Windburn(9)

“Easy for you to say. You aren’t the one stuck between them.”

She laughed. “True enough. True enough. But can you imagine that fun if you could convince them to share you?”

My lips twitched and I let the sad smile spread over them, knowing it for the dream it was. “All too easily.”





CHAPTER 4





left the men behind, and went looking for Bella.

“Who listened in on us at the blasted field?”

Peta shivered. “A Rim guard.”

“And?”

“I lost him in a crush of people. He was wearing a helmet. I never saw his face, but he was missing a hand.”

Coal. My ex-lover was the only one I knew who was missing a hand, and he was a Rim guard. Why had he been spying on me?

“That’s Coal.” I rubbed the back of my neck. Damn. It was possible he’d been manipulated by Blackbird. Coal had been one of Cassava’s pawns too.

“You’re sure?”

“He was my lover. I took his hand, and now he’s struggling to live without it. If we have time we’ll talk to him.”

I didn’t want to talk to Coal, though. The last time I’d seen him things had gotten ugly between us. His mind was not stable, a side effect of losing his hand.

As we walked, I told Peta about Cassava and the things she’d done. How she controlled everyone using the Spirit gemstone, how she killed my mother and baby brother, Bramley, and how in the end, I’d fought her and saved our family from the lung burrowers.

Peta swayed on my shoulder, shaking her head. “It is hard to believe one person could cause so much pain.”

I stepped around a downed log and pushed through a small patch of huckleberry bushes. “She’s still alive, Peta. I doubt she’s done causing pain.”

We found Bella in the forest on the west side toward the ocean. She sat with her hands in her lap, carefully holding her belly. Though she was not far along, her tiny waist gave truth to her condition already.

She smiled when she saw me but her lips trembled. “Lark. You heard the news about Vetch?”

I nodded. “Yes. He’s booted you out already?”

Bowing her head, she put a hand to her eyes. “He threatened my baby, Lark. Said all half-breeds should be slaughtered as the curs they are.”

Peta hissed, low and long. I had to agree. I sat on the log beside Bella. “You shouldn’t stay then, Bella. It isn’t safe.”

“Where would I go?”

I took her hand, squeezing her fingers gently. “Finley would take you in until we can straighten this out.”

Bella’s jaw twitched. “You think I could go back there after what Requiem did to me?”

Tightening my grip on her hand, I stared her down. “For the safety of your child, what would you suffer? A light in the darkness was what the mother goddess said. That light will be snuffed if Vetch has his way.”

A sob escaped her. “How could Father do this to us? How could he leave Vetch as his heir?”

I wrapped an arm around her. “I don’t think he did. I know he was not in his right mind—”

“That’s just it. He seemed to be back to his usual self. There were no bouts of anger, no unreasonable demands. No silly frivolities. Fern even said he’d spoken to her about hunting for Cassava. About finally dealing with her. It was the last thing he said before he disappeared.” Sniffling, she lifted her head. “It makes no sense that he would leave us like this.”

Maybe he’d gone to hunt Cassava. But that would mean he was in grave danger, both his mind and body.

“His leaving may not have been his doing,” Peta said. “The power of Spirit can mask much, Bella. If Cassava did as I understand and controlled so many of you, surely you remember the inability to fight her power. The thoughts made you believe the choices were your own.”

Bella closed her eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks to drip onto the edge of her dress. “I remember.”

“Then you know your father very well may have left under compulsion.” The tip of her left ear twitched as she spoke.

“Peta,” I said, “how can that be? Cassava no longer has the ring.”

Peta’s eyes flicked to mine. “There is another who can manipulate Spirit. And his actions thus far have put him solidly in her camp.”

Blackbird. “He had to be here in the Rim, then, to manipulate Father.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Bella tugged on my hand.

“Blackbird, he’s the one in the cloak. The one who worked with Keeda. He carries all five elements, Bella.” I paused and let the words sink in, seeing it in her eyes as they did.

“All five? Are you sure?”