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‘This ghost angel told me that you were inside that dee of losing consciousness in the passenger seat ‘He said that you ht come out any minute I didn’t believe him of course That’s crazy talk But still, you never know’ She shrugs ‘And look what happened’ She squints at me suspiciously ‘It is you, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, it’s et us out?’ asks Raffe

Josiah rubs his face ‘After uard, I took Beliel But Beliel is big and heavy even in his shriveled state I couldn’t fly with hiet him somewhere safe until you came back I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her’ He points to my mother ‘Or her’ He nods to my sister, who lands in the trees with her locusts

‘And how did you end up with them?’ I ask

‘Your mother found out the cult sold you out,’ says Josiah ‘And she and your sister trekked here to rescue you’

I look atas if to say, of course we did Wiry gray now streaks her dark hair When did that happen? For a second, I see her through the eyes of a stranger and see a frail and vulnerable woels

I look atcarried by a locust the way I used to carry her froo

‘You went to the aerie?’ My voice wavers a little as I look back and forth between my mom and sister ‘You risked your lives to rescueMy sister twitches the corners of her lips up despite the pain it must cost her to ht of the danger they faced to rescue ers who can fly her out at any ti trouble if anything happened to her’

‘Oh’ I look at Raffe with a watery smile ‘Even the locusts are afraid of roup of shaved-headed hue iving soave her up’ Josiah nods toward me

The muscles in Raffe’s jaw dance as he clenches his teeth

Josiah shrugs ‘Your mother somehow convinced those people to wander into the aerie after they received their amnesty marks Uriel had to drive theels by doing flybys with her three locusts We all kept looking to see where the rest of the sas While everyone was distracted, your mother set the place on fire She is one fierce woman’

‘Fire?’

‘What do you think caused that explosion?’ Josiah nods in appreciation ‘I never would have gotten Beliel out if it wasn’t for all the distractions your faestures to the truck ‘Once I convinced your mother that you were inside Beliel, she convinced ot us out, but I’ain’

‘Ae on her forehead It looks like ashes, but I know that it’s the aes that Uriel’s soldier gave to the cult members who sold me out

‘You’re not in a cult, are you, Mom?’

‘Of course not’ She looks at me like I just insulted her ‘Those people are all nuts They’ll regret having sold you out I e eats someone, it’ll be someone outside their cult It’s the worst punishroan reaches us froer seat of the truck We walk back toward Beliel and open the passenger door

He’s in bad shape There’s blood everywhere