Page 156 of Fangs
“Well, have a good day.”
He stepped around me, nodded politely at Sable, and disappeared. I didn’t move for a few seconds, trying to breathe normally.
“What was that about?” Sable asked.
“I just walked into him.”
I forced my feet to move and pushed the side door to the canteen open before he could ask any more questions.
“Hi, Bones!” Neena called from where she was chopping up some vegetables in the warm kitchen. She had her long black hair in one thick single braid today. “There’s a pot of broth on the stove and some leftovers on the shelf.”
I fixed myself a small plate as Sable lingered quietly near the door. I saw Neena glance at him curiously a few times.
“You want to pull up a chair and eat in here?” she asked as I ladled some broth into a mug.
“Uh, sure,” I said, mostly to put off walking back to the clinic alone with Sable.
I found a chair and pulled it up to the metal table she was working at. Sable silently did the same, sitting beside me. I awkwardly used my left hand to hold my fork, letting my aching right arm rest in my lap.
“Where’s Neka?” I asked between bites.
“Meeting with Nemo about the crop rotation. They’re finalizing their plan for this spring.” She glanced at Sable and explained, “Neka is my twin brother.”
“Is it just the two of you working the kitchen?” Sable asked.
Neena smiled. “Most of the time, it’s just the two of us, but more people come in a few hours before meals so they can help. Our moms were in charge of the kitchen before us, and we took over for them after they passed.”
I saw Sable notice her missing finger.
“It’s okay,” Neena said, noticing as well, “you can ask.”
“I’m sorry.” Sable grimaced. “I’m a healer, so I notice those things.”
“Madame took my finger,” Neena said. “She suspected her partner was poisoned by a man named Hojo who worked in the kitchen.”
I almost dropped my fork, my stomach roiling.
“She took my finger as punishment for allowing it to happen in my kitchen.”
“Was he poisoned?” Sable asked, his voice utterly devoid of judgment.
Neena studied him for a second before simply replying, “Yes.”
I blinked. That was news to me. Trey had implied that Viper died of the fever, but maybe he didn’t know.
“It wasn’t Hojo, though,” Neena continued, sorrow coating her words. “He took the fall for me.”
“What happened to Hojo?” Sable asked.
“Madame killed him.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sable murmured.
“He was a good man,” Neena smiled, but her eyes were wet. “He never broke under Madame’s torture.”
I shoved another forkful into my mouth, the food tasting like ash, and abruptly stood. “Sorry.” I hoped I sounded normal. “I just…I should get back.”
Neena nodded, her expression hard to read. Sable stood as well, thanking Neena politely, but I bolted out the door. I strode as fast as my legs could carry me, sucking in breaths through my nose and letting them out of my mouth as I tried not to picture Hojo’s gaunt, broken body. Nemo’s words from the other day suddenly rose in my head.
