“I don’t know. My radio battery is dead.”
Mine, too. Let’s head to the station for equipment.
“And new uniforms.”
And a shower.
“Maybe a roast beef sandwich.”
Good plan.
39—MAKE IT SO
Sage bought several large bottles of water and a few snacks at the Inn’s general store, then took the haul out to the on-site playground. Several family members were there watching the young play. It was dark out, past bedtime, but no one felt like sleeping because many of them still had the feeling that Khain was in the Ula. Sage could feel him—a little. The feeling wasn’t strong for her, like it was for others, but it was unpleasant. For her, it was a feeling of not-rightness, a feeling of constantly being watched or hunted. The feeling could be put aside when Khain was gone to the Pravus, but not when he wasn’t. All day long, the feeling had been constantly buzzing between every thought. It yanked at her attention, making her feel anxious and scattered.
None of them had their phones, so they didn’t know what was going on outside of the grounds of the Inn. When Sage had driven through the front gate, her phone had been magicked out of her car. She’d heard it go with a strangeclinksound. Nana White said they would get their phones back when lockdown was over, whenever that was. The Inn itself had only a few office computers with access to the Internet, and they were all turned off and locked down by Nana White.Safer that way,she’d said.
Sage hadn’t told anyone about Reynard. The knowledge of his marking and his escape had eaten at her all day, making her constantly wonder about him, but she didn’t want to give her family more reason to be scared.
Sage reached the playground and passed out water and snacks to a few family members, then she went to the sand pit. Frannie was sitting close to Paisley, watching her play with oneof her cousins. They all kept an extra eye on Paisley because of when Khain had taken her last year.
Paisley smiled and waved at her mama. Sage smiled and waved back. Paisley was 5 years old, but small for her age, with the cutest gap-toothed smile and long dark hair. She was Sage’s heart and soul, pride and joy.
Sage sat next to Frannie. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Frannie’s voice was tired and dull.
They sat there for a few moments, not speaking, and then Frannie said, “I hope this is over soon.”
“Me too,” Sage said.
“I have a gyno appointment on Tuesday.”
Sage looked closely at her cousin, suddenly alarmed. “You got your period?”
Frannie shook her head no, her expression fearful.
“Then why?” Sage asked softly, knowing the answer.
“Nana found a gyno who’ll take my uterus out when I turn 15.”
“15! That’s next month. You’re still growing.”
“Nana says I’m done growing.”
Sage growled under her breath. “She doesn’t know that,” Sage said, mad, but also confused, wondering why Nana White had never tried to coerce Sage into a hysterectomy, like she had many other females in the family.
The females in the White family were vulnerable to a blood disorder that was named after them. White-Whittinger disease caused a female’s period to come during the full moon and be strong enough to kill her by bleeding out. Each female who had the disease had to be medically treated every month once their first period came… until they got a hysterectomy. Most of the affected got hysterectomies at age 18, or as soon as they’d had one young, because the removal of their uterus eliminated the disease, and there were other perks, too. Femaleswho couldn’t shift before, could sometimes shift after, and it even removed the Tether. No one knew why, but it was theorized that once a female could no longer conceive young, she was of no interest to Khain.
“You’re certain you don’t want any young?” Sage questioned softly.
“Definitely.”
“Treatment’s not that bad,” Sage told her. “It doesn’t hurt. I don’t even remember it.”
Frannie didn’t say anything. Her expression was haunted, and Sage knew she wasn’t even thinking of treatment. She was thinking of Khain.
Frannie stared at her lap and spoke softly. “Nana White wants me to get it done as early as possible. Mom can’t decide. Dad won’t even talk about it…” She looked across the field, then back down at her lap. “Last week I was thinking I was going to wait, but then this happened.” She looked up at Sage, tears in her eyes. “If I get the hysterectomy I could leave Serenity. I wouldn’t ever have to be scared like this again.”
