by Kristie Cook
When they got back to the hut, there was a message scrawled on the door.
Don’t go home.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jonathan touched the dark mark. It left a black smudge on his glove. Charcoal. “Who doesn’t want us to go home?”
“Gabriel.” River rested her forehead against the door.
Jonathan took her shoulder and turned her around. “Look at me.”
She lifted her gaze. Tears sparkled in her eyes then spilled onto her cheeks.
“What’s going on?” Jonathan hadn’t meant to sound so domineering.
“It’s Gabriel. He’s going to be punished. He doesn’t want us to witness it.”
Jonathan’s stomach twisted into a knot. “Why is Gabriel being punished?”
River stared at her feet and refused to answer.
Bits and pieces of information shifted into place. There were still too many missing pieces to complete the puzzle, but Jonathan could guess what it was about. He’d used Gabriel’s arrow. “Does it have anything to do with the wolf I shot?”
River kept her head bowed as she nodded. Tears dripped off her lashes. They froze before they hit the ground.
“How much time do we have? Will there be a trial?”
River spoke quietly, with no inflection. “He’s confessing, so there’s no reason for a trial. Justice will be swift.”
“What will they do to him?”
River’s chin trembled. “Twenty lashes with a bull whip.”
“I won’t let an innocent kid take the rap for my mistake.”
River wiped her eyes then looked up. “Did you forget that you’re my recruit?”
Fear sliced through the stone cold fury in Jonathan’s gut, cutting him to the core.
“I wasn’t supposed to give you a lethal weapon until you’ve passed your final tests. Your conviction will doom us both to the gallows. If you don’t want Gabriel to take the blame for shooting the wolf, I’ll do it.”
“Are you crazy?” Jonathan shoved his fingers in his hair. “No way, River. No fucking way.”
“Please don’t use that word.”
“Sometimes, it’s the only word that works. And this is one of those times.” Jonathan grabbed River’s arm and pulled her into a tight embrace. He pressed his cheek against hers. “Leave with me. Let’s get our horses and supplies and leave tonight.”
He leaned back and kissed River’s tearstained cheek. He talked faster, desperate to win her over before she vetoed his plan. “We’ll ride hard so we can catch Gabriel before he makes it back to the ranch. We have our bows and your arrows. We can hide in the forest and live off wild game until the pass opens.”
River fisted her hands against Jonathan’s chest and leaned back to look into his eyes. “I’ve already told you what happens to Reuben if I defect.”
“Alright. Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll go back to the ranch, I’ll knock Reuben out. You tie him up and—”
“That won’t work!” River pushed away from Jonathan. “No one ever escapes from New Eden, at least not for long.”
“Then what am I supposed to do? If I confess, you die. If I don’t, Gabriel gets whipped.” Jonathan fisted his hand in his hair. “I have to fix this!”
“You can’t fix it, Jonathan. None of us can. All we can do is survive it.” River’s eyes flashed. “We are all slaves to the laws of New Eden.”
“Do you think other people will believe I’m a son of Ephraim?”
“Yes. As soon as you merge with your wolf.”
“And they’ll help me take out Zebulon and the council?”
“There’re always a few fools looking for something to believe in.”
“Will you help me track down this wolf I need to merge with?”
River dropped her gaze and shook her head. “Your wolf will find you when the time is right.”
“And what am I supposed to do until then? I can’t sit back and stay quiet like a good little recruit while other people suffer.”
“You aren’t my recruit anymore. You’re my mate.”
Jonathan’s heart swelled. It was a primitive term, but it felt right. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slid his fingers through its length. “I told you something important earlier, but I think you were unconscious.”
River took his hand and wove her fingers through his. “Tell me again.”
Jonathan smiled. He didn’t think it was possible to feel so much joy in the midst of so much pain. “I’ve been attracted to you since the very first time we met. And my feelings have grown deeper every day since then. It’s more than just a physical attraction and it has been for quite awhile.”
