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Stef had replied.
    Lidea, Geral, and Orrin are on their way to you.
    I relayed the information to Sam and responded.
    What about everyone else?
    She didn’t answer immediately. I sighed and dropped the SED back onto the table. “How’s your hand?”
    Sam shrugged. “It’s going to hurt for a while, but I don’t think it’s bleeding anymore.”
    “We can walk to the hospital wing.” I picked up a few books and put them on a table. “See about getting your hand stronger medicine.”
    Sam helped pick up a few more things from the floor, leaving a clear space around one of the cushiony chairs with a blanket draped over the back. I wanted nothing more than to sink into it, but . . .
    “Let’s just visit a washroom and get cleaned up,” Sam said. “Then come back here. My hand will be fine.”
    A few minutes later, we returned from the washroom with clean faces and combed hair. Before I could suggest curling up in the big chair, though, a low rumble sounded outside. “What’s that?”
    “Sounds like a labor drone. A plow, maybe, to move the debris.”
    Now the market field and streets would be clear. Better late than never. “I suppose we’re lucky they’re still working after the earthquake. Will the drones clear the roads outside Heart, too?”
    “They should.”
    That was good. Our trip out of Heart and Range would have been much more difficult without roads.
    Banging sounded on the door. A second later, it pulled open, revealing darkness. I jumped to turn off the light, but Lidea said, “Watch out. The earthquake moved a table here.” A small cluster of people waited at the door. Lidea and Geral held babies against them, while Orrin carried bags.
    I sagged in relief. “Actually, that was Sam.” I hurried over to drag the table out of their way, and when they were safe inside, we sat around the lamp to trade stories.
    “Mat tried to kill you?” Orrin sounded incredulous.
    “He was one of Deborl’s followers.” Maybe one of Meuric’s followers before Deborl. “I think he attacked me once before.”
    Orrin glanced at Sam. “When did that happen?”
    “Remember when Ana was missing a while ago?” Sam said, and everyone nodded. I hadn’t actually been missing. I’d been inside the temple, but thanks to the memory magic Janan worked on oldsouls, Sam hadn’t been able to remember where I’d gone. He’d told everyone I was sick, while he and his friends searched for me.
    I wished I could tell my friends the truth about the temple, but they wouldn’t be able to remember it without months of my reminding them, like I’d done for Sam. It was easier not to burden them with knowledge they couldn’t hold on to.
    “Well,” Sam went on, “she appeared in the market field one morning. Shortly before I found her, someone shoved her and stole a key from her, but she was so exhausted and afraid, she wasn’t able to identify him.”
    I nodded. “But it was Mat. I recognized him tonight.” I didn’t add that he was probably bleeding to death in Sam’s washroom. “After he attacked, we contacted Stef and came here.”
    “What happened to you?” Sam asked.
    Lidea and Geral glanced at each other, and Lidea started, “Well, there was the earthquake.”
    “Ariana wouldn’t go back to sleep,” Geral said, “so I was already awake when Stef sneaked into my house. Orrin was with me. We had to pack in the dark, in case anyone was watching the house.”
    Orrin took up the story. “We went to Lidea’s house, and then Stef activated the labor drones and told us to ride to the library.”
    “Clever.” That sounded like the kind of plan Stef would come up with.
    “Are you worried they’ll attack newsouls now?” Lidea asked. “I thought the Council promised to protect newsouls. I thought your demonstration worked.”
    I shook my head and repeated what Councilor Sine had told me once. “There’s a law about killing me. Murder is frowned upon, of course, but with me, they didn’t know whether I