Page 5 of Suncatcher

“Apparently, you don’t got it,” she said and grabbed an axe.

“Look who decided to be useful for once,” Marcus said, swinging too vigorously and missing his mark, creating a deep gouge above the notch.

“Keep that up and we won’t have any timber to bring back.”

“And it’ll be all my fault, ‘course.”

“It would be.”

“Your mama isn’t here.”

“Nah, she isn’t.” Pearl swung her own axe at his notch. It was a clean cut, and the tall trunk creaked, leaned, and fell. “I am, though.”

Pearl grinned at him, tilting her head back to let the sun past her wide brim and catch on her golden teeth.

“That you are,” he said quietly.

That response had the damp hairs on Pearl’s neck stand to attention as he moved to another tree. She glanced at Billy and Willy, but they were on the other side of the grove and focused on their task. She stayed close to Marcus.

By the time the sun was threatening the horizon, they’d crudely stripped the branches and hauled the timber back to the cart. The mud mules waited patiently by the rushing water. Patience was their finest attribute, after their strength. And they’d need both to haul this cart back to town.

Pearl flexed her hands, palms tender from the impact of the axe meeting wood, and rolled her sore shoulders.

“We’d better get going,” she said, shaking out her coat, sending a displeased snake tumbling and slithering into the undergrowth.

Marcus crossed his arms, walking over to the riverbank. “Not tonight. We’ll go back in the morning.”

Pearl glanced at Billy and Willy, who were frowning.

“We promised we’d be home late,” Billy said.

“Well, you shouldn’t have done that, huh?” Marcus retorted.

Pearl narrowed her eyes. “The sheriff expects us back tonight.”

“Well, she’s just gonna be disappointed, huh?” Marcus repeated, a mocking edge to his tone.

Pearl snapped open a tiny tin on her belt and dipped her finger inside. Swiping the sweet powder over her gold teeth and upper gums, she reached for her holster. The inlaid handle of her revolver was warmed from the sun.

When Marcus turned back around, the barrel of her weapon was pointing at his head.

His eyes flickered with surprise, and Pearl resisted rolling her own. It wasn’t like she was subtle.

Her hand was as steady as stone as the world sharpened around her. The hum of insects joined the cacophony of the river rushing over rocks in the gorge. Too much for a moment, the mundane blended with the important as her human senses tried to make sense of them.

There was more than one reason the Amelior Empire outlawed the use of blight. But this was Pearl’s land. No matter what some empire or demigoddess empress said.

“You gonna shoot me, Pearl?” Marcus asked, his voice too loud.

“I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Now get your ass in that cart.” Without taking her eyes off Marcus, she called over her shoulder to the other two, “Get the mules hitched.”

“It’s dangerous to travel at night,” Marcus protested, his eyes darting around. Something was very off, and it wasn’t only the fizzing blight in her blood telling her so.

“Yup. So is staying here.” On cue, thunder rumbled. The gorge was a dangerous place to be when it stormed. A flash flood could sweep everything away in a matter of seconds. “Move,” Pearl ordered, but Marcus didn’t. “I’m not playing with you, Marcus.” Pearl would sooner shoot and leave him than spend the night here. Marcus was annoying and suspicious, but he wasn’t a total fool. No sane person would suggest camping in the gorge with even the whiff of rain on the air.

A heart drummed behind her. Closer, accompanied by stifled breath and the snap of a twig.

She started to duck as a heavy strike landed along the back of her shoulders. She fired a bad, distracted shot at Marcus and stumbled, knocked off balance, the ground coming up too quickly. She moved faster than she was supposed to, the weapon slipping from her numbing grip. Marcus screamed, which meant she’d hit something, but nothing instantly fatal. Shame.