Aurie could hear Morin and Charlotte speaking in whispers while the girls argued loudly about whether the youngest one, Sylvie, was allowed to sleep with a doll. Similar arguments between Maud and Alden were just as heated when they were that age. She took in a breath to blow the thought about Alden back from her mind and focus.

  Behind her, Maud and Karl stood beside each other like two shadows an arm’s reach apart. Maud was shaking her head, wringing her hands. Karl looked ready for anything, hyper alert, with his head constantly moving.

  “I really don’t want to deal with Senna,” Maud grumbled.

  “You could always go back to the house,” Aurie said over her shoulder.

  She knocked again. The girls inside hushed. Someone was walking to the door.

  It opened, revealing Charlotte with her thin pecan hair in a bun that had fallen to her shoulders over the course of the day and soot on her sallow cheeks.

  She regarded Aurie with a frown. “Look what the fox caught. Been wondering when you’d start showing your face again.”

  Aurie sighed. She should have expected that. “I came because…”

  “I heard,” Charlotte pulled her chin back and tilted her head to glare at Aurie.

  Behind her, Aurie could see the four girls—Senna, Eleanna, Esme, and Sylvie—sitting on a tattered quilt on the floor between the bed where the youngest, Eli, was lying with the covers kicked off, and the brazier where a few logs were burning near a window. She could already see that he was covered in sweat, his little legs and plush cheeks as white as a washed onion. The girls stopped and looked up. All except Sylvie, who began coughing hard enough that she fell over, which caused Senna and Esme to leap for her.

  Then Esme coughed and wiped her mouth with a sleeve.

  “Charlotte,” Aurie gaped past her. “I can’t…I have to try. Let me try to help.”

  Charlotte stared at her for a moment, thinking. She leaned to see Karl and Maud with a raised brow. “We don’t need your charity, Madame.”

  “Make her go away,” Morin growled from somewhere behind the door, within the hazy glow of the fire.

  Aurie put her foot in the door, “Charlotte. This isn’t charity. Let me look at him…and Sylvie. Please,” she looked deep into Charlotte’s tired eyes.

  She could see the droopiness in them, she looked a decade older than Aurie and was nearly as much younger than her. There was a time when the thin woman in front of her was once the heaviest and bustiest of them. With bright smiles that made her dark doe eyes glisten when her children were around her. Looking at her now, Aurie wondered how long it would be before she’d ever smile like that again.

  “You need to go,” Charlotte could barely say through the want to sob. “Just go. Go back to your…palace or whatever it is now and leave us low folk be.”

  Aurie grabbed Charlotte’s hand and didn’t let go when Charlotte tried to pull it away. “Charlotte! I lost my son, don’t let your pride make you lose yours. I beg you. No one—” And the tears poured. She didn’t want them to, but they did. She kept her eyes open, though, let them burn, as she looked deep into Charlotte’s. “No one should ever know what this feels like. I would rather make sure it didn’t happen to anyone ever again than pretend that I don’t know you or anyone else in this village. I’m here to help. I’m not here to get apologies, I sure as the rivers will never give any of you one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. Doesn’t mean I want—you to feel what it’s like to lose your baby.”

  Charlotte nodded, blinking her own tears. And she stepped aside. Aurie didn’t waste a single breath. In an instant she was in the door, pulling up her dress sleeves as she went around Eleanna and Esme to Sylvie. Maud waited at the door, Karl’s shadow remaining behind her.

  “Maud!” Senna jumped to her feet with wide eyes. “Misses Clevlan.”

  Eleanor and Esme, who were twins, were only able to be told apart by their choice in dress colors, shot her a worried look.

  Maud only nodded to Senna from the door and waved at the other girls.

  “Sylvie, sweety,” Aurie lifted little Esme from between them and rubbed Sylvie’s back. Sylvie was doubled over, out of breath. She looked up to Aurie, as Aurie said, “Why don’t you get on the bed next to your brother for me? Can you do that?”

  She nodded, her breathing so shallow and—Aurie held in the gasp—with a sound that would make any mother’s heart still. Being as close as she was to Eli, she knew. She could hear the whimpering whoop in his labored breaths, could see the blueness on his lips.

