Hey there! :-) I'm back with a new chapter. It's gonna get a little dark for a while here... but I hope you'll still enjoy!

A snowball arched through the air and hit Savenna in the face. Brushing the snow out of her hair, face frozen with concentration, she forged her own frosty weapon before charging in Law's direction. He skidded out of the way just fast enough, back pressed against the safety of another leafless tree.

Apart from them and two snowmen - one large imitation of Magdalena, and a small, ugly figure shaped approximately like Pablo - the hospital park was deserted, blanketed in the heavy North Blue snow that had been falling for two weeks straight.

Inside the hospital, due to lack of space, patients in various stages of Amber Lead poisoning now occupied the even smallest of storage rooms to receive treatment. Law, Lamie and Savenna had been relocated into a boiler room in the upper basement of the south wing, about as spacious as Savenna's old closet. After protesting for days, Savenna who had never shared anything in her life, had begrudgingly agreed to bunk in with Lamie, while Law slept on a small cot on the side. There was no space for her opulent wardrobe either, so she resigned to stashing her books between the heating pipes.

Rumors had it that things were worse on the outside. After the blockade had been announced, people headed to the border, leaving in such a hurry that doors remained unlocked and fires still crackled in the fireplace.

Then the borders closed. Even more than their fellow North Bluers on Lvneel or Swallow Island, the neighboring countries were worried about the sickness spreading into their cities. The one radio station that still broadcasted, reported travelers being held at the borders, undergoing extensive examinations before being turned away.

Savenna was convinced that a decent bribe would do the trick but the situation was different now. Before Law had fallen sick she thought about running away with her family. But after her father's death, the assets of the shipping company had been frozen and what was left had gone to her mother, who refused to leave her bed and hadn't spoken a word since. Fleeing the country had suddenly become a much less viable option.

What was even more infuriating was that stuck in Flevance, she couldn't even mourn the dead. Everyone cried but when she did, things went wrong. The lead would burn hotter and fever rose so quickly she wasn't able to keep any food down. On the day she lost the feeling in her left leg, she barely escaped with her life.

It was unfair. She had tried Lamie's pills, Law's monitors and randomly sticking needles into her side out but it didn't help. Whenever she allowed herself to grief, her body followed into the dark pit of her mind. She had no choice but to keep herself out of there, by all means necessary.

Forcefully, Savenna kneaded on another snowball.

"Mother said we aren't allowed outside!" The momentum of her attack was interrupted by Lamie's upteenth complaint that day. Savenna rolled her eyes and aimed for Law's hat sticking out from behind a bench. "You're going to catch a fever, and when you do I'll tell mother." Savenna reconsidered her target. They should have left Lamie's wheelchair in the supply closet when they had the chance.

It was safe to say that Lamie had taken Law's poisoning pretty badly. Even though his conditions progressed slowly, she was convinced he was going to die if she let him out of her sight. His hands were covered in small, half-moon shaped Lamie-fingernail-marks that sometimes cut so deep Savenna had to disinfect them at night.

Lamie was accordingly unimpressed when they discovered how to break the basement window locks and ventured into the snow. "You could at least close the window," she pouted.

"Come on, Lamie. I offered to carry you outside!"

"People die outside!"

"Yeah? I saw four corpses in the emergency room today and it's only 10am," Savenna moaned, dodging one of Law's snowballs.

"Sava is being mean again, Law. Make her stop!" Lamie called but Law was out of luck. The next snowball caught him off guard and he stumbled into the snow under Savenna's bright laughter. "Good luck with that," she giggled before she disappeared again, white shape invisible among the trees.

Whether it was Amber Lead or the sheer power of childish spite, Lamie's fever spiked the moment they set foot into the hospital, reaching its peak way past midnight. Savenna was fast asleep when Lamie tugged at her. "I'm cold…"

Groggy, Savenna switched on the bedside lamp. After feeling Lamie's cheeks, Savenna pulled her blanket aside and lumbered over to Law's cot.

"Mushroom Head, wake up." Dark, disarrayed hair hid the pale face turned toward the wall. Unlike his sister, who kicked and twisted at night, Law slept like a dead man. Before Lamie's obsession with her brother's demise, it hadn't bothered her much. Now she hesitated.

What if Amber Lead had gotten him earlier than anyone else? Against her better judgment, she lowered herself to his pillow, until only inches of hot air separated them. She held her breath until a barely audible whistle tickled her ear. Her knees felt so wobbly, she almost stumbled over the object of her exam. Good. She wasn't in the mood for a pyre anyway…

"Law, wake up," she said, louder this time. Confused, the young doctor squinted at her through the twilight. "What is it?"

"Lamie's having a bad night."

Law was up in no time, emptying the drawers of the little medicine they had managed to smuggle in from the emergency room. It took the two of them to hold Lamie down for the shot. The girl had a pretty decent right hook when it came to defending herself against needles. Only when Law was applying ice to the back of his head and Savenna loosened the shoe laces around the girl's wrists, the fever started dropping.

"It's your turn for the story, Sava," the girl pointed out just when Savenna's head had finally hit the pillow. "What, now?!"

"I can't sleep without a story."

It was tradition. The one who survived the night got a story. Though usually Savenna preferred to just read a book. "Ask your brother."

