The Boys of Fire and Ash (27 page)

He was right. It wasn't much of a plan. In fact, it was a bad plan, and with Lussit's hands on my wrist I knew I'd be afraid to bring her into the Temple with me, let alone offer her as a condolence prize to Krepin.

We made our way back through Fendar Sticks easily enough, though Fiver and Av were adamant about complete silence until we hit the road that led to the river. The streets of the town were silent too, the warm glow of the indoor lights completely gone while the villagers slept. It was only us that moved through the shadows…. We hoped it was only us, anyway.

We made it to the road without so much as a hiccup and it seemed the Belphebans hadn't noticed Lussit's disappearance.

“This was stupid,” said Av once we were, he decided, a safe distance from the ears of the sleeping villagers.

“Oh come on, Av,” said Fiver, a new spring to his step and a renewed energy flowing through him. “Your Sister is trying to do you a favor. Be grateful.”

“Watch your mouth, Fiver,” snapped Av. He knew Fiver was only making fun of him. Fiver didn't believe they were related any more than he was related to a Tunrar.

“Av, really, I think Urgle's plan will work,” said Lussit, reaching for his shoulder.

He shrugged her away violently. “It's not a plan! It won't work, and if you were my Sister you'd be smart enough to see what an idiotic idea this whole thing is!”

She stepped back and I waited for her to get angry, to yell back at him, but she didn't. Her eyes just got sad, and her mouth trembled as she decided what to say.

“Of course I'm y-your S-Sister,” she stuttered. “I felt it, you must have felt it. Did you feel it?”

He looked away from her and muttered, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You do!” she said, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. “We come from a long line of Sacred Ones, and they all had the same gift you do. My Mother and her Sister, their Mother and her Sister, on and on since the start of everything! It's always two, we come in pairs. And you and I are a pair. You know that.”

Av said nothing, trying to avoid looking at her tear-stained face. Whether he had felt this connection she was talking about or not, I didn't care. I just wanted him to say whatever it was she wanted him to so that she would stop looking so upset.

My eyes went from the one to the other, and I started to notice the resemblance between their faces. Her brow was knotted just like his, her glossy eyes the same shape and color. If she'd cared what I thought, I would have told her I knew it.

He took a while, choosing his words carefully, and I could tell from the way he was grinding his teeth that she was right, he had felt it. He was just as certain they were twins as she was.

“I just wish you hadn't come,” he managed, and her face lit up.

Thank you, Av
.

“Oh, Av, don't worry about me. Everything will be all right, I—”

“I'm not worried
about
you!” he shouted. “I'm worried about what happens if the Belphebans catch us
with
you!”

He stormed away from her, walking as briskly as he could, Fiver trotting alongside him.

I moved to follow, but Lussit just stayed where she stood, swallowing hard. I could tell she was doing her best not to cry. The tears gave her away.

“You coming?” I asked.

She looked at me, her big dark eyes exposing every ounce of hurt Av had inflicted on her, and I wanted to punch him. I wanted to pin him down and make him apologize, take it all back. She nodded and wiped her eyes, then hurried to my side. We walked together silently, her head hanging down but looking up every so often at Av and Fiver marching ahead.

“He didn't mean it,” I said, desperate to make her happy. “He's not good with this kind of thing.”

“This kind of thing?” she asked.

I wished she hadn't asked that because I really didn't know what I'd meant. Girl kind of thing? Surprise Sisters kind of thing?

“Surprises,” I said. “You took him by surprise is all.”

“I ruined your mission?”

“What?” How she came to that conclusion I had no idea. “You saved it. The three of us owe you our lives. Av just said all that 'cause he really does care about you. I promise; I'm his best friend, I can tell. I think it's just freaking him out a little bit. But it only freaks him out because of how much he cares.”

She said nothing.

“Better?”

She looked up at me and smiled. “Yes, better.” And she slipped her arm through mine.

We walked that way awhile, not speaking, just linked, and I felt like I could walk that way forever.

