The Alchemy of Desire

by Crista McHugh

  Their sergeant approached and looked her over from head to toe. “I can’t be sure, but I don’t want to take any chances. Let’s take her to him. If it’s her, we’ve done our duty. If it isn’t, then we can let her go.”

  “Where are you taking me? What are you talking about?” No one answered her questions, and she dug her nails into the hand of the soldier who held her arm. He yelped and released her.

  “You shouldn’t do things like that.” The sergeant pointed his revolver at her. “If you’re innocent, you have nothing to worry about. We just want to make sure you’re not the woman who helped two fugitives escape from Fort Pierre a couple of weeks ago. Now come along peacefully and nobody gets hurt.”

  With a gun pressing between her shoulder blades, she had little alternative other than to comply. She’d have to figure out how to escape along the way. They led her to a raft and ferried her across. Stars above, she hoped the boys wouldn’t do something stupid like try to come after her.

  Once they reached the other bank, the soldiers escorted her to a small house inside the fort. Fear choked her. She wasn’t ready to face Hinkle again, but if she needed to shift in front of him to avoid getting killed, she’d risk it and let other people think he was insane when he told them about her.

  In a side room off the main entrance, Hinkle sat near a stove talking to another officer. The sergeant waited until they turned to face them before saying, “Sir, we found her at the railroad camp buying men’s clothing. She fit the description of the woman you were looking for.”

  The sick pleasure in his grin twisted her stomach in knots. “Yes, this is her. That means the Reynolds brothers probably aren’t too far away. Send a team out to scout for them, Sergeant Stiles.”

  “Yes, sir.” He left her alone with Hinkle and his fellow officer.

  “Good evening, Oni,” he said with a smirk. “What a pleasure it is to see you again. Would you be so kind as to tell us where your companions are so we don’t have to waste time hunting them down?”

  “I lost track of them after we left Fort Pierre. My guess is they’re halfway back to Vicksburg by now.”

  “You need to work on your lying, especially if you want to be more convincing.”

  “But I’m telling the truth. You won’t find them anywhere near here.”

  “As if an Indian was capable of telling the truth,” the other officer said. Her eyes locked on the wand attached to his belt. A Wielder.

  “Very true, Jenkins.” Hinkle stood and stalked her. “Are you going to play nice this time?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Ooh, she’s feisty, isn’t she?” Jenkins said from his chair.

  Hinkle nodded and she felt the gun at her back again. Then he grabbed her dagger. “I don’t want you using this again.” He ran his finger along the fresh scar from his ear to his jaw. “No need for anyone to get hurt.”

  Although she felt slightly smug at seeing that she made a lasting impression on him, it did little to calm her pounding heart. He needed to get his hands off her dagger.

  He flipped it over and admired it. “It’s quite a pretty thing.”

  “Let me see it.” Hinkle gave it to Jenkins, who studied the veins of orichalcum in the blade. “This is no ordinary knife, Hinkle. It’s a wand.”

  Hinkle paled and cleared his throat. “Leave us alone with the Injun.”

  The soldier behind her removed the gun and closed the doors behind him.

  “Very clever, disguising your wand as a weapon. I’m not even going to ask if you have a license for this.” Jenkins pressed his finger against the tip and hissed when a dot of red welled up at the site. “It serves more than one purpose, I see.”

  “I could have told you that.” Hinkle returned to his chair. “Where did you steal that from?”

  “It was my father’s.”

  “And probably his father’s before that, judging by the craftsmanship. This is exquisite. I may have to keep it for myself.”

  “No, please, give it back.” She dug her teeth into her lip to prevent herself from saying more. She didn’t mean for that to slip out, but she’d always had that dagger. It was her only connection to her father.

  “We can’t have you running around here with an unlicensed wand, now, can we?”

  “I’m not a Wielder. It only has emotional value for me.”

  Jenkins pointed it at her. “Then answer Colonel Hinkle’s questions and maybe you’ll get it back.”

  Oni gritted her teeth. Could she grab one of the vials of black fire left in her pouch and launch it at them before he cast a spell? Of course, the heat of the explosion would destroy her wand, but it would be worth it to get away from these madmen. “I’ve already told him I don’t know where to find what he’s looking for.”

  Hinkle’s eyes slid to Jenkins and he nodded. A flash erupted from the tip of the dagger, and a wall of pain slammed into her, knocking her to the ground and driving the air from her lungs. Stars above, why did he do that?

  “You see, Oni, you can make this easy on yourself by cooperating, or you can scream.”

  “Drop dead, Hinkle.”

  “That wasn’t the answer I was looking for.”

  Another wave of pain filled her, as though her skin had been set on fire. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she wouldn’t give in to them.

  “Where can I find the White Buffalo?”

  She rolled over on to her back and starting laughing manically to ease the waves that seemed to burn her flesh. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw them exchange glances. She lowered her hand to her pouch.

  “Stubborn, isn’t she?”

  “Perhaps you should show her that we mean business, Jenkins.”

  As her fingers clasped around the buckle to open her pouch, he unleashed another spell. Spasms racked her body and she could no longer contain her screams.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I told you she’d make it across without falling into the river,” Cager said.

