"Are you awake?"

Thanatos' only response was a vague hum, yet Henry rose from where he had been lying with his head on the flier's back anyway. "I cannot sleep."

Thanatos still didn't respond, and Henry sat in front of him with crossed legs, attempting to make out the rest of the party in the dim natural light. "It is all so . . ." He broke off, for he still had no words for what he was feeling.

The revelation that Hamnet was still alive had already been a shock, but the tale Ripred had shared hours ago had left Henry deeply disturbed. His gaze automatically found Luxa; how long had it been since he had given up on finding out what had happened to Hamnet?

Henry forced himself to dig into the deepest depths of his mind, unearthing every shard of memory he could find. Memories of Hamnet—younger, paler, skinnier, lying in a hospital bed. There were people clustered around it, and then there were breakdowns and screams, and finally stoic silence. Memories of obsessive searches, tears, questions, rumors, and hushed whispers. Of angry gazes and orders to be silent whenever Hamnet's name was mentioned.

"At least try and sleep. You know very well what awaits tomorrow."

Henry pressed his lips together; of course he knew what awaited. They would have to somehow move this disorganized, inexperienced group of mostly children through the most dangerous part of the Vineyard of Eyes.

"You knew all that already, no? Hamnet's story, I mean."

When Henry looked back at Thanatos, the flier froze. "I . . . did," he said after a short pause.

"Because you were there too." Honoring Teslas' request to not disclose what he had told him about Thanatos was one thing, but Henry suddenly felt like he needed answers more than keeping that promise was worth.

Thanatos' eyes narrowed. "What made you think that?"

"Teslas told me." Henry's eye found Frill, who sat on the other side of the clearing, keeping watch, and he lowered his voice even further. "A long time ago. Before you were kidnapped by the Sicix. But why does this matter?"

"What it . . . wait!" Thanatos scooted closer, alarmed. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"A lot." Henry turned to sit right in front of him. "That you moved to Regalia after the garden was lost. And that you ran away altogether, some three years later." He crossed his arms. "But why did you not tell me any of this yourself?"

Thanatos stared at him silently, and Henry thought he had never looked so much like he genuinely didn't know what to say. "Because there was no reason to. It lies in the past," he mumbled eventually. "It had no relevancy in the here and now until we crossed paths with Hamnet, did it?"

"It had no relevancy?" hissed Henry. "What about the relevancy of your trust in me?" He gritted his teeth. Hadn't he brought up his curiosity about Thanatos' past numerous times now? How had he not picked up on that yet? "Are we not bonds?" he asked more quietly.

When Thanatos didn't reply immediately, an icy spear of panic pierced Henry's heart. "We are—"

"Of course we are." Thanatos finally concurred. "But . . . I don't . . ." He shook his head. "Why does this matter so much to you?"

"Do I not deserve to know what happened to you?" Henry asked in return, frustration boiling in his gut. "You know that I have been curious. And we are no longer just allies."

Thanatos looked at him skeptically, and Henry fought back the urge to begin yelling. How did he not understand?

"I do not want there to be secrets between us," hissed Henry. "Yet there are. There still are. That is what matters to me."

Another eternal moment passed, with Thanatos offering no response. "Well . . . you know now," he said eventually, averting his gaze and lying back down.

Henry's mouth opened to protest, but no words escaped him. He sat there for another second, then scoffed, turning away. Why was he the only one of them who understood how a bond was supposed to work?

Unease knotted Henry's gut, and he felt the urge to just lie back down with his head on the flier's back and pretend this whole exchange hadn't happened. He didn't want to start fights, but . . . had this one really been resolved?

Our life and death are one, we two. If they couldn't share even simple things like backstories . . . A sharp arrow of fear jabbed his heart, and Henry's eyes flicked back to the flier before realizing how unfounded his fear was. A grin spread across his face as he shook his head. What was he scared of? The flier leaving? His grin widened. This fear was ancient history, Henry thought, and finally lay down again, pulling his knees to his chest.

Thanatos the flier I bound to you. The words replayed in his head and brought him immense comfort. For the first time since they had bonded, he consciously made himself aware that he would never have to be scared of Thanatos leaving again. He would never be alone again.

You know, it's not right to keep that to yourself! We are bonds; we shall not have secrets between each other!

