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I looked down at her — dark hair still braided, butmatted to her skull. Those full cheeks had gone gaunt, holding none of the rosy warmth I was so used to.

She looked weak. Small.Fragile …

I'd been so excited when my mother had brought her home that first day — finally I'd have someone to play with. But she'd been so tiny! I'd been absolutely terrified that I'd break her with a single touch.

It had taken months before I felt comfortable enough to hold her. And there on that cot, she felt that way again.

Where was my little unrepentant trickster of a sister, with far more energy than anyone knew what to do with?

Throat tight, I bent down to smooth her hair from her forehead.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, biting back tears.

I looked back up at the monster. He was staring at me like some sort of puzzle he had to solve, but when our gazes caught, he shifted his attention to his emaciated hands and shook his head.

"Like a weed in the garden," he rumbled. "These flowers wither so that I might grow. Why does she do this to us, ancient one?"

"You know why," Rien replied, solemn.

"What does that mean?" Kaiya's steely voice sounded to my left, and I looked over to see her standing stiffly at the edge of the creature's reach. "What does Frexin want with you?"

"Kaiya," I hissed. "Get back! We have Mirrim. He's obviously gone mad — you can't trust anything he says!"

But she just pushed on. "Why is Frexin doing this? Ifyou know her plan, you should tell me. I want to stop it! Stop her."

The monster shifted in his cage, chains clanking against the stone ground as he leaned in.

Fuck! I needed to get Kaiya out of there.I looked down at Mirrim once more, heart breaking. She was safely away from that creature, but Kaiya was getting closer and closer to him.

I'll be back, Mirrim.

Turning, I ran to stop the stubborn woman.

"Answer me," Kaiya continued, oblivious. "I heard her call you an old friend. Why?!"

The monster didn't respond.

"Say something!" she snarled. "Are you some sort of weapon? I've felt you bore into my korra, and" — she gestured to the people behind us — "I know you're feeding off of them somehow. But WHY? What. Is. Frexin's. Plan?"

The unblinking eyes finally acknowledged Kaiya, turning from Rien to focus on her — and the monster's massive head tilted slightly, as if to get a better look. "I am no weapon." The creature spoke slowly, voice firm. "I am a key."

Then his enormous body went rigid, and his crazed, wide eyes went even wider. "But what areyou? Not since The Fall have I met someone who stank so of death as you."

The monster's large red eyes narrowed on Kaiya.

"I know you," he spat, words suddenly sharp and fast. "You helped her revive me." His massive hands wrapped around the metal bars, squeezing them until the metal groaned. "I see you … Kaaaaiya."

I reached out and yanked Kaiya back just as a massive arm shot out from the bar, massive bony fingers grasping where she'd been standing a moment earlier. The cavern shook, and dust rained down asBaerloeslammed his shoulder against the bars over and over, trying to reach her.

"THE MIND MAGE — HE TAKES MY MEMORIES. BUT YOU'VE SEEN. I MUST SEE," he bellowed.

Rien's vines joined me in pulling Kaiya away as the monster slammed against the bars again, reaching both hands through the bars to grasp for her.

More stones fell from the ceiling as his long nails scraped the stone floor. "CLOSER. PLEASE, COME CLOSER!"

"We need to leave," Rien said, voicing just what I was thinking. "Someone stepped on the roots I left outside. The guards are coming!"

Kaiya just stared at the frantic monster, eyes wide and jaw agape.