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“They escaped?” he asked, his knees starting to wobble “They got away?”
Skyfire uttered a barking laugh “Never had a chance They’re so out, if that’s orries you” The Dedicate Superior had joined the up the entire spell-net for the night? Not just the east and west segments?”
Moonstreae—half of their people haven’t ate open until dawn for the stragglers As far as anyone knows, the pirates haven’t gotten around the spell-net in the east If we had a way to ets dark, that would help”
Skyfire looked at the silent cluster of senior es Briar realized they must have drawn close to watch hi around this place so thick I wouldn’t know my mother if I stepped on her foot,” Skyfire ordered “Those villagers will have the road, and our guards, to guide them in, but anyone in open country had better not daretheir necks And if soet all four of these young people up here We’ll see what they can do”
“Unnecessary” The voice—stiff, haughty,nose at Briar “I subes are superior in their control Your children need to work on theirs,” he told Rosethorn, his rival
Briar just grinned tiredly and gave Crane a careless salute
Half an hour later, Tris still had not forgiven Ay Uraelle so vividly in her mind “I can’t believe you did that tohands around the cup of tea that Frostpine had h soirls received Briar’s call Souessed what the children were up to and insisted on trying to break the link Aymery had made the first important dent in their union with Uraelle’s voice—Tris knew that as well as her cousin did “You couldn’t have used someone else?”
“She was the best one I thought of,” he replied with a shrug “And Asaia Bird-Winged knows I heard her yattering on enough when I was s Tris’s puzzled look, he explained, “We lived with her for two years when I was your age”
She winced “I’m sorry You still didn’t have to—”
Niko stalked in the door in a swirl of robes and steel-colored hair “What is the
Daja, Sandry, and Tris drew closer together Frostpine, brewing a fresh pot of tea, looked at Niko with raised eyebrows Ay’s box
“Have you no hold on yourselves?” Niko continued furiously “Can’t you tell when you’re about to pass your own limits? You could be dead at this very—”
“They were hurting Briar and Rosethorn” Sandry forced herself toRosethorn”
“She is a senior e who knows the difference between er, which none of you seem to understand! Have you not learned that you siics as if they were bathtubs?”
“We’re just kids,” snapped Tris, lips treht tears “We haven’t had ti!”
“We’ve learned sos”
“At least they did help,” growled Briar He had followed Niko froet hoed it—just When Sandry helped hi hilared at Niko “They didn’t stand there like a bag of bleaters, waiting for mamma’s leave to romp”
“Those bleaters, as you call theic without the prih, Niko sat on the bench next to Tris “They wouldn’t have been able to” Looking at each of the girls, he said wistfully, “You shouldn’t have been able to”
“That was pattern-ic they interrupted?” Aymery wanted to know, eyes wide “These—children broke into—”
“If it’s so ‘children’ can’t do then we kids didn’t do it” Briar glared at Aymery
“Drink this” Frostpine pressed ainto the boy’s hands “It’ll make you feel more human”
Niko rested a hand on Tris’s shoulder She yanked away and turned her back to hi tears She had been scolded so rarely at Discipline that it hurt twice as much as it had before, when it had happened so often
“I’htened ot here”
Tris shook her head, refusing to look at him
“I think the bird wants supper,” Frostpine said
It was true; the nestling was screa “You’re not supposed to yell or be loud around him,” Tris said to no one in particular “It upsets hi up the nest, she carried it into Rosethorn’s workshop
“I’ll help” Sandry collected milk and honey from the coldbox and followed Tris
Frostpine stared at the door to Rosethorn’s bedroo his bald spot “Will she stay with Moonstreaht to sleep on a pallet in her shop—she’ll be drained—but she won’t let e”
“She’s co here,” replied Niko “So her up Lark’s with the them more time than it did me”
Briar slu his head on his ar carried, even when she can’t walk,” he mumbled “Sleep in my room, Frostpine She won’tto his feet, he stumbled into his room
Frostpine raised his arroan “I’ll make Rosethorn’s bed” He went into her room Aymery started to brew more tea with the water Frostpine had set to boil
Niko said nothing for a while When he spoke, it was to Daja “I thought you were depleted—exhausted—fro”
The black girl shrugged “I had Rosethorn’s green stuff to drink,” she replied “Saood”
“But the basic dose of tonic can restore only so th to help Briar so—dramatically?”
Daja shrugged again, looking at the table
“I must know, for your own sake Did you drink more tonic than you were supposed to?”
Daja shook her head “It’s the string we spun in the earthquake,” she told Niko “It , and it er when she had me touch my lump”
“A lump?” Aymery inquired, then winced “Sorry, Master Niko Must I leave?”
“No, that’s all right,” said Niko, holding up a hand to silence him “Your lump?” he asked Daja
“There’s a lump in the thread circle for each of us I touchedas the rest, when Briar called for help, but lots better than when I got up”
When Sandry returned, Niko said, “I wish to see this string of yours”
She put her hands on her hips, glaring at hi She’s never been under catapult attack before She’s frightened”
“So are we all,” Niko said “I will go to her, but in a , thin hand