Fraud (The Frenzy Series Book 5)

by Casey L. Bond

  It was sometime in the middle of the night, the second time he’d woken in the past few hours for another feeding. Porschia was worn out. We both were. But Seth? Seth was happy and alert. Even at four a.m. To him, it was party time.

  Porschia somehow recovered from the traumatic birth. I teased her about it now that she was well. “It’s you, Porschia. Nothing with you will ever be easy or run-of-the-mill.”

  She always laughed and told me I was right.

  I always sent thanks to whomever listened that I could hear that laughter again.

  We were still staying with Mercedes, and would until spring. Both of us stayed in her bedroom; she on the bed and me on the couch that Roman and I had somehow contorted into making it through the narrow doorway. She needed rest and the convenience of having Seth close for feedings. After she fed him, I would take him for the rest of the night.

  The winter came in like a lion but was acting more like a lamb lately. It had Porschia itching to go back into her cabin in the woods, but I had a feeling we weren’t out of the woods yet. The snow would come again. It always did this time of year, and we didn’t want to be stuck up there with an infant and no way to get back down the mountain.

  I would argue that fact and Porschia would calm down for a few days, but without fresh snow, she would start asking when we were leaving again. Mercedes would give her a good guilt trip about not wanting to stay with her and that would buy another few days. Luckily, we only had four or five more weeks of winter. Hopefully, we could hold her off that long.

  I stayed with her until Seth was finished feeding and then took him to the couch, where he slept soundly on my chest. I think he liked the sound of my heartbeat, or maybe it was that my body heat kept him warm. Either way, he and I got along just fine.

  The following morning, Porschia dragged herself out of bed and tamed her hair. I could hear her brush moving through the long strands, but didn’t want to open my eyes just yet. Too tired. “I think I’m going to cut my hair off,” she said suddenly.

  That got my attention and my eyes snapped open. “Don’t. I like it long.”

  Over her shoulder, she threw an ornery grin. “Who said I wanted you to like it?”

  “You know you value my opinion above all others.” I wished.

  Garreth had been checking in regularly with Porschia to ensure that she was recovering physically and doing well mentally. He warned about post-partum depression and gave me a list of signs to watch for, “especially given her mother’s condition,” he’d said. Everyone in Blackwater knew of her Mom’s particular brand of crazy, years before she started her killing spree.

  “Leave it long. If you cut if off, you won’t be able to braid it and get it off your neck. You’ll smother this summer.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she said in a sing-song voice. She seemed genuinely happy.

  “You’re in an awfully good mood,” I commented.

  “I am. I feel incredible today, for the first time in so long.” She certainly looked beautiful. Her skin wasn’t ghostly white, her lips were plump and moist, and her cheeks rosy. I was still keeping my distance, living solidly in the realm of friendship.

  “He loves to lay on you,” she mused, staring contentedly at Seth on my chest.

  “Who wouldn’t?” I teased, rewarded by her laughter.

  “I’m going to see if Mercedes wants to go for a walk.”

  That surprised me. It was the first time she’d felt like leaving the house since she gave birth.

  “That’s great. Have fun. We’ll be sleeping here when you get back,” I told her, my mind already fuzzy and half asleep.

  I think she said, “Sweet dreams,” and though I didn’t hear it, I knew she said goodbye but didn’t mean it.

  Mercedes was excited to go for a walk. She laced her boots and threw a coat at me, then she shrugged hers on and we were out of there. She didn’t even tell Roman goodbye.

  “You look amazing!” she beamed.

  “Thank you. I feel great today. I figured we’d take full advantage.”

  We walked down the street, reveling in the warmth the bright sunshine gave us against the cold air. “It’s so bright,” Mercedes said, squinting.

  “I love it.”

  Mercedes smiled. “I’m glad you’re still alive.”

  I laughed. “I’m glad, too.”

  “I thought you were going to die. You scared me so bad. Please don’t ever do that again,” she scolded.

  “I’ll try not to.”

