?Seeing Nora bent over like that, clutching her mouth, I panicked.

  ?I focused my mana instantly.

  ?[Analyze]

  ?A window popped up.

  ?My heart hammered against my ribs. Question marks?

  ?I tried again, pushing every ounce of mana I had into the skill.

  ?[Analyze]

  ?Nothing.

  ?I bolted for the door. I yanked it open and scanned the slushy yard. I looked for footprints. There was nothing but the muddy tracks of Oliver’s boots leading out.

  ?Oliver was just coming back, two buckets of water sloshing in his hands.

  ?"Dad!" I screamed. "Mom is sick!"

  ?Oliver dropped the buckets. Water splashed everywhere as he sprinted past me into the house.

  ?By the time I waddled back in, Nora was standing upright, though still pale. She waved a hand dismissively.

  ?"I'm fine, Oliver. Really."

  ?"You threw up," I stated, pointing an accusatory finger.

  ?"We're going to the Hut," Oliver said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "No time for breakfast. "

  ?He grabbed her coat and practically bundled her out the door.

  ?At the Hut, Alicia took one look at Nora and ushered her into the back examination room.

  ?"Stay here," Alicia told Oliver and me, pointing to a bench.

  ?The door clicked shut.

  ?I sat there, swinging my legs, my stomach in knots. Oliver paced. He looked like a caged bear, gnawing on his thumbnail.

  ?Minutes dragged by. Then, the door opened a crack.

  ?"Oliver," Alicia called. "Get in here."

  ?Oliver vanished inside.

  ?Silence.

  ?Then...

  ?"YEEESSSSS!"

  ?Oliver’s roar shook the dried herbs hanging from the ceiling. There was a sound of something crashing, followed by Alicia’s sharp voice.

  ?"Put her down, you oaf! She’s fragile! Do not spin the patient!"

  ?The door opened again.

  ?Oliver walked out. He wasn't worried anymore. He was grinning so hard I thought his face would split.

  ?Behind him, Nora walked out. Her face was bright red, like a ripe tomato.

  ?Even Alicia looked happy, leaning against the doorframe with a smug smirk.

  ?I blinked.

  ?'What is happening?'

  ?I looked from one grinning adult to the other.

  ?'Wasn't she poisoned? Is being poisoned a cause for celebration in this world?'

  ?I was confused. But then...

  ?'Oh.'

  ?A clue clicked into place.

  ?'I see.'

  ?We ate breakfast at the Hut. It was strange, everyone was almost giddy, passing bread with exaggerated cheerfulness.

  ?Then, Alicia’s mood shifted.

  ?"Right," she clapped her hands. "Vivian. Lesson time. Let's discuss the..."

  ?Torture ensued.

  ?When we finally headed back home, my mind was racing.

  ?I had glossed the alarm runes. I understood the meaning. Now, I was determined to use them.

  ?But I couldn't exactly carve runes into the fence. What kind of almost three year old does home security installations?

  ?I sat at my small desk in my room, staring at the wall.

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  ?My eyes drifted to the drawer where I kept my secret stash of "grenades", the pebbles etched with the explosion array.

  ?An idea sparked.

  ?I grabbed a large stone from the pile. It had enough surface area for extra runes.

  ?I etched two new runes onto it.

  ?Then, I took a piece of paper. On it, I drew three runes.

  ?I walked out to the yard. The snow was patchy mud now. I tossed the pebble near the fence.

  ?I stood back, holding the paper. I pushed mana into the ink.

  ?Buzz.

  ?The connection formed.

  ?BOOM.

  ?The pebble detonated with a satisfying crack, sending a spray of mud into the air.

  ?"NOT THIS AGAIN!"

  ?Oliver bolted out of the house, axe in hand. He stared at the smoking crater in the mud. He stared at me, holding a piece of paper.

  ?"Bug," I said innocently. "Big bug."

  ?That night, the yard would be full of filled in holes.

  I went back to work.

  ?I took out three more large pebbles. I etched the receiver runes onto all of them. But this time, I didn't connect them to the explosion array. I connected them to the activation part.

  ?I lined them up on my floor.

  ?I held the paper controller. The challenge was precision. I had to direct my mana flow from the paper to a specific pebble.

  ?I focused on the middle stone.

  ?'Connect. Only the middle.'

  ?It was awkward. It felt like trying to grab a specific grape from a bowl while wearing oven mitts. My mana wanted to spill everywhere.

  ?I sweated. I concentrated.

  ?Minutes passed.

  ?Finally, I felt it.

  ?'Now.'

  ?I triggered it.

  ?Flash.

  ?The middle pebble lit up.

  ?Success!

  ?Flash.

  ?The pebble on the right lit up too.

  ?"Dammit," I whispered.

  ?My mana had leaked. I had triggered two instead of one.

  ?I needed practice. Glossing new enchantments could wait. Precision was the priority now.

  ?The next morning, I woke to the sound of hammering.

  ?Thud. Thud. Thud.

  ?It was coming from the main room.

  ?I walked out, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Oliver was there, kneeling on the floor, hammering together a wooden frame.

  ?"Why didn't you tell me?" he was complaining to Nora, who was stirring porridge. "I could have started this weeks ago if I knew you missed your cycle."

  ?Nora laughed softly. "I wasn't sure, Oliver. I didn't want to get your hopes up."

  ?I walked in, spotting Oliver’s boots by the door. They were soaked with mud and melting snow. He had been up for hours, likely hauling water and lumber before I even opened my eyes.

  ?Oliver saw me. He dropped the hammer.

