Shifting Sideways: The Rift

by Jennah Sharpe

  He pulled Coyote to a halt, dismounted and led them into the trees. Offering her a hand, he steadied her as she slipped off the back of the horse.

  “Sawyer, what’s going on?” Her voice was high and tight but it didn’t bear thinking about.

  Sawyer gave Coyote a smack on the rump. The horse snorted, locked his gaze with Sawyer and then took off to the north. Charlotte shot Sawyer a questioning look.

  “He’ll make his way straight to my brother’s where he’ll be cleansed,” Sawyer stated as he pulled Charlotte down into the brush.

  “Cleansed?” she gasped, clinging to his arm. They both crouched behind a log. “What are we hiding from?”

  “There are others here, from the city. They shouldn’t have known about this path but that was a trap we hit. This dust is something of their concoction. I’ve only heard of it recently. We have to get to Portovenere as soon as we can.” His breath sounded as if he’d been running for hours. At the same moment she noticed this, her own chest tightened.

  “What is this stuff?” She anxiously brushed at her face and hands where the dust coated her skin. Panic overwhelmed her. “I don’t know if I can keep this up. I don’t know what we’re…”

  Sawyer cradled her head in his hands and covered her mouth with his. The force he used took her completely by surprise. Her thought was lost and her mind wiped blank. Sitting flat on the ground, leaning against the large log, she let him kiss her. The sudden release of tension was powerful enough to liquefy her muscles. When his soft lips parted, hers followed suit. As he desperately explored her mouth, caressing her hair with his hands, she sensed a rumble in the air. He held her head tighter, keeping his lips on hers as a troop of horses thundered along the path, in pursuit of something. It’s us, thought Charlotte. It’s us they want.

  As the thunder lessened, Sawyer’s kiss softened into a more sensual act. Then, Charlotte understood. He’d kissed her to keep her calm and quiet as their enemy rode by. But now, she wasn’t quite willing to give up the sensations coursing through her. Apparently, neither was Sawyer.

  His hands left her head, traveling over her shoulders and slowly down her arms as his hot tongue dipped in and out of her mouth. They rested on her hips, his fingers flexing against her sweater. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him tighter against her body. He was warm and willing, gentler than she thought a man of his stature would be.

  He left her lips and began to lay his kisses along her jaw and neck when he suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes to look at him. He gazed intently at her skin.

  “I almost forgot,” he whispered hoarsely. “We gotta go.” He stood quickly and picked his hat off the leaf-covered floor of the forest where it fell when he first kissed her. He held out his hand. “C’mon Charlie. We don’t have far to go.”

  She grabbed his hand and he pulled her to her feet. Unsure of whether it was Sawyer’s kiss or the mysterious dust that caused her legs to tingle, she didn’t have time to think further on the topic.

  With his arm around her waist to steady her as the dust began to have an effect on her energy, they headed north, into the forest, keeping well off the path but heading in the same general direction.

  Charlotte couldn’t be sure when they’d changed direction. It was easy to become lost in a dense forest after all, but she’d never felt more relieved to see signs of habitation. They entered the back courtyard of a large country manor house, similar to Sawyer’s in style but much larger. Thick green hedges and vivid flower gardens decorated the lawns punctuated by fruit trees interspersed amongst the pathways that led to a large, stone staircase.

  Supporting each other as they climbed, Charlotte felt Sawyer relax before she sensed anything else. She felt nothing but pure exhaustion and weakness in every bone.

  “This dust kills, doesn’t it?” she whispered.

  He gazed down at her stoically, “Yes.” Quick to reassure her, he added, “But it won’t get us. They’ll have us back to our own selves soon enough. No doubt Coyote is having a fucking feast right now, rolling in sweet straw from my brother’s stables.” He let out a chuckle meant to instill a faith in him she already felt.

  To Charlotte, he sounded jealous of Coyote, not relieved. She blinked her eyes, trying to bring into focus the people who ran out of the manor toward them. Friend or foe, it wouldn’t have mattered. She could barely move. The horrid dust had all but sucked the life out of her.

