The Spirit Keeper

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The Spirit Keeper Page 17

by Luznicky Garrett, Melissa


  My mind had been working in overdrive throughout Imogene’s speech. There was still something I needed to know for sure, something that Imogene couldn’t answer.

  I looked at Shyla and asked her point-blank, “Did you set that fire? I need to know the truth, once and for all. No more keeping secrets.”

  Shyla’s entire body shook with the accusation. She bolted out of her chair, nearly upsetting the water glasses on the table. “I told you I didn’t do it,” she said between tight lips. “What will it take to convince you that I’m telling the truth?”

  “We had always suspected you were involved,” Meg said quietly, eyeing Shyla with a measured level of wariness. “I’m sorry about that now.”

  “Shyla did take the fall,” Imogene cut in. “Her own father was the first to point the finger of blame, and it didn’t take much to convince people of her guilt, given her history of setting fires. I left the reservation soon after your family did and purposely followed you here, even though you weren’t aware of it at the time. I guess I felt guilty in a way. What happened to my daughter was an accident—it certainly wasn’t Melody’s fault—and I couldn’t stand seeing all of you cut loose from the tribe. And when Shyla got in trouble, I knew I had to step in to protect her. She came here, to live with me, where no one could bother her again.”

  “But if she didn’t set the fire, then who did?” David asked.

  Imogene shrugged. “You know what they say about the one to point the first finger, right?”

  “Victor,” David said. There was no shock in his voice; only admission of what he and Meg had already suspected might be true.

  “You were so young, David,” Imogene said. “But I’m sure you remember the circumstances under which my daughter died. Who is the one person who would most want to get back at Melody?”

  “But why?” I said.

  Imogene splayed her hands. “I just told you why. Victor blamed Melody for Aida’s death. I can only assume he set the fire himself and pinned it on Shyla. Of course, we have no actual proof that he set it—only our suspicions, and Shyla’s word against his.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said. “Why would a father blame his own daughter?”

  Imogene shrugged her expansive shoulders. “He was angry and grief-stricken. He wasn’t thinking clearly, I suppose.”

  David made a sound of disgust. “You make it sound like grief is an excuse for revenge.”

  Imogene turned so she was facing him. “Absolutely not. At one point in his life Victor was a decent man, but he fell apart when my daughter was killed. She was my child, my flesh and blood. I had more reason than anyone to be angry, but I couldn’t allow myself to be consumed with hate and vengefulness, especially not against the people I considered family. And I couldn’t sit back and let him destroy his daughter’s spirit any more than he already had. Even when she came to live with me, he continued to harass her, trying to put ideas in her head.”

  “Ideas about me, right?” I said, my stomach spasming. “I survived the fire, and he considered me his unfinished personal business. He didn’t get what he wanted the first time around, so he came back to finish what he started. But he was counting on one of you,” I said, looking at Shyla and then at Adrian, “to help him. He expected you to hate me just as much as he did.”

  Adrian squeezed my hand. “But I didn’t hate you, even knowing what I did.”

  Shyla looked at her brother, and then at me. “Neither did I.”

  David got up from his chair and began pacing in front of the big picture window, stopping every now and then to look out into the front garden. I wondered if he was actually seeing something outside, or if the garden was merely the backdrop for what he was reliving in his mind: the awful moment he found out his sister and parents were dead.

  “All this time,” I said to Imogene, “why didn’t you ever come around? You could have explained everything to me, to us. None of this had to happen.”

  “I tried at first, when you were just a baby. But your mother and grandparents, they thought it best to sever all ties. They made me promise never to contact you, no matter what. Too many people had been hurt, they said. Too many lives disrupted. And then when I heard they’d died . . .” She let out a deep, shuddering breath. “I almost broke that promise, but I didn’t. All I could do was focus on Shyla and trust that Meg and David would take good care of you. And I see they have.”

  I shook my head and said under my breath, “I wish you would have told me.”

  “My dad never talked about your family to me,” Adrian said. “It wasn’t until he showed up at our place with a U-Haul that I knew something was wrong. He told me to pack my things. He gave me no choice or warning that we were even leaving. One day I had a life on the reservation, and the next day we were living in a new town.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me right away?” Imogene said, obviously surprised to hear this.

  Adrian shrugged, refusing to meet his grandmother’s eyes, and didn’t say anything.

  My stomach plunged to my feet. I’d been convinced Shyla was the real threat between her and Victor, but it had been Victor all along. I hadn’t realized how unstable he really was. I’d totally underestimated him.

  “I should have stepped in sooner,” Imogene said. “I should have broken that promise. And now, who knows what’s going through Victor’s head?”

  “There’s no way he’s going to hurt Sarah,” Adrian said. “He won’t get the chance.”

  “We won’t let him,” Shyla said, giving her brother a small smile of solidarity.

  Adrian’s own smile faltered as he studied his sister. “I hardly saw you after you left the reservation and went to live with Gran,” he said, the accusation in his voice unmistakable.

  Shyla lowered her head. “Gran helped me get through a really dark time in my life.”

  “You could have come to me,” Adrian said. “We used to be so close. I missed you when you went away. You don’t know how much I missed you.”

