But first the ruler of a great city will hold you in court.

The past will face the future—

but neither will recognize that they are their own reflection.

A sibling will set you on your path.

Go forth, human child, and foster your wit,

for even the most wicked have a family that loves them.”

Arius released her steely grip, and Eva fell backward into the pile of offerings. She scrambled up and scuttled through the hoard and back out into the entryway, where the strange, lilting music played. Eva thrust the door wide open and dashed across the swaying footbridge from Arius’s shack. She rushed down the stairs and back out into the main walkway that ringed the topmost tier of huts.

As she caught her breath, Eva rubbed her left wrist where the soothsayer had grasped her. In the reddish bruise she could see a mark forming in her skin. It was a perfect circle with another, smaller circle in it—a mark identical to one Arius had on one of her arms.

“What the—?” Eva pushed her bangs away as she studied the marking in the sunlight. Amidst her ragged breathing, she heard a sound above her.

A familiar sound.

The humming sound of a glider.

Besteel floated down inside the circular tower and hovered just a few meters in front of Eva.

“Heart rate BPM acceleration detected, Eva Nine.” The chirpy voice of her tunic was muffled under the blanket. “Please begin meditative relaxation to decrease BPM. Thank you.”

“Finally, Besteel gets heez elusive prize.” The huntsman jumped from his glider and landed right in front of Eva. He seized her with his many talons.

“Let go of me!” Eva tried to wriggle free. She realized that Besteel was only clutching her by the wrapped blanket, so she dropped down. Eva slipped out of his grasp and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Sheesa!” Besteel roared and threw down the blanket as he leaped back onto his glider. Eva glimpsed her wrap as it fluttered down several stories and then landed, tangled on one of the many lines holding the pennants that crisscrossed the plaza.

She bolted away from Besteel down the rickety walks, which were now teeming with Halcyonus locals. Eva tried to locate Hostia’s home in the myriad of huts. As she sprinted past a large streaming banner, she heard the unmistakable hum of Besteel’s charging weapon.

A low woom was heard, and the walkway behind her blew to pieces from the sonic wave blast. Pedestrians scattered in all directions. In the chaos, Eva slipped into one of the nearby homes and slammed the door behind her.

A family of Halcyonus stood, seemingly dumbfounded in their entry room, as a panicked Eva faced them. “Please,” she pleaded in between gasps, “I need to hide. Can you help me?”