I laugh. “That message is too long.”
She grins. “We have time.”
I shake my head. “Two sticks, one stone, another stone then a stick followed by two stones, two stones?—”
“What’s that smell?” Melisa interrupts, looking away from me.
I stop walking and take a deep breath. The air is thick with charred wood and the roasted smell of burnt flesh.
Acid pools in my stomach.
“Melisa—” I start.
“The sky has been pink. I just thought it was an extended sunrise… oh gods. That’s smoke, isn’t it?”
I swallow, looking up at the sky. Sure enough, the heavens have an orangish hue.
“I am not a land dweller. I hadn’t noticed anything amiss.”
Her eyes widen when she looks at me, and I see past all her walls. “They are burning something. Or there is some massive forest fire. Either way, we must get to Zlosa.”
She picks up her pace, no longer looking at me.
“Melisa!” I call after her.
When I reach her side, I see a column of smoke billowing above the trees. I grab her shoulder, and she whips around to look at me. Small strands of hair puff out around her face as she pants.
The deep, golden skin that usually glows with health has taken on a grey tint.
“Is this another attack? One of your waking nightmares?”
“They’re burning Zlosa!” she yells. “We have to get there tonight.”
I look at the sky and see the ash. “Slow down. It will still take us at least half a day to arrive.”
She yanks out of my grip. “Put your glamour on. They might find us in the woods.”
Reaching into one of my pouches, I grab a glamour pebble. I close my eyes and speak the elvish word that calls the magic on command.
“Blàth,”I murmur.
In seconds, my skin begins to tingle. When I open my eyes, the blue slowly fades and morphs into something more human. A discomfort comes as the magic spreads across my chest and back, and my eyes burn.
When it is done, I drop the small stone. It has become dull and barren. A part of me is sad to leave it behind.
Then she continues walking. No attempts at reasoning will draw her off course. We skip lunch and continue to walk at a breakneck pace in frenetic noiselessness. She swats at me when I ask to check her bandage.
The hills are much more challenging to climb in this cold weather. I had thought that my physical condition was adequate, but we are both out of breath when we reach a hill that looks down on the valley.
It is late at night, but light pours from the city and palace.
The slave pens come into view shortly after. While we cannot see much further than the northeastern lumber yard, the charred houses are easy to see from here.
It looks eerily similar to the homes that were overtaken by lava. My heart skips a beat.
“Melisa,” I start. “Are you all right?”
When she finally turns to look at me, she frowns.