Chapter 22
The next morning, Isika was up and running the moment her eyes opened. She pulled her riding clothes on, laced up her soft travel boots, and stalked through the barely lit kitchen, bumping into Auntie on her way to the door. Auntie grasped her by the arms and held her out, searching Isika’s face with her eyes. Isika looked back, despite the hard lump of pain near her heart that told her to run.
“I love you, my gift,” Auntie said finally. “Every day, I thank the Shaper that you four beautiful children came to us.”
Her words were the last thing Isika had expected to hear. She often felt that they had only brought trouble to Teru and Dawit, who were too fragile to bear all the trouble.
“Oh, Auntie. I love you, too. I—I don’t know what to do. I feel crazy, as though I’ve never k
