Sparks

Chapter 41

We stand in silence for a few moments. Jamie, now with several stones in her hands, arranges them into different patterns before scooping them up and starting over.

Jacob is the first to speak. "Aryn."

"Y-yes?" I squeak.

"Stay down here. Do not engage in conversation. Carrie and I are gonna talk." I nod and they go up the stairs.

I look warily at Jamie. She grins. "Hey, remember what he said. No conversations. Of course, that doesn't cover me just telling you a few things, right?" I nod slowly. "Great. Don't tell them my name."

"Wh-" She holds up her hand.

"Ah ah ah, no conversations, remember?" She turns back to her rocks. "They don't deserve to know my name. They don't get to know any part of my parents, and the name belonged to my dad."

We wait in silence for another few minutes.

Crack.

She pulls another rock off the wall. I look questioningly at Jamie and she shrugs.

"It creeps you guys out. Keeps you on your toes." She looks around. "Don't tell 'em I said that either. I'd really rather not hurt you. You're the only halfway sane one here."

"Thanks?"

She doesn't respond. I huff with disapproval.

"You know," I quip, "maybe if you acted a little saner I'd have an easier time convincing them not to kill you."

I immediately realize what I said and clap my hand over my mouth, but it's too little, too late.

Jamie chuckles quietly. "Don't look so worried. It isn't like I didn't already know."

My feet move by themselves and back me up against the wall. I don't notice until my back hits the cold concrete.

"I... I'm sorry," I murmur.

"About what?"

"You're probably gonna die, and there's not much I can do about it."

"Don't worry about that." This time, it's a full-out laugh.

"You're gonna die. Why shouldn't I worry?"

Jamie winces. "While you are saner than those idiots, there are things I can't tell you just because you're affiliated with them."

"Fair enough." I glance at the tightly closed door to the upstairs. "What d'you think they're talking about?"

"Me."

"Wow, I never could've guessed." I give her a mock glare. "But seriously, what do you think they're planning?"

Jamie shrugs and pauses, then replies, "If I had to guess, probably torture."

I do a double-take and begin to cough. "What?? What makes you think that?"

"They know I can talk now, and I have information they want." She snorts in derision. "Your 'Safekeeper' organization is so predictable."

"They're not - they wouldn't -"

"They're literally planning to kill me." I look down at the ground, unable and unwilling to recognize my defeat, to believe my friends would torture another creature.

Before I can respond I hear footsteps on the stairs. I glance quickly up - it's Carrie.

"Hey, go upstairs. I'll hold down the fort." Her voice is taut, like an overtightened guitar string. I spare a quick glance back to Jamie and obey her command.