Page 327 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘No, I don’t know that. You never told me.’

‘Lachlan,’ Danya says seriously. ‘What is happening?’

‘Jolene knows Blaire,’ he explains quietly, staring at nothing.

‘Probably, yes. Is tight-knit group, no? They are both your friends.’

‘Blaire never told me about it.’

‘Blaire is a private person.’

‘She purposefully didn’t tell me that they know each other.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Something Jolene said.’

‘What did she say?’

‘That God is water.’

‘I think maybe Blaire is not only person who believes that.’

‘You don’t understand. She said it the exact same way as Blaire.’ Lachlan sits on her bed, enormous strain coiling slowly into a cramp in his upper left arm. ‘Blaire has a sister, and I never even… fuck.’

Danya sits beside him on her bed, their heads lowered.

‘Breathe slow, no talking.’

‘I don’t know… if I’m right or just… paranoid.’

‘No talking.’

‘I trust her more than anyone.’

‘Just breathe.’

‘Danny. Am I…?’

‘Shh, no talking. None. Just breathe.’

When he can finally level out his breathing, he lifts his head.

Dark brown eyes move between his own.

‘We’ll figure this out together.’

‘Promise?’

‘We will talk to her, OK? You and me.’

Lachlan blindly grabs Danya’s hand, grips tight. ‘You and me.’

‘You will sleep.’

‘No, I can’t—’

‘Twenty minutes, I will wake you. Please?’