Sember (Forestfolk, Book 2)

Chapter 11c

I looked out at the Plainsmen who watched and waited for us to burn to death. The reflection of the fire danced in their hateful little eyes, and the knots in my stomach tightened. I'd experienced plenty of people expressing wariness around me, but never hate. Never this savage desire for my demise.

With growing apprehension, I tested the binding around my wrists, wanting all this to be over. I could have burned through them long ago, but I had to know that Goben was free before I started the distraction. I again glanced at the men around us. As the flames climbed higher, their mouths parted, leaning forward with expectation. It occurred to me that by now most people in my situation would be screaming.

I began uttering distressed whimpering sounds similar to crying. I glanced at Goben, who raised his brows with alarm. My eyes darted to the tribesmen, trying to convey that we needed to appear like we were actually suffering. Understanding lit his green eyes, and he began bellowing like a dying buffalo. I'd never heard such sounds come out of him before, but it was effective. The men smiled with smug satisfaction.

At last, the ties burned enough for me to snap them apart, and I knew it was time for my show. I took a deep breath and shrieked at the top of my lungs. All eyes turned to me, and I screeched again, this time lighting my entire body on fire. I drew energy from the flames below me, feeling its pulse flowing through me. I remembered Goben's astonished reaction to my human torch trick, and I counted on getting the same reaction from them.

Their mouths gaped open as I turned up the theatrics, screaming and squirming. They didn't notice that Goben had fallen silent, and didn't seem to care that my arms were now free as I formed fists by my head and shot the flames higher. From the corner of my eye I saw Goben racing for the little cabin, and I felt a burst of pride that my ruse was working. At least, I thought it was a burst of pride. It could have been a burst of fire because, honestly, I was smoking hot right then.

To ensure Goben had enough time to make his great escape, I began shouting obscenities and screaming silly things like, "Why would you do this to me? Fire is my weakness! All of you can go suck a toad!"

I kept it up for as long as I dared. I wanted to be away from this place. Away from these bloodthirsty people whose final goal in life was to kill me and every other Gifted in existence.

It was time for my finale.

I let the flames that engulfed my body die down a little, then pulled my fists down so they hovered near my navel. I let my chin drop to my chest, absorbing even more power from the fire below, letting it build within me. The tension inside expanded into a writhing, throbbing, unbearable mass.

It was time.

The onlookers gawked in fascination, clueless to the colossal energy I could barely contain.

And then I let it loose.

I flung my arms out wide and snapped my head up. A concussive blast radiated out from my very core, forming a smoky white ring.

The explosion knocked them all to the ground, and I wasted no time. I bolted from the platform and sprinted for the north entrance. I winced as tiny, sharp rocks dug into the bottoms of my bare feet, but I dared not slow down. When I rounded the corner of a hut, I ran into a very surprised woman. My leg caught against her foot, and I sprawled into the dirt.

Casting a nervous glance behind me, I saw the warriors getting to their feet and swiveling their heads in search of me.

The woman, who had remained on her feet, grabbed my arm.

I could not let them recapture me.

I shook at my arm, but she held fast and hauled me to my feet with surprising strength. "I'm sorry for all this," she whispered as she nudged me toward the exit. "Hurry."

I spent a very stupid second staring at her.

"Hurry!" she repeated.

This snapped me out of my disbelief. "Thank you," I said before rushing for the exit.

Dawn was breaking on my right. Grass and snow greeted me as soon as I made it through the exit.

I scanned my surroundings for any sign of Goben, but found none. Where was he?

I kept running.

A quick look over my shoulder revealed no pursuers. They weren't likely to follow me in this weather. But where was Goben? He had escaped, hadn't he? I wanted to shout his name, but I was still too close to the compound to risk it.

I paused long enough to pick a big splinter out of my toe and resumed running. He had to be nearby. He couldn't run that fast loaded down with two packs. I picked up speed as dread formed a cold fist in the pit of my stomach. What if someone had grabbed him on his way out? What if he had twisted an ankle and was on the ground somewhere in pain? What if someone had dug a random pit and he'd fallen into it?

My mind whirled with all the different ways things could have gone wrong. I began to regret ever convincing him to come with me in the first place. I should have let him stay home to take care of our parents. I should never have put him in this kind of danger. This should have been my task alone.

And then I almost ran into him. The snowfall had gotten so thick it was difficult to see.

"Goben! You're alive!" I nearly tackled him with my enthusiastic hug. He dropped the extra pack and hugged me back.

"Of course I'm alive," he said. "Thanks to you. You were so impressive, I wanted to stick around and watch!"

I laughed and hugged him again.

"Why are you shaking?" he asked.

"I thought for a second I'd lost you. I could never forgive myself."

"We're all right," he whispered, returning the hug.

Our eyes scoured the snowy landscape for angry Plainsmen, and our ears strained to hear grunts or shouts, but all we saw was more falling snow, and all we heard was the wind whipping through the grass.

"Okay, I think we can stop running now." I picked up my pack from the ground. "Where are my shoes?"

"Uh . . . your shoes?"

"Yes, you grabbed them, right? They were under the bed. I don't sleep with my shoes on, you know."

"Um . . . " He looked guiltily down at his own shoes.

"You put your own shoes on and didn't think to get mine?"

"Look, I wasn't thinking at all. I was a little busy scrambling out of there to run for my life."

I glared at him, but not for long. It was hard to stay mad at him considering how happy I was he was alive. "Don't worry about it," I relented. "I'll live. And if worse comes to worst, I'll make you carry me."

Whew! What an ordeal! Let's vote for their great escape.