Page 27 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
You’re not a passive person, Amy. Don’t act like one.
“I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me what’s going on in here.” I sounded as commanding as I could with my voice trembling and glared down at Uncle Neel.
My uncle’s brown eyes flared at my insolence. His lips curled back on the promise of a tirade. I almost flinched in anticipation.
“How did she get in here?” Arbutus Colwort rumbled beneath his bowler hat, scowling across the table at Ash Loosestrife, who scrutinized me, interested. His curly black hair glinted blue beneath the chandelier light.
“Look,” I choked out, my heart pounding. “Yinz have been meeting here at my house for weeks—”
“It’s your father’s house,” Uncle Neel coldly reminded me.
My gaze narrowed. “Yes, and he’s not here right now, is he?”
“I’m here for him,” Uncle Neel answered, both his voice and his demeanor yielding.
“You don’t need to know what we’re discussing, child,” Sy Rockrose dismissed me, almost sympathetic as he brushed his shiny, silver hair off his shoulder. “Go on, now.”
Fury burned in my chest. “I’ma child?” I pointed at Briar, sitting before Aunt Aylie’s massive oak hutch, where he met my gaze, pleading. “He’s my age, and he’s here!”
Briar opened his mouth to speak, but his father cut him to the chase.
“He’s here because I made him come.” Cole Hawthorne frowned. “That’s all.”
Briar’s tongue rolled inside his mouth.
“Are you in here talking about my father?” I asked, my voice too thin. “Because if you are, then I deserve—”
“You don’t make demands of us, girl!” Clem Polkweed blustered, his jowly face reddening.
Arbutus sputtered his agreement. “Cornelian, this is just what I’ve been arguing! Laurustinus has been too lenient with her! She’s too unruly to—”
“You’ve been talking aboutme?” I reeled, nothing making sense.
Uncle Neel’s hand clamped my arm. “Amy, go to your room. Now.”
I held my ground when he tried to push me out. “Why are you talking about me?”
“See? This whole notion is preposterous!” Arbutus exclaimed.
“Shut up, all of you!” Briar roared, rising from his seat. The men fell silent as he pushed past his father, who’d risen to stop him. His eyes green steel, Briar grabbed me from Uncle Neel.
Huh?I thought. Because Uncle Neel backed off.
Briar glared at the others, warning, “Remember who you’re talking to.”
The others subsided, several resenting Briar’s reminder.
Sorting through all the questions I needed to ask, I let Briar whisk me from the dining room.
“She shouldn’t have been able to barge in like that,” Arbutus grumbled under his breath. “Unless she has the—”
The pocket door shut behind us, its lock jamming into place.
Briar tugged me toward the stairs, but I dug my heels into Aunt Aylie’s prized Persian rug. “Please just tell me why they were talking about me.” I hated to beg, but Ihadto know. “Please.”
Briar massaged his scrunching forehead.
“It’s about my father, isn’t it? They all think he’s dying, don’t they?” My soul shrunk in just saying the words. “They don’t want me to know?”