  “Aren’t we proper company?” she commented just before slumping to the ground.

  The last thing she heard was Sawyer calling her name. “Shit, Charlie! David, help her. Charlie, wake up!”

  “It’s all right. We’ve got her. Take it easy,” an unfamiliar voice replied.

  Chapter Four

  “Dad?” Charlotte croaked. She felt as if someone had tried to clean her throat with a pot scrubber. She tried to swallow and moaned. “Sawyer?”

  She opened her eyes a crack, quickly shutting them against the piercing light that impaled her brain. Keeping one hand over her eyes, she felt around with her other. She was on a bed in a large, very white room. The echoes were enough to split through her skull. A hangover. That’s exactly how she felt. As if someone had filled her full of vodka the night before. But no. She opened her eyes wider to gaze at the skyline of Newburg far off in the distance. She was still in Sawyer’s world.

  She squinted at the white cotton sheets that seemed to envelop her, the white walls unadorned by framed pictures or even wallpaper. The first word that came to mind as she took it all in was sanatorium. A shiver came up her spine and emptied out through her cold, bare shoulders.

  “No, Daerek’s not here. He’s sleeping. I’m David, his brother,” a calm voice answered.

  Charlotte whipped her head around to face the voice at her side. “Daerek?” Who the hell was Daerek?

  “Yes,” said the soft voice, full of a distinctly upper class tone. “Daerek Sawyer.”

  “Oh,” was the only response she could think of. God, she must sound like a nitwit.

  “I was just outside the door, when I heard you call out. Are you all right?”

  Her head pounded. “Of course I’m all right,” she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster. “I don’t know where I am, I just about got killed by weird people I don’t know and now, I’m in some house talking with a stranger. I’m freakin’ fine!”

  A grin broke out on the man’s face. He was softer looking than Sawyer, perhaps with a little more weight on his bones. Not as rugged looking, but still handsome. His dark hair was short, almost a brush cut. Charlotte wondered if it was for easy care or necessity. This new land she’d found herself in was not nearly as sedate as she’d first thought. He could be a warrior for all she knew. That’s why they’d come here, right? Sawyer needed to speak with his brother regarding intelligence. That sounded like war, didn’t it? As she fought to read David’s strikingly light blue eyes, he cast his gaze to the floor.

  “I’m glad you’re all right. Daerek will be happy to hear you’re better.” The man took a step back.

  “Where is he…Daerek, I mean?” The name was unfamiliar on her swollen tongue.

  David walked to the window. He pulled the heavy drapes shuts, plummeting the room into a gentle darkness. She suddenly found it next to impossible to keep her eyelids open.

  “Go back to sleep,” he told her. “The effects of the dust haven’t worn off quite yet. We got most of it off you in time, but you haven’t regained all your strength. I’ll bring you some food a bit later.”

  “Get the hell out of my way. David!” A coarse voice in the hallway had them both jumping to attention. “Where the fuck is she, David?”

  “Sawyer?” she called out, wincing in pain as her throat rebelled.

  The door to the room flung open, bouncing off the wall with crash that splintered the plaster. She propped herself up on her elbows in alarm, coming close to losing the sheet that covered her breasts. Several apologetic looking men stood behind him, a
s if they had been unable to stop him. Why would they want to keep him from her?

  “Charlie?” He stood in the doorway for a moment as if wondering if it was truly she in the bed before rushing to her in long strides.

  “She’s fine, brother. Just a bit sleepy.” David stood aside, allowing Sawyer to sit on the edge of Charlotte’s bed and gather her hands in his. The look of surprise on David’s face made her wonder what he thought of her and Sawyer. Did he think they were a couple? And why was that surprising? She resolved to set him straight when she had more energy.

  Sawyer leaned over to lay a light kiss on the back of her hands. The light touch of his lips on her skin quickened her pulse.

  “I’m fine, thanks to you,” she croaked in a voice she hoped sounded more sensual than broken.

  He smiled and the heat of a flush rose in her cheeks. God, what was she? Sixteen? She never could control her blushes.