  “Not good enough, but I’ll take it for now,” she snickered.

  “Saul was a real mess.”

  This is the first time we’d talked about it; I was still healing and she hadn’t broached the subject. Now I was wondering if I felt well enough to hear it, or if I ever would feel like hearing it. Best to rip the bandage off quickly.

  “How do you mean?”

  “He cried, and I don’t mean that his eyes misted over. He cried hard. And he thought you were going to leave him. He kept saying you’d said goodbye.” She paused.

  I kept quiet. I didn’t know I’d scared him so badly.

  “He’s amazing with Seth, too,” she continued.

  “He is.”

  We waved to James Freeman, who was adding firewood to the dwindling stack on their front porch. I was surprised when he waved back.

  “He’s a good man,” she said.

  “James?”

  “No,” Mercedes said in exasperation. “Saul.”

  “I know he’s a good man. I wouldn’t trust him with Seth if he wasn’t.”

  We passed the pavilion and our feet carried us to Father’s. The door was shut but he’d left a fire smoldering, only a tiny plume of smoke slithering into the sky. “He must be with Ford.”

  Father and Ford had become close. Father went to help him in his chores at the barn most days now. We walked out back, staring at the rusted shells of the automobiles after which the three of us were named. Brown, withered vines twisted around each one in a threadbare blanket of decay.

  “Saul loves you. Maybe you should give him a chance. It’s been a long time since...”

  “Tage?” I asked. I knew it had been a long time. And people could say his name around me. I wouldn’t break. “I know.”

  “So... maybe you’ll let him in a little?” she prodded.

  I smiled, staring at the wall that led into the city. “Maybe someday.”

  Six months later...

  The August sun was hot and so was the cabin. I wiped the sweat from my brow and watched Seth as he lay on a blanket on the floor. Saul would be home soon and I couldn’t wait for him to see what Seth learned today. He’d been rolling from his back to his tummy for a while now, but now he could roll back over. It surprised him every time and he would cry, sticking out his bottom lip, until I picked him up and soothed him.

  I was so thankful he was normal. There were no signs of disease. Most parents checked for ten fingers and toes, Garreth told me. But the number of digits he had didn’t concern me. When I woke from being unconscious after losing too much blood from having him, the first thing I did was check his teeth. No fangs.

  My little man was perfect. He wasn’t cursed. And he looked like the spitting image of Tage, with dark hair, olive skin, and golden eyes. I’d hoped they’d be blue, the color I fell in love with before I knew they weren’t real, but this was better in a way. This was Tage’s way of living on through his son.

  Random things worried me. Would he call Saul daddy? Would Saul want him to? Would he correct him? Would I tell him about Tage? Should I shield him from the ugly history of the curses?

  We had months to wait for the next step, but for today...tummy rolls.

  Saul opened the door with a big grin. “How is everybody?” He found Seth on the floor, on his tummy, his arms and legs in the air like he was swimming. He bobbed around on his stomach until he finally wiggled the right way, gathering momentum and flipping over onto his back. Saul’s mouth gap
ed open.

  “Did you see that?” he asked incredulously.

  “See what?”

  It was a running joke with us. If either of us hadn’t seen it, it didn’t happen. That way we each saw his firsts together, even if we weren’t together.

  “You’ve already seen it,” he said, eyes narrowed playfully.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I told him as I worked in the wash tub to launder Seth’s diapers. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

  “How’s the new building coming along?” I asked. The carpenters were busy building a new storage building. It was going to be as big or bigger than the barn, and used to store things from the city we found and wanted to keep readily available in the settlement.

  “Great. Walls are finished.”

  “That’s amazing. I can’t wait to see the roof on it.”

  “You won’t have to wait long. Brian wants to push forward. We’re even working tomorrow.”

  Most of the time Sunday was a day off, but Brian wanted to get this giant building done before fall so we could stuff it full of things in preparation for winter. Good for Blackwater, bad for Saul. He was bone tired.

