Run! Simone, take Sebastian and run! I’ll meet you at the Archives, I promise.

Jemma’s expression changes from surprise to irritation, so different from the desperation I just heard.

Run! I think-shout to Sebastian. Jemma wants us to run! We escape down the stairs and burst through the inn’s front door, the yelp of the innkeeper we nearly bowled over following us into the street.

Tears stream over Sebastian’s cheeks and stain mine as well. We duck behind a large oak tree in the yard, out of view of the inn’s windows, to catch our breath.

“What are we going to do now?” Sebastian says between sobs. My only family, my only family… His thoughts circle.

“We need to put as much distance between us and that body walker as possible.” The understanding of what that means brings fresh tears to both our eyes. It means leaving Jemma behind. Or risking becoming victims again. Enslaved again.

Nothing terrifies us more.

“It’s what Jemma wants,” I say. “Just before we ran, she said to go to the Archives and she’ll meet us there.”

Sebastian agrees, even though leaving his sister behind is like leaving one of his limbs. He wraps his arms around his middle as if trying to hold himself together.

“The body walker won’t control her forever. They’ll have to become bored with it at some point or at least sleep and let her go. Then Jemma will be free of their power. We’ll wait for her at the Archives, and if she doesn’t show up, maybe we can contact someone in the network that freed us from Lady Aisling to help.”

A grain of hope lodges in Sebastian’s brain, softening his thoughts.

“The Parillan librarians might know how to help too. Maybe they’ll have something on how to force a body walker out.” I say, warming up to the idea even as the words leave my mouth. “And we at least have an idea where the Archives are.”

I thread my arm through Sebastian’s, and together we enter the forest, wide-eyed. He quakes next to me, sometimes tripping over his feet. Though my chin trembles, I send reassuring thoughts his way. I can feel the minds of every animal nearby—curious, hungry, sleeping—and not one of them is threatening. We’ll be safe enough for now.

But tomorrow there are no guarantees.

Chapter Five

We hurry through the woods, hoping to come across a footpath or road. But as the day goes on, all we find are trees, bushes, and hills for what feels like miles. We may even be walking in circles. We’re both exhausted, and I’m finding it especially hard to focus. Everything looks like more of the same.

When we hear what sounds like someone moaning, we’re both startled to a stop.

Could it be the body walker? Sebastian thinks, his hands quivering.

The moan comes again. I frown. How could they have gotten all the way out here? And why would they be moaning? Let’s just take a peek. It could be someone alone and hurt.