by Jay Posey
“I can’t promise that,” he said. He saw Painter’s expression change, and realized Painter thought Wren was just refusing outright. How could he explain that if Snow had been dead for days before she’d been taken, there was no chance that he’d be able to help her find her way back? He didn’t even know if that was completely true himself, no matter how much he suspected it. And Wren remembered all too well what it was like to live a life without hope. “I would try, Painter. But…” Wren trailed off.
“That’s all I c-c-could ask, Wren,” Painter said.
There was a light knock at the door, and Wren jerked away from it, with his heart hammering. Then, muffled through the door, he heard his mama gently call his name.
“My mom,” Wren said.
“You won’t tuh, tell anyone, will you?”
Wren just stood there, the words not really registering with him.
“D-d-don’t tell anyone, OK? Please?”
“I won’t,” Wren answered before he had time to think it through.
“You undersss-, understand, right?”
The knock came again, a little louder this time.
“I have to go,” Wren said. He turned around and opened the door. The light from the hallway dazzled his eyes, and he had to squint against the glare. The lights in the hall weren’t that bright, but his eyes struggled to adjust after sitting in the dark for so long.
“Hey, baby,” Cass said. “Hi, Painter.”
“Hi, Miss Cass,” Painter said. “Everything going OK?”
He wasn’t usually one to make conversation, and Wren couldn’t help but feel that Painter was doing his best to change the subject as quickly as possible.
“For now,” she answered, with a slight smile. Wren could tell something was off from the look on her face. She looked down at him. “Did you sleep?”
Wren shook his head. Her expression changed. He never really could hide anything from his mama.
“Are you OK?” Cass asked.
“Just tired,” he said. “I want to go to bed now.”
“Alright,” she said. She looked back up at Painter. “Thanks for letting him stay with you, Painter. I appreciate it.”
“Ssssh-sure, no problem,” he replied.
“Good night,” said Cass.
“Night,” Painter said.
Wren started across the hall, but Cass stopped him with a light hand on his shoulder. He glanced back at Painter, who was staring out of that dark room at him with those eyes. Wren found it was hard to think of him as a friend just then. “Good night, Painter.”
Wren crossed the hall and went into his own room, followed closely by his mother. She flicked on the light. He went straight to his bed and started taking off his shoes.
“Are you sure you’re OK, Wren?” Cass asked.
He nodded without looking at her. There was nothing he wanted more than to just crawl into his bed and hide his face from the world. He’d never wanted things to be like this.
“Did something happen?”
He shook his head and pulled the covers back.
“Is Painter OK?”
“He’s fine, Mom,” Wren said, and it came out more sharply than he meant for it to. “I really want to go to sleep.” He climbed into his bed and lay on his side, facing the wall, pulled the covers up under his chin. Footsteps approached, and Wren closed his eyes so that he didn’t have to look at his mama. He knew she’d be able to read him, and he just couldn’t face the conversation. There was no telling how anyone would react if they found out what Painter had done.
He felt Mama sit down on the edge of the bed. She stroked his hair, and then rubbed his back in silence. Wren tried to even out his breathing and pretended to be asleep, hoping that would keep her from trying to talk to him anymore. He just needed some time to think through everything. Maybe it didn’t really matter what Painter had done. Maybe it mattered very much.
“We’ve been here before, baby,” Cass whispered after a few minutes. “We’ll figure this out, too.” She leaned over him and kissed the side of his head gently. Then she got up and switched off the light, and left the room. Wren was certain she thought he was asleep, and that made him wonder all the more exactly what she’d meant.
“Seems risky to me,” Finn said, as Cass rejoined the team. They were still discussing their options, and it didn’t sound like they were any closer to a decision.
“Risky’s all we’ve got, Finn,” Swoop answered.
“Yeah, but there’s no way we could roll up there heavy as we are and think they’re going to let us in without asking questions. And no way I’m going up there unless we’re rolling heavy.”
“Well, we can’t stay here,” Gamble said, “and it seems the best option of few. Question is can we make it work?”
“Why not?” asked Wick.
“Why not what?” said Swoop.
“Why can’t we stay here?”
“This place is an emergency shelter, Wick, not a long-term solution. Every day we’re here, we’re pullin’ on resources they can’t spare. I don’t care how friendly they are, that ain’t good for them or us.”
Wick shrugged. “Ninestory just seems like a stretch to me. Hard people up that way. Not likely to look too kindly on a war party coming up in their midst.”
“Then again,” Mouse said, “if there are people who won’t think twice about a bunch of roughnecks wandering around, it’s probably them.”
“I’m sorry,” Cass interrupted. “Ninestory?”
Gamble nodded. “Midsized enclave. Not the nicest place, but it’s hardened. Figure we could set up for a good couple of weeks there.”
“If we can get in the door,” Finn said.
“You’ve been before?” Cass asked.
“A few of us passed through once,” Sky said.
“Didn’t leave on great terms, though,” Swoop added. He and Sky shared a meaningful look.
