“I’m gonna give you once last chance to apologize. You’ll be punished, but I won’t kill you,” Neveah said.
“Not for anything in this world,” Ellie defied her.
“If you’re not gonna be part of this family, then I guess I’ll just treat you like a Cooper. I always knew you were good for nothing. You’re just like Momma. You’re just like the Coopers…weak and pathetic...”
“I may be those things,” Ellie said. “But at least I'm not you.”
Ellie pushed off the tree and did her best to stay upright against the pain in her ankle, back, and head. All she wanted was to rest, to sleep away the nightmare she had found herself in. Sleep was the last of her options.
“I’m gonna go. I suggest you let me,” Ellie said.
Ellie turned her back on her sisters. She walked in the same direction she had followed so many weeks ago. She walked toward town. She doubted Thane would be waiting for her. She doubted he had found the book or would forgive her if he had. She would go beyond town. She would find a world where the feud did not exist and make a new home there. She was no longer afraid to face that reality.
Ellie did not get three feet away from Neveah and Careen when she felt the craft in the air. It was familiar and less than peaceful. It was dangerous. Ellie turned just as Neveah flicked her wrist. Ellie was thrown into a tree. The wind was knocked out of her. She gasped for air as pain moved up and down her back. Neveah smirked happily.
Around struggling to find her wind, Ellie flicked her wrist. A cut appeared on Neveah’s face. It ran from her temple to her chin. Neveah’s smirk disappeared as she felt the cut. She looked flabbergasted that Ellie could craft in such a way. Ellie’s craft was proof that Ellie was not helpless. It was proof she could fight back. For Neveah, it was a sign to escalate the fight.
Neveah raised her hand again and drew in more craft. She flicked her wrist in a sharp motion. Darkness came out of her hand like a whip. Ellie rolled away from the whip of darkness. It landed where she had been, scorching the pine needles. Neveah pulled her hand back and flicked the whip again. Ellie raised her hand and caught the darkness around her wrist. She pulled on it as hard as she could. Neveah fell to her knees.
Careen moved forward, to help Neveah. Ellie flicked her wrist and Careen flew backward and out of sight. Neveah flicked her wrist again and a dark wave of energy circled Ellie. It locked Ellie’s body in place. Ellie had never seen anything like it, but she understood it. She knew how to get out of it. She focused on crafting light. It was the only way out.
As Neveah triumphantly gained her feet, Ellie broke the prison. The darkness exploded into tiny bits, the shards embedding in the trees and in Neveah’s skin. Neveah could not hide her surprise.
“Looks like baby sister has a few surprises up her sleeve,” Neveah taunted. “It’s a wonder she didn’t fight back years ago.”
“Guess you don’t know me like you thought,” Ellie said. “Just give up Neveah. Let me leave. You won’t ever see me again.”
“Are you begging for mercy?” Neveah asked.
“I’m trying to give you a chance to do the right thing,” Ellie said.
“Believe me, little girl, I’m doing the right thing. I’m protecting my family. I’m getting rid of a traitor.”
Neveah raised her hand. Ellie felt the drawing in of craft. It was the strongest craft she had ever felt. Neveah flicked her wrist and released the power.
Waves of dark craft lashed against Ellie’s body. Ellie had trouble keeping the continuous craft at bay. She fended off the darkness with flicks of her wrist, but it kept coming. Neveah was relentless; her craft was limitless.
Ellie moved backward against the deluge. She was losing ground. She stepped back again and a log caught her hurt ankle. Her ankle gave out on her. She fell to the earth. The pain was overwhelming. It distracted her from the fight. Neveah stepped forward to finish the fight. Her eyes were dark and full of hate.
There was a short pause in which Ellie saw nothing familiar about Neveah’s expression. They were enemies. Neveah raised her wrist. The look on her face suggested she was about to kill Ellie. There would be no forgiveness.
Before Neveah could release her craft, she pitched forward. Neveah grabbed the back of her head and looked for an enemy, not understanding what had attacked her. Ellie understood.
