Gray skin is everywhere. Red eyes glowing in the dark. Walls of trees closing in. She keeps me safe. The precious plant will save us all. Do you hear it? The songs of salvation, the melody of release. They are near.

They fear her. She has protected me all this way, my guardian who believes in my mission. She sends the wings to watch over me. Shamira.

-Doc Vorran

LESEDI:

She hasn’t spoken a single word in two days. Nothing. Her eyes stare with hollow blankness while she walks along the hills ahead of us. Under the dark starry sky her silhouette trudges along in silence. If any of us try to catch up with her she moves away. I’ve never seen her this way. I’ve seen her broody, angry, sad, frustrated, and any combination of every negative emotion. But I could always reach her, comfort her, calm her. Give her words of peace to soften her heart, she’s never shut me out like this. I feel lost.

Meekala walks by my side. “Is she any better?”

I shake my head. “No, not yet. She won’t even speak.”

“It all happened so fast. Othin’s death is a shock.” She pats me on the forearm and taps my elbow to hers. “But she will survive.”

I shrug suppressing tears. “Will she though? We know what happens to bondmates.”

She looks away at Talea and then back at me. “We know what happens to most. Tu’kari is not like most.”

I sniff away tears. “She’ll be ok then?”

“No.” Meekala shakes her head. Well, that’s honest. “My parents were once separated for a year and it almost drove them insane. Make no mistake Lesedi, you will lose your sister.”

I can’t accept that, but I can feel its inevitability looming over me. I reach over and tap the top of her hand, she suppresses a flinch. “She is not the only one who has lost someone important to her. I know what Jar’kog meant a lot to you. Gi’mntat too.”

Reflections pool in her eyes, she looks up towards the moon to keep the tears contained. “We had a shared past. It was complicated and-” Her voice chokes and she shakes her head to shoo the emotions. “Write their deaths in your book. They deserve remembering.”

My smile fades. “I will. As soon as I can write it without crying.”

She chuckles. “The pain will fade. All pain does with time.”

The twins leap in front of me like a stone falling from the sky. Viko seems twitchier than normal and Daku’s eyes are extra stormy. I didn’t think it was possible for them to be more unstable, but now they both tremble with anxiety. It’s odd, they don’t stop our pace to talk, instead they walk backwards maintaining eye contact. It’s like they’re scared if we stop moving Talea will get away from us.

The twins look at each other with worry then turn their eyes to me. “Want the Tu’kari. Tu’kari not say. Want the help, need to. Ask. No say. Fix.”

Even their words are more unorganized and scattered. I glance at Meekala hoping for a translation. I need to speak for Talea right now, I need to show I’m competent. Somehow Talea can always understand them, but I’m not her, I feel just as lost as they do. I look over the twins’ shoulders at my sister. I need you Talea, I can’t do this without you.

Meekala tilts to the side and whispers into my right ear. “They need direction. Tell them anything.”

I nod my thanks to her and summon false confidence. “We are continuing on foot to the Srexi. Tu’kari is forging ahead, uh, scouting, keeping an eye out for attacks. She’s focused, don’t interrupt her.”

Viko chews on her lip, Daku glances at her and they both nod. “Want the we should?”

“Yes.” I breathe with relief. “If you can, scout farther ahead. Keep your eyes open for threats. Do not attack if you see anything, come back here and report them.”

The two nod and bound away running like predators in the night. Echo elbows me in the side, she also likes to appear from nowhere. “Good job. If Talea’s lost her bulb I don’t know how we’ll keep those two in line.”

Echo becomes the subject of my burning glare. “She hasn’t lost her bulb. She’s grieving. She loved someone deeper than you or I can imagine. You in particular.”

She raises one eyebrow. “Ouch.” Echo speaks in an emotionless monotone. “Oh, how your venomous wit sears my soul.”

Feelings rise to the surface against my will. “You left me!” My eyes flash with tears of fury. “Alone in the sand while Kr’thitch died. You ran away and didn’t even look back.”

She tucks a lock of straight indigo hair behind an ear. “Look Les-”

“I’ve gone over it in my mind. The only good reason I can think of is you figured out what Talea had planned, you knew I would be rescued by Shamira, and thus you ran to Talea’s zigon in an effort to conserve time. But the thing is, not even I had figured out what Talea was planning.”

