by Sadie Moss
He kept both of my wrists pinned to his chest with one large hand, reaching up to pull my dark cap off with the other. My red waves tumbled down around my shoulders, and he twined a piece of my hair around his finger. “I’d be with you. That’s where I always want to be. No matter what.”
I could think of a million reasons why that didn’t make any sense. If we were both imprisoned, who would save us? How could one of us break the other out? But my objections faded into a blur as he leaned down to capture my lips with his. My arms slipped around to his back, tracing the muscles of his broad shoulders. My back bowed as he leaned eagerly into the kiss, and I pressed my entire body against him.
“So, I’m assuming you got something?” he whispered between kisses, his breath tickling my face.
Lips still on his, I reached into my pocket and grabbed the large ruby. I held it up at eye level, opening my palm.
Without breaking our kiss, Corin glanced over—then did a double take. Our faces were so close that I could see every bit of the whites of his eyes as he gaped at the ruby. He tore his mouth from mine to blurt out, “Holy shit!”
“Shhh!” I admonished, laughing.
He grabbed my palm, bringing it closer to his face so he could stare at the giant gem. He looked up at me slowly, a dozen emotions flashing across his face. The ones I could identify made my heart soar. Love. Pride. Hope.
“Holy shit.” His voice was a whisper this time.
I nodded, biting my lip. He knew as well as I did what this meant for us. Freedom. A better future. A life outside this desolate settlement of the Blighted.
He closed my hand around the ruby, then kissed my knuckles softly. “I love you, Lana. So damn much.”
An owl screeched in the distance, and a gust of wind stirred my hair. But the only thing that held my attention was Corin’s eyes. The moonlight shining in them made them seem impossibly blue, just how I imagined the ocean looked.
“Love you back. So damn mucher.”
Corin chuckled. He was used to my competitive streak by now, and just like my stubborn streak, it seemed to amuse him rather than irritate him. It probably helped that he was plenty competitive and stubborn himself. Everyone at the camp had a few assigned duties, but there wasn’t often a lot to do. So Corin and I would spend hours challenging each other to increasingly difficult feats to see who could do them better and faster. It was how I’d gotten so good at lock picking, not to mention pickpocketing, sleight of hand, climbing, and running.
I slipped the ruby back into my pocket. The vast plain around us was deserted, and we’d left the camp at least a mile behind. But the gem was so brightly colored it seemed to glow like a flare in the night. I was sure it was just Edgar-level paranoia, but I was afraid if I held it up too long, someone from camp would spot it shining in the distance.
Corin stuffed my cap into his pocket and grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s get that thing hidden and get back to camp before dawn.”
The Blighted settlement was situated in the plains of Wyoming. I’d lived there for as long as I could remember, although I knew I wasn’t born there. Some of the old-timers remembered a time when I hadn’t been there, but none could tell me exactly when I’d arrived or who I’d come with. That had been soon after the Great Death, when everything was chaos. According to the old-timers, people were coming and going from the camp so quickly back then it was impossible to keep track of anyone. Raiders and marauders were more common in those days too, so it was possible whoever I’d come with had died in an attack.
I could barely remember any of that. My earliest memories were of running barefoot through the camp with other Blighted orphans, playing tag in the small ‘streets’ that ran between rows of tents, kicking up giant clouds of dust that caught in our hair and clothes.
It was hard to believe I had any fond childhood memories, but back then, I didn’t know there was any other way to live. The people who were adults when the Great Death hit had it harder in some ways than the children. They had a ‘before’ to compare the ‘after’ to—something to mourn, something to miss.
Apparently, there had been a time when magic users and the non-magical didn’t hate each other.
It was almost impossible to imagine now, and I was hard pressed to think of a Gifted or Touched that I didn’t both loathe and fear. And every single one of my fellow Blighted knew how the Gifted felt about us.
I squeezed Corin’s hand tighter, slipping my other hand into my pocket to clutch the ruby. The smooth, cool feel of the gem comforted me.
I’d stolen this from a Gifted man.
His magic hadn’t stopped me.
And he would be the unwitting benefactor of my new life.
Corin looked down at me. He’d tugged off his cap as we walked, and his blond hair was sticking out in all directions. I was torn between wanting to run my hands through it to tame it and leaving it just the way it was.
He saw me eyeing his hair and passed a hand through it on his own, spoiling the adorable image. Well, he was still pretty adorable.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked.
We’d had this conversation a thousand times before, lying together under the stars planning our future. I’d probably named every state in the union, and every country in the world by now—the ones I knew the names of, anyway.
But the question meant more now, with the means to actually make our plans a reality nestled in my pocket. So I took my time answering. When I finally spoke, my voice was soft. “California.”
Corin grinned, his even teeth flashing in the darkness. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I want to see the ocean.”
He tugged me to a stop so he could kiss me quickly then resumed walking. “Good choice.”
The grass tickled my ankles as we walked. It continued on as far as I could see, broken by the occasional tree or gentle rise. I’d learned the hard way that although the ground looked flat, prairie dog burrows were an easy way to twist an ankle if you didn’t keep an eye out. There was something starkly beautiful about the landscape; I couldn’t deny that. But if I never woke up another day with the taste of dust in my mouth, it would be too soon for me.
