Chapter 2

“Did you hear there’s a new guy in Foresthome?” Nirrin perched on a stump next to me while I started the supper fire. “His family is going to pass the winter here on their way south. His name is—” “Dozan, I know,” I said, annoyed to be talking about him. “Wait, how did you know that?” I snapped a spark into the kindling and watched it turn into a tiny flicker. “We met at the lake.” She gasped. “Really? What’s he like? Is he cute?” I grimaced. “He’s a jerk. Kind of cute, I guess, but still a jerk.” “I knew it!” “You knew he was a jerk?” “I knew he’d be cute!” I wondered how Nirrin could possibly be older than me. Or was it that I was acting too old? “When did they get here, anyway?” “Sometime last week. I can’t believe I haven’t met him yet. Maybe you can introduce me!” “We’re not exactly friends.” “And whose fault might that be?” she challenged. My mouth twisted as her words stung me. I stomped to the stockpile of firewood and jerked pieces out, then dumped the armload of wood unceremoniously to the ground and flounced down next to it. Get a grip. Don’t lose it. Especially since she’s right. She crouched down next to me, looking uncharacteristically solemn. “I said something stupid, didn’t I?” I didn’t look at her and instead dropped a small log onto my lap, tracing my finger along the wood grain. “Sember . . . ” I looked at her then, not used to Nirrin at a loss for words. Her brown eyes clouded with regret. “I’m . . . You may not believe this, but . . . you’re my best friend.” My eyebrows shot up. “I am?” As gregarious as she was, I was pretty sure she had plenty of friends. “I know I talk a lot. I can’t help it. And I think it annoys people. I can see it in their faces, even though they try to hide it. But I don’t see that from you. You always listen. So . . . I’m sorry about that comment. It was dumb.” All the anger whooshed out of me. I’d never seen this side of her before. Earnest and serious. “What brought that on?” She shrugged. “Maybe it was overdue.” Then she quirked an eyebrow. “So, are you going to introduce me or what?” And just like that, she switched back to the Nirrin I knew. I snorted with laughter and pushed her just hard enough to unbalance her crouch. She fell onto her butt and slapped my arm. “You brat,” she said with a laugh. I grinned, feeling lighter. “I’ll see what I can do.” * * * I pushed the curtain aside and walked into the cabin. “Hi, Ma,” I greeted. “Did you eat? I didn’t see you at dinner.” “I wasn’t hungry. Does it feel warm in here to you?” She sat on the bed, fanning herself. “It shouldn’t be hot. I’m not mad about anything.” I pressed the back of my hand against my cheek to test my temperature. It seemed normal. “Come here, my little squirrel,” she beckoned with an outreached hand. I went to her, and she put an arm around my waist, squeezing me to her. I bent down and kissed her forehead. “Ma, you feel hotter than I do.” “Do I?” she murmured and touched her forehead. “I’ll go fetch Ruba,” I said, pulling away. Ruba was our resident herbalist, who took care of the sick when Siena was away. “No, no, don’t bother,” she said, tightening her arm around me. “She’s got her hands full with people who are actually sick.” I frowned and stroked her thin, reddish hair. It used to be thicker and lighter in color, before the fire. I remember grabbing handfuls of it when I was little, marveling over its silkiness. Now it was darker and wispy. Just another reminder of my destructive gift. “Then I’ll get you some soup. You should eat something.” * * * “Did you hear that two more people have been quarantined?” Nirrin slid her plate next to mine and sat down for breakfast. “Should we be worried?” “Nothing like this has ever happened before. Bren says that Ruba doesn’t even know what’s causing it!” Bren was the caretaker of the young. She lived in the largest cabin in Foresthome along with all the orphans. During the day it served as a daycare. Ever since I could remember, Nirrin had lived there. Most of the kids her age had either moved away or found homes of their own. Even though she was an adult now, Nirrin stayed, helping an aging Bren wrangle children. I set my corn cake down. “They don’t know what it is?” “It’s disgusting is what it is.” Nirrin crinkled her nose and picked up a carrot. I thought about Ma and her lack of appetite. Her skin hadn’t cooled down at all during the night. “How does this sickness start? I mean, how can you tell if you’ve got it?” Nirrin shrugged and munched on her carrot. “Maybe you should ask Ruba, though I wouldn’t go near her if I were you. She’s around those sick people all day.” She had a point. If this was contagious, maybe I shouldn’t talk to Ruba. But if it was contagious, and my mom already had it, then it was too late for me anyway. Hmm. I would have to think on it during my run. I finished shoveling food into my mouth—during which Nirrin made some kind of comment