Henry's eyes flew open when he heard his own voice, his words, spoken . . . He squinted. What? A year ago? One and a half? He didn't remember how long it had been, but . . .

I did not . . . mean to offend you; it seemed meaningless at the time . . . Ares' reply had been hesitant, so much quieter than his own accusation. I would have told you, had it been of any importance, I—

That's not how that works! Henry winced at the volume of his own voice in his head. Do you not understand what being bonds means at all?!

Crossly, Henry shook his head to chase the memories. Fine, he admitted to himself; he should not have yelled like that because of a nuisance. But what Thanatos had kept from him was not a nuisance, was it? It was proof of trust. Surely he had the right to expect at least that.

Five minutes of tossing and turning later, it became clear that sleep would not find Henry anymore, so he rose. For a moment, he looked at Thanatos, wondering if he should ensure that there was no lingering anger about their argument and that everything was resolved. But the flier's eyes were shut, and his breaths were even. Henry stared at him for a moment, then decided it was not worth waking him up for; he would speak with him in the morning.

He turned away and rose to his feet.

"You are awake?" Henry jumped when Hamnet suddenly tapped his shoulder. "I meant to wake the others soon."

Henry faced Hamnet . . . with as much neutrality as he could. It was hard to be neutral around Hamnet, the same Hamnet he had admired so much once. But now he was no longer the child who looked up at Hamnet, thought Henry. On this quest, he was his equal.

"I will help you in time," he said. "But first, let us speak about what lies ahead. You scouted the Vineyard's core?"

Hamnet nodded.

"Then you know that to face it, we will need more than luck. We need a plan. So," he said, reaching for his backpack, "before we wake the others, let us make one."

***

"From this moment on, I hand over leadership to the Death Rider. He will tell you what I explored last night and what you are to do."

Immediately following his announcement, Hamnet retreated, allowing Henry to survey the group in front of him, who appeared uncertain and visibly on edge.

With his notebook in hand, Henry stepped forth, taking Hamnet's place. "I only discussed this with Ripred and Hamnet last night, so as not to disturb your slumber, but this final leg of the journey will be treacherous. The field with the starshade is near, but to get there, we must traverse the most dangerous part of the Vineyard." Henry flicked through his notebook. "Given the size of our group, this won't be easy. However, we must make an effort to move as swiftly as possible. Last night, Hamnet and I dedicated some time to devising a formation that will optimize our chances of survival. We will now show you, but you must do exactly as we say."

Henry looked over to Thanatos next to Frill, and he attempted to shoot him an encouraging smile. But the flier wasn't looking at him. So, after a moment of hesitation, he turned his gaze back to his notes and began instructing the questers.

Henry left Frill at the front with Nike and Aurora on her back. Thanatos would fly above her, carrying Hazard and Hamnet, and Temp was instructed to crawl beneath her hind legs. Ripred flanked Frill on the right, with Boots and Gregor riding on his back. Lapblood was to carry Luxa on the lizard's left. Henry himself would run at the back.

"Why do you run, and I must ride?" asked Luxa sourly, eyeing Lapblood suspiciously. "I can travel fast enough on my own two legs."

"No, you cannot," said Henry resolutely. "I know what awaits. I have crossed it on foot before. Can you say the same about yourself?"

Luxa said nothing, but her expression didn't shift.

Henry put his hands on his hips. "Look, trust me when I say you will be grateful for Lapblood's speed later."

His cousin stared up at him with defiance, just like she had so many times in the past. Before Henry could properly process the bittersweet sting of her look, she turned and reluctantly settled herself on Lapblood's back, then reached for Frill to stroke Aurora's fur.

When he turned to Gregor, he expected similar protests, but the Overlander walked up to Ripred with Boots in his arms without complaining.

"We ride on here?" she asked him, puzzled.

"Just for a little way, Boots. Then you can go back on Temp," said Gregor, placing her up by the rat's shoulder blades. She crawled up on Ripred's neck and poked him on the top of the head with one finger. "R is for rat," she said.

"Yes, and B is for bite," replied Ripred in a singsong voice. "Be careful the rat doesn't bite your fingers!" He snapped his teeth together for emphasis.

Henry snorted with laughter, and Boots exclaimed, "Oh!" before quickly scooting back against Gregor, who had climbed on behind her.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Gregor.

