Eleanor watched as Melia worked and found that she had a very different view of things. All her emotions and attachments had muddled things. They made it harder to see the truth and to make rational decisions.

It was a rational decision to rescue the others. She required Pip and Otto in order to defeat the curse, and the expertise of the hedgewitch was useful. But she was not as certain that cooperating with the siblings had been a logical choice. They would someday become her enemies. Why had she decided that she could trust them?

Because she felt sorry for them.

That is not a good reason to trust someone, she thought. And she’d ignored any misgivings she’d had after that because she was so worried about her friends. Another bad decision because of her feelings for other people.

Maybe she could get Melia to make being Empty permanent. Eleanor could stay this clearheaded forever.

“We should go,” Eleanor said. Every moment of delay reduced their chances of escape.

“What about the kitten?” Thea asked. They looked down. The kitten-of-ashes was crouched against the grass, ears back.

“We agreed to take her,” Ash said.

“If she doesn’t behave, she might alert the Empty,” Melia pointed out, and they all considered her point. “We were behaving irrationally. We shouldn’t risk our lives for her.”

“Agreed,” Ash said.

“It’s the smartest decision,” Thea said, though that wasn’t quite the same as agreeing.

Eleanor thought Melia was correct. They were taking a risk by bringing the kitten. It might get all of them captured. “No,” she found herself saying, not quite sure why. “We agreed to take her. That makes it a promise. You shouldn’t break promises.” She bent and reached for the kitten, who swiped furiously at her. “I won’t hurt you.”

Reluctantly, ears pinned back, the kitten allowed herself to be picked up. Eleanor held her out toward Ash—he was the one who could hide her inside his shirt, since it was so loose. He looked at her a moment as if he was going to refuse, and then accepted the hissing little beast. He held her up at eye level.

“If you make noise, the Empty will find you and eat you,” he informed her. The kitten fell silent, and when he tucked her inside his shirt she curled up in a little ball and didn’t move.

They filed down the hall together. Up ahead, one of the Empty appeared. Eleanor didn’t feel even the tiniest flutter of fear as the man strode past them. She could never have pretended to be this calm, she realized. She had so very much anxiety and fear and worry in her when she wasn’t Empty, it was a wonder she got anything done. How easy. How simple it was, with nothing inside.