Twenty more hours slipped through my fingers like wisps of smoke. The countdown had not slowed, though I'd managed to avoid using sapience. I think. It's hard to know exactly what happens when you're asleep.
An hour ago, I woke outside Pearl's door to the sound of her crying. She'd discovered an itch on her neck. I wasn't any closer to finding out what was causing the Roslings to die. The affliktion—that's what I was calling it now. And I had only two more days before I would disappear forever. That is, if Mazol didn't figure out he's supposed to kill me first. I can only hope Terillium doesn't have another way to communicate with my uncle.
I massaged my temples, going through everything I could remember about the Roslings' deaths again and again. Combing for clues. Problem was, whole chunks of my memories were starting to fade. Twice in the last two days I'd woken somewhere else. One time I'd been unconscious for twenty minutes. The other time, three hours. A lot of hurt can happen in three hours.
I poured the sack of onyx iron rubrics into my hand. The star showed Anabelle's memories, but they were blurry. The vision only lasted a few moments. If one of these other rubrics worked like the star, only stronger, I might be able to discover the truth about the affliktion.
I put all the rubrics except for the skull back into the sack. Turning the door handle, I walked in. Pearl rolled over in her bed. When she saw me, I think she scooted away, if only just an inch.
"What is it?" she said.
"How do you feel?" I said.
"Just a little itchy." Her hands fidgeted. Her teeth chattered. She watched me inspect her. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"
"Everyone gets an itch now and again."
"Not Roslings."
I sat next to her. "I need your help." I lifted the chain from her neck and laced the skull on it. "Will you wear this pendant for me?"
She stared at it.
"I think it will help us find out what's causing the affliktion."
She dipped her head. The skull pulsed with shades of darkness when it touched her skin. The pendant seemed to draw any nearby rays of light to it. The sack of rubrics in my pocket vibrated. I heard a beating heart. Pulling the little clanker from the sack, I felt rhythm beat through my body in time with Pearl's chest.
The sound of Pearl's heart beat inside the clanker.
Pearl grabbed the rubric. "It burns."
Radiance seeped out from her skin, like drops of blood, clinging to the skull before slipping inside through invisible pores. I ripped the rubric from Pearl's neck. At my touch, the globs of light reversed direction, penetrating into my skin.
I was transported into a vision.
I saw myself, but through Pearl's eyes, watching Pearl's memory from the moment the skull touched her.
The light stopped. The vision ended.
I put the rubric to my chest, felt a stab of pain. Tiny rays passed through my skin into the skull. The pain faded after a few moments. It was recording my thoughts now.
With some effort, I broke the skull's connection to my chest. I dangled the skull between us. If something happened to Pearl tonight, I'd be able to see it all when I retrieved the skull. I'd be able to see who was hurting the Roslings.
"Will you wear it for me?"
She eyed the trinket.
"It only hurts for a moment."
She nodded weakly.
"I'll be just outside if you need me." I kissed her check and went to the door.
She slipped the skull on as I clicked the door shut. Footsteps approached. I darted inside a room across the hall.
Henri appeared. She looked behind her then ducked inside Pearl's room. I moved to follow her, but my head felt suddenly airy.