Misplaced (114 page)

“One half of his heart is already breaking.”

“But Khara, don’t you lo
v
e him?”

“W
ith
all
that
I
am
or
will
e
v
er
be.”
Suddenly,
it
seemed
as
though
she
didn’t
know
where
to
look.
“I
should
already
ha
v
e
left.”

Adoptin
g
th
e
mos
t
naï
ve
expressio
n
sh
e
coul
d
muster,
V
ictoria said nothing.
“
Y
o
u
kno
w
i
t
a
s
w
el
l
a
s
I
,
th
e
trut
h
i
s
to
o
har
d
fo
r
hi
m
to
comprehend.”

Me
n
ar
e
differen
t
abou
t
thes
e
things
.
I
t
ma
y
tak
e
him
longer, but he
’
ll come around.”

“Ha
v
e
yo
u
forgotte
n
th
e
w
a
y
h
e
looke
d
a
t
m
e
whe
n
w
e
tried
to
explain?
I
prefer
that
he
remember
me
the
w
ay
w
e
w
ere
last
night
.
Gi
v
e
m
e
you
r
word,
”
Khar
a
pressed
,
pullin
g
o
n
V
ictoria’s
slee
v
e
until
they
w
ere
head
to
head
and
she
w
as
forced
to
see
th
e
tempes
t
i
n
he
r
soul
.
“
Y
o
u
mus
t
no
t
tel
l
hi
m
wher
e
I’
v
e
gone.
I must ha
v
e your solemn promise.”

An eon of silence passed bet
w
een them.

“Whate
v
er.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I
t
mean
s
tha
t
I
’
l
l
kee
p
you
r
promise
,
thoug
h
you
’
r
e
leaving
m
e
t
o
d
o
you
r
dirt
y
work.
”

Khar
a
le
t
g
o
o
f
he
r
slee
v
e
.
T
akin
g
a
step
back,
she
searched
for
something
in
V
ictoria’s
expression.
Satisfaction
perhaps,
for
when
she
found
it,
she
said,
almost
mechanically.
“Good. The horse trail is a bit rough in some places, but the
distance
is
w
alkable.
P
erhaps
it
would
be
better
if
you
sta
y
ed.
Y
ou
’
re still so pale—”

“E
v
eryone
will
be
heading
back
to
town
soon.
Couldn’t
w
e
w
ait and hitch a ride back?”

“Stay if you like, but I’m going.”

“And
lea
v
e
me
here
t
o
face
him
when
he
finds
out
you’
v
e
deserted him? No
w
ay. I think he deser
v
es better
from you.”

“He does.”

“Y
ou
’
ll ne
v
er forgi
v
e yourself for leaving like this.”

“P
lease,
V
ictoria. Just this once, let it be.”

“It seems so unfair—”

Khar
a
spu
n
around
,
al
l
th
e
softnes
s
o
f a
momen
t
ago
gone
.
“Wha
t
a
ridiculou
s
wor
d
i
t
is
,
thi
s
‘fai
r
’
you
’
r
e
al
w
ays
preachin
g
about.
”
He
r
usua
l
restrain
t
ha
d
v
anished
.
“
Y
ou
place
such
absurd
importance
on
it.
In
my
experience,
nothing
about
the
world
is
as
w
e
wish
it
to
be.
W
as
it
fair
that
my
father
w
as
murdered
by
the
hand
of
his
own
child?
Or
that
you
w
ere
orphaned
on
the
banks
of
a
ri
v
er,
ne
v
er
knowing
what
became
of
your
mother?
And
y
et
you
persist
in
trying
to
find
fairness
i
n
thi
s
world
.
Y
o
u
astoun
d
me
.
Whe
n
wil
l
yo
u
conced
e
that
some
t
imes—most
of
the
t
ime—there
is
nothing
fair
or
unfair.
There
is
only
what
must
be
done!
Do
you
think
I
don’t
know
that
for
e
v
ery
joy
there
is
a
price
to
be
paid?
I
accept
that
Ben’s
word
s
wil
l
com
e
t
o
pass
,
thoug
h
nothin
g
woul
d
pleas
e
m
e
more
than
for
them
to
be
wrong.
In
the
end,
it
comes
to
this:
Oli
v
er
b
elong
s
here
,
an
d
I
d
o
no
t
.
Now,
”
sh
e
conclude
d
i
n
a
voice
heavy with resignation, “what can possibly be left to discuss?”

V
ictoria
could
only
mar
v
el
at
how
she
’
d
kept
the
desolation
on her face from creeping into her voice.

A
few
rays
of
sunlight
had
begun
to
streak
a
la
v
ender
sky
as
the
two
slipped
a
w
ay.
V
ictoria
wondered
if
the
sun
would
come
out
or
if
the
day
would
remain
as
dull
and
cold
as
it
w
as
now
.
M
i
s
t
r
os
e
fr
o
m
th
e
fl
o
o
r
o
f
th
e
fore
s
t
,
en
v
elopin
g
the
m
i
n
a
silen
t
haz
e
o
f
gra
y
an
d
green
.
Dark
,
unsettlin
g
spot
s
shape
d
like
huma
n
e
y
e
s
marke
d
th
e
chalky-whit
e
bar
k
o
f
th
e
aspe
n
trees
and seemed to follow their e
v
ery step.