Page 74 of The Verdant Cage
ExceptIdidn’t know. Not until yesterday, when he told me. “He was at my mom’s surprise party.” Something else occurs to me: my father’s death was a few days later.
“Sounds about right,” Gryphon says.
We’re quiet for some time. “What was wrong with that meat tonight?” I ask next, hoping to continue one of our longest conversations since childhood.
“Didn’t recognize it.” He clears his throat. “It didn’t look like any creature I know inside the Wall.”
“And youwouldknow,” I say, repeating what he told me at Guardian training, “because you’ve walked every inch of the Valley a hundred times over on your snipe hunts.” My stomach plummets as it finally dawns on me what he had really been saying. What I’d refused to hear but can no longer deny. I sit up slowly, my pulse galloping through my veins.
“Yep,” he says, his own mind clearly wandering. “I would.”
“And there are no large, dangerous creatures inside the Wall,” I say.
His response comes more slowly this time, the word drawn out. “Riiiggghhhhtttt.”
“Except for the one that killed my father.”
No response. Time stands still.
“Gryphon?” Still nothing, though my heart is pounding so loud it’s difficult to hear anything above it. My voice is small when it finally comes out. “Did Jarek kill my dad?”
I’m watching him, so I see when he stops breathing. An emptiness crawls beneath my skin.
“I don’t know,” Gryphon answers, but he’s lying to us both. “My father can be short-fused, but I don’t want to believe he’s a killer.”
I think of my own, kind dad. Healing everyone, hurting no one. Then Jarek, moody and angry, hateful toward his wife and son. How could darkness be more powerful than light?
“Rose?” he says softly.
“What?” I’m swiping at my eyes.
“I won’t let him hurt you.”
Is he trying to distract me? From the likelihood that his dadmurderedmine? “Too late.”
I no longer feel like talking, but I need something only Gryphon can provide. My goal is to stop Jarek and bring my brother back, but I’m no fool. If I manage to make it up the Wall, I know my odds of returning are close to zero.
I swallow my emotions, keeping my voice calm. “But you can promise me something. Will you take care of Gran if anything happens to me? You were so kind to her tonight, so…will you make sure no one hurts her?”
His response is strained. “It’s my duty as a Guardian.”
I chew and swallow the pain of leaving her behind. “But do you promise?”
A pause. Then, “I promise.”
“Thank you, Gryphon.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to youorher as long as I’m alive, Rose. I swear it.” I hear him turning over. “Now try and get some sleep.”
It’s a long while before I do.
45
The next day is cloudy, to my disappointment. I prepare breakfast as Gryphon cleans up from the previous night’s gathering. We work in a tired silence. When my morning chores are complete, I hurry to the Record Keeper cottage, entering through the library just as I have previously.
I find myself alone with the books this time. I check the mahogany door leading to the vault, even knowing it’ll be locked. I’m considering simply knocking Marina unconscious and taking the key next time I see her when I hear a snuffling coming from the living quarters. It sounds like weeping.
“Hello?” I say tentatively. The sound stops, but no one responds. If it’s Marina, I really don’t care that she’s crying.Unless she’s injured. As much as I despise her, I can’t leave a wounded villager unattended. “Is everything okay?”
