“They believe the two of you are sleeping together? And you are okay with that?” Maya gasped.
“Sure, why shouldn’t I be?” Lila winked at Maya.
“Mom!”
Lila nearly doubled over in laughter. “We aren’t really of course. But the rumor keeps the men in town, especially the patrols, from having any malicious thoughts about a single woman living all alone. No man in town will come within a few feet of me out of fear the chief will show up knocking on their front door.”
Now it was Maya’s turn to burst into laughter. That clinched it, she really did like this Chief Rodgers. Tears of happiness threatened to roll from her eyes as she finished up with the vegetables she was working on and put them inside the fridge. Jarod had done it, he had kept his promise and kept her mother safe. Not only that, she was happy. It also hadn’t escaped her attention the way her mom glowed when she talked about the chief. And while she denied having any sort of relationship with him, Maya couldn’t help but think that maybe her finding someone as good as Rodgers seemed to be wasn’t all that unappealing.
As the next few hours passed the two of them continued to talk, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying over the events of the past several months. Once they had finished the food prep and began cleaning up the kitchen, Maya started to feel the effects of the past several days beginning to take their toll.
Noticing her daughter’s wearied state, Lila moved in and took over finishing the last of the dishes. “He will be back soon. Why don’t you go take a shower and rest a bit, I’ll finish up here.”
Maya didn’t put up any argument; the offer of a hot shower and a soft bed was too tempting to turn down. She thanked her mom and excused herself. Several doors down the hall, she entered the first bathroom she had seen in over a week and moaned with delight. Hurriedly she turned on the water as hot as she could stand it and began removing the layers of clothing, saving her shirt for last. She had never gotten a chance to treat the wound on her back after their disagreement back in the plains. As a result, her shirt was encrusted with blood and stuck to her back. I could really use Jarod’s help with this, she giggled to herself, recalling his knack for quick clothing removal back at the Tower. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed both sides and jerked it over her head as fast as she could.
Thankfully it pulled loose easily and without complication. She moved to step inside the shower and caught a glimpse of her bare frame in the mirror next to the tub. Dumbfounded, she stood fully undressed in the steamy bathroom staring at her thin, battered frame. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she continued to survey the damage. Her body was a wreck. Bones were visible in places she didn’t even know had bones and bruises encircled both arms. Shaking her head, she turned slowly to observe her back and heaved another massive sigh. Several of the lower stiches had ripped loose in her scuffle with Jarod and were looking very red and inflamed. She was about to curse her luck of being in a town with no physician when the door to the bathroom suddenly opened, causing her to jump.
“Maya, sorry to intrude but I forgot all the towels were …” Lila gasped, dropping the towels in her hands to the floor. “Oh my stars!”
“Mom, listen,” Maya said in a panicked rush as tears formed in her mother’s eyes, “he didn’t mean to …” Maya clamped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. The words had escaped her lips and her mother had heard. Desperate to avoid this conversation, Maya tried to turn so her back was no longer visible to her mom. “Mom, it’s really not as bad as it looks.”
“Oh no?” she snapped. Her hands were trembling again, but it wasn’t out of fear this time. Lila grabbed Maya by the arm and forcefully spun her back around to get a closer look at the damage.
“Not as bad as it looks?” she yelled angrily, squeezing her already bruised arms a little too tightly. “He did this to you, and you stand in my house telling me he is a better man than your father?”
In all her years Maya had never seen her mother this angry. “N-no, it’s not l-like th-that,” Maya stuttered, trying not to allow her voice to betray her. “He had no choice—”
“There is always a choice,” Lila shouted. She ran her hand lightly over the lines on her back, desperately hoping they were nothing more than a figment of her imagination. Unfortunately that was not the case, and with each rough edge that she touched the more tears formed in Lila’s eyes as her worst nightmare was confirmed.
“This is all my fault,” she spoke barely above a whisper, “I stayed with your father all those years. Called myself protecting you from those who would kill us for what we are. But in doing so, I have taught you to accept abuse like this as normal.” Lila spun Maya around and cried into her shoulder. “I am so sorry. I have failed you in so many ways. You deserve so much better than this.”
Maya raised her hand and laid it on the back of her mother’s head. “Mom, you didn’t fail me. He had no choice, you don’t know how it is there. If he hadn’t done it himself, then one of the Shadows would have, and I wouldn’t be standing here with you now.” Gently Maya pushed her away and smiled weakly. “You are a great mother and I love you. Please, don’t blame him for this. I swear to you he has punished himself enough already for having gone through with it.”
Lila appeared doubtful, frowning as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “As well he should.” She turned and headed back through the bathroom door, briefly pausing in the doorway before she closed it. “Shower. When you finish, I have some salve we can put on the lower ones. They look like they are getting infected.”
Maya nodded and watched as the door closed behind her. She knew her mother still didn’t trust Jarod, nor did she blame her for it. She was just thankful she hadn’t pressed the issue further.
