Page 111 of After 5
“Because of this.” She lifted her apron to reveal a round belly.
Caiyan’s eyes grew wide. Mine did too.
“Is it—?” Caiyan couldn’t finish the question, but I could. The child was his. He was a father, and he never told me. My heart did a swan dive. Somewhere in the eighteen hundreds, Caiyan and Victory had a baby together. Is that why he needed to come back here?
“I wanted to tell ya, but you didn’t return the next moon cycle, and then they sold me. I thought you’d be upset.
“I could never be mad at you.” He embraced her and kissed her on the mouth, again.
Suddenly the hazy battle smoke cleared. Mortas was here to kill her and their child. The child must have incredible powers, or was the child a parent to one who endangered the Mafusos’ existence? I had so many questions, and the two people who could answer them, I couldn’t ask. The worst part was Caiyan hadn’t trusted me enough to share this part of his life with me. I held back the tears of anger that threatened to spill out.
“So ya prefer the darkies, do ya?” Miss Maggie’s bulk moved in front of the lean-to.
Caiyan froze, his hand went to his revolver. Fumbling in my medical pouch, I extracted a bottle and a piece of cloth and poured the bottle’s contents into the cloth. I stood from my crouched position behind the bush and rushed around to where Miss Maggie stood, hands on hips.
“Excuse me, I’ve got an issue with your girl.”
Miss Maggie turned and moved away from the couple. “What problem you got with my Sugar?”
“She bit my hand.”
As Miss Maggie bent her head down to view the damage, I clasped my hand over her mouth and wrapped my body tight to her. She struggled for a few minutes.
“Go down, go down!” I said. I wrapped my legs around her and held on cowboy style until she went lights out.
Caiyan and Victory stared wide eyed watching the show.
I asked for Caiyan’s help to drag her under the shadows of the canopy.
Victory, eyes like saucers, reached out for me.
No, you don’t.I avoided her contact, wiping my hands on a dry cloth. I wasn’t sure if she could read me or if she only saw visions of the future, but I knew our contact would spark.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Seemed like Sergeant McGregor needed a hand. We’d better get Private Raney and skedaddle before the chloroform wears off and Miss Maggie regains consciousness.”
I removed my cravat so both could see I wasn’t wearing a key. Dabbed my face with it. My ruse needed to continue as long as possible, or until I could get a grip.
“Wait, I need to gather my uhm, things.” Victory began stuffing pieces of cloth into a knapsack.
One dropped to the ground, and I saw the map of Gettysburg sewn on it. The placement of Lee’s army, and the red heart she had cut to sew into the jackets of the soldiers. She glanced my way as Caiyan bent and picked it up, studied it. She yanked it from his grasp and stuffed it alongside the rest of them.
Miss Maggie made a low growl, and I chloroformed her once more.
We retreated toward the tent where I had left Sam and found him leaning against the tree.
“C’mon, we need to leave, quick like.”
Sam’s gaze stopped on Victory.
“She’s coming with us. Miss Maggie didn’t treat her well,” I explained.
“You’ll get in trouble taking someone’s property, Doc.”
“I’m no one’s property,” Victory said.
“She’s my property,” Caiyan said. “I’ve been searching for her. We can discuss this later, right now we need to hide.” He glanced behind him, and I saw what he did—Mortas spoke with Sugar, at the entrance to the Soiled Dove’s tent.
