mother had said things like that about her father.
Maybe it was something you said when you knew you couldn’t win. Couldn’t convince the other person that what they were doing was insane.
Aaron had said almost nothing to her yesterday, or this morning. In fact, she’d seen very little of him; he’d spent most of the time with his family, particularly his brother. He was psyching himself up for the fight, she supposed, the way a ballplayer would prepare for a big game—except that this game involved the strong possibility of his being killed—of having his throat torn out by the teeth of another wolf.
Those were stakes a lot higher than there’d be for a ball game.
The entire village was gathered around the perimeter of a big clearing, even Luca, who had been carried out of his house by two men Abby had seen before but hadn’t been introduced to. His friends, she supposed. He was sitting in a big chair, wrapped in blankets, looking a little better than he had the day before, but still pale and clearly nowhere near full strength. His mother was standing on one side of him, his father on the other.
The girl who’d started this whole thing, Katrin, was a few yards away, standing with an older man and woman Abby assumed were her parents. The elders were there too, looking poker-faced and humorless.
What did they all want? she wondered. Did they expect someone to die? Did they want someone to die? And if that someone was Aaron, did that mean Micah would win Katrin?
A little surprised when no one took any notice, Abby moved back through the crowd, away from Granny Sara, until she reached the simple rail fence surrounding someone’s house. She leaned heavily against it, glad for the support and feeling a little sick.
She could take a boat, she realized. She’d heard mention of where the boats were kept, that it wasn’t far away, and knew that with everyone here watching the fight, she’d be able to get away without a struggle. It would take her only a minute to run back to Granny Sara’s and retrieve her overnight bag, then she could make her way to the boats. If she circled the island to the dock where she’d originally landed here, she’d be able to point herself back across the water to Dolphin Cove.
To civilization. To normal life among normal people.
Yes.
That was what she had to do, and quickly. She couldn’t stay here, among these people.
These wolves.
Something that felt a lot like grief welled up in her, gripping her heart in a way that made her gasp. She couldn’t feel Aaron calling to her at all, and decided he was too wrapped up in this fight to care where she was or what she was doing.
That was fine, she told herself. She wouldn’t have to explain anything to him, wouldn’t have to worry about him trying to keep her here. She could just run, and be done with this.
It was just a… a fling. That’s all.
That’s all.
The murmuring among the crowd was getting a little louder. It was almost time, then.
Trying not to look around in a way that make her look suspicious, she moved along the fence to the path. A couple of people glanced her way but paid her no real attention; they were far too focused on that clearing, where the fight would take place. Abby shuddered as she retreated, then steeled herself and scurried down the path to Granny Sara’s.
When she was inside with the door almost fully closed, she took the time to breathe, still trembling. Yes, her bag was still where she’d left it, there by the table. She picked it up and examined it to make sure nothing was likely to fall out, then turned back toward the door.
When it started to swing open, she had to stifle a scream.
Sara? Micah? One of the elders?
Aaron?
It was none of those. The door opened the rest of the way to admit Katrin, who looked every bit as somber as Granny Sara had.
“I—I had to get something out of my bag,” Abby stammered.
Katrin looked her up and down, her expression giving away nothing of what
Maybe it was something you said when you knew you couldn’t win. Couldn’t convince the other person that what they were doing was insane.
Aaron had said almost nothing to her yesterday, or this morning. In fact, she’d seen very little of him; he’d spent most of the time with his family, particularly his brother. He was psyching himself up for the fight, she supposed, the way a ballplayer would prepare for a big game—except that this game involved the strong possibility of his being killed—of having his throat torn out by the teeth of another wolf.
Those were stakes a lot higher than there’d be for a ball game.
The entire village was gathered around the perimeter of a big clearing, even Luca, who had been carried out of his house by two men Abby had seen before but hadn’t been introduced to. His friends, she supposed. He was sitting in a big chair, wrapped in blankets, looking a little better than he had the day before, but still pale and clearly nowhere near full strength. His mother was standing on one side of him, his father on the other.
The girl who’d started this whole thing, Katrin, was a few yards away, standing with an older man and woman Abby assumed were her parents. The elders were there too, looking poker-faced and humorless.
What did they all want? she wondered. Did they expect someone to die? Did they want someone to die? And if that someone was Aaron, did that mean Micah would win Katrin?
A little surprised when no one took any notice, Abby moved back through the crowd, away from Granny Sara, until she reached the simple rail fence surrounding someone’s house. She leaned heavily against it, glad for the support and feeling a little sick.
She could take a boat, she realized. She’d heard mention of where the boats were kept, that it wasn’t far away, and knew that with everyone here watching the fight, she’d be able to get away without a struggle. It would take her only a minute to run back to Granny Sara’s and retrieve her overnight bag, then she could make her way to the boats. If she circled the island to the dock where she’d originally landed here, she’d be able to point herself back across the water to Dolphin Cove.
To civilization. To normal life among normal people.
Yes.
That was what she had to do, and quickly. She couldn’t stay here, among these people.
These wolves.
Something that felt a lot like grief welled up in her, gripping her heart in a way that made her gasp. She couldn’t feel Aaron calling to her at all, and decided he was too wrapped up in this fight to care where she was or what she was doing.
That was fine, she told herself. She wouldn’t have to explain anything to him, wouldn’t have to worry about him trying to keep her here. She could just run, and be done with this.
It was just a… a fling. That’s all.
That’s all.
The murmuring among the crowd was getting a little louder. It was almost time, then.
Trying not to look around in a way that make her look suspicious, she moved along the fence to the path. A couple of people glanced her way but paid her no real attention; they were far too focused on that clearing, where the fight would take place. Abby shuddered as she retreated, then steeled herself and scurried down the path to Granny Sara’s.
When she was inside with the door almost fully closed, she took the time to breathe, still trembling. Yes, her bag was still where she’d left it, there by the table. She picked it up and examined it to make sure nothing was likely to fall out, then turned back toward the door.
When it started to swing open, she had to stifle a scream.
Sara? Micah? One of the elders?
Aaron?
It was none of those. The door opened the rest of the way to admit Katrin, who looked every bit as somber as Granny Sara had.
“I—I had to get something out of my bag,” Abby stammered.
Katrin looked her up and down, her expression giving away nothing of what
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