“What’s real and what’s not?” I whisper.
I walk slowly outside and stop on the porch. Dense pine woods surround the house, and there’s a large vegetable garden out front. Whistling carelessly, Wreck carries a bucket of water, carefully watering various plants. His face is washed clean of paint and he’s wearing a gray t-shirt, casual shorts and his huge roamer boots. Dressed this way, he appears surprisingly normal.
“Looks like I saved you again,” he grins as I approach. “I believe the score is three to one now.”
I stop a few feet away, looking him over. “Well, thanks for saving me once again. What are you doing here?”
“Helping take care of the garden. All these herbs are for treating different illnesses. How are you feeling?”
“I guess I’m fine,” I shrug.
Wreck motions for me to follow, “Come with me. We gotta check you over.”
Back at the house, he leads me into the kitchen. There’s a table containing various bottles filled with unidentifiable liquids and jars full of dried herbs.
“Any headache? Nausea?” he asks in a businesslike voice, standing in front of me.
“No.”
“Open your mouth.”
I do as he says. Squinting, he takes a long look into my mouth.
“Much better,” he comments. “I need to check your pulse, all right?”
He stretches his hand toward my neck, causing me to flinch and take a step back. After Gabriel’s assault, I can’t stand for anybody to touch my neck. Wreck freezes, eyeing me over.
“Just give me your hand,” he directs.
He presses his fingers against my wrist for a few seconds, then touches my forehead. He takes a small bottle, pours something into a cup and hands it to me. “Drink this. It will help reduce your fever. And don’t worry, it won’t cause drowsiness.”
I obediently swallow the liquid, wincing from the bitter taste. Wreck unwraps the bandages on my arm. The skin around where I was scratched now has a normal color. He stuffs his mouth with some large leaves, chews them for a few moments and spits the green mass onto his palm.
“I know this is kinda gross,” he smiles, placing the chewed leaves over my scratches. “But it works really well. It’s a natural antibiotic.”
He quickly rewraps the bandage around my arm, his hands working confidently and fast.
“Thanks,” I say. “You’re really good at this.”
“Well, I’ve been assisting Jin since I was thirteen. So yeah, I guess I’ve picked up a few things.”
“You could become a real healer.”
“No, thanks. I enjoy hurting people much more than healing them.”
“Really? You truly enjoy hurting people?”
“What do you think?” he smirks.
I don’t know what to think about him. But I do remember how thrilled I became while I was punching and kicking Wreck. I recall furiously stabbing Gabriel. It felt good, releasing my pent up aggression. So maybe we are more similar than I thought. We’re both violent, messed up and just a little broken.
“Where’s Jin?” I ask.
“Jin and Maxie went to get us some supper. They left me behind to monitor your condition. But you looked stable, so I decided to water the plants.”
“Maxine is here too?”
“Sure. This is her home.”
“Oh,” I pause, remembering Maxine telling me that she lives in the woods with her mother. “Is Jin Maxine’s mother?”
“That’s a good question,” Wreck grins. “You see, it’s a bit of a mystery. Nobody ever saw Jin being pregnant. And she was a little too old for having kids when Maxie was born. So some folks back in the village seriously doubt Maxie is actually her daughter.”
“What do you think?” I ask, sitting down in a chair.
“I don’t care and neither does Maxie. Jin raised her and took care of her. So as far as we’re concerned, she’s her mother.”
“Jin also adopted you, didn’t she?”
“Well, kind of. She’s my mentor.”
“What? You mean… She taught you how to fight?”
“Yep. I practiced with Maxie, but Jin was our instructor.”
I close my eyes for a moment, collecting my thoughts. I still can’t believe it.
“Kris,” I utter in a hollow voice. “Tell me the truth. Is Jin… Jingfay?”
He nods.
“Oh my!” I breathe out. “I really found her. It just… it all seems so surreal. Is she the last Amazon?”
“I told you she’s not the last one. Jin trained Maxie so it means my sister is actually an Amazon too. And so am I.”
I stare at him. “Wreck, you can’t be an Amazon.”
“Why the heck not?”
“You’re a guy.”
“So?” He frowns. “I’m an excellent fighter and healer. I was trained by two Amazons and follow all their traditions.”
“Wreck!” I exclaim, laughing. “If a cat adopts a puppy and teaches it how to catch mice, it won’t turn the dog into a cat. The puppy will become a dog.”
“True that,” Wreck nods. “But as you can see, I’m not a puppy.”
“Oh all right. You can be whoever you choose.”
“That’s right. I’ll be who I want, and don’t give a damn what other people might think about it. Let’s go outside. Jin and Maxie should be returning soon.”
Outside, we sit side by side on the steps of the front porch. I squint, smiling into the warm sunshine. An image of Amy walking along the beach floats