  “I was worried. No one brought me word of you.” He flashed a glare at his brother.

  “It wasn’t only her we were tending to, Daerek. You were in rough shape yourself until only recently.”

  “You should have brought me word immediately.” The flash of anger in his gaze shocked Charlotte.

  “I was here, checking on her myself, and would have gone straight to your bed to give you word of her condition.”

  “Leave us, David. I need to speak with her.” Sawyer spoke more calmly as his gaze drifted over Charlotte’s body. She felt the intensity in every place he looked.

  His brother hesitated a moment before answering, hands clasped behind his back. “Of course.” He turned on the heels of his soft, leather boots in military fashion and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

  Sawyer’s shoulders relaxed visibly and he sighed. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” she lied. She wanted nothing more than to be in her own townhouse with her cat and a cup of hot tea. Tears burned in her eyes, threatening to overflow. She cleared her throat. There was no way she’d let him see more tears from her. No way.

  Seeming to understand, Sawyer nodded. He wet his lips. “What did he say to you?”

  She narrowed her eyes, “What did he say? He didn’t say anything. I found out you didn’t tell me your real name.”

  Sawyer grinned. “Shit, Charlie. Yes, I did,”

  “Sure you did, Daerek,” she answered sarcastically, but she couldn’t help smiling at him. “I like the name. It’s strong. It suits you.”

  “Thanks.” He swiveled to lay his body alongside hers. She shifted to allow him room. When his head touched her pillow his eyes closed.

  “You’re not better yet either, are you?” she whispered as his arm relaxed over her chest.

  “No. I just had to make sure you were all right.” He moved his head so his nose was against her cheek. She nuzzled into him. It didn’t occur to her to wonder why, only that it felt right. Her eyes closed and once again, she fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Five

  When Sawyer woke, he felt rejuvenated. The cocktail his brother forced him to drink to counteract the effects of the dust seemed to have done the trick. Looking down at Charlotte, who’d curled into his chest, he was overcome with a wave of tenderness, followed by bitter guilt. What right did he have dragging a wounded woman down the trail to the manor when he should have taken her straight back to his home? The meeting was necessary, he reminded himself, and he wouldn’t have felt right about leaving Charlotte at his home in her incapacitated condition while he returned to Portovenere.

  Something had happened to her in Newburg. Something she either didn’t want to talk about or something she couldn’t remember. Nevertheless, she couldn’t have stayed alone. The risk was too great. Bringing her along, however, had almost killed her. The dust had a much greater effect on her tiny body than on his muscular form. She collapsed at the entrance way to the manor and he couldn’t carry her further. He’d been forced to hand her over to the care of his brother. He felt strangely possessive of her and irritated at his reactions. Finder’s keepers, and letting his brother care for her had been harder than he imagined.

  He slid his arm out from beneath her neck, careful not to disturb her much needed rest. He rose from the bed in one quick, tidy movement and headed for the door. He needed to speak to David. With one glance over his shoulder to ensure she still slept, he pulled the door shut behind him.

  The upper hall of the manor smelled of wood smoke and pine. Images flashed through his mind of three young boys and their sister, playing hide and seek amid the myriad doors and passageways. His brothers and sister were older and more careful in their choosing of hiding spots. Therefore, he always lost. He shook his head to rid himself of the memory. “Happier times,” he whispered under his breath.

  He jogged down the main staircase and entered the front hall. The great chandeliers that had hung high above in his mother’s day were long gone. Sold in an auction to help his siblings keep the manor in a town that had quickly become a refuge for displaced Newburg residents. A secure base was necessary for the resistance. Sawyer’s own home was much too close to the city to be considered a safe haven.

  Hearing voices coming from the library, Sawyer loped down the hall and entered the room. He was greeted by five men including his brother, seated around the fireplace sipping on highballs of some concoction. Whiskey scented the air but that didn’t seem to be what they were drinking.

  “Daerek.” David beckoned him closer. “Can I offer you a drink, brother?”

