Seth shakes his head. “We were searching the area to the southwest of the city before we were captured,” he replies. “We only found one, and the human had already used it. No idea where he got it from.”

“Then we keep looking,” Io says.

“The humans will be all over here in minutes,” Seth counters. “We should look, but we need to hide first.”

I close my eyes, wishing I could drown out the sound of their voices. The truth catches in my throat like cloth on a dagger. Tearing. Dragging.

I could lie, but I shouldn’t. What’s more is that I don’t want to. I’ll think more clearly having been honest, and the Heliana needs all her fighters thinking clearly.…

Everything from my undergarments to the leather bindings of my vambrace is saturated with water, and we don’t exactly have the luxury of being able to lay out to dry. I reach down to wring out my own clothes, buying myself time, when there’s an itch at my chest. I scratch at it, not thinking, until it continues to bother me. My fingers pull at my underthings, and then I remember—Isla’s present.

Red seeps through the paper like ink. I barely hear the others asking what I am holding as I shakily peel back the wet parchment. “Skies alive,” I say. “She’s saved us.”

“Who?” Io asks just as Seth does.

I lower my hand, and they all see it plain as day—the cure, wilted and wet but intact. Gingerly, I separate a few of the tightly pressed petals, counting them in my head. For a moment, none of us speak. The relief floods me again like a dam broken anew.

“How?” Callen asks.

I close my hand around the precious cure. “I’ll explain on the way. Hand that to me,” I say, reaching for his waterskin. I quickly dump out the dregs before gently funneling the flowers inside. “‘A petal a year, a stem a season.’ This is more than enough for the prince and all the other kids.”

“The prince?” Io frowns, her dark brows drawing in as her gaze demands answers from me. My jaw goes slack. Skies, I never wanted to give this news once, let alone twice.

Seth steps up, placing his hand on Io’s shoulder in respect. “That, I will explain on the way. Let’s go.”

Minutes later, Io is cursing up a storm. “We have to get back before it’s too late.”

We trudge through the hilly terrain, using the river as our guide. I walk beside Callen and Seth, the latter even more pensive than usual. Io takes the lead while Jai and Ox hold the rear.