The Crags

Chapter 12

Pale and skeletal, he now lay in his bed, and his chest rattled with each breath. But her father had air enough to direct her to his closet. As wide as three of his boots and as tall as her hand, the chest he requested should not have weighed much. The contents, however, made it too heavy for her to lift. The Leigh had followed her and now picked it up as though it weighed less than a feather.

In a rasping voice unlike his own, Mr. Crag said, "Bring it closer. Santi, your thumbs."

She rubbed her thumbs against her thighs, knowing what came next, and then placed them over the two sensors on the sides of the chest. Her father placed his over the one in the middle. She hissed as two needles pierced her thumbs and drew a few drops of her blood. The chest would open for no one but Santi now. Ms. Anise had transferred ownership of the two chests in the same manner before they parted ways.

"Wait until after it is all done before you open it. Do you know everything?"

Santi nodded. "We learned as much as we could about our ancestors and the Centrals, and Yardana showed us how to defeat the wizard."

"I risked my life to end the wars, but now there must be one more for us to have the peace we fought for. Blood must be spilled, baby-girl. I am sorry."

"You do not need to apologize for anything, Papa. You gave me the best life I could have asked for. Everything you tried to teach my sisters and brother, I learned from my uncle and Ms. Anise. But I must tell you something before you return to Yardana. The general did not kill Uncle Hugh. The wizard infected him to commit the murder. I remembered how he limped. The general never had a limp, but the wizard does. I will make him pay for Mama, Aunt Cat, Uncle Hugh, you, Louis, and everyone else he attacked. And then I will help the others take back the castles from those men who killed our ancestors. They will not get a chance at revenge."

"You have two days. Let go of the darkness when you are done. It does no good. Be happy—"

Santi grabbed a stack of tissues when he coughed up blood, but his chest rattled twice and then no more. It happened so fast, her brain refused to accept what had happened. She stared at him, expecting him to complete his sentence. But his lips and eyes remained closed, his chest was silent now, and he moved no more. 

She could not allow herself to go numb again. People depended on her. She had to move, to feel, to get out.

Santi pushed her way out of the room and ran until she breathed the frigid air and snowflakes bit her skin. She screamed at the sky as her tears froze on her cheeks. She pounded the knee-deep snow with her fists until they bled. Her knees buckled under her and she fell, but she did not land. The Leigh, who had once more followed her, scooped her into his arms and carried her shivering body inside. Seated in front of the fireplace, he dabbed her knuckles with the same salve he used before.

She remembered donning her coat and mittens, but not removing them. Where did they go? Did it matter? She needed a clear head to get through the next two days. If she lost them, she could replace them when she had time to think of such trivial things.

Suddenly, an urge so strong, she could not deny it, came upon her. She pulled away from the Leigh and went into Ela's parlor to find material and string. Her teeth still chattered, so she returned to the fire and began making pouches for those who did not have one. But she made one more. She needed to add credit chips to the pouch, but realized she had given everything she had on her to her father.

When she looked up, the Leigh leaned closer and asked, "Do you need something?"

"100 credits in ten-credit chips, or whatever you can spare."

The Leigh searched his pockets, but it was Car-Arjun who handed her the credits she needed. She held up her scanner, but when he shook his head, she shouted, "Take it back!"