Vaela scrambled up into sitting position, snatching her stick from the ground, and cast around frantically. Where was she? Vaela scanned through everyone once again. Maybe she’d missed her.

But Adyr wasn’t there.

She ran over to Surah and shook him awake. He jolted upright and stared at her. “What is it? What's going on?”

She wrung her stick and leaned in close to him. “Adyr's gone. Did she say anything to you?”

He peered through the pouring rain. “She might've gone off to pee.”

No, no, no. She was supposed to wake up Surah.

Vaela looked back through the darkness. Somewhere behind them, somewhere back in the hills, the Church was following. She wouldn't have gone…?

Surah rubbed his eyes and pointed over towards the horses. “Count the horses.”

Vaela jolted over to the horses. Six. Only six of them.

She was gone.

Vaela slammed her stick into the ground. It thwacked off a stone with a crack.

Hermit stirred from his sleep and sat up. Shadow Leapt from the ground, covering him completely. Jace rolled to his feet, as agile as ever, sword in hand. Alnea rose from the ground and surveyed the scene. She focused her attention on Vaela. “Where is Adyr?”

Vaela swiped her stick up and strode to her horse.“She's gone. I think… I think she’s turned herself in to the Church.” She stepped up into the stirrup.

Surah ran up and stood in front of her horse. “To the Church? Why would she do that?”

Vaela settled into the saddle and steered her horse away from him. “She was saying things. She didn't want to put us in danger.”

They could try and persuade her differently, but she knew it–deep in her chest. Adyr had gone back to the Church. A misguided attempt to protect them. To pay her Blood Debt and keep them out of danger. Vaela grasped the reins, her knuckles white. She couldn't let her do it. Adyr didn't belong with them.

Vaela nudged her horse forward, but Hermit stepped in front and seized her reins.

She jabbed at him with her stick. “Let go. I'm going after her.”

He caught her stick with his other hand and shook his head. “I'm sorry, kid. You can't go.” She tugged at the reins, but he held them steadfast. “She can decide her own destiny.” He released the reins. “Humans always can.”

She jerked her stick out of his grasp. This wasn’t about destiny or fate. This was about Adyr. About thinking she was worthless.

Vaela nudged her horse to the side and Alnea crossed to her. She rested a hand on the horse’s nose, but her eyes–full of compassion and iron will–bored into Vaela’s. “You must respect her decisions. She has that right.”

Jace clasped his hands behind his back and bowed his head. “I'm disturbed she would choose this, and I fear Incus’s teachings have corrupted her mind, but if she does go back, the Church will leave us alone.” He exchanged a glance with Hermit and Alnea.

Alnea stroked the horse’s nose. “For the fate of the world, for all of humanity, it is better that they don't follow us.”

Tears burned Vaela’s eyes. How could they say that? All of them just leave her? Damn her to a lifetime of pain, a lifetime of Sacrifice.

And after everything she'd been through?

No. Vaela twisted the reins and pulled the horse from Alnea's hand. “Then I also get to choose what I do.” She wouldn’t let her go. She wouldn't abandon her.

She raised her feet, readying to nudge them into the horse’s flanks. A hand touched her leg. Timura stared up at her, her face tight with tension. “No one understands more than me what it's like to be left behind.” A flicker of pain raced across Timura’s face. “But you didn’t choose my life for me. As much as I hated it at the time, I knew why you did it.” Vaela’s heart throbbed, her throat constricting. Timura blinked rapidly and bobbed her head. “You did it because you trusted me to make my own decisions. You respected my will.” Her hand slid from Vaela’s leg, falling back to her side. “I’m sorry, Vaela. But you can’t make people’s decisions for them.”

Vaela swallowed hard through the painful constriction of her throat.

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Her shoulders drooped and she nodded her head, her mouth clamped shut. Surah edged his way to the side of the horse and extended his hand out. She limply grasped it and swung her leg out of the stirrup. He helped her down to the ground and she crashed back to the earth. Her body felt heavy, weighed down with her decision. But it wasn't her decision right? That's what they were all saying. It was Adyr's decision. But it still felt heavy, an ache all the way down to her bones.

Sleep didn't come easy and Vaela felt like she had just drifted off whenever the sounds of the others milled about her. She sat up, morning light streaming through the trees. There was no urgency to everyone's motions, like there had been the preceding two days. It all came crashing back to Vaela. They weren't fleeing anymore. No more running, no more feeling like someone was always at their backs.

They were free.

Breakfast, ride a few hours, stop and train. Lunch, ride, train some more. Make camp, sleep, wake up and do it again.

Three days passed by, the distance growing between them and the hills they left behind. Somewhere back there, maybe Adyr was falling into her own routine. Vaela suppressed a shudder. Please. Please no Sacrifice in that routine.

