Plague of Mybyncia (43 page)

I want to look away, but can’t. This young
boy is getting pummeled and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
After a bit, the tribesman stops fighting back and Tucker quickly
ceases, his fist red with the Zingfinold’s blood. Releasing his
hold on Zeed’s neck, he slowly backs to a stand. With the tribesman
lying motionless at his feet, Tucker pelts Warze with a lethal
glare.

“Next.”

“You no finished,” he eyes Zeed.

“I’ve won the duel. I’m not going to kill
him. It’s a useless death,” he exhales, wiping blood from his nose.
“Now, what’s next?”

Warze looks between Zeed and Tucker, then to
Hozfin. The king offers a slight nod so Warze indicates the brown
mountain on the other side of the clearing, past the herd of
Zingfinolds and beyond the reappearance of trees. “Bring back Ludin
bones.”

Tucker takes off in a light jog and the thick
perimeter of bodies break for him, everyone watching as he heads
toward the mountain in the distance.

“So what now?” I whisper to Able.

“We stay and wait.”

“Just… wait?”

He nods. “He has to return with the
bones.”

“How long will that take?”

“Well…” Able sort of shrugs, “depending on
how quickly he can get through it… maybe a few hours?”

“Really?” I bite my lip, watching Tucker fade
into the distance.

“Walker said it’s a pretty terrible terrain.
Can’t see it from here but real rocky. Cliffs and stuff.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine,” Walker approaches. He’s
chewing on something, like a long grain of wheat that sticks out
from the corner of his mouth. “Needs to take his time is all.”

“How long did it take you?” I ask.

“Two hours maybe?”

“Was it really difficult?”

“Well…” he kicks his feet. “It was either
finish and come back or… die up there trying. Not too difficult
when you put it in perspective.”

“Weren’t you scared?” Mae appears.

“Of dying?
Yeah
.”

“Wow…” she shakes her head. “It must have
been
terrifying
.”

“It wasn’t so bad. Nothing’s trying to kill
you up there. It’s the Horrop you got to worry about.”

“What
is
it?”

“A beast,” Walker says in a near whisper, his
eyes lost on some image.

“How’d you kill it?” I ask.

“You don’t even know who you’re talking to,
Fallon,” Walker winks. “I’ve got a thing or two up my sleeve.”

“What’s going on?” an arm wraps around my hip
and I look up to find Reid glaring at Walker across from me.

“Just talking,” Walker chews on his strand of
wheat, following my stare toward the mountain.

“About what?”

“How—what’s your name?” Mae blushes a deep
crimson as she focuses on Walker. “Sorry… didn’t catch it.”

“Heath. But uh…” his eyes flash to mine, “you
can call me Walker.”

“Walker,” she beams, turning to Reid. “Walker
was telling us about how he completed the three tasks.”

“That so?”

“It is, yeah.”

“He says the Horrop,” Able jumps in, hoping
to dissolve the palpable tension, “is going to be the hardest.”

“But
you
did it,” Reid glances over
Walker. “Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

He grins, tossing the wheat strand to the
opposite corner of his mouth. “Oh it is—don’t be fooled. I made it
look easy.”

“I’m not worried. And uh…” he squeezes me
tighter, “I don’t plan on getting fooled.”

Walker’s grin vanishes. He looks between Mae
and Able, then to Reid clutching me next to him. Tossing a look
over his shoulder, he chews on the wheat strand. “I’m going to
check on Zeed. He’s a good kid. Probably hurting right about
now.”

Able and Mae gesture a goodbye but Reid
simply holds me next to him and we watch as Walker heads for the
others that are helping peel Zeed off the ground. Once he’s made a
good distance, Able turns to Reid.

“He’s… he’s really not a bad guy.”

“You’re going to defend him to me?”

“No… just…” Able shrugs, kicking the ground.
“I don’t know. He seems apologetic… he knows he messed up.”

“And that should make it better?”

“I’m just saying,” Able glances at me
quickly, then back to Reid. “He’s not a
terrible
dude.”

“I think he’s the worst kind of ‘dude,’” Reid
shakes his head. He glances to the other Rogues before securing me
with the Commander. “Can’t believe you, Able.”

“Sorry, Boss. I just…”

But Reid is storming off, making his way for
Jace, Booker and Werzo. They welcome him into their gathering and
he’s shaking his head again, his mouth going a mile a minute.

