"Is your wrist okay?" He asked when we both returned. Fruit flies buzzed up from the bin.
I swatted at them. "Yeah, just a few stitches."
"Good," he said, lips pressed tightly together. "We need to get you out of here. It’s too dangerous."
I shook my head. "I don't think I should leave. I could get more intel while we come up with a plan."
He leaned forward. "You're not going to get any intel playing around with broccoli!"
"I'm not, am I?" I dropped the broccoli down in the bin and put my hands to my hips. "I'll get a hell of lot more than you."
He bent over, squeezing the sides of the bin. His knuckles were turning white. "You're so goddamn stubborn, Kaitlyn."
"Lucy," I reminded him.
Someone behind me cleared their throat. I took a deep breath and moved away. Who knew the compost bin would be such a popular place?
Micah grabbed my upper arm, stopping me. He bent down to my ear. "Fine. Spend your days here – until we have a plan. But your nights are with me."
"I'll spend tonight with you. The rest we'll see about."
He nodded, I swallowed hard.
"Meet me at Writer Square at dusk," he said. "And I want Kaitlyn, not Lucy."
He turned back to his garden, and I did the same. My whole body tingled. Your nights are with me. His words reverberated through my head.
The chills dulled the further I walked away from him. My feet stopped at one last flowering broccoli left behind. I picked it up, smiling.
Maybe I can get him to touch me. Just a spark to keep me warm until tonight.
As I turned, a new group of people were walking into the parking lot. The one barking orders stopped me dead in my tracks. I squeezed the head of broccoli; yellow petals floated to the ground.
"Throw plastic sheeting over the gardens at night – make them last as long as we can in the ground." Shawn's voice grated at me.
My neck twitched.
"We can plant cover crops - grasses or small grains will help shade the soil and prevent weeds from growing over the winter." David stood by Shawn.
Shawn stopped. "I know how a garden works, David. I've been feeding these people for two years now."
Shawn started walking again. The group of people followed. I turned my back, and stripped off my jacket and my shirt. My sports bra could pass for appropriate hard labor clothing, and reveal as much of my new ink as possible. My disguise.
I risked a glance over my shoulder. Behind me, Micah had blended in with a group of workers. He pulled his hood up over his head.
Shawn surveyed one of the mobile gardens that had yet to be replanted. "This looks better than when we rolled out of Fort Calhoun. What'd you do different?"
One of the workers stepped out of his group; an Earth, by the feel of her. "We started using human hair in our compost a while back. We also—"
"Whose hair?" Shawn asked, cutting her off.
I cringed, ducking down trying to make myself as small as possible.
"Well." She looked down at her toes, smiling. "Mine, for one. And—"
"Let's get some of these potatoes out for dinner tonight." Shawn, always impatient, was already moving on. "Make room for more from the mobile gardens. I want everything in the ground and covered up. Nothing goes to waste. We have to last the goddam winter, here."
"Yes, sir. Potatoes will go well with the wild dog that was brought in last night."
"Who caught a wild dog?"
I sucked in the slow sigh of relief I was letting out. The tension in the air increased, and I risked a glance at Micah. He had already turned around, fists clenched, ready for a fight. I made a shooing motion at him behind my back with my good hand.
"Lucy…" David's voice trailed off as he searched the parking lot that seemed to be growing smaller by the second. "Oh, there she is."
I tucked my hair behind my ear and turned my head. My face tattoo was in full view. Along with my bared shoulders, partially bared back, and wrapped wrist – I hoped Shawn would be thrown off. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my neck. The scar on my shoulder itched.
"I don't think I've met Lucy…" Shawn's voice was cold.
Footsteps. Oh God, is he coming over? I wasn't ready for a fight. My powers weren't nearly strong enough – unless he was allergic to broccoli.
"Hey, baby. You're all dirty – why don't come take a break?" It was my hero, Erika. She wrapped one arm around me, pulling me into her and blocking my face from Shawn.
