“I’ll be fine. I’m a survivor.” I rose, helping Dove up, but she was still a mess and not ready to stand, so I scooped her up into my arms. It was only once I was carrying her, with Midnight looking at me with a hint of surprise, that I realized, I’d never lifted Dove like this before, cradling her like a babe in arms. I shouldn’t have had the strength to do that, and yet… I hardly noticed her weight.
I thought we’d established that you were stronger with your spirit-gift. That’s how you were able to lower the prince down the cliffs, remember?
Right!But that time I’d been struggling: wounded and exhausted. This… this felt easy.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Midnight looked around. “I doubt we’ll find a carriage in this part of town at this hour. Wait here, and keep an eye on him.” She indicated the unconscious brute. Then she veered into a bat and flitted away into the night.
“I guess I can put you down,” I said to Dove, though she didn’t respond, still probably in shock. And I didn’t blame her. Having the man you love — and who you thought loved you — betray you in such a horrible way… I couldn’t even imagine what that must be like. And… it was all because of me. I wouldn’t be surprised if, once she had recovered from all of this, she hated me.
I set her down, leaning her against the wall, and stood next to her, keeping an eye out for trouble.
Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long before I heard the creaking axles and clopping hooves of a carriage approaching.
TheHerogift surged within me once more as I prepared for trouble, but it was Midnight in the driver’s seat as the carriage drew close. She reined in the two-horse team and hopped down easily. “Get her inside,” she said, heading for the brute.
“Where’d you get the carriage from?” I asked.
“Don’t ask.”
I didn’t.
We quickly had my sister and the brute in the carriage and were off.
I didn’t know where we were heading, but Midnight seemed sure enough at the reins. We were soon leaving the city, riding into the countryside. I didn’t know how long we traveled, but the stars had not shifted much in the sky by the time we turned off the road onto a long farm laneway. We stopped in front of a low farmhouse, and Midnight hopped down again. “Stay inside. I need to confer with the locals. Then she was off and knocking on the door of this strange farmhouse. A woman answered, though I didn’t get a good look at her, then Midnight returned. “Take your sister inside, we’re preparing a bed for her. Once she’s settled, meet me at the barn.” She indicated a second large long building. I picked up Dove and went inside, as Midnight dragged the brute toward the barn.
I was greeted at the door by a woman in her middle years with grey in her brown hair and a careworn look in her eyes. She led me to a small room with a simple bed and a chest of drawers, nothing else. I made sure Dove was resting, she'd passed out on the trip here, then went back out to the hallway with the woman.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “For giving up your house so easily to us strangers.”
She gave a little laugh. “You and I haven’t met before, but Midnight is no stranger. I am Ana, Maverick’s older sister.”
I gaped. Maverick… well of course he could have family like anyone else. And now that I knew, I could see it. The same bronzed complexion and something similar around the eyes and nose. Even the hair, a bit wiry and unkempt. And she was built strong. I’d assumed that was from farm work, and it probably was, but she had a similar sturdiness to Maverick.
“What’s your name?” Ana asked. “I’m always delighted to meet members of Maverick’s House.”
“Legs.”
She grinned at that. Then her gaze was drawn to my shoulder. “I have some bandages, let me look at that.” I sat at her kitchen table as she retrieved some cloth strips, then she tore away the shoulder and arm of the dress — it was ruined anyway — and bandaged up my shoulder. “It doesn’t look that bad,” she said. “You’ll be able to use that arm again in a couple of weeks.”
Probably a couple of days, knowing my accelerated healing, but I just nodded and thanked her. Then I made my way out to the barn.
Midnight had the brute trussed up, hands bound and hanging on what looked like an old sawed-off branch protruding from one of the wooden support beams. A lantern was lit and she was just dousing him with a bucket of water as I arrived.
The man sputtered to life, squirming and opening his eyes. He quickly assessed the situation and turned hard. “I ain’t tellin’ you nothin’,” he sneered. “You migh’ as well kill me, ’cause those I work for surely will kill me if I tell you anythin’.”
I could believe that.
I glanced at Midnight, hoping she’d have more experience with things like this. I surely didn’t. She seemed to consider things for a long moment before saying: “What if I could guarantee that you’d live if you tell us just one little thing?”
He quirked a brow in question. “How’s that?”
She smiled. “All we want to know is where to find Lord Hale. There are any number of common places he could be, but I’m willing to bet he went to ground, and that you know where that is.” I saw him about to answer, but she spoke over him quickly. “And when we find him, we’re going to make sure he talks.” Her grin was a frightening and feral thing. “And then, no one will be looking for you. They’ll be looking for him.”
That sounded mostly logical to me.
The man considered for a long moment. “And you’d let me go?”
