She knew what she needed to do.
Pushing her hair back, Bisma went down the stairs. Her sisters turned to look at her when she entered. They were all huddled around Mei’s body, clinging to one another: Luna, Azalea, Nori, and Deeba.
Bisma went and crouched down next to Nori.
‘It’s going to be alright,’ she said, running a hand over her blonde hair. ‘I promise.’
Nori released a breath, some of the tension leaving her. She nodded. ‘OK, Baji,’ Nori said quietly.
Bisma kissed her cheek, then stood, turning to Luna and Azalea.
‘I’m taking Mei to town,’ she declared. ‘All of you go to sleep. Mei will be fine.’
‘But—’ Azalea began, gearing up to argue, like always.
‘Trust me,’ Bisma said, her voice surer and stronger than she felt. Even so, she felt better than she had before.
‘We do,’ Luna said, her hand on Azalea’s arm, and Azalea nodded.
It gave her some strength to know that there was someone out there who knew her pain—someone who had read her words and taken the time to respond. She would do her best; it was all she could do.
‘You heard Baji,’ Luna said, nudging Azalea. ‘Time for bed.’
Bisma gave Luna and Azalea a hug. The older girls held onto her tight, and Bisma heard Luna’s breath catch.
‘Everything’s going to be fine,’ Bisma repeated, squeezing their shoulders.
With that, she went down the steps and into the rain. ‘Forrie,’ she said. ‘Bring Mei down.’
A branch curled up into the treehouse and a moment later brought Mei down. Bisma had her cart ready, emptied of its contents, and the branch gently laid Mei down on the cart. She was shivering.
‘Luna!’ Bisma called. ‘Blankets!’
Luna and Azalea tossed blankets down from the treehouse. Bisma did her best to cover her sister, whose skin was now tinged purple, the veins bulging dark blue.
Bisma’s stomach turned at the sight, but she pushed past it and instead pushed the cart forward to leave the Forest.
As she sped down the path to Old Town, the Enchanted Forest bent its branches so that leaves would provide cover from the rain. Even so, Bisma was soaked by the time they made it to the village outside town.
Heart beating painfully, she pushed her cart down to the most expensive street, the one with the biggest, most extravagant estates. She ran past the neat and tidy lawns, until she found the one she was looking for.
‘Hold on, Mei,’ she whispered, her voice cracking. ‘Just a little longer, I promise.’
She stopped in front of the intricately designed door of a grand house and lifted her hand. Hoping he would answer, Bisma knocked hard with her knuckles, then stepped back, waiting.
She had nowhere else to go.
Rain poured down, soaking her further as she waited for the door to open. Bisma turned to look at Mei, who was whimpering lightly, the layers of blankets above her also growing heavy with water.
Bisma knocked again, hard enough to bruise her hand and rattle her bones.
‘Please,’ she whispered. Hot tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks, mixing with the cold rainwater. She wanted to fall to the ground and sob, to let the earth take her.
But then she remembered the letter:What you mustnotdo is give up, or give in.
She would not give up. She would not give in.
She knocked again.