  “I couldn’t expose you to what I was going through,” Shyla said. “I told Gran I didn’t want to see you. I was an emotional mess. You wouldn’t have understood.”

  “Do you honestly think being stuck on the reservation with Dad was any better? In case you didn’t notice, he isn’t exactly Father of the Year.”

  “I did notice,” Shyla snapped. “And I’m sorry that you felt like Gran and I abandoned you. But this isn’t about you, Adrian. Can you even imagine what I was going through; the incredible pressure I was under? Our father threw me to the wolves in order to cover up his own crime, and the Council basically looked the other way and said that I was the dangerous one!”

  Shyla turned to me, her face flushed. “Dad was trying to use Adrian to get to you. That day in the mall, when I told you to watch your back, it was because I was sure Adrian was up to no good.”

  Adrian started to protest, but Shyla held up her hand to silence him. “But now I know Adrian’s true feelings. And in all fairness, he thought the same thing about me. How could he not? He’d heard the rumors. My dad was playing us against each other. How sick is that?”

  There was nothing but silence for several long seconds. At last, Meg rose to her feet. “Can I get anyone some herbal tea? How about cookies?” She left, and we sat motionless and quiet until she returned.

  Shyla had been crying silently, and she wiped the tears from her face with her crumpled napkin. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

  “When you ran off that day,” she said to me, “that day in the woods, I couldn’t believe what I’d done to you.” She smiled ruefully at the memory. “Adrian looked like he might kill me on the spot, so I took off running as fast as I could. What I did to you, it just confirmed every awful thing anyone has ever said about me. I am a monster.”

  “No you’re not,” Imogene said quietly, but with an authority that put the matter to rest.

  “Tell me about this Conditional Blessing,” I said with a sigh, suddenly feeling very
tired again. “You never got around to that.”

  “There are two parts,” Shyla said. She looked first at Adrian and then at me, tears still lingering in her eyes. “The first part of the Conditional Blessing is that you marry a member of the Katori tribe and produce a child with him.”

  I laughed, and everyone turned automatically to look at Adrian and me. “I’m not even seventeen years old yet! I think I’m a little young to be getting married and starting a family. Heck, maybe I want to go to college and concentrate on figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

  “There was no specified time,” Shyla said with a wave of the hand. “It could be five years from now or ten, as long as the Condition is fulfilled.”

  I felt a prickly heat creeping up my neck. How would I be able to look Adrian in the face again knowing this was hanging over us? Our mutual attraction had been instantaneous, and we’d only grown closer over the past few days. There was something comforting about knowing we’d end up together, even if it was strange to think about that now.

  I raised a brow, considering. Well, it certainly made my life easier knowing I’d never have to worry about guys and dating again. I tried not to dwell on all the things we’d have to eventually do to fulfill the Conditional Blessing, of course. I was sure my cheeks were red enough already.

  “And the other Condition?” Meg prompted.

  Shyla flinched and scratched her temple with her finger. “It’s more of a punishment, actually.”

  “But I didn’t do anything!” I said.

  “Not your punishment,” Shyla said. “Mine.”

  “What do you mean?” Imogene said, sitting up straighter in her chair.

  “I’ve been stripped of my magic,” Shyla said quickly.

  She added with a laugh, “I suppose you’ll have to use a good old-fashioned match for lighting fires from now on, ‘cause I won’t be able to do it for you.”

  When none of us joined in her laughter, she said more seriously, “It was the sacrifice I had to make to save Sarah. Our Spirit Leader gave me the choice, and I chose you. And, surprise, it belongs to you now.”

  I narrowed my eyes, my heart quickening its pace. “What belongs to me?”

  “The magic. It’s in you now.” Shyla smiled a little sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders, and I wondered exactly how sorry she really was.

  There was a collective gasp from everyone else, and I shot out of my seat. “No! That’s not fair!”

  But I wasn’t sure if I thought Shyla losing her gift was unfair, or if the reason I was so upset was because I had never asked for the magic in the first place. It definitely wasn’t something I wanted.

  “It’s more than fair,” Shyla said. “If that was the price I had to pay to save you, I was willing to do it.”

  And then I saw a twinge of sadness in her eyes. As willing as Shyla might have been, I refused to believe she was completely and truly happy about it. She had been forced to give up a significant part of her identify, the part of her that made her unlike any other.

  Meg was the one who spoke next. Her voice was shaky and disbelieving. “Are you sure Sarah is the next Spirit Keeper? This is a huge responsibility.”

  Shyla nodded. “And for everyone’s sake, I hope she learns how to wield something other than fire. Manipulating wind is cool, but I never really got the hang of that.”

  I was stunned and a little lightheaded with this turn of events. Could the reason I thought I looked and felt different be because I now had some strange paranormal force living inside me?

  Shyla held up a finger. “There’s just one more thing. You’re going to have to attend the next Council meeting on the reservation. They’ll let you know when.”

  “What? But why would I want to see any of them?” I said.

  “Why can’t they just let us live in peace?” Meg said.

