I jerked my head around. Boron was standing beside me.

"Hello, Evelyn," he boomed, looking more gruff, if possible, than the night before. "Jaden," he acknowledged. I didn't turn my head to see the boy's response. "Did you ever find Ikovos this morning?" Boran questioned.

I nodded. "Yes. Quite easily actually. By the way, I'm sorry that I left in such a rush." I smiled apologetically until silence took over. He broke it unexpectedly.

"Well," he stated, putting a hand on his hip and looking back at Jaden. "Isn't that polite. I've been living with you lot so long, I'd forgotten what manners felt like."

Jaden smiled skeptically. I tried not to take notice, grinning sweetly at Boron instead.

"Okay, I better get cracking." He turned his head towards Thoran. "I think I'm already late." He frowned pensively and walked towards the group of older men.

I sighed and watched as he spoke with the other Masters. After a while they all split up. Boron headed towards the large, pillar-surrounded, mechanism. The two I didn't know went to another piece. Thoran actually left the room.

At least fifteen minutes later everyone was in the same position. Unfortunately for me this meant my knees were beginning to lock significantly, the added weight of Jaden's jacket accounted for most of this. I wondered how he managed to wear this thing on a regular basis . . . much like I wondered how he had managed to fall asleep within twenty minutes leaning against the wall in a loud room. But sure enough, every time I looked over his eyes were closed and his breaths were slow. I hugged my jacket snuggly and tried to do the same.

"So you remember all the rules?" asked Jaden.

Okay, I guess he wasn't asleep. I nodded. "Um . . . yes."

He sniffed then I felt him straighten up. "Good, time to go."

As he walked forward, my eyes perplexed and I glanced ahead. I don't know how he had known, eyes shut and all, but Thoran was back and five or so other men were standing close by him.

I followed discreetly behind Jaden.

Like I had originally intended, and especially now since it seemed Jaden was so terribly bothered at having me along, I planned to stand off a ways from boy once we got going. Despite the rules I doubted he would have any objections.

"Luther and Kale, you'll break off at the second pass, check the watch-post, then meet back with us after the meeting." It was Thoran speaking. Jaden had entered into the circle of men, expression all business now. A few of them nodded. All of their faces were rather solemn, which made me a little anxious. I noticed a couple eyeing me curiously. Thoran didn't give me any acknowledgment though. There was no doubt that Ikovos was right about him not wanting me to come.

"If all goes well we should be back before ten," continued Thoran. "Vaan, don't forget that I need you to take over guard duty for Jaden tonight."

One of the younger men nodded. Jaden seemed unsurprised.

"Okay, all set," said Boron, who was still working by the large contraption.

Without a word everyone moved in unison to stand on the metal, pillar-surrounded, grate. I gulped, eyes downcast, and did the same. I had absolutely no idea of course why we were doing this, but that's how it usually went with the order.

There was plenty of space for the eight of us. Once Boron was on things got a little cramped. I was close to an edge between Jaden and one of the middle-aged boys. I wondered briefly if it would be against rule four, and one, I guess, if I asked someone else a question. Jaden's eyes were focused sternly ahead. I decided not to press my luck then bit my lip. As put out as he was, why had he decided to take me anyways? . . . Just then the floor shuddered, followed by a loud succession of clicks and a drop. I almost lost my balance at the sudden movement. Once I steadied I realized that the floor was still moving. Not the whole floor, just the metal grate, it was moving downwards. My heart started to beat a bit faster, far beyond a fish out of water at this point. I think Jaden's eyes grazed me once as the grate continued to lower, but him along with all the others didn't seem the least bit surprised.

When we had gotten below floor level, the hole above us closed. It was pitch dark now. All that could be heard was the clicking mechanisms of the lift. Finally a glow came from below. The walls were stone, though not the dark Meoden obsidian, as I would have guessed. I suppose that wouldn't be possible considering we hadn't gone through a portal yet . . . come to think of it I didn't even know if we were going to the Meoden dimension. What had Ikovos told me about this? . . . We'd only talked about it a couple times. Once at the pool, another at the cabin . . . apart from Sylvanus only one name had been mentioned.

