Worlds Apart

Chapter 26

B U L L E T S • O F • F A T E

Day 27

A shrill, predatory cry echoed in the empty streets outside. Elin could not remember what they looked like; she could only conjure blurred images of sand-coloured walls and bright yellows, oranges, and reds stretched above her. But she could hear them: the chatter, the laughter, the children playing only a few feet away. They were not there today. They had disappeared yesterday evening. There had been yelling and screaming then silence, as if they were too afraid to venture outside. Elin wondered if Daisha would go today anyway.

The soft golden light illuminated the sparsely-decorated room. The sun had risen for day twenty-seven.

The door handle squeaked and Daisha trudged in silently, a bowl in hand, eyes dark and haunted. She helped Elin up and perched beside her, staring at her feet. Elin tapped her knee but she just shook her head.

So Elin drank in silence. Her breakfast tasted better today, the flavour tangier, as if Daisha had spent more time on it than usual. With the bags under her eyes, perhaps she had been cooking instead of sleeping.

Daisha put the bowl on the floor and clasped her hands in her lap.

"Two nights ago," Daisha said suddenly, "I found Ulberg."

Elin gaped at her. She knew Vidar was from here but...here? It could not be a coincidence.

"I hunted him down. I'm sorry. I know he was your friend." Daisha didn't meet her eyes.

Elin looked at the wall, fingers finding the bumps she knew among hundreds. That was why she always left at night. Daisha always seemed to be the cutthroat type—this did not surprise her—but she had no need to apologise. They were no longer friends the moment she found out he had been helping her family's murderer. Elin scoffed.

"I'm sorry, Elin," Daisha whispered. "Truly, I am. I hope you can forgive me for it."

She must have mistaken her derision to be pointed at her. Elin slowly grabbed her hand, shaking her head and giving her a small, reassuring smile. They were okay, she could not be mad, not at her, not after all they had been through.

"I had to—he wouldn't leave me alone."

Elin's smile faded.

"I thought he would once...I really thought he would. But it stopped for one night and then he was back yesterday. And so was Neàl."

Elin's grip tightened.

"They visit me sometimes...in my dreams. But they've never done anything, you know?" Daisha pursed her lips. "He said he was sorry, Elin. I wanted to kill them for—for everything, but now...he seemed so angry and afraid that—" she shook her head— "I don't know what to do anymore."

Daisha finally met her eyes. "What am I supposed to do? I think he was betrayed, Elin. And I think they had a goal and they just went too far for it. How can I blame them for taking the hard path for the sake of success? For killing for it?"

Elin would not have been able to answer even if her jaw let her. Neàl had visited her once, too, many weeks ago. She was sitting in front of the mirror at her house, that man standing behind her like before, when she saw a face that was not supposed to be there, but all Neàl did was point at the spirit. She wished he would have been as direct with her. She still didn't know what they were trying to say.

But had he said anything, had he stayed a second longer, Elin would have attacked them. Demanded retribution for how he tore her life apart. And maybe they knew that.