Chapter Eleven
Proxy
River’s vision tunneled. No. This isn’t supposed to happen. The son of Ephraim would never shoot a wolf. She swayed on her feet. If Jonathan’s arms hadn’t been wrapped around her, she would have collapsed.
“Gabriel, bring me that buffalo pelt. I think River’s going into shock.”
“What did the wolf look like?” Gabriel’s voice was strained, but he sounded much calmer than River felt.
Jonathan wrapped the buffalo robe around River then sat down and pulled her onto his lap. “We need to get River back to the hut.”
Gabriel leaned over and grabbed Jonathan’s shoulders. “What color was the wolf!”
“Take it easy, kid.”
Tremors shook River’s body, making it hard to talk. She locked her jaw and spoke through clenched teeth. “Answer him.”
Jonathan stroked the hair off her face and kissed her forehead. “I’m not even sure it was a pure bred wolf. It had black fur with a white stripe between its eyes.”
River and Gabriel spoke at the same time.“Eli.”
“Excuse me? What does Eli have to do with anything?”
Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut, as if he were in pain. “Where’s the body?”
“When I said I took care of it…that might have been a bit of an exaggeration.” A crimson flush raced up Jonathan’s neck. “I only wounded it. Once I get River back to the hut, and I’m sure she’s okay, I’ll hunt it down and put it out of its misery.”
River and Gabriel again spoke in unison, only this time, it was a shout instead of a whisper. “No!”
Jonathan jerked back like a startled deer. “It could take days for it to die. That’s cruel.”
River grabbed the strap of Jonathan’s quiver and pulled it around so she could examine its contents. Relief flooded her veins. “You only have practice arrows. Unless you hit a vital organ, and the wolf bleeds out before it can heal, he should be able to dislodge the arrow and survive.”
Jonathan squinted his eyes and frowned. But he didn’t argue with her. Now, all she had to do was persuade Eli not to tell anyone that Jonathan had shot him.
“I didn’t use a practice arrow. I had one of Gabriel’s hunting arrows in my quiver.”
Gabriel dropped to his knees and held his head in his hands.
A twig snapped. River froze. Neither Jonathan nor Gabriel reacted. Another twig snapped, followed by a groan and the swoosh of something crashing through the underbrush. She recognized Eli’s voice as he muttered under his breath. “I don’t care what Mother wants, I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”
Now that she’d merged with her wolf, River’s hearing was much more acute, even in her human form. “Gabriel, I think I heard something.”
She nodded towards the noise and prayed he’d understand what she was getting at.
“I’ll go check it out.”
“Take my bow.” Jonathan reached around River and unhooked it from his golden claw. “An injured animal is extremely dangerous. But if you see a solid black wolf, don’t shoot it. He’s tame.”
Gabriel left without taking Jonathan’s bow. He was gone for less than ten minutes. He stopped on the other side of the fire and motioned for River to join him.
She squeezed Jonathan’s arm and stood up. “I need to speak with Gabriel for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
“Are you ever going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes. Soon. Just…be patient a little longer.”
River wrapped the buffalo robe more securely around her body, even though merge fever scorched her veins. She knew how much it upset Jonathan for anyone to see her naked.
Gabriel gripped River’s shoulders and gazed into her eyes. He reminded her of Reuben as he spoke with quiet authority. “It’s not as bad as we thought. Eli will be sore for awhile, but he’ll live.”
“At least we’re under quarantine. Eli will have time to heal before he has to report for patrol duty.”
Gabriel dropped his gaze to his boots.
“What’s wrong?”
“Aunt Shula lifted the quarantine when she found out you’d left with Jonathan. Pa told me to find you and help protect the son of Ephraim.”
“Shula won’t care if Jonathan is a son of Ephraim. She’s not going to let this go unpunished.”
Gabriel quirked the side of his mouth up into a crooked grin. “It’s my arrow in Eli’s ugly ass. I’ll tell everyone that it was an accident. I got so excited when I saw a buck in the forest, I didn’t take the time to be sure I had a clear shot. I didn’t see the wolf lurking in the underbrush. It’s a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“You know there’s no excuse good enough to escape punishment for shooting Eli, even if they believe that ridiculous story.” The penalty for injuring another through carelessness was twenty lashes. “I can’t let you take the blame for this!”