He curled their joined arms between them and rested his forehead on hers. “When I thought you were dying, everything I already felt for you, multiplied a hundred times. I love you, River, daughter of Asher and Issachar’s daughter. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“You remembered my patronymic names.” River’s eyes glistened, but this time, Jonathan knew they were tears of joy. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed into his eyes. “I love you too, Jonathan McKnight, son of Ephraim. More than you can imagine.”
Jonathan held her against his chest and rocked her in his arms. The cold air felt good on his fevered skin, but when River’s trembling increased he knew it was time to go inside. “What do you say we get you warmed up, eat a bite of something and head home?”
River sighed and shook her head. “I’m too tired. Can’t we wait until morning?”
Jonathan opened the door and ushered her inside. “Of course.”
Hours after River had fallen asleep on his chest, Jonathan was still awake. He couldn’t keep from thinking about Gabriel, wondering if he’d made it back to the ranch; if he’d already been tortured. He stroked River’s hair, but even that didn’t soothe him.
He hated New Eden. Hated its abusive treatment of women and children. Hated its totalitarian government and the way they controlled everyone with violence and fear. But most of all, he hated its twisted laws of accountability.
What would happen to River if he failed to assassinate Zebulon and the council? He was willing to put himself in harm’s way to give River a chance to live in a free society, but did he have the courage to jeopardize her life? How much was freedom worth?
He kissed the top of River’s head and smiled when she nuzzled his neck. They could find joy in each other’s arms and live a good, honest life; even in the midst of depravity. People did it all the time. But there was no way in hell he’d ever bring a child into this world.
He couldn’t bear to think of Gabriel’s back crisscrossed with scars like Reuben's. Scars Reuben received when he volunteered to take Shula’s punishment.
Jonathan’s heart stuttered when he realized he could save Gabriel without endangering River. He could volunteer to proxy for Gabriel without admitting guilt.
His blood ran cold. Fear gnawed at his stomach, but he refused to give in to it or let it dissuade him from doing the right thing.
Jonathan held River’s head as he slid out from under her. He waited until he was certain she was still asleep, then crept out of bed and got dressed. He decided to leave his prosthesis behind. The sores from where the harness had rubbed him raw were just too painful.
River sighed and reached for him.
Jonathan held his breath until she exhaled and cuddled up with his pillow. He found the piece of charcoal that Gabriel must have used to write his message on the porch and decided to write one of his own.
I love you. Proxy for Gabriel.
It wouldn’t keep River from freaking out, but at least she’d know where he’d gone.
He swore when he got to the barn. Saucy still hadn’t shown up and now Red was missing. He’d never ridden Sugar or Lightning, but he didn’t have much of a choice. River was going to be royally pissed at Jonathan for sneaking off. He wasn’t about to steal her horse on top of it.
Jonathan used the same horse’s-b
utt-next-to-the-barn trick to mount Lightning from the right as he had Saucy. It took two tries and another bruised knee, but in the end Jonathan prevailed.
By the time he arrived at Reuben’s ranch, he was heartsick and bone tired. He’d had plenty of time to think about his coming ordeal. He put Lightning in his stall without rubbing him down or feeding him and ran to the house. He called Reuben’s name, but it was Eli that answered.
“Go away.”
Jonathan ran down the hall to the room he shared with Gabriel. The iron hinges creaked when he opened the door. Two extra hurricane lamps added a considerable amount of light to the room. Gabriel was lying on the floor, a wet and bloody buffalo hide beneath his naked body. Eli, also naked, except for a ragged towel wrapped around his hips, was on his knees beside him.
Jonathan stepped inside and shut the door.
Eli lifted a stained and ragged cloth out of the wooden bucket beside him. “Try to relax, Gabriel, it won’t hurt as much.”
It looked like someone had cut the boy’s back with a jagged blade. Dried blood crusted his skin and several cuts were still oozing blood. As soon as the rag touched him, Gabriel flinched and cried out.
