Zhen scrambled backward, her purple eyes wide, her small hands pressed against her mouth. Tao Zi appeared at her side instantly, his dark curls falling across his face, his body positioned between her and the thrashing woman.
The woman was not thrashing.
She was staring.
Her brown eyes darted around the hut, taking in the furs on the walls, the fire pit in the center, the strange faces that surrounded her. Her chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths. Her fingers clawed at the furs beneath her, trying to push herself up, trying to get away.
"Where—" Her voice cracked. "Where am I? Who are you? What—"
She looked down at her hands. At her clothes.
She screamed again.
"Everyone back," Bai Yue said, her voice sharp. "Give her space. Now."
The children scattered. Hóng Yè stepped back, his red panda tail pressed flat against his legs. Lì Jìng followed his lead, her jade eyes wide and worried.
The woman did not stop screaming.
