Rhian

A lot happened in a few days. We learned there was a species even older and more powerful than a Partisan. We found Vincent Delestade's old pal Gregory Keller, but then he died. We found the missing boy, Ivan, although Strauss said he was also going to die. I took out the old man decoys, and we burnt down a house.

Which apparently was all right because it was going to burn down soon anyway.

Back in Oskari, Michael got busy at the Widow’s Peak getting down and dirty with That Varis, and Strauss was handling the business of returning Ivan to his aunt Rose. I’d been feeling poorly, which might have been the fact I hadn’t been sleeping all that well, or eating all that well, or doing my job all that well. ‘Course, it might have also had something to do with the fact I’d spent half a day running around soaking wet thanks to Michael.

It was dusk by the time I woke up from my nap, and I was bored enough to go to church. Strauss was always so busy writing those sermons, and it all seemed so bloody dire. It had to be exciting when it was all said and done, right?

Wrong. About the only thing fun about church was how charming he was up there, commanding the room like a champion. It was nice, but it wasn’t enough to keep me there for long.

West of the Widow’s Peak, there was a pond. It was a stinky, grimy pond, but I liked sitting around tossing rocks into it.

As far as I could tell, nobody lived in the house behind the pond. I’d have snooped inside, but it was smack next to the shack the village called a garrison. That night, Captain Lobodin was asleep on his desk, so I could’ve used the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity. But like I said, I felt terrible.

It was about an hour before I saw her—the lass straight out of my actual dream. I remembered the way she stood with a face like thunder, looking out the window with the butter-yellow drapes. In real life, she walked right up to the pond, looking at me the same way with those big amber eyes. She smiled bright like she knew me.

“Hi, Rhian.”

“Hello.”

“I have a gift for you,” she said. “It’s your birthday soon, isn’t it?”

“Right,” I said, and I had no idea how she knew that. “You really shouldn’t have.”

The pretty lass smiled again, and if the whole affair weren’t so bloody strange, I might have smiled back.

There was something not right about her. Something missing from those big amber eyes. I’d seen it before.

Turned out, the gift was a map, and it seemed she’d drawn it herself. Squiggly line here, squiggly line there. Big arrows pointing one way or another. There weren’t any words, like she knew I couldn’t read them. It was thoughtful of her.

“Ivan is going to die, but he doesn’t have to," she said.

The lass pointed where the “X” marked the spot. It was the house with the pretty garden where it all started. The house where Ivan returned to live with his aunt Rose.

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It wasn’t long after, I realized I was speaking to Ivan’s aunt Rose. It wouldn’t be much longer after that I’d realize Ivan didn’t even have an aunt Rose.

I knew where I’d seen that non-look in her eyes before. She was one of Those Things.

“I could make him better, Rhian, and all I ask in return is that you come over to our house for a visit. We could make it a girls night.”

“Uh—”

“But wait—before you agree to anything, it's important you know your options.”

The lass pointed on the map. Another “X” marked the spot, leading us to a house on the outskirts of the village.

“You killed four already. There are actually five. You’ll find him here tonight, and he’s a very bad man, Rhian. They all were.” The Crazy Bitch tapped her temple a few times. “That’s why I had to neuter them. But here’s where it gets interesting. You can only choose one. I’ve decided I’m not giving you enough time for both. Save Ivan, or kill the bad man holding all those nice people hostage. He has plans for them tonight. It won’t be pretty.”

I was about three-quarters the way sure I was screwed no matter what. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t turn on her. I couldn’t kill Those Things. Only Strauss, and Michael, and Intrepi-what-the-bloody-ever could kill Those Things. I couldn’t even do what I did best and run, on account of she slithered behind me and started petting my head.

It was odd. I don't know what more to say about that.

“You have pretty hair,” she said. “Have you ever wanted a sister?”

“Not even once.”

“Why not? I'm told sisters share things. Like secrets, and men. Yours is very handsome.”

“Look, if you’re going to kill me, just get on with it. I’m getting bored now.”

“Kill you? Why would I want to do that?”

“I haven’t the first clue what you want in life, lass.”

“I don’t want to kill you, Rhian. I like you. That’s why I invited you over for girls night. Have you made your decision?”

Let me be clear about something: I had a strong suspicion the lass was full of shite about saving Ivan. Strauss said there was no cure for the Waste, and even if she could do something for him, I doubted it'd be without some kind of twist. There'd be regrets no matter what, and for all I knew, the captives were already dead.

The bottom line: it was all just a game, and I wasn't buying in. I knew where my morality stood and it was none of anyone’s goddess-be-damned business—least of all the Crazy Bitch still petting my head.

“Aye, I have.” I crumpled the map and tossed it in the pond. “Not playing.”

“That’s new," the Crazy Bitch said. "Nobody’s ever chosen to do nothing before. I see why he likes you.”

At the time, I thought she was referring to Strauss again. Turns out, she wasn’t.

“Because of that, and because you’re a nice girl, I’m going to give you a third option.”

Coming from her, I supposed I was a nice girl.

“Besides, you have a baby to think about now. That changes everything, Rhian. I should know, I was a mother once.”

I could hear her heart pounding just as well as I could hear my own. If it were a race, I’d have her beat by about a thousand per minute. The lass was completely crackers.

“Wait—you didn’t know?" she asked. “And I thought you were the perceptive one.”

I certainly did not know.

“Oh well.” I felt her shrug. “For your third option, I’m going to give you a chance to leave all this behind. Go back to Palisade, or go find something else to do somewhere else. I don't really care. Just leave me and my village alone, and I'll leave your friends alone. Sound good?”

“Well, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard.”

The lass kept on petting my head, all the while I was starting to feel dizzy. Truth, the attention felt nice apart from the fact it was a maniac on the other side. If what she said was true, and I wasn’t even sure it was, I couldn’t stay in Oskari. Especially with That Varis lurking over our shoulder.

So, we made a deal.

But don’t worry—keeping a promise to a Crazy Bitch wasn’t part of it.