The House Above the Sea

33.

For a moment, he can pretend it isn't happening.

The moment is short-lived, however, for Elsie lets out a choked scream, shoving Neo so harshly out of the way that he staggers backwards and hits the floor. Salt grits against his palms, his head spinning.

Elsie drags Kit into her lap, his dark hair like ink against her pale legs, as she frantically presses two fingers to his throat. "He's alive," she says, her whole body shuddering with relief, though her face is blotchy and pink. "Oh, thank God. He's alive."

Guilt sinks like a pound of stones in Neo's stomach. In his dazedness, he hadn't even thought to check. He sits up, rubbing at his elbow. "What's...what's going on? Why did he...why is he..."

"You know, Neo," Elsie says, and something in her voice curdles his blood—it's serpentine, caustic, like venom seeping into his ears. "That's what I should be asking you. Because what the fuck did you think you were doing?"

"Elsie," Joey says, stepping forward. "Hang on a second. We're all confused, here."

"Yes, I'm confused," says Elsie, the acid in her gaze entirely merciless. "Confused as to why Neo didn't tell us the whole truth. If he did, then maybe someone would have told him that there's nothing a powerful ghost can do with some stupid fucking ring—"

"Elsie!"

"—and then maybe Kit wouldn't have had to do this to himself, whatever he's done, mind you, because it's not like there's any way for us to even know!"

Neo jolts, forgetting, suddenly, that Elsie was screaming at him a second before, forgetting everything. He says, "That's not true."

Elsie blinks. Nothing about her tone has changed when she says, "What?"

"It was all in Maeve's book," Neo points out, ignoring the trembling of his fingers. "Maeve would know, wouldn't she? We just have to ask her."

"Remember the last time we asked that old hag for something?" Elsie spits.

"Elsie," Joey says, his voice reminding Neo of a broken plate, dashed upon the floor. "Please. He's trying his best, and I think he makes a good point."

Elsie looks at Joey for a moment, her face screwed into a scowl, her shoulders tense, yet her hands so soft, so gentle, where they cradle her brother's neck. Just as suddenly as she looked up, her head dips again, and she brushes a strand of hair away from Kit's face. Neo wishes he looked peaceful, but he doesn't. Kit's brow is knitted, his eyes moving rapidly beneath his eyelids. His skin is pale as milk.

"I'm staying here with him, as long as it takes," Elsie says. "You two go to Maeve. Call me as soon as you know what to do."

Joey nods, pivoting on his heel. He stops when he realizes Neo still hasn't moved from the floor. "Neo?"

It takes all of Neo's strength to peel his eyes from Kit, when all he really wants is to stay here, to either slap Kit or hold him or both until he wakes up, to ask him what the hell were you thinking, to look into his eyes and tell him, I'm so glad you're okay.

But because it's his fault it came to this, he has to fix it. So he gets up.

His balance falters, foot crunching awkwardly against something small and solid upon the floor. When he glances down, he sees the ring, glinting into his eyes like a moonlit bullet.

"Neo," Joey says again.

"One sec," Neo tells him, stooping to pick it up. He crosses the floor, all the way to the back patio, where he steps out into the cool night air. The grass is more blue than green in this light, the sea a calm lull beneath him.