Chapter 14: The Bell of Justice

He asked quietly: "She’s your mother. After what happened—do you hate them?"

Everyone knew the mountain woman was my mother, but no one let me say it—not my father, not Murphy, not the town.

To them, she was property, not a person.

I waited so long to hear someone say it. William was the only one.

"Hate? Of course I hate them! She did nothing wrong. They ruined her!"

William patted my head, kind as any real father: "Then do as I say—don’t let them off easy."

He handed me a large golden bell.

"Your mother was the Wild King’s daughter. Shake this bell in front of her grave for twenty-one days, and you’ll summon the wild horde. Let them see her suffering. The Wild King will avenge her. They’ll all pay."

I tucked the bell safe in my pillowcase, its weight heavy as the whole mountain—like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for justice.