The Diamond Of Darkhold

Kenny Parton runs into Lizzie Bisco, Lina’s friend from Ember, who is recovering from an illness. He shares what he surmises about Lina and Doon: They are gone, and no adults realize it yet. Torren jumps out of hiding and joins their speculation. Lizzie thinks they eloped romantically to set up a house together. Torren thinks they decided to be roamers. Kenny, however, knows Lina and Doon want to help others, not profit from them. Eventually, Lizzie theorizes they returned to Ember to fetch food and helpful items. The three agree to meet the next morning to start looking for them.

Maggs shows Lina the place where her brother found the diamond. Lina is shocked to see a metal-lined room, clearly built by humans. Maggs and Lina camp after walking for an hour. Maggs talks for a long time about how hard it is to be a roamer. She brings up wolves and the greenish star that moves. They squish inside Maggs’s tiny wagon, crammed with junk, for the night. It smells terrible, and Lina fears wolves; she also worries about Doon and how people in Sparks might be angry with their choice to go to Ember.