Echo smirks. “Well, you were a bit distracted with your friend being mauled by a giant snake monster.”

My voice falls to a quiet anger. “You play like you’re dense, like all you’re good for is knife throwing and sarcasm. So, either you’re much smarter than we think, or you’re much crueler. Which is it?”

She shrugs and pats my left cheek. “What’s life without mystery, right?”

With a quick spin on her toes she saunters off. As she catches up, Talea doesn’t charge away. The two walk at a brisk pace side by side. I imagine it’s because Echo is the only one that doesn’t care enough to talk to her. Enough of this. I run after them attempting to catch up. Talea, of course, bolts. Chuckling with her hands in her pockets Echo doesn’t break her pace, she continues walking as if wandering through the woods on a sunny day. I continue my exhausting race after my sister. I will not give up on her.

Despite my best efforts she stays ahead of me. Of course, she does. She spent months running the plains with Othin and actively training to become a warrior, while I read books. I could run all night and never catch her. With frustration weighing me down I drop to my knees feeling like the world will swallow me. The picture flashes to my mind of two days ago. Talea on her knees in that dark stone tunnel. Screaming. She screamed such roaring howls of pain and anger, louder than any nightstalker call.

I close my eyes remembering. Her skin paled, her hands clenched into fists so tight blood poured from her palms. She screamed for an hour, the cries echoed from the tunnel into the sky and surrounded us. Then, with abrupt silence, she stopped. It’s like all the voice she had left her and she hasn’t spoken since, nor have her eyes lost their red color.

I know she needs more than two days to recover from that, but time is something we don’t have much of. I resolve to be patient, no matter how much it hurts. She’ll come to me when she’s ready, I need to give her space and wait it out. Hoping. With a slow breath I open my eyes and flinch. Red eyes stare straight back into mine. Talea. She crouches on the balls of her feet with her elbows propped on her knees, the same posture the nightstalkers favor. Her eyes are so red.

I swallow hard and speak with soft tones. “Talea? I need to talk to you.”

She says nothing, she only stares at me in silence. My eyes go teary but I firm myself as best I can to keep the crying to a minimum. Despite my best efforts my voice chokes. “I know you’re hurting. I know. But I need you. I’m not strong like you. I can’t do this without you. I-I-” Now I’m crying and my emotions won’t stop flooding out.

Talea holds her position, stiff and still all but for one hand which she lifts to wipe a tear from my face. I try to look at her through my blurry vision. It’s hard to tell, but I think I see a slight smile. In the least, her eyes dim a little. She pulls a piece of hair that stuck itself to my cheeks and tucks it behind my ears. My breathing evens out and I wipe my eyes.

Her head snaps to the left as her eyes scan the environment around us. I open my mouth to ask her what’s wrong but she puts a finger to her lips signaling silence. I freeze. In an instant her eyes flash even redder as her eyes dart back and forth. She springs from her crouch and leaps over my head, I duck and turn to see what’s going on. Talea has someone pinned against a tree with her right hand, she holds a knife to the person’s throat with her left.

I look hard in the moonlight. Was it? No, that’s impossible.

Talea glares hard at her captive. “Rala.”

She spoke! For the first time in days I hear her say something, anything. My heart flips with glee before seizing up again realizing the hatred bubbling out of her and her intent to kill apparent in the knife she holds.

Rala opens her mouth to speak. Talea presses the tip of her blade against the gray throat and pulls a pin prick of blood from it. “Why?!” She roars into Rala’s face.

The hostage returns the ire with a smile. “Why did I survive?” She shrugs. “It is because I am better.”

Talea pushes the knife in harder, the pin prick turns into a drip. “I’ll kill you here and now!”

I leap towards her. “Talea! No!” I wrap my hands around the wrist wielding the knife. “Please, don’t. This one time, don’t kill.”

Talea turns her anger towards me and tightens her grip around Rala’s throat. “You’re on her side?! She shouldn’t be here, Othin should!”

“I know.” I give her knife hand gentle pats and speak with soft kindness. “But this isn’t about Rala. This is about you. If you kill her now when you’re like this, I know it’ll change you forever. Please Talea, you promised me you wouldn’t lose yourself to them.”

Talea turns to glare at Rala, her mind seems to be debating. “You deserve to die.”

