Winter Fire

Ch. 52 [The Sixth Decision]

Winter Fire
Ch. 52
The Sixth Decision

Summer was buckled in the backseat of the principal's car, silent, lips pursed, arms crossed. Principal Glass stood by the hood watching the shack where the oven passageway let out. I was expressionless when Archer and I finally emerged. He had a tight grip on my arms, tight, but still gentle, and kept me walking. I was shaking, breathing unsteadily, but walking. Summer's face pressed up against the window. She unbuckled and jumped out of the car, but Principal Glass grabbed her arm when she tried to come to me.

"Get back in the car, Summer." Her voice was low.

Summer twisted away from her. "No! Let me go."

"Quiet."

"What happened?" She called at us. "What's wrong with her?"

Archer only shook his head solemnly. I couldn't speak. I was frozen in my mind, cold. My thoughts moved through sludge. My brain had tried to process everything that had gone through my mind at that moment, but like an overload, instead it shut down, blocked me out as it rewired.

Archer had carried me, through the tunnel to the kitchen and then halfway through the oven passage. I kept screaming, sobbing, shaking. I couldn't stop. I couldn't control myself. He didn't try to reason with me. He knew it wouldn't do anything. He knew the only thing to do when I got like that was to just force me forward.

It frightened me, how much time we'd spent together, how many emotions had flown between us, how much he knew about me, how much I knew about him. We knew each other so well half the time we didn't even need words. And that terrified me.

I didn't want to know him that well. I didn't want him to know me that well. That kind of knowledge was dangerous. Even if it was never turned around and used against me, it's the most dangerous kind of knowledge there is. The knowledge of a single person, how to manipulate them, how to get to them, how to get through them, how to destroy them. Your being, in the palm of their hand.

I didn't trust Archer enough to feel safe with that kind of knowledge in his hands. And I knew he didn't trust me enough either.

Principal Glass forced Summer back into the car. Archer buckled me into the passenger seat and tossed the box he'd retrieved from his dorm in the back. He traded his car keys for the principal's and got in.

No one spoke as the car pulled out of the miniscule lot and rolled through the narrow forested gravel road. No one spoke until we crossed from the last tree onto the paved road.

"Your name's Archer, right?" Summer asked tentatively.

He nodded.

She took a moment before she continued. I could feel her bright eyes on the back of my head.

"What happened? Why is she like that?"

Archer glanced briefly at me. I closed my eyes. Still shaking, still breathing heavily, but my thoughts were coming back. I turned my head just barely, met his eyes.

"Eyes on the road!" Summer snapped.

Archer looked away. I took in a deep breath.

"Winter will explain when she's ready." Archer said.

Summer let out a frustrated whine, but she didn't object.

We drove for ten more minutes in silence until the shaking finally began to subside and I worked up enough strength to explain, if only a little.

"We overheard the Purifier's talking about a weapon that could destroy every Shzazi left alive." I said.

The lights in Summer's eyes faded. She sat silent, waiting. I stared straight ahead at the road.