“Jonathan’s life is already in danger. Shula will see to it that his beating will be so severe he can’t survive it. And then, if you survive your own whipping, she’ll force you to mate with Eli.” Gabriel pressed River against his chest. “If you won’t let me cure your fever, let Jonathan do it.”
“He needs to merge with his wolf first.” River disentangled herself from Gabriel’s embrace. “Have you seen him? A solid black male?”
“He’s waiting for something.” Gabriel nodded towards the forest behind Jonathan. “Probably for Eli and I to get out of the way.”
Merge fever was scrambling River’s brain. She couldn’t think. “Doesn’t Eli know who shot him?”
Gabriel nodded. “But he agreed to go along with my plan.”
“Why? He hates Jonathan!”
“He hates him even more now.” A smile flickered across Gabriel’s face. “You’re Jonathan’s sponsor. Eli doesn’t want you to be punished any more than I do.” Gabriel wiped a tear off River’s cheek with his thumb. “If the whipping doesn’t kill you, Jonathan’s execution will.”
River’s hand shook as she wiped the sweat off her brow. “Jonathan is my responsibility. I’ll claim that I shot Eli. Reuben knows that I borrowed some of your arrows for this hunt. The evidence will support my claim.”
“No.”
“But…twenty lashes!”
“I’m stronger than you. I can handle it.”
“Oh, Gabriel.” A sob escaped River’s throat. She threw her arms around his waist and kissed his neck, the only spot she could reach. When had he gotten so tall? She stepped back and wiped her eyes with a corner of the buffalo robe. “How will you get home?”
“Saucy knows Sugar and Red are at the hut. I’m sure that’s where he’s headed. But just in case he decides to go all the way back to the ranch; Eli and I will double up on Old Red. That’ll leave Lightning and Sugar for you and Jonathan.”
Gabriel smiled. This time it was genuine. “Even if I manage to dig the arrow out of Eli’s ass, he’s going to have to ride draped over Red’s back like a dead man. That alone is worth a couple of lashes.”
River’s eyes filled with tears. She appreciated his attempt to make light of a very serious situation. “Thank you.”
Gabriel leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Your fever’s spiking. You’re running out of time.”
“Where’s he off to?” Jonathan nodded at the spot where Gabriel had disappeared into the forest.
“He’s going to take care of the wolf you shot.”
“Without a bow?” Jonathan released his hold on River.
The forest tilted sideways. Her fever was progressing faster than she expected.
Jonathan grabbed her elbow and steadied her. “Whoa. Are you okay?”
“I need you to merge with your wolf and mate with me.”
Jonathan slipped his arm around her back, squeezing her waist with his fingers. But instead of going to the spot of ground that Gabriel had prepared in front of the fire; he led her to Lightning. “We need to get you back to the hut.”
“We don’t have time.” River turned around to face him and put her arms around his neck. Her fever burned away any remnant of trepidation. She wanted him even more than she did the night before. “You need to mate with me, now.”
“I can wait until you feel better.”
“I won’t feel better until after you mate with me.” Tears blurred River’s vision.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll still make love to you. But not out here with nothing but a buffalo hide between us and the cold, hard ground. And definitely not while you’re sick.” He brushed a tear off her cheek then kissed her forehead. “I want your first time to be special.”
“You don’t understand!” River didn’t know how to explain it to him. She couldn’t shift into her wolf form again until after her fever broke. “If you don’t mate with me soon, I’ll die. Where is your wolf?”
“I have no idea. He licked my face and took off.”
“Go find him.” River sniffed the air. She caught a faint trace of Jonathan’s wolf, downwind, and pushed him in that direction as her vision greyed.
Jonathan
Jonathan caught River as she fainted. He laid her across the buffalo robe on the ground. Something told him to take off his clothes and hold her against his naked body. That’s crazy. He would never take advantage of an incapacitated woman whether she was drunk, high or delirious with fever. But he needed to do something. He should take her back to the hut.
