Avina moved with surprising speed and agility, sticking close to the buildings where the best shadows are cast.

  Kiri and Sani matched her pace, staying a few steps behind.

  I struggled a bit, needing to stop and catch my breath, but not wanting to admit it. Further behind me, I heard Joklo panting. “He’s falling behind.”

  “We haven’t time to wait,” Avina said.

  In the distance, people shouted. They were far enough away that I couldn’t make out their words. But they seemed to be closing in.

  Avina stopped and pointed to a tower on the wall.

  “Do you see a crack near the center of the top?”

  I stopped next to her, sucked in a couple of breaths, then nodded. The crack was obvious from here. I wasn’t sure why she needed to ask.

  She began moving again. “The next one will be unoccupied. They only man every other one along this stretch.”

  I followed, wondering why she had pointed this out. The guards mostly watched outside the wall. Even if they saw us running below, they wouldn’t know who we were or why we were running. “Perhaps we should get away from the wall altogether.” My boot came down on a large stone. I lost my footing for a moment and almost fell. “The change of direction might throw them off.”

  “We’re going outside the wall.” Avina stopped again. This time with a tower across from us. The wall was as high as four cottages stacked on top of each other.

  “Climbing the wall will be difficult,” I said.

  “Not the wall,” Avina said. “The tower.” It was three times higher than the wall.

  I glanced at Sani. “Perhaps he can scale it, but I certainly can’t.”

  She shook her head. “He won’t be fast enough. The guard’s focus is outside the wall. But he scans the interior of the wall regularly. If he notices us climbing, he will signal for the bells.”

  “If he isn’t fast enough, then I have no chance.” I pointed my head at Joklo. “And he will need to be carried up.”

  “Only one will scale. A stairway at the top leads to a hidden passage at the bottom, which can only be opened from the inside. It is unmanned. They use it only during battle, to sneak out and catch the enemy off guard.” She pointed straight ahead. “Once it is opened, we can all walk through.”

  “So, you will climb?” I asked.

  She peered at Kiri. “She is the only one fast enough.”

  Sani’s brow wrinkled.

  I understood his confusion. Kiri hasn’t done anything to suggest she was fast, or possessed climbing skills. “What makes you think she speed climbs?”

  “She knows what she must do,” Avina said.

  Kiri put her hands out and took a step back. “No.” She shook her head. “Don’t make me.”

  “Joklo is confused.” His eyes widened. “What are we forcing the girl to do?”

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m on the same page as Joklo.”

  Avina sighed. “The Yaksha derive their magic from substances in their realm, like plants, minerals, and even animals.” She paused. “The elves gain power from the blood of other creatures.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Like a Void Wigon.”

  “No,” Kiri said. “We don’t make potions from the flesh or blood of other beings.” She looked down at her feet. “We must drink their blood directly. Fresh blood.” She clenched her jaw. “I won’t do it though. It makes me want to throw up.” Her hands trembled. “And I don’t like what it does to me.”

  Avina chuckled. “An elf is afraid of drinking blood. I’ve seen it all.” She put her hand on Kiri’s arm. “My dear, either you drink a little blood from Sani, or watch your friends hang in the town square when the angry villagers finally catch up with them.”

  She stomped her foot, then glanced at Sani. “Eww.”

  He looked taken aback.

  “Not because of you.” She hung her head. “The taste. The texture.” She shuddered, then glanced at all our faces. A look of sorrow filled her eyes. “I’ll do it.” She motioned toward Sani. “Should I just bite him?”

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  “Couldn’t she drink your blood?” I asked Avina.

  “Mine will not work.” Avina handed Sani a dagger.

  He ran it across his hand, then extended the bleeding palm to Kiri. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then put her mouth over the wound. After a moment, she pulled away, gagging and leaning over.

  “Don’t puke or we’ll have to start again,” Avina said.

  Kiri stood up straight and shook her head, then gulped. “Okay. I’ll be ready in a moment.”

  “Does she need climbing gear?” I asked.

  Avina snickered.

  Kiri’s eyes widened. The whites seemed to grow brighter. The green shrunk to a little bead. She jumped in place while shaking out her arms, like a fighter about to enter the pits. “I’m ready.” Her breathing deepened. A sense of rage gripped her face.

  Avian turned to me. “What is the guard doing?” I glanced at the tower. “He’s pretty far, but he looks like he’s walking this way.”

  “Good,” she said. “Tell her when he turns away.”

  Avian just stood there and waited. Why couldn’t she watch and report the guards’ movements? Was this her way of taking charge of the group, giving me orders to show dominance? Perhaps instead she thought I needed busywork to keep my nerves? Either way, I didn’t like being manipulated. Eventually, I needed to get some alone time and have a frank discussion.

  The guard turned away.

