honeyed bread, Rachael, and I will see you off. I know where he is waiting for you, it is not far from here.”
Rachael nodded, and started eating. She would need her strength if they were to escape.
Chapter Sixteen
They had only been walking through the thick snow for a little while when Rachael saw the faint glow of a fire shining through the trees, standing out among the white surrounding them. It was freezing cold, exposed in the forest as they were, but the clothes Aeron had made for them kept her warm.
She felt Cephy clutch her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. What if this was no better? For all she knew this man was worse than Aeron. Aeron had lied to them, but she had fed them and had provided them with warm blankets and fixed clothes. It had been better than Blackrock, where she had slept on a thin, hole-riddled blanket on the frozen ground and where people had done worse to her than lie. Most of them wouldn’t have thought her worth the effort.
Rachael silently scolded herself. Aeron had done more than lie to them. The night before Rachael had heard something in the woman’s voice she had not heard before; a coldness she had not been aware of, the promise of a cruelty she had not known people were capable of. And yet to them she had behaved so differently. It reminded Rachael of an incident many years ago, when a boy had visited Blackrock with his family. His aunt had lived there, and the boy had changed his personality quickly like that, too. One minute he had been nice, and had even talked to Rachael occasionally, but the next moment he had been cruel and kicked dogs as well as other children when he wouldn't have pulled a cat's tail before. She had heard his parents say that he was sick, and couldn't control his own personality but no doctor could help him. They had left again within the week, and Rachael never saw the boy again.
Just this morning, Rachael had seen a terrible smile on Aeron's face so briefly she now wondered if it had really happened, and knew that her personality had not changed last night. The evil within her, which Rachael had now had a glimpse of, was always there. She had only hid it to fool the girls. Whatever sickness the boy had suffered from, it wasn't the same.
Whoever this man was, he could not be worse than Aeron.
“Sparrow!” The sudden sound caused the birds in the surrounding trees to startle and fly off. She had called him that last night, too, but was it really his name? For now it was all Rachael had. It would have to do until she knew what his real name was.
Sparrow had already seen them and was walking towards them, a determined look in his eyes. Rachael had never seen anything like it. She had seen determined people before, intent on hurting her, stealing from her or raping her, but none of that was playing behind this Sparrow's eyes. He looked genuine, and that was enough to make her more cautious. Aeron had seemed genuine, too, but everything she told them was a lie.
Something about the man was different. He was not like the others—Rachael knew that the moment their eyes met. His voice had betrayed his fear last night, but seeing him now she wondered if he might be able to snap Aeron in two, after all. He was strong, taller than her, and had a scar across his face from one eyebrow to his other cheek. It was still new and looked sore, even though it had begun to scab over. His face was boyish, but the scar ruined the illusion of a clumsy child. It most likely hadn't been caused by an accident.
“So you kept your promise! I'm impressed!” He sounded stronger than he had the night before, but a hint of anxiety remained. His well-trained muscles couldn't hide his fear of Aeron. Rachael knew a thing or two about reading people's behaviours. It was a necessary skill to her survival, to know when someone was genuinely afraid of her and when they were only bluffing to get close to her. This man was not bluffing. His posture betrayed him, even if his
Rachael nodded, and started eating. She would need her strength if they were to escape.
Chapter Sixteen
They had only been walking through the thick snow for a little while when Rachael saw the faint glow of a fire shining through the trees, standing out among the white surrounding them. It was freezing cold, exposed in the forest as they were, but the clothes Aeron had made for them kept her warm.
She felt Cephy clutch her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. What if this was no better? For all she knew this man was worse than Aeron. Aeron had lied to them, but she had fed them and had provided them with warm blankets and fixed clothes. It had been better than Blackrock, where she had slept on a thin, hole-riddled blanket on the frozen ground and where people had done worse to her than lie. Most of them wouldn’t have thought her worth the effort.
Rachael silently scolded herself. Aeron had done more than lie to them. The night before Rachael had heard something in the woman’s voice she had not heard before; a coldness she had not been aware of, the promise of a cruelty she had not known people were capable of. And yet to them she had behaved so differently. It reminded Rachael of an incident many years ago, when a boy had visited Blackrock with his family. His aunt had lived there, and the boy had changed his personality quickly like that, too. One minute he had been nice, and had even talked to Rachael occasionally, but the next moment he had been cruel and kicked dogs as well as other children when he wouldn't have pulled a cat's tail before. She had heard his parents say that he was sick, and couldn't control his own personality but no doctor could help him. They had left again within the week, and Rachael never saw the boy again.
Just this morning, Rachael had seen a terrible smile on Aeron's face so briefly she now wondered if it had really happened, and knew that her personality had not changed last night. The evil within her, which Rachael had now had a glimpse of, was always there. She had only hid it to fool the girls. Whatever sickness the boy had suffered from, it wasn't the same.
Whoever this man was, he could not be worse than Aeron.
“Sparrow!” The sudden sound caused the birds in the surrounding trees to startle and fly off. She had called him that last night, too, but was it really his name? For now it was all Rachael had. It would have to do until she knew what his real name was.
Sparrow had already seen them and was walking towards them, a determined look in his eyes. Rachael had never seen anything like it. She had seen determined people before, intent on hurting her, stealing from her or raping her, but none of that was playing behind this Sparrow's eyes. He looked genuine, and that was enough to make her more cautious. Aeron had seemed genuine, too, but everything she told them was a lie.
Something about the man was different. He was not like the others—Rachael knew that the moment their eyes met. His voice had betrayed his fear last night, but seeing him now she wondered if he might be able to snap Aeron in two, after all. He was strong, taller than her, and had a scar across his face from one eyebrow to his other cheek. It was still new and looked sore, even though it had begun to scab over. His face was boyish, but the scar ruined the illusion of a clumsy child. It most likely hadn't been caused by an accident.
“So you kept your promise! I'm impressed!” He sounded stronger than he had the night before, but a hint of anxiety remained. His well-trained muscles couldn't hide his fear of Aeron. Rachael knew a thing or two about reading people's behaviours. It was a necessary skill to her survival, to know when someone was genuinely afraid of her and when they were only bluffing to get close to her. This man was not bluffing. His posture betrayed him, even if his
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