At Ryock's suggestion, Lynx had a dose of the sedative with her tea before turning in. It was a good idea for more than one reason—her pillow still carried the scent of him, making it difficult to calm her thoughts. But the medicine quickly took hold, and she drifted off with ease, sleeping soundly through the night.

"Lynx?" A cool hand touched her shoulder. "Are you still asleep?"

Lynx turned to her back and pushed herself upright. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Ara?"

"I saw a lamp at your doorway. I thought you were supposed to be staying at the church?"

"Mmm. I was, but I—" another yawn overtook her. "Forgive me. It has been a long time since I've slept so well."

Ara laughed. "You work yourself too hard. However, it is past the second bell."

"What?" Lynx squeaked and scrambled to her feet. "Oh no. How is it so late?"

Ara caught her wrist. "Calm yourself. Isla stopped by earlier to say that Saara was asleep and well. Apparently, your—er—friend took very good care of her last night."

Lynx exhaled a sigh of relief and took a seat on the bed next to Ara. "You have been here for that long?"

"I didn't want to wake you." Ara snuggled closer, tilting her head on Lynx's shoulder, and wrapped an arm around her waist. "So, who is he?"

Lynx blushed. While she had never lied to her younger sister, the omittance of information was a requirement in certain situations. She wondered if this was one of those times. "He is visiting from another city."

"Uh-huh. And you just so happen to speak his language?"

Lynx touched her forehead. "How much did Isla tell you?"

"That a strange man appeared in the church three days past, and suddenly he's helping you take care of Saara." Ara leaned her chin on Lynx's shoulder and stared up at her expectantly. "That his language is like nothing she's ever heard, but you're perfectly eloquent with it."

Lynx sighed. "I see."

"She also may have mentioned that he's handsome."

Her blush deepened.

"Goodness. I haven't seen you blush like that in a long time."

"Ara."

"So, who is he, really?"

"I do not know if I can say—"

"Aw, come on. Please?" Ara pleaded. "I promise, I won't tell anyone. Please?"

"Alright, but you do not share this with a soul," Lynx relented.

"Have I ever?" Ara replied, wounded.

No, but still. "Ryock... he is not of our world. He was separated from his companions and will need my assistance to find them." It was impossible to quantify Drive or what exactly they would be doing with it to Ara. Lynx barely knew what she was looking for herself. Besides, the last thing she wished was to burden her sister with more worry.

Ara hummed in thought. "That sounds like a fairytale. But if you're looking for his friends, why are you still here?"

"I could not leave Saara."

"Has she improved at all since you began treating her?"

"Unfortunately, I do not believe so."

"Lynx—"

Lynx shook her head and held up her hand. She didn't need anyone else telling her how futile her efforts were. "Perhaps with Ryock's help, we can cure her. But until I have exhausted every option, I will not stop trying."

"I know." Ara sighed. "I made tea and brought food. I'll walk with you to the church when you've finished eating."

"I should really go now—"

"Not until you eat," Ara replied sternly and led her to the common room by the wrist.

"You sound like Mother," Lynx laughed.

"Well, someone has to look after you." Ara had crafted a spread of fresh fruit and pastries amongst Lynx's favorite tea. "And you insisted it not be our parents. So, here I am."

"Thank you, Ara."

"It's nothing." Ara took a seat close to Lynx and poured their tea before guiding her sister's fingertips around the various plates and naming what each contained out loud. It was a quick process honed by years of practice, for which Lynx was immensely grateful. Ara had gifted her a sense of independence she'd feared she would never again experience.

"Will Ryock be staying with you here?" Her question was layered heavily by suggestion.

Lynx cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea. "I-I had not thought of us both retiring here should Saara show improvement. I suppose I should purchase blankets for the sofa."

Ara snickered.

"You are terrible!" Lynx gawked and batted a quick hand at Ara's arm.

Ara shrugged. "I just want to see you happy. That's all."

Lynx set down her cup and nibbled at one of the pastries. "I am happy."

"You know what I mean."

"Even so, there is too much at hand to consider such possibilities. Besides, it has only been three days." Lynx licked the sweet crumbs from her fingers. "I will assist him in any capacity that I can."

"I'm sure you will." Ara giggled.

"Heavens save you, Ara!" Lynx reached for Ara's torso and tickled her mercilessly until tears trickled down her cheeks.

Once they'd finished their meal, Lynx dressed and made her way back to the church. For the first time in weeks, Lynx returned to her work with a clear mind and renewed energy.

"I'll leave you here. I do not wish to impede on your...friendship," Ara said at the front doors of the church.

"You are incorrigible!" Lynx laughed.

"Call on me if you need anything. Please?"

"I will. Thank you, Ara."

"Any time at all." Ara kissed her cheek and took her leave.

Lynx made her way up the dais of the foyer, greeting the various worshipers and guests of the healing church as she walked. She moved through the familiar hallways and rounded the corner to Saara's room.

"Lynx!" Saara shouted. Moments later, weak arms gripped Lynx's waist in a tight embrace. "You're back!"

