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“Aslan...it’s your decision,” Jack finally said. “We can go for a drive and leave my troublesome child to wander the streets searching for us, or we can talk here.” His eyes shot a blatant message. Say nothing that might scar my child or cause her nightmares.
After what Anna had told me about Neri’s childhood friend being killed and Neri somehow knowing about it, I agreed with his request.
She didn’t need any other darkness staining the bright, beautiful light she shone.
Besides, I was well used to keeping evil as far from innocence as possible. I’d done my utmost to keep Melike naïve to why we were running and what would happen if we were caught.
Neri never looked away from me, her crystal-clear blue eyes drowning me in so many things. Beneath her determination to hear things she shouldn’t lingered hurt and fear.
Hurt not to be included.
Fear that I might not be here when she woke.
The way she watched me sent alarm bells clanging in my head.
My chest tightened, and I knew I shouldn’t. I cursed myself that I did. But my heart gave another strange kick, and I found myself bowing to every demand she made.
“She can stay.”
The smile she gave me made air hard to come by.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I promise I won’t utter a thing you say to anyone.” She drew a cross over her chest.
I cleared my throat and looked away.
Jack caught my stare, his dark blue gaze churning with things I didn’t want to see. Throwing a quick glance between his daughter and me, he leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table. “Alright then...let’s begin.”
Anna stood and disappeared into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a jug of water to top up our dry glasses.
“How old are you?” Jack asked.
I sat taller, grateful the questions would start off easy. “Sixteen.”
“And how many of you were travelling?”
“Five. Me, my cousin, my sister, and my mother and father.”
Jack swallowed with a wince. “And...did you see what happened to them? Is there any chance they might still be alive? That they’ve been found by others and are looking for you?”
My heart panged with vicious, cutting hope.
I hadn’t even thought of that.
My hands shook as I clutched my glass. “I-I—a wave ripped us apart. My last memory was huddling with my mother, sister, and cousin, and then...I wasn’t.” My voice thickened. “I suppose there’s a possibility they were able to stay afloat like I did. That they drifted to another rescuer.”
Anna reached over and patted my hand. “I’ll ask around the fishermen. They’ll know.” Sitting back, Anna asked, “Where were you and your family heading to? Do you have contacts here? Anyone who might be expecting you?”
I shook my head. “It was just us. We were aiming to reach Perth—”
“Perth?” Jack choked on a mouthful of water. “I hate to tell you, but you overshot that by a few thousand kilometres.”
I couldn’t comprehend that much distance.
“I suppose the storm knocked you off course?” Jack mused.
Old anger over my father’s dealings with the smuggler rose. I couldn’t stop my voice from hardening. “The guy who agreed to take us didn’t seem very qualified. His boat wasn’t suitable. He boarded too many people. I’m surprised we even ended up in Australian waters before the storm hit.” Choking on my fury for the guy who’d killed my family but also lost his life, I asked, “Where...where am I?”
“Only the best town in all of Aussie, mate.” Jack grinned. “Port Douglas.”
