“It doesn’t seem like everyone’s let them go.” I gesture at Kai again, who is apparently in a tense conversation with Zora, and I realize they are not sisters in the traditional sense. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful, really. I just—”

“You didn’t know. I understand.”

“Division will destroy us.”

“Agreed. Send up a chant to the Ancestors that when we return, no other ancient loyalties have reemerged. I can keep Kai in line. But the others…”

Before I can ask more, Jhamal jets off and inserts himself in the conversation between Zora and Kai, and Bri walks up.

“Everything cool?” she asks.

“I guess. We have to bury this poor guy.” I can’t tear my eyes away from Jhamal talking with Kai. A vein pulses at his temple and everyone around them moves away. Bri gazes their way in apparent confusion.

“I just have a sick feeling, Bri, that…”

“That what?”

That I’m not cut out for this. That the more I try to help, the more I screw up. The more will die at my hand. The fear in Rahk’s eyes when he’d asked what they should do is a torchlight in my memory. The way he ran off without question at my order to retreat to the mountain. How his last breath must’ve burned. How he probably died with a scream in his throat. I bite down hard. My lip bleeds.

“Rue, that what?”

“Nothing.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE ACCESS POINT TO the section of the Web where my Ghizoni people are stowed away is between a boarded-up consignment store and what used to be a magical malady shop. Its tin roof is folded like a strong wind took it half off. Kai drags open the door to the hole in the ground, and rungs plummet into darkness. My heart thumps in my chest at the prospect of seeing everyone, how they’re doing. Little Titube and her mother, Bati with his knobby walking stick. Those that made it, are they okay? Do I even deserve to ask? Will they even want to see me?

I tug at the end of my shirt. Bri sticks to my side as we descend. Sunlight fades the deeper we go, my pulse ticking faster with each rung. We continue the descent in silence. The door above us slides closed and Jhamal moves next to me, his arm grazing mine.

The ladder deposits us in an underground passageway much like a basement. The walls are close, so close we can only walk two side by side at a time. Stone walls surround us, blue light streaming from fissures in the ceiling. The space is cozy with winding corridors in several directions. I swallow. It’s small down here, tight. I suppose the tunnels could lead somewhere grand, robust, like their home in Yiyo. But something tells me when Kai said numbers were cut by half, she did not exaggerate.