“You’ve eaten over half of it in less than five minutes,” I scold. “You’re going to get a tremendous spike of jitters if you don’t pace yourself.”
“Well, I’m hungry,” she counters, stuffing another handful in her mouth. “You could have brought something more substantial.”
I shake my head. She’ll learn. I’ve only eaten a few; the energy we’ll receive from these is nothing like the caffeine that humans adore. It’s not as violent a jolt—unless consumed in copious amounts like Stella just did—and lasts all day. It definitely isn’t the same as eating normal food, but they’re also an appetite suppressant and should tide us over until noon.
We enter the woods, walking down the same path I took the evening before. Bren isn’t there, which leads me to wonder where he is right now. That boy is a troublemaker, and I’ll feel better knowing where he is.
Stella walks beside me, her eyes bright as she looks around. “It’s really incredible here,” she remarks. “And so . . . green. I wasn’t sure about it yesterday, but I think I like it.”
I eye her askance. “I should hope you do,” I say. “Don’t tell me you prefer Liberty.”
She shrugs. “It’s my home, and it’s what I know.”
Unable to hold back a grimace, I look away, hiding it. “Well, I’m glad you’re out here, then. You’ve been locked away in that polluted city for far too long.”
The sun filters through the trees, and today, the damp chill has lessened. The birds are frantic with their singing, and the air is soft. All feels natural. Safe. How did this island miss the War so completely?
I technically know the answer. The people of this island banded together and kept it off their shores. They protected their own.
And somewhere here, they hid a gaia.
I need to locate her, and it’s only a matter of time before I do. The island is approximately twelve miles long. Without Stella, I could search it in a matter of hours.
With Stella, it’s most likely a matter of days, but still manageable.
“I feel funny.” Stella’s face is scrunched, and she puts a hand to her heart.
“I’m not surprised,” I reply. “That’s what happens when you eat over half a packet of andronaj pellets in a matter of minutes.”
Stella’s face pales. “Am I going to die?”
I chuckle. “No. It’s harmless, if uncomfortable.”
“I need to run.” Stella’s steps have quickened. “I need to do something.” The herb is definitely elevating her energy.
“I can think of something that you can spend your stamina on,” I say, eyeing her hopefully. “It’s quite taxing, for elves, and with your high energy levels, I believe this could be the perfect time to…”
I trail off under her withering glare. “Perhaps this isn’t the right time for that,” I admit.
“You think?” she says. “We’re in the middle of a jungle—”
“Forest,” I interject.
“Whatever. Who knows what’s out there? I do not want to be stuck to you if a troll comes charging out of the undergrowth.”
“I do not detect any trolls,” I say, offended by her abrupt rejection, “and being ‘stuck’ to me, as you say, is probably the safest place you could be.”
Stella rolls her eyes and quickens her steps. I easily keep pace with her, but she’s uncommonly fast, even with the andronaj in her system. Strange. For someone who isn’t an elf, and without magic, she sometimes shows interesting abilities.
Which reminds me: “You said that Thandin believed you had magic.”
She nods. “Yeah. He said something to the effect that I needed to be killed before I regained my powers.”
She looks at me, and my heart softens under the confusion and fear I see in her storm-blue eyes. “I don’t know what he meant,” she says. “And, I’m scared.” She looks away. “What if someone tries to hurt Quinn?”
I don’t respond right away, and we continue our walk.
“I will attend to the matter when we return,” I say after considering her words. “There are additional tests we can do.”
“Why didn’t you try those sooner?” Stella asks.
“Because the crystal scrying is usually more than enough,” I say. “It catches most magical activity, even small amounts. It would be logical to assume that even if you wielded magic, it would be too weak to make any difference at all, since the crystal didn’t pick up on those vibrations. But if Thandin decided you were a threat, it’s a matter I must look into.”
I hesitate. “Did your parents ever mention you or your brother having magic?”
She shakes her head. “No. They didn’t. Not that I can remember.”
The scrying crystal should have been accurate enough, but now I’m wondering if there’s something else to magic on this Earth. Something I’m not seeing.
“Why did Thandin see me as a threat?” Stella asks. “I thought you elves were all on the same side.”
“I don’t know why he felt that way,” I answer, mostly truthfully. “It’s a shame I wasn’t able to question him.”
Stella eyes me. “You elves don’t get along as well as I thought,” she says. “And there’s a lot going on in your culture or whatever that you’re not telling me.”
“What goes on among the stars doesn’t concern your kind,” I say.
Stella scowls. “Don’t take that lofty tone with me,” she growls.
“What?” I blink at her. “I didn’t—”
“An elf almost murdered me,” Stella interrupts. “Clearly some elves are against you. Or something.” She looks around, as if worried some hidden danger lurks nearby. “I just wish I understood what was going on,” she finishes, the anger leaving her voice.
I’m not sure what to say, and what a human would call an ‘awkward silence’ falls between us.
“My mom used to tell me I was going to change the world,” Stella says suddenly. She stumbles as her foot catches on a bramble vine and rights herself. “Stars, that hurts. Blasted briers.”
“My mother says similar things to me,” I say with a smile. “Only she says I’m destined to change galaxies.”
Stella laughs. “I’m happy to know it’s not just human mothers
