"Don't worry about it," I said. I had my eye on a small display of oranges, just five in a little grass basket sitting on top of a pile of apples. Oriana and I were hidden in the darkness behind the owner's market stall, waiting for an opportunity. "I do it all the time. Besides, this guy Maddock is greedy. He's got fifty more of those behind the counter. He just makes it seem like he only has a few so he can sell them for a higher price."

"Where behind the counter?" Oriana asked. "I can't see—"

"You can't see them because he's so fat. Now be quiet. It's almost time to make our move."

"I don't know," she said.

I sighed quietly and turned to her.

Her long, white-blond hair was braided down her back, and wisps of it stuck to her scalp in the late summer heat, sweat beading on her forehead. But the color in her cheeks was pink, a good sign for someone who was usually so sick. It had been a rare opportunity to sneak her out from under her mother's thumb, and I'd taken it.

She was my only friend. I took every opportunity I could get.

"Fine. Meet me out in the field in five minutes in case I need to run." And I knew I would need to run. "Go."

She huffed, wanting me to abandon the idea entirely, but she turned and slinked away through the canvas curtain at the back without another word.

I was almost ready to grab the fruit and make my escape, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Kenneth, Maddock's son. I stepped back into the shadows until he turned and walked across the road.

It would be a risk, but the taste of a sweet orange on the tongue would be worth it.

I took my shot and pounced toward the counter, grabbed one orange in each hand, and fled into the dusty market street.

Getting greedy was a mistake, though, because immediately I bumped into a shopper and dropped one of the precious fruits. In desperation, I bent over to pick it up, but not before someone accidentally smashed it under his boot.

I stood up, looking first at the tall man who owned the boot and then at the counter. I realized that Maddock hadn't even seen me; he was helping a shopper and hadn't noticed his oranges disappearing.

But his son, Kenneth, had.

Kenneth was only fifteen, but he was as tall as a man, and his long legs could easily outstretch mine in a running contest.

Maybe not if I get a head start, though.

I took off deeper into the market, away from the field where I knew Oriana would be waiting for me. It was midday, and the place was crowded. It was perfect. Over the years, I'd become a master of weaving my way in and out of crowds, always on the run for some crime or another.

"Bree!" I heard Kenneth yell. He'd lost me, I knew, or he wouldn't have shouted out my name. "I'm going to find you!" he called.

"Not today," I said quietly to myself.

I found an opening in the crowd between the grain and butcher displays and ducked through, aiming to insert myself behind the market-stall curtains.

I didn't look back.

I kept my head down and tried not to knock anybody over as I sprinted out of the market toward the field. Only once I was hidden from the road did I dare turn around.

I was alone. He hadn't seen me.

I kept going, running along the outer edge of the market. Children were kneeling in the dirt out back, looking for rotten scraps the dealers might have tossed. Their faces were dirty, lips cracked.

On another day, I might have shared my orange with them, but I had a friend waiting. And even though I was hidden behind the market stalls, I wasn't completely in the clear yet.

"I'll get you some next time, Adair," I called, nodding at one boy I knew. He stood up, smiling as I ran by, shaking his head like an old man.

I smiled back, distracted, so when Kenneth stepped out in front of me, I yelped in surprise as I collided with him. The orange went flying.

He gripped my wrists and pulled my hands up to his chest. I wriggled, trying to get away, but he was stronger than I was. I wrestled against his man-hands, but he had me pinned with his forearms, too. He was smiling.

"Ugh," I complained. "Fine. I'll share it with you. You tell your old man you couldn't catch me. He'll never know."

"I don't think so," he said. "It's going to take more than that." He puckered his lips and moved in to kiss me.

I leaned my head back in disgust.

"Oh, come on, Bree," he said.

"Back off, or all you're going to get on your lips is a spray of spit. Besides, you're just a kid, and I don't kiss children." I struggled, but he held me fast.

I was only sixteen. Seventeen in a couple of weeks, give or take. But my age didn't really matter, not with this kid. His interest in me was purely physical, and I knew it.

"Fine." He leaned back again. "Give me a hit then."

I sighed. "You know I'm not supposed to."

"Never stopped you before now," he argued.

It was true. But these days, I was a little more selective with my magic. If I were caught now, I'd be held in jail until my seventeenth birthday, until it was time for them to cast me out of the kingdom. But either in or out of jail, my days in the Eagleview Kingdom were quickly coming to a close.

"Fine," I said. "But if you tell anyone…"

"I won't tell anyone," he lied.

I smirked, but it was my only way out. I raised my eyebrows. "Hands, please," I said.

