Aed Ruad stared at his sister. And he continued to stare at her for a long time, till his eyes hurt, till his chest hurt, till every breath he took hurt. "She's dead," he whispered.
"She should have died earlier!" came his mother's voice. And for the first time, Aed Ruad lost control. He got up, swung behind and slapped his mother across her face. Etaya fell on her ass some two yards away, her face imprinted with his fingers' mark.
Fury boiled her blood as she stared at him with shock. It was for the first time he had hit her and Etaya was… scared.
