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I accepted the shears with a smile, grateful for her casual acceptance—the way I was hoping she'd react. The way I’d hoped everyone would react—like I was still me.

Ma winked before turning to Aether. "And you." She motioned toward him. "Follow me. I've got some shipments to bring in, and my back is not what it used to be." She started toward the storage area, and Aether followed, a smile quirking on his lips as he disappeared through the doorway.

Night crept over Luminaria,casting long shadows through the shop windows. The familiar scent of burning herbs intermingled with something sharper—whatever Ma was brewing in the back room. She had closed the shop for the rest of the day so that we could prepare. I leaned over a map spread across the counter, the parchment worn at the edges from when I'd tried to escape last summer.

"Here." I traced a path with my finger, feeling Aether's warmth as he stood close beside me. "We can head North, find somewhere to stay in Obsidia."

"A farming village?" His eyes followed my hand across the map.

"Small, quiet. If we get there late enough, we shouldn't draw attention." I glanced up at him. "Plus, there's dense forest surrounding it. The Vördr will have plenty of cover."

He nodded, studying the route. "And then?"

"We go around the North side of the central range, into Aedenvale."

"Through the mountains would be faster."

"The Guard uses a campground there when they travel West." The words rushed out before I could stop them. Memories flooded back—that night in the mountains, discovering I could walk through dreams. Heat rushed to my face as I remembered the dream of Laryk's I'd stumbled into. The one about me.

Aether's eyebrow lifted slightly, but he said nothing more.

"Besides," I added quickly, "approaching from the North gives us an advantage. Most forces will be further Southwest, near the tear." I traced the final stretch of our route. "I've never been to Stormshire before, so once we're there..."

"We'll have to improvise," he finished, though I caught the reluctance in his tone.

The shop had grown dark enough that Ma lit the lanterns, their flames casting dancing shadows across the walls. She emerged from the back room, carrying a wooden crate that she handed to Aether.

His confused look shifted between the crate and me.

"Healing potions," Ma said, dusting off her hands. "For your realm."

"Ma—" I started, but she cut me off.

"It's not much, but it's something." She shrugged, although I saw the weight in her eyes. "With a realm dying, I highly doubt you still have access to the resources to make them."

Pain flickered across Aether's face as he looked down at the crate. "No, we don't." When he met Ma's eyes again, his voice was rough. "Thank you."

"We can't exactly carry these with us to the Compound—" I began.

"I'll leave them in the back, behind the greenhouses." Ma was already moving, motioning for Aether to set the crate down. "You can collect them before heading North."

"I'll take them out there." Aether's voice was soft as he lifted the crate again, disappearing through the back door.

Ma sank into her chair with a sigh, rolling her shoulders. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help, kid."

"You've done plenty, Ma." I moved to stand beside her chair, my eyes already beginning to mist over.

"Honestly, I feel a bit helpless just sitting around while all of you go off on these missions." Her smile was small, sad in a way that made my heart ache. "I didn't take enough initiative when I was young. Didn't go on these kinds of adventures."

I reached into my bag, pulling out one of Raven's compacts. Ma's eyebrow raised as I placed it in her hands.

"And this is?"

"We can use it to communicate while I'm gone." I watched asshe looked at it with reluctance. "We'll need all the eyes and ears we can manage over here. So Ma, you're not useless. You're our spy."

She turned the mirror over in her hands, examining the delicate engravings. "Well this is some fancy sorcery." She shook her head. "I don't really understand how talking to my reflection somehow connects me with you. But I'll take your word for it."

I couldn't help but laugh.