“I’m fine, Mr. Thompson. How about you? Do you need a drink of water?” You look like you’ve been sitting in a sauna fully clothed. Don’t pass out on me please.
I got up to pour the man a glass of water from the jug on a table in the corner. As long as I kept my brain away from the flammable topic of Sarona Fruean, I would be fine. I could keep a hold of my rage. Thompson accepted the water gratefully and gulped it down.
“Thank you, Miss Folger. I’m fine now. Shall we continue?”
Shall we not? I wanted to get out of there. Now. I wanted to go to the quarry in the Aleisa hills. Flame. Run. Rage without repercussions. Just me and miles of forest. So I could burn Sarona a thousand times over in my mind. Control, Leila. Control. “Can we make this quick, Mr. Thompson? I have somewhere to get to.”
“Oh, of course.” But before he could continue, there was a ruckus outside in the reception area. Someone was giving the receptionist a hard time.
“I’m sorry, but he’s in a meeting with a client. You can’t go in there. You have to make an appointment.”
“He will see me. Now.”
The voice was one accustomed to being obeyed. I knew that voice. Before I could move, react, think – the door was flung open.
“Where is that fool? Thompson!”
A woman stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. Resplendent in a green Mena designer dress and red heels, a slash of blood lipstick and gleaming black hair hanging to her waist. Sarona.
The lawyer rose to his feet, startled outrage quickly replaced by fear at the sight of the angry woman that confronted him. “What is the meaning of this interruption …”
But Sarona ignored him. Instead our gazes locked. “You.”
I stood slowly, battling the tidal wave of hatred that threatened to overwhelm me. A thought was all it would take and the entire office would be engulfed in flames. A flick of my wrist and I could hit her with a ball of fire that would send her hurtling through several concrete walls. I wanted to do it so bad that it hurt.
The receptionist’s harried face peered from around her shoulder as she tried to get past the woman who towered over her in stiletto heels. “Mr. Thompson, I’m so very sorry. I tried to stop her. I told her you were in a meeting, but she insisted.”
I felt the tingling in my fingertips. The pin-pricks of sparks as they raced from my fingertips to the palms of my hands. The fire was coming. And it would be oh-so-easy to let it.
I’m going to kill you, Sarona Fruean. I’m going to stand here and laugh while you scream for mercy. I’m going to watch the skin melt off your bones and smell the burn of your flesh as it roasts. I’m going to make a Sarona bonfire and dance around it. You hear me bitch? Burn and die.
But then, from somewhere far away, a baby cried. A mother shushed it softly. Jolting me out of my burn fantasy. People. The reception area was full of people waiting to share their troubles with a lawyer. A toddler broke away from her mother and ran in our direction on unsteady feet. A yelp of delight as her mother swept her into an embrace. “Baby, no. Stay here with Mom.”
Dammit. How was I supposed to murder a weather witch with all these spectators? Without hurting any of them? The toddler escaped from her mother again, this time making it as far as Sarona, reaching to grab hold of the folds of her skirt in pudgy hands. Laughing as Sarona bent to take her in her arms. “What a beautiful little girl you are.”
Sarona held the little girl close to her perfumed perfection and smiled at me. Cold eyes asked me, What are you going to do now, Leila, hmm? Are you going to risk hurting all these people? Go ahead. Bring it. I’m ready. She kissed the child, leaving a red lipstick imprint on her cheek before handing her over to her smiling mother. Turning again to face us.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Yes you are, Ms. Fruean. As I informed you the other day, you are not a beneficiary of Nafanua’s will and so cannot be party to the reading. I will have to ask you to leave.” The man’s courage ended there because he added a slightly desperate, “Please?”
The smile left. As quickly as it had come. Leaving a woman of steel fury. “No. This is a travesty. Nafanua cannot do this to me. I dedicated my life to our company, our Covenant. Those companies belong to me. I was always her second in the sisterhood, the heir. The money, the drug patents, the estate, everything – it’s all mine. Do you hear me? Mine. This girl is nothing. She betrayed our sisterhood and turned against us. She cannot be allowed to have any of it.”
