Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(56)

Oh lovely, now he's upset too. I'd rather kiss more than deal with two ornery men. But Jack's already gone as well. Everything feels all twisted up. Wrong. Why can't things be simple? Love is hard. Anything is easier than romance. All I know anymore is that Jack's right. Helping the Chardonian people is the best thing I could be doing.





Chapter Forty-Three





The natural spring running through what we've turned into the kitchen has icy cold water. Katherine scrubs pots next to me. She returned just this morning and is already helping with chores. She doesn't even have to be doing any since she's only visiting and doesn't live here, yet she's jumped in to help anyway. If only it was as easy to get the people who are supposed to help to do so. Not that they don't. Most of them are pretty good, but a few stubborn ones don't seem to understand what we provide for them.

“Only three more to go,” Katherine says, heaving the large pot to me to dry off.

“So, tell me a little bit about this Charles you brought with you.”

Her cheeks instantly redden.

There's a blush if I ever saw one. “I knew it. How did you two meet?”

She sombers, the red leaving her cheeks and making them look whiter under the torchlight. “I ran away from home and met him on the streets. He saved me from a fate worse than death.”

“Dare I ask what that fate might have been?”

“Marrying a wretched old man who smelled rancid.” She shivers.

I put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm glad you found him.”

She gives me a soft grin then hands me another pot. We quickly finish up the last of the dishes and put them away. We walk toward the main cavern.

A girl of about nineteen, just older than me, says, “Hello, Waverly.”

“Are you doing well today?”

“Grand. Cynthia just showed me a hex that knocks warlocks asleep.”

“That one is useful. Can I introduce you to my friend, Katherine?” I nod in her direction.

The girl's face goes blank. “I'm sorry. I don't see anyone here but you.”

They start to walk away, but I stop her. “You can't just walk away from someone like that.”

“There's no one here but you, and I thought we were done with our conversation.”

“But I just introduced you to Katherine.”

Her gaze scans over her very briefly, so quick I almost missed it. “She's less than a shadow, not worth noticing.”

She storms off. I move to go after her, but Katherine grabs my arm. “Don't. It's not worth it.”

“It is. They shouldn't treat you like that. Not after all you're doing to pitch in and help.”

“No, they shouldn't. But there's a lot of things that shouldn't be. Besides, being less than a shadow has its advantages.”

Still, she shouldn't be treated that way. But I guess after dealing with so many bad things, it's hard to believe in the good. At least I assume that's what's holding them back because there's no other reason for them to ignore Katherine so thoroughly, especially when she's only trying to help.

“They'll come around,” I say. “It took a while with me. They probably just need more time with you as well.”

“I wish they would. There's so much more help I could offer if I knew they would trust it.”

I give her a quick squeeze. “I know. Why don't I introduce you to our leader? He was gone last time you visited. He should be happier to see you.”

I take her to find him, asking around where he is to discover he's outside. We find him, back to us, sitting on a fallen tree trunk.

“Jack,” I say. “I have someone I'd like you to meet.”

He stands and turns, but before I can say anything, he drops the piece of wood he was whittling and stares at Katherine. She stares back, face pale between her inked lines.

“Do you know Katherine?”

Still, neither say anything.

After another moment, Jack finally says, “This is my sister. The one I told you about.”

“Katherine?”

“It's true,” she replies and then says to him, “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to help. Trying to make amends for the way I treated you growing up. Can you ever forgive me?”

Her brows knit together like she's lost. “I didn't expect to ever see you again. And if I did, I didn't expect you to recognize me like this.” She motions to her face and bald head.

“Your image is engrained into my memory. I could never forget someone I so cruelly mistreated.”

“When did you decide that it was cruel? You used to think it was normal.”

“After I came to work for Councilman Daniel. I began to see that even though he was a councilman, he treated everyone with respect, including his wife. It made me wonder if I was taught wrong all those years. If I mistreated you for no purpose. Then I met Waverly. She quickly convinced me that women are of much greater worth than I ever knew.”

The silence that follows is only broken by the chirping of a bird.

“It's not an easy thing to forgive,” Katherine finally says.

“I understand. I will work to earn your forgiveness the best I can.”