“Arra? What’s wrong honey? What happened?” His voice is frantic. I can hear him shoving away his blankets. I thought he would be up already. Aren’t all old people up before sunrise?
“Grandpa, it’s okay,” I say. Well kind of. “Grandpa I saw the end of the dream. Kivera did exactly what you said she did. She gave up the lives of her daughters to save herself from being a sacrifice.” Tanner takes my hand and rubs his hand up and down my back to give me strength. I soak up every ounce he can give me.
“Was there anything specific in the agreement? Anything we could use to undo it?” he asks.
“I don’t think so, Grandpa. She made a covenant with the priest and then they sacrificed the guards in her place. It was just a promise. No secret steps or magic potion. It was just a promise between her and Tlaloc.”
My grandpa sighs. I had been hoping for something more useful, too.
“Arra, go back to sleep if you can. If Katie and Maera were any indication, you should have until about noon,” he says. His voice is steady, but I can hear his fear. He hasn’t formulated any plan yet. That seems clear. Because there is no plan that will work, I tell myself grimly.
“But, Grandpa,” I begin before he cuts me off.
“Now listen, Arra, I don’t completely understand all of this, but whatever happens, you will need all your strength. I will get you through this, I promise. Please, get some more rest. Meet me at the park near your house at ten o’clock. I haven’t given up yet and neither should you.”
“Grandpa, wait,” I say, “we had an idea.”
“We? Did you tell your parents?” He sounds absolutely horrified.
“No,” I say quickly, “of course not. But I did tell someone. I told Tanner everything.”
“Tanner? Why?” he asks.
Isn’t that the question of the day? “Because, Grandpa, I needed someone to talk to and he was willing to listen. We were talking about it this morning after I woke up from the dream and he had an idea.”
“You talked to Tanner when you woke up from the dream?” Silence. “Is he there right now?”
For crying out loud! Is that really what he needs to be worrying about right now?
“Yes, Grandpa, he’s standing right next to me. And he has an idea,” I repeat.
“Arrabella, it isn’t even dawn yet. How long has Tanner been there?” he asks.
My body is rigid with anger, embarrassment, frustration, and just about every other emotion. Tanner looks at me with a question in his eyes. My grandpa is not going to let up. I don’t have time to try and lie to him.
“He stayed with me all night because I was too afraid to fall asleep alone,” I say quickly. Tanner’s eyes widen in alarm. “And before you ask, no we didn’t do anything and no my parents don’t know he’s here, and please don’t tell them. I promise it won’t happen again.” Tanner pouts at that. I can’t help but throw him a devilish smile. “That is, if I ever even get the chance to sneak a boy into my room again. Okay? Now, can we get back to what’s really important this morning?”
My grandpa clears his throat. I think my mentioning that this will be a totally moot point if I don’t make it past noon alive quell any further desires he has to question my choices or threaten to tell my parents. “So, uh, what was Tanner’s idea?”
“Do you know Father Margulies?”
“The priest over at Saint Michael’s Parish? What does he have to do with anything?” he asks.
“Tanner attends church there. He thinks Father Margulies might be able to help us think of a way out of this mess,” I say. “Would you please just meet us there? It’s worth a try, isn’t it?”
It takes him longer than it should to answer. I don’t understand his hesitation. He promised to help me in any way. Why does talking to a priest seem so bad? My family isn’t particularly religious, and neither is my grandpa, but I am perfectly willing to go.
“Grandpa?” I urge.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” The line goes dead.