He leaned over to pick her up, but he smelled something unusual on her skin. He kissed her forehead and tasted fear.
Okay, that’s even crazier. Animals could smell fear, not people. Was he getting sick, too? He felt hot. His eyes burned. Jonathan reached up to rub them and noticed a green glow on his palm. Holy shit. Were his eyes glowing?
He slipped the gold chain off his neck and used the reflective back of the medallion to check. It wasn’t as good as a mirror, but there was no denying the fact that his eyes were glowing like a lightning bug’s ass.
His skin felt like he was on fire. He shrugged out of his coat but that only gave him a moment’s relief. His vest and shirt hit the ground. He didn’t even realize he’d taken them off.
Jonathan’s wolf crept out from behind a tree. It laid down and rested its chin on its front paws then looked at River and whined.
River. Jonathan couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about her for even a second. What the hell was wrong with him?
He laid down next to her on the buffalo pelt and wrapped his arms around her limp, naked body. She didn’t feel quite as hot as she had before but that was probably because of his own fever. “River? Can you open your eyes for me? Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond. She’d said that she would die if Jonathan didn’t ‘mate’ with her. But that was crazy. People didn’t die from a lack of sex. It only felt that way.
River had also told Jonathan to follow his instincts. But which ones? He wasn’t aroused. Although he could be if he focused on the feel of River’s soft curves pressed against the hard planes of his body—and ignored the fact that she was unconscious.
Right now, all he wanted to do was hold her and protect her. But from what? His wolf wasn’t showing any signs of aggression. When did he start thinking of it as “his” wolf?
It whined again and inched forward.
“River, please wake up. Tell me what to do.”
She whimpered.
Jonathan rose to his knees and moved his fingers to the pulse point on her neck. It was weak and rapid. He turned his head and placed his ear above her softly parted lips. She was hardly breathing. Nothing but quick, shallow gasps that barely stirred the air. She was in trouble.
“River, don’t you dare leave me. I can’t lose you, too.”
Jonathan hardly ever cried. He’d shed a few tears when the mine had caved in on him and Franklin and he’d thought they were going to die. But he didn’t cry when he woke up in agonizing pain and learned that they’d amputated his left hand. He didn’t even cry when they told him that Franklin had died in Afghanistan. He’d bawled like a baby the night before Franklin’s funeral, then vowed he’d never cry again. And he hadn’t. Until now.
He lifted River in his arms. Her body was completely limp. Dead weight. All the tears Jonathan had been unable to shed burst through the dam of his scarred heart. They ran down his cheeks and fell onto River’s throat like rain.
Jonathan buried his face against her shoulder and sobbed. He begged her to come back to him, but she didn’t respond. He lifted his head and screamed at God. “You can’t take her, too! I won’t let you!”
River’s head lolled to the side, exposing the bite mark on her neck.
An overwhelming urge to bite her again slammed into Jonathan. A primal growl rumbled out of his chest. “I love you and I will not live without you. I forbid you to die.”
River’s blood filled Jonathan’s mouth before he even realized what he’d done.
River
River floated in swirling pool of heat, consumed by fever. She heard Jonathan’s pleas for her to open her eyes. She wanted to, but her body refused to obey. She knew she was dying. She was disappointed, but she wasn’t afraid. For whatever reason, Jonathan had not merged with his wolf. He was not going to mate with her. She wasn’t destined to be his mate after all.
Her heart broke when his body rocked with sobs. His tears fell on her face. She wanted to reach up and wipe them from his eyes, but she had no strength. She should have told him everything last night. He wouldn’t have believed her, but the information might have helped him follow his instincts instead of his conscience. She wished she’d at least confessed her love to him. Now, he’d never know. That regret pained her more than her imminent death.
Jonathan growled. It was deeper and fiercer than anything River had ever heard before. The vibrations from his chest shook her entire body. “I love you and I will not live without you. I forbid you to die.”
River thought she’d been past feeling, but she felt it when Jonathan bit her. She felt the heat of his mouth on her skin. She felt his teeth sink into her flesh. She felt his power resonate in the marrow of her bones.