Though whatever she wished for, she had no control over it. That was worlds away.

She threw herself into her training, pushing her body to the limits. It was all she could do. Exhaust herself so that she was too tired to think on the road. Deplete her strength so that she crashed into a dreamless sleep at night.

She was getting better, she could tell. Surah and Timura no longer outmatched her in their sparring matches. And while she still didn't stand a chance against Hermit, Jace, or Alnea–not really–she was able to hold out longer against them. And as she had suspected, Alnea was an excellent instructor, though she’d yet to provide Vaela with any of her blood.

A daily drop of Jace’s blood accelerated her learning. And even without his blood coursing through her body, it had helped her develop sensitivity. Primed her senses to detect certain signals. How Surah shifted his weight before swinging. Where Timura was planning to move after blocking a strike.

Yes, she was getting better. So why didn't that satisfy her?

On the morning of the fourth day, Alnea pulled Vaela to the side. With what little energy she did have to think, Vaela had spent it dwelling on which Power to specialize in. Hermit had been right. Mastering Charming–the ability to bend someone’s blood to her will–was difficult enough. She’d only have the time and energy to master another two other Powers at most.

It was tantalizing and frustrating at the same time. The idea that every Power out there might be at her fingertips–and she’d never be able to use them beyond the most basic application.

She shoved that from her mind. Two Powers–whichever ones were best for combat. As much as she didn't want to admit it, her mind had already been made up for defense. Ever since her Hoops match, she’d known it deep in her bones. Shadow–the ultimate defense.

But it still left another one for offense. Fire might be nice, but wasn’t really an option. The person’s Power who was Sacrificing served as the upper limit. Surah wasn't strong enough, so she’d never get much use out of it. Which left Touch and Sight. Even narrowed down to two options, it still felt like an impossible decision. Jace and Alnea seemed nigh invincible. They’d both shown themselves to be better fighters than even Hermit. Only his ability to Fade put them on equal ground.

Over the past several days of training and reflection, she had made her decision. On her belt, two empty vials were fastened next to the full ones and a small knife she’d taken to carrying. She pulled an empty vial from her belt and held it out towards Alnea. “If you're willing to teach me, I'd like to master Sight.”

The empty vial felt heavy in her hand. Specializing in Sight meant giving up Touch. Not that she couldn't try it out occasionally, but if she wanted to master a Power–really get serious about it–she needed to practice diligently. Stop dipping her toe into different ones and dive in.

And she trusted Alnea. Adyr had trusted her.

Alnea surveyed her and then turned away, facing the road. “At its basic level, Sight sharpens your normal vision.” She clasped her hands behind her back. “And yet, by itself, that's of very limited use.”

Vaela lowered the vial and tilted her head. “I think it's amazing. You fight as well as Jace and he’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

Alnea walked beside her, hands still behind her back, facing the opposite direction as Vaela. “Seeing and understanding are two very different things. What you See only matters as much as what you comprehend.”

Vaela swallowed and nodded. Fighting against Alnea felt completely different than Surah and Timura. It was almost as if the woman knew better than Vaela what she was going to do.

Alnea faced her. “I've watched over humanity for thousands of years.” She stepped up close and leaned down, their faces almost touching. “I See that you are afraid.” Vaela drew back, eyes widening. Alnea’s gaze pierced through her. “I See that you are hurt.” Vaela’s heart throbbed and she looked away. Alnea guided her by her chin to look into her eyes. “And I See that you are much, much more.”

Chills prickled down Vaela’s body. She was a mouse before this woman, this hawk. Alnea could See how weak she was–how could she See anything else? The intensity of Alnea’s eyes pinned Vaela in place. There was something so painful in that gaze–kindness, forgiveness, acceptance.

She was much, much more.

Vaela closed her eyes, forcing down the sob that threatened to tear from her chest. When she opened her eyes, Alnea had stepped away. The woman smiled at her, her expression softened. “This is what it is to See. To be Seen.” She eased the knife from its sheath on Vaela’s belt and poised the tip to one of her fingers. “Do you truly wish to understand? To understand and not just See?”

Such a burden. Awe ached through Vaela’s chest. Such strength Alnea had. She didn’t just See people for who they were. She understood them, accepted their weakness, bore it on her shoulders.

Fear shivered through Vaela. Neither Shadow nor Touch had been presented with such responsibility. Could she? Was she strong enough to walk under the weight of people’s hope and dreams, their fears and pain?

Adyr–sobbing on the floor of the brothel after they escaped the Church–flashed through her mind. And Alnea, cradling her, soothing her, lifting her up.

Vaela rolled her shoulders back, expanding her chest. Maybe the weight would break her. Bow her back and force her to her knees. She planted her stick in the ground and tipped her head up, meeting Alnea’s eyes. “I am.”