The Shifter Part 5

"The bravest twins in Geveg," Danello said, ruffling their hair.

Halima stepped forward, a handmade doll clutched in her arms. "I'm brave too!"

"I'll take hers," said Jovan. Bahari looked as if he wanted to argue but kept his lips tight together.

Halima glared at them like a mountain cat guarding a kill. "I can do it myself."

"No you can't."

"It's too hard," added Bahari.

"Yes I can! You never let me do anything you do."

"Halima," said Danello softly, a shaking hand on her hair. "They're right. It's too hard."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I wanna help Da too."

"Your brothers will need you to take care of them," I said. I could handle another rib. It'd be a rough night, but I'd have a bed and Tali could take it all tomorrow first thing. I could even come back after and get the rest. Stealing a few heals was better than hurting folks, and worth risking a trip or two back to the League. "Do you think you can run the house for a while?"

"Uh-huh." She sniffled, wiping her nose with the arm of her s.h.i.+rt. "I'll take good care of us."

"Danello, I can-"

"No," he said. "I know know you kept some pain. Our deal was we take that from you too. You can't heal well if you're hurting." you kept some pain. Our deal was we take that from you too. You can't heal well if you're hurting."

I nodded, even though I didn't know if that was true or not.

"We can share it," Jovan said quickly, giving me that stare again. "Don't tell us we can't. She's not your sister."

I glanced at Danello, and he nodded. "Okay, who's first?" Jovan stepped forward and dragged Bahari with him.

"Together?" he asked, clasping hands. Bahari looked at his sister and nodded.

I pulled pulled the last rib from their da, then placed a hand on each of their hearts. Under the pain, a faint hum like the one I'd felt in Enzie ran through them. the last rib from their da, then placed a hand on each of their hearts. Under the pain, a faint hum like the one I'd felt in Enzie ran through them.

They were Takers!

Weak though, probably not even strong enough to work for the merchants, or I would have sensed it when I first touched them. I glanced at their hands, gripped so tightly ten knuckles shone bright white. Linked twins. Did their talent grow stronger when they were linked? I'd never heard of that before, but then, I'd never heard of s.h.i.+fting until I first did it, and neither had Mama. They probably didn't know what they could do yet. Couldn't Couldn't know or they'd try to take more pain from their father. Jovan would anyway. know or they'd try to take more pain from their father. Jovan would anyway.

Danello touched my shoulder. "Nya? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Just that his brothers were now at risk from fancy trackers and the Duke's new war. Most Takers started sensing pain at ten, and were ready to start taking it by twelve. But with the siege on Verlatta, the Duke would need more Healers. He'd lost a lot of them fighting us, and he'd have no problem stealing children to conquer yet another city that didn't want his rule. Just like he'd stolen from Sorille to conquer us.

"Are you sure? You look funny."

I didn't have to tell them. If no one knew, they weren't in any danger. Even if someone checked them, they wouldn't sense it unless the twins were linked. "I'm fine, really." I turned to the twins, trying not to let Danello see my lie. "You two ready?"

They nodded, faces white as their da's.

Neither made a sound this time, their eyes and cheeks bulging as they held back even the hiss. The lines of their da's face had smoothed, and he s.h.i.+fted a little in his sleep. The twins settled down on the floor, gingerly prodding their middles. Halima watched them like they might suddenly turn inside out.

"When do you think our da will wake up?" Danello asked.

"Not 'til morning. He'll be stiff and sore for a while, and probably mad as marshflies when he finds out what you did."

"He'll understand. Come on, I owe you supper."

My stomach growled and he laughed.

Equal parts hunger and guilt twisting my guts, I followed him back into the kitchen. I hid my slight limp. He didn't hide his and also kept one arm tight against his chest. He wouldn't be chasing any chicken thieves for a while.

"Danello, let me help you with that." Ribs throbbing, I reached for the coffeepot shaking in his hands. He jerked it away and winced. What a pair we made.

"No, I got it. Least I can do is make you supper. We owe you so much more than we can give. Thank you for this." He smiled, and my cheeks warmed faster than the pot.

"Are those fish cakes?"

He loaded up a plate for me, then set the pot to boil. About halfway through my fish, I realized my gobbling looked a lot like a hyena with a fresh carca.s.s.

"Um, sorry."

"It's okay." He chuckled and poured us both coffee. "I don't know how you do it."

"Don't eat for three days," I mumbled around a mouthful of fish. "You'd be surprised how fast you can shovel it in. You don't even need to breathe."

"No, I mean holding pain. But your eating is impressive too."

I shrugged and tried not to glance at the twins. "It's only healing."

"It's more than that. I hurt so much I don't want to move, but you seem fine."

I kept my eyes on my fish cakes. "I'm used to it, I guess. Or Takers have a naturally high pain threshold. I don't know. I never thought about it."

