The Guardian by Diana Knightley
Twenty-six - Kaitlyn
Come February, Magnus didn’t go, neither did Hayley, because they were overruled. It was only Quentin and James and they were gone for three weeks, to make it make sense for Sophie, though somehow she just took it in stride. I could see the confused look on her face though, sometimes, and the way she would shake her head when things we said didn’t make sense. And how could any of it make sense?
She asked me, “The kingdom is much farther than Edinburgh, yet they can return in mere weeks?”
“Their vessel is very fast.” I changed the subject.
* * *
When they returned they had a very large pile of supplies along for the ride.
Seeing the pile of supplies, this time, made me, uncharacteristically and also illogically, furious.
I said to Hayley and Emma, “How come they get to go to Florida and get Starbucks? How come they get to go to the grocery store?”
Hayley said, “Exactly, and take a proper shower, with suds that come from shampoo that you haven’t been rationing.”
Quentin said, “We brought shampoo!”
Hayley said, “Great, thank you, blah blah, you’re the best. How was the hotel?”
“God, it was amazing!”
Hayley pretended to lunge at him to punch him, I pretended to hold her back.
Magnus said, “How was Riaghalbane?”
“The same — still a violent cesspit of horrible.”
“Och.”
We helped carry all the things into store rooms, to divide up the loot. And it was freezing outside with a blustering wind. We were bundled and shivering and working really hard.
I caught Hayley asking James, “What was the temperature?”
“Highs in the seventies.”
She groaned.
Finally, after all the work was done, Quentin found me alone in the hall. “How is Magnus?”
I scrutinized his face. “Why? The same.”
He lowered his voice and looked around. “That’s what I’m afraid of, he’s the same. James and I were talking about it — he’s not getting stronger.”
I chewed my lip, because I couldn’t argue. He was right. “What am I going to do? I want him to go see a doctor but he won’t hear of it.”
“I don’t know, but I wanted to make sure you were on the same page about it.”
“I am, but he’s unyielding.”
Hayley walked up, “Whatcha talking about?”
“Nothing, how much we all want to go home.”
“It’s the lack of sun. When was the last time we saw a sunny day, no rain, not cold?”
Quentin grinned.
Hayley said, “I am so furious at you, next time I get to go to Florida.”
Emma walked up then. “Florida? Will you promise to take Zachary with you next time? I am so worried about him.”
I asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean he and Eamag are about this close,” she put her finger and thumb together, “to killing each other. They are both too ornery and there are too many knives down there in the kitchen.”