15

Those bloodred letters are singed in my mind. Even if I close my eyes, and I keep closing my eyes, the words remain. But I can’t bring myself to move away from the chapel or away from the small group of surviving villagers. Together, we watch the building burn as the doors remain standing.

Olivia watches with one arm around Phily, who hasn’t stopped shaking. With her free hand, she takes mine and looks up to me. “What does she want?”

I shake my head. I take back my tender hands and hide them beneath my armpits. Moments ago, I was awed by my new ability, shooting wind, a confirmation that I’m someone special, despite the minister’s words. But now my ability feels sinister. Are there other mortals who can hurl wind? Is that why Elyn is looking for me? Did I misuse my power in the past? Does she want to use my power?

Jadon hasn’t stopped staring at those chapel doors. He looks back at me over his shoulder. No, he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at my hands.

I imagine the same questions are going through his mind. What kind of monstrosity am I? What have I brought to this town?

A few of the surviving townsfolk, including Freyney, Dirty Bonnet, and Johny, think the same thoughts as they scowl at me.

“She’s the cause of this.”

“I should’ve spoken up.”

“I told all of you she was a threat.”

“We have nothing.”

Right now, as their town burns, they don’t care if a day ago, I defended Maford. They don’t care that I defeated the cursuflies. None of that matters. Their town has been destroyed.

It’s not the smoke that’s choking me. It’s not the fire that burns my skin. It’s the collective glare of those who have survived. It’s their simmering hate now boiling over and ready to cook me and feed me to the fires that surround us.

“I need to leave,” I say, my voice low. “I need to get my things from the cottage and go.”

Jadon eyes me. He knows I’m right. “I’ll walk you back.” He starts toward the cottage.

“They’re not that angry,” Olivia says, running ahead of us. But she can’t hear their thoughts.

“Supreme is displeased.”

“Where is that piece of shit who ruined my home?”

“The white-haired one will be our salvation.”

I jog beside Jadon to the cottage. I can’t stop smelling the scent of night-blooming jasmine, heavier than all the burning flesh. If Elyn will burn Maford down—because she did that, not me—what would she do to me? She’s extreme and dangerous, and I’m not going anywhere near her until I learn the truth about myself. Until I know what she wants and how to handle her.

But before I know any of that, I need to leave this town lest the survivors call her back…or before one of them kills me.

“I’ll go with you a ways,” Jadon says. “Just to watch your back until you’re far enough.”

My heart won’t let me admit how much I want him to join me in my journey. How much I need him. But the memory of my dream of him and me in the forest remains.

Come with me.

No.

“Those flying things,” Olivia says. “I’ve read about them in my book, and I’ve heard stories. I didn’t think they were real . Did you, Jay? Were you as freaked out as I was?”

“Olivia,” Jadon snaps. “Turn around. Pay attention where you’re walking.”

We’re running now, and the roar of the fire diminishes the closer we get to the cottage.

I don’t have the breath to say it, but yes, the cursuflies scared me, especially since I knew what they were but couldn’t remember why I knew what they were. And then there was my ability to send wind. That scared me even more, and I can’t remember how I acquired that power, or if I’ve always had it.

Neither Jadon nor Olivia mention that they noticed the wind from my hands sweeping those creatures into burning buildings and slamming them to the ground. I’m sure Jadon saw it. Did he also see that crackling blue air rolling out of my fingertips?

Olivia flies through the front door of the cottage.

“I think your decision to leave is the right one,” Jadon says as we hurry up the walkway. “That’s what the village council decided tonight.”

I don’t wanna be here as much as they don’t want me, so… bye.

Once we’re inside, Jadon shouts, “Livvy, bring Kai’s clothes.”

“Okay,” she shouts from the back rooms.

Jadon rushes to the pantry. “We don’t have much, but…” He looks back at me. “Oh.”

“She needs to hurry.” I’ve already taken off the soiled tunic—I can’t stand these strange clothes touching me any longer. My amulet swings from my neck as I pull off my boots so that I can change back into my pants. I’m back to wearing a bandeau and breeches.

“You need a bag for a few supplies.” Jadon disappears deeper into the pantry.

“Hurry,” I say, pacing.

Vibrations from the hardwood floor judder beneath my feet and zing up my legs. The palms of my hands tingle as those vibrations work themselves up and across my cheeks. Something’s coming.

Olivia returns from the back rooms. Empty-handed. She looks me up and down and takes in my state of undress. “Again?”

My heart flares. “Where are my things?”

“In the loft. I washed them. Everything’s drying. Why are you naked again?”

“Because you were supposed to be bringing me my shit,” I yell.

Jadon dashes back into the sitting room, a leather satchel, his sword, and another sword in hand. “Kai, I’m giving you a sword, and I’ve put in a few potatoes and…” He looks from me to Olivia. “What’s happening?”

The vibrations beneath the floor are gaining strength. Olivia doesn’t notice, but Jadon does, and he’s now staring at the floor.

