Page 34 of Havenfall Harbor
“Quiet.” Evan leans down and breathes near my ear.
I mouth, “Okay,” but I have a feeling they both heard me anyway. I need to do more research on supernatural abilities, like hearing and other senses.
My steps begin to slow after the first ten minutes of walking. The path is mostly clear, but I’ve stumbled a few times over roots and uneven ground. Each time Evan was there to grab my elbow, or I would reach out and grab onto Griffin’s back to keep myself upright. I’m getting tired though.
“Not built for stamina, that one, she seems like she might break easily,” the woman comments without any sign of being winded from our jaunt through the woods.
“I have plenty of stamina, I’m just usually in bed right now,” I defend, but it comes out sounding petulant. I curl my lips, pissed I let her get a rise out of me.
“Quit running your mouth, and we might actually get there,” Griffin snaps.
“Touchy, touchy. We’re almost there,” she singsongs.
True to her words, I can see the glow of a sizeable fire burning up ahead. A substantial wooden cabin comes into view as we draw closer to the firelight. I’m not sure why they’d need it, it’s warm, but the light is a nice change.
Several people step out of the back door of the house, and others come from the woods on either side of the path we traveled on, forming a large circle around us. I reach up and grab the back of Griffin’s shirt, tempted to reach for a handful of Evan’s too. This doesn’t seem like the friendlyI’m here to offer you aidkind of meeting I was hoping for.
“Why are you looking for Jacob?” A rugged-looking man near the house tips his chin down and glares at us. His hair is longish and scruffy. He has a short beard, but it reaches high on his cheeks, covering most of his face.
“Knock off the power show, Thomas. I’m not here for your pack, but we both know what would happen if I was.” Evan crosses his arms over his chest and sends a glare back at the man.
“I don’t know where the kid is.” Thomas still sounds challenging, but he loses some of the rigidity of his posture.
“Lie.” Griffin doesn’t need to say it loudly for everyone to hear him.
“We came here to offer you and your people help, to let the young ones know there are other options than just running until you can’t anymore. But Thomas,” Evan takes a step forward, still managing to keep me between him and Griffin, “There’s something about you I don’t particularly like. Stop inconveniencing me and tell me what I want to know.”
“Why did you bring this human here? It’s her kind that took Riley.”
“Her kindtook Riley because she got caught stealing food. Food that you should have been providing for her,” Evan accuses.
“I’ll give you Jacob if you bring Riley back.” Thomas’s eyes dart around quickly before settling on Evan.
“You’re not a very smart man, Thomas. Not happening. Go sit down,” Evan orders, his voice strangely growly. Thomas tilts his head to the right, holding Evan’s stare for a brief second before he looks at the ground and shuffles over to a broken-down lawn chair.
“Let me try this again.” Evan looks around at the group that’s formed around us. “We’re not you’re enemy. We came here because Riley asked for our help.” A few low whispers kick up. “We know she was struggling to survive, and she’s worried about her brother.”
A thin man steps forward from the back of the group. “You’re really here to take Jacob to Riley? Is she okay?” The man’s eyes narrow, but there’s something about him that seems almost hopeful too.
“She’s fine, worried about Jacob, but she’s doing well. Are you her uncle?” I inquire, releasing the back of Griffin’s shirt so I can face the man fully.
“They used to stay with me.” He shrugs.
“Don’t answer her, Chuck,” Thomas spits.
“If you speak again, I will rip your teeth out.” The cadence of Griffin’s voice is slow, making it somehow more threatening. I place my hand on Griffin’s arm automatically, which is rather strange, you’d think the threat would have frightened me.
“Just tell us where the kid is, and we’ll leave.” Evan opens his hands in an easy gesture.
“Jacob, come out here, boy,” Chuck hollers. The screen door opens with a squeak as a small boy steps out onto the sagging porch. He doesn’t even lift his head.
“I ain’t do nuttin’.” His shoulders are small and round, he’s thinner than he should be. My heart aches from seeing him.
“Riley’s worried about you, Jacob.” I push myself forward and Griffin moves with me, trying to stay in front of me, but I jerk my shoulder forward and sidestep his efforts. It’s not like I’m going to go running off.
“She okay?” The boy looks up at me while keeping his head down. I can only see the side of his face, but even in the dim light I can make out a dark swatch of bruising along his cheek bone.
“She is, Jacob, worried about you, but she’s good. She wants you to come back with us to Havenfall. She insisted on it, really.” I chuckle a little at how determined Riley was when she walked into my office, and how telling her I would do everything I could to help eased the weight on her shoulders.