I wanted to see tall trees and lush mountains and green. But most of all, I wanted to see the ocean. I’d heard people describe it, but I could hardly imagine that much water in one place.
After the Great Death, which had suddenly and inexplicably killed off two-thirds of the magical population, the coasts had been largely abandoned. The magic users and magical beings who survived blamed non-magical people for the deaths, assuming because that group hadn’t been struck by the plague, they were somehow responsible for it.
The terms Gifted, Touched, and Blighted had sprung into existence sometime around then as an easy way to sort people into groups.
The Blighted were attacked without mercy, entire towns burned to the ground. Displaced families made their way inland, gathering in small pockets in the middle of the country. There was some strength in numbers, but there wasn’t much a group of humans could do against a mob of angry magic users. It had been years before the leaders of the Gifted finally stepped in to intervene on our behalf. Now it was technically illegal to do violence to one of the Blighted, though it still happened all the time.
“We’ll get a little place on the beach,” Corin said, drawing me from my thoughts. “We’ll have it all to ourselves, and we’ll go swimming every day. Maybe we’ll see jelly… jellyfish?”
One of the old-timers had told us about those the other day, but I was pretty sure she was just pulling Corin’s leg. The creature she’d described sounded like something out of a fever dream. A glowing, billowy mushroom that floated through the water, propelled by tiny wispy tentacles that could sting you? Um, okay, sure.
But I smiled at Corin’s enthusiasm and joined in. “Maybe we’ll see a shark! And we can eat fruit from trees that we’ll grow ourselves. And build a boat!”
He swung our joined hands back and forth, casting his gaz
e up at the starry sky. “I’ll build you ten boats.”
I belted a laugh. “What would I do with ten boats?”
“I don’t know. Race them? Tie them all together and make a boat-train?”
“Ah, of course.”
Ahead of us, a large cottonwood towered over the barren plain surrounding it. Its thick trunk split very near the base, making it a perfect tree for climbing. Corin and I had clambered over every inch of ‘our tree,’ daring each other to climb higher or leap from one branch to another, before settling into a crook of its limbs to kiss until we were breathless.
As we neared the tree, Corin tugged me to a stop again. He looked down at me, biting one side of his lip. “Lana, I don’t want to leave here until—”
I shook my head, using one finger to gently tug his lip free of his teeth. “I know. It’s okay.”
“It’s just… she’s—”
“I know, Corin. I don’t want to leave her either.”
I didn’t know who had brought me to the Blighted settlement, but Corin knew exactly who’d brought him—the woman who’d become like a second mother to him, and something like a mother to me too. Margie had been old when a Gifted mob attacked the small farming town Corin grew up in, taking him with her to find a new home when the raiders finally left the town in ruins, most of its inhabitants slaughtered. She was ancient now, her frail body worn down by years of hard living.
We couldn’t bring her with us; it would be too rough on her. But neither of us was willing to leave the Great Plains settlement while she was still alive. We’d stay with her to the end, making sure she was comfortable and protected.
“The ocean can wait,” I assured him. “Besides, it’ll give you more time to work on your plans for that boat-train.”
With a smile of relief, Corin blew out a breath.
I pulled the gem from my pocket and handed it to him. He dropped it into the black cap he’d worn earlier and wrapped the fabric tight around it.
Kneeling, I pulled a small dagger from the sheath at my waist; almost everyone at the camp had one, though I didn’t often wear mine. Being armed gave the impression you were looking for trouble, and I preferred to try to remain as unremarkable as possible.
I dug into the dry dirt with the blade, slowly carving out a hole about a foot and a half deep. I didn’t want an animal digging for it and making off with the priceless gem.
Corin passed me the cloth-wrapped stone, and I dropped it in the hole. He helped me replace the dirt and gave it several hard stomps to pack it down. We brushed our feet over the whole area, until even I couldn’t tell exactly where the hole had been dug. But I knew we could find it later.
Corin grabbed me around the waist and pulled me forward. As I wrapped my arms around him, we both looked up.
One low hanging bough of the tree arched over us, the end of the branch pointing straight down.
Marking our spot.
Chapter 3
Sunlight hit the canvas of our tent, brightening the interior even though the flap remained closed. I’d been awake since just before dawn, watching the color in the small space shift from gray to pink to a warm, buttery yellow as the sun rose in the sky.
Corin and I hadn’t returned to the tent until late, and although I should’ve been exhausted, I could barely force my eyes to close. When I did finally sleep for a few hours, I had vivid dreams of dark blue water, strangely glowing fish, and the ruby falling from my hands and sinking slowly into the depths of the ocean.
I knew I’d be on edge until Edgar and his cronies left the settlement. Hell, who was I kidding? I’d be on edge until the ruby was sold and we were on our way west with cold, hard cash in our pockets. But until that day came, we had to continue on as normal.
I stretched languidly as the sounds of the camp stirring to life filtered through the thin walls of the tent. Corin shifted next to me, nuzzling his face into my hair.
“Good morning, beautiful.” His voice was rough, still clouded with sleep.
