Darting across the rooftops, her feet barely made a sound against the uneven tiles beneath her. She kept low, her body moving in and out of the shadows. Spotting Bran ahead, she dropped down beside him without a word. Her grip firm, she yanked him back, practically dragging him down into a narrow alley, where the tight walls pressed them into concealment.
At first, he struggled against her hold, but he quickly fell into step when he recognized her. Once they were a block away, far enough that she hoped they were beyond the hearing of any advanced Hollow-born senses, she turned to him.
“What?! Are they Hollow-born?!” Bran’s eyes were wide, excited, his body practically vibrating with eagerness.
“Yes, but shut up and listen,” Rynna hissed.
“Rynna, you’re being—”
She slapped him, the sound sharp in the quiet street. “Listen. Now.”
Bran rubbed his cheek and nodded quickly.
“There are three Hollow-born inside,” Rynna began, her voice low and urgent. “A swordsman, some kind of scientist or alchemist, and...something else. I’m not sure what he is, but he’s the leader, and he’s got advanced training.”
“Like how advanced?” Bran asked, working his jaw.Maybe I hit him too hard.
“Vessel-level advanced.”
“What?” Bran froze, his face paling. “How? The Reaches wouldn’t be involved in something like this.”
“I don’t know.” Rynna glanced around. “Maybe a rogue. They’re working with a sponsor who wants the drugs. And they know Fenn is here.”
“Dang, Rynna. This is bad. What do we do?”
Rynna clenched her fist. “Get back to Guide Fenn and hope Gran Hesta hasn’t drugged him yet.”
“What?!” Bran yelped, but Rynna didn’t wait for him. She was already sprinting toward the forest, her heart pounding as she pushed her body faster.
What if we get there and it’s too late? The thought gnawed at her. She wasn’t a healer, and she knew next to nothing about drugs or how they might interact with the Source, which this one likely did.
As they reached the edge of the village, the trees looming like dark sentinels, she started searching for clues to track Fenn’s movements. But just as Rynna veered through another bush, she nearly collided head-on with Elara and Taren.
“Rynna!” Elara gasped. “We found the children!”
“Granny’s gonna try to kill Guide Fenn!” Bran shouted, finally breaking the tense silence he’d held during their mad dash. “We have to keep going!”
“What?” Taren spun toward Rynna, grabbing Bran by the collar beforehe could bolt off again.
“He’s right, in a way,” Rynna said, her eyes scanning their faces. “I think Gran Hesta’s being blackmailed to bring a small group of Hollow-born here so they can test their drugs on us.”
“To free the village and the children.” Taren nodded, piecing it together.
“Yes, but after the tests, they plan to kill her. And the villagers…they’re beyond saving.”
“They killed them?” Elara peeped, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No,” Rynna replied, shaking her head grimly. “They’re like zombies, but alive, barely.”
“What are zombies?” Bran asked, brushing off Taren’s hand.
Rynna pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to adjust her vocabulary to this world. “It’s like…they’ve lost their souls or their minds. They just shuffle around, no will of their own, until the medical-looking bandit gives them an order.”
“That’s impossible.” Taren frowned. “Can a drug really do that?”
“Maybe with the Source.” Elara wrung her hands. She’d always been the best student in the group. “But the process to figure it out would be horrific.” She blanched. “And it wouldn’t work on a Hollow-born, especially someone like Guide Fenn. He’d be able to counter any Source control techniques.”
“Let’s assume he can’t,” Rynna cut in.
