My pulse roars in my ears as I leave behind the brothel with my hood up and my hands clutching the satchel Father gave me. Things didn’t go exactly how I thought they might. I never expected him to tell me he wasn’t my father, or that I have a sister.
I have a twin.
Inwardly, I dance with joy at the thought of a twin sister. I was so young when Aniah, my younger sister, died, but I never got over losing her. Never got over that pain.
Now, I have a twin, someone to connect with, to bond with.
The thought follows me as I weave in and out of the crowd, my intent to return to Everly and process everything, but as I pass by a group of prisoners chained together like cattle, I look back at them. The wind sweeps through their matted hair and ruffles their tattered purple surcoats. Kyanite soldiers yank on their chains and bark commands.
A croaky voice whispers in my ears.“Save the prisoners.”
I jerk my gaze around, but nobody is standing near me.
I’m losing my mind.
I try to turn away, to take a different path than the prisoners, but my feet refuse to obey. Instead, I follow them, taking in the pain engraved in their eyes.
None of them are Kyanite. They are all from the other five tribes. There are Malachites with blue face paint, even though they’re not in battle. Calcites with their silver jewelry. White-haired Carnelians, and fierce looking Bloodstone with their serpent coat of arms. And Hematites with their phoenix branded on their faces.
I have never seen them marked like that before. The Kyanites must have done that to them.
One of the slaves stands out, a young man who reminds me of someone. I turn away, only to look back again and study his red hair.
He looks like Quinn.
The more I watch him, the more similarities I see. His hair is a darker shade of red, but his facial features are a mirror image of Quinn’s.
I trail them to a fortress outside of Lanvilla, where they are herded through the gates. As a child, I had seen that fortress in the distance. Father warned me to never go near it.
I duck behind a wall, watching as the gate clangs shut, and the sun dips below the horizon.
The croaky voice comes again, louder this time, more insistent.“Save them.”
As I turn back to Lanvilla, I cannot stop thinking about those prisoners and the overwhelming urge to help them.
But I cannot do it alone.
I’ll need Everly and Tersah to help me.
* * *
Everly’s eyes widen when I tell her about the slaves and the man who looks like Quinn.
“Quinn told me that the Kyanites still imprison her brother. So, it’s definitely possible that the man you saw is him,” she says.
The bed creaks as I sit down. “I want to free all of them.”
Everly studies me for a while before speaking. “You want to rescue people imprisoned by your own tribe?”
“Yes.” I pull Hector’s cloak closer to my body, smelling his scent, longing for his warmth. “I have an idea, but it’s not without risk, and you don’t have to join me if you don’t want to.”
Flames from the fireplace casts shadows across the walls and skim her taut features. “Are you certain you wish to do this?”
“I have to, Evie.” Surely, this is what the high gods want from me. Ifeeltheir presence even now, just like I did when I stood outside the cave. “Those people need us, and we must help them.”
Worry festers behind Everly’s dark blue eyes, but she nods anyway, seeming to accept this. “All right. I will help you.”
“Truly?” I move to the washing stand and clean my hands. “Thank you.”