about ravenous wolves—and took off. I was trotting toward the lake trail when a gruff voice called my name. I skidded to a halt and looked around. “You sure are tough on a pair of shoes,” the voice said. I finally located the source: an ancient, white-haired man bent over a cobbling workstation, wearing a frayed woven hat. Davin. “Do you ever walk?” He eyed me from under the brim of his hat. “Sometimes,” I mumbled. He was always nice—in his own way—to Siena, but with everyone else he was a grumpy codger. “Let me see those.” He gestured to the worn leather moccasins on my feet. “Right now?” “Sember, I’m not getting any younger.” I bit back a retort and grudgingly slipped the shoes off my feet. He turned them over, swept his hands over the scuffs—which were pretty much everywhere—and stuck his finger through a few of the holes. “These don’t bother you?” I shrugged and drew a circle in the dirt with my toe. “I’m not a complainer.” He nodded, grunted something, and then reached around behind his worktable. His hand emerged with a brand-new pair of shoes. I was quite surprised when he pushed them into my hands. “You want me to deliver these to someone?” I asked. “They’re yours.” “Mine?” I looked down at them. They looked to be just my size. “You just had these lying around?” “I make them to order. These have reinforced soles.” “But . . . ” I was about to say I didn’t order any, but then it dawned on me that maybe he was being nice. To me, of all people. I gave him my best smile. “Thank you, Davin. I see why Siena likes you.” His eyes crinkled. “Any word from her yet?” I shook my head, and disappointment clouded his face. I wasn’t the only one who missed her. I suddenly wondered what it would be like to be so well liked, to be missed by so many when you were away. My family would miss me, sure, but . . . other than Nirrin, everyone else would probably breathe a sigh of relief at my absence. “Thanks again, Davin,” I said and turned to go. He caught my hand to stop me, catching me by surprise. I turned back to look at him and, after a brief pause, he said, “We aren’t so scary, you and I.” My mouth parted, but no words came out. His words warmed me in a way that no fire could. I gave him an affectionate smile and squeezed his hand. Seconds later, I was off again. The new shoes felt a little stiff as I ran, but they were well made and would soon conform to my feet once I broke them in. Which probably wouldn’t take long. I began my lap around the lake. So Davin didn’t think I was scary. I could count on one hand the number of people who shared his sentiment. Sadly, I couldn’t even count myself as one of them. What did it feel like to be normal? To have people talk to you freely instead of walking on eggshells? To be able to have a temper tantrum and not blow anything up? To not be so damn dangerous. When I’d run a full circle around the lake, I found Dozan by the edge of the water, fishing pole in hand and line in the water. I strongly considered ignoring him and diving back into the forest before he saw me. Our last encounter hadn’t exactly ended well. But I remembered Nirrin’s silly request. And with the new knowledge that I was her best friend, I felt it was my responsibility to fulfill that request. Even though it was stupid. I slowed my stride and stopped beside him, deciding to start with a simple, “Hi.” “Hi,” he replied, eyebrows raised. He seemed surprised that I was talking to him at all. “No explosions today? Because I was hoping to catch some fish this time.” I pursed my lips, biting back my irritation. Nirrin was going to owe me big. “I’ll try to keep it down,” I said. “So you’re explosive, strong, and fast. You’re pretty lethal, aren’t you?” I sighed inwardly. Strike three for me. I was officially not attractive to boys. “You were watching?” “I was already here when you started running. Not much to do while you’re waiting for fish to notice your hook. So yeah, I was watching.” I had been lost in thought. I might have skipped the run altogether if I had noticed him. I peered into his empty bucket. “Not a very good fisherman, are you?” He shrugged. “It’s not my trade, so no. I was just hoping for something other than rodents for dinner.” I suppressed a smile and asked, “What is your trade then?” “My family are traders. We travel from tribe to tribe spreading joy, good tidings, and making a little profit while we’re at it,” he said with a wink. I marveled at how much Foresthome’s reputation had changed in the span of ten years. The Forestfolk were once considered secretive, even mythical, hidden away from the world. It had been a safe haven for the persecuted and the lost. A place where the Gifted, once called Aberrations by the tribes, could feel safe. These things were still true, only now we were no longer mythical. Siena’s heroics a decade earlier had ended the constant tribal wars, reopened trade routes, and established the