The smug creature shrugs again. “We all do halfmoon. That is why we are here. You are a killer, like me.”

The blade drops to the ground as Talea loosens her grip of it. “I’m not like you.” As she begins to pull away, she stops and hurls her unarmed fist straight into Rala’s face. Her nose makes a crunch and blood dribbles from it. She leans in close and growls at her enemy. “I am better.”

Talea walks away and points. “You are not part of this pack. Go away.”

Rala pushes herself away from the tree in the most arrogant walk I can imagine. “No.” Talea frowns with confusion. “I am here by Wikon’s command and I chose this place. I will see it through.”

“No!” Talea glares at her hard. “We don’t want you!”

“That does not matter halfmoon child.” She chuckles under her breath. “Either challenge me, now, and win. Or move on.”

I see the thought cross my sister’s mind as she considers it. I jump to her side and whisper into her ear. “Talea, I know you’re hurting. But you need to think. Please, she’s dangerous. Don’t.”

Talea sighs and her shoulders slump. Her mouth closes and she returns to her silence and walks away. My heart aches for her, there’s a fire burning inside her and she’s losing against it.

Rala steps towards me and whispers into my ear. “Watch your bloodling. Had you not stopped her she would be dead now.” I gulp. “See that she does not try to kill me in my sleep, like the bane did.”

✽✽✽

TALEA:

Swirling black clouds, they chase me along the plains. Eating up everything in their path, they even swallow the snow. They consume the sky without mercy and dissolve the zigon into nothing. I am alone in the snow trapped in an endless run. I struggle against the rising levels and my movement slows with each step while the black clouds speed up. They rear into the sky and then bear down on me, swallowing me whole. Everything goes dark.

I gasp and sit up, shooting awake. Another bad dream. My breathing is quick and shallow while I look around in a frenzy. Why is it dark? My hands tremble, I need to do what Lesedi says to do, retrace the last that I remember.

It’s been a week since Othin was, I can’t even think the words. We’re deep in the forest now, Srexi territory. We should find the clan any day now. Why is it dark? Keep retracing, we found an empty yar burrow, thought it would be safer. I shudder with the memories that throw me back to the bloody tunnels.

On my hands and knees, I crawl forwards to the entrance, interesting how yar can be so big but their burrows so constricting. Echo perches on the mound outside the burrow, golden rays bleed through the trees while the suns prepare to set. She holds her arms around her knees with her eyes alert.

I pull myself from the burrow to sit beside her in silence. I don’t know how much time goes by, but Echo is the one person with whom I can sit by in quiet bliss for as long as I want. She never asks anything of me, she never asks how I’m feeling, she never expects anything. Echo nothings me, and right now that’s what I need.

Betraying our quiet pact, Echo looks me up and down and snorts. “Thrack, you look terrible.”

I glare. “Thanks.”

She shrugs. “Nightmares?” I nod. “Sucks to be you. I guess with Othin’s death you’re bound to break a bulb.”

I push my fists into the mulchy forest floor. My voice is low, but serious. “He isn’t dead.”

She frowns. “What?”

I do my best to maintain a calm composure, I fail. “He’s. Not. Dead.”

Echo laughs. “Ok. Easy on the reds Tal. I don’t give a thrack but you freak out Lesedi.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm down. My eyes never stop burning, but they can cool a little. “I’m sorry. But I can’t get rid of this feeling, he’s not dead. I just know it.”

For the first time, Echo thinks before she speaks and chooses her words with care. “Talea, he was swallowed by a snake monster. Then dragged under the sand. No one can survive that. Nobody else did.”

My fists squeeze tighter. “Rala did.”

“Rala wasn’t thracking swallowed! She escaped while those scatch beaks were distracted with us. Thracking prenks.” I raise an eyebrow and Echo smirks. “What? I don’t get to swear as much when I talk to Lesedi. And it’s one of my favorite things. I miss it.” She looks sadder about that than anything else on this trip.

A slight smile breaks onto my face and for the first time in a week I laugh. Echo chuckles. “So, why are you telling me this? If you’re so convinced that gray hunk of yours is alive, why not go after him? Who gives a scatch about the mission? Go tell that beloved twinsie of yours.”

I lean my head back to look at the barren tree canopy. “Because Lesedi would think I’m insane.”

