Lyron's gaze snapped up as Carissa and Elon drew near. He still looked sober, but the tear tracks on his cheeks had dried and he offered them a wane smile. "I miss Kybelle."

And now they were about to confront his mother. Perhaps this wasn't the best timing, but they couldn't exactly wait.

Carissa knelt in front of him and whisked a few strands of hair off of his forehead. "I know, Lyron. We all do. By any chance, have you seen your mother around lately?"

"My mother?" His expression twisted in confusion. "Whatever for?"

"We just need to speak with her."

Her tone had likely given something away, because Lyron's expression immediately turned to stone. "Why?"

Elon placed a hand on Lyron's shoulder. "Do you remember when we went to Zonah to destroy the Nephesh stone?"

Lyron nodded.

"We have reason to believe your mother has the stone—and sold Algernon pieces to put on his arrows."

His breath stuttered. "No. Surely she wouldn't."

"We need to speak to your mother about destroying the Nephesh stones, Lyron. Do you know where she is?"

Dry leaves crackled behind them, and Carissa felt a chill wash over her. "Step back from him. There's no need to interrogate my son."

Carissa straightened and turned to face Lyron's mother. She stood just below Carissa's height, her brown hair sagging in her bun. Her face would have been rather plain if not for the striking darkness of her flinty blue eyes. Her fists were clenched around something, and judging from the cold pulsing in Carissa's chest, she held the Nephesh—at least a piece of it.

Carissa held out her palms. "We mean no harm."

"Then leave my son alone. What we do is none of your business."

"If you have Nephesh with you, then it is very much our business. Don't you know what it does?"

"It will bring the Reapers to us."

She knew what the Nephesh could do? "So why do you keep it? Do you intend to slaughter everyone in the village?"

"No. I intend to slaughter every Reaper who comes for the Nephesh."

"But you'll be killed—"

"I won't fight them alone. There are others who have agreed to join me." She folded her arms. "Now, are you going to join our cause or not? Frankly, I didn't approve your integration into the caravan, but if you help us fight the Reapers, you may prove that you've been worth the risk."

Elon stepped forward, standing at Carissa's side. "We will help you fight the Reapers. But not like this. The Nephesh is evil, and we need to destroy it."

"Then you're against me and my cause." The woman tightened her grip on the Nephesh, and Carissa felt her feet shift into a wider stance, the weight rolling towards the balls of her feet. If this woman attacked them, she'd be ready.

Elon released a deep sigh. "We truly do want to help your people, Kerstin—"

"How did you know my name?"

"—and I know you do as well, but this isn't the way to do it."

"And how am I supposed to know that you care for my people? What proof have I? It seems you've joined our caravan out of selfishness—for your own protection rather than our benefit." She took several steps back from them. "If you want the Nephesh, you'll have to kill me."

Lyron darted between them. "No, wait! Stop!"

Elon smiled softly. "It's alright, Lyron. We have no intention of hurting your mother or taking the Nephesh from her."

Carissa glanced at Elon. But if Kerstin kept it, she would draw the Reapers to them.

"Perhaps you'll trust us in time," Elon continued.

Kerstin shook her head, soft laughter escaping her lips. "I will do no such thing."

Elon glanced at the forest, his gaze becoming distant. "Actually, that might be sooner than you think. In the meantime, the caravan needs to start moving again."

Kerstin's expression rippled in confusion, likely at Elon's sudden change of topic. "What do you mean by this? We've just stopped, and you're not one of our elders. You have no right—"

Elon turned towards Carissa. "You'll need a weapon, and I'll need you to stand at the back of the caravan until we start moving."

"What is it, Elon?"

"Yare wolves. There's a pack headed here."

"They could use Y'thapa—"

"There's not time to administer it to everyone."

Carissa nodded. Elon had chosen this plan for a reason, and he knew why it was better than the other options. She headed towards the back end of the caravan. She brushed past a man, with a sword sheathed at his waist.

She grabbed the hilt and relieved the man of his sword as she darted past him. He shouted at her, but she ignored him, tightening her fingers around the hilt. It was good to have the weight of a sword in her hand once more. It offered a longer reach than a dagger, and it didn't need to be reloaded like a bow.

She reached the last wagon, where a group of girls were seated and eating slices of bread. Behind it, they kept the goats and sheep tethered to each other. A nearby wagon held crates of clucking chickens.

Carissa positioned herself at the end of the caravan, so she faced the road, and held her sword loosely at her side.

Behind her, she heard the soft tones of chatter and laughing and the nickering of horses. She picked up Elon's voice, the urgency in his tone, but not the exact words. More voices filled the air, and Carissa couldn't tell if they sounded alarmed or argumentative.

She hoped Elon would persuade them to load up soon. After all, how could the caravan outrun a pack of yare wolves?

One of the goats started bleating, the sound high and distressed. The other goats soon joined, the culmination of their cries sharp and piercing.

Carissa's breath whooshed in and out of her chest as she felt the warmth of adrenaline cascade through her body. The goats sensed the wolves, yet she'd seen nothing. Where were they?

A feminine shriek echoed through the forest. It seemed the yare wolves had found their first victim.

***

Author's Note: I'll bet all my readers have really ripped biceps by now--and fingers. You know, from hanging from all those cliffs. If you're feeling up to the challenge and want to read another cliff hanger, you're welcome to check out the link to the sneak peek in my profile bio.