The warm water soothed and relieved her body’s tense aching muscles. She lathered the bath rag and scrubbed every inch of her body multiple times, trying her best to rid herself of the dirt and grime that had caked into her pores. When she had finished, Maya dried off, wrapped the soft towel around her body, and headed toward her old room. Glad to find her mother had left it fairly untouched, Maya dug through her dresser and pulled out a long silk sleeping gown and some clean underwear.
Once dressed and hair brushed, Maya searched the apartment for her mother and found her sitting in the kitchen. She stood and motioned for Maya to have a seat, then raised the back of her gown to get a better look at the marks. She worked diligently, cleaning and applying the medicine to each of the five long lines. Then once she was finished, Lila covered her back to help keep the medicine in place.
“Thank you,” Maya said quietly as she stood. “I guess I better get dressed. He will be here any minute to get me.”
“No,” Lila responded a little too quickly. Reaching under the counter, she handed Maya an open bottle of formula. “You need to drink this and rest. If he arrives before you awaken then I will come and get you.”
Maya wanted to argue, but the exhaustion after the shower combined with her still being hungry, compelled her to take her mother’s advice. “Promise me you will wake me,” she yawned, picking up the bottle. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
“You just rest, don’t worry about me,” Lila insisted, shooing her down the hall. She entered into her old bedroom and collapsed into the comforts of her small mattress. It took her only four gulps to down the contents of the bottle, hoping it would at least numb her hunger some until she could feed again. But luckily it didn’t matter, because within minutes of drinking the last drop, she was sound asleep.
****
It was already dark when Jarod decided to return to the inn. It hadn’t taken him long to arrange transport and send a telegram report to the Tower. However, he knew how badly Maya needed this time with her mother, so—much to the dismay of the local patrol force—he camped out in their station for a while.
While he waited, he entertained himself by tormenting the staff and causing as much disruption as possible. He almost succeeded in clearing the building entirely when he
started throwing knives across the station at random targets around the room, but after a while even that became boring. So he bid Rodgers farewell, thanked him again for his assistance with Lila, and made his way back to the inn.
On his way, he decided to make a side stop by the vacant clinic. In the months since its abandonment the building had fallen into a state of deterioration that was frankly shocking. Every window was busted out from rocks being thrown through them, and shingles hung so loosely from the edge of the roof that it wouldn’t take much more than a breeze to blow them down onto a passing pedestrian. Someone had even kicked in the front door, which the patrols had then boarded up to keep thieves and nosey children from stealing what little remained inside. It was hard to believe by looking at it that only six months ago, this place had been a pillar of hope for this struggling community.
He stood staring at the dilapidated building, his mind filled with thoughts of his brother and all the people living peaceful, happy lives in Oasis. How badly he yearned for a just a taste of the life they were living. Even if he could experience it only for a day with Maya at his side, he could die a happy man. However, that would never happen. Hell, he had never even been allowed to step a foot within its borders, to see for himself what he had spent years protecting. But now was not the time to harp on this subject. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and headed back to the inn to retrieve Maya.
It was dark by the time he knocked on the door of the Inn. A few minutes later, Lila opened the door and stared up at him with tear-soaked eyes.
“Come in,” Lila said quietly, stepping to one side.
Jarod had no intentions of entering. Every fiber of his being told him going inside was a very bad idea. “No, just tell Maya we need to leave.”
“I can’t. She is sound asleep and has been for some hours now,” Lila responded, moving farther out of his way. “Come in and hopefully she will awaken shortly.”
Sleep. Of course she’s asleep, it had been days since they had stopped to rest. Jarod moaned internally. He wanted Maya to get some rest, however he had no desire to be inside alone with this lady. After all, he had brought her husband in to be executed and kidnapped her daughter. No, this was definitely a bad idea.
“I’ll wait out here,” Jarod groaned, turning to head back. He would just have to wait in the garden. Besides, the time alone might do him some good.
“Stay,” Lila pleaded softy behind him, “please. Maybe you would like to shower or some formula? I’m thinking she could be down for a while, she didn’t look like she had slept in days.”
Jarod hesitated; getting cleaned up sounded more than appealing. Not to mention the thought of having something wet to drink caused his stomach to cramp with desire. Still, he couldn’t get over the nagging feeling that going inside would lead to something bad. Shaking his head, he continued moving in the direction of the garden. “I would rather be alone.”
“Well, I want to talk to you,” Lila said louder than she intended. Frowning, Jarod turned and glared down at her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Please, just for a moment. And if you still want to go then I will leave you alone.”
Every muscle in his body tensed. If it was anyone else he would have already lost his temper. He advanced forward, working his fists to calm his nerves. Lila retreated back inside, sensing his frustration.
“A moment,” she said softly, “is that so much to ask after all you have taken from me?”