“What about your Brother?” she said, finally. “How old is he?”

“Six.”

“What is his name?”

“Cubby.” I thought of him then, if he could've been there with me, met Lussit. He would have loved her instantly.

“He has a very good Big Brother.”

I bit my lip because it wasn't true. “There are a lot of people who would disagree with you….”

“What do you mean?”

I shrugged, not sure I wanted to get into the whole thing, not sure I wanted to talk about how I was a miserable Big Brother to Cubby, always annoyed, always snapping at him. I couldn't teach him anything because I wasn't good at anything, so I took it out on him. Truth was, Cubby had rotten luck getting stuck with me. Before I knew it, I'd told all this to Lussit, who listened attentively. When I was done, I felt that lump, that annoying, painful swell in the back of my throat that so often crept up on me these last four days.

She rubbed my arm gently, her hand making the skin instantly warm in the frigid night air. She got on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek. “Cubby is very lucky to have someone who cares about him as much as you do.”

She gave me that smile that was all love and kindness and then looked ahead, continuing with the journey.

I walked with her, arm in arm, but my brain was still
back at the moment she kissed me. I wasn't sure what I did right—if anything I thought she'd be appalled and run away, but she hadn't. She'd kissed me.

“Mother seeker!” Fiver bellowed up ahead.

I could hear the quiet trickle of water, and I could make out the bridge, just a shadow in the distance. We'd reached the river.

“Boat's gone,” announced Av. “Water must have carried it.”

Av was right. We hadn't tied it to anything.

“So we walk?” I said.

“And fast,” said Fiver. “Those Belphebans will be hot on our trail come first light.”

Lussit nodded. We were running out of time.

Av took off at a quick jog down the bank of the river and me, Fiver, and Lussit silently followed. We were in for a long night, but we had to put as much distance between us and an angry Serin as possible.

Too late.

I watched a dagger sail out of nowhere, just barely missing Fiver's head and slamming into a nearby tree.

“Already?” screamed Fiver, who didn't stop running. None of us stopped, we just ran faster.

Lussit was lagging behind so I grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She was trying, but her top speed was a lot slower than ours.

Another dagger whizzed by. This one I could hear as it flew past my right ear.

I veered to the left, dragging Lussit with me. Fiver and Av kept running ahead. I didn't know where they were going, I didn't know where we were going, but we had to go. I ran as fast as I could with Lussit slowing me down. Neither of us was a particularly good runner and I realized
we were the easiest people in the world to track. Lussit was squealing every time a branch flew back in her face, or she had a momentary loss of balance, while I was snapping every brittle twig that came under my foot. We were loud and destructive. They'd follow us easily.

I stopped.

“What are you doing?” she gasped between labored breaths.

There was a thick mossy trunk just beside us, vines and undergrowth weaving around its base.

“Get in there!” I whispered, and gently pushed her in that direction. She was quick to follow my instructions and we forced our way into the shelter of the leaves and vegetation.

It was a tight space, and we sat, her hands on my lap and her frightened breath hot on my ear. She smelled like spices and water, and I began to worry that she'd notice my stink. We sat as quietly as we could, waiting with thumping hearts, and I promised myself I'd do whatever I could to keep her safe from whatever came for us.

There was the sound of snapping twigs nearby, just one or two. Then nothing. Silence. It could have easily been an animal, but a cold chill ran up my spine and I had a feeling, a feeling like Fiver must have felt that night in Fendar Sticks. We were being watched.

Just then, I was yanked by the throat and pulled with a mighty force from my hiding spot. Lussit let out a scream and I was thrown to the ground, my face in the dirt.

“You thought you could escape, little boy?” Farka. She circled around me, snarling and seething.

I moved to get up but she kicked me in the stomach and I collapsed, gasping for breath and wincing from the pain.

“Farka, please,” cried Lussit. “Let him go!”

“But, Sacred Innocent!” Farka said. “I've come to save you! They are in league with the Beginners.”

