Ride For Me, Die For Me.

Chapter 35: Tangled Threads

Waiya kept her arm around Kaia’s shoulders the whole walk back. The girl’s steps were slow, unsure — like her body didn’t quite remember how to carry her spirit anymore. She hadn’t said a word since they’d left the community space. Her breath came in short bursts, and her eyes, glassy and unfocused, kept darting to shadows like they were whispering her name.

Waiya’s jaw was tight. She hadn’t realized just how deep Donquavious’s claws had sunk into Kaia — not until Kaia started trembling when she saw her own reflection in a storefront window. She’d whispered, “He said I wasn’t real,” and Waiya had to hold her still so she didn’t bolt into traffic.

By the time they reached Granny’s house, Kaia was pale and shaking, her hoodie sleeves pulled down over her hands like armor. The wind had picked up, sharp and biting, swirling dead leaves at their ankles as if the earth itself knew something foul had followed them home.

Granny was already at the door before Waiya could knock. Her eyes flicked from Waiya to Kaia — and softened.

“Come in, baby,” she said gently. “Bring her to the front room.”

Waiya nodded, guiding Kaia across the threshold like she was carrying a wounded bird. Inside, the warmth hit them instantly — candles glowed from every corner, herbs hung drying from the rafters, and the scent of juniper and rose filled the air like a blanket.

Kaia didn’t speak, but her eyes moved rapidly, scanning the room. Her body flinched at nothing. She kept clutching something in her pocket — a folded piece of paper, likely her sigil from the class. Waiya could feel the imbalance in her aura like static. Whatever Donquavious had done, it wasn’t just haunting Kaia — it had rewired something.

As Granny began clearing the center rug and lighting cleansing sticks of sweetgrass and copal, Justin came down the hallway.

The moment he saw Waiya, his relief flickered — then shifted to something else.

“You went out there alone?” His voice was low but sharp.

She met his gaze. “I didn’t plan to. Kaia came to me, and I had to act.”

His eyes narrowed. “You should’ve told me.”

“I didn’t have time, Justin. She was spiraling.”

“Still. After what happened last time?” He gestured vaguely, frustration rippling off him. “You don’t gotta do this alone.”

Waiya exhaled, too tired to argue. “We’ll talk later.”

He looked like he wanted to press it — but then his eyes landed on Kaia. His expression shifted again, softening when he took in her pale face, her trembling hands, the vacant look in her eyes.

“…Damn,” he muttered. “He did that?”

Waiya gave a tight nod. “More than I thought.”

Nyla came from the back room, barefoot and wrapped in a dark green shawl that shimmered subtly, woven with sigils and prayers. She walked straight to Kaia, knelt beside her without a word, and gently touched the girl’s forehead.

Kaia didn’t flinch — but her lips began to move. No sound came out.

“She’s been opened,” Nyla said quietly. “And not by something gentle.”

Granny approached with a bowl of water, placing it beside Nyla, who immediately dipped her fingers and began tracing symbols over Kaia’s heart and brow. The girl’s breathing hitched, but she didn’t move.

“She’s still here,” Nyla said, voice distant as she focused. “But… she’s tangled. Something keeps pulling her back — like a hook in her spirit.”

Justin’s fists clenched. “He tried to break her.”

“No,” Granny said, laying a protective cloth over Kaia’s shoulders. “He tried to twist her. There’s a difference.”

Waiya stood near the doorway, watching, her stomach coiled. Guilt gnawed at her edges. She should’ve seen this sooner. She should’ve—

“Don’t go there,” Granny said without looking at her. “You saw what she was ready to show. Now we bring the rest to light.”

Waiya swallowed hard.

Kaia’s body jerked suddenly. A low whimper escaped her lips. Nyla’s eyes fluttered open.

“He’s still trying to reach her,” she said. “Even now.”

Justin stepped forward. “Then shut the door.”

Nyla looked to Waiya. “Only she can.”

