Blood Red Road (25 page)

Turn around or I’ll rip yer heart out, says Maev.

Bloodthirsty, says Jack. I like that in a woman.

Turn around!

Ain’t it a bit late fer that? he says. I mean, I already seen all there is to see.

But he turns his back while we scramble outta the water an into our clothes.

What’re you doin here, Jack? I says.

How’d you git past the Hawks? says Maev.

He shrugs. I asked where I could find you. Ash said to try here.

You got past Ash? says Maev.

Uh huh, he says. She took a bit of … persuadin but in the end she came round. Nice girl.

Nice girl? says Maev. Are you sure it was Ash you met?

Listen, he says, I know it ain’t my business, but you might wanna have a word, tighten up yer security.

Yer right, she snaps, it ain’t yer business. See you back at camp, she says to me. She brushes past him an disappears into the forest.

He turns around as I’m pullin on my boots. She likes me, he says. I can always tell.

D’you rile somebody every time you open yer mouth? I says.

Pretty much, he says.

You didn’t answer my question. What’re you doin here, Jack? I frown. Are you followin me?

My my, he says, you do have a high opinion of yer charms. No, I jest … happened to be passin by is all, an I remembered you sayin somethin about hookin up with the Free Hawks. I jest wanted to make sure you got here okay an … all that. So. Is … everythin okay?

Uh huh, I says.

You found yer sister okay?

Yup.

Good. That’s good. Did I mention I always wanted a sister?

Yup.

He folds his arms over his chest. Smiles at me. I stare at him. Finally he says, I know the way to Freedom Fields. I can take you there.

Every bit of my body tightens with excitement when he says it. But right away there’s somethin nigglin at me, so I says, It’s mighty strange, Jack, you jest happenin to turn up here an you jest happenin to know the way to Freedom Fields.

I told you before, he says. It’s fate.

An I told you I don’t believe in fate, I says. How do I know I can trust you?

You can trust me, he says.

You would say that. How do I know you ain’t lyin?

You don’t. But I ain’t.

I feel the blood rush to my head. I throw up my arms an yell, You are the most infuriatin person I ever met in my whole life! Talkin to you’s like talkin to a eel!

He gives me that crooked, cocky smile.

An don’t look so pleased with yerself, I says. It ain’t a compliment.

So, he says, d’you want a guide or not?

Tell me, Jack, I says. What’s in it fer you?

Instead of answerin my question, he takes a step closer to me an says, Why’d you come after me?

What?

Why’d you come after me? he says. Back at Hopetown. That cellblock was on fire. You’d hafta be crazy to go in there. But you did. You risked yer life to save mine an you didn’t even know me.

The heartstone’s almost burnin a hole right through my skin. I sure ain’t gonna tell him that sorry yarn Mercy spun me, about it turnin warm when you stand in front of yer heart’s desire. You wouldn’t think a grown woman could be so silly.

I cross my arms over my poundin heart an stare down at my feet. I dunno why, I says, I jest did.

An I dunno why I’m here, he says. I jest am. I mean, it ain’t like I don’t have better things to do. I got people to see. I got … business interests.

Then go, I says. I didn’t ask you to come after me. I can manage perfectly fine on my own. I don’t need yer help. Go on, git outta here.

Ain’t you bin listenin? He grabs my arm. I cain’t!

We glare at each other. The space between us feels heavy somehow. It presses aginst me, makes it hard to breathe. Finally I says, So, are you gonna take me to Freedom Fields or not?

He runs a hand over his head. I must be crazy to even think about it, he mutters. Yes. I am. But first … I need to cool down.

He pulls off his boots an yanks his shirt over his head.

I stare at his chest. I cain’t seem to make my eyes move away. When I seen him without his shirt before, back at Hopetown, all I noticed was the scars. But now all I can see is how lean an strong he is. With wide shoulders an arms roped with muscle. He ain’t got no hair on his chest, not like Pa an Lugh. My fingers itch to touch it. Find out if his skin feels as smooth as it looks.

Be careful, Angel, he says. When you stare at a man like that, he’s likely to git any number of … innerestin ideas.

I don’t move.

He reaches fer the fastenin of his britches. Raises one eyebrow. You got three seconds, he says, then they’re comin down. He starts to count. One … two …

I turn an run.

I can still hear him laughin when I’m halfways back to camp.

Maev sits crosslegged on her cot in the bunkhouse, watchin me pack the gear she’s gived me. She tosses a pebble from one hand to th’other.

Whaddya know about this Jack character anyways? she says. It don’t feel right, him showin up outta the blue like this.

I know as much about him as I know about you, I says. Not much.

She chews on her bottom lip. I don’t trust him, she says. D’you?

He says he knows the way to Freedom Fields, I says. If I’m gonna find Lugh, I gotta trust him. Jest like I trusted you to help me git outta Hopetown. I didn’t know you but I …

Took a leap of faith? says Maev.

Yeah, I says, that’s it. A leap of faith. An you turned out okay.

Yeah, well … Maev mutters. She don’t look at me when she says, I’d send a couple of Hawks with you, but I got a territory dispute with some chancers on the western road to sort out.

I git the feelin she ain’t bein entirely truthful but I says, You don’t owe me nuthin.

There’s jest … somethin about him, she frowns. He’s got secrets. An he’s, uh …

Arrogant? I says.

Oh yeah.

Annoyin?

Definitely.

Slippery?

As a snake, she says. She watches me fer a bit, then she seems to throw off whatever it is that’s botherin her. She gives me a sly little smile an says, He’s good lookin, I’ll say that much.

Is he? I feel my cheeks go hot. I shrug, don’t look at her. Cain’t say I noticed, I says.

