She ducked, and the stone clattered against the bricks of someone’s home. She turned a corner, darting into a blessedly empty avenue walled by tall, ramshackle brick and adobe houses. With her free hand she touched her bruised shoulder, wincing at the flash of pain that washed through her arm. Not every rock hurled at her met its mark. The ones that did bruised both flesh and soul. Mara leaned against the wall and stared into the starry sky. Loose lines hung from one rooftop to another. A single paper lantern swayed from a drooping rope. The lantern’s once bright light dimmed and painted the narrow lane in an eerie blue. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her spirit flow into the world like Gia had taught her. For that moment of tranquility, the world slipped away, and her spirit danced among the stars. “I’ll get through this, Gia,” she whispered. “I’ll see you soon.” A smile grew on Mara’s face. She knew the glimmer probably tugged it there because any normal fool who’d let their one valuable thing be stolen by a child with a sad story would have been furious with themselves.
