it had once been a house, though only the foundation and a short portion of a wall remained. Tudyk and Moore had used sticks and some cloths from the Orvisians to put together a makeshift shelter. Both were hard at work trying to figure out a way to make the thing hold, since every gust of wind knocked the sticks down.
“What are you up to?” I asked, noticing Ansel’s deep frown. “I think your brothers need your help.”
“Nah, we’re okay,” Tudyk replied.
Moore smiled, picking the sticks up and checking their lengths again. “Ansel was never the builder in our family.”
“I’m better off sitting here, doing nothing,” Ansel grumbled.
“Where’s Kalon?” Tudyk asked. “Is he with the Reapers?”
I sighed, stopping in front of Ansel. “Yes. They put him under a time spell. It’s supposed to slow the Black Fever down. While days go by out here, hours go by in there where he’s sleeping.”
“What are his odds of survival?” Ansel asked. “Be honest, Esme.”
“High, if Valaine succeeds in her task,” I said, doing my best to tell the truth without breaking their hearts. Mine was already in tatters. I couldn’t let them suffer, too. “And I have faith in her.”
“What if the Darklings kill Valaine like they intended? Will that save Kalon?” Ansel asked.
I shook my head. “No. It would be too late for Kalon if that were to happen. I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not a good idea. The only one who can stop the Black Fever forever—the only one who can undo what has happened to Kalon—is the Unending. No one else.”
The boys exchanged fleeting glances. “Do you know if our mother is still with the Master and the other Whips in the palace, where Lumi last saw her?” Tudyk murmured, gripping a stick tightly in his hands. I wasn’t sure what to make of his emotional state.
“No, I’m sorry.”
“I miss her.” Moore sighed, his shoulders dropping. “I mean… I know what you mean. I get it. We all agree it’s the truth. But I miss her.”
“She’s your mom. Of course you miss her,” I replied. “But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s harmful—to you and everyone else here. I don’t think she’s been a good influence. Frankly, we don’t intend to let Petra anywhere near you.” I frowned. “That might not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. You belong here in Roano with your brother. Not out there doing Petra’s dirty work for her. She’s messed you all up pretty badly, and I won’t let her harm you anymore.””
Movement caught my eye somewhere to the right. Trev was walking toward us accompanied by a ghoul. It was one of the survivors from Dieffen, I realized, though the creature didn’t seem familiar. The look on Trev’s face told me everything I needed to know. He was in the worst of moods, and I had an idea why.
“What’s the latest on Kalon?” he asked as he reached us. “Seeley mentioned something about a sleeping spell, but I didn’t catch the details. I need you to tell me, Esme.”
“Kalon is okay for the time being,” I said. “The Time Master put him in one of the Soul Crusher’s interdimensional pockets. He slowed his biological clock down, too. Days will go by out here, while only hours will have passed in there. It’s the only thing we could do to slow down the Black Fever’s evolution.”
My blood simmered whenever I mentioned Kalon’s condition. Part of me wanted to curl up in a dark space so I could cry the rest of my days away. Despair circled me like a hungry vulture, waiting for my surrender, eager to tear me apart and shatter the last of my defenses. But looking at Kalon’s brothers, I couldn’t bring myself to give up. We were spiraling into a kind of madness, and I wasn’t sure how it would all turn out. I only knew how I wanted it to turn out.
Love had blossomed in my soul, which had become bonded to Kalon’s forever. What we had was unique and out of this world, and it made the thought of losing Kalon so much worse. But he was still here. I had to remember that. I hadn’t lied to the boys earlier. His survival depended on Valaine, but I had faith in her. What worried me was that Valaine might not have faith in herself… she’d been through so much and was frequently oscillating between anger and sadness, determination and abandonment.