There was a wildness in her green eyes that scared Benny. It pierced his heart with all the force of an arrow.
“Nix,” he said, but his voice was lost in the sound of wood battering against wood. When he looked into her eyes, he was sure—absolutely positive—that Nix was not seeing him. Not a chance. She was somewhere else entirely. Maybe in her house on that horrible night, when nothing she could do was enough to save her mother. Or out in the Ruin as a helpless prisoner of Charlie, the Hammer, and their men. Or in the bounty hunters’ camp during the battle. Nix had wanted to strike Charlie down herself, but events had gone a different way. Nix had been robbed of that moment.
Of that closure.
Benny’s arms began to tremble from the effort of blocking the attacks, but Nix’s blows were every bit as sure and strong.
Does she know? he wondered. Where is her head right now?
“Nix,” he said again, louder, and he could hear concern and maybe even a little panic in his own voice.
The sword kept coming, faster and harder. Benny didn’t dare risk anything but defense. If he tried to simply step back, Nix’s bokken would crush his skull.
“Nix!” This time he shouted it.
Her mouth formed the hated name. Over and over again.
“Nix!”
There was a blur of movement and a flash of silver, and Nix’s sword suddenly jerked to a stop in mid-strike, the edge slamming to a stop against a metal pole.
With another sharp cry, Benny staggered back and fell hard on his butt.
He stared at the tableau.
Lilah stood between him and Nix, her spear held high and in a wide grip. Nix’s sword had met the shaft of that spear and stopped there. And then Tom was there, stepping in quickly and gently to take the bokken from Nix’s hands. Nix barely noticed either of them. Instead she stared at Benny, who sat splay-legged on the grass.
Across the yard, Chong and Morgie stared with open mouths and unblinking eyes, all jokes forgotten.
Nix’s eyes blazed with weird lights for a heartbeat longer.
Then she blinked, instantly confused by what she was seeing, what she was doing.
“W-what—?” she murmured, as if someone had asked her a question. A half smile wavered on her lips. “What?”
Tom cleared his throat. “Okay,” he said softly, “let’s call it a day? Pie and iced tea?”
Nix turned and looked at her hands. They were flushed red from holding the sword with such force. Then she looked at Benny, who still sat on the grass.
“I’m . . .” But that was all she got out; her face immediately crumpled into a wince of pain as the first heavy sobs broke from her chest. She whirled and ran out of the yard and up the path toward town.
Benny flung his sword away and scrambled to his feet to run after her, but Tom blocked him with a hand to his chest.
“Don’t,” he said.
“I have to,” insisted Benny.
“What’s going on?” demanded Morgie, getting heavily to his feet. Chong did too, and even though he said nothing, his intelligent eyes were cutting from Benny to Tom to Nix’s diminishing figure.
Benny pushed Tom’s hand away and headed for the gate, but Lilah moved faster. She thrust her spear into Benny’s hand, vaulted the rail like a gazelle, and raced after Nix faster than Benny ever could.
“Hey!” Benny yelled.
Tom rested his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “No, kiddo. Let them go.”
Morgie and Chong came up to stand with them, and the four of them watched the figures dwindle in the distance.
“What’s going on?” Morgie asked again, but there was less force in his question this time. When Benny glanced at him, he saw understanding blossoming in his friend’s eyes. Chong was already there.