I lifted two mission statements shoved under my door. One was for Salvador, who rested peacefully in my bed. The other was for me. Salvador's note detailed a mission for a crystal that involved Alton and Avery. Mine just gave me the names for Aelianna and Kane. Below was also a list of how to enter the building safely. I glared at the names. Maybe if I did so hard enough, they would burn and disappear. 

"Got something for you," I plopped down beside Sal.

He groaned, shoving me off the bed. I started annoyingly waving the paper until he pushed me onto the floor. 

"'Hat?" He huffed, sitting up to stretch.

I watched him move. My man was glorious. I loved the way his muscles glided by one another. His tattoos lengthened ever so slightly as the skin beneath them did. He scratched at his stubble. 

"Are ya gonna tell me 'hy ya woke me or are ya gonna keep starin'?" He raised a sleepy brow.

"Sorry that you're fucking hot," I held the paper out to him. "You've got a mission."

"Ugh," he sighed, yanking it from me.

"Great Titania," I stood. "Don't have to be so dramatic."

"I'm tired," he placed his feet on the floor. "'Hat are you gonna be doin'?"

"Mission of my own," I waved the note at him. "Though I get to go with Aelianna and your darling ex."

"Yeah, a real ray of fuckin' sunshine," Salvador grabbed clothes from where he kept them in my dresser. "Jus' don' kill 'im, okay?"

"What's so wrong with one of my knives suddenly flying out of my control and across his throat?"

"Annoyin' as 'e is, we can' lose any more members on 'his team," Sal narrowed his eyes at me. "Not after Juniper."

"I never even met her," I threw my sweatshirt on.

"Ya would 'ave 'ated 'er," he smirked. "I'm sure ya would 'ave probably wanted to kill 'er too." 

I stopped to put my boots on. I collapsed into the chair in my hallway. Salvador rested his belt on his waist. 

"I wish I was going with you," I admitted. 

"It's all 'ight," he kissed my forehead. "It won' be too long, yeah?"

"Fair enough," I fell into the warmth of his hand on my cheek. 

"I love ya," he grinned. He was softening around the edges. That's the Salvador I knew.

I pulled him in for a kiss. When we parted, he pulled my hood up for me.

"I'll see you in two or three days," I couldn't mistake the sad look in his eyes.

"You will," I lifted my pack onto my back. 

Downstairs, Aelianna was waiting for me. She waved, but she didn't say anything. I approached her.

"Where's the Ice Queen?" 

"Probably still fucking Avery for all I know," she shrugged. "I hate them."

"I'm sorry," I coughed. "He and Avery?"

"Shit," she hissed. "I wasn't supposed to say anything."

"I thought I smelled him on Avery the other day," I laughed.

"Smell?" her nose scrunched up. "Whatever, shut up, he's coming."

"Oh great," he looked down at me. "Ve going to go, babes?"

"Yeah, yeah," Aelianna hauled her bag onto her shoulders. "But first, if you so much as try to hit each other, I'll poison both of you for days with a poison so horrendous, you won't be able to leave the bathroom. Got it?"

"Da," Kane nodded quickly.

"Caius?" She asked me pointedly.

"I got it," I rolled my eyes. "Sweet Titania, either you appreciate my power, or you overestimate my hatred."

"Both," she led us outside. 

When we landed at our campground, I disappeared. It's not that I hated setup. I didn't like to be there. Fae got pissed when things went wrong. Teamwork was nauseating. I explored the surrounding area. I found a well-beaten path a bit away from where we were. It was so quiet out here. Peaceful.

I leaned against a tree. My nose filled with the smell of birch and dirt. I missed Salvador. This was the first mission I went on in a long time without him. He went with the others all the time, but I never did. It was always Salvador and me. 

Something snapped behind me. I kicked my leg up, a knife flying into my hand. I turned around to find Kane frozen before me.

"Fucking Titania," I dropped it back in. "I could have killed you."

