Blood Red Road

word’s out.
    The Angel of Death’s goin down.
    Hopetown’s packed. The scum crawl out from whatever rock they live unner to be there, to bet on the next two fights. The Cage Master’s only takin primo Wrecker junk as bets—coins, glass beads, gold rings, silver chains … they bring what they got to him an he decides what it’s worth, if anythin.
    Looks like the prospect of my death’s worth plenty. To him. To Miz Pinch. An to anybody in Hopetown with a flea-infested bed goin spare. Em tells me they’re rentin beds out by the hour, not the night.
    Right now the Cage Master’s givin even odds on me or Epona to win.
    He ain’t bin to see me since that first day. When he told me he didn’t care if I lived or died. It’s true. We’re all the same to him. We’re all the same to all of ’em who come to see us fight.
    While I’m waitin to go into the Cage, I look up to the Cage Master’s balcony. He’s there, along with DeMalo an the King.
    The King leans on the railin, starin down at me. He’s dressed all in red today.
    My birthmoon tatoo bothered him, that’s fer certain. It makes me believe that Helen’s right, that he’s holdin Lugh prisoner at Freedom Fields. He must of noticed Lugh’s tattoo. I can only hope that he bought my story about how I came by mine.
    I lose my fight, of course. That’s two fights down. One to go.
    Tomorrow’s the day.

    It’s him. Jack. Legs crossed at the ankle, arms crossed over his chest, leanin aginst a wall in a corner of the male fighters’ exercise yard. Starin at me.
    When he sees me lookin at him, he pushes off from the wall an wanders over to the fence. Without my tellin ’em to, my feet start movin an all of a sudden I’m standin in front of him. His long hair’s gone now. Shaved off, like the rest of us.
    Angel, angel, he says. He’s smilin an shakin his head. What’re you up to?
    I dunno what yer talkin about, I says.
    You don’t lose fights, he says. Not unless you want to, that is.
    His silvery eyes flick over to where Epona’s standin, talkin to some of th’other girls.
    I saw you talkin to yer friend th’other day, he says. Looked like a mighty innerestin conversation.
    I dunno what you mean, I says. Heat’s startin to crawl all over my chest. The heartstone feels warm aginst my skin. The same thing that happened the last time I talked to him. I frown.
    He shrugs. All right, he says. Don’t tell me. I’ll find out eventually.
    You won’t find out nuthin, I says. Cuz there ain’t nuthin to find out.
    Suddenly he’s got hold of my wrist. I didn’t even see him move. A tingle shoots up my arm. Like when Lugh an me was nearly hit by the lightnin that day.
    The smile’s gone. His face looks dead serious. Looks to me like yer playin a dangerous game, he says.
    Why should you care what I do?
    We stare at each other a long moment. Then, No reason, he says. Jest … be careful, Angel. That’s all. He lets go of my wrist slowly. Almost like he don’t want to.
    As I move away from him, the heartstone starts to cool down.

    Darkness. Hard to see. Smoke fills the air. Burns my throat, my nostrils, stings my eyes .
    Where are you? I scream .
    No answer. Hungry flames lick at wood. Embers pop an hiss .
    I hafta find him. Cain’t leave him here .
    The sound of a heartbeat. My heartbeat. Over an over. So loud. It fills my brain, my head. I cover my ears with my hands. Panic grips me. I turn in circles, blind .
    Where are you? I shout. Where are you?
    Another voice now. Whisperin. Mercy’s voice .
    The heartstone lets you know  …  the heartstone  …  heartstone  …  hurry, Saba  …
    Bright sun. Exercise yard. Epona smiles. We’re gonna burn Hopetown to the ground, she says .
    I gotta find him. Before it’s too late .
    Too late  …  too late  …  too late  …
    I wake, mutterin to myself. I’m soaked with sweat, my blanket twisted around my legs, my heart poundin in my chest.
    That was a new one. I ain’t dreamed of fire before. An it warn’t Lugh I was searchin fer so frantic. I dunno who it was.
    I do what I always do to chase the nightmares away. I sit on my cot, hug my knees to my chest an close my eyes.
    I think of water. Clean, clear water. A lake. I dive in. It washes over me, around me. My tired body, my tattered soul, my heavy heart. As I swim, it washes me clean.
    An so I make it through to another dawn.

    The keeper opens the door. I step into the Cage fer the last time. My hands an legs feel far away, like