by Sadie Moss
He’d bluster about “justice being served” and “getting to the bottom of this,” and then he’d do nothing. Sure, he might make an example or two out of the settlement’s known criminals, but that was fine by me. Those were men who stole from their fellow Blighted, harassed or raped vulnerable women, and extorted rations from families in exchange for ‘protection.’ Father Elias rarely lifted a finger to stop them, so if they bore the punishment for Corin’s and my theft of the gem, I considered that a karmic bonus.
For the next day or two, the entire camp would be a little quieter than normal, as everyone went out of their way to stay inconspicuous, going about their daily activities with a careful calm.
“I wanted to play.” Eight-year-old Grace tilted her cherubic face back to look at her mother, who still stood behind her.
“Later,” Lira promised. “A little while later. We can play in here for now.”
She drew Grace over to their pallet, pulling out a deck of cards. The deck was missing the ace of hearts and the queen of clubs, but it was one of Grace’s most prized possessions. The cards were worn and weathered from how often she played with them—she must have known every card game in existence.
As they settled in, I glanced over at Margie. She had her hands braced on the cot by her side and was still listening intently, her brows furrowed. I knew this sort of thing bothered her; she’d seen the worst side of people after the Great Death, and even though things weren’t as bad now, she still seemed to expect the world to slip back into chaos and violence at any moment.
I walked over and crouched down by her cot, resting my hands on her knees.
“Hey, Margie. Why don’t you take a little rest? I’m going to head over to Ola’s. Do you want anything?”
She shook her head, allowing me to help her lie down on the cot. “No, thank you, Lana. I’ll just close my eyes for a spell.”
“Okay. Be back in a bit. Lira’s right here if you need anything.”
I brushed her white hair away from her face, watching as her eyes slid shut. She looked so small and frail. For a moment, the bite of tears stung my eyes. I hated the world for what it had done to her. It hadn’t made her old; I knew that. But it had made her old age so much harder than it should have been.
“I love you, Margie,” I whispered softly.
Her eyes didn’t open, but a smile crossed her face. “Love you too, sweet girl.”
I shot Lira a look before I left the tent, and she nodded to me. She’d keep an eye on Margie while I was away.
As I stepped outside, I raised a hand to shield my eyes from the sun. It was high in the sky, glaring down mercilessly from a sea of cloudless blue. People walked by, and two children—who probably didn’t have a mother to worry about them like Grace did—darted past me, laughing. I strolled through the camp, keeping my pace even and my expression neutral.
As I approached Ola’s tavern—a large tent with the entire front wall lifted to create an awning—my steps slowed. The two Touched who worked for Edgar were standing under the awning, talking to Ola. The taller, scruffier one leaned on her makeshift bar, his face too close to hers. She didn’t react, wiping the bar down calmly, but her hand gripped the rag a little too tight. Her dark skin hid the flush I was sure was creeping up her cheeks.
The other guy was probably a demon of some kind. He was short and stocky with dusky gray skin, and although I couldn’t make out what he was saying, his voice was so deep I swore I could feel the ground rumbling.
It was too late to change course without being obvious about it, and I’d only draw more attention to myself if I stopped in the middle of the street. So I ambled up to the far side of the bar, perching on one of the rickety stools Ola put out for patrons. The scruffy man glanced at me, and I met his eyes for a second before casting my gaze down.
He turned back to Ola. “Just let us know if you hear anything, will ya, doll?”
Was he hitting on her while interrogating her? For fuck’s sake.
With one more look at me, he and his buddy sauntered away.
Ola blew a breath out, shaking out her rag.
“What was that all about?” I asked, careful to keep my tone only mildly curious.
She shook her head, running a hand through her short black hair. “Somebody stole something from their boss, that Gifted man who’s been meeting with Father Elias. They figured, as one of the local tavern keepers, I would know something about it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. Because what else would a thief do but immediately confess their crime to the person who serves them drinks?”