He’s got nice eyes.

Too close together.

Nice smile.

Too many teeth, I says. Anyways, he ain’t my type.

She throws the pebble at me, laughin. Yer type! Don’t you kid yerself, he’s jest yer type. The trouble type, that is.

I already got enough trouble with findin Lugh, I says. I don’t need no more.

You sure of that? she says. You look a bit … warm whenever he’s around.

It’s ever since that damn fire, I mutter. All that heat must of got in my blood or somethin.

Or somethin, she says.

I finish packin. I tighten the drawstring of my pack. Thanks fer keepin Emmi, I says. Lugh an me’ll come back fer her soon as we can. Maev?

Uh huh?

If … if anythin was to happen … if fer some reason I don’t come back—

Oh no, Saba, don’t—

If anythin happens to me, promise you’ll take care of Emmi. Raise her up proper. Please. I gotta know she’ll be okay.

Maev looks at me a long moment. Then, All right, she says. I promise.

Thanks, I says. She don’t like to wash. Make sure she does. I heave my pack over my shoulder. Better go load the horses, I says.

She touches my arm, stops me as I pass. Listen, she says, if you ever git the itch to join up with a bunch of thieves an no-goods, we’d be glad to see you back here any time. You’d make a damn fine Free Hawk.

Jack slings saddlebags over his horse’s back. On his way outta Hopetown, he managed to steal hisself a big white stallion—he calls him Ajax—that turns out to have a bad temper an a bite to go with it.

He looks over to where Emmi’s drawin circles with a stick in the dirt. Her head droops down like a wilted wildflower. Are you really gonna leave her behind? he says.

Of course, I says. I slip the nettlecord bridle over Hermes’
head, fix the bit in his mouth. She’s jest a child. It’s too dangerous. Anyways, she’d only slow us down.

Jack knows why I gotta git to Freedom Fields before midsummer eve, how important it is. Last night I told him everythin I know, everythin that Helen told me before she died. He listened but didn’t say nuthin, jest grunted a couple of times.

Lugh ain’t jest yer brother, he’s Emmi’s too, he says. Don’t you think she’s got as much right to go as you?

No I don’t, I snap. An mind yer own business. Maev said she’d look after her an that’s the way it’s gonna be.

If you say so.

I do.

Jack sticks his fingers in his mouth an whistles. Emmi’s head shoots up. He motions her over an she comes runnin.

Yer sister don’t want you to come with us, he says. She says you’ll slow us down.

Jack! I says.

I wouldn’t slow you down! says Emmi. I’m a good rider. I rode on Nudd all the way from Mercy’s all by myself an then I rode him all the way across the desert to find Saba. We nearly skeered her to death.

Is that right? Jack lifts a eyebrow at me.

It ain’t jest that, I says to Emmi. Things could git dangerous. I don’t want nuthin to happen to you.

I can take care of myself, says Emmi. I can fight.

No you cain’t, I says.

Can too!

Here. Jack unhooks his slingshot from his belt. See that shimmy? He points at one of the shimmer discs the Hawks got hangin from a tree to keep the rooks from roostin. Let’s see if you can hit it right in the middle.

C’mon, Jack, I says, this is a complete waste of time. She ain’t never shot nuthin in her life.

Ignore her, he says to Em. He hands her his shooter. You give it a try.

It’s okay. Emmi untucks a slingshot from the back of her britches. I got my own.

Since when did you carry a shooter around? I says. Hey, wait a minute … that’s mine.

No it ain’t, says Em. It belongs to Lugh.

All right. But I thought the Pinches bartered all our gear at Hopetown.

They didn’t take this, says Em. I snuck it when they warn’t lookin an kept it in my secret hidin place. I’m keepin it fer Lugh. I’m gonna give it to him when I see him.

Well, if that ain’t a nice sisterly thing to do, says Jack. That’s real thoughtful of you, Emmi. Now, go on. Let’s see you try an hit that target.

She lifts the slingshot, aims an shoots. She hits the shimmy dead center.

She beams.

I don’t believe it. Em lined that shot up an took it like she’s bin shootin every day of her life.

She’s got a good eye, Jack says to me. Close yer mouth, you’ll catch flies.

Where’d you learn to do that? I says.

She shrugs. I watched you an Lugh. Then I practiced an practiced till I got it right.

I didn’t know that, I says. Why didn’t you tell me?

You never liked it when I talked to you, she says. You always told me to shut up an go away.

I never! I says. But I feel my cheeks go all hot because we both know it’s true. It sounds so awful when she says it like that, that I never had no time fer her, but she’s right. I didn’t. Not when I had Lugh. When we’re together he’s all I need. An that’s bin the way of it since the day we was born.

So let’s see, says Jack, she can ride, she can shoot an she’s got guts. Did I leave anythin out?

What you left out is, she’s nine year old, I says.

He’s my brother jest the same as he is yers, says Emmi.

Good point, says Jack. An she was sisterly enough to save his slingshot.

They look at me.

No, I says, glarin at ’em. No, no, no!

They don’t say nuthin. Jest keep lookin at me.

Don’t look at me like that! I sigh. Aw hell. All right, you can come. But you gotta do what I say an you better not gimme
cause to regret this cuz if you do, Emmi, there’ll be trouble an no mistake.

I’m talkin to myself. The second she hears the word “come,” Emmi starts whoopin an her an Jack’s shakin hands an then she’s huggin me an lookin at me with shinin eyes. I ain’t never seen her so happy an excited.

I won’t let you down! She skips an jumps her way to the bunkhouse, callin as she goes, Epona! Hey Epona! Guess what?