Free SelfSame by Melissa Conway Page B

the bridge of his nose between his fingers and said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” before looking intently into her face. “You can’t say anything – to anyone.”
    “I’m good at keeping secrets.”
    He glanced over at Paula, but she’d gotten into her car and appeared to be reading something. There was no danger of her overhearing, so he seemed to relax somewhat. His next words tumbled out. “I’m only telling you because it’s obvious you already know something. So, yeah, I’m part of a – secret society of sorts. We meet there twice a year. There. Now you go. Who told you about Bear Talker?”
    A secret society ? She almost laughed. It seemed like such a lame reason for him to get so riled up, but obviously he took it pretty seriously. Maybe he thought one of the other members had broken the sacred vow of silence or something and told her about this Bear Talker. She decided to tell a modified version of the truth after all, since she was a bad liar and he had no way of verifying it anyway.
    “Bear Talker is a medicine man. He came to help my grandmother Elizabeth cross over into the spirit world. She died yesterday.”
    He frowned. “Your grandmother’s name is Elizabeth? And you met Bear Talker. Are you messing with me?”
    “Yes, her name was Elizabeth, and I’m all torn up about it, thanks for asking. I can tell you one thing for sure: we’re not talking about the same Bear Talker.”
    “Oh, really? In the woods, you said, ‘Bear Talker’s longhouse.’ If we’re not talking about the same guy, what did you mean?”
    He had her there. “I – I was talking about someone from the past.”
    He looked absolutely aghast. In a dark voice, he demanded, “Who told you to say that?”
    “No one!” She was getting frustrated with the conversation, and Ben’s strangeness was freaking her out. “Why would someone tell me to say it?”
    His head went back and forth in almost undetectable little shakes. “No. It’s impossible.”
    She stared back at him, a jolt of panic running through her. He was looking at her as if he’d seen a ghost. This secret society business was serious to him, deadly serious apparently. She reviewed her exact words and couldn’t figure out what had him so spooked. He backed away, watching her the entire time, before getting on his bike and riding off.
    “What just happened?” she murmured.
    She was standing there feeling like something momentous and very, very bad had just occurred when a loud honk startled her. She looked over at Paula, who had her thumbs in the air and a happy, questioning look on her face.
    Back in the car, Paula let out a little squeal and said, “Oh, my God, he totally likes you.”
    Sorcha sighed. “Oh, I doubt there’s any danger of that.”
    “Well, then what was that all about?”
    She debated not telling her, but it would take nearly as much effort to brush Paula off as it would to just tell her. So on the ride home, she did.
     
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    Enid
     
    Not once in her entire life had Enid woken up anywhere but in her bed. When Sorcha had laid down to sleep, she’d hoped that was where Enid would wake up this time, too, but she’d been prepared to find herself out in the open, still in the grass with Joseph.
    She was assaulted by confusing sensations when she came to: the sharp smell of horse, the dull sound of hoofs clumping in the dirt, bright light. She was not lying in her soft bed under her warm bedcovers; instead of the comfort and safety of home, she appeared to be draped over the front of a horse.
    Once she realized where she was, she assumed Joseph had carried her unconscious body to his mount and was taking her to safety. Her next thought was for the children and servants. She tried to move, but her arms appeared to be bound behind her back. Had he done it to keep them from flopping around? She turned her head to let him know she was awake, but from her head-down position, all she could see of him was his