Read Online Somewhere to Dream (Berkley Sensation) by Genevieve Graham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Genevieve Graham
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“All you have to do is make it to the council house. I brought you more water and some meat to help you stay strong.” He didn’t reach to take either from me, only sat in stoic silence. I set them beside him. “It’s better to survive, in case you’re wondering. They don’t kill people nicely around here.”
I sat back, feeling unusually conversational. “What’s your name?”
“Why does that matter?”
“I want to know.” I debated with myself, then said, “I’m Adelaide.”
“Adelaide, huh?” He snorted and stared at his legs, stretched out in front of him. “Adelaide the Injun.”
I ignored the intended barb, and his sneer relaxed. “All right. I’m Jesse. Black. Jesse Black.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said reflexively.
“Why ain’t I dead?”
“They have something else in mind for you.”
A dark flush rose up his neck. “I won’t be a slave to these savages,” he growled. “I won’t do it. I’ll kill myself before that happens.”
Male voices came from outside, and I recognized Soquili’s. I didn’t have time to say anything more before the flap opened and Soquili stormed in.
“Why are you here?” he demanded. “You cannot speak with this man today.”
I frowned at him, fighting the instinct to cower under those eyes. “No? You’d have me marry a man I know nothing about?”
He jammed his hands on his hips and paced, though the tent was only two steps wide. “What did you say to him?”
“What I say isn’t up to you, Soquili. You can’t tell me what to do.” That was true enough. They were a fierce, warlike tribe when they wanted to be, but the Cherokee were mostly ruled by their women. And I was one of Wah-Li’s favourites, so he would have to check his tone. He did. He also gave me a cynical grin.
“It is an important day for this man. He needs his rest.”
“Ha!” I said, shaking my head. “Rest? No one has left him alone for more than five minutes since he got here. The poor man is exhausted.”
“What’s going on?” Jesse drawled. He leaned his head back against the tent wall, trying to appear as if it didn’t matter to him one way or the other. But the tight fists at his sides told a different story.
I looked from him to Soquili. “He deserves to know what’s happening. He needs to understand why he has to go through today’s torture, and why he hasn’t been killed. Don’t you think you should tell him he’s your . . .” I struggled with the word, then finally blurted, “your brother?”
Soquili frowned, but it wasn’t out of anger. The tightness at the corner of his lips gave me the impression that he was nervous.
“So can I tell him?” I asked.
“Hey, Adelaide,” Jesse said. “I asked what you’re talking about.”
I lifted my eyebrows at Soquili, and eventually he shrugged. “Yes. Tell him.”
“Adelaide?”
I turned back to Jesse, who leaned forward now, elbows on his knees.
“I need to tell you something. You’re not going to like it, but it’s better than the alternative.” I gestured toward Soquili. “See this man behind me?”
“Hard to miss.”
I smiled. “True enough. This is Soquili.” I turned toward Soquili and said in Cherokee, “This is Jesse.” The men nodded warily at each other, like big dogs unsure whether to sniff or growl. “Soquili’s brother was killed a couple of weeks ago.”
Jesse nodded, not even blinking at the news. Why should he? What did he care about a dead Indian?
“Soquili believes you are the spirit of his brother come back,” I blurted, and Jesse’s eyes widened. “Yes. He thinks you are his brother.”
“I ain’t no Injun!” Jesse exclaimed.
“Calm down,” I suggested when Soquili tensed beside me. I gestured for Soquili to step outside, and, with a sigh, he did so, leaving me alone with Jesse. “Here’s what you can do,” I said simply. “You can choose to allow them to adopt you in this manner, see how that is, or you can burn on a stake.
“All you have to do is make it to the council house. I brought you more water and some meat to help you stay strong.” He didn’t reach to take either from me, only sat in stoic silence. I set them beside him. “It’s better to survive, in case you’re wondering. They don’t kill people nicely around here.”
I sat back, feeling unusually conversational. “What’s your name?”
“Why does that matter?”
“I want to know.” I debated with myself, then said, “I’m Adelaide.”
“Adelaide, huh?” He snorted and stared at his legs, stretched out in front of him. “Adelaide the Injun.”
I ignored the intended barb, and his sneer relaxed. “All right. I’m Jesse. Black. Jesse Black.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said reflexively.
“Why ain’t I dead?”
“They have something else in mind for you.”
A dark flush rose up his neck. “I won’t be a slave to these savages,” he growled. “I won’t do it. I’ll kill myself before that happens.”
Male voices came from outside, and I recognized Soquili’s. I didn’t have time to say anything more before the flap opened and Soquili stormed in.
“Why are you here?” he demanded. “You cannot speak with this man today.”
I frowned at him, fighting the instinct to cower under those eyes. “No? You’d have me marry a man I know nothing about?”
He jammed his hands on his hips and paced, though the tent was only two steps wide. “What did you say to him?”
“What I say isn’t up to you, Soquili. You can’t tell me what to do.” That was true enough. They were a fierce, warlike tribe when they wanted to be, but the Cherokee were mostly ruled by their women. And I was one of Wah-Li’s favourites, so he would have to check his tone. He did. He also gave me a cynical grin.
“It is an important day for this man. He needs his rest.”
“Ha!” I said, shaking my head. “Rest? No one has left him alone for more than five minutes since he got here. The poor man is exhausted.”
“What’s going on?” Jesse drawled. He leaned his head back against the tent wall, trying to appear as if it didn’t matter to him one way or the other. But the tight fists at his sides told a different story.
I looked from him to Soquili. “He deserves to know what’s happening. He needs to understand why he has to go through today’s torture, and why he hasn’t been killed. Don’t you think you should tell him he’s your . . .” I struggled with the word, then finally blurted, “your brother?”
Soquili frowned, but it wasn’t out of anger. The tightness at the corner of his lips gave me the impression that he was nervous.
“So can I tell him?” I asked.
“Hey, Adelaide,” Jesse said. “I asked what you’re talking about.”
I lifted my eyebrows at Soquili, and eventually he shrugged. “Yes. Tell him.”
“Adelaide?”
I turned back to Jesse, who leaned forward now, elbows on his knees.
“I need to tell you something. You’re not going to like it, but it’s better than the alternative.” I gestured toward Soquili. “See this man behind me?”
“Hard to miss.”
I smiled. “True enough. This is Soquili.” I turned toward Soquili and said in Cherokee, “This is Jesse.” The men nodded warily at each other, like big dogs unsure whether to sniff or growl. “Soquili’s brother was killed a couple of weeks ago.”
Jesse nodded, not even blinking at the news. Why should he? What did he care about a dead Indian?
“Soquili believes you are the spirit of his brother come back,” I blurted, and Jesse’s eyes widened. “Yes. He thinks you are his brother.”
“I ain’t no Injun!” Jesse exclaimed.
“Calm down,” I suggested when Soquili tensed beside me. I gestured for Soquili to step outside, and, with a sigh, he did so, leaving me alone with Jesse. “Here’s what you can do,” I said simply. “You can choose to allow them to adopt you in this manner, see how that is, or you can burn on a stake.
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