Caw had followed her through the woods. He had come to help her.
He swooped away from Neveah and circled the trees to attack again. He flew low to the ground as he came back to attack for a second time. Neveah finally noticed him as he flew toward her. She raised her hand to kill the bird. Ellie raised her hand to stop Neveah. Before either of them could craft, a knife suddenly appeared in Neveah’s heart. It came out of nowhere, but its aim was perfect.
Ellie was startled at the sight. Who had crafted? Neveah looked at Ellie. Her eyes were wide with sock. She blamed her sister for killing her. She tried to form words of accusation, but she couldn’t find the air. She collapsed to the earth, her hands moving to the knife. Her hands were too weak to pull it out. Its magic went beyond anything she could craft. Neveah hit the ground with a solid ‘thump.’ She did not get up again.
Ellie crawled over to her sister and turned her over. Neveah’s eyes were blank. Her face was locked in an expression of surprise. She was dead.
Tears formed in Ellie’s eyes. Neveah was her enemy, but she had never wished her dead. She was still her sister. Ellie loved her, even if it was not logical to do so. Their past could not undo the fact that they were family.
Caw landed next to Ellie. He made a low sound of comfort when he saw her tears. Ellie put her hand on his sleek body. The feel of him brought her out her grief. Someone had attacked Neveah. There was another crafter out there. Her eyes narrowed as she searched for her enemy.
Ellie was not swift enough to avoid the attack when it came. She had been too distracted by Neveah’s death.
A hand moved over her mouth and she was pulled away from Neveah’s body. Ellie struggled, but her captor was stronger and more determined. They moved behind a tree, out of sight of Neveah’s body. Ellie’s breathing was loud around her fear, but she could feel her captor’s breathing was just as fierce. Her captor was afraid. It was the only thing that kept Ellie from crafting her way free.
Another sound overrode their mutual fear. Heavy footfalls through the forest shook the summer air. Caw took flight against the sound. Even though he was afraid, he sensed the need for silence. He landed in the tree above them and stayed as still as possible. Ellie felt the person holding her craft in a circle of protection around them. They would be invisible to anyone curious enough to look behind their tree. Ellie heard a vaguely familiar voice in the trees. It was Connor, Thane’s brother.
“I got the woman. She’s dead,” Connor said.
“That’s good crafting,” another unfamiliar voice approved.
“I thought I saw two others with her,” Connor said. “They were fighting.”
“We’ll find them,” the voice reassured Connor.
“It was lucky Rachel knew to follow Thane,” Connor said. “We wouldn’t have been able to sneak up this way otherwise.”
“Boy is finally useful for something,” the second voice said. “Come on. There are Bumbalows to kill.”
The heavy sound of feet moved away from Ellie and toward her house. When the sounds had disappeared, her captor let her go. Ellie spun and saw someone she had not expected. Rachel looked back at her.
“Why’d you do that?” Ellie asked.
“For saving my mom from your sister and for saving Thane,” Rachel said. “I owed you.”
“I don’t think you did,” Ellie said. “But thank you.”
“It won’t happen again,” Rachel said.
Ellie nodded in understanding. Rachel felt as if she had paid her debt. She would attack her if they ever saw each other again. They were still on opposite ends of a feud.
“I won’t be around for it to,” Ellie said.
Rachel was not surprised. “You’re leaving.”
“Yeah, I no longer have a reason to stay,” Ellie said.
Ellie looked at Neveah. It was difficult to look at her. She focused on another truth. It was a truth that put Rachel in danger.
“Careen, I know you’re there,” Ellie said.
There was a moment of hesitation, then Careen stepped out from behind a tree. She looked frightened. There was also anger. She was angry Neveah had died in such an undignified way. She blamed Ellie more than she blamed Connor. Rachel tensed when she saw Careen and raised her hand. Careen mirrored Rachel’s movement. Ellie caught Rachel’s wrist and eyed Careen.
