Part Sixty-Nine

“We’ll need bricks or rocks to weigh the bags down,” Malachi said.

I gathered a few of the biggest stones I could find and placed them in the bags. Malachi seemed so calm and while my heart was thudding against my ribs, I still felt like I was composed.

“Don’t think about it too much,” Malachi said as he opened a tap on the outside of the den and washed his hands.

“I’m trying not to, but the fact that Shoran did this…it just kind of amazes me that she’s handling it so well.”

Malachi smiled as I washed my hands as well and leaned against the den’s wall. “Shoran’s stronger than people give her credit for. The fact that she came back and exacted her revenge tells me that she’ll be okay. What happened to her won’t rule her life and she won’t wallow in misery forever. It’s easy to keep lying when the odds are against you, but she won’t.”

“I saw it in her eyes tonight. She won’t give up and that just makes me respect her more, but this is going to get messy, Dad. Ramos won’t stay quiet abou