Chapter 42

Naomi didn’t want to wake up. She could feel the pins and needles pricking her even in her unconscious state. She knew if she woke up those pins and needles would begin to stab repeatedly. Unfortunately, someone dropped a large metal pot to the floor which jolted her awake and straight into pain. Naomi flailed about unsure what to clutch first. Her back, her head, her legs, everything ached. Luckily, Tavik’s head was no longer in her lap or else he would surely have been harmed by her spastic motions. She rubbed her eyes and looked around for him. She found him seated at the table. He gave her a sympathetic look. She waved and tried to stand. It took a bit of fumbling before she could gain her feet. Never sleep on a wooden floor again, she told herself. Yula apologized for startling her awake and offered her a hot pad for her muscles.

“If I were sure I’d able to get up afterward, I would kiss your feet for a hot pad,” she said and groaned painfully as she lowered herself into a chair. She wondered if her hair had turned grey overnight. She sounded eighty. Yula gave her a cloth bag full of hot unboiled rice and went back to bustling over breakfast. Naomi sighed and pressed the hot pad into her lower back. She looked over at Tavik.

“You could use one of these too I bet.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m used to sleeping on hard--” but before he could finish, Yula pushed him forward and dropped a hot pad behind him. When he leaned back, Naomi saw his face relax in comfort. “—surfaces,” he said as he sighed.

Yula was a domestic dervish: she beat eggs, fried bacon, and baked bread. After watching her for ten minutes, Naomi felt tired enough to go back to sleep. Agatha and Mr. Squibbles were no where to be found. When Yula swept by, Naomi tugged her skirt to get her attention. “Where’s Agatha?” she mouthed. Yula indicated the door with her head and went back to work.

Naomi looked over at Tavik and studied him. He didn’t look as ragged as last night, but he still looked worn out. She bit her lip. After what she’d learned, it didn’t seem right to keep him tied up. Agatha was his mother for God’s sake. He wouldn’t attack his mother, at least that was what she thought. She lurched up from her seat, her body screaming to return to the hot pad, and went behind his chair. She reached down to untie his hands. He grew completely still when he realized what she was doing. After the rope was undone, she raised her hands and massaged his shoulders and biceps. When she moved to go back to her seat, Tavik jerked her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. She hugged him back dazedly.

“Thank you,” he breathed into her ear.

Her cheeks became very warm, and she ducked her head. “I probably should’ve done it sooner.”

When Yula saw that Tavik was no longer bound, she gave Naomi a smile of approval and began setting out breakfast. Naomi unwound Tavik’s arms. He let go of her reluctantly but pulled her chair closer to his and kept his arm across the back of it.

Finally Agatha returned from whatever she had been doing and stopped short at the sight of Tavik feeding himself. Naomi carefully watched the witch’s reaction. She hoped her decision wouldn’t upset her but couldn’t believe that a mother would rather see her son tied up than not. Agatha merely nodded curtly at them and took a seat across the table. Mr. Squibbles jumped off the witch’s arm to go to his own plate. Tavik and Agatha ate staring at their food. Yula and Naomi exchanged concerned glances as the tension persisted between the family members. They couldn’t think of a way to help ease the pain. Agatha obviously hated the fact that Tavik had devoted himself to Errilol. He seemed to think he had to do it to protect her and others from some force in the past, but he was still devoted to the war god. Naomi didn’t understand why he was still faithful to him. Tavik had himself admitted that Errilol was not a kind or just god. Why he hadn’t severed all ties with him was beyond her knowledge. She wanted to get a chance alone to ask him. Knowing everything was the only way she could even begin to help either of them.

“Have you figured out why we have brought you here?” Agatha abruptly asked. Naomi jumped and dropped her fork. She looked to the witch in surprise. The witch’s face was closed off. There was no glimmer of benevolence or even mischief in her eyes. Her face was blank.

Tavik lifted his head from his plate to consider the question. He looked out the window at their location. “You seek to capture a unicorn.”

“And do you know why we want a unicorn?” Naomi got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“Agatha,” she said softly.

Yula had also stilled and looked nervous. Tavik looked at his mother for a moment. “You want a horn,” he said.

She snorted. “Well of course, but why do you think we desire a horn?”

Naomi stared at her wondering why the old woman wanted to ruin everything more. Tavik looked over at Naomi and noticed her pallor. He removed his arm from her chair and turned to look squarely at her. He wanted the answer to come from her. Naomi bowed her head as she composed herself to answer. She had to steel herself to look back up into his eyes. “I need to find a unicorn to send me home.”

“I’ll take you on ship or wagon wherever you wish to go.”

Naomi shook her head bowed it. She wasn’t brave enough for this. She couldn’t look him in the eye. “The only way I can go home is by unicorn. Please Tavik, help me.” He lifted her chin and brushed his thumb across her mouth.

“What if I don’t want to let you go?” he said.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She wasn’t sure what exactly was upsetting her. She knew she was supposed to go home. That was the plan from day one, but to have to ask him to help her made her feel awful. “Please,” she said.

He didn’t reply. Agatha slammed her utensils down. “You will help her whether you want to or not.” Tavik turned dead eyes towards his mother. Naomi grabbed his jaw and turned his eyes back to her. She didn’t want them to fight, especially if it were over her.

“Tavik, it’s your decision,” she said. Agatha gasped, and Yula started at Naomi’s pronouncement. Naomi, though, felt strangely calm.

Continue to Chapter 43.