Echo snorts. “And I don’t?”

I shrug. “Yeah, but you don’t care. All you want is to get to Safehaven.”

She nods. “True. Just don’t try to pull my eyes out when you snap or I’ll have to kill you.”

I laugh again and it feels good. But it fades away as I look at her. “I know you’re lying.”

Echo freezes and though I can’t feel it, I can see worry. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry. I don’t care enough to do anything about it.” I keep my eyes gazing at the patterns of tree branches overlapping each other. “You’re not joining the Sky Legion, that’s not why you’re going to Safehaven. None of that makes any sense.”

“Yeah? Then why am I out here?” She asks as she lays back.

I shrug. “Don’t know. Don’t care. I trust you enough to know you won’t kill us. That’s enough.”

A chuckle escapes her throat. “Unless you try to pull my eyes out. Then it’s fair game.”

“True.” I laugh again. “As for going after him? Where would I go? I can’t accept he’s-” I pause, swallowing hard, I can’t say it. “Before he-” Another wall goes up in my mind. “I felt something from him when he fell. I felt, anger.”

Echo shrugs. “Well yeah, I’d be pissed if a snake ate me too.”

“No.” I shake my head. “It was Rala. I don’t know how, but I know it was Rala’s fault. And I’m going to kill her.” I stand up and stretch my arms above my head, exhausted. “I don’t know. Maybe I am insane.”

Echo closes her eyes and smiles. “Probably. But you’re my kind of crazy.”

That’s the fondest thing she’s ever said to me. I grin and begin my perimeter check before another night of travel. We need to get going, without the zigons this feels painfully slow. I scan the tree canopy and I see a black shape in the sky through the gaps in the trees. Shamira, she reappeared yesterday, she’s nearby but far away. She should stay that way. She should have saved Othin, she should have done more, stupid bird.

I pause and feel something, someone nearby. Glancing to my left into the trees I see a shape. A person. A glint of red eyes flickers and then the figure dashes away. “Echo. You better wake up the others. We found the Srexi.”

✽✽✽

A breeze kicks up and blows through my body, my skin prickles but I feel nothing. After the nightstalker I spotted disappeared into the brush we decided to keep moving. He moved too fast to follow, so we’ll wait until the Srexi find us. This idea does not sit well with Lesedi, who’s convinced they’re going to kill us from the shadows. I don’t think so, that’s not the nightstalker way. When you kill someone, you look them in the eyes before you run them through, that’s what I intend to do with Rala.

My senses kick int and I feel someone nearby. I look and see Rala’s self-satisfied smile as she pushes her way from a bush. “Daypeople spook so easy. Pathetic.”

She emerges from nowhere and shoves her way ahead of me. She’s kept her distance thus far, but now she wants to be present when we enter the Srexi village. Why? She’s here for more than following Wikon’s order, but none of it fits. It doesn’t make sense. Try as I might to put the pieces together my mind is clouded in a red haze of rage.

I glare ahead, how I hate her. The feelings of intense odium are so strong that sometimes I shake, it takes everything in my power to not lose control. I might have already had it not been for Lesedi. I open my mouth to bark something vile at Rala, but I’m interrupted. Like a drop of water falling from the sky a nightstalker appears from above. He lands in silence with a perfect upright posture. His hair is divided into dozens of little braids that shake around his ribs. His cheekbones are high, his eyes a bright red, and his body fleshier than the gaunt nightstalkers I’ve seen. His chest is bear of all but a white pattern that contrasts against his gray skin. He searches out the party looking each of us up and down before locking eyes on me.

A deep voice commanding great authority speaks. “Come.”

He then turns away without a word and without looking back to check. We hurry to follow him, poor Lesedi has to run to keep up with the long-legged stride. She reaches over and grabs my hand but I pull away from her and shake my head. We can’t look weak.

Lesedi whispers. “I’m scared.”

“I know. But be strong, I won’t let anyone hurt you.” I tap my elbow to hers. “Work those brilliant brains of yours. You’re the diplomat, we’ll need you.”

Lesedi frowns. “Ambassador to the nightstalkers. Do you think they even have diplomacy?”

I shrug. “Aggressive diplomacy.”

She sighs. “That just means killing.”

I smile. “Sometimes that’s all we have.”

