Eva grasped the crystal, squinting at its frosted veneer. “Thank you, Zin,” she said, looking up at the being.

“You are welcome.” He watched her with tiny sparkling eyes.

“Your sister is in Lacus. She lives in a small hut in the topmost tier on the second tower from the shoreline.”

Zin nodded in thanks.

“I hope you find her, and I hope you work things out,” Eva said, nodding back. She thought of Muthr.

“Be wary, Eva Nine.” Zin folded his many hands together. “For hope is a fair-weather friend at best.”

CHAPTER 31: OKAY

Eva curled up under a thick blanket inside one of the large drawers in Zin’s study. The gnomish being had left to inform Queen Ojo that he would be “observing” Eva in hopes of learning more about her mysterious species.

With the room empty and dim, Eva attempted contact with Muthr. She wasn’t sure how Zin would react to her communicating with the robot, so she waited until she was alone. To Eva’s delight, there was a message already on the Omnipod.

“Eva, dear,” Muthr’s head said, floating over the device, “I am unharmed at the moment. Besteel captured me over the water, leaving poor Mr. Kitt and Otto behind. I was then taken to a camp deep in the woods, where the malicious brute kept me tethered to a tree, along with several other animals that he had captured.” Static fuzzed through the message as the robot continued, “From there, it seemed like he was in communication with someone, though I could not gather with whom. I did not want to risk contacting you at the camp, for fear that he might learn of your well-being. Currently, however, I am in a net underneath his glider and, from the landmarks I have seen, en route to Solas. I do not know when we shall arrive, nor do I know what fate awaits me. Perhaps you already have discovered it. But I hope that, regardless, I am there with you. Stay strong, my dear.”

“End of messages,” the Omnipod finished.

“Can you contact Muthr, please?” Eva whispered into the Omnipod.

“Attempting voice connection to Multi-Utility Task Help Robot zero-six . . . ,” the device whispered back.

Eva peeked out from her makeshift bed. She was still alone.

“Apologies, Eva Nine,” the Omnipod said. “I am experiencing interference from Muthr’s current location. I would suggest we try again shortly.”

“Is she okay?” Eva stared at the device’s glowing central eye.

“Most likely,” it replied. “Her last transmission was over open water. There was considerable electrical activity in the atmosphere when she sent her message. It is probably interfering with our attempted connection now.”