Page 94 of The Howl
Elbner shrugged.
“He didn’t confide in me. I cleaned the homes of those who surrendered their souls before they died and was fed for it. I did what I was told and didn’t ask questions.”
“We understand. Thank you for coming forward. If anything else comes to mind, please let us know.”
Mr. Quill looked at me.
“You may return him to Megan’s house.”
I glanced at my mom.
“Does this mean Mom’s free to go?”
“That is something we will discuss with your mother. Thank you, Eliana.”
Hating that I was being dismissed like some child, I left the room with Elbner. After the door closed, I looked at the goblin and lifted my fingers to my lips. He remained quiet as I set my ear to the door.
“I believe some groveling is necessary,” Mom said.
“If you feel it necessary, you may,” Adira said.
There was a tense minute of silence where I hoped Mom was strangling Adira.
“Why do you think I am the one who needs to grovel?” Mom asked, disappointing me.
“Because you’ve been given a chance to spend time with your daughter. A daughter who requested you remain far from here. We made that possible,” Adira said.
Mom laughed.
“You’re trying to spin this like it was all for my benefit?”
“Haven’t you benefited? Not only have you had time with your daughter, but we’ve made sure to provide you with everything else you needed. You’ve wanted for nothing.”
“And what is it you want in return for this magnanimousness?”
“We’re worried about Eliana. Despite all of our efforts, she’s not hunting for her own meals. And when she does feed, she isn’t taking enough to survive.”
I wrinkled my nose. They were acting like I was on death’s door when, in reality, I was walking around as well as could be.
“Yes. You’ve mentioned this already,” Mom said.
“Since you’ve come, we’re seeing more resistance from her. More life. More energy. We think your presence is good for her.”
I almost snorted.
“Are you asking me to stay?” Mom asked.
“We are willing to invite you to extend your stay based on a few conditions.”
“Oh? And what might those conditions be?”
“No feeding on anyone beyond the people we provide.”
“And if you stop providing me enough?”
“You’re welcome to leave, but you should know your re-entry to Uttira will be barred once you leave. And I'm well aware you're overeating. While I understand why you’re doing it, my concern right now is the child you already have and what starving her during your pregnancy did to her.”
A sick feeling settled in my stomach as I understood what Adira was saying. Mom had only fed on Dad during her pregnancy with me. She’d mentioned it during one of our many conversations. Given how mom was feeding now, I wondered how unhealthy that had been for her.
