Iron & Wine

Chapter Thirty One - Who Are You?

Chapter Thirty One-Who Are You?

I sat at a large wooden table across from Lattie and her sister. We were in Oliver's house, which wasn't too far from the lake. I must have sat there for a long time, not speaking or moving, because when Lattie spoke, it startled me.

"Avery, she will be okay. Oliver will make sure of that."

"Yeah, I know, I know. I just...need...time to collect myself," I admitted. I was sure that I made no sense to her but she never questioned it.

The truth was that I'd slipped into a state of shock, surprise, surprise. But, I'd just fought with a disgusting creature, one that had once drowned me, and then dragged the beaten and naked body of my rival out of the water. Now, I sat, wondering if she was going to survive. I had the right to be in shock so I just continued to stare at the table.

Just then, Moya entered the tiny kitchen from the other room, the room where Max was. I looked at her for answers.

"Max will be fine, sweetheart," she reassured me and squeezed my shoulder. "She is in rough shape, but she will live. And Oliver is going to give her a potion that will make her forget this ever happened."

"What? But how is she going to explain this to her family? How is she going to explain it to herself?" I cried.

"Avery. Calm down. There is nothing else we can do. There is no other choice. If we return her home with the knowledge of our world, she could be trouble for us."

I realized that Moya was right. Someone like Max should not have access to this information. So, I just nodded in agreement. "Um, have you heard from Julie yet?" I wondered.

"Yes, she is on her way and should be here any second," Moya told me as she was searching through the kitchen cupboards. "Would you like some tea?"

"Um, I guess so, if it's okay with Oliver."

Moya turned and placed two mugs on the table. "Oh, don't worry about Oliver. He and I have been good friends for quite some time. He will not mind me helping myself."

"Really? How did you guys meet?" I asked.

"Well, once upon a time, he and I were a part of a very close group of friends, inseparable actually. Over the years, things have changed quite a bit, some things for the worse, some for the better. Oliver has remained a loyal friend for a long time," she explained.

"What happened to your friends?"

Moya was silent a moment, as she seemed to be choosing her next words carefully. "Well, we got older, and things began to change. People began to change. Oliver has remained a friend through it all and I am thankful for that."

Just then, someone came bursting in through the front door. It was Julie.