“What was that all about?” Mae looks after
him, nonplussed.

“He’s really not a bad guy,” Able turns to
me. “Just…
dumb
.”

“That doesn’t make up for what he did.”

“What’d he do?” Mae frowns.

Able and I exchange glances. Who’s going to
be the one to tell her? Finally Able inhales. “He uh… sort of
screwed him over.”

“How?” Mae glances to me, realization
sweeping her face. “With a girl? Oh…” she looks after Walker,
seeing him with new eyes, “that’s so sad. Were they good
friends?”

“No,” Able laughs, “not really. They knew
each other but I wouldn’t call them friends.”

“But he still…”

“Yup,” Able nods as his eyes widen.
“
Multiple
times.”

“No wonder Reid’s so moody. Did he do that to
his nose?”

“Yep,” he laughs. “Last night before you came
out of your faint-coma.”

Mae glances over me, a second epiphany
striking. “And he thinks Walker’s going to do it again?”

“Hey,” Pratt runs up, focused on Mae.
“Sampson wants to talk to you.”

“Oh…” she glances between us, somewhat
hesitant. “Guess I better go see what he wants.”

The two take off for Sampson who is now
joined by Clarence and Vix, leaving Able and I to ourselves. We
stand in silence for a second—me leaning on him slightly—watching
Walker joke with the Zingfinolds while Reid stands in his tight
knit circle of Rogues. Another quiet moment passes before Able
starts.

“Honestly, I’m surprised all he did
was
punch him. All that rage built up… I was sure he
would’ve gotten a couple more swings in,” he exhales with a heavy
sigh. “Probably been wanting to do it for a while.”

“Didn’t they like… already fight?”

“No. Rox would’ve killed him.”

“What?” I turn to him, flabbergasted. “So he
never acknowledged it?”

“Nope. Just got the news and refused to talk
to either.”

“Not even Ansley?”

“Think he was afraid he’d do something. Not
to her, but if she admitted to it…” he shrugs. “Probably would’ve
killed Walker.”

“And this was after Pratt told him?”

“Yup. She told him, he asked us if it was
true, which I can’t imagine was easy for him. We told him it was
and he handed the Rogues over to Tucker. And he left.”

“Where?”

Able shrugs. “Just sort of disappeared for a
while. I’d see him every now and again, at Lecture, but he was
always hanging around Sampson. It was like he didn’t want to know
the Rogues anymore.”

“Probably embarrassed.”

Able nods, staring off after Walker. “I know
he hates him but I wish he’d give him a second chance.”

“Would you?”

He inhales, taking a long minute to consider.
“Not sure.”

“Why do you want Reid to forgive him so
bad?”

“It’s not that…” Able finally looks to me
with genuine worry. “We’re all on the same side now, you know?
We’ve got to join forces sooner or later.”

“I don’t think Reid will
ever
join
forces with him.”

“Well, he’s got to play nice. Walker’s a
legit tribesman and we need his help. He can’t keep threatening to
kill him… and then pummel his face.”

It makes sense. If we’re to have any chance
of aligning ourselves with the Zingfinolds, there needs to be
peace. Walker and Reid will have to put their differences behind
them.

I look to Reid still scowling in the group of
Rogues. “I’ll talk to him.”

“They either need to get along or stay away
from one another,” Able says. “
Quick
.”

“Maybe he just needed to get in one good
punch?”

“Unless he got a taste for it,” Able glances
at me. “In which case, Walker will be dead by morning.”

“No,” I shake my head. “If anything, Reid
would’ve done it last night. I
do
notice he gets a tad moody
when Walker’s near me. Maybe best to keep us apart too?”

“Probably right,” he winks, “you work on Rox.
I’ll take care of Walker.”

“On it,” I limp toward the circle of Rogues
while Able makes his way for Walker in the middle of the
Zingfinolds. I’m not sure what to say—or even how to say what I
need to. I’m not even sure Reid will be receptive to it, but I’ve
got to try. The Rogues make room for me as I bump their leader on
his hip. “Talk to you for a second?”

“Sure…” he frowns slightly, glancing down to
my leg. “You okay? Where’s Able?”

“He’s…” I motion off toward the Zingfinolds,
glancing back at the Rogues. “You guys don’t mind, do you?”

“Take him, Fallon,” Jace smirks. “He’s
yours.”

