stare at me.
I stalked down the aisle. My clothes were sooty. My skin was blistered from the heat of the fire. My hands were clenched.
“What are you—” he began.
“Shut up,” I roared.
He shut up.
I reached the front and whirled to face the room. They were here, half the village, sitting with their hands folded and their mouths shut, looking at me in confusion and bewilderment. Some of them frowned knowingly.
“What is wrong with you?” I demanded.
Silence.
“You burned my farm. You. Burned. My. Farm.”
The Fisher tried to speak. I cut him off.
“If you cannot stop this madness, we are all going to kill each other. We have to work together. We are free from the Farthers, but we are not free from our own fear!”
They were all very still.
“You will rebuild my family’s farm,” I snarled. “You’ll do it when I get back.”
“Get back?” someone ventured.
I left without answering.
~
I paced in my room in the house on the hill until Ivy found me. She sagged in the doorway, hair disheveled, clothing still torn and stained with her blood, face white.
“They burned the farm,” I said tonelessly. “I don’t know who did it. Villagers. Idiots. I think all of our things—Ma’s quilts, Da’s notebooks, all of it—are gone.” I looked at her. If I didn’t do something, she would be gone soon, too.
Ivy sat on the bed. Her skin was the color of bleached bone.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“Earlier, I spoke to Stone. He told me a few months ago about a man they’d helped, a man who’d known who I was. I think it might have been Borde.”
“Oh,” she said.
“But there’s a problem. Stone says Borde left for Aeralis. Astralux, maybe.”
Gabe’s words floated into my mind. If you ever need anything, if you ever are in Aeralis and you need to find me, come to the Plaza of Horses .
“Oh,” Ivy said again. “And?”
Resolution hardened in my gut. “I’m going to find him. I’m going to Aeralis.”
Ivy chewed her lip. She looked at me, and her eyes shimmered with apprehension and hope. “That man said I have a few weeks before I’m infected. Do you think it will be enough time?”
I didn’t answer, because I didn’t know.
SEVEN
I PACKED THE next morning before the sun had risen. One sack, filled with the plainest garments I could find.
“Most of our clothing won’t be any good in Aeralis,” I’d overheard Adam explaining to Ann days ago before they’d left. “We’ll get new clothes,” he’d told her. “So take only what you’ll need for the journey.”
I had no such luxury awaiting me, so I selected the things that would blend best with the fashions I remembered from my last trip. I brushed my fingertips over the folded garments I was leaving behind. I was not sentimental, but something tethered me to the moment, holding me in place long enough to remember the things I’d done while wearing this cloak, that dress, those shoes.
Ivy was below in the foyer of the Mayor’s house, her eyes wide and her mouth stiff against any signs of telltale emotion when she spotted me with my bag, ready to leave. She looked older than the image of her I carried in my heart as she rose and watched me descend the stairs. She smoothed both hands down her dress and lifted her shoulders like a bird about to take flight. She was hope embodied. She was an angel. She was my sister, so precious and fragile. I ached at the thought of leaving her.
“I won’t be able to write,” I said. It was a stupid thing to say, but an unexpected rush of emotion flooded my head and muddled my thoughts.
“Of course not,” Ivy said, and she laughed nervously. “I won’t expect letters.” She stared at my face hard. “The Thorns—?”
“What about them?”
She twisted her fingers together. “Do they know you’re coming to Aeralis? I thought you were supposed to stay here.”
“Hang the Thorns if they think I’ll sit by idly and watch you die,”
I stalked down the aisle. My clothes were sooty. My skin was blistered from the heat of the fire. My hands were clenched.
“What are you—” he began.
“Shut up,” I roared.
He shut up.
I reached the front and whirled to face the room. They were here, half the village, sitting with their hands folded and their mouths shut, looking at me in confusion and bewilderment. Some of them frowned knowingly.
“What is wrong with you?” I demanded.
Silence.
“You burned my farm. You. Burned. My. Farm.”
The Fisher tried to speak. I cut him off.
“If you cannot stop this madness, we are all going to kill each other. We have to work together. We are free from the Farthers, but we are not free from our own fear!”
They were all very still.
“You will rebuild my family’s farm,” I snarled. “You’ll do it when I get back.”
“Get back?” someone ventured.
I left without answering.
~
I paced in my room in the house on the hill until Ivy found me. She sagged in the doorway, hair disheveled, clothing still torn and stained with her blood, face white.
“They burned the farm,” I said tonelessly. “I don’t know who did it. Villagers. Idiots. I think all of our things—Ma’s quilts, Da’s notebooks, all of it—are gone.” I looked at her. If I didn’t do something, she would be gone soon, too.
Ivy sat on the bed. Her skin was the color of bleached bone.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“Earlier, I spoke to Stone. He told me a few months ago about a man they’d helped, a man who’d known who I was. I think it might have been Borde.”
“Oh,” she said.
“But there’s a problem. Stone says Borde left for Aeralis. Astralux, maybe.”
Gabe’s words floated into my mind. If you ever need anything, if you ever are in Aeralis and you need to find me, come to the Plaza of Horses .
“Oh,” Ivy said again. “And?”
Resolution hardened in my gut. “I’m going to find him. I’m going to Aeralis.”
Ivy chewed her lip. She looked at me, and her eyes shimmered with apprehension and hope. “That man said I have a few weeks before I’m infected. Do you think it will be enough time?”
I didn’t answer, because I didn’t know.
SEVEN
I PACKED THE next morning before the sun had risen. One sack, filled with the plainest garments I could find.
“Most of our clothing won’t be any good in Aeralis,” I’d overheard Adam explaining to Ann days ago before they’d left. “We’ll get new clothes,” he’d told her. “So take only what you’ll need for the journey.”
I had no such luxury awaiting me, so I selected the things that would blend best with the fashions I remembered from my last trip. I brushed my fingertips over the folded garments I was leaving behind. I was not sentimental, but something tethered me to the moment, holding me in place long enough to remember the things I’d done while wearing this cloak, that dress, those shoes.
Ivy was below in the foyer of the Mayor’s house, her eyes wide and her mouth stiff against any signs of telltale emotion when she spotted me with my bag, ready to leave. She looked older than the image of her I carried in my heart as she rose and watched me descend the stairs. She smoothed both hands down her dress and lifted her shoulders like a bird about to take flight. She was hope embodied. She was an angel. She was my sister, so precious and fragile. I ached at the thought of leaving her.
“I won’t be able to write,” I said. It was a stupid thing to say, but an unexpected rush of emotion flooded my head and muddled my thoughts.
“Of course not,” Ivy said, and she laughed nervously. “I won’t expect letters.” She stared at my face hard. “The Thorns—?”
“What about them?”
She twisted her fingers together. “Do they know you’re coming to Aeralis? I thought you were supposed to stay here.”
“Hang the Thorns if they think I’ll sit by idly and watch you die,”
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