Blackening Song by Aimée & David Thurlo Read Free Book Online

answers could be found there. “It wasn’t enough.”
    “How good wasthe clinic where Loretta delivered?” Ella asked pointedly.
    Rose’s gaze turned hard. “Pride would not have kept Clifford from seeking the best medical help for his child. You should know that. But the last few months of pregnancy were hard on Loretta. Nobody was able to do anything.”
    Ella leaned back in the chair, trying to focus her thinking. Clifford had used all his beliefs and prayers tohelp his wife and unborn child, yet still he had failed. That blow struck at the very roots of everything he was. “I thought he had put the hurt aside by now.”
    “No one blamed Clifford at first. He’d done what the progressives believed was necessary, taking Loretta to the hospital for prenatal checks. He’d also used our ceremonies and done all that the traditionalists expected. He was very carefulnot to make any mistakes in our rituals. But then, some very ugly rumors began to spread about him.” Her mother’s voice dropped to a hushed whisper. “Do you remember anything about skinwalkers?”
    Ella blinked, taken by surprise to hear her mother broach the subject. “They’re evil witches. They wear the hide of a coyote or wolf and they’re supposed to be able to transform themselves into the animal.That’s how they got their name. But what’s this got to do with Clifford?”
    “One way for a person to become a skinwalker is to sacrifice a relative.”

FOUR
    Ella tried to hide her emotions, walking over to the window and looking outside so her mother wouldn’t see her face. Heat shimmered in waves over the sand, rocks, and sage that stretched out to the late-afternoon horizon. Her mom’s old mutt was lying by the side of the house fast asleep, oblivious to the chaos those around him were experiencing.
    “I can’t believe that anyone made such avile, stupid accusation about my brother. Who’s responsible for starting that gossip, do you know?”
    “We tried to find out, but it turned out to be impossible to trace,” Rose answered.
    “Clifford’s a hataalii. He’s supposed to be our tribe’s best defense against witches.”
    “ Is —not ‘is supposed to be,’” Rose countered sternly. “That accusation was meant to undermine him. They started that storyafter the loss of his child, when he was the most vulnerable!” Anger swept through Rose like a flash flood in a narrow arroyo, and she took several deep breaths.
    “A good tactic on their part,” Ella admitted. “Who had the most to gain by undermining him?”
    “These skinwalkers have covered themselves well. I can’t even guess.” Rose covered her face with one hand. “Clifford is a strong man. He kepthis hurt inside him, but the baby’s death almost finished Loretta. She lost her son, then began to hear that her husband had caused the tragedy.” Overwhelmed by emotion, Rose fell silent, clasping her hands together tightly.
    “Is that why Clifford is hiding? Have others become so afraid of him that they are threatening his life?” Ella started sorting through possible motives.
    Rose shook her head.“Your brother is afraid of no man. He has many friends and followers. They believe him. He knows that.”
    Ella turned from the window and joined her mother on the sofa. “Then something else must have frightened him.” She lapsed into a thoughtful silence. “Could it be somehow linked to the death of his child?”
    “Possibly, but that’s one connection you may never be able to see.”
    “Why not?”
    “Younever paid attention to what I taught you of our people’s beliefs, so even if it stares you in the face, you may not know, or believe enough, to realize it.”
    “You’d be surprised how much I remember. I may not believe in it, like Clifford and you, but what counts is knowing the way he thinks, and what actions he’ll take because of it.”
    “Spoken like a bilagáana. ” Her mother smiled, her eyes eaglesharp as they rested on Ella. “Daughter, you