"I already did the last one." Slumped against the foot of the bed, Law didn't seem to enjoy complaining as much as he usually did. Savenna shot him a suspicious glance. "Come on, why don't you tell her some more about the history of North Blue's medical herbs? I'm sure she'd love to hear more about the Eucapilus-thing…"

"It's Eucalyptus and if you'd remembered to use it, your cough wouldn't have been half as bad." Law scratched his head. "We should be learning things instead of telling ridiculous stories. Dragons don't help anyone these days…"

Savenna made a face. "Stories don't have to be useful, Mushroom Head. They are entertainment. Like Lamie's talking polar bear."

"More like a waste of time, if you ask me."

Savenna rolled on her back with a sigh. A month ago he wouldn't have imagined being mean to his sister. She didn't have to look at him to know he was scowling. When they weren't scavenging the hospital or moving corpses, he barely did anything else. Something about the quiet of the night made him particularly sullen, as if they were breaking some kind of rule by just sitting there in the dark doing nothing.

Savenna was too tired to start a fight. She didn't have any moral high ground here. If Law decided to take his bad mood out on everyone else, who was she to stand in his way? But the possibility of a different challenge put a smile on her face. "Alright then. Maybe this will cheer you up!"

Since only about half of the stories Savenna had read in her life had provided her with a satisfying ending, she had come into the habit of making up her own. This time it was a story of a pirate crew, the most gruesome the world had ever seen. A doctor, a hooded princess and a little polar bear sailed the waters of the Grand Line, looking for Gol D. Roger's treasure. Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time until they won the race for the One Piece because the three of them had uncovered a very special secret.

"Why are there always three of them?" Law interrupted.

"Because it's a story, stupid. You always need three of something."

"Of course…"

"What secret?" Lamie wanted to know, ignoring her brother.

"They knew how to run from death."

"That's overly dramatic, even for you," Law remarked. "How's that supposed to work?"

Savenna's lips curled into a smile. "The doctor knew how to cure all diseases in the world, so nobody died of sickness or injury. And when the time came to die from old age, the polar bear showed them how to hide under water so death couldn't find them. And once they

came back to the surface and the princess lifted her hood, death fell sick with love for her. Weary and drained of his powers, he couldn't do anything but watch the ship sail to the horizon and hope for the princess to come back for him. So the three pirates kept burning ships and raiding villages and lived happily ever after."

While Lamie hung on Savenna's lips as usual, Law's face remained blank. "Sounds like another one of your fairy tales to me."

"But there's a doctor!"

"So?"

"Don't you like other nerds?"

"That's not the point…" He didn't elaborate on what the point was supposed to be. Hiding her disappointment, Savenna decided to focus on Lamie who approved of the story and forced Savenna to come up with more adventures. Dawn was already breaking when the girl finally fell asleep and Savenna, exhausted from all the talking, crawled over to Law's cot.

"What do you think you're doing?" the boy hissed. He must have pretended to sleep. Savenna decided not to be bothered by him and pulled at the blanket. "Sleeping. Goodnight, Mushroom Head."

"How many times do I have to tell you: This is my bed!" As many times as he wanted. Savenna was an only child and preferred to sleep on her own. But unfortunately, she was a girl and so the nurses had squished her into bed with Lamie who slept like a thrashing windmill. So at this point she didn't care with whom she had to share, as long as she got some sleep at all.

Law's bed was small but they were both short enough. On some nights she even managed to kick him out. She was particularly proud of that achievement.

"This time you land on the floor…" he whispered. "And move your hair to the other side, it tickles."

"Do it yourself, I'm too tired…" Savenna was already half asleep when he finally managed to find a comfortable sleeping position. But when she shifted to the cold side of the pillow, she saw him staring at the ceiling, wide awake. "Are you seriously waiting for me to fall asleep so you can throw me out of bed?"

"What? No…" After Lamie's feverish limbs his skin felt surprisingly cold. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Your story. It's really stupid, you know."

"You really know your way around compliments… May I ask why?"

"You can't cheat death with something as basic as love. It's just a feeling, it doesn't change anything about whether or not someone dies. It just happens. Like Amber Lead."

"A lot of people died of love," she objected, propping herself on her elbows. It was the perfect opportunity to pull the blanket away from under her but Law didn't even try. "That only happens in your books. I never heard of love saving or curing people. If it did, none of us would be sick anymore."

Suddenly she knew what this was all about. He would never admit it but he hadn't forgotten about his promise. But now wasn't just about her anymore. It was Lamie and all the people in Flevance he couldn't save. "You're right. It is just something I made up. Just forget about it," she said quietly.

Maybe if she handed over the better side of the pillow, he'd let it go. But Law wasn't listening. "I will never be able to cure every illness in the world, no matter how hard I try. And there won't be any stupid happy ending for either of us."

Savenna froze.

He wasn't wrong, of course. Nobody knew what was going to happen. But Flevance was still standing and she did the best she could to ignore the things they had no power over. The only other option was growing mad but that hadn't gone very well for her mother. Only now it wasn't just Amber Lead that terrified her.

