The Selkie Owners by Aaron Galvin

Author:Aaron Galvin [Galvin, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aames & Abernathy Publishing
Published: 2020-04-14T22:00:00+00:00

5

CHIDI

Cloaked in absolute dark, Chidi sat with her back against a cavern wall. The light from Henry’s torch had burned out long ago. Or was it a few minutes? Chidi desperately clutched at the torch and touched her fingers to what had been its flamed tip, now cooled.

Awhile then, she decided.

Across the way, Marisa Bourgeois snored softly.

Chidi thought to scream, wake her, and have someone to talk with. At least it would pass the time until Henry came to collect her like he’d promised. She had little doubt her owner would follow through. He always keeps his promises. She fought the notion he abandoned her to endless dark and conjured the many promises Henry had kept over the years.

Chidi always found it hardest to ward off the newest memories. Burying the dead faces deep in her mind took time and effort and she struggled with the discipline of it now. She kept seeing Racer, lying in an open field. Pictured Wotjek sprawled on the floor of the gas station and relived Henry’s threat to Ellie.

Just because he hasn’t killed her yet, doesn’t mean he won’t. Her conscience warned. Henry always keeps his promises.

She feared for Lenny Dolan then, too, the master planner who had given her freedom for a moment. And I betrayed them both. Chidi sobbed. They gave me freedom and I brought them death.

Not all of them, a quiet, inner voice reminded her. Allambee is free.

Yes. Chidi clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs. She thought on the last thing Zymon Gorski had told her and the fear in his voice. You know fear already. Have lived with it in that other world and survived this long. You are the only one who can save us now. Will you do that, Chidi? Will you save all of our lives?

“But who’s going to save mine?” she cried at the darkness. “Who will save me . . .”

Deep in the tunnel, orange light dawned.

Chidi stood up, watched the light bob as the torchbearer meandered through the snaky tunnel.

“Endrees!” a hard voice called out. “Get back here, ya sorry excuse for a sea rat.”

A shadow darted across the floor, bound toward Chidi.

No, no, no. She backed to the edge of her cage.

A sea otter poked its nose through the iron slat, wiggled its nose, and chirped at her.

“Buckets a blood . . . how’d you get in here?” The torchbearer stood at the tunnel’s edge, his stature small, belying the giant shadow he cast against the cavern wall.

For a moment, Chidi thought Lenny Dolan must have escaped the stocks and come to rescue her. As the little man neared, she saw it only a trick of the light. “Declan Dolan . . .”

“Aye,” he said. “And you’re Henry’s girl.”

“Chidi . . .”

“Right,” said Declan. “Boss Fenton didn’t say nothing about your being locked up in here.” He glanced down at the hunk of bread and cup of water he’d carried in his other hand. He sighed. “I don’t have any food for ya.

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