She rolls her eyes, her gaze drifts away as she tries to think of other things. She’s afraid, so am I, not for my own life though. As Lesedi puts it, I’ll be fine, I always am, not that it matters anymore. But Lesedi, she’s all I have left now.

After walking a short way into thickening forest, we come to an abrupt stop. I look around, confused, there doesn’t appear to be anything here. All I see is a bunch of piled up stones overgrown with years of plant life. The piles of stones climb a hill that leads to what I assume used to be a building, a building from a long time ago.

The nightstalker we’ve been following turns to us and speaks to me. “We are Srexi. If there is trouble you will die where you stand. Understood?”

I calm my face and narrow my eyes before giving him a silent nod. He reciprocates with a gesture and points to the building.

His deep voice speaks out once more. “That way, go.”

I swallow hard and proceed to march forwards up the piles of stones that turn out to be ancient steps. We climb closer to the building, it’s difficult to see in the dark, but it looks like it’s made from two different colors. There are cream colored square stones stacked on top of each other, but then the organized blocks are interrupted by large black smears. Like a stone with smudges of soot.

I keep my eyes focused ahead and speak in quiet tones to Lesedi. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

She stammers. “Uh, uh, no. I uh-”

“Pull it together Les.” I whisper a warning. We can’t look afraid.

Lesedi composes herself, as best she can. “I have no idea. If I still had my maps I could speculate. I’m surprised we found them at all since I was navigating from memory.”

I shake my head. “You and I both know your memory is as solid as hardstone.”

She smiles at me and relaxes a bit. We’re entering an unknown without any idea where we are and what to expect. That sounds like the mission statement for this journey, and that hasn’t worked out well for us. We reach the top of the hill and stand staring into the gigantic white stone doors. They begin straight on the bottom and round at the top like an arch. Metal creaks while they’re pushed open from the inside.

The doorway reveals an enormous room, it continues the theme of white with black smudges for walls. The floors look like at one time they were pristine marble, but now they’re dull and dirty with more of the black smears. We walk along the cold old floor towards the center of the room. Along the walls I can see nightstalkers standing and watching. Every one of them stand tall and proud, no one is hunched, growling, or hissing like the Blood Bane. Who are these people?

The moonlight shines through a perfect round hole in the ceiling. It’s trimmed and carved in a way that shows evidence it’s there by design. Growing along the ceiling, framing in the hole, are banya tendrils. Bulbs rest in cage-like sconces that hang from the ceiling to illuminate the room. Banyas? There were none of these in the Blood Bane village, all they had were wild vines that grew where they wanted. A banya takes a lot of work and maintenance, I know because I saw how Lesedi took care of ours.

We reach the center of the room, there’s an odd symbol carved into the marble. The entire piece has been left intact, which is remarkable considering the state of everything else. The symbol depicts two cupped hands holding an open book with a circle around them. I look to Lesedi, her face contorts into an expression of extreme concentration. I see her eyes dart in rapid movements while she loses herself in a thousand thoughts deciphering the meaning of this symbol. With a sharp intake of breath her eyes flash open, she gasps so loud I jump. She looks up with wild eyes and turns in a complete circle taking in everything around her.

Lesedi grabs my shoulders and shrieks. “Do you know what this place is?!”

I frown. “No. That’s why I asked.”

She struggles to keep her composure and it takes everything she has not to jump up and down. “The academy! Father Sky I can’t believe it!”

I hush her. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, kind of surrounded by nightstalkers.”

A hot blush comes to her face and she focuses on her breathing to calm down. Despite her assuming a stoic face I can see her eyes racing with thoughts and fingers fidgeting with excitement. Judging by her enthusiasm I’m guessing it has something to do with books. Lots of dusty old books.

Ahead of us a figure appears, a female nightstalker about my height walks towards us. Her white hair is smooth and well-kept as it pours like a white waterfall down her body. She’s breathtaking, truly beautiful. She’s not emaciated or skeletal in any way. Her body is formed, healthy, and full. Her limbs are long but not gangling, her neck is thin but not skinny, her face is angular but not sharp. It throws me off balance.

She wears a long thin gown made of white fabric that drapes to the floor. Her sleeveless arms wear silver bracelets around her round muscled biceps and forearms. We lock eyes and she raises her left hand towards me. Her black claws move in a gesture that summons me to her. I halt the others and approach her alone.

