"You should get some fresh air."
Quenti stood in the doorway of Lili's bedroom as Alara lay sprawled out on her bedroll, staring at the ceiling.
"There's plenty of fresh air in here." Alara said, not making eye contact with Quenti.
Quenti chewed on the inside of her cheek. Alara hadn't left Lili's house for days since the marketplace "incident." Lili didn't really know what had happened between Runeo and Alara—neither one of them was open to discussing it—but it had been clear the magite hadn't taken it well.
"Well, let me know if you change your mind. Khuno and I are going to the market."
The other girl didn't respond or even acknowledge the comment, but after letting out one last sigh, Quenti backed out of the room. A part of her was angry at Alara. Angry that she was making Quenti feel responsible for the other girl's misery. Then again, the other part of her rationalized, Quenti technically was the reason Alara was here. She almost couldn't blame Alara for being upset.
But Quenti shook off this thought quickly. Kidnapping Alara was never her intention. She had just wanted to leave the Haven. It had been Alara's choice to follow when she stumbled upon Quenti in the trees.
Khuno was standing in the front entryway when Quenti withdrew from Alara's room. Her eyes were questioning and Quenti shook her head. "Not today."
The bruya shrugged at this, unperturbed by the magite girl's choices.
"Where's Lili?" Quenti asked, looking around the small room, as if Lili was hiding under a cushion.
"Gone to visit her grandmother. Apparently she has not told her yet that she has two magites staying over."
"Not a magite," Quenti rebutted.
Khuno ignored her. "I tried to get us invited. I would have loved to see Wela Runtu's face during that conversation."
"Do people here really see me as a magite?" Quenti asked, her eyes finding Khuno's own.
"It won't last forever," she said, squeezing Quenti's hands between her own. "We're all refugees in the end, or descendants of them."
Quenti nodded, but Khuno's words did little to untwist the knot in her gut. Sparks of anxiety still crept up her spine and jumbled her thoughts. It had been nearly a week, and Quenti still felt like an outsider walking through the trees.
It'll take an adjustment, she reminded herself at night. Though that didn't stop the anxiety from flooding her entire body.
"So where to?"
"I'm famished," Quenti said.
"I can fix that."
"No fish."
"Aw, you break my heart."
***
"The farms are a few miles from here," Khuno said, waving an ear of seasoned corn around. "Far enough away that if anyone ever managed to stumble on them, it would still take time to find us."
"And who picks the farmers?" Quenti asked as she grabbed a handful of assorted roasted nuts, which were unglamorously shoved into her tunic pockets. The two had been talking nonstop as they made their way through Arbol, with Quenti trying to get a full grasp of how the tree-dwelling civilization remained a secret.
Khuno shrugged. "I mean... no one picks them. Why did your father end up as a fisherman?"
Quenti bit her lip. It had been a good while since she'd even thought of her father. The man wasn't a memory she was eager to revisit any time soon.
"Khuno!" a voice came out of nowhere, shaking Quenti free from her thoughts.
A little boy no older than five leaped into Khuno's arms, "Urco stole my ball and told me I wasn't allowed to play it anymore."
"Well, that just won't do, now will it?" Khuno said, hitching the small boy onto her hip.
The boy's eyes were a bright green, and they swiveled suddenly to meet Quenti's before going wide.
"Capac, meet Quenti. Quenti, this is Capac, my monkey of a cousin."
Capac said nothing, eyes still fixed on Quenti's. She tried to give him a smile, but it only made him squirm.
"Put me down! We need to go attack Urco." The boy said this matter-of-factly.
"I left my spear at home, but let's see what we can do," Khuno said, obliging to put Capac down. "Lead the way."
***
Capac solemnly led them to a larger platform a few bridges away. It was empty except for four children, no older than Capac. Between them floated a ball of stretched leather.
Quenti could only assume Urco was the long-haired boy who was grinning with a joyful maliciousness that only young children can muster. His hand was outstretched as he used his air abilities to raise the ball just out of reach of the other three children.
Khuno stopped on the edge of the platform, frowning.
"Give me my ball back or Khuno will defeat you," Capac proclaimed.
Urco glanced up briefly, seeing Khuno and Quenti on the edge of the platform. "You've brought the mage spy!"
Capac paled slightly at this, looking back at Quenti in suspicion again.
Khuno leaned down and whispered something in the boy's ear, and then motioned for Quenti to join. Quenti stepped forward, joining the now impromptu huddle.
"Can you distract Urco with some clouds?" Khuno asked Quenti with a conspiratorial smile.
"I..." Quenti looked at Khuno quizzically. Khuno shook her head sadly and wave her hand, pulling together a small drop of water from the air.
"Alas, I am too tired to fight. You are our only hope."
Quenti smirked. "I think I can manage."
Khuno looked back at Capac. "You know what to do?"
The boy nodded.
"Then on my signal."
Khuno stood back up. "Urco, you have challenged our loyalties. Do you retract it?"
The small boy only stuck out his tongue and made the ball float higher.
