Ember (55 page)

A
sp
a
rk
of
a
ng
e
r
lit
his
e
y
e
s
.
“
T
ru
l
y?
”
S
h
e
w
a
tch
e
d
his
fists
cl
e
nch
.
“
I
kn
e
w
a
thi
e
f?
A
w
o
ma
n
who
m
ight
kill
me
w
ith
on
e
thought
if
I
displ
ea
s
e
d
h
e
r?
”

S
o
me
ho
w
sh
e
sw
a
llow
e
d
a
nd
found
th
e
a
bility
to
m
ov
e
h
e
r
m
outh
.
“
I
wou
l
d
n
e
v
e
r
hurt
you
,
Ma
rtin
.
Ne
v
e
r
.
”

“
Ne
v
e
r
,
”
h
e
sp
a
t
.
“
W
h
e
n
h
a
v
e
I
h
ea
rd
th
a
t
b
e
for
e
?
R
ight
,
th
e
night
a
ft
e
r
you
burn
e
d
do
w
n
your
f
a
th
e
r’s
w
a
r
e
hous
e.
”

“
I
was
t
en
!
”
She
d
i
dn
’t
know
whe
r
e
she
’
d
f
ound
t
he
s
tr
eng
t
h
t
o
shou
t
,
bu
t
it
f
e
lt
good.
B
l
oody
good.

“
My
pa
r
en
t
s
l
os
t
eve
r
y
t
h
i
ng
t
hey
had
t
ha
t
n
i
gh
t!
”
The
ve
i
ns
on
h
i
s
neck
bu
l
ged.
“
Have
you
l
ea
r
ned
no
t
h
i
ng
fr
om
t
ha
t
?
”

“
Ha
v
e
you?
”
sh
e
count
e
r
e
d
.
“
O
r
wou
l
d
you
l
a
y
it
a
ll
at
m
y
f
ee
t?
Y
ou
d
a
r
e
d
me
to
light
th
a
t
fir
e.
”

He
fli
nched.
“
Aye,
I
d
i
d.
And
I
wou
l
d
li
ve
w
it
h
t
ha
t
,
li
ve
happ
il
y
w
it
h
you,
had
you
s
t
opped
you
r
an
ti
cs
t
hen
and
t
he
r
e.
Bu
t
you
haven
’t
,
have
you?
”
He
moved
away
fr
om
he
r
w
it
h
a
snee
r
.
“
You
lit
up
a
man.
”

“
You
know
why
I
d
i
d
s
o
!”

M
a
r
t
i
n
l
oo
k
ed
at
h
er
f
r
om
o
v
er
h
i
s
s
h
o
u
l
de
r
.
“
Y
e
s
,
l
et
u
s
d
i
scuss
why.
”
He
came
f
o
r
wa
r
d.
“
Because
you
we
r
e
t
h
i
ev
i
ng
and
ano
t
he
r
l
ow—
lif
e
c
ri
m
i
na
l
t
hough
t
t
o
f
o
ll
ow
you
home.
”

Low
lif
e.
M
ir
a
nd
a
ground
h
e
r
t
ee
th
.
“
I
st
ea
l
b
e
c
a
us
e
I
h
a
v
e
to
.
”

“
You
r
cho
i
ces
a
r
e
l
ack
i
ng
i
n
good
j
udgmen
t
,
M
ir
anda.
”

T
h
e
a
ir
a
bout
h
e
r
h
ea
t
e
d
. M
ir
a
nd
a
dr
ew
in
a
long
br
ea
th
a
nd
h
e
ld
it
for
a
m
o
me
nt
.
But
Ma
rtin
m
ust
h
a
v
e
s
ee
n
so
me
thing
in
h
e
r
f
a
c
e,
for
h
e
r
e
coil
e
d
.

“
Even
now
you
a
r
e
t
emp
t
ed
t
o
fr
y
me,
a
r
en
’t
you?
”
H
i
s
f
ace
pa
l
ed,
t
hen
t
w
i
s
t
ed
w
it
h
such
d
i
sgus
t
t
ha
t
some
t
h
i
ng
i
ns
i
de
M
ir
anda
d
i
ed.
A
ll
t
he
hea
t
i
ns
i
de
he
r
wen
t
ic
e
co
l
d.

“
I
f
you
we
r
e
r
espons
i
b
l
e
f
o
r
r
u
i
n
i
ng
you
r
f
a
t
he
r
,
wou
l
d
you
s
ay
n
o
t
o
h
i
s
w
i
s
h
e
s
,
M
a
r
t
i
n
?”
S
h
e
s
w
a
ll
o
w
ed.
“
Y
e
s
,
I
’
v
e
made
poor
cho
i
ces,
bu
t
I
am
tr
y
i
ng.
I
am
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
do
ri
gh
t
by
t
hose
I
l
ove.
”