Jack!

I said I promise! he says.

We’re gonna need more help, I says.

I whistle fer Nero. He comes in a flut er of wings an lands on my shoulder. I pul Maev’s lit le gold ring from my pocket.

If you ever need me, if you need the Hawks, send Nero with this an we’l come. Wherever, whenever … you send this ring an we’l be there.

It’s Maev’s, I says. She said to send it if I needed her. D’you got somethin to tie it on with?

He fumbles in his pocket an pul s out a good sized piece of string.

Tie it to his leg, I says. Make it good an tight, but don’t let it cut into him.

He works quick.

Done, he says, steppin back.

I stroke Nero’s feathers. Look into his clever black eyes. Find Maev, I says. I touch the ring, then I touch him on his breast. Nero nd Maev.

Find Maev.

He cocks his head to one side. Then he caws twice an takes of into the night.

He ain’t never let me down yet, I says.

I should of told you everythin sooner, Jack says. I should of …

What? I says. Trusted me?

Yeah, wel …, he says. I ain’t ezzackly bin in the habit of trustin people.

Me neether, I says.

We could try startin agin, he says.

He holds out his hand.

I hesitate. Then I take it. Warm. Cal used. Strong.

I’m sorry I was such a ass back at Ike’s place, he says. It was jest that … ah hel , Saba … I was jealous that you smiled at Tommo an not me. You was hardly even talkin to me, let alone smilin, an it was like I couldn’t help myself.

me. You was hardly even talkin to me, let alone smilin, an it was like I couldn’t help myself.

Jealous? I says. You? Jealous? Of Tommo? He’s a child.

I’m jealous of anybody you smile at that ain’t me, he says. He takes a step closer. Reaches out. Runs the back of his hand down my cheek.

A hot shiver ripples through me. You look at me with them eyes of yers, he says, an I look at yer lips … an al I can think about is what it

’ud be like to kiss you. You got no idea, do you? You got no idea how beautiful you are.

We stare at each other. The moon silvers his face. Shadows his eyes. Makes him look strange. Not quite real.

I step back so’s his hand fal s. I block out what he jest said. Even though my heart’s bangin aginst my ribs. Even though I cain’t git my breath an the heartstone’s burnin into my skin.

I think we’re gonna head back to Crosscreek, I says. Me an Emmi an Lugh. To start with, anyways. We got a friend there, Mercy. Did I ever tel you about her?

Saba, he says.

She’s real nice, I says. A old friend of my ma. Yeah, I got it al worked out. I had plenty of time to think about it.

Saba, he says.

I know I’m babblin. I cain’t seem to stop myself. An I don’t dare look at him. If I do, I fear I’l say somethin I shouldn’t or do somethin I don’t mean to. I dunno what ezzackly but it’s … I feel like I’m walkin along a narrow ridge an my foot could slip at any moment. I jest got a think about Lugh, think about why I’m here, an everythin’l be okay.

Wel , I bet er git back, I says.

I go to slip past him an he grabs my hand. Stops me. We’re standin close. Too close. Stay, he says.

Before I can stop myself, I look at him. A mistake. Hot silver eyes. Burnin fer me. My heart lurches.

He leans his head down. Stay with me. He whispers it into my ear. Jest fer a while.

I … I got a go, I says.

Please, he says.

The brush of his breath aginst my skin. The warm Jack smel of him. I feel myself weakenin. Dangerous. This … the way I feel whenever I’m near him … it’s dangerous. I pul my hand from his.

No, I says. I … I caint. G’night, Jack.

I slip past him. Got a git away. I cain’t move fast enough.

He don’t reply.

The mean white sun’s bin poundin down on our heads al day. The way turned steep an rocky around noon. We had to dismount an start leadin the horses an we bin climbin ever since. We’re headed fer a pass high in the mountains that’s our last big crossin before we git to Freedom Fields. Jack says he wants to reach it before nightfal , but it’s slow goin in this terrain.

The higher we climb, the hot er it gits, even with the day closin down around us. There ain’t bin no relief from the heat, none at al . Not even a single tree to shade us on our way.

When we was stuck in the fog fer days on end, I never would of thought fer a second that I’d be longin fer its cold dank heaviness, but I am.Em’s bin bit by bit fal in behind th’others an I bin holdin back to walk with her. But she’s git in slower an slower. I look over my shoulder.

She plods along on heavy feet. She looks so pale an tired. I wait fer her. The sweat runs down my face, stingin my eyes. I mop myself o with the end of my sheema.

I’m so thirsty, she says when she reaches me.

Waterskin empty? I says. She nods. Siddown, I says.

She sinks onto a rock. I unstop my skin an hold it to her lips. She sucks hard on it, gulpin the water. It runs down her chin an neck an I wipe it away with the tail of my shirt.

She looks a bit surprised. I don’t ever bother with her that way, worryin about when she last had a wash or if her face is al grubby. Once Pa gave up carin, Lugh looked after that kinda thing. I ain’t gived it a single thought til this moment. I stare down at her, frownin.

When did you last have a wash? I says.

She looks even more surprised. I dunno, she says.

You should wash more regular, I says. You got a be decent.

Okay, she says.

I turn away an take a swig of water myself. I rub a drop into my dry lips.

The rest of ’em’s wel ahead of us. Ash turns back, sees us, waves. She cups her hands around her mouth. No time to stop! she shouts. Jack says we got a make the pass before dark!

Emmi needs to rest! I shout back.

She can rest later!

She needs to rest now!

I can see ’em talkin amongst theirselves. Then Ike hands his reins to Tommo an makes his way back down to us. He crouches down beside Emmi.

Hey there, kid, he says. Yer doin real good. How’s about a ride to the top?

She nods, not lookin straight at him. She likes Ike, but she’s a bit shy of him. I think on account of him bein so big an her bein so smal .

C’mon then, he says, hop on. She climbs onto his back.

Thanks Ike, I says.

We got a reach the pass before dark, he says.

I know, I says. I heard it the first hunnerd times.

He checks the sky. The light’s startin to soften, turn to gold. We’re gonna be pushed, he mut ers.

Ike starts up the mountain, with Emmi clingin to his back like a spider. I cain’t believe how fast he moves, pickin his way around the rocks. Like she don’t weigh nuthin. I guess to a man his size, she don’t.

I take a last swig of water. Then I pick up Hermes’ reins an fol ow behind Ike, fast as I can.

They’re al waitin fer me when I git to the top. Emmi gives me a quick look, but nobody else looks my way. They’re starin at somethin in front of ’em.

What is it? I says.

Then I see what it is. What they’re al lookin at.

We’re standin on the edge of what used to be a mountain lake. Back in Wrecker times it must of bin a stretch of cool clear water, a welcome relief fer the tired feet of travelers. But it sure ain’t that no more.