"Oh, my goodness! You feel well enough to stand?" Lynx stroked a hand through Saara's long hair. She heard Ryock shift from his seat to standing.

"I feel so much better. I slept the whole night. And Ryock gave me more medicine this morning, and I don't hurt at all!" Saara exclaimed.

"Did she really sleep the whole night through?" Lynx asked.

"She woke up once. But I don't think she remembers," Ryock replied. "You look rested."

"Yes, I cannot thank you enough. Truly. My thoughts no longer feel caught in a storm."

"Lynx! We taught each other to say different words! Like, um," Saara paused, then sounded the word out for 'flower' in Ryock's language.

"That is wonderful, Saara!" Lynx knelt before Saara, her hands drifting to the young girl's face. The immense pain she'd felt the day before had quieted from a screaming roar to little more than a dull groan. "That is truly wonderful."

"Why are you crying, Lynx? I told you, I feel better!" Saara wiped away the tears that had slipped from Lynx's eyes.

"I know, love. I am so very, very happy. I will have Isla fetch your parents." Lynx kissed her forehead. "I would like you to stay for three days more. If you feel the same, you can go home."

"Okay!" Saara clapped her hands. "Can I go outside today?"

"I am certain your parents would love to take you to the gardens." The relief that washed over Lynx was difficult to describe. It was far too soon to call her cured—the medication they created would have taken one of two avenues. Either it quelled her discomfort enough for Saara's body to fight back against the infection, or it was only masking the severity of it. Lynx prayed for the former. But to have created a tonic that lasted longer than a few hours was a miracle in itself.

"Yay!" Saara bounced backward and gripped Ryock's hand in her own. "Can you tell him thank you? I want to say thank you."

Lynx slowly pronounced 'Thank you' in Ryock's language, and Saara repeated it back. To both her and Saara's surprise, he replied, "You're welcome," with ease.

"You are beginning to understand our language?" Lynx noted.

"It comes with the territory." He shrugged. "Can we talk?"

"Of course." Lynx helped Saara back into her bed before she and Ryock moved to the gardens.

The air was brisk and clear, the aroma of flowers pungent and the sound of songbirds sweet. Lynx felt as if a heavy weight on her heart had been lifted.

"You slept well, then?" Ryock asked after they'd taken a seat.

"Exceedingly. You were right. I needed it," Lynx admitted. "It seems like the medication is working?"

"It is. I'm just hoping it's actually helping her get better and just a temporary bandage."

"You echo my thoughts on the matter." She solemnly nodded. "For now, though, she is out of pain. That is a paramount victory."

"Agreed. Which is why I need to talk to you about Drive."

Lynx folded her hands in her lap. "Right. You have upheld your end of the deal; it is my turn."

"It's not just that." Something in his tone felt unsure. "I... want to tell you how we've taken care of it in the past."

Lynx's brow furrowed. "Alright."

"In the two expeditions before this one, my companions and I found that Drive usually manifests itself in people. There are different signs and symptoms that it uses to show itself. But one thing we know for a fact is that it's transmitted through touch."

"So, how does one cure and contain it, then?"

"That's the thing. Drive is most vulnerable to both fire and acid."

Lynx considered his statement for a moment, mulling over the magic potential as well as the herbal curatives she knew. In the end, she came up short. "How do you subject a person to either without killing them?"

"You don't."

Horror crept up her spine, chilling the blood in her veins. "I do not understand."

"You can't kill Drive without killing the host."

Lynx shook her head. Her fingers and toes felt numb. The songs of birds regressed to the dull thud of blood pounding in her ears. "Then...you..."

Ryock sighed and adjusted his glasses. "We've made decisions that saved entire worlds at the cost of a small percentage of peoples' lives."

"No," Lynx muttered. "No, there has to be another way."

"But if there isn't—"

"I... I will not allow you to sacrifice anyone in my world." Her voice shook with disbelief.

"This is so much bigger than us—"

"Stop it. Stop saying that." Lynx shot to her feet, her hands lying flat on the stone table. She could barely hear the sharp words escaping her lips, nor could she feel the tears burning in her eyes. Her fingernails dug into the hard stone. "We either find a different way to destroy it, or you leave this world behind."

"You'd rather see your entire world go to hell than have me fix it?" Ryock snarled. "You are condemning millions of people to an early grave."

Even though she couldn't see him, she'd learned many years past what it felt like to hold a weighted gaze. She recalled it now, holding her chin parallel to his. "Perhaps I am simply small-minded. Perhaps I am just a simple healer in an insignificant village that does not understand the magnitude of this Drive of which you speak. But I cannot stand idly by while a group of traveling strangers harms the people of my world for a cause they believe is just."

"And what just cause would you have for them, Lynx Anjali?"

"I would devote every last inch of my flesh and bone, every drop of my blood to save them. And I will stand in your path should you force me."

A frustrated growl ripped from Ryock's throat, and he paced the length of walkway beside the table. "You're making this harder than it needs to be."

"And you have murdered how many without offering an alternative?" Lynx didn't understand where the depth of her conviction emerged. Countless emotions melded into the pure confidence that flowed from her tongue.

