A Brother's Secret by Andy Graham

Author:Andy Graham [Graham, Andy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-12-28T22:00:00+00:00

Ahead of Ray and Brooke, sparks and dust were rising with the smoke. The colours shattered a darkness filled with shouting, stamping, the noise of Lukaz yelling at Orr. Ray and Brooke sprinted down the path, skidding on gravel. His knees jarred as he barrelled round a bend. The fire. Got to get back to my friends. “Quick!” he urged Brooke. They crashed through the last bush into the centre of the Donian village. The legionnaires were surrounded by tribes people. A burst of applause split the air. Nascimento and Orr were dancing. Brooke sank down onto her haunches, a grin across her face.

The two legionnaires were imitating a group of children. The children were in turn being given directions by Kaleyne. The Elder was giving instructions with one of her hair clips, a bobby pin with a vicious point. The shouts became cheers. The foot stamping broke into a clapping of hands and the two men were hoisted onto the Hoydens’ shoulders. Lukaz howled at the moons and the Donian answered his call. Even the spit-dogs had a spring in their crooked legs.

Ray slumped onto a log, his heart still hammering. Brooke squeezed up next to him. In front of them, James was playing a counting puzzle with a child. It was the boy with the tangle of back hair who had brought the Rivermen their food.

“I haven’t seen this game played since I was a kid,” Ray said. “I thought it had been forgotten.”

“My dad showed it to me,” James replied. “Said he learnt it in the Buckets.”

“Don’t you mean Free Towns?”

“Guess so.”

“You ‘guess so’?”

The boy made a move. Sci-Captain James rubbed his hands together. “Not now, Franklin. I’m winning.”

Nascimento crashed down on the log next to Ray. He pointed at the heartwood tree wrapped in metal bars. “Why’s that tree in a cage, Brooke? To stop it stealing your first-born in the night?”

“Yes.”

His head swivelled towards her. “You serious?”

“If you saw your family being hacked to bits, being burned night after night, wouldn’t you want revenge?”

“Not sure what to say to that.” Nascimento scratched the rash of stubble across his chin. “You sure Sci-Corps didn’t throw you out?”

Brooke flew him the eagle, a stiff middle finger shoved just shy of the big man’s nose.

“And where did you and Franklin smooch off to?” asked Orr as he joined them. Mischief twinkled in his victory-drunk eyes. Brooke met his gaze. The unspoken challenge crackled in the air. The tension was broken as Lukaz hobbled over, a bottle in his hand.

“You dance well,” he said to Orr. In the flickering flames, purple welts were blossoming across Lukaz’s face and body, his scars shining like a spider’s web caught in the moonlight.

“Not well enough,” the legionnaire replied.

James let out a whoop of joy. He offered the crest-fallen boy a chance to even up the odds.

“You fight well,” said Orr.

Lukaz worked his jaw from side to side. “Also not well enough.”

“I could show you some moves? Not everything, of course.” Orr offered Lukaz his hand.

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