Blood Red Road

you to know about it, he says.

    Neether of us stop to think. We roll offa the rock an into the water. Maev races away, but somethin stops me followin her.
    A familiar heat’s crawlin over my skin. Shudderin up my spine. It’s the heartstone. It’s hot an no matter that the water’s freezin. I bob to the surface.
    Jack, I says.
    He stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, his hat down low over his eyes. He smiles his lopsided smile. My stupid stummick does a flip.
    Fancy meetin you here, he says.
    Maev’s head pops up over by the waterfall. What’re you doin? she yells at me. Are you crazy?
    It’s okay, Maev, I says. This is Jack.
    Jack? she calls. Who’s … oh … Jack!
    I flush even redder. Maev knows I went into the burnin cellblock to git him out. Ash told her about it.
    Are y’all right, Saba? says Jack. You look kinda warm.
    Too much sun on my head, I mutter. I swim back to the rock. Maev joins me. We hang onto the edge an look up at him.
    Jack nudges our pile of clothes with his foot. Grins. Well, ain’t this an innerestin sitchation? he says. Two girls naked in the water an me with all their clothes.
    Turn around or I’ll rip yer heart out, says Maev.
    Bloodthirsty, says Jack. I like that in a woman.
    Turn around!
    Ain’t it a bit late fer that? he says. I mean, I already seen all there is to see.
    But he turns his back while we scramble outta the water an into our clothes.
    What’re you doin here, Jack? I says.
    How’d you git past the Hawks? says Maev.
    He shrugs. I asked where I could find you. Ash said to try here.
    You got past Ash? says Maev.
    Uh huh, he says. She took a bit of … persuadin but in the end she came round. Nice girl.
    Nice girl? says Maev. Are you sure it was Ash you met?
    Listen, he says, I know it ain’t my business, but you might wanna have a word, tighten up yer security.
    Yer right, she snaps, it ain’t yer business. See you back at camp, she says to me. She brushes past him an disappears into the forest.
    He turns around as I’m pullin on my boots. She likes me, he says. I can always tell.
    D’you rile somebody every time you open yer mouth? I says.
    Pretty much, he says.
    You didn’t answer my question. What’re you doin here, Jack? I frown. Are you followin me?
    My my, he says, you do have a high opinion of yer charms. No, I jest … happened to be passin by is all, an I remembered you sayin somethin about hookin up with the Free Hawks. I jest wanted to make sure you got here okay an … all that. So. Is … everythin okay?
    Uh huh, I says.
    You found yer sister okay?
    Yup.
    Good. That’s good. Did I mention I always wanted a sister?
    Yup.
    He folds his arms over his chest. Smiles at me. I stare at him. Finally he says, I know the way to Freedom Fields. I can take you there.
    Every bit of my body tightens with excitement when he says it. But right away there’s somethin nigglin at me, so I says, It’s mighty strange, Jack, you jest happenin to turn up here an you jest happenin to know the way to Freedom Fields.
    I told you before, he says. It’s fate.
    An I told you I don’t believe in fate, I says. How do I know I can trust you?
    You can trust me, he says.
    You would say that. How do I know you ain’t lyin?
    You don’t. But I ain’t.
    I feel the blood rush to my head. I throw up my arms an yell, You are the most infuriatin person I ever met in my whole life! Talkin to you’s like talkin to a eel!
    He gives me that crooked, cocky smile.
    An don’t look so pleased with yerself, I says. It ain’t a compliment.
    So, he says, d’you want a guide or not?
    Tell me, Jack, I says. What’s in it fer you?
    Instead of answerin my question, he takes a step closer to me an says, Why’d you come after me?
    What?
    Why’d you come after me? he says. Back at Hopetown. That cellblock was on fire. You’d hafta be crazy to go in there. But you did. You risked yer life to save mine an you didn’t even know me.
    The heartstone’s almost burnin a hole right through my skin. I sure ain’t gonna tell him that sorry yarn Mercy spun me, about it turnin warm when you stand in front of yer heart’s desire. You wouldn’t think a grown woman could be so silly.
    I cross my arms over my poundin heart an stare down at my feet. I dunno why, I says, I jest did.
    An I dunno why I’m here, he says. I jest am. I mean, it ain’t like I don’t have better things to do. I got people to see. I got … business interests.
    Then go, I says. I didn’t ask you