Her body exploded in a flash of pain. Fear grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. She felt as if she were merging again, but instead of finding herself in a new body, there was nothing. No sight, sound, or smell. No sense of touch or taste, or even pain to ground her. Nothing but fear. Was this what it felt like to die?
A pinprick of light appeared. Her wolf’s spirit recognized it first and flew towards Jonathan’s life-spark. River cried out with relief and joy as her soul merged with his. Love filled her entire being, stretching and growing and binding her heart to his. If this was death, she welcomed it.
Her eyes fluttered open. “Jonathan?”
His face was mere inches from hers. Worry furrowed his brow and creased the corners of his eyes. Tears streaked his cheeks. Blood coated his lips. But she’d never seen a more beautiful sight.
“What happened? Did you mate with me?” She’d been so close to death. Maybe she’d been unconscious during the act.
He blinked then brushed her fever dampened hair off her forehead. “No.”
“Then, why am I alive?”
“Because I refused to let you die.” He grinned at her, flashing his dimples, but his smirk lacked its usual cockiness.
“It doesn’t usually work like that.”
“Believe me, I know.”
“Your wolf was here. Wasn’t he?”
He looked over his shoulder then returned his gaze to River. “He’s gone now. You don’t need to be afraid of him. He’s tame.”
River reached up and smoothed the lines across his brow. “No. He’s not.”
“I don’t want anyone to shoot him.”
“They won’t.” She trailed her fingers down his cheeks, over the salty path of his dried tears. “Promise me you’ll never shoot another wolf ever again.”
“Did Gabriel go after the one I s
hot?”
River closed her eyes and shuddered. Gabriel wouldn’t be able to avoid the whip, but hopefully he’d be given the minimum number of lashes. “He’s taking care of it.”
“You’re freezing.” Jonathan crawled off the buffalo robe then wrapped it around River. “We need to get you back home so Eli’s mother can check you out.”
“No!” River’s heart faltered. They needed to stay as far away from Shula as possible. Even though Gabriel had taken the blame for shooting Eli, Jonathan wasn’t out of danger. River didn’t know how she’d survived merge fever without mating, but she was certain Shula would find a way to twist it to her advantage. “We need to find your wolf so you can merge. I want to mate with you before Shula finds us.”
“Not until a doctor, or a healer of some sort, checks you out. You nearly died.”
“I should have died. But there are forces at work here that I don’t understand. We need to talk to Reuben.”
“Let’s start by getting you dressed so you don’t freeze to death.”
Steam rose off Jonathan’s bare chest and shoulders. A faint green glow still rimmed his sky-blue irises. He had pre-merge fever which proved he was a shifter.
Which also proved he was the promised son of Ephraim.
Jonathan
Jonathan found River’s clothes and boots scattered around the spot where Saucy had dumped him. They were stiff and cold, but a few minutes by the fire would fix that.
When he got back, River was huddled up in the buffalo robe, the only thing showing were her eyes. He held her pants as close to the fire as he could without burning them, or his hand.
She wiggled around inside the buffalo hide, making it look like a live animal as she dressed. “Thank you. That feels so good.”
Now that River was out of danger, Jonathan’s mind focused on other, more pleasurable things. “Did you suddenly develop a severe case of modesty?”
She poked her head out of the buffalo pelt and grinned at him. “No. I’m just trying to keep warm.”
“Good.” Jonathan grinned back at her. “Need any help with that? I’m pretty hot.”
River laughed and shook her head. “Not until after you merge.”
Jonathan frowned. “How do I do that?”
River lifted her chin and sniffed the air, like a dog. “Your wolf is long gone. I guess he isn’t ready to merge yet.”
“You can tell that by sniffing the air?”
River blushed, giving her cheeks a healthy glow. “My wolf didn’t let me merge with her the first time we met. She made me wait until today.”
“And what did that entail, exactly?”
River closed her eyes and grimaced then opened them and shook her head. “I really wish I could tell you, but my instincts are warning me not to.”
Jonathan couldn’t deny that he’d been led by his own instincts or that those instincts had, somehow, saved River’s life. “Alright. I’ll respect that. For now.”
River shucked off the buffalo skin then slipped into her coat. “We should head back to the hut. Without horses, it’s going to take a while.”
