, biting down on his tongue. Oliver's sharp tone grated against his nerves, making the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. Despite the small spark of frustration that lit in his chest, he couldn't help the way his gaze drifted back to Kase. Uncertainty quickly smothered the spark. Was Kase truly that fickle? No. Tobias jerked his focus back to Oliver. Don't rush to conclusions. If you do, you'll lose your shot at getting the spellbook back.

With that in mind, he studied Oliver more closely. Aside from his tone and his foul attitude toward Kase, there were deep, dark circles under his eyes. His clothes hung loosely on his thin frame; his tunic tucked hastily into the belt around his waist. He looked small and frail. Perhaps his tongue was his best method of defense.

Oliver pulled the chair away from the table and dropped himself into it with a heavy sigh. His hands brushed against the hilt of a small knife at his waist, pausing for a moment before he drew it slowly from its sheath. Eyes fixed on the blade, Oliver turned his head away from them. Strands of unevenly cut black hair fell in his face, obscuring it from view.

Kase took a deep breath before speaking. The playful excitement sparked by his brief encounter with Axel had slipped away, replaced by a dark, disappointed glaze in his eyes.

"I guess... you're still upset about that?" Kase asked in a low voice.

Oliver drove the knife into the tabletop, his head shooting up to meet their gazes. His amber eyes flashed; Tobias took a step back instinctively.

"Upset? That's putting it lightly!" he snapped. "I don't owe you any favors, so stop coming to ask for them! I told you I was done with you and your... nonsense!"

"It isn't 'nonsense'!" Kase protested, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides. "It's—" He cast a sideways glance at Tobias and clamped his mouth shut, turning his head away. A heavy sigh left his lips.

Silence smothered the room like a thick, heavy blanket. Tobias poured his attention into keeping a blank expression for fear that too much interest would only stir the tension in the room. It was suffocating enough as it was; he didn't need to push it. I shouldn't be here at all.

Finally, Oliver took a deep breath and dragged a hand across his face, pushing his coal-black hair out of his eyes. "What do you want, Kase?"

Another beat of silence passed before Kase lifted his head again. "Well." He cleared his throat and gestured to Tobias at his side with the sweep of his arm. "I'm on a mission with my friend here, and we need your help with something."

Oliver's gaze flicked back to Tobias, who stiffened under his sharp glare. He lifted a questioning brow. "Get to the point. What is it you want?"

"We want to see the Beast Master."

Oliver froze, his eyes widening. Shakily, he wrapped his arms around himself. When he lifted his head to look back at Kase, his amber eyes had taken a different appearance. Gone was the glare, the look of hatred, and in its place was cold fear, a pathetic, helpless look that sent a shiver crawling down Tobias's spine. His trembling became even more evident when he grabbed a fistful of his loose, forest-green tunic at his shoulder, bunching the fabric in his hands.

"The... the Beast Master?"

Tobias shot Kase a look from the corner of his eye, fear worming its way into his chest. Oliver was supposed to be her keeper.

And he was downright terrified of the very mention of her name.

Tobias shook his head, biting down on the inside of his cheek and steeling his nerves. He stepped forward a bit. Oliver flinched, his eyes lingering on the sword at Tobias's waist. Calmly, Tobias lifted his hands.

"Can you take us to see her?" he asked softly. "Kase tells me no one can visit her without your permission, and I really need her help with something."

"What could possibly be so important?" Oliver stood up and dropped his hand back to his side. It trembled slightly, and the wrinkles from his tight grip on the fabric of his tunic lingered. "I... You don't want to see her, trust me. Nothing is that important."

"We need her tracking abilities," Kase added with a quick glance at Tobias. He stuck his hand into the pocket where his pin was, facing Oliver with soft eyes. "Please, Oliver."

"Then I can lend Axel to you! He's an excellent tracker!" Oliver argued, gripping the table with one hand and leaning against it. His eyes narrowed; a tight frown had formed on his face.

Kase sighed deeply. "If I had wanted a good tracker, I would have just asked Smoke! I need Arayna's magic if I'm going to help Tobias catch this thief."

Oliver flinched at the word thief. In the blink of an eye, he pulled the knife from the table and whirled around to face Kase, blade pointed at him. "What thief?" he spat, his eyes narrowed and sharp.

Kase stared evenly back at Oliver. Any emotion Tobias had seen before was masked—even his dark eyes had gone blank. Dull. Lifelessly tired.

Tobias bit the inside of his cheek until the coppery taste of blood leaked into his mouth. Though the knife wasn't pointed at his face, he could practically feel its cold blade against his skin. Maybe it was Oliver's burning glare, or maybe Kase's sudden mask, or maybe just the way the knife's silver blade glittered in the light. It was stifling; the air was so thick with tension that he could no longer draw in a breath without worrying that he would shatter the brief moment of quiet and send the two spiraling.

Nothing is that important. Tobias grabbed the hilt of his sword, squeezing until his fingers ached. As much as he wanted the book back, was it even worth the struggle?

A sinking feeling gripped him. Perhaps his obsession had pushed him too far.