Page 64 of In the Dark

CHAPTER 15

Karsia woke as usual after only a few hours of sleep and passed the rest of the night in front of the fire, keeping it stoked. No need for it, she determined, but the consistency of the embers crumbling to ash soothed something inside of her. She let the flames lick her hands, no longer able to register pain like a normal person, no longer caring about her differences. She’d moved beyond it. Way beyond, to a place where no one could follow.

Awake, she had no memory of her time with Morgan. She recognized his purpose. Remembered days earlier how she’d understood his presence and wanted him there. The longer she sat, the less she cared. He could stay or leave or do whatever he wanted. Any zip or zing of recognition she’d felt upon meeting him had fallen away. Burned to nothing, like the wood in the fire.

Closer to the waking hours, she took it upon herself to start coffee. That’s what people did, correct? They made coffee for their family and pretended things were all right. They put on a happy face. Part of her remembered sitting and sharing a cup of something hot with her sisters. It would soothe their worries and help them imagine she was farther away from the brink than she actually was.

A young girl had jumped in front of a powerful bolt of magic. And an entirely different entity now walked in her body.

Astix and Aisanna were the first to rise. They got out of bed with the dawn and made their way downstairs side by side.

Astix tiptoed into the kitchen, trying to act like her pulse hadn’t jumped at the sight of her sister. “Feeling better?” she forced herself to ask.

“Who said I was feeling poorly?” Karsia snapped in response, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms.

Astix took a hesitant sip from a mug and continued to stare at her sister. “Sure, you look fine to me.”

Karsia tipped her head down, glaring at Astix from underneath a thundered brow. “What?”

“Nothing. You’ve…changed. Like you’re not there,” Astix decided. “Different from last night.”

“Yeah? Well, sometimes shit happens.”

“Uh-huh. Right.”

Aisanna waited a beat to join them, hair mussed and eyes still swollen. “Tell me I haven’t missed anything.” She drew the belt of her terrycloth robe tighter as she moved to stand near the cabinets. “Did you make the coffee?”

“Yes, I made enough for everyone,” Karsia told her. “And before either one of you ask me, yes, it’s safe to drink.”

“Makes me feel better.” Aisanna helped herself to a cup and inhaled deeply, her mouth watering. “That’s the stuff. Fortification of the gods.”

No matter where they were, the kitchen, the heart of the home, always drew them. It was the continuity of it. The same basic elements that made up each space. The memories of childhood, tugging at the apron strings of their grandmother or nanny and begging for sweet treats.

“You haven’t missed anything yet,” Astix assured Aisanna. “Where’s Elon?”

“Still out of it. He can sleep like the dead.”

“How about we refrain from using the word dead in our present circumstances?”

“Sure. I’m sorry.”

Karsia watched the two interact and braced her elbows against the counter, the camaraderie making her sick. Or maybe it was just in her mind. She snorted. “Jesus, you guys act like you have to tread softly around me or I’m going to blow up.”

The girls shared a look. “Won’t you?”

“No, it wouldn’t be explosive. It would be something insidious when you least expected it.” Karsia enjoyed the way their faces fell and eyes bugged out. “I can see what you hold in your hearts. Make no mistake, if I wanted to exploit your weaknesses, I could, and you would have no clue.”

Aisanna took it upon herself to make breakfast for the rest of them. She moved to the fridge and removed a carton of eggs.

Karsia saw her heat the frying pan, melt the butter, and scramble the mix in a large bowl. She would normally have sat down to eagerly await the home-cooked meal. Instead, she glanced down at her stomach, unsurprised when it failed to make noise. When was the last time she’d actually eaten? Forget about enjoying it.

“I don’t know how you can cook in the middle of a crisis,” Astix said.

“I need something to keep myself busy.” Aisanna moved back to the stove and poured the mixture into the skillet. “Something to occupy my mind while we get down to brass tacks. We have to do something, right?”

“It will be over soon,” Astix replied. “We’re driving to the stone as soon as everyone is awake, and we can’t afford delays.”

Karsia forced down a laugh. “Morgan said the same thing.”

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