Demian.

The area began to lighten, exposing the lift. My head shook slightly when I saw a red sphere come into view, it was at the other end of the plain, gray-stone, cave we were lowering into. As soon as the lift clicked into place the men moved off towards the portal. There was a horrible chill in the air. I shuddered as they crossed the cave. Jaden stopped last after taking a step. He didn't turn his head, but I knew that he was waiting. I looked on searchingly for a moment, then walked behind him.

A few men had already gone through, hardly slowing their pace as they disappeared into the sphere. The whole thing felt much like a procession, or a march into battle. The lack of talking only added to this.

When there were only two people left ahead of us, Jaden moved back behind me. I didn't turn to look at him, but my heart skipped a couple beats, this proved he was at least aware that I was still present. When the last man went ahead I didn't let myself hesitate, following straight through.

The other side had me disoriented, but mostly because of the view, I had actually managed not to end up flat on my face. The cave was so identical to the one I had just been in, though, that I thought something must have misfired. There was even a lift which the men were already piling onto. Two details told a different story. Firstly, up until now I'd been rather cold, despite the jacket, now a stuffy heat filled the cave, too intense to chock up to natural fluctuation. Then there was the disheartening presence of black obsidian, a dead giveaway in and of itself.

For a couple seconds I froze, unsure of whether to follow the group or wait for Jaden. I went with the first option, though it made little difference, by the time I was on, Jaden was already beside me.

A corner of my mouth lifted, but I immediately reprimanded myself. Why are you smiling? He's the one that's making you all freaked out and insecure to begin with. The floor began to lower again. He didn't even give you fair warning about the lift, or the portal . . . goodness know what's next.

Just then a bright, orange light shone from below. At the same time a low roar broke the prior silence and a concentrated heat poured in, as if a pressure seal had been released. My brow narrowed, I almost wanted to lean down so that I could see what was in the next area quicker.

What came into view took the breath from my chest. A massive, no gigantic, round chamber. It had to be at least a-hundred-and-fifty feet high, even longer across. The walls were all dark obsidian, but they shown a bright orange from what lied beneath. A lake of fire, for lack of a better term, too thin to be lava. Rock jabbed up in places along with gusts of maroon, flame-laced, steam. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, and we were at the peak of it headed down.

A hand rose to my chest and I rocked a step back. This caused me to bump into one of the boys. He eyed me oddly as Jaden's gaze flicked over. I mumbled a quick apology and scooted back ahead, even further when Jaden straightened a bit closer between us. It was now that I noticed there were no bars around the edge of the platform. I looked down again. At least seventy-five feet still to go, and nothing but stone and fire to catch your fall.

My eyes swiveled. "Jaden, why wouldn't you have-" I turned my head around as I said it, only to wind up staring at the chest of his jacket, closer than I expected. I gulped, tilting up, "-have railings?" I finished in a whisper.

He looked somewhere between bothered and confused. "Why would we need railings?"

I turned back around, for multiple reasons, leaned over the edge again, and shook my head. Men. How egotistical do you have to be to not even put a bar on a hundred-foot lift over lava?

It was another good minute before we reached the rock base below. Once again they all just started off unceremoniously. The piece of rock we were on now was rather thin across, maybe twenty feet, but it went on for a long ways ahead. Thoran and Boron led the group, talking quietly now. Everyone else followed behind. Me and Jaden were somewhere in the middle.

The area surrounding was more daunting than I'd expected, that much was certain. But something about the warmth and the noise, not to mention the group of heavily-armed men, made me feel secure enough to reinstate the "travel-away-from-Jaden" plan. I stayed back at least six feet, walking near the edge and studying the flames below.

We kept on like this long enough that my thoughts drifted back to the meeting ahead. Okay, so this Demian character. I don't know a lot about him. The only thing I've heard was from . . . huh, where was it again? . . . Don't remember, but it was something about him getting rid of other Meoden. . . . Maybe he's not so bad . . . maybe he's not like Sylvanus. My heart skipped, but I kept it bottled. I had no reason to believe that Sylvanus would be there today, I'm sure Ikovos would have warned me.

