“No,” I say simply, but she looks at me like she don’t understand. “I cain’t do what you are expecting of me. I am sorry Lily but I ain’t who you expect me to be. I am just...Tara from Rivercross...I cain’t do the things you think I’m capable of. I don’t know nuthin ‘bout no bio-energy, whatever the hell that is. Like Jax said I am just another mutie who can pull off a couple of tricks and I cain’t even control those. The only thing I want to do right now is find my kin and go as far away from this prezedant as we can. You’re a new blood...you found me...there’s probably a hundred more out there somewhere, you just gotta find the right one.”
She don’t react at all like I expected. Instead of getting angry at my refusal she merely smiles and takes my hand causing that tingling again.
“I’m sorry...I have rushed this. This is not at all the way I wanted this conversation to go.” She sighs and gives my hand a little shake. “I know this is a lot to take in right now child and that you are scared but...”
“Hah!” I say cutting her off and pulling my hand away. “Scared? I am terrified beyond words to have a madman breathing down my neck wanting to kill me, according to you. I am afraid for my kin, for what they may be suffering right now. For my friends and their safety even to just be around me. I am angry at what he did to gra’da and to everybody I ever loved ...they died ‘cause of me. Nah, scared ain’t the word I would use to describe how I feel at the moment,” I say.
“You are feeling doubt Tara, questioning your abilities. That is normal. But we will help you with that. We will help you learn and grow into your powers. Trust me. You are the one. We have been waiting for you for a very long time,” she says.
“Who exactly are we?” I’m getting a little frustrated now that she ain’t taking no for an answer.
“And what exactly is this place? And how is it that the Prezedant ain’t come for you? It’s not like you are exactly hiding here.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I have found the best way to hide is to stay in plain view. This is Sanctuary, a place of healing and recovery. We are well known for our treatments and get paid quite handsomely for our services. The Army bring their wounded here quite often.”
What the hell?
“You heal the Army? The same men you want me to defeat?” I am starting to think she is even crazier than Orakel.
“The best way to fight is from the inside Tara. Over the years I have gained their trust, their respect. They have no idea what I am. In this way I have been able to plant many of my own people...spies if you will…into his elite circle. It is the only way we are able to stay ahead of him at times.”
“Aye, well your spies didn’t help with saving Rivercross now did it?” I say bitterly. For the first time she drops her gaze from me.
“No...and for that I am truly sorry. We tried to get warning to you when we heard of his men traveling to the sand lands but my messenger...he was too late. He did however save you all from the raiders and the Army...at least it was some form of redemption,” she says.
“You mean the mutie...Po...he’s one of yours?” I say, surprised, and she nods.
“He’s one of us Tara...a new blood in his own right. We all share a connection...a blood bond if you will. He tracked you across the sand lands, following you... protecting you.”
It makes sense now, the feelings of being followed...of sensing something...something I just couldn’t put my finger on. I look up sharply.
“We lost track of him at the attack...is he..?” I say but Lily knows what I am about to ask and she eases my fear.
“He is well. They did not capture him.” It makes me feel better. He did save our lives after all.
“So all the people that rescued us last night...they work with you? What are you...some kinda little army yourselves?” I say. She laughs at this.
“I guess you could call us that. We are in our own right a rebellion I guess. We try to warn as many people as we can when we get word he is on the move...we provide shelter to those attempting to flee his oppression and help them with their journey into the sand lands. We try to save the mutants from the games.”
At my questioning look she explains and her voice hardens with each word.
“Oh yes, he is very fond of his ‘mutie games’ as he calls them. He captures these poor innocent altered souls from the outlying areas and forces them to fight each other in arenas...just for the sheer enjoyment of watching them fight to the death. Many of them are women...even children at times. But it all ends with the same result. You are given the choice to beat your opponent to the death or a wild starved wolfling is let loose in the arena with you and you are both torn to shreds anyway. It is quite the popular past time among his elite.”
Jax and Finn’s faces are both mirroring the horror I feel at hearing this. Is there nuthin this madman ain’t capable of? It makes my fear for my kin and the two sitting across from me grow two fold. It’s like Lily knows what she is saying is terrifying us and the hardness in her voice drops away.
“So you can see why it is crucial we stop him Tara. With each passing year his madness grows and spreads to those around him. And it is the innocent, the mutated, the righteous that suffer from it. Your mother knew this and she gave her life in her attempt to stop it. Will you let that go unpunished?”
I hold onto my flower, clutch it in my hand tight as if expecting an answer to come from it telling me what to do. The things Lily is telling me...they are horrible and savage indeed ....and I admire this little band of rebels for trying to fight back. But it ain’t my fight. There ain’t nuthin I can do about the Prezedant or his Army. My concern...my only focus was to free Ben and find Jane and Thomas. Find them and run, hide far enough in the sand lands so that he would never find us. Besides, they had that magical weapon that made me weak as a new born babe. How was I supposed to go up against that? I look up to find Jax’s eyes on me, silently asking what my decision would be. Surely he would understand. The prezedant had killed his pa and his sister...he never went looking for revenge ‘cause he knew it would be just asking for his own death.
