Page 55 of Bones
“Did they know about you?”
I shuddered. “No.”
He looked thoughtful. “Word’s out about your powers now though. Mac’s contact says people have been asking around about you.”
Gods, if he was trying to make me feel better, he was doing a real shit job of it.
“I don’t know much ’bout their beliefs, but if they think you’re some sorta angel?—”
I tensed.
“You really don’t like that word, do you?”
I didn’t answer him.
“Is that what they all believe? Megs is batshit crazy, so I never know.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure either. I only knew what Juck told me. According to Juck, the Voiceless believed that seven gods rose from the ashes of the old world and made themselves known. Seven prophets were chosen, one for each god, and they served the gods until death. Followers had to commit themselves to the Voiceless to prove their devotion, paying them absurd amounts of tribute and occasionally carrying out horrible violent acts when the gods demanded it. Only the true believers knew the names of the gods, and after death, their souls were taken by angels to Paradise. The rest of us were doomed to suffer in eternal damnation. Juck’s big disagreement was that he believed the gods werenotimmortal, and that new gods would rise to replace them. He thought finding me in the desert anointed him as one of the new gods, but I thought it was all bullshit.
I shrugged.
“So who used to call you that?” he asked. “Juck?”
Whatever expression crossed my face must have been confirmation enough because his expression darkened. We sat in silence while my heart returned to a normal rhythm.
“Me and Mac met him once,” he said, “during a trade deal. Didn’t like him much.”
“When?”
He looked surprised that I asked a question. “Must’ve been about six years ago? The Reapers had a stock of propane tanks and we needed some…along with everybody else.”
I swallowed hard. “I remember that.”
His eyebrows rose. “You were there?”
“I was supposed to stay in his tent, but I snuck out.”
“To see the trade meeting?”
“No.” The words tumbled out, surprising me. “I tried to run away.”
“Ah,” he said, watching me. “Is that why he was in such a rage that last day?”
Gods, why was I talking about this? I stood, brushing off my pants. “I should get back to work.”
“Clinic’s closed,” Griz said, not moving from where he sat on the floor.
I fixed him with a sharp look. “Why?”
“So you could have a break.”
I didn’t know what to do with that. “I’m?—”
“Fine,” Griz finished, shaking his head with a grin. “Yeah, I know.”
I glared at him and made my way over to the ladder.
“You know it’s ok to not be fine sometimes,” he called as I descended.