Ola chuckled darkly. “Doesn’t seem like they need my help anyway. They said they’ve started running a tracking charm. If whatever was taken is anywhere within a three mile radius, they’ll find out where it is as soon as the charm finishes running.” She tilted her head, staring after the two departed men. “Must’ve been something big to go to all that trouble.”
Chapter 4
My heart rate jumped like a rabbit sprinting across the plain.
I spoke through suddenly dry lips. “Wha—what?”
Ola draped the rag over her shoulder, tilting her head at me. “I said it must’ve been something valuable. Tracking charms aren’t cheap.”
“Oh… right. Good point.” I nodded, trying to keep the conversation moving while my mind raced. I didn’t have a great sense of distance, and my math was horrible. But I was almost positive that the tree where we’d buried the gem was less than three miles away. If it was still there when the tracking charm finished running, Edgar’s goons would find it. And, shit, if they found it, maybe they could run some kind of fingerprinting charm on it. Corin and I had both touched it.
I stood up so abruptly I almost knocked the stool over. Ola’s brown eyes tracked my movement.
“Are you all right, Lana?”
“Yeah.” I forced myself to slow down, though every muscle in my body screamed at me to run. “Margie hasn’t been doing well today. I just don’t want to leave her alone too long. I’ll come back later. I could use a drink.”
Ola’s expression fell. “Of course. Tell her hello from me. And if she needs anything, let me know.”
When her words finally penetrated my brain, I nodded, touched. With a vague wave goodbye, I headed back down the dusty street between rows of mismatched tents.
Inside our tent, Margie slept peacefully. Lira glanced at me curiously but said nothing as I grabbed my dagger and a small basket full of dirty clothes. Ducking back out of the tent, I slipped the dagger into the basket and walked toward the edge of the encampment, heading toward the small stream that slipped past our tent town a mile away. It was the opposite direction from where I wanted to go, but I needed to keep up every appearance of normalcy.
Every measured step was torture, but I made it to the stream without running into anyone else. My feet veered left, following the path of the water for another few minutes. Finally, I stopped. Crouching down, I set the basket in the grass and lifted out the sheathed dagger, tying the attached belt around my waist.
I swiveled my head, scanning the horizon for any sign of life.
Nothing.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, I launched up, sprinting across the grassland. The ankle-length skirt I wore twisted around my legs as I ran, so I grabbed it with one hand, bunching it in my fist as I cut a wide arc around the encampment.
The sun was directly overhead now, beating down relentlessly. Sweat crept down my face, and my breath came in short gasps, but I didn’t slow my pace.
At last, the tree Corin and I had adopted as ours came into view on the horizon. Ignoring my burning lungs, I put on another burst of speed, my feet slapping against the hard-packed earth.
When I finally reached the base of the tree, I flung myself to the ground under the arched bough. The rough dirt skinned my exposed knee, but I hardly felt it. Drawing my dagger, I hacked at the dirt. It went quicker than it had last night, and after a few minutes I reached my prize.
> Breathing a sigh of relief, I pulled the dirty black lump out of the hole, unwrapping the fabric to peek inside at the ruby. It winked at me, reflecting the sunlight overhead.
I didn’t even bother refilling the hole. Shoving my dagger back in the sheath—it would need a serious cleaning and sharpening later—I rose unsteadily. My muscles rebelled at the prospect of more running, but I forced my legs into a light jog, heading past the tree farther into the plains. A prairie dog darted across my path.
Since I wasn’t sure exactly how far three miles was, I erred on the side of caution and kept up the jog until a stitch in my side forced me to walk. I went another ten minutes before I stopped in a small copse of trees that had sprung up out of the barren land.
I slid down to sit against the trunk of the biggest tree, stretching my legs and allowing the sweat to cool on my body as crows cawed in the distance. The shade felt incredible.
