The Scourge (A.G. Henley) - By A.G. Henley Page 0,59

time to rest now.”

Peree mutters something that sounds like, “I take back the nice part.”

We finally get him settled back in bed, grumbling all the way, and he’s still asleep when I come back to visit him later that afternoon. Nerang laughs, saying pigheadedness can only take you so far.

Chapter Thirteen

I mean to get up early the next morning, but Kadee’s sitting room is flooded with sunlight when I finally wake. As I near Peree’s shelter, I’m surprised to hear a female voice. It’s Kai.

“That one rolled!” she says.

“No, it didn’t,” Peree says.

“It did too, cheater!”

“Are you kidding? I don’t have to cheat to win a child’s game.”

“Cheater,” the girl says again, her voice teasing.

“Fine. As proof of my noble nature, I’ll take the high road. Take your turn.”

“You bet I will.”

Somehow I feel like I’m intruding as I step into the doorway.

“Fenn!” Peree sounds startled, and something else . . . guilty? “Do you know Kai? She was showing me a game they play here. It’s called, uh, spill sticks.”

“And you were cheating,” she murmurs to him.

“We met,” I say, wrestling a smile onto my face.

“I’m going,” she says to him. “You better practice. I won’t be so easy on you next time.”

Next time?

“See you. Thanks for the game,” he says, as she slips almost silently out the door. Like a snake. “So, how’d you sleep?” he asks me.

“Fine. You?” I can’t keep the clipped tone out of my voice.

“Great,” he says.

I hover near the door, suddenly annoyed. They weren’t doing anything suspicious, I tell myself, only playing some kind of kid’s game.

Together.

Alone.

Maybe it was that Peree sounded like he was having fun. Have we had fun together? Surviving the Scourge, wandering around in freezing caves, being attacked by animals, and almost dying. Fun? No.

“Oh, hey, guess what? Nerang made me a crutch.” I hear him take a few stumping steps. “Let’s go for a walk.”

I try to shake off my irritation. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

“Absolutely. Plus my warden’s letting me out on good behavior.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call your behavior good,” I say, and instantly wish I hadn’t.

He sighs. “Fenn, Kai was just being nice. I think she’s kind of lonely. She’s been hanging around here a lot. She’s like one of the men—Nerang says she hunts, and she’s really good with a spear.”

Great—she’s lonely, hanging around a lot, and they have hunting in common. Was that supposed to make me feel better? I shake myself again. I’m being ridiculous, and a little mean-spirited. Well, he’s not the only one who can take the high road. “No, I’m glad you’re making a friend,” I say firmly.

“So do you want to take a walk? If so, we better get out of here, before Nerang changes his mind and locks me up again.”

I take him on a quick tour of the village, pointing out the gardens, the workspaces, and the allawah. I share what I know about the people, too, which is a lot, thanks to Kora and Bega. Then we take a ride into the trees on the magical flying platform. It’s not quite as bad this time, but I’m still nauseatingly attuned to every lurching upward motion. Peree laughs at my queasy expression. We stroll around the walkways, stopping often so he can interrogate carpenters, and examine such fascinating things as bend knots and junctions. It’s good to hear him so enthusiastic.

The people don’t seem as suspicious of Peree as they did of me. I guess they’ve gotten the word that the lorinyas are harmless. Or maybe it’s that Peree probably doesn’t look too dangerous while leaning on a crutch with a heavy limp.

The laundry area’s deserted today. Peree leads me to the edge of the platform, helping me duck under the rows of empty ropes. He describes the view of the forest, and the nearby hills. Somewhere in there, the Hidden Waters bubble.

“Want to sit for a few minutes?” he asks, his voice a little too innocent.

“Why? Do you need a rest?” I tease.

“Don’t tell Nerang.” He sits, stretching his legs out in front of him with a contented sigh.

“So what do you think of Koolkuna?” I ask.

“You were right, it’s amazing. It reminds me of a story my mother told once about some people who were trying to reach this safe place where they could live, but they had to walk through a valley of death to get there. When they arrived, they found green pastures and calm waters, and