Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Recompense

Later, when the castle had gone to bed, Alyse descended the turret stairs, confirming that the hallway to Saoirse's room was empty. With Murtagh on one side and Alyse on the other, Saoirse descended the stairs and traversed the hallway with her eyes closed and her ears still stoppered with wax. In the dark, she felt for her bed, and finding it, sank into an exhausted sleep where nightmares lurked.

She screamed. The magic burned her mouth as the colors burst from her, fiery reds, simmering yellows, boiling blacks, sizzling blues, hitting Quinn's nose, cooking his eyes. She was the dragon.

“Child, child.”

Quinn’s hands were holding her; he wouldn't let her go! Her heart leapt against her chest. He was hurting her! No! She opened her mouth—and her eyes—to Alyse shaking her awake.

“I almost killed you!” Saoirse screamed.

Sobs poured from her and the sight rushed upon her, turning Alyse's face into a cloud of smoky blue. Greens filled the room. Alyse's twin bells were back, tinkling, and the mold hummed. A beetle crawling across the floor played the lute. She breathed in, filling her mouth with the colors, and breathed them back out.

“I killed Quinn, Alyse. I killed Quinn.” Again, the colors battered her. Alyse's words were almost lost in the cacophony of whistles and squeals and twangs, chortles and pings and snaps.

“Quinn? The miller's son?”

Convulsions threw Saoirse down onto the bed.

“Breathe, child, breathe!”

She sucked in air and with it the greens of the small creatures in the room and the sad blue that surrounded Alyse. She exhaled and watched as they shimmered and died like sparks fleeing a fire. Again, she breathed in and with the colors in her mouth, the taste of them like maple syrup and bread pudding, she wept and choked. Harsh, ragged coughs ravaged her—coughs that threatened to rub the insides of her lungs raw. She shook from head to toe, a smoky blue cloud engulfing her while two loud, ringing bells deafened her.

Alyse lay down beside her and, taking her into her arms, held Saoirse's writhing body against her own. “Breathe, breathe,” she whispered. Then recalling how loud Murtagh had shouted—though the floorboards were replaced, she had heard him—Alyse shouted at Saoirse, “BREATHE!”

Long minutes later, when the convulsions were gone, the sobs returned. “I killed him.”

“Tell me what happened, child. You know I love you. Nothing can take my love away.”

Breakfast arrived with a knock. Saoirse hid her tear-stained face beneath the covers as Alyse retrieved the tray. The biscuits were hot. Saoirse turned away.

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“Oh, I’ll not be having those bad ways.” Alyse waved a biscuit loaded with strawberry jam at Saoirse. “Take it, or I'll cram it down your throat.”

A weak grin lit up Saoirse's face.

“What's that?” Hands on her hips, head cocked to one side, Alyse growled, “I haven't seen an honest smile on your face in years. If I'd know all I had to do was shout, I'd have had smiles out of you long ago.”

When the biscuits were eaten, Saoirse asked, “Did Quinn have family?”

“Surely you understand. He came after you because Lord Togair whipped his father for putting chalk in the flour. Don't you see, child. He wanted to hurt you.”

“What?”

“Those Millers, they are the worse sort. Don't waste your time feeling sorry for them.”

“But I killed him, Alyse.”

“You're better than him.”

Saoirse searched among her jewelry. “Where is the new bracelet? The one father gave me for my sixteenth?”

Sighing and shaking her head, Alyse found it, still in its maple wood box. “Child, if you give this to them, they'll know it was you.”

Saoirse pressed the box with the bracelet inside into Alyse's hand. “You could sell it and leave the money for them.” As Alyse turned away, Saoirse pleaded, “Please. I need to do this.”

Late in the evening Alyse returned. “It's done. The gift fetched a fair pris. The Miller and his wife will not be wanting.”

 

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