Awaken (15 page)

“
I already checked....you
have no injury,” Tater says but his tone is real strange. I look at
him. He’s regarding me with a real odd expression, if I had to
guess I would say he looks...pleased?

I ain’t hurt. How is that possible? I
don’t get a chance to ask though ‘cause Finn, happy that I’m okay,
is now jumping around like some crazy rabbit.

“
Tara you were amazing! You
took out that raider...gave her a real whoopin’! None of the others
could get you offa her...it was like you had the strength of ten of
‘em! Took the Raider leader two hits with his big iron shooter to
knock you out. You showed her real good!”

That don’t please me none.

“
Is she okay?” I say,
worried by Finn’s words. I remember how I felt now at that time. I
remember all the hatred, all the anger and how my only thought was
to snap her neck...to kill her. I ain’t ever felt like that, never,
my whole life and it scares me.

“
She’s bruised and battered
and her pride is a little damaged but otherwise she is alive. You
didn’t kill her if that’s what you are fearing.” Tater’s words ease
my panic some and I relax. The next words I hear however, from a
voice I don’t recognize, fill me with dread.

“
You are probably going to
wish she had killed you though.”

Still sitting, I spin around, and
realize there’s another occupant of the wooden cage imprisoning us.
A young man, leaning against the thick bars of the cage, arms
folded and regarding me with such a hostile look I reckon he must
be one of the raiders.

“
That’s Jax,” Finn says
answering my unspoken question. “He was captured just like
us.”

He’s a captive like us? So why’s he
looking at me like I just stole the last of his berry bread? I get
to my feet. I don’t like having to look up at him. He’s not much
taller than me but he’s all sinewy muscle like he’s been used to
working hard his whole life. He’s got short cropped spikey black
hair, sun darkened skin and a smattering of stubble covering his
lower jaw. But it’s his eyes that capture my attention. They are a
sky blue, so light in his dark face that I find it nearly
impossible to look away. I know pretty ain’t a word you would use
to describe a man, but his eyes...they were so damn pretty. If you
could get past the fact that they were staring at me right now like
I was his worst enemy.

“
I...ah...” I stutter a bit.
“Why...why would you say such a thing?”

“
Oh geez, I don’t
know...let’s see. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that
you just nearly killed the daughter of our captor and severely
pissed him off.”

His voice is low but filled with
fury.

“
They were planning on
taking us to Littlepass to sell, make a few pieces of iron for
themselves. That wouldn’t have been a problem...any fool can escape
from Littlepass. But thanks to your stupid little stunt earlier, I
heard the big guy tell the guards they are taking us directly to
Skytown…to the Prezedant. You, apparently, are more valuable then
they at first thought.”

His words ain’t making any sense. I
look to Tater.

“
What’s he talking ‘bout? I
ain’t valuable to nobody.”

For the first time since I’ve known him
the half man remains quiet. He actually drops his eyes from me and
I prompt him again.

“
Tater? What’s he talking
‘bout? I ain’t of no concern to the Prezedant...why are they taking
us to him?” I say, my alarm at the strangeness of Jax’s words
making me more insistent this time.

“
Tara....” it’s surprisingly
Finn who answers me. “When you attacked the Raider
girl....something real strange happened to you. Not only were you
so strong none of the men could budge you but your hair....those
white stripes...they were glowing like there was some kinda light
inside of you. It scared most of the raiders, they backed off, some
of ‘em even ran away they were so scared. They was calling you a
name. They was calling you a new blood....least I think that’s what
they was saying.”

A what? I don’t know what Finn is
talking about. It don’t make a lick of sense.

“
Finn that’s just
craziness!” I say a little harsher then intended. “My hair don’t
glow with no light. You were scared is all and you imagined that.
Right Tater? And I don’t even know what a..a new blood is but I
sure as hell know I ain’t no such thing.”

A harsh laugh from this “Jax” brings my
attention back to him.

“
It’s bad enough that I am
being included in your group of misfits and herded off to Skytown
with virtually no chance of escape but to be captured with a new
blood who’s too stupid to even realize what she is.....that is damn
bad luck indeed.”

I don’t recall moving but I find myself
nose to nose with Jax, my arm pressed tight against his throat and
that now familiar red hot anger burning through me.

“
Stop calling me that! And
if you don’t want your neck snapped you better not call me
stupid...ever again!”

If he’s scared by me he don’t show it.
He merely stares back at me with his strange hostile
eyes.

“
Tara, let the boy go,”
Tater says calmly, his hand on my arm. I ignore him at first but
just as quickly as it came my anger is gone. I drop my arm and step
back, suddenly overcome with such weariness I just want to curl up
in a ball and cry. What is happening to me? This anger? This
hatred? I nearly killed someone...would have killed her if I hadn’t
been stopped. What am I? I look at Tater, my eyes demanding the
truth.

“
Is what the boy saying
true?” I ask.

Tater nods. “It is indeed. It was quite
the impressive show. I have never in my life seen a bunch of grown
men run off like little old maidens wringing their undergarments in
their hands. It was quite the amusing sight to behold. Why
I...”

“
Tater! Did
something...happen to me like Finn said?” I interrupt the half
man’s rambling words. I need to know if this strange occurrence
Finn was talking about really happened. I know what I had
felt...the strength... the hatred...I have never felt that
intensity before. The pounding of my blood, the buzzing in my
ears...it had been like my body wasn’t even my own anymore. Like it
had been taken over by some other being. Something real strange had
definitely happened to me. I need to know what.

At first he don’t want to answer, I can
tell, but I prod him some more.

“
Tater...what happened to
me?” I say. “What were they calling me?”

