Deep Betrayal

clean and cool on my face.
    “That’s how I feel when I’m with you,” he said. “All the way home. And I don’t want to give you back, either.”
    I leaned against him, letting him support me. My lids grew heavy. Each time I opened my eyes, the sun seemed to have lunged farther across the sky. By the time we pulled into the marina, the light was fading to purple.
    “Do you think Maris knew Maighdean Mara was dead?” I asked, breaking the silence as Calder finished tying the dock lines at the Pettits’ slip. “Do you think she was mad about me having the pendant and she was tormenting us with a big wild-goose chase?”
    “I don’t think so,” he said grimly.
    I looked at my fingers. My nails were lined in a dark, chalky substance. Traces of Maighdean Mara—a mystical creature reduced to gritty residue. “Neglect is a terrible thing,” I said, holding my hand out in front of me.
    “Yes,” he said.
    “It’s scary. None of us is meant to be alone. It was a mistake for you to leave your sisters.”
    “No. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but that’s not one of them.”
    “You said yourself you couldn’t make it on your own. That you just wandered aimlessly, and when you did search for something, you searched for family.”
    “I have a new family now.”
    “Mine? Look at us. Right now, the epitome of neglect. I’ve seen my dad once in the last three weeks, and that one time he was saying goodbye.”
    “He’s around. You know he’s around. He’ll come home as soon as he can manage.”
    “You’re missing my point.”
    “What’s the point, Lily?” He reached for my hand and helped me step from the boat to the dock. We held hands as we walked slowly, defeatedly, back to the car.
    “Your sisters are neglecting their natures, and they’re near death. Now Maighdean Mara”—I pulled my hand free and held it up before he could interrupt me—“I have no idea how great she once was, but now there is nothing left of her. Neglect, Calder. It’s a destructive thing.”
    “Where’d you hear all that?”
    “Father Hoole told me … that day you saw us talking … the day Jules and everyone showed up. But listen to what I’m saying. This senseless killing, it comes from somewhere. It comes from hurt. It comes from some great neglect.”
    “We’ve all been neglected at some point. You can’t justify this, Lily.”
    “Not justify. Explain. Crazy is crazy, but hurt comes from somewhere. What does that level of hurt look like to you?”
    “Hurt so great you’d kill? That kind of negative energy would be impossible to look at. At least, not directly, and not without getting sick. I’d need to prepare … wear sunglasses or something. It would take some serious prep time.”
    And that was all it took. In that moment, I knew. I knew who the killer was. And I knew where I needed to go. The only question was, did Sophie know what she was walking into?
    “What day is it?” I asked.
    Calder scrunched up his forehead. “Tuesday. I think. Why?”
    “We need to find Pavati!”
    He almost laughed. “Lily, I can’t find her just like that.” He snapped his fingers for emphasis.
    “It won’t be hard this time. Jack told me back in the spring that he and Pavati used to meet on some flat rocks. Just south of town? I’d bet anything that’s where she is.”
    “I know those rocks. They’re about a quarter mile past the fishing pier.”
    “Thanks!”
    “Thanks? Lily, what’s going on?” he called as I ran ahead of him, as fast as I could, across the lot to the car. I jumped in the driver’s seat and fished around under the mat for the key. The car started up on the second try, and I peeled out, leaving long black lines on the road and Calder looking frantic in my rearview mirror. People turned to watch as I sped down the county road. I pulled my cell phone out of the center console and saw three missed calls from Mom. I hit Send.
    “Mom? Is Sophie home?”
    “She said she was going for a walk. I was baking. Now I’m in the back painting, but I don’t think I’ve heard her come in. Are you driving? You know I don’t like you on your phone when you’re driving.”
    I turned off my phone and tossed it in the backseat. How could I have been so stupid? I could now see how Pavati had worked it all out with Sophie two nights ago. Sophie was bringing Jack to Pavati so she could make goodon her promise. But did Pavati know how truly dangerous Jack had become? Somehow I couldn’t