I nod and place my hand on Finn's shoulder. “Find Thomas and Jane and Conner and take 'em back to the shanty. I need you and Cat to keep an eye on 'em. Get 'em some grub but keep 'em all in sight 'til I get to the bottom of this, okay? Don't let none of 'em go outside the village.”
He nods. “Don't you worry none, Tara. I got this. Everythin' is under control.” I know he's as good as his word.
The palpable fear of the villagers surround us like a cloak, but I ignore it and stay silent. As much as I know they're looking to me for guidance right now, I don't have none to give 'em. I need to find out for myself what's happened. I push my way through 'em to Ernst's shanty, Jax on my heels.
A raider guard standing outside the shanty door nods at our approach, standing aside so we can go in. As soon as I enter the shadowy room, the coppery scent of fresh blood overwhelms me and churns my gut. Raiders are scattered about the floor, covered in sun-blistered skin and blood-stained bandages. Ernst is busy bandaging up some poor sod who looks like she's come out on the losing end of a devil cat run in, but Mack and Meela meet us at the door.
“What happened?” I ask, my eyes trying to make sense of what they're seeing.
“What's it look like?” Meela snaps, her face filled with anger. “My people were attacked.”
“By the Prezedant's men? Where? Are they close to the mountains?”
“No, they aren't near the mountains.” The raider closest to us gets to his feet. Holding his injured side, he hobbles our way. “This happened out in the sand lands a couple of days ago. We were on our way here to meet Meela. Busher wanted us to accompany her back since the Prezedant's men have become a common sight in the sand lands as of late. Three days out we came across a couple of burnt out villages with bodies lying everywhere. We knew it was his men's handy work, so we tracked them to the next village, figuring we could snag us another truck or two. We weren't prepared for the numbers traveling together in a group. It was a heavily armored infantry. They attacked us with no mercy. This isn't about taxes no more. They know what's happening, and they're fighting back.”
“I feared this would happen,” Mack groans as he rubs a hand across his eyes. “He's sent a death squad out into the sand lands. He wants to nip this rebellion in the bud, and is prepared to kill anyone that gets in his way. I just thought we would have more time to prepare. Someone must have made it back alive to give him a heads up.”
“But that don't make any sense,” I say. “Why kill the people and burn the villages and the crops? He needs both to help feed his army.”
“He won't destroy it all. He’s being very selective and sending a message, trying to scare anyone who's choosing sides not to choose the wrong one. He's doing what he does best, controlling through fear.”
“Gray Valley,” Jax says, his eyes wide with horror. “I need to go warn them. They need to get out.”
“No need to worry, Jax. Already ahead of you. As we speak, messengers are readying to head to Gray Valley, and Meela has already sent her men to warn the raiders. I also have messengers heading to the out lands to let the Maven know some of our people may be coming their way.” I see Jax's shoulders relax at Mack's words.
I look around the room at the raiders. There were maybe six or seven. My question is aimed at the injured raider. “How many of you were travelin' together?”
“Possibly sixty or more. We didn't stand a chance against his weapons. They were prepared for a fight. We were the only few not injured too badly to get away… we’ll live. Doc ain't sure about Harrah over there, though.” He points to the woman Ernst is still trying to stitch up. “Her injuries are pretty bad. Probably shoulda put her out of her misery a day ago, but we dragged her here on her horse… Well, ‘cause I didn't wanna lose my—anyone else.”
The woman is more than a comrade to him. It's easy to tell. I hope for his sake she pulls through. I close my eyes at his obvious pain and breathe deeply through my nose. Sixty plus raiders and more innocent villagers. So many people killed in the name of war. It had to stop.
“How many soldiers did you see?”
The raider looks puzzled at my question. “Well, not like I took the time to stop and count, but between the trucks and the ones on horseback? Possibly a hundred or more.”
I turn my attention to Mack. “In your best guess, how many of those groups you think he's sent out? It must take a crap ton of soldiers to do so much damage. To make an impression, he's probably got hundreds of 'em out there, lookin' for us and takin' down the raiders, yes?”