"What? Oh." He released me.

I put one hand on his chest, tried to concentrate, breathed in, and a pulse of energy ran through my arm and out into my fingertips. I let it go; as it moved between my body and his, he was knocked backward by the force and fell to the ground.

The little guy, Adair, picked up the orange and held it out to me.

"Thanks, man," I said, pocketing it.

Kenneth got to his feet. He seemed taller, broader, and I knew he was stronger than he'd been a few moments before.

"Gotta go, kid," I said, rustling Adair's dirty hair, and I took off running again.

"Bree!" Kenneth called after me. "I'm going to want that kiss!"

I laughed as I ran. I knew he wasn't going to hunt me down. Strong as he was, Kenneth was a good kid. Still, I picked up the pace until I was safe in the tall grass a half-mile from the market, all but invisible to anyone in the kingdom.

"You got it?" Oriana called. She was smiling broadly, relieved. "They didn't catch you?"

"Nah," I said. "Nothing worth my time." I pulled back my long, brown hair into a ponytail to keep it out of my face in the breeze.

We sat. I produced the orange, took out a small pocketknife and sliced the fruit in half and then quarters. I gave three to Oriana.

"That's not fair," she said, holding out one of the quarters to me.

I sighed, then took it. There was no arguing with her.

Peeling the rest of the skin off the fruit, I put it to my nose. It was so dreamlike to smell something different than the dirty, dusty road I lived on. Most couldn't afford to live inside the protection of the castle, and even some wealthier folks lived in the kingdom's shadow. Well, wealthier than I was, anyway.

Oriana's family was like that: close to the castle entrance, but not quite inside.

I wondered if her family ever bought things like oranges.

I put the fruit into my mouth and closed my eyes. So sweet. So unlike anything, anywhere. "Have you ever had something so delicious?" I asked.

Oriana smiled, then looked down, embarrassed.

"What?" I asked, elbowing her.

"On my birthday when I was five — before I got sick — my mother took me into the city. They had a sweet shop there, and she bought me something. It was called fudge." She looked up into the sky, her face one big smile. She stayed that way for a moment, relishing the memory. I wondered if she was thinking about the fudge, of her mother, or both.

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I had no such memories. My mother was dead, and money for things like candy was unheard of. I lived with my grandmother in a dingy apartment that looked out over the market. Most days we were lucky to have enough for bread.

Oriana seemed to remember I was there, and she looked at me, blushing. "But no," she said earnestly. "Nothing beats a good orange." She elbowed me this time, and I smiled. It didn't matter if it was a lie. I knew what she meant.

I looked out over the field. Soon, Oriana and I would make our journey away from Eagleview. She didn't want to spend her life in her room, and I didn't want to spend my life in a cell. It was illegal for untrained sorcerers to use magic in the kingdom, and it was a crime I committed on a daily basis. Leaving was the only solution either of us was able to come up with, and it was as good an idea as any.

Because Oriana wasn't just sick. She was dying.

I had only ever heard the coughing fits from across the road when I was standing outside her house, trying to figure out how to get her mother to let me come in, to let me help. I didn't know what was wrong with Oriana, and I didn't think she or her parents did, either. What I did know was that I could help her. My hands, my being, helped her.

My magic was wild. Raw. Fire magic, some called it. Untrained. That was okay, though; all I needed to know was how to give a little bit of it to Oriana. I could keep her alive, she could keep me from going crazy, and we would find a way to get away.

"Did you bring the map?" I asked.

"Yep." She put down her piece of orange, pulled a sheet of paper out from a pocket she'd sewn into her flowery dress, and unfolded it. "I was able to copy more of it last night when my parents were asleep." She laid out the map, smoothing it flat in the grass.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Father has a whole book about the Zemira Kingdom. I copied what I could but—"

"You should've just brought it."

"No, I couldn't do that. For one thing, it's huge. Besides, I barely got out this morning."

I supposed I could understand her mother's attitude toward Oriana's friendship with me. I was dirty and scrappy and poor, and anyone caught using magic who wasn't part of the head sorcerer Zahn's training program faced jail time.

I wouldn't be the only one in trouble if we were caught, either. Her parents would face penalties, too, for allowing me to heal with magic. They might have been wealthier than I was, but they couldn't afford to buy magic from a trained sorcerer. Few could.

I'd faced a trial with Zahn when I was very young, a test of my magic for him to judge. But he had refused to let me train with his other pupils, and once denied, forever denied.

