The Warded Man (16 page)

They sat in comfortable silence for a time, enjoying the warm spring day. Leesha thought she had been unfair, comparing Bruna to her mother. When was the last time she and Elona had shared a comfortable silence in the sun? Had they ever?

She heard a rasping sound, and turned to find Bruna snoring. She smiled and spread the woman’s shawl over her. She stretched her legs, and spotted Saira and Mairy a short ways off, sewing out on the grass. They waved and beckoned, scooching over on their blanket to make room as Leesha came to sit.

“How goes the Herb Gathering?” Mairy asked.

“Exhausting,” Leesha said. “Where’s Brianne?”

The girls looked at one another and giggled. “Off in the woods with Evin,” Saira said.

Leesha tsked. “That girl is going to end up like Klarissa,” she said.

Saira shrugged. “Brianne says you can’t scorn something you haven’t tried.”

“Are
you
planning to try?” Leesha asked.

“You think you’ve no reason not to wait,” Saira said. “I thought that, too, before Jak was taken. Now I’d give anything to have had him once before he died. To have his child, even.”

“I’m sorry,” Leesha said.

“It’s all right,” Saira replied sadly. Leesha embraced her, and Mairy joined in.

“Oh, how sweet!” came a cry from behind them. “I want to hug, too!” They looked up just as Brianne crashed into them, knocking them laughing into the grass.

“You’re in good spirits today,” Leesha said.

“A romp in the woods’ll do that,” Brianne said with a wink, elbowing her in the ribs. “Besides,” she sang, “Eeevin told me a seecret!”

“Tell us!” the three girls cried at once.

Brianne laughed, and her eyes flicked to Leesha. “Maybe later,” she said. “How’s the crone’s new apprentice today?”

“I’m not her apprentice, whatever Bruna may think,” Leesha said. “I’m still going to run my father’s shop once Gared and I marry. I’m just helping with the sick.”

“Better you’n me,” Brianne said. “Herb Gathering seems like hard work. You look a mess. Get enough sleep last night?”

Leesha shook her head. “The floor by the hearth isn’t as comfortable as a bed,” she said.

“I wouldn’t mind sleeping on the floor if I had Gared for a pallet,” Brianne said.

“And just what is that supposed to mean?” Leesha asked.

“Don’t play dumb, Leesh,” Brianne said with a hint of irritation. “We’re your friends.”

Leesha puffed up. “If you’re insinuating …!”

“Come off the pedestal, Leesha,” Brianne said. “I know Gared had you last night. I’d hoped you’d be honest with us about it.”

Saira and Mairy gasped, and Leesha’s eyes bulged, her face reddening. “He had no such thing!” she shouted. “Who told you that?”

“Evin,” Brianne smiled. “Said Gared’s been bragging all day.” “Then Gared’s a ripping liar!” Leesha barked. “I’m not some tramp, to go around …”

Brianne’s face darkened, and Leesha gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, Brianne,” she said. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean …”

“No, I think you did,” Brianne said. “I think it’s the only true thing you’ve said today.”

She stood and brushed off her skirts, her usual good mood vanished. “Come on, girls,” she said. “Let’s go somewhere where the air’s cleaner.”

Saira and Mairy looked at each other, then at Leesha, but Brianne was already walking, and they rose quickly to follow. Leesha opened her mouth, but choked, not knowing what to say.

“Leesha!” she heard Bruna cry. She turned to see the old woman bracing on her cane and struggling to rise. With a pained glance at her departing friends, Leesha rushed to aid her.

Leesha was waiting as Gared and Steave came sauntering down the path toward her father’s house. They joked and laughed, and their joviality gave Leesha the strength she needed. She gripped her skirts in white-knuckled fists as she strode up to them.

“Leesha!” Steave greeted with a mocking smile. “How’s my soon-to-be daughter today?” He spread his arms wide, as if to sweep her into a hug.

Leesha ignored him, going right up to Gared and slapping him full in the face.

“Hey!” Gared cried.