“That’s enough. Rachel, you go on. Go find your family,” Ellie commanded.
Rachel hesitated. She wanted to fight Careen. It was what she was hardwired to do. She did not want to start a fight with Ellie, however. She was not as eager to fight Ellie as she had pretended; she liked her more than she would have admitted to anyone. Ellie saw her make her choice. Rachel backed away from Ellie and Careen, her eyes cautious and alert.
When she was nothing more than a memory, Ellie turned to Careen.
“Make sure Neveah’s taken care of,” Ellie said. “Make sure she’s with Papa.”
“I will,” Careen said.
“I’m going now,” Ellie said. “It’s best if you don’t try to stop me.”
“I ain’t gonna stop you,” Careen said. “But if you come back, the family’ll have your head.”
“I don’t plan on ever coming back,” Ellie said.
“Good,” Careen said.
Ellie looked at Careen for a moment. She knew the task of fighting had just fallen on Careen’s head. It was a heavy burden. Ellie was not certain Careen could handle the weight, but she knew her sister would find a way. Like all Bumbalows, Careen was a survivor. It was what she did best.
Ellie hesitated for another reason. She tried to find the forgiveness in her heart to make the last words to her sister words of kindness. The forgiveness would not come. All she could think about were the times that Careen looked on and laughed, had accepted Neveah’s bullying of Ellie as par-for-the-course. Careen had always had the power to do something. She had done nothing. Forgiveness was for another day, a day when the pain was not so close.
Ellie turned and walked away from both her sisters. In that moment, the world she had always known crumbled. She was not the same person. She was freer and somehow impossibly weighted down.
Behind her, she felt Careen start to cry. Her tears were bitter and full of guilt. Ellie knew the Coopers would pay for Neveah’s death. Ellie was glad she would not have to witness that particular fight.
Caw flew onto Ellie’s shoulder as she walked away. Ellie touched him briefly on the wing, and together they left their home to whatever lay beyond.
Chapter 12: Beginning in the End
Sounds of fighting in the woods followed Ellie as she walked toward town. She did her best to ignore the sounds, but it was impossible. Cries of pain and the explosion of craft followed her as much as the smoke from her ruined house. The smoke from her house blackened the sky over the forest. The smell of burned wood and plastic ghosted around with the dull heat circling her body. It was a reminder of what she had done and what was still going on beyond her.
It took all of Ellie’s strength not to turn back and make it stop. She knew it would not really stop. She might be able to prevent the fighting for one day, but that would not stop the feud. They did not know how to stop. They were victims of their own inability to let things go. She understood why her momma had left. She understood how hard it had been. It was easy to think she could make a difference. It was harder to know that she could not.
Ellie did not stop to heal her wounds. Her body moved mechanically as she searched for a way out of town. She didn’t know where she was going but she didn’t stop. She was afraid if she stopped, she would turn back. She feared turning back more than she feared the unknown of where she was going. She did not think beyond the occasional moment of pain when her injured ankle caught on the uneven ground. The blood from her wounds slowly dried on her face and neck. It was a grim reminder of what she had just lived through.
Caw did not fly away. He stayed on Ellie’s shoulder, a constant source of comfort. Ellie fought against the past. She did not want to face the emotions of what had happened. She was proud she had done the right thing but the cost was extreme. She had wanted to leave her house and be free from the bullying and pain. She did not want it at the cost of a life.
Ellie’s thoughts finally turned to Thane. She regretted leaving him more than she regretted leaving her family. Her relationship with him was something more than obligation. It was friendship. Or it had been before her birthday. She would never see him again. She was certain of that much. He was the only friend beyond Caw she had ever had and she had to leave him without saying goodbye. The unsaid things between them would continue to go unsaid. She could not have her friendship with Thane and her freedom from her family. The world did not work that way.
The darkness had fully taken over the forest when Ellie stopped walking. The moon was bright against the backdrop of limbs. The smell of smoke and the sound of fighting had died down. There was nothing beyond the feel of Caw on her shoulder and the muted, wet heat of the night.