  ?"Vivian," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Come here, son."

  ?I walked over.

  ?He knelt down, putting his massive hands on my shoulders. He looked me in the eye.

  ?"You," he said solemnly, "are going to be a big brother."

  ?I blinked.

  ?Looking at his face, shining with pride and love, I felt a lump in my throat.

  ?"A baby sister," he whispered.

  ?I nodded slowly.

  ?I knew everything about being a big brother. I knew the annoyance. I knew the responsibility. But a sister?

  ?That was new territory.

  ?They watched me closely, looking for jealousy. When they saw only genuine happiness, relief washed over them.

  ?"Good boy," Nora kissed my cheek.

  ?After breakfast, Oliver escorted us to the Hut. He walked with a new strut, chest puffed out like a peacock.

  ?I had a mission today.

  ?Kael’s challenge. The turmeric. The free spice.

  ?I needed eggs for the Kuku Sibzamini. And maybe, just maybe, if I played my cards right, I could secure some extra spice for my birthday.

  ?We entered the Hut. I greeted Alicia.

  ?When Nora was distracted, I sidled up to Alicia’s desk.

  ?"Eggs," I whispered.

  ?Alicia didn't look up from her ledger. "Earn them."

  ?I narrowed my eyes.

  ?I was done playing her games. I was going to be a big brother. I had to be the coolest, most capable sibling in existence. I couldn't be begging for eggs.

  ?"I would earn them," I said, my voice low and serious. "You know I can. But..."

  ?I paused for effect.

  ?"If I earn... I won't share."

  ?Alicia stopped writing. She looked at me.

  ?She saw the steel in my eyes. She saw that I wasn't bluffing.

  ?She sighed, a corner of her mouth twitching.

  ?"Fine," she relented. "Three eggs. Whenever you want them. From the box."

  ?I grinned. "Deal."

  ?I had won the battle.

  ?But then, Alicia leaned back in her chair.

  ?"So," she asked casually. "When are we making these potato patties?"

  ?"The day the merchants come" I said.

  ?"Excellent."

  ?She pulled out a piece of parchment. She grabbed a quill. She started writing furiously, a terrifyingly smug grin spreading across her face.

  ?She rolled the parchment, tied it to the leg of her owl familiar, and opened the window.

  ?"Go," she commanded.

  ?The owl took off.

  ?"Four eggs," she said, turning back to me. "I'm giving you four. Because I'm having a guest for lunch."

  ?'Oh no.'

  ?I had won the battle, but I had definitely lost the war. She was plotting something.

  ?The morning dragged on. I focused on my lessons, trying to ignore Alicia’s humming.

  ?Then, the door opened.

  ?A man stumbled in. He was wrapped in furs, but his face...

  ?His face was covered in pustules. But they weren't red and angry. They were blue. Deep, icy blue and purple, like frozen grapes.

  ?"Help," he wheezed. "Cold... so cold."

  ?Alicia stood up instantly.

  ?"Out!" she barked at Nora, who had started to move forward. "Stay away from him, Nora! Do not touch him!"

  ?Nora froze.

  ?"Go sit in the sun," Alicia ordered the man, pointing out the door. "Direct sunlight. Now. I will bring hot water."

  ?The man stumbled back out.

  ?Alicia moved like lightning.

  ?I watched, fascinated and horrified.

  ?I had some free time while Alicia brewed a steaming concoction. I decided to train.

  ?I dropped to the floor to do a push up.

  ?My arms wobbled. My belly touched the floor. I couldn't even do one.

  ?'Pathetic.'

  ?I stood up and moved to the wall. Wall push ups. Easier.

  ?I did one. Two. Three. Four.

  ?'Why am I doing this?'

  ?I thought of the crib Oliver was building. I thought of the baby.

  ?'I need to be strong. I need to be able to hold her.'

  ?I was sweating, pumping my little arms against the wall, when the door opened.

  ?Oliver walked in for lunch. He stopped. He saw me panting against the wall.

  ?For the first time ever, I saw a smirk curl his lips. It wasn't a nice smirk. It was the smirk of a drill sergeant spotting a fresh recruit.

  ?He walked over, looming over me.

  ?"So," he rumbled. "You want to be strong?"

  ?I nodded warily.

  ?"Good," he said. "Now that you've shown interest... I'm going to turn you into a warrior."

  ?My blood ran cold.

  ?'Mister, wait. This is a misunderstanding. I just want to hold the baby, not kill people.'

  ?But the water was spilled.

  ?That afternoon was hell.

  ?"Lift this log," Oliver commanded. "Run to the tree and back. Jump over this root."

  ?I didn't do much, I was two, after all, but for a toddler, it was a marathon. By the time we got home, my legs felt like jelly.

  ?I stumbled into my room. I didn't want to practice magic. I wanted to sleep for a week.

  ?But then I looked at the wall separating my room from my parents'.

  ?Nora was pregnant. The world was dangerous.

  ?I sat at my desk.

  ?I pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

  ?I drew the barrier runes. I made sure the Anchor runes were large, clear, and perfectly detectable.

  ?'Tomorrow,' I thought, my eyes drooping. 'I copy these around the house. Perimeter defense.'

  ?Then, I picked up my paper controller.

  ?I practiced the targeting.

  ?Left pebble. Middle pebble. Right pebble.

  ?I did it until my vision blurred.

  ?Finally, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I crawled into bed.

  ?Tomorrow was the first day of spring.

  ?The snow was melting. The jungle was waiting. And I was going on my first expedition with the other children.