Page 89 of For the Strange and Surprising

Talodus

The relentless clashing of thunder has ensured a sleepless night for me. Even as the worst of the storm fades, I remain wide awake. I stare at the doorway with Ada and Connak at my back.

How she can relax in this room is befuddling.

This is the least safe option of housing to give her. It overlooks the forest, and there’s no lock on the door. Anyone could walk in, take her, and disappear within the trees. No one would know until it was too late. I want to shake all of us for not noticing or caring before now.

Shifting on the bed has me closing my eyes. I don’t want Connak chiding me about being overprotective, and he doesn’t want to hear me rant about the lack of security.

I listen to the near-silent patter of footsteps move around the room. They’re much too light to be Connak; he’s only that quiet while he’s hunting.

Ada’s stealth is both surprising and promising, until she pauses on the threshold of the sitting area. As she stands still with her back turned to us, that same stealth becomes a concern. She sighs deeply, a sad sound that has my eyes popping open.

The door clicks closed.

I know then that she’s made her decision.

She’s leaving.

I contemplate chasing after her. But if she wants to go, who am I to try and stop her?

No one.

I can make sure she gets to the shore safely, though.

I jump out of the bed, rushing to put my boots on. Connak startles awake, alert and ready to fight. Fending for your life for days—weeks—at a time in the forests of Spiran will do that to a Mongrel.

“Did you hear that?” he questions before glancing around. “Where is Ada?”

“She just left.”

He’s on his feet before I can blink, sliding his boots on and tucking the laces. He searches wildly around the room, then tosses his hands up.

“Why are you still here?”

I huff as I throw him his shirt. “She wants to go home. We can’t stop her, but we can make sure nothing else does either.”

“Did she say that to you?” he prods.

“No.”

Connak slings the door open. “Then let’s go get her.”

“We can’t stop her,” I repeat as he darts into the rain.

“She’s not going home, Tal,” he yells without slowing down.

Fat raindrops pelt against the ground, obscuring my vision. I have to jog to catch up before I lose sight of him.

“And even if she is,” he continues. “She’s out here by herself right now.”

The weather is more unstable than usual, ebbing and flowing as I trail behind Connak. The wind howls between the trees in an eerie cry that makes my heart pound. Lightning flashes in the distance, illuminating the flooding path.

He tracks her with a confidence that I’ve never comprehended, as if her footprints really do glow in the surrounding darkness. That’s the way he’s explained his ability in the past. And I’m finally grasping the truth in his words.

Connak’s intuition carries us all the way to the twin boulders on the shore. He only slows his race against time when we get to the treeline and see that Ada isn’t alone.

Isolde sits in the strange metal boat with her.