“You should go back to sleep. We can’t have gotten more than a few hours,” I whispered, careful not to wake the other occupants of the tent—Margie, who slept on a cot in the corner by the door, and Lira and Grace, a mother and daughter who’d lived with us for the past year. Although the settlement was safer now than it had been in the past, there was protection in numbers. It afforded us little privacy though, which was why we spent so much time sneaking out into the grasslands and making out in that damn tree.
“Can’t,” Corin whispered back, sounding more awake now. “Going hunting with the guys today. I need to meet them soon.”
I chuckled, pressing my body back into the warm shell of his. He groaned slightly, splaying a hand across my belly and pulling me even closer. I knew I was teasing him by starting something we couldn’t finish. Not here. But I’d make sure he forgave me for it later.
“Big, strong man,” I murmured, grinning. “Go hunt. Bring back meat.”
He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my back. “Oh, I plan on it.”
Several years ago, the Blighted settlements had been a total free for all—run by whatever person or faction managed to grab and maintain power. Although I’d heard of a few settlements that had actually formed collectives and set up a fair system of government, in most places the leadership just came down to who was strongest.
Then the Gifted government had stepped in, assigning a “mayor” of sorts to the larger encampments, and providing some aid to the Blighted who lived there. Father Elias had shown up, and with him, monthly handouts from the government. We all received food rations, which had curbed the number of deaths in the camp dramatically. But it was still barely enough to live on, so groups of hunters often ventured out into the plains for buffalo and other, smaller game, which provided both food and tradable goods.
“I can hardly believe last night was real,” I whispered, turning my head slightly to catch Corin’s gaze. “Did it really happen?”
He grinned proudly. “Every bit of it.”
He kissed the tip of my nose then threw back the blanket and stood, slipping on a pair of brown cotton pants. Unlike Margie, we slept on a simple pallet laid on the tent floor. She was the only one in our tent with a proper cot, and hers still wasn’t as fancy as the ones Edgar’s two goons had been passed out on last night.
I suppressed a scowl. Of course, for his short sojourn into the wilderness, the Gifted and his entourage had nicer accommodations than those of us who lived here all the time. Lest any of us forget our places in the world.
Fully dressed, Corin crouched down beside our pallet. I sat up, pulling the blanket around me. The plains got chilly at night, and the air was just starting to warm.
He threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled me in for a kiss. “Be careful today,” he murmured. “Keep your head down.”
“I will. Don’t let Theo get first kill again today, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t. His head is too big already.”
Margie rolled over on her cot and blinked, letting out a soft yawn. More and more often, she spent most of the day resting, although the mornings were still her best time. She usually insisted on getting up and trying to help with chores, but she’d need to lie down again before noon.
Her gaze drifted over to us, and she smiled. Corin and I met when I was fifteen, and Margie had taken to me right away. It had been her idea to have me move into their tent a couple years ago. I’d been living in a large shared tent with several dozen other orphans and loners at the time and had been only too happy to get out. I think Margie took comfort in knowing that when she was gone, we’d still have each other.
Corin rose, stopping by Margie’s cot to press a quick kiss to her forehead. “Bye, Margie. Be back tonight.”
She patted his hand. “Happy hunting.”
With a wink back at me, Corin pushed open the tent flap and slipped out into the bright morning sunlight. I lay back down, stif
ling a yawn.
Now I felt tired, as if the events of last night had finally caught up to me. I didn’t have much to do today, so maybe another hour or two of sleep wouldn’t hurt. I could hear Lira and Grace whispering softly as they roused from sleep, and it combined with the other sounds of the camp into a pleasant sort of hum as my mind drifted.
Suddenly, the sound of shouts split the air.
I jerked awake, sitting up.
Lira and Grace were no longer inside the tent, so I must’ve been asleep for a little while. Margie stood stock still in the middle of the room, clutching our homemade broom, with her head cocked to the side like a small animal listening for a predator.
The shouting grew louder, the voices angry.
A moment later, Lira hustled Grace through the tent flap, closing it behind her and peering out through the small slit, her arms wrapped around Grace’s shoulders.
“What’s going on?” I asked, rising. I gently tugged the broom out of Margie’s brittle hands before ushering her back toward her cot.
“Not sure. Our visitor is angry about something.” Lira drew back as three figures passed in front of our tent. I could hear Edgar ranting about finding Father Elias.
I bit my lip. Welp, I guess he realized the ruby was missing.
Stay calm, Lana. Keep your head down.
There was an inherent danger in stealing from visitors of the Great Plains settlement. But most of them didn’t even realize they’d been robbed until after they left, and at that point, it presumably wasn’t worth it for them to return. Even the ones who did find out about the theft while they were still here usually gave up the search pretty quickly. The low opinion most Gifted had toward the Blighted played out in our favor, since they couldn’t or wouldn’t acknowledge that one of the Blighted had managed to steal from them.
I wasn’t surprised Edgar had discovered the theft so quickly. This was the biggest score Corin and I had ever had—not the kind of object the original owner was likely to let go of easily. But the good news was, in a settlement of several thousand people, it would be extremely difficult to narrow down suspects, and Father Elias was usually too lazy to carry out any kind of serious investigation.