Nameless (Nameless #1)(49)

“Thank you, brother.” But Ajax didn’t sound reassured.

“I’ll think of something,” said Gryphon.

Once they were outside, Zo yanked her arm from Gryphon’s grasp. “What will the Ram do to that baby, Gryphon?” It sounded like a threat, even to her own ears.

Gryphon helped her down the trail, traveling at a slow pace for her sake. “There is a reason the Ram are known for their warriors, Zo.”

She waved away his words. “Yeah, because you train your children like animals and have no regard for anything that doesn’t involve bloodshed.”

She covered her mouth with both hands. Gryphon had been tolerant, but she’d finally crossed the line. He raised his hand and Zo closed her eyes and flinched, ready for the beating she knew was coming.

Nothing happened.

She opened her eyes to find Gryphon holding back the branch of a tree she hadn’t noticed before. His lips were screwed into a knot and heavy lines streaked his brow. She stepped away but her foot caught on something in the darkness and she fell with a near silent cry to the ground. Several scabs on her back ripped open in the process.

Gryphon bent to help her up. “I have no intention of hurting you, Zo. You should know that by now.”

Zo’s shirt was damp with blood from her back. Gryphon must have noticed because he wiped his hand on his pants. “I guess I can’t blame you for being afraid of me.”

“What will happen to the baby?” she persisted.

Gryphon sighed. “If a newborn doesn’t pass inspection, it is taken outside the Gate. The Ram don’t kill the child, but they also can’t protect or care for it either. Only the healthy earn the right to citizenship in the Gate.” His jaw flexed in the torchlight, his eyes pinched and he looked away from her.

“Who takes care of the infant outside of the Gate? Is it left to the Nameless?” Zo could sense his answer, but it was too horrible to be true. Not even the Ram would banish an infant. Would they?

His silence confirmed her fears. “Gryphon, we can’t let that baby die!”

“I know!” he shouted, and she cowered away from him again out of humiliating instinct. “I’ll think of something.” His Adam’s apple jumped up and down as he swallowed.

Zo didn’t sleep the rest of the night. Up until now, she had felt the distance between her and Tess—though painfully difficult—was something of a protection to her sister.

After tonight that sense of safety was stripped from her. Zo couldn’t handle another night wondering about Tess. Not after learning that her sister’s innocence would not save her any more than it would that newborn. There was only one clear course of action …

Zo had to smuggle Tess away from the Nameless’ barracks and find some way to leave the Gate before anything happened to her, even if it meant forsaking the Cause.





Chapter 25





Before the sun rose in the morning, with almost no sleep, and his leg still healing from his wounds from the Wolf, Gryphon hurried to find the Historian. He didn’t know exactly what he planned to say, he only hoped his instinct about her was right.

Would she help Sara and Ajax and their new baby? It was a big risk, but what other option did he have?

He rehearsed his excuse for visiting with Barnabas’ grandmother over and over again. No doubt the guards would find his request even more baffling than when he came to meet with Barnabas himself. Just as he made the final turn down the road that led to the chief’s home he stopped dead at the sight of the old woman sitting with her thin legs crossed on the ground. In her hands she held a small pouch of, what appeared to be, dark sand. She scooped up a handful of the interesting powder and let it fall back into the bag in thin streams between her knobby fingers.

“There you are.” She didn’t look at all surprised to see him, as if she’d been waiting there all night.

Gryphon pulled off his heavy cloak and flung it around the Historian’s shoulders. “You must be freezing.” She swatted away his concern as he helped her stand. The cloak dragged at least a foot on the ground.

“Well, it took you long enough.” She looked over Gryphon’s shoulder and smiled. “Come on out, young warrior. You are welcome to join us.”

Gryphon whipped around to find a sheepish Joshua with bright cheeks step out from behind a nearby tree. The tip of his nose matched the flame of his red hair

“I’m sorry, Gryph. I just want to know what’s going on.”

The Historian hushed the boy and took his arm. “He doesn’t mind,” she answered for Gryphon.

“How did you know I was coming?” Gryphon still couldn’t grasp the absurdity of the situation.

The old woman’s eyes sparkled and she winked at Joshua, patting the top of his hand. “Call it a hunch.”

The Historian led them silently through the town, past the platform in the square and through the maze of buildings until they reached a little, rundown shed at the edge of the forest.

“You leave for an excursion tomorrow.” She unlocked the door with withered hands.

Gryphon didn’t bother asking her how she knew about the secret excursion downstream to take out the Allied Camp. The old woman, with hair so white it almost glowed, seemed to know everything that happened inside the Gate. Not unlike the current Seer.