Mam found Aunt Marla and me, and she bustled us out of the market as soon as she could.

"But Reed's hurt!" I protested, trying to pull out of the iron grip with which she held my wrist. "I need to see if he's okay!"

Firmly, Mam shook her head, not sparing me a glance. "You don't want to be mixed up in this. It could get ugly."

With a sudden, wrenching movement, I managed to pull my wrist free. "All the more reason for me to get involved. Reed's my friend, Mam, whether you like him or not. I'm not going to let anyone hurt him."

I turned to leave, but Mam's hand caught my shoulder. Her eyes met mine.

"No one is going to hurt him," she said. "At least, no one is going to hurt him yet. But people are going to talk. They're going to say terrible things—ugly things. There will be gossip. I don't want you involved."

"I want to be involved."

"No," she hissed, "you don't. You don't understand how ugly people can be. You're a Blessed—you're in just as much danger as any of your other friends. In fact, I'd advise you to stay clear of them, but as long as they don't use any other magic, they should be safe. For now. But I forbid you from seeing Reed."

"She's right," said Aunt Marla. I turned to look at her, something in me breaking when I saw that she was serious. "She's trying to protect you, Fyra. Trust us. There are better ways to get involved."

"Like not getting involved at all," interjected Mam.

Aunt Marla set a calming hand on her shoulder. "Like waiting until this mess calms down a little. This town is still recovering from the last mistake a Blessed made."

"You think it was a mistake for Reed to rescue that boy?" I asked, shaking my head angrily. "He probably saved his life!"

"He used a monster to do it."

"It wasn't a monster. It was just a creature. A new creature. Just because no one had seen it before—because no one knew what to do about it—doesn't mean that it's a monster."

"To the townspeople, it does. And they will turn that logic on you Blesseds, as well. They don't understand magic."

"You don't understand magic," I pointed out. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No," said Aunt Marla. "And neither is your Mam. But it wouldn't take much for the other people in this town to fear you." She sighed, a sad half-smile curling her lips as she reached up to gently cup my cheek. "All we're asking is that you lie low for a bit. Your friend will be all right."

"You don't know that."

"He's the son of the Head Man. No one is going to hurt him yet. And you're right. He did save that child. That's a point in his favor."

I sighed and nodded. "All right. I just..." Mam shot me a curious glance, and, nervously, I forced the words out. "I thought things would be different now. I thought Blesseds would be respected, or at least tolerated."

Mam shook her head. "As long as there is fear to be had, that is all that your kind will get from the townspeople."

"My kind?"

"You know what I mean. Blesseds."

"We're no different from you!"

She turned angrily toward me, eyes blazing. "I know, Fyra. I am aware. Do not forget who birthed you. Whether you're like us or not, you have magic flowing through your veins. You can do unnatural things. You're different. That's the only excuse anyone will ever need to be afraid of you. That doesn't mean it's right. It's just how things are."

"And I'm supposed to just accept that?"

"Yes. Please." A flash of pain crossed her face, and she turned away from me. "I don't want to lose you."

We were called to gather in the green early the next morning. The Head Man stood on his raised dias, waiting for us, form dignified and held together in a way that made clear who the leader here was.

When we had all sat down, he began to speak.

"There has been a great amount of unrest since the events of yesterday. I know that many of you are afraid that the curse may return if magic is used in excess."

I tensed. Here it was. He would relay whatever information Reed had told him, and the crowd would be contented and silenced by his words. The Blesseds would be able to live their lives in peace. The townspeople would finally understand.

Only what he said next was very different.

"Your concerns are right, and valid." He smiled, and I wanted to wipe the expression from his face with the claws of a deathbird. "Magic is dangerous. It needs to be controlled. It needs to be avoided at all costs."

Somewhere in the back, a young voice shouted, "But it saved Tona!"

"Yes," said the Head Man grimly. "It saved Tona. And who knows what he might suffer to compensate for the unnatural rescue he received? Who knows what this town might suffer as a result of my son's rash actions?"

