Bone Deep(35)

The wind stopped, the thunder ceased and the darkness held sway. Then a single bolt of lightning ripped the veil of the night. The jagged illumination a clear indication to Bone of how God felt about her.

“If that is your answer, I must accept it. But you will see me eventually. I would brave even the halls of Heaven for Mother. We will have our reckoning,” Bone whispered.

“Sister, we must go inside. The storm is growing worse,” Bullet said from behind her.

Bone stood and the wind once again whipped and tossed her hair and clothes. Arrow’s dark hair was a silky ebony curtain against a backdrop of midnight. Bullet’s face was drawn, sorrow written on her features and Bone was sure her own held the same emotion.

“Ninka was Dmitry’s sister,” she said above the rising noise of the whipping trees.

Bullet and Arrow both looked at her, eyes narrowing. But they did not question why she had not previously given her sisters this knowledge. Perhaps this was nothing more than verification of things they had already guessed. Though they were a unit, each of them remained individuals and each of them had secrets. Nothing that could harm the others—their bond wouldn’t allow for that—but definitely things the others didn’t know.

Bone nodded. “He has searched for her from the time he was eighteen. If you could, give him your remembrance of his sister so he will have something to carry of her through his life.”

“Does Trident know?” Bullet asked in a dead voice.

Bone narrowed her gaze on her sister. “It is not our truth to tell. He had his reasons though if I know him even the smallest bit, he is even now telling your men the truth of it all.”

“I will speak to him of his sister,” Arrow promised. “Watashitachi ni ushinawa reta mono wa, wareware ga mottomo oboete iru monodesu.”

“Yes, they are. His search led him to Joseph and once he happened upon Trident, he joined them but always there was the hope he would find her,” Bone affirmed.

“You took her punishments, Bone,” Bullet reminded her. “Does he know what you suffered for his sister?”

Bone glanced at Bullet, trying to understand what her sister wasn’t saying. “He knows what we all did for his sister.”

“He is yours now?” Bullet asked.

“He is his own. The things I hold back from him will destroy any trust he has in me. But it will be as it is meant to be. My path has always been difficult to walk, but I will not cease the journey until my duty is done.” Bone didn’t know how to process the feelings coursing through her—possession, pain, rage—they were debilitating.

“Have you seen the woman following our steps?” Arrow asked.

Bone drew in a deep breath. “I haven’t but Grant was in St. Petersburg with me. I warned him if she continued and did not make her intentions clear, I would kill her. He became angry, threatened me and I reiterated that she was an unknown.”

“Do you still think it might be her?” Bullet asked, looking over Bone’s shoulder back toward the house.

Bone nodded. “I feel in my heart she did not die that night. I can give you no concrete proof though I’ve searched. I would say Blade knows for sure but it has always been her secret to hold, not ours. My best guess is the girl was moved somewhere. Once the children she carried in her body were no more, Joseph would have moved her to be trained or he would have tried once again to get her pregnant. Something about her was important to him—it is just a feeling but everything I’ve seen leads me to that conclusion.”

“I haven’t heard from Blade, but I know Rand would have told me if he had information on the boy.”

“It is her,” Arrow said, glancing at them both before she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “There have been times when I smelled her and I thought it was my mind reminding me of my duty, getting me back on track when the darkness called too loudly.”

“She’s been close enough for you to smell?” Bone asked in disbelief.

Arrow pinned her with that eerie amber gaze. “When I was shot here weeks ago, she was in the woods. I do not think Damon was aware of her because he never said a word.” She looked away, up into the darkness, her face tight. The silence grew between them and then Arrow’s ancient, death-smothered voice split the blanket of night that covered them. “Do you remember that night so long ago, Bone?”

“I remember everything, sister. I remember the screams, the blood, the absence of light. I remember the cries and the sobs. I remember the pain and I remember her curses,” Bone responded sadly. “I remember it all and yet I do not know her face or her name. The black was too much that night—the terror too complete.”

“Yes,” Arrow said sadly. “It was.”

“Nameless,” Bullet said softly. “Grant protects this woman who follows us?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is her. Grant was playing both sides then as he continues to play them now. I have no doubt that as he was helping us hide the son, he was helping Joseph save the mother. And now we have another player on the board, another one who has suffered God only knows what at the hands of Joseph,” Bullet mused.

“But is she ours?” Arrow tossed out the question that was in all their hearts.

“She was never ours. But the boy is—we risked our lives so he might live,” Bone asserted. “Grant protects her much as he did the boy when Blade took him to Grant that first night. But I will kill her if she hurts any of you.”