“I figured as much,” Sarah said, staring down at her hands glumly. Another day of walking. Just what she wanted to hear.
Sarah heard the snap of wood, and looked up as Lotus came tumbling down from a tree. She landed face first in the snow, but got up quickly, not looking any worse for wear.
“What are you doing, runt?” Jewel asked, giving her little sister a stern look.
“I was trying to show them how high I could climb,” Lotus said, brushing the snow from her blonde hair.
“Well, we all see how that worked out. How about you stop acting like a cat and come sit down?”
Lotus’s face scrunched up. “I am not acting like a cat, and I do not want to sit.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I have been sitting all night. I want to run.”
“I’ll go for a quick run with her,” Clover offered in an unusual show of helpfulness. Sarah figured the teenager probably didn’t want to sit around the campsite either.
Jewel waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t go too far, or your brother will throw a fit.”
Sable materialized beside Clover. “Me too, me too.”
“Me too,” Snow said, mimicking Sable.
Sarah clicked her tongue. “Not so fast.” She made herself get up and trudged over to the children, crouching down in front of Snow. Close up, she could hear the faint, wheezy cadence of Snow’s breathing.
Sarah fished through her pockets, producing the inhaler, which she always kept close at hand. “I think she’s gonna sit this run out,” Sarah said as she administered the medicine.
Clover asked, “You coming, Caim?”
Still bundled in heavy clothing and pelts, the boy looked immensely uncomfortable. Shaking his head, he said, “I have to stay here and watch the females while my father is gone.”
A collective snort ran through the campsite, but no one commented.
As Clover left with the girls, Snow slumped in Sarah’s lap, looking dejected. Now that her asthma was being managed better, Snow was finally able to play with the other children and was starting to become aware of her limitations. She was much smaller and frailer than the others, and her inability to shift only widened the gap between them. These things, coupled with her occasional breathing difficulties, made it so that Snow was often left out.
Sarah held out hope that once all of the moving drama was behind them, Alder would take responsibility for Snow. The little girl was going to need a lot of TLC, and before the year was out, Sarah would have her hands full with a baby of her own.
Leaning back against a tree trunk, Sarah tuned in and out of Grace and Jewel’s conversation. Despite her eagerness to go running, Snow was asleep within minutes, her small head resting between Sarah’s breasts.
Wanting to wait for Cain, Sarah tried to keep her eyes open. As if tiny weights had been strung on her eyelashes, they refused to stop drooping.
It could have been a little while later, or perhaps only a few seconds. One moment, Sarah was resting her eyes, and the next, all hell broke loose.
Chapter 11
Gunshots echoed through the forest. They were no longer vague popping noises in the distance, but loud blasts that ripped through the fragile peace of the morning.
Sarah’s first instinct was to run, and she wasn’t alone. Grace and Jewel bolted up and grabbed what they could. After a fast debate, Grace took off to find Clover and the girls, while Jewel led Sarah and her charges away from the campsite.
The sun had yet to peak over the horizon, compounding Sarah’s difficulties navigating through the woods. Jewel dashed through the forest at a breakneck pace, and only the adrenaline coursing through Sarah’s veins allowed her to keep up.
Jewel carried Snow, leaving Caim to Sarah. Caim was too big to carry. Fortunately for Sarah, he was also very quick on his feet. He let Sarah hold his hand, but more often than not, he was the one pulling her along, rather than the other way around. Sarah had never felt more burdened by her humanity.
They came to a stop at a ravine that was partially obscured by trees and dormant overgrowth. Jewel jumped down and then helped Sarah to climb down as well. At the base of the ravine was a narrow stream that appeared to be entirely frozen over.
Once they were all down, Jewel handed Snow over to Sarah and went to the ledge, standing on the tips of her toes to peek over.
Trying not to sound terrified, Sarah whispered, “What’s the plan?”
“We should wait for the others to find us. If we stay put, they’ll have an easier time of tracking us down.”
Sarah wasn’t a fan of that idea, but she didn’t have a better one. Too anxious to sit, she rocked back and forth on her heels. She tried to keep her head clear, but insidious thoughts kept creeping in. What if no one came for them? What if the others had been hurt? What if Cain…