Page 15 of The Last One
Oh. Shit. He’s calling my bluff. This time, I blink first. Heat blooms under my skin as I nervously flick mud off my arms. I sneak another peek. He’s still looking at me, and my face grows hotter still.
“Don’t look away,”he thinks.“Don’t look away. She’s still looking, yes!”
My heart jerks in an uneven stutter as our gazes hold.
Apparently satisfied, he turns back to Olivia, his scowl more relaxed than before, and I can finally draw a complete breath.
“You’re gonna getbothour heads chopped off one day,” he tells his sister. “Now put out some buckets to catch the rain before it stops.” Without uttering another word to me, he strides toward the edge of the village.
Face still warm, my lips quirk into an almost smile.Look at him. All weary and worried, and above it all, all sass and ass. Yougo, Jadon.
Olivia rolls her eyes, then yells after him. “It’s too late for buckets, Jay. The rain’s already stopping.” To me, she says, “I reallyamsorry. We needed money. If you can’t tell, we’re not exactly thriving in this place. Just a suggestion: maybe you shouldn’t fall asleep in the forest next time?”
Her tone is almost kind, but her words still make me bristle. “Just a suggestion,” I snap. “Maybeyoushould try not to steal things that don’t belong to you. You’re gonna take from the wrongmudscrapernext time, and you’ll suffer a fate worse than handprints left on your neck.”
Olivia raises her hands. “Got it. Understood. Never again.”
I hold her sincere gaze for a moment, then nod. “So, now what?” I swipe at my muddy pants, then glare at the thief standing before me. “Where am I? What town is this?”
Olivia sheds her wet cloak and drapes it across her arm. She waggles her eyebrows and grins. “Welcome to market days in Maford, Forest Girl. You’re gonna hate it here.”
4
Olivia runs to catch up with her brother. “Jadon, stop.”
Despite the cramping around my ribs, I forge ahead after them, recoiling as I walk barefoot on slimy dirt and sharp pebbles. I wish I had my clothes, or even just my boots.
The rest of Maford unfolds before me. I may not remember where I came from, but I know that I’ve never seen a village like this. Maford couldn’t have always looked and smelled this rank. Right? Straw- and timber-built shops lean into one another like bitter old men and gossiping hags. Peeling paint and warped wood tell tales of neglect and misfortune. Over there sits a tavern that stinks of stale ale, and beyond it, a schoolhouse with hay poking out of its two windows like spiky innards. The rain has brought out a new odor—damp stone combined with decaying wood—and it lingers above the stench of death.
These villagers may not be able to fix every shop and home, but they could certainly clean up sheep shit and maybe even stow trash in one dedicated space. If it rains hard enough, maybe floodwaters can knock everything down so that they can start over.
One can hope.
One can also hope that I’ll be long gone before this place is wiped off the map.
Olivia is still trying to calm Jadon. “Relax, brother. It’s not that big of a deal.”
Jadon’s head snaps her way, his worry lines etched even deeper into his forehead. “Any time you say that, it means it’s definitely that big of a deal.”
Olivia stomps ahead of us.
For several moments, Jadon and I walk in silence, side by side. I’m uncomfortably aware of this man, so dichotomous to these pitiful surroundings.
“Charming town you have here,” I say finally, wearing a sarcastic smile.
His gaze, so moody and sullen, meets mine and instantly changes. A muscle in his jaw flexes. Any minute now he will burst into flame. And honestly, I might join him. But then his hand finds his hair again and he exhales. So maybe no flames after all.
I lift my chin and try not to laugh. I’ve got him all worked up and confused, and we’ve only just met. I don’t plan on staying in this town longer than necessary, but maybe we’ll have a good time before I leave. “That was a joke,” I say. “I think a cemetery placed in a swamp is more charming than Maford. And you…”
He finally cracks a smile, and his eyes spark. “Not charming enough for you?”
“Can you both button your breeches, please?” Olivia snaps, waiting for us.
Without another word, he marches ahead, his sister hot on his heels.
As much as I want to enjoy watching him stomp away, though…
Geld. I need it. My amulet. I want it. This place. I hate it.
