“I’m going to introduce you to my brother-in-law,” she said. “He has a fishing boat and is one of the few who has obtained permission to sail in the channel during the war preparations.”

I shook my head. “You’ve already done enough for me.”

“Nonsense,” she said. “You know the Word as well as I do—life in the service of others. We’re all here to help one another.”

I knew those as Astraea’s words, not the violent, bloodthirsty Salvala’s.

“I don’t have any money to pay for passage,” I said as she brought us down another road, wide enough for us to slip past two horse-drawn carts. Elema greeted both drivers.

“That’s perfectly fine,” she said. “We don’t have much use for money in these parts. If you can trade something or some kind of service, you should be just fine.”

I felt my face relax into a smile. With all the sordid history of wars between our countries, I hadn’t expected the peace of that village to soothe me into something that resembled calm.

“Here we are,” Elema said when we reached a long line of doors in the white walls. She opened the closest door and pulled me inside.

The stew over the hearth smelled sweet, like apples, and I found myself taking a step toward it, even as I noticed the man standing beside it.

“Evening, Elema,” he said. “Sallie’s gone out for a bit. Can’t believe she actually trusted me to watch dinner.”

“I can’t believe it, either, after the stew fiasco of last week,” Elema said, embracing him. “I’ve brought a guest with me. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Course not,” he said, and bowed in my direction. “My name is Ben Crom.”

“I’m Sydelle,” I said. Maybe I shouldn’t have been that honest—Elema gave a little start when I said my name.

“That’s a beautiful name,” she said. “One we don’t often hear around here. Are you from Palmarta?”

I looked back and forth between their faces.

“My father was from Fairwell. He had a sister with that name,” Elema said. “I thought you looked awfully nervous! Is that why you still have your hood up?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, taking a step back toward the door. “I’m sorry, I’ll go—”

“None of that,” Ben said. “No one in this town would harm you. Many have come from Palmarta, and many have left for it. Is that why you’ve come to see me?”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on my bare toes. “I was brought here against my will.”

“And without your shoes, it seems,” Ben said with a small laugh. “Elema, Sallie should have an extra pair for Sydelle to use.”

The other woman smiled and disappeared up the small stairway.

“Come here,” Ben said, motioning me closer to the hearth. “That’s better—a bit warmer, eh? Am I to understand that you’re trying to return to Palmarta?”

“If possible,” I said. “I don’t have much to offer—I can sew and weave, even mix elixirs…but they’re wizard elixirs.”

“Probably won’t need those, then,” he said, inclining his head toward Salvala’s symbol on the wall. “I have to tell you that it might be a few days before I can take you anywhere. We have very limited opportunities to go out into the channel. The only reason I’m allowed is to bring food to the soldiers stationed on the boats out there.”

“Are you allowed to go near Palmarta’s coast at all?” I asked. Elema returned a moment later with a pair of green silk slippers.

“Unfortunately not, but I think you might be in luck,” Ben said. “Ewald Amert is bringing grain down the channel to the soldiers in the southern part of Saldorra. Is that close enough to Palmarta?”

“That would be perfect,” I said. “The only luck I’ve had in months.”

“Listen, Sydelle,” Ben said. His face lost his easy smile. “I think we both know how dangerous your country will be in a matter of weeks. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here, where you’d be safe?”

“Nowhere is really safe,” I said. “It would be better if I went. I can find my way home from Saldorra.”

But I couldn’t go home—I couldn’t go anywhere I would put people in danger. I didn’t have the same insane thoughts the queen had about destroying Auster. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, not if I could help it, but I didn’t know where I could go so as not to be a menace to others. There wasn’t any order or sense left for me, just the realization that everything was different. An unnameable feeling welled up from deep inside of me and stole the breath in my lungs.

“Ewald’s going tonight or tomorrow, isn’t he?” Elema asked after a moment. “I’ll watch supper if you take her over to speak with him now.”

“Of course,” Ben said. “Let me get my cloak and we’ll go.”

I gave Elema a grateful smile, and she squeezed my arm reassuringly.

“I never thought—” I searched for the right words. “I don’t know if there’s any way that I can thank you for what you’ve done.”

“You know how these things come around,” Elema said. “All good favors are returned in the end.”

“Ready, Sydelle?” Ben asked as he fastened his cloak around his neck. “The markets are busy this time of day, so stay by my side.”