“I’m sorry, Ky.”
He cleared his throat; his shoulders tensed. “I know. Me too.”
When I finished clipping and it looked even enough, I shaved his neck with the razor and some soap he used just for shaving. It smelled like pine and lemongrass. I wiped his neck off with the towel and moved to clean up the floor around his chair.
“Hey,” he said. I looked up at him. “I can clean that up,” he protested.
“Ky, you’re exhausted. I’ll get it.”
I wiped the hair up before he could argue with me anymore and took it outside. Those tiny golden hairs were swept away quickly by a frigid gust of wind. He was waiting for me when I came back inside. “I’ll help you pack.”
I shook my head. “I’m not packing.”
He blew out a breath. “What do you mean? What are you gonna do?”
“I want you to contact Senn and Councilman Stephens. I want you to ask them to hack into the feed tonight. It’s time that everyone knows. Everyone.”
Ky pulled me into his arms. “God, Abby Blue, are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“You know they’ll take you.”
“That’s why I’m not packing,” I pulled away and grinned.
“I can’t let them take you.”
“You have to.”
He shook his head. “The hell I do. It’s all gonna explode if you hack the feed anyway. Hell, all of Olympus might revolt. They might do the job for us.”
“Doesn’t matter. You can’t lose your position. You’re the gateway for the resistance, just like Lulu was.”
“I don’t care. Abby Blue, I know…I know you don’t feel the same way about me, but I love you and there’s no damn way I’m letting you go without me.”
A slight knock at the door sounded. Gray stood in the doorway smiling. “What if I go with her?”
I swallowed. “You’re a guard, Gray.”
“Not if they find out I’m with you. If they find out that I’m with the resistance, they’ll lock me up with you.”
Stepping away from Kyan, I pulled the hot biscuits away from the fire. Steam wafted into the air clouding the two men in front of me. “They would take him, Ky. But you,” I pointed at Gray. “You might want to rethink this stroke of brilliance.”
“Why?”
“How do you think they’ll treat you once they figure you for a traitor?” I raised my brows at him.
“I think your news will be the biggest of the night. I’m hoping your performance overshadows my small part in this whole thing.”
“Great. No pressure.” I muttered.
Gray laughed.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked.
“I came back for more biscuits.”
“You didn’t know I’d make more.”
He rolled his orange eyes. “Please. I took the last one. You wouldn’t let Ky go hungry.”
I threw a hot biscuit at his head. Unfortunately, he caught it without flinching. “Thanks!”
He ducked out the door before I beamed him with another one. I could hear his laughter as he walked away from the cabin.
∞
After Gray left, Kyan looked from the door to me and back again, giving me a strange look. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“You need to get some rest. You’re exhausted.”
He stretched and yawned. “Yeah. I am. I need to go get this hair off of me before it itches me to death though.”
“Want me to heat up some water for you?”
He shook his head. “I’ll just head to the stream. I need to clean up anyway.”
“You’ll freeze. Look, I need to clean up anyway, if you bring in the bigger tub, I’ll heat some water and start filling it up.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he smiled and laughed. “I’ll bring the tub in, but no way I’ll freeze outside with thoughts of you in it.”
My cheeks felt hot. Immediately. “Kyan, I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Abigail. Believe it.” He stared at me intently, his brows inching up slightly. He was dead serious. Holy crap.
Before I knew he’d left, he was back carrying the large wooden tub in from the porch. He positioned it in front of the fire. It would make filling it easier and keep me warm while I was in the water.
“Thanks.”
Tipping my chin up, he said, “You’re welcome, Abby Blue.”
An awkward silence filled the room. Ky cleared his throat. “Look, I’ll stay out for a while. I have an errand to run, so you’ll have the place to yourself for a bit. But I need you for an hour or so when I get back. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay. Sure.”
He nodded back and then turned and strode quickly out the door, slamming it behind him.
I filled the tub part of the way with water from Ky’s pump as a large pot of water hung over the fire. When it bubbled, I poured it into the tub, careful not to burn myself, as was usual for me. When I’d repeated the chore almost a half a dozen times alternating boiling pots of water, the tub was pretty full and irresistibly steamy. I didn’t waste any time getting into the water. This would probably be the last bath I would get for a while.
Thoughts of what lay ahead that night, wrestled around in my mind for front and center position. I knew Ky was going to find Stephens. He was going to contact Senn. Ky would make this happen, even if he didn’t want it to. He would do it for me.
I don’t know how long I sat relaxing my weary body with unrelaxing thoughts racing through my mind, but when I heard footsteps outside, I realized it had been awhile. The water was cold. I was shivering and it was too late to get out of the tub without being seen. I sank down into the water and hoped with everything in me that it wasn’t Ardis or Kyan. Ardis would be trouble and Ky didn’t need encouragement or heartache.
Three rapid taps came before the door was quickly pushed opened and Gray stepped inside. He shook snowflakes out of his hair. He had one arm out of his coat when he noticed me. I was clinging desperately to the side of the tub, hiding myself as best I could.
“Hey, Gray. Could you give me a minute?”
“Uh. Um. Yeah. I can go back outside. Sorry. So sorry. God.” He turned to go back out, but I stopped him.
