“I’m sorry.” I thought it was an accident, so I moved my hand, but the next time he turned his page, he put his hand back on the bed close enough for our pinkies to touch again. It reminded me of those dating games I wasn’t any good at, but I didn’t imagine Gentry was any good at them, either.
“Do you want to hold my hand?” I said.
I figured I’d get some variation on I am thy servant, but he said, “Yes.”
He scratched his neck for a couple minutes, but after he finished, he put his hand on top of mine where it was on the bed. We stayed like that until I had to turn the page. Then I put my hand on top of his. Whichever one of us needed to turn a page, that person’s hand went on top, like the slowest hand stacking game in the world.
Gentry read faster than I did, so his hand was on top more often. It was pretty banged up, covered in scrapes and bruises. He had a big scar on his thumb, and the nail of his ring finger was black. His palm was calloused, from sword fighting and castle building, I guessed.
I was trying to think of what to say—Thanks for everything and I’m going to do something reckless in the morning—when Charlene came pushing Elana down the hallway.
“Sir Gentry, will you read me a bedtime story?” Elana said.
“Certs, my sister. Wilt thou hear it also, Lady Zhorzha?”
“No. I’m gonna keep reading my book,” I said.
From the way Charlene smiled at me, I knew it was the right answer.
Like he had before, Gentry closed his book without a bookmark. Then he stood up, still holding my hand, and bent over it. I wasn’t sure if it was because Charlene and Elana were watching, but he held my hand for nearly a minute, before he lowered his head and pressed his lips against my knuckles.
“I shall sleep ere I labor for my lord Bombardier, so I bid thee good night, my lady,” he said.
I let that decide me. In the morning, I would get up and go to Missouri.
CHAPTER 30
Zee
I didn’t take any THC drops at bedtime, because I was worried about oversleeping, but if I’d slept better, I would have gotten out of bed and left on time. Instead, I was still packing when I heard the front door open and Gentry saying good morning to Elana and his parents. Trang was already gone, and I should have been, too. I carried my backpack out to the front room, planning to say thanks and goodbye. Gentry was standing in the kitchen with a glass of orange juice.
“Lady Zhorzha,” he said. “Preparest thou to depart for the house of thine uncle?”
Somehow I’d thought since we didn’t talk about it the night before, he wouldn’t remember we’d talked about it at all. It probably would have been better to lie to him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Yeah, I thought I’d leave this morning so I can get there before dark.”
“What road wilt thou follow?” Gentry set down his juice, took out his phone, and opened the map app like we were going to discuss roads and travel time. Which was why I couldn’t lie to him. He was so good.
“Well, have some breakfast before you go,” Charlene said, as she carried dishes from the dining room to the sink.
“I’ll just get something on the road,” I said.
“I’ll pack you something.” She started digging around in the cupboard for a plastic container. She was going to do it anyway, so I set my backpack down and decided to go to the bathroom one last time before I left.
When I came back to the kitchen, Charlene had stopped in the middle of packing me breakfast, and Bill had come in from the dining room. They were frowning, and Gentry had his sword hand clenched.
“Gentry tells us you’re going to visit your uncle in Missouri. Do you have more than one uncle?” Bill said. It felt like a trick question.
“Um, no,” I said.
“Then this is the uncle they mentioned on the news?”
“They mentioned my uncle on the news?” My heart did this weird floppy thing, because all I could think was that something had happened to make this all more complicated. I couldn’t even imagine what that would be, unless they’d arrested Uncle Alva.
“Well, when they were talking about your sister, about the situation at El Dorado with the escape, they mentioned that your father and your uncle . . .” Bill lowered his eyes, like he was embarrassed.
“Oh, that they were in El Dorado? Or that they robbed a couple of banks?” Even though it had been years since anyone had brought it up, that old prickly defensiveness came back fresh. I refused to be embarrassed, but it always got my hackles up.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Charlene said. “Going to visit him?”
“You don’t think he’s connected to what happened with your sister?” Bill said.
I picked up my backpack before I answered, because I was stumped for what to say. There wasn’t anything neutral enough to describe what I was hoping to get out of my uncle, and like hell I was going to tell Gentry’s parents anything. If Uncle Alva knew something—if—it was worth finding out. Because I didn’t trust the police or the marshals to get LaReigne back safely. I could imagine the headline: HOSTAGE KILLED IN POLICE RAID GONE WRONG. Shit like that happened. Branch Davidian shit.
“Well, he’s family,” I said. “So, yeah, I’m going to visit him.”
“At what hour wilt thou depart?” Gentry said.
“I don’t have a schedule. I’m gonna try to talk to my mother again before I go.”
“I shall be ready ere the hour turns.” Gentry put his phone in his pocket and came around the kitchen island. By my math, the hour was going to turn to nine in fifteen minutes.
“You don’t need to go,” I said.
“Thou mayest need me yet.”
“It doesn’t sound like she invited you, honey.” Charlene laughed.
“I am her champion.”
I thought he was speaking to his mother, but he frowned and lifted his head. Not to look at her, but listening. That was the Witch above his head.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, son.” Bill looked more comfortable being embarrassed than he did disapproving.
“Nay, I cannot leave my lady go alone.”
“I—” I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but Charlene cut me off.
“Gentry, I’m not going to forbid you to go,” she said.
“I am glad, my mother, for it would distress me to defy thee.”
“Son,” Bill said, “I appreciate that you want to help Zee, but you may have done as much as you can.”