She motioned with her eyes. Play along – if you want to get out of this.
My turn. I tried to relax into her. "Sure, as long as it's with you."
I let her pull me away. She rubbed my arm with the back of her thumb and I played with the hem of her shirt. I risked a glance at Shawn. He was still watching; our flirting with each other wasn't doing the trick.
I laid my head on her shoulder. "Where have you been all morning? I've missed you."
"Tease," she said. She tilted my chin up and toward her with the tips of her fingers. Before shock could register, our lips brushed. I went with it. Better this than pull everyone into a fight. My arm snaked around her waist and I pulled her in tighter, opening my mouth.
Might as well give those boys a show.
We continued to walk, heading out of the parking lot. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shawn raise his hand. It was covered in bandages. He took a step toward us. I sucked in my breath.
"Keep walking," Erika mumbled into my mouth.
A large crash stopped Shawn. It stopped everyone except us. As we disappeared in between two tall buildings, I glanced back. Clay was in the middle of the lot, an entire mobile garden tipped over in front of him.
"Oh, geez. Sorry about that Shawn. Don't worry, I can get this cleaned up before dark." Clay was bumbling around the tipped over truck bed.
My second hero. All three of them; Micah, Erika, and Clay had come out of nowhere. Do I have an army of stalkers?
"Well, what is everyone staring at? Help him!" Shawn ordered. He knelt himself, brushing the dirt into a pile with his bandaged hands.
The only one not distracted by Clay's aversion was Micah. He openly stared at me and Erika, mouth hanging open.
Chapter 44
Romance
I sat on the black granite wall at Writer Square that used to contain a fountain. Now it held much more. Soil, seeds, growing plants, hope, life. I thought of Felix and his trash can of fire. How did he survive? Does he tend his own garden? It would be hard to find space for one amidst a jungle of concrete. I laid my hand down in the rich soil of the fountain. Then again, maybe not.
"Hey." A hand extended to me.
I took it, rising up to meet Micah's eyes. "Hey, yourself," I said back, smiling. "I brought us dinner." I motioned to two large lettuce leaves – the new plate of choice – wrapped around full servings of delicious wild dog meat and potatoes.
"Perfect," he said. He held up a canteen. "I brought us wine."
A pair of Fires walked by, whooping and hollering about how awesome they were. I turned my head. I had already removed my blue band identifying me as One Less, but the infamous Lucy and her wild dog was spreading like wildfire; especially among those that wielded the flame – they loved a good story.
"Come on, I know of a place we can go to eat in peace."
We walked the length of the mall. As we passed the final lantern, I paused. "Should we take it with us? Denver is…dark."
Micah took the wrapped food from me, then held my good hand. "There are more lanterns where we are going. Besides – look, a full moon."
We went the opposite way of Felix and the dogs. After ten minutes of walking, we turned east, passing several large, burnt out buildings.
"University of Colorado." Micah nodded to one of them. "The city fell to looting and fighting after several nights of darkness. Some thought they might be safe here – what's in a college to steal? Desks? Normally nothing of any worth - but refugees brought supplies
."
"Oh, my God."
Micah nodded. "Whole families—"
"Don't tell me anymore. I don't want to know." I turned away from the shell of the building.
He squeezed my hand. "I'm just glad you weren't in a big city right after it happened."
We walked through an expansive parking lot, stepping over cracks and weeds in the asphalt, before skirting around a large stadium.
"The city set up a command center and temporary housing inside the Pepsi Center," Micah said, pointing at the stadium – also half burnt. "When it became apparent the power was not coming back on, the cops left to go protect their own families – and there was more fighting over food and blankets that were brought in."
I looked up – the moon was a far prettier sight. "Our food is getting cold," I mumbled. "How much farther?"
He looked down at me. "You've walked thousands of miles in the past few years, I think you can handle another few steps."
"Much of that was rowed," I corrected him. "But, it's like – you make me weak."