Jonathan crossed the room and perched on the edge of his bed. He got his first clear look at Eli’s backside. Half the towel was stained red.
“What happened to your ass?” Jonathan nodded at the blood-stained rag tied around Eli’s hips.
Eli snorted then looked at Jonathan as if he were the dumbest thing he’d ever seen. “You have no idea?”
“How would I?”
“Let’s just say it was a bad day for enforcers and wolves.”
“Someone shot you?”
“Lucky for me he can’t hit the broadside of a barn.”
“Where’s River?” Gabriel’s voice trembled.
Jonathan cringed and wished with all his heart he’d gotten there in time to proxy for the boy. “She’s probably on her way here and mad as a hornet. I snuck out while she was sleeping.”
“Did you … is her fever gone?”
“I wouldn’t have left her if it wasn’t.”
Gabriel sighed and closed his eyes. “Good.”
Eli dropped the rag in the bucket and sat back on his heels. “So, you and River are mated.”
“Yes.” Jonathan knew Eli was referring to sex, but he didn’t feel the need to clarify.
Instead of flying into a jealous rage, Eli bowed his head. “It’s over.”
“What’s over?”
“My best chance of rescuing the woman I love from a life of servitude.”
“River’s no servant.” The growl behind Jonathan’s words startled him.
Apparently it startled Eli as well. He twisted his head sideways, exposing his throat. He recovered quickly and twisted his head to the other side, cracking his neck. “I know you find it hard to believe, but not everyone is head over heels in love with River.”
“Then why were you pursuing her?”
Eli laughed. “It was the means to an end. Mother seems to think that the man that binds the little hellion will gain unprecedented political power.”
“The son of Ephraim?”
Eli stood up, grimacing in pain. “What do you know about the son of Ephraim?”
Jonathan pressed his lips together. When was he going to learn to keep his mouth shut?
Gabriel sucked in a noisy breath as he turned his head to face Jonathan and Eli. “Jonathan was given a blessing by a patriarch and told that he belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.”
Jonathan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t want to mislead Gabriel but Eli was an enforcer with political clout. He’d be a valuable asset.
Eli snorted. “That doesn’t prove anything.”
Jonathan closed his eyes and tried to remember the lullaby in Reuben’s journal. “Isn’t there some legend about the son of Ephraim carrying his grief in a crystal?”
Eli quoted it. Word for word. “Look to the East in your darkest hour for a humble man to rise to power. Heavy of heart and body broken, he carries his grief in a crystal token.”
“Yeah. That’s the one.” Jonathan lifted Franklin’s medallion out of his shirt and turned it around the right way so the front was visible.
Gabriel’s eyes widened as Eli’s narrowed.
Jonathan held the medallion in his palm and leaned forward to show it to Eli. Gabriel was already a convert. “This holds a feather I saved from my brother’s funeral.”
The permanent scowl etched on Eli’s face melted. He reached for the medallion. “May I?”
Jonathan nodded. “It’s a constant reminder of Franklin’s death.”
“Heavy of heart and body broken.” Eli pointed at Jonathan’s stump. “You only have one hand.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Thanks. I hadn’t noticed.”
Gabriel snickered then cried out in pain.
Jonathan nodded his head at the boy’s back. “Don’t let me keep you from taking care of that.”
Eli let go of the medallion then dipped the rag back in the bucket. “You better go before Reuben catches you in here.”
“Why would Reuben care? I sleep here.”
Gabriel whimpered when Eli pressed the rag to his back. “It’s part of the punishment. Pa doesn’t want anyone but Eli to relieve my pain.”
“Reuben did this?” Reuben was strict with his sons but it was easy to see that he loved both of them with all his heart. How could he do this to Gabriel? “You need stitches.”
“Pa will take care of it tomorrow, when we have better light.”
“How can you even consider letting him touch you after what he did?”