"So be it," Khuno said.
With a look from Khuno, Quenti snapped her fingers and sent the water around them rushing into a cloud above Urco's head. She waved her fingers slightly, tempted to let it rain on the young boy, but she simply let it swirl around him.
The little boy let out a squeal of irritation and the ball flew higher still. Quenti had to laugh a little at the uncoordinated movement. It was clear he was trying to blow the cloud away while keeping the ball in the air, but he was too young and unpracticed. The ball wavered, but didn't fall.
Before Quenti could comment on the plan not working, she saw Capac beside her moving his fingers. She looked up at the ball and saw with a sudden huff of surprise that vines were growing down from a branch above the platform. In an instant, the vines had wrapped around the ball and were moving down toward Capac's outstretched hand.
"Kid's got talent," Quenti said. Capac's face brightened at the comment before he dashed back to his friends, ball in hand.
"Lili's definitely had a hand in some of his skills," Khuno replied.
Quenti watched the kids as they tossed the ball back and forth. Urco, to her surprise, had joined the group and was tossing the ball around as if the last few minutes hadn't just happened.
"Do they all have powers?"
Khuno's eyes were focused on the children as well. Her voice came out softly. "All but Pala, the shorter girl. She still has time, but..."
The bruya's voice faded, the strand of thought lost.
Quenti tilted her head, looking at Khuno's profile. "But?"
Khuno turned suddenly, smile bright. "But I'm sure she'll find her magia soon. For some, it just takes a bit of time."
"Some children in Sombria don't find their powers until they are 10 or 11," Quenti offered.
Khuno wrinkled her nose at this. "Quil'la has a theory that the delay is born out of the oppression of magia. Most children here find their magical core by age 3 or 4."
Quenti looked back at the group playing, occasional magia sprouting between them as they manipulated the ball. "Your nurseries must be chaos."
"There is fun in chaos," a voice said behind them.
Quenti turned to see Runeo striding up behind them, his hair loose around his broad shoulders.
"Be careful Alara doesn't hear you say that," Quenti smirked.
Runeo's eyes darkened, and Quenti regretted the comment instantly. Khuno seemed to feel the shift as well. She threw an arm around Runeo's shoulders, which looked comical given her head just came up to Runeo's shoulders.
"Come. I was in the middle of giving Quenti a tour of Arbol before Capac interrupted."
"I'm amazed she's still awake." Runeo turned to Quenti, his face serious. "Are you okay? Blink twice if you need help."
"I was enthralled by his discussion of agriculture at this elevation."
Runeo gave a dramatic sigh and shook his head. "Oh Sol, she's perfect for you, isn't she?"
***
The mood was light as they walked through Arbol, Runeo and Khuno bantering back and forth. Quenti watched them with only the slightest tinge of envy at their ease in each other's company. Quenti had only ever had the ease with Khuno, but even this felt different. They had the intimacy of people that had known each other from before they could walk.
It was the same ease she had seen between many of the Arborelis as they wandered around. There was a calm here that Quenti had never seen, even in the villages. In Hurazon, there was always the slight tension in the air of waiting for something to go wrong. Or maybe that was just Quenti.
"It's peaceful here." Quenti was startled to see the other two looking at her and realized she had spoken out loud.
"Sometimes," Khuno said, her words careful.
"Everywhere has its conflicts." Runeo's voice was low and his jaw tight. "Not everyone has agreed with the elder's rules in how they handle the conflicts with the Council."
"Runeo had a friend—" Khuno started, but the look in Runeo's eyes stopped him.
"What happens to those that disagree?" Quenti asked.
Khuno and Runeo shared a look that Quenti couldn't quite read.
"They leave," Khuno said.
"Usually," Runeo added.
"The troublemakers leave, then," Khuno said, a tone of finality in her voice.
Quenti knew the conversation was done, despite the questions that were still spinning in her mind. The tension in the air made her skin crawl as they walked, and she tried to think of what to say to change the subject. Anything to bring back the ease that had come before. Even if she hadn't been a part of it.
But before Quenti could think of something clever or light to say, she realized she recognized where they were.
"Oh, Sol! We're back at Lili's. This place is a maze."
Khuno opened her mouth to respond, but Runeo cut her off. "Where the hell is Micos?"
Quenti looked at the empty doorway and shrugged, "Probably inside with Alara."
Runeo let out a curse under his breath as he stalked across the small bridge and into the house. "Micos!"
Khuno and Quenti followed silently.
"Micos! Sol damn him," Runeo spit. "When I find him."
"I'm sure they're fine," Khuno said plaintively.
Runeo ignored this and stormed out of the house, shouting Micos's name as he went.
"Do you think we should go after him?" Quenti asked.
"I think we should go find Alara before he does," Khuno said.
Quenti felt the ache of shame in her chest as she looked around the empty house. The voice whispered in her mind again, this is your fault. Everything that happened to Alara and everything Alara did was because of the decision Quenti had made for her.
"He wouldn't hurt her, right?"
"I don't know. When it comes to mages—I don't know."