“Oh ho!” Steave laughed. Leesha fixed him with her mother’s best glare, and he put up his hands placatingly.

“I see yuv some talkin’ to do,” he said, “so I’ll leave you to it.” He looked at Gared and winked. “Pleasure has its price,” he advised as he left.

Leesha whirled on Gared, swinging at him again. He caught her wrist and squeezed hard. “Leesha, stop it!” he demanded.

Leesha ignored the pain in her wrist, slamming her knee hard between his legs. Her thick skirts softened the blow, but it was enough to break his grip and drop him to the ground, clutching his crotch. Leesha kicked him, but Gared was thick with hard muscle, and his hands protected the one place vulnerable to her strength.

“Leesha, what the Core is the matter with you?” Gared gasped, but it was cut off as she kicked him in the mouth. Gared growled, and the next time she lifted her foot, he grabbed it and shoved hard, sending her flying backward. The breath was knocked out of her as she landed on her back, and before she could recover, Gared pounced, catching her arms and pinning her to the ground.

“Have you gone crazy?” he shouted, as she continued to thrash under him. His face was flushed purple, and his eyes were tearing.

“How could you?” Leesha shrieked. “Son of a coreling, how could you be so cruel?”

“Night, Leesha, what are you about?” Gared croaked, leaning more heavily on her.

“How could you?” she asked again. “How could you lie and tell everyone you broke me last night?”

Gared looked genuinely taken aback. “Who told you that?” he demanded, and Leesha dared to hope that the lie was not his.

“Evin told Brianne,” she said.

“I’ll kill that son of the Core,” Gared growled, easing his weight back. “He promised to keep his mouth shut.”

“So it’s true?” Leesha shrieked. She brought her knee up hard, and Gared howled and rolled off her. She was up and out of his reach before he recovered enough to grasp at her again.

“Why?” she demanded. “Why would you lie like that?”

“It was just cutter talk,” Gared groaned, “it dint mean anything.”

Leesha had never spat in her life, but she spat at him. “Didn’t mean anything?” she screamed. “You’ve ruined my life for something that didn’t mean anything?”

Gared got up, and Leesha backed off. He held up his hands and kept his distance.

“Your life ent ruined,” he said.

“Brianne knows!” Leesha shouted back. “And Saira and Mairy! The whole village will know by tomorrow!”

“Leesha …” Gared began.

“How many others?” she cut him off.

“What?”

“How many others did you tell, you idiot?” she screamed.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down. “Just the other cutters,” he said.

“Night!
All
of them?” Leesha ran at him, clawing at his face, but he caught her hands.

“Calm down!” Gared shouted. His hands, like two hams, squeezed, and a jolt of pain ran down her arms, bringing her to her senses.

“You’re hurting me,” she said with all the calm she could muster.

“That’s better,” he said, easing the pressure without letting go. “Doubt it hurts anywhere near as much as a kick in the seedpods.”

“You deserved it,” Leesha said.

“Suppose I did,” Gared said. “Now can we talk civilized?”

“If you let go of me,” she said.

Gared frowned, then let go quickly and skittered out of kicking range.

“Will you tell everyone you lied?” Leesha asked.

Gared shook his head. “Can’t do that, Leesh. I’ll look a fool.”

“Better that I look a whore?” Leesha countered.

“You ent no whore, Leesh, we’s promised. It’s not like yur Brianne.”

“Fine,” Leesha said. “Maybe I’ll tell a few lies myself. If your friends teased you before, what do you think they’ll say if I tell them you weren’t stiff enough to do the deed?”

Gared balled one of his huge fists and raised it slightly. “Ya don’ wanna do that, Leesha. I’m being patient with ya, but if you go spreading lies like that, I swear …”

“But it’s fine to lie about me?” Leesha asked.

“Won’t matter once we’re married,” Gared said. “Everyone will forget.”

“I’m not marrying you,” Leesha said, and suddenly felt a huge weight shift from her.

