Page 216 of Fangs
I struggled to my feet and gently maneuvered Roe to the bed of furs in the corner. He let out a little whimper but didn’t wake up. I crept over to the tent flap, carefully peering through the crack. I could see at least one guard standing outside—another of the Voiceless. How many were here? I thought there were only seven of them. I tiptoed back, examining the inside of the tent. It was large but only contained one bed made up of furs. I searched for anything that could be used as a weapon but found nothing. They’d even taken the handcuffs with them. I returned to Roe and tried to think. The Voiceless had freed me, so either they believed I wouldn’t try anything now that Roe was here, or they were setting a trap.
They said we were leaving at daybreak. Was right now the best time to take them by surprise, or were they out there just waiting for me to try to escape?
I took a deep breath. I didn’t have enough information. I didn’t know how many Voiceless there were or if others traveled with them. I needed to wait. I would risk it if it were just me, but I needed to be smarter. I had to protect Roe.
I climbed into the furs next to Roe, and he startled awake. “It’s ok, Roe, it’s Em,” I whispered.
It was getting cold. I lay beside Roe, giving him plenty of space and ensuring he had most of the furs, but he immediately shifted closer and curled into me. I could feel him trembling. I tentatively wrapped my arms around him.
“I’m so sorry, Roe,” I murmured, guilt running through my veins like poison.
“I want my dad,” he whimpered, and then he started sobbing again.
“I know,” I choked past the lump in my throat. “I know, but you’re not alone, ok? I’m here, and I’m gonna…” I hesitated, trying to figure out how to reassure him without lying. “I’m not gonna leave you, and we’re gonna try to get away.”
Maybe wishful thinking, but I was going to try to believe it.You’re only stuck if you believe you’re stuck.A bittersweet ache went through me at the memory of Trey’s words. I still thought that was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard, but here I was trying it.
“Ok,” he sobbed.
I gently ran my fingers through his curls, and without thinking, I started humming Wolf’s song. It took a long time, but eventually, his sobs died. Even after I knew he’d fallen asleep, I kept humming, hoping Wolf’s song would also sootheme.
“Wake up.”
I jolted awake to see a Voiceless leaning over me and barely resisted the urge to scream. It was still dark but with a rosy hue that meant the sun was beginning to rise. Roe’s fingers dug into my skin as he clung to me.
“We’re leaving soon,” the Voiceless added.
This wasn’t Talmar, but this Voiceless had also removed the black thread from his lips. I sat up, pulling Roe with me, and climbed out of the bed. The Voiceless beckoned to us, and I reluctantly followed him out of the tent. Outside, I had to work to keep my expression blank. There were so many Voiceless—at least a dozen of them. They were packing up the camp, but everyone who noticed me immediately sank to one knee and pressed their fist against their chest. The hair on the back of my neck prickled.
“Why are they doin’ that?” Roe whispered.
“Ember is the Goddess of Life,” the Voiceless leading us turned to say. “To disrespect her is to disrespect the God of Death himself.”
Roe looked up at me, eyes wide, but after the Voiceless turned back around, I rolled my eyes and shook my head slightly. Roe’s nose wrinkled in confusion.
The Voiceless led us to the dying fire. Roe and I huddled together, trying to keep warm. He wore a jacket, but I was still in my tattered T-shirt. My burned hand and my wrists ached, but Talmar’s bandaging looked neat and clean, so I didn’t unwrap them. Roe suddenly tensed, and I peered up to see Sax striding toward us. I pulled Roe behind me, but Sax offered a jacket to me. I didn’t move for several breaths, glaring at him, but he waited, no expression on his face. Finally, I reached out and took it, noting that it looked likehisjacket. He turned and left, and I pulled it on. I didn’t want his jacket, but itwaswarm. It was also large enough to wrap around Roeandme. I glanced up and saw Zana standing across the campsite, her arms crossed, and eyes narrowed at me; I looked away.
Another one of the Voiceless brought us some food—a chunk of bread and cheese. Roe and I ate together, watching as the rest packed up camp. I tried to count how many Voiceless I could see, but it was hard to keep track of them, much less tell them apart. I assumed they were all men, partially because they looked like men but more so because I doubted the Voiceless would ever let a woman be a prophet. They reminded me of ants, scurrying around and packing up, all identical and working in tandem without saying a word. I didn’t see anyone besides Sax and Zana who weren’t wearing the tattered white robes.
Another Voiceless approached, leading a horse. This one still had his lips stitched shut, but he gestured toward the horse, and I stood, pulling Roe with me. He frowned and made a gesture like he didn’t want Roe on the horse with me.
“He’s riding with me,” I said, trying to channel the authoritative way Mac spoke.
His eyes flicked to me, and he continued to frown, but finally, he nodded. I helped Roe on first and then climbed on behind him. This saddle was smaller than the one Trey and I had used, but Roe and I fit easily, and I wrapped Sax’s jacket around us. The Voiceless broke down the tents and loaded everything into packs carried by a team of mules. There were six other horses, all ridden by Voiceless. Everyone else traveled on foot. I counted at least fifteen Voiceless, and my heart sank. How the fuck were we going to get away?
We set out going roughly south, a long train of horses and people walking. One of the Voiceless walked in front of our horse, holding the reins.
“How did they find you?” I asked Roe, pitching my voice low enough that the Voiceless couldn’t hear.
“I don’t know, but I heard them talking about a trail,” Roe whispered back.
My heart sank. Did they follow a trail left by me and Trey? “Did any of them hurt you?”
He shuddered. “They hit me a few times.”
My blood boiled, and I muttered a curse through my teeth.
“Are you actually a goddess?” he whispered.
