An hour before the Watch was due to change shifts, Shane heard footsteps. Surprised, he turned his head. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Cillian. Never before had they gone this long without seeing each other. Shane had been afraid his friend was angry because he'd told him not to visit anymore during the night, yet somehow something had always stopped him from seeking Cillian out himself.

The familiar grin that usually defined Cillian was nowhere to be seen today. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his skin looked even paler than usual.

Shane stared at him in alarm. "You look terrible."

There was no fleeting grin, no teasing remark. "I need your help." Cillian's voice carried an unfamiliar seriousness. 

A sharp pang shot through Shane's chest. Something was terribly wrong. "Just tell me what you need."

Cillian climbed onto the driver's seat beside him. Shane felt the urge to place a hand on his arm, or maybe on his knee, but the distance that had grown between them over the past weeks held him back.

"You need to take me across."

Shane's eyes flew open. "Across... to the Land of the Dead?"

For a brief moment, the ghost of an exhausted smile crossed Cillian's face. "Yes."

"But... no." Shane shook his head sharply. "What do you need to do there? I—what's going on, Cillian? You look like you haven't slept in days."

"I haven't." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Brady got sick. Deathly sick. He's gone, Shane. He disappeared."

"Then we'll go look for him."

"I've spent the past two days and nights searching everywhere. He's not on this side."

"He has to be on this side. A child that sick couldn't possibly cross the Dead Bridge on his own. No Warden would ever let him pass."

"And yet I have to look." Determination settled in Cillian's eyes. "I can't explain it. You just have to trust me. Please... let me through."

Shane shook his head. "That's forbidden. It's dangerous over there!"

"Shane..." Cillian looked him straight in the eye. Grief shimmered there. "Please. No one has to know you let me cross."

"It's the Land of the Dead, Cillian! You can't just walk in there! What if they don't let you leave again?"

"Who, Shane?" Cillian leaned closer until the nearness made Shane distinctly uncomfortable, never breaking eye contact. "Have you ever actually seen a threat out there?"

"I've seen the disturbed graves! I know the dead crawled out of them and took on monstrous forms. The darker their souls, the darker the creatures they became!"

"Half of the dead are children," Cillian snapped. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but instead let out a weary sigh. "You and Brady are all I have, Shane. I have to look for him. I can't explain it, but I just know he's somewhere over there."

Shane froze when Cillian rested a hand on his knee.

"You lost your sister. If there'd been even the slightest chance she was over there... on the other side... wouldn't you have gone looking for her?"

Shane lowered his eyes. Honestly... He didn't know whether he would've had the courage.

"I'm not afraid of whatever might be waiting over there. I'm afraid of never seeing my little brother again. And that's exactly what's going to happen if I do nothing."

Shane bit the inside of his cheek. If anyone discovered he'd allowed Cillian to cross, he'd lose his job. Worse still—they might throw him in prison, and not even his parents would be able to get him out.

But Cillian was his best friend. He couldn't bear the thought of him hating him for standing in his way. And could he even stop him? When Cillian wanted something, he found a way to get it. Shane could easily imagine him knocking him unconscious right here and crossing the Dead Bridge alone.

Maybe I could tell the Order Keepers that. Tell them Cillian overpowered me... that I couldn't stop him. But then they'll never let him back inside. I'll lose him.

No... He had to pretend nothing unusual had happened. No one would notice if Cillian disappeared for a while. 

Taking a deep breath, Shane nodded. "All right."

For a moment, the grey in Cillian's eyes brightened. The corners of his mouth lifted into something halfway between a grin and a smile. "I knew I could count on you." He slipped an arm around Shane's shoulders, pulled him close, and rested his forehead against his. "Just know that I'd come looking for you too, if you were the one who disappeared."

Warmth spread across Shane's cheeks. Would Cillian really risk his life for me?

Trying to compose himself—and to stop thinking about the way his heart had suddenly begun pounding three times as fast—he gathered the horses' reins. Cillian sat upright again, although he left his arm where it was.

Only the horses' hoofbeats echoed around them as they crossed toward the other side. There was so much Shane wanted to ask his friend, but the journey across the Dead Path was short, leaving no room for a real conversation.

I should've gone to see him this week. Shame gnawed at him. He hadn't visited Cillian even once. There hadn't even been a good reason for it. Seeing those dark circles beneath his eyes, it was obvious Cillian had been struggling... He could have used some help.

He'd been a terrible friend. Breaking the rules for him was the very least he could do now.

The horses reached the far side and stepped onto the grass. Cillian jumped down from the driver's seat. His boots landed on the ground with a muted thud.

Hesitantly, Shane climbed down after him. A knot tightened in his stomach. He didn't want to let Cillian go. What if I never see him again? What were the chances of surviving those monsters on his own? He didn't even have disc launchers. Searching for the right words, Shane looked at his best friend. 

Go with him. He'd do the same for you.

"Thanks, man," Cillian said.

Silence settled between them.

No promise that he'd be back in no time.

No reassurance whatsoever.

Of course not. Cillian has never been one for empty promises.

Nobody truly knew anything about the Land of the Dead. There were only rumors—and they were grim enough. Cillian didn't know his way around this place, and searching for his brother was, in truth, a reckless thing to do.

What happens if he doesn't find Brady? How long will he keep searching? Who'll tell him when it's time to stop? Who'll remind him to think of himself, too?

No one. 

"I'm coming with you."

"What? No..." Cillian shook his head firmly. "Jake's Bonding Ceremony is only a few days away. You have your job, and—"

"Would you let me go in there alone?"

Cillian looked at him for a moment before glancing past him, toward the Dead Bridge. "That's different. I have nothing left to lose."

"And I do." Shane took a small step closer until they stood face to face, exactly the same height. "You. I don't want to lose you. That ceremony can go to hell, and so can my job. It's dangerous out here; the two of us stand a much better chance than you do on your own."

For several long seconds they simply looked at one another. A tension hung between them that made it difficult for Shane to breathe. If he still says no... He wouldn't insist.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

A brief smile crossed Cillian's lips. "All right. Then I'd appreciate the company."

The world around them seemed just a little less dark.

"I can't leave the Dead Bridge unattended, though. I'll take the horses back to the other side, and then we'll wait here until the next Warden arrives."

For a moment, Cillian looked as though he wanted to object, but he merely nodded.

Shane turned to climb back onto the driver's seat. Cillian's fingers closed gently around his wrist. "You know you'll never be allowed to serve as a Warden again after this, right? I don't even know if they'll let either of us back inside."

Shane shrugged, even though he felt anything but indifferent. He'd made his choice. He wasn't about to back out now. He meant every word he'd said. He could live without this job. But without Cillian? The thought alone hurt too much to dwell on. "I know." He gently pulled his arm free. "So be it."