The offer froze O’Neill’s feet to the floor. The chill climbed up his legs and into his gut. Was she serious? Having someone look into your mind and expose all your secrets was not a comfortable experience. Besides, that wasn’t why he’d brought her here. Hell—he wasn’t even sure he wanted to know the truth.
“I didn’t bring you here to eavesdrop on your memories.” He thrust his fingers through his hair. “What happened is ancient history and not important.”
Muriel’s laugh was devoid of humor. “Gracie might disagree with that assessment, as it’s the reason you vanished, cutting off all contact with her.”
O’Neill flinched at the comment, then ignored it and headed into the kitchen. The coffee pot looked dusty from lack of use, so he rinsed it out. “It must have been difficult raising twins so young. For what it’s worth, I regret not being there for you.”
Muriel shrugged, her face distant and eyes cold. “I had plenty of help. My parents and grandparents stepped up. So did Wolf’s. They say it takes a village to raise a child. In this case, half theBrenahiiloreached out.”
O’Neill grimaced. Nobody had stepped up to ease his childhood. But then, he’d been white skinned and brown haired, with a mother who’d been known as theBrenahiilowhore. Nor had it helped that his grandparents had been malevolent and sharp-tongued, and ran people off more often than not. Until him, no one in his family had been honored by a spirit animal.His family had always been theBrenahiilo’strailer trash. Muriel’s family, on the other hand, was reservation royalty, honored by the elder gods with generations of spirit claimings.
Social status was alive and well among theHee'woo'nee.Muriel had benefited from it. O’Neill had not.
He shoved that old frustration aside as he filled the coffee pot with water and grounds. At least preparing the coffee gave his hands something to do and took his mind off her unexpected offer.
“Will you tell me about Daniel?” He glanced over to where she still stood in the middle of his living room.
“What do you want to know?” Some of the ice melted from her expression. She studied him closely and asked. “Did you spend any time with him while you were both at base?”
“No.” He watched the pot gurgle and sputter. “Wolf and Samuel had their own...clique. Daniel was part of that. I was not.”
Silence fell over the room. And the cold enveloping her thawed. “Like back in high school.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah…like that.” O’Neill stared at the brewing coffee, like it held the secrets of theWanatesaweapon. “I knew him enough to recognize him, but that was it.”
Although, it had been worse than that. Daniel had followed Samuel’s and Wolf’s lead, as had the rest of the Shadow Mountain’s warriors, and treated him as though he were invisible.
Jie'van.
Her face softened, her eyes filling with sorrow. “He was the happiest ofanvaat. Bright. Confident. A bit full of himself. He made friends easily. Was every teacher’s pet.”
O’Neill smiled absently. She could have been describing herself as ananvaa. In this case, the apple had fallen right next to the tree.
“He idolized Samuel and Wolf,” she continued softly. “Wanted to be just like them.”
“The warrior clan,” O’Neill murmured. Both men had been slated for the warrior ways for as long as O’Neill could remember.
“Yeah.” The word was expelled on an aching breath. “I don’t remember a time when Daniel didn’t want to join them in the warrior ways. That’s all he talked about.”
“Wolf said he was a natural warrior. Both skilled and fearless,” O’Neill said.
She looked surprised. Had she not expected him to ask Wolf about the youngling?
But she simply nodded, grief heavy on her face. “Samuel told me this as well.”
“Did you want him to join Shadow Mountain?”
“Goddessno!” Her face tightened, the pain vibrating in her voice. “Death stalks the warrior ways. I didn’t want that for him.” She fell silent, before adding with strangled emphasis. “Or for Gracie.”
He changed the subject before sorrow could break her. “What was Gracie like?”
Her laugh was hollow. “The exact opposite of Daniel in every way. He was the sun...she was the moon. Quiet. Solitary. She avoided people instead of seeking them out. She aced every subject in school, but…” She shook her head. “The teachers seemed to forget she existed. She didn’t have any friends. Not one. She hid herself instead. You’d think she’d be lonely but…”
“But?”
“She enjoyed being alone.”
O’Neill thought about that. It had been obvious in the short amount of time he’d spent with the pair that friction seethed below the surface, at least on Gracie’s end. “There seems to be tension between you and Gracie. Has that always been there?”
