Page 46 of Just Crumbs

There has to be something I can do.

Flint growls in my direction, and I run over to him and Hans, dropping to my knees in the dirt. Flint buries his face in the crook of my neck.

For the first time in my life, in the faintest of whispers, I hear the resonant voice of Flint in the back of my mind. The amount of magic that must be required to allow me to hear him without us being bonded is unfathomable.

“Weaken the curse by killing the caster.”

I stumble backward, tears brimming in my ears. “No,” I whisper, not taking my eyes off the wolf. “I can’t.”

He makes a soft sound in his throat like he’s sympathetic to me.

Kill my mother to maybe save my brother?

What if I kill her and I still can’t save him?

Then I am alone in this world, having to tell my father what I did.

But if there is a hope of saving him… Mustn’t I?

My stomach hurts.

My vision starts to blur at the edges as I stare at my mother.

My chest aches.

The woman who gave birth to me.

Who wiped my tears.

Who kissed my scrapes.

My breathing slows.

What motivated her to do this?

Why has she become this?

I resent her. I resent her for making me do this.

My resolve firms.

I take a step towards her, caressing her cheek with my hand.

“My boy,” she says softly. “You know everything I do, I do because I love you.”

I shake my head. I don’t believe that, but no need to call her out on her lies - not now.

What good would it do?

“I love you, too, Mother,” I say quietly. “I truly do.”

I pull my hunting knife from my waistband and slide it between her ribs.

“And I’m sorry.”

Chapter23

Killing Time

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