We All Hunger (The Gardener Kings Book 2) by Monica Boothe
Author:Monica Boothe [Boothe, Monica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peniel Press
Published: 2022-04-03T16:00:00+00:00
When Dilwen comes back that evening, she hardly seems to see me but bustles through the door with a basket full of vegetables and miscellaneous herbs that she spreads out on the table.
âDilwen,â I say, and she turns. She has a pine twig wedged in her hair. It reminds me of RÃan. âIâve decided to live.â
Her mouth coils itself into a toothy smile.
16
Because of Hunger
What will my life look like now? I wonder as morning creeps through the cracks around the door. Dilwen sleeps by the fire in a crumpled wad. Her breath like the buzzing of bees fills the cave with an insistent hum. I canât stay here forever, living off the kindness of a priestess.
If only I had a boat. There are several still in Bryn, moored along the banks of the river. Do I dare go back there? Iâd have to do it under cover of night. And even if I did, would Awel let me cross the sea this time? How easy is it really? RÃan didnât seem to have any trouble, casually rowing his way from one shore to another. But Atha taught him so much more about Gà rradhâabout everythingâthan he ever taught me. Even so, RÃan erred south and landed us in Lochmór.
I picture it in my mind, me slipping over a blue sea in a little fishing boat. The island on the horizon. Athaâs silhouette appears on the shore. The gardens are a swirl of color behind him. I donât wait for the boat to reach land but jump out as soon as Iâm close enough to make out the white roses at the bottom of the hill. Atha doesnât wait either but wades toward me, seafoam splashing about him, flecking his beard and filling the air like his laughter. I fling my arms around his neck, and the waves crash around our knees as I breathe in his scent. Sea salt and roses. âIâm home, Atha,â I tell him, and at last Iâve kept my promise. One promise at least.
He kisses my cheek but then sets me down with a worried glance over my shoulder. âWhereâs RÃan?â
Thatâs when the dream dissolves like sand beneath the waves. What will I tell him? How will I explain how I led his son to his death? âIt was Ceallach,â I would say. âCeallach killed him.â I try to picture the horror that would sweep his face, try to imagine his gasp, his cry. But I canât. I canât fathom his grief at losing his only son.
But even this would be a lie. It would not be enough. âIt was me,â I would have to tell him. âI didnât protect him. You told us not to be separated, but I did. I left him. I led him right to Ceallach. It was my fault. I killed him.â But Athaâs face is gone now. I canât even imagine him on the beach. I canât imagine my homecoming. How could I bring him such pain?
But I promised. Itâs the one promise I can still keep.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Adoption | Marriage & Divorce |
Parents |
Teens Talk Tough Times by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen & Amy Newmark(744)
This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson(493)
Welcome to Sex (Welcome To You Series) by Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes(361)
What's the T?: The Guide to All Things Trans Andor Nonbinary by Juno Dawson(207)
The DBT Skills Workbook For Teens - Understand Your Emotions and Manage Anxiety, Anger, and Other Negativity To Balance Your Life For The Better by Bucket The Mentor(177)
Accountable by Dashka Slater(177)
Always Smile by Alice Kuipers(169)
The World Between Us by Sarah Ann Juckes(146)
No Way, They Were Gay? by Lee Wind(144)
Human Trafficking by Lita Sorensen(133)
Choosing to Live, Choosing to Die by Tate Nikki;Wuthrich Belle;(131)
Racism in America by Meghan Green(130)
The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens by Sheela Raja & Jaya Ashrafi(127)
The Fight for Disability Rights by Lisa A. Crayton(126)
Sex: A Book for Teens by Nikol Hasler(125)
The Gay Liberation Movement by Sean Heather K. McGraw(125)
Autism Playbook for Teens by Carol Moog(124)
Race Relations by Barbara Diggs(118)
Inspired to Action by Jean Rawitt(117)
