“I don’t know,” I say, stroking the girl’s soft hair. “Can you hear me, Heidi?”
Her long limbs thrash violently as her spine arches and twists. The foam in her mouth turns red, and Heidi convulses until she stops moving completely. Gunther presses two fingers against her jugular and looks at me with his mouth agape.
Before I can form the words, she’s dead, Heidi’s lips and veins turn black as her skin withers and wilts. Even her orange dress turns black. I try to blow air into Heidi’s lungs but spit out a mouthful of ash as her body disintegrates. The others back away as Heidi’s entire body turns into black flecks and floats away into the fog, leaving only her skeleton behind.
“Fuck.” I drop Heidi’s bones as my limbs tremble in horror.
Brahm scoops his hands under my armpits and helps me stand. “Let’s all get away from here.”
“Yeah,” Ferdinand says in a monotone voice with his eyes unblinking. “That priestess was sure right about the fog. Damn.”
“Wait,” I say, nearly out of breath, as everyone sets for the path, “shouldn’t we say a few words or something for Heidi?”
Brahm rubs my shoulder. “Good idea. I’ll do it.” He takes a deep breath as everyone creates a circle. We all hold each other’s shaking hands. “We didn’t know Heidi for very long. Before being chosen as an Offering, she was a baker who loved sewing. She enjoyed school. She had a small family and a boyfriend. They’ll be in our thoughts. Goodbye, Heidi Sommer. Rest in peace.”
“Thank you, Brahm.” I hang Heidi’s satchel on a tree branch above her remains. Plucking a few flowers, I rest them inside the bones of her hand. “I’m sorry you had to leave us, Heidi.”
I turn to leave when Ferdinand brushes past me to get to the satchel. My mouth hangs wide as he rummages through it, nearly stepping on Heidi’s skeleton. He steals her canteen and blanket.
“Extra water for me.” He shrugs as he sticks the canteen in his bag and tosses Heidi’s blanket to Gunther.
“Thanks, I guess.” Gunther’s naturally tan face is slightly pale, and his hands still shake as he tucks the blanket into his satchel.
I glare at Ferdinand, who cocks an eyebrow.
“She doesn’t need them anymore.” Ferdinand steps near me and whispers, “Be careful with the fog, Red.”
“You’re a fucking asshole.”
I get in his face and clench my fists.
“Come on.” Brahm touches my elbow. “Let’s find somewhere to make camp.”
The Voice in the Night
WHEN IT GETS DARK, MITZI AND I work together to stack the logs and sticks into a cone. Brahm and Liam bring us armfuls of leaves and dried grasses. Everyone watches as I light the kindling nest with Mitzi’s matches.
Once the fire is ablaze, I sit between the other girls. Willa gripes about being hungry again. I blow a curl from my face and turn to Mitzi, whose deep brown skin has a warm, copper glow in the firelight. She gives me a delicate smile.
“How are you holding up?” she asks in her sweet voice.
“About as good as everyone else, I suppose.” My heart still pounds against my chest while Heidi’s decaying body flashes over and over in my mind. I touched her bones. I gesture at Ferdinand, whose hands dance wildly in the air as he tells an animated story to Gunther. “He seems like the only one unphased.”
“Everyone processes things differently. This is all terrifying. It sounds naïve, but I had always hoped the Offerings lived happily ever after somewhere. I guess I didn’t expect that.” The flames sparkle in her tears as Mitzi stares into the fire for a long pause. She wipes her eyes and whispers, “I love how you spoke to Ferdinand earlier, though. I wish I could talk like that.”
“Thanks, but no, you don’t.” I shake my head. “Even Brahm thinks I’m a bitter person.”
He sits across the fire, chatting with Liam, who’s short with auburn hair. Brahm twists vines and flowers together as they discuss cuts of meat. Is the braided vine for the fire or something? Brahm catches me staring, and I turn my attention back to Mitzi, who has a little grin on her face.
“Is Brahm your man?” she whispers, tilting her head in his direction.
“What? No.” My eyes flit to Brahm, who’s still watching me, and then back to Mitzi. “Why do you ask?”
“The way he touches you nonstop, obviously,” Willa chimes in. She wraps her arms around her legs and rests her head on her knees. “And how he looks at you. I wish a guy would look at me like that. When you stormed off earlier, he didn’t take his eyes off you once and even jogged a few times to keep you within sight.”
“Well, he was my brother’s best friend. I suppose he’s my friend, too.”
Willa purses her thin lips together and raises an eyebrow. “Mmm-hmm. Explain why you’re both Offerings then. If it’s not a coincidence.”
“It’s because of Lord Albert Schulze, whose manor I clean in Norstadt. He’s also the high priest’s nephew. When I turned down Albert’s hundredth marriage proposal, he got a little violent with me and insulted my sister. Brahm punched him for me. And now we’re both here.”
“You jilted a lord?” Willa’s beady eyes grow to the size of normal ones. “You’re just a maid. Why would you do that?”
“Well, I didn’t know he could sentence me to death for it.” A pain rises in my throat, but I refuse to cry. “If I had known, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I hate Albert, but I would do anything to return to Thora and keep her safe.”
“Your sister?” Mitzi asks, rubbing my back.
I nod while pressing my cold fingers to my cheeks, hot from the fire.
“You turned down Lord Schulze?” Willa asks and cackles. “I still can’t believe it. You could be wealthy beyond belief. Why didn’t you marry him?”
“Because he’s a pig,” Brahm answers for me, standing.
I give Brahm a weak half-smile as he walks around the bonfire and sits next to me, sharing the tree I’m leaning against. His arm grazes mine. Did he hear the entire conversation?
“Who cares if he’s a pig? Even I’d marry a lord for a life of comfort,” Ferdinand says with a chuckle, play-punching Gunther’s shoulder.
I ignore him and turn to Brahm, touching the vines in his hand. “What are you making?”
“Nothing,” he says and tucks it behind his back. “Aside from all of this being totally fucked up, are you alright?”
“I guess. Thanks for sticking up for me. You don’t have to be so nice, though. If I had agreed to marry Albert, neither you nor I would be Offerings.”
“Yes.” He tilts his head. “But then you’d be with Albert, who doesn’t respect you or treat you right. I wouldn’t want that for you.”
“I know, but Thora would have everything she needs. I’m so worried about her. Why’d I have to be so selfish?”
“You, selfish? Not possible. It’s awful to say, but maybe this was the motivation your parents needed.” Brahm looks me in the eyes. “Don’t worry, though. This morning, after receiving the letter, I asked my parents to check on you and your family. I had some money saved, and they promised to make sure you’d have whatever you need. I’m sure they’ll still help.”