Page 45 of The Art of Exiley

“If you say so,” I respond begrudgingly. “So Botticelli was a Maker, I’m assuming?”

“No, he wasn’t. And he was vocal in denouncing them. He even burned some of his own work depicting heretical Maker innovations during the Bonfire of the Vanities.”

I have a vague recollection of learning about the Bonfire of the Vanities, which took place in Florence, and I make a mental note to find out how it fits in with the Inquisition responsible for the Makers’ exile.

“But he had Valkyrie family members who often acted as his muses before they all went into hiding during the Exodus.”

“Wait,” I say as her words sink in. “Maker innovations. So you’re saying the Makers…?”

“Made the Valkyries. Yup. They’re an example of the kind of science the Makers were exiled for—attempting to improve upon the original creation of the world.”

Kor had said unicorns were Maker experiments too, and now that I have evidence there are literally winged humans, it feels safe to ask, “Are unicorns real?”

Georgie laughs. “You should see the look on your face. They are real. But they’re extinct. I think the last unicorn died, like, eighty years ago.”

Why do I feel sad for the loss of something I didn’t even know existed until now?

“But the wind horses are still around. You have to ask Master Botticelli to introduce you to Peggy.”

“So if the Makers can do all”—I motion to the winged people above us— “that, can they, like, cure cancer too?”

“I assume at least some kinds.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that they haven’t… shared that with the regular world?”

She’s thoughtful for a minute before she says, “Years before I knew the Makers existed, my grandmother had a very treatable form of cancer. The cost of her treatment was so high that she burned through her entire life’s savings in a year.

“She didn’t tell my parents, but we found out after she died that when her money ran out, she’d started reducing and rationing her medications, and she’d even entirely stopped using the ones needed to manage her severe side effects. There were pharmacies full of the medicine that could have reduced her suffering and saved her life, but she couldn’t afford it, and so she died in her fifties of something perfectly treatable.”

“I’m so sorry.” I know what it’s like to have a sick grandparent. The whole story is so tragic, and it’s definitely not the first time I’ve heard of a situation like it. Why is our world so cruel?

Georgie continues. “So I guess my point is that my experience with provincial health care was that a lot of cures existed that were only accessible for some. And at least here they treat anyone who needs it.”

I have about a thousand more questions, but I’m distracted by the sound of Simon yelping.

I look up and see him slipping from his perch. He grabs at a branch and catches himself. He hangs, his feet kicking, trying to find purchase beneath him, but there’s nothing there.

Kaylie helps him keep his grip, but the branch itself is half-dead and close to splintering. She lowers herself to support his weight, but as soon as she tries, her wings falter.

“He doesn’t look that heavy,” I say.

“Oh, she could probably lift him on the ground,” Georgie explains, “but Valkyries’ wings are only strong enough to carry their own body weight, and they have to stay light even for that.”

The branch Simon hangs from is high. If he falls, he’ll definitely break some bones, probably worse.

I have an idea.

I dash over to the tree. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’m good with plants. If I understand my abilities correctly, I should be able to push Ha’i into the tree to help it strengthen enough to hold Simon’s weight until more help arrives.

The bark is harsh under my palm as I form my fingers into shiin. I close my eyes and try to find the well of Ha’i within me like Master Liu taught me. I imagine channeling the line of energy into the tree. Kaylie yells her encouragement; she thinks I can do it.

But nothing happens.

Maybe the leaves on the lower branches look greener? That’s not enough to heal a dying branch.

Simon is sobbing now.

“Just a little longer,” Kaylie says to him. “Your brother is on his way.”

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