"There you are!” Alice thumped her hands on the table and beamed at Isa and Marissa. “You should have let us know.”

Isa turned around in her chair. “Everyone’s here?”

Alice pulled up a chair. “They will be as soon as I tell them.” She touched the copper cuff on her wrist, and her familiar appeared on the table. “Peck, find Lund. Bring him here.” The crow cawed once and flew away.

As Alice opened her component pouch, Isa touched her arm. “No need for magic; Mery’s right over there.” She pointed to the far end of the market where Mery stood looking at something on a table. “And that’s perfect because I want to ask you something. Why did you go to Oaks Bottom on last Sunday? You were going to have coffee with Marissa, but you were miles from the café.”

Alice opened her mouth, but Isa said, “Are you a spy, too? Is this your world?” She looked into Alice’s eyes. “Tell me the truth.”

“The truth? The truth is I’ve been sick. Unwell. And I felt something when I touched the necklace.” She reached out to stroke the medallion that hung around Isa’s neck. “I dismissed it, of course. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it could help me.”

“What do you mean unwell? You’re not, like—”

“No, I’m not,” Alice said quickly. Isa was glad that Alice cut her off. She didn’t want to say the word “dying.” Alice continued, “For a few months I’ve had these headaches that—”

“I didn’t know that!”

“Yeah,” said Marissa. “You didn’t tell me.”

“We’ve all been keeping secrets, huh?” Alice cocked her head to look at Isa and then Marissa.

“But this is serious,” Isa said.

“Indeed it is.” Mery plopped into the chair beside Alice. “No one wants to be our guide.” She waved her hand at the market. “None of the locals are willing to kit-out and lead us to the Shimmer.” She rested her arms on the table. “And I don’t know why.”

“That cleric wanted to talk about it,” Marissa said to Isa. “Maybe she can help us.”

Isa grabbed Alice’s hand and pulled her from the table. “We’ll be right back,” she muttered to the others. With Alice in tow Isa stepped outside into the cold and wind.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Did you go to the doctor? What did they say?”

“They wanted to run about a million tests.” Alice shrugged.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Isa gripped Alice’s hand.

“I wasn’t always in pain. Jesus.” Alice yanked her hand away.

“And now? Did Ysel heal you? Was that the price?”

“The price?” Alice frowned.

“You must have been rewarded.” Isa knew how she sounded – whiny, wounded, petty – but she couldn’t help herself. “For getting me back to Varana.”

“The world,” Alice stepped forward so that her face was only inches from Isa’s, “does not revolve around Isa Chamberlin.” With that she whirled away and headed between two of the buildings. The wind blew Alice’s hair sideways as she left the shelter of the buildings.

“Where’s Alice going?” Lund stopped beside Isa as Peck flew off, following Alice’s trail.

“I don’t know.” Isa stepped back into the market. “Everyone is here – everyone else.”

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“Dulrak?” Lund’s voice held surprise.

“Oh, no. I don’t think so. When I said everyone, I—”

“Lover’s spat then?” Mery said as Isa and Lund arrived at the table.

“Fuck off.” Isa slumped into a chair.

“What did I miss?” Lund looked at all three women in turn. When no one answered, he looked at Marissa. “Seriously, what is going on?”

“We were, ah, talking to Alice, and—”

“I don’t understand any of this,” said Isa. She lifted her bag over her head and dropped it on the table. “And I don’t care anymore. I’m going home.” She stood, picked up her staff, which had been leaning against the table where she left it, and started walking to the far end of the market.

A gate spell had gotten her home once, no reason it wouldn’t work again. And maybe Mimay was powerful enough to cast it for Isa. Surely the sun blade she’d gotten from the mummy’s tomb was worth enough to pay for the spell, pay for the diamond the spell needed. The blade, the staff, whatever coins were tied to her belt, it would be enough.

The market was crowded with buyers and sellers now. Almost every stall was open. People called to her, announcing their wares, but Isa had her eyes on the canvas wall that signified Mimay’s clinic.

