It has been a long time since I've been on my own. It's strange and I feel like I'm missing something. Like I'm missing a part of me – Crinae. However, I'm allowed to go places by myself. I don't need my sister tagging along all the time.
Where should I go? It's not like there are a million places. I rule out outside since more Waterstealers could be there. I'm a bit freaked out over Trunken today. He makes my skin crawl.
I really didn't think this wandering-around-thing-solo through. I'm without a light and stumbling around in the dark. I need a candle. Many people have left Nakimu and I bet a lot of compounds are empty. I push the door to one home wide open and slowly walk around the room with my hands outstretched in front of me.
"Ow."
I think I kicked a table. Yes, it's the kitchen table. Lucky for me, there's a lamp and matches on it.
With the lamp beaming, I shine the light around the chamber. It's Dodney's old home. I know because he put a sign on his bedroom door.
"Keep out! Private! Dodney's room. No girls allowed."
"Too bad, bro. I'm going in."
It's not a bedroom, it's actually a closet. There's a mattress with a patchwork quilt on it that takes up most of the space. A brown teddy bear sits slumped in the corner. The teddy is missing an eye and looks like he's been much loved. I wonder why Dodney left him behind. There's nothing else in the room save for some old clothing hanging from the rods. I turn back into the main room.
The whole place is empty. Empty of humans but not devoid of stuff. Pictures hang on the wall of Dodney's mother and what was probably his father and other relations. The main chamber is tiny, tinier than others I have seen at the settlement. Much, much tinier than Solomon and Katherine's. There's one chair and a couple of mats. No table or dishes or food. The rock on the floor is polished so I surmise the dwelling was used a lot.
The second chamber is a bedroom, which has a real bed with a red blanket on it. With a little lump in the middle. A lump that's going up and down. A breathing lump. I quietly back out of the room. Making no noise at all.
My elbow smashes against the rock wall. Sending a jolt of pain straight up to my shoulder and into my neck. I stifle a shout but it's too late. The lump sits up.
"You made it for our tea date, girlie," says Trunken. "Should I prepare the kettle for two?"
He hops out of bed and I'm face-to-face with the Waterstealer. I'm face-to-face with my nightmare. Every fibre in my body, soul and mind is kicking into gear and telling me to run. But something holds me in place. I'm Aeternian. I know how to take care of things like him. I'm going to take this Waterstealer down.
Taking a wide stance, I lift up my arm to blast a chunk of flesh off his sinister and sneering mouth.
"Before you do anything you'll regret," he says matter-of-factly. "Listen to me."
"Why should I? You threatened me and my family."
"You are not safe," he says, ignoring my comments. "There's danger here."
I snort at Trunken.
"You're the danger. I'm fully aware that I'm not safe with you."
Trunken cocks his head to one side and puts his hands on his narrow hips.
"Not by me, idiot," he says.
That's the last I remember.
***
When I come to, I see by the light that I'm lying on Fujina's narrow bed, covered with the red blanket. My head feels like I bashed it against the rock wall a few times too many. In fact, there's a large bump on my forehead. My eyes are aching and my tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth. What happened?
Trunken happened.
I bolt up, too fast, and a thousand sparks of pain directly bore into my brain. Clutching my head, I look around. Trunken is nowhere to be seen. Thankfully.
"Zut!" I exclaim. I use the strongest word I know. My head hurts and hurts worse when I stand up. I'm woozy and wobble a bit but I go out into the hallway. I wind my way back to Solomon and Katherine's, aware that any shadow might be the Waterstealer lurking in the dark. Ready to pounce on me again. I open the door to Solomon's and one light is burning in the corner but no one's there.
I'd really, really like some help here. It's not every day I get kidnapped. I gingerly touch my forehead and it's hot. I'll wash my face with some cool water and then sit and wait.
"Where have you been?!" demands a woman's voice filled with worry and relief and anger all at the same time. It's Katherine, coming through the door.
I rush at her and throw my arms around her waist.
"It was Trunken," I say. "He attacked me!"
"What?" asked Katherine as she pushes me away from her. A look of worry flickers across her face.
"Yes. He did something to me too. Look."
I show Katherine the red lump and she puts a cool hand on it.
"He gave you a good goose egg," she says. "You're fine, though. We were scared that was going to happen. You've been gone most of the night."
"What?"
"We've been out looking for you," says Katherine.
"No, I mean what you said before that," I say. "You just said that you were scared this was going to happen. If you thought I was in danger, why didn't you tell me?"
