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CHAPTER 48

KY

not in the water anymore

why not

where is Indie

tiny lights come in and out of the darkness

I hear Cassia’s voice

She’s been waiting in the stars for me

CHAPTER 49

CASSIA

Ky," I say I’ve seen a lightening like this on his face before, but this tihter, as he returns to us

I did not reach Thee,

But my feet slip nearer every day;

Three Rivers and a Hill to cross,

One Desert and a Sea--

I shall not count the journey one

When I a thee

Ky and I took the journey in our own order We began with the Hill, together We crossed a desert to get to the Carving and streaain e came out There has been no sea, no ocean, but there has been a great expanse for both of us to navigate without the other I think that counts

And I think, looking at hi He will count this journey, and so will I

Anna comes in later and hands me several more cures from Xander "He says it will take e for now He says to give the next dose as soon as possible"

I nod "Thank you," I say, and she slips back out the door, nodding to thetheir e e the areas of pressure on Ky’s body "He’s looking better," thesurprised

"I think so, too," I say, and right then we hear soh it I see that the guards are bringing Hunter and Xander out to the village circle

Hunter

Xander

They both walk on their own to stand in front of the voting troughs, but their hands are tied and they’re flanked by guards I wish I could see Xander’s eyes from here, but all I can see is the way he walks and how tired he see cures

"It’s time for the vote," says one of the medics

"Open the ," the other says, "so we can hear"

For a split second they are both engaged with pushing open theand that’s when I e the evidence intome I can’t tell what he saw, but I don’tthe trial so soon?" I ask

"Colin and Leyna h evidence," the er and, as thesmell and fresh air fros sound better He’s not all the way back yet, but he’s co, I can tell I feel him, more than I did before; I know he listens even if he can’t yet speak

People fill the village circle I’h to see the stones in their hands, but I hear Colin call out, "Is there anyone here ill stand with Hunter?"

"I will," Anna says

"The rules are that you may only stand with one person," the : if Anna stands with Hunter, she can’t stand with Xander

Anna nods She walks up to the front and faces out to the crowd As she speaks, I notice the," Anna says, "but he didn’t mean to kill If that was his intent, he could have done it easily and escaped What Hunter wanted was to s fair He felt that since the Provinces denied Anomalies access to any of their medications for years, we should do the same for their patients"

Anna doesn’t play on the crowd She says the facts and lets the croeigh them Of course, we all know that the world isn’t fair But we all understand how it feels to wish that it were Many of these people know too hat it’s like to be tossed aside--or worse, sent out to die--by the Society Anna says nothing of all the losses Hunter has suffered that would lead him to this point She doesn’t have to They’re written on his arms and in his eyes

"I know you can require more," Anna says, "but I ask for exile for Hunter"

The lesser of the two sentences Will the crowd give it?

They do

They drop their stones in the trough near Anna’s feet instead of the one near Colin’s The farmers come with the buckets and pour the water The decision holds

"Hunter," Colin says, "you must leave now"

Hunter nods I can’t tell if he feels anything Someone hands hi for Hunter, wrapping his arood-bye Anna embraces theenerations, connected not by blood but by journeys and farewells

Then Eli steps back He will stay with Anna, who ht into the forest, not taking the path, not looking back Where will he go? To the Carving?

And now the crowd murmurs and Xander comes forward In that moment, I realize that the people have spent their mercy on Hunter They lived and worked with him for the past few months They knew his story