It took more than a while. It took five miserable hours. How had River gone so far last night, in the dark and burning up with fever?
When they got back to the hut, there was a message scrawled on the door.
Don’t go home.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jonathan touched the dark mark. It left a black smudge on his glove. Charcoal. “Who doesn’t want us to go home?”
“Gabriel.” River rested her forehead against the door.
Jonathan took her shoulder and turned her around. “Look at me.”
She lifted her gaze. Tears sparkled in her eyes then spilled onto her cheeks.
“What’s going on?” Jonathan hadn’t meant to sound so domineering.
“It’s Gabriel. He’s going to be punished. He doesn’t want us to witness it.”
Jonathan’s stomach twisted into a knot. “Why is Gabriel being punished?”
River stared at her feet and refused to answer.
Bits and pieces of information shifted into place. There were still too many missing pieces to complete the puzzle, but Jonathan could guess what it was about. He’d used Gabriel’s arrow. “Does it have anything to do with the wolf I shot?”
River kept her head bowed as she nodded. Tears dripped off her lashes. They froze before they hit the ground.
“How much time do we have? Will there be a trial?”
River spoke quietly, with no inflection. “He’s confessing, so there’s no reason for a trial. Justice will be swift.”
“What will they do to him?”
River’s chin trembled. “Twenty lashes with a bull whip.”
“I won’t let an innocent kid take the rap for my mistake.”
River wiped her eyes then looked up. “Did you forget that you’re my recruit?”
Fear sliced through the stone cold fury in Jonathan’s gut, cutting him to the core.
“I wasn’t supposed to give you a lethal weapon until you’ve passed your final tests. Your conviction will doom us both to the gallows. If you don’t want Gabriel to take the blame for shooting the wolf, I’ll do it.”
“Are you crazy?” Jonathan shoved his fingers in his hair. “No way, River. No fucking way.”
“Please don’t use that word.”
“Sometimes, it’s the only word that works. And this is one of those times.” Jonathan grabbed River’s arm and pulled her into a tight embrace. He pressed his cheek against hers. “Leave with me. Let’s get our horses and supplies and leave tonight.”
He leaned back and kissed River’s tearstained cheek. He talked faster, desperate to win her over before she vetoed his plan. “We’ll ride hard so we can catch Gabriel before he makes it back to the ranch. We have our bows and your arrows. We can hide in the forest and live off wild game until the pass opens.”
River fisted her hands against Jonathan’s chest and leaned back to look into his eyes. “I’ve already told you what happens to Reuben if I defect.”
“Alright. Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll go back to the ranch, I’ll knock Reuben out. You tie him up and—”
“That won’t work!” River pushed away from Jonathan. “No one ever escapes from New Eden, at least not for long.”
“Then what am I supposed to do? If I confess, you die. If I don’t, Gabriel gets whipped.” Jonathan fisted his hand in his hair. “I have to fix this!”
“You can’t fix it, Jonathan. None of us can. All we can do is survive it.” River’s eyes flashed. “We are all slaves to the laws of New Eden.”
“Do you think other people will believe I’m a son of Ephraim?”
“Yes. As soon as you merge with your wolf.”
“And they’ll help me take out Zebulon and the council?”
“There’re always a few fools looking for something to believe in.”
“Will you help me track down this wolf I need to merge with?”
River dropped her gaze and shook her head. “Your wolf will find you when the time is right.”
“And what am I supposed to do until then? I can’t sit back and stay quiet like a good little recruit while other people suffer.”
“You aren’t my recruit anymore. You’re my mate.”
Jonathan’s heart swelled. It was a primitive term, but it felt right. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slid his fingers through its length. “I told you something important earlier, but I think you were unconscious.”
River took his hand and wove her fingers through his. “Tell me again.”
Jonathan smiled. He didn’t think it was possible to feel so much joy in the midst of so much pain. “I’ve been attracted to you since the very first time we met. And my feelings have grown deeper every day since then. It’s more than just a physical attraction and it has been for quite awhile.”
