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Ward riffled through the hanging roots to uncover a carving of a winged woman with wings painted red and gold just like mine. “There is a legend that a phoenix will protect the last vessel.”
    â€œI’ll certainly do my best,” I said, too impatient to be gone to enjoy the idea of being part of a legend. “Come on, Helen.”
    I bent over so Helen could climb on my back. Then I flapped my wings and pushed up. The oculus was farther away than I’d thought. When we reached it and I looked down, Mr. Ward’s upturned face looked small and dim. I focused on it while beating my wings to stay in place while Helen grasped the rim of the oculus.
    I felt sad suddenly that I’d hurried away when he’d been telling me about the phoenix legend. I lifted a hand to wave good-bye and he lifted both his hands, fingers splayed. His face, illumined by Primrose’s glow, looked like a moon half hidden behind tree branches. I suddenly had the feeling that I was looking at someone I’d known a long time ago—someone I would never see again. I looked up to tell Helen we should go back, but she was already crawling throughthe oculus and I was seized by the conviction that I would lose her too if I didn’t stay close, so I followed her. When I looked back down, the chamber was dark. Primrose must have extinguished her light to protect Mr. Ward’s privacy, but I had the uneasy feeling that they had both vanished into the oblivion of the past.

    When I crawled out of the oculus I was cheered by the sight of Helen crouched beside a crackling fire.
    â€œI did a needfire spell to warm us up a bit before heading back. It’s gotten so cold! I don’t remember there being a forecast for frost. It’s only September!”
    â€œThe weather can play tricks in the Blythe Wood,” I said, remembering ice giants and frost fairies while I warmed my hands at the fire. I draped a wing over Helen’s shoulders and she moved closer to me.
    â€œI forgot you had your own furnace,” she said, rubbing her arms. “Marlin’s wings were warm too . . .” She stopped, her face rosy in the firelight. “I mean . . .”
    â€œYou needn’t pretend in front of me, Helen. I know you two are close. Have you seen him since you came back?”
    â€œEr, no, not exactly, I mean once, but only briefly—we should go, don’t you think? We have to tell the others that the shadow crows are trying to get in the vessel. Nathan’s probably got a search party out looking for us.”
    She doused the fire with a splash of conjured ice water and limped out of the cave as fast as she could. I folded my wings,glad for their warmth as I stepped outside. It
was
cold. The ground was rimed with frost, the hawthorn bushes bare and skeletal in the light of the full moon—
    â€œThat’s funny,” I said to Helen, “wasn’t the moon waning gibbous just two nights ago?” We were supposed to keep track of the phases of the moon, as they affected certain spells.
    â€œI suppose. I can’t recall. Can we go, Ava? Those awful crows might still be about.”
    I shuddered at the thought of the shadow crows. “Perhaps we should fly,” I suggested. “What with your ankle.”
    â€œNo, no, I don’t want to be a burden. I can limp along all right,” she said, lurching in front of me. I had the feeling that Helen wanted to be alone. Had something happened with Marlin? Maybe I wasn’t the only one who’d had a fight with her boyfriend.
    I hurried after Helen, looking side to side for any sign of the shadow crows, but I didn’t see or feel anything stalking us. In fact, the woods felt empty, barren even. As if all the life had been drained out of them. The bare tree branches rubbed against each other with plaintive creaks that sound like scared mice. The wind moaned as though in mourning. Even the moon hid its face