I stopped, stunned that I had just said that out loud. But it was true. When he was around, I checked out. I relied on him too much.
He sighed. "Come on, Kaitlyn. We'll talk about that later."
We stepped over a large, red, plastic 'E' lying on the ground. I looked up at a rounded entrance. The outline of several more letters could be made out, "Elitches? An amusement park?"
Micah smiled. "The new whimsical home of the Wiccans."
"And this?" I touched a painted pentagram with the words, 'Devil Worshippers' inside it.
"Put there by some that don't understand." He shrugged. "We leave it there because it seems to keep people away. The stupid ones, anyway."
We walked through what used to be the ticket booths. A group of guards, or at least what seemed to be guards, sat in a circle playing cards. There were no weapons.
"Are they Elementals?" I asked as Micah waved to them.
"Some are; mostly Earths. Come on, I want to show you the observation tower."
I craned my neck up, looking at the building just inside the entrance.
"We're going to the top," said Micah.
I groaned. The thing had to be 250 feet tall. "Wouldn't you rather show me the Ferris wheel? Or the carousel?"
"The view is worth the climb," Micah said. We passed the useless elevator and started up the stairs. "Besides, this is where I sleep."
"You do this every night?" I asked.
"And now, so will you." He paused, waiting for me to catch up. He took my hand and pulled me along behind him.
My butt is going to be so sore in the morning.
By the time we made it to the top, my legs were on fire, and I was breathing hard. Another guard greeted us at the round platform. This one I recognized; an Elemental from the Chakra.
"Natasha?" I squealed, lunging for her. I scooped her up in a hug. "You made it! The last I remember you were being chased into the woods by those Fires."
She detached herself from me, smiling.
"I'm sorry I didn't go back for you." I took a step back, looking at Micah. "Why didn't I go back for her?" My mind began reconstructing events from a day I tried not to think about for over a year. It was like racing down a dark tunnel, knowing something bad was waiting at the end.
Micah interrupted my thoughts, "She left for one of the several rally points we agreed upon. Something you should've done, too."
I narrowed my eyes. "I was searching for you. I thought—"
"I know," he cut me off. "I know…" He put his forehead against my own.
We pulled apart when Natalie shuffled by us to leave.
"It is so good to see you!" I called after her.
She turned slightly and nodded.
I looked at Micah, confused. "She didn't say one word. Is she mad at me?"
"She rarely speaks, not since Daybreak," he whispered back. "She has the ability, but she is still suffering from the battle, mentally and…physically."
I looked back. As she turned, descending the first of the stairs, moonlight glinted off one side of her face. Raised, pink scar tissue ran the length of it. Her ear was non-existent, and one nostril almost closed off. Her eye couldn't open all the way.
My hand went to my mouth as tears stung my eyes. "Burn scars." I stepped forward, wanting to hug her all over again.
Micah put his hand on my shoulder. "She doesn't like attention."
I swallowed, hard, and hugged him instead. When Natalie's footsteps faded away, Micah led me around the elevator shaft to the other side of the tower.
"The tower isn't necessarily manned 24-7. Just when we have the time." He pulled back a curtain. A mound of blankets and pillows sat on the other side.
"Oh my God – you have pillows?!" I dove into the pile, and rolled. "They smell so clean."
He sat next to me, taking off each of our shoes and pulling the bedding aside to lay out our dinner. "I was busy last night, getting ready for you."
I cleared my throat, fiddling with the edge of a pillow. Thank God I had managed to borrow a razor from Erika. "So…aren't you worried about being so close to One Less?" I nodded in the direction of the 16th Street Mall.
He handed me the canteen of wine and laid out our wild dog and potatoes. "We were here long before them, and they have yet to venture out of their camps. But…"
"But?" I prodded him, unscrewing the lid to the canteen.
"But it will be a long winter, and they'll probably get restless. We've started moving supplies and personnel to an underground silo, fifty miles east of here. Within a month we'll all be gone."
