Ambrose wears a grim expression. "There are too many unknowns for my liking. Will the weapons we sabotaged really break when we need them to? Can we believe Serena that Empire won't be watching? Was the story about windborne true, or just something she told us to make us avoid killing Malakai's people?"

I frown. "That's all very comforting to hear on the eve of the Crucible, Ambrose."

He shrugs. "Akaron and I have gone over the possibilities at length. Wouldn't it make more sense to sacrifice the weapons to buy our trust? A small gesture to ensure we walk into the Crucible with faulty information? Information that all seems to imply we shouldn't fight back if attacked by Malakai's people?"

Mireen chews her lip. "You're just mentioning this all now?"

“It’s okay,” I say. "I think our safest assumption would be to discredit everything she told us if Typhon finds no magical interference. If it’s there, then we should assume the rest was true.”

The conversation continues as we approach the entrance to the water tower, but I find my attention drifting. The Crucible looms like a storm on the horizon, but so does the realization that I'm in way too deep with Raith. Three years ago, a storm of my own making took three people I loved from me. A storm I couldn't control.

I'm not the same person I was back then, and yet I feel just as out of control now. Just as in over my head. I know I shouldn't fall for Raith, but I'm doing it anyway. And I know the Crucible could mean the end of me and all the people I care about, but there's no avoiding it.

The air shifts as we enter the tower, making the fine hairs on my forearms stand on end.

Raith is there, waiting with his strong arms folded across his broad chest.

Mireen startles, hand flying to her chest. "Gods, Hollow, you need to stop doing that," she hisses. "You could just approach with a friendly 'hello' like a normal person."

Raith's gaze is fixed on me. "Hello."

"Password?" Ambrose asks.

"Thistlewood," Raith says, voice completely flat.

Beck sighs to my left. “You guys pick the most boring passwords. You should really put me back in charge of password creation.”

"Let me guess," I say, folding my arms across my chest. "You're here at the water tower because you’re going to stand guard outside my door all night like some kind of overly dramatic sentinel?"

The corner of his mouth lifts in what might almost be a smile. "Something like that."

Mireen glances between us, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You need sleep too, Hollow."

"I'm fine," he replies, his tone making it clear the subject isn't up for debate.

Beck clears his throat. "Right then. We should all probably get some rest. Big day tomorrow and all that."