He curled their joined arms between them and rested his forehead on hers. “When I thought
you were dying, everything I already felt for you, multiplied a hundred times. I love you, River, daughter of Asher and Issachar’s daughter. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“You remembered my patronymic names.” River’s eyes glistened, but this time, Jonathan knew they were tears of joy. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed into his eyes. “I love you too, Jonathan McKnight, son of Ephraim. More than you can imagine.”
Jonathan held her against his chest and rocked her in his arms. The cold air felt good on his fevered skin, but when River’s trembling increased he knew it was time to go inside. “What do you say we get you warmed up, eat a bite of something and head home?”
River sighed and shook her head. “I’m too tired. Can’t we wait until morning?”
Jonathan opened the door and ushered her inside. “Of course.”
Hours after River had fallen asleep on his chest, Jonathan was still awake. He couldn’t keep from thinking about Gabriel, wondering if he’d made it back to the ranch; if he’d already been tortured. He stroked River’s hair, but even that didn’t soothe him.
He hated New Eden. Hated its abusive treatment of women and children. Hated its totalitarian government and the way they controlled everyone with violence and fear. But most of all, he hated its twisted laws of accountability.
What would happen to River if he failed to assassinate Zebulon and the council? He was willing to put himself in harm’s way to give River a chance to live in a free society, but did he have the courage to jeopardize her life? How much was freedom worth?
He kissed the top of River’s head and smiled when she nuzzled his neck. They could find joy in each other’s arms and live a good, honest life; even in the midst of depravity. People did it all the time. But there was no way in hell he’d ever bring a child into this world.
He couldn’t bear to think of Gabriel’s back crisscrossed with scars like Reuben's. Scars Reuben received when he volunteered to take Shula’s punishment.
Jonathan’s heart stuttered when he realized he could save Gabriel without endangering River. He could volunteer to proxy for Gabriel without admitting guilt.
His blood ran cold. Fear gnawed at his stomach, but he refused to give in to it or let it dissuade him from doing the right thing.
Jonathan held River’s head as he slid out from under her. He waited until he was certain she was still asleep, then crept out of bed and got dressed. He decided to leave his prosthesis behind. The sores from where the harness had rubbed him raw were just too painful.
River sighed and reached for him.
Jonathan held his breath until she exhaled and cuddled up with his pillow. He found the piece of charcoal that Gabriel must have used to write his message on the porch and decided to write one of his own.
I love you. Proxy for Gabriel.
It wouldn’t keep River from freaking out, but at least she’d know where he’d gone.
He swore when he got to the barn. Saucy still hadn’t shown up and now Red was missing. He’d never ridden Sugar or Lightning, but he didn’t have much of a choice. River was going to be royally pissed at Jonathan for sneaking off. He wasn’t about to steal her horse on top of it.
Jonathan used the same horse’s-butt-next-to-the-barn trick to mount Lightning from the right as he had Saucy. It took two tries and another bruised knee, but in the end Jonathan prevailed.
By the time he arrived at Reuben’s ranch, he was heartsick and bone tired. He’d had plenty of time to think about his coming ordeal. He put Lightning in his stall without rubbing him down or feeding him and ran to the house. He called Reuben’s name, but it was Eli that answered.
“Go away.”
Jonathan ran down the hall to the room he shared with Gabriel. The iron hinges creaked when he opened the door. Two extra hurricane lamps added a considerable amount of light to the room. Gabriel was lying on the floor, a wet and bloody buffalo hide beneath his naked body. Eli, also naked, except for a ragged towel wrapped around his hips, was on his knees beside him.
Jonathan stepped inside and shut the door.
Eli lifted a stained and ragged cloth out of the wooden bucket beside him. “Try to relax, Gabriel, it won’t hurt as much.”
It looked like someone had cut the boy’s back with a jagged blade. Dried blood crusted his skin and several cuts were still oozing blood. As soon as the rag touched him, Gabriel flinched and cried out.
Jonathan crossed the room and perched on the edge of his bed. He got his first clear look at Eli’s backside. Half the towel was stained red.
“What happened to your ass?” Jonathan nodded at the blood-stained rag tied around Eli’s hips.
Eli snorted then looked at Jonathan as if he were the dumbest thing he’d ever seen. “You have no idea?”
