attacked and evicted from their home, but at least those who remained had been together.
I couldn’t take the silence, or the slump of the girl’s shoulders. I sat beside her and struggled to find something better to say. “It’s good to see you again. Have you made friends here? I noticed there are a lot of children.”
“Kind of. Some of the littler ones were scared of me when they got here because of how I look. I just don’t get along with the older ones. Most of them still have their parents to take care of them.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I take care of myself, mostly. I kind of have a new mother, but she’s busy.”
Someone outside hit a sour note on a flute, and others laughed. There hadn’t been much in the way of drinks to go around, but it sounded like they were well into the small supply. I hoped they wouldn’t be up late. The private tent was nice, but too close to the party for my liking.
And much too close to Ulric’s.
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
“Not long. It was winter when the king’s men found us again. Mama and the others were doing their thing to protect us, but it didn’t work. And it was just like the first time, except that there weren’t as many of us, and... well, and not so many of us got away this time. Just me, and Keela—she’s the only lady that got out, the one I’m staying with. And there’s Devlin, Drover, Jimmy. I guess that’s it. No other kids. We joined Goff and Laelana when we met them and their folks.”
“I’m sorry.” It was a great loss of life. Talented children, and adults who had welcomed and sheltered us when we had nothing to offer in return. So much life and potential and worth. This was how the world repaid them.
I thought about my own family then. Not all had abandoned me. My aunt and uncle and their servants Matthew and Della had all loved me like a daughter, but I’d had no word at all from them since my disappearance. I worried often about them and about my parents. I wished I could sort things out with my mother. I missed my brother Ashe, who had been my only ally in my family after I moved back home. Nox had given my mother medicine to treat his recent illness, but I knew nothing about his current condition.
At least they’re alive. That’s more than Patience has.
Patience pulled a thin black scarf from her pocket and tied it over her hair, draping it so that it covered the scar where her eye once was. “What do you think of this?”
“Hmm.” I tilted my head, taking in the effect. I reached out and she flinched slightly, but allowed me to tighten the knot. I adjusted the angle of the scarf to free more of her hair. The fabric covered the damage to her face, and made her look a little more like the girl I remembered. I tucked her hair behind her ear, and this time she relaxed into my touch.
“It looks good,” I said. “Very mysterious. Like you might save the day. Or rob someone.”
She giggled. “I guess that’s pretty close to what I did earlier. Sorry about those guys.”
“It’s not your fault. If you hadn’t been there, we’d have been left with nothing, wouldn’t we? But now we’ve found you, and maybe we can all help each other.”
“Yeah.” She stood and turned to leave, then came back and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back, and she sniffled. “I’m just so glad you guys remember my mama,” she whispered. “Sometimes I think I’m starting to forget her face already.”
She dashed out of the tent.
“Whoa,” Aren said outside. The dancing lamplight cast their faint shadows on the wall of the tent, his tall and lean, hers tiny and thin. “You okay?”
“Good. Thanks.” She ran off, back toward the fire.
“What happened?” I asked as he stepped into the tent. “It sounded like we were being attacked, and then it was all laughter and music again.”
“The fire got a little out of control,” he said. “We took care of it. At least the people seem impressed,
I couldn’t take the silence, or the slump of the girl’s shoulders. I sat beside her and struggled to find something better to say. “It’s good to see you again. Have you made friends here? I noticed there are a lot of children.”
“Kind of. Some of the littler ones were scared of me when they got here because of how I look. I just don’t get along with the older ones. Most of them still have their parents to take care of them.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I take care of myself, mostly. I kind of have a new mother, but she’s busy.”
Someone outside hit a sour note on a flute, and others laughed. There hadn’t been much in the way of drinks to go around, but it sounded like they were well into the small supply. I hoped they wouldn’t be up late. The private tent was nice, but too close to the party for my liking.
And much too close to Ulric’s.
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
“Not long. It was winter when the king’s men found us again. Mama and the others were doing their thing to protect us, but it didn’t work. And it was just like the first time, except that there weren’t as many of us, and... well, and not so many of us got away this time. Just me, and Keela—she’s the only lady that got out, the one I’m staying with. And there’s Devlin, Drover, Jimmy. I guess that’s it. No other kids. We joined Goff and Laelana when we met them and their folks.”
“I’m sorry.” It was a great loss of life. Talented children, and adults who had welcomed and sheltered us when we had nothing to offer in return. So much life and potential and worth. This was how the world repaid them.
I thought about my own family then. Not all had abandoned me. My aunt and uncle and their servants Matthew and Della had all loved me like a daughter, but I’d had no word at all from them since my disappearance. I worried often about them and about my parents. I wished I could sort things out with my mother. I missed my brother Ashe, who had been my only ally in my family after I moved back home. Nox had given my mother medicine to treat his recent illness, but I knew nothing about his current condition.
At least they’re alive. That’s more than Patience has.
Patience pulled a thin black scarf from her pocket and tied it over her hair, draping it so that it covered the scar where her eye once was. “What do you think of this?”
“Hmm.” I tilted my head, taking in the effect. I reached out and she flinched slightly, but allowed me to tighten the knot. I adjusted the angle of the scarf to free more of her hair. The fabric covered the damage to her face, and made her look a little more like the girl I remembered. I tucked her hair behind her ear, and this time she relaxed into my touch.
“It looks good,” I said. “Very mysterious. Like you might save the day. Or rob someone.”
She giggled. “I guess that’s pretty close to what I did earlier. Sorry about those guys.”
“It’s not your fault. If you hadn’t been there, we’d have been left with nothing, wouldn’t we? But now we’ve found you, and maybe we can all help each other.”
“Yeah.” She stood and turned to leave, then came back and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back, and she sniffled. “I’m just so glad you guys remember my mama,” she whispered. “Sometimes I think I’m starting to forget her face already.”
She dashed out of the tent.
“Whoa,” Aren said outside. The dancing lamplight cast their faint shadows on the wall of the tent, his tall and lean, hers tiny and thin. “You okay?”
“Good. Thanks.” She ran off, back toward the fire.
“What happened?” I asked as he stepped into the tent. “It sounded like we were being attacked, and then it was all laughter and music again.”
“The fire got a little out of control,” he said. “We took care of it. At least the people seem impressed,
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