A few hours later, Quenti found Alara, face puffy but dry-eyed, at the platform in the highest tree. Her body was curled in on itself, back pressed against the tree and legs tight against her chest. She didn't even notice Quenti's head peeking around the trunk until she spoke.
"Hey."
"Hey." Alara's eyes remained focused on the green hills in the distance—north—toward home.
"Khuno told me what happened. Micos thought you might be up here."
Alara stayed silent, her mood too dour to react.
"I yelled at Runeo for you. Just a bit." She paused. "You can yell at him some more if you want."
Alara gave a small smile at this. "Thanks."
Quenti climbed the rest of the way up and sat next to the magite on the platform, her legs crossed and shoulder brushing against the other girl's.
"I'm sorry I brought you into all of this," she said. "I know it's not much of a consolation, but I never meant for all this to become so... messy. All I wanted was to be with Khuno. It was selfish of me."
The anger Alara had latched on to for the past few weeks abated... though just the slightest bit. Enough for her to respond with a very un-Alara-like civility.
"I know." Alara said. "I just want to go home."
They sat silently, watching as the sun reached its zenith and began its slow descent toward the horizon.
"I might actually miss this place," Alara said, barely above a whisper. "I mean this platform, specifically. This view."
Quenti laughed and looked out over the sea of treetops. "I don't blame you. The tunnels are nice and all, but Sol, you can see the world from up here!"
Alara's smile fell. "Have you ever had your mind wiped?"
Quenti didn't reply immediately, her eyes focused on a distant point on the horizon. "I don't know. I mean, I guess I wouldn't know?"
"What do you think it's like?"
"Maybe it's like sleeping? Like you close your eyes one minute and then open them, and it's another time. Or maybe—maybe you don't even notice." Quenti nudged Alara's shoulder. "Hey, maybe you've had your mind wiped already?"
Alara shuddered at the thought. "I don't like the idea of someone messing with my head."
"At least you won't, you know, remember?"
"I suppose I won't miss this view then, huh?" Alara said, biting her lip. She wasn't even sure how to explain the lump sitting in her throat.
"You don't have to leave."
"You know I do. I can't imagine never seeing the Haven again—never seeing Emaru. She's the closest I've had to a mother." For an instant, the image of Ardo flashed in Alara's mind and she felt another longing pang.
"You ready to head back?"
No. A voice whispered in Alara's mind as Quenti stood, turning toward the staircase. Oh, right. Back to Lili's.
Before Alara could answer, her stomach did so for her. The growl echoed in the air, and Quenti let out a laugh.
"Runeo left on a hunt earlier, if that helps? Khuno says he wouldn't be back for a few days."
"In that case, I would love some food."
***
A fire crackled in the hearth as Lili, Quenti, Khuno, and Alara talked, the air smelling of smoke and bark. Despite the pangs of longing that plagued Alara, she felt something like contentment sitting with her friends, high above the ground.
She swallowed. Is that what they were to her? These... enemies. They'd cost her so much. Could she really be one step away from being one of them?
She tossed and turned that night, long after the others had passed out.
And then there were the screams.
She wasn't even sure if she'd slept when the commotion erupted outside, causing Lili to stir. Alara sat up, her heart thundering from the distant screams echoing through the trees. And they were growing closer.
Lili jumped up at the same time as Alara, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders.
"What's...?" Alara started.
"I have no idea. Not good."
They rushed into the front room, surprising the bleary-eyed Quenti and Khuno. Lili reached the front door first, pulling back the wool curtain with a sharp tug, giving face to the chaotic bellows.
Alara registered blood first, and then the panicked, pale faces of the bruyas. Micos entered behind Runeo, reaching a trembling hand toward Lili's hearth, re-starting the fire that had burned low in the night. The embers leaped to life, whipping vicious shadows across the walls.
As the fire settled and the darkness shrunk back, Alara gaped at the scene before her. A male bruya with dark skin and cropped hair lay on the ground. His face shone with sweat, a red stain spreading along his side and stomach. Beside him stood a female bruya—one Alara recognized from the day she was captured. Blood dripped down her arm, a long deep gash along her shoulder still weeping. Everyone seemed frozen in some macabre tableau.
"Alara, boil water!" Lili shouted, a rare assertive side showing itself. "Quenti, go retrieve the white leaves from my healer bag and bring them to me."
