Shady

“Good.” She hesitated. “…he… is… happy about this.” She gestured at them vaguely. “He… said he wants me to have a living family to…”

“And he let me see my father,” she said very quietly.

“He… didn’t ask if I wanted to be. He just said I was,” she said hesitantly. “But… I don’t mind. I… think he’ll protect us all if I do.”

“He did.” She shrugged, embarrassed. “I… I’m not crazy. I know what I saw. It was him.”

“I’m not sure.” Her voice was very quiet, and she had to grab the lining of her pockets to resist the urge to pull her hands back out to dig ...

“Right.” She nodded, forcing herself to take a deep breath. “I’m…” she glanced up hesitantly, trying to gauge her reaction. “A… herald… for Haelar… he came to talk to me.”

“Sorry.” Her eyes stung with unshed tears and she buried her hands in her pockets, chest tight. She felt in trouble. How was she supposed to put her hands down? ...

She flinched. “Sorry.” She clasped her hand over the small scab she’d created, hiding it from view.

She looked at him in alarm. “Sorry.” Did he want her to shut up? She could do that. She looked back at her hands and kept digging at the loose ...

Ky fidgeted and blushed, looking down at her hands. She was starting to bleed a little from how much she was picking at her skin. “He came to me in ...

Ky jerked her head up and blinked at him. Then hissed accusingly, “Jerica.”

She grimaced and shook her head. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

“… they’re waking up…” she blushed even worse, somehow, picking at the skin on her hand.

Ky grimaced and fidgeted. “…Haelar.”

Ky cringed and nodded, wandering over to the fireplace. She couldn’t bring herself to sit down. “And the ghosts.”