The Fire Sisters (Brilliant Darkness 3) by A. G. Henley Page B

nervous. “We’re sitting ducks here.”
    “Don’t be stupid, Con,” Cuda says. “If they’d wanted to get rid of us, they would have already. Why bother giving us a warning if their plan was to kill us all now?”
    “Why didn’t they kill us all now?” Bear asks.
    No one seems to know.
    “Perhaps only one Sister attacked Mirii,” Amarina says. “Maybe the group knew we were following them, and they left one behind to frighten us away.”
    I want to tell Amarina I think she’s right. The words form in my brain, but I can’t produce them.
    “I’m going back out to look again,” Conda says. “Maybe we missed something. If there’s only one Sister out there, we can find her. Capture her to trade for the children.”
    Moray scoffs. “She delivered her message. She’s long gone.”
    “Your brother is probably right,” Derain says. “We should stay together, follow the Sisters’ trail at first light,” Derain says. “In the meantime, one of us should sit watch.”
    “I will,” Cuda says. “Might as well.” He gets up and strolls away from campsite, but his footsteps don’t go far, I notice.
    “What about Fenn?” Peree asks.
    “Hopefully, she will recover by morning,” Derain says.
    “And if she doesn’t?”
    No one answers.
    “Lie down and rest, Fenn,” Peree says. “Try not to worry.”
    I lie down, because he told me to. I can’t help the worrying part. He smooths my hair back from my face and arranges the blanket over me, tucking in the ends. Tears fill my eyes again. I can’t bear lying here like a statue, unable to speak or act. Talk about feeling useless and helpless. How long will I be like this? Will I be myself again?
    Water begins to boil busily on the fire.
    “Do you want a cup of tea?” Peree asks.
    “Are you paying attention, Lofty? She can’t answer you,” Moray says.
    Peree curses. “This is ridiculous! I don’t want to order her to drink a cup of tea or to sleep. I don’t want to order her to do anything!”
    My chest aches with the distress in his voice.
    “That’s where we’re different,” Moray says. “I’d enjoy it while it lasted.”
    Bear makes a disgusted noise. “You’re such an ass.”
    “If that’s how you feel about it, brother,” Conda says, “why are you even going after Frost?”
    “I want my baby back,” Moray says. “Frost has him. Simple as that.”
    “So after she delivers the baby, you’re done with her?” There’s a hopeful note in Conda’s voice.
    “Depends.”
    “On what?”
    “On if I see something I like better in Koolkuna.”
    From the darkness, Cuda laughs. Everyone else quiets, probably trying to discourage Moray from speaking again. It works. After a while, I hear him snoring.
    Not me. I lie beside the fire for hours, unable to sleep. Peree tosses and turns next to me, not seeming to sleep either.
    As light filters through the forest once again, a fiery poker of panic stabs me. I still can’t move. The others are going to leave Peree and me behind. He’ll have to take me home to Nerang. What will happen to the children and Frost? And me?
    The others stand and move about the campsite.
    “Any change?” Bear asks.
    “Not that I can tell.” Peree sounds worn out.
    “I’m going to check the snares,” Kai says.
    “I’ll go with you,” Bear says. “No one should go anywhere alone from now on.”
    The fire crackles and spits as someone builds it up again, probably to cook the goose Peree shot last night. He touches my shoulder.
    “I’ll be back in a minute.”
    As he stands and walks away, my fingers twitch toward him under the blanket.
    They moved. My fingers moved ! I try to shift my whole hand. I can’t, but still, this has to be a good sign. I keep at it,  silently  straining with the effort.
    Eventually, Peree tells me to sit up and eat. I obey him, but at the same time, I’m wiggling my toes inside my shoes. My teeth grind together.  Kai and Bear return with a rabbit.
    “Pack up,” Amarina