Everyone moved all at once. Alara put a pot on the fire, carefully using her magia to strengthen the flames in hopes the water would boil faster.
After what felt like an eternity, the pot of water began to boil and Alara snatched it from the stove, setting it next to Lili. The tierren quickly dumped in the large white leaves as Quenti twisted her fingers over the mixture, causing the water to froth and churn.
Lili's hands glowed as they flew over the prone body of the bruya, who finally stopped groaning. Alara wondered if he had passed out from the pain. She grimaced as Lili scooped the soggy leaves from the pot of water and laid them across his open stomach. The bruya's eyes closed, and she laid her hands over the leaves, magia rolling off her like waves on the beach. Sweat beaded on Lili's forehead, dripping down her cheeks as she worked.
After a long minute, Lili slumped back, shaking her head.
The air in the room shifted. The female bruya, with her arm still bleeding freely, let out a wail and sank to her knees. No one spoke, the only sounds coming from the mourning woman. Runeo placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back from the body. She slumped against him, arms wrapping around him.
Lili leaned over the body and placed a gentle hand on his forehead. She whispered a small prayer that Alara didn't recognize and directed Micos and the others to take him out. "Contact the solkeeper to prepare him for burial."
She turned to Runeo. "What happened?"
"Zinita?" Runeo said, and the female bruya stepped forward, a streak of blood smeared across her face where she had wiped her hand by accident. It shone wet against her dark, tear-stained skin.
"We were hunting," she said, "near the border." Alara heard the grunt of disapproval from Lili, but the woman continued. "Yesterday evening, a group of councilguards stumbled onto our camp and before we knew it..." She took a deep breath. "... two died immediately. We hoped if we got here fast enough though, we'd be able to save him."
Zinita's eyes flashed bright and focused on Alara, and she stepped back instinctively. "The councilguards have been scouring the borderlands looking for bruyas. An Alara Ayar has gone missing with another magite, kidnapped by bruyas. It seems this girl is important to the Haven. Councilwoman Emaru is looking for her personally."
"Quenti?" Khuno turned to the girl beside her with a look of confusion and concern.
"I..." Quenti's face was pale and eyes wide as the room shifted its attention to her.
"Let me explain," Alara said, her voice shaking. She stepped in front of the other girl, letting her fall back into the shadows.
"How about we stop listening to your lies," Zinita said with a sneer.
Runeo stepped forward, toward Alara. "We should arrest her immediately." There was a murmur of agreement from the other bruyas.
"Step away from Alara, Runeo." The entire room froze at the soft voice of authority. The bruyas parted and Quil'la stepped into the overcrowded room, Micos following behind. "Now, would someone explain what is happening?"
"She lied about her name, probably to hide her connection to the Council," Runeo said. "She's a spy!"
Quil'la's face remained calm throughout Runeo's accusation, her eyes remaining focused on Alara's paling face. She gave a slight nod when the young man finished, but didn't break her gaze. "So far, she's done nothing to harm us. She hasn't tried to run away."
"She can't be allowed to just wander free. She lied."
Quil'la held up a hand and shot Runeo a sharp look. He immediately fell silent. "What would you have us do, Runeo? Kill her? We'd only incur the wrath of the Council. If anything, this proves how wise we were to think before acting. We can't have the entire Council breathing down our necks. When Mena returns, she'll make sure this girl can no longer be a threat to us. Then we can return Alara to her home and this can all be settled."
The air buzzed with unspoken disagreement, but no one dared speak out.
"Yes, senya," Runeo finally said, stiffly nodding his head before storming out of the house.
Quil'la turned to look at Alara again. "Do not prove me wrong." The words were soft, but Alara could see the threat behind them. With that, Quil'la left.
The other bruyas, including Zinita, followed her out, but not before she stepped toward Alara, a look of pure contempt twisting her features.
"Watch your back, magite," she hissed into Alara's ear. The woman shoved her shoulder sharply before turning and following Quil'la out the door. Alara was left gaping at the blood staining the wood floors.
While the Arborelis had followed orders, few clearly agreed with Quil'la's decision. How much power did she actually have over her people? And what would happen if they ignored her?
No one wanted Alara here, and Alara had to agree.
She clenched her fists and looked out the window, gray moonlight seeping into the room. For the first time since she'd arrived in Arbol, she was resolute.
She could no longer wait around for this Mena to show up. She had to leave.