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Once again, she raced through the interconnected treehouses, skidding to a halt as she yanked the telephone’s black cone off its hook and gasped, “Hello?”

“Hello, Adry.” Those two words in Fieran’s voice had her sagging against the wall. While he sounded tired, without the normal cheeriness in his tone, he was alive and well enough to have reached a telephone.

The utter relief at hearing his voice had her shouting into the telephone. “Fieran! You’re all right. You’re calling. Are you all right? Hearing about the crash…”

Her throat closed, the thought of him falling from the sky and nearly dying hitting her all over again. She’d come so close to losing her big brother. Focusing on helping Merrik had been her way of avoiding processing that fact. She could have easily lost both of them that day.

“I know. And I’m sorry.” Fieran’s tone held a seriousness that he rarely showed. “But I’m fine.”

“Good.” Adry could barely get the word past the tears clogging her throat. All she wanted right now was to hug her brother. Yet he was so far away, and he’d likely return to the war that had nearly killed him before she even had the chance to see him.

After a moment, Fieran spoke again, his voice heavy. “I just talked with Aunt Patience.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t have to ask what he’d been told. Merrik had no doubt refused to talk to him, just as he’d refused to see Adry.

“Can you…can you be there for him?” Fieran’s hesitation betrayed the emotion underlying his voice.

“Of course I will be.” If Merrik would let her. She couldn’t fully hold back the frustration from her voice, even if it wasn’t Fieran’s fault. Well, except for the slightly insulting part that he thought he had to ask. “He’s my friend too.”

Just a friend. Only a friend. Even if she wanted him to be more. As much as she wished she could be the person he leaned on during a time like this, she wasn’t. Merrik clearly didn’t see her as anything but a good friend and, worse, an annoying little sister.

“I know, I know.” Fieran’s voice held a trace of frustration as well, although that frustration turned into something more raw and pained as he added, “I just…it kills me that he’s going through all this, and I’m not there for him.”

Of course it did. Fieran and Merrik were inseparable, to the point that they’d joined the army together because the two of them simply couldn’t imagine going their separate ways in this war.

In any other circumstance, Fieran would have been the one visiting every day, pounding on Merrik’s door until he let him in. Merrik would have done the same for him.

Instead, Fieran was in Aldon, and Adry was the one at Merrik’s side.

“He won’t be alone in this. I promise.” Adry felt the force of that promise deep in her chest.

“Thanks, Adry.” Fieran’s sigh carried even over the distance of the telephone line.

Since she didn’t want to talk about Merrik nor did she really want to dwell on Fieran’s injuries, she forced a smile and a light tone to her voice. “So…tell me about this girlfriend you brought home.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Fieran’s discomfort was so clear in his voice, she could picture the way he’d be shifting in his chair, his knees bouncing with his inability to sit still.

“Not yet.” From what she’d heard from Mama and Louise, it was only a matter of time. Assuming Fieran could get his act together.

Fieran gave a slight, uncomfortable laugh. “Yeah. Pip’s great. She and Louise are already best friends.”

Adry and Fieran chatted for a few more minutes, mostly about Pip and some about Adry’s training, before Fieran said he had to go.

When she hung up the telephone, Adry stood there for a long moment, simply savoring the moment of talking with her brother.

He was all right. He was truly all right.

Then she pushed away from the wall, a resolve burning in her heart.

Fieran was all right, but Merrik wasn’t. And it was time she did something about it.

Chapter

Five

Armed with a plan and a small satchel of supplies, Adry marched into Uncle Iyrinder and Aunt Patience’s house.

Aunt Patience turned from where she’d been stirring a pot on the stove. Dark circles bruised beneath her eyes, although her blonde hair was in its customary neat bun. “Adry. Did Fieran get a hold of you?”