I stayed in my room for a while, flipping through the comic books Erol had given me. The Meleka Fray chick was pretty awesome. She was all strong and heroic, as a slayer should be, while still totally a girl and a smart ass. Suddenly I wanted to be her. Lame right? I was a third of the way into the fourth comic book when I heard someone outside my room. I waited but they just scuffled their feet behind my curtain. Someone was clearly debating whether they should come in or not. I stood and yanked the curtain open, expecting to see Jordan waiting to sneak up on me. Instead, I startled a nervous looking Rosto.

"Hi," he practically squeaked. "Am I bothering you?"

I shook my head. "Come on in, kiddo." I wasn't much older than the kid, only four years, but I had an annoying habit of talking to people like that. Calling people deary, sweety, kiddo and other things a grandmother would say. My friends used to say I was just a young looking grandma…you know, back when I had friends. "What's up?" I asked after he'd looked around my room.

"I just wanted to come and hang out with you. Jason and Jordan are playing Kimmy in chess so I felt like the odd man out."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Both of them are playing her?"

Rosto smiled proudly. "The odds are still against them." He chuckled then looked at me, his blue eyes smiling. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday. I was going to die and…" He trailed off. "I know they all think I'm…what was it they kept saying? Enamored? Look, I'm just grateful and amazed. It took real courage." I opened my mouth to respond but he put a hand up. "I know about the 'chemical reaction', I'm not an idiot, but that's not what I'm talking about. You cut your wrist open for some guy you didn't even know. That's amazing in my book."

I stared at the fledgling. He'd spoken so earnestly and, I can't lie, it was really touching. "Well, thank you," I sighed. He nodded, suddenly seeming so grown up. It made me think. How old was this kid again? Eighteen? Shouldn't he be making the change soon? I felt my stomach knot up. I'd seen what happened to fledglings who didn't make it and I did not want to see it again. "So, what is your affinity? Do you know?"

Rosto smiled and pulled a seed from his pocket. Before I knew what was happening the seed sprouted in his palm. "I guess it's an affinity for earth but specifically plants." I inspected the tiny plant in his hand. "They used to call me stump because I can place my hand on a stump and the tree reforms."

"Wow," I chuckled, staring at the boy. "Here I thought maybe you'd be super fast or something. Sorry for underestimating you."

Rosto sat with me and talked for a little while, talking about his cousin and his time at his House of Night before the Baggings. Soon, Daydream stood in my doorway. "Hey Daydream what's—?"

"They're dead," she whispered. "Those who went to the surface yesterday are dead…that's why they never came home."