“The one time a guy lies on top of me and he isn’t even interested.” He heard the words in his head and felt his eyes widen. Realization rushed in—his touch, her thoughts, his mind. Cush nearly shoved her away from him in his hurry to stand. He stepped aside and let Lisa move to Elora’s side. He saw the flash of hurt in Elora's eyes but he pushed it away as he turned to check on the others.

“Everyone alright?” Trik’s voice carried through the sooty air.

“We’re all up,” Lisa called out as she helped Elora to her feet. Elora looked up to find Cassie and saw that she was on her feet next to Trik and in one piece. They gave each other reassuring nods and small smiles.

“I guess it’s safe to say that Lorsan knows about our little excursion,” Tamsin said as he dusted off his clothes.

“This end is blocked, Tamsin. What about that direction?” Trik asked.

“It’s blocked as well,” Sid answered.

“We’re going to have to head back the direction we came and see if there is another way out from there,” Cush spoke up. “Liege,” he turned to Tamsin, “there were small windows in the cell. We could attempt to make them larger.”

Tamsin nodded. “It may be our only option.”

Trik stared up at the small windows at the top of the cell. Small was being generous. Trik doubted even Cassie could fit through them. He reached up and rubbed his face in frustration. Think, Trik, think, he muttered inwardly. He hadn’t made it all this way only to be captured in the freaking castle he knew like the back of his hand. Before an idea could begin to form in his mind, he was interrupted.

“Am I the only one seeing the she-elf who is staring creepily at us from the doorway?” Elora asked.

Cassie gasped. “Flora?” She started to walk towards the woman who had taken care of her while she had been trapped by Lorsan, but Trik stepped in front of her with a scowl plastered on his too handsome face.

“Why are you here?” Trik demanded.

Flora was unfazed. She looked around him so that she could see Cassie. “I want to help,” she said earnestly. “I should have helped you before. I knew what he was doing was wrong. If you follow me I can get you out of here.”

“Why should we trust you?” Cush asked as he stepped next to Trik, effectively blocking her view from the others.

“You probably shouldn’t. But I give you my word; I mean you no harm.” She looked from Cush to Trik. “Besides, who would be stupid enough to attack our king?”

“You know who I am?” Trik asked.

Flora nodded and her lips tightened grimly. “Your return is not going unnoticed, My Lord. Many will be happy you are back. Others will only try harder to kill you. But we don’t really have time to discuss that right now.”

Elora and Cassie both pushed around Trik and Cush with Lisa right behind them. “Lead the way, Flora. I trust you.” Cassie told her.

Without another word, Flora turned and hurried from the door. Cassie and Elora took off after her, ignoring the male voices objecting behind them.

“Um, Flo,” Elora spoke up as they followed her towards the direction of the blast, “we were just here and we were lucky to get away with all our bits intact.”

Flora lifted a hand and waved for them to follow without responding. They stumbled over the crumbling stone and coughed as their feet stirred up fresh dust, creating a cloudy haze around them.

“Cassie,” Trik’s voice carried up from behind them.

“It’s fine, Trik. She’s not going to hurt us,” she called back to him.

“In here.” Flora turned to look back at them, and Cassie and Elora both gaped at the opening that seemed to appear out of nowhere in the floor. Cassie stepped up to the hole and looked down. It was pitch black.

“Is it safe?” she asked Flora.

“We’re in a tunnel that was just blown up by freaky elf magic and you’re worried about whether the possible escape route from said blown up tunnel is safe?” Elora asked dryly.

“Good point,” Cassie shrugged.

“I’ll go first,” Tamsin said as he reached them.

Trik held out his hand to stop the light-elf king. “You should let me.”

Tamsin shook his head. “You are too important…”

“It shouldn’t be either of you,” Cush spoke up. “You are both important.”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Elora groaned, “what does it matter? We’re all going to die of asbestos poisoning if we stay here any longer, geeze.” She looked back at the group and rolled her eyes just as she took a step.

“ELORA!” Cush, Lisa, and Cassie yelled at the same time but they were too late. She stepped off into the nothingness of the hole and disappeared.

“ELORA!” Lisa yelled as she looked down into the black void. “Where is she? Is she alright?”

“She’s probably fine,” Flora assured her.

“What do you mean probably?” Lisa growled as only a mama bear could. “You don’t know where she is?”

Flora shook her head. “The portal took her wherever she wanted to go.”

“Portal?” This time all of the elves spoke up at the same time.

Flora jumped at the collective deep voices. She nodded.

“There’s no reflective surface,” Trik pointed out.

“Not all portals need a reflection, King,” Flora addressed him. “There was a time long ago when the Forest Lords gave three portals that did not require reflections,” she paused and waited. “Do you remember?”