  Aurie looked to the brazier. It was a wide, shallow metal bowl on a metal rack they had put over folded quilts. A single glance around the house and she gritted her teeth. Draka would never have approved these conditions. No hearth, no solidness to the walls, just beds and a table. The only warmth they could have was from the small fire in that shallow bowl and there were spaces between the boards that sent a draft up her dress.

  “Maud! Get a pot and water to boil,” Aurie called as she helped Sylvie climb over Eli, who barely stirred except to cough. As an afterthought, “Make a fire outside and boil it there. Senna, you and the twins help her. Wait! Not Esme. You, Esme, lay in that bed for me.”

  “Maman?” Senna looked to Charlotte, who nodded to her. She tugged Eleanna’s arm toward the door, “Come along then.”

  “What good will that do?” Morin was sitting on a bed on the other side of the door, hunched over with his elbows on his knees. “You think we haven’t tried…”

  “How about you help get that fire going?” Aurie shot Morin a glare. “And tell my guard dog to give you a hand. Put him to good use.” Her eyes were on Eli and Sylvie as she helped Sylvie lay down beside him. She waved for Charlotte to come to her, “Look him over for me. Feel his chest with your wrist.”

  “I can see he has a fever,” Charlotte snapped from the door she was still holding as Morin went out it.

  Aurie shot her a glare, “Will you just come here?” Charlotte rolled her eyes and slapped her hands on her sides as she walked to her. “Now,” Aurie grabbed her hands, “Feel his chest. Do you feel that?”

  Charlotte nodded, “It’s like he’s breathing through rocks. It started a few days ago. Before that…before that…He…”

  “Charlotte,” Aurie gave her hand a squeeze. “Check Sylvie and Esme. See if they feel the same.”

  Charlotte went to the foot of the bed to reach for Sylvie while Aurie ran her hands through Eli’s sweaty hair. The boy’s breaths were too shallow. His lips were deathly blue. She swallowed down a breath, wishing she could give it to Eli.

  “She’s not as bad as him, but I feel it,” Charlotte was shaking. “Oh, the gods, I’m going to lose all of them, aren’t I? Her lips are even turning blue like his. Where’s Morin? What is the water for? Why isn’t he here? Our babies, Aurie, I’m going to lose my babies. What can I do?”

  Aurie leapt to her feet and grabbed Charlotte, nearly jerking her head upright, “You’re going to trust me. I sent him out with the others so they wouldn’t be in our way. You know how men are,” she smiled, keeping Charlotte’s frantic eyes on her, “Look at me, Charlotte.”

  “No,” Charlotte tried to shake from her, “No, I can’t. I can’t lose my babies. Eli…Eli’s so sweet, like when Morin was that age. And Sylvie…”

  “I’m okay, Maman,” Sylvie said between coughs.

  “Look at me,” Aurie held Charlotte’s head in her palms, “Just hold my hand. Hold Sylvie’s.” She turned to Esme behind her, “Come here, come on, sweety.”

  “What do I do?” Charlotte was trying to focus through her tears.

  “Hold them,” Aurie said even though she had no idea.

  She moved Esme up onto the bed beside Eli, her feet barely able to touch the ground when she sat on it. Aurie shifted herself so she could reach all three of them.

  “Okay,” she said under her breath. “Now, what did Draka do?”

  “The fire’s going. Your—guard—said that the ferry will be—” Morin stood at the newly opened doorway.

  “Go get Maud, quickly,” Aurie called to him. When Charlotte gave her a startled look, she said with a hapless shrug, “I need her for something. Don’t worry, just comfort them.”

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  “Maud! Your mother wants you!” Morin didn’t move from the door. “I told you there was nothing we could…”

  “Either be helpful or be somewhere else, Morin,” Aurie growled at him. Then, after a quick thought, “You know what, come here and hold your son. Let’s see if we can get him to take a breath for you.”

  Morin was shaking when he nodded, already on his knees between her and Charlotte. Esme climbed across the edge of the bed to let him lift Eli onto his lap. The boy’s head lolled with another whoop in his breathing that made Aurie’s skin crawl.

  Please, Lord, Aurie was holding back tears as she watched. Please tell me how to help them. Please.

  Once Eli was in his lap, Aurie said, “Lift his chin, see if we can get him to take a full breath.” Then, toward the door, “MAUD! GET IN HERE!”