Grumpy Law helped her maintain an illusion. Teasing him allowed her to pretend things could still be called normal. Now she realized she was the only one playing. Like so many people around them, Law was losing hope and no amount of denial would change that. In the dark his eyes were of a sharp, charcoal black. The fear spreading in her stomach made her want to reach for his hand but he was already facing the wall. The blanket was all hers.

"I don't want to play anymore!" Lamie was sulking. It took her a few days to shake off the fever and now her nagging was as powerful as ever. They formed a circle on the floor

around a stack of red pills, everyone holding a hand of cards.

"Don't be like that. Logue Town Joker is more fun when the stakes are higher," Savenna insisted, trying to work out her strategy.

This was the second day they played cards for painkillers. With supplies at their lowest since the start of the epidemic, getting their hands on medicine had become increasingly difficult. The city had stopped replenishing their stock and the Trafalgars had to hire private guards to keep intruders from raiding their storage rooms. Mary had used her influence to secure a supply for Law, Lamie and Savenna, which had now been reduced to the said red pills in front of them.

They hadn't told Lamie but the same was true for food. Since the borders had shut, the neighboring countries had stopped the food and water supply previously agreed upon. There was still no response from the World Government or the marines. Shops were raided daily, and Savenna heard of people killing one another over a can of beans.

Magdalena had made sure the little box under the sink always contained some bread and dried meat. Fresh water was still pumped from the hospital well but no one knew how long that would operate.

With her fortune worthless, the only thing Savenna could do was give her best dresses to Magdalena hoping she could trade them for food with people who were still trying to flee the country. It had provided them with a stock of carrots and potatoes that Law diligently boiled over a gas burner every night.

Flevance's maritime trade had come to a standstill weeks ago but the docks, where ships were now rotting away, had been transformed into a teeming market with soaring prices and goods of questionable origin. The governess and Mary Trafalgar visited the stalls every morning, hoping to find provisions and things the doctors could use to make their own medicine. They never came back with much but it was enough to keep the hospital running.

"You win." Savenna crossed her arms in front of her chest after

pushing the pills in Law's direction. "Congratu-mushroom-lations."

"Don't look so surprised," he replied with a dry grin he saved for special occasions. "Everyone knows when you're cheating. Your nostrils flare."

"Do they now? I'll show you…" Before they could pursue the usual argument, Lamie had already started crying. She still hadn't mastered the rules of the game. She calmed down when Law took his share of the medicine and gave it to her.

"You really shouldn't spoil her that much," Savenna grumbled. Now she had to wait for the next round.

"She needs medicine and so do you," Law insisted. And so did he but reminding him of that had become especially pointless. "I'll go down to the market and see what I can get for the vegetables from last week."

"That's a terrible idea. You're in no shape for adventures, plus we need the food."

"Father still has some supplies in the cellar, for emergencies," Law said quietly. But Savenna still shook her head. The further her illness proceeded, the more stubborn she got. Or so others told her.

"Besides, imagine the thrashing I'll get if your mother sees you there? She'll think I put you up to it!"

But Law had already made up his mind. "I'll be careful." Tucking the bag of potatoes under his arm, he tightened his cloak and disappeared through the window. Savenna wanted to rush after him but with that stamina she wouldn't last until the hole in the new Trafalgar fence.

"Why are you angry, Sava?" Lamie asked carefully.

"Because he's an idiot. Nothing good comes from going to that place."

Just as she knew that the window was the safest way out of the building, they also knew that with the decline of the city, going to the dock market was a risk. Mary had been robbed once and Magdalena had barely gotten away from a group of bandits chasing her up to the hospital gates. And no matter how big Law's head was, it wouldn't stand a chance against a bunch of seasoned criminals.

Law had been gone for a half an hour when Savenna finally agreed to teach Lamie how to cheat at Louge Town Joker. Keeping her nostrils in check was as good a past time as any, she thought. Lamie finally started to enjoy the card game when a strange sound pierced the silence. Both girls turned their heads to the window.

An airless, hollow sound ricocheted at the walls, so loud the windows trembled in the wooden frames. Savenna was on her way to look outside when an earthquake shook the foundations of the building, bringing her to her knees. A second wave hit, then a third.

"The fireworks are back!" Lamie clapped her hands together.

Savenna didn't move. "Those aren't fireworks. That's gunpowder."

"What…?"

"Gunpowder," Savenna repeated soundlessly. "I have seen my father's ships firing cannons before. This sounds exactly like it." She scrambled back to her feet and swung the window open. Left alone under the blanket Lamie craned her neck. "What is it? What is happening?"

"I don't know…" Slowly Savenna climbed up to the window sill and lifted her head toward the sky. Gray snow clouds shimmered like a dirty evening sky. Strange, bloody shades of red colored the horizon. "Something isn't right… You stay here. I'll go and find out what's going on. Maybe the doctor knows something."

But Lamie balled her hands into tiny fists. "That's not fair! You always go on adventures and I'm never allowed. I'm coming too!" A migraine drummed against Savenna's temples. She didn't have time for this. "Please, Lamie. This isn't a game. You can't come, it's too dangerous."

"I'm going!"

"No, you're not." Savenna was running out of patience. "You would only hold me back and your brother would kill me. Now do as I say!"

"Why don't you make me?" This was the wrong moment to use Savenna's own words against her. Lamie might have grown quite a temper but her stubbornness was still no match for Savenna's. "As you wish."

