Llew’s wail woke Jonas like nothing had in the preceding days. His body still weak, his mind suddenly alert. Elka, too, sat upright, listening. They locked gazes for a few moments, then Llew’s panicked “Let go of me!” jolted Jonas again. If he’d been able, he would have been by her side in an instant.

  “Rowan!” he bellowed, adrenaline providing a volume even his weakness couldn’t sap. He shuffled himself towards the rear of the carriage.

  “Here.” Rowan appeared at the back flap, evidently relieved to have some direction.

  “Take me to her.” Jonas reached an arm out to hook around Rowan’s neck.

  “Yes.” Rowan seemed shaken, his eyes fixed open. He hesitated just a moment before pulling Jonas to him, slipping an arm under his knee.

  Carried around the rear corner of the carriage, Jonas was unsurprised by the sight that greeted him. Gritting his teeth, he focused on Llew in the road dust. Rowan stooped to deposit Jonas beside her and stepped back.

  “Llew.” Jonas placed a hand on her shoulder. Her body shook with the erratic rhythm of her sobs. The gaps between grew longer, and the violence eased. Finally, she breathed a couple of shaky sighs, shuffled herself so she could curl into his lap, like a large cat; her back to his belly, her head on his thigh, legs curled up tightly. She sniffed and rubbed at her wet face with a fist and lay, staring ahead, maybe looking at the farmhouse, maybe looking at nothing.

  “We killed them,” she whispered.

  Jonas shook his head, but didn’t voice his denial. Llew wasn’t ready to hear it; that the farmers had stepped onto this path with the first Aenuk they’d freed, however long ago that might’ve been.

  “They did so much good, and we led death to their door.” Llew’s voice was thick with her pain.

  Jonas smoothed one hand up and down her arm, and combed her hair back from her eyes with the fingers of his other hand.

  “When I was alone,” she said, “I never hurt anyone. I survived. And I know others who seemed to have it all together with their families and their friends. It’s meant to be better, isn’t it? Why’s it all gone so wrong?”

  The beginnings of a range of philosophical replies flitted through Jonas’s fatigued brain, but he didn’t have the energy to grasp any, nor did he have the energy to defend them against arguments Llew might attempt.

  Llew pushed herself up, swiveled her legs over Jonas’s lap, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder. “I can’t lose you, too.”

  Jonas squeezed his arms around her. “I’m here,” he said. Fatigue crept through his muscles, but he wouldn’t let her go, nor did he know what more to say to make this better. All he could do was hold her.

  Scuffed stones drew Jonas’s attention to Rowan beside him. The man looked awkward, and Jonas had no words for him, either. He gave as reassuring a smile as he could. They just needed a moment.

  “You’d better get inside.” A familiar voice drew Jonas’s gaze back towards the farm and he just about boggled. Alvaro stood in the carriageway, sword held loosely at his side. Alvaro, here? Now?

  Possibly even more surprisingly, Anya Orell stood behind him. She lifted a hand and waggled her fingers at Jonas.

  Anya was supposed to be safely settled in Brurun, with her future husband. What was she doing in the middle of Turhmos … with Alvaro? And no sign of Lord Tovias. Jonas had to admit, it was something of a relief to see the familiar faces. Even Alvaro’s.

  “This is a message. For you, I’d wager,” Alvaro said. “Can’t imagine they’re not gonna come past again.”

  Llew had frozen stiff at Alvaro’s first utterance. She now lifted her head and slowly turned to look at him. Then, on seeing Anya, she almost hyperventilated on a gasp and went to get up, but didn’t quite seem to know how to disentangle herself from Jonas. She made several utterances that may have been her friend’s name as she tried to work out what to do with her arms and legs. Jonas released her and Anya stepped forward to pull Llew into an embrace. Both girls clung to each other as if they planned to mold themselves into a single new being.

  “Oh, Anya. Everything’s gone wrong.” Llew let herself sob into the young blonde woman’s shoulder. “I’m so happy to see you, but …”

  “I know.” Anya patted Llew’s back, glanced up at the farmers, winced and looked down at Jonas again. This time she must have seen his shortened leg, as her eyes widened before she returned her attention to Llew. “But you’re here now.”

  “Come on.” Alvaro placed a hand on Llew’s back. “I mean it. They could come back any time.”

  “Al!” Llew released Anya and turned to wrap Alvaro in a full-bodied embrace, almost toppling him.

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  Jonas clenched his teeth. She had every reason to be pleased to see the other man, but Alvaro had never bothered to hide his interest in Llew, even when she’d made it clear she didn’t return it. Now, though, Alvaro was the better man. Might she change her mind?