  “I’m here,” Maud leapt through the door and slid to a stop beside them. “Oh, he’s…he looks like…Pa looked…Alden…I…no, Maman…”

  “Maud,” Aurie tried to stop her. “Maud, look at me. Maud, do you see me?” Maud’s nod was shaky, her eyes glistening, her mouth gaping wide. “What did Draka do? How did he—you know? What did he say?”

  “He…he…Pa…he,” Maud was frozen.

  Aurie snapped her fingers, “Maudeline!”

  Maud blinked, her eyes shifting across the room, “He…prayed.”

  “Come on, Eli,” Morin was saying, lifting Eli’s head and chest as if breathing for him. Then, with a growl, “Are you…? I can’t believe you, of all people would…” But Eli’s coughing stopped him. “Take a breath, son. Take a breath for me.”

  “Then he put his hands on mine…That’s when the shakes went away.”

  “The rivers is she talking about?” Charlotte turned a worried frown at Aurie.

  “What do you mean ‘that’s when the shakes went away?’ You sound,” Senna said as she led Eleanna back into the house. Karl was behind them.

  Great, Aurie bit her lip. Of course they’re all here, now. She gave Maud a look, “And? What about when he…with us?”

  “I was outside with…Alden.”

  “Is this why you came here? To get our hopes up and do nothing?” Morin was growling at the top of his lungs over Eli’s coughing, which was being joined by Sylvie, who threw herself into Charlotte’s arms.

  “No, I…” Aurie shook her head, blinking. There must be more to it. It couldn’t possibly be that simple could it?

  “Ma,” Maud was on her knees beside her, a comforting hand on her arm, “Are you trying to do what he did? Is that why we’re here?”

  Aurie was sucking back the tears as she nodded. Then she turned her head sideways, “But what if I’m wrong? What if…they’re all…Oh, Maud, what am I doing?”

  “Let’s pray?” Maud shrugged. Then, to each of them and louder, “Let’s pray. You tried your gods, let’s ask mine.”

  “Pray? We’re going to pray for my children, is that it?” Morin was glaring fiercely. “Pray.”

  “Yes…?” Aurie was only able to wince at how ridiculous that sounded, even to her. Even Balor would be acting the way Morin was. She would be just as hysterical as Charlotte.

  “Yes,” Maud lifted her skirt to go to her knees. She pressed her hands together. “Just, bow your heads. Okay? Bow your heads and listen to what I say.” Then, to Aurie in a soft whisper, “You, ask.”

  “What do I ask?” Aurie whispered just as softly.

  “I don’t know. Permission?” Then, Maud turned from her and bowed her head to her clasp hands. Louder, she said, “Lord God Almighty, who is the Alpha and…the last, who created all things, we pray to you now as all sinners do…”

  “Okay, Draka, what’s your trick?” Aurie whispered as she straightened on her knees. Morin was glaring at her, but he was silent. She gave him a hopeful shrug. Then she looked up to the ceiling, through it.

  “…we pray for you to help us, O Lord, help all the Greshons and any others who need it here in Talkro, especially…our children. They do not know your love the way that I do, but they are open to it. And they need it,” Maud continued.

  Quieter than her, knowing Morin was watching, Aurie said to the ceiling, “Please, God, Almighty, let me heal them. Or, just, I don’t know, I don’t know how to…How did he do it?” She turned to meet Morin’s eyes and sunk into her feet. “What do I do?”

  “I can only stall for so long, Ma,” Maud peeked with one eye at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t think…I think I might be…”

  Maud opened her other eye to look at her, “Just ask. In a prayer. And mean it.” She returned to bowing her head, continuing her prayer loudly, “And we know that we have made mistakes. We have committed trespasses against each other and others who are not here, and to you, O Lord, and we ask for your forgiveness for all those in our hearts and…”

  Aurie drew in a breath. She didn’t fold her hands together. That didn’t feel right. Instead, she lifted her hands above her the way she would when she wanted her father to lift her. Her gaze rose to the sky she couldn’t see through the ceiling.

