Read Online Heavens Before by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow - Free Book Online Page A

thoughts to his own. “If Yerakh still has one of those giants—that Nephiyl —among his supporters, then we can only wait. She must be released with his permission, or his death—as the Most High wills.”
    “Until then she suffers,” Shem muttered. Lifting his head, he gazed across the river. The young woman was watching him and met his look by lifting her hands and shrugging, conveying her resignation. As if to change the subject, she held out one hand and turned it gracefully, indicating Naomi.
    After a brief hesitation, Shem tapped himself, then took Naomi’s hand and put it on his head, rolling his lip out, looking miserable as he used to when he was very young and in trouble. Apparently amused, his beloved rocked back slightly, one hand to her mouth to cover a painful half-smile, the other hand clutching her side.
    Perplexed, Naomi pulled her hand away, frowning at her son. “What was that about?”
    “I told her that you’re my mother. I couldn’t think of any way to express it properly except to show her that you used to punish me when I was young. I think she would have laughed if she weren’t in such pain.”
    Naomi swatted him, pretending exasperation. Shem grinned. The young woman tilted her head and studied this exchange, clearly fascinated, her dark eyes wistful. Then, as Naomi watched in wonderment, Shem and the young woman conversed silently through a series of hand motions and facial expressions. Their communication ended with the young woman lowering her head, clearly exhausted and miserable.
    Shem looked at Naomi. “Yerakh beat her from head to heel! It hurts her to move.”
    Naomi shook her head sympathetically. “Ask if she has eaten today.”
    Shem tossed a stone into the river to make the unhappy girl look up. In response to his silent question, she touched her hand to her swollen jaw, then pantomimed drinking water from the river.
    “She’s had nothing but water,” Naomi realized aloud. Scolding, she wagged her finger at the young woman, who drooped her head briefly in submission. Tapping Shem’s arm, Naomi said, “Go back to our lodge and get my basket with the ointments and herbs.”
    “But, I’ma, how can you treat her from here?”
    “You can throw the ointments to her. Go. Go!”
    Sighing, Shem signaled to his beloved, asking her to wait. Then he quickly left the riverbank, heading back to the lodge. She watched him leave, shadows of fresh pain crossing her bruised, swollen face.
    Naomi felt a new rush of compassion for the young woman. To distract her, Naomi tossed a small stone into the river, then motioned to the meshwork in her lap. In response, the girl finished off the knot she had been working, tucked her tool into a nearby bag, and shyly lifted the meshwork.
    Naomi was amazed. It appeared to be very fine and light and was much larger than she had supposed. The young woman swung it over her shoulders, not displaying it, but huddling beneath it, as if it could protect her from further pain.
    If I were beaten like that, I’d want to hide too , Naomi told herself.
    As she lifted her hand to try to communicate, Naomi saw a young matron come out of the trees on the opposite bank. Round-faced and sulky, her rope of black hair tightlybound and decorated with gold talismans, the newcomer glanced at Naomi suspiciously, then ignored her and stalked over to Shem’s beloved.
    Aware of the matron’s approach, the beleaguered girl covered the sea carving with her hand and cautiously slipped it into the neckline of her leather tunic. To Naomi’s distress—and her growing fury—the matron didn’t bother to greet the poor child, but snatched a handful of her hair and pulled hard. Wincing, the girl struggled to her feet, her expression blank and unseeing as a mask. If Naomi had not already communicated with her, and seen the life in her eyes, she would have thought the young woman was mindless. Aggrieved, she watched as the matron led Shem’s beloved off into the