Ankyra Sound He was growing in my garden

so much of suzu’s unyielding spine in this girl! irritation flickered beneath sobeille’s chest. 

she had many options, but really only two that her maman would find appropriate. in a less perilous time, sobeille would laud this girl’s pragmatism. right now, it served an inconvenience.

sapphique’s shores teemed with enemies. if she was to protect the lives remaining, every stone must be upturned; every denizen beneath these stones vetted. including this mystery woman camping sapphique’s ancestral home.

sobeille did not wish to strike child, but neither could she accept refusal. she must show this young girl her mistrust was unfounded.

your maman — suzu — i grew up wit’ ‘er. sobeille exhaled through her nose, searching for strength to ignore the impulse of physically strangling suzu’s daughter until she broke. your maman be fat. an’ not much good at runnin’. she be dark like de color of wet sand, an ‘as lilac eyes. she ‘as no love for de sea — dat be why she left sapphique an’ carried child elsewhere. an’ eti, ‘e be kind an’ soft spoken. singing or humming where ever ‘e goes. dere be a pearl around ‘us neck from our pearl ceremony, ‘e always keeps it close.

do you still believe me a stranger?

pausing to reel in her slipping composure, sobeille met leonore’s gaze with a hard look. i would not be askin’ if it were not important. your grandmaman and aunts be in grave danger, kidnapped from dese very cliffs a month ago. you t’ink she an’ ‘er children be safe? dey will come for ‘er too.

lowering her head so they might speak eye to eye as if they were equals, sobeille continued. dis sound is as known to me as de cliffs. you either bring me to ‘er, or i be findin’ ‘er myself. an’ i guarantee you, one option be more pleasant den de other. i will not ask twice.