“I’m sorry Lily. But I ain’t the right person to help you with this. All I’m aiming to do is find my kin and go...far away...somewhere safe,” I say. I tense waiting for her response to my words but at that moment a voice that I ain’t never expected to hear again interrupts what she is about to say.
“Ah, so the rebels were able to free you successfully. That is good news indeed. It is wonderful to see you safe and sound my friends.”
I think I would have been less surprised to see the Prezedant himself standing there in front of us than the half man. He was smiling that toothy grin of his, looking not the least bit ashamed for what he did to us. I don’t even stop to think what I’m about to do. My chair flies out from underneath me and before I even realize it I’m on top of the little man, the knife I had used earlier to butter my bread pressed threateningly into his throat. His eyes pop from his head in surprise and he is clawing at my hands, trying to get them off of his neck.
“Tara...stop....for the.....gods sake...” he is gasping words at me and I can hear Lily yelling from behind me and Finn too. But I don’t take no heed. All I know is that Tater will pay for his betrayal! I press harder on the knife and a drop of blood appears at the point pressing into Taters neck.
“Tara stop! He hasn’t betrayed you!” I hear Lily’s words...I do. But just like every time before my anger is so overwhelming it’s like I cain’t control what I’m doing. I watch as the drop of blood turns into a bead and trickles down his neck.
“Tara you promised!”
Finn’s plea is what stops me. I look up into his beseeching brown eyes and I know I cain’t do it. I cain’t go back on my promise to him. I cain’t betray his trust like Tater had done to me. In disgust I push myself away from the little man and immediately Lily helps him to his feet. His hand is covering his neck but his eyes watch me warily as if afraid I will attack him again. Lily examines the wound.
> “He’s fine...it’s just a flesh wound,” I say coldly, indicating that he was lucky it wasn’t much worse.
“I take it you have not imparted to them...to the girl, how their miraculous escape came to be then?” he says shakily to Lily but he’s still looking guardedly at me.
She bows her head. “My apologies Tater...in all the excitement I am afraid I have forgotten to tell them who their savior was.”
What were they talking about? I look at Jax who seems just as confused as I am.
“Do you two know each other?” Jax asks.
“Only as of yesterday.” Lily is the one to answer. Tater by now is, I’m assuming, realizing how much of a close call he had just had and was making his way to the nearest chair on wobbly legs.
“Imagine my shock and dismay when this gentleman shows up on my doorstep yesterday with information of your capture. I had no idea you were so close. When Po lost track of you after your escape from the raiders we had been searching high and low for you. But it was like you had all disappeared from the face of the earth. Po couldn’t sense you at all.”
Tater had come to Lily?
“But you said you didn’t know Lily. You lied to us ‘bout that too?” I say crossly ‘cause I’m still very angry at him.
“I did not.” The half man answers haughtily, picking up the cloth Lily had wrapped my finger in earlier and holding it at his neck. “I did not know of your Lily, persay but I did know of sanctuary. You had told me Lily was a healer, I just put two and two together. Imagine my surprise when this lovely lady here had already heard of me and my association with you from the mutie. And my even greater surprise at learning she was the brains behind the much rumored rebellion.”
“But you turned us over to the army.” I’m glad Jax is questioning all this ‘cause I still cain’t wrap my head ‘round what they are saying. “Why would you turn us in then get us rescued?”
“Ah yes, well that move was born out of necessity I’m afraid. We were surrounded, captured, with no chance of escape. If I had not done what I did we would all be on our way to Skytown right now, under the watchful eyes of the Prezedants elite guard. I saw a chance for one of us to be free and I made my choice. Luckily for us all, it worked.”
Lily picks up the story. “Tater informed us of your capture and of the location where you were being kept. If it wasn’t for him we would have never known to rescue you.”
“You are quite welcome by the way,” he says sarcastically as he dabs at his bleeding neck.
“However, my reward for my heroism has definitely been a disappointment, I must say.”
He keeps dabbing at his neck and staring daggers at me like I was the one who had done the betraying.
“I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t betray us Tater!” Finn says, grinning from ear to ear.
“Tara, Tater saved us! Ain’t you glad you didn’t kill him?”
“I ain’t decided yet,” I say, torn between what I was hearing and the hurt I’d been carrying round since yesterday. I keep staring at him, still not convinced of his innocence. Yesterday, at our capture, he had been so cold....so callous. Had he just been pretending that or was that really his true colors?
“Why did you help us?” I say. “You ain’t got no loyalty to us. You could have taken your reward and walked away....washed your hands of us. Why did you come here looking for Lily?”
He sighs and drops the cloth back on the table. He stays quiet for a bit like he don’t have an answer for me, but then finally...
“To be quite honest, I’m not sure myself. The reward was indeed enticing. Riches like that...they can indubitably turn a man’s head. Maybe I’m just as crazy as those poor wretches we left back in the dead city but....I think there is hope yet.” His voice is tinged with disbelief, like he cain’t believe he’s actually saying these words.