The half man rubs his mustache, curling
up the ends nervously as if he don’t want to tell me anything else
but finally he takes a deep breath.

“
Finn was not mistaken. The
raiders, unfortunately for us, did recognize you for what you are
and for what I suspected you to be. A new blood.”

I don’t understand.

“
What the hell does that
mean? And what do you mean...you suspected? You knew
something...all this time?” I say accusingly. He nods.

“
As I said, I suspected. The
unusual hair coloration is associated with new bloods, but not
always. And there have been no reports of true new bloods for years
now. And I never imagined I would ever meet one in person! I wasn’t
sure, not until the night of our conversation in the woods. When I
told you your kin were gone for good. You became angry, distressed,
and your hair it...well you had this aura about you, just as Finn
said. Then I knew for certain.”

I stare at Tater in silence, trying to
process what he is saying. I want to believe he is lying to me.
Surely none of what they are saying can be true…can it? But then I
remember the look on his face that night in the woods...the shock
and surprise, and I know deep down that he ain’t lying. That he did
witness something. That he truly believes I am what he says I
am.

“
What is it....a new blood?
What the hell is it? What is happening to me?” I know I must be
sounding desperate, pleading with him to ease my fears but I cain’t
help it...it was how I felt. Desperate and completely terrified. I
glance at Finn who is still regarding me with awe like he had just
watched me turn sand to iron instead of almost kill another person.
“Am I dangerous...to others?”

“
No, no girl...it’s a
glorious thing, a wonderful thing indeed. New Bloods are a true
marvel of the gods.” Tater’s expression is one of wonder and
amazement and I know he believes his own words. I can feel my fear
easing some. If my...condition were dangerous or evil Tater would
tell me wouldn’t he? He would be afraid of me. He don’t look
afraid. Maybe it was okay. But then another harsh snort from Jax
makes my stomach clench and I feel like I wanna retch all over
again.

“
Tell her the truth old man.
Tell her what she truly is.”

As if the venom dripping from his words
ain’t proof enough I can see the hatred and disgust in his eyes. It
seems wrong somehow to see such things of beauty marred by this
ugliness. I hear Tater’s gasp and I know I don’t want to hear what
Jax is about to say but I cain’t look away from his
eyes.

“
A freak of nature.....a
mutation. A danger to everyone around her. A carrier of death to
anybody she’s ever come in contact with.”

Jax’s words are spoken softly but they
cut deeper than any knife could have done for I know in my gut he’s
speaking the truth. It had already happened had it not?
Rivercross....gra’da....everyone, gone because of me. Deep down I
had always suspected it...I had always felt that I was the reason
for the metal machines attacking Rivercross... I just wouldn’t
admit it to myself.

“
Shut your mouth
boy!”

Tater tries to stop him but it was too
late. The damage had been done. We keep looking at each other, me
and Jax, his light eyes staring into mine as if he was looking into
my very soul. I find I cain’t draw a breath. It’s as if all the
guilt and grief I’ve been carrying around inside of me is
bared...laid open for him to see. Something shifts in his
expression and he looks away from me as if he cain’t stand the
sight of me anymore. I find myself gasping for air, like I suddenly
remembered I had to breathe.

Finn comes to my side and grabs my
hand.

“
You don’t know shite about
Tara Jax! She ain’t no freak! And she ain’t a danger to nobody but
them raiders!”

Loyal Finn. I squeeze the little hand
gripping mine, close my eyes, too overcome for words. Why was all
this happening to me? I cain’t understand what I did to anger the
gods so much. And am I truly the reason for the fate of gra’da and
Rivercross? I ain’t given much time to ponder everything I had just
heard though ‘cause the sound of crunching rock underfoot warns us
of someone’s approach.

“
Ah, the new blood is
awake.”

I open my eyes to the raider leader. He
appears even bigger then I remember if that were even possible. He
crosses his arms across his massive chest and looks me up and
down.

“
And looking no worse for
wear I see....good. I would hate to have to deliver such precious
cargo as damaged goods.” He gives me that brilliant smile. “A new
blood in my possession...how fortunate indeed. You, my dear, are
going to make me a very rich man.”

I try the dumb approach. And since I
still really had no freakin’ idea what was happening to me, the
dumb approach was all I had.

“
I don’t know what you’re
talking ‘bout. I ain’t no new blood....don’t even know what that
is.”

“
Hah!” His burst of laughter
is genuine. “Don’t try and lie to me girl. I just watched you
nearly strangle my daughter with your bare hands and scare the life
out of a dozen or so of my best men. Men who have faced devil cats
and wolflings with nary a blink but one look at your Chi was enough
to send them off screaming like young’uns.”

“
My what?” I say, not
knowing that word. What was Chi?

He studies me for a bit,
then...

“
You truly are unaware of
what you are. Fascinating. A new bloods Chi is a sight to behold.
Never thought I’d see the day when I would witness such an event
again for you and your kind are a dying breed.”

Tired of his gibberish and fed up with
the whole situation, I lash out.

“
I ain’t a breed of nuthin!”
I say angrily. “Let us go right now!”

I shake the bars of the cage in
frustration. How dare he keep us locked up like animals!

“
Let us out now or...or else
I’ll use my Chi,” I say, repeating his word. If it were enough to
scare his men....but he don’t fall for my threat. He just laughs
even harder.

“
A new blood you may be but
a babe at that. You cannot control your Chi no more than I can
control the wind. No, I do not fear you baby new blood but I do
respect you. That is the reason I return this.”

His hand too massive to fit through the
bars, he dangles my flower in front of my face on the other side of
the cage. Fearing a trick I reach for it slowly, expecting at any
moment to have it yanked away. But he is true to his word and I
snatch it quickly from his grasp before he changes his
mind.