Page 189 of Saving Sparrow
“The blood,” he explained.
“I don’t get it. Did they not plan on burying you alive?”
“My father planned on enacting the Sacrificial Rights,” he rasped, and I realized we hadn’t even gotten to the hard part yet.
“Do I even want to know what that is?”
Sparrow pulled back just enough for me to meet his crippling stare. “If the sacrifice is made using the Holy Blade, the birth soul is freed through the releasing of lifeblood, trapping the spirit of evil inside the vessel upon death of the flesh. My mother shouted the ritual prayers while my father attempted to slit our throat.”
“Oh, Sparrow.” I cradled his face in my hands. I didn’t know what else to say or do; nothing felt sufficient.
“I managed to knock him down and race up the stairs. He caught me at the end of the hall. We fought for control of the blade while my mother continued to pray. I lost time again. The bloodied blade was in my hand when I returned, and my mother’s shrill screams drowned out the sound of my father choking on his own blood.”
“Don’t you dare,” I warned when he averted his stare. “Don’t you dare feel shame. That monster got what he deserved.”
Sparrow glanced at me in surprise. “I’m not ashamed that he was killed, that they werebothkilled. It wasn’t me. I couldn’t do it. I… didn’t want to.”
“There’s no shame in that either, Sparrow.”
Gratitude filled his gaze. “She’s here often now, but that day was the first time she’d come through. I could feel her. More rage than fear. I let her have control until it was over.”
“She cut them to pieces,” I said.
Sparrow nodded. “I took what was left of them downstairs, then started the task of cleaning up. I’d gotten all but where the incident took place spotless. I was so weak by then,” he sighed, his eyelids drooping. “I had just enough energy left to shower and get Elliott as far from here as possible. But… not before leaving him a note.”
“I asked if you’d ever communicated with him before.”
“Did you ever think about communicating with him? Leaving him a note, maybe?”
“You said no.”
“I never expected to get this far with you,” Sparrow confessed.
“What did the note say?”
“Tell them nothing.”
“He listened.” I tried not to feel bitter about that.
“It wasn’t meant for you,” he whispered, brushing his nose against mine. “I was scared for him. I didn’t know if anything would be used against him to prove he had something to do with what happened. I had no experience with the world. I didn’t know what it would do to him until I came back.”
I led him over to the fire, running my hands up and down his arms, but it seemed the trembling wasn’t from the cold.
“I… need to go down there.” He sounded afraid.
“They can’t hurt you anymore, and anyone else who wanted to try would have to get through me first.” I couldn’t help but touch his sad smile. “We go together.” Because I’d never let him face this alone.
We traveled down the long, cold hall leading to the basement door. The images from my online search flashed before me, transporting me to the actual scene. Blood streaked down the walls, and chunks of body tissue squashed beneath my feet.
Sparrow reached for the ring of keys at his waist once we got to the door, pausing to stare at them.
“Were those his keys?”
“Yes. I’d buried them in the woods, close to the road. The last place I recall being before waking up in your home. I promised I’d be brave from then on. That I’d do whatever it took to protect Elliott and the others.” He touched the scar above my brow. “The sins of the father,” he mused.
“I told you—”
“I know,” he said. “I know.” He was nothing like his parents, but even if there were any similarities, Sparrow had been justified.
