Inang brings me to Emelia and Captain Haile’s house. The house is as gloomy and as heavy as I remember it to be. What adds to its gloominess and heaviness is my recollection of Captain Haile’s rejection to our mate-bond that happened in the living area. The pain it caused me was so appalling that I even considered taking my own life. Though I no longer feel that pain, the muscles in my entire body jerk at that memory.
Inang and I ascend to the second floor. Every tick of her stick and thump of our feet rumbles off the walls. For a moment, I’m thinking that maybe Inang isn’t in her right frame of mind yet, after the coachman’s announcement of Queen Esther’s wicked plan. However, she proves me wrong when we reach Captain Haile’s bedroom and Captain Haile’s soft voice echoes in my ears.
Wh
