Book 3: Exhaustion

Candace

“Look at this!” Estrella holds a single piece of green grass up in front of my eyes. “It’s alive.”

“I’m so happy for you.” I force a smile. Despite the realization that this first application only affected the area right around where they put what they’ve started calling the elixir, Raven and Estrella are walking on air. Raven’s barely left her parents’ side, both because I know she doesn’t see them as often as she’d like and because they’re the only ones here who know what Escuro used to look like.

“Perhaps we could use the elixir to create more oases in Sundrop.” She grabs my hands. “The applications are endless. There is no wound we cannot heal.”

“It really is amazing.” My mark aches. I didn’t see Hollis at the ritual, but even just smelling him in the crowd made me sick. With the celebration tonight, I just want to lie down.

“Are you all right?” Ingrid asks as she walks up. “You look pale.”

“Just tired.” I offer anothe