Blood Red Road

Are y’al right, Saba? says Jack. You look kinda warm.

Too much sun on my head, I mut er. I swim back to the rock. Maev joins me. We hang onto the edge an look up at him.

Jack nudges our pile of clothes with his foot. Grins. Wel , ain’t this an innerestin sitchation? he says. Two girls naked in the water an me with al their clothes.

Turn around or I’l 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 al there is to see.

But he turns his back while we scramble out a 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 pul in on my boots. She likes me, he says. I can always tel .

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

Pret y much, he says.

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

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

Tel 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 cel block was on re. 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 tel 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 sil y.

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 bet er 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 out a 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. Final y 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 mut ers. Yes. I am. But first … I need to cool down.

He pul s of 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, al I noticed was the scars. But now al 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 stil 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 out a the blue like this.

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

She chews on her bot om 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 nd Lugh, I got a trust him. Jest like I trusted you to help me git out a 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, wel … Maev mut ers. 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 o whatever it is that’s botherin her. She gives me a sly lit le smile an says, He’s good lookin, I’l 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 mut er. Al that heat must of got in my blood or somethin.

Or somethin, she says.

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