The Bone Maiden

The Knight of Wands

The entire community seemed to be mourning Theresa’s death. I hadn’t left my bedroom for days, but when I finally did, it was just to attend her funeral. It was difficult not to think about her on the way to the service. There were signs posted on businesses, and everyone in our small town seemed to be feeling the effects of her death.

No one spoke to me at the funeral. I stayed with my aunt and uncle, and Ariel kept her hand firmly clutched in mine. Everyone knew that Theresa and I were best friends, but there were so many people claiming to love her more than I did. All the friends she had before she found me. All the people she knew longer, who seemed to think they knew her better. And one lone boy at the back of the crowd with his black coat and shining blue eyes.

I didn’t know anything about Gabriel, so I didn’t know how well he knew Theresa. They’d known each other for a year but hadn’t been dating that long. She only ever said good things about him when we talked. As far as I knew, they never got into arguments. He never made her cry. But aside from the fact that he was rich and “the most beautiful boy” she’d ever seen, I knew nothing else about him.

Even though I didn’t know how well their relationship was, I couldn’t stop myself from noticing him after the service ended. The crowd began to dissipate. The family stayed behind to mourn with Theresa’s grandparents. Ariel guided me toward the street so we could go home, and Mark went to fetch the car, so we didn’t have to walk too far. Gabriel hung back from the crowd and nodded to me. As if out of everyone in attendance, we were the ones who knew the real Theresa. We’d only met once, under horrible circumstances, but we’d already bonded through a shared pain.

Then a woman appeared before me, so suddenly I hardly noticed her until she was an inch from my face. I stopped abruptly. Her disheveled face was leveled with mine. Her hair was sticking up in silver tufts. She had a crooked jaw that deformed most of her elderly face. The last remnants of an abusive past.

“Devil’s w***e,” she whispered with a voice full of venom. I was lost as to how to respond.

“E-Excuse me?” I replied.

“I beg your pardon?” Ariel snapped.

“You’ll get your due just like your tramp friend,” the woman said. “Your kind always get what they deserve in the end. Lucifer’s slut.” She spat at my feet, and I jumped away, looking to Ariel for guidance.

But Gabriel came to my rescue instead. He stood only several inches taller than me, but at that moment, he looked as steady and unmoving as a mountain. In an instant, he was at my side.

“You’re at a funeral. Show some respect,” he said in a low voice. She cut her eyes to him.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.”

“You need to leave. People are mourning. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You’re going to get what’s coming to you. You all are. You dance with the devil, and you pay the price with your soul. You and all of His whores. She got what she deserved.”

Then all my shock washed away. I reached for her and yanked her roughly by the arm. I wasn’t feeling particularly nice anymore. She recoiled in fear as if my hand burned her, shrieking and jumping away like she was covered in sparks.

“Get away from me!” she yelled, rubbing her arm. She stumbled backward, and her eyes darted from me to Gabriel. “You’ll both burn. All of you. You and your whores. Burn. Burn them all.” The three of us stayed still as stone, watching her stagger down the hill like a drunk.

“What the hell was that?” I asked Gabriel.

“Honey, are you okay?” Ariel asked, reaching for my hand.

“I’m fine, but what was that about? What right does she have to think she can crash a funeral and start calling everybody whores?”

“She’s just a crazy old lady,” Gabriel explained. He was still watching her go. His vibrant eyes were narrowed but still lined with red and heavy with exhaustion and grief.

“But why me? Why Theresa? Why am I Lucifer’s w***e? Why did she call you the devil?” He turned to me and forced a smile on his lips.

“You honestly think this is the first funeral she’s crashed? That woman is notorious for spewing hate at funerals.”

“It’s true. She wanders around town preaching about the end of the world and sin. I tried to give her a free meal once, and she threw it in my face and called me a whoremonger. I had burn marks for weeks,” Ariel added. I looked back at Gabriel, but he wasn’t pretending to smile anymore.

“Try not to take it personally,” he said. “She called me the devil because he’s supposed to be really good looking, right?” He didn’t wait for a courtesy laugh. He stepped away. “I guess I’ll see you around, Bax. Mrs. Baxter.” He gave Ariel a nod.

“Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

“Anytime.” He turned and headed down the hill to his car. The old woman was nowhere to be seen. Ariel patted my back.

“There’s Mark with the car,” she said quietly. “Let’s get you home.”