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“It is,” Julian said, kneeling by the fire as if he were too tired to remain standing. “At least, it will be. I don’t imagine it will be a quick process. They’ll want to make an example of him, to keep others in line.” His expression darkened. “And things may have changed. Those parameters for punishment were set when Abigor and Lilin had only transgressed.”
Theo glanced at me. “And now?”
Julian grimaced. "Now," he said, "I fear that Olryg is not merely enforcing. He’s hurt. He’s angry"
"It's personal," Theo clarified.
"Exactly," Julian said. "There are fates worse than destruction." His eyes met mine.
“And that punishment was just for Abigor,” I whispered, horrified. “What will happen to Luca?"
Julian turned away. “I…don't know," he said.
I have some idea, Lilin said darkly.
Theo gave me a strange look. "You do?"
I blinked. "I didn't say anyth—oh." Stop that, I said to Lilin.
I have useful information too.
“Yes, but you can’t just borrow my mouth to say it,” I growled, annoyance momentarily eclipsing my grief.
Theo’s eyes were like saucers. “Uh, River?”
“What?” I snapped, trying to muffle Lilin’s voice in my head.
Julian’s expression softened. “The two of you have found a way to co-exist, I take it?”
They're not dead, Lilin insisted. Julian is right. Olryg will want revenge. He won't destroy them right away.
"She thinks Olryg will want revenge," I said at last. "She agrees with you, Julian."
"In any case," Julian said, rubbing a hand across his eyes, "if Abigor were destroyed, we would certainly find out about it. The deaths of thousands of people won't go unnoticed."
"In other words," Theo said, kicking at a tangle of blankets on the ground, "we need to get off of this mountain. And possibly find a doctor," he added, peering at Julian. “You don’t look so good.”
Julian drew a forearm across his face. It came away smeared with ash and blood. "It's not mine," he said. "Mostly."
I pointed at his shoulder, where a deep gash was bleeding freely. "That looks like yours."
He glanced down. "Oh," he said. "Well. Yes."
Theo turned slowly, surveying the rest of the damage in the cave, his face drawn and pale. "This is…not great."
"No," Julian agreed. He rose and went toward the back of the cave, where our belongings—had we really been on a shopping trip just hours ago? It seemed so distant and unreal now—were strewn across the ground. The fire had missed most of it, but the winds that Olryg had manifested had tossed almost everything into a state of irredeemable filth. Julian found a T-shirt that looked slightly less sooty and, unsheathing his knife, slashed it and began tearing it into strips.
I moved toward him, took one of the T-shirt strips, and looped it under his arm. The adrenaline was draining from my system, and I was beginning to feel lightheaded, but I wrapped his shoulder carefully, knotting the fabric over the worst of the injury.
Julian hissed softly and I flinched—my nails had accidentally brushed over the torn flesh. "Sorry," I mumbled.
He shook his head. "No matter." He looked as though he was about to say more, but one of the chickens chose that moment to emerge from the shadows.
"Oh," Julian said instead, his expression relieved. "Hello."
I finished wrapping his shoulder and let my hands fall. The fire was barely a glow now.
“If Luca’s alive, there’s still hope,” I said softly, unwilling to let the subject drop.