I paused with the canteen halfway to my mouth. "All of you?"
His lips pressed into a tight line and he rubbed his temple. "Let's talk plans later – now, we feast." He picked up his lettuce-wrap. "Cheers."
We touched lettuce to canteen, and I took a deep swig.
Rich, black fruit flavors danced along my tongue to the back of my throat. The aftertaste held a hint of vanilla. The sweet liquid warmed my entire body as it went down. "That is…so good."
"Picked it up in Virginia; been saving it ever since." His lettuce wrap was halfway gone.
I passed over the canteen and sampled our kill. "What if it had rabies or something?"
"Then you'd probably show signs of it. Was that not dog blood and snot I tasted on your tongue when I kissed you after?"
I laughed, spewing potatoes out of my mouth. "Well, romance is a specialty of mine."
"Oh, there is no doubt." He wiped the corner of my lips with a blanket.
We finished our cold food, washing it down with much better wine.
"Kaitlyn, I want to ask you something…about Lucy," Micah said.
I brought the canteen from my lips, a half smile lighting my face. "Ok."
"Is Lucy – gay?"
Now I was in a full out grin. "What do you think?" I teased.
He didn't notice. "Look, everyone does what they have to do to survive. I'm not going to hold anything against—"
"I'm not a lesbian," I said, cutting him off. I put the canteen in his hand and scooted closer. "Erika is a good friend." I took a pillow, hugging it to my chest. "There are good people in One Less. We need to consider that as we are figuring out what to do."
He leaned into me, nudging me with his shoulder. "I told you – we'll talk plans later."
"Okay." I straightened my back, the smile returning to my face. "What else do you want to know about Lucy, since we are on the subject?"
He turned the full brunt of his glowing, green eyes on me. "I want to see Lucy's tattoos. All of them."
Chapter 45
Control Freak
I took the canteen back from him, before he even took a drink. I downed the rest of the wine. My head swam in pure delight. I shifted in front of him on my knees and removed my shirt, then my bra. When I glanced at him again, he lifted up to his knees to look me in the eye.
His hand went to my cheek, tracing the outline
of the cherry blossom branches.
"Maybe a little too obvious, don't you think?" he asked.
"I didn't ask for it – they just did what they wanted."
"Permanent makeup, too?" His hand traced over my eyelids and across my eyebrows.
I nodded.
"And your back…" He drifted around me, running his hand down and around my waist. "Almost all of it is covered with ink."
I stayed silent, letting him explore.
"The scar is almost completely invisible. The tattoo artist really knew how to shade." His hand hovered over my shoulder.
"Artists," I said.
"Hmm?"
"There were two of them."
His hand drifted up my neck, mumbling the words, "Earth, air, fire, water. That’s a popular one with Wiccans."
He came around in front of me again, pulling me up so we were both standing. He held my good wrist in the air, reading the bracelet of ink to himself. His lips moved with the words. He curled his fingers into mine. "I got a tattoo, also. Want to see it?"
"You did? Yes, of course I want to see." I looked up at him with wide eyes.
He stepped back, taking off his shirt. A dark splotch of ink over his heart was just visible.
"It isn't nearly as intricate as yours…" he trailed off.
I pulled him into the moonlight streaming through the windows of the observation tower. Light lit his chest, showing a small, fat bee. My throat constricted as I placed my hand over the symbol of the daughter I left behind.
"It's beautiful; thank you." I stepped in to him, meaning to bury my face in his chest.
Instead, he lifted my chin, guiding my lips to his. I opened my mouth, allowing him in.
He pulled the rest of me into him. "You're not going back, I can't let you leave again. Kaitlyn…and Lucy, stay here with me." His fingers dug into my waist.
"Shut up," I mumbled. "We'll talk plans later."
His hands moved down, then lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He stumbled forward until I was pressed against the glass window. His hips pinned me in place.
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