The farmhouse had gone still, a sliver of moonlight spilled through the curtains, casting silver patterns on the floorboards. Raelyn lay curled beneath the old quilt while Hovan slept on the floor beside the door, one arm tucked beneath his head, his other resting loosely on the pommel of his sword. Rakz was sprawled across the foot of the bed, his tail curled tightly around his scaled body, the slow rhythm of his breathing barely audible beneath the quiet.

Though sleep had come quickly, it was not peaceful. Raelyn dreamt of a castle on fire, demons bursting through the gates and a shadow-figure watching down at her.

A sudden scratching caused her to jolt upright with a gasp, chest rising sharply. Sweat clung to her brow and her hand flew to her chest. The locket pulsed faintly beneath her palm, its soft glow bleeding through her fingers. Her eyes darted across the room, her heart pounding in her chest, but then her panic subsided slowly. Rakz lifted his head with a soft growl, his golden eyes gleaming in the dark.

She found Hovan, sitting upright on his makeshift bed. His gaze was already fixed on the window. "You hear that?" he murmured, already pulling his blade from its sheath.

Raelyn nodded, rising carefully from the bed. The scratching stopped for a beat, replaced by a faint thump. A dark shape began to form on the other side of the window, hunched and twitching. Hovan stood in one fluid motion, rising to his full height, sword now fully unsheathed in his hand. Raelyn took a cautious step away from the window.

Hovan moved carefully toward the window. His free hand reached for the curtain while the other raised his blade. With a quick motion Hovan pulled back the fabric to reveal a gaunt face pressed against the window. The creature twitched with restless energy, its clawed hands splayed across the pane, mouthing words they couldn't hear. It large yellow eyes glanced over its shoulder again and again, jittery, frantic.

"It's Massah," Raelyn gasped.

Hovan didn't lower his sword. "Step back."

Rakz let out a low rumble, claws clicking softly as he shifted his stance.

Raelyn looked at the tiny creature, its shrill voice muffled by the glass. It seemed afraid. "I think he's alone."

"We're not letting it in." Hovan said determinedly.

"I think we should," Raelyn said. "You said it yourself, he's not made for fighting." Her tone lowered. There was something about the imp that intrigued her. "Look at him. He's terrified."

Hovan took a step forward, blade angled low but ready. "That doesn't mean he's harmless. What if he's leading the demons straight to us?"

"If he meant to ambush us, I doubt he'd come scratching at the window." Raelyn stepped towards the window. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Massah's breath fogged the glass. His eyes locked on hers, wide with panic, lips trembling. Raelyn reached for the latch. Hovan's jaw tensed, but he didn't stop her.

The window creaked open, and a gust of cold air rushed in. Massah stumbled forward without waiting for permission, scrambling through the gap and tumbling headlong into the room. Rakz bared his teeth and took a step forward, but halted at a soft noise from Raelyn. She placed her hand gently on his head, calming him.

He collapsed onto the floorboards, wheezing. His shoulders shook with each panicked breath. When he looked up, the whites of his eyes gleamed in the dark.

"Massah come warn," he gasped, claws curling into the floorboards.

Hovan's sword was already raised, the point steady and unwavering. He moved between Raelyn and the imp with a sharp, practiced step.

"Back against the wall," Hovan said coldly. "One wrong move and I'll gut you."

Massah yelped, throwing his hands up. "No hurt Massah!" His voice cracked. "Massah alone."

Raelyn stayed near the bed, one hand resting against the wooden frame, the other curled tight around her locket. The imp unsettled her but there was no mistaking the terror in his face. This wasn't an act. If it was, it was masterful. Still, caution tugged at her.

"What warning?" she said.

Massah's head bobbed frantically. "Abigor know," he whispered. "Knows Raelyn goes to elves. He very close. New army. More demons. Coming for you."

The words chilled the room. Raelyn's breath caught as she exchanged a glance with Hovan. His jaw clenched.

"Don't listen to him," Hovan said. "This could be a trap of some kind."

Massah began to crawl forward on his knees, then stopped himself, wringing his hands instead. "No trick! Massah swear! Demons kill Massah if know Massah help!"

"Why would you help us at all?" Hovan growled. "What do you gain?"

Massah's voice cracked as he looked up at Raelyn, desperation hollowing out his words. "Raelyn... spare Massah. Let Massah live. Raelyn kind." he tapped his own chest, claw shaking "Massah... repay."

Hovan stepped forward. "He's lying. We should have let the elves kill him."

"Stop," Raelyn said quietly. She didn't raise her voice, but Hovan froze all the same. She stepped past him. "What if he's telling the truth? If he wanted us dead he could have slit our throats in our sleep or have Abigor and his demons storm the farm."

"Maybe he's bait," Hovan shot back. "Lure us out, lead us into an ambush."

Raelyn didn't answer right away. Her gaze shifted to the trembling imp. "If the demons wanted to ambush us, then why warn us?" she said slowly, "They wouldn't dare follow us into Brystwy Forest. Once we're inside, we're beyond their reach."

Massah nodded frantically. "Elves strong. Magic strong. Demons not follow. Follow means war. Master no ready."

Hovan's lips parted to object, but he hesitated.

Raelyn exhaled, voice steadier now. "I think he's telling the truth."

Massah sagged forward, his forehead nearly touching the floor. "Much thanks," he whispered, trembling with relief.

Hovan hadn't lowered his sword, but he let out a slow exhale through his nose. "This could still be a mistake," he said, turning to face Raelyn. "But Corix told me to trust your judgment. So I'll follow your lead."