“Gray. Just go into Ky’s room. It’s freezing.”
He grunted an “Okay,” and his boot steps trailed down the hallway. When I heard Kyan’s door close, I jumped up, grabbed my towel, and wrapped it tightly around me. I used my shirt to dry my legs and feet, before sprinting to my room to dress. Tugging on a bra and panties, I found a light brown sweater and an old, but soft pair of jeans. I squeezed the water out of my hair and ran a brush through it, leaving it down to dry.
I tapped on Ky’s door and yelled, “All clear,” as I passed by.
When Ky came back, I was bailing water out of the tub and Gray was dumping it off the porch for me. Ky’s hair was wet and I could tell he’d just washed his face. His eyelashes were clumped together. If he stood outside much longer, they might freeze that way.
“What’s going on?” He stepped inside and looked at me.
“Hey, just emptying the tub.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
He pressed his lips in a thin line and started to walk past me. “Nothing,” he muttered.
“Ky? What’s wrong?”
He snapped, “Nothing’s wrong. Okay?” Well, he was in a wonderful mood.
Gray helped me finish emptying the water. Grabbing some rags, I bent down to soak up the water that had splashed onto the floor. It was a messy process, but in the winter, a necessary one. Waves of nausea suddenly rolled through me. Before I knew what had even hit me, I started heaving. “Oh, God!” Both guys made it to my side before I spewed all over the floor. Gray held my hair back while Ky patted my back.
My head spun. I didn’t know who was saying what. Someone asked if I was okay and what had happened. Ky grabbed me up and carried me to my bed. Gray brought in a glass of
water and a hair tie.
I was okay. My stomach actually felt better now that it was empty. I sipped the water and tried to stop shaking. I never got sick. Ever. And I definitely never vomited. What if I had contracted some sort of disease from the Greaters in Olympus. I spent a few weeks there and had been home for another.
It turns out that Gray didn’t have much to do. All the Lessers were taking full advantage of their day off. He wanted to stick around, but Ky needed to rest and now that I had gotten sick, I wanted to rest, too. Reluctantly, he left. I watched him walk the hill and disappear into a thick flurry of snow.
Walking out the door while Abby was getting ready to bathe was the second hardest thing I’d ever had to do. Watching her choose Crew had definitely been the worst. I’d met with Councilman Stephens and sent the comm to Senn about hacking into the live feed that would be broadcast to and from Orchard tonight.
King Cole was an idiot. He was so arrogant that he wanted Greaters to see how even the Lessers were excited for his son’s marriage. Truthfully, we couldn’t care less. We just wanted our girls back, wanted to be treated like human beings, like equals. If it took dying, so be it. We would make this happen.
Stephens thought Abby’s idea was brilliant and called her a brave revolutionary. That was just before he told me she was likely pregnant. I guess Olympus had filled the Council in on that little fact when they figured out she was back in Orchard. I confirmed by showing him the comm that I’d received just after Abby had come back home.
I think Stephen saw an opportunity in having Abby back in the village. The Greaters needed her and the village needed leverage. The problem with Stephens, hell, the problem with anyone in a position of power, is that just a tiny taste of power just makes them want more of it. Power becomes greed and nothing is ever enough to satisfy that type of hunger. Stephens was definitely getting an appetite.
When I walked back into the house and saw Gray helping Abby, I saw red. Crazy jealous isn’t green. It’s the crimson color of another man’s blood. No way another Greater bastard was going to take her away from me. Not that she was really mine. She’d made that more than clear lately. We needed time, away from everything, just her and me. Just us. Then she’d see.
When she vomited, I knew Stephens was right. She was pregnant, barely a few weeks along, but definitely carrying a child. It wouldn’t be long before she figured that out, and when she did, I wanted to be sure to be the man waiting there to take care of her and the baby.
I just had to figure out a way to keep her safe tonight when they dragged her out of here. I curled up with her in my arms. As kids, we would nap together every afternoon. But the easier days of childhood were gone. She was the only one I wanted to hold onto for the rest of my life.
An idea popped into my head. I had to get to Paige. I slipped my arm out from underneath Abby’s head and snuck quietly out the cabin door.
It was almost sundown. We were to dress as nicely as possible, but appropriately for the weather, which was currently freezing. Ky and I bundled up in layers and donned the best coats we owned. I had borrowed Kyan’s mother’s coat. She was ill and couldn’t go to the big party. He smiled as I fastened the last button on the black wool coat.
“What?” I grinned.
“Got you something.”
He reached into the pocket of his coat pulling out a folded piece of fabric.
I took it from him. “What’s this?”
“A scarf. It’s cold.”
I smiled and unfolded the fine piece of brilliant red fabric. It was the color of a perfectly ripe apple. “It’s so soft. Thank you.” I wrapped it around my neck. On my tiptoes, I hugged him quickly and thanked him again. I wasn’t sure how he’d gotten it, but it was beautiful and I loved it.
“Abby, I need you to listen to me.”
I looked up into his blue eyes. The muscle in his jaw worked back and forth. “Just say it, Ky.”
“I’ll come for you. Whatever happens tonight, just know I’ll come for you. I promise.”
