asked.
“No one knows,” she said. “But I’m gonna find out.”
“There ain’t no center,” Kiron said. “Space don’t have a center. It’s impossible.”
“But the Fold does,” she snarked at him. Then she looked at me conspiratorially and leaned closer. “And in the center, power like none of us can even imagine. You wanna fly? You find the center and you’ll do it and more. You wanna eat? A never ending feast awaits you. Knowledge? You’ll learn everything there ever was to learn about on any world and beyond. Health? Find the center and you’ll be reborn, clean and strong.”
I was entranced by her words and couldn’t tear my eyes away from hers. I imagined my frail body, newly made and pulsing with energy, not unlike it was now. Only forever, with no lingering worry about when my luck might run out.
But Kiron wasn’t impressed. “Oh, sure,” he said. “Find the center, which doesn’t exist, by the way, and you’ll be all powerful. Ain’t that right, Lissa?”
“You don’t know squat,” she said, sitting back in her chair. I shook my head, breaking her spell. “Where are you headed, then?” she asked.
“How would I know, Lissa?” he said. “It’s Almara’s link, not mine. I don’t know where it’ll take us.”
“Not yours and a good thing, too,” she said. “How’d it feel, Aster, traveling by link made by my brother’s clumsy hand?”
“That’s enough,” he spat. “We’re going.” He pushed back from the table and raised his traveling pack. “I wouldn’t leave him with you if I had any other choice. Just promise me you won’t cook him up. Or turn him into one of your experiments.” He looked at Crane, who had risen to follow him.
“Nah,” she said, and she seemed to melt a little. She reached down and scratched Crane behind the ears. He licked his lips and sniffed in her direction, looking for another mouthful of muffin. “Gets lonely up here anyhow. If it wasn’t for Reynold I’d go crazy for sure.”
“Who’s Reynold?” I asked.
A loud squawk came from a bird in the corner of the room that definitely hadn’t been there a minute ago.
Kiron looked at her and his face softened, too. “Thanks, sister.”
“No big trouble,” she said and then turned to me. “Keep your wits about you, kid. I expect you’ll be seein’ some things you ain’t never seen before. Just remember, where there’s smoke, flame follows close behind. You smell smoke, you run the other direction. Yeah?”
“Yeah, ok,” I said automatically as I eyed the bird. His beak was large and yellow, and I shuddered to think of how it would feel sinking into my flesh.
We walked to the door and Kiron stooped down to pat Crane. He didn’t speak to him, but looked him deep in the eyes before he turned and left the house. Crane whined, but did not follow. I gave him a scratch under his chin before heading out the door.
“Aster,” Larissa called after me and I turned. Her face had slackened and the folds of her skin knit together over the bridge of her nose with worry. “Take care of my brother, eh?” I nodded, and then followed Kiron out onto the rocky bluff.
He was already several paces away from the house, walking swiftly towards the spot we had landed. I jogged to catch up with him.
“Come on,” he panted, “before she notices.”
“Notices what?” But no sooner was the question out of my mouth than Larissa’s shrieking was audible from inside the house.
“Get the link!” Kiron boomed. “Now!”
I scrambled for the map, stuffed deep into my pants pocket. Kiron gripped my arms with both of his hands and looked me in the eyes.
“You better get on with it before she gets out here,” he said impatiently.
“Kiron, you stinking goat of a human being—” she yelled over the wind, which had picked up again. She was barreling towards us over the rock, Crane barking at her feet.
“Now’s the time!” Kiron yelled, “unless you want to be
“No one knows,” she said. “But I’m gonna find out.”
“There ain’t no center,” Kiron said. “Space don’t have a center. It’s impossible.”
“But the Fold does,” she snarked at him. Then she looked at me conspiratorially and leaned closer. “And in the center, power like none of us can even imagine. You wanna fly? You find the center and you’ll do it and more. You wanna eat? A never ending feast awaits you. Knowledge? You’ll learn everything there ever was to learn about on any world and beyond. Health? Find the center and you’ll be reborn, clean and strong.”
I was entranced by her words and couldn’t tear my eyes away from hers. I imagined my frail body, newly made and pulsing with energy, not unlike it was now. Only forever, with no lingering worry about when my luck might run out.
But Kiron wasn’t impressed. “Oh, sure,” he said. “Find the center, which doesn’t exist, by the way, and you’ll be all powerful. Ain’t that right, Lissa?”
“You don’t know squat,” she said, sitting back in her chair. I shook my head, breaking her spell. “Where are you headed, then?” she asked.
“How would I know, Lissa?” he said. “It’s Almara’s link, not mine. I don’t know where it’ll take us.”
“Not yours and a good thing, too,” she said. “How’d it feel, Aster, traveling by link made by my brother’s clumsy hand?”
“That’s enough,” he spat. “We’re going.” He pushed back from the table and raised his traveling pack. “I wouldn’t leave him with you if I had any other choice. Just promise me you won’t cook him up. Or turn him into one of your experiments.” He looked at Crane, who had risen to follow him.
“Nah,” she said, and she seemed to melt a little. She reached down and scratched Crane behind the ears. He licked his lips and sniffed in her direction, looking for another mouthful of muffin. “Gets lonely up here anyhow. If it wasn’t for Reynold I’d go crazy for sure.”
“Who’s Reynold?” I asked.
A loud squawk came from a bird in the corner of the room that definitely hadn’t been there a minute ago.
Kiron looked at her and his face softened, too. “Thanks, sister.”
“No big trouble,” she said and then turned to me. “Keep your wits about you, kid. I expect you’ll be seein’ some things you ain’t never seen before. Just remember, where there’s smoke, flame follows close behind. You smell smoke, you run the other direction. Yeah?”
“Yeah, ok,” I said automatically as I eyed the bird. His beak was large and yellow, and I shuddered to think of how it would feel sinking into my flesh.
We walked to the door and Kiron stooped down to pat Crane. He didn’t speak to him, but looked him deep in the eyes before he turned and left the house. Crane whined, but did not follow. I gave him a scratch under his chin before heading out the door.
“Aster,” Larissa called after me and I turned. Her face had slackened and the folds of her skin knit together over the bridge of her nose with worry. “Take care of my brother, eh?” I nodded, and then followed Kiron out onto the rocky bluff.
He was already several paces away from the house, walking swiftly towards the spot we had landed. I jogged to catch up with him.
“Come on,” he panted, “before she notices.”
“Notices what?” But no sooner was the question out of my mouth than Larissa’s shrieking was audible from inside the house.
“Get the link!” Kiron boomed. “Now!”
I scrambled for the map, stuffed deep into my pants pocket. Kiron gripped my arms with both of his hands and looked me in the eyes.
“You better get on with it before she gets out here,” he said impatiently.
“Kiron, you stinking goat of a human being—” she yelled over the wind, which had picked up again. She was barreling towards us over the rock, Crane barking at her feet.
“Now’s the time!” Kiron yelled, “unless you want to be
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