Chapter 8 Summary

The next day, Matt and Branch accompany Kira into the woods to find Annabella's home. Jamison told them that they should be safe as long as they stayed on the path, and though they can hear various creatures in the woods, nothing sounds menacing. During the journey, Kira asks about Matt's father. The boy explains that he, like many others in the Fen, does not have a father, though he does not seem saddened by it.

Kira mentions her own father, showing Matt the pendant that she now wears to remember her mother and father. When Kira says the pendant was a gift from her father to her mother, Matt is confused. Kira explains the concept of giving sentimental gifts to loved ones, and Matt admits that gifts are never given in the poverty-stricken Fen.

Kira and Matt soon arrive at Annabella's modest...