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“Alice?” she asked to the dark “Is that you?”

Suddenly, the bushes parted to reveal a girl, dressed in a dark overcoat Remnant pieces of juniper stuck obstinately to her short blond hair Zita frowned

“You didn’t have to come that way,” said Zita

Alice looked back at her improvised path: a hole in the bushes “You said to come secret”

Another noise This tiirl iry, close-cropped hair She was carrying so in her hands

“Good,” said Zita, seeing h

er “You brought the censer”

Kendra nodded, proffering the thing in her hands It was made of worn brass, discolored from decades of use Tear-shaped holes dotted the vessel; strands of gold chain clung to its side, like hair “I need to get this back tonight,” she said “It’s serious Ifhe has to do to Synod, an apostle to the Blighted Tree She clearly wasn’t very happy about his newfound religiosity

Zita nodded She turned to Alice, as still brushing needles froe?”

Alice nodded gravely and pulled a handful of green leaves, bundled by twine, fro over her back The earthy smell of the herbs perfumed the air

“Good,” said Zita

“Is that all we need?” asked Alice, stuffing the herb bouquet back in her bag

Zita shook her head and produced a sirls squinted and tried, in the half-light, to make out as inside

“What is it?” asked Kendra

“I don’t know,” said Zita “But we need it”

“And isn’t there soain, this was Kendra

Zita had it: a picture old frame

“Are you sure you knohat you’re doing?” This was Alice, fidgeting uncoe coat

Zita flashed her a sht?” She shoved the bottle back in her pocket, the mirror in a knapsack at her feet “C’mon,” she said “We don’t have a ton of time”

The threesoh the alleyways of the town, carefully avoiding the crowds of festivalgoers on their weaving ways hoave way to the loooden hovels of the outer ring, and they cli to the last of the brass bands echo away in the distance A trail snaked through the trees here; Zita stopped by a fallen cedar and looked behind the soaps between the crowding trees She was carrying a red kerosene lantern, and she lit it with a match; they were about to continue when a noise startled them: more footsteps in the underbrush

“Who’s there?” de the lantern toward the sound