Erian crouched under the table with her arms wrapped around Llor. Their father was huddled beside them. “If we’re quiet, they won’t know we’re here,” Father whispered. He flinched as something heavy crashed against the door. There was screaming out in the hall. Lots of crashes and the tinkle of shattering glass.
“I want Mama,” Llor whimpered.
“Shh,” Erian told him.
“Your mama is out there, helping keep us safe,” Father said.
“She’s doing it wrong,” Llor said. “She should be in here, keeping us safe. You shouldn’t have made her so mad. Then we’d all be together. It’s your fault!” His voice was rising with each word.
Erian clapped her hand over Llor’s mouth. “Shh! Spirits will hear you!”
He bit her hand.
“I’m going to find Mama!” He dove forward, out from under the table, and both Father and Erian scrambled after him. He was as quick as a squirrel, darting across the room, over the couch and under a table to the door. Throwing back the lock, he threw it open just as Father reached him—and a young woman rushed inside.
She slammed the door shut and locked it. Then she sank down, hugging a glass bottle to her chest. Her hair was singed and dirt streaked her cheek, and she looked a little familiar.
“Are you all right?” Father asked her.
“It worked,” the woman said. Girl, really. She looked maybe fourteen. Older than Erian, but not as old as Mama and Father. “I’m not dead. Not temporarily. Not permanently. It worked, and I have to get it to her.” Her voice became more and more shrill.
“Slow down,” Father said. “It’s not safe to go anywhere. There are spirits out there. You can hide with us.” Father saying “hide”—that scared Erian more than all the screaming. He was the one who waltzed out of the house forgetting his ax. He was the one who forgot to stuff charms in their school bags. He was the one who said everything would work out fine, as long as they were cheerful and positive. Mother used to get so angry when he’d say that.
The older girl shook her head. “Can’t. Got to get to the queen. I can do it. I can cure her. But the spirits came. They—I don’t know if Master Garnah’s alive or dead. I don’t know if everyone’s dead. I took it, and I ran.” Tears leaked down her cheeks.
“You aren’t making sense,” Llor told her.
“Shh,” Erian said. “She’s upset.” But she agreed with Llor. She didn’t know what the scared girl was talking about, let alone who Master Garnah was.
“The queen is in the tower,” the girl babbled to Father, “the tallest one. The Queen’s Tower. So she could see the battle. I have to get there, but there are spirits everywhere. . . . You have to help me!” She showed them the bottle she’d been hugging: a vial filled with ruby-red liquid. “This will heal the queen.”
Erian stared at it. Heal the queen!
If the queen was better . . . then Mama wouldn’t have to be an heir anymore. Then she wouldn’t have to be away, she wouldn’t have to train, they wouldn’t have to be here, she’d forgive Father, and they could all go home! If the queen gets better, then Mama won’t die.
Father was shaking his head. “I promised my wife I would take care of our children. No risks. I have to prove she can trust me—”
“We’ll help you,” Erian interrupted. She then turned to her little brother. “Llor, we have to be sneaky to get past the spirits.”
His grin lit up his face. “I’m the sneakiest.” Dropping to the floor, he stuck his face against the tiny space at the bottom of the door. “Looks messy out there,” he reported. “But nothing’s moving. We could go now!”
“Llor, Erian, you aren’t going anywhere,” Father said firmly. “I told your mother—”
“Mama would do it,” Erian argued. “She’d want to help the queen. She’s helping her right now.” She unlocked the door and peered out.
Father reached over and pushed it shut. “I know I’ve made mistakes. But ever since you were born, ever since I looked in your faces, I’ve wanted to give you everything. I never wanted to say no. I never wanted to make you cry. So I let your mother say no. I let her be the parent. I wanted to be the friend, the one who could make you happy. I thought if your mother came here, if she became an heir, that we’d have everything we needed—no more worries about anything. You could have all the toys and books you wanted, all the food we could ever eat, the biggest house . . . It was stupid. I know that now. I wasn’t thinking it would be dangerous. Your mother . . . nothing has ever stopped her or scared her. I didn’t think . . . Anyway, I am here now. And I am going to keep you safe and make the smart choices, even if it means saying no. So no, you cannot leave this room. We are going to hide here, safe and sound, until it’s all over.”
The older girl reached into a pocket of her skirt, pulled out a handful of dust, and blew it into Father’s face. He crumpled onto the floor.
“You killed Father!” Llor cried. Balling up his fists, he ran at her. Erian intercepted him, catching him around his waist. Father didn’t look dead or even hurt.
A second later, Father began to snore.
“He’ll wake,” the girl said.
“Wow!” Llor said. Erian let go of him—in an instant, he seemed to have forgotten his desire to beat her up. “How did you do that?”
The older girl didn’t answer. “You two stay here. Keep yourselves hidden. Out there is no place for children. The spirits have gone rogue.”
“But you said you need help!” Erian said. “I want to help.” Especially if the queen was sick again. That meant that Mama was out there, fighting the spirits all by herself. I have to help!
“You aren’t much older than us,” Llor put in. And then his eyes went wide as if a sudden thought had occurred to him. “Erian”—he pulled her closer to whisper—“we can’t go with her! Mama said never go anywhere with a stranger!”
He was right. But if they could help Mama . . . “What’s your name?” Erian demanded.
“Arin,” the girl said. “I’m the queen’s sister.” She cracked open the door and poked her head out. Erian noticed that it was quiet outside: no crashing. Peeking out around Arin, she didn’t see any spirits. She did see a mess: half the roof was caved in.
“I’ve seen you!” Erian remembered seeing her in the garden—the queen had pointed her out, when they first met her. “It’s okay. She’s not a stranger,” she told Llor.
“I’m going,” Arin said. “Stay here, and stay hidden.”
“We’re coming with you,” Erian insisted.
“I don’t have time to argue—” Arin began.
Erian cut her off. “Then don’t.”
“Wait!” Llor said, and then he tucked his stuffed squirrel under Father’s arm. Father mumbled in his sleep but then continued to snore softly.