“More than likely,” Mack answers. “Although he wouldn't leave Skytown unprotected, if that's what you're thinking.”
“I know he ain't gonna do that. But the hundreds he has out patrollin' the sand lands means there are hundreds less in Skytown. He's thinkin' by what he's doin' he has us all runnin' in fear and hidin', but I'm thinkin' this is our best time to do this. If we're gonna attack, now's the time.”
I'm hoping my face ain't showing the uncertainty that's in my heart at my own words.
“We haven't worked it all out, Tara. We need to sit and discuss it with the muties and the raiders. Plan our tactics. We will have only one chance to do this and we cannot fail.”
I know Mack is right. But I know his way of thinking is gonna make us fail anyway. “I understand where you're comin' from, Mack. But this is our one chance at a surprise attack. We all know what we gotta do, plan or no plan. Basically, they help us get inside and keep the guards occupied. We do the rest. I can do this, Mack. I can beat him, but we cain't waste any more time. The longer we wait the more his men kill. I cain't take any more death. We need to end this now, while Skytown is at its weakest.”
Mack studies me with his one eye, and I can see the battle raging in his head. Finally, he gives a curt nod. “Can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe you're correct. This slight window of opportunity will be the perfect time to attack. And I have all the faith in the world in you. Meela, do you agree?”
She sends a glare my way that says she ain't got no faith at all, but she don't say nuthin'. A gurgled cry from the injured raider Ernst is stitching up interrupts what she's about to say.
“Shite!” Ernst tries to pin the woman down as she starts convulsing on the table, the back of her head slapping against the solid wood with sickening thuds.
“Don't let her die, Doc,” the raider pleads, but his grief-stricken look says he's already given up hope. Ernst looks up from holding the woman's shoulders, his mouth a grim line.
“There's nothing more I can do,” he says, and I watch as the raider’s shoulders sag in defeat and grief.
No. Not happening. Not if I can help it. Before I'm even sure what I'm gonna do, I cross the room and lay my hands on the shaking woman. Right away I feel the vibrations crawling under my skin, my Chi's joy at being set free. The heat travels swiftly through my veins and congeals in my palms. It don't need my instruction. It knows what it's gotta do.
I close my eyes and let myself fall into the grip of my power. The energy coursing through me is timeless, boundless, lifting me into an unexplainable place of existence. Her injuries are new, the pain still fresh. It hits me like a punch to the gut and cuts sharp into my soul like I'm reliving each and every wound. But I don't shy from it. Instead, I accept it, pulling it away from her and into me.
The pain should be crippling, but it don't affect me at all. It feels like I ain't even in my body anymore. It's like I'm watching from off to the side, and I smile as I feel her pain subside; she stills under my touch, her labored breathing settling into an easy rhythm. Her heartbeat slows and beats in time with my own, and I’m shocked to pick up a third heartbeat. Does that mean what I reckon it does?
I stay that way for a bit, soothing her pain and repairing her body. Repairing my own body. It seems to come to me a lot easier now than when I had done it with Finn. I decide that maybe the incident with the Ayhaya was worth it after all. Enlightenment is one hell of a buzz.
Finally, when I kn
ow I can do no more, I stand back and try to gather the Chi still sizzling through me. I wait for it to settle, for the jitters to subside, and my personal energy to return to normal. Only then do I open my eyes to find everyone watching me with stares of wonder, pride, disbelief, but not one of fear. That pleases me more than anything.
“Where am I?” the shaky voice comes from behind me, and I turn to the befuddled raider with words of comfort, but the man brushes past me and rushes to her side.
“It's okay, Harrah. You're safe. You're okay.” He chokes on a sob. He touches the woman gently, running his hands over her face, her hair. Anywhere he can touch her. “Sleep now. Rest. I'll be here when you wake up.” She smiles at him as she drifts off to sleep, her body spent. The raider waits until her breaths are even before facing me.