"Well, you're really good at it."

"Good at it?" I looked up in time to catch his grimace.

He looked away fast and fiddled with the edge of his plate. He was really cute all shy like that. Even cuter than he was in the moonlight.

"You know what I mean," he mumbled.

"Hmm," I said, suddenly aware of my dirty hands, damp clothes, and a smell I prayed wasn't me.

He stayed quiet for a long time, slipping glances at me and looking away again. I kept eating, fighting the urge to smooth my hair and trying not to think about how much it was frizzing. When the weather was this humid, my curls puffed like a frayed rope.

Finally he said, "Are your parents Takers?"

I chewed the fish a bit longer than necessary and swallowed. "My mother was. Grannyma too."

He nodded. "So it's just you and your da now?"

"Sister. Just me and my sister."

An understanding pause. "Did she work at the League? Your mother, I mean."

"Since she was twelve, same as my grannyma. My father was an enchanter. He worked the forges mostly, and prepared the pynvium to absorb pain. His great-grandfather staked the first pynvium mine found in Geveg."

Danello's shoulders slumped like he'd heard bad news. "You're an aristocrat."

It surprised me that still mattered. It used to, back when Geveg was wealthy and there had been a lot of aristocrats. You didn't see fishermen or farmers invited onto the Terraces. Such distinctions vanished when the war came. All had gone to fight when needed, even aristocrats. They weren't like the Baseeri n.o.bles, who paid others to die for them.

"Not since the Duke took it all away." I gulped my coffee and singed the back of my throat. "After the Duke arrested Grannyma, his soldiers barged into our home like it was theirs, tossed Tali and me out like trash. Didn't even let us get our clothes, our toys, memories of our parents. Didn't care that we had nowhere to go. Is there more coffee?"

He stared at me, mouth half open, then nodded. "Yeah, let me get it." He poured it, got me another fish cake, and started slicing a pear. "My parents worked at the university, but they weren't full professors or anything high-pay. My ma taught fencing and military history, my da philosophy. She was killed before the war ended. Da says it was stupid for her to fight when everyone knew we'd lose, but she did it anyway.

"They kicked us out too." He set the plate of fruit down between us and eased into his chair.

We didn't talk much after that. Kinda nice really, sitting with someone who understood and could just be. Halima came in and cleared the table, then made me a bed by the window. She fussed over it like any good hostess. Even asked me if I needed an extra blanket. Jovan's brows rose a little and he glanced at his bed, so I declined.

"Good night," the children said as they shuffled into their room. The door thumped shut behind them.

Danello stared at me, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. Foolish as it was, I kept worrying about my patched knees and mismatched socks. He didn't seem to notice, though, and he had his share of patches.

"How did you find out you were, you know, different? different?" he asked.

I hesitated, but he knew the truth already. "It was just before the war ended. I was ten, and my little sister and I were helping Mama and Grannyma treat the wounded at the League. Tali was running when she shouldn't have and tripped over a sword. Sliced her calf open bad. I saw all the blood, heard her crying, and I just grabbed her leg. I wanted it to stop, you know?" I s.h.i.+vered. "I'm not even sure what I did, but suddenly my my calf hurt and she was fine." calf hurt and she was fine."

"You healed her without any training at all?" Danello's eyes widened. "At ten?"

"Yeah. Mama always figured we'd both be Takers-it runs in families-but she kept quiet about it. She was afraid they'd take us away. She was always telling me, 'Don't try to heal, don't touch the Elders, don't get too close to the trackers.' I was so scared I'd done something wrong by healing Tali, I tried to put her pain back. And I did."

That had scared Mama a lot worse than me healing had. I could still remember the terror on her face when Tali ran up, pointing to her calf that didn't have a scratch on it and crying that it hurt funny. Mama had grabbed me by the shoulders and told me to never, ever do it again. Then she hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe, made me swear swear to Saint Saea I wouldn't tell anyone what I could do. to Saint Saea I wouldn't tell anyone what I could do.

Until tonight, I never had. Only Tali had known.

"Was she-"

"I'm really tired," I said. I was done talking. It wouldn't change anything, and why haul regrets back into the light.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I should let you sleep then."

I fluffed my pillow and fought not to look at him again. It was a lot harder than I'd expected. "Night, Danello."

"Good night, Nya."

Another door thumped closed. His da's room. I settled into the makes.h.i.+ft bed's softness, my mind too full of guilt and relief to sleep, enjoying the lingering smell and warmth from the stove and the quiet murmurs of overexcited boys trying hard not not to sleep, even though sleep would ease their pain. A quick, not-so-quiet order from Halima shut them both up. Despite my melancholy, I grinned. She was taking to her new role well. I'd forgotten how nice family felt. to sleep, even though sleep would ease their pain. A quick, not-so-quiet order from Halima shut them both up. Despite my melancholy, I grinned. She was taking to her new role well. I'd forgotten how nice family felt.

