Transformation Space - Marianne de Pierres [86]
‘Juno can care for himself, Josefia,’ said Trin firmly. They could do nothing about it during the light but hope that Juno was safe and had found shade.
‘You can’t jus’ accuse Innis of tryin’ to murder you,’ said an angry voice.
Trin located the source of it, standing behind Cass Mulravey: the tall woman, Liesl, who’d been sleeping with Innis.
‘He ain’t even here to defend himself,’ Liesl added.
Trin touched the crust of blood in his hair. ‘And I was not able to defend myself when he pushed me from behind, hoping to murder me.’
‘Don’t say that about him!’ she shouted.
Cass Mulravey grabbed her wrist, twisting it, urging quiet.
But even Mulravey’s action didn’t stop the wave of righteous anger that poured from Trin. ‘I am Principe!’ he roared back at Liesl. ‘I do not lie!’
He’d never shown them such raw anger before, but this woman’s bald accusation inflamed him beyond thought.
A tension overtook the group; wary eyes glanced around.
Djes put a calming hand on Trin’s arm. ‘We should all rest. The Principe is injured and hungry, and must be tended.’
Liesl looked as if she wanted to say more, but Cass Mulravey stepped in front of her. ‘We’ll bring some food in.’
Cass and Djes nodded to each other, and Trin felt a swell of misgiving – as if they indeed lead the survivors, not he. Their complicity worried him, and yet he was too exhausted to think more about it.
Instead, he walked stiffly into the cave, mollified by the fact that that at least the refugees parted respectfully to let him through. Inside the cave he turned and looked back at them. Most were watching him still, except Mulravey, who was looking at Josefia Genarro. ‘I’ve found more water,’ he said. ‘We need no longer carry it up the mountain and risk the ligs.’
A small cheer rose.
Trin found his spot in the cave and sank gratefully onto the brush bed, knowing he had been right to give the news of the water last.
Djes followed him in with some berries and dried fish. As he ate, she tried to tend to his head wound, but he waved her away. He needed sleep first.
She woke him later by gripping his hand, her hot breath close to his ear. ‘Trin.’
He rolled towards her, reaching to pull her closer.
She resisted, speaking again. ‘Liesl’s made trouble while you’ve been resting. A group of them are leaving.’
Trin struggled to sit up, his skin stinging and his head aching.
Djes handed him a shell of water, which he swallowed quickly to ease his sore throat. The cave was dimmer than when he’d laid down to sleep, and he could see the pinprick lights in the night sky through the opening.
‘What’s happening?’ he asked her, to be sure.
‘Innis is back. He and Liesl have persuaded some to leave with them and find another part of the island.’
‘Juno?’
‘Innis says they became separated.’
Fury coursed through Trin in an instant. ‘Is Cass Mulravey siding with him?’
‘No, not yet, but you should come now.’
Trin used the wall to help him to his feet. He felt hot and dizzy and his tongue seemed swollen. A fever? ‘What is it?’ whispered Djes.
He pushed away from the wall. ‘Nothing.’
There was no one else in the cave. The whole group was outside, standing in a ragged circle.
As he drew closer, a wave of nausea beset Trin. He turned his head and swallowed the vomit that rose up his throat.
No one seemed to notice; they were too concerned with their argument.
‘You can’t take our food,’ said one of the Pablo miners.
‘We worked for it. We’re entitled to some,’ said Liesl. Trin could see Innis next to her, gaunt and belligerent and filthy. He held a spear in one hand and a club in the other.
The ’esque on his other side was one of theirs. Marrat was his name, Trin thought; he’d been a bullish type in earlier times. Now he was as lean and weak as the rest of them.
Several of the women stood behind Liesl, including Tina Galiotto, his mardre’s servant. Just under a third of their females – too many to lose.
Kristo stood opposite Innis, with Cass Mulravey next to him.
‘There’s too few of us for this, Innis,’ said Kristo. ‘Use yer brains. We need