Book 5: Belief

Amval

They’re gone again. It’s just me and the crates. The echoes of my siblings’ laughter and Ingrid’s smile all fade too fast. I end up lying on the burlap sack, staring at the rocky ceiling, not quite sleeping.

Just thinking.

When I let my mind wander free, it wanders to Kaloni. Her coronation gown, so lovely and ready so quickly. Somebody should have noticed that. The speech Cirocco and Joli both confirmed that she gave. The proud, victorious look on her face when she announced the engagement.

It’s all just a few shades off from the look she gave me when she invented half-cards. Just the two of us, awake late, watching while the younger ones slept. It had been a long day of traveling, and Mother and Father were out trying to learn if an old ally still lived in the area. I think she even found the deck under a loose board. I told her it was worthless, and we might as well leave it here.

Nothing is worthless, she told me, if you know