Blue by Brandy Wehinger

Author:Brandy Wehinger [Brandy Wehinger]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781775534938
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2013-11-23T05:00:00+00:00

VIRGIL, autumn, 62 A. Z.

VIRGIL KNEW SOMETHING was up as soon as they came back through the gates and saw the other search party’s horses still saddled. The poor animals were a mess: caked in sand and dried sweat, their heads drooped to the ground with dehydration and fatigue. One of them had a gash on its shoulder. Old blood dried in a streak down its legs, and flies congregated on the wound. Virgil was not impressed.

He dismounted and led his horse to the water trough. Owen and Jessy looked as if they, too, knew something had happened and wanted to rush inside the shack to get the news, but Virgil’s warning eye made them remember their priorities. Virgil pulled the saddles off the other group’s horses and dumped them in a pile on the ground — a message to them about how to treat their animals. These creatures were the Gunslingers’ only real advantage over the Corpses. They gave them speed and height and, without them, the Gunslingers were dead.

After watering all the animals, Virgil walked with the others towards the building. He’d come out later and take care of the wound and the chipped hooves, but now it was time to see if the men inside had a good enough reason to explain their blatant disregard for their horses.

He wasn’t expecting the mess he saw when he entered: an overturned chair, the contents of the dish cupboard lying broken on the floor, a splatter of blood on the wall, and a tall, thin, one-armed man tied to a chair in the corner of the room, his face bloody and puffy. Virgil stared, and his stomach churned. This was the same Blue he’d seen playing dead under the bush not so long ago.

Owen’s eyes were wide. ‘Who’s this?’

‘This is Elliot, boys.’ Ray’s smile was defensive. ‘Ran him down in the gulley.’

Virgil looked at the Blue closely: black hair, six foot four at least, probably around twenty-five years old when he turned. This was not Elliot.

Owen had obviously appraised him too. ‘This guy doesn’t have red hair, boss.’

Ray glared at him. ‘Are you an expert on Blues, Owen?’

‘No, boss, I’m just think—’

‘Well, don’t. Have you even seen a Blue before?’

‘No, boss.’

‘Then shut up!’ His face was just inches from Owen’s. ‘I’m surrounded by idiots! I tell you. All of you. Dumbest fools anyone ever had to work with!’

The room was silent. Owen had crept backwards and sat close to the door. Jessy was pretending to remove a splinter from her hand, though her eyes kept darting up to study the Blue.

‘I’m not Elliot.’ The Blue’s voice filled the room. ‘My name is Lukas Harcourt. I’m from the Tree Sanctuary on Middle Mountain. I got bit—’

‘Shut up!’ Ray thundered. ‘Of course you’ll say you’re not Elliot. You wanna save your head. You think we’re stupid?’

‘My name is Lukas. I was the orchard manager at Tree Sanctuary.’

‘Shut up, I tell you,’ Ray roared, and he threw his water cup at the Blue. It hit him in the face with a slosh and banged down onto the floor.

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