Chasing Dandelions

Chapter 14

The next two nights were spent with Kardia, sorting through everything that Addie had ever loved, hoped, for or lost. Charlie saw all the memories, the lost dreams, the heartbreaks. Kardia was a wise teacher, careful to never shift blame, but always breaking away meaning from the lessons.

"But why bother?" Charlie snapped. It had been four hours of pouring over memories with no useful information that would help him get home. Kardia was mostly oblivious to just how tired Charlie was becoming, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him.

Kardia looked at him kindly, suggesting that maybe they'd had enough for the night.

"I've had enough for a lifetime." Charlie scooted his chair back and stretched his legs, suppressing a yawn.

Kardia chuckled, focusing back on the memory she was working through. "Have a good night, Charlie."

"Thanks."

Charlie shut the door quietly behind him and stepped into the hallway, taking a step back when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He leaned around the doorframe, his hands pressed against the stone wall, and watched as Kit tiptoed down the hallway towards a large, wooden door. She looked to her left and then to her right, slipping a brass key into the lock and twisting it sharply to the left. Charlie waited until she cleared the doorway before sprinting across the hall, grabbing the doorknob just as it was about to close.

He couldn't explain it, but something in him knew Kit was up to something. He held his breath, hoping Kit wasn't directly on the inside of the doorframe and slid into the room behind her. He looked down a staircase, lanterns hung on either side of the stair rails and watched as Kit took the last step, turning immediately to the left. Charlie followed her quietly, his heart pounding against his chest. He peered around the wall, tiptoeing to a spot behind some old boxes and watched the scene in front of him unfold.

The room he'd stepped into could be best described as a dungeon, thick slabs of stone for walls and gray, concrete floors. It wasn't nicely kept at all, boxes stacked everywhere like it was just used as storage for Asfalis. Charlie stepped closer to get a better look, noticing that another version of Addie was leaned up against one of the walls, her head lolled to one side.

"Hey Fovos," Kit greeted, pushing at her leg with one foot. "You keeping busy down here?" Kit laughed, her tinkling voice sounding more menacing than Charlie had thought possible.

"How much longer are you going to try to keep this up?" Fovos asked, tiredly. Kit shook her head and didn't answer, digging into her pocket for a small box.

"Sh," Kit murmured, slipping a pill into Fovos' mouth and tilting her head back. She sloshed some water from an old canteen into her mouth. Fovos didn't try resisting and swallowed the pill immediately, a look of dread on her face.

"Are you happy now?"

"You know I hate that I have to do this," Kit soothed, smoothing Fovos' hair back into place. "But Addie can't have you around if you're going to think everything's a danger."

"I'm not the problem," Fovos protested. She coughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the chamber.

"Quiet!" Kit exclaimed, covering her mouth. "No one knows you're here."

"What are you going to do?" Fovos demanded, sitting forward with her head tilted. Her arms were limp at her sides, the medicine slowly beginning to take effect. Her eyes flashed with anger and she continued, "Every time something bad happens, you're just going to hole up whoever you think is causing the problem in here?"

"I will do whatever I have to do to keep Addie safe," Kit said coolly, her eyes icy. "Addie is my priority and I won't let anyone get in the way of her being happy and safe."