Shouldn't you be more worried about me finding you?

 “Who?” said Ko at once. “There's no way Ras has woken up yet.”

“I don't think it's about Shizu,” said Toshi, glancing sideways at me. “Yori said it looked like the inquisitors. I think it's about the … other stuff.”

Where they keeping secrets because they believed I wasn't Shizuka? Or was this something they didn't want Shizuka to know?

“The others should be here soon,” said Ko. “But you're right. We can't keep Shizu – Sheila here.”

“The inquisitors?” I asked as I stood up.

“I'll have to explain later,” she replied. “Did Yor say how close they were?”

“He said he saw them by the gates when they distracted the guards,” replied the younger lady. “Someone must have told them about this place.”

“Okay, you take Shizu to Aoto's place,” Ko pressed her fist to her chin, one arm crossed over her chest. “Actually take her to his garden. They won't think to look for anyone there. I'll let him know you're coming and meet you there with the others.”

“All right.” Toshi turned and held a hand out to me. “Is it okay if I carry you?”

Did everyone just carry people around here or were these two just special?

“Can you carry me?” I asked.

“Uh huh, I'm stronger than I look, y'know,” said Toshi, pushing up one her sleeves and rubbing what would have been an impressively lean upper arm if I hadn't already been exposed to Ko's biceps about ten minutes ago.

“Okay but I'm more than happy to walk though,” I said.

“Not in this forest,” said Ko. “And not with the Inquisitors around.”

She didn't sound like she was forcing me into another bridal-style travel arrangement. Instead she seemed genuinely worried about what would happen if we were caught by our mysterious pursuers.

“Okay.” I reached for Toshi's hand and my soul cringed. “Do I just –?”

Toshi placed her arm across my back, tucked her outstretched arm beneath my right, and then slid her other underneath my knees.

“Here we go.” She lifted me up with a short huff and I got the urge to cover my face with my hands.

She was considerably smaller than Ko but it didn't feel like she would drop me any time soon. I couldn't hide my face against her neck though, which was fine because I didn't particularly want to.

“Don't go too fast,” said Ko sternly. “She isn't used to it. We don't want to make her sick.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” I tightened my grip around Toshi's neck.

“I'll be careful,” replied the latter.

Before I could repeat my question, she placed a hand on the back of my hand and suddenly the world became a blur. The colours stretched out alongside us. Long blues. Long greens. Long browns. All interrupted by streaks of gold and white light. White noise rushed into my ears and scrambled my thoughts. My ears grew so cold I thought I 'd get frostbite, and I got pins and needles in my hands and feet without warning. I closed my streaming eyes and tried not to strangle Toshi.

Most of the sensations skidded to a halt a dragged out minute later but I kept my eyes shut. My face was pressed against her ear and I hated every second of it yet I still hadn't reconnected to my body enough to even think about moving.

“Are you okay?” asked Toshi.

I let out a huff instead of the scathing response I wanted to throw at her and she giggled, turning her head away.

“That tickles.” Shaking her head like a dog with water in its ears. “You okay to stand now?”

“Are you and Ko related by any chance?” I placed a cautious hand over my mouth as she lowered me slowly onto my feet and my stomach lurched like water in an upended bottle.

“No, why?” She drew a quiet but sharp breath, but kept her arm around me, holding my other hand like some kind of gentleman.

“You're very similar in some ways,” I said. My face crumpled. “I think I'm going to be sick.”

“Oh no, you can't puke in Oto's garden.” She sounded panicked. “Come and sit here. You might feel better if you rest.”

Before the car accident, the only people who willingly showed such open concern for me worked in the same hospital as Dr Kallik. And that was probably because they were paid to do so. If I had been more protective over my own survival towards the end, I might have leaned on them for support. Instead I tried to limit my exposure to such people. They were reminders of the lifestyle I never had.

For some unknown reason, I let the stranger who had reminded me of my treacherous sister blindly lead me over to somewhere, and help me sit down on something firm and cool. Her presence disappeared for a split second, then the aroma of lavender overwhelmed the other flowery scents that had surrounded me since we stopped moving.

“Here, smell this,” she said. I opened my eyes and jerked my head back from the tiny bunch of purple in Toshi's hand. “It's good for sickness, remember?”

“Is it?” I took them from her and brought them closer to my nose gingerly.

She didn't answer out loud but her searching gaze told me more than she probably realised. We were in a large space enclosed by carefully maintained hedges and clean cut cobblestone pathways in between numerous flower beds and bushes leaden with various plants. The sight settled my stomach faster than the lavender but Toshi spoke before I could take in more of it.

“I have to go but I'll be right back,” she said. “No one should come but if you get scared just hide behind there.”

She pointed to the narrow space behind the stone bench beneath me and disappeared before I could question her spatial awareness. Even though I wasn't Shizuka, she has no business leaving me alone in a stranger's garden somewhere in this strange dreamscape that may or may not have been conjured by my failing brain.

I sat for several moments longer, appreciating the nearby forget-me-nots and pansies, as well as the other red, pink, white, blue, yellow, and multicoloured flowers all around me. Admiring the symmetrical bushes shaped like perched birds, prowling cats, and one that seemed to be a dragon about to take flight. I knew almost nothing about gardening but whoever owned this garden clearly cherished it.

A house towered over it on the side opposite the bench and two arch shapes in the hedge seemed to indicate the position of gates. A light grey metal pergola supported a plant with dark green vines and golden rose-like heads above me, forming a cosy haven from the sun behind me. It occurred to me that I would be completely visible to anyone looking out of the upper floor windows and, despite Ko's decision to send me here, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

“So much for being right back,” I muttered, using the metal frame that curved above my head to get up and twisting to place the lavender down on the stone bench. “What if those inquisitors find me?”

“Shouldn't you be more worried about me finding you?” said the man behind me.

I went still and wondered how unforgivable it was to throw the carefully cultivated flowers in the face of a person who might not deserve it.