I shake my head. "No. Of course, not."

"If it's Fen you're worried about, don't. I haven't seen him for weeks."

Weeks? I thought we'd only been here a few days.

I grab Dean by the shoulders and make him face me. "Listen, Dean. We need to leave. Return to Inferna."

He waves his hand dismissively. "Right. Right. After your training is done and all."

I grip him tighter. "My training is done."

He chuckles. "Silly girl. Training's never done. You could always be better."

Okay. I can't take this anymore. I raise my hand. And smack him across the face.

"What the—"

I smack him again.

He bounces back, his eyes wide. "Bloody hell princess, I didn't know you liked it rough."

Smack.

Smack.

Smack.

He grabs my hand. "Fine. Enough already. I get the point. You want serious Dean. Well, you have him."

I let go off my breath, unclenching my fist. "Finally. Okay, Dean, something is going on. Everyone's lost in a haze. They're barely doing anything, just repeating worthless actions."

He grimaces. "Well, not me. I've been practicing with Fen. Getting better too, I might say. I just came out here for a short break, to pick the flowers."

I point him to the field of a thousand dead petals.

He rubs his chin, seemingly thinking. "Well, I do have super speed at my disposal."

I punch his shoulder. "You weren't picking these flowers at super speed. I saw you. It was more molasses speed. In fact, molasses would have laughed at you."

He sucks in air sharply. "Oh. That's bad. How long have we been here?"

I cross my arms. "I don't know. But I do know someone who will."

"The mermaid?"

I nod. "Let's go see her."

"Yes. You go ahead. I'll just—"

"Oh no." I grab his hand. "You're coming with me, serious Dean. Before molasses Dean returns."

"Come on. Things can't really be that bad."

"Really?" I put my hands on my hips. "When was the last time you had a drink? When was the last time you lay with someone?"

Dean's jaw drops. "Holy baby demon. We need to get out of here now!"

Together, we run out of the forest. We find Marasphyr by the pond, sitting on a rock, brushing her hair with a comb from the village. I step forward, my tone firm. "Either you've been brushing your hair non-stop for who knows how long, or you have some explaining to do. And I gotta say, that hair doesn't look all that neat."

She chuckles, putting the brush down. "I see you have become aware of the Rift's magic, of how it soothes and calms."

"And how it makes everyone lazy. What is it, some kind of spell?"

She taps her fingers on the rock. "In part, it is magic yes. But psychological also. Think how much of life is driven by urgency, by a sense of time running out. Here there is no time. No urgency. No deadlines."

I sigh, her words sinking in. "And so there's no reason to finish anything. Ever."

She picks up the brush again and combs her hair. "Exactly. But there are perks too. No pressure. No responsibility."

I grab the damn brush and toss it aside. "This is the real reason you brought us here, isn't it? So you can stay here forever with Fen. So you can keep him trapped."

Dean whistles. "Oh, that's messed up. Even for me."

Marasphyr doesn't seem phased, her composure pristine. "If someone truly wishes to leave this place, it's not difficult. The Rift would open a portal for them. That is how this place works. Tavian stays because here he can sleep in peace, away from the politics of the world. Kayla stays to be with Tavian, and to avoid the responsibilities of a Druid. And you know why Fenris stays. I heard him tell you."

My anger leaves me. My limbs grow cold. "He doesn't wish to be king," I whisper.

Marasphyr smiles, and what a twisted smile it is.

I draw my sword, Lux, and point it at the witch. "You will take us out of here. You will summon a portal, and I'll push everyone through if I have to. We will leave together."

She laughs. "Do not threaten me girl. I have killed kings and slain empresses. I have even fought a Midnight Star before."

Dean draws his sword as well. "You know, I thought things could work out between us, Marasphyr. I really did. But I think we need a break. And it's not me. It's you." He strikes at the mermaid.

She waves her hand.

And then…

She's gone.

Vanished in a puff of smoke.

What did she—

"Looking for me," Marasphyr calls from above. She sits in a tree, grinning. She waves her hand again, and suddenly she's standing on the other side of the pond. Then she's leaning against an old oak. "You will never catch me. Never beat me. So let's not play this game, as fun as it may be."

She's right. Trying to force her to do anything will be a waste of time. And trying to convince the others to leave has been futile. "How long have we been here, truly?" I ask. "How much time has passed in Inferna?"

"Let me see…" she clicks her tongue, mimicking a clock. "It'd say we've been here two months. Maybe three. So that's about a day in Inferna. Maybe a little more."

Months. Whole months. My hand falls to my stomach, where my baby is growing, and I feel my normally flat stomach now gently curved. I have a baby bump, I realize, surprised. How could I not have noticed my own baby growing inside of me? This is what has tethered me to time. My child. While no one else in the Rift changed over past days and weeks, being the immortals they are, I have changed. My child has changed. We've grown.