The walls are made of immense stones cobbled together, and on either side the walls seem to press in. Nerves deep in my belly make themselves known. When I reach the end of the hall, it opens up to an immense cavern, a room carved into the mountain itself. Enormous pillars line the room, and at the foreground is a raised platform with a throne made of stone. Two seats flanked by immense slabs of granite are carved with lines of Quechua.
Everywhere people are prepping the great room for the festival. Flowers and tapestries decorate the walls, musicians set up a stage, and tables are brought in for the food.
From the corner of my eye, I spot Chaska carrying strips of dyed blue fabric. “There,” I say to Manuel, but he’s already walking toward her. She startles at the sight of both of us.
“I must speak with you,” I say.
“Regarding? I have much to do.” She frowns at me. “We all do.”
“I know and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important. Our conversation must be private.” I jerk my chin in the direction of a small alcove. “Can we talk there?”
For the first time, she really looks at me, then lowers her pile of fabrics and takes in my expression. Manuel nods to confirm what I have to share is worth it. She dumps the cotton onto a nearby table and follows us into the alcove. “What is this about?”
“Luna.”
She immediately stills. “You read the stars.”
I nod. “Last night. She—”
“Chaska.”
We all turn to find Kusi coming toward us. He’s drenched in sweat, as if he’d been training hard. “What did you need? I’m not hanging ribbons.” He stops when he sees my expression. “I’m interrupting.”
I shoot a quick look toward Chaska. “I’m afraid—”
But Chaska finishes: “Luna sent a message.”
Kusi slowly turns to face me. “You read the stars? Was her message about the corrupted land?”
“Yes.” Normally I’d hesitate to share something I’ve seen so quickly. Sometimes I’m wrong. At this, Kusi raises his hand and waves, wanting more of an explanation, but I hesitate.
Manuel nudges my shoulder. “Just tell them what you saw, Catalina.”
I take a deep breath and hold it until my lungs might burst. I exhale, and make sure to sound calm. “Do you remember seeing the flower? The one that shone silver?”
He nods.
“That’s what’s killing the jungle. It’s being planted in the wrong place.” I tug on my bottom lip. “Well, I actually don’t know if it ought to be planted at all—that part was confusing. What I know for sure is that the flower is involved, and someone is planting it around the jungle, searching for something. I keep seeing the image of a small boy, but each time I see him, he grows older. He’s been hurt in his life, and now he’s turned … cold. He wants power, and he’s planning something with the flower.”
“Why?” Kusi asks. “Did Luna say?”
I hesitate. “No, but there’s more. Someone’s brought the flower into Paititi. I don’t know if it was an accident or if it was intentional. I ran out of time.”
Chaska pales. “The flower is inside our city?”
“We have to cancel the fiesta,” I say urgently. “Every corner of Paititi must be searched before the flower harms someone. A small child might get ahold of it and—” I break off.
Kusi’s jaw tightens. “Did Luna mention anything else?”
I shut my eyes and let my mind wander to last night—the stars shifting miles above my head, the lines connecting and rearranging, the words written in starlight that I’d put together into a cohesive thought. “Flower. Danger. Corruption. Greed.”
“And what’s that?” Kusi asks.
“Those are the main points,” Chaska says breathlessly. “Seers intuit the rest, based on how we feel and how Luna moves in our hearts. Think of it like a marker on a trail. Once you see it, you know you’re in the right place.”
“But thosemarkerscan mean anything!” he explodes.
“You’re lucky that she caught what she did,” Manuel cuts in coolly.