Waiya nodded slowly, stepping forward and kneeling beside Kaia. She reached out, brushing Kaia’s curls gently from her face.

“Kaia,” she whispered. “I need you to come back to me now. You remember what I taught you? Your blood, your bones. Your name.”

Kaia twitched, her lips parting.

“Say it,” Waiya urged. “Say your name.”

Kaia blinked. Her mouth moved again. This time, a whisper broke through:

“…Kaia.”

The candles flickered. The bowl of water rippled.

Granny smiled faintly. “Good girl.”

Waiya leaned closer. “You’re not alone. You never were.”

Tears slipped down Kaia’s cheeks, but her shoulders loosened just slightly.

Behind them, Justin stood silent, watching Waiya — a deep, unreadable expression in his eyes.

There was a storm coming.

But for now, they’d pulled one thread back from the unraveling.

Waiya knelt beside her, brushing sweat-matted hair from her forehead. “You’re okay. You made it to me. You did the right thing.”

Granny had already set the kettle to boil and pulled down her strongest oils. In the corner, Nyla traced a salt line with crushed herbs, her eyes narrowed, already half in the spirit world.

“She’s still in there,” Nyla murmured, her voice distant. “But barely. It’s like someone’s layered her thoughts with static.”

Granny gave a quiet grunt and began chanting softly in Diné, setting a bowl of warm water near Kaia’s feet and stirring something thick and bitter into it. “This girl’s been unravelin’ for weeks. That boy been sittin’ in her head like a snake in the sun, waitin’.”

Kaia whimpered, her fingers clutching the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She wasn’t screaming anymore, but her body still trembled.

Justin stood near the doorway, his expression stone. Waiya could feel the energy radiating off him, taut and sharp.

Lily nudged Waiya gently. “Come here.”

They moved into the hallway outside Granny’s room. The house was quiet but full of tension. Waiya leaned against the wall, rubbing the heel of her palm against her chest.

Justin stepped forward. “Start from the beginning.”

“She was already in the classroom when I walked in,” Waiya said, her voice tight. “Just… sitting. Head down, barely blinking. At first I thought she was waiting to talk about something, but then I felt it. Her energy was cracked. And when I tried to talk to her, she flinched.”

“She said anything?” Lily asked.

Waiya nodded. “Not right away. She looked confused. Lost. Then she started repeating little phrases… like things someone else told her. ‘He said not to trust you.’ ‘He said you’d hurt me.’ But the thing is—she wasn’t scared of me. She was scared for me.”

Justin cursed under his breath.

“She’s been seeing him, hasn’t she?” Lily asked.

Waiya met her eyes. “For a while. Awake. In dreams. He told her things only I would know. Things she never should’ve had access to.”

Justin’s voice dropped. “So he’s not just watching. He’s using your people now.”

Waiya nodded. “He made her feel seen. Then twisted her spirit ‘til she couldn’t tell what was hers anymore.”

Justin’s jaw clenched. “You should’ve brought me.”

“She was already there,” Waiya said. “She trusted me. I didn’t want to scare her off by turning it into a scene. I had to act fast.”

Justin stepped in closer. “I’m not mad at how you handled her. But this makes the second time he’s gotten within arm’s reach of you, and you didn’t take backup.”

Waiya bristled. “So now I’m supposed to ask permission every time I do something?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

Lily cut in. “Both of y’all cool it. We don’t have time for a pride match.”

Waiya exhaled, rubbing her temple. “I’m just tired. I didn’t expect it to go that deep.”

Justin’s eyes softened. “I know. And I know you’re strong. But you ain’t gotta be strong alone. Not with me here.”

She looked up at him for a long beat. Then nodded once.

“Okay.”

A thud from the back room snapped their attention. Kaia had slumped over again, breathing shallow.

“Time’s ticking,” Lily muttered. “Whatever he did to her—it’s still in there.”

Waiya squared her shoulders. “Then let’s get it out.”