Still trying to catch my breath, I scan the distance for our position. I want to see the wooded slope where Hyde and I posted up last night, but I find that I can’t see more than three hundred yards away. I know this territory as well as I know Clara’s face, but with smoke billowing past, nothing is recognizable.

I bite back a curse. Sight is my gift. When I can’t see, I’m not happy.

“Well, I’m terrified,” Hayden says. “How about you?”

I look at him. “Where are we?”

“Definitely lost.” He kneels, pulling his quiver over his shoulder. Sweat drips off his forehead. He swipes at it absently and withdraws a compass from a small pocket.

Relief washes over me. “I could hug you right now.” That small instrument may have just saved our lives. It’s easy to lose direction when you can’t navigate by sight. As disoriented as we are, we could get turned around and head directly toward the fire line.

“A nice thought, but unnecessary.” Hayden checks the compass. “We haven’t gone off course by much. We’re still heading east.” He points straight ahead and stands. “Let’s keep going. We have to get clear of this smoke.”

As we run again, he doesn’t state the obvious. We aren’t protecting the tribe anymore. We are no longer looking for signs of Wylan and his group. Our mission has shifted. We are running to save our own lives.

The night becomes snatches of foreign-looking woods. The dirt beneath my feet and Hayden running next to me. I have the feeling we’re getting swept out to sea. Away from safety and everyone we know.

I don’t know how long we’ve been running when my energy begins to flag. Unable to keep up anymore, I slow down. Hayden notices immediately. He hooks his arm into mine and yanks me forward, giving me the boost I need to climb a small hill.

We collapse at the top, sprawling on the dirt.

I lie there for a while, facedown, trying to catch my breath. Then I roll on my back and stare up at the Aether.

My muscles twitch, and I’m so light-headed it feels like the world is spinning. A gust drifts over me, cooling me down. The air is clear here. Not a trace of smoke. I close my burning eyes and drink it into my lungs. My sweat-drenched clothes are heavy on my skin.

I sense Hayden climbing to his feet. “You all right?”

“I’m great. Just perfect.”

He doesn’t move away. When I peer at him through my lashes, I find him looking down at me, his full lips parted just slightly. “Still want to know where we are?” he asks.

I climb to my feet, my legs quavering a little.