There were three people leaning against the wall, waiting their turn with Mimay. Isa nodded to the young man who was last in line as she took her place beside him.

A dark-haired girl, second in line, leaned past him and said to Isa, “Don’t bother. She’ll be done before she gets to you.”

“Done?”

“Tapped, empty, void of magic,” the girl said.

“You can’t know that, Cassie,” the young man mumbled.

“She’s doing Printis now, and then she’s got Hildrith, then me, then you. What’s left? Cantrips like mend?” Cassie looked at Isa. “Do you need something mended? I didn’t think so.”

Isa folded her arms around her staff, leaned against the wall, and stared straight ahead. Through the throng of shoppers, she thought she could make out three figures sitting at a table in the café area. Bodies would obscure the group and then part, allowing Isa a momentary glimpse. Let Marissa complete the quest, Isa told herself. Ysel is her fucking goddess anyway.

“I’m sorry about my sister,” the young man said. “She’s very rude sometimes.” He held his hand out. “I’m Gil.”

“Isa.” She gave his hand one pump and then tucked her hand back under her arm.

“Are you injured? You can take my place. I just need to—”

Cassie whapped him on the arm. “She doesn’t care. And you’re not giving up your place in line. You saved up weeks for the coin.”

“I can wait another day if I must,” said Gil. “And I can make money; it isn’t hard.”

In a harsh whisper Cassie said, “No one’s guiding right now, you know that. The docks are empty.”

“No law says I can’t go. And if no one else is guiding, I can name my price.” He leaned toward his sister. “You’re just jealous that I can do it, and you can’t.”

Isa shifted, feeling uncomfortable overhearing their family discussion.

“It’s dangerous, Gil. That’s why no one’s going out into the Hinter!” Cassie’s eyes met Isa’s. “Do you mind?”

“Sorry,” Isa mumbled and looked down.

“Don’t pick on a stranger when you’re really mad at me,” Gil told his sister. “You don’t even want to be here. Go home.” To Isa he said softly, “Sorry about that.”

Isa could feel Cassie’s eyes upon her, but she kept her eyes forward.

“She’s older than Ma,” said Cassie. “So keep it in your pants.”

Isa felt her mouth tighten involuntarily. Just how old do I look? “She’s not wrong, your sister.”

“Next!” Mimay’s voice called out as a gray and bent man shuffled past them.

“What’s wrong with him?” Isa asked Gil.

Gil stepped two steps closer to Mimay’s room as the old lady at the front of the line took a seat on the stool in front of the cleric. “Curse,” he said. “The life drains out of him like a cracked bowl. So once a week or so, he comes to Mimay and she heals him up again. He usually comes on an off day. A non-market day since he needs extra care.”

“He really didn’t look all that great leaving. I can’t imagine what he looked like before.”

“He was a strong man, tall and strong.”

“I meant before she healed him,” said Isa. “Before meaning this morning.”

The murmur of voices near and far filled the silence between Isa and the young man named Gil. That was fine with her. She needed to keep an eye on her friends at the far end of the market. If they made signs of coming this way, Isa wanted to be ready to slip away.

“Next!” Mimay called out, and Gil took another two steps closer to the stool. Now Isa’s view was partially blocked by the canvas wall. She stepped forward and turned so she faced Gil. “Little drafty,” she said.

With the move, she was now completely out of sight. With any luck, the crowded market had obscured Isa’s movements. Assuming Marissa, Mery, and Lund were even watching from the far end. Assuming they were even still in the market. Perhaps they’d gone back to the inn or to find Alice.

“Wait for winter,” said Gil.

“What?” Isa shifted her focus to the young man across from her.

“I said, ‘Wait for winter.’ You think it’s windy now, just wait.”

“I won’t be here that long,” she replied, and silence once more settled around her.

“Next!” Mimay’s voice was loud in Isa’s ear. Cassie pushed past her. “You’re too old for him,” she muttered to Isa.