Page 133 of Requiem of Silence

“Eminette deserved better,” Papa said quietly. “I did my best to give her everything, so she wouldn’t feel like she was missing out, choosing us over you. Choosingmeover you. And I have no doubt that I would do it again.”

With a final nod, Varten turned to leave with Papa right behind him. As they reached the front doors of the store, they heard Zinadeel’s voice bellowing, Papa’s spell now lifted. Varten didn’t catch the words, but it didn’t matter. He never needed to hear his grandfather’s voice again.

Outside, the street seemed quieter than it had been a half hour before. He needed to get back to the palace, back to Zeli, where he should have been all along. He was just figuring out how to do that when the emergency alarm began to blare.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Apply yourself with grace to all you do.

For it will serve as sword and shield

when winds of dissonance blow steadily near

and you find yourself with nothing else to cling to.

—THE HARMONY OF BEING

Sirens echo, ringing in Ulani’s ears as she rushes down the street toward the theater’s basement again. Raven scurries along on his little puppy legs behind her, not wanting to be left behind. The last time the wraiths came, she didn’t get a chance to see any of them. Tana told her how scary they were, but she would still rather see for herself. She’s seen Mooriah, but knows that somehow these spirits are going to be different. All she wants is a peek, but Mama’s got a tight hold on one hand, and with Papa on her other side, hurrying along, there’s no way she’ll get a chance.

Tana has already gone off to fight with the Poison Flame. Ulani wishes she could fight, too, but she has an important job to do. Papa told her that sometimes you need a sword and sometimes you need a shield—Ulani is the shield.

They arrive at the theater to find the basement doors wide open. Down the creaking steps and then they’re in a space that feels much smaller than it did a few days ago. There are so many more people here.

“It worked,” Mama says, surprised.

Lots of people Ulani doesn’t know stand alongside familiar faces from around the neighborhood. She opens her Song and fills herself up with Earthsong. It feels bubbly and tickles just a little bit. Excitement sparkles in her belly.

But fear pushes against her Song, thick and dark like molasses. Mama is a little bit relieved and a little bit something else—it’s a feeling Ulani doesn’t have a word for, sort of like waiting for something good to happen, but also thinking it may really turn out bad.

Papa towers over her like a tree giving shade. She presses into his leg to keep from being shuffled around as more and more people run down the steps. Raven steps on her feet, never far away. Outside, the alarm still screams.

“Who’s the Earthsinger?” someone yells.

“Who’s going to protect us?”

Mama starts shouting orders, telling everyone to line up and hold hands. Ulani won’t have to touch any strangers, Mama and Papa will be on either side of her, and everyone else will link hands with them.

“We’re supposed to rely on that little girl?” an old man says. Ulani doesn’t know him, but his hair looks like broom bristles and a sludge of panic clings to him.

“She’s a very strong Singer,” Mama says. “If you don’t trust her to help, then you’re welcome to take your chances out there.” She points to the staircase and the man steps back.

Outside, the sirens stop. Ulani takes her parents’ hands, closes her eyes, and focuses on her Song. Holding in the Earthsong is like holding in a sneeze that never comes out. She does as Fenix taught her and creates a kind of bubble to protect them. Only it’s not a bubble, and she can only pass it through people who are connected to her. It would be better to go around, but that’s not how it works.

But something is wrong. The bubble isn’t spreading out the way it’s supposed to. “Someone isn’t holding hands,” she whispers.

Mama jerks, probably looking around. Ulani’s eyes are still closed. She’s trying to force the spell through the barrier it’s hit. It’s kind of like pouring water through a series of funnels connected to each other, except that one of the funnels doesn’t have an opening on the end. She can’t reach the one below it.

The room is getting hot with all these people here. Sweat pools on her back and beads her forehead. Raven sitting on her toes makes her shoes feel like an oven; she struggles not to lose her concentration.

Then Papa yells like he’s surprised and his hand rips away from hers. Raven barks and Mama wrenches away, too, and the top funnel is completely blocked. She opens her eyes.

It takes a second to understand that both of her parents are fighting people. Papa with his fists and Mama with the little wooden club she keeps in her bag, the one she told Ulani and Tana never to touch. The man Papa keeps punching is Elsiran, kind of skinny, but with a mean face. Mama swings her club at the older man attacking her and a loud crunch sounds as his arm breaks.Raven growls, standing right in front of her and pushing her backward.

People are screaming but everything is too loud to understand what they’re saying. She knows the fighting men are angry, angry at her.

“The True Father wants the Lagrimari,” another man screams from the middle of the confused jumble of people. He races toward Ulani, his feelings sharper than a thornbush. She shrinks back as Raven snarls, but the puppy is too little to do much damage and both Papa and Mama are fighting new Elsiran men—the first two are already on the ground, one moaning in pain, the other still as a stone.

She’s frozen with fear, not sure what to do, when an older Lagrimari man she’s seen at the market lunges for the man coming toward her. He tackles the Elsiran and sits on his chest. Two Elsiran women help to hold the attacker’s arms and legs as he flails, shouting, “We’re safer without thegrols! Let the True Father have them!”

---