Chapter 13: Clara's Ask

Rafe went off into the dark on his crutches, and I did not mean to follow him.

I got as far as the last wagon before the red-bearded captain stepped out of the shadow beside it.

"Keeper," he said. "If you don't mind, I'd like a witness to this."

"Why me?"

"Because the Alpha asked me to stand by, and I don't trust my own memory of what an Alpha says."

Behind him stood the broad captain who had ridden the pass road for me.

He nodded at me and said nothing.

"Fine," I said. "We stay out of the light."

Clara's wagon had a lantern hung from the tail bow, and a blue curtain over the door.

The three of us stood behind the next wagon along, close enough to hear every word.

Rafe knocked on the frame with the end of his crutch.

Clara pulled the curtain back at once.

She had changed into a white nightdress and let her hair down, and she looked small and soft in the lantern light.

"Rafe," she said, and her face went soft with relief. "You shouldn't be up. Come in, let me see your back."

"I'll stand."

"You can barely stand."

"Then I'll lean," he said.

He leaned on the wagon wheel.

The lantern showed me how grey his face was.

"Clara, the Hall is open until the moon sets," he said. "A keeper is still sitting up in the chapel."

"I don't understand."

"I'm asking you to come down there with me tonight and take my mark."

I felt the red-bearded captain go rigid beside me.

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