"Trunken was supposed to be banished from here yesterday," snaps Katherine. "He obviously got away."
"He's still here! Go find him. He hurt me."
"Trunken knows better," says Katherine. "He was warned."
"Warned?" I say in shock. "What do you mean?"
"He's long gone," says Katherine. She put her hands on either side of my face and stares down into my eyes. Her pupils are wide, hiding most of the brown from her eyes.
"Did he say anything to you?" she asks.
"Yeah, a whole bunch of stuff about Nakimu being dangerous."
Katherine's light grip on my cheeks tightens. It's pinching and I try to pull my face from her hands but she isn't letting go.
"That hurts," I tell her and wiggle as I pry her talons away from digging into my skin.
"What else did Trunken say?" she asks, staring at me like I'm sprouting a new head to replace the old one.
"That's it. That's all I remember. Can we go? I want to see Crinae."
"Crinae and Hyla are with another family while the search party looks for you."
Katherine takes my arm, none too gently, and marches me out into the corridor. Then we march past the gate where Adam is sitting. The Keeper runs to pick me up when he sees me.
"You're safe!" he says, breaking into a huge smile and spinning me in circles. (Causing my headache to throb a tiny bit more.) "The Motos didn't get you. Wait until the others hear about this."
"It definitely wasn't Motos," I say. "It was Trunken and Katherine isn't going to find him and make him pay for what he did to me."
Adam raises his eyebrows at Katherine. "Who let him out?" he asks. "He was under lock and key."
"You know those Waterstealers," she says. "Sneaky jerks. No way he's sticking around the scene of the crime so no need to raise an alarm."
"There's a protocol to follow," says the Keeper in a low voice. "It's up to me to make that decision. When there's a threat to the settlement, any threat: Moto, Waterstealer, Unmentionable, I'm the one who makes the call."
"There's too much going," says Katherine, with a wave of her hand. "Motos were at the gate last night, Naia was lost, we're leaving for the census soon: we have to let some issues go."
"I wasn't lost," I say. "Trunken took me and he bashed me in the head. This thing you called a goose egg isn't imaginary."
My skull already has hot coals on it and my anger's fanning the flames. Any moment my head is going to pop off my neck and burst into flames. I need to put out this fire and I don't think I would look good bald. Or without a head.
"True, there are lots of things going on," says Adam. "That's why we have processes and procedures. We dealt with two major complications because we have emergency protocols. I'm making sure Trunken's not in the settlement," says Adam, pointing a lean finger at Katherine.
"Make sure those Motos are long gone then, too," says Katherine in a light and sweet voice. "But don't plan on taking any more than two guards with you."
Adam scowls at Katherine and then opens the heavy gate. It creaks and groans but Adam doesn't listen to the gate's excuses. He's out the door in a couple of strides.
"What happened with those Motos?" I ask.
Katherine holds a plump hand out to me.
"Time to see your sister and Hyla," she says. "Show them you're all right."
I refuse to take her hand and walk behind her. I clench my fists at my sides because one of them just might have a mind of its own and punch Katherine in the back of the neck. The nerve of her to downplay what happened to me.
Katherine marches with haste around the corridors and we end up at an unfamiliar door. This home has an old yellow towel as it's a door.
Katherine pokes her head through the curtain and says hello. A young woman comes to the door and swings the fabric wide so we can go into the room.
"Hello Leandra," says Katherine to the lady. "We've found her."
Leandra immediately turns and yells into the chamber.
"Your sister is here!"
I hear the patter of footsteps and soon I'm enveloped in hugs by Crinae and Hyla.
"Where were you?" they ask. "We were so worried."
They really had been distraught. Both of them have red-rimmed eyes and runny noses. I see the relief in both their faces. It's no use holding on to my anger against Hyla. She was concerned about me.
"Trunken took me and it was horrible," I tell the pair. "He knocked me in the head, right here. Feel it."
"That's a big bump!" says Crinae. "Were you scared?"
I nod.
"We were scared, too," says Hyla, so quietly I almost can't hear her. "There were Motos in the settlement and I was worried they took you."
"Motos and Waterstealers are both frightening," I say.
"Girls," says Katherine. "Collect your stuff and we'll let Leandra and her husband get back to normal."
Once Crinae and Hyla get their books, we leave. Crinae's not letting go of my hand and holding on so hard it's giving my hand cramps. Hyla walks quickly ahead of us.
"Slow down!" I call to her.
Hyla turns around and glares at me. She keeps walking just as fast. Hmm, that's a quick turnaround. She's back to being a pain in the butt.