The little girl weighed no more than a heavy set of bed linen, and with no feeling in her legs she was powerless when Savenna picked her up and pushed her into the wardrobe. Wheezing like an old woman, Lamie started pulling at Savenna's hair but her captor managed to twist out of her grip and slammed the door shut. "That should do…" Savenna breathed and grabbed her cloak.

Her head was pounding as she rushed toward the stairs. Law was still out there, and no matter how much he thought of himself, his Logue Town Joker skills were no match for a loaded gun. And whatever magic had fought off Pablo in the back alley, Savenna doubted it would return just because she willed it to.

Breathless, she quickened her step.

It had been a long time since any of them had ventured into the main part of the hospital, and Mary Trafalgar had good reason to lock the basement at night. Savenna barely recognized the rooms that had become her new home.

The entrance to the Emergency Room was blocked. Savenna elbowed the door until the two bodies collapsed against it, finally gave way. The stench of decay was all-consuming.

In the beds she passed, it was hard to tell who was alive. In the back, a boy was scratching his dead Amber Lead leg to free the white skin from wriggling maggots. Carefully she stepped over a elderly man rolled up on the floor in an awkward position, before stumbling over a bed piled with three partially decomposed corpses. She grabbed on to the linen and retched when her hand came back wet. Reeling, she forced herself forward.

At the mouth of Trafalgar's hallway, a woman started pulling at her dress. Savenna screamed and kicked her in the ribs. No one reprimanded her. On her mattress the woman had stopped moving. Refusing to acknowledge what she'd done, Savenna pressed through the crowd until the office door appeared behind the corner, guarded by two mercenaries.

"I need to speak to the doctor," she demanded, nervously rearranging her skirt. Neither one of them answered, dim, button eyes resting on the patients, as if waiting for them to stand up and break down the door.

"I said, I need to speak to Dr. Trafalgar! Let me through or I'll have you fired," she repeated, deliberately letting her mother's edge slip into her voice. Finally one of the guards lowered his lazy gaze. "You have an appointment?"

"Do I look like I need an appointment?"

"No appointment, no meeting. Those are the rules," he said briskly, lowering his rifle to the level of her eyes.

Savenna's face darkened. "Don't you know who I am? My family has at least three times the money Gol D. Roger had during his lifetime. If you don't let me through right now, you will regret… " She was about to pronounce a long line of threats when the blow of an explosion threw her off her feet.

The two men cowered as shock rippled through the foundation of the building. It was followed by a thunder, the same kind she had heard at the window, only closer. Down the corridor, the patients were wailing. A window shattered.

On all fours, Savenna scampered against the wall. What was happening? Just as she was about to peer outside, the office door sprang open. Shoulders crooked, white coat turned gray, the doctor stared at her with blood-shot eyes. "Savenna! What on earth are you doing here? You should be in the basement with the others. You can't be up here!"

But Savenna was quicker on her feet than he'd anticipated. She grabbed a fist of his shirt and pushed him back into the room. Trafalgar let himself stumble backwards, face screwed up in confusion. "I'm not going anywhere. Law and Magdalena left for the docks and they aren't back yet!" Outside, the mercenaries started pounding against the door. "What is going on out there? You have to tell me!"

Like the rest of the hospital, Trafalgar was in a worse shape than she recalled. At the mention of Law's name, the doctor's hollow cheeks lost another shade of color. She could see him struggle with himself. "Do you really want to know? Trust me, it's easier if you don't."

With the gait of a sleepwalker he slouched back into his chair. Savenna was about to send something flying at his head until she looked around. Dr. Trafalgar's office had been the tidiest space she had ever set foot in. The room she was in now was a complete mess; files stacked so high, they were blocking the sunlight, the examination table flipped over and the rest of the room converted into a makeshift laboratory. Law might have been losing hope but these were the marks of outright despair.

"What are you saying?" Like a spooked animal she approached him carefully.

Trafalgar laughed mirthlessly. "It means it's over, Savenna. We fought and we lost. You might not have noticed it but after the borders closed, those who were strong enough tried to fight their way out of quarantine." His eyes wandered toward the dirty window overlooking the hospital park. "But as you are well aware, the Flevance's weapon industry is of considerable size. Even more so since the blockade. Warehouses full of Amber Lead bullets and nowhere to ship them… There was no stopping them. And today our neighbors started fighting back."

Savenna stiffened. The fingers she had clenched into fists relaxed. Those hadn't just been explosions but attacks, and they were the targets.

"But why?" she blurted out. "They could have just stopped the resistants at the borders. Why are they bombing the city?"

The doctor shrugged. "Fighting resistance is the oldest pretense to invade a country. Foreign governments tremble at the only thought of Amber Lead and would do anything to see it dead with the people who carry it. And even if we had enough bullets to defend ourselves, we don't have enough people left to stand our ground." Something in his expression changed. "It will be over by sunset, probably even sooner."

"No…" She heard her voice crack. "The poison is getting to your head…"

"Go outside and see for yourself then."

Savenna could deny it as much as she wanted, but deep down she knew he was telling the truth. He had no reason to lie. And it wasn't a secret that Flevance's wealth had attracted more than one jealous frown from their neighbors. Now that their luck had turned, there were enough governments ready to lend a helping hand.