"Absolutely," replied Ripred. You want her going up and trying to pet rats? Not in this day and age."

"But there is nothing wrong with her petting you," said Henry with a grin. "When he mentions biting, it's really just a signal that he wants more petting," he said to Boots, whose eyes instantly widened joyously.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. But before she could continue her affectionate gestures, Gregor took her hands and encircled them with his arms, pressing her against Ripred's back.

"My lad," snarled Ripred. "You should watch out, lest I bite you."

"With that entourage on your back?" laughed Henry, only to jump back with a scream when Ripred sprang forth, snapping his teeth at him.

"Enough with your childish play!" hissed Lapblood from where she sat next to Frill, but Henry saw that Luxa on her back was barely suppressing laughter.

"Fine, fine!" Henry raised his hands and retreated. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Hamnet had already fetched Hazard and the two mounted Thanatos, who waited behind Frill.

"Are you alright?" Henry asked his bond.

Thanatos hesitated only for a split second. "I'll be fine," he said. "You should take care not to lose your senses while running."

"I promise." Henry gave his bond a grin before coming up in front of the group and raising his voice again. "Alright, the formation's a go. Now for the rest." He reached for his backpack, pulling out a few loose pieces of fabric. "All who have something—anything—that may be used to cover your mouths and noses, apply it now."

A wave of surprised murmurs ran through the group, and Henry wrapped a piece of cloth around his own face, demonstrating the proper way to do it. "Trust me and do it, especially those of you who run."

Henry had enough fabric for the rats and Thanatos. Hamnet fetched covers for himself, Frill, and Hazard, but the two other bats, Temp, Luxa, Boots, and Gregor, were left without anything.

"Use your shirts . . . or your dirty napkins, for all I care!" he exclaimed. "Try to breathe as little as possible. Hold your breath for as long as you can." He exchanged glances with Hamnet. "It won't be possible to hold your breath all the way; Thanatos and I once made it through in just over a minute, but we are many, and most of you have never traversed here, so I don't expect to break any speed records today."

Everyone who had no face covering yet quickly set out to procure one for themselves. Gregor took off his and Boots' shirts and wrapped them around their faces. Luxa tugged at her own shirt, finally ripping off the seam for herself.

"You are tied on anyway," Henry said to Nike and Aurora. "You should not be in any danger as long as Frill makes it through. What about you?" he asked Temp.

The cockroach quivered. "No need for any cover I have, no need."

"Good," said Henry, throwing a final glance around, preparing to take his spot in the rear. On his way, he heard the nervous scraping of Lapblood's claw on the ground and spotted the agitated wringing of Gregor's hands. The tugging Luxa did at her ripped shirt. He stopped in his tracks.

"Fret not," he said in the most encouraging voice he could muster. "I will not lie and pretend that the path ahead is safe, but you must not let it frighten you." He threw them an uplifting smile. "All you must do is hold on and stick together. Keep your gaze forward," he urged. "Looking back will only offer a view of me, and who wants that kind of sight on a trip like this?"

Ripred broke into hysterical giggling. The rest of the group had a hard time concealing their amusement, and Henry enthusiastically responded with a thumbs-up.

"Well said," concurred Hamnet. "May I add that, under no circumstances, you must attempt to fight the plants."

"This too," said Henry. "Should we collect their weapons?"

Luxa's hand immediately flew to the handle of her sword, and Hamnet nodded. "Take hers," he said. "Gregor has his hands full with his sister. I trust that he will not make any foolish decisions, such as drawing a blade."

Only with great reluctance did Luxa hand over her sword to Henry so that he could stash it in his backpack, next to his own. "Why are weapons forbidden?" she asked.

"It would only do more harm," replied Ripred. "Fighting with fire may be the only way, but it's wiser to steer clear of any altercation."

Henry froze with his backpack in hand. He stared at the handle of his own sword before reaching into the bag to fetch his Ignifer dispenser and snapping the clasps shut around the blade.

"What are you doing?" Hamnet raised an eyebrow, watching Henry stand and shoulder his backpack.

"Ensuring that, if we are forced into a fight, we at least have fire."

"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Ripred. "Did you not say that . . . What was that? His sword lights on fire?"

"It did last time," said Gregor on his back. "I saw it, and so did Luxa."

