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I know Kai already.
But now, I am really, really curious about the Chancellor.
39
CALLIE
Dani picksthe weeds in the garden like every single one of them is a precious gem.
I watch her for some time.
She is so delicate that I feel like she belongs to a fine china cabinet. She likes wearing dresses, even when we do work around the village. She looks like she needs protection, and Ty is definitely taking the lead in that department.
He is all over her any chance he gets. He makes her smile. He takes her for walks, on boat rides, and for a swim. She didn’t spend last night in the bungalow. Whatever magic Ty is using—it’s working. She seems more cheerful, but something holds her back.
Trauma is a monster. It clings to some people stronger than others. Some people don’t have the strength to fight monsters. Some are ghost-busters. Others are victims.
I finally put the rake away, get up, and slide my feet into my flip-flops. “Dani, let’s go for a walk.”
She looks at me without much emotion. “Sure.”
The other girls glance up but don’t say anything.
I take her toward the path that goes to the waterfall. It’s wide and sunlit. The trees whisper. It’s secluded. And it’s nice to be in the shade, away from the scorching sun.
Dani looks around like she is on a boring date.
“Do you want to talk about what happened back home?” I ask.
Her brown hair is in a ponytail. Her sunflower dress is too loose and hangs on her skinny shoulders over her bikini. Her knees are dirty, and she picks her nails as if it’s the most important thing at the moment.
“We all had something happen to us,” she replies. “We just deal with it differently.”
“And you can’t deal with it. Is that what it is?”
Talking to her is like pulling teeth. I feel like she won’t break. Not with me. Not right now. Not by daylight.
“Do you know how it feels when you watch your family members being tortured and killed and think it’s your fault?” she finally says.
I halt, turn, and look at her.
Trauma has shades.
So does violence.
So do atrocities.
“What happened after the Change is not our fault, Dani.”
“Did you ever think that being spared and surviving is not a blessing?”
That’s not what they tell you in counseling.
“That it’s actually the biggest punishment,” she adds quietly, her eyes cast down to the ground. “We think that fate was unfair to them. But they are the lucky ones, you know?”
She looks at me then. God, she needs counseling, reassurance, and a shrink.
We resume walking up the path.
