I don’t know what hits me, but the hard whack to the back of the head stuns me enough for me to loosen my grip. The second whack sends me into complete oblivion.
4
Raiders Camp
“Tara. Can you hear me?” I know the voice is Finn’s, but he’s yelling so loud. Why’s he yelling? His words are echoing ‘round in my head, adding to the drums already beating inside of there. I want to tell him to stop yelling, but I don’t say nuthin’ ‘cause it hurts to even think right now.
Shizen. What happened? But then I remember the raiders.
“She ain’t answerin’, Tater. I think they’ve gone and killed her.”
“She’s not dead, boy. She’s too thick-skulled to be taken out by a blow to the head. She’ll be fine.” This is from Tater. He don’t sound the least bit worried, not like Finn. Good to know he’s so concerned about me.
“Ain’t they killed you yet?” It comes out as a croak, but his answering snort assures me he understood. “You sniveling coward,” is what I want to add, but I don’t.
“See, Finn, I told you she was fine.”
I open my eyes to Finn’s anxious face looming above mine. Every freckle seems to stand out against his pale skin in worry, but he smiles at me in relief.
“Tara. Thank the gods, you’re okay.”
I cain’t help but smile back at his obvious joy to see me alive, but it makes my split lip crack again and that reminds me of the girl and my reaction to her.
“I’m fine,” I say. “Help me up, will ya?”
He pulls me up to a sitting position, and right away my head starts spinning. I gotta stop getting hit in the head, I think as I reach around to feel the damage this time. The back of my head is real tender, but there’s no lump. No blood. I probe a bit more with my fingers, but there’s nuthin’.
“I already checked. You have no injury,” Tater says, but his tone is real strange. I look at him. He regards me with an odd expression. If I had to guess, I would say he looks … pleased?
I ain’t hurt. How’s that possible? I don’t get a chance to ask though ‘cause Finn, happy that I’m okay, is now jumping around like some crazy rabbit.
“Tara, you were amazing. You took out that raider, gave her a real whoopin’. None of the others could get you offa her. It was like you had the strength of ten of ‘em. Took the raider leader two hits with his big iron shooter to knock you out. You showed her real good.”
He emphasizes his point by punching at the air, but his words don’t please me none. “Is she okay?” I say, Finn’s account of events terrifying me. I remember how I felt at that time. I remember all the hatred, all the anger, and how my only thought was to snap her neck. To kill her. I ain’t ever felt that before in my whole life and it scares me.
“She’s bruised and battered, and her pride is a little damaged but otherwise she’s alive. You didn’t kill her if that’s what you fear.”
Tater’s words ease my panic some and I relax. The next words I hear are from a voice I don’t recognize, and they fill me with utter dread.
“You’re probably going to wish she had killed you though.”
Still sitting, I spin around on my butt. There’s another occupant in the wooden cage imprisoning us. A young man leans against the thick bars of the cage, arms folded, and regarding me with such a hostile look I reckon he must be one of the raiders.
“That’s Jax,” Finn says, answering my unspoken question. “He was captured just like us.”
He’s a captive like us? So why’s he looking at me like I just stole the last of his berry bread? I get to my feet. I don’t like having to look up at him.
He ain’t much taller than me, but he’s all sinewy muscle like he’s been used to working hard his whole life. He’s got short-cropped, spikey black hair, sun-darkened skin, and a smattering of stubble covering his lower jaw. But it’s his eyes that capture my attention. They are a sky blue, so light in his dark face that I find it nearly impossible to look away. I know pretty ain’t a word you would use to describe a man, but his eyes … they’re so damn pretty. If you can get past the fact that they’re staring at me right now like I’m his worst enemy.
“I … ah … ” I stutter a bit. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“Oh geez, I don’t know, let’s see. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you just nearly killed the daughter of our captor and severely pissed him off.” His voice is low but filled with fury. “They were planning on taking us to Littlepass to sell and make a few pieces of iron for themselves. That wouldn’t have been a problem since any fool can escape from Littlepass. But thanks to your stupid little stunt earlier, I heard the big guy tell the guards they are taking us directly to Skytown. To the Prezedant himself. Apparently, you are more valuable than they first thought.”
His words ain’t making any sense. I look to Tater. “What’s he talkin’ ‘bout? I ain’t valuable to nobody.” For the first time since I’ve known him, the half-man remains quiet. He actually drops his eyes from me, and I prompt him again. “Tater? What’s he talkin’ ‘bout? I ain’t of no concern to the Prezedant. Why are they takin’ us to him?” I say, my alarm at the strangeness of Jax’s words making me more insistent this time.
“Tara. ” It’s surprisingly Finn who answers me. “When you attacked the raider girl … something real strange happened to you. Not only were you so strong none of the men could budge you, but your hair … those white stripes … they were glowin’ like there was some kinda light inside of you. It scared most of the raiders. They backed off; some of ‘em even ran away they were so scared. They were callin’ you a name. They were callin’ you a New Blood. Least I think that’s what they were sayin’.”
A what? I don’t know what Finn’s talking about. It don’t make a lick of sense.
