Farryn shrugged. "He stole her dignity. His mother is holding it over Cordelia's head. Tell anyone what my son did, and I'll harm you. Harm the baby. I heard her say it herself earlier." "Nevan wouldn't-" "I didn't ask you, Claud." she spat. "I didn't ask you and I want you to stop speaking to me. I need to find my sister."

She finally figured out how to get the mule attached to the cart, and then grabbed its reins and led him through the doors. Luli sat in the cart, gnawing on her thumb. Farryn didn't have the energy or gentleness in her to comfort her. It felt like she was all rough edges, broken and then glued back together haphazardly. Over and over and over again. She didn't even know who she was anymore.

No. She muttered to herself. She was Liviana's sister. She was her mother's daughter. She was the thing holding her family together. And once she found Liviana, she'd remember it.

Claud stared at her as she got the cart out through the doors. "Leave," she said one last time. He stared at her, cracked his knuckles. She gripped the reins tighter and hopped onto the seat.

"Ji" she said to the mule, and it began to walk down the way. She tapped Luli. "It will be fine," she said. Luli didn't bother pulling her hand out of her mouth to answer.

Just as they made it a little ways away from the shed, Farryn turned back to look at Claud. Standing there under the cloak of darkness, she almost felt sorry for him.

And then he whistled.

It was a loud, shrill sound. Farryn swore, urging the mule faster. She should have known.

"Thief!" he yelled into the crisp night. Farryn said every cuss word she knew as she got the mule running towards the gates so fast the cart was jostling behind them. Luli was crying, but she wouldn't stop.

"Hey!" Another voice joined Claud's. Footsteps pounded behind them, moving impossibly fast. "Luli!" Farryn yelled, letting go of the reins and grabbing her. "Hold on to me!"

They were careening right for the gates. The gates that were still shut, where guards now stood waiting to apprehend them. Farryn cursed. What had her plan been anyway? Ride on through, with no questions asked?

She sucked in a breath and held Luli tight as the footsteps behind them drew closer. Jump. She whispered to herself. All of a sudden she was standing at the lake in Serib with her family, the year before disaster. They were diving; her father, sister and her. Her mother was having her cycle and didn't feel like a swim.

Liviana and her father had jumped into the water together as always. They had looked like cuts of beautiful brown ribbon as they fell into the water. The splash had delighted Farryn, until she realized she'd have to jump in alone.

"Jump" her mother had told her. "If you never jump, you'll never be able to. I won't always be here to jump with you. Father won't. And one day, Livvy will need you to teach her how to. How can you if you don't know how?"

Farryn jumped.

She hit the ground hard, mostly on her side, and she heard Luli cry out as they rolled into the brush. Pain radiated through her arm and chest, but she sat up quickly, sucking in a breath and holding her at arm's length.

"Luli. We need to run, she said, trying to keep the pain at bay. Luli was trying very hard to hold her own tears in. "I'm scared," she said, clutching Farryn's neck. "I know. I'm so sorry Luli." Farryn was trying her hardest to be brave. She was trying so hard to take the jump for Liviana, for Luli, but she couldn't see again because of her tears.

Someone entered the brush, and Farryn grabbed Luli, pulling her down, underneath the bushes. Farryn heard most of their pursuers stop, probably trying to catch the mule and cart. She pressed her face to the dirt and prayed that they wouldn't see her.

Suddenly Luli jerked up. "Luli!" she hissed, and looked up into the moonlight to see Claud, gripping Luli as she tried to get away.

"Let her go, you-" Farryn swiped for his ankle. Her fist connected hard with his ankle, and he faltered. She shoved him, grappled for his neck and tried to choke him.

He dropped Luli as he tried to fight her off. Farryn didn't care that the others would spot them anymore. She was going to kill him.

He threw her off. "Stop! I'm trying to help you. Let me-" She gripped his throat before he could continue, cutting the words off. "Let me-" her fingers tightened, and she felt alive. Free, her anger flowing out of her.

"Farryn." Luli sobbed. She stopped, only for a second, but Claud managed to loosen her grip and throw her backwards. She careened into the bushes and just lay there for a moment, crying so hard she couldn't breathe.

"You'll draw them here," Claud said, rubbing his neck. "I'm sorry for trying to grab her. But unless you want to be arrested, we have to get out now." Farryn sat up. She didn't trust herself to answer. She quieted her sobs, even though she couldn't make the tears stop flowing, and followed Claud as he crawled through the bushes.

Claud led them to a small gap in the fence near the back of the estate. By the time they squeezed through the opening, Farryn was filthy, and Luli was miserable. The three of them stood there, staring at one another.

"I didn't kill you tonight." Farryn finally said. "But know that I will kill you." she hissed. He frowned at her. "No, you won't. Let's leave our conflict for after we find Liviana."

He turned away from her and began walking away, still rubbing the red marks that her fingers had left. Arsehole, she thought, and grabbed Luli's hand.

"Come on." "Pie?" Luli asked softly. "What?" "We're going to get pie, right?" Farryn didn't answer. She didn't know if her sister would be safe enough to make them a pie.