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Chapters (58)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Part Two: Three Months Later
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-one
  27. Part Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-two
  29. Chapter Twenty-three
  30. Chapter Twenty-four
  31. Chapter Twenty-five
  32. Chapter Twenty-six
  33. Chapter Twenty-seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-one
  38. Chapter Thirty-two
  39. Chapter Thirty-three
  40. Chapter Thirty-four
  41. Chapter Thirty-five
  42. Chapter Thirty-six
  43. Chapter Thirty-seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-nine
  46. Chapter Forty
  47. Chapter Forty-one
  48. Chapter Forty-two
  49. Chapter Forty-three
  50. Chapter Forty-four
  51. Chapter Forty-five
  52. Chapter Forty-six
  53. Chapter Forty-seven
  54. Chapter Forty-eight
  55. Epilogue
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. About the Author
  58. Keep Reading for a Sneak Peek at Umbertouched

I shake it off as the crows fly in. Slicewing struts back and forth just out of my reach, clicking her beak.

“What’s wrong, crow?” And then I remember what happened at the Neju’s Guard trials. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

She ignores me.

“Zivah, do you have bread for the birds?”

She glances at me, confused, but fishes out some scraps from her apron pocket.

“Thanks. And you should introduce me to the crows when my memory’s gone. Prevent any more confusion if they find me again.”

Slicewing tries to ignore me, but she can’t resist the bread for long. Soon she’s on my shoulder again, and I turn my attention back to Zivah.

“Things are moving faster with Neju’s Guard than expected,” I say. “We’re going on a mission next week, escorting Prince Kiran on a tour of the northern territories.”

Zivah straightens. “North? Will you go to Monyar?”

“No, we’ll stay south of the strait.” For that I’m extremely grateful. “I have a feeling this mission is part work and part training. Arxa’s eager to get us battle ready, and I’m guessing this is practice for something bigger. I’ll try to keep my eyes and ears open while I’m gone.”

She nods. “Be safe on your journey.”

I grin. “Try not to give the other me too warm of a send-off. Don’t want to give him the wrong message.”

I meant nothing by it, but she stiffens. “I wouldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.”

I put up my hands disarmingly. “Just joking.”

“Don’t.”

I whistle out of the corner of my mouth. “Prickly today?”

She doesn’t respond, and I start to pen my report.

Chapter Twenty-nine

One good thing comes out of seeing the rosemarked boy enter the compound. It spurs me to write Leora back. I’d read her letter countless times, but I’d resisted writing a reply. Somehow, I feared that doing so would undo the tourniquet I’d pulled tight around my thoughts and feelings about home. Tonight though, I’m ready.

It’s not as hard as I fear. After the first few greetings, the words flow easily. Though Leora doesn’t know about my mission, there’s still plenty to describe. I tell her about Mehtap’s villa, the harp music that floats from her room every night and the passersby who linger outside her window to listen. I describe the rows of the sick inside Jesmin’s hospital, the constant scramble for clean blankets and bandages. I tell her about the screams I hear outside the villa walls at night, and how helpless it makes me feel. I even tell her about Dineas, though to Leora, he’s just a patient who was abandoned at the compound wall.