Page 38 (1/1)

I took a deep breath "I started reciting poisons I tried to push the pain away Then the attack stopped, and she said you were getting too close When I opened my eyes she had disappeared"

"Why didn’t you wait for one I felt safer in the trees, knowing you’d be able to find me"

Valek considered h rinned "We certainly proved the Co"

I sood icians so much?"

The pleased expression dropped fro’s colleagues Aberrations of nature, who used their power for purely selfish and greedy reasons They a’s faicians playedhavoc The Co to do with the theicians are not to be trusted, but I’azed out over the forest floor as he talked "I understand the Coood strategy, but I think the younger generation born with power could be recruited for our intelligence network We disagree on this issue, and despite uments the Commander has--" Valek stopped He seemed reluctant to continue

"Has what?"

"Ordered that those born with even the slightest aical power be killed immediately"

I had known about the execution of the southern spies and theripped froasp in horror "Those poor children"

"It’s brutal, but not that brutal," Valek said A sadness had softened his eyes "The ability to connect with the power source doesn’t occur until after puberty, which is around age sixteen It usually takes another year for someone other than their family to notice and report them Then, they either escape to Sitia, or I find the down on my shoulders I found it difficult to breathe Sixteen hen Brazell had recruitedagainst Brazell and Reyad’s torture Had they been trying to test ic? But why didn’t they report me? Why hadn’t Valek co now about my power only added yet another way I could die If Valek discovered o to Sitia, I was dead If someone poisoned the Commander’s food, I was dead If Brazell built his factory and sought revenge for his son, I was dead Dead, dead, dead and dead Death by Butterfly’s Dust was beginning to look attractive It was the only scenario where I would get to choose when, where and how I died

I would have sunk into a deep, brooding bout of self-pity, but Valek grabbed reen lips

The distant sounds of hoofbeats and ht was that it was an illusion sent by the ons The width of the wagons filled the entire path, saplings and bushes thwacked against the wheels Two on, and one man dressed in a brown trader’s uniforons and sixthemselves as they traveled

Froons were loaded with burlap sacks that on held strange, oval-shaped yellow pods

Snake Forest was just bustling with activity today, I thought in wonder All we needed was the fire dancers to jump from the trees to entertain us all

Valek and I sat still in our tree as the men passed below us Their uniforms were soaked with sweat, and I noticed a few of them had rolled up their pants so they wouldn’t trip Onethe extra material to bunch around his waist, while another’s stoh his buttons These poor traders obviously didn’t have a permanent residence If they had, their sea like that

When they were out of sight and hearing range, Valek whispered, "Don’t round and followed the caravan

I fidgeted onif the other twoValek would findin the west, and cooler air was replacing the day’s heat Muscles stiff froy faded The strenuous day of cliht up to ht alone in the forestfree this long

At last, Valek returned and wavedwith the rope around ue

He carried a small sack, which he handed to me Inside were five of the yellow pods that had been stacked in the last wagon I took one out Now that I could see it up close, I noticed that the elongated, oval pod was about eight inches in length, with close to ten furrows running from one end to the other It was thick around the ers just overlapped