Where The Earth Meets The Sky

Chapter 21- Liana's POV

  I pass Calix a napkin, watching as cream from the donuts Papa picked up today drips down his chin. He laughs, wiping it away with his finger instead, licking it off.

  "Delicious," He says, closing his eyes to savor it. I laugh, taking a bite of my own donut. Nothing beats a good sweet treat.

  Fergus smacks my arm.

  "Pass me a cream filled one would you?" He asks, his words still slightly slurred.

  "She might have if you hadn't smacked her," Calix mutters. If Fergus hears him, he doesn't show it. I pass Fergus a donut, hoping it's cream filled. My brother's sudden flirtation with alcohol scares me. I know he misses Blaze, but I just wish he had found a better way to cope with his grief.

  "How's your ankle?" Calix asks, a few donut crumbs collecting on the front of his shirt.

  "Not bad, but it is a little sore," I admit, thinking of how bruised it had looked earlier when we were sitting in my bedroom.

  "The storm isn't letting up," Papa says walking into the room, dripping from head to toe. I try to forget the look I had seen in his eyes the day I confronted him, but it is burned into my memory, threatening to tear me apart. What is my Papa involved in? Does he have anything to do with Blaze's disappearance? Part of me wants to think that couldn't be possible, but another part of me is almost for sure that he is involved somehow.

  "I want to thank you," Papa says, walking over to Calix. He puts a big wet hand on his shoulder, and looks down at him. "Thank you for bringing my daughter home safe and sound. I was worried when I heard about the warehouse."

  Something in Papa's eyes flash, and I feel something tugging at me, telling me something is going on. I ignore it.

  "Of course sir. You are welcome," A look passes in Calix's eyes that I can only imagine is fear. Although Calix hides it well, I can see it, the fear, lingering like a shadow in his eyes. He blinks and swallows. I hold my breath, wondering what Papa is planning on saying.

  "She's important," I hear him mutter, his voice sharp and full of warning. He leans in and whispers something to Calix, and this time I cannot hear what he says. He backs up, his eyes twinkling, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered to his lips. Calix just nods, his face pale. I feel my stomach boil. My Papa and I have always been close, but as of late I have had many reasons to be weary of him.

  "I need a drink," Fergus says from his spot at the table. I look in his direction and can't help but feel appalled by what I see. A drunk, dirty, immature man. I always believed Fergus to be the mature brother, the one I could turn to in times of trouble. But his actions have shown me how he acts in times of trouble. He isn't someone I could count on.

  "Calix and I need to study," I say abruptly, reaching for my satchel hanging in the corner. Of course I have no clue what his Lessons group is working on, but I can't stay here in this room any longer, and I would hazard a guess Calix feels the same.