  He tickled Seth’s belly and looked up at me. “I’m going to go clean up,” he said, heading out back where there was another full wash basin. Ford used the horse and cart to haul water for us. His idea, but it was so helpful. He’d found giant plastic barrels in the city and used them to hold what we needed for a few days. It was a godsend. On top of the list of things you didn’t consider when building a cabin in the woods, was how to get water.

  “I’m about to finish up. Dinner is almost ready.” It was stew. Again. But stew lasted a few days and was filling, so we ate it often.

  After cleaning up, Saul would eat, take a nap, and then lead the hunt that night. I didn’t know how he did it, but night after night without fail or enough sleep, he did. I worried that one day soon it would all catch up to him.

  I went outside to hang Seth’s diapers on the line, completely forgetting that Saul was outside bathing. He faced the other way, whistling a tune that drew my attention to him and the water sluicing down his backside. My God. The man was marble. I needed to go. I rushed inside and slammed the door. A minute later, he came in. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I said quickly.

  “I heard the door slam.”

  “Did it? Hmm.” I couldn’t look at him.

  “Did you go outside?” I could hear him grin. Asshole.

  “I hung Seth’s diapers.”

  “Did you see something you liked?” he snorted.

  “Would I have run back inside if I liked it?”

  He nodded. “You would have, yes, so I’ll take that slamming door as a compliment.”

  “Whatever. That’s ridiculous.”

  “So is the shade of red on your face, sweetheart.”

  Three months later...

  Seth loved to sit on the ground and play with the leaves, although I had to watch that he didn’t put them in his mouth because apparently he loved to taste everything. Saul was inside getting ready for the celebration to observe the end of the harvesting season. Winter was coming soon and the council wanted to celebrate another year of health and prosperity in honor of Thanksgiving. It was the second year we’d had something to be thankful for. Seth and I were sitting outside on a blanket, enjoying the fall sunshine, when I heard a small mewling sound from beneath the porch.

  Kneeling to look beneath the porch, I saw a dark, furry shape tuck itself behind one of the posts. “Here, sweetie,” I cooed, but she wouldn’t come.

  Her new claws were embedded into the wood of a post and she wasn’t letting go, even as I pulled her body away and out from beneath the porch. She was black with green eyes the color of lichens on tree bark. A shiver climbed up my spine, one vertebrae at a time. They were the color of Delilah’s eyes, of Sekhmet before she revealed her true self. I dropped the cat, who landed on all fours with its hair standing on end.

  Seth blew bubbles at the kitten.

  A warm breeze filtered through the air, dry as a bone. Was it Tage? Did he send her? I stared at the cat and she stared back at me.

  “Is this a gift?” I asked no one.

  “Is what a gift?” Saul answered, but it wasn’t him I was asking. Sometimes I felt Tage. I knew he looked out for me and Seth, and I think he had a hand in saving me after Seth was born. Couldn’t swear to it, but it felt that way. Or maybe I was just losing my mind.

  “Did you bring home a kitten for us?” I asked with a smile, picking up the black ball of fur for him to see. Her claws found my forearm. Rip.

  “Ouch!” I held her against me and she calmed down, retracting her claws from the fabric of my dress. I was back to wearing one of Maggie’s since they fit again and they reminded me of her kindness and smile.

  “I don’t know where that one came from, but we should probably take it into town when we go. It won’t last long out here.” The muscle in his jaw ticked, and I saw his face turn to stone as he buttoned his shirt and rolled the sleeves up. “Ready?”

  “Yeah. I just need Seth’s bag.”

  “Fine.”

  The walk into town was tense. He carried the kitten against his chest, but Saul never said a word until we were near the bridge. “Do you talk to him?” he finally asked tersely.

  “Seth?” I asked, pretending I didn’t know what he meant.

  “Tage. Do you talk to him?”

  “No, why?” Lying to Saul was easier than fighting with Saul. I took the low road that day. “Do you normally talk to dead people?”

  He huffed, started walking and then stopped again. “Maybe this isn’t working out.”