“How would I?”
“Let’s just say it was a bad day for enforcers and wolves.”
“Someone shot you?”
“Lucky for me he can’t hit the broadside of a barn.”
“Where’s River?” Gabriel’s voice trembled.
Jonathan cringed and wished with all his heart he’d gotten there in time to proxy for the boy. “She’s probably on her way here and mad as a hornet. I snuck out while she was sleeping.”
“Did you…is her fever gone?”
“I wouldn’t have left her if it wasn’t.”
Gabriel sighed and closed his eyes. “Good.”
Eli dropped the rag in the bucket and sat back on his heels. “So, you and River are mated.”
“Yes.” Jonathan knew Eli was referring to sex, but he didn’t feel the need to clarify.
Instead of flying into a jealous rage, Eli bowed his head. “It’s over.”
“What’s over?”
“My best chance of rescuing the woman I love from a life of servitude.”
“River’s no servant.” The growl behind Jonathan’s words startled him.
Apparently it startled Eli as well. He twisted his head sideways, exposing his throat. He recovered quickly and twisted his head to the other side, cracking his neck. “I know you find it hard to believe, but not everyone is head over heels in love with River.”
“Then why were you pursuing her?”
Eli laughed. “It was the means to an end. Mother seems to think that the man that binds the little hellion will gain unprecedented political power.”
“The son of Ephraim?”
Eli stood up, grimacing in pain. “What do you know about the son of Ephraim?”
Jonathan pressed his lips together. When was he going to learn to keep his mouth shut?
Gabriel sucked in a noisy breath as he turned his head to face Jonathan and Eli. “Jonathan was given a blessing by a patriarch and told that he belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.”
Jonathan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t want to mislead Gabriel but Eli was an enforcer with political clout. He’d be a valuable asset.
Eli snorted. “That doesn’t prove anything.”
Jonathan closed his eyes and tried to remember the lullaby in Reuben’s journal. “Isn’t there some legend about the son of Ephraim carrying his grief in a crystal?”
Eli quoted it. Word for word. “Look to the East in your darkest hour for a humble man to rise to power. Heavy of heart and body broken, he carries his grief in a crystal token.”
“Yeah. That’s the one.” Jonathan lifted Franklin’s medallion out of his shirt and turned it around the right way so the front was visible.
Gabriel’s eyes widened as Eli’s narrowed.
Jonathan held the medallion in his palm and leaned forward to show it to Eli. Gabriel was already a convert. “This holds a feather I saved from my brother’s funeral.”
The permanent scowl etched on Eli’s face melted. He reached for the medallion. “May I?”
Jonathan nodded. “It’s a constant reminder of Franklin’s death.”
“Heavy of heart and body broken.” Eli pointed at Jonathan’s stump. “You only h
ave one hand.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Thanks. I hadn’t noticed.”
Gabriel snickered then cried out in pain.
Jonathan nodded his head at the boy’s back. “Don’t let me keep you from taking care of that.”
Eli let go of the medallion then dipped the rag back in the bucket. “You better go before Reuben catches you in here.”
“Why would Reuben care? I sleep here.”
Gabriel whimpered when Eli pressed the rag to his back. “It’s part of the punishment. Pa doesn’t want anyone but Eli to relieve my pain.”
“Reuben did this?” Reuben was strict with his sons but it was easy to see that he loved both of them with all his heart. How could he do this to Gabriel? “You need stitches.”
“Pa will take care of it tomorrow, when we have better light.”
“How can you even consider letting him touch you after what he did?”
“I’m glad it was Pa and not Jesse.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Not yet.” Eli gave Jonathan a poignant look.
“What’s your woman’s name?” Jonathan didn’t usually refer to a woman as ‘woman’ but it would be easier for the men of New Eden to accept him if he fit their expectations.
“Aspen.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Jonathan opened the door and peeked outside. He didn’t want to run into Reuben. He wasn’t afraid of him. But he didn’t want to make things worse for Gabriel. “I need to go take care of Lightning.”
The sound of quiet weeping met Jonathan’s ears before he opened the stable door.
