Chapter twenty-eight
no small sacrifice
W e reached the shore beneath Senan’s hut by noon the following day. Darragh walked around back, stopping in front of an ancient tree. He pulled a piece of bark away, revealing a hollowed section. “For the necklace,” he said.
“Will it be safe?” My fingers curled around the pendant, reluctant to part with it.
“We can’t take it to Earth.”
Withdrawing the pendant, I rubbed the little flower between my thumb and forefinger. A fleeting, furious anger toward Darragh rose within me.
Why should I give it up?
Darragh’s eye furrowed at my hesitation. I quelled the rage. Though it was difficult, I set the pendent in the trunk. Darragh slid the bark back and headed to the hut.
We found Senan in his usual spot by the fire. Without turning to greet us, he said, “Oh my. Two visits? In one week? What’s the special occasion?” Darragh, who normally reserved a special sarcasm for Senan, responded with an unamused grunt. Senan glanced over. His eyes widened as he took in Darragh’s dirty, bloodied clothing. “Oh, dear.” He wiggled to his feet and hobbled over. “Are you hurt?” Senan poked and prodded Darragh. He hissed when he saw Darragh’s hand.
“It’s fine,” Darragh muttered, shooing Senan away. “I’m working on it.” He showed his hand. Indeed, his ring finger had grown back entirely.
“Tsk! Give me those!” Senan pointed at Darragh’s bloodied clothing. Darragh stripped off his shirt, revealing the red burns along his belly. Senan cupped his cheeks. “Oh my. What trouble are you in this time?”
“You’re one to talk,” Darragh sniped.
Senan motioned toward Darragh’s pants. “Those too.” Darragh unbuttoned his pants, pausing to look at me. “Oh—hold on.” Senan threw his hands down and rolled his eyes. “I’ll find you some clothes.” He scuttled off between his crates and clutter.
Darragh perked up. He reached for me and pulled me close. “She’s here.”
Senan reappeared and pointed at me. “You. Get in the back.” He grabbed for Darragh, but Darragh wriggled out of his reach and backed away.
“She’ll kill you,” Darragh said. Senan clasped his fingers together, like a duck snapping its beak shut. Darragh’s mouth did the same.
“Go.” Senan pointed. Darragh’s biceps tensed as he resisted the command. “Now!” Senan waddled around Darragh and pushed him. Darragh followed me, his gait rigid and forced. Senan ran in front of us and waved at the floor. The dusty, red rug rolled itself up tight. Senan whispered an incantation and a large, glowing rectangle materialized on the floor. A handle appeared, and Senan stooped to lift it. “Get in.” Having no choice in the matter, Darragh crouched beneath the floorboards. Senan turned to me. “I couldn’t have bound him if he weren’t injured. Thank goodness for that.” Senan put a hand to his chest. “If anything happens to me, my bind on Darragh will break. Do not let him come out.”
“But—”
“I mean it.” Senan’s eyes bore into me. “Do not let him come after me.”
I nodded.
“Good.” Senan handed me a cloth parcel. “Take this.” I peeked beneath the cloth; the orb glowed within. “Listen carefully.” Senan jabbed a pudgy finger at the orb. “This is your bridge between Earth and Hiraeth.”
“Okay.”
“As soon as she’s gone, take Darragh and get back to Earth. If she finds you before you leave, destroy it.”
“Okay.”
“As a failsafe, if the relic breaks, it will send the user back to their home location. If you drop this and it shatters, you will return to Earth.”
“What about Darragh?”
Senan licked his lips and frowned. “He will remain here.”
“But—”
“No buts. Do you understand?” My shoulders sank, but I agreed. Senan took a good look at me. His eyes softened, and he cupped his hands beneath my chin. “I wish I could have known you better.” Senan gave me a bittersweet smile. His old eyes twinkled in the firelight. My lips were frozen in a frown. They couldn’t say the words I thought.
I wish I could have known you better too.
Senan hugged me and said, “Now hide.” He helped me under the boards and beckoned Darragh to his feet. Senan reached up and, placing his hands on Darragh’s chest, said, “I know you’re quite cross with me.” Indeed, Darragh’s glare was incendiary. “Perhaps it’s for the best that I’m not around when this concludes.” Senan chuckled before a cold seriousness came over him. “No matter what happens, you will not come out. If she catches you…” Senan glanced at me, then back to Darragh. “Fingers regrow—but you can’t bring back the dead.” Senan’s face scrunched as he hugged Darragh’s midsection and whispered, “Until we meet again.”