The only thing I could do was nod. I knew he would.
“And, I need you to know that I love you. I love you with every damn cell in my body. Every inch of me belongs to you. And I promise that I’ll do whatever it takes to make this whole messed up situation right by you, and the others.”
I hugged him tight. My voice broke when I said, “I love you, too, Ky.”
He chuckled and his shoulders bounced up and down along with his laughter. “No, you don’t. Not yet. But, you will one day. We were meant for each other, Abby Blue. I was built for you, just as much as you were built for me.” He paused. “Just remember that when you’re alone, okay. I know Gray’s going in with you, but you don’t know what they’ll do. You may be separated. Just... keep me here.” He placed his hand near my heart.
I dared to look up at him. He was serious, and I would remember his words and cling to them in the darkness I was about to enter into. “I will. I promise.”
∞
I pulled on the pair of gloves I’d borrowed from Ky earlier in the week. He insisted I take them. We stepped into the cold evening air, pausing on the porch for a minute. A gust of wind came through swirling snowflakes along the pathway. “Ready?” I asked.
“No. I don’t think I can do this, Abby Blue.”
He shook his head. “You have to. Please, do this for me, Ky. I need you to be strong and go along with the plan. I need you out here. You have to get me out of there, but not tonight. Go along with the plan, okay?”
He blew out a sharp breath. “This is insane.”
I smiled. It was. “Everything worth doing is a little crazy, right?”
“I guess.” He held his hand out for mine and we walked hand in hand up the pathway toward the village square. I could hear the crowd before we even crested the final hill. The square was packed. Every villager was crammed inside it, huddled around the generous bonfires scattered along the perimeter and beneath the fiery torches that lined the edges.
A long banquet table of food steamed, as new dishes were uncovered. Men, women, and children stood in the long line waiting to fill their plates and stomachs. There was enough food here to feed four villages. Perched on the center of the stage was a large screen. At the moment, it was gray and blank, but my stomach began to churn imagining the sickening images that would soon fill it.
A team of Greaters, complete with weird glasses, huddled at the end of the stage trying to shield their equipment from the elements. “The train came in this afternoon,” said Ky beside me, still holding onto my hand, steadying me.
I nodded. We wove through the crowds of people making our way to the end of the line. I wanted a good meal. It might be the last I had in a while. “Stay away from the drinks.”
“Why?”
“I brought something from home. Just trust me.” That was weird.
“Okay.”
He eased a glass jar of water out of his pocket, just enough to show me. I looked around and noticed that a lot of villagers were drinking out of the same. I moved closer to Ky. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just making sure that if they take you, they won’t be too rough on you.”
Go Kyan. I wasn’t sure what he put in the drinks, but maybe it would slow the Greaters down. Anything that tipped the scale in our favor was okay with me. We moved through the line, filling our plates and then sat together at a table that was pushed up beside a bonfire.
The warmth of Kyan’s actions was almost as warm as his leg against mine, as his hand on the small of my back. But as warm as it was, his touch didn’t set me on fire. It was just a comforting warmth, never a blaze. And I wanted to be set on fire from the inside out.
The entire ballroom was draped in finery from ceiling to floor. It was elegantly adorned with wide swaths of sheer white fabric, flickering candles, and heady floral arrangements. The sun had set and the ceremony was ready to begin. Music poured from the instruments positioned in the corner of the room. My suit was cr
isp, made of fine white fabric. The best, my father had assured me. The only things on my person that were not white were my shoes, hair, and eyes. I had grown to hate the empty hue.
It represented lies. Olympus and my father loved to give the illusion of purity, cleanness, perfection. But that’s all it was: an illusion. Nothing was perfect here. The guards signaled my entrance and I stepped from my small room, taking a deep breath before heading down the long aisle, people standing up from their seats in honor as I made my way to the front of the room.
My brother’s mournful eyes found mine as I passed by the front row, heading toward duty and the man I was growing to hate more each minute. There was no way Cam would stay long. He would run as soon as Father would allow him out from beneath his thumb. I could see flight in his eyes even tonight.
My father stood waiting for me, my crown seated atop the sterile pillow held by a servant at his side. He smiled cruelly at me as I approached, but replaced that expression with the false one, the one of the proud father and dutiful King. Standing directly in front of my father, I bowed my head as was customary and allowed him to place the heavy golden crown upon it.
My crown was smaller and less ornate than the one my father boasted, thankfully. His was tall and encrusted with glistening diamonds that formed the shape of an “O” in the center of his forehead.
I turned to face the crowd, my future subjects. If I could have, I would have sprinted away from the situation, from my father, from Olympus and my duty to her. I would have run toward Abby and never looked back. I straightened my spine and waited as the orchestra played the traditional Olympian wedding processional.
Marian appeared at the end of the aisle in the fullest white gown I had ever seen. It looked as if every inch of it was covered with downy, white feathers. With each closer step she took, I could see that indeed, they were feathers of varying shapes and sizes. Some were even tucked into her reddish hair. She did look beautiful. She was a beauty in her own right, though incomparable to Abby in every way.
Resist (The Harvest Saga Book 2) Page 5