  She widened her arms as she closed her eyes, mouthing as she silently prayed, Lord God Almighty, I’m not sure how to say this, but, may I heal these children of their cough, and any others who might be getting sick, too? I hear your voice, I know you are with me. I only ask that you be with them, too. If you could, if it is Your Will. I will do as you command. I just really want to help and you’re the only one I know who can. Please, God, heal them.”

  ‘Put your hands on the boy.’ The voice thundered inside her.

  Her eyes burst open and with a quickness, as Morin watched her in awe, she touched Eli’s chest with both of her hands. Softly, she pressed her palms against him.

  “What are…?” Morin gasped, causing Maud’s prayer to stop and everyone to look.

  Aurie felt the fiery warmth course through her. It ripped through the ceiling, ripped through the walls, through the floor beneath her, engulfed her, filled her. She felt her senses suddenly erupt around her. She could smell all the different molecules of the room. Could taste the moisture in the air, the salt and soot within it, the musk of their clothes. She could hear the rustle of a branch across the forest, the snore of a priest in a tent, the shuffle of a mouse in the field across the lake. Her skin crawled with sensation; the heaviness of the air, the coolness of the draft from between the boards, the warmth of everyone’s body heat—somehow, even their individual differences in temperature. And she saw the light move through the ceiling, like a drifting whirlpool, into her, overpowering her senses even as they became heightened. Overpowering the beating of her heart, the breath of her lungs, the pulse of her blood. Overpowering everything as it moved through her.

  Aurie didn’t see the eyes on her. She didn’t see anyone else in the room but Eli, as if he were standing awkwardly in front of her, as she pressed her hands to him. As her body first, then her arms, then her hands, and then Eli’s chest glowed with light so bright that it was almost blue. And she felt his little chest extend as he took in a deep breath. Morin shuddered as tears poured down his bearded cheeks as he felt his son take that breath against him. His eyes never pulled away from Aurie.

  ‘Sylvie.’

  Aurie concentrated on the sensations, on the power—the Holy Spirit, she knew without thinking—flowing through her as she kept her hands the way they had been on Eli’s chest. She lifted herself using only her legs to press her palms to Sylvie, directing the light into her. Another wave of the light coursed through her, into Sylvie, who then took a long, deep breath without a rattle or a whoop.

  ‘Esme,’ Aurie turned and, again the light brightened around them, through her. It burned within her, searing part of her away to make room as more and more of the light flooded through her as she moved to the command within her, ‘Senna.’

  Senna stumbled a little from her, but also pulled toward her by some unseen force. Aurie’s palms pressed to Senna’s collar and then, though she didn’t understand why…to Senna’s belly. And it flowed. Like a river, or an ocean into a river, or a thousand oceans into a kettle, the light flooded through Aurie.

  ‘The father.’ And Aurie put her palms on Morin’s awed upturned face.

  ‘Eleanna.’ Aurie turned, blinded. She couldn’t feel. Couldn’t smell. Couldn’t hear anything but the command, the light, the Holy Spirit. All around her, through her, within her. And then all around Eleanna, within her, and through her.

  ‘The mother.’ She fell to her knees, her body numbed to her control, though she still somehow had walked across the room and wrapped her arms around Charlotte. Her cheek pressed blindly into Charlotte’s hair bun and her arms met arms and a wet cheek as the light spilled through her. From her.

  The light faded just as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the room only lit by the soft, licking flames of the small fire stand.

  Charlotte wept through wide eyes as she held her daughters tightly, yet she stayed in Aurie’s embrace. Morin began looking over Eli, who was blinking through his own bout of confusion. Maud barely got to her feet in time to catch Senna from falling to the ground in a faint. Karl helped her lift Senna into a chair.

  Aurie was glad Charlotte let her hold her. If she hadn’t, Aurie knew she would be a crumple on the ground. Everything was whirling around her. The dim light of the room, the shapes, the noises, the feeling of the air across her arms. As her senses returned to normalcy, Aurie swam. Her head filled with air.

  “Madame Clevlan…” She was barely able to hear him through the dizziness striking her. Karl lifted her arms from around Charlotte and put them over his shoulder. She was swimming in lights and sounds, bombarded by the silence and the stillness. “…I have her.”

  She was lifted into the air, floating. The colors were swivels and whirls. The sounds were indistinguishable and fumbled together. The air felt like nothing. Everything felt…less. Yet, more.