Only . . . Ikovos didn't know, did he? . . .

A flame steamed up to my left, jerking me out of my thoughts and into the uncomfortably hot present. I touched a hand to my head then studied my palm. I was sweating significantly, in fact everyone was. Lucky for them, they didn't have giant coats on. I looked down at it, then ahead at Jaden . . . why did he make me wear a coat? I shook my head dismissively. Just one more thing to add to the list of ways he makes absolutely no sense.

I turned my attention to the chamber. The area was so massive compared to me. This had to be the pinnacle of surreal-ness since I had met Sylvanus, which was saying something. A week ago I barely knew anything beyond Tiver, and the only future in sight was spinster baker or town outcast. Now, here I was, in a giant chamber, in another dimension, with a group of vigilantes, on my way to a meeting with the worst sort of bad guys. . . . I started thinking this over with awe at first, but it quickly turned to anxiety. This whole thing was so far beyond me.

Despite the heat, I hugged the jacket tighter around myself and moved a bit closer to my "escort". We'd just reached the wall of the giant cave, walking through only to enter another giant, if not slightly dimmer, flame-floored cave. I tried to study the group, but all their faces seemed rigid and distant, not at all relatable. Once again I moved closer to Jaden. It was against the rules to be far after all. . . .

Within half-an-hour I had used this excuse to move only inches away from Jaden. Once when I was thinking about the Sylvanus again, another when I thought I saw one of the boys give me a weird look. When the group stopped abruptly, I had moved so close that I plowed right into him. He turned and gave me a look that I would have paid anything to know what it meant. Unhindered, and calm somehow. It made my stomach knot.

I held for a few seconds, not currently capable of keeping my expression from turning gravely distraught, then turned to the others.

A while ago the fire lake had subsided. We were now in purely stone surroundings. The area was far from flat though, full of clefts and high plateaus. Deep drops, ahead there was a distinct fork. Thoran was talking to two of the more heavily armed men. They both nodded after a moment, then began walking to the right. We of course wasted no time starting up again ourselves, taking the left fork instead.

Jaden was beside me still. After a second I whispered carefully, "Where are they going?" I looked ahead as we were beginning to move uphill and I didn't want to fall, but I saw his head turn to me, then back forward.

"To check on one of our posts here, they'll be fine."

I nodded as I hopped over a loose stone. "Does every-"

"You do know that you keep asking me questions, right?"

Just one . . . well, two. My brow furrowed. I really was trying hard not to. I bit down on my lip.

"It's okay," he sighed. "What were you gonna say?"

I straightened. "Oh. . . . I just wanted to ask if all the guys here were artisans."

He nodded. "All but Kale."

"Who's he?" I asked.

Jaden tossed his head back. "One of the ones that left."

"Are all of the others offensive?"

He turned to eye me. "No, you can't possibly care about all this."

My legs froze for a moment, but I pushed myself forward. I was asking too many questions, I always did this when I got nervous. I swallowed. "Sorry."

His gaze lingered on me before eventually turning back ahead.

The way was getting steeper again, forcing me to keep my eyes glued to my feet. After a long while Jaden's hand came into view, blocking me across my stomach.

"We're almost there. Remember, no eye contact."

I looked up at him.

"Keep your head down."

I nodded seriously and he moved his hand, beginning on again.

I checked ahead now, surprised by the change in view. High up in front of us was a stone building. Compared to the lodge it looked rather menacing, but amidst the present surroundings it was like a safe haven. The walls of it weren't dark obsidian, but a cool, grey, sufficiently normal, rock. It appeared to be about two stories high. Lights glowed from openings on the lower levels. A long, thin, bridge-like, stretch of rock connected us to the island of stone the building sat on.

I didn't study much beyond that, I was now somewhat eccentric about staying right next to Jaden. I was glad for his belt full of weapons now, and half wanted to grab onto it and hide behind him as we walked. The desire intensified when I saw two Meoden standing a ways ahead, near the door of the building. I had a good enough view of them to see that they were the same type as Sylvanus . . . it was enough to set my skin crawling.