“No, they aren't,” pleaded Lussit. “I don't need you to save me, Farka. They are our friends.”

I got ahold of myself again and moved to get up. Farka was waiting for it and she pelted me in the groin. I bit down and my whole body lit up from the pain.

“My lady! They were plotting to kill Serin!”

She kicked me again.

“Farka!” boomed Lussit in that commanding voice she hid so well when we were talking on the road. “I am guided by the ethereal light, and I know what I am doing. You will leave these boys alone.”

Farka stared at Lussit, dumbfounded and confused. That was when Fiver bodychecked her.

He flew in from the shadows and sent Farka to the ground, landing on top of her. She screamed and roared as she struggled underneath him, and then Av arrived, taking the opportunity to grab her sword.

“Careful,” I sputtered as Fiver finally crawled off her, “we've been here before.”

“Fiver, get something to bind her.”

Fiver nodded and rushed into the bushes, emerging moments later with an armful of thick vines.

He hurried to tie up Farka, but as soon as he grabbed her arm she flipped him over her head. He landed with a thud and a growl, but Farka didn't try anything more. Av had the blade firmly pressed against her neck.

Fiver wrapped the vines tightly round her chest and arms, wrapping and threading all the way to her wrists.

“How many more of you are there?” Av demanded.

Farka smiled defiantly.

“Tell me!” he barked.

Still Farka said nothing. Lussit took a hesitant step forward and placed her shaking hand on the top of Farka's head.

“She's alone,” Lussit said.

“There are many coming,” Farka hissed.

“There aren't,” Lussit countered. “She's all alone. She must have been following us since we left the camp.”

Av nodded.

“Wait!” protested Fiver. “How do we know she's alone for sure?”

Av looked at Lussit, then glared at Farka before he took a long, frustrated breath. “She's alone.”

“Av!” barked Fiver. “Lussit can't know that!”

“She's alone!” said Av, officially ending the conversation.

I cleared my throat to break the awkward silence. “So what do we do with Farka?”

Av and Fiver said nothing. There was really only one option.

“We take her with us,” said Lussit.

“Excuse me, Holiness,” laughed Fiver. “But there's definitely a more convenient way to deal with this. Av, kill her.”

Farka began to laugh and Av held the blade to her neck.

“Av, please,” begged Lussit.

“Get up,” he ordered Farka.

With a sour scowl, she got to her feet, arms secure behind her back.

“Move.”

“I don't believe this,” grumbled Fiver.

Farka took a couple of lazy steps towards Av, then spat in his face before she stumbled back towards the river. Av
followed, blade pointed firmly at Farka. Lussit walked beside him, and I looked to Fiver, who stood with his arms crossed, glowering at the sibling pair.

I shrugged and smiled before I fell in line.

“What are you smiling about, Useless?”

I wasn't sure. Maybe it was the fact that we'd dodged death for the third time that night. Maybe it was the defeated scowl on Farka's face. Or maybe it was because Av had let Lussit have her way. Mostly, though, I think it was because we were closer. We were so much closer to rescuing Cubby; I was so much closer to having him back.

By the time morning light peeked through the treetops, we were deep in the Baublenotts, following the river and hacking through thick vegetation. I was exhausted, but the sound of the thundering water invigorated me. We were getting close to the Falls of the Faithful.

The sound of rushing water didn't have the same impact on Lussit, and she stumbled a few paces behind us, dark circles forming under her eyes.

“We should rest a minute,” said Av, noticing Lussit at the same time I did.

Normally I would have argued, but I was feeling just as tired as Lussit looked and I knew it was better to face Krepin with a bit of rest behind me.

Fiver grunted his approval and hunkered down against a tree for a quick nap.

“Come on, Lussit,” I called to her. “We'll rest here.”

Av kept Farka's blade on Farka, and he escorted her to a seat on a rotting log.

“Here, Urgs,” he said, shoving the sword at me.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.” He glared at me, still mad that I let Lussit come with us. “Just keep pointing it at her; I'm going to try and rest.”