Grumbles ran through the crowd around me. I wanted to stand and shout the truth—scream it to the sky above us—but I wondered, if I did, would anyone hear me? I was a girl in a crowd. A leaf in a forest. Why would anyone bother to listen to my words when the Head Man was here, with his easy tone and blame-shifting explanation?

The Head Man quieted the noise with a lift of his hand. "I know. I know. But I think that little enough magic was used that it may be all right. We'll be okay for now. However. There are some new laws that have been submitted to me by the council of elders, and it is my duty to read them to you."

He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a thin sheaf of papers, which he quickly unfolded and began to read.

"From the moment they are discovered, Blesseds will be taught to hide their powers. When they reach their tens, they will be considered mature enough to follow our laws, and suppress their powers completely.

"For the first transgression, a warning will do. For the second, two days in the town jail. A week for the next use of magic. Then a month. As a last resort: execution."

A ripple of whispers ran through the crowd.

"I know, I know," said the Head Man. "It certainly seems harsh. But think of this—how many people died because of the magic storms? How many people wasted a significant number of years of their lives as a chicken, or a statue, or a piece of furniture? This is what is best for our town.

"There are a few more decrees left.

"All stories involving Blesseds who have been heroes will be erased from the books. I know this is disappointing for some, especially after the recent victory while questing, but I promise you, it's for the best. We don't want our children to look up to these magic-users. We don't want them to risk idolizing them, or trying to be like them.

"Next, if any children are found pretending to use magic, they are to be told off immediately. There will be no lawful consequences for these games. Punishment is to be administered by the parents on a case-to-case basis.

"Lastly, if anyone hears of or sees the illegal practice of magic, they are to report it to me or a town elder right away, for the sake of the safety of the town." He gave the crowd a stern look over the sheet of paper. "This does not mean excess spying or gossiping will be encouraged. If it is found that an accusation is both false and purposely malicious, a punishment or fine will be required of the transgressor."

He folded up the list of laws and slipped them back into his pocket. "That's all for now. Feel free to go back to living your lives as you did before. All we request of you is that you be more aware—for the safety of our town." He turned his head slightly, and his eyes met mine. "We'd also like to thank our Blesseds for their patience as we discover new things about magic. We're all learning together. I'm sure we're all working toward the same goal. Again, the safety of our town and townspeople is, in my mind, the most important thing to focus on."

With a last, satisfied nod, he came down off the dias.

The green exploded into conversation.

"This is ridiculous," I said aloud.

Mam shot me a look. "Don't say that."

"What, are we supposed to pretend our powers don't exist? Are we supposed to pretend our magic doesn't exist?"

"Yes. You heard the Head Man. Anything less, and you risk harming the people of our town."

"You actually believed that?" I shook my head. "Mam! You should know that magic is harmless!"

"I know no such thing," she snapped. "All I know is that when magic was here, there were problems. The problems stopped when the magic stopped."

"But you won't follow these ridiculous laws, will you?"

"Of course I will!" She took a slow, deep breath. "Fyra, you need to listen to me. You may be too young to realize this, but your actions can have consequences. They will have consequences if you aren't careful. And if you continue to use magic—if I ever find you using magic—I will report you to the council." Fear flashed in her eyes. Fear for me. Fear for everything. "Fyra, please-"

"No!" She reached out to touch my shoulder, but I shook her off. "No! Do you really think my magic is evil? Do you think I'm evil, too?"

"Fyra-"

"Fyra!" shouted Lark's voice.

I turned away from Mam and toward her, watching as she squirmed toward me through the crowd.

"Fyra!" she shouted again.

I shot a glare at Mam and headed to meet her. "What is it? Do you need something?"

"Yes," she said, nodding frantically. "It's urgent. But I can't tell you here. And we need to find Reed and Bran—or at least Bran—so I can tell you both at the same time."

This is... not going well. Vote if you wish Fyra would have her deathbirds carry the Head Man away!