(25) Knives Out

(25) Knives Out

     Riley read the poem, and her head snapped towards the dining room. She now had a lot of questions for little Holly, but mom had banished her from the tea party. Even if Riley was right, any message back would have to wait until she could see Holly again.

     She read the message again, and smiled. Then her face soured. She leaned down and smelled under her arm, then thought better of it. Bliss had been right. She noted the damage on her knees. It was time to go home.

     She stuck the new scrap page in between the pages of Ash’s poetry book, which itself she put back in the bookbag. It was still snowing outside, lightly. Riley stood tall and soaked in the night. The villagers that still homes had returned them, even the stable brigade. The ones who didn’t have a home anymore had been offered shelter in the temple. But most had chosen to stay with friends. It was a quiet night, calm, and Riley soaked it in.

     She went back to the apartment, walking past Saint sitting at the dining table. She nodded to him, but didn’t break stride headed to her room. She went directly to the shower and stayed until the water went cold. She eventually dragged herself out, drying off, and put on fresh clothes. She took a moment to collect herself and then went out to the kitchen. She fixed herself a plate of casserole, and then sat at the dining table with Saint.

     He waited patiently, letting her get a few bites before he started in. “Are you feeling better?”

     She swallowed her bite. “I am. How was the dinner?” She paused, “Did you feel celebrated?”

     He wouldn’t be baited so easily. Saint shrugged, and said, “It was exactly what I expected.”

     Riley kept eating. Saint continued, “Carter is holding a funeral for the people who died in that house. And Ash. It’s tomorrow and you have to be there.”

Riley gripped her fork tight but didn’t say anything.

Saint continued in the silence. “You are going to have to leave Hillcross afterwards.”

     Riley was gob smacked. Saint was taking no direct pleasure in having to share this information but the math on the situation is clear. Riley was fast becoming a clear threat to Carter.

     Riley’s mouth twisted. “Are you done telling me things Carter should be telling me herself.” It’s halfway between a question and an accusation.

     Saint took a deep breath. “I offered to tell you.”

     Riley rolled her eyes, and went to leave the table. Saint didn’t get up or physically stop her, but he also didn’t stop talking. “I don’t know why you can’t see reality. Carter has already won.”

     It was enough to stop Riley in her tracks. She stood there, thinking. Remembering.

     Saint has clearly put a lot of thought into this. “If Carter came and told you, you would have yelled. She would have put you in the dungeon. That would be that.”

     Riley turned around, “So she’s in charge. And a tyrant.”

     Saint’s calm composure cracks. “Carter is the Magic Keeper. She saved the town when they were terrified. They are still terrified. And you seem determined to disrupt.”

     Riley didn’t respond or leave. Instead, she stood fuming. After a minute of silence, she squeezed out from between her teeth, “Asshole.”

     “Look, Riley. Be realistic. Carter wants you to serve as an ambassador and solve magical problems for other towns.” He continued quickly, trying to skip over the inherent cruelty of Carter’s plan. “But you need to see it as being free. You already wanted to leave.”

     But Riley’s face showed that she saw it. The cruelty and the genius of it all. She stared as Saint. Her eyes narrow, her mouth fallen open.

Then her mouth snaps closed. Her face went calm, and she disappeared to her bedroom. Saint tilted his head when she didn’t close the door. Riley returned with Ash’s bookbag on her back, once again headed for the door.

     “Fuck Riley. Are you going back to the house?”

     Riley looked at Saint face still blank, unreadable. “I am going for a ride. I will be there for the funeral.”

     Saint’s face collapsed in confusion, mouth scrunched and brow furrowed. “You will?”

     Riley nodded and left. Saint waited, still sitting at the table with the same confusion on his face. He got up, and went to the window. Sure enough, he watched as Riley went into the stable between the houses and the forest. He stood there watching. About ten minutes later she went out on top of her horse riding towards a trail into the forest.

     By the time she got back to the apartment later on Saint had fallen asleep on the couch, still in the same place.