That night, I could hardly sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, every time I tried to slip away into my own little section of the void, I felt drops of frigid, burning water rolling down my back. Until I seized this power, until I made it my own and no one else’s, I’d be a danger not just to myself, but to my sisters and all the others who’d thrown their lot in with me.

  Ea’Ssyri Thelia left the next morning. Which left my sisters and I with only the overworked Eiss as a familiar face. Somehow, I’d not yet been found out by Tahaksa, but it was only a matter of time now.

  “You’re up early,” Ssiina commented, sipping tea while coiled on our temporary home’s lower floor.

  Kyrae being at the next house over felt odd, but after that spar I couldn’t say I didn’t trust Faru. I yawned, popping my jaw wide and letting my fangs slide out and back, before coiling next to her and pnting my face into the sun-warmed wood.

  “Can’t get in trouble again,” I mumbled.

  I heard a mug sliding over to rest near my head. “Here. The maid prepared us each a cup.”

  I wrapped a hand around it. Warm. But I didn’t lift my head just yet. “I miss Dyni. And Sire.”

  Ssiina swallowed. “Me too, Issa. When Kyrae and I talked to the Ea’Ssyri yesterday, she said we’d get to visit during the next Tuo’Esuzin. A little before or after, anyway, to make security easier.

  “I don’t want to be hauled around like cargo.”

  “Me neither. Drink—we need to leave soon and it’ll help wake you up.”

  Groggily, I lifted my head and looked down into the cup. The amber liquid smelled pleasantly floral with just a touch of sweetness. The taste didn’t quite live up to the smell, but the warmth was worth it.

  “It’s good,” I said meaninglessly. I never really liked tea, anyway—if this was better or worse than Dyni’s, I couldn’t tell.

  “Yeah,” Ssiina replied, “it is. Dyni always made it stronger though, I hope it’s enough to wake me up.” She forced a chuckle. “At least I don’t have to try to dress you.”

  “I’m not a kid anymore.”

  “No, you’re not.” She looked at me with familiar gold eyes. “But most mornings you act like you’re in torpor.”

  “True.” I downed the tea and flicked my tongue to try to get a bit more of the smell into its fvor.

  Ssiina took another sip. “I didn’t expect you to agree. Regardless, you’re up and we both need to head to our pre-imperial history css shortly. After you went to sleep, Kyrae and I made a schedule.”

  My face found the table again. “Do I have to?”

  “We left yours mostly bnk.”

  I gestured positively with my hand. “How long can I stay here?”

  There was a short pause and a rustling of scales before Ssiina answered. “You can’t. I lost track of time—sundial is showing we need to leave. Now.”

  I grumbled and lifted my head. “Fiiine. Can I sleep in css?”

  “Do you want to get in trouble?”

  No. I shot up, back suddenly straight. “I’m awake!”

  Ssiina giggled, then said seriously, “Are you really alright? Neither you nor the Ea’Ssyri talked about the ablution.”

  “Oh, uh…” I looked behind us, toward the rest of the dwelling.

  Ssiina nodded and gave a sloppy version of the “not safe” hand signal Kyrae and I used.

  “Just really embarrassing. And it made me think—I don’t want to do it again.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, eyes over my shoulder.

  Could you be any less subtle?

  “Whatever,” I said. “Let me slide upstairs really fast and I’ll grab parchment and a quill.”

  On the way to the ramp, I saw our maid. I must’ve moved fast, because the small nia’el woman moved quickly from behind the doorframe to tidying up the untouched room. I waved and she smiled back, awkward enough that even I could tell.

  I guess Ussyri Tahaksa doesn’t exactly have to be subtle about sending people to watch us.

  Moments ter, I was outside with Ssiina, Kyrae, and Faru. Kyrae wore something simir to what Ssiina and I wore up top: simple off-white robes with dark green stitching. They were like the Temple’s robes, only simpler—and also a little itchy.

  The weirdly strong elf girl, meanwhile, was wearing what could only be described as half of a thicket. Somewhere inside, her eyes were visible, and her ears made the sides twitch as she talked.

  I stared at her for a moment until a very important thought struck me. “Wait, could I have worn whatever I wanted too?”

  Faru ughed.

  “No,” Kyrae said with an exasperated sigh. “She wants to help, so she’s trying to ‘take all the attention so you don’t get in trouble.’”

  “Can she really take all the attention? Is there only so much to give?” Ssiina asked.

  Kyrae and I both looked askance at her.

  “It was a joke!” she hissed. “I’m learning, see!”

