Bending at the waist, I threw up on the ground along the building’s wall. It burned coming up, making my eyes water and my head pound. Again I heaved, then once more, vomiting up all I’d consumed in the last couple hours. Still bent, both palms on the brick in front of me, I placed my forehead against the wall between my hands and took shallow breaths.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d thrown up or felt so sick. It made me wonder if the Fury had infected Jamie with something and he’d passed it on to me. Or maybe I had caught something sleeping in that cave.

A small cry of alarm reached my ear—one of the children—and I hurried to the corner of the market where I could see Megan and the children. Evelyn was standing in the middle of the path, pointing at Stephen, who had wandered out into the tall uncut grass.

Oh no!

I threw a glance up the street, hoping no one was watching. No one I could see. Megan was rushing out into the tall grass to collect Stephen.

She had scooped up little Stephen and was coming back, face white with fear, by the time I reached them. Evelyn was staring out across the grass, tears gathered in her eyes, small hands trembling.

I knelt beside her. “Evelyn?”

“We aren’t allowed off the path,” she said. “The grass isn’t safe! It’s tall and full of dangers.”

“He’s okay, Evelyn.”

“No, no! He isn’t allowed.”

And if Rose found out there would be consequences. Especially now, after all the trouble Jamie and I had caused.

“It’s going to be okay. No one is hurt. We can pretend nothing even happened.”

I reached up to touch her shoulder, but she pulled back from me. “That’s lying.”

And just like that, I’d boxed myself into a corner. But I was desperate to get out.

“I would never lie,” I said. “I just meant we can pretend for now. Until we tell your mother.”

Megan stepped back onto the path, set Stephen down, and began checking him over, brushing off stray blades of grass. She looked up at me, searching for redemption and guidance. “I thought he was sitting right beside me,” she said, voice strained.

“He wanders,” I said. “I should’ve told you.”

“We aren’t allowed off the path!” Evelyn cried. “There are chiggers in the grass! He’s going to get sick and then we’ll all get sick.”

Megan frantically looked Stephen over for bites.

“I got bit by bugs?” Stephen asked, fear mounting in his thin voice. “I don’t want to be sick.”

“You won’t get sick,” Megan assured him, but she didn’t sound convinced.

“He was bitten!” Evelyn insisted. “He’ll get sick and then get us all sick!”