Page 18 of Burdened Bonds

“That’ll take you – what? – a month?” Is that right? I could never do the math. The numbers bounce around even more than the letters. “You have enough supplies for a month? Can you carry them all?”

She spins around, her arms full of clothes. “Fuck off!” she snaps.

“I’m just pointing out the flaws in your plan, little rabbit.”

“There wouldn’t be any flaws if you just took me yourself.”

“Not happening.”

“Then I’ll be walking.”

I sigh. “Along the highway?”

“Probably. Maybe I’ll hitch a lift.”

“There’ll be patrols out on the main roads. Gang members, soldiers.”

“Then I’ll take the back roads,” she says, flinging the clothes into the only bag she could find, an old string shopping bag from the kitchen.

“Yeah, there’ll be patrols on those roads too. I’m telling you, little rabbit, people are going to be looking for you. We need to be smart about this.” I tap my index finger against the side of my head.

“There is nous!”

I know she’s mad at me right now so I let that fly.

I jump down from the desk and stalk towards her. She doesn’t scurry away like she did when she first woke up and she doesn’t flinch either. She lets me come right up close to her, not moving at all, tipping back her head to look up intomy face.

I like her eyes. The color that rings the dark depths of her pupils are clear. It reminds me of honey. Sweet sticky honey. Full of sugar. Making your tongue buzz. I like the way I can read them. I’ve never been able to do that before. But her eyes tell me when she’s mad, or afraid, or happy. It makes things a hell of a lot easier.

“It’s time for us to go,” I tell her.

“I told you there is no us. And unless you’re going to …” she waves her hand about, “me back to the capital, I’m not coming with you.”

It’s cute she thinks she has a choice in this. But I’m determined to keep her safe, so she doesn’t.

“There are two ways we can do this. Both involve us getting the hell out of here and as far away from Los Magicos as possible.” She scowls. “So which way do you want to do it? You can take my hand and let me lead you where we need to go. Or would you prefer the old fashion way? You know, involving me knocking you out and slinging you over my shoulder.”

“There’s no way in hell–” she begins and I guess that means it’s the second option.

Before she has time to react, I flick my finger against her forehead and immediately the lights go out, her legs crumpling underneath her. I catch her in my arms before she hits the floor.

The pig’s not happy about it, he snorts angrily at me as I collect up some other useful bits and pieces for our trip, pouring out the potion I brewed into an old thermos flask. Then I shift her over my shoulder as promised, pick up the shopping bag from the floor and head out the front door.

I could use my abilities to shoot us somewhere far away from here, but truth be told I’m tired on account of all thecaring and nursing duties. Plus, shooting us out of Los Magicos was the only time I’ve taken someone with me like that. It was a risk. One that could have backfired, seen us separated. I could have lost her in the folds of time. She could have gotten hurt.

I don’t want to take that risk again. Not unless I really, really have to.

Unfortunately as I step out of the house with my little rabbit slung over one shoulder and her pig under my other arm, I see I’m going to have to take the risk far sooner than I expected, because streaming into the meadow are a group of soldiers. Soldiers from the West. Seems I was right. Lowsky may be dead but there are still people out searching for her.

Unless they’ve come for me.

I shouldn’t dismiss myself so quickly.

I have a reputation.

I grin at them.

“Is it me you want or the girl? Or perhaps it’s the pig?”