Ereshkigal settled onto the loose hay in one of the still-standing sheds, breathing in the warm, dusty air as its particles tickled her nose. It was strange, to lie down while it was still so bright out—even though, were it not for Utu’s early arrival, it would be the middle of the night right now. She was curious what swayed him to help her when he’d been so adamantly against it before, but she was too tired to wonder on it for long.
Though her pulse still banged on like an anvil, though her legs were restless and bouncing, her lids were heavy. So very heavy. She turned over onto her stomach, blocking some of the light from her eyes as she closed them.
The faces of dead townspeople stared back at her.
“It hadn’t gotten this bad until she showed up,” they had whispered as Alitta led her
