“I just can’t believe we’re about to see her after everything that’s happened. No lava monsters. No spirit battles.” I had to pause as my voice caught. “I feel like if I can connect with Olive here, help her, then I won’t have failed Nina . . .”

Sydney’s hold on me tightened. “You didn’t fail her, Adrian. She made those choices.”

Maybe if you’d been stronger, maybe if you’d used more spirit in the dream . . . Aunt Tatiana’s voice paused in my head as she let me ponder that thought. Well, maybe Nina wouldn’t be in her current state.

Be quiet, I snapped back to the phantom voice. Sydney’s right. It’s not my fault. Nina made those choices.

If you say so, said Aunt Tatiana.

Olive stepped out onto the porch just then, wearing the same homemade clothes I’d seen in the dream. And also just like in the dream, she was very obviously pregnant. She started to smile when she saw Lana, then froze when she caught sight of the rest of us.

“No,” she said, backing up. “No, no, no.”

Rose leapt forward. “Olive, wait. Please. We want to talk to you. We want to help you.”

Olive shook her head frantically, and Lana put an arm around her. “Honey, you really should talk to them.”

“I don’t want to!” Olive exclaimed. She glanced from face to face, looking like a trapped animal as we all gathered around, and my heart went out to her. When her gaze fell on Sydney, she did a double take. “An Alchemist!”

“I’m not with them anymore,” Sydney said. “I’m here to help you, just like everyone else.”

“You know Sydney,” I reminded Olive. “You can trust her.”

Olive still looked frightened but at last dragged her attention from Sydney. “I don’t have anything to say to any of you!”

“Then don’t say anything,” I said. “Just listen. Take a walk with me. Just me. Let me tell you what’s been going on with Nina. I’ll do all the taking.”

Her sister’s name drew Olive back from where she’d been about to retreat inside the cabin. She brushed long strands of black hair out of her face, peering at me with tear-filled eyes. “Nina? Is she okay? In that dream . . .”

I gestured past me. “Let’s take a walk. I’ll tell you everything.”