Chapter 18

It’s when I see the sunlight on the way back to Wirra that I remember that I’m tired, but I can’t sleep yet. I need to find Sai and yell at him and then hug him. Maybe I’ll hug him first then yell. We’ll see how tired I am.

“Blue, this way.” Rumi stops me from walking to Night Spade.

“Where are we going?”

“For now, my room. We need to sleep and if Sai’s going to come looking for yoo, he’ll likely check at my place first.”

“Wait, what do you mean looking for me? Aren’t we going to go find him right now?”

“Do yoo honestly think yoo could find him? Yoo still thought he was going to school a few weeks ago.

Nh. Just tell me I’m a failure as a guardian Rumi. Please don’t stand there with a smile as you list out all the ways I failed Sai.

“What I’m saying is that there’s no point in yoo wondering around this exhausted. For now, sleep. Tomorrow we’ll come up with a plan.”

I want to argue with Rumi, but I can’t think straight right now. I guess that shows how tired I am. Also, my head has been ringing since I touched that cursed flower in the forest. Note to self, if I stumble into any forests from now on, don’t touch anything. Especially if it’s pretty.

With no more fight left in me, I take the quickest bath of my life and curl up on Rumi’s bed. Before he returns from the bath downstairs, I’ve already passed out.

‘—up. Wake up!’

Blurrily, I force my eyelid open as I search the room for whoever just talked.

‘Wake up,’ The voice orders.

Seriously! What is wrong is wrong with you? I was sleeping.

‘You need to wake up. Someone’s at the door.’ Before I can ask who, the voice delivers its last ominous words of the night. ‘I warned you years ago, you should have killed her.’

The door slams open, waking Rumi with a jolt. It swings violently colliding against the wall so hard that a framed painting falls to the ground. The sound of the glass breaking upon impact embodies the unsettling change of atmosphere around us.

After not seeing her for several days, I’m surprised how much weight Flame lost. A sheen of sweat paints her face suggesting that she might have come down with something. That, or it’s related to pregnancy.

Flame’s hollow eyes fix on me in an intense glare that suggests she’s out for blood. Rumi maneuvers his body so that he’s blocking me from her, but I don’t think she can do anything to us in this state.

“Are you alright Flame? Should I call a doctor for you?”

Flame tilts her head, considering my question. “Oh, the baby? Gone. Lost it. The doctor said that I would since it would be born during the Divinity of Chaos season while mine is water. He was right.” Her sing-song voice doesn’t match the words coming out of her mouth.

“Isn’t that wild. Only one percent of the babies that are from the Divinity of Chaos season survive childbirth. Against all odds, you lived. Why is that?”

When Flame steps closer, I find myself scooting back. Rumi reaches out for her arm and pushes her back towards the door in warning. Flame’s so weak that after her back makes contact with the door, she collapses.

“If yoo have something to say, do it over there.” Rumi warns.

Flame regards me with glazed eyes. “When mom left me here, I just knew she would come back for me.” Flame laughs at this confession, but her eyes have no joy in them. “The day she walked back through that door, I rushed to pack my things. I thought the entire time, ‘that’ll show them’. But no, she came back just to have you. She didn’t even glance at me as she walked out of the shop with you in her arms. You. Always you, her pretty little Blue”

I’m as far back on the bed I can get without falling off. Still, it isn’t enough distance to spare me from the venom in her voice.

“But I saw it. Those scales.” My stomach drops at Flame’s words.

“It’s time for yoo to go. You’ve clearly become deranged,” Rumi commands.

He tries to get Flame out of the room as if that could stop what she’s about to say. But we both know that there’s no stopping the disaster she’s about to unleash.

“I’ve been wondering for years. Nobody else in our family is an animorph. And then, I was talking to a kind man that helped me connect all the dots. Don’t you think we should suffer equally. It’s only fair. I’m never making it out of here, at least not while I’m sane. Why should you?

“What I came all this way to say was…may the Divinity of Death guide you well Blue.” Flame announces this with a wild look in her eyes.

I let my eyes fall to Rumi. His eyes speak of the panic that is on the verge of overwhelming him, it’s the same for me. What Flame said can only mean one thing. She turned me in.

Rumi grabs my arm and whispers, “Run to the forest, I’ll find yoo.”

Then, he shoves me towards the door. As I run out of the room, I take one final glance at Flame. I can’t find it in me to be mad. This day may very well be a funeral for both of us, and I don’t know who’s to blame for that.

I don’t take the main street. Instead, I use my years of experience to weave through the lesser traveled alleyways of Wirra. Whenever I hear footsteps or men’s voices, I backtrack and head a different way. It takes me longer, but by the time I dig my way under the stone wall that encircles Wirra, the forest is in sight.

I blame my lack of awareness on my excitement over slipping out of Wirra undetected. It’s only after I’m slammed to the ground that I register, I’m not alone.

“Hey, it’s been a while, Blue.” A woman with short black hair and a thin frame presses my face into the dirt. I stare at her face trying to place where I met her, but I’m coming up empty.

“Valkyrie, ease up.” The man that says this comes into view and I do recognize him.

His golden eyes are the same as last time, but his hair is different. There are golden highlights mixed in with the black strands that match his eyes. When he bends down, I confirm that there are indeed scales on his face and neck. Those definitely weren’t there the last time.

“Hey. Sorry to show up like this, but would you mind coming with us? We need to take you to see somebody.”

“No thank you.”

I attempt to get up, but there’s something preventing me from doing so. It’s not the woman that’s sitting on my back. It feels as though my entire body is being flattened to the ground. Based on the grin across the lady’s face, it’s likely her doing.

The guy sighs as if I’m the one making things difficult. “Listen, there’s nowhere for you to run. Can you make this easier for us and come along quietly? I promise that where we’re taking you isn’t as bad as you’re imagining.

“Nh. Still a no.”

“Enough with your negotiations Amir. It’s time to go. Good night.”

After saying good night to me, Valkyrie hitting the back of my head is the last thing I remember before I black out.