The Scourge (A.G. Henley) - By A.G. Henley Page 0,63
to it.”
“Anything tastes better than days of dried meat.” A familiar pang cuts through my chest. What is Eland eating now? Are he and Calli and Bear still in the caves? What challenges is Aloe facing on the Council? I long to hear their voices and know they’re safe.
“I wish you could see the color of that water. It’s half green and half blue. Beautiful, like . . .” he thinks about it, “like Moonlight’s eyes. Not like our dirty brown water at home.”
I’m surprised at the flare of resentment I feel when Peree compares the “beautiful” blue water to another girl’s eyes, even if she is pretty much family. Especially considering he also described brown, the color of my eyes, as dirty. I keep my face smooth, to hide my hurt feelings.
I’m still nursing my pride as we finish our picnic lunch and walk back to the village. We stop in front of Kadee’s door, and Peree takes my hand.
“Did I do something to make you angry?” he asks.
“No, I’m fine,” I say quickly.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“Okay,” he says doubtfully. “Thanks for the picnic, and the lesson. Maybe next time I’ll be brave enough to put my face in the water.”
I force a smile. He pulls me in for a hug . . . and the hurt feelings dwindle as my body surges with that bewildering energy again. I tighten my arms around him, crutch and all.
Voices come toward us through the trees. Sounds like Nerang and–
“Kadee!” I take his hand, pulling him toward them. “Come meet her . . .”
I trail off as Peree jerks to a stop beside me.
“I don’t believe it,” he says.
“What?” I ask.
“It’s you.”
“Yes, it’s me,” Kadee says. “Hello, my son.”
Chapter Fourteen
My mind spins. Kadee is Peree’s mother?
“What are you doing here?” He sounds like he’s seeing a ghost. I guess he is.
“This is my home.” Kadee’s voice is quiet.
“Since when?”
“Since I left the trees.”
He doesn’t respond for a moment. “All this time you’ve been here? We thought you were dead! Or worse.”
“I’m sorry,” Kadee says. “I know I have much to explain, but I’ve been waiting until you were stronger. Will you come in and talk with me now?”
“Oh, is it a convenient time for you, then? Are you sure you don’t want to wait a little longer? It’s been ten years, what’s another day?”
“Please, son–”
“Don’t call me that. You gave up that right when you left us.” The astonishment in his voice is gone, replaced by a barely controlled rage.
Kadee takes a step toward us. “Peree–”
“You know what, don’t bother explaining now. It’s too late.”
He’s gone, into the forest.
“Peree, wait!” I move to follow him, but Nerang touches my shoulder.
“Let him go, young one. He’s had a shock. He may need some time.”
I turn on him. “You knew about this, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could prepare him? And Kadee—I thought you were my friend! Were you using me to get information?”
“No!” She sounds miserable. “I planned to tell you both. I was waiting for the right time.”
I shake my head. “Well, somehow I don’t think this was it.”
I wander around for a while in the forest, listening for Peree, but I don’t hear him. I literally stumble onto a knee-high, flat rock in a quiet patch of grass, and I stop to sit. A small stream bubbles nearby, but the sounds of the village are faint from here. I’m not sure where else to look for Peree. Maybe Nerang was right; maybe he needs to be alone. Nerang is usually right—except about this. He should have told me about Kadee.
She must have found Koolkuna somehow after she left the forest. But why didn’t she go back, or at least let her family know she wasn’t dead? I know her well enough to believe she’s not cruel or uncaring. She must have had a reason. What could it be? What would drive her to leave her child like that, without a word?
A few nights ago, when Kai came to tell me Peree was awake, Kadee was going to tell me about her family. So maybe she wasn’t deliberately trying to keep me in the dark. I guess there isn’t a good time to spring something like this on someone. Poor Peree.
When the heat becomes unbearable, I cross to the shaded stream and step in. Flies dance around my head as I wade across the slippery stones. I think about our swim, and touching Peree as he floated in