Hamnet's eyes grew wide. "His sword—what?"

"If the need to ignite it arises, I will demonstrate." Henry grinned. "Let us hope that it will not, though."

Hamnet looked like he wanted to ask for details, and even Hazard stared back at Henry with round eyes, but then Lapblood spoke: "Can we depart?" She shifted her weight. "All this waiting is grating my nerves."

"Yes," said Henry, finally taking his position at the back. "We will only travel a short while before I give the command to run. At that point, do not stop until you have reached the field of starshade." Henry pulled the cloth on his face into place and took a deep breath. "Let us go."

Frill instantly began moving, leading the way down the middle path. Thanatos lifted off after, staying right on top of her at all times.

The path was narrower, although similar-looking to the one that had brought them this far. But as they turned a corner, Henry recognized the unreal beauty of the section he had prepared the group for.

The moment Thanatos spotted it too, he accelerated, swiftly soaring above their heads and into the corridor. At the same moment, Henry yelled: "Run!"

***

All things considered, the group managed decently for the first two minutes or so. Under normal circumstances, Henry could have held his breath for that duration, but now that he was running, the pleasant aroma filtered into his every pore quite rapidly.

Henry clenched his teeth tighter and stared straight ahead at the galloping Frill, attempting to tune it out. The pain caused by his nails digging into the back of his hand had already begun to lose ground against the sickening scent of the Vineyard when Henry finally spotted the exit.

Somewhere in the back of his head, he registered Thanatos shooting out into the open first. On his heel followed Frill and Lapblood, with a giggling Luxa on her back. There was something incredibly amusing about the way the rat threw her head-first into the field of starshade. A grin spread across Henry's face, quickly replaced by a scream as he experienced the excruciating pain that he brought upon himself by mercilessly scraping his nails across his arm.

The intoxicating mist creeping into his mind retreated at once, and Henry picked up speed until he ran beside Ripred. The rat propelled himself forward into the open space, but just then, the vigorously laughing Gregor on his back released his grip on his ears and toppled backward. Henry vaulted forward and yanked the Overlander up under his arms, away from the extending vines. He mobilized his last energy reserves and dragged him along. "Keep going!" he yelled at Ripred. "I have him!"

When Henry stumbled out into the field of starshade, he hurled Gregor's limp body into the soft grass. "Breathe it!" Henry ordered, attempting to catch his breath. With one deep inhale, he pulled himself up and dazedly began to count if anyone was missing.

"In here!"

Henry whipped around when Ripred called behind him. The rat was crouched at the entrance. Henry surveyed the group one last time and hesitated only for a moment before he lunged after Ripred, rushing back inside to get Boots and Temp. Of course Gregor had to have let her go, thought Henry, gritting his teeth. The longer he stayed in the Vineyard, the harder it became to keep a clear head, and Henry screamed at the top of his lungs as if that would chase the creeping mist or intimidate the salad toppings. He almost stumbled, narrowly avoiding crashing into Ripred.

The rat had already scooped up Boots, and the crawler clung to the fur on his back. Yet apparently, the vines had not given up on their meal yet. "The exit is sealed!" yelled Ripred, quickly pulling back when the first vine whizzed past them like an arrow. Henry could barely discern the sharp, razor-like point.

With all his might, Henry combated his spinning head and dodged three others; one managed to jab the side of his arm, leaving a bloody trail. For all his experience with the Vineyard, it had never actually trapped him. For a moment, Henry thought they were lost . . . until his gaze met Ripred, evoking an image of the rat in battle. And just like that, he knew what to do.

"Ground coiler!" yelled Henry. "Flaming sword! You spin me! Three seconds!"

In one seamless move, he unstrapped his backpack and drew his sword, then triggered the Ignifer dispenser. The blade hissed, igniting in the familiar jet flame, and exactly three seconds later Henry spun around to Ripred, fervently hoping he had understood his vague gibberish earlier.

And indeed . . . when Henry faced Ripred, he was met with his paw stretched out toward him, prompting him to boldly seize it. Ripred hoisted Henry up, allowing him to brace his feet against his side and extend his flaming sword outward. They shared a silent moment of mutual understanding, leaving Henry to wonder if Ripred's eyes had actually shown a flicker of respect before the rat began to spin.