Ellie leaned against a large tree and took a deep breath. Feeling impossibly worn out, she let gravity take over. She dropped down and landed on the ground with a soft ‘thump.’ The pain of the fall added to the pain in her head and back. Caw flew off Ellie’s shoulder as Ellie hit the ground. He landed in front of her and looked at her questioningly. He was worried she had given up. Ellie waved a hand to reassure her feathered friend.
“I’m fine,” Ellie said. “Just tired.”
Caw made a low sound of understanding. Ellie yawned and her eyes slid shut. The sleep pulled her under. She could not resist it any longer. She opened her eyes long enough to look at Caw one last time.
“Keep an eye out for me, okay?” Ellie asked.
Caw’s black eyes were fierce and protective. He would warn her if the Coopers doubled back or tried to attack her. He would be her alarm. The thought comforted Ellie. The second Ellie’s eyes closed, she was asleep. There was no fighting the pull of sleep. Her dreams were dark and full of the fight she had just lived through.
Ellie awoke to the feeling of Caw tugging at her dress. The world had changed to light. It was dazzling after the darkness of her dreams. The light of the forest was masked in a hazy glow. The fire from her house had ghosted toward her in the night. It took Ellie a second to remember what had happened and why she hurt so much.
Caw did not make a sound but the tug grew more urgent. It suggested something scary was nearby. Ellie’s whole body ached with the uncomfortable position she had slept in and the fight she had lived through. She was sluggish after waking from a dead sleep, but after what had happened with Neveah, her body moved without thought. A survivor’s instinct took over. She did not want another deadly fight. She did not want to face the Coopers or her family.
Ellie jumped to her feet and hid behind the tree. Caw flew up to her shoulder and watched with her. He clicked his beak in alarm, but he kept silent.
Ellie finally heard what had alerted the bird. It was the sound of feet running through the forest. The crunch of leaves was loud around the stillness of the forest. The person was in a hurry. They did not care about their footsteps being heard. Either the person did not think anyone would be so far in the forest or they were running away from an enemy. Ellie knew the only people who would run toward town were the Coopers. She flicked her wrist and she and Caw turned invisible. She waited as quietly as she could for the person to pass. She held her breath. The feet moved closer.
Ellie saw a flash of color against the backdrop of browns and greens. She tried to calm her racing heartbeat. The person stopped running near her tree. She was able to put a face to the shape and the sound. It was
Thane.
His face was a curious mixture of sadness and determination. He put his hand on her tree as he caught his breath and looked behind him once to see if anyone was following him. His brown eyes were convinced he had lost whoever had been following him. Over his shoulder was a large bag. Ellie could not tell what was in the bag, but it was irregular in shape and looked heavy.
Ellie did not immediately step out from behind the tree. She wanted to face him before he ran off again, but she was afraid. She was afraid her only friend would hate her. She could not face words of hate from him after her fight with Neveah. A part of her thought leaving would be easier than facing his wrath. She did not want to fight him as well. She could not see how that would end well for anyone. Another part of her wanted to face him no matter the cost. She wanted to know where she stood. She had to know if he believed her.
Before she could make up her mind to step out from behind the tree, Thane started moving again. His rest had not been a long one. He was determined to make it to his destination. Nothing would stand in his way.
Caw made the decision for Ellie. The bird let out a loud caw, which startled both Ellie and Thane. Ellie jumped and put a hand on Caw’s wing. Thane turned back to the tree. His eyes were suspicious.
“Caw?” Thane asked.
Caw clicked his beak, but he didn’t make another sound. Ellie’s surprise urged him to keep his caws to himself. The bird could tell they were in a moment Ellie had to face alone. Thane peered at the space to the right of Ellie. His eyes were still suspicious. He was uncertain if the call was a trick. Ellie was fighting with the two conflicting impulses in her body. She desperately searched for the words to begin their conversation.
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