  Imogene shook her head and placed her palms flat on her knees. “I was Spirit Keeper many years ago, long before the magic passed to Aida, and Aida to Shyla. I think they need to see that Sarah is not a threat to them. And now that she has been ordained the next Spirit Keeper, there really is no way around it. Anyway, the collective tribe is likely our greatest hope of offering protection against Victor.”

  “But I don’t want to go live on some reservation,” I said. “My life is here.”

  “We aren’t moving,” David said.

  Imogene held up her hand. “No one is moving, but Charlene Moon will be expecting us within the coming weeks.” She turned to Meg. “I hope you will forgive me, but I made a quick call earlier to apprise them of the situation with Victor.”

  I scrunched my forehead, thinking the name “Charlene” sounded vaguely familiar. I couldn’t place it, though.

  “Charlene Moon,” Meg said, as though she’d tasted something foul. “She was on the Council when Melody’s Conditional Blessing was handed down. I’ve never liked her.”

  Imogene looked a little embarrassed when she answered. “It turns out Charlene is the head of the Council these days.” She laughed a humorless laugh. “I can’t imagine how she got elected to the position. I don’t even want to think about what a mess she’s made of things.”

  “At least I’ll get to see Caleb again,” said Adrian.

  “And Jasmine,” Shyla said, making a disgruntled face.

  I knew I should be curious about these strangers they were talking about, but I had more important things to worry over. I snagged a ginger snap from the plate in the middle of the table and shoved the entire thing in my mouth, chewing angrily. The more I focused on trying not to cry, the more I could feel myself giving in to the overwhelming urge. My chin began to quiver, and I put my hands over my face so no one would see it crumpling. But despite my best efforts, the tears came.

  Adrian patted my thigh a little awkwardly, obviously unsure what to make of my tears or how best to comfort me. “It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

  “Yeah,” Shyla chimed in. “Really, it’ll be okay. You’ll get used to being Spirit Keeper, and soon the magic will become second nature. You’ll even find out that it’s actually pretty cool. Kind of.”

  “It’s not cool,” I choked out between sobs. I lifted my head and, through my tears, searched Meg’s face for any sign of hope. But Meg, who was looking down at her folded hands, apparently had no hope to give.

  “Why can’t I just have a normal life?” I threw off Adrian’s hand and scrambled to my feet.

  “You should have let me die when you had the chance!” I said. “It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.”

  Meg started to get up from her seat, too, but David grabbed her arm in restraint and shook his head. Then, without another word, I stormed off to my room and slammed the door.

  Chapter 14

  I yanked open the nightstand drawer, violently ripping it from its track so that the entire contents spilled to the floor in a clatter of plastic CD cases, sticky candy wrappers, nubby pencils ends, and various other miscellaneous crap. I clenched my teeth in exasperation and dropped to my knees to poke through the mess.

  “Where are you?” I muttered to the pile of clutter.

  I finally found the iPod I’d been searching for, but then it took forever to untangle the knotted ear buds. At last, I flopped down on the bed and plugged my ears. I closed my eyes and ramped up the volume, willing the music to transport me from my current reality to one in which I was just plain old Sarah again.

  It wasn’t a current song, and yet it was one of my favorites. The artist was singing about being fifteen and the new kid in school, and it seemed like only yesterday I’d been that person, too. At the time it had been the worst thing ever, aside from half my family being wiped out in a blaze.

  But now I knew better.

  What I was now—a freak of nature, an anomaly, an outcast, a one-of-a-kind hybrid of good and evil—eclipsed everything that I had once thought was wrong with my life. Katie and the Double Ds would be the least of my problems come senior year. To top it of
f, I’d been keeping this monumental secret from my best friend while also trying to figure out my relationship with Adrian. How much more insane could my life get? There was no way I could even possibly begin to contemplate having the power to control the elements.

  I laughed out loud, but it was not a happy sound. It was the kind of sound crazy people in the movies make right before they snap. I grabbed a stuffed bear holding a plush heart between its paws with “I Love You Beary Much” stitched in white. Priscilla had given it to me this past Valentine’s Day, and we’d both joked that at least we’d always have each other. But now I had Adrian, too, and all the problems that went with discovering who I really was.

  I tossed the bear overhead, higher and higher until it hit the ceiling with a dull thud before arching back and falling out of reach at the foot of the bed. I sighed dramatically, forcing my breath out between my lips, and rolled to my stomach where I lay sprawled with my arms dangling off the edge of the mattress.

  A thought came to me suddenly, as though someone had just walloped me upside the head. I sat up, yanking the buds free and tossing them aside. Then I crossed the room to the door and opened it a few inches.

  Holding my breath so I could hear above the sound of my own anxious breathing, I strained to listen to what was going on in the other room. I exhaled softly as the din of voices and clatter of dishes being washed in the sink drifted from the kitchen, but I didn’t wait to unravel the threads of conversation. Instead, I closed the door and turned the lock.

  Fingers trembling, I placed a sheet of paper on the edge of my desk. I took a step back and concentrated on conjuring a breeze to blow it off, having no clue if the power came solely from my mind, or if it suddenly shot out from the tips of my fingers. But if I was able to call up my powers on the first try, wind seemed a whole heck of a lot safer than fire.

 

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