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CHAPTER 38

CASSIA

I was in the infirood way to go And it wasn’t still

I heard a commotion at the other end of the infire s are full of infection" Soather around and try to save the patient, as breathing with awful, wet, gasping breaths that sounded like he’d sed an entire sea Then he coughed and a spatter of blood caht red on his clean white sheet

Everyone was too busy to tell o I wanted to run, but I couldn’t leave Ky And I didn’t want hi to save thesounded labored

So I crouched down in front of Ky and covered one of his ears with ht up close to his other ear and I sang to hiing when Leyna brings Oker and Xander in I have to keep singing because soe ht in his face "This is your fault for keeping them coherent," he says to Oker "Co There’s no peace in his eyes"

"He came back?" Oker asks, and I hear exciteh to know that he’s dying," the medic says "He’s not cured"

Xander stops and crouches down next to ht?" he asks

I nod I keep singing He can see in my eyes that I’oes to stand with Oker and the others over by the patients

I understand that Xander needs to see what’s happening And he’s found a Pilot in Oker If I had to choose someone as the Pilot, I’d pick Anna

But I also knoe can’t plan on anyone else rescuing us We have to do it ourselves There can be no one Pilot We have to be strong enough to go without the belief that someone can swoop down and save us I think about Grandfather

"Do you rereen tablet?" he asks

"Yes," I say "You said I was strong enough to go without it"

"Greenspace, green tablet," he says, quoting hiirl"

"I’ll always re a hard ti, sympathetic

"Yes," I say "Why?"

Grandfather doesn’t answer ht "They used to have a phrase for a truly memorable day," he says instead "A red-letter day Can you remember that?"

"I’y, not quite right Grandfather’s face is sad, but determined It ain at the red buds, the flowers "Or," I say, soarden day"

"Yes," Grandfather says "A red garden day A day to re to be hard to reht noon’t be clear later But you’re strong I know you can get it all back"

I reet it all back Grandfather said so I tighten

Wind over hill, and under tree

Past the border no one can see

I will sing to hiure out the cure

CHAPTER 39

KY

Past the border

No one can see

I’o in and out Over and under And under And under

Indie’s there in the sea

"You are not supposed to be here," she says, annoyed Exactly like I remember "This is my place I’m the one who found it"

"All the water in the world can’t be yours," I say

"It is," she says "And the sky Everything that’s blue is mine now"

"The mountains are blue," I tell her

"Then they’re o, on the waves next to each other I start to laugh Indie does, too My body has stopped hurting I feel light I ht not even have a body anymore

"I like the ocean," I tell Indie

"I always knew you would," Indie says "But you can’t follow one

CHAPTER 40

CASSIA

Cassia," Anna says, standing in the doorway of the infir throughup the flowers Anna mentioned Mariposa lily Ephedra Paintbrush Anna said she’d bring et? I’ain

"Not even to see the vote?" The people of the village and the farathered outside to decide what to do with the cures Oker and Xander and the other assistants have reement about what to try first and how to proceed