Sarona’s tirade had a fascinated audience. Heads turned, necks craned as everyone in the reception waiting room ogled at the spectacle of a beautiful woman losing her cool. I smiled in the face of her fury and sat back down with casual ease. All of a sudden, being the boss of fifty-six million tala seemed like something I wanted. Oh yeah. Heiress of the Covenant Sisterhood estate, that was me. Thank you Nafanua for giving me the opportunity to really irritate Sarona the Psycho. I faked a frown.
“I’m so sorry that my beloved mother cut you out of the will, Aunty Sarona. After all those years, living in her shadow, slaving as second best in the Sisterhood, taking orders, biting your tongue. Hmm, I wonder why Nafanua didn’t see fit to reward your service? Is it because she suspected that you would turn against her eventually?” I smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not completely heartless. I would never forget my family. If you learn how to play nice, maybe I’ll arrange for you to have a weekly allowance. I don’t think it will be enough for you to afford three-hundred-dollar Mena outfits, but then, you won’t have much longer to ponder your wardrobe choices.” Since I’m going to kill you. Not here. Not today. But soon. Very soon.
Sarona’s eyes flashed and outside a roar of thunder had everyone jumping. Except for me. Weather witch theatrics no longer impressed me. I had taken the very best that this telesā had to give – and survived. The next time we met in battle, I would not hold back. My fire would not waver. To protect Daniel, and for vengeance, I would summon a death strike and not hesitate. Could she sense my resolve? She backed off, regardless, dropped her gaze and turned instead to the lawyer who stood frozen in place.
“Mr. Thompson, what happens to the estate when Leila dies? Suddenly. Painfully. Tragically.”
The spectators’ gaze swiveled to the lawyer whose mouth opened and closed, fishlike. I almost felt sorry for him. It wasn’t his fault that Nafanua had screwed over two telesā in her will and set them against each other’s throats. Thompson ruffled through papers on the desk, nervous. “Well, ahem, I suppose that, unless Ms. Folger draws up a will and names an heir, the estate will pass to Nafanua’s next of kin. Which would be you, Ms. Fruean.” He came to an abrupt halt and his eyes darted from me to Sarona, who now wore a gleeful smile. A kind of horrible realization dawned on his face. Yeah, that’s right, Mr. smarty-pants lawyer, go on and put the pieces together. Do you get clients issuing each other death threats in your office every day?
I matched Sarona’s triumphant smile with one of my own. “In that case, I should probably draw up a will right now, right here, today. I don’t want the inheritance. I would like all Nafanua’s money to be placed in a scholarship trust fund.” My brain was tripping over itself, trying to grab hold of a suitable beneficiary. “For … aha, for Samoan women wishing to undertake tertiary study. Science and medical scholarships. Lots and lots of local female scientists and doctors. I think Nafanua would have liked that, don’t you Aunty Sarona?”
Her eyes narrowed and her hushed tone was venomous. “You little bitch. You wouldn’t do that. Nobody gives up that much money.”
“Oh really?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Watch me.”
I laughed. The audience was loving it. This was better than Days of our Lives. And I was loving it. Sarona’s hands were tied. She knew it and I knew it. The only question was, what was she going to do about it? She shot me a look of pure loathing and then walked to lean in close, to whisper words that only she and I could hear.
“Laugh while you can, little girl. Your mother be
gged me for mercy, and one day, so will you. So will all those that you care about. Tell me, did your father die slowly? I do hope so. I’m not as skillful with concoctions as Nafanua was. I’ve been wanting to tell you in case you didn’t know. He came to Samoa hoping to make peace with your mother. Wanting to see if she had changed, because he said his daughter needed to know her mother. Nafanua was in Fiji at an environmental conference so I met him instead and never told her of his visit. You have no idea how much pleasure it has given me knowing that I had a hand in his death. Enjoy your inheritance. It will be your undoing.”