"Aelianna sent me," he stepped back. "I vouldn't hawe come ozhervise."

"Good to see you're still scared of me," I walked right by him. 

"Hey," he grabbed my shoulder.

Kane reeked of mud and Avery and sex and metal. I wanted to vomit.

"Don't," I flew around. "Do not fucking touch me."

"Zorry, I-"

"You know what, just leave me alone," I started to back up.

"Vatch out," he pointed.

I stopped moving. There was a tree. He was helping me. I was not too fond of that.

"Look, Caius-"

"Nope!" I turned around, storming back to camp. "Fuck you!"

"Where's Kane?" Aelianna looked up from the fire.

"I left him to get eaten by wolves," I sat down beside her.

"Good riddance," she continued to run a rag down her blade.

"Thank you," I crossed my legs. "I'm glad someone can see it from my perspective."

"Nosta always says he's got depth, that they can see it, but Nostra can be full of shit sometimes-"

"Your plant boyfriend?" I looked over at her.

"Not a boyfriend, I call them my enby. Yeah, they know things," she set her rapier down and grabbed the other one. "You think they would know that I don't like Kane all that much. I feel like his brain is frozen in a block of ice."

"Nostra Damus is a they?"

"Ask the trees," she pointed. "They'll give you a lengthy discussion on their concept of gender."

"I thought about fucking Nostra once," I commented.

"It's as good as fucking a knothole," she smirked. "Tell me if you can find a place to stick it."

"So you don't?"

"I don't really form sexual attractions to fae," she tossed her hair back. "I'm what they call asexual, which is why Nostra is great for me. They don't feel sexual attraction either."

"Your loss," I shrugged.

"You lied to me, Caius," she shook her head. 

"Vhat's going on?" Kane sat opposite us.

"Nothing," Aelianna flipped her rapier. "Doing some polishing is all."

"How does not feeling sexual attraction work?" I continued like Kane wasn't there.

"How does feeling sexual attraction work?" she snorted. "I like to kiss and hold hands, but I don't feel the need to get off, okay? I fall in love the same as anyone else, but I don't have sex. I am not like other girls."

"All right," I nodded. "Definitely not like other girls."

"How would you know?" she giggled. 

"I've been with a little of both," I leaned back. "Was and still am quite the killer."

"Kane, darling, why don't you grab our dinner from my bag?" Aelianna waved. "I've got to go rinse my hands."

"Da," Kane got up.

"Don't touch those," Aelianna gestured. "They're covered in some nasty poison."

"Don't leave me alone with him," I whined.

"Can you survive sixteen seconds?" she got up anyway. "I don't feel like dying tonight."

Kane set a serving of bread and beef jerky into my hands. I tore my bread into four pieces. I ate in silence. I had no words for Kane. Whatever he was trying to say to me earlier no longer pressed him so hard. 

"Okay," Aelianna sat down. "Since Kane's quite the snorer, I placed his tent over there. If you can keep it in your pants, you can share my tent."

"I'm sure I will be fine for a night," I rolled my eyes at her.

"In the morning, we'll go after that cup," she nodded. "Caius, I expect you to be in your best killing mode. We're going to face a good amount of troops tomorrow. I know Kane can bring it. However, I've never been on a mission with you."

"I kicked your ass, didn't I?" I grinned. "I've only gotten better."

"Good enough. Sleep well."

"I'll try," I waved to her.

The night was quiet. Crickets chirped around, but the rest of the summer bugs were silent. I could hear Kane and Aelianna talking. Something about Kane's voice sounded like a problem was weighing heavily on him. I was shocked. Kane seemed so devoid of care for others when he fucked with Salvador. Maybe he was truly selfish, frozen in that short-sighted block of ice Aelianna had mentioned. 

I discarded all of my clothes in the corner, keeping my boxers on at least. It was warm enough for that. I wrapped a thin sheet around my shoulders. I was out before Aelianna even entered the tent.