Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1) (42 page)
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Authors: Emma Woods
BOOK: Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1)
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He thinks so? Tanner didn’t know where we were?
The numbness of my body was giving way to pain, a deep ache that ran through my shoulders, down my spine, into my legs. My eyes were heavy and couldn’t focus. I almost sat in the middle of the road and cried myself to sleep. I glanced at Tanner. He was limping, but the gash on his arm had stopped bleeding. We were both covered in blood: his, mine, Anderson’s …so much blood. Dirt and leaves clung to it, and it made my skin itch.
“Tanner, are we lost?”
He studied the rising sun. His expression was grim, but then he focused ahead. “We’re going in the right direction.”
As we rounded a bend, the corner of a house came into view, sheltered by thinned trees. I froze and began to back into the edge of the road. A flash of red crossed yards ahead of us, a boy dashing into high weeds in front of the house. Another, taller boy crossed slowly, his head lowered. Neither seemed to notice us.
I sank against a tree and closed my eyes, too tired to think. “What do we do now?” I wasn’t sure if I’d said it out loud, but Tanner answered me.
“They’re boys. I’m going to go to them, see what they know. Maybe I know them, maybe they came from the same place we did. If so, we can at least use the house for shelter, get some rest, find food.”
“Okay.” The pain radiating from my back was growing and it took all my control to bear the agony without screaming when I pushed myself back up.
Tanner caught me and leaned me against the tree. “No. Stay here. I’ll go alone, check it out, and come back for you.”
I met his green eyes with my own. “What if you don’t come back?”
“Give me ten minutes. If I don’t come back, go on without me, but I’ll be back.”
“Promise?”
His mouth curved into a half smile. “I promise.”
While I waited, I circled the tree, afraid to sit down again. If I sat down, I might sleep, and if I fell asleep, I might not wake up again.
“Lea,” Tanner called from the middle of the road. “It’s safe! Come out.”
I stepped to the edge of the pavement. “You’re sure?” I glanced behind him; none of the boys had come with him, and no one had followed him, either.
“Yes, I talked with them, and we can stay here.” Tanner took my hand and pulled me forward.
“Who are they? What did you tell them? Did you tell them I was a -” I yanked my hand away and refused to go any further.
“A girl? No, I told them you were a two headed monster I kept as a pet,” he snapped. “Of course I told them who you were. Now come on.”
“Don’t be hateful!” I yelled at him. I dropped my eyes to the ground and whispered. “I’m just scared, all right?”
“Hey.” He pulled my head to his chest and kissed the top of it. “They aren’t going to hurt you. These boys ran away instead of being sacrificed. Some of them have been hiding here for years. They’ve explored the abandoned city, but they’ve never met a woman in real life. They’re curious; they want to meet you, not kill you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Lea, I’m tired and injured. You can barely stand by yourself, and I think your shoulder is dislocated. We’re both filthy, and they have a generator and running water. Please? I promise I won’t leave you alone with them.” He squeezed me head further into his chest and held his breath.
My mind raced. Tanner was right, I was exhausted, and the prospect of running water sounded too good to be true. If they decided to attack, he would protect me, or die trying. I didn’t know if I wanted to be that burden, but it was too late, he’d been protecting me all along. If I said no, he’d follow me, and risk his life anyway.
“All right.” My answer was barely a whisper, but it was enough.
He took my hand and led me to the house. It was similar to the farmhouses in the men’s village, but it had a brick chimney where the others had stone. The grass around it was tall and peeking through the top of it was a rusted mailbox, the only clear sign that women had lived here once. We followed a small gravel path to the porch, where a tall boy stood waiting.
Tanner climbed the stairs and approached him. “This is Lea, the girl I told you about.”
Though he was a head taller than Tanner, his movements were easy, graceful. He stepped into the sunlight, and his eyes reflected the gray of an early morning sky. His short raven hair held a halo of light, and his eyes crinkled as he grinned and held out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Lea. Name’s Corre. Welcome to the revolution.”
~
About the Author
~
Emma Woods is a small town girl from the Midwest who lives with her husband, daughter, and dog. She loves reading and writing, and thrives on imagination.
Connect with Emma:
https://twitter.com/theemmawoods
http://theemmawoods.wordpress.com
Table of Contents
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