Savenna swallowed hard. "Alright, then the city will burn. But that doesn't mean it's over. We have to find Law and Magdalena. There's still time to get out of here."

Trafalgar kept shaking his head. "Aren't you listening? There's no way out! We're trapped. If the guns don't get us, Amber Lead will. There's no running from the poison."

Savenna couldn't help the chill running down her spine. "How can you say that? You should be out there looking for your son just as you've been searching for the cure."

"The cure." His laugh had turned mocking. "Silly girl, there is no cure and there never will be. We can't get the poison out of a human body exposed to the metal. It sits too deep. The only way to heal us would be cutting us into pieces and putting us back together after removing the lead, but no one can perform that kind of surgery… Science can't save us. We all should have known better and never have dug up this horror in the first place," he spat. before looking her up and down.

"You've already survived for too long, Savenna. I don't know how you did it, but you can't run any longer. And neither can Law."

This kind of truth wasn't one to settle quietly. Savenna could feel the sick she'd been pushing down, making its way up. Dark dots danced in front of her eyes. Law had been right. They were all going to die. And this man had known all along… She waited for the fear to reach her knees so they could finally give away. Instead she found herself standing like a barrel filled to the rim with gunpowder.

"Watch me, asshole!" Skirt billowing in her wake, she turned around and ran. The mercenaries backed away as the door flew open and the girl stormed outside. Her thoughts were spinning when she sprinted down the driveway.

She had no idea how she was supposed to find her friends but she had to try. What had been the city center had turned into a sea of chaos. People had formed a monstrous crowd that pushed, yelled and cursed while slowly fighting its way to the waterfront. Men fought and children cried while their steps were hushed by the dirty snow on the cobblestones.

Like a large, dangerous animal they crushed everything in its

path. But it wasn't the crowd Savenna feared. It was the sound, hollow and vibrant, that kept coming closer. Every time the guns went off, she pressed the hands on both of her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. Bombs were raining down on the roofs of the suburbs, while burning

Amber Lead chimneys and windows sent ash twisting up into the sky.

Breath ragged, she tried to think of a quicker way to the docks. Taking the main road through harbor was not an option. The crowd would probably trample her to death. She turned around and slipped into an abandoned back road.

She felt the steps following her before she could hear them. In a heartbeat she twisted around. A familiar shape had appeared behind her in the alley. The man's hair and clothes were in disarray. He was breathing hard. Dried blood and old bruises marked the features she had seen many times before.

"Dominic? What on earth are you doing here?" Like Magdalena, Dominic had been working for her family for many years. He'd driven the carriage that had first brought her to the Trafalgar house. Rough, pale skin had eaten away at his face. He couldn't have much time left. But that didn't explain how and why he'd found her here. "Have you been following

me?"

Trying to stick to proper manners Dominic made a slight bow before addressing the girl. "As a matter of fact, I have."

"Why? I don't have time…"

"It's your mother," he interrupted her. Savenna frowned. She hadn't concerned herself with her mother's condition or whereabouts in the last few days. Too much had happened. Then she realized she didn't remember her being discharged. She couldn't deny the speck of guilt forming in her stomach. "What about her? Is she alright?"

"She's dying, Miss," he said, "that's why she sent for you. I'm sorry. I've looked everywhere for you but the nurses told me that you'd left the hospital…"

Savenna didn't understand. She had just left a half an hour ago, and with the building shaking hardly anyone would have noticed… And as far as she recalled, her mother hadn't even been poisoned.

Dominic straightened his back and the usual sober expression returned to his face. "I have to ask you to accompany me. It's the mistress' orders."

Savenna shook her head. "If it's the lead, she might be dead already."

Dominic didn't budge. "That is not for me to assess, Miss. I have my orders." Savenna sighed. Of course he had. Yet she couldn't help feeling that something wasn't right. "I would love nothing more than to see mother, but I need to find Magdalena and a friend of mine. They left a long time ago and didn't come back…"

Dominic's face stayed unreadable. "Maybe they have returned in the meantime and you simply missed them?"

"Maybe," she said absentmindedly. Something about him seemed particularly off that day. Even though she sensed that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, she had no choice. She couldn't have outrun him even if she wanted to. And the chances of finding Law in the crowd at the market were more than slim. And maybe Dominick was right, she might still find him back at the hospital, pack him and his mushroom hat and make a run for it.

Dominic elbowed his way through the crowd, shutting down every attempt at conversation, face hard and unyielding.

When they reached the main street, Savenna couldn't erase her doubts. What if she had made the wrong decision? If her mother was truly sick, if she were dying like the servant had claimed, there was nothing she could do. She didn't doubt her mother would ask her to stay by her side, but Savenna wasn't sure if she could live through her father's death a second time. Then, of all the ghosts, it was Law's voice she heard in her head. Lamie is my family. I could never leave her behind. But you don't know what that means, do you?

He was right, she hadn't cared enough about her mother. She had been so angry, she hadn't even visited her. If this was really the end, she owed her that much.

Savenna readied herself when Dominic guided them up the street leading back to the hospital. But as she was about to pass the gate, the servant grabbed her by the arm.

