“How typical.” I shift to sitting, leaning my back against the canvas and enjoying the fact that Aiden now has to be the one tolook up. “Perhaps if you were to ask while on your knees.”
The corner of Aiden’s mouth twitches, but he refuses to smile. Also typical, even if the duration of our discord is not. Usually, we are able to come to some sort of truce, through some means or another. But on this matter, neither of us appears willing to give ground.
“She doesn’t know how to protect herself out here.”
“We’ll teach her.”
“She’s too headstrong to listen.”
“Sounds familiar…”
“Cypress,” Aiden barks. “This isn’t a game. Has it ever occurred to you that you could be wrong?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I wasn’t the last time.”
Aiden looks away, transported momentarily somewhere else before coming back to argue. “She could get killed,” he says, one of his hands in his jacket pocket. “Wecould get her killed. If she has a chance at something different…”
“Then she can decide whether or not she wants to take it,” I reply, and since it looks like maybe he’s thinking about talking to God again, I continue on. “You know, wolf, as it happens, I have also done a fair share of reflection recently.”
Aiden rolls his eyes. “This ought to be good.”
“And do you know what I’ve determined?”
He waits for me to say more, but knowing I have a captive audience, I draw it out for the length of time it takes for me to note the agitated way that he fidgets, his blown black pupils, and the exact number of buttons undone on his shirt. I sacrifice the urge to smirk so that I might instead keep my expression pious.
“I have come to the conclusion that, while your God would have you believe there can be no salvation without penance, more often than not, they are quite indistinguishable from oneanother.”
He stares at me, likely wondering if he should take me by the neck. “You’re saying I should try to enjoy my suffering?”
“I know I certainly am.”
Under his breath, I think Aiden muttersI’ll bet you are, you fucking sadist,but it’s hard to be certain when he is already walking off.
“If you’re planning to go clean up, you’ll want to wait. Cora went down to the stream a while ago.” Aiden stops but keeps his back to me as I add, “Perhaps you already know that.”
This time, when he curses me to hell, he makes sure I hear every word.
We set off not long after breakfast, Cypress and I riding in the wagon, Aiden riding alongside as he constantly moves from side to side with his eyes on every horizon.
According to Cypress, we are planning to make our way to a frequently visited town that lies far northwest of Preston, doubling back somewhat on our initial path so that we can make inquiries with the description of my father’s murderer in the same direction that I saw him escape.
According to Aiden…well, nothing.
He hasn’t said so much as a word to me since I returned from the water. A blessing, since I still feel too tongue-tied by shame to say anything back. I cannot believe I had really suggested that he watch mebathe.
He must think I’m so incrediblysinful. The charge only more damning when you consider I had been about to watchhimbathe had Tess not interrupted. Well, I wouldn’t havereally. I absolutely would have shut my eyes. I had been about to…
“Everything all right, little bird?”
I startle, clearing the vision of Aiden by the water from my mind as I turn my head to Cypress, worried that somehow he’ll know the direction my thoughts had wandered as I watched his partner’s movements on horseback just now.
Would Aiden have told him about what happened?Probably…I flush scarlet, and it’s only when I unclench one of my hands to fan myself and pretend it’s the midday heat that I realize I’ve been fisting the skirts in my lap to the point of causing deep wrinkles.
I clear my throat and smooth out my dress, mumbling, “I was only thinking.”