Once the embrace was broken, Darragh knelt back below the boards. Senan lowered the trapdoor, it closed with a gentle click . Thin lines of light trickled through the floorboards above us.
A gust of air whirled as the trap door snapped open. Senan leaned in and pointed at me. “If you break his heart, I’ll come back for you.”
“I understand,” I whispered. Senan pointed to his eyes, and then back to me as he closed the door once more. Senan muttered his enchantment and the door sealed. The rug rolled into place with a thud and sprinkling of dust.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The floorboards creaked as Senan strolled to the door. “Oh my! Darragh!”
Someone who sounded like Darragh, but was certainly not Darragh, replied, “Grandfather.”
The Truth.
“Oh, my! Let me put the kettle on.” Senan’s footsteps pattered across the floor. “I’m surprised you’re back so soon!”
“What do you mean?” the Truth asked, mimicking Darragh’s voice, almost perfectly.
“Well, I just sent you and that girl off to Earth—”
“You what?” Darragh’s voice hissed.
“Yes, you left last night, or was it this morning? Oh my! I’m so forgetful these days. Did you bring the orb back—”
Whump!
The floorboards quivered as a heavy weight hit them. Senan’s low groan carried through the floorboards.
Darragh’s eyes closed.
A tense silence stretched on. It was the Truth’s voice, not Darragh’s, that spoke next. “For quite some time, the Queen looked the other way while you broke our laws for profit. Darragh might have a pass to travel back and forth, but you’ve let more than just Darragh cross, haven’t you?”
“Well, no. I—”
“You’ve brought someone back. Someone who doesn’t belong here.”
Guilt twisted my guts.
The Truth meant me.
“I can’t possibly control who comes or goes all the time.”
“ You possess the relic. You are responsible for who goes, and who returns.”
Silence.
“Where have they gone, and when do they intend to return?”
“How should I know? He’s a terrible grandson. He hardly visits, and he certainly doesn’t tell me anything.”
Footsteps sounded as several sets of boots entered Senan’s hut. The Truth began, “Senan, you are charged with the possession of an illegal artifact.”
“But I no longer possess the artifact—”
The Truth cut him off, continuing louder. “You are charged with illegal ferrying and aiding an enemy of the Queen. Make this easy on all of us; give me the answers I need. I’m going to get them either way.”
“No,” Senan huffed. “You won’t.”
“What are you doing… Stop him!” the Truth shouted. Stomping boots descended on Senan. The boards shook as crates were knocked over, their contents spilled. Bodies shuffled and Senan grunted.
A final, dull thud hammered the floor.
Unbearable stillness filled the hut.
Beside me, Darragh’s faint breathing halted.
As if the life had gone from him too.
Free from Senan’s enchantment, Darragh’s head fell forward. He buried his face in his hands.
“Poison,” the Truth snapped. Glass smashed. More crashes vibrated the floor. “Take the body!”
Boots shuffled across the hut…and then they were gone.
Darragh dragged his forearm across his face. “Let’s go.” He moved from a crouch to a squat, prepared to stand.
“Should we wait a minute?”
Darragh’s face scrunched, as if he was listening. “You’re right. She’s waiting outside.”
“Are you okay?” Of course, he wasn’t okay. What a stupid question.
“I—” Darragh’s voice broke, and he looked away. After a few moments, he murmured, “She’s gone.”
Darragh repeated Senan’s incantation and the secret door unlatched. Darragh climbed out; he turned and pulled me out after him. The boxes and crates that contained Senan’s things were toppled everywhere. Darragh stooped to pick up loose objects, placing them gently back in their boxes.
“Shouldn’t we hurry?” I whispered.
“He wouldn’t want his things to get broken.” Darragh picked up Senan’s old, worn mug and placed it back on the table. After a pause, he turned the mug to face the empty chair.
We cleaned up Senan’s things in silence.
When we finished, I followed Darragh to the water’s edge.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
I looked at the water, infested with marsh elver. The suffocating feeling of Marlowe holding me in the lake resurfaced. Darragh put one foot in the water and reached for me. I backed away, fidgeting with my nails. “You know what? You should knock me out.”
Darragh furrowed his brows in a what gives? sort of way. “But you said—”
“I know what I said.”
“Are you sure—”
“I’m sure.”
Darragh climbed out of the water. He kicked his leg. Water sizzled and evaporated. “Back inside.”