Thorns Of Her Reborn

air came through the gap in the window. With it came a sharp chemical smell that di

tom of the drive with their lights off. Men were mo

to the

she kept for foxes. Her white hair hung loose over her shoulders

"Go through the rose beds t

with

." Nana pushed her toward the kitchen. "You

own about the baby all along. S

d low between the rows of heirloom roses, where the bushes were tallest, and

. Nana had unlo

stood on the porch. The

," Nan

looked like a boy who had bee

Marg

." Nana's voice did not shake. "New

gun down.

" Nana's chin lifted. "I saw her on the tele

e is

wn the mountain, where

ream. She wanted to run to the door. She did neither.

at the old woman's face. Lyra saw something pass

sed the

red f

Nana folded down onto the hall floo

ake a noise. She only felt

l, and over the walls. They did not look at Nana. Then another man ran to the g

ackward on her elbows through the soil, with the thorns tearing her sleeves. A flashlight swung

sed over her

Flames had reached the roof. Ronan stood on the lawn

His voice was flat. "Yes.

l and watched the house burn. Then he turned, and

t move for

roof had fallen in. She watched from the tree line as the men sprayed water

them. She wanted to

ke hands with the sheriff beside the fire engin

p the ridg

r there as a child. There was a stove, a cot, and a shelf of dented tins. Lyra ate c

th morning,

funeral was small. A few neighbors stood in black coats under umbrellas. T

ept her hands deep in the pockets. In the right pocket, she held the garden shears she had grab

left. Then she began to walk dow

turned in

ed behind

lasses. Two men stayed beside the car. One of them w

eadstones. She stopped at Nana's grave. She

out there," s

d not b

t raise her voice. "Ronan says there was only one. A girl who loves

lasses. Her eyes w

ld have liked to have one myself." She looked down at the mound. "Come out,

to move. Her feet

tree. She walked across the wet

e you

the shears from her pocket and dro

ere the handles stuck out. A dark stain spread across the wool. She dro

" she s

slick and warm. Her hands were shakin

A shot cracked past her ear an

Branches whipped her face. Mud pulled at her boots. Behind her, she hea

op until the s

sick in the wet needles. Her hands we

ll fluttered

. She could not go back. The house was gone. Nana was dead. She had a murderer's

e washed them in a puddle an

and started walkin