  “For once, I’m glad you were right.” Diah followed his brother back into their hiding place in the trees.

  “She should be able to get what we need and be back on those logs in about an hour, I’m guessing.”

  “So what we going to do in the meantime?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m taking a nap. Wake me up if you see any soldiers.” Cager stretched out on the ground and lowered his hat over his face.

  Diah paced the bank. Why couldn’t he shake the feeling Oni was going to get in trouble? She seemed so nonchalant about walking into the fort and not being recognized. Didn’t she realize how much she stood out? How beautiful she was with her high cheekbones, smooth skin and amber eyes?

  “Good grief, Diah. You’re going to dig a fucking ditch in the ground if you don’t stand still.”

  “I just can’t get this sinking feeling out of my gut.”

  “I’ve told you before—you should have fucked her you when had the chance.”

  “I really wish you wouldn’t talk about Oni that way.”

  Cager tipped his hat up far enough to study him. “Just because you’re smitten with her doesn’t affect my opinion.”

  “Have you ever seen a woman as more than just a conquest?”

  A flicker of sadness crossed Cager’s face before he lowered his hat again. “Sometimes the chase is more fun than the actual conquest. Once you got it, you move on to the next one.”

  Diah crossed his arms. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “There’s plenty I’m not telling you, little brother, and I never will, so quit pressing the issue.”

  “What happened to you to make you this callous?”

  “I said, quit pressing the issue.” His voice had a hint of a growl in it, but it didn’t frighten him.

  “Who broke your heart, Cager, and turned you into this asshole you are now?”

  He snatched his hat off his face and smash
ed it in his hand. His face contorted into a mask of fury as he jumped to his feet and got in Diah’s face. “None of your fucking business.”

  “So you have been in love before?”

  Cager leveled his wand at his head. “So help me, I’m going to blow your damn head off if you don’t shut up.”

  “That’s a wand, not a real gun. Besides, how would you explain it to Mom?”

  “I hate it when you say things like that.” He lowered the wand. “Why do you have to be so goddamned stubborn?”

  Diah shrugged. “I made a lucky guess and, once you confirmed it, I got curious.”

  “Well, maybe I don’t want to talk about it.” He turned his attention to reshaping his hat and shoved it back on his head.

  “Who was she?”

  Cager sighed and plopped down on a tree stump. “You aren’t going to let up until I tell you, huh?”

  He nodded.

  “You stubborn redheaded bastard.” He rubbed his jaw and the fading bruise on it. “Her name was Melanie and she was another spy during the war. There—are you happy now?”

  “What happened to her?”

  Cager stared at his clasped hands, and his face went blank. “She was a manipulative bitch who got herself killed,” he finally replied in a husky voice. “But I didn’t find out about it until the end.”

  “I never knew.”

  The anger surfaced again. “Well, maybe there’s a good reason. She played me for a fool. That’s when I learned it’s better to screw them before they screw you.”

  “Not all women are that way.”

  The bitter note of Cager’s laughter hung in air long after he had stopped. “Are you truly so naive to think Oni’s no different? She’s all sweet and cuddly now, but once she gets her money, you’ll never see her again.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Am I? She’s got you wound around her little finger like Becky Morris did and you saw how that ended. Just please tell me you got Becky in the sack at least once because just about everyone else in town had their turn with her.”

  Diah had to take a deep breath to keep his anger bottled up. Cager was just trying to get a rise out of him, nothing more. “If I did, I’d never tell you.”

  “Jebediah Reynolds, always the gentleman, even to a fault.”

  “One of us needs to maintain the family honor.”

  They let the silence cool their tempers before Cager spoke again. “So, what are you going to do when we get the hide?”

  Diah rubbed the back of his head and sat across from his brother. “I’m not sure.”

  “She won’t follow you back home.”

  “I know. She made that perfectly clear last night.”

  “She’s a half-breed, Diah. She’ll never truly belong anywhere.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “Then you’re as stupid as you are stubborn.” Cager stood and placed his hand on his shoulder. “But, for your sake, I hope I’m wrong. Just because I don’t believe in this love shit doesn’t mean it might not work out for you.”

  “Thanks, Cager. I think.”

  His brother laughed and went to tend to the horses.

  The spark of self-doubt ignited within him. What if she was just using him? No, if she was, she would have given in to Cager last week. But that still didn’t answer the question of what was going to happen after the hunt. If he went home, it would be alone. If he stayed with her, who would take care of Mom and Hannah?

  Cager rubbed the horses’ necks to soothe them. “She should be crossing the river by now. Do you see her?”

  Diah squinted to see the camp on the other side. “No”

  “Here.” He tossed him a brass rifle scope. “Use this to get a better view.”

  He held the scope up to his eye and scanned the river. Farther upstream, he saw a raft with half a dozen soldiers and an Indian woman in the middle of them. Sweat prickled at the base of his skull as he switched the lenses for a closer view. “Shit, they’ve got Oni.”

  Cager yanked the scope from him and pointed it in the same direction. “Who?”

  “Hinkle’s men.”

  Diah crouched behind one of the thin cottonwoods as if it provided some sort of cover from the men a few feet away.

