Aunt Teetee was dead. She was gone.
Someone grabbed me and began pulling. I screamed, batting them and their strong hands, but I had no strength. I cried as I was dragged into the alleyway.
“Fey!”
I refused to listen. They called again. Then a hand slapped my cheek, shocking me out of my hysterics. I was looking at the face of my best friend.
“Oh Aggie,” I cried, embracing her. I let the tears and sobs come in earnest. Aunt Teetee’s dead body with her burning house behind flashing into my mind. The gash slithering up her belly that had loosened her stomach was finished with another on her face. Blood everywhere, boiling in the burning room and stinging my nostrils.
All because of some letter.Some prophecy.A truth that Aunt Teetee had confirmed with her death. I had to get to Jebra. To my mother. Wherever that was…
I pulled back, suspending the grief. I wiped my face. I didn’t have time to waste. If someone was willing to kill Aunt Teetee overmylife, I had no doubt they’d do the same for me.
“What happened?” Agatha asked, looking at my face and bloody clothes in shock. She pulled me further into the alleyway, away from all the people.
Aunt Teetee’s body flashed again in my mind. “Someone killed Aunt Teetee and burned down her house,” I said. Agatha’s face paled. “But they were really wanting to kill me.”
“What?” she gasped.
“There she is!”
A man in black robes signaled for another group to follow. A long scar ran from his cheek to his throat. Grinning, he pulled down a face mask.
I took Agatha’s hand and sprinted for the other end of the alleyway through dark shadows and threatening doorways. Coming into the sunlight, I led us into the crowd against the way of travel and didn’t risk looking back.
We jumped in front of a crossing wagon train and fled down another alleyway. Agatha screamed and stumbled in a rut. I picked her up, taking the moment to look back. On the other side of the passing train were four men, all in black, all with clubs.
All looking at me.
I took Agatha in my arms, and we limped forward. Crossing a path of another wagon train, turning into another back alley. The voices of the men called after us, but they were still held up by the trains. If we were going to get away and to the wall, we’d need to be quicker.
I came to a stop by a stable yard.We were going to the wall?
“What’s going on?” Agatha said breathlessly.
“They must be the men that killed Aunt Teetee,” I said, looking into the stable yard. I saw no boys mucking out stalls or men lingering with pipes. “C’mon.” I pulled Agatha through the arch and found a horse that was saddled.
I helped Agatha on and positioned her at the back. “Oh, you know I hate riding,” she said.
“We don’t have any options.” I jumped up and checked the reins. It knickered and I moved the horse out of the stall. I booted its ribs, and we shot forward, Agatha gripping my middle with hands like vices. We burst from the stable and into the lane. The four men stopped in surprise, then jumped aside from the horse barreling forward.
We broke free of the alley and back into the street. I turned the horse for the wall, and we were away, guards and inspectors calling for us to slow down and citizens yelling insults.
I laughed in happiness for getting away but doubt still gnawed at my insides. I had the letter and pendant, and I knew that Ishouldtrust it with Aunt Teetee having died because of it, yet I still struggled. How could it be real? How could any of it be real? Who would know the seal?
We rounded a corner and broke out into the roads and fields that were the farming lands for Lassig. It had barely been a few hours since I was last here, and now it looked completely different with people working and hurrying about.
The great doors were wide open with wagon trains coming up along the trail. The train captain was arguing with a guard.
That was our answer.
The werewolves in the Warlands would know the seals. Surely someone out there could help me. We just had to get to Moondaj.
I slowed the horse and came over to the side of the road. Jumping off, I reached back up for Agatha. “What’s going on?” she asked, refusing to move.
“No time,” I said.
She grunted and took my hand, sliding off the horse in one motion. Leaving the horse there, I dragged Agatha into the fields. We moved diagonally, coming to the wall further away from the doors. Agatha kept asking questions, tugging my hand, and pouting. But I didn’t stop.We didn’t have time.
