Page 85 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

I’m not ordinary.

If I bring all my power to bear—carefully, thoughtfully—I can ensure the scourge sorcerers never touch so much as a hair on our heads. We can stand together—all of us, including the daimon who’s fought just as hard—and finish the mission we came here for.

A twinge of anxiety shivers through my nerves, but not potent enough to shake the sense of resolve that’s welled up inside me.

“No,” I say. “We’re going to keep fighting. I’m not letting the scourge sorcerers get the better of us. We’ve still got a few tricks up our sleeves.”

Twenty-Five

Ivy

Even in the nook I’ve tucked myself into by the roof’s looming dormer, the icy night wind tugs at my cloak and bites the skin I can’t completely cover. I raise the fabric higher over my face to block out as much of the chill as possible.

Things have been awfully quiet, Julita remarks. Maybe you should get some sleep.

“We need to know where the scourge sorcerers are going and what they’re up to,” I whisper in reply. “I don’t want to stay in Pima any longer than we have to—we’re putting everyone else who’s working to resist the Order of the Wild in danger.”

Julita makes a noncommittal sound. She’s been a little quieter than usual since our encounter with her brother this afternoon.

I peer down into the street where I’ve seen a lot of Order activity in the past—where I overheard the conspirators talking about sending arms ahead with manpower to follow.

No one’s come by since I took up my post here an hour ago. The windows around me are dark. But I’m not quite ready to give up yet.

A sound like a snicker wavers up from somewhere to my right. My head snaps around, but I can’t make out the source of it.

A jolt of fear shoots through my chest. I need to be prepared—if they find me?—

Gritting my teeth, I close my eyes against the momentary panic.

No one’s nearby. I’m going to find them.

And I need to stay calm and alert to do that.

When I scan the street again, there’s still no movement. Maybe the sound was just the wind moving across one of the buildings in a strange way.

I adjust my position to ease the stiffening of my muscles and speak in the barest whisper. “How are you doing? It was obviously a pretty big shock, seeing your brother like that.”

Julita shivers. Perhaps I should have guessed he was involved. I don’t know how he ended up collaborating with actual scourge sorcerers—he must have met this group before he ever left for school and used the trip as a cover to join them completely. Either that or it was a very unhappy accident.

Unhappy for us. I don’t get the impression Borys would see it as anything other than delightful.

“I’m sure it stirred up some bad memories,” I venture.

Oh, I’ve had to deal with all kinds of awful recollections since I first crossed paths with Wendos back at the college. I’m sorry I fell apart a little when he first turned up—there was so much going on at once… Now that I’m prepared, I can keep a better handle on my feelings.

I offer her a small smile. “And it means you can help us even more. You’ve got to know him pretty well, so you can help us prepare too.” I pause. “I assume he made some kind of dedication sacrifice to get a gift.”

He wouldn’t have any power for his attempts at scourge sorcery to enhance otherwise.

Julita lets out a pained hum. Yes. Not a large sacrifice, since he wanted other people to pay most of the price for his ambitions. He gave up both of his smallest toes. Walked funny for a few months before he totally got used to the small change in balance.

“What’s his gift?”

He was secretive about that. Always gave vague answers if anyone asked—and my parents weren’t the type to insist. Obviously they were entirely too permissive.

She sighs. I know he dedicated to Creaden like I did, so it probably has something to do with bossing people around. He did enjoy doing that even before he made his dedication.

I frown. “He never used his magic on you?”

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