And on that final note, she turned and left, the gaggle of spectators parting to let her pass. Thompson’s shoulders slumped in a rush of relief. He moved to shut the conference room door against the inquiring eyes. “Well, that was unpleasant. But then family members can get quite emotional at times like this. I’m sure that once Ms. Fruean has had time to calm down, she will want to mend things with you. And who knows, she could be quite helpful to you? It’s a very large and complex estate you know, Ms. Folger.” The look he gave me had doubt mixed with uncomfortable sympathy. “And if I understand correctly, you don’t have any family left do you?”
My family – or lack thereof – was none of his business. I needed to get out of there. I couldn’t make sense of Sarona’s parting shot about my father. Was she lying? Was she only taking blind, wild aim, trying to hurt me in any way possible? An irrational panic set in. Sarona couldn’t hurt me but there were others she could target instead. Daniel, Matile and Tuala, my friends at school even. Now was not the time to sort out all the details for getting rid of my mother’s money.
“Look, can we talk about this stuff more another day? I really need to get out of here. You know, go think about everything. It’s a lot to process.”
Thompson rushed to be placating. “Yes, of course. We can delay the rest of the details for another meeting. There is one more thing, however.” He brought out a safety deposit box. “This was kept in Nafanua’s bank security vault. We were instructed to release the contents to you upon her death.”
Now what? A mental groan. I was already on my feet, anxious to be gone. Anxious to hear Daniel’s voice. Check on my uncle and aunt. I opened the box and took out the oblong wooden container inside it. It was ornately carved and surprisingly heavy for its size. Too impatient to examine its contents, I shoved it into the depths of my backpack.
“Right, is that it? Can I go now?”
If Thompson was surprised by my lack of curiosity in what was clearly a prized possession of Nafanua’s – he was professional enough not to show it. Instead, he stood to usher me out.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for coming in today Ms. Folger. I look forward to our next meeting.” I almost broke into a run when we went out to the lobby and almost didn’t hear his parting warning. “Oh, Ms. Folger I hope it’s alright but we passed your contact number on to the Director at the Women’s Refuge Center. They urgently need your approval on some key matters to do with the Center, and she will be in touch with you. I hope that’s alright?”
I was out of there. I didn’t bother answering.
Sarona’s back. Sarona’s back.
My heartbeat pounded out the chant as I ran to my Wrangler, pressing automatic dial on my phone for Daniel. Come on, pick up. Dammit, where was he? His voice mail answered. Again. I swore and threw the stupid phone onto the seat next to me as I gunned the accelerator a little more.
Sarona’s back. Sarona’s back.
My panic only increased when I pulled up to his house and there was no familiar green truck parked outside.
“Daniel?” I scanned the workshop – nobody– then ran to bang on the front door of the house.
By the time Salamasina opened the door, I felt ready to combust. The stern-faced woman looked annoyed to see me. “Leila, what is going on? Why are you attacking my front door like that?”
It was the first time I’d seen her since the aftermath of the Covenant show-down. I wanted to run and hide. We both stared at each other for an endless moment before I summoned the courage to speak. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Tahi, I’m looking for Daniel. He’s not answering his phone and I really need to talk to him. It’s important.”
“He’s not here. And his phone is in the kitchen on the charger.”
That’s not the answer I wanted to hear. I groaned. “No, where is he?”
She frowned at my rudeness. “He’s gone to Savaii with Okesene to work on a steel job. They should be back this afternoon on the last boat.”
He never said anything to me about going to Savaii. Did he just decide this today because he wanted to avoid me? Salamasina must have sensed my agitation because her eyes narrowed and she demanded. “What is going on, Leila?”
“I met Sarona today. My mother’s sister. She’s angry and she’s made some threats.”
“I know who she is. Who has she threatened?”
“Me.” I didn’t want to tell her the rest. Not as my memory jumped back to that long ago day when Salamasina stood in this very kitchen and warned Daniel that I was bad for him. She is not for you, Tanielu. I love you and I tell you with a clean heart, this girl is not for you. You would do well to end this friendship now.