"What the hell… Let go of me!" she gasped, but Dominick's grip was too firm. Wordlessly his fingers closed around her elbow, as he pulled her down a side street into a different direction. "Where are you going?"

She tried to fight him off, tore at his sleeve and bit his arm but it was pointless. Sick with poisoning he was still a grown man and she didn't stand a chance. He kept marching without paying attention to her, shadows creeping over his face. If his behavior had appeared strange before, he was a completely different person now.

Savenna thought of an appropriate way to curse him but was silenced by the high trees and round cobblestones paving the familiar street in front of her. "Home, that's where you're taking me…" But why?

Quietly she let herself be dragged along. She knew the house better than anyone. Once he let her out of his sight she would be gone in no time.

A heavy chain had been hung at the wrought iron gate that took Dominic several minutes to unlock. In the same listless way, he led her through the vast gardens that looked forlorn and abandoned. Savenna was marshaled up the stairs and through the front door, where her kidnapper finally released her.

Immediately she dashed toward the kitchen, only to find the door locked. Fingers balled to fists she swirled around. "What's the point of all this? Why didn't you bring me back to the hospital?"

Despite his former determination, the servant flinched at the echo of her voice. "It's like I said. Your mother is dying. She's upstairs and wishes to see you."

"Upstairs? This is ridiculous…" The last time she had seen her mother, she had refused to leave her bed, let alone the building. Why would she go back to an empty dilapidated house where even the servants had left?

With growing uneasiness, Savenna took in the large staircase on which she had run up and down so many times. The trembling ground under Flevance had ripped the pictures off the walls, and broken glass lay next to the scattered silver wave the staff hadn't bothered to steal. Yellow wax from burned down candles had dripped onto her father's favorite South Blue carpet. The frame of the house might be still standing but it wasn't more than a ruin.

Without looking back, Savenna headed for the stairs. The stretching silence engulfed the distant guns, leaving her alone with the drumming sound of her own heart. Plunged into heavy twilight, the doors on the second floors were shut. The sweet, sticky scent of decaying flowers hung in the air. It grew stronger as she approached the only door left ajar.

Past the threshold, her parent's bedroom was the only space that hadn't changed. Fresh linen had been brought up, the furniture had been dusted off and candles cast warm cones of light on the wall. And on the bed, dressed in a silver silk nightgown, lay her mother.

Her eyes were closed but her chest was moving. The long, wavy hair had been undone

and spilled over her pale, delicate shoulders onto the pillows. The gentle candle flames flushed her cheeks with a healthy color.

For the first time, Savenna didn't care about her mother's beauty. There was only one thing that mattered: not an inch of her skin was touched by the poison. Savenna sighed with relief. But if she wasn't suffering from Amber Lead, what was she dying from?

Savenna flinched when her mother's eyes flung open. Calm, she smiled with one corner of her mouth. "Finally. I almost thought I'd lost you to that awful hospital."

Her sing-song voice was as strong as ever. Savenna shook her head. None of this made any sense. "I suppose there's no point in asking if you've lost your mind. Dominic kidnapped me because he thought you were dying."

"Oh, I am."

"You look very much alive to me."

Lazy like a lioness resting during midday, her mother swung her long legs out of bed. A strange expression of pride and melancholy settled on her face. "And I am so glad you're here. It's important you know how much I love you. I always thought you were going to do better. Be the most perfect version of myself, smart, strong and beautiful. I am so sorry there's so little time…"

She didn't give Savenna time to reply. The needle in her hand was long and her strength made sure it was buried deep into her daughter's arm. Savenna tried to wrestle out of her grip and failed. A shot was sticking in her upper arm and Savenna was forced to watch as the pen was pressed down.

Immediately, the substance burned its way into her chest. Too late did she recognize the smell. Whatever this was, old Trafalgar had used it in small doses during complicated surgeries. Her mother had managed to inject most of the cylinder. Savenna felt her hand shake. This was more than enough to knock her out. "What the hell did you do…?" she shrieked.

"Language, Savenna. You're a lady, not a dock worker," her mother reprimanded quietly before wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry but it was the only way… Your father was in so much pain. I couldn't let that happen to you."

"No…" She wasn't being knocked out. She was being put down. Like a lame horse. "No… you don't understand. I'm fighting it. I'm surviving!" Distraught, Savenna didn't recognize her fear until she heard it in her own voice.

Her mother shook her head silently. Then she pointed to the tiny drop of dried blood on her upper arm. "I've taken one too. It won't take long, I promise." She smiled. "I prepared a dress for you. I know how much you like those."

"Stop, please, mom…"

"Don't be afraid. We're going to be together. It's going to be alright."

When her mother came closer, Savenna staggered to the other side of the room. Her smile hardened. "You might be too young to understand but it's for the best." She gestured outside the window where the first roofs of the city had caught fire. "I tried booking a passage out of the city but the armies have already set fire to the ships. Even if you survive the poison, there is no way out. Tomorrow you'll either be shot or buried in the rubbles of the hospital. This is not the end I wanted for us. Guns and fire are not a suitable death for women. We go gently."

Savenna wasn't sure where she was going but it sure as hell wouldn't be gently. Fear had her frozen in one place but slowly something pierced through the cocoon of white fog that was her mother's madness.