Her words zapped every bit of anger from him. She was right, he owed her at least this much. He moved past her and walked inside the inn. “For a moment.”
Lila nodded and followed him in, bolting the door behind him. “Would you like to get cleaned up first?”
Jarod glanced down at his dirt-covered clothes. “Probably should.”
“Follow me then.” Lila headed around the bar toward the apartment.
That definitely wasn’t going to happen. “No,” he pointed to the second floor walkway lined with the colorfully painted doors of the rooms for rent, “up there.”
“But there is a shower and extra room in here you can use,” Lila protested, looking perplexed by the request. “Those rooms haven’t been used or made since—”
“They will be fine,” Jarod said, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
Lila stared at him blankly for a moment, before finally concluding that there was no way she would win this battle. “Give me a moment.” Jarod watched as she disappeared into the apartment. A few moments later she returned with a pile of towels and a bar of soap in her arms. Stopping behind the bar to get one of the room keys, she then rounded the end of the counter and led him up the stairs. They stopped in front of the first door she came to, where she inserted the key and stepped aside so he could enter.
“I have formula downstairs whenever you are ready,” she said, handing him the towels and soap, then disappeared down the stairs without waiting for an answer.
Within minutes of closing the door he had stripped down and was standing beneath a stream of hot, steamy water. The shower head fell at the height of his chest and the tub was by no means made to accommodate someone of his size. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying every scalding moment of it. And once he felt he had succeeded in ridding himself of the majority of the dirt and sweat, he exited feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Stepping out of the shower he wrapped a towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror studying the scruff that had attached itself to his face. He searched the bathroom for anything he could use to rid himself of its presence, but coming up empty handed, he resorted to using a knife he had carried in his jacket. Satisfied he could do no more to improve his appearance, Jarod entered into the bedroom, dawned a fresh set of clothes, and made his way downstairs to locate anything he could find to numb his growing hunger.
Stepping off the last step, he was disappointed to find Lila waiting for him behind the bar. Groaning internally, Jarod took a seat on a stool opposite her as Lila produced two opened bottles of black label formula and set them on the counter in front of him. Jarod’s mouth quirked, eyeing the bottles suspiciously. He had suspected she would try something, but this was a little too obvious.
“How much?” he asked, deciding to play along.
“On the house,” Lila replied without hesitation.
“No, how much of the drug did you put in the bottles?” he retorted. “Are you certain you put enough? It takes quite a bit as I am sure you can imagine.”
“You have me mistaken, my lord,” Lila replied feigning shock. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I would never think to do such a thing.”
“Of course you would,” Jarod huffed. He lifted one of the bottles to his nose and sniffed the contents. “Cyanide? No, no … Ricin.” Lila paled slightly but quickly suppressed her visible anxiety. She even managed to keep a straight face as Jarod took another whiff of the bottle. “And it is quite a large amount.”
“My lord, I assure you—” Lila began, but Jarod cut her off, slamming a fist down hard onto the counter.
“Don’t,” he growled. Standing, he reached behind the counter and pulled out two small glasses. “Do you think you are the first person who has tried to poison me?” Lila remained silent, watching as he began to fill first one glass then the other with the liquid from the bottle. He then set them on the counter between the two of them and leaned back casually on his stool. “I don’t blame you for trying, though. You do, after all, have more right than anyone to want me dead.” He picked up one of the glasses and handed it to her while taking the other into his own hand and raised it in salute. “But let’s at least be honest about it, shall we?”
And with that said, Jarod lifted the glass and swallowed the contents in one gulp. Lila watched silently as he refilled his cup. “Now by my estimates, it will take at least both these bottles to put me down for the night. Which, if I might add, I really don’t mind since I haven’t slept in six months.” Lila remained stoic as sh
e watched Jarod down the second glass and refill it once again. “But honestly, have you really thought this through? I mean, what exactly do you plan to do once I’m out? You don’t have the strength to finish me on your own or even get rid of my body if you could.”
“Sir, I assure you, the bottles are not—”
“Then prove it,” Jarod interrupted, pointing at the glass still grasped in her hand. “Join me in a drink.”
Lila lifted the glass closer to her mouth, her trembling hands betraying her nervousness.
Jarod watched bemused. “Go ahead,” he smirked. But when she continued to hesitate he reached across the counter and lifted the bottle. “Let me make it easier for you,” he coaxed. “You drink what is in that glass and I will finish off the rest of this bottle.”
Spurred on by his offer, Lila closed the remaining distance between her mouth and the glass. Then taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with Jarod, and downed the contents in one swallow.
A twisted smile formed on his lips. “A deal is a deal,” he said, turning the bottle upside down. It took him three large swallows to finish off the contents.
He tossed the empty bottle over his shoulder and Lila jumped as it smashed into the wall on the far side of the room. Still smiling, Jarod lifted the other bottle and poured Lila and himself another glass. “Shall we continue and see which of us lasts longer?”
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