“Finn, that’s just craziness,” I say a little harsher than intended. “My hair don’t glow with no light. You were scared is all, and you imagined that. Right, Tater? And I don’t even know what a … a New Blood is, but I sure as hell know I ain’t no such thing.”
A harsh laugh from this “Jax” brings my attention back to him.
“It’s bad enough that I’m being included in your group of misfits and herded off to Skytown with virtually no chance of escape, but to be captured with a New Blood who’s too stupid to even realize what she is … that’s damn bad luck indeed.”
I don’t recall moving, but I find myself nose to nose with Jax, my arm pressed tight against his throat and that now familiar, red-hot anger burning through me. “Stop calling me that. And if you don’t want your neck snapped, you better not call me stupid ever again!”
If he’s scared by me, he don’t show it. He merely stares back at me with his strange, hostile eyes.
“Tara, let the boy go,” Tater says calmly, his hand on my arm.
I ignore him at first, but just as quickly as it came my anger is gone. I drop my arm and step back, suddenly overcome with such weariness I just want to curl up in a ball and cry. What’s happening to me? This anger? This hatred? I nearly killed someone, would have killed her if I hadn’t been stopped. What am I? I look at Tater, my eyes demanding the truth.
“Is what the boy sayin’ true?” I ask.
Tater nods. “It is indeed. It was quite the impressive show. I have never in my life seen a bunch of grown men run off like little maidens wringing their undergarments in their hands. It was quite the amusing sight to behold. Why I—”
“Tater! Did something happen to me like Finn said?” I interrupt the half-man’s rambling words. I need to know if this strange occurrence Finn’s talking about really happened. I know what I’d felt—the strength and the hatred—and I’ve never felt that intensity before. The pounding of my blood, the buzzing in my ears. It had been like my body wasn’t even my own anymore. Like it had been taken over by some other being. Something real strange had definitely happened to me. I need to know what.
At first he don’t want to answer, I can tell, but I p
rod him some more. “Tater? What happened to me?” I say. “What were they callin’ me?”
The half-man rubs his mustache, curling up the ends nervously as if he don’t want to tell me anything else, but finally he takes a deep breath. “Finn was not mistaken. The raiders, unfortunately for us, did recognize you for what you are and for what I suspected you to be. A New Blood.”
I don’t understand. “What the hell does that mean? And what do you mean you suspected? You knew something? All this time?” I accuse.
He nods. “As I said, I suspected. The unusual hair coloration is associated with New Bloods but not always. And there have been no reports of true New Bloods for years now. And I never imagined I would ever meet one in person. I wasn’t sure, not until the night of our conversation in the woods. When I told you your kin were gone for good. You became angry, distressed, and your hair, it, well, you had this aura about you, just as Finn said. Then I knew for certain.”
I stare at Tater in silence, trying to process what he’s saying. I want to believe he’s lying to me. Surely none of what they’re saying can be true. Can it? But then I remember the look on his face that night in the woods. He’d been truly shocked and surprised, and I know deep down that he ain’t lying. That he did witness something. That he truly believes I am what he says I am.
“What is it a New Blood? What the hell is it? What’s happenin’ to me?” I know I must sound desperate, pleading with him to ease my fears, but I cain’t help it. It’s how I feel. Desperate and completely terrified. I glance at Finn, who’s still regarding me with awe like he’d just watched me turn sand to iron instead of almost kill another person. “Am I dangerous to others?”
“No, no girl … it’s a glorious thing, a wonderful thing indeed. New Bloods are a true marvel of the gods.” Tater’s expression is one of wonder and amazement, and I know he believes his own words.
I can feel my fear easing some. If my condition were dangerous or evil, Tater would tell me, wouldn’t he? He would be afraid of me. He don’t look afraid. Maybe it’s okay. But then another harsh snort from Jax makes my stomach clench, and I feel like I wanna retch all over again.
“Tell her the truth, old man. Tell her what she truly is.”
As if the venom dripping from his words ain’t proof enough, I can see the hatred and disgust in his eyes. It seems wrong somehow to see such things of beauty marred by this ugliness. I catch Tater’s gasp, and I know I don’t want to hear what Jax is about to say, but I cain’t look away from his eyes.
“A freak of nature. A mutation. A danger to everyone around her. A carrier of death to anybody she’s ever come in contact with.”
Jax’s words are spoken softly, but they cut deeper than any knife could have done for I know in my gut he’s speaking the truth. It had already happened, had it not? Rivercross … Grada … everyone gone because of me. Deep down, I’d always suspected it. I’d always felt that I was the reason for the metal machines attacking Rivercross. I just wouldn’t admit it to myself.
“Shut your mouth, boy.” Tater tries to stop him, but it’s too late. The damage has been done. We keep looking at each other, me and Jax, his light eyes staring into mine as if he’s looking into my very soul. I find I cain’t draw a breath. It’s as if all the guilt and grief I’ve been carrying around inside of me is bared, laid open for him to see. Something shifts in his expression, and he looks away from me as if he cain’t stand the sight of me anymore. I find myself gasping for air, like I suddenly remembered to breathe.
Finn comes to my side and grabs my hand.
“You don’t know shite about Tara, Jax. She ain’t no freak. And she ain’t a danger to nobody but the raiders.”