She had seen death. There was nothing easy or merciful about it. It was terror and it was pain. The plan her mother had hatched out wasn't a blessing, it was murder.

Suddenly the rage that her mother had never understood stirred in Savenna's stomach. The sheer sight of the woman who'd given birth to her filled her with disgust. Fighting the paralysis working itself into her limbs, Savenna swept a candelabra off the bedside table. "Die if that's what you want but I won't stay here to hold your hand. You're no mother to me!"

Savenna turned around and headed for the door, only to be pushed backwards by a servant whose name she'd already forgotten. Dominic followed, another syringe sticking out of his breast pocket. She was trapped.

"I really thought I had taught you better," her mother remarked, annoyed. "This is not the moment to make a scene. You always had your father's bad temper but whatever trick you're trying to pull right now, I won't allow it."

The servants, who had doubtlessly been warned about the girl's reluctance to die, wrung the makeshift weapon out of her hand. One tried to shackle her wrists while the other barricaded the door.

This was it. They just had to hold her down long enough for the tranquilizer to take effect. It angered her how simple this fact was. How convenient. A flush of fever ran through her body. Her throat felt dry, her fingers numb.

Only a few more minutes and everything would have been in vain.

Something in Savenna's chest pinched her like a needle. First she thought it was the lead then she realized it was momentous, otherworldly rage. The same feeling as in the alley, as if she was retreating inside her body, letting some crushing force take over. She tried to stay in control until she felt herself smiling. The orange flames darkened.

"You will pay for this. All of you."

She didn't need the candelabra. A smashing, invisible force took possession of her body and pulled Dominick out of the way. She felt how the air got sucked out of the room. He didn't have time to scream when his head shattered on the floor. The other servant and her mother crumbled like puppets with their strings cut loose.

Like under the fireworks, Savenna's vision started to shift. She felt the strength slipping out of her body and stumbled sideways. The wardrobe key buried itself into her back before she slid to the floor and passed out.

"Savenna, can you hear me?" The sound of a familiar voice echoed in the back of her mind. Someone shook her gently, then violently before a slap in the face made her open her eyes. A giant mushroom blocked her field of vision.

"Law…" she started but her voice failed her. Large, gray eyes examined her for what felt like an eternity. Then he said something before pressing a foul-smelling liquid to her lips. Savenna almost choked.

"Do you want to kill me?" she coughed.

"Breathe, slowly." Law touched her forehead with concern. "Your fever's back. What happened here?"

She had no idea when or how he'd gotten into the house and how much time had passed. Holding on to his arm, she managed to pull herself up and look at him. His cloak was torn, cheeks bleeding and his steady hands were trembling. He looked awful but Savenna was relieved. At least he was alive.

"I don't know… " she rasped. "It happened again. The thing with Pablo. I don't know how I did it, it just happened. My mother… I was angry and they just fell asleep."

Law gave her a hard look. "I think it's more than that. I found them like this." He swallowed hard and pointed at the floor. Savenna made a step forward and flinched. Her mother's body was twisted awkwardly, bloodshot, hollow eyes staring back at her.

"No…" she whispered, letting her eyes wander toward Dominick and the other servant. Their blood was smeared over the carpet. "I… I killed them?"

Law put a hand on her neck looking for a pulse. He nodded silently. Savenna couldn't move as he repeated the diagnosis for the others. "This is a highly dangerous substance," Law pointed out, picking up the empty shot from her mother's bedside table. "It should

be used without prescription. Where is the rest of it?"

Only then did he notice the other empty cylinder discarded at the girl's feet. His expression went blank. Pressing her lips together, Savenna pointed at her shoulder.

"All of it?"

She nodded.

"You need to come with me."

She didn't have any force left to object. Helplessly she stumbled down the stairs, waiting while Law put the kitchen to pieces. Since she had known him she had never seen him that close to losing his composure. Even when Lamie was diagnosed with Amber Lead poisoning, Law had managed to get a hold of himself. Now he didn't even bother explaining himself while combing through the shelves.

"What are you looking for?"

"The ingredients for the antidote."

Savenna sincerely hoped that helping him would chase the memory of murdering three people. Her mother had tried to kill her but Savenna had never wanted to hurt her. Not like this. She'd do anything to take it back.

Now not even Law's grim voice was able to keep her awake. Both of her arms had turned numb. She couldn't feel the cloak on her shoulders or the icy wind from the open window. Her mother's poison worked fast. When she heard a distant bang, she figured her head must have hit the table.

Law's voice had gone from grim to ominous. "Stay with me, idiot! Once you're out I won't know how much time we have until it rises to the brain." His steps retreated and returned. "You're an Amber Lead patient. You're not dying of an stupid overdose on my watch." Her eyes were about to fall shut again when a stinging pain jerked her awake.

"What…?" she gasped.

"Don't move."

"Am I dead?" Her head was spinning so hard she thought she might consider the option.

"You will be if you keep twitching like that," Law growled and grabbed her by the shoulder. She was sprawled across the table with her arms stretched out. His face kept hovering above her. Slowly she lifted her head and found him kneeling on the table and holding up a bottle with its neck cut off. A line of cocktail straws connected it to Savenna's arm where it dove under her skin like a splinter.

