The Catalyst

Chapter 44

The rest of her first day back in Quickrivers was mainly spent with her little sisters. Chana was sure Sofi could hear them, so they read her stories and talked to her. Kitera told them about Bryani, how he was doing. The girls were very fond of their big brother.

Kitera only slipped away so she could run an errand in town. Then she stayed with her sisters throughout the evening. When she asked Chana why she wasn't in school today, she answered, "Dad's teaching tomorrow. I like it better when it's him, so I'll go." Which actually worked perfectly for Kitera's plan. Her hand stroked the newly purchased vial in her pocket.

At a late hour, Cassi brought two meagre portions of stew. Kitera eyed the chain dangling from her mother's neck as she set the bowls on the nightstand. Attached to that chain was the key she needed.

"Sorry girls, I know it isn't much. It's not easy feeding everyone."

Chana grabbed her bowl and started to eat while Kitera gave her mother an incredulous look. "What? They all stayed for dinner?"

"No," her mother replied warily, "thank the goddesses, not all of them. But still . . ." She glanced at Sofi on the bed. "Oh, I wish she would wake up, it's been days."

"She'll wake up," Chana said between two bites. "Then she'll need a big meal. She can have my portion."

"Sweet girl." Cassi smiled, though she looked exhausted.

"Good night, mom," Kitera said.

"Sleep well, girls," her mother said before leaving.

Once the moon shone high and bright, Mikael took his followers outside. A depressing procession of people eager to please a charismatic cult leader. Kitera watched from the window as they disappeared into the woods, the last lantern glowing like a firefly in the distance.

She turned back to Chana, who sat cross-legged on their makeshift mattress of piled up blankets.

"It's wrong, what he's doing?"

Kitera sat on the blankets next to her, propping up her knees. "Yeah, it's wrong."

"But you have Red," Chana argued.

"Let's just say I didn't have all the information about dark magic when I was fifteen, and I really don't think they do either."

Chana looked confused. "But Red is great, right?"

Kitera chuckled. "Yeah, he's pretty great."

Excitement brightened her little sister's eyes. "Could I see him?"

"Maybe later. He's delivering a message to Bryani right now."

"Oh." Chana seemed to think of something. "Hey, when Noah was here, I asked if I could see his demon, and he showed me a cute black spider with a green stripe on its back."

"Ugh, only you would think spiders are cute."

Chana laughed. "That's not the point! I think he's lying."

"Why?"

"Because it's never the same spider! Bryani's snake is always the same, big and green with yellow eyes. Red's always the same hawk too. Maybe Noah doesn't want us to see his demon? Just like dad."

"Noah is not like him," Kitera said, maybe too harshly. "Sorry, I just . . . I think Noah's demon is more powerful than mine or Bryani's, and I'm sure he has a good reason for being secretive about it. He'll tell us when he's ready, yeah?"

"He tried to heal her." Chana glanced over her shoulder at Sofi. "But it didn't work. He was really upset."

Kitera's chest tightened. "I'm sure he did the best he could."