Lucien studied his father’s face. “What makes you so sure?”
His father tapped him on the chest. “Because I believe your blood is the cure. Your mother and Johna are alive and getting better because of you. You’ve seen it for yourself. Even Iain’s commented on how quickly they’re recovering. That’s enough to give me hope they’ll both come out of this sane and whole.” Giving him another clap on the shoulder, the battle lord turned to leave. “I’m going back to try and get another hour or two of sleep. I suggest you do the same.” Without waiting for his son to comment, he descended the stone steps.
Lucien turned back to the barren landscape. The stars overhead seemed unusually bright. Only a small corner of the broken moon was visible.
Hopeful.
There’s still hope.
I believe your blood is the cure.
“So do I,” he murmured. “I pray I don’t let you down.” Taking a deep breath, he swiped the tears from his eyes and left the parapet.
When he entered the clinic, he noticed his father already sound asleep, spooned against his mother’s back. Iain was absent, probably gone to tend to the soldiers who’d been wounded in the skirmish. He also noticed that the crack in the wall where the roaches had retreated was now blocked by several large rocks.
Going over to Johna, he joined her, taking her into his arms the same way Yulen held Atty. Dropping a kiss to her shoulder, he murmured, “Get well, Johna. Be well. There’s so much I want to share with you.” She moved slightly, but remained oblivious.
He joined her less than a minute later.
Chapter Forty
Weller
There was nothing worth recovering when they arrived back at their campground the next morning. The tents had been shredded and pulverized. All their extra weapons were missing. And what supplies had been on one of the wagons had either been opened and eaten, or left in such a condition that no one dared to touch them, much less gather them up to take with them.
Neither did they do anything about the blood and odd body parts that were scattered across the roadway and into the forest. They left that for the animals to feast upon.
“Do we continue on to Whiterock?” Mastin questioned as they surveyed the damage.
Yulen glanced behind and to the north of them, and Lucien knew what he was thinking. “Isn’t there supposed to be a Mutah compound not too far from here?” he asked his father. He scoured his brain to remember the name of it. “Los Traces, wasn’t it?”
“Lost Traces, but Weller is closer, if I remember correctly. Plus it should be a straight shot and maybe a day and a half’s ride to New Bearinger.”
“Those compounds are not under your banner,” Paxton remarked. “Would they even take us in?”
“If they don’t, we can still camp outside their walls. It would give us some protection.” He pointed east. “I’d rather do that than risk trying to bypass Whiterock again.”
“You don’t think the Bloods that were at that compound have moved on?” Renken queried.
“I thought the group that attacked us at Schutz Ridge came from there,” Lucien added.
Yulen glanced behind them. “We can’t be certain all the Bloods have left Whiterock. More could have replaced them. Either way, I won’t take the chance. We’re going to cut through.” Without waiting for them to respond, he raised his arm to signal for them to follow, and urged his horse into the trees.
Going was tough through the thick foliage. They were confined to traveling in single file, and even then the brush scraped across their legs and horses’ sides. Lucien constantly checked their surroundings, including the overhead branches. There was something nearby that made the hairs rise up on his head, but he couldn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary. He had no idea how far away or how long it would take them to reach the Mutah hub. He doubted his father knew. If anyone could make an educated guess, it would be Atty, and neither she nor Johna had regained consciousness since that one brief moment yesterday.
At Yulen’s request, the archers were able to bring down several birds, small animals, and lizards. Their kill was cooked in a small clearing, where the battle lord allowed them an hour’s rest.
As their meal was searing over the fire, Lucien went to check on Johna and his mother. Yulen was also there, kneeling beside Atty. Iain was absent, using the opportunity to check on the other wounded soldiers.
“Any news?”
“They haven’t awakened again, but Iain says they’re doing better.”
“Has he said anything about me giving them another transfusion?”
“I asked him about that before the Bloods tried to swarm us at Schutz Ridge. He said it would depend on how they reacted to the first one. That if there was no change, or if it appeared they were getting worse, he would strongly consider it. But he hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. He feared taking more blood from you could seriously harm you.” He peered closely at his youngest son. “You seem to be on edge. Are you sensing danger?”
“I don’t know what I sense, but, yeah, it’s starting to scare the crap out of me. Maybe I’m just spooked after what’s happened these past few days.”
“Perhaps. but it wouldn’t hurt to keep your eyes and ears peeled.”
The battle lord got to his feet and turned as if to leave, when Lucien stopped him. “How long do you plan to keep them tied up? Until we can determine their mental status?”
“You already know the answer to that. Were you hoping for a different one?”
“Are you going to be open and let the Mutah compound know they were sick, but they’re recovering?”
“I must. I can’t keep something as serious as this hidden.”
“But they’re getting better. Do you think they’re carriers?”
“I don’t know. But I can’t blame the compound if they don’t want to allow us entry.” He came around and dropped an arm around his son’s shoulders. “Let’s go eat before we both collapse from hunger.”
His father was right. Between the stress and worry about Atty and Johna, the Blood army, and the plot designed by the fake battle lord, they were nearing the end of their rope physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Lucien sighed. “Well, at least no one can complain you don’t earn your paycheck.”
Yulen cut him a side-eye, then chuckled.
It was long after night had fallen when they came to a small clearing. The battle lord called for a halt and stood up in his stirrups to survey the area. Curious, Lucien moved over to where Mastin and Paxton had gathered around him.
“Haven’t seen that before,” Mastin remarked softly. “Wonder if it’s manned.”
Noticing where their attention was focused, Lucien tried to see what had them perplexed. It took a moment until he realized he was staring at a small structure built high up in the trees, approximately four or five yards above the ground. Since it was made of wood, it blended perfectly between the limbs and branches, and he wondered how the others had been able to spot it. Especially since they confirmed it was something new to them.