"It's not much of an IV but it will do. Another ten minutes and you should feel better. Still a long way from fine but good enough to get you to the hospital."

Savenna watched him through the drug-veil, and a smile crossed her face. "So you are a doctor who can cure everything. Maybe there is a happy ending for us after all."

There were no noises in the house. No squeaky floorboards, no cracking of the wooden staircase or a random tree branch scraping against the second story window. The house where Law had attended the most fashionable party of his life, was dead silent. It wasn't an extravagant merchant house anymore. It was a house full of corpses, and if Law hadn't come in time there would have been one more.

Even though he'd never been part of it, Law couldn't deny that the last bit of Flevance's magnificence had crumbled. And it wasn't just Savenna's house, her family, or the town. Savenna had been hesitant when she'd told him about his father, as if, dozy from the drug, she wanted to protect him. Her of all people… Law tried not to think of it, and whether or not he'd ever see him again.

Instead he looked at the broken pictures, the glass shattered at the bottom of the stairs. Cautiously, he brushed away the silvered glass and picked up an old photograph. Young Magdalena was sitting on a swing with a round-cheeked, healthy and particularly annoyed version of Savenna pulling her hair.

Despite himself, he felt the corner of his mouth twitch. Some things certainly never changed. Too late did he notice Savenna watching him from the bottom of the stairs. Wide, dizzy eyes met his as she put the white cloak back on her shoulders. Her mother's poison was still wearing off.

"Isn't there something you want to bring?" he asked. She hadn't brought a suitcase, not even a bag.

"No, I hope I'll never see this place again. If we had time I'd burn it down myself," she said sharply. He nodded and as she walked toward the front door, he slid his fingers under the broken glass and freed the photograph from the frame.

More snow had fallen onto the driveway where the coaches stood

abandoned. Savenna propped herself on Law's arm as they made their way back to the wrought iron gate.

"How did you find me?" It was the first thing she had wondered as he dragged her out of her dead parents bedroom, but eventually she'd forgotten to ask.

Law shrugged. "I returned to the hospital and you were gone. Lamie told me you went off searching for me. I would have ran off to the harbor again if one of the nurses hadn't noticed that your mother was gone. There was little chance that she would have taken

you with her but I had to be sure. So I made a detour to your house…" he said. She knew the rest of the story. "Good idea to put Lamie in the closet by the way. At least, no one will find her, while we're gone."

"But I saw Dominic lock the front door. How did you get inside?"

"Through the back door. Broke the glass, turned the doorknob from the inside and all."

"Seriously? Now you break into places? I'm impressed. Next time we'll meet, you'll be a real criminal," she joked weakly.

Criminal. That's what she was now, wasn't it? After Pablo's death she hadn't thought about what had happened on that street after the festival. With him gone it didn't matter.

But this time it was different. People hadn't just fallen asleep under her rage, they had died. Her mother was dead because of her.

The paths of vengeance she'd contemplated against her classmates seemed ridiculous now that she knew what power and guilt felt like. They left her with nothing. With her home and family gone, it had ruined her last memories of her mother.

Before the dark pit that had carved itself out in her stomach could get any bigger she looked at Law. The only bridge that hadn't burned.

He was worried. Amber Lead creeping over his neck must have been painful but he didn't let it show. Instead his face was dark with concern, for her, Lamie and his parents. The family he would never harm…

The remaining poison wasn't strong enough to numb the disgust she felt for herself. Her betrayal and the sick, useless body that fought with means she couldn't control. When she cried she didn't feel like she deserved it.

"What is it? Are you feeling sick again?" Law wanted to know but didn't dare to come closer. As usual, his bossy attitude had retreated once he knew she would survive.

"No that's not it… Law?"

"Yes?"

"Are you afraid of me? It's okay if you are. Because I am, you know. I'm so sorry what I said about the squirrel back then, you were just trying to help and I was an idiot. You killed squirrels and I… I killed my mother." She cried so hard, her head started hurting. "I'm

so sorry! It was an accident! I didn't mean it, I swear!"

Law's eyes widened as he stared back at her speechlessly.

"I'll do everything to make it right. Please, please don't hate me!"Although Savenna could easily match his height, she felt herself shrink. She cowered even lower when his expression remained blank. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"What… No!"

"I can tell the difference between murder and self-defense," he said. "I've been upstairs. I saw what your mother did. But I also know that it wasn't you who killed her."

Savenna shot him a puzzled glance.

"The day Pablo attacked us, your anger or whatever it was, simply weakened him. And I guess that wasn't any different from what happened today."

"But they are dead! All three of them," she insisted.

Law shrugged. "They had already taken their shots. It was only a matter of time. Whatever you did just weakened the little what was left of their will to survive. You gave them a quick way out and saved your skin. Besides, this crazy rage of yours has saved us

once before and as long as it keeps you out of trouble, it's fine with me."

That was enough for her to hear. She felt so revealed that she didn't even mind landing face-down in the snow in an attempt to hug him.

"Thank you, I…" she said before her voice was swallowed by heavy thunder. The ground shook under their feet as a flash of white shot through the sky. A red cloud was rising over the north side of town.

"I think the army has crossed the city lines…" Law said hoarsely. He reached for Savenna's arm and started running.