I'd never kept my abilities a secret, even after I was instructed to, and maybe that was why I was in so much trouble now. I'd been picked up enough times by the lawmen, the result of which was my impending removal from the kingdom. I didn't play by the rules, and once I turned seventeen, I was no longer considered a child. That would be the end of it, and Eagleview would be better for it.

So Oriana and I needed to leave. It was as simple as that: life or death, for both of us.

I pulled the map over and took a good look at it. So far, Oriana had been able to copy down quite a few mountain ranges and a handful of kingdoms. I'd chosen the Zemira Kingdom for our destination. I didn't know for sure, but I hoped I'd be able to use my magic there. Maybe I'd even find wealth using my gifts. That would be a trick.

If we weren't welcome in the Zemira Kingdom, we would move on to the next, and the next, until we found somewhere that would welcome us.

"This is good," I pointed to a mountain range that lay between Eagleview and Zemira. "That one's new. And what's this?" I indicated a name that she'd scribbled down in the upper-left corner: Veiled Kingdom. "How come it's not on the map?"

"Because nobody knows where it is," Oriana said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Her tone was defensive. "It was in the book. You told me to write down anything interesting, and that's interesting."

"Okay, then." I smirked. "We'll just have to keep an eye out for the hidden kingdom nobody knows how to find."

She went to snatch the map from my hands, and I laughed. She only struggled with me for a moment before sitting back, arms crossed, staring at me like a little child.

"What are you? Eight?" I handed the paper back to her, and she grabbed it.

"You can be a real pain," she said, smoothing it out once more.

That stung, not because it wasn't true, but because it was coming from her, one of only two people in the world that I was certain cared about me. I had Grandmother, too, but she was supposed to care. There was a difference.

"So when do we leave?" she asked.

That made me feel a little better; I'd been chewing on the question as well, wondering when the best time would be. "Soon," I said, distracted.

"When?"

The truth was, I was as scared about leaving as I was about staying. But there was nothing for me in Eagleview. I wondered if my father would even notice I was gone.

"Let's say next week." I looked up at her. "Tuesday. The week will be gearing up still, and your dad will be at work."

"What about my mom?"

That mom of hers was always in the way. After today, she would probably be even more careful about knowing Oriana's whereabouts. It wasn't every day that Oriana could slip past her, and whenever she did there was hell to pay afterward. Usually, her mom would keep her shut up inside the house for a week just so she could watch her.

I wondered what might happen after this most recent escape. Her mother had gone to the market, taking along Oriana's little brother, Brand, and leaving her home alone. Oriana had been just the right amount of sick lately to allow for an escape. Tired, pale, coughing fits easing; her mother knew she would only be lying around with no energy to do anything stupid. And it was well known that "that girl, Bree" wasn't allowed anywhere near her house.

This thought made me grin. That girl, Bree. Well, they wouldn't have to worry about me for much longer.

"I don't know," I said finally. "Do you think your mom would leave you again like she did today?"

Oriana’s face fell, and she shook her head.

"Better make it two weeks then," I said.

A lone tear trickled down her face, and I softened.

"It's going to be fine." I put one hand on her shoulder. "You're going to be fine. You do want to go, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she said, frowning and sniffling. She folded up the paper.

"So think of it this way: you take the time you need to write down everything you can on that map. You don't have to have anything ready to go — I'll do all the packing. Then, late that night, I'll sneak in. You'll probably need a good jolt of magic by that point. And then we'll be on our way."

"What if they find us? In the house?"

I held up my hands. "Magic, baby."

She snorted, and soon the two of us resorted to giggles. I didn't know what would happen in the house if we were caught; I don't think Oriana did, either.

One thing at a time.

"Okay." I sobered up. "Two weeks. Try not to look too healthy. And try not to get too sick."

Her face became serious again. "Why can't we go now?" she asked.

I wanted to say yes, to agree that we were ready. Maybe we were. But something told me that leaving for real might be harder than staying. I hated it in Eagleview, and I wanted out. But I also didn't want to say goodbye.

Just a few more days.

I turned around and looked up at the castle that towered above us. The architecture was aggressive, dominating, and the streets below the castle walls were dirty, crowded, and hot.

Yes, just a few more days. Then we'd both be done with this place and ready to find a new home.

"We can't go now. Not yet. I have to…"

"Say goodbye," she said. "I know."

My eyes stung, but I knew if I allowed tears to fall, they would leave clean streaks down my dirty cheeks. Couldn't have that. "Come on." I stood up and offered her my hand. "It's getting late. Curfew."

