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Chapters (49)
  1. Given
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. Acknowledgments
  44. About the Author
  45. Copyright
  46. About the Publisher
  47. Backad 1
  48. Backad 2
  49. Backad 3

Weysh was silent for a minute. “I suppose he’s the closest thing I’ve had to a father since Grandpapa died. I’m not happy to see him suffer,” he said diplomatically.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when—” She closed her eyes and gulped. “And then to lose you too? It’s too much, Weysh.”

“You are not going to lose me, Sylvie.” But even as he said it, Weysh knew Yenni would not want to live in Cresh indefinitely. Not when she was a princess of her tribe, and not after the ignorance she had experienced here. Weysh’s cheeks burned with shame at the realization that he had been a big contributor to that ignorance.

But then what of his plans? His whole life’s ambition had been to make something of himself in the Imperial Army, prove Montpierre wrong, and support his family without having to run Montpierre’s business. How was he to do that and live with Yenni?

Kindly Watcher, show me mercy, he prayed. Sometime soon, he and Yenni would have to have a very difficult discussion.

29

Yenni had much to think about over the five-day break after midyear exams, and she had come to a few decisions.

First, she would not to mention the Watatzi rune to her family. After endless deliberation and prayer, she’d decided it was not her place. If the Sha intended for the Yirba to have the rune, they would reveal it to the Yirba Masters. If she mentioned it, she was sure her mother would only push her for more information, especially as it had already fallen into the hands of the Creshens. She might even be able to coax the rune from Professor Devon, if she changed her tune, but she was loathe to do so. It just didn’t seem right. Though she couldn’t completely shake a nagging sense that she was being disloyal to her tribe, she was confident that she was following the will of the Sha.

Furthermore, she had to find a way to warn the Watatzi about Gilles Desroches. They were not necessarily an ally of the Yirba, but neither were they an enemy, and Yenni felt that if it was her tribe’s runes being pilfered she would certainly want to know. Perhaps she could write them in Creshen; someone must be able to understand it if they could communicate with Desroches. And perhaps Weysh could fly her to their Island at the end of the year, when she was free to leave Cresh.

As for Weysh, after much deliberation and prayer she had made no decisions regarding Weysh.