Loud exclamations outside the bedroom door follow my happy announcement. Wordlessly, Tula rises and moves towards the entrance of my room, flinging it open. Papa and Bash crash in, falling over each other.

“Papa- “ My legs shake when I get out of bed, and Bash has to put my arm over his shoulder, but I make it to my father. “My Gin Dori beats for another, you see? It’s searching for my Bond Mate, now.” I hold up my necklace and let him watch it shine and pulse.

He stares hard at the object as though he’s personally offended. Then he sniffs.

“Koldof- “Tula starts.

“Papa, my Gin-Hai begins now.” Is he angry?  “And I’m excited, but I’m so nervous-”

“You’ll do fine.” He answers gruffly. A cough covers another sniff. Even worse, he’s crying. “Better than fine, you’re my daughter, aren’t you? Your mate will never understand how lucky he is.” He tugs me away from Bash, hugging me tight and rubbing stubbly cheeks against mine.

“Owww, Papa, no!” But I’m laughing, and Bash cheers again while Tula’s already scribbling out plans for the traditional sendoff, a celebration with the neighbors to send me with sweet wishes and good luck along the way.

“I won’t get many more chances to do this; let an old man say his proper goodbyes!”

“I’m not leaving yet!” I return his hug. Don’t cry!”

“If your mate hurts you, I’ll turn him into pottery,” Papa warns. “I’ll put him in the kiln and- “

“My mother will make the cake,” Bash offers. “I can get decorations.”

“Excellent, and we’ll hold the celebration … in three days, you can be ready by then. You’ll leave the next morning, of course.” Tula decides. “Bash will need a haircut; he looks like a hobo. “

His eyebrows raise. Or at least I think they do; I can’t tell with his tawny brown hair hanging the way it does.

The three of them are talking over each other all at once, and they’re loud enough to drown out any nerves or worry I might have.

***

We leave four days later.

It takes time for Papa to tune the bikes, and Tula takes my knives to get sharpened. And I watched The Introduction.

“Zee, we’ve watched this a billion times- “Bash starts as I put the disk into the holoplayer.

I watch him browse my wall of bookshelves, and I take the opportunity to check his hands and arms for new burns or cuts.   Before, when all he did was dig river deposits, he was in good shape.  Becoming Papa’s apprentice meant working daily with the kilns to blow glass, and he’s dropped more pieces than we can keep track of. 

“Then I’m going to watch it a billion and ONE times. Now get over here.” He groans and comes over, flopping down and hiding his face in my pillow while the holo player hums softly. A moment later, the holographic image of an African-American woman shimmers to life.

“Hello.” Her voice is as rich and crisp as her tailored ruby suit. “My name is Celina Roma. And it is my great privilege to introduce you to this new beginning you embark on. Today, you prepare yourself for the Gin-Hai, your journey to your Bond Mate.”

That same familiar thrill runs through me. As much as I’ve watched The Introduction, I never lose the feeling that she’s talking directly to me.

“There may be challenges along the way; this is true. But when you arrive, you will know the trip is one worth making. You surely have questions and concerns. Perhaps even fear. But know that coming together with your Bond Mate is a wonderous thing.” Roma walks, shots of the Bond Clan being shown behind her—the marble arch, the fountain of peace, each building built with a specific Clan in mind.

“Now, for each, this journey is different. But we have noticed side effects that always accompany those coming to Himat Amour Casa, also known as Bond Clan. Shortness of breath, dizziness, elevated temperature, nausea. All of these are common and nothing to be concerned by.” Roma smiles straight into the camera. “The experience is a new one, yes. But we are here to help you each step of the way. We await you, and you're forever, and we’ll see you soon.” 

There are more segments to watch, but this, for now, is enough.

“Zee? Hey! Helloooooo…” Bash waves in front of my face.

“Huh?”

“You got all quiet; you’re bringing me down, Little Bird.” He looks at Roma paused on the screen. “What’s up?”

“I was just thinking…”

“Then what’s with the face?” He nudges me. “We’ve known this was coming since forever. You’ve been talking about it just as long. Go on your big Gin Hai journey with the wind in your hair and a cool pair of sunglasses-”

“I told you that in confidence when I was like twelve!” I shove him, but that doesn’t stop his snickers.

“Doesn’t make it any less funny. Now, come on, cheer up. Here,” He grabs my motorbike helmet, sits on a chair, and presses a button on the side. The hologram of our map flickers to life. “Pick where we our first stop’ll be. When we stop for lunch, we’ll be here-” .” He points to one of the roads in The Fourth District, Terra. It’s the State River Bend calls home. “Bond Clan is about two, maybe three days away if we only stop for bathroom and food.”

I consider our options. To the far north is The Second District, Apparatus. They share their west border with The First District, Dominion. Both are known for high travel roads, which means less chance of Coanje but more chances for Hover-Cab robbers. With lots of drivers and fliers, we’re sure to run into heavy traffic, and that’s precisely when the robbers strike. Tula told me stories of watching thieves wearing thick gray hoods to hide their identity overtake a vehicle. They zip up on hoverboards, the rectangle’s telltale blue bottoms flashing bright beneath their feet. Mid-air, they work in teams of two to four and rob the occupants or take the car altogether.

In Terra, not many of the Clans use hover vehicles if they can help it. Most Clan members use electricity-charged cars since there’s a lesser chance of getting stuck in the brush on the back roads. Our bikes run on sunflower oil so we wouldn’t garner as much attention, but it’s probably better not to chance it. We’ve got 2000 miles to get to Bond Clan, and I don’t want to take that journey after being robbed blind.

Now, if we travel the roundabout way, we head east, towards the Fifth District, Medicia. Our state shares a border with that District, so it’s a more rural territory and less frequented. Less traffic means a faster time, but a more urgent need to find shelter since there’s a denser population of Coanje. Still, Coanje, you can deal with. District darlings heading to their skyscraper lives and fancy balls are pretentious at best and domineering at worst. They expect things served to them, with a side of groveling, and usually, Clansmen are the ones who have to get on their knees. Papa’s been assaulted before, and Tula had a trunk full of goods and medical kits destroyed for the sheer pleasure of it.

“Do you have a preference?” I ask. Bash strokes his chin, then scratches his head and shrugs.

“I’d rather deal with a pack of Coanje than some stuck-up District bastards. My vote is we go east.”

I’d have to agree.  I keep our plan and Roma’s reassurances in mind as Papa is trying to shove one more blanket into my things, and Bash’s mother is making him promise to call every couple of days.

“As your second, it’s his role to look after you, Little Bird.” He tells me, refolding the throw. “Make sure you let him. And don’t get into any fights or join any gangs.”

“Always be aware of your surroundings,” Tula adds, sitting on the bag to make it close.

“And call us when you get there!”