There’s a chill in the air this morning, and not just from the clouds drifting across the sun. Everyone’s giving Solma a wide berth and she knows it. She knows her glare could shatter glass. Bell and Olive are both avoiding her and Solma hates that she’s glad. She’s not sure she can face them. Especially not Bell. Solma watches her aunt as she hobbles across the glade, never letting the Keeper children out of her sight. Despite the pain of her arm, which is tightly bandaged in a sling, she watches those four kids with dogged attention. And they cluster round her like frightened puppies. The color is gone from Bell’s cheeks and Solma hasn’t seen her smile in days. She frowns as she watches Bell struggle to kneel beside Leiff when the girl beckons her to examine a bee nest. They need to get