All Henry had to do was extend his arm and let Ripred do the rest. As they spun faster and faster, everything around them became a blur of vines and flames. Together, they formed a blazing tornado that tore through the hissing greenery with ease. The vines really couldn't stand the fire, Henry managed to think. And in a matter of moments, it was all over.

Ripred stopped so abruptly that Henry nearly toppled to the violently swaying floor; he released the sword, and it took a full ten seconds until the world around him stood relatively still again.

As soon as he came to his senses, he looked around and saw the other questers gawking at them in shock. Hamnet was holding Gregor, who had tried to go after Boots. Over the plain hung an eerie stillness.

"Me spin!" They all jumped when a tiny voice laughed. Boots first tugged on Ripred's fur, then on Henry's shirt. "You make me spin!"

The breaking of the silence was swiftly followed by a wave of relieved laughter. Gregor wriggled out of Hamnet's grasp and ran toward Ripred. "Boots!" he cried. "Oh, Boots!"

The rat plucked her from his neck and handed her to the distraught Overlander. Temp, who had not nearly enjoyed the little adventure as much as the baby, crawled out of Ripred's grip himself, trembling miserably.

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Henry swiftly leaped down to the floor, dislodging the soles of his boots that had been digging into Ripred's side. He finally let go of the rat's claw before staggering toward his still-burning sword.

"Ground coiler . . ."

With his sword in hand, Henry glanced back at Ripred and was startled to detect a flicker of acknowledgment amidst the usual jeering irony. "Heh," snickered Ripred, shaking himself. "You are full of surprises, aren't you, lad?"

Henry held his unsettlingly inquisitive gaze firmly this time. Ever since they had reunited back at the colony, Henry hadn't known how to feel in Ripred's presence. The rat couldn't know who he really was, or he would give him away, but Henry had still not been able to shake the feeling that he was being . . . evaluated in one way or another.

Technically, Henry had no reason to care about the outcome of this evaluation; the last time they had met, Ripred had ridiculed him and then pushed him at Gorger until Henry had stepped on his tail. He had wanted nothing more than to shove his sword up the rat's gloating throat. And yet . . .

In a single motion, Henry extinguished the flame of his sword. "I was once told that I am inventive and cunning," he said. "Are you confirming this assessment?"

"Perhaps." Ripred snickered, staring at Henry for a moment longer. "Ground coiler," he repeated slowly.

"Is that not what it is?"

Ripred laughed. "It isn't a bad name."

"It is not." Henry put his free hand on his hip. "So, in there, we kicked ass together." He and Ripred kicking ass . . . together. Weren't it so serious, Henry would laugh. "Does this mean we are outcast buddies now?"

Instantly, Ripred broke into roaring laughter. "Oh, oh lad! It takes more than one good idea and one joint ass-kicking to become my outcast buddy!"

"So what you are saying is that we should do this more often?"

Ripred seized laughing. "Perhaps I should rephrase." For a moment, the evaluating expression flashed in his eyes again. "Dear lad, you may be on the right track, but you've got a long way to go before you can seriously talk about claiming such high honors for yourself. I'll be keeping an eye on you, kay?"

With that, the rat turned and strolled toward the others, who were all inhaling the starshade's aroma. Henry kept his eye on him as he kneeled to do the same, feeling an odd mix of excitement and unease.

"Don't you ever do something like that again, you hear? Not without me."

Henry jumped when a familiar voice spoke behind him and a face pressed into his back. He whipped around and wrapped his arms around Thanatos' neck. "Hey, what was I supposed to do—let the Vineyard get them?" he mumbled. "How low would one have to sink to let some salad toppings defeat them?"

The flier said nothing, but Henry felt his unease. Only then did he grasp how worried Thanatos must have been about him. "I'm not dying so easily," Henry said with a smile. "Have some faith in me, will you?"

Thanatos did not reply, but the words he didn't say aloud registered with Henry anyway—that he, in his current state, was very much at a greater risk of dying.

"I'm fine," he said defiantly. "You must stop worrying so much. I am not an imbecile or a child." Without waiting for Thanatos' response, he rose to his feet and turned to the rest of the questers. They had made it, Henry thought suddenly. They had reached the cure. And it had been thanks to his aid.

For the first time in a seeming lifetime, Henry smiled proudly.