  “Now,” I said.

  Kiri sprinted forward, becoming a streak of colors in the dim starlight. Even using the best potions, I’ve never seen a knight move that fast. When she was but a few arrows from the wall, she leaped into the air. If I had stood against the wall with Joklo standing on my shoulders, she would have cleared us both.

  She stuck to the surface, her fingers and feet latching onto the small grooves between cemented stones. She didn’t just climb to the top, but flung herself up and latched on again, only pausing for a moment between jumps. Before I could fully comprehend what had happened, she reached the top and climbed onto the tower. She disappeared just as the guard turned around and monitored the wall.

  I glanced around, not thinking of anything to say. Even Joklo was speechless.

  As soon as the guard turned away again, we scurried across the field. Avian counted while we moved. A door opened in what appeared to be a solid stone wall. We ran inside and closed it behind us.

  Avian, still counting, held up her hand, signaling for us to wait.

  Kiri’s head moved from side to side so quickly that it created a breeze. Her nearly white eyes seemed empty, like she was no longer inside. I wanted to ask her questions to see if the Kiri I knew answered me back, but now wasn’t the time.

  Avian dropped her arm, opened the door, and headed outside. The guard must have been watching the inside again. She timed it so he wouldn’t see us sprint toward the trees.

  Dread washed over me as I headed right for the Forest of the Forgotten. “We’re not going in there, are we?” I asked.

  “We won’t go deep, just far enough to hide in the foliage,” Avian said. Every bone in my body screamed out, warning me to turn around and face the Mallma guards instead. Better hanged by them than subjected to whatever evil happened in this spooky forest.

  Kiri sprinted past us, jumping as she neared the tree line, catapulting herself into the woods. Avian entered next, turning and waving us on, attempting to get us to move faster. Joklo, the last one, barely made it inside before the guard returned.

  Deep in the forest, timber creaked and leaves rustled. A howl behind us nearly caused me to jump. With Avian in the lead, we headed through the trees, parallel to the city walls. Kiri weaved in and out of the group, moving deeper in the forest at times, as if scouting ahead. She seemed desperate to burn away her extra energy.

  “You look worried,” Avian said as she locked eyes with me. “I’ve traveled to the hunting lodge several times and never had an issue.”

  “Why are we going to a hunting lodge?” I asked.

  “Dante lives there. He will help you unbind your book.”

  I whispered, “Is he one of the forgotten?”

  “No, but they leave him alone out here. He must have some sort of deal with them.”

  “I thought they didn’t make deals.”

  She shrugged.

  Avian dug some bandages out of her bag and handed them to Sani.

  He showed her his hand. “I already healed myself.”

  “Who would have guessed. The human is a wizard.”

  “I’m not a wizard.” He huffed. “I was training to be our next hataalii, like my grandfather before me.” He shook his head. “My father wanted me to be a hunter like him, but I wanted to go in a different direction.” He thought for a moment. “If I would have listened to my father, I’d be back home hunting small game and enjoying the cooler weather.

  “Huh,” Joklo said. “People are all the same, aren’t they?” He raised his eyebrows. “We grew up in two completely different cultures, but my dad also wanted me to follow in his footsteps.” He stretched. “When Joklo admitted he wanted to become a famous bard, father demanded Joklo do what his father did, and his father’s father, and his father’s father’s father. And his-”

  I put my hand out. “We get it.”

  “Joklo doesn’t mean to ramble.” He continued, “Anyway, he said Joklo was foolish for following such a dream when life could be so much simpler. But Joklo couldn’t do the same boring thing day in and day out, luring sailors and soldiers to the water, drowning them, and stealing their possessions.”

  Everyone except Avian stopped and stared at Joklo.

  “I know. I know.” He plucked his lute. “It sounds exciting. But they never put up much of a fight. No fun at all.”

  Avian finally turned to face us. “Why did we stop?”

  The bard shrugged. “They stare at Joklo now. So much attention. Should I play a song?”

  “Did you say you lured, robbed, and killed people?” I asked.

  “Heavens no.” He shook his head. “Father wanted me to, but Joklo put his foot down. When he didn’t respect the decision, Joklo ran away and slipped through the portal, hoping it would lead to a place where Joklo could just be Joklo.”

  “I thought you were a yaksha,” I said.

  “Not even close,” Avian said. “I can’t tell you what he is, but it's not human or yaksha.”

  How did she know so much about Joklo? From what I could tell, she met him after I did. Thinking back, I remembered her claiming her blood wouldn’t work the same as Sani's. I had just assumed, since she was a Brigand assassin, that she was human. Most of them were, but not all. “Are you human?”

  Avian pointed at herself.

  I nodded.

  “I never claimed to be.” She lowered her hood and grabbed the linen wrap that covered her face, and started unraveling.