59. Chapter 59 - Kaitlyn

Archie was beside me on a bench in the courtyard, we had come down there to help with the market activities of the day, but he had been morosely standing beside me, holding my hand, hiding his head against my side, and people, especially his cousins, were giving him looks of disdain.

An entire reputation he had built up was being lost in a few days of clinginess — what kind of weird rite of strength and bravery would he have to do to get his coolness back?

I had drawn him toward the bench and sat down, enjoying the warm sun on my skin. Archie sat beside me, his finger inserted in the book, his head against my shoulder, and we were quiet together. I understood.

He knew I understood. I had been in this position so many times before.

Not knowing was so difficult.

He opened the book and looked at the page and then closed it and sighed.

I said, "I know."

Lizbeth found us there. "Enjoyin' the sun?"

"Yep."

She sat down beside Archie. "Has a message appeared from yer Da?"

He shook his head.

She said, "Och nae, tis verra awful tae wait for a letter."

We sat quietly, then she said, "Yer cousins were telling me about yer troubles. What does it sound like, Archibald, in yer head?"

"Like a million people are yelling at me."

"Och nae! That sounds dreadful!"

He said, "Tis. And they are saying that Da is dead."

"Ye hae been beset by monsters."

He nodded.

"I pray when I am beset, but sometimes it takes a few days before my mind clears." She patted the back of his hand. "I will bring ye a poultice for yer temples and give ye an extra dessert this evening. Ye must hae sweets tae help clear it."

He said, "Thank you, Aunt Lizbeth."

"Ye're welcome. I will tell the boys that ye are busy for now, but they will want extra fun on the morrow when ye are all better, and ye will be better, Archibald. The monsters canna live in ye for so long, they grow bored, they will move ontae someone else tae torture."

"You think?"

"I know. Tis the thing I know more than anything. This terrible time ye are havin' it canna last."

She stood and squeezed my shoulder.

"I will see ye at dinner."

She left across the courtyard and then it dawned on me, I had a terrible headache, and the hairs on my arm were standing on end.

Quentin was on the wall and he glanced down and pointed at his arm.

I nodded.

He looked around at the sky as if that might explain it.

Then he jogged down the steps and crossed toward me.

"You feel it, it's the Trailblazer, right? I'm not losing my mind?"

"Nope, that's what's happening."

He narrowed his eyes. "I guess that's good news, they're working on something."

I glanced down at Archie. "You feel it?"

"Yeah, it hurts behind my eyes."

He checked the page in the book again.