Blood Red Road (20 page)

The keeper opens the door. I step into the Cage fer the last time. My hands an legs feel far away, like they don’t belong to me. My stummick’s clenched into knots. My mouth’s dry.

I cain’t hear myself think fer the noise of the crowd. Them that couldn’t squeeze into the Colosseum fill the streets an sit on rooftops. Even if they cain’t see what’s goin on, they can hear the shouts an roars. One way or another, they all wanna be part of the Angel’s end. Of my end.

The chaal vendors is doin a roarin trade, strugglin through the crowds with big baskets of the dark green leaf balanced on their heads. They wanna git everybody hopped up fer the big finish.

The Cage Master’s on his balcony, all crammed with people dressed in their finest. I can see the Pinches there—Rooster an Miz Pinch pushed into a corner. Vicar Pinch, the King, is the center of attention. He sits on a fancy golden chair an everybody dances around him, offerin him cups of this an plates of that. He waves ’em all away with his lace kercheef an stares down at the Colosseum.

DeMalo stands nearby.

I hope Emmi’s safe. The Free Hawks said they’d look after her, but I won’t be happy till I see her fer myself.

I stare at the center aisle. It runs from the bottom of the Colosseum right to the top in a straight line.

The gauntlet run.

Maev’s in the front row on the center aisle. Right next
to the gauntlet run. She gives me the tiniest nod. She looks behind her an then looks back at me.

Fer the first ten rows or so, there’s tough-lookin girls packed in at the ends of the rows, also right next to the gauntlet run.

I see a man try to push one of ’em outta the way. Tryin to steal her place along the gauntlet, to git closer to where the action’s gonna be. The girl don’t even look as she chops him in the throat with her elbow.

The Free Hawks is here. Jest like Maev promised.

Nero sits on the light tower that stands right next to the Cage. He cries out, over an over agin. He’s beside hisself with fear, I can tell. All of a sudden, he swoops down, lands on the Cage an slips in through the bars. He ain’t never done that the whole time I bin fightin.

He flutters down to sit on my shoulder. The whole place goes quiet. Even though I’m on a losin streak, they still believe I git my powers from him. Even fer this, my last fight, they ain’t bin able to sell the cheap seats on the light tower because he’s there.

He hops onto my hand. I rub his beak, scratch his head. He purrs in that way crows have, jest like a cat. I didn’t know how much I bin missin him till right now.

Okay, I whisper to him, good boy Nero. He leans his head to one side. Looks straight at me with his bright black eyes. It’s okay, I says. I’m gonna be okay.

He gives a croak. He knows what okay means. He unnerstands.

I lift my hand an he flies outta the Cage. Lands on his usual perch on the light tower. The crowd murmurs, mutters, shifts in their seats.

The Cage door creaks open agin an Epona walks in.

My heart’s bangin aginst my ribs. The blood pounds in my ears.

We face up. Eye to eye. Crouch down. The keeper sounds the gong.

My last fight begins.

I let Epona set the pace. Let her chase me round the Cage, corner me, hurt me.

But then the red hot kicks in. I try to shove it down, push it away, but it rips through me. Takes me over. The red hot don’t know Maev. It don’t know she’s got a plan. It don’t trust her. Because the red hot don’t know plans or people or trust. It only knows one thing. Survival.

An I cain’t keep it down. It’s wild. Cornered. It starts to fight Epona. It fights fer my life.

What’re you doin? she says, her eyes wide. Epona’s
strong. She’s smart. She pushes me to the edge. But I push right back. I got more to lose than her, with the gauntlet in my sights.

We fight till we’re both bloodied, battered, exhausted.

At last she makes a mistake. I git her by the throat. I push her aginst the bars. The crowd goes crazy. They leap to their feet. Outta the corner of my eye, I see Maev. By her face, I know she cain’t believe what she’s seein. She waves her arms at me. Her mouth moves. Sayin somethin I cain’t hear.

But it’s the red hot that fills my ears now. Roars at me to squeeze Epona’s neck. My hands tighten. Wait! No! No! I grit my teeth, think of smotherin the red hot with blackness, holdin it down in deep black water till it cain’t breathe. There’s somethin … I know I gotta do somethin or … remember somethin but I … cain’t git hold of it, cain’t …

Lugh. Lugh. I nearly fergot him. How could I?

I’ll find you. Wherever they take you, I’ll find you. I swear
.

I raise my head. The roar of the red hot starts to fade. Then it’s gone an I come back to myself.

The need, deep inside me, fer my heart to keep on beatin, fer my lungs to keep on breathin, that powerful need nearly took me over.

Lugh’s waitin fer me. Countin on me. Maev. The plan. It’s my only hope of gittin outta here. What was I thinkin of?

I let go. Epona falls into my arms. I hold her as she gasps fer breath.

I’m sorry, I says. Sorry. Then I step back. Hold my arms out wide.

Epona lifts her head, holds her hand to her neck. She looks at me, her face confused.

I nod. Go ahead, I says. Do it.

Then she does. She takes me down.

The two cagekeepers haul me to my feet an take me by the arms. Before I know it I’m walkin outta the Cage an standin in front of the crowd.

They’re off their heads with rage. They know damn well I took a fall. They hate bein cheated. They boo an bay fer my blood like a pack of wolves. Them that stands near to the gauntlet run, climb an punch an push to git the best place. They all want their chance to be in on the kill.

The red hot’s gone. My stummick’s in knots. My knees is shakin. I drag in deep breaths, try to git air into my lungs. I thought I felt terror before, but never like this. Never like this.