Raelyn gave a small nod, though her fingers curled tightly around the locket at her chest. This was her decision. Her responsibility. And though she couldn't rule out Massah betraying them, she felt in her gut this was the right choice.

Massah flinched at a rustle outside, his whole body twitching toward the sound. "Massah must go," he croaked. "If demons know... Massah dead." He looked up at Raelyn, claws clutched together. "Please... Raelyn go now. No wait."

Hovan took a step forward. Rakz moved with him, shadowing his heel. "If this is a trick," he said coldly, "if we walk into that forest and demons are waiting..." His voice dropped further. "I will find you and I'll make you wish you were dead."

Massah whimpered and backed up, one clawed hand raised between them, though it trembled too much to be threatening. "No trick," he whispered. "No lie. Massah promise." Then, without waiting for dismissal, he turned and scrambled back through the window. His bony limbs twisted awkwardly as he vanished into the dark, his hunched form swallowed quickly by the shadows beyond the fields.

Silence fell. Raelyn stepped towards the window, shutting it. Her reflection hovered faintly in the glass, but she couldn't look at it.

Hovan finally sheathed his sword. "Get your things," he said, already turning toward the door. "We're leaving. Now."

Raelyn blinked at him. "What about Lydia and her family?" she asked. "We can't just disappear in the middle of the night."

He paused in the doorway, not looking back. "Being with us makes them targets. The best way to keep them safe is to be gone before the demons come looking."

"You think I'm just going to leave them?" Her eyes narrowed. "We brought this on them. We put a target on them the moment we entered their home."

"They don't need to be involved," Hovan muttered, though the certainty had already drained from his tone. "If we go now, we draw the danger with us. It's better for them."

"And what if the demons find them first?" Her tone sharpened. "What if they show up at dawn, thinking we're still inside?"

That silenced Hovan.

Raelyn's thoughts slipped to the farmhouse outside Misty Woods, unbidden and sharp. The flames licking up the sides of the farmhouse, the farmer pleading to her gods. That woman had died because of her. Because they had brought the locket there. She had carried that guilt with her, and now here they were again, in someone else's home, dragging the same danger behind them. But this time... it wasn't too late. She wouldn't stand by again. She wouldn't let that blood be on her hands. She had to try.

"If the elves can protect us, they can protect them," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "They'll be safer with us."

Hovan let out a quiet sigh before he crossed the room and grabbed his satchel. "We have to go." Raelyn's jaw set, already bracing for another argument, but Hovan continued. "Get them up. I'll ready the horses."

Raelyn exhaled slowly and nodded up at Hovan as he moved past her, heading for the door. She crouched to scoop Rakz into her arms, then grabbed her cloak and slung her satchel over one shoulder.

Raelyn padded quietly across the creaking floorboards, Rakz curled in her arms. At the end of the hall, she reached the door which she assumed belonged to Lydia. She raised her hand and knocked gently. "Lydia," she said softly before she pushed the door open just enough to slip inside. Lydia sat up, blinking toward her with confusion.

"We have to leave," Raelyn said, keeping her voice low. "I'm sorry. I need you to wake the children and grab only what's essential."

Lydia frowned. "What?" Her voice was sharp now, more alert. "Why? What's happening?"

Raelyn stepped closer. "Have you heard... any talk of demons in Anderwyn?"

Lydia blinked, startled by the question. "No, of course not," she said, a tremor in her voice. "Demons have stuck to the borders of Bromaric for years. Why would they risk angering the elves now?"

Raelyn's eyes dropped to the floor. "The reason they crossed the border is because they are in pursuit of Hovan and I," she said, forcing herself to look up at Lydia. "We have reason to believe they may have managed to track us. To this place." She swallowed, the words heavier than she'd expected.

"You brought demons to my doorstep?"

Raelyn winced at the words."I didn't know they would find us. I swear, we never meant to put you in danger—"

"My children sleep under this roof," Lydia snapped, throwing off her covers. "You came here asking for food, for shelter, and all the while you forget to mention the army at your heels?"

"I know." Raelyn's voice cracked. "I know. And I'm so sorry. But I'm not going to let anything happen to you. To any of you." Raelyn pleaded as Rakz let out an uncertain chirp. "We have to leave, right now. Hovan and I can protect you, and once we reach the elves, you'll be safe. The demons won't follow us into Eryndoriel."

Lydia stood slowly, her breath shaking."You're sure the elves will take us?"

"I'm not sure of anything," Raelyn admitted. "But it's the best chance we have. Once we are certain the demons are no longer a threat to you or our children you can return home."

Lydia's expression held firm at first, but then her gaze flicked past Raelyn, down the hall, toward the other rooms where her children slept. When she looked back, the sharpness in her features had dulled. The anger hadn't vanished, but something quieter settled in its place.

"Give me a minute."

Raelyn stepped back into the hall, giving Lydia space as the woman moved past her with urgency. She crossed to the first door and slipped inside without a word. Raelyn lingered outside, her hand brushing the frame, listening as Lydia woke her children.

She couldn't help but wonder: had she made a mistake trusting Massah?

What if Hovan was right? What if she had gambled with this family's life on the word of a demon? She pressed her back to the wall and closed her eyes.

The face of the farmer outside Misty Woods rose in her mind again, but she pushed the memory aside. She wouldn't let that happen again. She would get this family to safety, no matter what it would take.