Curfew began at sunset and was strictly enforced from the moment that giant orb slipped beneath the horizon. The lawmen took their jobs very seriously; long ago, they'd determined that everyone, and everything, was safer once the sun went down. No parties. No gatherings of any kind. No one in the street except for maybe an old woman who couldn't make it back to her dwelling in time.

That was how they kept the peace.

I wondered what it was like inside the castle. I had been so young the only time I'd been inside those walls. I imagined pubs and dance halls. Did those who could afford to live inside the walls have the same rules as us?

Certainly not.

"I don't want to go yet." Oriana peeked through the long blades of yellow grass, looking for the sun.

I sighed. That would mean I'd have to be out all night. It was okay; it wasn't the first time. I could hide behind someone's market stall easily enough. Oriana would get into trouble, but she was already in trouble. The lawmen would be looking for her, probably had been for hours already.

"Let's just stay a little while longer," she said. Her hands found the last bits of her orange in the grass, and she popped one into her mouth.

"Okay," I said. "A little while longer."

* * *

I might have decided to stay out with her all night. The sun faded away, and the stars blanketed the sky above us. The summer evening was mild, and the air was warm. But then I heard a sound, and my blood ran cold.

A dog barking.

The lawmen. There was no other explanation.

Oriana looked around, and I grabbed her arm, hoisting her up.

"We have to run," I said. "Can you?"

In answer, she took off toward the eastern edge of the castle. The men were coming from the west. I trailed behind her. Soon the barks seemed to double, to triple. How many dogs did they have?

I sped up and grabbed Oriana's hand, pulsing her with power as best I could while in full flight. It worked; she sped up, too.

We never saw him coming.

A man hiding low in the tall grass jumped out before us and grabbed Oriana by her braided hair as she tried to blow past him. He didn't let go, and she grappled with him for her freedom, but then she stopped and looked around.

Hoofbeats.

"Bree, run," she cried. She was caught fast, and I knew the guy who'd snatched her wasn't about to let her go without a fight, so I didn't hesitate. I just ran. Away. Anywhere.

The speed of the hoofbeats increased, and I knew the end was near. Nobody could outrun a war horse. That didn't stop me from trying.

I zig-zagged across the meadow, trying to trip them up. Then, seeing a small opening into the market, I dashed left and ran for it.

An arm in full armor wrapped around my stomach. A moment later, I found myself lifted into the air, legs splayed, and unceremoniously slammed onto the neck of the horse. The rider had his arm around me tight. I wasn't going anywhere.

I looked back and saw two other lawmen gripping Oriana's legs as she kicked with fury. I smiled. That girl had fire. Why couldn't her family see that? I, for one, would have paid any price for her health. I was lucky it cost me nothing to give it away.

The knight on the horse held me tighter, maybe thinking I'd continue to struggle, but I knew when I was bested. Struggling would lead to no more than a slam on the head and waking up somewhere unknown. So I rode with him as he circled around to the east side of the castle, where the open gates awaited us.

Suddenly, I was nervous. Aside from Grandmother taking me to trial when I was a young child, I'd never been legally escorted past the gates.

My stomach sank as the horse's hooves echoed off the cobblestoned street. Where was he taking me? In the past I'd been returned to our tiny apartment, often with a beating to hammer home the message. But I'd only once been brought inside the castle.

As we entered the last set of inner gates, I looked up to the sky. There was a great courtyard in the center of the castle, and the moon shone down into it, nearly as brightly as the sun.

Little shops lined the edges of the circle, market stands put away for the night. It was like the outer markets, only these places sold things, not food. I tried to see what was behind the window glass, but bright as the moon was, it wasn't enough to light their insides.

The horse broke into a trot. The rider was taking me not through the square, but down a long, wide hallway. We passed stalls filled with horses, and the stables were warm with the heat of the animals. A few of the more curious ones stuck their heads out to see who was coming by at such a late hour. One whinnied.

The rider slowed the horse to a walk and stopped at the end of the hallway, where he unceremoniously dumped me into the dirt.

I looked at the horse's hooves; they were enormous, and he was stamping down the dirt on the stable floor. I backed up quickly, snatching my hands away from his steel-shod feet.

Arms wrapped around mine on both sides of me, and two men began dragging me away, holding me so tight and so high that the tips of my boots barely dragged along the dirt floor. I might have kicked out, attacked them with magic, but I knew it would be no use. Using fire magic against a jailer would undoubtedly make my situation much, much worse.

When they descended a steep staircase and threw me headfirst into a cell, I was ready for it. My hands flashed out before me, and I was able to break the fall and roll away into the damp, dark corner.

The cell door slammed behind me, and I wondered…

How long?