That was impossible. Yellow flowers on Irk Road? But maybe I was in the business of impossibility these days, seeing as Ludwig was the Keeper of Irk. The facts were not adding up, though.
“But you were at my doorstep every day warning me not to come here.”
“Yes, and I meant it!” He laughed, now looking me in the eyes. And for the first time, I noticed quicksilver rimming his irises, the bug-ish glasses he usually wore no longer hiding them. He wasn’t just the Keeper of Irk Road; he was a seer.
My heart quaked, the familiar dread coursing through me. But it wasn’t the seer’s fault that my parents behaved the way they did. It certainly wasn’t Ludwig’s, either.
“Monsters do lurk about. Dwindle is—well, you’ll see—and I couldn’t have Moss knowing what I do for a living. I’m the town’s old hoot, nothing more. It’s easier to slip out in the night when everyone believes you to be a little less than,” he said, a bit of sadness filling his eyes. He had been playing a part for decades. But why?
“Now, I’m sure you’ve had quite the journey. So, if you please—” He extended his arm out into the darkness, but the golden horses gave off just enough light that it wasn’textremelyterrifying. Just fairly terrifying. But the abyss felt nice right about now, matching the way my heart felt perfectly.
Ludwig made quick work of setting up camp. He had a fire started in no time, with a small kettle hanging on a branch between the flames. He whistled as he worked, muttering and sputtering to himself. Finally, he filled two mugs with tea for me and Hesper before making his way into the darkness.
“Where are you going?” Hesper asked. Her first words to him this entire time.
“To sleep!”
“Please, take the wagon,” she said.
“I sleep with the horsies,” he replied. “Two will come with me, two will stay with you. Clara and you will take the wagon for the night. I loathe mattresses, much prefer the ground.”
Before we could argue more, Ludwig ambled off into the night, as eccentrically confusing as ever. We stared after him for a long while, until the warm light of the horses faded into the darkness.
“Well, that—” I began, but was quickly interrupted.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Hesper slammed down her tea, the contents spilling out onto the ground.
“What are you talking about?” I whispered angrily. Could Ludwig hear us through all the gloom?
“Back there!” She pointed wildly behind her. “You could have gotten killed.”
“I needed to save the seeds,” I bit back. “I did what had to be done!”
“Like hells you did.” She ran her hands through her hair, grasping hard at the roots. “You were inches away from catching yourself on fire, Clara. You can’t put yourself in danger like that.”
“Put myself in danger?” I no longer whispered. “I tried to save our only hope! I tried to succeed on this Goddess-damned quest! And I know it doesn’t matter to you—” My voice was rising, my heart quickening. “You’ll go back to Eldrene whether I succeed or not. But I’m the one who has to face the reality of losing the seeds. I’m the one who has to face losing you.”
Hesper’s face fell. My shoulders slumped.
I didn’t even care that I’d said it aloud. That I’d finally admitted to Hesper and myself that there was more at stake for me than just going home or not after this was all over. She was a part of it, too. Even though I’d fought for that to not be the case. But I didn’t have any fight left in me to stave off the truth tonight.
I buried my head in my hands, grief overcoming me.
“Clara.” Hesper rushed over, pulling my hands away from my face, any hint of her anger completely gone.
“It’s over,” I cried. I couldn’t keep back the tears now.“They were all I had. I’m going to fail this quest. I can’t grow a garden in a month without magic. I’ll—” My voice cracked. “I’ll never be able to go home.” Sobs rocked me now.
“Clara, listen to me.” Hesper carefully cupped my cheeks with her hands. “You are so much more than those seeds. It isyouwho was sent to Dwindle—not your seeds, not even your magic.You.”
“But that’s not enough,” I said through the tears.
“Yes, it is,” she said, tears now in her eyes, too. “Yes, it is, Clara Thorne. You are light, and you are wonder, and I…”
She took a deep breath. “We can find seeds elsewhere.” She wiped away the tears on my cheek.
“And besides, you didn’t lose everything,” she said, sitting back on her heels.
“What do you mean?”
