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When he saw me, Stono sat down. His face drained of color, and I worried he would faint. He muttered a thank-you to the floor, evading my gaze. Oran and Violet continued to question Chestnut on the necklace snakes.
Chestnut stammered and fidgeted. “I wanted to help.”
“You didn’t have our permission,” Oran said. “And now how many are dead?”
“Six,” Chestnut said in a quiet voice.
“Good for you, Chessie,” Stono said. “I wish you had killed them all. Pulled out their guts and strangled them with it!” Stono’s eyes lit with murderous intensity.
The elders rounded on Stono. Shock mirrored on their faces.
Violet recovered first. “Stono, you’ve had a difficult time. Why don’t you go and get some rest,” she ordered.
He stood on trembling legs and shuffled a few steps, but paused next to me.
“I’ll kill the snake that tried to eat you if you want,” he whispered in my ear. “Let me know what I can kill for you.”
I turned to protest, but he moved away.
“What did he say?” Oran asked.
What, indeed? An offer of revenge on a snake or something more disturbing. “He said he would like to help me.”
“Not without our permission.” Oran puffed up his chest with importance.
“You can’t just use our clan members as your personal army. Taking Chestnut into an unknown, dangerous situation that could have killed him was wrong.”
I had had enough of Oran Cinchona Zaltana. Stepping close to him, I said, “Could have, but didn’t. If we had waited for your permission, you would have lost three clan members. And I wouldn’t debate too long on how you’re going to search for a possible nest of Vermin living in your jungle. If you wait too long, they’re liable to multiply.”
“What are you talking about?” Violet asked.
It was then that Esau and Perl joined us. Having heard my warning, Mother touched her throat, and my father’s grim expression deepened.
“Father, could you inform the elders about the potential threat? I have other business to attend to,” I said.
“Where are you going?” Perl asked.
“To find my friends.”
I found Leif in our parents’ quarters. He was sound asleep on the couch and it occurred to me that I didn’t know if he had his own rooms within the Zaltana homestead. Esau had knocked down the wall to Leif’s room to expand his work area. Unwilling to bother my brother, I tiptoed past him and went up to my room. Soon the sun would set and I wanted to fly with the bats.
Lying down on my narrow bed, I felt sleep pull at me. I resisted, thinking of Moon Man. He had helped me and Leif in healing Stono. Perhaps the effort had exhausted him and rendered him unable to respond to my search.
As the light dimmed, I drew magic from the power source and projected my mind into the jungle. Finding the collective consciousness of the bats, I joined in their nightly hunt for food.
I floated from one bat to another, sensing the space below and around. On the lookout for any fires or signs of people, I coasted through the air, feeling the sun leave the sky. I wondered how the bats could know the size and shapes of their surroundings without seeing them. Was it a skill I could learn? My magic let me feel living beings, but I couldn’t sense anything from the lifeless objects in my path.
The bats invaded every section of the Illiais Jungle. Nestled below the Daviian Plateau, the jungle wasn’t large. Two days of hard walking would see a person from one end to the other. The Illiais Market marked the western border of the jungle. A few bats swooped close to the market campfires, but they avoided the gritty air and noisy crowds of people.
I pulled my awareness back. Having found no physical signs of Moon Man or the others in the jungle, I decided Leif and I would travel to the market tomorrow. The market was the rendezvous location we had set back on the plateau. If Moon Man followed the Vermin from the jungle, he would eventually look for us there. I hoped.
When I awoke the next morning, a group of people were in my parents’ living area, all engaged in animated conversation.
“It’s your turn. I delivered a wagonload of pummelo fruit last time,” Nutty said to Chestnut. “See?” She held up her right hand. “I still have the blisters.”
“I’m not stupid. They’re from staying up all night finishing the clothes you owe Fern,” Chestnut retorted. “It’s your turn to go to the market.”
“You can’t go collecting every single Curare vine, Esau. It will take you seasons,” Perl said. “And what about the Vermin? If they caught you again—” Perl’s hand flew to her throat as if she tried to block the emotion welling from her heart.
“I’m not worried about that,” Esau said. “I’m worried about what they can do with the Curare!”
“Curare can be countered with Theobroma,” Leif said to Esau. “We just need to make sure everyone has enough with them.”
“Is not my turn,” Nutty said.
“Is too,” Chestnut countered.
“Yelena!” Nutty cried, spotting me. “I’ve made another pair of skirt/pants for you.” She held a light blue-and-yellow print.
“Thanks,” I said. “You don’t have to go to the market, Nutty. I’ll deliver the clothes for you. And Leif, Theobroma is good at regaining movement, but it leaves you helpless against a magical attack. Father, can you find a way to get the Theobroma to work against Curare without the side effects? That would be more helpful than tearing down every vine. Besides, I couldn’t find any signs the Vermin are collecting vines right now, but I think sending out well-armed scouts to search the jungle from time to time would be a good idea.”
“Yelena’s here,” Leif said. “Problems solved,” he teased.
“I’ll have an easier time with the Theobroma than convincing Oran and Violet to send out reconnaissance teams,” Esau said. “They want to huddle in our homestead and hide!”
“I’ll handle Oran and Violet,” Perl said.
Her face had set in a determined frown, which she then turned on me. “You’re leaving us already?”
“We need to rendezvous with our horses and our other team members,” I said.
“Are they at the market?” Leif asked with a hopeful note in his voice.
“Too many people for me to determine. In any case we need to look for signs of Ferde and Cahil.” They could be anywhere by now and doing unspeakable things. I shuddered as the image of Stono’s ruined stomach rose in my mind.
“Not without breakfast.” Perl hurried toward the kitchen.
“I’ll go get the dresses.” Nutty bounded away.
“I’d better get my pack ready.” Leif smiled. “Never a dull day with you, little sister.”
“What do you need?” Esau asked me.
“I’m running out of Theobroma and Curare.”
He went into the lift to ascend to the second floor. Chestnut looked around at the suddenly quiet room. He fidgeted, avoiding my gaze and I realized he wanted to talk about something other than whose turn it was to go to the market.
“Now’s the time,” I said. “Once everyone comes back…”
“I can’t…” He moved his hands as if he wanted to pull his thoughts from the air. “I’m having trouble getting past…” Wrapping his arms around his body, Chestnut rocked with frustration. “How can you be so calm? Standing there, making plans, barking out orders. Six people have died. Stono came back from the dead and now he’s different—”
“Different? How?”
“It’s probably nothing. He’s had a shock, but he’s harsher somehow.” Chestnut shook his head. “That’s not the point. Six people killed by necklace snakes. That’s the point.”
I understood his problem. “You’ve never lost anyone to a snake before?”
“No one. I know it’s not a terrible death. At least they’re dead before they get swallowed. I’ve always been kind of curious…” He cringed with guilt.
“Curious to see a snake devour its prey and you feel re
sponsible for not stopping the snakes?”
“Yes.” The word hissed out.
“Think of what would have happened if the snakes had released the Vermin.”
“You and Stono would have died.”
“I’m not happy about the death of six people either, but, considering the alternative, I can rationalize it in my mind.” A shiver raced over my skin. As long as I didn’t think about it too much. “You asked how I can be so calm. I don’t have time not to be. I would like to grieve and worry and carry on, but that doesn’t get results.”
“And results are important. Right, Yelena?” Leif asked as he entered the room. “One of the foremost things the First Magician taught me when I arrived at the Keep was to leave all sentimentality behind. Roze believes she was given the gift of magic to use for a purpose and she can’t let guilt and remorse keep her from achieving that purpose.” Leif rubbed his chin as his face settled into a thoughtful expression. “You’re a lot like her.”
