Part 26 (1/2)
Dominic didn't react to their return. He continued to munch on his orange as he watched them.
No one said anything for the longest time. Sasha finally broke the silence.
”How long have we been gone?” She asked.
Dominic glanced at his watch and shrugged. ”An hour maybe,” he said nonchalantly.
Sasha nudged Evan with her foot.
”How long were we there? Eight? Nine hours?”
”At least,” he moaned lying on his back with his arm thrown across his eyes.
Sasha crawled to Evan and put her face close to his. He seemed ok but she knew portal travel was hard on him.
”You ok?” She asked her hand on his.
He nodded his response but didn't lift his arm.
”Can we get some water over here?” she growled.
Dominic disappeared into the house and returned with two gla.s.ses. Evan drank his greedily while she sipped. The water was cold and refres.h.i.+ng.
”So?” Dominic said casually returning to his seat.
Sasha turned her attention to Dominic and smiled. She knew what he wanted to know. She wanted to make him ask for it but that seemed petty.
”Evan was successful,” she said.
Dominic raised an eyebrow and looked between Evan and Sasha.
”Yes, Evan,” she said. ”He destroyed the talisman. I was too dead to help him.”
Dominic didn't react and popped an orange slice in his mouth.
”I expected as much,” he said.
”You thought I'd die?” She said incredulously. She couldn't believe he'd allow her to go to Tysseland if he realistically thought she'd die. That seemed too cruel. ”There was a high probability. I warned you that you probably wouldn't live out the day.”
Dominic continued eating in a calm manner while Sasha seethed inside.
”I thought you were being sarcastic,” she spat. ”Being your usual negative self. Here I thought I'd thank you for your help but it turned out you knowingly sent me to my death and didn't even bother to come with us to improve our odds.”
Dominic sniffed unaffected by her anger.
”I couldn't join you,” he said. ”I created the portal.”
Dominic offered his peeled orange to Sasha. She grabbed it roughly, p.i.s.sed that he didn't seem to care about whether she lived or died.
Sasha bit down on a piece of orange, the juice bursting in her mouth. She took her time slurping and chewing. She offered some to Evan but he still had a hand over his eyes.
”Are you going to give me the details?” Dominic said finally showing some impatience.
”I haven't decided,” she said still feeling ornery. Although they had broken the curse she didn't feel entirely safe. The queen had still tried to kill her as she was leaving. She feared she was always going to be a target.
”Perhaps we should keep the dead part from your mother,” he said suddenly nervous.
It was Sasha's turn to laugh.
”Afraid of my mother?”
”Yes,” he said.
Sasha laid in the gra.s.s and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. She smelled fresh cut gra.s.s, roses and the sweet scent of some blossoms from a bush growing in Dominic's backyard.
She wasn't sure she'd get back home and she wanted to appreciate every moment of her return.
”How did you destroy the talisman?” Dominic asked eager for details although trying to restrain himself.
”I didn't,” Sasha said not turning her gaze from staring at the clouds in the sky. ”Evan saved me.”
She described what happened in the queen's tomb and motioned for Evan to supply the details about the talisman destruction.
Evan rolled onto his side still recuperating from the portal travel. He picked up a slice of orange and nibbled gently. He took a sip of water and swallowed slowly. Sasha suspected he was drawing out his motions to make Dominic antsy and she loved it.
Evan explained how he found a lock of brown hair in a delicate box that could only belong to a member of the royal family. It was lined with purple velvet and had a crown carved onto the outside. He destroyed the hair with fire and then decided to burn all the talismans just in case he'd made a mistake.
Dominic leaned forward, on the edge of his seat. ”You destroyed everything?”
Evan nodded and flopped back in the gra.s.s exhausted.
”That might have repercussions,” Dominic said leaning back in his seat deep in thought. ”She'll be fabulously furious. That might even be why she chased you to Glenbury's house.”
Even shook his head. ”She wouldn't have known that quickly. I put all the boxes back.”
Dominic burst out laughing. ”That's beautiful. She might not know for months, years even.”
Dominic chuckled heartily and nearly fell off his chair. Sasha smiled at his enjoyment and tried to share in his glee.
”Why did she chase us?” She asked Dominic after giving him a few moments to regain his composure.
His shoulders rose in an exaggerated shrug. ”Maybe she knew you were alive,” he said. ”We'll never know unless we see her again.”
Sasha shuddered at the thought and rolled onto her knees. ”No thanks,” she said. ”I guess it'll have to stay a mystery.”
Sasha didn't keep anything from her mother. Since she understood so little about what was going on she figured she'd provide her mother with information overload so she could sort it all out.
”Sasha, is that you?” her mother yelled from another room. Sasha stood in the foyer, clothing torn and dirt smudging her face. She dropped her knapsack with a clunk. She'd thrown out the burlap dress at Dominic's house.
Willow Bean swept into the room and halted seeing a disheveled Sasha. She rushed over to her daughter and tried to give her a hug.