  Initially taken by surprise, Alvaro brought his empty hand around to hug Llew back. Then he glanced down at Jonas’s leg and his smile hooked up in the subtlest of smirks. Subtle enough Jonas wasn’t sure if he was attributing what wasn’t there, though he had little doubt Alvaro would find some pleasure in his misfortune.

  Alvaro unhooked Llew’s arm and stepped back. “We’ve got to get inside.”

  Llew glanced up at the bodies. “We have to get them down. How long—?”

  Alvaro shook his head. “Anya and I got here a couple of days ago, figured taking them down would be like putting a ‘come get us’ sign out for the scouts.”

  He gently guided Llew in the direction of the farmhouse, and Anya slipped her arm around Llew’s shoulders. Llew wrapped her own arm around Anya’s back and the pair started up the carriageway.

  Alvaro stood watching Rowan help Jonas to his foot, before sliding his sword into its scabbard and stepping in to take one of Jonas’s arms across his shoulders, sharing the load.

  “I’ll move the carriage,” Elka said, hobbling to the front of the vehicle.

  “There’s a corral and shed around the back—” Alvaro started, looking over his shoulder at Elka, taking in her awkward gait. He unhooked Jonas’s arm. “I’ll help. The horses have to go in the back paddock, and you can probably move faster without me.” He said the last to Rowan. “Get inside. Fast.” He joined Elka at the front of the carriage and started directing her.

  Rowan stepped in front of Jonas and held out one arm, readying a lift. “Sorry, there’s not much dignity in it …”

  Rage and helplessness churned inside, and all Jonas could do was nod. He wasn’t used to moving on a single leg yet, and they had to move swiftly. Rowan stooped, hefted Jonas onto his shoulder and started up the carriageway, keeping to the side to let the carriage pass, leaving Jonas to look at little more than his back, and some of the upside-down world. He twisted his neck just enough to catch a glimpse of the swinging corpses he hadn’t spared a moment for until now. People die around you, Jonas. It had been his curse, now Llew had it, too.

  The bodies were desiccated and half eaten, having hung several days already, but there was no hoping it wasn’t the farming couple. They had been the kindest couple he’d ever met. He’d meant it when he’d said the world would be a nicer place with more men like Ard in it. Now there was one less.

  Of positive note were the Ajnai trees lining the carriageway. They now resembled what in any other tree species would be specimens of five or six years old. Not ancient by any stretch, but a substantial gain considering Llew had planted the seeds only a month prior.

  The transition from bright spring day to shadowed farmhouse kitchen left Jonas blind for a few moments while Rowan slid him off his shoulder and helped him ease onto the bench seat at the dining table. Jonas swung his leg under the table, supporting himself with elbows on the tabletop.

  Llew sat opposite. Or, rather, slumped. Her head rested on her folded arms on the table, and she continued to sob. In light of her being parentless for so many years, only to kill her own father when she found him, and to have to abandon her mother in Duffirk for the time being, the farmers had meant the world to her. Jonas remembered the way her face had lit up the first time they planned to return to the farm, when the ancient Ajnai tree had been felled, and they needed a safe place to hole up in the middle of Turhmos. This farm had been that beacon in the dark, because of them. Jonas felt their loss keenly, too, but kept somewhat detached from it, considering they were still in the heart of Turhmos; no place was safe for him and Llew now.

  Anya sat beside Llew, an arm draped across her back, her head resting on Llew’s shoulder.

  “I’ll check how Elka and your friend are going with the carriage.” Rowan touched Jonas on his shoulder, his look offering some sympathy blended with the awkwardness that comes with feeling out of place.

  Jonas did his best to give him a grateful smile, then turned his attention back to Llew, reaching a hand across the table to rest it over hers.

  Her sobs no longer shook her, but she didn’t raise her head. She could very well have fallen asleep. No doubt, this day had taken its toll on her.

  Anya directed a small smile Jonas’s way, then her eyes dropped, like she could see through the table to his leg, or what remained of it. She lifted her gaze again, and he returned it.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Aris happened.”

  Anya nodded and gave the requisite sympathetic look.

  Jonas shifted his gaze to Llew. “But Llew saved my life. Again.” He squeezed her hand.

  Llew pulled her hand from under his and placed it on top, squeezing him back. She didn’t raise her head or otherwise engage with him or Anya.

  Jonas felt something in him shift. He couldn’t name it, but the warmth he’d felt in his heart a moment before vanished and he found himself looking upon Llew in simple curiosity. Then he looked at Anya. He knew who Anya was, and yet, he found himself looking at her for several minutes as if he couldn’t quite place where he knew her from. Once recognition was assured, he looked around the room, as if looking for clues as to where they were. “Braph,” he growled.