But Salamasina knew there was more. “And who else?”
“Everyone that I care about.” I felt the familiar anger build. “She knows she can’t hurt me and so she’s threatened to target everyone around me. But I won’t let her. I couldn’t take her out at the lawyer’s office because there were too many people around, but I’m going to find her before she can hurt anyone else.”
“And then what are you going to do?”
“And then I’m going to kill her.” Speaking the words out loud vested them with strength. Power. But Salamasina only raised an eyebrow at them.
“So, you are your mother’s daughter after all.”
I flinched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She didn’t reply. Instead she opened the door wider and motioned for me to enter. I hesitated. “What are you waiting for? Come inside. There’s something I want to say to you and I’m not going to stand on the doorstep talking where all the neighbors can see us.”
She walked away into the kitchen and I followed. Wary. Great. Did I really have time for this? In the kitchen, the old woman poured us both a glass of juice and then directed me to sit with her at the table. The chill of creamy sweet soursop was a soothing breather. I sipped at it and waited for her to speak.
“When I say that you are your mother’s daughter, I’m merely stating the obvious. Nafanua used her telesā gifts to kill when it suited her and you are choosing to walk in her footsteps.”
“No. I’m choosing to use my fanua afi gifts to protect those I care about. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?” She posed the question so casually that it barely seemed to matter. “Do you know what Nafanua would do to young girls with telesā gifts who refused to join her Covenant?”
She did not wait for a reply. She continued and her voice raised a notch. “She killed them. She did not want to run the risk of them growing up to become more powerful than she was. Only our Mother Earth knows how many young women died at Nafanua’s hands. Is that what you will do? Kill anyone who annoys you?”
I argued. “That’s not fair. I’m nothing like my mother. This is different. Sarona has hurt Daniel before and she won’t hesitate to do it again. I must protect him and if that means destroying her, then so be it.”
Salamasina spoke with calm reason in the face of my emotion. “You continue to ignore the obvious because you are selfish. You lie to me and to yourself. You say you love my son. You say you are willing to kill to protect him. But do you love him enough to let him live without you?”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
This time, Salamasina didn’t hold back and I shrank against the cold fury of her words. “The only reason Daniel’s life is in danger is because you love him. If you let him go, th
en he will be nothing to Sarona.”
I struggled for words. Angry but respectful words. “You’ve never liked me, never approved of me and Daniel’s friendship and I’m sorry that he has been hurt because of me. But we love each other and I won’t give him up. We’ve been through so much together already. We can overcome this too. I know we can.”
“You know nothing. You are a telesā without any knowledge of her history, customs, or heritage. And a woman without her history is a fool. I’m sure that Sarona took special pleasure in torturing Daniel that day. As she will again when she carries through with her threat to hurt him again. Do you know why?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “A little piece of family history that Nafanua neglected to mention to you but that had the telesā Pacific grapevine all abuzz. As a young girl, Sarona was Nafanua’s special protégé. Her gifts were strong, and Nafanua had no gifted daughters of her own. Or so she thought. Nafanua went to great lengths to teach Sarona and nurture her gifts. In turn, Sarona idolized her like the mother, the big sister, that she didn’t have. But when she was eighteen, Sarona made a terrible mistake. She fell in love. She wanted to get married, have a family, be with him forever – so she asked Nafanua if she could be released from her Covenant oath. She begged her as a daughter begs a mother. As a sister begs another. She was in love, she said, this boy was different from all others, special, unique. He was going to love her and treasure her always. If it had been any other telesā in her Covenant, Nafanua would probably have killed her without a second thought. But because it was Sarona, she decided to take a different approach to the problem. She decided to break her heart instead. Nafanua used her skills to brew a love potion. Not difficult if you have all the ingredients and the telesā know-how. Nafanua empotioned Sarona’s lover and then arranged for Sarona to discover her with him, together in the worst possible way.”
When Water Burns Page 7
