“It’s the runt,” she said. “The farmer didn’t want it.”

“I see,” said Giddon unperturbedly, for Giddon was the person she’d happened to be glaring at when she’d made her announcement. He was sitting at the table with Nev and the queen. Probably planning their departures.

“It’s cute,” said Nev.

Lovisa glanced at the fox kit Nev held in one arm and said caustically, “Yes. I like that it can’t read my mind.”

“Have you named it?” asked Bitterblue.

She had named it. In fact, she’d named it after the queen. “His name is Worthy,” she said, then, before she started to cry again, went out to the barn.

Nev came looking for her later, without her fox.

“Lovisa?” she said, finding Lovisa in the semi-dark, where she was sitting on the hay beside the cow again. She was teaching Worthy to suckle on a milk-soaked cloth from Saiet that she twisted like a nipple.

I cannot believe this is my life, Lovisa thought as Nev approached her. “What?”

“An airship’s coming tomorrow from Ledra,” Nev said. “We’re leaving the day after that.”

Lovisa grunted. It was so soon. Too soon.

“Will you come with us?” Nev asked.

How confusing it was to hear Nev say that. “I—don’t think I have anywhere to go,” she said.

“The Devrets want you, if you like,” Nev said. “You could live with your brothers. The academy also wants you back.”

Lovisa snorted at that. “Says who?”

“Says every message coming through the signal stations.”

“The people at the academy just want to be able to look at me and gossip,” said Lovisa. “I can’t go to Ledra. You know how it is there.”

“Yes,” Nev admitted. “I do.”

“Anyway, how could I?” Lovisa said. “Everyone’ll know who I am. They’ll know what I did, and what my parents did.”

Nev seemed to think about that for a minute. She stroked the cow’s neck and the cow took on a blissful expression. Lovisa watched carefully while pretending not to. She’d wondered the safe way to touch that cow.

“It’s true that I can’t imagine what this is like for you, Lovisa,” Nev finally said. “You’ve had to make harder choices than I ever have, harder than most people ever do. But I don’t want you to think that you’re alone.” She paused. “I understand you might not consider me a friend.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Lovisa through rising tears.

“If you come back to school,” said Nev, “you won’t be alone.” She paused again. “Okay? Just think about it.”

She left for the house. Then, while Lovisa was thinking about it, Nev came out again, poked her head into the barn.

“Lovisa? Your uncle is here.”

—