Page 38 of Fangs
“Wow,” Kai said from the other side of Sable. “Lee, you need some snow for that burn?”
Sable chuckled. Wolf didn’t react from where he sat in an armchair, but it almost looked like amusement flashed through his eyes.
“Freckles?” Scar asked, raising an eyebrow.
“She told me to stop calling her ‘Ember,’” Lee said with a shrug, looking unfazed by my rejection and Kai’s teasing.
“What was the name you’ve been going by, Ember?” Wolf asked, his voice thick with sarcasm.
I didn’t answer, pulling my legs in against my chest.
“Bones, wasn’t it? Guess it suits you.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant because I was skinny or because he thought I killed people. Either way, his disparaging tone made tears burn in my eyes. Scar set a bowl of stew on the floor next to me before claiming the last armchair. I ignored it. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Wolf spoke again.
“Maybe you’d actually have a chance at escaping if you ate something.”
I ignored himandmy stomach growling as I tried to figure out how long it’d been since I last ate—an old familiar anxiety raising its head. I painstakingly kept track with Juck, so I knew when to stick with broth and when it was safe to eat regular food. The fear of eating and getting sick was sometimes so intense that the fear itself made me sick. As a healer, I knew getting sick was a natural body function, but I’d been beaten more than a few times for vomiting in the tent or on Juck’s bed, and now it was just one more broken thing rattling around in my head.
“I’m only sayin’ this ’cause Tuck’s not here, but the stew isn’t that bad,” Kai said.
I quickly scanned the room, realizing Tuck was missing.
“Pretty sure it’s just venison, potatoes, and some carrots if that helps,” Sable added.
It took about a day and a half to reach the cabin, and Lee said we’d been in the cave for about a day and a half. What had I eaten that day at the Vault? I couldn’t remember, and my stomach twisted. I hadn’t been eating much. My appetite had been practically nonexistent for the past three months. So what, four or five days since I had an actual meal? How many days had passed since the cave?—
“Guess I’m not getting that shirt back, huh?” Lee mused, interrupting my panicked thoughts.
“Guess not,” Wolf replied.
“Looks better on her, anyway,” Lee said.
“Watch it,” Wolf warned, but he was smiling when I glanced at him—a small smile, but it was there.
“You know, I always pictured your sister as a smaller you with longer hair,” Lee said. “I was right, but somehow she’s a lot prettier than you were with long hair.”
“I thought Wolf was very pretty with long hair!” Scar teased, making Lee, Sable, and Kai snicker.
Wolf glared at all of them but just stuffed another spoonful of stew in his mouth.
It suddenly struck me I’d never seen my brother with friends. Had he had friends? He was always taking care of Dune and me, hunting, or helping Pa. In my head, he’d been a grownup for as long as I could remember, but seeing him now, I realized precisely how young he’d been. He was eighteen when Dune died, and he’d started caring for me when he was only eight. I felt a pang of guilt and sympathy I didn’t like.
I hate you.My earlier words ran through my head, and the guilt grew.
I tried to picture him with long hair, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t imagine him ever growing his hair out long. He’d always kept it cut short, controlled, as Carth required of men. Now I realized exactly how much I didn’t know him, despite us sharing the same blood. A sickening pit opened in my stomach when I abruptly realized I’d been with Juck longer than I’d been with Wolf. Maybe I was just as much a stranger to my brother as he was to me.
I’d only been at the Vault for about ten months, but my crew felt more like family than Wolf. The ache in my chest sharpened. I missed them so much. I was still furious at Wolf for making me think he was about to hurt them, but I was relieved they hadn’t actually been in danger. It was a confusing mix of emotions.
The sound of boots on the porch startled me. The door opened, and Tuck stepped inside, shaking snow from his curly hair. Lee stood and stretched.
“My turn?” he said.
“Yep,” Tuck kicked the snow from his boots. “It’s gettin’ cold again.”
“Perfect.”
Lee moved to the door and grabbed his coat. He glanced at me as he shrugged it on, catching me watching him, and winked. I looked away. The stew smelled tantalizingly good. I’d planned to be done with escape attempts, but I wanted to be ready for any opportunity. And as much as I hated to admit it, Wolf was right. I needed to eat to keep my strength up.