Gared scowled. “Not like you have a choice,” he said. “Even if someone would take ya now, that bookmole Jona or some-such, I will beat him down. Ent no one in Cutter’s Hollow gonna take what’s mine.”

“Enjoy the fruits of your lie,” Leesha said, turning away before he saw her tears, “because I’ll give myself to the night before I let you make it a reality.”

It took all of Leesha’s strength to keep from breaking down in tears as she prepared supper that night. Every sound from Gared and Steave was like a knife in her heart. She had been tempted by Gared the night before. She had almost let him have his way, knowing full well what it meant. It had hurt to refuse him, but she had thought her virtue was hers to give. She had never imagined that he could take it with but a word, much less that he would.

“Just as well you’ve been spending so much time with Bruna,” came a whisper at her ear. Leesha whirled to find Elona standing there, smirking at her.

“We wouldn’t want you to have a round belly on your wedding day,” Elona said.

Regretting her tea comment from that morning, Leesha opened her mouth to reply, but her mother cackled and whirled away before she could find a word.

Leesha spat in her bowl. Gared and Steave’s, too. She felt hollow satisfaction as they ate.

Dinner was a horrid affair, Steave whispering in her mother’s ear, and Elona snickering at his words. Gared stared at her the whole time, but Leesha refused to look at him. She kept her eyes on her bowl, stirring numbly like her father beside her.

Only Erny seemed not to have heard Gared’s lie. Leesha was thankful for that, but she knew in her heart it could not last. Too many people seemed intent to destroy her with it.

She left the table as soon as she could. Gared kept his seat, but Leesha felt his eyes following her. The moment he retired into the shop, she barred him inside, feeling slightly safer.

Like so many nights before, Leesha cried herself to sleep.

Leesha rose doubting she had ever slept. Her mother had paid Steave another late-night visit, but Leesha felt only numbness as she listened to their grunts over the cacophony of the demons.

Gared, too, caused a thump deep in the night, discovering the door to the house barred. She smiled grimly as he tried the latch a few more times before finally giving up.

Erny came over to kiss the top of her head as she set the porridge on the fire. It was the first time they’d been alone together in days. She wondered what it would do to her already broken father when Gared’s lie found his ears. He might have believed her once, but with his wife’s betrayal still fresh, Leesha doubted he had much trust left to give.

“Healing the sick again today?” Erny asked. When Leesha nodded, he smiled and said, “That’s good.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t had more time for the shop,” Leesha said.

He took hold of her arms and leaned in close, looking her in the eyes. “People are always more important than paper, Leesha.”

“Even the bad ones?” she asked.

“Even the bad ones,” he confirmed. His smile was pained, but there was neither hesitation nor doubt in his answer. “Find the worst human being you can, and you’ll still find something worse by looking out the window at night.”

Leesha started to cry, and her father pulled her close, rocking her back and forth and stroking her hair. “I’m proud of you, Leesh,” he whispered. “Papermaking was my dream. The wards won’t fail if you choose another path.”

She hugged him tightly, soaking his shirt with her tears. “I love you, Da,” she said. “Whatever happens, never doubt that.”

“I never could, sunlight,” he said. “I’ll always love you, as well.”

She held on for a long time; her father the only friend she had left in the world.

She scooted out the door while Gared and Steave were still pulling on their boots. She hoped to avoid everyone on her way to the Holy House, but Gared’s friends were waiting just outside. Their greeting was a hail of whistles and catcalls.

“Jus’ came by to make sure you and yur mum ent keeping Gared and Steave abed when they oughta be working!” Ren called. Leesha turned bright red, but said nothing as she pushed past and hurried down the road. Their laughter cut at her back.

She didn’t think she was imagining it; the way people stared and broke into whispers as she passed. She hurried to the security of the Holy House, but when she arrived, Stefny blocked the door, her nostrils flaring as if Leesha stunk of the lye her father used to make paper.

“What are you doing?” Leesha asked. “Let me pass. I’m here to help Bruna.”