“I’m glad it was Pa and not Jesse.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Not yet.” Eli gave Jonathan a poignant look.
“What’s your woman’s name?” Jonathan didn’t usually refer to a woman as ‘woman’ but it would be easier for the men of New Eden to accept him if he fit their expectations.
“Aspen.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Jonathan opened the door and peeked outside. He didn’t want to run into Reuben. He wasn’t afraid of him. But he didn’t want to make things worse for Gabriel. “I need to go take care of Lightning.”
***
The sound of quiet weeping met Jonathan’s ears before he opened the stable door.
“Paul?” Jonathan’s chest ached when his eyes adjusted to the dim light and he saw his little friend curled up in a fetal position, lying in a pile of straw next to Stormy.
The filly stood up and greeted Jonathan with a puff of air on his neck when he entered her stall. He sat down and pulled Paul onto his lap. “Hey little man, what’s wrong?”
Jonathan searched the child’s face for some clue that would identify him as Eli’s son. But Eli and Reuben looked too much alike for there to be any obvious differences.
“Pa whipped Gabriel.”
“You saw that?” Phantom pain shot out of Jonathan’s wrist as he clenched his fist.
“No. Pa made me stay in the house, but I heard Gabriel scream.” Paul tightened his grip around Jonathan’s neck. “I could hear the whip crack, too.”
Paul needed comfort, not Jonathan’s righteous indignation; so he swallowed his rage and forced himself to speak with calm reassurance. “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo. I promise.”
“Momma used to sing to me when I got scared. Can you sing to me?”
Jonathan sang every song he could remember from childhood until Paul stopped crying. “Can you sit here by yourself for a little bit while I take care of Lightning? I rode him hard then put him up wet and hungry.”
Paul’s little shoulders trembled but he nodded his head and crawled off Jonathan’s lap. He popped a dirty thumb into his mouth.
Jonathan cringed, but the kid had survived this long. He probably wasn’t in any immediate danger—at least not from bacteria or parasites. Jonathan wanted to bust Reuben’s nose for what he’d done to Gabriel. If h
e laid so much as one finger on Paul; he’d do more than just smash his face.
“Jonathan?” It sounded more like ‘Jon-a-fun’ with his thumb in his mouth. “Can you sing that dragon song again? The one ‘bout that little boy that grows up and don’t come round no more?”
Jonathan smiled for the first time in what felt like days. “Sure, kid. As long as Lightning doesn’t mind.”
He didn’t. He was too busy eating his double ration of oats to care about anything else.
“Puff the Magic Dragon” was the song Mom had always relied on when Jonathan and Frankie were sick or scared or just too riled up to fall asleep. Jonathan didn’t know if it was a product of his coma-rattled brain, a dream, or a true memory—but it was also the song he’d heard her singing while he lay in the Intensive Care Unit in Landstuhl.
By the time Jonathan finished rubbing down Lightning, Paul was asleep.
Jonathan scooped him up and carried him back to the house.
Paul wrapped his arms around Jonathan’s neck and his legs around his chest. He snuggled his head into Jonathan’s shoulder and whispered, “Momma.”
That one word nearly ripped Jonathan’s heart right out of his chest. He felt the pain of Franklin’s death every day. But Paul was only four. His mother was dead and his father was a monster.
Jonathan kissed Paul’s cheek and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that. I promise.”
***
Jonathan balanced Paul on his hip to open the front door. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed the flickering rectangle of light creeping into the hall from under the door of Reuben’s office. The monster was awake and hiding in its lair.
Jonathan refused to be intimidated. He marched down the hall, past Reuben’s office toward Paul’s room.
The creak of an opening door made his ears twitch in anticipation, but the only other sound was a deep and weary sigh.
Jonathan turned sideways and shifted his weight onto his back foot. He didn’t want to fight with Paul in his arms, but there was no way he was letting Reuben anywhere near the child. “Stay back.”
Jonathan was angry but he hadn’t meant to sound so … threatening.