“It helped in that one instance, but it’s not mine to have. Besides, my back feels pretty strong.” 

“Strong enough to take on a demon by yourself?” Anders asked, looking out at Brookside’s port. With Britt’s crew taking the lead and Helga’s help organizing soldiers into work crews, they had made more progress than Anders thought they could in such a short time.  

“The crystal’s with Thomas now,” Bo answered, taking a seat where Anders had been acting as lookout.  

Brushing aside the information, Anders asked, “Have you seen Kirsten?” 

 “Yeah, um, she went to the docks to help,” Bo said, sounding slightly irritated.  

“Great, thanks,” Anders said taking notice of the touchy question. He started toward the ladder he’d used to climb to Rune’s roof, then stopped. Anders knew his sister had caused a rift between the two brothers, and though he hadn’t spent much time with Bo, he knew how hard Bo had fought for their survival while Anders was in the Everlight Kingdom. “Hey, how much do you know about these?” Anders asked, pulling one of the inhabitance crystals from his pocket. It was the one he had taken from Kirsten shortly after the battle, before she’d gone to find Rankstine’s. 

Bo eyed the blue-hued stone in Anders’ palm, then rubbed at the back of his neck, saying, “All I really know is what I've seen and felt them do.”  

Anders nodded, “Want to try to use it?”  

“Um, I don’t think they work for me,” Bo said, staring at Anders’ palm as though he was looking at a deadly snake about to strike. 

“I ask because I’m going to start training Kirsten to use them and, well, I saw the Poudrettite work for you, so I thought you might be able to use an inhabitance crystal.” 

“I don’t know,” Bo said. “I’m still learning the sword. I think we would be better served if you saved it for Kirsten. The more weapons she can use, the better she’ll be protected.”  

“Okay, I just thought I’d ask,” Anders said, turning to leave. 

“Thanks,” Bo said. 

Anders stopped, “Thank you, Bo. I mean it.”   

“What are you thanking me for? I just turned down your offer.” 

“Taking care of my cousins,” Anders said. “I don’t just mean last night. I mean looking after Kirsten when she wasn’t able to do it herself. Britt and Max told me how vigilant you were in looking after her while she was affected by the goblin venom. Even Thomas said you were more concerned about her than he was, and that’s saying something.”  

Bo let out a chuckle, “I was just helping a friend.”  

“Just a friend,” Anders said with the shake of his head. “We both know it’s more than that.” 

Bo started to stammer but Anders cut him off, “I’m okay with it, not that you need my blessing.” He felt suddenly as though he was acting out of place. “But seeing as her father’s not around and I’m the oldest in the family, I just wanted you to know, I’m all for it.”  

“Thanks,” Bo said smiling and again rubbing the back of his neck. 

Anders left the conversation before he made it even more awkward for either of them. As he climbed down the ladder, he reached out to Zahara. Zahara, I’m leaving my lookout. I’m going to find Kirsten. How are things going out there? 

The soldiers have taken their positions around town. I have been searching but see no sign of him or the winged creatures.  

Any sign of Maija or Raffa? 

No, she said, and Anders could feel that she, too, was worried about them. If all had gone well, they should’ve returned by now.  

When you’re ready, meet us at the grove I showed you late last night, Anders said.  

 I’ll be there, she replied.  

When he reached street level, Anders had to push his way through a crowd of people who were gathering near the docks. Word spread quickly, he thought to himself. All along the street bordering the docks, civilians were pitching in and helping haul supplies onto the ships. Scanning the crowd, he found his cousin aiding Max in securing cargo.  

Wading through the human chain passing boxes of food and crates of supplies, he stopped alongside the ships. Anders called her name, but over the noise of the workers, she didn’t hear him. He made his way to the boarding ramp. One of the many townspeople helping handed him a crate containing two chickens. He took it, thinking that he recognized the young man who’d handed it to him. Before he could ask, others behind him nagged him to move along. Anders came onboard the ship where Kirsten and Max were working and set aside the crate, the chickens inside squawking as he placed them on a pile of rope. As he worked his way across the deck toward the cargo pile where Kirsten was working, she turned and saw him, waving him over.  

Finishing off a knot and tossing the other side of the rope to Max, Kirsten addressed Anders, “What’s brought you down here? I thought you were busy guarding the town, not resting like the doc told you to.” 

“I got some sleep,” he said. 

“Don’t feel like you need to help here; we got this,” she said, motioning to all of the people working to stock the ships.  

“Kirsten, I came to talk to you about these,” he said as he pulled the crystal she had given him from his pocket. Glancing at her, he noticed Max stepping around the boxes they were securing.  

Max rubbed his hands together and came to stand next to Kirsten to look at the blue hue of the crystal in Anders’ hand. 

Kirsten took notice of Max, then started fishing in her pocket for something, “You want it back? I kind of assumed you wanted me to keep it.”  

“I do want you to keep it. I came to teach you how to use it,” he said. Anders saw Kirsten perk up at the idea. He looked at Max, “I want to teach all of you how to use them.”  

Max frowned, “I tried to use it, when she was first bitten, but it didn’t work.”  

Several people pushed past them, trying to find places to store more supplies. Kirsten grabbed Anders by the arm and led him over to the side of the ship. Max followed. Anders used the crystal as a prop and spoke loudly at both of them, “These crystals were designed specifically for use by non-bonded people. Just because it didn’t work for you the first time, Max, doesn’t mean it won’t work at all. I want to show you and others how to use these magical tools so we have a better shot at defending ourselves in a war.” 

Anders heard a familiar voice behind him, “Did you say you’re going to teach people to use some form of magic?” 

As Anders turned to see who had spoken, Max stepped toward the speaker saying, “Evans, you don’t want to be a part of this. If your father finds out...” 

“If our father finds out,” Evans said as Anders recognized the face of the young man who’d handed him the chickens just moments earlier. After seeing more of Evans’ father, he could see the resemblance in the square jaw and thick brow on his forehead. He must’ve taken more of his mother’s stature, because he did not look older than Anders by the amount of muscle on his frame or thickness of body, like other soldiers in the Westland Revolution. Evans was a smaller and more reasonable version of his father, but he suspected the young man shared some of Tony’s fiery spirit.  

“If you get involved, he’ll blame me,” Max warned. 

Anders looked at Max’s foster brother and said, “Right now we’re going to need all the help we can get with willing participants. Bo’s already turned me down.” 

“You talked to Bo about this, too?” Max asked. 

Anders nodded. 

“And why wouldn’t he be included,” Kirsten asked, glaring at Max.  

Max groaned, “I didn’t mean to imply that he shouldn’t.”  

“Good, because he should be included,” Kirsten said. “He’s better with the sword anyway.” 

Max raised his hands slightly, shaking his head and looking to Anders.  

“Are things between you two okay?” Anders asked, eyeing them both. 

Anders was answered by another familiar voice sounding from behind, “Are they still bickering?” Britt asked. “I thought making them work together would force them to sort out their problems.”