The Last Blue by Isla Morley

Author:Isla Morley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2020-05-04T16:00:00+00:00

HAVENS

Buford, Wrightley and his sons, Chappy and a few of his relatives, and Havens constitute the search party, and if paltry numbers aren’t bad enough, they have to contend with the avalanche of darkness with nothing but frayed lamplight. Two hours into their search it starts to rain, and the downpour forces them to seek shelter till dawn. Havens can’t bear to think of Jubilee out in this weather, and as each hour passes, it becomes harder to hold to the hope that she is somewhere dry and in the custody of her brother.

At first light, Havens pairs up again with Chappy, who does not slow down except when Havens stumbles or lags, both of which occur with frustrating regularity. The ground has turned to slop and the wind has a bite to it, but the rain is a manageable drizzle.

“Juby!” Chappy calls, over and over.

Havens cups his hands around his mouth and cries out in all directions, “Jubilee!”

What they hear in return is the patter of rain. On they trudge, alternating their calls into the mute forest, Havens trusting that Chappy knows enough not to get them lost.

“Hear that?” Chappy points to an area of the woods below them.

“Jubilee?” They slide down an embankment and race between spindly blackened trees in the direction of a faint cry, and come upon what looks like a hobo’s camp. Havens has to command himself not to show his distress at the sight of Jubilee and Levi. He and Chappy tear off their jackets and throw them over the naked pair, the cold having turned them a deep shade of steel blue. Havens drops to his knees in front of Jubilee and pushes her hair out of her face.

“It’s all right. It’s all right, Jubilee,” he reassures her, though nothing could be further from the truth.

Chappy unties Levi while Havens frees Jubilee with fumbling fingers. He notices that the rope tying her waist to her ankles has left deep grooves in her skin. A metallic taste builds up in his mouth, the taste for revenge. He sits her up. Her lips are ink-colored, and beneath her eyes are dark purple shadows. From head to toe, she is nothing but a bruise. She does not answer when he asks whether she is hurt or whether she can walk or if there were others besides Ronny and Faro. He scours his mind for something to say that will at least make her look at him, but all he can think of is what he doesn’t know to be entirely true: “You’re safe now.”

Levi unties the knots at his feet, leaving Chappy to wring his hands, and rock back and forth. When he starts making his siren noise, Levi snaps at him to be quiet. “They could be on their way back!”

Havens hands Jubilee her muddy dress, careful to keep his eyes averted, and then guides her cold wet arms into his jacket. Terrible images come to his mind. He tries to dispel them so as not to be overcome, so he can be of some use to her.

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