LITMIR.BIZ

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and turn you in.”

      A Patrol captain? Jesse glanced at the others. He knew there were dozens of Patrol captains in Amarias. There was no reason to assume the stranger was speaking of Captain Demetri, who had pursued them since the Abaktan Desert.

      No reason except the sick feeling Jesse was getting in his stomach.

      The stranger paused and held out his free hand, catching a few raindrops that were starting to fall. “Well, will you do it?” Parvel asked.

      “The Kin will decide,” was all the stranger would say.

      By now, Jesse had decided the Kin was some kind of group or clan, maybe a local government. He had never heard of such a thing, but he was not from this district. It had not taken many days of travel to realize how different the four districts of Amarias were from each other.

      “I thought you should know about the rewards, in case you tried to run or attack me.” The stranger looked evenly at them. “There are others looking for you—others who are far more dangerous and bloodthirsty than I am. And they are willing to pay a very high price to make sure you are dead.”

      The stranger put his hand on Rae’s shoulder and began to march her forward, toward the east. Then he stopped. “And don’t try to take those weapons, or anything else in your packs.”

      Jesse decided that didn’t include his staff. Somehow, the stranger knew he was crippled before he ever took a step. He would guess Jesse needed the staff to walk.

      Suddenly the stranger whirled around. “I said, take nothing from the packs!”

      Silas was kneeling on the ground. He was clutching the Forbidden Book.

      “It’s a religious text,” Silas said calmly, wrapping it in his cloak to protect it from the rain. “A book of prayer.”

      Jesse almost laughed. As if Silas of all people would carry a book of prayer.

      The answer seemed to satisfy the stranger, although he waited for Silas to walk ahead of them. “Keep the book close,” he said, prodding them forward. “When you go before the Kin, you’ll need all the prayer you can get.”

      Chapter 4

      Even with the darkness of the storm, the wagons of the Kin were the most colorful Jesse had ever seen: huge wooden boxes on wheels painted with swirls of color.

      That’s when Jesse realized where he had seen the stranger’s style of clothes before. They were the same as the costumes of a troupe of traveling performers that had once passed through Mir.

      “Don’t try to shout for help,” the stranger warned them as they approached the wagons. He was still in the lead, holding Rae captive. “Believe me, if the others know you’re here, it’ll only be worse for you.” With a reward of four hundred sceptres for them, Jesse was sure he was right.

      They wove through the maze of colorful wagons, until the stranger stopped at a yellow one with red trim. Jesse realized he hadn’t seen any tents or houses in the clearing. These people must live in the wagons, he realized. No wonder the wagons are so large.

      They climbed the three steps that led to the wagon, and the stranger pounded on the door with his free hand.

      “Is that you, Tomas?” a voice rumbled from behind the door. “You’re back early.”

      The door opened, and a boy no higher than Jesse’s waist stood there. Not, Jesse guessed, the one who owned the rumbling voice they had heard. His eyes went wide. “Who are these people?”

      “Just let me past,” Tomas said, pushing by him. “And the rest of you come in too. No sudden moves.”

      “They’re not gonna fit,” the boy warned him.

      He was almost right. They all fit, but barely. Silas had to stoop slightly, so he wouldn’t graze the ceiling.

      Inside the wagon, the furnishings were sparse—just a few blanket rolls and a small table with two thick candles. A large dark-haired man was sitting on a bench that looked like it would crack under his weight.

      When he saw his guests, a flicker of surprise registered on his face, but it was gone in the next second. “Now, son, you know that stealing brides is something the Kin gave up many generations ago,” the man said. His voice was stern, but there was a warm twinkle in his eyes.

      Jesse had to laugh at the horrified look on Rae’s face. “I am not—” she began.

      “Don’t worry. He knows,” Tomas said. He didn’t look amused at his father’s joke either. He released Rae and pressed himself against the door—to block any escape, Jesse assumed.

      “Which one gave you that?” the boy said, pointing to Tomas’ black eye.

      “Nothing you need to know,” Tomas snapped.

      “I did,” Rae said, squaring her shoulders proudly, “and there will be more coming unless you release us!”

      “What’s all the noise about?” A woman’s voice came from beyond a curtain that separated the wagon into two rooms. “Did one of you bring in another snake?”

      “Yes,” Tomas said, glancing at Rae. She sniffed haughtily at him.

      There were footsteps as the mother of the house ducked through the curtain. “Zacchai, I believe we already discussed—” She stopped short when she saw the Youth Guard members. “Oh my.”

      Jesse could tell that Tomas had gotten his looks from her. Instead of looking greasy, though, her hair was a mass of sleek, loose waves, falling most of the way down her back. She held a baby against her hip, who took one look at all the people and started to cry.

      “Shh,” the woman said, cradling the baby while giving the visitors a quick glance. She turned to her husband, alarm in her eyes. “It’s them, isn’t it?”

      “Margo, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the husband said, yawning loudly.

      “Of course not, Ravvi,” Margo said, shaking her head. “You didn’t join the Kin assembly yesterday when the messengers from the king came. And when I tried to tell you—”

      “There was wood to split!” he protested. “Besides, I care as much for the king’s men as I do for the manure heap.” He spit on the floorboards to prove his point.

      The baby was still crying. Rae looked about ready to jump forward and strangle it.

      Margo looked straight at her son, pleadingly. “Why did you bring them here, Tomas? Why couldn’t you have left them alone?”

      “I did what I thought was best,” Tomas said, folding his arms over his chest. “We can bring them to the meeting of the elders tonight.”

      “You know what they would do to them,” Margo said, jostling the baby, who cried louder. Rae growled under her breath.

      Jesse stepped over Zacchai, the boy sitting on the floor, and reached for the baby. “May I?” he asked. He was an only child, but the children in the village always seemed drawn to him.

      Margo gave him a hard, searching look. A mother’s look, Jesse thought. Then something in her face softened, and she passed the baby to him.

      “The elders will turn them in to the Patrol captain,” Margo finished, turning back to Tomas. “They’ll put the money in the Kin treasury.”

      “Where it will do much good,” Tomas countered.

      “Not blood money,” Margo said. “Blood money never brings good. Only evil.”

      Jesse knew “blood money” was the term used to describe money gotten from betrayal, but the phrase still sounded eerie. He remembered another story about blood money—where Judas, a follower of Jesus, turned Him over to the men who killed Him.

      But they won’t do that to us…will they?

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