Yes, something’s coming. All of me coils inward, preparing for the worst.

“Where are her clothes?” Jadon asks, eyes still on the floor.

“In the barn,” Olivia answers.

He looks up, annoyed. “What? Why?”

But before she can answer, the floor in the parlor explodes, sending wood splinters and shards into the walls and ceiling. The angry smells of hot earth and dead things roil the air and clash with the scents of night-blooming jasmine, sweat, and lavender.

Three creatures with skin as smooth and flaky as the trunks of birches burst out of that hole in the floor. Each of their heads is shaped like a ram’s, with four horns swirling from the tops of their skulls. Except for mouths and jagged teeth, their faces have no features. No eyes. No hair. No ears. Their long arms end in sharpened talons that resemble twisted tree roots.

Olivia shrieks, then runs back into the pantry.

Jadon whispers, “Kai?” He backs away from the creatures and drops the satchel. “Catch.” Without taking his eyes off the beasts before us, he tosses me the second sword.

I catch the long sword and sink back into my crouch in the space between the pantry and sitting room, painfully aware that I’m not wearing a shirt or boots.

Olivia shakes her head in disbelief. “What are they?”

Jadon whispers, “Sunabi.” He launches ahead and swings his sword at a sunabi’s neck.

The blade breaks like brittle bark, and a shattered piece nicks the scoop between my collarbones.

“Shit,” I say, wincing.

“You okay?” Jadon holds off the snarling sunabi with the broken stub of his sword.

I nod and say, “Yeah.” I squeeze my eyes shut to push against the pain. A trickle of warm blood drips from the cut and soaks into my bandeau. Wounded already, and I haven’t even started to fight. The cut burns in its small space, but my body feels heavy. All of me tingles. I take a step back.

The sunabi step forward, the talons on their feet clicking against the hardwood floor. One sunabi advances in front of the others, its breathing noisy, its scissor teeth bared.

I take another step back.

Jadon moves to flank them. “Is this the plan?” he asks, his shattered sword ready.

“Sure?” I say, short-winded.

These creatures could tear the three of us apart in seconds. But they hesitate. We stand there, these creatures and I. They turn their heads away from Jadon and in my direction. If they had eyes, they’d be staring at me right now. One sunabi snarls, its claws digging into the wood floor as it steps forward. The sunabi’s hot breath burns my skin, but I have no fear. No, I’m filled with sorrow, cold and hollow. This creature, this otherworldly , does not belong in this realm.

Neither do I. Not in Maford, anyway.

I grip my sword tight, my focus on the otherworldly before me. “Please,” I say to the creature, “just leave this place.”

“Kai, we need to kill them,” Jadon says, his voice hard.

Maybe it knows the word “kill,” because the sunabi lunges at me.

I shout, “No,” and thrust out my left hand.

The creature slams back into the wall and sinks to the ground.

The second sunabi pounces.

I throw my left hand again.

The creature hurtles back, knocking over one of the armchairs.

Like before, my hands burn, and like before, my fingertips glow coral, red, and blue.

The first sunabi writhes on the floor after hitting that invisible wall and thrashes its wounded body into the cupboard, bringing down with it the remaining unbroken plates and cups. It lies there then, motionless among broken shards of glass and clay.

Jadon jabs hard at the third sunabi, but the blade bounces off the creature’s skin. Annoyed, the sunabi springs at Jadon.

I scream, “No,” again, drop my sword, and throw out both hands.

The sunabi flies backward and smashes into Olivia’s spinning wheel. Like the first creature, it lies there, unmoving.

My hands glow even brighter. My amulet radiates like the daystar, its glow so bright that Jadon hides his face in his shoulder. I tiptoe closer to the last surviving sunabi, collapsed near the rocking chair. Its breathing sounds ragged and wet. My amulet’s glow softens as I control my panting breath. I tiptoe closer to the sunabi.

Jadon also inches closer until he’s standing over it.

The sunabi’s face glows green, and its skin crinkles around the edges of its mouth. Air pushes between the creature’s razor-sharp teeth as green blood pools beneath its body.

“Who sent you?” Jadon demands, crouching now. “Was it Elyn?”

“Danar… Ruh-ruh…” The sunabi coughs up green blood.

“Who?” I murmur, moving closer to the creature.

The sunabi whispers, and the sound bristles against my ear.

Jadon stands, then steps back, his gaze lingering on the creature.

“What?” I ask it, tears burning my throat. I can’t understand what the sunabi is saying nor can I understand why I recognize the language of this creature.

“De-vour,” the beast rasps, its words almost liquid. “Here…now.”

“ What’s here now?” I’m almost kneeling beside the fallen beast. I want to touch it, heal it, pull it away from its doom. Talk to it now that I can understand.

“Be…” the sunabi rasps.

“Be… what ?” I ask.

“Be… ware .” The sunabi shivers, and its breath rattles until…

No no no.

Dead. But…

Beware?

Of what ?