Haffling (The Haffling series) by James Caleb

Author:James, Caleb [James, Caleb]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Published: 2013-07-09T16:00:00+00:00

Seventeen

WE LAY winded outside the tree’s canopy. It was daylight. Jerod’s hand in my right, changeling Mom’s in my left. He let go first. I felt an ache at the loss of his touch… and fear. He’d followed me into Fey and now.… Tears welled. He’d done something heroic, and according to Nimby, his selfless actions would be rewarded with a horrible cost. He was so beautiful, and now, it was like I’d broken him.

He pushed back on the ground, putting distance between us. “Shit,” he said. He shook his head and tried to stand. He stumbled back and sat with a stunned expression. His mouth was agape. “Wha….” And then he shut it fast. “Questions,” he stated.

“They’re okay on this side.” I stared at his face, trying to decipher his expressions. Would he be crazy like Marilyn? Was this the opening of a schizophrenic monologue?

He swallowed and nodded. “Too much.” He stared at me, and the minute our eyes connected, he looked away. He squinted at changeling Mom, who was drawing circles in the dirt with her free hand.

This was bad. What did he mean by too much? Really bad. I didn’t cry. I did not cry.… Tears were streaming. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry,” changeling Mom parroted, her gaze now up on the branches overhead.

I couldn’t stop crying. I wanted to wall out this reality as well. How pathetic. I struggled for words. Truth was, May was right. She’d ripped me open and let Jerod have a good look, which didn’t really matter because he’d be too crazy to remember. “I’m sorry.” And between the wall of bricks and trying not to look at Jerod, I realized I was about to lose the only friend I had outside of Sifu and Alice. I couldn’t focus. I let go of changeling Mom’s hand and I turned away. I couldn’t look at him, like something was tearing inside of me. I stared at the ground. Maybe if I stayed still, he’d get up and leave. That would be best. But feeling Jerod sitting there.… Please go away. Just leave me alone. Don’t make this worse.

“That wasn’t a dream,” Jerod said, not sounding crazy. His voice was deep. “As evidenced by… she’s really real.” He called to the changeling, “Marilyn.”

Distracted by a stream of ants, she glanced at him. “Marilyn,” she repeated, her tone parroting his.

“That’s your name,” he said. “Marilyn Nevus. Alex is your son.”

She smiled and looked from him to me. “Alex is my son.”

“Way out!” Jerod said. “She seems partially programmed… if that’s even the right way to think about it.”

A carpenter ant crawled onto her leg, pulling her focus.

He moved closer. His nearness made it impossible to think. And then he did the unthinkable… his hand found mine… again. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“Look at me, Alex.”

Great, I had snot running, and I’d been crying like a five-year-old who’d just learned there’s no Santa… and I felt that worst of all emotions… hope. Like maybe he was okay, which didn’t make sense because the fey don’t lie.

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