Part Ninety-Six
“Adara,” Juniper said after we had all gone upstairs and left Ramos alone in the cell in the basement. Adara looked at her with no emotion.
“I…I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” Juniper said in a small voice.
“I told you!” Adara shouted at her so fiercely that I went to stand next to her in case she went for Juniper. Juniper took a step back at the ferocity in Adara’s voice.
“I think it best if you just left Juniper,” Shoran said to her while leading her out the door and closing it in her face.
Adara sat down on one of the chairs. “I’m sorry. I just…I don’t want anything to do with her,” Adara said, her soul exhausted at the ordeal we all just went through.
“Adara, you never have to apologize for feeling the way you do about her,” Malachi said and then he surprised us all by hugging her.
Adara broke down and cried in Malachi’s arms. I took that time to phone Karani and told her what had happened. She was crying and then told us to get back home immediately.
“Malachi, Karani said to get home immediately,” They had left us James’s Jeep and we all squashed into it and James drove like a madman. There was a strange car in the driveway and I almost fell over Adara in my haste to get inside to Karani.
“Mom!” I called out to her as I entered the kitchen.
“In the drawing room,” she shouted back and I ran down the hall. I opened the door and I looked into the worried eyes of Robert Jones. He was the police officer that had tried to help Adara when he arrested Ramos for assault. On the couch lay a woman, not much older than Karani, but in severe pain. I felt it the instant I walked into the room. Karani had a cloth pressed to her brow and rinsed it in cold water every so often.
“This is Edna, she is Robert’s mother,” Karani explained as I looked at her. Malachi had come in and was looking at Edna.
“How much did you tell him, Edna?” Malachi asked and I was surprised to realize that they knew each other. Did this human know about wolves? This was unheard of, punishable! Malachi looked at me sternly and I chastised myself for thinking in his presence. Malachi then smiled at me.
“I’m sorry, I had no choice. I had to tell him about the wolf people. My time is done, the doctors can do nothing more for me,” Edna said and her body contracted with pain. I switched off my emotions just to avoid feeling her pain.
Adara stood in the doorway and Robert looked cautiously at all of us, his hand over his holster.
“It’s ok Edna, I’m going to give you something, to relieve the pain,” Karani said.
“Robert, your gun won’t help you now. I know you’re confused. We are wolf people. Your great grandmother was close friends with mine when my family just moved to Seward. Your great grandmother saw mine change in the forest, yet she didn’t run. She was intrigued and they became fast friends, a friendship that lasted their entire lives. The stories were passed down from mother to child. We have always protected your family, and your family has always kept our secret,” Malachi said.
“It’s just so unbelievable. Yes, she told me stories when I was little, but I never really believed her,” Robert said and watched his mother.
“Is she going to die? Please don’t let her die!” he said, his eyes glistening with tears.
“Not if we can help it!” Karani said and called me and Adara to her side.
“I’m going back to the den; all my herbs are stored there. It’s best if I go, I know where everything is. Adara, you try to break her fever. Kiran, I know it’s a lot to ask, but try to take some of her pain, just until I get back,” Karani asked and I nodded instantly.
“You’re not going alone,” Malachi said and followed her outside.
Karani got into Malachi’s car and drove back to the den. She needed Athabascan and Tlingit, she would have to infuse it into a tea and get it into her system to help relieve the fever and the pain. They stopped in front of the den and Karani got out and left the car door open. Malachi’s phone rang and he looked at Karani.
“It’s the Police Chief, I have to take it, wait for me inside, I won’t be long,” Malachi said and answered his phone. Karani went inside and waited a few minutes. She looked around and decided not to wait for Malachi.
She ran down to the basement where a wooden chest was stored in one corner. She ignored Ramos’s jabbering and searched through the chest. She found the two plants in powder form and carefully shut the chest again.
“Karani! I’m speaking to you!” Ramos yelled at her.
Karani stopped in front of the cell. “I don’t have time now, Ramos. Don’t you think that you’ve said and done enough?” Karani asked him.
He grabbed her suddenly and pulled her up to the cage. He held on to her arm so tightly that Karani could feel the bone cracking.
“You’re hurting me!” she shouted at him. She tried to pull loose and Ramos turned her around so that her back pressed into the cell’s bars. She looked up at that moment and the crow sat outside the window looking at her.
“Malachi has taken everything from me! Time and time again. Now I will take something from him!” Ramos hissed and he grabbed Karani by her throat and started squeezing. Karani’s eyes grew wide. She was struggling to breathe. Ramos was crushing her windpipe; it was an enduring struggle as her body healed the crushing and Ramos just kept on crushing it.
Ramos screamed in frustration and hatred, he squeezed harder, and his fingers found her windpipe, he pressed his fingers alongside it and pulled. He felt her windpipe move and he gripped and pulled harder. His hatred fuelled his anger and he finally ripped Karani’s windpipe from her throat. Her blood sprayed onto the floor as it spurted out of the gaping wound.
Karani’s limp body fell to the floor, her blood pooling around her. Tiny bubbles formed in her throat as the last of her oxygen left her lungs, they plopped softly as they burst into nothingness.