Gail stared at Zef for a long moment before speaking.

"You lied to me?" he asked quietly.

Zef winced. "Look, I had to. With how you've been doing, the last thing you needed was to worry. If it makes you feel better, I felt horrible about it."

His levity failed to lighten his brother's mood. Gail was sitting up and could speak a full sentence without taking a breath, but moving about was still a chore. Zef hoped the flight up to Pinnacle wouldn't be too taxing. If he agreed to fly at all—a matter that seemed far from decided at the moment.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook his head. "You're an idiot, you know?"

"Yeah. I know."

"So… she's really going to take us both? Not just you, her precious apprentice?"

Zef only hesitated a moment, but his brother knew him too well. Gail leaned back with a groan.

"You haven't asked her."

"Not yet," Zef hurried to say. "But she'll agree. I mean, she was so excited about taking me on she didn't even test anyone else. That's got to be a good sign, right?"

"Are you trying to convince me or have me reassure you?"

"Both?"

Gail shook his head. "It's not that I'm not grateful. But Zef… I asked you not to. And you did it anyway."

Zef chewed his bottom lip and stared at the crack that was their sole source of light when their lantern was out of fuel. He felt as if he were running on the rooftops again, and at any moment, he could slip and fall.

He took the leap anyway.

"You want the truth? You're not getting better. In fact, you're getting worse. That last storm was a close call; we both know it. What if I can't find aura next time? What if I get caught and don't make it back?"

"I told you, Zef, you don't have to—"

"I do!” It came out harsher than he intended, but Zef couldn't restrain himself. "I do have to. We lost Ma and Pa. I can't lose you."

Gail met his eyes, then sighed. "I get it. I really do. But it goes both ways, brother. When you suffer for me, do you think I like it any better?"

You suffer everyday because of me, Zef thought. But for both their sakes, he kept the words sealed tight in his mind.

"Well, neither of us needs to suffer anymore," he declared. "I'm going to be a skyscribe, and you're coming with me. No, don't say you won't — you've always wanted to ride a greathawk and visit Pinnacle at least as much as I have."

His brother's mouth opened to object, but Gail shook his head instead. "Fine, fine. We'll try it your way. But if I get out of this loft only to have to climb back up…"

"Then I'll fetch you quillcakes for a week. Deal?"

Gail grinned and stuck out his hand. "Swear on it."

Zef spat in his palm and grabbed his brother's hand. "Swear and spit."

Laughing, Gail pulled away and wiped his hand clean.