  My chest tightened. “What isn’t?”

  “Me staying with you. Maybe I should find somewhere else to stay for a while.” He wouldn’t look at me, just stared at the dark water.

  “If you want to leave, that’s your decision, Saul.” I took Seth’s bag from his arm and put it on my shoulder, walking across the bridge alone as Seth babbled at Saul over my shoulder. I walked quickly toward Town Hall so he wouldn’t see the tears building, and so I could make them go away before someone noticed they were there. Mercedes was like a bloodhound about these things.

  “Just giving you what you want. I can’t compete with a ghost forever, Porschia,” he yelled from behind.

  Giving me what I wanted? Whatever. He was tired of waiting. Just like I told Mercedes, it would eventually happen. He was pissed about a black kitten showing up at our house. A freaking cat. A cat that he brought into town to give away, and I didn’t even care because the animal’s eyes freaked me out and I didn’t need a cat. Even if it was from Tage, I didn’t want it. The animal reminded me of too many things.

  The tears never fell. I fought them until they dried up on their own and then I entered Town Hall. If people talked about me while I was pregnant, I never heard. Living out of town probably had something to do with that, but one thing was certain: Everyone loved babies. Everyone loved Seth.

  The women cooed at him as soon as I entered the door, and what surprised me the most was that Saul’s mom was the first to ask to hold him. Somewhat reluctantly, I handed him to her. Saul might be furious if he saw.... but just before Saul walked in, Seth was passed to another woman and I was saved from more of his anger.

  He glanced in my direction before heading to the back of the room, making a plate of food and then exiting out the back. He’d taken my move. That was what I planned on doing, but then my baby was commandeered by Blackwater’s female population and I had to watch him like a hawk. Inside, unfortunately.

  “He’s so precious,” Mary Brown said pleasantly as she let him hold her finger. Mary had never apologized for the way she treated me in the past, but she was trying to be kind now, to make amends. Maggie would have told me to leave the past where it lays, so maybe I could do that. Maybe I could forgive. Forgiveness was more for the one doing the forgiving than for those
receiving it anyway.

  “He’s been trying to take a few steps lately. He’ll be walking soon,” I said.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful. Don’t take a single day for granted,” another said.

  “I won’t.” That was one promise I could keep. As long as I drew breath, I would love Seth with all my heart and soul. Whether anyone else loved me or not.

  Mercedes found me and Seth in the crowd. “Have you eaten?” she asked, a strange, pleading but tense look on her face.

  “Not yet. Seth has admirers.”

  “Well, you should eat. You should go outside right now and eat.” She tried to tug me along, but I had to get Seth first.

  “Sorry ladies,” I said, taking my son in my arms. “He’s probably getting hungry.”

  They told me to feed him and then bring him right back. “It’s been a long time since we got to hold a tiny one,” Mary said.

  “We’ll be back in a little while, probably wearing more food than we consume. Right, Seth?”

  He cooed and pulled a loose strand of my hair so hard it made me yelp. Mercedes was right with me. “Let’s get his food and yours and go.”

  “What’s the emergency?” I asked, slowing my feet, realizing she was dragging me.

  “Hannah Brandt is the emergency.”

  “Hannah Brandt? Who is Hannah Bran—”

  “The girl who’s outside flirting with Saul.” I tightened my grip on Seth just slightly.

  I didn’t want to tell her tonight, but I had to now. “He’s moving out, so he can flirt with Hannah or Heather or whatever her name is all he wants.”

  “He’s leaving?” she whisper-yelled. I ignored her and made my way to the food. Seth was already chewing his fingers, and full-on wailing would begin in minutes if he didn’t have food to eat and play with. The scents of various dishes floated through the air. Again, our garden hadn’t fared well, so I had nothing to spare or bring today.

  Mercedes held Seth while I made a plate of food for him and me. She started out the door with him before I could stop her or even protest it, so I had to follow behind with the plates of food. Sure enough, the sight of Saul and Hannah – or was it Heather? – stopped me in my tracks.