Page 35 of Veinblood
“Why is that good?”
“Because people who bend rules for the right reasons thinkbigger than people who follow them blindly.” I follow her outside. “Do we need to find another vehicle?”
“No, it’s close enough to walk.” She looks away. “And walking will give me time to think about what I want to say. I can’t just tell her we need a bracelet I lost because it might help us return to another world, and that I hope she has it.”
“You could, but I don’t think it would help.”
She gives a soft laugh, and bumps my arm with her shoulder.
We walk along streets lined with individual buildings where people have made homes. Each one has personal touches outside—decorations, small grassed areas, choices about color and arrangement.
“I can see that these places are different from where you grew up.”
“How do you mean?”
“Where you lived represents temporary existence. This represents long-term living. Having a personal investment in a place creates an investment in the community surrounding it.”
“I never had that,” she says quietly after a few minutes. “Personal investment in somewhere.”
“Do you want it?”
“Yes, but not in the same way.”
“What changed?”
“Purpose, I guess. In my old life, I was just … existing. Getting by. Surviving from one day to the next without much reason beyond habit.” Her steps slow. “In Meridian, what I domatters. My choices have consequences beyond my own comfort.”
“How does it feel returning here, to a place where your actions carry less importance?”
“It feels like stepping backward. Like accepting that I am less than I’m capable of being … less than I deserve.”
The admission reveals the depth of change she’s undergone. It isn’t just adaptation to a different world, but a transformation of her understanding of her identity. She’s discovered abilities she never knew she possessed, and found purpose beyond mere survival.
When we reach the address given to her, Ellie hesitates at the gate leading to the main entrance.
“What if she doesn’t remember me?” The words spill out. “Or worse, what if she remembers me but doesn’t want to talk to me? What if she asks questions I can’t answer? What if the bracelet was thrown away years ago, or?—”
“Multiple scenario planning is useful. Catastrophic thinking is not.”
She narrows her eyes at me. I lift an eyebrow in return.
“Am I wrong, Mel’shira?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Planning prepares you. Catastrophic thinking assumes the worst possible outcome is the only one that will happen. If this approach fails, we will adapt.”
“Do we?”
“Of course. But we won’t know anything unless you speak to her.”
“Right. You’re right.” She takes a deeper breath, shoulders straightening. “I’m overthinking this.”
“There is a Veinwarden saying. When you fight against the wind, you will always lose.” I reach out and stroke my knuckles down her cheek. “It means stop wasting energy on threats that only exist in your head, while ignoring the actual battlefield before you.”
She manages a smile, then opens the gate. I follow, moving to one side out of view, where I can watch everything while having enough space around me to protect her if I need to. I don’t think we’re in any danger, but there is little point in ignoring the risks, especially when facing unknown situations.
Ellie raises her hand to knock, then pauses and looks at me. I understand her hesitation. She’s about to confront someone from her past, someone who might hold answers to questions that have shaped her entire life.
