The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass by Adan Jerreat-Poole

Author:Adan Jerreat-Poole [Jerreat-Poole, Adan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459746831
Google: 1FGqDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1459746813
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2020-09-11T23:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Seven

Eli lay on the stone floor of the chamber Clytemnestra had left them in, watching the moon overhead. She did not trust herself to sleep. She counted her heartbeats and reminded herself that she was still alive. She wondered if Kite was still alive. She had to be — Eli would know if she wasn’t, wouldn’t she? She would know, somehow.

“Who’s Kite?”

Cam and Tav were playing gin rummy.

“I said, who’s Kite?” Tav took a card from the pile and slid it into their hand. “I heard you. You were talking about her.”

Had she been? Or could Tav sometimes hear or see her thoughts, the way Eli could taste Tav’s memories? It was an unsettling thought.

“She’s … just someone. A friend. It doesn’t matter. How long was I unconscious?”

“Such a human question,” teased Cam, adopting a scholarly tone. “Don’t you know time works differently here?”

Eli smiled. “You’re tougher than you look, boy.”

“No, that’s Tav.”

“Tav looks tough,” Eli said without thinking, watching them fan three aces across the stone floor.

“Thank you.” Tav looked up and tried to smile. Eli could see the strain around their eyes, the hollow of sleeplessness.

“Okay, okay, enough flirting. Four kings!” Cam tossed his cards down with a flourish.

Eli wanted to ask Tav if they could stop her from dreaming. She wanted to touch their shoulder, to run her fingers through their hair. Instead she balled her hands into fists and sat up. Tried not to think about Kite’s light going out, the vacuum of dark and empty. Tried not to think at all.

“If Kite’s a friend, why haven’t we met them?” Tav looked back at their cards and Eli wondered if she just imagined the look of worry in their face.

“She’s a witch,” said Eli simply.

“So is the Hedge-Witch,” Tav pointed out.

“Yeah, but she ran away. And the only other witch we’ve met is Clytemnestra …” Cam shuddered. “I mean, I’m glad she rescued us, but I don’t know how safe I feel with witch allies.”

“Safer than without,” said Tav.

“She also might be dead,” Eli told the ceiling. Fingers interlocking over her knees. Tight, tighter, choking the joint. Waiting to feel something. Waiting for a sign.

Nothing.

She breathed.

“Or not,” she shrugged. “I think maybe not.”

“You think?” Cam shot her a worried look. “Are you still hallucinating?”

“No, just dreaming.” Eli laughed, and even to her own ears, it sounded wild.

“Clytemnestra said you needed to rest.” Tav played with the edges of their card.

“Where is my jacket?”

“She also said you needed to photosynthesize.” Tav bent one of the corners. “I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.”

“I never know.” Eli suddenly felt exhausted again. She laid her head back down on the cool ground and let her eyes close. Home. She didn’t want to leave.

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