For Darkness Shows the Stars

door.
    “Olivia,” he moaned. “Wake up, please. Please wake up.”
    Elliot went over to him and squeezed his hands. “She’ll be all right. Felicia will help her.” After all, the woman could work miracles.
    Dangerous ones.
    AT LAST THE BLOOD stopped seeping from Olivia’s head. At last Felicia set the final broken bone. At last the young girl’s breathing stabilized, and Felicia emerged from the sickroom and told Horatio that nothing more could be done, that they would have to wait to see if Olivia would wake up.
    The if seemed to break him all over again, and he buried his head in his hands.
    Both Elliot and Andromeda helped him to a chair. Donovan stoked the fire, and Kai stood, frozen, like he’d been ever since they’d arrived at the Boatwright house.
    “I can’t lose her,” Horatio said. “She’s the only family I have.”
    “Don’t say things like that.” Elliot stroked his arm. “She’s only asleep. We don’t know anything yet.”
    “I’m so sorry,” said Andromeda. “I should have warned her. I shouldn’t have let her think she could make the jump.”
    “It’s my fault,” said Kai. “I shouldn’t have jumped at all. She never would have been tempted to try if she didn’t see me out there.”
    Horatio raised his head and forced a smile in Kai’s direction. “Look at us. You look like death, my friend, and I’m sure I do, too. We’ll never stop blaming ourselves. I guess that’s the price of love?”
    Kai’s abnormal eyes widened and Elliot nearly cried aloud. “I should go,” she blurted. “I’m of no use to anyone here.” She touched Horatio on the shoulder. “As long as you can spare me?”
    Horatio nodded. “I think I’ll be fine. The Innovations have offered me a room here so I can stay close to my sister tonight. Thank you, Elliot, for all your help today. Your quick thinking in bringing her here probably saved her life.”
    Elliot shook her head. “It was nothing at all.” She longed to be gone from this house, away from the Posts, whose odd eyes and precise movements now made her skin crawl. She needed to get her thoughts together. She needed to figure out what she was going to do next.
    “I’ll drive you back to the North estate,” said Kai.
    “No.”
    “I insist.” He stared at her, and this time Elliot was the one to turn away.
    “No. I’m fine. I need to walk. To clear my head.”
    “Elliot—” Kai’s voice curdled the tones of her name. She could not bear it from him now.
    “Leave her alone,” Andromeda snapped. Kai glared at the older girl. Andromeda glared back. Elliot noticed the lights refracting in their eyes and felt bile rise in her throat.
    She needed to run, or she would scream their secrets for all the world to hear.

F IVE Y EARS A GO
     
    Dear Elliot,
    There was a reason I didn’t wait for you yesterday. There was a reason I didn’t want you to come with me to visit my da at the healing house. Do you think you can butt in wherever you like just because you’re a North?
    Kai
        
     
    Dear Kai,
    I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you wanted to be alone with him. I have gone to visit him other times—you know that. Why should yesterday have been any different?
    Your friend,
    Elliot
        
     
    Dear Elliot,
    It just is. When I go with you, it’s not about me and my da. It’s about everyone staring at you because you’re a Luddite. We can’t help but look at my da, at all the people in the healing house, and think that when your family is sick, you don’t go there. Your grandfather gets round the clock nursing. Your grandfather gets medicine my da doesn’t.
    For what it’s worth, my da doesn’t want your medicine anymore. It won’t fix him. It just prolongs his suffering.
    Your friend,
    Kai
        
     
    Dear Kai,
    I just want to help. You don’t have to be mean. If I had medicine for everyone in the healing house, I’d give it to them. It’s not my fault that all I can do is sneak you things meant for my grandfather. I’d fix everyone if I could.
    Your friend,
    Elliot
        
     
    Dear Elliot,
    Would you? Would you really?
    I get so angry sometimes, Elliot, thinking about all the people stuck in there. Reduced sent there to die because their hands or legs don’t work. Something as simple as that. There are Reduced who have been in the “healing house” for thirteen years. That’s as long as I’ve been alive. If they were the tractor, I could change their tires, but because of the protocols, we