The man lunged, blade flashing. Evan met him head-on, steel clashing loudly in the darkness. Ruby could do nothing but press herself back against the wall, useless, terrified. Evan twisted, disarmed the man with brutal efficiency, and slammed him into the dock railing.
The man staggered, dazed. And Ruby—before she could think better of it—shoved him with all her strength.
He toppled over the railing with a shout, arms flailing, then vanished into the black water with a splash.
Ruby froze, appalled and shocked at her own action. Then the thump of boots sounded as more men emerged from where they’d been hiding on the boat.
Evan grabbed her wrist. “Move.”
They sprinted away from the docks. Ruby’s head was whirling—fear, guilt, adrenaline. Had she really just done that? Had she really just pushed a man into the sea? Would he be okay? His friends would fish him out, wouldn’t they?
“Where are we going?” she panted.
“Away from here,” was the only answer she got.
She forced herself to think, despite the fear fluttering in her chest. In the kitchen, on the way out of the inn, she’d seen a stack of loaves, a basket of apples, blankets thrown over a chair.They’d need them. If they ran, if they hid, food and warmth would be the difference between surviving and starving.
“Wait,” she hissed, pulling out of Evan’s grip.
“What are ye doing?” he snapped, skidding to a halt and turning to face her.
Without answering, she ran back through the dark streets to the inn, and slipped into the kitchen. She grabbed what she could—bread, fruit, two rough blankets—and bundled them against her chest. Her fingers trembled as she unclasped a bracelet from her wrist, one of the few pieces of jewelry she still carried. She laid it on the table as payment.
When she rejoined Evan, he was scowling, but his gaze flicked to the bundle in her arms. He said nothing, just jerked his head toward the street. They fled again, faster now, the sounds of pursuit echoing faintly behind them.
Ruby clutched the blankets tighter. She wondered how much longer she could afford to pay for survival with pieces of her past. At this rate, she’d have nothing left at all.
As they fled inland, the buildings receded, and the muddy streets soon gave way to rough earth and tangled grass. The air smelled of sea-salt and peat smoke, fading as the houses fell away. Dawn was only just breaking as they left the settlement behind, a pale wash of light crawling across the horizon.
Ruby’s breath burned in her chest. She hadn’t run like this since school—and then it had been for a bus, not her life. She clutched the bundle of blankets and food like a lifeline, stumbling but refusing to let go.
Evan slowed finally, drawing them into the shelter of a hedgerow. He crouched low, listening, his chest heaving though his eyes remained sharp.
Ruby slumped to the damp ground, fighting to catch her breath. “Do... do you think they followed?”
He didn’t answer, instead peering back toward the settlement that was little more than a cluster of silhouettes against the brightening sky beyond. His shoulders remained tense, like a bowstring drawn too tight. Then, at last, he shook his head. “Not yet. But they’ll be looking. Damn it all. Seems MacInnesreallywants to talk to me.”
“Why?” Ruby asked. “What exactly did you do to him?”
He glanced at her, and Ruby could tell he was considering a lie. Then he sighed.
“Cheated him one too many times I guess,” he replied. “Seoras MacInnes runs all the smuggling rackets around here. I’ve done some work for him on occasion, but on others—”
“You’ve ripped him off?” Ruby offered.
He shrugged. “Aye. If ye like. Although I prefer to call it ‘redistribution of wealth’.”
“Sounds like another word for stealing to me.”
“Aye, well, not all of us have a choice. We do what we must to get by.”
“And you call this getting by? Running from thugs who come for you in the night?”
“That wasnae part of the plan.”
That was an understatement if ever she’d heard one. This was most definitely not part ofherplan! She’d wanted to come here to escape, find some kind of solace, and here she was fleeing for her life.
For the last hour or so, she’d been running on adrenaline, acting on instinct, without the time to consider what was happening. But now that their panicked flight was over, that adrenaline was starting to drain away, leaving behind a shaky terror. What would have happened if those men had caught them? What would they have done to her? To Evan?
