“And some,” he says, “is pure evil.”
I sigh. “Do you not think that the sum total of our existence must amount to more than who our parents were?” I fold my arms over my chest. “Or are.”
I tack that on at the end because the insinuation of otherwise feels oddly personal.
Day gives me a peculiar smile that seems loaded with things I don’t know about.
“Family weighs much on this island,” he tells me right as Itheelia drifts over to us.
“I see you’ve met the Never Girl.” She gives me a tight smile.
“Indeed.” Day nods. “She’s quite charming.”
“So I’ve heard,” Itheelia says as she eyes me, and I get the feeling that I’m about to be in trouble.
Day’s face grows a bit more serious as he gives Itheelia a look. “We must speak before you leave.”
She frowns. “Of what?”
Day’s eyes flicker around the room before he speaks quietly. “Terrible stories have been reaching my shores.”
She looks at him impatiently. “They could be old.”
“There have been sightings.” Day gives her an ominous look. “A black flag flying.”
Itheelia sighs. “But has anything actually been corroborated?”
“No.” Day gives her a sharp look. “And we’d best hope for it to stay that way.”
Itheelia’s mouth purses. “I’ll find you later.”
Day nods at her and then turns back to me, squeezing my arm. “Chin up.”
I stare over at Itheelia, trying not to frown but still frowning a bit. “What was that about?”
She shakes her head. “None of your concern.” She peers around us, making sure no one around us can hear us before her eyes settle on me. “What is your concern is why are you here?”
I frown at her rudeness. “I was invited.”
“I meant with him.” She gives me a look.
I give her a long, measured look. “Itheelia, your son has made very clear his feelings for me.”
“Yes.” She nods once, giving me an exasperated look. “I do agree.”
I don’t know what she’s doing? Either she doesn’t know or she’s just being unkind to me. It could be either. There’s an edge to Itheelia. You wouldn’t like to cross her. If she thinks I’ve hurt her son, if she thinks I’ve wronged him, she could just be toying with me.
I breathe out and stare over at her. “He wants only to be my friend.”
His mother rolls her eyes, and I shake my head at her, insistent.
“Itheelia, he told me—to my face!”
“Told you what?” she asks, brows low.
“That that’s all he wants from me! And”—I pause for dramatic effect and hope he gets in trouble from her for this part in particular—“that I bring out the worst in him, and—”
She interrupts me. “So you’re here with the other?”
I stare over at her. “What would you have me do?”
“Listen,” she says, eyes wide and speaking with her hands, “with more than your ears.”
I let out a sigh and shake my head at her. “Itheelia, I don’t know what that means.”
“Yes, you do.” She stares at me sternly. “The universe is alive, and she is speaking all the time.”
I keep shaking my head. “To whom?”
Her head rolls back, exasperated. “To you! I know you know.”
I blink twice. “Know what?”
She grabs me by the wrist and pulls me farther away from the party. “What did the wind say to you on the mountain that day?”
“What day?” I blink at her. “The wind doesn’t speak to me.”
Does it? Did it?
She stares at me, defiant and nodding. How sure she is makes me wonder.
Is that what’s in the leather pouch?
“No.” I shake my head, but I’m less sure. “It never has.”
“It did when you were with Jam.” She folds her arms over her chest, searching my face. “What do you remember about that day on the mountain with my son?”
“Nothing, really. Nothing happened.” I shrug. “We came and I met you. That’s all it was. There was no more.” Something blows around in the back of my mind, and I squint as I try to think of it. Except I think there was more.
“Oh.” She nods once as she looks me up and down. “You put it away.”
My chin drops to my chest, and I feel like I could cry. “Not everything.”