The Weaver's Source

Chapter 13

 I sat in my house. The curtains were drawn and dawn was rising, splashing a soft pink through the white rainless clouds. All I could hear were the distant sound of birds twittering and soft breeze whistling through the gaps of the walls. Nothing else murmured a sound in my home. Utter silence reigned.

I don't know how long I had sat in my father's chair. Numbness filled me and I was only vaguely aware that I ran out of tears. What were left had dried on my cheeks. I just stared at nothing, listening to nothing and thinking only of Gabi. Our childhood, her love and support of me, our arguments and our adventures. I couldn't think of anything else, only scream internally as self-hatred filled me. I'd failed her. My magic had warned me and she was still dead.

One of Otto's men had taken me home last night once I had calmed down. The guard remained outside of my house, not wanting to leave me alone until Otto had come back. It was a while before he did. He had been the one to take Gabi to her father. Otto would've had a fight on his hand, I knew. Boras was a protective man of his family and having his eldest and most treasured daughter brought to him mauled to death was going to set him off on a hunt for blood.

I didn't notice a lot. I know Otto had finally gone a short while ago. He had a job to do, to inform Gabi's family of her death and begin to interrogate Karl to find out what insanity had possessed him to do what he did. To find out if he regretted it. Otto had left me a bowl of porridge and draped a blanket over my shoulders then, after kissing my head, he left, grey faced. He had no choice. His job called him.

So I had remained here in my father's chair alone in my cold house. I had intended to remain like that for a long time, being left to boil over my failing and cry over my loss. I never thought I would be disturbed though, no one ever comes to my house. But come midday I heard voices outside. Many angry ones. And then my door was forced open.

I didn't move, only looked over to see Boras standing in the doorway. It wasn't a surprise that he was angry. What his beard didn't cover was practically red with pulsating veins popping out of his neck. What I was surprised at was that he was here, glowering at me with venom. He was one of the few who liked me. He let me work in his bakery and even paid me to do it. He took care of me when my parents couldn't, taught me to swim and climb trees and encouraged Gabi to befriend me. He shouldn't be looking at me like that. Not him.

"Boras." I murmured, partly in welcome and partly in compassion. He must be feeling worse than me right now and just wanting to know what happened.

"You." He growled in a low threatening tone. "You killed my daughter."

I blinked slowly. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be saying that. He knows me. He knows I would never do anything to harm Gabi. I loved her like she was my own sister.

"What?" Was all I could force out thickly.

"You killed Gabi." He said as he stepped in my house. "You knew she was going to die. You had dreams of it. Otto had told me himself."

I simply nodded in reply. My throat had closed up.

"You let her die. You knew but you did nothing." He snarled.

I tried to speak up and tell him I tried but found I couldn't. The words of defence died in my mouth and turned to acid. I knew she would end up in that river if she went near it but I didn't stop her going across that bridge. Self-loathing glowed like fire in my stomach. I was a Source. I was full of magic. Why couldn't I have saved her? Why was I so useless?

"And letting her die is the same as killing her." Bora growled out and stormed towards me. He grabbed my wrist as soon he stood beside me. He tugged hard and forced me to stand.