“Because . . . because . . . because . . .” She had no answer at all. He was not a mistake. But maybe she was, a farm girl who wanted more but couldn’t handle more when she got it. She heard Pixit in her mind, telling her she was perfect as she was, but she didn’t believe him. She couldn’t help but think that she didn’t deserve to be a guardian at all. That was why she’d fallen in the storm, and that was why she still couldn’t hold a spark. “I keep thinking of that old guardian saying—​you know, the one they put on the welcome letter: ‘A true heart is never a mistake’—​and I wonder if maybe I’m the first.”

“Ah, there you are.” Jyx’s voice was right next to her. Mina squinted up and saw her shape, a darker shadow against all the other shadows. Chauda was a squat shadow beside her. Jyx plopped down next to her.

“How badly hurt are you?” Jyx asked.

Mina pushed herself up to sitting. Her head spun, but it wasn’t too bad. She touched her shoulder and winced. She drew her hand away. “I don’t know.”

“As soon as the storm fades, we’ll fly back to the school. Straight to the sick room.”

The rain was lessening. Mina squinted as she looked out, trying to see the lights of the school. Even with the storm, she should be able to see them.

She heard another crash of thunder behind them, beyond the mountain peak.

And a terrible thought occurred to her.

The storm was behind them. Beyond the mountain.

Which meant that they were on the other side.

“Jyx, why can’t we see the school?”

“Because of the storm. Remember the storm? Hard to see? Lots of clouds? Lightning? Very exciting? Did you hit your head?”

«Oh no.» Pixit understood.

“Jyx, we crossed the mountains.” Mina tried to keep her voice level and calm, but she failed. This is bad. Very, very bad. Not only had she failed to spark and fallen when she’d flown in her first storm, but she’d also broken one of the school rules: don’t leave the barren lands. “I think . . . we crossed the border. We’re not in Alorria.”

Chapter
Thirteen