I look at Maev in the front row. At the Free Hawks, standin at the start of the gauntlet. They look confident. Strong. Hard. Maev’s eyes burn into mine.

I’ve put my life in her hands. Lugh’s life. Emmi’s. What was
I thinkin of, trustin a stranger? Even if she can be trusted, what if she cain’t pull it off? What if the Free Hawks ain’t the warriors she says they are an she’s jest a girl who talks it up an acts tough?

I look over at the Cage Master’s balcony. Everybody in the Colosseum turns to face it. The whole place falls quiet.

Vicar Pinch stands. Takes the red kercheef from the Cage Master. Raises his arm.

I don’t dare breathe. When his arm falls, I gotta run. My legs feel like water. Too weak to move.

At that moment, Pinch turns to the Cage Master. Leans in an whispers somethin in his ear. As the Cage Master listens, a little smile comes over his face. He moves to the edge of the balcony. Holds up both his arms.

Ladies and gentlement! he cries. This ain’t no ordinary warrior! This ain’t no ordinary death! On such a historical occasion, your King demands a clear view of proceedings. Therefore! He decrees that the gauntlet will be run … here!

An he throws open his arms. Opens ’em out to the aisle that runs from the Cage to right below his balcony.

Pinch has changed the gauntlet run. He’s moved it.

My whole body starts shakin. Sick rises in my throat.

The crowd busts out talkin, yellin, protestin. The gauntlet’s always run in the same place, always without fail. People bid more to stand by it an be in on the action. They start to face up to the Tonton an the guards, pushin an shovin at ’em.

No! shouts Epona from inside the Cage. She launches herself at the bars, screamin, No, no, no!

Vicar Pinch smiles.

I look at Maev. Her head moves this way an that—lookin at the Free Hawks, at me, at the new gauntlet run where people’s already crowdin in. I can see from her face that she’s frantic, tryin to think what to do. But it’s too late fer a new plan, too late fer the Hawks to move to the new spot. Anyways, the guards an the Tonton’s already in place at the top an bottom of the run to stop people pushin in.

The cagekeepers take me by the arms an drag me over to stand in front of the new run.

So.

After all I bin through, it comes down to this.

Me. Alone. No Maev. No Hawks. No plan.

If I don’t think of somethin quick, I’m gonna die in the gauntlet.

Nero calls. Over an over, urgent like I never heard him before.

He’s perched on top of the Cage. As soon as he sees me look up, he calls agin an flaps over to land on the light tower. Back to the Cage. Then back to the light tower.

Not so alone after all.

It’s a long jump. Maybe six foot.

But I ain’t got no choice.

Pinch raises his arm agin. The red kercheef goes down.

Suddenly, I make my legs collapse. I take the cagekeepers by surprise. They lose their grip. I slip free. I run. I spring at the Cage an grab the bars. I start to shin up the outside of it, fast as I can go. My bare toes give me good grip.

One of the keepers leaps. Grabs my foot. Pulls. I’m hangin on with one arm. I kick out. Hit him in the face with my heel. His nose crunches. Blood spurts. He cries out, lets go, falls to the ground. I keep goin. Don’t look back.

I pull myself onto the top of the Cage. Stand up, run across the top.

Careful! Careful don’t fall through!

Down below me, inside the Cage, Epona takes a runnin leap at the keeper who’s still there with her. Outta the corner of my eye, I see him go flyin. Good girl.

I’m nearly at the edge closest to the light tower. I pause. Glance back. Tonton an guards is swarmin up the Cage now, after me. One’s jest about to pull hisself onto the top.

I eye up the gap between the Cage an the light tower. I take two steps back. I run. I leap offa the Cage an launch myself into the air.

I throw my hands up. Fingers scrabble. There! I grab warm metal. My body slams into the tower. A jolt through my arms, my shoulders. Jest made it. I pull myself up. Start to climb. Climb higher. Scramble through to th’other side of the tower. The Hopetown side. Down below me, shanty roofs, all crammed in tight together. People who’s on the rooftops
to hear the fight better stare up at me, their mouths hangin open.

I jump offa the tower. People dive outta the way as I land on the nearest shanty roof. It’s crude, made of some flimsy wood. I go right through the roof an land on a table inside. It collapses unnerneath me.

I’m dazed fer a second. I look up through the hole in the roof. Surprised faces look down at me. I leap to my feet an head outta the door. I grab a cloak from a hook on my way out an throw it over me. I need a pair of boots, but no time to stop an look now.

Hidden inside the cloak, I quickly lose myself in the crowds fillin the streets. I keep to the edges, move in an outta doorways.

I can hear the commotion back in the Colosseum. It’s startin to spread to the streets.

My heart’s beatin like mad. An I’m jest noticin that my elbow an ribs hurt like nobody’s business. I must of banged myself up a bit when I landed on the table. Not to mention the poundin I took from Epona.

Well, I sure gave Maev the diversion she wanted.

Now to steal a couple of horses an meet up with Emmi.

She knows the plan. While the Hawks is lettin out the fighters an settin Hopetown on fire, her an me’s gonna meet at the northeast corner. There’s probly gonna be a Hawk with Em. I’ll hafta git her outta the way. But once that’s done,
we should be free an clear. We’ll leave through the hole that the Hawks’ve made in the palisade wall an head north, deep into the Black Mountains where we’ll find Freedom Fields, jest like Helen said.

Where we’ll find Lugh.

Jest then, somebody grabs me.