Dark Heart Wolf - Haley Weir Page 0,38
chest instead of behind her. The path ahead was sure to bring more surprises, and Mary Ann didn't want to get caught unaware again. She knew Sam and Boone saw her as a fragile woman, but they forgot she learned at an early age that there would not always be a man around to save her. Mary Ann followed Sam along the curving path until it narrowed near the base of the mountain.
“We may have to veer from the path to get to the other passage,” he said.
Mary Ann eyed the thorny bushes that blocked the way ahead. There was something eerie about them that sent a shiver down her spine. “Sam...I don’t think we should stray from the path. Someone or somethin’ put these here so that we would not make it up the mountain. I ain’t got magic like the others, but I know a trap when I see one.”
“The witches?”
“That or the Skadegamutc. She may be lurin’ us out here,” Mary Ann argued. “I say we use the knives and cut through the thorns. Make a clearin’ so we can use the path.”
“That could take longer than goin’ around, Mary…”
She looked up at the top of the mountain. They still had a three-day journey until they reached the peak but going around was too risky. Mary Ann needed Sam to trust her. She walked over to him and framed his face with her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I know you’re used to doin’ these things on your own, but I’m with you now, and so is my baby. You have to believe me that goin’ around ain’t a good idea, Samuel. I think there are more dangerous things on this mountain than Comanche hunters.”
He looked as though he wanted to argue, but Sam held his tongue. Mary Ann kissed his cheek and dug around in the bags for his largest knife. She took the smaller one and did her part to hack away at the thorns. The watch in Sam’s pocket ticked by the hours that passed as they worked. “Do you have magic?” Mary Ann asked suddenly. He glanced over his shoulder at her and arched his brow. “You’re the only shifter I’ve seen aside from Boone who can sometimes regenerate your clothes. He got a little bit of magic. I was just curious, is all.”
“I...have a little too. It ain’t very useful if you ask me.”
“What is it?”
“I can withstand more pain than the others,” he replied. “It’s good in a fight, don’t get me wrong. But most of the time, I end up draggin’ their fat asses out of battle by myself.”
Mary Ann smiled despite herself and got back to work.
The day quickly faded into night. Sam called for her to stop as he set camp nearby. They used the underbrush to conceal the glow from the embers of the fire. Mary Ann handed Sam a bowl of beans and a dry biscuit. It wasn’t much, but they needed to ration their food if they were going to make it to the top of the mountain.
“When are you goin’ to tell me more about Charlotte’s vision?” she asked. “It must be botherin’ you. Itsá said the third spirit, the Draoi, was supposed to possess Boone, Jesse, Wesley, or you. Charlotte had a vision that you were the weapon used to unleash the creatures of the abyss. Knowin’ that you might be the thing to end this world...I know it ain’t easy, Samuel. I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”
“I’m barely hangin’ on, Mary. I don’t know if the darkness I feel inside is because of the vision or if it’s because I was away from you for too long. I know you want answers, but I ain’t able to give you any at the moment.”
~*~
Two days of hacking at the thorny bushes had all but destroyed Sam’s patience. He wiped sweat from his face and looked up at the sky. It was about noon. His feet hurt, his arms were sore, his watch was broken, and he hadn’t stopped to take a bite to eat in hours. Mary Ann kept trying to get him to eat, but he worried the baby wasn’t getting what it needed with them rationing everything. Sam let Mary Ann eat half of his portion and munched on the rest throughout the day.
She was upset with him again, so he chose to stay quiet.
Mary Ann Pearl was the only person alive who had