“Come here,” Reid wraps his arm around my
waist, pressing me against him. “I wish Able wouldn’t have left
you. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” We walk for a minute,
away from the Rogues and just beyond the perimeter of bodies still
lining the clearing. “Do you need to sit down?” Reid glances
around. “Or, if need be…” he swipes his free hand under my legs,
scooping me up.

“You don’t have to,” I struggle in his arms,
but Reid refuses to put me down. “
Reid
.”

“I like holding my girl,” he grins. “Now
what’s up?”

I take a breath as he leads us closer to the
trees, “…It’s about Walker.”

His face pales, “What about Walker?”

Another breath. “I think you guys need to
play nice.”

“Why?” he winces.

“Because—”

“What did Able say?” Reid stops walking.

“That we’re on the same team here. And I
agree. He’s a tribesman and…”

“So?”

“We—”

“Why should I play nice?
He’s
the
asshole.”

“You can put me down if you want.”

“I don’t…” he closes his eyes with a sigh.
“That doesn’t matter. Look, we’re not on the same team. We’re never
going to be.”

“But we are. We’re Arizals.”

“He’s not an Arizal.
I
am.”

“How can you say that?”

Reid exhales, placing me on my feet next to a
thick trunk. “Look,” he runs his hands down his face, “I can’t
stand him, alright? And then to see him
touch
you? It takes
everything I have not to put him in a coma.”

“I know what he did—”

“No,” Reid snaps, crossing his arms. “You
don’t. He sleeps with
my
girl in
my
room when I’m out
getting her food. And then, when Tucker confronted him, that
bastard has the nerve to tell him it was
my
fault. That he
couldn’t keep turning Ansley away when she wanted it so badly.”

I bite my lip, my words caught in my
throat.

“So, excuse me if I’m not willing to dive
into a new friendship with the asshole.”

“Reid…” I try, heartbroken for him. “I’m
sorry. I—”

“Just forget it,” he runs his hands through
his hair, backing up. “Look, we’ll talk later. I just need a
minute, okay?” He’s already a few feet away when he calls over his
shoulder, “I’ll send Jace to come get you.”

But it’s Able who shows up a minute later,
confusion marring his face. “Not good?”

“Nope,” I shake my head, staring off to the
distant mountain where Tucker is busily climbing away. “You?”

“Walker doesn’t understand why he should have
to stay away from you if you’re just friends. Says he hasn’t made a
pass at you and that Rox is crazy.”

Another long minute goes by before I ask the
question that’s burning through my mind. “Do you think he wants
to?”

“What?”

“Make a pass at me?”

“Honestly?” Able shrugs, still looking off
into the distance. “I think he doesn’t want to live in fear of
Rox’s authority anymore. I think… this is a new time. And he wants
to start fresh.”

“Reid won’t have it.”

“He doesn’t care. And he’ll still do what he
wants,” he glances over me, considering, “but yeah, I think he
does.”

“What?”

“Walker. I think he’s going to try and make a
pass at you.”

“To antagonize Reid?”

“Because he wants to. Let’s just hope Rox
isn’t around when he does,” Able sighs, backing up. “I’m going to
go check in with the Rogues. You’ll be okay?”

I nod and Able heads off. With his departure,
I’m left alone with my thoughts. I’m not sure how long I’ve been
here. Maybe an hour? Two? There’s no sign of Tucker and I wonder if
they’ll send someone to look for him at some point. But maybe
that’s not how it works. If he returns, then he’s allowed to fight
the Horrop. If he doesn’t, then…is that it? No one goes looking for
him? It’s over, and we’ll be forced to leave empty- handed. But how
can we go back to Mybyncia without Tucker or the Nazual? Princess
Ariana will be heartbroken. The thought grows a sickening knot in
my stomach and I just can’t keep standing here, staring ahead to
wait for Tucker’s return.

A short walk will do the trick.

I head for the nearest tree, trying out my
right leg completely unassisted. It’s not terrible and the pain has
mostly subsided so I move slowly, dragging my feet across the dirt.
I try not to let my thoughts wander but they keep drifting back to
the same place. What must it be like for Tucker? Is he hurt? Is he
waiting for someone to come find him? He’s not just climbing a
mountain—he’s doing it after receiving brutal blows to his torso,
back and face. And with no supplies and no real preparation. The
more I think about it, the worse his odds become.