Loyal Finn. I squeeze the little hand gripping mine and close my eyes, too overcome for words. Why is all this happening to me? I cain’t understand what I did to anger the gods so much. And am I truly to blame for the fate of Grada and Rivercross? I ain’t given much time to ponder everything I had just heard ‘cause the sound of crunching rock underfoot warns us of someone’s approach.
“Ah, the New Blood is awake.”
I open my eyes to the raider leader. He appears bigger than I remember if that’s even possible. He folds his arms across his massive chest and looks me up and down.
“And looking no worse for wear I see. Good. I would hate to have to deliver such precious cargo as damaged goods.” He gives me that brilliant smile. “A New Blood in my possession … how fortunate indeed. You, my dear, are going to make me a very rich man.”
I try the stupid approach. And since I still really have no freakin’ idea what’s happening to me, the stupid approach is all I have. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout. I ain’t no New Blood … don’t even know what that is.”
“Hah!” His burst of laughter is genuine. “Don’t try and lie to me, girl. I just watched you nearly strangle my daughter with your bare hands and scare the life out of a dozen or so of my best men. Men who have faced devil cats and wolflings with nary a blink, but one look at your Chi was enough to send them off screaming like young’uns.”
“My what?” I say, not knowing that word. What’s Chi?
He studies me for a bit, frowning at me in puzzlement. “You truly are unaware of what you are. Fascinating. A New Blood’s Chi is a sight to behold. Never thought I’d see the day when I would witness such an event again for you and your kind are a dying breed.”
Tired of his gibberish and fed up with the whole situation, I lash out. “I ain’t a breed of nuthin’. Let us go right now.” I shake the bars of the cage in frustration. How dare he keep us locked up like animals? “Let us out now or-or else I’ll use my Chi,” I say, repeating his word. If it was enough to scare his men, but he don’t fall for my threat. He just laughs even harder.
“A New Blood you may be but a babe at that. You cannot control your Chi no more than I can control the wind. No, I don’t fear you, baby New Blood, but I do respect you. That is the reason I return this.”
His hand is too massive to fit through the bars, and he dangles my flower in front of my face on the other side of the cage. Fearing a trick, I reach for it slowly, expecting at any moment to have it yanked away. But he’s true to his word, and I snatch it quickly from his grasp before he changes his mind.
“Why?” I say.
He shrugs. “It’s yours. You fought for it valiantly; it must be very important to you. Meela had no right to take it.”
This from the leader of a band of thieves. Somehow, it don’t seem right.
“If you respect me, then let us go,” I say again.
“Ah, yes.” He sighs deeply. “Regretfully, I cannot do that, for as much as I respect your kind, I respect riches even more. The Prezedant has placed a high bounty on the heads of New Bloods. I cannot resist. If I don’t turn you over, then someone else will. So why shouldn’t it be me who reaps the rewards?”
He shoots me the toothy grin again. “As we speak, my messenger is on his way to set up a rendezvous with the Prezedant’s men. So rest up … all of you. We have an early start in the morning.” He starts to walk away but turns back. “Oh, by the way, if you get to thinking you can escape, my men have been ordered to shoot to kill. Everyone but you of course.”
As if to drive his point home, two raiders appear to flank either side of our wooden prison, holding those massive iron shooters. One of them is the same who stole Tater’s hat. He’s still wearing it, but he ain’t looking at me all cocky-like no more. He’s regarding me more now with almost a look of fear. What did they see? What did I become? Is Jax right? Am I a freak, a monster? I lay my head in dejection against the thick bars of the cage, watching him walk away.
“Let us go now or else,” Jax’s voice is high and shrill in his mimicry of me. “Brilliant plan. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”
I’ve had just about enough of this jackass. Whirling around, I snap at him. “Aye, well, I can see your plans have worked out great for you so far, you moron. How long have yo
u been captured now? I can tell by your whiskers you been here a few days at least. You must be real good at escape plans.”
He takes a couple of paces towards me so we’re almost nose to nose. “I did have a great escape plan as a matter of fact, but it’s all been ruined because I’m no longer being taken to Littlepass, now am I? Because of you, mutie, I’m being dragged off to Skytown. Do you know what the chances are of escaping from Skytown? Zero. Nil. None. People don’t escape from Skytown, freak. They disappear, never to be seen again.”
“Stop. Calling. Me. Freak.” I punctuate each word with a shove, so by the end of it Jax’s back is pressed against the other side of the cage, but I ain’t finished. “I hope you do disappear never to be seen again. That would be a blessing to all of us.”
“Stop it, the both of you!” Tater worms his way between us and pushes me back, holding us both at arm’s length. I’m simmering mad, and I just wanna scratch Jax’s eyes out, punch him in the nose, something.
“He started it—” I begin, but Tater ain’t having none of it.
“And I’m finishing it. Do you really think it’s wise to be yelling about escape plans when we have two guards watching our every move? Does that seem like a good idea to either of you?”
I take a couple of deep breaths and realize Tater is right. Both guards have moved closer to our cage and are watching us with much amusement. I glare at the one with the hat.
New Bloods Boxset Page 11
