Chapter 3

3: 3

3

I kept my eyes fixed on the shut door.

The welts on my wrist burned, but my mind had never been clearer.

The way I died last time taught me one thing: showing feelings to people this blind to the law was digging my own grave.

I don't know how long it was before a faint rustling came from outside the window.

I crossed to it quickly and looked down.

Under the moonlight, Carmen had a huge pack slung over her back, stuffed full of bulging sky lanterns.

Nadia and Fifi trailed behind her, each hauling several big bags of fireworks.

All three were bent low, climbing over the low back wall of the guesthouse.

From the direction they were headed, it was the open ground where the historic village and the back-mountain woods met.

My heart lurched.

That clearing sat in the wind's path, ringed on every side by rows of century-old wooden stilt cabins.

One stray spark and the whole village would burn to ash.

There was no time to wake Herman. I gritted my teeth, climbed out after them, and followed at a distance.

By the time I reached the clearing, Carmen had already pulled the first sky lantern from her pack.

She dug out a lighter, itching to light it.

“Stop!”

Before I could rush forward, an old, forceful voice cut through the air.

An old woman came striding up from the mountain patrol trail.

She stepped in, knocked the lantern away, and slapped the lighter out of Carmen's hand.

“This is a protected heritage zone. Open flames are banned across the entire area!”

“How did you even get this much flammable material up the mountain?”

“Pack it up right now and come down with me!”

Her face was tight with alarm, her voice trembling from how hard she was pushing.

The moment Carmen saw it was some old woman cutting in, her whole expression changed.

She wrenched her arm free.

“You old hag, who asked you to butt in?”

“I'm praying for every stray animal in the world here.

“A heartless old fossil like you, still breathing, is just wasting air!”

The old woman was shaking with rage.

“This whole mountain is dry branches, and down below are wooden buildings!”

“If something happens, can you carry that?”

She reached out and grabbed Carmen's pack, trying to stop her.

“Get off me!”

Carmen lost it completely, disgust in her eyes, and shoved out hard with both hands.

The old woman had no time to brace. She stumbled back several steps and nearly pitched headfirst down the steep, unguarded slope beside her.

“Stop!”

I lunged forward and caught her.

Just then a big hand shot out from behind, seized my collar, and yanked me back hard.

Herman had followed after all.

“Maxine! It's you again?”

“You can't sleep in the dead of night, you just have to come out here and start something, don't you?”

“You can't stand seeing Carmen happy? You won't rest until you've driven her to her death?”

He hauled me backward by force, cutting me right off from Carmen and the old woman.

“Herman, open your eyes and look! She almost pushed that old woman down the mountain!”

I fought him wildly, my fist slamming into his chest.

“Carmen won't even step on an ant. How could she push someone?”

“You two are the ones ganging up on her, throwing your age around!”

His grip was crushing. He pinned me against the tree trunk and killed every move I made to get to them.

Carmen, with Herman backing her, smirked in triumph.

Held against the trunk, my hands trapped.

The old woman steadied herself against the tree.

Then she faced Carmen head-on, dug a badge with a silvery gleam out of her pocket, and held out its embossed seal.

“I'm the chief expert appointed by the national government to protect this historic architectural site.”

“You light a single sky lantern here today, and I'll bring you up on arson and destruction of national cultural relics together. Enough to keep you behind bars for the rest of your life.”