Risk

Chapter XXXV

"Jasta!" she heard the call from behind her in the crowd, and she prepared herself to fight someone else to keep them away from Rowan, but when she turned her head to see who it was, Etta stood there, a few steps inside the living circle that the crowd formed around them. "Are you okay?" she walked closer hesitantly, glancing at Rowan as if she was still afraid, but after a second she seemed to shake her fear off, and she walked forward the rest of the way, crouching down beside Jasta.

"I'm fine, but they want to hurt Rowan." She shook her head, trying not to let her voice break.

"I don't. I'll help you keep him safe. I believe you, Jasta." She looked pale and afraid, and her hands were shaking as she gripped Jasta's arm, but her jaw was set and her eyes showed determination.

"Me too." Rose came up behind Etta with a smile. She didn't seem afraid of Rowan at all. She had clearly been there long enough to hear the short conversation between her and Etta.

Jasta smiled back at her, and then Mother walked up behind her. "He won't get hurt if we can help it," she said with a small nod.

"They've all gone insane!" someone in the crowd yelled suddenly, and Jasta tensed up, fearing that perhaps others would agree, but only an unsettled murmur broke through the crowd as if none of them were sure exactly what to believe anymore.

Jasta turned back to look at Rowan. He still seemed frightened, but after a second he sat up, obviously a painful movement, and looked around more calmly.

"They don't want me here. I have to go." He said quietly, and she almost wondered if he was talking to himself.

"Then I'll go with you," Jasta said.

She heard a small gasp from behind her, though she couldn't tell if it was Etta or Rose who had done it, but she ignored them. Right now Rowan was the one that mattered.

He shook his head with a light frown. "But- your family... this is your home. I can't take you away from them."

"You're not taking me. I want to go."

He let go of her hand and rose, a bit unsteadily, to his feet. She stepped forward to make sure he didn't fall, but he brushed her off, not meeting her gaze. "No. I don't want to get you hurt anymore." His words were firm, almost harsh. He started to walk, favoring his left leg with a slight limp.

The crowd parted silently to clear a path for him. He didn't look back and she didn't try to stop him. She felt frozen to the spot.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe it's for the best, Jasta. He is a Risk, after all." It was Etta's voice, quiet and soothing, but it did nothing to calm her down. In fact, it made her angry.

"Who cares if he's a Risk?" she replied savagely, breaking away from her gentle touch. "Because I don't." she scowled at Etta, ignoring the hurt look in her eyes, and then she took off after Rowan, who had faded into the night's shadows. But she knew he was out there, and she had to find him before he was gone forever.

She heard shouts pursuing her, but she didn't hear what they were saying. She didn't care what they were saying. She just had to get Rowan. She started to run, peering into every shadow. He couldn't have gotten far.

She ran straight into the forest, her feet finding the familiar paths easily as she continued to search. The sounds of the village faded slowly until they were gone, and for once, she was glad to be away from there. She never wanted to go back, after the way they had treated Rowan.

She heard a twig snap and she tensed, her head whipping around to see who or what it was, and then she was face-to-face with Rowan once again.

"Rowan..." she whispered.