I stand in front of her staring into her red eyes. I can feel the heat of my own, the red still hasn’t gone away. She speaks with a voice that’s powerful but soft. “A hybrid. I guessed as much. Wallkeepers are far too timid to approach us. Let alone journey from afar, as you clearly have.”

I look myself up and down and realize my clothes are in tatters. My tunic is missing both sleeves, my vest has lost its clasps and hangs open exposing the huge tears along the torso. My pants are more rips and holes than they are pants, not to mention my entire body is filthy top to bottom. I glance over at the others who are in a similar state as me. Though through what must be a miracle Lesedi’s veya, aside from being filthy, is unmarred. With the exception of some tears along the trim.

Not the ideal way to start diplomatic conversations, but this could work better for us than if we were pristine and polished. Nightstalkers appreciate hard work and overcoming challenges. I stand up firm. “We are from the Blood Bane clan. We were sent by leader Wikon. We have important matters to discuss with you.”

She raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Ah, how is ambitious young Wikon?”

I scrunch my eyebrows. Young? I don’t want to show confusion or weakness. I can’t let her throw me off. “I need to discuss something with you that concerns the safety of your clan and mine. Can we talk in private?”

She chuckles. “You think you can walk in here and demand a meeting? You have the arrogance of a red eye, that is certain. Where are you from?”

“I just told you. The Blood Bane.” I frown.

She waves her black clawed pointer back and forth. “Now, now, no lies. The Blood Bane would not create something like you. Where are you from?”

She speaks with such eloquence. I expected to greet a nightstalker leader that I had to prove my strength to, my courage, maybe even fight them. Instead she pokes with questions, it forms a knot in my stomach. Lesedi should be doing the talking. “I’m from a farm west of the Blood Bane territory. My sister and I.” I gesture to Lesedi, hoping to defer the rest of the conversation to her.

She turns to look past me. “My, my, a surviving bloodling.”

Her feet move with so much grace she looks like she’s floating as she walks past me. She sets her sights on Lesedi, who stands with perfect posture and dignity. No fear or panic are evident on her face, instead she clasps her hands in front of her and stares straight into the red eyes.

“So, hybrid, did you come in two or three?” The nightstalker asks while looking her up and down.

Lesedi replies with an even tone. “Two. We’re twins.”

The nightstalker pulls on a strand of gold green hair with her claw. “How interesting. You both survived, did your mother?”

My sister’s eyes narrow. “She survived the birth. She did not survive the nightstalkers.”

The clawed woman nods in thought. “What is your name hybrid?”

Lesedi keeps her hands clasped tight and her voice neutral. “What is yours? I believe it proper to introduce yourself before making inquiries.”

She smiles with amusement. “If you tell me one thing first. What is this place?”

Lesedi looks around. “It would seem you don’t realize what a treasure you have. These are the ruins of the Academy Dela Runa. The greatest institute of knowledge before The Poisoning. It was thought to be a myth and many doubt its existence. It’s said to be a complete compendium of knowledge of everything that was lost.” She turns her eyes on the nightstalker and stares hard. “Lost trying to survive against the nightstalkers.”

I flinch. Easy Lesedi, remember where we are.

The nightstalker doesn’t look angry. If anything, she looks impressed. “I see. You are the intelligent one then yes?”

Lesedi’s eyes go cold with genuine confidence. “Intelligence is a matter of perspective. Talea can fight and survive in ways I can’t. I simply absorb knowledge from books.”

She opens her mouth revealing the familiar array of teeth inside. “Ah, I see. You hate us so. Yet you are us. Why?”

Lesedi straightens her back and firms her eyes. “What we are is not determined by our parentage. It is determined by the decisions we make. My decisions have not led me to kill others and destroy lives.”

The nightstalker laughs. “A wallkeeper with the mind of a red eye. Wonderful. My name is Arleyan. I am leader of the Srexi.”

“I am Lesedi.” She nods with respect. “Sister to Talea. She is our leader.”

Arleyan shakes her head. “No. She is your champion. You are the leader. A champion must have strength, a leader must have mind. You have our mind Lesedi.”

I shake my head. “I don’t get it. What are you talking about?”

Arleyan smiles at me. “You do not see it champion. You and your bloodling come from the Srexi.”