“I… thank you, New Blood.” His bloodshot eyes fill with tears. “Her heart still beats because of you. I cannot repay that debt.”
He reaches for me, and I grab his hands in my own.
“There ain’t no debt to repay,” I say. Leaning toward him, my whisper is for his ears alone. “The babe's heartbeat is strong. Take care of 'em both.”
He cain't help the tears from falling this time. He covers his face and turns back to his mate. I swallow hard a couple of times, trying to stop my own tears. Jax comes up behind me and takes my hand, and for once I don't resist. I lean into him, grateful for his support. “You never cease to amaze me,” he murmurs into my hair.
“Why?”
He laughs softly. “Why? You really gotta ask that? Because you're amazing, that's why.”
I shrug, hiding my embarrassment. “I ain't really responsible for none of this. It's all Chi. I'm just the vessel.”
“No, it's your heart that beats true. The Prezedant has plenty of Chi. I doubt he would have saved that raider's life. Admit it, Freak, you're just a big ol' softy.”
“Am not,” I argue as I punch him in the shoulder to prove my point. He responds by dropping a kiss on the top of my nose. Meela decides to join us, and I flush even darker. Trust her to walk in on our tomfoolery. I reckon she don't have a funny bone in her whole body.
She stares at me so intently I start to fidget under her gaze, and that irritates me even more.
“What?” I finally mutter in frustration.
“I wish to thank you, New Blood. And offer my apologies.”
“Your apologies?” I say.
She gives a stiff nod. “I shouldn't have questioned you. You're quite capable of leading and winning this fight. It would be our honor—it would be my honor to follow you into battle.” She glances over at Mack. “If it’s okay with you, we will camp tonight and leave in the morning. My injured need time to recuperate before we leave to inform my father of the change in plans.” He nods his consent. She turns her dark gaze back to me. “We will be by your side in Skytown, New Blood. Until we meet again.”
She strides outta the shanty, her back rigid as a board, the other raiders close on her heels.
“Did that really just happen?” I ask Jax in wonder.
“Aye. The girl you once tried to kill just apologized to you,” he says. “And promised to be at your side in battle.”
“Yeah, that's what I thought happened. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”
“Kinda like you, Freak,” he teases as he hip checks me.
Mack halts any more banter between us. “We must gather the guards and the messengers to send word. Time is of the essence, and we have much to do to prepare for war.”
War. The word wipes away any hint of laughter from my soul, and I cain't help the shiver that racks my body. Hearing the word aloud makes it all the more real. And all the more terrifying.
I stare up at the dark sky, the night's events finally catching up to me. I'm tired. Actually, I'm way past tired. Exhausted is more like it, I reckon, but I cain't shut my mind down enough to sleep. The night's excitement don't seem to have affected anyone else. Finn and the other young'uns have been asleep for hours. Cat too. Even Jax has been snoring from his floor mat all the while I'm tossing and turning and cussing him for his ability to sleep. Finally, I give up and creep outside to sit in the night's stillness, hoping that some of that quiet will rub off on my brain. So far, no luck.
I tilt my neck and peer up at the star formations, trying to remember the names Grada had taught me so long ago. Tracing 'em with my finger, I try reciting them in my head: the Great Bear, the Queen, the Lion, the Hunter. The Flying Bull? No, that ain't right. The Flying Horse. Yeah, that's it. The next one I draw a blank. I cain't for the life of me remember its name, and a sad sigh escapes my lips. Grada would be so disappointed.
“Why the sigh?”
The voice startles me, and I bolt upright offa the bench as a shadow moves at me in the dark. The familiar ghostly face becomes visible as he lights the small torch he's carrying, and I relax my shoulders in relief as much as I don't want his company.
“What you doin' creepin' around this late?” I growl at Ernst as he comes to a stop in fronta me.
“I'm not 'creepin',” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “I can't sleep. I don't sleep much these days anyway. Mind if I sit with you?”
“Fine,” I huff as I sit again and make room for him on the bench. He places the torch on the wood stump beside me and lowers himself down. I catch a whiff of his pipe smoke wafting offa his clothes. It smells real nice, and my heart constricts a little since it reminds me of Grada.
