“That’s impossible.” Rhys studied my arm. “It’s Mom. It was supposed to be Mom.”
“Katia wanted everyone to believe that, but she was just a diversion for Coronado. I was never a conduit. I was the vessel all along. Mom scars, I heal. Remember the deer on the back of the hunters’ truck?”
“So, you’re telling me it’s true?” Rhys dragged his hands through his hair. “All of it?” He staggered back, accidentally kicking an old horseshoe into the side of the barn. He stood in front of the collapsed doorway, sunlight streaming through the gaps in the wood. “Then where is she? Where’s Mom . . . and our dad?”
“Thomas never made it out of the corn,” I said, staring out over the fields. “And I don’t even know if Mom is alive anymore.” It killed me to say it out loud. “Katia let Mom live because I was inside of her. She let her raise us away from Quivira to keep me safe from Coronado, but Katia doesn’t need her anymore.”
Rhys had a wild look in his eyes. “Then we have to get you out of here before Katia comes back.” He glanced back at Beth, who was starting to come around. Dane was helping her into a sitting position, giving her his flask of water. “I’ll carry Beth if I have to.”
“I can’t leave.” I swallowed hard. “My blood . . . Katia’s blood won’t allow it. You need to go with Dane. He’ll get you and Beth out and then you need to run and—”
“Wait . . . what?” he sputtered. “Just leave you here?”
“I’ll be coming back,” Dane said as he joined us, taking my hand. “To help her fight.”
Rhys narrowed his eyes. “How could you possibly help her with this?” He glanced down at our intertwined hands and a look of disgust washed over his face, then shock. “Of course!” Rhys began pacing again. “That’s what this is all about. You want to be Alonso’s vessel, don’t you?”
“I’ve already made that decision.” I squeezed Dane’s hand.
“He’s a Mixed, Ash. That’s never going to happen.”
I took a deep breath. I was trying to figure out how to tell him the truth when Dane spoke up. “Ashlyn and I are already blood bound.”
“What?” Rhys turned to face me, hands balled up into fists at his side. “You’re blood bound . . . to him?” He bit the inside of his cheek as he walked toward me. I couldn’t tell if he was going to laugh or cry. “So, I was right. He was using you. I thought you were smarter than that, Ash.” Blood started seeping from the bandage on Rhys’s temple.
“Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” I said as I tried to reach for him, but Dane held me back. “What are you doing?”
“There’s something you need to know.” Dane’s voice was low and tense. “I had my suspicions, but this . . . what happened with Beth confirms it.”
“Confirms what?” Rhys snapped.
“Your blood,” Dane said softly. “You are the one responsible for all the recent deaths in Quivira.”
“Me?” My brother began to laugh.
“Betsy Grimsby,” Dane said, eyes downcast. “She changed the bandage on your knee before the ceremony.”
Rhys crossed his arms in front of him like he was amused by the whole thing. “Okay?”
“Tommy Mendoza,” Dane added. “You spit bloody water in his face at the shinny game.”
Rhys continued to smile, but the color began to leach from his face.
“But his lip,” I argued, “it healed right up at the field. He can heal . . . like me.”
Dane shook his head. “You healed him. You held the bandage from your knee against his lip. “Look . . .” He pointed to the raw wounds on my brother’s neck and face.
“No.” I shook my head rapidly. “Those are coincidences.”
“The crows,” Dane asserted. “They dropped dead all around him. And Henry—”
Rhys hunched over like he was going to be sick. “Henry treated my wounds. He was my friend. And Beth . . .” He looked over at her in despair. “All I did was kiss her—my bandage must’ve touched her cheek.”
“Rhys, slow down,” I said. “This is crazy.”
“Is it?” Rhys raised his voice. “My blood can’t touch anyone without hurting them.”
“I’ve touched your blood and I’m fine,” I reasoned.
“That’s because you’re twins—you’re of the same blood,” Dane said tenderly. “You’re the light and he’s the dark.”
“You heal and I kill.” My brother exhaled.
I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I felt it in my gut—an awful certainty buzzing beneath my skin.
“Rhys,” I said as I squirmed out of Dane’s grasp and reached out to him. “We can find a way. I can fix this.”
“There’s no fixing this. I’m fucked. You’re fucked. This place is fucked.” Rhys swatted my hand away.
“Watch it,” Dane warned as he stepped between us.
Rhys pushed him hard.
“Please don’t fight,” Beth said as she got to her feet.
Dane was helping steady Beth when Rhys came at him with his fists.
Dane ducked out of the way and then punched Rhys in the face. My brother staggered back; a trickle of blood ran down from his nostril.