Page 74 of The Vanishing Place
“Did you sleep?”
Anya gave a shake of her head, then she held out her arm. Two necklaces hung from her fist, the two swirled halves of a green heart. Instinctively, Effie touched a hand to her chest, but her pounamuwas gone. Anya moved her hand and the silver chains swung in the space between them.
“If you place them next to each other,” said Effie, “they make a heart.”
Anya pushed the two halves together.
“Did your mum give it to you?”
She nodded.
“Before she died?”
The silence hardened and Effie waited, every cell in her body feeling the passing seconds.
Then the child spoke.
“I took it from her body,” said Anya, her voice small. “Mum didn’t deserve to take it with her.”
“Take it where?”
Anya looked down at her hands and rubbed her thumb across the stone heart.
“To hell,” she whispered.
The girl didn’t flinch. But the words that dripped out of her were small and soft, like they drained her of energy.
Effie swallowed. “Why didn’t she deserve it?”
“Mum was bad.” Anya sucked her lip. “She broke his rules.”
“Whose rules?”
Anya looked at Effie, her eyes wide and pleading, then she shook her head. Tears clouded her green eyes. “I’m not supposed to say.”
“It’s okay.” Effie placed a hand on her arm. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“You won’t make me?”
“I won’t make you.”
The child frowned.
“I won’t make you do anything,” said Effie.
Another frown. “What if I want you to leave me alone?”
“Then I’ll leave you alone.” Effie managed a gentle smile. “Until you’re ready for me to come back.”
Anya lifted both necklaces and slipped them over her head. “A heart,” she said.
“Yes.” Effie squeezed her arm. “Our heart. Made from you and me.”
Anya curled her fingers around the pendant. “You and me,” she repeated.
“You and me. Two parts of a whole.”
Anya looked down. “Can I be alone now, please?”