An awkward silence falls between us. Usually our time together is spent in training, but with no more training to be had, we don't know what to say. I glance sideways at him; his head is down, and his thin hands hang between his knees like he don't know what to do with 'em. Finally, he crosses his arms and turns to look at me.
“So, are all the messengers en route?”
“Aye. Jonas and his crew are on their way to Skytown. Meela is on her way to the raiders, and Zoe's group are headin' to the out lands. Everything is in motion.”
“Good,” he says. “They will ride swift and make sure our messages are received.” Another silence. Then, “What you did earlier tonight. That was… well, that was downright miraculous. You are so powerful it amazes me to no end, more powerful than I ever was. And so much like your mother in so many ways, it hurts my heart just to look at you.”
“Then don't look. Nuthin's keepin' you here,” I mutter at him, not sure if it's the mention of my ma or his stolen power that irritates me. It's his turn to sigh.
“Tara, I know you don't like me much for what I did.” He ignores my sharp “ha” and keeps on talking. “But as much as you like to deny the fact that I'm your father, you can't. I am your pa. I'm a part of you just as much as your mother. We both had a hand in your creation.”
“Aye, so you say. But my ma didn't have a hand in takin' hundreds of innocent lives in the name of so-called 'research.' You did. So yeah, you're right. I don't like you much.”
I expect him to become defensive. Instead, to my surprise, he agrees. “I'm not going to even try and dispute that. You're right. I did terrible, unspeakable things. Things that haunt me at night, and that I will never forget. And it's only right that I can't forget. I need to remember. I need to be reminded so that I will never be that person again. The haunting memories help me with that. As does this.” He reaches into the pocket of his coat and pulls out a rectangular object. I cain't quite tell what it is at first until he passes it to me.
I turn it over in my hands in surprise. “It's a book.”
“Yes. But not just any book. This is the book your mother chose your name from.”
I glance at him in surprise. Holding the book in the glow of the torch, I inspect it. It's as ratty as a dirt dog’s burrow, the thick cover torn and faded. But the picture of a woman staring up into the face of a dark haired man is still quite visible, along with its name.
“Gone With The Wind,” I sound out, following the words with my finger and Ernst laughs. “Your mothe
r read in exactly the same manner, following with her finger.” His quiet words bring a slight smile to my face.
“She read this?” I ask, and he nods.
“A few times, actually. And we argued about it every time. She really didn't care for it much, so she said. But deep down I think she secretly adored the love story. I only read it to play devil's advocate to her complaining about it.” He smiles to himself like he's lost in some past memory. Shaking himself outta his head, he nudges my arm. “Go on, open it.”
I do just that. With shaky fingers, I carefully display the first page. The paper is crinkled and yellowed from age, but right in the center of the page are two faded words. A barely legible “For Tara.”
“My name?” I say in wonder as I point to the word. “Did she write this?”
He nods again. “It's actually the name of the plantation in the book. The house. She always said the house name was the only thing she liked about the book. It's where your name originates. But yeah, that's her writing. She kept it as a gift for you. She wanted you to have it when you were older. And now I want you to have it.”
I try to hand it back. “I cain't take this from you. It's such a rare thing.”
“I insist. It's yours, a tiny memento of your mother. It's brought me comfort over the years. A bit of peace in my time of grief, and I truly hope it does the same for you. I've been carrying it around in my pocket just waiting for the right opportunity. I guess now is as good a time as any. It would make me truly happy for you to have it.”
I don't wanna feel anything for this man sitting beside me. He was the Prezedant's right hand man, a horrible person who had caused the death of so many New Bloods. A man who'd used my kin for his own personal gain. Yet a part of me cain't help but be a little thankful the he is sharing this with me. It's a part of my ma. A tiny part, but better than the nuthin' I have of her.
“Thank you,” is all I say, and a sad smile tilts his lips.
“I wish I could have given you more of her, but our time together was short.”
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