Linus at Large by Mary E. Twomey

Author:Mary E. Twomey [Twomey, Mary E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mary E. Twomey

17

My Stupid Choice

People cheered and hugged with renewed appreciation those who had narrowly escaped death. Aren clung to me as I tried to work off Linus’s restraints with shaking fingers.

Foss cut them both free for me, since my nerves were pretty much shot. I made to fling myself into Jens’s arms, but Foss intercepted me as Jens turned away. “You’re my wife, not Jens’s,” he reminded me.

I was shaking, and found myself caught up in my brother’s arms instead. “Linus! Linus! I thought I’d lose you all over again! Why? Why’d you do it?”

Linus’s arms were longer now, and wrapped around me completely, encasing me in comfort I never wanted to leave. “No one messes up my sister and gets away with it. Jackwagon never saw us coming. His men didn’t even stop us. They could’ve, but they just stepped aside and let us do what needed to be done. They jumped us after the fact to save their own necks.”

Aren looked up at Linus as if he was the sun and moon. I knew that look. It was similar to my adoration for Jens, which was fading now I knew that he’d almost gotten my brother hanged for no good reason. “You’re my Guldy’s brother?”

“Linus,” he replied, though he still did not release me. “You were pretty brave out there. I heard you volunteer to take my sister’s place. I think that makes you the coolest kid here. Thanks for looking out for Lucy for me.” He held out his fist to her, and I showed her that she was to bump it with her own.

Aren turned about nine shades of pink when her knuckles touched his. Then she giggled out, “Let me get you some water to wash your face!” She scampered off and returned quicker than a rabbit, tending to Linus like a groupie flocking to Mick Jagger. He sat on the grass while she dabbed at his bloody marks with a Gar-dipped rag to disinfect the wounds.

Jens pretended to be affronted. “How did I come off second fiddle here? I’m banged up too. No fair taking all the attention from the cute girl, Line.”

Aren was overjoyed at the attention, and began tending to both of them.

Jens cast me a covert wink, but I couldn’t return it. He had almost died for Linus. He had almost died for me. Despite the words we would have over him putting Linus in such a dangerous situation, Jens in the grass being sweet to Aren was just about the most endearing thing I’d ever seen. I missed our house, our world, and wanted to run away with him to our bedroom at the first available opportunity.

I sat down behind Aren and fixed a few stray hairs that had come loose from her ribboned braids in the hullabaloo. I hugged her, and she dropped the rag and clung to me. “Thank you, Aren. You saved the day!”

She giggled again until Foss towered over us, his expression displeased. “Get up, Lucy. Tribeswomen don’t sit on the floor like commoners.

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