Dindi
Dindi crept away from the giant's hill as quietly as she could. Soon, he was out of sight. From a distance, only the top of his head showed—just a patch of weeds on a rocky hilltop.
Still, she stayed on edge.
When she heard footsteps, she froze.
Then he stepped into view, and she relaxed.
"Dindi, there you are," said Kavio. A playful smile curved his lips. She loved it when he smiled—it softened his serious face and made him look even more handsome.
"It's too late to fix the canoe tonight," he said. "Shall we squeeze in a lesson?"
She skipped toward him with open arms. When they met, he lifted her off the ground and swung her around.
"There's nothing I'd like better," she said.
"Let's go down to the brine," he said. "Where the water is salty. We won't have to salt the ground to keep the dance safe from magic."
She nodded. They walked hand-in-hand, silent, down the slope. To avoid the seals, they followed the riverbank until they found a quiet spot with no animals.
Kavio knelt and dipped a finger in the sand. He touched it to his tongue and made a face.
"Salty. Definitely. We can dance here."
Blue fae chattered in the river. Green fae croaked in the reeds. Their song made a strange but lovely music. Sea fae didn't mind the brine since their magic used the salty water.
They danced.
First, he led her through the steps she already knew. Then he asked, "Is there any new dance you'd like to learn?"
Dindi thought of the secret she shared with Gwenika. Just as she couldn't tell Gwenika about learning magic dances from Kavio—because it was taboo, and would only put Gwenika in danger—she also couldn't tell Kavio what Gwenika was up to. That was Gwenika's secret to keep.
What Dindi hated most about this journey was the way she had to lie to the two people she cared about the most—her best friend, and her… teacher.
"Yellow," she said. "Maybe I could help the Healer more if I learned Healing magic."
"Good idea," Kavio said.
He began pacing around her in a circle. She had to spin to keep him in view. He moved like a sleek hunter—full of grace, strength, and focus. Behind him, she could see a golden trail of magic, like a ripple in water.
"First, draw a circle around the person you want to heal," he said.
"A circle?" she asked.
"Yes. Normally we avoid dancing in circles. But for Yellow magic, it's allowed," he said. "Yellow can be bright and warm. But it can also be soft… or rotten. If Yellow turns inward, it can become dark. Then it's used to curse, not heal.
"Hatred, jealousy, contempt—strong emotions like these, even from someone who isn't a dancer, can make another person sick. Illness always comes from ill will. So, if someone is unwell, you must find the path of Yellow magic that hurt them. Was it a curse from another person, a Tavaedi, or a fae?"
He stopped circling her.
"Hold out your hand," he said.
She held it out.
He ran his fingers slowly up her arm. The soft touch made her shiver.
"A healthy Yellow aura glows like a twig just catching fire," he said. "A sick one will look clotted, thick, like pus."
"Ick!" She wrinkled her nose. Then she peeked up at him, nervous. "What does mine look like?"
He caressed her arm again—then dropped it suddenly and stepped back, as if burned.
"I don't know," he said sharply. His voice had gone cold. "We should go back to camp now. Separately, of course. No one must suspect I'm teaching you!"
Dindi nodded. But before she could say anything, he turned and marched away.
He seemed angry—but she didn't know why.
Her arm still tingled where he had touched her, long after he was gone.
Sad and confused, she started walking back to camp on her own.
She reached the trees near camp when she heard something—a quiet snap behind her.
Someone was following.
"Kavio?" she whispered.
But before she could turn around, something struck her on the side of the head. Hard.
Strong arms grabbed her as she fell. A hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her scream. She fought like a hooked trout.
They were dragging her away.
She reached for a tree—tried to use it to break free.
It didn't work.
They hit her again.
Pain flooded her vision with blackness.
As the darkness closed in, she clawed at the tree one last time, scoring the bark with her fingernails.
Then everything went still.