Narcotium creeper
Availability: extremely common
Location: grows up the sides of trees in Backswamp
Appearance: vine
Method: leaves are chewed and the juices are swallowed
Use: hallucinogen
12
THE STEAMBOAT’S WINDOWLESSwashroom had a metal basin, a water pump, a waste bucket, and a stack of towels, some already used by the other prison escapees. The kick of relief when the door closed at Lu’s back came with a tug of sorrow, that this dingy room, with its odor of tartness and mildew, felt more luxurious than any place she had ever been.
Lu plugged the basin and sloshed in two pumps of water. It was river water, gritty with sediment, but it was cool and smelled of Grace Loray—sunshine and freshness and plants. She splashed a handful on her face, letting it trickle over her chin and between her fingers.
This was the safest she had been in weeks. Yet the knot of horror in her chest remained, drawing tighter when she braced her hands on the basin’s edge.
Silence had gripped the steamboat until they were awayfrom Port Camden. Now that they were almost to Lake Regolith and the Argridians had’t pursued them, the dozen prison escapees had started moving, whispering, lining up for the washroom.
And Vex, one of the three raiders on this boat who had saved them, had done his part to help, passing out rations, water, blankets. He had tried to see Lu when he could, but—
She flinched, running her fingers through her greasy hair to work it into a new braid. She knew she couldn’t avoid him much longer. But she had no words for him. Why was it that she had spent so long trying—and failing, as it turned out—to make permanent magic, but hadn’t made more of the plants that would cure him? She hadn’t told Ben that Vex was sick until recently. On top of everything, she was a murderer, a traitor—and he had even known that before he’d come to save her.
But he hadn’t come to saveher, had he? He’d come for Ben. Or Elazar’s other prisoners.
Lu squeezed her eyes more tightly shut, using a half-soiled rag to scrub off the gunk of the prison. It was the best she could do here, but being moderately clean soothed her soul.
She slid out into the blue-gold softness of early morning. A man, next in the line that wrapped up the stern, shoved his way around her and slammed the washroom’s door. Everyone on this boat, save for their rescuers, was caught between horror and the relief of freedom.
Lu curled her arms around herself and angled betweenthe line of waiting escapees and the railing, making for the bow. As she passed, an elderly woman turned to a man beside her.
“Is it true that raiders planned our escape?”
“No,” the man said. “It was that councilmember. Saw her overseeing it.”
“Kari Andreu?”
Lu faltered. The raiders had mentioned her mother in the chaos of the escape, but she hadn’t seen her. After all Kari had done for Grace Loray, fighting for freedom and unity, Lu couldn’t believe she had been involved in Tom’s betrayal. Did Kari know of the things Tom had made Lu do? What would she think when she found out the unforgivable acts Lu had committed for Argrid?
Lu took another wobbling step, steadying herself on the starboard railing.
“The Council saved us?” The confusion in the old woman’s voice was palpable.
“Nah—that councilmember sided with the raiders,” the man said. “I’m not saying Argrid’s right. But I don’t know if I’m comfortable here. With criminals. Withthem.”
“Theysaved your sorry ass” came a snapping reply. “Show some respect.”
Lu jerked forward to see Vex, his gaze murderous.
The old woman huffed and twisted toward the pilothouse’s wall.
Sunrise cut gold and pink columns through the junglecanopy as Vex transferred his gaze to Lu. His face softened, and he motioned behind him to the more open deck. A tremor shook his hand, and he tried to hide it by pushing the sleeves of his black shirt to his elbows.
Lu pushed up the narrow walkway, angling around him. Her shoulder brushed his chest and she caught a startled breath from him—but the terror and guilt in her heart pushed her on.
A stack of crates sat in the middle of the deck. Escapees lounged around it, using it to create something like privacy as they slept and talked. Lu sat on an empty side, facing the passing shore with her arms around her knees.
