Page 71 of Wretched Thorns

She nodded once like she’d expected that answer.

“You planning to tell her?”

That landed harder.

Eli looked out past the porch into the preserve before answering.

“When she’s safe.”

“Mm.”

Miss Delphine picked up the book again, fingers resting lightly against the worn cover.

“It’s her story to know, Eli. And hers to share after that.”

“I know.”

“I won’t speak of it again, but there may come a time when it should be known to some.”

The tension in Eli’s shoulders eased slightly.

Miss Delphine noticed. Of course she did.

“You cannot carry it for her forever,” she said more gently. “That girl deserves the truth about herself from someone who loves her.”

Eli swallowed once.

“Yes, I know.”

She touched his forearm briefly before stepping back toward the screen door.

“You should eat somethin’. And stop tryin’ to pretend that hand isn’t getting worse.”

Her eyes flicked once toward the kitchen behind him.

“Let Tara help you with the mapping before your fingers stop cooperating altogether.”

Then she disappeared back inside.

Eli stayed at the porch rail a moment longer while the cicadas screamed in the trees.

Then he followed her back into the house.

***

Tara had moved one chair over.

A clean piece of paper sat at his place. A fresh pen with the thinner nib he used for rune-trailing by hand. His coffee had moved from the right side of the table to the left.

She didn’t comment. He didn’t either.

He picked the pen up with his off-hand because he wanted to know whether the off-hand was going to take it. The off-hand took it for three strokes before the tremor came back.

Tara’s hand came over and rested on his hand with the pen without taking it from him.

“Bayou rules,” she said. Quiet.

“Mmm. yes, bayou rules.”