After my breath slowed, I crawled forward, glancing around to find a good marker for my treasure. I settled on a dead tree whose trunk had split, its top half drooping against the neighboring cottonwood.
Nestling the wrapped ruby between my knees, I dug into the dirt with my blade, gouging out chunks of earth and scooping them to the side. Wind rustled the leaves overhead, making the pattern of shadows on the ground shift.
One large shadow lengthened.
I froze.
The soft sound of footsteps whispered behind me.
Pivoting on the ball of one foot, I swept my other leg out, catching the ankle of the man standing behind me and bringing him to the ground with a thud.
The scruffy Touched goon snarled a curse as I grabbed the hat with the ruby inside and lunged to my feet, darting forward.
I’d barely made it five steps before someone tackled me from the side. I twisted as I flew through the air, landing on my back with the stocky demon on top of me.
He grinned, white teeth standing out against his gray skin. “See, Rolf? I told you, they always talk to the bartender.”
Wrapping my fingers around the fabric of the hat, I swung the ruby toward his face like a rock in a sock. It hit his cheekbone with a resounding crack, and he howled, sitting back and clutching his face. I bucked my hips to throw him off me and scrambled away.
He grabbed for my ankle, but I lashed out with a sharp kick. My foot connected with something, and he grunted again, releasing me.
I lurched forward, tripping over the hem of my skirt as I ran.
Where? Where? Where?
It was the only coherent thought my brain could form as a loud roar rose from the trees behind me. I’d purposely ventured miles away from the encampment, and now I was stranded in the middle of nowhere with two attackers. Could I outrun them and make it back to town? Then what? I couldn’t lead them to Margie and Corin.
So I just ran, the ruby clutched in my hand and my skirt whipping around my ankles. My lungs already burned, my muscles weakening.
Shit. I couldn’t keep my pace up for long. And I didn’t want to die like this—taken down from behind like a coward.
I swung around, stuffing the ruby down my shirt and drawing my dagger.
My breath caught.
A large brown bear lumbered toward me, its heavy paws beating the ground like a war drum. Behind it, the gray demon burst out of the trees, a line of blood running down the side of his face.
The bear shifter picked up speed, leaping toward me with massive paws outstretched. I dived under him, stabbing up blindly with my dagger as I did. My blade connected with something, and the dagger was nearly yanked from my hand as the bear flew over me.
The beast let out another roar and landed with a dull thud. He turned to face me, breathing in heavy snuffs. The edge of my dagger glistened red with blood. Keeping the blade pointed at the bear, I shot a quick glance over my shoulder, searching for the demon.
Where was he?
I turned back to the bear and stumbled backward a step when the gray demon appeared right in front of me. I slashed out in a wild arc, and he jumped back, cursing.
“You’re a pain in my ass, girl,” he grunted, dodging another slash. Before I could draw my hand back, he moved like lightning, gripping my wrist and twisting. The dagger slipped from my grasp as I hissed in pain. He twisted my wrist more, spinning me around and drawing my hand up my back. Every joint in my arm from my shoulder down screamed in protest, and I rose on tiptoes to ease the pain.
“Give me the fucking cuffs, Rolf,” the demon called, wrapping his other arm across my chest and pinning my body to his with my arm caught between us. “Before this bitch gets free again!”
The scruffy guy, Rolf, appeared in human form, digging a pair of iridescent black handcuffs out of his back pocket. A patch of red stained his shirt, and a glimmer of satisfaction pierced through the terror clouding my mind.
Take that, you asshole.
It was the last thought I had before Rolf yanked my other hand behind my back, snapping the cuffs around my wrists. There was a brief sting of pain as he snapped the metal links too tight against my skin.
Then his leering face blurred in my vision, and darkness slipped over my mind like a hood.
Chapter 5
“She’s a real bitch, sir.”
Well, hello to you too, world.
I moaned, trying to force my eyes open. They were so heavy they felt glued shut, and I could feel my pulse in my skull, every beat of my heart intensifying the pounding headache.
