Book Five: Chapter 48

“I can’t...make this...” Lily was focused intently on her wounded arm, her face scrunched up. Smoke rose from the edges of her ruined skin. “It isn’t healing!”

“What does that mean?” Beth asked.

Sofia frowned and looked outside. “I don’t know,” she said.

The front door banged open, and Sulyvahn stumbled inside, his head cradled in his arms. He tripped and fell, spilling black smoke from his neck all over the floor.

“Suly!” Beth went to his side as Sofia closed the door.

“Blasted wretch an’ all his shoutin,” Suly mumbled. “Wasn’ in me right mind, couldna hardly move.”

Beth helped him to the couch, and then returned to the window. Murray was frozen in place still, his mouth wide open as he shouted. The cylinder was visible now, sending a beacon of light into the sky.

What sort of trouble were they in now? It didn’t seem society-related, so what could it be? Beth paced in front of the window, pausing only to watch Eulalie use her webs to bandag