  “Let’s split up,” one of the soldiers said, and Diah slowly exhaled the breath he’d been holding. “You two go downstream. We’ll double back to the fort.”

  He exchanged a grin with his brother. They could handle two soldiers.

  The brush crackled as they moved closer to their hiding places and Cager drew his wand. Diah grabbed a decent-sized rock and waited for the signal to attack. He’d only have a split second to hit his target, but hopefully he would be accurate enough to give Cager a few seconds to cast the spell.

  His brother nodded.

  He whipped around the tree and hurled the rock at the closest soldier. It connected with his nose. Blood splattered across the soldier’s face. Then two flashes of light appeared from Cager’s wand. Both men were unconscious before they had a chance to fire a shot.

  “Quick, get them out of sight.” Diah grabbed one by the arms and dragged him farther into the grove.

  Cager nodded and did the same with the other. “You know, this gives me an idea.”

  Diah tensed. Cager’s ideas always seemed to get them into more trouble. “What?”

  “I preferred gray uniforms in the past, Diah, but I think it’s time I tried on a blue one.”

  Diah looked down at the men. “Do you think it would fit?”

  “How badly do you want to get Oni out?”

  Bad enough to endure tight clothing for a few hours. “All right, let’s get these things off them.”

  Ten minutes later, he’d donned the blue wool uniform. The pants fit well enough, but the cut of the jacket almost bound his arms to his sides. His fingers prickled from the decreased blood flow. He looked at his brother, who had no difficulty wearing the stolen clothing. Sometimes he wished he were smaller. “I give up.”

  Cager laughed when he saw at the ill-fitting uniform. “Yeah, there’s no way you’d be allowed to walk around the fort dressed like that.” He tugged on the tight jacket. “It’s a wonder you haven’t split the seams.”

  “Yes, have a good laugh while you can.”

  He pulled out the wand. “Maybe this will work for a few hours.”

  Diah backed away. “What are you planning to do? Shrink me?”

  “No, but the thought has merit. Fortunately for you, I think your size will be more of an asset in this case.”

  The tip flashed and the circulation returned to Diah’s fingers.

  “Now you can fasten that jacket and look like a respectable soldier.”

  Diah stretched his arms to test the fit. The spell had stretched the material enough to where he could now move freely. “Thanks.”

  “Sometimes it’s good to have a brother who’s a Wielder.”

  “Only sometimes.”

  “Let’s go rescue your damsel in distress.” Cager mounted one of the soldier’s horses.

  “She rescued us last time, remember?”

  “Yeah, don’t remind me. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

  The long shadows of sunset stretched across the land as they entered the fort. No one seemed the least bit suspicious of them and, for once, Diah had to admit this was a good idea. But he wasn’t going to give Cager the satisfaction of telling him that.

  “Where do you think she is?” he asked.

  “If you were a self-absorbed, delusional commander, where would you be staying?” His brother pointed to the lone house ahead. “I’d put my money there.”

  The front door opened, and a soldier walked out of the house holding a pack, followed by two more carrying a limp body between them. Diah’s whole world thudded to a stop as he recognized the deerskin dress and the long black braid that dragged along the ground.

  “Dear God, no,” he whispered and lurched forward.

  A hand shoved him back.
“Calm down, Diah, and think this through before you fly off the handle and make things worse.”

  “But she’s—I mean, she can’t be—” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word dead.

  “There’s only one way to find out.” They watched the soldiers carry her to a small building. They reappeared a few minutes later without her, and the one carrying the pack remained at the entrance while the other two left. “She’s still alive.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Why would you need someone to stand guard over a dead half-breed?”

  “So let’s go get her.” He started off toward the house, but Cager stopped him once again.

  “Did the war addle your brains?” He pushed him into the shadows. “It will be much easier to get in there and get her out once it’s dark. Even she knew that when she busted us out of jail.”

  “What do we do until then?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to the mess and getting some hot food.” He looked down at his disguise and wrinkled his nose. “Why couldn’t we have stolen officer’s uniforms? I don’t want to salute people all day. I’d rather be saluted.”

  “It’s only for an hour.”

  They ate quickly before someone recognized them as imposters, but the food tasted like sawdust. Diah’s thoughts still revolved around Oni and what Hinkle had done to her. The urge to rearrange the colonel’s face consumed him, and he squeezed his fork so hard, it bent in his fist.

  Cager noticed the deformed utensil. “Somebody’s in a foul mood.”

  “Is it dark enough yet?”

  He looked outside. “I suppose so. Just let me do the talking, all right?”

  Diah nodded and followed him out of the mess. They approached the guard.

  “We were sent to relieve you. Go get some grub.”

  The soldier stared at Cager for a moment with tense shoulders, but then he relaxed. “Sounds good to me. She hasn’t woken up yet, not that I expect her to after what Major Jenkins did to her.”

  “What did he do?” Diah’s chest tightened as if the jacket was squeezing the air out of him.

  “I didn’t see it, but I could definitely hear it. It took her a while to start screaming. When she did…” He shook his head. “But despite all that, she still didn’t tell them what they wanted to get from her. I never want to piss off the major. Or the colonel, for that matter.”