Forestfolk as not only real, but generous and open. Siena had made such a far-reaching impact when she was just one year younger than I was now. It never failed to humble me. “My friend says you’re going to spend the winter here. Is that true?” I asked. “It sure is. Good news travels fast,” he said with a lopsided grin. I wasn’t sure what to make of his cockiness. I hadn’t seen this side of him yesterday. Then again, being knocked onto your backside by a crazy Gifted girl could put you off your game. I tilted my head. “Would you like to meet her? My friend, I mean?” “If she’s female and not old, then yes!” I rolled my eyes and instructed him to stay put. I found Nirrin at the large cabin herding the youngest children for lunch. She was actually pretty good at it, considering all they wanted to do was run around playing tag. They ran away squealing when they saw me. “Sember!” said Nirrin. “I never see you at this time. What happened?” A small boy collided into her legs, and she deftly turned him toward the door. “Remember how you wanted to meet Dozan?” She clapped a hand over her mouth and squealed. “You actually did it? I get to meet him? Oh, I’m so excited! I’ve only seen him from far away. He looks handsome with all that curly hair. When do we go?” “Um . . . right now?” “Right now?” she squeaked. “I’m not ready right now. I need to fix my hair and put on my nice dress and—” She threw her hands up in the air. “Sember, what were you thinking?” I crossed my arms. “I was thinking you wanted to meet him, and now you can.” “I do, but—oh, Sember, you’ve never worried about your looks a single day, have you?” I must have looked crestfallen because she immediately followed with, “I didn’t mean it that way! I mean you don’t care. You never worry about whether you look nice or not. It must be nice. I worry all the time.” That didn’t make me feel any better. “Forget it,” I said as I turned around. “I’ll just tell him you changed your mind.” “No, wait, don’t do that!” I stopped and looked back at her, trying to recall what had possessed me to set up this stupid meeting in the first place. “Just . . . ” Her eyes flitted around while she came up with a plan. “Take the kids to the commons, tell Bren I’ll be gone a while, and meet me back here. I’ll be ready. Okay?” “Fine,” I reluctantly agreed, wondering how I was going to herd these children anywhere when all they ever did was run away from me. “Sember, you’re the best!” she exclaimed before whirling around to the far side of the cabin. I sighed and addressed the children, who were mostly hiding behind beds and peering at me from behind the doorways. “Come on, time for lunch.” Some of them ducked out of view, while the rest continued to stare warily at me. “You want to eat, don’t you? Come on, I’ll take you.” “She’s going to take us to the lake and burn us,” whispered one girl to another. I sighed again. “Look, Nirrin says I have to take all of you to Bren. So let’s go.” Whispers floated around, but not a single one of them moved. My hands formed fists. “I’m about to get angry. Either you guys start marching to the commons, or I burn this cabin down.” Squealing children immediately scampered from their hiding places like scattering roaches and ran out the door. Before following them out, I glanced back at Nirrin. “Wow, you sure can clear a room,” she said with a grin. * * * We were walking too slowly. Nirrin was following me down the lake trail and complaining that there was no need to race around like “stinky, wild boars.” I wondered if she was unconsciously commenting about my body odor. I took a surreptitious sniff of myself. No, I smelled fine. Okay, good. When we reached the lake, Dozan was right where I left him, fishing pole in hand, and bucket still empty. He lit up when he saw us, and I couldn’t help noticing his eyes sliding over Nirrin’s curves. I mentally added “boyish body” to my list of Things That Don’t Attract Boys. “Hel-lo.” Dozan drew out the word as he fixed his eyes on her. Nirrin giggled and smoothed her dark tresses. “Hi, Dozan,” I said flatly. “This is my friend Nirrin.” “Pleased to meet you, Nirrin.” His eyes never left hers as he lifted her hand and kissed it. She giggled again and said, “What a gentleman.” They exchanges pleasantries, none of which included me, and it wasn’t long before I felt like an intruder on their private tryst. “Well, I’ll be going then,” I called behind me as I left. Neither of them seemed to hear me. Or even notice I was gone. I felt antsy. I hadn’t gotten to my practice yet, which I hadn’t missed a single day of in the last ten years, so I ran to the opposite end of the lake. It wasn’t safe for me to unleash fire anyplace else. I squinted across the lake to see what Nirrin and Dozan were doing, but they had already disappeared. I shook my head and watched as a flaming arc formed between my hands. I hoped Nirrin wasn’t getting herself into trouble.