Unable to sleep, I sat up and leaned my head against the window. Moonlight washed the market corner in muted silver. Dark shadows cut across the stone in patterns, darker where the pair I'd seen earlier under the bushes slept. It was a good spot, protected from the coastal breezes and usually dry.

A bouncing glow caught my eye-the gentle sway of the night patrol's lantern. The soldiers stopped next to the bushes, kicked the sleeping pair, and scared them off. The patrol didn't chase after them like most did, just continued on their way, pa.s.sing a man who didn't seem concerned to be out alone at night.

The lantern rocked and a shaft of light spilled across the man's face.

Saints and sinners! My fancy man was back again. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and slumped, even though he couldn't possibly see inside the dark room. What did that sneaky reed rat want? He'd had plenty of opportunities to grab me after the ferry accident, while I was wandering and not paying attention. Danello had certainly been able to do it.

I glanced at the children's room. The twins! What if he came after me tonight and sensed them? After everything Danello had done for me, I couldn't risk putting his family in danger, but if I left now, the fancy man was sure to spot me. I hunkered down, fingertips hanging on the windowsill with my eyes peering over.

Shadows flickered, and another man stepped into the silver light. He spoke with the fancy man, who gestured up and down the street with one hand. Heads shook, fingers pointed as if they weren't sure where I'd gone and were arguing over which direction to look next. The new man nodded and leaned against the wall, watching the street with his arms folded across his chest. The first fancy man walked away and vanished into the dark.

Now there were two of them! I s.h.i.+vered in the dark room that didn't feel nearly dark enough to hide in. I glanced at the door, soothed by the heavy bar across the middle. Good and locked. I was safe for now, and they couldn't know about the twins. Who had sent them after me, the League or the Duke? I slid down and pulled the blanket over my head.

It didn't matter. Trackers were trackers, and I was prey.

I woke feeling like someone had shrunk every muscle in my body while I'd slept. Extending my arms hurt. Bending my knees throbbed all the way to my toes. I should have expected it. I'd hauled too many people from the water the day before to avoid it. Or maybe it was punishment for s.h.i.+fting pain to children. I was just as sore as if I'd slept on hard ground. Served me right. I should have told Danello no. I'd been tired and hungry before-I could have managed like I always do.

I unfolded myself, and my joints popped in the silent house, waking up hurts I'd forgotten I'd taken. I hated to admit it, but I'd probably be a lot worse off if I'd bunked under a bush. Too sore to work at all, let alone make it to Tali.

You're just saying that so you don't feel guilty.

I gritted my teeth and stretched. It didn't matter. As Grannyma said, what's done is done and I- The too-silent room suddenly felt loud, like it was trying to tell me something. I stopped stretching and looked around, half expecting to see green and yellow silk poking out from behind the curtains, but the room was as bare as it had been last night. Except the children's door was open. My breath caught and I darted to the room, wincing with every step.

All three beds were made. No open windows, no furniture knocked over, nothing that indicated a struggle. I sighed as the clock tower chimed nine. They were just at school. No tracker had sneaked in and kidnapped them.

Danello's door was closed, and my knuckles itched to knock. He might be sleeping, but I pictured him sitting on the small yellow stool by his father's bed, holding his hand, waiting for him to wake up, Danello's sweet, gentle smile brightening the whole room.

He'd been so kind. I could still make things right with his family. I could bring Tali here and take their pain away. If we split it between us, it wouldn't be so bad. Sure, we'd have a rough walk back to the League, but we could manage it.

Elders and wards and silk-clad trackers slid into my memory. Was it even safe safe to go to the League? I lifted one edge of the curtains and peeked out. No sight of my fancy men, but they were probably out there, multiplying like rabbits. By sundown, I'd no doubt have four of them on my trail. to go to the League? I lifted one edge of the curtains and peeked out. No sight of my fancy men, but they were probably out there, multiplying like rabbits. By sundown, I'd no doubt have four of them on my trail.

My stomach rumbled and I headed for the kitchen, my eyes alert for leftover fish cakes. It looked like Danello's family had enough food and wouldn't miss one or two. I'd heard the schoolroom in this neighborhood even gave students lunch. A cheesecloth lump sat in the middle of the table with a note resting on top. I smiled at the slow, deliberate print, the ends of all the letters round from letting the pen sit too long.

Nya, here is your breakfast.

I hope it tastes good.

Inside the bundle was a feast: two more fish cakes, three pears, and a banana. I ate the fish right there and slipped the fruit into my pockets for lunch and dinner. I'd save one pear for breakfast too, just in case.