And what was I? The only difference between us was that I had repented.

When my lover gets the Burning, I prepare to go to the Binding Place, where the mountain meets the sea. Even in her delirium, she smells the offering meal cooking and sees my half-full pack. She begs me not to go. It’s a journey lovers and pilgrims take—to exchange vows or to petition Mother. The paths to the mountain shift with their travelers’ intentions, and we were much younger when we traveled there to be wed. I squeeze her hand. “I can’t stay and watch you fade.” There’s only one certain cure for the Burning. If I don’t go, Menrie...  Read more »