The vase shattered at the very same moment, and in just as many pieces, as her heart.
Twitching fingers, bated breath.
Navne watched as Kel stumbled, clutching her stomach. She watched as the colour drained from Kel's face. She watched as Kel's lips parted, a single rasping whisper emerging with horror so as such that Navne would never forget it. Not until the day she died.
"No."
She had them. Kel had contracted the Matryoshka. A sweet sounding name for a vicious, devastating parasite.
Someone was screaming, pointing to the violent blush that was spreading over Kel's skin like ink within water. The parasites bred quickly. Navne had never seen them up close before, but she had heard that the gradual disfigurement had a strange beauty to it. In the moment, there was no beauty. Just fear. Blinding fear.
Kel met her gaze, and she saw tears in her sister's eyes. Kel never cried. But they both knew the Guard would be there soon. There to burn away the taint.
To burn her Kel.
Navne reached for her sister, even knowing that she mustn't. The creatures were always eager for a new host. But this was Kel, her Kel, the little sister she had raised from day one. And her Kel was reaching for her.
"Don't let them take me." Kel was trembling, but her gaze was fire. "Don't let them take me. Please. Please, sister. Don't-"
Navne's fingertips had barely reached her sister when she was ripped out from under them. Black currents hissed through her hands, her fins, wrenching her little Kel into a flurry of gray. The world was a swarm of hands and eyes and blackened helms, judgement weighing the irreplaceable flame of life before her. And Navne was screaming. Screaming for the Guard to let go of her, let go of her sister. For the Matryoshka to let go of her sister. For someone, anyone, to help.
Someone.
Anyone.
Please.
"Let her go!"
Don't take her -
Anything but her.
"Take me instead!"
Cold eyes watching her. Evaluating. Was she infected too?
"She hasn't done anything!"
Verdict: guilty.
You'll ruin us all, you foolish little girl.
"Please!"
Pleading.
Begging.
Threatening.
Thrashing, thrashing, thrashing.
Biting, clawing, screaming.
There was no one to break the lance of pain. It was wedged deeply in her chest, snapping each one of her bones.
Bones.
That was all they left her.
Bones.
Little Kel.
Sister.
Family.
Navne closed her eyes and let the tide take her.
"Have you ever seen the Matryoshka before, Navne?"
Navne tugged at the clam in her hands, struggling to open it. "Mmmmm, well... What do you think?"
"I don't think you have."
"Then you, dearest Kel, would be thinking wrong. Hand me that rock, would you?"
Kel crossed her arms. "Have you or haven't you?"
"Maybe I have and I haven't. Rock?"
"You either have or you haven't. You can't be both."
Navne's eyes darted from the clam to her sister. "Rock. Hand me the rock."
"Truth. Hand me the truth," Kel met her gaze evenly before adding, "Cavewoman."
"Hmph. You forget that this cavewoman is in possession of your snack and your truth. Both of which you can't get without me."
"Nuh-uh. I'll just get myself another clam."
"Yes, but you know that I'm better at opening them," Navne countered, "And you can't get yourself another truth. Not if it's mine that you want, at least."
Kel held her ground for a moment before averting her eyes. Grumbling, she placed the stone in her sister's hands. "Just you wait. Once I grow out, I'll be the one pushing you around."
"You'd like to imagine that, wouldn't you~?" Navne gave her a toothy grin, cracking the clam open with one swift blow. "But you forget that you're already about fully grown... And still so small!"
"I am not small! You're only slightly taller than I am!"
Navne's eyes lit up. "So you admit that I'm taller!"
"I said slightly. Slightly!"
"Ah ah~. You've admitted that you're short! And that I'm tall!"
Kel huffed, snatching the softened mollusk from her sister. "I did not! I was only admitting that smugness is a vice. And that pride comes before the fall!"
"Yes, yes. Of course~. We all know that you are a generous, benevolent, and, especially, gracious ruler." Navne affectionately patted her sister's hair.
"Stop that!" Kel swatted at her hand. "You should know your place, servant!"
"Ooh~. A servant, am I?"
"Yes! And when I'm stronger, I'll be king of the whole Family. And I'll hire you as my personal clam-opening servant!"
Navne grinned, sweeping her sleeves back in the mockery of a bow. "Why, I would be positively honoured, Your Majesty! I will open those tough, warrior-like shells! You need never sully your soft, fragile arms!"
"Hey! My arms are not-"
Her protest was cut short as Navne darted between the swaying reeds, snatching away the very clam she had first offered. Altogether too late, Kel tried to salvage the treat.
"That's mine!"
Navne wagged a finger at her. "Snooze, you lose! Took you too long to eat it, Your Majesty."
Kel's hands balled in fists as she watched her sister devour what was rightly hers. "That's Your Gracious Majesty to you! And you owe me three - no - five clams for that impudence!"
Navne's laughter echoed through the forest of kelp.