A voice I didn’t recognize spoke dryly. “I’m not surprised to hear you say that, Garin. You look like you got into a bar fight.”
Footsteps moved toward me. “Yeah? That’s because she took a cheap shot, that bi—”
“All. Right,” the voice snapped, and the footsteps stopped. “Play nice now, Garin. It looks like she’s about to rejoin us, and I don’t want her to get the wrong impression.”
“Yeah, Garin,” I slurred, still struggling to open my eyes. “Play nice. Wouldn’t want to have to hit you again.”
My brain felt fuzzy—dull and giddy at the same time. I knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to antagonize a demon, but there was an entire hemisphere of my brain that didn’t care about that at all right now.
The unfamiliar voice chuckled. Edgar, I guessed.
“You’ve got guts, girl. I’ll give you that. Not just stealing from me but giving two of my men a run for their money. Not many of the Blighted could manage that.”
“Yeah, only a raging b—”
“Enough, Garin!” Edgar’s voice cracked through the air, losing the friendly tone he’d had since I woke up. “If you can’t shut your mouth, take your wounded ego outside.”
“Sorry… sir,” the demon muttered, sounding mutinous. But he didn’t speak again.
“As I was saying,” Edgar continued smoothly, his voice like honey once more. “Quite impressive for a Blighted girl.”
My eyelids slowly dragged up; it took everything in me to keep them there. I wanted to tell him that fighting and thieving were skills a lot of the Blighted possessed, but I stopped myself. I wasn’t sure if that fact reflected well or poorly on us, and I didn’t want to give him any reason to stop underestimating my fellow humans.
So instead, I forced my thick tongue and numb lips to slur the word, “Thanks.”
Edgar tipped his head. I’d seen him around camp a few times since he arrived two days ago. He was a large man, even larger up close. His dark hair was slicked back, and his suit looked cheaper than he could probably afford.
“Well, I call it like I see it. How did you get past my protective spells though?”
I didn’t see any harm in answering, so I muttered, “Ward stripper.”
He nodded. “I thought as much. Those wards are impossible to break without magic. Still, that you got your hands on a ward stripper at all is impressive in itself. Did you steal it?”
I scowled at him, oddly indignant. “I bought it.”
“Must’ve cost you a pretty penny.”
/> “It did.” I chose not to mention the fact that I’d paid for it with stolen goods.
Edgar cocked an eyebrow. “What about the wards inside? The trip wires?”
I shrugged. “I maneuvered around them. I’m bendy.”
He leered at me, licking his lips. “Oh? Is that so?”
A sudden fear gripped my chest, shocking me out of my lingering stupor. I sat up straighter, tugging against the cuffs that bound me to the chair. His goons must’ve turned off whatever sleep spell imbued the handcuffs after they’d gotten me back to Edgar’s tent. I assumed that was where we were, based on the black fabric of the walls around us.
Edgar noticed my reaction and waved a hand. “Relax. I have no interest in you in that way. I’ve got access to the most beautiful succubi and fae women the world has to offer back in Denver. You’ll forgive me for saying so, but your beauty pales in comparison.”
I glowered at him. I’d never felt relieved and offended at the same time before. It was a strange sensation.
“That’s not to say I’m not interested in your skills, however. Because I truly am,” the big man continued. “Tell me, did you work alone?”
My heart seized, but instinct kept my face a neutral mask. “Yeah.”
He regarded me for a moment with intelligent eyes set too close together in his wide face.
Shit. Could he tell I was lying?
I stared back at him, trying to look smug. “I kicked your two flunkies’ asses all on my own too.”
Just like I’d hoped he would, Garin surged forward, distracting Edgar. “Why, you little—”
“Calm down, Garin,” Edgar admonished, holding out a hand. “She’s not wrong. I sent you both out on what should’ve been a simple assignment, and you came back looking like you had a date with the business end of a baseball bat.”