Opening my senses, I let myself see the glows and threads of power being manipulated by the Denai. I marveled at how much I was able to do now, but couldn’t months ago. I recognized the one using his gifts. It was Tydus, the Denai who had sat next to me to record the council session last season. The session during which the Valderstal clan came to find me.

Tydus pushed back his spectacles and frowned in concentration over a particular spot in the dirt. He waved his hands in a coaxing manner and a small seed began to sprout. He manipulated the sprout, and within seconds it grew into a large tree. Most impressive were the vines that wrapped themselves around the tree to create a large swinging bed that hung suspended from the largest branch.

When his great accomplishment was completed, Tydus smiled and crawled into his bed with his wrap and immediately went to sleep. Someone started to hum and a bright light flashed. I turned over in my bed and watched as another young Denai, Brecken, made the dying campfire spring back to life. He took his bedroll and lay down unnaturally close to the wall of heat.

I watched a young girl named Karni run over to the next wagon, braids bouncing against her shoulders. She got comfortable next to her older brother Marcel. The two whispered back and forth. I was able to catch bits and pieces as Marcel told her a bedtime story. By the time the story was over, the princess was saved by the powerful Denai and the young Karni was fast asleep. Marcel opened his hand and created a soft ball of glowing light and placed it near his sister, in case she became scared.

My soul was conflicted. I was jealous of their gifts that were so natural and the way their inner light glowed brightly. Whenever I looked inside myself, all I saw were shadows. My eyes burned and a small tear slid out of the corner of my eye. Here I was feeling sorry for myself again. I wanted to be like them, a Denai from birth who always knew who she was and what she came from. A Denai who wasn’t scared to use her gifts. I would never have thought to spend the energy and create a bed out of a tree or build a wall of fire to keep me warm.

Joss never did those things excessively because he thought it was a waste of valuable energy. I had forgotten for a second how wonderful the Denai truly were, but now I was to go home and pretend to be something I wasn’t—again. And I realized right then, I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to go home in disgrace. But if I stayed with the caravan, there would be no way to avoid it.

Because Kael was on duty as a hired guard, I knew he wouldn’t sleep anywhere near me tonight. I doubted he would sleep at all over the next few days. My determination grew. When the time was right, I would leave my companions.

I didn’t have a plan on where I was going to head, but I knew I didn’t want to come home with my tail tucked between my legs, and I didn’t want to lead the clan. More tears slid down my face as I mentally walked out the consequences of my decision. I was planning on never seeing my father again. I found it hard to breathe. The wagon moved slightly and I opened my teary eyes to see Hemi wrapped in a blanket leaning against the wheel to try and sleep sitting up. I caught a hiccup in my throat and rolled over away from him. I’d be abandoning Hemi to my father’s wrath as well. At that thought, my soul all but shriveled up and died.

I was a terrible person.

~~~

Another nightmare attacked my dreams and I awoke shivering and shaking. I turned over and looked at the fires.

Something was wrong. They had all burned out and only smoldering coals remained. I tried to take stock of the camp, but the moon was hidden by shadows. Someone tiptoed past me and went over to Brecken, whose wall of fire had dissipated. The silhouette leaned forward, and a second later, Brecken was lifted into the air and slung over the taller person’s shoulder.

The wagon creaked above as someone stepped into the bed. I could hear whispering. “Here, take the girl. I’ll grab the older one. Make sure you stuff their mouth with cloth. The others will start to wake up soon, and I would hate for these couple to start screaming.”

I was instantly wide-awake. I slid my hand over to try and shove Hemi. He’d collapsed and was sleeping soundly on his side. I shook him, but he didn’t move. I even tried to pinch him, but he was knocked out and snoring loudly.

Someone stepped out of the wagon, and I saw the flash of red robes.

My body froze. The Septori. They were here. They are kidnapping the Denai students. I heard a branch break and my head snapped in the direction of Tydus. Someone was snapping and breaking the branches around Tydus’s hanging bed.

Faraway!

Hmm? A sleepy voice answered.

The Septori are stealing the students!

Instantly he was alert. “Not if I can help it”

A loud scream from Faraway pierced the night, and the second Septori that was coming out of the wagon cussed in surprise. “What was that?”

Faraway let out another frightening scream. The other horses he was tied up with started to get nervous from his temperament.

“It came from one of those horses.”

“It could wake the others.”

“Then you better go take care of it, and silence the beast.”

I held my breath in horror at the thought of him killing Faraway. He couldn’t.

One of the Septori leaned forward and put the unconscious Karni on the ground. The other moved away in the darkness and approached the horses. I grabbed Karni and pulled her under the wagon, hiding her behind Hemi’s large form. I took my blanket and draped it over her.

I slipped out from under the back of the wagon and very carefully tracked the Septori that was heading toward the horses. My heart pounded heavily in my chest, and I could feel my ears start to ring from stress. A tingling sensation ripped through my hands as I pulled a knife out of my boot. A moment later, I struck. I was swift, quiet and deadly…just like Kael had taught me. The infiltrator slumped to the ground in a heap, and the horses quieted their noise. I wiped off the blood on the grass. I untied Faraway’s tether from the tree and let him free. I needed his extra set of eyes.

I needed to find Kael.

I needed to find Joss.

Where were the guards? I tripped over someone in the dark, landing on something warm and soft. I stifled a scream as I recognized the familiar uniform of one of the Calandry guards. I pulled away and reached for his neck, feeling for a pulse and relieved to find a steady one. He was alive. I left the unconscious guard on the ground and stood up to run toward another robed figure who was leaving with Emry.

I was about to reach the Septori when the ground opened up in front of him and he sunk down to his waist in quick sand. He had dropped his prize, and the young girl fell to the ground a safe distance from the deadly sand.

“Wha—?” He yelled and tried to scramble out of the ground, sinking lower and lower. Within seconds he was gone and the earth hardened once again. There was no hint of the tomb buried below. A blonde girl ran out of the shadows and checked on the younger girl. Syrani! I was somewhat taken aback by her efforts. She hefted Emry in her arms and looked around in confusion. It was clear she didn’t know what to do then.

“Woods!” I whispered loudly from behind her. “Run to the woods.”

Syrani jumped and let out a little noise in fear. Once she recognized me, her eyes widened, and I thought I saw a small hint of relief. She turned and carefully headed into the dense trees, carrying the young girl.

Thalia, they’re leaving!