  I couldn’t help but bark out a hissing ugh at that. Just like that, the mood lightened, and we started off towards our first lesson at a brisk pace. Whereas we’d been outsiders before, now we were part of the river of people. Or we would be if everyone wasn’t staring at the walking bush.

  “Isn’t this just going to get you in trouble for no reason?” I asked, in Elvish of course.

  “I want to see the ablution chambers, see if there’s evidence. Figured this’d be an easy way to get in—I already got told off for this a bunch, so it’s really no problem at all. My usual behavior, even.”

  “You’ve worn this before?” Ssiina asked.

  Faru bounced. “Yep! Though I usually wear something a liiittle more practical instead of scouting camoufge.”

  Kyrae gave her a look. “What do you scout for?”

  “...Wild siiks and deer, mostly. Anything that could be a threat—or food. Or both!”

  Kyrae’s brow furrowed, but she didn’t push the issue. We arrived at the dimly familiar building and started moving toward the css’s hall under a monsoon of strange looks. At least that means no one’s trying to talk to me.

  All the time I was at Phaeliisthia’s, then the Emerald Pace, I hadn’t really thought about the differences keniel had. Here, surrounded by people close to my own age and no longer stunted for ck of food, the difference was pretty obvious. Ssiina and I were the same length as any ke’nia we passed—and in most cases I had to realize I was even bigger now. At the same time, our build and posture were different, not just from the way we’d been taught to carry ourselves.

  I moved with my upper body positioned lower down, short enough that I was only a head taller than Kyrae. And I coiled up behind, moving tightly instead of loose. Small was less noticeable; small fit into pces better. Even all these years ter, what Kyrae and I had gone through still left its awful imprints.

  Kyrae must have sensed something, because she wrapped her hand in mine. And I let myself rex, sliding up and out to where I could see easily above the crowd. I caught a few looks thrown my way, but most eyes were still on Faru.

  She made it to the door before someone in Temple robes made their way through the crowd toward us.

  Faru jumped up to get a better look and nded in a takeoff position. “Looks like that’s for me! Gotta run!”

  Before any of us could say a word, Faru was darting off down the hallway to a chorus of “hey!” and “watch it!”. The ssyri’ssen picked up speed and slithered after her wake, leaving my sisters and I to stare dumbly down the hallway.

  “So…”

  “No, Issa. There’s no point to any of that.”

  “Right, yeah. Hey did you know she’s a really good fighter? Caught me chasing my own tail in the spar st night.”

  “Really?” Ssiina asked.

  Kyrae’s jaw worked, then she pointed just past us. “That’s our room. Let’s go.”

  I took off after her. “So you knew she was a good fighter?”

  “...Yes. Can we have this conversation somewhere less public?”

  “Uh, sure, I guess? I mean, she’s taking combat csses with me so she’s gonna show it all off anyway, right?”

  “I…” Kyrae paused at the doorway. “Yeah, I’m probably just worried about nothing.”

  Ssiina moved between us and into the room, looking back over one shoulder. “Is she like Dyni?”

  Kyrae nodded. “I think so?”

  “I’m sure she’s fine then!” Ssiina fshed a big smile and slithered the rest of the way inside. I followed her and Kyrae ran after me.

  The lecture hall was rge, with a pitched roof and plenty of light snting in from tall windows. The floor sloped down to a stage at the bottom, coils and tables at intervals all the way down. The breeze the windows let in helped me to breathe, and I coiled up in the back row, near the wall and out of the direct light.

  Ssiina was already nearing the lowest level, and when she turned to look, I waved her on. Kyrae as well slithered past me and down near the front. A bench was set up down there, a few other elves already sitting.

  The rest of the css were mia, and the room looked about three quarters full. Ssiina drew looks and whispers, and I heard her introduce herself as she coiled up in the front. It looked like we were the st to arrive, and I was more than fine with empty pces next to me.

  Just as soon as Kyrae had taken her seat, a familiar pale mia in Temple robes slithered onto the stage. She’s the one I crashed into when we got here!

  Now if only I could remember her name!

  She’ll introduce herself… right? Unfortunately, she did not. Worse yet, the reason was because this wasn’t the first lecture. Lucky for me, Phaeliisthia had taught me all of this years ago. Despite that, I remember that she was nice to Kyrae, so I sat and paid as much attention as I could.

  Which it turned out wasn’t much. Phaeliisthia had already taught us this, and this lecturer missed a few things even I remembered. My mind kept wandering, looking around the room and at the other students. I wasn’t the only one, but I snapped to attention when I heard Ssiina’s voice. She was asking a question about pre-mian ruins.