“I doubt anyone would remember us.”
“Hope not.”
“I think it’s our best shot,” Gamble said. “It’s close; we have more firsthand experience with it than anywhere else. And they’re the type that might actually appreciate having a few extra steely-eyed shooters around.”
“Or, you know, they’ll open fire as soon as they see us and strip our gear,” Finn said.
“What do you think, Lady Cass?” Gamble asked.
“It’s what you would advise?”
“It is.”
Cass surveyed the others gathered there, intent on her. Hard men led by a hard woman. She had bristled at their dismissal of her before. Now it seemed foolish that she had ever doubted.
“When do we leave?” she asked.
Cass was up before the sun, checking and double-checking their gear to make sure nothing was left behind. She kept as quiet as she could to let Wren sleep as long as he was able. It felt strange preparing to leave so soon after they’d arrived, but Swoop had been right. They’d done what they could for the wounded. Any more time spent in the refuge was just a drain on people who couldn’t afford it. She’d felt it was only proper for her to be the one to break the news.
As dawn was breaking, Cass slipped out and made her way to Lil’s room. She tapped lightly on the door, uncertain if Thani was in there and not wanting to wake the child. Cass was surprised by how quickly Lil answered, fully awake and fully dressed. Lil stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind them.
Cass explained their decision, and though Lil listened patiently and seemed to understand, she nevertheless made every effort to convince them to stay.
“It wouldn’t be fair to you,” Cass said. “And as unlikely as it seems, there may be trouble following us. I couldn’t live with myself if we brought danger to your door.”
“We’re still the same people you sought before,” Lil said. “Fewer, perhaps. But the same.”
“It’s not that. Our situation’s changed. And you’ve suffered enough.”
“We’ve all suffered enough,” Lil said.
“If by lingering another day or two, you, your son, or any of those with you can gain rest or restoration, I would welcome your delay. We all would.”
“I appreciate it, Lil. All of us do. But we have to move.”
Lil dipped her head. “If you must go, you must. But if you should decide to return, you’d be welcome.”
“And what about you? Where will you go?”
Lil looked off down the hall, back towards where the others from her compound were sleeping, and inhaled deeply. She shook her head. “I don’t know. It may be another week before all my people are well enough to move. And even then, some may choose a different path.”
“What about Morningside?”
Lil looked at her with mild surprise. “Is it safe?” she asked.
“I believe it would be for you.”
Lil nodded. “Perhaps. Time will tell.”
“Well, whatever the future holds, I’m glad to have met you at last. Wren has talked about you so much, I feel like I’ve known you far longer than a day.”
Lil smiled. “Wren is very special. I have to confess… my reluctance to let you go has a great deal to do with him. I’d really hoped to get to spend more time with him. If I’d known you’d be leaving so soon, I would’ve made more of an effort.”
“He’s very fond of you. It’s easy to see why,” Cass said. She paused, feeling the full weight of the debt she owed this woman. Cass shook her head. “I never really thanked you for all you did for him. I’m not sure I even know how.”
“Seeing him alive and well is enough. And knowing he is with his mother is more than I could’ve hoped.”
Cass shared her connection information and personal encryption key with Lil, and Lil shared hers, enabling the two women to pim one another. Each promised to update the other on any movement.
“I’ll see you out when you’re ready,” Lil said.
“Shouldn’t be long,” Cass said.
As Cass returned to her room, she found Gamble and her team making their final preparations. They exchanged a few words, and Cass let Gamble know that Lil would be waiting to let them out of the compound. When Cass entered her room, Wren was sitting up in bed, bleary-eyed.
“We’re leaving?” he asked.
Cass nodded. “Yeah, baby. Gamble thinks it’s best.”
He yawned. “OK.”
Cass was a little surprised. She’d been expecting Wren to put up some resistance, or at least to ask why. Instead, he slid out of his bed and started making it.
“Will we have to go far today?” Wren asked.
“A few hours.”
“That’s not so bad.”
He finished straightening the covers on his bed and got dressed. Cass was hesitant to push too much after his response the previous night, but she still wasn’t convinced that everything had gone alright with Painter.
“Everything go OK with Painter last night?” she asked, testing the waters.
“Yeah, it was fine,” he said. He glanced up at her quickly, and then Wren focused on his boots as he buckled them on. “I think he’s just trying to figure out how to deal with everything.”
Wren still seemed to be avoiding eye contact for some reason, but his mood was much improved over the night before. Maybe he had just been tired after all, Cass thought.
They loaded up their packs and went into the hall together, where the rest of the team had gathered. Even Painter was there, though Cass didn’t know who had roused him, or if anyone had.
Elan came to meet them, and though they initially tried to refuse, he managed to convince them to share one last meal together. They were joined by Lil and a couple of the others who they’d met at the village’s ruins.
It was a simple meal, but good and filling, and the conversation was sparse but genuine. Elan tried once more to encourage the group to remain for another day or so. But Gamble held firm. Mouse did insist on making one final check of the wounded, even though after his work the previous night the caregivers had everything well in hand.