I was glad when we stopped before reaching the bridge. Thoran was standing near a large boulder and the others quickly formed a circle. Talks before meetings must have been mandatory.

For the first time since we'd left, Thoran's eyes grazed mine. Then he spoke in a firm voice. "You all know the drill. There's no reason everything shouldn't go smoothly. Still, I want everyone on their guard tonight." His eyes moved through the group as he spoke, finishing with a look over to Boron. "Jaden, you and Evelyn will keep watch out here during the meeting, we-"

"What?"

My eyes flashed nervously to the expectedly irritated face.

"Why?" asked Jaden.

A couple of the men raised their eyebrows uncomfortably. Thoran seemed unfazed.

"Because that's what I decided, and I don't want flak about it."

Jaden darkened. "I already missed the last meeting because of . . . duties, what-" he stopped suddenly. I followed his intense glare to Thoran who had a hand raised in dismissal.

"Enough. When we get up there stay outside."

Jaden's eyes narrowed as Boron gestured a hand ahead. "Let's get going men."

They did and Jaden wasted no time walking up to Thoran. The older man lifted an eyebrow challengingly, but Jaden waved it off. "I just want to know what subjects you'll be covering at the meeting."

Thoran's expression softened and he looked like he was about to answer, that is until I walked closer, his eyes shifting to me and back. "No, not now."

Jaden opened his mouth, but Thoran's eyes narrowed.

"Concentrate on the job at hand, Jaden, it will need your full attention." With that he turned around and started off towards the building.

Jaden's expression hardened fiercely, much to my dismay, as he followed in step. I strummed my fingers a couple times then did the same. This was bad. He was upset enough when I was just a tag-along, now I'm keeping him from the meeting. Not to mention the meeting was the entire reason I came. A walk through hell was not worth getting Jaden this eternally infuriated at me.

No time left to complain, I sucked in a breath as the group approached the building.

We walked directly past the two Meoden who gave unreadable looks as we moved by, before following alongside. I dropped my head immediately, per instructions, but studied them below the chest. Small bits of black leather and a disconcerting number of weapons seemed their only possessions. The blades were dark and cruelly shaped. Jeez, for a violence-free meeting there sure were a lot of weapons hanging around. On both sides. . . .

I almost screamed when a strong hand grasped my wrist roughly. "This way." It was Jaden. We were close to the entrance. The others headed in, he pulled me off to a space on the side.

I glanced back just in time to see the door shut. As soon as it did the air seemed to settle. We were standing near a circle of rocks. Grey dust rose like steam from the ground, giving off a very tomb-ish feeling. I realized that Jaden and I were the only ones left outside.

"I can't believe this," cursed Jaden, releasing his grip on my arm. "This is just like him, I should have known."

He kicked a rock into the wall. My eyes widened. I tried to appear un-noticing, wrapping a hand uncomfortably around the base of my neck.

After a few seconds, he stilled, back turned to me and both hands at his hips. I would have given him some space, but there wasn't really anywhere to go . . . not to mention I was still fairly afraid to leave him.

"He wouldn't even tell me the topics."

"I think that was because of me."

He scoffed, then stated matter-of-factly, "It was all because of you."

My head dropped and I pursed my lips.

See, this is why the disconnected plan was smart. Now I'm not affected. . . .

My eyes lowered. "I'm sorry, Jaden. I wouldn't have come if I'd known."

His head shook and he walked over to lean against the stone wall. "Save it, it wasn't your fault."

My eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. Isn't that what he had just said?

The seconds ticked by. His face was aimed downward; he looked deep in thought. I decided to walk around, but kept within a ten foot radius. Every step I took echoed through the empty cavern. I stared over the edge into the dark, purple, abyss for a while.

After maybe thirty seconds I walked back and took a breath. "How long does it normally take?"

No answer.

My question hadn't come out very loud, but the place was dead quiet, no way he didn't hear me. His gaze was still focused downwards.

"Jaden?"