I met Emily as she stepped out of the dwelling.
“We are to sleep in this teepee,” she said, pointing to one several yards ahead. “A woman named Red Bird has already prepared it for us.”
I nodded and followed her.
Inside our lodge, I flopped on a bison fur, and Emily did the same, facing me.
I could barely see her in the dim light filtering through the hole atop the teepee. I shared everything I’d learned today with Emily, grateful to be able to confide in her. I was glad she was my sister, even though our mother loved her more. I truly understood Marcellious and Roman’s problems with their mother and how they had been separated at birth. I felt empathy for Marcellious’ pain and his feelings toward his mother. Maybe I was missing information about my own mother?
Only time would tell.
When I’d finished, I said, “What should I do? Maybe we should find this John James character.”
“No, no,” Emily said, wiping the air before her. “That’s surely a dead end. If my father couldn’t find him, we won’t either. Besides, he could have already passed away.”
“I guess you’re right,” I said, folding my arms behind my head.
Loud footsteps pounded the ground outside, heading in our direction.
“Olivia!” Marcellious shouted. “Come quickly!”
Given my numerous injuries, I leaped to my feet as best I could. “What is it?”
“It’s Roman! He’s here!”
Without another thought, I raced from the teepee and followed Marcellious. A faint sliver of light still hung on the horizon.
Ahead stood a horse with a man slumped over its neck.
“Roman!” I cried out. “Oh, my God! Roman!”
I sprinted toward him.
Marcellious helped me lift him from the horse.
Roman was barely conscious, but he was alive.
“Bring him to my teepee. Emily and I will tend to him,” I ordered Marcellious. “I wonder where he came from. How did he escape Balthazar?”
I hurried next to Marcellious, who carried Roman over his shoulder.
“Let’s just be glad he’s here,” Marcellious said with a grunt.
I pivoted in a three-sixty, searching for a clue.
A figure stood beneath the same tree I’d sat under earlier.
A chill launched up my spine.
The figure met my gaze. His eyes shone emerald green, and he wore all black, from his boots to his pants and shirt. Something about him was strangely familiar to me—so much so that I wanted to run to him.
He nodded at me.
Before I could call out and ask him his name, he whirled and faded from sight. His disappearing act was like Balthazar would do, vanishing from sight as if he were never there.
Olivia
Night fell hard, bringing with it a sharp wind. The gusts blew through my bones as I hurried after Marcellious, who carried my lover as if he were a child.
