I choked on my next sob. It was far too late for that. It was only a matter of time before the village was locked down, the king’s guards summoned, and my family slaughtered.
Then I’d be taken to the city to burn.
I made it to my knees. And then to my feet. My entire body was numb. But I stumbled out of the bakery.
My legs barely worked, and I had the odd sensation of my limbs turning to water. The world spun dizzily around me, until my vision narrowed and all I could see was the route to my house.
The few options I had battled within my mind. Find Chista, find the stone, warn my family.
Family first. I had to find them.
I ran faster, ignoring the stares and whispers from the villagers.
Someone caught my arm, and I spun, arm raised, hand in a fist.
Not a guard. And not the king’s assessor.
My knees went so weak, I almost stumbled.
“Mama?”
Safe. She was safe. We still had time.
“Quiet, Prisca.” Her face was ashen. “Come with me, and don’t draw any more attention.”
No one who had seen my mother recovering from a vision would recognize her now. She strode with fierce determination, walking purposefully, almost dragging me with her toward the forest bordering our village.
A strange metallic taste filled my mouth.
“You need to go find Tibris, Mama.” We had plans we’d made over and over throughout the years. If the worst ever happened and we were separated, we would find one another again.
Mama had a particular plate she would leave out on the table. One we never used. If Tibris ever came home to find that plate out, he was to flee. But we hadn’t discussed those plans since we were children.
“They’re already looking for you. Tibris knows what to do.”
Already looking.
I’d had nightmares about this day my entire life. And yet even in my nightmares, it hadn’t happened this quickly.
“Where are we going?”
Mama ignored that, pulling me faster, until I had to trot to keep up. I winced as a bramble slid between my slipper and my foot. I’d left both my winter boots and cloak at home, never imagining I wouldn’t return straight from the bakery.
I’d lived in fear my entire life. And yet I’d also somehow gotten complacent.
“They’re coming,” Mama said. “Faster, Prisca.”
Thoughts raced through my mind as she led me deeper into the forest, urgency in her steps, panic written across her face.
Shouts sounded in the distance. I tugged on her hand. “Mama—”
“The king’s guards,” she said.
My breath caught in my throat as terror seized my entire body. “Already?”
She nodded, hands fluttering. Beneath the determination was sheer terror. Even her lips were white. “Chista has been flirting with one of the guards these past months. She’s already speaking to him now. I saw them and came straight to you.”
“Are you sure Chista told him?”
“I watched her tell him yesterday.”
She was talking about her vision. She’d seen this happen and hadn’t warned me.
I had a bag packed for just this situation. A bag with warm clothes, food, weapons, even a few coins I’d tucked away over the years. If Mama had told me, I would have grabbed it. Without it…how long would I last?
The world spun around me, and my lungs seized. It took several tries before I could talk. “You’re going the wrong way,” I got out. We weren’t far from the cliff overlooking the river. We had nowhere else to go from there.
By the time we stood on the cliff, I was shuddering with fear. “You need to go warn Tibris. I’ll run.”
My mother was shaking her head. “Tibris will be okay. I left him a note explaining—”
“A note? Mama, they’ll come for him.”
“He’s smart. He knows what to do.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I thought when the time came, it would be easy to do what needed to be done.”
Something about the way she said those words, about the way her face tightened in grim resolve…made the top of my spine itch.
“We don’t have time to waste here, Mama. I need to get to the next village to buy supplies.” Thoughts spun through my head, plans created and discarded within seconds. “Then the city. And I’ll stowaway on a ship…” A ship south to the other human kingdom of Gromalia. Before I left Eprotha, I’d create a false trail, make sure the guards thought I was going elsewhere. Distract them from hunting my family.
Mama just shook her head. “Listen to me carefully. I had hoped we would have more time, but fate had other plans.”