Coyote Springs. Five years is a long time in the desert, Ayanna said, her voice rough. We have no choice, Luke said. He gave his horse to Sunny, lifting her and her son into the saddle. He walked beside Ayanna.
He gave her his arm when she stumbled, and she took it. They walked in a daze, putting one foot in front of the other, driven only by the terrifying will to live. When they reached the willows, the spring was a muddy depression trampled by cattle, but there was water. They dug with their hands, frantic as animals. They waited for the brown sludge to seep into the holes.
They drank it through straining cloths. It tasted of mud and cow manure, but it was the sweetest thing Luke had ever tasted. That night, they camped in the thicket. They dared not light a fire. The darkness was absolute.
Luke sat apart from the group, keeping watch. His shoulder throbbed with a dull, sickening ache. The bullet wound was healing, but the infection was a constant threat. He heard a twig snap. Ayanna sat down beside him.
She held a small gourd of salve made from grease and crushed herbs. "Your shoulder," she said. Luke unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the angry red pucker of the wound. Ayanna's fingers were cool and gentle as she applied the salve. The smell of the herbs was sharp, cutting through the scent of dust.
"You are burning," Ayanna murmured. "It is just the walking," Luke lied. Ayanna finished and sat back, but she did not leave. She pulled her blanket around her shoulders. The night air was biting.
"You gave your horse to Sani," she said. "She needed it. You walked 10 miles on a bad leg and a worse shoulder. I am the mule, remember? " Luke smiled faintly in the dark. "That is what Nalin said.
I am the beast of burden. " "You are not a mule," Ayanna said. Her voice was low, trembling slightly. "You are a fool. A brave, stupid fool. " She looked at him. The moon had risen, painting her face in silver and shadow.
The exhaustion had stripped away her defenses. The anger that had fueled her for so long was gone, burned away by the desert sun. All that was left was the woman. Luke reached out and took her hand. This time, she did not pull away.
"We might not make it," Luke whispered. "The border is still 100 miles away. " "I know," Ayanna said. "If we die out here, I want you to know. " "Know what? " "That I would choose this," Luke said. "I would choose dying in the dust with you over living 100 years in that cabin without you. " Ayanna let out a small, choked sound. She moved closer.