The Seventh Crow

Part 26

Kuwei was staring around the room for hours. Sometimes his gaze landed on me but only for a split second before I caught his eye and he would look away.

"Do you always stare?" I asked him, hoping he could understand me.

"Nothing to do," he says.

You could say that again.

"Why do you stare?" he asks.

I give Kuwei a stern look. "I do not stare."

"You always look at me."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I stare because you stare at me? It's
weird."

"You're strange." he smiles.

"Thank you?" I ask, knitting my eyebrows together.

About an hour later, I heard some noise outside our hideout. Telling Kuwei to hide, I make my way towards the entrance.

Everyone was making their way back, except there was someone else with them. A heavily pregnant woman.

"What-?" I try to say. Matthias puts a finger to his lips. An action for silencing me.

I move out of the way, letting everyone plus the pregnant stranger into the hideout. Kuwei looked at me with a confused expression. I shrug my shoulders.

If I knew any part of this plan, maybe I could've set something up for her. Like a slightly comfortable sitting arrangement. Something!

My gaze lands on Wylan. I couldn't completely read his expression. His face looks smooth while his eyes hold conflict.

Does he know her?

Before I could ask, the woman started crying. A drum shattering cry.

"Why is she crying?" Jesper asked.

"Not sure," Wylan whispered, trying to hide his voice. "This is the best seat in here."

I shrug my shoulders. "Let her cry. At some point she'll wear her throat out and stop."

I wish I didn't say that, because not even a second later she starts crying louder. My head pounding with every wail.

You'd think after almost two years dealing with crying, screaming, loud noises, I would be used to this woman's screaming.

"What's wrong?" I scream over her crying, trying to see if there's anything we can do.

"I want to go home!" she wails.

I didn't know what to say to that. There's a reason Kaz kidnapped this pregnant woman, who mind you doesn't look that much older than Matthias.

"I want to go homeeee," she wails once again.

Jesper and I exchanged a nervous glance.

"If she doesn't be quieter," Nina starts, "Kaz is going to have our heads."

Speaking of Kaz, I didn't see him walk in here with the captive or others. I thought I saw him walking with the group, but maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I'm going to throw my shoes at him when I see him. Drops this wailing woman off with us and then leaves? He deserves to be hit with multiple shoes. Or rocks. Or sticks. Anything that can get that message across.

"Where's moody cane man?" I ask Jesper.

"How am I supposed to know," Jesper answers.

"Take me home!"

Matthias looks around at everyone before his gaze lands back on the pregnant woman.

"Let me help," Matthias said.
Matthias sat down in front of the woman. Trying to soothe her crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"My feet hurt!" she whines.

"I know when my mother was pregnant, she always felt uncomfortable." 

Her whining softly starts to disappear. Softly.

I didn't realize that he had any memories of our mother being pregnant with me. Usually he forced down any memory of our parents.

Can't say I blame him. When I thought he was dead, I tried to repress everything to do with him.

I miss my mother and father. I miss every part of our family. My mothers apple pies. My father's interesting wooden figures.

Everything about them...

In the end, whatever Matthias was doing worked. Except for the fact we now have to deal with her obnoxious singing. 

I want to kill her.