"How dare you say it like we didn't try?"

"Perhaps you did not try hard enough."

Ryock's pacing came to a halt, his chest only a hand's length from hers. His breath ran hot and furious on her cheeks. "You weren't there."

Lynx shook her head. "You are right. I was not. If I were, I would have already fulfilled Orlando's wishes to ferry me across the Last River."

"Hey, now, don't bring me into this—" Orlando began.

"Leave us!" they snapped in unison without sparing him so much of a glance.

"I'll do whatever it takes to save the people of this world," Ryock said.

"As will I." Lynx turned away from him and made her way back to the church. "Now, if you'll please excuse me."

Ryock's quiet groans of frustration were harsh against her ears, but she refused to turn around. Pain tore at her heart and threatened to consume her entirely if she didn't find a moment of respite to breathe.

There had to be another way.

---

A little past the edge of Analyn's modest shopping district was a wide stream that ran from east to west. Lynx and Ara had played in it countless times as children, splashing each other in the warm summers and hopping from rock to rock in the chill winter months—daring one another not to fall in. It was home to all manner of creatures and plant life, and the clear water bubbled and carried schools of finger-sized fish year-round. Lynx slipped off her shoes and dipped her feet beneath the water, then took a deep breath.

She'd betrayed Ryock's trust. It was the first time he'd tried to speak his mind about his task, and she had quashed it in the most magnificent fashion. It would not surprise her if he took his things and left to find someone else to help him track down both Drive and his companions. After all, she had not been the most gracious of hosts. Forcing him to assist with Saara before anything else, and then telling him she would stand in his way after he'd spent a sleepless night at her patient's side.

And yet, there was not a fiber in her being that would allow her to stand by while he put others to death. Surely, with his clear advancements in medicine, there had to be something he could have done differently.

A creeping voice whispered in the back of her mind. What if there wasn't? What if they had exhausted all attempts and had simply run out of time? Besides, was she truly any more noble in her quest to save Ara and Kaelin? Allowing hundreds to die before petitioning The Twins?

She laid back in the grass, swishing her feet back and forth through the stream. She allowed the current to push her ankles westward before gently realigning them to the bank's edge.

If Analyn's people suddenly became infected with Drive, threatening larger cities like La Rue, Ceven, even the Shimmering Isles faster than she could contain it, what would she do? Could people live with Drive, or did it kill them in the end? She hadn't bothered to ask. No, she was too preoccupied with the lives lost to think clearly, and now she may have given up her chance.

Soft footfalls in the grass steadily approached. "I am in no mood, Orlando," she groaned.

"I think he picked up on that," Ryock replied.

Lynx shuffled to her elbows, then pushed herself up to sitting. Blades of loose grass clung to the long, waving tendrils of her hair. "Ryock! I... I didn't expect you."

"May I?" He paused at her side, and she nodded. "Thanks." He sat cross-legged in the grass beside her.

"How did you find me?"

"A young lady saw me searching and led me here. I don't think I've met her before, though."

Ara, Lynx shook her head. "That was most likely my sister."

"That explains the resemblance."

They sat in uncomfortable silence as Lynx struggled for the right thing to say. In the depths of her soul, she understood that if this conversation ended poorly, he would leave. "Ryock, I'm so sorry."

He waited.

Lynx sighed and curled her toes. "You have worked tirelessly to help me ease Saara's pain. The least I could do was acknowledge the tremendous burden you've taken upon yourself to save other worlds. I believe you. That in every situation, you tried everything within your power to come to an amicable resolution." She folded her hands in her lap, fingernails digging into her palms. "Maybe I am too small-minded to help you."

Ryock plucked a blooming dahlia from the stream's bank and gingerly unfurled her fingers before placing the stem against her palms. "We may have different perspectives, but the truth is we want the same thing: lives to be cherished and people to be saved."

She traced the outlines of the dozens of petals with her fingertips and nodded.

"I knew someone like you a long time ago. She felt the same way you do about the value of a single person's life. And... I wouldn't be here without her."

Lynx inhaled the dahlia's scent and gave his admission time. Ryock was trying to talk to her—more than he had since he'd arrived—and she was afraid to rush him. "It sounds like she was very important to you."

"Yeah. Even if more than once we butt heads and I refused to listen." He chuckled and unlaced his boots. "But I like to believe that I do listen. Eventually. And right now, your perspective is invaluable."

"Ryock..."

"You are much wiser than you give yourself credit. We will do everything we can to stop Drive without casualties. Together. You have my word." He slid his feet beneath the water next to hers and laughed. "I don't remember the last time I've done this. I see why you like it."

Lynx smiled, and the dahlia in her hands took on a faint glow. "Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome." Ryock leaned forward and scooped a handful of the clear water. "At least you have a nice place to cool off, hmm?" He flicked his wrist, and the cool liquid splashed against Lynx.

Lynx gasped in surprise, then laughed. "You have a sense of humor after all!"

"I tend to save it for my friends."

She held the flower to her chest as one of the droplets fell free from the tip of her nose. "I'm glad."

---

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