“Paul?” Jonathan’s chest ached when his eyes adjusted to the dim light and he saw his little friend curled up in a fetal position, lying in a pile of straw next to Stormy.
The filly stood up and greeted Jonathan with a puff of air on his neck when he entered her stall. He sat down and pulled Paul onto his lap. “Hey little man, what’s wrong?”
Jonathan searched the child’s face for some clue that would identify him as Eli’s son. But Eli and Reuben looked too much alike for there to be any obvious differences.
“Pa whipped Gabriel.”
“You saw that?” Phantom pain shot out of Jonathan’s wrist as he clenched his fist.
“No. Pa made me stay in the house, but I heard Gabriel scream.” Paul tightened his grip around Jonathan’s neck. “I could hear the whip crack, too.”
Paul needed comfort, not Jonathan’s righteous indignation; so he swallowed his rage and forced himself to speak with calm reassurance. “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo. I promise.”
“Momma used to sing to me when I got scared. Can you sing to me?”
Jonathan sang every song he could remember from childhood until Paul stopped crying. “Can you sit here by yourself for a little bit while I take care of Lightning? I rode him hard then put him up wet and hungry.”
Paul’s little shoulders trembled but he nodded his head and crawled off Jonathan’s lap. He popped a dirty thumb into his mouth.
Jonathan cringed, but the kid had survived this long. He probably wasn’t in any immediate danger—at least not from bacteria or parasites. Jonathan wanted to bust Reuben’s nose for what he’d done to Gabriel. If he laid so much as one finger on Paul; he’d do more than just smash his face.
“Jonathan?” It sounded more like ‘Jon-a-fun’ with his thumb in his mouth. “Can you sing that dragon song again? The one ‘bout that little boy that grows up and don’t come round no more?”
Jonathan smiled for the first time in what felt like days. “Sure, kid. As long as Lightning doesn’t mind.”
He didn’t. He was too busy eating his double ration of oats to care about anything else.
“Puff the Magic Dragon” was the song Mom had always relied on when Jonathan and Frankie were sick or scared or just too riled up to fall asleep. Jonathan didn’t know if it was a product of his coma-rattled brain, a dream, or a true memory—but it was also the song he’d heard her singing while he lay in the Intensive Care Unit in Landstuhl.
By the time Jonathan finished rubbing down Lightning, Paul was asleep.
Jonathan scooped him up and carried him back to the house.
Paul wrapped his arms around Jonathan’s neck and his legs around his chest. He snuggled his head into Jonathan’s shoulder and whispered, “Momma.”
That one word nearly ripped Jonathan’s heart right out of his chest. He felt the pain of Franklin’s death every day. But Paul was only four. His mother was dead and his father was a monster.
Jonathan kissed Paul’s cheek and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that. I promise.”
Jonathan balanced Paul on his hip to open the front door. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed the flickering rectangle of light creeping into the hall from under the door of Reuben’s office. The monster was awake and hiding in its lair.
Jonathan refused to be intimidated. He marched down the hall, past Reuben’s office toward Paul’s room.
The creak of an opening door made his ears twitch in anticipation, but the only other sound was a deep and weary sigh.
Jonathan turned sideways and shifted his weight onto his back foot. He didn’t want to fight with Paul in his arms, but there was no way he was letting Reuben anywhere near the child. “Stay back.”
Jonathan was angry but he hadn’t meant to sound so…threatening.
Reuben’s eyes widened. “I’m not going to hurt him. I just want to put him to bed.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to do it myself.”
Reuben’s eyes flashed with anger, but he nodded his assent and stepped out of the way when Jonathan growled at him.
He balanced Paul on his hip and pulled down the covers on his bed. But when he tried to lay him down, Paul clung to his neck.
He laid down beside him and hummed a few bars of “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
When Paul relaxed his grip, Jonathan slipped out of the bed.
Reuben was still standing in the doorway—watching. “You seem to have a way with him.”
“Maybe that’s because he knows I’d never beat him with a bull whip.”
Reuben put a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Come to my office. We need to talk.”
Jonathan shrugged it off and glared at Reuben but gave him a curt nod and followed him down the hall. He’d talk to the man alright. With his fist.