  Daerek waved it off. “No, I’ve had quite enough vile liquids for one day.” He sat on the sofa in front of the warm fire. Letting his body sink into the cushions, he laid his head back, looking up at the ceiling, tiled in cherry.

  “Is your little mistress awake yet?” David asked with a smirk on his face.

  Sawyer’s head shot up. “She’s under my protection, David. Don’t forget that,” he stated firmly, his gaze fixed on his brother’s face.

  David took a step back and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Touchy, touchy. Don’t worry, brother. No harm will come to her here. She’s such a pretty little thing, though. Best keep an eye on her.”

  The other men standing around were silent as they watched the unexpectedly heated exchange. Sawyer glared at his brother. He kept his hands fisted at his sides lest he take a swing at his sibling. What right did he have to be talking of Charlotte in that slimy, seductive way? No, no. He had to stay calm, not let anything slip out about how he’d found her. The resistance didn’t need to know he’d been in Newburg on that particular night or that he’d found a very confused woman there and taken her home with him.

  They would brand her a spy on the spot and eradicate her altogether. Take her to the woods and put a bullet in her brain. His brother would berate him for forcing them to use their medicines on her recovery. Shit. Why had he brought her here? An excuse to miss the meeting, if a good one, could have saved so much torment. Now that she was here, could he keep her safe? The question haunted him as he listened to the men discuss the festivities in the village.

  His cousin, Cameron, placed a strong hand on Sawyer’s shoulder. He turned to look up into the face of his favorite aunt’s son. Cameron was fairer than he and David, taking after his father’s side. His hair was sandy and hung in strands to his shoulders. Sawyer felt more connected with his cousin than any other men in the room. He risked a slight curve of his lips bringing a full-blown smile to Cameron’s face.

  “She’s a beauty, Daerek. Take care of her,” Cameron whispered under the din of the room. “Will you bring her to the festival?”

  Daerek paused a moment to consider the ramifications of taking Charlotte into the village of Portovenere. “I doubt I’ll have the choice, cousin. She has a mind of her own and I’ve never known a woman to miss a festival, that is, if she’s feeling up to it.”

  David’s deep voice called the room to attention.

  “Welcome, men of Portovenere. I call attention to t
he fact that my brother has deemed us worthy of his presence at this meeting. The meeting is now in session.” He lifted his glass in salute to Sawyer, a sarcastic gesture not lost on the other men in the room as they shifted their weight uncomfortably.

  “At ease, men. We’re in this together.” David leaned an arm on the mantle of the fireplace, his expression stony. “So, what’s the word? Where do we stand as of this evening?”

  “At a loss,” Cameron answered bluntly. All eyes turned toward him. He glanced around the room before continuing. “They outnumber us by far and that’s the end of it. We need a better plan. We need to be more clever, more selective in our sources of information or the city will never be ours and our land will never be free of your father’s terror.”

  David nodded his head. “He reigns with a heavy hand and an even heavier arsenal. Has anyone been within the city limits within the last month?”

  Sawyer grimaced. He didn’t want the Portovenere to know his whereabouts. If he was honest with himself, which wasn’t as often as he’d have admitted, he didn’t trust his own brother. David was just a little too close to resembling their father and if he had similar genes, perhaps he held similar fantasies of reigning over the land. Sawyer wasn’t at all sure David was in this for anyone other than himself.

  When he’d heard David had Charlotte taken to another wing of the manor, he’d just about lost his temper completely. Biting his tongue, he managed to keep from spouting nasty, filthy names at his brother and his companions.

  The only man in the room tonight he would have conceded his dalliances in the city to was Cameron. An upstanding, honest man who always spoke his thoughts, Cameron couldn’t lie if his life depended on it. That’s why David never allowed him within fifty miles of Newburg. If he were to be captured and tortured for information, there was no telling what Cameron would divulge regarding the planned rebellion.

  “I take that as a no,” David said.

  “I do hear they’ve taken more from the outskirts of Millona. My sources tell me they’ve begun another nesting operation and need more workers.” Sawyer hoped David wouldn’t ask the names of those sources. He needed to keep his information as close to him as possible.