The Widow's Daughter ✔︎

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"We just crash-landed from a plane," Evie breathed. "And we're alive."

"Are we, though?" Ben asked, rubbing a lump on his head. 

Not wanting to provoke an existential crisis in a dizzy eleven-year-old, I made my way over to Peter and slumped down next to him, trying to give him a smile that looked more like a grimace. "You saved my life," I said.

He looked at me and blinked. "Uh. Yeah. I guess I did."

"Again," I added, remembering Mount Gestola. "You've saved my life twice now."

"Why are you counting?" he asked, the corners of his mouth lifting a little. 

"Because now I owe you twice," I pouted. "I don't suppose buying you food counts as suitable payback?"

Peter chuckled a bit. "You don't owe me anything. Getting to be your friend is payback enough."

I blushed. "You're not only my friend, you know," I said.

"Really?" he smiled at me, his cheeks reddening.

"Larb date, remember?" I said dryly. "I'm looking forward to that."

"Me too." Peter sighed, resting his head back against the bark of the tree and watching as the sun rose over the horizon. "Me too."

I stood up, the sound of a phone ringing blaring out from the crash. I squinted into the distance at the wreckage and made my way towards it, stumbling a little. I gasped, staring into the fiery carnage: my phone had somehow survived and was ringing from where it sat on the burnt leather seats. "What is it?" Evie called.

I grabbed it and swiped left, swearing when I saw the caller ID.

Grimacing, I pressed answer and put the phone to my ear, wincing as I said, "hey, mum."

"KIRA ROMANOFF-AKIRO." came my mother's angry voice through the receiver. (Yes, I changed my last name. I didn't think the Bardasen counted anymore, seeing as it wasn't exactly a real place.) Her voice sounded thick, like she'd just been crying. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ODIN WERE YOU THINKING?!"

I grimaced. "Um. We had to find Holly and..." I let out a long breath. "I'm so sorry, Mum."

Nat's voice softened. "I know, kiddo," she said, the traces of anger still clear to be heard. "But seriously, for a genius, that was THE DUMBEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE. YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Yup, I hear you."

"TINA HAS BEEN WORRIED SICK! SHE'S BEEN TEARING HERSELF UP ABOUT IT!" Nat's voice had resumed it's angry-mother mode. "SO HAVE I! TAKING EVIE AND BEN WITH YOU?! THAT WAS THE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE THING YOU'VE EVER DONE!"

I swallowed uncomfortably. "Well, actually, they were the ones who persuaded me to come with them."

Nat let out a loud, angry sigh. "Oh my god, Kira. Are you actually going to lay the blame on them? I know you took the file on Holly. You're so irresponsible, impulsive..."

I fired back with, "well, I get that from you!"

"I KNOW!" Nat yelled. I could practically hear the steam coming out of her ears. "Why won't you just be happy with what you've got? You've got me, and we were happy together! I'm your mother, Kira... why won't you listen to me?"

"I DO listen to you!" I yelled. "But when it's the fate of the universe at hand, especially if it has something to do with me, what do you expect me to do? Sit around like a good little kid and let the grown-ups handle it? The same grown-ups who failed to handle it last time?"

Okay, I'd gone a bit too far. I could hear the hurt in Nat's voice as she said softly, "Yes. Yes, that's exactly what you were supposed to do!"

"Fine!" I yelled into the receiver. "So what do you want me to do now??"

"Well, I want you to come home!" my mother demanded angrily. 

"Uh, that's not really possible." I glanced at the burning wreckage of the jet and blushed. 

"Why? You stole a jet plane. Just fly it back!"

"Um." I swallowed nervously. "We kinda... might've... exploded it."

"YOU EXPLODED IT?" 

"Yup. Literally just then."

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO EXPLODE IT?"

"Well, it exploded itself, really. The engines burst into flame and we crashed in a field in Dublin."

"Did anybody get hurt?" my mother's voice was concerned and serious. "Did YOU get hurt?"

"Nope," I lied, my voice strained. "We're all right as rain."

"LIAR." Nat hissed. "I bet you broke your ribs. I bet Ben has a concussion and Peter's face is messed-up. I bet Evie sprained her ankle."

I couldn't believe my ears. That was actually... exactly what happened. "Um, no," I wheezed. Suddenly having an idea, I began to make buzzing noises. "Hold on..." I tried to make static noises and make my voice quieter. "The connection's... failing... sorry... I need to go..."

"DON'T YOU DARE END THIS CALL, YOUNG LADY!" It was such a generic-mother-response I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing.

"No... see you... wait... bye Mum... love you... see you later..." I ignored Nat's angry yells and pressed 'end call' on the phone screen, chucking the piece of tech into the fire and stomping on it so she couldn't call me again.

I looked at my friends, who were all staring at me with wide, gobsmacked eyes. "Was that your mum?" Peter asked.

"Nope!" I said brightly. "Let's... forget that just happened and go find Holly, OK?"