Read Online Backs Against the Wall (Survival Series) by Tracey Ward - Free Book Online Page B

his knuckles. “What is that? Did you make it?”
    He flexes his fingers, looking at the spike along his knuckles. “Kevin did. He made it for in the arena.”
    “In the Underground?”
    “Yeah.”
    “It’s cool,” I tell him admiringly.
    He shrugs, looking uncomfortable. “It’s better than nothing. Let’s get that meat you wanted and go see the wizard.”
    When we finally manage to bag a couple of rabbits, we start to head back toward Crenshaw’s.
    “I should do it alone.”
    He frowns down at me. “Why?”
    “He likes me.”
    “He likes me too,” Ryan insists, sounding offended.
    “He likes me more.”
    “What are you? Two years old? It’s not a competition. I’m sure daddy loves all his kids the same.”
    “But I’m special.”
    “Why? Cause you’re a girl? Get over yourself, Joss. I’m going with you.”
    I want to hit him for trivializing how hard it’s been to do this on my own being a girl surrounded by Lost Boys, Colonists and Risen. It’s been a nightmare, and honestly, b eing around people again has its pros and cons too. I can’t exactly say it’s hands down a better deal than what I had before. It’s different, sure, but is it better? I feel annoyed more often, that’s about all I know. Like right here, right now.
    Annoyed.
    “Whatever, let’s go.”
    I turn my bac k on him instead of hitting him or yelling at him. I feel like that’s a sure sign that my social skills are improving.
    We reach the edge of Crenshaw’s property and pause, scanning the trees.
    “You want to knock or should I?” Ryan asks.
    “Just do it.”
    He chuckles. “You are seriously a sore loser.”
    “I haven’t lost anything!”
    “Athena?” Crenshaw calls.
    “Nothing but your temper,” Ryan whispers in my ear, his breath tickling my hair across my neck.
    I shiver, shoving him away as I try not to smile.
    “I saw that,” he mumbles.
    “Shut up.”
    “Ah, Athena,” Crenshaw says happily, emerging from the shadows like mist the way he loves to do. “I thought that was you.” He looks Ryan up and down briefly. “And you’ve brought young Helios with you.”
    I turn to ask Ryan who the hell Helios is, but my words die in my throat. He’s down in the grass on one knee, his head bowed.
    “Master Crenshaw,” he intones deeply.
    Crenshaw grins affectionately, waving his hand to him. “Rise, rise, my boy. As you’ve brought Athena with you, I assume this is to be a social call. No need for such ceremony.”
    Ryan stands beside me. I stare at me in amazement.
    “What was that?”
    “ Shh,” he shushes me. “Master Crenshaw, we seek your council.”
    “Ah, so then it is not entirely a social call.”
    “No, sir.”
    “Well, come, my children. Come. You’ll sit at my hearth and tell me your troubles.”
    We follow silently and carefully behind Crenshaw as he leads us through his maze of traps. I’m bursting with questions about what the bowing and ‘Master’ bit was about, but I lock it up for now. Talking to Crenshaw, especially about real issues, is a delicate thing. Some days you get sharp moments of a man well aware he’s living in an apocalypse. Other days, you get the wizard who wants to show you his latest trick of turning water into wine. It’s not wine. It’s not even grape juice. It’s water with mashed up grapes in it, seeds, skins and all. But you drink it because you’ll hurt his feelings otherwise and if there’s one thing you never do, it’s piss off a wizard.
    He seats us at his small table inside his hut, Ryan actually on his bed with his long legs tucked up nearly into his chest. We both pass on whatever brew he has going on the stove that wreaks of onions because that’s probably what it is, boiling onions, and we offer him a share of our kill in exchange for his advice.
    “What knowledge do you seek?” he asks us seriously, his large round eyes scanning both our faces.
    Ryan glances at me quickly, looking anxious. This is where it could go well or very