Sparrow Rising by Jessica Khoury

Author:Jessica Khoury [Khoury, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2021-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

The lantern hanging from the pod’s domed roof burned lower as the night darkened. Soon, the chorus of crickets, cicadas, and frogs struck up its gentle, buzzing drone, and sterling moonlight gleamed between the gaps in the woven wall. Ellie and the others began settling into their pallets, yawning.

“Ahhh,” Ellie sighed, relishing the cushions. “And to think, we could be sleeping in a hollow log or something right now instead.”

“I wonder at your master’s poor judgment,” said Shayn. “Sending children into the woods on their own, with no means or plan for lodging.”

Ellie grimaced. On the road to the inn, Nox had told Shayn they were the apprentices of an herbalist, who’d sent them to gather rare specimens in the forest. Her conscience had flinched at the lie, but she’d bitten her tongue.

Beside Shayn, Mally let out a little whimper.

“Oh no,” Shayn murmured. She put her hands on either side of Mally’s face. “Is it hurting again, love?”

Mally nodded, her face scrunched in pain. “My back …”

“Take some more gumleaf. But only a little, remember, or you’ll sleep through tomorrow night.” Shayn pulled a bundle of dried leaves from her pocket, and Mally chewed on one. Ellie breathed in the familiar lemony scent of the herb, which many Sparrows back home used to ease muscle pains after a long day in the fields. She also remembered—with less affection—waking up to find herself trussed up by Bratton and Tholomew, after they’d drugged her with the leaf’s more potent root.

“Oh!” cried Mally. “What’s this?”

She picked something up off the floor, sending blue flecks of light dancing over the pod’s walls.

The skystone.

Ellie saw Nox’s hand go to his throat and hold up an empty chain; the stone must have slipped off. The iron band around it still weighed it down, or else it might have gone floating around the pod like a dandelion seed.

“That’s mine,” Nox said quickly. “It’s just a cheap glass toy. Give it back, please.”

“Can’t I just hold it a little longer?” begged Mally.

Everyone else gave Nox withering looks.

“Nox,” Ellie whispered, through a wide, tight smile, “if you don’t let that sick little girl hold the shiny rock, I’ll personally fill your shirt with spiders while you sleep.”

Nox gave her a flat look. “Fine. Just don’t lose it.”

Mally grinned and lay back, holding up the stone so that it sparkled. Ellie was struck again by how strange and beautiful—and oddly familiar—the gem was. She saw by Shayn’s narrowed eyes that the woman didn’t believe for a minute it was merely cheap glass. Did she suspect the truth, that they’d stolen it? That they were not some herbalist’s apprentices?

Soon Mally began yawning and rubbing her eyes as the gumleaf’s soporific effects kicked in.

One by one, they scooted into the corners to sleep. Shayn lay with her soft gray wings curled around Mally, providing the warmth her little daughter’s own wings could no longer give her. The girl slept soundly, clutching the gemstone to her heart.

“It’s just one night,” Ellie whispered to Nox, when she caught him staring nervously at Mally.

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