We must leave this place.

Right. Croi gets to her feet and runs across the clearing to where Caolan is curled up under his blanket.

“Wake up,” she whispers. He doesn’t move, so she shakes him. It doesn’t seem to have any effect.

Leave him.

Croi looks down at the sleeping Meow and shakes her head. She won’t leave him. He shared his food with her. How can she betray him? Wherever the danger is coming from, the villains are going to do as much harm to him as they would to her.

“I won’t!”

Because he’s your friend?

“He’s your friend too. You are me.” Croi doesn’t think this is the correct time for this conversation.

I’m not. You are not me, either. You and I are both different halves of Croi.

“Can we talk about this later? I’m scared of the night crows.”

Then leave.

“No!”

Croi sits down beside Caolan and puts her hand on his arm, intending to shake him once more. His skin is smooth, and his magick runs in a steady current under her fingertips. When she presses her fingers into his skin, his magick brightens and splashes out of his skin onto hers. He comes awake gasping and shoves away from her.

“What did you do to me?” he rasps, breathing hard.

“Woke you up,” she replies, a frown on her face. “We need to leave here.”

“What? Why?” He looks around.

“Look at the night crows.…” Croi points and Caolan looks up at the trees. He pales for a second before his eyes darken.

“Finally,” he says.

“Have you been searching for them?” Croi doesn’t understand.

“If the night crows are here, then the Redcaps are not far away,” Caolan says.

“Redcaps?” Croi jumps to her feet.

Can we leave now?

“Let’s go!” Croi urges the catkin. She is not sure what Redcaps are, but she’s very sure she doesn’t want to find out.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Caolan says, and Croi looks at him. Should she leave without him? “The Redcaps kidnapped my brothers on the Robber Queen’s commands!”

“So your plan is to rescue your brothers by getting abducted by these Redcaps as well?” Croi asks slowly, wondering if he can hear how ridiculous the plan is when it’s spoken out loud.

“Yes. I will rescue them.” Caolan gets to his feet.

As much as Croi wants to persuade him against this course of action, she recognizes from the look on his face that it will be a futile endeavor.

He is determined to be foolish. Leave him.

“All right. Good luck. I will be making my own way from now on.” It isn’t much of a farewell, but time is limited. Croi turns to go, but before she can take a step, the night crows descend. She brings up her hands to shield her face, but at the last moment before impact, the night crows cast off their physical forms and become smoke, forcing their way into her mouth, nose, and lungs.