“I think that maybe you are the one they’ve all been waiting for and that these dark days will indeed come to an end. Maybe it’s just the wishful thinking of an old man who’s soon to meet his gods, but I think I have regained my faith.”
Whatever I was expecting to hear Tater say it surely wasn’t that. Was he being truthful? Or was this just another act?
“Well I hate to disappoint you old man but your faith is put in the wrong person,” I say. “Ain’t nuthin I can do about the Prezedant. All I’m fixing on doing is freeing Ben from the iron mines, finding my other kin and getting the hell away from Littlepass and Skytown. Hell, I don’t even wanna speak those two names ever again.”
I can tell Tater is genuinely surprised by this. “Your young man, he is here.... in the iron mines? Are you certain?”
“Aye, we seen him while we were being held there,” I say.
“Well that is wonderful news indeed! To find him alive and well, that has to be of prophetic significance,” Tater says excitedly. “It is a good omen Tara. It is destiny telling you that you are where you should be...in Littlepass with Lily and her rebels.”
Did Tater get dropped on his head since the last time we had seen him? Or had he been in the ale already this morning?
“What if we can help you free your kin Tara?” Lily picks up on what Tater is saying. “Would you be willing to listen to us then? To at least listen to what we have planned, what we believe you can be capable of?”
I know she is just using Ben as bait for her own purposes, but at the thought of them helping to free him...I cain’t resist the offer.
“Can your people do that? Can they help me get him out of there?” I say, fearing to raise too much hope.
She nods slightly. “It will not be easy. Zoe informs me that our ruse has worked and that our decoys seen leaving the city walls were indeed believed to be the three of you, but they will not be as easily fooled the second time around. Security will be tightened...you will probably have to go into hiding for quite a while...”
“I don’t care!” I say, cutting off her words. “I will do whatever it takes to free Ben. I will listen to you ‘til I turn blue in the face if you help me get him out of there!”
“So be it. I will send the word, gather our forces together. Develop a plan.”
She waves her hand and Zoe gives a curt little nod and quickly leaves the room.
I can feel my heart fluttering with excitement. They were going to help me get Ben out of that hell hole! I was going to see him soon...possibly tonight! I can feel the smile spreading cross my face, I cain’t help it. I look up to find Finn and Jax watching me and the smile drops right away. Shizen! I had forgot about them. They cain’t be here when all this happens. They cain’t be caught in the city with me....hiding with me and Ben. They need to get out of here. I need to know they are somewhere safe. I take a deep breath.
“Jax, I am gonna ask you for a great favour,” I say. “I need you to take Finn and Cat with you when you leave today. Take them back to Grey Valley....keep them safe. They won’t be no trouble to you. Cat is a real good hunter...Finn too. They’ll earn their keep.”
I ignore Finns cry of protest...I was expecting that. It is Jax who surprises me.
“I didn’t realize I was going back to Grey Valley today,” he says calmly and I look at him in confusion.
“But we found Lily...she’s gonna help me get Ben back...your job is done. Just promise me you will keep Finn safe,” I say.
“And what good is my promise if I don’t keep it?” he says.
“I don’t get what you’re talking ‘bout...?” I say but he interrupts me.
“I promised you I would help you free Ben...last night when you were too mule headed to take the damn rope. I made a promise to you and I’m aiming to keep it.”
“But you don’t have to,” I say slowly, like he was too dimwitted to understand. “Lily and the others...they are going to help me. I just need you to look after Finn. The two of you cain’t be here in the city when this happens, it’s too dangerous.”
“I ain’t going nowhere!” says Finn and sits his butt down on a chair, arms folded an
d staring me down all defiant like.
Oh gods...not now! I think.
“Look I know you want to help but I cain’t have anything happen to you. The both of you get out of the city while you still can. Don’t worry ‘bout me, I’ll be fine with Lily’s people. We’ll be in and out of that iron mine in a split second. They won’t know what hit ‘em.” I say smiling at Finn, trying to assure him everything would be okay.
“Tara is right,” Lily says and I nod, happy she’s agreeing with me. “You should take the boy and leave. I will have one of my men take you out the back way just to be safe. And if it’s Tara you are worried about, have no fear. She will not be accompanying my people into the mines...it is far too dangerous.”
“What?” I ain’t sure I heard her right.
“My people will do this without you. We cannot risk you being captured again.”
I can only stare at her in disbelief.
“Dangerous? You want me to go up against the Prezedant yet you call this dangerous?”
“You need proper training...you are not ready for battle yet. My people know what they are doing,” she says in her serene voice, but it irritates me to no end.
“Aye? And do they know who to look for when they go in? What are they going to do take the time to go round and ask every poor soul in there if their name is Ben? “
“She has a point there,” Tater interjects, leaning over on his chair. He quickly shuts up at her withering look.
“I can go with them,” Jax says and I groan in frustration. Not him too. Good gods why are they all being so mule headed.
“I saw him yesterday...I know who to look for. And Tara gets to stay here out of harm’s way.”
“Well if Jax gets to stay so do I!” Finn says stubbornly. “I can help too.”
Awaken Page 26