Afterwards, Lil and Elan escorted them to the gates, where they said their goodbyes. Lil held Wren in a lingering embrace long enough that Wren actually blushed with embarrassment.
The team passed through the two iron gates back out into the open and assumed their usual positions, surrounding Cass, Wren, and Painter. Broken clouds streaked the sky above, the last remnants of the storm that had passed in the night. The air was cool and damp, and everywhere the soaked pavement glistened under the morning sun, and shone in places pooled with rainwater. The sunlight confused Cass’s vision, and she drew down her veil to reduce the glare. Beside her, Painter donned his goggles.
Wick led them off on yet another unexpected phase of their journey. Cass glanced back at the refuge and saw Lil and Elan still watching them as they left. She wondered if they would ever see one another again, and found herself hoping so. And at the same time, she doubted it very much.
NINETEEN
The morning passed slowly, and the view changed little as they marched east and maybe a bit to the south. They certainly hadn’t intended for it to be quite so roundabout, but the path they’d taken from Morningside – to where they were now – would’ve thrown off all but the most determined of trackers. If nothing else, certainly no one would be able to anticipate where they were headed based on their previous movements.
As they walked, Cass mulled over all she knew about the situation in Morningside. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get the pieces to fit together in any way that made sense to her. She might have misjudged North altogether, but it still didn’t account for all that had occurred. There were too many threads dangling, too many unanswered questions. But then, maybe she was thinking about it all wrong. She’d been assuming there had been a single plan all along, perfectly executed. What if, instead, it hadn’t gone to plan at all?
There had always been politics at play when it came to the Council. She didn’t for one moment believe that they had agreed to elevate Wren to governor out of any sense of altruism. He had been largely intended as a figurehead, to quell the rising panic after Underdown’s death, and she’d agreed, knowing it would secure their place in the city. But once Wren’s abilities had become widely known, the people of Morningside had seemed to revere him even more highly than his father. Had the Council members truly been trying to unseat him? Or had something gone terribly wrong?
“Hey,” Wick said from the front. “Persona non grata. What’s the plural of that?”
“I reckon we are,” said Finn.
“Personae non gratae,” Swoop muttered.
“Oh ho ho,” Wick said, looking over his shoulder at Swoop. “A gentleman and a scholar, huh?”
Swoop spat.
“What does that mean?” Wren asked, and it dawned on Cass that she’d never told Wren and Painter about the executive order from Morningside.
“It means an unwelcome person,” Sky said.
“Like an exile?” Wren said.
“Pretty much,” Sky said.
Wren was quiet for a moment.
Cass was still trying to figure out how to share the news when he spoke again. “Does that mean we can’t go home?”
Gamble glanced at Cass and grimaced, only then realizing the situation.
“For now,” Cass said. “But we’re going to figure it out, OK?”
“Wait,” said Painter. “What?”
“We found out last night, after you were asleep,” Cass said. “The Council cut us off.”
“What? Whuh-wh-why?”
“Because of what happened… to Connor and Aron.”
“Actually,” Finn said, “it didn’t mention Aron. And it didn’t mention Painter, either.”
It took a moment for the implication of that to sink in for Cass. “They think I killed him?” she said.
“Or,” Mouse said, “they want everyone else to think that.”
They all walked on in thoughtful silence for a few moments.
Cass didn’t know why it hadn
’t occurred to her before. Of course they’d think she was the one who had killed Connor. There were no witnesses, and no reason for anyone to suspect that Painter would ever have been involved. Maybe it’d been a mistake to bring him with them after all.
“Well,” Wick said. “On the bright side, at least one of us can go home.”
“We’re all goin’ home,” Swoop said. “Just might get a little loud when we do.”
“I hope Uncle Aron’s OK,” Wren said quietly.
They marched on, breaking every hour or so to rest, often while Wick and Swoop scouted ahead, behind, or around. Cass never was sure what exactly they were looking for, but the fact that they hadn’t encountered any traps or other travelers thus far probably had a lot to do with their vigilance.
At every stop, Mouse made the rounds to double-check everyone’s water intake, and he fussed mildly at both Wren and Painter for not drinking more. Both the boys had kept mostly quiet during the journey, which was fast becoming the norm.
Their progress was steady over the course of a few hours. The streaks of clouds overhead steadily thickened and drew together and eventually hid the sun from view. Around them the area began to open out; buildings were spaced farther apart, and didn’t tower as high, rarely reaching more than three stories. The streets and alleys were wider here, and abandoned living quarters sat comfortably between deserted shops and empty taverns. Whatever the place used to be, its layout gave Cass a less rushed feeling, like it was once a community where it had been alright to take your time, and people had a little more room to live. In the distance, Cass caught a glimpse of a tall building towering above the others.
“We’re not far now,” Wick said. “How do you want to handle the approach, G?”
“I hate to split up too much,” she answered. “But I don’t think it’s wise to roll up to the front gate with our Awakened friends without announcing ourselves first.”
