Page 96 of Suncatcher

“Have we met before?” Driz couldn’t remember, but why else would Oak think she would know these things?

“Thirty-five years ago.”

Pearl snapped her head sideways. “You told her to dig her up?”

“Was that my mother?” Driz asked. It was the only thought that made sense. “Did you kill her?” But Driz didn’t have to ask. Oak was now right. Now Driz did know. She looked at Pearl. “You knew?”

Pearl didn’t meet Driz’s gaze as she nodded.

Driz reeled back a step. “Why?”

Oak pulled free of Pearl’s grip. “Because we’re enemies, goyle. And now you know it. So here I am. Won’t you take your vengeance?”

“What’re you doing?” Pearl hissed, stumbling as she chased after her mother. Driz lurched forward, ready to go to her. To steady her. But Pearl put a staying hand out, palm to Driz.

With a single gesture, she placed an unseen wall between them. Pushing Driz away. Keeping them apart.

Perhaps they had never belonged together to begin with.

“I’ve waited all these years for that night to come back to me. And now you have. Well?” Oak watched her with something like glee in her eyes. Almost like she was excited.

“You want me to attack you?” Driz asked.

“Don’t you? I murdered your mother for no reason but that I felt like it. How’s that make you feel, vulture?”

“My name is Drizzle,” Driz growled, straightening to her full height. “That is the name my mother…” Torrent’s angry, disgusted, accusing face blended with Oak’s. “The name the one who raised me gave me.” Torrent had been Driz’s mother. Driz didn’t remember the one in the dirt. And Torrent didn’t want Driz either.

“Stop this,” Pearl demanded, glaring at her mother. “I told you I’d never forgive you.”

“Even if it’s self-defense?” Oak asked, not taking her gleaming eyes off Driz. “Do it, goyle. You know you wanna.”

“You’ve gone raving. Enough.” Pearl grabbed her mother’s arm. They struggled for a moment.

Driz heard the shot before she registered the pain. It burned through her cursed shoulder. The mixing blight glowed brighter in the night.

She couldn’t tell if Pearl or the sheriff had shot her. But perhaps it didn’t matter.

Driz stumbled back, her own blood hot. And familiar. The ice in her veins melted and turned molten.

All she’d ever wanted was to help. To belong.

“Driz!” The sound of Pearl’s voice only intensified the pain.

Driz roared, the vile, intimidating part of her nature surfacing, screaming from the agony of it. She flared her wings, slamming her palms onto the shivering earth, crouching like the beast she was.

She should not have looked at Pearl. If she hadn’t looked, she would not have seen her fear.

Pearl was afraid. Of her.

Driz turned away and lurched into the sky, pain her best companion since she had met Pearl.

27

Recovery

Pearl stared in horror at the place where Driz had been. The place where she had left a stain of spattered blood.

Pearl ran toward it, senselessly. When she looked up, she caught the sight of a winged figure disappearing into the darkness. It was past the deepest part of night already. Dawn wasn’t so far away.