“And you didn’t want anyone to think you were using his name.”
Paloma smiled. “I guess you’d know a thing or two about the weight of names.”
“Crowhart is… It’s something you grow with, knowing you’re different. Apart. But then, I think you have a very good idea about that too.”
Paloma stared at her for a second, and her smile slid off her lips.
“I guess you can say that, even though I was born and raised in New York. And I was always extremely privileged. Best international schools, best tutors, best colleges. Best everything… I’ve also traveled to Cuba a few times, once it was legal to do so, and sadly, that island is not somewhere I feel like I belong, despite my ancestors living and prospering there hundreds of years ago, before the wars sent them running, abandoning everything they had.” Paloma drew in a breath, andDeryn felt like she stopped because she wanted to say something more about Cuba and her ancestors but couldn’t.
She was about to ask when Paloma stood up and took a few steps away from the bed, as if too impatient to sit through this conversation.
“And no, in New York I don’t feel the othering, mostly because it’s New York, but also… I am who I am, and I wear what I wear, and I have a private driver, and nobody dares to say a word. Money is privilege. But I will always be Paloma Allende to everyone. Even here, I am almost the only Latina on this entire island, and I just had to claw my way through an election that should’ve been sewn up for me months ago. Yes, me being a woman didn’t help, but me being a Cuban-Chilean American, and looking the part, hurt my chances the most. It doesn’t matter that my family has been here since the eighteen hundreds—in a lot of cases, longer than so many of those voting against me and considering me an outsider. I know the constant othering in my bones.”
Deryn felt the weight of the confession settle on her chest, in her heart. She didn’t know what to say. And so, she did the only thing she could. Deryn murmured quietly and opened her palm. Instantly, a small flame came to life in the center of it.
Paloma gasped and came closer, the sadness instantly lifting from her eyes, wonder replacing it. Then she grinned, and joy joined her wonder.
“It’s amazing. Will it burn me?” She didn’t extend a hand, but Deryn shook her head.
“I can make sure it doesn’t. Give me your hand.” Deryn sat up, her head still a bit woozy, but she gritted her teeth and took Paloma’s hand, laying her own palm on top of hers. When she lifted it, two little flames danced on their palms, winking merrily.
“What can you do?” Paloma did not take her eyes from the miracle in her hand.
“With fire? Anything fire does, I can do it. As a kid, I was pretty destructive. Air can be bad, the weather dangerous, water can do a lot of damage even on a small scale, but fire? Small or big, it’s always deadly if not properly controlled. That’s hard to explain to a child who is already wild.”
“I don’t really think you were actually wild, Deryn. Maybe a touch lonely and neurodivergent?”
Deryn’s mouth fell open. The fire in their palms blinked a few times and hissed, and she looked back down, focusing to keep it alive.
“What are you saying?”
Paloma touched the little flame with the finger of her other hand.
“Knowing Victoria, and knowing that ADHD is usually hereditary, I’m surprised nobody ever suggested an evaluation. I did a lot of research years ago, and even back then, it was described as a highly genetic condition. Surely any of your teachers or educators—and on the island, everyone knows each other—having seen Victoria and her very classic presentation as both hyper-energetic and attention-deficient, someone should’ve suggested it for her niece, who’s just as energetic…”
Deryn tilted her head.
“You mean fidgety? Because you can say it, you know. And ADHD? Well… I don’t know why I never… That would make a lot of sense, I guess.”
“I’m not saying you have ADHD, or that your aunt has it, though if I had to bet… Still, I’m not a doctor and couldn’t even begin to make such a determination. And I really believe people tend to just throw these diagnoses around way too easily these days.” Paloma smiled ruefully, and Deryn felt an answering grin tug at her lips. “I just think you should talk to your doctor.And before you ask, yes, I was assessed, so I have some understanding of what they look for when it comes to ADHD. And no, all it turned out to be was generalized anxiety. A lot of it.”
Deryn used her free hand to give Paloma an awkward pat on the shoulder. “I’m sorry… For anxiety.”
“I was a very nervous—debilitatingly so—child who only wanted to please everyone, and in the end, pleased absolutely no one. And I always wondered what more I could do. If I was getting good grades, my family would ask me where my boyfriend was. If I was losing weight, my mother would ask the chef to make me something highly caloric. Gaining weight was also a no-no, so… I am pained by the way your family is so very cavalier with you, Deryn. You’re special, and you deserve to be loved exactly the way you are.”
Paloma closed her palm, and her flame disappeared. Deryn’s flickering alone in the silence of the room. Then, Paloma squeezed Deryn’s shoulder one last time before she left, and for some reason, it felt like goodbye.
21
PALOMA, ENDORSEMENTS & CONNECTIONS (SINISTER ONES)
ELECT ALLENDE, CROW’S NEST!
CROW’S CAW IS OFFICIALLY ENDORSING PALOMA ALLENDE FOR MAYOR!
In an unprecedented move, the Caw is doing what certain other outlets have abandoned. It stands on journalistic principle. The team at the Caw has brought you daily coverage of the mayoral race, with emphasis on unbiased reporting. Still, even without taking the debate into consideration, Ms. Allende is simply more qualified, more capable, and, in our opinion, will be a much better fit for the office. Her accomplishments in business, her acumen, and her savvy speak for themselves. The exponential benefit she has brought to the island already, as the owner of Astronomy Resort, cannot be overstated. Her résumé is self-explanatory, and she is, above all, a consummate professional. A lesser woman would’ve, by now, set things on fire at the unfairness of the polls leading up to the debate.
Since the well-attended event, however, things have changed dramatically, with over 75% of responders stating they will vote for her.
