Dead Lines

22: What Was Her Name? pt. 2

I am SO sorry it took so long to get this out. Forgive me? BTW, this chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine whose story I am really enjoying right now. It's called Circumpolar Heart. Go check it out! 

Unedited.

Again, I was left to my own thoughts when the old man wandered off after a while. I never did figure out where I knew him. There was a second when I thought I had it but the sound of Kye’s angry voice snapped me away.

“—is your pack. You owe loyalty to us!”

“I don’t owe you a damn thing.”

The hostility in Andrzej’s reply was akin to the way he used to talk to Cecil. No one was supposed to hear this particular argument, I was sure, but because Kye wouldn’t let it go, it had continued back into camp. They were making their way in my direction and Andrzej’s face was completely controlled even though he was anything but. Being back here, with the pack, had set him on edge and whatever had happened during the funeral had made it worse.

“Andrzej…”

“Not. Another. Word,” he snapped at Kye.

The other wolf fumed but remained quiet. It was odd. All of it was odd, really. Kye wasn’t the outspoken one. That particular role went to Dives’ who I had yet to see this morning. I watched as their conversation quieted, Andrzej said something that I couldn’t hear before looking over at me and tilting his head.

To be summoned with a head movement. How irritating. I got up and made my way over, making sure I didn’t look at anyone as I did. They might think I was casting the evil eye or seeing their ill-fated futures. When I reached them, Kye was pleading with me through a look, like he really wanted to tell me something but because Andrzej had silenced him, he wouldn’t.  Or couldn’t?

“What’s up?”

“It’s at my aunt’s place. In one of Yanko’s trunks.”

For a second, I thought about that. “Aren’t they supposed to be setting fire to that particular—”

“Which is why we need to get in and get out as quickly as possible. It’s against tradition but because this idiot decided not to give us the information until now, we’re going to have to break it.”

A quick glance at Kye confirmed that. “Is that going to be a problem?” The other boy took a second before shaking his head. “Then let’s go.”

We headed off to the caravan in silence and I only knew which one because of my lovely conversation with Fiance. Who, at that moment, just happened to be standing outside said caravan looking none too happy.

“She is not going in my house,” she shrieked.

Andrzej raised an eyebrow. “And why not?”

We finished our approach and I knew from the malice in her eyes, I wasn’t to get any closer unless I wanted to be missing some vital part of myself. “I didn’t agree to this—shaming you’re about to do. But I’ll be damned if I allow her to be a part of it. She’s gadzo.”

Fiance took it one further and spat at my feet. I wasn’t surprised, a little shocked maybe but I knew grief made people do things they normally wouldn’t. However, chalking her behavior up to grief was getting really hard to do.

“Fine,” Andrzej said. He gave me a look which I caught only because I knew what he was about to do. He raised an eyebrow and I nodded, letting him know I’d be fine while he went looking.

He took the steps in one stride and disappeared inside. His chain, the one I’d yet to discover the use for, jingled with the leap and each stride afterward as it slapped against his leg. The caravan was larger than the one we’d stayed in the night before and it signified just how high in the family hierarchy Yanko and Fiance were.