Sebastian

It also would mean putting things in motion and then leaving Sebastian's life in someone else's hands, but the strength and courage were there—if Lynnea didn't falter when the time came. And it would have to be Lynnea's choice. Every step of the journey would have to be Lynnea's choice. But it could be done, leaving her free to seek justice for other hearts—and deal with the wizards.
    She looked at her brother. "Are you with me, Lee?"
    He put one hand over hers. "Always."
    "Then we have work to do. Talk to Teaser. Find out everything you can about where Sebastian was headed when he left with the wizard. We need to find the bridge that connects my landscapes with Wizard City. And then we need to deliver a message to the wizards."
    "Glorianna… it's a trap. That's why they wanted Sebastian."
    "It's a trap," she agreed. "But Sebastian isn't the bait."
     

 

     
     

Chapter Twenty-four

 

     
     

     
    Glorianna watched Lee raise a hand in thanks as the demon cycles raced back to the Den.
    "Well," he said, "that was clear thinking on Sebastians part to ask the demon cycles to linger in this landscape to show us where the bridge was located."
    She sniffed because, somehow, being miffed seemed like the right thing to do. "I'm sure he didn't tell them it was all right to chase the waterhorses."
    "They didn't chase the little ones. They made a point of telling you that."
    "Oh. Well. That makes it all right. What?" The last because Lee was grinning at her.
    "We're squabbling."
    "We are not."
    "Are too."
    "Are—" She stopped. She always felt as if she were ten years old when they started one of these arguments. "Maybe. So what if we are?"
    "We only squabble when something has been wrong and we know it's going to be all right again. So I guess this idea of yours isn't so daft after all."
    "It's not daft." Risky, certainly. And dangerous if it didn't work as well as she thought it would. But not daft. "Why did you have the demon cycles leave us here?" She waved a hand at the stand of trees.
    "Because I can feel the bridge." Lee headed in a westerly direction and continued talking over his shoulder. "And I figured if we're moving at a walking pace, you'd have a better feel of the land and more warning if the Eater left any nasty surprises in this landscape."
    Since she hadn't found the anchor the Eater had established in the waterhorses' landscape, and nasty surprises were a distinct possibility, she hurried to catch up to Lee and link her arm through his—both as a sign of sisterly affection and because, if there was danger, she could take them both back to her gardens in a heartbeat as long as she was touching him.
    "Do you remember that time when Mother was sick for a whole week?" Glorianna asked.
    "I remember." Lee smiled. "I was about nine and you were eleven."
    She nodded. "Neighbors brought soups and broths for her, but we pretty much fended for ourselves—
    and survived my cooking."
    "You went to the butcher's and the grocers for food—"
    "—with you helping to pull your sled, since it was too snowy to use anything else."
    "The grocer was impressed that we were buying vegetables instead of sweets."

    "And oranges, remember? They came from the south and traveled through a dozen landscapes before they got to Aurora, and each one cost more than the spending money Mother gave me for a week."
    "You bought six of them," Lee said softly. "And each day you peeled one and divided the sections three ways because you said the oranges would keep us from getting sick and help Mother get well."
    "We didn't squabble at all during those days," Glorianna said just as softly.
    "We were afraid she was going to die. It had been a hard winter. Other people in the village had died of influenza or pneumonia. We were half-grown and so scared. She'd never been that sick before."
    "So we didn't squabble. We kept the house orderly and did the lessons our teachers brought over so we wouldn't fall behind in school… and we didn't squabble."
    "Until Mother was well again." Lee laughed. "And then we drove her halfway mad with it because we'd argue over the least little thing."
    "Yes."
    They walked in silence for a while. Then Glorianna said, "I love you, Lee."
    "Don't." His voice got sharp. "People start saying things like that when they think they might not have another chance to say them."
    "It's not that. I'm just… having a sentimental moment."
    "Oh. In that case, I love you, too. I—" He tensed when she stopped walking. "What is