  The pale lecturer’s pink eyes went wide and she snapped her fingers before answering. “We believe many of their structures were either made from wood, or have been covered over by the jungle. However, there have been artifacts found near Qirjaa’iin just down the Hssyri from here. While the nature of their culture is somewhat beyond my purview, I do recall hearing that they revered the Sekalln Mountains. So it is therefore possible they may have had settlements or temples of their own. Though it is unlikely they are too high, as what can be gathered of their appearance suggests they might be more susceptible to the cold than even mia are.

  “Now! My apologies, hssen, but I was not aware we would be receiving new students, let alone such prestigious individuals. I am Ssyri’zh Sylota. Please see me after the lecture and I will let you know where to find resources to catch up. Though I would not be surprised should you consider this course merely a lesson of review.”

  At the mention of “hssen,” all eyes shot down toward Ssiina. The guy she was sitting next to in particur looked like he was holding back from asking several questions.

  “Who are they?” someone asked.

  Bowing lightly, Sylota deferred to Ssiina. Of course my sister preened and raised herself up. “Raeni Ssyri’jiilits Ssiina, and these two are my dear sisters: Issa”—she gestured up at me and I waved—“and Kyrae.” She finished with a flourish to our elf sister.

  Kyrae, for her part, stood up and performed a fwless greeting.

  And the room went silent.

  Do people not know? Are they angry? I couldn’t tell. I was about to say something when Sylota cleared her throat audibly. The whispers that had just started died down.

  Despite her small frame, her thin voice carried weight up through the room. “As you know, we are all here at the Spring for the same reason. Now, to resume where I left off…”

  She tried, but the css didn’t settle down. Whispers flew and I saw sigils popping up here and there, probably carrying messages. The whole time, I kept my eyes fixed on Kyrae. She replied to her neighbors tersely, then focused hard on taking notes on the parchment she’d brought.

  For a moment, I thought about the expense of everyone using such a valuable material so hastily. Wasn’t there something about trade with the humans for it? Regardless, it was obvious Kyrae was just trying to block out certain whispers.

  Mostly from the mia near her.

  I guess without Sire, we’ve little to shield us here.

  But we were grown now—this was something we’d take care of. Even if Kyrae wouldn’t want it, I’d beat up anyone who tried to demean her. And from how Ssiina was gncing over at every whisper, I wasn’t alone.

  And here at the Spring, she could use much more than tail and fists.

  When the lecture ended, a few people moved quickly out of the room. Most, however, crowded around my sisters… and me.

  “You’re keniel, right?”

  “Are you ra’zhii?”

  “You’re huge!”

  “Is that ea really your sister?”

  “I’ve heard your name before!”

  “My cousin was at the Emerald Pace disaster; do you know if they’re okay?”

  That st one made me stop trying to escape the tangle and find the exit. “Who’s your cousin?”

  The woman, ke’nia, gave a name I didn’t recognize, so I just shook my head. “I don’t know.”

  “What happened?”

  “I… I can’t say.”

  The crowd pressed in closer. And when I coiled up and lowered myself, I remembered how I felt not an hour earlier. I am hssen. With just a bit of effort, I rose up and uncoiled, pushing aside where I met resistance.

  “I don’t have time for more questions.”

  Is that the best I could come up with?

  “I understand we are here as equals, but this is no way to treat anyone, let alone a hssen.” Ssiina’s head poked above the crowd wearing a convincing scowl. “Sister?” She extended an arm.

  I took it and together we pushed through the parting crowd.

  “Kyrae got out with Ssyri’zh Sylota,” Ssiina said softly. “Honestly, this could have gone worse.”

  “I guess…” I replied. Behind us, several people were still following.

  Next up for me was combat training with Faru. Who might not make it there. And I now had people staring at me. If it weren’t for my curse, I’d preen under the attention. You’d never have given me a second gnce when I was a ssen’iir.

  Ssiina squeezed my hand when we left the hall. By now, only a couple of people were still following us, but even without shadows I could hear whispering. Everyone would know before long.

  “I have to catch up with Kyrae to make it to our sigilcraft training. Will you be alright, Issa?”

  I looked over at her, betedly realizing she was shorter than me when I lifted my upper body the same way. As long as no one finds out, I’m fine. I’m bigger, stronger, and I have people on my side.

  “Yeah,” I smiled, showing fangs. “I’m looking forward to getting to punch something actually.”

  Ssiina matched my smile. “Do us proud, Issa. People will talk, and we’re not going to escape the sunbeams of attention. So let’s show what it means to be hssen, hmm?”

  I csped her other hand, then turned to leave. “Let’s.”

  MadMaxine