5. Erin
Chapter 5
Erin
I don’t touch any of the food Allarick brings me. Part of me feels bad since he obviously went through the trouble of getting it together. But my stomach is still in knots, and the thought of eating makes me want to gag. Not to mention my throat can barely stand swallowing right now.
My entire body aches; James caused more harm than I originally thought. A person can only withstand so much damage before there’s nothing more to give. I was prepared for death, even wished for it, until I sought out Ender.
Finding him was fate, of that I’m certain. James had just gotten off a grueling day of work and was too tired to pay me much mind. He went to bed immediately, and I went out to do a few errands since the car was back.
It was my last stop of the day, grocery shopping, when I overheard a familiar voice speaking loudly to her companion. I turned my head to see Sister Tammy and a poor woman she had cornered. Sister Tammy is Grym Hollow’s nun, taxi service, and the biggest gossip in town. I don’t make it a priority to listen to other conversations, but I overheard familiar names.
“—another one. Can you believe that? First Rose, bless her heart, and now that troubled girl, Hettie, followed. That’s two in the last month! The Guardian should be ashamed of splitting up families?—”
“Did you say The Guardian?” All heads swiveled in my direction. I hadn’t meant to speak, but there was no taking it back once it was out. The woman offered me a thankful smile as she slipped away from Sister Tammy while her attention was on me.
“I did, but I don’t think I should tell you. Don’t want you to get the wrong impression, Erin,” the woman said, though I saw how desperately she wanted to talk about it. And I was the only audience she had.
“Have you seen him recently?” I asked.
The Guardian is Grym Hollow’s protector, or at least that’s what the town says. He’s a recluse who monitors all who enter and exit Grym Hollow. But no one ever leaves—until recently—because they claim this town has everything they could ever need. I beg to differ, but leaving isn’t easy. It never is, especially when you have nothing and no support.
That’s what narcissists do. They alienate you from everyone else until you have no one but them. By the time you realize what they did, it’s already too late. You’ve burned too many bridges, and there’s no coming back from that.
“Well, I haven’t seen him per se,” she said, and I instantly deflated. She sensed my disappointment and hurried on, “But I’ve taken Rose and Hettie both to see him. Do you know those girls? Lovely things, though they have a lot of baggage. Probably why they left.”
“Where did they go?” I tried my best to hide my rising curiosity, but Sister Tammy caught on.
“I hope you’re not thinking of following in their footsteps. I can’t tell you where they went because I don’t know. I guess the strange Guardian did something to them, but that’s none of my business,” she said as if she hadn’t spent the last ten minutes speaking about this in a grocery store for all to hear.
I don’t know what possessed me to say the next words, but maybe it was years of pent-up anger and fear finally bursting through, needing something to change. “Can you take me to him?”
Sister Tammy hadn’t been happy, but after I promised to go to church—a promise I didn’t expect to uphold—she reluctantly gave me his address.
That was how I ended up at The Guardian’s house. Except he wasn’t there when I walked up and knocked on the door. I remember the bitter taste of loss, being so close to something but having it not work out in my favor. I knocked again, hoping he would come eventually.
Except he never did.
I was just about to turn around when something caught my attention. Off to my right was a small, decorative table with a folder on top. A manila folder with nothing but the words Erin Goodwin in fancy script written across the front. It should have frightened me knowing The Guardian knew me and that I would come. But it didn’t. It felt like my ticket to freedom. I snatched it up quickly and read through the pages.
I read about a world not like my own. A world where supernatural beings live and rule freely. It was so impossible to comprehend a world like that existed. The Guardian could take me away from this life, but only if I agreed to marry a man I’d never met, who also happened to be a kraken—whatever that is.
It was a testament to how badly I wanted away from James that I signed that contract without second thought. An unknown monster is better than the monster I knew. I wouldn’t survive James much longer, but the contract gave me a chance of survival.
The door opens back up, pulling me away from the past and back to the unfamiliar bedroom. Allarick, the giant of a man who looks nothing like a sea monster, peers in. He offers me a smile, but when he sees my untouched food, it quickly turns into a frown. I have the bizarre urge to apologize to him, even though I didn’t do anything wrong. Years of always having to be the one to beg for forgiveness don’t go away after a few days.
“Can I come in?” he keeps his voice gentle and low.
Allarick waits for me to nod before he walks in. I take note of the way he bends his head to get through the door, his locs nearly scraping the top of the doorframe. He approaches the side of my bed and holds out a jar, expecting me to take it.
I do but tentatively, not sure what I’m holding.
He sees the confusion written across my face. “It's a salve. Rub it into your skin like lotion, and it should help with your injuries. At least until the healer is able to get here.” He seems annoyed that the healer hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t mind though. Enough people have witnessed my shame; I’m not eager for another.
Allarick is still staring at me expectantly, so I unscrew the lid. I’m hit with the smell of chamomile and lavender. It reminds me of my late mother’s garden in the springtime. She firmly believed plants and flowers had healing properties and would often concoct her own remedies.
I dip my fingers into the cool salve and start massaging the cream into my skin. Already I feel a soothing effect, and I’m grateful. I go to say as much, but only a pained whisper comes out.
“You didn’t eat any of your food,” Allarick says after a moment of silence. We both glance at my untouched meal, and I just shrug.
“Not hungry?” Another shrug. Allarick frowns. “Your body needs to heal. Nutrients will help that process.”
I sigh, not sure why this man cares so much about my eating habits. He gestures to the bruising around my neck. I shake my head, hoping he understands me.
Realization dawns, and he almost looks angry. But for some reason, I don’t think his anger is geared toward me. I hope not, at least. Still, my body goes into survival mode, and I curl in on myself, ready to protect my head if needed.
“It hurts when you swallow?” he asks.
I nod, relieved he doesn’t push the matter or come any closer. Instead, he grabs my tray but leaves my cup of tea, placing it on the bedside table. “At least try to drink this. It’ll help. In the meantime, I’ ll fix a broth.”
I nod again, pulling the blankets tighter around me. I don’t mean for this to be a signal for Allarick to leave, but he sees the movement and steps back.
“I’ll let you rest. I’m right down the hall if you need me,” he says then hesitates. For a moment, I think he’s going to say more, but the moment passes, and he gives me a tight-lipped smile.
Then Allarick is gone.
Again.
With nothing else to do, and the events of the past few days finally catching up to me, I lay my head down on the pillow and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.